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carpetbug · 5 months

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welcome to the beginning of my ML Feline Blue AU!

in which Marinette is forced to become guardian before ever wielding a miraculous. Chaos ensues when she uses the black cat ring to become feline blue and through a silly little turn of events, Adrien gets his hands on the ladybug earrings and becomes beetle rouge

BIIIIIG thank you to my lovelies @isabugs and @thimbleb3rries for being so kind and encouraging, for their WONDERFUL ART OH MY GOD, and for beta-ing this!

The beginning: Becoming Guardian

1 • 2

“You’re not going to beat me like that, old man” The looming figure taunted.

Hunched in a ball before him, a much smaller elderly man struggled for breath. Blood trailed from his mouth, combining with his saliva to messily drip from his lips as he fought for air. Just by the effort he had to put into continuing breathing, he could tell this was not a fight he could win. Still, his fists clenched in defiance as he pushed himself from the floor and steadied himself upright on his feet. His spine screamed in protest and searing pain at the task, but he managed to remain standing.

“I know I can not beat you, old man” He coughed, hands trembling slightly. “But I must continue to fight”

The taller man scoffed before taking a step forward “I’ll make sure it's the last thing you ever do, you pathetic excuse of a guardian” He spat, tightening his grip on his cane as his rage boiled beneath his skin.

“I’d expect nothing less from a villain like you, Hawkmoth”

“No need to act like you’re so much better than me. After all, we've all made mistakes, haven’t we Master fu” Hawkmoth sneered.

“Leave my past out of this. I’ve worked to fix what I have broken, you only aim to destroy” Master fu panted, feeling his shoulders to check if his bag was still on his back, and letting out a small sigh of relief when he felt the thick material. Next his hands slowly traveled to support and feel the bottom and sides of the bag, searching for an object. He took another relieved breath when he felt the item's weight, and then he prepared himself for the worst. Bunching his muscles, he sprang into action and bolted away from Hawkmoth.

He focused only on moving forward, getting as far from this wretched evil as he could before time ran out. When he finally collapsed, legs giving out from under him in pure exhaustion, he found himself at the Pont de Arts, above the seine. Hawkmoth was nowhere to be seen, but master fu knew that was only a false sense of security. The villain would find him soon enough. He needed to find someone. Anyone.

“-ir? Are you okay?”

A voice. Master fu looked up, vision shaking just slightly. In Front of him stood a teenage girl, dark hair pulled back into pigtails and eyebrows pushed together with worry.

“Sir? Can you hear me?” She asked with a panicked look in her eyes. “How can I help?” She stepped closer and offered him a hand.

Master fu gathered his strength to pull his bag from his back and carefully draw open the zipper before reaching in to pull out the contents. The girl watched intensely, eyes following his pained movements. He pulled a large dark wooden box from the bag and held it close to his chest, then brought his eyes upwards to meet her face. “I’m sorry, young hero” He said sadly, then joined his hand to hers before she could respond.

An intense feeling washed over him, and he closed his eyes to take a deep breath. This girl was strong. He hoped she will forgive him for the burden he will make her bear.

She flashed an anxious smile “That’s okay, and I promise I’m no hero. Just a normal g-” He cut her off with a sharp tug, then slammed the box into her chest. She gasped as he knocked the air from her lungs, clearly not expecting such a feat of strength from the battered man. As she fought to breathe, Master fu gathered the last few remnants of his strength and lifted the girl from the ground. “I, Wang Fu, hereby relinquish the Miracle Box-”

“Stop! What are you doing!?”

“-and name Marinette Dupain-Cheng the guardian” His body lit up, skin glowing as the box between them lifted upward and burned like a star in the air.

“How do you know my na-?!” Before she could finish what she said, the box dropped back into her hold and the elderly man -still glowing like some sort of deity- held her over the railing and dropped her into the rushing water below. She hit the surface with a loud splash, getting thrown under but quickly resurfacing a few feet away, miracle box still in her arms.

The last thing she saw before being pulled away by the fast moving current was the man falling backwards to the ground in exhaustion as the light emitting from his skin dimmed.

Master fu slowly blinked his eyes open, carefully taking in his surroundings with an expression of pure shock and confusion on his face. He seemed so frail, all of a sudden. Like he had lost all his fight.

“What did you do?!” a booming voice hissed behind him. He started to turn his head to look, but something beat him to it. All of a sudden, a hand tightened around his throat and picked him off the ground, nails digging into the thin skin of his neck.

“What- what’s happening?” Master fus strangled voice hardly escaped his lips. He tried to thrash his legs, do anything to get free, but a fatigue he couldn’t explain had overcome his muscles. Weakly prying at his attackers hands, panic began to set in. There wouldn’t be any escape. “Who are you?” he managed out in a pained mumble.

“I am the next guardian of the miraculous” the seething voice responded as nails began to break through his skin. “I am the consequences of your greatest mistake” the words rang through his head as his vision went black, and sickeningly warm blood poured from his throat.

Marinette struggled to hold her head above the surface and keep the container in her grasp as the river pulled her this way and that. Her mind raced and her lungs screamed, everything inside her begging to let go of that weird old man’s weird old box and save herself instead. Still, her grip remained glued to the sodden wood, as if she would rather drown than set the box free to face the waters’ wrath. Nothing was making any sense. And despite the deafening chorus of the racing water that surrounded her, the only thing ringing in her ears was the man’s words.

He had called her a hero. He had entrusted her with something clearly important to him. He had thrown her into the seine. He had been badly wounded. He had been a complete and utter stranger. What did everything mean? Suddenly, her feet felt solid ground beneath her, and she hurriedly moved to follow it. She pushed forward, focusing on reaching the bank that lay on the other side. Eventually Marinette was able to pull herself and the box from the water onto an empty platform beneath a bridge.

As soon as she was safely out of the water, Marinette threw herself backwards in exhaustion. She laid against the cool pavement underneath her and passed through all the events that had just occurred. What the fuck was this ‘miracle’ box? And why was she the ‘guardian’? Ignoring the new aches in her body, she sat upward and brought the box closer to her.

There she sat for a few moments, toying with the lid and gently tracing the intricate pattern displayed. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened it.

“HELLO YOUNG MASTER” A loud chorus of voices rang out as a beam of light emitted from the open container and what looked like small differently colored masses of stars flew all around her. Marinette fell back onto her elbows, overwhelmed at the sudden sensory overload. Her vision was a blur of nauseating colors accompanied by what she could only imagine to be auditory hallucinations.

Before she had a chance to speak, to catch her breath or try and scream for help, the almost magical colorful masses slowed until they were still, then began to morph into a solid form. Marinette watched, intrigued and terrified, as these small creatures took shape in front of her. They each seemed to be a different animal, though they all shared an alien-like anatomy. Some had tails, others long whiskers and a few antennas. Two of them caught her eye, a sleek black cat and what she thought to be a ladybug (though it looked much more like some sort of bug-mouse combo).

As if the creatures could read her mind -which they could, for all she knew-, they began to speak in sync. “WE ARE THE KWAMI, MAGICAL BEINGS THAT CAN BESTOW POWERS UPON OUR WIELDERS.” They said, in an almost sing-songy voice.

“AND YOU, MARINETTE, ARE OUR NEW GUARDIAN.”

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #ml #carpetbug writes #ml feline blue au #kwami swap #marinette #marinette dupain cheng #master fu #gabriel agreste #hawkmoth #I RLLY HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS LITTLE INTRO!! MUCH MUCH MUCH MORE TO COME!#this is just a short little intro to the au :)#expect longer chapters in the future and lots of art!#i will add this to ao3 at some point i pinky promise #carpetbug art

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alexfierroaf · 10 months

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Yea, I’m convinced that the Miraculous season finale was unsatisfying on purpose.

The “happy ending” scene at the end had this surrealist lighting and slightly off-putting music in the background. It gives off major false utopia vibes. It actually makes me feel relieved, because there were two things I was worried about for this finale but the way they wrote it resolves those issues a bit.

First, I was worried that they were going to try to wrap up everything perfectly within the span of this two episode special. There was no way they were going to be able to give all the different plot points and character arcs the closure they needed within that time frame. by leaving us with an open ending, It gives itself room to properly develop and deal with the fallout from this mess slowly over time.

And then, arguably the bigger issue, was Miraculous’ future after season 5. I kept thinking to myself, what are they going to have to do to keep Miraculous interesting after this? Sure we’ve got Lila, or Cerise, or whatever her name is, but everything we’ve been following this series for since the beginning was about to be resolved. Monarch gone. The Agreste arc over. Adrienette canon. What is Miraculous’ sense of identity after this? Do they hit the reset button and retell the story Disney sequel style? Do they force a breakup between Adrienette to keep the romance plot alive? What’s the point of this still VERY fresh reveal of senti-Adrien if Gabriel and his influence is nothing but a distant memory?

But because of the way things went down, none of those things we thought would be resolved actually are. Monarch fucking won. He got what he wanted, and now everyone is living in a world of his image. He’s remembered as a goddamn hero, which is fucking infuriating! And Adrien doesn’t know! Doesn’t know that his dad was a supervillain and terrorist, doesn’t know that he’s a sentimonster, doesn’t fully accept that he’s been abused. And Marinette is keeping all that from him! Probably because she doesn’t want to inflict unnecessary pain on him, but when he finds out he’s going to be an absolute MESS.

Which means the Agreste plot, the family drama, the relationship antics that we’ve been following for all these years will continue as a throughline in the show. It means that there are natural reasons to continue existing conflicts and keep the show running without it feeling contrived. Because none of this is ok, and it’s going to take a lot of time to resolve. A lot of pain, a lot of drama, and a lot of conflict. I wouldn’t be surprised if Adrien and Marinette have major relationship problems over the secrets that she’s keeping from him. The Ladynoir angst from season 4 is back at full force. And you KNOW Cerise is going to zero in on that shit like a moth to a flame. Before this I was fearing a ultra-contrived break up to keep the audience invested in their story, but now I would be totally satisfied with a temporary break up as Marinette’s secrets become too much to keep hidden.

So yea, I was angry at the season 5 finale. The Gabriel statue made me gag. And I REALLY wanted to see Adrien stick it to his father. But then again, he did in his own way. He pulled one over his father by tricking him into muting his mics, which gave him a chance to strategize with Plagg. He’s the one who decided to play the long game and wait patiently while Plagg found a new holder to defeat Monarch with -- as opposed to rushing in with brute force, which shows significant character growth for him, by the way. I’m proud of him. And I can’t wait to see where his arc goes from here as he continues to explore his own agency and his relationships with people around him.

As for Marinette, I was very satisfied with her face-off against Monarch/Gabriel. The moment he realized his archnemesis was her was priceless. And that piano? God. That was glorious. She was a total badass. And she demonstrated her growth, too. She acted with a lot more maturity than we’ve seen at other points in her story by putting aside her personal vendetta towards Gabriel and Monarch to focus on creating a peaceful solution -- even if it did come back to bite her in the ass hard.

So the manipulator won. Fitting, because I feel kind of manipulated too. I would’ve never guessed in a million years that Gabriel would actually be able to make his wish in the permanent timeline, or that Miraculous would go down such an unsettling and unsatisfying route (at least in the short term). I’ve gotta respect them for that. All these years we thought we knew how this conflict was going to resolve -- all those dramatic reveals in the Agreste basement, the final battle between Adrien and his piece of shit dad, Adrien breaking out of his control in one decisive and cathartic swoop. Instead, we got something much more sinister, something much more insidious. Whatever is lurking around the corner is bound to have MAJOR repercussions going forward.

So I’m content to wait and see what happens next. There’s no point in complaining about how a story went when it isn’t even resolved yet. Was it perfect? Nope. Will it be done perfectly in the future? Also no. And that’s ok. Because it never will be perfect, and what we saw here made sense. It was impactful. It creates new opportunities for the characters and their story arcs that didn’t exist before this finale. We are in a new era of Miraculous, and I will be waiting on the edge of my seat to find out what the hell this beautifully unpredictable series is going to evolve into next.

#ml spoilers #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #gabriel agreste #love square #miraculous ladybug #miraculous season 5 #miraculous revolution #miraculous recreation #lila rossi #ladybug #chat noir #bugnoir

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princesssmars · 1 year

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Hello! ^.^ I really enjoy your writing I’m not really sure if your taking requests at the moment but if you are I was wondering if you could write some more poly miraculous ladybug with a fem reader about Adrien, Marinette, and reader cuddling and falling asleep together while watching a movie or talking to each other just some fluffy stuff if it’s not to much trouble thank you! 😊

first off thank uuu for the request i love when yall send stuff in <3 sorry it took so long i was trying to finish my own planned fics and i suck at writing quick but heres a short lil thing <3

sometimes you could swear your girlfriend and boyfriend were telepathic. itd be comforting to know they understood you so well if it wasnt actually a bit terrifying.

it was in the way that for marinettes birthday you planned a small suprise for her at school, only including your most trustworhty friends to help and join so she wouldnt find out, and said girl coming downstairs to the decorated courtyard like it was just a regular afternoon. she did say thanks and give you a kiss on the cheek, but you were still kind of dissapointed.

not to mention that friday a few weeks ago, where after a hard day at school and helping at your parents shops you quickly headed out to get yourself some snacks for a self-care and study night. as soon as you set the bag of goodies on your nightstand, you heard your dog downstairs barking at something. after quickly checking on him and coming back, you let out a shout as two wide and guilty green eyes stare back at you with a mouth full of your pastries. adrien later said he could tell when you would get yourself some snacks to wind down, which didnt help your suspicions.

but besides that, the way they seemed to know what was happening in your brain was an immense relief. it was the last day of junior year and the start of summer break and you couldnt be more relieved. most of your friends and classmates had plans to hang out with each other the next following days, leaving the afternoon to spend by yourself until then.

marinette and adrien had told you that morning that they'd likely be bisy that night with patrols, leaving you to sit in your room listening to music. even though you knew you would see everyone often starting the next day, you couldnt help but feel a sense of loneliness. your partners seemed to be going on more patrols and attacks lately, and it always left a cold feeling in your chest to know they were out risking their lives without you.

you felt yourself nodding off when a force landing beside you in bed makes you jolt upwards, relaxing when you see its just adrien still in his chat noir suit. mari is still suited up as well, dropping a baby pink tote onto your tv stand.

they tell you theyre sorry for being away so much and wanted to make it up to you, bringing a few of your favorite movies and maris favorite blanket that smells like strawberries.

after changing into pairs of pajamas they left at yours and snuggling into bed with you, you fall asleep to the sounds of a movie about a girl falling in love in paris, while you cuddle up with the two people who have made you do the same.

#miraculous ladybug x reader #miraculous ladybug #miraculous fanfic #marinette dupen chang #marinette dupen chang x reader #marinette x adrien #marinette x reader #adriennette #adrien agreste x reader #adrien agreste #adrienette x reader

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anna-scribbles · 3 months

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can you share some of your writing/planning process for thirteen? i adore the non-linear format - how do you decide what scenes to put where?

ahh thank you!! idk how much of a defined process I have, but there's definitely a lot of planning that goes into it and i can show you some of that.

i keep all the chapters in one doc organized by month, and then i plan everything out in bullet points in a timeline at the beginning. here i just have october and november as examples bc after december things started to get more detailed/messy

all of the scenes (especially at the beginning) set the stage for things i’ve planned to happen later, or establish something that feels relevant to adrien’s character by the time we meet him in canon. the task of condensing an entire month into about 2-3 scenes has been a bit difficult; i’ve found out that i’m a very present-moment kind of writer so it’s harder for me to describe the passage of, like, weeks of time. so i’ve been pinpointing specific threads of adrien’s story that i want to be sure to tell and choosing scenes from each month that build on that.

i’ve had the idea for this fic in the back of my mind since about 2021 so i’ve had several scenes cemented in my mind, ways i’ve decided things played out, etc. some of the writing process has been building the narrative around those things or figuring out how we get there. that’s what i love about prequels in general, honestly - it’s inevitable where we’re going to end up, but how do we get there?

adrien’s situation, at the moment we meet him in origins, is SO endlessly fascinating to me. he is in the process of doing something reckless and rebellious and bold - running away - against the will of his father, a man he spends the rest of the series struggling with his compulsion to submit to. we find out, via the rest of the show, exactly how difficult it is for adrien to stand up to his father. and yet, in his very first appearance, adrien is running away from him.

how did he get here? what, exactly, pushed him to this point? was this the final escalation of a steady build of rebellious behaviors, or an impulsive breakthrough after one awful day too many? what has this small boy been through in the last year, and why does public school seem to be his only fathomable escape?

and WHY, if his circumstances are so dire as to compell him to rebel so boldly in the first place, does he still throw it away to help the old man in the road? what makes him so kind, when he has everything to lose? what happened? how did he get here?

i’m interested, obviously, in the character of émilie. i think that the hole she leaves in the narrative is a compelling silhouette and i’ve been having a blast trying to pencil in its details. it’s obvious that adrien loved her deeply and had a stronger connection to her than with gabriel. but also, adrien was still shut off from the world while she was alive. he was still, presumably, an exploited child star while she was alive. she was an actress and a mother and died by broken magic and never told her son the truth about any of it. figuring out who i think she was and then how to show that through young adrien’s eyes has been a huge part of planning this story for me.

as far as the twenty three year old adrien sections, those have been less involved as far as planning goes. i only recently mapped out which areas of the house i want him to visit during the different months. i wanted his sections to line up at least thematically, if not physically, where thirteen year old adrien is at in his story. for example, in december twenty three year old adrien cleans out the dining room where thirteen year old adrien was having terrible christmas dinner. and in january they’re both in the garden, etc.

it’s a bit harder to map out twenty three adrien just because it has to also make sense geographically - i can’t have him running back and forth up and down the stairs, let’s be real he doesn’t have the energy for that. i’ve also opened up the agreste mansion page on the miraculous wiki so many times while trying to map this out 💔💔 did you know that apparently there’s a third floor we never see in the show. yeah i have to figure out what to do with that now

ANYWAY long story short: the planning process for thirteen is kind of a mess, but the whole story is built around some central plot points that i knew i wanted to hit from the beginning. the details change a lot (as you can see from the outline above - it’s not quite right) but i keep the end in mind. just have to figure out how we get there.

thank you for asking!! mwah<3

#thirteen #anna rambles #asks #sorry for writing SO MUCH #in my defense i’m sleepy #and i just started rambling #adrien agreste…..kissing your forehead my love. tucking you into bed. agreeing with you about tamaharu #i don’t even know if this answered the question this is just truly my process #the process is that i think about adrien agreste and then write it down #ml

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comics-and-fanworks · 2 years

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ML Career Choice Part 2!

@marsrize

Is this how you tag people I have no idea what I’m doing.

~~~~~~~~

Turns out when you yell at someone in a café demanding they fix a mess they didn’t cause people are likely to record it. Especially if you happen to be a model who just fell from grace and are yelling at a soon-to-be Mrs. Todd-Wayne. Gotham was a mix of emotions, mostly elated that their power couple would be getting married, surprise that the woman who’s helped redesign and rebuild major cities is a major force of fashion, and fury at just what she had to go through. Adrien made the mistake of messing with someone who Gothamites considered one of their own, and Gotham was determined to make sure Marinette would get a chance to tell her side of the story. Vicky Vale had her booked on her talk show that very night, under the guise of discussing a way for the city to reduce its smog levels.

Marinette and Jason were sitting next to each other smiling as Marinette proudly discussed ways to make Gotham’s air cleaner, Vicky began her real interview. “Marinette, I hate to spring this on you so suddenly, but I’m sure you’ve seen the video of ex-model Adrien Agreste harassing you and your fiancé- congratulations by the way- He mentioned something about fashion?” Marinette sighed, and Jason squeezed her hand in comfort, “When I was younger, it was my dream to be a fashion designer. I had, and still have a few big name clients like Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, and the Wayne family now that I’m marrying into it. I had even caught the attention of some big names like Gabriel Agreste and the Style Queen, I thought everything was going so well, until Lila Rossi came along.” Jason leaned over and pulled Marinette into a side hug, gently rubbing her shoulder. Mari took a deep breath and continued, “She began lying about anything and everything, and I didn’t believe her, she somehow got into Gabriel’s good graces and began spreading all these lies about me. Saying I stole my designs, I had other people do the work for me, all kinds of things that didn’t really make sense. It was one of the many things she did to me. I don’t know how she convinced him, but she got Adrien to back her up. The worst part is, he knew all along that she was lying, but helped her ruin my reputation and get me blacklisted from something I loved!”

At this point, Marinette was in tears, so Vicky cut to a commercial break while Jason tried to comfort his fiancee. Eventually they both agreed it would be best if Jason handled the rest of the interview. When the live feed returned, Vicky decided to lighten the mood by asking about his engagement, “So Jason, is there anything you can tell me about your upcoming wedding?”

“Well Vicky, can I start off with saying how excited I am? I met Marinette when she had just moved to Gotham. It sounds crazy, but we were actually in a hostage situation and I got to watch Little Ms. Magic macgyver her way out of it, and that was the moment I knew she was the one. I won’t say much about our wedding, the ceremony’s going to be a private affair, but the reception is going to be quite the party. Everyone who’s Anyone will be there, Mari did make a lot of connections through her work as an engineer. Name a country and I promise she knows someone there.”

Needless to say Marinette’s former tormenters were shocked when they did not recieve an invitation, mostly because Adrien had assured Lila and his father that Marinette would definitely invite them. Even though Lila still despised Marinette, but she admitted that her rival was well connected and with her reentry into the fashion world, her empire was only growing. If Lila could make a show of apologizing to Marinette, she could potentially save her career, and hopefully eventually worm her way into the multi-talented woman’s good graces. Gabriel wanted to attend in order to try and save his company’s reputation and smooth things over. It looked bad enough when he blacklisted a child, but now that it was exposed that he did so on lies and didn’t even attempt to confirm them it looked even worse. He hoped that by the end of the evening he could make a few new famous clients (who were fighting tooth and nail for the very limited commission spots Marinette opened) and announcing a partnership between himself and Marinette.

Adrien wanted to go because he was convinced he could convince Marinette to leave Gotham to return to France and restore the status quo. None of his old friends were speaking to him, after finding out that he knew Lila was lying and helped ruin Marinette’s future. Many of them reached out to her to apologize, and in the months leading up to the wedding were able to repair their bonds with her. Adrien was confused, why should they apologize when in his mind Marinette was in the wrong for attempting to expose Lila as a liar? It didn’t help that Ladybug was giving him the cold shoulder as well, he thought she would see it how he wanted her to, but apparently not. To add insult to injury, she got an invitation while Chat Noir did not.

The three of them decided to crash the reception, mostly because they were confident that they wouldn’t get kicked out. They still remembered Marinette as a people-pleasing pushover, so they figured that even if they did get caught they’d be fine. What they didn’t know, is that the Wayne family runs a secret side business, in which they teach future family members confidence, raise their self-esteem, and other healthy life skills, and Marinette had happily taken those classes. When they arrive, Adrien darts off to find Marinette, Lila and Gabriel try to do damage control. It’s not long before they’re being thrown out by security and a VERY pissed preteen with a katana. The Wayne lawyers were truly in a different level of their own, because by the time the terrible trio got back to their hotel, they were served with restraining orders.

Life was going well for Marinette, it was great actually. She was head of Wayne Engineering and working on starting up Wayne Fashions. Marinette was even asked to join a board of engineers, architects, and designers on ways to further protect people and buildings from magical and nonmagical threats, when her phone began to ring.

“Mari! An earthquake just hit Gotham! The government is withdrawing all aid! They’re not going to rebuild the City. Little Ms. Magic I don’t know what-”

“I’m coming! Tell your dad he better be ready to reach deep into his pockets. They may have abandoned Gotham, but we haven’t, and we never will.”

#marinette deserves better #marinette dupain cheng #lila salt #gabriel salt #adrien salt #maribat #jasonette

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flightfoot · 2 months

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ML Fanfic Recs for 2023: 80K - 125K Words

So I’ve been going through and adding particularly good fics I’ve read throughout the year. Only Complete fics, of course. Enjoy!

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Tell Me Why You Love Me by @linnieluna

“Anyway, that piece of paper contains the name of this texting app. It’s completely anonymous, so you can download it, make your account with no attachments to your personal life, and communicate with me outside our suits. I included my username on the paper, too, so you can add me once you’re done."

Her partner skimmed through the words on the paper and nodded his head. “Brilliant as always, M’lady. I’m surprised we didn’t figure this out sooner within our superhero careers.”

“Yeah, it would’ve been nice to have this before, but hey, better late than never. Make sure not to have your phone screen on the messages if you’re going to leave it somewhere. We don’t want anyone reading our texts. Also, this is for emergencies only. No jokes or puns. I can only deal with you for so long.”

“I don’t know if I can agree to that last one,” he said.

Now 22 and working full-time, Marinette and Adrien seem to be getting busier and busier, which means fewer opportunities to keep track of akumas and show up on time. With the idea of using a messaging app to communicate with each other without revealing their identities, their lives immediately grew to be easier... until it wasn't.

This starts off as a mostly slice-of-life fluff fic, but about halfway through things turn dramatic when Monarch learns some things he really shouldn’t and takes action. I had a lot of fun with it as it was coming out, it’s worth a read.

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Kwami Magi Homura Magica by Crossoverpairinglover

After eighty-four loops in time, Homura Akemi takes a new path to Paris to save her friends.

The sixty-third loop after that, Homura arrived at the Agreste Mansion.

After clash after clash with the heroes of Paris and its greatest menace, events have reached a tipping point.

Ladybug faces someone verging on a second wish, a wish that endangers space and time to save a friend.

This was an absolutely AMAZING story that crossoverpairinglover dropped out of NOWHERE. Seriously, if you like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Miraculous Ladybug, this is a real treat - but be prepared to sit down and binge, because it’s over 100,000 words and only has three chapters.

Anyway, I adore the care that’s taken with going through Homura’s mindset here, she gets a lot of character focus. And the lore! There’s some good explanations here for the history behind kwamis and Incubators’ interactions, and the Order of the Guardians normally treats Magical Girls, and why the Incubators are wrong in their assessment of the universe needing more energy to stave off entropy (hint: it involves Plagg), and just... there was a lot of love put into this.

And the action! Most Miraculous fics don’t have much in the way of fight scenes, and what they do have is mostly just functional. This is one of the rare exceptions. There’s some really long, detailed fight scenes in this (roughly the entire second half of the second chapter has one between Ladybug and Homura), which are a treat to read!

We also get some glimpses into a variety of other universes here, other timelines, alternate ways things could have gone down - I’m especially partial to the rather detailed view we get of one where Homura sent a message asking for help to the Ladyblog on her third time loop, and how things progressed from there.

The ending I also thought was really good, a happy ending that generally made sense and dealt with the issue of the Incubators.

If you can’t tell I’m really happy with this fic, it was incredible and unexpected. The length of the individual chapters can be daunting, but if you’re up for the task, I highly recommend giving it a shot!

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If I Let Myself Love You by @uptoolateart

It’s hard to be a normal girl with a normal life when your mother has terminal cancer. And when fashion model Adrien Agreste moves back to Paris and wants to be Marinette’s friend – or maybe even more – her life is turned upside down again.

How can she risk opening her heart to love when her whole world is falling apart? Especially when Adrien is hiding a dark secret of his own….

- COMPLETE FIC – updates on Sundays

*** No kwamis AU - 100% Adrinette. About half of it is fluffy and half heavy. Please read tags for trigger warnings. ***

This fic can be rough, definitely pay attention to the tags. There’s no villains in this story, it mostly centers around themes of dealing with illness - both being sick and having a loved one who’s terminally ill - and death, grieving someone who’s lost, and how difficult that can be. It can get pretty gut-wrenching at times, especially as you slowly discover more layers of what’s really going on, what both Adrien and Marinette are hiding, both from others and from themselves in order to help cope with their circumstances. But they still move forwards together, regardless.

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Eventually by @lucid-ao3

Adrien’s life has been dictated by rules, monitored, and controlled for years. He has learned to compartmentalize. It’s not that bad. It always gets better, eventually. Doesn’t it?

Recovery can be an unexpected obstacle when you didn’t realize you were being hurt in the first place.

OR: How Adrien lives and copes with the emotional abuse inflicted on him over the years, and how he ultimately could overcome it.

If you want a good “Adrien doesn’t realize how abusive his father is but slowly buckles more and more under his tyranny, until things come to a head, and he actually gets the HELP HE NEEDS” fic, this is a good one!

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Between the Heavens and the Embers by @readersmoon

Everyone in Paris remembers the fateful night of January 16, when the city was attacked by the most powerful and destructive akuma ever created. The assault, which lasted for hours, resulted in the death of 439 people.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was among the casualties.

Years later, Adrien hasn't been able to move on, haunted by the memories of her broken body. So, when the opportunity to leave Paris for a while presents itself, he doesn't hesitate. But this trip might end up giving him more than he ever dreamt of.

This is a fantastic fic, though a serious and a dark one - make sure to mind the tags, and it’s M-rated for a reason. Vee - or rather, Marinette - is going through a horror story here. Imagine finding out that your life is a lie, that everyone you thought you could trust was manipulating you, that you were just being continually gaslit for years.

As for Adrien, Alya, and Nino... well, none of them took Marinette’s “death” all that well, especially Adrien. Finding out that she’s been alive all this time, in these horrible circumstances, and they had no clue... it’s hard on them as well.

I love how this fic goes into how much trauma everyone has even after the immediate danger’s dealt with, you don’t just walk off this kind of experience, especially with how many years this lasted.

#miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic rec

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marinetteplztakeabreak · 9 months

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Another little essay on the mls5 finale

Tl;dr Gabriel Agreste Was Not Redeemed but it Makes Sense to feel weird and gross about it! And i think it was definitely Designed that way and did a very cool job of showing some complicated things

(Under a cut for ml s5 finale spoilers and also She-Ra spoilers because i’m comparing arcs, you dont have to have seen she-ra for this to make sense just, you will get spoilers)

Gabriel Agreste’s death reminded me IMMENSELY of shadow weaver’s death in she-ra. it left me with the same emotions. and i think they’re both Clearly trying to show the same thing

In both, there is this, almost *parody* of a heroic sacrifice??? There is a villain/abusive parent who is SHOWN repeatedly to be evil and to Cause Repeated Harm to their child/main character. But the main character can never quite renounce them because they’re always thrown the tiniest scraps at the very last minute. And this main character is trapped in a never ending cycle of needing to crawl back for help because despite it all they WANT to believe that there is some Pure Underlying Motive behind it all and that actually their parent DOES love them and IS good. Because who WOULDN’T want to believe that, especially in moments of terror and lonliness and the world falling to pieces???

And BOTH of these villains die by a “heroic sacrifice” that THEY think redeems them. They both die as a sacrifice ONLY when it’s a last resort and they’re going to die ANYWAYS if they DONT do anything. and they both make SURE that a child they’ve traumatized On Purpose is Watching Them Die Heroically. For both of them there’s this element of… their death is one last act of traumatizing the person they’re saving and ALSO one last act of making them feel Trapped and like they are In Debt and Have To Stay Loyal to their abusive parent?????

Like???? Gabriel LITERALLY does those tears that may or may not have been fake but were Definitely weaponized to play with marinette’s moral compass and catch her off guard. followed by the like… cackling evil villain act. Istg he was like Playing with marinette like a little ragdoll and Relishing in how Helpless she was as he made the wish. He KNEW he had her trapped, not just By The Miraculous but also Emotionally. He KNEW she had no one else to turn to. He KNEW he held the cards and he could say “make sure adrien remembers me as a hero” and that she’d HAVE to do it. Because he was about to die in front of her and she was going to be messed up by the whole thing and all these secrets and she wasn’t gonna have much choice other than to just Believe He Was Right And Good. As a coping mechanism.

And i think,,, there’s this aura of… he Genuinely thinks he has won. He thinks that he has succeeded in being a Good Father. He thinks that he has Manipulated and Snared his way into being a Hero and Right because he thinks that’s a thing you can do!!!! He doesn’t even consider changing his ways, not when natalie AND adrien AND ladybug all BEG him to listen. He doesnt consider treating anyone else as a person or admitting he could be wrong????? He just doubles down Harder and goes “hahaaaa i have manipulated and traumatized this teenager into continuing my lies and making up a narrative for me where im the hero… this is the same as being a genuienly good parent.”

And i GET the feelings of grossness bc that was a gross thing he did!!!! I agree!!!

But i DONT think he got to get away free or be redeemed????

If anything, it gave me the same gut feeling as shadow weaver’s death in she ra????? Like????? This is the Final Proof that he’s beyond saving because he cant even DIE without using it as one last opportunity to hurt someone he should be protecting????? And he doesnt even Realize that’s messed up he’s just like “heehee i win at tricking those stupid little teenagers into thinking im a hero” with no sense of self reflection.

After watching through that scene a few times i am CONFIDENT it was meant to come off that way and im not actually Sure how much they’ll address it??????

(And im also a teensy bit confused because??? I dont know who the target audience is at this point??? If it really is little kids as the target i am Sure they’ll address it blatantly but the show’s been getting darker and more Nuanced lately. But this is a different point)

but even if they DON’T!!!!! This is just!!! So similar to shadow weaver’s death in she-ra, another cartoon theoretically aimed at children and they DIDNT even address that one at all because it was just,,,,,, SO obvious that even if she DID save the main characters with her death she also used it as a way to twist the knife?????

And so far ive just been talking about Recreation Specifically???? But the REASON gane was dying was bc he literally CATACLYSMED HIMSELF with chat’s hand as a way to trauamtize ladynoir because he thought it would catch them off guard and screw with them!!!!!!!!!!

This is not the narrative saying “oh he had good intentions and was right all along uwu” to me, this was very clearly the narrative saying “sometimes people are so far convinced that theyre the only one that matters that they cant even DIE without using it as a way to hurt and manipulate everyone they should be supporting and wow can that screw people up when they’re left to pick up those pieces and leave them with a complicated mess of emotions.”

and also its saying that it is in fact okay to hate your dead parents if they sucked . And its okay to be have complicated feelings about it, u dont have to be able to make an opinion immediately or seperate yourself from the situation. Sometimes it hurts and you mourn what you shouldve had Anyway.

And i think just like she ra, this is a very Mature and Complicated take and its Okay to have mixed feelings about it, but i just wanted to reassure people that the ending absolutely did not say that gabe was a good person.

It MIGHT have said that the wish actually helped make the world better!!! We don’t know that part yet!!!!

But we DO know that it said,,,,, even IF gabe made One Good Decision, he did it at the cost of everyone he should have been supporting and died with everyone he loved hating him for Good Reason and he used his last seconds of life to traumatize and manipulate a scared little kid into telling everyone he was A Hero . And he was not above beating up and hurting said little kid (ladybug) for funsies. I think even IF his wish IS proven to be A Good Thing (big if) there will STILL be a very valid question of “was it worth it.” There will still be tons of trauma on adrien and marinette’s part that Isnt going away. And that is on him and him alone

#ml spoilers #ml s5 spoilers #ml s5 finale #ml recreation #ml meta #spop #just in case someones blocking or filtering tags idk #gabriel agreste

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depressed-teacup-inc · 11 months

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A double review because at this point, the show is just repeating itself

Alright so miraculous again decided to air two episodes at once, which ok, annoying as fuck for someone that times and reviews them, but we survive either way. Let’s go!

Confrontation

Alright, I’m officially renaming “Lila episodes” into “Lila and Chloe episodes” because literally Chloe has become the new Lila! Literally nothing that they do makes sense or has any reason beyond “they’re evil and hate marinette mwahahaha” and just exist to make marinette look better in comparison

(In case you’re wondering why they’re still around and what’s the point of Chloe and Lila, it’s because the minute they’re actually complex/compelling characters or they’re gone, Marinette’s actions and behaviors become way more awful in hindsight, so the show keeps these two around to make Marinette either a martyr or a hero)

Also nothing in this episode makes sense and constantly contradicts itself?

Like the entire premise of the episode being the students getting assigned to terrible high schools, but they never wanted to do these sheets in the first place? The lucky charms are suddenly magical shields, but then why wasn’t this discovered before? You’re telling me no one thought to encourage petiole away from being akumatized? And also, Lila’s plan is so flimsy and held by the thread that the students will just assume marinette did this for… basically no reason because they’re graduating

Also I don’t care what the episode argues, Damocles, André and Bustier all were shit role models and support systems for the students, and were a big reason as to why students were angry and akumatized in the first place, but sure let’s just pretend they’re good last minute you guys!

Anyways this sucked, next episode

Collusion

So… Adrien has officially been character assassinated by the show to have no personality beyond being love interest!

This happened in the last episode too, but you see it here so much as well! Like literally every minute of Adrien’s screentime, and every time he talks is somehow connected to marinette! Literally his father is sending him away to a private school in London (which honestly at this point with what marinette did to him, take the chance and run baby) which is supposed to be his worst nightmare, and rather then think about his responsibility to Paris as Chat Noir or his friends that he will leave or his sense of autonomy, all he can think about is “I’ll be separated from marinette🥺”

HE LITERALLY SAID HE ISNT SURE OF ANYTHING ABOUT HIS LIFE OR WHO HE IS BUT ALL HE KNOWS IS THAT HES IN LOVE WITH THIS GIRL AND THATS THE ONE THINGS FOING IN HIS LIFE, LOOK AT WHAT THEYVE DONE TO MY BOYYYYYY!!!

And wasn’t perfect the very thing Adrien didn’t want to be perceived of that marinette constantly calls him? It’s giving putting someone on a pedestal and not seeing them for what they really are (the love square is literally high school sweethearts marrying tans divorcing in like 3 years)

Anyways, grieving Adrien’s personality aside, Chloe is demonized to the point of unrealistic, the one teacher who was actually being a decent teacher and not contributing to a system of corruption is now demonized out of nowhere too, Lila literally makes no sense (like that’s apparently not even her name? She goes by cerise in another school, and she has three moms WHAT THE FUCK EVEN IS THIS SHOW ANYMORE), Chloe is mayor now for some fucking reason (this is illegal), and André gets dumb redemption arc out of nowhere.

Mentioned I’m in the previous episodes too, but André is not a good person and the show keeps pretending he is? Like girl, man is confirmed to do corrupt horrific politician stuff, has had the chance to help and actually raise his daughter for years, but chose to neglect her after her mother abandoned her, and now pretends to be a good parent to a child that’s not even his own to feel better about himself, AND YET IM SUPPOSED TO THINK HES SYMPATHETIC AND GOOD? FUCK THAT!

Also real quick, what the fuck is up with the mayor controlling the school? Like initially I was think the reason Chloe has leverage in the school is that her dad, through big donations, basically controls the school board and who gets to do what, but it seems he’s just? Using his mayor powers? Like girl that’s not how being mayor works, you can’t just fire anyone like that, this is a very bad lesson in politics

But yeah. Both episodes awful.

The only good things I can take from here is that there’s finally a canonical lesbian couple that wasn’t constantly queerbated (I love Julerose, and don’t like Zoenette, but they’re both constantly vague and easily censored) and Juleka got some screen time.

(Also Luka and Adrien are officially in the “being Marinette’s love square character assassinated me till the point I have no personality outside of it” club)

Also if you’re wondering why I didn’t mention anything about the fights? They’re dumb, last like five minutes and take a back sit just to tell you how awful Lila and Chloe are.

#miraculous ladybug #mlb fandom #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #ml rants #ml season 5 #ml collusion #ml confrontation #at this point I’m only here to see Gabriel die #also if the show even tries to make him sympathetic I will lose it #fuck all the parents and authority figures in miraculous #all me and my homies hate the parents and authority figures in miraculous

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celestialtitania · 1 month

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What about number 67 for the kiss prompt ?👀

hello hello!! i think i cheated a little with this prompt because it's in adrien's pov but marinette is the one who's apologetic for reasons adrien is unaware of but im sure it's fine hehe. thank you for sending this one in!! i had a lot of fun with it <33 #67: Apology Kiss from this list by @kisspromptsforthelovesquare!!

“You said Ladybug gave these to you to give to me?” Adrien asked, staring at the wedding bands Marinette had placed on his palm.

“That’s right,” Marinette nodded, a somber look on her face. She opened her mouth again as if she had more to say but fell silent, instead watching him.

For his part, all he could do was stare at the rings. He remembered how much his father had valued them, keeping his on at all times, even though his mother had been gone for a year now. He wouldn’t part with these rings for anything.

Having them now felt like the ultimate proof. His father really was gone. What was he supposed to do with them now?

“I guess I could give them to Aunt Amelie. I know she wanted them,” he felt himself saying. His body felt numb and the world felt fuzzy.

“No!” Marinette practically shouted, the reverberations sending a rush of vertigo through his skull. “I mean,” she cleared her throat. “Ladybug said you had to keep these rings on you at all times. And that you couldn’t give them to anyone else.”

What? What did Ladybug care about what Adrien did with his things? Adrien’s bewilderment must have shown on his face, because Marinette bit her lip looking nervous.

“I think it was your father’s last wish,” she said softly.

His last wish. Even his last wish had him thrusting his own desires on Adrien, never mind what Adrien wanted to do with the rings, huh?

Well, he was gone now. Adrien didn’t exactly have to listen anymore; not when Gabriel had never listened to what Adrien wanted. And what Adrien wanted to do was throw these rings as far away as possible so he would never have to see them again.

Except.

Except one of these rings used to belong to his mother too. Except that Gabriel had gone out helping Ladybug against Monarch when Adrien hadn’t been in a position to do anything.

(He ignored the voice inside of him that said Gabriel was the reason Adrien hadn’t been able to be there.)

Except that Ladybug herself had asked Adrien to hold onto these rings.

Marinette folded his hand, rings enclosed within his fist, her own hands covering his. Her warmth countered the cool metal.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“It’s not your fault,” Adrien said automatically, but it was still true. He didn’t understand why Marinette had that look on her face, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

“I’ll keep the rings,” he said, hoping that would wipe the sadness off of Marinette’s face. It didn’t; she simply reached over, wrapping her arms around him and nestling her face in the nook of his neck.

“It’ll make sense one day,” she said cryptically. Before he could ask what on earth that meant, she was speaking again. “Promise me you’ll never take them off?”

Promise? That felt a little drastic a measure for his parents’ wedding bands. And honestly? He didn’t really want to.

Promising meant being held to another one of his father’s demands, yet another order that would exist for seemingly no reason. Another command he’d have to follow whilst remaining in the dark.

“Please?” she added, her voice sounding desperate. She felt so tense in his arms, as if his promise meant the world to her and she’d shatter if he didn’t agree.

“I promise,” Adrien croaked, the words falling out unbidden. The idea of Marinette in any sort of pain was enough to make his rage dissipate. He would do anything to make her happy.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. She pressed a kiss to the side of his head, just holding onto him. He could feel the warmth of her breath in his hair and hear each inhale she took in. Even as she trembled, her arms tightened around him, making no move to let go.

Adrien didn’t know why Marinette cared so much about these rings, and there certainly was no reason for her to be so apologetic, but what he did know was that holding her was enough to diminish his own distress. With her, he could let go of his pain and start afresh.

So instead of letting go and asking her more questions, he simply held her closer to him. They were just rings. What did it matter if he held onto them? As long as she was okay. As long as they were together.

Everything would end up just fine, he was sure of it.

#ml #adrinette #post season 5 #fay writes #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #love square #ml fic #fay fics

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theerurishipper · 7 months

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Ok I am going to be controversial. If I'm honest, I don’t really understand the desire for Adrien to turn his back on Ladybug at the end of Strikeback. That's partly because I don't completely get what the writers intended Adrien’s struggle to be about in Season 4. I understand what Ladybug did wrong, but my thing is…

Does CN ever actually express to LB why he is upset in Season 4? Does he ever try to reason with her or advocate for himself?

I don’t remember him approaching the real issue until they were under Risk’s influence and he says “maybe that’s because you never tell me anything.” I also remember that overall fallout feeling really muddy throughout the season.

From what I see, Chat Noir’s most valid reason for being upset is because she’s keeping him, her loyal partner, at a distance. She’s not communicating as well to the point that he ends up confused, outside of the plan a few times. He finds out she told someone her identity even though she's always been massively against that. Toward the end, he discovers she’s been working with an active Rena Furtive without making him aware. She said nothing between them would change, but he can sense this new distance and her secrecy. He doesn't quite know what to make of it, but he can't help but feel a bit betrayed. He deserves at least to know things like when a new Ladybug shows up at random or a secret miraculous holder being in the field with them.

So you'd think that would be the clear cut reason, but I'm not sure? The writing gives mixed messages and Adrien brings a lot of his own baggage to the table. The increased neglect and secrecy by Ladybug is one facet , but if we’re being honest about what we were shown, there are some more factors:

The side effects of the guardianship in itself. The nature of the guardianship means Ladybug is now a leader responsible for the kwami and involving many more holders. More holders make defeating Monarch easier and Paris more safe, but it also means less time as a duo and more competition to play on CN’s insecurity. He worried about his being replaced as early as Season 3 with Carapace. His insecurity is exacerbated by her distance, but also by more holders in general. The average person might not have been as upset at getting a "break" for a few rounds, but to Adrien, it's a sign that he is finally being replaced. Even if he knew about Rena Furtive, I’m willing to bet he still would have felt uneasy about her threatening their relationship.

He is in love with her. Kuro Neko’s messaging is all over the place, but Plagg wasn’t completely wrong. Ladybug’s increased distance and secrecy hurts 50 times worse because Chat Noir is in love with her. If he were in love with Marinette instead at that point, he might even enjoy the extra load off and having fun with his friends at school, but he is very much in love with Ladybug. That makes his suffering hit much harder.

He’s upset about Carapace and Rena Rouge knowing each other's identities even though he can’t know Ladybug’s. To be fair, I rate the other holders' identities BS pretty low on my list of things to rage at Ladybug about because after Season 3 when all the heroes were revealed and Ladybug continued to give the same heroes their miraculous while also still being really anxious over identities, it was so nonsensical that I chalked it up to plot convenience rather than Marinette just being this stupid and risky. The show was not about to design new hero models so logic be damned. I don’t blame her for this anymore than I blame Chat Noir for being stupidly bad in battle at random a.k.a nerfed to make Ladybug look better. I also acknowledge the rules for the Ladybug and Cat miraculous hold an elevated risk. If Monarch knows Rena and Carapace identities he maybe has two new miraculous. If he knows Ladybug and Cat’s identities, he has his wish and the world is rewritten.

His father also started neglecting him more after a big change in their lives. He’s projected his relationship with his father onto his relationship with Ladybug as early as Glaciator when she didn’t make it to his date. So possible PTSD.

There are also the reasons that the fandom projects onto Adrien as things he 'should' be upset about, but is never actually upset about and have never had any canon ground:

She’s the leader and the only holder with a cure. They’ve never been exactly equal despite that one line and he’s never had an issue with this on the battlefield. He only wants to know what’s going on. If he does have some leftover resentment at Fu not choosing or training him, his beef is with Fu.

He doesn’t know other holders identities. He’s only ever cared to know Ladybug’s. And this may be controversial opinion, but even if he wanted Ladybug to tell him the other holders’ identities, would he be justified in that? He’s not a guardian. Why is he entitled to demand the guardian hand them over? Especially without their permission?

Her plan with Luka to reveal their identities and erase his memory. This is to me her most egregious offense in season 4 and if he knew about it, it would make the argument against his forgiveness much stronger in my eyes. But he doesn’t. And it becomes obsolete information after the episode.

Even with all these heavy factors, all valid reasons to be upset, the only reason that validates righteous anger from CN’s pov and doesn’t make him look like kind of a tool is her secrecy around Rena Furtive and him discovering her keeping him out of the loop on some need to know info in Hacksan and one or two other eps. Emotionally, it goes much deeper than this for him. But these represent her responsibility in the matter.

The reason I can't see him justified in cutting ties with her in Strikeback though is that... this doesn't come up? He can't say he's tried to communicate with her. Nothing like “you’re keeping things I need to know from me and I don’t like it” or “you said things wouldn’t change between us as partners but you’ve distanced yourself from me. we started this together”. Nothing before Strikeback. I could see if he'd tried to talk about it and she dismissed him and didn’t try to fix things. But there’s no conversation around this in particular.

The weird thing is a lot of the other reasons come up in canon through his voice or someone else’s or both. He’s in love with her. He doesn't know what he'd do without her. All the new partners make him feel insecure and irrelevant. Why can’t we know each others’ identity and they can? In other words, the reasons that make him seem overemotional and self centered. These reasons also all center her or the desire for her love and adoration rather than his feelings as her partner. That’s what’s highlighted in Season 4.

But the actual legit criticism and bone to be picked with Ladybug herself does not come out of his mouth until he is under Risk's influence. Even then, it’s a one-liner. I don’t remember him ever actually trying to touch on the real problem with her prior to that. He either smiles and shrugs it off, even when she asks if he is ok, or he lashes out and runs away. He doesn’t breach the topic and if he doesn’t communicate it, how can they work through it?

Kuro Neko was the perfect opportunity to have Adrien really vent, but the initial argument is a textbook miscommunication. He shows up smiling over his pain and cracking jokes. Therefore she doesn’t realize how upset he is. Then he pushes the subject even though she’s out of time and she snaps at him for not listening. Hurt, he snaps back and runs. Plagg blames it on heartbreak alone. Ladybug takes that bait and laments that there’s nothing she can do but dote on him a bit because hey he’s just heartbroken. She's not responsible for his unrequited love. At the end, he never mentions the legitimate issues and nothing is ever wrapped up. That’s where I start to think, did the writers even mean for him feeling diminished as a ‘partner’ to be a real issue? Did they intend for this to be a lovesick issue from the start?

I don’t think this is just on Ladybug being impossible to talk to because of some vibe she sends out or her making sad face. Chat Noir has been pretty cross with Ladybug before over other less justified matters and she didn’t crumble or smote him. She did throw him in the trash but that took 4 seasons of being calm and reasonable in the face of some behavior that wasn’t always great on his part. He is usually the one supporting her, but she managed not to meltdown while he was struggling in Guilttrip and Reverser and support him. She’s not glass and she’s not his father and I think he knows that on some level. I think his lack of communication is partially his upbringing.

I think a decent percentage of the rage at LB in Season 4 is made more intense and inflated in combination with all those other factors. We as the viewers know Adrien's trauma, how starved for love he is, what little support system he has vs the act he puts on as both Adrien and Chat Noir. We know too the meta fact that the writers never allowed CN the dignity to be rightfully upset about it or voice his most valid displeasure at anytime except when he was under the influence of a villain.

Taking the show at surface level, I can see him forgiving her. I just wished they had talked about it. Adrien isn't helpless in the face of Ladybug. He's faced Gabriel. He went to school and told him he didn't want to model and opened up about feeling like his father never wants to talk to him. so I know he can be more honest with Ladybug without a villain spell. The only reason I can think of it never reaching that point is because the writers didn't want it to. Not only do I think that he would have expressed himself well and honestly enough if given the moment, but I think there’s a good chance Ladybug would have tried to fix things if she actually knew what he was upset about and didn't reduce it to 'he's in love with me.' Which I can't completely blame her for. She had help from both Plagg and Adrien.

I really miss early Adrien anyhow. He took a lot more flack then because he messed up more because he actually had a personality that allowed him to disagree and have sassy moments. Sometimes he was right, sometimes wrong, but at least he felt more layered.

Whew, this is a long ask! I'll take this part by part.

The thing is, I don't want him to turn his back on Ladybug in Strikeback. I've said before that I love that scene. What spoils is for me is that the conflict is never addressed after that episode, and it just makes it come off as Chat Noir pushing away his hurt to be there for Ladybug once more. Like he just accepted that he'll be treated in ways he doesn't like. The scene in isolation is one of my favorites, but it's how the aftermath was dealt with that makes it bad.

Does CN ever actually express to LB why he is upset in Season 4? Does he ever try to reason with her or advocate for himself? I don’t remember him approaching the real issue until they were under Risk’s influence and he says “maybe that’s because you never tell me anything.” I also remember that overall fallout feeling really muddy throughout the season.

You're partially right. He doesn't really try to actually talk with her until Risk/Strikeback. And part of this is because of his own trauma. But the other part of it is also because Ladybug has also become more and more unapproachable over the course of the season. When he does try to approach her in some way, he gets shut down.

You're pretty spot on about the other reasons for why he feels the way he does.

There are also the reasons that the fandom projects onto Adrien as things he 'should' be upset about, but is never actually upset about and have never had any canon ground: She’s the leader and the only holder with a cure. They’ve never been exactly equal despite that one line and he’s never had an issue with this on the battlefield. He only wants to know what’s going on. If he does have some leftover resentment at Fu not choosing or training him, his beef is with Fu.

I agree that any resentment he feels for Fu not training him isn't Marinette's fault.

This is getting long, so I'll put the rest of it under the cut.

So, he isn't entitled to their identities. I personally think he would have been justified in wanting to know before Season 4, but it's not really that way anymore. But in any case, that isn't the issue. The issue is Ladybug playing loose and fast with the rules, allowing others to know their identities and even revealing her own identity to someone else while making sure that Chat Noir sticks to the rules. He has a right to be upset about that.

The point is that it shouldn't have become obsolete. She was going to do something awful to him. I don't think it should have been thrown aside. He should know about it. She's shown that she's willing to take advantage of his trust and she never actually learnt any lesson about not doing that or that it was wrong. He's entitled to information about her actions that could potentially have harmed him. That's something she should admit to.

I think the reason for this is clear in your own next paragraph. I will say again that him cutting ties with her in Strikeback is not something that I want.

And that's exactly it. The season spends so many episodes building up this conflict between them, building up Ladybug's secret keeping and Chat Noir's increasing resentment and insecurity over the fact, and then... reduces it to him being in love with her. There are plenty of valid reasons for him to be angry with her, but Kuro Neko, the episode where the Ladynoir conflict is supposedly at an end, tells us that the reason for all this is because "Chat Noir is in love with Ladybug." I call BS.

It's a severe flaw in the writing. They reduce the conflict down to being about Chat Noir being in love with Ladybug while brushing over everything else that was set up. Him being in love with her may have been a slight factor, but it was never the main problem. If he hadn't been in love with her, he would still have the right to be pissed. Reducing it down to him being in love with her reduces the whole conflict, and Kuro Neko actually ends with Adrien saying he was too sensitive (which is Gabe rhetoric) and him apologizing to her as though she did nothing wrong at all. Kuro Neko is just... a fucking awful episode.

And I think you've hit the nail right on the head. This is exactly the problem with Kuro Neko and Season 4 as a whole.

I do sort of disagree with Ladybug being approachable. I think Glaciator 2 did do some damage. See, it's always been their dynamic to banter and for Chat Noir to flirt. Ladybug herself has enjoyed their banter and has responded to his flirtatious comments with nothing more than a small roll of her eyes. When he does it at the wrong time, she tells him to cut it out and he does. Considering that, throwing him a trashcan is unnecessarily overblown. That's way out of line. It's clearly because she's stressed out and annoyed about the situation and because of everything else going on, but him never bringing up anything so as to not upset her is a pretty reasonable interpretation after that. And it does happen again in Kuro Neko. He offers to help, she snaps at him.

The situations with Guilttrip and others like it were when it wasn't about Ladybug. She is supportive of him and she does care for him, but it's always when it's not about her. When it is about her, she never actually puts in the effort to fix the problem and just smooths over the situation (Kuro Neko, Strikeback). Of course, a lot of his lack of communication is due to his upbringing, but Ladybug is also visibly more unapproachable now.

But mostly, he's just written to undermine himself. Ladybug isn’t the only voice box for the writers. Adrien is too. Everyone in the show works to serve a particular narrative so it’s no wonder that his most valid complaint against Ladybug in Season 4 was buried under all of the less noble ones, even from his own lips. He needed Risk just to confront her on the part she was actually responsible for. Odd choice. I guess he wouldn’t have been the perfect boyfriend if he did it without Risk? I think a decent percentage of the rage at LB in Season 4 is made more intense and inflated in combination with all those other factors. We as the viewers know Adrien's trauma, how starved for love he is, what little support system he has vs the act he puts on as both Adrien and Chat Noir. We know too the meta fact that the writers never allowed CN the dignity to be rightfully upset about it or voice his most valid displeasure at anytime except when he was under the influence of a villain.

Spot on.

Spot on again.

Maybe that’s just me being wishful about the blorbos, but my early season blorbos are better than their later season counterparts. The latter just seem like shills for a plot that doesn't match them. I really miss early Adrien anyhow. He took a lot more flack then because he messed up more because he actually had a personality that allowed him to disagree and have sassy moments. Sometimes he was right, sometimes wrong, but at least he felt more layered.

I will say that Miraculous trying to make the switch from a monster-of-the-week type of show to having an overarching plot was an ambitious choice, but it did not work out well, for reasons you've mentioned here.

I will also say, when I criticize Marinette, it isn't often Marinette herself that I criticize but the writing around her. The sort of writing that involves other characters bending over so that she doesn't look bad, or Adrien being reduced to her emotional support partner who doesn't demand a thing from her. That's ultimately what Season 4 had him learn, that he isn't and never will be her equal and that he should just be okay with whatever she does. And since Adrien character is that of the abuse victim who has never been allowed to be his own person, it just paints a very nasty picture. So, I think we do largely agree on many things, anon.

Thank you for your ask!

#MLB #Miraculous Ladybug #Adrien Agreste #Marinette Dupain Cheng #Ladybug #Chat Noir #ML Salt #ML Writing Salt #ML Writers Salt #Marinette Salt #Ladybug Salt #Meta #My meta #Asks #Ladynoir conflict

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decent0distraction · 9 months

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Oof, ok

I just did a deep dive analysis regarding the What If of Marinette had the Cat Miraculous and Adrien had the Ladybug Miraculous

And oh my god is it tragic

But first, a breakdown:

Marinette fits best with the Ladybug Miraculous because being Ladybug made her confident of her choices; her leadership; her own desires and dreams

Ladybug opened the door but Marinette walked through it. The girl at the beginning (Origins) versus the girl we see now (most recent episodes) are two very different people.

I’m not trying to say that Marinette isn’t an anxious, insecure person anymore; it doesn’t work that way. But I think being Ladybug has proven to her that she’s stronger than she thinks.

As for Adrien, who has had no freedom or basic autonomy, suddenly has a way to be what he could never be as himself. I truly believe that becoming Chat Noir saved his life.

He was already pretty brave and outspoken beforehand (going to school without permission; standing up for what he believes in) but the common denominator in crushing that spirit was his father and his desire to be what his parents wanted him to be.

But I think Chat Noir showed him that he could be so much more; he could be his own person.

Adrien needed Chat Noir - more than Marinette needed Ladybug.

So when they’re switched from the beginning (as if they were given the other Miraculous instead of accidentally switching them in Reflekdoll), the results are less than ideal.

But let’s slow it down.

First up, Marinette as Lady Noire.

Origins!Marinette in this universe would be, as I imagine, prone to bad luck but somehow always manages her way out of it. “The luckiest unlucky girl in town” kind of thing. She’s clumsy but lands on her feet (quite literally) and catches what she knocks over. She’s agile and quick but she’s very nervous and jumpy.

She still saves Fu from the oncoming traffic, but while rushing to school to avoid being late, never once letting up on her speed and dexterity, impressing Fu with her skill but also her attention to detail, checking to be sure the old man was alright before leaving him.

In this universe, her clumsy luck provides a humble, hesitant confidence; the type of confidence that keeps you quiet until you have a reason to speak up.

So when she’s bullied or intimidated, she doesn’t accept it. Instead, she ignores it, enraging Lila

(Lila in this universe being the bully will make sense when I talk about how Chloe and Hawkmoth are different in this universe)

Anyway, Lady Noire is everything Marinette is but amplified. Plagg sees both her confidence and her intelligence and finds it incredibly impressive. So the gift he gives her (instead of gifting Adrien the freedom to be something he isn’t) is the freedom to be something she’s always been but couldn’t see

She’s funny and cunning; witty and quick. She can also be aloof and deceitful; cautious and manipulative.

Next; Adrien as Mister Bug

The holder of the Ladybug Miraculous is creative, caring, and careful.

This version of Adrien is more than his parents could have ever hoped for and this concerns Gabriel very much.

He sees his son make his schedule; handle meetings and difficult clients; all so Gabriel has less on his already too full plate.

They have many arguments about this; how the father should be the father and the child should be-

-But the father works too hard and makes himself sick-

-So that warrants the son making himself sick too?

No, but what good is a father if he dies just like Maman-!

…

You get the idea.

Adrien in this universe wears each responsibility and burden wonderfully well.

He wants to go to school - of course he would love it, but he’s needed at home.

But when his father insists, to try to give him an inch of normal, he goes anyway.

He meets his childhood friend Chloe again for the first time in years; since before his mom got sick.

She looks different now; older. She looks more a lonesome queen rather than a student.

They share tired smiles, vaguely aware of what the other one is going through, but aware enough.

He meets Nino and a girl named Marinette and her friend Alya.

And it isn’t until he has to leave early due to his schedule that he sees Fu fall outside the school.

He rushes to his aid, ignoring his busy life to help someone else’s.

Fu sees the leadership and thoughtfulness this boy has and knows what to do with this observation.

Like Marinette in canon, he isn’t nearly as eager to accept being a superhero as his counterpart.

But Tikki offers him an outlet; a calling.

And Adrien, ever helpful and kind, accepts.

Mister Bug is calculated and thinks before acting; a trait that Lady Noire finds incredibly boring.

But no one has ever made him laugh as much as she does.

Now onto Chloe.

Since Adrien was never the sheltered, overprotected model like he is in canon, Chloe didn’t have the access to such a carefree life as she did in canon.

Instead, her mother uses her to show off her designs; demanding what outfits she wears and what events and dinners she presents herself to. All the while, Chloe cares for her ailing father, who is making all the wrong decisions as mayor.

Her parents’ actions alone create enough turmoil and chaos for Hawkmoth to akumatize people.

Fu, knowing a hero needs to be found and that the Cat and Ladybug Miraculous are not ready to have holders again, he searches for a holder for the Bee Miraculous.

Spotting Chloe outside a local bakery, he watches her give her fresh purchase to a homeless man.

He doesn’t test her right away, as he has to be sure.

But on his way to leave without her noticing, he trips and falls, injuring his knee.

Chloe notices and insists on calling for help, respectfully shooting down his claims that he was fine enough to walk. (He wasn’t.)

And as he’s taken to the hospital, Pollen sneaks into Chloe’s bag.

Almost a year later, a full year after Emilie’s passing, Chloe is secretly Queen Bee.

She knows Fu is choosing two new holders, but she can’t know who.

She doesn’t say anything, but she secretly hopes it isn’t Adrien. He doesn’t deserve anything more to worry about; certainly not the safety of an entire city.

In this universe, Chloe is kind but isn’t afraid to sting. When Adrien arrives to class, the other students swarm him, overwhelming him with their shouting and excitement.

She sees her friend drowning and commands that everyone return to their seats and wait for class to begin.

Everyone obeys her, her regality hard to ignore.

And… Lila.

Ugh. Ok.

So this one goes hand in hand with Hawkmoth. Er, Gabriel. Both.

Anyway, Gabriel loses his wife. His son becomes a depressed and anxious mess desperately to keep his father alive so he picks up half the work load. Gabriel becomes desperate too; desperate for things to be as they were before.

But he needs turmoil and hatred for his butterflies to stir up chaos. So he hires Lila, a young, ambitious aspiring actress.

The twist? She blames Queen Bee and all and any other superheroes for everything and anything. Why? Who knows? Maybe she doesn’t even know. Like when you press on a bruise knowing it’ll hurt, only to do it again.

She bullies just to hurt; she loves just to hurt; she does her job and she does it well.

And that’s all I have for right now.

But here’s a snippet of this AU that I wrote:

Adrien woke up to his alarm blaring, one hand emerging out from under the covers to turn it off.

He sighed into his pillow, wanting desperately to sleep in. However, he knew that it was better to get up, as it was the closest he’d probably either get to the same routine as anyone else his age, all of them getting up to prepare for their school day.

But for Adrien, he was homeschooled by his father’s personal assistant Nathalie, kept on a tight schedule to ensure his safety.

His father refused to tell him why he was so protective, insisting that as his father, he knew what was best.

The only time he did leave their mansion was when his bodyguard and driver took him to photo shoots as a model for his father’s fashion company.

Despite his father’s insistence on the security and overprotection that’s turned Adrien’s house into his tomb, he refused to lose hope.

“Today will be the day,” he told his reflection.

Clean and dressed, he went downstairs for breakfast. He had hoped his father would be there, but he wasn’t surprised to see the only other chair in the dining room empty.

“Is my father still working,” he asked Nathalie.

“No, Adrien. I’m afraid most of your father’s time was kept by meetings about his upcoming collection. And by the time he returned home, he still needed to piece together his plans for the finishing touches on this weekend’s photoshoot. He didn’t get to retire for the night until after midnight, so he’s still asleep.”

“I understand. Will you make sure he doesn’t overwork himself today for me, please, Nathalie?”

“Yes, Adrien. I’ll do everything I can.”

He smiled at her. “Thank you. Is there anything I need to know about the photoshoot now or do we have some time before the weekend?”

She checked her calendar. “Hmm, well, it’s only Wednesday, so I see no reason as to why we can’t hold off until Friday. The magazine editor is superstitious. He’s requested that none of the models involved wear blue the day before or of the shoot.”

“Then I’ll have to be sure he’s comfortable enough to allow the shoot to proceed as planned. My father doesn’t need to worry about a reschedule or any other upsets. I’ll be taking advantage of social media to provide proof that the shoot’s main model is respectful of the editor’s concerns.”

She made a note on her tablet. “Very well. Would you like me to inform your father?”

“Only when he isn’t distracted, Nathalie. And it can definitely wait until after he’s eaten.”

Adrien finished his own breakfast before standing. “I’ll be preparing the music room for my piano lesson myself today. After that, I’ll arrange the sitting room for my Mandarin lessons. This is very important, Nathalie. Unless my father tells you otherwise or it’s entirely necessary, I need you to stay with him. I know he’s capable of taking care of himself, but we both know he neglects a lot of it when he gets as busy as he’s been.”

“Of course. I’ll tend to him however I can.”

“Have you mentioned to him what we discussed?”

“I have. And he isn’t entirely pleased with the idea of you having to worry about his responsibilities for him.”

He sighed. “I’m going to worry either way. At least with a little less off of his shoulders, we can all sleep easier.”

“I understand, Adrien. I really do. But you’re only 14. You should be attending school; spending time with other children-“

He hugged her, catching her off guard. “I appreciate your concern, Nathalie. But if this is how I’ll be spending my time, I’ll be spending it helping my father. I can’t lose him too.”

She hugged him back. “I know.”

“I miss her.”

She smiled at me. “She’s with you. She’s all around you, even though you can’t see her. She’s this very house. That’s why your father cherishes it, and why you must too.”

He took terrible comfort in that. “Thank you.”

About an hour after his Mandarin teacher left, his father called him into his study.

“Is everything okay, Father,” he asked calmly, despite his concern.

“Yes, of course, Adrien. Why would anything be the matter?”

He got closer to his father, who sat at his desk. “I know about last night. Are you trying to get sick?”

“Adrien-“

“-You’re always so concerned about me, but you never stop to think about yourself. Do you have any idea what that does to me? To always be worried about you? My father; my parent?”

“I know. And I’m truly sorry for concerning you.”

Adrien calmed himself down almost immediately. “No, I’m sorry for getting upset. I know you’re doing your best. Did Nathalie inform you that I’ve already worked out how to handle the editor?”

“Yes. And I’m proud of you; you show so much initiative. However, you’ve seem to forgotten your youth. I’ve been thinking that given your old friend Chloe will be attending the local high school, that you might attend as well.”

Adrien felt sick; he wanted this for so long but it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“I’m needed here,” he said firmly.

“No, Adrien. You need to think of yourself. It will only be for 6 hours 3 days a week, as you won’t be attending a Physical Education class nor a study program during school hours. And given your current schedule that only be slightly adjusted despite Nathalie’s best efforts, the 3 days you’ll be attending will be in the middle of the week. Doesn’t that sound acceptable?”

He looked his father in the eyes. “And you’re sure you’ll be alright without here to take on the press or your portfolios? I’ll still be having my piano and Mandarin lessons so even on those two days that I’ll be here, I won’t have much time. Hmm, and we’ll have to reserve the weekends for photoshoots. Maybe Chloe’s mom can pull a few strings to let us stack shoots.”

“Adrien!” His father held his shoulders. “Do you hear yourself? You don’t have to worry about any of that. Nathalie has already rearranged your schedules. If you truly don’t want to attend school, you don’t have to. But you’ll have to attend some sort of consistent event with your peers.”

He made his father sit back down. “Of course I want to attend school. But not if it means neglecting my responsibilities.” He turned to Nathalie. “Show me the update agenda for the next three weeks.”

She didn’t exactly that.

“Very well,” he decided. “I’ll do it.”

Marinette woke up to her alarm having reset itself, her mother calling for her to wake up or she’ll be late.

Rushing down the stairs, she began to prepare her breakfast, distracted by her nerves.

In the process, she started a chain reaction in which everything started to knock over, catching things and setting them upright before anything could break or end up on the floor.

On her way out, her father showed her the box of macarons she intended to bring to her class, adorned with the design she drew as her parents’ bakery’s logo. She tripped over her own feet and knocked into him, the macarons having gone flying if she hadn’t caught them.

As she caught them, she spun around, walking backwards as she waved goodbye and out the door.

She knew herself as the most self sustaining klutz in the world, always tripping or falling but always catching herself or landing on her feet, like an unlucky cat.

While waiting to cross the street, she saw an old man walking into oncoming traffic. Whilst still holding the box of macarons, she darted across the street and dodged the moving cars, getting the man safely across.

“Thank you very much, young lady,” he said.

She smiled at him. “You’re welcome, sir. Are you alright?”

“Yes, thank you.”

She offered him a macaron, which he complimented.

She startled when she realized the time. “Oh! I have to go or I’ll be late! Excuse me, sir!” She bowed to him before running away, dodging another set of cars and jumping stairs and railings until she just barely made it to her seat on time.

She didn’t much time to catch her breath however before Chloe Bougeious approached her.

“I’m very sorry, Marinette, but I’m afraid you’ll have to sit somewhere else,” she said firmly.

Marinette sat up. “Really? Why?”

Chloe glanced at the door, unsure of herself for a second and a second only before that monarch like confidence came back. “A new student, a friend of mine, is starting today and while it’s not entirely my information to share, I will tell you that he’s my responsibility.”

She stood up. “Oh, I understand. But um, where am I supposed to…?”

Chloe hummed in thought, looking around for a fair and decent spot. Her friend Sabrina tapped her shoulder and pointed at the seat next to a girl none of them recognized. Chloe smiled. “How about her? She’s new too. And it’s right up front, even better than this one.”

Marinette thanked her and sat down next to the girl, who introduced herself as Alya.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Marinette.”

“Hello, Marinette. I am sorry if I sound strange. I am still learning French.”

Marinette understood. “American?”

Alya nodded.

“I can help you, if you want.”

She agreed and they worked on it together until the bell.

Watching them, Chloe smiled knowingly. She was distracted when the teacher told Nino, always wearing headphones, to sit up front instead this year.

Chloe watched him, wondering something while she listened to Sabrina talk about her new favorite book.

I had a panic attack this morning. I haven’t had a panic attack since I was little.

Why am I acting like this? I’ve wanted this for so long.

“Adrien?” Nathalie has been trying to get my attention.

“Yes, sorry, Nathalie. What is it?”

“We’re here.”

I stared out the window at the school.

“Thank you,” I said to my driver, who looked as worried as Nathalie.

She got out with me. “Adrien, are you sure you want to do this?”

I faced her. “I am. Why? Do you think I shouldn’t?”

“It’s not that.” She cleared her throat, looking uncomfortable.

I heard something behind me and turned to see an old man had fallen down.

“Are you alright,” I asked as I ran to help him up.

“Oh, yes. Just an old man uneasy on his feet.”

I glanced back at the car. “Would you like my driver to take you somewhere? We could call someone for you.”

He patted my hand. “Oh, no, that’s quite alright. I’ve just seemed to have lost my cane.”

I looked around for him and found it had slide a few feet away from him. I retrieved it. “Is this it, sir?”

“Yes! Thank you, young man.”

I watched him leave, still concerned for him.

I returned to Nathalie. “I’m sorry, Nathalie. You were saying?”

She smiled. “Just to wish you a good day at school.”

I smiled back, not fully convinced but not about to pressure her. “Thank you. I’ll see you later.”

Once they were gone, I took a few deep breaths before finally entering the school.

I had been up since about 4 when my alarm went off. I turned it off quickly, but Pollen was already stirred awake by the sound.

“Sorry, Pollen,” I said. She yawned.

“Good morning, my queen.”

“Are you ready for today? We have to meet Master Wu before school.”

“Why do you even have to go to school,” she complained.

I rolled my eyes but smiled at her. “Because it’s just what’s done. And besides, my childhood friend Adrien is attending school for the first time and his father is worried for his safety. So I’ve been asked to look after him.”

I placed Wu’s letter in my bag. “And in case you’ve forgotten, Pollen, the chosen ones for Plagg and Tikki attend the same school as me and Adrien. Wu will be giving you their names today so I can help you give them their Miraculous.”

She flew around me nervously. “What about Hawk Moth?”

I sat down to address her fears. “If he tries anything, I’ll use the situation to excuse myself to safety and we can transform. But only if the Ladybug and Cat holders need the help.” I picked up her gently but addressed her firmly. “Now, Pollen, it’s very important that you do not tell me the identities of the holders. It’s what’s best for everyone’s safety.”

“Yes, my queen,” she said, bowing.

I tickled her, causing her to let out of the respectful but stiff position.

Pollen had to hide behind me when my mother let herself in.

“I brought you today’s selections. It is vital that you wear the entire piece or it’ll be for nothing,” she fussed.

“Okay, Mom,” I said, examining to the two sets of outfits and accessories that would later be on sale for the rest of the world. In the meantime, I would be her walking mannequin.

I chose the jacket and pants option over the skirt and sweater, both in a mix of yellow, gold, white, and black, my mother’s signature color scheme.

Despite her coldness towards me, I still had a much better situation than Adrien. If I could, I had him live with me. At least he wouldn’t have to model and spend all of his time worrying about his father and the family name.

But he would never leave that house or his father; it’s all he has left of his late mother.

“Your father has a state dinner tonight so either be here on time properly dressed in my latest design or don’t return until after 9.”

“I’ll make sure to call if I’ll be home late,” I promised, pretending she was concerned about my curfew like a normal parent.

She smiled and gave me a chased kiss on the forehead before leaving.

Once she was gone, Pollen checked on me. “Are you okay, my queen?”

I smiled at her, even though I was exhausted by my mother’s antics. “Of course, Pollen. Let’s get going.”

When I opened the classroom door, for two seconds, I was normal. But then everyone turned and stared, recognizing me almost immediately.

Almost all of them swarmed me, talking over each other.

I tried to be polite but I couldn’t make out what any of them were saying. The panic started swirling in my throat again.

“That is enough. Everyone, back off immediately.” I watched Chloe, my oldest and only friend, order everyone back to their seats.

She approached me. “Are you okay, Adrien? Take a deep breath,” she whispered.

I did as she said and it helped me calm down.

“You were almost late,” she said causally. “The teacher is still on her morning break so we have a little time. But she’ll be back shortly. You should sit down.”

“Where should I go?”

She gestured to the empty seat next to a boy with headphones on. “I’ll be in the seat directly behind you. If you need any help and you don’t feel comfortable asking Nino there, you can always come to me.”

All of our lives. “Thank you, Chloe. I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”

She nodded. “Anytime.”

As soon as I was sitting, Nino introduced himself.

“Hi,” I said back, still a little nervous. “I’m Adrien.”

I expected him to tell me that he already knew who I was. “Nice to meet you, Adrien.”

#miraculous ladybug #alternate universe #adrien agreste #kawmi swap #lady noire #mister bug #queen bee #marinette dupain cheng #chloe bourgeois

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person25 · 7 months

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so i’ve already talked about my feelings for daminette, now i thinks it’s time for the other maribat ship (that i’ve read for) (skip the first two ships if you actually want to read interesting words)

dick x marinette:

honestly, i haven’t read much and have only seen it where they knew each other in the circus. the least popular out of the (male) robins. i think it could be adorable if executed well but yk i haven’t really put my heart into it so i can’t say much.

tim x marinette:

definitely cute, both usually a mess, also addicted to coffee?? i mean whatever helps you through the day. i like the dynamic a lot. i feel like marinette would be most likely to get in a relationship with tim out of the others, based on what? what my brain tells me. they deserve to live happily ever after with each other. also don’t have much to say about them, i enjoy it👍

jason x marinette:

now this is where it gets interesting, jason and marinette would make a very good couple imo. balance each other out and all that. mari is always a badass in these which is definitely a slay. honestly these do everything right that i have a problem with in daminette fics, probably bc most people writing these have a stronger understanding of the characters than daminette writers (respectfully)

almost always talks about jason’s trauma aswell as marinettes which i personally want more of in daminette fics. more explicit fics than any of the other (i’m pretty sure anyways) so if that’s what you’re into, this is probably the one. also quite a bit of soulmate aus (again my fav if done right)

usually older than 20 so more mature and not in high school. high school is fine until you’re tired of it and don’t want to read it ever again, iykyk.

honestly my 2nd fav (as much as i tear daminette down it’ll always be #1 in my heart fr) they just have that special something the others don’t

other things about maribat as a whole i haven’t talked about yet:

i really don’t like when mari can beat any of the boys in a fight out of her suit unless it explicitly states how she’s so strong. these boys have been training their whole lives and i don’t think marinette could beat them with little training out of the suit. like don’t make her strong bc you want her to be strong do it to further the story or have a good explanation as to why

i may have said i don’t like salt but i definitely do, as long as it makes sense at least a little bit. i think any ship other than daminette (depends on the fic ofc) does salt well, honestly like adrien as a bestie more than an enabler but if you don’t like adrien definitely read a maribat salt fic

i have talked abt this but i’m gonna say it again bc it also happens with these ships, marinette does not have more trauma than any of these people and unless you specifically make it that way (which would take a lot of work and a lot of trauma considering what they’ve been through) i don’t like people writing it as if she does when the most they say she’s been through is losing a couple friends and them being slightly mean ( i am NOT talking abt when they physically harass/assault her)

another thing about daminette is that he has green eyes and a tanner complexion so they don’t look too alike but with the rest of the ships they look like siblings and it’s not a deal breaker or anything just a siblings or dating situation

things i’m willing to talk abt if you give me time to read fics:

bruce x marinette:

honestly never thought abt it but if i put enough will power in it i’ll read some, even if it’s a tad bit weird

maribat f/f ships:

i will 100% do this, i just need time to finish a tim x mari fic (i read for this post) bc while i can read multiple fics at a time k cannot read multiple maribats at a time and i’ll read some bc i love the idea just never got around to it

also i’m still new to (posting on) tumblr so bare with me🙏

@fallenkingsvale

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rayraygo1267 · 8 months

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A Gabenath Fanfiction: Admiration in Disguise Chapter Two

Rated: T

Warnings: Minor Languge

Word count: 1,468

Link to Chapter One

Chapter Two

“Nooroo dark wings fall,” Gabriel intoned with a sigh, falling to his knees, his breaths coming out in labored heaves.

He had been kidding himself, for it was impractical to attempt an akumatization without Mayura by his side. Her skillset and ability to strategize was the sole component in their fight for the miraculous — without her agile mind he’d be lost.

That being said, he could not pursue his conquest with Mayura any longer. Her use of the damaged peacock miraculous was ailing her immensely and Gabriel would not have that. It pained him to watch her diminish down to a weaker and weaker state as the days strung on.

Sometimes he could make himself forget — forget that Nathalie’s days were numbered. He had to admit he often took all those moments for granted. Like all those mornings in which he could open his eyes to the warming sun, knowing Nathalie was there just as she always was, with his morning coffee in hand.

Though the dark shadows under her eyes, no matter how much she tried to obscure them with makeup or creams, blatantly stood out like a sore thumb. Gabriel wasn’t unknowing to the fact that the light in her was burning out. She was ebbing ever so slowly, like a dying star, resulting in her being frail and unnaturally thin — bones jutting out from under her flesh. Her movements alone were unsteady and her distress seemed just as tainted as the peacock miraculous itself.

Gabriel used to think he’d put nothing above Emilie — that he’d bring her back no matter the cost. And in his mind that still rang true, though where Nathalie was concerned he couldn’t fully say that applied.

“Master?” Nooroo’s small voice chirped at his side. The kwami of transmission observed his holder, his expression worried.

“Master, you should turn in for the night. It’s getting late.”

On any other given day, Gabriel would berate the kwami for attempting to divert his attention away from his goal but his exhaustion was taking over. There was no point in akumatizing another random citizen just for Ladybug and Chat Noir to foil his plan once more. Also, to be honest, he couldn’t handle another failure — not tonight.

“I will Nooroo. I just…I thought…” he didn’t need to finish, as his voice faded. He pulled himself to his feet, his knees buckling out from under him.

“Master, I’m sure Miss Nathalie and Adrien are already in bed by now and you should be too.”

Gabriel sighed. He was fairly certain that Nathalie was nowhere near even half asleep — probably staying up working on random documents that weren’t due until weeks in advance.

“Nooroo?” Gabriel breathed, his eyes drawn to the bright orb of the moon looming outside the circular pane. “Do you ever wonder if we are doing the right thing?”

Nooroo paused, his eyes shifting, “Well…do you think you are doing the right thing Master?”

Gabriel grimaced … considering — his mouth curving into a firm line. He wasn’t one to carry doubts. When he made a decision he was committed to all its aspects and consequences.

Even so, his goal came with a damning price — a price he was not willing to pay. Nathalie had to endure the same circumstances as Emilie once had, which in turn meant she was destined to suffer the same fate as well.

Just the mere notion of such a thing made his heart pick up. He couldn’t sacrifice one dearest person for another. Emilie was his wife, his love for her was infinite, but Nathalie kindled something inside him — something that held familiarity and yet made his middle foil with an ever present sense of vulnerability.

He thought it foolish to call it love, for such a term seemed outdated and inadequate compared to the emotions that uprooted in his chest — emotions that had been so dormant in his life, yet he had managed to find them rekindling again with his very own assistant. They were frightening sentiments, sure but they were just as real as any other.

Nathalie had stood by him through his highs and lows and even through all the madness that he himself created. She indulged it all, without a second thought.

“I don’t know what to think anymore Nooroo. Things have become…complicated.”

Nooroo whimpered, disheartened, his little wings flapping at a fast patter behind him. Gabriel didn’t pay the kwami any mind, still lost in his own musings, until Nooroo spoke up again.

“Is that because of Miss Nathalie?”

Gabriel pursed his lips, looking as though he’d bit straight into the center of a lemon. He scowled at Nooroo, his gaze sour.

“What are you trying to get at, Nooroo?” Gabriel questioned stiffly. Nooroo bowed his head, as if flustered, his gaze unfocused. Gabriel felt a fiery warmth sear down his front at Nooroo’s superstitious attitude. He deepened his scowl, his eyes piercing through Nooroo’s small frame.

Nooroo began murmuring plaintively, mumbling incoherently. Gabriel huffed, “Speak up!” he demanded, his tone like gravel.

“I–I just mean…you seem to care a lot for her, Master—”

Gabriel scoffed, “of course I do!” he snapped.

Nooroo flinched, “I just…I just feel she cares for you too, Master. Deeply.”

Gabriel’s muscles loosened as he bit his lip in contemplation. Nathalie’s willingness to aid him was enough to show that he did in fact matter to her. Although, he figured her devotion was due only to their long term history of friendship rather than anything conspicuous. Nathalie’s boundaries with him were firmily set, if her use of traditional formalities such as, “sir,” or “Mr. Agreste,” were anything to go off of.

“You fear losing her, don’t you Master?”

Gabriel tensed, Nooroo’s words like shards of glass stinging at his heart.

“Yes,” he admitted thickly.

He’d never be able to blank out those sleepless nights — his mind replaying those sparse moments in which he truly believed he had lost Nathalie forever. It had been a Monday, like any other — she had brought him his morning coffee, took Adrien to school and assisted him in whatever tasks he had needed her to attend to. All was as it had always been.

That is until the instant in which she had collapsed to the floor of his office, a shallow echo of what had happened to Emilie. Nathalie had been unresponsive and had color draining from her face, her body had been cooling at a rapid pace, as her eyelids drooped to a close.

Since that day Gabriel had forbidden her from any use of the miraculous, for he never wanted to feel the agony of nearly losing her again. That fear of loss made him realize that Nathalie took up a much bigger part of him — more than he had ever bargained for.

Nooroo rose up to meet Gabriel’s eye, his demeanor carrying a more hopeful tinge.

“You love her, Master. Right?” He teetered.

Gabriel felt a vise tighten around his middle at Nooroo’s words. Hearing another say the sentiment aloud made his mind turn to a complicated sludge. He could feel the launch of a scolding on the tip of his tongue but he fought to refrain because for once he couldn’t disagree. His feelings for Nathalie were more than what they appeared.

But he digressed because even if he couldn’t do anything with his feelings, other than repress them. Nathalie’s feelings still were unknown to him and he did not dare try to unearth them, despite the circumstances.

“I do,” Gabriel affirmed with a nod.

He’d only said those words once before, the time he’d spoken those two syllables to his wife at the altar. He never thought he’d ever utter them again.

Gabriel sighed, his lungs saturating with air, “It does not matter my feelings Nooroo. She does not share the same sentiments.”

Nooroo squeaked, piping up, “That might not be the case Master!” He began, his little body practically emanating enthusiasm, “Miss Nathalie has very deep complex emotions that she’s been—”

Gabriel snapped his fingers and Nooroo was again silent. He didn’t need to hear the kwami’s foolish ideals. Sure, Nooroo could sniff out intricate emotions that were buried deep in the depths of people, however that did not guarantee that such emotions rang true in Nathalie’s heart and he did not need the pointless mirage of hope.

Unspoken emotions and silent glances were not going to change the nature of their relationship. Their dynamic was a waltz he’d grown accustomed to, no matter how many more steps he’d like to add.

At least he was able to come to acceptance, embracing all that Nathalie had to offer would be enough, Even if that only entailed friendship, loyalty and professionalism.

But most of all, the least he could do for her was put her first.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed the second installment of Admiration in Disguise! Chapter Three is already in the works, so stay tuned! Also if you have any more Gabenath fanfic requests let me know and I'll get to them as soon as possible!

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celestiall0tus · 7 months

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All That Remained - All That Remained - Velze

Beginning || Previous

Marinette away until she was far enough from Liberty. She sighed and slowed to a walking speed. Gimmi peered up at Marinette, disappeared into a nearby alley, and transformed. Gimmi emerged as a copy of Marinette with pale skin and sea green eyes.

“Marinette!” Gimmi called.

Marinette turned and freaked out. “What the hell?”

“It’s me, Gimmi.”

“Oh, wow! That’s a little unsettling.”

“I apologize. I figured you’d want to talk, and this would be easier.”

“Talk? About what? Everything is fine.”

Gimmi furrowed her brows.

Marinette grimaced then sighed. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this. Everything is changing so fast and I just… I don’t know. Just this morning, I understood everything that was going on. Now, everything has been flipped upside down and I can’t really make any sense of it.”

“What about it troubles you specifically?”

“Well, Velze was a big thing. Just barging in like he knew best. Which, ok, maybe he had a point. Well, multiple, and I suppose I can understand him wanting all of you to be free, but I’m still worried. There’s no magic to protect us. Sure, we’re stronger, but so is our enemy. And… and I made dangerous enemies. What if he gave them a kwami? Or what if a kwami finds them? What then?”

“We’ll see when the time comes. As of right now, there’s nothing you can do, so why worry?”

“But that’s…! I couldn’t…! I suppose, maybe. But what about you guys? What are we not told? Because everything is different with you. When we’re transformed, everything is different. Everything just seems so much… clearer? Like everything has been fogged over and I’m seeing things without that fog, but only with you. Why is that?”

“Remember when Velze wished to save Adrien from Plagg’s influence? That is what he meant.”

“What do you mean?”

“From what Velze saw, the jewels that once bound everyone else limited their influence. I’d wager it negated it completely. Now, as themselves, you will see what they are have influence over you all. Most of you match the concepts of your new friends, but others, well, they will feel the influence. Such as you with me.”

“What are you doing to me?”

“When we are together, the fog will always clear. You will grasp the true weight of your reality and see things for what they are rather than through rosy, fogged glasses.”

“I don’t like it. I’m thinking about things I don’t want to.”

“And you’re going to because you are afraid of the future. You are afraid of what those thoughts could bring. You are afraid of their potential truth.”

Marinette attempted to argue, but all arguments died on her tongue. “So, what now?”

“Now, you have a choice. You can cling to the past and your faulty worldview and renounce me. Or, we can face the uncertain future as you grow and change with your new world.”

Marinette hummed. It was tempting to renounce Gimmi. She didn’t like the new thoughts and revelations she had, particularly about Adrien. She didn’t want to doubt and question him. She didn’t want to see the weight of her choices. She didn’t want to see any of it. She just wanted to live her life without being reminded of any of this.

Marinette faltered in her step. She recalled when Velze called her ignorant and pain gripped her heart. She really was ignorant, wasn’t she? She wanted to ignore everything that she did and the reality of her world. She just wanted to live in her own world, ignoring the truths. She sighed as she looked down at her feet where Daizzi’s anklet once sat.

Marinette wondered if Daizzi was the kwami of ignorance, though she could only assume. She would have been kept in a blissfully ignorant state like she wanted now. Perhaps Velze had a point in wanting to give her Daizzi. She’d probably be better off with Daizzi, but instead, he gave her a chance to be more than just ignorance. Just like another so many gave up on, as he claimed.

“Velze hopped I would be better, right?”

“Yes. He was ready to condemn you for your willful and blatant ignorance. However, in expressing a desire to understand, he decided to give you a chance.”

“And if I renounce you, will I have Daizzi instead? Be cursed with ignorance?”

“Perhaps, though I cannot be certain.”

Marinette fell silent. Her and Gimmi neared her home when she sighed.

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to face these truths, but I don’t want to be ignorant.”

“Does your kind ever?”

“Huh?”

“Remember this. Humans, nay all mortals, are extremely frail creatures. When faced with future uncertainty, they would rather retreat to what they know, which is past happiness. That’s all you’re doing. You want to avoid the potential harmful uncertainty by clinging to the ignorance of youth. But in saying that, you are also still young and have so much time to grow. To be so much more. It all depends on what you do now. And know that whatever you decide, you aren’t alone. If you should wish it, we’ll face the future, together.”

Gimmi paused and held out a hand.

“What do you say, Marinette? Together?”

Marinette looked down at Gimmi’s hand. Fear and doubt bubbled within her that sent butterflies flying in her. She wouldn’t deny her fear and resistance to this change. She didn’t want it, but its already happened. She could linger in the past with what she knew, but was it worth it? The rest of her friends had already moved on. She had too as well, didn’t she? She had to keep moving forward no matter what the future may bring now.

Marinette took a shaky breath and took Gimmi’s hand, holding it tight.

“Together?” Marinette asked.

Gimmi lightly squeezed Marinette’s hand. “Together.”

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #au #alternate universe #miraculous au #miraculous fanfic #mlb fanfic #fanfiction writer #fanfiction #fanfic #mlb marinette #miraculous marinette #marinette dupain cheng #gimmi #all that remained au #all that remained

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greentrickster · 6 months

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Coffee_love_Luna : I’m absolutely loving this fic(prolly cus of my daddy issues lmao), and I have a question: Do you think that alya&nino will get miraculous in their future? I personally think it would be okay if they didn’t tho

GreenTrickster: Thank-you so much! ^U^

I think that, in this universe at least, Alya would actually be a really good fit for the peacock miraculous once it's repaired, and I'll probably talk about that more in a post at some point. As for Nino, I don't think he gets his own personal miraculous, just because I don't really see the resistance succeeding in getting their hands on anymore (the Supreme got even more strict than usual after the loss of the bee to Chloe). That said, I can see this Nino being the sort of person who can swap between which miraculous he uses pretty easily. The first one he gets to try is probably the bee with Chloe, to counter some shenanigan from Volpina and Jack Badbit in-universe (and this is also the out-of-universe reason why he's the member of the group who gets gifted one of Chloe's combs (set-up!)), and from there things just evolve over time. His slightly go-with-the-flow chaos gremlin nature can often give him a unique outlook on situations that have him getting ideas for solutions that the rest of the group doesn't think of, and by the final fight it's reached the point where he can go, "Hey, _, I have an idea, can I borrow your miraculous?" and they'll go "Sure," and just hand it over.

Coffee_love_Luna : Also, I think hesperia would be horrified when he learns how canon!gabriel treats his son

GreenTrickster: Hesperia's going to find out how Hawkmoth treats Adrien and, for the first time since he became Hesperia, he's going to Choose Violence. Coffee_love_Luna : I like to think when hesperia adopted(literally or figuratively, your choice) them, they also adopted him as dad/uncle/etc And I also think there would be lots of stress cus yk, the whole empathy thing, and probably occasional ‘oh god I’m bringing children in to these situations-‘ break down, his usual business stress I like to think the teenagers(mostly nino) helps him during worse days, tho I feel more like hesperia would conceal his emotion due to guilt and responsibility

GreenTrickster: Probably a figurative adoption in a legal sense, and very literally in an emotional sense. It may not be Official On Paper, but it is still Very Very Real, and also all the kids notice first that they've decided that he's family and they absolutely accept this into their hearts once they do (albeit at different paces). He's the adult in their lives that they didn't even know they wanted, but they're so glad he's here now.

And, frankly, he's equally glad to have all of them. Yes, there's definitely a lot of stress that comes from having to care for a bunch of young teens with extremely volatile emotions, including and especially the ones you mentioned, but I think they're also very much a comfort and a balm. They feel so strongly and can believe so fully, in a way that can be very hard to replicate the older you get, but which can be very inspiring to people like Hesperia. The lightness they treat their lives and this situation overall with sometimes terrifies him, but watching them heal and become stronger and closer, watching Chloe, Shady, and Claw all grow into better, happier versions of themselves… it's an indelible reminder of why he's taken on this burden beyond his own guilt, of why it's worth fighting and hoping and carrying on.

He definitely goes out of his way to make sure he's not leaning on them too heavily, but by the end the kids are really good at making sure he always remembers that he's not carrying this alone. They're not adults, they can't carry or support as much as he can, but they'll do what they can. On his worst days, you're right, it's Nino who tends to be there with a playlist or a new track that he's working on (because music helps and heals in a way that transcends nearly all human boundaries). Alya's got everything organized and all her sources triple-checked, and will happily push him over to have a nap in the corner if he looks like he's overworking himself, he can double-check her work later, she's got this part down. Claw's really thrown himself into first aid and somehow wound up as the team medic, to the point that he'll fuss at Hesperia to quit bothering his patients, shoo, naughty butterflies get swatted! Shady's ability to talk smack about their enemies is just… so much funnier than he should find it. So, so much funnier. Chloe's impressively good at deciding she wants positive attention just when Hesperia needs to be able to take care of someone else, and also at calling him out when he's being cagey with his own emotions.

Coffee_love_Luna : So, I’m kinda seeing this au as found family trope with lots of trauma, learning to open themselves and relying to the others while defeated the evil(geez this sounds like 40k+ fic)

GreenTrickster: (stares at this, then sighs and goes to add the found family tag) Friggin' calling me out like that, no respect. (But seriously, thank-you!)

#Tales of Miraculous Hesperia #gabriel agreste #hesperia #betterfly #ask #ml paris special #ml paris spoilers #shadybug #claw noir #chloe bourgeois #nino lahiffe #alya cesaire #fanfiction

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