#and a (dead) deaths head hawk moth

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

𝔥𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔥.𝔠𝔞𝔳

[bettercallroasty]

COMMISSIONS OPEN

-2 SLOTS AT A TIME.

I do taxidermy shadow box commissions.

Right now it is only for insects.

Everything I use is real and carefully created.

You have full customization freedom, though I can suggest foliage, decorations and even specimin for you.

I can try to create a plan for those of you who are low budget as well.

I have a wide range of bugs I can get! If you're not sure of what you want, I can link you to what is available.

I can do larger frames as well as multiple Specimen in one frame.

I can do themed shadow boxes etc. It is really up to what you would like.

Please send me a direct message here if interested or my Instagram Comrade_roasty

Before payment I will provide a list of all the costs so you know exactly what you are paying for.

Got something specific u want in ur box? Show it to me! I can even make memorial boxes !

SHARES APPRECIATED!!!

[zalemmoon-veeveestar]

I got fucking carnivorous plants for my b-day

[foxlecter]

Three more patches since people seemed to enjoy the first five

Started making patches for a horror sweatshirt :3

[bladeubae]

A bit of trypophobia warning, yeah

Oh, I forgot to post here

Its SPD!AU(My au with eldrich versions of solver users, Solver Protocol Disease) Yeva design, even if she's well, be dead in the plot of this AU

She's a moth, a death head hawk moth, to be clear, a lil squeaky eechur xD

Cyn's next

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Here’s what the back of my Vaggie’s hair looks like! She basically has eyes in the back of her head 👁️. The skulls based on a Calavera/Day of the Dead skull 💀 to help connect her to her roots(shes Salvadorian 🇸🇻 and they celebrate the holiday)

Plus there’s a type of Moth(the dead man hawk moth that also has a skull) and some moths are even associated with death ☠️. which fits her…past.

Bonus detail, she’s also got light nails, like Sera and Emily, to hint at her angelic roots.

What do u think? I’d love to know💖

[arenabreadandbiscuits]

The thought of Alastor rushing to Vox once Angel Dust mentions the Vees are doing an Experiment is funny and lovely. Like he KNOWS his Vox. He knows Vox is the smartest of the 3, but he also knows Vox has no concern for himself when it comes to self-experimentation, and he probably tries to be there whenever the Vees do experiments just in case. Dude was probably HORRIFIED when he saw Vox when he came back after the 7 years he was gone, and saw all the upgrades. Yes, Vox improved himself but how much PAIN did it cause him? Does it still cause him pain? And of course Valentino is going to die. He stabbed Vox before Vox was ready--before he could take the drug Velvette had prepared for him, so yes the moth was going to die. The doll....she could perhaps live, maybe.

Just Alastor gently taking care of Vox, taking him directly to his room, and soothing his pain via shared frequencies, sending his Shadow to bring him another head for Vox--a newer, updated version that he knows Vox would like--as he gently begins to get Vox ready to switch heads.

Alastor is indescribably gentle--only Vox would/will ever get Alastor like this-- as he takes care of his unconscious soulmate, gently taking off his destroyed head, and putting the new one on, and then tucking Vox into bed as he begins to update and rest from what happened.

However, Vox is still out for quite some time--while the angelic knife didn't kill him, it did damage his systems and leave him unconscious for six weeks, and then Alastor wouldn't let the other overlord leave his sight.

RAAAAA

I LOVE THIS

I love this Fr so much. Like and while Vox is out for the count in his healing Alastor definitely watches over him like a hawk. Imagine someone coming to Alastor's room just for something like little only for the demon to immediately growl. He's protective over his past enemy and more so than he initially thought himself. I imagine too that later when Vox wakes up he's just so confused.

Confused and...yet grateful that he's not dead? Then he looks around the room and he thinks for a moment before immediately freaking out.

Where is he? What happened? You know?

He probably would start panting a little, chest rising and falling and rushing in his chest because he's in unfamiliar territory and then...Alastor walks in... As he's been doing for weeks now.

And Vox turns his head to look at him with wide eyes, hand clutching his chest as he tries to understand what's happening.

Alastor would probably be just as surprised.

He's been keeping an eye on the man for a while. Taking care of him, cleaning him, protecting him... All while he slept and so seeing Vox awake with that look on his face leaves Alastor stunned for a moment before he slowly approaches the bed. All while Vox is asking questions, lost and a bit nervous only to just shut up when Alastor suddenly hugs him tight and close, refusing to let go.

He probably wouldn't even say anything for a moment, too caught up in the fact that Vox is breathing against him. Honestly Alastor probably wouldn't immediately believe it himself at first either. That Vox was so close to death.

Alastor could have actually lost him...and he doesn't want to risk that. Not now not ever.

Honestly yandere Alastor for this anyone? As Vox heals and gets stronger Alastor is there the whole time, watching and helping closely. Others being around Vox, getting just a bit too close, seems to be a growing thing that's starting to get to Alastor.

He can't explain it, hardly understands it himself but what he does know is that he doesn't like it, doesn't like Vox getting along with the others after everything Alastor has done for him. He'd probably get deep in his head, bitter and irritated, frustrated and conflicted until he maybe breaks and decides to show Vox all these emotions.

Probably would take months to come down to such a conclusion but considering they hold history together who could Alastor relate to better than Vox himself.

He refuses to let him go.

Vox's upgrades would definitely send Alastor into the void. Like 'is this my Vox...?' he'll wonder and maybe after Vox is stuck with him and Alastor takes his time killing off Valentino, send radio signals of his screams of pain while being tortured to Velvet just to tell her to never come back. It's probably something that gets under his skin especially if Vox asks about them which he most likely will, wondering where they were just for Alastor to never directly answer.

-

Sorry sorry, rambling but ya dere Alastor x Vox definitely sounds good as fuck.

[flightfoot]

Sorry for the vague description! Actually, I am asking for #protective Adrien# in the love square. But #protect Adrien is my other need too:)

Most of #protective Adrien# are about salt Lila or Chloe and it's boring for me at all. In my opinion, Protective like a part of his personality. The type I want to see it's like he is not protective as a "perfect boyfriend" save his girl from a bitch's hand(sorry for these girls just for their salt version), and lose his other individuality.

Some of my favourite is

Penumbra by Selkie077

Little Bits of Mari by breeeliss

One Thing After Another by SKayLanphear

Looks like they are more like #protect Adrien but fine:) I love Adrien showing his fragility and insecurity.

Looks like my demand expression is getting chaotic now...Sorry for that and thanks for your work for this fandom! I love reading your ML theory.

Good day good night or good anytime for you

Oooh yeah, there's a big difference between "protect Adrien" and "protective Adrien". You're right that it's hard to find ones that aren't based around Lila or Chloe salt, they're the ones who have terrorized Marinette canonically. That really just leaves Gabriel, who's more of a threat to Adrien. Still, I think I can find some fics for you.

---

He Couldn't Remember (Falling For Her) by @purpleautumnvision

"If I was given a choice in who Chat Noir would be, I would've chosen you." "And there's nobody else in the whole world I'd rather have as my little bug." Without secret identities in the way, Marinette and Adrien get to live out their love story and put their heads together to discover the identity of Hawk Moth... but an unforeseen twist puts the Miraculouses in Gabriel's hands. When he makes his wish for a world where his wife never became sick from using the broken Peacock Miraculous, the universe requires someone else to become sick in order to maintain balance. Who better than his greatest enemy, Ladybug herself? Adrien, with his memories rewritten by the wish, wakes up in a world without superheroes, without Hawk Moth, without Marinette, without friends, and without a clue as to why everything feels so wrong. Something's missing, but he's gonna find out what. Then he'll put his world back into place.

So this was a fascinating scenario, with Adrien waking up in a world where Marinette was dead while his mother was alive, a world that as far as he knew had always been the case... but having weird feelings he can't explain. And not just him, I love how much focus Alya gets here as well! Turns out that the memories are kind of hidden, but still present, and since Adrien and Alya never got to meet Marinette in this universe (she died just before the new school year began, at the same time that Emilie did in the normal universe) AND Adrien and Alya were her closest friends in the previous universe, their feelings towards her are closest to the surface and least impacted by the memories from this universe.

The other people in this universe... well, the class isn't taking Marinette's death well. It's fascinating to see just how much her death effects them, to see how it haunts them, and I loved seeing their reactions to Adrien's weird behavior about their dead classmate who he never got a chance to meet, it shows how strange some of this can look to the outside, and it doesn't help that these are grieving kids.

Just... this is a great fic, I highly recommend checking it out!

---

Feather Fall by @a-flaming-idiot

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a sentimonster. Adrien knows this. Alya knows this. They just wish they could tell Marinette. Maybe if they could she would have stayed safe when the Primordial attacked. When a monster mauled her with the intention of devouring the magic that made up her very being. Instead, Adrien is forced to use the Miraculous his father had used to hurt so many, to save his closest friend. And only Alya can keep him going as he threatens to crumble under the weight of his parents' sins.

I love the friendship between Adrien, Alya, and Marinette on display here, there's some great interactions between them, Adrien and Alya are great friends and both of them care about Marinette a lot, I hope to see more of this AU!

---

home is where the fight is by @rosie-b

Nadja Chamack’s voice greeted Adrien as he sat up straight, wiping his clammy hands on his pants and ignoring the black kwami floating by his shoulder. “—shocked to see our heroine fall in battle today, taking a direct hit from the akuma just as she detransformed. Parisians are torn between blaming Hawk Moth and Cat Walker for their roles in this tragedy, which ultimately revealed the civilian identity of Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Adrien turned off the TV and lowered his head as his vision blurred. Written for Ladrien June Day 7: Injured

I adore this fic! Which shouldn’t be a a surprise, it’s no secret that I love Sentiadrien Enemies AU. Adrien’s so worried about Marinette getting hurt, and wishes that he could help keep her safer, could tell her what’s really going on or get rid of the ring or something, but he can’t. Still, he IS able to find clever ways around some of his father’s more problematic orders. Loopholes for the win!

---

A Mousey guest by charliepoet13

Adrien Agreste has finally managed to break away from his father and make his way out into the world. One faithful night, after settling down in his new home, he spots a strange guest.

Adrien X Multimouse fic here! So this is inspired by the Borrowers, with little people the size of mice living amongst ordinary-sized humans, and Marinette got a little careless here XD. But soon finds that Adrien’s friendly and not a threat. It’s adorable and reminds me of the The Littles book series that I read when I was a kid!

---

Caught In A Multimouse Trap by @a-flaming-idiot

Adrien was having a rather slow morning. That was until he discovered a tiny superhero trapped in his home and decides to be a bit of a hero even out of his suit.

This was adorable! Adrien does his best to care for the little miniature superhero caught in a mousetrap, bandaging her up as best as he can (thankfully only her tail got caught so it’s more of a phantom pain than an actual injury) and just… it’s really cute.

---

May I Introduce Myself, Your Highness? by @chocoluckchipz

Whether picking up a stray animal off the streets or saving a dying child at the market, Adrien had always strived to be the best version of himself. Truly, he would’ve been the perfect candidate to be snatched up by a kwami, were he an orphan, dying somewhere remote after a short life full of nothing but suffering and misery. Yet as it stood, the sole heir to the French throne had little to complain about. Apart from, perhaps, a complete absence of a love life. That is until a mysterious girl, wandering around his gardens at night, catches his attention.

I love Fantasy AUs. It’s a bit unclear what’s happening at first, but it all gets explained in the last chapter. Also don’t worry about the age gap between Marinette and Adrien at the start of the story, I promise it’s not a problem in the end.

---

I hope these can satisfy you!

[marcmarcmomarc]

Miraculous

Chapter 22: Ladybug vs. Lila

(Ladybug and Lila tumble through the portal and fight on the school courtyard.)

LILA: Why couldn’t you just stay away? I thought you hated the people here! I thought they were traitors!

LADYBUG: But tyranny is not the answer! They don’t deserve that!

(Ladybug spins her yo-yo.)

LADYBUG: Lucky Charm!

(What does she summon this time?)

LADYBUG: A tennis ball launcher?

(As Lila tackles her, she then locates the net of tennis balls nearby. She tosses Lila off of her, takes the net, drops the balls in, and turns on the launcher. With terrible survival instincts, Lila blocks them with nothing more than her hands.)

LILA: Ah! Hey! Turn that off!

(Outside, Cat Noir and the other Miraculous holders hear the commotion.)

CAT NOIR: Cataclysm!

(He summons his power, then punches the wall, which falls apart. He sees Lila being pelted by the balls.)

CAT NOIR: Ladybug!

LADYBUG: Cat Noir?

CAT NOIR: I thought you might have needed my help!

(The school walls start to crumble.)

CARAPACE: Shellter!

(Carapace uses his shield to protect everyone from the falling rubble. The sun starts to rise behind the cityscape. As the dust settles, the heroes and Lila look around.)

QUEEN BEE: Okay. That’s it.

(They hear beeping.)

QUEEN BEE: What’s that?

LILA: What?! I said not to blow anything up!

LADYBUG: I can still stop it!

LADYBUG: You guys get everyone out!

(Ladybug takes off.)

CAT NOIR (O.S.): Ladybug!

LILA (O.S.): Stop!

(Ladybug speeds toward the source of the beeping, Le Grand Paris. Speeding through the front doors, she listens for the source of the sound as it speeds up. Outside, Cat Noir and the others evacuate everyone through Voyd’s portal. Le Grand Paris explodes behind them.)

CAT NOIR: Faster!

(Cat Noir follows the last civilian through just as the explosion almost reaches them. In the city, the flames knock over establishments. Cat Noir and all of Paris reach an overlook.)

CAT NOIR: (PANTING HEAVILY) That was nuts.

(Hawk Moth speaks to the akuma heroes.)

HAWK MOTH: You guys have served Paris well. I relinquish your akumas.

(All of the akuma heroes turn back to normal.)

HAWK MOTH: Light wings, fall.

(Hawk Moth de-transforms.)

NOOROO: Well done, Master.

GABRIEL: That actually felt good. And please, call me Gabriel.

MASTER FU: Do you wish to keep using the Butterfly Miraculous for good purposes?

GABRIEL: Indeed, I do.

NATHALIE: Me, too, with the Peacock Miraculous.

(She then falls over coughing.)

NATHALIE: It’s damaged.

MASTER FU: It is a bad idea to use a broken Miraculous.

(Now, the Miraculous holders de-transform.)

QUEEN BEE: Buzz off.

CARAPACE: Shell off.

RENA ROUGE: Let’s rest.

CAT NOIR: Claws in.

(Lila approaches.)

LILA: Why did you guys save me?

ADRIEN: Well, you aren’t any more worthy of death than anyone else here.

(Lila tears up.)

LILA: I’m- I’m sorry.

ADRIEN: Hey. Marinette would have said the same- (GASPS) Oh, no!

(They turn around.)

NINO: Where is she?

ALYA: Marinette.

(The crowd joins them.)

CROWD: (WALLA, MURMURING) Oh, no…It can’t be…Where is she?

(Their eyes search the smoldering ruins of the city, but Marinette is nowhere to be seen.)

CHLOÉ: I think she might be dead.

(Her hands over her mouth, Sabine tears up.)

SABINE: (SOBBING) Oh.

LILA: (BREATHLESS) No. What have I done?

(Alya sniffles. Everyone hangs their heads.)

(In the rubble, fallen pieces of wood quake. Her face covered in soot, the now de-transformed Marinette pushes her way out of the remains of Le Grand Paris, coughing. On the hill, Lily notices her.)

LILY: There she is! There she is!

(The people look up and beam happily.)

ALYA: She’s alive!

(They rush back to the edge of the hill. Marinette finishes getting out of the rubble as the crowd approaches. Her right arm is missing. Her friends take turns embracing her.)

ALYA: Marinette! You’re back!

MARINETTE: Yeah.

NINO: You’re here.

(Chloé moves them aside, then leaps on her.)

CHLOÉ: Don’t ever leave us again!

MARINETTE: Nice to see you, too, Chloé.

(The girls embrace her, too.)

ALIX: Marinette!

ROSE: You’re back!

MARINETTE: Hey, guys.

(Then Adrien approaches.)

ADRIEN: Hey.

MARINETTE: Adrien. Mom. Dad.

(Sabine sees Marinette’s armless sleeve.)

SABINE: (GASPS) Your arm!

(Marinette looks at it.)

MARINETTE: Oh, yeah. It got stuck under a piece of rubble, so I cut it off.

TOM: Marinette, next time you feel betrayed, you can talk.

SABINE: Tom, she did. We just didn’t listen and didn’t realize until it was too late.

LILA (O.S.): Which is my fault.

(Lila approaches.)

LILA: I’ll gladly take whatever court sentence I get to make it up to you.

LANA: Too bad you don’t have much of a city to live in.

(They look at the ruins again.)

[catchthattherian]

my lego monkie kid hyperfixation has caused me to make a lmk / jttw oc

so since you said i could, so let me introduce you to my silly new son ! ! this is bēishāng é , he's a monkey-moth demon created to lead lost spirits to the underworld and locate those in the book of the dead who have not yet arrived in the afterlife. he is based off of a death's head hawk-moth, which are commonly associated with death, and he has further ties to this as moths and butterflies are related to spirits in chinese folklore, as it is believed that recently deceased relatives and friends could return to grieving people in the form of moths and butterflies :D

he hatched from a chrysalis spun by an cursed moth, after those in the underworld realized that many human spirits were not passing on to the afterlife, still clinging to unfinished business. é's job was to ensure that these souls made their way onwards to their destination. he also functions as an exorcist for persistent spirits and an advisor for their families, providing comfort and caring messages to those grieving people. oh and i haven't decided how yet, but in some way he loses his wings, and ends up wearing the cape he has currently, in order to both cover up the tattered remains and scars of his wings, and also as an attempt to satisfy the 'phantom wings' he starts feeling due to their absence :D [ i'm projecting my issues onto him- ] he's my baby and i love him very much and i need him to be real so i can squeeze him and i hope he explodes /aff [ also i may or may not be developing some kind of kin-like connection to him ? ? i'm not too sure if my latest tail shifts are from my macaque fictionkin or whether they are from this fellow but- ]

AWuJSBSJS U NEVER DISAPPOINT WHEN IT COMES TO UR ART :00 /gen

WAHH HES SO PAWSOME, AND INSPIRED BY A MOTH? ? AND HE GUIDES PPL TO THE UNDERWORLD ? AND LOSES HIS WINGS /pos

I’m sorry but u have to write him up for being to pawsome😔😔😔 /j,silly

[princess-of-the-corner]

Goooosh, I just has such a fun outline in my head for a ML/Yu Yu Hakusho sort of not fusion exactly, but more like inspiration.

OK, so canon & season 1 are as normal, but in Despair Bear, after Adrien & Chloe's falling out she finds herself walking the streets brooding, fretting, ETC. Encounters a kid & manages to be 'nice' to them, maybe Mannon for simplicities sake. Then ends up saving her life ala Yusuke by running into traffic to push her out of the way.

Ironically if she hadn't intervened the driver would have veered right & Manon would be fine.

Cue ghost!Chloe being extremely pissed off, before encountering a Ferrywoman who explains Chloe's spirit was supr out of whack, partially cos ofher own issues, partially cos left over Remnants from Hawk Moth, there was a spark & well.

She's not quite 'dead' even if she appears that way currently.

She cam come back to life, with the expectation she'll be an medium on Earth in exchange for the help. But her trial to prove she is reliable is caring for a spirit egg. If it has emotions with a bad origin point poured ino it the creature will eat her, if they are positive it will help her return to life and be her companion.

Chloe almost gives up early.

Spying on her father to try and get some "Positive vibes" she encounters him & Audrey talking and.. Well its not great. Audrey doesn't give a shit & Andre muses Chloe was becoming a handful, still he is sad, but Audrey offers him Zoe as a replacement & he's OK. Her guide is pretty sympathetic & convinces her to try her very public, big event wake to see if there's anyone worth returning for.

"The Wake", does change her mind.

Adrien's basically catatonic crying & has to be hand held out by Nathalie. (Really Gabriel, you couldn't even turn up for this!?)

Sabrina has a full on breakdown, because what is she supposed to do now? She needs Chloe, Chloe was supposed to be there for her! (I did not realize I mattered that much)

Miss Bustier tears into anyone slightly rude (Some students & teachers) before expressing regret as she saw Chloe just needed a helping hand & feels she didn't do enough. (Stop making me feel bad, I'm dead!)

Chloe resolves to come back, even if it means having a job when she does.

Also she is definitely going to have words for her 'father' & some of her classmates, oh yes- wait positive thoughts positive thoughts haha.

Some chapters would involve seeing Chat Noir breakdown over her death to Ladybug & reveal himself & Visa versa, they agree to keep it a secret.

(Her death made Adrien reflective on how/why Chloe was like that)

She does some dream therapy with Sabrina & grudgingly encourages her to make friends with others over holding onto grudges for Chloe.

She wants to do dream therapy with Adrien, but the Agreste manor is super warded against ghosts for some reason.

She might do some dream therapy with Marinette.

Then Kagami turns up (Early) beats Adrien but is unsatisfied & Chloe spends the fight heckling her, then being annoying afterwards until Kagami addresses her.

Yup, Kagami can see ghosts & is none to fond of Chloe & ends up AKumatized (Oh come on!!)

Kagami: Your existence taints both my failures and my victories!

Basically, Kagami's mom is a spiritual power house & the one sent to train Chloe. Kagami' worked her whole life to awaken her spiritual powers & just by dying, Chloe is going to be at her level, minimum & Adrien was off his game cos he was still grieving.

Still, they resolve things, & Kagami helps protect Sabrina from some vengeful bullies maybe? Or passes on a message from Chloe to Adrien.

Anyway things seem to be going well, when Hawk Moth decides to posses her body!

Oh right, so the explanation for Chloe still being "Alive" is some lingering magic from when she was Akumatized putting her in a "death state". The Lucky Charm couldn't change it one way or the other though so she's comatose.

Suffice to say everyone, but especially Chat & Chloe are pissed.

Hawk: Any empty vessel wouldn't do for this possession, but this girl always had so much hurt and rage inside her. Now bereft a mind to hinder me she will be the ultimate Akuma! My AKuma!

Chloe: Land Lord, you're evicted!

Its more dramatic than that & she technically sacrifices her chance to come back by handing her egg off to Kagami. (who uses her spiritual skills to keep it alive) so she can stop HK from killing the heroes as Chat won't Cataclysm Chloe's body & the Akuma is her body.

So Gabriel is evicted, Chloe briefly wakes up but fades & is now semi tethered to her body & waiting to pass on.

Adrien brings Kagami to visit her the next day & there's brief talk of how if she were awake Chloe might joke about needing a princes kiss to wake her up.

Kagami leans into a bit and Chloe is getting increasingly flushed. Then Adrien has to step away for a moment & Kagami reveals the egg is alive, being kept so by her spirit and she returns it to Chloe.

Then reveals she has been charged to wake Chloe up, offering some of her own spiritual energy via a lip transfer.

Chloe (OO)

Then she just taps Chloe's lips.

Chloe: That! That was what you had me all worked up about!?

Kagami: Did you want me to kiss you?

Chloe: MAaaabbbyyyeeeeee (Wakes up)

There's tears, reunions, resolutions, death staring at her dad anytime he tries to use her for a press conference. "Physical therapy" with Tomoe & the hatching of the spirit beast which is technically both Chloe & Kagami's now. (Feathery dragon) Actually managing to chill her shit when bantering with some students who she was justly pissed off at.

& after that not sure XD

Oh that's a hot mess of a haunting but it works out great!

[duskfel]

So I have this place in my room I’ve affectionately dubbed “The Dead Things Corner”. As the name suggests, it’s got all my things both actually dead, or symbolically dead (like extinct creatures). I realized: you know who fits this theme? SANS. so here is my updated dead things corner but now with my sans prints I got literally 6 years ago at atlantale and have just been hoarding.

Close up on prints

The corner definitely needs more work (I really want some taxidermy or more skulls) but here it is in all its current glory.

Description of objects and the artists of the prints below the cut!

Left wall, left to right, top down: (trans flag and character badges not officially part of The Corner but the badges are by me), signed Fresh print by CQ, Thylacine print by unknown artist (was a gift), pinned owl butterfly and deaths head hawk moth, theropod dinosaurs beach print by unknown artist, mink skull and crystals drawing by me, raccoon skull, bobcat skull, coyote femur, various dinosaur “fossils” (pretty sure they’re fakes but they were a gift), raven talon and mushroom ceramic by me, silly snail skeleton Halloween decoration, silly dragon skeleton Halloween decoration, trilobite fossil.

Right wall, left to right, top down: Fatal Error print by Xedramon, Decans print by little-noko, Fresh print by little-noko

Just fyi all real specimens were ethically and legally sourced— do your research before purchasing anything that once was alive!

[pearl484-blog]

Things you Can do with Senti-monsters

I am not a fan of the senti-monster theory because I feel as though it detracts from the realistic depictions of abuse done to Adrien from Gabriel. It’s rare to have such realistic depictions of abuse in media, especially done to one’s own biological child and not step-child, adopted child, or child who is under your care but not legally yours. 

That being said, it is very popular in fanfiction and might be the case in Miraculous Ladybug. Unfortunately, most of the stories I see are the traditional “angst over not being a real person” stuff I’ve seen a thousand times in Star Trek and other materials incolving artifical life forms or a new version of Hawk Moth/Gabriel uses an akuma to brainwash someone fic. That’s not to say that there aren’t dang good ones out there, Buggachat’s Drowning in Plain Sight or Wackus_Bonkus’s One Does Not Love Breathing are both amazing, but I’d like to introduce some variety. Here are some ideas you can use with senti-monsters in your fanfics. 

1. Adrien (or another senti-kid) was once alive and was recreated as a senti-monster using the creator’s memories after their death/dissapearance/etc. Here’s something interesting. How different are the people you know from the people you know them to be? Everyone has a warped view of everyone around them no matter how well they know them because they’re fundamentally different people. You never know exactly what is going on in someone’s head, and you’ll frequently forget or mess up small details about someone if you try to describe them with as many details as you can. 

I’ll be using Adrien in this example since he’s in the story more, and I feel as though I have a better grasp on his character than other senti-kid canidates. So imagine Adrien is a kid, and he tragically dies. Gabriel and Emilie can’t take the grief and make a replacement kid rebuilt to every single one of their memories of the kid. Using as many videos and photographs and momentos as they can. 

But, Adrien’s their kid. They’re most likely going to see their kid through rose colored glasses. Especially if they’re greiving. This kid is going to be different than the original, fit more to Emilie and Gabriel’s perception of Adrien, than the reality. After he’s replaced, he’s going to be different, act different, feel different. He won’t know the original Adrien’s secrets, and the people who knew the original Adrien might realize that he’s different, which could lead to them treating Senti!Adrien differently or they may not notice at all, which would really hurt the main Adrien if he isn’t dead.      

If Senti!Adrien realizes that he’s not the real one, he’s going to get curious about the original one. It doesn’t have to be in a “I’m not the real one” way. It could be in a “who was my father?” way or a way to find some way to find an identity different from the original. 

1a. If the original Adrien is alive, it’d be good to see how they diverged, the original Adrien from the senti-monster born of perception. How did Human!Adrien’s disappearance affect him? How does he treat his senti-monster? Does he accept him? Is he curious about the senti-monster? How does he feel about his senti-monster? Does he regret the life he didn’t live or feel a need to protect the younger more idealistic creation? Is he angry about the warped vision his parents had of him or does he empathize with their grief? Does he transfer his feelings about his parents’ actions onto Senti-Adrien?

1b. If the original Adrien is dead or otherwise does not appear in the story, how does Senti-Adrien realize that he’s just a collection of memories? Does he find a hidden secret of Adrien’s that he doesn’t know? Does someone he’s close to reveal it to him? Is it a slow reveal or a sudden revelation? Is he intially scared of the revelation and turn away or is he drawn in by the allure of figuring out the original Adrien? Does he grieve the original Adrien, a boy he never knew? If so, how does he honor his memory? ==========================================

2. Senti-monsters feel empty and unmotivated without their amok

This is more of an introspective angst piece, but you could make it so that senti-monsters basically have their “hearts” be their amoks. They may actively crave their hearts and feel different than other people without it. They have no strong emotional connection to anything and will follow the traditional “rules” they feel they should until instructed to by their amok. 

They may feel weak or no emotions, but may think this is normal and how most people are. They don’t get why people are so passionate and showy about their weird emotions, so they decide it must all be an act to communicate how much time and effort you are putting into/have put into a task and how much certain things inconvienance you. 

So, that leaves their amok, which lets them care. You could do the emotionally manipulative amok, where they love following orders from their amok -no matter how much it goes against their “normal” personality and may contridict their previous goals- because it’s something that they actually feel a legitimate passion and desire for, no matter how much they may “logically” recognize that their actions are stupid and against their own self-interest. Or you could do the physically controlling amok, where they are obedient and mostly apathetic, and only feel when they have their amok back.

With these types of senti-monsters, you can make it so that their relationship to their amok is complicated, because people’s relationships with their feelings are complicated. After all, it’d probably be scary to go from feeling almost nothing to suddenly feeling the most intense heartbreak you’ve ever felt over minor inconvienaces, and in that state even joy, pure simple joy can be terrifying. 

They might even reject their amoks, which might confuse the humans they interact with, because why wouldn’t you want to feel? Why wouldn’t you want your heart? Why wouldn’t you want to control your own actions? 

Even more complicated, they might draw the ire of other senti-monsters who want their amoks and are possibly keeping their own. These senti-monsters may not sympathize with the senti-monsters rejecting their amoks, because the rejections set a bad precedent. What if a human sees that and thinks that they shouldn’t give a senti-monster back their amok? They may see the rejection as a sign of weakness, immorality, or as a disgusting act. 

It’s a complicated mess, and therefore one that’d be interesting to explore. 

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3. Adrien’s upset when he finds out he’s a senti-monster for unexpected reasons

Typically, the story goes that Adrien is angsts about whether or not he’s a real person when he finds out that he’s a senti-monster. But honestly? Considering his reaction to Sentibug, I don’t think that’s what he’d be upset about. So here are some alternatives:

3a. Adrien is upset because he may have been repeatedly unknowingly violated for years This is the most obvious option, but a good one. If you found out there was a handy dandy device that your parent had that made you obey your every order, you’d be rightly suspicious that they may have used it. Especially if that person is the control freak Gabriel Agreste. But you can go deeper than just having Adrien question which decisions of his his decisions were his father’s. 

3b. Have Adrien question whether or not he has ongoing commands, and try to decide whether or not he wants them rescinded, and how he would do that. You could just have a straight “don’t obey your father anymore”, command, but even that can have consequences as anyone rebelling can tell you. because sometimes, your abuser has a point. So, you can get creative and explore that possible consequences of it, and possible self-destruction as a result. 

3c. How much of Adrien’s personality is actually his or just the result of an order? It’s sort of like the conundrum of the brainwashed for the greater good or those brainwashed into loving their brainwashing. How much can they change without being someone entirely different? How much do they want to change? 

=========================================

4. Have Marinette give Adrien a command for his own good

This is a prompt that should be done with caution as it could easily devolve into a salt fic, but you could easily create an entire fic where Marinette tries to help Adrien by essentially speedrunning him to whatever point she thinks he needs to go “for his own good” of course. She is a well-intentioned control freak who would naturally want to heklp her friend stop hurting, even when he needs to process what’s going on. 

Examples of this could be her making him forget a traumatic incident, or making him get over his angst over the trashfire that is his life, like by telling him to forget Gabriel is Hawk Moth if it isn’t publically exposed, or trying to comfort him about a death by telling him to “forget about the bad things they did and remember the good”, or telling him not to worry about Chat Noir and Ladybug after his father’s defeat. Then explore the consequences of that, as Adrien follows that command to his own detriment and Marinette’s peers discover what she has done.  

=========================================

5. Senti-monsters are magical creatures

Alright, so let’s say that someone is a senti-monster. This is usually played as human but with an off switch, but why not switch it up a bit? Why not play it up as a magical monster shaped like a human? What does this mean in practice? Why the senti-monster would have different traits than a human, of course!

For example, let’s say that senti-monsters are more physically durable than their human counterparts and immune to mind-control spells (because only the amok can control them), but you’d need a counterbalance. For example, you could make it so senti-monsters get increasingly anxious when more and more people get brainwashed/have their emotions manipulated, making brainwashing/mob akumas even more dangerous than usual because you’ve got to keep the body count low. Or you could have them react more strongly to magic in the air, getting more unreliable the more magic there is around them, making longer fights more hazardous.  My favorite counter-balance with magic is madness, or perhaps you could call it fairy-tale logic. They concieve of the world in an entirely different way than most of the world and don’t seem to understand that what they are afraid of and what a human is afraid of are two very different things. 

IE. If Chat Noir is a “dark type” senti-monster, he might be extra observant of rituals about the dead, refusing to walk over graves (which considering the catacombs may be a problem), getting easily distracted by funerals, or pick fights with people who want to bring back the dead, but might make mistakes about human physiology that get him into trouble, like underestimating damage and recovery time or overestimating the average human’s capabilities. 

Just remember that as a general rule, for every strength, it’s a good idea to counterbalance it with a flaw, other wise you run the risk of unbalancing the character towards with too perfect (ie, no flaws to latch onto and relate to) or too flawed (nothing likable). If you go this route, it’s a good idea to decide the traits beforehand and write them down where it’s easy to quickly reference for consistency. It’s also good to look up traits of magical creatures to use as a template and/or make a list of beliefs (and why they exist) in a madness balanced monster. ===========================================

6. Senti-monsters are magical robots with a sliding scale of sentience/sapience

This may sound a bit counter-intuitive, given my opening rant, but please understand, I was trained in both psychology and computer science (it was a requirement for my psych degree, go figure). I also have a personal bias as this is what I’m doing with my senti-monsters in my fanfic Replay. 

So, as a brief starter, sentience is the ability to be self-aware, understand your surroundings and situation, and have an opinion about it. If I go into Skyrim though, and talk to an NPC, they will soon prove to me that they are not sentient. They are designed to only do a specific task at a specific prompt. So if I go and push them into a wall, and then try to sell them something, despite the fact that their entire torsos are stuck inside that wall, they will not notice and buy all my junk. They also will not notice any abnormalities in their shop and investigate unless programmed to, no matter how odd it is, so I can happily place a bucket in front of them, fill it with dragon scales and dragon bones, and throw it at their apprentice, and they will neither react or investigate, 

A squirrel though would most certainly notice being squished into a wall and let me know their opinion swiftly, and it would react immediately to me putting a bucket in front of them and scamper away before I could even begin to do anything else. It is sentient, even though I doubt a squirrel is comptemplating the meaning of life as it scampers up a tree, minding it’s own squirrely business.

Sapience is an even higher standard. It is the abilitiy to think and have wisdom. Unfortunately for our squirrel friend, squirrels have not yet demonstrated the ability to gain wisdom, and only humans fit into this category in the real world. We can solve puzzles, think abstractly, and communicate ideas that other creatures can’t like: “Tomorrow, I wanna go out to eat” or “When I was younger, I liked that, but I’ve outfrown it now.” (The ability to talk about times other than now is something that is either very rare or unheard of in any animals besides humans).   

So how would this relate to senti-monsters? Well, robots are a pretty good analogy to the sliding scale of sentience. We have everything from your standard automated machine that does literally one job over and over again like in an automated factory which has no sentience to a character like Data, from Star Trek: the Next Generation, who despite his struggles was an incredibly relatable humanoid and we even have robots that are almost indistishable from humans unless they are damaged in some way. 

Let’s have senti-monsters have the same range, with their sentience level ranging from “does a task on command or when certain predetermined conditions” to “can pass as completely human” similar to robots. Although unlike robots, there’d be a few differences. As a creature made of emotions, it would likely have an easier time determining the spirit of the instructions given to it instead of the typical stupidity a normal robot would, but it’d likely be tricky to get the exact amount of precision of a robot could, and may have unintended side effects from an unfocused mind or be influenced by the hidden desires of the wielder/creator. 

So in that way, you can explore the similiarities and differences between senti-monsters and robots and then use that to explore when a senti-monster is sentient/sapient enough to deserve the rights of an animal/person.  ============================================

[aidanchaser]

Boulangérella: A Miraculous Fairy Tale AU - Chapter Fifteen

Table of Contents Read on Ao3 Prologue

beta’d by  @7wizardsshallanswerthecall,  @mothmanhamlet,  @ccboomer  and  @aubsenroute

Marinette did not sleep that night. Even as tired as she was, she spent the night staring up at her ceiling. Though she could not see the artwork for Prince Adrien and Prince Félix’s clothing in the darkness, she still knew they were there. But it wasn’t the princes who were on her mind. It was Chat Noir.

“Tikki, can you break curses?” she asked.

Her fay friend curled up on her pillow beside Marinette’s head. She hummed sleepily. “I’ve never been good at breaking things.”

“But the Lucky Charm… it undoes Hawk Moth’s curse, doesn’t it?”

“It creates a blessing.”

Marinette was quiet for a long time. “Do you think if I could break Chat Noir’s curse, he would stay?”

But Tikki did not answer, either because she was fast asleep or because she did not know.

She still could not believe that he had asked Ladybug to marry him. She remembered what he had said to her that night that he had stolen Lila’s pendant. When she had offered to help him, he had said, I don’t know that you would. And she had just proven him right by turning down his proposal.

“What sort of curse does he need a wedding to get out of?” Marinette asked aloud, and again, Tikki was quiet.

The sky turned gray as dawn crept ever closer. Marinette threw her arm over her face in an attempt to block out the encroaching light, but her mind would not settle into sleep.

She had turned Chat Noir down because he was her best friend. She didn’t love him the way that he loved her, and they both knew that. She also knew that he would have no interest in who she was beneath her mask. He might be curious, but once he knew her, he would move on, and she didn’t want that for either of them.

But Chat Noir had kissed Marinette. And she had loved it.

She was fairly certain that he had enjoyed it, too.

Marinette dragged her hands over her face and wailed in pure agony. She was an idiot. Chat Noir had proposed to Ladybug and kissed Marinette and was already talking about marrying someone else! How could she trust any one of his affections?

But was she any better, kissing Luka and then Chat Noir just moments later?

“Tikki, what do I do?” she cried.

“You should sleep, Marinette,” Tikki said.

But dawn broke, and Marinette still did not sleep. Cold winter light poured through her attic windows as dawn became day, and still, she did not sleep. She stared up at her ceiling, at the pinned artwork of Prince Félix and Prince Adrien, and could not help but wonder if her designs for Prince Félix had drawn any inspiration from Chat Noir, who wore black like it was a game rather than a burden.

The smells rising from the bakery finally dragged Marinette out of bed, as they had ever since she was a little girl.

Her mother fussed over the bags under her eyes and her father worried over her haggard appearance. He shoved half of a baguette into her hands and her mother plied her with warm eggs. Marinette ate dutifully, though she did not taste the breakfast. Exhaustion and concern had sapped all pleasure from her morning.

Nino and Alya teased her for her half-awake stare as she helped them box the last of the baked goods for the palace. But when she did not react with either protest or fluster, their teasing died down.

“Marinette, are you all right?” Alya asked as she took a box of cookies out of Marinette’s hands.

“Just tired.”

“You promised me that you wouldn’t work yourself to death,” Nino said.

“I’m not dead yet,” she managed, and tried for a smile. Judging by the panicked look that Alya and Nino exchanged, Marinette did not think her smile was especially successful.

Sabine held the door open for Marinette, Nino, and Alya. She touched Nino briefly on the wrist. “Keep an eye on Marinette, please?”

“Of course,” he promised.

“I mean it. Bring her straight home and we’ll put her to bed.”

Nino nodded solemnly. He took his responsibility as guardian of his friends seriously. Marinette and Alya were his charges and he would protect them. Alya might have her own special protection now—he glanced at her chest, but the orange pendant was tucked underneath her chemise—but Marinette seemed especially out of sorts. He would not let her far from his sight today.

“When did you get home last night?” Alya asked as Marinette stifled another yawn.

Marinette struggled to remember the details of her night beyond two very distinct kisses. It occurred to her that she had almost fallen to her death at some point in the evening, and even that experience was hardly more than a footnote when she considered the evening as a whole.

“Around three?” she said. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

“But you were so tired yesterday,” said Nino.

Marinette shrugged.

But Alya was far shrewder than that. “What happened?” she asked.

Marinette searched desperately for a lie and found none that would reasonably explain why sleep had eluded her. She wondered just how much she had to tell Alya and Nino before they were satisfied.

She picked the thing that might least offend her friends. “I kissed Luka last night.”

But this did not seem to placate them. In fact, Alya frowned. “You don’t sound happy about it.”

Wasn’t she?

Marinette didn’t know anymore. Happiness felt like a distant friend, separated from her by an ocean of exhaustion. She recalled its flare in her kiss with Chat Noir, and she knew it had to have been in her kiss with Luka. She hadn’t been unhappy to kiss him, at least.

It was hard to know anything for certain, tired as she was.

“It was nice,” she said.

“Nice enough to keep you awake all night?” Nino asked, and it was the sort of thing that should have been a joke, that he should have asked with a grin and Marinette should have blushed and protested, but instead his voice was colored with concern and Marinette only chewed on her bottom lip anxiously.

“Yes?”

Alya and Nino looked as doubtful as Marinette felt. She did her best to ignore them and searched her pockets for the key to Master Fu’s shop.

“You could hold her so she can’t run,” Alya suggested to Nino, “and I’ll interrogate her until we get the truth.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Nino smiled.

Though their hands were full of boxes of sweets and they had no way to truly force Marinette to tell the truth, they were determined to try.

Marinette unlocked the door to Master Fu’s shop. In her exhaustion, her thoughts felt frenetic, scurrying out of her grasp just as she caught sight of them, like kittens diving for cover. She knew that she needed to wrap the princes’ outfits, but as she was considering where she had left the wrappings yesterday, she remembered Luka’s easy smile. But before she could quite bring to mind the steady happiness she felt around Luka, she recalled Chat Noir’s wild, teasing grin. But before she could enjoy the memory of her friend at his happiest, she remembered the heartbreak in his eyes after he had kissed her. But before she could quite feel guilty or upset, she remembered Prince Adrien’s heartbreak as he had caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, and then she remembered that she was supposed to be getting the princes’ outfits packed up to take to the palace, and where were those boxes?

The shop door jingled as she shoved it open, and Marinette thought the bell absurdly loud. It seemed to split her head in two and she winced. Two nights of little-to-no sleep was worse than the one night she, Alya, and Nino had, in celebration of the start of her seventh year in her apprenticeship, burned through four bottles of wine.

The shop had been cleaned since Marinette had left last night. The scraps of fabric, thread, and cording left behind by Juleka and Marinette’s midnight work had been sorted and put away. Master Fu was seated at the low tea table in the entrance, a freshly brewed pot of tea at his elbow. He looked up at Marinette and her friends with a warm smile and stroked his thin, pointed beard.

“Good morning, Marinette. I would ask how you slept, but it is written all over your face.”

She mumbled a greeting and disappeared into her workroom. She had to find those boxes.

“Marinette,” Master Fu called, “come and sit.”

She pulled aside a pile of linen from a project she had abandoned once the ball had been announced. “I have to pack the princes’ things!” she shouted back.

“I have already done it. Come and sit.”

Marinette had never been able to argue with Master Fu when her wits were at their peak, something that was certainly untrue today. Reluctantly, she returned to the shop’s foyer and collapsed onto the floor beside the table.

“Please, sit as well.” Master Fu gestured to Nino and Alya.

Carefully, they set their boxes on the window ledge and joined Marinette and Master Fu.

He poured three more cups of warm, fresh green tea and slid them across the table.

“Drink, Marinette. You will feel better.”

He did not command Nino and Alya to drink, but they did anyway. The warm brew was a pleasant balm after the winter’s chill, and it did settle Marinette’s nerves. Her thoughts felt less like darting kittens and more like stubborn fish fighting the river’s current. Still difficult to catch, but steadier and a bit more reliable.

“Juleka tells me you both worked very late last night,” Master Fu said.

“Er—yes. I should have been back sooner, but things took longer at the palace than they should have.”

“Hawk Moth attacked,” Nino supplied. “We all got separated and—”

Master Fu held up his hand and Nino obediently stopped talking.

“I am not trying to scold you. I would like to apologize.”

Marinette blinked at her master. “For what?”

“I should not have left you to this project so unsupervised. It was too much, and I didn’t realize the stress that it had put on you. I know that you are still not finished with the princes’ outfits for tomorrow, so I would like you to stay and work on them while I fit the princes.”

“No—I can do it!”

“I know that you can, Marinette,” he said, voice soft and kind, “but I do not want to see you wear yourself down to nothing. It is easy for an artist to be swept away by the pressures of a powerful client. I would be doing your education a disservice if I did not impart this lesson to you as well: allow those who love you to help you when you are stressed.”

Marinette rubbed her eyes. “I know I’m tired, and I know there’s more work to do, but I have to be the one to go to the palace. Princess Kagami’s attendant is ill, and I’m supposed to help get her ready, too.”

“I have helped many a princess of many nations prepare for a ball,” Master Fu said.

“But she—she’s shy and I promised that I would help her today.”

Master Fu considered Marinette, both her obvious exhaustion and her desperate plea, as he twisted the thin jade bangle around his wrist. It was the only piece of finery that he wore, despite the high status of many of his clients. He had never been prone to opulence; the profits of his labors went right back into his art. He was a craftsman, and his craft was his passion. But this bracelet was more than a beautiful, stately piece of jewelry. It was his only remnant of home.

“Very well,” he said. “You may finish your work at the palace today, but you will not come back here to finish the prince’s clothing for tomorrow. I will take care of it, and I will see you tomorrow morning after a good night’s rest.”

“But Master Fu—”

“I insist.”

Though gratitude was not the first emotion Marinette felt—indignation and frustration were first in her heart, for she knew that she was capable of doing everything that needed to be done and it was unfair of her master to take her work from her—she bowed her head and said, “Thank you, Master.”

“You will feel better after a good night’s rest,” he said.

Her face turned hot. Perhaps her disingenuity was not as hidden as she had hoped.

In an effort to hide her embarrassment, Marinette finished her tea and stood. “We should get going. Where are the princes’ clothes?”

“I would ask one more thing, Marinette.”

She sighed and closed her eyes. It occurred to her that she had no interest in opening her eyes again, and maybe she ought to be a bit more receptive to Master Fu’s help.

“Whatever burden you carry,” he said, “share it with your friends.”

She wrinkled her nose before she could think to stop herself. Alya and Nino burst into laughter.

At least her friends could remain good-natured despite her own exhaustion and irritability.

Marinette bowed to her master and asked again where he had put the princes’ clothes for the ball.

When she left the shop, she was as burdened by boxes as her friends, and it occurred to her that sharing her emotional burdens with her friends was as silly as them swapping boxes. They all had things they had to carry, and her friends could not carry her worries for her. She could not tell them that she was Ladybug, and she hoped, even though she knew the truth of Rena Rouge, Alya felt a similar hesitation to share such a secret.

Alya was in fact hesitant to share her story of becoming Rena Rouge with Marinette, but it was only because Marinette looked so tired. It was a secret that could wait until after the ball and after Marinette had gotten a good night’s sleep. It was a secret she wanted Marinette to enjoy properly.

“Do I need to duel Luka?” Nino finally blurted out when they were halfway to the palace.

Marinette stared at him, bewildered. “What? No.”

“He didn’t… do anything he shouldn’t have?”

“No! He was a perfect gentleman, who walked me home from Master Fu’s shop, and asked if he could… well, he didn’t say court, he just asked if he could visit more often. And then we kissed goodnight.”

Alya’s eyebrows shot up. “Luka asked to court you?”

“He didn’t!”

“Has he talked to your parents?” Nino asked, voice still thick with suspicion. Sabine’s orders were still heavy in his heart, and he would protect Marinette’s honor as surely as if she were his own blood.

“No! It’s nothing like that.”

“But what did you say?” Alya asked. “Did you say yes?”

“I just asked him to wait. You know, until after the ball. After all the work was done.”

“And what did he say?” Alya pressed.

“He was perfectly polite and said he would happily wait.”

“Hm… so what will you tell Chat Noir tomorrow night?”

Marinette, despite all her best efforts, panicked and went sprawling in the street. The boxes full of the princes’ clothes bounced on the cobblestones, but thanks to Master Fu’s careful packing, they did not open. Still, though disaster had been averted and her scrapes beneath her dress were already healing, Marinette wanted to cry.

Maybe Master Fu had a point. Maybe she really did need to get some rest.

Nino and Alya adjusted their burdens to help Marinette to her feet. A kind, middle-aged man who had been hurrying down the street stopped, turned around, and scooped up the boxes for her.

“Careful, mademoiselle,” he said, handed them back to her, then resumed his rushed pace.

“That was my fault,” Alya apologized. “I should’ve known better than to tease you like that.”

Marinette inspected the boxes. The corners were scuffed and one was dented, but surely the insides were unharmed. She was not exactly handling anything fragile, which was the nice part of being a seamstress rather than a baker.

“No harm done,” Marinette sighed. “Just my ego, as usual.”

“But you are going to break off your dance with Chat Noir tomorrow, aren’t you?” Nino asked.

Marinette’s ego recovered with aplomb and she snapped, “Why should I?”

“Well… with Luka…”

“Chat Noir and I are well aware of the fact that we both have other commitments. Just as I’m well aware that you have another commitment, but I’ve agreed to dance with you.”

Nino looked helplessly to Alya, but Alya just shrugged. Marinette, for all her kindness and grace—sentimental grace, not physical grace—could be exceptionally stubborn.

They would just have to try again when she was better rested and perhaps in a more reasonable mood.

When the group of friends arrived at the palace, they checked in with the same woman that they had met yesterday. She looked no happier today than she had yesterday, though she did not ask for their names this time.

“Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, please see to Princess Kagami first. The princes are not ready for you just yet,” she said.

Marinette blinked at her. “Oh I—”

But a young servant was already taking the boxes from her hands. She had no choice but to curtsy quickly and agree.

“Wait, Marinette—” Nino remembered Sabine’s warning. He knew he could not follow Marinette into Princess Kagami’s chambers, certainly, but he still was not keen on letting her go far. “Just—let’s all make sure to meet back here before we leave?”

“Yes,” Marinette answered readily. She, too, had no desire to be separated from Nino and Alya like they had been yesterday. And as long as no one else proposed to her today, she should remember to meet with her friends before leaving the palace.

Once Marinette and the boxes of the princes’ clothes had both disappeared into the palace walls, Nathalie motioned for two more servants to come and take the pastries from Nino and Alya.

“Oh, we’re happy to help set them up,” Alya said.

“The display design is in the Dupain-Chengs’ contract,” Nino added. “They wannt to make sure everything is the way that they would want it.”

“You may verify the display when you are finished meeting with King Gabriel,” Nathalie said.

Nino and Alya stared at her. “What?” they asked in unison.

Two guards in stiff red and white uniforms approached.

“You’re to be escorted to the throne room.” Nathalie was already waving them off to the guards and moving on to the next person at the gates who needed access to the palace in order to prepare for the ball.

Alya took Nino’s hand as they followed the guard. He squeezed it tightly, unsure if he was offering encouragement or seeking it. Perhaps it was both.

While Nino could not be sure what King Gabriel wanted to see a pair of boulangerie employees about, he had a guess it had something to do with a little song he had played yesterday for Ladybug and Chat Noir.

In the moment, it had seemed like a good idea. Chat Noir had asked Ladybug to dance, and he had thought that his offer was helpful. It even seemed nice to give Ladybug and Chat Noir something fun, a small token of gratitude for the number of times they had saved the kingdom, and even Nino himself on more than one occasion, from Hawk Moth’s curse.

But now it felt absolutely foolish. What had he been thinking? He’d been dressed in the bright pink apron of the boulangerie and patisserie, and of course the guards would recognize it. King Gabriel would want to question him about Chat Noir’s identity, and, though Nino was suspicious of Chat Noir and his intentions with Marinette, Nino was no snitch. Loyalty was his strength as much as his bane.

Nino and Alya were taken to the throne room. If Nino had been awed by the high windows, painted ceilings, and gilt crown molding of the ballroom, he was utterly astonished at the grandeur of the throne room.

It was blindingly bright, made entirely of white marble, and he and Alya were marched down the red carpet that cut through its center. Guards stood in straight lines, parallel to the columns that supported the high ceilings, their red jerkins stark against the pale floors. The brilliant, round window behind the throne let in the winter’s cold afternoon sun, casting both a halo behind and a harsh shadow before King Gabriel’s throne.

King Gabriel was seated in the tall chair, draped in shadow and dressed in a crisp white jerkin and a bloodred doublet. Gold braiding decorated the shoulders, and equally brilliant embroidery cut through the red on his chest. The white ruff of his chemise draped over his neck and a brooch made from a colorless gem rested at the hollow of his throat. His hand covered his mouth, and his heavy brow was furrowed in a harsh glare as Nino and Alya were brought before him.

The guard stopped just before the dais. Nino bowed, Alya curtsied, and both of them struggled to stay calm in the king’s presence.

Nino held his bow, waiting for permission to stand properly. It did not come. He glanced at Alya and found that she was still bent in a low curtsy. She looked at him and he could see the same question on his lips reflected in her amber eyes. What had they done to upset the king so much?

“You may stand,” King Gabriel finally said, and though Nino was grateful to straighten his spine, he did not feel any ounce of relief. His stomach still churned with anxiety.

“My guards tell me that you helped Ladybug and Chat Noir yesterday, when the palace was under attack from one of Hawk Moth’s curses.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Nino and Alya said in unison.

“Nino more than me, though,” Alya added, but King Gabriel held up his hand and she bit down on her tongue.

“Yes or no will do,” he said. “Should I need you to embellish, I will ask.”

Nino swallowed hard and he felt sweat prickle on the back of his neck. He had heard rumors that King Gabriel was a harsh man, made more so by the loss of his wife, but this was much worse than he had expected, and certainly not what he would have hoped for.

“Do you know the identities of either Ladybug or Chat Noir?” King Gabriel asked.

“No, Your Majesty,” they replied.

King Gabriel searched his subjects for evidence of a lie, but it was hard to be certain. He did not know these two beyond what Nathalie had told him: they worked in a bakery, had a string of failed plays between the two of them, and had recently begun a venture as investigators that, while still in its infancy, was growing steadily.

“Young man, I’m told that you were present in the ballroom when the guards arrived and that Chat Noir carried you off.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Nino said, knowing there was no sense in trying to lie about something a dozen guards had seen.

“Yet you claim not to know him.”

“No, Your Majesty—er, may I… embellish?”

Gabriel’s nostrils flared, but he waved his hand in acquiescence.

“I know Chat Noir and Ladybug no more than other citizens of the kingdom who have been rescued from Hawk Moth’s curses. They’ve saved our lives many times over in the last year. Helping them protect the castle seemed like the least we could do to say thank you.”

King Gabriel’s cold eyes shifted from Nino to Alya. “And you, young lady, how did you assist the hero and the thief? Please, feel free to embellish.”

Alya licked her lips nervously. “Er—Nino and I ran to help. We herded the monsters into the ballroom and barricaded the doors. I guarded the doors that lead back into the palace, and Nino guarded the ones that led to the gardens.”

“But you were not there when the guards arrived.”

“The monsters turned out to be my younger sisters. When I saw the fox hero carry them off, I ran after her.”

Nino trusted that Alya would never lie to him, but he had always been wary of how good she was at it. In this moment, however, he was nothing but grateful for her skill. He really ought to encourage her to make the transition from writing plays to starring in them.

King Gabriel, however, did not look quite so convinced.

“Search her,” he said.

A pair of guards held Alya in place while another began to search the folds of her dress, but for what, Nino had no idea.

“You have no right,” Alya shrieked, as Nino pried his way between her and the guard.

“Don’t touch her!” But one of the guard’s fists collided with Nino’s stomach. He doubled over and another struck him in the back of his neck. He had less appreciation for the marble floor as his chin hit the white stone and split open. A foot pressed into his back, holding him down. That did not stop Nino from doing his best to get free.

“Let go of me!” Alya shouted. She was not surprised as the guards pulled her hair aside to check her ears, pierced with gold, dangling earrings that had once belonged to her great-grandmother, one of her family’s last heirlooms of their ancestral home. She was surprised when the guards removed these. “Those are mine!” she shouted.

But they ignored her, even as she kicked furiously and tried to pull her arms free.

Next they checked her hands, and removed the plain gold band that Nino had bought for her after saving up over their five-year courtship.

“Stop it!”

But the guards did not stop there. Hands probed her bodice, trailed her arms and legs, lifted her skirts, combed through her hair, and finally closed around the pendant that hung around her neck. Another guard found Trixx, asleep in one of her dress’s pockets.

As the guard pulled him out, Trixx woke. He wriggled out from the guard’s hands but another guard grabbed him. This time Trixx transformed into a fox and ducked as another guard tried to pounce on him. He darted for the doors.

“After him!” King Gabriel commanded, but the fox was little more than an orange blur scampering out of their reach and leapt at the palace doors. The fox collided with the doors in a crash, magic failing to provide an escape. Trixx tumbled backwards and shrunk into his smaller form just in time for one of the guards to shove him into a small iron cage.

“Let him go!”

But Alya’s protest was in vain. The guard brought the trapped fay to King Gabriel, and though the King’s face did not change, his pale blue eyes glittered with interest.

“These palace walls are laced with iron to prevent fay like you from getting in uninvited,” King Gabriel, “but it seems those iron bars have served a double purpose.”

The chatty Fay of Illusion and Trickery said nothing, but his large, bushy orange tail flicked angrily.

King Gabriel turned from the fay to the trinkets that his guards had collected from the girl. The gold that the girl wore was surprisingly fine for a peasant, but it was not what he was interested in. A quick glance at the earrings and ring told him that they were not the ruby earrings and emerald-studded ring that he sought so desperately.

The necklace though—that was an interesting find.

“How did you come by this pendant?” Gabriel asked.

Alya yanked against the guards holding her arms but she achieved nothing more than a strained shoulder. “I made a deal with that fay. Give him back.”

“The Fay of Illusion and Trickery does not make deals.”

“He made one with me! Two, in fact, so let him go!”

“I will not return him,” Gabriel said, and he saw rage burn in her eyes. That was good; he could use rage. “It is for your own good, child. You cannot make a deal with a trickster. It will always end badly for you.”

“You have no right!”

She was furious, indignant, and terrified. Gabriel relished it, and knew he ought to use it before time could dull its sharper edges.

He pocketed the pendant. “Search the boy for good measure.”

Tears rolled down Alya’s cheeks, hot and furious as the guards forced Nino through the same indignities she had just suffered. Though she knew it was useless, she fought for some scrap of freedom. She wished that she had called on Trixx the moment the guards had held her down, but she had been too afraid of what that might mean for Nino or their families. To use the power of the fay against the king and his guards… It was a line of treason she had not wanted to cross.

But she would cross it now without a second thought.

The guards took the promise ring that Alya had given to Nino, a band identical to hers, that King Gabriel examined then dismissed.

“You may have your trinkets back,” he said. “Return to your business. The crown is grateful for your service.”

Alya snarled out a flurry of every curse she knew, in her own language and her grandmother’s and even a few she had picked up from Sabine Cheng after a month of working in the bakery.

The guards dragged her from the throne room, but Alya kept her eyes trained on the king, trained on the cage that trapped Trixx. She watched as King Gabriel stood, walked behind his throne, and disappeared.

Then she and Nino were thrown out of the throne room.

Nino scrambled to her side. “Alya, are you all right?”

She gritted her teeth and barely restrained a vicious snarl. “Of course not! Nino, he took Trixx!”

“We’ll get him back.”

“How? He’s the king!”

Her fury and indignation swelled as Gabriel closed the door to his private office. He let his grief hold him fast to his purpose, like an anchor against the tide, as he looked up at Emilie’s portrait.

“This time,” he promised. The girl’s rage was greater than any anger he had seen in a long time.

He pulled aside the enormous painting and ran his fingers against the wall behind it until he found the hidden catch. The wall swung aside, revealing a small safe and another hidden door. He put his ornate golden key into the safe first and deposited the fay and the orange fox-tail pendant beside a blue brooch in the shape of a peacock’s tail.

Next, he locked the safe and unlocked the door. It guarded a tight spiral staircase that lead up one of the two spires attached to either side of the throne room. Gabriel tucked the Fay of Illusion under his arm and climbed the stairs eagerly.

The small room at the top was plain, illuminated by a much smaller version of the circular window that decorated the throne room. And in this room, the center pane of the geometric glass design had been removed. A flutter of pale white butterflies flitted through the room, feeding on the clusters of equally white lilies that grew in the corners. Despite the winter weather, this room was as warm as spring, but that warmth never seemed to reach Gabriel.

Gabriel touched the gray brooch at his throat and said, “Nooroo, dark wings, rise.”

The small, pale fay with its butterfly-like wings and antennae obediently flitted from its perch amongst the lilies and vanished into the now amethyst, winged brooch at Gabriel’s throat. His white and red clothes disappeared, replaced by regal purple silk lined with thick, soft mink furs. Hawk Moth was a king in his own right, and he had every intention of gaining control of the world of the fay as surely as Gabriel controlled his own kingdom.

The scepter that appeared in his hand was tipped with purple glass. He held it under his arm and extended his hands to one of the pristine white butterflies. As he caged the creature between his fingers, he whispered the incantation for his power.

Violet magic darkened the creature’s wings and it flitted out of the room, honing in easily on the strongest emotion in the palace: the fury that filled a young woman who had just been betrayed by her king.

[uptoolateart]

When your day job merges with your obsession....

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

Dear Gabriel

Overview / Inheritance and Succession Planning

Further to our recent meeting at the mansion, you were referred to me for advice in relation to setting up a suitable plan for passing on your inheritance as well as ensuring that your son Adrien (14) is looked after, following your death, where you have confirmed that you only have a few weeks left to live.

You confirmed that you have tried all forms of medical intervention, even time travel. However, this only worsened your condition.

I want to thank you for taking me into your confidence, as your circumstances are highly delicate. This letter will now summarise the key points of our discussion.

Background

You are 45 and widowed, your only child being Adrien. You work as a fashion designer and head the internationally successful Gabriel brand, in addition to your recent business ventures with Tomoe Tsurugi, including the smart ring / personal assistant device Alliance.

Your main residence is fully unencumbered and valued at c €40m, while your net worth is estimated at around €11 bn.

You have few liabilities, aside from business costs, although you noted that you recently spent €100m constructing sensory deprivation rooms in London for Adrien and Tomoe’s daughter Kagami, to ‘keep them out of harm’s way’ as you initiate your final business enterprise.

We agreed it was ‘not worth your time’ to undertake a full income and expenditure analysis. Suffice to say, you generate substantial surplus income each and every month to fund your lifestyle.

You are in the process of drafting a new will, leaving a portion to Tomoe, nominal amounts to your staff including Adrien’s bodyguard, and the remaining estate to Adrien.

As Adrien is a minor, his inheritance will be placed into trust until he attains age 18. Previously, you willed guardianship of Adrien to your assistant, Nathalie Sancoeur. However, due to personal differences, as well as her own failing health, you will now determine a new guardian, potentially your sister-in-law Amelie, who resides in London, although you are not on good terms and you are concerned that your nephew Felix is a ‘bad influence’.

You will also nominate someone to take over the Gabriel brand, as Adrien has expressed that he does not wish to continue in the fashion industry, having resigned as a model.

On a more personal note, you play piano, you are a keen fencer, and you recently took up cooking – thank you for the pancakes! You also enjoy the occasional game of golf.

Objectives

These are all very short-term, due to your unfortunate terminal illness:

Obtain the ladybug and cat miraculous

Bring your wife Emilie back from the dead

Ensure Adrien is looked after

Ensure Adrien marries the girl you have selected for him – namely, Kagami

Remove Marinette Dupain-Cheng from Adrien’s life ‘permanently’

Minimise the level of inheritance tax that will be payable by Adrien upon your passing, wherever possible

Arrange life cover for Adrien, to ensure the estate is not lost should someone wish to ‘make him disappear’

Ensure the miracle box and associated kwamis are passed on to a new guardian, after your passing – potentially to Adrien, although this would involve a difficult conversation with him, to spare him learning your secrets posthumously

Protect your secret identity as Hawk Moth / Shadow Moth / Monarch after your passing – this will entail some costs, as you will need to dismantle the missile security system in ‘the dome’ and seal off the underground lair in the secret basement

Should you not succeed in reviving Emilie, you will need to relocate her body, to ensure she can remain in suspended animation – you also wish to ensure that your mission for revival is picked up by a successor, namely Tomoe

Ensure the security of the ring that controls Adrien

Totally random - Keep reading at Ao3

[transparenthologramrebel]

Thinking about leafpool x hawkfrost au I made up in my head at work and how interesting it could be.

Like hawkfrost kills mistyfoot on the way to lake and makes it look like an accident. He becomes deputy of riverclan and tigerstar encourages him to help brambleclaw get to be deputy as well. So since his sister is friends with leafpool he starts to befriend her as well just so he can like get insider info or whatever. However along the way they fall in love with each other. This causes a rift between squirrel and leaf tho cause squrriel doesn't trust hawkfrost. Leafs relationship with her sister remains strained for the rest of the tnp. When she receives the two cats intertwined prophecy she misinterprets it as meaning both her and hawkfrost. Which leads leafpool to lean on hawkfrost more. He entices her with his charisma and charming personality. Leafpool in turn gives him a shoulder to lean on and encourages his better tendencies. However tigerstar is still pulling hawkfrost down a dark path. Hawkfrost poisons lepoardstar killing her and then he becomes hawkstar. Around this time leaf realizes she's pregnant and when she goes to tell him she finds hawkstar with firestar who is caught in the fox trap. He tells her that this is the only way they can be together because with firestar dead brambleclaw would be leader and then the two brothers could merge the clans. Leafpool refuses and frees her father and tells hawkstar to leave and that they are done. Hawk leaves unable to hurt her. Firestar swears to not tell anybody about what happened as he wants to protect his daughter for the clans ire for her relationship. Leaf then turns to squirrel who ends with ashfur instead of bramble because of the lack of reassurance that she and bramble should be together. Squirrel happily takes in the three as normal, but lionblaze is a tiger clone. This leads to gossip in thunderclan that the litter actually belongs to bramble and not ash. While this is happening and the kits are growing up hawk is still working to take over the clans. He poisons windclans rabbits leading to a food shortage/ starvation as they no longer have their main food source. Hawk then forces them to join with river clan in order to save them. The clans merge into a single clan much to thunder and shadows worry. Then the fire scene happens but instead it's brambleclaw demanding to know if the rumors are true and if the three are his. Squirrel confesses to the secret and the three work to find out who their parents are. Once they find out that hawk and leaf are their parents they meet with hawk and tell him the truth. Lion goes to live with him while holly and Jay stay back. Moth gets in contact with Jay and tells him that hawk killed leopardstar and she hasn't been able to tell anybody because of the leverage he has in the clan and because she doesn't believe in starclan and that he wants to take over all the clans. Jay and holly become determined to stop him. Meanwhile life in hawk clan gets bad as hawk forces his clan to worship and work with the dark forest. Lion blaze goes back to thunderclan and the siblings team up. Hawk puts together a gathering demanding that shadow and thunder join him or die. That's when holly spills the beans about their birth breaking down hawks clan mates trust and loyalty to him. Moth then steps forward and reveals the truth about lepoardstars death. Hawks clan starts to fall apart and he snaps and kills moth before saying that the cats either join with him or perish. This leads to a battle between the clans and hawkstar and his remaining loyalists and the dark forest. The clans defeat hawkstar and the three make peace with their heritage stuff. So yeah there's more kinks I wanna work out to this like whether or no bramble is evil and what not. But a fun au I might write this after I'm done with shattered stars and consequences of the stars.