An Online Friend With A Beautiful Name

AOFWABN

Marinette, when she first got her phone a few years ago, immediately had been excited to download apps like Instagram and Discord. Her friends had all had the apps for years and now she finally could have it too! She's so excited! Ever since her maman dropped the hint of what her birthday gift could possibly name, she's been brainstorming usernames. She was given a whole lecture about internet safety and about how it may not be whoever she's talking to but instead fifty-year-old men who live in their mom's basement–but honestly, she was just excited. Ecstatic. She could finally see all the trends at school and understand them.

She had come up with the username as a joke. LB.Ladybug is such a silly name now that she looks back on it, but she wouldn't change it for the world. She used to obsess over them, so she had decided to make her whole account ladybug-themed and, ironically enough, that's when she met her best friend.

His username is thecatsmeow and goes by the alias Chat, just as she Ladybug, because they both were too paranoid about their names getting out there, even three years later at sixteen. They still texted every day. After all, Marinette's come to realize that funnily enough, online friendships are the ones that stay for ridiculous amounts of time. They feel like they shouldn't be short because you can't hang out together in person and can literally ghost each other for months on end, thinking the other is dead, but that's just now how it works. Most of the time, they last longer than the ones in real life. She thinks it's because the bond is stronger when you don't see each other daily and have to rely on texts, but she also likes that that's the case. It makes it easier when she doesn't know what to say or doesn't want to continue a conversation or anything. She can just close the app and boom, conversation over! Plus, Chat is always super easygoing and understanding about that stuff. He always allows her time to herself and to divert conversations. Seriously, he's so much more understanding than her real-life friends are–something she's come to realize comes with the online friend package. They're so much more understanding of literally anything, and it's such a relief compared to the ones she has to worry about pleasing every second of the day.

Their third-year anniversary of being friends is coming up. Marinette planned to make him a sweater and asked for his measurements, adding a scarf and some gloves to go with it. It took hours–literally, it took about thirty-six hours to make it all considering the gloves and hat are hand-knitted and she isn't super well versed in it–and she's proud of them. There's not a stitch out of place, she made sure many times, and the lining on the sweater is so perfect. She knows it'll be perfect.

Right now, it's shoved away in her chaise's compartment, resting there with all the other gifts she wants to give him one day. She's been making them for years now, for every birthday and holiday and random occasions, but this is different because it's their anniversary. Three-year anniversary. They've seen the worst of each other, and yet they haven't left.

It warms her heart.

She tucks it away and is about to text him about her completed project when her computer dings! and her music stops momentarily. She opens up the app on her computer, loading up their chats. She has many servers, a lot of which they've grown to share, but they had originally met on Instagram. Discord is just more convenient.

chat <3

my lady!! i have news!!

News? Is this news good or bad? she thinks. He doesn't have the best home life, she's come to know and accept (that she's unable to change–at least at the moment). So whenever he says "news" it... sort of terrifies her.

ladybug

news?

chat <3

good news!! :D