#kwami swamp

[heartfulselkie]

if you think kwami swap au is why people follow you then why don't you just do that?

If it were that easy to control my motivation then there are many things I could "just do". But I can't so I just draw/write whatever my singular brain cell is hooked on.

[mymiraclebox]

If Team Miraculous had the Season Box, since this one was made in Europe, instead of the Mother Box, which miraculouses would they have?

So the Season Box is two Miraculouses smaller than the Mother Box, so I'm not going to account for Felix or villains in this line up (sorry Felix).

Marinette - Crab of Adaptation. With Marinette's planning skills I think she'd be very effective with the Crab. Adrien - Swan of Loyalty. Whose more loyal than Adrien? Alya - Scorpion of Truth. Perfect for reporter Alya! Nino - Gecko of Equality. I think Nino matches this concept well, and also like the Turtle I feel a reptile kwami suits him. Chloe - Dove of Peace. I've done this pairing in another post before, but Olivv and Chloe would both really benefit from each other and their perspectives, especially with the paths they're heading down. Luka - Lynx of Intuition. Is it cheating to give Luka the same concept he has in canon? Oh well, this one fits too well. Max - Ant of Cooperation. I think Max would be really effective with operating under Hivemind. Kagami - Hedgehog of Precision. I just think Kagami fits both the literal and metaphorical aspects of this concept well. Kim - Polar Bear of Endurance. Kim would want to have the Polar Bear. Zoe - Elk of Growth. I don't know why, but I've always seen Zoe as one that would have a connection to nature. Mylene - Seahorse of Fear. What better way to master ones fears than to be the one to wield that power? Rose - Moth of Hope. It's just perfect for Rose! (Especially since the kwami is based on the rosy maple moth!) Juleka - Kelpie of Water. First of all Juleka would love this creepy swamp-creature looking kwami, and second of all I trust her with wielding a powerful Miraculous like an Elemental. Sabrina - Lion of Courage. Valoree would just be so good for Sabrina, while she'd also provide a good balance for this power. Marc - Aurochs of Reversion. I don't think there's any particular one holder that's a good match for this Miraculous, but I think Marc would be a good person to trust with a Timekeeper. Nathaniel - Ibex of Friction. No escaping a Goat-based Miraculous, Nath. xD Ivan - Mouflon of Strength. Raw power mixed with Ivan's kind heart is a good combo.

[generalluxun]

Small Problems: A Lukanette fanfic

Well, Lukamouse mostly. This is just chapter 1 of the fic. This Chapter and all the rest will appear on AO3 (Link in my bio) if this wets anyone's appetite. Chapter after the break.

"It's weird; holding these again. Did she tell you anything about how long?"

Cat Noir's green eyes glowed against the moonless night. The earrings, half of the most powerful magics the world had to offer, looked so small in his palm.

Multimouse knew just how heavy they really were. "No, just that she needed time, and that she trusted you."

He closed his hand around the earrings slowly, then with that same weight moved to put them on. "I hope she finds what she's looking for. I wish I could have done more."

The pain on his face was real and an answering pain twisted in Multimouse's chest. Her kitty cared , and so did she, but the only thing it brought them was sorrow. Sorrow and now for her, anxiety. The cold fingers of it squeezed her heart just as strongly, this new pain born not of affection, but of expectation. It was why she was here and doing this.

She waved her hands instinctively, then clasped them to avoid giving away too much through body language. "No, no. You did everything a partner can be expected to do. This isn't on you. Just like you must have a life, so does she. None of us are muddling through middle school anymore. I think hers is just hitting a little too hard right now."

His lips turned up into a smile. She'd known him long enough to see through that mask though. "Yeah. Maybe once it's all said and done, I'll take a little vacation of my own. Would you like a chance to be Ladybug's purrtner for a while?"

Argh! He was asking too much, talking too much. Multimouse was supposed to allow a quick drop off and run. As always though, she couldn't disengage. They were entwined, and as she had begun to feel, trapped.

Multimouse gave him a smile every bit as forced as his own. "That sounds like a bit too much for me. I think I really only got the tap again because the other mouse holder has ventured beyond Paris too. I'll do my best for now, but I will be happy when I can pass it on again."

His smile turned serious. "You have everything it takes to be one of the very best, Multimouse, don't ever sell yourself short."

The intensity shocked her. It was so long ago, it was easy to forget he knew. He knew, and they had shared a singular kiss without her mask. Even disguised, she could not escape herself. Her pulse spiked, pounding in her ears. That twisty pain became an overwhelming pressure. Her eyes burned. Her legs tingled… she had to get away!

"I- have to- I'll meet you again next week!" Multimouse bolted.

She ran and swung, jumped and slid. She was halfway across Paris in minutes, and finally the pounding in her ears was from exertion, not emotion. Multimouse slumped against a chimney stack and tried to block it all out.

Chat, Adrien, Ladybug, Sentis, The Butterfly missing still, the Kwamis, The Guardianship, the team, Fu, Su-Han, Felix, that damn statue mocking her, Zoé, Kagami, Alya in the States, the bakery, university planning, commissions, her portfolio, contacts, Mayor Bustier; they all combined to a tide that rose up, swamping her, drowning her. Multimouse curled in on herself and pushed. She pushed her little void of space with everything still left to her. It was enough, only just. Her racing thoughts receded, her pulse slowed. Multimouse gasped- she'd forgotten to breathe. Slowly life came back to her limbs. She stood shakily, steadying herself. If ever she doubted this was necessary, she had her proof.

The last thoughts to recede were of Chat and Adrien both. They were warm thoughts, loving thoughts, but even the loveliest roses would leave you bloody and scarred if held too long and too tightly.

It was time to let go.

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

The wind in her face as she ran across rooftops on patrol helped to clear Multimouse's head somewhat. Being her gray self helped too. Far fewer people noticed her as she ran, and those who did rarely looked twice. The other heroes were welcomed in Paris, but they weren't Ladybug.

Crime was still way down in the city. Even with half their number retired, the Miraculous heroes were a presence that discouraged villainy of all sorts. Emotions could override judgment in even the most peaceful of cities though, butterflies or no.  Multimouse also knew from experience that the new moon would bring out the few opportunists. She zigzaged across narrow alleyways and poorly lit neighborhoods as she made her circuit.

Shadows in a dead end street, a feminine yelp, harsh words. Multimouse homed in on the sounds and skittered to the edge of an overlooking gutter. She peered into the gloom. One person interposed between two others, a clear dispute. With another high-pitched wail one of the shadows fled. The other two squared off on each other, the interposing shadow now blocking the other from pursuing the one that had fled.  Multimouse strained to hear when there was sudden motion; a distinctive shape caught her eye. Multimouse dove into the mix. She covered the interposing shadow, *pop*. She tackled him the the ground *pop* *pop* *pop*. Bullets were hot, like bee stings against her back with the protection of the miraculous. The remaining shadow -the gunman- fled past them both.

Multimouse was in shock. Not from the assault, but because of the pair of familiar ocean blue eyes that blinked up at her. A million questions, a million things left unsaid, all spiraled through her mind.

All that came out of her lips was, "Are you okay?"

Luka Couffaine blinked up at her, eyes wider than she had ever seen them. Laid atop him, she could feel his heart racing against her chest. He swallowed, "Yeah…"

She pushed herself up, arms suddenly wobbly. "Stay down."

He remained where he was, barely breathing. "Yeah…"

Focus! Multimouse undid her tail-rope. "I will be right back."

A gunman, especially one with the will to use it couldn't be left free. Multimouse whipped her tail rope around a chimney and launched herself after him. She overtook him quickly. One multimouse became three and the trio ambushed, disarmed, and tail-tied him in short order. Two of herself took the culprit to the nearest precinct station while the third returned to Luka.

She found him where she left him, with his gaze turned skyward. She landed her still half-sized self right in front of him, but still didn't startle him. He just turned those so gentle eyes down to her, "Good, you're safe."

She wanted to hug him and she wanted to shove him. "Me? You were the one in danger! He had a gun!"

He absorbed her agitation, and gave none of it back. He just stuck his hands in his pockets and gave her an abashed smile. "Yeah, I didn't know he had one when it started. I simply heard him and the lady having an… ahh.. disagreement about how their date should progress. I wanted to be sure it remained civil."

Years fell away. Multimouse found herself watching his lips. There was more, history told her there was more.

History was right. He scuffed one foot and his smile bloomed further. "Thank you for saving me."

He was so unfair! Now all she could think about under that gentle gaze was pulling him down by the ears to her level and…

"Don't mention it!" She interrupted herself, a trifle too loudly.

He prompted, "Polymouse, right?"

She shifted from foot to foot. "Multi- actually. Poly- is retired for now, I'm just a temp."

"Do I make you nervous?" He asked.

"No," She lied, "Why?"

He gestured with one hand, the motion fluid as a conductor's. "Because you're strangling your tail so tightly I'm afraid you might lose it."

Multimouse looked down and eeped. She let go of her tail rope, letting it hang free from her waist. "Oh! I- uhmm… okay so, maybe I am a little on edge."

She didn't need to go into why, right?

"Would it help if I kept you company, until the rest of you return? If you want, I could even give you a lift to wherever they are."

Superheroes don't need a lift. I can do just fine on my own! What she actually said was, "Sure, if you don't mind."

He turned wordlessly towards the mouth of the alley and she followed. At first she had to trot to keep up, but he shortened his steps to match her pace. Her mind kept dumping thoughts and words on her, ways to fill up the silence. Every time she was close to building up to a word explosion though, the aura of stillness about him drew it all away.

That stillness turned to mirth when they got back to where he had ditched his bicycle and she tried to scramble up on it behind him. Half-sized Multimouse wobbled even when he left her the whole seat. She'd be clinging to him and praying.

Her Ladybug-brain was already considering putting her tail through his belt loops when he volunteered, "I have an idea."

His hands had always been strong, and now they encircled her waist and then some. He lifted her off the seat and set her gently in the oversized delivery basket on the front of his bike.

"How's that?"

She didn't think 'Can you carry me like that the whole way?' would be an appropriate answer, so she just faced forward to hide her pink cheeks. "This works. I feel a little like a kid though."

Luka mounted the bike again, and at her direction started off towards her other selves. "Nothing wrong with that. We barely get any time as kids when we're young. Dipping back into it now and then is healthy I think."

With those words lingering in her ears, Multimouse settled back into the basket. The whir of his bike, the sound of his breathing, and the breeze in her face all combined to whisk away more of her doubts and fears, despite herself. By the time her other two selves came into view, sitting on a low wall and kicking their feet, she was nearly asleep sitting up.

Her other two selves exchanged looks as the bike stopped. Multimouse stuck her tongue out at them while Luka couldn't see. She jumped down, and three became one. She turned back to Luka and was surprised by how much taller he still was than her. Has he grown in the last year? Jagged is a beanpole I guess.

"Thank you for the ride."

Luka dipped his head in a little bow, "My pleasure, thank you for your heroism Miss Mouse. I hope I'll get to see you again soon, under better circumstances."

Too many things she wanted to say were tangled up in all the reasons she shouldn't say them. Instead Multimouse snapped her tailwhip off in a flashy flourish, promptly lost her grip on it, and sent the whole thing flying into a nearby wall. With a defeated wail she ran over, snatched it up, and swung away before embarrassment killed her.

Luka's voice echoed after her, "I saw nothing!"

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

Luka Couffaine walked his bike down the plank to the Liberty's deck. It was a still night, save for the momentary excitement. He dropped himself into a chair on deck and looked for answers once more in the stars.  The image of an earnest mouse in pink and gray tickled across his mind, eclipsing the crime prevented and close call both.

"Y'r late." His sister's rich alto accused. 

He looked back over his shoulder as she approached. Juleka had their father's height even more than he did. She was a tall shadow even after stepping into the light.

Luka gave a non-answer, "I ran into one of your coworkers while I was out."

Her one visible eye narrowed accusingly, but her tone was gentle. "F'you wanted t' be h'ro, shoulda k'pt th' snake."

He gave her a smile tinged with sadness. "No, Jules. It never sat right on my shoulders. Time is a river, not a drain. You don't circle, you flow."

She gave him a little hmph and stepped closer, her hands settled on his shoulders. "y'not tuff 'nuff to be th' tiger," she teased. Then, "Who w's 't?"

"Someone new. A mouse hero, with the heart of a tigress herself, I think."

"MMmm, she made n'n 'pression."

He looked back again, "What makes you say that?"

Her hands left his shoulders. A rare smile bloomed on her face and she pointed down in front of him with one decaled black nail. Luka followed her line and-

"Huh…" He hadn't remembered picking up his guitar, but there it was in his lap. His fingers slid along strings dusty from lack of use.

Juleka left a giggle in her wake as she returned below decks. As Luka sat back again, his fingers continued to move of their own accord, searching out something unheard but felt. It wasn't long before a melody began to drift from the strings, single notes joining the stars in the night sky. A new melody to his ear, one without a name, but one with an owner nonetheless.

Luka let out a curious chuckle, "Well, this is unexpected."

[kari-go]

About the sloth, to look more interesting different shades could be used, like a different shade of face compared to the main fur? And main colour would be better mossy or swamp kind of green instead of this neon you used. Don't know about the bear, but whether they stay brown or be another colour, also it can be made less basic by more experimenting with different colour accents.

If you have a crocodile or mantis kwami, what would they be kwamis of?

The first one is the one I showed before. The green wasn't neon at all but I guess it looked a little neon next to the browns so I did mute it a little. The dark brown sections on his limbs are supposed to be the claws. I actually really like the middle one. Maybe I'll remove the green chest tho.

I actually had a crocodile kwami! I even had a miraculous and a weapon but had no concept or power for him xd. But it would be something along the lines of secrets/hiding or biting. Mantis would either be something very aggressive/brutal or Decision.

[moonlightreal]

Miraculous is marvelous

I ignored this series for a long time due to Ladybug’s magical outfit being silly looking. More fool me! This show is great. It is very formulaic and repetitive, and the actual metaplot starts so slowly there’s like one breadcrumb per season and nothing gets revealed even until the end of season five! So you really have to love the formula, but the formula is very lovable. Each episode is basically the same story but they’re full of details. The story of our heroes versus Hawkmoth advances slowly, but each of the minor fairies Marinette’s classmates has a personality and an evolving place in the story as their friendships and relationships grow.

Miraculous is just such a happy show. It takes place in a world without evil.

The show has a great message. Every episode we see a person suffer some disappointment and get swept away by their negative emotions. Hawkmoth obligingly shows up and turns the person into a monster and our heroes obligingly show up to defeat it. Then the poor person looks around and goes, “Whoa, what was I doing?” and handles their disappointment in a more healthy way.

Here in our world people mostly don’t turn into supervillains, but we’ve all had the experience of some rotten circumstance sending us into a spiral of negative emotions that we just can’t get out of. And seeing, over and over again, a symbolic version of getting out of the emotional swamp and finding healthy ways to deal with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune is great. This is good magic anyone can use.

And if you’re into less subtle magic, maybe you’re called to be the keeper of your own Miraculous with your own Kwami buddy. You won’t be able to jump across rooftops while transformed but in our world there are probably more useful gifts than mad parkour skills. In fact I’m sure some people using superhero magic are out there!

Changing angles a little from magical being to fan, I have some thoughts on the metaplot!

Miraculous has a very weird story. In most stories if the villain gets what he wants that would be bad for everybody, so the heroes need to stop him. But in Miraculous if the villain gets what he wants that would be the happy ending! Hawkmoth’s entire motivation for evil is one goal and once he gets it he’ll stop doing evil and there will be no more need for superheroes!

So the writers have written themselves into a strange little corner. How will the story conclude? Hawkmoth gets the Miraculous, saves his family, peace is restored? Happy ending but it doesn’t give the heroes of the story any kind of victory. So that’s no good, we need Ladybug and Cat Noir to defeat evil and win the day! But how to get there from here?

My idea of the best chance for a normal climax for the story would be to introduce a new, more villainous villain, pivot Hawkmoth into the role of someone the heroes are helping. Then they all defeat the bigger villain together, the heroes help Hawkmoth get his wish, and peace is restored. That’s how I’d do the story… but is that how the writers will do the story? I’m just on the edge of my seat!

So if any of you are out there thinking Marinette’s magic clothes are too silly or this show is too mindless, give it another look. There’s a lot more there than meets the eye.

[redtippedfox]

In your "Corrupted Kwamis: Wrath of the Gods" you mentioned that the Kwamis have territories, and I was curious about what those territories would look like. I could the Kwamis warping the reality of their territories to change their environment to what they desire. I have a few guesses off the top of my head. For Pollen, I can see her territory being a mix of a beehive and a jungle where everything tries to kill the people in it, and those who survive it get taken over by Pollen and become the predators. For Ziggy, I could see his territory being a swamp with rivers of paint (to go with the painting theme of Genesis) that is actually the stolen passion of Ziggy's victims. Longg's could be an ocean where a huge storm is constant. Trixx's territories could be constantly covered in fog that creates illusions to torment those in it.

Thank you for asking about it! Due to the freedom the kwamis have Paris is split into territories that the holders and kwamis control. Since Marinette loves Paris so much the kwamis don’t really change anything other than placing palaces in each parts of their territories. Now for the outside word, that’s a whole different story. If you want to live a some what normal life then stay in Paris but outside of Paris it is a kill or be killed zone. The kwamis warp the outside world to their own design but Paris is not touched. The only thing different about Paris is the fact the sky is now red and sun is eclipsed at all times.

[sassyduckqueen]

Here's some designs for ROA!Luka using the different Miraculous.

So we have Apatura, named after Aputura Iris aka the Purple Emperor Butterfly. As you can see his "akumas" aren't black and purple. This is because he wouldn't be a villain. He would create champions that he calls Tenshi, which means angel in Japanese. He does this since hawkmoth called his akumas, which is Japanese for demon/devil.

Next is Paon. A simple name but I feel it suits him. Like the butterfly version, he isn't evil. He refers to his creations as Senticreatures instead of Sentimonsters. His mask is inspired by Phantom of the opera.

Next is Kobe, which literally means turtle.

Vespa is the name for his bee form

And finally we have Rusè. Rusè means foxy in frence but I was also thinking it could link into his power as a Ruse can also be a distraction.

Anyway, I'm really happy with how these turned out and will be doing more in the future.

Yin Yang Miraculous

Wuxing Miraculous

Chinese Zodiac Miraculous:

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3: Coming Soon

[so-were-heroes]

Hey, just to say that, as a big SIX fan, I, 100% support the decision of a group akumatization, specially to fight against Henry the Idiot. Also, consider Jane Seymour with the Goat, or Anne of Cleves with the Ox, since she is amazing, strong and powerful.

Goat Jane Seymour will be coming up shortly

[lemonjamdraws]

u guessed it

its ladybug lila

peacock | mouse

[mythivl]

Hi I haven’t been drawing much so I decided to simplify my art here, but I really wanted to draw marinette with the canon miraculous.

I drew marigold from @zoe-oneesama scarlet lady Au but it looked bad and I accidently messed up the mask so I’ll def have to redraw later 😳😰

[emdoddles]

Peacock! Adrian because he deserves to be a feathery boy. @nerdasaurus1200 believes to call him Mayuri and I agree.

[mymiraclebox]

You said that one beaver power by an anon overlapped with your climate box, so how do the powers from that box work?

The Climate Box has the kwamis of Darkness, Light, Change; and then five kwamis of various biomes: Forest, Desert, Tundra, Sea, and Prairie. These five kwamis have the ability to manipulate the environments they represent, and have a strong control over a major element of that biome. So Forest has the most control over plant life, Prairie has a strong effect on elevation, Tundra has an impact of weather, Desert can manipulate the aridness, Sea can control the water sources; etc.

When unified they can greatly alter the environment, and their unification is less taxing that with most other kwamis. So the Forest+Sea kwamis could create and manipulate swamps. Tundra+Prairie could manipulate more mountainous regions, etc.

Also while not apart of the Climate Box, the Deer kwami of Wilderness has a strong impact over wildlife and animals, and can also play a huge role in altering the environment like these kwamis.

[mlwritingprompts]

Submitted Prompt: Canon Compliant Kwami Swamp AU

Kwami swap AUs are fairly popular among the fandom, but has anyone on the salt side thought about what that would actually mean? I’m talking in terms of team dynamics. In most of the swap fics I’ve read, Adrien knows the Ladybug Miraculous requires responsibility and acts accordingly. But if we’re going by their canon dynamics and Adrien is still using the mask for fun rather than to help people… well, that’s a problem.

So I’m thinking that Marinette still ends up having to be the responsible one, except it would actually be worse this time because Adrien has something to hold over her head. If she doesn’t do something he wants, he has the option to not cast Miraculous Cure. Because of this, Marinette ends up getting forced into some public kisses and other displays of “affection”.

But the downside for Adrien, is that Marinette is still the smart one, and more importantly the more pragmatic fighter. 

If she ever decided not to hold back, decided she really wanted to hurt him, she could absolutely pull it off. The only reason she doesn’t is because one, she needs him, and two, she’s not exactly keen on hurting people even if they are absolutely terrible human beings.

But this is a universe where not a small amount of Akuma have some kind of mind control. Maybe one day she slips up, or more likely, Adrien puts her in danger with his rampant neglect of responsibility, and she ends up under an Akuma’s thrall. 

In this state, she is doing her absolute best to kill him. Adrien is well and truly fucked. I’d say the fight lasts two or three minutes, and that’s if she doesn’t immediately decide to use Cataclysm.

So basically what I’m saying is, kwami swap AU ends badly for literally everyone involved.

But maybe, if Marinette is lucky, Hawkmoth releases the Akuma right before making the wish, freeing her from the mind control, which gives her a chance to take him down and cast Miraculous Ladybug herself. Then again, maybe not.

Rules for the blog - send a short prompt - send a long prompt

Honestly, if she weren’t holding back at all, I’d be shocked if he survives more than ten seconds.

She’s held him off when he was trying his damnedest to kill her a dozen times now, and the only reason she doesn’t beat him immediately is because she’s trying not to hurt him. Adrien, at least compared to Marientte, is just not a good fighter, no matter how many fencing classes he takes.

But yeah. If Adrien had the Miraculous Ladybug earrings, it would take a miracle (no pun intended) for them to survive even a few episodes. Marinette would be doing all the work like normal, now with the added restraint that she has to convince Adrien, who literally mansplains her own powers to her, to go along with what she is telling him to do.

[muggle-born-princess]

What’s your opinion on Chat Noir having the reset ability instead of Ladybug since I always thought that ability leans more towards destruction instead of creation (basically he would be like Sailor Saturn) it would put them on more equal ground and make Ladybug less OP. or the reset is their powers combined, which would go with the theme of the balance of light and dark as well

I tend to see so many people ask this or have this view on other blogs, and I will see them say it should've been that way instead. In a way, I kinda do agree. Heck, this is why I loved the kwami swamp in "Reflekdoll" because the personalities just made so much sense. It honestly made me wish Lady Noir and Mister Bug were the permanent heroes instead.

[moonlitceleste]

If your taking prompts, in the Big Sis Marinette AU, what if Marinette crashes Bruce's JL meeting and completely embarrasses him OR where all the Batfam got grounded and she's filling in for them at JL and nobody knows who she is

A/N: I’m sorry this took me so long! I’ve been absolutely swamped with work, and since I wanted to do research on each of the JL members I had trouble finding time to write this. Hopefully it was worth the wait!

-

Bruce sighed at the Batcomputer and pinched his brow. It hadn’t even reached the end of the week, yet all his kids were already benched. First it was Jason and Damian; the two had gotten into a fight over something trivial, and it escalated until Bruce had to pull them apart. Next was Tim, who had done nothing wrong but overwork himself. Despite being busy Bruce still paid attention to his kids, and yesterday this one looked on the verge of falling over. Then there was Dick and Duke, who were both out-of-country to investigate an international issue. Stephanie was out of the picture since he had promised her the day off, and Cass… well, Cass had done nothing wrong as per usual, but Bruce didn’t want to subject her to this.

He couldn’t not attend the meeting, but Batman was needed in Gotham. If only there was someone who could take my place...

As if on cue, the entrance of the Batcave opened.

Somewhere near in the manor, a door slammed open.

“Oh Bruuuuce,” a voice sing-songed.

The vigilante grimaced and pinched his brow once again. His headache was about to get a whole lot worse.

-

Marinette chewed on her gum amusedly as she sat in the Hall of Justice, legs kicked up onto the circular table. For a place that was supposed to be secure, it sure was easy getting in. All she had to do was teleport in using Kaalki—not that that was her only option, since she was already secretly registered as an official Justice League member; she just wanted to see whether or not their security measures would work. Despite being Ladybug, Marinette did enjoy a little chaos from time to time.

The batarang in her hand whizzed as it cut through the air; she was spinning it around her finger absentmindedly as she waited for the telltale sound of the transporters. She had done her research, of course, and managed to figure out the schedules of each League member in order to plan a dramatic entrance. Well, it wouldn’t be her dramatic entrance, but seeing their expressions would be fun nonetheless.

With the kwamis’ help, she had given them each a little nudge. Some members had trouble with mysterious issues that caused them to arrive a bit later than usual, while others found themselves miraculously early for once. Either way, Marinette had planned it so they’d all arrive at the same time—and her plans always worked.

Somewhere in the distance a faint whoosh sounded. Even without the enhanced hearing that came with the black cat Miraculous, the sound piqued her senses. The smile that was spread across the heroine’s face grew razor-sharp with anticipation. It’s showtime.

-

“...it was weird. My ring has never done that before, and with all the strange occurrences recently—”

Green Lantern broke off as Aquaman sent a jab to his side. He looked up, confused, before noticing the rest of the members had stopped in front of the Hall of Justice with defensive positions.

“Who are you?” the Flash growled.

The person sitting at the circular table was a woman in a sleek red-and-black suit. She was clad in armor, and there was what looked like a pair of wings on her back, clearly imitating those of a ladybug’s.

Rather than respond to his question, she raised a brow. Or at least, that’s what it looked like; it was hard to tell with the spotted mask on her face.

The members tensed, preparing to attack, when a heavy sigh came from Superman. He threw his arm up, preventing them from moving forwards.

“It’s alright, guys. I know her.”

The words, while reassuring, did nothing to make them drop their guard. They remained vigilant as the ladybug-themed woman slid her legs off the table and stood up. The movement was assured and grateful, and she had an aura that radiated power.

Despite this, however, she had a short stature that seemed even smaller in comparison to the League.

“Superman,” she nodded.

“Ladybug,” he greeted.

There was a sharp inhale from two of the members.

“Ladybug?” Wonder Woman repeated.

“And Grand Guardian, technically.”

At these words the Amazonian dropped to one knee, followed quickly by Aquaman. Their heads were bowed low in fealty. The rest of the members could only watch, shocked at the clear act of deference. No one dared breathe.

“Wonder Woman. Aquaman,” the masked woman addressed. A faint smile twitched at the corner of her lips.

“There’s no need to bow.”

Like a barrier had been broken, the two slowly raised themselves to meet her eyes. They looked at her with a mixture of awe and respect.

“Wha—” started the Flash. He broke off with a hiss as Superman elbowed his side.

“Ouch, dude!”

The Kryptonian only rolled his eyes and signalled to where Ladybug and Wonder Woman were still conversing.

“It is an honor to be in your presence, Guardian.”

“Nonsense. You’re Wonder Woman. If anything, I’m honored to be in your presence.”

At this point, it seemed as if Green Lantern was tired of the confusion.

“Okay, what’s this all about? Why’d you guys bow? And what’s a Guardian?”

Aquaman sighed internally at his ally’s brusqueness and looked towards Ladybug as if asking for permission to proceed. After receiving a nod, he spoke.

“The Order of the Guardians is an age-old society which protects and distributes Miraculouses, which  are magical jewels not unlike your ring. However, the Miraculouses have existed since the beginning of the universe itself. They each have unique abilities, but the two most powerful are the Ladybug and Black Cat. When combined, the wielder has the potential to rewrite the universe as we know it. That’s why Guardians are important; they help prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. The Grand Guardian is even more so.”

“My mother, Hippolyta, was a Ladybug wielder,” Diana added. “The Order has always had deep connections with both the Atlantians and Amazons.”

Everyone seemed satisfied with this response except for Green Lantern, who spoke up with a frown.

“But then why have neither of you met her before today? It doesn’t make sense that Superman would know of her before you guys.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes good-naturedly and waited for the Kryptonian to reply; she knew they wouldn’t believe her unless the information came from someone else.

“She’s Batman’s sister.”

“Batman?”

The exclamation came from the Flash.

“But he’s so tall! How—”

Ladybug cut his words off with a chilling glare, as if daring him to finish his sentence. It was oddly familiar to the so-called Bat-Glare, yet it was somehow worse.

“Never mind. I see the resemblance now.”

She bared her teeth in a mock smile at him and gestured to the group to sit.

“Batman couldn’t be here today, so he sent me to fill in. You were having trouble with strange disappearances, were you not?”

Green Lantern cleared his throat.

“Yes, there was reportedly the disappearance of a few important artefacts. However, the culprit left no traces.”

“Done.”

Heads turned to her, bewildered.

“That was a Miraculous-related incident. Already solved.”

The League members exchanged glances then shrugged in acceptance.

“Meeting adjourned, then?” inquired the Flash.

“Not quite yet,” she smiled. “Don’t you want to hear more about my brother?”

-

“To offer it the show of violence;

For it is, as the air, invulnerable,

And our vain blows malicious mockery.”

“No, you’re saying it with the wrong tone now!”

Marinette sighed for the hundredth time that day. First it was the wrong inflection on a certain word, then it was the wrong pause length, and now it was her tone.

“Jason, it’s Hamlet. I know this means a lot to you, but I could care less about some dude and the tone with which he speaks about his tragic life.”

Her nephew put down his script and looked at her, eyes wide in disbelief and betrayal.

Oh, boy. She could practically hear how the next hour would play out with his inevitable rant. But before he could start, the door to the slammed open. Marinette sighed with relief; as much as she loved hearing Jason talk about his passion, she was glad to be spared from another one of his literature talks.

“Marinette,” a voice growled.

She looked up to see her brother’s frame in the doorway. He did not look happy.

“Yes?” she blinked innocently. She could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

“What did you do?” Jason snickered from beside her.

“Embarrassed him in front of his friends,” she whispered back quietly.

He broke out into cackles.

“Not helping!” she hissed.

Bruce stormed closer, and wow did he look crabby. Better safe than sorry, then.

“Tikki, spots on!”

The flash momentarily blinded her brother, but she had made sure to cover Jason’s eyes to protect him from it.

When his vision cleared, Bruce spotted Ladybug hanging from one of the bookcases with her yo-yo, an impish grin on her face.

“Catch me if you can!”

PERMANENT TAGLIST @avengerthewarrior @enternalempires @freesportspalacesalad @nathleigh

[aalissy]

Game Night

Day 3 is done! This does contain spoilers for Truth so if you haven’t seen that episode yet please do before reading this!! That being said I need more reveals like this hehe. Anywho, I hope you enjoy <3 <3

AO3

About to enter her first class of the day, Marinette was paused in her tracks by an arm yanking on hers. She let out a startled yelp as she was dragged away from the classroom door before she turned around and met the wide eyes of Alya. With a small scowl, Marinette rubbed on her arm after her best friend let her go. Giving a small huff, she pouted, “What was that for? For the first time ever I’m on time to class and now we’re going to be late!”

“I need to speak to you,” her friend said urgently, a look of regret entering into her hazel eyes.

Marinette nodded quickly, “Ok. Is something wrong?”

“Kind of,” Alya ran a hand through her hair frustratedly, “I know we haven’t been able to hang out as much because you’ve been busy with the bakery and homework. I mean, that’s why we set up the games night later because you, me, Adrien, and Nino are all finally free today.”

“Oh no,” she sighed quietly, “Can you guys not make it?”

Alya glanced away before meeting Marinette’s gaze once again, “Well, here’s the thing... Nino and I can’t come because I suddenly got swamped with babysitting the twins and he got grounded after we got our exams back. But, Adrien’s still free.”

“I don’t know, Alya,” Marinette murmured, her eyes glancing down at the floor as she nibbled on her lip, “It’s not going to be as much fun without you and Nino and I still have a lot of work to catch up on anyway. Don’t you think I should just cancel and reschedule for a different time?”

“No way, girl!” She spoke decisively, “You’re almost never free and you’ve been absent from all of our recent meetings! You need to have some relaxation time.”

Marinette shifted uncomfortably, “But it would be just me and Adrien. You know I’m still working on just being his friend and Luka and I broke up not that long ago.”

“Which is why you should totally do this!” Alya gave her a wide smile, reaching out to squeeze her shoulders tightly, “Prove to yourself that you really can be a great friend to him. And besides, it’s not like you and Adrien have never played video games together alone before.”

She giggled, shaking her head amusedly at her friend, “Alright, I’ll do it. But only because you’re right. I really do need to spend some time with friends. I swear I’m going to die from stress alone.”

“I don’t know how you do it girl,” Alya bumped her shoulder with hers playfully as they began to walk back to their classroom.

“Me neither,” Marinette sighed quietly to herself. Sliding into her seat, however, she turned back to Alya, “We are definitely going to need to find another time where it can be all four of us though.”

Alya nodded her head quickly, “Oh, of course! I’ve finally learned a few tricks in Ultimate Mecha Strike III that I think might let me win a few rounds against you.”

“Psh, good luck with that!” Marinette snickered quietly to herself before their teacher entered the classroom and began her lesson.

Listening to her lectures that day was a lot more difficult. Half of her thoughts were still stuck on whether or not she would be able to handle acting like she was just a friend to Adrien. The other half of her thoughts were plotting. Where she’d go if there was an akuma attack, how she was going to keep the miracle box away from Adrien’s sight, and how to keep the kwamis quiet during their playthroughs.

Marinette still scribbled down notes, of course, but every so often she would glance out the window during her lectures, certain that there would be another akuma attack to ruin her day. Her leg jostled restlessly throughout the entire day, hoping that Hawkmoth would send it before her game night with Adrien.

No akuma came, however, and Marinette was left to sigh silently to herself as she trudged out of the classroom, positive that Hawkmoth was just delaying the inevitable. The warm sunlight that beamed down upon her face when she stepped outside didn’t do much to lighten her mood. She was about to begin her walk to the bakery when a hand touched her shoulder.

With a startled yelp, Marinette whirled around, meeting the wide, green, sheepish eyes of Adrien Agreste. He gave her a crooked smile before rubbing the back of his neck, “Sorry, Marinette. I couldn’t help but notice though that you looked down. Is something wrong?”

“No, no, I’m fine!” She panted out, a hand on her chest as she attempted to calm her racing heart rate. Feeling awkward, she tugged on her backpack straps, “W-well, I mean, I am kind of upset that Nino and Alya can’t make our games night. Did you hear?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “Nino told me, and actually that’s what I came over to talk to you about.”

Marinette felt a relieved smile form on her face. He was going to cancel too, wasn’t he? Good, that meant she could spend more time preparing for Hawkmoth’s akuma. She ignored the brush of disappointment that she felt over yet another missed opportunity to spend time with friends and opened her mouth to tell him she was fine with him canceling.

He stopped her before she could, though, beaming down excitedly at her, “Do you mind if I go home first and drop my stuff off before meeting you at the bakery?”

Oh. Marinette blinked a few times. He wasn’t canceling on her. Happiness filled her as a small smile formed on her face. Hawkmoth and her duties as Ladybug could wait for one afternoon then. Alya was right, she really needed a night out with friends.

Her smile grew wider and more teasing as she nodded, “Of course not, Adrien. Take all the time you need before you come over and get absolutely destroyed.”

“Hey!” he said mock-offendedly, “I’ll have you know that I’ve gotten a lot better since the last time we played against each other. Who knows, I might even surprise you.”

Adrien gave her a playful wink and she quickly shoved down the flurry of butterflies she felt begin to swirl around her stomach. No! They were friends. Just friends.

“Good luck then,” Marinette laughed, “I’m looking forward to those new tricks you have up your sleeve.”

Adrien chuckled with her before giving her a quick wave, “See you soon then, Marinette.”

“See you soon, Adrien,” she gave a small nod, the beginnings of a dreamy smile forming on her lips before she pursed them, scolding herself internally. Turning around, she began to head towards the bakery. As she got farther and farther away from him, though, Marinette began to sink deeper into her thoughts once again. Unable to stop herself, she looked around for any signs of a familiar, black butterfly.

Funny how Chat and Adrien were the only two who could manage to take her mind off of everything. Looking behind her, Marinette managed to catch a glimpse of the black limo slowly pulling away from the school. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm herself down as anxiety and stress ate away at her.

I can do this, she thought to herself, I have a plan and I’m ready for anything Hawkmoth sends my way. With those last determined thoughts, Marinette turned decisively back to the bakery and continued her trek home.

Saying hello to her parents when she finally arrived, she quickly made her way to her room. Once there, she ran over to where she hid the Miracle Box, checking to make certain that it was still hidden. Breathing out a sigh of relief when it was, Marinette collapsed into her desk chair. She sent a small, lonely glance at the other three chairs that she had set up earlier this morning. Pushing herself up, she began slowly moving two of them out of the way.

“Next time,” she murmured to herself before standing up straight with a long stretch. Marinette yawned quietly as she looked outside her window anxiously. She’d know if an akuma began to attack Paris, right? I mean, there was no way she’d get too swept up in her night with Adrien that she’d miss an akuma attack.

Nibbling on her lip, her thoughts strayed even further. What if she did make it to the battle too late? What if one day she wasn’t there and Chat got hurt. Marinette’s lip wobbled as a lump settled in her throat. This was such a bad idea! What had she been thinking?! She didn’t have time to goof off. There was only Ladybug and saving Paris.

Her eyes shot over to the hidden Miracle Box before a voice shouted close to her ear, “Boo!”

Jumping into the air, Marinette yelped for the third time that day. Forgetting where she was, she reached behind her, grabbing onto something before throwing it over her shoulder with all her strength. Her blue eyes widened as she saw everything happen in slow motion. It was Adrien whom she just threw over her shoulder.

In that split second where he was falling, however, Marinette would have sworn that she saw another familiar, blonde boy flying through the air. Instinctively, she reached for the yo-yo at her side, only for her hand to wrap around nothing. Instead, she could do nothing to stop Adrien’s crash as he hit the ground. Wincing as she heard him groan quietly, Marinette quickly rushed over to him.

All of her previous fears and anxiety were completely gone as she peered down at him in worry. A stunned look was in his emerald green eyes as he looked up at her. Crouching down, she spoke panickedly as she looked for any broken bones, “Oh my god, Adrien are you alright?! Did I hurt you?!”

“No,” he wheezed out, “Besides, it was my fault for scaring you.”

Marinette leaned back as he slowly began to sit up. She examined his face and body worriedly as she gnawed on her lower lip, “A-are you sure? That was a pretty nasty fall.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled lightly, “Yeah, I’m okay. I think I’m getting used to it now.”

They both froze, blinking at each other slowly. Neither spoke as they sat in a tense silence. Surely not, Marinette thought to herself as her brow furrowed. Attempting to brush off the tension that had suddenly entered the small room, she stood up. Brushing herself off, she offered a hand down to Adrien, “I-I’m still really sorry about that, Adrien. I-I didn’t mean to throw you at all, I just didn’t notice you come in.”

Instead of taking her hand, he continued to stare up at her for a few seconds, a small furrow between his eyebrows as he looked up at her. It was only when she managed to tear her eyes away from his piercing gaze, shifting uncomfortably that Adrien took her hand, using it to pull himself up.

With a small gulp, Marinette looked back towards him. He was smiling and relief filled her as she realized she hadn’t completely broken him. Giving him a small grin back, she motioned her head towards her computer, “D-do you want to play now or should I see if I can get you some painkillers.”

“No, I’m fine,” Adrien shook his head, the smile still on his lips, “I think I’m ready to get ‘destroyed by you now.’” He laughed as he copied her words from earlier.

Marinette’s face flushed as she quickly turned to the computer. Logging into the game, she handed him the controller silently. He took it from her with another small, grateful smile.

As they began to play a round together, she lost herself in the motion of the game. Her fingers moved automatically over the controller as she tried to brush the wave of familiarity screaming at her away. Like she had predicted before, she won easily. Too easily. Adrien’s movements were jerky and disjointed and Marinette shot him a suspicious glare.

“Where were those fancy moves you promised me earlier?” She raised an eyebrow at him, “Those were worse than usual, Adrien.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, “I think I’m still a little dizzy after that fall.”

Immediately, her face fell. Standing up, Marinette put her controller down, “I knew you needed painkillers. I’m so sorry for making you play with me, Adrien. Maybe you should go home and rest.”

“No!” he practically shouted, grabbing onto her wrist as she turned to scramble her way downstairs. Her mouth fell open in shock, staring at him in bewildered confusion after his latest outburst. Adrien blushed and then spoke in a softer tone, “I-I mean, no. I’m fine, I promise.”

Marinette huffed with a small amount of frustration, “Adrien, you just told me you got dizzy playing a game. You’re not okay! I’ll be right bac-”

“Where did you learn how to do that?” He cut her off, staring at her intensely.

Her jaw dropped open once again, eyes moving from his down to the hand still holding her wrist before she looked away from him completely. I’m a superhero and I go gallivanting around saving the city, Marinette thought to herself as her lips twitched slightly.

Bringing her gaze back to his, she cleared her throat, “W-well, um, I-I take, uh self-defense! Yeah, self-defense!”

“Really?” Adrien asked as a knowing grin began to spread across his face.

Once again, Marinette felt a wave of familiarity before she shook herself from those thoughts. Nodding her head quickly, she gave a wide, awkward smile, “Really. S-so, c-can I go get you some painkillers now.”

“No,” he spoke simply, squeezing her wrist before he stood up, looking down at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, “I feel completely fine now.”

“But you just said...” She trailed off, frowning with confusion.

“Seriously, Marinette, don’t worry. I told you I’m used to it by now,” Adrien shrugged, a soft smile on his lips.

She giggled uncomfortably, glancing away from him and his sparkling eyes. It felt like something was on the tip of her tongue. Something important that she should know but just couldn’t connect. Shifting uncomfortably, Marinette murmured, “You make it sound like you get thrown around by girls often.”

“Hmm,” Adrien hummed, tilting his head as he considered her words, “Maybe not often. But it is weird that it’s happened twice now.”

Marinette snapped her gaze back to his, her eyes narrowing as a spark of something flared up within her, “Then maybe you should stop sneaking up and scaring people.”

She blinked a few times, her hand coming to press against her lips. Why had she just said that? Opening her mouth to apologize for essentially blaming him after she was the one who flipped him, Marinette was cut off by Adrien wrapping her up in a giant hug.

“It is you,” he whispered softly in her ear.

For a brief moment, she tensed up before everything clicked. Oh. Everything made sense now. Of course, her kitty was Adrien. Marinette reached up to hug him back just as tightly before she buried her head in his shoulder.

“Chaton,” she murmured softly, nuzzling into him as she felt his warmth seep into her. Every last worry that she had melted away as she realized she had someone else she could confide in now.

“M’lady,” Adrien spoke quietly back, causing her to sniffle happily.

Eventually, they both pulled back, staring back at each other with wide, adoring smiles fixed on their faces. Just as Adrien opened his mouth to speak, a crash sounded outside on the streets. Both of their gazes snapped to the window before they looked back at each other. A silent understanding filled them both as they nodded at each other.

“Later,” Marinette spoke first, before calling on her transformation. Adrien did the same and she felt relief fill her as she felt less alone for the first time in so long. She could do this. With him by her side, she could do anything.