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goofygoldengirl · 2 years ago

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How I Would Reorganize The Agreste Plotline If Miraculous Ladybug Were For An Older Audience

NOTE: Contains Season 5 Spoilers, Leak References, and Discussion of Mature Topics

I say reorganize instead of rewrite since I’m working with canon and embellish only on a few plot points that haven’t fully been touched upon yet. If you want to see how I reorganize the agreste plot for the show as is check out this post.

Season 1

Show in universe that everyone is aware of Emilie’s disappearance. In Origins, passing news blurb that it has been X amount of days and there are no leads into the Agreste case. This in turn, affects how his peers at school treat him, with some fawning over him like we see in the show, and the more sensitive ones reluctant to approach him due to his situation.

Ladybug is Adrien’s first ever crush. Show instead of implying on twitter that he takes romance hints from anime.

Plagg is aware of Adrien’s situation with wanting more independence and about mom’s disappearance. While he displays a lazy, go lucky attitude, he worries over Adrien. He encourages him to find himself as Chat Noir.

Show that even before Gabriel starts using the butterfly miraculous to get his wife back, he has unhealthy coping mechanisms. In the first few weeks after Emilie falls into a coma, he turns to drinking. Nathalie frequently joins him on his binges since she harbors guilt about Emilie’s illness. One night, they both get drunk and share a heated kiss.

Due to the kiss, and the stress of losing Emilie, there is a heavy tension between them. One day Nathalie snaps.

“What else could we have done? Emilie is gone! There’s no way we can bring her back! And if there was a possibly that we could, she’d hate us for it! Especially if she found out---I’m sorry I should have never brought that up. I’ll be on my way sir.”

Show that both Nathalie and The Gorilla care about Adrien despite their cold exteriors. With the next couple of seasons, he begins to open up to them, and they in turn.

Have Hawkmoth’s reveal that he is Gabriel take place at end of season 1 instead of beginning of season 2 in ML proper

Flashback 1: It is 2014 and Adrien is six years old. He asks his mother why he can’t go out and play with other kids and go to school like his cousin Felix and Chloe. Emile smiles, cradles his face, and tells him that he can’t because he is a very special boy.

Season 2

Introduce Kagami and Adrien’s crush on her. Tease Ms. Tusguri and Gabriel Agreste’s connection earlier than presented in ML Proper with a business call.

The in universe news about Emilie’s disappearance dies down due to a lack of leads.

Show how Adrien is still naive when it comes to interacting with the world, and why he may not pick up on the fact that Marinette has a crush on him due to the fact that everyone fawns over him.

Show one of Master Fu’s tutoring sessions with Adrien post Syren. Master Fu plants a seed of doubt in Adrien’s head that all is well with his family.

Highlight early on that while Gabriel does love his son, he loves the idea of Adrien the perfect, obedient child more than Adrien the trying adolescent. Make it clear that Adrien is Emilie’s child and that Gabriel found it difficult to connect to Adrien even before Emilie’s disappearance.

Start of Gabriel’s slippery slope into madness due to the constant losses.

Nathalie’s infatuation with Gabriel is teased early on in season 2, then confirmed with the events of Style Queen. She becomes more bold with her feelings. At the end of season 2, they almost kiss but Gabriel hesitates.

The events of Heroes Day play out like in ML proper . However, have Gabriel explicitly mention that it was the peacock miraculous that made Emilie ill.

Flashback 2: Takes place post Emilie’s “disappearance” but prior to season 1. Amelie and Felix visit. Amelie asks Gabriel for the Graham de Vanilly ring. Adrien and Felix interact. Felix has a mean streak. He asks how Adrien can deal “with such insufferable people.”

Season 3

Adrien and Kagami get together earlier. As a result their break up plays out a season earlier.

Nathalie takes up her role as Mayura. Her health worsens. Gabriel worries, and their relationship deepens to the point where they begin an affair. Gabriel is shown to feel guilty at first, but as he becomes more hellbent on being Hawkmoth, that guilt subsides.

Introduce sentimonsters like in ML proper. Place a hint that Adrien could be one.

Adrien mentions to Plagg that his mother used to have dizzy spells/ coughing fits like Nathalie. Plagg asks what disease she had. Adrien doesn’t know. He then asks Gabriel what type of illness Emilie had. Gabriel tells Adrien to mind his own business.

People drop hints that Marinette likes Adrien. Show that Adrien is in denial of his own feelings for her because of his feelings for Ladybug.

Show how Adrien gets stressed because of his modeling job. He is exposed to the underbelly of the fashion industry where his modeling peers have eating disorders, have drug/alcohol addictions, or are sexually preyed upon or exploited by their managers. Adrien wants out. He pleads with his father to stop modeling but is denied.

Introduce Felix like in ML proper. Show that Felix is knowledgeable about the miraculouses. Have him eye Gabriel’s brooch before leaving.

Have Chat Blanc and Ephemeral take place in this season. Keep plot and outcomes the same.

Gabriel starts to act more like Hawkmoth in real life and less like himself.

Flashback 3: Takes place when Gabriel, Emilie, and Nathalie are twenty years old. In the summer of 2000, they travel the world, in search of adventures and the miraculouses. The three of them have a close but complicated relationship due to the fact that Gabriel and Emilie are dating, Nathalie has feelings for him, and that she is friends with them both. This tension accumulates one night where they engage in a menage a tois. It is an event they vow to never speak of again. At the end of the summer, they have not found any miraculouses. Gabriel reaffirms his feelings for Emilie and rejects Nathalie completely.

Season 4

Love Square reversal. Adrien falls for Marinette. Slowly, they become closer and start dating. Gabriel finds out about Adrien’s feelings for Marinette. He forbids them to date, but they defy him. Gabriel tries to push Kagami onto Adrien.

Keep Felix’s discovery of Emlie’s body in Gabriel Agreste and trade with Gabriel at end of season 4 the same as ML proper.

Have Gabriel’s moral horizon event take place here along with Evolution in ML season 5 proper.

Nathalie and Gabriel’s relationship begins to crumble as he dives headfirst into madness and when she begins to question his decisions. The breaking point is when he does not leave the USB drive in the past like in ML Evolution. Nathalie declares that she will no longer help him, and states that she did everything for him because she loved him.

Adrien starts to look into his mother’s disappearance with Plagg and Ladybug’s encouragement. He discovers that his mother knew about the miraculouses.

The hints that Adrien could be a sentimonster intensify.

At the end of the season the alias rings are introduced.

Gabriel allows Adrien to stop modeling.

Flashback 4: Flashback of Gabriel and Emilie falling in love. Amelie and Colton’s rocky marriage. Same as the leaks. In 2006, Nathalie and Gabriel meet again. He says that he wants to try to find the miraculouses again, in particular the peacock miraculous. When Nathalie asks why, Gabriel answers “because it can create life”.

Season 5

The cataclysm happens. Gabriel’s subsequent illness is explicitly shown. He loses weight due a loss of appetite and vomiting. His skin becomes pale and gangrened sores on his arm weeps black pus. By the end of the season, he has to rely on IV fluids to keep him alive.

Nathalie actively goes against Gabriel and helps Adrien in any way she can.

Felix is Argos. Events of Emotion take place. It is made clear that he is a sentimonster. It is only hinted that Kagami is one too. In addition, he leads Adrien to Emilie’s body.

Adrien find out his father is Hawkmoth,that his mother is dead, then the final truth that he himself is not human. He wrestles with the guilt of catacylsming his father. However, he does not fall into despair as predicted in Chat Blanc and Ephemeral.

Adrien makes his stand against Gabriel. Gabriel is forced to confront the fact that Adrien is no longer his perfect child.

The final battle and the reveal happens. During the final battle, Adrien pleads with his father to see reason. Gabriel is too far gone and tries to kill Adrien. Gabriel uses the miraculouses to make his wish. As mentioned in the leaks, Nathalie is sacrificed. Gabriel is shocked. This forces him to come to terms that due to his selfishness, he has lost the two most important women in his life. He makes one final wish: to sacrifice himself to bring back balance. He dies. Emilie is still dead, but Nathalie lives.

Adrien obtains his amok. Completely orphaned, he faces an uncertain future.

Flashback 5: It is 2007, Emilie has gone through three years of fertility treatments that have brought nothing but disappointment. Clinging onto her last hope, she, Gabriel, and Nathalie travel to Tibet to find the miraculouses one last time. They find the peacock and butterfly miraculous and find out that in order to create a fully functional human sentimonster, a piece of the wearer’s DNA must be bound to the amok. Emilie allows Amelie to test out the peacock miraculous first with Colt. Their son, Felix, is born healthy. Emilie binds a piece of her hair to a photograph of herself as a baby for the amok, and creates the sentibryo that will become Adrien. She magically implants it in herself to carry out a natural pregnancy. However not long after, she begins to miscarry. Desperate, she dons the peacock miraculous. The power she uses saves the pregnancy, but causes the miraculous to become damaged. Adrien is born in 2008. As the years pass, Emilie grows ill and falls into a coma.

#miraculous ladybug #ml spoilers #ml leaks #agreste family #adrien agreste #gabriel agreste #emilie agreste #nathalie sancoeur

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hecateisalesbian · 1 year ago

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so like…we all agree on Nathalie x Amelie right?

#nathalie sancoeur #amelie graham de vanily

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sufandomgirl · 1 year ago

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Miraculous Ladybug x Hell's Belles Series Part 1: Gabriel

[A/N: Once again, another ridiculous Hell's Belles Crossover idea. I think at this point, it's a given. Comment if you find this funny or just plain weird.]

!Season 5 Finale Spoilers!

Gabriel: Make sure that Adrien doesn't remember the villain that I was. (sets rings down) Only the times that I tried to be a good father...

Later...

Adrien: As distant as he was to me, I always chalked it up to him missing Mom. I'll miss him.

Marinette: (internally screaming) Oh, I'm sure he'll miss you...(under her breath) wherever he ends up.

Adrien: What was that, Marinette?

Marinette: Nothing! Nothing, Adrien. So, what are you thinking of doing...now that he's...gone?

Adrien: I hadn't really thought about that.

Nathalie: (with Amelie) No matter what, I can't leave Adrien. I've grown to love him too much.

Amelie: (holds her hand) You were so close to being his stepmother, and you took care of him for so long that he became like a son to you. (giggles as Adrien waves at them; waves back)

Nathalie: (waves back at Adrien) I just hope that Gabriel found some peace in the end.

Meanwhile, At the Hellp Desk...

Gabriel: (walking up to the desk) Excuse me, ma'am, maybe you could help me. I'm supposed to be with my wife, but I was told that I was to come down here to get my situation cleared up.

Penny: (makes eye contact with him) Gabriel Agreste. (looks up and down the mountain of a file) Yes, you're definitely in the right place for...clarification. Your file materialized on the floor and it still reaches above the top of my desk. (touches file) Or do you prefer that I call you by one of your alter egos instead?

Hellp Desk: (collectively lean in closer)

Gabriel: Alter ego? You must be mistaken.

Greg: (walks up behind his wife)

Penny: Sir, we know every detail of your life after we touch your file. Every single one. Like a massive temporary download. So, do you prefer Gabriel, Hawkmoth, Scarlet Moth, Collector, Shadow Moth or Monarch?

Gabriel: Miss, I'm af--! (looks around) What are they doing?

Everyone: (pulling their hair up)

Penny: Oh, them? Don't mind them. Another cool thing is if something major happens in the world like all of the destruction you caused, everyone in what you call the 'Afterlife' will find out about it. We've actually been expecting you since your first akumatization. Several deities from many different belief systems have actually called down to put their name on the waiting list for their turn to come down and give you a taste of what you deserve and we just finished constructing your pocket dimension. Sort of like solitary confinement.

Gabriel: What?! I was doing it--!

Judy: To bring your wife back? We know why, Gabriel. That doesn't negate the fact that what you did and the lengths that you went did an irreparable amount of psychological harm and what you said to that poor girl who had to fight you so many times and even tried to warn you that there would be a price to pay. You were a villain, you sure got that right.

Gabriel: Ladybug's Lucky Charms fixed everything, though.

Lily: Not everything, Gabriel. Not her trauma, or your son's or anyone else's that you hurt. Even if they did, you're still destined for your own pocket dimension on Level 9. Don't worry, Greg will get to drag you down there eventually. However, let's see how strong you are against other ADULTS WITHOUT your Miraculous. Since you know, beating up teenagers was so easy with it.

Dante: (hits "record") This is gonna be great!

Sharkie: (starting up LED chainsaw) Yeah, it is!

{Gabriel's eyes held so much fear as the Belles charged him. Bel and Greg watched with pride as their wives and friends beat up this pompous magical asshole. Angel was just happy to hand them weapons. Dante handled the livestream. He was getting better at it.}

Emilie: (watching the livestream) That's what you get for throwing my son across Paris so many times, asshole. (slow turn to Aphrodite) I'm really not sure what Nathalie--or for that matter, I--saw in him. Care to explain?

Aphrodite: Hey, that was not on me. Eros handles Paris, France. Hera and Athena made sure that I had no reign over anything named similarly to Paris of Troy.

Eros: (pokes head out of sliding door) Hey, I thought that she and Nathalie could change him! Love can change people.

Emilie: I'm afraid that's only true for some people. Hopefully, my Adrien will be okay with Marinette. Those two were made for each other.

Athena: I hope that Marinette girl and your son can live somewhat happily now. They should never have had to become soldiers against evil so young, and until the Butterfly Miraculous is retrieved, her and your son's fight isn't over. If she ever chooses to reunite with Hippolyta [A/N: Sorry if I spelled that wrong], I will hopefully get to pass an encouraging message on to her.

Meanwhile, In the Mortal World...

Marinette: (feeding each kwami their favorite and hugging Tikki)

{All of a sudden, her Kwagatama glows, pulsating and Tikki separates from her to see what it is. Her eyes get wide.}

Marinette: Uh, Tikki, Su-Han, what's happening?

Su-Han: This is...remarkable.

Tikki: It's never happened before. (flies in front of Marinette's face) Marinette, you know how you can summon any of the past Ladybug Holders by touching a Guardian seal and saying 'Reunion'?

Marinette: Yeah, I remember talking to Joan of Arc. That whole day was embarrassing and crazy. What about it?

Tikki: Well, it's only been theoretical and never happened before until now, but I think one of the past Ladybug Holders is trying to connect with you from the Afterlife!

Marinette: (gasps, shocked) What?! That's possible?!

Tikki: Until you, a lot of things were thought to be impossible, Marinette. Even with the Miraculous.

Marinette: (panics) Aaaaahhhh! What do I do? A legendary hero is trying to talk to me from beyond the grave!

Su-Han: You answer them, obviously. It should work the same. (hands her a Guardian pendant) You're one of us now, Marinette. Please, accept this pendant as an apology. Just touch the Kwagatama to it and say 'Reunion'. Think of it, like answering a phone call.

Marinette: (takes pendant; puts it on) Okay, here we go. (deep breath; touches Kwagatama to pulsing seal) Reunion.

{The bright light flashes and instead of portraits hanging, she sees Joan of Arc walking towards her instead.}

Marinette: Joan?

Joan: (hand across chest, bowing) Good to see you again, Noble Ladybug of Paris.

Marinette: Why are you bowing? How are you? What's going on? Tikki said that this has never happened before. Other, previous Holders contacting me from the Afterlife.

Joan: I am well, thank you. You've proven yourself worthy and capable of a bow. You've done it. You've stopped your Monarch. Something that I regrettably could not do myself.

Marinette: The Butterfly Miraculous, it's still missing, I was trying so hard to keep him from making the wish, and I couldn't even do that. Someone else took it. I got all the others, but...I failed.

Joan: (holds her shoulder) You did what any of us would have done. You're far too young to have grown so quickly. All of us were chosen when we were already adults. We cannot fathom how you've managed to overcome so much, yet you have. Your Guardian chose well.

Marinette: (tears up, sniffles) No, he didn't. I couldn't protect him. He had to renounce because of me. I was the only one who could take his place...(holds pendant)

Joan: (looks, amazed at Guardian seal) You...are the only Ladybug that's ever become a Guardian. The fact that you are so young and have conquered so much in addition means that Tikki may very well be right to describe you as the best Ladybug holder she's ever served. The fight may not be over, but neither are you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hero Champion of Paris and Guardian of the Miraculous. Whenever you need any of us, we will be here. The other Ladybug Holders sent me to assure you that we are all behind you and now that your Black Cat has a Kwagatama, the same goes for him. Call upon us and we will come to your aid. They also wanted to send me since I am the only one that you've ever summoned from beyond the Veil. They're quite amazed by you as well. Same goes for my Grimalkin and the other Black Cat Holders.

Marinette: Amazed? By me? That can't be right. You're all legendary heroes who have overcome impossible odds, and I'm just a clumsy baker's daughter.

Joan: Is that the pleasant aroma from downstairs? Don't be doubtful of my next words, you and that puny kitten of yours have become somewhat of legends yourselves among us. You've overcome odds all your own and will continue to. Some of the other Ladybug Holders want to come and meet you. We just can't come all at once because that would raise suspicion in the Afterlife. We'll try to space it out, but some can't wait. (hugs her) Worry not, for Monarch is where he belongs and we will take care of him from here, like we do all of each other's enemies. Fare thee well, young Guardian. (disappears)

{The world comes back into focus and Tikki is the first to ask.}

Tikki: Marinette, is everything okay? What happened?

Su-Han: What did you see?

Marinette: The world around us kind of darkened and instead of portraits, the Holder trying to contact you just walks up to you to talk. Made me a little disoriented, coming back into focus. Couldn't you hear it, Tikki?

Su-Han: (writing this down) Fascinating.

Tikki: No. It's strange, but I couldn't hear anything. Who was it?

Marinette: It was Joan again. Side note, Su-Han, you may want to give Chat Noir a seal, too. The battle is far from over and Joan implied that maybe he'll need to talk to the previous Black Cat Holders with his Kwagatama, too.

Su-Han: Got it. Wait, Chat Noir has a Kwagatama as well?

Tikki: Plagg said that he gave him one.

Su-Han: (smiles and nods) I'll get one for you so that you can explain it to him, Marinette.

Marinette: Fine. Anyway, she also said that apparently, Tikki, you've described me as the best Ladybug that you've ever served. Despite the rest being legendary heroes known throughout history.

Tikki: (rubs back of head) Well, every Ladybug is different. Like she probably told you, you're the first not to be given your Miraculous as an adult.

Marinette: Yeah, she said that. Also, that Monarch is where he belongs in the Afterlife and that they'll 'take care of him' there. Like they do for each other's enemies.

Tikki: Well, yes, Marinette, you've earned your place as one of them and their respect because of all that you've accomplished at such a young age. As Ladybug Holders, you can summon each other from all across history and from the Afterlife for a reason. It's a huge burden and no one should feel as alone as you have. They look out for each other. Monarch is gone and they...have some grievances with him. Particularly because you are so young and they've grown fond of you, like I have.

Marinette: (hugs her to her face as she nuzzles her)

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #gabriel agreste #adrien agreste #hell's belles #lily #ruggy #sharkie #angel #judy #bel #greg

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ajwinter-is-a-nerd · 2 years ago

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Le Chat Et Le Serpent - Chapter 10

Please note that the entirety of this story is a ****TRIGGER WARNING***** - mentions of child abuse, graphic violence, alcohol use, mental health, suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm - basically a constant blow of pain towards the characters - as well as some "steamier" moments.

Chapter Summary:

Chat and Ladybug chat after their win over the Akuma - they want each other's support, but still have to deal with the fact that they are angry at one another.

Ladybug tells Adrien something that begins to sour his night.

We see a different side of Chloe.

Chat Needs a Hug.

Chapter 10: Etiquette and Self-Despair

Chat and Ladybug sat upon the Eiffel Tower, embracing their familiar view.

“I can’t stay for too long Kitty, but it’s nice seeing you on the chase again.” Ladybug’s eyes sparkled towards Chat.

“Didn’t think you’d get rid of me that easily, did you?” Chat grinned, momentarily forgetting his anger.

“I was worried. With the disappearance of Akumas, I thought… I thought something bad happened.” Her blue bells began to water. “And when I saw you last time, you seemed so… I thought I lost my Chat.”

Chat pulled her into a hug. “Didn’t you know? The cat always comes back, M’Lady.”

She rubbed her snuffles, comforted by Chat’s warmth. Not wanting to separate herself from him, she lowered her head to his lap; Chat kept an arm around her, modifying his hold as she shifted down. “Promise you won’t disappear like that on me again?”

“Cross my heart.” Chat softly ran an ‘x’ over his chest.

Focusing on the task at hand, Ladybug shifted topics. “I think the new holder of the butterfly Miraculous is Felix Graham de Vanily.”

“He never did give Barkk back, did he?” Chat had already assumed Gabriel and Felix had made a shifty deal.

“No, but that’s not even the strangest part. The rest of the Miraculous’ just popped up in my room one day. Rena and I have been trying to work with what the Kwamis could tell us, but we don’t have anything substantial besides the Felix lead.” Her face, illuminated yellow by the Parisian lights, slightly scrunched at her train of thought.

Hearing no response, Ladybug tilted her head to Chat’s puzzled expression. He’d been slightly irked that Nathalie had kept her actions from him; but at this moment, it enabled his reaction to match that of someone who knew nothing of Papillion’s identity.

Nathalie just dropped them off? How does she know Ladybug’s identity? Did she have help? Were the two of them really that close to taking us down before Felix came along?

“See? Quite mysterious.” Ladybug broke Chat’s train of thoughts.

“Basically,” Chat rested a claw on his chin, “either the new villain really likes a challenge, or someone intercepted Papillion themselves? I doubt Felix, or any power hungry twat for that matter, would take the butterfly and simply give back the others.”

“Yes, it feels like a win - just a very perplexing one.” She knew they were missing something big. Chat’s bewilderment squandered her last bit of hope that he held a piece of the puzzle.

“How are we going to get to Felix?” Chat asked with no attempt to hide his spite.

“Rena and I have already searched anywhere we think he could have gone. His mother filed a missing persons report and did not appreciate our visit.” Ladybug cringed at the reminder of the blonde, porting the same green jewelled eyes as Adrien, screaming and belittling her for accusing her son. Amelie thought that Felix was hurt in the battle; that they were failing as defenders by suspecting him.

“She’s scared,” Chat whispered.

“I know, Chaton. Whether he is the villain or not, he’s still her son.” Ladybug felt a tinge of guilt at the indecency of her prior tone. “But we didn’t know what else to do. We still can’t find anything on Lila. It’s as if she disappeared in the wind.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. Her mom probably hasn’t even realised she’s not home.” Chat leaned his head to the railing, hoping that Ladybug did not catch on to the degree of personal knowledge.

“The last person we have to look into is Adrien Agreste.” The words may have stung Ladybug as she exhaled them, but they violently struck Chat as he heard them.

Chat forced himself to calm down by thinking of Luka. He imagined his calming voice, his comforting touch, his oceanic eyes. Breathe. “Do you think he’s involved?”

“I don’t want to believe that.” She stated with more confidence than she carried. “But, he’s our best chance at finding Felix.”

“Are you sure he’s ready for that?” Chat wasn’t sure if he was asking her or himself. “Didn’t he just come out of the hospital?”

Sensing a shift in tension, Ladybug sat upright once again. “Um, that was actually a factor in my decision to let the holders reveal their identities to each other.”

Chat tried to hide the ‘ fuck, fuck, fuck’ that was ceaselessly running through his head. Adrien being introduced to the pack would likely carry an expectation that Chat was there. “Okay.” Chat grit his teeth, awaiting more information.

“A lot of our team knows Adrien personally. If he feels like he’s being investigated, at least it would be by people he trusts. It might also help him feel safe after…” her voice trailed at the image of Adrien in his hospital gown.

“So your plan is that everyone is going to just show up and say ‘oh hey Adrien, we just need access to your personal information and are going to be watching you like hawks because *guess what* we’re super heroes!’” Chat dramatically gestured with each word.

Dipping her head, Ladybug distracted herself with her fingers. “We’re going to have a meeting tomorrow to discuss it.”

“We?” The fire grew within Chat as he motioned to himself and Ladybug. “No, obviously not us. You and your team.”

“You should be there Chat!” Ladybug urged.

“Why? So I can be a passive observer as you, Alya, Nino, Luka, and the others can just casually talk about your infiltration that I have no say in?” Chat purposefully stated the identities he already knew to emphasise his impact. “You expect me to simply silently assent as holders reveal themselves to a civilian ?Just like I had no say in everyone else getting to share their identities?”

“Chaton… this decision was not made lightly. I considered and discussed the consequences before implementing it.” As a subconscious defence mechanism, Ladybug’s vision fixated onto the bustling city before them.

“Oh, from Alya, the person that you have who you can share your identity with?” Chat clawed. Even though he had Viperion to confide in, she didn’t know that.

“YOU WEREN’T THERE!” Ladybug jumped to her feet screaming, causing Chat to droop.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. This is just an im-paw-sible situation.” Chat knew he went too far.

“I wanted to make these decisions with you.” Ladybug’s lips trembled as her tears ran. “I didn’t want anyone else by my side. You said you would be there. You said you wouldn’t leave.”

Chat stood to hold the railing beside her. “Like I told you before, I never wanted to leave you. I promise, if it was up to me, you would’ve had to deal with me every night.” Trying to lighten the mood, he added, “Plus, I did cross my heart - so now I’m officially bound.”

Ladybug, unsuccessfully, tried to hide her amusement at Chat’s comment. Seeing that her edges had softened, he pulled her against him.

“We managed without you, but your absence was always apparent. You’re irreplaceable, Kitty.” Ladybug pecked him on his cheek before she pushed away. “Tomorrow, the meeting, at eighteen hours in the wax museum. The curator is letting us use a closed exhibit.”

“I’ll be there.” Chat confirmed as he watched her zip away. Once she was out of his sight, he shook his head in disbelief.

Flash your babydoll eyes all you want, I know I was replaced long before I got out of the hospital.

“Man, it is so weird to be here after what happened. Why do you think Adriens old man offed himself?” Nino carelessly asked as himself, Luka, and Alya stood in Adrien’s room feeding their Kwamis.

Luka ignored his comment, distracting himself by observing what Adrien had in his room; Alya, however, gave Nino a sharp jab.

Adrien's room was littered with Ladybug memorabilia.

“It was nice having Chat back, hey?” Luka was searching to identify what they knew.

“Yeah, so weird that he left Ladybug high and dry. Considering how much that dude loves her, something must have come up.” Nino’s response indicated to Luka that Ladybug had not shared Chat’s illness. Luka began sifting through a stack of Ladybug photos, increasing his envious reaction to Nino’s comment.

“Maybe he’ll tell us more at the meeting tomorrow.” Alya joined Luka’s Ladybug snooping.

Luka’s fingers tightened around the photos. “What meeting?”

“Oh shit, dude, I was supposed to tell you, there’s a meeting tomorrow about Adrien.” Nino chimed in.

Luka couldn’t imagine why Ladybug would get Nino to tell him above anyone else. Alya would have at least remembered. “And Chat’s going to be there?”

“That’s probably what they’re talking about now.” Alya set the images she was holding back down.

Sass, seeing the distress building in Luka, spoke to the room. “You should all get back, it might begin to appear suspicious if you stay in Adrien’s room for too long.”

Grateful for Sass’ intervention, Luka nodded.

Alya began pushing Nino out of the room as Luka slowly trailed behind them. Checking his phone, he saw ‘one new message from Adrien’.

Adrien: Did you know?! That the whole team is freely talking about identities? Or that I’m about to have an entourage that will endanger my ability to do ANYTHING?

Groaning, Luka walked towards the railing. He scanned for Adrien amidst the pulsating crowd.

Thanks to the densely populated room, Adrien easily reentered without bringing attention to himself. He couldn’t help but shiver at the familiar feeling that no one seemed to notice, or cared, that he was gone. Searching through the gyrating guests, he worked to find someone he wasn’t irritated with. Which, considering the celebration, was an oddly daunting task. His pubescent dream of having a room full of people, just for his birthday, had come true; but akin to any real dream, it was not the utopic experience he imagined.

Adrien chuckled at the irony as he spotted the yellow jacket berating the bartender. Of course the one person that’s managed to piss everyone else off was the one person he wasn’t mad at. Misery loves company, and I could use a drink anyway.

“Adrikens!” Chloe shouted as he approached the bar. She jumped on him, causing him to instinctively lift her in a hug. “Do you like your party?”

“I am undeserving of your greatness!” Adrien joked as he bowed, holding her hand in front of him.

“Oh, it was really nothing.” She blushed as she returned a courtesy. “Have you tried your drink yet?”

“I have a drink?” Considering he rarely indulged, he was surprised to learn that he had a cocktail crafted in his design.

“Of course! It’s a little bit fruity.” She paused to allow him to catch her joke. “Passion fruit syrup, bourbon, fresh mint, soda, and a squeeze of lime.”

“Aweh, fruity with a kick.” Adrien grinned as he nodded to the bartender to pour him one.

“Quite in character, if I do say so myself.” Chloe glowed at her successful choice of beverage. “Also, it’s still low calorie for your self-obsession over image.”

“Hey!” Adrien pushed out his lower lip as he reached for his drink. “It’s not like I was given much of a choice!”

Smirking, Chloe tapped the bar. “We’ll get two shots of tequila too.”

Before the bartender had a chance to fill the glasses, Adrien had nearly finished his cocktail. The warmth of the bourbon softened his stance. “Make that four,” he sucked the last drops of his drink, “and another one of these.”

“Ooo, you came to play, Agreste.”

He picked up the first shot, indicating a cheers. “To drinking to forget.”

Both of them swung their heads to the side as their faces puckered at the tequila.

“Are you sure you want to forget that cutie checking you out?” Chloe, with her shot glass still in hand, motioned to Luka at the railing above.

Groaning, Adrien turned to the next set of shots. “If I drink enough, maybe I’ll forget the last hour too.”

Clinking once again, he downed his third ounce of liquor.

“Hey, at least he’s still looking at you. Sabrina pretends I’m a ghost.” Chloe stared into the empty shot glass.

“It’s her loss!” Adrien kissed Chloe on the cheek as he grabbed his freshly filled drink. “I gotta deal with a brooding blue haired man.”

“Don’t do anything stupid, Adrikens!” Chloe said in a jovial tone, but with serious intent.

“Oh, you haven’t heard? Gabriel ensured that I was the image of perfection. I’m not allowed to be stupid.” He motioned over his body, slightly spilling his drink.

With rolled eyes, Chloe turned back to the bartender. “Why is my drink empty? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”

“Those went down fast,” Luka stated as Adrien stumbled towards him.

“Yeah, I figured out that someone pretty important to me was hiding something.” Adrien sipped his drink to force away the emerging ache. “Just like everyone else.”

“Adrien, I didn’t know.” Luka went to brush the hair from Adrien’s eyes.

Pushing Luka’s hand away, Adrien continued to bask in his self-loathing. “No, I get it. You don’t need to throw scraps to the stray cat.”

“Stop.” Luka growled.

Adrien’s head bobbed as he watched the crowd below him. “None of these people will notice if I’m gone.”

Luka grabbed Adrien’s hand and pulled him into his room, slamming the door behind him. Before Luka could open his mouth, Plagg jumped out.

“I would notice! I WOULD! You need to pull yourself together!” Plagg yowled in anguish.

Adrien slumped against the door, allowing it to lead him to the floor. “I’m trying.” Tears began to pull to the surface. “No matter what I do, I’m just fucked. Why would anyone else want to be around me?” His voice had lowered to a whisper. “I don’t want to be around me.”

Luka sat in front of Adrien, but once again, Plagg interjected.

“No one wants to be around you? This house is full! Snake Boy is basically crying over you. And what about me? Stop telling yourself no one else cares to make it easier for you to hate yourself.”

Adrien defiantly finished his drink while fighting with his tears.

“That’s more blunt than I would have said it, but he’s right.” Luka ran the back of his fingers along Adrien’s cheek.

“You agree that you’re basically crying over me?” Adrien chided through his tears, now flowing without resistance.

Luka raised one side of his lips and titled his head to indicate a partial agreement.

“You really didn’t know?” Adrien’s watery eyes met Luka’s.

Luka tensed his lips as he slowly shook his head.

“Okay.” Adrien allowed his anger to evaporate. Laying on the ground, he set his head in Luka’s lap.

“You really are a cat at heart, aren’t you?” Luka scratched behind his ear, inciting a small purr.

“Meow,” Adrien mimicked claws in the air, bringing a laugh to Luka’s lips.

“I love your laugh.” Adrien’s words were barely audible.

For the first time, in the years that Luka had known him, Adrien’s melody was a gentle harmony.

The door forcibly swung open, sending Plagg to transambulate through the nearest dresser. Chloe, visibly inebriated, began talk-shouting. “How dare she ignore my existence, for MONTHS, and then she finally speaks to me to - get this - introduce me to her new girlfriend!”

Adrien wasn’t ready to leave his place on Luka’s lap. “That bitch.” His empty words were muffled by Luka’s jeans.

“Seriously! The gall of that girl!” Chloe huffed while pouring tequila into three plastic cups she had taken from downstairs.

“There’s no way she was as pretty as you, Chlo.” Adrien’s lips curled to a smile as Luka continued petting him.

“Well, of course not, but that’s not the point!” Chloe shoved one of the cups into Luka’s hand.

Luka was enjoying being a passive observer in their interaction. Most of the stories he’d heard about Chloe up to this point were spoken with distaste; but, when Chloe and Adrien were together both of their masks fell. Adrien’s responses were automatic, a sign of practised familiarity. Luka went to sip at the neat tequila that Chloe had poured him, but was stopped by Chloe’s finger curling around the edge of his cup as she continued to talk.

“It was just so rude! You have to at least have the awkward ex ‘oh hey, yeah my life’s been great’ conversation before you bring a new girl into the house!” Luka watched in bewilderment as she squeezed a lime, that seemingly appeared out of thin air, into his drink. She pushed it back to him without skipping a beat. “That’s, like, etiquette right?”

“You can’t expect everyone to be as poised as you, that’s an impossible bar.” Adrien continued to nuzzle further into Luka’s lap.

Luka sipped at his drink with a silly grin.

“Duh! But that is just common sense. Like, you, blue hair,” Chloe snapped her fingers at Luka.

“His name is Luka, Chloe.”

“Ugh, fine, Luka! You had the awkward ex chat before dating anyone else after that awful Du-Pain Cheng girl, didn’t you?”

Taking a larger swig to allow his cheeks to puff, Luka nodded. He did not want to think about the Marinette-loves-Adrien mess.

“See, even dock workers have common decency.” Her opaque words were softened by her pulling Luka’s cup closer once again.

Keeping his head still, Adrien lifted his gaze to her. “Chloe, if you insult Luka one more time, I’m going to bring Sabrina’s new girlfriend up here.”

“*Gasp* you wouldn’t!” She flung her hand to her mouth.

“Be nice to Luka, we like him.”

“Ugh, fine!” She acted as if she hadn’t already approved of Luka, and wasn’t continually checking his drink level in an attempt to take care of him.

Amused, Luka returned to sipping his drink.

“Just come back to the party Adrikens, pleeaaassseee,” she began to whine.

“Depends.” Adrien began to raise his head from Luka’s lap.

Before Chloe had a chance to question the dependent factor, Adrien pressed his cheekbone against Luka’s face. “What do you think, Luka?”

“Pleaaaassseeee,” Chloe shuffled on her knees towards Luka.

Luka wrapped his arm behind Adrien, enabling him to brush his finger along Adrien’s flushed cheek. “It’s hard to say no to that,” he lightheartedly replied.

“Ha! That’s exactly what my dad says!” She bounded to her feet.

“And that’s a whole other bag of problems for a different night.” Adrien smoothly stood to his feet, offering a hand to Luka.

“Well don’t just go airing my dirty laundry, now!” Chloe playfully snapped as she pushed the drink she had poured for Adrien into his hands.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Smiling, Chloe smoothed Adrien’s clothes and patted down his stray hair. As a final touch, she pecked him on the cheek, and pushed his chin high. “Perfect. Let’s go, birthday boy.”

The buzzing warmth that Adrien had flooded through Luka was quick to fall once they stepped out of the doorway. Regret coursed through Luka as Adrien switched to socialite mode.

Author's Notes:

In case anyone was wondering, when Chat was "gesturing dramatically" I couldn't stop picturing Deadpool.

Disclaimer * The characters and original plot were written and created by Thomas Astruc. This writing is merely an interpretation in a sad gay type of way.

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