#Gabriel Agreste’s A+ Parenting

[wield-the-mighty-pen]

Brb just going to think about how Adrien now potentially has access to the freedom he has been wanting this entire time, and how he must be relieved and excited about it, but how there must also be a small part of him that feels kind of empty. How a part of him got so used to having this rigid schedule and these strict rules, and even though they were frustrating and exhausting, they were still his life and they were what he knows, and now they’re gone. And he has to learn to live without them

Just thinking about, how at the beginning of season 5, when Adrien had a modicum of his freedom returned to him, he was thrilled, but he also went into a depressive-like episode, where he sat slumped on the couch in a uncharacteristically messy room.

Thinking about how Adrien doesn’t know what to do with himself, when he is given the opportunity to be himself, how he doesn’t quite know who he is, because he has never been given the chance to explore that on his own (or really at all). And how Adrien though craving individuality, is actually terrified at the thought of venturing into himself and his personality and would rather throw four different segmented identities in front of himself, than look at the person staring back at him in the mirror

[galahadwilder]

Look I’m a huge fan of “Gabriel is completely unaware of things happening in Adrien’s life after he moves out because Adrien went No-Contact” because Fuck Gabriel™️ but please imagine the hilarity of Gabriel picking up the tabloids one morning to find out that his child has boobs now

[burningstarfishqueen]

There are many more interesting things in Émotion’s endcard than Gabriel Agreste, but take a moment to look at his glasses.

A reflection in someone’s eyes of another’s face is common symbolism for love throughout the show. It’s always in their actual eyes, the image overlaid on their pupils and irises.

That’s how this symbolism is commonly used. It’s a nonverbal I love you.

This is very different, but far too similar not to compare them.

Gabriel’s eyes are empty. He has only disgust and frustration for Marinette. He may think he loves Adrien, but he hardly even knows him. He neglected him for months or a lifetime, depending what narrative you believe. A handful of bad breakfasts where he wastes their time together on manipulation and lies change nothing.

Why is Adrien reflected in Gabriel’s glasses? It’s a soulless mimicry of affection. It could symbolize how he abuses Adrien by twisting love itself, claiming his control as protection.

For Marinette, it’s a simple obsession. As Ladybug she’s been thwarting him since the beginning. Even without her powers she stood against him. His entire fight is focused on crushing her.

Gabriel doesn’t handle failure well. His repeated attempts to akumatize Marinette and her consistent resistance led him to develop a weird fixation on controlling her. It all comes back to control.

A reflection in someone’s eyes symbolizes their love, and that image instead at a distance in glasses represents an obsession with having them under control.

[dumbass-brunette]

So pretension…

It’s been a hot minute since I posted art but, I couldn’t not draw this scene.

Marinette is a saint, I love her 🥰

[loveisbananananas]

Love how “Marinette is invited to the Agreste’s for an approval meeting” is such a thing in fanfics and it’s usually like. They all sit down at this enormous dining table, Marinette is super nervous because Gabriel is her idol, Adrien gives her clues on how to handle herself, Gabriel is acting cold and the conversation is sparse, but in the end he is surprisingly approving of their relationship and impressed of Marinette (him plotting an evil scheme after depends on whether it’s an AU or not and how evil Gabi is written).

And then when it actually happens in 5x19, she isn’t even invited, she just invades the mansion. And Gabriel is like. Come on in little friend lol. Not you though Adrien. No pancakes for you today. Go to your room, Senti-Son. Gabriel proceeds to prepare the worst pancakes in the world and threatens to destroy Marinette’s career (she’s 14????) while mocking her designs so she basically calls him a dirty capitalist pig after running away from being forcefed disgusting pancakes and instead swears her eternal love to Adrien, insults Gabriel’s cooking skills and then just leaves while Gabe can do nothing but gape at her. Absolutely amazing behaviour from all of them would not trade it for the world

[yuttikkele]

OH I FORGOT GABRIEL SENSED ADRIEN WAS SAD WHEN HE GOT REJECTED BY MARINETTE AND HE’S ABOUT TO AKUMATIZE HIM AND THEN HE REALIZES IT’S ADRIEN AND HE GOES, “Adrien? Wait, Adrien doesn’t have an alliance ring! I better go give him one so I can give him Miraculous powers when I akumatize him. And I better pretend to be a good father even though I’m giving him a toy to distract him from the pain while I become even more distant.”

he pulled an, “all the better to akumatize you with!”

[dovelyanon]

Have you been keeping up with season five? It feels like Gabe and Adrien’s relationship has kinda gotten even more insidious with how he’s doing his manipulation schtick even more than ever. Before he was selling Adrien’s voice and body as a commodity in a technical way, using his image for his brand but now he’s literally selling digital versions of him who can say whatever you want and also be literally undressed for some kinda fashion app as shown in jubilation??? Adrien directly expressed his discomfort and Gabe’s response was nothing short of “i will go back to neglecting you unless you comply” I feel like dark angsters should be eating this up more than I’ve seen lmao

It is indeed an angst goldmine. I haven’t gotten a chance to peruse and see what other angsters are doing with Season 5 fic wise, but the angst potential is phenomenal. Gabriel has no morals and no rights.

If I have any energy left after my current fics, I might riff off the mess that is Season 5 Adrien’s life. Amazing how he manages to be both a Barbie girl and just Ken in the worst possible ways.

[trishacollins]

Male, 42 - am I the asshole for expecting my son to live up to his potential?

My wife died two years ago, while she suffered from a long illness and her death was somewhat expected it was still devastating and I have not yet come to terms with losing her. She was my everything and we were childhood sweethearts. No extended family as they did not approve of our relationship, save for my wife's twin sister (which makes things even more complicated) and her son (15m).

The problem is my son (15m) who has been acting out a lot recently. My son has a job with the family buisness, and has all of the tutors and special classes a brillant child should have to support them as they grow. My son is very smart, brillant. He's honestly perfect, his mother made him that way. But recently he has been acting out, avoiding his responsibilities, disappering whenever he gets a chance and demanding to go to public school.

I have recently undertaken a misson to find a cure to what killed his mother - this is a highly time consuming project and by necessity highly secretive. Only myself and my secretary know about it. And if I have my way, my son will never learn of it.

WIBTA if I distanced myself from his aunt because of how much it pains me to see her and refused to let him attend public school? I know that I can provide a better education and keep him safer at home.

if you're trying to get into the head of your story's antagonist, try writing an "Am I the Asshole" reddit post from their perspective, explaining their problems and their plans for solving them. Let the voice and logic come through.

[rwsdarw]

pretend this is a good caption

[wield-the-mighty-pen]

Don’t mind me… just thinking about how the last words that Adrien said to Gabriel were words in anger and how Adrien must carry that fight with him.

Thinking about how Adrien is undoubtedly filled with a grief-ridden guilt over what his last words, his last moment was with his father. And how his father died a “hero” yet, he was his “spoiled” “angry” son who could even bother to be happy when his father payed attention to him and did things to protect him.

Thinking about how Adrien has spent his entire life trying to live up to his father’s definition of “perfect”, has been made to feel like a failure time and again, and until his father’s very last moments has failed him. How he must think that his own anger must have reverberated in his father’s mind in his last moments. That his only comfort in his “noble sacrifice” was Adrien’s own selfishness.

Thinking about how Adrien wonders how he’ll ever live up to his father and his father’s expectations. Yet, has surpassed his father in virtually every way. How Gabriel’s final command to Marinette was not, to look after his son, to comfort him in his solitude, but to keep up pretenses, to ensure that his son remains living forever in a shadow.

[galahadwilder]

Things I will never get tired of

Gabriel: remember you have a photoshoot at 7 am tomorrow

Adrien: that’s impressive, because I don’t work for you, haven’t for two years, am in the middle of suing you for harassment, and have a meeting at my ACTUAL job at 8. Also, how did you get this number?

[galahadwilder]

Adrien has perfect handwriting but it’s not natural to him and it actually causes him pain to make that much effort, and he only does it because his parents punished him for every wrong penstroke. When he’s not hurting himself and actually relaxes his handwriting is near-illegible to everyone but Marinette.

[burningstarfishqueen]

Something in the Miraculous movie bothered me. It took time to sort through everything, but I have it now. It’s the way the narrative handled Gabriel Agreste.

(trigger warning—discussions of abuse)

There’s a popular trope across media where an evil character carelessly hurts strangers but won’t harm their loved ones. It’s always annoyed me, but I never thought about it too much.

The show never uses that trope. Audrey’s generally nasty to everyone. She’s mean to strangers, awful to servants and staff, and abuses her husband and daughters. The closer you get, the more she hurts you.

The character I want to analyze is Gabriel Agreste. In the show, he’s a garden variety abuser. His obsession with Émilie escalated to the point where he ignored her wishes entirely, preserving her body in his basement while he fought to control death itself.

Control is the biggest factor in abuse. It’s woven all throughout his character, in every choice, every action, every word. Anytime Gabriel is onscreen with Adrien he is working manipulations to keep Adrien under his thumb.

The Butterfly is based on control. Perhaps not the powers as Nooroo wishes they were used, but the way the story presents them. Monarch sees a weakness in his victim and he takes over their mind, giving them a new name to change them into his puppet.

Gabriel started by abusing his son and trying to control his wife(it’s never made clear what Gabriel and Émilie’s relationship was like, but it wasn’t good). Terrorizing Paris was an escalation.

His love for Adrien could never stop him from hurting Chat Noir, because Gabriel’s love for Adrien isn’t enough to keep him from hurting Adrien himself.

Evil people hurt their families. Love has never stopped them. The kind of man who would terrorize a city, hurting countless strangers, would hurt his own child as well.

Statistics back up this take. There’s a reason murder investigations start with the spouse and continue through the rest of the family. The closer two people are, the more history they have. More reason to help and more reason to hurt. If someone tears down the boundaries stopping them from attacking other people, that applies to those they love just as much.

I have never met an evil person who was not hurting their family. Maybe they exist, but they’re nowhere near as common as fiction would like to believe. I guess it’s a nice fantasy.

Watching an abuse depiction I resonated with get swapped out for the fakest trope I’ve ever seen left a nasty taste in my mouth.

[jattendschaton]

Émilie Agreste purposefully giving Adrien an allergy to feathers to make sure her son would never be able to use the peacock miraculous in the future

[talulagrimm]

You might want to emotionally prepare yourself for this one

Song: Spring and a Storm by Tally Hall

[zenniaphoenix]

Can you imagine court mandated family therapy for super hero and villain families?

court mandated relationship counseling for superheros and their nemises. i cannot stop thinking about this