#implied adrienette

[mostmagical]

Pairing: Stranger/Stranger (Adrinette, but they don't know that) Words: 4k Summary:

“Can I kiss you?” It's costume theme night at the local bar, and Marinette finds herself a bit entranced by a pretty stranger wearing cat ears. She thought she would be content just watching, until Alya suggests she asks for just a little bit more.

Marinette chewed on the edge of her fingernail, trying not to be too obvious as she peered across the bar at the stranger on the corner.

They had met on the dance floor not too long ago, and she had been having trouble looking away ever since. He was attractive, despite the obnoxious cat-eared beanie tight over his blond hair, drawing her towards him in a way she really hadn’t felt in, well, ever. At least, not towards someone she barely knew. Not since the breakup.

The liquid in his delicate cocktail glass was dyed pinker by the spotlight he stood under, so she couldn’t tell if he was actually drinking anything as passion fruit-flavored as the color, or if it was just straight liquor. Her breath caught as he removed his hand from the water-beaded surface, lifting it to adjust the thick-rimmed specs he wore and reminding her of the sparkling green eyes she’d spied earlier.

Blond hair. Green eyes. 

She wondered if it was some cosmic joke that this always happened to her.

Even the cat ears were suspect, but she was trying her best not to acknowledge that.

A hand landed on her arm, and she jumped before realizing it was Alya returning from the bathroom.

“Still staring?” Alya asked. She had forgone her eye glasses that night for the sake of ‘accuracy,’ providing Marinette a clear view of the humor glittering through her friend’s hazel eyes.

Marinette sputtered, readjusting the skewed heart-shaped sunglasses over the bridge of her nose. “Wh– What? Staring? Staring at who– I mean— Staring at what? Because obviously I’m not staring and even if I was I wouldn’t be staring at anyone, certainly not anyone handsome and charming and—”

Alya interrupted Marinette’s spiral with a laugh. “Right, right, right.” She shook her head, the red curls bouncing across her bare shoulders. “You weren’t staring at the guy you danced with earlier, and you haven’t been nervous and jittery ever since. I imagined all of it.”

“Yes.” Marinette nodded sagely. “Thank you, exactly. It was all in your head.”

Alya simply hummed, turning to get the bartender’s attention and ordering the two of them another round. With her friend distracted, Marinette couldn’t help but let her eyes wander again. The stranger was now scrolling through his phone. Oh no. Was he calling a taxi? Checking train schedules? Was he leaving?

Pain blossomed over her thumb and the taste of metal hit her tongue as she bit down just a bit too hard.

“Marinette!” Alya hissed, pulling Marinette’s hand away from her mouth and quickly wrapping it in a cocktail napkin. “What are you doing to yourself? Do you want to get kicked out?”

She was sober enough to feel the embarrassed flush cover her cheeks. “Sorry.”

Alya’s barely concealed eye roll was colored with humor. “You should just go over and talk to him.”

Marinette blinked owlishly. “And say what?”

“Ask him for a kiss.”

“What?!” She knew her shriek was loud enough to disturb the patrons on either side of them at the bar, but all she could hear over the pounding of the bass was the blood roaring in her ears. “Why would I do that?”

Alya just laughed. “Look at you” —she waved a hand at Marinette’s napkin wrapped finger— “biting through your nails because you can’t stop thinking about how hot you are for him.”

“I– I–” Marinette faltered, her mouth feeling like it was stuffed with cotton the more she tried to move it. “I am not.” At Alya’s raised eyebrows, she tried and failed to come up with another reason why not. “I– You know I’m not like that!”

“Normally, yeah,” Alya replied, shrugging, “but there’s nothing wrong with having a little fun, just this once.”

Marinette swallowed.

“And have you ever been so attracted to a stranger in your life?” Alya continued. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this wound up. Not since Adrien, or Luka, or– actually–” She stuck a finger in the air as if the thought had just struck her from above. “No, not Luka; it’s more like with Chat N–”

“Stop stop stop!” Marinette cut her friend off, throwing a hand over her mouth to stop up the words.

Alya licked her palm in objection.

“Ew! Hey!”

“You are so silly, M,” Alya laughed as Marinette pulled her hand away and dramatically wiped it on her shirt. “It’s not weird to have a crush on a superhero.”

Marinette chewed her lip, traces of the watermelon drink she’d had hours ago still tasting in the corner of her mouth. “You know it was more than that.”

A hand patted her shoulder. “Of course I do, but the point still stands.” Alya grinned, as sly as her own superhero persona would imply. “You deserve one night to not care. Treat yourself. You need to cut loose after, well, you know.”

Marinette couldn’t deny that since she had presented it, Alya’s idea was sounding more and more appealing. Though maybe that was the vodka talking. Or the desperation.

“He sure seems like your type after all,” Alya pressed, squinting her eyes as she studied him. “Tall, pretty, charming... blond.”

“Green eyes, too,” Marinette added, despite herself.

“What?” Alya laughed. She reached out a hand, flicking the frame of Marinette’s sunglasses playfully. “You could tell through these bright pink abominations?”

Her face warmed in embarrassment. “I may have, sorta, practiced discerning colors on my posters of Adrien with them before,” she admitted. She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “His eyes look the same.”

Alya laughed again, full and delighted. “Marinette! Oh, there’s no one like you,” she said, grinning. “Now you really have to do it. I’m convinced it’s fate.”

It did feel almost divine.

Alya squinted once more, and Marinette wished her friend had listened to her when she told her to wear her glasses anyway. “He even kinda looks like—” She cut herself off with a hum, shaking her head. “You deserve to get out there again anyway. It’s been ages and I kinda think you need a rebound.”

Marinette wasn’t sure if she fully agreed with that statement, but she wasn’t exactly in the mood to broach the subject and down the mood.

“What if he laughs in my face?” she asked instead, sticking her lip out in a pout. It was meant to look cute, so maybe Alya wouldn’t push so much, but the fear was very much real. Sure, she and the stranger had had an amazing conversation, and their chemistry had been more intoxicating than her drink, but he was still that— a stranger. There was no telling what might happen if she walked up to him and asked for something so daring as a kiss.

“Marinette, look at me,” Alya said, placing both hands on either of Marinette’s shoulders. “You are hot. You are cool. And he is totally into you.”

Was there any explanation for the way her heart leapt straight out of her chest?

“Into me?” Marinette repeated. “What makes you say that? Are you sure?”

Alya smirked dangerously. “Well, don’t look now, but I may have caught him taking a few glances over here while your back was turned,” she explained.

Marinette, of course, looked. Her head turned at just the precise moment to catch his gaze in her own, and sure enough, the stranger’s jaw momentarily dropped upon making eye contact. He recovered quickly with a sweet smile, raising his glass in a cheers motion from across the bar.

Alya sighed, shaking her head. “Well, at least there’s another sign for you,” she said, amused. Grabbing Marinette’s shoulders again, Alya turned her back around to look at her face-to-face. “See? Repeat after me: I am hot.”

A bit dazed from the encounter, Marinette could do nothing else but exactly what Alya asked. “I am hot,” she repeated.

“I am cool,” Alya continued.

“I am cool.”

“He is into me.”

She choked, the last phrase a little rougher on liftoff than the others. “He is, guh– into me.”

“One more time, all together.”

Marinette closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She regretted it, as the smell of sweat and hops stung her nose. But the intake of air managed to ground her, all the same.

“I am hot. I am cool,” she chanted. “He is into me.”

“Yes!” Alya cheered. “Good job!”

The mantra was like a magic spell. Marinette opened her eyes, suddenly energized. Her stomach pitched a little, but it was full with excitement.

“Two cognacs,” the bartender announced, jolting Marinette from her reverie.

“Merci!” Alya picked up a glass, pressing it into Marinette’s hands with cool insistence. “Drink this, and then get over there!”

Marinette obliged, downing the drink in two big swigs. The alcohol no longer burned the back of her throat, settling in her stomach with a pleasant warmness. She replaced the glass on the bar with a firm clink, then sucked in another deep breath, wiping her upper lip with the back of her hand.

“Okay,” she said under her breath, hyping herself up. “Okay!”

“Go!” Alya gave her one more push, spinning Marinette around and pressing the heel of her hands into her shoulder blades. “Your prince charming awaits,” she sang.

Marinette stumbled forward, unsteady from Alya’s shove, but she quickly regained her bearings. Her blood pumped faster in her veins as she approached the other end of the bar. She swore she could feel every fingertip throbbing with her own pulse as she got closer.

Just a little kiss.

Plenty of people did that.

(Although, it wasn’t something she had ever considered doing herself.)

It wasn’t... weird to ask.

And like Alya had said, he was into her. The stranger probably felt the exact same magnetism she had. He would want to kiss her.

Right?

Steeling her nerves, she stood behind him, watching him swirl the liquid around in his glass. His head tilted towards where Alya stood by her lonesome on the other side of the bar, and Marinette’s heart skipped a beat in her chest as she wondered if he might be looking for her.

She smoothed down the synthetic purple wig as best she could, and adjusted the collar of her leather jacket. She almost wished she could dart off to the bathroom for a final appearance check, but she knew she would lose all her built-up confidence if she did. With butterflies brushing the insides of her tummy, she reached out a hand, tapping him twice on the shoulder.

The stranger turned, and she thought she might let herself believe his face really brightened when he saw her.

Nervously, she waved. “Hi.”

“Hey, Clara,” he said in a soft voice, somehow still audible over the loudspeakers. His smile was sweet and reserved. Her throat tightened up. “I was hoping you’d want to talk again.”

Marinette felt like the breath was stolen right out of her lungs. “You– You did?”

A hand reached behind the back of his neck in what must have been a nervous tick— yet another similarity to more than one of the loves of her life, oddly enough. “Yeah, I mean—” Was that a hint of red on his cheeks, or were her glasses fogging up again? “You– Uh, I loved dancing with you.”

The smile pinched her cheeks. “I loved dancing with you, too,” she said. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Wait a second,” Marinette said, her mind finally catching up to the last 60 seconds. “You called me Clara. I didn’t—?”

His mouth twitched into a grin. “Your outfit,” he pointed out. “Inspired by Clara Nightingale, right? From the ‘Heartbreak Disco Baby’ video?”

“You recognize it?”

The stranger’s face seemed to light up, even in the darkness of the bar. “Of course!” Marinette watched agape as his eyes scanned up and down her body, dare she say, appreciatively. “I’ve only watched that video about a million times and this is a perfect recreation.”

Pride swelled in her chest at the praise. “Thank you,” she replied. “I do take my costuming very seriously. My best friend even dressed to look like Sonia Auclair from that video.” She gave her loose hair a flip over her shoulder as she took the moment to seize up his outfit as well. “And you are—”

“Dressed at the very last minute,” he supplied bashfully. “I wasn’t exactly planning to come out, but luckily I had this beanie.”

“It suits you.”

His smile seemed genuine at her compliment. “You really think so?” he laughed, playing with the edge of the material. “Thanks.”

He was adorable. She bit her lip against the rising heat on her face.

“Heartbreak Disco Baby,” he repeated thoughtfully. “That doesn’t mean you’re a little heartbroken, are you?”

Adorable and considerate.

Now or never, she thought.

“Can I kiss you?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, her chest seized up. She said that. Oh god. She really said that.

The stranger’s face blazed a delightful shade of red, and Marinette wondered if they would match or clash were someone to compare the two of them. “Sorry,” he coughed. “I think I might have misheard you?”

She could run away. Back out right now, and save herself the mortification. Unfortunately, a flash of movement on the other side of the bar caught her attention, and she was met by Alya fluttering her fingers across the way. Marinette forced down a swallow.

“I asked to kiss you,” she repeated clearly.

When he only continued to stare at her, face crimson and eyes wide, Marinette slipped dangerously close to panic mode.

“Forget it!” she practically screeched. “You don’t have to do that—” She cut herself off with an awkward laugh. “I just— whew! Is it hot in here? I just— My friend over there told me I need to cut loose, and she told me to just go for it because I, well, I mean you’re very pretty— and we had chemistry…? Oh god, I said that— I mean, no, I stand by that, we do—” She covered her mouth, eyes wide in horror over her spew. “I swear I haven’t had that much to drink,” she admitted, rubbing her temples. “Sorry, I’ll go.”

“Okay.”

Marinette froze, slowly drawing her gaze away from the floor and back to the stranger’s face. “What?”

He rubbed the back of his neck again, the redness of his face having faded to a lovely pink that blended with the colored shades of her glasses. “Okay,” he said again. “I’ll kiss you.”

“You- You– uh. . .” Words didn’t seem to want to come to her rescue.

Luckily, the stranger did. He eased off away from the bar, facing her fully as he took her limp hand in his. With a gentle tug, he guided her to step closer towards him. “Is this okay?” he asked, his warm tone sending her heart fluttering.

She nodded almost too vigorously before she finally managed to rouse her tongue. “Yes, yes, it’s okay.”

This close, she could smell his cologne, a cluster of warm linens and nutmeg that sent a pang of recognition down her spine. His chest was firm and radiated a comfortable warmth that Marinette felt she could fold into. She followed his eyes as they dropped down to her mouth and back up again. Goosebumps raised over her skin as his hand glided up her arm, his face an image of patience. Until it changed to panic.

“Wait, oh no,” he gasped. “You’re not–”

“What?” She tilted her head in confusion, not really sure where this reaction had come from.

His mouth was a worried line. “Have you been drinking?” he asked. “Because I’m sober, and I don’t want to be taking advantage of you–”

Marinette cut him off with a snort. “I promise you, I am completely of sound mind, when I do this.”

Riding the sudden wave of confidence, Marinette mirrored his earlier movements, allowing her hand to trail up his arm and over his neck, warm skin beneath her fingertips. As she gently cupped his cheek with her palm, she pressed up on her tiptoes, rocking forward to sear her lips to his.

His breath fanned her mouth as he gasped into it, truthfully without a hint of the taste of alcohol, and his lips were pleasantly warm and plush against hers. She found herself quickly sinking into it, especially as a hand landed on her lower back and held her steady. Her other hand dove into the hair at the back of his neck, teasing the soft strands in rhythm with the glide of their kiss.

It was more than sparks and explosions and fire— all things she never expected she would feel while kissing a complete stranger.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something achingly familiar— comfortable, her mind supplied— about the pressure of his mouth on hers, and the little hums she could feel vibrating over her skin. Despite herself, she cracked open her eyes and studied his face as he continued to kiss her.

Green eyes. Blond hair. Cat ears, puns, those lips. Her heart almost seemed to stop as she realized she knew exactly why the sensation was so familiar. She had felt this kiss before. It could only be Chat Noir, she realized, warmth flowing between her shoulder blades.

She pulled away, just a centimeter to breathe between them. “Mon Chaton?”

He blinked open dazed eyes, blinking at her as if waking up from a dream. “Chaton?” he repeated. His eyes widened. “My Lady?” His voice was breathier than she was used to hearing it, and it sent a thrill up her spine.

“It’s you.” She almost wanted to laugh. “No wonder we fit so well together.”

It only took a few seconds for her partner to recover from his dreamlike state. He grinned his cat-like grin. “We’ve always been the purrfect team, after all.”

“Oh my god,” Marinette groaned, pressing her lips to his once more to shut him up. However, his mouth remained shockingly slack against hers. She pulled back. “What’s wrong?”

Seemingly dumbfounded, he replied, “You kissed me again.”

Oh god. Oh, god. He didn’t want to kiss her now that he knew. She was such an idiot.

“I’m so sorry.” Hastily, she tried to push away from his chest, only for him to grab her wrists and prevent her escape.

“Wait, no. I just–” His mouth worked wordlessly, endless green eyes searching her own. “Are you sure you want to be kissing me? What about—”

“Adrikins!”

Marinette froze in place, the familiar voice sending a chill up her spine— one that was cold and bruising, rather than warm and thrilling tingles that her partner had sent up and down her back all night.

Her hands went limp, still caught in Chat Noir’s hold, as the spray-tanned arms of Chloé Bourgeois wound around his neck.

Chloé, dressed in a flowing gown that did not at all match the whimsical costumes in the bar, immediately launched into complaints, current company left unnoticed, or rather ignored. “Thank god, I finally found you,” she cooed. “I can’t believe you left me there with that cousin of yours and Tsurugi. Ugh.”

A pained expression flashed Marinette’s way before her partner turned his head to meet Chloé’s powder blue eyes. “You had Zoé, too, didn’t you?” he asked her.

“Ugh, you know I would rather it be just us two.”

Marinette was rooted to the spot. It felt as though her brain was misfiring in about a billion directions. And yet, somehow all those directions ended at the exact same destination: the stranger before her.

A stranger, she was realizing, that was not so strange after all.

In fact, this was probably a person she knew better than she ever thought she had.

Because if she added everything she knew up, carried the two, and multiplied by three, well...

It seemed like Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste and the two (three...?) loves of her life were actually just one.

Nervous green eyes peeked at Marinette, as if to check that she was still there. The redirection of his— Adrien’s, oh god— attention finally drew Chloé’s eyes east, and if Marinette thought she could make it out of this easily, she was quickly corrected when an appalled groan filled the air.

“Dupain-Cheng?” Chloé stuck her nose up in the air, somehow glaring at Marinette through only the corner of her eye. “What are you doing with her? I thought you two broke up.”

“It’s complicated,” Marinette said, at the same time Adrien burst out “Marinette?”

She took one look at his face before immediately casting her eyes away again, an angry red blush overtaking her cheeks.

What the hell what the hell what the hell.

She found herself almost wishing for an akuma alert to save her. Except, no. No, she didn’t, she realized, because she would still have the same man right there with her.

“Marinette?” Adrien repeated again, voice sounding almost far away, even in a room where her ears were already blocked from the loud music.

Shyly, she met his pleading eyes, pushing her sunglasses back up and onto the top of her head. His jaw all but dropped open as he watched her, recognition flitting through his eyes.

They were quite the pair, weren’t they? Marinette could have laughed. A pair of glasses and neither realized that they were talking to their own ex. And the fact that she had recognized Chat Noir’s kiss, but not Adrien’s... No. Nope. Not going to unpack that.

Chloé glanced between them, a look between disgusted and bored plastered across her face. “What’s with that reaction?” she asked. “Listen, if you’re getting back with this weirdo, I–”

“Chloé!”

Marinette had no idea where Alya had appeared from, but she had never been so happy to see her best friend throw an arm over the other girl’s shoulder. Chloé physically recoiled under Alya’s touch, attempting to lean away, but to no avail.

“Césaire,” she grunted.

Alya grinned, unbothered by the less-than-enthusiastic response. “Oh my god, it really is you! I could barely tell; forgot my glasses, silly me. How’ve you been?” she asked. “I want to hear all about the new campaign.” Over her shoulder, she threw Marinette a wink.

The realization that Alya was providing her a way out burst across Marinette’s skin. In a flash, she had wrapped her hand around Adrien’s wrist, bodily dragging him through the crowd and away from their classmates. He came along willingly, only slowing down to dodge around drunk patrons that stepped between them.

Eventually they found themselves comfortably alone in a quiet hallway leading to the bathrooms. The hallway was much brighter than the main floor, illuminating all of Adrien’s features in a way that she couldn’t believe she had missed before. Marinette looked up at him in question, squeezing his wrist tight between her fingers. “When did you get back?” she asked, too desperate for the answer to pretend like she wasn’t.

He looked worried. “Just tonight. I– I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me.”

“Of course I did,” she murmured. She realized she had said it too quietly to be heard over the speakers when Adrien kept going.

“Everyone was asking questions.” He pressed a hand against his forehead, twisting her heart with it. “And just talking so much about my dad and England and... I don’t know. I– I had to get out.”

Her breath caught. She began running her hand up and down his arm to try and soothe him, saying, “I know, kitty, I know.”

“Zoé mentioned you and that’s when I realized I had to make a break for it.” He ducked his head shyly. “I should have figured I’d run right towards you.”

Marinette huffed out a laugh, her earlier conversation with Alya about fate and divinity seeming oh so relevant now. She let her hands rest on both his cheeks. “Yeah, seems like we’ll always be in each other’s orbit, doesn’t it?” she asked. “I just can’t seem to ever let you go.”

His eyes went shiny, and she wondered if he was about to cry. “Do you really mean that?” he asked, covering her hands with his own.

Her shoulders dropped with the tension she had been carrying. “Of course I do,” she replied, running her thumbs over the dark circles beneath his eyes. “I’m sorry about that night. I just didn’t want you to leave and I didn’t know how to say it.”

“I didn’t want to leave either,” he said with a watery smile. “Are you disappointed you didn’t get to kiss a stranger?”

She used her thumb to brush one errant tear away from his eye. “Considering I’d rather be kissing you, anyway?” she teased. “No, I’m not disappointed at all.”

His mouth twisted into a wry grin. “Not even about...?” He glanced back and forth down the hallway, as if checking for any listeners, only to look back at her with just an eyebrow waggle to voice his concerns.

Marinette giggled again. “Come here, kitty.” With a gentle tug, she guided his face down to hers, kissing him all over again.

If you enjoyed, consider dropping a kudos or comment on Ao3! <3

[holeyshirtwhoa]

how m/f pairings should be written V.S how they shouldn't-

[writer-rider-flirty-thirties]

Marinette bakes macarons of all the colors of the rainbow. 67/101 of Fanfic Wars (2022)

[sweetcloverheart]

Tell me, do you think it's kind of weird that Kagami's mom was such a monster in season 5 when she seemed to be warming up to Kagami's friends at the end of Ikari Gozen?

A little, but also unsurprising - The writers have a bad habit of using post-hoc retcons to justify a sudden twist or a character suddenly going OOC (see: Chloe's S4-5 downward spiral, S5!Felix when compared to his intro episode, Andre's terrible acts as mayor suddenly getting blamed on his wife who only showed up two-three seasons ago, and Kim in "Derision"), so suddenly turning Tomoe from an extremely strict but ultimately caring mother into this cold ruthless tech villain who's apparently been allied with Gabriel in his scheming from the start (despite "Animaestro" implying their interactions were only just recent) is pretty par the course at this point. Besides, they needed some way to both justify shoving Kagami back into the Adrienette ship drama and also help soften Gabe up for his eventually "death by redemption" by having a worse still living parent around, and poor Tomoe just happen to be at the right place at the right time ripe for the condemning. It also didn't help that there really wasn't much given to us about her outside of being Kagami's mom and being blind, so the sudden personality change likely didn't really register as weird

[literaphobe]

marichat and adrienette got to kiss in reality in s5, with all parties fully remembering and participating in said kisses. this therefore implies that in s6, ladynoir and ladrien will also be making out. in this essay, i will—

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

I hope I'm not being rude, this ask also isn't intended as a call out for anyone. As much as I'll be happy if you'd willing to answer, if my ask somehow make you uncomfortable, please feel free to ignore it.

Here's my question :

I've been seeing many post saying that Adrien end up being Marinette' trophy boyfriend instead of proper boyfriend and at the end of the final, Marinette's fight against Gabriel isn't just simply good vs evil rather it's a fight of Adrien's "ownership" so to speak.

I want to ask your opinion about it, especially about the former. I'm personally conflicted about the trophy boyfriend thing because the urban dictionary define it as "A boyfriend that a girl is proud of being with." Which more like what Chloe did at s1, but at the same time it does feel fitting in a way since Marinette do get Adrrien as a trophy for "winning" against Gabriel. Either way it just feels like an objectification and it doesn't seems like something good to show in a show with kids as the target audience, yet I do feels like Marinette's love for Adrien is so shallow that her objectified him like that just make senses for her character.

So, what do you think?

You're not being rude at all! As long as an ask doesn't use names or otherwise make it easy to find the source of the question, I'm cool with it. I don't even mind if it's something uncomfortable, though I will do my best to state my expertise (or lack there of) on those. I think it's really important to be willing to acknowledge your ignorance. No one can know or even be informed on everything.

On to the question.

To start, let's actually define "trophy boyfriend" because the definition you gave - a boyfriend that a girl is proud of being with - is not the one that I would use. It's way too kind!

"Trophy boyfriend" is just a male variant of the term "trophy wife" or "trophy girlfriend." I'm gonna be a little lazy here and just have wikipedia define that one for me as their definition accurately reflects the way this terms is generally used:

A trophy wife is a wife who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband. The term is often used in a derogatory or disparaging way, implying that the wife in question has little personal merit besides her physical attractiveness, requires substantial expense for maintaining her appearance, is often unintelligent or unsophisticated, does very little of substance beyond remaining attractive, and is in some ways synonymous with the term gold digger.

When someone calls Adrien a "trophy boyfriend," they're saying that he's just there to be Marinette's pretty arm candy who supports her unconditionally while requiring nothing from her. A fully one way relationship that's all take and no give.

Unfortunately, canon does seem to be going this way.

Season five was the season which saw Gabriel's slow, agonizing death and final... defeat is too strong a word, so let's just go with reveal. It also saw the end of any hope for Emilie to be revived, assuming that wasn't her at the end, which does seem to be the case. We also saw Nathalie slowly wasting away, triggering all of Adrien's trauma from losing his mother. In other words, this season was all about Adrien losing or fearing the loss of every adult that he has ever loved, none of whom he even got to say "goodbye" to even though they all knew that they were dying.

So it makes perfect sense that Adrienette's big couple conflict was Marinette getting over her trauma and being able to tell Adrien that she loved him! She was absolutely the one who needed unconditional love and support this season and it was so nice to see Adrien giving that to her by laying his own needs to the side since he knew that she needed more support right now.

To be clear, that was sarcasm.

Marinette was an awful, selfish girlfriend this season. Yes, she doesn't know the full extent of what's going on until we get to the final, but in Passion (S5E6) we get this:

Adrien: Marinette? Marinette: Adri-mine! I mean, Adri-fine! No! I mean, you're not mine and you're not fine, I mean, you are fine. (gasps) Adrien, is something wrong? Adrien: No, no, everything's fine... no, everything's not fine. Not fine at all. Somebody I care about is sick and... there's nothing I can do. I feel completely hopeless.

Gabriel then akumatizes Nathalie, leading to a fight that ends with Marinette seeing just how sick Nathalie is. All this means that, by the end of Passion, Marinette is fully aware that Adrien is really struggling with Nathalie's condition and just how bad Nathalie's condition, so it makes perfect sense that the episode ends with Marinette and Alya talking about... how thirsty Marinette is for Chat Noir.

Marinette: You should've seen him! He was so... (growls like a cat) in his cute red suit with black spots. Can you believe it? I asked him out to the movies and I didn't even stammer! True, the timing was bad, but still, everything is so easy with Cat Noir, I can tell him everything I never had the courage to tell Adrien.

Marinette, sweetie, I know that you're going through some stuff, but you're better than this! You've always been shown to care about others! I just don't believe that you wouldn't at least comment on how sick Nathalie is, which really is all that this scene needs because I don't expect Marinette to have no wants or needs outside of supporting Adrien anymore than I expect the opposite.

Marinette can thirst all she wants, especially since she's not dating Adrien yet. Just let her acknowledge that this is who Adrien must have been talking about earlier! Instead, she says nothing, forgetting about Adrien's struggles and not informing his other friends of what's going on, leaving Adrien to basically suffer alone as the Nathalie issue will continue to come up on his end, but he never again reaches out for support from others.

Remember how the NYC special saw Marinette and co protesting Adrien not being allowed to go on a school field trip? And how The Bubbler saw Nino trying to organize a birthday party for his best bro? And how Reverser saw Marinette pairing up Marc and Nathaniel into the dream comic book team? You ever look back on all that and wonder what happened to these characters wanting to love and support each other, even if their attempts where sometimes a little misguided?

Ever since the start of season four, loving and supporting each other has gone out the window. If it's not about shipping Adrienette, then no one cares even though Adrienette was totally one sided for most of the show. First it was only on Marinette, then it was only on Adrien, and it only became mutual in the episode where they... got together? Kind of? Seriously, when did they actually start dating? The second half of Kwami's choice sees Marinette say this:

Alya: Then, how did we go from “I’m pathetic and I’ll never love again” to “Yay! I’m going out with Adrien”? Marinette: I’m not going out with Adrien…

But then the very next episode starts with Chat Noir talking about his girlfriend! When did that transition occur? For a season that's all about Adrienette getting together, it's kinda funny that we never technically see them get together. It's also kinda sad that them getting together was the result of Adrien once again not taking Marinette's "no" at face value... I know it's a romcom trope, but writers, please, can we not use it in stuff aimed at little kids? Plus haven't we mostly agreed that it's a bad, lazy, overused trope? Does anyone actually like it?

This is getting long, so I'll just give some final thoughts and call it a day.

A relationship starting off of shallow feelings is totally fine and normal. Outside of your family, that's how most relationships start. You meet someone with similar interest or whose vibes you like or who is taking the same class as you. You start talking and get to know each other, which can lead to a deeper relationship in the form of a friendship or a romance, which is basically a friendship with bonus features.

The issue with the love square is that the writers are absolutely botching the "deepening relationship" part of the equation. They're not letting Marinette support Adrien or learn about his struggles or even acknowledge the struggles that she does know about, which makes her come across as ridiculously selfish, a terrible lead in to a final where she now has knowledge that could destroy him. Most of the audience doesn't trust her to tell him about this knowledge because of course they don't!

As always, I lay the blame for this at the feet of the writers because so much of Marinette's bad behavior and issues make no sense when we look at her previous writing. She's never been the best at emotional intelligence, but she has always tried to help others, a thing that the show somehow acknowledges during her fight with Gabriel, leading to his win, but doesn't in acknowledge in Marinette's own romantic relationship. Of course, that would require the writers to see Marinette's season five behavior as a flaw and I don't think that they do, which is why I blame them and not her. I have no issue writing her - or reading things that write her - as better than this.

[miraculouscriticismshub]

MLB writer's math be like...

ML writer's math is calling Chloe stans r*pist defenders on Twitter for defending Chloe while being silent about the fact that there are some extreme Felix stans who defend Felix's harassment towards LB

ML writer's math is saying Audrey's abuse doesn't excuse Chloe's horrid actions but proceeds to say Felix did nothing wrong and that his actions SHOULD be excused because his dad abused him, therefore making everything Colt's fault

ML writer's math is saying Lukloe is a toxic ship because it adopts the whole good boy fixing the bad girl trope which they say is unhealthy because Luka shouldn't carry the burden of being Chloe's therapist but proceed to make Feligami canon despite it being the exact same concept but reversed. Felix before Kagami was an anti-hero but after they got together, he is redeemed implying Kagami "fixed him"

ML writer's Math is condemning Colt Fathom for abusing and controlling his son and telling us to feel bad for Felix but when Audrey does the same thing to Chloe in Revolution and I repeat "I'm going to take control of your life again" she isn't held accountable as well and this abusive behaviour is treated as punishment and we shouldn't be feeling bad for her. (Disclaimer: NOT defending Colt because both are awful parents and both are terrible but there is a double standard going on. Felix and Chloe both deserve better parents)

ML writer's Math is calling out Felix's father for the abusive scum he is and recognising him as an abuser but refusing to give similar treatment to Gabriel and Andre who despite not being as bad as Colt when it comes to parenting are still rubbish parents. Why is Colt one of the only parents in the show to be held accountable?

ML writer's math (mainly TA) is being quick to slander some toxic Chloe/Lila stans for their problematic behaviour but when some toxic Maribug/Adrichat/Adrienette have also shown signs of toxic behaviour (e.g what happened to the Lila girl) Thomas Astruc stayed Silent on the matter. Surely a serious matter such as taking one's life should've been addressed by him since he sees himself as an activist and good person on Twitter. He should've known about it since the news of the Lila fan was common knowledge among the fanbase (even Cyrus the Great made a video about this)

Disclaimer : These are just common double standards I've seen in the writing and by TA. Comment more double standards if you know any. Please stay respectful when commenting

[depressed-teacup-inc]

At this point, I am literally just trying to see this season to an end

Hi hello, yes I’m late, time to review Revolution! Let’s go because at this point I’m getting tired of this show.

So basically the entire episode is Adrien’s trying to tell Marinette that he’s leaving Paris and trying to stop it, but Marinette doesn’t really listen, and is focused on stopping Chloe, who’s now mayor/dictator??? Yeah trust me the logic of this show is gone, somehow people are ok with the super demonized caricature Chloe being mayor like everyone didn’t hate her already (my guess is that this is supposed to be alluding to the current state of world and politics and lack of trust people hold in the government)? Love the lack of consistency and logic.

Now. I don’t want to criticize Marinette too much, because technically, yes, she was busy trying to handle the Chloe situation (which in itself makes absolutely no sense and by all accounts shouldn’t be possible) but I will note that despite Adrien clearly telling her something was wrong multiple times, she never seems to care or understand? Like he told her multiple times that there’s something wrong, but she never seems to care or do anything about it until it actually affects her (which is unfortunately in character)

But apparently people are criticizing Adrien?! Saying how he’s awful for lying to marinette about having to leave and left it for the last minute? And frankly, the show kinda does it too (in the next episode, many of Adrien’s classmates discuss how awful it is Adrien didn’t say anything and how could he keep this from them like that)

LIKE??? BITCH??? Two points:

1. Adrien’s dad is Gabriel fucking Agreste?!

Like wow what a shocker the child of a man that has proven to abuse and isolate his son on multiple occasions has a fear of asking others for help in his situation because he worries nothing can truly beat this actual billionaire who’s also his legal guardian? And also is implied to have legit magic control powers over him, sentimonster style?

2. This really isn’t that of a big fucking deal

Like I do not get why this show keeps saying how “Adrien lied to marinette!!! He didn’t tell her he’s moving away!!!! How could he!!!” And how literally everyone and their mom is seeing this as an awful situation for marinette, when in actuality, all she knows is that Adrien will now be living a couple of hours away from her (due to the bullet train between Paris and London) and that he won’t literally be with her every second of the day.

Like I get it for a 14 year old yes this might be a huge fucking deal, but Alya even says so herself! Adrien is in London, they’ll just get a couple of tickets for the train and figure it out from their! And even in the worst case scenario where Adrien stays in London, there’s the option of a long distance relationship (that’s just as valid a relationship as any and would be a refreshing take on how not every relationship is super conventional and in person)

I just really don’t understand why the show shows Adrien genuinely going through some horrible shit from his father (like full on white room torture in the episode after) and then all the show focuses on is how this affects marinette and how sad she must be rather then the genuine psychological damage this must be doing for the kid! Like no one in this show remembers the amount of control Gabriel has on Adrien or something.

Anyways rant aside, before the entire going to London thing happens (btw congrats adrienette shippers for the kiss) there’s a whole thing where Chloe makes a deal to be akumatized by Monarch so she can send people to detention (it’s painted as a torture chamber but it’s literally people walking around with a video of Chloe saying they’re ridiculous, so basically P.E. Class), and then there’s a big fight where Ladybug and Chat Noir almost detransform because they used up their lucky charm and cataclysm and are trapped (btw the lucky charm had no fucking point to the story, why was it underwear? Frankly it was kinda creepy if the writers to have panties as the lucky charm for nothing but a weird joke, and not even connecting to the messages of unity and everyone taking action but ok)

But like… they just don’t?! Like I swear to god this show makes no sense anymore, Ladybug and Chat Noir just say they’ll never give up and fully transform and recharge again, and now they have no time limit and full powers?!

Like, the entire principal (just like Gabriel said) of the miraculous time limit, is that Kwamis need to recharge after one use, and that adults can lend some of their energy and power to Kwamis and therefore have them last longer to the point they don’t need to detransform, hence “only adults don’t need to detransform”

But now it’s apparently a purely emotional thing and not physical? Ladybug and Chat Noir somehow grew up by saying they’ll never detransform again (I do not at all see how this is a moment of growth to them) and now they just don’t detransform, despite the fact they are physically still kids?

Like by the shows logic of emotional maturity, Gabriel shouldn’t be able to hold a transformation at all then, because he’s the farthest thing from emotionally mature.

And also, it kinda makes all the stakes in fights now null and void? The biggest stake and challenge in each fight from day one of miraculous was “there’s this bad guy, you guys have one chance to use your special powers to beat them, think smart and solve this puzzle” but now it’s just gone??? It would have worked if the akumas overtime became more intense and hard to beat but clearly that’s not the case as even akumas powered up with actual miraculouses can be beat by a normal ladybug and chat noir.

The best thing the show could have done here is rather then make the becoming adult thing emotional maturity, have Ladybug and Chat Noir notice their transformation seems ti be slowly lasting longer as they age (have it be a metaphor for puberty and growing up or something) and then actually make the fights and villains more difficult and compelling so by the time Ladybug and Chat Noir no longer transform back, the priority isn’t for them to keep their secret identity (which sucks and anyways doesn’t matter) but to stay alive!

But anyways I digress, when has this show ever pulled a logical move?

Which speaking of…

I have no fucking clue what they’re doing with Chloe anymore.

They spent. Entire SEASONS! PLURAL! SEASONS! After the introduction of Audrey Bourgeois, telling us how “no Chloe is irredeemable her actions are never justifiable she’s just evil and bad and she has no other reason for doing anything and she’s so bad she’s cooperating with monarch and Lila look how evil she is hate her so marinette looks better in comparison”

To now… suddenly pulling this scene?!

Like. WHY??? Why would you purposely demonize Chloe despite the very real opportunity she had to get better and be complex, only to now pull a “whoops wait look guys deep compelling character!”

And while I heard people say this is the show maybe finally making Chloe get her redemption arc after hitting rock bottom, I can’t agree? The show is known for its repetitive nature, and if the show is to redeem Chloe and suddenly make her a good person or give her a compelling reason for acting the way she did, marinette looks bad in comparison, for not having as compelling reasons to do just as bad things:

Example? Marinette and Chloe in season 3’s Animaestro, trying to sabotage Lagami and publicly humiliate her in front of Adrien so she won’t “win him over”.

If Chloe has an explanation for this behavior (she’s taught to be cruel and mean from a young age by an abusive and neglectful mother, and because of her equally neglectful father, she learned the only way she’s heard and anyone cares for her is if she lashes out, and someone will just throw money on the problem) what reason does marinette have? She was raised by perfectly loving and doting (maybe too doting) parents, who from day one have taught her to be kind to others, and to do good.

Both characters did an awful thing, just one character has a genuinely compelling explanation for said behavior, while the other is pure jealousy and wanting the guy for herself by all costs.

So no, I don’t think the show will redeem Chloe for that reason: because it would force marinette to admit her wrongdoings and therefore force the plot to develop!

So this just makes no sense? It feels like a case of the show wanting to have its cake and eat it too, wanting the show to remain the same, Chloe to remain awful for no reason, and for marinette to stay the hero by comparison, but also have the bragging rights to say “we write complex character you guys!”

It makes no sense is my point.

Anyways besides these huge inconsistencies, leaps in logic, and bad writing, I don’t really have anything else about this episode to say? This show has officially come to the point for me where I genuinely think nothing will ever change or be able to fix how wrong everything is (from characterization of everyone except for marinette, the plot, the rules of miraculouses, the LOVE SQUARE)

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

She's Cheating on You!

She's Cheating On You! by MsSkywalkerWeasleyParkerStark

Lila thinks she finally has it. The thing that's going to break up Adrienette once and for all and allow her to finally get Adrien for herself.

She just didn't count on the love square.

Words: 1108, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Lila Rossi, Nino Lahiffe, Alya Césaire, Luka Couffaine

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug

Additional Tags: Implied/Referenced Cheating, Not Cheating, Humor, Secret Identity, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46328638

[theerurishipper]

I’m dying to hear your thoughts on Luka. That boy is brimming with untapped potential and I’m so angry the writers don’t do anything with him

Ah, Luka. The character whose sole purpose is to be the rival love interest. Who has no purpose and not much characterization and exists just to be Marinette’s emotional support whenever Chat Noir isn’t available to her. Who contributes almost nothing to the story really.

… I actually really love him a lot.

I know, my description of his role is very critical, but I actually do love Luka. To be quite honest though, I didn’t like him when he was first introduced, but then I came back to this show after a few years, and I actually started to love him. So I’ll get the negatives out of the way first.

He did deserve better writing. And they did try a little to make him interesting, but most of what I find interesting about Luka from the show is more implied than outright stated or explored. They tried to give him something with the whole “Jagged Stone is his dad thing,” but it really went nowhere. They tried to give him something with him knowing Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities, but that went nowhere too. The show is allergic to letting Luka do anything outside be Marinette’s emotional support ex-boyfriend. He goes from boyfriend to wingman real fast, and spends the rest of his time wingmanning Marinette and just ends up joining the rest of the class aboard the SS Adrienette.

There were so many good things that could have been done with him, and that is what ticks me off the most. With the whole “lying about knowing Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities” thing, it looked like they were setting up an arc for him where he would have to grapple with his values and question himself, which I thought would be great for a character who seems to have everything figured out and under control. Homeboy clearly has abandonment issues from being abandoned by his father. It was established that he hated how people kept secrets from him about his father and he does get sad when it seems like someone (Marinette) doesn’t want to be around him anymore. It does explain why he values honesty and trust so deeply, and having him be challenged that way could make for some great development and could be a better way to explore his deal.

Maybe they could explore the way being honest and being supportive of someone clash in this scenario and make him question it, and have him grapple with how to reconcile these two things that are both important to him. Maybe they could let him self-reflect/introspect because of this conflict and this challenge to his worldview could make him confront his own issues. Maybe they could use this conflict to get to the root of why he values these things so much. Maybe they could explore the fact that he’s always being everyone else’s emotional support and rarely expecting the same thing in return because of his fear of being abandoned (it’s not because of that in the show but damn it that’s how it should be). Maybe they could give him an arc where he figures out what truly matters to him and what he really wants. Maybe it could be about him realizing that he is sacrificing his own values and desires to be there for someone else, and how he doesn’t have to do that. How he doesn’t have to be endlessly supportive and can prioritize the things he values.

But they didn’t do it. Instead, they shittily wrote him out of the story and brought him back with no consequence and no conflict at all. And now he’s part of the team and doesn’t have to worry about lying to his friends because they didn’t really care all that much that he knows their identities. He doesn’t have any trust issues, or any issue at all, really, with the father who abandoned him for years. No, in less than a few episodes, they are interacting like Jagged has always been there with him his whole life. The show won’t let Luka have anything. Just like Adrien, he is reduced to being Marinette’s emotional support. It is less egregious than Adrien’s treatment by the writers because Luka doesn’t have enough screentime to get as screwed over as Adrien does, but it’s still there.

Actually, one thing I wish is that his relationship with Adrien could be explored more. I think they have a lot in common (cough cough daddy issues) and they are also very different in a lot of ways, so it could be an interesting dynamic. I'd have loved to see them get closer, but the show just... skipped over that, so.

But that aside, let me end this on a positive note and go over why I love Luka so much. And part of it is because I think he had so much potential to be such a great character and I find the things that are implied about his character intriguing, but other than that… he’s just so chill. Like, every character is so full of drama and emotional stuff, but not Luka. He’s got everything sorted out, he’s in his element. He’s calm and nice and sweet and he just… does his thing. He just helps everyone work out their shit. He’s just got those chill vibes, like… he’s very soothing to me when he appears. This show has something or the other happening all the time, but I know I can just relax whenever Luka shows up. It’s just nice to see someone who is not immersed in drama and is just living life, and that makes his personality very refreshing. I would like to see him be developed and explored, but that doesn’t mean this aspect of him has to go away. Both is good.

Also, I love his subtle sass (hah!) that rears its head every now and then. “Stop making up stories.” Banger. He says it like it is and I love it.

I hope that answers your question though. Thank you for your ask!

[emsylcatac]

I want your neighbour scenario to be the new Adrienette AU. Marinette puts a winky face letter for her new neighbour Adrien, and then regrets it like 30 mins later.

OKAY I hate how it sounds sooo neighbour AU but for real though not to use my current very awkward neighbour story (more details about what this is about in the tags of this poll for those who've missed my latest misadventure) buuut:

Post Hawkmoth-defeat AU where they're in uni or something

Marinette lives in an apartment, number 7 (the number isn't relevant it's just my apartment number ok)

Adrien changed his last name a few years following his dad's arrest because being an Agreste is Not Cool At All and Marinette doesn't know it

Adrien is new in the apartment building and just so happens to move in apartment 6, right on the same floor as Marinette's. Adrien being an early bird on time and Marinette a disaster owl very much not on time in the mornings, they haven't crossed paths yet

On Adrien's mailbox, there's his new name but it's not like Marinette would know it's him, while she hasn't her name on her mailbox apart from her apartment number because she got too lazy to grab a piece of paper and write her name on it. So she's just. Appartement n°7, and so they're not recognising that it's Adrien and Marinette who are their neighbour.

And here comes my story, MLified: Adrien makes a poll in his neighbours' mailbox asking whether anyone would mind if he parked his bike in the building's corridor

Marinette answers his poll and says that of course it's not a problem for her :)

Adrien being nice and slightly too enthusiastic at getting a nice answer telling him he's not a problem coupled with an emoji smiling, decides that the best way to thank his neighbour in a not at all over exaggerated way is to buy her crispy m&ms with a note saying (and I'm quoting the note I got in my mailbox) "congratulations appartement 7, you picked the right answer! Here's a little gift to thank you, enjoy!"

Marinette who finds that waaayy too adorable (and who really needed a snack that day) gets a little too excited, and decides to leave back a note in Adrien's mailbox to thank him

She writes (and I have to quote myself on that): "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE M&M'S!!! So nice!! Don't hesitate to knock if you ever need an egg or salt or something else ;)"

AFTER she dropped the note in his mailbox she realises that the winky face could be WIDELY MISINTERPRETED OH MY GOD YOU DUMB ASS, and promptly goes into "catastrophe" mode. She naturally and rationally considers moving out in a country far, far away.

(and here stops my story for now because I'm at the 'moving far away' part and I do not intend on having whatever lovesquare romance with my new neighbour thank you very much, but Adrinette would enjoy it)

Adrien, who's an oblivious and innocent baby doesn't notice anything wrong with the note and just thinks it's really sweet and friendly :). To thank his neighbour for being sweet, he buys her another pack of crispy m&m's

Marinette on her side start to think he misinterpreted her winky emoji, and is second guessing every new m&ms package coming in her mailbox

Anyway I don't have a follow up for this right now, I guess we could add some ladynoir bonding moments:

Like Ladybug talks to Chat Noir about her winky emoji note all panicked, and Chat Noir is just like "what of it, it just proves you're being nice, right?"

To which Ladybug explains that NO, WELL YES, but it could have other interpretations, and what if her neighbour thinks she's not only offering egg and salt??

To which Chat Noir proceeds to have a mental breakdown because "oh my god my Lady, my neighbour left me a note with a winky smiley the other day offering 'something else', do you think it means she's...implying something else???"

To which Ladybug is like "oh my GOD Chat Noir your neighbour is TOTALLY hitting on you 😱"

HENCE identity shenanigans because they DUMB.and don't notice that their stories are similar, and the notes exchange becomes a lot more confusing on Adrien and Marinette's sides but they keep sending some because heyyy, new friend and free food right?

I will stop this now because it's way too long and nonsensical for what it is, and it's late here fjzjfnzkfn but. Yeah I guess in my distress I. Can make every situations lovesquare-able 🥲

[redsbrainrot]

My Review on the Miraculous Movie

I’ve divided the review into sections with a final personal statement on it at the end. Spoilers ahead!!! Obviously.

Animation: 10/10

Absolutely gorgeous. Probably the most stunning animated film I’ve ever seen. The glow, the mist, the kwamis, the setting, fucking exceptional. Chloe’s hair especially was gorgeous. The sheer amount of detail that went into every frame is admirable. Everyone who worked on the animation deserves a massive raise.

Character Designs: 9/10

Of course most of the characters remained the same, besides the change in animation style. Like I mentioned above, I adored Chloe’s hair. Her dress at the end of the movie was also so glamorous. Marinette’s ladybug themed dress suited her so well, she looked beautiful.

The Mime and the Magician are also worth mentioning. Mime was so buff? Definitely gonna end up on thirst edits on TikTok. The magician too… very thicc…

Gabriel all disheveled waiting for Adrien to come home was so weird to see. But I liked it. His Hawkmoth suit as well was so refreshing. I couldn’t stand Shadowmoth and Monarch in seasons 4 and 5. Nice to see him again. The wings on the final fight too, mesmerising.

Emilie looked extremely different from her version in the show. I’m not sure which version I prefer. I loved her curly ponytail when she was on the stage.

Characters dialogue/actions: 6/10

Unfortunately I did have some problems with some of the minor behaviour changes in some of the characters. Specifically Adrien and Plagg. Plagg was funny in some parts (didn’t know Kwami’s could get gassy) but in others he was a bit of a dick? I can’t really explain it but there was just an off vibe with him.

Adrien also was slightly different. I actually loved seeing him stand up to Gabriel. Very much needed. I didn’t really like how distant he was with Marinette for most of the film. The Adrien we know and love from the series finds her awkwardness funny and I quote, “charming”. This was less so implied in the film. He was weirded out.

Chat Noir being extra cocky when he first met Ladybug was fucking hilarious though, I loved it. Made me giggle.

Pacing: 7/10

The pacing was mostly good… aside from the Adrienette scenes. They felt rushed. That’s all I really have to comment on this part. The film wasn’t slow though, which is a massive problem in the industry these days. I like how you were just thrown straight into it, no waiting around. As someone who zones out a fair bit, and very easily, I didn’t find the film drawn out.

Voice acting: 10/10

Exceptional. The voice actors never fail to disappoint. Especially Bryce Papenbrook and Keith Silverstein. Bryce singing “Cat Noir” in the Notre Dame scene was so funny.

And I’m sorry, Keith Silverstein’s fucking singing? I’m gonna dedicate a section to the singing but come on, worth mentioning here too.

The ending where he finds out his son is Chat Noir, made me sob. It was so well animated and acted, that I was uncontrollably sobbing.

Christina Vee also never fails to amaze me.

Chloe did sound different in this film, but it was somewhat refreshing. Her tone was less whiney like it became in season 4 and 5 of the show (I blame the writing for that though).

Songs/Singing: 7/10

I feel slightly conflicted on this subject.

Yes, the singing is good. The songs didn’t make me cringe like most musicals do. Will definitely be listening to Hawkmoth’s song again.

However… the drastic change between Marinette’s dialogue and her singing was hard to take seriously. I wish they voice matched her a little better. Adrien’s sounded different too, but it was more believable than Marinette’s. I had Monster High flashbacks from …that… film.

ANYWAY Keith FUCKING Silverstein? My jaw DROPPED. Fucking amazing.

Same with Tikki! Her singing parts were so enjoyable.

Story: 8/10

Overall, the story is good. There are some tweaks I would personally make. But I definitely prefer Jeremy ZAG’s version over Astruc’s. While there are some beautiful plots and stories lurking about in Astruc’s version, if I had to choose, I would pick ZAG’s take on it.

I will make a likes and dislikes list on some of the changes.

Likes:

- Adrien actually says “my mum died”. In the show he always just says “disappeared” or “went away”. I’m not sure if that’s just some odd Disney censorship though. But in this version, he actually says she’s dead.

- Chloe. Just Chloe. She was kind of iconic. Wasn’t over the top like she is in the show.

- Subtle hints of Nino’s feelings for Alya. They weren’t completely subtle obviously, but I like the simplicity.

- Gabriel having a fucking bob, HAHAHSHAH.

- Emilie Agrest being a stage actor

- “Watermelon”.

- Plagg being gassy

- Adrien having balls and yelling at his dad

- The way the butterfly miraculous was portrayed

- Careless whisper

- Gabriel finding out his son his Chat Noir. Like, that is the best. His reaction was beautiful, in a way? I don’t like how in the show he got off basically scot-free, and never found out his son was the hero he was fighting against, and vice versa.

Dislikes:

- Marinette having 0 friends… not even Rose, Juleka and Mylene. Sick of the loser hero trope.

- Plagg being a little condescending towards Adrien

- Adrien rejecting Marinette after Ladybug rejected him - like bestie go for the opportunity to discover new things with someone else

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Felt like 7 was too low, but 8 was too high. Don’t get me wrong, I love this film. I’ve already watched it multiple times by the time I’ve written this. Now I look at films with two different perspectives: average viewer and critic. So my final ratings always have a fair balance. If the film has a good premise, I usually enjoy it. It’s the execution of it that really matters however.

I’ve always thought miraculous has a good premise. The execution in the show… is another review I can make. In the film, it’s certainly improved. Not perfect, but improved. What made the film so great came down to the animation, songs, and character interactions. The changes made impacted the film massively, and I love most of them.

The ending where Adrien and Marinette go to kiss and then it cuts to “the end” was very rage inducing. Personally I can’t stand those types of teasing. However the next scene with Nathalie, made up for that. Having the film end on sort of a cliffhanger was unexpected I must say. I knew they’d tease at Emilie being under the Agrest mansion, but not in the way they did. Plus, she was wearing the peacock miraculous. I loved that. Even with the reveal of identities they’ve still left room for a sequel. For this franchise, I don’t think a sequel to the movie will hurt. It can’t be nowhere near as messy as the series, as the film has already proved it is not.

To anyone, in or out of the fandom, I recommend you watch the film. Definitely worth it.

[cassiekayscreams]

Adrienette - Jeckyll’n’Hyde AU

Intro/bio post

When Adrien first comes to class, Marinette has a little freak out because she already has pictures of him on her wall - just because they’re fashion spreads she took out of Agreste Magazine, but still. Kinda weird to have pictures of someone on your wall that is now in your class but you’ve never met before.

Marinette’s crush does still develop because of Adrien’s personality rather than being a celebrity crush, though. Origins sort of implies that Marinette really isn’t close with any of her classmates and Alya’s her first friend. I imagine most of the classmates don’t actively have negative feelings towards her, but due to Chloe’s bullying and the fact that Chloe often ropes others into it (Kim), she’s wary of opening up. When Adrien stands up to Chloe for her - something no one else is really doing, and especially impressive since she’s been his only friend for who knows how long - it means a lot to Marinette.

Marinette: Th-thanks for your help…

Adrien: Of course. … Is Chloe always like that?

Marinette: Y-yeah, pretty much…

Adrien: I’ve never seen her act like that before. Of course, whenever we’ve hung out, it’s just been the two of us, so I guess I haven’t seen her interact with many other people.

Marinette: How do you know Chloe?

Adrien: Our parents know each other. She was my only friend for a long time. I can’t believe this is how she’s been treating others the whole time…

Marinette: I’m sorry.

Adrien: No, no, you have nothing to be sorry for. I’m sorry she’s been treating you this way. It’s not okay.

Marinette is awkward, clumsy, and stuttery around everyone. Maybe slightly more around Adrien due to the crush, but not enough of a difference that it’d be notable to others. In fact, as she starts hanging out with Alya, Adrien, and Nino more, she’d start getting more comfortable with them and actually having friends and would become less awkward.

For Adrien’s part, he thinks Marinette is very sweet from the beginning, though obviously quite shy. But it seems like she doesn’t have a lot of friends and, hey, he doesn’t either. As he gets to know her better, he’s pleasantly surprised by her sense of humor, playfulness, and how willing she is to stand up for her friends even if she won’t stand up for herself.

Marinette would gradually catch on that Adrien’s home life isn’t good. She would feel powerless to directly do anything about it (such as confronting Gabriel), but would do what little things she can to ease Adrien’s burden in the only way she knows how. Hanging out with him when she can, bringing him extra sweets and little gifts, letting him hang out at the bakery with her and her parents on the rare occasions he’s allowed to get away from the house and his other responsibilities. When he is stuck at home, they play online rpgs together.

They are both dealing with trauma - Marinette at school and Adrien at home - and they bond over trying to help one another with those. Adrien helps Marinette at school and Marinette helps Adrien outside of school. While they don’t necessarily realize or vocalize it, they know a little of what the other person is going to and want to help them. That mutual connection leads to a deepening relationship.

[princess-of-the-corner]

In Princess Bee, do you have any ideas on the other next-gens?

Like which of the casts kids are gonna be the rest of the team?

So I'm debating!

At least one of the Adrienette kids will be involved! I /could/ swing all three depending on what we make their age gaps. Like if they're all one right after another then we'd have all three, but if there's like four years between each then it'd be just the one. Could combo it with two are the same age and one's younger and can't join the Team yet. (Side note: Going with the canon-esque names of Emma, Louis, and Hugo)

As for everyone else, I'm debating on something:

It'd be more realistic to have a slight age range with the kids. Like a 12-15 range for the main team (with various younger siblings currently benched). Because they'd all have grown up as friends anyway so they'd close enough to trust each other anyway.

But it'd be fucking hilarious to say that everyone had a kid or two in the same year timeline so they're all in the same class.

Re: who all has kids: I'm going with mostly the Canon and Canon-implied ships. So like, Alya/Nino, Rose/Juleka, Ivan/Mylene, Kim/Ondine, Nath/Marc and Kagami/Felix(I PROMISE I'm making them healthier than Canon!!!)

Sabrina, Alix, Max, Zoé and Luka don't have canon love interests so I can just kinda. Do whatever I want with them?

Someone suggested giving Zoé the girlfriend she was supposed to get and I'm going with that. Sabrina is a tossup on if I want to go with her and Aurore or her and Luka because I usually use the former but the latter is a fun one. Max I could tag on to the 'Kim has two hands' like I usually do, or make an OC. Alix is up in the air?

There's gonna be at least one kid from each ship on the team, but that does leave various spots open because they make up about 1/2-2/3 of the numbers.

[sweetcloverheart]

Clover Rants Miraculously: “Okay, but why?”

Warning for spoilers below for “Transmission (Pt.1)” and the script/bible leak for “Derision” and plotstuff, so read on with caution

I see a lot of talk about Chloe’s comment in “Transmission” about having forced Marinette to request to come to school and...wasn’t feeling any of the anger some of the rest of the fandom was feeling about it. Like, it’s still an awful thing to do to someone and to go through as a 14 year old, but the urge to revile Chloe for tormenting Marinette like that just didn’t bubble up.

At first I thought “Maybe it’s because I like both characters that how awful the thing she did is isn’t hitting me” - but I was able to hate Chloe in the beginning, and I do remember being genuinely angry when she locked Juleka in the bathroom in “Reflekta” so I knew it couldn’t be that. Then I considered that maybe I was finally reaching the point of being burnt out by the show, but despite my upset over various plot developments and reveals (*glares at Gabriel and the season finale*), I still have some love for the show and a handful of characters as well as the fandom, so it wasn’t that either. And then after scrolling through tumblr and letting my thoughts wander, I finally realized why it wasn’t clicking with me - because it has the same issue I had with Zoe and her backstory in that we’re told “Chloe did bad thing to Marinette” without really giving any setup or context for it.

“Chloe bullied Marinette so badly she needed her permission to go to school in the past.” sounds and is terrible on it’s own and naturally kicks off the gut reaction to be sad for Marinette for going through this and angry at Chloe for instigating it - but then I have to ask “Okay, but why?” Why did she do it? What actually happened? What led up to the incident? And most importantly - Why Marinette? What is it about her (aside from her being our plucky underdog protag) that made Chloe hone in on her and begin a years long bullying campaign from Kindergarten that apparently resulted in her forcing her out of school for how long until she had beg to come back?

And I feel like it should have been made a thing/explained since we’re speedrunning so many plot points right now and also because we’ve had five seasons and still have not been given any real explanation for the story behind Marinette and her struggle against her “Civilian Hawkmoth” Chloe Bourgeois. Since the conflict between them was already happening in the beginning, I didn’t think much of it because “average everyday kid MC has a bully they have to deal with” was staple for magical girls and the like. But then the show revealed the bullying has been happening since kindergarten (which has me asking how the mayor’s daughter and a baker’s kid managed to be the same circles enough to know each other well enough to become bully and victim? Unless this was before Andre took office, but even then I can’t imagine they had the opportunities to interact...), and I found myself intrigue at the story behind such long standing animosity and wanting to learn more about it and how exactly we got to Chloe constantly sabotaging and tormenting Marinette before getting Marinette being able to snap back with her head held up high

And I still do because I feel it would have gone a long way in properly setting her up as our heroine’s foil and future opponent more. Chloe just being an asshole to Marinette (alongside everyone and their mother) for kicks with no explanation was fine back in season 1 when she was just a minor antagonist who was just supposed to try and hinder Adrienette progress/cause the akuma of the day, but now that she’s being made Lila’s future flying monkey and the show’s trying to hype her up as “Worst than Gabriel#2″ alongside everything that’s been revealed about her, you’d think we’d finally get to the bottom of what started her one-woman crusade against Marinette (and imply maybe learning just what exactly happened between them that spited Chloe so much that she went as far as forcing Marinette to stay home until she had to literally get Chloe’s verbal permission to attend classes again). But so far, like with Adrien never learning his true origins, the show doesn’t see to want to actually give a proper story on what set the two against each other. (Also, how come we didn’t get this info sooner? Why wasn’t this relevant back when Tikki and the rest were pushing Marinette to let Chloe be a hero? Or after she took back the Bee Miraculous? How come we didn’t hear more about her previous Pre-Series bullying incidents against Marinette when they would have been useful in setting up Chloe’s betrayal in “Miracle Queen” instead of being (yet) an(other) unsubtle “See, Chloe’s terrible! Hate her!” tossaway line)

It also doesn’t help that Chloe has...basically been a huge non-entity for a majority of the season (and also prior). Like why should I care she forced Marinette to have to ask her to go to school who knows how long ago if she 1)Is not involved in the episode plot of the day, 2)Isn’t going to be a major player in the current storyline regarding Hawkmoth and the Rings, or 3)The information isn’t going to be relevant other than the show once again begging the audience to hate Chloe. I mean, it’s a messed up thing, yes - but Chloe has been doing bad/messed up stuff to everyone the entire series since episode one. This is less “Oh god Chloe’s just the worse! >:C” and more “Okay...thanks for telling me this?”. Just more of the usual. It’d be one thing if she had revealed it in a threat against Marinette (”Back off of Adrien, Baker girl - or do you need another few months off school again?”) or casually told Adrien and it helped facilitate his eventual dissolving of their friendship, but it’s basically being used to go “Oh, you thought Chloe was evil? Well this will show you that she’s not just evil - but super duper evil!” And instead of feeling the carnivorous urge to pray for Chloe to get slapped hard across the face with violent karma as I finally “accept” that she’s actually a evil horrid monster the show has been begging me to see her as, I just can’t help but go “You told me this last episode. I already know Chloe bullies Marinette and is super duper evil, you can stop selling me on it. Also Lila did this first (“Ladybug”) so this feels like a repeat. Don’t you guys have any new material? Actually, can we talk about Lila instead - you want her to be the next big bad right? I want to know what’s she’s doing to lead up to that.”

Also, as mentioned in a another post, the entire thing is...very small potatoes compared to what’s going on the plot right now, especially with Chloe’s role being so reduced since S4. I know a lot of people tend to get defensive when it comes to how people talk about Chloe’s bullying/behavior towards Marinette (especially when they themselves were bully victims in the past and the dismissiveness some people treat it with hits too close to home), but as a former bully victim myself also, I genuinely can’t really find it in me to force myself to focus on Chloe and her past cruelty to Marinette with everything else going on (yes, even with the ability to multitask and care about multiple things at once). Like, is it really that important Chloe’s bragging about forcing Marinette to stay home back in the past when our two leads just now had to give up their miraculouses and are uber depressed about that while Hawkmoth has tracked down the people they passed them on to and is planning another big plan to swipe them. Especially when, again - this information is not and will not be relevant to the plot at hand. It’d be one thing is it was meant to foreshadow/set up for “Derision” (and maybe it is) or was leading up to a flashback episode explaining what triggered Chloe into targeting Marinette in the first place, and maybe it will be relevant/explained next season or later in the future, but until then if it isn’t about something to either build off of for Chloe getting involved as a major villain by her own right, Marinette’s growth as a character, or the overarching plotline either involving Hawkmoth or the Lovesquare progress - I’m not sure what the show wants me to do with the info at this point (other than squirrel it away for future fanfic material)?

And before anyone goes “Well bad people don’t need reason to be bad”, and yes I know not every bully character gets this huge dramatic backstory for why they hate the lead or needs their evil justified - I’m not asking for that. I don’t need a reason for why Chloe is doing bad things to Marinette, I just want actual buildup/a proper background to when it started and what kicked it off so I can properly be angry/sympathetic like the show apparently wants when it drops lines like this.

TLDR: The show has basically dragged out the “Chloe bad/did evil bad thing once” thing too long and now every time they bring up one of her “crimes” I’m just bored instead of righteously angry like the show wants be to be, especially when they haven’t explained why Chloe started bullying Marinette in the first place.