tushanshu | [video]

[From the moment the camera turned on, Midii looked...almost as if she were regretting the decision. Public speaking was never her strong suit, which was why she so rarely made videos like these. But there was something on her mind. For once...something personal. And after a few seconds of hesitation, her resolve won out.]

It's...strange to think about.

[Maybe it would have been better if she'd gathered more of her thoughts before doing this, but she hadn't wanted to give herself a chance to back out.]

I cam here when I was eleven. Today, I'm sixteen. [Ah, there was one point of motivation; she'd never publicly announced her birthday before. There truly was a first time for everything.] And I've had so much time to think about what that means. That I've lived here for so long that I...I almost forgot what it was like to live in the world I grew up in. That...that's a good thing. Because when I came here, I didn't trust anybody. I couldn't. I was scared and small and...didn't think I deserved the kindness that people were suddenly showing me. I tried turning them away. I figured that they'd get over it and move on sooner or later and leave me alone.

But...they didn't. Leave me alone, that is. Five years later, and people still won't leave me alone. [Despite her words, she spoke them with hints of a smile. Humor. Her attempt at a joke.] I've never been more grateful for those people as I am today. And I wish...that I could tell the ones who are gone that. I wish they could know how much they meant to me. More than even I knew then.

[A pause. She took a deep breath and stared into the camera greatly. Then let out a sheepish smile.]

I'm...not even sure what I was trying to say anymore. I guess...for those of you who are still finding it hard to deal with having been brought here...I just wanted you to know that there are good things that have come out of it. I'm living proof of that.

[Because she was still alive.]

[Although, just when it looked like Midii was about to (awkwardly) sign off...one last thought came to her. And in a rare show of her age, her nose wrinkled slightly in distaste.]

I still don't think I'll ever get used to the magic here, though. It's too....unpredictable.

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[And he'll let that be, he won;t try to force a gift or a party on her. He knows she probably wouldn't enjoy the latter, and if she has no interest in the former, who is he to try and make her? ]

Maybe I'm just being polite.

[There's more than a little touch of mirth in his tone. ]

True. But you don't have to be.

I already told you before. I'm not used to boys like you.

[...out of context, that probably sounded a little weird, didn't it?]

[Probably. She'll soon know if anyone took it the wrong way if Marinette shows up to try and claw her eyes out. ]

...Yeah, that's a good point. I guess I'm still learning.

[Learning to let his guard down around people. To be more of who he is, rather than Gabriel Agreste's Perfect Son. The Turtle has given him so much opportunity for that, he's very grateful. ]

[Please don't try to claw her eyes out, Marinette.]

That's alright. I'm patient. [She was also hardly one to talk, given how long it had taken her to learn the ways of Keelai life.] And it is better to be a little too nice than too mean.

Just as long as you don't let other people take advantage of your niceness.

[She would probably make no promises.]

I...do my best.

[Not really, he puts up with an awful lot- as Adrien. As Chat, well, he can play it a little loser then. Behind the safety of the mask. ]

It's hard to say no sometimes.

Maybe you should practice more.

[There she goes with the partial joking again.]

[He lets out a soft laugh at that. ]

I might need a little help with that, once in a while.

Are you saying you want me to try and take advantage of you more often?

[...believe it or not, any potential innuendo went right over her head.]

[And, of course, Adrien's idea of flirting is limited to cheesy romcoms so he completely misses it too, by a mile. If anyone watches their conversations, feel pity for these kids. ]

So long as it stays legal, I think I can live with it.

[Oops]

I'm not that bad. I would never ask someone to do anything that would get them in major trouble. Honest.

Besides, the whole point is to get you to practice saying 'no' more. There's no point if I make it too easy for you.

I believe you. Mostly.

[The fact he's happily joking with her says a lot of how comfortable he is around her, really. ]

That is true. I gotta learn to expand my horizons a little.

[Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second at the 'mostly' part, before she recovered. Instinctive habit. She'd promised herself long ago to be honest after her childhood, so even though she knew he was just joking with her...it was hard not to react.]

You're living on the back of a giant turtle in an alternate world. Where magic somehow is a real thing that exists,

I think you're off to a pretty good start.

[He notices the falter, makes a mental note of it. He won't misstep next time. He chuckles softly, nodding. ]

Yep. That's...pretty true, actually. Once you learn to accept the turtle thing everything else is pretty much just schematics.

I'm not sure I'd go that far.

[She'd accepted Asti and the baby turtles long before she accepted magic. Even though they weren't exactly mutually exclusive.]

Then again, I suppose it was easier for us who were here when we got to watch the baby turtles hatch. Asti's so big...we only ever met him in our dreams. But Riva and the others...we took care of them and saw them grow.

[And, as they always did whenever she thought of them, Midii's eyes notable softened. An expression she only ever showed in one other instance: when talking about her family. The baby brother she'd left behind. Because that's what Riva had been to her. Family.]

I'm still a little disappointed I missed that. It must have been so amazing. To see how these world turtles begin.

[His smile softens. Genuine. ]

I really do hope you'll get to see Riva again.

I...hope so too.

But if I don't...then it'll be okay. They're happy. And free. [And alive, having survived Malicant's attack years ago.] That's what matters most.

You're right, that is important. That they get to go out there and live their lives. Grow up, you know?

[She nodded in agreement. Because it was important. So important. Possibly more than he knew in speaking those kind words.]

Asti--The Great Turtle...he was supposed to be the last. Of his kind. Before the eggs were found, that's what we were told.

I'm glad that's not the case. That, after everything that happened to their siblings... [gdi, Malicant] ...they were able to survive. I'll be they're even as big as Asti now.

[His smile widens, because more world turtles sounds like a fantastic idea to him. A whole species, living free and happy out there somewhere. It's wonderful. ]

Yeah! I wonder if they'll end up with little cities on them in time, too. People to connect to them.

[Just not...evil people, please and thank you. ]

[video]

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oh my god I lost this somehow!! sorry!!

s'okay

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