lilian-writes-sins

[lilian-writes-sins]

“𝑈𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒.”

❥︎ pairing: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir x gn!Ladybug miraculous user!Reader

❥︎ p.o.v: 3ʳᵈ person

❥︎ ch. 3 summary: As [Y/N] struggles to adjust to their new role as Red Beetle, tensions with Chat Noir reach a breaking point. With each Akuma attack, their partner's constant comparisons to Ladybug wear on their's patience, ending in a heated confrontation that leaves both heroes reeling. Seeking solace in the city's shadows, the teen finds unexpected guidance.

❥︎ tags: swearing; fighting; bad descriptions of fights; communication is not in the room; chat does not like reader; brief exploration of adrien/chat’s grief over losing ladybug; reader is not doing okay; punching walls and the consequences of it; BURGER 🇺🇸🦅🦅 !!! (im european); fight club reference??

❥︎ word count: 4,004

       chapter 2 | series masterlist | chapter 4

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting Paris in a twilight hue as [Y/N] stood atop a rooftop, their careful eyes scanning out the city. Below, the busy streets swelled with life, but above, the air hung heavy with tension and dread. Transformed into their red and black suit, the teen’s heart felt heavy with the burden of the responsibilities that were thrust upon them. A soft sigh escaped [Y/N]’s lips as they adjusted the straps of their goggles, their thoughts drifting to the rough experiences they’d faced as Paris’ new hero. Each fight with the Akumas had left their marks, but none of them compared to the claws Chat Noir sunk into their heart.

Chat Noir: a person who they were supposed to trust, but is the complete opposite — a relentless stream of petty critique and comparison to someone long gone. [Y/N] understands that the void left by Ladybug has been a constant, burning reminder with them around that Chat Noir is still hurt and may feel that accepting them will fully confirm that she won’t ever return. But the teen refused to be compared to the memory of a ghost, to be judged for every wrong thing they did, to be set up to fail every step of the way because the standards were set far too high. But it wasn’t just him; it was everyone — even if they didn’t say the quiet part out loud: Red Beetle was not Ladybug; Red Beetle could never hope to be Ladybug, and all of them knew that…

Before their thoughts consumed them whole, piercing screams from below snapped them out of their trance. [Y/N] quickly pulled their yo-yo out, swinging it, before they secured the string to a building ahead. They jumped down, quickly zipping across the heads of people running in the opposite direction — a bright beacon pointing to where the danger was. A dark figure could be seen causing havoc in the distance. Flying onto the scene, the shadowy creature seemed to cast a veil of dust and debris over the barren city streets. Without hesitation, Red Beetle leapt into action, punching and swinging wildly, their thoughts on a completely different plane of reality, not noticing that their hits fazed through the wispy shadows.

Of course, the shadows retaliated, knocking the masked hero aside, before continuing on with their rampage through the city. Red Beetle hit the ground hard, and the impact sent shockwaves of pain through their body. As they lay there, barely able to catch their breath, another relentless force was beating at their mind and soul. ‘Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!’ frustration was bubbling up faster than they could react. Their vision was going blurry. There wasn’t any fucking time for this, they had to get back up and get rid of this villain. Red forced themselves back on their feet, masking their inner conflict with a false-front confidence. With a wavered sigh, the hero launched themselves back into the fray, only to find themselves inexplicably stuck — something was stopping them to chase after the villain in the distance. Turning around, they tense up at the source of their restriction. The teen’s gaze met the slitted, lime green eyes of the cat of the hour. The look on his face was a mix of frustration and judgement, his mere presence a harsh reminder of their apparent ‘failure’.

       —“What was that? What the hell was that?”

Such a good question: what was that? A pathetic attempt at saving the day is what that was — one that could’ve done more harm than good, one that could’ve hurt more civilians. Oh, this day is not going well…

       —“Are you even listening to me?” focusing on anything right now was hard, especially when everything is so blurry and an insistent ringing noise that wouldn’t go away plagued their ears.

       —“Hey! Snap out of it! We need to focus on this Akuma, but if you’re going to be so useless then at least get out of the way!” the sudden weight on their shoulders snapped the teen back to reality, Chat Noir was glaring at them, before he pulled away and ran in the direction the Akuma fled to.

Shaking their head, Red Beetle tried to focus on what was important right now. They pulled out their yo-yo, quickly swinging and jumping right in front of the mass of shadow. But, the same thoughts came back up, the teen’s movements erratic and unfocused. Chat Noir notices this and his frustration grows more.

       —“Damnit, you’re not even hitting it!”

       —“Shut up!”

This is the first time they spoke this day, finally letting something out after hours of bottling up. Just as they said that, something, surprisingly tangible and hard, making them stagger back as their thoughts finally cleared enough to think of something that could help. Red Beetle ran behind a brick building, trying to think of something that might help in this situation.

       —“Lucky Charm!”

What the Lucky Charm gives is a gamble every time — whether it's an item that will only be thrown in the air to fix the damages, or one that gives you the answer straight away. This time, thankfully, it was the latter: a small pocket mirror that, when positioned just right, is great at reflecting light and getting rid of shadows.

       Bingo.

Red Beetle helps the barely conscious man stand up, one of his arms hanging around their strong shoulders. The young man could barely stand on his feet, so the teen had to drag him to one of the emergency vehicles that had arrived once it was safe. Red Beetle’s goggles rested around their neck, their inhuman eyes filled with worry. Each step was a struggle as they tried to keep the man's weight balanced, the strain evident in their tense muscles beneath their red armor. Upon reaching the paramedics, Red Beetle gently lowered the man onto a stretcher, their breath heavy from the effort. They lingered for a moment, watching as the medical team took over, a sense of concern etched into their expression.

       —“Is he going to be okay?” they asked one of the paramedics, their voice tinged with worry. The paramedic only responded with a reassuring nod before closing the back door. As the vehicle drove away, the teen hero let out a deep sigh of relief. It was finally over, and they could retreat to what they had dubbed their ‘thinking tree’ — not an actual tree, but a secluded spot atop a building with a clear view of most of the city. As they made their way there, the adrenaline in their body slowly faded away, leaving them exhausted.

[Y/N]’s moment of content shattered when a loud ‘ahem’ was let out behind them. This time, the sigh they let out was an exasperated one; they really didn’t want to get into a spat right now. The teen turns around, coming face-to-face with, and actually looking at, Chat Noir. He didn’t let them say anything.

       —“You mind telling me what that was back there? You were a mess, more than you usually are.” Chat Noir scoffed, clearly frustrated. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, his fingers tapping impatiently against his bicep. He was clearly running out of patience — both because they only had 4 more minutes before they both de-transformed and because he wanted an answer. His eyes bore into Red Beetle, who could almost taste his irritation in the back of their throat. Time was ticking away, and the tension between them was growing thicker with each passing moment of silence.

       —“What do you mean, ‘what was that’? I handled it in the end!” The teen retorted, frustration bubbling up like bile inside them, “but it’s hard when your so-called partner doesn’t even believe in you!”

       —“Believing in you isn’t the problem! The problem is that your best was a disaster! Ladybug would have never been so reckless!” Chat Noir shouted.

       —“Oh, Ladybug, Ladybug, Ladybug, well I’m not HER, okay? I’m getting sick of you comparing me to her!” Red shot back, their anger flaring.

       —“Well, maybe if you acted more like her — maybe if she didn’t leave me, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” he shouted, the words he said blindly catching up with him only seconds later. Cold regret washed over the feline hero, but also relief that he finally got out all that was bothering him — even if it was at the cost of another person.

There weren’t any words in any language to explain what went through [Y/N]’s mind at that moment. It was everything and nothing at the same time. They stood there for what felt like ages — but was a mere 5 seconds — Chat Noir’s icy words echoing and setting deep into their mind. With a bitter thought, Red Beetle could finally confirm that they were just not enough, that they will never be enough.

       —“Do you really think I wanted any of this?” the teen asked, they felt their hands trembling with an emotion they couldn’t quite figure out — it was sublte but the hurt in their voice was clear as glass, “I didn’t ask for this shit. I didn’t ask to replace her, so don’t look at me like I’m the one behind all of this.”

Red Beetle turned around, ready to leave. Chat’s faux cat ears seemed to droop down closer to his head as he finally registered what they said. His eyes followed their reteating figure, a mix of regret and frustration clouding his face. He tried opening his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat, for he had no idea what to even say. His hand hovered in the air, trying to reach out for reconciliation, but he put his hand down — held back by pride.

He watched the spotted hero grabbed her — no their — yo-yo, swinging it to a nearby building, and zipping away in regret. Chat looked down, clenching his clawed fists to not let his emotions take over. He knew that he was unfair — downright an asshole sometimes — but the pain of his Lady’s absence and the months he had spent in these battles alone had clouded his judgement… Maybe he should apologize��

       BEEP BEEP

…next time, then.

Adrien lays in the dark of his room, on his uncomfortably stiff bed, staring blankly at the stark white ceiling of his, ridiculously large, bedroom. The teen boy’s thoughts ran louder than he’d like, bouncing against the walls and back into his head like an echo. The argument with Red Beetle wore him down more than he’d like to admit, replaying in his head like a broken record. He couldn’t shake the guilt he felt, but his feelings about Ladybug’s sudden departure hit him hard in the heart every time he set his eyes on the almost-familiar-but-not-at-all-familiar red suit.

Plagg floated over to Adrien, his cat-eyes casting a faint green glow in the dark of the room. The black cat Kwami laid on the teen’s chest, trying to figure out what to say to help him. Emotional talks weren’t his strong suit — that was more of Tikki’s thing.

       —“Hey, kid… you okay there?”

The sixteen-year-old took a while to respond, blinking a few times before he nodded sluggishly in response, not wanting to get into it. But Plagg was persistent when he wanted to be, something he shared with Tikki, so, until his holder got everything out, he wouldn’t stop pestering him. Adrien sighed in silent surrender, rubbing his face as he sat uprights. Sleep wouldn’t come easy tonight, so he might as well talk through it.

       —“I… I messed up, Plagg. I messed up hard… and I don’t know what to do…”

       —“Well, the first thing you could do is apologize to them,” the Kwami stated almost immediately, not out of malicious intent, but a sort of reflex he had to make snarky, unserious remarks. This was clearly not the time for that. It was clear from the tired glare Adrien that sent his companion’s way — a silent message of ‘not right now’.

       —“Look, kid, your feelings are natural; you and Ladybug were close, so, of course, her leaving would hurt you. It’s okay to feel hurt.” Plagg floated over to sit on the teen boy’s shoulder. “But your feelings don’t give you a free pass to hurt others, and it’s not the answer or sollution to this.”

Adrien nodded, his gaze drifting towards the view his ceiling-to-floor windows gave as he contemplated Plagg’s, surprisingly wise, words.

       —“I know you’re right, I just… I don’t know how to let go of her.”

       —“You don’t have to let go of the past, Adrien. But you can’t let it take over your life — you’ve seen how your father took to your mother’s death — you have the power to make it better, starting with how you treat Red.”

Adrien’s lips twiched into a small smile, feeling the weight in his chest lifting even just a bit.

       —“Thanks, Plagg. I needed to hear that.”

       —“Anytime, kid.” Plagg grinned mischievously, then floated over to his designated pillow on Adrien’s bed, “Now, let’s sleep! I am exhausted!”

The teen boy chuckled quietly, feeling a soft warmth wash over him.

       —“Yeah, you’re right. Goodnight, Plagg.”

With that, Adrien laid back down, getting under the covers. His eyes fluttering closed as his mind may finally rest in piece, if only for the night.

[Y/N] paced back and forth in their room, fists clenched at their sides, as their frustration only grew with each step they took. The argument with Chat Noir raced in their head, replaying every word he said over and over again, like a broken record. They didn’t even turn to face Tikki, who was sitting on the teen’s bed watching over them with a worried expression, before they started speaking.

       —“I mean, I didn’t ask for any of this, Tikk!” [Y/N] exclaimed suddenly, their voice trembling with boiling anger.

       —“And, instead of having a partner to help, I get Mr. Cinema-Sins-for-heroes! UGH, and the constant comparissons to his ‘precious Lady’ make me sick!” they mimicked the feline hero mockingly, putting their hands together under their chin, pretending to be the lovestruck fool they saw in some of the Ladyblog’s recordings.

       —“Like, of course ‘Ladybug would have never been so reckless!’, she and I are not the same FUCKING PERSON! UGH!”

Tikki flew over from her spot on the bed, her little wings fluttering so fast you could barely see them. Her eyes held so much concern for her young holder.

       —“[Y/N], I know it’s been difficult for you — assimilating into Parisian culture and becoming a hero less than a month after getting here. But you have to remember that this is difficult for Chat Noir too; he must be going through a lot to be reacting this harshly to these changes…”

Okay, so, rational, calm [Y/N] would’ve accepted this, but right now? Right now rational and calm [Y/N] was thrown out the window. The teen’s anger flared even hotter. Their fists were shaking from the energy stored in them as they turned around quickly. They didn’t even think before pulling one of their hands back and punching the wall closest to them. [Y/N]’s reaction was delayed, but when they felt the immediate pain shooting through their hand, they realized what just happened. The teen didn’t turn to face Tikki, afraid to see her little expression, afraid to see her disappointment, maybe even fear, at what they’d just done. They grabbed their hurt hand, lowering their head, as their mind started to overthink again. But one thought was raised louder than the rest:

       ‘I really am my father’s child, aren’t I...? Maybe she was right, after all…’

Tikki came closer to [Y/N], trying to assess the damage done to her holder’s hand, here alien-like eyes wide like saucers. But, as if able to read the teen’s thoughts, her worries switched when they saw the spaced out look in their eyes. Like they were in another place entirely.

       —“[Y/N]? Are you alright?” Tikki asked lowly, as if speaking any higher would spook them like a baby deer, touching their cheek with one of her small limbs. That seemed to do the trick, as minutes later the Kwami could see her holder come back from whatever mental cage they were in, even if just for a while.

       —“Great, just great,” [Y/N] finally muttered, staring intently at the swollen and sore areas of their knuckles.

[Y/N] backed up, sitting on the edge of their bed, non-damaged hand hiding their face as their anger dissolved into a heavy sadness.

       —“It just feels like no matter what I do, it’s never going to be enough. I can’t be Ladybug, and I won’t even try being her. But it seems like Chat Noir just can’t look past it, look past her. I know that she was this beacon of light and hope, and that I can’t live up to her legacy…”

Tikki gently landed on [Y/N]’s shoulder, offering a small, comforting smile.

       —“You don’t have to be Ladybug. You shouldn’t be Ladybug. My previous holder also felt like she was not enough, but I’ll tell you what I used to tell her: you just have to be you; if you have good intentions and your heart is in the right place, then it doesn’t matter what other people think of you, as long as you’re helping people — even if they think your ways are ‘unconventional’. Every holder of ours was new to this at some point, but they always find themselves. And I know you will too.” The Kwami suddenly sprung up, buzzing in front of the teen’s tired face, and reached one red limb outward. “How about we go take a walk around the city? Maybe it’ll help clear your mind, if only for tonight. What do you say?”

The teen looked up at Tikki through the gaps between their fingers, considering the suggestion. With Alizée working late again, they had nothing but time to brood and stomp around, but that wasn’t going to help anyone.

       —“Yeah, a walk might be good,” they agreed, standing up and taking a deep breath.

       —“Let’s get out of here.”

Tikki nodded enthusiastically, waiting for her human friend to get ready before flying into their bag with her designated snacks. The two headed down the few flights of stairs and headed out into the Parisian night, the air cooler than it was in the hot summer day. The city noises provided a much-needed distraction for the teen to get away from their troubled thoughts.

Tikki and [Y/N] wandered through the dimly lit streets of Paris, the cool evening air helping to clear the teen’s troubled mind. As they walked, a charming 24-hour bar called “Le Piège à Miel” on the other side of the street caught their sharp eye. The warm light from inside spilling out onto the street and the inviting aroma of food made [Y/N]’s stomach rumble, a reminder that they hadn’t eaten since that Akuma attack earlier in the day. The teen looked around wearily before looking down into their bag.

       —“Let’s grab something to eat.”

They made their way inside — the warm, cozy atmosphere offered a stark contrast to the chilly night outside. [Y/N] found a corner booth and sat down. Looking over what the menu offered, they decided to order a burger and fries, getting a chocolate chip cookie for Tikki. The waitress gave a slightly curious look but, thankfully, didn’t comment. As they waited for their food, [Y/N] fell silent, lost in thought, replaying the argument with Chat Noir over and over again.

The booth table shook suddenly, immediately snapping [Y/N] out of their introspection, as someone sat down roughly across from them. [Y/N] looked up, startled, only to see an older woman, perhaps in her early-to-mid 50s, staring back at them with sharp, inquisitive, silver eyes.

       —“Mind if I join you?” the woman asked, not really bothering to wait for a response. “I’m Katerina, the owner of this little, quaint establishment.”

       —“Uhh, sure. I’m [Y/N],” the teen replied cautiously, slightly taken aback by her directness.

They reached their uninjured hand across the table to shake. Katerina reached her own, barely wrinkly, hand, covered in gold bands and some colorful jewels, out for the teen to grab. The two shook hands for a bit before retracting them back to their place. The older woman studied them for a few moments before her gaze fell and lingered on [Y/N]’s swollen and bloody knuckles.

       —“Rough day?” she asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

[Y/N] hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded a bit reluctantly. They swallowed the chewed-up fries in their mouth before speaking. If there was anything that their father successfully beat into them, it was manners.

       —“You could say that.”

Katerina leaned back in her seat, her expression curious, with a slight familiarity dancing within her eyes.

       —“You get into fights often, then?”

       —“More often than I’d like,” [Y/N] nodded again, not really looking at the woman sitting in front of them.

Katerina studied them for another moment, as if searching for something, but not willing to share it. It made [Y/N] slightly uncomfortable; being under this woman’s gaze felt a lot like being on trial waiting to hear your sentence. Once she found what she was looking for, Katerina stood up, motioning for the teen to follow her.

       —“Come with me. There’s something I want to show you.”

[Y/N] immediately tensed up and felt Tikki in their bag do the same, the little rustling of her eating the cookie she got stopping too, the teen’s mind racing with possible escape routes in case things went south. Katerina seemed to notice their apprehension and gave them a reassuring smile.

       —“Don’t you worry, Little Tiger. You’ll be safe here.”

Their curiosity piqued, [Y/N] followed the older woman behind the counter to a door they had noticed a few burly men enter through earlier. Katerina opened it, revealing a dimly lit basement. As the pair descended the flight of stairs, the air grew cooler, and the sounds of glasses clinking and waitresses taking notes faded away. At the bottom of the stairs, Katerina opened another door, and [Y/N]’s eyes widened in awe. The doorway was like a portal to another world, revealing a large, grimy basement that was illuminated by harsh fluorescent lights. In the center of the room, a large, beat-up, well-used boxing ring stood proud, surrounded by various other training equipment. In one corner, there was a makeshift med bay, its frequent use evidenced by its worn-out appearance. Tall, muscular men and women moved around the space, their faces bloody and sweaty, engaged in intense conversations and sparring matches.

[Y/N] released a breath they hadn’t realized they were holding, feeling a strange mixture of fear and wonder. Katerina glanced at the mesmerized teen, a hint of nostalgia dancing in her silver irises.

       —“This is where people of all backgrounds come to let off steam. Sometimes, it’s the best way to deal with what’s eating at you.”

[Y/N] nodded slowly, taking it all in. The raw, gritty atmosphere of this new world felt oddly comforting, like they finally found a place to be themselved; without judgement or punishment.

       —“I… I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

       —“I see a lot of my younger self in you, [Y/N]. I thought you might find this place interesting.” Katerina smiled, her smile lines becoming even more visible.

       —“Thank you, Katerina. I think… I think I needed this.” The teen finally turned to face the older woman.

       —“No problem, Little Tiger. Whenever you need to blow off some steam, you know where to find us.” Katerina patted [Y/N] on the shoulder.

The sixteen-year-old nodded, mustering up a wobbly smile on their lips. As they watched the fighters in the ring and around the room practicing with punching bags and boxing pears, they felt a spark of hope flicker in their chest.

Maybe, just maybe, they could find their own way to be a hero.

       chapter 2 | series masterlist | chapter 4

❥︎ author's note: Chapter 3 is finally here!!! I’m really proud of this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed it too! A few things before I go: 1) I’m thinking of explanding into other fandoms (mostly other ‘kids’ movies/shows, but also things like Gotham, MK1 (also lately this fucking Dutchman has stolen my heart and attention so I might write some about Joost Klein, but idk)) so lmk if you're interested in stuff like Descendants, Steven Universe ect. 2) should I open up requests? I know I post like once in a blue moon lol but having ideas to bounce off of would be nice 3) this story is now on AO3! 4) I know Tumblr isn’t a follower/like based platform but recently I noticed that this blog hit 150 followers, so THANK YOUU! ❤️

❥︎ posted: 2024 | 05 | 26

❥︎ series taglist: @leafanonsforest @ok-boke @they2luv1naia @mytaiyakeylover @bitterspoons @crystalrainforest @goddesslilithmoriarty @itz-stus @memospacexx @enjisthings @obsessedftshit @wendds (if you wanna get added, lmk!)

#❥︎.lilian writes #❥︎.new bug in town #adrien agreste x reader #chat noir x reader #miraculous ladybug x reader #cat noir x reader #mlb x reader #gn!reader

[lilian-writes-sins]

“𝐴𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛 𝐴𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒 | 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑁𝑜𝑖𝑟.”

       series masterlist

❥︎ Adrien Agreste:

In NBiT, Adrien’s mom, Emilie Agreste, died when he was younger, around 12-13 (the students are aged up to 16 and will be 18-19 by the end of the story (I think, hopefully I’ll finish it lol)). He’s young enough to still remember his mother, but enough time has passed so that his grief and his father’s behavior have more of an effect on him.

With the loss of his mother came his father’s abuse. He doesn’t physically hit Adrien, but Gabriel uses his mother’s death against him, gaslighting him and keeping him inside — not allowing him to go out with his friends or letting his friends visit him. However, Adrien is allowed to go to school (later on, Lila will come to school, specifically asked by Gabriel to keep an eye on his son (I’ll go in more detail on a post about Gabriel/Hawkmoth)).

The things I want to keep the same are most of S1, from Origins to Antibug (side note: Marinette left some time after that episode; I’ll get into what happened on/after that episode a bit more in a post about Chloé).

However, personality wise, Adrien is much more closed off, but he’s a lot happier with close friends (Nino, Alya, Chloé to some extent and Marinette before she left), I wanted to mix more of Felix’s personality with Adrien’s, I hope it’ll be noticable.

You can see how much influence Adrien’s father has on him through his clothing. Adrien finds the clothes Gabriel makes uncomfortable and not at all like his own personal style. Throughout the series, Adrien will start finding himself more, which will show through his style and clothes. Here’s how I think his style will grow:

(pics found on Pinterest! 11 | 22 | 33 ) (also please don’t mind that these are pics of women, there were no good inspo pics for men 😭)

I think he would like a more ‘feminine’ and flowy style of clothing (I’m thinking of cottagecore, but maybe less dresses and skirts loll), with pastels and fun patterns. He may even grow out his hair (but i ain’t drawin’ allat 🙏).

❥︎ Chat Noir:

Much like Adrien, he is really quiet and stoic, but also much easily aggravated. He was essentially left all alone for 6 months (that’s the time span between Mari leaving and [Y/N] arriving that I’ve descided on) with no help from Master Fu, who was searching for the next Ladybug Miraculous holder. All this time alone gave Chat Noir the space and pressure to ‘evolve’ his powers, which I will get get into in the next section.

Physically, as I have mentioned in Red Beetle’s post, when Miraculous users transform, they get a big growth sprut. You can see that in Chat Noir’s design (hopefully 🤪). He’s bigger, bulkier and his hair is longer and more wild!! I was tempted to give him a ponytail, but didn’t want to venture into Cat Walker teritory lol (and the shaggy look is so much better imo). As a personal descision, I repaced his golden bell with a silver one, to have his golden hair more of a contrast to all the silver details. The green accents in his outfit are reference to Rabbit Noir (and they glow!!).

❥︎ Plagg:

Plagg doesn’t change that much, but he shows more his care towards Adrien more outwardly. He’s also a bit like Tikki, like, he will goof off and not want to get sucked into the ring lol but when needed, he will tell Adrien what he needs to know and actually explain shit.

❥︎ powers:

Like I mentioned, Chat Noir ‘evolves’ his powers. Now, what do I mean by that? I got really inspired the latest part of “Scarlet Lady”, a comic by @/zoe-oneesama, Chat Noir’s upgrade and his new power ‘Black Out’. I like that he actually got a secondary power (since Ladybug has both Lucky Charm and Miraculous Ladybug, which is kind of unfair since this show is about both LB and CN yeah right ☝🤣).

Anyways, inspired by that (hopefully zoe or her followers flame me for this 🙏🙏 pls i love your work ma’am 🙏🙏🔥), I descided to go with a similar idea:

“Abyss” allows Chat Noir cover his opponent in a veil of pitch-black nothingness. The opponent cannot see, hear, smell or feel anything; no light, noise, smells or things can enter or exit the affected area. However, this is a perfect cover for Chat, he uses this advantage to imobilize his opponents and take the object holding the Akuma.

Moving on, I kept Cataclysm the exact same! It’s a good power and I like it. I also added another ability: purifying Akumas/Amoks (spoilers, but the 7 main Miraculouses: Ladybug, Black Cat, Bee, Fox, Turtle, Butterfly, Peacock can do this, ill get into the different ways they do that when the time comes 🙏). I find it unfair how in the show LB was the one to do literally everything and Chat had to just stand on the sidelines… SO HE GETS THIS ONE THING 🔥

The difference between Ladybug/Red Beetle’s method is that when he breaks the object, he has to catch the Akuma/Amok and blow on it to disintegrate the outer layer. This is also part of the reason why he’s more quiet and doesn’t express his emotions as much (at least he tries), as having strong emotions could lead to him getting Akumatized. He doesn’t have the fix-it-all bit that Miraculous Ladybug does, so he makes sure to be extra careful in fights.

❥︎ weapons:

I couldn’t find any concept art for this, here are some of my ideas:

Outside of being infinitely extendable, Chat Noir’s baton can split into 2 pieces and be used as escrima sticks (like Nightwing) OR pulled appart to become a pair of nunchuks. Other than that, the usual things apply.

❥︎ height difference:

I can finally show you what I mentioned in Red Beetles design explanation!!!

       series masterlist

❥︎ author's note: I tried going into more detail story-wise, mostly because imo I didn’t change much of Adrien/Chat’s design. Anyway, hope you enjoy this, I’m posting Chapter 3 soon after this (like in a few hours !! ) so be on the lookout!! Also PLEASE 🙏 don’t mention the fact that I can’t draw men, it’s my first time

❥︎ posted: 2024 | 05 | 26

#❥︎.lilian draws #❥︎.new bug in town #miraculous redesign #character redesign #adrien agreste redesign #chat noir redesign #ml plagg redesign

[lilian-writes-sins]

“𝑅𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑙𝑒.”

       series masterlist

❥︎ wings:

It's the Ladybug Miraculous? Ladybugs have wings? That’s it lol (probable spoilers, but this will be my reasoning for Queen Bee (and some others) as well).

The wings tuck into the red ‘outer shell’ (idk what to call it) when they’re not in use.

❥︎ antennae:

They work kind of like Chat’s ears, so you can use them to enhance your hearing. Basically the antennae are like an extra limb/sense organ (like in actual bugs). Though, unlike how Adrian’s human ears disappear, your human ears stay (unless you’re wearing some sort of head covering, then they’re not visible obvs).

Speaking of ears, [Y/N] has multiple piercings (sorry if u don’t lol). I just think that, aside from looking cool, the piercings could confuse the Akumas and make them pick the non-magic earrings.

❥︎ goggles:

They pair with the wings. I wanted to have a more bug-like look for the eyes + it just looks cool lol.

They are removable — when not worn, they rest around your neck. They protect the eyes from debris/wind/ect. + they can be used sort of like binoculars (i.e. They can zoom in/out to look around better, and if you/your character wear(s) glasses, the lenses of the goggles are prescription lol).

❥︎ eyes:

They just look cool lol + I like how Chat Noir’s whole eyes are green, not just the iris, if that makes sense? It gives a more animalistic/inhuman look and I wanted that here too (I’m probably most definetly going to do this for the other characters too).

In this story, all the Miraculous holders resemble their kwami at least a bit (in personality, mostly). So, with the Ladybug Miraculous, the holders get Tikki antennae + the blue eyes + wings and a bit of her personality leaks through (her kindness/willingness to help others and optimism mostly, though it shows a bit differently through Red Beetle, not as outwardly as Tikki).

❥︎ mask:

Since they already have the goggles (and the fact that I couldn’t make an eye mask work lol), they’re getting a face mask. An added bonus being that this covers more of their face :D

It works the exact same as all the regular masks in the show (i.e. you can’t physically remove it, like how LadyWiFi tried back in S1 with LB’s mask, since it’s magic). You can eat through it, it just looks a bit weird to others.

❥︎ armor:

It’s not exactly armor, but the costume (specifically the red pieces) is more reinforced and protected (took some inspo from Mister Bug’s costume, which I really like).

I know it probably looks a bit flat, I’m just not well-versed with drawing armor lol.

❥︎ powers:

I haven’t changed much, they still have the Lucky Charm, can purify Akumas/Amoks, and Miraculous Ladybug everything…

…well, not everything. They can only fix things that were damaged by the monster of the week™, that means: nothing damaged pre or after the main battle can be fixed. People can be brought back from the dead, however, they are going to be in critical condition — alive, but hanging on by an inch; their injuries can be healed, but things like broken bones and other things need some assistance healing.

❥︎ weapon/tools:

I took inspo from some concept art images i found on the MLB wiki:

Red Beetle is less reliant on Lucky Charms, using them more so for the fixing/setting everything back to normal, than as a way to solve the problem (unless it’s like a weapon/weapon adjacent).

❥︎ other modifications:

Okay so, your body does have slight changes when transformed (this goes for ALL Miraculous Users, in my mind). I.E. you’re taller and more muscular, than you are as a civilian. As an adolescent, it’s not really noticable (you still buff out and tower over everyone when transformed, dw all you tall queens/kings/royals), but adult/mature users, (ex. Hawkmoth and Mayura), have a She-Ra effect, they grow to like 8ft (2,44m) tall (or taller). I got this idea from this post.

Also, I know my drawing might look like a skinny twink, but the only thing that I mention about your/[Y/N]’s appearance/body is height and build (i.e. you’re tall and muscular/strong), and even then, it’s mostly when you’re transformed into Red Beetle.

       series masterlist

❥︎ author's note: with this design, I wanted to stray a lot from Marinette’s Ladybug, mostly cuz her fit was UGLY, but it also doesn’t really work with the [Y/N] I’m going for. They’re a lot more closed off, so I thought a more armored/protected look, where even most of their face is covered, would fit better. Also [Y/N]’s main goal with the Miraculous is to protect her family (Astrid and future pals) and they couldn’t realistically do that in a spandex suit lol. ANYWAYS, hope you enjoyed this little art rant, I might do Adrien/Chat soon (his won’t be as detailed no promises)!

❥︎ posted: 2024 | 03 | 19

#❥︎.lilian draws #❥︎.new bug in town #miraculous redesign #character redesign #ml ladybug redesign #ml tikki redesign

[lilian-writes-sins]

Helloooo hope you're having a nice break!!

thank you sm!!

#❥︎.lilian speaks

[lilian-writes-sins]

“𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝑠.”

❥︎ pairing: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug x gn!Reader

❥︎ p.o.v: 2ⁿᵈ person

❥︎ summary: A small glimpse of what Marinette may look like and act in a relationship with someone.

❥︎ tags: fluff; that’s it; some anxiety from Marinette

❥︎ word count: 2,196

       main masterlist

❥︎ 𝐀. attraction: What are they looking for in a partner? What’s their ideal person?

Marinettes’ ideal partner would be someone who’s very supportive of her. She’s a messy ball of anxiety, so she needs someone who can calm her down when she gets in her own head. She also wouldn’t particularly like someone who’s mean or rude all the time.

Considering her history with Chloé and Lila, she’s less likely to consider someone who bullies others as a good partner. She likes someone who’s sweet, caring, and is respectful of those around them.

❥︎ 𝐁. bonding: What activities do they enjoy doing with their partner?

Honestly, she likes when both of you are doing your own thing in the same space (parallel play). Marinette finds comfort in knowing you’re just there.

She also likes it when you model/try on some of her designs. She won’t mention it — intentionally — but you’re her muse. You inspire her so much, and she just wants to share her passion with you.

Another thing: video games. We’ve seen how good she is at them, so be prepared to lose unceremoniously over and over again, because she’s not gonna go easy on you.

Lastly, if you were given a Miraculous, she would enjoy transforming and running along the city rooftops with you.

❥︎ 𝐂. cuddles: How do they feel about it? Do they initiate or wait for their partner to do so? Favourite cuddling position?

She loves them! Marinette might be nervous about it at first, worried she might do something to make you uncomfortable, but a little reassurance is all she needs.

Once you’re both comfortable, she’s so giddy to be so close to you. She still feels a little nervous about initiating, so most of the time she waits for you to do it. Though, after patrol, she’s usually too tired to care.

Marinette likes to put her head on your chest; hearing your heartbeat helps take her mind off of her racing thoughts.

❥︎ 𝐃. dates: What kind of romantic evening do they plan? What is their ideal type of date?

Between school, designing clothing and her superhero duties, Marinette’s a very busy girl. Sometimes she feels like life is trying to pull her apart in all directions. But she always tries to make time for you and your dates. Yes, she might be chronically late to them, and until you learn of the actual reason why, it might seem like she doesn’t care, but at this point, it’s part of her charm.

She loves going to the park with you, just sitting on a bench and talking, snacking on a few pastries her parents made. When you find out she’s Ladybug, she loves to swing both of you to the top of the Eiffel Tower and stargaze. She loves to just be in the same space with you; her life is just so hectic that taking a breather with her lover is just what she needs at the end of the day.

❥︎ 𝐄. emotional: How open are they with their partner? Does their partner see a different side of them that others do not?

She’s pretty open, considering her situation. Obviously, she’s not going to confess to being Ladybug right away; those things take time. She tries to keep you at a distance, not wanting you to worry about her.

But, when you’re past all of that, Marinette’s very open about her worries, even if she doesn’t specifically say what the cause is. When you find out about her secret identity, that barrier gets broken, and she feels like she can show you a different side of herself completely and be more open with you.

❥︎ 𝐅. family: What are their their thoughts on marriage/kids? Would they want to get married? Have kids?

She’s still a teen with her whole life ahead of her, so marriage and children are not happening anytime soon. However, she does like to daydream about it (re: Louis, Emma and Hugo). She wants to spend her whole life with you, preferably married with kids, but she wouldn’t force you to do anything.

One of her favorite things to daydream about is making your guys’ wedding outfits. Whether you’re both wearing dresses, or you’re wearing a suit or a mix of both. Marinette really wants to design matching wedding attire for both of you. She already has multiple ideas and sketches, but probably won’t share them with you, worried you’ll find her weird.

❥︎ 𝐆. grand: What do they think of grand gestures? Do they go all out or prefer something lowkey and chill?

Marinette likes big gestures of love in moderation. She mostly prefers to keep it private and is not one to like being in the center of everyones’ attention.

Though, if you really want to spoil her and show her/the relationship off, go ahead — just know that she’s going to be as red as a tomato all throughout. She gets really flustered at these types of things, but literally anything you do for/around her flusters her to no end.

❥︎ 𝐇. harsh: What are they like during fights? Do they get into arguments often or are they rare?

She doesn’t like arguing in general, especially with you. Marinette is really nervous that you might fall out of love with her with every spat.

Of course, sometimes you will have your disagreements, mostly about her hiding things from you or her health and safety — especially after she reveals her identity to you.

❥︎ 𝐈. injury: What do they do when their partner is injured?

As a civilian, she is panicking, running around, and doing anything she can to help ease the pain or comfort you. She’s really frantic and uncoordinated, resulting in her also getting hurt while trying to help you. But it’s okay; at least you have matching bandages!

When she’s Ladybug, though, it’s a bit of a different story. She’s probably fighting some Akuma and doesn’t have the time to fret over you as she usually would. If she hasn’t revealed herself to you yet, she has to act like she would with any other civilian.

Ladybug is obviously worried and takes you to as safer place, away from the destruction. She still makes sure you’re okay and asks if you can get home on your own. After Ladybug cleanses the Akuma, she swings straight to your home, concerned out of her mind and feeling a bit guilty that she couldn’t do anything more to help. Just say it’s okay and that you understand her situation — she’ll feel a lot better.

❥︎ 𝐉. jealous: Do they get jealous often? What are they like when jealous?

Oh yeah, she gets jealous alright (re: the Volpina episode). It’s not that she doesn’t want you to have friends or anything, but if someone’s heavily flirting with you, it’s on sight.

Marinette gets very passive-aggressive with the person she’s jealous of, but she would never redirect that to you. I mean, it’s not your fault so many people are into you!

❥︎ 𝐊. kisses: Do they like kissing? What is their favourite spot to kiss/be kissed? Do they initiate or wait for their partner to start?

Yes! Marinette loves kissing you! She gets so giddy and excited every time. She loves placing a kiss on your cheek — she finds it sweet and does it every time she sees you: at school, when you come over, during her evening patrols with Chat Noir, ect.

On the other hand, she loves being kissed on the forehead — it’s a comforting gesture to her and makes her feel so loved. Same as with cuddling: in the beginning, she would wait for you to initiate, no matter how much she wanted to kiss you.

Now she’s the one doing it more often than not. Though, no matter how much time passes, you kissing her will always make her cheeks redden and her breath stutter.

❥︎ 𝐋. love: Who says ‘I love you’ first? What was their reaction to it being reciprocated?

She’s known she has loved you for a very long time, but she doesn’t have the courage to say anything for the longest time. She wants to tell you so bad, but you’ll probably beat her to the punch. If that’s not the case, she’ll probably burst out all the words she’s wanted to say to you in one big ramble. When she stopped to catch her breath, she looked so scared and ashamed of herself. She practiced confessing to you so many times, and she just fumbled it. She snapped to look at you when you put your hand on her shoulder, smiling reassuringly at her and telling her you loved her back. She couldn’t hold herself back from tackling you to the ground in her excitement.

❥︎ 𝐌. meaningful: What’s a meaningful memory they have with their partner?

It was probably the time when you defended her and talked back to Lila, before you two got together. When the entire class sided with Lila even when she didn’t have any proof, even Alya, her best friend. So, seeing her crush stand up for her?

That’s never leaving her head now.

❥︎ 𝐍. nicknames: Do they like nicknames? What do they call their partner? Do they enjoy having their partner calling them nicknames or by their actual name?

Oh, she loves nicknames! She loves calling you nicknames; she loves being called by nicknames — it makes her feel special.

A few nicknames she calls you: ‘Honey,’ ‘Love,’ ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Dearest’.

Nicknames she likes to be called: ‘Sweetheart,’ ‘My Love,’ ‘Snugglebug’ and ‘Lovebug’.

❥︎ 𝐎. oddball: What quirks or habits do they have? Do they pick up any from their partner?

She talks to herself a lot — she’s actually talking to Tikki, but you don’t know that yet. It looks as if she’s talking to her bag, something about how ‘no one can know’.

It’s a little weird, but you don’t really mention it, finding it part of her charm.

❥︎ 𝐏. patience: How patient are they with their partner? Are they short to blow a fuse?

Marinette’s very patient, especially with her partner. She knows what she’s like, so she might feel like she has no room to speak up on certain things (ex: being late). Those things happen, so she’s understanding in that aspect. Of course, sometimes she gets frustrated and lets it out on you, but she’s quick to apologize.

❥︎ 𝐐. query: How good is their memory? Do they remember everything their partner tells them or only the ‘important’ things?

Oh boy, she’s got one hell of a memory. She’s got your schedule, favorite/least favorite things, and all the special dates in her mind. She remembers your rarely used middle names, when your 3rd cousin’s twice-removed birthday is — you didn’t even know you had one?

❥︎ 𝐑. romantic: How romantic are they? How do they show their love?

Very romantic, she’s got her parents as an excellent example oh how a relationship should be. Super sweet, quite literally, Marinette likes giving you pastries her parents made or ones she spent weeks making.

Like I mentioned in 𝐁, she wants to share her passion for design with you, so expect a lot of handmade items to be gifted to you.

She also likes doing the cheesy romance stuff (ex: giving you comically large bouquets of flowers, ect.)

❥︎ 𝐒. security: How protective are they? Are they overbearing or trust their partner to take care of themselves?

She’s overbearing in the sense that, as Ladybug, she patrols the area around your home or apartment more often. When in battle with an Akuma, Marinette always tries to steer clear of the area as well.

In general, she just looks out for you more than she would other civilians. She tries not to make it obvious so as not to bring any attention to her relationship with you, but Chat Noir has his theories.

If she has given you a Miraculous, it’s because she trusts that you can take care of yourself and others in battle.

❥︎ 𝐓. trying: How much effort do they put into the relationship, dates, anniversaries, holidays, ect.?

She’s got it all planned out… for the next 5+ years. Yeah, Marinette’s very commited to these types of things, so she’s got it all figured out. She knows what gifts she’ll get you, where she’ll take you — everything.

❥︎ 𝐔. understanding: Are they understanding of their partner? Do they comfort them when needed?

Like I mentioned in 𝐏, Marinette is very understanding of her partners situation. Does it annoy/bother her sometimes when you have to leave suddenly? Yes, but she also does that so she’d be a hypocrite if she picked a fight about it.

She helps you with your own worries like school or your home life — anything you disclose with her.

❥︎ 𝐕. vanity: How concerned are they with their looks?

She likes taking care of herself, but she’s not overly obsessed with her overall looks. She’s content with how she is and isn’t looking to get anything changed any time soon.

She does like playing around with her clothing and hair, though.

❥︎ 𝐖. wild ride: A fluffy moment with them.

** aged up, Marinette’s in collage/university and you both are living together **

It was late at night, and Marinette was poring over her — rather lackluster — class notes and trying to make sense of the questions on the paper. She’d been at it for hours now, ever since she and Chat Noir defeated the Akuma of the day — Mr. Pigeon. His antics made her miss half of the school day, again. Marinettes’ eyes were starting to feel heavy, but she couldn’t rest now, not when she had a history test tomorrow; she just needed a little more time.

Suddenly, [Y/N] appeared from behind her, a freshly brewed cup of tea in hand. “Here you go, My Love,” they said, smiling gently. Marinette looked up at them, startled, wondering how her lover managed to sneak up on her.

[Y/N] set down the cup and planted a quick kiss on Marinettes’ forehead, before wishing her goodnight. The girl felt warmth spread through her body, and not from the tea. She sighed wistfully and went back to work, a tranquil smile decorating her lips.

❥︎ 𝐗. x-ray: How well can they read their partners’ body language?

I think she’s the type to ‘over-read’ someones’ body language. She takes in the slightest things and overcomplicates them (ex., You yawned during one of her rambles, and she thought you were bored by her speaking so much, even if you were actually just tired from pulling an all-nighter for a test).

❥︎ 𝐘. yearning: How do they deal with being separated from their partner? Do they feel like something’s missing?

She can make do without you around, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t miss you like crazy. If you’ve been gone for weeks or even months on end, and you don’t even message her? Oh god, she’s gonna mope around and be in a bad mood.

The only thing that would cheer her up is getting a call from you. Or better yet, seeing you walk into her parents’ bakery/ walk through the school entrance.

❥︎ 𝐙. zzz: What is it like to share a bed with them? What sleeping habits do they have?

Marinette is very cuddly when tired, wanting to snuggle under the covers with you after a long day. Whispers of adoration and love for each other are the only sounds heard in the comfort of her bed. With the moon as the only source of light.

As for sleeping habits, she’s the complete opposite; she spreads out starfish-style, kicks, rolls around and steals the covers — the whole shebang. Be prepared for war, is all I’m saying.

       main masterlist

❥︎ author's note: Yo! Here’s a little something to munch on so I don’t feel bad for leaving “New Bug in Town” abandoned for so long. This was really fun, so I might do other characters (maybe from other fandoms 👀) in the future!

❥︎ posted: 2024 | 02 | 12

#❥︎.lilian writes #❥︎.miraculous #marinette dupain cheng x reader #ladybug x reader #miraculous ladybug x reader #mlb x reader #gn!reader

[lilian-writes-sins]

Hi! November 18th anon here, just read chapter 2 and I wanted to say it was amazing and the wait was 100% worth it 10/10 would read(and will) again! Can't wait to see how the story continues to unfold

Hi again! Thank you so much for liking chapter 2, I'm glad you enjoyed it <3

#❥︎.lilian speaks

[lilian-writes-sins]

Hi! Is "A new bug in town" discontinued? It's shaping out to be a great fic and I got curious^^

Hi! Sorry I'm getting to this like a month later, but no! "New Bug in Town" is not discontinued I just revised the previous chapters and posted another chapter

I know I don't have to explain myself, but I stopped writing the story for a while because of school. I'm in my last year and we had our mock(?) exams recently, and that just fucked me over in general.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, if you're still interested in this fic lol

much love <33

#❥︎.lilian speaks

[lilian-writes-sins]

“𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒.”

❥︎ pairing: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir x gn!Ladybug miraculous user!Reader

❥︎ p.o.v: 3ʳᵈ person

❥︎ ch. 2 summary: The news that they were next in line to hold the Miraculous of the Ladybug and defeat Hawkmoth alongside Chat Noir would affect everyone differently. For [Y/N], it came in the form of ignoring the issue all together, if they didn’t think about it, it doesn’t exist, right? But after weeks of lying low and ignoring Tikki’s pleas to take on the mantle of the Ladybug, the teenager finally, after what feels like an eternity, weakens their resolve (and, maybe, definitely, fights their first Akuma).

❥︎ tags: swearing; weird magic headcanons; sorta making fun of Master Fu’s methods of picking heroes; reader is in denial; terribly written fight scenes (i’m sorry); tried writing a panic attack, dont know if its good or not

❥︎ word count: 5,184

       chapter 1 | series masterlist | chapter 3

⟡ ⁺ ₊ ⊹ ࣪ ━━ ⊱⋆ flashback ⋆⊰ ━━ ࣪ ⊹ ₊ ⁺ ⟡

       —“…Are you sure that is possible?”

       —“Yes, if I can harness the souls and memories of the past Ladybug Miraculous wielders, I can conjure up an image of the next holder. That means, no more trusting strangers blindly!”

       —“Hmm... well, alright, if you believe this will work, let's at least try.”

With that, Tikki took a deep breath, closed her eyes and began to hum. It was unlike anything Master Fu has ever heard — something ancient and not of this world. Wayzz, Fu’s kwami, himself has only heard his friend utter it once before — back when they were young and their powers weren’t contained — and to say it was catastrophic would be undermining it. But that was then, now they're a lot wiser, and their unlimited powers are under control — for the most part — so what could go wrong?

Tikki’s little hands glowed brighter and brighter until the energy was released with a flash. The sphere of light rose into the air, growing in size. Master Fu, Wayzz and Tikki all gazed in wonder at the face of the next Ladybug Miraculous wielder.

       —“Is- is that really them?” Fu asked, amazement evident in his voice.

       —“Yes,” the red kwami answered, eyes gleaming with conviction, “I’m certain it is.”

⟡ ⁺ ₊ ⊹ ࣪ ━━ ⊱⋆ flashback ⋆⊰ ━━ ࣪ ⊹ ₊ ⁺ ⟡

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       —“What. The. Fuck.”

[Y/N]’s eyebrows in bewilderment as they gazed upon the red, bug-like creature in front of them. Tikki, as it called itself, stated that the teen was chosen to be whatever a ‘wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous’ is.

Their face scrunched up as they tried to process the information.

       —“…Okay… what?”

       —“Are you alright? You’re reacting much more calmly about this whole situation — especially compared to my previous holder,” Tikki asked, her high-pitched voice tinged with concern.

The teen snorted, blinking owlishly as they surveyed their surroundings.

       —“Oh, yeah, I’m perfectly fine! It’s not like a flying, comically large insect just told me I was the fucking chosen one. Nothing weird about that, no,” they shot back with a sarcastic edge to their voice.

A brief moment of silence stretched through [Y/N]’s room. They let out a deep sigh, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over them.

       “…I’m dreaming, right? This is all in my head, and- and you’re just a figment of my imagination, right?” they asked, their voice tinged with desperation.

       “I’m afraid not, [Y/N]. This is all real,” said the thing, Tikki, who looked almost… apologetic.

       “…Okay, well then, can you at least clear some things up for me?” they prompted, slightly curious but still skeptical.

       “Of course! What would you like to know?” Tikki flew a bit closer to the teen’s face.

       “Well, for starters, the fuck is a ‘Miraculous’?” they asked, brows furrowed.

Tikki released a deep sigh, bracing herself from this point onward: ‘Oh boy… this is going to be a long evening…’

       

       

       

       

       

[Y/N] shook their head in disbelief, trying to process what Tikki was saying. She seemed really eager to explain things, but the longer she babbled, the more the teen felt their thoughts disconnecting from their body. They didn’t hear what the flying bug was saying until she was quite literally in front of them, a worried expression on her face

       —“...[Y/N]?” she whispered, not wanting to scare them.

That seemed to bring them back, with the teen bringing a hand up, trying to put some distance between the two. [Y/N] wasn’t sure what to even think. They were just a teen, not some hero with superpowers.

       —“Look, this is nice, flattering even, but I really don’t think I’m the one for this job, sorry,” they finally uttered, turning away from Tikki. They’ve just escaped to Paris, and they didn’t want to get into any messes so soon.

Frustration couldn’t even begin to describe what the kwami was feeling, she tried getting more words in, but all of it fell on deaf ears as the teen got ready for the night.

       —“Please, just listen to me, [Y/N] — you are meant for this, you are meant to be Ladybug — my vision showed you, not anyone else, please,” nothing she said would cause any reaction from them.

Though the conversation went nowhere, the kwami was even more determined to make the teen see reason, no matter how long it took. Hopefully, she wouldn’t cause an Akuma in the process.

       

       

       

       

       

Every day since then has been a massive headache, at least for [Y/N]. An entire week of being hounded by Tikki’s constant whining and begging was driving the teen up the wall. If she were completely honest, the kwami was surprised that they lasted so long, she could be quite persuasive when she wanted to be.

One day in particular, though ordinary in every other regard, all of that pleading made [Y/N] reach their breaking point. ‘Kwami of Creation, huh, yeah, right,’ has been a primary thought of theirs. Though, truth be told, the teen found themselves enjoying Tikki’s company, if only a little. Unless she was nagging them, like right now…

       —“Please. Please. Please. Please. Please,” the bug floated around their head, relentless in her attempts to coerce them into transforming. She came out every day when Alizée would leave for work, like clockwork.

And just like clockwork, [Y/N] refused again. Suddenly, Tikki was floating in front of their face, the quiet buzzing sound her wings emit growing louder. She then proceeded to use her secret weapon, the puppy-dog eyes, in a sort of desperate attempt to persuade the teen.

To their credit, the teen really tried resisting the blue, alien-like eyes being thrown at them, but some things are inevitable. A few seconds pass before they relent, throwing their head back against the couch.

       —“Ugh! Fine! Okay, okay, I’ll fucking do it.”

       —“Yay! I knew I could change your mind! Come on! Come on! Let’s go right now!” Before she could get carried away, the teen put their foot down because they couldn’t just transform right then and there, for the sake of staying covert.

Thankfully, Tikki regains some sense.

       —“Hehe, sorry,” she smiles sheepishly.

Shivers ran down [Y/N]’s back, mind and heart racing at the thought of them running along the ornate roofs of Paris.

The day ran its course, and the human-kwami duo were the only ones home for the day, spending their time scrolling through YouTube and eating snacks. As the sun was setting, Alizée came home from a long day at work. She spared the teen a glance and a smile, before making her way to her bedroom down the hall.

When the pair heard snores coming from her room, they decided it was finally time. Tikki’s excitement was clearly visible on her face as she flew straight through the door to [Y/N]’s own bedroom. The teen followed her, closing the door silently behind them.

Taking a deep breath, the teen closed their eyes, not wanting to waste any more time than needed.

       —“Okay, Tikki, spots on,” they whispered. A bright light surrounded them, it faded as soon as it came, leaving the teen covered in a skin-tight, almost uncomfortable, material. ‘Fuck,’ [Y/N] stealthily made their way to the bathroom, ‘I don’t have a mirror... Their heart felt like it was going to jump out of their throat any time soon. And then, they caught their reflection.

The teen almost didn’t recognize themselves in the reflection. Staring back at them was a person covered head-to-toe in a red and black armor-like suit. As they looked themselves over, [Y/N] felt a grin form on their covered face. The most striking detail that the teen noticed was on their face. It was their eyes. They resembled Tikki’s eyes — striking blue hues with dark blue sclerae.

Right beneath their eyes, the teen noticed a dark gray mask covering the bottom half of their face. A pair of goggles were hanging around their neck, the blue lenses connected by a thick black strap. The suit looks like it came from a sci-fi novel: a dark gray bodice, resembling a ladybug’s underbelly, was tight-fitting, with a red chest piece, shoulder pads, forearm braces and knee-length boots. All the red pieces have black spots on them.

They turned around to inspect their back, and saw a big, red, black-spotted lump that rested between their shoulder blades. ‘What is that supposed to be?’ confusion riddled their face. Suddenly, the lump opened up, and a set of large, bug-like, transparent wings unfurled from its confines. [Y/N] brought their gaze back up after they felt something twitch on top of their head. And there they noticed it — a pair of antennae sprouting out from their forehead. The teen reached up to touch one of the ends, feeling it twitch.

The teen smiled, striking a few poses and quietly admiring their reflection from different angles. Taking a closer look at all the details of their attire, [Y/N] notices something red attached to their waist. They took the object into their hands, quickly realizing it was a yo-yo, it also had five little spots on it. ‘Of course this is my weapon,’ the teen sighed, a bit disappointed.

[Y/N] turned to exit the bathroom, turning off the lights before opening the door very slowly. Before the hinges started squeaking, the masked teen slipped through the gap, quickly making their way across the hallway back to their bedroom. They went over to the window connected to the side of the balcony, opening it and stepping through, trying not to bump or knock over the plant in the corner.

The teen stood crouched on the ledge, looking down at the street below. They grabbed the goggles around their neck, putting them around their eyes. [Y/N] stood up, grabbing their yo-yo from their hip and swinging it back and forth, feeling the weight and movement of the seemingly indestructible string in their hand.

Time seemed to slow down as they took a deep breath. [Y/N] swung their red tool out, linking it to a chimney on the other side of the street, and tugged on it a few times to test it. ‘Well, no time like the present.’ With that thought, they jumped, soaring through the air.

After what felt like forever but, in reality, was only a few seconds, the masked teen crash-landed across the street from Alizée’s apartment with a loud thud and a shout.

       —“OW, FUCK!”

Immediately covering their mouth to quiet any cries, [Y/N] looked around to see if anyone had noticed them. Feeling safe, they swung their yo-yo again with a bit more confidence than before. Unfurling the suit’s transparent wings once more, the masked teen glided through the night sky, enjoying the wind hitting their face.

Not wanting to be spotted, [Y/N] made their way directly to the Eiffel Tower, climbing up its structure quickly with their newfound strength and agility. When they finally reached the top of the monument, they felt their breath get caught in their throat, stolen away by an incredible view of the vast city bathing under the full moon.

       —“Whoa...” the teen muttered, removing their goggles and resting them on their forehead — right below the long antennae — so they could see a clear view of the skyline with ease.

The moment of awe was cut short when [Y/N] heard a figure land across them. The teen quickly hid behind the tower, holding their breath and not looking back. They were ready to jump off and head back home when they heard another thud, followed by a sigh.

Out of curiosity, they peeked around the corner and spotted a black figure sitting on the edge. Fortunately, the figure seemed unaware of the alien-like blue eyes peering at it from the shadows. Recognizing the potential dangers of being caught, [Y/N] decided to turn around and go back home.

The sound of something soaring through the air caught the ears of the dark figure. It turned its head back, not finding a source for the noise. It let out a defeated sigh after not seeing anything, its shoulders dropping in sadness.

       —“I’m even starting to hear things in your absence, m’lady. Sigh, this tomcat misses you…”

[Y/N] couldn’t hear the desperate pleas of the figure, they were too preoccupied trying to find their way back home. When they stopped on a roof to gather their bearings, a group of people caught sight of them, taking out their phones and shouting in unison.

       —“OH. MY. GOD! LADYBUG?” the group shouted, taking multiple pictures.

‘Shit!’ The teen panicked and swung away as fast as they could, eventually making it back to the apartment — almost tripping over the balcony railing. Climbing through the open window, they de-transformed and collapsed on their bed, exhausted.

       —“So? Did you like it?” Tikki asked, eager to hear what [Y/N] was thinking.

The teen just smiled.

       —“That was so cool! Though, I’m not too sure about the yo-yo. Anyway, come on, let’s get some rest.” Tikki buzzes with excitement, snuggling next to [Y/N]’s cheek on the pillow. The pair drift off into a peaceful slumber.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

Another week passed before anything notable happened. [Y/N] spent their days bonding with their loving aunt, Alizée, who helped furnish and decorate the teen’s room to their liking. The relationship between them grew stronger, and the teen felt more comfortable and safe in her home, though some habits were difficult to break.

However, when the sun set and everyone was fast asleep, [Y/N] and Tikki would sit on the teen’s bed, having fun and growing closer. The kwami would explain various Miraculous-related topics, like the history of the Miraculous, her own powers, and the rules the teen had to follow.

Together, they enjoyed a sense of peace and security that was lacking in their daytime routine. [Y/N] even let Tikki have a strand of their hair, which the kwami claimed was for ‘secret purposes’ with a sneaky giggle.

       

       

       

       

       

Now it’s Thursday, a regular day in the middle of a regular week. And it was, at least until a deafening roar shook the ground the Parisians were walking on. [Y/N] was out running errands — they really enjoyed helping Alizée out whenever they could — when it happened.

The deafening roar made everyone begin to panic and fall to the ground. Only seconds after the bellowing stopped, the grounds trembled once more as heavy stomps took over. The city was in utter chaos. [Y/N] could hear children crying, scared out of their minds.

As the teen’s heart raced and adrenaline soared through their blood, they desperately tried to make sense of the situation. Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over them on top of the buildings.

Some civilians, including [Y/N], looked up to see what the source of all this commotion was, while others panicked and ran for cover. Some hid in stores, some fled to their homes, and some huddled together in groups, too overtaken by fear to act.

Before they even noticed, the monster came into full view, revealing a stark white reptilian beast towering over everyone.

The teen looked around, looking for a hiding spot to get to, before they heard something. A few feet in front of them, a mother and daughter were hugging as they were about to be crushed under the massive foot of the reptile. [Y/N]’s body moved without a second thought — almost instinctively — running towards the pair as fast as they could. When they were close enough, the teen jumped for them, pushing the woman and her child out of the way.

The older woman looked back at the teen, holding her wailing child close to her. She mouthed a silent thank-you to them before running away. [Y/N] almost forgot where they were before they turned back to look at the clawed, scaly foot coming down on them this time.

They covered their head, preparing for the worst, but it never came. Instead, the giant monster yelled and moved its foot away from them. Peeking their eyes out from behind their forearms, the crouching teen noticed a black, leather-clad figure right in front of them. ‘This must be Chat Noir...’  [Y/N] thought as they brought their hands down.

Chat Noir looked back, looking at you with a concerned expression. His silver staff retracts back into its original size and is placed behind the cat-themed hero’s back. [Y/N] stared at him, even as he extended his hand out to them, before they took it and got up. The two gazed into each other’s eyes, both under a strange haze; the two teens felt a tightness in their chests. It went away quickly, and the leather-clad hero straightened his back and spoke.

       —“Are you alright?” Chat asked, voice brimming with concern, green slitted eyes fleeting over them, looking for any injuries.

       —“I- I’m fine. Just shaken up,” the teen’s trembly hands were proof of that.

       —“Well, do you think you can get back home on your own? I’m kind of preoccupied with a lizard infestation,” he said, pointing behind him, where more destruction could be seen.

Instead of answering verbally, [Y/N] nodded. That was all the hero needed, apparently, as he gave them a smile — it made the weird tightness in their chest come back — before he turned, grabbing his staff and extending it again, jumping away.

[Y/N] stood in place for a second before they felt something jabbing into their side. Glancing down, the teen noticed Tikki already looking up at them.

       —“C’mon! Let’s go hide!”

They scrambled to get somewhere hidden, finding an alleyway and crouching behind one of the dumpsters. Tikki flew out of [Y/N]’s bag.

       —“I- What the fuck was that thing?” The teen held their chest — their heart beating faster than normal — trying to control their breathing.

       —“[Y/N]? Are you sure you're okay?” The kwami flew closer to the teen’s face, touching their cheek with her small limb.

They slid down the brick wall, hand still clutching their chest, as their breath became shaky and ragged, as if they’d run a marathon. Their eyes were looking straight past Tikki, not really focused on anything.

Loud ringing could be heard, though it only seemed to bother [Y/N]; they suddenly brought both their hands to cover their ears harshly, tears welling in the corners of the distraught teen’s shut eyes. Quiet, strained whimpers kept escaping their lips.

Tikki thought they looked like a wounded baby deer — scared and vulnerable. She flew down, perched on the teen’s shoulder, and rested a hand on their neck — that was really all she could do.

The kwami continued to reassure [Y/N], and a little while later, they finally stopped shaking. The teen looked at their little red companion with a determined look as they stood up, rolling their shoulders back.

       —“Okay, let's do this.”

       

       

       

       

       

All Chat Noir could think of right now was not letting his lunch come back out the wrong side. He was being swung around by ginormous, scaly reptile paws and thrown through the air. You’d think that after half a year of working alone, he’d be more efficient at this whole thing. And you’d be right; today was just... not his day, to say the least.

The terrified screams and reassuring words from the Parisians below all mixed into a disorienting white noise that Chat couldn’t do anything about. As he was being lifted to the Draken’s face, rows upon rows of sharp, yellowy teeth could be seen. The feline hero shut his bright green eyes tight, silently preparing for his doom. ‘This really is it... I’m so sorry, m’Lady.’

       

       

       

       

       

       —“HEY, UGLY!” A voice cut through the air, loud enough to get the attention of everyone, “Let the cat-boy go!”

There, on the roof of a tall building — eye-level with the scaly, white beast — stood a figure, shadowed by the warm afternoon sun hitting its back.

Murmurs ran through the crowd like wildfire. The figure grabs something from its hip and spins it fast, a familiar pink glow appears from the whizzing of the object.

       —“Whoa, who is that?”

       —“Is that Ladybug?”

       —“HA! I told you she would come back!”

The figure paid no mind to the crowd, keeping their gaze on the giant in front of them — more specifically, the bright purple butterfly outside that suddenly appeared over its face. It seemed to make the large beast stop in its tracks, like it was under a spell. But there was no time to think about that; there were civilians and a stray cat in danger.

       —“Oj, scale-face! I’m talking to you!” The red figure took a running start and jumped off the roof, spreading large, transparent wings out from their back.

That seemed to bring the creature out of its trance-like state — the glowing outline had disappeared by now — letting out a deafening roar, black smoke pouring out of its unhinged mouth.

Now that the sun wasn't blocking their view, everyone could see someone akin to the iconic red and black-spotted heroine Paris has come to love and mourn the loss of. Though, the voice and mannerisms should’ve given them away sooner, this was definitely not Ladybug, at least not the Ladybug people know.

The spotted figure zipped straight for the overgrown lizard, effectively — if only a bit clumsily, as if this were their first time — dodging its flailing limbs. They flew straight towards its open mouth, quickly grabbing the black-leather-clad hero before he could become lizard food.

The two escaped narrowly, [Y/N] setting Chat Noir down on one of the flat roofed buildings, behind the roof access room, hiding them from the beast’s line of sight.

       —“Are you alright?” the teen asked, unknowingly repeating his first words to their civilian self.

Wherever his mind went, it came back to his body right at that moment. He glanced at the face of his savior, covered with a black face mask and goggles, hiding every part of their face apart from their eyebrows. The short hairs were furrowed, and no doubt a concerned expression decorated the face beneath the disguise.

       —“I- Yes… Who are you?” His gaze held so many emotions, like confusion but mostly distrust.

       —“Y’know, I never gave it much thought before, ask me again when we take Godzilla over there down, ‘kay?” Apparently, that wasn’t the answer he was expecting, [Y/N] could almost imagine a giant question mark floating on top of his head.

       —“So... you have a plan?” He was still staring, the fight clearly not on the forefront of his mind. His lack of answer perpetuated the awkward silence: “... Right, so, ahem, do you know where the Akumatized object is?”

He finally got over it, if only for the time being.

       —“Yeah, there’s a gem lodged into the back of his neck, I tried getting it, but I got caught.”

       —“Well then, how about we try that again? C'mon, I’ll go and distract it while you destroy the thing!”

[Y/N] raised their goggles slightly over their eyes, winking at Chat Noir, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the alien-esque blue eyes that were hiding underneath the lenses. They prepared to take another running start, spreading their wings, before remembering something.

       —“OH! Before I forget, sorry, this is my first time doing this,” they took their yo-yo from its resting place on their hip and throwing it in the air, “Lucky Charm!”

The red polka-dotted sides spun around as it glowed before it came back down, leaving a small object where it was. The item dropped into the gloved hands; it was a red ice pick with a black dot pattern all over it, quite on brand with the ladybug theme. [Y/N] turned it around, looking it over closely, then grasped it tightly and returned to their previous position.

       —“Okay, are you ready? ‘Cause I’m not,” the teen chuckled, pulling their goggles back over their eyes, running and jumping off the roof, heading straight for the scaly monster.

The cat-eyed hero stood in place for a second, his mind still lagging behind. He shook his head, getting out of his stupor, and hardened his gaze, focusing on completing the mission. He would ask questions later.

He stood still for a while, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike the Draken. He kept his gaze mostly on the spotted hero, distracting the beast by zipping around with their large wings, evading its grasp. Maybe he was watching them because he was worried they would get caught and hurt, or maybe he was judging them because ‘Ladybug wouldn't have come up with such a primitive plan’.

By now, the Draken's back is turned away from Chat, letting him get a clear view of the icy blue gem, the same color as its eyes, embedded into the back of the beast's neck, surrounded by glistening white scales.

Taking the opportunity to strike, Chat Noir extended his staff, letting it carry him to land on the lizard’s back. He landed a bit below where the gem was, so he gripped onto whatever space he could and began to climb. However, the beast’s thrashing and flailing around made it quite hard to do. The green-eyed hero inched his way towards the glittering jewel, hanging on to a few looser scales to not fall off.

He raised his hand, preparing to strike, “Cataclysm!” A black, void-like mass bubbled around his right hand. Chat pressed his hand onto the gem, watching as it began to crack and turn a deathly gray. Soon it stopped, and a glowing purple butterfly squeezed its way out of the cracks, trying to fly away. But before it could, Chat caught it in a strange, dark metal canister, not giving the insect a chance to escape. As the butterfly no longer powered it, the large lizard became covered in a dark, almost black, purple, tar-like liquid. And then it disappeared, leaving a man, who looked to be about mid 20’s, to fall to his death.

Of course, seeing this, both heroes couldn’t let that happen, jumping into action to catch the young adult, before he could become one with the cracked concrete.

[Y/N] made it first, their wings gave them a stark advantage in situations like this, grabbing the man midair and gently landing him on the ground. The teen removed their goggles, letting them rest around their neck, and looked over the hunched person for any injuries. Thankfully, they found none, so they awkwardly patted his shoulder, making him look up.

He looked frazzled, as if his mind was a couple of minutes behind, trying to catch up to the rest of his body. He looked at the gloved hand on his shoulder and moved his gaze up to his savior’s face. The man was met with dark blues, glazed with concern.

He paid no mind to it, rushing into the hero’s arms and burying his head in the crook of their neck. It was a bit uncomfortable, both because their armor is very rigid and not soft at all and because they weren’t expecting it, obviously. Nevertheless, the teen hugged back, if only a bit stiffly.

       —“Thank you! Thank you so much!” The man cried out, tightening his hold around them. He hiccuped, “I’m so sorry, for all of this. I- I just- my emotions got- got the best of me.”

He pulled away after a while, the teen now looking behind him to see Chat Noir staring them both down. Freezing under his gaze, the teen felt the third tightness in their chest return, all because of his eyes. But his gaze didn’t hold that same feeling — it was cold for some reason.

Not wanting to dwell on it, [Y/N] turned their unusual eyes back down at the man. Finally, they took a closer look at him; he was quite short — though that didn’t mean much, as the teen noticed they towered over most of the crowd, apart from Chat Noir, in this form — and gaunt, with heavy bags under his brown eyes. He was clearly dressed for work — unless business casual was his regular style — with a white collared shirt underneath a blue plaid sweater vest, paired with light brown slacks and matching loafers. His wavy brown hair was styled professionally — now a bit mussed from falling in the air.

       —“Hey, you’re okay. What’s your name?” The teen asked awkwardly, smiling more with their eyes, as their mask covered the bottom of their face.

       —“A- Arthur Gallo,” he spoke, still clearly in shock from his situation. [Y/N] patted his back lightly and reassured him, “Well, Arthur, whatever happened that caused this, it isn’t your fault, you were just pushed to your limit, and that's okay.”

The teen turned to fly away before stopping suddenly.

       —“OH! Before I forget,” they grabbed the ice pick from its resting place on their hip — it was quite useless in their plan, but Tikki did say to have it on hand, just in case — throwing it up in the air, shouting, “Miraculous Ladybug!”

The spotted pick disappeared in a bright, pink flash of light, and thousands of ladybugs flew around the area, fixing and rebuilding all the destruction caused under the butterflies influence. The little insects surrounded the two heroes and Arthur before shooting up into the sky and dispersing out of sight.

Civilians around the area cheered loudly, and reporters popped up in front of the trio, asking questions upon questions and shoving cameras in their faces. [Y/N] ignored them, turning to face Chat Noir, whose gaze never left them. Suddenly, he spoke.

       —“Ladybug would’ve come up with a much better plan.”

The teen’s expression quickly fell in confusion; you didn’t even need to see the bottom half of their face to see it. Their brows furrowed, and they spoke cautiously.

       —“Yeah, well, I’m not good with plans in general, and I’m not Ladybug.”

       —“Yeah, I can tell,” he huffed, turning around and extending his staff, jumping away, probably to detransform.

‘What the fuck is his problem,’ [Y/N] thought to themselves bitterly, their mood dampened by their ‘partner’s’ cold behavior. They turned back to Arthur, who was still standing next to them, looking awkwardly to the side.

       —“You can make it back home on your own, right? I kind of have to go,” [Y/N] said, pointing to their beeping earrings, only 3 of the 5 spots were left. He nodded, and the teen went to walk away before the man suddenly grabbed their hand, “WAIT!”

       —“Yes?”

       —“Please, what’s your name?”

       —“I- hmm,” [Y/N] thought for a second.

They knew they weren’t Ladybug, and they didn’t want to take on her name out of respect — and something in their head told them that if they did, a certain feline would dislike them even more. All they knew was that they were up for the task; to help Paris and the rest of the world from Hawkmoth, they knew that they had to have a strong, powerful name that would make people feel safe. [Y/N] took a breath, pushing their shoulders back with a more confident expression in their eyes.

       

       

       

       

       

       —“Red Beetle, my name is Red Beetle.”

Arthur let go of their hand — a grateful expression on his face — and thanked them. The newly named hero turned away from him, grabbed their yo-yo and swung away.

       chapter 1 | series masterlist | chapter 3

❥︎ author's note: I’ve written and rewritten this so many times, I feel like I’m losing my mind, anyways hope you enjoy! Also so sorry for the long wait, I really wanted to post this back in September, but school started and killed my motivation. I have chapter 3 as bulletpoints, but I’m not making any promises to post it any time soon :(

❥︎ series taglist: @leafanonsforest @ok-boke @they2luv1naia @mytaiyakeylover (if you wanna get added, lmk!)

❥︎ posted: 2023 | 11 | 19

#❥︎.lilian writes #❥︎.new bug in town #adrien agreste x reader #chat noir x reader #miraculous ladybug x reader #cat noir x reader #mlb x reader #gn!reader

[lilian-writes-sins]

Can you make chapter 3 of “New Bug in Town” I really enjoy the story and what it could in tell <33

Hi, thank you sm for liking my fic! I genuinely get so excited when I see ppl interacting with my stuff <3

Anyways! Chapter 3 is in the works (ik its taking a while but im still trying to figure out the story + I have a few things I wanna post along with ch3 that my brain is not in the mood for lol) BUT it should *hopefully* be out in the next 2 weeks!

#❥︎.lilian speaks #giggling and kicking my legs

[lilian-writes-sins]

“𝑈𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠.”

❥︎ pairing: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir x gn!Ladybug miraculous user!Reader

❥︎ p.o.v: 3ʳᵈ person

❥︎ ch. 1 summary: Years of pain will make anyone reach their breaking point sooner or later. Running away to stay with their maternal aunt in Paris, France, just seemed like the better option for [Y/N] [L/N], with no reason to look back. Hopeful for a brighter future here, the teen goes out to explore the winding city, quite literally bumping into and helping an elderly man during their walk. Unbeknownst to them, a gift of immense power awaits their return.

❥︎ tags: swearing; (slight) verbal abuse; mentions of past abuse; mention of a nightmare/panic attack

❥︎ word count: 1,623

       prologue | series masterlist | chapter 2

       —“Okay… I’ll call you before and after the flight. Have a good day at work, see you soon and thank you... again.”

[Y/N] ended the call with a sigh and finished packing for their flight to Paris. They had always wanted to visit their maternal aunt Alizée, but not in these circumstances.

Suddenly, [Y/N] stopped and listened for stumbling footsteps, sighing in relief when they heard nothing. That relief was short-lived when their childhood door slammed open. That poor door was barely hanging on its hinges.

       —“What the hell are you still doing here, you waste of space?” came the slurred gargle of their drunken father.

[Y/N] intended to ignore the man, but that never went well in this house.

The teen was tired and sore enough as it was, and they definitely didn’t need another confrontation with the piece of shit they had to call ‘dad’ (as far as they were concerned, they didn’t even have one). To their relief, their father didn’t do anything. He just huffed and stood by the doorway, watching as [Y/N] took a few steps towards the front entrance.

       —“If you leave right now, you’re never welcome back here,” this was the last they were ever going to see of each other, and [Y/N] felt nothing but pure relief. ‘Like I ever was,’ they wanted to scoff at him.

They stepped outside, carrying two small bags filled with necessities (like documents and clothes) and small trinkets that held some sentimental value. The teen didn’t even look back at the pitiful excuse of a ‘home’ they had lived in for years.

[Y/N] called a taxi to take them to the airport, trying to rest on the way. After paying the driver, they stepped out and looked up at the enormous building in front of them, their heart racing with excitement and nerves. ‘This is really it, huh? I’m actually doing this,’ the teen mused with a small smile.

As they went through the motions of checking in, passing by security, boarding and settling into their seat, everything blurred together. The air in the airport was almost as thick as their thoughts as they watched the world pass by outside the window. The journey was already exhausting the teen, making them lean their head back to rest their eyes.

Eventually, the plane lands, and [Y/N] sluggishly makes their way off. They took a deep breath, their eyes scanning the moving crowd for their aunt. Their body tensed as they turned to look at the culprit, relief flooding them when they saw it was Alizée. She gave a reassuring smile, and they smiled back, not wanting to let their nerves show.

       —“… Hello,” [Y/N] said, raising their hand in an awkward wave. It had been a long time since they’d seen each other, and they didn't know what to say.

       —“Hey there, sugar. Are you ready to head out?” The woman returned their greeting with a warm smile.

[Y/N] nodded as the pair made their way to Alizée’s car — a black 1962 Chevrolet Impala corvette — and climbed in. The ride from the airport was long and mostly silent, with music filling in the space. Alizée snuck a few discreet glances at the teen, her mind racing with questions, but she held her resolve, not wanting to overwhelm the teen.

The two arrived at Alizée’s home, a large flat on the third floor. As they stepped out of the car, [Y/N] felt a wave of anxiety come crashing on them: ‘What if this is all a dream? What if she sends me back? What if he finds me… oh fuck...,’ they thought as their heart almost jumped out of their chest.

       —“Are you okay, darling?” Alizée noticed the teen’s distress and went to rest a hand on their shoulder.

       —“I-I’m fine… Just tired from all the travel,” [Y/N] responded, not yet comfortable expressing their feelings.

The pair made their way up the stairs, stepping through the front door and taking off their shoes.

       —“Alright, so... your room is right across the hall, you can see the door in front of you. It’s a bit small, though, but one of the windows connects to the balcony!” Alizée stated happily as she showed you around.

[Y/N] picked up their bags and made their way past the kitchenette and living room, opening the door to their bare-bones room. It had a bit of a weird shape and consisted of a single bed and a dresser, just as the woman promised. ‘Well, she wasn’t lying,’ the teen thought.

They put their bags near the bed and sat on the mattress, deep in thought, when their aunt knocked on the door before entering.

       —“Hey… I know this isn’t much, but we can go shopping for furniture, and you’ll get to decorate it however you want,” Alizée said.

       —“Okay, thank you… for all of this,” the teen whispered quietly.

       —“Oh, honey, you don’t need to thank me for anything. I’m glad you reached out,” the older woman patted [Y/N]’s shoulder, “now go to bed. It’s getting late.”

Exhaustion won the teen over quickly and silently as they changed into their pajamas and rested on the bed, staring at the ceiling. They fell asleep as their mind began to drift away.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

[Y/N] slowly opened their eyes, feeling the warm rays of the sun hitting their face. As they adjusted to the light, they noticed that they weren’t in their new room; instead, they were back in an all too familiar glorified storage closet of a room, back there with him.

Panic filled their chest as they felt their breathing become heavier, their eyes blurring, and their blood pumping faster. Suddenly, they heard a soft knock, followed by Alizée’s melodic voice.

       —“Are you awake, [Y/N]?” she asked, and the teen was instantly calmed by the familiar voice.

       —“Uhh, yeah! I’ll be out in a moment,” they quickly replied, rushing to get dressed.

They found Alizée waiting in the living room, placing two plates of food on the coffee table. As soon as the food was in front of them, [Y/N] realized just how hungry they were and quickly began to eat. A few bites in, they realized that their aunt was observing them, and the teen felt embarrassment wash over them.

       —“It’s alright, sweetie. Eat as much as you want,” she smiled, pointing her chin back to their plate.

The two continued eating in comfortable silence until Alizée cleared her throat. [Y/N] shifted their gaze towards her, waiting for her to speak.

       —“So… I know summer just started, but I would like to enroll you in school here. We could go next week, make it into an outing,” the woman proposed. The teen nodded, though they were slightly nervous.

They were a good student, if you only looked at their grades; their behavior was slightly questionable, to say the least — but being the new kid stressed anyone out.

After making plans for the weeks ahead while washing and drying their plates, [Y/N] headed to their room. Despite still being barren, the room now held a sense of potential and possibility, filled with visions of posters, plants and bedsheets.

With the urge to clear their mind, they decided to go on a stroll at the nearby park. The teen threw on something lightweight and headed out the door. Putting on their shoes, [Y/N] informed Alizée where they were going, and she wished them a safe and nice time.

The trek to the part wasn’t long, and the teen made a pit stop at a nearby bakery. They walked out, pastries in hand, set on continuing their walk. They stopped suddenly when they heard someone shouting behind them. Tense yet curious, they turned towards the source of the noise, relieved to find that it was only an elderly man who had tripped and fallen. [Y/N] helped him up and collected his bags from the pavement, noticing that his cane was just out of reach.

       —“Ah, thank you, young one,” the man said gratefully, taking his cane from their hands. [Y/N] smiled, glad they could help.

       —“No problem. Have a good day,” they replied, waving goodbye to the man as he went on his way.

The teen finally made their way to Place des Vosges and went to sit on the first empty bench they saw. They removed their headphones, taking in the park’s environment: the running fountain water, parents playing with their children, a middle-aged man feeding pigeons…

…just then, they heard it.

       ‘Click’ ‘click’ ‘click’ ‘click’ ‘click’ ‘click’ ‘click’

It was the sound of a camera shuttering, accompanied by a loud, Italian-accented voice commanding someone named Adrien. It seemed to be coming from behind the fountain in the center of the park. Irritated, [Y/N] stood up and made their way back home.

       —“Hey! I’m back!”

No response. The teen locked the door, making their way to the living room. They saw a blue post-it note on the coffee table, it read: ‘𝙷𝚎𝚢, 𝚜𝚞𝚐𝚊𝚛! 𝚂𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢, 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚜𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍. 𝙰𝚗 𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚢 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐... 𝙰𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚐𝚎. 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚝𝚜!’

[Y/N] made their way to their bedroom to enjoy the last of their pastries. Walking through, they spotted a black box with odd red markings on their dresser. Feeling strangely drawn to it, they reached over for it. Carefully opening it, a bright pink light almost blinded the teen, causing them to drop the box.

When the light faded, all that was left was a red bug-like creature. The teen could only stare in disbelief.

       —“Hello, [Y/N]! My name is Tikki, your kwami,” it stated with a smile.

Their jaw dropped, wanting to say something, anything, but no sounds were made…

       …until…

       

       

       

       

       

       —“What. The. Fuck.”

       prologue | series masterlist | chapter 2

❥︎ author's note: This is a re-write of the original chapter!

❥︎ series taglist: @leafanonsforest @ok-boke @they2luv1naia @mytaiyakeylover (if you wanna get added, lmk!)

❥︎ posted: 2023 | 06 | 08

#❥︎.lilian writes #❥︎.new bug in town #adrien agreste x reader #chat noir x reader #miraculous ladybug x reader #cat noir x reader #mlb x reader #gn!reader

[lilian-writes-sins]

“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑟𝑎.”

❥︎ pairing: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir x gn!Ladybug miraculous user!Reader

❥︎ p.o.v: 3ʳᵈ person

❥︎ prologue summary: After months of unsuccessfully trying to find Hawkmoth’s identity, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is faced with a different kind of challenge: moving house halfway across the world. Stressed about her situation, both as Marinette and as Ladybug, she puts off telling everyone the news. On her final day in Paris, she visits Master Fu, the holder of the Miracle Box, and gives back the Ladybug Miraculous entrusted to her. With a final goodbye to her old life, the Dupain-Cheng family leaves for New York, starting a new chapter in their lives.

❥︎ tags: marinette leaves; weird magic headcanons to explain things; mentions of an Akuma attack

❥︎ word count: 1,734

       series masterlist | chapter 1

This day couldn’t have started better for Marinette Dupain-Cheng; for once, she wasn’t late for school, waking up earlier than her alarm, in fact. She didn’t rush her morning routine, there were no accidents consisting of tripping down the stairs or spilling food, and the girl was on her way to school in no time.

The school day was also quite nice, not as full of mishaps as it usually is. ‘It truly is miraculous!’ Marinette thought to herself as she walked across the street to her home, ‘Even Chloé didn’t bother me, actually, that was kind of weird’. The girl pushed open the front door to her home and was immediately greeted by her loving parents. It seemed like they were waiting for her.

       —“Hey mom! Hey dad! What’s up?” Marinette asked.

       —“Hi, honey, me and your father need to talk to you. You’re not in trouble, of course, but it is quite urgent. Here, let’s sit down,” Sabine, Marinette’s mother, gently stated.

The family goes to sit at their dining table. The young girl’s thoughts were running wild, and her hands were growing slightly cold and shaky.

       —“So… what is it?”

       —“… Well, ahem, your mother and I got a business offer that would help us move up in the world!” Tom replied.

       —“Oh, well, that’s great, I don’t see a problem with it!” Marinette congratulated her parents, feeling elated for them.

       —“Yes, it is great, but... we’ll have to move to the United States if we take this offer,” the girl’s mother finally spit out.

Time seemed to stop for a second, but for Marinette, that second felt like an eternity. She stood frozen in her seat, staring almost past her parents sitting in front of her. An uncomfortable, stuffy silence passed before Marinette stood up, her chair almost falling over.

       —“But... but we can’t just leave! What about ME? What will I do when we move? I only have two years of school left; all my friends are here; and- and you’re telling me that I’ll just have to start over?” The girl felt her throat closing, unshed tears pooling in her eyes, and various thoughts swirling through her mind.

‘What about Ladybug? What will happen to Paris when she’s gone? Oh god, Chat Noir will be powerless against Hawkmoth all on his own!’ Marinette ran upstairs to her room, ignoring the worried shouts of her parents, who were pleading for her to come back.

The teen girl slammed her attic door shut and fell face first on her sofa, sobbing loudly. Tikki flew out of her bag, worried about her holder.

 ��     —“Please don’t cry, Marinette! Everything’s going to work out!” the kwami tried to comfort her.

       —“But it won’t, Tikki! Everything’s turned upside down so suddenly, and I just can’t deal with it right now! I don’t even want to THINK about what to do about Ladybug! I don’t want to give you up, but there’ll be no other choice…” Marinette was inconsolable at the moment, so the kwami suggested the two get some rest.

       

       

       

       

       

The next morning, Marinette woke up late, silently thanked her good fortune that it was a Saturday, and headed downstairs to freshen up, trying to relieve her swollen eyes and face her parents.

       —“Good morning, honey. Are you feeling better today?” her mother asked gently.

       —“Morning, mom, yeah... I’m better,” the teen responded, searching through the cupboards for something to eat. “I mulled it over and... I’m fine with it. Obviously, it’s a big change, but if it’s going to make you and dad happy, then let’s do it!” Marinette smiled brightly. Just then, a thought popped into her head, “Uhm, mom? When exactly are we moving?”

       —“Oh! Well, see, this was struck upon us quite suddenly, and we ourselves needed a bit of time to process it... so, we have a bit over a week to move,” her father coughed out quickly, coming into the room.

       —“…WHAT? But- but that’s such a short amount of time!” the girl shouted, shocked by the news, though she deflated just as swiftly, “I would’ve thought we had more time, not- not a week...”

       —“Well, don’t you worry,” Marinette’s father rubbed her shoulder reassuringly, “a week is quite enough time if we start now!”

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

That week, the teen girl didn’t know how to break the news to her friends, especially Alya. She kept putting it off until her very last day of school. Marinette rushed to class on Friday with a box of macarons her dad had made and a few hand-crafted bracelets and charms in hand. She tripped a few times along the way but made it to class just in time.

The school day was quite ordinary, though a bit chilly from the crisp early December air. As school ended, she broke the news to her friends. Tears were shed, lungs were nearly crushed from tight embraces, and heartfelt goodbyes were shared. Alya, Nino and Adrien could only watch sadly as their friend left for home.

       

       

       

       

       

Unfortunately, her last day in Paris was also the same day Hawkmoth decided to send out one of his Akumas to terrorize the city — a deranged farewell of sorts, the girl pondered as she ran for cover. She swiftly transformed into Ladybug and, with the help of Chat Noir, took down the villain in no time.

The two heroes were about to part ways. The heroine asked her partner if he could meet her on top of the Eiffel Tower after re-transforming. Of course, the feline-themed hero eagerly agreed. As they met up, Chat looked at his lady with anticipation, but then she broke the news.

       —“…Chaton… I don’t- I have... to leave Paris, and I don’t think I will ever return.” Ladybug couldn’t look her partner in the eyes, not ready to see the expression on his face.

Chat Noir looked like he was about to break down, but he calmed himself and went to comfort his distressed friend. The teen boy promised her to continue protecting their beloved city and become partners with the next Ladybug Miraculous holder.

And so, the pair of heroes, partners, and friends hugged and bumped their fists together before parting ways for the last time.

       —“Pound it!”

       

       

       

       

       

The heroine leapt across the rooftops, intent on heading home, before remembering one more person she had to visit, perhaps the most important one. Swiftly changing directions, Marinette hid behind a dumpster in an empty alleyway, then walked the rest of the way to Master Fu’s residence, the cold air nipping at the apples of her cheeks. The teen girl opened the door and saw Wang Fu with his back turned before he addressed her.

       —“Hello, Marinette, what brings you here today?” asked Master Fu.

The girl stood in the doorway with Tikki by her side, unsure of how to break the news to him. She went to stand by him, and the old man turned to face her as she spoke.

       —“Uhm… Master, I should’ve probably told you this earlier, but... I- I’m leaving Paris permanently.”

       —“My, that is of importance...” Fu replied, walking away from Marinette, looking through his dresser, opening a couple of drawers, searching for something unknown to her, “You do understand that you cannot take the Miraculous with you, right?”

       —“Aha!” It seems that he found whatever he was looking for.

       —“Of course, Master, I’ve accepted it as much as I could,” the girl replied, confused but not questioning him.

       —“Alright, then, to sever the soul ties between you and Tikki, you must take this.” As he spoke, he handed her a small fabric bag.

Marinette stood there, eyebrows raised, confused out of her mind, wondering just what the hell was inside. Master Fu noticed her gaze.

       —“This bag contains a secret blend of herbs and spices to help you recover quickly from the aftermath of the separation. Though it is not lethal, all holders feel as if they have lost a piece of themselves. The bond between a holder and their Kwami hurts more or less, depending on your connection.”

       —“Will I still be able to remember any of this?” Marinette asked.

       —“Yes, you will. Only the memories will become murky as time goes on. You will not remember secret information, only a blurry picture,” the elder replied.

       —“…oh…”

Master Fu handed her a cup of steaming liquid, presumably the very herbs he had been talking about.

       —“Drink up, this will help you reduce most of the symptoms in advance.”

Marinette did as instructed, gulping down the hot liquid, her throat confused by the oddly tropical yet spicy and sour blend of flavors. After setting the cup aside with a sigh, the girl turned to face a strangely quiet Tikki.

The pair looked at each other, committing themselves to memory for what was definitely the last time. All the time they had spent bonding was gone so suddenly, as if someone had pulled the brakes at the last possible second. The little creature gave in first, flying over to Marinette’s face and hugging her as far as her little limbs could let her. The girl embraced her back almost instantly, her eyes welling up with tears.

       —“I’ll miss you so, so much, Tikki...”

       —“I will miss you too, Marinette, you will always be one of my favorite holders.”

Shaky hands reached up to the earrings — such unsuspecting little jewels, yet they held so much power within them. The girl removed the backings from the rest of the earrings and watched as her beloved friend disappeared into them with a bright pink light, the black studs reverting to their iconic red and black spotted theme. Marinette stared at the two pieces in her palm longingly before handing them over to Master Fu.

       —“Be very careful over the next few weeks. A splitting headache is the most common symptom after separation. Drink this tea blend twice a day. You should feel better after a month,” he said, putting the Miraculous back into the Miracle Box.

Another farewell was spoken that day, and with it went another piece of her old life.

       

       

       

       

       

Early in the morning, the Dupain-Cheng family left for the airport, their home empty and barren, a shell of what it used to be, now left behind. As they boarded the plane, Marinette sat in the window seat and looked out the window.

       —“Goodbye, Paris… I’ll miss you,” she murmured softly.

       series masterlist | chapter 1

❥︎ author's note: This is a re-write of the original chapter!

❥︎ series taglist: @leafanonsforest @ok-boke @they2luv1naia @mytaiyakeylover (if you wanna get added, lmk!)

❥︎ posted: 2023 | 05 | 25

#❥︎.lilian writes #❥︎.new bug in town #adrien agreste x reader #chat noir x reader #miraculous ladybug x reader #cat noir x reader #mlb x reader #gn!reader

[lilian-writes-sins]

“𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝐵𝑢𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑇𝑜𝑤𝑛.”

❥︎ pairing: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir x gn!Ladybug miraculous user!Reader

❥︎ p.o.v: 3ʳᵈ person

❥︎ summary: With Marinette, aka Ladybug, gone, Chat Noir has to hold down the fort and protect the city of Paris from Hawkmoth, all the while waiting for Master Fu to choose the next holder of the Ladybug Miraculous. The city has been in disarray for months, and with no signs of Ladybug returning, people are starting to lose hope. Until one evening, when some locals spotted a red and black figure soaring along the rooftops.

       main masterlist

❥︎ chapter index:

Prologue: “The end of an era.”

Chapter 1: “Unexpected beginnings.”

Chapter 2: “Beneath the surface.”

Chapter 3: “Under pressure.”

Chapter 4: “First day of school.”

❥︎ character designs:

Red Beetle

Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir

Gabriel Agreste | Hawkmoth

       main masterlist

❥︎ started: 2023 | 05 | 25

❥︎ ended: ongoing!

#❥︎.lilian writes #❥︎.new bug in town #adrien agreste x reader #chat noir x reader #miraculous ladybug x reader #cat noir x reader #mlb x reader #gn!reader

[lilian-writes-sins]

❥︎ indicators: 💜 — fem!Reader; 💙 — masc!Reader; 💚 — gn!Reader; 💖 — fluff; 💔 — angst; 💘 — headcanons; 💓 — drabble; 💝 — one-shot; 💞 — series; ❤️ — romantic; 💛 — platonic

❥︎ miraculous ladybug:

“New Bug in Town” Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir x Reader 💚💞❤️

“Relationship ABCs” Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug x Reader 💚💘❤️

more to come! side note: i always write gn!Readers, unless I specify it :)

❥︎ last updated: 2024 | 02 | 12

#❥︎.lilian writes #masterlist #x reader

[lilian-writes-sins]

Lilian | they/he | 18 | main blog: @lilian-sins

I made this blog to store my fics/ideas !!

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❥︎ main masterlist | side note: if you wanna be tagged in future stuff, just ask!

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