#...Also did I just admit to Noir being a pretty boy??

[desultory-novice]

!! Sempai noticed me. Suddenly, hundreds of strangers have been exposed to MY art and my overwhelming feelings are, "I really should have spent some extra minutes on cleaning up the flat colors and adding more line weight" and "What if some of those strangers follow me home only to find out the majority of my recent output has been for my edgy, pretty-boy-ification of a retro Kirby last boss?!"

...Though that last one isn't that different from Montauban-chan XD

[brighterdaysarebeforeus]

So, this turned out to be a lot longer than I was expecting it to be, so like…now in parts!! I guess this can count as part one. Hopefully I can get a second part up soon, if people are interested…

When Miles celebrated his thirteenth birthday, it started with his mamí waking him up for a birthday breakfast, a (relatively) small block party that lasted the entire day, sparklers for all the children to mess around with, lots of cake and presents, and ended with him starting a three day rut.

It isn’t exactly surprising that Miles turned out to be an alpha; even though parental designation doesn’t particularly matter (his amma and appa, for example, are both betas and they ended up having one alpha son and one omega one), his dad is still an alpha. Once Miles’s rut is done, there’s another (relatively) small block party where everyone congratulated Jeff and Rio (even though Miles was the one who had spent three days in bed, sweating profusely and hovering protectively over a small collection of monos and priceless collectibles) and Miles over his presentation, and then it’s off to school.

If Miles thought that presenting as an alpha would change things in regards to schooling, he’s dead wrong. Not only do his parents insist on him going to Visions Academy now, they pile more expectations on him than he knows what to do with. It’s like, now that he’s presented as an alpha, they can add more pressure on him because he’s meant to hold it together now. They want him to succeed in Visions academically (when all he wants to do is go back to public school with his friends and not these people he barely has anything in common with), they want him to be a model alpha (despite the fact that he barely wanted to be one in the first place, and all the alphas he’s interacted with at school are…kind of jerks, like the security guard always on him and some of the boys in his physed class), and they want him to be a model son (even though they’re the ones pushing him further and further away by never even listening to what he wants when he talks to them).

The only time he doesn’t feel immense pressure is when he’s with his uncle, so he sneaks out when he gets the chance to go and hang out there for a couple of hours. Uncle Aaron listens to him vent and lets him hit the punching bag a couple of times to let off steam, and doesn’t try to push any kind of agenda on him. He offers advice and by the time Miles gets back to Visions, he usually feels better.

So he makes it a thing; every couple of months or so, usually after spending three days in the nurse’s office, Miles makes his way to his uncle.

The last time Miles went over, they went through the subway and Miles let out some frustration in a more artistic manner than normal; this also happens to be when he gets his Spider bite, and while he doesn’t think anything of it at the time, it definitely opens new doors (portals) for him. At the very least, the whole portal debacle only lasts a couple of days, at the most, even if it was an interesting couple of days.

(When Gwen admitted to being an alpha as well, Miles did feel his heart flutter a little. He’d thought she was cool and pretty, and even though his mamí is an omega, both of her parents were alphas so it wasn’t like Miles didn’t have a chance. If, you know, he could manage to shoot his shot without messing up.

Peter B., as Miles had taken to calling him to differentiate from his original Peter, had looked at them bemusedly while admitting he was a beta. Noir just looked confused about the entire dynamic, and Peni had designations but hadn’t presented yet? She mentioned turning out as a beta because both of her parents were, which Miles found interesting. Ham apparently, surprisingly, didn’t have designations at all. It was an interesting couple of days for Miles.)

The point of the matter was, Miles got his designation and his bite around the same time, or close enough that it didn’t particularly matter, except.

Except.

“Mijo, por qué estás tan chiquitito?” His tía pinched his cheek, frowning in concern as she looked him over. Miles had just seen her last week, and she’d asked the same thing then too, so he wasn’t quite sure what to say aside from an awkward chuckle. She leaned back, yelling into the kitchen. “Rio, did you listen to what I said to you the other day? About helping Miles?”

“I heard, I heard!” Rio called back, appearing in the doorway so she didn’t have to yell over the music coming from the living room. “He can’t bulk up so quickly, Maggie, things like that take time, you know?”

“Sí, sí, lo entiendo, pero Jeff — ”

“Yes, but Miles isn’t Jeff, Maggie — ”

“Anyway!” Miles said brightly, giving her a kiss on the cheek, “it was great seeing you, Tía Maggie, but I’ve gotta just — ”

“Oyé, Miles,” his tía called after him, “make sure you drink those protein shakes, yes? I’ll give your mother some more!”

“Ok, tía!” Miles ducked past a couple of the girls from the block, twisted around several of his cousins, and escaped into the comfort of his room. His mamí would be irritated at his hiding out, for sure, but every single time there was a get together or a block party, they were like this. Tía Maggie with her protein shakes. Tío Luís with his constant offers to take Miles to the gym with him to work out. Matteo with his playful wrestling, as if the more he put Miles in a headlock, the buffer he would get trying to break out of it. Miles had to go easy on his cousins all the time, Matteo and Tomás and all the other alphas who were big and buff like his dad was because he didn’t want to hurt them with his Spider strength.

It was exhausting, and Miles had to deal with it every time he came home from Visions. It was hard; he’d tried to listen to his tías, but the protein powders they recommended tasted gross, and while the diets were easy to follow, his Spider metabolism meant he couldn’t follow the diets for long lest Spider Man fall unconscious during a fight. He’d tried exercising more, with his cousins and his tíos, but he never seemed to bulk up the way he should. His added strength gave him an advantage, but it wasn’t doing anything for the amount of muscle mass Miles was “supposed” to have.

In a fit of desperation, Miles had even turned to May and asked her if Peter ever had any issues with his designation, only to find that the man had been a beta before his death. He could theoretically ask Gwen, or maybe Peni if she’d manage to present yet, except he couldn’t exactly teleport to other dimensions to ask them. He didn’t even have a way to get in contact with them, which was the more frustrating part because he had no one to talk to about this. Nobody who knew how to be an alpha and a Spider at the same time, at least.

And then his dad’s promotion. And Gwen’s arrival.

[actually-factually-anonymous]

To be blunt, I don't care at all for Luka myself specifically because he was a nothing character for so long.

I'm going to quote someone else here who already summarized things:

You know; I don't like Luka as a character.

I don't hate him, I just find him annoying and without any depth- sans for those brief moments like in Truth when he actually showed something besides an impossible-absurd patience and nigh-vapid acceptance. For most part, I find him to be a 'gentle hippie' relationship sue with less depth or signs of inner life than Adrien at his most basic, like he's some kind of programmed doll who just doesn't experience jealously or frustration or anything else beyond what would be good for Marinette. An android that smiles, acts like a perfect boyfriend, plays guitar and spouts off supposedly insightful metaphors for human nature that could have been found in a fortune cookie like they're hard-won wisdom to be cherished.

The design of his eyes and eternally static 'gentle' expression does not help with this.

I just think he's a ken doll of a character. A pretty teen boy guitarist who exists solely to support Marinette and occasionally give out silly music metaphors about the nature of life and relationships as some stereotypical 'old soul in a young body'. All the while wearing the exact same expression twenty-four seven with those hyper-detailed eyes- I find that he falls into the Uncanny Valley in a way that the actual character named that doesn't.

Ironically, between him and Adrien he's the one who comes across as having an artificially perfect personality- even compared to the Adrien the public sees. That's not a favour to his character, as compared to Kagami who actually has her own motivations, problems and a character arc based around them that lasted through a season, he's just bland on a good day. He's not even allowed to be legitimately upset with Marinette in the same way that Kagami was with Adrien, presumably because that might put a dent in his Relationship Sue persona.

However you bring up a good point: Luka did develop. But even if it gave his character some much needed shades and depth, it wasn't necessarily in a good way.

He's still inexplicably devoted to Marinette- even though a boy like him should have multiple options and Marinette was anything but a good girlfriend to him- but now he's also spineless.

At least it when it comes to Marinette.

The two obvious incidents are what condemn him, the first being in "Wishmaker" when he decided to place Marinette's peace of mind over being responsible and admitting the truth. But what really, utterly buried any semblance of a backbone for him was in "Ephemeral":

Not only does he go along with Marinette's backstab of Chat Noir without a word when he could have attempted to dissuade her of her plan under the basis of acting like a human being to her (alleged) friend and partner.

Not only does he enable it by using the snake when he could have told her to find someone else to help her in her pointless manipulation (seriously if I were Luka and Marinette came up to me with this I would have lost all attraction to her as a person there and then).

Not only does he not finally admit that he already knows their idenitites so the whole thing is pointless, or even just half-lying and saying that he actually knows Chat Noir's identity from "Wishmaker" but not hers.

He doesn't even take the easiest option of just immediately rewinding Second Chance on the first loop (or just pretending to use Sass even) and lie to say that the plan was a success and he knows his identity that way. There was zero reason for "Ephemeral" to happen in-universe beyond Luka not wanting to defy Ladybug in the slightest that episode.

Sure, he has a few moments of respectability elsewhere but seriously: this boy makes Adrien at his most pathetically compliant look like Felix. It's just that it's for Marinette's benefit so apparently his greatest flaw is actually his greatest virtue.

I swear, I see people writing fanfics about how Luka would make a great friend for Adrien, and no. No, Luka has already sold Adrien out to his Boss just so said Boss wouldn't have to be honest with him or have a hard conversation with her Boss. That's not friend material.

That's doormat material at best. Which is more or less what Luka seems to have been designed as for Marinette, whereas Kagami was written as an actual character.

And that's probably why the salters were all but silent about him lying to Marinette in "Wishmaker". He barely has any motives at all beyond "be nice to Marinette" so it was taken as just an extension of that. Any negative implications of that choice can therefore be forgiven because he simply loved Marinette too much, and that's no fault at all.

Do you think Luka was a doormat for Marinette? If so, how?

Sort of? One of the reasons Luka annoyed me so much during seasons 2 and 3 (Aside from Lukanette shippers having a habit of demonizing Adrien, Alya, etc), was that he didn't actually seem to have any emotions or ambitions beyond being there for Marinette, to the point that it felt like he was some imaginary boyfriend she cooked up. I really like to try to see things from other characters' perspectives, but when I tried to do that for Luka, I just felt like I was getting brainwashed.

Luka doesn't feel any emotions that would be inconvenient for Marinette in those early seasons, like jealousy at being a second choice, desire to actively compete for her perspective, or anything except wanting to patiently be there for her if she decided she wanted him, and complete acceptance without a hint of bitterness if she chose someone else. I'm not saying he should have been a jerk about it, but he's so chill and has so few problems that it feels inhuman. I far preferred the plotline with Adrien's and Kagami's relationship, Kagami reacted way more like a normal person who has wants and desires of her own. During seasons 2 and 3, the most that Luka was developed outside of his relaitonship with Marinette, is the 30 second clip in Reflekdoll where we see him assuring Juleka. That at least indicates that he HAS relationships outside of just Marinette.

That being said, Luka DID improve in seasons 4 and 5, if only a little. He's still more chill and accepting than I think is natural or healthy, but with his playing therapist to so many people in Migration, it's shown to be a "him" thing, rather than him inexplicably being warped around Marinette in particular. In Truth, it's shown that he IS bothered by Marinette constantly running off and lying to him, even if he's way more accepting about it than he has any right to be. He DOES feel hurt, even if he suppresses it.

Most importantly, he's given emotional baggage of his own, with feeling insecure and abandoned due to his father abandoning him and Juleka, not even knowing who he was. I love that as Truth, he actually got to be ANGRY at Jagged for that abandonment. And afterwards, there were several episodes that touched on his and Juleka's developing relationship with their father, giving Luka more of an anchor in the story outside of just Marinette.

So basically, yeah, I do think Luka's a doormat not only for Marinette, but really for anyone he cares about. He's good at standing up to random jerks, but not at standing up to those who knows don't have any malicious intentions, but still end up hurting him.

But I also think that with how the newer seasons have developed Luka, there's some interesting space to delve into WHY Luka feels the need to subjugate his own emotions, wishes, and desires so much - because it's been proven that he does have them, and doesn't just exist for any particular person's sake in the story.

[cutemeat]

Speaking of taking it to 11, I'm glad Glenn stood up for not throwing away stereotypes entirely just to be subversive. Ofc it's valuable that Mac's not a gay man stereotype, but as a queer Asian who fits stereotypes, it's sad when tv goes TOTALLY in the opposite direction because they're worried they'll "do a stereotype" (obv there's good, nuanced and bad, harmful versions). There's proud defiance in leaning in sometimes. Do you think RCG worry about "bi Dennis" bc of evil bi stereotypes?

YES, i totally agree!! And it makes perfect sense that he feels that way, cuz Dennis does tend to embody a lot of common queer stereotypes from s1 all the way to s15... Way moreso than Mac ever has, imo. But its not so much that he felt like a plain caricature of those stereotypes (though obviously im not gonna act like in a lot of moments he's not being played up that way lol... 'boys are out tonight huh!?' but even Glenn admitted that was something he didn't want to be included in the episode as his character cuz it was "too broad" LMAO). He still feels like a character that has depth and is well-rounded, including those 'stereotypical' queer traits. So even before Glenn outright said that, it did feel like he had that mentality and I think that's also probably something that's gotten better with maturity lollll. But I was also rlly glad to hear him outright say that too, cuz it is, as you said, commonplace now for writers to keep trying to be "subversive" of stereotypes but that can backfire horribly and just make a lot of characters feel flat or inauthentic. So yeah it was rlly nice to hear that, and esp on the podcast which gets a lot of viewers.

And I do think that RCG are aware that there is a line they have to be be mindful of when it comes to how these characters' overall deviant nature might be perceived as being related to their queerness... Esp in the case of Dennis, and Mac as well. I think this concern was actually somewhat acknowledged in "The Janitor Always Mops Twice" (and tbh I'm surprised I haven't seen more analysis on this?? tho it definitely could've come up and just been purged at some point as a lot of s14 shit ended up being loll) because the way that episode framed not only Dennis, but Mac too, to fit into the "queer-coded villains" noir trope was--again, imo-- an acknowledgment of that. Like, they see the history of that trope in tv/film and how reductive it is. I think that the narrative is deeming that kind of characterization reductive because that episode is not told thru an objective POV, but it's filtered through Charlie's POV, and he clearly has some uh... complex feelings about his best friends' relationship and their respectively ambiguous and not-so-ambiguous sexualities LOL. But also in the past whenever a scene was through Charlie's POV (i.e. his flashback sequence in "Who Got Dee Pregnant?") it's been shown that he has pretty reductive views of the people in his life. Typically narrowing them down to a few traits, or saying shit that is very uh "ooc" (i.e. "yeah. dee inspired me. she said, "you're an awesome janitor, charlie. you can make this whole school slippery." I said, "sure, I'll give it my best shot." then she's, like, "let's be best friends." and I was, like, "sure, I'll give that my best shot, too." so we're best friends now.)... so... yeah. Plus, when you compare that episode's framing to the rest of s14 and that season's overall "oh god we're so afraid of fucking this all up" subtext (Thunder Gun 4, Right to Chop, Big Mo, etc.)... I definitely do think that's definitely a concern of theirs when it comes to that aspect of Dennis' writing as well LOL. and I think even they even sorta admitted to that dragging their feet on addressing Dennis' sexuality/his relationship with Mac as it has been the past couple of seasons in the s15 finale in a very on-the-nose way... ("oh, my god. It looks like he was dragging his feet back here. were you hanging on it?") lmaooo..

[shingia]

hopefullyy this inspires u to write,,, can i request hc's of the boys getting jealous seeing their s/o work well with another person on a team/club? like good chemistry with a dance partner for example! (u can choose who u write but can it include iwa!!) <33

✗ HQ BOYS GETTING JEALOUS SEEING YOU WORK WELL WITH ANOTHER PERSON ✗

a/n : kdjfkdjdkdj i love this request omg ty ! i did half hc/half scenarios bc i thought the request fitted this format <3

-> iwaizumi, osamu, kuroo, suna, tsukishima

-> warnings : kuroo’s a bit suggestive (tbh i don’t know about the rest. it’s just... kinda hot? (tsukki’s only fluff tho<3))

-> reblogs are >>>>

— IWAIZUMI

• iwa’s jealousy was practically non existent until he actually saw you interact with your partner

• don’t get me wrong, he absolutely loves your smile - but he especially loves to be the one who caused it

• he tends to get physically very protective of you, so expect his arm to stay wrapped around your shoulders most of the time. because to him it’s the easiest way to show the world (but especially your partner) that you’re his

• he also not-so-subtly offers you to wear his clothes on days when you have practice. and he secretly hopes that someone will ask you who they belong to...

« it’s cold outside. you should wear this ». iwa’s low and unannounced voice makes you turn around in surprise. leaned against the bathroom’s doorframe, he’s holding your favorite jacket in his hand - the one with his name written on the back, and you suspect that this might not be a coincidence... with a chuckle, you agree to put it on, noticing the proud spark in his eyes. « you know, i’m pretty sure everyone already knows i’m dating you » you tease him with a wink, all while also admiring the way his name takes up the whole width of your back. « oh yeah ? » he asks, a smirk tugging at his lips as he leans forward to rest his hands on the sink behind you. trapped between his outstretched arms, you watch his smirk grow just a little bit bigger as he lets out, very quietly, « well this is just a reminder... it better be the last ». his green eyes locked with yours could almost make you forget about his arm snaking around your waist at a painfully slow pace. almost.

— OSAMU

• look, he’s very happy for you. no doubt about it. but he’s so used to see people fawn over his brother that he can’t help but get a little protective from time to time

• since gifts are his #1 love language, he might buy you a workout-friendly piece of jewelry that you can wear during your practice

• he also insists on dropping you off and picking you up as often as his busy schedule allows it. especially since he learned that your partner was willing to give you a ride home...

• it’s not that he doesn’t trust you, obviously. he just doesn’t trust them yet

• and that’s why his kisses - and pda in general - are a bit more « intense » than usual

leg bouncing up and down, osamu is (very) anxiously for your conversation with your teammate to end. because after watching the entirety of your practice, he needs a little reminder that you two also have incredible chemistry together... a better one, even. so as soon as he sees you wave your teammate goodbye, he stands up straight, arms open just wide enough to welcome you against his chest. but instead of the chaste kiss you expected to get, you’re actually greeted by his left hand grabbing your sides while his right meets your lower back. disconcerted, you don’t even have time to say a word that his mouth crashes onto yours so eagerly that you have to lean back a few inches. « wh-what was that for ? » you pant as soon as his warm lips have left yours. « nothing. i love ya, that’s all » he smiles innocently, glad that you didn’t notice the cocky look he just gave your teammate who witnessed everything from afar... exactly as planned.

— KUROO

• passive agressive™️

• he would insist on properly meeting your partner but oh god they better brace themselves,,,

• because kuroo’s the kind of boyfriend that will shake their hand hard enough to make them yelp, all while having an angelic smile plastered on his face

• oh and you can forget being called by your name : he’s going to demonstrate the entire variety of nicknames he has for you. he might even come up with new ones just because he’s feeling « inspired »

• every single thing he says to your partner has to be a reminder that you two are dating. like « oh yeah they told me about this yesterday.. during our date ». just to make sure that there’s no misunderstanding.

« well... speak of the devil », kuroo hears you chuckle, your voice almost drowned out by his heavy breathing. he’s obviously planing on apologizing for being late... but not now. there’s something he wants to do first. still very aware of your partner’s presence right in front of you, he decides to securely yet eagerly wrap his arms around your waist before spinning you around proudly. « so... you guys were talking about me ? » he asks, glad to know that he’s the reason behind your giggles. « we were, actually » you answer a bit more seriously as he finally puts you down, still keeping both his hands on your waist. « well, i am your boyfriend after all... » he starts, interrupting himself to place a loud peck on your jawline. the only thing you can think is about is how awful this situation must be for your partner... kuroo, on the other hand, doesn’t seem bothered at all, as shown by the way one of his hands discreetly makes its way under the fabric of your t-shirt to rest directly on your skin. « hands off, kuroo » you order him with a slap on the back of his hand. an offended gasp leaves his lips, yet he complies reluctantly, thinking that your partner probably already knows everything that needs to be known about him.

— SUNA

• he doesn’t really mind it... as long as you’re willing to cuddle once you get back from practice. if you’re not, then he’s gonna start to worry

• because cuddling is probably his favorite ‘boyfriend privilege’ and he doesn’t want it to be taken away from him

• his schedule is pretty tight so he might not be able to attend any of your practices, but he asks you to record it as much as you possibly can so that he can watch the videos with you afterwards

• and seeing how smoothly you and your partner move together definitely doesn’t help with his worrying

it’s been thirty minutes now, and suna’s still not done watching the videos you took today. he loves to share these moments with you, snuggled up against each other the bed ; but most importantly, he has someone to keep his eye on... « babe- are you 100% sure that this was part of the choreography? » he suddenly speaks up, his eyes leaving the screen for the first time. you quirk a curious eyebrow, more surprised by his unusually suspicious tone rather than by the question itself. « oh, the hand on my waist ? yes, rin. it was ». at your words, his lips press into a thin line, he’s obviously far from being convinced. but you know your boyfriend well and you’re quick to reassure him : « you know, his hand might have been on my waist but you’re the one laying in my bed right now ». the frown on his face disappears almost immediately - much faster than you would’ve thought, replaced by a much more confident expression as his hands start to gently stroke your sides up and down. « mmh, i guess you’re right.... i mean, at the end of the day, only i get to have ‘all of this’ for myself » he smirks, playfully eyeing you up and down until he can’t resist the temptation of your slightly parted lips anymore.

— TSUKISHIMA

• tsukki’s not jealous, he’s just... well.. cautious. or at least that’s what he tells you

• but, deep down, he knows that simple cautiousness wouldn’t make spend his days and nights stressing about this new partner of yours...

• so, after a few weeks, his impassible facade starts to crumble a little bit. nothing too extreme, but just enough to let your partner know that you’re taken.

• and he knows he doesn’t need to do much : one of his signature scornful looks is more than enough. especially when he’s staring at your partner dead in the eyes while you’re greeting him with a hug and a kiss after your practice

« tsukishima kei, i’m waiting for an explanation ». with a sigh, your boyfriend drops his book on the table, turning his chair around to face you. « i don’t have one, i already told you. you told me to introduce myself, and i did. end of story ». you both know that tsukki did not just ‘introduce himself’ like any other human being would have done. and that’s precisely what you’re trying to make him admit - because your partner looked genuinely scared during practice today. « wha- no, i didn’t look down on him. it’s not my fault he’s so short... » he mumbles under his breath, trying his best to avoid any eye contact with you. but you know that only a slight tilt of his chin upwards is enough to make his eyes lock with yours - and that this is enough to have him admit anything. « you’re jealous, kei. and it’s painfully obvious by the way... » you smirk - but this smirk disappears in a split second as he slowly gets up from his chair, towering over you like he usually does. « ok, maybe i am. but i just wanted to make sure that he knew his place. and especially mine » he finally admits, his lips spreading in a scornful smirk that would be terrifying if his eyes weren’t filled with the infinite tenderness he has always felt for you.

✔️taglist : @toworuu @catwithangerissues @miyumiya @livy384 @k0u-minamo2 @fullsundear @hsjvwq @mochi-marie @hiraeth-z @velvetvirgos @kirishimas-manly-eyeliner @47meow @japanesevenom @geektastic84 @noir-blanches-blog @idontlikeyourjob @seiri-ami @atiny-grl-with-luv @admiringlove @nachotrash @kellesvt @aintyourholy @Moonlaeli @catchmewiddershins @duhsies @devilgirlcrybabiey @crystal-lilac

[stonesparrow]

Wha- WAIT!! you have an MLB Dr Stone au?? That's so freaking cool!! Give us some snippets!! Who's ladybug? Cat noir? Will senku get piercings? (Sorry this is me projecting lol) tell meeee...

Well two days ago I was scrolling through some mlb (btw I always read that as Major League Baseball it’s a legit problem) reblogs by my mutuals (two of them are pretty into MLB and one of them recently did a ranking of all the villains), and even though I haven’t watched any of the episodes, I was like lmao what if superhero (I like the concept of kwamis and superheroes).

Also I was literally writing Episode 1 when I decided to check my tumblr lmao, should I try not to spoil it? Ok here’s an idea - I’ll give the whole Episode 1 summary under the cut, but above the cut will be the “pitch” I wrote for it. (For all of my fanfics, I write a short pitch at the top of the planning document labeled PREMISE, which I usually later use for the summary in ao3)

Ogawa Yuzuriha is a mild mannered 15 year old girl in her first year of high school with aspirations of being a fashion designer, when one day she meets a tiny red creature named Tikki who wants her to be a superhero! As Carmine, Yuzuriha must rise up to be the protector of Tokyo alongside her new partner, a mysterious yet caustically witty boy her age called Kurodora who seems...familiar, somehow. Together the two of them will defend Tokyo from the villainous machinations of the enigmatic Sphinxmoth. Can Yuzuriha find a way to balance the duties of a superhero and a high school social life? Find out in Miraculous: Adventures of Carmine and Kurodora!

SEASON 1 EPISODE 1: Origins (alternatively titled Lioness)

On the first day of school in April 2019, in the city of Tokyo, Japan, Yuzuriha rushes to meet Taiju and Senku at the train station so they can commute together like they always have. Except while she’s on the way there, she spots an elderly man who has fallen down at the side of the road, and stops to help him up, even offering to call an ambulance if he’s seriously hurt. The old man simply thanks her and tells her she should probably get to school, and as Yuzuriha walks away, he smiles after her.

Yuzuriha catches up to Taiju at the train station - apparently Senku is running late on the first day of school. They’re not surprised - Senku does have a bit of a reputation for staying awake long past the time he ought to be asleep (mood, Senku. Mood).

What they don’t know is that Senku is actually only a few blocks away - in fact, he’s just stopped an elderly man from walking directly into the street! After angrily asking if the old geezer is losing it, Senku waits with the man and despite being a little abrasive about it helps him cross the street when it’s safe (fun fact apparently Japanese crossing lights play the tune to a children’s nursery rhyme when it’s safe to cross go google it). The old man thanks him and says to himself, “A little rough around the edges, but I think he’ll do fine.”

Luckily Senku manages to catch the train just as the door closes, with both Taiju and Yuzuriha gently admonishing him for not learning his lesson about staying up too late in middle school. They make it to school, where they meet their homeroom class for the first time. In their class, we meet Hoseki Kohaku and Shizaki Chrome (workshopping these names rn), as well as Takara Amaryllis, who just moved into town.

Kohaku is recognized as the sister of Hoseki Ruri, the most beautiful girl in school. This becomes a problem when later Kohaku spots school brute Magma forcefully asking her sister out, while also gifting her a pretty lapis lazuli pendant. Kohaku confronts her sister and Ruri admits that Magma has been hounding her to go out with him for a while now, and she hasn’t reported his harassment to the teachers out of fear. Magma steps in and tries to push Kohaku away, causing the spirited girl to attract an oddly colored butterfly floating nearby...

After lunch, Yuzuriha’s class is just chilling waiting for the next period to start when suddenly there’s a huge commotion and a bunch of people start screaming. Loudly. A young woman in an amber colored outfit with a fluffy boa around her neck is holding Magma hostage, and seems to be taking him down the street, leaving a path of destruction in her wake and police cars chasing after her.

Students start freaking out, and in the chaos Yuzuriha, Taiju, and Senku get separated despite their best efforts to stick together. Taiju ends up going into the bathroom to call his grandparents and make sure they’re safe, while Senku runs to the roof to get a better view of the situation and Yuzuriha finds herself hiding in the school library.

As Yuzuriha tries to gather her thoughts and begins to text Senku and Taiju in their groupchat to ask where they are, she notices a box sitting on the table next to her that definitely wasn’t there before. Curiosity gets the better of her and she opens it, of course.

Out pops Tikki! Yuzuriha momentarily freaks out before Tikki manages to explain a few things about the situation. Unfortunately however, when Yuzuriha says “I can’t be a superhero! I don’t have time to change into a suit or learn how to fight or anything!” Tikki replies with a placating, “Oh don’t worry it’s easy! You just have to say ‘spots on’ and-” “Spots on?” “WAIT I DIDN’T FINISH-”

Thus Yuzuriha is left transformed in the school library without the detransformation phrase and armed only with the knowledge that: 1. Tikki is a “kwami” from the Ladybug Miraculous; 2. The Miraculous will give her the power to stop the villain rampaging outside. 3. She will be paired with the chosen wielder of the Black Cat Miraculous. Her outfit is a very fashionable looking red jacket over a black long sleeve shirt and leggings, with a red skirt decorated with black spots, and black boots and gloves. The final adornment is a spotted headband that takes the place of the white one she wears normally. [also, she’ll get a new, cooler outfit in season 2, because I like the concept of evolving outfits that reflect character growth].

After falling out of the library window in an attempt to get out without being seen Yuzuriha discovers her enhanced physical abilities and takes a few experimental leaps across buildings before trying to locate the villain. Luckily for her, she actually starts to get the hang of it - right before a boy dressed in all black crashes right into her from behind screaming bloody murder.

The boy apologizes and helps her up - his pale green hair is tied back in a ponytail, and he’s dressed in a black trenchcoat over a vest with a tie, along with boots and gloves. And cat ears, of course. In Yuzuriha’s fashionista opinion, he looks like a cross between a noir detective and a mad scientist.

When she asks his name, the boy tells her that they’re not actually supposed to know each others’ real identities or they risk getting their Miraculouses stolen - didn’t her kwami tell her that? Yuzuriha flushes red and admits she didn’t get a chance to learn everything. The boy says they should stick to codenames - she’ll be Ladybug and he’ll be Black Cat.

“Wait, you just want to use the names of the Miraculouses? That’s kind of...bland, isn’t it?”

“Well what do you want then, miss fancy pants?”

Yuzuriha looks the boy up and down and then says, “How about...Kurodora?” He blinks and then tilts his head curiously. “Like...kuro and dora, for dora neko? I...I actually kind of like that.” (kuro - black. dora neko - stray cat. Totally coincidentally, it’s where Doraemon gets his name.)

“Great, Kurodora it is! Then for me...” -cue loud crashing sounds-

No time to waste! The heroes leap into action to fight the akuma, who introduces herself as Lioness, predator of predators. She’s holding Magma hostage at the top of Tokyo Tower, and threatens to bring the whole thing crashing down unless the heroes surrender their Miraculouses to her so she can bring them to her master, someone called Sphinxmoth.

Throughout the battle Kurodora refers to Yuzuriha by experimental nicknames, which she reacts to with varying levels of enthusiasm.

“Hey Red, on your left!” “Red? Kind of simplistic, don’t you think?”

“Watch out, Spots!” “That’s so silly!”

“Headed your way, Bug Girl!” “Ack, just go back to Red!”

Lioness tries to convince Yuzuriha to join her, since they’re both women and surely Yuzuriha knows the frustration of being victimized by men and feeling powerless, right? Yuzuriha says that doesn’t mean she wants to hurt people, and successfully distracts Lioness so that Kurodora can grab her necklace and destroy it, with him instructing her to purify the akuma with her powers (He was very meticulous and made Plagg explain everything in detail).

After Miraculous Ladybug returns everything to normal, Kurodora raises his hand. “Nice job, Red.” They high five. It is epic.

Ace reporter Minami Hokutozai then appears on the scene to interview Tokyo’s newest heroes, asking for their names on live television. Kurodora gives his, and when the microphone is put in her face, Yuzuriha thinks for a moment before answering.

“Carmine, like the shade of red.”

Kurodora smiles, and Tokyo cheers.

[sturchling]

I've read your stories where the Justice League is banned from Paris, and I love them! What if the League and the Avengers were in the same world, but the Avengers didn't ignore them while the Justice League did? I imagine that Steve would convince Tony to help because these are KIDS, like Peter. So, the Avengers help, but since the League and Avengers are at odds, the Avengers don't tell the League. Team Miraculous is perfectly fine with that. (Big Team Miraculous and more users if possible!!)

Team Miraculous had practically begged the Justice League for help when Hawkmoth was still active. But they received no response. But the Justice League weren’t the only ones they reached out to. They also sent the same video asking for help to Tony Stark, who everyone knew was Iron Man, hoping the Avengers might help them. They sent the video with little hope for a response. After all, the Justice League had ignored all their requests for help. Why would the Avengers be any different?

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

Tony Stark received hundreds of emails a day. Emails from people at Stark Industries, SHIELD, and the avengers. But he didn’t often get emails from an unknown address from Paris. That is what initially caught his attention. The message was simple. The subject simply said Avengers, please help us. When Tony opened the email, there was no text to it. Just a video attachment. Tony called the team into the meeting room and played the video. 

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

They watched the video as two kids in animal themed costumes explained what was happening in Paris. These kids couldn’t be more than 14. When the video was over, the group sat in silence for a moment before Steve spoke up. “We need to help them.” Tony sighed, turning to face Steve. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but we can’t just go to Paris and help. Not when they are still discussing the accords. We can’t go unless France’s government asks for our help.” Steve stands up from his seat, angry. “So what? We just ignore this? You heard what they said, France wants to keep this under wraps so they don’t lose the tourists that come to Paris. They aren’t going to ask for our help, then they would have to publicly admit there is a problem!” Tony stands up too, walking towards Steve. “I know that! But our hands are tied. With the UN still discussing the accords, we can’t go making the situation worse then it already is!” Steve rolls his eyes and starts to walk away in frustration. “Oh come on Tony! Those are kids! Those are KIDS who are having to fight against a terrorist all on their own with no training! They need help! If it were Peter in Paris, would you leave him to face this alone?” That made Tony pause. In the quiet, Thor decided to make his opinion known. “I also feel that we should help them. I am familiar with these miraculous. The power they grant users is great. A terrorist powered by one is a sobering thought. I am especially familiar with the Black Cat miraculous, as is Loki. And I do not believe either of us wants to be on Plagg’s bad side again. We should help these children immediately.” Tony just sighs, shaking his head. “I feel like I am going to regret this. Fine, lets go to Paris.”  The Avengers quickly made preparations to go to Paris. Before they left they sent an email back to the kids who sent the video to let them know that help was on the way.

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

Marinette and Adrien could hardly believe the email in their inbox. They hadn’t expected to hear back from the Avengers so soon, or hear that they were taking this seriously. This is incredible! By now, team Miraculous had revealed their identities to each other to make it easier to communicate to each other. Marinette sent out a message in their group chat. Group project meeting. Meet in the usual place, 30 minutes. Half an hour later, team Miraculous was meeting in their secluded area of Chloe’s hotel suite, which had been sound proofed so no one would hear them. Marinette and Adrien filled them all in on what had happened involving the Avengers and everyone was excited. They would finally get some help with Hawkmoth after all these years. It wasn’t long before they received another email saying that the Avengers had landed and asking where to meet. Marinette sent them the location of a secluded warehouse to meet in and Team Miraculous transformed, leaving to meet the Avengers.

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

The Avengers weren’t sure what to expect when they arrived at the abandoned warehouse the kids asked them to meet at. But they certainly weren’t expecting a small army of kids in costume, in addition to the two that sent the video. In addition to the original two dressed as a ladybug and cat, there appeared to be a fox, turtle, bee, horse, snake, monkey, dragon, and bunny. And they were all children. The girl in the ladybug outfit and boy in the cat outfit stepped forward. “I am Ladybug and this is Chat Noir. We lead the miraculous team. Thank you for your help.” Steve stepped forward, being the first to recover from the shock of seeing this army of children. “We are glad to help. We have the basic idea of what is happening from your video, but could you explain in some more detail what the situation is?” Ladybug spent the next few hours going over everything with the Avengers, giving a more detailed picture of the ongoing battle with Hawkmoth and Mayura for the last few years. 

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

At the end of the explanation, the Avengers are horrified. The situation is worse than they thought. And the Justice League had been ignoring these kids? That just made it worse. Tony, his head still reeling from all the information, said “I am glad we got your message when we did, seems things are pretty bad here. We can help you track down this Hawkmoth and end this. But we need to keep our involvement in this quiet. With the UN still discussing the accords, we aren’t technically supposed to be here.” Ladybug looks visibly confused, asking, “Accords? What are the accords?” The Avengers fill them in on the accords and what all it means for them. 

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

Ladybug was shocked that they would even consider agreeing to this. “You all agreed to this? To be monitored by the UN and restricted in what you can do. And anyone that they view as a threat could be imprisoned just because of that, regardless of if they had done anything wrong. That is insane! The Avengers I know wouldn’t agree to that. I remember watching you Agent Romanoff, testify before congress and challenge them to put you in prison. The world needs the Avengers and other heroes to be able to act in a crisis without worrying about if a panel will let them.” Tony tried to argue his point, and Marinette continued to say it was wrong. The two argued for a while, which was concerning for both team Miraculous and the Avengers to watch. But by the end of it, Marinette being Marinette, had managed to convince Tony that he was wrong and that they wouldn’t agree to the accords. The Avengers were a little shocked that this young girl had changed Tony’s mind, but you wouldn’t hear them complaining. With all the discussions out of the way, they got to work.

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

Tony got Jarvis to start running analyses to see who in Paris was likely to be Hawkmoth. It had to be someone with a lot of time on their hands, a large amount of resources, and had to have a supply of these butterflies he was using. He also compared these results with the typical behavioral profile of a terrorist like this. Then the Avengers went over the list with Team Miraculous and started eliminating suspects. Anyone that didn’t already have an alibi was tailed by either Hawkeye or Black Widow until they were cleared. Meanwhile, the rest of the Avengers helped train the kids in combat and how to work as a team in the field so that they were better able to face akumas. It took weeks, but soon, they were down to only one subject. Gabriel Agreste. Adrien didn’t want to believe it, but as the weeks went by and neither Hawkeye or Black Widow were able to clear him, it became clear to Adrien that his father was likely Hawkmoth.

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

 By now, the Avengers knew of the kids identities. All the Avengers felt bad for Adrien, and also didn’t want him to stay in that house a minute longer. Besides how his father treated him, having another miraculous user in that house, especially the Black Cat that Hawkmoth craved was a recipe for disaster. So Tony had his lawyers help Adrien file for emancipation. That made Gabriel frantic. He didn’t want to lose his control over Adrien. He was so close to getting the miraculous and his wish. He could have his family back again. But that can’t happen if Adrien is emancipated and leaves. Gabriel became more desperate with his akumas and became sloppy. That was his downfall.

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

By the end of the week, the Avengers and team Miraculous were facing down Hawkmoth. By this point, Hawkmoth was so frantic, that they fight was easily won. When he revealed why he did all this and what happened to Emilie, Master Fu, who had come to collect the missing miraculous, was able to reverse the damage done by the peacock miraculous on both Emilie and Nathalie. Gabriel was arrested, as was Nathalie, and Adrien was ecstatic to be with his mother again. 

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

Once Hawkmoth was defeated, news of what had been happening in Paris spread like wildfire. It wasn’t long before the Justice League swooped in to do damage control. They landed in the middle of the city, already starting their spiel about how they were here to help with any damage and chaos from the final battle. But they were shocked to see the city in perfect condition, and the police surrounding them, telling them to leave. Over the heads of the police, they see the members of the Avengers standing with some kids in animal costumes. Two of the kids are familiar, from the videos asking for help all those years ago. Batman fumed at seeing the other group of heroes allowed to be in the city while they were being forced out. “Why are we not allowed here, but they are!? They aren’t local heroes.” The girl in a Ladybug themed costume stepped forward through the crowd, “They get to be here because they actually answered our call for help and were instrumental in the defeat of Hawkmoth. They arrived before the ban, followed my team’s lead, and respected the wishes of my team as well as the city. They proved to be good allies. You and your group on the other hand, ignored and denied our requests and now want to come in and do damage control. Now you leave, or we will make you.” While some of the members of the Justice League have the good sense to look embarrassed and back down, Batman got right in Ladybug’s face. “And how are you going to make us little girl?” Ladybug turned around and walked back to her team, not sparing Batman another glance. Batman looked smug, thinking he had made her back down. But when she got back to her team, she turned to the horse themed hero. “Pegasus.” Without another word, the horse sprang into action. All the Justice League heard was him call out “Voyage” before they were back in the watchtower, wondering what had just happened.

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

Finally, it was time for the UN meeting on the accords. When asked if they would sign, the Avengers officially declined to sign the accords so they could actually help in Paris. Team Miraculous watched the live coverage as all of the Avengers said they wouldn’t sign the accords. The head of the UN panel stood up, angry at their defiance. “Maybe we should just go ahead and toss you all in a cell. Clearly you are a threat to the world. While we were discussing these very accords, you went into France without permission and acted as the Avengers. You cause untold damage in each fight, do nothing to fix the damage, and won’t allow for a little over sight to make sure you don’t destroy everything.  Seems pretty dangerous to me.” There were mummers of agreement through out the room. Tony was the last one to speak. “You won’t put us in a prison cell. Here’s why. As Agent Romanoff once said, you all need us. Yes, we have made the world a more vulnerable place. But, we are the ones most qualified and able to defend it. So, if you want to arrest us, do it. You know where to find us. But then you will be even more vulnerable to even bigger threats than us.” Angry voices sounded from around the room, but the Avengers just turned and left. Most other heroes followed suit, officially stating that they would not be signing the accords. Eventually, the UN realized that if they arrested every hero that didn’t sign the accords, they would have no one left to defend the Earth and they dropped the issue. 

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

Things quickly returned to normal, for both team Miraculous and the Avengers. Team Miraculous was happy to have defeated Hawkmoth and not have to constantly guard their emotions. The emotional toll on the citizens of Paris was huge, but the Avengers weren’t done helping. Tony Stark brought in several therapists and took care of all the bills, so all of Paris could have access to mental help as needed, after enduring the trauma of living under Hawkmoth’s threats for years. And the Avengers kept on being heroes and helping everyone they could all over the world. And team Miraculous would often give them a hand with missions as needed. The Avengers and team Miraculous remained close allies after everything and were happy to have helped each other.

[mcheang]

Exclusive

Edna Mode was a renowned designer, famed for her harsh but accurate critiques, her fierce and practical lines, and of course, being the designer of the majority of superheroes.

And now she was hosting a fashionista gala, inviting those worthy of a Mode gala. As for those asking for an invite, Edna just asks who they are and calls security.

Lila, as the self-proclaimed BFF of Ladybug, and Gabriel’s muse, had already boasted of receiving the glamorous invitation. It didn’t just come in an envelope, it came out of the sky in a rosewood chest, accompanied by a bottle of wine and canapés. (Or so she says. Adrien and Marinette rolled their eyes. Chloé wasn’t paying attention)

Alya: Girl, I’m so jealous. But hey, maybe this will be a good thing. After all, Adrien is going with Kagami. Chloe will just stick with her mom. That means it’s a chance for you and Marinette to know each other better.

Oh yeah, did I mention that everyone knows Marinette is MDC?

Lila forced a grin but didn’t want to make any promises.

Imagine Lila’s rage to know she wasn’t given an invite because she was just a model. Adrien was the heir to a fashion company. She was not.

With all the bragging Lila did, she can’t back out or Chloe and Marinette will call out her absence. (Chloé learned about Lila being a guest from Sabrina later from gossiping)

So, she stole Marinette’s invitation. She did some editing and made her own customised invite, brandishing it for her class to see.

Marinette saw her invitation missing, rolled her eyes and reported the theft to Edna. Plz, everyone knows Edna invited her. She didn’t really need a piece of expensive paper.

The day of the gala arrived, and Lila brought out her invite.

The guard looked at his clipboard. “You’re not on the list.”

Lila: No, but I do have an invite. Obviously someone must have made a mistake with your list.

The guard snorted. “If that’s the case, then your fingerprints and eye scans should have already been registered. That’s what opens the doors.“

Lila gulped and thought about sneaking in with the next guest. But no such luck. Security made sure one person entered at a time.

As the security guard moved to push Lila back into the crowd of fans, Lila cried out that she knows Ladybug and Gabriel.

Guard: what’s your point?

Lila: You’ll be fired for this!

Guard: Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard this all before.

Another guard just scoffed. “You’re only a model. One of many in the industry. Miss Mode doesn’t care for models.”

Lila: what are models if not the face of fashion?

“Spoiled, stupid little stick figures with poofy lips who think only of themselves” Edna herself was at the entrance, wondering what was causing the disruption in her guest entrance flow.

Lila: How can you say that? Then why would Ladybug be my Best Friend?

Edna: the day Ladybug says she is your Best Friend is the day I wear crocs. And I don’t mean crocodile leather.

Edna points at a random guard. “You, get this so-called model out of the way. She is blocking the queue.

Oh by the way, Edna calling out Lila was caught on camera by the reporters.

One of them questioned why she was kicking out Gabriel’s muse when his son, a supermodel himself, was invited.

Edna: I did not invite the boy because of his face. I invited him because I saw potential (basically she realized he was Chat Noir. She would never invite Adrien otherwise. As seen from her quote, she doesn’t have a high opinion of models) That is, if he ever gets out of his father’s shadow. Because, let’s face it darling, what can Adrien do besides look pretty and play with swords and piano? You would think the boy would be in part of business meetings, but no. At this rate, Gabriel needs this gala to get out of that stuffy house. Realize that maybe his parenting methods are flawed compared to some other talented figures here. Look at Miss Kagami, focused on upholding her family legacy of fencing. MDC already knows how to run her own business after learning a bit from her parents. Even Audrey’s daughter has been joining in on becoming a fashion critic and throwing parties for political parties. But I must go, my guests await.

Back inside the party, guests were avoiding a seething Gabriel’s eyes. He had come to scout out the superhero guests, only to be called out by Edna on live tv.

Marinette went up to Edna and asked one of her fashion idols why she burned the Agrestes in public.

Edna: do you think Gabriel would change his parenting ways if we did not expose them to the influential figures of this industry, as well as the public eye? I guarantee you Adrien will be allowed more freedom of choice, lest Gabriel wants his son to be known as a coddled boy who can’t even make his own decisions.

Edna didn’t bother softening her sharp voice as she says these words.

Adrien flushed.

Quickly changing the subject, Marinette asked why Edna hated models.

Edna: it’s not that I hate them personally. I just hate their jobs and what they represent. Models nowadays are beautiful only according to the world standards. People who see them want to be like them, never mind that the models they see on the screen are airbrushed to unrealistic and impossible perfection. Now models focus only on their own appearance, trying to maintain their beauty as time ages them. They go on diets and become superficial. Whereas outside the modelling industry or such like, you don’t need to be stereotypically beautiful to be worthy. Where your worth is measured in kindness and bravery and talent and intelligence and anything beyond superficiality.

Adrien overheard and he frowned, not liking the idea where his appearance on ads is not exactly right. He only joined the company to make his father happy. But maybe it’s time he stepped into the business side of things and exit the modelling world. Bonus: no more Lila!

Edna snorted, “Though I must admit Gabriel surprised me with his newest model. Her attitude is lousy but she doesn’t strike me as a model. She just doesn’t have that model walk. But enough about the old man, my dear MDC, let’s talk about you. I love your gender-neutral line. And was wondering if you would like to join me in creating my next line of clothes for the Incredibles. A rare opportunity but I like style. Now take this offer before I change my mind.”

Marinette: wait, do I have to fly over or-

Edna: you are too excited, darling, but don’t worry, my assistants will send you the details.

Why are the Incredibles getting a new look? The kids are growing up and Edna wanted to move on to new styles.

As Marinette was flabbergasted, Audrey congratulated her for landing the job. Kagami and Adrien also beamed at her good fortune.

Even the Incredibles admitted they looked forward to working with her. Violet was a big fan.

Gabriel was seething and thought about akumatizing himself but come on, one villain against a room of superheroes? No thanks.

Drinking a glass of wine, he eventually admits that Edna had a point, however loudly and rudely it had been announced.

He would not be around forever and he wanted to leave the company in Adrien’s hands. In order for that to happen, his son needs to know business (if he can’t design, he can hire designers)

And yes, Lila was a lousy model. She survived by shooting with professional models who managed to overpower her mediocre work. But a deal was a deal. Besides, her contract was only for a year.

After the gala, Adrien happily quit modelling (aka Lila) to spend more time with his father, learning about how to run a company.

Marinette and Edna proudly claimed credit for the fashionable Incredibles.

Violet also became the talk of the school for her MDC exclusives.

Lila had been humiliated on air. Alya hesitated but finally did her research. At the end, she collapsed over the ruined credibility of her blog. But she can still get revenge by informing the principal, Ms Bustier and Mrs Rossi what Lila lied about. The perks of being a class vice president for a busy class president is that she also has the contacts list for emergencies.

Considering how Lila framed Marinette, there would be no suspension or detention. Only expulsion. Good luck finding a new school when Edna’s gala was a global topic.

When Lila returned to school for her last week (it takes time to gather evidence and get the attention of busy adults), nobody wanted to talk to her or even exchange glances. She quietly kept to herself, hoping for this to blow over soon. She was still a model working for Gabriel. She could befriend other supermodels (as if. Like they would want to befriend her after Edna called her out)

Hell, even her jobs were down. Gabriel just told her to take test shoots to fill up her portfolio until the hype died down (aka her contract expired)

When Lila was expelled, she was ready to be akumatized into Chameleon again. Except one problem. Everyone avoided her like hell so how could she kiss her target. Even Adrien was told to stay away lest his reputation be tarnished.

Ok, I admit it. I was hit by “I’m no Angel” quotes as I wrote this. But seriously, does anyone feel weird at the idea of trying to become thinner when your weight is just right, all the while you know there are people out there even thinner than you are and are starving, not because they want to be stereotypically thin, but because they cannot afford food?

[diamaker-moon]

Moving Forward - Chapter 2

Chapter Two

First steps!

—————

It was more than what she had bargained. But she was lucky. Really lucky!

'Looks like lady luck finally gave me a good amount of luck!'

— previous chapter... —

Boxes. Boxes were everywhere!

Marinette admits that she'll miss her room. Her very pink room, her roof balcony, her loft bed, everything! But she chose this. She wanted to be far from Dupont from now. She didn't want to be reminded every day about what she has gone through in that school.

She was heavily guarding her 'sewing equipment' which was the disguise for the new shape of the Chinese Miracle Box, and a backpack that has Grimoire and tablet.

After her application for a scholarship was accepted, they got to move, her parents rented a moving van for all the heavy stuff. They decided to get her settled in during the weekend. The only thing she isn't bringing to the dorm was her vanity, desk and loft bed. It was a miracle that her chaise was approved to be moved into the dorm.

"Ready to go?" Tom asked.

He was emotional since his daughter grew up in front of him, but after hearing what she had to suffer from those people, he was supportive of her moving away temporarily. 

Marinette nodded. They both went down, where Sabine was waiting. Before Marinette entered the van, she glanced at her old school and smiled bitterly. All the memories she had created with the people she thought she trusted were being tarnished. All because of a lying vixen who has nothing else to do in her life and can't keep her mouth shut.

She missed the people she knew before. But that was before, this was now.

She entered the van, placed the pink carry-on and backpack. While Tom drives the van she was humming while thinking of the past.

Alya Césaire, the person Marinette thought that will always stay by her side. Her ex-best friend. Sure the girl has her faults, but Marinette treated her like a sister. They shared every secret (except her secret identity). When the liar came to Dupont, it felt like there was a spell casted in the school, Alya forgot the most basic rule in journalism. Fact-checking. It was a pity how the Ladyblog was now being slandered on how it became a tabloid. No one trusted it anymore. She felt a bit of guilt that when Alya finally finds out that the girl she claims as her 'new bff' is a liar, her credibility is already in the sewers.

Nino Lahiffe, Lê Chiến Kim, Max Kanté, Ivan Bruel, Mylène Haprèle, Alix Kubdel, Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine and Nathaniel Kurtzberg, her classmates that knew her for years. The people she helped all the time. They knew her, but they also turned their backs against her. Marinette always went out of her way to help them, even when Ivan was the first Akuma victim she felt bad, so she wanted to help— and it got her to become the superheroine of Paris, France; Ladybug.

Lastly, Adrien Agreste, the person who said that was on her side, the only other person who knew about the liar but chose to be silent. Looking back, she was ashamed that she put the boy on a pedestal, but what irked her is his slight manipulation without even knowing. When they celebrated about Chloé leaving for New York, he unknowingly made Marinette guilty, even though he knew about Chloé's tormenting. And after finding out that he was Chat Noir, it angered her that the boy she trusted while in and out of the suit was the same boy who left her in the wolf's den.

"—ette? Marinette?"

That made Marinette snap out of her thoughts. She looked around then outside of the window and noticed that they were in a parking lot. Her father was nowhere to be found and her mother was calling her.

"Your father just went to get a luggage trolley for your boxes. Are you ready to meet your dormmates?"

Ah, yes. Apparently, she had dormmates, but she will still be getting a separate room inside the dorm. Marinette can only hope that the people here are not easily blinded by pretty words.

"Yes, Maman. I'm ready..."

This was part of her first step to a new beginning.

—————

The principal of Jeanne d'Arc l'Académie was a lovely woman.

She guided Marinette and her family towards the dorm building. She informed Marinette about her dormmates. There were a total of four other students in her dorm, she said they were friendly and hopes that they'll get along.

On the third floor of the second dorm building, she walked towards a door that has 'B315' on it, she knocked and we waited.

When the door opened, a tanned girl with blonde hair that was braided and had blue eyes opened it, she had a shocked look on her face when she saw the Principal, but when she looked around her mouth went 'oh'.

"Hi! Please come in, the other two went outside for a while, Fé is in his room reading." She said.

"This is Allegra Croix, the room representative. Here's a room card, keep it safe, but in case you lose it, file a report in the front desk."

The principal said before letting the other guy who had joined them at the school steps earlier help Tom to move her belongings, before leaving.

"Hi, I-I'm Marinette." She introduced herself while smiling, the girl smiled at her then waved.

"Come, I'll direct you to your bedroom."

They entered a room and Marinette felt herself freeze. It was almost identical to her bedroom at home. Keyword: almost.

The room had soft baby pink painted walls with gold designs, a twin loft bed (with a higher railing on one side), a huge L-shaped desk underneath, near it is a tall bookshelf, a vanity, a sliding door on the right with curtains, a bathroom on the left that is also connected to a small walk-in-closet.

Tom and a guy slowly moved Marinette's boxes and her chaise. While her mother was busy talking with Allegra, she made her way towards the sliding door and opened it, to see a small balcony. She was still carrying the disguised miracle box and wore the backpack on her back.

Tikki peaked out of the purse and was awed by the view. When she looked at her holder, she can see a small smile on her face.

"Guess this is it. A new beginning for Marinette Dupain-Cheng..." The girl said while looking at the scenery before looking at her kwami.

—————

After all the boxes, her parents bid a tearful goodbye for the temporary separation between them. Allegra also informed her about dorm curfews and toured her around the dorm. She also mentioned the soundproof feature inside the bedroom and the whole dorm, which shocked Marinette.

It was convenient for her. A balcony inside her room for sneaking in and out and soundproofed for the kwamis, was the best she could get.

She spent her time inside her room and organized everything, she already mentioned to Allegra that she might be stuck inside her bedroom for a while to get settled in. Closing the door and locking it, before turning the soundproofing feature on then letting the kwamis out of the box.

They helped her move stuff and get organized.

"Soundproof? What is that?" Kaalki asked.

"It's a feature that makes all noises inside this room stay here and will not be heard outside."

She looked around and smiled. Her computer has been set up, her sewing machine and other miscellaneous stuff were on top of the L-shaped desk underneath the loft bed.

The chaise was placed near the bookshelf and placed at an angle.

It felt home-y for her. As if she was back in her own room.

Meanwhile, outside Marinette's room, two boys entered the room.

"Hey, Al! Did the new student arrived yet?"

"Yeah, she did! She's been cooped up in her room, and getting settled in. Let's have dinner all together!"

The guy named Allan nodded and carried the grocery bags that were filled with both meal ingredients and snacks towards the kitchen.

When Marinette was done showering and changing to a comfortable but decent outfit, she heard a knock on her door. She opened it and saw Allegra.

"Hey, mind joining us for dinner?" Allegra asked to which Marinette nodded.

They went towards a small dining table next to the kitchen, where she saw three other guys. One was busy reading a book, while the other two were bantering. The girls sat down and that attracted the boys' attention.

"Hi...?"

"Hello! Nice to meet you! I'm Claude D'lleardo, at your service fair maiden!" The guy wearing a white and blue striped shirt said then playfully winking at Marinette, which made her giggle.

"I'm Allan Montgometry, Claude's functioning brain cell." A guy with dark skin and was wearing a green sweater, in Marinette's eyes, the guy reminded her of Nino Lahiffe.

"Félix Culpa, evening." The guy who was reading a book said that he had familiar blonde-coloured hair with blue-grey eyes.

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Marinette, hope we can all get along!" She said with a smile.

While eating she looked around the table and smiled.

Sure it was painful for her that the people she knew as 'friends' had abandoned her, she was also glad that there was an opportunity given to her to start a new page in her life.

She was leaning on the balcony railings feeling the cold night winds, not noticing a certain someone who went out on their own balcony.

Marinette smiled bitterly when she remembered the times when she and Alya spent the entire night on her home's balcony chatting through the night. All the slumber parties, either with the girls or only a few, she missed it.

It was an emotional day for her, moving away from her own home even when it was temporary still hurt her, to transfer out of Dupont due to incompetent educators, bullies and enablers, being abandoned and isolated by the people she used to trust.

She had her faults, especially when she became the Guardian, most of her schedule has been occupied but people in her class haven't been inviting her lately. Things will change, she didn't care anymore. She gave her all in the friendships she had built with that class only for it to be discarded like trash. If they don't want friendship with her anymore, then she doesn't need to give it to them.

She went inside for a brief moment only to come back with her diary in one hand, then a pen in the other. She sat down and started writing.

Dear Diary,

A lot has changed in a span of a week. Sorry if I haven't wrote in you lately, I... I've been quite busy lately, not only with that responsibility, but I recently transfered to a new school. Jeanne d'Arc l'Académie is a promising school! They prioritize the students talents and give them opportunities, I'm glad I had the chance to attend in this kind of school.

Part of my transfer, is me moving to a dorm. Since the school is quite far from the bakery, Maman and Papa asked me if I wanted to move into a dorm inside the school campus. They said it will be convenient for me and I'll be far from that class for a while. At first, I was hesitant, but now, looking back, I'm glad I did accept. My bedroom here in the dorm is amazing! Sure it's not an attic like the one I had back home, but it resembles my room, as if I never moved.

I also met new people today!

Allegra Croix, she was so kind! Allegra was the one who let me know all about the dorm, she toured me and mentioned the cool feature in this dorm and every bedroom, which is: soundproofing! Can you believe it, Diary?!

Claude D'lleardo, was a funny guy, he kind of reminds me of the old Chat Noir, who made me laugh. Then there was Allan Montgometry, he was also fun to be with! When he introduced himself, I giggled when he said he was Claude's brain cell! but he also reminds me of a certain someone from my old school...

And then there's Félix Culpa. At first, I thought I was hallucinating since he resembles him quite a lot, but when I looked at his eyes, I knew there that he wasn't him. He likes reading (I think? Since he kept reading during dinner).

I hope We all get along! Moving to a new environment is breathtaking for me. I can finally relax, without being on edge. I'm far away from that vixen.

You know, Diary... I kinda thank her... is that weird?

She may have threathend me about stealing my friends and ruining me, but she also showed me how people in that school see me. A tool. The vixen showed me how my old class used me to get free pastries from the bakery, I didn't even know that they were getting some and making excuses to my parents. They kept asking me to make things for them, without even paying me, even though they say "can I commision you?". And then all the babysitting duties from those two! I couldn't even say a word, next thing I know she was already running away! The vixen also showed me his pacified attitude in dealing bullies. I think he may be in a delusional state, that all things will resolve itself and it will all be back to normal.

They were all worst than Chloé!

I hope that me moving past that school will give me a new beginning, Diary! I promise to myself, I'll take care of myself this time, no more bending backwards just to appease people. I want to be accepted for who I am, not because of what I can give.

Oops! It's gotten so late, I didn't even notice!

Goodbye for now, Diary!

Marinette closed her diary and sighed, but she had a smile on her face.

She stood up and went inside her room, then locked the balcony. She looked around and saw Tikki eating a cookie on her desk. Marinette put her diary back in its box and claimed the loft.

"Goodnight, Tikki." Marinette said, her eyes beginning to get tired and get droopy.

Tikki stopped eating and zipped towards her chosen, then put a paw on her chosen's cheek.

"Goodnight, Marinette!"

—————

Félix Culpa was more of an introvert in the group. He liked to be alone most of the time. When Allegra, Claude and Allan, leeched onto him, he found it annoying especially with Claude, but soon he got used to it.

And now that they had a new dormmate, he observed her. She was reserved. It was as if she was holding herself back.

Standing outside on the balcony during the night was a leisure time for him. He enjoyed the quiet dark sky and the cold wind of the night. When he went out that night, he saw his new dormmate— Marinette was also outside. When he looked at her, she was staring blankly at the view. She then entered her room then went back out a few minutes after, with a pen and a notebook.

She sat down on the balcony floor since the railings are glass, he can see her writing down on her notebook. 

Marinette was pretty, her black silky hair that had blue reflections, she had those attractive bluebell coloured eyes, he also noticed a few freckles on both sides and bridge of her nose during dinner and her rose coloured lipstick with gloss.

He didn't know how long he was staring at her, the next he knew was she was already going back inside her room. So he did the same. He went on his computer and tried to find any social media accounts of his new dormmate, only to find a lot of articles about her.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a young and budding designer that had made commisions for various celebrities, including Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, XY, and etc."

"Fashion critique, Audrey Bourgeois, has been impressed by a certain Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

"Adrien Agreste modeling a derby hat won by Marinette Dupain-Cheng in a Gabriel competition."

"Kitty Section's debut outfits made by Marinette Dupain-Cheng awed the crowed!"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, an aspring fashion designer is making waves in the world of fashion, can she overrule Paris' resident designer— Gabriel Agreste?"

 Those are only a few articles he had seen and read.

'So Marinette was an aspiring designer?'

He thought. Félix was impressed that at such a young age, she has already been featured and had worked with famous celebrities. Looks like he had underestimated the young teenager.

The last thought that ran in his mind before he drifted to sleep was, why did she transfer? Was she unsatisfied with her progress in her old school? Or maybe something happened?

'Who really are you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?'

Chapter 1 — Moving Forward: Masterlist — Chapter 3

[hansolmates]

hoshi; vowels and veracity (m)

summary: after a blind date that makes you feel like a giddy teenager all over again, you’re forced to grow up and take a chance when you realize that special someone is your daughter’s kindergarten teacher. pairing: teacher!soonyoung x single mother!reader genre/warnings: fluffity fluff nuggets, humor, a lil bit of angst when yn panics, *steve rogers voice* language! alcohol, unprotected sex (wrap the pickle before u tickle), face sitting w/c: 5.2k a/n: i really have nothing to say about this but i’ve been thinking about going back to school all week so this manifested. enjoy a lil sexy but sweet hosh💕 

“Y-you,” another giggle and the press of wet lips to the sensitive spot of your neck, “stop, Soonyoung! I’m ticklish there!” 

You feel a pout imprint itself in the sweet spot between your ear and your jaw, and you sigh at the rumble of his lips against your skin, “But you taste so sweet, baby,” he croons, and you’re practically melting between the door with how much Soonyoung has pressed himself against you, all of himself. 

“What if I don’t wanna stop, pretty girl?” he husks against your soft skin, whispering things in your ear that aren’t for the faint of heart. In your haste to keep a firm grip, one hand goes to his clothes and the other nips at the undercut of his midnight black hair, “what if I just open the door right now and we slip right in, and then I slip right in you?” 

Your breath hitches and suddenly your core feels like a timebomb, ready to combust. 

Go on a date, Joshua says. He’s a sweet guy, Joshua says. He’s a friend of Joshua’s, so you know going into this blind date that at the very least, he wasn’t a serial killer. But what Joshua failed to tell you going into this was how much Kwon Soonyoung packed and how much of a temptor in disguise he is. 

“I really would love to invite you in,” it looks like it pains Soonyoung to admit this, as he presses his forehead to yours and the edge of his fingers dig into your crushed emerald velvet number, “but tomorrow’s the first day of work and I am not emotionally prepared. But, I do want to see you again. I had a great time.” 

The previous mood melting into the night sky, you reluctantly let go of the lapels of his tweed blazer. Unable to suppress your crestfallen smile you nod, “That’s fine,” you reply, inching away from him to send him a pointed look, “I wouldn’t have gone inside anyway. I don’t put out on the first date,” you cross your arms in an attempt to feign nonchalance.  

Which isn’t a lie, although if Soonyoung had asked you two minutes ago to come inside for a cup of tea, you wouldn’t have argued. He is just that tempting. Said date raises an eyebrow in response, tucking a strand of loose hair behind your ear at the defiance in your eyes. “Oh?” he echoes, “then what date do you put out?” 

“Date seven.” 

“Lucky seven,” he grins, “so if we go on a date every day this week by Friday we should be good to go. How do you feel about steak?” 

You slap his shoulder in his response, and the giggle that erupts from his lips in response has you feeling dizzy and giddy with excitement. Soonyoung has you feeling like a college freshman all over again, floating like Cloud 9 and drunk in anticipation. You peck one, two more kisses on his lips. He tastes like the peach champagne you shared and his own scent as he pulls you in for a much longer, much hotter kiss. 

“Good luck on your first day,” you mumble against his lips, vaguely remembering that he’s a teacher in a school nearby. 

“Mm, text me when you get home,” and with a final kiss to your forehead he unlocks his door, leaving you warm and full of heart-eyes on his front porch. 

The walk home, more like float home, has you feeling all parts exhausted and hopeful for the days to come. For the first time in a long time you feel young and unbridled, thrumming with excitement. Now you’re just playing with your phone, waiting to exchange goodnight texts. 

“Nari’s asleep,” when you walk into your shared apartment, you spot a sleepy Seungkwan on his laptop and sprawled across your couch. “How was it?” 

“It was reealllly nice,” you’re still a little wine tipsy, drunk on the taste of Merlot and a certain someone’s kisses, “he was really sweet, and surprisingly sexy.” 

“Did you get dicked down?” Seungkwan asks only the most important questions. 

You scoff, flopping down on the couch next to him, “As if, we have work in the morning.” 

“Speaking of work, are you sure you’re not able to drop off Nari to school tomorrow? It’s her first day of kindergarten.” 

“I can’t,” saying it feels absolutely awful, but a single mother has to work extra hard to keep her and her daughter happy. 

“It’s fine,” Seungkwan easily waves you off and runs a hand through his fluffy auburn hair, “her favorite Uncle is there, anyway.” 

“Hey,” you lightly punch his arm, “I’ve already talked Nari through it. I’m cooking a big breakfast tomorrow—chocolate chip pancakes, duh, and taking a million pictures before we have to part ways. I packed a little Kit-Kat for her lunch with a sweet note. When I come back in time for dinner I promised her pizza from her favorite parlor and she can tell me everything about her day.” 

“So, you’re bribing her with food.” 

“Sue me, it’s every parent’s weak spot.” 

Seungkwan stretches his arms, cradling you between his chest. You sigh into his clean linen scent, feeling sleepy. “Yeah, I’ve bribed her with my Switch once or twice,” he admits softly, eyes also drooping, “but you’re a great mother regardless. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything tomorrow.” 

“Thanks, Kwannie,” you sigh, feeling more at ease. 

Nari is the light of you and Seungkwan’s life. Five years ago, you promised yourself that if you were more than financially stable and still sick with baby fever, you would adopt. You didn’t want to find a romantic partner for the sole purpose of having a child, you could easily do that on your own. And that you did, you researched and visited foster homes off in the countryside. 

In a little town off the coast of the shore was where you met Nari, only six months old and full with cherub cheeks and eyes that sparkled like the moon and stars. You fell in love with her instantly. Fast forward five years later and she’s the reason you wake up every morning and work hard every day. Seungkwan being your best friend, also wanted rights as the godfather and therefore is also part of your perfect family picture. 

You and Seungkwan sleep warmly tonight, both excited to share yet another year of Nari’s milestones. 

“And then Mr. Kwon said I was an ‘ace’ with my vowels!” Nari has a string of cheese hanging from her chin, and you don’t bat an eye as you reach to pat it away with a napkin. 

“I wouldn’t expect any less, baby,” you coo, carding a hand through her hair so her bangs don’t get caught in her meal, “remember when mommy and Uncle Kwannie taught you the vowels this summer? We sang that song.” 

“Yes! I sang the same song and showed everyone how ‘ta do it,” your heart is swelling with pride, and you fight the urge to tear up because Seungkwan’s already showing signs of waterworks from his side of the table, “I read a book Mr. Kwon gave me today and he said he’s so impressed I read at a Level B.” 

You quirk your brows at the new jargon. You certainly don’t know what it means to be a Level B, but it makes Nari happy and that’s all that matters. Wiping the orange grease off her lips, you muse that you must get in contact with her teacher one of these days.

“What’s a Level B?” Seungkwan similarly looks stumped at the new vocabulary. 

“I don’t know!” Nari shrugs, but nevertheless her teacher’s attention has her glowing. 

You giggle, “I’m so happy for you, baby.” 

“I’m excited to go back tomorrow, I made a new friend! His name is Jeonghan and he helped me with my numbers today. He called my bows cute.” 

“Cute?” Seungkwan perks up from his stupor, “of course you’re cute, Nari. So cute that you’re too good for this Jeonghwan boy.” 

“Jeonghan, Uncle Kwannie,” she pouts when Seungkwan scoffs, in favor of shoving half a slice in his mouth. She turns to you, tugging on your blazer, “Mama, can I go watch TV now? I finished my homework and I wanna see the new Ladybug and Cat Noir!” 

“Of course,” you pull away her plate, gesturing for her to go to the living room. 

“Thank you mama,” and she’s bouncing off her seat, pushing her chair in and off to watch Miraculous Ladybug. 

You sigh, “They grow up so fast.” 

Seungkwan’s eyes widen at your age-old phrase, the words reminding him oddly of his parents when they used to talk down to him. “And here we are, aging twice as fast,” Seungkwan bemoans, already starting to feel the greasy food settle in his stomach. “We used to eat a whole pie! We could eat absolute garbage back in college and here I am weak at two slices—oh my god, am I having a ‘back in my day’ moment? We need to go out. I need to go out. I’ve been practicing consonants and vowels all day. I need a boyfriend,” he playfully narrows his eyes at you, “I need a boyfriend like yours, sweet and sexy.” 

“Sorry,” you stick out your tongue, “but he’s mine.” 

Perfect timing, Soonyoung’s name pops up on your phone. You two have been texting sporadically throughout the day, making plans for your next date. The two of you are going to watch a drive-in movie, a situation that screams teenage-back-of-the-truck-sex but the movie is a much anticipated favorite of yours and you genuinely want to watch it. 

Soonyoung is full of humor and laughs, getting you to smile and relax at the right times during work and always manages to keep you on your toes whenever he says something flirtatious. 

“Are you gonna introduce him to Nari?” 

You stop typing, and look up towards your beautiful little girl in the living room. Her hair is out of her pigtails, drooping tiredly like she is. Her cheek is pressed against her favorite plush cat, fighting for consciousness because she’s waiting for Marinette to save the day. Your heart swells with affection. 

“Dunno,” you shrug, trying not to think too hard about it, “we’re not that serious right now.” 

You’re absolutely winded. You finished work early today, due to the fact that came in early so you could clock out and pick Nari up from school. Despite the fact that Nari says it’s okay for you not to pick her up, you can’t allow it and you want to be the one who she runs into when she comes out the door. 

“Who do you think she’s gonna hug first?” Seungkwan’s elbowing you, baiting you. “Because this morning she gave me a hug and three kisses before I dropped her off.” 

“Three?” you seethe in annoyance, “three kisses is our thing! Two on the cheek and one on the forehead!” 

The two of you slowly steep together, waiting for the colorful blue door to the kindergarten area to file out. The heel of your shoes are digging into the grass, probably making a needle-like  indentation in the dirt as you struggle not to seep into the lawn. You feel like you’re going to flop on your heels, wishing you could go run back into the car and find your flip-flops from last month’s beach trip. But before you could debate on the run the bell rings, and you’re on livewire when you see the students start to file out. 

Your smile grows ten-fold when you see Nari’s jaw drop in surprise, seeing you waiting for her. She fists whatever is in her hands in surprise, breaking into the cutest smile as she screams, “mama!” 

And you’re ready to hold your arms out and throw her around in circles, until you see who follows right behind her. 

Kwon Soonyoung is Nari’s kindergarten teacher. Kwon Soonyoung with his hair down and untextured, wearing a mint polo and looking nothing like the date you had the other night. He looks absolutely soft and so, you are weak. 

Kwon Soonyoung, the sexy deviant who sends you questionable texts and sends you funny puppy videos, is staring right at you and utterly confused when Nari rams straight into your hip. 

Momentarily distracted, you pepper your pretty daughter in kisses (all three of them, two cheeks and one forehead) and tell her how much you’ve missed her. Clearly she doesn’t miss you as much, as she’s waving around a picture she drew during playtime, one of her and Jeonghan in the sandbox. 

“Really, Nari,” Seungkwan mutters under his breath, shamelessly vocalizing his opinion on a five-year old, “can’t you choose a different friend?” 

“Seungkwan!” you chide, but he pointedly annoys you when Nari finally enters Seungkwan’s embrace. He takes extra time to cuddle her, obviously jealous that another boy has taken refuge in your little Nari’s heart. 

The moment is so sweet and simple you have no choice but to revel in it and take out your phone to snap a photo. 

“Mama!” she pops her head off of Seungkwan’s shoulder, “come meet Mr. Kwon!”

And she’s tugging your hand, only you’re much stronger and you stay firmly planted on the grass. Heck, you even sacrifice your shoes by digging your heels in for extra measure.Your eyes widen in panic, but Nari doesn’t notice because she’s paving a path of dirt with her lime green light-up sneakers, trying to get you to move. You nearly forgot your latest tryst is your daughter’s teacher, and you never told him you have a kid. 

But within seconds, there’s an audible slam and the three of you are shattered from your bubble. Turning to the noise the heavy navy door is now locked shut, all the students dismissed for the day. The crowd is gone. Soonyoung is gone. 

Seungkwan’s eyes dart between the closed door and you, the pieces clicking. His mouth forms a little ‘o’ and he nods in understanding. “He thinks I’m your baby daddy.” 

The two of you point out each other like the Spiderman meme. “He thinks you’re my baby daddy,” you echo, horror marrying your face. 

“Mama? What’s a baby daddy?” 

“Shh, Nari—” he picks up Nari in one swoop, mouthing a go to you as he leads her to the car. 

All alone on the grass, you panic as you watch your family grow smaller and smaller as they enter the parking lot. Soonyoung’s just behind that door, right? Looking left and right to assure no one is going to think you’re being that parent and harassing the teacher within the first week of school, you bound up the steps to knock on the door. Your knocks clang heavily, echoing against the building. 

Ten seconds pass. Nothing. 

You deflate, pulling out your phone to shoot Soonyoung a quick text. 

You: hey, can you come out for a bit so i can explain? Please

A minute passes. He leaves you on read. Defeated, you slump against the door. This day is really a whirlwind on your mental state. All you wanted today was some extra time off work, Nari’s three kisses, and maybe a goodnight text from Soonyoung if you were lucky. 

The door suddenly flips open, and you’re braced against someone’s hands. 

“Whoa, you okay?”

Your face crumples in relief when it’s Soonyoung that’s come out to respond to you. He’s bracing your weight by holding your arms between his hands, although keeping a respectable distance between the upper half of your bodies. It makes you a little upset, but you understand. Once you’re stable, he lets you go and leans away from you.

“Why are you waiting out here?” he asks pointedly, looking at you up and down. You seem terribly overdressed in your coral pinstripe suit, mismatching with Soonyoung’s apple sauce stains. 

“Why do you think I’m waiting out here?”

“And if I close the door again?” he retorts suddenly. 

“Then I’ll follow you home.” 

A beat passes, whatever expression he conveys on his face is practiced and primed. You have a terrible time trying to decipher his blankness. Working with kids probably does that to an adult. “Come in,” he says neutrally, and you wordlessly follow him into his classroom. 

The room is decorated beautifully, with rainbows and glitter. It’s also surprisingly organized, all the crayons in place and the play area free of stray toys. Your eyes instantly search for Nari’s desk, and a small smile fits on your face as you trace her handmade name tag. 

“Normally, I don’t let parents in my room until it’s Back to School Night,” Soonyoung says, leaning against his desk. It makes you terribly nervous, knowing the ball is in your court and he’s waiting for you to make a move. His carefree, easy going nature is nowhere to be found, and all you see is walls and a mean poker face. He pulls up the sleeves of his polo, exposing pale, strong arms. Your mouth waters a little (you can’t help it!) and you immediately reach for a bottle of water in your purse. “So, what is it you have to say?” 

“Seungkwan’s not my baby daddy,” you blurt, and you immediately blanch when Soonyoung’s eyes widen. “Wow uh. I didn’t mean to say it like that.” 

“But you did say it like that,” Soonyoung replies slowly, “no child just doesn’t give three kisses to someone who isn’t their father.” 

“I only called him my baby daddy because he said it first,” you grumble, almost childishly, “and Nari’s a baby, of course she’s going to give three kisses to anyone that feeds her and coddles her.” 

“It sounds like an excuse.” 

“It sounds like I’m freaking out because you keep talking back and forth like this!” you cry, slapping your hands against your thigh. You don’t have to look in a mirror to know that you’re quickly getting annoyed, your face morphing into a shade of embarrassment. You can’t tell if this is amusing him or this is a real interrogation. “Let me explain, Soonyoung!” 

He says your name slowly, deliberately. And then, “do you want to take a break in the Calm Down Corner?” 

“The—the what?” Soonyoung’s eyes flicker to a corner at the far end of the room. The radiator is decorated in a sky blue wallpaper, and there’s a yoga mat on the floor. There are chairs next to a desk filled with coloring pages, decorated with fairy lights. Filling three of the chairs are various stuffed animals, a tiger, a cat, and a panda, all dressed as doctors. It’s a child’s therapy corner. “You gotta be kidding me.” 

He raises a brow, and—is that a smile on his lips? “Then explain, why are you here?” 

“Because I think I really like you,” you confess, frustration melting away to reveal the uneasy upturn on your lips. You lied when Seungkwan asked if you would ever consider introducing Soonyoung to Nari. In a different world, you would’ve loved to take the time to take Nari to the museum and introduce Soonyoung there. They’d definitely bond over their love for tigers. “Seungkwan is my best friend, and helps me take care of Nari. I adopted her five years ago.” 

Something softens in Soonyoung’s eyes, and the air feels much more relaxed. But his dark brows remain knit together, and he looks at you with confused eyes. “Then if you like me so much, why didn’t you tell me you had a daughter?”

“Because kids can be deal breakers,” you admit, and the colorful classroom feels smaller as you hug yourself. “I just, wanted you to like me first.” 

It’s the primary reason why it’s taken you so long to date. Sure, there’d be a fling here and there, but nothing that feels as tangible as Soonyoung is. You’re not old enough to find a partner that wouldn’t blink at the sign of children, yet you’re still at that weird age threshold where a partner could immediately run for the hills at the mention of one. Nothing will top Nari, she’s number one in your heart, but the small selfish part wanted you to put the focus on yourself for just one night. 

“You don’t have to hide, I want every part of your life no matter how long we have,” he assures you gently, firmly without an ounce of regret. Soonyoung opens his arms, and you cry in relief when you get to collapse in the scent of his cologne. You tuck your head in the crook of his neck, slightly sweaty from whatever activities he needs to do with the kids, but you don’t mind. His voice is quiet, melting in your ears, “and I really like you too. I really like Nari as well, she’s a great kid.” 

“She is, isn’t she?” 

You two pull away, and he swipes a thumb under your eyes in case some tears manage to escape. “So, Friday? Movie?” 

“It’s a date.” 

“Where’s Nari?” the question is huffed against your breath as you’re pressed between your freshly washed bedspread and Soonyoung’s body. He takes care in making sure the zipper of your delicate dress doesn’t get caught in the rush, easily slipping your dress off and throwing it on your desk chair. 

“At Seungkwan’s, why?” 

His cheshire cat eyes glow under the moonlight, positively devious. “It’s date seven,” he announces sweetly. His gaze betrays his saccarine reply, a look that only tells you that Soonyoung plans to fuck you five ways to Sunday, and you’ll gladly let him. 

You sit up on your elbows, enjoying the show as Soonyoung quickly sheds his clothing. It’s ungraceful, exciting. Tonight was a simple carnival date, easily making you feel like a giddy college student all over again. Soonyoung won you five Pokemon keychains today, you could put a whole party on your hand. 

“It’s actually date six,” you tease, tilting your head as his pants finally come off, revealing black boxer briefs that snug deliciously around the waist. 

“Oh, okay,” he looks at you like you’ve spoken God’s word, reaching to pick up his shirt, “so you don’t want my dick fucking you raw tonight? Okay, I see how it is,” he pretends to put on his clothing, jabbing a thumb out the door. 

You have the audacity to giggle, pulling him over by the waistband, “Come here so I can make an exception.”

You don’t know what it is that makes you want you want to give everything to this man. Heck, five years ago you didn’t even want a man as an excuse to have kids. But as he nudges you in all the right places and places you on top of him, you know this man will treat you like an absolute treasure. Every kiss is laced with smiles and sweetness, filled with vigor and vivacity that fills you up and leaves you afloat. 

He takes care of you first, unwilling to let you budge as he places your core over his face. He makes quick, but effective use of his tongue and fingers, making sure you’re nice and sensitive for his future plans. You’re practically throbbing with pleasure, vibrating from every cell of your body. Within minutes he’s glistening in your arousal, and he pulls you down so you’re lined up with his crotch. It’s involuntary when you pulse against his member, your body shamefully alerting you that it’s desperate with need, and the remedy is right under you. 

Soonyoung looks more satisfied than you, eager to please you. Without warning, he stuffs two fingers in your mouth, “You pretty, pretty girl,” you are keen at the attention, your body is glowing a radiant rose. 

Your tongue rolls against his fingers, sticky and tasting of your arousal. Tilting your hips up you let Soonyoung pull his member out, lining it against your entrance. Feeling the soft tip brush against your delicate folds, you moan against his mouth. With a little ‘pop’ he releases you, lips shiny and parted. 

“I hope you don’t think I’m some kind of hit-it-n’quit-it kind of guy,” he noses the sensitive spot of your jawline, which distracts you momentarily when the plush tip nudges your folds, coaxing you to unite. “Because after tonight, I’m definitely keeping you. Forever.” 

The reply that dances on your tongue is overtaken by your whines when Soonyoung slips in fully, forcing your body to clench tightly against his. You take him, all of him. You feel wet and sticky and hot and swollen with affection as Soonyoung praises you for taking him so well. His pace is firm and passionate, short nails digging deliciously into your hips for leverage as he makes sure to fill you to the brim. 

He’s right, tonight is far from being a means to an end. You feel like you can have nights like this the rest of your life. And when the both of you finish and you’re pulling the covers over one another, you finally manage to grasp the reply that was nearly forgotten. 

Pressing a kiss to his jaw you whisper, “I’m keeping you, too.” 

“So, how long can we keep this a secret for?”

“Ideally? Ten months. Realistically, I’d say Christmas.” 

“Why Christmas?” 

“Because I know you’re going to be dying to get Nari a Christmas present.” 

Soonyoung props his elbow on the pillow, looking at you petulantly. “I could say it’s a good behavior reward. She’s been racking up those gold stars during morning meetings, babe. She’s not even trying.” 

“That’s my girl,” you coo, rolling over to lean your head on his chest. Light has long flooded into your apartment, seeping through your curtains and reflecting on your white duvet. Soonyoung looks absolutely fluffy and well rested, and you can’t help but reach to pat down the ebony bird’s nest atop his head. 

The two of you lay like that for a little bit, playing with each other’s cold feet under the covers and relishing under the touch of bare skin to bare skin. You remind yourself that you need to take Joshua out to dinner one of these days, as he managed the inevitable and set you up with  an amazing partner. 

“Breakfast?” Soonyoung pops the question easily, “let’s get steak.”

“Steak isn’t eaten for breakfast.” 

“Then can I eat you for breakfast?” 

You snort, hiding under the covers while Soonyoung attempts to tickle you. The whole act in itself feels wholly innocent despite the fact that you’re both naked and smell like sweat and sex. Just as you feel Soonyoung’s head dip under the covers to meet you at your chest, the door swings open. 

“Mama!” 

The previously warm room feels like wickedly sharp ice, freezing you to your spot as you clutch the covers closer to your chest. “Baby!” you cry exasperatedly, flinching when she throws all her weight on you. She’s still in her ladybug pajamas from last night, hair falling out of her braid. 

She lifts her head from your breast to give you an adorable one-toothed grin. You try your best to maintain eye-contact, but Nari has impeccable vision. Her grin evolves into a full-on beam when she finds your bed partner.

“Mr. Kwon!” she’s squealing, clamoring over your lap. You do a double-take when you see Soonyoung sitting next to you, wearing a t-shirt. Where on earth did he get that?

Soonyoung’s eyes reduce to crescents at his (secretly) favorite student. “Good morning, Nari-ah. Had a fun time at your Uncle’s house?” 

“Nari,” you force your daughter down to stand on the hardwood, giving her a stern look, “give Mr. Kwon some space, it’s really early and it’s the weekend.” 

Knitting her brows together, she looks between the two of you, “But you two don’t have any space.” 

You wince at her perception, and nudge yourself away so you’re pressed against your nightstand. The oakwood corner digs painfully into your back. 

“We were haviång a very special parent meeting,” you fight the urge to cry when Soonyoung turns on his teacher's voice, sending your daughter a very convincing smile. You watch as your daughter’s eyes go wide, probably feeling very special that her teacher came all the way to her house to have a meeting. “You’ve been doing so well during the read-alouds that I had to tell your mama in person!” 

“I told you mama!” Nari juts out her chest, and you lean over to kiss the crown of her head. “But Mr. Kwon, why are you having it in mama’s room?” 

“Her room is the warmest!” he says like it’s the most obvious thing, his and Nari’s eyes widening simultaneously as he gestures to the open window. “The sun travels directly into your bedroom in the morning, and those rays send heat—”

“Mr. Kwon,” your voice is as steady as it can be, and  you frown when Soonyoung wiggles his brows. You already know he’s thinking of three separate ways you can use the term Mr. Kwon in private, but you’re not having any of that, “shouldn’t we uh, wrap up this… meeting?” 

“I wanna stay,” Nari glowers, obviously nosy as to what you two are talking about.

“I know baby. We just gotta finish up the meeting, okay? Can you—” you cut  yourself off when Seungkwan finally decides to make his appearance, eyes wide at commotion he’s created. He’s in matching pajamas, ridiculously red as he bends down to scoop up Nari. Absolutely sweating and as red as his clothes, his eyes dart between the two of you. You could care less that Seungkwan’s eyes have bags under their bags, and was probably too tired to catch her when she ran inside the house. No, Seungkwan doesn’t deserve the title of godfather anymore. 

“Nari! You can’t interrupt teacher meetings,” Seungkwan pretends to scold, and Nari turns her head so she can hide in her Uncle’s shoulder. 

Knowing that Nari can’t see a thing, you mouth a very explicit I will kill you to your best friend, and he immediately mouths an apology to the both of you as he ushers himself out the door. You wait ten seconds for your daughter to be out of ear shot, before dropping the blanket from your neck and throwing yourself against the pillows. 

But Soonyoung’s chuckling, pressing a litany of kisses all over your bare body in an attempt to comfort you. Instead of reveling in his lazy morning touch, you want to disappear between the sheets, never to be seen. What will the PTO moms say when they find out? How will you stop Nari from telling Jeonghan, and therefore Jeonghan telling the entire kindergarten population? Why isn’t Soonyoung freaking out about this? Instead, he favors to taste your body, in between kisses muttering something about it being kismet that Nari so happened to see right as you were discussing the secrecy of your relationship. Ten years from now, your daughter will be horrified when she realizes that no, teachers don’t normally give housecalls in your mother’s bed.

Your boyfriend pinches your thigh, regarding you with mirth in his eyes. 

“So, that means I can buy her a Christmas present now, right?” 

[strawberrystar7]

The Communication issues between LadyNoir

Just hear me out okay? I know this post is very long but I do think this is important and many people need to realize this. But that's just my interpretation of things. You can either add to my points or even debunk them if you think they're bad examples for this. But I think we can all agree that both of them have serious communication problems.

I saw the trailers for Kuro Neko and I saw what people are saying about it.

Everyone's blaming Ladybug.

The Issue people tend to ignore is that this wasn't only caused by Marinette. I'm going to explain what I mean by this in this post.

To make things more clear why it's not just Marinette with communication problems I'm gonna mention Lukanette, Adrigami, and some episodes from seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Both of these relationships struggled because of communication problems. Marinette couldn't be open about her identity as Ladybug and Adrien wasn't being honest about his feelings. This made both Luka and Kagami feel like Marinette and Adrien didn't love them and didn't want to spend time with them. Instead of being honest and telling what's going on they just kept on going like that for some time. Even when breaking up they did not explain why they acted like this. They didn't even have to lie nor reveal the truth to explain it.

The same issue can be seen throughout the entire show. Instead of Ladybug telling Cat Noir how she feels about him trying to make her fall in love with him, she at first treats it like a joke and even flirts back and participates in his banter, making him think she likes it. Later on, when she realizes he's serious about it Ladybug still participates in his banter and then gets mad at him "for goofing around and flirting with her instead of focussing on the job".

What did Cat Noir do about this?

Well... He of course thought he may have a chance so he kept doing it. Then comes season 2 and things get a little rockier.

In Prime Queen Ladybug got mad at Nadja for trying to make them look like they're in love. Seeing the picture he ignored Ladybug's reaction, thinking she may love him. So of course he kept declaring his love for Ladybug.

In Glaciator Cat Noir is sad because Ladybug did not come to his surprise rooftop date thing even tho she told him she could not come because she was doing things with her friends. After that, he throws a tantrum and does not want to participate in Ladybug's plan because it hurt his feelings that she didn't come. At the end of the Episode, Cat Noir declares his love for her once again.

In Frozer Cat Noir throws a tantrum once again after being rejected by Ladybug. And guess what. He goes right back to declaring his love for her the next time he sees her.

There also was Siren in season 2. I forgot about that. Anyway, Master Fu did not allow Ladybug to tell Cat Noir about him but instead of explaining to CN why she couldn't tell him she just says she can't say. So Cat Noir feels left out and almost gives up his Miraculous. And instead of Cat Noir telling her directly how he felt he didn't admit it, only half admitted.

In season 3 there's Oblivio which I think is an important Episode when it comes to this. Once again Cat Noir ignored Ladybug's reaction and declared he will make her fall for him.

The rest of season 3 I pretty much blocked out. Anyway, during all of these times throughout seasons 1,2 and 3 Ladybug usually participated in Cat Noir's banter instead of telling him politely she didn't like his flirting.

Oh boy and then comes Season 4. This is where everything goes wrong. Ladybug pushed Cat Noir away instead of telling him about Cat Blanc and her feelings about what happened with the Guardianship etc. And Cat Noir just let this happen. Instead of talking to her that it hurt his feelings that she didn't talk to him, he kept quiet about it. When Marinette told Alya her identity she waited until after Scarabella to tell him someone knew about her identity. And when Adrien learned about Nino's and Alya's identities he didn't talk to Ladybug and ask her why they know their identities while Cat Noir and Ladybug couldn't know their identities.

In Lies (I think) Marinette forgot about her patrol with Cat Noir and instead of explaining why she missed the patrol she didn't say anything.

In Gang of Secrets Ladybug was pretty much having a mental breakdown in the cinema and instead of talking she ignored Cat Noir's offer to help.

In Glaciator 2 Ladybug got mad at Cat Noir and everyone who shipped her and Cat Noir causing him to force himself to ignore his feelings for Ladybug instead of LB talking to him and the others calmly.

In Sentibubbler Cat Noir got mad at Rena Rouge and Ladybug because of that "two-person" plan. Instead of talking to LB about it, he kept it to himself preferring to bottle up his feelings like he usually does.

I know there's definitely more episodes in s4 which show the miscommunication especially when it comes to CN feeling left out and not talking to LB about feeling left out but I think you get what I mean. Both of them struggle to communicate with each other. As seen even before that trailer there have been problems with the communication between the two of them.

��️SPOILER⚠️:

In the new trailer we saw Adrien give up his ring and Marinette talking about finding a new Black Cat. Then we see Cat Walker appear.

Everyone seems to be mad at LB for saying this but the issue people don't seem to realize when Cat Noir was "replaced" by Cat Walker is that Adrien willingly gave up his Miraculous. Marinette can't tell Plagg to go find his holder and force Cat Noir to take the ring back. That wouldn't work because he gave up the ring which happened because of the lack of communication on both sides. It wasn't just Ladybugs fault. Yes, Ladybug should not have treated him that way even if she's stressed because of her new role and annoyed/mad that Cat Noir won't accept her rejection but Cat Noir is also responsible for the fight between them. How was Ladybug supposed to know how Cat Noir feels if he does not tell her how he feels about the new Miraculous Holders, her Guardian role, and the fact he feels left out (and to some extent the rejection)? She could not have known because she can't look in his head.

Cat Noir is gone. She does not know who he is and she knows even if she knew who he was she couldn't just tell him to take the ring back because it would make things worse but she also knows she needs a Black Cat to balance her out. So the only thing she most likely thinks she could do at that moment is try and find a new Black Cat. I am not saying that's the only possible way. I'm saying it's what Marinette probably thought was the best she could do at that moment.

That does not mean she does not miss or want Cat Noir as a partner. They're friends. Friends fight but that does not mean they won't find a way to work things out. The issue they have right now is that neither Ladybug nor Cat Noir wants to talk to each other. If they don't talk the other won't know what's wrong. They can't look in each other's heads. If may be at least one would have tried communicating then the other would have been more willing to communicate too but because none of them were willing to communicate it ended up in this.

Both of them are valid in how they feel. Both of them are keeping secrets from each other. Ladybug isn't telling him why things are changing between the two and Cat Noir isn't telling Ladybug how he feels about everything. If they don't cooperate and tell each other about these things then it's no wonder it came to this. Both of their feelings are valid. So please don't make a war by creating Team Ladybug vs Team Chat Noir or whatever. I've seen those things go wrong. Both of their feelings are valid. Adrichat fans please do not drag Maribug down when you defend Adrichat and Maribug fans please do not drag Adrichat down when you defend Maribug. Both of their feelings are valid and it makes sense. I can understand why they'd feel that way. I can also understand why neither of them wanted to open up until now. Adrien was sheltered all of his life so he probably never had someone to talk to about things so he most likely adopted the unhealthy habit of bottling everything up. Marinette is scared of doing things wrong especially since she knows about Cat Blanc and probably also because it seems like Su-Han is breathing down her neck, when she does the slightest mistake he will take away not just her's but also Cat Noir's and every other Miraculous away. And combined with Cat Noir not accepting Ladybug's boundaries when it comes to his crush on her she probably pushed him away and snapped at him. Neither of these explanations makes better what they did but it makes sense why they did what they did. They are 14 year old children. It's to be expected of them that they have bad communication skills. And we all know Marinette has bad coping skills. Adrien does too as seen with him bottling up his emotions.

Besides, we all know these trailers oftentimes are deceiving. It might be different than we think and even if the Ladynoire argument does happen it will only be for both of their best. They're friends, they're partners. They'll work it out and their bond will be even tighter after that.

[desultory-novice]

He'll Branch be like:

Even in Hell, miracles can happen.

Noir: 😃

But not for you. Suffer forever, teenage boy!

Noir: 😢

"Yeah, Dess! What did teenage boys ever do to you, huh?!"

...I thought that's what everyone's teenage years were like! XD

But your comment did lead to this bit of inspiration...

Noir: "Is this...all there is?"

Magolor: "To the afterlife? Don't ask me! I didn't even know building a theme park would work til I tried it! (I don't remember too much about it because I was massively hallucinating at the time. Max says I don't have to worry about litigation if anything breaks because everyone's already dead! ...You didn't hear that, by the way.)"

Magolor: "I thought you'd been here longer than me, actually."

Noir: "Yeah, I guess... I just kind of...zoned out through most of it. Kind of hoping...if I stopped thinking, I would disappear..."

Noir: "I... I'm only 16, you know? And...I only made one real mistake. Or... maybe everything was a mistake. Because every stupid decision I made on my own just made things worse."

Noir: "...Maybe the mistake was being born, I don't know."

Magolor: "Hmm. My boyfriend is damned for a near-eternity just because he 'whimsically' tried to take something for himself that belonged to everyone..."  (And it's going to BE an eternity if he doesn't stop pulling dumb pranks that add hours onto his clock!)"

Magolor: "I thought I'd done far worse than he had, but I feel like I got off lighter, even with this thing rooted deep into my head." 

Noir: "...What, the literal clown who pranked my sister? Who's always laughing like a drugged out fiend all the time?"

Magolor: "The very same! He used to love flying. Said it was the greatest, most freeing feeling in the world. ...He has to waddle everywhere now very, very slowly or he falls apart - and he hates it."

Noir: "...You know what sucks also? Not having hands."

Magolor: "Or to have them but not have control over them! ...Marx laughs because he would never admit to anyone how hard it is. And even though he can't stop pranking people, he's secretly terrified of being left here alone as the very last one of us damned souls."

Noir: "..."

Magolor: "...I don't know what it is that makes some lives harder than others. Why some of us live in a frankly blissful world of naps and sunshine without a thought in their round pink, friendly heads while some of us live to see everything we wanted, even the simple dreams, ripped away from us. And I don't know why half the patrons here are physical manifestations of nightmares and nihilism and death while the rest of us just wanted to be pretty, or prosperous, or strong, or have friends, or to protect someone they loved..."

Noir: "...Yeah..."

Magolor: "I thought if I built the best possible theme park, I could make everyone smile and shout with joy. My own little universe where I was in control. Not the harsh reality. But...this place is only a short-term fantasy. A game of pretend that fades as soon as you look away and see that the rest of the world is still on fire."

Magolor: "I haven't known you that long, and though you buried my boyfriend in the lake of fire, I think you deserve to be saved. To have everything good that was taken away from you and then some."

Magolor: "Despite a long time being used as a host for limitless power, I can't give you any of that... But I can promise, for you at least, the rides and games in Merry Magoland will always be free."

Noir: "...Guess it's something. And starting from nothing... it's a lot."

Noir: "Oh, but get rid of the mother%$!& tea cups for me!"

Magolor: "I could repurpose the land to build a 'Scope Shot' arena. There's been a lot of requests for that one to come back."

Noir: "'...Scope Shot?"

Magolor: "Interested? I've got some gameplay footage right here!"

Noir: "Wow, what are these, PS1 graphics?"

Magolor: "......"

[ninja-in-skirts]

When Night Falls

Image courtesy @pinterest

warnings- none

Scenario- Ever thought how your roommate might not be all that he seems to be...

Cam boy x fem reader [simply insert/imagine yourself in the story and read on]

Tags- Fluff, friendship, cute romance [might be rated M in future scenes, might also involve graphic sexual representation and narration]

In part 2, I’ll be balancing between you and me pov, okay?

Did you see that right? Was that exactly what you saw? But before you could think of something utterly crazy your line of thoughts was cut off by the guy in the room. “Did you just barge into my room?” At ‘my room’ you swiftly turned your neck, the rapidity with which you did so could have snapped your neck into two like in one of those Japanese noirs. “Your room?” You two could hardly see each other, well scratch that, there was no way in hell you could even gauge where you were looking at to be exact, if you’re to go by his heavy and laboured breath he was standing quite close, closer than he was when he was doing his dick-ritual. Okay, you admit he was doing something but then again it’s none of your stupid business, the moment you made it your business you’d end up embarrassing yourself, just as you’re doing now. This possibly couldn’t be his room, right? This unknown guy in darkness must be your roomie’s boyfriend or whatever but not…you so wish he’s your roommate? Don’t you? You felt the room temperature flare up at this, even though you’re pretty aware that you’re asked a question by the present occupant of the room, must be some relative, must be, “Are you going to answer my question or not?” How the hell am I to answer when I am practically blinded by the darkness, you tried to reason, gave up and cleared your throat, “Umm…I thought someone was in need of help?”

“Help…?” You could sense the irritation in his voice. “I heard someone groaning, I guess…” Not being able to withstand the temporary blinding effect you blurted out, “Will it hurt you to switch on the light, please?” “Why should I, this is my room, I make rules, I implement them, you came invading my privacy and expect me to show you civility?” What’s with him calling this ‘his room?’ And so you moved forward making something go tumbling across the floor, and the next thing you knew you’d collided with the guy, making him lose his balance and fall with a massive thud on the floor, your head against his chest, a very naked chest it was, as you tried getting up and touched something soft and squishy, he went all rigid, “Stop pushing at me like I am some toy of yours, fucking take your hands off my dick!” WHATTTTT!!! It was his penis that you’d touched, oh my what a novel way to introduce yourself to a stranger. You’re roughly pushed away, but you caught onto his arm and steadied yourself, “What am I? Your personal hanger?” Wouldn’t mind though, I’ve not even seen you…Your breaths mixed and matched with the close proximity you two were, although it wasn’t heavenly but it wasn’t stinking either, it was too sweet to your liking, think he lives on chocolates? His body odour was natural, his own personal scent, stop being a creepy pervert like Jean Baptiste Grenouille, but you couldn’t help yourself so you inhaled in the heady, sweaty smell that was making you go all tipsy. He smelt like he’d been working out, exactly how a man smells without those mind-numbing puke-ish perfumes. “What exactly are you doing now?” You could hear the snicker in his voice, oh lord caught red-handed. You let go of his arm and stood up, marched towards the door with the darkness still impeding your sense of direction, hit your head, “Oww!” “Ah, look at that will you, I didn’t say you could leave…” You were in pain but then again you’re explainable to him considering he was occupying the room, roommate or not, with your back to him, you cursed mentally, bit your lips, “I am sorry for that, I mean I did honestly have good reasons…” “Seriously? You know this is my room right?” “What?” You turned towards him, with this he had switched on the light making you blink hard at him and your surroundings. The walls were dark blue, the curtains black and the man was hot. 

“Cat got your tongue?” Now that he was looking at you, you finally noticed, exactly what you’d thought, his torso was bare, his nipples taut with the cold air blowing from the AC, woah, his room had an AC? “Wait? Are you Alex?” He looked at me like I was some stupid child, “Who else will I be, and you must be Y/N?” You nodded, your eyes moved down his lean yet muscular chest to his pelvis, the gods were cruel, in the middle of the scuffle he must have worn his pants, that little bit of hope from the dick-silhouette had been dashed, since he was now wearing pants. “My eyes”, he motioned with his fingers, “are up here.” He looked pissed off, his hair was shaggy and hid his eyes to a certain extent creating that mysterious yet delicious look, did I just say delicious? Ffffuu… He must have realized your lack of ability to speak because of his nudity, with the corner of his lips twisting into a smile.

To not further embarrass yourself and worsen the situation you cleared your throat and said, “I am sorry, I thought my roommate was a girl/woman hence the shock,” you motioned with your hands towards him and then hit your forehead with your palm. He sniggered and began laughing, “Really? Seems like I have an over-assumer for a roommate…” He dramatically wiped the corners of his eyes in a sympathetic gesture, talk about over drama, this guy. You already were having second thoughts where his beauty and uncivility were not quite turning out to your taste. “Okay, I admit it, it was my fault for assuming you to be a girl and also for barging in without your permission but…” The words died in your mouth the moment you’re itching to ask him what he was doing with his umm hockey stick out, playing poker, taking a shot? What? He must’ve realized it, cause literally every single emotion was written across your face. He began looking around, seemingly uncomfortable at your lack of tact. He slowly retrieved his shirt off the bed and took his time in buttoning from the bottom keeping the top three buttons open for the world to have a look at his chest. Ugh, this ferret, you felt like you’re meeting Draco Malfoy in a 21st Century American flat-sharing chapter. Although his hair was the colour of the starless-night sky, his condescending demeanour sure did sum up the analogy. All this time as he buttoned his shirt, he kept his eyes on you, it was some sort of challenge, who dropped their gaze first. As if I was gonna lose to some dick-dancer, eep, you bit your tongue in the process of naming him. You glared at him as he adorably raised his shoulders to feign ignorance, the nerve of this guy. Why am I even getting agitated just because I happened to meet a naked guy, a very handsome one at that, your mind quipped in. You weren’t even fifteen anymore and you’re pretty much immune to nudity considering how you’d miserably failed to draw a nude model in your art class, you’d taken some weeks back, but it wasn’t even your fault at the first place, the guy’s derriere was way too flat and you couldn’t help but tumble out of the class laughing your head off. You liked a man’s butt sculpted in a rotund fashion just like Michelangelo’s David.

It was way past midnight and you had an early morning lecture to attend, your least favourite course on Middle Ages which you wouldn’t dare miss since it was a compulsory paper. “Listen I really have to get back cause I can’t go to college looking like I had smoked pot till sunrise, so I apologise for intruding upon your privacy.” You said that in one breath and looked at him, he was smiling, “Apology accepted, so let’s go back…” he motioned towards the door and to his bed, “and yeah before I forget,” I was waiting, my back was facing him, “you really are one hell of a cook, g’night!” I waved my hand distractedly; he liked my food? HE LIKED MY FOOD! HE LOVED IT!!!! Wait, so before I could say anymore, he was already reaching for the door and walking towards me, I moved back and hit the door frame and skirted away loudly wishing him a goodnight and many a sweet dream. Like hell, I needed someone to wish those to me since I sure wasn’t getting any, tonight.

Your eyes opened the moment the alarm went off at 5.30 they burnt due to the late-night so-so altercation, since all you could do till 3 in the morning was mentally and physically prepare yourself for a life with a male roommate, it isn’t like we’ll be sharing a bed or something, your tried to reason out but failed miserably since 21st Century Draco was exactly your type, and they make you go weak. You made a mental note to get along with him so that your final year goes really smooth with less distractions and misfortunes.

 PS- I know this is really short, will come back with another part. next week. Have got academic commitments I’ve gotta stay true to, so yep there’s that. Adios readers!

Image courtesy @pinterest

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

IOTA Reviews: Truth

Hey. Hey guys. Remember when I said I was feeling optimistic about this season? God, that was funny, wasn't it?

Let's just... Let's just get into the actual first episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season: Truth.

We start off with Gabriel repairing the damaged Peacock Miraculous, which also restores Duusu's sanity, before he quickly gives it a test run by transforming with both it and the Butterfly Miraculous.

And good lord, the result looks atrocious. This is the design for the new and improved Hawkmoth? First off, the peacock feather eyepatch looks stupid. Is he trying to be the Phantom of the Opera? When Mayura had the same thing, it didn't completely cover her eye and matched her color scheme. It just doesn't match with this new design here. Other than the feather, the peacock aesthetic is barely visible here. The most we get is a peacock feather pattern on the back of his jacket. And then there's the popped collar and coattails, which only look more ridiculous than menacing. What made the original Hawkmoth design work was how sleek it was. It was simplistic, which reflected Gabriel's no-nonense personality. This just looks gaudy and unnecessary. How was this right after the amazing suit the animators gave Dragonbug?

So after Gabriel designs another stupid looking outfit, we cut to Marinette, who's still trying to figure out how the Miracle Ball works. She accidentally opens it, letting the Kwamis out, who wreak havoc on her room because Marinette suffering is going to be a big part of this episode. This just raises the question: Why can't Marinette simply order them back into the box like Su-Han did, or rather, is going to do? It's still not established what gives the Guardians authority over the Kwamis in the first place.

Two of the Kwamis accidentally start a video chat with her friends, leading to some more Unfunny Marinette Slapstick. But Alya thinks something's up with her friend.

Has Marinette even told Alya she's already in a relationship? Like, at all? It feels like all Alya is there for now is to remind the audience that Marinette and Adrien are “meant to be”, even if they're both in relationships right now. It's either that, or teasing Marinette over her crush and doing nothing to help her anxiety.

Marinette accidentally ends the call, before Luka calls to thank her for the pictures of Adrien one of the Kwamis accidentally sent him. Yeah, even though he barely appears in this episode (barring his scenes at Cat Noir), they're going to talk about Adrien a lot. Marinette continues to stammer around Luka (once again making fun of people who have speech issues), but Luka, being the ray of sunshine in any abysmal episode he's in, is completely understanding of it. He also sets up a pretty funny joke.

Apparently, Marinette missed her last date with Luka yesterday to see a movie that was re-released, Crocodile Heart, that was actually Jagged Stone's first movie. I wonder if it's connected to Crocodile Dundee.

While walking to the movie, Luka and Marinette play a game finishing the lyrics of a Jagged Stone song, establishing the former as a huge fan of the rock star. Before we can actually get an on-screen kiss for Lukanette, Mr. Pigeon attacks yet again, because I guess he's the first villain Hawkmoth wants to use in his new form.

Cat Noir sneaks up on Ladybug, causing her to accidentally throw him off a building before catching him, chastising him for the stupid jokes, yet Ladybug has to apologize for missing patrol with her partner, who casually acknowledges her new status as Guardian before the two go and fight Mr. Pigeon.

By the time they defeat him, the movie ends as Marinette gets back, disappointing Luka. We then get a montage of Marinette bailing on Luka multiple times to stop Akumas and Sentimonsters. To his credit, Luka is seriously torn up by all the times Marinette leaves him, showing he isn't just a calm soul.

After Marinette gets back, Luka takes her underneath a bridge to listen to the echoing sound of the water. Luka says that he never knew his father, and he would always go here to relax whenever he got stressed. He uses this to segue into asking Marinette where she constantly disappears to. He doesn't pressure her or anything like Alya, and he even says that if she still loves Adrien, he'll understand. He only asks for the truth. Unfortunately, Marinette can't tell him the truth, which just breaks the poor boy's heart.

Hawkmoth, now calling himself Shadowmoth, sends out an Akuma and an Amok for Luka at the same time, corrupting a guitar pick signed by Jagged Stone that Marinette gave him. And again, to Luka's credit, he fights back against Shadowmoth's influence at first, saying he trusts Marinette, but the temptation of knowing the truth is too good to pass up. He tells Marinette to run before being akumatized into Truth, assisted by the Sentimonster Pharro.

Truth's design is... pretty forgettable. The guitar pick being prominent around his neck is a nice touch, but it's just a generic black bodysuit with light blue highlights, and he has a third eye instead of a visible mouth. Pharro is also pretty boring, just a giant eye that freezes people in place so Truth can use his powers to make them tell the truth.

So Truth goes back to where everyone else was hanging out before he was akumatized and asks Alya to tell him the truth about Marinette.

Yeah, he's right, Alya. That's what you believe. We're supposed to treat Alya saying Marinette loves Adrien as an unbiased source. Truth asks Rose, Mylene, Tom, and Sabine what Marinette's secret is in this episode, and they all say she's in love with Adrien. That isn't actually the truth. It's like asking an atheist if there is a God. You know what they believe is the truth, but you don't know if that answer is actually the truth. Why not have them reveal other secrets about Marinette, giving the audience subtle character details? Like the writers could make someone say stuff like she still sleeps with a nightlight on, or that she secretly gets cookies from another bakery.

You know what also would have worked? Instead, have Truth catch Marinette before she transforms into Ladybug, ask who she actually loved, and then she'll blurt out Adrien's name, shocking both her and Luka. This could also make Ladybug's confidence in herself waver throughout the episode, wondering if she actually loved Luka at all. That would have been much better drama than what we're going to get instead.

Ladybug charges in to stop Truth, but is zapped by his truth ray, meaning she'll be forced to tell the truth when asked any question. Before she can admit her identity, Cat Noir saves her by retreating with her into the Seine, before reassuring Ladybug that he wouldn't force her to tell the truth by force. It's a nice bit that does show he respects Ladybug's secret, a far cry from his behavior in episodes like “Syren” and “Frozer”. Truth turns his attention to his mother Anarka, and asks who his father is.

Yes. Seriously. This is happening. Luka's father is actually Jagged Stone. I have... mixed feelings regarding this development, but my biggest question is, well... they're doing this now? They couldn't save this for another episode? I mean, was focusing on Luka and Marinette's relationship (something that had been established since Season 2) not good enough of a plot for the writers? Why shoehorn in this plot development? Why not save this part as a teaser for a future episode? You know, have Luka walk home, and remember what he made his mother say as Truth, setting up an episode focusing on his relationship with Jagged Stone.

But no! Instead, we're just supposed to go along with the plot taking a detour. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't want Jagged Stone to appear in this episode.

Truth heads over to the hotel where Jagged Stone lives and asks him if he's actually his father, the latter admitting that Anarka was right. Truth naturally isn't happy.

Well, to be fair, it's still a better title than his first drafts, like “It's Not My Fault the Condom Broke”, or “Up Yours, I'm Not Paying the Child Support, Bitch”.

Honestly, I can get what the writers are going for, and I like the idea of them trying to give some depth to a character who was mostly used for comic relief in earlier episodes. The problem is, as much as they want to portray Jagged as regretful for walking out on his family, it still doesn't excuse him for never even bothering to check in on his children and their mother while writing a song about it. He doesn't even bother to give some money to the person he knocked up.

I'm not saying a conflicted relationship like this can't work in animation (a decent example being Steven Universe slowly growing to resent his mother for her time as Pink Diamond and believing his birth was an excuse for her to avoid responsibility), but you need to put more emotion into this. I don't come from a broken home, but if it turned out my dad was, let's say, “Weird Al” Yankovic, even if I enjoy his music, I wouldn't be happy that he decided to come back now of all times without so much as a “hello”.

Truth goes to Marinette's house/bakery, and starts looking for Marinette's diary to find out her secrets. It's almost like the minor plotline that he has a deadbeat dad was only there to eat up airtime. Ladybug is still affected by Truth's powers, and not long after she summons her Lucky Charm, Cat Noir is zapped too, so he starts asking questions that basically amount to complimenting certain qualities he and Ladybug have. When Ladybug asks him what he thinks about her being Guardian, Cat Noir says nothing's changed between them. It's a nice strategy, very reminiscent of when they had to talk in rhyme when fighting Frightengale. I'm also glad they aren't trying to play up Cat Noir not feeling as important immediately now that his partner has access to top secret information.

Cat Noir Cataclysms Pharro, but rather than destroying the Sentimonster, it causes it to go out of control, accidentally paralyzing Truth with some manipulation from her and Cat Noir. Ladybug then de-evilizes both the Akuma and Amok, defeating Truth.

Marinette struggles to find the words to explain things to Luka, but he says that he'll be waiting for her when she's ready. While walking back to his houseboat, Luka runs into Jagged Stone, who promises to write a song together with him. Because I guess Shadowmoth was kind enough of him to not erase that part of his memory. And of course, Luka just accepts this despite the fact that Jagged was absent from his entire life.

So according to this show, you shouldn't bother to give mean people a second chance, but it's okay to give your deadbeat dad a second chance without harboring any negative feelings? I'm sorry, but I just don't see the point of shoving in this subplot if you're barely going to do anything with it before coming to a resolution. If there was more detail put into it, like if Luka just angrily lashed out at Jagged for abandoning his mom, I would have been more open to it. But in the end, this major character revelation is nothing more than filler the episode doesn't need.

We cut to what I'm surprised doesn't happen at the end of every episode given how much crap she gets, Marinette crying in her bed, saying it's too dangerous to have a boyfriend thanks to Shadowmoth. One of the Kwamis apparently doesn't know what crying is, so Marinette asks them to give her a hug, and the showrunners really need to find another song to play at the end, because the upbeat song playing doesn't go with Marinette crying at all. Imagine if this song played at the end of Deep Space Nine's “In the Pale Moonlight” when Captain Sisko confessed to basically being an accessory to the murder of an alien ambassador. It'd be tonally jarring, wouldn't it?

Even the ending image doesn't feature Luka and Marinette together. Instead, he's hugging it out with Deadbeat Stone like everything's okay.

So yeah, that's how the episode ends. In case you couldn't tell, I thought it was awful.

Remember in my New York Special review, where I theorized that Astruc rewrote it to focus more on Adrienette to stop people from shipping Lukanette? I have another theory that I also want to be taken with a grain of salt. I think this episode might have also been rewritten a little to follow up on that. I mean, why else would Astruc spend two seasons building up Luka's relationship with Marinette only to rip it away the episode after they officially get together? It would also explain why it feels like there's two separate episodes going on with how shoehorned in Jagged Stone is.

But other than that, this episode managed to screw up the one thing I was actually looking forward to about this season, seeing Marinette together with Luka. Even if they were going to break up, I was hoping there would at least be a character arc for Marinette where she realizes what she truly wants in a relationship isn't with Luka, leading into a relationship with Adrien where she feels more confident in herself. I was at least hoping their relationship would last more than A SINGLE EPISODE.

In fact, remember that tweet Astruc made soon after the New York Special, defending Marinette and Adrien essentially cheating on Luka and Kagami respectively?

What exactly was so complicated about Season 4 when you're immediately going to break up a couple you spent two seasons building up? Astruc's predictions are about as accurate as Uri Geller.

And then there's the fact that all everyone talks about this episode is Adrien. Marinette's wall is covered with pictures of him, Alya thinks her friend's abnormal behavior is because Adrien's in the room with her, Luka somehow knows Marinette loves Adrien and is actually cool with it, and everyone else thinks that it's her biggest secret. How convenient is it that all of this happens when barring his scenes as Cat Noir, Adrien doesn't appear in this episode barring a five second cameo?

When I was writing this episode, I saw a tweet Astruc made addressing a question someone posed, asking why Adrien didn't get as much screentime in the recent Shanghai Special. He said that “history does not revolve around him”.

For the love of God, writers, just give Marinette a plotline that doesn't revolve around her feelings for Adrien for once. People already started to get sick of it halfway through last season. Either have her confess and make the Love Square canon, or stop letting it dominate the main story for once. Why can't the writers just let her move on from Adrien for more than a single episode? Give her a goddamn break already.

I once again have to ask: what was the point of building up a relationship between Luka and Marinette since Season 2, if you're just going to break them up the second they get together? Why make a big deal about Marinette's conflicted feelings for both Adrien and Luka if you're just going to ignore her feelings for the latter in favor of the former? And remember, chronologically, this was right after the end of Chloe's “damnation arc”, another plotline that had been built up since Season 2 only to be aborted in favor of “sUbVeRtInG tHe AuDiEnCe'S eXpEcTaTiOnS”. It feels like the writers are trying to punish people for getting emotionally invested in any storyline that doesn't relate to the holy pairing that is the Love Square.

This episode is just frustrating to watch. Part of me knew Marinette and Luka were going to break up, but I didn't think it would be this bad, and it would be so soon. I'm glad they're on somewhat good terms, and I liked the buildup to Luka realizing Marinette might not trust him, but the timing of this episode is what baffles me the most. Is it any wonder I think Astruc may have rewritten this episode?

If any Lukanette shippers need to recover, I'd recommend checking out @mc-lukanette​. They have some wholesome one-shots and fix-it fics for some of the weaker episodes of the series. In fact, she already wrote a fix-it to this abysmal episode that’s so much better than what we got.

[miraculouscontent]

You’re getting one reply, my dude.

Chat Noir did NOT fall in love with Ladybug on first sight. It was kinda the same way as with Luka; she was little awkward and anxious at first, but later showed how amazing she is. This is what made BOTH Luka AND Chat fall in love with her. So I don't understand why you see Luka positively and Chat negatively.

“First sight” is referring to “first episode,” so “Origins” for love square and “Captain Hardrock” for Lukanette. That’s not even the issue

Also, no. Luka was charmed by Marinette before he saw how “amazing” she was (at best, he heard about the photo curse breakage from Juleka given that the “Reflekta” picture is hanging where Luka can clearly see it from his bed), and then he fell deeper with the whole, “that girl is incredibly brave” line, whereas Chat Noir only got big heart eyes and started being interested in Ladybug when she was doing “amazing things.”

Marinette disliked Adrien at first. That was due to the situation.

...Yeah? A very dumb situation and misunderstanding that led to needless drama and the briefest one-sided “Enemy to Friend to Crush” subplot that I have ever seen and still made the jump all the more jarring? Lukanette’s “problem” revolves around the love square existing, not misunderstandings that hold no weight or value (even Adrimi is guilty of this because Kagami thinks that Adrien loves Marinette; Lukanette is the only ship free of misunderstandings), which is why it’s so ridiculous to me when people say “you can’t ship Lukanette because Adrien/love square,” because shipping Lukanette (as with any other Marinette ship) would usually imply that the love square isn’t a problem anymore..

And he din't lie. Adrien said that he's never had any friends BESIDE CHLOE.

Ohohooookay, now you are literally lying about what is said in the actual “Origins” episode, or just not telling the full truth.

Because yes, Adrien did say that he’s never had any friends besides Chloe... to Nino.

Adrien: I've known Chloé since I was a little kid. I know she's not perfect, but I can't throw her under the bus. She's like my only friend.

But what does he say when it’s time to clear the air with Marinette?

Adrien: Hey. I just wanted you to know that I was only trying to take the chewing gum off your seat, I swear. I've never been to school before. I've never had friends.

He tells her that he’s never had friends, yet he tells Nino that Chloe is “like his only friend” and will go on later in “Malediktator” to explicitly say that Chloe is his friend.

Adrien being Chloe’s friend in “Origins” was a huge dealbreaker for both Alya and Marinette, then Adrien lied to her and said that he’s never had any friends (which, I get it, a lot of people miss because I fully admit that the atmosphere in the umbrella scene is really good and you will miss it if you’re a heavy shipper not focusing on the details; you can say it a nicer way by going, “he worded it poorly” or “the writers are bad at dialog,” but the fact is that he told her something that wasn’t true), which started their relationship on false pretenses. It’s just like in “Gamer” where he exaggerates (whether intentionally or otherwise) to fish for someone’s pity/sympathy/forgiveness.

Adrien has tried and actually confessed his love to Ladybug. Ladybug knows that Chat loves her. Marinette has never gotten the chance to do that. She's also sending mixed signals when she panics.

So when Marinette would have the chance to confess, she doesn't and instead denies it. This isn't her fault, but it does mean that Adrien can't be sure. She's told him that she's not in love with him. So you can't really compare Chat and Marinette.

Yes I absolutely can and I absolutely will, because Adrien not being sure about how she feels sure didn’t stop him when Ladybug has repeatedly pushed him away when he’s leaned close to her/tried to kiss her hand. Like, wow that’s sure interesting how “Marinette might love someone else, maybe these hearts are friendly” (because yes, he would absolutely be dense enough for that) didn’t stop him from confessing to her in “Chat Blanc” the instant he thought she was Ladybug.

Same with “Stormy Weather 2,” he doesn’t even consider the what ifs of if she were in love with him and what his reaction would be, and “Weredad” is basically a full confirmation that he’s not interested in her. He’s basically like, “Meh, she doesn’t love me, so it doesn’t matter.”

Ladybug also hasn't said ,,I don't feel about you that way". She kind of talked around it because she doesn't want to hurt him.

My dude, my bro, my guy, don’t be in my inbox to come at me with arguments unless you’re ready for me to pull out the transcripts.

Ladybug in “Glaciator“: Listen, I don't wanna play around with your feelings. It would be the same as lying to you. I don't wanna do that. You're more than a partner, Cat Noir. You're my friend. And I'd never wanna lie to a friend.

Cat Noir: Why do you think it'd be lying?

Ladybug: Because there's this boy I...

Adrien later, a direct confirmation to the audience that he’s aware that Ladybug doesn’t feel that way for him: Perhaps Ladybug will love me someday. I mean, like I love her.

Ladybug in “Frozer” because clearly that message didn’t get through anyway: I can't accept this rose from you. I told you already. I'm in love with someone else. (after which he asks about “what if this guy didn’t exist” which means literally nothing and is just him reaching unless he’s planning to enact a murder which he obviously isn’t)

Ladybug in “Ladybug” because he’s still hoping for no reason: But the real Ladybug's heart still belongs to someone else.

Ladybug again in “Miracle Queen”: I can't be in love with you Cat Noir, you know that.

Seems pretty clear to me.

Besides, it wasn't the fact that Marinette confessed nor the fact they knew their identities that the world ended. It was because Gabriel was still Hawkmoth, so he manipulated the situation to his advantage.

Yes? And then Chat Blanc told her that “our love did this,” which puts blame on Marinette. That’s my point (though I’ll let Chat Blanc off the hook for that one since he’s akumatized... however it still doesn’t make much sense as to how he knows that Gabriel saw him transform unless he knew that Gabriel was watching from somewhere (it was Nathalie and Gorilla actually); he could’ve just presumed that Gabriel had known for a while, there was no evidence he saw that told him it was him transforming into Chat Noir in front of Nathalie and Gorilla that tipped Gabriel off and it’s also super unfair to blame Marinette for it anyway when it was Gabriel behind this whole thing but sure, just make Marinette feel at fault for the world almost ending).

Because that’s what the love square is all about; making Marinette feel bad about liking a boy, Marinette being humiliated for trying to confess to said boy, the universe constantly sabotaging her whenever she manages to do something right, having Marinette reconsider her feelings for Chat Noir AND blush at his cheek kiss after he ditched her as Adrien (presumably; we never saw Gabriel tell Adrien he couldn’t go and Chat Noir made plans with Ladybug as if he planned to ditch them even if Gabriel didn’t do anything) to go prepare a date with Ladybug (wow that sure is interesting how we don’t get an equivalent moment for Marinette from Adrien in “Chat Blanc” at the end, almost like they only care about making Chat Noir feel good about himself and not Marinette), then get mad when Ladybug doesn’t show up even after she tells him that she has prior plans, throwing a tantrum mid-battle and forcing her to apologize first before he’s finally like, “no... I’m sorry,” and then has the gall to add, “Maybe another time.”

Adrimi didn’t need to exist to torment Marinette. The love square already does a good enough job of that and I despise its very existence in all aspects of the writing.

Chat Noir got his damn closure, he just refuses to give up on the very first girl he saw when he went out heroing (I thought he just wanted to make friends but I guess he decided that wasn’t enough for him and “making friends” was immediately sidelined in favor of chasing after “his lady” (ugh)), who he doesn’t know the likes/dislikes of, who he can’t know the identity of, and who he can’t see all parts of because she has to maintain a professional attitude or everyone in Paris is going to die.

Marinette still hasn’t gotten her closure, so it’s no wonder to me why she’s still pining and struggling, especially when people like Alya keep pushing for the love square even when she asks her for help seeing Adrien as a friend.

[shingia]

Hi!! Could I request a s/o who is like *really* bad at cookingSJDJ with kuroo, Bokuto, oikawa and Daichi please? Ty!!!

✗ HQ BOYS WITH A S/O WHO’S REALLY BAD AT COOKING ✗

omg i am so sorry it took me so long to post this but for some reason i just wasn’t satisfied and rewrote it like- three times ?? but anywayss, thank you for the request, i relate to this a lot 🥲

-> timeskip! kuroo, bokuto, oikawa, daichi

— KUROO

probably teases you 95% of the time : « remember yesterday? when i told you you were perfect? well... i’m afraid i might have to take it back », while staring at the burnt vegetables in the pan.

but what he loves most about this situation is how easily impressed you are by his cooking. definitely wiggles his eyebrows whenever he catches you staring at him while he’s making dinner

but since kuroo is a nice guy after all, he never makes you feel unwelcome in the kitchen. even if you almost intoxicated him once, he’ll always let you try again. i also feel like he would take a picture of all your failed dishes, print them and then put them on your fridge door (he calls it « the door of shame »)

he also never makes a big deal out of your mistakes, if anything he finds it cute. the amount of time he pinches your cheeks when he sees you struggle with your preparation is pretty impressive

« tetsu this is hardly the time »

« oh it is always the time », before pinching it just a little bit harder

— OIKAWA

oh you can’t cook? no problem, he can. breakfast, lunch, dinner, he takes care of everything

still, he accepted to say that you had cooked together the first time his parents came over for dinner, because he knew you really wanted to make a good impression. but then you both started to fear that, in the future, his mom might ask for your help in the kitchen. so he decided that you had to improve your cooking skills

and he’s a pretty good teacher! but saying that he doesn’t use this as an opportunity to spend more time with you would be a lie. he definitely puts his hands over yours to help you cut the ingredients faster... and he thinks he’s so smooth

but the day he walked in on you ‘practicing’ in the kitchen for your next meeting with his mom? oh he was so proud. and also a bit emotional, because this looked a lot like something a married couple would do. actually, it did give him an idea or two...

BOKUTO

oh he is so relieved. because he’s far from being a chef himself so he was lowkey afraid that you’d make fun of his poor cooking skills. which doesn’t mean that you two stay away from the kitchen, quite the contrary. i mean, it’s not like you have anything to lose...

bokuto is so careful to never hurt your feelings that he will eat whatever you cooked until his plate is squeaky clean. even if it was completely burnt. and if you ever get him to admit that yes, you’re terrible at cooking, he will make sure to list at least five qualities of yours right after :

« sure, you might not be able to cook pasta,,, but you’re smart, you’re reliable, funny, kind... you’re also really hot »

to be honest, bokuto’s only concern about your cooking skills is that, if neither of you know how to make a decent dish, then who’s going to cook for your kids ? it’s actually such a big concern that he impulsively decided to enroll both of you in cooking classes

... before realizing that he could have just asked akaashi for help instead of spending an outrageous amount of money on that

— DAICHI

oh my.. you’re gonna learn. he won’t leave you any choice. but luckily for you he’s a great teacher. the only problem is that he has much less patience than on the court

« no that’s not… you’re not supposed to… it’s more like… nevermind, move over i’ll do it myself »

then he’s going to try his best to make you feel like you’re not completely useless in the kitchen. and by that i mean that he’ll congratulate you for the most insignificant things

« you greased the pan ? fantastic ! » when he just finished cooking a meal for six people

definitely ruffles your hair every time he passes you in the kitchen, and also keeps an eye on you at all times. just in case, you know ?

and when you ask him to taste what you’re cooking halfway through the recipe, he always has the same reaction : he turns the stove off, grabs your hands really gently, smiles and say « takeout it is » followed by a kiss on your forehead

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