azumarocket

[anna-scribbles]

i guess I did alright, considering!! tried to be a halfway decent friend!!!! WOUND UP A BAD COMEDIAN!!!!!!!!! an honest fool with more bad habits than you can count.

[fizzytoo]

adrien's busy school day consists of exercise in the morning, acing his classes, and chatting up pretty boys at the bus loop

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

We're finally at the final (thank the gods)! Things that we talked about that I haven't seen discussed:

Nathalie trying to kill Gabriel is such bullshit. "You can't do this! You'll hurt someone!" Nathalie, you have known that since day one! You knew he was working on this all season and you're good now! Why are you only trying to kill him now? You were healthy most of the season! You even physically pinned him! Oh, right, because you're not actually good. It's all just "better than thou" lip service. Hypocrisy is the easiest way to make us dislike a character and Nathalie's a massive hypocrite, so we're not fans.

Evil Nathalie was pretty fun. "Good" Nathalie is aggravating and has as lackluster a redemption as they gave Felix or perhaps even more lackluster. Felix at least switched for love of Kagami. Nathalie switched because Gabriel didn't heal her even though she had zero knowledge that he truly had a chance to do so (she wasn't there and Gabriel has never given up an opportunity to save Emilie so that he could chase Ladybug before). Adrien was never Nathalie's motivation or else we would have seen her protest things like Gorizilla, Style Queen, and Chat Blanc.

Moving on!

The mass teleport to Ladybug should have killed everyone because the whole world is supposed to be after her. A couple billion people teleporting to the same location should mean people squish each other or that portals open over each other/on top of people. Just saying. Budget saved her life because Mirauclous' Earth has a teeny tiny population due to rendering costs.

SO was mad how anticlimactic the final fight between Marinette and Gabe feels. Oh two people who barely interacted, have minimal personal connection, and always hated each other are fighting? Such a big moment! I'm so invested! He talked about how other shows build up to moments like this by making the villain terrifying or by making the villain and the hero have a strong, personal connection or even by making the fight super fun to watch, but miraculous did none of that. SO seriously didn't care about the fight at all and, to be honest, neither did I when I first watched it. I only tuned in when Marinette detransformed and I went, wait, wtf are you doing?

We get to all the scenes with heroes in other locations and SO paused the show every few seconds to ask me who tf person X was. Fei resulted in multiple pauses because of her varied forms. So I can confirm that the casual viewer totally followed this part and it was a wonderful addition (that's sarcasm, btw). He did ask "why would the French say that they need a bunch of Americans to win?" Which I though was pretty funny. That's certainly one way to read the Americans showing up!

SO works in IT. He was so mad that the laptop wasn't remotely wiped after it was lost/Lila stole it. And why does it have access to the Agreste mansion and not just the police robots? I thought Tsurugi corp was a tech company? This is all security 101.

SO's final thoughts: well that was soulless. I feel nothing. I can see why you're so done with this show.

Credit where it's due: while the final was massively disappointing from a story perspective and while I don't think Caline Bustier was written like a good teacher for anyone above the age of 5, it is really cool to show a pregnant woman run for office, win, and then be allowed to do her job with her baby in tow without any of that being treated as a joke. That's a really powerful thing for a young child to see and I'm glad it was included even Caline would make a terrible mayor in real life.

[angelshizuka]

honestly… i LOVED movie!adrien. he just feels so much more /real/ than show!adrien (which i guess is the point if you weigh in senti stuff) and like… idk. he’s just a silly 14 year old boy who’s still got some residual trauma from losing his mom! maybe i’m partly projecting show!adrien onto him, but even the way he turns marinette down seemed like he genuinely felt bad for doing so.

part of me feels like show!adrien’s entire characterization is created around the basis of being a love interest for marinette, and instead in the movie we got to see him be more… realistic than that. he fights with his dad! he opens up to marinette about his mom! he has PAIN and he’s affected by it (unlike the show where it seems his mother’s disappearance has barely affected his day-to-day life even though in that universe he lost her way more recently than in the movie) and he has a hard time letting people in because of that pain (illustrated beautifully by the headphones) but he still takes the chance on his new friend group! ladybug inspires him to give the world a chance again! and when she rejects him he shuts back down, and puts the headphones back on, which again, is a very realistic response.

i think this movie would have been a solid 10/10 for me if they had cut maybe 1-2 of the songs and instead explored their lives/relationship at school a little more, so we got to see these themes a little more clearly, but i really don’t get the movie!adrien bashing like at all lol. it kinda makes me uncomfy that people are calling movie!adrien like a fuckboy incel when he’s just… a more realistic version of himself instead of this fantasy perfect boy that can do no wrong idk…

(i still love show!adrien btw i just wanted to dump this somewhere LMFAO)

Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly what I've been talking about!

I genuinely love show!Adrien, but the writing keeps fucking him over. His mother died recently (either 100 days or weeks before the 100th episode, I can't remember which one it was, but even 100 weeks is barely 2 years), yet he acts like it barely affects him at all, not even in private (because I totally understand acting fine around other people, that's how a lot of people grief).

Meanwhile with movie!Adrien we actually SEE the affects of his grief and it's a major part of his arc and the way he behaves throughout the movie. But godforbid a teenage boy griefing his dead mother and dealing with a neglectful father isn't a "perfect sunshine boy" who isn't allowed to grief (by the narrative).

And yeah, I genuinely love the movie, but even I can acknowledge Adrien needed 1 or 2 more scenes for his arc to wrap up better (but even with that it's miles better than the show and THAT is the problem, that even a movie with problems still did it better by a landslide).

Though I love both Adriens, the core difference is how I genuinely love the actual on screen movie!Adrien, while with show!Adrien I love the potential and the few good moments that shine through the bullshit, but they become rarer with every season.

Like, the whole reason I love show!Adrien is BECAUSE he can be a little shit just as much as movie!Adrien, and one of the reasons I hate his writing in recent seasons is BECAUSE they've been forcing him into the "perfect sunshine boy" role that people have been blindly buying into.

Movie!Adrien is imperfect, makes mistakes, acts irrational, is allowed to have his own emotions,, isn't always the "oh, so perfect husband material", he's his own person first and love interest second, and THAT is why I love him.

[chaifootsteps]

One creator's pet I grew to despise is Marinette/Ladybug from Miraculous Ladybug. What an AWFUL MC. She is an obsessive stalker who memorized the routine of her crush and has the tendency to neglect her partner Cat Noir (Who is Adrien, her crush, btw but she doesn't know)

One of her worst moments was this

https://youtu.be/3KE_fwPOQeo?feature=shared

Which is her being generally creepy and obsessive over what she thinks is a wax statue but her going into detail about "it" smelling and feeling just like him is just...ugh.

And to top it off she's based on a "what-if" child with his ex, Sabine. Even named Marinette's mom and dad after him and her.

Btw, Thomas Astruc is Vivziepop but as a man. Like legitimately the most passive aggressive, shallow, and downright immature person and changes the plot randomly if it is not to his liking EVEN WHEN EVERYONE LOVED IT. What he did to Chloe's character was way worse than what Viv did to Stella and a large majority in the Fandom were upset with his treatment of the characters ALL BECAUSE he didn't like how people were starting to like a character who is based off his bully as a child....so he regressed her into a worse character, gave her a sister that was NEVER EVER BROUGHT UP before hand, and had HER replace Chloe. Btw her sisters name is "Zoe"....and she has NO interesting traits other than to be a nicer version of Chloe. Chloe also came from a very neglectful and dysfunctional family that was only starting to get better so that just added more pain to it all. Chloe gets shafted for being bad while living a rather dysfunctional life, while Marinette who had a rather stable and structured life gets away with being obsessive, neglectful, and ignorant because "She does no wrong". Marinette is the best example for Creators pet.

One last entry for the creator's pet pile, because we do love to see a long list of receipts.

Also, what an unprofessional prick. I can see why you guys are always comparing this dude to Vivzie.

[jacquesthepigeon]

Chat Noir is basically Adrien using an alt account to tweet about his niche fandom interests. Nino would learn who Adrien is and just be more disappointed than anything. It’s not like Adrien is saying something vile, but like why hide this?

I’m about to make a weird comparison so forgive me but I think for Nino it’d be like when I went to Costa Rica and asked for churrasco and since they have a lot of exchange with Argentina (considered the motherland of churrasco) I was expecting it to be the real thing but instead I got this

Which isn’t a bad piece of meat but it’s most definitely not churrasco. And it looked like this consistently at various venues. So then starts the fear and doubt that what I’ve grown up knowing as churrasco is actually not the genuine article but something else with the same name, bc you’d figure Costa Rica has to be closer to the one true churrasco bc, again, they have a lot more cultural exchange with Argentina. And I’m sincerely worried that if I look up argentinian churrasco it’s going to look more like the one in Costa Rica than the one back home. It’s been haunting me ever since.

This is what the churrasco I’ve always known looks like btw

Anyway.

For Nino, finding out Adrien is CN might be like me finding out two very different cuts of meat have the same name. I wouldn’t wish that emotional roller coaster on anyone.

[galactic-glamour-girl-posts]

RANT : ML Season 5's Ending

I don't post about Miraculous much, but I need to get this off my chest.

WARNING :

Salt. Just...all the salt.

Chloe:

I don't like Chloe, she's a horrible person and hogged a lot of screen time throughout the show that could have been given to other characters, such as Nino. However, I find it disturbing that they decided to send a teenage girl to live with her abuser, with absolutely no friends; meanwhile her father, who only deciding to put his foot down last minute, gets to quit the job he's always hated anyway (even though he's abused his power before, and not just for Chloe's sake) without being called out for how he spoiled his daughter AND the adult magical terrorist gets a statue.

Not to mention Felix, a teenage boy who also has done terrible things, basically gets away scot-free. Remember when he basically tried to kill EVERYONE except for four people including himself, remember when he tried to force himself onto Ladybug, remember when he gave all the miraculous to a terrorist, remember when all it took to "redeem" himself was to emotionally manipulate someone in a vulnerable state into watching a play to convince her to solve the problem he caused for him (btw I can't believe Kagami came up with that plan and revealed Ladybug's identity behind her back, what the heck?) I get that he was abused, at the end of the day he's an abuse victim doing literally anything he can to gain the freedom he never had, but if he gets sympathy after all of that, what about Chloe? She was abused, she was neglected. Felix not only is seemingly forgiven and "redeemed", but still gets to be a permanent miraculous holder. When you combine that with how the narrative treats Gabriel and Andre, it looks like a sexist double standard...probably because it is.

Chloe sucks but that isn't entirely her fault. Andre spoiled her rotten, Audrey was a horrible influence when she wasn't straight up neglecting or verbally abusing her, Miss Bustier coddled her and Damocles let her get away with pretty much anything (although in their case I guess the mayor would've prevented them from letting Chloe face substantial consequences), Gabriel (and Lila) manipulated her multiple times. I'm not absolving Chloe of all blame, but she's 14. Leaving her with her abuser is horrible. That isn't cathartic, it's cruel. I'm not even asking for a redemption, I just think this "punishment" is too much.

Gabriel (and Tomoe too I guess):

Let's talk more about Gabriel. Gabriel, the abusive father, the magical terrorist, the guy that spent some of his final moments manipulating a teen, not only gets to make his wish, but also gets to be remembered as a hero. Statue included. Never mind that pretty much all of Adrien's classmates knew he was a terrible father at this point, they all clap and cheer when it's revealed he's getting a statue. The whole world is lied to and told the Alliance rings were hijacked by Monarch and that Gabriel sacrificed himself whilst trying to help stop him (I don't blame Ladybug for that though, I'm solely blaming the writers here). And we're supposed to be fine with this because he misses his wife and "tried to be a good father"? No.

An abused teenage girl is supposedly terrible beyond redemption, but an adult abuser is essentially outright vindicated by the narrative (the person he abused is tricked into thinking he was a hero, and Paris is basically a utopia post-wish). What a horrible message.

Remember, this may not be the end of the show, but this is the end of Gabriel's Agreste's story, and what an unfitting end it is.

Oh, and Tomoe gets away scot-free by the looks of it, because of course. Maybe she'll get comeuppance in a later season, but I'm not gonna defend the finale because of what a future episode might do, especially when this would've been the perfect time (and this goes for the possibility of Gabriel's secret identity being revealed to the public too).

Adrien:

I think Adrien is easily the most overrated character in the show. He's constantly coddled by the narrative, tends to "inspire" Marinette to be more passive and forgiving than she should be, and is incredibly bland (or at least he was until they started pushing just how angry he could get and how entitled to Ladybug's love he could feel, which I guess is something, but that something sure isn't pleasant); but you're telling me he doesn't get to have a legit passion beyond knowing he loves Marinette, to be involved in the final battle, to find out his dad is Monarch OR even that he's a sentimonster? He needs to know his life is tied to that ring and that he should be careful with it. This isn't "protecting him" (he's not a baby, if Felix eventually came to terms with being a sentimonster so can Adrien), if anything it's the opposite. Not letting him know that is dangerous! If not Marinette, Felix? Kagami? Nathalie? No one's going to tell him?! I hate to say it, but by robbing him of his agency and deciding they know what's best for him, they're being controlling over Adrien too; and no, I don't think that's "interesting", not after five seasons of Adrien already being controlled by someone else.

What is the show even trying to say? That Adrien needs to be controlled because he can't handle his emotions? Forget about giving him time or a good support system, he just wouldn't be able to handle it? If it was just his nightmare that'd be one thing, but Chat Blanc seems to indicate this is legitimately what they're saying. Why is this show trying to portray an abuse victim as someone who's dangerous and needs to be kept under control? Not just dangerous, but ultimately more dangerous than his abuser, since Gabriel made his wish and everything turned out fine (and at worst maybe one innocent person would have died/fallen into a coma had his wish not changed), but in "Chat Blanc" EVERYONE other than Chat died.

It does not matter if he finds out in a later season; it doesn't change the fact that his family is willingly lying to him and potentially endangering him by doing so, all for the sake of his abuser. Sure, you could argue Gabriel emotionally manipulated Marinette, but what's everyone else's excuse? I don't care if it leads to "interesting conflict", a) it's a conflict they've done before (Ladybug keeping secrets from Chat Noir), I'm not gonna praise the show for repeating itself, b) don't tell me telling Adrien the truth would've been "too sad" for the show to do but Marinette having to keep her mouth shut about Gabriel for the rest of her life (or even temporarily) is "interesting angst" (at least try to hide your favouritism, besides it's never even implied she feels guilty over this), and c) it's not like it will have a satisfying payoff, after all, it didn't last time. Even if Adrien does find out, Gabriel's not around anymore, so chances are Marinette will have to suffer the consequences of that, not Gabriel. That's not satisfying.

Like...Gabriel may as well have been related to Marinette instead (not her father but her uncle or something). Why not? Remember when he was her favourite fashion designer? (Don't worry if you don't, the show doesn't either.) Maybe have him become her mentor, imagine how much more of a personal impact Ladybug and Monarch finding out each other's identities could've had on both of them.

Why even have the main villain be related to the deuteragonist (giving him a closer connection to the main villain of the show than the actual main character) if you were just gonna side-line him in the final battle and rob him of any sense of closure? Whatever drama they can squeeze out of him finding out who Monarch is (IF he does) won't be nearly as interesting as it would've been to see Chat Noir confront Monarch, face to face, knowing that he's his father. Adrien might not even remember Gabriel being abusive at all, it's not made clear. But if he doesn't, all that time spent on Adrien's relationship with his father, building up a big confrontation between them? Wasted.

Remember how season 4 ended? How it built up Ladybug and Chat Noir working together to retrieve all the Miraculous back, after a season of them being more distant?

What a joke.

Is he the deuteragonist, or a trophy? The show can't seem to decide.

Marinette:

And then there's Marinette who, in a show that supposedly wants to empower young girls, doesn't even get to defeat the main male bad guy. After multiple seasons with her as the main lead, after multiple episodes where she's apologised or made to feel bad for either completely justifiable reactions or things that straight up weren't her fault (remember when she was made to say she was "out of line" at the end of an episode that was supposed to be about racism and police aggression?) meanwhile other characters rarely apologise to her in return, we don't even get the satisfaction of seeing her truly defeat the person that's caused her so much grief.

Seriously, she went through so much in this show; between the class consistently siding with Lila over her (btw turns out Lila basically had nothing to lose the whole time because she had multiple identities, yet another unsatisfying conclusion to a conflict), being forced to become a guardian, losing all the Miraculous, etc, and for what?

She failed. That's not me being too harsh. She may have influenced Gabriel to change his wish (emphasis on "may have", I'm pretty sure that woman was originally Emilie but in that case Nathalie being healed doesn't make sense), but her goal was to prevent the wish in the first place.

And why did they have to make her look like a fool? Felix's play spelled it out for her that Gabriel is Monarch, she even realises that he referred to the day she lost the Miraculous, but from the way it's presented she only figures out Gabe's Monarch after seeing him de-transform? Why did she think giving him a another chance would turn out well? She tried that all the way back in season 2, and it didn't work. Marinette is kind-hearted but she has her limits. You're telling me Lila crossed a line but Monarch could maybe be reasoned with? Why? Because he has a sob story?

Marinette is strategic and quick-witted. She's not an idiot.

Gabriel gets to make his wish and everyone else (who am I kidding, just Ladybug) has to clean up after him. Not only that, Ladybug does him a favour and ensures everyone is tricked into believing he was a hero. If anything, Chat Noir, the main male superhero, landed the killing blow.

Great. Just great. How empowering.

Bonus nit-picks:

--Did everyone on the planet seriously forget that the Adrien and Kagami in the Alliance rings aren't real, they're virtual simulations? That wasn't a secret. How did they fall for Gabriel's fake plea?

--If they were gonna put the girls from the specials and Future!Alix on the poster, they could've have them do more at least.

--Okay, Luka training with Su-Han was random but I guess since he was a temporary Miraculous holder it kinda makes sense...Penny and ESPECIALLY Jagged though? Nah.

--Ivan was the first person to EVER be akumatized then saved by Ladybug and Chat Noir. So with that in mind, surely he more than anyone would trust that they'd never kidnap two virtual innocent people, and would join Alya in reminding everyone else how they were always there for them, in a touching moment that brings the "first arc" full circle...oh.

--Look, Marinette is very talented, and I realise she had the book to help her but...I'm sorry literally HOW did she fix the Miraculous? Gabriel needed high-tech, presumably very expensive, machinery to re-shape them.

Final thoughts:

What makes this all sting so much more is that, wasn't season 5 supposed to be the original ending, just in case future seasons didn't happen? All seasons after this one are basically bonus seasons. So originally the show ended HERE. The last we would've seen of Chloe was her crying, trapped with her abusive mother. For all we knew Adrien would've been living a lie the rest of his life, looking up to his abuser. Gabriel is never fully revealed as the monster he truly was and is honoured as a "hero". Marinette literally gets stabbed in the back (well, it was her stomach, but you get the idea). There wasn't even a reveal, Ladybug and Chat Noir would've just never found out who the other truly is I guess.

Oh, but don't worry. Marinette and Adrien kissed.

That's all that really matters, right? (Never mind the fact that they spent five seasons building up to the start of a romantic relationship, and it will undoubtedly take even more for it to become a healthy one.)

Maybe the ending was originally different. Maybe they modified the ending of the season finale after finding out season 5 wouldn't be the last season. Maybe this will all somehow be fixed later (no matter how long they may will drag it out for).

Or maybe Marinette's blatantly out of character action (she hates liars, and only lied about her identity because she had to, even considering Gabriel's attempts to emotionally manipulate her previous episodes have made it clear she would not lie to Adrien, let alone the WHOLE WORLD, about Gabriel) will come back to bite her for the sake of having something to blame her for next season.

I don't know.

I don't care.

The writing for this show has been poor for a LONG time. I only stuck around because I still found myself having fun watching it from time to time, even as the problems got worse. That, and I was hopeful it would at least stick the landing. But after this, I don't think I can stomach continuing to watch a show that will probably continue to push such awful messages, and with such awful pacing.

Word of advice, all shows have flaws, so feel free to complain when a show does something you think is stupid (I've never found the argument that kids shows shouldn't be criticised because they're kid shows to make sense), but if you're not enjoying yourself because you can't overlook a show's problems, if you don't find pleasure in watching a show...just stop watching it. It's a waste of your time. Don't "wait for it to get good", don't wait for future seasons to clean up a current season's mess, don't continue watching it just because the fandom makes better content. I promise you there are better shows out there that deserve (and need) your attention.

So with that in mind...I don't think I'll be watching what comes next.

[flightfoot]

ML fic Underrated Masterpieces

So there are some ML fics that are absolutely brilliant, but haven’t gotten as much attention as I think they deserve. So I’m gonna give that attention to them, and hopefully make them more well known! This isn’t limited to any particular year. BTW, in case any of the authors haven’t made the connection, I’m Keyseeker on AO3. All Multi-chap fics must have fewer than 300 kudos, and all one-shots must have fewer than 100 kudos, and they must be complete in order to count.

---

Multichap-fics

The Ghost in the Machine by @jheqiawrites

As part of this function, Adrien knew about Monarch, the akuma butterflies, the victims, and, of course Ladybug and Cat Noir, the heroes of Paris. He was authorized to contact the Ladyblog as well as the citywide alert system if one of his platforms was active during an akuma manifestation, allowing his friends to get somewhere safe until Ladybug and Cat Noir could deal with the situation

While the necessity of these functions was disconcerting, it was programmed to be his routine so he gradually grew used to the inconsistencies. After all, humans tended to be selfish, highly inconsistent, and often flighty, but once you had observed them for a while an intelligence such as his could begin to see the patterns.

That is until she came online.

This fic is fantastic! I adored diving into Adrien Alliance’s thoughts, his emotions, as he slowly evolved, became more aware, and more... well, human, I guess you could say. You can easily tell he’s based on Adrien with how similar his character traits are, how he latches onto Marinette especially, and even get jealous at times. But also how he grows from that, becomes a better person, and ultimately values other people and their happiness above himself. He has some magnificent character growth that all culminates in a heart-wrenching finale!

---

in case you don’t know me tomorrow by @thelibraryloser

“We live in a crazy world where pieces of our lives can be erased like they never even happened. I just wanted to memorize this moment so… so I could keep it, if that makes sense.”

Adrien's heart gave a little flutter. She wanted to keep this moment, meeting him. She wanted to keep… him.

“I understand exactly what you mean."

In a world that has created a way to selectively delete memories, no moment is truly safe. So how do you hold on to something when the memory of it is gone? And how do you keep fighting for someone when you're the only one who remembers?

Yes, I know I already recced this fic in my top ML fics of 2022 post, no, I don’t care. The fact that this hasn’t gotten more attention is a travesty. It just... it’s its own complete story and Adrien’s and Marinette’s fumbling around, trying to figure out what to do after Gabriel tears them apart, finding their way to each other despite everything... it’s amazing. 

---

Stealing Freedom by @rosie-b

Adrien Agreste was a good person. Marinette knew this to be true, of course; she wouldn’t be marrying him if he were some irredeemable villain. No, her fiancé was practically the opposite of evil. He cooed over babies and kittens, literally stopped to smell the roses and always brought large bouquets of them to dates. He had trouble killing spiders and bugs, begging his partner to take on the task whenever she was around to save him. Adrien was the sweetest person Marinette knew, the most kindhearted, the most forgiving; he was almost too perfect for her sometimes.

But now, Marinette knew that the same Adrien who still blushed when his fiancée kissed him was also the well-known terror of Paris, Cat Walker.

Now, this fic really SHOULD have been in my top fics for 2022 post. I’m a sucker for enemies au and I love a good Sentiadrien fic, so combining the two of them here is great! I feel so bad for Adrien, and I love that the heroes know from early on that Cat Walker isn’t really the enemy here. It’s short, but it’s sweet.

---

Strangely Familiar by @sunfoxfic

Alya Césaire’s life is perfect. Indeed, between the success of the Ladyblog, how well she’s doing in school, and the fact that she’s a superhero who has never bore the weight of a crisis of epic proportions, her life almost couldn’t be better. Almost.

But Alya has always been a go-getter, and so she’ll chase after that perfect life if it kills her. Which is how she ends up rushing to move out of her father’s apartment and in with Marinette, Adrien, and a complete stranger: Nino Lahiffe. And in fact, her life does seem perfect — she and Nino are fast friends. They spend a lot of time together and get to know each other really well.

But in the end, fortunate situations will bear unfortunate truths, and she learns things about herself that aren’t quite comfortable. Like I said, though: Alya has always been a go-getter, and she won’t let new feelings deter her from chasing after her perfect life.

This one is still criminally underrated, which I’m guessing is because it’s DJWifi-centric. It’s really worth checking out though, it really fleshes Alya and Nino out, and there are even some Lovesquare-esque shenanigans going on, since they don’t know each other’s identities.

---

life’s waiting to begin by kopycat_101

Marc is the shy and soft-spoken Prince of the Underworld, used to being ignored at best and feared at worst. He greatly admires Nathaniel, the Prince of Nature, who’s much too out of his league. Handsome, kind, charming, and charmingly modest, with hair as red as a rose and talented artists' hands.

Yearning for the love of a nature deity when he’s a deity of death is beyond ridiculous, so Marc keeps his hopes low.

But an encounter at the border between the Underworld and the surface leads the two to speaking, which leads to Marc showing Nathaniel his writing and Nathaniel his art. And from there blooms a beautiful friendship…Or maybe more.

This is a marvelous Hades and Persephone inspired story, with a fair bit of drama going on near the end. Marc and Nathaniel may be from two different worlds, and their powers may clash, but that won’t keep them from seeing each other, however much the other gods may wish otherwise.

---

Forging Our Own Ending by Ryleesheep

It was one thing, to know your father was Hawkmoth. It was entirely another thing to watch him transform with your own eyes. Adrien watched it again and again, his Lady by his side, determined to find the truth. No matter how many tries it would take.

Brilliant Hawkmoth Takedown fic here, it differentiates itself from most of the pack with how strategic it is, especially with the use of Second Chance. I love how it shows every use of it, with all the differing reactions and information gained from every loop, until finally everything can be put into motion.

---

Into the Unknown by NUMBER1ANGIRL

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has been Ladybug for 12 years now. She’s been fighting Hawkmoth by herself in this time, without the partner she was promised. When Hawkmoth is defeated, she starts fighting a new villain, and the strange ache of something she wasn’t aware was missing.

This fic is great. Gabriel sent Adrien away immediately after he received the ring, so he never even got to meet Ladybug. She ended up assembling an entire team to compensate, and when they finally defeated Hawkmoth over a decade later, Adrien’s called back to France in order to deal with Gabriel’s affairs. Which Marinette is very suspicious of...

Oh also Marinette and Luka had a daughter from a one-night stand, and while the two of them are great friends, they’re not married. The daughter, Sara, is great and a lot more perceptive than she’s given credit for. Quite the little Adrienette shipper too!

---

Gabriel’s Big Mistake by LilacEnthusiast and Mr_BlackCat

Gabriel makes a bad decision, and it backfires horribly. Shenanigans ensue.

This is a fantastic and brilliant fic. It’s a “crack treated seriously” type fic, with Gabriel doing a ceremony to try to make himself more powerful, and turning himself into a butterfly as a result. His attempts to write a note to Nathalie are less than successful. He’s attacked by a bird, saved by Nino, and becomes his pet butterfly, Subwoofer. But his butterfly mind slowly starts overwriting his human one over time...

This is both a hilarious and an angsty fic, all wrapped into one. Kind of reminds me of how Fullmetal Alchemist is both hilarious and tragic at times, though this one leans more towards the humor. It also has a sequel, which is sadly incomplete, but still worth checking out. Seriously, check out this fic!

---

Butterflies Don’t Speak: Gabriel’s Version by Falling Papillon

Nathalie gets struck with an akuma. Her mind gets sent a year into the future. She starts to live her days backwards up to the day she was akumatized.

 Gabriel and Nathalie fall in love with each other backwards.

For doctor who fans, you know the Doctor and River Songs? It’s like that but Gabenath and ACTUALLY reversed timelines and instead of “spoilers” its “butterflies dont speak”

This story is in Gabriel’s pov. Nathalie’s pov is in a separate story since they are both going through time differently. I recommend reading one pov at a time but you can read it however you wish!

Butterflies Don’t Speak: Nathalie’s Version by Falling Papillon

Nathalie gets struck with an akuma. Her mind gets sent a year into the future. She starts to live her days backwards up to the day she was akumatized.

 Gabriel and Nathalie fall in love with each other backwards.

For doctor who fans, you know the Doctor and River Songs? It’s like that but Gabenath and ACTUALLY reversed timelines and instead of “spoilers” its “butterflies dont speak”

This story is in Nathalie’s pov. Gabriel’s pov is in a separate story since they are both going through time differently. I recommend reading one pov at a time but you can read it however you wish!

So truthfully? These stories (or this story more like, it’s the same story from two different perspectives) is the reason I made this list, and I specifically waited until they were complete to post this rec list.

I have ADORED reading through them both as the author posted them, usually posting one chapter of each at the same time, so that we, the audience, learned what was going on at the same time as the characters. And then to see the crossover point, to get to where we saw what one character experienced, and then to see it from the others point of view... it was just great. 

The romance-in-reverse, with both of them slowly warming up to the idea of getting together, of letting go of trying to bring Emilie back, and enjoying what they have together instead, and then having to watch as the other person slowly forgets everything they’ve experienced together as they go forwards or backwards in time (depending on whose perspective you’re reading) is just... it’s great.

And the way both Gabriel and Nathalie start off frustrated with how the other person refuses to tell them what the future holds, until they get used to it, and then gradually as they move through the story THEY end up being the one concealing information... the reversed passage of time just makes for such interesting scenarios!

Oooh, I also love how it complicated gift-giving, since objects only travel forwards, not backwards in time. Gabriel and Adrien have to be creative about gift-giving in order to have any success!

Just... this format, with the way time works, and how it affects both Gabriel and Nathalie, just... it’s very creative, I love it a lot, and honestly I’m probably gonna keep it in mind because I could see wanting to write a story for some other couple at some point in time using a similar idea.

One-shots

I Won’t Let You by @generalluxun

After Gabriel's defeat, two individuals not party to the celebration run into each other, and find each other.

I’ve talked about this one before and I’ll talk about it again. Or rather, rave XD.

The way that Chloe and Felix almost dance around each other to try to get the other person to understand why they’re unhappy and even kind of scared, comparing who has it worse, with Chloe making Felix understand how she’s treated by her parents and the expectations society has for her, and Felix making her understand, viscerally, the sword of Damocles he’s under... it’s brilliant and poetic, and beautiful to read.

---

When You Broke Me by @emmalylis

Adrien runs away from home. Gabriel simply replaces him with a sentimonster duplicate. Of course, it isn’t an exact copy…

This is short, but really intriguing, I’d love to read more of this! This new SentiAdrien is innocent and confused about what’s going on, he thinks he has amnesia, not knowing that Gabriel just full-on made him as a replacement after Adrien ran away. The original Adrien is compassionate towards him, even as he tries to figure out what’s going on and what to do.

---

The Little Things by christallized

Marc's going on a date with Nath and he only has a few hours to prepare. What will they do? What should they eat? What will Marc wear? Will Nath like all the little things Marc worked so hard to set up to give them the absolutely best, most perfect date?

(Also there's an Akuma breaking reality into an endless, painful fragmentation of horror and suffering but that's not important)

This fic is just fun. Marc is mostly worried about his date, while ignoring the Welcome to Nightvale-esque horror going on all around him. The cashier may be floating in the air with his body being puppeteered around and his detached head screaming, but there’s no reason to let that ruin Marc’s date plans!

---

[nobodyfamousposts]

I love the newest part of chloe's lament!!!

As always, the problem with all of chloe's plans Are that she doesn't think them though, because she doesn't think she needs too. She has it in her head that she has future knowledge, and so operates solely on that.

I am very curious as to which student overhead Chloe and Bustier. Sabrina or Adrien who already knows of Chloe's wish? A classmate with no idea of theyre even being a wish? Maybe marinette herself?

Thank you for writing and Sharin chloe's lament btw it's one of my favorit miraculous aus and I just reread it all when i saw the newest post <33

To be fair, it's not just her future knowledge.

The thing about Chloe (or at least the way I'm doing her), is that she has this perception of how the world works and how it SHOULD work based on the many years where the world DID work that way. For years, Chloe could essentially do whatever she wanted and not only were there no consequences, she was never even suggested that she was wrong or anything she did was wrong.

Look at canon: even in the few instances where Chloe "lost", she didn't really lose anything. At most, someone else "won" and she just didn't get something she wanted. And even when she was revealed to have been cheating or acting dishonestly, nobody really calls her out on it. She still at most doesn't get something she wanted. That the adults seem to ignore her behavior and even the narrative made more of an effort to woobify her didn't help matters.

Chloe in this setup is the prime example of someone who thinks she's the main character and the world is just supposed to make things work out for her. This is combined with her future knowledge to make her think that this is an advantage she can use to benefit herself...not realizing that the entire setup has changed and whatever benefits she had before that protected her from consequences are no longer there.

In her limited defense, at this point her future knowledge is really her only advantage. Through it, she knows things that most other people don't. But not only is she trying to use it for selfish reasons, she's trying to apply it in ways where it simply can't be applicable due to the changes already made by the setup of the world.

Half of the akumas Chloe knows about were created because of her. But Chloe isn't in a position anymore do to as many of them this time around.

Do you really think Princess Fragrance is going to happen? It'd be Marinette whom Rose would ask instead of Chloe, and while Marinette may not be able to personally introduce Rose to Prince Ali, she could still take Rose's letter to him. At the very least, she certainly wouldn't just rip it apart in front of her.

Vanisher? Sabrina and Chloe aren't friends.

Rogercop? Haha no. Chloe doesn't have a golden bracelet.

So yes, while she is acting on future knowledge that may not apply, the bigger problem is this "protagonist centered morality" Chloe has where she is operating under the belief that SHE is the protagonist and that things are just supposed to work out in her favor because she is herself. Because that's how they always did before.

But as a result of the Wish, Chloe gave that up. Not just the money and social status, but also the protection and ambivalence she received not just from the adults around her regarding her behavior. Chloe is getting first hand experience of what Marinette and others had to go through when it came to her, and she hates it. But what Chloe especially hates is that unlike her, people don't resent Marinette for being better off and she fails to see it's because of her actions.

It's easier to just act as if Marinette's manipulating everyone or that they're brainwashed than admit that Chloe caused her own issues.

The worst part is that Chloe could have turned her situation around at any point. Her future knowledge would have helped her do that. But that would require her to accept her position for what it is and more importantly, stop repeating her previous behaviors. And given it's Chloe, that's going to be the hardest thing for her.

As far as your question, I'm not going to reveal just yet which student it is. Though I will go ahead and say it isn't Marinette. She's still at the contest, marveling over the other entries and maybe even giving feedback to some of the contestants if they want it.

You're welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

[valerieismss]

Look man I research autism academically and I’m not really hcing autism ever but miles edgeworth. Miles edgeworth has brutal autism. BRUTAL. Here’s why:

Most obvious is his special interest in the steel samurai. Don’t tell me it’s law because it’s NOT! It’s something he’s been wrapped into, taking inspiration from his father and being manipulated into by MVK and just being this very logical critical thinker. But the steel samurai? No, like, that’s organic. That’s an organic ass interest that came from nowhere and he clings to that shit like a lifeline. Miles Edgeworth is not going to law for comfort that shit traumatized his ass. He’s had a fixed, prolonged interest in this from childhood. Extremely knowledgeable and extremely obsessed and immersed and it’s Fixed. And it’s comforting. NOTABLY! AND it isn’t a result of his upbringing which to me makes it further evidence of an autism specific interest.

This alone wouldn’t be proof btw. It’s only because this is in conjunction with other traits.

Second, he’s not exactly cognitively empathetic. He tells a suicidal woman to khs in court. He sentences hundreds to jail to win a verdict. Miles has a heart, but he lacks the ability to cognitively empathize. Notably, he’s not malicious. That’s why I say this. He genuinely believes he’s doing the right thing by winning a guilty verdict, forgoing empathy for his strong sense of justice. This sort of dissonance is common in autism. Once he has this realization that the way he operates in court is Wrong, he dedicates himself to his new moral code just as strongly. Miles edgeworth is without empathy, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but due to MVK and everything this did lend itself to his black and white morality when we first meet him.

Also, edgeworth has always thought in absolutes. He’s very literal. This man does not naturally see moral greys EVER. He literally tortured himself for YEARSSS over his dad’s death, not ONCE giving himself ANY MERCY until Phoenix proves he didn’t kill his dad. I’ve already explained this attitude in court, but it extends to how he treats himself. Absolute black and white thinking is also common in autism, which is why I mention it.

Moreover, it’s not hard to see that edgeworth isn’t socially assimilated. He lacks the ability to recognize social cues, we know this because he’s a self described real stuck up jerk. People don’t like him. He’s openly very rude. This is because he just doesn’t lie, at least not unless he thinks it’s necessary. But think about it. Would a socially assimilated person say they had unnecessary feelings? No. No they would not. Also, he misses a lot socially as well. I remember him being completely oblivious to how women view him, like Rhonda from AAI. He’s not socially graceful, he’s never been. I wish I had more specific examples but I can’t think of anything. It’s just not hard to tell that he’s a dick by accident in his day to day life.

There are small things, like his self soothing gestures and his aversion to eye contact unless he’s angry. These things could be anything, though. I don’t think they’re good evidence for autism. It’s also extremely clear that he suffers from PTSD. I could make an entire post on that alone. However, everything else seems like solid enough evidence for autism to me.

Edgeworth also tends to be a dick on purpose. Don’t get me wrong. Like how Sheldon can be a dick on purpose. But there’s a good amount of times where he isn’t. Like, edgeworth is a terrible person when we meet him, and it’s not just because he’s autistic. He’s fucked up and his autism is far from the only reason he tells adrien andrews to kill herself, but I would say his lack of cognitive empathy contributes to that. He really doesn’t understand how people feel or why they feel those ways, and he never has. His altruism comes from his sense of justice (also seen in autistic people but far from exclusive to them). All of these traits at once just make me think he’s autistic.

Let me know what you think!

[adrasteaeydiate]

🚨🚨🚨 Miraculous World: Paris, Tales of Shadybug and Claw Noir SPOİLER ALERT 🚨🚨🚨

.

.

.

.

.

.

So as always after something THAT POWERFUL I'm still in processing mode and I'm also glad that I'm still alive because there were really many moments when I thought my heart would stop but what I can say for sure is that in my opinion THIS IS THE BEST SPECIAL EVER. If I could , I'd probably take a screenshots of the entire episode xd I'm madly in love with good Gabe's opening (his singing and whole style although the first time I was like ???? what's going on here ???) and his character in general. And Ubiquity? Hello this style fits Alya so much. And when we talk about Alya - HER FRİENDSHİP WİTH MARİ 😭😍 İ wanna have what they have. And the part where Mari recalled the beginning of school and about Alya being a good person - CRİED. But it was emo Marinette/ Shadybug who completely stole my heart in this special (btw my heart is truly in pieces after scene where Shadybug read Marinette's diary, when she started crying, when she saw her face in pieces of glass and, above all, Shadybug's conversation with Marinette and of course Claw Noir's conversation with Adrien especially ,,İ know'' and Adrien's expression there 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭).

I also really liked the scene where Hesperia turned Cat Noir into Celesticat, Ladyfly and Ladybiquity (Hatsune Miku is that you?) design and Monarch & Ladybiquity interdimensional fights (the way they presented them was both epic and hilarious XD and Stephen Starange likes this). Oh and Ladyfly and Cat Noir's acting XD. Aand whole team's ,,pound it'' ❤️

And another thing - The Supreme. I really want to know who he is. After some thought, my brain made me think it was Lila/Cerise and another alter ego of hers considering what Gabe said about Supreme - it sounded like Lila to me. But on the other hand, I have a great feeling that it has something to do with the season finale and Gabriel's "read my heart". I don't think an ordinary villain would have the power to prevent Tikki and Plag from merging into Gimmi. Maybe this also has to do with the fact that Gabriel had a feeling that one day the truth might come to light (what happened in the season finale), which is why he wanted to prevent others from summoning Gimmi. Perhaps 'read my heart' referred not to one wish but literally to 'read', i.e. everything that was 'written' there. I hope it has some to do with finale and that we will find out in next season.

Anyway, it's going to be a sleepless night for me because of all these emotions, but I'm very satisfied with this special episode 😁

[paracosmicat]

PLEASE talk about your Sentibug

AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT HER? 🐞❤️ (I LOVE YOU)

In my AU, the way she is able to be brought back is through the Peacock Miraculous. I personally think Adrien’s interest, now that he is free, should be Miraculous lore because it’s a natural side step given how much freedom and happiness his Miraculous has brought him and it would give Chat Noir a much bigger role to play in their hero business. (Also it makes more sense for him than for Marinette, because the Miraculous has been a chain, the opposite of what it has been for Adrien) And where does his research take him? Exploring the Kwagatama and uncovering that Sentibeings lives and memories are stored within the Miraculous, able to be brought back so long as they are willing.

That was my very long winded way of saying, Adrien had never really gotten over her death so he works with Félix to bring her back.

AND SO

Given that Adrien was the one to fight for her, he takes it upon himself to make sure she has a place in the world. He introduces himself to her as Chat Noir, but offering her a place to stay at his house does require that he reveals his identity. (Which, gives Adrien someone in his corner, which I love)

NOW

Figuring out her identity is something they work together on. Adrien nicknames her Coccinelle, French for Ladybug, as a temporary nickname and a way to differentiate their hero forms. I think she continues to use this for her hero form name as she helps them when needed, same with the other heroes.

Speaking of hero forms, I think it would be really funny if she could still do Lucky Charms but they were always insanely oversized weapons.

BUT FOR HER CIVILIAN FORM

The insanely talented @belowthesurface drew my vision of her civilian form!! And I will be using this art to make my next points and because oh my god did I mention how talented Moonie is???

I think Adrien finds it important to find her a name that she likes, so he researches it with her. They eventually come across Mireille, which means miracle/miraculous. As @ninadove pointed out, it’s also a bit older of a name which is suiting for her vibe given that a lot of it is a reflection of Nathalie’s touch!

As you can see their facial structures are similar but different. I would describe her features as Nathalie “filling in the blanks” much the same as when you see someone wearing a face mask.

As for style, I’ve made this joke so many times but I feel like her style is Nathalie’s “what are the teens wearing these days?” Very formal and business casual while still looking really really good.

And you know who would love her??? Félix!!! A Sentibeing who went against orders and paid the price but ended up making it in the end? A representation of his cousin making decisions for himself and refusing to repeat the awful patterns of the people before him? He would be ecstatic.

Her personality would be very sweet, shy, and lovey. It would be easy to say she had Ladybug’s leadership and determination, but she immediately agreed to doing “whatever you say, Ladybug” and she did not quip back at Chat Noir when Ladybug did. She was designed to be a sweeter softer version of her, one that Chat Noir would fall for, I think her personality follows suit!

Btw, anyone is welcomed to create content with her, if you so please. I love her I want more of her.

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤️

pick between 5 of my babies? 🥺 GLADLY

(these aren't necessarily my favorites btw. just the ones that i wanna boost!)

lies of attrition

my priority atm, and also a super fun collab with me and @ladyofthenoodle! if you want some post-s5 angst, action, pining, and ladynoir enemies, this is the place to be!

summary: The trust between Ladybug and Chat Noir is stretched to breaking point when a new butterfly holder emerges in the wake of Monarque's defeat. Chat Noir doesn't know who to trust until Chrysalis confronts him with a truth Ladybug had tried to bury: Monarque made the Wish—and she wants Chat Noir’s help to undo it. excerpt: “Chat,” Ladybug said, her voice coated with worry. “Did something happen?” He could tell her, now. He had come here to tell her, to show her his face after three years of partnership, to let her see why so much was suddenly wrong. If only he knew what she would say when he pulled off his mask. If only he knew whether she would stay or go. “I could tell you,” he ventured, turning to look directly at her. “But… it’s easier if I show you.” He saw the moment she realized; the way her blue eyes widened, her pink lips parting in a tiny “o.” They stared at each other, unmoving, the sounds of the parade fading into the night. A single firework burst overhead, shattering the standstill. Red blazed over her face, the fall of sparks raining down behind her. Then her features pinched, and in that moment, every hidden place within him was painted red too. “Oh, Chat Noir,” Ladybug whispered, her expression growing more pained by the second. “I… I don’t know.”

Like Smoke from a Furnace

one of my personal favorites! this was an experiment for me in present tense and internal conflict, and i really like how it turned out!

summary: Marinette and Adrien give up their Miraculous. Ladybug and Chat Noir never meet again. excerpt: Giving up the Ladybug Miraculous was supposed to unshackle them both. If she had done so earlier, it could have been different. If Adrien had spoken up later, it would have been different. But Ladybug knew nothing about Chat Noir except the heart he had always laid bare, and that was of her own doing. If Marinette passes him in the street, they will both keep going, none the wiser, the culmination of all their self-imposed secrets. She has nothing to go on. No name, no circumstance, no poorly-disguised hint, as she suspects he has tried to leave before. Chat Noir had become better at following her rules than she, and Marinette had so recently been simultaneously proud of him for it—and resented him too. It doesn’t sink in until several quiet nights later, when she and Adrien are tucked together on his couch, the soft blues and grays of his chosen film flashing across his screen. She is never going to see Chat Noir again.

rest your head (upon my shoulder)

i love this one so much. sometimes i go back and read it to myself because it gives me the exact toe-curling pining i always crave. i like to think of it as one of those "so close but so far away" stories - one of my favorite brands of angst.

summary: Ladybug can save Chat Noir from anything, except what he doesn't tell her. excerpt: “I don’t think there will be any Akuma attacks for a while.” She frowned, but he leaned back, staring up at the starless sky through the leaves of the tree hanging overhead.  Something was wrong. She could feel it lingering over him, heavy like suspended rain. “Chaton?” “I had this dream the other night,” he said, gazing over the roof of the Musée. “We grew wings without needing anything—no macarons, no magic words, no Miraculous. And then we just…took off. I don’t really remember where we went, but it was beautiful.”  His eyes slid to hers once more, unnaturally bright. Her blood rushed with unbidden heat and she reminded herself why she had stopped sitting in dark, quiet places alone with Chat Noir. 

borealis green

a feligami oneshot! this covers the time between "pretension" and "representation" and is probably one of my only canon-compliant au's. i really like writing kagami's pov so this was super fun!

summary: Getting to know Felix is easier than Kagami anticipated, especially as he keeps following her. excerpt: “Goodnight, Félix,” she whispers, though she does not need to. Nobody is around to hear them. No one is watching them. It is only a taste of the freedom he promised her, and yet it sinks into her with the softness of the street lights and the prickle of the night air.  “Can I see you again?” he asks, just as softly.  She has exactly nine minutes to walk back to the ikebana studio where Tatsu will be waiting to transport her home. She can make it if she walks fast. She can linger a few moments longer if she runs. The vertigo crescendos as she remains in place, watching the gleam of headlights flash in his eyes as cars speed past.  “You should go home,” Kagami tells him, holding his gaze. “It’s not safe for you in Paris.” Félix tilts his head in acknowledgement, but the corners of his mouth turn up. “No,” he agrees. “It isn’t.”

mirror image

another post-s5 fic centered on adrien & felix, but with a twin telepathy twist. it's kind of like my r&r time for fic, easy and cathartic and a fun break for me between other projects!

summary: The voice in Adrien’s head is strangely familiar. It also tells him the truth (when no one else will). excerpt: You are hearing things, the voice said as though in answer. Doesn’t mean I’m not real. Adrien reached for the silver chain around his neck, his fist closing around the two rings resting warm against his sternum. “As real as me?” Yes, idiot, the voice replied with a bite. As real as you. “That’s not what some people would say,” Adrien replied, not caring if the voice was annoyed. It was his head, after all. Well, what would you rather be? The voice plowed on, unbothered by Adrien’s ire. Born of magic, or born of Gabriel Agreste?

ty for the ask kayla 💛 love me some self-promotion. hope y'all enjoy!

[wisteriasymphony]

Okay I’m glad you want to do prompt 8 because I really want to read that god bless

Prompt list by dumplingjinson

8. "Your eyes are lingering again." "Is there a problem with that?"

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

Claudia was getting dressed after a shower. In the days since both of them had run away from their previous selves, their lives consisted of hopping from hotel to hotel on Adrien's slowly dwindling savings, each bathroom different from the last. Claudia wasn't the type to really know what exactly was different about every single one—maybe it was the water pressure, the curtains versus the glass doors, the tile beneath her feet or how long it took for the water to heat up. All she knew was that they felt different every single time. Up until she was done, that is: Drying herself off always seemed to be the same. She'd always stare at the lingering dampness on her shoulders as she struggled with her ragged bra that threatened to fall apart, and Adrien would always walk quietly into the corner of her view.

"Your eyes are lingering again."

He laughed, but it was in a way that seemed like he was laughing at himself; Breathy and quiet and with that stupid and adorably gauche smile he'd recently developed, a smile that was uneven and dorky and showed off a dimple in his cheeks. It was an enamored smile, too—That was probably the most important part. Dorky, crooked and stupidly in love.

"Is there a problem with that?"

Claudia couldn't be mad at him for being in love with her. No matter what it entailed or how utterly it had thrown her entire life into shambles. No matter how hard it was to accept that someone found her beautiful and charming and funny and worth their time. No matter how bizarre it was that either of them were in this situation, when he was throwing everything away for something like this.

But, fuck her sideways—What about this did she deserve? If Claudia was meant to ever be loved at all, it was meant to be someone as terrible as her, who used her for all she was good for and reminded her of her worthlessness, who at best only looked at her at a kind of lust for what she could maybe be if she dolled herself up in a sick imitation of beauty like lipstick on a pig. But Adrien just looked at her with love. Not any kind of love you could pin down any which way, just, like—love. All of it.

But damnit, she was half fucking naked and thinking about it way too fucking hard, and when Adrien took her hand in his and his forehead touched hers, she forgot about all of it anyways. Claudia only really remembered that she was about to cry.

Adrien wiped a tear away from Claudia's cheek. Again, he had a way of acting around her that was always terribly, sincerely in love. She just laughed at her own stupidity, failing to look him in the eye.

"Everything about this is worth it to me," he whispered softly. Claudia must have given it away somehow, maybe in her eyes or the way she was tensed up, the way she was looking at her body in the mirror. Or maybe... he had just known her for long enough to know that was her biggest hangup. "I don't regret a second, and I never will. Okay?"

Claudia just pursed her lips and nodded.

"Okay."

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

oh my god I forgot about this one T^T sorry for letting this rot in the drafts!!!! lol. All the prompts I post will always be open btw!!

claudrien nation as always. @wuhuislandconspiracy @dayochoco @mxacegrey @joshua-the-phoeinx @everything163 @fraberry-stroobcake @myriadmi @cutepastelstarsalior @xxcresentmoonxx @nocturnal-notes @pyrusinc @bakawitch

[digitalgate02]

SO, THOUGHTS! THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MOVIE I WAS WAITING FOR SO LONG TO WATCH, believing i’d never watch it that fast like happened lol.

First of all, I’ll assure EVERYONE who’s afraid of the Brazilian dub of the movie that the dub of it is not like that PV and i was right – the final dub is way better and incredible! I loved them all, all of them.

(Thoughts ahead -- spoiler-free btw)

The new voices for Davis, TK, Kari and Wormmon are WONDERFUL! Davis is very much like he used to be in the original dub, but older. I was curious if he would sound goofy like Davis in the series’ dub or like in the Japanese version. Well, the voice is perfect for the character, he sounded pretty fun and I’m glad they picked someone who nailed this role wonderfully. I think the new Kari is also okay, and i’m glad the legacy of the late OG BR dub TK’s voice actor is in good hands now.

As for Lui… He got not one, not two but THREE voice actors. And the adult one is one of my fave VAs… who also dubs Adrien/Cat Noir. So yeah, it was interesting. I don’t think he was unfitting or weird, but I think no one can beat the highest bar that is casting Ogata Megumi as him. Again, i love his BR VA! It’s just i think if you see someone saying something like “it’s weird” be aware it’s because there’s a very very HIGH bar here to surpass. And i don’t think the purpose was to beat it. So I’m here like “I love both VAs equally.”

Ukkomon’s is very good too, his voice is very sweet and soothing? smooth? idk how to describe it now. I’m glad we had amazing VAs in this movie, and i totally recommend watching it dubbed too if you want to!

As for the OG cast returning… GDI I WAS FULL OF HEART EYES AT YOLEI’S VA RETURN – I’VE BEEN ALWAYS DREAMING WITH A DUB OF A NEW MOVIE WITH HER IN IT. Like, I've been a real fan of this lady since i was a kid!! SHE VOICED SUPER PIG/CASSIE c’mon!! And also Yolei in the OG dub is so bright and energetic and now adult Yolei’s voice is so… soo… [chef kiss] Like gdi man! I’d watch this movie again and dubbed again and again and again AND AGAIN because of her! (oh and the rest of the cast too!!)

But you might understand my peak curiosity was about Cody. Because if you don’t know… Cody in the BR dub of the series was voiced by a KID! Yeah, it was a kid! And when i saw that he was returning… I was like “WOW THAT THE NATURAL GROWTH HERE!?” It’s fantastic witnessing a young VA returning to this role, as an adult! And Cody is an adult (ok almost) in the movie too!! I’m so shook about this!!

And then Ken. Ngl i think Ken sounded like an adult after the Kaiser arc in-series. His VA suited pretty well for the Kaiser role though. I like him okay, don’t get me wrong!! And I’m not surprised that his voice also sounded exactly like the OG series LOL Which means… yeah, i think it fits Ken-chan now haha (pls forgive me, sir… I’m glad you came back to voice our beloved Kenzinho orz)

The digimon made me nostalgic as well – all the main 5 returned, also the voices for Angewomon and Stingmon too (yeah, they were voiced by different peeps here) – I know they didn’t talk too much but man… I’m happy with them all. I’M HAPPY OKAYY!?

[Ni don’t just gushes about the BR cast of the movie and talk about the movie itself challenge]

Ok. About the MOVIE itself… Its pacing is much better than Kizuna’s. I think this movie is the kind to not hold many surprises to the audience – you get big warnings when something is going to get bad and creepy. Like, A LOT OF RED FLAGS by the music, coloring and especially by the animation. The movie is PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. Yes, something that’s very rare to happen in Adventure/02 material. This movie is simple to understand, there’s no big plot twists that could catch you off surprise. You see things coming. And yet, it hits you hard in the feels. Also the scenes are well placed too.

And if you think there’s no battle… Uh, there’s some sort of a battle yeah, so it can be a mandatory digimon movie. Also i’m still laughing internally about the faux padding effect this movie has with the evolution animations. It felt as if this was 02 episode 51!!

The music is so fantastic! OH THE REMIXES ARE SO GOOD but there’s also new tracks in it. The insert songs in it are very good too and they feel they connect each other in their style of music (yes, a friend told me this and now that i saw it by myself i agree with her) – I hope they release the OST album soon ;o;

“Various Colors” is my favorite song now. It's very good and refreshing, it’s not sad and it’s fitting for both Rui and Ukkomon’s story. I hope to see the lyrics translated someday so i can see if my feelings were right about it.

Anyway, the movie is so beautifully animated. I love the usage of the colors in it, it’s pretty and it made me not blink a second! Except for one scene, but… yeah, you might know when you watch it. The design of the characters are so cool and i loved them all!! I’m happy that Hikari-chan and Ken-chan got scarves in the end!! Oh man, they all are stylish~

But my only only ISSUES with it were the fact Wormmon himself couldn’t pronounce “Wormmon” correctly. Ken did pronounce it correctly alas. Also it was a little weird how Paildramon is pronounced in it as well. Oh and Shakkoumon too… But okay, besides that…

… Oh yeah, the other thing that made me chuckle nervously was them translating “Motomiya Ramen” as “Macarrão Lamen” (TL: “Noodle Ramen”) – because it was weird for me… But okay, i know it’s a little hard to read もとみや (Motomiya) in the paper sign lol

Anyway, i wish i could go watch the movie again and subbed this time but it’s too far from my place and i can’t afford to go there atm ;o; But i’m glad i was able to watch it at least dubbed, and it was a good idea in the end. GO WATCH IT, SUBBED OR DUBBED!! RIGHT. NOW!!

I’m totes buying a Blu-Ray of this movie. I hope they release it here too, this dub deserves to be preserved!!

Thank you and see ya~

[flightfoot]

Why do people want Emilie to be evil so bad? Like complicated? Flawed? Absolutely, but can Adrien have at least one parent who loved him? I wonder sometimes if the people who want Emilie to be an official BAD PARENT maybe have a black and white view of their own parents? Like maybe their parents were just plain crappy or maybe their parents were amazing. I have complicated parents myself, but my parents loved me nonetheless and I’ve never doubted that. I don’t consider them perfect. They were flawed and their names have come up in therapy over the years quite a bit. But I don’t consider them bad parents either. They tried with what they had and knew and I love them very much. I always imagine Emile was something like this. (This ask is not excusing Gabriel btw. He is far less nuanced and worst dad of the year.)

I think part of it is just carryover from when we had less to go on with Emilie. We really didn't have anything except Gabriel's and Adrien's words (and they are very much biased) that she was a good person until season 5, when we actually got some more specific information about her. And with Adrien being isolated the way he was and Gabriel being an abusive parent, naturally people started asking whether Emilie enabled the abuse, or was even abusive herself.