Chapter Text
Damian and Felix loved the same woman. It was just a fact. Bridgette Chang had swept into their lives and swept both princes of ice off their feet. The night was clear, and both gentlemen had been courting her for months. Bridgette was meant to choose one of their families to marry into, the Culpa's or the Wayne's. The ball had been planned for months, and Lillian Tossine was banned from the grounds, both men fearful of what the woman might try to do to their beloved Heart. The night was off to a grand start- the weather and lighting was perfect for any that would prefer dancing outside, and Bridgette was being helped to get ready by her maid, Julianne, and her best friend, Allison.
When Bridgette took far too long to show, the boys men exchanged a worried glance before walking to her chamber. Their blood froze when they saw the bloodied bodies of Julianne and Allison lying outside the doors to her chamber, their hearts stopping as they stepped inside to see their beloved laying on the ground. She could be mistaken for sleeping, if not for the blood that surrounded her.
Damian's eyes glowed a toxic green as he lifted Bridgette's favorite brooch from in front of the door, blood on the pin, watching Felix's eyes turn into a blackened silver. It didn't take long for Luka, their brother spellcaster, to join them, his heart freezing with his sister's demise- eyes a poisonous blue. A curse was cast, targeting all those who aided in the murder of the three women. As screams filled the Culpa manor, the men knew that Bridgette's former friends were the ones to blame. Those who were loyal to the three girls were safe, blessed. Those who weren't? The men were not merciful enough to curse their bloodline. No, their curse would follow their very spirits, no matter how many times they were reincarnated, until their love forgave them.
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Marinette woke suddenly, hand clasped against her throat. The small blade had felt so real… She instinctively glanced for Tikki, then remembered that the small goddess was retired for the time being. Ladybug was no longer needed, and all nineteen miraculi were safe in the Miracle Box, the kwamis staying together so that they all, Nooroo, Plagg, and Duusu, for the most part, could heal.
Chat Noir had been disappointed when she had refused to reveal her identity to him, but she had to keep the Miracle Box safe. No one knew who Ladybug was, so no one knew where the kwami were. But she no longer had her best friend, the one being she could talk to about anything, including being Ladybug.
School was lonely. Kim, Nathaniel, Chloè, Alix, and Juleka did their best to make up for the void their classmates had created when they abandoned Marinette, but watching her other classmates surround Lila Rossi and Alya, latching on to every word said like it was gospel and plotting revenge against Marinette for things she didn't do. Marinette even rejected Adrien when he asked her to be his girlfriend- she didn't care whether or not it was a trick, but her crush on him had long faded.
Madame Bustier had announced the class trip was to begin that weekend, so all the kids needed to get their belongings packed for the haunted Culpa Manor. Marinette had packed her necessities that night, and eagerly awaited the weekend. They would leave Saturday morning and stay at the mansion for a month and a day, leaving on a Sunday. Marinette figured that the trip had been planned that way by Alya, the new class president of two years, because of the legend surrounding the mansion and Lila's claims to be a relative of Bridgette Chang. Even if that were true, the legend surrounded the souls, not descendents, of the people that were meant to be at the ball the night Bridgette and her friends died.
When the class loaded the bus, Marinette instantly made her way to the back. She was the first one on, closely followed by her five friends, and gave the driver a small smile of thanks. Marinette sat in the single seat in the back of the bus, Juleka and Chloè sitting across from her while Alix and Nathaniel claimed the seat in front of her- Kim trapping Max on the inside so that he could sit diagonal to her. Lila and the main components of her posse were gathered at the front due to Lila's "motion sickness." Nino looked back, gaze searching. Marinette lifted her hand a little, lerting her most secret ally know that she had made it onto the bus. He gave her a small nod, and she leaned back into her seat, content that she was as protected from the class as she could be.
She fell asleep on the way to the mansion, her dreams, once again, odd. It was raining, the droplets rinsing away her tears as she cried over a grave. The tombstone read Clarissa DuPont, Wife of François DuPont, died in childbirth. She knelt next to the ground, a black cat and white fox keeping her company. Clarissa's husband had obviously been by earlier that day, as a new painting of the school they were building rested against the stone.
The dream shifted, and she was suddenly with her two best friends, Julianne and Allison, dress shopping for a ball gown, the girls trying to help her come to a decision between the two loves of her life, ignoring the jeers of her former friends.
Her dream shifted once again, the girl wishing she would just wake up as it was the same dream she'd been having since the beginning of the year. Julianne and Allison were helping her get ready for the ball. She had finally decided to tell her suitors that she chose neither of them, as she loved them both equally. Allison had stepped outside the room, aiming to go get Bridgette a drink, and Julianne joined her at the sound of a scuffle. Bridgette turned to great her friend when the door creaked back open, surprised to see Lillian Tossine, bloodied knife in hand. The first thing that came to her hand was the brooch her mother gave her, the last piece that she had of her mother. The pin part of it slid perfectly between two fingers, Bridgette balling her hand into a fist and punching it into Lillian's chest even as the other woman slit her throat. She could feel the way the blade slid through her throat like melted butter even as she jerked awake, shocked to see the famed Culpa gardens out the bus window.
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Three people were waiting for the class in the foyer, two boys and a girl. "Hey, you guys must be the class we've been waiting on! I'm Allan, this is my friend Claude, and that lovely lady glaring at Claude is Allegra. Claude and I will be taking your bags to your rooms while Allegra escorts you to the dinning hall."
Allegra turned her frosty gaze to the class. "Yes, if you will follow me, dinner will be served momentarily. The additional chaperones shall arrive tomorrow morning." Her gaze swept over the class, freezing on the four girls at the back of the class. She prayed that the description of Felix and Damian's dead love was muddled with time, or else there was to be a massacre on their hands.
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Marinette did her best to avoid the glares from her classmates, hiding behind Kim and leaning around him for just a second at a time to watch the guide. She finally stopped and ushered the students into the room, Marinette pausing beside her.
"Excuse me, is there a restroom I can use?" Marinette asked, her voice near a whisper. The other girl's glare softened.
"Sure, follow me." Allegra led the girl down two halls, finally stopping in front of a door. "This is the closest independent washroom to the dining hall. Do you think you can find your way back on your own, or will you need help?"
Marinette considered the hall. "I should be able to get back. Thank you."
Allegra smiled at the girl. "Any time. Anyone here would be more than happy to help you . That other girl? Not so much." Marinette let out a soft giggle. "I'd stay and lead you back, but I don't trust the liar."
"It's fine." Marinette gave the girl a small smile, then walked into the restroom, quickly doing her buisness before hurrying back the way she came. It didn't take long for her to slam into someone, looking up to see two boys staring at her with concern.
"Are you okay?" The blond asked as the black-haired one helped her up.
"I'm so sorry! The girl, Allegra, brought me to the restroom, but had to go back and watch my class, and I'm afraid that I may have turned down the wrong hallway, and now I'm lost." She rambled.
"It's okay, you had a long trip." The blond soothed while the other boy akwardly shuffled his feet. "What's your name?"
"I'm so sorry! That was incredibly rude of me, my name's M-Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"
"It's nice to meet you, Marinette. I'm Felix. This social disaster beside me is my best friend-"
"Damian." The boy finally spoke. "My sincerest apologies, you simply surprised me."
"No, no, I understand! I'd be very grateful if you could direct me towards the dinning hall? Some of my classmates will worry if I'm gone too long."
"Why don't we escort you there?" Felix offered, ignoring Damian's glare.
"I couldn't impose!" Felix smiled at the girl; she was obviously torn as she didn't want to be a burden, but she was lost.
"It's not imposing if we offer. Besides, your already lost, and we wouldn't want you to miss dinner."
Marinette deflated. "Thank you. Very much." Felix and Damian both grabbed one of her hands, tucking them into the crook of their elbows as they guided her down the halls. Damian leaned forward a little once they reached the dinning room to open the door, the three of them walking in together.
A dark blush bloomed on Marinette's cheeks when she heard Lila, though she ignored her in favor of approaching her friends. "Oh my god, can you believe she disappeared and came back with two guys! Do you think we should warn them? We wouldn't want her to use them like she tried to use poor Adrien-"
"Excuse me?" Damian's voice was cold, his eyes no longer the beautiful Jade they had been in the hall. No, they now glowed a toxic green. Marinette glanced at the other boy, and his eyes were nearly black instead of the lovely metalic silver they had been earlier. He gently pulled her to her friends.
"Take care of her." The boy murmured to the group.
"We will, make no mistake about that!" Chloè tossed her hair.
"Don't let your friend kill Nino, the boy with the headphones." Alix demanded. "He's our friend, and acting as a type of spy for us."
Felix inclined his head in acknowledgement before joining Damian. "Marinette's already sunk her claws in you!" The girl wailed. "She's been bullying me since I transfered to her school! I'm just lucky most of the teachers and students are nice enough to protect me from her!" Tears streamed down the girl's face.
"Really? Because from what I've seen, the poor girl had to use the bathroom, got lost, and we helped her back to the dinning hall. When we walked in, you immediately accused her of being a harlot and sleeping with people she doesn't know." Damian snarled as Felix joined him.
"Nikolaï, go join the others." Felix commanded. "Allegra, take that group to their rooms, now!"
"Sure, dude." Nino quickly stood and walked away, joining Marinette, and telling the group that they were to go to their rooms.
Allegra followed close behind him, promising to bring snacks to make up for them missing dinner.
Dahlia snarled at him. "Why did you call my boyfriend by some weird name?"
"To test him," Felix snapped back after Allegra left. "To see if he has truly acknowledged that he was wrong and wants to save her!"
Caline felt a chill go down her spine. "Okay, kids, I think the school trip has been cancelled! Let's get our bags and leave!" The teacher started to rise, only to fall back in her chair when the it suddenly flew forwards, forcing her to sit back down.
"It was foolish of you to return, Lillian Tossine, especially since you've all returned. But I suppose it's a good thing that you didn't honestly tell Dahlia anything, as it led to her bringing Marinette here." Damian's grin was feral, as though he would gladly kill any and all of them. "You have a month and a day to honestly atone for what you did. We will see just how much you remember of Bridgette, Allison, and Julianne. You will not want to fail."
"What are you?" Max demanded as Mylène spoke up, "What do you want with Marinette?"
"Some call us ghosts or demons. Some call us witches, wizards, or warlocks." Felix's grin would have made Aizawa Shouta proud.
"And Marinette is the woman we've waited for for centuries." Damian staked their claim on her heart.
"Welcome to the Mansion of the Lost." The two boys smirked as they spoke in unison.
Notes:_________________________________
Okay, so… Polyamory wasn't really an option back when Bridgette was alive, though Damian and Felix swore that when they found her again they would both take care of her, no matter the scandal it caused, and any relationship between the three would be entirely up to her. I tried to stick close enough to character names in the past that you would be able to guess who they were, or provide enough of a description. Lillian Tossine, Lila Rossi, Julianne, Juleka, Allison, Alix. I did her's as Allison mostly because my parents we're going to name me Alix, but wanted a more traditional name for me, and it's pretty close to Alix. I figure that naming her Alice has been overused. No offense to those who do call her Alice, it makes it really easy to know who she is, but I don't feel like Alice fits her, and I wanted to use a different name. (Jason and Dick were actually Bridgette's brothers, but Damian and his family adopted them while waiting on Bridgette's spirit to return, as they would have been brothers anyways.)
Past Incarnation Guide:
Name Guide:
Chloè- Clarissa
Alya- Dahlia
Lila- Lillian
Nino- Nikolaï
Juleka- Julianne
Rose- Rosalina
Alix- Allison
Kim- Jim
Max- Baxter
Ivan- Riven
Nathaniel- François
Adrien- Andrew
Sabrina- Abriana
Marinette- Bridgette
Mylène- Michelle
Celine- Caline-l
Damian, Felix, Bruce, Jason, Dick, Tim, Cass, Selina, Duke, and Luka all are "immortal" and kept the same names.