bloodstains & kisses [Miraculous Ladybug]

1 || Already choking on my pride

rain pattered against the fogged up windows of the her fathers office as Marinette sat sketching a beautiful red dress, her dream was to be a designer but knowing the nature of the affairs that went on her family she knew she was destined to be some man's wife; nothing more, nothing less - she had to be an obedient, god abiding, mobsters wife.

Why god abiding you may ask? Well, the mafia believed they were above Man's law, but not Gods. That's why virginity culture had been forced down her throat from the day she bled from her first period. That's why obedience was so heavily enforced.

The brainwashing was intense, it however failed to work, 2022 and people still believed that a woman's place was below a man? it was ridiculous, but her father was one of them.

Don't get her wrong, she loved her father dearly but his ideologies didn't make sense - her mother was an absolute firecracker - sabine Dupain - Cheng took shit off of no one. Her dad was absolutely whipped by him.

The crackle of the dark oakwood fireplace illuminated the room, filling the room with comfort and warmth it was soon interrupted with Marinette's father barging into the room - which was his office but it's beside the point.

"My little sweetie." He said as he extended his arms to her asking for a hug with a smile, she grinned back at him and came over to her father wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm glad you agreed to meet me, why don't we have a seat?" Tom broke the hug, and nodded towards the two chairs that sat in front of the fireplace.

Marinette nodded and walked to the the seat, pulling her pink floral skirt down over her backside she took a seat. "So what's this meeting about?" her eyebrows furrowed together - they never had 'meetings' it was more he'd tell her stuff over the business table - so this was a lot more professional.

Her father sighed pouring his self a glass of whiskey, coming over to sit by his daughter. "My dear girl, you know of the bloodshed that has occurred during the past fifty odd years, all due to a betrayal done by the french mob. We have devised a plan to put an end to this." He finished, taking a sip of his whiskey. This confused Marinette to no end, this had nothing to do with her, yes she might be a mobsters daughter - she wasn't involved in it. The closes she has got to the bloodshed is when she has been a bystander.

"Okay, that's great dad, but what's that got to do with me?" she beamed at him, atleast it was coming to an end right? The killing was something she didn't believe in, it was dark and twisted, it went on for far too long in her opinion.

Tom gave her a timid smile, "It's got everything to do with my dear. It all comes down to your decision." Marinette tensed up a little, this sounded like a joke - a bad one at that but a joke nonetheless.

"What do you mean?" She chuckled in disbelief, looking to her father. The guilt was eating Tom up, he basically was feeding his daughter to the lions.

"Hm, you know me and your mother didn't meet each other til a week before our wedding. We grew to love each other." Tom tried to reassure his daughter, Marinette caught on to were this was going - him and her mother got married due to an agreement between the Chinese and Italians - they essentially ruled nearly the whole of the city, everyone was in their pockets. The civilians, the police, and even the mayor - it was horrible.

"Dad you can't be serious." She said again, laughing, surely her father wouldn't do this?

"The choice is yours, your to meet with him tomorrow night - how about you give me an answer then?" Her father smiled, fading his glass.

Marinette's words were caught in her throat there was so much to ask, to say, what about her boyfriend? what about her studies at ESMOD? what about the fact she's never even met him.