The Storm of Silence Screams

💙Blue💙

Marinette thought it was ironic.

Her eyes were bluebell, so much so, it should've been her name; Bluebell.

Her hair was blue, ebony blue. People called her Snow Blue.

Her designs were mostly blue.

And she hadn't worn any of them to school yet.

And yet, her secret identity was red.

That was probably for the best.

Marinette didn't know what it was that continually called her to the color blue. was it that it went with everything? Was it expressive? She didn't know.

All she knew was that she lied it.

Kagami and Luka liked it too.

But she loved to see blue. Especially now that she was constantly seeing white.

The white flash of an akuma. The white in her head during a powerful hit. The white butterflies she released.

She was supposed to be a kid! But bullies of every sort were taking away her life.

All she ever got to see was white and red.

Never calm, majestic, happy blue.

"Marinette, it's lovely! You MUST wear ONE of the to school someday." Sabine admired her daughter's blue dress. Marinette blushed. "Well, Maman..."

"It's picture day. It's the perfect time." Marinette thought about it. Adrien modeled her designs sometimes. So did her other friends. Maybe it was time..."Okay, Maman. I will." But she had other reasons for not wanting too.

Once Sabine was gone, Tikki floated out. "Wow! That was very brave of you, Marinette!" Tikki often thought Marinette was the kindest owner she'd ever had.

Marinette blushed. "Thanks, Tikki." she put on her customary pink pants to go with it, and pulled some frilly white socks over them. Despite how happy she looked with her outfit, Tikki could see something else in her eyes, something UNhappy. "Marinette, is everything alright?" She didn't expect an answer, though. She knew, from going to school with Marinette, that it was not alright. But Marinette had always taken it with strength. Marinette often said Tikki gave her the extra boost of confidence she needed.

But now, Marinette looked...lost.

"Tikki, do you ever get that weird feeling...no, never mind."

"What is it? Tell me Marinette. Did you forget something?" 

"No, I don't think so." Marinette went over her checklist again. "I've got everything. I just...feel like there's something OUT there, you know?"

"I just thought you were on your blue period." Marinette giggled and Tikki smiled, happy to have made her own feel better. But she had been using a lot of blue lately.

The truth was, Marinette hadn't been feeling...Marinette lately. She didn't have a fever, and she checked constantly. She brought pills to school, just in case she needed them. She didn't feel like herself, and wanted to be prepared in case she came down with something while out of the house.

But nothing helped. Only the color blue brought her true calm these days. The thing was, she really didn't feel Marinette.

After saying all this to Tikki, Marinette looked at her reflection. "Maybe I just need to try something new." She rooted through her drawers, and pulled out a large, glittery hairbow, and clipped it in. "I think that looks nice." Tikki eyed the outfit. Marinette's blue dress moved like waves of the ocean, and the white bows attached to it seemed to shine like silk. The pink bow on Marinette's head added just the right pop of color and sparkle to the otherwise pretty but dull outfit.

Her torso, however, sported an embroidered symbol--it looked like some sort of eye--covered in sparkle itself.

In other words...

"Marinette, you kind of look like you're going to a party. A beach party." Marinette blushed, and tugged her sparkly torso. "Is it too much?"

"No. I meant that as a good thing." Tikki smiled at her owner. Marinette smiled back. "I hope nobody asks me what this is." She pointed to the symbol on her torso. "It just came to me. I just feel like it says a lot about me."

"You've been doing that a lot." Tikki nodded, noting that Marinette had been drawing random symbols, currently made up as she went along, in her sketchbook.

"Maybe you'll make up your own written language." Marinette giggled. "Maybe." She adjusted her bow and went downstairs. "I just felt like I needed a change of style. Something more colorful than fun. Something NOT red and white."

"Red and white?"

"Oh! Uhm, nothing, Tikki." Marinette opened her purse for her kwami, and went downstairs for breakfast. Sabine clapped, and Tom took pictures. "my little girl's spreading her wings!"

"She's so brave!" Sabine agreed. Marinette blushed from the praise, her heart swelling upon having such wonderful parents.

She felt sorry that Chloe couldn't have that.

Marinette often worried about her clothes. Not because she cared about what others said about them-that was a lie. O course she cared. She was going to be a designer after all! She wanted her ideas to be approved!

She didn't want to dress strangely in class, though, because SOME people were sure to disapprove of her new look.

She didn't want to go to school in this dress. Not because SHE hated it. But because someone else did.

"Mari!" Alya ran up to her. "Are you rocking a new style? I absolutely love it!"

"Yeah, it's super cool! I wish I could do that!" Lila chimed in. Marinette grit her teeth and thanked her. At Tikki's advice, Marinette was trying to learn to ignore Lila, at least when she was telling NICE lies.

Soon, a crowd had gathered. Marinette blushed so hard, and still managed to pull off the look. It was clear that her blue dress--the dress Alya deemed Mermaid-Turned-Human dress with it's blue and slight ocean green-was a hit. She felt lighter than air.

For a time.

Chloe pushed her way through the crowd, smirking. "You call that a dress? Look how short the skirt is!" Marinette looked. Her skirt went down to her knees and no further. She gave Chloe a confused look. "So?"

"So?" Chloe put her nose in the air. "It's awful."

"I don't care what you think Chloe." Marinette really didn't. She knew Chloe was just jealous and bratty.

It was what Chloe DID that Marinette cared about.

Chloe shot Marinette a hard look, still smiling, and tossed a cup of coffee at her. "You were clearly up at night making that hideous thing, so I brought you some coffee." The burning hot liquid scorched Marinette's skin, causing her to cry out. But it also stained the dress-permanently. Marinette would never be able to get that out.

"Ha! Poor Mari, she's too young for coffee!" Chloe pretended to suck her thumb. "Maybe her Mommy can fix her baby dress!" Some passing older kids laughed out loud, taking pictures. Marinette tried to look like she didn't care, walking away from Chloe. "Bring a bib next time, brat!" Chloe shouted after her, over the outrage of their classmates.

Marinette knew Chloe was being NICE right now. But later in the day, the bullying would get worse.

Once they were alone, Chloe, as well as every other bully in the school, (Who took Chloe's word that Marinette was the biggest bully fodder in school) would unleash a living nightmare on her.

Marinette wished she could turn into Ladybug and save herself. That would show them.

But there was nothing she could do.

💜

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