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sarcasticbambi · 8 months

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Enchanted Chapter II

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Marinette has decided.

Jagged Stone should never, ever be allowed in another of these Wayne Galas.

If he’s normally difficult to handle by himself, then he’s absolutely insufferable now that he has company that eggs him on!

Now I understand why Penny almost begged me to come…

Not only does she have to take care of Jagged on a daily basis as his manager and long standing friend, now she also has to reign in his childhood friend because lord knows what would happen if they were to be left unattended…

Honestly, Marinette was expecting more from this Bruce Wayne guy. Jagged talked her ears off about how amazing of a friend he is and all his accomplishments and the work he does for charity and the community. Even Penny joined in saying how great he is.

But, so far, all she’s seen of this guy is him drinking his brains out along with Jagged and making themselves look like fools.

And none of his sons seem to be around to reign him in either. be it because he’s like Jagged and can’t be reigned in, or they just don’t care enough to do it.

Hopefully they aren’t as bad as he is at these events…

Now that she’s done the whole “introduce to the childhood best friend” part of her duties as her honorary Uncle’s plus one, she’s going off and as far away from these “grown adults” as possible.

Maybe I’ll be able to find the gentleman from the balcony - ahhh - what are you thinking, Marinette?!

She had removed her mask while in the corner she found in the garden - wearing a mask all night long is tiring and restricting, even if she insists on using it to keep her identity secret until she feels comfortable sharing it with the world.

She wasn’t expecting to turn around and make eye contact with the gentleman on the balcony. It was quite a distance from where she was, but after years of being Ladybug, all her senses have been greatly amplified - eyesight included - so it came as no surprise when she managed to make eye contact with him, if only for the fact that it allowed her to see his beautiful green eyes.

Maybe Kagami IS right and I do have a thing for green eyed men…

It’s such a pity that it was a short encounter, being interrupted by Luka calling her back inside to meet the famous Bruce Wayne.

Stealing one last glance his way, she placed her mask back on and turned around.

Now, after having complied with her duties as a plus one, she’s basically free to do whatever, and she’ll take advantage of that and try to find the mysterious green eyed, ginger gentleman.

Maybe mingling with the socialites of Gotham would help in finding him

The thought made her shudder, but for some reason something told her that she needed to meet him. And if there’s anything the Kwamis Guardian training has taught her, it was to trust her instincts, and right now, they were SCREAMING at her to at least find out his name before the end of the party.

The reason? She did not know, but she also did not completely mind it.

So, with a new mission in mind, she left off to find him.

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After dropping Lian off at the kids section, Roy moved to the bar hoping to find Jason.

And if he paid more attention to the people in the ballroom in search of the midnight haired Garden Fairy, no one needed to know.

“Who are you looking for?” Jason said, startling him out of his musings.

“Wow, are you ok dude? What got you so distracted that you got startled by that??”

He was so lost in his mind that he didn’t even notice he’d reached the bar and Jason had approached him.

He’ll never let this go if he knows that I got distracted over a woman

“Sorry, I was just thinking about having to leave Lian alone” please buy this, please buy this. Roy knew it was a losing battle, but he could at least try, right?

“Yeah, yeah. dad of the year award and all that bullshit, congrats. I mean who’s the woman that got you distracted like that, you idiot.”

“It’s not-”

“And don’t give me that crap. I know you Roy, you can deceive yourself, but you definitely can’t lie to me. The only reason other people fall for it is because they’re either not trained like us, or they don’t know you. Now spill them beans bitch.”

“Fine.” and with a long sigh, Roy explained about how he found a Fairy out in the gardens and how he felt like he absolutely had to find her again.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA- I’M SORRY- HAHAHA- A FAIRY! A GARDEN FAIRY HAHAHA! you’ve definitely been playing too many fairytale fantasies with Lian!” Jason said between gasps of breath while trying not to die of laughter.

Roy knew that this was coming, but it was just ridiculous. Come on, he’s a dedicated dad and “Garden Fairy” was definitely the most suitable of names for the beauty in the middle of the well cared for greenery!

“Haha, we got it, it’s hilarious! Are you going to help me find her or not?” Roy rolled his eyes when Jason was still gasping for breath and trying to stifle his laugh at the same time, which wasn’t exactly working.

“I’m sorry, haha, I will! Of course I will! Just thinking about the last time you got laid makes me want to cry for you, so of course I’ll help when you show interest in a woman for the first time in almost 6 years now. She could be the one you know!”

insert deadpan look “Are you for real now Jason? And I’m the one playing too many fantasies with Lian? What about you and your romances? Aren’t you sticking your nose too far into the books at the newest book store around the corner of that one safe house?”

“Hey! Those books need to be read. They’re masterpieces that you’d never even imagine yourself to be able to understand. The sentences are immaculate, the plot is well plotted, no holes in a single chapter. The reading is so smooth it’s like laying on a bed with brand new silk sheets, it’s-”

“Ok nerd, I got it! You like reading them and I’m an idiot who will never get it, now get your romantic brain to work and help me find her”

“Alright, alright. Bossy much?”

“I heard that.”

After all the bickering, both men turned and discretely glanced at the crowd while making short conversation, looking for Roy’s mysterious Garden Fairy.

It took a bit, but finally, his eyes found her form. For some reason, she was now wearing a red, black and gold mask that she wasn’t previously wearing in the garden, and that may have contributed to how long it took to find her.

She was talking with a family that owned some sort of textile company in Old Gotham, but her eyes were glancing around the room, seemingly looking for something. Or maybe someone.

He didn’t like alluding himself, because it could not be true, and the disappointment would be too much to handle. But she really seemed to be looking for someone, and each time she failed to do so, he could see her nose scrunching - even with the mask - and the disappointment was clear in her bluebell eyes.

He was begging every entity to have her eyes meet his, and it seemed his prayers paid off, because not even a second later, her eyes landed on his. He saw recognition flash through them and a bit of pink took over the part of her face he could see. He was happy to see that reaction on her, it meant that she wasn’t completely uninterested as he had feared she would.

He started moving towards her and hoped he could convey in their conversation with their eyes, just how fascinated he was to have found her in those gardens earlier and that he would like to know more about her.

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Marinette saw the ginger gentleman from the balcony move towards her, and from his eyes, she could tell he was just as interested in finding out more about her as she was about him.

So, turning away from the prospective business partners, she moved towards him, eventually standing only a couple feet from each other almost in the middle of the dance floor.

Glancing at the people already waltzing, she turned towards the ginger gentleman, an invitation clear in her eyes.

He took a step closer, hand reaching out for hers, and in the smoothest voice she’d ever heard, he asked her for a dance.

She placed her gloved hand on his inviting one, and that was all he needed to pull her closer and start the waltz that would change their lives.

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#maribat #dc x mlb #roynette #marinette dupain cheng #roy harper #liam harper #wayne gala #wingman liam harper #wingman jason todd #jason todd is a little shit #fairies #marinette is MDC

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stormiclown · 1 year

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Marion Dupain-Cheng: Ice Cold

This is a Genderbent AU because there is not enough of creative stuff about Male Marinette. So we know the umbrella scene where Adrien basically pulls his “sad boy” card to make Marinette feel bad for him? Realistically, she shouldn’t have fallen in love with him just like that. I think she should have been wary of him because of his association with Chloe or outright hate him after he scolded her for being happy that Chloe was leaving. Or in ’Bubbler’ when all he cared about was having a party and not that adults we’re literally being launched into the sky. Or in ‘Despair Bear’ after a day of forced niceties he laughed when Chloe insulted Mylene’s macaroons. Long story short, Marinette shouldn’t have tolerated Adrien for as long as she did much less have a crush on him. If she did, it should’ve been obliterated by now. (This is a Drabble)

When Adrianne apologizes and hands Marion her umbrella, he takes it and thanks her but doesn’t smile at her because something wasn’t adding up. He walks away through the rain, thinking about what Adrianne told him of her lack of human interaction.

“At least she has a shred of human decency, for now,” Marion says to himself. He made a mental note to carefully analyze Adrianne‘s interactions with her classmates more closely. She just rubbed him the wrong way.

Marion knows she’s famous and despite her claims against it, being a model requires a lot of human interaction with fellow models, make artists, stylists, and managers as well as lessons about the social world and sexual harassment. No matter how much Adrianne declares she’s sheltered. He knows the truth.

He comes to two conclusions.

Either Adrianne was lying to their faces in order to make friends or she doesn’t want friends and just people who seek her out and like her with having to do anything.

Whichever one it was they both involved lying and manipulation. After dealing with Chloe’s bullying and Bustier’s gaslighting for so many years, Marion can spot a liar a mile away.

That’s when decides not to interact with or speak with Adrianne unless it was absolutely necessary.

After all, Marion Dupain-Cheng couldn’t stand liars or hypocrites. Right Tikki? (Tikki: You sure do)

And that’s what he does. He doesn’t speak to Adrianne unless, you know, someone’s in danger or dying which doesn’t happen very often.

It was Alya and Nino who noticed first. Alya, because she had seen the way Marion behave around Adrianne, even scowling at her at some point. Nino, because Adrianne had come to him once asking if Marion hated her.

So naturally, they spoke to their fashion designing best friend.

Alya: Hey Marion, is there a reason you act strangely around Adrianne?

Marion: I don’t act strangely around Ardrianne. I don’t even speak to her if I can avoid it.

Nino: That’s the thing dude. You avoid her and treat her like the plague. Do you have something against her?

Marion could see the underlying message in his oldest friend‘s eyes. He knew Nino was a nice guy and wanted everyone to get along, but this issue went deeper.

Alya: Is this about the gum incident? I thought she apologized for that.

Marion: Yeah, she did. After she told me that she doesn’t have any experience with people.

Nino: Poor dudette.

Marion: She‘s a model. She has obviously interacted its other people before. What she told me doesn’t make any sense.

Alya: Look, Marion. We can assume that Mr. Agreste is really controlling so she has trouble making friends. Can you please at least try for us?

After hearing about Adrianne’s over bearing father, Marion reluctantly extended an olive branch to the blonde girl, much to Chloe‘s ire.

Soon Adrianne’s birthday rolls around, Marion still makes her a scarf. He wasn’t a monster. He has no difficulty in handing it over to her, though Chloe shoves him out of the way and smothers Adrianne with hugs and a ‘Happy Birthday, Adrikins’.

When the Bubbler strikes, and Marion arrives to the “party” as Red Beetle, he sees everyone being forced to dance with forlorn expressions on their face as if they’d like to be anywhere else. Not that the hero could blame them.

Imagine his surprise to see Adrianne not only the sole aware person but also enjoying the party despite adults being launched into the sky. (Well plagg was the one to encourage it but she still shouldn’t have listened)

He promptly snapped that olive branch over his knee.

#in reluctant defense of lila rossi #umbrella scene salt #because what the hell #chloe being chloe #male!Marinette #adrien salt #female!Adrien #lila pepper #marigami #it’s in the future though

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vennyvenadito · 1 year

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I watched Derision and….oh God, it’s a mess

I hated it

Everything was so lame

Everyone was so out of character in this episode

And I gonna ask this, when Mari was akumatized, we see her memories right?, alright, now can some please tell….why the heck we could also see other characters point of view???!!! Isn’t this sequence is in Mari’s POV?? Like, someone explain that

And please, look me in the eye and try to tell me this backstory make sense, come, try

Because none of this make fucking sense!

And before you go to tell me otherwise, I’m saying this as some who was in the fandom since season 1, like, when everyone where trying to figure out who Hawkmoth is, that old I am, so no, no try to tell me I don’t know anything about the show and the characters because I know them perfectly

So yeah I can tell, Chloe wasn’t this type of ““eViL””” in previous seasons back then, Marinette wasn’t even scared of her, she was just annoyed by her, even before Alya came she wasn’t really afraid of her, she was like “ugh, this bitch”

And tell me Mari, if you where so traumatized about falling in love with someone, than why didn’t you do the same thing with Luka and Chat Noir huh?, Please explain yourself young lady?

In fact, why are you panicking in front Kim??, you always acted normal around him!!

And for last, I just loveee the doble standard in this show

Marinette can be excused of her stalking behavior towards Adrien, every bad thing she does was just because she is traumatize, so please don’t be harsh on her, after all, she is young, and kids do stupid thing

But nooo, no no, Chloe shouldn’t be excused, forget the fact her mom is a abusive bitch, forget about the fact she openly say to Ladybug she feels useless, forget the fact she was only Adrien’s best friend back then and did care about him (watch “Collector episode 1, season 2), forget the fact she has Andre as a pathetic excuse of father

Because every teen can be forgiven except Chloe

She is evil, she always will be, she can’t change, because Thomas say so, and if you not agree than you are an abusive person, your evil as well

And Mylene…shut up, please

When Thomas would release that not everyone reacts the same way on trauma?

Back to Mari’s panic attacks, everything go to fast to me!, there’s no time no analysis what the hell is going on, also, didn’t she used to be in the public pool before this episode?, like, Mr Pigeon 72 never happen I guess

Also, this episode make her look worse because back in season 3 in Animaestro, she fucking team up with Chloe, Chloe, her bully, the person who made her life back then a living hell, to humiliate Kagami in front Adrien

What the hell Mari!?

And Chat….sweety, honey, I love you, and I insist your deserve better but….please don’t do that, this isn’t you, your not like that, your better than this

Anyway this episode is trash, is literally every salt fic in one episode, every single cliche of a generic backstory perfect for a Wattpad’s fanfic

And please, instead of trying to tell me every episode that Chloe is evil and I should hate her, what not you guys try to focus in more interesting lore instead? Please, like, kwamis, Gabriel and Emilie? (Representation doesn’t count)

And even then, why show this episode in season 5, you literally have a lot of seasons to show this, and you decided this was the right moment??

Ok, that’s all I wanted to say

Se ya folks

#miraculous ladybug #mlb fandom #chloe bourgeois #mlb season five #mlb salt #marinette dupen chang #ml writers salt #derision spoilers #ml derision

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bellzsad · 8 months

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i hate it when i’m reading a fanfic that makes our sweet cinnamon roll adrien agreste a “bad boy” “playboy” or “bully”. like in some aspects, i get it. i’m a lover of the enemies to lovers trope. but let me run through the things that don’t make sense.

1) bad boy

okay so “bad boy” is just like weird, first of all. the writers usually make it so adrien has slept with all the girls at school or some shit. like why?? i get that you’re trying to make him emo and bad and cool, but you don’t have to make him do that.

2) playboy

same as a bad boy, but they make it even more exaggerated. plus, they (sometimes) make adrien say shit that’s totally out of character. like there will be sentences of dialogue where he literally is looking at a girl and says something about sex. or sexualizes them in some way.

3) bully

so obviously, they have adrien be a big ass bully and like physically push marinette to the ground and beat her up. and then they somehow change it to them like fucking or something. what? how the fuck. idk. guys.

anyway i feel like this post is not exactly directed to fanfic writers with miraculous, but just everyone who writes this kind of stuff. i get that you’re trying to create an enemies to lovers trope, i LOVE that, but there are better ways you can do this.

you can have them argue, create tension, bicker, miscommunication, just stuff that is actually excusable when they end up together.

i guess that im not even talking about miraculous anymore. i’m just confused because i’ve seen so many stories where the couples say the most FOUL things and do the most FOUL things to each other and just move past it and end up falling in love. how does that work?

i’m sorry if this post hurts anyone’s opinion. it should, but i hope it does not. i’m really confused. it’s like 1am and idk what i’m doing. i might delete this. might not. idk. but i need some true enemies to lovers. just stop romanticizing abuse, please??

this is low key controversial as fuck so sorry. as long as no one sends me death threats and shit i’m good

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #adrienette #ladynoir #mlb #chatnoir #ladrien #ladybug #marichat #ml #enemies to lovers #miraculous fanfic #fics‼️

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mythica0 · 1 year

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Hey guys! I know my fandoms are listed on my pinned intro post (which I will probably be re-vamping soon) however I wanted to make a more clear version! Edit; this list is subject to minor change

Edit: autocorrect , spelling and clarification

Series I will write for !

(Bolded means I especially like to write for it! Italics means I will try but don’t think I’ll do very well )

Wings of Fire

The Owl House

My Hero Academia

Sanders sides

My Little Pony

Miraculous

Cup head show

Saiki K.

Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends

Hazbin hotel / helluva boss

Encanto

Harry Potter

Twelve forever (there is literally nothing tkl wise )

Cookie run kingdom

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ROTTMNT)

Tinga Tinga Tales

Total drama

The amazing digital circus

Trolls (all movies and shows)

Unikitty!

Fandoms I know about, and sometimes partake in, but do not consider myself apart of

Undertale

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Pokémon (I’m actually playing Pokémon scarlet so this may change, but I probably still won’t write for it)

My ships (I will write for other ones, these are just my favorites! )

Wof

Cleril (Clay X Peril)

TsunamiTide (Tsunami X riptide )

GloryBringer (Glory X DeathBringer )

StarSpeaker (Starflight X fatespeaker)

Quinter watcher (Moon X Winter X Qibli )

TurtleJou (Turtle X Kinkajou )

Blicket (Blue X cricket )

SunLow (Sundew X Willow )

LunaTail (Luna X SwordTail )

Anenemorin (Anenome X Tamarin)

TOH

Lumity (Luz X Amity) *obviously*

HuntLow (Hunter X Willow)

RaEda (Raen [is that how that’s spelled?] X Eda)

MHA

Dekuraka (Deku/Midoriya X Ururaka

KiriBaku (Kirishima X Bakugo )

SeroRoki (Sero X Todoroki)

ShinDenki (Shinso X Denki)

EraserMic (Aizawa/Eraser head X Hizashi/ Present Mic)

MomoJirou (Momo X Jirou)

ShojiYami (Shoji X Tokoyami)

AoyIida (Aoyama X Iida )

TSS

Prinxiety (Roman X Virgil)

IntruLogical (Remus X Logan)

Mociet (Patton X Janus )

All Poly ships (expect those with both Roman & Remus)

MLP

FlutterCord (Fluttershy X Discord )

That’s it .

Miraculous

I don’t know this one’s name, a poly ship between Marinette, Adrien, Kugami & Luka.

Alyino (Ayla X Nino )

RainbowTomato/ MarcNath (Marc X Nathaniel)

JuleRose (Juleka X Rose )

MylIvan (Mylén X Ivan)

CupHead Show

Error code 404 ships not found

Saiki K.

Error code 404 ships not found

FHIF

Error code 404 ships not found

Hazbin Hotel/ Helluva Boss

Charggie (Charlie X Vaggie )

Stolitzø (Stolas X Blitzø)

Fizmodeus (Fizzaroli X Asmoudeus )

M&M (Moxie X Millie ) *they are literally married*

Encanto

Doloriano (Dolorés X Mariano )

That’s it

Where would you even get any other ones

(This does not include the parents”s, because obviously they’re shipped)

Harinny (Harry X Ginny )

Ronmione (Ron X Hermione )

Lupius (Lupin X Sirius )

Twelve forever

Error code 404 ships not found

CRK

Error code 404 ships not found

ROTTMNT

Error code 404 ships not found

Tinga Tinga Tales

Error code 404 ships not found

Total drama

Gwuncan (Gwen X Duncan)

SamCota (Sam X Decota )

Bridgeoff (Bridgett X Geoff)

MikeZoe (Mike X Zoe)

The amazing digital circus

Kinger x late wife

Trolls

Broppy (Branch x poppy)

Bristle (Bridget X Gristle)

Unikitty!

Frock (Master Frown X Brock)

Other info: things about my writing

THIS BLOG IS STRICTLY SFW, DO NOT REQUEST NSFW TOPICS OR INTERACT IF YOU ARE MAINLY NSFW

I WILL NOT WRITE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH INC3ST, PED0PH!L!A , OR NON-CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIPS

Please ask me things and request stuff! I’m in desperate need of inspiration

You can share or ask for headcannons , I would love to share and see them!

Help me worldbuild! If you see me posting about a story or OG universe, ask about it! It helps me develop the story !

I do draw, however , I live with family, and draw on my school computer, so I won’t draw tkl art.

I will RP! However, only fandoms I’m in, only SFW and don’t expect it to be good 😅

Please check out my tags! My blog is kinda dead atm (which makes sense because I haven’t written anything in a while )and I feel like using my tags might help me get some recognition!

You can request art or fics, I will not ask for payment , and I’m always open! However, this means it might take a while for me to find the inspo to finish.

This is a tickle blog! If that’s not your style , I suggest you don’t follow me.

I am a minor who is on the AroAce spectrum. Do not try to flirt with me, even if you are also a minor, unless I am RPing as one of my characters. (Who is also not AroAce/ a minor )

Give me tips! I’m fairly new to tumblr (less than a year, and no I didn’t come from twitter) so any hacks you have for me are greatly appreciated! Such as how to link my posts to other posts so I can link this to my intro post and make a master list!

Sorry if my blog is hard to navigate, when and if I figure out how to link my posts I’ll make a navigation post and pin it. (I figured it out)

No harassment! Do not harass or bully me , my mutuals, any sort of community, or even strangers on my blog. (The exception being bad people like h0m0ph0b3s ) doing this will result in a block, if you are Anon, and I have to turn off the comfort of Anonymity for others, fuck you.

Oh yeah, on that note, I have a bit of a potty mouth when I’m not talking in front of my parents! I will try to remember to warn about swearing in my fics, but during reblogs , shit posts, etc? No warning.

Have a nice day my parrot chicks! Hope to talk soon!

~Parrot 🦜

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olivia-anderson-fanfic · 1 year

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I wanna ruin our friendship

Timari Januray: Day 25 (You mean platonically?) by @maribat-calendar-events

Summary: We should be lovers instead.

Back to Timari January 2023 Masterlist

Marinette hugged a bundle of flowers to her chest. She knew she should probably loosen her grip, flowers were delicate things and she certainly didn’t want to give Tim wrinkled flowers, but her body didn’t seem to want to comply with her.

She had done a lot of death-defying things in her life. Had had a gun pointed at her head more times than she could count. Had befriended some of the most dangerous people to exist. Had fallen asleep unsure if she would ever wake up.

So why was this what had nerves clawing at her throat?

She had asked out plenty of people before, had been asked out even more times. Granted, most of those relationships weren’t exactly serious, but she wasn’t inexperienced. She shouldn’t be hovering just out of range of the cameras he had set up outside of his base, shouldn’t be considering walking away as heavily as she was.

But there she was, staring down at a carefully selected bouquet, wondering if she could just toss it aside and go up to him as normal. It would be easy. No one had to know.

She didn’t have to know.

She scuffed her shoe on the concrete.

She didn’t want to lose Tim.

But he deserved to know either way.

She took a deep breath in, taking in the many different mingling scents of the flowers in her hands. Aster, daisies, gardenias, and morning glories all to say that she loved him. Forget-me-nots to say she wanted to make lovely memories with him. All tied together into a lovely smattering of white, blue, and purple.

Okay.

She walked the rest of the way to his safehouse. This one was just a regular apartment, but it was close to the meeting he needed to go to later. It took her less than five minutes to get there, and the time was gone in an instant.

The door swung open before she had even knocked, as usual. He had probably been watching since she had walked past the first camera.

“Any longer and I was going to go looking in alleys to see if you were getting mugged.” And then his eyes landed on the bundle in her hands for real and his head jerked back in quiet surprise. His face did a complicated twist she couldn’t make sense of. “Oh. I see. You got harassed by a flower vendor, huh?”

“No,” she said, laughing a little at the mental image of Tim shaking down a poor man just trying to sell bouquets for an apology. “I – uh – got these on purpose.”

Tim tipped his head to the side. “Oh. Did you get asked out?”

She shook her head quickly. “Not unless you count getting catcalled by the construction workers outside of GU. I don’t, they’re not really asking for a date, y’know? And they’re not being all that gentleman-ly about it, if I’m honest. I mean, I’m not that hard to please, but even I’m not swayed by ‘hey baby why don’t you come over here for a bit’. Like, really, is that the best you have –?”

Oh, great, she was rambling.

Thank god he cut her off: “Then what’s with the flowers?”

Fuck.

She had just gotten rid of her excuses.

Guess she really was committing to this.

“Tim, I’d like to take you on a date!” She blurted, holding them out.

There was a beat where his eyes widened. He looked down at the flowers for a moment. She knew he knew flower language, he had encountered Riddler and Poison Ivy too many times to not pick anything up. He knew that the overall message was a very clear I love you. He knew that the inclusion of borage meant to take the other flowers literally.

And, if he didn’t, the words ‘I’d like to take you on a date’ done while offering flowers should have cleared things up rather well.

She watched his shoes as he took the flowers. Not because she was scared, they were just very nice shoes. Leather. She could appreciate that.

There was a moment of silence. She spent the entire time looking anywhere but his face.

“You mean platonically?”

She wondered if it was bad form to slam her face into a wall in the middle of a confession. Because apparently she was still in the middle of a confession.

She twisted her ring around her pinky nervously. If he saw such a blatant confession as platonic, did that mean he didn’t see her as anything but a friend?

She could still back out.

She sighed. “No, Tim, I don’t,” she said quietly. “I mean a date date.”

And then she chanced a look up. Just in time to watch his face flush a deep red that looked strange next to all the purple and blue clustered by his chin.

But that was nothing compared to the soft smile on his face as his eyes flicked from the flowers to her and then back to the flowers. “Oh. I’d… I’d really like that,” he said, hushed, as if she was the only person he wanted to hear it.

And hear it she did.

She smiled, letting him reach forward to intertwine their hands around the flowers.

“Me too,” she said.

“Would you like to go get something to eat?”

“Well… you have work to get to…” she said carefully, and then giggled when his face managed to, somehow, get even more red.

“After that?” He tried, and it was nice to see he was a little nervous, too.

“After that, I think we can work something out.”

#maribat #timari #timari january 2023 #timmari #timinette #shutterbug #red robin #marinette dupain cheng #ladybug #tim drake

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depressed-teacup-inc · 1 year

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The Kwamis are carrying this goddamn show

Hi, hello, how y’all doing, new episode but it was Halloween so I got the day off for myself ok?

Anyways I’m already seeing red flags in Passion and I don’t like it✨

So let’s start this by saying that in general this season feels very fan-servicey. I feel like after the complete absurdity that was season four and people being absolutely infuriated with the writing, the writers of miraculous scrambled to basically bring out as much fanfic-y tropes as possible to please the fandom (reversenlove square, weird completely unrealistic gadgets that shouldn’t even work, etc.) in general, I feel like miraculous got really derailed from what the original show could have been, and that they’re trying to do what should have been done so long ago so fast, that no everything feels… well really fucking sloppy I won’t lie.

But I digress, let me tell you why this connects to the episode while I review it

Natalie is fucking iconic, I love that bitch so much

Literally girl fought her entire life, and honestly I have no clue why she ever loved Gabriel, but at least now she’s realizing her worth and also beat the shit out of Gabriel, we’re all here for it.

(Also queen, love you, but you could’ve just stolen the butterfly miraculous and given it to ladybug to solve the problem, because this show be making her so OP that she would cure everything)

And speaking of Gabriel…

FUCKING CUNT I HATE YOU!!! FURST YOU TREAT YOUR SON LIKE SHIT, NOW YOURE COOKING PANCAKES OUT OF NOWHERE TO FEEL LIKE YOURE A GOOD FATHER (him saying they’re a family was giving the same energy of a boss saying the company is a family) AND WHEN NATALIE RIGHTFULLY CALLS YOU OUT, YOU BLACKMAIL HER WITH YOUR LIFE AND ADRIEN’S SO SHE’LL STAY BY YOUR SIDE?! BITCH!!!! TURNS OUT EVEN YOUR DEAD WIFE WAS AGAINST ALL OF THIS

Sorry had to get that out of my system, he will forever be a cunt and I’m afraid the show is trying to pretend he’s ok

Adrien actually had lots of screentime this episode, but… most of it is him being just in love with marinette or sad about Natalie (honestly his scenes with Natalie were worlds better then this love square mess)

Which… brings me to the reverse love square. listen. I know everyone is happy about the love square reversal and honestly, good for them, but this episode… kinda ruined it?

You see Adrien is now in love with Marinette because apparently she was always there for him and helped him through rough times? (I think that she more stalked him a lot, and just gave him half decent advice in the one episode where everyone else is dumbed down because LiLa, and at this point he should have had a restraining order on her, but ok!) which despite my opinions, I can accept. It makes sense that Adrien would fall in love with someone who is giving him the bare minimum because no one ever gives him the bare fucking minimum.

Meanwhile Marinette… basically fucking confirmed that she’s using chat noir the way she used Luka.

…I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD-

Everyone around this girl are like “yeah you always do this thing where whenever shit doesn’t go well with Adrien you’ll throw yourself on another person, telling yourself you love them when in reality you love how they are constantly serving and pleasing you” and she’s like “nah it’s ok I love him”

Like. Does this bitch have no sense of self awareness? After four seasons of constantly screaming, punching, mocking, humiliating and lying to chat (which btw I don’t think has ended, but that’s a story for another day), because now she has to kinda deal with the consequences of her actions (I say kinda because the entire thing with Gabe and the miraculouses has been minimized severely, with everyone always saying it’s fine and that she’ll fix it), she starts flirting and leading him on again, because she likes how now, after all the fighting, Chat Noir is just an assistant for her, that believes he’s completely worthless without her, and will constantly obey her whims.

And doesn’t she for a second realize how awful what she’s doing is? Like I don’t know about y’all but after what she did to chat Noir, the fact she’s using him like this is so messed up and she doesn’t even want to acknowledge it.

…THIS IS SO FUCKED UPPPP!!! Like this is literally confirming that she doesn’t love Chat Noir, she’s using him, AGAIN!!! And no offense girl, I don’t care how many times the show says shes in love with Adrien, she’s obsessed with him. Right now it’s just a temporary break from him like the one she had with Luka, before she goes back to him saying she’s in love with him.

…Luka and Chat should start a club at this fucking point.

Also speaking of, I saw what the show tried to pull this episode, on one side saying “here fandom look at this chat saved the day he’s the hero and ladybug’s the sidekick there you go” but also at the same time further emphasizing how OP the ladybug miraculous is and how no matter what, the cat follows the the ladybug leads which means that the show doesn’t screw chat noir over, no no, it’s just that the ladybug is the only right miraculous for any situation possible. Thanks I hate it.

But hey at least the Kwamis called it! Honestly Tikki and Plagg god bless, Adrien listen to your Kwami and eat cheese instead. They were honestly gems this episode, and were spitting facts and SOMEONE PAY THOSE LITTLE CUNTS FOR PUTTING UP WITH THIS SHIT IN PERSON.

But yeah that’s the episode!

(Also the goat miraculous is fucking stupid, couldn’t Natalie have just created the locating arrows to track the heroes outside of their transformation too? SHE CAN CREATE ANYTHING GOD I HATE THIS)

Also Natalie is gay for Emilie goodnight

#miraculous ladybug #mlb fandom #adrien agreste #chat noir #marinette dupain cheng #ladybug #ml rants #ml season 5 #I’m so tired #happy Halloween tho

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aguinhaac · 11 months

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Uh Life is pain, And that pain is called miraculous Season 5,

Today I will be reviewing the third episode of season 5 Destruction,

The episode starts with Marinette watching a Ladyblog video about monarch, reminding the audience one more time that Gabriel got the jewels, STOP IT ASTRUC, PLEASE WE ALREADY KNOW HE GOT THE JEWELS, YOU REPEATED THAT FOR 2 EPISODES YOU DON’T NEED TO REPEAT YOURSELF AGAIN.

Alya enters in the room and teel Marinette to stop watching the video, and she gives some lame excuse, Alya tries to tell Marinette to think of something else and go grabs some tea, like yeah it’s good Alya is trying to cheer Marinette but, why don’t think of MAKING A PLAN TO STOP MONARCH, MAYBE IF YOU GET UP YOUR FAT ASS AND MADE SOME RESERCH YOU WOULDN’T BE IN THIS MESS, WHY DON’T YOU TRY TO FIND WHO HE IS ALYA? YOU LITERALYY DISCOVERED A SECRET THING THAT THE LADYBUG MIRACULOUS CAN DO, NOT EVEN THE GUARDIANS KNEW ABOUT, MAYBE JUST MAYBE TRY TO FIND WHO HE IS?? YOU CAN LOOK FOR CLUES, YOU CAN BORE PEOPLE WHO REMEMBER SOMETHING FROM WHEN THEY WERE AKUMATIZED (like Chloe in miracle queen) BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOO, APARETLY ALYA DON’T HAVE A BRAIN, JUST LIKE THE WRITTERS, ONE MINUTE IN AND I AM ALREAFY PISSED, sorry I got out of the track, where was I? oh yeah

With Gabriel, he still mad about the events “Evolution” saying that he will get the miraculous, so he looks in the book and sees that the rooster can grand any power, yeah but the peacock also could man, whatever, he has the idea of see in the book of the miraculous if some of the kwamis can help him

Gabriel: YOU, you can grand me any power I want, you will give me the power to travel through time

Orikko (rooster miraculous): NO, you’re mistaken, time travel is fluff’s power, and I can’t grand a power that already belongs to another Kwami

Sass: each kwami represents a concept and a concept can only exist once in the universe,

Xuppu: too complicated sass, lets use an example to make things simpler! Take Tikki, she’s the kwami of creation, and creation is creation, and if there’s another creation then creation then it’s not creation, is replication

Gabriel: then grand me the power to locate ladybugs and chat noir’s miraculous

Rooster: the problem it’s that not a power is a wish

Xuppu: persistence, if I ask Santa for a pair of socks that’s a wish, but if I want Santa to grand me the power to nit socks then it means Santa needs to know how to nit socks in the first place so he can teach me!

Gabriel: grand me the power to unmask ladybug and chat noir secret identities

Rooster: I can not give a power that would destroy another kwamis magic, and being able to hide their identity is part of the magic of their kwamis

Ok ok ok, it’s good that they are saying the rooster isn’t as powerful as we thought but, about this wish thing, w h a t ?, that doesn’t make any sense, like back In back warder (no pun intended) we saw marc using it to multiply objects, and he just did it once so he didn’t gain the power to multiply thigs, just the sunglasses making this a wish, actually IF HE CAN’T COPY OTHER KWAMIS POWERS THEN WHY THE HECK WAS HE ABLE TO MULTIPLY THE SUNGLASSES, THAT’S MULLO’S POWER , I think it would have been a better explanation if they just say “the rooster powers is the power that the plot demands”

So, the kwamis make fun of Gabriel that they were scared off one episode ago and he shut them up, thank you Gabriel, thank you so much.

Then Gabriel uses his 1 braincell to order the kwamis to tell who ladybug is, but it doesn’t work because the kwamis have a spell that forbids them to tell their owners identity,

Sass: kwamis cannot expose the identity of their holder

Mullo: and since ladybug never renounced us, she still our holder

Xuppu: its kinda like those pajamas you put away without washing them first, you see?

Shut up Xuppu no one cares,

So, like, now it matters if a holder renounced their miraculous or not? But what about the miraculous holders that died in battle, and then if someone forgot to renounce them, they could say their new holder’s name but couldn’t say the old one name? could you explain this better without the annoying Xuppu telling us like If we had only half a braincell?

Gabriel then orders the kwamis to tell him ladybug’s address, but instead of saying the address the kwamis tell it by a charade “follow the smell of croissants” hard one huh? So Gabriel fuses with the butterfly, the horse, the turtle, and the bee miraculous and go to Marinnete’s room, and I gotta admit the way gabi looks to the camera, kinda gives a tense vibe, and even if we know gabi won’t get the miraculous, kinda gives you anxiety of what he is going to do, we get tense to see the next scene in Mari’s room, BUT NOT BEFORE OF WE SEE A MINUTE LONG SCENE OF MARINETTE PARENTS BAKING CROASSAINTS, we need to fill the episode huh?

After this waste of time, we go to the tense moment baby!!!!, with Marinette, she still can only think about the kwamis, tikki tries to comfort her just before monarch breaks into her room, Marinette was shocked, the soundtrack, the tone, all makes it feel like this is a tense moment, the goat Kwami tells monarch to ask Marinette for the “gift” ladybug has given to Marinette, while monarch points a venom to her, she slowly go down the stairs, shaking with fear, she knew even ladybug couldn’t defeat monarch alone, any wrong movement she would be paralyzed and god who knows what would happen then, JUST FOR HER TO SLIP AND BREAK THE WHOLE CLIME, WHY? WHY DOES THIS SHOW CAN’T BE SERIOUS FOR 5 MINUTES?

Mariette gives monarch a ladybug keychain, which monarch yells at the kwamis but they tell him that they don’t know ladybug’s address, but she left them clues to there she lives kinda like a treasure hunt.

Alya comes with some food just to drop all when see purple man and Mary sue, which Alya stars to….do a live about it…...

Alya: Monarch, now that you got all the miraculous, what do you think ladybug is up to? Maybe she is moving her secret hide out, or she is looking for a replacement, or maybe she is already on your trail

Alya, not the best time to ask for likes buddy

Monarch gets mad and throw Alya’s cellphone is the floor causing it to break,

HEY THAT WAS RUDE, ALYA WAS BEEING ANOYING BUT THAT DOSEN’T MEAN THAT YOU CAN JUST BREAK HER PHONE LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH A PHONE COUSTS? SHAME ON YOU GABRIEL D:<

Now for the rest of the review, you will be called Rudenarch, and Assbriel, because that’s what you are, a rude asshole >: I

Rudenarch breaks Mari’s keychain to reveal a paper with the number 42, and the kwamis accidently reveal that the next clue is in the ice rink, which the teacher asks if he wants some skating lessons, sure, a dangerous super villain would totally go skating,

Philippe: I hope this is the key for happiness,

And I hope you can shut up and be real for a second, THERE’S A FUCKING TERRORIST IN YOUR RINK

Rudenarch founds a picture of the chat noir wax statue and a paper saying “street”

Rudenarch: street, 42 and street (using his only braincell moment) the pieces of paper spell out an address,

Xuppu: its not like it was difficult,

Assbriel, could you shut up this monkey again, please?

Philipp takes a selfie with Rudenarch because... a celebrity would make his rink more popular…... I will stop calling you Assbriel and rudenarch if you send him and that stupid ass Kwami to the moon, please?

Rudenarch goes to the wax museum and, what is her name again? Veronique? I think that’s it Veronique, Veronique takes him to the superheroes exhibition, seeing a piece of paper in wax chat noir statue, he takes it just to be revealed that it was the real chat noir not a statue, and that it was a trap, the kwamis hug ladybug, an then she takes all the miraculous,

Ladybug: is this what you were looking for monarch? My real address was written of this but I replaced it just before you got here

Ok now you are going to take all the miraculous,

Rudenarch: How?

Ladybug: how I knew you were looking for me? It just so happens, I notified every time Philippe posts a pic, and I knew if you ever showed up in the rink, that would mean that you were on my trail, so chat noir and I rushed here to replace the paper

Chat noir: and the statue

You are just going to talk about your amazing plan until he escapes, huh?

Ladybug: and set up this trap you so nicely fell into

Ladybug: You’re not going any further monarch; I’m still the guardian and I’m going to retrieve all the miraculous you stole from us right here and now!

Yep, they are,

Ladybug tries to take the butterfly miraculous but Rudenarch let’s himself be cataclysmed and escapes with kalkkie,

Ladybug: we had him, we almost had him, the kwamis where safe they were right here.

Chat noir: I, cataclysmed him, I don’t believe this, I just catalysmed someone, I know it was monarch but, there’s a real person behind that mask and, I must have hurted him terribly.

Chat Noir: my lady, we’ve gotta fix this

Ladybug: chat noir monarch just ran away with my lucky charm, without it I can’t fix anything, there’s nothing I can do,

Like, this scene is good, I gotta admit this show is terrible? Yes, but it knows how to give the vibes, WITH THAT SAID, those two are MORONS, THEY ARE SYMPHATETIC BUT STILL MORONS. WHY DIDN’T U TAKE THE MIRACULOUS WHEN YOU HAD HIM RIGHT THEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The next scene, Marinette explains that she failed to get the kwamis, Alya hugs her best friend knowing the only thing she can do is be there for her- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAND SHE RUINS THE THOLE CLIME, GOOD JOB ALYA

The next half is just Mari explaining her plan to Alya, and answering the audiences’ questions,

How she set up all in the ice rink, talk but because this is miraculous and in miraculous chat noir don’t matter, tell chat that she has a plan but don’t explain nothing, would it really hurt to explain to your “loyal partner” I know Adrien don’t deserve any trust but still. How she taught the kwamis what to do if Assbriel captured them, how they replaced the statues, I am oversimplifying it because its ten minutes of just it, explain plan and answer questions,

With Assbriel we have a scene of multiplication showing that Assbriel has a cataclysm mark in his arm, and that he turned the miraculous to dust to make some rings- WAIT A MINUTE, WASEN’T THE MIRACULOUS SUPPOSED TO BREAK WITH A CATACLYSM ONLY? WRITTERS WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH THE SHOW? WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE CONTINUITY HERE?

We see that Assbriel trapped all the kwamis and also gained a new design that just

NOW THAT IS PURPLE GUY, ok now serious, this is just a copy of Wishmaker but purple

DON’T TELL ME YOU DON’T SEE THE RESEMBLANCE,

I would say this design is better then the other version but its not good, there’s to much purple, and the miraculous team thought that if they put the rings it would look cool but it doesn’t, I really don’t have much to say because this custom is just purple, well I like that they put the butterfly miraculous more up, but that’s just it, I will give this a 5.5/10 bland just like ladybug's

Rudenarch gives some evil speech and that is when the episode ends.

This episode is boring, it’s the most boring one so far, they ruin every change they have to make a dramatic moment. Xuppu, Phillipe, and Alya, need to just get kinda snap out of existence, and everyone is so dumb in this episode, I know in miraculous all human beings are stupid, but this episode outdid itself, the cataclysm mark was out of nowhere, and the new custom sucks, I will give this episode a 2.8/10 why Xuppu still alive? No really why?

That’s all I have to say, thanks for seeing see you in the next post

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #mlb #miraculous salt #mlb salt #ml salt #mlb sucks #marinette salt #Destruction spoilers #gabriel salt #Xuppu salt

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ali-annals · 1 year

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NetteWorth (Alfred x Mari)

⤜♡→ clover blooms in the field/spring breaks loose, time is near | 0.6k | G/T | 1S |

Brucinette

⤜♡→ Pretty Petty Pranks | 1.5k | G | 1S |

Prompt: “Damn right I'm pretty.”/“I said petty.”

Dickinette

⤜♡→ maroon | 3.3k | T+/M | 2S | sequel |

Vampire King Dick meets civilian Marinette. CYOE. Inspired by a reel I saw of a reddit thread. “Can you hold my hand? My ex just walked in with her new boyfriend.” … "I see no one around besides us."

Jasonette

⤜♡→ Sugar and Bikes and Everything Nice | 0.4k | {MM} | G | 1S |

Biker meet car passenger…only Marinette's the biker.

⤜♡→ Pixie Reviews: Nightwing vs Red Hood | 0.5k | {MM} | T | 1S |

On patrol, Hood overhears a very interesting phone call from a very interesting woman.

⤜♡→ Enchanted | 1.2k || {IbTS} {MM} | G | 1S |

Marinette meets Jason at the royal family of Gotham's ball.

⤜♡→ I Asked for a Date, not a Spouse! | 0.7k | {MM} | G | 1S |

Marinette bemoans her dry love life to her aunt. Jason is done with dating and tells his mom if she wants a daughter-in-law to find one herself. He should've known she would take him seriously.

⤜♡→ Stars Around My Scars | 13.4k | {IbTS} | T | S | (complete)

Marinette has moved to Gotham and gained a boyfriend. Life is finally looking up for her after leaving the Liar and her cronies behind after she defeated Hawkmoth. It's still not perfect, though--her boyfriend has secrets, she misses heroing, her old class is planning their trip to her school…and not least of all, there are some weird new villains in Gotham she has to team up with the Red Hood to fight against!

⤜♡→ How You Get The Girl | 0.9k | {IbTS} | G | 1S |

“Hi, Marinette.” She laughed sharply to hide her hurt. “‘Hi, Marinette?’ Jason, it’s been six months.”

⤜♡→ you don't need to save me/ but would you run away with me? (actually you do need to save me I'm a little tied up here) | 2.5k | {MM} {BmmdI} | T | 1S |

"What if Jason is hunted/captured by someone trying to remake the Lazarus Pit" but make it meetcute.

⤜♡→ The Very First Night | 3.1k | {IbTS} | T | 1S |

Marinette and Jason's relationship inspired by the lyrics of the title song. Marinette’s phone rang, breaking her attention from her friends’ conversation. She checked the caller ID and excused herself. “MDC speaking,” she answered professionally, knowing her friends were half eavesdropping before she moved out of overhearing range. “Pixie, do you know how much I miss you?” whispered Jason. “These annoyances are driving me to do stupid things like call you in front of them just so I don’t blow us all up and alert the people we’re watching to our location!” “Aw, poor Jay,” she commiserated. “You need some reminders to keep you from eliminating your siblings?” “Please.” His exasperated tone in that one word told her volumes. “You’ll be in your family’s bad books if you do that, which means they’ll keep an even closer eye on you, which means you can’t see me without alerting them to my existence in your life.” Jason exhaled sharply. “Thank you, Pix. I shall restrain myself. Two more weeks.”

⤜♡→ Reputation 'Verse | 2k+ | {IbTS} | M | S | (hiatus)

Reputation-Inspired Alternate Universe where Jason and Marinette are soulmates. This is mostly Marinette-centric and about her healing, but there is some for my fellow Jason afficionados as well. Read TWs.

⤜♡→ All's Fair in Love and Prank Wars | 1.7k | G | 1S |

Prompt: "Damn right I'm pretty."/"I said petty."

⤜♡→ Look at those flowers that look like You | 2.6k | T | 1S |

Hanahaki AU of my Reputation AU. May make more sense once RV is completed:)

⤜♡→ Rival Mob Boss AU | 5.1k+ | {MM} {BmmdI} | G/T/M (each drabble rated individually) | S | (hiatus)

A series of one-shots and drabbles where Jason and Marinette are opposing mob bosses.

⤜♡→ high tide came and brought you in | 6.5k | T | 1S |

Little Mermaid AU where Jason is Ariel and Marinette is Eric. One-sided Daminette. Reverse Robins AU

⤜♡→ Renagerie: Enemies or Lovers? | 1.3k | T | 1S |

Everyone knows Red Hood and Menagerie hate each other...but what about Jason and Marinette?

⤜♡→ Chlamian | Jasonette Crack | 0.6k | T | 1S

ScarletImpulse requested: Chloe/Damian or Jasonette, Horror, Serial Killer in a Zombie Apocalypse

⤜♡→ long live all the magic we made | 9.5k | T | 1S |

In Gotham, Jason Todd is looking for Damian's dragonbat, Goliath, when he notices a strange thing in the sky. In Paris, Ladybug is fighting an akuma when a strange creature literally appears out of the blue. It might not be too big of a deal (they've both dealt with weirder things) if it wasn't A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE!

⤜♡→ Is this Hope just a Mystical Dream? | 5k | T+ | 2S | Part 2

Did you know that some soulmates' souls are literally connected, meaning that when one half dies, the other follows them soon after to a personalized deathscape? Marinette and Jason sure did.

⤜♡→ Jasonette Supremacy: M?GI!CW 2024 works | 14k | {ibTS} | T |

⤜♡→ it's a small world after all | 2k | G | 1S

Jason brings his fiancee home to meet his family. She gets along great with everyone! There’s just one problem… They’ve met her before.

⤜♡→ angel, don't fly so close to me (I'll bring you down eventually) | 0.4k | {MM} | T | 1S |

Jason's not the best at flirting; luckily the girl he's interested in thinks his attempts are cute.

Timari

⤜♡→ Gold Rush | 1k | {IbTS} | G | 1S |

Marinette has plans to meet her online gamer boyfriend on her class trip to Gotham, but gets distracted watching Lila flirt with their host, Tim Drake.

⤜♡→ from all the memories stored in my heart | 1.3k | G | 1S

"Don't forget who you belong to" but SFW

⤜♡→ Cracket | 0.6k | {BmmdI} | G | 1S

⤜♡→ Here, go stalk (aka the Coffee Phenomenon) | 1.8k | G | 1S |

Nightwing knocked on Red Robin’s mysterious rescuer’s window. She opened it with a stern look. “Really? And a blue and black vigilante outside my window isn’t as obvious as simply knocking on my door?” He shrugged, entering when she stepped back for him.

⤜♡→ Chaotic Coffee Zombies | 3.6k+ | T | S | (in progress/semi-hiatus)

With Hawkmoth defeated, Marinette needs a change of pace from the City of Lights. One move to Gotham later, Mara Stone emerges from the City of Crime. Tim Drake has been trying to commission the elusive designer MDC for ages. His new friend at Gotham Academy, Mara Stone, is a fashion lover who doesn't know or care about MDC--a most discombobulating piece of information to fanboy Tim. Deciding to get to the bottom of this strange girl's life, he uncovers a whole lot more than he was expecting.

⤜♡→ Timari January 2024: Day 30- Blanket | 0.2k | G | 1S |

⤜♡→ Stupid in Love | 2.3k | T | 1S |

Tim meets a competent new companion in his fight to make Ra's al Ghul's life hell. They just might be a match made in heaven (after all, Timari heaven is Ra's hell).

Daminette

⤜♡→ Ice To Meet You | 1.1k | {MM} | G | 1S |

Marinette mistakes her new partner for her coach and a meet cute (meet ugly?) ensues

⤜♡→ The Terrifying Trio | 1.3k | G | 1S | DCxDPxMLB |

Everyone knew about the T3, as they called themselves. No one imagined they were real until they met them, and then they wished they hadn’t; the trio were far more terrifying than their tales.

⤜♡→ Knock knock/ Who's Th-/-Interrupting Bats | 0.7k | T+/M | 2S | sequel |

Damian was kidnapped and the Bats try to find him. Rewind: Damian wants to spend time with his girlfriend and the Bats have really bad timing.

⤜♡→ invisible string | 13k | G | S | (complete)

Marinette defeats Hawkmoth and moves to a place that's better for her mental health. She runs into her soulmate (she actually had one!) and immediately accidentally ghosts him. Damian is confused about the topic of soulmates in general, and is even more so when his soulmate (he had one?) literally runs into him. When he finds her again, he worries about how his...activities...and past will affect their relationship, but soon finds that she has just as many secrets as him, if not more. Everyone else is just confused.

⤜♡→ there was one prize I'd cheat to win | 1.2k | G | 1S |

Marinette can only be roused from her daydreams by one word: Damian. Damian will only respond to one word: Marinette. They're so cute, right? Well, there's one problem… They secretly think the other dislikes them, being rivals and all.

⤜♡→ my tears ricochet | 4.5k | T | 1S |

It was over. Everything was done. Hawkmoth and Mayura were defeated. Ladybug was dead. Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s “friends”/classmates were crying around the fresh grave. She’d been revealed as Ladybug in her death, her transformation dropping one final time. The city mourned their fallen heroine. Chat Noir gave the final Miraculous Team’s press conference, stating that Marinette was dead, attacked by Hawkmoth; though she had defeated the villain and his partner, she had succumbed soon after to irreversible injuries. He would be retiring now as well…The next day, a lone figure made its way back to Ladybug’s flower-covered grave. He was the class’s foreign-exchange student, Damian Grayson. He set a single white rose on the headstone and stepped back to pay his respects. The dirt began to move, and a hand poked through.

⤜♡→ Unexpected Visitors | 0.8k | G | 1S |

An unknown woman shows up on Wayne Manor's doorstep asking for Damian Wayne…

⤜♡→ Mazel Tov | 0.4k | G | 1S |

Talia attempts to arrange a marriage between her son, the Heir to the Demon, and the League of Assassins' rival order's head, the Grand Guardian. The Bats are insistent on stopping the wedding, but the couple don't seem that opposed to it…

Dukinette

⤜♡→ {no results found}

Cassinette

⤜♡→ tomorrow's a flower | 1k | G | 1S |

Mari and Cass experience the meet-cute.

Roynette

⤜♡→ Outflirting an Outlaw | 0.1k | {MM} | G | 1S |

Konette

⤜♡→ Sweet Denials Make for even Sweeter Victories | 0.3k | T | 1S

Conner is back from his trip with the JL, but his girlfriend isn't welcoming him as warmly as he would like.

⤜♡→ Daffodil | Unrequited Love | 0.25k | G | S | (complete)

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⤜♡→ Three's Company | 0.4k || Finale to the RavenBug Hanahaki series | G | S

Marijon

⤜♡→ Marinette "Valkyrie" Wayne | 9.6k | G | S | (complete)

Marinette is adopted by Bruce Wayne after her parents died in a car crash. She figures out her new family are the Bats, but she also has a secret. Meanwhile, Bruce is looking for Ladybug, who retired and disappeared into thin air.

Marirae

⤜♡→ Ravenbug Hanahaki Series (complete)

-> Daffodil | Unrequited Love | 0.25k || Angsty, open-ended hanahaki. Marikon. | G | -> RavenBug Angst | 0.07k || The short WC is for my ao3 WC of 123,456 | T -> Three's Company | 0.4k || This was written for TTT2023. The finale to the RavenBug Hanahaki series! | G

#ali speaks #masterlist #ali writes #fic

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mlwritersguild · 1 year

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The Ballad of You and Me, by @gaussiansphere

Based on a prompt submitted by @their-destinys-writer: Kagaminette Biker AU, Marinette is the Biker.

AO3; 1960s AU, Rock Band AU, Bikers AU, Implied/Referenced Murder

Summary:

After meeting a mysterious woman at one of her band's gigs, Kagami can't make herself look away from what follows.

Fear is obsession is desire is love.

---

Kagami gave the bartender a quick nod and took a breath, slamming her drink back as quickly as possible before breathing out. The music of the club was suffocating—amplified guitar and bass echoing off the walls as the band on stage finished up their set. She motioned for another drink and slipped a small tip under her empty glass, before destroying the second shot as quickly as the first. Shaking her head slightly to clear the worst of the feeling, she opened her eyes to see Luka shaking his in disapproval.

"It's not even ten minutes until we're on, could you really not have waited just a bit longer to destroy your liver?"

"I never perform sober, it's bad form not to bring your best to a performance like this, and I do my best work when I've had the chance to relax..."

Luka was unimpressed, "You really think I'm buying that you can only sing when you're wasted?”

"First, I am not wasted, I am simply tipsy—the difference between the two is significant. Second, it helps me loosen up, which I have only accomplished now, no thanks to you."

He finally turned back with a sigh, "Whatever, as long as you're ready when we come on and the show gets done, I can't stop you. Just try and make this one your last one before the show, please?"

Kagami shrugged, "I'll do my best."

Kagami signaled the bartender for one last shot, which she downed with extreme prejudice before following Luka through the crowd, which even now was filling the whole room. The room wobbled slightly as she went forward, the mass of people pressing in on all sides.

The band on the stage started to wind down their set, as Kagami looked back to the bar, where a rough looking crowd of men was clustering on one side, their leather vests covered in patches. She nudged Luka and tilted her head towards them, “Look at those guys over there, staring down the girl across the bar.” She indicated a darked haired girl wearing a long, brightly-colored shawl “What do you make of them?”

He shrugged, “Eh, it’s bikers, what’s the big deal?” he paused, looking back between the girl and the gang, “If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, here’s what I say: Not. Our. Problem. It’s all well and good to help a girl out, but not if that means brawling a dozen Hells Angels to get to her.”

Kagami turned up her nose, “I figured you’d say that. I suppose I’ll just have to ask Fel-” “No,” Luka interrupted, “You are not going to ask Felix for help, no matter how bad this seems. The last thing we need is to get kicked out and handed over to the cops after whatever he does.”

As if on command, their bassist appeared behind them, “I heard my name. I don’t suppose you happen to be talking about those fellows over there…” Kagami picked up on where he was going, “Yes, we actually were. I was wondering if you would be amenable to-” Luka slapped her on the back, interrupting her and sending her stumbling forward.

“We’re good, thanks.” He interjected. Felix shrugged, “If you’re sure, I suppose there’s nothing I can do.” He waited for Luka to momentarily turn to the stage, before he shot Kagami a wink and a sharp smirk. Luka turned back, seemingly sensing the silent message and shot Felix a disapproving look.

As they reached the edge of the stage, Adrien was already tuning his guitar on the sidelines, shooting them a quick smile before going back to his work. Nino, beside him, was anxiously tapping out a quiet rhythm on his drum sticks.

“Look alive ladies,” Felix sauntered up the stairs, grabbing his bass off its stand and sliding its strap over his shoulders, “it’s game time.” Kagami and Luka followed, and as he went ahead, she slipped a small flask from her back pocket and downed it in one go, shaking off the liquor and smiling, “You heard the man, let’s show them what we’ve got.”

As the band took their places up on stage, Kagami looked out through the haze and bright lights to the bar on the far side of the club. The bikers were still there it seems, still seeming to gravitate around the poor woman, but without making much ground in the interim. Meanwhile, the girl at the bar turned from the bikers to her, locking her in place with her deep blue stare, even as the rest of the band began without her.

Closing her eyes, Kagami stepped up to the microphone stand.

---

Drink in hand and her band beside her, Kagami was back at the bar. Luka and Felix were at either side, Luka slowly sipping a gin and tonic while their bassist drank his ‘Cuba libre.’

Luka gestured to Felix’s drink with his own. “You know you can just ask the bartender for a rum and coke, right? It’s the same thing and it doesn’t make you look like a tool when you order it.”

Felix shook his head, “That’s a classic mistake, but just that—the rum and coke are just two simple ingredients shaken together. The Cuba Libre, on the other hand, is a far more sophisticated choice—it has lime. ”

Luka raised his voice in objection as Kagami looked on with half-hidden amusement, before her eyes drifted back to where the blue-eyed girl had been sitting. She had stepped out a few minutes before, still trailed by the bikers, who themselves had barely moved since the band had finished their set—always looming in the shadows, never striking.

She finished her drink and excused herself to her bandmates, who were now all embroiled in the cocktail debate—Adrien and Nino stepping in behind Luka and Felix respectively. She extricated herself from their rapidly closing circle, instead traveling to the door and taking a tentative step outside into the cool evening air.

There, leaning against the club’s brick wall, was the girl from before, smoking a cigarette as she looked out into the night. The streetlights dimly lit the parking lot ahead, where the bikers were clustered as before, staring the two down from afar.

The blue-eyed girl caught Kagami’s eye and smiled, beckoning her over and offering a cigarette. Kagami nodded and accepted it, letting her light it from her own embers.

“You were pretty good up there. It’s always nice to see new acts come up from time to time.”

“Thanks. Are you a regular?”

“Of a sort. Let’s just say I have a vested interest in the success of this club.” she extended her hand, “Marinette, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Kagami, likewise.” she paused, before lowering her voice and leaning in, “Look, I don’t mean to alarm you, but there are some men that I think have been following you. Just wanted to let you know if you hadn’t noticed. If you want help, my friends and I can try and do what we can.”

Marinette chuckled lightly, “You shouldn’t worry about them. They usually don’t cause any trouble unless ordered.”

Kagami raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Making Marinette smile, “Just trust me, if you don’t give them any trouble they won’t give you any. It was nice meeting you, Kagami.” She pulled the shawl off to reveal a leather vest, and fished through its pockets to produce an old receipt, before scribbling something on it.

She slipped it into Kagami’s hand, “I hope this isn’t the last time we meet either,” before turning to walk out to the bikers in the lot, her vest proudly emblazoned:

HELLS ANGELS

CALIFORNIA

---

Luka played a few experimental chords on his guitar, before pausing and playing them again with a slight tweak.

Across from him, Felix was tapping a pen on his notepad impatiently, “I think we should write something about the war, something faster than usual.”

Luka looked up at him and pointedly played another chord sequence, tweaked slightly again but in the same rhythm as before.

Between them, Kagami was sitting at the head of the table, buried in newspapers and ignoring their latest spat. Sensing the two pairs of eyes boring down on her, she looked up, gathered her newspapers, and left the room, carting them up to her bedroom, where she spread them back out over her bed. She had pulled every issue of the paper from the last two years that mentioned the Hells Angels, and she was combing through them all.

Most seemed to be minor crime reports or local coverage, but every now and then an article would pop up with something more significant. A year ago, their clubhouse in Anaheim burned to the ground. Three months later, half the leadership of the chapter were found dead in a booth at their favorite bar, poisoned. The obituaries of the second half were scattered through the pages since—all supposedly accidental or self-inflicted.

One picture in particular caught her eye—a dark haired woman with piercing eyes peering from the margins of a photograph of a club scene. Kagami felt her pulse speed, and she pulled the picture closer. It was almost covered by the crowd, but she could just barely make out the leather vest on Marinette’s chest.

Reaching into her pocket, she drew out the note Marinette had given her—7:00pm, next Saturday night, and the name of a local club.

---

Kagami puffed nervously on her cigarette, looking all around for Marinette to show herself. The Blue Toucan was doing plenty of business that night, as a steady stream of people passed her, coming and going. She caught Felix’s eye as she looked around—he shot her a devilish grin, patted the revolver hanging loosely under his jacket, and winked.

Sometimes she wondered why she agrees to bring him along to things like these. He always claims it's just in case, but from time to time she wonders if he’s just looking for a reason to scrap. It was nice, though, to have a friendly face in the distant crowd. When she mentioned that she was headed to a biker bar that night, Luka had given her such an incredulous look that she was surprised his eyes didn’t tumble out right then.

Kagami had positioned herself just to the left of the entrance, where two burly men in leather were keeping the rowdier folks outside. There, she could look over the whole parking lot at once. It was only belatedly that she realized, as a long nail tapped her on the shoulder, that her date for the night wouldn’t necessarily be coming from outside. She nervously turned to Marinette, who offered her hand and gave a dazzling smile.

“You look good tonight��I’m glad you could make it.” As Kagami took it, Marinette nodded to the men at the door and pulled her inside.

The Blue Toucan looked like it had once been a tiki bar, but that past was long-covered by the current ownership and membership. Bike parts covered the east wall, some slightly charred, others bent out of shape, and more seemingly fine, while the opposite wall, sitting above the bar, was decorated with a mural depicting a stylized pyramid of skulls.

Marinette led Kagami there, where she ordered them both drinks—whiskey and vodka neat. Kagami nodded in appreciation as they watched the bartender make their drinks. “You’re a… fascinating woman, Marinette.”

She smirked a little, “Yeah? What makes you say so?”

“It’s unheard of for a woman to be admitted to the Angels, and yet you’re here.” Marinette nodded, raising an eyebrow, as Kagami continued, “It seems that they’ve had a very chaotic time recently, which might influence such things, no?”

“Perhaps it would. I certainly couldn’t tell you. Things have been peaceful since I’ve arrived.” The bartender came with both their drinks, and Marinette raised hers in a small toast.

“Cheers, Kagami—I knew I liked you for a reason.”

Her heart thundering in her chest, Kagami raised her vodka and clinked it against Marinette’s before she downed half. Marinette took a sip of hers, and then another, as Kagami shook off the vodka’s burn. Taking a larger swig, Marinette rose and walked over to the jukebox in the bar, fiddling with a few of the buttons before returning and taking another drink. Feeling fainter than she looked, Kagami downed the rest of her vodka and looked her in the eye.

“Why’d you do it? Was this really worth it?”

Marinette chuckled, “Probably not to you. This life, like everything around it, is built on respect and efficiency. I did what needed to be done to be respected enough to do efficient business. No one respected me then—they do now.”

“It’s better to rule by fear than by love—the Prince, no?”

“But the wise ruler knows it is best to possess both. Tell me, Kagami, would you like to dance?”

As they rose, the jukebox clicked to a slower song, and Marinette took her hand in hers, placing the other arm on her shoulder. They turned slowly, bobbing in pace with the song as they navigated through the steps of the waltz. Kagami looked into her partner’s blue eyes—enchanting, haunting, and hungry—and felt her heart thundering.

Marinette led them in the dance, their feet gliding across the floor. As they turned, Kagami found herself standing below the pyramid of skulls. She leaned in and Marinette’s lips met hers.

They tasted like salt and iron. When she pulled back, a small trail of red ran from the corner of her mouth.

Kagami feared and loved her.

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flightfoot · 1 year

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So a bit of a 'statement to your audience' bit seeking your opinion in the public forum at the same time:

I see people giving Marinette a lot of flak over time, a bunch of which I think is misdirected, and wanted to throw out an example and see if it makes sense.

My standpoint: Marinette is indeed overrepresented-even for a protagonist, but she is at the same time horribly underserved by the story too. A lot of the things that annoy people are not the character, but how she is treated.

I'll use Cat Blanc/Ephemeral as my example. The two times Marinette *ended the world*.

Cat Blanc is a good episode. Mari abuses the miraculous for seemingly harmless reasons. We get chaos, drama, and she 'learns a lesson.' good times.

Then Ephemeral rolls in, and she does it all again, for *not* harmless reasons. Su-Han required Cat Noir's ID. But the an that involved abusing the snake miraculous and Cat Noir's love for her to obtain his ID under false pretenses instead of just... Talking to her partner like a human being... Was all Marinette. (Gabe and Lila are in the corner taking notes)

The rest of the episode happens, we won't dwell on it until the end. Time is reset, and what happens?

Does Marinette 'I overthink everything' stop and ask what she was about to do that time reset *right here?* Does she have a moment of realization? Does she connect Cat Blanc to Ephemeral the way the Mari we know and love would do? Does she stop in horror at what she was going to do to Cat Noir?Does she get to realize and grow? No. She mouths off to the useless Su-Han and we get an awkward 80s sitcom fistbump.

Mari was robbed. People shouldn't complain she 'got away' with anything. They should complain she had growth taken from her.

Sorry hit send too fast. This is just one example. Marinette suffers from this a *lot* for 'plot'reasons. It's terrible, but folks shouldn't direct their unhappiness *at* her for it.

That's my 2 cents.

---

Eh... I'd argue that Marinette didn't really *need* to learn a lesson in Chat Blanc. But Ephemeral... yeah she screwed Chat over there and her thinking behind it wasn't really brought up again and dealt with. People who followed me at the time that episode came out should know how I feel about it, I actually wrote a fic as follow-up where Marinette realized that manipulating Chat Noir like that, for that reason, was wrong and apologized, with Chat getting to be angry, but after talking things out with one of his other friends, calming down and then him and Marinette talking things out, explaining their feelings, and reconciling with a promise of things being okay later, but it still being a sore spot for Chat right now. Anyway, I'm really proud of Transcient, so if that sounds interesting then give it a shot! Here's a sample from the middle of the fic, when Marinette's talking out the situation with Alya.

“You screwed up,” Alya told her bluntly.

Marinette groaned.

Her friend pinched her nose, giving out a long sigh. “Girl, just… just walk me through your thought process here. Please. Why did you think it was a good idea to try to lie and trick your partner into giving up his identity to someone else without him even knowing about it?”

“I mean, I am planning on revealing my identity to him later, so… is it really a lie?” she asked weakly.

Alya glared at her. “At the time you said it you weren’t planning on following through, so yes, that was a lie .”

She looked down, biting her lip. “But if I didn’t, Su-Han was going to take Chat’s Miraculous. I- I can’t lose him, Alya.” Her voice cracked. “I already did once, back in New York, and I- I don’t want to go on being Ladybug without him.”

Alya’s expression softened, but her voice maintained a hard edge. “I get that, but why not just tell Chat about Su-Han’s ultimatum, work it out together? He’s your partner and this is about him, he should have a say on what to do with his own secret identity.”

“But what if he refused?” Marinette asked urgently. “Last time he met Su-Han, he was so upset about the Celestial Guardian’s insistence that I stop being Guardian - that I lose my memories - that he dared him to try and take his Miraculous. We ended up having a pretty tough fight, one that I’d rather not repeat. He said at the time that he’d give up his Miraculous if I asked, but… well… I don’t know whether that would extend to telling Su-Han his secret identity.”

The writing can be a bit hit-or-miss with Marinette, with her sometimes being blamed for things more than she should be, and then other times getting away with things that should have been interrogated more and used as character development opportunities. I think there are more hits than misses overall, but it can be shaky at times.

The writing for Marinette has been pretty strong so far in the officially released episodes of season 5 at least, so hopefully that continues to hold.

#ask #ml ephemeral

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lexdrabbles · 1 year

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Thought You Should Know

Hi! Happy New Year! I promise I didn’t abandon this fic, life just got REALLY in the way. Alternatively: Yes There Is A Third Chapter To This Fic. Remember how I said it’s built around a dream? No? Well, it is. Here you go. Please enjoy: Son Boy Comfort Ultimate.

Word count: 3,684 (Chapter 3)

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Ship: Love Square (Mainly Adrinette)

Warnings: None

Read on AO3

(Chapter 1) (Chapter 2)

Chapter 3: A Consideration of Everything that is Right and Wrong in The World

Chat Noir’s first akuma after making the discovery was… well. To say it was harsh would be an understatement.

It was the end of the day, but they had still been at school. Adrien would not have known what to do with himself if he had been home. He felt like a bit of a delinquent: Nino, Alya and Marinette had talked him into skipping fencing to go to the cinema with them and watch the first showing of a movie Nino had been raving about for months. He got Kagami to cover for him and everything had been going to plan until that point, but then again why should he ever get to have nice things? He was pretty sure that was not allowed.

As soon as the first ball of slime splashed and stuck to the courtyard floor, the group exchanged looks and a quick “meet back at the theater” before running to hide separately. Nino bolted upstairs to the classrooms, Alya and Marinette ran into a bathroom; he quickly ducked into a broom closet and transformed, ready to get the whole thing over with as soon as he could. He was trying really, really hard not to think.

The akuma’s… suit? Whatever they were wearing— it was really ugly. It looked like a crafts store had thrown up on them: they were covered in the same indescribable-colored slime (purple? Orange? Blue? Brown? All of the above?) their projectiles seemed to be made of, embedded with every imaginable shade of little balls and beads and glitter, and what looked like random bits of plastic. They also had a pair of huge, chunky, bright hot pink headphones. They had leaped into the middle of the courtyard almost right as Chat Noir emerged from his hiding spot, and their voice was a loud, grating whisper.

“Come on out, children! Don’t you want to look at all the pretty slime mixing together?”

“Has anyone ever told you you have a terrible fashion sense?” He clocked the figure in the back with his baton and sent them flying off like a weird, lumpy baseball straight into the locker rooms, leaving a thin strand of purple-green goo stuck to the end that made contact.

They kicked out the double doors and exited looking even more scrambled than before, the slime over their body shifting and writhing.

“It’s not about fashion, street cat, it’s about the feeling!" They shot a ball of slime out of their extended palm and Chat jumped out of the way just a fraction of a second too late; it caught on his right hand and dragged him back fully before sticking (hand included) to the wall behind him with a gross squelch.

“You’d think a fashion designer would have better judgment” he muttered, using all the anger stirring within him to struggle against the sticky, glittery substance (why on earth was it warm? Actually, scratch that. He did not want to know). The villain approached him at a stalking pace, absolutely convinced they had Chat right where they wanted him.

“One down, one to—” A loud creak rang out from behind them and they stopped in their tracks. Chat Noir could not resist looking at the wall across the courtyard and saw Alya peeking out of the bathroom. As his friend’s eyes widened, the villain followed Chat Noir’s line of sight: they turned around just in time to catch the slightest glimpse of her head popping back in before shutting the door again. The akumatized pile of slime turned back to him and contorted its face in what could only be described as a smooshed smirk.

“Be right back, kitty cat”. They seemed to eye him up and down before taking off in the opposite direction, running toward the bathroom door with slime projectiles at the ready.

The bathroom where Marinette was hiding.

“You kids should subscribe to The Whisperer!”

… And Alya— where Marinette and Alya were hiding. Both of them.

He was barely using his brain when he finally yelled “Cataclysm!” —perhaps louder than he may have wanted to—, immediately dissolving the goo on his right hand into a foul-smelling pile of ash. He saw the Whisperer flinch halfway through the courtyard as the tips of a butterfly-shaped mask lit up at the front of their face —where eyes should have been— and peeked out at the sides of their head. That gave Chat the moment he needed to leap after them and trip them with his extended baton; using it once again like a golf club to swing the slimy form the other way and entirely out of the gates of Collège Françoise Dupont.

He gave the bathroom door a knowing smile and a nod, partly wishing Marinette knew - knew that her help and her kindness and her friendship did not go uncompensated. That he planned on making her feel as safe as he did with her. Him and Ladybug would make sure she was protected.

He stopped in his tracks at the school door, watching as the Whisperer still struggled to get a hold of their slimy form. Where was Ladybug, anyway? As used as he had gotten to villains being dealt with in minutes, with new heroes popping up seemingly out of thin air before he could even get to the team, he had been fighting alone for several minutes now, with no signs of backup to be seen.

Had she found out somehow?

This was no moment to get in his own head, but after the humanoid slime being reformed, every attack got harder and harder to dodge or counter. What if she had? It was ridiculous. It was not as if she could just know (about his horrible, awful, selfish choice to keep quiet) and have decided to leave him to fend for himself. How would she? And even if she somehow had, how would she know it had anything to do with Chat Noir? His mind offered terrible excuses, each one worse than the last, for why the worst-case scenarios were not so far-fetched— Maybe she has known it was me all along, maybe she just hates me that much . The longer she was not there, the more difficult it got for him to keep the Whisperer in check. He had no idea how much time went by, but when he noticed, he had just barely dragged the villain out on the rooftops and was dodging slime projectiles by the skin of his teeth. He had been feeling better, he had started to actually let himself go through this, reassured himself it was only temporary, that he was doing his best with the situation. Where had it gone all of a sudden?

Before he even had time to begin formulating a hurtful answer to his own questions, he felt himself be lightly lifted and whisked up into the air.

He had not let himself realize how much he was looking forward to seeing her until she was zipping him masterfully away from the fight.

Ladybug put him down on solid ground- what looked like the back of a store with enough going on to hide out for a moment. He must have been staring, because her expression went from concentration to worry in a second.

“Are you okay?” She grabbed his right hand and looked at his ring as the second paw pad blinked off (had he missed the first one?).

He quickly tried to fall back on their established dynamic. It was easy, it was familiar, it was what worked . “All good. Thanks for that, my Lady, that one was a whisker away from getting me” except that the pun was as dry as sandpaper in his mouth and sounded all wrong; his least practiced smile felt off and did not reach his eyes, as much as he tried (he had never had to try before. Not for her).

She looked him up and down with concern and clocked a bruised cheek and a still-slime-stained arm. “I am so sorry Chat, I got held up transforming and then I had to track you down, and—”

“Bugaboo” he interrupted, planting both hands on her shoulders (like Marinette had done to him when he had started spiraling). She was there and she was worried, and she was apologizing for some wild, unfathomable reason. “I’m okay. Really”.

It was true that it had been a while since he had to fight one of those things alone. The same little voice in his head that kept pushing for him to actually think instead of just playing video games all day demanded that he take the apology; just this once. He had recently begun teaching himself to listen to it.

Ladybug breathed in and sighed in an attempt to relax into Chat’s reassuring gesture, but their regrouping session was cut short by loud, approaching splats .

“Let’s just do this, okay?” She spoke looking in his direction but did not once look into his eyes. “You and me, like it’s always been.” She smiled and it was one of the saddest he had ever seen on her. He wanted to ask, but knew there was no time.

He held his baton like one would a sword and they settled into a hurried fighting stance. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

The fight was unusually quiet —On the heroes’ side, at least. The Whisperer would not shut up and their voice felt like it was just short of sanding their eardrums down to dust—. They communicated only in short phrases, looks and the occasional hand gesture. You could have cut the tension with a knife, and the living slime’s irritating remarks (“you just need to relax and listen to my voice”, “feeling the tingles yet?”, “maybe some slime will help you calm down!”) did nothing but add insult to injury. Chat was trying so hard to be in sync with Ladybug, to fall into the usual lull of battle, and he could see she was trying, too, but it just did not come. Everything about the fight was off— every move was mechanical; every tactic, strained. When she called her Lucky Charm, he had to keep himself from physically flinching.

They were done with the akuma faster than expected, but it took everything out of them— The fight was over, and nothing was fine.

The victim (some poor failed YouTuber named Ethan) insisted he could get home by himself and left the heroes alone to part ways. After a fist bump that felt as routine and hollow as everything else in the past few minutes, Chat extended his baton and began to turn around to leave before feeling a hand wrap around his wrist.

“Wait. Can we talk for a bit?” Ladybug looked up at him, and he was reminded why he could never say no to those wide, honest blue eyes. Even if she looked worried and he did not think going there was a good idea.

She pulled both of them into an empty backstreet between two nearby buildings, secluded enough that it guaranteed privacy. And she asked the question he had been fearing that entire time.

“What’s wrong?”

He could not even bring himself to say it was nothing. He just looked at the ground and fiddled with the tail end of his belt. He knew he had to say something, anything, to explain himself and his pathetic performance, but his throat stayed locked shut as he did his best to fight back the incipient prickling at the back of his eyes.

“That bad?” Her voice was not mocking or admonishing as he had expected. It was soft. There was something there that knew, on some level, what he was going through. She took a step closer to him and he tried to look up at her, but got no further than her shoulders; the tips of her pigtails messily falling over them.

“We could recharge and talk about it, if you want.” He watched as she raised a hand and placed it, gently, over his shoulder. He wanted to step back, to keep her at a distance, but he could not react fast enough, and it was too late.

He melted right then and there.

“I’m sorry, Ladybug, I am so sorry!” All his defenses broke and tears flowed down his face all at once, like they had been accumulating behind a dam.

“Chat, you don’t—”

“I failed you, I basically lied to you! I can’t even— I—” He could not have stopped himself from letting everything out for her to see if he had wanted to (he did not, and perhaps that was the worst part of it all).

The tears stung at his eyes and nose, and he felt her hands on his shoulders, grabbing at him desperately. “What do you mean? Chat? Are you okay? Chat, your miraculous, it’s—!”

He could not pay attention to a word she was saying as his legs gave out under him and he fell on the rough cement ground, barely registering the fuzz of magic washing over his body, leaving him exposed to her sight. He squeezed his eyes shut and wiped them furiously with his hands, maybe even trying, on some level, to conceal his face. He looked at the ground, the tears giving way to a wave of dry, exhausted anger.

“I could have ended this days ago. I— I should have done it,” he sobbed, “and I didn’t.”

Ladybug made no sound as she continued to tower over him, feet frozen as if nailed to the floor.

Adrien rubbed at his eyes again and made sure they could stay open. They did not sting anymore; instead, they just felt heavy. He used all the strength he had left in him to look up at her, to look directly into her eyes.

“I know who he is, Ladybug. I found out Shadow Moth’s identity.”

In her expression, he could see nothing but deep pain. He could not hold her gaze.

He did not know why she remained quiet. She did not yell at him, she did not leave. She stayed as he laid kneeling on the ground, looking at the gray cement under his knees, and spoke. He told her his story. He fidgeted with the ring on his right hand as he talked about the study, and the glint of the peacock miraculous and the book and how it had made his chest hurt. He began crying when he recounted how big of an idiot he had been the first time his father became the Collector. He had been so close, they had been so close, and if he had just used his brain instead of letting his affection-starved little dumbass heart fool him into thinking that maybe his father actually loved him, maybe, just maybe… he could have… he…

His throat locked up again and he wanted to tear his hair out, to compress himself into a minuscule marble and be launched onto the surface of the sun. He wanted to melt into the ground and rip the streets of Paris apart and swing his father into the Eiffel tower like a baseball and scream until the farthest reaches of the universe could feel his pain. All he managed was for the tears to burn their way down his cheeks again.

He did not see so much as feel Ladybug throwing herself on the ground in front of him, and through the stinging salt in his eyes he managed to see her.

She was crying, too. Shaking her head and grabbing at his shoulders again.

“Stop it. Adrien, stop that right now. This isn’t— you’re not—”

She cupped his face in her hands and wiped his tears away, even though they kept flowing and flowing out of his eyes. “Just… stop it, okay?” He did not understand why she was crying, why she insisted. He shook his head and tried to remove her hands, but they were so soft, and the tears hurt so much, he ended up holding them instead. He looked at her, concerned, empathetic, painfully kind, and let himself fantasize about a world where he was not so selfish; where he deserved her. She just kept him close. “You’re okay. You’re okay.”

And she hugged him. It seemed like something impossible and wrong and like everything that was right with this messed up world they were living in when Ladybug hugged Adrien Agreste and held him tight like he was the most precious thing she had ever laid hands on. He closed his eyes and let himself melt into her arms— and he did not need to feel the electric fuzz of magic or see the soft pink glow of her detransformation behind closed eyelids to recognize her and kick himself for not figuring it out sooner. He held onto her because she still felt like a towering shield around him and like no harm would ever come to him as long as he had her, and she was just as precious to him in that moment as he felt he was for her. He loved her as much as he ever had— maybe even more.

This was it. The safest place on earth. Right here, in Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s arms.

After they separated, silence settled between them. Adrien and Marinette were sitting on the ground of the alleyway cast in half-shadows from the tall buildings on either side; thin beams of sunlight striped the windowless walls that hid them from the rest of the world for the time being. They fed their kwamis, who shared an uncertain glance, and remained looking wordlessly at each other for what felt like hours, but was probably only a minute.

“I’m sorry.” It was Marinette who broke the silence first, at last averting her eyes to the ground.

This startled him more than anything else she could have said.

“About what?” His voice felt coarse after crying for so long. She seemed to think for a moment, as if going through a rolodex of instances to be sorry for in her head.

“I don’t know. About everything. About your dad, about not being able to help you, about not just… telling you?” She gestured to her earrings and to Tikki, who was digging into her second macaron and pretending to not hear them. “Maybe if I had just dealt with it as soon as you told me…”

“You were there for me, Marinette. I am so thankful for that.” Her name was sweet in his mouth, almost drowning out the bitter taste left behind by the past week. “It was all I asked for, and you went above and beyond, like you always do.”

“But you’re still not okay. We don’t know if…” He thought he saw something painful flash in her eyes, but she shook her head and it was gone. “I just wanted to make things okay for you.”

“I don’t think there’s anything you could do to make things okay.” It hurt, but it was true. “This is beyond even the best superhero Paris has ever seen.” He gave her a small smile. Seeing her look back up to meet his gaze, he could still barely believe his eyes. One of his closest friends, the one he had always been able to trust and confide in, who gave the best advice and had the most amazing ideas, was the person he loved and admired most in the world. The mix of feelings was a bit overwhelming— His chest and throat still ached from everything; from knowing too much, from not being able to do what was right for the greater good, to fulfill his duty. However, at the same time, he was sure his heart would burst out of the sheer love he felt for Marinette in that moment.

She smiled back at him. “Yeah, but you’ve kinda got a lot going on right now anyway.”

He rolled his eyes playfully at her. “I thought my job was being the clown of the team?”

She chuckled lightly at that. “Well, I always knew you were a versatile guy.” They both laughed and Marinette relaxed visibly, letting go of the strap of her purse she had been fidgeting with. Adrien noticed how much he had also needed this shared moment of levity.

He scooched forward and turned so that he was sitting next to her and leaned his head on hers, feeling her let her cheek rest on his shoulder. He reached out his hand for her to take, and after hesitating for a moment, she did. After a while of tracing over each other’s fingers with their own, it was Adrien who spoke up.

“Your hugs are firm,” he said, “it’s nice.” It was all he could do not to spurt out everything he felt when she was next to him; how safe, calm and at home she made him feel.

She let the sentence hang between them for a moment, as if she was examining it, and squeezed his hand lightly.

“Your hugs are gentle,” she squeezed his hand lightly, “I never want to let go.”

He squeezed her hand right back, brought it up to his lips and kissed it. He felt her cheek heat up through his t-shirt and a smile escaped onto his face.

“So, what now?” Marinette asked. Her voice was uncertain, but there was an unmistakable determination to it.

Adrien pulled back to look at her, but did not let go of her hand. He would never get tired of seeing her like this, fully and vehemently herself.

“I think we’ll have to figure it out together,” he said. “That’s what teams are for, isn’t it?”

She offered him her other hand and it made his heart grow at least thrice its own size.

“It’s you and me against the world, after all,”she said, a small smile painting her face a lovely shade of hope.

He took her hand and held it tight in a half-silent promise. “Just like it always has been, my Lady”.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous fanfic #ml #ml fanfic #and that’s it!! hope you liked it because i put my whole heart into it<3 #sorry for taking three million years to get it done #promised myself i'd finish this fic before new years and i DID im scream #the akuma was an asmr youtuber whose channel flopped so they became a sticky slime monster with the power to put people to sleep with ✨soot #I’ve always been shit at coming up w akumas but this one made me giggle #no beta we die like fuckin uh. gabe in adrien’s fantasies lmao yeet #fanfic #lex wrote a thing??

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miracle-sham · 2 years

Text

A Brush With Death and the Fangs of Regret.

| {MGI Team Mixer Event} |

| {What other secrets did you keep from me?, Phantoms, Clouds, Would you just stop treating me like something you're trying to fix, Crimson, Wanna bet?, Am I safe with you?, and You hit surprisingly hard for the weakest member of your team} |

| Monsterhunting is a dangerous business, Marinette knows this well with how many close calls she's had over the years but perhaps this is the closest call to date. |

| Injured and answerless, she's forced to reckon with the missing pieces and gaps in her memories and hope she makes it out alive with her humanity intact. |

| Though it's starting to look more and more unlikely with every step she takes. |

| Word Count: 4,361. |

| Warnings/Tags: Alternative Universe—Fantasy/No Miraculous, Horror, Dread, Gothic Horror, Survival Horror, Unreliable Narrator, Monster Hunter Marinette, Vampire Jason, Alchemist Jonathon Crane, Memory loss, Blood and injury, Canon typical violence, Implied/referenced Character Death, Major character undeath, Implied/referenced vampire turning, Good Sibling Jason, Hurt Marinette, Hurt Jason, both deserce hugs, Angst, Mild hurt/comfort, Hallucinations, Loss of control, Loss of senses, Loss of trust, Swearing, Mind Mamipulation, Implied/referenced non consensual drug use, Implied/referenced needles, Unethical human experimentation, Near death experiences, Panic attacks/disassociation, ambiguous/open ending, Unreality. |

———

| A/N: Regarding the tags, please make sure to read all of them carefully before reading because even though most of it is all implied/referenced, it is still pretty dark/angsty. Also regarding the panic attack/disassociation those don't technically happen but they're the closest words i could think of to accurately describe what Marinette goes through during this fic and it gets a little heavy at point. If you struggle with unreality this may not be the fic for you because there is some very explicit unreality throughout the fic as a main theme, so if you're unsure please be careful. |

| If you think or know you can handle this kind of content, then I hope you enjoy this au! |

| Also side note, Don’t Like? Don’t Read. |

———

Run! Marinette's mind screams. But her throat burns and her body aches like she's just gone toe to toe with an animated grotesque. And maybe she has! It's not like she can actually remember anything from the past three days, just a harrowing black void where her memory is and the knowledge that three days have passed, a fact that's waving red flags in her mind. Not to even mention that the rest of her memories predating the lost ones are blurry at best and incomprehensible at worst right now. After all, missing time and messed-up memories are dangerous symptoms for a monster hunter like herself to be experiencing, especially when disorientated and alone in an unfamiliar place—she knows that for certain at least.

Stifling a hiss between her teeth, Marinette dives, rolling into the nearest room and darting to one side of the door frame. Then, by hooking her fingers around it, cautiously shuts the wooden door—reinforced with iron bars and bolts—partially, until it's only barely ajar; as to make as little sound as possible to find her by.

The manor house's basement is a maze and she's oh so vulnerably lost. She can't afford to stay here—stay still—for long. Holding her breath for a moment, she waits. The seconds pass like the dripping of blood from the deep gash curled across her collarbone and throat. Luckily though, the other new injuries she awoke with—littering her arms, legs, chest, and throat, looking dreadfully like signs of torture—are freshly scabbed over and haven't seemed to have reopened.

A small mercy.

Perhaps a little too violently for the stealth she desperately needs, she slams her shoulders back against the stone wall inside the room and lets herself slide to the floor, legs giving way beneath her. The impact will probably bruise nastily, knowing her luck.

She hasn't got time to clean the wound on her neck, meaning she'll still be easy to track via the scent of her blood but really, it's too late now all things considered, and there's no water or alcohol she could even use to do so in the first place anyway. Scrabbling for a scrap of cloth, she tears the bottom of her tunic and wraps it with practised deftness around her neck to cover the gash in a temporary bandage—better than nothing.

In, two, three, four. Her shoulders shake as she struggles for every slow breath, desperately willing her heartbeat to steady from its frenetic rhythm.

Out, two, three, four.

Footsteps approach.

Marinette freezes, pulse skyrocketing and breath hitching in terror. No, no, no! He's coming, he's coming, he's coming!

Who, she doesn't quite know but what she does know, is that instinctual fear for her survival clouding her mind.

Closer, and closer, floorboards groaning and moaning in warning. Only accentuated by the scraping prowl of hardened leather soles against the wood.

Bloody fingers scramble at the crossbow resting on her belt, silver bolt at the ready.

The footsteps reach the threshold of the doorframe, nails squealing in the floorboard beneath the boots. Hinges on the door wailing as whoever lurks behind, slowly begins prising it open like a coffin.

Quick as a flash, Marinette yanks the crossbow from its belt hook and up at the now-open door. Without hesitating to aim, fires. There's a clunk of the mechanism activating and a twang as it shoots.

Thunk, as it misses.

“Shit! Fuck!” An almost familiar voice yelps, sounding strained with a growl between their teeth.

She ignores the cursing and its accompanying sense of déjà vu, already reloading by habit and bringing the crossbow up to aim at the one tracking her.

“Hey, hey, it's just me!” The person—a man with an unnervingly agnising streak of white in his black hair—stumbles back, raising his hands in surrender, near unnaturally bright green eyes apprehensively wide. He's grinning at her anxiously, making it more of an uneasy half grimace than any sort of smile really. “You recognise me, right? C'mon, Mari!”

She doesn't. Her fingers tremble against the trigger, keeping the crossbow raised to shoot his heart at the slightest threat. Why does he know my name… Is he the one chasing me? The one I need to run from?

“Marinette?” He pleads, fingers curling in slightly as his eyebrows furrow, a look of deep distress slowly etching its way across his features before the realisation crushes his hope and a wretched sort of dolorous dawns in his eyes. “No! No, please, come on!” He takes a step back. “I can't…”

“Can't what?” She retorts carefully, not erring in her aim as she continues to hold the crossbow up and ready.

He swallows a breath of air sharply at that, “you… fuck—you really don't recognise me, huh?”

Licking her lip nervously, she squints at him. “Should I?”

The man opens his mouth to speak then shuts it, biting his tongue and holding the unspoken words between his teeth.

But Marinette catches a glint of something unmistakably amiss.

And they can both hear the distant ringing of the death knell outside, marking the hours they have left to flee this place—to escape with their lives.

They're running out of time.

He sighs, closing his eyes for a brief moment before staring at her intently. “What do you remember?”

“I'm a monster hunter.” She responds, eyeing him warily, finger twitching on the crossbow trigger.

His face twists at her answer, “Yeah… yeah… but anything else?”

“What's it to you?” Marinette answers unhelpfully, tone almost whingey in petulance.

The man barks out an acerbic laugh of disbelief and shakes his head slightly but offers no answer.

Tilting her head to one side, she nods stiffly towards him, switching the topic. “What's your name then? Since you already know mine?” She can't help the slight questioning lilt at the end of her words. The curiosity burns like the wound around her neck.

“Jason.” He mutters lowly. “But, uhh,” the corner of his lips starts to curl into a frown before scrunching into a full grimace. “You used to call me Jay, among some other nicknames. We were close, you and I.” He breathes in slowly as if the words pain him to speak. “I'm your older brother.”

A chill runs down her spine and it takes all her willpower not to shoot as she raises an eyebrow at him instead. “Uh-huh? Is that so?”

Jason doesn't respond immediately but the grief-stricken stare he gives is answer enough. He takes a tentative step forwards again, reaching one hand towards her, the other still raised in a show of harmlessness.

Watching askance at his movements, she holds herself perfectly still. Not daring to even breathe. Until the very last second, when he gets but a fraction too close.

Violently, she flinches back. Heart racing, hands shaking.

The crossbow fires.

Thwonk, the bolt slams into Jason's torso, shadowed by a hiss of burning flesh.

“Fuck!” He bites out, a snarl on his lips, accidentally revealing two inhumanly long fangs where his canines should have been. “I'm offended, Nettie.” He coughs, “your aim's gotten worse.”

‘You really wanna bet?’ is the snappy response upon her lips that dies like a bolt through the heart, as she stares, eyes wide in horror at the sight that answers her unspoken challenge.

For, slowly a patch of dark crimson upon his sternum begins to stain and spread through the pale shirt.

Marinette freezes again, unable to wrench her eyes from that bolt sticking out of his chest, skin smouldering on contact with the silver—she shouldn't be so surprised, so shocked by her own reaction, not when she can't recall ever being so distraught over hurting a monster before, in her blurry memories. So why is seeing Jason hurt different? He can't be telling the truth, can he?

Still trembling, she reloads the crossbow yet again, between hesitant flickering glances up at him. “If you're really my brother then how come you're a vampire?” She demands, baring her own dull teeth back at him before adding on quickly, “because I'm still completely human. So either you're trying to take advantage of my memory, intact or not, or you should be dead.”

“I ain't arguing with that.” Shaking his head, he scoffs. “Look, you won't be human for fucking long if we don't get out of here, okay.” He scowls, sending a dark look back down the shadowed hallway he came from, before offering a hand out to her once more. “I know a way out, I can explain shit afterwards. And we will find a way to undo whatever the fuck he did to you, alright.” Sighing, he swallows another heavy gulp of air, furrows his brows and grits his teeth. “And I'm sorry but I promise you, I've never used any of my vampire powers to hurt you, Marinette, never, I swear.”

She scrunches up her nose and twists her lips at his words, shifting between a soft frown and a grimace. Fingers twitching on crossbow trigger, Marinette leans towards him just a smidgen as she voluntarily chooses to lower some of her guard—as a test obviously, definitely not because her instincts, despite all her training to the contrary, seem to be screaming that he, a deadly monster is trustworthy.

Making a small noise of gentle distress at the back of her mouth, she drops the crossbow's aim to the floorboards. Softly, voice wavering like the candle flames lighting the room, she queries, “if that really is the case, then what other secrets did you keep from me?”

Jason cocks his head to one side and hums, gazing over her shoulder unseeing for a split second. “Not a lot to be honest, apart from my… undeath at first but suffice to say I was in no state to even tell you. And the one who turned me, wasn't exactly planning on me being found, let alone in one piece.” With a small grave smile, he rubs his neck, clearing his throat as he does so. “I won't let you be hurt, or turned, like I was, alright. As I've told you countless times before, I'll protect you always, even if it kills me again.”

It takes a moment for either of them to notice the deafening silence of the basement. Not a creak, nor groan to be heard from the wooden doors and floorboards.

“Oh fuck. We're outta time.” He keeps his hand offered to her. “Please,” Jason begs, desperation shining in his eyes, “trust me, just until we escape at least.”

Nodding gingerly, Marinette doesn't hesitate to clasp his hand. “I trust you,” she murmurs a little too softly—too truthfully—not quite half-believing herself, tightening her grip and adding with slightly muted vitriol, “but just until then! I'm only trusting you so I can escape. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Jason bursts into a blinding grin, hauling her up to her feet easily by the hand.

The action is so strangely familiar to her eyes. It hurts.

Scrunching her nose up and grimacing, she grits her teeth and then bites her lips as she glances aside, muttering under her breath, “am I even safe with you, trusting you?” Clearing her throat quickly, she chews on the next words as she picks them ever so carefully. “You said,” she asserts, louder and clearer, intending for this to be heard and not her former words. “that you knew a way out, right?” Her voice pitching on the last word.

Just barely catching the heart-sinking defeat flickering through his eyes as his smile wanes to a thin fragile frown. Jason shrugs his shoulders, tensing mordantly, then tugs gently on her hand in silent communication.

When she hesitates, his frown deepens.

He clears his own throat, pointedly looking away from her now. “C'mon, follow me. It shouldn't take long but we can't risk getting caught.”

The second they cross into the hallway, a long low creak of a boot on a squeaky floorboard emanates from the darkness beyond their candlelit threshold.

She exchanges a glance with Jason like second nature, the familiarity of the action aches like her scabbed over wounds.

Nodding, he cocks his head to one side, raising his eyebrows briefly and throwing his gaze down the hallway in a half-roll, indicating the opposite direction from the creak. With the flick of his other hand, he makes a few quick gestures and begins speed-sneaking—steps silent as a bat—away from the encroaching threat, pulling her after him.

Marinette lets him guide her as she focuses on keeping her own footsteps as quiet as his—and surprisingly achieving it despite her humanity. Daring not to dwell on the thought, she keeps her ear out for any further sounds in their surroundings.

Near bolting down the corridor lined with blood and closed wooden doors that are also reinforced with more iron nails and bars, warped and gnarled like unburied coffins in a graveyard. The deeper they run, the more disconcerting it becomes. Light scuffs and scratches on the doors, walls, and floor bleed into gaping gouges clawed a merciless rusting crimson.

The creaking floorboards remain a constant slow death knell behind them.

A turn of the corner. Then down another long corridor with doors less tightly bolted—yet the fatal stains and jagged slashes only worsen. That which is kept down here struggled and fought. Where Marinette has run from, those signs are faint.

It's a sickening sort of nausea to know by the context of this sight, that either she had been prevented by unknown means from fighting back like those before her, or… she had gone willingly down there. She doesn't know which implication is worse. She doesn't want to know the truth either. Because either way, it will hurt.

The crossbow weighs heavy on her hands and the silver bolts burn painlessly.

As they dart around another corner, a dangling bait of hope glimmers before them. Polished spiral stone stairs.

The creaking fades.

Only for laughter to creep in after.

“Fuck!” Jason grunts, whipping around to glare behind them from where it comes from but not missing a step as he pulls her up the steep climb. “It's never a good sign when Crane laughs like that. We're nearly out though, just trust me a little longer, Nettie.”

Nodding, Marinette stares up at him unguarded and, for a split second, she feels the phantom tugging of a distant memory that dissipates upon her grasp.

The spiral staircase ascends into pitch darkness for far longer than she will ever dare be comfortable with alone.

But… she's not alone. Is she?

No, Jason's hand is cold but firm, wrapped around her own. So familiar yet so unfamiliar it hurts. But what in this place doesn't?

The candlelight at the end of the spiral is more comforting than she's willing to admit at this moment—she's a monster hunter, and every monster hunter knows that the light can be just as much a sign of danger as the darkness but that doesn't stop that primal relief at light returning.

Still, they're not out yet, they can't afford to get complacent and act like it's safe before they really are.

Jason leads her down another two left turns—the walls, floors, doors noticeably undamaged up here—then a right as the hallway lined with richly woven tapestries and fanciful portraits of the Agreste's ancestors, splits into three, and then through an inconspicuous plain wooden door. Through it, is another long hallway decorated with all the finery of aristocracy, with a large window partially ajar at the end—large enough for two people to escape through.

Thunder rumbles outside, and stormy clouds are visible in the sky through the window, even at this distance away.

Glancing back at her, Jason bursts into another blinding infectious grin and starts bounding down the hallway like an overexcited puppy—or a werewolf—tugging her along with him.

Marinette should still be wary of him, and yet, she can't help but start to smile along with him at his antics. They're so close to freedom, surely they can afford to get excited about it now, they're practically out already.

Sooner than she expects, the large open window that leads to the outside is just within reach. Only a few more metres, only a few more steps.

And then... Then she'll be free.

But—

—Her body—

—It seems—

—Has other plans.

Collapsing to her knees. Her hand slipping from his grip, with only a shallow inhale of breath and the thump of her body against the wooden floorboards to indicate what is wrong.

Jason hasn't noticed. Not yet. He's so close and yet so far with each passing second.

Her fingers twitch against the grain. Sluggish and leaden as though there are chains dragging against her every movement.

A rising numbness unfurls from Marinette's chest like poison, inciting her heart and mind to writhe—clouding them with a permuting toxin. Her heartbeat spikes with a violent staccato and the world shutters around her as darkness creeps into the corners of all that she can see. Slowly she loses her sense of touch, the floorboards beneath her fingers and knees no longer registering to her mind, no longer able to feel the movement of her lips parting or her chest heaving in breath. But she can still see, it, the phantoms of their movement at the edges of her tunnelled vision. Her breathing hitches as she realises, that with one sense gone, grounding herself will be so much harder now.

And then… her breathing stops. Her heartbeat pounds in her head, the rushing of blood and the throbbing drowning out any other sound. Her vision starts to grey, colours bleeding like her hopes for freedom.

Can't breathe, can't breathe, can't— Marinette's mind screams.

It is as if she's a puppet with her strings cut, unable to move or react, trapped in her crumpled body—helpless. She can barely hear, all she can do is watch with monochrome sight.

“Fuck!” Jason yells as soon as it twigs for him that she's no longer beside him, pivoting on his heel to bolt back for her, a dawning dread in his eyes. “Nettie!”

She's just barely at the right angle to see his reaction, and the strangest thing occurs, Marinette doesn't so much hear Jason's words, as she knows he spoke them. Which means even though she can't hear anything in her mind above the beating of her pulse, she can still hear and understand outside sounds even though it doesn't feel like she can.

It's weird. Disorientating. To lose another sense. And it's only in that knowledge of an absence, does Marinette notice another sense gone, and another. She can't smell or taste the mustiness in the air, or the acrid scent of freshly clotting blood clinging to her thanks to her wounds. She can't taste the dryness of dehydration or the otherwise unnoticeable taste of her own mouth anymore.

It's all gone. Only the shreds of sight and hearing are left and those are nearly gone too.

“C'mon, c'mon, I got you,” Jason mutters, desperation squeezing the words in a vice grip. “What the fuck did he do to you?”

“I'm fine,” Marinette's body responds automatically—against her will. If she had control, her heart would've plummeted at the chains wrapping around her mind, caging her within as the body continues to repeat the words. “I'm fine.”

Rattling like a rabid beast, she claws at the boundaries of her mind. ‘No! No, no, no, please! Let me go! I'm not fine! Stop! Don't listen, please!’

But he can't hear her pleas.

“Do you remember what's been done to you?” He questions, crouching down beside her and scouring every visible part of her up and down for anything concerning—pausing only for a moment to blow the white strands of hair out of his face that has fallen in the way. “Any other injuries, barring the obvious one on your collarbone and neck, if you've been drugged with any chemicals, and if you have what they are, or something?”

Oh, how desperately Marinette wants to cry at him that she doesn't know. Her body doesn't respond against her will again, another small mercy.

Though she cannot feel it, she watches his hands ghosting down her arms as he frantically looks her over and over again, eyes wide, brows furrowed, mouth half agape in horror and concern as he speaks. “—And Leslie can help you once we get out, she can check you over to make sure you're okay and patch up any injuries, of the body or mind.”

She's missed something he said. It's worsening.

And all she can feel within her mind, are the phantoms of restraints tearing at her skin and needles piercing her flesh.

“Would you just stop treating me like something you're trying to fix!” Her body snarls, though otherwise still not moving.

How much longer…?

Her thoughts trail to a stop as Jason gently takes her hands in his and shakes them softly. “I'm not trying to fix you, Mari. You're hurt and that means you need help—but it doesn't mean I think you need fixing.”

“It's going to be alright, Nettie. I know you also hate how pitying this can sound like but B, A, and Leslie all have means of helping however you've been hurt by Crane. And we're nearly out of his laboratory, please just bear with me, with this treatment just a little bit longer.” He pauses to let the words sink before adding tenderly, “I'm going to pick you up and carry you out now, I've got you, okay.” Slowly, he reaches around her to scoop her up and haul her over his shoulders as carefully as possible to prevent aggravating any of her injuries. It's not the comfiest way to carry someone but it will at least let him safely carry her as far as needed.

‘Who's what?’ Marinette wants to ask as he moves her. ‘We're in the Agreste manor house, not a laboratory?’

Jason still doesn't hear her, he adjusts his grip and starts speed walking towards the window. “No matter what, Mari, I'm not leaving without you.”

“Is that so?” A voice that sends shivers down her spine calls out, his words cut through the throbbing heartbeat in her mind with surgical precision, “well I'm afraid I can't let you whisk away my favourite little experiment just yet, vampire.”

Steps closing in. Slowly, patiently… tauntingly.

“Back the fuck up.” Jason growls—sliding into a bloodthirsty hiss at the end. “Batman may have a rule against killing you rogues, but I sure as fuck don't. You ain't getting your hands on her again.”

What little of the hallway Marinette can still see through her fading vision begins to distort, the trappings of a foreboding but opulent manor house bleeding away to a grim plainness now littered with gouges and dragged claw marks, not unlike the basement had held.

Jonathan Crane laughs lowly—callously, “Did you know, that littlest bird of yours hits surprisingly hard for the weakest member of your team, when under the influence of enough fear? It's truly fascinating.”

Unable to hold back a snarl, Jason's face twists as his control of his vampiric powers slip for just a moment. Acutely aware of Marinette on his shoulders still, he pulls a vial from his belt and lobs it violently at Crane's feet, immediately bursting into a sprint towards the window whilst swinging Marinette from his shoulders and into his arms.

There's a hollow unbreathing second as the glass shatters upon the wooden floorboards before a shrieking roar that rivals the thunder begins to tear the building apart. A writhing mass of viscous starving flames burst from the point of shattering, sticky globs of oil splattering across the hallways, creating a sea of liquid fire.

Marinette can just barely watch it from her position in Jason's arms, her sight burning like the laboratory's hallway.

Angling his body to protect her, Jason leaps at the window. A cascade of glass showers around them. Glinting and glimmering in the reflection of the drowning inferno behind them. And for a second it almost looks as though they are falling with wings of smoke, glass, and fire outstretched from their backs.

And then the world tilts violently. The earth comes rushing up to meet them. Jason hits it first, a sickening crack of branches shivering apart beneath him. But he keeps her cradled in his arms, shielding her from the worst of the impact.

The laboratory above them crackles and screeches as it is swallowed to the bone by the insatiable fire.

Slowly, Jason breathes deeply, making a sort of chuffing laugh between every other breath. “Fuck. We made it. We're out!”

If she still had control of her body, Marinette would nod and be breathless in laughter too.

Grinning blindingly at her once more, he hauls himself off the conveniently planted shrubbery—Most likely Poison Ivy's doing—that has broken their fall. Then turns and offers a hand to her.

Marinette stares at him blankly.

“C'mon,” he coaxes, still smiling at her like the sun. “Just a bit further, the others will have noticed the beacon by now. We'll take you back home, to safety. And Leslie and A can help you with your injuries. You'll be okay.”

She can't even open her mouth to answer. Pitching forwards, her body crumples again. Like an unloved discarded doll.

There's a look of flooding panic in his eyes, his mouth moving frantically with unheard words, as her eyes roll back and everything goes dark.

Distantly, within the inky darkness, Marinette wonders why she never thought to ask why he came to save her from that place, or who those other people were.

But… It's a little too late now.

The pain of her injuries fade away along with her final bleeding thoughts—the darkness smothering it all as she's cradled ever so gently to the unwavering lull of her heartbeat—steadying itself from the staccato of before.

———

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inner-sakura · 2 years

Text

Hypothetically Ever After

[childhood friends AU, adrienette, slowburn, fake/pretend relationship]

With only two weeks of summer vacation to spare, Marinette enlists Adrien’s help with a task of utmost importance.

“I need you to help me seduce your brother.”

Quite predictably, nothing goes according to plan.

a fic inspired by jennifer echols’s book, the boys next door, and starrycove’s Brothers AU from approximately 9835 years ago that has lived in my head and my heart ever since.

read the rest here

chapter thirty-one

After having been thoroughly waylaid by the Agreste patriarch and his bizarre sense of comedic timing, Marinette wasted no time making her way into the house.

She was only partially surprised to find that Adrien wasn’t waiting for her at the door. Ever since they’d started their farce of a relationship, Adrien had made a point of coming to greet her when she arrived, often opening the door before she’d even had the chance to knock or ring the doorbell. Marinette was surprised to realize that she’d grown accustomed to it, maybe even come to look forward to it, if the slight disappointment she felt when she turned the corner and didn’t find him in the doorway was anything to go by.

She knocked once, listening for the telltale sound of movement on the other side of the door.

But there was nothing.

When her next knock went unanswered, she simply let herself in.

The house seemed, somehow, even colder and emptier than usual, despite the knowledge that all of its residents were most likely inside somewhere, safely ensconced within its walls.

Toeing off her shoes, Marinette poked her head down the hall, searching for any sign of life in the great room or the kitchen.

“Adrien?” Her voice rang in the empty space, echoing back to her both fuller and more hollow than it had started.

Trying to ignore her mounting concern, Marinette made her way upstairs, heading straight for the place where she suspected he might be.

Her worst fears were confirmed moments later when she came to the end of the hall to find the trapdoor to Adrien’s room firmly closed, the ladder nowhere in sight.

Something was obviously very wrong.

“Adrien?” She tried, hoping without hope for a response.

But there was nothing.

Of course it couldn’t be that easy.

Marinette inhaled through her nose, hyper-aware of the way her heart was thumping against her breastbone. She willed her pulse to slow, letting her exhalation carry away some of the anxiety building in her chest. Right now she needed to remain calm, for both of their sakes.

“Adrien?” She called again, much more loudly. This time she could have sworn she heard the sound of shuffling from above, but that might have just been wishful thinking.

Marinette considered the distance to the door. There was no way she’d be able to reach it, even if she stood on a chair.

Her eyes narrowed in thought.

Although maybe two chairs might do the trick…

Before she did anything, however, she figured she ought to give Adrien one last chance to respond. Then she would resort to huffing and puffing and blowing the house down.

“If you don’t let the ladder down in the next two minutes, I will be forced to find alternate means of climbing up there… And I cannot guarantee the safety of your person, my person, or any and all of your belongings if I am driven to that point.”

A pause.

Then the trapdoor opened, the ladder descending quickly thereafter.

“Please don’t break your bones. Or my house.” Adrien’s voice floated down to her.

Marinette smothered a triumphant grin. Works like a charm every time.

-x-

Marinette sat in Adrien’s desk chair, staring at the ceiling and turning slowly.

She brought her feet closer to her body, causing the chair to spin the slightest bit faster.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked the ceiling, stretching her legs out in front of her to slow her spinning.

“No.”

The chair drew to a complete stop.

“Are you ready to come out now?” She eyed the pile of blankets on the bed.

“No.” The blankets said, quite adamantly.

Marinette tilted her head back, content to wait. She resumed her spinning.

It didn’t take him long to crack.

Adrien threw the covers off, emerging from his blanket fortress of solitude with rumpled clothing, and eyes that she was relieved to note were bleary but not red-rimmed. Marinette let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“You know what the worst part is? Things were good. They were finally starting to feel like before,” Adrien spoke with a particular kind of emphasis, one that let Marinette know exactly what he meant but couldn’t bring himself to say. Before his mother died. Before everything changed. “My father actually seemed to be… relaxing.”

He shook his head with a scoff, sending his messy hair whipping this way and that across his face.

“And now he’s back to working, just like he always does,” Adrien finished bitterly, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. “He told us over breakfast that his flight leaves tomorrow morning.”

Marinette stood, making her way over to where he sat slumped at the edge of the mattress, his head in his hands.

“Father wanted us to go with him, but Félix flat out refused. Said it might be the last time he got to spend with his family before going away for school,” Adrien lifted his head slightly. “I didn’t even know he wanted to be here…” His voice broke.

The admission hurt her heart. What happened to this poor family that they wound up so disconnected from one another that the idea of wanting to spend time together was almost inconceivable?

“But obviously he felt pretty strongly about it, if he was actually willing to talk back to our father,” Adrien cleared his throat, sounding both incredulous and impressed, which was understandable. Marinette had only witnessed what must have been the tail end of Félix and Gabriel’s showdown earlier, and that had been enough to knock her flat on her ass. Literally.

Skimming a hand over Adrien’s shoulders, she smoothed back his hair with the other, wanting desperately to provide him some comfort, but unable to find any words that she was certain would help in this situation. Because there wasn’t really anything to say. Adrien’s father was a Grade-A jerkbag, and him bailing on vacation with his kids to go back to the office was exactly the kind of shithead behaviour she had come to expect from the man she viewed as a professional inspiration, and a personal dumpster fire.

At her touch Adrien raised his head, wide green eyes darting up to meet hers. Then they were gone, hidden behind fluttering lids as he leaned greedily into the caress. It was then that Marinette became aware of her position, practically nestled in between his spread legs. He was clad only in a faded old t-shirt and boxer shorts, and it was all she could do to prevent her eyes from wandering to what lay hidden beneath the thin layers of cotton.

Down, girl… She scolded herself internally, trying to get a grip on her lascivious thoughts. Now was not the time for any of that. She was supposed to be comforting the poor boy, not checking him out.

Turning his head, Adrien pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist, softly kissing the sensitive skin there. Marinette shuddered at the feeling of his warm breath dancing across her pulse point. Stepping even closer, she looped her arms around the back of his neck and drew him into a hug.

His arms rose instantly, wrapping around her in return as he burrowed his face into her abdomen.

“I’m sorry your dad sucks.”

Adrien huffed a laugh into the fabric of her pink t-shirt. Marinette began to play with the soft curls at the nape of his neck, enjoying how silky they felt as they slipped through her fingers. She’d be content to play with his hair for hours on end if he would let her.

“I can be your dad, if you want,” she offered, half in jest.

Adrien pulled back to look at her.

“I don’t want you to be my dad,” he said, his voice rough in a way that sent tingles down the backs of her legs, making her knees go wibbly-wobbly.

She leaned more heavily against him, linking her fingers behind his neck and trying to hide just how much of an effect he was having on her.

“Is that so?” Marinette stared at his lips, wondering whether it would be inappropriate to kiss him right then, since he was probably still upset about his dad.

Except he didn’t look that upset anymore. In fact, if she wasn’t mistaken, Adrien was looking at her mouth like he might be thinking about kissing her too.

“Would it be crazy if I said I wanted to kiss you right now?” She blurted, the words no sooner past her lips before Adrien was pulling her down onto his lap. His fingers trailed—possibly quite intentionally—over the bare skin above the waistband of her shorts where her shirt had ridden up. Even though his hands were so warm they were almost hot, Marinette still shivered at the feeling of them splayed across her lower back.

“I guess we’re both a bit crazy then,” was all he said, before leaning up to capture her lips in a searing kiss.

-x-

At some point, they migrated from the edge to the centre of the bed, sprawled out on the soft blue sheets in a tangle of limbs that left them both giggling and panting in equal measure.

“We should stop.”

“Uh-huh.” Marinette would have believed him more if he hadn’t taken the opportunity presented by her mouth opening to introduce their tongues. Again.

“No, really,” Adrien managed to get out through several more kisses, not appearing the least bit concerned about putting any distance between them. “We should.”

Marinette hummed against his jaw, her lips turning up at the corners when she felt him shudder in response.

They eventually did separate, enough to allow her to get a good look at him at least. His eyes were half-lidded, lips rosy red and kiss bitten. In other words, he appeared to have been thoroughly and quite enthusiastically ravished. Marinette tried not to preen.

I did that, she thought, with no small amount of pride.

“As much as I would like to keep going with this, and I really would,” Adrien leaned in to kiss her again, pulling back before she could chase his lips. “There is only so much making out in my bed I can take before things get…” His eyes darkened as they raked over her features, evidently enjoying whatever he found there.

“...Heated.”

Oh?

It took her kiss-addled brain embarrassingly long to catch up to the meaning of his words, only cluing in once she became aware of the insistent poking against her hip and what exactly that signified.

Then, like a shot, she was off of him and across the room.

OH.

Her face burning, Marinette adjusted her shirt, pretending to smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles while she did everything in her power to avoid Adrien’s eye.

Oh my god did I just give Adrien Agreste a BONER????

Alya would be so proud.

Or maybe disapproving. Marinette frowned, thinking back to their most recent conversation. It was so hard to tell lately.

After taking several long, deep breaths in, Adrien stood, making his way to the ensuite bathroom.

“I’ll meet you downstairs,” he said, closing the door with a click.

-x-

Once Adrien emerged, clothed and freshly showered—a fact which Marinette was very deliberately NOT going to delve too deeply into—they headed for the movie room.

They were in the middle of debating which Harry Potter film was objectively the best—the answer being Prisoner of Azkaban, obviously—when they heard a commotion coming from beyond the open doorway.

That’s weird… Did someone leave the TV on? Marinette wondered, nearly walking into Adrien’s back when he paused abruptly.

“Hey!” She yelped, skidding to a stop just in the knick of time.

Poking her head around his body to see what the hold up was, she noticed two things in rapid succession.

One: the television had not in fact been left on, but was sitting dark and empty; stretching like a gaping void along the far wall.

And two: they were not alone.

Bridgette and Félix were already there, seated at opposite ends of the long sofa. All of the lights in the room were on, which made the possibility that they’d been watching TV mere moments before increasingly unlikely.

Yet Marinette didn’t need the bright overhead lighting to see that something clearly wasn’t right. While she was no expert when it came to reading body language, it was obvious that she and Adrien had walked right into the middle of a conversation, and not a particularly pleasant one by the looks of it.

The mood was chilly, despite the fact that it was hotter than the hobs of hell outside.

She swallowed, her eyes darting back and forth between Félix and Bridgette. They both sat stiffly with their arms crossed, closed off from one another and separated by a seemingly endless stretch of cushions.

“Hey guys,” Adrien said lightly, his greeting cutting through the tension like a hot knife through butter. “Mind if we join you?”

“Sure.” Bridgette shot them a brittle smile, avoiding direct eye contact.

Oh this is going to be so uncomfortable… Marinette bit back a groan.

Following Adrien over to the couch, they both hesitated when neither Félix nor Bridgette made any effort to move.

Marinette had expected, not unreasonably, that one of them would slide over so they could sit together. They were, after all, a couple. And that was a thing that normal couples did.

When the two stayed planted on their respective sides of the sofa, however, her eyes narrowed. Their inaction spoke much louder than words, all but directly confirming her suspicions that something was indeed very, very wrong.

She and Adrien settled between them, exchanging an uncertain look.

The vibes?? EXTREMELY. OFF.

“Anyone have any preference for what to watch?” Adrien asked, glancing first to the girls on his left, then to his brother on the right.

Félix remained stubbornly silent, so Adrien turned back to them, evidently deeming the older blonde a lost cause.

“Nope, I’m fine with whatever,” Bridgette forced another stiff-looking smile, immediately going back to typing something on her phone.

Marinette didn’t need to be a mind reader to read between the lines on that one. Bridgette, to put it quite plainly, didn’t give a rat’s ass what they chose to watch. In fact, with every passing moment of sullen silence from the other end of the couch, she looked less and less like she even wanted to be there.

Adrien met her gaze, widening his eyes significantly.

What the hell is going on? His expression read.

Marinette pressed her lips together, shaking her head minutely. She had no sweet clue either.

Grabbing the remote from his hand, she blindly scrolled through, selecting something at random. Best to just get it over with, she decided, desperate to lighten the room’s near suffocating atmosphere.

Partway through the movie—which had not wound up being a romantic comedy, Marinette was relieved to note. Her usual compunctions aside, there was absolutely nothing romantic or comedic about the situation they currently found themselves in—the insistent buzzing from Bridgette’s phone drew Marinette’s attention. She’d been hearing it go off with increasing frequency for the past fifteen minutes or so, but hadn’t given it much thought. Now though, as she watched the other girl rise from the couch and gather her things, she felt a surprised sort of recognition dawn.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Bridgette said, lingering by the edge of the couch. She stared down at Félix, obviously waiting for some kind of reaction or acknowledgement of her impending departure.

But instead of asking her to stay, or offering to walk her out, he remained seated on the other side of Adrien, eyes fixed on his phone, acting for all the world like she didn’t even exist.

Her face crumpling, Bridgette fled without another word.

For several long moments after she left, the movie playing in the background was the only noise in the room.

Félix… is kind of a horrible boyfriend, huh? Marinette stared at the screen without really seeing it, replaying the last few minutes in her head. While she wouldn’t go as far as to say that she was friends with Bridgette—they were friendly acquaintances, at best—her heart went out to the other girl all the same. She didn’t know the details of what they were fighting about, but Félix’s blatant dismissal was unconscionably cruel.

Based on the way Adrien was taut as a bowstring beside her, it was clear he felt similarly.

He waited until he was certain Bridgette was out of earshot before whirling on his brother.

“What are you, an idiot?” He seethed, the very picture of angry incredulity. “If your intention was to hurt her feelings there, then you’ve done a bang-up job. Way to go, jackass!” Adrien delivered his last line with a mocking thumbs up.

This, at last, seemed to get through to Félix.

Rising to his feet in one swift motion, he glared down at them, evidently not inclined to remain in their presence even a moment longer.

“Fuck off, Adrien,” Félix snapped, storming out of the room.

They both gazed after him, before turning to one another.

Marinette stared into Adrien’s green eyes and felt, not for the first time, like they were all teetering on the edge of a precipice, just waiting for the scales to tip one way or the other. The tension was steadily rising—with the unrest between Félix and Bridgette, the near gravitational pull of her and Adrien’s deepening connection, even this situation with their father all causing the pressure gauge to creep up up up. Marinette could feel in her bones that something was on the verge of breaking forth, like lightning from a thundercloud.

Everything had been going so well, she mused. She should have known it wasn’t meant to last.

Every day she and Adrien spent together over the past week had felt almost too good to be true, like something out of a dream. Still, Marinette couldn’t help but wait with bated breath, a paranoid little voice in the back of her mind whispering that the house of cards they’d built was bound to come tumbling down around them; that it wasn’t a question of if, but rather when.

And, as it turned out, she wouldn’t have to wait long at all.

-x-

#ml fanfic #miraculous ladybug #adrienette #adrien agreste #marinette dupain-cheng #adrinette #ml fic #miraculous fanfic #no miraculous au #ml brothers au #childhood friends au #ongoing fic #hypothetically ever after #my fics

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