#Catwalker revealed as Cat Noir

[jheqiawrites]

This started as crack, but...

[marinettesaltprompts]

Here's an idea for a salt prompt:

When CatWalker replaces Chat Noir, Ladybug is initially ecstatic. He seems perfect. A total upgrade from Chat Noir.

The only problem is...

Well, she's on the other side of the unrequited love barrier now.

CatWalker is polite, but professional. He doesn't joke around. He doesn't make friends with anyone on the team. He does his job as efficiently and effectively as possible and goes home. He's not rude and he is an attentive partner workwise but he's not someone to do more than provide token comfort when needed or to hang out for the sake of it like Chat Noir once did.

Even when Ladybug carefully probes for the possibility Catwalker is quick to shut any possibility of a closer relationship down. Even Viperion can't get through the model-professional mask.

Meanwhile at school Adrien seems to be quietly withdrawing as well. In truth it took them a while to notice, but lately Adrien's always had a thing he had to do at home or for his Father when Nino asked. He hasn't even really been going to band with Luka and his group anymore either. There's no sign of sadness or stress though. Just that same model smile as always.

Finally the story goes to Adrien's perspective and the truth is revealed. The day that Plagg came back with the ring they had a hard conversation about why Adrien really gave it up: the disregard. The double standards about the identity rules that apparently on he had to follow. More importantly they discussed how the increasingly one-way affection and care in the relationship between him and Ladybug was hurting him. Once upon a time Ladybug had been his first friend outside of the house. Now he felt like her pet or worse.

He *knows* that whatever she called him to talk about before time was broken had been important. And he's pretty sure there was no good reason for Viperion to have been down there having *activated second chance* when he and Ladybug were supposed to have just been talking.

Plagg then spilled something that poisoned any chance of Adrien returning as Chat Noir. During the night that Ladybug had spent trying to figure out how to get a new Black Cat, Plagg had spoken with the other Kwamis and Sass let slip the truth about why Ladybug had called Chat Noir to the tower that night.

About her scummy plan. About how she'd chosen to manipulate him over trusting him in the slightest. About how in the end all Ladybug had to do was just yell at Su-Han to make him cave.

About how Viperion hadn't even said a word to try and convince her to stop but just when along with everything. Sure the other Kwamis aren't that bothered about it- human things aren't their specialty so it's not like they care that much when it's not a holder they like getting hurt- but the implications are clear.

And just like that something in Adrien finally breaks. The scales fall from his eyes and the desire for a bond between him and Ladybug withers away. The same for any idea of a friendship between him and Luka.

And from there so to do the other threads connecting him to others. Nino had *hated* Chat Noir. Sure a lot of it had been grief, but the contempt towards Chat Noir was real. Would they really still be friends if Nino knew who he really was?

Probably not.

Alya and him were only friends by association of Nino. And no one else in class was closer to him than that. Even the others in the band were people he'd gotten closer through Luka.

Marinette... well. He'd *thought* they were getting closer, but any time it seemed like they were making progress she'd act out and... well. He'd been trying to ignore it for a while but if he was honest he knew what a fangirl looked like. He just didn't want to admit what he saw in Marinette.

Even Chloe and Felix had fallen away in their own ways.

Maybe it was time to let them all go. It hurts to accept but less than he expected. It's kind of a sad relief. He'd dreamed of making friends and a life outside of the manor but much like being a superhero, things were harder in real life than in his fantasies.

But Plagg was different. Sure he wasn't perfect. He'd kept things from him, but they'd bonded. Adrien honestly couldn't say there was anyone closer to his heart than the little Kwami, not since Mom had "disappeared".

But he lose Plagg forever if he stopped being Ladybug's partner. And Plagg doesn't want to say goodbye to Adrien either- but he has responsibilities as well. He can't just stay with Adrien and ignore the fight in Paris- even if he didn't care much about humans he cared about poor Nooroo and Duusu!

So they concocted a way for them to stay together. Being Chat Noir had been freedom once, but it had been becoming more of an obligation to Ladybug anyway. Besides, he was decent at escaping now anyway and he could only really have fun with Plagg in the privacy of his room anyway. The relationship between him and Ladybug was a source of more pain and trouble than it was worth at this point, Adrien just couldn't be her emotional support anymore. So the new Cat would be strictly polite and distant with her to avoid even the possibility of that happening again. Chat Noir had been widely mocked and devalued for his approach, so his replacement would be a calm professional who never let his personal feelings touch his work.

And so Catwalker was born.

He's easy for Adrien to slip into. He's just the same model personality he practices every day after all, only now the distance between him and others is enforced. He's the perfect fighter. The perfect soldier. No one can fault him, and no one can say that he doesn't fit on the team even if he's not part of their friend group. Adrien's heart is protected, Ladybug the partner she wanted and Plagg gets to keep his favored holder.

Catwalker is perfect.

Too perfect really. He knows what a fangirl looks like after all, and the "subtle" looks Ladybug gives him when she thinks he won't notice tug at him with a mix of bitter longing and disappointment that she's infatuation by the same hollow mask as the rest of Paris. But Catwalker also doesn't owe Ladybug his shoulder like her 'friend' Chat Noir felt like he did when she's down, she has an entire team for that- when the job's done he can just go home instead.

And Adrien? It's all too easy to slip back into a comfortable loneliness. In hindsight, a lot of his relationships at school were shallower than he thought. Nino was nice enough guy, but they'd never been able to fully bond in the way he'd wanted- and Nino's priority had been Alya for nearly as long as they'd known each other anyway. Luka and the band were circumstantial friends and the others were less than that really.

But was comfortable. Familiar to be alone in a crowd. To put on a mask of friendliness and have nothing deeper than passing acquaintances. He'd been on sports teams growing up, fencing, basketball, Karate and yet he'd never been allowed to get close to anyone but Chloe and Felix. It was normal for him to be in solitude, it hurt less than he expected to let the others go.

But maybe that was because he still had a true friend now. A little, rambunctious Kwami who would deceive his own Guardian to stay with him. Someone who actually, fully accepted him in his entirely and who he could actually trust. The very kind of friendship he'd always dreamed of.

And that'd why he's able to live like this.

It wasn't the life he'd imagined or wanted as Chat Noir. But both Adrien and Catwalker found themselves content.

I love this Idea, but I also wanted to that it's perfectly ironic. Everyone in his class and life, from Marinette to Kagami, always did say that Adrien the Model is perfect, so he gives them exactly what they wanted. A flawless model that stands alone, away from them all.

Thank you for the prompt! New post should be coming soon!

[asukiess]

LOVEYBUG AU WEEK: 2/11 - 2/17

if the thought of "singles awareness day" has you feeling some type of way, don't worry--its hit Ladybug, too!

from February 11th to the 17th, feel free to participate in this week I made up! we'll be following all the different conceivable sides of the Loveybug AU Lovesquare; all the shenanigans, the Loveybug cringefailures, and of course: the love.

(BIG SPECIAL SHOUTOUT to @bittersweetresilience for crafting the calendar.)

Sunday, 2/11: Adrinette (Loveybug Edition)

Monday, 2/12: Marichat (Loveybug Edition)

Tuesday, 2/13: Loveydrien

Wednesday, 2/14: LoveyWalker

Thursday, 2/15: LoveyNoir

Friday, 2/16: LoveyWalker Kwami Swap

Saturday. 2/17: LoveyWalker Reveal!

How would Lovey!Marinette react each day at school seeing Adrien? What if Chat Noir or Cat Walker paid Lovey!Marinette a visit? What kind of special treatment does Adrien get from Loveybug? What is the DEAL between Loveybug and Catwalker--dating or is he still hung up on Ladybug's whereabouts? What if LoveyWalker needed to swap kwamis? And what will happen during the fateful reveal?

That's up to you to decide! Or, say screw it and use any of the days as a mere jumping off point and pair her up with someone else! The world is your honeymoon suite bed!

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

I feel like the fandom is ignoring the fact that Adrien is under no obligation to forgive Marinette.

Regardless of her reasons for lying to him what the finale establishes is that Marinette as a character is not trustworthy to Adrien specifically.

In that Adrien trusted her and she failed. Not failed to defeat Monarch but, much more importantly, failed his trust in her.

To the point where the best thing Adrien's narrative can do for his character is break up with her.

The writers established so many parallels between Marinette and Gabriel that at this point Adrien extending forgiveness wouldn't be a sign of his own development as a person but a return to his fawning trauma response.

Said parallels ignorantly reinforced by the writers constantly forcing Adrien to put aside his own needs and emotions in favor of supporting his "partner". (Syren, Kuro Neko, Risk)

Support the writers never allow Marinette to return.

So yeah, I think they should break up.

I'm so serious.

Ephemeral's whole premise is Marinette taking advantage of Adrien's trust in order to learn his identity so she can tell it to Su Han.

Catwalker is literally just Adrien fawning in a vain attempt to be trustworthy. The inciting incident being Ladybug not trusting Chat Noir when he asks to take on more responsibilities. Kuro Neko ending with nothing resolved and the idea that Adrien as a hero is superfluous reinforced in his head.

It's not just Marinette's pattern of behavior that contributes to this.

Adrien's relationships with those around him are frayed specifically because of the Guardians' rules. He values Ladybug's trust in him so much that Adrien is willing to hurt himself to follow what is expected of him as the holder of the Black Cat Miraculous.

But no one else is.

I mean that from a writing perspective not a character one.

Nino and Alya are revealed to each other due to necessity. Marinette breaks down and reveals herself to Alya.

And Adrien is still alone. Still expected to follow the rules that keep him isolated from his meager support network. Still expected to just be okay.

He has a girlfriend now! That means everything is fixed! No need to worry about his best friend calling him annoying to his face!

It's long been a fandom theory that Marinette doesn't see Chat Noir as "real".

And this is reinforced several times when she learns that Chat Noir found out something she kept from him, apologized, and then... changed nothing about how they function as a "team".

After meeting Scarabella and learning that someone knows Ladybug's identity Adrien is mad sure. But he goes right back to fawning. To saying that "it's okay" because he has so little self worth. Because the writers reinforced the fact that he is unnecessary.

And that's because the writers don't see Adrien as his own character. Don't see him as a "human" character least of all after literally dehumanizing him.

[pisoprano]

Happy birthday, @blur0se! I wrote some more Loveybug AU for you!

Marinette was feeling giddy. Becoming Loveybug was just—GAHH!!! She didn’t have words for it. She wanted to dance and squeal and start throwing confetti. 

She’d told Chat Noir she loved him! 

After all her failures with trying to tell Adrien her feelings, she’d actually succeeded in revealing the three suns in her heart (i.e., those three little words, “I love you”) to someone! And sure, Chat had run away before responding, but clearly that had to be because he was about to transform back, right? Or maybe it was just that he was too surprised by the other news she’d shared to say anything? 

(He looked so sad, though, when he learned that Ladybug wasn’t coming ba—DON’T THINK ABOUT ANY OF THAT! THIS IS HAPPY FUN TIME TO CELEBRATE!) 

She started planning what she was going to do when she saw Chat Noir again. Maybe they could go on a romantic boat ride together? She could wear a fancy dress and have a violin serenading them as they watched the stars together! And she had to bring him a rose—no, a dozen! A hundred! How expensive were roses again? She'd figure that out later, she just knew that any roses had to be red because her kitty needed to know that this was no platonic friendship that she was giving him, it was a romance. One that would last forever and ever! 

The akuma alert popped up on her phone. A part of Marinette was annoyed—she hadn’t finished her dating plan yet!—but on the other hand, it meant seeing that beautiful, silly, fun, caring, adorable, wonderful boy in cat ears that much sooner. She’d have to make up for the lack of a plan with extra hugs (and kisses if she could snag them!) 

“Tikki, spots on!” 

Loveybug yo-yo'd herself into the sky and looked for her partner (the akuma could wait). Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to have shown up yet. Probably something in his personal life holding him up. She wished she knew more about that personal life. She wished she was a part of that personal life. Maybe he’d open up more about himself to Loveybug—he certainly wouldn’t tell Ladybug since she'd told him ‘No talking about identity stuff!’ too many times to count (she was a fool to have made that rule—sure the world had ended a couple times, but on the other hand, consider: kissy kissy meow meow). 

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t see all the birds coming. Loveybug was thrown into the air by Mr. Pigeon’s latest flock of evil pigeons. Maybe I can manipulate the swarm of birds into making a message for Chat? she mused to herself. A giant heart shouldn’t be too difficult, right? 

As she tried to think through her plans of sky artistry, she suddenly felt a pair of sturdy arms wrap around her. 

He’s here! 

Loveybug closed her eyes in a dramatic swoon and nuzzled up to him, “Hey, Hot Stuff, where have you been all my life?” She moved her hand up to his neck to play with his bell, but it wasn’t there. All she found was a metallic chain. 

She opened her eyes to look at her catboy. Except he wasn’t her catboy. Sure he was a catboy—black cat ears, a tail, and baton with a paw print that he was using to keep the both of them aloft in the sky as they fled the pigeon horde. But his hair was green and his posture was perfect and he looked like a soldier waiting for orders. Nothing like the fun-loving goofball that had been Ladybug’s partner since the very beginning. 

(Except that time when he’d given up the ring. Except that time when he’d been replaced.) 

“Catwalker?” she whispered. 

“Good day, Loveybug, I hope you are alright?” 

“Of course I’m alright!” she yelped. “Why wouldn’t I be alright?” 

She couldn’t let herself fall apart over losing Chat, not again. She needed to be Loveybug right now, she would die of mortification if Catwalker of all people found out that she was Ladybug in disguise. Mr. Perfect could never find out about how Ladybug had screwed things up with Chat Noir so badly she’d dreamed up an alternate version of herself to fix it. 

Catwalker frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay? We’ve got an akuma to deal with, but if you’re not feeling well—” 

“Yep! Purr-fectly fine, that’s me! Paris’ number one heroine of love and justice! Loveybug! Not Ladybug! She’s not here! Oh look, the Pigeon Man! Let’s go fight him! With the power of love!” 

She gave Catwalker a smooch on the cheek and flung herself away towards danger.

(But why was Catwalker here? He can’t be a permanent replacement. Chat Noir had to come back. If Chat hated Loveybug so much that he gave up the ring again just to get away from her, she’d—DON’T THINK ABOUT THAT! EVERYTHING IS FINE! JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING! YOU LOVE CATWALKER TOO, RIGHT? HE’S SUPER PRETTY AND NICE. YOU CAN LOVE HIM UNTIL CHAT NOIR COMES BACK. HE HAS TO COME BACK.) 

[kawaiichibiart]

Matagot AU

In case anyone wants to know where this started:

Not sure how far I'm going to get into this AU, but I figured some of y'all would be interested. So... :)

First thing ya gotta know, I never plan for any ship in the lovesquare to be the end goal. Just not my thing, I don't like it. And in all honesty, whenever I think of the Matagot AU, I don't see any romantic relationships developing. Purely platonic friendship and familial love.

Because he knows he can change the way his costume look, it'd easy for Adrien to change his appearance to ensure no one makes a connection between Chat Noir and Matagot. The only reason Ladybug can is because of the bond they've developed and her knowing his identity.

↑ Unfortunately, despite them having revealed themselves, it wasn't the happy moment they both wished for.

And while some would have argued for Ladybug to take back the cat miraculous, seeing as Monarch was dead, she didn't want to. Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to.

There are many ways kwamis bond with their holders. Stories of "true holders" have circled around for centuries, people who had been "destined" to wield a certain miraculous. But the reality is that those so called "true holders" actually formed a sort of soul bond with their kwamis. A special connection between the two that added some additional protection to them and the miraculous. One of which is only they can remove the miraculous.

Plagg formed one with Adrien shortly before Monarch made his first appearance, and Tikki planned on forming one with Marinette but could never find the right time to bring it up.

Of course things aren't easy at first. Trauma aside, Adrien has a lot of trust issues and things he's internalized. As I mentioned in the linked post, people wanted someone to blame because Gabriel was dead. And who better than his son? A lot of blame was shoved on to Adrien to the point where things that were unrelated to Monarch and people being akumatized were also blamed on him: You got fired? It's Adrien's fault. Your significant other left you? It's Adrien's fault. You got expelled? It happened because of Adrien. You were robbed? Failed a test? Broke your grandma's favorite vase? It's all Adrien's fault. It happened enough that he began to internalize it and now feels like he has to apologize for literally everything. Because it's all his fault, right?

*Catwoman entering the Batcave with Matagot, each with a smoothie* Nightwing:...what ya got there, Catwoman? Catwoman: a smoothie

Bruce and Selina definitely get into "minor" arguments about her taking in a boy and teaching him how to break into places and steal.

Honestly, it's kinda fun not having to be hero in Gotham. Chat Noir and Catwalker were both heroes. Matagot isn't. Vigilante, anti-hero, either works. Maybe people back in Paris would question it. But, he can't really find himself caring. He will feel bad if it reflects badly on Ladybug though. He's not gonna stop but he'll feel bad.

Personal therapist Harley Quinn, most of their "therapy" sessions is just breaking shit with bats. Sometimes they're joined by Jason /Red Hood. Don't tell Bruce/Batman.

When Marinette makes her way to Gotham, it's part of a school trip that students had to pay for. The trip was divided so some students went to Gotham and some went to Metropolis. The reason she chose Gotham over Metropolis was because she had been visited by Wonder Woman.

Originally, Diana planned to train Marinette herself, but after learning that the holder of the cat miraculous ran away, she told her she'd help her get in touch with her friend, Batman. If anyone can help her find Adrien, it's him and his team. And, if she's willing, she'll talk him into giving her more training. With that, Marinette decides she's heading to Gotham.

Adrien avoids his old classmates and friends like the plague when they arrive. While they didn't really do anything, some of them did participate in blaming him for everything. If he sees one of the few he fully trusts is alone, he might talk to them. Might.

[jennagrinsoverml]

Got any Catwalker fic recs? Haven't found many yet but the angst and identity shenanigan potential from the setup makes me wanna read more, and your recs are top notch.

I really wish there was more Catwalker fics! Sadly there aren't very many still. I feel like, in general, there just wasn't as much fic for season 4 as for prior seasons (and it's only gotten worse for season 5...) With that said, here are a few I enjoyed.

Walking a Fine Line by @11jj11​

Ladybug learns that Chat Noir was Cat Walker. Emotions ensue.

One-shot. I think all of us are itching for some good ladynoir confrontation considering canon events and how much they did NOT get into the nitty gritty of the conflict. So read this awesome fic that starts off light and leads to these two screaming at each other and then…well, I don’t want to spoil, but it’s absolutely beautiful 💖

another side of you by @emsylcatac

"Did he..." Chat Noir started, searching for the right words. "Did he like puns, my Lady?"

Ladybug frowned, clearly confused by the question. "Um, I'm not sure? He didn't laugh at mine, but—"

"Then it's a no," he grinned.

"What?" she scoffed. "You can't say no just because of puns, Chat Noir!"

"And why not?" he crossed his arms. "If I need a replacement, I need one who can fit my role perfectly. And the basic requirement to be a good Chat Noir is to like puns, which this Catwalker of yours clearly doesn't seem to meet."

One-shot. Ladybug and Chat Noir discuss the possibility of bringing back Cat Walker as Chat's emergency back up. Although Cat Walker doesn't make an appearance, the discussion is amazing, especially with Ladybug's crush on full display. (But of course Chat is Adrien and as oblivious as ever 🤣)

Marinette Considers Giving Cat Walker a Miraculous by Hadithi 

“I should probably figure out whoever Cat Walker was and give him a miraculous,” Marinette jokes.

Her hands are covered in flour because she’s kneading dough, and she’s kneading dough because she found out last week that Adrien buys his bread at the grocery store. Her boyfriend is rich, and he could buy nice bread, but he doesn’t. Instead, Marinette bakes bread from scratch and knows that Adrien is always touched by gifts that aren’t paid for.

“You never found out?” Adrien grins as he leans across the counter.

One-shot. This is a cute post-reveal established relationship fic where Marinette finds out her boyfriend was Cat Walker too--and he teases her mercilessly. It's funny and sweet and it makes me happy to think something like this could happen one day.

The Sun is In Your Eyes by @deinde-prandium

The morning after they’ve revealed their identities to one another, Ladybug and Chat Noir have a much-needed talk. Post-season 4.  

One-shot. Oh man, I love this fic a ridiculous amount. We get post-reveal pre-relationship in the aftermath of all of season 4′s angst and it’s beautiful!! Chat trying to hold back because he doesn’t want to pressure her, but his feelings haven’t changed, of course they haven’t. It’s post-reveal, but we get a Cat Walker reveal too!

Runaway Catwalker (ML Comic) by @runawaycatwalker​

After Chat Noir's identity is discovered by Mayura, the only person left for Adrien to be is Catwalker...

Takes place post-Kuro Neko, pre-Risk/Strike Back.

Comic. This is a WIP! But it’s so good and I’m enjoying it immensely. You can also read it here on tumblr at their username. Everyone is really in character and there’s really excellent exploration of the fallout of Chat Noir’s identity being discovered, as well as his turn to being Catwalker full time. I’m excited to see how it all plays out!

[richardsphere]

Dumb fanfic idea that i'll never write but need to put out into the world:

Miraculous Masked Singer AU: I basically have 2 of these brainbugs so im putting them both into the world cause i sure am not writing them: V1: Gabriel Did it. In an attempt to further spread Adriens' brand recognition (and gain easy access to people getting frustrated at host Alec Cataldi) , Gabriel has signed Adrien up for the French Masked Singer. (judged by Clara, Jagged, Major Bourgouis and Anarka in this AU). The problem? The judges are horribly convinced its CHAT in the costume and he needs to figure a way to prevent this from becoming the wrong type of unmasking (his roles in Animaestro, Frightninggale and his clues referencing "an ironic aversion to feathers" are not helping him in this). V2: Intentional Reveal: In a post-butterfly world, the heroes can finally retire. Adriens civilian life is terrible because the world knows about his dad, his career is shambles and after a private reveal with Maribug, safe in the knowledge that paris no longer needs its heroes they agree to a cunning plan/prank of a lifetime: Chat Noir will go on the Parisian Masked Singer (Judged in this AU by Luka, Nino, Chloe and Jagged after their music careers took off during the timeskip) to become the worlds first double unmasking. (this time the clues would also involve ring-references) Im thinking either way, Adrien gets songs from Atomic Kitten, Pussycat Girls, Cat Stevens that sort of thing. But in AU 1 its digging his grave and in AU 2 he's doing it deliberately (between his 2 unmaskings, he also sings Right Said Fred's "im too sexy" because he cant resist the "turn on the catwalk" line as a final clue) In V2, im also thinking Ladybug testified about Aspik, which means he's legally considered innocent ("if he was working with hawkmoth, we'd have lost during Desperada. have you WATCHED groundhog day?) he's still sus in the eyes of the public

[actually-factually-anonymous]

Kuro Neko shows that Marinette wouldn't even wait a day before replacing Chat Noir. I'll defend her a little because Plagg only brought up "he's in love with you" as to why he resigned, so unless he revealed the season's worth of abandonment and other issues that Chat Noir had been feeling then Marinette can't be judged too harshly for thinking the situation was unfixable.

But: it should be noted that there precious little sign of her regretting his loss or missing him in any way. And I think it's undeniable that if Catwalker hadn't made her so "giddy" that she would have kept the "new cat" without question. Any idea that she would have felt a loss of some kind seems more like fanon than anything else at this point.

I also can't bring myself to blame Adrien for moving on from being Chat Noir so quickly in The Kwamis' Choice anymore. At first I found it frustrating and out of character for him to accept his removal as a holder so easily, but in hindsight what else was he supposed to do? Unlike Marinette who is the Guardian, he has no authority to refuse to give up the ring- and quite frankly listening to how Plagg speaks to him it sounds almost exactly like he's trying to let Adrien know he's been fired in the most gentle way possible:

-

Plagg: (heavy-hearted) Adrien Agreste, you have been an exemplary holder of the Miraculous of the Black Cat. You’ve always used the power of Destruction for the greater good. I wish I could say the same about me.

Adrien: But Monarch—

Plagg: Someone will succeed you. You won’t have to hide anything anymore from the ones you love. You can finally be yourself.

-

As far as he knows, Adrien was just fired by Ladybug and Plagg's delivering the bad news. Add in that their bond was redefined during season four and that Adrien had come to terms with the idea that she didn't need him, and him simply giving over the ring and moving on as best he can makes sense.

It's not like Marinette's case where she's the Guardian, and thus Tikki's boss who can tell her to knock off any scheme to replace her. Or could just tell Plagg to go find Chat Noir and lead him to her so they can be friends/have any connection to each other whatsoever in civilian form.

There's no point in complaining or trying to fight it, and Ladybug's not interested in a reveal. So he just accepts the loss and gets on with his life.

Honestly: good for him. I would have expected more sadness and loss, but I guess he came to terms with being "work friends" with Ladybug and that he was replaceable at any time in S4.

With Ladynoir July coming up, there is this thing that keeps on bothering me greatly in the show. In fanon Marinette is always depicted as observing and understanding of Cat Noir's quiet mannerisms and behavior and that she too desperately wishes to finally reveal to get to know him better

But tbh that isn't at all the case in Canon imo. I just can't see it tat way anymore because there is nothing. Marinette is rarely written to have any real understanding of Cat at all and she's seemingly blind to 90 percent of his emotions and reasonings and what makes him himself. Not to mention that she really isn't interested in getting to know him at all, it seems.

Looking at episodes like Glaciator 2, Elation, and Revelation, one even has to ask if Marinette still remembers that at one point they are gonna reveal themselves to each other, because she is pulling some very hurtful deceptions he's gonna notice once he knows Marinette is Ladybug. Either that or she's genuinely always running on the inherent assumption that Cat Noir wouldn't and SHOULDN'T ever be upset with her no matter what she does. She just uses her identities against him without a single care for how it'll look like for him later on.

I can't even read Ladynoir fanfictions anymore to make up for canon because anytime the author characterizes Marinette as "the one who knows Cat Noir better than anyone else" and "desperately hopeful that she'll soon really get to know him after this agonizing sacrifice of staying anonymous to each other to keep them safe is over" I just... can't help but think it's not Canon compliant anymore at this point.

Canon simply doesn't give us anything. Cat Noir is not an important person in Marinette’s life. Kwamis choice showed how small of a loss leaving Cat Noir was for her. Loosing him out of her life was hardly noticeable. With Adrien, you could feel that now he only has his civilian life left and that that's a bad thing, so it made sense when he immediately ran to Marinette to get himself a new anchor in life.

But Marinette didn't do the same. She had earlier rejected Adrien but after she renounces she just goes back to daydreaming about Adrien while hanging up the photos. Same as leaving Cat Noir, having rejected Adrien isn't really a meaningful event in her mind, it meant nothing really. She just goes back to normal as if nothing happened. It was Adrien who once again took initiative to make any changes in their dynamic. If it had gone according to Marinette, she would have just returned to school the next day and tried confessing her love again to an Adrien who was still heartbroken over her having rejected him.

So not only was she insanely tone-deaf with Cat Noir whne she just assumed he still interested in her after season 4, she would have also done the same with Adrien. I know Marinette is self-centered alot of times, but good GOSH.

Back on topic. Marinette's side of her dynamics with Cat Noir just feels so empty and superficial at this point. I know I'm not the only one thinking this, but I really wonder what exactly Marinette supposedly fell in love with about Cat at the end of season 4? It's not like she has any interest in him as a person and the superficial and self-beneficial way she describes her crush on him to Alya really ain't helping her case here.

She talks about how hot he is, what he does to make her job easier for her, and that he's an easy source for love, but that's kinda it. Marinette only tries finding out who he is because Alya put the purity of her crush into question, but Marinette herself shows no interest in getting to know him.

The show tells me, Marinette really either thinks that she already knows everything important that's to know about Cat Noir like her in Wishmaker just telling him that he surely dreamed of being a magician or a fire fighter as a child, while completely writing off all of his concerns he voices towards her wich then rightfully screwed them over when she left him behind with the akuma he was vulnerable towards because she can't be bothered to ever listen.

Or.. it's just not important to her. Which is what I think is unfortunately primarily the case. She's not sitting at home wondering what kind of life he leads, as the Fandom claims. She isn't curious what he truly looks like. She doesn't know or wonder what he knows or doesn't, what he likes or dislikes. What his ambitions, dreams, and fears are.

She knows basically nothing about him and doesn't seem to mind that much. Now with season 6 upcoming, Adrien asking Ladybug again about the reveal before Lila shows up as new Butterfly makes sense. But I don't think Marinette has been remembering that much at all in the meantime. She's just gonna brush him off with some excuse and smile again and continue waiting for the new villain.

I dint think Marinette considers it much of a sacrifice to not know who Cat Noir is. And I honestly don't think she would mind it much either if they were to never reveal. For her, Cat Noir is Cat Noir. He shows up to help her as hero and seemingly that's all she really wants out of his existence by her side.

If Cat Noir were to leave her life, nothing to meaningful would change. He has such a small and insignificant presence in he life, that it wouldn't cause alot of problems. Yeah, she'd remember him for much longer forwards, but would it actually qualify as a "huge loss" the way fanon makes it out to be?

I honestly don't think so. Give Marinette two weeks and she successfully moved on but keeps him in mind in a bittersweet way. She probably wouldn't even aks Plagg what happened. She'd be sad for a week, would eventually conclude "Well, he made his choice :(" and then probably after a month tops give out the ring again.

The most that would change is that the next Black Cat she would need to treat as if he actually exists as a person beyond what use and easing feeling she gets out of him and his mask. And that is so unbelievably depressing....

Sorry for being such a downer. I've almost gone through all stages of grief for Ladynoir in the past year of hiatus which is a harsh thing to realize when I can't even cheer myself up anymore through the Ladynoir July because of how out of character it now seems to me for Marinette. Fandom goggles really did most of the work here, huh?

---

It's okay, Ladynoir Anon. I call this blog a peer support blog for a reason. We all mope here sometimes.

You are right about the fandom doing the heavy lifting for Miraculous’ popularity. The thing about Miraculous is that the source material merely hints at things that could happen. The fandom then does the rest. Because, like, even if what the writers do with their setups ends up flopping every single time, the pacing in this show is so glacially slow that, by the time it flops, the fandom will have built a far more compelling scenario for them. The hope for getting that better story eventually keeps the disappointed fans coming back.

The fandom characterization is also better than canon. It's simultaneously more consistent while also allowing for more character development. In fanfics, characters don't suddenly forsake their moral codes, but actually grow into kinder, more understanding people due to the things they learn.

[chatonnoir]

anyway here’s some predictions (based on the translations from @crizztelcb​) etc.

The reporter asks, “Where's chat noir? You guys have saved Paris without him a couple of times recently, did you two get into a fight?” Then Adrien hears Ladybug say Chat Noir is “just a partner like any other” and that hurts him because he misunderstands it to mean he’s no different to her than all the other temporary holders. It’s the final nail in the coffin of insecurities that’d been building up in the past few eps.

Ladybug is facing a very difficult Akuma/Sentimonster and Chat Noir either shows up late or accidentally makes something worse etc. Chat Noir says, “I can lend you a paw and buy you some time.” Under high stress, Ladybug snaps, “You want to help? How about you stop making me lose time!”

Ladybug’s annoyance might have rolled off his back at any other time but Ladybug had no way of knowing that he was in a vulnerable spot in regards to their relationship at that moment. So instead, it gets to him. Bad things happen and he gives up his ring.

Ladybug “choosing another Cat Miraculous holder” is coming from stubbornness and hurt over him leaving. She doesn’t want another Cat holder, but it’s sort of a “fine!!! be that way!!!!” reaction. And she thinks the problem was that Chat Noir loves her too much (a very funny way of refusing to reflect on her own feelings on that front). That’s why he recklessly sacrifices himself and nearly gives her heart attacks. That’s why he gets distracted in battle. That’s why his feelings were so hurt. Ladybug decides that her relationship with her partner needs to be purely professional, so her solution is: “I will need to choose another. One who isn't in love with me!”

The thing is, she made it very clear in the episode just before this that she can’t know the Cat Miraculous holder’s identity. So one possibility is that she lets Plagg choose a new holder, and he just goes straight back to Adrien. (That, or maybe she lets Viperion do it, seeing as she trusted him in Ephemeral, and he thinks he’s being very clever by giving it back to Adrien while pretending he didn’t know he was Chat Noir all along. But that’s a theory that doesn’t actually have any basis and is just coming from me waiting for the Wishmaker reveals to play a crucial role somewhere other than Ephemeral)

Enter Cat Walker:

( “meow?” lmaoo she’s so cute here) Maybe Ladybug said “meow” because she was in the middle of ranting by herself about Chat Noir because she’s still sad and upset with him for leaving, only to be caught off guard when Cat Walker shows up. E.g.

Ladybug: ooooh check meowt I’m Chat Noir I’m so COOL, I’m just gonna GIVE UP MY RING and LEAVE even though I said I LOVE LADYBUG and we were the PURRFECT duo, me-

Catwalker: Hello Ladybug

Ladybug: .... meow?

If we know one thing about Adrien it’s that he’s good at playing roles to please others. The princely outfit as Cat Walker, the punny hero name, and the adorable little paw print buttons all just feel very “Adrien” -- especially paired with the fact that Ladybug was blushing over him, cause they already showed us she’s not one to easily fall for Felix’s fake Adrien charms. That’s why I’m pretty convinced it’s Adrien. Maybe he takes back the ring from Plagg, but instead of becoming Chat Noir again, he chooses to play a different Cat Miraculous holder. One who is ideal and “perfect” and chivalrous and doesn’t joke around or “annoy” Ladybug etc. He thinks maybe it’ll show him once and for all if Chat Noir really was a hinderance to Ladybug all along and if their partnership/friendship was never as special to her as it was to him. He needs the closure.

Now for some very hopeful predictions for the end of the ep that are totally pulled from thin air bc the trailer only shows the first half of the ep:

Ladybug and Cat Walker’s mission together goes perfectly. Not a single distraction. Not a single ill-timed joke or flirtation. Cat Walker is charming and professional and perfect and gets the job done. And it’s all wrong.

Ladybug misses Chat Noir so much. She finally accepts that underneath all the stubbornness she’s just sad because he left and she wants him back because she can’t accept anyone else as her Cat other than Chat Noir. And that admission basically heals the wound from the beginning of the ep wherein Adrien was led to believe Chat Noir was “a partner like any other,” and the doubts that’d been building up over the past few eps leading him to think that their partnership didn’t mean the same thing to her as it did to him. In rejecting Cat Walker, Ladybug didn’t just tell him that he’s irreplaceable to make him feel better, she showed him, without even knowing its him, that she truly believes he’s irreplaceable.

They haven’t resolved everything by the end of the ep and there’s still talking that needs to happen between them over the next few eps, but the hurt is out of the way.

[flightfoot]

It saddens me that in Determination when Ladybug told Chat Noir that she sees him differently, Chat did not think of this as a Love declaration but more so as a declaration that "[she] can trust him" now. The idea of Ladybug being in Love with him was unfathomable in his view that he even saw Ladybug's little date idea in Elation as a "test" to see if he is worth it (just like how she tested Catwalker). Ladybug fell HARD for Chat but he fell out of Love :''( This hurts me beyond belief

Oooh, I hadn't thought of that test with Cat Walker.

Ladybug:(nervously) Oh, no, don't, I- You don't have to force yourself to laugh. (She giggles and then clears her throat and starts pacing.) So tell me, Cat Walker, how old are you? Do you have brothers and sisters? Any hobbies in particular? Cat Walker: Answering your questions would risk revealing my secret identity. Ladybug: Wow, you really are perfect. Um- I mean- your answer was perfect. Let's see how well you think on your feet. Say, a supervillain shows up and you know nothing about them. What would be your first reaction? A, you rush towards them and cataclysm them, B, you-

She HAS tested him kind of like that before, though she thought he was a new wielder. No wonder he assumed she was testing him.

I don't think Adrien actually fell out of love with Ladybug, though. It's just that right now, his feelings for Marinette are stronger, and since he actually seems to be capable of it now, he's repressing his romantic feelings for Ladybug, since she's made it quite clear in the past that she doesn't feel the same way for him.

[sariahsue]

Banter

Ladybug expected one of two things when Chat Noir discovered that she was really Marinette. One, he would start hanging out at her house when he was transformed. Or two, he would start hanging out with her when he wasn't transformed (whether or not she knew his civilian identity already). 

Either way, she had expected him to try to get closer to her. That was what all the Ladynoir fanfiction she'd ever read had prepared her for. (Which wasn't a lot of fanfiction, okay? Well… it wasn't that much.)

What she didn't expect: Tips on how to ask Adrien out, support for her crush on another boy, and whatever other crazy things were happening right now.

"You need to pay better attention, M'Lady. You're breathing all wrong again." Chat Noir crossed his arms in annoyance, like he was personally offended by her anxiety over this.

"How am I breathing wrong?" Ladybug huffed. "I've been breathing perfectly fine my whole life. Maybe you're breathing wrong."

"You've got to breathe better. For Adrien."

"I don't think that Adrien will care how I breathe, thanks."

"He'll care very much if you pass out because you're hyperventilating. Now again. Use your diaphragm like I showed you, so you can say romantic things and sweep him off his feet."

It had been like this for three days, ever since she'd told him who exactly it was she'd been crushing on. Coaching and cheerleading. Scolding and impatience. He seemed even more invested in her love life than she was, and Ladybug couldn't wrap her head around it.

"Are you even listening to me? You are going to rob Adrien of the joy of saying yes to you!"

"Stop pressuring me! You're stressing me out!"

Chat Noir pinched the bridge of his nose, like a wearied, middle-aged school teacher. "Okay. This is the perfect opportunity to review relaxation techniques, then. You're not nervous when you're talking to me. Why don't you practice confessing to me?"

"You'd love that, wouldn't you?"

He struck a pose, slicking back his hair and cocking a hip, like he was in Adrien's place on the catwalk. "Well, we do look kind of similar, don't you think?"

"Not at all."

He switched up the pose to one much more unassuming, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, looking down at the ground, and then deliberately smiling up at her shyly. "Are you saying I don't look like a supermodel?" He batted his eyes.

"No."

Chat Noir straightened up. "You wound me. How about this: While you're asking him out, you can just pretend you're me and do what I would do."

"You mean strut around and say the worst cat-themed pickup line I can think of?"

"The best way to a man's heart is through puns, M'Lady. Everyone knows that."

Ladybug snorted at the idea. "No, that's just your heart."

"I'll bet you five euros it'll work on Adrien, too."

Well, that was an easy way to earn five euros. "You're on."

"Really?" Chat Noir's cat ears perked up. "You're going to use one?"

She shouldn't. It seemed too silly. Too easy to dismiss as a joke instead of a confession. Too likely to get her rejected. But then again, what had she done so far that was any different?

"Do you think it'll work?" she whispered.

"I don't think it matters how you ask. He's going to say yes. You don't have anything to worry about."

Ladybug shrugged. "Maybe I'll use one then. I honestly don't have any better ideas. Everything I've done to get his attention so far has failed."

"Hey, that's only because I wasn't helping you." He held out a fist for her to bump. "You need your favorite partner's help with important stuff, right?"

She raised her fist to his, gaining strength from the feeling of his fingers against hers. "Right."

"You know, you and me against the world also means us against Adrien."

Ladybug shoved him.

***

Author's note: I wrote this for Post-Reveal Revelry, an event I hosted back in, um, March. This is part one of three! Read part two here and part three here!

[pisoprano]

Trick or treat

I had to reformat all of this to be comprehensible to someone who isn’t me, but here is the old version of the scene that takes place during pages 16-18 of Runaway Catwalker (i.e., the scene where Mayura tries to dig for any dirt about Adrien).

In this version, there isn't a lie detector sentimonster keeping the heroes restrained and honest yet, Mayura instead makes a senti of Chat Noir to use as a mouthpiece while she stays safe and sound in her own bedroom. Ladybug is not included in this version of the conversation—she sees Catwalker and SentiNoir talking from afar, but she doesn’t hear anything they say to each other. Catwalker is also a bit more willing to play Mayura's game here, whereas in the comic I thought it made more sense for him to simply stop answering all of Mayura’s nosey questions. While I think a lot of the changes I made were better for the story overall, there are parts of this that I wish I could have included in the final version, I just couldn’t quite manage to find a way to make them fit.

SentiNoir holds up his hands in surrender.

Catwalker: “Is this a set up for making Ladybug guess who the real black cat wielder is? Because I doubt you know her partner well enough to fool her when lesser akumas have tried.”

Mayura (via SentiNoir): “This is Mayura. I only want to talk to you.”

Catwalker: “Don’t come any closer or make any sudden movements, and I’ll consider it. Also, use your powers to destroy something so I know you can’t use it against me.”

SentiNoir destroys his own baton.

Mayura: “Shadowmoth remains unaware of Chat Noir’s secret identity.”

Catwalker: “You expect me to believe that, with all the times you two have tried to unmask the heroes, you wouldn’t immediately tell your partner in crime who one of them was?”

Mayura: “That was before I discovered that I was personally acquainted with Chat Noir’s secret identity. Enough to care about his well-being and not want to put a target on his back. Enough to recognize that it is in everyone’s best interest that no one learn Chat Noir’s identity, Shadowmoth included.”

Catwalker (internally): She knows me? In person? And I never suspected a thing? Thank goodness I was paranoid enough to cut off everyone in my life or I would be so screwed right now.

Catwalker: “Interesting. I presume that your charity towards Chat Noir does not extend to me?”

Mayura: “Our goals have not changed. The wielders of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses are still our enemy. But it is convenient that Chat Noir has removed himself from the line of fire, and for that I will hold off on attacking you today.”

Catwalker: “Very generous of you. Why tell me of your connection to Chat Noir at all? Or is this merely a ploy to get me to reveal information about where he has gone or get him to come back? One problem with that: he never told me anything about his secret identity or intended location. So I couldn’t corroborate your story even if it was true.

Mayura: “You expect me to believe that you don’t know who he is?”

Catwalker: “Ladybug didn’t even tell Chat Noir any of the temporary heroes’ identities after someone else found out. There is no reason for him to leak his identity more than it has already.”

Mayura: “What about to protect his family? You can’t protect them if you don’t know who they are.”

Catwalker: “We protect all of Paris. Chat Noir’s family would be included in that if they were ever put in danger, whether or not we knew who they were to him.”

Mayura: “And what if I were to say that Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste?”

Catwalker (internally): Time to sell this. She needs to believe that I am useless as a source of information about where Adrien is now.

Catwalker: “You really have no shame, do you? Adrien is a missing child and you’re just going to twist his circumstances to spin a narrative that no one in their right mind would believe?”

Mayura: “It’s true: Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir.”

Catwalker: “Let’s assume you’re not lying—leaving aside the logistics of how someone that famous could possibly pull off a superhero double-life. That completely undermines your other outlandish claim, that Shadowmoth somehow doesn’t know who Chat Noir is. Assuming that he is Adrien, the fact that recent akumas have been hunting Adrien would be proof that Shadowmoth knows he had a secret identity.”

Mayura: “Shadowmoth knows that I do not wish Adrien to come to harm and just wants to help me to reunite with him. Nothing more.”

Catwalker: “Whether he was Chat Noir or not, sending akumas after the poor kid is hardly going to make him think that he’s safe to return. Try akumatizing someone else for once and Adrien might consider coming back home.”

Mayura: “He might not come back at all if something doesn’t make him!”

Catwalker: “If you really believe that, then you don’t ‘care about him’, you just want to control him.”

Mayura: “Believe what you want. But know this: if Chat Noir ever wields a miraculous again, I will tell Shadowmoth the truth of his identity. Yes, I could be lying, but do you really want to take the chance that I’m not?”

Catwalker: “What is your proof that you know personally know Chat Noir’s civilian identity as well as you claim?”

[cut a couple alternate exchanges that are redundant here]

Mayura: “You are able to talk to the kwami that powers your miraculous, yes?”

Catwalker: “He starts blowing bubbles if he tries to mention the name of his previous holder to me, so he won’t be a useful source of information.”

Mayura: “No, but he does know the boy well enough to confirm that I know things about him that only someone sufficiently close could know. That should help prove my sincerity, hm?”

[scene break]

Catwalker: “Alright then. Prove you’re close to the real Chat Noir. Tell me something like, I don’t know, his favorite cookie flavor?”

Mayura: “Passionfruit.”

Catwalker (internally): Pretty sure that was published in a magazine somewhere, but the fact that she knew without hesitation means that she doesn’t just know my name and face by casual reputation alone.

Catwalker: “I suppose I don’t have enough information to tell if you’re right, so I’ll just file that tidbit away for now. Does he have any allergies? Wait, never mind, he was always sneezing at Mr. Pigeon, so that isn’t private enough. What are his parents’ names?”

Mayura: “That sounds more like you are the one fishing for Chat Noir’s identity. If I am not telling Shadowmoth who he is, why do you think I would tell you?”

Catwalker: “You come up with something, then.”

Mayura: “Chat Noir at one point was—and perhaps may still be—under the misapprehension that his father made him something for a recent birthday. The gift was actually from someone else entirely. You can tell because the true creator signed it.”

Catwalker (internally): The scarf wasn’t from Father? If it really wasn’t… Wait, this is absolutely a trap. I didn’t take the scarf with me when I left—I didn’t want to chance anything that Father or his company had made being seen on my person. So now she’s baiting Chat Noir to break back into the mansion to retrieve the scarf while she’s on the lookout so she can capture me once and for all.

Catwalker: “If Chat Noir is mistaken about something, how do you expect me to fact check it? If he didn’t know something, it’s unlikely his former kwami does.”

Mayura: “Anything more specific would risk exposing my secret identity. Take my information or leave it.”

Catwalker: “Very well. Anything else you feel like sharing?”

Mayura: “Just that if your predecessor had learned what Shadowmoth and I have been working towards this whole time, he likely would have wanted us to succeed.”

Catwalker: “Somehow I doubt that. You have proven yourselves more than willing to abuse, assault, and murder to get what you want. Nothing is worth that.”

Mayura: “The powers of Ladybug’s miraculous still fixes everything in the end, does it not? In Shadowmoth’s hands, that would not change. But I see I will not convince you. Too heroic for your own good, I suppose. And since my time is almost up, I bid you good evening, Catwalker.”

Mayura snaps SentiNoir out of existence.

[beezusweezus]

Catwalker is Adrien not Felix

I have thought about some more evidence on whether I think Catwalker is Adrien or Felix, and signs are starting to point away from Felix.

Now I think that Adrien getting the miraculous back is hilarious I also think that maybe Catwalker being a character from the future is more outlandish, but this show is crazy so who knows.

Anyway, Felix is said to only appear in 3 episodes this season, which would theoretically be the 2 part finale and gabriel agreste, meaning he is unlikely to be in Kuro Neko

There was a spoiler image of “Adrien” with the “peacock miraculous”. I am 100% convinced that is Felix with the fake miraculous, because of the set up from episode 9, the devious look on his face, and the fact that Adrien is familiar with the miraculous and would react differently than that image suggests. This means that for this assumption to hold true, Felix cant have a miraculous before the finale. So he can’t be Catwalker.

it was clear to me that whoever Catwalker was they were trying very hard to seem like Adrien. Catwalker is named after the model’s cat-walk, has adrien like bangs, and is dressed more regal like a prince (something that people see adrien as). So if it can’t be Felix pretending to be Adrien then it must be Adrien pretending to be Adrien.

Also catwalker is a pun. And Rena Rouge’s transformation into Rena Furtive is the perfect kind of forshadowing showing that a user can change their appearence to match a new goal.

This is the exact kind of identity shenanigans that I love from this show, where things just get more and more complex.

So I think Adrien gives up his miraculous and then is rechosen as a temp chat noir as Adrien. To not reveal his true identity(for various reasons) he becomes Catwalker, someone who is distinctly not Chat Noir but instead very Adrien TM.

I am curious about how this will affect the ladynoir dynamic and ladrien dynamic, and more importantly Adrien’s self image as Chat Noir. I still do not know why he seemingly leaves after their battle with kuro neko ends, but its a short clip so we dont really know the extent of it.

[ct-multifandom]

Actual question for y’all: is there any official confirmation that the leaked Catwalker concept art is for the villain of episode 23, Kuro Neko, whose name was changed? Or is that an assumption made by unofficial sources spreading the art around? And is there any confirmation that the character will appear in episode 23?

My first thought upon seeing this was “Felix”. Like he took the miraculous from whoever had it last and used it himself. My first reaction to the name “Catwalker” was like “skinwalker” which reminded me of the evil impostor act Felix pulled in season three, but then I realized that that was pretty dumb since that’s probably not what “Catwalker” is a play on. Plus, if Felix kept going with the impostor thing, why not make himself look more like Chat Noir? I get changing the design so that young viewers aren’t confused but the characters are due to in-universe magic, but I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. What does support it being Felix is that he’s supposed to appear in three episodes this season, all three of which we’re yet to see, and when this art (censor-blurred) was leaked in Lindalee Rose’s video, most people jumped to Cat!Felix.

My second thought: whoever this is is trying way too hard to look like Adrien.

I think my favorite theory, true or not, is that this is literally just Adrien again. For some reason, he loses his miraculous. Gabriel gets it in Ephemeral, but maybe Ladybug gets it back without permanently learning Chat’s identity, and needs to choose a new cat in an emergency, so she chooses Adrien. Maybe she does it because of her crush, or maybe Luka’s trying to lowkey push her, but Adrien thinks he can’t reveal himself, so he redesigns his hero persona. This leads to him having his bangs cut a lot more like his civilian self, and his name, Catwalker, being a pun on his modeling job. He chooses surface level traits that Ladybug would know about the famous Adrien Agreste to hide that he’s actually Chat Noir. My doubt here is that the pose of that 2D concept art is different from both his Adrien concept art pose and his Chat one. The concept artists typically reuse bases for the same characters, and I don’t recognize this one, although I haven’t seen many characters’ art.

There’s a popular theory going around that this is the “new visitor from the future” Winny mentioned once, and that he’s one of the future Adrienette boys. That theory is pretty cute and interesting, but this character’s face looks exactly like Adrien/Felix’s, and the character designers are pretty good at not making kids clones of their parents. Plus, if Adrien doesn’t want anything to do with modeling when he grows up, what would make his kid be “Catwalker”? I’m pretty curious about the visitor, but I’m not sure this is it. I don’t think this is future Adrien either, because he looks young and, once again, is trying very hard to resemble surface-level present Adrien.

About Kuro Neko

I’m not giving up on the sentimonster idea because the Zag influencers have said time and time again that Kuro Neko is the villain of the episode, just like every other “name” episode title in the show. If Catwalker really did get changed to Kuro Neko, he’d have to be evil, excluding the future-son-coming-to-help-theory or him being Adrien, unless Gabriel gave him the miraculous he stole and is forcing him to follow his evil plan.

This, or Cat!Felix, would be really interesting imo, and I’d love to see some angst and big brain plays. But as many have asked, why the Japanese name? This guy seems to be white, and there’s no component of Catwalker’s design that references anything Japanese.

What do have Japanese names are Mayura’s sentis this season. Optigami and Hack-San were both pretty smart plans, all thanks to her. My headcanon is that she’s been taking Japanese on Duolingo while on bed rest lmao. What also ties into Japanese culture is this character who was spoiled in a Miraculous World video, which reminds many people of a Japanese lucky cat figurine.

I’m pretty intrigued by the spoiled models all around, and I love reading everyone’s ideas. Lmk if anyone would like analysis posts about any of the other leaks, but right now I mostly want to know what information has been officially confirmed about them and what is just conjecture. I know that’s pretty hard to place when these spoilers were leaked illegally and Zag wants to cover them up, but if anyone knows, please let me know.

Edit in conclusion: to be clear, the theory I’m leaning towards the most as of right now, (being true based on what we know, not what I want to happen) is that Catwalker is Felix pretending to be Adrien using the cat miraculous. The concept art pose is what throws me off of the “Adrien using the cat miraculous but pretending not to be Chat” theory the most, as much as I like it, and the character having Adrien/Felix’s exact face plus the model pun name is what throws me off the “future son” theory.