#My favorite Fanon Love Squares

[bibibbon]

Wait, did Hori completely skip over their second and third year at UA? Or is the graduation talking about a different year?

Love how there's still absolutely ZERO introspection from anybody about the war, what drove Aoyama's parents to force him into being the traitor, Tokoyami and Izuku possibly being Quirkless, or Aizawa being such a shitty teacher that he never noticed the UA traitor being one of his own students.

And Shinsou can go kick rocks. I've never liked him since I learned how pervasive Fanon!Shinsou is in the fandom, and seeing his Goob from Meet The Robinsons ass being rewarded for his victim mentality really irks me. Again, love how Aizawa supposedly hates favoritism despite turning around and favoring Shinsou (and Bakugou).

#BringIzuku'sFluffyHairBack

Hi @nutzgunray-lvt 👋

No hori didn't completely skip over 1A's seconds and third year. The time skip was only a few days (which bugs me even more) so I was talking about mirio and his classes graduation. Personally I feel like it's too early to do such a thing but I mind of see it as hori making a full circle moment with what he mentioned in the war arc.

Oh my Iam so mad that there is no and I mean NO INTROSPECTION about what everyone or anyone just went through!??!?! Like y'all just went through a whole war and there is nothing acknowledging that!!!! Heck not even last chapters hospital scene made an effort in acknowledging what went down. The only type of acknowledgement we get is mirio's speech talking about how the heroes are trying hard to go back to square one and how they know there is a lot of work cut out for them but other than that complete radio silence which is weird as hell.

I mean we have seen people die in that war arc, many suffered injuries or lost things, many are probably mentally or physically scarred or both and hori opening no acknowledgement to that and trying to go back to normal is just horrible writing. The fact that it's been a few days since the war and they're going back to school is horrible in itself.

The series in itself doesn't even bother to mention aizawas faults as a character or teacher. Look I got into MHA because of the fanon promise of dadzawa (so Iam bias and have a soft spot for it) but dam horis writing of aizawa is such a let down to what fics and friends have told me about dadzawa. Also it's such a shame that aizawa apologises to izuku mid battle using his first name btw and then we are never brought back to that moment it's simply a one off. Also the simple lack of intropsection and information coming from every character is seriously annoying me it's like I can tell that they're simply puppets that hori is horribly controlling.

Also yuuga deserves better I have talked about how I wanted hori to use the idea of transfer students and students dropping out but this was unsatisfactory. Iam not saying that yuuga shouldn't of dropped out but Iam saying that there was no point considering that he went through that whole ordeal saying that if he fights that the education system may overlook his treachery but now he is leaving?!?!?!?

I like the potential that shinsou had but in all honesty he is way too underdeveloped for anything. There hasn't been any acknowledgements of his own mistakes and flawed ideology, we never see his interaction with Izuku and him learning that izuku isnt privileged, we don't see him apologising to ojiro for insulting him, we don't see him actually warming up to 1A rather he seems to be happier in his own class. I have talked more about shinsou and what he could of been here

Honestly it never made sense to me why aizawa likes bakugo so much when bakugo is like a carbon copy of his childhood bully so🤷‍♀️. Shinsou I kinda get but dam it's not a good look for sure.

#BRINGIZUKUSFLUFFYHAIRBACK

Horikoshi has no reason to take away Izuku's fluffy hair!! I need it to comeback and I beg for him not to give izuku a disgusting undercut like those aged up fan arts do. Also best Izuku is MHA 411 izuku!!!

[booksandabeer]

Hi,

First of all thank you for all the recs you do, it couldn’t be easy doing all that. I just wanted to ask you about your favourite fics where Steve and Bucky were already together during first avenger and get back together in the future? Once again, thank you so much. Even if you don’t answer this I would still be grateful because I got so many of my favorite fics from your blog. You’re amazing and take care.

Hi!

Thank you very much for your kind words. It's lovely to hear that I could help you find some of your favorite fics. 🥰

I've sat on this ask for a few days now because it's actually a really difficult one for me to answer/find recs for without getting into things that can be quite, uh, awkward to discuss "on main." But I will try. As always, I'm going to ramble, so I'll put this under a cut.

(There will be fic recs in here, I promise. Just scroll down if you want to skip the waffling.)

So. When it comes to fics set in canonverse, I mostly stick to either stories that end before the war or stories where Steve and Bucky only get together once they meet again in the future. I hardly read fics with the premise you've described in your ask because—and this is where it gets dicey—they are rarely ever done in a way that I personally find satisfying.

Here’s the thing: If you read a story set in canonverse, inevitably, at some point the war will arrive and with it: Peggy. Now there’s a much larger, much more complex discussion to be had here about Steve’s perceived sexuality, societal expectations of what constitutes "successful masculinity" in the 1930s/40s, and self-repeating and -reinforcing cycles of fanonization that I don’t want to get into right now, so I’ll just say this: Unless the author goes the polyamory route (which I personally don’t care for and therefore don’t read; at least not in that particular combination), usually none of the characters involved come out of such a scenario looking their best or like they haven’t received a personality transplant from one chapter to the next. I know that some people love that kind of conflict and are really into the angsty drama that comes with it—and they may find my stance on this boring and square—but to be honest with you, there’s already plenty of angsty drama in any story involving Steve and Bucky to begin with; I don’t need this on top of it.

And also—look, to be very blunt about it: If I click on a Steve/Bucky story I want to read a Steve/Bucky story, and decidedly not a story about Steve falling in love with Peggy halfway through—especially not when he’s already been practically married to Bucky for years. I'm okay with scenarios where Steve falls in love with her (or the idea of her, really) because he cannot or thinks he cannot be with Bucky for reasons ranging from very reasonable to entirely idiotic, but in a world where they are already together? Honestly, no thanks. I don't want it.

(Also, let's not even pretend that I don't have a huge Bucky-bias.)

But! you asked for recs and not 500 words of waffling, so I went through my lists and bookmarks to find stories that either try to grapple with this *problem* in a sensitive and thoughtful manner, find elegant ways around it, or simply skip over it entirely.

Here we go:

(Note: The exact meaning of 'Being Together' can vary greatly from story to story)

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by newsbypostcard | 6 parts, 146K, T-E

Author's summary: "You keep asking me what I want," Bucky manages, eventually. "But on any given day, my number one priority is to get through the day alive and myself, and to do it without killing anyone. Everything else is extra." Each work is a standalone.

-> A Post-CW AU that also tells Steve and Bucky's history with each other through flashbacks. Apart from this series, you can really read any story by this author because they do this neat thing where they use roughly the same pre-war/wartime backstory and then depending on when they wrote it and where MCU canon was at the time, the fics branch off from there. Plus, all of their stories are simply wonderful and I will alway recommend them any chance I get.

The Good Morrow by Hark_bananas | 75K, E

Author's summary: Every night, Steve falls asleep and finds himself dreaming about a diner, and every night he finds Bucky waiting for him there. But in the waking world, Bucky has disappeared, gone on the run after the fall of the Triskelion and Project Insight, and the strange dream that they share may be the only way that Steve has to bring him home.

après nous le déluge by tomorrowsrain | 9K, T

Author's summary: After us, the deluge. Steve and Bucky break, mend, and try to find their place in the world without the mantles of Captain America or the Winter Soldier. AU, post Civil War.

-> Part 1 of gale song series, the second part of which which I recced in my Road Trip Rec List. In fact, there are quite a few fics on that list that fit the premise of 'together before/during the war and getting back together in the 21st Century,' so if you haven't already, you might want to take a look at it!

Roll On by jaxington | 3 parts, 306K, T-M

Author's summary: In 1938, there's a bar in Brooklyn called Sully’s where people are safe to be themselves. Behind the bar, a girl pours drinks. She's always got a big smile for Steve and she says queer like it's a good thing. On a regular basis, she takes his shoulders in her hands and tries to shake sense into him, saying, "When will you do something about that best friend of yours?" In 2012, Bucky’s gone, but Steve’s not, and the girl’s hands are too old to shake him. She does her best to make him see sense anyway. Steve had people who loved him before the war, and it turns out a few of them are still around when he finally comes home.

Practice Makes Perfect by nekare | 10K, M

Author's summary: And it’s just. It’s too much. Weeks of pain and months of missing Steve and his mouth and the stupid shit that comes out of it; years of molding himself to his back at night and pretending there’s nothing else to it apart from sharing warmth; a decade of his stomach twisting with the foolish desire to make Steve laugh.   It's August and sweltering when Steve asks, out of nowhere, if Bucky wants to try kissing. Just to see what it's like. Bucky then spends far, far too many years pretending it didn't mean anything at all.

a hat, a horse (a Hyundai), and the will to ride by synonym4life | 67K, E

Author's summary: After Steve and Bucky rescue their pals from the Raft prison, they decide to dig deeper into Zemo’s involvement in the UN headquarters’ bombing which sends them on a backpacking trip across select European countries. Steve and Bucky believe this is a story about their mission. Scott Lang and Sam Wilson, who join them halfway through, believe it’s a story about their Eurotrip (and they’re probably right). This writer, however, has been waiting to tell you that the fic’s true mission is Steve and Bucky missioning towards missionary. Follow them on their journey across Europe in tiny cars, packed subway trains and even on skis as they tumble down the Swiss Alps (in a fun way this time!), all the while reigniting untold feelings of the past through inappropriate sexual encounters and terrible communication skills.

Five times Steve kissed Bucky by paragon | 16K, T

Author's Summary: (+ once, finally, it was the other way around)

-> I'm very amused by how short this summary is, but the fic really is exactly what it says on the tin: Steve and Bucky kissing, pre-war to post-CA:TWS.

I Wanna Live in the Hidden Parts of Your Skin by Voylitscope_speed | 10K, E

Author's Summary: Sometimes, Steve looks at Bucky across the floor of their apartment or in the middle of the sidewalk, and it's not goddamn fair how good Bucky looks. It's not fair how Steve, who's spent his whole life fighting with his lungs for air and his heart for a steady beat, sometimes looks at Bucky and his breath and pulse are wrong for reasons that aren't his lousy health at all. And ever since the day with the purple ink, Steve can't stop thinking about people being canvases, like the models at that exhibit. Steve keeps thinking that Bucky'd be the most stunning canvas a guy could ever ask for. (Or: Steve and Bucky discover a kink in 1940. They find a reason to come back to it 80 years later. )

All The Angels and The Saints by Speranza | 48K, E

Author's summary: In which Steve Rogers loses God and finds God and loses God, and also: Bucky.

-> Look, this fic does some of the exact things I said above I usually try to avoid, but (1) it doesn't really do it (kind of, it's hard to explain), and (2) it would be *absolutely ridiculous* to not include it when putting together a list of fics with a pre-war to post-WS arc. This fic is legendary for a reason. It rewired my brain. It was one of the first Stucky fics I read that made me realize and appreciate the full potential and beauty of this ship, and to this day, it remains one of my absolute favorites.

▶ I'm really sorry that I didn't write something for every individual fic like I usually do, but I'm moving back to my home country in less than three weeks, so time is very limited right now. I hope this is still ok, and that you'll find something on this list that you like!

▶ There is a series that would've been perfect for this list but unfortunately it was deleted without warning a few months ago. If anybody has a saved copy of apricotcake's long is the road that leads me home that they'd be willing to share with me, I would be forever grateful! I'm still so sad that it's gone and angry with myself that I didn't download it when I had the chance. :(

[astriddestelle]

Miraculous Ladybug is an interesting show. I feel like if I was younger I would eat this show up but I just can’t fully invest. That being said. Those kids deserve the world. Fanon Chloe is my favorite.

I’m weird though I like ship Alya/Adrien and Chloe/Adrien and Luka/Chloe, Chloe/Marinette more than I ship Marinette/Adrien.

Out of the love square I’m in the minority I ship Ladrien most of all even though it’s like the least likely to work.

Marichat is just so cliche and Adrienette is very cutesy but oh so basic

But yeah just my random ass thoughts.

[msperfectsheep-posts]

Okay Note here. CHARACTER ASK. i7 Torao, Haruka, and Nagi. Ouran High School Haruhi. Batman Jason. Anyone in persona you must talk about (I don't know anyone there). Did I miss someone? (You don't have to do all. I am mereky curious)

THANK YOU NOTE!!! I'm gonna put all of these beneath a cut just so I don't clog up people's dashes <3

Torao Mido: (IDOLiSH7)

Torao is the kind of character where you're like "literally why is he in the main cast when everyone else is a banger" and then you realize that his arc is just 4-5/6ths of the way into the story and you go Oh. Oh. I get it now. That's him. That said, I want to blast him with a fire hose.

Haruka Isumi: (IDOLiSH7)

Haruka was my discord pfp for several months and I think that says a lot already. I love him so much, he's like. so bulliable and he should be bullied. Dramatic ass teenager baby that dresses like an e-boy. I love him so much and every time he bleps (:P) in official art I want to Die. Prime blorbo material.

Nagi Rokuya: (IDOLiSH7)

I'll admit outright that, as someone who had Ouran High School Host Club change my brain chemistry forever when I was a child, and with i7 having a main character named Tamaki, I CONSTANTLY called Nagi "Tamaki" during the first season just because he was the silly blond weeb guy!! I was like holy shit there's two of them. And then I got to parts 3 and 4 and I was like Oh Holy Shit they're even more similar than I thought :'). Nagi is a BELOVED character of mine but it took a moment for me to grow into loving his character. I wish I saw more fan content of him because he fucking rocks, but he's also just on a different plane from a lot of the more popular characters and I get it. I love how everyone respects him as they should though. My king forever and ever.

Haruhi Fujioka: (Ouran High School Host Club)

SPEAKING OF OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB. Haruhi's arc in the anime and manga is a little different, and obviously the anime wasn't supposed to end where it did, but with the changes the director and writers made, I truly believe that it would be impossible for the animeverse to end the same way the mangaverse did. Anyways Haruhi is a really funny character because she's supposed to be the straightman in a lot of the jokes, but she's just as dramatic and silly as everyone else. And it's great. 10/10 protagonist, every time I think of her I think of that tumblr post about her with the big brown eyes and I go Yeah. yeah.

Jason Todd: (DC Comics; Batman)

(If you can't read that square, it says "SCOTT LOBDELL")

Jason was NOT my favorite DC character or even Robin for a long, long time. I only really got into his character when I started working on my fic, Beyond Imagination, and had to start analyzing what a younger Jason was like and how he would interact with the world in a modern day and age. All of the Batman characters get flanderized and mischaracterized by fanon and canon a lot, so it's hard to figure out what was generally agreed upon as canon unless you read yourself, but Jason's got a strong story and personality that really shined with his resurrection. I'd say it's one of the best uses of reviving a character thought to be dead, and every time I think about his death and like. both the in-universe and real life events that lead up to it, I get emotional. Great character that makes me deeply ill to think of from a meta-perspective.

Maya Amano: (Persona 2 Innocent Sin & Persona 2 Eternal Punishment)

Okay so. You may have noticed I tagged two Persona games for her and that's because, spoilers for Persona 2, the first Persona 2 (Innocent Sin) is a timeline that fails. The game with you resetting the timeline because you fucked up that badly, and the second Persona 2 (Eternal Punishment) is your second shot and doing things over. HOWEVER. Maya changes with the timelines because she was doomed to die with how things were set up in Innocent Sin, and fixing that to give the timeline a shot in Eternal Punishment changes her as a character. This bingo is more about Innocent Sin Maya, who is a 23 year old girlfailure reporter that makes me Deeply Deeply Ill. If you're ever curious, you can send me an ask and I'll talk about her more in depth because Persona 2 isn't the easiest game to play

Thank you for the ask!!!

[dragonbugsuperior]

MLB Ship Tier

Marigami

ranks at the top because of the their interesting dynamic though they were off to a rocky start due to them being rivals for Adriens affection. I find their moments in the show to be funny, cute, and amusing. (They both enjoy drawing which would be a cute date) I also feel like Kagami would make a great candidate for Ladybugs partner. Shes smart, articulate, efficient, and determined to succeed. Marinette teaching Kagami how to be open with other people and herself, and Kagami teaching Marinette how to be more comfortable in her skin. One of my headcanons and theory is that while everyone may assume Kagami is the top in the relationship its actually marinette, another theory of mine is that Kagami is the top and Marinettes a bratty bottom but canonically they give me switch energy. However like other things and relationshis in the show its a shame how their interactions aren't explored more or touched upon beyond their liking to the same bland white guy (who doesn't deserve either)

Lukanette

This ship is a very sweet ship to me and one that I shipped awhile ago (when it was first introduced) I believe on of the many reasons Adrien stans and love square shippers hated Luka so much was because he did what Adrien couldn't. He's able to give Marinette actual good advice (*cough cough* Adrien take notes) Marinette is comfortable around him so we dokt get embarassing cringey 24/7 and......say it with me everyone

Respects.

Her.

Boundaries.

Awe what's wrong? Adrichat can't do this? What's that?

Ur favorite white catboy is unable to respect his love interests boundaries? But Luka can? Awwww...too bad.

He doesn't push Marinette further than what she's comfortable with and many Adrien stans argue that this makes Luka "bland" (since when is respecting someone bland???) Other than that I like their interactions in Canon, I'm glad he's one of the very few people marinette can actually talk to and doesn't get embarassed around. It feels good to know she liked a guy and was actually able to talk to him. One of my most unpopular and controversial theories is that Luka would make a pretty decent deuteragonist. Seeing how the writers pretty much wrote Luka & Kagami off so they wouldn't tear the love square (they really weren't going to anyway) and broke up the only actual healthy romantic relationship Marinette had, (because Marinette can't have nice things, am I right?) I know for sure there's no reviving Lukanette despite this, it still makes the top of the list. RIP to a really good healthy relationship✊🏾😔

Chloedrien (fanon)

This ship surprisingly ranks high. I can see them together especially in fanon. But because the writers are incompetent in the progression department and development their Canon relationship is definitely lackluster. Chloe invades Adriens space, he's visibly uncomfortable (feel familiar?) Chloe complains about her "Adrikins" Yada Yada. However if the show were written differently and Chloe actually talked to Adrien in attempts to strengthen their friendship I can see a good relationship.

Fela

Not you....

You.

This ship only interests me friendship wise. I can't see Lila and Felix together as a couple in spite of the similar personalities manipulative, cunning, discreet, calucating, and sly. I see power imbalance, trying to outsmart and manipulate each other and both of them being unable to think of anyone but themselves. Which is why a friendly alliance between both anatognists suits better because I can see them easily challenging Marinette and Adrien.

*signs*

Green eyed monsters

Nialya

This Canon couple is pretty decent, the feelings are mutual and we see many episodes with both being concerned about the other one (which is cute) and the consistent normal interactions they have are okay I can definitely see Alya being the dominant one in the relationship.

Lukagami / fanon /

It fanonically works better due to reasons (I'll list for Canon version) but in fanon they work pretty okay. I can see like Marinette & Adrien they're supposed to be opposites despite them having few interactions in the show. It'd be nice see their different personalities communicate. I cant say too much abt them.

Fecloe

This pairing is a easy hit or miss. I can understand them relating to each other as far as their dysfunctional families but I see Chloé annoying Felix with ease. She'd be a childish distraction (i argue the same with her relationship with Lila) and Felix would break up her instantly Felix is the type to basically desensitize himself from any emotions and rationalizes everything. And Chloe already an insecure brat with a touch of entitlement and narcissism is the cherry on top of it all. And with the direction the writers are attempting to go with Felix (being a antihero and having a moral gray compass) I don't see him supporting Chloes unexplained Bullying (which is rlly annoying bc why exactly do we sill not know Chloes reason behind Bullying people especially Marinette for so long?) But yeah this is one of those pairs they could be alright acquaintances at best but....romantically no. And working together? Hell no.

Alyanette

It's already bad enough their friendship isn't healthy with alya not respecting marinettes feelings or boundaries actively going against marinettes wishes and attempting to get her and Adrien together (physically holding her hands in place likes thats totally ok) thinking she knows what's best for marinette than marinette herself and not even trusting Marinette enough to believe she wouldn't do certain things (but a girl u just met can be trusted?) The OOC writing these past seasons is so painful to watch it makes my ass itch. I can already see her being overbearing and domineering in the dynamic. In Canon their personalities complement well however I don't see the connection romantically

Chlila

This dynamic is better as close acquaintances who help each other sometimes. (Keep in mind sometimes) Like Chloes relationship with Felix the one with Lila is no different as she would clash with her constantly. I also feel like Lila's the more rational one with the plan and Chloe is more impulsive and dives into things for the fun of it. Automantucally making their motives contrast and their characters. Their relationship reminds me alot of Cleo and Torelai's relationship (Monster high) I believe seeing more interactions between the two would be fun.

Lukagami / Canon/

Ah yes, the love rivals who could've served as good development and plot progression but like everything else with this garbage dump of entertainment, they never met their full potential. I don't ship this ship because it feels more like a way to bring them further away from the Love Square and just a way for people to say "hey on the bright side everyone wins!" But luka and kagami deserve better than to be casted as plot devices , which it feels like than it does a actual genuine ship and the only time we really seem them interact directly is in Determination which was centered around Marinette & Adriens relationship (its almost like they said "Hey! Fuck any progress we almost made, let's write the characters completely OOC and inconsistent moving forward. Either way the ship could work....but with how the show is already written I wouldn't pair them as a couple canonically.

Lukzoe

This ship isn't bad it's cute however I wouldn't pair them together canonically or in fanon I like how the writers already have Zoe liking Marinette and I honestly like Luka and alot of other characters without a relationship because I feel like it isnt needed. Though I feel like their friendship would be amazing.

Feligami

A controversial Canon ship that I had to recheck to see if it was actually Canon before saying

What the hell.

This ship is another hit or miss and to be honest I feel like the writers knew that they'd have to write Kagami and Felix OOC for this pairing to work in the first place. The pairing feels like a cop out for Kagamis unresolved feelings for Adrien and the writers went "Oh yea! Let's pair her with Felix, Adrien's "evil" twin" who happens to look just like Adrien just is less "Nice" having the ability to stand up for what he actually believes in and for Felix....I cant see him in a relationship. He's one of those characters that I feel does really well solo (like Lila) when u add people in the bunch it mushes his characterization up. They decide to pair them up in Representation and the two get into a secret relationship. They pair Kagami with Felix guys. The same guy who SH Ladybug, wiped all of Paris out (except for 3 people), as if that wasn't bad enough they have them both conspire a plan to deceive Marinette (so much for being marinettes friend). Kagami defends her newfound boyfriend to Ladybug and Chat Noir in Pretension. I liked Kagami better single, it's almost as if she had "more" braincells that way.

Lilanette

Aside from the pair being abusive and toxic, their interactions as enemies canonically are interesting. I'm interested in knowing just how far Lila's willing to go with Marinette with her lies and deceit, thus shipping doesn't work as a couple undoubtedly because of how abusive it is and I can't see Lila caring abt Marinette as much as Marinette would Lila (if she werent a villain) Feels more like a cat and mouse dynamic.

Lilalya

Lila and Alya feel lackluster to me and Canon makes my feelings on them no better. Their relationship in the show doesnt even make the slightest bit of sense. Firstly I'll say in the beginning when we first meet Lila her lies are believable but as time goes by and seasons go on the lies get less and less convincing and Lila isn't seen as this smart evil genius (she wasnt even before just a manipulative insecure teenage girl who wants attention wherever she can get it because her caregiver(s) neglect her ) the class including Alya shouldn't even be this dense still after 5 seasons in, just shows u how bad the writers of this show are at writing a believable consistent storyline and characters. I feel like Lila would love bomb Alya until she squeezes all the juicy information and benefits she can get from her then hang Alya out to dry.

Adrigami

I wouldn't have much of a problem with this ship if it weren't for.......the one and only notorious bland...blonde....the Adrien Agreste (the main reason I also don't support the love square) While I see them understanding where they both come from, I honestly can't see a what Kagami seen in Adrien. He's blander than oatmeal, and is described as not just by the Fandom but the shows creator himself "this perfect, innocent, catboy whos sheltered from the world and needs protecting and sympathy all. the. time. boo hoo. Not only did he lie to Kagami, which led to the breakup, but he technically cheated on her. by harassing his partner Ladybug (who clearly tells him she doesn't like it almost.every. episode.) while in a relationship with Kagami. Them being together doesn't feel rewarding seeing how he has treated her and how he treats other female characters in the show in general, especially Ladybug/Marinette. She deserves a lot better than what Adrien has to offer, and so does Marinette.

The Love Square

Ah yes, saved the best for last, this quadrupled pair ranks lowest of all for many reasons, if u didn't know by now, now u know I hate the Love Square and the message it sends the audience. If it isn't Marinettes forced embarrassment and humiliation to cover for the writers blatant misogyny and racism because Marinettes character persecution is set up as the shows comedy go to and her struggles are made out for a "good laugh" because thats really funny Thomas.....haha. Then theres Adriens problematic creepy predatory harassment towards Ladybug that's seen as generally "ok!" And cute and romantic *kiss kiss* he does as Chat Noir bc no one knows whos under the mask leaving him to get away scots free the general message it sends is its okay to keep harassing the target of your affections with enough determination and charisma added with a sob story you'll get them in the end. Doesn't matter if they're visibly uncomfortable or disgusted doesn't matter if they vocally say they don't reciprocate ur feelings all u gotta do is Try try try again!

Let's not even get started with how bad Adrien's jealousy gets....

Right.

He gets antsy whenever he sees a new Temp helping LB out as if he actually helps her in a major way anyway. He refuses to help her when she declines his romantic offers and grows really petty, snarky & sarcastic when things generally don't go his way with her. He doesn't take his job serious enough to even have his spot as a permanent miraculous holder and not to mention one of the most powerful miraculous there is "misusing the miraculous many and multiple times, making corny embarrassing puns and failed flirtations during battle essentially distracting Ladybug making her job harder. I honestly don't think it'd be much of a difference if he weren't chat noir.

Not to mention the double standard that exists between Marinette and Adrien in general

Marinettes' actions while problematic are checked in the show like her exaggerated obsessiveness, jealousy tendency, impulsive issues, and awkwardness around Adrien (and by many fans, sometimes to the point of bashing and purposely highlighting what has already been established) Adriens are all glossed over and we're expected to feel sorry for him. His dad abuses him and his mommy is nowhere to be found so now the writers use our female protagonist as emotional support when she herself needs emotional support. The writers are so bad at writing they can't even make the main couple communicate clearly and simply ever. Thomas himself goes out of his way to say to the world "Adrien is not flawed, the world is" yet his stans have the audacity to say mArinEtTes mOre Of a MarY sUe thAn He iS!. Her jealousy is called out but Chat Noirs is swept under the rug and is seen as her responsibility. Let's not mention how literally every female character that has had interest in Adrien has been pitted against Marinette but Luka, Nathaniel, and Adrien coexist just fine in kumbaya because remember kids

"Girls are spiteful petty backstabbing and catty while boys are practically angels who see each other as /bros/"

While also saying in the same breath this show is all about "girl empowerment " but has the white male deuteragonist harass, abuse, and manipulate our biracial female protagonist for 5 seasons straight, right?

Just making sure.

[sing-in-me-oh-muse]

Writer Highlight from Writers Sanctuary

Each month on Writers Sanctuary, a Discord server that nurtures writers of all kinds, highlights a writer and asks them questions about their writing process. This month's writer is Chai_ki!

@Chai_ki

Ao3 Profile: Chai_ki

Works:

Fervor Lullaby was fun to write and it honestly just flowed. I think that’s why I like it so much.

Can I Take Your Last Name was my first attempt at humor and I had a ton of fun writing it.

The Cadence of Leaves was my first multi-chapter fic and even though I haven’t posted in a while, I’m on track to finish it!

What is your writing process? How do you approach a fic or original work? (e.g. Are you a Pantser? Plotter? Do you focus on dialogue before description? etc.)

Pantser, now there's a great term! I would have to say that I am definitely more of a pantser but occasionally will try to plot. Most of the time I just write as things come and hope it all flows well. 😅A lot of my ideas come from music. I usually can imagine a scene in my head during a song and then that scene grows (if I'm lucky). Original works have been hard as I have a tendency to want to over-explain things and feel like I can't get the characters back stories across well enough. That's one of the reasons I love fan fiction, those reading already know the characters so I can just dive right into the story.

What was your first story and why did you finally decide to write?

Ooo this is hard. My first ever story was one about cats I think. It was in 1st or 2nd grade. I've had random other stories since then. My first Miraculous fic was titled "Affinity" and I first posted it on Amino. It's one I would like to rewrite (and finish) at some point, but I have a few other projects to finish first. I have always loved to write and as stated in answer 1, I struggle with over-explaining my characters. I fell in love with Miraculous and then found out there was this entire community of writers and realized I had found my version of heaven. That was in 2018 and since then writing for the fandom has been one of my most relaxing hobbies.

Where is your favorite place/time/conditions to write?

This one is easy, mostly. I can honestly write just about anywhere - so long as I don't have other responsibilities to attend to in the moment. I prefer to have music playing, usually it's songs that have inspired my current work, but I can write without it as well. So long as the ideas are flowing, I'm able to write!

What is your favorite pairing, platonic or romantic, and why?

Fandom specific would be the love square. I honestly can't really say why, I just know I adore them. I think a part of it is because I see bits of myself in each character, both in cannon and fanon. I also love the dynamic between Alya and Marinette. Alya reminds me of my best friend of 25 years in so many ways and I find I end up writing from personal experience with them. In terms of anything other than my own writing, I enjoy a variety of parings and ships and enjoy seeing how other creators bring them to life. (Not fandom specific I have a few parings that I'd consider an OTP, but that would make this answer way too long. 🤣)

Do you have any thematic elements you’re interested in or that consistently show up in your writing?

To be honest, I haven't thought much about themes in my writing. I suppose my main theme is cutesy love stories, friends being there for each other. Stuff like that. I'd love to get good at writing adventure or humor, but I'm not sure I'm there yet. I do have a WIP that is an adventure story. The prompt is a Goonies/National Treasure AU I was given in the MWG for December's event. I'm struggling with it, but I also enjoy the challenge. One of my favorite tropes is friends to lovers and I feel like I use that in every story I've posted so far.

How do you deal with writer's block?

Music. Just about everything comes back to music for me. Sometimes I get disheartened if I'm stuck but I've found that listening to music, be it a new song, band or old favorite always sparks something creative.

What do you do if you have too many ideas?

I feel as though that's a normal state of living for me. 😅At any given moment some idea for something is floating around in my mind. (Along with a constant radio of song.) If one idea really sparks an interest I will hyper fixate on it, otherwise they live in my head, rent free. Truthfully, I should be noting them down somewhere...

You said that Fervor Lullaby (which is adorable) was fun and easy to write because it "just flowed." How long did writing the one shot take in that flow tate, and have you ever been able to get back into it for any other pieces?

Thank you! 🥺 Fervor Lullaby took about 3 hours in total to write. I saw the prompt and the ideas just kept coming. Ironically this story didn't have a song to spark it though I found a very fitting one to go with it once it was done. Sadly, I haven't been able to get back that fast of a flow since then and IRL stuff has limited my writing time significantly over the last 6-ish months. I hope to get back into writing more now that things have slowed down a bit. Seeing other creators is always inspiring and I am grateful for the Miraculous community!

---

Join Writers Sanctuary today and sign up to be highlighted on Tumblr and the server!

[viovio]

10, 16, 18, 22 dinoverse?

10. worst part of fanon

You cannot belieeeeeve how much misogyny there is about Vanora that they'd make shit up about her.

You'd think reading her thoughts and input as the player character would make people's insight about her line up with canon but the whole thing is that she grows more and more out of player control and into her own choices as the chapters progress. Do not go into the vtsom fic tag worst mistake of my life but also someone had to be at the devil's sacrament.

Like yea she did. in fact. kill Vincent (deserved but also wooooooo my god... it was bound to happen to either of them and at the rate she's going she's gonna keep climbing bodies to get kicked down by Myers.) and manipulate Draco at the end to do the same but calling her abusive WHILE referring to their relationship before is insane I mean neurodivergent. His fixation and disillusionment of her isn't healthy💔

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

Chaser Victor and happy family dads vinvic + son Draco for many reasons.

Mira's said this before but because I like Victor to an unhealthy degree (just like him fr) I'm kinda bummed he doesn't have any character outside of Vincent.

Which sort of makes sense within the context of his character and their til-the-end partnership but he's been having problems ingrained into him before RMU for sure. I'd like to see that it's insane I mean neurodivergent how they know each other better than anyone and are still stuck in the past. They're back at square 1 with never moving forward. (What's he gonna do when revenge goes through? Look at himself? no.)

Anyways I'm getting off-topic it creates conflict for sure which I love. If integrated into canon which is the direction it seems to be getting I'm sure dino will write in more for him but the way people write a chaser Victor just feels very ooc. You mean to tell me he would not tell Vincent?

That parts already gotten long so I'll summarize this stupid family shit + my kind little fucked up homonculi weapon who's also my brother and I make into my butler. I don't think they would make good parents so its so sucks when they turn Draco into a baby in fanart stop this madness

18. there should be more of this type of fic/art

ZALMONAAAAAAA ZALMONAS JOURNEY IN PROVING HER INNOCENCE. PLEASE PLEASE YOU'RE NOTHING SHE TALKS ABOUT A COUPLE OF AMUSING INCIDENTS IMAGINE G4S MOST WANTED CRIMINAL TELEPORTS INTO YOUR BATHHOUSE WITH YOUR COCK OUT PLEASEEEEE.

Honestly like who give a shit about the other districts that's something Dino should be writing about can we PLEASE get speculation on how the watch works. Is there a catch? does she get dizzy? What was her detective work like. I wanna replay chapter 3 because she's only had surface level info about Myers from the news so she had to do a lot of digging pleaseeeeee a parallel of her investigation and Vanora at Myers trying to cover stuff up would be so sweet.

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

Being in the tranches it's same as above where is.where the fuck is Zalmona where is her meanness her brashness. Where is that that never contradicts her kindness, if you reduce her to the strong dumbass trope I'll kill you. I miss my wife Nini.

I wanna say in that same vein would be Vanora but I'm pleasantly surprised by the amount of art she gets, maybe it's bcoz of my mutuals but it's nice. Zalmona gets that too but it's not to the same degree tbh. I dontlike most dinoverse fans honestly

[nerdypanda3126]

From worst to best (or in your case, least awful), how would you rank all the sides of the Love Square?

Thanks for the ask, anon! So I do have to preface this with a couple things 😅 first is that I haven't seen all of season 4 (I think I left off with the two finale episodes left, just haven't picked it back up) and I haven't seen any of season 5.

Second is that I do on some level still ship Love Square 💖 it's what drew me to the show and some aspects of it still make me happy, which is the main thing for me. I ship them on the belief that they'll probably date when they're young, but it won't be forever, as I personally think there are a lot of issues that would need to be resolved first before they can work as a couple long-term.

That being said, my personal ranking from worst to best (also keeping in mind they're all the same people and so it's all the same ship, this is just what makes me happiest) is under the cut!

Ladrien. Now, okay, hear me out. I know this side of the ship is so underrated and has so much to offer (the spiderbug kiss fanart I've seen of this side? Omg unbelievable 💖) but when asked to rank the sides, Ladrien always falls here for me. Not necessarily because it's my least favorite, but more because I get more happy vibes from the other sides and like I said before, that's the main thing I care about.

Adrinette. Adrinette is cute, you know, but there's still a lot of secondhand embarrassment surrounding it (at least in the first few seasons) that makes it hard for me to get behind it. But! In fanon? Post-reveal pre-relationship Adrinette is *chef's kiss*

Ladynoir. Battle partners, best friends, us against the world, all that 💖 also great as a platonic pairing, and I love playing with that in my fics, too.

Marichat. I love this ship in all its forms, but especially as completely platonic best friends. There's something about these two getting to hang out together with no pressure that just plain makes me happy to see it.

Thanks again for the ask! 😊 Hope I answered your question!

[kasarawolf]

I love robots, especially broken ones

So I had to make one for the story and be a little mascot of sorts to introduce my Xenoverse Fanon of mine ^__^

Some info for good ol' Twig~

Loves sticks.

Twig is a robot built by the Capsule Corporation.

That is all

I am kidding! Here is his info~

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: TWIG

Nickname:  

Gender: None (Sounds Male. Referred to as Male, but They/Them also works!) Race: None. Capsule Corp Robot. Height: ----- Age: ---- Schooling: ------ Allegiance: Time Patrol (Current) Affiliations: None. Personality:

- Your annoying FrIEnDLy aNd eXTREmelY hElpFUl tour guide to Conton City!

- Not an official tour guide.

- Overly friendly.

- Gets excited about things they enjoy.

- Optimistic.

- Very sociable. Likes to be where the people are. Can be found in the Town's Square and Reception.

- Unintentionally sarcastic. (They don't know what that is! Or do theeey?)

- Can be sassy.

- A hugger.

- A little unhinged.

- Can talk for days about random crap. EXPECIALLY about trees.

- Says greetings in different ways and in different languages. Never the same greeting when you talk to them. (Hi!, Arigato! Hola! Hey Howdy Doo!)

- Likes to be talked to and asked questions!

- Will talk to themselves if not talked to.

- kNOws eVERytHIng.

- Loves everyone.

- iS tHE bESt bOT.  ForGeT tHe OtHerS! bRAshY sTiLL oWEs mE 200 ZENI tHAt @$#$$!!

- Will tack Miss or Mister, or any other formalities to the being he's showing around.

- Scuff marks are from Patrollers who grew annoyed with him/invaded someone's personal space.

- Definitely broken but won't let anyone touch them.

- Has no use for currency but has it anyways.

- Don't mention the other bots. We don't talk about them.

- When he cusses, it becomes garbled up radio static. (Fail safe installed in all bots!)

- Likes to feel useful.

- Tends to blow a fuse when they are angry.

- Has the most impressive stick collection. SoME lOOk liKE GokU aND oTHer FAMouS hERoeS! wANna sEE?! - Don't touch his collection. Don't insult the sticks or the trees.

- Named themselves!

- The Supreme Kai of Time is the best! Very friendly!

- Doesn't like Trunks, due to him trying to fix TWIG. YoU cAnT fiX wHAt aInT BrOkE YoU @!###%$!!!

- Voice fluctuates when they speak.

- Cares about you! Your safety is their top priority!

- Was once a stationary bot stuck behind the accessories counter in Toki Toki City.

- Databank is pretty messed up on some parts of History. Will tend to mix and confuse parts.

- Has a broken LCD screen.

- Used to have a scouter.

- Loves TREES. dO YoU KnOw tHAt ThEy aRE LiTteralLY GiAnT STickS AnD AlSo CaRRy hUNdREDs oF STicKs?!

- Has named all the tree's in Conton.

- Wants to know ALL ABOUT the trees from your timeline.

- Doesn't know what "being mean," is.

- Is a remnant of Toki Toki City and the previous Hero.

- Often vandalized on his backside like the back of a bathroom stall door with different notes to other Patrollers, Communicator numbers and "Blank was Here."

- Has a built in music player.

- Favorite band is the STYX (Bet you can't guess why...) tHEy aRE sINGing sTICks! WhaTS tHERe nOT tO LikE!? sO tALenTEd!! - Known to dance and singing when blasting his tunes. Always gets the words wrong. - Not fond of Chu, due to them stealing his sticks.

- Most likely wrote parts of this character description-

-----------------------------------------

More Info can be FOUND HERE---> toyhou.se/20336758.twig

[aloeverified]

From worst to best (or in your case, least awful), how would you rank all the sides of the Love Square?

based off their canon selves and interactions? i'd probably say ladynoir is my least favorite due to how much chat noir breaks ladybug's boundaries and how irresponsible he can be at times. after that, i think it's adrinette because the producers make marinette into a sexist stereotype of what they think teenage girls are like and also because adrien is a really and friend to her sometimes. after that, marichat is close behind because chat lowkey almost gets marinette killed a few times due to his incompetence and it pisses me off how he never had to face consequences for it. ladrien is the best i suppose since they have such little moments it's hard for them to be as toxic as the others.

now, when it comes to fanon interpretation — i actually love ladynoir. i'm not sure if i have an actual favorite ship in the lovesquare, but i do really like ladynoir's best friend dynamic and i also love when people make ladrien scenarios where ladybug helps save adrien from his father (more people should appreciate how cute that would bd!!). i think marichat might be my least favorite since i feel it's a little overates and i feel like a lot of people make adrien some sort of saint when it comes to that pairing — plus i still have war flashbacks to the early days of the fandom when people sexualized the hell out of it when they were literally thirteen. uhm, anyways all lovesquare ships are bad in canon but sometimes a rare fanon interpretation will make me go <3

[fragilefirstchance]

I actually have thoughts about this! I think Ford is a specific type of character.

First of all: Let's talk about fanon!

Something I think that a lot of us forget when we're doing fan analysis is just how caricaturized all blorbos are in canon. This is true of any work of media: the characters aren't real people, they're figments who only exist as we see them on-screen.

Fanon is kind of like those AI image sharpeners that take a blurred photo and make it look like a person's face: yeah, technically that is an accurate way you can interpret the blur, but there are hundreds of faces that would be just as accurate, and not only are they all very different from each other, they don't even agree on the most basic and obvious traits. The same blurry headshot could be a scowling white woman with a square jaw or a smiling black man with sharp features. In a similar way, when we see a character become stressed because they just saw a mouse in a cage, we could say they're scared of mice, or morally opposed to pets, or that they have cage-based trauma - any option that works is plausible.

I think that there are characters who are good characters, characters who are uniquely good subjects for fanon, and a ven diagram between the two. For example, a lot of kids' shows from the nineties are bad, but they managed to produce a really fun and rich fandom. Meanwhile, some really beautiful and culturally important stories don't leave a lot of room for fan works because they've already said what they need to say. I think the absolute best works for fandom are the ones that are objectively good stories, but have really simplified characters: Undertale might be the best example of this, because every single character suggests a rich and beautiful personality while only being on screen for a relatively short time.

So that leads me to part two: Ford!

I think Ford fills a particular fandom niche that was empty for a lot of us.

He's extremely traumatized, and the more we learn about him, the more traumatized he is. He's kind of pushing the limits of what's acceptable from a kids' show, to be honest.

He canonically has a lot of difficulty making friends; this is partly because he's quirky and seemingly neurodivergent, but partly because he has poor social skills. He's not a cartoony, Eeyore-style "has trouble making friends but we love him anyway" character, either; there are tangible, in-story examples of him failing to make friends.

He behaves badly sometimes. This is actually my favorite trait of his - anyone who reads my fanfiction knows how much I love giving people with real flaws a chance to find love and be treated with respect. Most characters have a flaw to overcome, but in his worst moments, Ford actually lashes out and hurts others in a tangible way and not just a child-friendly way. Showrunners don't always like to show that sort of thing.

It is very, very easy to read some severe mental health symptoms into his behavior. Bill is a literal character, but he's also a pretty good metaphor: you can use him to explain hallucinations, dissociative fugues, sudden mood swings, manic episodes, severe depression, paranoia - the list goes on and on.

(That last one is really important. There's a pretty damn big difference between a good metaphor for mental illness and a thoughtful portrayal of that mental illness in a story. It's kind of like how many of us were so starved for queer representation growing up that we read queer metaphors into everything. Well, there still isn't good mental illness representation in most media, so we'll take the metaphors we can get. Ford is a really good metaphor even as he's presented, and there are a lot of holes in his narrative where personality disorder symptoms, manic episodes, delusions, etc. can slot in easily.)

None of those traits make a good Disney character. They only really work because he spends so little time on-screen; the books were only possible because of Gravity Falls's massive commercial success. So, he's a very rare example of a character who's from a light-hearted, positive, optimistic show aimed at children, but who has all of the template features necessary for us to read him as deeply broken in some ways that aren't sanitized or socially acceptable.

So, there are dozens and dozens of Ford AUs in which we project very specific experiences, traumas, and symptom sets into this one man.

How many Ford AUs out there are reflections of our own insecurities, traumas, and just general unresolved issues? Is that, like, his whole purpose in the wider multiverse of alternate Gravity Falls characters? 'Cause I KNOW it isn't just me

[lady-starbind]

A very random ramble about fiction ideas... some which might could turn into fanfics lol

As a person who enjoys writing, I've made a few fanfics and a few original pieces of writing in my time... Funny, when I first started being on the internet, I didn't really fancy myself as a writer... but now? I think it's one of my passions... or at least, writing ties into my passion of creating characters, and building worlds for them. Whether that be some fanon (like Splatoon or Pokemon, ect) or my own original work. Creating or thinking about characters/fictional worlds is something that I think about on a daily basis, whether that entails trying to create fiction, or simply enjoying a walk through the realms of my imagination lol. I have all sorts of random ideas in mind... some that could have fanfic potential, and others are just dumb thoughts ig. These random ideas that could potentially be crafted into stories/scenarios include: A dumb fic/scenario idea of how my Undertale/Deltarune sona (who's a snow woman monster), might meet North Star/Starlo from UTY... Perhaps him and his family could be selling corn to the residents of Snowdin, in which my sona would get to know him as they sell their corn there... She'd get a huge dumb crush on him, but wait for him to ask her out because she's old fashioned... Later on, she notices that he's rather happy. And when she asks him why, he ends up telling her that he and his childhood crush are finally going out. Cue my sona to making a friendly/not rude excuse to go back home and then once returning home, proceeding to cry of heartbreak... In the end, this works for the best, because my sona prolly couldn't handle the climate of the dunes lol. (she also does her best to be happy for Starlo and Ceroba lol... after she mourns her heartbreak) ....I'd like to imagine the my sona and Starlo remain as friends by the end of the fic

And of course another fic idea I have that I would love to attempt is a Side Order fic... We honestly don't know much about Splatoon 3's Side Order yet BUT I'M HOPING AGENT 4 GETS CAUGHT UP IN IT... It would make for some great angst between Cryo and Tom. (Tom is my Agent 4 lol) ....Like perhaps Tom and Nestor (my Agents 4 and 8) would be going to Inkopolis Square for old time's sake or something.... Then the events of Side Order happens. Perhaps Tom and Nestor both go missing, and with her best friend Tom gone missing, Cryo goes to Inkopolis Square to investigate, only to be caught up in the Side Order antics as well! ....I imagine she and Nestor would play the role of Agent 8, with Nestor taking on missions by Daylight, and Cryo taking on missions by Moonlight... (in my Splatoon fanon, Cryo is known as Agent Ice) ...if the Splatbands make cameos as NPCs to rescue, and those NPCs included Ikkan and Warabi, that could potentially make for some fun interactions between Cryo and Tom! (since in my fanon, both Cryo and Tom are musicians and end up at least being friends with Ikkan and Warabi) ...tbh I've gotten so attached to my oc x canon ship Cryo x Ikkan, I might just make it canon to my fanon. And seeing Diss-Pair in Side Order, would give me the chance to see if such a silly ship could be viable to my fanon lol. (if not, then it could have the event of Ikkan rejecting Cryo's feelings and heartbreak ensues for the poor Octoling) SPEAKING OF IKKYO I definitely intend to continue the oc x canon fic, seeing as it's my favorite oc x canon ship of mine.... I can't help it, I ship them so hard. ;w; So much so, I might make it canon to my main fanon. I've got rough ideas for Chapters 4 and 5, as well as Chapter 3 being mainly done, just not posted lol. Speaking of Undertale, Undertale Yellow and Ikkyo, I have another dumb fiction idea that might not be turned into fanfiction, but it's fun to think about: Like an UT AU where the monsters and humans live on the surface, and maybe there's this fair/event for monsters and humans to maybe work together, like mentors and kids who look up to them? Like Clover looking up to Starlo, since he's a rootin tootin cowboy... (ok so he's still just a dweeb farmer who enjoys LARPing as a Sheriff, but they look up to him nonetheless) And Tom (who in my UT fanon does the role of Frisk) maybe looking up to Mettaton and wishing to take the stage, albeit by playing the saxophone rather than being a famous actor/star like Mettaton. And Cryo, who looks up to Ikkan (who might could be a squid monster in this AU?) who's the bassist of the band Diss-Pair. (in this scenario Ikkyo is not shipped romantically, but purely in a wholesome, platonic manner) Also it's fun to imagine Tom and Clover being friends and chilling out like pals... It's also fun to imagine how the kids would get along with their mentors, and how they might look up to them... Especially Starlo and Clover, like maybe he could be the cool farmer/cowboy uncle they never had and they enjoy playing Wild West with him as well as maybe helping him on his farm sometimes... Looking up to the funny star monster and aspiring to be like him someday~ I dunno man... imagining fictional scenarios is just too much fun for me lol

(Also just want to point out that any dynamics between adults and minors here are STRICTLY platonic, as we do not romantically ship adults and minors here!)

[purrincess-chat]

I think a big portion of the idea "Ladrien is boring" comes from is because of that fanon assumption that Ladybug is always this rational and professional heroine and she isn't funny as her civilian self. When in fact Ladybug has shown time and time again just how playful she can be. People would call MC a funny ship because they're headcanoning cat boy and normal girl to be very flirty and funny, but would forget that Ladrien has that same dynamic as well. Ladrien FLIRTS a lot.

I think a lot of it stems from people's own lack of creativity. "Ladrien is boring" to me reads as "I lack the creativity to write an interesting story." As someone who has many cracky, angsty, fluffy, and interesting Ladrien ideas, it's not a matter of the potential not being there. It's just that people aren't creative enough to come up with the ideas. And on the topic of boring, idk about yall but I only have so many balcony visits in me. 4 seasons and two episodes and people still haven't thought of something new for them.

At the end of the day, all of the sides have the same amount of potential, they're just different, so you have to approach them differently, which requires a little creative thought. I think we also put the sides in boxes too much. Ladrien HAS to be this or Adrinette HAS to be that. None of the sides have to be anything because they're all the same people. Chat can be serious and reserved like Adrien. Ladybug can (and canonically does) crack jokes. Ladrien can go on wacky adventures or sit around and play video games and hang out as friends without it being inherently romantic. I think the biggest disservice we do to the love square is putting them in such rigid boxes and forgetting that they are the same two people no matter how they're sliced. All of those aspects of their personalities are always in there and can be tapped into at any point. Blurring the lines between the sides is honestly one of my favorite things about writing the love square. None of the sides are boring if you remember that Ladybug is Marinette and Chat Noir is Adrien. You open up so many doors for yourself by just remembering that one little detail.

[feathers-blown-in-the-wind]

I'm just gonna say one thing about this episode

The Mari//chat stans are gonna be insufferable and it's gonna be an awful week if we don't get Kwami's Choice until next saturday

The episode wasn't bad per se but I dread the fandom's reaction so much it's insane

I'm just scared that half of the fandom is gonna try and twist everything in the episode into bullshit like "true selves theory and reverse love square is the only way for the square to work and blablabla I'm so smart, have you seen my totally fanon and OOC Marichat fanfic that's obviously better than canon" when they clearly misinterpret half of the show to fit their narrative and it's frustrating.

But hey we're only missing a Ladrien kiss now to complete the square so that's a good point for this episode

To be clear I didn't hate the episode. It's definitely not my favorite but it was fine really. I'm just frustrated I spent the whole episode wondering how people would twist everything and it left a bad taste in my mouth. And I take full responsability for that because I shouldn't have had this mindset watching the episode but what's done is done and I'll need time to cool off a bit before actually going in depth about anything in this episode

I'll probably watch the episode again later to be a bit more constructive and less biased because of outside factors but I really really don't want any Mari//chat stans clowning around other corners tag and I don't think we can avoid it at this point

I'm very excited for Kwami's Choice though because they did a great job setting it up and I wanna see the pay-off

[apollo-orientalis]

what are your thoughts about miraculous ladybug ships??

I’m assuming you mean, like, individual ships and not just the nebulous idea of characters from Miraculous Ladybug being in relationships, but you didn’t specify which ones so I’m just going to do some of the popular ones I’ve seen.

First off, the Love Square. I don’t ship it. It was cute at first, but their behavior towards each other has gotten more and more unhealthy and it’s not great. Fanon is okay, but I prefer other ships and if I read a fic with the Love Square in it, it’s for another ship/plot/etc. The thing is, the writers had a chance for Adrien and Marinette to have other relationships and grow as people and then get together, and then they ruined it for themselves.

Adrigami — I kinda like it. They’re cute. I ship them more than the Love Square. I wish they’d stayed together longer instead of the writers forcing us back into the same boring, toxic “they’re made for each other so it’s okay for them to be fucked up about their attractions” dynamic of Love Square.

I’m still a little salty, let’s move on.

Lukanette — again, cute. I kinda liked them together and I definitely ship them more than the Love Square. I wish it had lasted longer.

Marigami — beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. I love them. 10000/10.

Lukadrien — MY OTP!!! I love this ship so much, it is my absolute favorite Adrien ship.

Marcaniel — they’re absolutely perfect, your honor, and they deserve everything good in the world. Comic Boyfriends. Rainbow Tomato. Perfect.

Julerose — all hail our lesbian queens!! (Yes I know Rose isn’t a lesbian, that’s not the point). I adore them.

Chloenette — not really my thing. Tbh, I’m not really into the Enemies to Lovers trope, and I can’t really see Chloé and Marinette being anything more than friends (I still resent Astruc for backing out of Chloe’s redemption arc), but I can see where people are coming from ig.

Chlonath — I don’t even know where this one comes from?? Have they ever even interacted outside of that one scene where she makes fun of his art and outs his crush on Marinette? I don’t see it at all.

Kimax — I really like this one. Classic jock x nerd type shit. Best friends but make it gay. Genius x himbo. Perfect.

Chloebrina — I kinda ship reformed!Chloe with Sabrina. At the very least, I’m pretty sure Sabrina’s in love with Chloe.

Gabenath — they deserve each other, tbh.

DJWifi — *chef’s kiss*

I don’t really like any ships with Alix, since she’s canonically aromantic. She’s just sort of vibing, the closest thing she has to a significant other is her skates.

I also don’t ship anyone with Lila because she’s a bitch and I hate her guts. And I don’t think she’s capable of having a healthy relationship.

And obviously, I don’t ship Gabriel with any of the children bc they’re children and that’s pedophilia. If you ship pedophilia, you better get your ass in the fucking corner.

[podfic-please]

Introducing Podfic, Please Bingo!

Keep the listening going and rec your favorites! Anyone who completes a row, column, or diagonal by 11:59pm Eastern on Sunday, June 12th will be eligible to win a charity donation in their name.

Details below the cut!

Podfic bingo was inspired by @scfrozenover and @sctropefest.

The Rules

Submit your entry by: -Reblogging this post onto your own Tumblr and/or -Using the bingo card to make your own post and tagging us using @podfic-please (make sure to tag us, or we won't see it!)

In the body of your Tumblr reblog, list which work you are using to fulfill each square. Links are appreciated, and a little info about why you liked the podfic is even better! -Remember, part of the fun is spreading the love! No repeat recs allowed.

Make sure you've kudosed and/or commented on the fics you're recc'ing.

Bingo cards must be submitted by 11:59pm Eastern on Sunday, June 12th to qualify.

Multiple entries are encouraged, as long as you use different podfics for each entry!

The Prompts

My favorite ship

Fluff

Female main character

More than 60 minutes long

Canon compliant

Main character of color

Canon divergent

Podficcer's first recorded work

Rare ship

Found Family/Friendship

Beloved fanon or headcanon (across the fandom or just your own!)

Podficcer I've never listened to before

Featuring the SMH Crew

Soundscaping

Read by the author

Less than 10 minutes long

Angst

Set outside of Samwell

My *other* favorite ship

Featuring a real or fictional NHL team

New-to-me ship

Alternate Universe

Cover art or other artwork

Set at Samwell

Free Space

Questions?

Get in touch with @designatedgrape via her inbox or messages! Happy listening! 🎧