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thepeachgreentea · 1 year ago

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I was listening to episodes of Red Panda Chronicles earlier (again) and it clicked why the love square is so good and why I am so invested in them even after all this time - it's the same reason I have listened to all the episodes for Decoder Ring Theatre multiple times. The banter and the tension, the way they have each other's backs, the way they care about each other So Much (the love and near obsession)... just *chef's kiss*

And so I started trying to figure out a Red Panda AU but there are two ways to go about it and I don't know which one is better.

Option 1 is Adrien as Red Panda and Marinette as Flying Squirrel and Option 2 is the reverse with Marinette as Red Panda and Adrien as Flying Squirrel

So, Option 1:

Adrien as the Red Panda leans into his Rich Boy background and allows him to have the opportunity to Show off his brains that we are told exist and this role lets him do the Brainy role because it is science based and he does a lot of inventing. He is also oblivious (to her feelings at least, he is aware of his own)

It would also be interesting to see Adrien in the leader and the Brain role rather than Marinette, but at the same time part of why ML is great as is is due to having Mari in that role...

ANYWAY, I would have Adrien keep the Chat Noir name and persona rather than Red Panda, and he would definitely lean more into the Animal characteristics and costuming than Panda.

Cat Eyes instead of the blank white eyeballs

He would keep the Suit, that's such a look, but would tweak it: Cat Ears on the Fedora or some type of hat that looks more like cat ears, and the colors would change - more black and green, obviously

He might keep the claws too as an extra weapon during hand-to-hand combat

It would be a little bit of whimsy for OG Adrien if RPanda Adrien had the cat boots too, but I think the practicality of not having to change boots/shoes too much when suiting up would win out

The wanting to get into crime fighting "to push back the darkness" and to make up for his family being unrepentant capitalists fits Adrien I think, especially when also looking at how Panda views his civilian persona with distaste and views his hero self as who he Actually is. Which parallels the fandom "true self" ideas for CN but I think in this case, Adrien would be separating himself from his civilian persona - especially if he had been a model at some point before he took up the hero mantle.

He would also get to travel to get all that training - detective work, Mind Powers (Hypnosis), fighting, and magic, etc

You Know Adrien would love the Hypnosis powers, this is the same kid who learned morse code at 14

Also, his civilian persona is the vacuous playboy trope, but he is constantly forgetting dates or standing them up for crime-fighting (paralleling canon Kagami relationship)

Also, the scandal in Society because he has a female driver!! what gall

Marinette as the Flying Squirrel/Kit Baxter

SO the best part of this (in my head at least) is that they start out knowing identities, because RPanda trains the Squirrel but it is still years of romantic tension because Rich Elite Billionaire "Playboy" is her boss as a civilian and also in hero work (not that they aren't Partners, but there is still more of a Hero/Sidekick dynamic) and the DENIAL is strong on both sides - and neither make a move for years until Danger and life-threatening events happen.

Back to Marinette - There is definitely an awareness of Self in both identities. I think she would be a driver but also more assistant than Kit does - Adrien might be more involved in the Family company than RPanda but only marginally so Marinette might pick that up more - especially since I am not 100% sold on her becoming a journalist like Kit does later in the series. But it might make sense for the universe and getting information later. So... undecided.

I can see her staying as Ladybug as well. But definitely merging the costumes more - the Flying Squirrel membranes could also work as Ladybug wings. But again color dynamics would need to change - there's a lot of stakeouts and hiding in the shadows so it would need to be more Stealth than a Bright Ladybug Red. Probably incorporate more black and then having red accents.

The fun part would be meshing the Flying Squirrel chaos persona with Marinette's - so the flirting and testing boundaries but also the Feral-ness when fighting: Kicking Ass, Taking Names, and Knocking out Teeth all with a laugh and a grin. But also the flying/gliding through the city. I think this would just be a very confident but feral Marinette who is aware of her self but unsure of His feelings and so is constantly trying to figure it out and what makes him tick.

Also parallels canon with the concern for her partner and wanting to make sure he's okay and just Caring So Much (at least when canon is being Good)

Also, the Flying Squirrel Hates time travel.... which definitely matches up with Maribug

The two of them are just aware of each other all the time and can read each other's minds (even if one of them technically can do that all the time with basically everyone) but also trying to sneak up on each other and surprise them.

And the banter??? Off the charts, and half of it toes the edges of flirting and the other half definitely is flirting.

Option 2:

Marinette as Billionaire Secret Hero and Resident genius -

I think this one ties into Ladybug as the leader of the miraculous team, and the Brains - the one with the Plans. It would definitely lean into her mad genius side with her booby traps, engineering, and creative side. Also all of her work as guardian and doing the spells and such.

Red Panda is often very locked down emotionally and in denial which also fits Maribug, imo. Especially in this case purposeful obliviousness to his feelings and locking down her own for him as much as possible

I am not sure how to do costumes for this one Because I think it would be hilarious if Maribug is fighting in a 3-piece suit and trenchcoat complete with a hat and if Adrichat is the one in a catsuit, because of the way that it flips the traditional costuming dynamic. But at the same time, it makes more sense for Ladybug (size and identity-wise) to have the wings and for Chat Noir to Not Have Them. So I think this would require some Mix-and-Matching. A Chat Noir catsuit but add a trench coat. And maybe something a little more Kim Possible for a Ladybug as Red Panda costume.

Marinette getting the training for the Hypnosis powers would be the hardest part I think, because of the personal calm and having to sit still for long periods of time (because canon says days at a time meditating) because Marinette is definitely not a Quiet and Calm person.

But the detective skills definitely make sense for Marinette as well as some of the other skills that Red Panda has.

Adrien as Kit Baxter/The Flying Squirrel parallels really well personality-wise - partly the chaos and showing off the physical skills (and the physique) as well as the Flirting and boundary testing. There's definitely a lot of Dare-devil personality in the both of them, and Adrichat definitely leans towards physical combat and fisticuffs which is definitely a favorite of Kit's (also just the Kit->Kitten->Chat thing, even if her name is Katya shhhhh)

I also think Adrien having Kit's career path would be a lot of fun, and he would also pick up all the training that Red Panda/Ladybug would give him really fast.

And Marinette fighting crime to improve her city and help its citizens definitely makes sense, but their backgrounds would also have to be switched to make it make sense in terms of the Red Panda universe. Her sense of justice would be really strong, and in a setting where there is pushback for being the heir to the family company and fortune (without a husband) because of her being a woman would definitely push that dynamic forward.

And Adrien as Kit suspecting her as being Pandabug that he takes a job with her (the scandal then is that she hired this driver because of his looks and everybody suspecting and gossiping about what else he does for her) and then just pretending for months that he doesn't know because Marinette would definitely still not be great at lying. Until eventually it is revealed that he knows and then works his way into being the sidekick.

But him being a Ladybug fanboy is definitely a big part of why he takes the job and wants to work for and eventually with her, let alone the reason he starts falling for her. (But also yes she's so pretty)

Other stuff:

I haven't really thought about setting (location and time) let alone villains. But I think it would definitely be more Red Panda types of magic rather than ML types, so no kwamis at least as they exist in canon. Could probably incorporate them somehow in terms of the Council of Mages and The Stranger.

If one of them doesn't become a journalist to have access to information for cases then Alya would definitely make sense - but not have her killed like Jack Peters was. So either that story line never happens or she is one of the agents who gets transferred there when something happens to a different agent.

If it is the Marinette as Kit version, then Tom would make sense for having taught her boxing (and Sabine as Kit's mom would be highly entertaining). I Do Not Know what to do with Adrien's family in option 2 because 👀👀👀 y i k e s. His family makes so much more sense for him as the Red Panda version.

Oh my god Luka as Andy Parker would make a lot of sense because he would be an agent and definitely was crushing on Ladybug/flying squirrel but I Cannot picture Luka as a cop so hmmmm

Manon as Harry "Eagle Eyes" Kelly makes a lot of sense, especially then later becoming a cub reporter (but I don't know about having Manon become the Black Eagle later that... could get messy - would definitely require some character development since there isn't a lot in canon to work with for this aspect)

I think that's all I have at this point...

#ml #red panda and flying squirrel au #love square shenanigans #admittedly Red Panda is a take on a ww2 era batman in Canada #but like its the dynamic between him and kit that is so good #i write sometimes #this is long as hell - sorry not sorry #it is also a Mess of steam of consciousness #and I am sorry for that #just throwing this out into the void

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