Archive of Our Own ^beta

•  There is a school type setting where gifted children go to learn of their powers.
• Magic is real and it’s known, but not everyone has it.
• Think like Bending in the A:tlA. That kinda commonplace.
• One has just as much of a chance of having magic as the next. Class, birth, status, history, none of it matters.
• Having magic in your bloodline does help your chances of having magic yourself though.
• The children are gathered to learn how to harness their powers and use them for the betterment of humanity and defense against the Others.
• While normal classes are present, like math, history, science, more active ones happen too, like magical potency, combat, survival, and other things.
• There are school wide competitions between class years, Houses, groups, clubs, and so on.
• There is also a system of ‘jobs/chores’ that the students do.
• Kids need to learn practical life and critical thinking skills, not rote memorization.
• There are classes based on age, others based on proficiency and interest, and some based on your House.
• The students are ‘Housed’ by the Miraculous they wear and called by the animal they are.
• Tikki’s charges are called Ladybugs, Plagg’s are called Cats, Sass’s are Snakes, Loong’s are Dragons, and so on.
• I’m thinking the space of the School is huge. Like sprawling.
• The Kwamii are kinda like House Mascots, Teachers, Counselors, all rolled into one.
• Each house has their Human teachers and Counselors as well.
• They wear Miraculous-like jewelry to identify themselves, kinda like House Colors in Hogwarts.
• But the jewelry is just that, jewelry. Nothing magical there.
• Even after graduation, many’ll tend to wear their jewelry as homage to their Kwamii.
• Each Kwamii House has certain specializations when it comes to magic. Foxes are superlative at illusions, Turtles are masters of barriers, etc.
• That’s not to say others can’t use those same abilities like it’s an exclusive thing, but they’ll never come to the same level of skill or power as a naturally Housed child would.*
• Even still, a whole lot of people choose to specialize in just their House.
• I have no idea how some of these powers would work in this setting though, like Bunnies and Time Travel for instance. If you have ideas, let’s hear it.
• The Houses all have their own quirks and stereotypes. Turtles tend to be longer lived, Dragons are honor hounds, freedom fighting Eagles, yada yada.
• Fuu is a few hundred in this and a beloved headmaster. Kinda takes on the Dumbledore/Chiron/Gandalf type role.
• Via an undetermined magic, the kind that Kwamii have an instinct for but can’t explain, the children are grouped up by the Kwamii they work with/have an affinity for.
• The closer to the center of the Miracle Box their Kwamii is, the more powerful potential they possess, and typically the rarer they are.
• There’s no real way to determine which House you’ll be in beforehand. Roll for initiative.
• Ladybugs and Black Cats are the absolute rarest, obviously. Like shiny Pokémon. (ooh, shiny!)
• Bugs and Cats have less stereotypes and more rumors and legends. There haven’t been enough to make those kinds of overarching assumptions.
• A few things are certain though:
• o   There has never been a Bug without their Cat and vice versa.
• o   They’re soulmates of some kind: platonic, romantic, whatever.
• o   As they have the greatest potential, they also carry the biggest burdens and danger.
• o   They naturally have the longest and hardest roads to walk.
• o   Apart, they’re formidable. Together, they’re unstoppable.
• o   The chances of being chosen as a Bug/Cat is so low, it’s almost nonexistent.
• o   They have not only the powers of Creation/Destruction, but there are things known only to and things achieved only by Bugs/Cats.
• Beyond that, mostly hearsay.
• It’s been said that the main founding members of the School were a Bug/Cat.
• There have been many powerful and notable figures throughout history, good and ill, magical and non, but Bugs/Cats seem to have a league of their own.
• There is no guarantee of what House you will be in when you get there, but some are still convinced at keeping a ‘Pure Bloodline’.
• It’s not illegal, but very ‘elitist’ in a supercilious way. (Look it up, seriously. It’s a fun word.)
• It ‘works’ in a way that you take on the traits of those you grow up with, so are more likely to get into said House. So it’s a ‘yes but no’.
• Every House has at least one family that does this. It’s as dumb as it sounds.
• Soulmate magic is a thing, but it’s just as unpredictable as normal magic.
• Think of all the differing Soulmate side effects, put them in a grab bag, and then pull out one or few dozen.
• Sabine and Tom are soulmates despite not being magic users themselves. This is more uncommon than having a soulmate bond. Most soulmates are magic users.
• The kids are mid-teens, young adults when they’re given the notice of joining the School. Gives them time to be kids for a little bit.
• Marinette was surprised that she has magic potential at all, being a normal baker’s daughter and all. Adrian was excited to go to the school his parents did.
• There are tests that measure if a person is capable of going to said school well beforehand, but few can actually afford it and has a low accuracy rate.
• There’s also some side issues with the test that have their own debates.
• The ‘Sorting’ takes place a few days after they arrive, which the trip takes a few days in itself.
• The theory is that the new bloods will more easily mingle without things like House stigmas holding them back.
• This usually works as a lot of classes are mixed House and/or year anyway, but cliques still happen. School, duh.
• It’s nowhere near as divided as Hogwarts was, but more of a chaotic unity of Camp Half Blood. (it’s been a while for both, don’t quote me)
• While it’s true that getting chosen as a Bug/Cat is an off chance at best, everybody has fantasized being one at least once.
• But by the time the Choosing comes around, they’re old enough to know how horrifically improbable it is and aren’t heartbroken when they aren’t chosen as such.
• There’s always a small ‘underground’ betting pool that, while not really encouraged, happens every year. Sometimes those that should know better are in on it.
• I figured the Sorting would be something between the sorting in HP and PJ. A nice little ceremony with moderate fanfare. Nothing too big.
• Plagg doesn’t bother with any of the proper etiquette stuff, he just plops himself on Adrian’s head and takes a nap.
• “My Cat, deal with it.”
• All the Kwamii are excited, but he could have at least waited his turn…
• “Marinette! Marinette! Did you see that?! We have a Cat in our year!!”
• “Alya, was it? She might see better if you weren’t shaking her like that.”
• Tikki decided to have mercy on the rest (and prevent a riot) and claimed Marinette quickly.
• Fuu and the staff knew that they got their work cut out for them. It’s never quiet when a Bug/Cat appear. Ever.
• If it is quiet, for any length of time, something’s wrong.
• Instant celebrities, but big titles make for big targets. See: Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.
• No secret identities here. Mwahahahaha! *crickets* Ok, I have no idea how that’d work.
• No clue for the Love Square either, as much of a lovely chaotic mess that is. Ideas are welcome.
• It’s ‘highly suggested’ that you sit with your House for the first few days to get acquainted with your new ‘siblings’.
• This means that Marinette and Adrian have a small table all to themselves with two miniature gods and most every eye on them.
• A girl with adhd/anxiety and a boy with emotional baggage/socially clueless issues alone at a table. Who happen to be soulmates of a sort.
• I’ll take Awkward for 200.
• The other Kwamii typically have to spread their time out among their students.
• Even though they have to split their time, they are much more involved in their young ones’ lives than a Demigods’ parent.
• It’s almost like having a third parent for most children.
• Tikki and Plagg have no such limitations, so they go everywhere with their Bug/Cat.
• That’s not to say that Mari and Adrian, or any others, will only be seen with their Kwamii, ‘Kwamii Swaps’ happen all the time. It’ll just be more obvious and more understandable with those two.
• Everybody can see and talk to any Kwamii. Some have better advice for certain situations.
• While Bugs/Cats are the responsibility of Tikki/Plagg, the other Kwamii don’t hesitate to lend a hand when needed.
• True they’ll do that for most anyone but Bugs/Cats especially.
• As Bugs/Cats have the longest road, they need the most help.
• Each House has a kind of ‘Cabin’ sort of rooming. They’re not hidden per se, but you need permission to enter if you’re not a resident.
• Each Cabin has their own unique style, feel, and history to them.
• The House Cabins are separated for space and privacy. Bugs and Cats are technically separate, but they’re basically sharing an apartment.
• I’ll take Awkward for 500.
• Logically it makes sense: why have a whole section for a Cabin like the others when Bugs and Cats are so few and far in between? They’re Soulmates anyway.
• The other Houses have no issues with students. There’s always been a handful in their House at any time.
• Marinette takes one look at her new pad and thinks “this is bigger than my house!” Adrian thinks it’s rather modest.
• On the upside, it offers some of the best views. Rather private too.
• Who knows what other secrets their Cabin has…
• Or the School for that matter.

I had originally posted this to Tumblr, so sorry if some of the points sound off. You can change some of the bits and pieces here if it'll help you. This is to quote Barbossa, "more of what you call guidelines, than actual rules."

*It was brought to my attention on Tumblr that the "anyone can have any ability" makes no sense, so was suggested that the magic be far more rigid. Like Turtles can only use barriers and such and would make the Pureblood Families make more sense. In hindsight, I have to agree. When I first wrote this I had a little idea of a special few working themselves to the bone to break into a different vein of magic, but those would be rare cases. Normal people don't have that kind of willpower to pull it off. But like I said, Guidelines.