#I WANNA SEE ALYA'S REACTION

[celestiall0tus]

Miraculous Separate Worlds - Chapter 2 - Here and Now

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Marinette and Alya worked in the Dupain-Cheng bakery kitchen to prepare snacks for their girl’s night at Juleka’s place. Their kwamis, the ladybug, Tikki, and the mouse, Mullo, sat on a nearby shelf and ate a loaf of banana nut bread. Marinette slid by Tikki, giving her a little scratch on the head. Alya did the same and paused when Mullo’s ear twitched.

            “I hear a bike,” Mullo said.

            “She’s here,” Marinette and Alya said.

            Alya moved out of the kitchen as Alix burst through the door. Marinette poked her head out as Alix headed for them. She stepped back into the kitchen with them and de-transformed. Her biker outfit reverted to a strappy black crop tank, ripped skinny jeans, and combat boots. An owl kwami hovered beside her, then joined the other two kwamis.

            “Did you find anything?” Alya asked.

            “Sure did. Take a look.”

            Alix slammed a magazine on the prep table.

            Alya picked it up and flipped through it while Marinette stole glances at it. Alya flipped through until she found a page with rock legend, Jagged Stone. She placed it on the prep table and turned the pages. She skimmed the contents of the trashy gossip then paused at the next page. They all stared at the page.

            A young man was displayed on the entire page. He was dressed in rugged, worn leather rocker clothes. His shirt torn to tease a six pack for the camera. His long hair fluffed up and spiked with dark blue dyed tips, mirroring Jagged Stone’s purple. He stared ahead with cold, harsh golden amber eyes with indifference in his face.

            “Is this really Luka?” Marinette asked.

            “It has to be. His name is listed in the article here. Well, he’s called Jagged Jr., so I would assume it’s him. Not to mention the bits of Anarka I see in him. Granted I definitely see more Jagged in him than Anarka. Oh, and don’t forget Juleka’s piercing golden eyes,” Alya pointed out.

            “Really? This is him? He looks like a bitch,” Alix remarked.

            “Alix,” Marinette hissed.

            “What? He looks like a little wanna-be bitch boy. If he ever showed his face around me and my old crew, we’d kick his ass for being a little poser. Plus, that little six pack tease is all fake. Man doesn’t lift at all,” Alix added.

            “I’ll agree with the last sentiment. The make-up and effects did a decent job trying to make it real, but you can see the flaws,” Alya agreed.

            “Really? It would’ve fooled me,” Marinette admitted.

            “It’s supposed to. You know, just a little eye candy even if it isn’t real,” Alya remarked.

            Alix snorted. “Pretty little wrapper, horrible cheap ass candy. Bitch probably ain’t worth shit.”

            “Alix, we can’t judge a book by its cover. Especially an artificial one,” Marinette pointed out.

            “Whatever. What good is any of this anyway?” Alix demanded.

            “Curiosity, I guess. I was worried about Juleka when she said Anarka had a breakdown. I had a feeling she saw something about Luka. After all, you know her reaction to Jagged,” Marinette said.

            “I… alright, I see now. But what could we even do with this? If we could have figured what the issue was before, then why bother?”

            “Because there’s something here,” Alya pointed out.

            “What?” Alix and Marinette asked.

            “Rumors and mere gossip, but a possibility. Here, in this section, states how the rockstar father-son duo may be starting their new tour in Paris.”

            Alix’s jaw dropped. She snatched the magazine from Alya and read over it.

            “But Jagged hasn’t stopped in Paris in years. What would change now?” Marinette asked.

            “I’m not sure but take it with a grain of salt for the time. It’s just words from a gossip magazine. For all we know, it could truly just be rumor,” Alya said.

            “I think we should keep an eye on this still,” Alix declared.

            “Are you sure?” Marinette asked.

            “Well, if it is true, it could prove interesting. Helpful almost,” Alya remarked.

            “Just keep your eyes and ears open, ladies. If bitch boy does find his way to Paris, we ought to welcome him, no?”

            Alya and Marinette smiled. “Agreed.”

            “Excellent! Now, this girl’s night, who are we expecting?” Alix asked.

            “Us three, Juleka and her dragon, Anarka, and the Agreste twins,” Marinette answered.

            Alix grinned from ear to ear. “The Agreste twins, you say. Interesting. Very interesting.”

            “I don’t like that smile,” Marinette said.

            “Good, cause I’m making plans. And, yes, you should be very afraid.”

            Marinette deadpanned. “Lovely.”

            “Alright! I have what I need. Min, open my eyes!”

            Min vanished into Alix’s bracelet. Her clothes transformed into her white long biker coat that feathered out at the bottom. Black markings decorated the feathers and sleeves of it like a snow owl. On the back was her biker name “Snow Owl” with a snow owl. Paired with the coat was a set of fingerless black gloves and white boots with black platforms.

            “I’ll catch you ladies soon.”

            Alix summoned her weapon, a book, and ran out. She tossed the book onto the street near the sidewalk. The book glowed and shifted into a motorcycle. The pedestrians shrieked and jumped back when Alix jumped onto it and peeled out.

            “She enjoys that way too much,” Alya said.

            “I mean, we all do.”

            “Yeah, you right. C’mon, let’s get back to work.”

~~

            “Bob, what is this?” Jagged Stone demanded. He slammed a gossip magazine on the table.

            “Looks like a trashy tabloid, Jagged,” Bob remarked.

            “No, this!” Jagged turned to the page with the declaration that he and Luka would be starting their next tour in Paris.

            “What about it?” Bob asked.

            “Is it true?”

            “For once, yes. I’ve decided it’s time to return to Paris.”

            “What? We can’t. Please, just another year.”

            “No, Jagged. I’ve indulged your trivial fears for fourteen years now. I’m not about to make it fifteen.”

            “But, but if we go to Paris, Anarka will find me. Do you have any idea what she’ll do to me?”

            Jagged feigned fainting as he fell on top of Bob’s desk. Bob rolled his eyes and shoved Jagged off.

            “Jagged, I don’t have time to indulge your frivolous nonsense. If it’ll help, I can hire extra security.”

            “What about Luka?”

            “What about him?”

            “What’ll she do to my sweet, little boy? Can you even imagine?”

            Bob rubbed his forehead. “Jagged, that ‘boy’ is a twenty-year-old man. He’ll be fine. Now, have you decided where you’re going for your downtime?”

            “Oh, yes. I thought Luka and I-,” Jagged started.

            “Luka isn’t going with you,” Bob interrupted.

            “I… what? What do you mean?”

            “Luka has decided to go to Paris.”

            Jagged’s jaw dropped. He ran out of Bob’s office and to the tour bus. He started on it when he saw a teal snake sitting at the entrance. It looked up at him and flicked its tongue. He screeched and fell back.

            “Really, Jagged?” Luka’s harsh voice growled.

            Jagged looked up at Luka, who stood over him with the snake now on his shoulders. Jagged got to his feet and dusted himself off.

            “It just… caught me by surprise. Now, with the tour done, I was thinking we could go to-.”

            “I’m not going with you,” Luka cut in.

            “Of course, you are. It’ll be another fun father-son outing. You always loved them, didn’t you? Just you and me.”

            “And your fuck girl assistant,” Luka added.

            Jagged chuckled nervously. “N-now, Luka, Penny is a sweet woman, a hard worker, and-.”

            “Shackled to someone like you. Just like me.”

            Jagged pursed his lips. “Right. Uh, anyway, why don’t we discuss our trip more.”

            “You can with your skank, Jagged. I’m going to Paris.”

            “Luka, please, you can’t. Anarka will-!”

            Luka laughed. “Anarka will what? What fucking makes you think she or Juleka even recognize me. It’s been fourteen years after all.”

            Jagged furrowed his brow. “Who’s Juleka? Is she your girlfriend? When were you going to tell me about her?”

            Luka seethed as molten rage coursed through him. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Juleka! My sister, my fucking twin! How many fucking times do I have to tell you this, old man?”

            Jagged put his hands up as he cowered before Luka’s wrath. His eyes darted around to the staff that stole glances their way and whispered.

            “R-right, Juleka! How could I forget? You know my memory isn’t quite what it was.”

            Luka’s lips curled back in a sneer. He advanced on Jagged, then stopped at the sound of a whistle. Everyone stopped and looked towards Bob. Silence covered the area as he approached the pair.

            “I think that’s enough of a display right now. Luka, there’s a car waiting for you. Go work off some of that anger before you depart,” Bob instructed.

            Luka grumbled but complied. He headed off, leaving Bob with Jagged.

            “You need to accept something, Jagged. That ‘boy’ isn’t who he once was. He’s now a man and you can’t keep coddling him. The tighter you squeeze, the more he’ll bite back. And I’d rather not see a physical altercation occur. Especially with so much riding on him. Do you understand?”

            Jagged opened his mouth but was cut off by Penny.

            “He understands. Crystal clear,” Penny assured.

            “Make sure of it, Penny. I won’t have any foul-ups.”

            Penny gave a thumbs up. Bob hummed and left.

            “I had that, Penny,” Jagged hissed.

            “No, you didn’t! Jagged, leave Luka alone.”

            “He’s my son, not yours or anyone else’s. I know what’s best for him, not any of you.”

            “I am well aware, but you need to be careful. Your ‘baby boy’ is a ticking time bomb. Unless you want to be caught in the explosion, then leave him alone.”

            “You’re ridiculous. He’s perfectly fine.”

            Penny’s eye twitched. “Fine. Now, why don’t we discuss where you’ll be going for holiday.”

            Jagged folded his arms. “Not until Luka comes back.”

            Penny forced a smile. “Fine. Go wait on the bus for him.”

            Jagged huffed and headed onto the bus. Penny waited before she headed up to Bob’s office. She burst into the room and headed right to the desk.

            “For the love of… what now?” Bob demanded.

            “Please tell me Luka leaves today,” Penny begged.

            “He does. His flight leaves in six hours.”

            “Then shouldn’t he be on the way to the airport?”

            “Do you want to spend several hours cooped up with an angry man child?”

            Penny considered. “Point. Is all his stuff at least packed?”

            “Yes. In the car that took him to the gym. I’m going to give him an hour before I send him off. Is Jagged occupied?”

            “He’s in the tour bus.”

            “Good. Keep him busy.”

            Penny nodded and left.

            Bob sighed and took a seat. He worked on papers while he watched time crawl on a silver pocket watch. He checked the minutes until the hour was nearly up. He finished his work, grabbed the watch, and headed to meet with Luka. He headed into the lobby and saw Luka sitting hunched over. The snake still on Luka’s shoulders.

            “Feel better?”

            Luka grunted.

            “Good. Let’s go.”

            Bob headed to the car with Luka trailing behind him. He stopped with his hand on the back passenger handle.

            “The summer is yours, Luka. Enjoy it, but don’t forget.”

            Bob reached into his suit and pulled out the silver pocket watch and an envelope. He placed them in Luka’s hand.

            “Impress me or you’ll be nothing more than Jagged Jr.”

            Anger flared in Luka hearing the nickname. He met Bob’s gaze and glared at him.

            “I will be better than him. Just you wait.”

            “I’ve been waiting for years. Let’s see it now.”

            Bob opened the car door. Luka took a breath and stepped in.

            “Don’t disappoint, Jagged Jr.”

            Bob slammed the door before Luka could respond. He tapped the roof of the car and it roared to life. He watched it leave, then smiled.

            “See you soon, Nevermore.”

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #au #miraculous au #alternate universe #alix miraculous #miraculous alix #miraculous fanfic #mlb fanfic #fanfiction writer #fanfiction #fanfic #separate worlds au #separate worlds #mlb marinette #miraculous marinette #marinette dupain cheng #miraculous alya #alya miraculous #alya cesaire #miraculous luka #luka miraculous #luka couffaine #jagged stone #jagged stone miraculous

[beetlebugdash]

Miraculous awakening thoughts and live reaction! (Major spoilers!)

- holy crap we made it to a movie

- I'm so excited

- Remember back in season 2 (I think) that a live action movie was coming

- Good times

- Anyways this

- Netflix presents tears

- No magic

- JUMPS SCARE

- we've been known thanks for explaining

- Dark butterflies and angry? Wanna see the counterpart

- LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR

- stronger than death?

- THE CLASSIC MOVIE MUSIC

- PARIS!!??!)

- classic movie intro is classic

- PHOTOGRAPHER AND NEWSPERSON

- CROSSWINDS

- the road????

- Marionette wears a watch?

- I love her dad

- UNICORNBCAKES

- 10/10 diversity

- Daddy??? Ok Chloe

- Listen to my chest???? Idk what u mean

- YOU JUST GOTTA BELIEVE!!!!

- Christina that isn't your singing voice

- CHRISTINA HAS A GOOD VOICE

- love the painter's design

- It dosent sound like her

- DOG

- THE TEA SCENE FORM THE PV

- Lotta unique background character designs

- WHERE DID U GET THE BIKE

- iconic locations beauty

- THE SKETCHBOOK!

- ALSO ANIMATION IS GORGEOUS

- other friends???

- I wanna know

- Gabriel designs, you'll soon hate him

- Polka dot dress before ladybug

- Ooo sparkles

- ITS A FLOATING SKETCHBOOK

- fireworks ooooooo

- "Here's some perfume”

- YOU SPIN ME ROUND

- NATALIE And Gabriel

- TODD VOICE YAY

- Love that persons hair

- I thought Gabriel is never in public?¿

- Chloe's voice sounds odd?

- BWAHAHAHHAHA

- oh it's Gabriel agreste sweater

- A+ to alya

- "EAT BREAD WITH BUTTER"

- FINALLY GLASSES FLARE

- MEANT TO BE?

- recorder

- GYMNASTICS AU COME TRUE

- TRANSITION TO EMILIE

- ugh she looks so pretty

- Odd

- LUKA AND JULEKA

- Rude ugh

- Oh i hate Chloe

- AHAHAHA

- At least we know school layout kinda

- Little bit of luck? Yea here allergies

- Alegies or dust WE NEED TO KNOW

- IT THE SEASON 1 FINALE ALL OVER AGAIN

- CAT BOOK

- theyre trying to make everyone fall for Adrien

- ukulele music?

- NINO YEAAAA

- oooo amusement park

- Depressing Adrien

- Natalie I love

- I HATE GABRIEL

- i smell a sad song

- LONG HAIRED GABRIEL IS REAL????

- long entry hallways

- Wow Gabriel has very pretty nails

- HE HAS A WATCH TOO?

- EMILIE LORE?

- oh she was a performer omg

- HAPPY BIRTHDAY?????

- ooooooooooo

- nooroo????

- WOAH

- master fu knows whazzup

- This movie is going really fast an lots of jumps

- Oh plagg and tikki fight????

- Marinella????

- HIT BY A CAR?

- SCREAMING EXCHANGE

- GASP

- 10/10 BREAKS

- uh crazy man bye

- MASTER FU WHAT THE

- creepy hall? Sure!

- Poor Chloe

- Sabrina is a wingman OOO

- random window opening? Sure!

- CAT

- MIRACULOUS

- failed proposal?

- oh no first akuma attack

- WOA CREEPY

- well evil spirits

- Oooo a ladybug

- ooooooo

- “Who saves a life saves the world”

- IT'S LIKE THE ORIGINAL ANIMATION

- TIKKI!

- “GIRLS CAN WEAR PANTS” YES

- can you say kwami

- Tiny genie sure

- “I WET THE BED”

- REDEMPTION FOR THE CHRISTMAS EPISODE CAUSE TIKKI ONLY HAD 1 LINE

- THE THEME SONG? ¿

- "I'll hide in a tree"

- RAPPING TIKKI?

- BWAHAHAHA

- CONTINUITY!

- Aw marinette has doubts

- "Im out of patience"

- that poor security guard

- WHERE IS QUASIMODO WHEN U NEED HIM

- "first a song now a yoyo what's next a tea set???"

- CRASH

- oh hi cat noir

- bonjour

- "Do I know u?"

- A WATERMELON

- CAT NOURS SIDEKICK LOL

- omg cat noir will always me my fav

- CAT PUNS!!?!

- oh no cat noir

- RUUUUUUNNNNNNN

- "Not on the first date!"

- Omg I love him

- "Is that a watermelon"

- CANONBALL!

- SHERO

- wet haired cat noir

- 👍

- BON APPETITEEEEEE

- little Adrien lol

- cat noir outta breath lol

- 2-0 gargoyle

- GO FETCH PUPPY

- KITTY

- MIRACULOUS POWER

- "Thank goodness marinette is at home" lol

- oH NO NOT THE TAIL

- WO

- zag news LOL

- DON'T BE BEMUSED IT'S JUST THE NEWS

- THE MUSIC AHAHGAHAHAHHA

- oh no loose akuma

- master FU

- Miraculous: tales of watermelon and insane

- coooooooool

- Hawkwho?

- THE WINK

- TOGETHER!

- failure is not your enemy, fears are

- New cat singing voice

- I like this voice (no offence Bryce)

- oh I love this song

- Bounce from the clouds

- HEARTS CLOUD

- and moon cloud

- Oh it's a swan cloud

- Transitions are horrid

- rosemary?

- SHOSHOCHEF

- stinks

- PLAGG

- ewwwww

- THE BURN

- Natalie hears PLAGG LOL

- And cat puns!

- Hey he has picture in his room!

- PTFAFS

- "she knows her stuff" *proceeds to screem*

- PUSS IN BOOTS

- mic drop marinette out

- can't get rid of it lol

- haHaHA

- poop

- ugh fear

- NATALIE HAS A HOME OTHER THAN THE AGEESTE MANSION

- nooroo ily

- “I have nothing to loose” ADRIEN??

- HAWKMOTH SONG

- BEST SONG

- BEAUTY ANIMATION

- Shakespeare hawkmoth

- SO EVIL

- IS THIS KEITH?????

- THEY HAVE KEITH SINGING BUT NOT CHRISTINE UGH

- THE MIME

- HAWKMOTH HAWKMOTH HAWKMOTH

- THE TOPHAT

- HIGH NOTE WOOO

- Butt kicking girl superhero WOO

- how did u get some of those

- stealing money????????

- BOOM

- Dr love nino

- Roses means desperate

- I LOVE HIS APRON

- oh I love marinettes dad

- Dr love more like Dr not

- why did u look at her sketches

- man duck Gabriel

- THE WHILHEM SCREEM

- oh no poor nino

- POOR SABRINA

- 0.0

- oooo chaos

- Ironically I just saw a magician today

- I think?

- LEMME RIDE THE HORSES

- anxiety ridden Marinette

- ITS THE SONG!

- eh it’s ok I guess?

- Animation still looks cool

- Tikki scare is scary

- TIKKI SPOTS ON

- TRANSFORMATION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PUBLIC

- creepy baby balloon

- what is with ladybug and cats voices

- STRONGER TOGETHER

- boo you Chloe

- LONG YIME NO SPEAK

- THE GARBAGE

- POOR NINO

- nino confession goes out the window

- POOR CAT

- At least their adding sounds to the bell like come on it is annoying

- WHY ISNT THAT FAMILY RUNNING?

- POP

- HAWKMOTH FACE

- BYE BYE LITTLE BUTTERFLIES

- PARTNERS

- OH THE SONG

- CROSSOINT MAN

- BUBBLER!

- MIRACULOUS!

- GYMNASTICS!

- THE CARS

- ICE CREAM PATROL!!!!!

- ITS THE LOVE SONG

- whoops

- I LOVE LADYNOIR

- this is the ladynoir I’ve been missing from the show

- THE OFFICIAL ART!

- ADULTS ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION!

- glow=danger?

- broken heart

- UGH YOU FOOL

- love song love song love song love song

- “I wouldn’t get close to anyone after my mom died” “I got close to you” AAAAAAAAH

- WHERE DID THESE TEARS COME FROM?¿

- oh i love them

- NO DONT GO

- OW

- JUST AN EMPTY HEART

- PLAGG

- ADRIEN STANDING UP TO HIS DAD!

- Follow your heart AND THEIR THE SAME PERSON!

- ow

- SCREW YOU CHLOE

- aw

- She wears a tank top?

- “I dreamed of calling Paris home” uh you live in Paris?????

- Where did they get the ladybug and cat noir shots?

- IM NOT CRYING YOU ARE!

- ITS A CHILDRENS MOVIE WHY AM I CRYING

- YO HAWKMOTH

- creepy eepy

- JEREMY ZAG!

- yOOooOooo

- wow this got dark quick

- CAT NOOOOOOOO

- dude look outside

- selfie it truly is gen z

- GO PLAGG

- LADYBUG NO

- FINALLY

- no don’t do this now

- stronger together????

- oh no

- Another fall for the Eiffel Tower yet this feels different

- CAT

- LADYBUG GO SAVE HIM

- oh no oh no oh no

- OH NO

- THE MIRACULOUS

- OH NO

- YEAAAAAA CAT

- ow

- flashback

- OH NO HIS MASK

- MARICHAT FOR DA WIN

- FINALLY

- O MY GOD

- MY LITTLE BOY

- FLASHBACK

- LITTLE ADRIEN

- THE MIRACULOUS BOOK

- love over death

- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- Marinette watching like 🧍‍♀️

- oooooo pretty music

- master fu where did u come from

- ITS THE CREEPY GUY!

- LADYBUG LADYBUG (and cat noir maybe)

- ok that’s different

- ITS LIKE THE FANTASMIC SCENE

- aaaawwww it’s nearly over

- THE BALL

- VOLKSWAGEN

- Sabrina’s just like “meh”

- REVEAL?

- SNOW HEART IN TREE

- YEAAAA

- IS HE CRYING

- HES SO HAPPY

- MUSIC KNOWS HOW BIG IT IS

- KISS KISS

- THEY DID THAT FOR THE FANS

- post credit sequal?

- SEQUAL??????

- AND THE PRE MOVIE SCENES

- Overall: harsh transitions, hate ladybugs voice, and a bit rushed, and I despised the ending was anticlimactic with ladybug, but overall for a miraculous movie was alright it has amazing animation

- They somehow made it cater for both the old and longtime fans and young and newbie fans good job (for the most part)

- I don’t have a rating since it’s a stand alone movie so I’m just gonna go cry in the corner until season 6 or more ladynoir

#caps tw #wow this is a long post lol #But enjoy anyways #beetlesmemes #miraculous spoilers #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #miraculous awakening #miraculous fandom #miraculous chat noir #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #ml spoilers #miraculous awakening spoilers #ml

[manikas-whims]

11/08/2022: Marinette struggles against Adrien's charms

☆ Read Adrien's version of this fic HERE

Inspired by MLB Season 5 Ep2: Multiplication but instead of trying to kiss her cheek, Adrien tries something else..;)

Marinette pressed her lips into a tight line as he stepped out of his car. Adrien Agreste. The son of the famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste and most importantly, the boy she secretly loved but no longer had the right to. Not after the grave mistake she had committed— losing all the miraculouses from right under her nose.

He was friendlier these days and she believed it had something to do with the conversation they had a few days ago about him not wanting to be a model. She had never seen him so honest and vulnerable, and it made her wonder if just knowing his entire daily schedule by heart was all there was to him. Did she (or any of her classmates) ever know a shred of the real him?

The old Marinette would've loved to peer beneath more layers of him and find out. Unfortunately, she couldn't allow herself that luxury anymore.

She watched him hi-five Nino and fist-bump Alya as usual. Then came the difficult part. He turned towards her, his smile radiant and eager. She knew what was next. La Bise— a simple, french greeting she refused every day. And she did realize it was extremely rude of her but again, she couldn't.

She couldn't. She shouldn't. She absolutely mustn't.

Because if she regularly lets herself be touched by his amiable gestures, it'll be twice as hard for her to resist falling even more in love with him.

So as he lowered his face to her cheek, she stepped back and offered a handshake, hoping that he'd comply today as well and go back to treating her like every other friend.

To her utter disbelief, he wrapped his fingers around hers gently. And before she could comprehend his forthcoming actions, his lips were on the back of her palm. He planted a soft kiss there, its sensation leaving a warmth that'll linger in her heart forever.

“Good morning, Prin- Marinette.” He said, lips quirked into a ghost of a smirk.

The gesture was so familiar to that of a leather-clad, cat superhero she knew that she stared dubiously for a moment, embarrassing not merely herself but him as well with her reaction or lack thereof. When she finally looked away, she found her hand still held within his. Immediately she felt the heat of a blush crawl over her cheeks and snatched her hand away, stumbling back.

“Goodbye– No! I mean– G-Good morning to you too!” She responded, embarrassing herself even further.

Thankfully, kind as he was, Adrien ignored her incoherent ramblings and smiled warmly at her.

» 10/? of Manika's Mini Fics «

more than anything in Season 5, i wanna see Adrien bring out his Chat Noir in front of Marinette 🤭

#adrienette #adrienette fanfic #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #miraculous ladybug and chat noir #marichat #marichat hinted #chat noir #ladybug #miraculous chat noir #miraculous ladybug #mlb fanfic #mlb s5 spoilers #mlb s5 #ladynoir #ladrien #adrinette #adrien x marinette #marinette x adrien #chat noir x marinette #marinette x chat noir

[passionfruitbowls]

@ladrienjune day 2: wingwoman alya 

—————

Ladybug paces in circles around the rooftop where she had chosen to ‘take a breather’, a piece of paper in hand as she tries to memorise the plan that she and Alya had come up with a few days earlier. Unfortunately, she isn’t having much luck, and the fact that she’s currently standing close enough to the Agreste mansion to be spotted only adds to the pressure.

The plan basically consists of… somewhat vague bullet points. Not only that, but she can easily figure out which ones she wrote and which ones Alya must have scribbled down when she wasn’t looking:

Go to Adrien’s house

Get in without being noticed (keep an eye out for Nathalie and bodyguard)

Tell Adrien you want to talk to him

Confess, and be sincere

He falls in love with you (hopefully)

Seriously? ‘He falls in love with you, hopefully’? The rest of the plan seems fine, but how on Earth is that going to help her?

It doesn’t take long for her to start thinking about the worst case scenario, about what might happen if she ends up doing or saying the wrong thing. God, she can practically see the news headlines now: TEENAGE CELEBRITY HEARTBREAK? SON OF RENOWNED FASHION DESIGNER TURNED DOWN BY LADYBUG!

After a few minutes of hand-wringing, she pauses, then thinks back to her and Alya’s conversation yesterday.

“Listen, you love Adrien, right?” Alya had asked as she adjusted her glasses.

“Of course!” Marinette had responded.

“And you’re absolutely, one hundred percent sure that you want to do this as Ladybug?”

Then she had closed her eyes and taken a deep breath - which is what she does now, in the present - before answering, “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Then go for it! Besides, isn’t it better to just find out what his reaction will be rather than spend your entire life wondering?”

Ladybug smiles and stares at the Agreste mansion a few houses away, at Adrien’s bedroom window which he never seems to close. Alya was right, it was better. Sure, it had taken her some time to get to this point, but she’s here now and ready to try.

Once she’s latched her yo-yo onto the nearest chimney, Ladybug braces herself and begins the short journey to the mansion. All the while, Alya’s advice to ‘be sincere’ is on her mind, as she tries to remain calm. Calm, sincere and collected. She could be all of those things. In fact, right now she’s the calmest she’s ever been.

…At least, she is until she comes into contact with Adrien’s window, due to being a little too caught up in her own thoughts.

Ladybug winces as she hears the loud thud of her head hitting the glass, but still manages to grab onto the window frame. It only takes a few seconds for someone to rush over, poke their head out and gasp upon seeing her.

“Ladybug! Are you alright?” Adrien asks as he grabs her wrists and hoists her up so that they’re face-to-face. She can hear the concern in his voice, but it takes her a moment to answer him, since her first thought is ‘No, because you’re here in front of me and oh my God why is he looking at me like that and why are our faces so close-’

She clears her throat and nods quickly.

“Erm, yeah, of course! Why wouldn’t I be?”

She holds her breath and waits for him to ask why she’s here, or at least make a comment about how she should surely be somewhere else, but he doesn’t. He just breathes a sigh of relief and smiles.

“That’s good. Do you, uh- do you wanna come inside for a bit?”

Holding back a shriek, Ladybug nods again and climbs in through the window, watching as Adrien clears a space on his couch for her. Who would’ve thought that her ‘attempt to enter via crashing into a window’ method could be so successful?

#THIS IS UM. QUITE A BIT LONGER THAN I ORIGINALLY PLANNED #miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic #miraculous ladybug fanfic #ladrien june #ladrien #ladybug #adrien agreste #pfb writes

[flightfoot]

Watching the cafeteria scene make me wanna scream "girl, your dual standard is showing!" Because damn Marinette get angry when Nino tell his bestie his secret is dual standard at it finest. Especially at the scene where Marinette and Alya denying that they tell each other everything while being angry. And I saw people said Nino betrayed ladybug trust by doing so but Nino reason is justified. They don't have miraculous anymore and more importantly Monarch already know half the temp holder identity anyway, so as far as Nino concerned, he has nothing to lose if he tell Adrien his identity.

I remember seeing a fic or art where cat noir confessed to ladybug that he told someone his identity and her reaction was to take his miraculous. At first I thought that was exaggerating but after seeing this episode I can say that might as well be canon.

I think Marinette and Alya being angry there was supposed to be funny? But yeah, Nino's and Alya's secret identities are very low-value secrets at this point. Monarch knows their identities and he has their Miraculous, so it really doesn't matter much, Nino had a point on that. I think Marinette and Alya freaking out about that was a knee-jerk reaction more than anything, because the consequences of Adrien and Marinette finding out those identities are pretty nonexistent.

Nah, there's no way Marinette would take away Chat's Miraculous just because he told someone his identity. Also I loathe that concept in general, people were using it even before she became Guardian, and it's like... does Adrien have as much right to take away her Miraculous, as she supposedly does for his?

But yeah. Marinette doesn't want to lose her kitty, and while she can get upset, she ain't gonna do something as drastic as taking away Chat's Miraculous if he told someone. Especially after she confessed to Alya in season 4.

Marinette has a kneejerk reaction and gets upset about things. But she calms down afterwards and reconsiders her stances.

#ask #miraculous ladybug #ml illusion #nino lahiffe #marinette dupain cheng #alya cesaire

[a-chlolix-blog]

The Bourgeois Twins AU

Some more stuff & something's you all already know about.

Chloé once again has the Black Cat Miraculous & goes by "Kitty Claws".

Zoé has the Ladybug Miraculous & goes by "Lilybird".

Them along with the main classes are 15-16 years old.

Chloé and Zoé were born and raised in New York. They're also models.

Because they're models, Chloé and Zoé are often modeling alongside Adrien.

Chloé and Zoé don't have the best relationship with Audrey.

While they're not the biggest fans of their mother, Zoé and Chloé absolutely adore their father André.

André often tries to spend as much time with the twins whenever he can (which isn't very often).

Because Audrey wants to promote her Style Queen brand through her daughter's, she often has Butler Jean lay out clothes of her choice out for them (Jean comes through with the clothes the girls wanna wear tho!).

Zoé and Chloé like Marinette's outfit designs better than Audrey's.

The Césaire family is also from New York, so they know of the model duo known as the Bourgeois Twins.

Alya's a new student along with the Bourgeois Twins.

Some Kwami Swap ideas were changed/added.

-Turtle!Adrien: Shellshock

-Dog!Marc: Gold Tracker

-Dragon!Aurore: Tempest

-Fox!Sabrina: Illusia

Zoé and Jessica are in a happy (long distance when the twins move to Paris) relationship & talk to each other everyday when they have free time.

One the first day at the new school, Chloé develops a quick crush on Alix & flirts with her whenever she can, as both Chloé & Kitty Claws.

Alix and Jessica still have their canon Miraculous.

Alix still goes by "Bunnyx". While Jessica now goes by "Carli Talon".

There is an OC for this AU named Sarah Aguillard. But if you wanna help me come up with different ones (or wanna see more of the SaKC OCs in this AU), let me know!

Master Fu makes his presence known to both Zoé and Chloé at the end of Volpina.

Before Bunnyx makes herself known to the twin heroines, Kitty Claws would try to take any opportunity she can to try to give Alix a Miraculous.

Kitty Claws: I'm just saying Alix would be very cute with the Tiger Miraculous.

Lilybird: You'd be too distracted.

Kitty Claws: ... I won't confirm or deny your claim.

Lilybird: That's what I thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kitty Claws: Hear me out!

Lilybird: Here we go again...

Kitty Claws: Alix... with the Snake Miraculous!

Lilybird: KC-

Kitty Claws: It'll match the totally cool snakes on her sleeves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kitty Claws: Imagine Alix... with the Bee Miraculous.

Lilybird: Is this for battle strategy or do you just wanna flirt with her using bee puns?

Kitty Claws: Can't it bee both? Pun intended!

Lilybird: *facepalms*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lilybird: For the LAST time, KC. You're not giving Alix the mouse Miraculous!

Kitty Claws: She'd be so cute! Plus there'd be so many of her!!

Lilybird: NO!

Like I said before Future!Bunnyx appears sooner than canon.

Kitty Claws has quite the reaction to her.

Future!Bunnyx: Bittybird! Mini-Kitty! I'm glad I found you both.Thanks for the help, Alix.

Lilybird: Who are you?!

Future!Bunnyx: You'll see in a moment.

Alix: You okay, KC?

Kitty Claws, blushing: Yeah... I'm fine.

Kitty Claws, internally: Keep it together, Chloé! Do NOT try to flirt with this older woman in front of Alix!

Future!Bunnyx: Fluff, Counter Clockwise! *transforms back, revealing herself to be an adult Alix*

Alix: Yep! This is me in the future. Pretty cool, right?!

Kitty Claws, internally: AHHHH!! SHE GETS EVEN PRETTIER!!!

Bunnyx reasons for coming to the past is because of a dangerous mission that involves preventing Lilybird and Kitty Claws from getting akumatized into the "Dire Duo".

Zoé's akumatized into "Scarlibella"

Chloé's akumatized into "Killer Claws"

Scarlibella has the ability to track down anyone who was/is a Miraculous Welder & has access to unlimited lucky charms.

Killer Claws still has her powers from the SaKC AU, but she's even faster and has a stronger scene of smell. Her night vision even doubles as a weakness finder.

Future!Bunnyx first travels to the bad time to see what has to be done to fix it.

There she'd meet the resistance against the Dire Duo (whose hideout is in The Louvre), who tell her everything.

With all the info she needs, Future!Bunnyx goes back to the present to get The Present!Twin Heroines to fight the Dire Duo, before they get their hands on the Rabbit Miraculous in that timeline.

This'll most likely replace the Season Two finale. Still gotta figure out what I'm gonna do with Season One after all!

Hope you all enjoy this!

#Miraculous Ladybug #Miraculous Takes of Ladybug and Chat Noir #AUs #Kwami Swap #The Bourgeois Twins AU #Chloé Bourgeois #Chloe Bourgeois #Alix Kubdel #Chloe x Alix #Chlolix #Aloé #Zoé Lee #Zoe Lee #Other Characters

[diviedrawn]

You cant tell me this won’t be their initial reactions to the billboard in Glaciator 2.0

#miraculous ladybug #mlb season 4 spoilers #glaciator 2 #miraculous ladybug fanart #miraculous ladybug season 4 #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #mlb comic #doodle #ml spoilers #glaciator 2.0 #ml glaciator 2 #illustration #illustrators on tumblr #the billboard is literally killing me #and we all damn well know this is Alya’s picture from oblivio #pray for our girl bc she’s dead meat #but I genuinely wanna see their reactions #especially marinette AHAHA #hawk moth just looking out the window of his house 👁👄👁 #BAHAHA I CANT WAIT FOR THIS EPISODE #my art

[spectral-kitkat]

Miraculous Rant.

Where the hell do I begin…

Season 1:

The show was decent in season 1. Some episodes were just mindless filler and probably weren’t needed in the grand scheme of things but they helped us get introduced to the characters, we got to know the plot and the world our characters inhabit. It was good. The love story between Adrien and Marinette was cute and off to a touching and fluffy start.

Season 2:

This season was immediately better than season 1. It had character development, it went more into detail about the lore surrounding the Miraculous and we got to learn more about our characters and their families and the villian’s motives. (HM really went from “I wanna destroy the world” to “I wanna wake my wife from the coma she’s in”).

We got to see new heroes which was fun! We got new characters like Luka and Kagami.

The season finale was epic! The Miraculous team all taking down all the previous villains in the show was awesome. At the end we even got Mari kissing Adrien on the cheek. It was great! (Even though it clearly reset itself in season 3 cause it’s never mentioned again)

I really enjoyed season 2 and it’s probably my favourite out of the 4.

Season 3:

Season 3 was kinda good and kinda bad. We had some great episodes but this is where the show took the wrong turn.

Marinette lost some of her character in season 3. This was the start of her descent into being the Queen of Mary Sues. It’s also where she was crowned the Queen of Stalkers! Her character took a fucking nose dive in this season. We had so many moments that just creeped me the fuck out.

1. The ENTIRETY of Puppeteer 2 🤢🤢🤢 I could not stand that episode. When we reached the dreaded statue scene I physically had to pause it like 10 times. That scene takes about 3 minutes to watch… it took me about 20. I cringed so fucking hard because of the secondhand embarrassment I was feeling. That was not sweet, it wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t the least bit cute… it was a train wreck! It was creepy and stalkerish and it’s a wonder Adrien even spoke to her again after that atrocity!

2. LB delivering the present in Chat Blanc. Two words: STALKER BEHAVIOUR!!! I genuinely could not believe my eyes when I saw LB run her hand across everything in his room and then actually SNIFF Adrien’s pillow. Like WTF!!! 🤮 I’m pretty sure whoever was responsible for that scene clearly thought it was the equivalent of when someone gets their S/O’s jumper or something and it still smells like them. But this turned it up to the nth degree and way passed the line of sanity.

Adrien was extremely under-utilised in this season. He didn’t really do anything. The only episodes we got about him didn’t really focus on him. ‘Felix’ whilst focusing on Adrien’s family didn’t really feature him. ‘Party Crasher’ while a beautiful mess was more about Mari trying to get into the party than the party itself. ‘Chat Blanc’ again focused more on Mari trying to fix her mistake.

We got even more heroes in season 3, not in the right order but they were there. It was fun seeing everyone’s transformations.

Season 3 was also the season of destroying redemptions. The big one obviously being Chloe. Season 2 was setting up this amazing redemption for her and before it could go anywhere it was wiped off the face of the earth during the finale (and don’t worry we’ll get to that dumpster fire later). Gabriel also had any remaining sympathy ripped away from him. How did the guy who stopped Gorizilla from letting Adrien die when he only thought he was CN go from that to using his son like fucking baseball in Chat Blanc when he knew his son was CN. Like I knew you were a shit father but you still cared about Adrien in some way shape or form but after that episode I can see I was clearly mistaken!

Before we get to the finale I want to talk about probably my 2 least favourite episodes from this season: Desperada and Reflekdoll

Desperada:

I fucking hated this episode! The only good thing was Luka getting to be Viperion, other than that this episode was awful!

Marinette was a selfish cringey bitch. Completely ignoring Luka to gush about Adrien to Jagged. Brushing Luka off as soon as Adrien turns up. Immediately cuddling up to Aspik and flirting with him when she needed to focus on the akuma (something which she has told CN not to do many times before)

Adrien, I love you kid but Jesus Christ you were a dumbass in this episode! Aspik’s design was terrible! Aspik himself was awful. I know Adrien tried his best but dude you were given the Black Cat miraculous for a reason! He shouldn’t have tried to be Aspik but even when he did he should’ve called it quits after like 5 resets not 25,913 times.

The only person with a brain this episode was Luka. So well done guitar boy, gold star!

Reflekdoll:

This episode was annoying! It was basically the start of the Marinette can do no wrong streak! When they have to swap miraculous I was happy cause it meant we got to see new outfits and see how they each handle the different powers. It would also serve as a way to get LB and CN to see what their partners role is first hand. Until we actually get to it…

LadyNoire is of course amazing and needs no introduction to using this new miraculous that she’s never used before. She’s cocky and confident and basically just LB in Chat’s costume with his powers.

Mister Bug on the other hand is just useless. He struggles with this new miraculous (like anyone would!) and is stupid and goofy. He has to rely on LadyNoire to solve the lucky charm. They swapped miraculous so shouldn’t that mean that Mister Bug should get the lucky vision and the creative powers that the earrings give him.

Overall Reflekdoll is awful. It was shitty writing and the start of Adrien getting the short end of the stick.

And now the season 3 finale… Just what the fuck. That is my only reaction: what the fuck!

Chloe you poor fucking child! What did they do to you!!! So much potential SQUANDERED!!!!

What was the point in bringing in all these different superheros with unique skill sets, costumes and transformations if you were just going to immediately reveal them to the main villian so they can’t be used again. That’s stupid! If you wanted the shock value that is “Oh no HM knows some of the heroes identities!” Then keep it as only some. Have like Max, Kim and Kagami outside trying to find somewhere to hide but unfortunately they get hit. Or Nino and Alya are hiding but the windows open and they get hit. Have some of the heroes hide so they’re fine! Taking away every ally of LB and CN’s was a stupid move! (Even if they wanted Alya to become a spy have her as part of the like 4 that get revealed or something, it’s not that difficult)

Season 3 was 50/50 for me

Season 4:

So I know season 4 isn’t even halfway through yet but so much is wrong with this season already that I need to vent!

So my biggest problem with this season of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybitch and Rena Rouge, I mean Rena Furtive… shit, Chat Noir! Is that CN is basically pointless! Adrien has been flung over a rainbow and is only remembered when he’s needed as

1. Marinette’s love interest

2. Someone for LB to shout at

3. A plot device

He has basically been sidelined. Partners my ASS!!!

Adrien is being blown off by pretty much EVERYONE! It’s coming to a point where this poor sweet summer child is going to crack! And it is not gonna be pretty… I definitely feel like the writers are leading up to a big fight between CN and LB which will probably end with Chat Blanc 2.0.

I REALLY HATE MARINETTE/LADYBUG!!!! In Season 3 I said it was the beginning of her descent, well in season 4 she’s done it. She’s descended, she has hit rock fucking bottom. She is so unlikable I don’t actually care about her as a person. She has entered full blown stalker territory it’s only a matter of time before she starts killing people for even looking at Adrien! Not to mention that Miss Mary Sue here can’t do anything wrong! She never has to suffer the consequences of her actions, she is always perfect no matter what she does… it pisses me off!)

She’s the Guardian now big whoop. I know what it feels like to be stressed and under pressure so I do understand why she needed to tell someone about it all. I just don’t see why that person had to Alya! Especially considering she has someone by her side every akuma attack going through pretty much the exact same thing. I know she’s worried about CB happening again but as I said before the more she leaves him out the more she is actually pushing that to become a possibility! Plus it makes sense for them to reveal their identities now since LB is now the guardian it’s probably a good idea to know who holds the cat miraculous, she knows everyone else’s identities!

Even if she didn’t want to tell CN her identity she could still explain the situation to him. If she didn’t want to tell him anything (which she doesn’t anyway) then instead of Alya she should’ve talked to Luka! Her boyfriend for all of half an episode (thanks writers…). He’s so sweet and caring and clearly loves her so much! If she wanted someone to confide in then why not choose the person you clearly wanted to date but couldn’t because of that very reason! (Yeah I know it’s kinda a moot point now since Luka knows both identities but still). He wanted to try and comfort her so it would’ve been the perfect moment for it. That way you could still date him and he’d know why you had to suddenly leave dates halfway through! But no break the boys heart instead!

Adrien and Marinette were both such fucking idiots in the first 2 episodes. Like why would you start a relationship with someone when you know your heart isn’t in it! That’s called leading someone on and is a really shitty thing to do to someone! No wonder Kagami and Luka ended up akumatized!

Another aspect of season 4 I don’t like is Rena Furtive. Yes ok having a spy for your side is a good strategy but when said spy basically tells an important member of a duo that the 2 person job doesn’t involve them… it just really ticks me off! Alya you are the sidekick to LB and CN! Chat isn’t!

Miraculous specials:

The Miraculous World specials suck! Shanghai is better than NY but still has its problems. Both specials add nothing to the overall plot/lore of the show apart from trying to set up some weird cinematic universe…

NY special:

One of the worst things I’ve ever had to sit through! The plane scene alone I paused a few times. I want to say well done to Mari for trying to move on from Adrien (especially considering I’m pretty sure she’s dating Luka at this point) but I can’t help but think it’s just to give her character some pointless development that goes nowhere and doesn’t actually develop anything!

LB can pretty much fuck off at this point! I hate her! She put all this shit on CN (like she doesn’t know exactly how that feels). It’s like why does she get to go off on holiday but CN can’t. LB should’ve stayed in Paris for 3 reasons:

1. She’s recently become the guardian meaning it would probably be best that she stayed with the Mircle Box

2. She’s the only one who can purity the akumas

3. If she’s so sure about being the boss then she should take responsibility of Paris and the citizens.

What really pisses me off about her is what she says to CN during the big fight. “I can’t trust you”… surely you could have this conversation afterwards since you’re supposed to be focusing on taking down the villian! Plus everyone bashes Adrien for giving his miraculous up in this episode but look at it from his point of view: His partner and best friend just said she couldn’t trust him which in turn caused him to cataclysm someone and essentially kill them. That’s gonna take a toll on anyone, especially a 14 year old! He probably thought in that moment. “Ladybug needs a partner she can trust and someone who won’t mess up and kill someone. She needs a better partner.” It makes sense he renounces his miraculous! I’m just upset that in doing so he loses Plagg who is pretty much his only friend who actually understands what Adrien goes through at home.

When Uncanny gets CN to come back, LB acts like it’s not her fault in the first place that he feels inadequate! She didn’t even apologise for saying what she did! He apologised for lying about not being in Paris but nope LB wasn’t in the wrong at all and didn’t have anything to apologise for 🙄… (yes the LadyNoir hug was amazing but I just wish it was under different circumstances!)

Also are we not gonna mention Gabriel Agreste almost starting WW3??? He wanted to launch a fucking missile!!!

Shanghai:

As I said before, this special is way better for several reasons.

We got MariChat! (Best side to the love square imo). This special actually had some semblance on a plot. Fei, whilst a bit op, was a cool character. It was nice to see Wang Cheng again.

However once again there were many problems.

A big one being Marinette yet again! (What a shock! 😒 I’ll come back to this). Another was that once again HM’s motivation has changed. How is getting the Prodigious gonna help bring back Emilie??

Back to Marinette… The fact that the words “Huh?! There must be some kind of mistake! I always know what's up with Adrien! … His 5 first names and every corresponding name date, his yearly schedule, even his shoe size! If there were anything to know about him, I would know it!” come out of her mouth whilst she is flipping through his schedule that she keeps in her pocketbook is a hugh red flag!!! That is not cute or adorable! That’s messed up and Adrien needs to fucking run and maybe possibly go into witness protection… Marinette is a full blown stalker! Not to mention the GPS she has (that could just be the find my friends app on iphone but still).

It also is extremely rude of her to use not only her great uncle’s birthday but also a lie about wanting to know her Chinese heritage in order to go to Shanghai to stalk her obsession, I mean crush. This could’ve been avoided if the Dupain-Chengs were going to Shanghai for the purpose of celebrating Wang Cheng’s bday and then Adrien just so happened to be in Shanghai.

Also this means LB left Paris without telling CN! I know CN did the same but again he can’t purify the akumas. Plus he has a reason he couldn’t stay in Paris, Mari just went cause her crush did. Great guardianship there Marinette.

This was also the last time CN actually did something. Even if it was for a short while before LB and her female partner took over (the beginning of a theme…)

Other things:

There are 2 other things that I wanna say but felt they needed a separate bit.

In Furious Fu, Su-Han has a rule book that he uses to tell Marinette which rules she has broken. At the end of the episode he tells her that is she breaks 1 more rule that he will take the Miraculous and the Miracle Box off her, which fair enough but wouldn’t it be helpful to leave the rule book with her?! How can she be wary of not breaking anymore rules when she doesn’t even know what the rules are??

Now the big one: Master Fu…

Where do I even start with him. He is so fucking manipulative!! He is Asian Dumbledore!

He decides to leave these extremely powerful jewels in the hands of 13 year olds! Surely leaving the miraculous to someone in their 20s would’ve been better!

He clearly favours LB over CN even though the Ladybug and Black Cat are supposed to be partners! Wouldn’t it make sense for them both to be in contact with the guardian from the start?? He randomly started introducing rules such as if LB and CN find out each other’s identities they would lose their miraculous… what kind of bullshit rule is that? It also came out of fucking nowhere!

Final Thoughts:

But to summarise all of that: Miraculous is on quite a steep decline but I’m invested at this point and I am genuinely curious as to where the fuck this will go.

Marinette needs professional fucking help before the writers even consider canonising Adrienette cause at the moment she is not what Adrien needs!

Adrien needs to stand up for himself! He needs to pull LB to the side and tell her what he feels and what he’s going through cause he is on the precipice of a breakdown!

(Small point that’s more to do with the fandom: when searching for fanfics it’s really annoying that Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir Bashing is a tag but Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug Bashing isn’t. Why does everyone think Marinette can do no wrong???)

#miraculous fandom #miraculous ladybug #miraculous salt #adrien agreste #marinette dupen chang #marinette salt #master fu salt #ladybug and chat noir #fandom salt #thomas astruc salt #adrien deserves better #miraculous season 4 #miraculous season 3 #miraculous rant

[majesticarlette]

Could you please write Zoe Lee x Famous Singer Reader where Reader was Zoe’s only friend in New York and then Reader moves to Paris for concerts and to be with Zoe?

my apologies if requests are closed or if you don’t want to write this

Impulse

Zoé Lee x Reader | ONE SHOT 🌷

"I heard that (Y/n) (L/n) is here in Paris."

"No way, the (Y/n) (L/n) who has 2 successful albums?"

"You're stating the obvious, but that's them!" People could be heard fussing about the singer. Well, who wouldn't be excited when a famous person could be a few meters away from you? Your appearance in Paris isn't what you really thought about or even your goal to begin with. You're here because of someone you knew for a long time, and you can't wait to meet her again.

"We're here, let's go. We have a hotel reservation at 3:00 this afternoon, we can't be late." Your manager said while picking up her things. Your bodyguard on the other hand is already holding your bags. "Thank you." You smiled at him and faced your manager. "What time is it, Bellum?" "It's already 1:40." He responded after looking at his watch. You left the airport after double checking your things and head straight to the popular hotel in the city, Le Grand Paris.

You told the hotel staffs that you don't want anyone to know you're staying there. You want to keep your stay lowkey as possible until the days nearing the concert. Well, you went there ahead of time, not following the schedule designed for you. After your team finalized your world tour, according to them: Paris, France would be the last destination. You were ecstatic about the news, and couldn't wait to visit. So, as soon as you finished the recent concert, you flew all the way to Paris.

Once you reached your destination, your manager checked in for you while you stayed in the car. He came to pick you up after and you went to your room. "Finally, a bed." You flopped on the bed and it was so comfortable to the point of falling asleep in a span of minutes. "What's on the schedule today?" You faced your manager. "Wow, that's a first." He fixed his glasses and looked at his tablet. "Fortunately your schedule is not loaded for the day--" "I'm going outside." You quickly responded. "Are you going to meet, Ms. Zoé?" "Duh." He turned around after you started undressing yourself to fit new set of clothes. "That's why you're in a hurry of coming here." "Come on, she's your friend too. Aren't you excited to meet her too?" You started putting on your bottoms and shoes. "I am, it's just that it's not professional to act impulsively about coming here when you have a loaded schedule on your last destination. I had to fake your sickness for you to come here." You tapped his shoulder and he finally turned to you. "And that's why I love you. I'm gonna get going, do not follow me." You're in a disguise and left the room.

While looking around Paris, you stopped at a bakery to try their baked goods. "Hello, would you like to take an order?" A dark haired girl greeted you on the other side of the counter. "Hello, I'm new here. Do you recommend anything?" "All of our baked goods are delicious, but the best selling here are our macarons." "I'll take a box." She prepared your order but when she's about to hand it to you she stopped for a moment she must have noticed something. "That bracelet... Are you (Y/n)?" "Pssh... No, I'm not." You chuckled nervously. "It is you!" "Shh!" You stopped her cheers of excitement by placing your pointer finger on her lips. She's calming her self down but it doesn't seem to be working.

"You should come with me! I'll take you somewhere!" She uttered suddenly which made you step back a bit. She noticed her words and tried to explain. "I-I mean, I'm inviting you to a get together, 'cause my friends will perform their song at Liberty this evening. You'll enjoy it for sure." "Liberty?" You asked, confused by her response at you. You were startled when she face palmed herself hard. "What am I doing?! They have a busy schedule!" She started talking to herself which disturbed you a little bit. "Hey, what's Liberty?" You spoke trying to break her out of her rambling state. "Well, it's a name of a boat my two friends live in. They're into music, so there are music performances on the boat quite often."

Well, there's no harm in joining a get together. But, you're just new here, no one would know what might happen. Also, her invite seems legit, it must be nice to party on a boat while there's live music. Eh, you're still not so sure. What if she'll trick you into coming on a secluded area and take your organs? Now, you finally made up your mind.

"I'm totally going."

"Come on, Bell. I'll only be there for a couple of hours." You begged your manager to let you go. "Nuh uh." "Puh-leaaaase?" "Nope." "I promise, this'll be a one time thing." You gave him a puppy-eyed look while crossing your two fingers at the back. "Okay, I've made up my mind." Your eyes lit up and smiled at him. "No, you can't go." He smiled at you which made your smile drop. You flopped on the bed and sulk. Bellum chuckled at your reaction, "Alright you can go, bring Ollie with you." You got off the bed and prepared your things and left the room.

"(Y/n)!" Marinette called from the ship. Her friends quickly looked at your direction and gasp. "Hi." You entered the ship nervously, you're expecting a lot of touching and autographs but they never came. You were only greeted by smiles and handshakes welcoming you to Paris. But somehow, you could sense they wanted to really bad. "Uhm... Do you want me to sign you autographs?" You offered a bit embarrassed. They all nodded their head, they immediately handed you their owned albums you made. "You know, we really wanted you to sign our albums but it might overwhelm you." The girl named Mylène told you. "Hey, it's okay, I just dislike it when people rush up to me and they'll point their phones close to my face, and pulling of my clothes and limbs. You finished signing their albums and offered to take a group photo.

"(Y/n)?"

You looked at the direction of the voice and saw the person you're looking for, Zoé. "Zoé!" You hugged her and she returned it back. "Who knew the new girl would be friends with an international star?" The girl named Alya commented and they just smiled.

"1, 2, 3!" The drummer counts and Rose sang their debut song. The song was great and catchy, she's really telling everyone she loves unicorns. "So, why are you here in Paris so early? Isn't your concert will be in three days?" Zoé asked you. "Well, I missed you, of course. When you left New York, I began to miss our time together." Zoé chuckled at your response. "That sounds childish." "I'm serious, you were my only friend in New York, Zo." You held her hand and smiled at her. You swear you could see her cheeks tinted in pink.

"(Y/n), sing!" Marinette and her friends asked you to sing your songs but you promised you'll only sing one and keep the others for your concert. Bellum would scold you for sure if he heard that. Everyone cheers at you and admire your voice. "She is real." Juleka uttered "What did you expect? An illusion?" The others laughed at Alya's comment.

You swore that was the best night of your life, thank goodness you agreed to go.

You spent the remaining days before your concert with Zoé touring Paris. You're always in a disguise so not so many people would recognize you. You also left your bracelet at the hotel, you didn't know you could be recognized by that. "I'm glad I could be here with you in Paris." Zoé spoke while leaning on the railings on the top of the Eiffel tower. "Are you not going back to New York?" "I may not be, I found my comfort here in Paris. I met new friends and I could express myself freely." She smiled while gazing at the night view from up there. You could see that she's happy here than when she was in New York.

You smiled sadly, you never saw her this happy. You only have a limited time here in Paris and it's not enough for you. At this moment, you're desiring to be with her and stay by her side. You always knew your feelings for her ever since you became her friend but you didn't want to confess because you're afraid that it might cost your friendship. But you're not that (Y/n) anymore, you've waited for so long of keeping your feelings to yourself. Now that you've met again, it's time for you to tell it.

"Zoé." You spoke breaking the silence. "Yes?" she looked at you, waiting for your response. "I wanna confess something, I've been waiting to say this for a long time and I think it's time. Zoé, I like you. Not just as a friend but more than that. I wanna fulfill our dreams here in Paris, together." You held her hands as she just looked at you. "You mean, you're going to move here?" You nodded at her as an answer. She let go from your hold and just stared at you. "(Y/n), I've known you for a long time. I know you want to fulfill your dream as a successful singer who is known in the whole wide world." She rested her elbows on the railings and gestured the round world. You're just listening to her, confused at what she's saying. "And, you staying here in Paris isn't enough. I came here to be with my family, I had a desire and a goal to win their hearts but it didn't go my way. Instead, I found a new purpose. To be myself, not pretending anymore." She looked at you. "You, you started building your dreams in New York. You're just starting yet, you may say that you're already there, but it's not over yet. My point is, I don't want you to move all the way here just because of me." She pointed out. "I want you to move here because you planned to, you loved to, and you settled to be."

"I really want to, I promise." You replied and she just shook her head. "No, please reconsider. Now is not the right time." She cupped your cheeks. "What about my feelings for you, is that also rejected?" She just chuckled and pinched your cheeks. "I'll wait for you here, so don't pursue another person." She giggled and let go of your cheeks. "I'm kidding, you can date whoever you want, but I'll be here waiting for your return." You pouted from her answer. "I won't do that, you're the only one I'm going to pursue no matter how long it takes." You declared surely of your answer. You took something from your pocket, "This is a necklace my mother gave to me. When I get back here permanently I'll retrieve it from you." She smiled and hug you.

You both went home that time, you walked her to her room and then you finally entered your own room. You flopped on the bed and waited for tomorrow's event. You slept soundly that night, might be the most memorable night that happened here in Paris, and of course in your life.

You could spot Marinette and her friends in the audience while you were performing on stage. They were all shouting and admiring you from their spots. You waved at them which made the crowd shout louder. Of course, you wouldn't forget about your crush. You spotted her along with her family in the VIP seats.

You performed all of your songs and mentioned special people you met here in Paris. You swore you could see the gang's faces proud and happy. The experience as always was fun but never thought you'd meet new friends here. You swore you'll get back here as soon as possible, so have to give your all.

"Thank you all for coming here." You told the whole gang. "No, thank you and your bodyguard for letting us personally bid a celebrity goodbye." Nino responded and you just smiled. "Hug?" You offered and they all accepted. "Wow, I'm really waiting for this, I can't hug you at first because I know you'll get uncomfortable." Rose spoke and get to be the first to hug you and the rest follows. "These camera flashes are literally blinding me." Alya commented while covering her eyes, meanwhile Chloé's posing in front of the cameras. Yep, Chloé's here. "(Y/n), let's go. We don't wanna be late." Bellum suddenly spoke which breaks your conversation with the group. "I'll see you all soon." You waved them goodbye, you noticed Zoé discreetly giving you a flying kiss. You smiled at her and finally entering the terminal area.

"You finally told Zoé, huh?" Bellum spoke to you.

"I'm glad I did." You scrunched your nose at him.

#zoe lee imagine #zoe lee x reader #zoe lee #vesperia imagine #vesperia x reader #vesperia #miraculous ladybug x reader #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug imagine #miraculous fandom #miraculous lb #reader insert #reader imagine

[miraculouscontent]

*rubs hands together*

The first thing to talk about with this episode is the pacing, and I think this might contribute to why people think it’s the best/least bad of Season 4 (personally, I’d rather watch “Furious Fu” but that’s just me; also, this isn’t the only contributing factor as to why I think people might feel this way, but I’ll get there later).

The episode has a very serious pacing issue, particularly with its more intense scenes. There’s only one minute of time dedicated to Ladybug landing on her bed, de-transforming, and her snapping at her friends plus them leaving. More time was spent on Chat Noir and Ladybug in the movie theater and Ladybug storming out.

I particularly remember watching the episode and getting eighteen minutes in, at which point I had the realization of, “It feels like nothing’s happened?”

This episode is supposed to be a big gut punch, but the season has been going by at the speed of sound, like they’re trying desperately to play all their cards at once (Lukanette break-up, Adrimi break-up, then Alya is told Marinette’s secret identity). Instead of letting things build and play out for a while in the interest of suspense, the show just throws whatever will get a big reaction out of the fandom (whether positive or negative) and it doesn’t care how shoddily put together everything is. The first two episodes feel like hastily put together drafts, and while this one is technically more put together, it still feels like a draft.

Let’s just start with Chat Noir, who feels completely out of place in the episode. Not only does he imply that he intentionally calls Ladybug “Bugaboo” (which she has told him to stop doing) in order to get a reaction out of her, but when Ladybug insists that she doesn’t want to talk, he tricks her into thinking that he has a good location to do so (and my heart breaks a little at how readily she trusts him) only to then take her to a romantic movie, then shush her when she calls him out for it because she “said she didn’t want to talk.”

Gee, and people wonder why she didn’t tell him her secret (even outside of “Chat Blanc” existing)?

And... look, I know it’s a joke, but I do not find it funny. The “joke” is basically that Chat Noir is taking advantage of the situation to flirt with Ladybug, and though I find it at least mildly cathartic that Ladybug is unaffected by all the people staring at them while Chat Noir is embarrassed, this episode is coming right after the one where Kagami broke up with Adrien, and here Chat Noir is getting his flirt game on. I already talked about all my problems with “Lies” so I won’t do it again, but I’ll just say that it’s not a mystery why Ladybug doesn’t want to talk to him and would rather avoid her problems.

(Not to mention that Ladybug knows that Chat Noir likes her, so talking about her romantic problems with him is awkward to say the least and would come off as insensitive.)

Honestly, at this point I feel like they must be building to something with Chat, like Ladybug finally going off of him with no mercy and that forces him to give up/fall out of love for her because reverse love square, but if that’s what they intend to go for, then that means Marinette is going to fall for this guy who’s repeatedly disrespected her feelings for multiple seasons, almost abandoned her and let Paris drown because she wouldn’t tell him a secret that wasn’t hers to tell, and just generally all the other things he did????

Ugh, I don’t wanna think about it. Let’s just move on.

Talking about Ladybug and her rant next, it basically summarizes the whole show in a nutshell, but simultaneously casts a shadow of sorts over “Truth” for people who maybe missed the episode entirely (which is also sort of the show in a nutshell). I mean, Ladybug confirming to the audience that she was genuinely in love and happy with Luka (you can’t watch how depressed she was over the break-up and not think that) was great, but Ladybug’s dialog implies that Luka “hated secrets” and that’s why they broke up, when Luka was more just... hurt that she couldn’t be honest with him, and he didn’t actively hate secrets. Marinette broke up with him because she felt like she had to; because she had to keep ditching and lie to him.

In addition, what she says also hints to the audience that they’ve both held and kissed each other, which not only indicates cowardice on the part of the staff (”yeah this happened but--um--off-screen; we’d still like credit tho plz”), but may perhaps go back to the theory I had about how Adrimi and Lukanette were supposed to last longer in Season 4 but their arcs got cut (based on the Adrimi kiss having supposed to have gone off). This could mean that Ladybug’s statement was originally accurate to canon but the scenes got cut and the scriptwriters just awkwardly left it in, which is made more awkward by the cinema scene in “Truth” that felt like Luka and Marinette were kissing for the first time (again, alluding to the whole, “this entire season has been a draft” thing).

Also, if you think about what that actually means - that Luka and Marinette did have successful dates and kisses but they were off-screen - then all it adds up to is that showing Marinette happy and comfortable was something that the series didn’t deem as “interesting/fun enough” to show, because Marinette being happy isn’t something they want to see; only watching her be miserable, which is exactly what Ladybug says, along with how everything was “almost too simple, too easy,” because Marinette isn’t allowed to have nice things without being jammed through the wringer first.

And... sure, let’s say that Chat Noir thought the movie was genuinely a good idea; let’s assume that it could be a joke, him wanting to flirt, and him believing that it’d make her feel better somehow.

If that’s the case, then where’s the apology when it fails miserably? Ladybug goes from her semi-anxious state at the start of the episode (a little scatterbrained but ultimately just looking for a distraction), to outright enraged by the movie, and then to this upon leaving the cinema.

She just got her heart broken from being forced to break up with a boy she genuinely wanted to be with and there’s not a single, “Okay, maybe coming here was a bad idea, I’m sorry,” (which could’ve been seen as another joke with the audience like “lol no duh Chat Noir” so there’s no excuse not to have it) or, “My bad, that was insensitive of me. I really thought this would’ve helped but I wasn’t thinking about what you would’ve wanted.”

No. The only people Chat apologizes to are the other people at the theater because he’s embarrassed by Ladybug’s reactions, yet he himself feels no remorse for taking her there and has the gall to go on now about how he’s “there for her if she wants to talk.”

Again, it’s no wonder Ladybug doesn’t want to open up to him.

And I’m sorry, I just don’t buy that Marinette suddenly has all this free time. It’s one thing for her to have a little more time now that she’s broken up with her boyfriend (likely avoiding spending time with him altogether now), but “Truth” went out of its way to talk about all of the emergencies she had to deal with and how she doesn’t have any spare time. which is causing her to become forgetful and lose track of certain events (patrols with Chat, dates with Luka, etcetera), yet Marinette spends most of “Gang of Secrets” simply sulking on her bed. It’s so jarring to go from “Truth” where she was doing “too much” (which I called them out on for not describing what the “too much” she was doing was) and now “Gang of Secrets” where she’s not doing anything.

It’s almost like they invented that plot point to break Lukanette up and it served no purpose outside of it.

Furthermore, the scenes of her finally talking to Tikki and then deciding to live as Ladybug does nothing outside of making the plot more predictable, the latter because of the “Alya almost sees Ladybug” moment (an obvious indicator that Marinette is losing control and is struggling to maintain her secret identity due to her emotionally breaking down) and the former because of Tikki herself and what she doesn’t say.

Because, really, think about what actually goes on in the scene. Marinette (eyes rimmed red and filled with unshed tears, as she is for a good chunk of the episode) is venting to Tikki about - yes - her love life, but also that she has to lie to everyone in order to keep her identity a secret. The fact that Tikki focuses solely on the note of Marinette’s love life and not say a word about the identity/lying issue or even consider telling Marinette, “hey, this is clearly too much for you, you should tell someone, I think the benefits outweigh the risks right now,” really proves that the episode tried to avoid the topic altogether to try and make the ending more shocking (which ironically made it more predictable).

So yeah, not only does Tikki’s dialog with Marinette provide nothing except for a line about how she can’t help Marinette with love issues due to kwami not falling in love (alright, I guess aros can’t give good love advice then or have any input whatsoever), but Marinette’s line about lying to everyone being why she can’t pursue Adrien nor Luka is repeated in the very last scene of the episode. The only reason that scene and the scene after exist is because the writers needed Marinette to be emotionally devastated enough to leave for her balcony as Ladybug for the almost-reveal to Alya and so Rose would get close enough to the dollhouse to have an almost-reveal with the Miracle Box, making the scene feel further contrived because the emotional punch of Marinette wanting to live as Ladybug lasts for barely any time at all.

And it could’ve served a purpose, like if Ladybug had genuinely left and Alya finds her goggles and towel, recognizing them from a news story about how Ladybug had gone to the swimming pool after losing her temper at the cinema, which could’ve led to Shadow Moth making the girls believe that Ladybug was no longer heroic and had kidnapped Marinette, or... heck, Ladybug coming back inside would’ve been so much less jarring if she came back because she heard the girls’ voices talking about the dollhouse and had to hurry (but of course, then they’d have to point out the ridiculousness of Ladybug not hearing Alya calling her and the girls not hearing Ladybug literally shouting for Shadow Moth to come fight her, even though the kwami heard the girls calling for Marinette from the balcony).

But instead, the entire scene feels off and unnatural, forcing every part of it in order to get to where Marinette has to snap at the girls to make them leave.

(Oh, by the way, just a little detail to add to the annoyance: they bothered putting Tom and Sabine in the episode when the girls are leaving, clearly saddened by something that happened, and neither parent even bothers to go and check on Marinette to see if she’s upset or just to see what might’ve happened. They’re such a “blink-and-you’ll-miss it” moment in the episode and it’s not like I’m surprised because they’ve done this multiple times by now but really?)

As for the girls themselves... oof, where do I even begin?

Alright, first off is the annoyance that they assume Marinette’s problems relate only to lovesickness. Marinette has been an anxiety-prone mess throughout the entire series, and suddenly now the girls care about Marinette’s love problems on an emotional level rather than “we’ll meddle sometimes unless we don’t feel like it and be wholly inconsistent on how much we push for it.”? It’s not that I don’t see how they came to the conclusion (hearing that Luka and Marinette broke up and now seeing Marinette is depressed, it checks out), but considering they bothered noting that Marinette hadn’t told them anything, one would think they’d come to the conclusion of, “okay, we haven’t talked to her, we have no idea of what’s going on, maybe we don’t know her as well as we thought then and shouldn’t make guesses.”

Secondly is the “eternal friendship bracelet,” which comes off as a copy of the “Secrets” game from “Syren” extremely manipulative. Mylene goes on to explain that one is supposed to give a secret to the pearl “mentally,” yet when the girls actually show up to see Marinette, they expect to be told the secret directly. I’ve already talked at length about peer pressure and the mental stress Marinette goes through when they mock her and/or meddle for her, but this idea of, “well we all used this friendship bracelet after we mutually agreed to it so now it’s your turn because we said so!” just comes off really bad. I know the episode is going for this idea that their hearts are in the right place, but they’re really not. It feels like they’re the ones in denial and are trying to compensate by forcing Marinette to prove that they’re friends, unable to handle the idea that they might not be as close to her as they thought.

Thirdly, the show acts as if the girl squad are her only friends when we know that’s not true because we’ve seen episodes like “Befana” (the guys in the class), “Reverser” (Marc), “Ikari Gozen” (Kagami), and “Silencer” (Ivan) that all established Marinette having more friends than just them, but for the sake of “drama” and the depressing line of, “at least I don’t have any more friends to lie to,” the episode just pretends like Marinette’s friends are limited to Luka (who she had to break up with) and the girl squad (who she forced to leave and refuse the friendship of).

Fourthly is the actual set-up and the sheer grossness of it all. The girls call Marinette and leave a message about how they much they love her and how she can talk to them “where and when” she wants, and then - immediately afterwards - decide that they’re going to go straight to Marinette’s house completely unannounced, go into her room completely unannounced (not even knocking, by the way), and when Marinette begs them to leave, Alya basically tells her that she’s overreacting. When Marinette demands that they leave, Alya refuses and makes demands right back that they won’t leave until she tells them what’s wrong.

So much for “where and when” she wanted, right? It’s already one thing for the girls to invade Marinette’s privacy and demand/guilt-trip answers out of her, but it’s another thing to give the illusion of respecting her feelings and personal space only to actively plan to go back on it. I can’t tell if it’s a bad draft that they didn’t catch in quality check (you know, the quality check that they definitely don’t have) or just an intentional way to make them seem more sympathetic so Marinette looks worse for driving them out, but either way, it’s awful and I hate it. I would’ve rather had them be all in on invading Marinette’s privacy and learn a lesson in the end than outright contradict themselves.

There are also little nitpicks I could make (like Juleka’s constant mumbling despite Luka’s crush on Marinette playing a role in the episode, Horrificator getting sidelined due to being mute, and the girls’ akumatization ultimately being for spectacle and nothing else, serving no purpose to the plot and being furthered by the fact that Timebreaker goes after Marinette despite it being a bad idea and Reflekta’s power clearly not lining up with any sort of plan), but the real issue issue here comes down to the fact that these are Marinette’s so-called “friends” and the episode refuses to address their actual issues.

Alix, who is known for making rude comments at Marinette (”Gigantitan,” “Chat Blanc,” “Miraculous New York”) and then gives mixed messages by going along with meddling anyway.

Mylene, who is the closest thing to a background character in the girl squad but nevertheless finds her way into being definite voice against Marinette in “Chameleon.”

Juleka, who blamed Marinette for things she didn’t do in “Reflekdoll” and got huffy with her until Marinette apologized for said things.

Rose, who outright screamed at Marinette in “Chat Blanc” over a freaking stuffed animal, which pressured Marinette enough that she snuck into Adrien’s room to deliver her gift which nearly led to the end of the world.

And, of course, Alya; freaking Alya. I don’t even have to go into every single thing she’s ever done because I have a history of giving her absolutely no mercy.

...But let’s go through some anyway because I want to.

“Copycat” - Alya gives Marinette a script and tells her to memorize it, then immediately pushes the “call” button when Marinette hesitates after Marinette had just told Alya that she’s awful at improv.

“Darkblade” - Alya takes a jab at Marinette when Marinette says that she’s too busy to be class representative, implying that Alya thinks that Marinette does absolutely nothing with her time.

“Gamer” - Alya is busy recording the gaming competition when she and Marinette were supposed to be researching for a term paper. Alya then scolds Marinette for wanting to use the competition to get close to Adrien only to do a 180 and put up a fight about it when Marinette decides to quit.

“Animan” and how “The Puppeteer 2″ follows up on it - oh, I’m not going to touch that particular point right now, but keep those in the back of your mind, because I am going to absolutely go off later

“Simon Says” - Similarly to Marinette’s parents, Alya gives zero damns about whatever might be going on in Marinette’s life that's causing her to miss classes.

"Despair Bear” - Alya laughs at Marinette being forced to kiss Chloe’s cheek and then outright compares Marinette to Chloe after knocking Chloe multiple times during the episode (sure, just compare your “best friend” to her multi-year bully, how "hilarious” of you).

“Gigantitan” - Alya has no qualms about mocking Marinette’s over her failures, even if it embarrasses her and she’s been through enough already.

“Frozer” - Alya tries to find ways for Marinette to prevent herself from third-wheeling for Adrien, but when Marinette tries to show character growth by wanting to go, Alya gets into a shouting match with the other girls over how Marinette has “liked Adrien forever and isn’t going to give up now”.

“Catalyst” - Alya claims that Marinette is only salty over Lila out of jealousy when “Frozer” exists and literally is the prime evidence of Adrien liking another girl and Marinette telling Alya outright and very genuinely that she’s not jealous.

“Chameleon” - Alya doesn’t care about her best friend sitting in the back by herself while Alya herself get to sit next to her boyfriend and everyone else in general gets to sit where they want (Alya even acting confused at the mere suggestion that she’d tried to engineer things to let Marinette sit next to Adrien), then not only believes Lila over Marinette but contradicts herself twice (asking Marinette for proof when she has none herself, then claiming that she wouldn’t let her best friend sit by herself).

“Christmaster” - Alya leaves Marinette to babysit so she and Nino can go out on a date.

“Desperada” - Alya suddenly is for Lukanette for literally one episode and doesn’t know how/doesn’t even try to cover for Marinette’s Adrien blindness despite mocking her for multiple seasons over it.

“Reflekdoll” - Alya invites Adrien to something that’s crucial for Marinette to focus on after Marinette has already told her not to and continues meddling to the point where it gets Juleka akumatized (she also doesn’t get punished for it and the blame gets thrown onto Marinette).

“The Puppeteer 2″ - Alya pushes her luck with Nathalie to try and get Marinette to come with her, Nino, Adrien, and Manon to the museum, then traps Marinette in a room with Adrien to force her to spent alone time with him, even abandoning and forgetting about the child that she offered to watch for Marinette so she and her boyfriend can go off alone.

“Miraculous New York” - Alya is told directly by Marinette that she needs help seeing Adrien as a friend, which leads Alya to do the exact opposite throughout the entire special, at one point shouting at Marinette and pressuring her to chase after a car, in the rain, while there’s a supervillain rampaging through Paris, and all of this right after the scheme that Alya had set up caused both Marinette and Adrien to go missing.

And just saying, as Marinette’s supposed “best friend,” Alya sure doesn’t know how to handle her. It was acceptable back in “The Bubbler” when she asked Marinette about signing the gift too late and the same goes for “Dark Cupid,” but by the time we get to late Season 2/3 and Alya refuses to learn Marinette’s weak spots (unless it’s to mock her) and adjust accordingly (like if she’d already made sure the gift was signed in “Chat Blanc,” which would’ve prevented Adrien seeing Ladybug at all due to the time difference), it starts getting infuriating.

A best friend is supposed to cover for their friend’s weaknesses. Alya doesn’t do that; she meddles and often drives Marinette’s anxiety even further up a wall with absolutely no consideration for Marinette’s feelings (”Dark Cupid,” “The Puppeteer 2,” “Reflekdoll,” “Miraculous New York”).

And here, she and the other girls are rewarded for it. Luka actively resisted his akumatization whereas the girls gave in immediately, yet Marinette still opens up to them in the end, likely because they had pressured her and made her feel bad for the secrets she was keeping while Luka was willing to actually wait for her to be ready to talk to him. I can’t put into words how frustrating it is watching these girls trample all over Marinette’s feelings, not have their worst actions called out, and then jump cut post-deakumatization to Marinette telling them exactly what they wanted to know about her love life.

You know what this entire episode is really missing, outside of a coherent plot, properly-paced development, and a basic understanding of rewarding a character for things they’ve held firmly to?

It’s missing the apology. Chat Noir apologizes to a bunch of moviegoers and Rose apologizes for the broken dollhouse, but no one apologizes to Marinette for how they treated her, especially not the “friends” who got rewarded in the end.

“Sorry, we shouldn’t have told you that we’d respect your feelings and then showed up unannounced to make you talk about them.”

“We’re sorry we came into your room and invaded your privacy. You were right to be mad at us.”

“Oh my gosh, Marinette, we got akumatized and we’re so sorry for literally all five of us going after you and probably scaring the living daylights out of you.”

And as if that wasn’t enough, guess what else this is missing? It’s kind of important and brought up directly in the episode, yet the episode simultaneously goes out of its way not to bring it up again.

It’s the reason why Marinette didn’t tell the girls about her relationship with Luka. It’s not there - it’s missing - and the girls never try to pursue the subject. They talk about how Marinette didn’t tell them but don’t think for a second that maybe it’s them who have failed as friends. Instead, they don’t guess anything about why Marinette wouldn’t tell them (which is already strange considering how much they already assume about her) and jump straight to, “well clearly we just need to push for her to talk to us.”

Gonna just go out on a limb here and say that maybe - just maybe - Marinette didn’t tell them because they are habitually pushy in everything they do.

Because they would’ve teased her relentlessly about, “ohhhh you’ve got eyes for Luka? what about Aaaaaadrien~? aren’t you sooo tooorn between both of these cute guys?”

Because they would’ve meddled to force her and Luka together and gotten on her case when/if she ever had to bail on him.

Because their intrusion on her feelings for Adrien had caused her nothing but problems and she just wanted to be with Luka in peace without them forcing their way into things.

Because--hey, wild thought--maybe they’re not really friends???

But the episode completely avoids it, because that would’ve meant addressing it; it would’ve meant acknowledging that they messed up, which - fun fact - they actually don’t do in the episode.

They invaded Marinette’s privacy, insisted that she tell them how she feels (not about them of course because that would imply that they felt like they screwed up), and in the end it’s Marinette who gives them exactly what they asked of her, and the closest thing we get to acknowledging anything is Alix telling her/joking with her that they’ll help her confess to whoever she likes as soon as she tells them she’s ready.

That’s not an apology. That’s not an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Even when the five of them are about to get akumatized, it’s not a circle of them saying, “here’s how I screwed up, I could’ve done better but I didn’t and I lost Marinette because of it.”

No. It’s just them talking about how sad the situation is. Mylene has the closest thing to remorse in saying, “I hoped it would work,” but where does it go? A grand total of nowhere, especially because Marinette still takes the bracelet in the end instead of the girls mutually deciding, “okay, maybe the bracelet was a bad idea; how about we all agree on making something together instead, no requirements attached?”

And then the episode has the gall to act as if Alya has gone through character growth when all they did was put Alya through the same thing that Chloe did. I’ll explain that last bit momentarily, but first let’s talk about the whole “growth” thing.

Because there’s no apology or acknowledgement of wrongdoing, all Alya does when she’s finally alone with Marinette is do a 180 from where she was at the start of the episode, going from, “friends have to tell each other everything,” to, “hey, if you don’t want to tell me, then that’s your right.”

The crucial part that’s supposed to go in the middle is missing. Instead of acknowledging her failures, Alya just cuts straight to “””being a better friend,”““ but storytelling doesn’t work that way.

It literally would have taken zero effort to fit an acknowledgement into that scene. “You don’t have to tell me everything, I get that now. All my meddling’s done is hurt you and I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t trust me.”

In a world where Marinette has to apologize for everything, has to learn lessons and suffer because the narrative says so, I will not accept anything less from other characters who are trying to develop and improve. That’s not fair to Marinette, nor has it ever been.

Instead of properly developing Alya, the show does whatever it can to get its audience to root for her as Marinette’s “best friend” (ugh) without having to put in the effort of admitting that Alya hasn’t been Marinette’s “best” friend.

Remember when I brought up Chloe? Yeah, “Malediktator” did a similar thing, showing Chloe doing something awful, then being sad (while not actually acknowledging the thing she did wrong), and in the end she was rewarded with a miraculous prematurely.

One show of character from Chloe and Marinette gave her a miraculous. One show of character from Alya and Marinette told her that she was Ladybug.

(Also, for the record, I think Chloe is far worse than Alya character-wise and I’m not comparing their characters; this is just the simplest comparison I can draw here from a narrative standpoint.)

“Miraculer” is another apt comparison, perhaps even more so. Chloe got Hawk Moth in her head after an akuma landed in her photo of her and Ladybug, but Chloe resisted and fought back, ultimately forcing the akuma out of her and freeing herself from Hawk Moth’s control.

But it wasn’t to develop her character; no, it was to convince the audience of Chloe and Sabrina’s friendship so they’d feel something during Sabrina’s happy flashbacks, then lay the foundation of tricking viewers into believing that Chloe might not go to Hawk Moth’s side.

At the end of the day, it was doing something that’s “never been done before” in order for the character to earn brownie points for something that the writers can just have them do because willpower is an easy thing to just write in. “Gang of Secrets” does the exact same thing when Lady Wifi breaks free from Shadow Moth, with Ladybug even hammering it home by talking about how no one’s ever done it before.

And the pacing is - again - awful. Not only is Ladybug banking on this working when she herself says that it’s never been done, but the conversation between her and Lady Wifi where Ladybug tries to convince her doesn’t even take a minute.

It also has nothing to do with Marinette herself; Ladybug relies on Alya’s adoration/friendship with her as Ladybug (you know, after Alya took a photo of LadyNoir kissing and posted it online without Ladybug’s consent, betrayed her by putting information on the LadyBlog that Hawk Moth was able to take advantage of, and is the only hero outside of Chloe to resist returning a miraculous) in order to break from Hawk Moth’s control, because talking about Marinette with Lady Wifi didn’t even work.

(Ladybug also uses her yoyo as a portal to the Miracle Box when this has never been pre-established to be a thing despite Ladybug acting as if she knew it was; further proof that this episode was rushed.)

And of course talking about Marinette didn’t work, because that would’ve meant convincing Alya that her reason for getting akumatized was “wrong” and the episode didn’t want to do that. It didn’t want someone else actually learning something and feeling bad; surely, this is just Alya being manipulated by Shadow Moth and having the power to break free because Ladybug “needs Rena Rouge” and not because Lady Wifi and her friends are chasing after their supposed best friend and that’s--you know--wrong???

Rena Rouge’s reappearance is also yet another thing the episode refuses to address because it avoids the topic of “but my identity--”. At least “Heart Hunter” had the tact to have Kagami question why Ladybug was giving her the dragon again, but “Gang of Secrets” treads as lightly as possible on any discussion of identities outside of Marinette saying that she can’t, as if it were Marinette who made the choice of concealing her identity and not the basic idea of heroing that has been stressed over and over for the whole show.

Even Plagg of all kwami stated back in “Origins” that no one is supposed to know about secret identities, a rule that continues becoming flaky and muddled with each passing season, almost like they kept attempting to retcon and make the audience dulled to the idea so that the reveal in “Gang of Secrets” would be more acceptable.

But now, with the way they did it and how they don’t even have Tikki comment on the matter, it once again has it look like they’re making it - say it with me, everyone - Marinette’s fault.

Alya says that Marinette has a choice in telling her secret, Marinette insists that she doesn’t and goes on and on about how it’ll change everything, and then just... tells Alya her secret in the end.

And remember all the way back in Season 2? “Sapotis”?

Alya: What were you saying about her secret identity?

Marinette: Ladybug needs it to protect her family and friends. Otherwise the villains could use them to get to her.

Alya: Well, if I knew who Ladybug really was, I'd keep it a secret. I would even help her! Like say, if you were Ladybug, I'd cover for you — when you needed to transform in school, go fight the "baddies", you know?

Marinette: Oh yeah? Well, if I was Ladybug I wouldn't even tell you, to protect you from the "baddies", you know?

Alya: You serious? If I was Ladybug, I'd totally tell you! Because I tell my best friend everything.

And now here we are in “Gang of Secrets,” as if the narrative is saying, “See, Marinette? Alya was right all along, you were just being ridiculous and making yourself suffer for no reason!”

Yet Marinette had a right to keep her secrets. When Alya and Nino learned each other’s identities, Alya took a hit for Nino in “Catalyst” and both of them fell to Scarlet Moth’s akumas. Chloe was a mess and a half because of Hawk Moth knowing her identity. Fu had told Marinette that her miraculous would get taken if she and Chat Noir learned each other’s identities.

The only ones who received no consequences due to someone knowing their identity were Pegase (who Chat Noir and Markov knew), Ryuko (who Chat Noir, Ikari Gozen, and Hawk Moth knew), and Viperion (who Adrien knew). “Chat Blanc” also exists where Marinette got the impression that people discovering her identity would be a disaster, and even all the way back in “Lady Wifi” insisted that not telling anyone her identity was “listening to her head and not her heart,” and the narrative has relentlessly humiliated her for going with her heart, so yeah, probably for the best.

I hate that the episode avoids talking about anything identity-related outside of what comes out of Marinette’s mouth to make it appear like it was her choice all along. I hate that they had Tikki fixate on Marinette’s love problems instead of having her actually support Marinette and admit that Marinette should tell someone before she has a mental breakdown. I hate that the episode inserts Rena Rouge into the plot as if to brush all identity issues away so as to make Marinette’s identity reveal seem less jarring.

Now, of course I’m glad Marinette told someone. Of course I want her to get love and support from someone. Of course I think the benefits outweigh the risks, or I wouldn’t have written multiple fix-its where her identity gets revealed in some way or someone already knows.

But I didn’t want it to be Alya, because I knew how they’d do it. I knew they’d do it wrong and I knew that they wouldn’t have the courage to address Alya’s issues properly.

Those familiar with my blog will know that I’d been taking negative predictions for future seasons for a while and adding them to cards whenever they were proven right. Does anyone remember the Season 4 predictions that were proven correct for “Gang of Secrets,” specifically these ones?

- “Alya will suddenly be portrayed as a good/worthy friend to Marinette in/if there's an episode where Marinette tells her that she's Ladybug”

- “Alya resisting Shadow Moth/fighting back against him will be used to excuse telling Alya Marinette's secret identity“

- “Alya will know that Marinette is Ladybug first because "BFFs" despite being one of the worst candidates for it“

- “The secret that broke Lukanette up will be resolved in episode 3 when Marinette tells Alya“

Each and every one of those were mine, because I knew that whether Season 4 had a proper chronological order or not, the writers would not have the guts to develop Alya first and then have Marinette tell her in a future episode after Alya has properly earned it.

I knew that they wouldn’t take time to develop Alya. I knew that they would have Alya resist Shadow Moth to make Alya look “worthy” of the secret. I knew that Alya would swoop in during the last minute and a half of an episode, insisting that Marinette “didn’t have to tell her anything” when Alya had been pushy and insistent for the entire rest of the episode and the whole series in general, and would ultimately be rewarded with the big secret simply because she’s “the best friend” and that’s it.

The Alya at the end of the episode isn’t the Alya I’ve known for the entire rest of the series before this, or at the very least they turned her into an Alya I don’t recognize.

Alya claims during the ending scene that she knows that Marinette is hiding something beyond her love problems because she - as a reporter and “her best friend” - can sense such things, and all I’m left wondering is

w h e r e ?

Where and when has Alya been suspicious or worried about Marinette keeping a secret from her? What, back in “The Pharoah” where she didn’t immediately disregard Marinette for the role of Ladybug, or “Simon Says” where she vaguely teased Marinette about having a double life, both Season 1 episodes?

Where was Alya in “Truth” saying that she didn’t know Marinette’s secret but knew that she was keeping one? Where was Alya anywhere in Season 3 being concerned that Marinette hasn’t told her something? Where was this “supposedly very observant” Alya when Marinette needed her to out Lila because Lila got her expelled--oh wait, Alya “observed” that Lila did nothing and Marinette was just jealous.

What, is it only now that Alya suddenly “knows” that Marinette is hiding something else? Now, after Alya has already not known that Marinette was literally dating someone, even when Alya had multiples pictures of Marinette and said someone giving each other heart eyes and saw Marinette leaving school with said someone riding on the same bike together, you know, like normal, typical, average friends would?

Where’s the line where Alya acknowledges the problem? Where’s Alya sitting down with Marinette and admitting, “hey, I’m sorry I haven’t noticed this stuff, but I promise I’ll do better starting right now, and that’s how I know now that you’re hiding something else, and I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that it’s been hurting you”?

I can’t tell you where it is, but I can say that it’s certainly not in this episode. 60% of the episode features the Alya we knew from the rest of the series and then switches her out the second she’s de-akumatized for another Alya who hasn’t done anything that the old one has because she pretends like it didn’t happen.

You know how I know? Because of this absolute gut punch of a line that showed that the series wanted to handwave everything away.

“I know how to keep a secret.”

...Really? Does she now? Well, I hope everyone remembered my point about “Animan” and “The Puppeteer 2,” because I’m bringing it right back.

Considering that “Truth” has been burned into all of our memories, we all definitely remember when Truth shoots Alya and questions her on Marinette’s secret, to which Alya states that Marinette’s secret is, “She’s in love with Adrien Agreste.” Now, at the time of Season 4′s airing, this is very much not a secret, as most characters already knew about Marinette’s crush, to the point where it’d been broadcast on television during Season 2.

But do you know when it was actually a secret? Back in Season 1, specifically in the episode “Animan” where Alya told Nino.

And not only did she tell Nino, but she lied to Marinette by claiming that she didn’t, acting as if Nino knew that Marinette had a crush but didn’t know who she was crushing on, which is then directly proven false as Nino accidentally implies that he does know who it is. This is also after Alya had gotten on Marinette’s case for trying to set her up with Nino, and then she had the gall to say that she wouldn’t spill Marinette’s secret because she, and I quote, “doesn't go around making decisions for other people,“ a statement that is directly contradicted by this little thing known as everything Alya has ever said and done in the entire series.

And while Marinette meddling in Alya’s love life actually ended up working out for Alya, Alya meddling in Marinette’s by telling Nino who Marinette is crushing on comes back to bite Marinette - not Alya (because of course) - in the infamous episode of “The Puppeteer 2,” where Marinette realizes that Alya really did tell Nino that she was crushing on Adrien.

Marinette: You told me you wouldn't tell Nino!

Alya: I haven't told him. Right, Nino? I didn't tell you anything. (elbows him)

Nino: She didn't tell me. And besides, I told her I wouldn't tell.

Then, when she’s called out on it, Alya lies again, and shamelessly so.

Marinette: Why did you tell Nino everything? You promised you wouldn't!

Alya: I didn't, I swear! Besides, even if I had told him everything, he would still be clueless. Ugh, who cares anyway? I've set everything up with Nino, who doesn't know a thing, so you can finally pour your heart out to Adrien, girl!

And now, here we are one season later - and not even half of a season if you go by production code order - and Alya claims that she knows how to keep a secret.

No. No, she does not. In fact, she does even worse because she won’t even admit when she’s spilled said secret. I absolutely refuse to accept that Alya is “worthy” or “deserving” of learning that Marinette is Ladybug when she couldn’t even keep a basic secret like who her friend was crushing on.

And no, it didn’t matter that Nino was her boyfriend, or that maybe she thought it would work out because Nino was friends with Adrien. By that logic, Alya would tell Adrien that Marinette is Ladybug if she heard that Ladybug is who Adrien was crushing on and we all know how that would’ve gone.

Marinette has a right to tell her secret to whoever she wants and I’m glad that a burden has been lifted from her, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy that it’s Alya. That doesn’t mean I have to be happy that, after so many moments of Alya disrespecting Marinette’s feelings, she is the one who gets to hear the big secret that the fandom has been waiting for someone to find out about since the very start of the series.

Luka said it best in “Truth” that the truth is meant to be shared, not taken by force, but Marinette was forced to tell Alya by the narrative because Alya is her supposed “best friend.” It pushed Marinette to her breaking point, forced her to break up with the guy who has respected her agency and feelings since the day they met, and gave her a version of her “best friend” with the same name and face but with none of the responsibility from previous events so that said version was there at the right time and the right place to hear what had to be heard.

And in the end, I end up feeling nothing. Marinette doesn’t even have a “Marinette” reaction to saying it as one would expect; for her to blurt it out and then immediately start panicking until Alya hugs her to calm her down. Instead, Marinette just says it and stares silently at Alya - after blabbing this huge, very big deal of a secret - until Alya goes in for a hug (the “happy/hopeful” ending of which is why I feel like this episode also gets less flak, as the previous two ended off rather depressing/upsetting).

It’s off. Everything is off. The pacing, the delivery, and the logic that the episode uses. The emotion in Marinette’s voice when she’s rambling about how hard it is to keep her secret is so powerful, but then the ending hits and she just says it, breaking the momentum they had going. They pulled the card of Alya walking away too soon when they could’ve saved it, having Marinette go quiet and letting Alya take a few steps away in order to let the moment build before Marinette finally blurts out the secret she’s been painfully holding in.

But they didn’t, and I’m so many levels of dissatisfied. I wasn’t against the idea of Alya learning Marinette’s secret at some point (though honestly, Alix would’ve been a better pick considering that Bunnyx will know eventually anyway, and I say that not even liking Alix!), but not now; not when Alya had so much to work towards.

And now what? What happens now? Now Alya will turn against Lila, not because she learned to have faith and believe in Marinette, but because Marinette is Ladybug, which disproves Lila’s ultimate lie that got Alya’s attention in the first place? Now Alya will be supportive and less teasing/mocking whenever Marinette will be late, not because she understands that Marinette isn’t perfect and has so many other things on her mind, but because she’s Ladybug and has “hero stuff” to take care of? Now Alya will be careful about what she puts on the LadyBlog, not because she respected Ladybug and what Ladybug would want, but because Ladybug is now her best friend and that changes everything?

Because now, Alya has a free pass to all of that, the show making her spontaneously “developed” now so they won’t have to develop her later, and disappointing doesn’t even begin to describe it.

#category: salt #episode: Gang of Secrets #other: ml spoilers #category: long post #word count: over 7000 #other: ask and answer #((I know this is long so I did what I did in ''The Puppeteer 2'' where I had pictures to break it up.))

[quickspinner]

Oops - Part 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | AO3

(See part 1 for summary and warnings)

Marinette was having a hard time keeping her mind on girls’ night. Rose and Juleka had just signed a new lease to move in together in the coming month, and it should have been exciting, but somehow she just couldn’t get into the discussions about decor and whose couch they should keep and how many dishes they really needed.

Marinette had other things on her mind. 

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she glanced at the others quickly before turning it over. 

Sorry, babe, I’ve got a gig that day. Wish I could.

Marinette bit her lip, trying not to be upset. She started to type a reply, when another set of messages came in. 

You could come if you want We could go home together after Just go easy on the drinks this time ;)

Marinette giggled, but sent back You sure? I won’t be in the way?

I’d want you there even if you were. You’re small, we can stick you in an instrument case if we need to

Marinette laughed aloud at that. 

Should I dress up? she typed.

Anything you wear looks good on my floor. Do what makes you happy 

Marinette pressed her legs together, bouncing her knees, and then sent, before she could rethink it, Doing you makes me happy.

There was a long pause before his next message, and then it was just an address and a time, followed by Can’t wait to see you Friday . And Saturday morning. Don’t make lunch plans. 

Marinette gave a little squeal, hiding her face in her hands. 

All of the girls were looking at her with varying expressions. Juleka and Alix looked amused, Rose excited, and Mylène just looked happy for her. 

Alya was looking at her with a slow spreading grin. “Well weeeeell,” she drawled, leaning on the counter between them. “Let me guess. Setting up your next booty call with your new boytoy?”

There was enough truth in that to make Marinette blush deeply. Alya cackled. 

“Details, girl,” she said, slapping the counter. “You’ve been doing this guy for weeks now, what’s the story? He must be good to still put that dopey look on your face after all this time.”

“What—n-no!” Marinette spluttered, looking at the rest of the girls. Juleka was rolling her eyes while Rose and Mylène covered giggles. Alix had that same amused expression as she shook her head slightly. “I’m not gonna talk about that,” Marinette insisted. “It’s none of your business!” 

“Come on, Mari, spill,” Alya said, leaning forward again. “It can’t be that embarrassing. Does he fuck you up against a wall with all your clothes on and call you a naughty girl?” 

Marinette choked, and Alya laughed. 

“Oh, Marinette, you’re such an innocent,” she chortled, sitting back with a smirk like she had gained some kind of victory. 

Marinette’s face burned with both shame and...anger. How dare Alya dismiss her just like that? Like they were still silly teenagers and Marinette couldn’t even talk to a guy, let alone take him home and—suddenly she realized she was tired of Alya’s patronizing, and on top of that, she felt insulted on Luka’s behalf. Taking a breath, Marinette straightened her shoulders and put on the best air of nonchalance she could manage despite her red face. “He probably would, if I asked him to,” she said airily. “But he really likes to take his time for that part.” Summoning up every ounce of the boldness Luka inspired in her, she blurted, “If he wants to make me come fast and hard, he uses his hands.” 

The entire room went silent as they all stared at her. Pretending like she didn’t feel like she was going to throw up from nerves and embarrassment any second, Marinette added dreamily, “He has amazing hands.” 

Alya raised her eyebrows, clearly amused and at least half disbelieving. “Not his tongue?” 

“He’s a great kisser,” Marinette smiled, deliberately misunderstanding. Alya grinned wolfishly. 

“No, girl, I mean when he e—“

“Oh, he’s great with his mouth on me too,” Marinette interrupted, eyes widening innocently. “It’s just, when he uses his hands, he can still use his voice. Mm, he has such a sexy voice.” The shudder that went through her was entirely real. “It makes me so…” she couldn’t quite bring herself to say it, and took a sip of her wine instead.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I can’t believe that you like this guy dirty-talking you,” Alya accused, narrowing her eyes as she set her cup down with a slam. “Little miss sweetness and light. You can’t even handle it when we talk about fucking.”

Marinette shrugged as if she was completely indifferent to what Alya believed. “You don’t say it like he does,” she commented, and took another sip of her drink, staring off into the distance as if she’d completely forgotten Alya was there. She was stretching the truth a bit, she knew. It wasn’t dirty talk, not really, not the way Alya was thinking. Luka didn’t have to be filthy to work her up; he could recite phone listings in that hot, growling voice, and it would be enough to put her over the edge, so when he told her she was beautiful, that he loved the way she smelled or tasted or felt or sounded, or asked what she wanted, or suggested something he wanted her to do for him, or panted out how close he was…

She shivered again. 

Alya didn’t need to know that though. Marinette flicked her eyes around the others, a little nervous about their reactions. Mylène was smiling, Juleka was smirking, and Rose had her hands clasped together and was practically vibrating with excitement. Alix was snickering behind her hand.

“Aw, did Marinette just shatter all your illusions, Alya?” Alix laughed. “You just can’t handle that your oh-so-innocent bestie has a hot side piece.”

Marinette frowned. “Can you have a side piece if you don’t have a...a main piece?”

Alix patted her shoulder. “You can be your own main piece.” 

“Marinette,” Alya said, putting her drink down, suddenly serious. “This isn’t like you. Just who is this guy, anyway? Does he even have a day job?” 

“Yes,” Marinette frowned. “He’s a teacher.” It wasn’t a lie; Luka did teach private music lessons in addition to his performance work, but with Alya giving her that judgemental look, Marinette didn’t intend to give her any details. 

“Ooh, hot for teacher, nice.” Alix reached over and, though feeling a little foolish, Marinette met her high five, but Alya looked unconvinced.

“Well, just be careful,” Alya cautioned her. “You’re still on the rebound—” Am I? Marinette found herself wondering. It didn’t feel like it, actually, when she thought about it. “—and I know you’re feeling pretty vulnerable right now and I don’t want this guy taking advantage of you. If you wanna have fun with him, whatever, but be careful what you tell him and don’t loan him any money.” She sighed. “And especially, don’t fall in love with him. He’s a good time, and that’s it, and he’ll only break your heart if you start wanting more.” 

Marinette just stared at her, mouth hanging open slightly, as Alya turned away. There was a tense moment and then Rose piped up, “All right, are we ready for the movie? Let’s get started!” The girls all murmured agreement and began moving toward the living room.

Marinette put her drink down, 

“Hey,” Alix said, leaning over her shoulder. “Alya’s just trying to look out for you. She didn’t mean it how it sounded, you know that. If you say this guy is cool, I believe you, but it never hurts to watch out for yourself, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Marinette managed a weak smile. “I get it. Sure.” 

***

Marinette was having a shit day. One of her underlings had screwed up at work, which meant, to the bosses, that Marinette screwed up, and then she had to smile and take in the teeth from her bosses while soothing her horrified intern and trying to deal with the problems he’d caused. She’d complained about it to Alya when she got home, and stupidly, she’d mentioned that knowing she had a date with Luka tonight was the only thing that got her through the day. That earned her another well-intentioned condescending talking-to about being careful and not getting invested in something that was clearly only temporary. “I know you, Marinette,” Alya insisted. “He’ll say something sweet just trying to get you naked and you’ll get infatuated and start planning your whole future while the whole time he’s got one foot out the door.” Nino, who’d showed up to pick up Alya in the middle of it, had grudgingly sided with Alya over the whole thing. 

“It’s not really like you, Nette,” Nino said with an uncomfortable shrug. “I mean, I don’t want to be all judgy and weird. I just…well, you’ve...” He’d trailed off and hustled Alya out the door when he saw tears in Marinette’s eyes, leaving her at least with the dignity of breaking down in private. 

She flopped over the arm of the couch and sobbed until her phone beeped a reminder at her. Luka , she thought, touching her swollen face. She couldn’t go out like this. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to anymore. She just wanted to crawl into bed and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist.

But she had this date, and…

Alya’s words flooded back and fresh tears fell down her face. Maybe Luka wouldn’t care if she canceled. Maybe…maybe she shouldn’t be feeling so sick about that thought. Maybe Alya was right and she was on the road to another heartbreak. Luka had never said anything, after that first day, about wanting anything more. They weren’t always having sex when they were together, they did other things, but they did always end up in bed eventually. But that didn’t mean anything! Right? Maybe—Marinette sighed. Maybe she didn’t need anything else to spiral about tonight, thanks so much, Alya. Why wasn’t she allowed to just have fun without Alya telling her what was best for her? She enjoyed spending time with Luka, and yeah, he made it clear he enjoyed all the... intimate things they did, but that didn’t mean— 

Focus , she reminded herself, wiping her eyes again. She still had a date tonight that she was in no condition to go to, and if she didn’t call soon Luka would already be on his way to meet her. 

She took a couple of deep breaths to steady herself and called him.

“Hey, beautiful, what’s up?” Luka asked, his smooth voice light and cheerful.

“Hi,” Marinette squeaked, and then gulped down a sob. Shit, she should have texted, she sounded awful.

Luka’s tone shifted immediately. “What’s wrong?” he asked. 

“N-nothing major, I just...I had a really bad day and...I don’t think I’m up for our date tonight. I’m so sorry, I know it’s really last minute, I hope you haven’t left yet, I just—” She caught a tear on her hand and wiped it away, trying not to sniffle into the phone.

“Of course it’s okay,” Luka said, his voice low and soft. “Don’t force yourself, it’s fine. Do you want to talk about it?” 

“No,” Marinette choked, her throat tightening again. 

“Okay. Well, how about if I grab some takeout and bring you dinner? I can pick up something for your roommate too if you like.”

“Oh, you don’t—you don’t have to do that. Alya’s out with her boyfriend, I’m not sure she’s even coming back tonight. I mean, you don’t have to pick up anything at all, I can just scrounge something, I'll be fine, I think we have some...some ramen or something I can make…I’m not very hungry right now anyway.” Ugh, she was a babbling idiot, why hadn’t she just texted him.

“Late lunch?”

“No…” Marinette frowned, trying to think. “I don’t think I ate lunch.”

“Thought so,” Luka chuckled. 

“B-but—I—“

“I don’t have to stay if you’d rather be alone,” Luka told her, his voice so full of sympathy that she wanted to cry all over again. “But at least let me bring you something to eat. It’s not like I had other plans. What’s your favorite food to cry into?” His tone turned teasing. “I can at least bring you some real ramen instead of the instant stuff, if that’s really what you want.” 

Marinette bit her lip, picturing for a moment the congee she used to get at the shop by her old office. She loved it, because it reminded her of her mother’s, but she hadn’t had in in ages because they didn’t deliver to this part of town, and—

“Anything you want,” Luka told her softly. “Come on, what are you thinking about?” 

“It’s out of your way,” Marinette said, shifting on her couch. “I...give me just a second, I’ll think of something, um…” 

“Marinette,” Luka said, a touch of amusement in his voice. “Just tell me what you want. I’m all over this town for gigs all the time, a few extra subway stops won’t kill me.” 

She told him, and gave him directions. 

“Okay. I’ll go pick it up and be there as soon as I can. You take a nice long bath or a shower, or at least wash your face, okay? Get comfortable for a night in.”

Marinette smiled a little at his prescription, and whispered, “Okay.” She sat there a few minutes longer after they hung up, trying to gather enough caring to get up and do as he suggested. Finally she made it up off the couch, and drifted into the bathroom.

She cried more in the shower, but she did feel better after standing in the hot water, which at least relieved some of the stiffness and stinging of her face and eyes, and helped her breathe easier. She sat on her bed wrapped in her towel for a long moment, feeling limp and languid, but if she was sitting here naked when Luka showed up, he’d probably think she wanted some other kind of comforting, and she just wasn’t sure she felt like it tonight. She dug out one of her more modest nightgowns, made of thin, soft fabric that fell to her calves, with wide straps and a shallow scoop neck that covered most of her chest. It was still pretty, because Marinette liked pretty things, but it wasn’t seductive or anything like that. 

Not that she was in any condition to seduce anybody, she thought, as she pressed her fingers below her aching eyes. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to let Luka come over. Would it hurt his feelings if she made him leave the food at the door?

Marinette had almost decided to do just that when she heard him knock. She paused with her hand on the doorknob, and then sighed. Well, if her puffy, blotchy face and stuffed up nose grossed him out and he didn’t want to see her anymore, then at least that would be one less thing for Alya to bitch at her about, she thought as she opened the door.

Luka’s expression shifted from concern to sympathy as soon as she came into view. “Aw, come here,” he said, reaching for her as he stepped inside. Marinette let him wrap his arm around her and leaned into him as he squeezed her. He kept her under his arm as he walked to the table, where he put the bag of food down and then turned to embrace her fully, folding her in a tight hug, as he swayed slightly and rubbed her back. It felt amazing, actually, and Marinette pressed her face into his chest, inhaling his scent and enjoying the firm feel of him, warm and solid. 

“You want to eat at the table or somewhere else?” he asked. 

“Couch?” she mumbled into his chest, and he steered her over to it. 

“Sit down then, and I’ll get it all ready.”

He brought her the bowl a few minutes later, sitting down next to her as he made sure she had a grip on it before he let go. “Do you want me to go?” he asked, tucking a damp lock of hair back from her face. “Or would you rather have some company? I won’t be offended, if you’d rather be alone.” 

Marinette looked up at him and opened her mouth, and then changed her mind, looking down with a blush. “Actually some company sounds nice,” she mumbled. 

Luka smiled, and leaned forward to kiss her temple gently. “Let me grab my food then.”

When he returned with his plate, he sat next to Marinette and put his arm around her shoulders. Marinette cuddled against his side, tucking her feet under herself. She admired the ease with which Luka balanced his plate on his knee as he ate, but then from some of the stories he’d told her she supposed he was probably used to eating in weird places

The congee felt good on her raw throat, and she ate almost the whole bowl before she sighed and set it on the coffee table to snuggle more firmly against Luka’s side. He’d already finished, and he put both arms around her. She told him a little bit about her day, leaving out the details of the argument with Alya, and Luka made sympathetic noises and kissed her forehead. 

Alya’s wrong about him , Marinette thought, tucking her face against his neck. He’d never treat anyone the way she thinks, even if it was only physical. He’s too sweet. And I don’t...I don’t think that’s what this is. I think...maybe he really meant what he said at the cafe. Maybe he still does. She took a shaky breath, and Luka’s face turned a little closer to hers, so she knew he was listening.

Marinette chickened out. “Could we...maybe get in bed and watch a movie?” 

“Sure, I’d love that.” Luka smiled. “What’s your favorite thing to watch when you feel crappy?”

Marinette blushed. “You’ll laugh.”

Luka grinned. “So what if I do? If you like it, that’s all that matters. Be selfish tonight, Marinette.” 

Luka followed her to her bedroom, and his eyebrows shot up when she produced a dusty old DVD with a picture of a bus on it. “Speed?” he said, sitting on the bed, and then bit his lip. He held up a finger, turned away from Marinette, and buried his face in her pillow as he laughed. Marinette grabbed her other pillow and whacked him with it. 

“I told you you’d laugh,” she pouted as Luka pushed himself up and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I love Keanu Reeves.” 

“Give it here, and get comfy,” he told her, getting up. Marinette gave him the movie, and he put it in as she tossed the blanket back to the bottom of the bed and got under the sheet. Then she had an internal panic attack as Luka kicked off his shoes and socks and shimmied off his jeans. Oh, maybe she should have—but he’d never have been comfortable if she made him stay dressed, and it didn’t mean they were going to…Stupid, they could have stayed on the couch, why did she invite him to bed?

Barely thinking, Marinette caught the hem of his shirt just before he went to pull it off. “Can you...leave it on?” she asked, and blushed when he looked at her quizzically. “I really like cuddling with you but I...I just—”

“Just?” Luka asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Never mind, it’s stupid,” Marinette sighed, letting go, and feeling like an idiot. “You should be comfortable.

“So should you,” Luka said, sitting back down on the bed. “I can wear a shirt if you want, it’s no big deal.” He reached over and smoothed back her hair—now mostly dry, thankfully. “Is something wrong? You know you can tell me if I ever make you uncomfortable.” 

Oh, she was the worst. He was so kind to her and she was the worst , and how could she admit anything like this to him? Marinette hung her head, and told a truth that wasn’t the truth. “I just...don’t like it when our skin sticks together,” she confessed, and then put her hands over her face. “I’m so sorry. Forget I said anything. I’m being stupid.”

“I’m not forgetting anything,” Luka laughed, sliding under the sheet beside her. “Why are you acting like you did something wrong?” 

“It’s...not very romantic,” Marinette sighed, wrinkling her nose. 

Luka rolled his eyes. “I’d rather you be comfortable than preserve some imaginary aesthetic that no one but us would even be aware of. I don’t mind wearing my shirt or keeping the sheet pulled up if it makes you more comfortable.” He slid down a bit, and stretched his arm out towards her.  Marinette snuggled up next to him again, and sighed contentedly as she rested her cheek against his chest, glad that he wore a soft, slightly worn t-shirt instead of a crisp dress shirt. 

“Comfy now?” he asked, his hand sliding up to massage the back of her neck. 

“Mm,” she agreed, and leaned into his touch with a hum. Eventually they slithered down to lay flat in the bed, Luka curling against her back with his head on her pillow, murmuring sly comments about the movie every now and then that made Marinette giggle, and occasionally reach back to elbow him when she thought he was getting too far out of line. No one, she told him, dissed Keanu in her bed. 

“Yes ma’am,” he agreed, laughing into her hair before he kissed the top of her head. Marinette smiled. 

It was nice, having him snuggled up against her, his teasing voice in her ear, and Marinette’s mood was lifting with each passing moment. She found herself focusing on his broad hand resting on his stomach, his breath tickling the back of her neck, and the warmth of him behind her, the brush of his chest against her back when he breathed. Heat began to pool low in her belly, and her breathing quickened. She pressed back a little, just enough that her back was resting against her chest now, and Luka nuzzled her neck, placing a little kiss below her ear before settling again. Marinette sighed, annoyed with herself. Here she had been worried about giving him the wrong idea, but now that she was comfortable and relaxed, she was starting to change her mind. 

Marinette sniffed experimentally, and found she was breathing much better. She shifted slightly, biting her lip, and then rolled over to face Luka. He blinked at her a little sleepily, and then he smiled. “I’m glad you didn’t revoke my bed privileges. I’m really comfortable right now,” he murmured. “You look like you’re feeling better.” . 

“I am,” she said, and wiggled a little closer, her body already warming at the thought of his touch. She leaned up and kissed him, and any hesitation she’d still been feeling vanished at the soft feel of his mouth against hers. It seemed to wake Luka up too, because his hand went to her face and he returned her kiss with equal enthusiasm. Marinette caught hold of his shirt, and tugged him closer when he would have leaned back. “Can I be selfish, Luka?” she breathed, and felt him shudder as she kissed him again. “Even after all you’ve done for me? Can I ask for more?”

“Always,” he rumbled, rolling up onto his elbow to follow her as she kept tugging on his collar, wiggling to get beneath him. She gasped as he pressed against her, and arched her body up into his, suddenly feeling desperate. Had he been turned on this whole time and said nothing? Alya is so wrong about him. 

“Comfortable , huh?” she teased, and Luka grinned sheepishly.

“I was,” he defended, “Mostly. I can ignore it when I have to, and you didn’t seem like you were up for much.” He kissed her softly.  

“I wasn’t,” she admitted, and then rolled her hips up into him. Luka groaned, his forehead dropping to her shoulder as he grabbed at her hip, and her own eyes closed in pleasure. “I am now,” she sighed. “Please, Luka.” She shivered as she felt the fabric of her nightgown bunch under his big hands, the hem sliding up her calves and over her knees. 

Alya was wrong about him, Marinette was sure, looking up into his eyes as he bent down to kiss her gently, but thoroughly. He only broke the kiss when he finally found the hem of the nightgown. “Can I take my shirt off now?” he asked teasingly as he dragged the nightgown up over her head. Marinette made a muffled sound. “What?” he laughed, but his laugh cut off when she pressed her hips up into him again. 

“I said, yes please,” she told him smugly as he reached back for his collar.  

Marinette settled her arms around his neck and pulled him down into her, eager now for the press of his skin against hers. Luka’s hands carded into her hair, tipping her face to the perfect angle as his mouth descended on hers again. She spared one fleeting thought fr Alya’s warnings before she gave herself up to the moment.

Alya is wrong about Luka...but she might be right about me. Maybe I am falling in love with him. 

***

The movie menu screen had been playing for a while when Luka finally picked up the remote and turned the tv off. “I’m going to grab a drink,” Luka said, kissing Marinette’s jaw. “You want something?” 

“Yes, please,” Marinette sighed. “I don’t think I can move yet.” 

Luka chuckled and kissed her again. “Be right back.” 

Grinning to himself, Luka stopped to pull his boxers and jeans on and made his way to the refrigerator, leaning down to find the water bottles he knew were tucked into the back for him. He’d gotten picky about water on the road, so Marinette, thoughtful as always, kept a few bottles of his favorite brand for him. He grabbed one and cracked it open, taking a long gulp, and then bent to reach in and grab the filter pitcher to make a glass for Marinette. 

“Excuse me?”

Luka jumped and straightened, and turned around to find a woman standing in the apartment doorway, lit from the hall behind. She had one hand on her hip and the other on the doorknob, where a set of keys was still hanging. 

“Hey,” he said, shutting the refrigerator door. “You must be Alya. I’m Luka. I’m Marinette’s—ah—” He’d almost said boyfriend, but he wasn’t, technically, and he suddenly realized he had no idea what word to use. “Friend,” he finally finished lamely, acutely aware of how the word hung between them as he stood there half-naked and disheveled. He lifted the water bottle to his lips again, still parched. “Sorry, we didn’t realize you were coming home tonight.” 

He turned to get a glass from the cabinet, and felt Alya’s eyes on him as he poured the water for Marinette and put the pitcher back. He glanced up and, as he suspected, the look she was giving him was not one of appreciation. Luka had seen that look before and knew that she was seeing the dye and the piercings and the tattoos and not much else. He waited for her to say something, but when she didn’t seem inclined to, he shrugged. “Well, it’s nice to meet you,” he said quickly, and then made his way past her and back to Marinette’s room. “I’ll let Marinette know you’re home.” 

He shut Marinette’s bedroom door behind him, blowing out a breath, and then looked at the bed. 

He forgot about Alya for a moment when his eyes fell on Marinette, looking relaxed and blissfully happy, one lovely shoulder and her feet peeking out of the sheet she had tucked around herself. He could still see the marks of her earlier breakdown on her face, but she looked at peace now. 

If he hadn’t already been sure he loved her, he didn’t think anything on earth would have saved him from falling in that moment. 

Luka brought the water over and set it on her nightstand, then leaned over her to set his on the other one. Marinette smiled dreamily up at him, and he bent down and kissed her gently. She smiled against his lips.

“Your mouth is cold,” she told him, and giggled. 

“Yours is hot,” he teased, kissing her again, a little deeper. Then he sighed. “Your, um...your roommate is home,” he told her, half-regretting it as Marinette stiffened instantly. “I kind of ran into her in the kitchen.”

Marinette bit her lip, looking up at him as a blush lit her face. “Oops,” she murmured, and then giggled in a way that said maybe she wasn’t all that sorry. Laughing, Luka all but tackled her, pressing her back into the pillows as he kissed her messily, moving his lips to her neck and collarbone when she tried to squirm away from him. 

“What was that for?” Marinette giggled, pushing lightly at his chest until he propped himself up on his arms. 

“You are criminally hot,” he told her, smirking when the red tinting her cheeks darkened. “Especially when you blush.” Always when she blushed, but especially now, looking so ravished and yet so sweetly pretty, shy and shameless at the same time. 

He leaned down and kissed her again, more gently, and she hummed against him, kissing him twice more when he would have pulled away. 

When she finally let him sit back, he asked, “Do you want me to leave?” 

“No,” she said with determination, slipping her hand around the back of his neck and pulling him back down into another kiss. “Come get back in bed with me.” 

Not at all unwilling, Luka shimmied out of his pants and crawled over her, slipping under the sheet and tucking it around his front before laying an arm down in invitation. Marinette shifted over to him, and Luka shivered when she moved the sheet away from between them. Instead of settling her head down on his shoulder, she kissed his chest, and his neck, and pressed herself up against him. “I don’t think you’re as done as you led me to believe,” she whispered with a teasing smile. 

“Well not anymore.” Luka grinned up at her, shifting onto his back in answer to the press of his hands on her shoulders. “Feel like scandalizing your roommate?”

“Believe me, it’s her turn,” Marinette huffed, climbing on top of him, and looking up at her pretty face with smiling lips bruised from his kisses, haloed by mussed black hair he couldn’t wait to tangle his hands in again, Luka promptly forgot anyone else even existed. 

Later, he was nearly asleep, curled around Marinette with the sheet tucked between them, when she whispered, “Luka?”

“Hmm?” he blinked his eyes open, though he couldn’t see much. He felt her tense, though, and moved a hand to her arm, rubbing his thumb along her skin. 

“I think I’m falling for you,” she finally said, the sentence half a sigh as the air rushed out of her. 

Luka froze for an instant, completely awake now, and he felt Marinette flinch and tense. Quickly he pressed his lips to the back of her neck, and slid his arm around her waist. “Let me know when you’re sure,” he murmured against her skin. “I’m waiting at the bottom to catch you.” 

He felt her sigh and relax, and then she rolled, scooting up close against him and pillowing her head on his shoulder. Luka held her, rubbing her back softly, and turned his head to bury his face in the pillow to keep himself from screaming. 

On his way out in the morning, Luka gave Alya a broad grin and a two-fingered salute.

***

“Girls, we have a problem,” Alya announced, plopping into a chair and slamming her to-go cup down on the table.

“Good morning to you too, Alya,” Alix muttered, face propped on her fist. “What the hell is it that you needed to talk to us about this early?”

“I met Marinette’s boytoy last night.”

Blank stares from around the table. Alya sighed. “The one night stand? The guy she’s been fucking every night she had free for the last month and more?” 

Alix raised her eyebrows. “Still not seeing the point. So Marinette’s getting laid. A lot. Good for her. Wasn’t it your idea for her to get back out there in the first place?” 

Alya slapped the table. “That’s just it! She’s not out there! She’s hung up on this dude and my point is that this isn’t like Marinette. You know she can’t just do random hookups. This has been going on for a month straight and you know she’s going to catch feelings, if she hasn’t already. And that guy, he—he’s not Marinette’s type . He’s got tattoos and piercings and dyed hair and his clothes are practically rags!” 

“Sounds hot,” Alix observed, and Alya rolled her eyes. 

“It’s not Marinette , and he’s definitely not the type who’s looking to settle down with one girl. He’s going to fuck her until she starts wanting more and then he’s going to break her heart. If we’re lucky. If we’re not, he’ll string her along with a bunch of promises, probably cheating on her the whole time, and then really break her heart. This isn’t the kind of relationship Marinette wants!” She waved her hands around for emphasis. “Marinette wants a house and a picket fence and a—a hamster. She needs husband material .” 

“It does seem like Marinette wouldn’t be satisfied with a purely physical relationship,” Mylène said hesitantly. “But are you sure this man is no good? What if he does like Marinette?” 

“They could totally fall in love! Opposites attract, you know!” Rose added, hooking her arm through Juleka’s with a giggle. “Maybe all Marinette needs is somebody a little bit different to take her mind off...you know. Him .” 

“Rose, there’s different and then there’s different, ” Alya sighed. “Some different is okay, but picking up punk guys in nightclubs is a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“Mkay,” Alix sighed. “Even supposing we agreed with you, and I’m not saying we do, what would we even do about it?” 

“What we need is a distraction,” Alya said, tapping a finger on the table as her brow furrowed in thought. “Someone who can get her mind off of her fuckbuddy and back to thinking about kids and hamsters.” 

For a moment the girls sat in silence. 

“Well,” Juleka said slowly, as heads turned toward her. “There’s my brother, I suppose. He just got back into town a couple months ago.”

“Oh, that’s true!” Rose exclaimed, laying a finger alongside her cheek as she thought. “Ooh, that could work, Juleka. I mean, if Marinette and this guy are in love, then she’ll just be making a new friend, right? And if Alya’s right, then there’s no harm in just introducing Marinette to someone else.”

Juleka shrugged. “Hard to say with him though, whether he’ll be into Marinette. He’ll either get bored or fall hard. He likes creative types—“

“That’s definitely Marinette,” Alix said dully.

“People who are honest—transparent, even.”

Alix snorted. “Also Marinette.”

Juleka was looking even more thoughtful. “People who don’t back down, who think outside the box...yeah, we could try it.” She shrugged. “Don’t know what Marinette’ll think of him, though.”

“He is very handsome,” Rose pointed out. “Not much like— you know , but that might work in our favor after everything. He looks a little bit like Keanu Reeves, and you know Marinette loves him.” 

Juleka snorted. “He wishes he looked like Keanu Reeves.”

“They have the same vibe,” Rose defended. 

Juleka just shook her head. “Well, if Marinette’s into ink and piercings and the whole bad boy look right now, it shouldn’t be a problem, anyway. Dumbass looks like the rough type but he’s a total teddy bear. Best of both worlds, I guess.” 

“Okay, I’ve heard enough,” Alya declared, clapping her hands. “Plan A. Juleka and Rose are throwing a housewarming party.”

“We are?” chorused Rose and Juleka.

“We’ll invite Marinette, Juleka’s brother will be there, we get them together, and they hit it off, and she kicks her loser booty call to the curb. Problem solved.” Alya nodded firmly. 

Alix dropped her head onto her arms. “What’s plan B?” she mumbled. “Seems like this whole plan could fall apart if they end up not liking each other.”

Alya waved a hand dismissively. “We’ll figure that out after we see how this one goes. I’ll have thought of something before the party.”  

***

“This is a pleasant surprise,” Marinette said, tucking the phone between her shoulder and ear as she folded her laundry. “I didn’t expect to hear from you today. I thought you had plans tonight.” 

“I do,” Luka replied. “I just have a few minutes and I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Oh?” Marinette frowned. “What?”

“Well, I had a very interesting conversation with my sister today,” Luka told her, and she could hear amusement in his voice. “She invited me to a party later this week. Said there’s a friend of hers she’d like me to meet. Thought we might hit it off .”

“O-oh,” Marinette managed, dropping the shirt she held. “Really?” Insecurity flooded up and threatened to drown her. Aside from that one late night conversation, they hadn’t really revisited their relationship status. She hadn’t had the courage to bring it up again. If Luka wanted to meet someone else, he was still technically free to do so, but...but she’d thought...

“Yeah, maybe you know her,” Luka laughed. “She’s in your field, after all. Some hot-shot, up and coming designer named Marinette Dupain-Cheng .” 

“Oh. Oh. ” Marinette’s eyes widened, and then she frowned. “Wait, do I know your sister?”

“Well, that’s what I called to find out.” Luka snorted softly. “Know a Juleka Couffaine by any chance?” 

“Juleka?” Marinette shrieked. “You’re related to—how did I not know that? Why didn’t she ever say anything? Why didn’t you?” She racked her brains, thinking back. 

“Mm, generally we’ve been busy not saying other things. Gotta say Jules hasn’t exactly been on my mind when we’re together.” His low chuckle made Marinette blush. 

“Right.” Marinette blushed. “And I suppose I never mentioned your name to her, and Alya just calls you—” She stopped, embarrassed.

“What?” Luka asked, humor in his voice.

“My, um...boytoy.” Luka laughed uproariously, and Marinette began to giggle again. “Or sometimes things that aren’t quite so nice. She thinks you’re not good for me. Because...because of how we met, and all. Um.” She took a breath, hesitating, but then remembered that awful feeling just moments ago when it seemed like the floor had dropped out from under her, and decided it was time to put everything on the table. “She thinks you’re just in it for the sex, and I’m going to get invested and end up getting hurt.” 

“Oh, I see.” Luka drawled. “As if I haven’t been head over heels for you since the moment I saw you.” Marinette blushed, and bit her lip, but Luka went on before she could say anything. “I get it. Sounds to me like your roommate’s trying to set you up with someone who’ll take care of you. Get you away from that sex-crazed loser that’s seduced her poor little innocent bestie.” 

Marinette buried her face, phone and all, into the throw pillow next to her and giggled until her sides hurt and she was gasping.

“Are you done?” Luka asked, still sounding amused, when the giggling finally subsided. “Or do I need to send someone over there to administer oxygen?” 

“I’m fine,” Marinette snickered. “Listen, Luka, my friends are having a party next week and I’ve got this weird feeling they’re trying to set me up. Will you come be my date to Juleka’s party? Maybe—“ She steeled herself and took the plunge. “Maybe if I introduce them to my boyfriend , they’ll back off.

There was a moment of silence. Marinette forgot to breathe.

“I’m going to need you to say that again when we’re in the same room,” Luka said, voice deliciously deep and husky, “So I can kiss you properly. Can you come over?”

Air rushed out of her. “Aren’t you busy tonight?” she asked, and smiled at the sound of his laugh. 

“Not anymore.” 

“Are you sure?” she teased. “I thought you had plans.” 

“Consider them cancelled,” Luka told her, “Get your gorgeous ass over here.” 

She did, and after she had said it again, after the kissing and the other soft words, after the more-than-kissing, they cuddled close, happy, sated, and basking in their newly upgraded relationship. Marinette felt Luka stir and prop himself on his elbow.

“You know,” he said, his breath washing across her cheek. “I’m thinking about this party the girls are planning.”

“Do you still want to go?” Marinette asked, reaching up 

“Absolutely,” he said, and then his voice dropped, making her shiver slightly as he nuzzled her ear. “But why don’t we make things a little interesting.”  He whispered his plan in Marinette’s ear, and she began to giggle. 

***

Juleka sighed as she looked at their new apartment, cleaned and decorated without a scrap of cardboard left in the place, and gazed with exasperated fondness on all the little finger sandwiches and appetizers Rose had spent all day making. Luka had better appreciate this, she thought, as she pasted on a smile and started letting in the guests that began to arrive in ones and twos. Well, at least Rose was happy. Any excuse to bust out the glitter and craft paper and try out all these super cute recipes she found on Pinterest.

Juleka was genuinely happy to see Luka, though, when he finally knocked on the door. Her schedule had been packed lately, which was great from a career standpoint, but she hadn’t seen as much of him as she wanted to since he’d come back from his travels. She felt a little guilty that it had taken Alya’s plotting to get her to make room on her schedule to see him. 

Well, hopefully she was about to make up for it.

“Hey, Jules,” he said, kissing her cheek and then Rose’s. “Congratulations on the new place.” 

“Thanks,” Juleka half-smiled, all the admission she was willing to make that she was glad to see him. She was pleased to note that he’d listened to her admonishments and dressed up. He looked nice, in a black dress shirt open at the collar and jeans that were mostly intact. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing the tattoos on his arms, and the dye in his hair was bright and fresh. Good. Maybe he had half a shot with Marinette, if he didn’t open up his big mouth and screw it up. 

“We’re so glad you could make it, Luka!” Rose squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. Then she drew back with a dismayed expression. “Oh, but she’s not here yet.”

Luka shrugged. “That’s okay, I’m in no hurry. I meant to tell you, I’ve...actually been seeing someone, to be honest.” He had the grace to look sheepish, and winced at the way Juleka’s eyes widened.

“What?” she asked sharply, and then smacked his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Luka shrugged, and Juleka’s heart sank at the stupid grin that spread over his face. “We weren’t really official until just a few days ago. After we talked about this. I don’t think I’ve put my guitar down since then except to pee, so…I kinda forgot.” 

“Gross,” Juleka muttered out of habit. 

“Oh,” cooed Rose, clasping her hands together, before grabbing Juleka’s arm and shaking her lightly. “Ohhh, he looks so happy!”

“I am happy,” Luka grinned. “Really, really happy. She’s amazing, I’ve never met anyone like her. It’s maybe too soon to say it, but...this could be it, you know?”

Juleka felt a little sick. She hadn’t realized she was so invested in setting up Luka and Marinette, but the crushing disappointment she now felt said she was. She liked Marinette a lot, and she loved Luka more than almost anyone else in the world, and the more she considered the idea of them together, the more she thought it could work. Even though she had told herself (and Rose) not to get her hopes up, she absolutely had. 

But Luka was practically glowing, so Juleka swallowed the sick feeling and told him she was happy for him. And she was, really. She had to be happy about anything that made him smile like that. As much as she would have liked to have Marinette for a sister, she wanted Luka’s happiness over all. 

She wasn’t looking forward to dealing with Alya, though. Focus. Luka was looking at her with a little hopeful half-smile on his face and Rose would kill her if she crushed his enthusiasm.

“Well, when you’re sure we won’t scare her off, bring her to dinner.” Juleka punched his arm lightly. “I have to meet the lunatic who would date you.” 

“Sure, sounds good. So, is there a tour?” Luka asked with a grin, and Rose bounced on her toes before grabbing onto his arm and tugging him further into the apartment. She gave Juleka one commiserating glance behind his back before she began introducing him to the small gathering of friends in their modest living room. 

Juleka sighed and stationed herself back by the door to head off Alya when she came in and warn her. 

The next person to show up, though, was Marinette, which was a bit surprising. She was supposed to be coming with Alya, and she wasn’t nearly as late as she usually was. Juleka felt like pouting as she looked over Marinette. She was dressed up too, in a chocolate brown dress that hugged her figure nicely to the waist, covered with a sheer lace overlay that ran up over her neck and shoulders. The skirt hung to her knees in sheer layers edged in scallops of pink lace that were piled thick enough to cover everything important, but thin enough to tease. Her hair was loose and flowing around her shoulders, and she was smiling so cheerfully, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. She’d have been the perfect bait if the trap hadn’t already been sprung. Dammit, Luka , Juleka thought grumpily. You’re missing out, dumbass . 

“I brought cookies!” Marinette said breathlessly, holding up a cellophane-wrapped platter. “You can keep the plate, I got it for you.” 

Juleka mumbled her thanks, smiling at the combination of cookies shaped like roses and black bats on a platter that matched their new dishes. “Thanks, Marinette. That’s really thoughtful.”

“Of course,” Marinette grinned, bobbing on her toes a little. “I’m so excited for you guys!”

She looked so genuinely excited that Juleka had to smile. “Most everybody is here already,” Juleka told her, waving her on into the apartment. “Rose is in the back showing some people around, but she’ll be back up in a minute. Wine?” 

“Please,” Marinette said gratefully, and Juleka poured her a glass. “You did a great job of blending your styles, it looks so pretty in here, but, you know. Juleka pretty and not just Rose pretty. I really like what you did with the curtains—” 

Juleka let her ramble on, glancing at the clock now and again. Alya and Alix were due any minute and she had to head Alya off before she did anything...pushy. Luka didn’t like pushy. Marinette drifted into the living room to chat with some other friends—and damn, the front of that dress might be all sweetness and light but the back was really sexy. “Damn it, Luka,” Juleka muttered with a frustrated sigh. “This girl better be fucking incredible.”  

Luka was just following Rose back from the spare bedroom the girls were turning into a combination craft/music room, when he caught sight of Marinette chatting with a few other people in the living room.

Rose saw her almost at the same time, and gave a little squeal. “Marinette, you made it!” 

Marinette came to hug her, and Luka waited while they exchanged pleasantries, trying to keep his cool so he didn’t give anything away. Finally Rose remembered he was there and turned to him, tugging Marinette forward a little. 

“Oh, Marinette, this is Juleka’s brother Luka!” Rose chirped. “Luka, this is Marinette, the friend we were telling you about.” 

For a moment, they just looked at each other. Just long enough to give Rose pause. Then...

“Hi,” Luka said, grinning down at her. 

“Hi,” Marinette murmured, smiling up at him. 

 “You look good enough to eat,” he told her, settling a hand on her hip and tugging her closer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rose’s eyes widen and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

“Is that a promise?” Marinette winked, and the tremble in her voice said she was about to laugh too. 

He bent down and she pushed up and they met in a passionate kiss. Her arms went around his neck (she remembered just in time not to dump her wine down his back) and his hands found her back—which was mostly bare, he realized as he felt warm skin under his hands. The noise he made wasn’t very dignified but it would only add to the show; he slid his hands down her back and onto her ass. Just to really sell it, naturally. No doubt she was kneading his chest and shoulders for the same reason. 

Damn, she even tasted like chocolate, the little minx. He’d be willing to bet she did that on purpose.

Beside them, Rose practically had to stuff both fists in her mouth to keep herself from screaming. She looked around and grabbed Mylène’s arm, shaking her as Rose hopped up and down. 

“Rose, what is—oooohhh,” Mylène’s eyes went round as Rose spun her around to face the kissing couple. Rose leaned down and began to hiss excitedly into her ear. “Wait, slow down— what? ” Mylène slapped her own hands over her mouth and looked at Rose. 

“ I know!!” Rose whisper-squealed, reaching up to tug at her short hair with both hands. Both of them looked towards the door, where they could see Juleka letting in Alya and Alix.

“Marinette gave us the slip,” Alya said, rolling her eyes. “Something about needing to pick up a card or some nonsense. She’s looking good, though, which is a good thing for us, right? She’s got this cute little brown dress with pink and she looks like a chocolate strawberry macaroon.” 

“Wait till you see the back,” Alix grinned. “Just these two lace panels that meet between her shoulderblades and the rest is bare. Seriously hot. I’m totally begging her to make...” She trailed off as she looked at Juleka’s face. Juleka sighed.   

“Listen, Alya, I need to tell you—” Juleka began, but Alya interrupted her, her face scrunching up as she looked at something over Juleka’s shoulder.  

“Oh you’re kidding me, I can’t believe she brought him. What is she thinking?” Alya demanded, grabbing Juleka’s arm. “How could you let him in?” Juleka raised her eyebrows, but before she could say anything, Alix had leaned around them to see what Alya was looking at.

“What now?” Alix grumbled. 

“Marinette brought her boytoy,” Alya spat, frustrated. “I can’t believe her.” Juleka nearly laughed at the irony until connections started snapping together in her head. With a feeling of dawning horror, she paused and turned slowly to look behind her, just in time to see her brother sticking his tongue down her friend’s throat. I’ll kill him , she thought. “No wonder she didn’t give me any pushback when I suggested she dress up a little,” Alya muttered, but Juleka barely heard her. 

“Nice,” Alix said, still leaning around Juleka to see, eyebrows raising in appreciation. Then she frowned. “Hold on, isn’t that—” 

At the same time, Juleka blurted “Wait,” and Alix broke off as both she and Alya turned to look at Juleka, who had gone pale. “ That ’ s the guy Marinette went home with? The guy she’s been banging every chance she got since—”  A look of horror crossed her face. “That’s who she’s been telling us—oh, gross. ” She put a hand over her mouth, sure she was about to vomit. “Oh my God, I don’t know what I did to deserve this but I deeply regret whatever it was.” 

“Never mind all that, we have to find a way to get him out of here before your brother shows up,” Alya hissed. 

Juleka groaned and put her face in her hands. 

Alix began to laugh. “I do feel sorry for you,” she told Juleka. “I really do. I definitely wouldn’t want to know any of that about my brother.” She paused, and made a face, turning slightly green. “Oh God, did not need that mental image, and mine’s not even real.” 

“I’m gonna hurl,” Juleka mumbled. “I can’t believe I have to live with this knowledge.”

Across the room, Marinette broke their kiss long enough to ask, breathlessly, “Think they got the point?” Luka glanced up and began to laugh into her hair as she nibbled his collarbone. 

“Juleka’s face is priceless right now.” He dropped his head and licked her neck, before moving his face up to whisper in her ear. “If we don’t get out of here right now I’m going to bust a gut and ruin everything.” 

“Then by all means, let’s go,” she giggled. “Tell me the next time they look over.” 

Luka glanced up. “Now.” 

Marinette slipped her hand between his legs and squeezed, making him jump with a “whoa.” 

“Sorry. Too much?” Marinette whispered. 

“Not if we’re leaving right now,” he grinned back, and let Marinette take his hand, giving him her best bedroom eyes as she backed towards the door, tugging him along. He didn’t even have to feign the dopey look on his face as he stared back at her. As they passed the knot of her friends, all staring saucer-eyed at them, she waved at them.

“Thanks for inviting me, Juleka! Sorry I have to bow out early, but um...I have something to take care of,” Marinette giggled, handing her wine glass to Alix as she kept towing Luka towards the door. He smirked at Juleka and winked.

“I’ll text you about dinner,” he called over his shoulder, laughing, and then grabbed Marinette’s ass just before they stepped out of the door.

“Holy fuck,” Alix muttered, still gaping at the door. “Was that really Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” She began to laugh. “I am so fucking proud.” 

“This isn’t funny!” Alya hissed. “This is a disaster!” 

“Oh, it’s hilarious,” Alix gasped, barely able to breathe, and Rose and Mylène nodded, both giggling. Rose squealed, bouncing on her toes. 

“This is amazing, I can’t believe it, it’s like fate or something—”

“I’m not sure that’s how fate works.” Mylène was trying to hold in her laughter for Alya’s sake. “But they certainly seem happy together.” 

Juleka, still looking a little green, put her hand on Alya’s shoulder before Alya could retort. “Look, it’s fine. You don’t have to worry about her. Luka’s the only person on the planet who’s a bigger sap than Marinette. If he’s into her, he’s all in.” Remembering the way Luka had been glowing when he’d talked about his new girl—when he talked about Marinette —she managed a tiny smile despite her nausea. If Luka got his way maybe she’d have Marinette for a sister-in-law after all. 

It was wiped away a second later as Alix guffawed, “Oh, she loves him being all in,” and Juleka groaned. 

“I need alcohol now ,” she grumbled. “I am going to give him so much shit in the wedding speech to make up for this.”

***

Outside, Luka and Marinette got to the elevators, and then collapsed against the wall in a brief fit of giggles.

“That was brilliant,” Marinette laughed, squeezing Luka’s arm. “I’m so embarrassed but it was so worth it, did you see Alya’s face?” 

“Juleka’s gonna kill me,” Luka chortled. “I can’t wait. Come here.” He pulled her close and kissed her, softer and more carefully than he had inside, and Marinette hummed with pleasure. Not that she hadn’t been enjoying their sloppy makeout, but this was more Luka’s style, and since she loved Luka, she—Marinette paused, and pulled back to look at him, biting her lip as he blinked and smiled softly at whatever he saw in her face. Marinette took a breath.

“I love you,” she said, keeping her eyes on his, though her pulse hammered in her veins. She hadn’t thought his eyes could get any softer, but he looked at her as if she was the greatest treasure in the world as he cupped her cheek and laid a soft kiss on her lips.  

“I love you too,” he said roughly, and gathered her up in his arms, squeezing her tight, lifting her off her feet as he squeezed her hard. 

Marinette giggled into his shoulder. “Poor Alya,” she muttered. “So wrong and so right at the same time.” She pulled back and kissed him again. “Take me home, before someone catches us making out in the hallway.” 

“Too late, dudes.” 

They both looked up, and Marinette’s mouth fell open as she saw Nino stepping out of the elevator with a pained expression. “Does the phrase get a room mean anything to you guys?” 

“Oh,” Marinette ducked her head sheepishly. “Sorry, Nino. By the way, this is Luka. He’s...Juleka’s brother?” 

Nino blinked, and then groaned. “Oh, shit.” 

Marinette giggled. “We’re um...we’re leaving now. Uh...Alya might be a teensie bit—” She held up her pinched fingers. “...stressed?” 

Nino rolled his eyes, but reached back to catch the elevator door for them before it closed. “Guess I’m on damage control,” he sighed, but with a grin. “Come on, get out of here.”  Needing no further encouragement, Marinette pulled Luka into the elevator. “Bring him to dinner or something next time,” Nino called as he let the door close. “We can’t keep meeting like this.” 

In the elevator, Luka and Marinette looked at each other. “Oops,” she whispered, and they both broke down laughing. Luka hugged her close, and Marinette sighed. “You know,” she mused. “As far as mistakes go…” She smiled up at him. “You’re the best one I ever made.” 

#quickspins #oops #lukanette #endgame lukanette #lukanette endgame #luka couffaine #marinette dupain-cheng #miraculousladybug #miraculous ladybug #alya salt #depending on your sensitivity level #nsfwish fic #one night stand to lovers #pro lukamari #i'll never not know you

[edendaphne]

“Discordant Sonata” Chapter 19

>>Click here to read on Ao3<<

>>Click here to read on Wattpad<<

–––––

CHAPTER 19: ATTACCA

Music glossary:        Attacca - "To attack at once"; used as a direction in music at the end of a movement to begin the next without pause

–––––

(Mood music: "The Conversation" - Pearl Django)

Being mere months away from graduating lycée meant that their group of friends didn’t have as many classes together, due to their diverse individual interests and talents. However, they always made sure to make time to hang out after school before their extracurricular activities began.

And thus, Adrien, Nino, and Alya made their way to the classroom where the art club gathered to meet up with Marinette. From there, Adrien would make his way to either fencing lessons or Chinese, depending on the day of the week. Marinette would join him on days when he had Chinese (as she’d become determined to master the language ever since her uncle visited from Shanghai a few years back), Alya would go to her journalism club, and Nino would travel to his part-time internship at the local recording studio.

“–and the backlogs just keep piling up!” Alya spoke as they walked, voice full of vigor and excitement. “I’ve had to recruit yet another mod to help me keep order in the forums! Especially since the Ladyblog has started going international and we’ve had to organize servers in different languages. You wouldn’t believe how crazy it’s gotten in there recently!”

“Dang, babe,” Nino interjected. “Sounds like things are super rough for you right now.”

“Not really, more busy than anything. Especially because I have that big research article due next week, there’s just not enough hours in the day to try to read everything that goes on in there. But I have my mods report to me daily, ‘cause I always like to stay on top of everything that goes on in the chats!”

“What’s gotten everyone so riled up in the Ladyblog lately?” Adrien chimed in. “I don’t recall it being nearly this busy last year.”

The trio entered the art club’s classroom and settled down at the table where Marinette sat, getting her various sketches organized. The art teacher was quite easy going, so they didn’t have to talk in hushed whispers and could come and go as they pleased.

“Well, to be honest, it’s because of Chat Noir,” Alya replied.

Adrien tried to contain his surprise. “R-really? What– uhhh, what do people have to say about him?”

He winced inwardly. He knew he shouldn’t ask. But curiosity got the better of him today. Maybe learning the news through the filter or Alya’s paraphrasing instead of reading the negative comments firsthand would lessen the sting of what people said about him.

Marinette whipped her head around at the mention of his alter ego. “Wait, what about Chat Noir?” she inquired.

“Girl,” Alya replied, her voice filled with renewed exuberance. “You would not believe how much we’ve had to censor and moderate all the inappropriate things people have been saying!”

Adrien flinched in his seat. “Wow… do people really hate him that much?” he asked, trying to conceal the dejection in his voice.

Alya busted out into loud guffaws. “Hate?! Dude, most people don’t hate him; they LOVE him! By ‘inappropriate’ comments, I mean the kinda stuff you wouldn’t want your grandma to catch you reading! There’s a whole giant section dedicated to his new fan club!” she said as she removed her glasses so she could wipe away the tears of laughter.

“WHAT?!” Adrien squawked in confusion, his face feeling hotter than the ovens back at the bakery. “A fan club??”

Marinette burst into uncontrollable snickering. “Has it really gotten that bad?!”

Nino joined in, “Bro! Adrien, I can’t believe you haven’t heard Alya rant about these rabid fans before! They call themselves the ‘Noir Nation’, and the kind of things they’ve been writing would make adult romance authors blush like schoolgirls!”

Alya nodded, thoroughly amused. “And that’s not including all the fanfiction people have been writing.”

“Wait– the WHAT?! There’s fanfiction?!!” Marinette gaped in shock, as if she’d been hit in the face with an enormous pie. “Alya, how come I never knew about this?!”

“Why? You wanna read em? Girl, you’ll get no judgment from me. If you wanna check ‘em out for yourself, just go check under the hashtag ‘Ladynoir’.”

Marinette stammered as her arms flailed in her bewilderment, accidentally knocking her phone off the table and onto the floor, her eyes bigger and rounder than Adrien had ever seen them. “They have a ship name?!” she screeched.

“Just mind the ratings though,” Alya advised. “Some of them can get pretty steamy. You wouldn’t want someone to catch you reading those in public,” she added with a wink.

Marinette continued to sputter incoherently. “NO, I am NOT gonna read it!! It would be different if they were fictional characters, but I could never read fanfiction about real people!”

Alya raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. “Mm-hmm… Sure.”

Marinette’s hands flew to her face, trying to hide how red her entire face had gotten, and released a long squeak that resembled a hamster on helium. As shocked as Adrien was about these rather unexpected news, seeing Marinette’s over-the-top reaction brought a wide grin to his face and he busted out laughing.

He bent over to retrieve Marinette’s phone, since she was too busy being mortified to notice it had fallen to the floor. As he was about to hand it back, the screen lit up and Adrien saw the lockscreen wallpaper: it was the same photo of Ladybug and Chat Noir that he himself had saved earlier that day. He smiled, not exactly sure what to make of it, but finding it adorable that she’d liked the photo enough to set it as her lockscreen.

He tapped her shoulder, waiting for her to respond. She emerged from behind her impromptu hand shield and turned her head, then her eyes widened once again as soon as she saw what Adrien was showing her. She jolted straight up, stiff as a board, and her eyes met his, cheeks turning tomato red. He winked at her, amused about this little secret between them, and handed back her phone without a word.

Marinette accepted it with a meek-sounding, “Thanks,” looking like she wanted to explain the photo, but not able to do so unless she wanted Alya and Nino to find out that she was potentially a… ahem– “Ladynoir” shipper.

Switching the conversation to something else (which Marinette seemed to be eternally grateful for), the group chatted until it became time for them to scatter to their next destinations.

With a wave, Adrien exited the classroom and headed towards fencing practice, one of the few activities he decided to stick with despite not being forced to participate. Fencing, along with Chinese lessons, were not only enjoyable, but were also quite useful. Sadly, he didn’t have access to a piano anymore, so he wasn’t able to pursue that hobby for the time being. Hopefully later down the line, when things had settled down and he’d found his own place to live, he’d be able to finance one.

Thinking about the future had become an exciting pastime instead of an anxiety-inducing one, and it was all thanks to his friends and those he cared about. He smiled as he reached the door to the locker rooms, continuing to daydream of what was to come.

(Mood music: "Recollection 3" - Shirō Sagisu (BLEACH OST, "The Diamond Dust Rebellion")

Adrien finished getting dressed for fencing, his head still blissfully floating in the clouds. He stored his belongings into his assigned locker, shutting it with a loud clang, which echoed through the empty room.

Huh...? Empty?

He swiveled his head around, surprised that there was no one beside him. He stood up and began walking down the large room, peeking down the other locker rows looking for his classmates; but there was nobody.

Where was everyone? There’s no way that every single one of them was running late. Had his lessons been cancelled and he’d somehow missed a text message or email? He began heading back towards his locker to check his phone for any schedule changes.

Before he reached his destination, however, heavy thudding footsteps broke the eerie silence. Adrien whipped his body around to greet whoever they belonged to.

The owner of those footsteps was one of the last people Adrien expected to meet here.

“Gaspard?!”

Adrien stood agape, face to face with his old bodyguard, whom he hadn’t seen in a couple of years; not since he’d resigned and moved out of the country. Nathalie had mentioned that in his resignation letter, Gaspard said that he’d become involved in an overseas business venture involving the market of rare action figures. Nevertheless, Adrien couldn’t help but suspect that his father’s ill temper and poor treatment of their employees was the true reason for his departure.

Adrien’s first reaction was surprise and joy, and he rushed forward to greet and embrace him. However, as he approached and got a better look at the man’s face, Adrien’s mood instantly morphed into confusion and apprehension. There was something odd about his eyes.

Something wasn’t right. Why was Gaspard here? And why now?

He came to a halt about a meter before reaching him. An oppressive weight seemed to press in all around him, and he had to suppress a shiver. “Wait. Gaspard, did–” he gulped, “–did my father send you?”

His old bodyguard did not reply, but took a heavy step towards him. Adrien stepped back.

“Please… I can’t go back. I live somewhere else now, and I’m very happy there. Whatever he told you about the situation, it’s a lie.”

His bodyguard continued to approach him, his stare vacant and unsettling.

Fighting the urge to panic, he pleaded, “You don’t have to do this. If he’s offered you compensation, I can match it; it’ll just take me a bit of time. But we can work something out, right?? For old time’s sake?”

He continued walking backwards until he bumped into something firm, but it wasn’t a wall; it was another person. Before he could turn around, they grabbed him by the shoulders, detaining him and preventing him from running away.

He was about to shout for help when something sharp jabbed him on the side of the neck, injecting a cold liquid. Adrien’s eyes grew wide in terror.

Shit.

Adrien swore as he jerked away, elbowing whoever was behind him and managing to break free. Rubbing at the spot where the syringe had stabbed him, he glanced back to take a look at his other assailant, only to see... another Gaspard?

Why are there two of him??

This was wrong. Gaspard didn’t have a twin; he knew that for a fact. He’d worked for the Agrestes ever since Adrien was a toddler and was too young to even pronounce his name correctly (hence the nickname “Gorille”, which stuck around for years afterwards). Additionally, there was something uncanny, otherworldly, even, about the way these two men looked and moved.

He shook himself out of his stupor. He didn’t have time to contemplate any possible explanations. He had to get out of there fast.

He sprinted towards the exit, but only managed to travel a few paces before he lost his footing and tripped. He fell to the ground hard, almost hitting his head on a nearby bench. As he struggled to get up, he realized that his fingers and toes had already gone numb.

Not good.

Time was running out. Adrenaline coursed through him and, with a grunt, he hefted himself to his feet and scrambled towards the exit, as fast as he could despite a heavy limp. Though his heart was hammering and his legs felt like they were filled with sand, he pushed himself, concentrating on reaching the door.

After taking a few steps, however, he realized that even if he did manage to exit the locker room, the area beyond was an open courtyard. Meaning he wasn’t going to be able to reach someplace safe before getting caught. He had no choice but to transform into Chat Noir, and hopefully Plagg’s powers and strength could help him escape and find somewhere to hide.

He’d scarcely uttered the first syllable in the transformation phrase when he was tackled to the ground. A giant hand swiftly covered his mouth and Adrien felt his hands get bound together with thick zip ties behind his back. A muffled scream of writhing frustration made its way up his throat as his limbs became more and more useless by the second.

No… This can’t be happening! Please, this can’t be how it all ends!

Just when his life had finally gained a semblance of normalcy and he’d found happiness again, it would get ripped away and he would disappear without a trace, leaving everyone to wonder what had happened to him. Leaving his friends to think that Gabriel had pulled him from school and they would never see him again. Leaving Ladybug to wonder if Chat had abandoned her forever. Leaving her to fight Hawkmoth alone. Again.

He couldn’t let that happen. He thrashed and struggled as furiously as he could, fighting the feelings of overwhelming helplessness that threatened to consume him. Nearing despair, he was too distracted to notice Plagg phrasing through the wall, away from the skirmish, in search of the only person who could save him.

(Mood music: "Run" - Ludovico Einaudi)

Marinette fidgeted with her pencil, her feet wiggled and bounced under her desk. She didn’t understand; when she’d arrived at the art club, her head had been filled with inspiration and ideas that she’d been excited to draw and execute. However, at the moment, her mind was filled with noise and disquietude.

Having had enough, she excused herself to visit the restroom. Once she’d walked far enough from the classroom, she opened her purse to talk to Tikki about her current dilemma.

“It’s the same feeling as last night, Tikki! Except that would mean one of three possibilities. Option A.) It’s nothing and I’m going crazy. And— don’t give me that look, Tikki! I can see what you’re thinking and I don’t have time for your cheeky sass right now!” The kwami snickered while Marinette cleared her throat and continued, “Option B.) that Chat is here, at this school, which is impossible because his school’s on the other side of the city, that’s why he always leaves the house super early for his long commute.”

Tikki opened her mouth and looked like she was about to say something, but then didn’t (...or couldn’t?).

Marinette resumed, “Or, C.) that my–– what do I even call it? My ‘Spidey sense’??–– that it’s got a long distance mode, and Chat is all the way across Paris and he’s in trouble! But what am I supposed to do about that from here?! I wouldn’t even know where to begin looking!”

Tikki shrugged. “Follow your instincts, Marinette. There’s no harm in taking a quick look around the school, right?”

Marinette groaned. “UGH! It doesn’t make sense!! Am I going to get interrupted like this all the time from now on?” She shook her head resolutely. “No. I can’t just go off on random field trips every single time I feel a random fit of anxiety. I’m sure it’s just leftover jitters from last night. I’m supposed to call Master Fu after school anyway; he can help me figure everything out. I’m just gonna go back to class and forget about it.”

Tikki frowned, not quite convinced, but deciding not to press further.

Marinette made her way back to the classroom in a frustrated huff. But as her hand reached to turn the handle, the feelings of danger and urgency multiplied tenfold. Without a word, she sprinted away in the opposite direction, not even knowing where she was running to, only knowing she had to get there immediately.

She reached the large common area of the school downstairs. Her head whipped around, frantically searching for something, anything. In her haste, she didn’t notice a small black creature zoom into her open purse.

A few moments later, she felt a frantic tugging at her shirt from below.

“Marinette!! Over there! Check the locker room, quick!!!” Tikki whisper-screamed as she peeked outside the purse, her tone uncharacteristically frantic.

Marinette nodded, then sprinted to the locker room.

“Wait! You should transform first!” Tikki added.

No time!

“Marinette, wait!!”

Despite Tikki’s protests, Marinette raced towards the double doors, tackling them open.

Three sets of eyes landed on her as she skidded to a halt, but only one pair consumed her entire attention. She gasped in horror, hands flying to her face as she stared at what was occurring in front of her. Adrien let out a desperate, muffled scream urging her to run.

His panicked voice snapped her out of her dazed shock; but instead of running, she stood her ground, eyes darting back and forth across the area searching for something useful. The room was remarkably barren except for a lone broom a short distance away from her. She grabbed it and leaped towards the closest attacker (the one holding Adrien down), swinging it like a baseball bat.

The man didn’t even try to avoid the hit; the broomstick merely bounced off the side of his face where Marinette had hit him. She frowned in confusion, then tried hitting him again, bringing the stick down on the top of his head like an axe.

SNAP.

The end of the broom flew off, and Marinette stared in shock at the broken broomstick.

“What the hell are you?!” Marinette exclaimed, shifting her grip on the shortened wooden stub.

She pounced at the second bodyguard, bringing her weapon down in a stabbing motion; but he swatted at her hand, disarming her. She yelped in pain, leaping backwards to get some distance between them.

She was outmatched. The only strategy available was to use their own size against them. With a feint to the side, she shot at his legs for a takedown, hoping to catch him off balance. He called her bluff and shoved her backwards with his giant palm, then kneed her in the stomach.

Winded from the impact, Marinette doubled over with a gasping wheeze, fighting with all her might to keep herself from collapsing onto the ground. She forced herself upright and attacked again. With a clumsy jerk, she lunged forward, swinging wild punches at her opponent. The shots connected but his expression barely changed; it was like beating a breathing punching bag.

The bodyguard backhanded Marinette across the face. Pain shooting across her cheek, she staggered, almost losing her balance. In her daze, she watched helplessly as the man reared his arm back. There was no chance to dodge. His fist connected with her abdomen, delivering a liver shot that shut down her entire body. She crumpled to the floor as if boneless. She tried to call out Adrien’s name, but her mouth merely opened in a silent scream.

Marinette could hear Adrien’s distressed screaming, but it sounded distant, like they were underwater. The edges of her vision grew black and fuzzy, the entire room dissolving around her. She had to consciously force her lungs to inhale, but couldn’t fill them all the way, as if a boulder had been placed on top of her chest.

Faintly, she felt herself getting picked up off the ground and carried away over someone’s shoulder. Disoriented and semi-blinded, the sudden movement and rough jostling made her head spin and gave her vertigo. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it all out.

A few moments later, they stopped moving, and she heard a door burst open. Where were they? Before she could gather her senses, she was in the air, thrown several meters away, landing with a hard thud. A sharp pain traveled down her body as she rolled into the wall across them. The shriek that tried to escape her throat emerged as a strained, shallow whine.

The man stomped out, leaving her alone in the room. “Stop…!” she rasped out, managing to tilt her neck upwards, head pounding.

The bodyguard slammed the door shut, followed by a bang and a clattering sound that could only mean he’d broken the doorknob of whatever room she was in.

Marinette's vision became more and more blurred. At the verge of losing consciousness, she fought to keep her eyes open as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

No, she couldn’t pass out! She had to save Adrien! Stay awake, Marinette, stay awake!!

She bit down on her lip hard, focusing on the sharp sting, on the swelling that was already forming around her right eye, forcing herself to feel the pain her body was in. At this moment, feeling pain was better than falling unconscious. She concentrated on her breathing, slowly regaining her senses.

She reached down to open her purse and get Tikki’s help… only to be met with emptiness. Panic settled in her gut as she realized that sometime during the skirmish, the purse had slipped off her shoulder. She sat up, slowly, so she wouldn’t risk feeling faint again from the change in positions.

She squinted, adjusting her eyesight to the darkness of the room. It seemed to be some sort of supply closet. After a failed few attempts to stand, she crawled towards the door instead, careful not to bump into the crates and shelves that filled the area.

The girl eyed the broken doorknob wearily. She was pretty proficient at lockpicking and breaking into things, but not as good at breaking out. Her only hope was that Tikki would be able to find her… if she was even nearby.

She swore to herself. Why had she rushed in and attacked two grown ass men (who, incidentally, may or may not be supernatural to boot!) instead of hiding and creating a strategy?! Now she was useless, Tikki was gone, and Adrien was surely on his way to get auctioned to the highest bidder in the criminal black market and ransomed off for an enormous sum. Great job, Marinette. Adrien’s been abducted and it’s all your fault.

Gathering all the determination she could muster, she tried to call out for help. But her voice was still too hoarse, and only a weak croak came out. She clenched her fists, grumbling irritably. Time for a different approach. Somehow, she needed to make noise.

After a brief search, she found a hard, metallic object that she could use to hammer on the door. She tested it out; it was surprisingly effective. She doubled her efforts, making as big a racket as possible. Hopefully, it would only be a matter of time before somebody heard her, let her out, and she could go find Adrien.

She couldn’t let anything else happen to another loved one. Not again.

–––––

I'M REEEAAAAALLY SORRY FOR THAT CLIFFHANGER JSHDKFJHSKDF ᕕ(╯°д°)ᕗ  I tried splitting up the sections differently but it didn't really flow as well.

But the next chapter is almost done, so I'll have it ready by next weekend!!

#Miraculous Ladybug #Ladynoir #Enemies AU #enemies to lovers #Marinette Dupain Cheng #Adrien Agreste #Chat Noir #Ladybug #fanfiction #Discordant Sonata #ML AU #aged up #Eden writes

[adrinoir]

Season 4 episode ranking

Not that anyone asked, but this is my ranking for all the episodes in season 4 lol.

I’m genuinely curious how many people would have similar favorites or would be just plain confused by some of my rankings.

I already talked about why Wishmaker and Risk are my top two in another post. They had the most jaw dropping moments for me. And naturally, Strikeback is high up there along with them.

Glaciator 2 is 4th - even above Gabriel Agreste - because I’m absolute Marichat trash. And in this episode, their relationship really progressed and they had their umbrella scene. I love it. Also the way Bryce Papenbrook made Cat Noir cackle was the funniest thing ever.

I know a lot of people cringed at Rocketear and Psycomedian, but Rocketear had me gasping the entire episode, especially when he leaked his secret identity to Adrien and trashed Cat Noir to his face. And as for Psycomedian, Harry Clown’s relationships with Marinette and Gabriel (GABY!!) were fantastic, and its light-heartedness reminded me a lot of a season 2 episode. (You can read my posts on these. I’ll link them in the ranking.)

Lies is also high up here because you get such a good taste of how Adrien sees himself and Kagami was the epitome of how everyone else views Adrien. Plus, the fact that he still had the beaded lucky charm was such a great plot point I was not expecting.

I also know many people were aggravated by Ephemeral, but it was such an entertaining episode for me, and the scene with Marinette revealing herself is beyond adorable (I’ll link my whole post on it in the ranking).

It might also be surprising that Simpleman and Dearest Family are higher than Hack San, but they’re filler episodes that made me laugh so hard. I’M surprised by the amount of people that overlook Simpleman. It’s hilarious. Scarabella was cute in Hack San and Marinette smacking Hack San with a frying pan was funny, but the rest of the episode was just a no-go for me. Cat Noir trying to cataclysm Alya was pretty awful.

Episodes 21-26 are pretty forgettable for me. I liked Cat Walker, I liked seeing Chloe with her hair down, I enjoyed the commentary in Penalteam, and I enjoyed Zoe bonding with Marinette and Andre, but that’s about it. Every other part of those episodes are just…no.

I wanna see what you guys thought of this season! Overall, I thought it was a pretty great season. (Although, I think season 2 is still my favorite out of all of the seasons.) This is my personal list and I judged it a lot based on my reactions, the plot in the episode, and how many times I watched them.

1. Wishmaker

2. Risk

3. Strikeback

4. Glaciator 2

5. Gabriel Agreste

6. Rocketear

7. Psycomedian

8. Lies

9. Ephemeral

10. Optigami

11. Gang of Secrets

12. Mr. Pigeon 72

13. Guilt Trip

14. Crocoduel

15. Sentibubbler

16. Truth

17. Simpleman

18. Dearest Family

19. Hack San

20. Qilin

21. Kuro Neko

22. Sole Crusher

23. Mega Leech

24. Furious Fu

25. Queen Banana

26. Penalteam

#miraculous ladybug #tales of ladybug and cat noir #miraculers #miraculous #adrien agreste #chat noir #ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #ml season 4 #ml love square #ml season 4 episodes #episode rankings

[firerose]

10 or 12 for the ask?

for @befuddled-calico-whump This is my Christmas whump present for you ! Hope you like it <3

@fictionalnormalcy, @drakaina-amore64

Whump request: Left for dead

Warning: Torture aftermath, Major Character Death, Hurt no Comfort

Summary: Adrien thinks about his loved ones as he dies and realizes what especially two of them mean to him.

Also on ao3

The dying, their thoughts and melodies

Pain. That was all Adrien felt, maybe all he had ever known. “ What‘s wrong Kitty? Don‘t you wanna play anymore?“, His tormenter mused, her voice sounding far away in his ringing ears. He could see her dance in front of him through a blurry vision. A brown-haired woman dressed in a light purple skirt and darker blouse. Her green eyes glowed with excitement as she twisted the knife in her hands. The knife was full of his blood. “ Oh come on Kitty tell me more of your dumb jokes. I find them quite amusing you know.“, She joked but he knew that the only thing she enjoyed was his suffering. Oh, how he wanted her to shut up. His body ached with cuts and bruises, chains cut into his skin. He felt weak, longing for rest that he could only get through her leaving him alone. She only grinned darkly, as she indeed loved seeing him at her mercy. It sparked anger in him, gave him a last bit of strength. He lifted his head, not caring about how the deep wound in his chest protested when he sat up straight. He glared at her and spat to her feet with blood that he was losing anyway. Hopefully, this was enough to finally make her leave, to make her realize that he would never be obedient to her games of madness. Unfortunately, she did not seem impressed. A sigh was the only reaction he got, the dark smile on her face not even faltering. Then she kneeled next to him, her cold fingers touching his cheek. He hated this closeness, hated that he had a pretty good view of the silver ring on her ring finger. No. Not her ring. His. The source of his power that she had stripped from him. The only connection to his Kwami, one of his best friends that she forced to watch his torture from the shadows. “Oh Adrien if you behave this way towards your Lady it‘s no wonder that she doesn‘t want you!“, She said voice soft but her words burned like poison. She rose again looking at him the way a cat would look at its prey. Would she leave now? In his delirium, he suddenly felt joy, like silence was the only thing that could cure his pain. “ Well, I guess if you aren‘t willing to entertain me anymore I might as well leave. Say hello to Ladybug for me when she finds you alright? If you are still alive by then!“, She joked. Then she left with a loud laugh. The laugh of a villain, a psychopath, a sadist. It hurt in his throbbing head. So much that he did not hear the door slam shut. Only a few seconds later he regretted his wish for silence. With her, in the room, it had been easy to distract himself from his condition. He had been almost able to tell himself that it was not so bad after all. Now that he was alone he couldn‘t ignore the dizziness, his ragged breath and most of all his heart that made his body hurt with every weak pound. Was this really what dying felt like?

If so he did not like it. He leaned against the stone wall, his body immediately losing all strength. He knew that he would never get up again. Tears blurred his vision, tears of regret and bitterness. He did not want to go like this. In the dark alone, isolated as he had been in life. He hadn‘t even said goodbye to his loved ones. Alix

Max

Rose Juleka Ivan Mylene Kim Chloe Alya Nino

Plagg Marinette and…….. and Ladybug. Their faces flashed through his mind with each of their names. The last two hurt the most. Marinette his adorable kind, slightly clumsy best friend that had always been there for him when he needed her advice. He still hadn‘t figured out what exactly he felt for her. Every time he spend a night with her as Chat noir, playing video games, eating cookies or just talking to her, it always made him feel safe and warm. Until now he had thought that it was just gratefulness to be her friend. But as he lay here dying, as he realized that he would never see her again he felt something he was not sure friends felt for each other. It was heartbreak. His heart was squizzed, broke into a million little pieces each one stinging in his chest. He hoped she would not be too upset about his fate. He hoped that she would be okay without him just like Ladybug would be. The sudden thought hurt. “It‘s no wonder that she does not want you!“ He heard his tormentor say as if she was standing in front of him again. She was a liar He knew that and yet he couldn‘t help but think that she had been telling the truth this time. That was the reason he was here in the first place wasn‘t it? The wish to prove himself to his Lady, the planned defeat Lila on his own so she would see that he wasn‘t useless. Turns out he had been after all. Hot tears burned on his cheek as he watched his blood run over his chest. Every second it became harder to stay awake. His eyes were heavy. She will find me, she will save me. He tried to tell himself over and over again. He wanted to believe, hope for Ladybug, his partner, the girl he loved. She was his best friend, a determent strong person, the person he had wanted to become one day. He had to stay just a bit longer and if it was just to thank her. He did not want to die alone. All alone without his Lady. A melody came to his feverish mind. A song his mother had once sung for him whenever he was upset. Little Kitty on a roof His Lady had begged him to never sing this again. It scared her, it had scared him after she told him the reason why. But this situation was different. He was wearing white. He was not all-powerful. And he was not insane. He was fine besides the fact that he was endlessly bleeding. All alone without His whisper stuck in his throat. Pain and pressure forbad any air to reach his lungs, his heart was barely beating. No…..no he had to finish, he would feel better if he finished. All alone without his Sounds reached his ears. Fast steps? Voices talking? Did the door just get pushed open? He couldn‘t see. Black spots danced in front of his eyes. his “CHAT!“. Lady That was when Adrien Agreste died. He did not see Ladybug and four other heroes running towards him in hopes that he might be still alive. He did not hear Ladybugs panicked cries as she collapsed over his corpse. He wasn‘t there to answer queen bees horrified questions as to why he was here instead of Chat noir either. Lila did it for him. Walking into the room, cat ears crowning her head, a black mask fitting the tight leather suit with pants that was covering a simple purple shirt. Adrien didn‘t hear her offer. She needed the Ladybug Mircolous to bring him back. She demanded all other miraculous and Ladybugs guardianship too. If Adrien had believed that his Lady did not care for him her scream would have convinced him otherwise. It was a loud, sorrowful scream that echoed through the room. A sound of anger, grief and madness. For Rena rouge and Viperion, it was a sign to hold her back. They held her back as she tried to attack and embraced her as she threw himself over his body again. They wanted to break down as well but for now, they had to be there for her. After all only they knew that Ladybug had just lost two of her loves at once. For queen bee and Carapace, it was a sign to strike. To avenge their superhero partner, their close

friend. Lila would pay or maybe she wouldn‘t. Adrien never knew. He was not with them anymore. He was somewhere else embracing his mother.

#Whump request #no.10 #left for dead #miracolous ladybug #chat blanc #ladynoir #marichat #adrienette #major character death #torture #chat noir #marinette dupain cheng

[wallflowerfangirl]

At first I was panicking about the trailer bc I do not wanna see Felix work with Gabriel. Then, I remembered how reacted when he saw Emilie's corpse. He might be a crazy smart devious bastard, but he's still human. That reaction was raw and real, he had no reason to fake that. I think he's gonna trick Gabriel into thinking he's on his side for a while, then backstab him. That's for fitting for the chaotic neutral bastard I know and love.

I'm esepicially curious on why Felix in the dog Miraculous is seen apoglizing to seemingly no one. What's up with that?

I really do feel horrible for Marinette though. I salt on her sometimes but this time, she really tried to do something good. Now she is really fucked. I don't wanna see any Marinette salt rn.

I wonder how Adrien's gonna react to all this. Will he realize that Shadowmoth is closer than he thinks? How is he gonna handle Felix? Will this start a new arc for him? What's Adrien gonna do after all this is over? I mean according to the news he's suppose to be traveling the world but we clearly see him in Paris. He can't just go back to school like nothing happened.

I'm just worried how this is all gonna end, bc it seems like things are gonna be messy, and we know the season ends with a cliffhanger, so what exactly will it be? It esepicially scares me bc we have no clue when season 5 will air.

How is Lila gonna play within all this chaos? I REALLY hope Felix and Lila don't work together bc Lila is a terribly written character and I don't want her to ruin Felix's character, someone who is really well written despite not being a "good guy". You cannot compare Lila's stupid lies to Felix's cunning tactics. He is leagues above her.

Will Alya, Nino, and Luka play a role in this bc of the shit that they did/know? I mean Alya's Rena Furative identity is gonna be exposed to everyone now, so that's really important to note.

So. Many. Different. Questions.

Yea I'm still panicking, but for different reasons now.

Edit: In the tags where it says "he was when", it's actually suppose to be "he was in love with her, when". I'm not rewriting the rest of the tags just fix that mistake so just letting y'all know.

#miraculous ladybug #mlb #why did i choose to get into this show? #this is so stressful #esepicially knowing that the writers could make some major fuck ups this episodes #bc we all know the s3 finale was bs #ughhhhhh #i can't wait any longer for strike back #let alone season 5 #i am going clinically insane #the worst part is we probably won't see ladybug and chat noir have that very long awaited talk about the real issues #going on between them #which really just destroys my ladynoir heart to the point where I can't even ship them anymore bc there's just so many problems #and yet fucking thomas tried to say chat noir was only salty bc he was when #in reality it was more about missing working together in general and how he feels like he's easily replaceable #kuro neko tried to address those issues a bit but then in risk it's like nothing ever happened #both ladybug and chat noir have made some mistakes in their relationship and it being glossed over makes me furious #they don't have to reveal their identities to be honest with each other ffs #i am miserable #kill me #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #chat noir #ladybug #shadowmoth #ladynoir #felix graham de vanily #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe

[blueberry-macaron]

Realized that making like 100 separate posts about the episode is kinda annoying so I'll write the rest of my thoughts here

Felix was so happy when Barkk appeared🥺

Also Marinette's hair looks a lot like Luka's now, I like that

Sooo couldn't have they stopped Risk's akumatisation all together and never let that mess happen? Well whatever their plan worked

Oh great, more CN angst. How dare LB is friendly with another guy. Honestly if his feelings for LB weren't 90% of his character he'd be much more fun to watch

Ok wow Marinette hearing Adrien say that he wants to stay and stand up to his dad like that's all she wanted for him! Her reaction was actually really sweet. She's a good person and she wants good things for Adrien... expect of course this is Felix. Because Adrien isn't getting meaningful developement ever since he already is pErFeCt

Jeez Adrien calm down

The strike backs falling into the sun looked cool

"I'm sorry" so Felix feels bad that he betrayes LB?

Of course Marinette forgives Alya instantly! Would've been more interesting if Marinette actually stayed angry an Alya for some time amd they made up in season 5. But no, they solve this conflict in the most underwhelming way ever. At least Alya gives the fox back I guess.

Why is Lila smirking at Nathalie coughing?

FELIX YOU DUMB BITCH WHY DO YOU TRADE ALL THE MIRACULOUSES FOR A SINGLE ONE?????

Like come on Gabriel gives Felix one (1) magical jewel and Gabriel receives a ton of them plus he gets his ring back plus Felix promises to not tell Adrien about Emily?? Sorry Felix but you have terrible negotiation skills

Also Gabriel did nothing to achieve this? Felix popping up and give him LB's yoyo as a present was pure luck. Felix should've kept them for himself and become the new morally grey villain, that would've been interesting

Again, why does he want the peafowl again?

Oof now LB is freaking out and being lowkey paranoid, poor baby I wanna hug her

LUKAAAAAAAA

He appeared for one sec

Best sec of the episode

Yes I'm biased

But still didn't he have a bigger part? Like I expected his secret to come out too this episode? Will him knowing the identities have any consequences? Wouldn't be surprised if it didn't tbh

GOD SU-HAN IS THERE TOO?? Yeah I'm gonna blame this idiot for doing literally noting helpful at all this entire season

Seeing Ladybug like this breaks my heart my poor girl :(

Wait where did the crowd come from?

The end scene with CN pep talk was pretty sweet ngl

Overall the episode was okay. Had a few moments I liked, but it kinda brushed over some important things too fast. It feels more like a check list, like "let's quickly solve this problem and move on we only have 20 minutes", especially the part where it comes out that Alya lied to Marinette (that is a problem that quite a low of plot points tend to have).

I have some more thoughts about certain aspects but I'll discuss those later.

#ml #strike back #ml salt #ml review