#lnc2 watches

[lnc2]

what's really sad for me is marinette always seems to feel the brunt of her crushes. i know it's because of who she is as a person and also the nature of her role as ladybug but no matter who she's crushing on it always seems to come back to bite her.

adrien seems to bounce back more easily (which i don't think means he doesn't feel them as deeply but he just seems inherently optimistic in the face of the overwhelming negativity he deals with in his life).

in adrien's eyes his crushes don't work out because of timing or seeming lack of interest. in marinette's eyes her crushes don't work out because every time she starts to like someone the world literally comes to an end.

i'm not coherent enough to draw too much of a parallel but i just think it's really interesting that the boy with the Big backstory and home life has a surface level normal love life while the girl with the Normal backstory sees every relationship end catastrophically (literally).

we've had numerous episodes where all she knows is something happened with adrien and then hawkmoth won in some way or other. with luka she couldn't fully move past her feelings for adrien but even when she wanted to she couldn't move past her role as ladybug. and now with chat noir we have already seen it impact her ability as ladybug in jubilation and determination and as always the specter of chat blanc and "our love destroyed the world" hangs over her head.

no wonder she broke down at the end of determination. she's plagued by ominous futures, missing timelines, and bad timing. someone give this girl a hug i am begging.

[purrincess-chat]

I posted 2,016 times in 2022

That's 311 more posts than 2021!

672 posts created (33%)

1,344 posts reblogged (67%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@noblechaton

@lnc2

@purrincess-chat

@gale-gentlepenguin

@miabrown007

I tagged 1,199 of my posts in 2022

Only 41% of my posts had no tags

#s4 watch party - 219 posts

#ml spoilers - 181 posts

#cat spoils - 119 posts

#asks - 102 posts

#cat replies - 100 posts

#cat speaks - 98 posts

#ask game - 53 posts

#ladrien - 44 posts

#miraculous ladybug - 44 posts

#adrinette - 41 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#'the show should focus more on the agreste plot & not on the romance!!!!' babe no one clicked on this show for the boring old rich people

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Okay, but like could you imagine now that Nathalie is annoyed with Gabe, she starts helping Adrien do whatever he wants out of spite.

"Nathalie, all my friends are going to the movies. Can you ask my father if I can go?"

"Sure, one sec." *holds imaginary phone up to ear* "He said yes."

"Nathalie, is it alright if I have dinner at Marinette's house?"

"Of course. Have fun."

Gabe shows up to dinner for the first time in months and is like where tf is my son?

"He was too busy to make it tonight. I'm sure you'll understand. Maybe you'll catch him next time, sir."

957 notes - Posted June 17, 2022

#4

See the full post

1,000 notes - Posted January 25, 2022

#3

See the full post

1,383 notes - Posted July 1, 2022

#2

So, according to Adrien in Determination, his feelings for Marinette changed after Puppeteer 2, so might I bring to the council’s consideration:

This

and this

See the full post

1,839 notes - Posted October 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Duusu: Are you my new owner?

Felix: I'm so much more than that... I'm your son.

Duusu: What?

Felix: Welcome home, dad.

3,141 notes - Posted June 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[somethingvaguetodo]

Strangers in the Night (Two Lonely People)

This is for @lnc2 who has been having a tough time lately, and loves Ladrien. Hope you like it! I realized I’ve never written just Ladrien before, so that had to be fixed. I imagine this taking place as an alternative ending to Gang of Secrets (no reveal), but it could be anytime. 

Read on AO3 here.

~~~

Ladybug tumbled over the rooftops, bounding over Rue Soufflot and performing a series of impressive aerial somersaults before landing on her balcony. She rested for a moment against the railing, taking a deep breath of crisp night air and glancing up at the crescent moon. She let her eyes scan her surroundings, slipping from the metal scaffolding around Notre Dame to the façade of her school. Ladybug leaned forward, her attention piqued. A strange glow emanated from the courtyard of the collège, shining through the windows.

Before she could think about it twice, Ladybug leapt from her perch, landing silently on the roof of the school. Below her in the courtyard was a lone figure, illuminated by the glow of a lantern, who was slashing a fencing sabre through the air. It was easy to identify the midnight fighter, his golden hair gleaming in the light.

Adrien.

She dropped down from the roof to land behind him.

“Hey.”

Adrien jumped, dropping his sabre to the ground and letting out a yelp. Ladybug covered her giggles with her hand as he spun to face her, a guilty look on his face.

“I’m sorry I know I shouldn’t…” Adrien rushed out, before pausing. “Oh, it’s you, Ladybug.”

“Gee, thanks,” she answered.

Adrien shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I thought I was going to get in trouble for being here.” Suddenly, he looked alarmed. “What are you doing here? Is there an akuma?”

“No,” she assured him. “I was just out patrolling and saw the light, so I figured I should check.”

Adrien bent to pick up his fallen sabre. “Do you often patrol alone? I thought you usually patrol with Chat Noir?” he asked. There was something strange about his voice and the way he asked the question, but Ladybug chose to ignore it.

“Usually.” She shrugged. “But I couldn’t sleep so I decided to stretch my legs. Didn’t want to bother Chat Noir for that.”

“I don’t think he would mind,” Adrien said, his voice soft. He shuffled his sabre from his right to his left hand, bouncing it as if he was testing the weight.

“Probably not,” Ladybug conceded. “But enough about me. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

Adrien met her eyes, holding her gaze for a moment before turning away. “I couldn’t sleep either, so I came here to burn off some energy.”

The longer she looked at him, the more she could see the signs of weariness in him. The slump of his shoulders, the bags underneath his eyes. He wasn’t dressed for fencing, but was more casual than she was used to seeing him. He had on black sweatpants and a white t-shirt, emblazoned with a large Gabriel logo. His hair was messy, and he looked almost like he had rolled right out of bed and into the school courtyard.

Despite having a pile of her own troubles, Ladybug felt a tug on her heartstrings. Adrien usually looked so polished and put together. Something must be really bothering him if he went out like this, even if he didn’t plan on running into anyone.

“Do you want me to give you a lift home?” she asked him.

Adrien kicked at the duffle bag sitting at his feet. “I’m not really ready to go back yet. Are you gonna rat me out?” He looked up at her, eyes wide.

Ladybug smiled gently. “Of course not.”

“Do you want to stay?” Adrien asked. Ladybug thought he sounded like he wanted her to, but maybe it was wishful thinking. “I have a foil in here too.”

“I don’t really know how to fence.”

“I can show you.” Ladybug nodded, and Adrien held out his sabre to her. “Here, take this, it’s easier to use.”

Ladybug reached out and took the sword from him, her gloved fingers brushing against his palm. She wrapped her hand around the grip, watching as her fingers trembled slightly. She was a little nervous about fighting him, but more so about being with him like this, in the quiet glow of this midnight meeting.

It had been a while since she was alone with Adrien, and usually Marinette was clumsy and awkward where Ladybug could be confident and sure. But there was no danger, no villain to fight and nothing to focus on except the sad boy by her side. She really didn’t know who she was supposed to be with him like this.

Adrien stepped up next to her. “Loosen your grip just a little bit, you don’t want to be squeezing your sword too tightly.” He lay a hand on her forearm, and Ladybug’s pulse skyrocketed. “Lower your arm a little,” he said, applying gentle pressure to move her arm into the right position. “Bend at the elbow. Other arm behind your back.” He gripped her empty wrist with his other hand, guiding her arm to rest at the small of her back.

She could feel him behind her, the heat of his body so close to her own. He was still holding on to both of her arms, and she really didn’t want him to let go. She turned her head toward him, only to see that he was looking directly at her face, almost as if he wanted to say something. She waited, the silence stretching between them, but Adrien didn’t speak. Instead, he shook his head and stepped back. Ladybug mourned the loss of him.

“There, that’s perfect.”

Ladybug watched him as he went to his duffle bag, breathing deeply to try and steady her pounding heart. He pulled out another sword and swung it around, before popping a bright red safety tip on the end. He stepped forward, putting a matching one on hers.

“It’s not a real fight, and we aren’t protected,” he said. “How about we just try some attacks. You lunge, I’ll parry.”

Ladybug nodded.

“En garde!”

Ladybug bent her knees and lifted her sword to cross with his.

“Prêts?”

She nodded her confirmation.

“Allez!”

Ladybug extended her arm forward toward Adrien, but he blocked her easily. She stepped back to try again.

“So,” she said, breaking the silence between them. “What was keeping you up tonight?”

The minute the question slipped out of her mouth, she regretted it. It was probably too personal to ask, and it wasn’t like Ladybug and Adrien really knew each other that well to warrant her pushing. But Adrien didn’t seem to mind.

“Have a lot on my mind,” he said simply, blocking her attack once again. “All the expectations people have of me. Who they want me to be, trying to figure out who I want me to be.” He stepped back gracefully with his back foot, giving her the space to lunge again. “What about you?”

Ladybug lunged, overbalancing and stumbling a little. She paused to think for a moment. “Oddly enough, the same things that kept you up. A lot of people expect a lot of things from me.”

Adrien nodded. “Makes sense. Being Ladybug must be a really big responsibility. Do you want to try parrying?”

Ladybug nodded, and this time, braced for his attack. “It’s literally like having the weight of the world on my shoulders,” she divulged. “But not only that, people in my civilian life too. My friends, family… people expect a lot, and it’s hard to live up to that.”

“Tell me about it,” Adrien said. He lunged forward, the tip of his sword coming at her shoulder, and she was just able to get hers up in time to stop it from making contact. “Everyone expects me to be who they want me to be, but I’m still figuring out who I am for myself. The pressure can be too much sometimes.”

In a way, she suddenly realized, she was doing the same thing. She had been surprised to see Adrien as anything except polished and perfect, but maybe that was just the version of him that she was expecting to see. Maybe rumpled-and-wrinkled, wild-hair-and-soft-eyes, fencing-alone-in-the-middle-of-the-night was Adrien too.

But mostly, it was nice to spend some time with someone who understood how she felt, and felt the same way. Someone who wasn’t pushing her to give more than she could, but who knew what it meant that people expected too much from them. Even with Chat Noir, who knew her better than most but still not as much as he should have, the barriers between them were sometimes too much for her to bear. Adrien, who didn’t realize he was here with his friend and classmate, but thought he was spending time with an anonymous hero. A lot of people wanted to know more about who she was underneath the mask, but Adrien didn’t seem to mind her vague answers.

He lunged, she parried.

“Is this what you do, when the pressure is too much?” she asked him.

Adrien looked thoughtful. “I have a couple outlets. Fencing can be one, or playing the piano… or talking to a friend who understands.” There was something about the way he was looking at her that made her blush, and made her wonder if he was thinking the same thing she was a moment before. She didn’t know if he really thought of Ladybug as a friend, but hopefully he found some solace in the thought that they understood each other, even with the words that remained unspoken between them.

Before he had the chance to lunge again, she attacked, thrusting her sword forward. He was surprised, but managed to block it, and suddenly all rules were off. Their swords slashed, technique gone, and Adrien started laughing, beautiful and full, in a way that made her think of thunderstorms and first meetings.

Despite his carefree attitude, he was still in top form, and managed to slip past her defense to press his safety tip against her left shoulder. “Touché,” she laughed, looking at her shoulder as if she could see a physical mark where he touched her.

“Looks like I got you,” he said with a smile.

Boy do you ever, she thought.

In the comfortable silence that lingered, Adrien collected the swords and put them away, extinguishing the light in his handheld lantern before also putting that in his duffle.

“I should probably get going, I don’t want anyone to realize I’m gone,” Adrien said.

“Do you want me to give you a lift?” Ladybug offered again. This time, Adrien nodded, securing the zip on his duffle bag. “How did you get in here in the first place?”

Adrien grinned a genuine smile, pulling the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies.” The edges of his smile were sharp, and it felt out of place, and yet oddly familiar. Nevertheless, his smile made her heart and her cheeks warm.

“If you say so,” she muttered, lifting him up in her arms as he wrapped his own around her shoulders. She crouched and leapt, onto the roof and beyond.

The trip to Adrien’s house wasn’t very long, but Ladybug felt like she would remember every second of it. The weight of him in her arms, the way his eyes glowed in the dim moonlight, his cheeks dusted pink. There was something about Adrien Agreste, that even through all these years and all the ups and downs and fights and failed conversations, he could pull her back into his orbit like nothing and no one else.

One of Adrien’s floor to ceiling windows was propped open, and Ladybug landed on the ledge, pushing it open with her toe. Adrien hopped down from her arms, dropping his bag to the floor. His room was dark, just a nightlight glowing in the bathroom. Ladybug lingered in the window frame, unsure what to say.

“Thanks for keeping me company,” Adrien said, breaking the silence.

“Thanks for teaching me how to fence,” she answered. Unsure what else to say, she turned to leave. “Well, goodnight,” she said, sending him a little awkward wave.

“Wait!” he called, and she looked over her shoulder back at him. He looked young and happy in the low light, and Ladybug couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, this whole night had been a dream. “If it’s worth anything, I want you to know I like you just the way you are. Saving Paris or fencing pretty poorly.”

“Hey!” she laughed, indignant, but really felt like she was glowing from the inside out. How amazingly easy it really was for him to accept who she was, in any form. “It’s worth a lot,” she said sincerely. “And I like you just the way you are. Picture perfect or trespassing on private property in the middle of the night.”

In the back of her mind, Ladybug wished she was brave enough to lean down and kiss him, but she knew that would only end up complicating a beautiful moment. Instead, she pressed her fingers to her lips and blew him a kiss before leaping back into the night, satisfied.

[enberlight]

Please please please drop your own full lovesquare story I am BEGGING 🙏🙏🙏

I cannot think of a better account name to have asked this XD

The following recounts my disastrous teen experience with love and destiny, where I was simultaneously Adrien and Marinette (from Miraculous Ladybug) with a Love Destined By Fate(TM), and my own near-love-square identity shenanigans that were the result of a bunch of dominoes set off by watching Sailor Moon as a teen with that dang elevator scene and subsequent delicious angst @lnc2 reminded me of and drop kicked me back into ancient feels over XD

The dominoes started in 1998 when a friend remarked he liked Sailor Moon. I hadn't gotten into anime yet but I respected his opinions and art talent so I gave it a try. It was horrible! The first episode I saw was the theme park one where Serena and Rei are competing over Darien and it just seemed so ridiculous and juvenile. But boredom and afternoons spent with Cartoon Network brought me back to the show and the shenanigans eventually hooked me. I was also into the image songs and hollered along to the Kid Rhino CD.

At that time I was a Junior in high school (11th grade), and one year into a deep crush with the violin prodigy in my honors classes. My oh moment literally snuck up on me the year before in the art class we shared, while "All I Want for Christmas" was playing. Instead of "is You" my brain whispered "is Crush's Name" and my world came to a grinding halt as I froze then looked over at his table and went Oh Noes.

I had it bad. But like Marinette, I couldn't bring it up to him, I didn't have the guts. And when I found out he had a long distance girlfriend, I tried to backburner my feelings. But Fate kept throwing us together. We had all the same classes together except foreign language. We both had ADHD and had seriously chaotic ene-rivals-almost-friends energy together. We were born on the same day. In every math class our seating was right next to each other, despite taking place in two different rooms, being non-alphabetical, and changing up mid year. The universe was making sure this guy stayed stuck in my head, but I was too dang slow to make a move when he ended up single again. I'd had a love letter written in wingdings ready to attach to his locker with some chocolates for Valentines and I chickened out. Then he started dating The Most Perfect Girl (seriously she was amazing. Beautiful, Top Grades, Honor Society, Track Star, and Genuinely Nice). So I backburnered again. We graduated and went to separate colleges and I've only seen him once since, but he was still in my brain rent free until 2001.

Meanwhile I was also Adrien because it took me a damn decade or two to retroactively realize all the times a guy or girl was interested in me back then. I blame being a social outcast nerd and my inability to read social cues coupled with being conditioned to never trust anyone being nice (because it was usually a trick to go Ha Ha she fell for it).

I did finally date some in 1999 but it didn't pan out. My next relationship was in 2000 online, part of the Sailor Moon dominoes.

College in 1999 gave me Ethernet and SenshiTV.dhs, which had all of Sailor Moon from S3 onward subtitled in two part downloads. That meant I could watch Part A as Part B downloaded, then watch the second half of the ep while downloading the next Part A. I spent many nights not sleeping due to this, no regrets. I discovered the original soundtrack and supplemental image songs and fell in love with them. This transferred to the Ronin Warriors and Gundam Wing soundtracks, too. Finding music that wasn't a midi was trickier back then, til community College in 2000 when a guy pointed me to AudioGalaxy, a peer sharing site for any and all music.

Each genre or artist had its own message board, and I settled into the Gundam Wing Message Board where I met a lot of people I'm still friends with today, including @absentlyabbie and my Hub. The message board was a text based RP hub, a hodgepodge of fantasy and sci-fi from various popular anime at the time plus Just Plain Random. I ended up cyber dating one of my RP partners, and our character pairing was a popular one on the main non-Gundam RP. But after we met in person we just didn't work out, and I couldn't find any peace when I logged in to RP or join the board or AIM chats because our friend group kept bemoaning how OTP we were.

So... I made another login, complete with new AIM name, so that I could still hang out but be left to my own devices as I swore off men. Of course, as soon as I did, I was hit with another Oh moment with one of my friends in the RP group.

We were on AIM doing something and he used his lightning ability. My secondary character, Eve, went something weebish like "ooo, inazuma no karada". Then I realized I hadn't picked quite the right words, so I had my original account, Kitz, laugh at me and call me out for talking about Storm's naked lightning body.

Somehow after that we ended up together as Storm and Eve, both in RP and out, while I wingmanned for myself as his other friend Kitz (he was one of my supports and confidante after the breakup). We spent Thanksgiving together in 2003 when I was visiting my Aunt in his home state, then he moved in with me in 2005. We got married a bit later and have two kids together.

As an aside, our RP characters had twins, then months later his RL sister got pregnant with twins. A few years later our characters had another child... and so did she. We decided our characters were done having kids then, lol.

But yeah... because I watched Sailor Moon after randomly overhearing a friend mention it, I ended up overcoming my not-so-fated crush and have had a wonderful 20 year relationship with my best friend (we spent years watching the same shows together over the telephone).

On a different branch of those dominoes I also met @silentmagi and @brushfeathers-thoughts and was introduced to furries which is how I finally realized I'm Bi, Ace, and Nonbinary. But that's another story!

[thewritewolf]

Well-Worn Note

Summary: When Adrien hears about a drive to give back to the heroes of Paris, he writes a heartfelt note telling Ladybug how much she is appreciated.

Years later, he finds that same note again in an unlikely place.

This fic has two reasons for existing! The first is that it celebrates the one year anniversary of my favorite server on Discord being created, and I have truly grown to love and appreciate it. Not to mention all the friends I've made through it!

The second reason - and what provided the specific inspiration for this story - comes from this post by @lnc2​. 

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

Adrien’s fingers wandered aimlessly among the keys of his piano. Sometimes he did it to think, to let his mind drift in a trance, but most of the time he just needed a reprieve from his thoughts altogether. To let himself be completely immersed in the music as it unfolded in front of him, changing from moment to moment.

The music was a great escape. It was hard to hold onto frustration and anger when he was at the piano. Adrien suddenly froze and groaned. At least, it was a great escape as long as his mind didn’t circle back to what he was trying to get away from in the first place. Thoroughly back in the present, he walked over to his computer to look for another distraction.

Naturally, his first stop was the Ladyblog. He was only two articles down when he saw her announcement for a special event for Heroes Day. There was going to be a drop off box where the grateful citizens of Paris can send gifts and notes to their favorite heroes. Alya had apparently already gotten Ladybug’s permission and Adrien wondered when that had happened.

“Yeah it was like two or three akumas ago.” Adrien started before noticing Plagg, who continued talking with a smirk and a satisfied swish of his tail. “You were running out of time, but she had lots of it so she hung around to answer questions by the adoring public.” Plagg took a bite out of his cheese. “Guess that was when.”

“Huh…” Adrien said, the gears in his head already turning.

“What’s up? Already looking forward to all that cheese you’ll be getting?”

Adrien scrunched up his forehead. “Why would I be getting cheese?”

“Well what else are they going to send you? Cheese is obviously the best call.” Plagg tossed his wedge into the air and caught it with his mouth. The kwami floated off the desk.

“There’s loads better stuff than that! Like-” Adrien’s eyes widened. “Wait. This is a great opportunity!”

“What are you on about, kid?”

Adrien turned around in his seat to look at Plagg. “I could send Ladybug a present through the drop off!”

“...Kid you know her. You could just give her something next time you’re on patrol or something. Heck, you’ve done that before!”

“Yeah, but this is a chance to give her stuff she’d never accept from Chat Noir,” Adrien said, turning back to his desk. He pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen and started writing.

The gifts he could figure out later - maybe a flower or some jewelry or clothes - but the critical thing was getting his emotions onto paper. Several crumbled up failures later and he was carefully finishing his masterpiece. If that didn’t make her feel loved, nothing would.

“Well, don’t forget to sign it I guess,” Plagg reminded, sounding bored.

Adrien shook his head as he folded up the paper. “It’ll stay anonymous.”

“Huh? What’s the point then? I thought you were trying to get her to fall for you or whatever?”

“No. I just… I want her to know she’s appreciated and, well…” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “If I don’t sign it, it’ll be like if all of Paris sent her the letter, you know?”

“Not really, but whatever floats your boat, kid.”

By that time the following day, Adrien had picked out a few presents - a rose with a ribbon, a charm bracelet, and a few other things besides. Storing them and the note in a box, he wrapped it and dropped it off with Alya as soon as he could.

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

Years passed and before he knew it, Adrien and all his friends were graduating from school. It was a strange new world they were heading into - Nino had gotten a great opportunity to follow his dreams of being a DJ in Nice. Likewise, Alya had landed an internship as a journalist there. By the end of the summer, both of them would be moving out of Paris.

But not everything was changing. There were still akumas, which meant that Adrien needed to stay close at hand to keep Paris safe. At least he’d be in good company - Marinette had been accepted to a Parisian university where she could pursue her ambitions of becoming a great designer. Not that she wasn’t already, Adrien thought with a smile.

Their last summer together was bittersweet. Friends had come and gone over the years, but those four had stayed the best of friends for that entire time. Now it seemed to be coming to an end, even as they all tried to find their way in the world. Who knew when the whole gang would come together again?

Maybe it was helping Marinette move today that had gotten him thinking about it so much. Which was itself a nostalgic trip as they helped pack away mementos of their times together. How often had Adrien come over after school to play Ultimate Mecha Strike with Marinette? The movie nights all four of them had spent there?

Things got quieter when Alya and Marinette left to buy more boxes - even Marinette had underestimated just how much stuff she had to pack. Nino and Adrien joked around like usual, but there was a somberness under it all that they just couldn’t shake no matter how hard they tried to keep things lighthearted.

Adrien almost welcomed it when Nino fumbled one of the boxes and took their minds off of it. At least he would have if the box hadn’t torn open and disgorged its contents onto the floor.

“Dang, dude,” Nino said as he stared at the mess he’d made. “M’s gonna kill me for sure if this stuff got busted.”

“Don’t sweat it, man.” Adrien put a comforting hand on Nino’s shoulder. “See if you can scrap up another box somewhere. I’ll pick all this stuff up and get it ready.”

Nino tipped his cap at him. “Thanks bro. You’re a real everyday Chat Noir!”

Adrien rolled his eyes at the phrase. After he’d thrown that party for Marinette and made his little speech, everyone had started using it.

“No problem. Take your time, though,” Adrien added as he sat down on the floor. “Looks like I’m going to be here a while.”

“Right on.”

Something didn’t seem quite right when he got to work sorting through the stuff. It must’ve been one of the boxes that Marinette had already packed by the time they got there, since he didn’t recognize any of it at all.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. All of them stirred up memories - old sketchbooks that were filled and forgotten. Scraps of fabric from pieces that Adrien remembered her finishing years ago. An old black umbrella.

“She still has this?” Adrien murmured to himself in awe. He laid it back down reverently - if it weren’t for that umbrella, the two of them might not have been friends, after all.

That was when he saw it. At first, he thought it was just another notebook, but there was something poking out of the bottom of it that caught his eye. Curious, he reached for the book.

The final date was from three years ago, but he could tell from the wear on the spine that it had been opened and closed many, many times. He flipped open the book and the faint scent of a rose reached his nose. The book naturally opened up to a page that had a pressed rose tied with a ribbon on it. That must have been what was poking out of the bottom. Taking the flower, he spun it between his fingers and watched the ribbon dance around it. There was something oddly familiar about it, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Something fell out of the book and drew his attention away from the preserved rose. It was a folded piece of paper. As he picked it up, he could feel from the softness of the paper that it had been unfolded and refolded many, many times.

Following in Marinette’s footsteps, he unfolded it once more.

At first, he could only cringe at it. Whoever had wrote it clearly had a crush on Marinette, but some sense of curiosity had gotten the better of him and he needed to keep reading. As he continued, there was a nagging suspicion at the back of his mind that he’d seen this letter somewhere before. But that couldn’t be right, could it? Unless he-

His eyes widened. Unless he was the one who wrote it! But that made even less sense - he couldn’t remember ever writing Marinette a note where he thanked her for ‘saving the day more times than he cared to count’ nor where he called her ‘an inspiration to all of them’. Granted, he’d probably said stuff like that to her over the years but-

Then it hit him like a clap of thunder. The rose and its ribbon only confirmed it for him. As clear as day, he could remember writing this very letter years ago, but it wasn’t for Marinette - it was for Ladybug!

It all made sense. No one could figure out why Marinette had declined going to that school in London she’d really liked. Most of them had assumed it was just because she would miss Paris too much. But she could hardly fight akumas while she was in London, could she?

The door opens and Adrien looks up to see Marinette standing there like a figure from a dream.

She glances down to see the letter in one hand and the rose in the other. A blush spreads across her face, but he barely notices as he stands up. She is stammering something, but he can’t hear it over the pounding of his heart in his ears.

Her bright blue eyes look up at him as he finally crosses the distance between them. He drops the note, forgotten immediately once again so he can cup her cheek with one hand. The rest of the world falls away as well as he whispers to her, quiet and sure:

“...My lady?”

[noblechaton]

Fuck it. Give us a confession, get something off your chest

hmmm y'know I don't really have anything to confess to atm? but I'll try and muster something up anyway

live reacting to the episodes as they air at nightmare'o clock in the morning with fellow poster and ladrienhead lnc2 (et al) is a huge reason as to why I find the show so fun. like I'd still love it without the liveblogging but getting to watch it at the same time and react back and forth with lnc2 (and others who crop up on my dash!) is always a blast and is why I stay up so late sometimes lmao. I love getting 240p quality screencaps and screaming about them with everyone so much that it makes the show just a lil bit more special to me

[gale-gentlepenguin]

i just recently got into miraculous ladybug after being aware of the show for ages and i love it!!! idk why but these dumbass teens.... dancing around each other in dumbass costumes is high tier entertainment... ive been following u since before i even watched the show xD and ur one of the reasons i finally decided to actually watch it! any recommendations for decent blogs to follow for ml content?

Well my anon.

Here are some solid recommendations.

@buggachat, @bugaboo-n-bananoir, @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights, @amimons, @xhanisai, @15megapixels-mlb, @emdoddles, @bananagreste, @yeet-noir @lenoreofraven @nobodyfamousposts, @lnc2, @purrincess-chat, @chataclysmes, @chatnoirinette and more to be added later

and those will have you on a good start.

[chatonne-rousse]

Y'all, I'm at work and can't watch the leaked ML NY special until I get home. I'm weak for spoilers and I need them ALL. Feel free to fill me in and let me know the exact level of expectation I should have going into it. (Current expectation is low because I'm a cynic.)

@lnc2, I'm currently living for your updates. Work? What work?

[theladynoirzine]

Meet Our Contributors: LNC

Meet LNC @lnc2​ a writer for Fall for You: A Ladynoir Zine!

How long have you been active in the Miraculous Ladybug fandom/how long have you been watching Miraculous Ladybug?

3 years

What’s your favorite thing about Miraculous Ladybug?

The love square dynamic and identity shenanigans

What do you love the most about Ladynoir?

I love that they trust and rely on each other without question.  I love how Ladybug is a leader and Chat Noir is not only comfortable with that but he is her hype man.  I like that they play off each other well- Ladybug thinks with her head and Chat Noir thinks with his heart but together they can get through anything.

What is your favorite Ladynoir trope?

... all of them?  But I adore a good narrowly-escaped-death-love-confession.

What is your ideal Ladynoir confession/date?

I love the stories where Chat Noir isn't pushy but he's straight forward about his feelings and isn't shy to let Ladybug know that he's not going anywhere.

What do you hope to see from Ladynoir in the upcoming seasons?

Let the bug girl and cat boy kiss.  Please.  I need it.

[iridescenceoflove]

picture me (just like this)

For @lnc2.

AO3 + FFN

Summary: When Chat Noir asked Marinette for help with a gift for Ladybug, she didn't think it meant getting an impromptu peek into his camera roll.

Marinette groaned as she fell backwards onto the heaven that was her bed at the moment.

Why again, had she accepted two more commissions?

Clearly, it was because her load of collecting homework on her desk, unfinished projects littered across her sewing table, weekly bakery duties, and saving Paris did not meet the quota for the Multitasker of the Year award.

She flexed her stiff fingers while contemplating the merits of snoozing in the attempt of making up the loss of sleep that a nighttime akuma had graciously attributed to, or swallowing down the last dredges of her procrastination and tackling the history paper that awaited her proof-reading beside her computer. But while a nap never sounded unappealing, she had a feeling that once she entered a state of unconsciousness, it would be a struggle to get her energy up and rolling afterwards.

Glancing down at the offensive task on her desk, she made a face. "Who even needs to know about Charlemagne, am I right, Ti— ahhhh!"

Her skylight that had previously held the view of the sky a mere four seconds ago, was suddenly blessed with the visage of blonde hair, green eyes, and a toothy grin.

She immediately shot up, placing a hand over her racing heart. She opened the hatch with a scowl. "Chat Noir," she hissed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

He at least had the manners to look sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be in bed this early."

"I'm not. I was taking a break from some work," she explained.

"Oh, am I interrupting you? I can come back another—"

She waved the rest of his sentence away as she dropped back down. "No, it's fine. I've really got nothing pressing for the night." Her paper wouldn't hurt to sit there for another day. "Plus, you clearly came for a reason."

"That makes me sound fickle," he pouted. "What if I just want to bask in the lovely company of my favorite civilian friend?"

She raised a brow. "You mean scare the living daylights out of your favorite civilian friend."

"Well, it's not like I planned on my state of attractiveness to spook you so badly."

"What spooks me is your ability to shamelessly insert a compliment during any conversation."

"Regardless," he plowed on, "I don't need a reason to visit."

She scooted towards the stairs. "Mhmm. So do tell, what is this reason you don't need?"

"Okay, but just to be clear—I enjoy your company. And you are my favorite civilian."

If her back weren't facing him, he would've seen a smile. "If you insist."

He gently plopped down onto her bed, cross-legged. "So, I know you're a creative person," he began, "and I have this idea for a gift I want to make."

"A gift?"

"Yeah, for Ladybug, actually."

Marinette had to grip onto the railing to catch herself from tumbling down the remaining steps.

"Hey, you changed your pictures around," Chat commented behind her, oblivious to her near faceplant.

"Huh?" she asked, momentarily distracted. She peered over her shoulder to see him pointing at her picture board. "Thought it was time for change," she breezily answered. "So a gift for Ladybug? What's the special occasion?"

Because she wasn't aware of any special occasion—definitely not one that warranted a gift exchange. And if there was, it was most certainly her duty as Ladybug to inquire, regardless of spoilers. She could feel guilty later.

"Oh, nothing really. I just..she's sort of seemed down lately, and I thought I'd do something to cheer her up."

He'd noticed? "Really?" She didn't realize she'd been so obvious.

He nodded, making himself comfortable on her chaise. "It's not anything that's affected her fighting if you're worried," he quickly assured. "But...I don't know. I know she thinks I don't notice, but it's in the little things, y'know? Like the way she responds to a joke sometimes, or watches people. Things have changed since Miracle Queen and all that, and it's a lot," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this."

Marinette could only stare at him. "That's...that's understandable."

"Anyways," he continued, "my idea was a collage of photos...like—a scrapbook? I think that's what Pinterest said."

She smiled to herself, imagining Chat scrolling through mood boards and pins for ideas. "Yeah, a scrapbook."

He nodded. "And honestly, I'm not really familiar or good with this kind of stuff, and I know you're really talented and artsy." He gave a shy grin. "So I was hoping you'd help a cat out?"

Well, how could she say no when he was looking at her like that? Even if it was her own present. "I'd love to."

"Awesome!"

She couldn't help but return his smile at the familiar enthusiasm. "Do you have a general idea about what photos you want?"

"Oh, yeah, I saved some in a folder on here!" He tapped his baton proudly.

"Great. I can download a few and print them to show you how to do the basics," she offered.

"Only if you don't mind. I don't want to take up all of your time. I can come back later, I just wanted your opinion."

"It's no problem, Chat," she assured. "Of course, if you don't have something else planned…?"

He quickly shook his head, folding his legs beneath him. "No, I'm free for the rest of the evening."

"Perfect. I'll go grab some snacks and we can get started."

Once a plate of leftover assortments from the bakery had been procured, she uploaded the file from his baton to her computer.

"So," she drawled, pivoting in her desk chair to face him, "what made you choose a scrapbook?" Because she already knew what her gift was; what was the harm in knowing the reason for it?

He swallowed his bite of éclair before answering: "I don't know...I guess I just want to give her something that could remind her of some of the happier times. That even when Hawkmoth is being a rampaging jerk, we can still have some fun." He chuckled nervously as his hand went to the back of his neck in what she was realizing was a familiar tick of his. "This sounds cheesy, doesn't it?" 

"I—no, not at all," she whispered, then cleared her throat. "It's a very sweet thing to do, Chat. She'll love it."

He relaxed. "I'm glad you think so," he beamed. 

She busied herself with the printing photos to preoccupy herself. She didn't know what was wrong with her tonight. This was Chat Noir of all people, her partner, who praised her all the time as if it were second nature, who'd already shown her how sweet and sincere his compliments could truly be. And this was exactly that. There was no reason to feel any differently about it.

As she gathered the photos, she recognized some of the moments from when they'd been taken; one was when they had gotten ice cream. He had gotten some on his nose, and she had laughed at his attempts to lick it off. Another was her holding a little girl from when they had surprised some kids at the park. Another was when she was with her umbrella in the rain. So far, most of the photos he'd picked were ones she had no clue he had taken—candids he had somehow imprinted behind the lens during everyday moments of their lives.

"These are nice," was all she could say.

"Mmm," he hummed, "they're some of my favorite moments with her."

"Really?" she said, gaze lingering on the freshest photo from the printer. It was a selfie of Chat and her in front of their statues in the park, making faces.

"Yeah. Most of the photos I picked are of my favorites moments."

"Can you tell me about some of them?" she found herself asking, without any filter or thinking.

And she couldn't find it in her to take it back as he grinned dopily. "Well, that one," he gestured to the selfie photo in her hands, "is one of my favorites just because we were being stupid together."

She chuckled, looking at the Chat with crossed-eyes and Ladybug with her tongue sticking out. "Who knew Paris' superhero duo could be so ridiculous."

He winked. "Utterly ridiculous."

She rolled her eyes.

"That one—we had gotten ice cream that day, from André, of course, and LB suggested we have a race for fun," he explained, already deep into his delineation of the event. "I of course had to agree! So we started, but I guess I ended up getting some on my face because Ladybug just started laughing. Like, full-blown laughing. I don't know if you've ever gotten the pleasure to hear her truly laugh, but when she does, it's one of the best things in the world, Marinette. It's one of my favorite sounds."

Marinette, who had begun to feel the tell-tale burn in her face in the midst of his explanation, turned away with the pretense of needing to search for something on her desk. Instead, she caught a glimpse of her reflection, red-faced and mouth-parted. Her eyes widened.

No, no, nonononono, stop that! She slapped her cheeks.

She discreetly cleared her throat, straightening in her chair. "Well, guess I'll have to listen out for it next time."

"That one," he began on the next one, "was when we had surprised some kids in the park. This one little girl—she was just...in awe of Ladybug. She looked like she worshiped the ground she walked on. Who wouldn't?" he quipped. "But she said how she wished she could be cooler, more like Ladybug, but Ladybug told her that she didn't need to be. Told her she was brave and special all on her own, a superhero in her own right, living in a world with villains like Hawkmoth. That it was people like her that made it worth it for people like Ladybug to do their job. The little girl looked so amazed and happy, I'm pretty sure LB made her entire world that day," he chuckled. "I love that moment because it shows how humble the girl under the mask is, how she'd take the time to tell a kid how special she is. To me, it's another thing that makes her special too."

And here, Marinette realized the colossal mistake she had made.

Because while she could handle Chat Noir gushing about her to her face with a swaggering smile and a cheesy pun to the moonlight, she couldn't handle him sitting in her room, talking about his favorite moments with her, with a look on his face that could only be described as lovelorn. She was nearly combusting inside.

Why, why why why why is this working? she internally cried.

Because, the other voice that always sounded like Tikki whenever it came to her having an existential crisis, he's so obviously sincere and in love, and he doesn't even know he's talking to you!

She pinched her elbow.

Thankfully—or not, from the mindset of her psyche and carnal desires that were coming to the surface—he continued on without waiting for her response. "The umbrella one was actually taken right before Alya caught us for that rainy patrol photo she'd posted. It'd started to rain, and Ladybug looked so delighted. Almost...nostalgic, I guess. But, she said she loved the rain, and when I'd asked her why, she told me the story. And—and she just looked so happy, so carefree, standing under her umbrella in the rain as she explained. I couldn't help but take a photo, because I knew then that as long as I know her, I'd always try to get her to look like that. Happy."

Marinette was pretty sure if she weren't gripping the edge of her chair, she'd tackle him straight off the chaise and do something that probably involved lips and impulsive decisions.

Preserve some dignity and self-control!

"Um, Marinette? Is that a part of the scrapbooking process?"

She looked down. Because shoving the photo in your mouth screams dignified, you moron. "Just! Checking! To see the size, you know, of the photo. This photo. One mouth too big, too small, you get the idea."

Fortunately—and weirdly enough—Chat didn't even question it. "We probably should get started. I didn't mean to get carried away. Still after all this time, I can't control myself when I start talking about her." His smile was self-deprecating.

"You really love her, don't you?" she murmured, briefly forgetting his enhanced hearing.

"Always," was his automatic response.

Gah, her heart for the night was fried.

Thankfully, the rest of their time spent together went along nicely once Marinette got hold of her precarious urges and restraint. She had Chat show her some of his favorite Pinterest inspirations, then showed him how best to apply the photos without getting crinkles, gave him some of her paper recommendations, and where to buy the best added decals if he wanted. Even thought she knew what it was, she still wanted to be surprised with the finished product, so she gave several suggestions and options for everything so he could have a wide variety to pick and choose to his liking.

"Thank you so much again for your help, Marinette. You're the best."

"It was my pleasure, Chat Noir." Even if he had nearly made her burst into flames.

"I really hope she likes it."

"I promise you she will."

He smiled. "Well, I'll be sure you get proper credit," he winked and pecked her on the cheek, light and soft as a caress from the wind. "See you around, Marinette."

"Tou yoo," she said. Her eyes bulged. "You too, I mean!"

And with a lasting laugh, he went through the skylight and bounded into the night.

Once again, she found herself groaning and falling back onto her bed.

"So," Tikki began, floating to sit down on her stomach. "Chat Noir?"

She could only whine pathetically into her body pillow.

[lnc2]

catharisis is watching chat noir tell his "akumatized" father he ain't shit

[peachcitt]

fanfic year in review - 2020

hey laddies i was tagged by both @miabrown007 and @strangerahne to do this, so without further ado here we go!

1) List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished: 

Bone Tea (march) // All These Selfish Feelings (march) // Doomed from the Start (may) // Wouldn’t it be Nice (may) // my favorite set of stairs is the one up to your room (may) // screw the classics, and screw you for believing in them (june) // Friendship Bracelets (june) // Those Benevolent Stars (june) // the dark and the stained glass watchers (july) // Bloodsucker (july) // Messy Advances (july) // Happy Endings, the Sun, and Other Steps to Madness (july) // Guessing Game (august) // Passion Fruit Sunset [zine piece, currently unavailable] (september) // Home Coming [zine piece, currently unavailable] (november) // here (november) // bread and oranges (november) // clarity (november) // burgundy, near black (december) // About Emma Martin (december) // cherries (december) // falling, flying (december) // aloe-infused fuzzy socks (december)

23 fics??? okay well looking at it like this just makes me feel ridiculous

2) Number of words written:

219,184 words (which includes my unfinished fics on ao3 and the wips i haven’t posted)

again looking at it like this just makes me feel ridiculous

3) Your most popular fic:

friendship bracelets - the first in the series of my homoerotic college au zukka fics. honestly? i can’t even say im surprised

4) Your personal fav:

MAN this is hard. okay it’s gotta be a four-way tie between bone tea, those benevolent stars, home coming, and screw the classics and screw you for believing in them but really i could be lying because i wrote so much this year (i guess now last year?) that i was really really proud of 

5) Your fav scene:

okay i have a lot of favorites but for right now i’ll say: the scene in chapter 3 of those benevolent stars when adrien and marinette are sitting on the banks of the seine and they talk about their favorite colors and adrien’s soulmate - it’s such a quiet and gentle moment, and because you know that their favorite colors are based off each other’s eyes but only marinette knows that and because you know adrien is talking about his soulmate to his soulmate and she knows it but he doesn’t. it’s full of such beautiful, tragic dramatic irony that i just love so so much

6) A fic or scene that challenged you:

hm okay the last few chapters of bone tea were definitely challenging not only because of, like, the big fight scenes (which, im not really comfortable writing fight scenes) but also because i had take all of the mess of emotions in bt and wrap it all up into a conclusion that needed to be satisfying. the same could be said about happy endings, the sun, and other steps to madness (minus the fight scene part)

writing impure - my changeling jim au fic - has also been a fun challenge because i basically watch trollhunters episodes as i write, examining each line of dialogue and each character interaction and seeing how that scene or relationship would be changed by the fact that jim is a changeling. it was also a little challenging to keep everything fresh and new - especially at the times when the dialogue from the show stayed the same in the fic, but so far, im really really happy with the way the fic is going

7) A line of writing you’re proud of:

off the top of my head are these two lines, both from screw the classics:

It was the ‘Daisy, Daisy, Daisy’s, over and over. Like her name conveyed some sort of deeper meaning that she expected Daisy to be able to understand. Like if she repeated it enough, it would become a sort of prayer that God would listen to, that He would enact to make Daisy put her fists away for once in her pitiful life. It was just “Daisy, Daisy, Daisy” over and over until her name stopped sounding like a name, like a word, and it was just a sound to fill the silence so that neither of them would have to talk about the way Basira’s touch lingered each time she wiped blood away or the way Daisy would always sit so that her knees touched Basira’s even though they were on the floor and there was more than enough room for them to breathe different air.

and

But sometimes Jon was easier than Basira. He didn’t have any of Basira’s softness - he was all edges and sharp lines. His elbows were basically knives, and his hips were edged with broken glass.

the first paragraph i really love because there’s almost a rhythm to it - like poetry - and i love the sound of it and all that it means in the context of the fic. 

the second little bit i just love because every so often i think about it and i love the imagery and metaphor and the way it fits jon - in canon and in this fic. in this fic, they’re all in high school so jon is gangly and skinny and bony and in general, he’s just abrasive and a little rude. this description of him i just love (and the way i described him from martin’s pov in doomed from the start; “Jonathan Sims looked, even from a distance, as if he was perpetually smelling something awful. His features, just left of handsome, were marred by furrowed eyebrows and a distasteful frown.”)

8) A comment that touched you:

LITERALLY SO MANY????? the comments on the final chapter of bone tea, telling me that the story was something that they loved and found comfort in, the long comments on any of my fics detailing their exact favorite parts, the comments that were just short jokes that made me laugh out loud - literally i can’t pinpoint one. im just so thankful to have written things that people respond to with such kindness and love

9) Something that inspired your writing:

music!!!!!! i found myself making playlists for a few of my fics this year or listening to specific old playlists of mine for the right mood for a fic, and it’s really inspired me to write

also, as always, my own personal experiences. i thought and felt a lot this year, and i think in every single one of the fics i posted this year, you can probably find a central thought or feeling driving it that no doubt comes from my personal life

10) Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc):

finishing bone tea and tying the title to the fic!!!!!!!! finishing happy endings and also tying that title to the fic!!!!!! getting accepted into two different zines and working with two different amazing artists and completing those fics!!!!!!!! literally writing anything at all!!!!!!!!!

11) Do you have any writing goals for the next year?

i think mainly i just want to write, you know? i want to stop putting so much pressure on myself, because this past year i put so much pressure on myself that i was constantly feeling like i was underperforming (which was, like, super untrue, but you know how it goes) so when i wasn’t writing i felt like i was wasting time. i mean, don’t get me wrong, i had so much fun writing and creating all of these things that im so so proud of, it’s just the space in between writing sessions that i want to let myself breathe in. i don’t want to dread thinking about writing for fun anymore because that’s not fun

besides that, i think my other goals are to just continue forward with my unfinished projects - impure, the new wave, the bone tea extras - and to officially start the other two long fic ideas i have for mlb that ive been really excited about for a long while. this past year i wrote a lot of one shots (like. so many. oh my god) so maybe this year i might focus on long projects. who knows though definitely not me it’ll be a surprise for all of us

=

anyway that’s all!! thanks mia and strangerahne for tagging me!! ive been needing a lot of reminders lately that i have, in fact, written this year, and having to, like, do math and scroll through my ao3 page and all my google docs has been really enlightening so thanks so much for this

i tag: @lnc2, @chatnoirinette, @deinde-prandium, and @rosekasa! y’all don’t have to do this, but i’d love to see how y’all felt about your works this year and also to see y’all love yourselves very much because you deserve it. also literally anyone can do this you can just say i tagged you i don’t mind it’ll be our secret - i highly encourage it because it’s very sweet and very fun to look back on all you’ve accomplished this year

<3<3<3<3

[purrincess-chat]

Happy Birthday, Kaylee!

@lnc2 had a birthday recently, and I actually started this a couple months ago in preparation for her birthday, but life happened and I didn’t get around to finishing it until now. I hope you had a good birthday, Kaylee! You are the truest Ladrien stan among us. 

Read on AO3

“Absolutely not,” Tikki said, crossing her arms with a scolding indignance that Marinette more or less expected when she’d made such a risky suggestion.

“Oh, come on, Tikki! Marinette can’t get into the party, but who in their right mind will turn down Ladybug?” Marinette pleaded, pressing her hands together. “We can just hop in through the window. No one will throw us out.”

“The Miraculous aren’t meant to be used for selfish purposes,” Tikki said pointedly as if Marinette had forgotten which wasn’t entirely true. Marinette knew that her powers weren’t meant to be misused, but it just so happened that she didn’t consider this particular case to be unjustified.

“You know what’s selfish? The boys all ditching us to have a party while we do all the hard work planting trees around the city,” Marinette said, placing her hands on her hips. “Ladybug should go in there and give them a lecture on keeping their promises.” Tikki gave her a look that was anything but impressed, and Marinette sighed. “Please? I’ll never abuse my power ever again.”

“Marinette,” Tikki hesitated. “I don’t like this, but I know you’ll stop at nothing until you get inside.”

“True, and my other methods could be really risky and dangerous,” Marinette said, giving Tikki a knowing look as she sighed.

“Okay, okay, but don’t get so absorbed with Adrien that you forget that you’re supposed to be helping your friends. If you join the party, you’re not much better than they are for ditching,” Tikki said, and Marinette crossed her heart.

“I won’t stay long, I promise. I just want to see what they’re up to,” Marinette said. “Tikki, spots on!”

- - -

“Is your best bro awesome or what?” Nino said, draping an arm over Adrien’s shoulders. “Not bad for your first party, right?”

“I’ve never had this much fun before. I wish I could party like this every day,” Adrien laughed. “Thanks for doing all this, Nino.”

“Don’t sweat it, my dude. That’s what friends are for.” Nino ruffled his hair, stopping short when Nathaniel raced over with wide eyes.

“We’ve got a bit of a problem,” he said, and Nino quirked a brow.

“What’s up, du-”

“Hey, boys.”

Everything in the room stopped. The loud chatter ceased, and every head turned to the window, jaws dropping in awe. The crowd stared in disbelief, Nino smacked his forehead, muttering curses under his breath, but Adrien? Adrien froze. Every muscle locked in place, refusing to turn away from the radiant goddess standing above them. The sun illuminated her figure like an angel descending from heaven, and a blush crept up his neck, painting his cheeks as scarlet as her suit.

Ladybug.

“Mind if I drop in?” She asked, hopping down from the window just as cheers erupted around her.

“No, no, no, she can’t stay here,” Nino was saying to Nathaniel over the noise, and Adrien’s head snapped to face him.

“Why?” Adrien asked, and Nino crossed his arms over his chest.

“Because this is an all dude’s party, and Ladybug is not a dude,” he huffed, attempting to make a move toward her, but Adrien stepped in his path.

“Yeah, but it’s Ladybug. Don’t you think the savior of Paris deserves a place at any party?” Adrien asked.

“If Chat Noir shows up, he can stay, but right now, Ladybug is totally crashing the vibe,” Nino said, shaking his head. “Sorry, bro, but she needs to go.”

Nino attempted to step around him once more, but Adrien grabbed his arm and tugged him back.

“Can’t she just stay for a little while?” Adrien asked, and Nino’s eyes narrowed.

“Who’s the party expert?” He cocked a brow, but Adrien pressed his palms together with a pout.

“Please! Just for a little while,” Adrien said, and Nino, though clearly unhappy with the arrangement, rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“Fine, she can stay for 30 minutes,” Nino relented, and Adrien pulled him in for a tight hug.

“Thanks, bro! You’re the best,” he said before pushing through the crowd of bodies surrounding Ladybug, unaware of how Nino’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s so awesome that you could make it, Ladybug,” Jagged was saying.

“Yeah!”

“Totally!”

“Well, I was just passing by and heard some commotion, so I thought I’d stop in and see what was going on,” she said, waving it away as if it were no big deal, but it was probably the biggest deal of Adrien’s life.

Ladybug was here. In his room, at his party. If this was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.

“Uh, hello,” he said, giving a small wave, and she trained brilliant blue eyes on him.

“H-Hello, I hope you don’t mind that I crashed your party,” she said, clasping her hands together in front of her.

“Not at all,” Adrien said as Nino grumbled, “Kinda.”

“Stay as long as you like,” Adrien said, and everyone around them cheered and went back to their activities, leaving Adrien and Ladybug alone. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Sure!” Ladybug said, allowing him to lead her over to the drink cooler that was being guarded by a particularly familiar face.

Adrien glanced at Master Fu then at Ladybug who did the same for him, but she plastered on a cool mask that Master Fu matched.

“Excuse me, uh, sir, can we get a juice for the lovely lady?” Adrien said, playing it cool. He wasn’t quite sure what the protocol was in this situation seeing as they both knew who Master Fu really was, and Master Fu knew who they really were, but none of them could say so in the given context.

“Of course,” Master Fu said with a smile, jumping up from the cooler. “Great party.”

“Yeah, isn’t this a bit of a strange place for a man like you to be?” Ladybug asked, her voice cautious and purposeful.

“I could ask the same of you, young lady. What business could a superhero have at a house party?” Master Fu shot back, quirking a brow as he dug for a drink for her.

“Superheroes like to have fun every now and then,” she said, cocking a hip.

“As do I,” Master Fu said, a glint of mischief in his eyes that brought a smile to Ladybug’s lips. “Besides, I have everything I need here.”

He patted the cooler, and Ladybug relaxed, accepting the can from him. Something seemed to pass between the two, and had Adrien not been in on the secret, albeit without Ladybug’s knowledge, he might have dismissed it as a playful quip between strangers. But he did know better, and Fu knew he knew better which is why he flashed Adrien a wink the moment Ladybug turned her back.

“This sure is a wild party. Everyone seems to be having fun,” Ladybug said, taking a sip of her juice.

“You think so?” Adrien asked, shoving his hands in his pockets and keeping pace with her across the room. “It’s my first real party, and it’s gotten a little crazier than I expected. I mean Jagged Stone showed up, Officer Roger is here…you’re here.”

At that she smiled, flicking his nose with a gloved finger. “Well, I wanted to make sure all the commotion wasn’t an akuma’s doing. You’re too precious to get captured,” she said, then quickly added, “I mean- the safety of all of Paris’ citizens is my top priority, so naturally I wanted to make sure you’re okay seeing as you are a citizen in Paris.”

His cheeks burned, and Ladybug took a long swig of her drink. Nino’s eyes followed their every move, and Adrien could feel them baring into the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure what his issue with Ladybug being there was, but Adrien couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be with her. He only wished they could be more alone.

“I’m really glad you came,” Adrien said, and Ladybug leaned her ear closer.

“What?” She shouted over the music that seemed too loud all of a sudden. Adrien turned to see Nino and Max adjusting the volume again, and with their backs turned, he took Ladybug by the hand and tugged her out into the foyer.

“Sorry, it’s a little loud in there,” he said. “Why don’t we go somewhere quieter? Just you and me. I have the perfect place.”

“Okay,” she said, and Adrien swore her cheeks flushed under her mask.

Rays of sunlight trickled into the garden, butterflies fluttering between flower bushes. There had always been a lot of butterflies there as long as he could remember, and he and his mother liked to watch them in the springtime. His eyes found her statue, filling his stomach with a heavy longing at the memory.

“You miss her a lot, huh?” Ladybug said, and he blinked as her fingers laced through his, realizing he’d been squeezing her hand. That he was still holding her hand, and more importantly, that she didn’t seem to mind.

“Uh, yeah,” he said, gazing out over the yard. “This was kind of our sanctuary. It’s a quiet place where we don’t have to worry about anything else.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said, pointing to the statue, and Adrien smiled.

“Yeah, my dad goes kind of overboard sometimes with the décor. Most of the big portraits are kind of embarrassing, but I think this one is my favorite. Sometimes I just sit out here, and it feels like she’s here with me, ya know?” His cheeks flushed, and he cleared his throat. “Sorry. That’s lame.”

“No, no, I think it’s really sweet. If I lost my mom, I’d probably feel the same way,” she assured him, and he relaxed, turning to face her.

“I don’t want to talk about sad things right now. I just want to spend time with you,” he said, taking her other hand and moving it up to his shoulder. “I know you’re probably busy, but while we’re here…May I have this dance?”

Ladybug searched his expression, and this time she definitely blushed. Nevertheless, she kept her hand in his as they swayed to their own rhythm. It didn’t matter that there was no music; the only melody he needed was her bright blue eyes.

He wanted to savor this moment. To burn it into his memory. No matter what happened between them or how she felt, this moment in the garden would always be his.

“You’re a great dancer,” he said, spinning her out.

“It helps to have a great partner,” she laughed.

Feeling risky or perhaps just overconfident, he dipped her backwards, touching his forehead to hers. He realized his blunder and instantly wished he could take it back, but to his surprise, Ladybug didn’t push him away. When they straightened, she lingered close, the heat of her blush mixing with his own. Her breath hitched when he leaned down, but before their lips could touch, a loud crash boomed inside the house followed by screaming.

“It’s probably an akuma. Stay here and hide, okay?” Ladybug said, pushing him into a bush.

“Ladybug, wait!” Adrien grabbed her wrist, and when her mask raised, he added, “Um, thank you for the dance.”

She looked him up and down then with a swift motion he would spend the next 8 years thinking about, she stretched up to kiss his cheek.

“Be safe,” she whispered, backing away, “and invite me to your next party, okay?”

Adrien leaned against the wall with a sigh, touching the spot on his burning cheek. One thing was for sure: he needed to let Nino throw him parties more often.

[jattendschaton]

Fave ML Fics of 2019 (part 2)

As we head into a new year (new decade!) I wanted to share some of my favorite Miraculous Ladybug fics of 2019! Previous Fave Lists: 2018      2019 (part 1)      Halloween

Below you will find some incredible fics written by insanely talented individuals in which some (if not all) of the fic was written in 2019. Rather than give a summary of each piece, I basically just gush about why I love them and why you’ll love them too.

Bone Tea by @peachcitt Incomplete-44/50 Chapters/Not Rated/202,714 words Okay so this is The Fic that I won’t shut up about—that I’ll never shut up about—and it’s a goddamned treasure. Not only are both Marinette and Adrien lovable as all hell, but the lore (the lore!) is just incredible. Everything about this fic is on another level. It’s well-written and thoughtful with an interesting plot and distinct but recognizable characters. It has the polish of a published novel (and the length of one too despite the fact that the author started posting it ONLY A YEAR AGO) but still has that loving warmth I only get from fanfiction. The author is also, just, like, an extremely lovely human being. And you are all very welcome for me waiting to recommend this after December 10th because it has returned from hiatus. I am the only true gentleman.

The Devil and the Cat by Djaeka Incomplete-14/? Chapters/Teen/33,270 words ADRIEN AS A CAT. YOU WILL ADORE HIM, GUARANTEED. There’s so much interesting stuff going on in this fic. Marinette’s friendship with Chloé and Alya is super fun to read (I’m such a sucker for well-rounded friendships in fics) and there’s enough going on outside of Adrien being a cat that it really feels like a fully-formed world. Marinette isn’t just sitting around waiting for something interesting to happen to her, she’s ambitious and witty and has to keep the peace with her friend group and god I just really love her, okay? And then there’s also a lot going on with Adrien and magic and there’s so much that still needs to be revealed, I'm a ball of excitement with each update.

cat toy by @rosekasa (maketea) Oneshot/Teen/4,014 words Gather ‘round, friends, I’m about to give you the real, unfiltered scoop. It’s extremely important that you pay attention to this, I’m only going to say it once.  Maketea. Is. Incredible. Just read everything they have on AO3. It’s for your own good. It’ll cure your nearsightedness, soothe that ache in your neck, clear your skin. It’s actually impossible to say any one of their pieces is better than any other, but cat toy has a special place in my heart because I absolutely adore childhood friends Adrinette. It’s perfect and adorable and the author really captures the natural way children speak and the magic of Marinette and Adrien and the fun of watching two characters grow up together and fall in love. It’s a masterpiece.

Lady Blanche by @mini-minou Complete-2 Chapters/Teen/7,065 words Minou is just so incredibly good at writing character emotions. Gah. Just so good. There’s something about psycho smitten kitten Marinette that is genuinely addicting to read. Getting into her mind is absolutely fascinating and I honestly always lose my mind for flipped lovesquare dynamics and Adrien is such a freaking cutie pie and Hawkmoth thinks he has power but he’s never dealt with Marinette Dupain-fucking-Cheng before and all this is to say that everything about this fic is wonderful and brilliant. Minou is also, just, like, an amazing writer. In every measurable way. This is an objective fact.

baby please (come home) by @lnc2 Oneshot/Gen/2,242 words Hello I’m dead and have found myself in Ladrien heaven. Ladrien is the one true god. My north star. It’s soft and sweet and emotional and incredibly well-written (but I’m guessing you’ve read something of lnc2′s before, so this is not a surprise to you). The way Adrien talks about Marinette makes my heart ache and their devotion to each other is obvious in every word. Lnc2 has such a way of making every sentence matter so much, it’s the kind of fic that wraps you up in a warm blanket and rocks you until you feel safe and comforted and content.

A Sound of Thunder by @tempomental-fanfics Complete-35/35 Chapters/Teen/105,273 words You ever see a concept for a story and just kind of explode a little bit because it’s so fantastic? This is that fic. Explosion worthy. Dealing with time travel shenanigans is a personal favorite of mine, but it’s genuinely very difficult to do it well and this fic absolutely does it well as hell. Older Adrien was such a treat to see so much of (10/10 would die for him) and there’s nothing more fun than the readers knowing something the characters don’t and this fic plays that up beautifully. 

the jig is up, the news is out by Engineered ( @miraculousengineerd ) Complete-2/2 Chapters/Mature/5,490 words WHO IT TRYING TO KILL ME WITH MY KIDDOS BEING ON THE RUN. WHY AM I BEING HURT IN THIS WAY. Marinette and Adrien’s identities are revealed to the world and so they decide that in order to keep their loved ones as safe as possible, they can’t go home until Hawkmoth is defeated. The second chapter is told through many different perspectives which is a really lovely way to clue the reader into what’s going on, but also a wonderful way to absolutely wreck you. It’s angsty in the best kind of way and leaves you desperate for more.

I’m Glad it’s You by @preservedcucumbers Oneshot/Teen/7,285 words I’m Glad it’s You? More like, I’m Glad this Fic Exists. A soulmate AU, an identity reveal, Adrien being such a goddamned cutie pie I could rip my hair out he’s such a sweetheart, what more could you want from a fic? Marinette and Adrien ease into being soulmates in a very realistic way, they’re awkward but it never feels forced, and with every word you can tell how much they care about each other. It’s a genuinely wonderful read.

when you’re near by @buggachat Oneshot/Teen/10,000 words The mutual pining. The fluff. The angst. The care. The tenderness. Every once and a while this fandom is blessed by a Ladynoir fic with a dynamic so sweet and loving and trusting it makes you melt. Coffeeshop AUs are the backbone of any fandom, but the way Marinette would do anything just to hear her boyfriend’s voice? To know he’s okay? The way she kisses his nose and gives him tea to help him sleep? The way she prepares a picnic to let him know how much she loves him? The way she revels in touching his bare hand? There’s nothing more beautiful than it. It’s the fic you read that you wish you could crawl up inside. It’s the fic that makes you want to fall in love.  There were definitely lots of other amazing fics that came out/were updated in 2019, but these are some of my very favorites.

I hope 2019 has treated you all well and look forward to what 2020 brings!

[thewritewolf]

Oh What A Guy Chapter 1: Carapace

🎶Chat Noir!🎶

This was inspired by @lnc2‘s fic, Bugging Out, where Marinette is way too popular among her hero friends for her own good. And, just like that fic, this one got stuck in WIP hell for a while (five months for me!) before I finally got the time to finish it. While the concept is still similar, it ended up turning into its own thing.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 (Final)

Read on Ao3

With the fight against Hawkmoth dragging out far longer than anyone had expected, it made sense to Nino why Ladybug and Chat Noir might want to get help on a more regular basis. And it made sense that they would want to pick people who had gotten to use the miraculous before as their new, permanent teammates.

None of that had prepared Nino for Ladybug and Chat Noir personally handing him the miraculous of the Turtle for good, though. His time as Carapace was something he cherished, but he had never felt like he truly belonged with the heroes he’d spent so long looking up to.

It all led to a surreal feeling as Carapace leapt from rooftop to rooftop alongside Chat Noir, like he was dreaming. The reason they had given for these patrols was to help the new heroes transition into their new lives. Learning patrol routes. Getting used to their powers, more so than they already had been.

But Carapace knew there were other reasons, which became all the more important when left unspoken. Seeing how they responded to the added duties. Forging connections with the original heroes and each other. Which was no doubt the reason that these one on one patrols with Chat Noir or Ladybug existed in the first place.

An hour passed in relative silence before Chat Noir stopped and watched Carapace. He stood there nervously, half expecting the feline hero to mock his jumping form or something. Not that he thought Chat was mean, but Carapace just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was doing something wrong.

It wasn’t a critique that came out of Chat Noir’s mouth though.

“Are you alright?” There was concern in his voice that surprised Carapace. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

“I…” Carapace was about to brush it off, but something about Chat made him change his mind. “How do you do it?”

Chat blinked. “Do what?”

“Just… deal with it all, dude. I’m so freaked out that I’m gonna mess up. So much is riding on us, you know?” Carapace took a deep breath and pulled at the hood of his suit. “What’s your secret?”

The grin that spread across Chat Noir’s face was much more familiar. “You’ve just got to relax, shelly. I know it’s a rough gig, but it's not all bad.” He walked backward toward the edge of the rooftop and pointed his thumb behind him. “C’mon. Patrol isn’t going to finish itself.”

He did a backflip off the edge and Carapace chuckled even as he rolled his eyes. That was definitely the cocky but fun Chat Noir that everyone in the city had come to love. They returned to their patrol, but Carapace noticed that Chat was keeping them a lot closer to the ground. Even though it was late there were still a few people out on the streets. Some of them even called out to the passing heroes.

The expectation was that they’d wave at them before moving on. What Carapace hadn’t expected was Chat Noir jumping down to meet them.

The first people he did it for was an elderly couple, both of whom had only wanted to shake his hand and tell him that he was a good boy. When they mentioned that their grandchildren were huge fans, Chat even offered to sign something for them. They walked away beaming and chattering happily between them.

They weren’t alone for long - a mother and child appeared beside them. The mom explained that her daughter was a huge fan, something that Carapace had already figured out when she saw the big Chat Noir plushie that the little girl, no older than six, was holding on tight to. Apparently, once they got her the plushie, she no longer needed a night light to go to sleep. After smiling and chatting with the kid, they went along their way too.

A couple streets over, Carapace was still processing all that when Chat Noir suddenly leapt onto a lamppost and called out to a group of English tourists huddled together nervously. They were clearly lost, but the worry on their faces immediately melted in joy when they looked up to see one of Paris’s famous heroes standing over them. A few directions in their native language, a few group pictures later (this time with Carapace included), and they were on their way, excitedly chatting amongst themselves as they headed out for their hotel.

“So,” Chat began as they finished their patrol. “You feel any better now? Talking with the people I’m protecting always makes me feel better, at least.”

“Yeah… I think so.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

Then Chat Noir laughed, and when Carapace heard that laugh,so happy and honest, he could feel the heat rush to his cheeks.

Oh no.

[thenovelartist]

Purr for Me, Kitten

@lnc2 is in trouble again for inspiring this drabble with this post.

How dare she. XD

“Kid, why?”

“Because Adrien had a rough day,” Marinette told her snarky kwami.

“The guy always has a rough day,” Plagg sassed back.

“Well, it was really rough today. You can tell just by looking at him.”

“Can’t we go steal another phone instead.”

Marinette glared at him. “Plagg, claws out.”

…

Tikki sat in his hair, patting his head in comfort.

“Thanks for always being there, Tikki,” Adrien said, chin on his desk as he scrolled through the LadyBlog for pictures of his partner in an attempt to cheer him up at the end of a tremendously crappy day.

“Of course, Adrien,” she said, flying in front of him to give him a sweet smile that always warmed his heart. “I’ll always be there for you when you need it. You’re one of the best chosens I’ve ever had.”

Adrien smiled, patting Tikki on the head. In a blink of an eye, her smile vanished and she disappeared in a flash.

Adrien frowned in confusion, only to spin around at the sudden knock on his window.

There, standing on the window sill, was Kitty Noire.

His heart leapt at the sight of her, standing nervously, twisting her tail between her hands as she flashed him a smile and a wave.

He was quick to rush over and open the window for her. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard someone had a pretty rough day,” she said. “And thought you might want some company.”

Adrien grinned. Over the last couple months, visits from the superheroine had become pretty common. And he enjoyed every second of it. “Yeah, I did. Come in before you catch a cold or something.”

She chuckled. “Supersuit keeps me pretty warm. That, and cats produce a lot of heat in the winter. We have to keep our Ladybugs warm.”

Yeah, I know. Snuggle time is the best thing ever. Having the girl I’m in love with being my purr-sonal space heater is hard on the heart. “Oh. That’s cool.”

She shrugged. “We’re partners, you know. I’d happily do anything for him.”

Be still, my heart he warned.

“But,” she said, stepping closer. “I also… really care for you. And I heard you had a really rough go of it today.”

He was surprised, but he also would take the opportunity presented to him. “I did,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “But getting to see you is one highlight of my day.”

The smile she gave him was shy, and she was back to playing with her tail.

He stepped forward, awkwardly, spreading his arms out asking for a hug.

Which, she stepped into.

He thought it would be a quick, condolence hug, but the moment she was in his arms, he felt the need to cling to her and never let go.

It caused a purr to rumble in her chest.

The next thing he knew, she pushed herself away, her eyes wide with shock and a clear blush on her cheeks. “Uhhh…”

“You purr?” he asked, pretending like he didn’t know that. Or like he didn’t know her hotspots that would get that purr to rumble long and hard.

“Uhh… Yeah,” she sheepishly admitted, “Cat tendencies.”

“Huh,” he said, trying to play it off like he didn’t love her purrs to pieces. “Could… could you do it again?”

Her cheeks somehow turned pinker. “I… I guess?”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything.”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just… a little embarrassing.”

“How?” he asked, curious as to if she really was embarrassed by them. It never seemed that way when she was with MisterBug. “It’s really cool.”

“But, I purr. Like a cat.”

“But, you’re a cat superhero.”

“But not a cat,” she said. “And… I can’t always control it. That’s the most embarrassing thing.”

“I think it’s really cool,” he said. “And you shouldn’t be embarrassed. Cats purr when they’re happy, right?”

She shrugged. “I guess… that… it’s just embarrassing to admit… just how happy I am with you.”

She’d gotten so quiet he barely heard her, but he still caught it. Suddenly, she wasn’t the only one blushing. “O-oh?” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “W-well… I mean… I’m really happy with you, too.”

Her eyes widened in shock, her body posture completely rigid.

He shrugged. “I’ve… kinda had a crush on you for a while.”

Her mouth opened and shut a few times before she finally managed to speak. “O-oh?”

He nodded. “Yeah. And ever since you’ve been coming over and all…” it’s only grown to massive proportions to where I’m certain I’m madly in love with you and am ready to get on a knee and marry you right here and now.

“Oh,” she said, understanding clear in her voice. She twisted her tail between her fingertips. “Well, I mean… I kinda… have had a crush on you for a long while, too.”

It was his turn for his eyes to open wide. “O-oh?”

“Yeah,” she admitted.

There was an awkward silence between them for a while.

“Then…” Adrien began. “Would… would you stay a while? Maybe we could watch a movie?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Adrien was quick to find a movie he could put on before he invited Kitty Noire onto the sofa with him.

She snuggled up against his side, a little purr rumbling in her chest, but not staying for long.

But he wanted that purr. He wanted snuggles from her. So, he was sorry, but he’d have to play dirty.

He reached up to tentatively rub at her kitty ear, and she wasn’t able to stop the rumble in her chest.

“Adrien,” she whined, clearly embarrassed.

“Come on, it’s cute,” he said. “You don’t have to be embarrassed by it. I really like it.”

She blushed but didn’t pull away from his touch.

Half an hour into the movie, she was leaned against his side, happily purring away as he rubbed circles on her kitty ear.

And Adrien was the happiest man alive. He dared to push his luck and stopped petting her only so that he could wrap his arm around her waist and pull her into his lap against his chest.

She paused her purring, clearly shocked by the forwardness of his actions.

But he flashed her a sheepish smile. “Would it be okay if we just… snuggled?” It also has nothing to do with the fact you’re really warm and I’m cold even though we have a ton of blankets on the couch right now or that I’m in love with you and just want to hold you. Nothing at all.

She seemed hesitant at first. “Yeah,” she eventually answered, settling down in his lap against his chest. “Yeah, I guess that’s be okay.”

Neither one saw the end of the movie. They were both fast asleep by the time the credits rolled, curled up with each other, Kitty Noire purring away and Adrien wearing a genuinely large smile for the only time that day.