#future and better hawkmoth

[ceriseisbestgirl]

Fan theory

Lila has a crush on Marinette, but she doesn't know how to express herself in a healthy way.

[lilasbutterflygarden]

Fashion Crime Hawk Moth

What the heck was Hawk Moth thinking with this costume? It's sooo ugly!

If I was a super hero I'd have the best costume ever. My costume would be both practical, and fashionable.

I wish that I had a Miraculous.

[marinetteplztakeabreak]

The arc with the resistance in ml season five???? Is so good????????????? The way that???? Its been going on low-key for a while????? But theres this Massive Shift this season where literally the entire miracuclass stops running away from akumas or hiding???? And its like???? The fear is GONE by the end of the season???? Theyre not scared anymore theyre just pissed off????? At the system???? Not at the akumatized victims???? But also its not a “babying the akumas” thing either like when gabe is akumatized theyre like “WRONG BAD” at him????? Same with chloé???? But like the entire class will see a butterfly and start running TOWARDS it because theyre like “oh no someone needs help goddamit i gotta get there before hawkmoth” and they dont always win and they dont beat themselves up about it???? Like in confrontation, Juleka got akumatized despite their best efforts and theyre all like “ugh this sucks” but no one’s giving up hope or anything???????

And!!!!! The way that the anti-akuma charms work in that episode??????!?!??!?? The way the fandom has this trend of thinking like,,,, the only way to escape akumas is to push emotions away deep deep down,,,, thats how marinette and adrien have kind of been operating?!???? But then it’s revealed on no uncertain terms that the powerups of the anti akuma charms are reactive to emotions?????!?! That pushing things down doesnt help?? you have to Fight Back and FEEL on your own terms and accept others’ help and feelings?????

Juleka shutting down and curling up into a ball and trying to disapear didnt work!!!but her yelling about how its not fair and shes proud of mr damocles despite it all???? like??? Catalyzed the entire anti akuma charm shield thing???????

The way that this season has shown time and again that it’s okay to be mad and frustrated and hate the system and its okay to feel trapped and scared but you have to learn to reach out and find a good outlet for those emotions even if that outlet is yelling with your friends???? instead of isolating yourself and pushing away people who have your best interest at heart????? And lying and pretending it’s okay doesn’t help but looking for bits of real joy and support amidst the chaos does???

The way that ladybug and chat noir started this season as The Most Alone Theyve Ever Been with the miracle box stolen??? and realized by the end that no one needs powers to be heroes??? they just need to be able to trust each other and take turns carrying Hope for the group and remembering whats worth fighting for!? and as long as theres a drive to fight theres always little victories to celebrate??????????!??

(Also the way that Nino—who heads the resistance—literally calls everyone in his group including Bustier Comrade and the way that they talk about how sometimes it feels like no one’s listening and revolution is the only way?? and the way they address fears about spyware and technology only benefitting the elites and the school system being designed without students’ well-being in mind and environmental terror and the police being corrupt and they take all of that and they say “it is Still a worthy battle and it sucks but you are going to be okay,,, just do not give in to hopelessness… find the people who will help you keep fighting and keep believing in a better future and Cherish Them”)

People complain about this show going “off the rails” as it’s switching its target audience and addressing more “mature” themes or whatever but like do you guys understand how much every single narrative decision makes me scream

[kisilinramblings]

After the Wish - Adrien's side

Hi, everyone! Are you ready for some scene analysis? Like the title says, this post will focus on Adrien's scenes following the Wish.

Before I start though, I am very well aware the ending bring a lot of very passionnated and very opinated minds. This is why I am asking to please keep an open mind and keep things civil. I won't tolerate any bashing or rude comments. Both on this post and in my inbox. Keep in mind this analysis in my own interpretation of the shots and scenes based on my cinematographic knowledge as well as my viewing experience and memory of the 5 seasons of Miraculous.

I am sharing this analysis because I love the show and because analysing helps me better understand what I see.

Also, this is a leak free analysis. I only analyze and make conclusions based on what it is shown to us on-screen.

So, if you are ok with staying respectful and open to see the episode through my lens, you are more than welcome to continue reading.

Without further ado, let's go!

After the whole universe was engulfed by the light of Gabriel's Wish, the white screen fade to a close up of Adrien sleeping. Marinette's head then block the shot temporarily before Adrien awaken, smiling. We can guess she kissed him.

This shot personally reminds me of the fairy tales in which the knight kisses the princess to awake her from her curse. And it isn't coincidental if the very first image we see after Gabriel made the Wish is Adrien. There is meaning in that. In fact, I want to point out the shot choice itself because I find it unusual.

We are facing a tight close up facing directly Adrien while he is sleeping and then awakes. Normally, we are more used to a medium shot which allow to see the character is lying down and frame both characters. The camera is also normally placed on the side and not directly facing one particular character. Again in order to see both actors at the same time. Think of Disney Snow White or Sleeping Beauty for example.

And even in more modern ones.

You know which other character in the show who had their eyes closed, often shown in a frontal angle and who we were anticipating to wake up? Émilie.

Except this isn't Émilie who awakes, but Adrien.

Not only this tight close up gives a lot of importance and relevance to him, but Adrien is so in our face that it feels like nothing around him mattered, not even the kiss Adrien received. What matters is Adrien. Solely him. And Adrien is smiling.

Then the camera starts to expand little to little to unveil Adrien's "new world". In cinema, we are quite used to start a scene is with help of wide shot before cuting to closer shots. Here, it is the other way around. Which confers a sense of mystery to the scene.

The first thing Adrien sees is Marinette, the girl he is in love with, at his side, bathed by the summer sunlight. The light choice hints we got a time ellipse between this moment and the previous scene.

As Adrien rises up we see their friends having fun in what we guess is the Agreste Mansion Garden.

The artists are painting a mural inspired by Delacroix's famous painting Liberty Leading the People where the characters are remplaced by La Résistance members and led by Ms Bustier depicted as Liberty herself. She is leading the youth to freedom, to a better future.

The rest of the class and their allies are playing in the pool or chilling together.

This series of shots show us the Agreste Mansion garden flourishing with life. In the background, the flowers are all in full bloom, the plants cover most of the gray stones of the mansion, garnishing those with vibrant green tones. On-screen people laughing and having fun.

Hawkmoth (Party Crasher) : I don't feel any negative emotions. There's only... Joy? What is going on in my house?!

This series of shots shows how we are at the opposite at how life used to be for Adrien. His friends can come over and party with him. We see members of both his family and found family. Adrien isn't trapped inside his home-prison anymore. He isn't isolated anymore. He is surrounded by people who love and care about him. And Gabriel is absent from the picture.

Like Bug Noire said earlier during this episode, Adrien already had all of that before the Wish. Adrien went to school and made friends on his own. He wanted to have a birthday party at his home (Bubbler). He wanted to hang and have fun with his friends on multiple occasions. But Gabriel was always the biggest obstacle for Adrien to have those moments, those memories.

It is Gabriel who kept his son isolated. Because Gabriel was living in the past and was unable to move on with life while Adrien decided he wanted more in life than being stuck inside a cocoon. And at the end of Revolution, Adrien knew what he wanted :

Adrien : Father, please, I know what I want. Let me live my life here in Paris with Marinette and my friends. Gabriel : You must go through with this like an Agreste. That's what your mother would have wanted. Adrien : No, I'm sure that Mom would have just wanted me to be happy.

And, in the end, Adrien's wish is fulfilled.

One last sidenote before I continue concerns that one shot.

Despite not being in the center of the shot, Nathalie seems to be doing better than the last time we saw her. She has a least more colors and has gained her red streak of hair back. Her pose however seems... limited. Maybe her body is still weak from the illness afflicting her. Maybe it is due to budget constraint. Or maybe it is both. And remember what Bug Noire said to Gabriel at the end of their fight : she estimated Nathalie had only a few hours left. And we are weeks from now. Either Bug Noire was wrong in her prognostic or Nathalie survived.

Émilie : Adrien will be well surrounded. He'll have you Nathalie, and he'll have his father, if Gabriel agrees to give up on his madness... and on me. Adrien will have all the love he needs to be happy.

Anyway, the group pauses their activities to watch a new show called "Monde Nouveau" (litteraly "New World") and hosted by Alec.

Alec as we know, has changed to become an icon about being yourself and making your dream come true. And him being the host of that new show instead of a character like Nadja, means that we are looking at an happy and positive vision of things.

He interviews Caline Bustier, now both Mayor of Paris and mother of a girl named Harmonie. She shares her program for a better future to us, the audience.

As she talks about her eco-rules, we see sketches supporting her vision. At the bottom right, we recognize the Tsurugi company logo, but next to it there is a new one we haven't seen before.

Next, we see an unveiling of the statue of Gabriel Agreste, which confirms that Gabriel has died. His statue is made of recycled Alliances put out of commission after Monarch's last attack.

Gabriel's statue is his entire height. Gabriel was already a tall character when he was living and his statue is even taller than him. His chin is up, proud. It is almost like he is superior, looking up like that. The camera slight low angle also contributes to this impression I have. Also, he holds a pencil like the designer he is.

Tomoe : Beyond the visionary entrepreneur and the genius creator, it's the hero we celebrate today.

This is how the Parisians in-universe see him. They are unaware of Gabriel's secret identity. They are unaware of the truth. They only know of the image the professional him gave away and they believed he died in an attempt to stop Monarch.

I want to point out the fact Gabriel's statue is made of Alliances. The very tool he uses to try and defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir. He turned Adrien and Kagami's image into avatar for this product against their will to sell both the Alliances and an illusion. He deformed the truth with their avatars by presenting them as a couple (Revelation), or make deepfakes out of them (Representation and Conformation). Now, Gabriel's statue, his image, is made of the very same tool he used. And the Alliances, despite being put out of commission, still contribute to blur the line of what is truth and what is false in regards of his character to the masses.

With this statue made of Alliances, the parisians are honoring the "perfect" and "pure" image they have of Gabriel. I cannot help but think that this huge statue is bound to create great shadows. And even if the real Gabriel is gone, something of him remains and will continue to have an impact.

Tomoe then talks about continuing Gabriel's legacy. To us, the audience, those words have an ominous double meaning as Tomoe was Gabriel's ally until the end and helped him in many of his schemes. And she confirms she will continue that work.

Caline then gets to talk about her new school model which pleases very much everybody as they cheer all together. It will allows Marinette, Adrien and all their friends to remain together while allowing them to explore and grow in the field that please them respectfully.

Then we cut the the sun setting as the cheers are fading away. It is the end of the day and everyone has gone home.

Adrien is now alone in the garden where his mother's statue used to be. White butterflies are flying around. Marinette joins him as he is fidgeting with his parents' twin ring.

Marinette : You are not wearing it? Adrien : When Ladybug gave it to me, she told me how my father helped her defeat Monarch. At the risk of his life.

With this, we know that Ladybug granted Gabriel's dying wish.

Gabriel : Marinette. Make sure that Adrien never knows about the villain that I was, but instead, that he remembers the times I tried to be a good father.

Was it Marinette's place to accept that burden to cover the truth? To acquiesce to her archenemy's demand? Of course not, but that is how kind she is and how flawed she can be. For Adrien's happiness, Maribug is willing to do so. We, as the audience, know it can only last so long the secret is sealed. And no one among Gabriel, Marinette, Nathalie, Félix, Kagami nor Plagg is aware the secret was already breached outside the family circle.

But for the time being, everyone who knows will keep the fact that Gabriel was Monarch a secret.

But even without the truth, Adrien is conflicted about his feelings towards his father. We see that as Adrien answers Marinette's question, he leans a bit towards her, but there is no contact. His eyes are fixated on the ring. Adrien is distant and inside a bubble of doubt about himself. There is a weight, a legacy, he associates with that family ring that he is not sure if he can bear.

Adrien : I don't know if I'll ever manage to be like him.

It is only when Marinette puts her hands on his, covering the ring and the expectations that come with it, that Adrien finally look at her, brought back to here and now. Marinette reassures Adrien he doesn't need to be like his father. Adrien can just be himself, without having to live up to any expectations placed upon him.

Marinette then proceeds in slips the ring on his finger. Adrien is free and in control of who he wants to be, of what he wants to do, no matter his background. The past doesn't matter anymore. He can just focus on what is ahead of him.

In this short shot reverse shot, we see a bit of Marinette's head in Adrien's shot, however in Marinette's reverse shot, she is framed alone.

This bit has of a shift in the discussion. Marinette made contact with Adrien, entering his "bubble". She has established a connection in their discussion. Her words are reaching him and moving him.

Adrien : You always find the right words, Marinette. When I'm with you, I feel so... free!

And now they are in synch. Both say "I love you" to the other at the same time, which make them laugh. And Adrien wraps Marinette's hand as if he never wants to let her go. As if he will protect and cherish her with all his might. She makes him that happy.

As the white butterflies illustrate, there is no negative emotions around. Only pure hapiness. Only love. And they are kissing where Émilie's statue used to be.

Émilie's message in Collusion : Adrien shouldn't have to suffer the consequences of our mistakes. Our little prince has the right to create his own vision of happiness.

In other words, Monarch did not win. Émilie won. Gabriel has used the Wish, yes, but his wish was different than the one he wanted to make for 5 seasons. And it is not unusual for Gabriel to do everything in his power to grant any of Émilie's wishes. And her final wishes were : for Gabriel to let go of his madness, to not bring her back, and for Adrien to be happy.

And the ghost of Émilie can now rest in peace and stop haunting these walls. And Adrien can fully love Marinette the way he wants without any obstacle in the way anymore.

And all points to the Power of Love has ultimately won. Even the most important characters in those scene all have a link related to love.

Adrien was created by love. Ms Bustier promotes love as one of her teachings and she was akumatized twice out of that very emotion (spread love, protect the children's future). And she got elected as Mayor. Alec who interviews Ms Bustier is also another character who is now full of love and care. And Marinette fought for love. Even the Agreste Mansion Garden is associated to love. Gabriel and Émilie got a scene there during Evolution. Marinette and Adrien got a romantic date there as well. Heck, this is even where Nathalie shares she was ready to help Gabriel out of love.

Love may falter or even fades away for a time, but right now, in Adrien's scenes, love is fully blooming.

Back to the scene, as Marinette and Adrien kiss, the camera zoom out at the shot crossfades, giving the impression their kiss is everlasting. And ultimately fades to white...

... before the white suddenly cut to Nadja Chamack's news report where she interviews Professor Du Bocquale about the international event that had happened.

Using both the news reporter and the scientific, we transitioned to Marinette's Guardian of the Miraculous pov. The sentimentality and dream life is over, it is time to get back to the facts and reality. The Happy Ever After is not quite accomplish yet.

And that will be developped in second eventual part because I am reaching the limit of images allowed in one single Tumblr post ^^;

Anyway, thank you for reading this far and stay tuned!

[meduarts]

Managing Life (Part 1/?)

Summary: Marinette has been Audrey Bourgeois' secretary ever since she voiced out her dream of having her own business. Audrey thinks that she should learn more about the nooks and crannies of running a fashion business. However, fate has other plans for her, and honestly, what can our resident guardian could do to counter fate?

Disclaimer: I do not own MLB or DCU. A/N: It has been quite a while since I write fanfiction. I hope this is good enough for now!

Taglist: @timinette-is-best, @peach-blueberry-pie, @tinybrie, @taewinterbear95, @its-maemain, @flyhighdreamer, @kokoroluna (Tell me if you want to be a part of the taglist!)

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"Mme Bourgeois, I have booked the flight to Gotham and arranged your stay at their best suite in Wayne Hotel for 7 days in Gotham during the Gala week."

Marinette reported her progress with polite professionalism like she always uses during this private meeting with her boss, Audrey Bourgeois the CEO of Style Queen. It has been over 5 years since the fall of Hawkmoth and the ex-Parisian hero had hung up her superhero costume and continued her life as usual.

Sure it took some trips to therapy sessions and many breakdowns after that fateful encounter, but like always our hero picked herself back up, brushed the dust, and took another step toward the future. The year when Hawkmoth was defeated was her last year at Dupont. It was a somewhat bittersweet graduation present if she was being honest. When she graduated from Dupont, she did so without even mending her relationship with her classmates.

She left Dupont without looking back, her classmate decided that the girl who can weave words so sweet is a better gem than Marinette and Marinette gave them her answer by letting them go.

After that, she went to IFA and graduated early with honors. While going to fashion school, Chloe successfully roped her to have an internship under the Style Queen. Which landed her a permanent secretary position and is working under Audrey as an apprentice as of today.

"Magnifique! I can always count on you Marinette! Did you make sure that your own accommodation is planned perfectly as well?"

"Naturally, Mme Bourgeois."

Audrey nodded, pleased at how competent Marinette is. "Excellent news, darling. Do you have your dress ready?"

Marinette went quiet and averted her gaze from her boss. Audrey frowned at her changed behavior and sighed heavily. "You do know that you are coming with me, right Marinette?"

Marinette kept quiet.

"Marinette," Audrey called with a pointed tone. Her apprentice fidgets one of her tics when she got found out doing something she wasn't supposed to do.

"Marinette, you know what this Gala meant, yes?"

"A Charity gala, Madame?"

Audrey laughed her signature condescending laugh and waved her gloved hand. "Cease your joking, Marinette! It is a chance for you to spread your wings! Make more connections! You understand why I'll take you with me, non?"

"To make sure your dress stays perfect, Madame?" Marinette snarked playfully.

"Hmm, that is true, yes. But! Aside from that, I want to brag you of course!"

Marinette tilted her head in confusion. Her lips formed a cute pout as her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Brag me, Madame?"

Audrey raised from her leather seat and walked towards the window behind her white marbled desk. "Yes! Marinette, you are an amazing aspiring designer, an amazing secretary and I have nothing to teach you any more about fashion because you soaked it all up like a sponge."

Marinette stayed quiet during her boss' tirade, though her mind began to swirl in a whirlwind of mess. What did she mean she didn't have anything to teach her anymore? She still has a long way to go! It's not her time to spread her wings! She was sure she'll plummet when the first problem occurs in her business! Not to mention, she knew that her design isn't up to par yet to other professional designers for her to build a business.

Sure she has celebrity clients here and there and whenever she opens out her website for the commission the list would be full in no time. However, comparing herself with Style Queen or even the now-dead Agreste Brand, she still has a long way to go.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng cease those self-deprecating thoughts that I know you're thinking right now! Honestly! I have raised you to have self-confidence but it seems that your biggest enemy is yourself!"

Tell me about it, Marinette scoffed internally but stopped her train of thought nonetheless. The young woman raised her head and look at her boss with a pensive look and Audrey gave her a rare soft smile.

"Marinette, you are a great designer, your business though it is small, will grow quickly. I have nothing more to teach you, it's time for you to find a new mentor. Spread your wings, embark new horizon, non?" Audrey spread her hands as a grand gesture, she then winked at Marinette to add a little bit of effect. "Think about it."

"Understood, Mme Bourgeois." Giggled Marinette merrily. Audrey chuckled and clapped her hands. "I'll inform you of my decision, tomorrow morning."

Audrey claps her hand with a victorious smile, "Magnifique! Now! I require-"

"Your special brew coffee and your sweet snacks for the break and the latest fashion magazine as well as your mani-pedis private appointment," Marinette replied immediately with a sardonic smile. Her boss smirked and winked at her and Marinette excused herself from the office.

Once the huge doors of the office closed she let her shoulder slump and exhaled heavily. Her heart was heavy at the thought of leaving Style Queen, she loves her job, though it isn't actually a full-time designing job, she made a good amount of money and the working hours didn't clash with her time to finish her client's commission, so all in all a win-win situation.

However, deep down she knew that Audrey was right, she had hit a point where she could grow no further here. Her design flourished through the years and more celebrities approached her privately to purchase her designs, but honestly, she doesn't know what to do next. Audrey had told her in order to build a big fashion business she would need a mentor that dabbled in a business empire and sadly enough though her network is vast none of them are from a flourishing business empire.

Marinette reached her personal desk and slumped on her seat while massaging her temple. She could feel a prod from her breast pocket and looked down to see her faithful friend peering up at her with their big eyes. Marinette gave Tikki an encouraging small smile.

"It's alright, Tikki, I'll manage." She whispered quietly at her. Even though this particular floor is only inhabited by her office and the big boss, she could never be too safe.

"I know, Marinette. I just figured you need a pat, that's all." Tikki giggled sweetly at her chosen.

"Thank you, Tikki. It definitely gave me a boost." She chuckled and tickled Tikki's soft head with her finger. She took a deep breath and decided to shelve the thought about her growing business aside, she had work to do. She popped her knuckles and straightened her back.

First thing first, the mani-pedis private appointment.

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Marinette finished her work a little later than the normal 5 o'clock, there's a lot of work to be done as the Style Queen's assistant. But she didn't complain, it made her busy so she doesn't have to wallow in depression and anxiety that had always waited for her in the corner.

She gathered her things meticulously, made sure that Tikki is safely tucked in her bucket bag that she had made herself, and left the building to go home. Her penthouse wasn't far from where she worked, so it had been a pleasant quiet walk home.

Once she arrived home she let Tikki out of her bag and went to a room that she named, 'The Kwami Abode'. It was one of the more spacious rooms with a large window facing the Eiffel tower, in the middle of the room stood a glowing tree, the whole tree branches and trunk were white with shimmering iridescent purple and blue, and the leaves were crystal it formed a dome covering the egg-shaped Miracle box on the top of the tree trunk, hanging by the branches were different color pods there were 19 in total for all the Kwamis and each pod was decorated for their personal preference.

The room was painted a soft lilac color and it has layers upon layers of protective magic. Once Marinette had bought herself a place to live using her own commission money and her pay as Style Queen's secretary, she made sure to reserve a room for the Kwamis. She doesn't want them to be cooped up in the Miracle Box, so using her magic she created the trees and pods so that the Kwami could lounge around in peace.

Tikki was delighted that her chosen held such great magic and the other Kwamis were equally delighted that their guardian is thoughtful enough to build them a proper place to stay in.

Marinette smiles as Tikki gave her a small kiss on her cheek and flew to her pod, from one of the pods Pollen flew out and let out an excited squeal.

"The Grand Guardian Is Back!!!" The Bee kwami immediately zoomed toward Marinette and gave her cheek a hug.

Hearing Pollen's excited squeal the other kwamis namely, Trixx, Barkk, and Duusu flew out from their respective pods and swarmed Marinette with hugs of their own. The young Guardian smiled warmly at their excited greetings and left the Kwami Abode to start on dinner.

While making the Kwami's dinner, she was lost in thought again about her future. So lost that she almost chopped her fingers but thankfully Plagg stopped her by nudging her palm with his head. Marinette blinked a few times and her eyes locked at Plagg's electric green. The Black Cat God gave her a look.

"What's going on in your head, kitten?"

Marinette set aside the knife she was holding and let out a deep sigh, "It's nothing, Plagg. I'm just being ridiculous."

"Utterly ridiculous?" Plagg snarked with a shit-eating grin.

Marinette scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious though, pigtails, what's going on? You wanna have a therapy session with your favorite kwami again?"

"Oh come on, Plagg. I haven't been wearing pigtails in years! You've gotta find a more creative nickname than that. You're losing your touch. Also, my favorite Kwami happens to be Wayzz." She winked as Plagg gave a betrayed gasp.

"How dare you, pigtails! I raised you from when you were just a lovesick kitten! Taught you everything you know about mischief and chaos! And this is how you pay me??? Betrayal?? Favoritism???" He wailed dramatically.

Marinette laughed out loud, holding the kitchen counter so she wouldn't fall. Plagg grinned as he watched his precious kitten laugh freely, it doesn't happen too often, not nowadays at least. Marinette had closed herself off from any potential friendship because of the trauma she had from her former classmate. Her only friends, namely Kagami, Luka, and Chloe, didn't see each other as often as they'd like. But they tried at least.

"Anyways, don't try changing the subject, kitten. What's wrong?" Plagg asked again. Marinette stopped her laugh and smiled weakly at Plagg.

"I'm not getting out of this conversation, am I?"

"Nope, kitty cat! C'mon, y'know you can confide your worries to dear old Plagg!"

Marinette snorts and rolled her eyes before huffing silently. "It's about my future. Audrey told me that I might need to find another mentor since she doesn't have anything to teach me anymore. It's a great opportunity but I'm content with what I have!"

Plagg hummed and floats closer to Marinette. "You're scared of change, aren't you?"

Marinette holds her shoulder and hunched forward while biting her lips anxiously. "Maybe...Okay... Yeah, I'm scared. It's just... I think she wants me to leave France and I'm just..."

"Not ready?"

The former ladybug nodded meekly at that. Plagg reached out to touch her cheeks. "Listen to me, Bugs. I know how scary it is to get out of your comfort zone, but I can feel you restless. You are a true Holder, A True Soul even! I can tell that your creative soul is dying to leave this place. Paris is safe now, it has been safe for 5 years, and you made sure of that. The people had their time to move on forward. But you? This might be your chance to do so."

"But what about, you guys?"

"What? You think we're going to hate leaving Paris? Kitten, you are the Great Grand Guardian of the Miraculous. Where you go we follow. Besides, I think I speak for all of my siblings that we just want you to be happy."

"Plagg is right my Queen! You made sure we live in comfort and we also want the same for you!"

"You've done so much for us and it's time for you to be a little selfish, who knows maybe you'll meet the love of your life out there!" Duusu exclaimed excitedly.

"Besides, your power has improved greatly, Grand Guardian. I think making another 'Kwami's Abode' in your new residence wherever you will be would be an easy task. We believe in you." Wayzz added as he joined the conversation.

Marinette felt tears prickling from her eyes, she sniffed and looked up at the Kwamis around her. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She whispered.

Her heart settled for the first time in a few years, no lingering anxiety as her decision was made. Perhaps, the Wayne Gala would lead her to a better life, a new exciting adventure, a place where she could finally call home.

"Well, it looks like we're all going to take a trip to Gotham."

TBC

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[iamsosmaug]

Miraculous Fic Recs

Recently I've been complaining a lot on the internet how sucky the recent seasons of ML have been, and how much better the old fanfics are; I'm going to prove my point by sharing my tried-and-true rec list. Here we go.

Back To Us - Written in 2017, so some things are inaccurate. Basically Marinette, as Ladybug, kills Gabriel Agreste on accident by pushing him off the Eiffel Tower and Adrien moves to Milan. Seven years later Marinette is a rising fashion designer, her long-lost partner comes back seven years later but hot, and a new Hawkmoth shows up on the very day Adrien comes back. Suspicious. INCLUDES: Antihero!Chat. Alternate superhero names for Alya, Nino + there are only seven miraculouses which honestly I like a lot better than Ladybug just busting another one out whenever she feels like it. At one point, it was the longest fic in the fandom but now it's not even close. 446k. Requires an Ao3 account to read.

Second Chances- Again, written fairly early in the fandom. Adrien is a single dad and Alya volunteers Marinette to be his daughter's nanny - the premise sounds like it could turn out really weird but I promise it's not. Adorable adorable. INCLUDES: Past ChloexAdrien and MarinettexNathanael, and Adrien never went to school. Reverse best friends (Alya + Adrien, Mari + Nino). 105k.

Whose Woods These Are (I Think I Know) - Ladrien Cinderella AU. Super well-written in a kind of fairytale style. I honestly love this fic. 105k.

Spotty Connections - Adrienette texting fic (no miraculous AU, but does incorporate LadyNoir). Tikki & Plagg are M&A's cats. One of my favorites ever. 66k.

Film It - Adrien is a youtuber! Soon all of Twitter ships #adrienette. INCLUDES: Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting. Endgame Adrienette. Superheroes exist, but LB & CN aren't a huge part of this. Also worthy of note: #thatfoursome and a decent amount of Twitter formatting. This has pretty much everything I want in an Adrienette fic. 56k.

Chasing The C/h/atwalk - Project Runway AU. Marinette is a designer and Adrien... is her model. Shenanigans ensue. INCLUDES: Some LadyNoir, mostly after the identity reveal. #MarinetteInDenial. 100k. I love this fic.

Lucky Us - No Miraculous email AU. See Spotty Connections: LadyNoir incorporated without the actual superheroes. Fluff with a tiny bit of angst but still happy ending. 136k.

Secret Santa - fluff. Pure fluff; classic in the fandom. A bit cheesy and very outdated but very nice. Time for a reread. It has a sequel called New Year's Ball. 52k.

Être Majeur - horror, AU, fairly short, creepy and strange but really well-written. 24k. M for horror elements.

La Pucelle Et La Coccinelle - Absolute favorite. Explores Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc in this story) with the Ladybug Miraculous. INCLUDES: Actual historical references, lore for the miraculouses, and a flashforward to the future at the end with Marinette. 38k. I have it printed out, I love it so much.

Pray For the Children You Lost Along the Way - Silent Hill AU (Emilie Anderson from the arcade game is Adrien's mom). It has been on hiatus since 2019, but is still worth a read because so many things tie together in a satisfying way. 86k. Rated M b/c of Silent Hill-type things.

Under Lock and Key - Huge classic also published on Wattpad. Author/artist collab with Maerynn & EdenDaphne - Maerynn passed away while the fic was being written and ED finished it. Very nice art by ED. I view this fic as the quintessential 2017 era Adrienette fic. Very sweet and fluffy. 34k.

Tripped at Fencing - Gabriel hits Adrien. INCLUDES: Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting. Accidental identity reveal (Marinette finds out first). Only 5k but a classic.

The Butterfly and Her Brother series (Generations Past and Future) - written c. 2016. Gabriel is NOT Hawkmoth; Gabriel is not a villian in the least so technically OOC. First couple are set in the 1990s, then a couple in ~2016 and the latest in like 2044. I haven't read the last one in the series but WHATHGAWAATG (Europe gets taken over), featuring the next gen of Agrestes, is really good as well. Many things are outdated/false as this was written based off of s1, but I honestly like this interpretation of the Miraculous much better than how the show does it. Mama Agreste's name is Adele (again, s1) and I quite like her character. I freaking LOVE this series. I have it downloaded to my phone and I reread it when I'm feeling sad. 340k in total, but the longest work in the series is about 166k. SO many kudos.

a fight that you were born to lose - "Adrien finds out that Gabriel is Hawkmoth, and Gabriel gets to bring his long-waited plan into action." TW abuse, emotional manipulation, forced dieting. Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting. Fairly short for how well-rounded it is - 17k.

An Impromptu Proposal - what it says on the tin. Reverse love square kinda: Ladynoir requited love bc Adrien never went to school. Includes identity reveal and Hawkmoth!Lila takedown. 33k.

On The Prowl - Criminal CN. Also on ffn.net. Good story and TOTALLY a classic, but also uses 'ravenette' and 'sapphire orbs' unironically. The writing is okay if a little melodramatic. 53k.

Chat Noir's White French Man Hit List For Feminist Purposes - pretty much what it says on the tin. Sentimonster!Adrien. 7.8k.

i think it's time i told you (i'm a fan of your universe) - ladynoir proposal. v v nice. Just 5k. Smidge of angst.

The Ladyblog Comment Section - what it says on the tin. 27k. Hilarity and crack.

spark - Tinder AU. Lots of Marichat. Angst with a happy ending. 49k. Slow burn w/ eventual identity reveal.

all dressed up and nowhere to go - No Miraculouses modern royalty AU - human Tikki and Plagg. Mostly DJWifi but a mild amount of adrienette and a smidge of chlogami. Includes arranged marriage Adrien x Alya but they don't end up together. "Twenty-five-year-old Marinette is a wedding dress designer, business blooming in her trusty shop, Ladybug Bridal. When the engagement of Prince Adrien Agreste and Ancient Princess Alya Césaire is announced, all she expects is an influx of work. What she gets instead is... a bit different." 35k.

tangled ribbons - Ao3. ballet/dance AU (no miraculous). Adrienette with some DJWifi and human Tikki & Plagg. "Marinette is a small studio dancer who wins a scholarship to a summer long ballet intensive. Adrien is a famous ballet dancer who would rather be at home than at said intensive. The end of the summer will bring about a showcase that could make Marinette's career, if she can ignore Chloé and focus on something other than Adrien." 82k. The slowest of burns.

Where timing is kind to us - Ao3. marichat discusses quantum physics. 4.3k. This is a beautiful one-shot with a one-sided reveal.

[celestiall0tus]

Tell me, how did you feel about the messed up season 5 finale?

I think I see now why my Tumblr inbox total has been off by one for a while now. But! Better late than never.

So, if I'm honest, it's laughable. Adrien being denied the chance to face Hawkmoth hurt, but whatever. Bugnoire was ok, but eh. I was glad to see Gabriel trick Marinette so he could get the miraculous and make his wish. Which, fuck.

So, I've long since chosen violence when I woke up today, but I'm just gonna say it. Gabriel won. He wasn't redeemed through any normal means but got his wish. He wanted to be seen as a good guy and so he was. There was no redemption but a man's wish that completely rewrote the future of their reality. Hell, I'd barely call it a redemption anyway. He won, plain and simple. And, honestly, I'm glad he did.

I make no secret that I hate the writing in the show. I know it's supposed to be geared towards kids, but even I've seen kids shows that do such a better job than that shit show. Fuck, I would much rather watch Arthur and Bluey, true kids shows, over miraculous any day. I'd honestly put Miraculous damn near on par with the fucking nonsensical kids shows I have to watch while watching over a three year old that make me want to blow out my brains. All this rambling to say how piss poor Miraculous is as a kids show, has terrible messaging, and I'm glad Gabriel won.

Kids show or not, every part of this show is insulting. Fuck I've seen 6 year olds enjoy this show so much more than the intended audience. Which, the two gremlins (12 and 14) I know in that audience would be cheering with me that Gabriel won because they both hate Marinette.

Additionally (before I ramble again) if you want to add this example to the show glorifying abuse, have at it. Personally, I don't see it quite that way. The villain won. He got his wish, whatever that may have fully been. However, we know he had it with Adrien in mind. So, here we are in this perfect world for his darling boy who'll always remember him as a hero. Done deal. Wish accomplished.

All this rambling aside is to say, the villain won and everyone was screwed by idiot writers that can't even write a fucking 'kids show'

[kabartmatzu]

Oookaaay… Here is Marinette Dupain-Cheng aka Ladybug. There is not many doodles like in Chloe’s drawing because I didn’t want to lol. I worked on Ladybug waay before Chloe and I tried so many designs and I worked on this drawing for days because of my job so I kinda got bored of drawing her. But I will draw her more later, dw!

Now I want to tell a little about my design choices rather than her story. She is not so different from show anyway. I deleted her creepiness and made her “not wearing same outfit everyday”. Lmao. Also she talks a lot about fashion in every kind of situation. She is a talented person in many kind of things. She is kind, friendly and cares about others more than herself. I kept her clumsiness but not as annoying as in the show. She is late to school not because she over sleeps but because she spends so much time on her clothing I thought. She got miraculous on high school but story takes time in their university years. Nino is her high school friend. She met with Alya in university. They are roommates in dorm.

So there are rules I follow when I design their hero outfits. Like keep the eyes same as kwamii’s eyes. And there are some features every holder keeps. I mean for all the Ladybug users, they’ve got that black dot on their head and they can’t cover it. That’s why her fringe (?) is short. Also Marinette would like her hair out of her way. Or they get elytra and wings. Yes she got wings so does Queen Bee ( even tho i forgot to draw ) but they can’t fly I thought. They just can glide with them because wings are not big enough for a human to fly. Or Cat users always get ears. All users get sharper faces so they become unrecognizable also their skin tone changes a little. Ladybug users get redder Bee users get yellower etc.

So for Marinette I tried giving her Chinese symbols like some other redesigns. I would like to show it but I can’t get it thanks to Autodesk getting crushed :/ I like that design but still I didn’t went with that. I felt like it doesn’t help with the secret identity thing. So I went with reds over black like real ladybugs. 🐞 I also wanted white dots a lot because of, again, real ladybugs. But I didn’t like them so I added circles over black dots. I am not sure if it looks too complicated but I kinda liked them. Yellow would be good too with red and black but every character would have yellow on them if I did so. Chat Noir and Hawkmoth has yellow details in my redesigns that you will see in the future. (Kinda want to give that they are related they are son and father thing with same yellow lines. I thought its cute.) Queen Bee is also yellow soo I didn’t add yellow on Ladybug. Two stripes on her hips for ladybug’s third set of legs if that makes sense. Her legs and arms are black because ,again, ladybugs are like that. I also thought she added her ladybug thing on her neck after seeing Cat Noir’s bell hehehe. I like pig tails but I really wanted “antennas” to come from her hair so I changed them into buns and I kinda liked them.

Also about her earrings looking like triangles, in my version kwamiis can shapeshift and miraculouses are kind of a part of them so they also can change miraculouses looks. So Marinette has shapeshifting earrings so she doesn’t have to keep buying new earrings lmaoo. It is also good for hiding their identity!

For her powers I will make a post and explain my version of the power system so I will explain her powers there but let me tell you no.miraculous.ladybuging. No fixing every damage. No. Also her yoyo will have more abilities so does other users weapons. I don’t think I will keep the communication thing where they use them as phones. But I want yoyo to has the abilities in the 2D version. Like using it as smoke bomb or as a shield. Her elytra is also like a shield but she can’t take it in her hand. It always stays in her back. Or she can separate her yoyo from middle and make it kinda like nunchucks. I will draw those to explain better.

Also… I am not sure how she will use her creation power. I mean she creates something with her yoyo i mean lucky charm. But Chat Noir looks like he gets his destruction power from his ring. Did you get what I mean? I thought maybe Marinette should get the thing she created from her earrings and make all other users like that but like how Queen Bee’s venom will work then? Or Rena Rouge’s power?? I am not sureee. Maybe I should make them all use their weapons to use their powers or I can make all of them different? Any idea?

[sweetmarichat]

Why akumatized Marinette wouldn't work in the past, but why it could work now...

Marinette was the only user of the ladybug miraculous in the past. Therefore, who would be left to de-akumatize her?

She was also extremely optimistic. I don't want to use the term "naive" because she was certainly aware of the trouble going on around her, but she couldn't have possibly predicted all the details or events that played out.

No way she knows Hawkmoth's motivations, for example. Nor the extent to which he'd pursue the cat and ladybug miraculouses. And the same goes for Chloe and Lila. Marinette even gave Chloe multiple chances to become a better person but the writers- I mean, Chloe refused.

Now, Marinette is facing more and more stressful situations. She isn't just a girl with a crush (not that she ever was just that, because she's always had her responsibilities as Ladybug, but anyway)...

She's not juggling more and more responsibilities. Her relationship with Adrien. Trying to protect her friends from Lila and Chloe. Her duty as a guardian. Monarch having more powers. Her complicated feelings for Chat Noir. Not to mention her trying to decide what her future is going to be, what schools she wants to go to, etc.

But she also has Alya who knows her secret. Alya, who shares her responsibility of being Ladybug. Alya, who could have the Ladybug Miraculous on a day where Marinette needs to focus her attention solely on her school or other life issues, and therefore gave the Miraculous to Alya to ease up on some of her stress.

Marinette could be akumatized because now there's someone else who can save the day. It's not just her responsibility anymore.

So, yeah, I do want to see Marinette get akumatized... because I want to see her friends save her for once. I want to see her become humanized. Right now, she's basically an untouchable superhuman. But no one is perfect. Let her crumble a bit.

[into-september]

WIP reblog game

tagged by @chaos-has-theories and @ladyofthenoodle, thanks~

If you're like me and you have a million WIPs and are anxious about updating them, play this game!

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

After the War (the most long-winded Love Square get together post Hawkmoth defeat ever and not in the fun misunderstandings-and-pining way)

Bread and Roses (no powers LS never met soulmate AU)

If You Read This Line, Remember Not The Hand That Wrote It (I think the human sentimonster storyline was a choice and made it everyone's problem. fic predates S5 though and isn't at all about where canon ended up going)

Five Things Apollo Justice Let Go When Staying In Khura'in (self-explanatory, with complimentary klapollo)

The one about the Reveal that happened before Radio Silence and/or That Conversation between Adrien and Marinette at the end of chapter 2 (alyanette friendship with background LS)

WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT:

...so. There were parts of this story that caused me trouble like you wouldn't believe, but the final chapter is essentially just smut and I spent enough of my twenties hanging around kink memes to know that PWP comes easy to me. So this was not the part I was stressing about while trying to keep the deadline for finishing the fic. And the irony is that life literally happened and I have not had the energy to write, far less get into the headspace for this one, for the last few months. There's no one part of it I'm more excited to write than the rest; it's two virgins trying to figure out sex together while carrying the story's theme of having to hide except from the one person who shares the same secret. I mostly just want to get it off my to do list.

There are only two future parts of it I have a clear vision of, so I'll guess my answer will be Adrien modelling the winner of Gabriel's bowler hat competition!

FELIX. You better believe he's here to make life difficult for Alya, have carefully concealed Feelings about both the Adriens, and do something undignified on Gabriel Agreste's grave

The reason it took me ten years to post this was that I really wanted Apollo's first Christmas in Khura'in and Klavier just happens to have a layover there.

It was very important for me that Adrien is enough of a weabo to have the OP of a certain 2002 anime about quirky schoolgirls as his ringtone ("HELLO EVERYNYAN", that's all I'm saying)

POLL TIME!

No pressure tags: @trainsinanime, @generalluxun and @galahadwilder who I think are the only fic-writing mutuals who haven't been tagged

[ceriseisbestgirl]

Song stuck in my head

Gabriel: In the daytime, I'm Gabriel Just a normal man with a normal life But I have a secret I must keep at any cost Or all hope will be lost

Gabriel/Betterfly: Miraculous! Fear is a cage Hear the message, answer the call Miraculous! Yes, you can change The power of love will free us all Miraculous!

I really hope that Cerise/Chrysalis gets to sing the opening theme song at some point in the next season.

[pisoprano]

This is an ML salt post, particularly about Lila Rossi. If you are actually excited about Lila being the main villain in future season(s), this post isn't for you, I just need to rant. A lot.

I hate Lila Rossi. I hate her with a burning passion. Literally every episode where she shows up, my hatred for this character will manifest in me saying "I hate her" the moment she opens her mouth, followed by seething throughout every moment she spends onscreen.

In prior seasons, this wasn't much of an issue--she'd show up for a couple episodes and then she'd disappear 90% of the time, so I could usually just focus on literally anything else in the show. With season 5, however, she started showing up much more. I knew it was coming, of course--the foreshadowing that she would be the successor to Hawkmoth has been visible since season 3, and it was announced that he'd be gone after this season. But if the show had ended at season 5 as originally intended, butterfly!Lila could have been a theoretical problem for adult!Ladybug and adult!Chat Noir in 10 years. But since the powers that be have decided to have the show continue past Gabriel Agreste, Lila is a problem now and will be a problem at least until Chris Lahiffe is a teenage boy, if "Timetagger" is any indication. And we, the audience, will be forced to suffer through all of it.

Why, though, do I hate the idea of Lila being the main villain? I was fine with having Gabriel in the villain seat for five seasons despite him being a terrible father and manipulative git, after all. With Gabriel, there was a particular humanity to him that made him interesting--this entire show is about love and Gabe's love was so overwhelming and myopic and self-serving that he resorted to villainy while convincing himself that he was secretly the hero all along, sacrificing everything (even his morality) for the woman he loved. He used his love as an excuse to justify the harm he caused Paris and his very own son. As he continually reached for forbidden means to get what he wanted, his dreams ballooned in scope--he'd defied the odds when he'd married above his station, he'd defied the odds when he'd become a world-renowned designer, he'd defied the odds when he found the miraculous and created the perfect son--and so it became all too natural for him to fight the impossible fight as Hawkmoth because he deserved to win this too. And the whole time, unbeknownst to either of them, he's fighting against the son who he's been neglecting and controlling in his fight to save someone who never wanted to be saved? That stuff is fascinating.

Lila, though? She's got none of that complexity. She's a consummate liar who hates the protagonists and literally nothing else. In other shows, she'd be the transfer student who shows up for an episode, gets exposed as a fraud by the end of that episode, and then literally never be seen again. This show, however, has Lila overstay the welcome that her character archetype is built for and instead be a recurring problem. And, because a liar can only get away with lying if the surrounding characters don't know she's lying, Lila is made untouchable by the plot. Other villainous characters have some plot immunity to their evilness--Chloe, obviously, has the automatic win condition of demanding her father to get her out of trouble whenever she wants. But Lila's plot immunity comes from an inexplicable ability to manipulate everyone around her (besides our main protagonists, who are forced to only cry wolf). She makes all the supporting cast love her without help, she does so even to characters we'd expect to know better. When she first showed up, her lies weren't even good and still she gets away with her reputation in tact basically every time. The one time where she does get exposed to everyone, she gets to have an easy redo by making up a completely new identity to try again. She's a Villain Sue. And her very presence weakens the story she's in.

Lila only exists because the writers decided to make an absolute hate sink. They absolutely succeeded in doing so. And frankly, that's a problem. Most of the time, if you're going to have a character in a show for any length of time, they should be likeable on some level. They could be sympathetic or competent or proactive or even just have a personality that's fun to watch, but the audience shouldn't feel like the character is a waste of viewing time. Lila isn't someone the audience can identify with, her competence is largely in name only (I will allow that her manipulative skills during season 5 are stronger, but her ludicrously bad prior lying and the unexplained nature of her sudden hypercompetence now aren't nearly enough to make me forgive her here). Lila's sometimes doing things behind the scenes, sure, but she has the laughably petty objectives of "be famous" and "ruin classmate's life" and I cannot take her actions towards achieving these goals seriously as a bit villain, let alone a primary antagonist. And--worst of all--her voice is extremely annoying. I will suffer through a myriad of things, but I can only listen to nails on a chalkboard so long before need to leave the room.

And this might be a bit of a hot take, but honestly? I don't think Lila was even necessary in the first place. In episodes like "Volpina" or "Oni-Chan," she could have been replaced with Chloe (our original mean girl who's clingy with Adrien--she might not be my favorite character either, but at least she's funny). I'm positive that the plot of "Catalyst" and "Miraculer" could have been reworked to happen without Lila's involvement without much effort. The entire subplot of Lila being Adrien's modelling partner was more about Gabriel controlling his son--it could have been easily about forcing Adrien to be alone instead of forcing him to be with someone he didn't like. The fact that Lila shows up so little in the first four seasons just goes to prove how unnecessary she is. She only becomes important in season 5 because the writers now know that they need to prepare for a new supervillain to fill Gabriel's shoes after he leaves--and she's the only one who comes anywhere close to fitting. So, suddenly, she's being far more active than she ever was (almost half of her total appearances are in season 5 alone), but her motivations are less clear than ever, so I'm left assuming that this hollow character must still have the hollowest of motivations--popularity, power, getting back at the kids who rebuffed her... after having 5 seasons of truly delicious drama, why on earth would I want to turn the worst thing about those 5 seasons into main course?

I know I am far from being alone in hating Lila Rossi's character. There are literally thousands of fics tagged with "Lila's Lies Are Exposed" because so many readers want to see her be punished for her actions. I'm actually not really a fan of these--I don't take joy in seeing Lila being taken down. I want her to disappear from the narrative entirely. If the current state of United States politics has taught me anything, it's that that watching a terrible person get their comeuppance is never as satisfying as you think it will be because that terrible person will keep popping up and keep being terrible and keep forcing you to think about them. The best possible punishment I can think of for Lila is to act like she's just an OC made from some background character that never mattered in the first place--and then never have to think about her existence in the show again.

I was happy to watch the first 5 seasons of Miraculous Ladybug. I wish it had only been those 5 seasons (side note: Chat deserved to go up against his father in the final battle. I get that he couldn't since the mandate for more seasons requires the identities to be intact, but this was the point in the narrative when the reveal was meant to happen and it has weakened the story to move it elsewhere). I haven't decided to not watch season 6 at this point, but knowing who I will have to deal with in every episode? It's making it very difficult for me to want to continue any further.

[myfanfictiongarden]

In defence of Adrian’s absence from the s5 finale

Alright, so, a lot of people are upset that we saw very little of Adrien in the season 5 two-parter finale, especially considering it as evolving around the Agreste family and especially his father. Now, while I too would have liked to see more of him (and think in general this show ignores him at times too much) the finale was set up this way that it was necessary for him to be absent.

Why was it necessary?

Remember that little episode called “Chat Blanc”? Remember what happened in that scenario where Gabriel confronted Adrien/Chat Noire not only with the fact that he is Hawkmoth but also that he wishes to bring back Emilie, all while threatening Marinette/Ladybug? Didn’t the world get kinda destroyed by Adrien becoming akumatised? 

Didn’t we kinda witness throughout all of s5 how violent/destructive Adrien can get when someone threatens someone he loves? Didn’t we all count the instances where he just wished to cataclysm everything? His trauma of cathaclysming Hawkmoth/Monarch, who while a villain, is still a human being? The sheer dread of what he saw in the nightmare scenario of becoming Anti-Chat and killing Ladybug?

Doesn’t he get that violent part from his father? Protecting loved ones even on the cost of everything else.

Adrien himself says in the session finale that he is afraid of what he could do, that he is far too emotionally vulnerable at that moment to join Ladybug in the fight. Isn’t that incredibly mature and brave of him to say?

Believe me, him being emotionally vulnerable like his father will play a part in future episodes as well as him being in the dark of what was really going on. But when it comes to the fight in the finale he was a far better help and support to Ladybug by trusting her and keeping harm away from her.

[abyssal-ali]

The Terrifying Trio (T3)

Alright y'all this is my DP x DC x MLB crossover!

Masterlist here

A/N: Rereading this it's more of an outline than a story, oops. I do like this idea and have vague plans to flesh it out & turn it into an actual story, but that will likely be wayyy in the future, so feel free to be inspired by this or flesh it out for me😜 (just please tag me!)

Rating: G (? Mentions of death and experimentation but nothing graphic. Let me know if I should change/add warnings!)

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

----------

The T3 began with three completely normal teenagers forced to meet by their friends and family. Their origin was simply to make those who set up this meeting regret it and serve as a warning not to mess with scarily-well-trained teenagers. It worked better than they hoped and grew into a branch of the vigilante groups.

The group, as civilians, looked similar, with black hair and blue or green eyes, and appeared to be a normal teenage friend group.

Wrong.

Nothing about them was normal.

The oldest of the three, Damian Wayne, was the youngest son of multi-billionaire socialite Bruce Wayne, who happened to be a founding member of the Justice League and the original vigilante of Gotham, Batman. His mother was an assassin and the daughter of the League of Assassins' leader. Damian was the fifth user of the Robin mantle and now went by the moniker Phoenix.

Daniel Fenton was the second halfa and King of the Infinite Realms but preferred to be referred to by his hero persona, Phantom. He was Marinette's twin but had been separated at birth.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was the Grand Guardian of the Miraculous and the true holder of both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculi, going by Blackjack as a hero. She was treated as a queen by the other members of the trio, as Danny was her brother and Damian her boyfriend.

----------

Danny Fenton was 14 when he entered his parents' portal to the Ghost Zone and became half-human/half-ghost in a tragic accident. A couple years later he, as his hero alias Phantom, became the new Ghost King by defeating the old tyrant. He was discovered by Superman, who was flying home from Smallville one day and found a ghost boy fighting more ghosts. He became Danny's mentor and introduced him to the Justice League.

Damian was Robin when he was kidnapped by his mother to be part of an experiment, as Heir to the Demon. It didn't work immediately, and he was thrown into a Lazarus Pit to heal and revive him. The Pit bonded with the experimental serum and Damian awoke as a meta with regeneration/reanimation/healing powers similar to Deathstroke's. Damian also began learning basic magic from his brother Jason's girlfriend, Raven.

Marinette knew she was a true Ladybug, but once she took back the ring from her ex-partner she discovered that she was also a true black cat. Her arch-nemesis Hawkmoth and his allies were swiftly defeated with her combined abilities and the support of her team. A previous Ladybug's daughter, who was a museum curator in Paris, recognized her energy and offered to become her mentor, introducing Ladynoir to the Justice League.

----------

Today was the day for the Leaguers to bring their mentees to the Watchtower to meet the other mentees/partners. Batman arrived first as always, accompanied by Robin. Superman arrived soon after with Superboy and Phantom, then Wonder Woman and Ladynoir.

Nightwing pushed Robin towards Phantom and Ladynoir, who were gazing out at the galaxy in awe.

“Go make some friends, Baby Bat!”

“Tt.” Robin stalked over to the other two, who barely acknowledged him. “If you do not want my company, do not hesitate to say so.” Please.

Ladynoir turned and scanned him critically. “Hm...were you forced to come and 'socialize' and 'make contacts, if not friends', too?”

“Unfortunately. I am perfectly happy with the small circle of friends I already have.”

Phantom turned from the stars to the conversation. “My sister keeps telling me I need more socializing for my mental health or whatever, but I'm perfectly fine with my girlfriend and guy in the chair.”

“Exactly!” exclaimed Ladynoir. “I have my team, why do I need civilians or more hero friends?”

“Why don't we show our mentors why they shouldn't encourage us to make friends, then,” suggested Robin.

Cheshire grins spread over the others' faces.

Across the room, deep in their own conversation, their mentors shivered.

----------

After that, the trio really did become friends. One day, during a visit to the Batcave to see Robin, an incident happened that forced Robin to find out that Phantom and Ladynoir's DNA showed their genetic similarity; both siblings had been adopted and hadn't known it. That was an awkward conversation. Ladynoir was glad she had a crush on Robin, not Phantom, which would have made it even worse.

Ladynoir was introduced to her brother's clone, Dani (her sister? Cousin?) The trio told each other their civilian identities several months into their friendship collaboration and started their own hero group, Styx.

(Dani and Jason were honourary members.)

Damian shed Robin and became Phoenix instead, and Ladynoir became Blackjack, but Danny decided to keep Phantom as his alias.

----------

Damian asked Marinette out while they were on a stakeout. When she happily responded, “It's a date!” he got a little flustered. Danny looked at him and grinned at his friend's awkwardness.

Having had years of practice as their alter egos, all three members of Styx were excellent fighters, but even as civilians, they were trained in martial arts, with their mothers being formidable women. Maddie Fenton was an eighth-degree black belt, Talia al Ghul was a leader of assassins, and Sabine Cheng was a former assassin/mercenary.

Damian discovered Sabine's old career on the stakeout and was struck by how similar he and Marinette were. Of course, Mari was usually a lot nicer (maybe softer was a better word?) than him, even after she toughened up, but they were similar in many other ways.

After the intel they needed was gathered they realized how close they were when they glanced up from reviewing the information. Damian froze and Marinette leaned in a tiny bit. “Is this an actual date?” she whispered.

He swallowed. “I hope so.”

Mari smiled softly. “Me too.”

He closed the distance tentatively and she inched closer.

Danny flew up just after his sister's and friend's lips met. “I called it! Jason owes me $20!”

They jerked apart, glaring daggers at him. “Danny!”

----------

T3, the civilian Styx, finally agreed to let their friends/teams meet each other. Phantom and Blackjack had interacted with the Bats and Titans on missions and JL gatherings before, but the Miraculous Court and Team Phantom hadn't met yet.

Yet again, a glowing portal opened in Amity Park, but his time it was connected to Paris. Danny's support trio (not to be confused with his abetting trio) stepped into the Miraculous Corut's HQ. Luka and Juleka Couffaine-Stone, Kagami Tsurugi, Chloe Bourgeois, Max Kante, and Alix Kubdel met Tucker Foley, Sam Manson, and Jazz Fenton. Max and Tucker became instant frenemies, battling over tech, while Sam and Juleka bonded surprisingly quickly over all things goth.

----------

The T3 waited in the shadows of the warehouse to apprehend the cultists intent on summoning a long-dead magician. When it was go time they transformed (Blackjack had figured out how to do it without a flash of light), becoming the cultists' nightmares, Styx.

Danny had glowing green eyes, weightless white hair, fangs, and Phantom's general ghostly presence for beginning intimidation.

Blackjack appeared as a white-haired, glowing green cat-eyed, fanged, clawed, and winged being: in short, terrifying.

Phoenix had glowing green eyes, white hair, sharper-than-should-be-normal teeth, a katana on his back and fireballs in his hand. (The Pit had whitened his hair completely, but he had a glamour spell on his civilian form to appear as before with black hair. The pyrokinesis was one of his favourite spells and one of the first Raven taught him, upon plenty of begging bribing.)

[mlbigbang]

2022 Rare Pair Fic Rec List

It's the end of the year which means it's finally time for the ML Big Bang's yearly fic rec lists! We're really excited to bring you our contributors' favourite fics started this year to supply you with plenty of reading material while you're waiting for the Big Bang fics' publication in January.

Alya/Nino

Strangely Familiar by @sunfoxfic 79,676 words, Teen, 30/30 chapters

Alya Césaire’s life is perfect. Indeed, between the success of the Ladyblog, how well she’s doing in school, and the fact that she’s a superhero who has never bore the weight of a crisis of epic proportions, her life almost couldn’t be better. Almost. But Alya has always been a go-getter, and so she’ll chase after that perfect life if it kills her. Which is how she ends up rushing to move out of her father’s apartment and in with Marinette, Adrien, and a complete stranger: Nino Lahiffe. And in fact, her life does seem perfect — she and Nino are fast friends. They spend a lot of time together and get to know each other really well. But in the end, fortunate situations will bear unfortunate truths, and she learns things about herself that aren’t quite comfortable. Like I said, though: Alya has always been a go-getter, and she won’t let new feelings deter her from chasing after her perfect life.

"DJWifi centric with great Core 4 dynamics as well, really interesting Nino & Alya characterisation and interactions and identity shenanigans and aaaahhhhh"

Trust your instincts by @ultrakart 2,380 words, General, 1/1 chapter

Alya has the instincts of a fox. Nino finds it hilarious.

"Funny animal instincts DJWifi fic. Perfect :D"

Laughing at her Laughter by @sunfoxfic 634 words, General, 2/2 chapters

Now that Nino knows Alya has the Fox Miraculous permanently, they're able to try something they always wanted to do: Switch Miraculous. For one of them, at least.

"A very sweet kwami-swap! AND it has beautiful bonus art!"

Pigs and Purposes by @azuriteartist 863 words, General, 1/1 chapter

Nino and Alya discuss responsibility and sacrifice.

"We stan kwami swaps so much and this conveys so much with so little."

Adrien/Nino

in which Adrien braids his boyfriends hair by @ck2k18 986 words, General, 1/1 chapter

"I could do your hair for you,” Adrien offered. “I-if you wanted.” Nino turned to look at him. “You want to cut my hair?” Adrien shook his head. “Not exactly. I mean, I could try but I don’t think you want me to, unless you want to end up bald,” he joked. “I was thinking I could braid it.”

"Adrinino is so good and it's so sweet!!! I love a good ole hair doing fic!!! (especially when there's talk of future kids!)"

Marinette/Alya

Is it chill that you're in my head? by @bring-the-storm 8,217 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

Alya stared at the picture plastered across the homepage of every single tabloid and news site, whispering every curse she could think of under her breath. SHOCKING SECRET ROMANCE BETWEEN LADYBLOGGER AND PARISIAN SUPERVILLAIN REVEALED!!! the headline announced, casually shouting the words she had been dreading for all of Paris to read. --- Alya had always assumed that someday Paris would discover that she had secretly been kissing their most wanted vigilante, but she had never thought it would happen so soon. As the domino effects of her relationship with Ladybug go spiraling through her life, Alya turns her sights towards the one responsible: the elusive superhero Hawkmoth. AKA Someone outs Alya and her girlfriend so she retaliates by deciding to take down Hawkmoth 

"A very enjoyable read! As the tags say, it's basically an episode of a show; it's a bit funny, a bit plotty, a bit shippy. A very clever story!"

Marinette/Kagami

We Don't Need Roses by @coffeebanana 5,308 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

Kagami’s days at the tattoo shop have gotten a lot more exciting since the flower shop opened up next door, bringing Marinette into her life. But no matter how close the two seem to be growing, Kagami can’t help but notice that something is holding Marinette back.

"Marigami. Mainly fluffy, but there's some angst that really rounds it out. Tattoo parlor/flower shop AU. What I liked most about it was the characters backstories, especially Marinette. Also Kagami is a useless lesbian."

Marinette/Chloé

the memories that you went and tossed away by @sunfoxfic 4,965 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

Marinette Dupain-Cheng suffered from an accident that caused amnesia. Now that lycée has started, she's back in school, and Chloé is trying to make sense of her own problems, but Dupain-Cheng keeps getting in the way, and she can't figure out why. It's fine; everything's fine.

"An angsty, one-sided crush story that is satisfying and enjoyable, even without a happy ending. It is very well written!"

Alya/Kagami

darling (the composer has stepped into fire) by @theladyfae 1158 words, General, 1/1 chapter

Kagami likes Alya. She still isn't sure whether Alya likes her or not. This is a problem, when Alya's mere presence flusters her more than it should.

"READ FOR EXQUISITE GAY PINING"

Adrien/Lila

A Little White Lie by generalluxun 1,199 words, General, 1/1 chapter

A nervous Lila Rossi shows Adrien her room, and things take an unexpected turn.

"Wonderfully written and deeply emotional, the way you can expect from his fics. Short, with a twist that hits hard for maximum impact. A must-read for all of us who don't like Lila."

Luka/Chloé

broken guitar (with a little c minor sting) by noirshitsuji 2,175 words, Teen, 1/1 chapter

For the White Elephant Exchange at the Miraculous Writer's Guild: Give the LB and CN miraculouses to two characters (who aren't Marinette and Adrien). *** “Has nobody ever warned you about adopting strays, Couffaine?”

"The dynamic of Luka and Chloe in this is tasty and I have grown to be extremely fond of the writer's particular style. They're very good at subtext and insinuation and nuance."

Luka & Marc (QPR)

just wanna stay for the night by @asadweeghostie 246 words, General, 1/1 chapter

He keeps trying to not touch them, like little love notes as he eyes his favourite one. Lyrics about love and friendship written next to his keyed notes.

"There's something about this fic that always feels like home to me. I'm aware that this is a queerplatonic relationship, but the way it's written and how it's talked about brings up the possibility for a future romantic relationship, so I feel that maybe it's more fitting here. This author is one of my favorites; the way they write and express relationships is so endearing."

NSFW works

Félix/Kagami

Blood Will Tell by @sunfoxfic 30,352 words, Mature, 11/11 chapters

Kagami Tsurugi is pregnant. More precisely, Kagami Tsurugi is pregnant and Félix Fathom is the father. After spending months as "friends with benefits," neither knows what to do, and both are panicking in their own emotionally suppressed ways. And as the worst happens — both in their heads and at their hands — they uncover more than they thought they could handle; but the story is not over, and what doesn't kill Kagami only makes her freakishly motivated to be better tomorrow.

"A raw fic that is exploring accidental teenage pregnancy and all that comes with it. It is gently but realistically showing the often-glossed over discussions about abortion, while not straying too dark and being very "readable". The prose is gorgeous as well!! Chlonette: An angsty, one-sided crush story that is satisfying and enjoyable, even without a happy ending. It is very well written!"

Luka/Adrien

I've Got Friends on the Other Side by @inkmousey 6,796 words, Explicit, 1/1 chapter

Father Luka only tries his best to be a devout servent of The Lord. Adrien, a Succubus, wants to see Father Luka on his knees saying his name like a prayer instead.

"I love subverting expectations and this fic does it more than once!!!"

charge de fin de soirée by @leafweaverryn 5,627 words, Explicit, 1/1 chapter

During a late night patrol, Chat Noir finds Luka at a laundromat working on washing everything he's got. The hero takes the opportunity to air out some dirty laundry of his own…

"Such an amazing and thrilling Lukadrien fic!"

[greentrickster]

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

GreenTrickster: Thank-you so much! ^U^

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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