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English
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Miraculous Crossover, miraculous ladybug
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Published:
2020-10-12
Updated:
2021-01-18
Words:
14,031
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9/20
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Bridge The Gap

Summary:

Marinette has been a superheroine since she was thirteen, and once that's over she finds herself lost. But she has friends who can help her, and support her when the war she fought to end isn't as closed as she thought. And if one of those friends was half demoness who lives in America- then she was gonna buy a plane ticket.

 

OR

 

The fic where Raven and Marinette met when she was fourteen, and they became penpals.

Chapter 1: Off Balance

Chapter Text

Raven was starting to regret this trip.

 

It was hot outside, the sort of hot where it would be best not to wear a heavy dark cloak over her. So she'd put on some shorts and a blue flannel and tried to blend in with the population around her. Of course, that meant she couldn't just levitate around, and nor could she manipulate the shadows to cover her from the glaring sun overhead. She was already sunkissed and had blisters on her feet and she'd only been walking for half an hour.

She couldn't even blame Robin for this one, he didn't even know she was here.

It had been her idea, and hers alone. She had sensed some sort of disturbance in Paris and had figured she should check it out. Maybe most would just let it slide, but Raven was uneased by it. The magic signature was different than her own, it felt older somehow. So she found herself in Paris, with burned skin and no leads.

Maybe this hadn't been the best idea.

Raven sighed to herself, looking around to find a way out out of the heat. She should look around some more while she was here, she could search for a few more hours before heading home. But she would take a break first.

She spotted a cafe on the corner, decently busy. She was multilingual thankfully, and while she hadn't mastered french yet she could pass easily enough. The bell chimed as she entered, the cool air inside soothing her skin blessedly. The man at the cashier greeted her, comically large for his cheery disposition. Still, Raven was used to strange characters and ordered an iced tea and a few assorted macaroons. It was nice to try something different.

There wasn't a ton of seating inside, and despite it not being busy she still found herself sitting at a table next to a smaller girl. She didn't seem to notice her, too absorbed in the sketchbook she was working in.

But that didn't mean Raven didn't notice her, or more specifically- the powerful magical energy coming from her purse. She tentatively taped into the signature, careful that she would be able to retreat in an instant if necessary.

'Hello?'

It only takes a moment for her to get a response, it's tinted with cautious curiosity. 'Hi, Raven! I am Tikki, the Kwami of creation.'

Well then. Of course Raven knows about Kwamis, they're the equivalent of celebrities or cyrptids at the least. Stumbling upon the literal Kwami of creation was not what she expected. The girl whose purse the Kwami inhabited was so unassuming, small instature and hunched in on herself as she worked. 'It's an honor to meet you. I came to Paris to investigate the magical disturbance here. I'm guessing you know about that.'

A giggle came across the bond, like light twinkling bells. 'I might know something about that. Did you know the Miraculous of Emotion and Transmission were lost many years ago?'

Raven sipped her tea as she listened to the Kwami tell her about the Paris situation. It was interesting, and more than explained the backlash. She was surprised the Justice League hadn't been called, but upon learning the Green Lantern hadn't taken them serious she couldn't help but emphasize. Adults very rarely listened to teenagers, and even rarer did authority figures. Finally the tale came to a close, and Raven sat back to reasses.

Her being in Paris was dangerous now that she knew about the context. Even if she was experienced in keeping her emotions at bay, she was prone to outbursts and the level of control she had to exercise to use her powers wasn't sustainable. She would have to leave as soon as possible, portaling out would make that easy at least.

"Oh!" The girl in front of her squeaked, coloring slightly as she hurridly smiled. Her eyes were a startling shade of blue, and Raven found herself thrown off. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there, I'm Marinette."

"Rachel," Raven offered tentatively. "I haven't been here for long really, but I could see you were pretty absorbed."

"Yeah," Marinette giggled nervously, hands tapping a rhythem against the page in front of her. "I do that at times- get absorbed in my work I mean."

"I know the type, believe me," Raven replied. And she did, Robin was as workoholic as could be. Marinette seemed similar though, with deep purple bags under her eyes, which was understandable considering the diety she carried in her purse. "At least you can admit it."

Marinette's eyes sparkled with humor, leaning forward a bit. "I try. And hey, I'm talking to you aren't I? I'm not a zombie!"

"Barely," Raven replied, nodding her head to where Marinette's drink was balanced precariously on the edge of the table. Marinette scrambled to right it much to her amusement. "You're more friendly then one anyways."

"Oh I know," Marinette replied sagely. "I'm a people person. Well, I like talking to people I mean, I don't just trust strangers automatically."

"And I thought we were getting somewhere," Raven deadpanned to Marinette's giggling. "I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer."

"Oh definitely." Marinette paused, eyes calculating before she continued. "I get if you say no, but could I sketch you while we're talking? I like your style, and I've wanted to try to find some new inspiration for awhile now."

That made Raven pause, mainly due to the novelty of the situation. She wasn't exactly a caveman recluse, she lived with four other teens after all, but she didn't leave Titan Tower all that often. She had a few cafes and bookshops she frequented (as well as one particular waffle house) but she rarely interacted with people on those trips. And rarely ever was it in any context but for her 'celebrity' status. "Alright."

"Thanks!" Marinette grinned brightly, flipping to a fresh page and practically diving headfirst into her work as she talked. "I have one friend who has a vaguely similar style, but it's not the same and yours has a different edge to it. Can I ask about the jewel on your forehead?"

"It's a chakra," Raven explained hesitantly. "The forehead chakra, or ajna chakra symbolizes intuition and clarity. It's important in meditation."

Marinette hummed lightly as she listened, eyes flittering over her occasionally. "That makes sense. I meditate, but I'm not very avid about it. It's more of a necessity than a real interest."

"When did you start meditating?" Raven asked.

"Oh, I've meditated occasionally since I was young. My maman thought it was important for me to learn, but I only started doing it consistently when I was thirteen."

"And you are...?"

"Fourteen now," Marinette replied. "What about you?"

"Meditation has been important to me since I was young," Raven said. "I could text you a few websites that explain chakra meditation if you'd like?"

"Thatd be nice," Marinette unlocked her phone and slid it forwards across the table. "Enter your number in, I can send you a recipe if you're interested? Sometimes I find that doing more repetitive or mindless tasks can make me calm down faster. I have a few easier recipes that work well for that."

Raven couldn't help but be touched by that, even if it wasn't necessarily a bother. She entered in the number and slid it back across the table. "I'd apreciate that."

 

A crash sounded from outside, startling both girls. Their wide eyes met for a moment before a handful of dings rang out, coming from multiple places through the room. Marinette reacted immediately, pulling out her phone and silencing it as others in the shop did the same. She smiled sheepishly at Raven, her entire demeanor shifting. There was a certain fire in her eye that flared up. "Sorry, that's an akuma alett. I gotta run to check on something, but uh- I'll see you later maybe?"

She rushed out of the shop, even as Raven noticed other customers moving farther back into it.

 

Time to be a hero, she guessed.