Gotham's Lucky Charm (Daminette)

Ch 8 - Marigold

Harley unlocked the door and walked inside. She set the bags of take-out food on a table.

The first thing that Marinette noticed when she entered the apartment was the color green. Large green leaves spilled from clay pots lined up against the walls. Vines of green ivy clung to the curtain rod above an opened window. A velvet green sofa, piled with crocheted throw pillows, sat by a small TV set and a spiky cactus plant.

"How 'bout you start cleaning up in the bathroom?" Harley pointed at a propped open door. "I'll get Pammy and the first aid kit."

Marinette nodded. She set her backpack beside a fern plant.

The bathroom was decorated with the same red and blue color scheme as Harley's hair. And the sink counter was as messy as the glitter and dried paint stains on Harley's overalls. There were at least 20 bottles of hair products; a few of them were tipped over and dripping in the sink.

Marinette looked in the mirror as she peeled away the gray Gotham Academy uniform jacket. The white-collar shirt was ruined: ripped and soaked with blood. Marinette was thankful that she had several spare uniform shirts back in her room.

"Hey, Tikki and Kaalki," Marinette whispered to her pink purse. "Could you fly over to our apartment and check on the other kwamis? Tell them what's going on and show them where I put their snacks in the kitchen-"

"Oh darling, that looks awful!"

Marinette jumped from the sudden voice and bumped her hip against the sink counter. She grabbed her purse.

A woman with long red hair and a greenish skin tone walked into the bathroom. She held a first aid kit and a green sweater.

"I-it's really not that bad," Marinette stuttered.

"You're Mari, right? Harls told me what happened. I'm Pamela Isley. You might recognize me as Poison Ivy, but I've turned over a new leaf since my villain years. Most people just call me Ivy or Pam these days."

"Ah! I'm so happy to meet you, Mademoiselle Ivy!"

Ivy tilted her head with a confused look on her face. "You are?"

"Yes! I've read about your 'Gotham Go Green' project on the internet. The community clean-up events and save-the-forests fundraisers that you organize have made a huge impact on our environment! You've helped so many people to become more aware of the importance of protecting our planet."

"Oh my grapevine, thank you! Your words are too kind."

"But it's true! Your life story is so inspirational. Poison Ivy: the villainess turned environment heroine, the plant-life protector, the foliage fighter-" Marinette blushed. She was rambling again.

"Darling, you are simply precious!" Ivy exclaimed. Her eyes were full of joy as she set down the first aid kit and sweater somewhere on the messy sink counter. "You are like a golden ray of sunshine that is so rare to see in this gloomy city. A blooming Marigold."

Ivy pulled her into a hug.

Marinette's blush deepened from the beautiful woman's embrace. She felt so small as the redhead wrapped her arms around Marinette's shoulders. She couldn't help but imagine how perfect Ivy would be as a model for her MDC women's clothing designs.

Ivy suddenly released Marinette's shoulders and backed away.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I forgot that you're injured," Ivy apologized. "You must be in so much pain. Let's stitch up that wound."

"Oh, no, you don't have too-"

But it was too late. Ivy had already pulled back her shirt and seen the skin that should have been ripped with a jagged cut.

Ivy stared.

"The wound really isn't that bad," Marinette said as she tried to calm her panic, "I probably only need to clean it and put on a bandage-"

"There's nothing there." Ivy blinked once and continued to stare. "Holy honeysuckles...Harls! Forget about setting the table and come look at this!"

"What's wrong, Red?" Harley asked as her head popped around the door frame.

"Look," Ivy gestured at Marinette's shoulder. "The shirt is soaked with blood; there should be a deep wound. But there isn't. No scabbing, no scarring. It's as if the cut was never there."

"What in the name of cheesy philly cheesesteaks?"

Marinette nervously watched their expressions reflected through the bathroom mirror. She gripped her purse strap as if her life depended on it. Her mind raced with possible explanations and excuses. How could she explain this?

Ivy finally walked around to look at Marinette's face.

Marinette's heart raced in her chest. How could she explain this...HOW COULD SHE EXPLAIN THIS?

Ivy noticed the fear in Marinette's eyes. She smiled softly and handed the green sweater to the petite girl. "Why don't you change out of that bloody shirt first, and then we can talk while we eat."

"Y-yes," Marinette stuttered. "O-o-okay!"

Ivy and Harley left the bathroom with gentle and understanding smiles on their faces. After they shut the door, Marinette opened her purse.

"Tikki! Kaalki! What should I do?"

But the purse was empty. Tikki and Kaalki had both gone to check on the other kwamis.

Marinette sighed. She ripped off her shirt. Through her reflection in the mirror, Marinette could see that Ivy's words were true. Marinette's shoulder was completely healed.

The side-effect guardian powers were getting stronger.

[Ch 8 - 850 words]

Thanks for reading! Is anyone else low-key in love with the three Gotham City Sirens? Specifically Poison Ivy?

*Ivy walls into the room*

Me blushing profusely: "Excuse me? Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry. MOMMY NATURE!!! STEP ON ME!!!!!"