#UGH MY /GOD/ THERE IS NO STORY LIKE THIS EVERYONE GO WATCH NOIR

[musical-chick-13]

I’m having too many Feelings™ about Noir again, this time specifically about how no “Sympathetic and Well-Intentioned Tragic Villain” in any other piece of media will ever be done as successfully and effectively as Altena.

[capesandshapes]

All You Had to Do Was Stay (Post Reveal/ Pre Relationship) (3/4)

Summary:

Three years ago, Marinette revealed her identity to him. Three years ago, he promised to wait in a hotel room for her. Three years ago, she opened the door to find it empty.

Now she's expected to play nice with him, since she's the maid of honor and he's unfortunately the best man. But old habits die hard, and old feelings die harder.

"This is a wedding, not a death march, Marinette."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was going well.

Or, at least as well as a combination Bachelor and Bachelorette party planned entirely via awkward emails could go.

Which could be attributed solely to her and her thousands of schedules and planners, along with the fact that she checked the weather almost religiously and the tide predictions. Adrien just bankrolled most of the thing, which worked well enough seeing as he was the head of a multi-billion-dollar fashion house and she was an up-and-coming designer with an Etsy shop focusing on affordable fashion for normal people. Sure, he insisted on a few things, such as not using the Couffaine’s houseboat (He’d actually tried to argue against a boat entirely) or serving shots with Kim and Alix finally reuniting at this party—But most of it could be attributed to her.

She was pretty sure that was him trying to please her, to play nice after that disastrous night outside the bakery. He was avoiding her as much as possible, and any time he was faced with her he resolved the tension by agreeing to her as much as possible.

He was capable of learning, she supposed.

Marinette stood to the side of the bar as the boat they road on bobbed upwards and downwards, a hand braced on the counter and a glass of water that had she poured into a wineglass in the other. She hadn’t admitted to anyone, but she had a habit of getting seasick. The dim lighting of the fairy lights twinkling overhead combined with the loud pounding of music did a good job of hiding that.

She gave a small, weak smile as she looked out to her friends on the dance floor, some of them being people who she hadn’t seen for far longer than Adrien. Kim and Alix were locked in an exaggerated slow dance that had the two cackling, Juleka and Rose had stolen away to a corner, and Sabrina was excitedly explaining her business as a personal assistant to anyone who would listen. It’d been a long time since she’d seen them all, and it made her sentimental. She rarely saw anyone outside of Alya and Nino now.

“Makes you nostalgic, huh?” A deep, familiar voice asked her, obviously having slid in beside her at the bar at some point.

The side of her mouth tugged harder, and that nauseous feeling in her stomach momentarily left her. She let her blue eyes drift over, practically beaming as she took him in. “Luka Couffaine,” she said. A part of her wondered if he would come.

His long, shaggy blue hair and sharp eyes were now the highlight of the evening. Or almost the highlight. “Marinette,” he said, “fancy meeting you here.”

“Oh yes,” Marinette agreed, “it’s shocking for the maid of honor to be at the Bachelorette party.”

“Well, when she’s got a problem with the best man,” Luka began.

Marinette shot him a look. “Be quiet, someone could hear you.”

“I think everyone would have to be blind not to know,” Luka said, leaning against the bar beside her. She knew where he was looking, who he was watching. Yet, despite that, he said, “a part of me always hoped it would be us out there. Doing all of this.”

Her smile fell. “But you’re happy now?”

“Immensely,” he confirmed, and one look at his face reaffirmed that. He was still watching, still taking it all in. If her eyes traveled to the same place, she could do it too. She could look at Adrien Agreste and wonder how everything got so utterly awful. “I knew it wouldn’t be us, Marinette. We weren’t those type of people.”

“The type of people to get married?”

“The type of people to fit together without any gaps,” he explained. “No room for concern, no regrets.”

She sighed. There was more to it, of course. There was so much more to everything, like the fact that she could never do it, never give herself completely to Luka. She was always waiting, lingering in hallways at the slightest flash of the right shade of blond, and hearing familiar laughter in the silence.

She loved Luka, but she was always wanting. She needed Chat, she needed Adrien, she needed whatever form of him he would give her—

“You still love him, don’t you?” Luka asked. It was a stupid question. She’d seen Adrien six times since he came back, and half of those moments were in passing. Any rational person would say no, only crazy romantics would say yes.

So, she stayed silent.

“I want you to be happy,” Luka said finally, and it was a bucket of cold water poured on her. A reminder of reality, of where she was now, and a rush of that seasickness back to her gut. But when he said it, there was that hint of leftover desire, that underlying subtext that there was a hole in his heart, and it would always be there for her.

And the cold understanding that she never made a groove in her heart for him.

She turned to look at him, only to find him gone.

And with that came sickness.

Awful, churning sickness. A vile wave of nausea that assaulted her stomach. The boat lurched, and with it, so did she.

My god, she was going to die.

Marinette Dupain Cheng, beloved daughter and friend. Died of seasickness because of her own poor choices while planning a party to celebrate her friends’ upcoming wedding.

She threw her head back with another large wave, her eyes watering as she fought the overwhelming urge to die. Lila Rossi was at the party, slithering onto the guest list with a perfectly timed apology to Alya about an awful Instagram post. If Marinette turned any greener she was sure she’d be on Rossi’s snapchat story, paired with a caption questioning why exactly the poor girl was so sick. Another pregnancy rumor.

She grimaced at the thought and nearly fell to her knees as another wave jostled her. Luckily, a hand caught her before she could fall, the warmth of a thick blazer spread across her shoulders and distracted her momentarily.

“And this,” said a voice as she was hauled back onto her feet, “is why I argued against the boat.”

She turned both quickly and unsteadily, catching a mixture of blond and green before, unfortunately, practically falling against it.

She could have done worse.

She could have done much worse.

Such as vomiting on his Burberry jacket or ruining his Chanel shoes.

Adrien’s arms caught her easily, hooking underneath her armpits and hauling her upwards once more. “I’d make a joke about you falling for me, but all things considered… I’d say you’re sick of me.”

Badum tss.

Marinette groaned, resting her forehead against his chest only because it was the main thing keeping the rest of the world from overwhelming her. “Were your jokes always this stupid?”

“Things seem a lot funnier when you’re madly in love,” he said, and she made sure to fire back a glare in response. “That’s good,” he said with an air of authority when she looked at him, “eyes on me, focus on the conversation instead of the waves.”

“Can I have a different conversation partner?” she fired back.

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her as he kept a hand braced on her back, the other braced on her shoulder to keep her upright. “Do you want someone else to know you’re sick?” He asked, “because I guarantee Alya and Nino will hear.”

Ugh.

“We’re going to get you inside,” Adrien decided, evidently having spotted a door back into the cabin.

“And then?” She asked, she didn’t see how that would help.

“And then I’ll stay by you in case it all goes south, and you can play YouTube videos on my phone to distract you for another hour or two until Alya goes looking for you. Then you’ll take some selfies, come back, and we’ll wash, rinse, and repeat.”

Marinette wrinkled her nose. “I don’t trust you to stay anywhere, Agreste.”

He flinched. “Okay, fair, but… I’m your only option here so,” he tilted his head at her, looking down as he withdrew his hand from her waist only to offer it to her again. “Either you take my hand and we go, or I leave you here at the mercy of the Seine, which seems to be in quite the mood today.”

He had a point.

“Fine,” she said, slapping her hand into his. “I’ll sit next to you, but I will not talk to you. Don’t expect a miraculous turn around.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I hope you know that nearly every YouTube recommendation of yours being highlight reels of Ladybug and Chat Noir is not endearing,” Marinette informed Adrien, “it makes you look self-obsessed.”

“It’s not every YouTube recommendation,” Adrien scoffed, moving beside her to point at his screen. “See? Anime.”

“Top ten anime waifus?” Marinette read out, shooting him a look.

“You know that’s not what it says,” he responded, yet she couldn’t help but note the way that he took a second look as if making sure.

They were on the ground in the cabin of the boat, nearest the hallway where the kitchens and bathroom were. Adrien was the one to declare that the safest, a place where she could get water if needed, and if worse came…

“When will this finally pass,” Marinette asked yet again as she let herself fall onto her back, she’d repeated the question with every single video finished, but her impatience continued to grow.

And he repeated the same answer, “in four hours when the boat finally docks and we end up on dry land.”

Four hours.

“You were never good in the water,” he said, “and this is coming from the guy dressed like a cat.”

She glared, slapping his thigh. “When this boat lands, the truce ends.”

His smile faltered at that, and he let himself sink down onto the ground beside her, his eyes trained towards the ceiling.

This had a time limit; all of this had a time limit. Even she had almost forgotten that. Because eventually the wedding would end, eventually there would be no more forced interactions, eventually he would go home. Eventually she would go back to her life and wonder the same damn question.

“Why weren’t you there that night?” There was no gracefulness to how it was presented, it merely clattered from her like a knife falling from a kitchen table. It was heavy and loaded, the kind of question that you swallowed down every time you saw someone, not the type that you lobbed out when you were laying side by side and wishing it had been like this so many other times.

She could feel his eyes on her.

“I…” he began, but whatever he meant to say was a false start. He swallowed the letter and tried again. “I don’t…” Know? Care? Want to talk about this?

Why did she care anymore?

What would it change?

Nothing.

“I was scared,” he said finally.

“Okay,” she said.

And that was that. That should have been that. That should have been her hint, her great sign.

“Why?”

And with that single word he rose to his forearms, looking over at her. He was in her field of vision, where she couldn’t ignore him. A hint of pink graced the edge of his green eyes, but his lips were set in an almost determined look, and she wondered if he would stumble over his words again.

“My father was just arrested for being Hawk Moth, my mother was found in my basement, I lost the only home I ever knew to police investigations, and suddenly guardians were at my door asking for Plagg—all in one day. Choose a reason, Marinette.” It wasn’t vile, it wasn’t angry, it wasn’t even cold. She didn’t know how to describe it.

“You disappeared.”

“I couldn’t stand to be in Paris any longer.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

“What would I say?!” He replied, his voice loud, far louder than he obviously intended. He flinched as it echoed through the air, and suddenly she was all knives and anger.

“Hello Marinette,” she responded, “or should I say Ladybug, the girl I’ve claimed to be in love with for six years! It’s been great, a fun time and all, but man am I tired—see you in three years without a single message! Good luck wondering if it’s because of you, if you being the girl behind the mask is what changed it all, even though the only difference was one scrap of red fabric!” She glared, sitting up, “Miss. You.”

“You think that’s how it was?” He began, his eyebrows narrowed as he raised from his arms, his eyes staring holes into hers. “I told you…”

“You’d love whoever was behind the mask,” she finished, pushing off of the ground. “But let’s be honest here—Not Lila, not Chloe, and not me. Never me.” She stumbled to her feet, gripping the wall as she finally stood. “I told you who I was, and you were terrified! I saw it, I knew! I should have known why—"

“Because you’re you, because you’re Marinette, because you’re--” he was scrambling to his feet, scrambling to keep her there, scrambling to make some sort of sense.

“Because I’m Marinette?” She repeated, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to hear the mistake. To know that she was right, that this was all some stupid curse put upon her by a universe that would thankfully, in a month’s time, solve the situation.

“That’s not—Jesus Christ, I—”

He didn’t need to say more.

She began to walk away, to risk the treacherous river waves. Anything was better than this, anyone was better than him—

“Because you’re perfect,” he called before she could even begin to walk out that stupid door, and every cell in her body stopped moving. “Because you’re pretty and you’re kind. Because you have a perfect family and everyone loves you, Nino loves you, Alya loves you, I—” He thought better of saying whatever came next there. “Because you were going to be a fashion designer, and the best one anyone’s ever seen. Because you try to be good to everyone you meet. Because at the end of the day you’ll always be good, too good for me, and I’m…”

“You’re,” she was surprised that she asked it, that she could process anything.

And there was a pause, a long, heavy one. One where anything, any combination of words could go wrong.

“Because people would see you walking beside me, and you would still be good, and you would still be kind and you would still be gentle; but they’d see none of that. Because they’d look over and see me. They’d see what my father made and what my father ruined.” Quietly, he confessed, “you would be perfect and none of that would matter, because they’d look over and see Hawkmoth’s son.”

[unmaskedagain]

Truth is Subjective

            This post is based off a prompt by #galahadwilder. I give all credit to them for the idea.

This did not turn out the way I wanted it to. AT ALL. I completely missing the mark; or in this case prompt. I couldn’t figure out how to make it work like I had envisioned when I first read the prompt. And now I’m just like ugh. L

  When Ladybug saw Alya frantically waving her down from where she was on top of her apartment roof. It was, nearly after midnight. She just finished off an Akuma. However, emotions had been running high among the students in her class so Ladybug didn’t hesitate to see what was wrong. Alya made not have been her best friend, or any type of friend, anymore but Ladybug was still a hero.

           A hero who was not happy to see Lila Rossi standing next to her.

           The Italian girl looked pleasant at first glance but anger was clear in her eyes. Alya had her phone out. It took all of two seconds for Marinette to figure out what was going on. Alya wanted an interview with Ladybug and her supposed best friend. Lila was sure Ladybug would reveal the truth like she did last time.

           Marinette fought to keep the grin off her face. She had idea. A rather wicked idea. She had taken to spending a lot of time with Jagged and Penny and Audrey Bourgeois, watching how they manipulated the news to better suit their individual brands. She now know that even if she told Alya what a liar Lila was, Lila could and would easily spin it to say that “Ladybug said that to protect me”. And Alya would just believe it.

           Not this time, Marinette vowed.

“Ladybug!” Alya beamed and immediately jumped into the interview, “I’ve been trying to catch you for months.”

“I know,” Ladybug said coolly.

           Marinette had decided that if Alya couldn’t check her facts, then Ladybug couldn’t work with her. She had been reporting too much false information and more or less become a site dedicated to shipping Ladybug with Chat Noir and promoting Lila’s B.S.

           Alya didn’t seem to notice the frost in the air. “We’re live streaming for the Ladyblog,” She said. “Ladybug and Lila Rossi; best friends forever.” She said waving her phone between the two. “Ladybug, Lila what’s it look being friends. Lila said she helped you rescue a bunch of people when you still lived in Italy. Before you became Ladybug!”

           Lila looked sick, “Now, it was so long ago. She probably doesn’t remember.”

“I’m sorry, Alya, but this interview is over,” Ladybug responded and before reporter could protest, she added. “I refuse to give an interview with my stalker.”

           It was like the wind was punched out of Alya, “Sta- Stalker?”

           Lila just stared with her mouth opened.

           Ladybug nodded gravely, while inwardly Marinette cheered, “Stalker. What else would you call someone who constantly follows you around? Interfere with my rescues. Fantasize scenarios where we’re close personal friends and tells people about it. Try to convince everyone that those tales are real. Maybe it’s a coincidence that she transferred into only class in the entire school, out of all the public schools in France that has had the most akumas thus students I see regularly.  Despite her mother being an important diplomat? Who knows?” Ladybug pitched her nose. “For god’s sake, Alya, she even got close to you, the only journalist I deal with on a continuity. You keeping spinning out her stories; feeding her delusions. Why do think I started avoiding you? I saw you were friends with her. I can’t be around her. I won’t.”

           It went silent. Alya’s mouth had dropped opened. She looked shocked and slightly ill. Lila looked like she was considering murder. Marinette was five seconds away from doing her happy dance.

“Alya,” Ladybug said seriously. “Be honest, Lila’s said so many stories about so many celebrities but there’s no real evidence backing it up. Her grand adventures with Jagged Stone, Prince Ali, Clara Nightingale; it’s all in her head. At least point, I’m started to think they may have been her past obsessions. She claimed I healed her so many of different diseases, I thought someone was going to try to give me saint hood. Do you really think Jagged Stone would write a song about an underage girl without her parents knowing? Or that Clara Nightingale stole her dance moves. Do you know how bad that looks? Not to mention that model kid Adrien Agreste. From what I heard, what she’s doing to him is borderline sexual harassment. I think they’re victims,” She stressed the word. “Like me. If I wasn’t concerned about my secret identity, I’d have gone to the police by now.”

“Police!” Lila squeaked.

           Ladybug shook her head, “I know people. Maybe I can just do a cease and desist order on the Ladyblog. But this has to stop,” She told Alya. “It’s the middle of the night, which is dangerous enough as it is. But there was an akuma as well. You called me, again in the middle of the night, to meet with my stalker. Do you know how scary that is? How that makes me feel?” She asked.

“I’m sorry!” Alya said with tears in hers, her phone still streaming. “I didn’t know.”

           Ladybug threw up her hands, “You didn’t even bother to ask! At any time in the last year, you could’ve checked with me that you were reporting the truth.”

           Alya sobbed. Lila just glared. She was too busy thinking of ways she could spend this.

           Ladybug looked around, with suspicious, “Do your parents even know where you are?”

“Well, I, I mean,” The glasses wearing girl stuttered.

           Marinette raised her hands in surrender, “No. I’m done. You’ve gone too far. You put yourself in danger. And you put me in danger. All for an interview. No more. You obviously don’t take this seriously; being a journalist, your blog, your life, anything. I’m done. I won’t work with you again. I can’t risk it.”

           And with that Ladybug, yo’yo’d away. When she transformed back to normal and safely got to her house, Marinette fell to the floor laughing. Tikki joined her. Revenge was sweet.

           The bluenette plopped down her bed. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow. For months and months she had been accused of bullying Lila, of being jealous, by tomorrow all of France would know what happened on the rooftop.

           Lila wasn’t outed as liar like she thought she would be. No, Marinette, Rossi got a much worse fate.

           When Marinette woke up the next morning, it was like the world had caught on fire. Nadja was having field day. Celebrities Lila had said she knew vocally denounced every knowing the girl. The world cried, “Poor Ladybug.”

           Marinette blinked at the sheer quiet of her class. She had expected chaos. Maybe they didn’t know. Maybe Lila was able to spin it around for the class.

           No that wasn’t right. Nino was comforting Alya, who had red eyes and messy hair.

“What’s going on,” She asked Adrien, one of the few people who were still friendly with her in class. She may not have had a crush on him anymore but she still thought he was a decent friend.

“You don’t know?” Alix asked, with shock on her face. “How could you not know? All of Paris is talking about Ladybug’s stalker.”

           Marinette scratched the back on her head, a look of faux-confusion on her face, “I got up late again, I didn’t have time to look anything up,” Looks of understanding came from the students. “Wait! Stalker?!” She took a dramatic pause. “…You know?”

           Alya stood up angrily, “You knew!”

           Marinette took a hasty step back, “Of course I knew. Don’t you remember I got you your first interview with Ladybug? I know her.” Alya looked somewhat placated but still angry. She told me all about it. She was really freaked out. But I promised I wouldn’t say anything,” She defended. “I don’t break my promise. Yet I tried to warn you as best I could. I tried to warn everyone.” Marinette shrugged. “And look what happened. Most of us aren’t even friends anymore.”

           Her words were a slap to the face. Most of her former friends had the grace to look ashamed.

           Marinette just shrugged again and went her seat.

“I’m ruined,” Alya cried into Nino’s shoulder. “My fans hate me. Half of them think I was lying to them. The other half hate me because I hurt Ladybug. How was I supposed to know Lila was a nutjob?”

“You could’ve fact checked,” Marinette told her. “Listen to me even one of the hundred times I told you she was lying. Asked Ladybug. Asked Chat Noir. Read the twenty percent of the Ladyblog’s comments that she said was lying. You could’ve done a lot to find out the truth.” She stared hard at her former friend. “You chose not to.”

           Alya cried harder.

“Harsh, dudette,” Nino glared at her.

           Coldness went down Marinette’s back. She stood up, “Harsh!” Marinette yelled, everyone flinched back. “Yeah maybe it’s a bit harsh. But you know what was worse? Losing all my friends. Being called a liar. A jealous psycho. Being bullied by people who I’ve known forever. Getting mean, nasty texts that could have the sender charged with harassment.”

           The bluenette glared around the room; at the paling, stunned faces of the other students.

“Harsh,” She hissed at Nino. “Well I’m sorry if the truth is a little harsh. But I think after falling for so many lies, maybe Alya deserves the truth for once. You all do.”

           Alya pulled away from Nino, and nodded. “She’s right,” she sniffed. “I’m sorry, Marinette. I’m so sorry.”

           Marinette looked at Alya, her former bestie. Nino the boy she thought always had her back until he stabbed her in it. Kim, her friend since they were in diapers, who had no problem accusing Marinette of awful things. Alix and Mylene, who led the charge against her. Nathanial who had sat and done nothing when they spilled and destroy her designs.

“Sorry’s not always enough,” Marinette admitted, hurt filling her. “There’s another truth for you.”

“My dad’s furious,” Adrien said, gaining everyone attention. “Everyone knows he insisted Lila do the photoshoots with me. An insider even revealed that I made it clear I was bother by Lila. They think he doesn’t take sexual harassment at work seriously. Brand’s taking a hit.”

“Ladybug must be so scared,” Sabrina put in. “My dad told me about some crazy stalker cases he’s seen. They got really obsessive. One guy even kidnapped a kid because he though it looked like his and this woman’s future child. Said the child was theirs. Dad wants me to stay away from Lila. He doesn’t want me getting her attention. Who knows what she’d do?”

           Sabrina words sent shivers through the students. A few who watched true crime stories looked particularly green.

“We should’ve caught on,” Alix frowned. “None of her stories even made sense. Saved a cat from being hit by a plane? Really? Are we morons?”

“Something must be seriously wrong with her,” Rose offered. “Maybe she just needs help.”

“She needs a nice white jacket,” Kim growled. “And a padded cell.”

“Where is Lila?” Marinette asked.

           Surprising it was Juleka who answered, “Hiding in her house. Reporters everywhere want a one on one with Ladybug’s Stalker. Her face is all over the news. She’s trending on Twitter. So’s the Ladyblog.”

           Alya groaned. Her blog, her life’s work was finally getting the attention she always wanted but in the worst possible way.

           Nino hugged his girlfriend, “At least no one will ever be fool again,” He offered.

“Undoubtable,” Max agreed. “I foresee that Lila is well on way to be the most famous stalker in recent history. They’ll use her as a textbook example one day, if this carries on. People will base their doctorates on her mental health.”

           Marinette smirked.

           Lila was going to get the all attention she’d ever want.

[sashannarcy]

new ml broke u??? haha that’s crazy u should talk abt it 👉👈

I'm just gonna b clear in saying that this is the first ML ep I've watched in over a year, probably even longer than that but I can't remember. I have no idea what's going on w Adrigami or Lukanette (I mean obv I know now that they broke up), no idea why Marinette is the Guardian now, no idea where all these other kwamis came from, no idea why Hawk Moth.. looks like that????? so I must admit I am a BIT lost but luckily that didn't get in the way of me understanding this episode

BUT. I love Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I love her a lot. I think her character is extremely interesting and I wish the show would get into it more deeply other than just focusing on her romantic problems, so I cannot tell u how THRILLED I am that this episode occurred. at this point I'm probably gonna start watching the show again just for her (ngl I've kinda stopped being into the ships for the most part) bc if we can get more writing like what happened in Gang of Secrets then that's enough for me

SO ANYWAY. um!!!! holy fucking shit!!! after sitting thru three seasons of the plot not rlly taking off I was THOROUGHLY unprepared for that fucking identity reveal and yet they handled it so well... people who are upset that it wasn't to Adrien/Cat Noir.. I mean come on. I think Alya is literally the best person for Marinette to reveal herself to first, they have such a solid friendship and god it will be so good for Marinette to have someone to lean on now... I know I make everything angsty but seriously Marinette's character has always made me sad bc I KNOW that girl is going thru a fuck ton of shit and having to keep such a huge part of herself completely hidden from everyone just weighs her down. we saw her in this episode basically say she was unlovable!!!! that she's not allowed to have a love story!!! that she only sees herself useful as Ladybug, that she can't feel close to anyone anymore.. I have been WAITING to see her have a breakdown over this and FINALLY I GOT THE CONTENT I WANTED TO FUCKING SEE... some of the lines exchanged between her and Alya at the end were SO unexpectedly raw too like "we always have a choice, Marinette" "no, not for me. I've got no choices left" and "it's too heavy to carry" "if it's too heavy we'll carry it together" LIKE HELLO. HELLO? everyone SHUT the FUCK up I was tearing up bc there was just so much!!! coming out into the open!! and the voice acting on Marinette's part was so good just. UGH

and don't even get me started on Alya, holy shit, the way she stayed behind to talk to Marinette at the end bc she just KNEW smth was up, the way she kept a hand on her shoulder p much the whole time, the way she was paying complete and absolute attention to Marinette w/o trying to figure out what the hell she was talking abt, just trying to help her w/o pushing for details, fuck even the way she was just looking at her the whole time she was just SO concerned... and then when Marinette finally reveals herself as Ladybug she just. hugs her, no questions asked, like she just. gets it. she's such a good friend I am so so unbelievably glad she's the first to know. and I really do want to see them grow from here, I want to see Marinette be able to lean on Alya and finally finally have someone that she can be completely transparent with, I'm crossing my fingers that the writers know what they're doing because I want to see more shit like this. this episode was just. so well-handled. thank you for coming to my ted talk I'm literally insane

[whosemorales]

Notes From Prince Charming

I absolutely loved the last episode. But I refuse to believe that Kwamis don't fall in love. I refuse to believe that Plikki isn't a thing. Their 16 in the story BTW.

≈≈≈≈≈

Dear puurincess,

Thank you for the movie night and food I had a furbulous time.

P. S Hope you have a pursitively pawsome day princess.

- Your knight in shining leather.

Marinette rolled her eyes at the note but couldn't help the soft smile that made its way onto her lips, reaching for her blanket she pulled back the cover and slipped out of bed. A cold chill ran through her body when her feet made contact with the ground, walking over to her desk Marinette opened a circular box and shook her head as she looked at all the other notes nestled inside, all the same as the one in her hand. Well, not the same exactly, they all said different things, but they all had the same purpose so they were the same none the less. Folding the note she placed it in with the others before getting ready for school.

*******

"Bye Maman, bye Papa," Marinette called as she raced out of the bakery, grabbing a croissant and a chocolate chip cookie on her way.

She was late.

Again.

How? She had no idea. OK maybe she had slept in a bit too long, but she had stayed up late watching the movie with Chat Noir so of course, she was going to be tired.

Once she got to the school she heaved out a sigh, she had 3 minutes until class started. Deciding that she didn't need to run anymore Marinette made her way up the steps of the high school, carefully slipping the chocolate chip cookie into her purse. She giggled softly when she heard Tikki's excited squeal.

Entering the classroom she looked over to Alya who had her eyebrows raised and a smirk resting on her lips, Marinette gave her a lazy smile before slipping into the seat beside her.

"So what was it this time?" Alya asked as she looked over at her best friend, who had her head resting in her arms like a makeshift pillow. "Let me guess, you had to feed your cat, but it ran away from you so you had to chase it. Or how about you fell asleep while eating breakfast or maybe prince charming came in through your skylight and whisked you away into the night, where you had a spectacular dinner on top of the Eiffel tower."

Marinette laughed at the last one, it definitely wasn't as far fetched as Alya thought. Lifting her head she sat back in her seat and looked at Alya who was still smirking at her.

"For your information, my prince charming would never climb through my skylight. Adrien is way classier than that. And as for your question I was up late watching a movie with a friend."

Alya narrowed her eyes and smirked. She watched as Adrien and Nino entered the room and waited for them to be within earshot before she continued.

"A friend huh? And who might this mysterious friend be?" She asked nudging Marinette.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it Alya you wouldn't know him anyway." Marinette's eyes went wide at her mistake.

Adrien and Nino had both turned to listen to their conversation now.

Alya's eyes went wide. "Oooh so it's a he is it? So what exactly were you and this boy doing in your room at such a late hour?"

Marinette had started to go red, and so had Adrien though Alya had no idea why. The poor boy was blushing up a storm.

"I told you we were watching a movie, nothing more nothing less."

"Mmmmh, that doesn't sound very believable," Nino smirked. "What movie was it?"

"We were watching Tangled." Marinette shrugged.

"And why were you watching Tangled?" Alya frowned.

"Because he'd never seen it before."

"Girl that sounds even less believable, everyone has seen Tangled it's one of the greats. Are you sure nothing happened Marinette?" Alya wiggled her eyebrows and smirked as Marinette went even redder.

Alya laughed. "Girl chill out I'm messing with you, unless..."

Marinette groaned and rested her head back in her hands.

Alya and Nino both laughed, shaking his head slightly Nino turned to Marinette.

"Relax M we're just teasing, even if Mr Prince Charming is climbing through your skylight and whisking you away to a magical dinner and then bringing you back to watch a romantic movie with strictly no funny business," Nino gave her a quick wink. "Who are we to judge."

Marinette let out another groan and looked at Nino and Alya with narrowed eyes. "God you to really are made for each other."

Nino smirked and reached for Alya's hand, giving it a quick kiss he turned back to Marinette. "What can I say I'm just naturally charming, it was only a matter of time before she confessed her undying love for me."

Alya laughed and pulled her hand back, leaning forward slightly she smirked. "Right, and what was it that you said to me after I confessed my undying love for you?" She brought her hand up to her chin and pretended to think as Nino's eyes went wide and he started to stammer. Alya clicked her fingers. "Ah that's right after I confessed my undying love for you, you thanked me."

Everyone burst into a fit of laughter as Nino's face went redder than a tomato, this was definitely going to be an eventful day.

*******

"Urgh, why does Mr Coopers have to give us so much homework?" Nino groaned as he finished packing his bag.

"I know it's not like we have a life we're trying to live." Alya laughed bitterly as she hooked her bag around her neck.

"School just sucks," Marinette concluded with a shrug.

Once Adrien had finished packing his bag they all walked to the front of the school, they talked for a few minutes until Adrien's bodyguard showed up. Marinette was even able to get out more than one sentence, with the occasional stuttering of course.

"Bye guys, see you tomorrow," Adrien called.

"Bye dude."

"Bye Adrien."

"Tomorrow bye- ugh no sorry- Uh see you tomoz- Ugh," Marinette facepalmed with a groan. "Bye just bye."

The others laughed at her attempt as she watched Adrien's car drive away, she felt her purse moving slightly, no doubt Tikki was laughing too.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Whatever I'll get there one day."

"Of course you will dudette, we believe in you."

"Yeah girl, it's only a matter of time before he realizes he likes you and confesses his undying love." She gave Nino a smirk.

"Just don't give up M." Turning to Alya Nino kissed her goodbye.

"I love you," He mumbled against her lips.

Alya leaned forward and kissed him, pulling away she smiled. "I love you too, see you tomorrow turtle boy."

He gave her an adorable smile before giving her one last kiss goodbye.

"Damn you two really are made for each other, that was so cute."

Alya turned to Marinette and smiled, her smile grew wider and before they knew it they were both in a fit of laughter.

Catching her breath Marinette gave Alya a wave. "I'll see you tomorrow Al."

Alya frowned. "Tomorrow? Girl, I'm coming round to your house, and the girls too. For the study, session remember."

Marinette's eyes went wide, she definitely did not remember that.

"Uh yeah- the sturdy- uh study session of course I remember." She rubbed her neck nervously.

Wait wasn't Chat supposed to be coming tonight?

Marinette's face paled, this wasn't good. She had no way of contacting him, so he wouldn't know not to come.

"Hey! Earth to Marinette!" Alya waved her hand in front of Marinette's face. "You ready?"

"A-are yeah, sure. Let's go!"

"The girls are going to meet us there," Alya informed as they made their way to the bakery.

"OK." Marinette breathed. Maybe it wasn't going to be that bad.

******

It was bad.

It was so bad.

The rest of the girls had arrived 30 minutes later, and they had been studying all afternoon, which was fine. The bad part was that it was getting close to 7:30 which was normally when Chat decided to show up.

"Ugh! My brain hurts." Alix grumbled, pushing back her chair she flopped down onto Marinette's chaise.

"Mine too. It feels like mush." Mylène agreed.

"Yeah, I think it's time for a break." Marinette pushed her chair back and stood up. "Do you guys want some food?"

"Oooh yes please!"

"Could you bring some of those pineapple macaroons?"

"Ohh and some of those chocolate croissants?"

Marinette laughed. "Sure I'll bring back a whole feast."

"Thank you!"

"Hey, Marinette? Have you done any new designs lately?" Mylène asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I just want to have a look. Where do you keep your sketchbook?"

"It's in the box at the end of the table," Marinette yelled as she made her way downstairs.

Looking around Marinette's desk Mylène spotted a circular box resting at the end of her table.

"That must be it." She said to the girls.

Picking it up Mylène pulled off the lid, only to be met with a box of notes.

"What is it?" Alix asked lifting her head to get a closer look.

"There notes." Mylène frowned.

"What do they say." Alix jumped up to get a closer look.

"They kind of look like love notes."

"What!?"

Everyone quickly jumped up to look at the notes. Reading the notes everyone's eyes widened. They really were love notes!

"-OK so I just grabbed some of everythin- EPP! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING!" Marinette quickly dropped the food onto the table and raced over to the girls.

"Why didn't you tell us you were getting love notes?" Alix asked grabbing out another note to read.

"They're not love notes!" Marinette argued snatching the notes out of their hands and stuffing them back into the box.

Alya scoffed. "Have you even read them, they are 100% love notes."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Funnily enough I have read them."

"Who are they from?" Rose asked, trying to get a better look in the box.

Marinette quickly stuffed the lid back on top. "No one."

"That's not believable," Juleka mumbled.

Alya suddenly gasped. "Is it from your mysterious Prince Charming?"

Marinette started to blush though she had no idea why.

"Oh, it is!" Alya squealed.

"Woah Woah back up, who's this Prince Charming?" Alix frowned.

"Oh that's right you guys don't know," Alya smirked. "Marinette had a boy in her room last night at quite a late hour."

"Ohhhhhhh!" Smirks grew on all their faces.

"Urgh!" Marinette groaned. "Nothing happened, all we did was watch Tangled."

"Right you watched Tangled." Alix gave her a sly wink. "I understand," she smirked.

"No, you don't! Because nothing happened. All we did was sit together, watch a movie and eat food that's it!"

"OK ok girl calm down."

"Did you guys cuddle?" Rose questioned.

Marinette choked on her words. Did she cuddle with him? It wasn't really classed as cuddling was it? There were no romantic feelings so was it still cuddling?

"N-no. Well, I do t-think it's classed as cuddling."

"Well, how were you sitting?" Mylène questioned.

"Um, he was leaning against the wall and I was laying in between his legs with my back on his chest."

The girl's jaws dropped to the floor.

"No way!"

"Like I said it's not even classed as cuddling," Marinette argued.

"It 100% is so classed as cuddling." Alix counted.

"Where were his hands?" Rose questioned.

"Around my waist, and resting on my stomach."

"And where were your hands?"

"Ah, they were sort of, fiddling with his," Marinette mumbled.

"Awwwww that's so cute!" Rose squealed knitting her hands together.

"But we weren't cuddling!"

"Does he know that?" Mylène raised her eyebrows.

"Yes!" Marinette answered quickly.

Deciding to change the topic Marinette turned back to the food.

"Anyway, I brought up a bit of everything." She gestured the plate. "And then once we're done with the break we can go back to our homework." She gestured to the forgotten books on her desk.

"Oh no no, you don't get to change the subject so quickly, I still have tons of questions," Alya smirked.

"Seriously!" Marinette groaned.

"Come on M, we deserve that much. You kept this a secret for who knows how long." Mylène shrugged innocently.

"That's a good point, how long have you been meeting up with Prince Charming?" Alya questioned, folding her arms over her chest.

"Do you really have to call him that?"

"Well, are you going to give us his name?" Alix raised her eyebrows.

"No," Marinette grumbled.

"Then yes we do have to call him that. OK so how long has Prince Charming been coming over for?"

"I don't know."

"Then think girl."

Marinette brought her finger to her chin. "Um, I think the first time he came over was in May."

"May!!" They all gasped.

"Dude that was two months ago." Alix laughed.

"OK, so this clearly isn't just a recent thing." Alya's eyes were wide, she opened her mouth to ask another question but Rose cut her off.

"What do you guys do when he comes over."

"Uh Sometimes we play video games, when my parents are out of the house we go into the kitchen and cook, sometimes we watch a movie, sometimes I'm busy with my designs so he just sits there and watches but sometimes he helps me with the measurements, sometimes we just sit there and talk for hours-" Juleka cut her off.

"What do you guys talk about?"

"Everything. The future, the past, our fears, accomplishments, things that make us happy, things that we enjoy, but sometimes he just comes round to c-" Marinette quickly stopped herself.

"Sometimes he just comes round to what Marinette?"  Mylène narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing!"

"Come on Marinette no more secrets just spill." Alya urged.

Marinette sighed. "Sometimes he's really tired and overworked so he comes round and we just cuddle until he falls asleep."

"Awwwww that's so romantic." Rose squealed.

"But it's not really cuddling cause there's no romance or anything."

"OK so what do you want us to say, you guys sleep together?" Alix smirked.

Marinette's face went bright red. "You know what cuddling is fine, we'll just say cuddling."

The girls laughed.

"OK I've got another three," Alya glanced back at the box full of notes. "Why does he call you Princess, why did he start writing the note in the first place, and why have you kept the notes if there no romantic feelings between you?"

Marinette froze. She didn't know how to answer any of them. Well, she did. But then she didn't. Urgh, this is a nightmare!

"I don't know why he calls my Princess, it's just something he called me at the start and it stuck, and the notes well, one night we had both fallen asleep while 'cuddling'," She did quotation marks, glaring at Alix. "And he woke up before me so he wrote me a note to thank me and I guess it's kind of routine, he does them a lot more now that he knows I keep them, and as for why I keep them... I don't really know why, they just make me happy I guess. "

The girls all had smiles on their faces.

Deciding to break the silence Marinette turned back to the food. Grabbing one of the chocolate croissants she looked over at the girls.

"OK well since you've all asked your questions how about we get back to-"

Tap Tap

Oh, you've got to be kidding me!

"What was that." Mylène frowned.

"Probably just the wind." Marinette offered loudly hoping that Chat would get the hint.

"Princess?"

"I didn't know the wind could speak," Alya smirked.

"Princess," Chat called again, slipping through the skylight he landed cross-legged on her bed. "I was feline lonely so I thought I'd drop in and-"  Then he saw them. "Oh uh- hi girls." He scratched the back of his neck nervously.

Marinette facepalmed.

For the superhero of luck, she really didn't have a lot of it on her side today.

The girl's jaws dropped.

"OH MY GOD!"

"No way!"

"I don't believe it!"

"Prince Charming?"

Everyone was in shock, well except for Marinette she wasn't even surprised by her luck. Looking at the croissant in her hands Marinette shrugged.

"Anyone want a croissant?"

"Oh! Yes me please!" Chats eyes went wide with excitement.

"Catch!"

Marinette threw the croissant across the room and Chat caught it perfectly.

"Thank you mademoiselle." Chat smirked,  taking a bite Chats eyes went doey and he hummed in satisfaction. "Mmmh, did you make these ones?"

"Yeah, how can you tell?"

"Cause they're amazing, just like you." He flashed her a wink and took another bite.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to butter me up, you're not getting anymore."

Chat placed his hand over his heart and gasped. "You wound me, Princess, I would never try to butter you up. I am the purrfect gentleman."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Oh of course you are how could I forget."

"Don't worry Puurincess, you can make it up to me with, oh I don't know, maybe some cookies and warm milk, and I puuromise I'll never ask again." He smiled innocently.

Marinette shook her head, but couldn't fight the smile tugging at her lips. "Kitty we both know even that wouldn't stop you from coming over."

He smiled. "Well you know what they say, if you feed a stray it will keep coming back for more."

She smirked. "I wouldn't say your a stray more like," She tapped her lips in thought. "A mangy alley cat."

"You know you love me." Chat scrunched up his nose teasingly.

Marinette's eyebrows furrowed. "Do I know that?"

The girl's eyes were all wide with shock. What the hell was happening?

Alix leaned towards Alya, careful not to take her eyes of the bizarre scene in front of her.

"Is Marinette flirting?"

"I'm not sure, I've never actually seen Marinette flirt."

"Oh my Princess loves to flirt, she flirts with me all the time, most of the time I can never get her to stop talking."

Marinette narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "You are so full of yourself, you know that. At this rate, you might as well marry yourself."

Chat sighed lovingly. "I would if I could Purrincess, but I'm afraid my heart belongs to Ladybug. Bugaboo loves me, even though she's too stubborn to realise it, it's one of the things I love about her, besides her eyes of course."

Marinette scoffed. She wasn't stubborn.

"Well-" Alya cut her off.

"OK can I just, stop you there, um how- no, what the hell is going on?!"

Marinette sighed. "Um girls Chat Noir, Chat Noir girls."

Alya rolled her eyes. "Girl we know who he is but what is he doing here!?"

"Is this Prince Charming?" Mylène asked.

"Prince Charming huh?" Chat smirked and flexed his muscles teasingly. "Is that your nickname for me Princess? If so I approve."

Marinette glared at him. "You shush."

Chat lifted his hands in surrender and pretended to zip his lips shut.

"How did this happen?" Alix questioned.

Marinette sighed. "Do you guys remember when Andréa' got akumatized?" They nodded. "Well that night Chat had stopped by for a talk, and then when Glaciator came after me Chat saved me. After the fight was over he came back to make sure I was safe, and well... Here we are."

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Chat smiled.

"... So you guys have been hanging out ever since then huh? Watching movies, talking, playing videos games, cooking. All that." Alix wondered.

Marinette and Chat both looked at each other and shrugged. "Yeah pretty much." They both said in unison.

"Wow!"

"OK wait so just-," Alya took in a deep breath. "You're telling me, that my best friend, and one of Paris' superheroes, have been hanging out together-"

"Practically dating!" Alix cut in.

Alya nodded. "Practically dating, and I wasn't told?"

"We are not dating," Marinette argued. "And I didn't tell you because, well it wasn't anything important."

The girls gaped.

"Not important! Girl, you've had a superhero coming into your room to hang out for the past two months and you didn't think it was important to share this information."

"I'm sorry."

Alya sighed. "You're lucky you're my best friend, or we would be having a very different conversation. But I forgive you."

Marinette smiled. Looking over at the forgotten textbooks she sighed. "Well, I'm guessing no one wants to continue with their homework so how about we play Ultimate Mega Strike 3?"

"Yes! I'm down."

"Sure."

Chat jumped off the bed and raced over to grab a controller. Turning to Mari he gave her a smirk.

Marinette tilted her head and gave him the same smirk. "Oh kitty, you only wish you were as good as me." Reaching over she flicked his bell before starting the game.

********

As the game numbers started to thin out so did the number of girls. So far Mylène, Alix, Rose, and Juleka had all gone home, the only person left was Alya.

"Marinette style! Boo-Yaa!" Marinette cheered as she won another round.

Chat groaned, dropping his hands and controller into his lap he turned to Marinette with a pout.

"How do you do that!?"

She smirked and leaned closer to him. "Like I said Kitty, I'm just that good." She tapped his nose before turning to Alya. "Wanna go another round?"

Alya yawned shaking her head. "Nah, it's getting pretty late I better head home."

"OK well, I'll walk you out."

She turned to Chat. "You behave."

He smirked. "Princess when have I not behaved myself?"

"There was that time with the yarn."

Chats smirk dropped and he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, yeah I know, it was 'the yarn's fault'."

"You know me so well."

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Just please don't touch anything."

Chat placed his hand on his heart. "I promise I won't touch anything, cats honour."

Grabbing her stuff Alya made her way downstairs with Marinette following close behind. Once they got to the door Alya turned and hugged Marinette.

"I think Adrien might have a bit of competition."

"Competition? What do you mean."

Alya's eyes drifted up to Marinette's balcony and the certain superhero currently lounging around in her best friends room.

Following Alya's eyes Marinette sighed. "Alya I told you-"

"I know girl, I know. But that doesn't change what I saw." Smirking she gave Marinette a wave. "See you Monday."

Frowning slightly Marinette waved back.

What did Alya see? It's not like she was doing anything unusual. Right?

Walking back up to her room Marinette stopped short of the trap door. She could hear singing? Was Chat singing? Moving a bit closer she was able to make out the words.

"Little kitty on a roof all alone without his lady."

A pained smile crossed her face, she'd heard him sing that before, her mind wandered over to Chat Blanc. His excitement when he saw her, the way he had chased her through what used to be Paris. How long had he been there before she arrived? Days? Months? Years? Shaking her head she made her way up the trap door stairs.

Right before she opened the hatch, something Chat Blanc said crossed her mind.

"It was our love that did this to the world, M'lady."

Our Love.

And he knew who she was. Does the mean she knew who he was? Did she fall for him before or after she knew who was behind the mask? But she would never give up on Adrien. Would she?

"Princess?" Chats voice called out. "I can hear you on the steps so if you're trying to scare me it not going to work!" He said in a sing-song voice.

Marinette smiled despite herself, bring her sleeve up she wiped away any damp spots on her eyes and coughed trying to get rid of the tightening sensation in her throat. Shaking her head she climbed the last few steps and pushed open the hatch.

Chat was sitting cross-legged in her spinning chair, slowly swinging himself round. When he heard the hatch open his eyes went wide and he jumped up.

Marinette couldn't help but think of Chat Blanc, he'd jumped over to her the same way. But his eyes weren't as vibrant as Chats, they didn't have the same mischievous glint in them, they didn't have the energetic spring in them. Chat Blancs eyes were cold and dead and well, lifeless and most importantly they weren't the same gorgeous green that Marinette had fallen in love with.

Wait love. No. She didn't- Did she? Had she fallen for-, No? But even Alya said that-

"Marinette?" Her eyes snapped back to Chat, whose brows were furrowed and whose eyes were burning with worry. He placed his arms on her shoulders. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Marinette coughed again trying to get rid of the constricting tightness in her throat. "Nothing." She quickly turned to her desk, releasing herself from Chats grip.

Chat grabbed her wrist and tried to turn her back around, but she didn't budge. When it was clear that wasn't working Chat slowly let go of her wrist and walked forward. Wrapping his arms around her waist he placed his head into the crook of her neck. "Mari? Please tell me what's wrong." He mumbled, his warm breath brushing across her collar bone.

Leaning into Chats warm embrace she let out a shaking breath. She couldn't tell him why she was crying. She couldn't tell him what she'd seen. Not without giving away her identity. And that would make them one step closer to Chat Blanc.

Turning around she wrapped her arms around Chats neck and hugged him like there was no tomorrow. Chat was shocked for a few seconds before he smiled warmly and wrapped his arms around her torso pulling her in closer while he buried his head in the crook of her neck, savouring the sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla that always seemed to radiate off Marinette's person.

They stood there for who knows how long. An hour a year a minute or even only a few seconds it didn't matter, because they were here, not in the past, not in the future, here in the present, where all they needed was each other. And if they both wished they could stay in each other's embrace until the word ended, well no one would be the wiser.

Marinette immediately felt the warmth leave her body as she pulled out of Chats embrace. Looking down at her feet she waited for the right explanation to pop into her head.

"Princess? Are you alright?"

She nodded, not knowing what else to say.

Chat knew she was lying but he wasn't going to push, she'd tell him when she was ready. But now the most important thing was to get her smiling again.

Placing his finger under her chin he tilted her head up softly. "I thought I was going to get cuddles when I showed up, but now it seems like you're the one who needs all my cuddles."

Marinette laughed softly smiling up at him.

Chat smiled triumphantly. "There it is, there's that smile." He booped her nose.

Turning around Marinette grabbed a chocolate croissant of the tray. Chats eyes widened when she handed it to him.

"I think you deserve it. Besides, I suppose even if you are a mangy alley cat I still have to feed you." She smirked.

"Meouch Princess, you wound me." He smirked, grabbing the croissant he finished it in all but two bites.

Marinette rolled her eyes and walked over to her bed. Climbing up the ladder quickly she sat down.

"Now if I have this right, then the only reason you came to see me today was because you wanted cuddles."

Chat hummed in response. "Because you give out the best cuddles in all of Paris."

Marinette raised her eyebrows. "Well, then I guess I'm going to have to start charging you, can't just give away my cuddles for free now can I?"

Chat gasped. "No! Please Puurincess, you can't do that! I promise I will do anything you want."

Marinette smiled. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"I am nothing if not a man of my word buginette." Chat bowed.

Marinette was slightly shocked by the new nickname but smiled. "Well, I suppose I can give you a 30-day free trial kitty."

Chat smiled and walked over to her bed, climbing the latter her was at the end of her bed within a few seconds. Shaking her head she pulled back the covers and motioned for him to come over. Smiling happily Chat crawled over to Marinette who had her back resting on her wall, climbing in between her legs Chat buried his head in her stomach while wrapping his arms around her waist. Smiling softly at him she pulled the blanket back over the top of them, reaching behind her she grabbed out her book and started reading.

Moving her hand she started running her fingers through his hair, receiving a hum from Chat she smiled. She continued to run her fingers through his hair, occasionally scratching behind the ears on the top of his head. About 15 minutes had passed when Marinette heard a low rumbling coming from Chat. Frowning slightly she leaned in closer, it sounded like purring.

Was Chat purring?

Smiling softly Marinette leaned so her lips were near his human ear and whispered. "Are you purring?"

Chat didn't respond, he only squeezed her tighter and nuzzled his head into her stomach more. Looking at his face she smiled, he looked so peaceful like every worry in the world had vanished without a trace, like he never wanted to leave. She should be waking him up so he could go home, but she couldn't bring herself to it. He told her before that his home situation wasn't the best, and that some of the only times when he could have fun were when he was with her, both ladybug or just Marinette. She brushed his hair back from his face and ran her fingers through his hair softly, careful not to disturb him. He was still purring, the low hum was vibrating through her body, making her more relaxed than she'd been all week.

Looking down at him she smiled again. He looked adorable, with his mouth slightly open and his hair all ruffled up, and his eyes, even though they were closed she could see his eyelids moving slightly, no doubt he was dreaming about something. Probably a ball of yarn. She giggled softly.

Looking at his face she knew now. She used to think it was impossible, impossible that she could fall in love with anyone other than Adrien. And Chat no less, he had always been out of the question, it was too risky. But looking at him she knew it was possible, he'd wormed his way into her heart in the future and he'd ultimately done it again. She knew she loved him. She knew it with every fibre of her being that she did. Even if her head refused to listen to her heart it was obvious, it always had been.

Chat Noir. Her goofy partner, her teammate, someone she could count on when she had no one else, someone she knew would be there for her no matter what, someone who helped her protect Paris every single day, someone that brought out a laugh in her she swore no one else could bring, someone who made her mood brighten without even have to say anything, someone who could make her happy when she thinks it's impossible, someone... Someone that she had fallen head of heels for without even knowing it, someone she cherished with everything she had. Someone that she hoped would never leave her side, and someone she wished could stay by her side forever.

So yeah, she understood how he'd done it.

And she understood why she'd fallen, it was inevitable really. No one could change fate no matter how hard they tried, Marinette should have known better because when you're destined to be with someone, the universe will do everything in its power to make it so.

She was his Princess.

And He was her kitty.

To think this all started with a simple note. A simple love note from her Prince Charming.

And classy or not, she was happy to let him climb through her skylight.

[storygirl000]

ML Fic: Funhouse Mirror

Ao3 link here.

Summary: An akuma traps Alya in a pocket dimension with another version of herself. 

A far less pleasant version of herself.

----------------------------

A/N: This was inspired by one simple question: “What if Alya met the version of herself that always seems to pop up in salt fics?”

Everything Other!Alya does in this fic is based off of actual salt fics I’ve read.

00000

“Behold! Soon, you will all see what you could have been!”

Alya watched from the rooftop, camera focused on the villain before her.

From what she had gathered, Alix’s older brother had been akumatized once again, due to another fight with his father over the former’s weird conspiracy theories. This time, he’d been attempting to claim that the ancient Egyptians had perfected a form of dimensional travel.

From that argument had sprung the Dimensioner (god, Hawk Moth needed to come up with better names), who for the past fifteen minutes had presumably been sending random citizens to alternate dimensions.

As she watched, Ladybug and Chat Noir sprung onto the scene. They exchanged some banter with the villain, the villain demanded their Miraculouses, they fought, yadda yadda yadda. Same routine as always.

Alya remained focused on making sure that her camera recorded everything for the livestream she was hosting on her blog. It was rare that she could get this close to the akuma, and she wanted to catch every minute of it.

In fact, she was so focused on him, she didn’t notice one of the blasts Chat Noir had deflected was going towards her until it was too late to dodge it.

Her eyes widened. “Oh, fu-”

The light enveloped her, and everything went white.

00000

When she came to, Alya found herself floating in a white void.

She cursed under her breath and checked to make sure she hadn’t dropped her phone. She hadn’t; in fact, strangely enough, it was still livestreaming.

“Who are you?

Alya blinked. That voice sounded awfully familiar...

Probably because it was her voice.

She whirled around, and sure enough, another version of her was floating there. She seemed mostly the same, but she looked more...sullen? Alya didn’t know how to describe it.

“Are you...me?” she asked.

The other Alya nodded. “Looks like it. Man, this is surreal.”

“Did you get here the same way?”

“Rampaging akuma? Guess so.”

Alya smiled. “Oh, this is so cool! What are you like?”

The other Alya smirked. “Well, I’m an aspiring journalist, and I have a great best friend who I love hanging out with...”

Alya nodded. “Yeah, Marinette’s amazing!”

The other Alya froze, and her eyes narrowed.

“I’m sorry, did you just say Marinette?” she asked, her voice taking on an icy tone.

Alya gave an unsure nod. “Um, yeah?”

Other!Alya sighed. “I guess you haven’t wised up to her true nature yet.”

“What are you talking about?” Alya asked, a sinking feeling starting to overtake her.

“You know! She’s a bully, she refuses to help anyone even when they ask nicely, and she’s joined up with Chloe of all people!” Other!Alya rolled her eyes. “I ditched her a long time ago.”

Alya couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

There must be an explanation for this, she thought. Wait...this Alya comes from another universe. Maybe Marinette in that universe has a completely reversed personality or something?

“So, who is your best friend?” she asked.

Other!Alya smiled. “Only the best girl in the school! Lila!”

Alya almost choked on something.

“She’s super cool,” Other!Alya went on, ignoring her counterpart’s negative reaction. “She saved Jagged Stone’s kitten, she’s met Prince Ali, Austin Moon dated her for a while, and she interned under Lois Lane herself! And she says she can get me a job with her!”

There were so many things wrong with that story that Alya couldn’t process them all. She could process one thing, though: her counterpart was gullible as hell.

She was starting to have doubts about her “evil alternate Marinette” theory.

“Um, did you ever check and make sure that her stories were true?” she asked. “You know, like a real reporter?”

Her counterpart glared at her. “Do you have any proof that she’s actually lying, or are you just buying whatever bullshit Marinette feeds you?”

“I have plenty of proof that-”

“Whatever,” Other!Alya interrupted. “It’s probably all doctored, anyways, seeing as how you sided with Marinette on this issue.”

Alya had never wanted to stab someone this badly before.

“Ugh, first Marinette, then Ladybug abandons me, and now this!” Other!Alya groaned. “And I had plans for today, too!”

“Wait, Ladybug abandoned you?” Alya asked.

Her counterpart growled. “I was a casualty in her falling-out with Lila. She had the nerve to call the Ladyblog a piece of tabloid garbage! I only post the truth on there!”

Alya silently decided that this other version of Ladybug had a point.

“Whatever.” Her counterpart dismissively waved her hand. “After I get out of here, I’m finally going to prove to everyone that Marinette’s a liar and Chloe’s still a terrible person!”

“How?” Alya asked, suddenly worried.

Other!Alya smirked. “You know how they’ve been lying about how Chloe’s allergic to soy?”

Alya just nodded, not bothering to tell her that they weren’t lying about that – Chloe had known she was allergic since the fourth grade.

“Well, my mom’s taking me to visit the hotel while she prepares Chloe’s meal,” Other!Alya explained. “While I’m there, I’m going to sneak some soy into her meal and see how she reacts!”

Alya’s heart dropped into her stomach.

“You’re going to try and murder her?” she croaked, not quite believing what she was hearing.

Other!Alya scoffed. “Please, she’s not really allergic.”

“And what if she is?!”

“Then that’s one less bully on the face of the Earth,” Other!Alya replied, a wicked grin on her face.

Alya wanted to throw up. How could she – how could any version of her – be so cruel?!

Thankfully, before she could commit murder herself, the familiar glowing red ladybugs flew through the void, sending her back to the rooftop.

She was still too in shock to really do anything – except realize that she’d left the camera on and livestreamed the whole thing. She quickly turned it off.

Then, numbly, she started heading home.

00000

The next day, she walked to school, still reeling from what had happened last night.

She’d barely made it past the gates when she heard someone yell “ALYA!”, followed by three bodies tackling her in a hug.

“Guys?” Alya asked, startled. “What-”

“We saw your livestream last night!” Marinette told her.

“That other version of you...” Nino shuddered. “She was all kinds of messed up, man.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine how you must be feeling right now,” Adrien added.

Alya gave a small smile. “Thanks, you guys. I’m fine now. But can you promise me something?”

“What is it, babe?” Nino asked.

“...if I ever start acting like that for real, slap some sense into me.”

Marinette giggled. “Will do.”

And with that, the four of them headed for class.

[quarantine-writer]

Why do stray cats follow me? P. 3

I know it doesn’t look like it yet, but this is a (really slow burn) MariChat story. Please don’t hate me.

Part [1] [2] [3]

Adrien’s day had been tired so far. It started at 6 am with Gorilla waking him up.

“Where’s Nathalie?” He said, with his eyes still semi closed.

“... Not coming today.” 

Adrien had a well-balanced, lonely, and healthy breakfast. At 7 am he was already in Pont de Bir-Hakeim for the ‘City Life Collection’ photo shoot of this year. Vincent was talking to the Art Director about locations and special lighting for the shoots when he spotted him.

“Adrien, you’re already here! Go to make up and dress yourself up with combo number 4 first.”

Walking to the dresser he saw Lila with the hair stylist and saluted them from afar. He already knew she was going to be there. For some reason unknown to him, his father agreed on three photo shoots with her. This was barely the second. And because she was good at it, it wouldn’t surprise him that she will eventually sign up for more.

Six long hours passed, and they were done. To celebrate, everyone in the set ate lunch together. Lila was stuck by his side and he didn’t push her off, to be fair, she wasn’t doing anything wrong to anyone that day, so he tried (and failed) to have fun as well. He meant it when he talked to her: they could be ‘friends’ but there was a limit to how much he will be able to endure, specifically if she insisted on hurting his friends. 

"Adrien, do you want to go to somewhere else and enjoy the rest of the day with me?”

“Thank you, Lila, but I can’t”

“If it is because of your father, maybe I can talk to him?”

“I had plans with Nino today, but they got cancelled because Father wants me to practice a new song for an upcoming event. I don’t think his opinion will change.”

“Oh... okay, later then.”

Adrien entered his car without offering her a ride, Gorilla closed the door and Adrien lowered down the window. “Yes, later. Have a nice day, Lila”

“Bye!” Lila said and Gorilla started the engine and the car moved away from her, who kept waving goodbye until they disappeared in the next corner. 

And it was true. Nino wanted to show him how to breakdance and he really wanted to learn, he didn’t specify with his father about the plans, but Gabriel Agreste had a sixth sense when it comes to letting him have fun with friends. Suddenly the day before he was informed that there will be an event host by the Tsurugi family next month and he was supposed to play a couple songs during the evening: “Painted” and “River Flows in You”, both from Yiruma. 

He already knew the second one by heart. It was one of her mother’s favorites.

So, he returned to the mansion and started to practice the first one. For the first two hours he was practicing seriously. The third hour he recorded himself to create a loop that would be played later when Chat Noir went out to play. 

Gorilla appeared at his door around two hours and a half later to give him some food. He returned the empty dishes just before going out. His recording had a very elaborate edit of his very best try, looped three times, and then a couple recordings with errors here and there. If his father came when the errors were being played, he won’t disturb. If he went when the recording was sounding perfect and realize he still was playing, he won’t interrupt neither. Nobody will enter his room in the next 3 hours, probably. It was almost 5 pm.

“Plagg, claws...”

“Wait!” Plagg interrupted him mid-sentenced.

“Plagg?”

���First you shush me because you are recording and now you suddenly transform without saying a word? What happened to your manners kid?”

“Sorry Plagg, but I didn’t have any recording of that song, and I really wanted to go out.”

Plagg was still playing hard. Floating with both arms crossed in front of Adrien’s face “Where are we going today?”

“I don’t know... anywhere else but here.” Plagg was still with his tiny arms crossed, clearly upset for being ignored. “But I’m sorry bud, do you want extra cheese before going out today? Or do you want to stay? We can play video games if you want.”

Adrien would probably never realize how much Plagg loved him. He dropped his arms and decided to go lie down to the blonde’s head so he couldn’t see his face. Adrien moved something inside Plagg with his suggestion to stay home to make him, the God of Destruction, feel better when clearly Adrien just wanted to run away. “Nah, I ate the emergency supplies when you were recording. I’m fine if I got three extra cheeses when we return”

Adrien pet Plagg’s head over his head with a smile “You are incorrigible buddy. Plagg, claws out!”

                            ━━━━━━━━※━━━━━━━━

To be honest, she woke up that morning thinking that her day was going to be exhausting.

But here she was, smiling, hugging Luka’s back on the way home, resting her head on him. Both were on his bicycle, carrying an empty box behind. 

Luka smelled like lavender, probably because of the cloth softener in his house, but it recalled her freedom and peace. And she just wanted to keep hugging him all day.

It has been an awesome day so far. She woke up late but on time to meet Luka. She stayed very late the previous day dividing the gifts by types. Sweaters, scarfs, gloves, hats, everything was also divided by colors. She tagged everything, unwrapped it and put it into bags, and those bags into a box.

Luka gently carried her around Paris to deliver the clothes into a couple charities for homeless. They got lunch together by the Seine. They saw street performers by the Eiffel Tour doing brake-dance and a couple mimes playing with kids.

Luka bought her a smoothie and they walk down the Jardin des Tuileries while talking about everything and nothing at the same time.

When they passed near Notre Dame, he told her he would like to show her his new progress with her melody, so she listened quietly the 2 minutes song on a bench next to him, watching the peaceful Parisians enjoying a sunny and beautiful Saturday. 

Everything was lovely and colorful. So far, no Hawkmoth, no Chloé, no Lila, no stress, no danger. It was like a vacations day and she was up to live it full for what it last. Since the moment she opened her eyes she was waiting for the next akumatized person to show up and change her plans, but it was already 4:00 pm and Luka was successfully distracting her from her own thoughts.

Luka never asked her why she had so much male clothes, and even that small detail gave her peace at mind. He didn’t judge, he just listened. 

There was a moment in which she was startled by a purple butterfly on Notre Dame. He immediately put himself on between them, with a fierce determination. But it was a regular butterfly. They laughed together by the realization but laughs stopped when he hugged her.

“I promise I will protect you with all I have if Hawkmoth dare to attack today”

And Marinette knew it was true, he has already done it after all, jumping to protect her from the bees last time. If Luka haven’t done that, who knows what would have happened to her that day.

It made Marinette immediately sad. It was horrible to know that thanks to Chloé: Luka will never be Viperion again, Alya couldn’t be Rena, Max couldn’t be Pegasus, Kim couldn’t be Roi Singe, Kagami shouldn’t be Ryuuko and Nino couldn’t be Carapace.

Of course, Luka thought she was suddenly sad because Marinette was scared for him. He caressed her cheek. “Don’t be sad, Marinette. If there’s something I’m scared of is not Hawkmoth, but to not being able to cheer you up when you are distressed”

Marinette hid her face in his chest.

“You want to talk about it?” He asked, softly.

“What do you think will happen if Hawkmoth wins?” she mumbled.

“That won’t happen. Paris has the best heroes on earth.”

“But what if” she insisted.

Luka meditated his answer for a couple seconds “Then everybody in Paris will help Ladybug and Chat Noir to get a proper revenge. If Hawkmoth ‘wins’ I’m sure everybody will fight along with them to help them restore everything back. Including us both. Am I right?”

Marinette let a little giggle escape her lips. “But of course, Luka”

“I can imagine you as a hero you know, brave, smart, beautiful”

Marinette blushed immediately “Ugh... stop. Don’t exaggerate”

“I am not!” he said, kissing her forehead. Marinette’s heart skipped a beat. “You will probably overshadow Ladybug. At least to my eyes.”

She didn’t immediately reply to that. She was feeling too many butterflies in her belly and even her neck was probably red right now. She covered her face with her hands and mumbled a quiet “Thank you”.

Luka released her from the hug and got on his bicycle again “Let’s go, I don’t want your parents to think I kidnapped you.”

And really, time flies. How come she already spent 8 hours with Luka without noticing it?

So here she was. In her way home, hugging Luka’s back and smiling while mumbling the melody he played for her a couple hours ago. Since the last battle she has spent countless hours talking to Tikki and the other kwamis, studying, learning about history and her new role responsibilities and thinking about strategies. She had been holding quite difficult discussions in her room lately. And she didn’t even have the chance to talk to Chat Noir yet.

So, it felt good to be able to relax today. She didn’t realize she needed a moment of peace that much.

She also didn’t notice Chat Noir jumping from rooftop to rooftop, but he did spot them and gave them a sincere smile from afar.

“Hey, Luka”

Marinette called him from behind when they were a couple streets from her home.

“Yes? Do you want me to stop?”

“No, just change directions please”

“Change directions? Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere” She hugged him stronger. “If it is okay. I just want to stay a little more with you today. Just one more hour.”

Luka’s heart shrank and he almost lost control of the bicycle by Marinette sudden comment.

“Do you want to see the sunset from Sacre Coeur?” He asked.

“I would love to”

                           ━━━━━━━━※━━━━━━━━

Adrien arrived home before anyone noticed it and went downstairs to have dinner at the same time as always. His dad was unexpectedly waiting for him at the table. 

“Father? What are you doing here?”

“I have some news to share with you, Son” Gabriel asked him to take a sit with his hand. Someone from the service staff served him a plate with onion soup, toasted bread and a glass of water.

When they were alone, his father started conversation again “As you know, Nathalie have not been feeling well lately”

“Is she sick again?” Adrien was looking at his food with a sad look. Something that was stressing him out lately was how much Nathalie’s condition resembled his mom’s.

“Yes, but there’s good news on that regard” Adrien raised his gaze with a hint of hope. “A doctor found out what was happening to her. She will be out for three weeks for recovery, but she will be cured”

“Really? That’s awesome!” Adrien stood up with energy and a smile from side to side, truly excited for the good news “What did she had?”

“Something related to her inner ear, which explains the dizziness. A minor surgery fixes it”

“Can we go and visit her?”

“She prefers not to. But you are welcome to find a gift if you want, for when she returns” His father kept his gaze busy on his tablet, probably still working.

“I will do it, thanks, Father”

                          ━━━━━━━━※━━━━━━━━

When Marinette closed the door of her room, Tikki flew in front of her with a smile.

“Marinette, did you have fun today?” 

“Yes!” Marinette ran to the divan and laid there hugging a cat pillow, while giggling “Today was great, Tikki. I think I didn’t have this much fun in a while.”

“I’m glad” Tikki sat above the cat pillow.

“But as fun as the day was today,” Marinette sat down, letting the pillow aside and holding Tikki on her hands “We have work to do.” She climbed up the stairs of her bed and pull out the miraculous box out of her hidden spot. 

She opened it and took the panjas bracelet, put it on and Roarr appeared in front of her. “Hi Guardian! Is it my turn today?”

Marinette giggled at the little kwami “Hello there, would you please be as nice as to help me to know you better?”

“I like peanuts!” Roarr answered fast “I don’t like when the weak is abused, I’m very protective” 

“I know you can control the lighting of a place and reflect yourself to camouflage” Marinette was taking notes “I also know you take most of the decisions with Sass back in the box when Tikki and Plagg are out”.

“I have had only 13 permanent holders. Nothing compared to the others, so I’ve stayed most of my time taking care of the world inside the box”

“By what circumstances have you been handled to permanent holders?”

“I was stolen 4 times, 7 times I was needed to hide the order of the guardians, 1 time the guardian of the box preferred my powers to fulfill his job, you know, like Master Fu with Wayzz, and one time the Guardian of the box preferred the Pig miraculous, and give my miraculous to his lover so I can help to keep the box safe with her.”

Marinette stopped writing. “What?”

“What, what?”

“A Guardian share this secret with his lover?! Who was it?”

“It was many, many centuries ago” Roarr jumped from Marinette’s hand to her hair “The guardian was married when he was appointed to the task and he decided that the way to keep his family protected was to share the secret with Abelia.”

“Was it a good idea?”

“Many tragedies overcome his family. I know Abelia didn’t regret any.”

They chatted a bit more, Marinette did a pause to get her some peanuts, she showed her the room and what she liked to do and finally they wish each other sweet dreams after a couple hours of getting to know each other.

It was already after midnight and Marinette was already laid on bed when a noise called her attention.

“Ugh... again?”

She popped her head out and saw a watering can spinning on the floor. It stopped and a little kitty walked out there. 

“What are you doing inside there, little buddy?” It was a brown kitty, smaller than the one she saw the other day, but this time the kitty didn’t run away the moment he heard her. It walked to the watering can again, searching for something. Marinette saw how he started to lick the metal, so she went out and pour him some water in a flowerpot base she saw near him.

The kitty followed her and started to drink water “Were you thirsty little one?” She couldn’t help it and pet his head a little. “Such a cutie”

Part [1] [2] [3]

Gosh I’m the worst... I know this looks like a Lukanette (which I also love) but this is the most realistic turn I can take after that season finale! This is a Marichat story even if I haven’t prove it yet :) (please remember the sloow slowwww burn disclaimer from part 1)

[ko-chan-the-blueberry-donut]

Um, can you do a story or maybe a oneshot about a future akuma-based(?) with Mari getting hit by the akuma and in her arms is her future daughter,Emma? Everyone thought the father was Adrien but Emma denies it.

Based on @nobodyfamousposts‘s Felix Culpa AU. Hope I did it justice

It happened so fast, the akuma sprung out of nowhere--something about being a fortune teller and bringing people’s futures to life--and before anyone could run to her, Marinette was zapped in the school yard. Everyone was horrified--they’ve never seen Marinette get affected by an akumatization in front of them before. 

However, when the light faded, she was fine. A little disoriented but fine. What was strange was that she was holding a little girl that looked like a miniature version of her. 

“Mama!” the little girl cried, hugging Marinette around her neck. The class was in an uproar at the little girl’s statement while Marinette was gaping dumbly. 

“Marinette doesn’t have a kid!” 

“It looks just like her though!”

“Oh god, I’m an aunt and I didn’t even know it!” 

“Hold on guys!” Adrien tried to calm everyone. He turned to the little girl who eyed him with disdain. He blinked, surprised a little girl could have such venom in her gaze. “Um, sorry, but what’s your mommy’s name?” he asked kindly. 

The little girl huffed, not liking that these people thought she was stupid. 

“Marinette of course! I know my mommy when I see her, thank you very much!” the little girl exclaimed. Marinette, on instinct, started to try and soothe the child. The child looked imploringly at her with big watery eyes. Marinette gulped. “Maman, tell these dummies I’m your daughter! I’m your precious Emma!” 

“Err well... I...” Marinette stammered and the little girl, Emma’s, lip quivered and Marinette sighed, pulling her close. “Yes sweetie, you’re my precious Emma.” Marinette reassured the little girl. 

“So, what, is this kid really Marinette’s?” Alix voiced out. 

“They do look eerily similar.” Nathanial pointed out. 

“This akuma did say they have the power to bring your future to the present. There’s a 95% chance this really is Marinette’s daughter from the future.” Max concluded, adjusting his glasses. 

“Well, I guess congrats are in order. Nice job dude! You got a cute kid.” Kim patted Adrien’s back. Adrien coughed violently, his entire face erupting into a blush as others also gave well wishes. Lila was the only one silent, and she looked angry.

“Oh come on, what makes you think it’s Adrien’s daughter?” Lila said irritatingly. The class blinked, surprised at her tone. Lila quickly fixed herself. “I mean! She seems a little rude to be Adrien’s! I’m just worried we’re jumping to conclusions!” she put on a timid act. Some shrugged but others still eyed her suspiciously. Marinette didn’t bother calling her out, knowing it would only lead to trouble, and just concentrated on holding Emma, who was eyeing Lila with a waspish glare.

“Well I mean, come on,” Nino spoke, “She’s obviously gotta be Adrien’s cause... you know...” Nino waved his hand. 

“Know what, Nino?” Adrien parroted. He had no idea how the class came to this conclusion. Though thinking about it, a future with Marinette, it didn’t really sound bad. In fact, imagining it, it was quite pleasant. A giddy smile broke on his face at the thought of them living on an island, taking care of Emma, with a hamster. 

“What? That she has a crush on him?” Lila cut in. Everyone gaped while Adrien’s jaw dropped. Marinette looked positively mortified, and the class looked incensed on her behalf. 

“Not cool, Lila.” Ivan said. 

“Yeah, she should’ve been allowed to tell him herself.” Rose chimed in. Lila didn’t back down. 

“I’m sorry, I just thought Adrien knew and was being too polite.” Lila fake sniffled. For once, Adrien didn’t want to defend her. 

“He’s NOT my daddy!” Emma finally had enough of the mean lady being a jerk to her mom. She reminded her of that one lady that harassed her mom on the job and tried to plagiarize her mom’s work, but luckily the lady was the one to get caught and got fired. She clutched Marinette tighter, trying to protect her from the idiots. “My Papa is cool! This guy is a spineless jellyfish!” she pointed at Adrien. 

“W-wha? Me?” Adrien pointed to himself dumbly. Emma nodded, smirking proudly. Why did that smirk seem so familiar? 

“Yes! My Papa said so once!” Emma proclaimed. 

“Wait, if Adrien’s not your father--who is?” Alya asked. She had to know who ended up with Marinette. She always thought it was going to be Marinette and Adrien together, and looking at the rest of her class, sans Lila, everyone else thought the same. 

“What’s with all the noise? I can hear you from inside the classroom.” a familiar voice deadpanned and everyone caught sight of an annoyed Felix Culpa, straightening his bag. 

“PAPA!” Emma cried, finally letting go of Marinette to grasp onto Felix’s pant leg. “I knew you wouldn’t be far! Where Maman is, you’re always close by!” Emma praised him. The class blinked. 

“Emma... what’s your last name?” Mylene asked tentatively. The child brightened. 

“It’s Emma Culpa of course!” she exclaimed proudly, sticking her tongue out at them. That’s when they saw her eyes, exactly like Felix’s. 

And that’s when they collectively lost their shit. 

“He has FEELINGS????” Nino jumped back, as if horrified. Some of the others took a step back too. 

“I didn’t think he had the capability to reproduce other than asexually...” Alya stated. 

“H-He called me a spineless jellyfish???” Adrien murmured, still in shock and disappointment at the realization who Emma really was. 

“I’m right here you know.” Felix said, irritation clear in his tone. Marinette’s face was bright red. She couldn’t look Felix in the eye. 

“But Felix! You have a kid! With Marinette!” Kim exclaimed, gesturing wildly. “And apparently you guys get married!” 

“Right out of college!” Emma chimed in happily. Felix’s eyes widened and a flush overtakes his features. Suddenly he can’t look Marinette in the eye either. 

“Errr, Emma, sweetie, Mama has to do something, do you mind staying with Papa a bit?” Marinette hurriedly let out. Emma eyed her knowingly, smiling. 

“Of course, Maman. Papa will take care of me.” Emma had no doubt about that. Marinette sighed in relief. 

“Okay, I’m going to go try and find Ladybug and Chat Noir. See if they can reverse this.” she then ran off. 

“I actually have to go too. Photoshoot and all--bye!” Adrien hurriedly ran off in the opposite direction. Everyone blinked. 

“You know, now that I know she ends up with Felix, I guess there goes my they’ve been running off to make out every akuma attack theory.” Alix stated. 

“Well, that means you owe me twenty euros then.” Nathanial chimed in delight. 

“You only bet against me because you thought you’d end up with her or Luka would!” Alix protested. 

“Yes, but I didn’t state that in terms of the bet, so pay up.” 

“Ugh!” 

Felix just sighed, walking away from them, Emma following excitedly. 

-------------

“Hey, Felix?” Felix turned to see Adrien eyeing him with a determined stare. The akuma was gone, and with it, his apparent future daughter. The realization that he would have a daughter with Marinette one day was still registering in his mind. “I’m not going to lose.” Adrien promised. 

Felix caught Marinette’s eye in the corner of his eye, watching her blush cutely and immediately look away. A soft smile came upon his features the more he watched her. 

He knew he wasn’t going to lose either. 

[bisexualsforprompto]

Teen Titans AU Part Two

First ^^

Some plot, but mostly fluff of our loveable Titans.

Marinette flung her yo-yo around, destroying the training targets around Beast Boy. Gar gave her a cat like grin and transformed into a green tabby. Marinette turned around, rolling her eyes at the boy’s antics. “Oh Purrincess…” Marinette froze, it couldn’t be… she turned around slowly again and found herself face to face with Chat Noir. “Did you really think I’d forgotten about you?” He advanced on her, “wherever you go I will find you, you might as well give up now. You were meant to be mine after all...now how about showing some love to your knight in shining leather?”

ome plot, but mostly some fluff with our loveable little Titans.

A screaming and shaking Marinette was shaken awake by Kori. “Marinette! Marinette!” Marinette opened her eyes, only then did she realize her cheeks were wet from tears. She also realized all of the titans were in her room and witnessed her entranced in her nightmare. Oh god! Marinette thought, oh no oh no! They can’t see me like this! Oh no! I can’t get akumatized! She put on a blank face and cleared her mind and emotions. The whole of the team stared in shock at her quick change in demeanor. Kori had been informed about Hawkmoth so she put her charge at ease, “Hawkmoth has been defeated Marinette. You don’t have to hide your feelings.” Marinette nodded slowly, but still refused to take down her walls. As the team stood in her room she gave a weak smile, “I’m fine, really. You can go. It was just a nightmare.” Most of the team exited and Gar whispered under his breath to Jamie, “yeah totally believable. Not like this has been routine for a whole week.” As the team left Marinette’s room Raven sat on her bed. “Marinette. I think I can ease your pain. I’m an empath so I will feel what you have felt and be able to let your mind rest, although maybe only tonight and a couple more days if this is really as bad as it seems…” Marinette nodded and sniffed a little, even though Raven had a somewhat icy and disconnected demeanor Marinette could see through it and even though she had only been at the tower for a week, she felt safe with Raven. “Please Raven. I’d be so grateful for a sleep not plagued by nightmares.” Raven nodded and touched a hand to Marinette’s forehead.

Raven POV:

I touched her and immediately felt a wave of emotions. Panic, disgust and fear were the big ones. Ones buried beneath were anger and… was it betrayal? Raven felt everything that had happened to Marinette and even though she didn’t know the details she knew that nobody deserved these feelings. Then the biggest shock came and sent a tremor through Raven’s body. Trapped. This emotion was so intense, I have to get away. I can’t get away. Why can’t I get away?! She could feel the panic of Marinette as it swelled to a dramatic climax.

No one’s POV

The connection severed and Raven fell to the ground. “Raven!!” Marinette cried. She jumped off her bed to tend to her friend. “I’m sorry, I’m ok. I’m just so sorry, you don’t have to tell me what happened. Maybe another time when you’re comfortable, it was just so intense that I could only ease your smaller emotions, but I think if I can understand better I can help, but I will never push you. I know what it’s like to be trapped, I’m so sorry I couldn’t do more. Not only are you feeling trapped but you’re trapped by your own emotions. I’m so sorry, I’m just sorry-“ Raven was cut off by Marinette hugging her. So many things were racing through Raven’s mind: I should be the one consoling her, not the other way around, I feel so guilty that I can’t help, what the hell happened to her?! But above all of these thoughts were, the team and I are going to hunt whoever did this down, and they’re going to wish they were never born.

When Marinette woke up the next day she felt more refreshed. She knew Raven couldn’t heal everything but even the little bits helped. As Marinette woke up and put on some clothes that would be suitable for breakfast (the zoo of chaos) and training she pondered to herself. Can I tell the team what happened to me, would they understand? Am I overreacting? Do I trust them enough? Marinette wasnt ready to talk about what happened, maybe her feelings but no she specifics. She still couldn’t be sure if she was overreacting but she had a definitive answer for her last question, no. Marinette couldn’t understand why though, she trusted them to have her back in training and she trusted them enough to live with them, but could she trust them with the story? Marinette felt so conflicted, she felt she could trust everyone for the most part but not Lila. She thought Lila would use it against her, then she realized, No!! I’m doing it again! Tara is not Lila. Tara is NOT Lila! Ugh! Marinette was disgusted with herself for judging, again when she was snapped out of her thoughts by the somewhat overwhelming smell of waffles. She glanced at Tikki, “how does waffles sound for breakfast Tikki?” Tikki made an audible mmmm, “sounds delicious, but Marinette, you were very quiet for a while and you had the nightmare again last night. Are you sure you’re okay?” Marinette nodded, “Raven helped the nightmares last night a lot, as to why I was quiet...well I know I shouldn’t but for some reason I keep comparing Tara to Lila.” Tikki nodded, “I understand Marinette. It’s hard trusting after everything you’ve gone through. Take your time and realize Tara is not a liar like Lila and I’m sure she’ll understand.” Marinette found some comfort in her kwami’s speech. “You know what! You’re right Tikki, she’s a Titan, she’ll understand! And it’s not as if she’s name dropping like Lila!” Marinette watched as her kwami zipped to her shoulder. “You really are an amazing girl and Ladybug Marinette. You’re one of the best Ladybugs I’ve ever had. Now, how about we have some waffles?”

Marinette and Tikki made their way down the steps, everyone was in the dining area when she got there. “Hi guys! How are your mornings going?” Beast Boy responder first, “its waffle day...so amazingly!!!” Jon winked at her and said, “well it’s going pretty good now that you’re here.” Gar smiled, “smooth man!” Jamie chuckled a bit and Damian rolled his eyes, grumpy as always. Now that Marinette was feeling better and more confident she decided to do what she did best. She sat down next to Damian and said, “you know… I bet I can make you smile.” Damian scoffed at the same time Jon said, “I don’t doubt it.” Jamie put a hand on Marinette’s shoulder, “you can try but we’ve been trying for two years without success.” Marinette took that as a challenge, and if there was anything she loved it was a good challenge. She leaned into Damian and whispered something the others couldn’t hear into his ear. Damian cracked a quick grin, he placed it back into his signature frown, but not before Beast Boy snapped a picture. “Ooh send that to me!” Jon exclaimed. “Already on it bro!” Gar responded. Jon’s phone chimed and before Damian could grab it Jon took it and started cracking up. “Ohh man! The Wayne’s aren’t gonna believe this!” “Don’t you dare send that to my family!” Damian shrieked. “Too late,” Jon said, “ooh! Looks like Dick, Jason and Barbara have just opened it.” Damian groaned. Marinette giggled triumphantly. “How’d you do that Mari? What’d you say?” Jamie asked. “A magician never reveals her secrets.” Marinette responded. Raven cracked a smile, she was happy that Marinette seemed so in her element. Kori brightened, she knew that the team would accept Marinette more now, she smiled at Raven, after all this was partly her doing. Tara blended in, laughing and smiling when necessary, her mind was elsewhere however and she poked at her waffles. Then Marinette challenged Beast Boy, Tara had only been around a few months but she still knew that challenging Beast Boy to video games was a mistake. Even so she gathered in the game room with the others.

“What game were you thinking Marinette?” Gar said smugly. “Doesn’t matter, I’ll win anyway.” Marinette said jokingly. “Oh ok! Have it your way! I’ll pummel you in this game!” Beast Boy said, pulling out Meccha Strike 5 while throwing a playful punch on Marinette’s shoulder.

Marinette obliterated him.

The team was still in shock from Marienette’s awe inspiring victory. Damian even cracked another smile. What is this girl doing to me? He thought. Maybe he liked it, he decided.

Jon grinned again. He was always a happy person but when Marinette would enter a room Jon could feel his heart soar. What is this girl doing to me? He beamed as he thought. He knew he never wanted to be away from her again, and when he thought of the night previous when she had cried he vowed that he would never let her feel that way again.

Weeks passed, and then a month. The two boy’s feelings for Marinette grew stronger everyday. As Marinette’s birthday approached, the team minus Marinette (of course) were planning a surprise for the girl’s birthday. What they didn’t realize was that somebody else was planning a surprise too, and Marinette would surely not like it…

Extra:

Jason gaping at the picture Jon sent him: EVERYONE CHECK IT OUT! DEMON SPAWN IS CAPABLE OF HUMAN EMOTIONS!!!

Extra II:

Tim: There’s no way that’s Damian. Jon must’ve gotten really good at photoshop...that can’t be Damian, right Dick?

DickGrayson.exe.has stopped responding.

[magical-xirl-4]

Okay let’s review Ladybug!

Aww, we see Adrien working on the lucky charm to give to Marinette (also confirming this is before Befana!)

Lmao Gabriel is finally here for once to eat a meal with this son. And Adrien really asks for his opinion on the gift ;-;

“She’s a really awesome girl, she loves helping others-“ AHH mah heart

Oh ok... so we’re getting flashbacks of previous episodes, which is leading up to the current time of this episode? And Lila saw Adrien giving Marinette the charm!

Noo, Lila’s pulling in Nathaniel now

UGH at least Alya is standing up for Marinette about the test answers

oh my god this feels cathartic. EVERYONE in the class is standing up for her, including Adrien.

Ms Bustier just sends them to the office alone... probably cause she doesn’t want to try and solve this problem and just leave it to them -_-

FUCKING BITCH LIES DOWN ON THE GROUND PRETENDING SHE GOT PUSHED OVER EJDUHSH 

they should just check that she isn’t injured!!! She probably doesn’t have a bruise or scratch on her >:(

UAHHH ADRIEN YOU SHOULD’VE SAID SOMETHING SOONER

also, expelled? Mr. Damocles that’s a bit extreme for a kid who supposedly cheated on a test, pushed another kid over, and stole said kid’s necklace. Other than that Marinette is a great student, ugh, idiot...

oh FUCK, Catalyst is back

BITCH WHAT THE FUUUCK. PRINCESS JUSTICE?? HOLY SHIT WE’RE ACTUALLY GETTING AKUMATIZED MARINETTE. SABINE IS FINALLY GETTING AKUMATIZED TOO

(ok Hawky’s facial animation is like so fluid)

oh you gotta be shitting me. At that exact moment Nathalie began to cough, and Mari nearly took off her earrings. Just took a sigh of relief... but that moment really relied on coincidence (and maybe fate?)

can’t help but notice how quick Gabriel was to get down to help Nathalie

(Okay fuck I went on a giant rant about Alya being an idiot for saying all the evidence points to Mari being the bad guy, but then she just said that she’ll try to prove her innocence. Read it if you want I spent time on it, so I can’t delete it 😂)

Are you serious Alya? Jee thanks for being a supportive friend (and not at all a total idiot). EVERYTHING SHE RECAPPED JUST POINTS THE STORY TOWARD LILA BEING THE LIAR. Earlier she tried to stand up for Marinette saying “she always scores high on her tests!”, and there IS NO SOLID EVIDENCE OF MARI PUSHING LILA, just Lila crying that’s what had happens. And if Alya just thought about it for one second she’d realise that two things just so happened to be in Marinette’s possession, the test answers and the necklace. Even if Marinette’s motive was to get Lila away from Adrien, THIS WAS A SHIT WAY TO GO ABOUT PULLING OFF THAT GOAL. What would stealing the answers and acing the test have to do with Lila being away from Adrien? Maybe pushing Lila down the stairs to send her to the hospital would do the trick, but does Alya honestly believe Marinette would willingly do that to someone?? And again, what does stealing the necklace have to do with getting Lila away from Adrien??? It’d be just so Lila could feel like shit I GUESS, but I thought you said she had a clear. MOTIVE.

Alya, this is why Marinette wants to accuse Lila. Because she and her were the only two people at the staircase, who else could’ve orchestrated Lila’s fall if only the two of them were there? They weren’t even supposed to be going to the staircase, and instead to the principal’s office! UGH JUST THINK ABOUT IT.

anywho, it’s time for Marinette 👏🏻 to 👏🏻 bake

Gabriel really is prioritizing Nathalie this time round. So... how will the sentimonster come to be?

ahh Gabriel just fell asleep on the chair. Like I don’t know whether to think that’s funny, or kind of soft because he thought Nathalie was resting

Duusuu crying about how romantic it all is, is definitely what I’ve been expecting in her character

OKAY BITCH WTF SHE CAN STRAIGHT UP CREATE A SENTIMONSTER WITH HER BAREHANDS (that is so cool and the way it was done was great)

Adrien plsss pllsss do something to defend Marinette

QUICK MARI PUT THAT DECOR ON THAT GINGERBREAD

“Cat Noir, I don’t feel so good” AKSDHKSHS

DUDE IM FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE AND WHERE THEY’RE PLACING THEIR HANDS

AHAHAA I LITERALLY BURST OUT LAUGHING WHEN THE REAL LADYBUG STEPPED IN. THE RING WAS ON HIS FINGERTIP AND IF SHE SHOVED THEM APART THEN THE RING SHOULD’VE COME OFF 😂 (I was also shouting, “just do it! Just take it off, do it bitch!)

“You know I’m already in love with someone else” ok so you heard that part, but it took you so long to step in?

YES LB, you smart!! (Also I need to mention how much I like the setting rn, the backdrop of Paris looks great)

You know what? LADYNOIR IS CUTE ASF. “I’m nowhere near as perfect as her - “I love you just the way you are m’lady” AAAH-

*Lucky Charm summons a fork* Cat: Ok, you’re definitely the real one. (I LOVED THAT)

Ahaha Nooroo “I couldn’t bring myself to wake you up, you were sleeping so peacefully”

AWW THATS SO SWEET HOW LADYBUG GAVE THE SENTIMONSTER A CHANCE 😭

OOHH SHIT. Cat: How could you?! (FUCK THAT REMINDS ME OF DESPERADA) THEN HAWKMOTH JUMPED IN AND I SCREAMED

aakaahaha, why is Hawkmoth’s voice so much deeper 😂 HE FULL ON GROWLED/ROARED TO WHAT IS THIS?

OH MY GOD THIS IS ACTUALLY SO TENSE. I LOVE THIS. THEY’RE FACING HAWKMOTH AND ITS NOT EVEN THE SEASON FINALE

WOOOAHH FUCKING FULL ON THOUGHT HM AND LB WERE GOING TO FACE OFF BY THEMSELVES. But they care about their partners so much 😭

HA CAT TRIED TO KISS HER AGAIN, bitch you thought

OH MAAN. Adrien better diss Lila right now!! He’s getting mad I can tell, this better be good

AND. I. AM. SATISFIED

I LET OUT THE UGLIEST LAUGH SEEING MARINETTE LIKE THIS

Conclusion: This was a pretty good episode! It was kinda intense and definitely furthered the plot

(btw sorry if some of this didn’t make sense, as soon as I woke up I began to watch the episode and thus started making this post)

[zoe-oneesama]

Oh my FUCKING god all of your thoughts on the new episode please

What a fucking train wreck. That’s the summary.

(Un)luckily I sent my play by play commentary to my discord, so I can retranscribe it here with more detail. Soooo this will be like…stream of consciousness. 

Instantly put off by Once a Villain Always a Villain Bourgeois. Betch, you were akumatized twice and are scheduled to go a third time. You are the dumbest person to be saying this.

Why am I subjected to Nathalie’s bullshit. Gabriel cares about his family! Refuses to spend time with Adrien unless he’s painfully guilt tripped into it (Adrien falling [x] stories in free fall). I’ve grown to care about Adrien! Does nothing to convince his father to actually listen to him or help rearrange his schedule for a social life. I never thought I’d come to feel this way about Gabriel! Me fucking either, you were terrified of him in Bubbler.

Plagg of ALL characters implying that Gabriel has somehow grown in compassion because he played piano that one time and let’s Adrien watch his mom’s movie. I could see Adrien making those excuses for his dad, but Plagg???

Actually Plagg sucked this whole episode. He was the victim of OOC this time around. Ladybug “stood Chat Noir up”? That’s wasn’t your tone when it happened! (”She never said she would come”). Or the implication that Ladybug being in love with someone else is a fault of hers??? Just..ugh.

Anyway I know they’re only trying to give Gabriel more cheerleader lines from other characters to “build” to his redemption. I see what you’re doing there because you did it with Chloe. It’s not working.

The Earth leaves it’s orbit at a crazy rate. We’d all be dead. No survivors.

Oh as if 2465x flashbacks weren’t enough to totally waste everyone’s time, they show all but Queen Bee’s and Ladybug’s (normal) transformation. All of them. Even Hawkmoth. Chat Noir even went twice.

Chloe demanding to know why Ladybug hasn’t brought her her miraculous, boasting that she’s “Nicer than everyone”, and then following up with clips of her being an asshole…I guess they just stopped altogether pretending she’s become a better person???

Oh wait, they follow with that one time she helped in Despair Bear and Maledictator. So I guess they are still pretending. EXCEPT they forgot where she went back to bullying people at the end of Despair Bear or that time she crashed a train as Queen Bee

Except they kinda did remember. Because in their “Me and Chat Fight real good now” Flashback they showed Queen Wasp. Idiots. They also had the audacity to show Queen Wasp after Chloe repeats her Once a Villain Always a Villain bullshit.

Oh and fan favorite Stormy Weather? Badass Akuma? Who summoned a fucking volcano? She was dealt with off screen somewhere. Well sorta off screen, we got Clara the Reporter (because we needed two characters named Clara, it worked so well with Vincent!) giving us a play by play except not really. So that’s satisfying.

And then instead of wrapping up that O a V A a Villain BS or idk giving Aurore an ARC, jk we’re gonna zip over to the Agreste Mansion.

This whole episode was supposed to be about how far everyone’s come and how much everyone’s changed (they haven’t) yet Adrien’s compliment for Ladybug is how much she…doesn’t change??? What???

Aaaaand that misdirect. That fuck up. That Adrien World Class Moron Moment. We will not be discussing that, it’s just insulting. To me and Adrien.

This episode fails in like…27 different ways.

[wadey-wilson]

I see you saw Captain Marvel. what's your opinion on the movie? i kinda liked it, but I feel like i haven't got a strong opinion yet :/

since i don’t know how to write reviews, i’ll just… here goes.

ok so, the movie wasn’t as bad as i expected it to be, and it necessarily wasn’t as Great as i wanted it to be. i say it wasn’t as bad because i always go to a theater with the half ‘how bad can it be’ and half ‘i hope it’ll be good’ kind of an attitude. 7/10 for me. i feel like upon rewatching it i’d give it a 7,5/10.

and now hear out my logic before you go after me or something, because i can explain, okay. it’ll be messy, so i’ll just… do it in points

- music - some of it worked, some of it didn’t. i felt like the need to be 90s-like overwhelmed the directors/producers, and some of the songs weren’t put in the moment they should’ve been, or were put in a wrong way (say, Come As You Are). but it worked for the most part, no big complaints on my side.

- editing - it worked for like 90% of the movie. sometimes the editing was so quick that i couldn’t tell what was going on. but even the badly edited moments are light years ahead from the TASM movies.

- the make up was just… amazing. the fact that the skrulls looked so good makes you wonder why fox got lazy on their make up with like one fucking person. mcu literally paints like half of their characters, even wade wilson in fox looks just wonderful, and then you have raven who looks more and more like shit with every movie she appears in.skrulls looked almost breathtaking, i was really amazed by the job the make up artists did, huge kudos to them. the fact that talos expressed his emotions so well under the prosthetic was just… wow. kree looked very good, the glowing on carol look very nice, and the cgi on nick fury was just freaking groundbreaking - at some point you just couldn’t believe this guy is like 70yo in real life. when the cgi is so good you don’t even notice it, then you know that the artist reached their goal.

- i liked the world building. i understood the cosmic stuff for the most part. i knew who, why, when, and what for. the movie had a lot to say in not so much time, yet it still kinda managed to no overwhelm me with the information.

- i adored the interactions. characters were playing off each other really well. the buddy cop relationship between carol and fury was undoubtedly one of the best parts of the movie.

- the pacing was great. some of the marvel movies or movies in general really feel like they want to be 8 hours long, and this movie doesn’t have that problem. you don’t really notice the time passing, the scenes don’t drag, there’s no focusing on such bullshit like obligatory/forced hetero relationships, too long conversations, or too long action scenes, and before you know it the movie ends - that’s how you know the pacing was fine. (compare it to AMATW and how it dragged. seriously, i needed breaks while watching ant-man and the wasp. i couldn’t sit and watch this whole movie. thank god i didn’t go to the cinema for that because i’d probably annoy everyone with pee breaks every 3 minutes. but that’s an opinion, don’t @ me, we can have different opinions about different movies and still live a good life.)

- i really, really enjoyed the way the movie mixed everything. you have the kree, you have skrulls, you have humans, shield, the air force, some flashbacks, and the movie doesn’t feel like a frankenstein kind of a creature. take TASM 2 for example where it feels like you’re watching 9 different movies put in 1 movie despite the action taking place in one freaking city. i felt like it was all tied together very well in captain marvel, and i think it may be because the main character took you on the journey and showed you everything from her perspective, and it worked.

- the humor was so good. you had to get used to carol’s snarky comments or how she brushes off everything with jokes, and then some dry-like kind of humor came in, and then some real humor came in, and even if some jokes didn’t land, it still felt like that person would actually say it.

- i like the twist with mar-vell [*‘everything has to be like in the comics’ people screeching in the background*]. i like how the skrull were done - i really, really felt for the skrulls (that moment when talos rubbed his face against his wife… my eyes watered.)

- goose the cat. that’s it. he won my heart.

- and as i mentioned before - the movie also undercuts these superhero-landing tropes - we’ve seen that before, it’s not so impressive anymore, AND we’re gonna see it dialled to 11 in endgame.

- now hear me out and don’t @ me - brie larson does not have the MCU-like charisma… YET. just yet. she’s on a good ground. you know she likes that role, it shows she likes that role, she wants to play it, she wants to be that character.

mcu charisma is what i like to call the kind of a vibe that the mcu actors give off when playing their roles. you know nobody could replace tony stark, you know nobody could play steve rogers the same way evans does, you watch tom holland and forget it’s tom holland, you see a peter parker, you look at rhodes and forget there’s an actor underneath. i didn’t feel that with brie larson just yet in like 1/3 of the movie. i could see her acting, see her having fun and knowing what she’d like to do.

and i’m NOT saying it’s her fault she doesn’t have that charisma yet. i think the fault’s in the writing and the directing. carol danvers did not have enough ‘me’ screentime. again, don’t @ me, i do not criticize the acting or the actress, or the movie. it’s about how her character was written into the story. because it felt just like that - she was written into the story, instead of the story being written around her, despite her being the main character. and it was a glaring problem that wasn’t really a problem you cared about - and that was because the lines delivery was great, the movie was funny, well-paced, well-acted, the action was good, the music for the most part was good, the cgi aged well. so you didn’t really notice that lack of ‘is she the charcter yet, has she become the character yet?’ thing.

but then again, i didn’t feel for steve rogers up until the end of the movie where he crashed the ship. i didn’t feel for thor in any other movies than the avengers, ragnarok, and then endgame. i still don’t feel for sam wilson EVEN THOUGH i like the character (he certainly has more depth than black widow in one movie than she has in all the movies, and it’s the writers’ fault, not scarlett’s). i have never felt for black widow - she has no character for me. she’s better now than she was in im2, but i still don’t like her as a character, and that is because i have… nothing… to like. she’s snarky and bland for me. and it’s a shame because then you see shuri or pepper potts, or okoye, or even aunt may and you can tell they have a lot of depth despite being given not so much time on the screen. and then natasha shows up and like, ugh. *spider-man noir voice* who are you again?

some of the mcu actors hit off with the character charisma the moment they show up on the screen, some of them take their time, and it’s ok. it’s absolutely ok for brie larson to not BE carol danvers yet.

we’re yet to see her in endgame and in other movies, so i’m more than certain she she’ll become a captain marvel.

i feel like she’ll kind of have this thor complex - boring (yet carol is way way way way better in her movie that thor was in thor 1 and 2, don’t @ me, i really don’t like thor 1 & 2) in the origin movie, but wackier and ultiple times more interesting as it goes on. she also has this stephen strange complex - she needs more characterization the way doctor strange did. strange was a prodigy in almost everything he did job-wise but was disconnected with his emotional side, and i kinda feel the same for carol danvers.

she will be good, i feel it, i believe in it, give her time. even though i liked her in the movie, she still lacks some depth. that’s not to say she has no depth, no, she has a lot of it. she just hasn’t been able to show it yet.

overall, given that it was a first movie with such huge budget for those indie movie directors, i think they managed. yes, the movie is a bit scattered, and it lacks a bit of depth, but it ties into the mcu very well, it’s entertaining, the humor is good, and the action is good.

7/10. lighthearted and entertaining, even if a bit choppy. we can discuss.

[friendlyneighborhoodborg]

Marc Appreciation Week 2019| Day 2: Hero/Villain| ”Coping Mechanism”

Okay, so I know the prompt is basically supposed to mean “this character but with a miraculous.”  The backslash (/) in the prompt is meant to be taken as “or.”

But...

That’s one ambiguous backslash.

Let me know what I’m doing right/wrong.  Disclaimers were in the Day 1 submission.

~1700 words, for those who care.

Chapters:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

           Monday was a lot smoother than Sunday.  On Monday, Marc had stuff to do, including, but not limited to, school, meetings, and feeling depressed.

           Few strangers would be surprised to hear that he was depressed today.  After all, it had been two days since his little episode, and akuma victims generally had some sort of depressed attitude for a few days after.  Anyone who knew him would be even less surprised; Marc was anything but the ray of sunshine some of his schoolmates were.

           Getting akumatized was exactly the trauma he didn’t need.

           It was a little bit of the dissociation he had heard other people feel.  Having no memories of the event, watching the news and seeing himself as that stranger was jarring for a multitude of reasons.  He saw him as someone with his thoughts and personality, basically everything that made him himself, only twisted into someone with a killing rage and the means to destroy.  There was a lot of himself in Reverser, and that’s one of the things he tried to ignore from his viewing experience.

           The other thing he ignored was how familiar that experience was, seeing someone with his face and emotions do things only a complete stranger would.  He did often feel like he was projecting himself to the people around him,  with an overwhelming need to stifle his passions to stay normal.  He only felt allowed to act like himself when he was alone with his journal.  Being someone else wasn’t too far off from his normal, everyday life, which is why Reverser’s power-set in particular kinda sucked.

           Then the last thing he tried to brush off was the increasing number of stares he got from people who had never been corrupted. He just hated people looking at him in general.  Including himself, sometimes, and the extra attention was not welcome at all.

           But he was begrudgingly used to getting judged. Judging himself had even become a habit. Every morning, he’d look at himself in the mirror.  He’d feel some sort of emotion, something he hadn’t quite found the right words for yet. It would fall somewhere between “Ugh, not him again” and “Well, it could be worse.”  He had found that hiding his face was a good way of combating the more extreme end of the scale of loathing, so he had starting wearing makeup.  And he’d do his own face in the mirror until he felt more like “Well, it could be worse.”

           Point is, he didn’t like people noticing him, but he could usually brush it off.

           He didn’t usually take this approach to his writing.  He generally thought the writing was pretty good, especially if no one but him was going to see it.  No matter what, he rarely ever wrote down his own thoughts, or if he did, they were unintended, or buried and disguised as something else.

           His thoughts wandered to the journal in his backpack. The tale of a forbidden love between a hero and a former villain, the kind of workplace romance that scores a high budget and has audiences flocking to the cinema.  A de-evilization gone wonderfully wrong, making the butterfly’s effects on its victim permanent, a blossoming emotions between him the heroine who saved him.

           Starring the dubious alter-ego of one Nathaniel Kurtzberg, and written as the heroine from a first-person perspective.

           God, he wondered what Freud would say if he was living today.

           Thankfully, only one student seemed to have cottoned on that his artistic admiration went a little deeper than conventional, but even then he wasn’t sure if Marinette actually knew the full-blown extent of his crush.

           ‘Nope,’ he reminded himself.  ‘Not thinking about that today.  He’s your project partner, and that’s it, and he very obviously has a thing for strong, female superheroes.’

           ‘Well, that’s why you wrote from Ladybug’s POV, isn’t it?’ he argued.  ‘Why don’t you admit what the problem is?’

           ‘That’s not the problem.’  He straightened his back.  ‘I know that’s not what the problem is.  And I don’t have time for this right now.’

           Today, despite his constant state of internal darkness, he was early to school.  And so was a certain redhead artist whose attention he duly attempted to avoid.

           Poorly.

           As per his double-standards.

           Marc shrank as Nathan’s eyes met his and he was waved over against his will.

           He didn’t appreciate being called out like this, especially not in public. But since it was him... he inched up to him.

           “Morning,” Nath said, smiling.

           ‘Gosh dangit.’

           Nevertheless, Marc was determined to keep a level head. It may have been true at one point that the wordsmith had maybe possibly harbored some potentially… problematic emotions for this boy, it was abundantly clear nothing good would come of them.  It was a morose conclusion, as it usually was, but one that had to be reached for both of their goods.  So, he was determined to end his crush on this artist by any means necessary.

           Even if his eyes were clear blue gemstones, teeming with some unseen energy that made him want to keep looking—

           ‘No!’ he chastised.  ‘Bad Marc!’

           “You okay?” Nathaniel asked, and Marc realize he hadn’t answered him.

           “Yeah,” he admitted.  “I’m not a morning person,” Marc admitted.  Internally, he mused, ‘Or an evening person.  Or an afternoon person.  Really, I’m barely a person.’

           Unable to see into Marc’s soul, Nathaniel continued.  “Well, I hope it gets better.”

           ‘It rarely does.’  “You seem to be in a good mood, at least.”

           “Yeah.”  He scratched his head absently.  “Probably not what you expected, huh?  How am I supposed to be emo when I like sunshine?”

           “You seem to be managing yourself just fine.”

           “Thanks, I guess.”  He shrugged off his bag.  “So, we didn’t really do any work yesterday.  Got any ideas for a story?”

           “Oh.”  Marc relaxed, knowing this must be all Nathan wanted from him.  “I hadn’t really given it much thought.  Probably the usual heroes’ dynamic at play.  Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Mighty-Illustrator.”

           Nath looked confused for a second.  “But what about…”

           “What?”

           “Well,” he opened his satchel and pulled out his sketchbook, then he started flipping through it.  “Look, see here.”  He pointed at one page in particular.

           He saw what Nathaniel had drawn.

           He was suddenly aware of everyone looking at him.

           When he came to his senses, he found he was hiding in a bathroom stall.  Someone was banging on the stall door, trying to get his attention.

           “Marc!”  Nathan’s voice carried a deep concern.  “I’m sorry, I should have—I mean, of course, I’m an idiot!  I just…” He groaned loudly at himself, and his voice softened.  “I’m sorry. I should have realized, it’s too new for you.  It only happened a couple days ago…… Look, you can feel free to hate me, I didn’t think about what you’d…”  He just trailed off and left them both in silence.

           Marc heard him start to leave.

           “How do you do it?” he asked, suddenly.

           “Wh-what?”

           “You turned your akuma into the hero?  Why did you do that?” he demanded.  “How could you do that?”

           Nathaniel didn’t answer verbally.  Of course he didn’t, why would he?  He didn’t like expressing himself verbally.

           There was a rustling of papers and something was slid under the door.

           Marc picked it up.  “Are you crazy?  You put your sketchbook on the bathroom floor?”

           “Just look, Marc.”

           He did.  “This is… Mighty-Illustrator and Marinette.”

            There was a pause, and then, “That’s Super-Nathan.”

           “Huh?”

           Nathaniel explained.  “Super-Nathan.  I told you, I’m not good with words or names. He was… well, it was me as a superhero. That’s how he was created, and that’s what I drew him to be.  I wanted to be strong and empowered and witty and do all the things superheroes get to do. I don’t know if you noticed this about me, but I don’t… I’m not strong and I’m not witty.”

           “You’re pretty witty.  I mean, you made this.”  He realized something was off with the picture, however.  “Um, I thought he was supposed to like Ladybug, though.”

           “That was only after I was akumatized.”

           “Oh… Wait, so then… oh.”

           “Yep.  Super-Nathan came first.  Then Hawk Moth turned Super-Nathan into a villain.  Super-Nathan became Evillustrator.  Then I turned him back into Mighty-Illustrator.”  He took a deep breath, and continued forward, his words blazing with a strength Marc hadn’t heard him use before.  “Super-Nathan is mine.  Not his.  I figured this is the one way I can get back at him.  Taking him back, using him to fight Hawk Moth.  Fictionally, anyway.”

           Marc was somewhat grateful for the door in between them.  Nathaniel couldn’t see his completely floored reaction.

           Marc looked down at the sketchbook in his hands. He flipped to the most recently-used page, careful not to look at any of the others.

           The face of evil stared back up at him, striking a heroic pose.

           “We don’t have to use him,” assured the cartoonist. “If you don’t want to.”

           Marc stared back down at himself.  He was only startled out of it when Nathaniel’s steps started walking away.

           “No,” Marc said, stopping him.  “We can use Reverser.”  He hesitated.  “Only… can we change his name?  Like you did?”

           “Well,” his collaborator mused.  “You’re the writer.  And it is you, after all.  You think of something.”

           Making sure his face was back to its normal pale, Marc opened the door.  And there was Nathaniel.  Marc passed him back his sketchbook.  It was taken with gratitude.  “We don’t have to work today if you’re not up to it still.”

           Marc considered this before slowly nodding.

           “Okay.”  He turned to leave.  “Whenever you’re ready, then, you’ve got my number.”  He stopped at the door, still with his back turned.  “Hey, Marc?”

           A noise of acknowledgement was made.

           “I don’t usually do art for anyone but myself. But…” he searched for his words, which seemed to have left him.   “It-it’s nice to work with someone.”  He turned back and regarded Marc, smiling.  “Especially you.”  Then, looking unsure of himself, he awkwardly made his exit.

           Marc was now all by himself in the washroom, and he was suddenly very aware of the heat in his cheeks.

           He sighed.  Not out of any particular emotion, except maybe frustration.

          ‘Gosh dangit.’

I’m taking the mostly positive comments as a sign that I’m on the right track, so I’m just gonna keep going with this.  If the other chapters aren’t as good... well, there’s worse things than this on this site.  And I only finished this today, barely on the deadline, so I’ll try not to stress much over it.

[jeonsolar]

Miraculous Ladybug 2x13

Lets comment this again. So i’m starting a little late in the episode cuz I dont want to fake it, and I just remembered to do it, so lets go:

1:57 Someone hug Chloe!

1:59 Ok, the animation? Fucking awesome so far. Like something about Chloe looks so . . . perfect. This is good animation.

2:06 Chloe’s voice sounds different. Like she finally hit puberty. Also, wtf? Buy a second heart?

2:13 Also, Chloe’s back and in the spotlight, so what this hoe gonna do to akumatize another civilian? Also where was she? Sick? It was like 3 episodes. Betcha Gabriel went to the hospital and healed her with his bear hands. “I need you. There’s less angry people in the world, since you’ve been gone.”

2:17 Prediction: Chloe will steal Marinette’s gift, Marinette will throw a tantrum, no one will believe- everyone saw the gift. . . . or maybe chloe will throw it away.

2:34 I was right. But this bitch does know that everyone saw marinette bring this gift right? What does she expect? Everyone will forget?

2:59 Miss Bustier is Lily Evans.

3:00 How will she get mad?

3:14 . . . Not what I expected. Also, Bitch, if you want to get away with it don’t fucking smirk! This is why I can’t like Chloe. She’s not even a good nemesis. And bad people who smirk when they are caught because they know they will get away with it are the worst things to exist. FIGHT ME ON THIS.

3:21 EVERYONE’S VOICES SOUND LIKE THEY ALL HIT PUBERTY except Max and Adrien.

3:33 Yo, what drugs does she take cuz I want them. I need to be as happy as this psycho.

3:40 .... The entire class became the fandom. We’ve all said those things at one point, and Astruc is now fucking with us by pointing them out on his show.

3:47 I never considered that there are like 12 students in that class. That’s small.

4:04 I love every single time Astruc hints at akumatizing Marinette. Is like ‘haha, never gonna happen, but here’s a tease’. Also, whenever Mari gets angry like that she gets a shadow of her mask on her face. Watch the intro, after Chloe pushes her.

4:14 Predictions(again) Butterfly will get on its way to marinette, happy go lucky teacher will calm her down, butterfly will get confused. Still not sure how Discount Lily Evans gets akumatized.

4:54 Bustier saw the akuma, and desperately try to happy-up marinette.

4:54

Akuma: Here I go-

Marinette: *I’m not in trouble...*

Akuma: fuuuuuuuuuckkkkkk, wheeerrreee dooo I goooo noooww?

5:09

Akuma: I hate my job. Dude, just look for another person.

Hakwmoth: NO! This bitch has evaded me for far too long. Stay put!

Akuma: Ugh, I should have quit when I had the chance.

5:34 I’m so glad we finally get that scene of someone aware of those butterflies and freaking out about it. But sad that Discount Lily Evans doesn’t understand that by touching them you get akumatized.

5:52 YO! this show is getting serious with it’s story! I love this! An actual civilian fighting back! Finally! Dept! after the last childish episode this one is soooooo pleasing!

6:17 So my theory on my fanfic is becoming true. Hawkmoth can see into their mind and sweet talk just about anyone to do his biddings, no matter how nice you are. I feel smart.

6:25 From Marinette/Ladybug’s point of view, that had to be hard to watch. I was not prepared for feelings in this episode.

6:44 One swipe both lips? Damn! That lipstick IS magic!

7:27

Zombizou: And feel the love!

Chloe: Ew.

That’s good comedy right there. Because Chloe is all of us here in tumblr.

7:49 Thank God for the suit, because otherwise Marinette would have a broken neck, or a really bruised back and be unable to walk.

8:13 This got gay really quick.... can’t wait for it to get gayer.

8:27 I swear I read a fanfiction just like this. It ended with Ladybug and Chat Noir fucking.... Now I’m going to watch the pg version of it. Ugh. Or maybe this one will end with an orgy....

8:39 No Adrien, you can’t look back like you just lost a soldier in battle! They are just hugging and kissing! This is the sweetest and mellowest episode yet! You’ve been jokier and sillier through worse akumas!

9:38 Ok, it was bad definition. . . but I swear I saw Adrien in the kiss spell running to Ladybug.

9:53 They are saying ‘Kisses Kissu’ ... isn’t Kissu how Japanese/Korean people saying Kiss?

10:08 I’ve been waiting for this moment for too long. This is quickly becoming my most favorite episode.

10:30 I know why he did it, but what if he was also hoping to sneak one to Ladybug? Hahaha, funny Adrien.

10:50 Plagg and I share a brain.

11:14 .... So I CAN make the joke about french kissing! Thank you Astruc for dropping the steryotypes first!

11:51 this is getting close to becoming my fanfiction... I WROTE IT FIRST! (kinda, this episode was written a while ago)

12:03 . . . Bitch WANTS to get thrown to the hordes. Why else would she say shit like that.

12:18 Even Marinette sounds like she hit puberty. Can’t wait for Adrien to hit it too.

13:23 Don’t lie. You weren’t even trying to catch her with your arms spread like that.

13:47 ok no. Fuck this, no. Chloe is a brick and these fuckers are letting themselves drown with her. Rule number one of being a hero: The Needs of Many Overpower The Needs of One. Drop Chloe.

14:04 Woah . . .. Adrien’s voice just dropped.

14:28 Nevermind.

14:40 . . . Maze runner? Walking dead? iZOmbie? Every zombie movie cliche ever? ROSE? Why is it some get turned immediatly and Ladybug had a conversation with Kim before he turned?

15:04 What should happen: Alya and Nino, powercouple ftw, grab Chloe, look at Ladybug and Chat Noir straight in the eyes, and just throw her towards Rose. What will happen: bitch will probably be the only one besides Ladybug to not get turned cuz Chat tends to fall for these a lot.

15:52 Oh the romance! Yes! More Nilya! Make it like Titanic:

Nino: I’ll never let go Alya, I’ll never let go!

Alya: For the love of god Nino, just go, I ain’t dying.

Nino: *whispers really close to her face* I’ll never let go!

16:08 . . . These are just kisses right? Why they acting like they gonna die if they stay like zombies for more than an hour? It aint fatal!

16:14 THROW HER OUT!

16:19 I’m so glad Nilya is here, cause waiting for Ladynoir or Adrienette is killing me and Nilya is my life support.

16:24

Nino: Lets make out babe!

Alya: Kissu!

Nino: YES!

16:49 Predictable: Chat Noir gets taken. Unpredictable: Ladybug acting like her boyfriend was taken. just partners huh?

16:55

Ladybug: Chat! I’ll save you!

Chat: I’ll just stay here Ladybug, if we are gonna end up kissing, I’d rather it be after you save us.

Ladybug: ... This . .. this isn’t the right time to flirt Chat. Why do you always do this?

17:23 ... Dark Owl had her earring almost off and this is the closest you’ve gotten, Hawkmoth? How do YOU measure it?

17:40 His voice dropped again. the actor should stop highpithing his voice and let Adrien hit puberty too. #LetAdrienHitPuberty2k18

17:43 WHAT WAS SHE EXPECTING?

17:56 This revelation will last till the end of the battle then she’ll be a bitch again. Change my mind.

17:59 I hope they keep making more animations of Chat with weird faces like that. We need them for the memes.

18:01 Ok, fine. 5 points to Chloe. But she’s on -6,458,827,247 so she’s got a long way to go.

18:04 -6,458,827,227

18:36 LIPSTICKS ARE EXPENSIVE LADYBUG!

18:58 So by these standards Nino and Alya should be getting it on downstairs, right?

19:24 They didn’t show us Nilya... they are Getting. It. On. Also, #TellUsWhatHappenedToEmilieAgreste2k18

19:53 Hasn’t said anything but “No.” yet, but .... -6,458,827,200

20:17 -6,458,826,000

20:24 -6,458,826,200

20:37 that number is long to write, just add a -500 more for me being right that she would revert to Bitch Chloe when this was over.

21:29 ... What happened between Nino and Alya?

--

OK, call me Cinema Sins cause that’s basically what I’m doing. Overall, I love this episode. It had the beauty of a fanfiction. Thomas Astruc and his team are reading fanfics #confirmed. But yeah, they had to soften Chloe at one point to turn her into Queen Bee. And Marinette will most likely do it, so she had to see it. There.

#Chloeisabrickmadeofclayandisfinallydisolvinginwater.

[artisticflutter]

Home For Christmas - ML Secret Santa

Gosh, I hope my recipient hasn’t thought they were left out. Today is my posting day and guess what? @nyxavalon! Iiii am your Secret Santa! And I’ve whipped up a story for you! Hope you enjoy~

Rating: G Genre: Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort Pairing(s): None (sort of) Summary: Christmas has come once again... after the battle between Miraculous has ended. (Identities Revealed) Warning: There are some Season Two spoilers so proceed at your own risk.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m okay, Chlò.”

He remembers it was just a few years ago…

“I’m sure you could still fly out here and join us.”

How lively the manor could be with him, his mother and father, and the staff.

“No, it’s really okay! It’s not just going to be me, I promise.”

When his mother disappeared, his father still got a tree, but he didn’t join in on the decorating like before.

“If you say so. Ugh, looks like I have to go. Daddy wanted to try scuba diving… I’ll make sure to send you a photo.”

And now…

“Haha, I’ll be looking forward to it. Talk to you later, Chlò.”

Adrien hung up after her hurried ‘Later!’ and lowered his cell phone.

The Manor was dark and cold and empty. He had sent the staff home to spend their Christmas with their families, it was only fair. His right ring finger, once commonly adoring a silver ring, was bare. His time – no, their time being heroes had come to an end and Miraculous had gone with it.

Hawkmoth was…

His father was…

… The point was he’d never have to see that man again. After everything, after the intentional manipulation and neglect, it would be much too soon. It was their victory, but maybe it could have waited.

Nothing but his footsteps echoed as he walked up the stairs and down the hall, pristine white walls bathed in twilight’s fallen night and the fainter, colorful hues from twinkling fairy lights decorating other abodes near. It would be about this time a certain little black cat god would whine for Camembert or suggest they go out, but there was nothing. Subconsciously, he rubbed his finger and the smooth skin left pale by the ring he wore for years.

Nothing…

In his bedroom, he stood before the window panels and stared outside. It was really beautiful, seeing the quiet snowfall with the few stars that managed to shine through Paris’s light pollution. He could look beyond the gate and see beyond his walls a warm and still awake city that exemplified all the brightness and love it was known for. It was not a city he could join from his own prison, as self-imposed as it was.

He should have known.

How could he have not known his father was the villain?

Considering how frequent he had been absent and probably just waiting to akumatize someone. All those times when there wouldn’t be a show for months, there really was no excuse… and at some point, he had figured out he was Chat Noir. That man had known and still fought them – fought him, tempted him to join his side – to bring his mother back. His mother whom he’d lied about being missing because missing implied being able to be found alive or dead. She was gone and never coming back, and honestly, that was something he had excepted where his father had refused.

But that was the power of love, wasn’t it?

It could drive even the sanest man insane and become an obsession, couldn’t it? It was frightening… how much it made his – made Gabriel not care anymore.

Eyes falling, Adrien breathed slowly.

In and out, hoping it would lessen the aching, but the winking lights and faintest lull of Christmas music soon overpowered by the Notre Dame’s bells. He counted the echoing chimes and felt his heart sink further and further, the cold sweeping over his shoulders like a cowl he couldn’t remove. It latched onto his neck and covered his head, squeezing itself over his shoulders to fasten around his body. He wanted it off, but he also understood he deserved it.

“… Merry Christmas,” he whispered, wanting to say ‘Claws out!’ and dash along the rooftops again. No one would be looking for him – no one would pretend to be concerned about his whereabouts. The city could forgive him for the sins of his father, but people did not. Forehead pressing against the glass, he bit his lip.

He wanted to be forgotten and for everything to be over; he didn’t want to be alone and he couldn’t take it anymore.

Eyes snapping open at the jarring ring of the Manor’s doorbell, Adrien stepped away from the glass and half-turned to his bedroom door, one eyebrow raised. Blinking, he didn’t proceed to answering the call until the second, the third, and finally, the fourth ring forced him to walk back. Whoever came calling tonight was persistent, but it was also Christmas. He could see what they wanted and perhaps give them what they want; and if it was him, that was fine.

The intercom connected to the doorbell was in Gabriel’s old office, the room stripped bare of possessions he refused to keep and gladly gave to the police as evidence. Any actual designer work on the computer had been returned to him via chip which he hadn’t bothered keeping either. Marinette might’ve been sore at his father’s actions, but his designs were still begrudgingly admirable. Approaching the lone intercom still affixed to the barren desk, Adrien tapped the button to turn it on and answer.

“Hello…?”

Hopefully, he managed to keep his tone curious.

“Adrien Ascil Agreste! You better open this door right now! It’s freezing!”

“… Alya?”

“Ugh, I can’t feel my arms. Dude, open the door…”

“Wait, what? Nino, what are you both--?”

“Adrien, you forgot to actually lock the gate.”

“Marinette? U-Uh, gimme a sec…!”

Bewildered at why they were on his doorstep, he literally jogged from the office and to the front door, pulling it open. He quickly moved aside as the three charged inside followed by others: their parents and siblings, friends from school and their families, and then other friends from around Paris. He winced as the lights were turned on, the previous silence concussed by voices, crinkling paper, and bells. Cold fled from the heat spreading into the corners and the numb scent with it as various smells of pine, roast, and sweets filled the foyer.

Adrien’s head snapped around, wide eyes still trying to process what was occurring until a hand gently pressed against his shoulder… followed by a clap to his back and another shoulder bumping his unoccupied one. Marinette, Nino, and Alya stood around him, watching the Manor become besieged by festivities. A tree was being erected in the corner by the Gorilla and Tom, Manon, Etta, and Ella eagerly standing aside to help decorate with Rose, Ali, and Juleka. Sabine and Marlena walked with Wang, Fred, and Nadja towards the dining room with plates of food, Mylène and Ivan assisting. Nino’s cousin Chris, their teacher Caline Bustier, and even Jagged Stone and Penny, and he still didn’t understand.

“What’s…?”

“It’s Christmas, of course,” Alya said, her lip quirked and eyebrow raised. “What did you think we were going to do? Not be here?”

“… Yes?” Adrien meekly answered, almost flinching at the looks all three of them gave him next. “I mean, if anything, you would’ve spent Christmas at home with your families while I just… I don’t know. Why should I celebrate when my father terrorized Paris? I let him get away with--”

“Dude, that was your dad,” Nino cut him off, his brows furrowed. “And no one blames you for his actions. Perfect poster boy Adrien? No one could see you cooperating with him.”

“Well, that…” Marinette started before leaning a little closer. “And Ladybug may have put in a word that she was positive on her Miraculous that Adrien wasn’t involved with any of Hawkmoth’s actions.”

“You did?”

He stumbled as the small young woman bumped him, making him stagger into Nino. Eyes wide, he watched hers roll. “Of course. I mean, I couldn’t tell people that Adrien was my partner fighting against Hawkmoth, but I think it’s enough that the superheroine that’s been protecting Paris for a while has an idea on who’s really involved.”

“There are some skeptics,” Alya chimed in, shaking her head with an exaggerated sigh. “Ladybug has a crush on Adrien, Ladybug letting him off because he’s handsome, stupid nonsense like that…”

“This city doesn’t know their superheroes as well as they think,” Nino scoffed. “If they knew what Ladybug had thought about her partner on the first day of school…”

“N-Nino…!”

Adrien heard them laughing, but he still didn’t understand. He didn’t deserve any of this. He didn’t deserve any of them.

“Adrien…?”

He blinked, noticing that the three were standing before him and the activities around them had settled down. They weren’t alone in the room, but everyone else was now talking quietly amongst themselves. Marinette, Alya, and Nino seemed to be watching him and he wondered if he was supposed to say something. However, Marinette started before he could decide.

“We know you probably blame yourself for all this – for not being able to see that it was your father, but you know we understand,” she spoke softly, pulling a small box out of her pocket. It looked familiar. “Parents aren’t supposed to be the bad guys after all, even if they want to do everything they can for their children. You’ve sacrificed more than any of us to bring peace back to Paris, so much that it meant being alone for Christmas when you don’t deserve that.”

“Yeah, man. It’s not fair that you get the raw end of the deal,” Nino added and Alya had a coy grin on her face.

“Which is why we… may have spoken to someone before today about, I don’t know, maybe patrolling for one more evening or for the next few years,” she hummed, but Adrien wasn’t even looking at her as she spoke because his eyes were glued to the box Marinette was holding. Its dark mahogany and the familiar intricate Chinese painted detail sealed within lacquer finish on top shined even in the dim light, and he felt his eyes sting as the box opened to reveal the ring resting within the red velvet interior. His eyes rising, he noticed Marinette’s earrings, Nino’s bracelet, and watched Alya draw out her necklace from her shirt collar. Blue, green, and violet eyes of three small kwami appeared as each watched from their hiding places: Marinette’s collar, Nino’s headphones, and Alya’s pocket.

Adrien looked at the ring again, the green paw inviting him, calling to him to pick it up… and he only squinted at the green light that shone as the ring turned silver.

Stretching up with a mighty yawn, Plagg’s whiskers twitched before he opened his eyes.

“That was a nice nap. Hey kid, got any Camembert? You know I’m not transforming you until you gimme some.”

Merry Christmas~!

[belovedalittlemore]

DRIVE (2011) DIR. NICOLAS WINDING REFN

may 26, 2020 | review

i feel like we watch a lot of simpler, more fluffy movies that are much more based on emotion and drama rather than action and gore. however, i am such a HOE for a good crime thriller; i love a good heist, a detective or two, perhaps even a quip here and there. i am also a HOE for any (neo-)noir films: ever since watching rita hayworth in gilda (1940), they’re my new fave. (ok gilda’s lowkey not a noir and i find rita really hot but i like noirs anyway, okay?)

the negatives

every fashion choice in this movie is a fucking travesty to society. i get that the scorpion is chosen for that whole “scorpion and the frog” shit, but genuinely, why was everyone dressed like that. we got driver with the jacket, blanche with the heels and the lululemon combo, just so baffling. also, every pair of sunglasses worn in this movie, jesus, i wanted to rip them off the cast’s heads.

also, the gore. i hate blood, it makes me feel icky, i get scared and creeped out, i don’t like it. i get that a lot of it is for the noir, crime thriller effect but i hate gore i cannot HANDLE that shit.

the volume: okay this is me being nitpicky and maybe this was a stylistic choice but every conversation was like 10 decibels lower than the action. i’d turn my volume up hella high so i could hear the conversation but then a car would start driving and my ears would experience physical assault.

finally (this is me being super nitpicky), i could not take josh brolin’s and anthony bourdain’s love child seriously in this movie. oh god he spoke and i’d be giggling. same with those car noises.

the positives

driver: he’s so soft-spoken and all he really cares about is irene and benicio and making sure they’re okay, even if they’re not with him and his little SMILE is so soft and god i adore him.

driver + irene: when she PUTS HIS HAND ON HIS OHMYGOD he can’t even move he’s so nervous and happy and ugh YES and when they’re flirting in the hallway “i wish you would” the TENSION

god they’re so cute and wholesome

“i could come with you guys; i could look after you” like OHMYGOD my heart burst. watching driver interact with irene is like watching a nervous teenager who knows the girl is so out of his league but he loves her anyway and he doesn’t know how much she loves him too; that spiderman:mj energy in far from home (2019).

also, knowing that driver is at his happiest with irene and that’s why every time he interacts with her, the same song plays everytime oh god that’s fucking CUTE

the kiss: OHMYGOD THE KISS JESUS CHRIST IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIE KISSES EVER OH GOD

okay i rewatched it on youtube to make sure i’d get all of the vibes and note things i hadn’t seen before

(maybe this is all my interpretation + completely incorrect but here we go)

driver realizes that this is his last chance to see irene and make a good impression, because he knows that he’ll have to kill the guy with the gun and irene’s going to have to see it. this is his “good side” saying goodbye to irene. and so, he pulls her from the middle to his side, and he goes in and reaches to CURVE HIS HAND AROUND HER WAIST and kisses her so gently. he doesn’t even move forward with his legs, the chest is doing the leaning for him, and irene’s just standing there like “hehe yes smoochy smoochy me likey” and at one point he turns his body to shield her from the other guy. and then he stops and looks at her for so long and he’s trying to communicate everything he’s ever wanted to tell her in that moment. and he stares at her lips and i just imagine him to be thinking about how soft her lips were and how he just wants to kiss her again but he knows he can’t and this is how it ends.

that’s the story, but ohmygod i LOVED THE KISS. also, as he pulls her over to him and turns around, the lights fall around them, only highlighting them, and the elevator buzz fades and it’s completely silent except for “wrong floor” playing like a movie-esque dreamy kiss and that is so FUCKING CUTE. it’s like, for that one moment, driver got to escape his terrible world and live in this lovely dream with irene. and of course, as the kiss ends, the lights in the elevator slowly come back and the noise returns, but ugh, it was just done so well.