#Alya!Bashing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aliensunflower-fics · 2 years

Text

CHANGING FACES Chapter 3: Where Are We Going

[ Prefer to Read on Archive of Our Own? Link HERE! ]

[ Previous Chapter - Next Chapter ]

After years of dealing with each other Lila Rossi win's when she convinces Hawkmoth that Marinette is Ladybug. In order to throw off suspicion and keep the Miracle Box safe Marinette and her supportive parents leave Paris and head to Gotham of all places. In this new place away from her friends and her unhealthy routines Marinette is forced to confront herself and change for the better. Helping her on her journey is a surprising new friend and potential ally. When Alya missing her friend learns about the chance to win a free trip to Gotham she convinces the class to work hard to qualify. When her new life clashes with her old one will Marinette be able to hold on strong to her new confidence or will she crumble under the pressure?

( This fic will be for the most part comedic, fluffy, and sweet, with only a bit of seriousness to tie it together. With only the mildest salt because I don't think the class or Adrien are bad people just that they can be naive and selfish thanks to the canon writing. I hope you enjoy reading this work and have fun with me on this journey. )

CHAPTER 3:

Where Are We Going

Marinette felt tired. Not the kind or tired that could be slept off but something DEEPER. It was an exhaustion that seeped deep into her bones and left her feeling heavy. Her limbs felt like rocks and her fingers ached. Her mind begged for the sweet escape of dreamless sleep. Yet voices tickled the edge of her conscious mind slowly leading her back to the waking world. Whoever was talking was trying to be considerate of her, speaking in hushed tones with all the lights but a small table lamp off.

Blinking slowly, Marinette’s groggy mind took in the hideous pattern on the hotel's cheap curtains and the smell of cheap greasy takeout pizza somewhere in the room. Finally her ears seemed to pop and the whispered voices of her mother and father hit her brain causing her muscles to relax. They were here, they were all safe, as Marinette’s eyes drooped she smiled contently ready to let her mind drift away to the black seas of sleep once more. That is until she heard Tikki’s signature squeaky voice thanking ‘Tom’ for the sugar cookies. All at once Marinette felt wide awake and bolted upright, shocking everyone in the room into silence.

There on the other side of the hotel room sitting in the too small, too cheap wooden chairs eating cheap pizza and terrible store bought sugar cookies and holding a conversation like old friends was Marinette’s dear parents, her kwami and Trixx who looked like they were delighted by everything.

The silence stretched for a moment or two before Sabine sighed, shook her head and smiled warmly at her daughter.

“I think we have some things to talk about mon petite choux, but first why don’t you grab a bite to eat you must be hungry and its going to be a bit of a late night.”

At her mothers words Marinette felt her breath hitch as she swallowed down her panic, with a small nod she inched closer to the end of the bed nervously taking the offered slice of pepperoni pizza. It was lukewarm and greasy but biting into it felt like heaven as her body finally registered just how hungry she was, as usual her mother was right. For a while Marinette just ate her pizza with her parents while the Kwami nibbled on their provided cookies. It was strange and peaceful. As Marinette finished up her second slice and reached for her third the silence was finally broken again by her mother who seemed to know what she said while her father still languished in uncertainty.

“Marinette… We… We just want you to know. How proud of you we are.”

Marinette swallowed hard and looked away, unable to make eye contact with her family.

“H-How did you figure it out? Kwami can’t tell others who there chosen are a-and… I thought- at least Fu told me that magic was protecting my identity?” Marinette heard her father’s nervous throat clearing as Tikki swallowed down her cookie and hovered up to Marinette eye level.

“They figured it out earlier after you fell asleep, Marinette. I let them see me and told them who I was. It all seemed to fall into place after that.”

“But…Tikki WHY? T-The rules w-we cant just… Have… Have I not been a good enough Ladybug? Are you leaving?”

Tikki gasped in horror and flew over quickly soothing Marinette by hugging her face.

“No, no! My little bug it's nothing like that I… I decided you needed some help. Marinette you have been doing such a good job and you have been doing it all alone for so long. Master Fu was foolish to think anyone could or should carry such a heavy burden without support and we should have broken the rules a long time ago!”

Marinette nodded numbly trying to process Tikki’s words. She did not want to admit it but she’d been drowning for so long that as horrible as it felt to have her identity exposed as terrifying as it was to go against the rules she felt relief flooding her system as she exhaled a shaky breath.

“How much did you tell them?” At this her father let out an awkward cough and shifted in his far too small hotel chair trying to get comfortable.

“She told us a lot. Marinette sweetie… We're not mad. We could never be mad, you’ve been so strong and so brave, your mother is right, we are so proud of you.”

Marinette felt her face flush and her eyes burn as hot tears gathered in her burning tired eyes. She had never once become Ladybug for the praise or fame she had never expected or wanted it, and in fact she had many times resented being Ladybug hated the lies and the act she had to put on each and every day to keep others safe and to keep them out. But hearing her parents tell her how proud they were felt like a weight being lifted off her heart. A broken hiccup left her body and Marinette realized she was crying.

“M-Mom Dad… I’m- I'm so sorry! I n-never wanted to lie I-I had to I-I’m sorry im so so sorry.”

“Oh non! No no no my little one my sweet pastry!” Marinette felt the warm heavy arms of her father envelop her as he moved to the bed, the cheap mattress dipping under his weight causing her to fall into him. “You don’t need to apologize for anything.”

“Your friend Tikki told us about the rules the previous master put in place. She told us about everything you have been through. Our big strong girl. If anyone should be sorry it's us. We should have known it was you, even with magic guarding your identity how could we be so blind.”

Marinette sobbed harder at her mothers words, opening her arms to accept her mothers embrace as she cried harder.

“B-But I’m the reason Hawkmoth burned down our home! I’m the reason the bakery is gone! I-Its all my fault!”

Marinette felt her mother stiffen at her words and was shocked when her mother pulled back and grabbed her face firmly into her calloused hands forcing Marinette to stare into the fiery eyes of her mother.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng none of this is your fault! That reject Disney villain has been tormenting Paris for years! He has killed people with his akumas and never once shown remorse or guilt for using even babies to achieve his goals! And you, our brave beautiful girl, you have saved people's lives over and over, you have given up hobbies, concerts, and your own peace of mind to be a hero. Your father and I are scared for you, were angry at Hawkmoth, we wish we knew sooner but angry? Never, not with you my beautiful little peanut.”

As her mothers words sunk in, Marinette felt a fresh wave of tears fill her eyes and she threw herself into her mothers arms while her fathers large warm hand rubbed circles into her back.

They let Marinette cry until she was done and had her breathing back under control at which point they gave her water and more food. While she drank and ate, a sudden thought hit Marinette.

“What are we going to do now?”

Tom and Sabine exchanged a look before nodding and smiling at each other. As Sabine got up to retrieve something from there meager belongings Tom beamed warmly at his daughter though Marinette did not miss the tired bags that hung under his eyes.

“Did we ever tell you about how we met my little choux bun?”

Marinette’s eyebrows creased together as she thought about it.

“You met… At college right? Dad was doing a baking course and mom was studying business. Mom had been working herself too hard and not eating so her blood sugar totally crashed and you found her half collapsed on a bench and offered her pastries right?”

Tom chuckled fondly at the memory and nodded.

“Yes, that's right. But do you know WHERE we met?”

“Where? … Dad, what do you mean? Wait… You didn’t meet in Paris?”

Sabine giggled at her daughter's shocked expression and sat next to her once more, opening the old family album that had been lucky to survive the fire in a fireproof safe. As she flipped through the pages Marinette took in all the familiar pictures of herself and her family, the bakery, and her childhood from her first time making cookies to her first tooth, but as they flipped to older pictures Marinette began to see more things she did not recognize. Her parents' marriage, a small private affair in some miscellaneous park. But then they flipped past even those going back to even younger images and Marinette realized quickly what her father was hinting at.

“These pictures… You guys met in… America?”

Sabine smiled warmly as she touched a picture of her and Tom’s first cake together. “We met in Gotham.”

Marinette sucked in a breath of air as her eyes widened. She looked between her parents' confusion and questions evident on her face. After a brief silence Sabine cleared her throat and flipped back to some older photos and began her tale.

“When I was little, your grandma had very big dreams for me. She wanted me to become a big shot business woman, make lots of money and take care of the whole family. She made me study endlessly and never cared about my own dreams and passions. Just like your great uncle I liked to cook but your grandma did not care. I worked hard and got accepted into an American college. I knew how dangerous Gotham was but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get far away from your grandma and your great uncle encouraged me. He told me I needed to free myself and learn what I wanted to do. The rest you know, I was studying so hard I never ate and then your dad found me.”

Marinette nodded slowly then looked at her dad curiously. He smiled and leaned over to flip the albums pages before pointing at a beautiful old building with a much younger Grandma Gina and Tom in front of it.

“As you know your Grandma Gina and Granpa Roland had a rocky marriage. Your grandma liked to go fast, and she liked to see the world and everything in it. Your grandpa thought moving that often wasn’t good for me so he refused to go, this made their relationship rocky, they were always fighting. Finally your god-father Alfred got in the middle, he suggested a compromise. A second home somewhere fun and exciting for Gina and we could spend our summers there. Grandma chose Gotham the same place Alfred lived and I spent my summers there growing up even after the divorce. So when it was time for me to go to college I decided I wanted to live in Gotham and attend the college baking course. And then I met your mother.”

Marinette mulled over the new information carefully taking in the photos carefully.

“How long did you and mom live there?”

Tom chuckled slightly and flipped through several pages until they landed on a photo Marinette had never seen before. She was a newborn baby in her mothers arms as her parents were posed in front of an old bakery. Marinette realized that it was the same building as the earlier picture with her grandma and her dad.

“I was… BORN THERE?” Marinette touched the image in awe and then felt a sting in her heart, “Why didn't you ever tell me? Why not talk about it? H-How did it never come up once when grandpa Alfred came to visit!?”

Sabine exchanged a look with Tom before she cleared her throat.

“We… Your father and I… We loved Gotham. It is a gloomy place with a lot of crime and problems but the people there are GOOD people. They protect their own, and they work hard to try and make their city better. It was the place where we met, the place we got married, and the place where we had you, our beautiful little girl. But…”

Marinette felt her stomach drop. “But?”

“It is dangerous there Marinette. And when you were still just a baby you and your mother got pulled into a bad attack, you both came out okay thanks to Batman but we realized then that our life wasn’t a safe one to raise a baby in.”

Sabine nodded gravely to her husband's words.

“Your father and I both knew how to defend ourselves. We even taught other people self defense on weekends at the local gym as volunteer work. But you were just a baby and we got scared about losing you. So we made the decision to abandon our lives in Gotham and come to Paris. We always told ourselves we’d go back to Gotham someday when you were older and until then we didn’t talk about it, not because we didn’t want to but because I wasn’t ready yet I got so scared remembering almost losing you and when we were finally ready to tell you and move back to Gotham you… Met Alya.”

Marinette blinked confused and furrowed her brows. “What does Alya have to do with this?”

“Well…” Sabine looked over at Tom who took over the conversation.

“You had been getting bullied by Chloe all those years. We were doing everything to get you out without pulling you from Dupont because we knew it was one of the best schools, but it wasn’t working. We saw how your confidence was dipping and how you were so unhappy so we thought that maybe it was time to make the move. You were 12 and knew how to defend yourself thanks to all your lessons with your mom and me. But then you came home from your first day of school and you were so happy.”

Sabine smiled fondly. “You had made a friend and you were talking about how excited you were, then you ran for your class president position and won and we saw how you were blooming and we could not take that away from you so we pushed Gotham aside.”

“But… But you both love it there?! Why would you do that why didn’t you tell me at least I-I don't understand-”

“We didn’t want you to make a decision for our sake.”

Marinette snapped her mouth shut, denial dying on her lips. She knew exactly what her parents were talking about. Since Lila had begun manipulating the class and having them ask more and more of her, Marinette had learned that she had a serious problem standing up for herself. If her parents had approached her wanting to move to Gotham when she was younger even with her Ladybug responsibilities she would have folded like a deck of cards and likely stretched herself thin trying to make everyone happy and do everything.

“We wanted you to have a choice about the move. And you have always been so caring and considerate of others and if you had known how much me and your father loved Gotham we knew you’d agree to move even if you didn’t want to. So we held off saying anything and we were just happy to see you become so confident and happy.” Sabine bit her lip and chewed at the loose skin. “Recently… We had seen how stressed you were becoming, and how your friends were treating you. Before all this happened we were planning on telling you again and asking you if maybe you’d like to move to Gotham, but now with everything… Well the conversation happened a bit sooner than we had planned. But what do you say Peanut? Wanna go on a new adventure and move to Gotham?”

Marinette nodded slowly and looked at Tikki and Trixx on the table who had been enjoying there cookies in relative silence the whole time.

“Tikki, what do YOU think?” At the name the small god blinked her antenna twitching.

“I think you need to be the one to decide Marinette this is your life, and you are our guardian. We trust you because you have always taken such good care of us all these years.”

Marinette flinched at Tikki’s words and dug her nails into her skin. She wanted to deny Tikki’s words but she knew the tiny god was speaking from the heart. Marinette often gave the kwami freedom, she talked with them, she was their friend and guardian and she valued them as people, something Tikki and the others had told her was rare so even though Marinette did not believe in herself she believed in the honesty behind Tikki’s words.

“I… I’ll need to use the horse Kwami Kaalki to travel back to Paris whenever an akuma happens.”

“That's not a problem, you have the same blood sugar problem as your mom so we can inform whatever new school you go to that you might need to leave class at times to take care of that.”

Marinette blinked, shocked at her dad's willingness to lie but then she snorted and smiled. It felt nice having someone to help her guard her secret identity.

“If Marinette leaves Paris Hawkmoth will stop suspecting me as Ladybug so that's a bonus, I’d be able to decompress after fights and let myself feel emotions without worrying about akumatization. I also won't have to worry about the bakery getting crushed by another toddler akuma.”

Tikki and her parents watched her in silence letting her talk herself through her thoughts and plan as she often did when processing her stress and fear.

“Gotham has some of the best schools, and I’d be living in Uncle Jagged city AND in grandpa Alfred’s city… But… But where will we live, how will we make money, and what about school and then there's Alya and everyone back home and what if Ladybug gets to Paris too late??”

Before Marinette could spiral further her mother took her hands and squeezed hard pulling Marinette out of her downward fall as she tools several deep breaths and focused on her mother who was guiding her through the breathing slowly.

“You don’t need to worry about all the details, Marinette. We still own the old bakery from the pictures, your father and I could never bring ourselves to sell it so we kept it. It will need a bit of paint and the Marinette touch but it's got good bones and it's a bigger building.”

“As for school, well… You may not know this but your godfather Alfred is the butler and in many ways the father and grandfather to a very rich and influential family He’s told us all about Gotham Academy and I know my beautiful incredible daughter will be a perfect fit.”

“Gotham Academy? Are you sure we can afford it? And don’t tell me your gonna have grandpa Alfred ask his employers for a favor! I don’t need or want the help of some rich people we don't know.”

Sabine laughed openly at Marinette's pouty face. “My daughter? Need a hand out? No, but Alfred has told us all about the scholarships there. You are as brilliant as you are talented even if it is a bit past the start of the school year I’m sure we can get you one and if not we will find another school that recognizes what a talent you are.”

Marinette’s cheeks flushed red at her mothers teasing proud words and she pulled nervously on her long dark hair as she bit her cheek and thought about it.

“What about… Alya and my friends? Moving it sounds so amazing, a fresh start, somewhere new, the ability to let myself feel, and the distance from Hawkmoth it all sounds incredible but… What if I lose everyone here?”

Tom squeezed his daughter's leg comfortingly and smiled at her warmly. “Do you think Alya and the others are the type of people who will just forget you?”

“... No… I trust Alya. It's… Someone else I don’t trust and I’m worried what that person will do.”

“You're talking about that Lila girl again aren't you?” Marinette nodded stiffly, leaning into her mother for comfort.

“If she hasn’t succeeded yet, then I don’t think you need to worry. BUT if she does succeed then painful as it may be you will learn who your real friends are, but what you need to decide now is where you trust Alya to be your friend even if you're across an ocean.”

Marinette took a moment to think, letting her mothers words hit her fully. Alya was her friend and despite all the damage Lila had done and all the problems shed created Marinette still cared about Alya and valued her friendship and she knew despite everything that Alya felt the same. They were bffs and for now Marinette was willing to trust in the bonds she’d made and believe that Alya would be there for her ocean or not.

Marinette took a deep breath and felt her heart and mind settle. She knew what was best now, for ladybug, for the kwami, for her family, for paris, but most importantly what would be best for herself and who she wanted to become moving forward.

Looking at her family, Marinette smiled warmly.

“Gotham, sounds perfect.”

[ Wanna Support Me? Donate HERE! ]

[ Wanna Read More? Masterlist HERE! ]

( I hope I’m releasing the chapters at a good steady pace and that you guys like it so far feedback and comments are always appreciated and thank you for your patience with my spelling and grammar english is not my first language! )

#daminette #salt fic #class salt #alya salt #alya sugar #alya redemption #adrien salt #lila rossi gets exposed #lila salt #lila bashing #class redemption #Marinette deserves better #BAMF Marinette #miraculous fanfic #marinette x damian #maribat #my fic #Changing Faces Fic

156 notes · View notes

wordsofrowan · 10 months

Text

From Ashes to Embers

Chapter 14 - You Can't Cover All Your Wounds in Band-Aids

Time passed, with each second feeling like a cruel reminder of how lonely I was. The weight of my double life as Ladybug and the constant battle against Shadow Moth consumed my days. I yearned for a way to bring an end to his reign of darkness, to regain my freedom and be myself once more.

In my room, photographs adorned the walls, capturing moments of joy and friendship. Adrien's charming smile, Luka's gentle gaze, and the laughter shared with my friends stared back at me. Barkk and Ziggy fluttered over to the corkboard where the pictures were displayed.

Barkk, ever the worrier, chimed in, "I told you we should've taken the photos down! They only bring you sadness, Marinette."

I held my gaze on the photos, my voice barely a whisper. "Please don't," I pleaded, my words tinged with a mix of determination and sadness. "Stop, Barkk. I'm not sad, and these photos don't bother me. They're a reminder of who I am and what I'm fighting for. So it's all good." I forced a humorless chuckle, desperately trying to convince myself. "There's no problem, you see?"

Amidst the emotional turmoil, my phone buzzed incessantly, another call demanding my attention. Frustration surged within me, and I sent the call straight to voicemail, not wanting to face the outside world just yet. A couple of minutes passed, and the phone buzzed again, indicating that a voicemail had been left.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I played the voicemail. The familiar voices of my friends filled the airwaves, their warmth seeping through the recording. I heard Alya's energetic voice followed by the cheerful greetings of Rose, Juleka, Mylene, and Alix. "Hey Marinette, it's us!" they chimed in unison. "We're just calling to tell you that we're here if you need to talk. Whenever you want, wherever you want, give us a call back." There was a brief pause, and then I heard Alya's voice again, softer and tinged with sadness. "We miss you."

I felt a mix of emotions well up inside me, a combination of longing, guilt, and a deep sense of isolation. Unable to bear the weight of their words, I deleted the voicemail, my heart heavy with conflicting emotions. In a moment of frustration, I impulsively chucked my phone across the room, the sound of it hitting the wall echoing my inner turmoil.

“Come on we gotta do something!” Barkk shouted out as he hovered over my frame. I grabbed one of my pillows and put it over my head.

“If only Tikki were here,” Wyazz chimed in, “She would know how to help Marinette.”

“I got an idea!” Trixx announced as he pulled the pillow off my head, “Why aren’t you using the light box to talk to your friends?” he asked as he floated in front of my face.

“What’s there to talk about?” Turning my head away from Trixx, I said, “Everything’s fine.”

Trixx persisted, "Don't you think you should detransform then? Maybe it's time to take a break."

I shook my head, “No I’m better off like this, better off staying as ladybug,” I said as a fresh bout of tears started welling up in my eyes, “this way if Shadow Moth attacks Paris, I’ll be ready for action at any time.”

“Yes but what about Tikki?” Trixx said, pushing gently “She could use some rest and she needs to eat something as well.”

Overwhelmed with guilt and worry, I shouted, "Oh my God! Tikki, spots off!" Tears streamed down my face as I cradled the tired kwami in my hands. "Are you okay, Tikki?"

Tikki let out a tired sigh, “better than you Marinette,” she replied, her voice filled with compassion. "We should have a little talk." Tikki and I went up to the balcony so we could talk.

Feeling the weight of my struggles, I poured my heart out to Tikki. "I don't know what to do anymore, Tikki," I confessed, my voice trembling with sadness. "My life as Marinette is too complicated. As long as I'm Ladybug, I can't have loved ones in my life. I had to break up with Luka because I couldn't tell him the truth. It would be the same with anyone else I date. I can't share my secret with him or anyone else, for that matter. I can't be honest with my closest friends or my parents about anything. I'm doomed to be a big liar to everyone, forever. What do I do, Tikki?"

Tikki's voice carried understanding, yet a hint of helplessness. "I wish I could give you a clear answer, Marinette," she sighed. "But kwami relationships are very different from human ones. We have a natural soul pair, like me and Plagg. I am the kwami of Creation, and Plagg is the kwami of Destruction. We are complementary to each other, balancing one another out. Without me, there is no Plagg, and without Plagg, there is no me. The same goes for other kwamis, like Fluff and Sass," Tikki continued, her voice filled with wisdom. "Fluff is the kwami of Evolution, and Sass is the kwami of Intuition. They are bound together by the burden of time, forming a natural pair. Kwamis have a unique balance and understanding of one another."

I listened intently, my heart heavy with the weight of my secret. "But with people, it's so different," I murmured, tears staining my cheeks. "I long for true, genuine connections, for the freedom to be myself without hiding behind a mask. I want to share my secret with the ones I love, but it just can't and it hurts Tikki, it hurts so much"

I let out a heavy sigh, sinking into the plush cushions of my balcony lounge chair. The weight of my thoughts seemed unbearable as I gazed out into the clear blue sky. Lost in my own world, I was startled when the balcony door swung open, and Alya's voice pierced through the silence.

"Marinette, there you are!" Alya's voice carried a mix of concern and urgency as she stepped onto the balcony. Tikki fluttered nervously, seeking shelter within the confines of my hair, sensing the tension in the air. I turned to face Alya, my expression a blend of surprise and frustration.

"What are you doing here, Alya?!" My voice rang out, laced with frustration and confusion. The events of the past few days had left me feeling raw and vulnerable, and I longed for a moment of solitude. Yet here was my best friend, barging into my private space.

Alya's eyes softened, her concern evident as she took a step closer. "We came to check on you, girl. We've all been worried about you," she replied, her voice filled with genuine care and friendship.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, my weariness evident as I slumped in my chair on the balcony. "Aw, look! It's just like a real house! Look, the roof even comes off!" Rose's excitement echoed in the air, reaching my ears with an unexpected pang of panic. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what she was referring to - the miniature house, I was creating for the Kwami’s to serve as somewhere they can be outside of the Miracle Box.

My heart raced as I leaped off the balcony, my feet carrying me swiftly into my room. The miniature house stood proudly on my desk, its presence a constant reminder of the hidden world I guarded so fiercely. With each hurried step, worry and protectiveness fueled my actions, propelling me closer to the source of my concern.

As I positioned myself between Rose and the delicate structure, a surge of urgency coursed through my veins. The weight of my words hung in the air, trembling with a mixture of concern and pleading. "Please, don't touch this," I implored, my voice quivering with an underlying fear.

But before I could prevent the inevitable, the roof of the miniature house slipped from Rose's grasp, crashing onto the floor in a cacophony of shattered secrets. The delicate pieces scattered across the room, a visual representation of the vulnerability that now lay exposed.

A pang of disappointment surged through me as Rose's apology reached my ears. "I'm so sorry, Marinette," she murmured, her voice tinged with regret. I couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and sadness, the knowledge that my secret had been unintentionally laid bare.

"Can you please just leave?" My plea hung in the air, a delicate thread of weariness that seemed to dissipate into the tension-filled atmosphere. The weight of my emotions pressed upon me, threatening to drown me in a sea of turmoil.

But Alya stepped forward, pushing Rose gently behind her. Her eyes met mine with unwavering determination. "Chill out, Marinette," she said, her voice steady and reassuring. "It's just a stupid dollhouse. We can totally help."

My patience, already frayed at the edges, threatened to snap as Alya's words fell upon my ears. The desire for solitude burned within me, an unyielding longing to escape the suffocating presence of well-intentioned intruders. I raised my voice, the frustration simmering beneath the surface now boiling over.

"Can you just go?!" I shouted, my words echoing with a mix of desperation and exasperation. "Can't you see? I want to be alone!"

Alya's expression softened, her concern etched onto her features. She took a step closer, her voice gentle yet firm. "Look, Marinette, we know something is wrong, and we are not leaving until you tell us what it is. We're here for you."

The room fell into a tense silence as Alya's words hung in the air. The weight of their presence tugged at my heart, a reminder that true friendship meant standing by each other's side, even in the face of uncertainty. I took a deep breath, realizing that shutting them out would only deepen the divide between us.

Just as I was about to speak, Mylène, usually soft-spoken, stepped forward. In her hand, she held a delicate bracelet, its surface adorned with intricate designs."Look, Marinette," Mylene interjected, her voice gentle yet firm as she stepped forward “Each of us told our secrets to this bracelet. It's your turn."

"The only thing wrong is that you guys are still in my room, even though I explicitly told you to get out!" I shouted, my voice laced with a mix of anger and desperation. Each word carried the weight of my frustration, echoing through the room as a testament to my shattered peace.

Alya reached out to me, her eyes filled with genuine concern. "Marinette, we're your friends," she said softly, her voice attempting to soothe the storm raging within me. "You can confide in us."

“Yeah marinette, we only want to be good friends to you. Real friends don’t let each other down!” Rose said with a smile on her face. A smile that felt like a stab to my heart.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, laced with a mix of anger and frustration. I took a step back, my arms folding protectively across my chest, a barrier against the mounting tension in the room. The weight of past conflicts surged to the surface, fueling the fire of my resentment.

"Yeah, real friends don't ever let each other down, right?" I retorted, my voice dripping with venom. The bitterness in my words was a reflection of the wounds that still festered within me. "Oh, so now you want to be my friend, Rose? I distinctly remember you telling me, in Juleka's own house no less, that you couldn't stand a 'bully' like me. And Alya, let's not forget the New York incident. You haven't had a single concrete conversation with me since our fight. But now you suddenly want to say that you’re my friend?"

The room crackled with tension, the air thick with unspoken words and unresolved conflicts. Alya's determination matched my own as she took a step forward, her eyes narrowing with defiance. "Marinette, we're your friends," she shot back, her voice carrying a sharp edge. "But don't act like you're blameless in all of this. You've been distant, shutting us out. We've tried to reach out to you, but you keep pushing us away."

The anger within me roared to life, drowning out any sense of reason or understanding. The walls I had erected around myself fortified my position, shielding me from the vulnerability of self-reflection. I scoffed, my voice dripping with disdain. "Oh, so now it's all my fault? I'm the one who's been distant? Let's not forget how you've all hurt me, how you've all turned your back on me when I needed you the most! How the second Lila comes around all of you abandon me!"

My words hung in the air, a poison seeping into the cracks of our fractured friendship. The room felt smaller, suffocating under the weight of our escalating fight.

Alya's eyes blazed with a mix of hurt and defiance, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. "You think you're the only one hurting, Marinette? We've all made mistakes, but you're so focused on your own pain that you can't see how it's tearing us apart!"

Tears welled up in my eyes, a mixture of anger and sorrow. The walls I had constructed around my heart threatened to crumble, but my pride held strong. "Maybe we were never really friends to begin with," I spat, my voice laced with bitter resignation. "Maybe it's time we all moved on."

Alya, Mylene, Juleka, and Rose walked away, their backs turned to me, their expressions a mix of shock and disappointment. The weight of their abandonment settled upon me, a heavy burden that threatened to crush my spirit.

Alix lingered for a moment, her hesitation palpable. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the indecision playing out on her face. Her mouth opened and closed as if searching for the right words to say, but ultimately, she too turned away, her footsteps echoing with a sense of resignation.

The silence that followed their exit was deafening, a stark reminder of the void that now existed between us. The room felt emptier, the air thick with the remnants of shattered friendships. I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, a gnawing ache in the depths of my soul.

“I had no choice Tikki, I had to do it.” The weight of my decision bore down on me, the cardboard house I had constructed now lay there tattered and broken. I stared at it, my heart breaking a little more with each passing moment. The Miracle Box, once housed within its walls, was now safely tucked away in the hideaway drawer, hidden from prying eyes.

Tikki hovered beside me, her presence a source of comfort in this moment of turmoil. "I know, Marinette," she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness and understanding. She had been with me through it all, my confidante and guide in the face of adversity.

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I tried to find a silver lining amidst the wreckage. "At least now I won't have to lie anymore," I mused, the words laced with a mix of resignation and relief. "There'll be no one left to lie to."

But as the words left my lips, a pang of loneliness pierced through me. The realization that I had severed the bonds of friendship, willingly or not, left an ache in my heart. The thought of facing each day without the laughter, support, and camaraderie of my friends was a daunting prospect.

"And I won't have anyone trying to stab me in the back either," I added, my voice tinged with bitterness. The wounds inflicted by betrayal still fresh in my mind, I sought solace in the absence of potential harm. Yet, the emptiness that lingered in the wake of their departure felt like a void that could never be filled.

I took a deep breath, my gaze shifting to the hideaway drawer. It held the key to our secret, the source of our power and responsibility. The weight of its presence reminded me of the duty I carried and the sacrifices I had made. It was a burden I would bear alone, but one that I was determined to shoulder.

XoXo Rowan

#writing #spilled ink #miraculous au #miraculous fandom #marinette deserves better #akuma class salt #Miraculous s4e3 #Miraculous Gang of Secrets #miraculous ladybug #alya salt #alya bashing

10 notes · View notes

mellowkittencherryblossom · 5 months

Text

iExpose a Liar

By: IrishDreamer4

Summary: Lila made the horrible mistake of messing with Sam Puckett.

6 notes · View notes

charlietheepicwriter7 · 2 years

Text

Hey, Little Songbird

Chapter 28 - AO3

“Well,” Felix spoke, breaking the unbearable silence of the room. “As you can see, we have a bit of a bigger problem than before.”

Alya collapsed into her desk chair, the force sending it spinning for a second. “Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth.” She covered her face with her hands, threading her fingers through her hair. “I’ve been in his house. I’ve talked to him.”

“And I’m related to him, and Rossi is working for him, and Adrien is his son; come on, Alya, snap out of it!”

She shot him a look. “Do you even know what this means to me? To Paris?”

“It means you’ll finally have a chance to get rid of your terrorist. Why do you think I came to you?” he asked. “As far as Gabriel knows, I have no way to contact Ladybug or Chat Noir, nor would he expect me to ask you for help since the two of us ‘fighting.’ He’s going to try to get this—” He showed off the brooch— “back soon, so we need a plan. Now.”

She took a deep breath. “A plan. Right, a plan. It’s past time for Ladybug’s patrol, but I can track down her down tomorrow. We need to tell her right away,” Alya said, nodding resolutely. “Do we need to worry about Gabriel sending an akuma after you?”

“Possibly. Has he ever created any tracking akumas?”

“Nope!” Duusu called out. He’d almost forgotten they were here. “I don’t think you really have to worry about Hawkmoth right now; he’s not bonded with the butterfly miraculous, so he doesn’t have a lot of control of his akumas.”

Felix eyed the little beast. “What are you talking about?”

“Gabriel’s forcing Nooroo, the Butterfly’s kwami, to work with him. That means the two aren’t bonded and Gabriel only has the bare-minimum of powers, including no mind control and no control over the abilities his akumas have.”

“So, when he akumatizes people, he doesn’t know what powers they’re going to get?”

“He can suggest them, but the powers are ultimately decided on the people he akumatized. And people typically only get one or two akuma forms.” So that was why the three akumas that attacked him on the anniversary of his aunt’s disappearance were akumas that the Ladyblog had covered before.

Duusu giggled and continued. “It’s the same when he tries to control them. Hawkmoth takes advantage of strong emotions and gives people an easy way out of their problems, but he can’t force them to do his bidding. They’re only really obsessive towards their goal and attacking Ladybug.”

Felix wanted to ask how Duusu knew this, but bit his tongue. He supposed being held hostage by Hawkmoth allowed for some knowledge to leak through.

“And fighting Ladybug and Chat Noir?” Alya asked, skeptical. “I know I certainly didn’t want to fight my heroes. Are you saying that’s not mind control?”

“Correct!! It’s just self-preservation. Complete instinct. Akumas know that Ladybug will take away their powers, so they fight for themselves. It’s funny—” Duusu snickered to themselves— “Even if Hawkmoth akumatizes himself or Mayura, it won’t make a tracking akuma. And if he managed to give that power to someone else, there’s no way that akuma would care enough to track you down. Your scot-free!” It laughed, high pitched and loud.

“Why do you know all this?” Felix asked. “Why are you telling us this?”

Alya elbowed him in the side.

“Because you freed me, silly!” Duusu flew up in a spiral, stopping centimeters from his nose. “Gabriel Agreste had trapped me in that safe and is abusing my friend! So what if I bended the rules a little bit by thinking you were Adrien. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just what he deserves!”

“You mistook me for Adrien… on purpose?”

“Well… no. I did think you were him for a second. He’s looked through the safe before, and even stole the Book of Miracles, but he didn’t see me. My most recent holder, Mayura, told me not to appear to anyone who didn’t know Gabriel is Hawkmoth, so I just… assumed Adrien was in on it, since he’s been in the safe before!” Duusu said with a shrug. “By the time I realized that you weren’t Adrien, you’d already put on my brooch and became my new holder. Oops!”

“…I guess that’s one way to get around a villain’s orders,” Alya said.

But Felix was fixated on something else Duusu had said. “I’m not your holder.”

“Yes, you are.”

He glared. “No, I’m not.”

“Felix—”

“Yes, you are!” Duusu got up in his face. “You put the brooch on, that makes you my holder.”

He immediately snatched the brooch off his chest and threw it on Alya’s bed. “Find someone else then. I’m not a superhero; I don’t want to be one and I’m not going to be one. You can’t make me!”

“Felix—”

He jabbed a finger into Alya’s chest. “Don’t try to change my mind, Cesaire! All I wanted was to bring down Rossi and get my family’s rings back, not… this.” He gestured at Duusu, who pouted. “I’m not a hero and I would have been perfectly fine not getting involved with the Miraculous at all if given the choice.”

“I was going to agree with you!” Alya snapped. She rubbed her eyes. “You don’t have to be a hero if you don’t want to. No one, especially not Ladybug, is going to force you. But what about Hawkmoth? Even if he can’t track you down, he’s still going to send them after you.”

She… had a point. His uncle was stubborn, but had laser focus. Gabriel could work for days without a break, without sleep. And now Felix was the sole focus of his undivided attention.

But, Felix realized, he was horrible at multitasking.

“I can stay out of Gabriel’s sights for a few days.” He already had arrangements made with his lawyer; despite what Gabriel had claimed, he was not Felix’s guardian and had no right to hold him captive in his mansion. “Once my suspension is over, I’ll come back to school and we’ll enact the plan against Rossi.”

“But she’ll get akumatized!” Alya protested. “We’d anticipated that before, but this time Hawkmoth will be actively gunning for you!”

“That’s the point. I’m not too keen on being a superhero, but bait?” He smirked. “I’ve survived a few rounds with an akuma before. I can do it again. And while Hawkmoth is focused on me, he’ll never see Ladybug coming.”

Taglist: @graduatedmelon @novicevoice @dur55 @kris-pines04 @18-fandoms-unite-08 @moonlightstar64 @bee-a-garbage-shipper @sol-o-shade @kittyotakunoir666 @tinyterror333 @allieoftheenemy @marichat00 @xgxmxtx @two-faced-biatch @feliciakainzofspades @evil-cricket @emilytopaz @spicybelladonna @chocolateherringtacofan @user00000003 @wannajointhecrabcult @happymonster-pants @duquesapincarrasca @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @sxltinette @kittydemon9000 @thetrashypanda423 @unoriginalmess @toodaloo-kangaroo

#hey little songbird #felinette #felix graham de vanily #alya cesaire #ml duusu #gabriel agreste #Gabriel bashing #this chapter is just talking ugh

31 notes · View notes

dizzying-faust · 1 year

Text

Hot take, but Alyanette is more of a rarepair than Marigami.

#c's thoughts #at least you can see people talk about Marinette and Kagami positively #meanwhile it feels like anytime Alya and Marinette is mentioned #people want to bash and talk badly about Alya

7 notes · View notes

trashyangelic · 2 years

Text

Can I get a ML Salt Prompt? With a hint of Felinette.

There are things that Sabine Cheng doesn't like when it comes to her daughter well-beings. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ Caline Bustier treats her daughter as a servant doing the teachers job when its suppose to be her job to do it not her daughter. She heard complaints from her daughter at the trapdoor but also finding out that she is Ladybug and the Guardian of Miraculouses but she also knows that her daughter is MDC from the very start. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ Lila Rossi for targetting her daughter by manipulating the principal and her daughter's classmates she had decided to do something about before Caline Bustier. She had a hunch that this girl is trying to blame her daughter for something she didn't do it happen before when she was young. She depises bullies. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ Alya Cesaire treats her daughter as a doormat but also asking for free stuff even she told her mother to pay for it she doesn't do it. Yet she still wants free stuff like the designs that her daughter makes she did not like it one tiny bit. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ Adrien Agreste who seem to be a sweet boy but after her daughter told her the advice that he told her, she was not having it. She told this to Nathalie and Gabriel to discipline Adrien about this high road advice towards her daughter that is enabling bullies for no reasons even Gabriel is annoyed by that advice he had given it to Adrien but it was meant for Tabloid Reporters only but decided to do a different method for Adrien to get his high horse about this high road advice a method only for bullies. As soon as Gabriel realize that his son is on thin ice with the Dupain-Chengs he had to do something about it and possibly for Ms. Marinette Dupain-Cheng to be his future intern or Audrey. ︶ ⠀ ⤭ ⠀⠀ ๋࣭ ⭑ While Sabine decided to do something for her daughter happiness about Lila Rossi, Alya Cesaire, Adrien Agreste, and Caline Bustier they have crossed the line on the mama bear by poking it. Sabine only wants her daughter to be happy away from the toxic class and those so called friends who wanted to make her daughter as a doormat or a pushover by claiming that her daughter is a bully. Clearly she was not having it.

Sabine decided the big guns by calling her mother about the Cheng Family Company in two different branch one in Shanghai and the other in Beijing to be lent to her daughter as the heiress. But she needs her daughter to learn about the family business from her side. She called her mother about the DEAL that she made with her mother after marrying Tom Dupain.

She called one of her close friends in China by enrolling her daughter to Central Academy of Arts it was the same academy that she attended when she was young but this would be good for her daughter.

Marinette gets to be transferred to Central Academy of Arts in Beijing for her business as MDC but also for her family business too as she meets Felix Graham de Vanily along with her cousin Bridgette who is arrange marriage with another Chinese Branch Family who is the heir of CEO Long Company.

As for Chloe luckily for her she was taught Mandarin/Cantonese from Sabine Cheng she is now applying to Central Academy of Arts with Marinette away from the toxic school back in Paris that she convinced her father to stop the donating towards the Dupont for a good reason. As her father listen to his daughter's reason he was not happy about what happen when Chloe explain what exactly is happening in the school.

At the end Lila Rossi, Caline Bustier, Adrien Agreste, and Alya Cesaire got into a alot of trouble with the parents and the school board by the Mayor himself who had reported it with Sabine Cheng afterwards. The students of Caline Bustier well their parents got super pissed and decided to withdraw their children from the toxic school into a homeschool or a new school for a fresh start.

As for Nino well he apologize to Marinette before she transfer to China for her new school with Chloe Bourgeois but he still gets in trouble by his parents so he is at his new school to continue his dreams since his parents owns a Music Label Company.

The Police Officers and Roger found something at the CCTV footage in Dupont on the main part with Lila Rossi. Roger wasn't very happy with this girl being friend with his daughter after finding out this girl is working with a terrorist they did what they had to do is to arrest this girl Lila Rossi but also informing this to Nadja Chamack about it as well. Italy is in thick ice with Paris right now cause of Lila's actions. Lila's father is not happy nor her mother isn't. Lila's mother decided to disown her and fix her family honor from the embarrassment that her daughter made.

Caline got fired from the School Board for her silly methods and also enabling bullies too while Damocles gets demoted as a principal for doing his job horribly against School Board demands. But Damocles gets his redemption after realizing his mistakes but wanting to redeem it as a good principal like his brother was in from a different school.

Adrien well to him he didn't have any social skills due to his father abusing him so why not let Nino to be concerned about his well-being by calling the CPS on Gabriel clearly Nino wanted Adrien as his new brother along with Chris it would be alot helpful for him to gain social skills. Gabriel also fired Lila Rossi in person he was pissed when Chloe told him the truth about Lila sexually harrassed, blackmailing, and calling people of his son's classmates as a bad influence even if its Lila who is a bad influence to his son by some classmate of his son who sent it to him but seem to be on struggling with the CPS but decided to let it go.

Lastly Alya got the major hint of lawsuits by celebrities and Ladybug as her parents forced her to delete her Ladyblog down for posting false stories. But she has to pay the amount of money that she asked free things from Dupain-Chengs. Sabine already made a restraining order on Alya Cesaire, Adrien Agreste, and Lila Rossi for good just away from her daughter.

#mlb prompts #caline bustier bashing #bad teacher caline bustier #bustier salt #good parent sabine cheng #sabine cheng #lila rossi salt #no lila rossi demption #marinette moved schools #marinette deserves better #felinette #adrien salt #alya salt #felix graham de vanily #busiter gets fired

220 notes · View notes

red-elric · 2 years

Text

hmm turns out 29/30 lukanette fics are mean to alya and/or adrien. dislike

#it me #not gonna throw this in the tags lmao #I JUST WANT CUTE LUKANETTE IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK #I LIKE alya and adrien I just also like luka >:(#tried to read one of the salt fics and it was more about bashing alya than the actual ship

6 notes · View notes

aldrendaux · 2 months

Link

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, If you tilt your head and squint - Relationship Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire, Lila Rossi, Caline Bustier's Class Additional Tags: Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Lila Rossi Lies, Lila Rossi Faces Consequences, One-Sided Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Lila Rossi, Lila Rossi Being Lila Rossi, Lila Anon do not interact Series: Part 2 of Lila And The Consequences Of Her Actions (No Class Bashing) Summary:

There is a school dance coming up, and Lila doesn't have a dress.

Marinette fails to see how this is in any way her problem.

#miraculous ladybug #fic rec #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #kagami tsurugi #alya cesaire #lila rossi #akuma class #lila and the consequences of her actions (no class bashing)

5 notes · View notes

aliensunflower-fics · 2 years

Text

CHANGING FACES Chapter 4: Breaking The News

[ Prefer to read on Archive of Our Own? Link HERE! ]

[ Previous Chapter - Next Chapter ]

After years of dealing with each other Lila Rossi win’s when she convinces Hawkmoth that Marinette is Ladybug. In order to throw off suspicion and keep the Miracle Box safe Marinette and her supportive parents leave Paris and head to Gotham of all places. In this new place away from her friends and her unhealthy routines Marinette is forced to confront herself and change for the better. Helping her on her journey is a surprising new friend and potential ally. When Alya missing her friend learns about the chance to win a free trip to Gotham she convinces the class to work hard to qualify. When her new life clashes with her old one will Marinette be able to hold on strong to her new confidence or will she crumble under the pressure?

( This fic will be for the most part comedic, fluffy, and sweet, with only a bit of seriousness to tie it together. With only the mildest salt because I don’t think the class or Adrien are bad people just that they can be naive and selfish thanks to the canon writing. I hope you enjoy reading this work and have fun with me on this journey. )

CHAPTER 4:

Breaking The News

Marinette had not felt so hopeful in years. Glancing up from her phone and cheap hotel breakfast she watched Tikki rub her tired eyes as she perched on the burnt and blackened metal sewing machine that acted as the hiding place for the miracle box, Tikki noticed her watching and shot her a warm smile that set the teen at ease and she returned to her phone call with her dearest ‘Gotham Family’ as they planned out her new room together.

Marinette had not spoken of them often in public but Tikki knew of them from the phone calls Marinette had throughout the years. Alfred was Marinette’s godfather and honorary grandpa; he was a close friend of her grandparents and had a secretive past. He was kind and wise with a knack for reading people. He had practically helped raise Tom and the family had remained close regardless of the long distance. And when Marinette was born he had been there just the same, and through the years he had come for visits and phoned often enough that Marinette called him family.

Alfred had many honorary grandchildren having never settled down himself but he loved them just the same. Out of his ‘brood’ however Marinette only knew 2 of them from when Alfred was still able to visit regularly. They were her ‘big brothers’ Dick and Jason. Alfred had taken them to Paris several times when Marinette was younger, they had held her when she was a baby, played tea party and dress up when she was a little girl. The visits had stopped when Jason got kidnapped and was presumed dead but Dick and Alfred still stayed in touch through emails and frequent calls. And when Jason was finally found and his memories recovered he also started phoning again too.

Marinette loved her Gotham family (even if she was a little annoyed they never told her about her parents' time living there or her being born there) and she often talked about meeting the rest of Alfred’s grandkids and his ‘kid’ Bruce but the 3 of them always had an excuse.

Jason would often talk about his old man being horrible and Marinette worried that maybe this ‘Bruce’ wasn't as nice as Alfred said he was. When she asked however Jason denied it stating that it was more a disagreement of principles and that they were working on it in therapy. She knew it was a sore subject and dropped it instead choosing to chat about their other points of interest. They'd binge watch bad tv dramas together through video call and Jason would send book recommendations. On bad days where his past trauma resurfaced he'd send Marinette clown emojis to signify it was a ‘clown day’ and she’d send him pictures of ugly clothing being sold and they’d text back and forth tearing the cheap designs apart.

Dick would counter her questions by whining that Marinette wanted to replace them and that he and Jason didn't want to share her. He’d pout and tease and joke and soon Marinette would forget about meeting the rest of the family until their next phone call. Eventually Dick DID cave to Marinette’s puppy eyes and introduced her to his girlfriend who eventually became fiancee then wife (who Marinette happily designed a dress for when asked) and now Marinette got regular calls with Dick his wife and their adorable little daughter Ma’ri. She loved being called “Aunty bug” even if the nickname had originally given her a heart attack (Tikki had said it was her fault for making Ma’ri a giant plush Ladybug) and she grinned when Dick told her how her gifts always won over all the rest of the families' pricey presents.

Alfred should have been the reasonable one of the bunch and Marinette often tried to ask when she’d meet the rest of his family only for him to skillfully dodge the subject and distract her before she could properly ask. After the hundredth time of him dodging she finally managed to ask and Alfred had sighed before finally telling her honestly that after Jason’s kidnapping things had only gotten more complicated with the family dynamic and many new additions had made things delicate. If he ever introduced Marinette to the rest of the family he hoped it would be under better terms and in person. That conversation had been when Marinette was 10 and 6 years later she made sure to never ask again trying to respect her Gotham family's privacy and emotional needs.

But things were changing soon because in a month's time Marinette and her family would be American citizens. The old bakery her parents still owned in Gotham was getting a fresh coat of paint and some updates and repairs to make it Dupain-Cheng worthy. Gina had moved to Gotham temporarily to see to the renovations personally with Alfred. When Jason found out he volunteered to help fix up the ‘home’ portion with new paint and appliances though it was clear he was showing his favoritism when he jokingly texted the group chat a picture of paint options for the living room all various shades of pink. From Jason’s blatantly suspicious behavior, Dick and his family found out about the big move and they ALSO insisted on helping.

Which led to Marinette and her poor overworked cell phone handling many calls about furniture paint and more. It was chaotic and messy but somehow it was also fun and relaxing and the pictures she got of a paint war aftermath with both Dick and Jason coated in pink paint with a victorious and spotless Ma’ri and Kori grinning in the background made Marinette all the more certain of her decision to leave Paris.

Her parents were glowing as they planned their new larger and better bakery. Sure Marinette’s mom occasionally broke into hate filled violent rants about the exact gruesome ways she planned on ‘punishing’ Hawkmoth (because death was apparently to merciful an end) and her dad still sighed at old pictures of there home but they were both ready to take on this new journey and regalled Marinette with tales of there life in Gotham and the friends they made.

The kwami were also delighted by news of the move, talking about the safety hiding in a new place would provide and how their guardian was glowing with new energy and positivity. Kalki was preening at the news they would be getting out more often. But out of them all Wayzz had been a bit more cryptic saying that Gotham would welcome her as much as she welcomed it he then insisted they begin teaching her magic. Now THAT had been a surprise. Sure she was already training with Amazonians but actual magic?!

Marientte was skeptical at first, sure that training her in magic would only end in destruction and failure, her anxiety ridden mind sabotaging her before she even tried. But The kwami were buzzing about the idea and so Marinette gave it a try, surprised at how natural it felt to her once she started. She had not done anything big yet, just simple things like locating talking to the kwami with her mind instead of her voice and changing the appearance of some of the miraculous to look more modern and easier to hide. Well Marinette thought these things were pretty major but according to the kwami it was simple for a guardian of her caliber.

But amidst all the phone calls, excitement, hotel living, magic training, Hawkmoth cursing and more Marinette had been pushing aside one rather ugly little task that she wanted to avoid for as long as she could.

She had yet to tell her friends.

With how busy she was it should have been easy to forget about it, but she hadn't if anything it was a thorn constantly pressing into her side. Every phone call about paint and furniture, every joke with her Gotham family and excited happy smile they shot her, every conversation or decision Marinettemade, she felt the sting. She was scared. She was terrified. She was guilty.

There was of course the fear of losing her friends but more than losing them she feared DISAPPOINTING them. She feared their upset faces, their teary eyes, their pleading voices asking her if she really had to leave them, asking her to stay, asking her to be there everyday ladybug forever.

Marinette loved her friends, really she did. They were good, kind, honest people. But they always made her feel so GUILTY. So trapped by her own anxieties and their expectations that the word ‘no’ felt like a sin on her lips. They relied on her expected of her, they depended on her and each attempt to turn them down had them drowning her in guilt while Adrien looked at her with disappointment and Lila grinned and whispered words that only made the guilt worse.

Marinette loved her friends, but she knew a part of their friendship had become toxic.

Worse, she knew that it wasn’t entirely Lila’s fault. Certainly the fox-like girl had not helped matters with how she wielded guilt like a weapon of war. She had perfected the art of whipping the class up getting them to ask her questions that tore into her tender heart.

“But why can't you help Marinette?”

“You know how much this means to me?”

“You know how much I need help?”

“Don't you care about us Marinette?”

“Real friends would help.”

“Lila offered to help so why can't you?”

Marinette had worn herself to the bone helping her friends. She was use to saying yes without a thought and when she inevitably crashed or needed help herself Lila was there again whispering words that made her friends doubt her. But her classmates and Lila were not the only one responsible, so was Marinette. She had never tried to talk to them, never tried to sit them down and tell them honestly about her own feelings, she let them use her and called it love and friendship because she was so scared that saying ‘no’ would mean losing them all.

With only a month left until she got on a plane and started a new chapter of her life, Marinette knew she owed it to her friends to tell them. Sure she would still see them regularly as Ladybug since Hawkmoth loved targeting her school and classmates but it would not be the same. She could not hang out with them as Ladybug. Tikki had even asked if she wanted to tell Alya about her being Ladybug but Marinette was not ready for that just yet. Especially not when Hawkmoth clearly had an interest in Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

As Marinette alarm rang she ended the call with Jason telling him in no uncertain terms that he was NOT to buy her the stupidly expensive pink laptop he found and that she would get herself a new one once she moved to Gotham with her own money. He gave a devious smile and Marinette groaned in frustration as she hung up the call and shoveled the last of her cheap hotel breakfast into her mouth and gathered her things to go to school. Her parents were already out that morning to get paperwork sorted and arranged for the big move.

Tikki zipped into Marinette’s bag and she left the hotel room locking it safely behind her before jogging down past the receptionist who she waved to eagerly and out of the hotel to catch the train to school. On her way to school Marinette’s mind raced as she thought of how to break the news to her friends. She knew Mme. Bustier would not keep quiet about it forever, it was frankly a miracle that the teacher had not exploded keeping the news to herself for so long.

Getting off at her stop and then walking to school Marinette saw several of her classmates arriving to school including Adrien who shot her a smile as he got out of his car. The sight of his dazzling smile made Marinette’s stomach flutter briefly before those butterflies got squashed by Lila exiting the car right after Adrien and latching herself to the blonde's arm with a happy giggle.

Marinette didn’t really like Adrien anymore. Sure she still thought he was the cutest guy ever and felt flustered by his bright green eyes. But the past few years had created a massive gap in their relationship and there were some things Marinette could not forgive him for even if the blonde himself was utterly oblivious. Shaking off her thoughts, Marinette focused on her mission and stole her heart for what lay ahead ignoring the feeling of eyes on her.

As Marinette made her way to class she heard the chattering of her classmates and her heart rate increased. She felt like she was going to be sick and the only thing keeping her grounded was the feeling of Tikki’s warmth pressing into her side from the purse. Stepping into the classroom Marinette stopped at the front and waited for everyone to be there. This was common for her as she was the class president and as her classmates noticed her one by one they stopped talking to look at her expectant smiles plastered on their faces.

Was she going to be announcing a fundraiser to rebuild her family's bakery? Or maybe a fun new trip for the class to go on? What if it was news about the back to school fall bash? Or maybe Lila’s petition to save the polar bears had been approved by Damocles? As the whispers and hushes of excitement grew and the last of Marinette’s classmates scurried into the room and quickly took a seat Marinette took a shaky breath and focused on the back wall unable to look any of her friends in the eye.

“Good morning guys.” Her mouth was dry and she tried desperately to swallow. “As I’m sure you're all aware, a week ago my family's bakery… Burned down. In an accident.”

A ripple of whispers went through the class and Marinette put on a fake smile to try and put her friends at ease as she licked her dry lips nervously.

“My family has been living in a hotel and after a lot of thought we decided to move-”

A loud bunch of chattering cut Marinette off mid sentence as her classmates all chittered excitedly about the move. Would they get a bigger bakery? Would they further out into the city? Marinette cleared her throat, regaining her classmates' attention.

“We decided to move… To America.”

There was a brief few moments of silence before the whole room exploded into a cacophony of noise. Between the screaming and screeching of chairs and tables and people, Marinette could just barely make out questions of ‘why’ and ‘where’ and ‘she can't be serious?’. In the chaos before her Marinette could not help but notice the look of horror frozen on Adrien’s face. The utter shock and disbelief on Chloe’s as she yelled and argued with those around her arguing it was her fault. The betrayal and near tears of Alya. The confusion and disbelief of Nino. But most of all she could not help but notice the smirk on Lila’s lips and the way her eyes looked down on Marinette in that moment. It sent a shiver of cold up Marinette’s spine and she quickly looked away biting her lip as she filed the information away for later.

For now Marinette knew she should try to regain control of the class and she tried several times calling for them to listen only for her voice to drown in the sea of confusion she’d helped make. As her desperation mounted so did her frustration until finally she pursed her lips and whistled LOUD. The high pitched sound cut through the confusion and her classmates clapped their mouths shut to cover their ears instead. After the last voice died Marinette took a deep breath and lifted her head ready to face her friends and all the guilt they could throw her way.

Rose struck first teary eyed and wailing. “T-This isn't a funny joke Marinette!”

Ouch a tough one right off the bat. Swallowing her guilt and stealing her heart, Marinette faced Rose honestly and openly as her friend.

“It's not a joke, Rose. It was a hard choice to make but it's what my family decided was best for us.”

“But why?” Marinette’s heart clenched as she turned to face Alya the girl was looking at her like Marinette had just torn her heart out and stepped on it.

Marinette bit back her tears and took deep calming breaths reminding herself to be strong as she answered her best friend.

“My parents… They wanted to move to America even before Hawkmoth arrived. But they stayed for my sake because I have friends here. But now Hawkmoth is getting more dangerous each day and then the fire… It was just the last straw. They don't think I’m safe here anymore.”

Silence filled the class as everyone considered her words. None of them wanted Marinette to leave but none of them could argue with such a reason. Many of their own families had thought about leaving Paris at one point in the last few years thanks to Hawkmoths reign. The fact that one family had finally been pushed to do just that was inevitable really.

“B-but.” Alya stood from her seat fighting back tears. “But… But… We're going to miss you.”

Marinette felt herself suck in her breath as her face went hot and her eyes began to burn with fresh hot tears. As she tried to get her feelings under control she saw Alya wipe her eyes and that was all it took for Marinette to let out a sob.

“I… I'M GOING TO MISS YOU GUYS TOO!”

As Marinette desperately wiped away her tears and rubbed her eyes she felt her resolve break a little.

“I-I promise to phone a-all the time! And we c-can do movie nights o-over Discord! A-and I will s-send you guys gifts all the t-time! W-We can still be friends!”

Suddenly strong warm arms wrapped around Marinette breaking her out of her spiral as she removed her hands from her eyes she saw Alya holding on to her tightly.

“Of course w-were still gonna be your friends! Paris, America or the North Pole, you're not getting rid of us that easily!”

Marinette felt her breath hitch and fresh tears fill her eyes as she hugged back within seconds most of the rest of the class joined in on the group hug and they held each other and made promises of how they would all stay in contact and continue to hang out. It was enough to certainly stop any of Hawkmoth butterflies before they had a chance.

As the hug broke off Marinette wiped her wet eyes and smiled shakily at the class. No one was happy but they also were not akuma bait anymore so it was a win. As the class chattered more about ways they could hang out with Marinette through a computer the good vibes were suddenly interrupted by Lila subtly clearing her throat.

“Oh i'm so sorry for interrupting guys I’m just desperate to know WHERE In America you're moving Marinette? Being a diplomat's daughter I lived there for a bit myself!”

Marinette felt her body stiffen at Lila’s honey covered words. The Italian had been strangely docile since the fire. Marinette was torn between trying to decide if Lila was taking pity on her or planning something and now with the strange smile and glint in her eyes Marinette was sure of it. As the class urged Marinette to tell them more, the baker girl focused on building her alibi; she didn't want Lila to have any room to turn things around and somehow make things about herself.

“We're moving to Gotham actually. Apparently my parents met there and I was even born there. They are very excited to be moving back after all these years.”

The second the words ‘gotham’ left Marinette’s lips Lila’s eyes widened and her body went rigid. But it only lasted a second and when Marinette blinked Lila was smiling again and looked relaxed.

“Gotham? Oh I spent a few years there actually! But Marinette, are you sure your family will be okay? It's sooo dangerous there.”

As the class excitedly asked Lila for more information Marinette felt her brows furrow. The details Lila was able to give as she answered the eager questions was more than she would normally ever give when she lied so Marinette felt inclined to believe it. Her strange reaction was another clue. But it was all very strange and something about Lila’s overall attitude since the fire had her instinct flaring up.

As Mme. Bustier finally entered the class and the students all scurried to their desks. As Marinette took her seat in the back she let out a deep breath. Things had gone better than she could have hoped. And while her heart still weighed heavy in her chest, the fact that her friends were ready to make an effort to keep her in their lives was good. Lila had also been strangely merciful. Marinette had expected the girl to try and spin Marinette’s move as being a result of the grudge or to try and make the class turn on Marinette with feelings of betrayal. But if anything Lila’s restraint was only more suspicious, her obvious joy at Marinette leaving, and her reaction to Gotham all of it just raised more questions.

As Bustier called on Marinette to help pass out papers for the class the girl let her thoughts slip away. She’d think more about it later. For now she wanted to enjoy one of her last days in Paris with her friends.

[ Wanna Support Me? Donate HERE! ]

[ Wanna Read More? Masterlist HERE! ]

( I hope your all enjoying this fic so far comments and reblogs are always appreciated! )

#daminette #maribat #adrien salt #class salt #alya salt #alya redemption #alya sugar #Marinette deserves better #BAMF Marinette #class redemption #adrien bashing #lila bashing #lila salt #lila gets exposed #miraculous fanfic #miraculous ladybug #my fic #Changing Faces Fic

137 notes · View notes

xhanisai · 6 months

Text

the stupid chat blanc au

Fu only gives out the Ladybug miraculous and chooses Marinette to become the hero of the city.

Le Papillon only akumatises one person and it's Adrien (who becomes Chat Blanc)

During the first akumatisation to not only bait Ladybug out into the open but also to show Paris how dangerous he can be, Le Papillon ordered Chat Blanc to cause some mass destruction.

It didn't work. For some reason, Le Papillon can't control Chat Blanc nor see through his eyes so all he could do was get out of hiding and find the boy.

Chat Blanc did wreak havoc. He vandalised all the Gabriel-related adverts, threw eggs at the front of his stores, chased after pigeons, inhaled twenty 16" pizzas by himself and so on.

He also got bored so he tested his powers on the Eiffel Tower by picking it up and shooting it into the sky.

It crashed into the moon. He didn't mean to do that.

Ladybug accidentally crashes into him similar to origins and that's how they meet. He calls her Maladroit and she's telling him off for destroying the moon, making him whine.

"It was an accident!!!"

"So fix it!"

"I don't know how!"

Ladybug is overwhelmed. There's news that the world is starting to flood because of the damaged moon, she has no idea how to use her powers, she wasn't so keen on being a hero and Chat Blanc is just an overall menace who is no help whatsoever.

She tried to run away and give the earrings away to Alya. However, throughout the whole time when she was at school, she noted how stressed and scared everyone was about the inevitable flood and Chat Blanc.

Marinette also noticed Chat Blanc lingering by the school, looking really lonely. It was then she realised that he looked like he was their age and he probably had no one to rely on. She wondered about the boy under the mask. Maybe...he just wanted a friend?

The city is flooded much faster than everyone anticipated and even Alya got caught up in it. Le Papillon also makes his entrance and he tries to force Chat Blanc into listening to him. Marinette notes the Akuma in visible pain from Le Papillon trying to control him so she suits up and kicks his ass.

She dispels Le Papillon's butterflies, uses Lucky charm, purifies Chat Blanc (all whilst giving him an encouraging smile to show he's safe with her), and uses her cleansing powers.

An amnesiac Adrien watches Ladybug with awe as she delivers her speech to Paris. He falls in love and when she holds his hands and tells him that she'll always try her best to protect him from le Papillon's clutches, he starts internally planning their future wedding.

"I'll try my best to be supportive if I get akumatised again. I promise! I don't want to hurt you."

"Ouais, Chaton~"

Ladybug notes that Adrien is really cute and finds his bashfulness very endearing.

Marinette didn't expect him to join their school (Gabriel was oddly compliant to finally let Adrien go to public school, looking guilty for some reason HMmMMM????).

The gum incident does happen but it's the rest of the class who are very uncomfortable with him despite his attempts to stop Chloe's pranks (who was also lowkey starting to bully him cos "ew adrichou you're a mangy cat now"). It's because he was akumatised that they were wary of him.

Only Marinette knew that he was actually not a bad person. So with Alya's encouragement, Marinette stands up for him in front of the class and reiterates that le Papillon took advantage of Adrien and turned him into a villain.

Nino is the first to step up after that and becomes Adrien's best friend.

The class decide to give him a chance too and towards the end of school, they decide they all really like Adrien. He's just a silly cat.

After school, Adrien waits for Marinette to come out of the building and gives her this heartwarming, cute thank you. He offers her his umbrella and doesn't realise he's also won over her heart. She falls for him.

After all of this, because Gabriel is a perfectionist, he only akumatises Adrien. He wants to try and be able to form the link with him. He akumatises him every time even if it's at the slightest of inconveniences. Be it that they ran out of milk in the kitchen or he accidentally bit the inside of his mouth or that he tripped over his chair, Adrien will get akumatised.

Chat Blanc has a playful relationship with Ladybug. He really likes her but at the same time, he doesn't like having to co-operate and loves being a menace.

"Here, minou, minou, minou!"

"Let me chase after those people in peace!"

"No! That's not very nice!"

"But they did it to that small kid first!"

"...Okay. But you can't just threaten to make them bald and shoot cataclysms at them!"

"BOOOOOOOOOO."

Blanc is also very flirty with Ladybug but she doesn't take him seriously because he ends up growing a liking to her civilian persona too and is just as flirty (Ladybug refuses to acknowledge she's low-key jealous of her own self and Tikki is tired of this shit).

He's more aware of his feelings as Adrien, madly in love with Ladybug and desperate to be closer with Marinette because she's so cool, right??!?

He can remember some things that happened when he was akumatised after he gets purified and often gets embarrassed. He gets all flustered and apologises to Ladybug but she always laughs it off and pats his head and calls him cute nicknames.

Sometimes she stutters like Marinette and Adrien finds it so both endearing and worrying. Hopefully, he doesn't intimidate them both.

He's close friends with Nino, Alya and Marinette. Often they're there every time he gets akumatised. As Chat Blanc, he never tries to pull pranks on them or do mean things. He's extra protective of them.

Alya finds it really funny and interesting how chummy Chat Blanc can get with Marinette and Ladybug.

As Chat Blanc, he has all his memories of being Adrien but his intrusive actions and thoughts are much stronger. (Like a goofy, terrible villain Chat Noir.)

The more Ladybug gets to know him, the more she realises how hard Adrien's life actually is and the things he's been through. So she tries her best to be a very good friend and look after him.

Le Papillon finally manages to create a link between him and Chat Blanc, however it turns out that all along the Akuma has been erasing the link with his infinite destruction.

"Finally! I can reach you, Chat Blanc-"

"Sup, old man."

"Now, you will listen to me and retrieve Ladybug's earrings-"

"Byeeeeeee~"

"NO WAIT PLEASE-"

Le Papillon tries to entice Blanc with offers and promises but it never works. The only time he got close was when he offered him all the fatty tuna he could ever dream of...

Le Papillon realises that using Chat Blanc wouldn't work. But he didn't want to akumatise anyone else because Chat Blanc was just the perfect Akuma and AAAAAAA. So, Mayura steps in.

The first Sentimonstre causes serious harm and almost takes Ladybug out of commission. So Chat Blanc stepped in to save her and he wasn't very happy >:D

And that's it for now~

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug and chat noir #stupid chat blanc au #my aus #ladrien #ladyblanc #mariblanc #adrinette #i need to write this fic soon AAAAAAAAAAA

176 notes · View notes

flightfoot · 7 months

Text

Marinette Completed Angst Fic Reclist

I know some people really like this genre, so I figured I'd make a list for it! These will obviously all be completed, and none of them will be bashing fics, and PLEASE don't rec any fics on this post that are bashing fics, I don't want to see them.

Some of these will have my own commentary about the fic attached to it, for if I've put them on a previous reclist where I had that commentary written out. But a lot of the older fics won't.

For a fic to count for this, the angst Marinette goes through can't just be her being upset about what someone else is going through, though the angst of the fic doesn't only need to be hers, so long as she has her own angst which is a decently prominent part of the fic.

---

one does not love breathing by @wackus-bonkus-maximus

All of Paris watched as Hawkmoth murdered Chat Noir, taking the Black Cat Miraculous for himself. Ladybug swears revenge, but her enemy—and every miraculous in his possession—disappear without a trace.

Six years later, a new team of villains launches an attack for the last remaining Miraculous: Volpina, armed with new powers; Queen Bee, with questionable loyalty; Argos, the new holder of the Peacock Miraculous; and Cat Walker, who Ladybug hates the most.

Takes place after S4 - Strike Back.

This is a simply phenomenal fic. You get to explore a lot of different perspectives, like Felix, Kagami, Marinette, and Adrien’s, just to name a few, and see their different thought processes and plans and priorities, and how it can cause their plans to collide with each other, even when they all ultimately are aiming for a good outcome for everyone. The characters are pretty complex and can mess up at times, even when they’re doing things (or not doing things, looking at you Luka) with the best of intentions. It was a joy to read and a real nail-biter the whole time, I actually wrote a fic for it halfway through just to resolve some of the tension for myself, One Does Not Love Shadows.

It also features the version of Luka I’ve connected best with to date, as he feels like Luka, but also is a lot more fleshed out, and can make some major errors while simply trying to avoid missteps. It’s helped me get a better handle on a character who I’ve generally had a lot of problems with really understanding.

It is an M-rated fic, though I think Wackus is being overly cautious on that front. There’s no sexual content and I wouldn’t put the violence or gore above a T-rating, so I wouldn’t let the rating scare you off.

---

you don’t even know me at all (but I was made for loving you) by @ladyofthenoodle

They didn’t remember each other. The hospital told them there’d been an accident—brain damage—but Alya had told them the truth, later. Who’d they’d been to each other. What they’d given up, and why. But even with their memories of each other gone, Adrien and Marinette are still inextricably tied together—by law, by their social circles, and by their hearts. And in the apartment they share, there’s only one bed.

Yep, it’s the “there was only one bed” trope XD! I especially love how it was used here, how Adrien and Marinette are strangers now but they had a whole life together, and they pine for each other even without remembering, and how Marinette just can’t believe how in love with her Adrien is even though he doesn’t remember her. I loved the emotional turmoil the two of them went through together in the fic, and the resolution, it’s great!

---

fine line by @bbutterflies

“Catwalker?” Loveybug asks. “Hmm?” “Do you remember… what happened before us?” “What do you mean?” “Before we were heroes. Was there someone else?” Catwalker goes quiet for a moment. “I don’t know,” he finally says.

This is a surprisingly angsty take on the Loveybug AU. Here, since the Loveybug and Cat Walker transformations are so unnatural, they’re having negative side effects on Marinette and Adrien, causing them to be constantly exhausted and even to get amnesia the longer they continue using them.

---

do you think I have forgotten about you? by @roseinaugust

Based on the song ‘About You’ by The 1975. Memory Loss. Told in alternating time lines, one leading up to and one dealing with the aftermath of Marinette relinquishing the Miracle Box and the guardianship. Marinette struggles with her life after losing her memory, though there is a persistent voice that calls to her that always seems just out of reach in her memory.

Beautiful memory loss fic here, with seeing Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s relationship before she gave up the Miracle box, juxtaposed with the present day, when Adrien is only a stranger to her. I could really feel how Marinette was struggling with navigating these new circumstances, with her friends seeming to expect her to remember, to be who she was to them, to Adrien especially, before, and her just… not knowing whether she can do that. It’s got a happy ending though, for those who are concerned about that.

---

Our Tales Are Endless (That’s Why I Tell Them) by @joonapeach

Marinette lives a simple life - one surrounded by pretty dresses, fresh macaroons, and the calming view of Paris. It’s a life she thinks she has always fit in. And yet sometimes, when a certain boy comes by her shop with a flower and a new adventurous story, she can’t help but wonder if there’s something else she’s missing.

This was a truly gorgeous story. It’s the classic “Marinette gives up the Miracle Box and loses her memories” storyline, exploring her life two years later. Even though she’s had time to heal and recover, she still feels like she’s missing something, something big. At least Adrien’s stopping by regularly to tell her stories about Ladybug and Chat Noir, even if she doesn’t understand why they resonate with her so well.

---

I (Wish I) Knew You by @buggachat

University has been hard on Marinette. Making new friends and maintaining her grades is a lot easier said than done when she has to disappear at odd times to fight akumas. She's struggling, and with Alya away with family and Adrien painfully out of reach, she's never felt lonelier.

If only she could talk to someone who really understood her struggles... but it's not like Chat Noir would know anything about loneliness. Right?

Nice aged-up Ladynoir fic here! Marinette’s struggling with losing friends and lovers because of her flakiness due to her superhero activities, until at last she breaks down. Thankfully, Chat Noir’s there at least - and it soon turns out he’s got problems of his own that he’s been hiding.

There’s some fluff and angst, it’s mostly just the two of them navigating life, dealing with their feelings and talking things out.

---

If I Let Myself Love You by @uptoolateart

It’s hard to be a normal girl with a normal life when your mother has terminal cancer. And when fashion model Adrien Agreste moves back to Paris and wants to be Marinette’s friend – or maybe even more – her life is turned upside down again.

How can she risk opening her heart to love when her whole world is falling apart? Especially when Adrien is hiding a dark secret of his own….

- COMPLETE FIC – updates on Sundays

*** No kwamis AU - 100% Adrinette. About half of it is fluffy and half heavy. Please read tags for trigger warnings. ***

This fic can be rough, definitely pay attention to the tags. There’s no villains in this story, it mostly centers around themes of dealing with illness - both being sick and having a loved one who’s terminally ill - and death, grieving someone who’s lost, and how difficult that can be. It can get pretty gut-wrenching at times, especially as you slowly discover more layers of what’s really going on, what both Adrien and Marinette are hiding, both from others and from themselves in order to help cope with their circumstances. But they still move forwards together, regardless.

---

Between the Heavens and the Embers by @readersmoon

Everyone in Paris remembers the fateful night of January 16, when the city was attacked by the most powerful and destructive akuma ever created. The assault, which lasted for hours, resulted in the death of 439 people.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was among the casualties.

Years later, Adrien hasn't been able to move on, haunted by the memories of her broken body. So, when the opportunity to leave Paris for a while presents itself, he doesn't hesitate. But this trip might end up giving him more than he ever dreamt of.

This is a fantastic fic, though a serious and a dark one - make sure to mind the tags, and it’s M-rated for a reason. Vee - or rather, Marinette - is going through a horror story here. Imagine finding out that your life is a lie, that everyone you thought you could trust was manipulating you, that you were just being continually gaslit for years.

As for Adrien, Alya, and Nino... well, none of them took Marinette’s “death” all that well, especially Adrien. Finding out that she’s been alive all this time, in these horrible circumstances, and they had no clue... it’s hard on them as well.

I love how this fic goes into how much trauma everyone has even after the immediate danger’s dealt with, you don’t just walk off this kind of experience, especially with how many years this lasted.

---

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

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

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

“I understand exactly what you mean.“

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

This is a SEVERELY underrated fic. It’s got some shades of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” in the world, though the plot is very different - the memory erasure ain’t willing.

Basically, the first few chapters are establishing Adrien’s and Marinette’s romance, and then the rest of the fic is dealing with Gabriel being an absolute DICK and using any means at his disposal to break them apart. It’s fantastic and I highly recommend reading it!

---

hella enchanted by @xiueryn:

Years ago, Marinette’s father died and she was left with her awful stepmother. With magic forcing her to obey every command, she lived as a servant and gave up hope. When a man appears, searching for the very fairy that blessed her, Marinette decides to give life one more try. AU.

(a different ella enchanted au.)

Even though it’s a one-shot this one is pretty long, clocking in at over 30k words. Absolutely worth a shot, though. The first third is basically Marinette dealing with being pushed around because of her “blessing”, and the other two-thirds is just some adorable fluff of her and Adrien touring the country together.

---

Echoes of You by kittinoir

In the day time, she's Marinette - a normal girl, with a normal life. A normal girl, with a normal life. A normal girl, with... Not Season 4 Compliant; please, no spoilers

---

balancing act by fictionalinfinity

“Besides, being Ladybug always came first. It came before school, friends, and sometimes even family. Now it had to come before her health. Marinette had a duty to Paris. She wouldn’t let them down.” Or, being both Ladybug and the Guardian starts to take its toll on Marinette. - the epilepsy au literally no one asked for

---

Some Days by @merrygreenie

Some days are worse, and others are a little better, little by little and day by day. Marinette Dupain-Chen is learning how to live her new normal after living in confinement and being tortured by Hawkmoth. She is thankful to have her friends and family to support her. And a very special Chat who loves her very much. *This story contains scenes of violence and torture this is a whump fic*

This fic has some great angst, but be warned, it's not kidding about the violence and torture. Honestly, it should probably be rated M instead of Teen, given that while the fic mostly takes place after Marinette escapes and while she's recovering, we do get a detailed flashback to her torture.

#miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic rec #marinette dupain cheng #angst

96 notes · View notes

wordsofrowan · 1 year

Text

From Ashes to Embers

Chapter 9 - Fate Gives Second Chances

I walk alone through the deserted streets, my footsteps echoing in the emptiness, each one blending with the rhythmic pitter-patter of raindrops. The weight of the Cat Miraculous clutched tightly in my trembling hand matches the heaviness in my heart.

Tikki and Plagg, huddled together in my pocket, seem to sense the somberness that hangs in the air. Plagg, usually the embodiment of mischievousness, now wears a pained expression. His voice quivers as he speaks, his words heavy with guilt. "This is all my fault," he confesses, his tears merging with the rain. "I should've stopped him from leaving."

My steps falter, and I raise my eyes to the stormy sky, raindrops mixing with the tears that stream down my face. "Plagg," I whisper, my voice barely audible, choked with sorrow. "He made his own choice, Plagg. We couldn't force him to stay, no matter how much it hurts."

Plagg's tears continue to fall, his small form trembling with grief. "But he was my Kitten, Marinette. We were supposed to be there for each other, always."

My heart constricts with pain as I turn to face Plagg, my gaze mirroring the depths of my sorrow. "I know, Plagg," I murmur, my voice filled with a heavy sadness. "I know and I’m so sorry, I wish things didn’t happen this way."

I continue my solitary walk through the pouring rain, each droplet a reflection of the tears that fall from my eyes. Thoughts whirl in my mind, replaying everything that just happened, the hurt and confusion still raw within me. The rain washes over me as if attempting to cleanse the wounds left by the shattered unity we once shared.

As I make my way to the hotel, the weight in my heart grows heavier with each step. Just as I reach the front steps, I notice Adrien standing there, his expression reflecting the same inner turmoil that consumes me. From the corner of my eye, I see our classmates rushing out of the hotel.

A black car pulls up beside us, and the door swings open. "Adrien, get in the car immediately. I should never have listened to your friend. This city is far too dangerous," a stern voice commands. I watch as Adrien approaches the car, his hand resting on top of the door, his eyes lingering on us.

"Come on, dude!" Nino calls out. "You have to stay!"

"I'm sorry, Nino. I have to go," Adrien responds, his gaze shifting toward me. "And I'm sorry, Marinette. You fought so hard for me to be here. I wouldn't have minded being stuck here a little longer with a friend like you."

Adrien slides into the car, taking a seat. "My father was right. I should have never come to New York," he murmurs, his words carried away by the sound of the rain. The car door closes, and he disappears into the night, leaving me behind.

A single tear escapes my eye, joining the raindrops that fall around me. First, Chat Noir, and now Adrien. What more would I have to endure? I feel a pair of arms on my shoulders and I raise my gaze to meet Alya's eyes, filled with a mix of sadness and anger.

"What is wrong with you, Marinette? Couldn't you see that he was waiting for you to ask him to stay?" Alya's voice is filled with frustration.

I clenched my fist at my sides, my voice tinged with bitterness, “What do you want from me, Alya? He made his choice what did you expect me to do?!”

Alya's anger flares up, her gaze piercing. "It doesn't matter what I expected you to do! What is Adrien to you? Just a friend or something more? Now is the time to be honest with yourself, Marinette! Do you want him to leave or do you want him to stay?"

"Oh my god! Can you just shut up and actually listen to me? I couldn’t do anything in that situation. Whether he left or stayed, was entirely up. to him, there's nothing I could've done. You keep insisting he's more than just a friend!" I hissed, my voice trembling with frustration, "But he's not! I've moved on, I'm not hung up on Adrien anymore! I have my own life, my own identity, and my world doesn't revolve around some guy. And while we're on the topic of blaming, take a good look at yourself. If you hadn't pulled that stupid stunt back in the museum, maybe we wouldn't be trapped in this mess now. Maybe if you actually listened to me from the beginning then Adrien wouldn't be leaving. But no you're so wrapped up in this idea of me and Adrien being together that you can't see through this stupid fog you've surrounded yourself in."

I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the tears welling up in the corner of my eyes. "You know what, Alya? I'm exhausted. I'm tired of you dismissing my feelings about Adrien and trying to push us together. I can't handle this anymore. I can't handle you anymore."

Gently pushing her arms off my shoulder, I turned away from the girl who used to be my closest friend. The New York City streets stretched out before me, raindrops starting to fall, mirroring the sadness within me. I walked away, each step heavy with the weight of our broken friendship. The rain washed over me, blending with the tears that finally escaped. At that moment, it felt like the world was echoing the ache in my heart.

I treaded through the desolate streets of the city, the intensity of the night weighing heavily on my mind. The relentless rain drenched my clothes, causing them to cling uncomfortably to my body, but my focus remained fixed on the turmoil within me. Each step I took was a testament to the determination that burned within my soul.

As I continued my solitary journey, a flicker of light caught my attention. I turned my gaze towards an electronic billboard, and my heart skipped a beat as the image of Hawkmoth materialized before me. His menacing presence loomed over the city, his voice echoing through the rain-soaked night.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! I am in New York too," Hawkmoth's image taunted, his voice filled with malicious intent. "If you don't want the party to be ruined, your only option is to hand your Miraculous over to me!"

The weight of Hawkmoth's threat bore down on me, threatening to crush my spirit and shatter my resolve. Rain mixed with my tears as I stood frozen in the midst of the downpour, feeling utterly helpless against the forces that sought to undermine everything I held dear.

The ring in my hand felt like a symbol of both power and vulnerability. It represented the miraculous abilities that had been bestowed upon me, but it also symbolized the immense responsibility and sacrifice that came with wielding such power. The tears streamed down my face, mingling with the raindrops, as despair threatened to consume me.

It was at this moment that Uncanny Valley appeared before me, calling out my name. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, New York needs Ladybug!" Uncanny Valley's voice resonated through the chaos, commanding my attention.

My voice trembled with doubt as I responded, "I-I'm sorry... I-I-I can't help you. I don't know her!"

“Your suit's quantum masking is meant to confuse-” As Uncanny Valley's form shifted and transformed, their disguise fell away, revealing Aeon in her full humanoid form, “-human minds, Ladybug. I am not human!”

Beside me, Tikki and Plagg gasped in astonishment, mirroring my own astonishment at Aeon's revelation.

Aeon continued, their words resounding in my ears, "The Miraclonizer is no ordinary villain. He is an akumatized Techno-Pirate, a creation of Hawk Moth himself. And if Hawk Moth is here in New York, we cannot defeat him without the girl who possesses the power to fix everything.

Doubt crept into my heart as I grappled with the enormity of the situation. Could I truly step into the role of Ladybug without my partner, Chat Noir, by my side? The thought of facing the challenges alone was daunting, and I struggled to imagine a world without him. “I don't know if I can do this... I can't imagine being Ladybug without him.”

"This, I can fix!" she said with a smile.

A faint smile curved my lips as I extended my hand, offering the Cat Miraculous to Aeon, trusting them with the weighty responsibility it held.

"Okay," I declared, my voice firm with newfound resolve. "Take it. I trust you with the Cat Miraculous."

Aeon accepted the Miraculous, their wings fluttering with renewed purpose. With a nod, they soared into the night sky, disappearing from sight, ready to fulfill their mission.

Left standing alone, a mix of uncertainty and determination swirled within me. Though I still felt the weight of doubt, I reminded myself of the unwavering love I held for my city and the unwavering belief that I could overcome any obstacle that came my way.

"I may not have Chat Noir by my side," I whispered to myself, my voice carrying a hint of determination. "But I am Ladybug, the protector of Paris. I will do whatever it takes to keep this city safe." With that, I called out my transformation and swung through the city.

It didn't take long for my keen eyes to spot Sparrow, frantically evading a barrage of rockets. Without hesitation, I leaped into action, extending my yoyo to snatch him from the clutches of his pursuers. Once we were safely out of harm's way, my mind raced to formulate a plan.

"We've got to break the object where the Akuma is. I bet it's in his handcuffs. He already had them on at the museum!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with determination as I pieced together the puzzle in my mind.

But Sparrow had more revelations to share. "Something else has changed! He was wearing the necklace Lafayette gave to Washington!"

The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning, and a gasp escaped my lips. "A Miraculous!" The pieces fell into place, unraveling the source of Sparrow's newfound powers.

I heard a soft thud behind us and saw AstroChat and Uncanny Valley appear behind us, their presence adding to our resolve. With a brilliant flash of light, AstroChat transformed back into Chat Noir, his confident stance reaffirming our unity.

"That would explain his power upgrade! Good insight, M'lady!" Chat Noir's words carried a mixture of relief and admiration for Sparrow's keen observation.

Relief flooded through me as I stood before Chat Noir, my loyal partner, my unwavering support. Without hesitation, I closed the distance between us, enveloping him in a tight embrace. With gentle strokes, I wiped away the tears that had welled up in my eyes.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" I pleaded, my voice trembling with a potent blend of relief, concern, and an undeniable affection that bound us together.

Chat Noir's features softened, regret etching across his face. "I'm sorry. I was so afraid to disappoint you that I didn't dare to tell you the truth. I was so stupid."

In that intimate moment, unspoken words filled the air, a silent understanding passing between us. It was a bond forged through countless battles, a testament to our unwavering trust and unbreakable friendship.

With a quiet but resolute fist bump, we sealed our unity, a symbolic gesture affirming our commitment to each other and our duty as heroes. Together, we would face the challenges that lay ahead, safeguarding our city, seeking the truth, and putting an end to the chaos caused by the Akuma.

Hawk Moth's voice filled the air, a sinister ultimatum hanging in the balance. "Ladybug! Chat Noir! If the rocket takes off because of YOU, a world war would be declared! Unless you give me your Miraculous of course! You have five minutes! Tick-tock, tick-tock," Hawk Moth's taunting words echoed through the room.

Time was running out, and the weight of our responsibility pressed heavily upon me. I turned to Chat Noir, determination burning in my eyes.

"The first thing we need to do is seize Miraclonizer's Miraculous. That way, we'll be able to break the spell and free the adults' heroes, and in turn, they'll help us de-akumatize him!" I outlined our plan, my voice steady despite the urgency of the situation.

Sparrow, with his deep voice resonating, interjected, "But we can't get anywhere near him!"

Chat Noir, ever the optimist, retorted, "Nothing's impossible for Ladybug!"

"Lucky Charm!" I called upon the power of my Miraculous, my mind racing as I awaited the arrival of the chosen object.

To my surprise, a keychain materialized before me. Uncanny Valley, observing from the sidelines, couldn't help but comment on the peculiar item.

"So we're supposed to defeat the most powerful superheroes with a keychain? Interesting!" Uncanny Valley remarked, her voice filled with curiosity.

Undeterred, I clutched the keychain, determined to unlock its hidden potential. "Yes, well... as soon as I figure out how to use it."

The pressure intensified as Miraclonizer's countdown continued. Time was slipping away, and we needed a breakthrough.

A sudden inspiration struck me, and I turned to Uncanny Valley. "Uncanny! Can you show me how the Statue of Liberty is built?"

With her powers, Uncanny Valley presented an image of the iconic statue, revealing a crucial detail. "Look! There's a ladder inside the arm that leads to the platform!"

Chat Noir's excitement was palpable. "Awesome! But how are we gonna get inside when there's an army of superheroes attacking us?"

Sparrow and I exchanged a knowing glance. "Doorman!" we said in unison.

With his unique ability of tele-doortation, Doorman could be the key to our success. But there was a problem – he had withdrawn from his heroic duties, driven solely by his own curiosity.

Undeterred, I formulated a plan. I spotted a cardboard box and a newspaper nearby, and I gestured to Sparrow. "Sparrow! Grab a cardboard box and that newspaper and make a wrapped gift box!"

Sparrow swiftly complied, constructing the disguise we needed. Meanwhile, I turned to Uncanny Valley. "Uncanny, unlock the door to the Statue of Liberty with your powers."

As Sparrow and Uncanny Valley took their leave, reverting back to their civilian forms as Jess and Aeon, they captured a final moment of unity in a selfie.

"Dear sir," Jess began, holding the gift box, "we got you a little gift to thank you for our day at the museum! We hope you enjoy the surprise!"

I bid them farewell, wishing them luck as they flew off to Liberty Island. Our plan was set in motion.

In a serendipitous turn of events, Doorman emerged through a portal, drawn by the curiosity sparked by the gift box. His eyes lit up as he read the note. "Kids? 'We know how fascinating you think keys are, so we hope you like this.' Signed, Jess and Aeon! Of course! That's where I should've started!"

He opened the door with his power.

In the heart of Paris, Chat Noir and I found ourselves inside the iconic Eiffel Tower, our determination driving us forward. We searched for the key that held the power to unlock the hidden safe within the Statue.

"Here it is! That key! The one that opens the safe hidden in the Statue!!" Doorman's excitement was palpable as he grabbed the key and made a beeline for the door. Using his power he made a portal to the Statue of Liberty. We quickly followed him. But there was no time to waste. Chat Noir and I swiftly intercepted him, our focus unwavering. We immobilized Doorman, ensuring he wouldn't interfere with our mission to protect Paris.

"NO!! At least let me see what's inside the safe!" His plea fell on deaf ears as we pressed on, driven by our duty to safeguard the city.

"Only a few seconds left!" I called out, my voice filled with a sense of determination.

Meanwhile, at the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Sparrow and Uncanny Valley soared through the sky, their focus fixed on Miraclonizer perched atop the statue. His presence was a constant reminder of the looming threat we faced.

Back on the stairs of the Statue of Liberty, Chat Noir and I pushed ourselves to the limit, our shared determination propelling us higher and higher.

In a pivotal moment, I managed to seize the Eagle Miraculous from Miraclonizer's grasp. The villain was unmasked, his true identity revealed as Techlonizer, stripped of his malicious powers.

With the Miraculous in my possession, I proclaimed, "I'll take that! SPARROW!" I swiftly threw the Eagle Miraculous to Sparrow, who landed with remarkable agility. Liiri, the kwami of the Eagle Miraculous, materialized before us.

Liiri greeted Sparrow with a playful tone, "Hello, fledgling! All you have to say is Liiri, wings of Liberty!"

Sparrow, now Jess, embraced her newfound power, uttering the transformation phrase with unwavering resolve.

"Liiri-" Sparrow started as Jess reverted to her civilian form, her name hanging in the air, "-Wings of Liberty!"

Jess transformed into the mighty Eagle, her wings unfurling with grace and strength. The power surged through her, uniting us in our shared purpose. Eagle called out her power phrase turning all of the heroes back to their normal selves.

As the battle reached its climactic peak, the moon cast its ethereal glow upon Majestia, illuminating her as she transformed back into her true self. Her radiance pierced through the darkness, signaling the restoration of her powers.

At the same time, amidst the bustling streets of New York City, Knightowl emerged from the shadows, his heroic form giving way to his civilian identity. The sight of his return instilled a renewed sense of hope and security in the hearts of the city's inhabitants. They found solace in his unwavering dedication to their protection.

As Techlonizer's menacing ultimatum hung in the air, my heart pounded with determination. Ladybug and Chat Noir stood side by side, united in our refusal to surrender our Miraculous. His demand echoed, but our resolve remained unyielding.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! This is your last chance to give me your Miraculous!" Techlonizer's voice reverberated, attempting to shake our determination.

With unwavering eyes locked on each other, Chat Noir and I exchanged a silent understanding. Our commitment to protecting Paris and its Miraculous was unbreakable. Together, we responded, our voices filled with unwavering conviction, "Never!"

But time was against us. The rocket, a symbol of impending chaos, loomed closer to the moon, threatening to unleash havoc upon the world. Panic threatened to grip us, but we couldn't afford to falter. We needed a solution, and we needed it quickly.

In a breathtaking twist of fate, Majestia emerged from the depths of space, her presence radiating immense power. With incredible strength, she intercepted the rocket's path, diverting its course away from disaster. Chat Noir and I watched in awe, inspired by her unwavering determination and resolve.

Refocusing our attention on Techlonizer, we launched our coordinated attack. Chat Noir summoned the cataclysmic power within him, aiming for Techlonizer's gauntlets, while Knightowl swooped in to aid us. Our combined efforts left Techlonizer defenseless and bewildered, revealing his true identity as Techno-Pirate.

As Techno-Pirate stood vulnerable before us, Knightowl swiftly swept me off my feet, carrying me to safety. In his strong embrace, I felt a surge of gratitude and reassurance. We were not alone in this fight; we had allies who stood beside us, ready to support and protect us.

With the villain's transformation unraveled, it was my moment to seize. With my yo-yo in hand, I skillfully captured the malevolent akuma, its presence bound by the strength of my will. "Time to de-evilize!" I declared with unwavering determination, releasing the akuma and watching it transform into a delicate butterfly, free from its corrupted state.

The miraculous magic surged forth, its radiant glow sweeping through the city. In its wake, the once-broken fragments of Paris were restored, the wounds healed, and the chaos brought to an end. The city breathed a collective sigh of relief, the harmonious melody of its revived spirit echoing through the streets.

Techno-Pirate, now stripped of his ill-gotten powers, stood defeated and disoriented. Justice had prevailed, and the consequences of his actions awaited him. He was led away, his reign of chaos coming to an end.

The battle had come to an end and the four of us watched as the adult heroes dealt with putting away Techno-Pirate. Eagle turned to look at me and then began removing the necklace. “I should probably give this back.”

I shook my head and held out my hand signaling for Eagle to stop. "Keep it. I know you'll use it well," I said, my gaze meeting Eagle’s.

Eagle, now revealed as Jess looked over at Knightowl. Her eyes filled with uncertainty, and she voiced her concerns, "I've disobeyed again, which means... I'll never get my weapons back, right?"

Knightowl, whose support for Sparrow had grown, stepped forward, dispelling her doubts. "With the powers of the Miraculous, you won't need them anymore. And I was wrong. My little Sparrow is ready to become a fearsome Eagle," Knightowl reassured her, a glimmer of pride in her eyes.

Gratitude washed over Sparrow's face as she embraced Knightowl. The deep-rooted bond between them was evident, even as Sparrow quickly corrected herself, "Thank you, Mom! I mean, thank you, sir."

Knightowl's response was filled with acceptance and understanding. "It doesn't matter anymore. With this new suit, everyone now knows Sparrow is a female, not a male. And that the legendary original Knightowl and Sparrow are long gone," she explained, removing her mask and revealing her true self.

Her voice shifted from its deep tone to a normal one, a symbolic transformation mirroring her acceptance of her identity. "Maybe it's a sign. That the time has come to embrace who we really are," Knightowl continued, her words resonating with newfound freedom.

Majestia, watching the scene unfold, expressed her gratitude for the inspiration Sparrow had provided. "And even though it still worries us, the only way for you to grow is for us to let you take chances. Thank you for inspiring them," Majestia acknowledged, her regal presence radiating warmth.

Knightowl, humbled by her own misjudgment, humbly apologized. "And please forgive us for misjudging you," she implored, a tinge of remorse lacing her words.

Watching Jess and Aeon, I felt a sense of unity and pride well up in me. Chat Noir, Eagle, Uncanny Valley, and I stood together, recognizing the power of forgiveness and growth. The unspoken bond we shared, forged through countless battles, was reinforced by the collective realization that second chances could pave the way for transformation.

With a shared determination, we raised our fists, our hands colliding in a resounding pound. It was a symbol of unity, acceptance, and our commitment to face the challenges ahead as a united front.

Perched atop the Statue of Liberty's torch, my thoughts swirled with a mix of relief and uncertainty. Uncanny Valley stood beside me, her powers of illusion and memory manipulation offering a solution to our secret identities conundrum.

"Uncanny, what about our secret identities?" I voiced my concern, my voice tinged with a hint of worry. The weight of our responsibilities as superheroes always loomed over us, and the thought of our true identities being exposed filled me with a sense of vulnerability.

Uncanny Valley flashed me a reassuring smile, her eyes brimming with determination. "Don't worry! Once we say goodbye, I'll erase this information from my memory," she assured me, her words laced with the unwavering commitment we shared as allies.

Gratitude welled up within me as I pulled Uncanny Valley into a tight embrace. Her presence had been instrumental in bringing us back together, reuniting Ladybug and Chat Noir as a formidable team. I held onto her momentarily, cherishing the bond we had formed, before releasing her with a heartfelt "Thank you."

AstroChat, reverting back to his regular self, landed beside us, his usual charismatic demeanor shining through. His words carried a mixture of lightheartedness and sincere loyalty as he bid me farewell. "I'll see you back in Paris, M'lady!" he exclaimed, a twinkle of excitement in his eyes.

With a nod, I acknowledged AstroChat's words, acknowledging the distance that would soon separate us. We had a shared understanding, knowing that our paths would cross again, but for now, duty called us to different corners of the world.

As Uncanny Valley and AstroChat took to the sky, their forms disappearing into the distance, I watched them go with a mixture of emotions. Parting ways was bittersweet, yet the knowledge that we had each other's backs gave me strength.

I decided to head back to the hotel. Once I got there I saw the Parisian news was on, and my attention was captured by the familiar voice of Nadja. Her words echoed through the air, highlighting the heroic efforts of Ladybug and Chat Noir in a city far from home. The sight of a magnificent statue, depicting Ladybug, Chat Noir, Uncanny Valley, and Eagle, filled me with pride and a sense of accomplishment.

XoXo Rowan

#writing #miraculous au #miraculous fandom #marinette deserves better #akuma class salt #miraculous new york #Alya bashing #alya salt

9 notes · View notes

megatraven · 2 years

Text

A Run In Autumn

Written for @peakwonderfulness ! It wouldn't let me gift to you on AO3 for some reason, but thank you so much for this! I had fun writing it! :)

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Pairing: Ladynoir Summary: On her morning run, Marinette spies someone who reminds her too much of Chat Noir. When she falls, he offers her a hand, and realizes that really is her partner- and he recognizes her as Ladybug.

AO3

The air nips at her nose as she runs, the cool autumn wind making Marinette glad she chose to bundle up that morning. In a ladybug-spotted hat that Alya had gotten her the previous year, and a new, bright red jacket that her parents had gotten her to match it, she was perfectly warm enough to run without much fear of catching cold. Plus it was sunny out, when it'd been storming the last week- she didn't want to waste it, nor the opportunity to wear the sunglasses she'd made again.

Taking a path outside of her usual running route, she was hoping to find something to inspire her next fashion project. Autumn was one of her favorite times to find inspiration in the way the colors of the trees change, how the warm colors contrast with the cool air, how people begin to change into warmer clothes while trying to hold onto the heat of the summer a little while longer.

It wasn't hard to keep an eye out as she ran; her time as Ladybug made her more vigilant than ever. For the first leg of her run, she made a mental note of different things: couples wearing matching outfits, the few people who properly blended summer and autumn attire, the colors of the city and how the late morning light danced on them.

It's only halfway through her run that she notices him.

The other runner, who's been keeping pace with her for the last half-mile or so.

He's running on the opposite side of the street, dressed in all black, including his hat that's adorned with kitty ears. Bits of blonde hair stick out from underneath, and its unruliness reminds her of Chat Noir's.

In fact… the way he runs reminds her of him, too. The eyes, maybe, but he's wearing sunglasses just like she is, and of course, there's no tail… but she can picture one behind him pretty easily.

She's so distracted watching him that she doesn't notice the uneven sidewalk in front of her, her foot catching on it and sending her down to the ground. So much for vigilance. With a groan, she brings herself back up to her knees, checking for any injuries, and only finds a few scrapes on her hands. No big deal, and easy enough to take care of once she gets home.

"Are you alright?"

Startled, she looks up, the other runner in front of her now, holding his hand out to her.

"Never better," she says, a little sarcastic, though she does take his hand, appreciating the kind gesture.

Standing face-to-face with him, she tries to see through the dark lens of his sunglasses, and she thinks his eyes might actually be green underneath. He glances at her hat and grins, and she wonders if he's thinking that it's funny, both of them being out wearing Ladybug and Chat Noir attire specifically.

"Might wanna keep a better eye on the road," he says, not unkindly, " …my lady."

And then he smiles wide, as if he just told the world's funniest inside joke.

Except, she's the only other person actually in on the joke.

"Chat Noir?"

The shock on his face freezes him still, and it's only when he stiffens that she realizes his hand is still in hers. She carefully takes her hand from his, and he jumps back a little.

"... Ladybug?"

"Chat Noir."

The shock quickly leaves him, though she's still reeling from it. Instead, he looks a little bashful, sticking his hands deep into his coat pockets- probably to protect how his ring looks outside of the transformation. She's suddenly glad that her hat covers her ears and keeps her earrings from being seen, although hers are pretty generic.

"Funny meeting you out like this. Civilian patrol?" he asks, and the awkward question makes her smile.

"No, just out for a run. It clears the head, you know?" She pauses. "Wait. Are you?"

"No! No, I'm out for a run, too. Before it gets too cold."

She nods, understanding. Once winter comes around, she won't be able to get many runs in herself, unless she's wearing her actual Ladybug suit. Akumas are a holiday season staple, unfortunately, and the cold tends to make people more miserable than not.

"Is this… I'm not asking to pry, but we probably shouldn't be catching the same running paths in the future, so is this one of your regular routes?" she asks.

"Yeah, I come this way a lot. It's pretty quiet, not much traffic… I've never seen you running in this area before though. At least, not at this time."

"I am a little late to run today," she admits, cheeks warming slightly as she shifts her weight from one leg to the other. "But I don't usually come down this way anyways. I'm just looking for a little inspiration and thought I'd change up my route today."

"Inspiration?" he asks, cocking his head to the side. The ears on his hat move, too, and she has to stifle a laugh.

"Oh, you know, trying to figure out a certain kitty's gift for this year." A lie, but not really. She does want to figure out something nice to get him, even if it isn't the purpose of her run today. "What about you? Why're you out running?"

He shrugs, rocking back and forth on his feet, which is a little funny to see from her partner.

"Just getting some fresh air."

"Oh, okay."

"Yep."

They stand there, neither one moving as the wind rushes past them. It's… more awkward than Marinette would like to admit, and she's sure Chat Noir feels the same, but she doesn't want to leave him quite yet. Even if it's dangerous for them to be meeting like this- unplanned or otherwise- she never truly enjoys saying goodbye to him.

Struck by that particular realization, she peers up at him, and smiles.

"So, do you-"

"Do you want to-"

"Sorry, wait, you go on-"

"No, you first," he says, gesturing with his arm to let her go.

"Alright, well," she begins, clearing her throat. "Do you want to finish our runs together? We can pick a new place to stop and split up from there."

Chat Noir's expression lifts, and she can imagine his cat ears perking up, his tail swinging side-to-side from excitement. It's a silly thought, but then, she knows her partner's mannerisms better than anyone, and that includes the cat components that are absent on his civilian person.

"I was going to ask the same thing!"

"You know what they say about great minds, don't you, Chat Noir?"

He beams at her.

"Of course, my lady. After you," he offers, letting her take the lead so that she can set their pace.

She accepts it, starting off at a brisk jog before ramping their speed up to a run, the same pace as before. He runs right beside her, ring clenched in one of his fists, and she grins. Pushing herself a little bit faster, she watches him match pace with her, speeding up as she does, and slowing down when their path requires it.

Each time they stop at a stop sign or traffic signal, they don't stop, running in place. Marinette laughs when Chat Noir presses the cross button for the wrong crosswalk, and he returns the favor when she just barely stops herself from crashing to the ground again.

They don't talk much between catching their breaths, but it's still one of Marinette's most enjoyable runs to date. Turns out, running with someone- especially someone you like- makes the experience that much better, and when she thinks of what she could make for her project, ideas swarm her mind. She has a much more clear vision than before, but she's pretty sure chat Noir has more to do with it than the run itself.

When they finally come to a stop, they're both breathing hard, but they just smile at one another. When she raises her fist up to him, he connects his fist to hers. The touch is electric with no suit to keep them apart, but it fades just as fast.

"Bien joué!" she says, letting her fist drop.

"Bien joué, my lady."

"I'll see you later for patrol, okay?"

"It'll be my pleasure."

With an over-exaggerated bow, in typical Chat Noir style, he splits away from her, and she watches him until he disappears at his next turn. Feeling a little too warm for her hat, she just barely fights off the temptation to take it off; protecting her identity came first, but just barely. Her morning runs have never left her feeling so warm, and once again, she's pretty sure that she has Chat Noir to thank for that.

Turning away, she starts home, reinvigorated and ready to take on the rest of the day.

#miraculous ladybug #ml #ladynoir #ladybug #chat noir #marinette dupain-cheng #marinette #my fic

877 notes · View notes