^----------------------------------^

"So, what do you want to do?"

Adrien was sprawled out on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. Kagami had insisted he sit on the couch with her, but he declined. He likes the floor.

"Well, I was thinking you could fill me in on our classmates. I didn't actually meet most of them today, since Marinette was so busy trying to get to know me."

Adrien thought for a bit, before agreeing to spill.

"Sure. You mentioned Marinette, so we'll start with her. She's an international fencing champion, and she seems to really enjoy it. She draws a lot in school, and is really creative. She's into fashion, and she's modelled with me once or twice."

"She seems really cool..." 'So I've only made two friends at this school, and they're both famous? Wow...'

"Yeah, she's great! When I saw her dragging you around today, I thought you guys might have known eachother from fencing, but I guess I was wrong. Her best friend, Alya, is an aspiring dj with an epic taste in music. Alya's very tough and assertive, but she can't keep a secret to save her life. Nino is my best friend, and Alya's boyfriend. He runs a crazy popular blog that reviews different music and art venues. He's defensive and kinda stubborn, but I know he cares."

"Your friends sound amazing, I'm glad I'll be getting to know them!"

She smiled at the idea that she and Mari looked like they were close.

^----------------------------------^

Marinette pulled her bag out of the expensive ride her mother sent to fetch her. She still wasn't used to the weird looks everyone gave her when she got into her car at the end of the day, even though she'd been doing it for years. She trudged further into the park, a phantom exhaustion already settling over her. The feeling of being so absolutely drained after training was burned into her body, and she dreaded the next hour and a half.

She approached her mother, who was seated on the usual park bench. She bowed a little, before sitting down next to her.

"You're 5 minutes late. Don't let it happen again." She said, giving Mari what she assumed to be a cold stare. You always had to assume things about Tomoe, she was rather unclear most of the time. Marinette nodded with a small "Yes ma'am", and the two stood up, taking positions parallel to eachother. Tomoe handed the short girl a rapier, and Mari pulled her helmet and guards out of her bag. As they moved to a fighting stance, a scream sounded through the park. Marinette's ears perked at the noise, searching like a hawk for where it was coming from.

A small, old man had been knocked down by someone speeding by on a bike. She dropped her sword and raised her visor, running over to the man quick as lightning. She gently helped him off the ground, gathering his cane and a bag he had with him. She handed him his belongings.

"Are you ok, sir? Everything intact?" She asked, a friendly smile on her face.

"Yes young miss, no broken bones here. Thank you greatly for your help." He spoke slowly, a homely warmth to his voice. Mari smiled once more, shook his hand, and excused herself. Her mother stared her down the entire time it took for her to get back.

"How dare you run off like that?! You are so ignorant sometimes, so rude!"

"Sorry ma'am, but that man needed help. I couldn't just leave him there, that'd be like leaving a turtle on its back!"

"And now we're talking back? The audacity! If people can't help themselves then you leave them behind. You are responsible for nobody's wellbeing but your own."

Marinette was greatly conflicted by this. She knew her mother wasn't the kindest, the most open, the most helpful. But that was straight up harsh. How could she live her life with so little empathy?

Rather than detail her feelings aloud, Mari just nodded, and said her umpteenth "Yes ma'am" of the day. She put down her visor, picked up her rapier, and got back into battle stance.

^----------------------------------^

Kagami was walking Adrien back to school. Tom had sent Adrien off with a small box of pastries, so he was enjoying those as they walked. He spoke in between bites, barely finishing chewing before starting a sentence.

"Please thank your dad for me, like, five times when you get home. These are so good!"

Kagami giggled, "I assure you, he'll be thanked. Thanks for stopping by, too. My parents will be glad to know I've made a friend, they won't nag me so much now."

"No problem! We should make this a regular thing, you seem super cool." They smiled at eachother, a calm silence falling over them.

Once they made it to school, they said their goodbyes, and Adrien went to prepare for fencing class. Kagami was surprised at how many people she knew who were into swordfighting, 'Maybe it's a famous person thing? Who knows.' She'd always been interested in different martial arts, and had considered looking into classes more times than she could count on her fingers. But that would mean getting to know at least one person, and she'd had her fill of that for the next month.

She continued her train of thought as she wandered back home, her feet moving of their own accord, but was pulled back to reality when she heard someone asking for help. She turned towards the source of the voice, to find an old man at the base of some steps. He was pleading with those passing by, but nobody gave him much thought. Kagami decided to see what the trouble was.

"Excuse me sir, are you alright? I noticed you were calling for help."

He smiled a smile of relief, "Yes, thank you miss! You see, I was on my way home, and I came this way because I needed to save time. But I forgot these insufferable stairs were here, and I need to get up them to make it home on time. I'd love a hand going up, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not, I don't have anywhere to be right now."

"Thank you kindly!"

The pair began their ascent, and the old man barely stumbled. He thanked Kagami at the top, and went on his way.

"Are you sure you don't need a hand on the way home, sir?"

"I'm quite sure I can make it. Thank you once again!"

She waved goodbye, and went home with a satisfied feeling filling her chest. 'Look at me go, helping people! This feels so nice!'

^----------------------------------^

Marinette got home and went straight to her room. Her legs burned and her hands were shaking, but she managed to toss her bag down and flop onto her bed before her limbs gave out. A weird thud echoed through her room, something that sounded like the knocking of wood on wood. Her head snapped over to the bag, and lying on the floor next to it was a small wooden box. 'I don't remember seeing that around before... What is it? It couldn't be a gift, my friends have no reason to give something to me, and mother wouldn't get me something even if she did have a reason...'

She scooped it off the ground, tossing it around a bit in her hands before finding the side it opened from. She carefully lifted the lid, blinded by a bright red light when it was completely open. She dropped the box in shock when she saw what was in front of her.

"Hello! I'm Laang, the kwami of the dragon miraculous!"

^----------------------------------^

Kagami actually talked to her parents when she got home. She told them about her first day, about Marinette and Adrien, and about how boring her literature class was. She left out the part where she chewed out Chloe and spent half the day waiting to get in trouble for it.

She grabbed some of the cookies she made yesterday, before going upstairs to her room, and settling down on her desk chair. She let out the same long sigh she did every afternoon, but this time, it was out of contentment. 'Maybe a fresh start was all I needed' she thought.

She turned around to face her desk, and put down her plate of cookies. There in front of her sat a hexagonal wooden box. She picked it up and turned it around, looking for a latch, or something to show how it opened. She finally spotted the hinge, so she flipped it to the opposite side and pulled up the lid.

'Holy mother of chessboards, why did it have to be so bright?'

When she finally opened her eyes, still rubbing them a little, and was greeted by a small floating creature.

"Hi there! I'm Tikki, and you are now the holder of the ladybug miraculous!"

^----------------------------------^

Hey everyone! I've been working on ways to make this life swap more detailed, and more different from the way things were originally. So, on the topic of change, tell me something new or different that's happened to you! Eg. I dyed my hair a couple days ago

See you guys later, ciao ~