#I've been through fandom cataclysms before

[theerurishipper]

Welcome to me watching the Paris special, this time with commentary! I watched the special and wrote down everything here as I watched it and forgot to post it cause I'm a dumbass. Also, this is long asf, in fact, it's so long that I had to make a Part 2.

Okay here goes!

Ah, the Gabriel version of the theme. This really took me by surprise. It's fire tho.

Straight into the action, I like it.

Max and Markov aren't different people in this?

That's some entrance from Shady and Claw, really ups the stakes. Makes you wonder why Nino tried to fight them with a nerf gun.

Ubiquity is so pretty.

I might be the only one who liked the Gabe scene we got.

Feeling some nostalgia for the candy cane cosplay ngl.

And we get a good scene with Adrien and Plagg. I liked the advice Plagg gave about how not all destruction is bad. Neat.

Some Alya and Marinette. Marinette is going through some tough times and is in need of support, and Tikki takes this opportunity to escape from her and steal macaroons. No hate tho, you do you Tikki.

Though she does react to the people of Paris cheering for Ladybug. That was sweet.

Alya turns into Ubiquity, and then we get... Betterfly.

Betterfly? Seriously? Coulda just gone with Hesperia.

"I'm not sure there's anything to hope for from Ladybug." My poor baby!

Love the look of absolute confusion on Alya's face.

Hesperia's confusion about his evil counterpart is really funny ngl.

SHADYBUG

"There, you can have your boyfriend back~" love the delivery on that line lmao.

But also, CLAW NOIR

Not her just stealing his belt immediately.

Marinette hates Adrien Agreste. This truly is the reverse world.

But also, I love Claw Noir pretending to be his own fan to impress Shadybug.

Claw Noir sure does love using that Cataclysm.

For someone who just woke up to see her friend gone and a hole in the wall, Alya collected herself pretty damn quick. I would be freaking the fuck out in her position. Just another reason she's the best.

RIP Alya's phone. Gabe really did a number on you.

Shadybug makes a butterfly tracker, proving that she ain't no Gabe.

Hesperia is befuddled by our world, Part 2.

It's always gotta be the Eiffel Tower, doesn't it.

Claw Noir's pulling a Chat Blanc?? Hello??

Hesperia (I'm not gonna call him Betterfly) is apparently a gentleman. It's almost disturbing after 5 seasons of Gabe being the worst piece of shit to grace our screens.

I guess no matter the universe and moral alignment, it's Gabriel's fate to get beaten up by teenagers.

Not Tikki loredumping about parallel universes right now lmao

Times like this remind me that Tikki is, for all intents and purposes, a god.

"You'd die before I could ever explain all this to you," is actually a pretty valid (and disturbingly hilarious) justification for not having bothered to bring any of this up before.

The Supreme is someone I'd like to learn more about. I've narrowed the suspects down to either Fu or Su-Han. Watch it be Lila instead if we ever get that info.

I feel like the info about the timers is something we should have gotten way, way earlier. Like, a few seasons ago.

Ladybug's triumphant entrance!

"Whatever, pest." Queen.

I love Claw Noir's staff.

Shadybug took no prisoners at all.

CHAT NOIR

Destruction vibes, and right after that incident too.

Claw Noir is unhinged.

Claw Noir just fucking cataclysmed himself??? Guess Adrien is always gonna be self-destructive in every universe huh?

Welp, looks like Chat Noir is officially re-traumatized.

I want y'all to remember that this boy went through the whole special with a cataclysm wound on his person and did not falter once. Mad respect.

Chat Noir got tossed. Chat Blanc call back number 2.

Obsessed with the way Bryce Papenbrook pronounces "cockroach."

Finally, a villain who actually gets rid of the Lucky Charm. Hawkie, take notes.

"Who the cat are you?"

So Shadybug can create whatever Lucky Charm she wants, huh?

Someone's been listening to the fandom.

Not the time freezing lmfao

I don't like that Gabe is turning Adrien into an angel, even if this is a good version. Anyway, Chat Blanc call back 3.

"Kitty catty" "Later loser!" I love her.

Of course, not all bugs can fly.

He moved out of the way.

I fucking love Claw Noir so much you guys, he's so funny.

Well, he tried. Shadybug's just better than him ig.

Hesperia stores his butterfly in his cane. So it's just our Gabe that tries to keep multiple butterflies, I guess.

I think they should kiss.

So they're doing this in hopes that The Supreme spares them? Interesting, and pretty sad.

They're so scared of the Akuma lmfao

If I was Alya, I'd have given myself away by now. Actually, I wouldn't have had the presence of mind to even hide.

Guess the counterparts are from some dystopian world ruled by The Supreme. It tracks with the look we got at it in the opening.

"In order to get something I wanted." We saw the Peacock Miraculous in the opening too, and also Emilie died. So I guess Adrien is a Sentimonster in the other reality too. Damn it.

I guess this Gabe realized his mistake instead of descending into madness like ours.

She just broke Marinette's box like it was nothing. So much for that.

Claw Noir lounges around playing with dolls and mocks Shadybug for being lazy while she does all the work and he lazes around. Have I mentioned yet that I love him?

Also I am glad they stayed true to Adrien's character and had him play with dolls.

The whole part about Chat Noir... be still my Ladynoir heart.

Love how they incorporated the webisodes into this. About time those had relevance.

Shadybug really "hates" Claw Noir.

Marinette's having doubts, my poor baby girl.

Shadybug and Claw Noir have power, but not their strength. That's a really good line.

She's reading the diary and crying... baby.

This is such a touching scene. I don't say that lightly, but it really is.

SHE FOUND THE WISH

Marinette really wrote down every single world ending secret in this one poorly protected diary huh.

She literally took him down in 2 seconds. Bruh.

IDENTITY REVEAL! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL

Shadybug managed to achieve in 2 seconds what Marinette and Adrien have not achieved after 5 seasons of Love Square drama which I admittedly enjoy but that's not the point.

Those strange... marks? Cracks? Scars?

Blots off... I'm dying y'all.

Reverse Love Square? Hello??? HELLO???

She literally just beat his ass, tied him up and took his Miraculous and this is his reaction once he realizes who she is.

He's down so bad.

They should have played Careless Whisper here.

CUTIE PIE, MY SON

The Supreme is such a fucking asshole, he gagged the Kwamis.

Emonette wants our Marinette's life? She doesn't know the half of what she's getting into.

The Supreme got to the wish somehow? What the fuck?

"Reality is The Supreme." I don't know who this guy is, but he is DELULU.

This shot... masterfully done. My poor baby girl.

These kids are not okay. My poor sweet babies.

Daggers out. Seriously, stop it, you two.

He's trying to comfort her. They're just... I'm in pain. I'm so sad for them y'all.

Gabe in his prototype Monarch outfit.

Good thing (for him at least) he had the Ox, or else this would be his second cataclysm of the day.

Ladybug and Chat Noir are back in action, baby.

I'm sorry, I would not be able to say Betterfly unironically without bursting into laughter.

AFTER 5 SEASONS, WE FINALLY GET TO SEE CHAT NOIR'S NIGHT VISION AGAIN

Not that they needed it lmao

Alya coming in clutch with the recording. Queen.

LADYNOIR LADYNOIR LADYNOIR

It's so so so nice to see Ladynoir on screen again after Season 5 killed it.

Hit the word limit, so continued here.

[eilinelsghost]

Atanatárissë

Fic by @eilinelsghost; Art by @anerea-lantiria For @tolkienrsb 2023

Fic Rating: T; Art Rating: G Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Anárion & Elendil, Finrod/Bëor, Hiril/Hathaldir, Hiril & Rían, Hiril & Beleth, Andreth/Aegnor, Andreth & Adanel, Bëor & Belen, Belen & Finrod, Belen & Baran, Bëor & Baran Characters: Anárion, Bëor, Finrod, Silmariën, Hiril, Hathaldir, Rían, Beleth, Andreth, Adanel, Aegnor, Belen, Baran Word Count: 16,914

In Nargothrond in the First Age, Bëor wrote down the oral tradition of his people to pass on to his younger son, Belen. Throughout the rest of that age and the next, his descendants preserve this book through grief and joy, war and cataclysm, from the highlands of Dorthonion to the fall of Númenor, and reencounter the mythology of their people in the ongoing dance of memory and immortality.

Atanatári: (Quenya) The Fathers of Men Issë: (Quenya) Knowledge, Lore

"Belen [was the] second son of Bëor the Old, to whom the wisdom of Bëor (for Bëor himself had been one of the wise) was chiefly transmitted." - Introductory notes to the "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth," Morgoth's Ring, page 306

I am thrilled to finally get to share Atanatárissë with you all! I was so nervous going into TRSB this year - I've never done an event before and am very new both to writing fanfic and to online fandom in general - but this has been one of the most delightful writing experiences I've ever had. I have so much gratitude to @anerea-lantiria for this incredible art and for the amazing encouragement she's given throughout this whole process. It has been such a joy to work together on this project and I'm indebted to you for providing the inspiration that allowed this piece to come to life.

[lilyandthegenshinbrainrot]

I think one of the things that the fandom forgets too often is that the Tsaritsa was not the original cryo archon. She might be the second, she could be the third, we don't know, but she wasn't the first.

So when you look at her relationship with Venti, you have to look through his eyes a little bit. Especially since we know nothing about her except that she grew so zealous for her goals that neither she nor her people love each other anymore. She was probably already an immortal and on fair terms with Barbatos before Khaenri'ah, but after that their relationship soured. This is left purposefully ambiguous, so I can't really add to the hcs that have already been established and even then, I've been known to be wrong before.

But really, this is not the same archon Barbatos would have ascended with. And unless she is in a similar situation as Ei, there isn't a lot of divine complexity to their relationship :/

If nothing else, I don't think there was once a very developed relationship between these two, perhaps a tentative friendship at best. It doesn't seem like the Tsaritsa has been in power as long, so maybe she isn't as acquainted with Celestia as the original seven were.

I'm really just tired of seeing the cut and dry, relationship from the archon war centuries of friendship dying at the Cataclysm when there's literally no evidence. It's boring to me. I could better understand Barbatos acting as a guide and working with the god of love in a "here, let your people know and love you in return" capacity.

[anghraine]

I'll put most of this under a cut because GW2 headcanons are irrelevant to most of my followers' fandom experience, but I've been thinking more about headcanons for my two main versions of the GW2 PC.

The storyline does not actually allow for two Pact Commanders to exist simultaneously, so in your character's story, all other people's characters are ... I guess, AU non-Commander versions of themselves you can cooperate with, and I figured the same could go for different PCs of your own. So there is a Xiulan in the Pact Commander Althea verse (pro patria), but an AU version where her backstory doesn't conflict with Althea's.

So stuff about pro patria!verse Xiulan:

Xiulan is tall and rather lean, with brown hair, brown skin, and nearly black eyes.

Although she's descended from both Canthan and Orrian immigrants, and she identifies equally with both peoples, she physically resembles the Canthan side much more and typically presents/describes herself as Canthan (especially when it's assumed she's Ascalonian).

Her last name, Azar, comes from her mother's Orrian family, but the Orrian diaspora is so small, and their culture so unknown to most Krytans, that few can recognize it.

Both sides of her family have managed to quietly scrape by in the Salma District of Divinity's Reach for generations, and Xiulan only knows Cantha and Orr through family accounts passed from her parents.

She's an only child.

Her mother, Judith Azar, came into a little extra money in her youth and promptly gave it to her bff Andrew to help keep his tavern afloat. He never forgot this, and he took Xiulan under his wing when her parents died in an accident when she was fourteen.

His sensible, spirited daughter Petra was Xiulan's best friend as they grew up, and all the more after Xiulan became effectively part of their household.

Xiulan's first kiss was with Petra, though more as a matter of curiosity than romantic feeling. She is 100% lesbian, but she and Petra were too much family at that point to feel altogether comfortable, and they laughed about it afterwards.

Strangers often have the impression that Xiulan is smaller than she really is, both in height and build, and even when they do correctly judge her size, they typically underestimate her strength.

Unusually for someone of her strength, she also has some magical ability with fire—as a child, she would breathe little flames when she got angry, and every weapon she touches becomes encased with flame.

Between these and her flair for strategy, those around her have often said she must be blessed by Balthazar, god of war and fire.

At fifteen, Andrew and Petra convinced an embarrassed Xiulan to ask the local priest of Balthazar if he could tell if it was true. After questioning her and observing her, he assured her that their suspicion was correct, which only deepened the already very devout Xiulan's devotion to the gods, and especially to Balthazar.

dun dun dun

Additionally, the priest offered to recommend her for free training in the military arts, as a way of honoring Balthazar. She eagerly agreed and proved sufficiently gifted to catch the eye of local members of the Vigil.

No members of the Vigil spoke to her yet, but they noted their observations about the local girl in their reports to their higher-ups, and Almorra Soulkeeper herself ordered them to keep a close eye on Xiulan.

Xiulan is privately very fond of "the finer things of life"—fine jewelry, clothes, armor, and weapons, though she doesn't have the resources to actually own much. However, she does own and wear a fine hair piece of Canthan design, which her father had managed to combine with two (very) small heirloom Orrian stones from Judith's family. (It isn't cursed, since her ancestors emigrated before the Cataclysm.)

Xiulan becomes acquainted with Logan Thackeray just after she would in the canonical timeline—that is, not through the battle at Shaemoor (in which Lady Althea Fairchild rushed to his rescue), but in the conflict with local bandits, the rescue of the Queen's Heart orphanage (she has a soft spot for orphans), and their maneuvers against the aristocratic Commander Serentine's plots.

Xiulan has seen Althea before, usually accompanying Faren in the tavern and trying to keep him from getting too drunk. She doesn't know her and has rarely had cause to say much in her presence, but she can recognize her even before Althea's heroics catapult her to local celebrity status.

Xiulan looks vaguely (very vaguely) familiar to Althea, but when their paths cross in a way that involves actual interaction, she can't pin down where she's seen her before.

They meet by chance in Ebonhawke, which Althea is visiting after her induction into the Order of Whispers, while Xiulan has just been successfully recruited into the Vigil and is there to help safeguard the peace talks with the Charr.

The Vigil members stationed at Ebonhawke tend to be disapproving or even bewildered about the Ascalonians' ongoing resentment of the Charr, especially non-human Vigil members. Xiulan, on the other hand, was raised with stories of Orr and the Charr invasion ultimately leading to her people's eternal undead servitude to Zhaitan. She doesn't make a point out of it and she understands their value as fighters and their contributions to The Cause, but she gets the Ascalonians' towering resentment over the 250-year attempt to obliterate them and pride in their own survival.

This becomes relevant when a Vigil member is cluelessly talking to a visibly frustrated Althea about how the people here just don't understand, they're so short-sighted, blahblah, and Xiulan's tolerance finally snaps and she quietly sticks up for Althea and the people of Ebonhawke. It's not flashy, but it's enough for her to be dismissively addressed as "Recruit Xiulan" by the other members.

Althea doesn't forget her name again.

[billsfangearring]

some other fic ask game questions i pulled out of nowhere LMAO, feel free to answer whichever/as many of these as you like!

- a fic you were 100% sold on from the summary

- a fic you were intrigued by from the summary

- favorite AO3 tag? (intentionally vague q!)

- most memorable fic ending?

- most memorable beginning?

- what would your ideal written-for-you fic look like? (feel free to answer this any way you want: summary, tropes, tags!)

Hahahaha I love you. These are excellent questions. You should make an ask game too!

I'm going to try to stick to fics I haven't mentioned on tumblr before, but it's possible I've done a quick rec of some of these and I've now forgotten. It's hard to keep Reddit and Tumblr recs straight.

Putting my answers below the cut because this post is v v long.

a fic you were 100% sold on from the summary

We are here by @elanev91 (Jily)

James Potter has just swept into the Premiership on a wave of Brexit outrage and, on his first night in office, a woman strolls out of his fire and tells him she’s the Minister for Magic. She tells him not to worry, he’ll never see her again unless something really serious happens.

It goes, perhaps, without saying, that something really serious happens.

As the anti-Muggle and anti-Muggleborn sentiments that have been brewing in the wizarding world once again ignite, Lily Evans finds herself in a position where she has to address the prejudice that has followed her her whole career. And she’s prepared to do that alone, but the Prime Minister isn’t nearly so willing to let her handle everything off-screen.

a fic you were intrigued by from the summary

Pot, Kettle, Black by TheDivineComedian (Wolfstar)

In 1978, Sirius Black almost becomes an Auror. Turns out even he can’t fake his way through the mental health assessment. So what. He has better things to do: Remus Lupin is one. The war is another. He spends weeks at a time undercover for the Order while Polyjuiced to the gills. It’s probably his new favourite thing. Little does Sirius know that running from himself will send him on a collision course with his ephemeral brother, but life is funny that way.

favorite AO3 tag?

According to my AO3 bookmarks, it's humor (both across all fandoms and for HP specifically)! I'd say humor, angst, and mutual pining seem right.

most memorable fic ending?

Blue Sunny Day by @firethesound (Drarry). I don't want to spoil it, but it's so heartbreaking and moving and ugh! Give this a try even if you don't normally go for creature fics or Drarry. It has a happy ending, I promise!

most memorable beginning?

Okay I know I've recced this before but n00b by @ghostofbambifanfiction (Jily). That email? Come on. Gold.

Two others would be Chained by @maquira713 (WIP, Harry/Sirius) and Soup-pocalypse and The Great Curry Cataclysm by SquadOfCats (Drarry).

what would your ideal written-for-you fic look like?

Are you volunteering to write it? 😏

jk jk. Hmm... honestly, a First War Wolfstar/Marauders fic (shocking) with a really nuanced and complicated portrayal of the breakdown in trust between Sirius and Remus and of Peter becoming a Death Eater. This probably would need to be told through multiple POVs, but bonus points if someone could convey that through just one. I find a lot of the explanations provided in fics to be too simplistic or only focused on one aspect of what I think is a broader story.

[xmxisxforxmaybe]

Hi, I think you're a very kind person, someone who will care, and I don't have anyone else who will understand this. Last night's episode really devastated me. I feel like someone I love, like someone I know personally, has been hurt. Maybe it's supposed to feel this way because Elliot created us, we're his friend. I'm just so sad with heartache for him. I've spent the most of my day being blank. Thank you for being a good part of this fandom.

Thank you 💕 I am so happy to know that even my fairly anonymous, online persona comes across as empathetic. I adamantly believe that empathy is the most powerful emotion in the universe.

* Spoilers * Below *

So, speaking of empathy, I understand how you feel and have been struggling through my own emotions, a gaping void of sadness, all day. Never has a television show so powerfully impacted my normal life before, and it is all a testament to Rami Malek’s ability to breathe such complexity and vulnerability into a character. With that being said, it’s no wonder we all feel so hurt, that we all begged with Mr. Robot, cried with Elliot, and sat riveted with Vera.

We are Elliot’s friend, and Sam Esmail made us love Elliot Alderson, made us want to protect him, just like Mr. Robot. And then, during this season, Sam tested our love. He pushed us as Elliot retreated further into his delusions and became distant to us, even refusing to speak to us. Sam wanted us to be angry with Elliot, to stop empathizing with him, and he fucking got us—the last episode ensured that Elliot crossed a line we would not just shrug off and forgive.

So when Elliot finally, and inadvertently lets us in, it devastates us. Not only do we want to hug Elliot and tell him that he’s not alone, that we love him, that we care about him, but we now have to reconcile with our own guilt because we, Elliot’s friend, have betrayed him, too. When we began to give up on him, just like everyone else in his life, we proved that no one could be trusted. And Elliot knew this all along. His fear of betrayal is so, so deep (and rightly so now that we know his father committed the ultimate act of betrayal against his son) that he even pushed away his own imaginary friend because he knew, knew we would betray him by abandoning him, giving up on him—by leaving him alone.

However, if Elliot can reconcile with this truth and move forward, he will never have to be alone again. Once he learns to trust himself, he can stop retreating into his alters, into his shell and learn to trust the people who really love him, like his sister. Now, I know in real life DID doesn’t work that way, but at the end of the day, this is a television show and so far, it has been deeply metaphorical. 

My ultimate hope is that Sam doesn’t kill Darlene 🤞🏼 and doesn’t kill Elliot 🤞🏼because I want him to leave us with the message that people who suffer horrific abuse can survive, and even thrive when they are essentially good people. Elliot has always, essentially, been good. And so has Darlene.

Vera? Not so much. Despite Vera’s admittance to his own abuse, he chose to pursue a life of reckless violence and bloodshed. Krista is a powerhouse of a woman for protecting herself and Elliot by taking a life (at least I hope to hell Vera is dead because I’ve had quite enough of him).

If you will indulge me, I have one final, kinda nerdy insight: The ancient Greeks believed in the power of catharsis, the purging of emotions, through art. This episode reminded me of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. The plot is not a mystery to the audience; there are no surprising twists or turns that the author tries to hide. Everything that happens to Oedipus, we know (or we are foreshadowed to know) well in advance. And during Episode 407, we ALL knew what was coming; we ALL knew Elliot had been abused, most likely sexually; we ALL knew that the window story was some cataclysmic moment in his life. But to watch Elliot come to that realization, to feel everything with him, to shudder and cry when he says, “Yes, I remember”—that was true catharsis. I never, ever thought someone would be able to capture a moment like that on television, and I never, ever thought I would actually go through such a genuine moment of catharsis. 

Bravo, Sam.

And thank you, Rami ❤️

And thank you, Anon, for giving me a platform to practice some catharsis through writing–my heart has been heavy all day, but it feels a little bit lighter now 💕

[nxnoire]

Desiderium

“I Know You’re In There Somewhere” Fight

part two part three part four

fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

my fifth prompt for @badthingshappenbingo

———

Ladybug had grown used to fighting akumas. She was no longer disturbed that she was fighting her friends or the kind Parisians she encountered in her daily life. Some had taken more effort than others to save, but she always had a plan. Each problem had a solution eventually.

Her and Chat Noir, they always came out on top no matter the stakes. Even when Chat Noir would be mind controlled or captured, she managed to come out on top. Of course, she worked the best with him. He wasn't her sidekick at all, rather the polar opposite of her. He would always sacrifice himself to assure her crucial power of purification was still functioning. He would also lighten the mood and always help her keep her stress at bay.

This time, there was no plan that could possibly help. Her partner, the one person she put all of her trust in, was the enemy today. Fighting her own best friend was nothing compared to fighting Chat Noir.

She stood on the rooftop, watching Chat Blanc with wide eyes as he was telepathically talking to Hawkmoth. Her mouth opened, no words able to come out. Ice froze her feet to the roof, preventing her from moving. Her hands began to shake, her anxiety rising.

"Hawkmoth's gonna create a super powerful akuma..."

Adrien was right: Hawkmoth had decided to create an akuma that would be as strong, if not stronger, than her. Her heart beat faster, threatening to burst through her chest. It became harder and harder to breathe the longer she stared at the akuma. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, even if it meant her panic would rise to dangerous levels.

The shaking only worsened when she noticed the purple light disappear from Chat's face. It spread to her legs, forcing her to fix her balance. She breathed through her mouth, taking in quick gasps to compensate for the lack of air in her lungs. No matter how hard she breathed, she couldn't seem to get enough air. Her chest screamed for air even though it was getting plenty of it.

"Ladybug!" Chat shouted, making her scared heart skip a beat. "I can see you. Be a nice lady and hand over your Miraculous."

"No!" She screamed shrilly. Her hands gripped the suit covering her legs tightly. She needed to grab something and ground herself. Wherever her sanity was, she needed to lure it back to her body.

Chat jumped over to her and cracked the roof with the great force of his landing. "Chat Noir, please, I know you're in there..." she whispered shakily, feeling her throat close up. He was uncomfortably close to her, but she couldn't move. If she moved, he would hurt her. If she stayed, he would hurt her.

She was going to die.

She was going to die.

"Chat Blanc," he corrected. "I look so much better in white, don't you think?"

Ladybug searched his purple eyes for any trace of Chat Noir. All she found was anger and sadness. She took a deep breath to try calming herself down.

Just as she had begun to ground herself, he lunged at her, but she dodged last minute. She jumped back clumsily and kept her eyes on Chat Blanc. As strange as it was, she was thankful he attacked her. It brought her conscience back to her body. The bubbling panic remained in her but it wasn't all-consuming anymore. Ladybug had taken over at last, telling her brain to wake up.

"Hand me your Miraculous, Princess." He motioned to her ears.

Ladybug spun her yo-yo, creating a shield at her side. "Even if you're my best friend I can't give it to you. I'd die before it fell into Hawkmoth's clutches."

"That's too bad. I'll just have to take it off your dead body." He ran for her, but she dodged again, jumping backwards onto the rooftop behind her. She landed more gracefully now that she was more aware of her surroundings.

"I'm not going to fight you!" she shouted, feeling her throat painfully close again. Tears glazed her eyes, making it harder to see. Coming out of her small panic brought upon a greater despair accompanied by the realization of her reality.

"You won't have to if you give me your Miraculous, bugaboo." He raised his hand and activated his Cataclysm without even saying the phrase. "Look at me! I've got even better powers than that poor black kitten. I've got infinite power! If you surrender, you can be the same. You could create anything you want, m'lady."

Him saying "m'lady" shattered her heart, reminding her that he was still had some of Chat Noir's mannerisms. It was a reminder that he was still Chat Noir no matter how much Hawkmoth tried to consume his mind.

She couldn't even respond before he became too impatient.

"I guess I'll just have to fight you instead."

He used his staff to launch himself over to Ladybug. He threw hits at her but she dodged all of them. He attempted to hit her with his Cataclysm but was unsuccessful as well.

Ladybug stepped back, feeling the tears get hotter and hotter. They blurred her vision even more. She rubbed them away, trying to regain vision. As Chat Blanc ran for her, she jumped into the air, landing behind him.

She took in a deep breath and threw her yo-yo into the air. "Lucky Cha—"

He managed to strike her chest, sending intense pain throughout her body. It cut her voice off. The Lucky Charm failed to manifest, disappearing in a flash of pink light and vortex of ladybugs. As Ladybug's body froze with pain, she dropped the yo-yo. Her limp body was pushed off the building with great force.

Tears flew off her eyes with the wind caused by her falling motion. She watched as the top of the building slowly got farther and farther from her. Wind blew in her face, displacing her hair, making it harder to see. She didn't want to see anyway. If she were able to see, she'd anticipate the brutal impact of the ground even more and she didn't want that.

She was terrified.

The Miraculous created a suit that was impenetrable. Miraculous users were nearly invincible, the only weakness being their heads. The kwamis absorbed all of the impacts from fights. But, the power of Cataclysm made bad things happen. It stole her Lucky Charm and broke the protective barrier of the Miraculous suit, most likely causing internal damage.

Her eyes shut as her body braced for impact. Please, let me be okay. Let me save the day. Let me bring Chat back.

Her breath left her body as her body violently hit the street. She bounced, skidding towards the road. Once her body stopped moving, she opened her eyes. The only pain was in her chest, thankfully. Less thankfully was the bright afternoon sky. The sun burned the back of her eyes. It was so bright it exemplified the existing pain in her chest. Sharp, red pain shot through her body with her failed attempt to sit up.

Her chest hurt.

"Ladybug! Are you okay?" A news reporter asked frantically, the camera behind her pointed at the hurting superhero.

"...Get out of here," she urged, saying through gritted teeth. "Chat Noir...is akumatized. He's really—he's really powerful."

Just as she finished, Chat Blanc landed right on top of her. His right hand was reaching for the earrings and his free hand supported his weight. He was way too close for comfort. No matter how much Ladybug made it seem like she hated Chat being so close to her, she honestly didn’t mind it. It was better than anyone else.

Chat Blanc was that “anyone else”.

The onlookers stepped back, shocked noise erupting into the air at the sight of the white villain. They knew Chat Noir had been akumatized, but actually seeing him in person was a completely different thing from watching him on a screen.

Chat Blanc smiled evilly, looking deep into Ladybug’s pained eyes.

"Good job, Chat Blanc. With Ladybug injured you can simply take her Miraculous yourself!"

Ladybug lay, her breathing shallow to avoid the pain of even a slight movement of her chest. Fear creeped up inside of her as Chat Blanc reached for her earring. Her eyes darted back and forth quickly, looking for anything to help her. Hawkmoth was not going to win, even if it meant she would die saving the Miraculous.

"Why?" She asked to buy time, pausing to take in a painful breath. "Why...are you so angry? Was it–was it because of me?"

Chat Blanc smiled. "Of course not, m'lady." His hand stopped. "I can't tell you anything. Let me have your Miraculous and maybe we can talk once I know who you really are."

Ladybug grabbed his wrist, sending another sharp pain through her body. "Letting Hawkmoth win won't solve any of this!" Her gaze turned to the camera filming the situation for a second before returning to Chat's pained eyes. "Please...I know you're in there, Chat. Come back. Please. I can’t lose you."

"Oh, but you haven't lost me. I'm still Chat, but better." He tried to push through Ladybug's tight grip.

"You're not better!" She shouted before kicking him off of her. It sent paralyzing pain throughout her body. Her earrings beeped as her head slammed against the ground. She slowly pushed herself up and sat on the ground, watching Chat Blanc get closer to her. As he got closer, she moved herself backwards before bumping into a car.

Chat Blanc stopped in front of her and smiled.

"Goodnight, Princess."

[nxnoire]

Desiderium

“Broken Ribs”

part four part five part seven

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

my sixth prompt for @badthingshappenbingo

———

"Goodnight, Princess." Chat Blanc smiled and activated another Cataclysm with the simple opening of his right palm.

Ladybug backed as far into the car as she could, feeling her back push harder and harder into the hard metal of the car door. A silent prayer for a miracle ran through her head like someone running from a serial killer. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching desperately for anything to help her. Inside the building in front of her she noticed a first aid kit. The closest person to it was none other than Alya.

"Alya!" Ladybug shouted desperately. "Get that First Aid kit!" She pointed to the item behind her best friend.

Alya turned around, looking inside for the first aid kit. Once she spotted it, she ran inside, returning quickly with the first part of her plan. She threw it to Ladybug who jumped up and grabbed it. It hurt like hell but if this plan was executed correctly it wouldn't matter in a minute.

Chat Blanc laughed. "Aw, does the little Ladybug have a boo-boo?"

Ladybug threw open the kit and pulled out the roll of bandages. She unrolled it ungraciously and wrapped it around her forearm, leaving a small part loose. A smirk grew on her lips as she raised her head back at the confused Chat.

"What's that look for?" Chat asked, "You're not going to win, Bugaboo."

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that."

She ran for him, trying to ignore the shooting pain in her chest. As anticipated, Chat Blanc tried to Cataclysm her again. She ducked and harshly grabbed his wrist, much to his surprise.  He raised his free arm in an attempt to get her to stop, which gave her the perfect opportunity to wrap the bandage around his wrists. As she created his temporary handcuffs she tried her hardest to avoid the Cataclysm bubbling dangerously near her hands.

"What is this?" He moved his hands, trying to get Ladybug to stop. His struggling made it harder to avoid the Cataclysm, but she persevered. She finished quickly, taking a step to the side. The job wasn't well-done, in fact it was one of her worst jobs, but all she needed was to hold him back long enough to grab his staff.

She reached behind him and tried grabbing his staff. He noticed and jumped back, the bandages despairingly falling to the ground.

"Oh, no..." Ladybug muttered, stepping backwards to get as far away from the even-angrier Chat Blanc as possible.

He sprinted towards her faster than she could react. In the blink of an eye he had kicked her so hard she flew back and hit the building behind her. Her body fell to the ground again, wondering how she could possibly feel more pain than she already was. As she lay on the ground she decided she had to find a way to get to Master Fu to recruit somebody to help her, no matter how much she didn't want to. She needed her yo-yo, too. Without it, there would be no way to purify the akuma and there would a repeat of Stoneheart, admittedly her worst battle.

Her chest lay against the cool ground, numbing some of her pain. She knew her ribs were broken just by the intense pain she was feeling. What else would cause blinding, all-consuming pain? The pain blurred her vision, dragging her out of reality and shoving her back in it with each pounding feeling. It would have paralyzed her completely if she weren't Ladybug.

Miraculous absorb damage my ass, she cursed in her head. Her muscles ached, screaming in agony. The Catalysm had to have destroyed the protection of the Miraculous suit. Her earrings beeped again. Three minutes.

She was going to detransform in front of everyone, including Hawkmoth, who was definitely watching the fight. That is, if she weren't defeated before then.

Just then, she saw a pair of black legs land in front of her. Through her blurred vision, she could make out an orange cape. Rena Rouge?

"Don't worry, Ladybug," the familiar voice of Rena Rouge assured. She bent over and helped the injured hero stand up. Ladybug leaned into her body, still paralyzed by pain and fatigue. "Here, I got your yo-yo for you."

Ladybug took the yo-yo from her friend's hand and smiled. "Thank you."

"Of course. You're about to transform back so go hide. I can hold him off until you get back."

Ladybug nodded and limped off, her earrings beeping again. She walked into the nearest alley and leaned against the wall, sliding to the ground. "Spots off," she muttered, out of breath.

Tikki flew out of the earrings and lay on Marinette's chest tiredly. "Marinette..."

Marinette reached into her purse and pulled out a pink, polka-dotted macaroon. "Eat this, Tikki."

Tikki hungrily ate the macaroon in one bite, her energy returning almost immediately. "The Catalysm is very dangerous, Marinette. You were hit in the chest, it's not good."

"I know..." she trailed off, another pain shooting through her chest, "but I have to fight. If I don't, Hawkmoth will win and I'll have failed."

Tikki frowned. "You can give me to someone else you trust. I wouldn't—"

"No, Tikki." Marinette began to stand up again. "Ladybug has to save Chat Noir. I'm the only one who can do it." She leaned her head against the wall. The pain grew to an almost unbearable state after such a large movement. Tears budded at her eyes but she blinked them away. "No matter how much it hurts, I'm Ladybug and I'm going to save the day. Tikki, spots on."

Ladybug limped out of the alley, noticing Rena Rouge was nowhere to be seen. Chat Blanc was standing alone, the Fox Miraculous in his hand. "Welcome back, M'lady!" He exclaimed.

"What have you done?" Ladybug shouted. God, no, please tell me she's okay...

"I took care of that pesky little fox." He put the necklace on. "I'll be keeping this, if you don't mind."

"I do mind. What did you do with Rena Rouge? Where is she?"

"Oh, she ran off somewhere. It's a shame I didn't get to see the person you trusted with such a powerful item."

Now that she had ascertained Alya's safety, Ladybug prepared for a fight. "It's better you don't. There is something I'd like you to know, though."

"And what would that be, Princess?"

"I've still got my Lucky Charm!" She threw the yo-yo in the air, creating a beautiful vortex of ladybugs with pink light pouring down from it. It had created a frisbee, a very unexpected item. She grabbed it and looked around, trying to think of a plan. Once she figured it out, she took in a painful breath and used her yo-yo to fling herself away from Chat Blanc.

She turned around and waited for him to use his staff. Once he extended it, she threw the frisbee at the staff, causing it to fly away from him. Chat Blanc fell to the ground, angry. Ladybug quickly retracted her yo-yo and hooked it on the streetlight nearby the staff. She landed next to the staff and picked it up, happy she finally won. She broke it over her knee, the akuma fluttering out of the staff.

She picked up the frisbee and threw it in the air, activating the Miraculous Ladybugs. They circled her waist, healing the pain in her chest.

With a deep breath, she opened her yo-yo. She defeated the worst of them all, albeit by a hair, but she had still won. Relief dominated her brain, which was filled with a plethora of a million different emotions underneath it. Chat Noir was safe and so were the Miraculous. Harmony had finally been restored to the world. It was all over. She could finally rest.

"Bye-bye, little butterfly," she said, freeing the scariest akuma she had ever seen.