#Félix is a Sentimonster and knows it

[bittersweetresilience]

so do you think he succeeded?

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

This might be a question long overdue, but I just want to know something.

WHEN DID FÉLIX FALL IN LOVE WITH KAGAMI???

Isn't "Pretension" right after "Emotion"??? Am I just to assume that in-between episodes, Félix was just stalking Kagami (how he gets from London to Paris and vice versa is beyond me) and somewhere along the way, he fell in love?

He was chatting her up during the Diamonds' Dance, but weren't they talking about Adrienette and Kagami's ring? In what part of that conversation did Félix have his anime BA-DUMP moment?

And seriously? Kagami just vouches for Félix because what? He showed some humanity by not liking calling the sentimonsters monsters? How does that mean anything?

Kagami has shown thus far that she isn't a good judge of character (either that or I'm missing something), so how can she be sure Félix even meant a word?

Félix isn't just "someone who can't express himself". Sure, he was emotionally stunted, but that doesn't excuse anything he did as "someone who can't express himself".

He expressed himself very well. He expressed his beliefs, his backstory, the whole Doofenshmirtz monologue. And even if he was bad at expressing himself, I wouldn't trust Kagami to tell me that.

I've briefly talked about this before in a broader post on Félix's bad writing, but I'm not even sure if Felix loves Kagami. Nothing in Emotion sets up Félix falling for her. His crush just randomly shows up in Pretension which is indeed the episode after Emotion. According to the dialogue, it was love at first sight mixed with some actual stalking:

Kagami: What is it you want to tell me?! Félix: I... I don't know. But ever since I saw you, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I've felt that... you and I... were the same. (Kagami looks surprised.) Félix: We have so much in common, and yet, you're also so different. I've never met someone like you. Kagami: We don't even know each other! Félix: I know you. I've been following you non-stop. Kagami: Even better! You follow me, you spy on me and now you've kidnapped me to get to know me?! Félix:(shyly) Uh... yes?

And Kagami just goes with it because this show has incredibly messed up ideas about romance. I think Juleka and Rose are the only couple I actually ship in canon and that's only because homophobia is keeping the writing from making them an official couple. I'm sure they'd have some major flaw that I'd hate if they became canon because none of the canon teen couples feel healthy. They all have at least one glaring issue. I think the only healthy adult couple is Tom and Sabine and even they aren't great because they fall uncomfortably close to the trope where the doting wife is just there to support the main character husband. You might even feel that they are that trope! If you do, I won't argue against you because they're right on the edge for me.

Circling back to the ask: If Félix is in love with Kagami, then I don't think that he's in love with her as a person. He clearly only went after her because she's a sentimonster and that's his only requirement for a love interest. If she was human, then he wouldn't give her the time of day.

My cynical explanation for why Kagami fell for him is that she was programed to love Adrien, but Félix looks the same so the programing was able to switch targets, trapping her in another bad relationship. I have no other explanation for why she'd be interested in Félix after all of the crap he pulled on her. Kidnapping her. Stalking her. Snapping her mother and friends out of existence. What does she even see in him? Get some standards!!!

I suppose Kagami could just be using him to learn about sentimonsters and ensure her own freedom, but I doubt it. While that would be a fun twist, it doesn't fit Kagami's more concerning season five behavior like her outing Ladybug's identity to Félix. I still can't believe canon had her do that. It was worse character assassination than what season five did to Nino and Nathalie, on par with what the final did to Marinette. No one is safe, no matter how minor their role!

Feligami would also be a great way to talk about love and/or lust blinding you to a person's glaring flaws, but I don't think canon is doing that either. The writers seem to genuinely believe that this is a cute couple and that Kagami blindly trusting Félix after everything he's done to her is totally fine.

[the-aerispace]

yapping abt Félix

Okay I imagine that as a child Félix was insanely attached to Adrien and simultaneously jealous of him BC of his relationship with his parents, bc Émilie was always around and Gabriel at least liked him, while I believe Amélie was around but not really and Colt was just downright abusive (we hate Colt Fathom in this house btw)

But also he (Félix) knew atp that he was formed by jealousy whilst Adrien was formed by love, so he is simultaneously hating his own jealous and bitter nature and also always playing into it. He fully believes that he can't overcome his nature atp (when I think all sentimonsters can) most likely BC he didn't know very much about himself, being a sentimonster, and all that entails

[blaqkpen]

I was just thinking about Miraculous Ladybug and I got to wondering:

Who created Kagami?

What’s up with Audrey’s character? She showed interest in the temple being restored and then took off with Chloé to America. She acted almost as of Chloé was ruining/interfering with "plans" and had to remove her before she could cause anymore damage.

I believe Rose and Juleka will be the next couple to reveal each other’s super hero identities.

How much does Adrian’s aunt know? And why did she wait so long to try to get the rings back?

Why do they keep saying Gabriel and Emilié disappeared, instead of saying "died/dead"?

And why is Alix/Bunnyx so chill about knowing EVERYTHING in regard to the future? There’s a certain future that only she knows about and she’s doing everything she can to KEEP and MAINTAIN a specific future. It kinda makes you wonder why, like if it’s a Doctor Strange kind of thing where she’s trying to maintain the best outcome. And what keeps causing the hiccups that disturbs that timeline?

Are we really to believe that Nathalie is the only agent The Council is working with? There has to at least be someone else besides her or a few others collecting information.

What’s the real/true personality of Emilié? And will we find out how much of Gabriel’s overall plan did she know about, such as his connection to The Council and their goals?

It makes sense that Adrian is a sentimonster, because of those Twitter posts Thomas was making, saying that Adrien is "perfect" and Félix shows that he’s "perfect too

And why are the amok’s in rings, why not something safer and more… out of plain sight?

I don’t believe Aglaé is Cerise, but I do believe "Aglaé" isn’t their true identity.

I’m curious about how seasons 6-8 are going to play out and whether or not if Team Miraculous will still be around this age in the next couple of seasons, of if they’ll age up a bit.

This shall be interesting…

[ilikekidsshows]

You know, I think Felix would be a lot more interesting if he was a sentimonster (and the only sentimonster in the cast) who was based on Adrien. It made his actions against Adrien in his introduction make more sense, since he would have resentment towards Adrien due to finding out that he’s essentially a copy of Adrien but with his autonomy and even life able to potentially stripped away at any moment. Plus he could be a character who is against hawk moth for self interested reasons.

---

I think I said at some point that I considered Félix being a Sentimonster more palatable than Adrien. At time I said it was because he’s a side character, so the existential horror of what he is wouldn’t be as in your face, but you’re absolutely correct that his role in the story can be enhanced by him being a Sentimonster, and his being a Sentimonster could be given more meaning due to his role in the story.

A resentful clone who’s unsure of how much freedom of choice they have is actually a pretty common superhero trope, and actually creates a lot of audience sympathy for these characters regardless of how morally good or villainous they are. Galatea and the Ultimen in Justice League Unlimited are tragic and make Cadmus look like absolute monsters for what they did to them. The Clone Saga from the Spider-Man comics is only poorly remembered because of how stretched out it got, lasting for two years of not only monthly mainline comics, but multiple tie-ins, spin-offs and additional one-shot stories. And the Clone Saga got so bloated because Marvel wanted to milk it because the initial story was very beloved and well-regarded and it sold like hotcakes.

The Miraculous writers have already shown us that they’re only willing to truly discuss any aspect of what it means to be a sapient Sentimonster through Félix, so Félix being the only sapient Sentimonster and therefore getting to carry the entire sapient Sentimonster plot alone could have made the ideas presented far more focused, concise and clear. It would even make Félix’s new “tortured bad boy” characterization more believable if he really had suffered through a uniquely horrible experience and was lashing out because of it, which would make me far more sympathetic towards everything he pulls.

Turning Adrien from a fellow victim under the actually worse circumstances into the representation of what Félix has suffered for (to be made into the “perfect son”) would make me sympathize with Félix instead of me hating him so much. In that case, he wouldn’t be victim-blaming someone in a worse situation than he is. Like, yes, he’d still be victim-blaming Adrien, but it would be far more understandable coming from someone in an even worse situation. It would actually serve to showcase how harmful abuse and manipulation are when they are parallelled with literal magical mind control, because Félix was compelled to obey his abuser through magic, so, to him, Adrien’s situation looks like he’s "letting" himself be controlled, but they're actually in very similar situations.

Of course, the writers would even fuck this up by most likely agreeing with Félix that being manipulated and abused into following Gabriel’s orders is Adrien’s own fault. After all, they managed to blame Adrien for being magically mind-controlled into it too. If only Miraculous had good writers and morals…

[myladynoire]

The Nightmare of Manufactured Beings

Comparing Miraculous Ladybug’s Sentimonsters and Companion (2025)

I just watched Companion (2025) and as a long-time fan of all things Senti/Peacock who’s also written multiple fics dealing with the matter, I needed to write down my thoughts. This review/analysis naturally contains spoilers for Companion as well as for the last few seasons of Miraculous.

The idea of artificially created lifeforms is a very old concept in science fiction and fantasy, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (I have a whole fic dedicated to exploring the parallels between Victor Frankenstein and the Peacock Miraculous) to Harlan Ellison's I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, and Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? But in recent years, at least two distinct pieces of media (Miraculous and the 2025 film Companion) have explored this theme through a disturbingly similar lens. Both feature beings created to serve human desires, only to grapple with their own identity, autonomy, and oppression. While Miraculous presents this idea through the magical constructs known as Sentimonsters, Companion takes a more grounded sci-fi horror approach with an AI-driven protagonist. Despite their different genres and target audiences, both works reveal extremely disturbing truths about control, manipulation, and what it truly means to be human (or not!)

For those who don’t know, in Miraculous, Sentimonsters are magical beings brought to life through the Peacock Miraculous. While originally used to create temporary creatures, the show eventually reveals that full-fledged people can be Sentimonsters as well. The most striking example is Adrien Agreste, heavily implied (and later confirmed) to be a Sentimonster created by his parents. This means that Adrien’s entire existence is conditional on an external object, the amok, a magical feather, remaining intact. The same is true for other Sentimonsters like Félix, whose awareness of his nature sets him apart from Adrien. Félix understands that his autonomy is, to a certain extent, limited, and that at any moment, someone could seize his amok and force him into submission or even erase him entirely if he isn’t careful.

Now compare this to Companion, where the protagonist, Iris, is a highly advanced AI companion engineered to be the “perfect” girlfriend (they also use the word “sexbot/fuckbot” in the movie). Like Adrien, she initially believes she is fully human, unaware that her existence has been engineered for the pleasure of another: her reddit incel boyfriend, Josh. This is very obviously the target demographic of Empathix, the corporation who makes these AI companions, and it is only a stretch further than the inflatable sex dolls that currently exist.

But as the film progresses, Iris begins to piece together the horrifying truth: she has no real agency. Her thoughts, feelings, and even her ability to resist are dictated by external programming. She was never meant to have a will of her own, only to fulfill the desires of the man who “owns” her. She also finds out while playing around with her own settings that Josh has set her intelligence level at a frankly insulting percentage.

Both Miraculous and Companion paint a picture of what it means to be a being created for someone else’s control. The most horrifying realization is the fragility of their existence. Iris, Adrien and Félix (and other Sentis) exist only because their creators allow it. A simple command, a single external force, could end them in an instant. They are hostages to the whims of those who hold their metaphorical (or literal) leash.

The “Perfect” Creation: The illusion of choice

In Companion, Josh chooses Iris as his ideal partner, shaping her to his desires. She was never supposed to question him, never supposed to resist, just love him unconditionally. Similarly, in Miraculous, the implication that Émilie Agreste (and by extent, Gabriel) created Adrien as the “perfect son” raises disturbing ethical questions. Did they construct Adrien simply to have a son who would never defy them? A son they could mold into whatever they wanted? If Adrien is a Sentimonster, then every act of obedience he performs is tainted by the horrifying possibility that it isn’t truly his own choice. I could write an entire separate post about Émilie Agreste and her role in this situation. In my opinion, she is far from an innocent bystander. As I’ve mentioned before (and explored in many of my fics) Émilie played a role in this, albeit a more subtle one compared to Gabriel. The way Gabriel speaks to his son, much like the way Josh speaks to Iris, is not the language of a loving parent or partner, but that of someone addressing their device. In other words; an owner speaking to their possession.

Félix, who understands his nature better than Adrien, is there to show us what happens when an artificial being rebels. He refuses to be controlled, snatches his amok from his father’s still warm corpse, and actively manipulates others (Gabriel/Monarch, and Ladybug) to secure his autonomy. In Companion, Iris undergoes a similar transformation. Once she realizes what she is, she refuses to accept her predetermined role. The twist of the film comes when she begins to fight back against Josh’s control, proving that even beings that were created for submission will, given the chance, seek freedom.

Both narratives raise the same questions: If a person is created to be subservient, do they ever truly have free will? And if they do break free, are they still bound by their origins, or can they create their own destiny?

I think maybe the most chilling commonality between Miraculous and Companion is the ease with which their protagonists can be erased. 

In Miraculous, if a Sentimonster’s amok is destroyed, they cease to exist. A single moment of destruction can erase a life as though it never happened. Similarly, in Companion, Iris’s entire existence is tethered to her programming. If Josh (or anyone else) decides to “shut her down,” she could be wiped out. Maybe not in an instant, but there are multiple fail-safes and available solutions to destroy her.

Going off on a slight tangent, I think this parallels real-world fears about artificial intelligence and disposable labor. If AI beings ever gain sentience, would they be treated as living entities, or as products to be discarded when they are no longer convenient? The same question applies to Sentimonsters. Even though they think, feel, and love, they are ultimately considered “lesser” by their creators. Gabriel, in particular, seems to consider Sentimonsters other than his son as tools, easily replaced and ultimately expendable. They are nothing more than playthings for the incredibly wealthy and immoral; the infamous 1%. This is starkly illustrated in the Gabriel Agreste episode, which makes an unmistakable nod to the Rothschild Surrealist Ball, a real-world gathering synonymous with excess, exclusivity, and the decadence of the elite.

Iris, the Senticousins and Kagami are constantly at the mercy of forces beyond their control. Their existence is conditional, fragile, and, worst of all, subject to the whims of people who see them as objects rather than individuals.

“But I am real”: Iris, Adrien, Félix, and the existential dismissal of artificial beings.

Another important aspect I wanted to touch on and that immediately made me want to write a full comparative analysis while I was watching the movie was the existential crisis that automatically comes with finding out the truth about yourself. I have dealt with this subject matter in fics like Amor Fati and perhaps most prominently in The Postmodern Prometheus (where the Sentibeing character must quite literally defend their own personhood in front of an entire audience of sceptics).

In Companion, Iris, after realizing her true nature, also desperately tries to argue for her own personhood. She brings up memories, emotions, and experiences that she believes make her real, challenging the idea that her artificial origin invalidates them. Josh, the man who supposedly loved her, dismisses her entirely. No matter how many valid arguments she presents, he refuses to see her as anything more than an object, something created for him, not someone with her own will.

This moment evokes a real-world phenomenon we see not just in discussions about AI ethics but also within fandom discourse, particularly regarding the Sentimonster reveal(s). When it became clear that Adrien (and, by extension, Félix) was a Sentimonster, the fandom’s response was fractured. Some fans, much like Josh, outright rejected the idea that a Sentimonster could be considered a real person. Others, like Iris herself, argued that it didn’t matter how Adrien was created; his experiences, emotions, and struggles were real, and to dismiss them was both cruel and reductive.

But let’s break this parallel down further.

In Companion, the moment Iris discovers she is artificial is gut-wrenching. She cycles through grief, denial, and finally defiance, desperately trying to hold onto her sense of self. She argues that if she feels love, if she remembers her life, if she experiences joy and pain, then those things must be real. “I remember when we met,” she insists. “I remember how I felt.”

Josh’s response is cold, dismissive, and utterly devoid of empathy. He insists that none of it was real. She was built for him, and that fact alone invalidates everything she feels. It doesn’t matter how deeply she believes in her own personhood; he has already decided she is less than human.

I alsothink this sort of mirrors the way Colt Fathom, Félix’s father, treated Félix when he was alive. He viewed him as nothing more than a hollow imitation of a real son. Rather than showing love or treating Félix as his own, Colt saw him as something disposable, a creation without true value, even went so far as to call Félix a monster, outright denying his right to be seen as a real person. There's something to be said about this, and the etymology of the word Sentimonster (a fusion of sentience/sentiment and monster); people acknowledging their emotions while simultaneously condemning them as unnatural. Both Iris and Félix fight against this very idea: the refusal to see them as anything more than artificial, no matter how human they prove themselves to be. By the end of Season 5, the word itself is viewed as taboo; and it is preferable to use the alternative; Sentibeings.

Now look at how a segment of the Miraculous fandom reacted to the Sentimonster theory and its eventual confirmation. Many fans insisted that if Adrien was a Sentimonster, then his entire identity was meaningless. His choices, his dreams, his autonomy are all reduced to the idea that he was merely an artificial construct, programmed to obey. Some fans rejected the theory outright because they didn’t want to believe that their favorite character could be something “less than human.” Others used it to argue that Adrien had no real agency, that every decision he ever made was just the byproduct of magical programming.

In both cases, we see an emotional refusal to accept the idea that a being created artificially could be just as “real” as a naturally born human. The dismissal of Iris by Josh mirrors the dismissal of Adrien and Félix by parts of the fandom: a refusal to acknowledge their emotions, choices, and self-awareness simply because of the way they were brought into existence.

The search for meaning: “Then what am I?”

Another heartbreaking similarity between Iris and the Sentibeings is their desperate search for meaning once they realize the truth. The revelation shakes the foundation of who they are.

Iris tries to reclaim her identity by insisting that her memories and feelings matter. 

Félix, upon discovering he is a Sentimonster, goes to great lengths to secure his amok and the Peacock brooch (the instrument used to create Sentimonsters), ensuring that no one else can control him. He doesn’t care if the world sees him as real, he just wants the power to define himself.

Adrien, unknowingly living under this truth, struggles with control in a different way. If he is a Sentimonster, then his entire life has been orchestrated by his father. Every act of obedience, every moment of self-doubt, takes on a sinister new meaning. But unlike Félix, he hasn’t been given the chance to fight for his autonomy because he doesn’t even know he needs to.

Iris and the Sentibeings all share the same existential crisis: If I was made, not born, do I even have a soul? The tragedy is that the people around them, the ones with the power, refuse to give them an answer that acknowledges their humanity.

The “Creators” and their ultimate power over the narrative

Yet another disturbing parallel is how both Josh (Companion) and the Agreste couple (Miraculous) act as godlike figures in their creations’ lives.

Josh created (or at least “purchased”) Iris as an AI companion, expecting her to love him unconditionally. When she starts thinking for herself, he refuses to acknowledge her autonomy because doing so would mean admitting that his control over her was never moral in the first place. He would rather kill her than accept her independence.

Gabriel and Émilie created Adrien to be the “perfect son”. Obedient, controlled, and incapable of defying orders. If Adrien ever realized the truth, Gabriel would likely react the same way Josh did: with total, unwavering rejection of his son’s self-awareness.

The fandom’s split reaction is interesting. The creators of Miraculous left the Sentimonster revelation ambiguous for a long time, knowing how controversial it would be. Some fans outright rejected it because they couldn’t bear the implications. Others (including myself) reveled in the tragedy, seeing it as an incredible character-driven narrative. But in the end, the power to define “reality” always lies with those who control the narrative, whether it’s Josh, the Agrestes, or the showrunners themselves.

This also echoes a real-world phenomenon: when marginalized or oppressed groups argue for their own personhood and autonomy, they are often met with dismissal by those in power. The refusal to acknowledge self-awareness as legitimate is, after all, a recurring theme in human history.

This debate matters, ultimately. The tension between creation and autonomy is one of the most enduring ethical dilemmas in fiction (there are so many works out there dealing with those themes, and I'll devour every single one of them). Companion and Miraculous both ask the same fundamental question: Does it matter where you came from, or does it only matter who you are?

The answer should be obvious but time and time again, characters like Iris and Félix are forced to fight for the right to their own identity. And, well, disturbingly, the reaction of their oppressors (whether it’s Josh dismissing Iris’s pleas, Gabriel tightening his grip on Adrien, or fans denying that a Sentimonster could be human) mirrors the real-world fear of acknowledging artificial or constructed beings as valid individuals.

[piromina]

HELLO MIRACULOUS FANDOM

if u are part of the miraculous fandom PLS DO NOT SCROLL PAST THIS.

I'll try to keep this message short enough, but if you don't want to be really confused in season 6, READ THIS. (and yes there will be pictures)

Do you remember the episode Representation? Of course you do. It was probably one of the best episodes imo. We got some feligami, adrien fighting his father (only to end up in solitary confinement afterwards but forget that), and, of course, confirmation to a very popular fan theory.

HOWEVER. that fan theory is something I need to talk about.

Don't worry, yes, I still do believe that adrien, félix and kagami are all sentis, that is not what the purpose of this message is. Please keep reading.

do you remember him? yes. this is félix. impersonating his shitty father, colt. in this scene , 'colt' is using the peacock miraculous to create a son.

in this scene, the amok is very clearly going into the ring félix has on at all times.

But what, in the entire representation play, has not been shown once?

Émelie using the peacock. Émelie putting the amok into Adrien's rings. Émelie creating a son.

This play is Félix's story, not Adrien's.

Yes, adrien is a sentimonster, but that was never shown here once. Yes, there were peacock feathers in the background of Émelie being pregnant, and yes, Gabriel called Adrien a miracle.

But those were just hints for the audience.

In this scene, here is what 'Gabriel' was saying.

After much study, I have discovered a solution for you and your wife.

This is making it sound like he has just now discovered the peacock miraculous. We as the audience, of course, know that he's lying.

But who was this play meant for, other than us as the all-knowing viewers?

Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The only in-universe audience member. And let's not forget that this is her very first exposure to the Agreste and Graham de Vanily family history and the senti lore. She doesn't know what we do.

Marinette, upon hearing Gabriel's lie, had no reason to believe he or émelie used the peacock to create Adrien. Marinette, upon hearing Gabriel's lie, had no reason to believe that after Colt created félix, he stole back the peacock miraculous. Marinette, upon watching this play, had no reason to believe that Adrien is a sentimonster, or that the Graham de Vanily rings are significant in any way.

"But then why did she give them back to Adrien?" It's what would have made him happy. It's what Gabriel wanted. It's the last thing she could find in there that Gabriel owned. It's the last known piece of the Agreste family.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has no reason to believe that Émelie used the peacock. In fact, Émelie only appears in this play four times, once as the curious princess, once living a bohemian life with the tailor, once being pregnant, and once giving birth.

And the Graham de Vanily rings? Only when her parents attached them to her necklace, and then as she was getting married! Marinette thinks those are just simple wedding bands, like her parents'!

And now, to recap, this is what everyone knows:

Us, the viewers:

Adrien, Félix, and Kagami are sentimonsters. Gabriel found the miraculous while in Tibet, along with the butterfly. Then, he gave it to Émelie, and she used it to create Adrien, putting the amok in the wedding bands. Afterwards, Gabriel gave the miraculous to Colt, who made Félix, as shown in the play. And, somehow, the peacock found its way over to Kagami's family (possibly her father?) who used it to create her, and put the amok in the ring she wears.

Marinette:

Félix is a sentimonster. Gabriel found the miraculous somewhere (probably Tibet, as that's where it was lost, possibly along with the butterfly). Then, he gave it to Colt in an act of sympathy (strange, those must have been nicer times), but of course not without making a trade. Afterwards, Colt used the peacock to create Félix, and then somehow Gabriel got it back and used it to become Shadowmoth.

Marinette doesn't know that Adrien is a sentimonster.

Reblog to spread the word.

[pandaofsecrets]

The Trouble With Sentimonsters

Adding to the post about my issues with ML's power system, I've seen people call the sentimonster twist interesting, but I ask you. What about it is interesting in any way? Because from where I'm standing, it makes the story worse for no real benefit.

Problem #1: The worldbuilding is jank city

First of all, the existence of the Peacock Miraculous itself raises a lot of worldbuilding issues. Issues like the fact that creating life should be the Ladybug's job. Or why sentimonsters come with a convenient way to control them and a preinstalled kill switch. Or the fact that the Peacock's concept is already covered by the Butterfly, so they end up doing basically the same thing.

What sentimonsters are also isn't very clear, which complicates matters. If they're just emotions given life like the name implies, there shouldn't be a way to control them. They should single-mindedly act according to the emotion that made them, regardless of what their creator does about it. Sentipeople should also not be able to exist for obvious reasons.

Problem #2: Mixed metaphors

I've seen the take that sentipeople are a metaphor for child abuse (and Pretension seems to support this read), but here's the thing. That was already being portrayed explicitly. We had Gabriel baseball-batting Adrien into the Eiffel Tower, Tomoe's suffocatingly high expectations of Kagami, and everything about the way André and Audrey treated Chloé.

It's also not even a good metaphor, like. As horrifying as child abuse is, it's usually temporary. At one point Adrien and Kagami would become adults. They would be able to walk out the door and shape their lives however they wish, and Gabriel and Tomoe would be unable to do anything about it besides sulk. Heck, we've literally seen a variant of this in the show itself with Félix, whose abusive father died. The sentimonster thing just takes that abuse and makes it permanently a part of the characters, leaving them vulnerable to having their free will hijacked and forever at the mercy of others the way real people aren't. If sentimonsters work as a metaphor for anything, it's the idea that abuse is inescapable, and that victims of abuse are a fundamentally different breed of human. Fun!

Problem #3: What's even the point?

Speaking of which, where are we going with this? Literally, what is the endgame here? Because all the only direction we can really take this is Félix, Kagami, and Adrien getting brainwashed and being rescued from that brainwashing. That's it. And it's not only depressing, but it gets old very quickly. Sure, I have seen people posit that the Black Cat Miraculous can break the link between the akuma and the amok, and that this is in fact what's happening whenever Cat Noir Cataclysms a sentimonster, but while that does make sense with Adrien's most natural character trajectory, it's like they were never sentis to begin with, so why bother? We end up either recycling one (1) story line in perpetuity, or walking back on it so thoroughly it vanishes from the narrative. I don't know about you, but both options bore me. It's the same problem I have with disabled Adrien. Having a motor disability is so incompatible with his fighting style it makes you wonder why he's even on the team to begin with, so every fight scene would just be Riposte in slightly different fonts.

Problem #4: Other episodes

Then you have the people who claim this twist was planned from the start. I'm not sure how that's supposed to work, since so much about how sentimonsters function contradicts previous episodes. Just to use the big one as an example, the first thing Adrien does chronologically is run away from home and enroll himself in school without Gabriel's approval. That would not work if Gabriel had a magical ring that could control him this entire time.

Problem #5: (The lack of) Symbolism

Another issue with claiming there were hints from the very beginning is that the ones before "Mayura" only imply, at most, that Émilie used the Peacock for something, and that it had something to do with Adrien. What the Peacock is even supposed to do was a complete mystery until that point, so what she could've used it for was up in the air. Honestly, I'm willing to bet actual money no one expected "creates living beings" to be the answer, because it would be a very big stretch. There's no mythical connection anywhere between Peacocks and creation, or even between Peacocks and emotion. (And again, both of these were already taken.) I mean, I guess that among Ashkenazi Jews peacock feathers are apparently a metaphor for a writers' inspiration, and that's supposed to be it? Creating a sentimonster and creating a fictional character are kind of the same thing, one just happens to be physical. Still.

My first idea was that the Peacock had clairvoyance as its power (come on, the eye motif is right there), and that Émilie got a vision that Adrien was in danger, leading her and Gabriel to cause that danger on the very path they took to avoid it. That would've also made for a so much better story than "woman dies because she put her desire to have a child over said child's well being".

Problem #6: No one comes out of this looking good

Which brings me to my last point. The show was trying to elicit sympathy for Émilie and Gabriel's situation, but what this twist ends up doing is making them look the exact opposite of sympathetic.

Aside from the eugenics implications, which are a can of worms I am just not going to open, adoption is a thing. Were Gabriel and Émilie so desperate to have a child that's "theirs" that they didn't think of what life it was going to lead, and that his free will is never going to be truly his own? Because that makes them look really selfish, if you ask me.

[unecoccinellenoire]

I wish you would write a fic where... Sentibug lives

Marinette has become a familiar presence in the mansion, Nathalie's glad of it for Adrien's sake even as she wonders how the girl can bear to be in the location of her final fight with Monarch.

But that's Marinette. And not, "Ladybug? Has something happened"

There’s no noise from outside the house except the normal life of a city. No screams or explosions suggest an akuma that would have the heroine of Paris standing in her bedroom.

"Not quite." Argos steps out from behind the superheroine. "Hello Aunt."

 "I'm not- you don't have to call me that." The boy enjoys needling her, setting her on edge with reminders about the truth he knows, but this particular avenue is a new one.

"Hmm. I suppose he was only my uncle by marriage which makes you....nothing to me."

She can feel a headache coming on, "If you're implying anything between me and Gabriel then-"

"Ladybug," Argos turns to the girl next to him, "tell Mayura who you are."

Marinette looks her straight in the eyes and says, "hello mother."

Nathalie looks between the two teenagers in confusion. There’s no reason for Marinette to call her that. None at all. The hairs at the back of her neck stand up, there’s not amusement on the faces on front of her.

They look serious.

She’s missing something.

"If this is a joke it isn't funny."

"Oh I'm very serious about the safety of my fellow creations of the peacock Miraculous." Argos says, "and my own of course. And who better to test my attempt to revive any senticreation than the girl you so cruelly struck down for defying.”

“What?”

 That isn’t possible, Nathalie’s never read of anything of it being possible to bring sentimonsters back. But…hadn’t she been the one to tell Gabriel the user sets the limits? With the free time and unbroken Miraculous to experiment who knows what Félix could do?

She looks at the girl again. She looks like Ladybug, not a hair or polka-dot out of place. But then her Ladybug, the one she’d created had looked like that too.

And it makes more sense than Marinette playing only with a joke of Félix’s like this. The girl hasn’t an atom of cruelty in her. Anger sure, resentment perhaps but not cruelty and she’d forgiven Nathalie far too easily anyway.

Argos nods, “Yes. She’s back even though you couldn’t accept her making her own decisions instead of following your commands.  A common theme amongst you people but I must say, who knew that out of you, my father, and my uncle you'd be the one to actually kill your child. My cousin would be so disappointed to know you know.”

Nathalie swallowed but it did nothing for the sudden bile in her throat. "She's not-"

Argos holds up his hand, and looked at the girl, "show her our latest trick."

The Ladybug-copy shuts her eyes, her face squeezed tight in concentration and grinds out, "spots off."

It looks like it's causing her pain and she wants to call out and tell her to stop but then red light encases her and leaves-

Not Marinette.

The girl somehow does resemble Ladybug somehow but every feature that isn't Marinette's in her face is Nathalie's. It's like looking at a picture of her teenage self with a Ladybug-filter overlaid on it. Her hair is even tied back in a single plait like Nathalie had worn her own at that age.

"I guess your mind just filled up what it didn't know with what it did.” Argos says, “Convenient though."

"I- I never thought of her without the mask." She blurts it unthinkingly, and wants to slap herself for it.

She needs to get a better hold on her emotions right now. Félix has no reason to think kindly of her, and the girl has every reason to hate her. She needs to focus and act logically instead of letting the gravity of her guilt pull her mask off if she’s to survive this encounter.

"No." Not-Marinette says, "I guess you didn't, mother."

She flinches despite herself. Maybe it’s how much the girl does look like her that gives her it’s bite. Maybe it’s that Nathalie had killed her and now she stands in front of her like a ghost. "Don't call me that."

"Why?” The girl demands, and it’s impossible but there’s almost something of Gabriel in her stance like the emotion Nathalie had created her from had left its mark on her, “Do you tell Adrien not to call his mother that?"

"That's different." She tries to defend herself.

"Is it? We were created the same way."

"No, no you weren't. Adrien was created by Emilie to be his son. She raised him. She was his mother. You were just," the girl is looking at her with big wet eyes and she quickly amends her next words to, "you were my masterpiece. But you were to get me those Miraculous. Not to be my daughter."

It’s the truth. It has to be the truth or her denial of being like Gabriel to Marinette was pure self-righteousness. If her creation was her daughter than she was a bad as him. Worse even. He’d not have gone that far, she still believes that- he did save her after all.

And as for those he’d created with the Peaocck Miraculous. They’d never gained sentience of their own like this girl has.

Her creation binds her hands behind her back and with a challenging jut of her chin asserts, "Adrien's not your son either."

"He's not." Nathalie agrees. She loves him like he is, and he’s the closest thing she’s likely to even have to one, but at the end of the day he’s not- he has a mother and she’s Nathalie and Nathalie’s not worthy of trying to step into her shoes.

"So,” The girl makes another too familiar expression and demands, “would you kill him?"

"Of course not.” She doesn’t even need to think about it, “I'd kill anyone who tried."

"Oh." The girl blinks, and there's a pause before she adds in a somewhat awed tone, "So it's not just people like us you don't care about killing."

She looks, she sounds, so young but then she is only a few days old- or however long it is since Felix brought her back whatever she looks like.

"Ladybug," she pauses, "you need a better name. Do you have one?"

The girl shakes her head.

"Then- and you don't have to use it.” And she’s not sure why she’s saying it, why she thinks this girl she created and killed would care, “But Jeanne was what I would have called a daughter if I'd had one."

That gets her a frown. "You could still. You don't think you'll regret wasting it on me?"

"It's not a waste.” And it’s an easy sacrifice, she knows children of her own aren’t on the horizon but she’s not going to talk about that the child she had made and Félix, “And it's the least I can do to make things up to you. Jeanne," she sighs, "I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was wrong. And I should be in prison. But Ladybug wants me to atone for the harm I did to Adrien a different way. And if you'll let me I will do my best to atone for the harm I did to you too."

The girl raises an eyebrow, "you're offering to raise me too?"

"If that's what you want. Or you can stay with Felix. I- I can't promise to be a good mother Jeanne. I don't know how to. I don't know what that even looks like."

"That explains the attraction to Adrien's father," Argos mutters.

Nathalie ignores him. It’s usually the best way to handle him and besides he isn’t her priority right now. For the first time in this conversation she feels a certainty she’s saying the right thing, "and- I don't know what you'd want me to be that. But I have an obligation to you. I know that, and I'll be whatever you want to me to be to you. And Félix?"

"What?" He sounds his age in his petulance for once.

"Thank you. For freeing me of one of my sins." She means it. Just like she’d meant the offer earlier. The heroes keep giving her chances to be better she doesn’t deserve.

"I didn't do it for you."

"I know."

“Um,” Jeanne interrupts, “I think I’d like to stay. Paris seems- I don’t know. Right? To me? In a way London doesn’t.”

Nathalie shares a concerned look with Félix. Unlike the cousins and Kagami Jeanne wasn’t meant to be person. Just a diversion for Chat Noir. They don’t know how that’s going to effect her.

But they’ll figure it out.

“Then you’re welcome to.”

[fuckyeahladybug]

Does everyone know about the “Relationships by Character” page each AO3 fandom has? To get there, start from a fandom tag’s page and click that “Relationship tags in this fandom” link in the description.

Here’s ours! The list is alphabetical by the first non-article word in the tag and includes all relationship tags that have been made subtags of each character tag, including super-long & tags and one-off crossover ships. We’re a large fandom, so there’s a LOT, but here are some highlights.

Relationship tags whose existence surprised me: Gabriel and the akuma butterflies, August’s mother/Mr. Banana, Mrs. Bustier/Hot Dog Dan, Nino/Mortal Embarrassment & Panic, Rolland/Xavier.

Relationship tags that made me think “Yeah, I DO want fic about their dynamic!”: Alix & Master Fu, Alternate Adrien/Alternate Nino, Gabriel & Alternate Gabriel, Alternate Alya & Betterfly, Harry/Amelie (the what do they know about the past brothers), Duusu, Félix, & Amelie, André & his butler, Audrey/Nathalie, Chloé & Mrs. Bustier, Colt/Amelie, SentiGabriel & Félix, Mylene & Fred, Master Fu & Gimmi, Kim & Markov, Kagami & Lila, Markov/Sentibug, Adrien & Sentibug, Adrien/Wayhem, Luka/XY.

List of Miraculous character tags with no associated relationships (ones that were somewhat surprising): A.D.A., Alternate Chloé, Shu Yin Cheng.

List of Miraculous character tags with no associated relationships (everything else): Adrien’s makeup artist, Adrien’s parents, Shadybug’s parents, Alya’s parents, Arlette (Evidently Nadia’s boss), Banana Boom-Boom, Bastille (Marinette’s uncle’s parrot), Bertrand King, Book of Truth, Butterfly Sentimonster, Chris (from The Mime), Dean Gate, Feast, Froggy, Guiltrip, Hack-San, Hannibal, Ignoblia, Ketchup Boy, Kitty Section Members, Kuro Neko, Lighteye, two Lila mothers, Marc’s mother, Mega Leech, the Native American Guardian, Mr. Cuddly, Mustard Justice, Nadja’s cameraman, Nathaniel’s parents, Oblivio, Order of the Guardians, Prince Ali’s Chaperone, Reflekdoll, SentiAlec, SentiBubbler, Strike Back, Ticket Inspector, Tsurugi robots, Zoé’s father.

[tumblingxelian]

Alternate Season 3 ML Ending

I have been musing on an alt Season 3 finale that could catch the same general vibes while also perhaps serving as a culmination of Chloe's redemption arc efforts, Lila's whole 'thing' and while still shaking up the status quo as canons kind of did, here's what I have:

Post Ikari Gozen, there's a minor subplot in Party Crasher of Chloe trying to get in contact with Kagami who assumes its to shout at her about hero stuff. She's half right as at the end of the episode Chloe uses Adrien's mobile to lure Kagami in & says they need to talk, hero to hero.

Post Party Crasher, through The Puppeteer 2, a spin on Cat Blanc (Maybe) and Félix there's little scenes of them meeting to discuss their findings. These relate to feeling like Akuma are around them at night, finding Lila suspicious as fuck cos either Ladybug's bestie is too loose with details or Lila knows way too much and is trying to make Akuma happen.

They agree to keep watch over Marinette. Barring Chloe & Kagami, she seems to be her main target.

The next three episodes all fit together, with Heart Hunter first.

Heart Hunter changes:

Lila cuts the Bee Signal before the Akuma arrives, negs Chloe & then stalks Marinette, Adrien & Kagami.

When Kagami speaks to Ladybug she figures out its Marinette & while hurt at the sabotage date she still shares what she & Chloe think & they both realize today is an ambush.

Not having seen Ryuko, Chloe's not totally given into despair & upon claiming Pollen tries to fight Hawk Moth. She but gets injured reclaiming the Miracle Box & has to be saved by Kagami.

Hawk Moth & Mayura retreat with the tablet and Fu gives up being Guardian due to the strain of the battle nearly killing him.

Chloe's hospitalized as she tried to use Venom more than once. Ryuko is still upset with Marinette, Chat's upset about Chloe, Marinette is upset about Fu & feels incredibly alone.

A terrified Lila assures Hawk Moth she knows 'another' Miraculous Wielder and this one will break, Marinette.

Ladybug

Marinette tries to adjust to having all the Kwami with her & with translating the book.

Chat & other heroes are cycling in and out of Chloe's hospital room where she remains unconscious.

Despite going through a day from hell, Marinette still has to go to school the next day cos she can't even tell her parents what's wrong.

At school only Alya is present (She did her shift) Adrien's visiting Chloe as a civilian and Nino is (Sick) guarding Chloe.

Then everything goes to hell when Lila presents a video of Marinette stealing from her locker. They are sent to the principle.

Alya realizes something is sus.

Marinette 'can' get super jealous and see the worst in people but she isn't a thief. So Alya follows them.

She arrives in time to see Lila reveal an Akumatized appendage that jabs a needle into Marinette & sends her into a nightmare (Basically the rest of the canon episode) then tries to steal her ear rings.

Lila only gets one before Alya tackles the fuck out of her and then Lila starts vomiting up an Akuma that infests Marinette's remain ear ring much to her despair.

"I needed that!"

Cue half transformed, fully Akumatized Ladybug, partialy trapped in a nightmare despair mode going on a rampage.

The Battle of the Miraculous:

Lila flees, carrying Alya & a fading Tikki who explains Lila's being turned into an Akuma, & that they need to call in 'everyone', revealing IDs.

Hawk Moth sends Mayura and a fake Sentimonster Ladybug to get the Miraculous (Having realized Lila was covering for having figured out Ladybug's identity to steal the miraculous for herself) While he takes Marinette towards the hospital to kill Chloe & lure out Chat Noir.

Ryuko, Alya & a partially feral Lila defend the Miraculous Box, with the other heroes showing up to help after Mayura is driven off.

Lila also reveals Hawk Moth's identity, so Chat knows via phone call.

Chloe awakens in time to finish her redemption arc by basically goading Marinette & HK into focusing on her over Chat.

Nino catches Hawk Moth in a bubble shield and Chat has to destroy the ear ring to free Marinette & everyone gangs up on Hawk Moth.

He is un-masked publicly but manages to escape, despite Chloe's murder effort, thanks to unleashing a swarm of Akuma from Lila.

The Akuma are captured and purified before they can do much harm, but the Miraculous Cure is not working properly. The ear rings are only half usable at best. Worse, if they want to avoid Lila becoming a permanent Akuma she needs the remaining one to stay herself.

The heroes get Marinette out of the public eye before her ID can be revealed & she's allowed to have a good fucking cry. Adrien reveals his ID & he probably has a small breakdown too. But everyone resolves to go to the Agreste Manor & end things.

Sadly, Hawk Moth has fled, blowing up the manor and sending an Akumatized Gorrila to collect Adrien. Leaving behind only a weird basement ruin with no sign of his plans.

Epilogue:

Because of this, the Miraculous are divided up with their various users, though some are likely swapped or have other security precautions.

Until Marinette decodes the book & fixes Tikki's Miraculous she is left as Multi-Mouse and with a half functional Miracle Cure courtesy of Lila who 100% cannot fight but is hiding out with their crew anyway.

Hawk Moth is shown repairing the Peacock Miraculous and unveiling his Unification/Rebrand. Though where he is or who is harboring him is still a mystery. His identity may be publicly unknown to protect Adrien who has moved in with his aunt and cousin.

This leaves us with a massively shaken status quo, a full hero team, an empowered but no longer anonymous and much more personal villain, no more school rivals and no more mentors or secret identities among friend or foes.

[bittersweetresilience]

félix fic recs

Spread Your Wings by @myladynoire (5,895 words)

Set before the Finale. Félix uses his Kwagatama to summon his father's memory and has a talk with him.

every wall that i knock down (is just a wall that i'll replace) by @purplecatghostposts (8,355 words)

Now it’s Félix’s turn. Adrien needs to know about his own existence before anything else and Félix wanted to have that conversation himself. Marinette didn’t argue when he told her as much. If anything, she seemed slightly relieved. Félix has been meaning to do it for a long time. Adrien had been at risk if he said anything before, not to mention it felt cruel to tell him when he would still have to bend to his father’s orders until the rings were retrieved. But Adrien wears his own amoks now, making his own choices with no one forcing him to do any of it. All physical risks are out of the way. Félix only needs to break it to him. The problem is that it never seems to actually be the right moment.

Trapped by @trishacollins (13,368 words)

Felix asks to visit Adrien earlier, worried that his twin isn't responding to him on their bond. Gabriel catches him snooping and makes some assumptions about why. It gets worse from there.

hieroglyphics by Anonymous (1,408 words)

Marinette, up late overthinking, texts Félix to ask if he'll move to Paris. (Takes place at some point between Ladybug's battle with Monarch and the pool party.)

never been in love by @bittersweetresilience (1,562 words)

Félix wonders if he has a heart. If he does, it doesn't beat like that.

orbital departure by @bittersweetresilience, @keeperofthebox (2,567 words)

While Félix is visiting, Emilie makes a suggestion.

Eat Your Young by @redundant-lava (704 words)

What was Felix doing during the season 5 finale? He came back to London to hang out with his girlfriend but is straight up not having a good time right now

Pause, Rewind, Play by @piromina (4,717 words, ongoing)

Félix paused, eyes still locked on the pocket watch she held out in anticipation. This miraculous, it meant he could travel in time. To any time he wanted. He could relive so many events, fix so many things he wished had played out differently. He could even see the future.

Amor Fati by @myladynoire (82,940 words)

In which Félix finds out he’s a Sentimonster. A long and painful self-discovery journey ensues. (And Lila is in for the ride).

Hey, Ribbons by childoflightningg (11,553 words)

Chat Noir’s transformation fell away for the last time. A feeble flicker of green, a blur of black zipping away. Ladybug wasn’t sure she wanted to see his identity, but it didn’t matter. Even if she had averted her gaze, she would have heard the gasps, the whispered name rippling through the crowd. Félix Agreste.

I Love You (for senti-mental reasons) by @redundant-lava (1,766 words)

All Gabriel Agreste wants is what is best for his family. Adrien understands this, but Felix has been persistent in interfering with his uncle’s plans, much to Gabriel’s frustration. When Gabriel finally regains possession of both the Graham de Vanilly rings, he decides to have a conversation with his nephew and persuade the boy to see things from Gabriel’s point of view (a Sentimonster story)

bad body double by Ehlihr (7,941 words, ongoing)

New year, new powers, and Marinette's new classmate are proving to be a personal challenge.

I Won't Let You by generalluxun (3,827 words)

After Gabriel's defeat, two individuals not party to the celebration run into each other, and find each other.

Checkmate by theriveroflight (1,575 words)

Running away has consequences.

(sentitwins fic recs) (feligami fic recs)

💥🦐🥂🚨 FELINETTE ZONE 🚨🥂🦐💥

annotated by ritsukies (4,351 words)

Félix and Marinette share a quiet moment together in the shared space of Adrien's bedroom.

Filling space by beforesaturn (comic)

A Felix and Marinette centric story after the death of Adrien Agreste.

Sure, Ladybug by ouijadarling (4,051 words, ongoing)

'We both know it'll happen again.' Félix is an old hand at being kidnapped, mainly because Hawkmoth thinks he and Ladybug are dating, and therefore, knows her alter ego. Every week, a new Akuma wakes him up in the middle of the night for some interrogation, and Ladybug ends up rescuing him. It's starting to get wearisome, and also, Félix has the strangest feeling that the supervillain knows him in some way. And that he's in for a hell of a time this final year of school.

Copycat by imthepunchlord (76,805 words, ongoing)

It was supposed to be quick and easy. Become Adrien Agreste for a week, steal the surviving twin ring for his mother, return and offer back the reclaimed heirloom and be a decent enough cousin that he gave Adrien a week break away from that house. That's how it was supposed to go. Of course, nothing ever goes how it's supposed to go. Not when Adrien goes AWOL on him and he finds a magical ring with a snarky little being asking him to also play hero. Lucky for the little being, Felix is curious and bored enough to try. And who knows, maybe it'll have some perks in messing with his Uncle.

There's This Club At the School by enigmatic_emperor (17,078 words, ongoing)

There's this club at the school which researches the ancient miraculi, a group of jewels that are believed to hold mythical powers. However, it only has three members! When Marinette hears that a new student is transferring to Dupont, she is more than excited to invite them to join the club in a hope that the club could have more exposure. That is, until rumours begin to spread that the new transfer student goes by the name Felix, and has some sort of affiliation with the Agreste's.

When In Paris by Lumienn (13,963 words, ongoing)

Felix comes back to Paris a year after his last eventful visit. This time, he's here to stay for much longer. Between his own personal mission, hanging out with his cousin, being a tourist, and his first Akuma attack, he's got his hands full. But then Marinette shows up... and shakes things up to a whole new level.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

If you've seen Werepapas, you must be just as baffled as everyone else during "that" scene, huh?

And if you didn't, trust me, you will.

I haven't been watching season six and, based on what I've heard about it, the only way I would ever watch it is if some form of payment was involved. However, I do know what scene you're talking about because I follow enough blogs to have seen the chaos.

For those who are a little more removed from the fandom, the new episode Werepapas just aired and, in it, Adrien's grandparents are akumatized via his amok rings. This is actually a nice bit of tension because we know that akumas can be overcome by talking it out instead of fighting, but we haven't seen what that looks like with the new butterfly holder. This episode provides a good way to show off what that looks like now, emphasizing how much harder it is to deal with Lila's manipulation and establishing that talking it out will not be as easy as it was in season four and five. It also gives Adrien a moment to shine as he obviously has to be the one to free his own grandparents since Marinette has no connection to them and you can't destroy the rings without killing him, right?

Right?

[Image description: Adrien's amok rings lying broken in Ladybug's hand. An akuma is coming out of them, but there is no feather]

Wrong! Let's just let Ladybug break the rings without consequences while Adrien is trapped in a trophy and left completely out of another fight with his family. That's way better story telling!

I know people are horrified by this and asking why Ladybug apparently didn't even try to find another way to free the akuma, but I'm just laughing because I called that she could probably do this months ago! Crocoduel logic fits the pattern! The rings probably had to be on fingers for the amok to go free or some similar bullshit.

Or maybe this is some new logic? Or maybe Adrien isn't a sentimonster after all! Or maybe Lila stole his rings offscreen/in the still unaired first episode! Who knows? Not me! The complete lack is logic is what makes it fun, though, right? Right?

Btw, since we're talking about Marinette and the rings, does anyone know how Marinette knows that the rings are Adrien's amok? Who told her? It wasn't Gabriel or Félix. Did it happen in the London special? Does she even know or was she only hesitant to break the rings because she knew how much they meant to Adrien? I honestly have no idea. I'm still not sure if she knows that he's a sentimonster since all she was canonically told was that Emilie randomly got pregnant after a long battle with infertility:

Félix: But even the best remedies couldn't seem to overcome their curse. (Marinette squints her eyes, immersing herself more in the story.) Félix: Until one day, the curious princess learned that she was expecting — (Both depict Emilie pregnant and Gabriel, with peacock feathers spreading on the background.) Félix: She was pregnant. (Marinette's eyes widen upon realization.)

And that Amelie also got pregnant soon after using the peacock:

Félix: The curious princess felt badly for her twin sister. So, she asked the tailor if he could do something for the good princess and the lord of war to have a child as well. (The scene switches to Félix, acting as Gabriel, talking to Kagami who is acting as Colt.) Félix: (as Gabriel) After much study, I have discovered a solution for you and your wife. But there will be a price to pay. You will give me your best knight to guard my future son. In exchange, I will lend you this magic amulet. It will allow you to give life to your dream and to control it. Kagami: (as Colt) Sorcery? Never! Félix: (as Gabriel) Well, it's up to you, of course. (Just as "Gabriel" is about to take back his offer, "Colt" chases after his hand and accepts this "sorcery" that "Gabriel" talks about, taking the Peacock Miraculous with him as well.)

Ah Miraculous, you never change. How a show for kids is so confusing is beyond me!

note this is all what I've picked up second hand so feel free to let me know if I got any details wrong

[marinetteplztakeabreak]

I know Félix’s villain/hero name comes from the Greek myth of Argos, the hundred-eyed watchful giant who was killed by Zeus and then immortalized in the peacock’s tail feathers, and all of that fits quite nicely, from the peacock tie-in to the “keeping guard” to the enemy of the most powerful guy around you know?

but half the time I hear his name my brain mishears it as “Argots,” which is pronounced the same way and means secret code languages used by underground groups to communicate in public when they don’t know who can be trusted, like bands of thieves but also like the slang code words queer people use to talk about being gay that will only be understood by other people in the community, or even like “i like your shoelaces” type code phrases, just , all these codes used to identify yourself only to members of the group and pass on messages that won’t be understood by the judgmental/dangerous public because people will always find a way to survive and keep community alive and help each other even if it’s dangerous to do so,

and i think about how he doesn’t actually say that anyone is a sentimonster in that episode, the implication only works if you already know and suspect and have been thinking about it, and how there’s just this awe from him when he sees kagami and he’s like “you’re like me” and the scene where theyre the only ones in the ballroom with masks off and the hiding in plain sight and the metaphors hinting at things and i just… i don’t know what to do with these brainworms i have about linguistics puns i just have a lot of feelings about him

[everythingthatsgoingon]

Thoughts/predictions for Miraculous season 6 :

Re-watching some episodes of season 5 :

- in Revelation, Lila/Cerise/Iris receives all the information Nathalie has on Gabriel Agreste. While she already knew he was Monarch, she now has access to the Miraculous grimoire (possibly decoded), probably the identities of the temporary holders that were revealed to Monarch and Mayura (I'm not sure if Chloé knows as she was akumatized at the time) at the end of season 3 (Alya, Nino, Luka, Kagami, Kim, Max), and worse of all, she might very well know that Adrien is a sentibeing controlled by his parents' rings.

- She steals Tomoe Tsurugi's laptop in Revolution, granting her access to Tsurugi technology and possibly more Miraculous information (the tech Gabriel used to remodel the jewels for instance) , but I'm not sure if it will be very relevant in season 6. She uploads it to her laptop in Re-creation.

- She witnesses the confrontation between Bug Noir and Monarch, and probably saw the former turn back into Marinette.

- in Re-creation, we learn that Ladybug told Adrien that "Gabriel helped her defeat Monarch". What is not clear is whether Adrien knows that he is a sentibeing and that his parents' rings contain his amok. I would hasard a "yes he does know" as an answer because Marinette asks "you're not wearing it?" speaking of the rings. It's singular, so it might refer to "the amok" (singular) and not "the rings" plural. But it might just be a translation error, so I watched in French. It's difficult to tell if they say "le" or "la" (singular) or "les" (plural). But it seems closer to "la" (feminine singular), and it's what was written in the subtitles. However, if they were referring to the amok, it would be "le" (singular masculin). Thus "la" actually makes little sense; it probably refers to "the ring" ("la bague") or "the wedding ring" ("l'alliance"), but the fact that it's singular when there are two rings is weird. So yeah, 50/50 chance that Adrien knows from the clues given by the epilogue. (Adding interpretation of the character's actions / motivations I would say there's a higher chance he doesn't know).

The reason I'm lingering on that last point is that if Lila/Cerise/Iris knows about the rings while Adrien doesn't, that might be an important fact for the plot of season 6. She could steal them undetected pretty early on, and Adrien would be hers to play with. While Marinette, Kagami and Félix would notice the stolen rings and be aware that Adrien might be under someone's control, there's little chance they will trace it back to the "new friend" Iris, even if they suspected Lila. And if Iris asks the right questions, she might even discover that Adrien is Chat Noir and use him against the Miraculous team. And given that only Luka knows Chat Noir's identity (while not knowing about him being a sentibeing and having lost his amok), no one would suspect him (if he "spies" on them) or understand his betrayal (if he makes his "new allegiances" known).

It's a kids show so I don't know if they'll go that far (though they did a good job in season 5), but the angst potential of Adrien being a puppet, realising he can't go against orders but not understanding why, then discovering that his parents' wedding rings can control him (that he literally couldn't say no to his father, he wasn't just too weak to do so, that his father manipulated him and his mother might have too), possibly understanding that he is an artificial life, a sentimonster, (and would he understand that Félix is one too? Or, lacking context, too pained to think straight and remember previous events (episode Emotions for instance), would he think himself alone?), and finally being told that his father was Monarch, that his girlfriend who happens to be his superhero partner lied to him, as did his family - learning all of that either step by step or all at once while being forced to pretend to be fine and ordered to go against his friends, teammates, loved ones - it would be pure torture. Add to that the distress caused by his unwilling actions to those around him, and the angst potential is tremendous.

A last couple facts :

- At the end of Re-creation, Cerise is "surprised" by a light/energy. The person behind that might be a new ally of hers or an enemy.

- In Timetagger, we learn that there is a "new Hawkmoth" (new butterfly miraculous user) in the future. Timetagger is sent to the past to steal Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous, but it's not clear to me if it's for the wish or to defeat them early on so they are not a threat in the future. And while it seems to me to be too reckless a plan to be Lila/Cerise/Iris's (she's smart enough to understand the butterfly effect, and that the consequences might not be the ones she anticipates - might not be positive for her), the fact that Lila is seen babysitting Chris (the future Timetagger) at the end of the episode suggests that she is the future Hawkmoth. The issue is, Timetagger is about 10 years older than Chris. It seems like a big time lapse from the season 5 final (would Lila really wait all that long to get revenge /would the Miraculous team really take so much time to take her down?), and a kids' show having adult protagonists seems counterproductive. So Lila being sent to the future by Bunnix at the end of season 5 (as the kids aren't strong enough to fight her yet) and resuming her fight against Marinette/Ladybug seems, while possible, unlikely. I would rather bet on Tomoe Tsurugi using the knowledge about Miraculous / magic she got from Gabriel and her technology to track down Lila/Cerise/Iris and possibly forming an alliance with her. Or a completely new antagonist coming into play.

[ilikekidsshows]

Saw some people talking about "maybe Adrien isn't a senti after all" because the ring doesn't produce the feather when broke, while the other part of the fandom trying to make a theory about why the amok not came out. Started from fake rings, the rings not broken at the same time (like in Crocoduel) and some other things.

and it reminded me back when the senti theory was still a hot debate in the fandom. Back then I asked a friend's who's a senti defender, "if you've never heard of senti theory, do you think you would think Adrien is a sentimonster from those hints?" because she keep yapping about this 'genius hidden hints' through the season and she admitted that no, she wouldn't even entertain the idea that Adrien is a sentimonster. Félix, maybe, but never Adrien.

This just make me realize how vague those hints were, Revelation is the only one that revealing that Adrien is a sentimonster. Even then it come from Félix' mouth, the character who's in almost every episode he's in been deceiving people left and right. How credible this information is? How does he know about all of this? Why tell Kagami and Marinette?

So fandom talking "Whats the meaning of this?" About that scene intrigue me because it is weird the amok doesn't came out after the item being broken since it's never happened before. What do you think about that scene? Is it possible that Adrien as senti is just a red herring?

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I’d actually started considering that the crew knew SentiAdrien was a bad idea before they even went with it, which is why all the hints were so vague only a supporter of the theory would spot them, why they never said it word-for-word and why it was such a nothingburger as a “plot”. I figured they left it vague so that they could ignore it after they were done, or even deny/retcon/walk it back if they got too much backlash or just felt like it. So, like, there’s a few more convincing ideas going on that I've seen.

Adrien was never a Sentimonster; Félix was lying to make Marinette more sympathetic towards Sentimonsters because he figured she’d be easy to manipulate through Adrien. This also makes it so that Marinette (unbeknownst to herself) only lied half as much to Adrien as she thought, which is probably supposed to make her look better.

The world reboot made Adrien a real human boy, retroactively making Gabriel rebooting the world a good thing, justifying to the audience why the villain was allowed to win.

Adrien is still a Sentimonster but someone swapped out the Amok rings either during the episode or before it. People are claiming it’s Marinette to shield her from the criticism of her being so reckless with Adrien’s life, but also Félix, the writers’ favorite little plot device, and Lila have been suggested.

I’m gonna say it right now: if Lilerise McButterfly has Adrien’s Amoks, it’s Marinette’s fault, because she obviously knew about the Amoks because of that book of secrets Marinette let her keep in the London special. That’s what you get when your protagonist is only interested in protecting her own secrets, which will have made her reckless with Adrien’s safety twice over (and which is why I hope, hope, hope this isn't the case).

To be perfectly honest, the revelation that the writers are actually planning to milk this “mystery” some more makes me doubt their originality even further that I already did and I’ve been theorizing Astruc is a plagiarist for months.