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[writerofcrazydreams]

The Reversal Salt AU now has an official title!

If any of you happened to pass by the fic, you'd surely notice that it's now named Sun of the Morning. This is a reference to Ren's song Hi, Ren.

In it, the singer has a battle with his mental illness-flavored subconscious. This inner version of himself embodies the temptation to do evil to oneself and others. Aptly, one of the verses describes Inner Ren as the "sun of the morning"; aka, Lucifer, the morning star and the angel who betrayed the Christian god.

Now, I'm not a believer (the Abrahamic religions repulse me on principle) but I like the hidden meanings of betrayal, hubris, and temptation.

It, of course, applies to Lila and her relationship with Marinette but as titles are meant to enclose a fictional work as a whole, it's multilayered. How? Well, you'll discover it in time.

[writerofcrazydreams]

Honeypot (Reversal Salt AU)

Taking Ladybug’s mantle was akin to putting the weight of the world on her shoulders, Marinette felt, when all she had ever wanted to be was a fashion designer.

The superheroine suit was also a manifestation of her deepest insecurities, of the spectrum that divided red from pink.

Ladybug embodied the red. It permeated the fiery passion burning in her soul that she so rarely showed, the blood she gladly bled for Paris’ safety, the all-consuming anxiety that skewed and tinted her world, the tale and warning of a girl not to be trifled with, the war-ridden legacy she now carried.

Marinette, on the other hand, was the pink in her shyness, in the sweet smiles she regaled to everyone, the obsessiveness of her love, the idealistic way in which she perceived the world, the tenderness of her empathetic heart, the walls of the bedroom she painted alongside her parents.

She was both and neither, a little bit of each as needed.

The rose-tinted afternoons spent sweating and jumping and dodging and wondering whether she was the right pick. Would she ever get to be as heroic and determined as Scarlet Fate? Would she be enough to defeat Hawk Moth?

“What if I drop this tweeny, tiny civilian, Ladybug? What will you do, Ladybug?”

The redness of her eyes after crying due to yet another nightmare about Chat Blanc, unforgivingly reflected in her mirror under the tenuous light of the aging night. Staring at the memories as her heart ached for her partner’s suffering and broke at her own lost innocence.

“Little kitty on a roof, all alone without his Lady…”

Marinette scurried off to drown her tears in tap water and soak the mirror so nothing but blurred shapes could stare back. It was becoming too much and Marinette felt as if she was losing it.

She was not hot-blooded; she was not candid. She was overzealous, she was infatuated. And didn’t therein lay the problem?

She needed desperately to let go of that toxic crush. It consumed her mind until all of her wits and craftiness dispersed into ungraspable particles in the air. It led to the worst timeline possible, where herself and her sworn enemy languished as sculptures —perpetually frozen in terror. Where a boy she held so dear in her heart was doomed to an eternity of suffering. It snuffled her courage. It turned her into a slave of her hormones.

But for a girl who loved so intensely, it was a cruel agony to forgo it all. That’s why it was so easy to fall into Cerise’s wicked arms. Replace it with exactly the same thing in another package. Marinette now recognized it for what it was. It had felt so natural and smooth, the transition; it was like a balm for her aching heart. The faux compromise of fighting away her flaws without actually doing so. It was her doom and that of Paris.

It was Marinette’s own foolishness and immaturity that created Signora Farfalla, the villain who stood amongst ruins and laughed unbound as she caressed Ladybug’s anguished, yearning face.

It had started so innocently, though.

She had put her website for the world to see so she could prevent plagiarism and start accruing a modicum of recognition for her designs; to have something to build a more serious portfolio off in the future; to help along a friend in her own dreams.

Cerise had corrupted it all.

Yes, it was true that some paparazzi had overheard Audrey Bourgeois offering Marinette an internship at Style Queen. Yes, there was coverage of her as the winner of a Gabriel design competition. Yes, Jagged had bragged about the Eiffel Tower-themed glasses and album cover in his social media. It was all true. She was talented and had vision in her art. With time, she would’ve become the celebrity she was now regardless of Cerise’s presence.

That’s why it stung all the more how Cerise had pushed Marinette to forgo everything else in favor of that dream. To relinquish her friends, family, and life to be Cerise’s toy. Cerise had poisoned her ears with sweet words not of fame but of self-worth and artistic expression. Of independence and giving free rein to the creativity bursting out of Marinette’s seams.

Unknown to her tormentor, her whisperings had deeply appealed to a barely-teenaged Marinette, who struggled with finding her own usefulness and value as a civilian; whose superheroine duties were starting to take a heavy toll in her morale; whose creations as of later seemed so gloomy and lifeless. Not even emo, because that was a fertile aesthetic on its own; just bleak.

Sooner than she ever felt prepared to —years had already passed—, some paparazzi’s flashing cameras were disorienting her and a mic jabbed at her face. Mme. Chamack interviewing her at Prime Time. The despicable Alec Cataldi attempting to make her embarrass herself in national television. Cerise always by her side, taking claim to her waist and salvaging Marinette’s blunders. Unrepentant kisses on the cheek.

Her first clients singing her praises. Posted pics of them wearing the, respectively, France patriot outfit in a comedic play and the Jeanne D’Arc-themed night gown in a socialite ball. Getting commissions from Clara Nightingale, another one from Jagged, and even one from the Style Queen, which Marinette guessed was some sort of test. Oh, they all knew that the final products were going to be an artisan’s work, still rough around the edges as no industrial equipment was used, but that was, it seemed, a huge part of the appeal.

Before that, months of meticulous, loving work. Sewing leather or fabric, embroidering patterns, knitting accessories, applying decorations, cutting molds, taking measurements, drafting designs in watercolor and pencil. Getting the school to bend and grant her flexible attendance.

Simpler times, Lila being the name rolling out of her tongue, pink screens, red flags. Rocketing, bittersweet fame. Lila’s eyes brimming with devotion.

Lila convincing her to let Jagged in charge of marketing, eventually resulting in the Style Queen sparing her a compliment; acknowledging she’s offered an internship at New York to Marinette. Lila and Alya carefully reading Marinette’s application form for the Gabriel bowler hat competition and discovering they were indeed free to post pictures of Adrien modeling her feathered creation.

Sorting through her notebook and grouping designs in themed collections. One for Kitty Section (minus Adrien, whose image was protected under layers and layers of copyright), one for Juleka alone (whose disposition was unique and required graceful combinations of Juleka’s dyed hair with the color palette), one of Marinette herself as the model (the first ones, the ones you’d call “homely”); the latest, most extravagant ones with Lila as the muse. Having fun with Alya’s semi-professional camera.

Marinette lovingly staring at cheating green eyes and finding them beautiful. Red lipstick marking her skin. Pink roses on the field and a picnic.

Only for all of it to culminate in a socialite ball, having had estranged her friends and family, following Lila like a lost puppy. Asking for permission to speak when Lila was busy talking with someone else. Loneliness gnawing at her heart as someone—blurred, undistinguishable—flirted with her and Marinette feared Lila’s jealousy; her vicious retaliation. Lila never hit her but her cruel remarks were supremely effective at turning Marinette into a sobbing wreak. Suddenly understanding she’d be left with nothing if Lila ever decided to break up their relationship.

No, more than that, it was the impromptu revelation that it wasn’t love that they had. But Marinette needed Lila. She was her world. When she looked at Lila, Marinette was mesmerized. Her body and heart agreeing that they could only be complete in her girlfriend’s embrace. She was only worthy when she pleased her. She was the worst kind of human being when her mistakes made Lila cry crocodile tears. When she wasn’t attentive enough; when potential suitors got too close to Marinette. Lavishing her with hand-made designs that weren’t ever enough and only served to temporarily placate her. But when Lila smiled or complimented her, the world was no longer pink of red but made of deceiving, enthralling technicolor. Marinette had even sacrificed Chat Noir so Lila could become Paris’ number two heroine and reap all the glory of defeating Hawk Moth. And it still wasn’t enough.

She’d finally realized Lila would never stay contented for long and would always demand more and more. Marinette had nothing left to give, she was a shell of a girl (of the woman she could have been) and she was only eighteen. Marinette’s worst nightmare was the day when Lila inevitably got tired of her and went for the next shiny thing.

She grasped for air as reality’s edges distorted and her lungs uselessly expanded to catch a breath. Anxiety accompanied this revelation as Lila wormed her way into Marinette’s bed. Marinette was trained at what to do, which spots to massage and which to softly bite, how to kiss, how to offer her own body, which dirty words to whisper and beg. Lila was surely annoyed at Marinette making a scene, selfishly daring to feel when Lila’s priorities were different. They finished when Lila had enough for the moment. Lila exited the bedroom, setting up to enjoy the hotel’s luxuries. Marinette remained, curled up in a ball, distressed. But her feelings weren’t the ones that mattered.

[writerofcrazydreams]

Marinette is a casualty of "love".

[writerofcrazydreams]

Butterfly effect of the Reversal Salt AU

First thing first, I'm not bashing Adrien, Marinette, or anyone. However, the narrative is mostly from Lila's POV so, of course, she'd throw insults like candy, undermine everyone's worth (such as calling them by a superficial attribute instead of their names), and exaggerate their flaws.

On a related note. ML's characters are flawed. Marinette has creepy stalker tendencies, Chat Noir is a dogged nice guy, the class takes advantage of Marinette (even if unwittingly), and Mme. Bustier is an enabler for bullying. I'm not willing to overlook those flaws but seeing most of the characters are teenagers, I think they have room to grow and all of them deserve a chance for redemption. Yes, even Lila, loath as I am to say it. Most of the kids have also virtues worth of notice.

Secondly, this is a writing prompt. After reading too many Lila Salt Fics and a Lilanette one I stumbled upon by accident, my brain decided to wonder how would a Salt Fic be if Marinette and Adrien's roles were reversed.

For want of a nail (i.e., transferring six months later in the year), Lila has set her sights on budding fashion designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Because Marinette is infatuated by Adrien Agreste, Lila needs to get him out of the way. As a result, she plans on ostracizing him from the class and demonizing him so Marinette would lose interest. Lila's actions have some unexpected positive side effects. She's possessive, so everything Marinette does has to be to Lila's benefit which leads Lila to shame the classmates on how much they take Marinette for granted. Whether Lila successfully traps Marinette in an abusive romantic relationship it's up to whoever wants to continue this thing. More impactful is the fact Lila was never akumatized into Volpina or Chameleon, thus preventing Heroes' Day from happening. This means that Hawk Moth achieved the mass akumatization and discovered the temporary heroes' identities in another way or didn't do it at all. Another ripple effect is Lila getting a Miraculous by virtue of being on Ladybug's good side. I don't think Rena Rouge will be replaced, so no Volpina, but I'm betting she gets one of the Zodiac Miraculous or the Peacock if the heroes manage to retrieve it from Mayura.

In spite of a nail, Lila still eventually associates with Gabriel Agreste to manipulate his son into doing her bidding. And I can assure you she's still the cause of several akumas (the shaming part). She will still wrap Damoclès and Bustier around her little finger by claiming she's being bullied by a fellow student. Furthermore, it's still well in the realm of possibility Lila gets akumatized at some point. The girl' still has a penchant for holding petty grudges, so it's bound to happen. Maybe she does get turned into Volpina or Chameleon, but it will be later and in different circumstances. "The Collector" still happens more or less the same as Gabriel will akumatize himself to retrieve the Grimoire and get the heroes off of his trail, though there's the chance the middlewoman (Ladybug) is cut and Chat Noir gives the book directly to Master Fu, causing him to meet the guardian. Will that make Adrien a more responsible hero and prevent his tantrums from being locked out of the loop? It depends. If somehow Ladybug and Chat Noir go together, Ladybug will still be Fu's successor but Chat Noir will know more things from the get-go. If it's only him, either the guardian contacts Marinette later or starts training Adrien. Keep in mind, though, that his packed schedule won't allow him to visit Fu as frequently as Canon!Marinette could.

Whether she starts working for Hawk Moth is uncertain, though. It depends on your take on this prompt so nails don't have a say in this matter. Or not an obvious one, at least.

In the third place, this is a writing prompt and, as such, people have utter freedom to make of it what they want. Wanna bash the hell out of Adrien? Of Alya? Mme. Bustier? Chloé? Even Marinette? Go on. I think the kids can grow into better people, but if other writers disagree, have different stories in mind, or are simply salty over someone, I won't be the one to put limits to their creativity and desires. The same applies to whomever you choose to redeem. That's why I left it very ambiguous throughout the prompt on whether Chloé is working towards her Redemption or following her canonical Damnation. She defends Ladybug because she loves the heroine, she snickers when Alya has to change seats because she feels vindicated ("Origins" episode), and she stands for Adrien because he's her childhood friend. In the former case, both the vindication and the insults are little steps backward, especially considering Chloé knows how much Adrien fears conflict (he won't and doesn't defend himself that much).

Having said that, for all I respect freedom of speech, that doesn't mean I'll condone or agree with everything people write inspired on this prompt. Have fun, but it's not my responsibility if we end up with a "Dead Dove: Don't Eat" kind of fic, okay?

Fourth, here are some of my ideas about this Reversal Salt AU.

Lila's mother, here dubbed as Signora Rossi (Signora means Mrs. in Italian), is not an abusive parent but possibly a slightly neglectful one. That doesn't mean she's a bad person or that she loves her daughter any less. It just means she's caught up in a very demanding job either because she's ambitious and wants to succeed in her work field (which is fine) or because she's a single mother and thus is stretching herself thin to fulfill her daughter's physical and emotional needs. Or maybe she just wants to believe the best of her daughter and turns a blind eye to Lila's misdeeds. Despite that, she's caring and loving. I'm not keen on demonizing Signora Rossi because of these reasons but it is clear she ought to pay a little bit more attention to what her daughter is up to and is likely she for some reason failed to instill integrity in kid!Lila. An excellent take on this matter can be found in this fanfic: "A mother's love".

On the other hand, it's also entirely possible Lila was born a psychopath. I've been researching and some psychologists hold that a sociopath is made through trauma and a psychopath is born, but the result is the same anti-social tendencies. Though if you want to make her a sociopath and give her a traumatic past, go on. Canon!Lila not only scores high in psychopathy but also Machiavellism and Narcissism.

In regards to her other parent, I left their gender ambiguous because there are some fan theories that Lila has two mothers. Or it's maybe just an animation error, but I don't like to throw the chance out of the window. Now, in the case it wasn't a mistake, both mothers are what I described a paragraph ago but fanfiction exists to explore different scenarios anyway, so... Maybe this other parent influenced Lila to become who she is now.

About Adrien. As I said above, the kid does have some nasty flaws. What he does to Ladybug at the very least verges on sexual harassment and he's proven to be manipulative (throwing tantrums when rejected). In this AU, said flaws are at play as much as Marinette's flaws were in canon. She partially misused her powers out of jealousy (partially because she had a point in that Lila was making herself a target) and her reasons to eavesdrop on Lila and Adrien are definitely not pure. Here, it's her tendency to obsess over and idealize her crush what is going to be her downfall. I'm not victim-blaming, but abusers prey on their victim's weaknesses and those just happen to be Marinette's. And that's not counting how Marinette's yearn for control was aggravated since the "Chat Blanc" incident (it happens later, but the base is already there). Nonetheless, I'm of the idea that Lila opened Marinette's eyes a little when she attacked her crush on Adrien (like pointing out being a stalker is not healthy) and that's going to bite her in the ass later on. Marinette being a doormat to her friends is more tricky since Lila made it as to ensure Marinette will remain a doormat to her but not anyone else. It's workable when the time to heal comes.

By contrast, Adrien's doormat policies, pushiness, obliviousness, and social ineptitude are still going to be rocks in his path. He's now crossed at Lila for several reasons. The obvious is her "bad-mouthing" Chat Noir, but there's more. Up to this point, Lila has consistently stirred trouble in the classroom, menacing the peace he values so much. It's Lila's fault (or that's how he sees it) Marinette is "abandoning" her friends and being "mean" to them. His upbringing has left him rather unable to understand that kindness is not a synonym of "absolutely catering to someone's wishes" (as he often does with Chloé and always with his father) and that this behavior is not healthy. His obliviousness comes into play in regards to just how much Marinette means to him (platonically or romantically). Lila has been monopolizing Marinette all to herself even when the class hangs out as a group, which severely cuts the already scarce time the two interact. He's jealous without being aware of it. It doesn't help how touchy-feely Lila and Marinette are because it sometimes causes discomfort to the latter, which Adrien picks up and not only notices Lila's hypocrisy but also rubs him in the wrong way as it mirrors his behavior as Chat Noir. Now, don't get me wrong, the least he wanted was to cause a scene but couldn't help but glare and Lila capitalized on that.

What does Lila think of Ladybug? "Volpina" never happened and this Lila only intended on pursuing Adrien before discovering Marinette's promising career, so neither hates the other one nor harbors a grudge. In fact, I doubt this AU would last much if that were the case. I left open the possibility of Lila being the anti-Chloé (hates Ladybug, loves Marinette) with that part of suspecting Marinette is crushing on Ladybug (*laughs in Plagg*), but I have to note that the hatred cannot be mutual for this to work. Canon!Lila loathes Chat Noir and it's likely that will remain the same, just less vocal (Marinette admires Ladybug and has a way of contacting the heroine, so Lila won't bad-mouth Chat Noir in front of Ladybug).

What roles would Luka and Kagami play in this AU? Obviously, the love-dodecaedron has shifted. There are at least three people after Marinette/Ladybug's affections: Chat Noir, Luka, and Lila. And whoever you ship Marinette with. And, now, there are only two girls wanting to date Adrien/Chat Noir: Kagami and Marinette. Chloé is uncertain because it was stated at some point she wasn't in love with Adrien, she was just possessive for some reason (fanon says it was to protect him from fangirls and fanboys). One possible scenario in this AU is that Marinette's feelings towards Adrien fade for the most part (maybe they will resurge later or shift to return Chat Noir's), depending on how efficient you want to portray Lila.  Getting back to the point, Luka still has a crush on Marinette as revealed in "Silencer" and Kagami on Adrien but the events of "Oni-chan" developed differently and it's as equally possible that she confessed her crush on him/was akumatized than it hasn't happened yet. If Lila somehow catches wind of Kagami's crush, she will set the two up to force Marinette to move on. She might even encourage Marinette and Kagami's friendship to bind Marinette to obey the girl code and support Kagami. If she learns of Luka's crush, then she'll either play the card that "he's too old for Marinette" (if we disregard the retcon) or try to exclude him from the class' activities. Taking more extreme measures will tip Marinette off of Lila's true nature. As I side note: I like this more than canon because I'm TIRED of watching four girls fighting over a guy.

How will Alya and Nino react? Without the jealousy component, what are the grounds to dismiss his warnings? Well, Adrien still takes the high road so he won't publicly confront Lila on her manipulations. He dreads conflict too much and if he finally does it, it will be too late — either Lilanette is official or everyone else believes so, therefore the class will be prone to believe Adrien is jealous. The lack of public accusations also rob Lila of one of her primary strategies: turn on the waterworks. Consequently, everything will be much more underhanded. Lila's association with Gabriel will result in Adrien spending far less time with his friends and maybe even pulling the same stunt of threatening them in the hopes of creating powerful akumas (again, "Chat Blanc" episode). But I digress, Lila will relentlessly target Alya and Adrien for supporting LadyNoir. Maybe Alya will learn her lesson but as Adrien already sees Lila in a bad light, he will take longer to budge or won't do it at all. Nino will try to change Adrien's opinion and that'll cause a gap between the two. Nino is very laidback, so he won't push as much but will be vulnerable to Lila's poisoning. Alya will remain Marinette's friend but butt heads with Lila as the latter tries to correct her occasional forcefulness. Marinette will intervene and either Alya regards Lila in a positive light because she did help Marinette (in a sense) or by holding onto her stubbornness will have a fallout with Lila and seek flaws on her. All in all, Alya and Nino's behavior are wildly variable. The only secure thing is that Lila is as capable as in canon of swaying them to her favor and making them unwittingly throw a friend under the bus, just in a different way.

I don't know if you've noticed but there's a theme about how holding onto flaws can sometimes yield positive results, often aided by virtues. In canon, it was how holding onto virtues can sometimes yield negative results, often exacerbated by flaws. Marinette's hatred of liars and loyalty to her friends are virtues but landed her on a bully's bad side and got isolated. Her jealousy and stalker tendencies (both flaws) didn't help matters at all. Meanwhile, Adrien's desire to see the best in everyone and give second chances are virtues but they made him act in the wrong way and fail to support a friend. His learned fear of conflict and submissiveness only made things worse. Lila has the virtue of being charming (for the wrong reasons, but still) and knowing her way with people which would turn her into a fine leader. Yet, she causes mayhem and destroys people's lives by using those virtues along with her fatal flaws — narcissism and vindictiveness.

In the Reversal Salt AU, however, most of the positive results stem from holding onto one's flaws. If Alya remains stubborn, she eventually learns Lila's nature aided by her reporter abilities and determination. If Marinette refuses to let go of her obsessiveness and refuses to think the worse of her friends, she forces Lila to ditch subtlety and thus expose herself. If Adrien continues walking the high road and keeps being nice, he provides Lila with far less ammunition against him. Nino has proved to be distrustful (dismissing Marinette in the Lila ordeal and believing Alya is two-timing him in "Rocketear") and if he does that here, he'll catch on to Lila's manipulations and even call her out given his outgoing nature.

This brief interpretation is merely a suggestion and, again, you are not obliged to use it as the central theme of your story. Personally, I'd use the whole "holding onto flaws gets better results" as a temptation in the characters' arcs whereas the "working on my flaws unwittingly aids the villain" as an angst-fuel when the characters learn of Lila's manipulations. One of the traits of an abusive relationship (romantic or otherwise) is how much the victim struggles to stop believing their abuser's words. Nobody is always wrong, so if my abuser was right about/helped me with this thing, would they be right about/had helped with this other one? Often, it comes down to finding a balance: you keep whatever good things you got from the relationship while discarding the harmful ones. Naturally, this is a lengthy, stressful process that Lila can very well exploit to blackmail her victims, make them second-guess themselves, or just make them miserable.

Last but not least, I want to comment on two Lila Salt Fics that depict similar ideas, although I only found them after crafting this AU. Little spoilers warning about them. The first is "Liar's New BFF" and delves into the idea of Lila being the anti-Chloé. After having her lies exposed at the end of "Volpina", she starts regarding the classmates as vermin and genuinely falls in love with Marinette because of her kindness. She then proceeds to create a riff between Marinette and them by pointing out how much they take advantage of her. In this case, Lila is partially redeemed and doesn't seem to hold a particular grudge against Adrien. The Reversal Salt AU can follow a similar path if you want to, but the idea is to not shy away from Lila's many shortcomings as a human being and how that would affect Marinette and Adrien in an alternate scenario.

The other is "Jerk in Sheep's Clothing", where Lila's spear counterpart, called Henri, acts pretty much as I described Reversal Salt!Lila. He gets infatuated by Marinette and after threatening Lila, makes a deal with her so it's easier for both to accomplish their goals (Lila: get Adrien and be popular, Henri: get Marinette all for himself). He exploits Marinette's broken trust in the classmates to bully them and get away with it, collaborates with Hawk Moth at some point, and even gets a Miraculous. The difference between them is that Reversal Salt!Lila doesn't have the benefit of Marinette being emotionally vulnerable due to Canon!Lila's bullying, nor her faith in her friends is weakened. This means this AU's Lila must resource to more deceptive tactics to get what she wants (she can't blatantly lie).

[writerofcrazydreams]

Reversal Salt AU

Lila Rossi transfers to the Akuma Class in Spring instead of Autumn, six months later than in canon. And so, she encounters this naïve girl with a rocketing designing career whose talent has been recognized by the likes of Gabriel Agreste and the Style Queen. Lila Rossi decides right then that this girl is going to be hers. As a result, Lila doesn’t lie about her connections with celebrities and fantastical exploits all over the world. Lila lies about having Marinette’s best interest at heart while planning on leeching off her ever-increasing fame. Such a pity Adrien Agreste knows how to spot a social climber when he sees one and that he is Marinette’s crush. Well, Lila just has to make this little pest of a boy return to being homeschooled.

Summary:

The gist of the Reversal Salt AU is that Marinette and Adrien's roles are reversed when it comes to their interactions with Lila Rossi.

In other words, Lila obsesses with Marinette to leech off her "self-made girl" fame and sets out to socially destroy Adrien for being the object of Marinette's affection.

Standard Lila salt tropes apply.

I'll make another post exploring the implications but you can read the first chapter here: