#and marinette was good at communication too the teenagers are better at it than most adults sbdbdbdbdsb

[authenticcadence18]

the balance of Adrien respecting Mari’s wishes about no kissing while also still being affectionate towards her and not taking it to heart in this episode is so important to me 🥺🩷

[adrinoir]

The Miraculous Movie was different than the series…and that’s okay!

I watched the movie this morning and loved it! I think it’s important to talk about the changes that were made and what impact they had.

How the characters were rewritten

There definitely was a difference in how the characters were written in the movie, and some of the redevelopment of characters was really good!

Gabriel was by far the one who had the best redevelopment of his personality. Gabriel in the series is awful, as we all know.

In the series, he barely gives a shit about his own son, like there is absolutely nothing redeemable about his character. In every “what if” episode and the season 5 finale, Gabriel does not show any regret to hurting people, including his own son.

However, in the movie, Gabriel actually makes a better attempt to communicate with Adrien and, most importantly, feels strong regret when he hurt his son. He cries; he feels remorse for destroying Paris and injuring Adrien in the process. He hugs Adrien (along with the spirit of Emilie 🥹) and decides to stop being Hawk Moth. It was beautifully done. He got a redemption arc that he never got in the series. I know I personally felt so good watching that and seeing the relationship between him and Adrien being repaired.

Marinette was her usual clumsy self, but was written as having no friends at school because she embarrasses herself so much. In a way, it makes more sense than her being so popular like she is in the series. Kids in high school can be pretty judgy and ruthless. So it makes sense for the “clumsy girl” to be made fun of and judged by people who don’t know her well.

Adrien was different in a lot of ways. He wasn’t shown running to school to gain freedom. He wasn’t introduced as being a super model who’s friends with Chloe. Instead, he’s already going to the school, he’s already friends with Nino, and he happens to run into Marinette at the library. He doesn’t have that same chemistry with Marinette as he does in the series which is a bit odd that they took that away, but it does make sense that he’d turn her down when she asked him to the ball, since he loves Ladybug. In the movie, he very clearly sees Marinette as just a friend and it’s shown that he’s building a friendship with her without him developing a crush. It’s different but still wholesome, especially when he shows her the old family photo to her. Plus, it evens it out well since Ladybug obviously turns Cat Noir away but they’re still building up their bond, too. They both get turned down.

It was ehhh that Adrien was a bit too cocky at times as Cat Noir, but overall, his goofiness and self confidence is still pretty on brand for him. He was still very encouraging towards Ladybug but not overly flirtatious, pushing her to her limits. Instead, it was them lightly teasing each other and then playfully fighting. And, speaking of the playful fighting, their bond was stronger in the movie seeing as how they were shown spending more time together off duty and that they were treated as equals.

In the show, Cat Noir is automatically made sidekick and left in the dark about everything. But in the movie, he gets to meet Master Fu in disguise alongside Ladybug. Sure, he didn’t help Master Fu with his cane like he did in the series, but that didn’t matter since the lore was changed.

Alya was less annoying in the movie. Sorry. Don’t get me wrong, I love Alya in the series, but she’s so over the top at times with how obsessed she is over the heroes, blogging, and filming things for her blog. In the movie, she was toned down a lot and I liked that. It was also cute that Nino had a crush on her and just her, not Marinette first. Unlike the series, he wasn’t on that pipeline of guys who fell for Marinette since that pipeline doesn’t exist in the movie.

Tom was made out to be an embarrassment for Marinette which is honestly more realistic for a teenager. Most teenagers get pretty embarrassed by their parents, especially when they still treat them very childlike. And, I like that he went out to the fair to look for her since he heard there was danger. Marinette’s parents don’t usually go out to look for her or make sure she’s in her room when there’s danger afoot. So, I appreciate that they made Tom do that since he obviously loves Marinette a lot.

The rewriting of (some of) the lore

As I had mentioned in my previous section, the lore was rewritten, too. Instead of Master Fu being the one to pick Marinette and Adrien simply because they helped him, the kwamis sense that Marinette and Adrien are the right people to be Ladybug and Cat Noir. That was a much better way to write that, in my opinion.

Hawk Moth got ahold of the butterfly miraculous by mistake. That part wasn’t changed but also, it didn’t need to be.

The change of plot

The plot was very simple. It didn’t have a whole lot of crazy, in depth details like the show’s does. So, anyone who has never watched the show can easily understand and absorb what’s going on (I will be forcing my boyfriend to watch it with me since he’s never seen the show lol).

I like that it was very clear cut and easy to understand while still being intense and meaningful. It still summarizes a lot of what the series entails while fixing some issues in the plot development.

They didn’t doddle with Hawk Moth like they do in the show. He was a successful villain in his second attempt but then realized he should stop when he hurt his own son in the process.

Also, there was a reveal. It was a wee bit underwhelming, but I still think it was done well! It was a moment with just Marinette and Adrien alone, as it should be. And, it was cutesy and heartfelt. The fact that Marinette dressed like Ladybug for the ball (cutest dress ever imo) and Adrien dressed like Cat Noir was so cute. That’s what a lot of the fandom has been asking for and written about in fanfics, I feel like.

The romance between these two is most important. They didn’t need Kagami and Luka as 2nd love interests to throw things off track. Yes, I like these characters in the show, but they weren’t needed in the plot.

The music

I love musicals. I was a bit of a theater kid in high school, plus I’m obsessed with music lol. So, yes, I’m a bit biased when I say I love that they made this a musical.

I personally loved the music. I can tell a lot of good effort was put into it and I’ve already been listening to the songs on my Spotify. The song between Ladybug and Cat Noir in the theater “Now I See” and Cat Noir jumping on the clouds (literally, on cloud nine) singing “My Lady” was absolutely adorable and super romantic, which, as we know, is a big part of the show.

Even Gabriel’s song “Chaos Will Reign Today” was amazing! It conveyed a lot of emotion and turns into one of those dramatic villain songs. Keith Silverstein is clearly talented enough to sing for his own character and he did it well.

My only nitpick is that Marinette’s singer, Lou, has a very different voice than Christina Vee. So, Marinette sounds very different, much more mature-sounding when she sings and it kinda catches you off guard. I’m surprised they didn’t have Christina sing for her, but there must’ve been a reason why she didn’t. But, SQVARE sounded similar enough to Bryce Papenbrook when he sung for Cat Noir which i absolutely love.

Conclusion

I personally give this movie a 10/10 just because it made me smile the whole time, and it’s such a feel good movie. I’ll happily watch it again and listen to the soundtrack, especially on a day when I’m feeling down. It wasn’t perfect in every aspect, but it was perfect in a simple, heartwarming sense and that it can be watched by everyone, not only people who watch the series.

I understand if it made you cringe or you were moreso looking for a continuation of the series not a retelling. But, I prefer some simplicity which is a big part of what made me like it. Like I said, I know it wasn’t absolute perfection, but it was so frickin adorable and I can’t help but smile.

There’s a lot of differences but also plenty of similarities between the movie and the show. But understand they’re not meant to be the same and that’s okay! I don’t think the movie was horrible for most of the changes it made. In fact, I think most of them made sense and made it a bit more realistic (as I explained).

[blazekurumu]

This may be an unpopular opinion about Miraculous Ladybug.

I think one of the central themes of Miraculous is emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is the basic understanding of how we view and handle our emotions. Whether they be good or bad, we all have to process how we feel in every moment. Through the acknowledgement of our emotional state, we can better ourselves and mature into a healthier state.

Does this mean that negative emotions are bad? Of course, but we need these emotions in order to learn and develop.

I see the usage of akumazations as a reflection of how people act and function in the real world. When one doesn't allow themselves to feel those negative emotions, they overwhelm them and overtake their reasoning centers. In a way, we become easier to control or become uncontrollable monsters.

Maturity happens when you realize that you have those negative feelings and turn them around for good. Take Kagami for example. When we first meet her, she's stubborn, driven by anger, and determined to win no matter what. As she progressed as a character, that stubborn nature was used more to protect her friends and assert herself. That anger that one akumatized her was now the driving force to save those who too was akumatized. That determination to win was changed into determination to pursue relationships with friends and, to a lesser extent, maintain one with Adrien.

The show is about teenagers, so don't expect them to be mature at this age. The frontal lobe, which dictates logic, reasoning, and emotions, hasn't fully developed yet. Everyone has to understand that Marinette, Adrien, and their peers haven't fully grasped their fluxating emotions yet. They are still learning discernment, how to communicate their feelings, and thinking before they act.

Marinette doesn't learn from her mistakes? That's not true. Marinette does learn from her failures because she's allowed to. Most of her mistakes weren't meant to be bashed, but to teach us how to behave. Sure, we may not have taken a friend's phone or snuck into their house, but some of you did far worst than that at her age. The mercy your parents, peers, or other important figures in your life showed you when you messed up is the same way you should treat her mistakes.

Adrien should be mean to Marinette or shun her? But why? The boy yearns for emotional connections and Marinette is one of the healthier ones in his life outside of Nino. Adrien is learning how to express himself, assert his feelings, and conveying his thoughts far more now than when we first saw him. I think Marinette being a positive influence in his life helped him to mature a bit as well.

Ultimately, no matter how we see it, the real people getting mad at Marinette and Adrien are those whose emotional intelligence aren't the highest. Those who haven't matured past their high school stage in life and trying to justify their reasons for hating a character that is a reflection of their own. Maybe we all need to improve our emotions and learn how to show mercy and forgiveness to those still developing.

After all, we wouldn't want to become slaves to our own emotions.

[justrandomfanfictionskh]

Mary Todd pt15

ao3 Beginning Previous

“Wow! Did not expect to see you here!”

Marinette turned and saw a tall blonde woman with Asian features standing behind her. Artemis Crock, Roy’s pseudo-sister/in-law. They really hadn’t gotten much of a chance to talk at the diner, so Marinette smiled and shifted in a silent invitation. Artemis took it by claiming the barstool next to her. “Where did you expect me to be?” Marinette asked as she sipped her whiskey.

“I don’t know,” Artemis admitted, “Running with the bats, driving your brother nuts, climbing my brother.”

Marinette felt the light blush, but she only chuckled and shook her head as the other hero ordered her own drink. “I’m not even dating him yet and already we’re Gotham’s newest power couple.”

“Well, what did you expect when you took on a Rogue on your first date?” There was laughter in her voice, and Marinette accepted the ease of the conversation as easily as she were with Alya.

“It’s not like I planned it,” Marinette insisted. “Besides that’s not why I’m here.”

Artemis nodded. “Yeah, I overheard Jason complaining to Roy. Apparently he’s trying to decide whether or not he should kill my idiot brother for ‘trying to seduce the only pure one in the family,’ his words not mine, or encourage it cause he doesn’t want you to leave Gotham.”

Marinette groaned, knocking back the last of her drink before signaling for another one. “Ok first of all, I’m hardly pure.”

“Oh,” Artemis sang leaning forward, “Anyone I would know.”

“Not personally,” Marinette said playing with her glass, the faint smile of nostalgia lighting up her face, “Probably by reputation. But they’re dating each other now, so they’re hardly competition for Roy.”

Artemis chuckled, “Good to know. Now on any other night I’d ask you why Jay is so panicked about you leaving without him, but I have the feeling you didn’t come here to remember.”

Marinette groaned leaning back on her stool, and found herself staring at her reflection in the glass that revealed the rowdy but happy atmosphere she had found herself in. Big burly men playing pool. Slender women with mace on their key chains toasting each other in the booths. Working girls resting their feet before heading back out on the streets. Baby faced teenagers trying to convince the bar tender that they could handle their liquor. It wasn’t clean, and half of these people were probably criminals, but it was full of life and warmth and light. Marinette loved it.

She sighed as she turned back to her impromptu drinking companion, “How long have you known Jay-Jay?”

“Since he was Robin so close to…eight? Maybe ten years now. Probably longer, why?”

“I was three years old when we were separated,” Marinette said softly but not bitterly, “You know him better than I do. You’re probably more of his sister than I am.”

Artemis snorted and shook her head. “Hardly! I mean, yeah, I probably do know him better than you, but there’s nothing brotherly or sisterly about our relationship.”

“Have you too--?”

 Artemis gave a dry laugh, “No! He was just a kid when we met, and besides, me and my boyfriend…” A warm soft smile spread over Artemis’s face as she accepted her drink. Marinette knew that look. The brightening of her eyes, the glow on her face, the relaxing of her shoulders. This was a woman completely in love in the best way.

“What’s his name?” Marinette asked resting her chin in her hand.

“Wally,” Artemis said still smiling as she sipped her drink. “Wally West. My best friend, and a pain in my ass most days! I’m so lucky to have him. Especially after everything we’ve been through.”

“Is he…part of the community?” Marinette asked hesitantly.

Artemis tilted her head in a so-so motion before saying, “Off and on, when he needs to be. He’s mainly focused on his career though, which works. The city where we live doesn’t exactly need more heroes. Not like here and in Star City. So we can live quietly away from everything, living our lives until the red phone rings, so to speak.”

“That sounds nice,” Marinette said wistfully, and she tried to imagine it. A quiet life running her own boutique, working on commissions in the back room. A loving partner waiting for her at home with kids, and maybe a hamster. But…

The fantasy just didn’t feel right anymore. That was the fantasy of her childhood, the dream of her slightly crazy and stress riddled youth. So much had changed since then. So much had happened. She had killed a man. And she didn’t feel guilty. She had taken responsibility for the cosmic forces of the Earth, and in doing so had dedicated the rest of her life to running around the globe. And so when she dreamed of the future, a bright, warm, home with someone waiting for her…It just didn’t fit anymore.

She sighed as she sipped her drink, “Not to bring down the party, but I don’t know if that will work for me. I doubt I’ll stay anywhere longer than five to ten years, and then I’ll have no idea where the universe will call me to next. A quiet life as a redundant hero doesn’t really gel with that.”

Artemis nodded her understanding sipping her own drink quietly, “I get it. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the community who didn’t. The Bats never leave Gotham. The Lanterns jump around the galaxy. And all of our personal lives are as twisted and scrambled as a bowl of spaghetti.”

Marinette laughed and nodded, “Roy and Lian deserve better.”

“Oh, come on!” Artemis cried, “You haven’t even done the whole, ‘I have to ditch our date cause of a robbery’ routine yet!”

Marinette shook her head as she laughed, “Been there done that one too many times, thanks. Personally I’d like a relationship where I didn’t have to do that.”

“Then at least give Roy a shot,” Artemis said, “He’s a doof, but he’s a good one, and he’ll never ask you for anything that you aren’t willing to give.”

“And Lian?”

Artemis looked into her glass her expression darkening, “My sister, her mother…let’s just say there’s a reason Jade gave her to Roy and then skipped town. But she didn’t have to leave. She could have stayed. She could have tried, and we all knew it. But she didn’t.”

“I’m not going to have a choice,” Marinette said softly.

“I know,” Artemis said simply, “And that’s why I think you’ll be good for them.”

Marinette shook herself and turned to Artemis incredulously. “I’m sorry but how would me leaving them every other week to jet off around the world be good for them?”

Artemis looked at her calmly and full of understanding, “Because you would try. I’m sorry if this is overstepping, but Cassie has told me a lot about you. In fact, she pretty much raves about you every chance she gets. And if there’s one thing I got from all of her fangirling, it’s that you are a person who tries.

“You try, Marinette, when the world is caving in around you. When your friends are being hurt or misled. When everything seems to be falling apart, you always try. Roy and Lian don’t need someone who can effortlessly be there twenty-four seven, and solve all of their problems. They need someone who is willing to put in the hard work, and is not afraid of the difficulty.

“And you…and again stop me if I’m overstepping. But you seem to need someone who will let you be free. You can’t tie yourself to any one place because of your responsibilities. So you need someone who is willing to wait for you, give you a place to go home to when it’s all said and done. Am I wrong?”

Marinette shook her head and sipped her drink, “Are you some sort of therapist or something?”

“No,” Artemis scoffed, “But my best friend is a telepath and a therapist. I guess I might have picked some stuff up from her.”

Marinette sighed as she ran her finger around the rim of her glass. “I wish my life were simple. I wish I was just a regular vigilante, and I flew around the city with grappling hooks instead of a magic yoyo. I wish I could just cave to Hippolyta and let her make me an Amazon. I wish all I had to worry about was a single city, and a single team, with a single mission. But…" she sighed, "That’s not my life. It was never meant to be my life. I couldn’t fight it the same way you can’t fight the Earth from spinning on its axis.”

“Do you hate that?”

“No,” Marinette said simply, “Destiny is weird like that. You can’t stop the future designed for you, but at the same time it was the future you would have chosen anyway. I really can’t begrudge the roles I have, because looking back, I really can’t say I would have, or could have done anything different. I’m not a puppet, I chose this life as surely as it was chosen for me…I know that doesn’t make any sense, but—”

“Hey,” Artemis said with a sly smile, “Don’t worry about it. At this point I’ve just learned to shrug my shoulders and role with whatever comes next. So long as I can shoot whatever comes next in the face with an arrow.”

Marinette laughed and excepted the self-assured confidence of her companion. “Well, then tell me, what should I do about Jay-Jay?”

“What do you mean? Roy seemed to be under the impression that that was all settled. Something about him being some sort of divine executioner, or something?”

Marinette shook her head pursing her lips. “I suspect that he is the Executioner, but I have no idea if he actually is or not. We won’t know either way until the time actually comes. Until then all we can do is live our lives and wait for destiny to catch up with us, or vice versa.”

“What’s against him being the Executioner?”

“The Pit Madness for one,” Marinette said as she nocked back the last of her drink, “The Executioner is meant to be a calm and detached extension of the Arbiter’s will, and protector for the Guardian. At first I thought he might be the Executioner because he was so determined to protect me, and was so against the idea of me killing. But the more I think about it…”

“Yeah,” Artemis agreed knocking back her own drink, “Calm and detached never really described Jason even before the Lazarus Pit…Are there any other options?”

“Me,” Marinette admitted. And there was silence between the two women that was accentuated by the muffled sounds of the Bar around them. Finally, Marinette sighed and said, “Merde! Listen to me. I came out to get away from all the drab destiny talk, and now I’ve dragged you down with me. I barely know you!”

“It’s cool,” Artemis said with a laugh. “I don’t mind. We heroines have to stick together right. Lean on each other when the world gets us down. Groan and roll our eyes when the men are being especially stupid.”

“Ok,” Marinette said with a laugh. “So how do you recommend that we turn this party from sad ass to badass.”

Artemis laughed, “Ok you are definitely Jason’s sister! Now get on your phone and call Babs. I’ll call M’gann and Zatanna and see if we can’t get an impromptu girls night going. Maybe, Raquel's free?”

“Ok,” Marinette said with a smile, “Should I call Cass and Steph too?”

“They aren’t legal…wait, are you?”

“I am in Paris.”

“Then we’ll Zeta to Paris!”

“Ok,” Marinette said not even trying to fight the bemused smile that was growing over her face, “But I have to warn you, though, ever since I turned into the mystical keeper of balance within the universe, it has become very difficult for me to get drunk.”

“I’ll take that as a challenge!” Artemis exclaimed, as they paid their tab and left the bar.

“Wow! Did not expect to see you here!”

Kon looked up to see Wally, Jason, and Roy walking towards him. “I didn’t expect to be here,” the first Superboy said. He narrowed his eyes at the way Jason was shooting Roy death glares, while Roy was carefully not noticing them. Meanwhile Wally was walking between them, fidgeting as if he were walking down death row. “What’s wrong with you three?”

“Nothing,” Roy and Jason said simultaneously. Although Roy said it with an exasperated sigh, while Jason said it through gritted teeth.

Wally rolled his eyes and said, “Have you seen the #badassParischick thing going around.”

“Oh,” Kon said tilting his head, “You mean Roy’s new girlfriend?”

“She’s not his girlfriend!” Jason snapped.

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Roy said whistfuly.

“Yeah,” Wally said bemused, “BadassParischick is Jason’s little sister.”

Kon blinked, stunned. “Bruce got another one?”

Roy and Wally snickered as Jason shot them both a glare, but he explained nonetheless, “No! She’s my biological sister. We were separated by CPS. And she’s Ladybug.”

“Wow,” Kon said stunned, “Your sister really is badass.”

“Yes! She is!” Roy exclaimed, “So can you please tell Jason to cut the over protective big brother routine! She’s a grown woman, who can make her own choices.”

“She’s eighteen!”

“She is a Cosmic powerhouse chosen by the universe to protect the world!”

“That doesn’t make me feel better!”

“They’ve been like this all morning,” Wally groaned. “Please make them stop!”

Kon shook his head and then narrowed his eyes. “So why are you all here?”

“Mari texted me,” Jason said turning from Roy in a huff, “Told me I needed to clean her bathroom and collect Babs. You?”

Kon held up his phone showing the strange text from M’gann he had gotten that morning. “It just says, ‘come get your woman’ and then this apartment building.”

“Mine says the same thing,” Wally said holding up his phone, “Only my text was from Artemis and it called me a dumbass.”

“Oh no,” Roy groaned as his eyes trailed to the apartment door, which now seemed extremely ominous. “I think I know what’s happening.”

Exchanging nervous glances, Jason led the boys over to the door and knocked. If the young woman who opened the door wasn’t Jason’s sister, then Kon would eat a bag of Kryptonite flavored chips. There was no way in hell, that they weren’t related via blood or Bruce. Still she smiled brightly at them, and in a hushed voice said,

“Hi! I assume you too are Kon and Wally? I’m Marinette. Your ladies are in here.”

She led them into a nice spacious apartment that was clearly meant for visiting, not for living in. Still Marinette had clearly been there long enough to make herself at home, as half of the living space had been cleared for a sewing machine, bundles of fabric, a cutting table, and a number of dress forms with half finished projects on them. However, the other half of the living room, was taken up by their girlfriends, plus Zatanna, Babs, and Rocket, who were all collapsed in various stages of dishevelment across the couch, armchairs, and floor. M’gann was even floating in her half human/half white Martian form.

“Girls Night,” Marinette explained as she sipped her steaming coffee. “I did warn them not to try and outdrink me, but Artemis was determined.”

“Yeah,” Wally said with a dopey grin, “That’s my girl.”

“Mari!” Jason said with an exasperated sigh, “You are eighteen what Gotham bar gave you drinks.”

“I’m not telling you that!” Marinette said with a smirk, “You’d shut them down. Besides we didn’t party here! We zetaed to Paris. You haven’t been clubbing till you’ve been clubbing in Paris!”

“Clubs!” Jason chocked as Kon snickered.

“I thought Berlin was the club scene of Europe?” Wally muttered.

“Yeah,” Marinette said to Jason as if it were obvious, “Kitty Section played pretty much all of them at one point or another. And technically, yes, Berlin is known for its clubs. But there’s just something about the Paris scene that just more…I don’t know, brighter. Call it hometown bias!”

Jason opened his mouth, probably to announce his clear displeasure at probably everything she had just said, but Kon decided he should intervene.

“Honor to meet you by the way,” he said shaking her head, “I’ve been a fan ever since your first Justice League meeting where you put both Big Blue and Bad Bats in their place with a single sentence. It was artistry.”

Marinette grimaced in embarcement but smiled saying, “Thanks, I wasn’t trying to be mean, but they really should have known better than to question my capabilities. But wait, isn’t Superman your father?”

Kon shook his head in exasperation, “I’m a clone. So technically yes, but…well…lets just say we didn’t get off on the right foot. But don’t worry, we’ve been doing a lot better since. Still, it’s always fun to see someone put him down so thoroughly, not many people have the guts to do that.”

Marinette nodded in understanding. “I think it’s the power. People perceive them as being better than they actually are because of it, and then are too afraid to tell them when they’re wrong. Never let that happen to me!” She said spinning to point at Jason and Roy.

“Don’t worry about it, Pixie. Now what are we supposed to do with them,” Jason said gesturing at the pile of unconscious superheroines.

Marinette smiled and clapped loudly, making Kon winced as all the girls jumped up with groans and shouts of protests. M’gann yelped and fell to the floor, making Kon laughed as he went to retrieve his girlfriend.

“What the hell, Mari?” Artemis groaned as she rubbed her head to sooth, what Kon assumed was, a pounding headache, “It’s too early for this!”

“It’s 11’o clock!” Marinette said as she went to pour the poor girls more coffee. “And I did warn you about trying to keep up with me! By the way your boytoy’s here.”

“Hey, Spitfire,” Wally said dashing over to her. He began rubbing her temples and she leaned into him with a contented smile on her face. Wally chuckled, “Please tell me we’re not banned from Paris? I have plans for that place.”

“Shh, not so loud,” Artemis said, “And for the record Mari is a demon. Seriously no one should be able to drink that much!”

“Here, here!” Rocket moaned as she and Zatanna supported each other.

“I would agree,” Zatanna said as she accepted the coffee from Marinette, “But I’m to scared of her pocket gods.”

The boys chuckled, as Jason helped Babs back into her wheelchair. “Well, at least tell me you had fun,” Kon said as he passed the coffee to M’gann

All of the girls chuckled wickedly, causing the boys to exchange worried glances. Before Marinette spoke up. “We had a blast. I think we all needed a little breather. By the way, Raquel, Zatanna, I didn’t know who to call for you. So I called Roy, so he can send you where you need to go. And Jason, you’re not going anywhere until you clean up my bathroom.”

“What why?”

“Someone,” Babs moaned as she took her coffee, “May have thrown up in there…May have been me…I think…”

“But why me? It’s your bathroom!”

“Technically,” Marinette said with a sly smile, “It’s Bruce’s bathroom. But he’s not here, and this is punishment.”

“For what?”

“Babs told me about your murder plans for Roy.”

“Dude!” Roy cried causing all of the hungover women to violently shush him. Roy put his hands up and whispered, “Dude, isn’t that going a little too far?”

“I second Roy,” Artemis grumbled.

“Here, here!” all of the other girls lazily cried. Jason scowled as Marinette, smiling in victory, tossed him the bathroom cleaner. Once he was gone, everyone began to laugh before the girls groaned in unison pressing fists to their throbbing foreheads.

Kon smiled lightly, as he watched Roy lean over the kitchen counter to speak with Marinette as she started a second coffeepot. Wally was gently tending to Artemis, and Raquel was laying her head on Barbara’s armrest. He nodded lightly and said, “Alright let’s go. Zatanna you can come with us. You wanted to talk to Clark, right?”

Zatanna groaned but stood. In a flash of magic, she was properly dressed, and her hangover seemed to be cured somewhat, prompting Raquel and Babs to flip her off. M’gann shook her head and also transformed into something more presentable, although she still leaned heavily on Kon’s arm. They said their goodbyes to Marinette, who was leaning as much towards Roy, as he was leaning towards her. Kon couldn’t help but smile at that. His friend deserved some happiness after everything he’d been through. Clones had to stick together after all.

“They do look cute together,” M’gann said in his mind.

“Yeah,” Kon thought back, “Do you think it will last?”

“Only if they try.”

“You guys know it’s rude to communicate telepathically while other people are around right?” Zatanna said jokingly. The couple rolled their eyes, but left the building in high spirits, resolving to support Marinette in whatever she needed.   

Next

@laurcad123 @craftgremlin @toodaloo-kangaroo @blackroserelina @maanae @kitsun369 @idkamt @aksartisticlife @its-maemain @iglowinggemma28 @officiallydarkgeek @meira-3919 @crazylittlemunchkin  @read-fantasy-to-escape-reality @raven-ette

[nangbaby]

So I went and looked at that "Emotion" episode with subs and oh...boy...spoilers ahoy.

Let me start out and say that it was a good episode, a necessary episode, and one that absolutely broke the formula even more than episodes this season have.

But there is a giant problem with this episode, and it's our boy Felix, now Argos.

The first half of this episode all the way to the reveal was so well done, the skipped episodes until now didn't hurt the episode. We get all of the necessary bits and characterization and everything is going in the right pace. Finally we are seeing that there are external obstacles to the Marinette/Adrien romance and not just cringy teenage behavior. Even Marinette's infiltration seemed to be a lot better done than the foolishness in "Gabriel Agreste."

Then we get the reveal that Adrien had been replaced by Felix yet again, and then all of a sudden, Felix decides to go full on supervillain and starts his rampage...

...why?

For those of us who can read between the lines, the answer seems obvious - because he's a sentimonster who is mad that previous holders had created sentimonsters and used his kind as tools.

But as I said this is a problem, because nowhere in the episode is this made clear as part of the exposition.

You might counter "show, not tell" is important. That's true for storytelling. However, Felix is a supporting character who has had a grand total of 6 appearances in a 100+ episode series and everything around him has been surrounded in intrigue so it's not clear what his actual motivations are. Given how he's moved the plot forward in most of his appearances, that his true intentions have not been spelled out is a problem for this episode.

For the episodes before now, such obscurity was acceptable, because Felix had secondary motives in the which were clear as day. In his debut episode, for instance he wanted to ruin Adrien's relationship with his friends both out of envy (made clear in the episode) and protectiveness (made clear later). He was jealous in both senses of the word. Basically, Felix was layered.

But in this episode, he turns into a cartoon villain one minute and the next he's crying on the roof, and an audience has to bring outside knowledge into the show to figure out why he's having such a mood whiplash.

This problem could have easily been solved if the episode had been split into two episodes. If the first half had been the whole Diamond Dance thing and the second episode had been Argos' rampage, then we would have been able to explore the shift in attitude. His glee at an empty world could have been slowly replaced with loneliness and a reminder of his lack of friends in the world. (It also would have been a nice parallel to "Cat Blanc" and the effect Cat Blanc's destruction of Paris had on him.) The panic that Argos felt when he couldn't summon Marinette would have been more clearly communicated, and instead of just pondering if his powers weren't working, Argos could wonder if the sentimonster he had granted sapience was somehow rebelling or interfering, and it could have been a callback to the plot point of Master Fu's sentimonster going out of control even before Fu lost the staff that controlled the sentimonster.

But instead, this episode tried to stuff too much into 20-something minutes. As a result. despite all his "cool" moments, Felix's motivations aren't just confusing, but this time he is, acting like Homelander one moment and Loki the next. Why did he infiltrate the Diamond Dance and keep up the ruse for so long, when he could have revealed himself at any time? Why did he make Adrien disappear only to recreate him? Again, you have to already have figured out the "mystery" to make this episode work and that's wasn't the case with any of Felix's other episodes.

[writer-panda]

Ruin and Rebirth - Chapter 1

Ruin and Rebirth

Chapter 2

Inspired by @jumpingjoy82 on Tumblr. Thank you for the amazing prologue.

I don’t own the characters, only the plot. Miraculous and Justice League belong to their respective creators

--------

"It's okay Marinette. Everything is going to be fine. You’re too young to understand, but it was for the greater good."

To young.

TO YOUNG!

It was all the Justice League's fault. If they kept their incompetent asses out of Paris, none of this would have happened.

Apparently, they just spontaneously decided to go through the Watchtower’s recycling bin, and what they found astonished them. Years upon years worth of pleas for help from Paris.

They decide to finally investigate, and it just so happens that it was during an Akuma Attack, and they threw everything the Parisian heroes were telling them out of the window, wanting to do things their own way.

Superman was one of the ones there.

And they learned just how far the Miracle Cure could go.

He decided to use his super strength and threw a car at the akumatized victim, who moved out of the way at the last minute, so the car sailed right through the Tom & Sabine Bakery, promptly, catching on fire, giving no time for the people inside to get out. No one got out alive.

Ladybug froze for a moment, before fighting with more determination than before, knowing that the Miracle Cure would bring them back.

She was wrong, which brings us back to this point.

"I don't give a damn about you so-called 'greater good' and now you’re telling me, that I'm too young to understand, but am I too young to experience it? Too young to actually see everything and everyone I love torn from me because of these heroes?! Why the hell are they here now? Where were they when this first started? What changed? And now, because of them, my entire family is dead!"

After that everything was hazy, but she knew, she hated superheroes.

They never knew when to stop, and just like Chat Noir, they expected to be praised for whatever happens, no matter if there were casualties or not.

The world would be better off without them.

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

The sun has long since set over Paris. The fires were still burning in some parts of town. For the first time since Ladybug first appeared, the citizens of Paris felt true fear. It was ironic. They didn’t fear the akuma. They feared the heroes that came to their rescue. For the first time in four years, the casualties were piling up. And the akuma was responsible for none.

True, many of them initially asked for it. With each fight, Ladybug and Chat Noir were taking longer. It’s been obvious for some time that they were slowly being worn out. Some media started to criticize the duo, question their skills, age, their right to act in Paris. They weren’t part of the UN Justice League Charter. Their only real authority came from the trust of the citizens themselves. And that trust was lost. The civilian pleas to the Justice League increased in number and frequency. Under public pressure, the mayor had no choice but to issue an official plea for help.

But then, then… the heroes came. 

In retrospection, almost everyone would agree that it was a mistake. Justice League was not used to fighting magical threats. They weren’t practiced in dealing with possessed villains. They didn’t understand. And they treated Ladybug and Chat Noir worse than sidekicks. 

That flying chicken even dared to wrap Chat Noir in a metal bar so he wouldn’t get in the way. 

Ladybug… tried her best. She allowed herself to trust the new heroes. She stopped saving every civilian from the rubble. She focused on the akuma. If heroes didn’t bother with the lives, it must’ve meant they trusted her cure, right?

WRONG

They were like a tank, riding through the city with a singular goal in mind. 

It didn’t help that they deemed the akuma a “world-level threat”. Yeah, right. Stormy Weather was powerful, but the damage could’ve been repaired. 

Or so she thought.

The volcanos, the tsunami, the tornadoes, the earthquakes? Those were fixed. The rubble caused by them was put back in place and those who suffered under them were better than new. 

But not the damage caused by the heroes. 

Not the bakery.

There was no magic in what happened. There was nothing to reverse. Those were human actions. For the first time perhaps, the people could see how much of the damage caused by the fight was the fault of heroes. How many deaths they caused. That is if they admitted, before themselves at least, that it was their fault. 

And yet, the so-called ‘heroes’ dared to lecture her about responsibility. About the sacrifice of few for the lives of many. About the innocence of young. 

She ran away. She managed to dodge them and vanish. Meld with the crowd when there were no cameras in sight and she was sure they couldn’t track her. 

Now, Ladybug stood alone on the top of the Eiffel tower, with her yo-yo communicator in her hand. She sent the message fifteen minutes ago. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but at this point, she no longer cared. There was nothing more for her. 

“He thought this was a trap.” A voice spoke from behind her. Ladybug twisted immediately, taking a guarded stance. She was still avoiding the Justice League after all. Before her stood… someone. She suspected it was an Akuma. The woman had pale skin and wore a black dress, black gloves, and a black veil over her face. 

“It isn’t. I’m alone. The city suffered enough as it is today. I suffered enough.” Ladybug’s voice cracked slightly.

“I see…” The akuma pursed her lips. For a moment, a purple butterfly appeared over her face before the woman nodded. “Fine. Give me your miraculous and I will take you to him.” 

“That isn’t going to work and you know it. You would just leave me stuck here. I’m willing to offer a token of goodwill though.” With that, Ladybug pulled a necklace and dangled it before the akuma. 

“Is that…?” 

“The miraculous of the fox? Yes. No tricks. I want to negotiate. In-person.” She made sure to emphasize the last part. 

The outline of the butterfly appeared in front of the Akuma’s face for a moment before she silently nodded. “I can lead you to him, but not before you reveal your face.”

“Fine.” Ladybug didn’t hesitate. She was past that point long ago. There was no hesitation, no doubt… no regret. Not for her actions anyway. No more.

In the flash of light, instead of Ladybug, Marinette stood before the akuma. 

“You’re…” the woman’s voice was stuck in her throat.

“I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

Tikki, floating nearby gasped in fear. The Kwami didn’t get a chance to explain before Marinette resumed her transformation. 

“Fine. Let’s go.”

The two leaped from the tower and started to zoom over the city. At first, they remained silent. Neither wanted to speak. It was tense anyway. It was, of course, Marinette who broke the silence first. 

“Your… your look. Have you lost someone today?”

The woman didn’t answer immediately. She appeared to be mulling over the question at first. Or wondering if she should answer.

“A… colleague; coworker. He was… a friend of mine you could say. We’ve been working side-by-side for at least a decade.”

“I see…” Marinette pursed her lips into a thin line. “I’m sorry.” She spoke up after a moment. “I imagine you blame me now?”

“No.” The akuma snapped. “You’re just a child. I put the blame where it belongs. With heroes. And with people who chose to invite them.” 

“Not hawkmoth?” Escaped ladybug’s mouth before she realized it. 

“He… he never wanted this either. He isn’t a villain you believe him to be.” The akuma hesitated for a moment, but Marinette could sense it was her own opinion. She filed it in her brain under interesting. 

-----------

When they arrived at Agreste manor, Marinette was surprised.

When they entered the study, she was baffled.

When they went down the secret elevator, she was angry. 

When she stood before Hawkmoth, she was furious. And it wasn’t because he was her mortal enemy. 

“So that’s why you neglect your only son?!” She screamed at him as soon as he turned to see her. His mouth moved, probably to give some excuse. “I don’t care if you want to rule the world or be a god or whatever. No matter what little sick excuse your brain found to justify your actions. You are not allowed to just ignore Adrien like that! He needs a father. He is a teenager and he needs you!” 

“Madmoiselle Dupain-Cheng.” His voice was cold, but in a different way than she ever heard Gabriel Agreste or Hawkmoth speak. 

“Gabriel Agreste. And I assume you akumatized your Assistant, Nathalie?” She pointed to the woman next to her. 

“Astute observation, Ladybug. You risked a lot coming here to speak with me. I could take your miraculous now, or any other time. You gave me your most precious protection: your secret identity. So… what was that important?”

“I want to know. What is so important to you that you’re willing to go any length to get it?”

“That’s it?” Hawkmoth raised an eyebrow. “That’s all? You’re ready to risk everything over that little piece of knowledge?”

“Yes.” Once more, there was no hesitation. There was no doubt. Her heart had no place for doubts anymore. Her heart was still stuck under three levels worth of rubble. 

“And what, pray tell, would you do if I told you?” He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. 

“That depends.” She could see he was now intrigued, so she started to explain. “On whether I like the goal or not. And on whether you understand fully the implications. If you pass, you will get my miraculous and I will deliver you Chat Noir’s miraculous too. If you fail, you still get my miraculous. But you will never get the ring. I made sure that if something happens tonight, he will retire. He will leave Paris and toss the ring into the ocean in a concrete box. You would be left to torture the city all you wish until the League found you, but the ring’s power would forever remain out of your reach. You would be left with nothing but a criminal record. And your son would sooner than later be left without both parents. Of course, you could abandon your crusade, but then I would’ve won. I’m not a naive girl without a plan. Not anymore.” She spat the last part angrily, but her gaze was not focused on Hawkmoth, but far in the distance. 

“I… see. Clever. You’re right. This will probably end tonight.” He looked her over top to bottom. It was the first time he stood so close face to face with Ladybug. His nemesis. 

Gabriel wasn’t sure if he was impressed with her, or infuriated. Scratch that, he was sure he was both. She outsmarted him. She was willing to make an ultimate sacrifice for the sake of ending the fight. In that very moment, in her determined expression, he saw a reflection of another headstrong woman he knew. It was as if Emilie’s spirit stood before him. 

“So? How will it be?” she asked impatiently.

“Follow me.” He simply motioned for her and started walking. 

Soon, the group entered a large chamber, lit by several lights. In the center of a platform in the far end stood a glass coffin. Even from the distance, Marinette easily saw there was a woman inside. She was quick to pass Hawkmoth and get there, even as he was trying to grab her.

When the akuma and Gabriel arrived, they watched as Marinette was carefully pacing around the coffin and muttering under her breath. 

“She overused the damaged miraculous.” It wasn’t a question, but Hawkmoth answered anyway.

“Yes. Only the wish can bring her back.”

“You’re one of the biggest idiots in this whole city!” The girl screamed. “She is not dead, you moron. There are literally five different ways listed in the book which, may I remind you, you possess!” She continued to yell at him. “Hell! You could akumatize someone and give him healing power. You know… use the butterfly miraculous like it was meant to be used!” She scolded. “But nooo! You’ve got to be an idiot and immediately go for the most dangerous, imprecise, reckless, chaotic, risky solution there was! I’m sure she would’ve been ashamed.” 

Gabriel was at a loss for words. Was it really that easy? It couldn’t have been. He checked several times. He would’ve known. The akuma left Nathalie, who collapsed onto the ground. Some tear stains were now visible on her face. “I… I was just… I did what she told me. Only the wish can bring back the dead.” He stammered. 

“She. Is. Not. Dead.” Marinette made sure to punctuate each word. “She is in a coma. She is alive you moron. Tikki! Spots off!” The flash of light signaled the end of her transformation. “Be silent, little one.” She said in a caring voice. She couldn’t bring herself to take her anger on Kwami, but she couldn’t doubt now. “Akumatize me. Give me the power to heal her.”

The corruption left the akuma that was floating in the air, only for Hawkmoth to get his hands around the white butterfly and pour a new dose of power into it. It flew the short distance between them and sunk into Marinette’s purse. She smirked as the corrupted energy passed through her, turning her into an akuma. That is until she could see how she looked. 

“I’m not sure how you can call yourself a designer and yet dress me in this!” she complained. Her skin was now deep red, the color of blood, and her clothes turned into a white nurse uniform. Still, she walked to the coffin and easily opened the top. From her purse (now medic’s bag) she pulled a needle and injected the content into Emilie.

When the beautiful woman started to move, letting out an exhausted groan, Marinette sighed in relief. 

“Wha… what’s going on… the last thing I… Gabriel!” She bolted upright and immediately moaned in pain. Her hand instinctively flew to her back. “Gabriel Agreste! Did you keep me in this coffin for a whole week!?” She yelled at her husband. “And who’re those two?” She pointed at Marinette, who was smiling next to her, and Nathalie, still exhausted on the floor. “You were supposed to only reveal this to Adrien if anything happened to me. There was no talk about your assistant and… um, who’re you?” The woman turned to the akuma, who sighed and tore a strap of her bag. The butterfly left the item and Marinette reverted back to her normal form. 

“I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m… was… used to be Ladybug.” 

“But you’re just a kid. And why was Ladybug active… Gabriel!” She roared and her husband took a step back. 

Marinette was… surprised. She didn’t expect Emilie to be like that. From what Adrien told her, she was supposed to be the kindest, nicest person in the world. Then again, he might’ve been looking at it through tinted glasses.

“Yup.” The bluenette couldn’t stop herself from commenting. “He decided that the best way to wake you up was to get the miraculi of Ladybug and Black Cat.”

“You nincompoop. That plan was only for when I was dead.” She glared heatedly at her husband and Marinette couldn’t help but be a bit smug. “And you couldn’t get the items from a kid? How many other heroes are there?” 

“Only Chat Noir. He’s my age. And I sometimes call in some help from others.” Marinette supplied quickly. She was having entirely too much fun from watching Emilie tear Hawkmoth a new one. 

“Two kids! You couldn’t defeat two kids! I leave for just one second and you start getting your rear kicked by kids!”

“He also neglected Adrien for the last two years.” Marinette decided to have as much fun as she could while it lasted.

“Gabriel Agreste. You’re officially grounded until I sort this mess. Now take your secretary and leave. I will sort the mess with you later,” she ordered. Her husband could only nod and leave as quickly as possible. 

Marinette was now holding her sides laughing. ”That was amazing. Merci Madame Agreste. I didn’t think I would get to laugh tonight… But this was too good.” 

“Oh sunshine, don’t worry. I will get him in line for you. Whoever decided to let kids fight for them was clearly sick or senile.” 

“Master Fu was… he made some mistakes. I… maybe if I wasn’t so young…”

“It’s not your fault. Whatever you blame yourself for. You shouldn’t have been responsible for Paris. Or whatever else my husband did. I think some time on the couch will do him great.” The woman got up and walked over to pull Marinette into a hug. She then led the girl back to the (now half-open) coffin and seated them both on the edge. “Why don’t you tell me what ails you? I’m sure I can help.” 

For a moment, Marinette looked the woman in the eyes. Then, she started talking. She told her everything.

About a class full of idiots who believed every lie and actively fought against her.

About Lila, who manipulated everyone and did everything to turn her life into a personal version of hell. 

About the teachers, who preferred to let her be walked on then do their jobs.

About her partner, the dorky cat who couldn’t take life seriously and at times was immature. She came to like his antics, but he infuriated her as much as he kept her sane. 

About the so-called heroes, who came into the city and ruined her life.

About the destroyed bakery. The four bodies inside.

“It was her birthday. Today my nonna had her sixtieth birthday. We were celebrating when the Akuma happened. Except the Justice League came. Funny thing. The cure can return anyone killed by magic. It can’t return those killed by aliens tossing cars around.” 

“Do you have any other family?” Emilie asked, worried about the girl. She walked through so much pain in her short life. 

“My uncle… but he lives in Shanghai now. Papa was the only child and Maman moved here from Asia… I’m not sure what will happen next.” The girl revealed. 

“Next? Next, you will come live with us. No strings attached. I have no need for your earrings or other miraculous and I can keep my husband in check. I owe you that much.”

“I… you don’t owe me anything, Madame.” The girl quickly protested. “You’re not responsible for what happened. I don’t blame your family. Those were the American heroes who killed my parents. They were the ones that destroyed half the city. They are the ones to blame,” Marinette informed the woman in a solemn tone. 

“And that’s why I want you to stay with me. With us. I can protect you. Teach you. You can have your vengeance on those who wronged you. I can make you a queen. They will regret the day they wronged you.”

“I… I accept.” Marinette bowed her head.

[goggles-mcgee]

Too Late: Master Fu (commission for miner249er)

Chapter 7 of the commission for @miner249er

Previous Work

Last Chapter Next Chapter

Summary: Living for so long, it's hard not to just hide in a pattern and want to live in the past, even if the best thing is moving forward.

Wang Fu was no stranger to failure and mistakes, and though he liked to believe he had grown past those failures and mistakes, that he had learned and healed past them, now was not one such moment. He wasn’t a man of technology but he did own a television, not at first, but when Adrien and...and Marinette started out as Ladybug and Chat Noir he thought it would benefit him greatly to have an eye out for them. The best way he could do so in his age was the news, he would know about an akuma before his young heroes got to the scene so he would be prepared just in case Marinette would need to come over and borrow a Miraculous. Watching the fights filled him with dread but he would do it because it was one of the only ways he felt he could be useful to Marinette and Adrien, he couldn’t transform anymore, well he could, just not for long. Not long enough to be any real help. Maybe that’s why he ignored the signs.

The signs that screamed at him that something was wrong with Marinette, with her and Chat Noir’s dynamic, that something was desperately eating at her. They say ignorance is bliss, but Fu wasn’t so sure about that, it could be, maybe, in the moment when one is ignorant, but when reality comes crashing down you would have wished you had not been so blind. That is where Fu had found himself lately, trapped in that thinking time and time again. The news reports about Marinette had not helped that in the least, and they way the spoke about her enraged and saddened him all at once and though he was thankful that Hawkmoth was no longer a threat so he was able to be mad and sad, he could not find delight in the villain’s “disappearance” since it cost him the closest thing to family he had.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Fu had never thought he would get so attached to someone, he had never done so before, so it surprised him how easily Marinette squeezed herself into his heart. He hadn’t even had to think about who he would pass down the title and responsibility of Guardian to as soon as he got to know her. Even picking her as a hero had been easy, her soul was pure and it sang with creativity and love. When they got to interact with each other more, Fu began to care for her more and more as the days passed, he fully expected her to only visit for Guardian related things but to his delight and surprise, Marinette paid him many visits. From coming simply to see how he was doing, to bringing him some of her family’s pastries, each visit was a treasured moment for Fu.

Her kindness knew no bounds. If she knew he was having a bad day, pains and aches wise, she would bring him some tiger balm that her mom had bought. He had expressed his concern that her mother would notice and get mad with Marinette but Marinette had only laughed and told him that her mother has so many containers of tiger balm around the house and she always buys new ones even though she has, in Marinette’s words, ‘literally a million others.’ That memory brought a smile to his face and a pang to his heart nowadays. He remembered fondly how Marinette would come over and ask for Mandarin lessons since she only spoke Yue and she wanted to surprise her mother’s uncle next time he visited. Fu had been all too happy to assist her. He loved getting to pass on his knowledge and Marinette had been a great student. He even got to teach her how to brew tea.

For all her kindness, she never let it blind her, she let it lead her. She saw the good in people and strived to be the good they could strive to be as well. Wang Fu had admired her kindness and tried his best to live up to that level, where Marinette’s kindness was a strength, Fu’s became a weakness. His kindness blinded him. That was the only conclusion he could solidly come to after everything had changed. Before Marinette was...was akumatized. How else could he have missed the way that Ladybug, that Marinette, had looked during each battle on TV when Chat Noir would joke around...no when he would flirt and distract her from the fight. How stressed she seemed to get after each battle, after each patrol, how she would subtly try to bring up Chat Noir during their visits. Fu had thought nothing of it, or maybe he really did notice and had just willfully ignored everything.

Adrien Agreste was much like Wang Fu. Maybe that’s why he also turned a blind eye towards everything or why he didn’t notice other things. Adrien was a boy trapped by a role he never wanted, or a role he tricked himself into wanting and, or liking, much like Fu had done when he was taken from his family and taken to the Temple of the Order of the Guardians to train as a Guardian. Leaving his family had torn Wang Fu apart, he could have no trace of them in the Temple, not even his name, that too had been stripped from him along with any personal belongings. Truth be told he had forgotten his original name, time and the Order did that and it caused him so much sorrow. He remembered trying to write his old name anywhere he could get away with as a way to remember. He was always caught. So he stopped fighting and fully embraced being Wang Fu, Guardian of a Miracle Box, though at the time he never would have imagined being the Guardian of the most important Miracle Box in the Temple.

So it was easy for Fu to sympathize with Adrien, to him, Adrien joking and flirting around as Chat Noir was in a way the same as Fu trying to write his given name. Adrien just wanted to be free and Fu could understand that all too well. To live under strict rules that made you feel like you were doing anything but living, it was suffocating. So he had been soft on the boy, and that was another mistake for Wang Fu to add to his list, but he would put it up with causing the destruction of the Order of the Guardians and not fighting when he had to “leave” his family. Only because it seemed to be the catalyst to the whole butterfly effect that set everything that had happened into motion. Maybe if he had just spoken with Adrien, had been firm with him, maybe Adrien would have strived to become better rather than just be content with the freedom he had and not thinking of the consequences.

He should have strived to be better, a better man, a better hero, a better Guardian. For as much as Fu spoke and thought and remembered his hatred of the Order and their rules he didn’t try to improve upon them when he fled. No instead he followed those rules that had shackled him and kept him prisoner for as long and as brief as they had. Maybe if he had not lived in fear and guilt maybe he would have been strong enough to tell Adrien he was being unreasonable and maybe he would have told Marinette that she needed to take breaks more often and to just focus on one thing at a time. The kwami also had a lot to learn and that was on him for not teaching them and communicating with them. He should have made it clear that teenagers, no, that people in general, have changed. You can’t be too laid back, sometimes your holder will need guidance. Don’t be too positive and try to enforce that positivity on someone, positivity can become toxic and telling someone they always have to be happy or they always have to be the bigger person is not helping as much as you think it was.

Tikki, Plagg, and him had had a very long discussion at his house about that and about their mistakes in general. Both kwami were displeased with Fu and how he handled everything and honestly he didn’t blame them, but he could tell they took his words to heart as well. Plagg...Plagg hadn’t been eating as much since he was back in Fu’s possession, ever since he was taken from Adrien, and Tikki...Tikki hadn’t spoken a word after their talk. All she did was watch the TV and all the news channels, anything that was about Marinette she would watch, and undoubtedly she would get angry or sad and all the plants in Fu’s house would grow exponentially. All the other kwami tried to comfort her and get her to talk or even just rest inside the Miracle Box for a bit, even Plagg had tried, but the kwami of Creation did not budge. Now Fu could say he understood but that would be a lie, although he and Wayyz were compatible and they enjoyed each other's company, the two of them were not a true match. Tikki and Marinette on the other hand...those two were a true match, two souls connected and bonded, and for a kwami to lose one was said to be unbearable.

In Tikki and Plagg’s silence and sudden mood change, Sass and Longg had been more talkative and desperate than he had ever witnessed before. The snake and dragon kwami had explained to him exactly what their holders had been doing and had done their best to apologize to Tikki, but she had yet to acknowledge their efforts. They were similar to Plagg, their holder may not be a perfect match with them but they were close, so close, so to lose them was painful to them too. They had desperately tried to convince him to give them back to their respective holder, and again they had pleaded with him to do so today as he took a walk to get some air. He had brought them with him so that Tikki and Plagg could get some peace and quiet back at his house, and plus he felt like the two elder kwami needed the time alone. Fu just hoped they could help each other since he and the other kwami were struggling to do so.

“Masster, I undersstand your hessitancce, but I will assk once again, give Luka and Misss Kagami another chanccce. Their heartss were in the right placce.” Sass stated once more, though this time he was hiding himself in Fu’s shoulder bag as he went on his aimless walk.

“Sass is right, Master. I will admit, our holders were hasty in their quest for justice, but in the end their actions were done out of love and loyalty and a wish to help.” Long added.

“I understand that. Know that I do you two, but also acknowledge the fact that Hawkmoth is gone. The reason for the heroes is gone. What reason is there for you to be given back to those children?” Fu replied not unkindly, just with the facts that had been staring at him day after day.

“Masster...you don’t believe that. Yess, true as it may be that Hawkmoth iss gone, we never know when danger comess. Besidess, we don’t know where Miss Marinette iss...I know you want to find her, and Luka and Kagami want to find her too. They can help and they know how to use Longg and I’ss Miraculouss.” Sass replied after a while, and though Fu was reluctant to admit it, the kwami had a point.

“We don’t even know where to begin to look...but you do raise some good points Sass.” Fu muttered, he was grateful for today’s technology as it looked as though he was merely speaking into a Bluetooth speaker, a gift from Marinette, one of many. She had explained it was a good way to speak to the kwami without anyone getting suspicious. Truly the girl was a creative soul, and very smart.

“And, if I may say so Master, this world is not the one of old. The rules made for then do not apply to now, at least that is what myself, Sass, and other kwami believe. The traditional rules demanded our power not be used unless there are other Miraculi active or if the world we inhabit is well and truly on its way to destruction.” Long began after a moment of silence. “Even the word hero has changed, it became a role we never anticipated. I think it is time we change the rules and our views, otherwise, we stand no chance in this new world Wang Fu.”

Fu found himself short of words. Long was right, in all the years he had been alive he had watched the world change, it was a beautiful frightening thing to behold. Yet, in all those years of change, he never thought to change himself along with the world. He had been so stuck in guilt and fear that he mentally trapped himself in a prison of his own design, a prison shaped like a temple that had been lost long ago. There was no excuse really, the truth was plain and simple, Fu was scared. Scared that if he broke the rules that were trained into him from a young age then there would be no redemption, there would be no point in his survival. But the world had changed and maybe Fu did too and could change for the better, because even if the threats to the world weren’t imminent, they were persistent and prominent.

Change was good.

“You believe this change we need is to stay active?” He asked after a while.

“I believe that is a step, yes.” Longg responded and Fu could hear the smile in his voice. “This world needs help and we...we need help too.”

“Longg iss right. You were correct in giving all of uss involved a talking to. At the time we didn’t want to lissten, but the factss are we kwami no longer know how to connect and coexisst in this world with humanss.” Sass admitted, and it was another shock for Fu but at the same time, what they were saying was convincing and true. All of them, not just the kwami, Fu included, had been sheltered away from the world. It was not the advantage Fu or even past Guardians thought it was.

The sounds of children’s laughter brought Fu out of whatever reply he found worthy to give Sass and Longg, he kind of wished Wayzz would give his opinion on the matter but he understood why the kwami was letting his brethren speak their mind. Fu looked around to see where his walk had taken him and felt a pang in his heart and his breath stolen from him for a moment, he had walked to the park next to Marinette’s home. For a while all he did was stand there and take it in before he gave himself a wry smile and decided to take a seat on one of the benches near the fountains. It was a spot Marinette had told him was one of her favorites to sketch at. Sitting there brought fresh tears to his eyes, tears he thought were all cried out.

“I think you two are right, but we will not rush into this. We need to be smart about this.”

“I believe that is the wise thing to do, Master.” Wayzz finally gave his opinion along with a small discrete nuzzle to Fu’s cheek.

“As do I, my friend. As do I.” He chuckled in response.

After that the kwami let him sit there in silence and just reflect and remember. Truly he was grateful for that. He needed some quiet to himself, not the quiet of his home, that was a tense quiet that put an ache in his bones. No he needed this quiet, the quiet of being alone in your thoughts while hearing the noise of everything around you. Sass and Longg both had great points and though he loathed to admit it, if something did happen he wasn’t sure he would be able to do anything or at the very least get help. Fu didn’t like to think about his age much, he didn’t even celebrate his birthday before Marinette, because his age showed how long he had run from his guilt and it showed him his limitations. It would be best to have a team on standby just in case, and besides maybe they could help with just regular crime and disasters too. Yes a team really would benefit them all, but the who of it was where he was struggling.

He already decided he would not give out Tikki and Plagg...they weren’t ready to be out again and he couldn’t imagine giving the earrings to anyone but Marinette. He feared what Tikki’s reaction would be if he even considered the idea. No, it was best that those Miraculi stayed in the box, along with Duusuu who was still healing from being damaged and misused. He would consider Mlle Tsuguri and M Couffaine again as heroes, after all he was intimately familiar with making a mistake, and they made a mistake but they were trying to do the right thing. They were also Marinette’s most trusted friends, she trusted them with her secrets and her friendship, that was enough for Fu. Though he would still test them to see if they could handle being heroes once more. Adrien...Adrien he didn’t know what to do with. With everything that happened he had no way of knowing if their talks did anything. He hoped beyond hope they did because he truly believed that Adrien was a good kid at heart.

“Look who’s here guys! Timebreaker! What are you doing here? You going to bully us until we disappear too?” Fu heard and he immediately looked up to see a young girl with pink hair surrounded by a couple of other kids her age. He recognized her...ah yes, Alix Kubdel, Marinette had spoken of her a couple times when she told him of her friends and school.

“Careful guys, I wouldn’t touch her, what if we vanish if we do?” One of the girls in the group said with anything but fear in her voice.

Fu frowned and pushed himself up to stand, he couldn’t stand the way the group laughed and seeing as no one else was going to interrupt, he would. “What is this? École?” He paused and saw a girl with long blonde pigtails and a parasol and another with a bob of black hair. He recognized them too, the weather girls from TV that Kaalki liked to watch, Aurore Beauréal and Mireille Caquet.

“Oh back off Aurore.” One of the boys of the group of teasing teens scoffed.

“How about you back off Jackson,” Mireille said which seemed to surprise the lot, “You’ve seen what words can do. We all have.”

“Mireille is right.” Aurore announced, her voice demanding attention. “We are lucky that Hawkmoth is gone, but that does not mean you get to treat people like place mats. Any of you. Just because your victims can’t turn into puppets of a madman to get revenge on you anymore doesn’t give you the right to act like crétins. Shame on all of you.”

“If you insist on acting like children in école, maybe we should just call your parents and let them know how you are behaving. I’m sure they would love to know.” Mireille said with an innocent looking smile.

Fu smiled when the group grumbled and walked away from Mlle Kubdel, he watched as the two weather girls looked her over and spoke to her before the young girl shouldered past them both and ran. The girls looked devastated but all Fu could think of was how heroic it was for them to step up like that. “Heroic indeed…” He mumbled to himself.

[soulmate-game]

Continuation of the story from Day 1, because you guys requested it enough that I started Thinking, lol.

Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month 2020

Day 3: Siblings

—*—*—*—*—*

Dinner. One day after meeting her father for the first time. She had managed to postpone any sort of… socialization and emotional bonding, during their meeting earlier for everyone to choose from Marinette’s initial sketches for them and generally consult some more, by once again steamrolling everyone with Professionalism and Business Marinette.

But no longer. She couldn’t escape. Staring at a giant wooden, elaborate door like it was her pathway to Prison—

“Stop dramatizing everything in your head, Mari,” Adrien fondly scolded, gently rapping the side of her skull with one knuckle. “I got things to do, for your company I might add, so I can’t stay. But, you’ll be fine,” he leaned in, smirking at her and winking as he lowered his voice. “Besides, you’ve been through way worse than a little family reunion, Bugaboo. You’ve faced down way scarier people than the Waynes. You got this,” he encouraged before giving her a solid clap on the shoulder and a chaste kiss on the cheek, walking back towards their sleek but understated dark red car. Rented, of course, for the business trip, but nonetheless very nice.

Adrien had driver’s licenses for just about every major country. Marinette stopped questioning it a while ago.

She waited until he was gone before throwing her hands up. “Scarier people, he says. Like the Bat clan isn’t known for being some of the most intimidating heroes and vigilantes in the spotlight,” she grumbled. When she turned around, it was to the door already being open, and she jumped a bit in surprise. She hadn’t heard anyone answer the door, but sure enough Alfred Pennyworth stood there holding the door with a small smile, with Bruce Wayne and all of Marinette’s siblings gathered behind him. At least this time, nobody had their spouses or children. Every one of them was smirking, some more sharply than others (Damian).

“Would you like to come in, Miss Dupain-Cheng?” Alfred asked, waving his hand to gesture to the fact that there was plenty of room for her to enter. Blushing, she did just that, taking a breath and forcing herself to actually look at the family she had just met instead of down at her glossy navy blue pumps. Jason, the man with the white fringe in his hair. Second Robin, current Red Hood, her mind supplied, spoke up with a grin and his arms crossed over his chest.

“You don’t look so suave anymore, little Queenie,” he teased. Marinette instantly made a face, screwing up her nose.

“No. That nickname is vetoed. One of my friend’s nicknames is Queenie, and not only will she never let me live it down if she finds out someone called me that, but, just no,” Marinette dramatically shivered. “Most of my friends call me Princess nowadays anyway,” she shrugged. “Adrien started it, and it somehow caught on. It’s too much work to protest at this point.”

“You’re not good with crowds,” the soft spoken woman, Cassandra, decided to add. Marinette winced, shifting on her feet even as she followed the group to the dining room.

“Ehhh. I’ve gotten used to dealing with press and stuff, to a certain degree anyway considering my alias. And wearing my Business persona always helps in consultations. But, I’m not…” Marinette bit the inside of her cheek, clearly a little uncomfortable as she looked around. “The best at… actually talking to people outside of my small group of friends.”

Bruce sighed as most of his kids chuckled or snorted at that. Dick, the oldest but second-shortest of the men besides Tim, came over and draped an arm familiarly over Marinette’s shoulders. He still towered over her though, so he had to slouch a bit to do so.

“Ah, that would be the genetics. Let’s hope you stay where you are at instead of getting as bad at communication as B,” he told her cheerfully. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“What about Damian?”

“He’s even worse!”

“Tt,” said teenager tutted, rolling his eyes as they entered the dining room and he was able to come up to Marinette’s other side. “That was mostly how I was raised before I met Father. I have gotten a lot better than I used to be, Grayson.”

Dick gave him a smile, graciously relieving Marinette of the close contact in favor of rustling Damian’s hair despite the fact that the younger Wayne was taller than him already. “Yes, you sure have! But you still need improvement, baby bird.”

Soon enough, everyone managed to get seated around the large dining table. Bruce insisted that Marinette take one of the seats next to him at the head of the table, across from Damian, since this was her first family dinner. Dick sat next to her, Jason across from him, followed by Tim and Duke on Damian’s side of the table. On the other side of Dick sat Cassandra, and then Stephanie. Alfred served everyone before also taking a seat at the table, on the opposite end from Bruce.

And, true to BatFam tradition, everything was a little awkward for the first minute or two. Marinette didn’t know what to say, and nobody quite knew where to begin. Dick would normally start a conversation, but he was trying to glare into Bruce’s head a silent message of “talk to her, damn it.”

Finally seeming to get it, Bruce cleared his throat and turned to Marinette. “So, I wanted to ask. When do you find out about being my daughter?”

Several people around the table closed their eyes in mourning for Bruce’s social skills. Marinette though, just smiled in slight relief at the decision of how to start talking being taken from her.

“Oh. It was in stages, really. When I was ten, we started our unit in school on genetics. I don’t usually care enough about science to do much more than the school requires, but genetics captivated me for some reason. I researched it almost obsessively at home for a while, almost instantly realizing that there had to be a reason that I had blue eyes when none of the rest of my family did. After a week or two, I found my Maman and Papan’s adoption papers in their room,” she blushed, tugging on one end of her bangs, which she had framing her face since she was wearing her hair down that day. “I uh… I’ve always been a little nosy. I never told them that I found the papers, to me it was just the answer I needed. I didn’t think about it at all after that, and my obsession over genetics went away. It wasn’t until I was thirteen that I decided to look into my birth parents,” Marinette sighed, shoving a bite of food in her mouth to buy her time before continuing. Everyone was focused on her, and it was a little unsettling. Every one of them had a sharper gaze than a normal person, and it made her feel like she was made of glass and everyone else could see right through her. “I was going through a lot, back then. I wanted someone to be mad at, I wanted to be able to blame my DNA for the things that had happened.”

“Things?” Bruce interrupted, back straight and eyebrows drawn down. “What things?” Marinette giggled, tilting her head instead of answering and just letting her eyes study him. Bruce Wayne, Batman, the Dark Knight. Original vigilante of Gotham city, one of the founding members of the Justice League. Famous for his secrecy, intimidating presence, and intelligence. Then she switched her gaze, one by one, to everyone else at the table before leaning back and taking a sip of her soda.

“Do you guys know anything about the situation Paris experienced for four years?” She asked, instead of directly answering. It was Tim who frowned, leaning forward to look at her and reply.

“I heard very vague rumors of weird things, but nothing concrete enough to investigate. What happened?”

Marinette hummed, deciding to sum it up for them. “The short version? When I was thirteen, a classmate of mine spontaneously turned into a giant rock monster and destroyed a good portion of the city. Turns out, that was the first of many attacks by our city’s very own supervillain, Hawkmoth. He had a magical artifact that allowed him to take advantage of anyone’s negative emotions to give them powers and brainwash them into being, essentially, temporary villains that he used for his own means. Two heroes showed up out of nowhere, powered by similar magical artifacts, to combat him and free the people he corrupted. Ladybug and Chat Noir, the original Parisian heroes and the leaders of the team that later had to form.”

Jason frowned, along with everyone else at the table. Finally, it was Duke who asked:

“How did we not know about villains in Paris?” To which Marinette just gave him a dangerously wicked smirk that was far too similar to Damian’s for anyone’s comfort.

“Because I do my job,” she told him flatly, sipping from her cup as everyone stared at her in various amounts of shock. “That’s why finding out that my biological father was Batman made so much sense. That’s why I wanted to find out who my birth parents were. I wanted to blame the heroism on genetics. And, it doesn’t look like I was exactly wrong.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Yeah, that was how her first family dinner and subsequent identity reveal went.

Luckily, considering that Bruce had hired MDC for a pretty long job, Marinette was able to finish school online instead of going back to Paris for it. There was no real need anyway, they had defeated Hawkmoth and gotten Adrien emancipated so for now it was calm in Paris. They didn’t need their heroes anymore, for the time being. This meant that Marinette and Adrien, along with a few employees that helped measure and cut fabric and do secretarial duties they needed help with, got to stay in Gotham while Marinette went back and forth to Wayne manor, Wayne Tower, and back to their temporary home.

After about a month, Marinette was comfortable enough with the Waynes that she found herself lounging in the bat cave as she sketched, though she kept raising her eyes to the glass tubes that held old uniforms. Damian was sat across from her, essentially laying out over two chairs while he played some game upside down on his phone. He might usually be a cold brat, even for a sixteen year old, but even he liked to abuse the way furniture should be used and ignore the world via technology.

But he still caught her constantly wandering gaze.

“You don’t like them.”

“They suck!” Marinette immediately agreed, slamming her sketchbook on the metal briefing table. “Your Robin outfit is the only passable one there is! The colors aren’t even the issue, even high fashion designers can appreciate a good color clash moment. But what was Father thinking?! Putting Grayson in that glorified onesie— why are there no pants?! Jason’s at least as a cape that can cocoon his body and prevent anyone from seeing the disaster beneath. I should thank Tim for at least upgrading the suit to having pants, but he still kept the outside-underwear look that I cannot forgive. The attempt at fashion, though, is appreciated. Disappointing, but appreciated.”

“That pretty much sums them all up,” Damian quipped, getting a snort of amusement out of his sister. Maybe that was one thing he had grown to like about her. She didn’t reprimand him for his sense of humor, and usually she even laughed along. The more morbid humor would get a playful shove and a glare, but no real animosity. And she understood him on a different level, too. One he appreciated even more.

“You said, yesterday, that the Cure brings back everyone who dies during a Miraculous-related incident,” Damian spoke up again after a moment, pointedly not looking at her. “Did you ever count?”

Marinette, this being one of the reasons he was quickly growing fond of her, immediately understood. She sighed, closing her notebook. She might have only been two years his elder, but she had had what felt like a lifetime of more experiences than he did, usually in the friendship and social department though. They were roughly equal in their heroism experience, which was weird to think about, but Damian still valued her input. It was different from the rest of the family.

“It was different in Paris than it would be for anyone else. I didn’t keep track of the number of people who died,” she finally answered, taking her hair out of its work bun and running her hands through the midnight black locks. “But I kept track of how often. Since nobody remembered their deaths, I guess I felt it was my responsibility to remember my failures for them. My former best friend, Alya. Over the course of those four years, she died seventeen times. Her boyfriend, Nino, died fourteen. The Mayor died three times. Chloe, my current friend and former bully, died twenty-two times,” she grimaced at Damian’s shocked expression, nodding grimly. “During those first two, maybe two and a half years, she was one of the primary Akuma targets. She was still either an active bully or in the beginning of trying to change for the better, so she caused a lot of negative emotions everywhere she went. Things got better once she matured a bit, though. Anyway, there’s this girl I used to babysit. Manon. She died five times before she was even ten years old,” Marinette shook her head, that look of age and exhaustion that Damian saw in every Wayne and every hero he had ever fought with seeping into her eyes. “My parents, they died thirty-seven times. They were constantly worried about me, and ran into danger on several occasions trying to find and keep me safe. But I could never tell them who I was. I physically could. I had the power to sit them down and say; Hey, I’m Ladybug. Stop running out and getting yourselves killed. But I never did. I valued my identity first. So I usually ended up seeing, in the middle of a fight, one or both of them squished under falling debris. Or drowned. Frozen solid. Burned alive,” she paused, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “So no. I don’t understand what it was like for you, to count bodies as you felled them. But hell, if it doesn’t feel like I should. Logic doesn’t mean much in the face of emotion, especially guilt. I know I didn’t kill the people I care about, but every single one of their deaths weighs on me like I was the one that caused it.”

Damian nodded, and they shared a few moments of peaceful, contemplative silence as they both ruminated on their less than pleasant memories without fear of being yelled at for what those memories contained.

“But, I do have a secret,” she admitted softly, attracting her brother’s emerald-eyed attention again. The normally cheerful woman was much more subdued even than before, sapphire irises self conscious and vulnerable, which was rare. She licked her lips, even more rare considering her love of her light pink lipstick, and moved off her chair so that she was, instead, sitting on the cold stone floor. Without hesitation, Damian joined her.

“Technically, it didn’t happen. It was a timeline that my friend, the one who I gave the snake Miraculous, essentially erased when he reversed time. But I remember it even though I shouldn’t. How could I forget?”

“You took a life,” Damian whispered, grimacing in empathy. “First time?”

“And the second, and the fifth,” she admitted. “Viperion had to try seven times before I stopped repeating it. But it was always the same person, back during our final battle. I killed Gabriel Agreste seven times. But nobody but me and Luca will ever remember.”

Damian and Marinette both knew it wasn’t the same as Damian’s childhood. They both knew that they would likely never fully understand one another’s trauma. Not the nuances of it. But they did understand the important parts, the broad strokes. Despite their vastly different lives, they understood the big parts that shaped one another.

That was why Damian took to her so quickly. If he had been younger and still bratty, naive, and angry at everything, then it would be a different story entirely. But he was matured, more willing to let himself feel sympathy. And that made the difference.

“You never forget the first person,” he remarked.

“No matter the age or timeline,” she agreed. “I saw how hard it was to stop. How sickeningly addictive it can be, but I hate what it makes me more than I like how it feels.”

“... me too,” Damian whispered. “Me too.”

—*—*—*—*—*

“Wooo!” Marinette cheered as she flew through the air, her hands latching onto Dick’s. There was no audience, but there didn’t need to be. Just the two of them, doing a routine that they’ve been working on during the few chances they had for the past several weeks. Marinette had never done trapeze before Dick helped her learn, but her time swinging through Paris streets helped tremendously alongside her general Gymnastics experience.

Marinette and Dick flipped through the air, swinging from bar to bar, Dick occasionally catching and tossing her again. They soared through the air, both curling through two flips before landing on their respective platforms with matching wide smiles. Marinette, chest heaving a bit since she was slightly out of shape (meaning that she wasn’t at all out of shape, only out of practice when it came to swinging through the air for any length of time. There’s a difference). She met Dick on the floor, who proceeded to ruffle her hair happily.

“That was awesome! Looks like you finally got the routine down,” he praised. She laughed, elbowing him.

“I bet I’m better on the balance beam,” she challenged, making Dick grin widely.

“Oh you are on!”

—*—*—*—*—*

“Ya ever died before?” Jason asked, making Marinette chuckle.

“Two-hundred and eighty-seven times.”

“You started as Ladybug at thirteen, right?”

“Yup. No training or mentor for the first year either.”

“Yeah, then that sounds about right. Wanna go break all the traffic laws?”

“Only if we take your bike.”

“Fuckin’ Duh. What else?”

—*—*—*—*—*

“You stalked Adrien?” Tim asked, smirking that insufferable smirk of his. Marinette groaned, flopping back onto the sofa.

“No! I didn’t mean it that way, anyway. I just took a lot of pictures and spied on him.”

“Yup. You’re Bruce’s kid,” he remarked, tapping away at his laptop. Marinette narrowed her eyes.

“You have noooo place to judge, Mister ‘Dick Grayson is the only person alive who can do four somersaults in the air!’ And ‘Yes, I‘ve known that you are batman since I was eight. Look at all these pictures I took when I— what was your terminology again?”

Tim rolled his eyes, but a grin was peeking through. “Yeah, yeah.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Four months later, and Marinette was staring down at all the garment bags she had painstakingly filled. Outfits for every single one of her new family members. It took a while, but they were ready for the Wayne Gala. Adrien slung am arm over her shoulder.

“You’ve outdone yourself again, Princess,” he praised, grinning at the array of coveted outfits they were about to transport. “But one teensy weeny, tiny little thing.”

“What is it, Chaton?”

Adrien grinned. “Do you have a dress for yourself? Bruce invited you, too, didn’t he?”

Marinette’s face drained of color, right as a knock sounded on the door. Adrien, seeing as Marinette was so far into Panic Mode that she could not be reached at the moment, went to open the door. A second later, plastic was all Marinette could see. Blinking, she raised her head.

It was Cass, holding out a pink garment bag with Marinette’s name on it.

“Thought you would forget,” was all the other woman offered as explanation. Marinette, after gaping for a moment, slowly took the bag from her. Cass smirked. “Present from WE.”

Marinette laughed.

“You guys are the best.”

—*—*—*—*—*

@momothefemur @ladybug-182 @starlightshield @trippingovermyfeet @greatcatblaze @sam-i-am-0222 @bluesimani @ruelukas22 @acoolspacegirl

[maanae]

The Court: Origins

Guess who wrote that instead of searching for an appart ? .-.

But kinda like it and I mean there's Hawkgirl so it can't be that bad (yes it's from the animated JL. I mean it's the best girl from that carton. Best. Girl.)

-

Ladybug and Chat Noir meet heros : Wonder Woman is the First (working in Paris ?) and she introduces them to the rest. Because they need help and decent backing. (shinanigans and awkwardiness are totally here, they're fans ok?) But it's a firm 'no' to any direct intervention from foreign heroes who doesn't manage his emotions (akumatized Superman... brr). But they need help. They send Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl. (Wonder Woman would have come, with her own ties with the Miraculous and all, but she's already the ambassador of her people so can't.) Immediately, there are results. Crazy the efficacity of training right? (Master Fu gets an earful along the way, heroes don't like this Gardian way of his)

Ladybug is still his apprentice but she has back-up so she doesn't drown and she trains Chat Noir in secret from Fu. Because y'know, they're p a r t n e r s! (Hawkgirl called bullshit on the inequality between the two and Martian Manhunter said it was a good idea so). Ladybug and Chat Noir totally plan to rope Nino in it too. The Turtle always have more Gardian-vibe than the rest because Protection and Nino is Nino so he's trustworthy. (He could be Grand Gardian in the future but Ladybug is a martyr if anything else and she doesn't want to overburden him. She works on that. (And Chat Noir works on the "self-sacrificing" bit of his personality. Hawkgirl called bullshit on that too)).

They don't know each other's identity but when Chat Noir flirts and Ladybug complains they know it's more for fun than anything else. Sure, they have a tiny tiny crush on each other but they're heroes (teenage heroes) after all, they need the comic relief please.

Marinette and Adrian are more busy than ever and it's hard sometimes but they're not drowning and it's better than what could have been without the Justice League so they manage. Sure, Marinette doesn't design as much as before and Adrian runs on three hours of sleep tops but they manage! Sure they're in high school now but they're in seconde and it can be a lot of work but it's also the year the most laid back of high school so. They can do it.

With help, comes suspects. Did you think Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl were here only as supports? They're might be not as detective-oriented as Batman but they have their own way to have answers. They're still heroes, even if they're not detectives. Chat Noir isn't happy when his father made it on the List and is a serious suspect. And he's not happy when Ladybug supports this theory with her own evidence either. And sure his suspects are believable too but he overlooks Gabriel completely and Ladybug is not impressed with him (Lila comes back at the same time and Marinette is not impressed with Adrien either.) Maybe their argument and all the yelling gave away their identities a little too quickly. Oups.

They ignore each other for two good weeks, in class like in battle, before Hawkgirl forces them to talk. (Communication is important kids). It's not a fun conversation. They somewhat forgive each other even if it's strain in the first weeks. But they work on it (because frienships too need work) and they come to it at least! And sure Hawkmoth landed some good hits during that time but they always win, good relationship or not. They're professionnals guys.

And maybe they become so close they're often taken for a couple. Except she gives him advices about Kagami and he's pushing her in Luka's arms. They're often saying they're more like siblings if ask. At some point Adrien is all but officially adopted by the Dupain-Cheng. (The Lahiffe tried but hey, a whole bakery. They can't hold a candle to that.) It was a happy few months despite the stress and the akumas and amoks. Even with Lila. (because the class isn't full of idiots, yes they find Lila great and yes her war with Marinette and Adrien is weird but they're friends either way. They just... don't go out at the same time with them. They take turns. They think of something to make it work. Because being friends with a whole class is cute but not realistic.)

And then there is a conversation who strucks odd to Adrien. Not even a conversation, just an off-hand comment. Barely a "make sure Duusu obey correctly next time". Just a few seconds. Adrien wouldn't have think of anything if he didn't exactly knew who was Duusu. Oups x2. He took it pretty bad. Poor Chat.

Their plan is simple - in theory (well, more or less, it's still Ladybug we speak of). A sort of "breaking & entering" with thief!Marinette and complice!Adrian. Martian Manhunter in invisibility mode scoots the hallways before the two and Hawkgirl is at the end of the formation, ready for all he can throw at them. Of course it comes crashing down. La faute à pas de chance like we say in French - they come during the Night of Hawkmoth (the one random night in the week where Hawkmoth akumatises someone from a nightmare - look, he needs to sleep to). So when Adrian lets Ladyfox enter, the illusions doesn't fool the high-security systems and he prepares. Time for Scarlet Moth to shine!

He doesn't go to the confrontation this coward - he knows they will kick his ass with their training and help of the Justice League. Nah, he creates several really destructive akumas. Y'know. Criminals and the such he carefully avoided before. Trumps cards! Mayura joins not long after. It's a massacre. They need help. Big help. Big like all the box. (And Not the Justice League because maybe Scarlet Moth isn't at his limit and they can't risk it.)

So they recruit. Rena Rouge, Carapace, Hornet (Queen Bee 2.0), Ryuko, Viperion, Bunnyx, and sometimes random people whom the kwamis sense they have a greater affinity than the other persons in their class. It's still bad. They die - a lot. All of them, except Bunnyx. The number of times she jumped from her Burrow to protect a fellow hero is... frightening. Sometimes she made them exchange their miraculous, to better suit their affinities and needs. It lasts three days.

They win! Somewhat. They're... not broken, almost, mourning their innocence and deeply hurt. But they're alive and Paris is standing and Hawkmoth and Mayura are not - yet - winners so. They take what they can.

Ladybug and Chat Noir don't take back the Miraculous from those who want to fight with them. Some people can't be heroes, can't have the mental for it. Others are desesperate to stop this. And others still are born for it - like them. Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter agreed to train them - they're not in their best mindset either (they didn't see so much destruction since their last world-ending event, it's not an everyday occurrence even for them) but they're adults, professionals. The kids need them so they help, of course. The Court is born, with new heroes and new names. Too many has been compromised during the battle to keep their old, and... they are not the same as before either. Dame Chance (Ladybug - Marinette), Cat Sìth (Cat - Adrian), Alya (Tiger - Tigris), Nino (Turtle - Shield), Chloé (Bee - Hornet), Kagami (Dragon - Kinryu), Luka (Snake - Ouroboros), Alix (Bunny - Bunnyx), Nathaniel (Fox - Renart), Allegra (Rooster - Mélodie), Bridgette (Ox - Niú), Claude (Horse - Kid Mime) and Alan (Dog - Gavroche).

From here, it's hell. Hawkmoth and Mayura send akumas and sentimonsters at a frenetic pace, sometimes switching with a Scarlet Moth Situation (not too otfen because it costs a great deal of energy but at least one on three days). Life in Paris is impossible, the city is lock down, the civilians need to stay home for their security and the heroes all but stop to live. They move in the QG Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter set up at the beginning and scheme. Identities don't matter (and that's an interesting conversation), sleeping, eating, all of that is pushed aside. They can't deal with distractions. That's also a interesting conversation. (Look, some of them don't lose their priorities. Sleep and food are not distractions. But go say that to Marinette, hah.) But nevertheless, their lifes are put on hold for their hunt (and training. the new heroes need it.) No need to say, they're on a fine line from madness.

It lasts two weeks (an eternity) before they attack. The battle is horrible - like all battles - and the Court is spread across all Paris to protect it from the akumas and sentimonsters. Against Hawkmoth and Mayura, it's only Dame Chance, Cat Sìth, Ouroboros, Kinryu and Martian Manhunter.

They win. Finally. And they sleep the month after that, because trauma (very much so), adrenaline and - just - their bodies shut down. Especially Marinette and Adrian.

-

Now, the Box is used as almost full capacity. Nino has the Turtle. So Fu is like 'cool, Marinette is ready!' Hence Marinette is Grand Guardian at 16 (joy. so much.) and as first decision names Adrian and Nino Guardians with her. Fu isn't too please. She doesn't give a flying fuck.

After Hawkmoth Alya, Nathaniel, Bridgette and Claude gave back their miraculous (they were heroes when needed but it isn't a life they want).

The next two years are a lot of juggling between training, learning, apprenticeship and heroing but nowhere near the intensity of their first two years.

Because the Court is still active. Even without Hawkmoth and Mayura (by the way Nooroo and Duusu are absolutely being pampered in the box), they remained active, help the police and all. Especially with the new risk of attacks from terrorists (they couldn't prevent the bombs, only help afterwards and that was... hard. Definitely more so than Hawkmoth because the Cure can't revive these victims. There wasn't any Miraculous involved - only plain, old, ugly humanity).

Btw the Justice League is on speed dial in case they need help for a magical/miraculous/world-ending event and because they're allies now but they're not part of it.

So yes they're heroes but they're teenagers too. Marinette and Luka date one year before they break up and remain friends (and maybe she has a little something with Kagami at one point. maybe), Adrien discovers preferring guys, Nino and Alya are still as in love as ever. They grow up, they graduate high school. Some stay in Paris, others go discover the world.

Alya made a name for herself with the Ladyblog and has a brilliant carrier ahead of her, already thinking of doing something similar to Lois Lane : war reporter, then specialising herself in heroics. She wants to be the best and knows damn well what she needs to do for that (Lila be damned). Chloé flourishes in New York, attempting business and politics degrees (nobody else see Chloe as Mayor of Gotham? I think it would suit her - a broken city needing her help and power. pretty much her). Luka makes soundtracks for movies and makes a name for himself ; in the same sector, Allegra joins the National Orchestra of France. Nino chooses a degree in the cinema, DJing in the weekend. Adrian works with Sabine and Tom, training to inherit, one day, the bakery - Gabriel crumbled with his father and he has no intention to ever build it back. Kagami trains for the Olympics. Alix goes for a degree in archeology - following her family and her miraculous. The comic series relating the aventures of the Court by Nathaniel and Mark is a huge success, assuring their own place in the world. Allan go to Japan for a degree in languages. Bridgette and Marinette goes to China to visit their family (they're totally cousins) and for their respective studies in communication and fashion.

Paris is heartbroken and very concerned when Dame Chance and Cat Sìth disapear but the Ladyblog remains active so they can explain that they're young, they want to learn to live in this world and they need to attends some Miraculous matters - but of course if Paris or the France or even the world need their help one day, they'd come back.

At 23, Marinette, Adrian, Nino and Alix take a gap year and go to Tibet. Because they're not civilians despite their somewhat inactivity and their Court is cool but they very much need to think about the future, the after them. So they need to rebuild the Order.

Oh. The League/The Untitled/a great bad. Coucou. (book 2?)

[dessarious]

Misconceptions, Miscommunication, and Misinformation Pt91

Inspired by @ozmav Maribat AU

AO3    Beginning   Previous   Next

Marinette woke slowly. Her head felt fuzzy and it was a struggle to open her eyes. Once she managed it the first thing she saw was Plagg, hovering and looking guilty. That couldn’t be a good sign.

“Why do I feel so strange?” Her words came out a bit slurred but she could tell Plagg understood by the way they wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“We’ve all been worried about how stressed you’ve been and the way you’ve been pushing yourself. Chloe and Tikki decided to help you rest.”  Marinette could only let out an exasperated, if fond, sigh. She was perfectly capable of recognizing her own limits no matter what they thought. Her mind flashed to the confrontation with Catwoman and she cringed internally. Yes she had a tendency to push those limits but she did know what they were.

“Let me guess they turned off all my alarms and took my phone so no one would disturb me.” Even as she said it she knew it was wrong. Plagg wouldn’t look guilty over that. Not to mention the sluggish feeling that wouldn’t go away. The only time she felt like this was… “They drugged me!”

“In their defense you were really out of it before you passed out. You scared them.” Plagg’s soft words didn’t penetrate right away through her indignation but once they did a wave of guilt hit her. She knew that Chloe especially had been worried about her but it was becoming frustrating. Everyone around her seemed to be asking her how she was doing or trying to do everything for her and she just wanted to be left alone. Chloe tried to tone it down and leave her to herself, but Marinette still felt how much the other girl wanted to help. Having so much attention directed at her all the time was draining. Because of that she’d been pulling away from everyone, even the ones she shouldn’t have.

“Where are they?” Plagg just pointed toward the outer room and Marinette struggled to sit up through the fog still trying to force her back to sleep. She hated allergy medication. “Could you move my chair closer to the bed for me?” Plagg just floated there staring at her and she had to fight not to roll her eyes. “I’m not going to do anything stupid, I just want to go talk to them.” It still took the Kwami a few moments to sigh and do as she asked. Marinette was pretty sure they only did it because she actually gave them permission to touch the wheelchair. She’d banned them from it after the last incident when Tikki had to undo the damage they’d caused. As she shifted from the bed to the chair she noticed Plagg watching her carefully.

“It’s rather impressive how adaptable humans are. For the most part nothing short of death keeps you from moving forward. You’re lucky enough that you don’t have to do so alone, but you really need to talk to the people around you more. All of you are ignoring things and trying to keep the peace but all it’s doing is creating distance that none of you want.” Marinette could only blink at the Kwami. It was rare that Plagg was serious, about anything, and she knew better than to ignore them on those occasions. Especially when they were right.

“I know. I just…” Just was used to doing things on her own. Just didn’t want to be a burden. Just was scared it would change things, and not for the better. “I’ll talk to Chloe.”

“I don’t just mean Chloe. You’re closing off from almost everyone. Unlike Tikki, I understand wanting to keep things to yourself, wanting to be independent, but you aren’t meant to live like that. You thrive with other people, not alone. Setting boundaries for people is fine, but right now all you’re doing is hurting yourself and the people around you.” She flinched even knowing that Plagg wasn’t being mean or even trying to scold her. They were just stating facts as they saw them. It honestly made it worse for some reason. The Kwami’s expression softened. “Tikki’s bugs always have an ingrained sense of duty and their insistence on secrecy and doing the right thing all the time doesn’t help any of you loosen up. You becoming the Guardian just added more stress. Despite all that, you need to remember that you’re still a teenager and no one can do everything by themselves.”

Marinette felt herself tearing up and could only nod. Plagg flew up under her chin and started purring. For all the little God had a terrible reputation they were the most supportive and forgiving of all the Kwami. They stayed that way until she could compose herself. Her head was suddenly clear as well. She’d thank Plagg for that except it meant anything she said to Chloe right now would be entirely her own fault.

“Damian’s not mother is here too. She’s been helping to make sure the two of you aren’t bothered.” Marinette held in a sigh of relief at that. It gave her a little time to try and figure out what she should say. “I like her. She’ll be a chaotic influence for you and she’s been good to my kit. Even put her parents in their place.” She couldn’t help but giggle at that. Granted she wished she’d been there to see it. Ever since the fashion show Chloe’s mother had been riding her to try and turn her back into a subservient subject. It wasn’t working but it was creating an extreme amount of anxiety for Chloe. It was one more reason she’d been trying not to lean on her too much.

“Well, I suppose I should go out there to thank her and introduce myself properly.” Plagg just gave an approving hum as she headed towards the door. When she entered the main living space she expected to be overrun but Chloe and Selina were both engrossed by documents on the table in front of them.

“This is a really well structured business plan from what I can tell. You should show it to Bruce when he gets here, or Tim. They’ll be able to give you better feedback and considering your goal they may even want to invest in it. Not to mention figure out how to do a run around so that your parents don’t know about it or try to get involved.” Chloe looked stunned at the praise and Marinette was just confused. She’d had no idea Chloe was interested in starting a business.

“You really think they would? I don’t actually need an investment. Even without my parents I have a decent amount of money from things I’ve done, and you can see the start up costs are fairly minimal since I’d be acting as more of a go between than anything else. But getting advice on how to structure things so my parents can’t do anything if they find out about it would be a relief. If my mother had any idea I was planning something like this… it wouldn’t be pretty.” Marinette had hated Audrey even before they started dating for the way she treated Chloe among other things, but now she absolutely loathed the woman for that uncertain tone in her girlfriend's voice. It was times like this she wanted to sick Plagg on the woman, no matter what Tikki said.

“Planning something like what?” Both heads snapped up in surprise at her voice but the uncertainty in Chloe’s eyes physically hurt. Had she really been so unapproachable that Chloe didn’t want to share something like this with her? Selina was the one who answered.

“Chloe has an amazing idea to connect customers with artisans and communities in third world countries. That way the people and communities get more, or any to be honest, of the profits from their work while still offering lost cost, quality items to people around the world. It even takes into account the specific economies in each region so that they don’t accidentally unbalance things and possibly cause an economic collapse in the process. It’s pretty ingenious actually.” Chloe’s face kept getting redder the longer Selina talked but Marinette could see how happy the praise made her. Between that and what Plagg had said about the woman, Marinette was ready to make her a new wardrobe as a thank you. Until she remembered that she’d be doing that anyway since she was Bruce’s fiance. She’d have to come up with something else.

“It’s just an idea really. There’s no way to be sure it will work without actually trying it.” Chloe mumbled her reply to the floor and Selina was frowning at her in concern. Seeing Chloe close off like this brought home what Plagg had said about how she was hurting the people around her. What a mess.

“Well it’s a great idea and if anyone can make it happen you can. You’re one of the smartest people I know.” Chloe’s face lit up as she practically launched off the couch to hug her. Marinette just held on tightly and made a silent promise, to both of them, to fix this.

AO3   Beginning   Previous    Next

Ko-Fi

Patreon

Tag List

@noirdots @valeks-princess @chocolatecatstheron @krispydefendorpolice @bee-wrecker @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl @northernbluetongue @paradoxal-occurance @scrumptiouslyelegantchaosqueen @sonif50 @thequestionablyhuman @persephonebutkore @elspethshadow @geekydragonyt @mmwolf1605 @da-tasuky @mjisntme @bluerosette23 @anjuschiffer @littleredrobinhoodlum @tazanna-blythe @resignedcatservant @schrodingers25 @seraphichana @persephonescat @punstoppablechatnoir @magicalfirebird @crazylittlemunchkin @corabeth11 @cyborgcandy @casual-darkness @shamefullove @miraculous-simmer7 @tamoni112 @cat181818meow @littleblue5mcdork @allthebooksandcrannies @enchanted-nerd @disneyfoxuniverse @fallinginthe-void @mandy984 @goggles-mcgee @fontegagrilledcheese @dorkus-minimus @theatreandcomicfreak @zerotosiki @ayuchan07 @mindfulmagics @urbanpineapplefarmer @winter-gardenflower @mooshoon @my-name-is-michell @melicmusicmagic @7-sage-7 @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @alicesangelofmusic @caffeinetheory @nataladriana9 @multplelifes @wanderingreader1019 @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @mvaree @redscarlet95 @storyteller-d @howabouticallyou @ginamarie1512 @kurogaya913 @tbehartoo @maddrag @two-faced-biatch @senyahgirl @unabashedlyswimmingtimemachine @iloontjeboontje @kakashixobito @welcometopradasa @amirahevens @amlesi @miraculousbelladonna @virgil-is-a-cutie @18-fandoms-unite-08 @cupcakeandkisses @angelofmusickaterinapetrova @book-r-the-best @dur55 @moonlightstar64 @fertileleaf @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss @thecaptainthunder @danielslilangel @novicevoice @nyaabinch @interobanginyourmom @welcometopradasa @charlietheepic7 @im-here-for-the-content @maya-custodios-dionach @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @starwindmaden @tired-butterfly @rogueptoridactyl @emeraldpuffguide @suzen23smith @yuulxd @animegirlweeb @alovelyocean @kris-pines04 @semaalcocer-blog @cadencehood @jardimazul-blog @shethecat @silent-storms-posts @simplysslytherin @tog84 @thesunanditsangel @dast218 @tall-and-angry @the-alice-of-hearts @captainmac6 @theyellowfeverexperience @chrismarium @alessialeone6997 @heaven428 @tinyterror333 @smolplantmum @lilyellowink @naoryllis @katiegardneriscoolerthanyou @magewriter @doodledeerest @athena452 @peachedpocky @tired-butterfly @risingmoonyue @lunammoon @mylife-demonstrates-murphys-law  @bobothyross @silvergold-swirl @loysydark @heaven428 @hauntedwintersweets @awesome-starfish-and-tacos @silvergold-swirl @rosesgonerogue @castielsofficialtoothbrush @myazael @aestheticnpoetic @creator-josie @sturchling @snowstar1016 @myblacknightworld @kittycatwowmeow @midnightkaito @chylou34 @hufflejournals @indecisive-mess-named-me @uwuteamleader @sassakitty @jessigurl-design @demigodgirl20031 @freshbark @soup-served-chilling @elmokingkong @unknownvsworld @thatonegaybitchfromschool @tis-i-beanbandit @damianette-is-life @peachesbackup @nobodyw8s4evr @the-fusionist @iwantwhirlledpeasandlotsatrees @chocolateherringtacofan

[agentofscifi]

Super Genius Marinette Ch. 2

I hand the taxi driver a few American bills as payment just after he sets down my bags on the sidewalk. I was right in front of the Avengers building, which had a small collection of reporters outside of it. The man smiles as he pops back into his car. I give him a small wave as he drives off. Swinging my backpack over my shoulders and I take both of my bags by the handle, wheeling up to the door. The reporters, for some reason, didn’t seem to notice me until I was typing my password into the keypad by the door.  

“Ma’am? Who might you be and what business do you have with the Avengers? Are you with the other children who have been seen entering this building?” A darked haired woman is holding a mic out to me, her cameraman fixating on my face.  

I shrug as the door opens up on its own. “There will be a press conference later this summer to answer all of your questions. That is all I will say for now.”  

I wheel my bags through the door, leaving behind the small gaggle, who were still attempting to ask my questions. A few of the workers on the bottom floors look at me weirdly as I pull my bags into the main elevator.   

“Hello FRIDAY, how are you?”  

“Very well, Ms. Stark. Your father is located on the communal floor, would you like to go there first, or visit your floor?”  

“The communal floor, please.”  

“Of course.”  

I pull up my sunglasses from my face and quickly pull out my phone. I sent a quick text to my parents back in Paris that I arrived at the tower. As The elevator dings at the floor, I tuck my phone back into my back pocket and grab both of my bags. I walk out the door into the general floor, high heels clicking on the tiles. Several heads whip around and look at me from the couches.  

“Crap.” One of the men, Clint Barton, groans. “Tony, your security sucks! There’s another Captain America fangirl up here?  

I raise an eyebrow. “Ok, first of all, I am not a Captain fangirl. He puts up a good fight, but he needs some serious wardrobe help.” Said man flushes at my words. “Secondly, the security is fine here, I helped set it up. Thirdly,” I look up at the ceiling. “Friday?”  

“Yes?”  

“Where is my Dad?”  

“Right here, my little genius!” My father practically runs me over as he goes to hug me.   

The people at the couches stare. “You have a kid?   

I pear over my father’s shoulder. The collection of Avengers were all staring at us with gobsmacked expressions. “Yes, he does. Who’s asking?”  

One of the guys sticks his arm up. “Sam Wilson. When did this happen?”  

“14 years and 364 days ago.”   

Sam Wilson stares at me with wide eyes, “So, you’re 15 tomorrow?”  

“Yup.”  

“Are you French?” Steve Rodgers decided to pop into the conversation at this point.   

“Yes, well not technically. Dad,” I gesture to my father, “is American. My Mom is from China, she moved to France to study baking. She married my Papa who’s ½ French. I did grow up in Paris, however.” Rodgers nods.  

Thor puts a large hand up. “Does this mean the other younglings here are your children too?”  

Dad sighs. “No. I’m mentoring them. Mari is my only child.”  

“And we were never told because?” Clint Barton is still looking between my Dad and I.  

I shrug. “I wanted a normal childhood. Being the daughter of Tony Stark would have made my childhood crazy. This was before Ironman and the Avengers became a thing.”  

Clint nods in agreement. “Fair enough. Why are you here now then?”  

“My little genius,” My father kisses my cheek. “Is starting MIT in the Fall!”  

“Oh, God. She’s a mini you!” I easily recognize Bucky Barnes from his signature metal arm.   

“But with better fashion sense!” I give all of them a winning smile.  

“Can we come back to Captain America needing fashion help.” The Black Widow is grinning from her place next to the couch.  

The Avengers all look at me with expectant gazes. Barnes looked all too happy at the topic. I simply shrug. “You look like America's 4 year old daughter after she’s finally allowed to pick out her own clothing. You were practically glowing, that outfit was so bright. It’s like you were asking for the enemy to notice you. Get a stylist!”  

Steve Rogers’ face starts to turn red. “It worked back in the 40’s during the war.”  

“No, honey, it didn’t.” Bucky and Sam are starting to laugh behind their hands. “People just loved you more than they disliked the suit.”  

Rodgers’ face is a deep red right now. “It’s an iconic antique.”  

“Then put it in a museum and leave it there.” Bucky finally snaps and roars with laughter. Sam isn’t far behind as he lands on the floor to roll around.  

“I’m sorry, who is the tiny french girl who’s verbally beating up Steve?” Bruce Banner is standing by the elevator with the most confused expression on his face.  

“Tony’s daughter, apparently.” Clint shrugs.  

“And Tony has had a daughter for how long?”  

“15 years.” I give Banner a bright smile. “I’ve read several of your papers. Your gamma radiation and nuclear physics work is amazing, but I preferred the stuff on Biochemistry. I have some ideas I was hoping you take a look at.”  

Bruce blinks a few times. “I-15 years-What kind of ideas?”  

“Bacta patches. I want to see if I can make them real. I’ve written out some formulas, but haven’t been able to really talk to anyone about them yet or test them out.”   

“Uhh...Sure. Bacta patches, like from Star Wars?”  

“Yup.”  

“Tony, your daughter is a fashionista and a nerd. I’ve only ever heard of such rare creatures.” Bucky was no longer laughing at Steve, but still looked too happy.   

“Technically, I’m a fashion designer.”  

“Tony, you daughter is a fashion designer and a nerd.”  

“Who has an IQ of 265!” My Father is smiling down at me, pride filling his eyes.  

A glass drops and shatters across the floor. “Holy shit!” is whispered from someone in the room.  

My Father ignores all of this. “Well, I’m going to introduce Mari to the rest of the kids. Carry on!”  

I give a small wave to the stunned adults. “Bye! It was nice to meet all of you! I’ll speak to you later Doctor Banner.”   

My Father pushes me into the elevator, leaving several flabbergasted Avengers. I raise an eyebrow as the elevator moves down a few levels. “You didn’t tell them about me.”  

He snorts. “And miss that interaction. That was so much better than I could ever have ever dreamed.”  

The door dings open and I’m suddenly in a smaller version of the top floor living room. There were 9 teenagers sitting around a coffee table, a variety of bags scattered around the couches and loveseats. All of the heads look up at me when I come in.  

The oldest male swears in english. “Damn it Stark, how many of us are you going to kidnap?”  

I raise an eyebrow and turn my head up. “Kidnap?”  

My father gasps dramatically. “Kidnap? I did not kidnap! Your parents practically threw you at me once I showed up.”  

One of the other boys snorts. “Aunt May is still angry about Germany. She said if you showed up at our house again, she’d throw you out the window.”  

My father shrugs. “Your Aunt is a terrifying force of nature.”  

A blonde girl rolls her eyes and walks up to me. A hand shoots out. “Gwen Stacy, I’m from New York and I’m 17.”   

I take her hand. “A pleasure.”  

The oldest boy sticks his hand in the air. “Harley Keener, Tennessee. Also 17.”  

The boy with a terrifying aunt gives me a small wave. “Peter Parker, Queens. 16.”  

Brown haired latina woman gives me a nod. “Anya Corazon. I’m from Brooklyn. 16, as well.”  

The last guy briefly looks up from the computer in his lap to give me a smile. “Ned Leeds. I’m from New York and I’m 16, too.”  

The girl next to him does even look up as she waves. “MJ. New York. 17. Nice shoes.”  

I glance down. “Thanks.”  

MJ nods, still looking at my computer. She nudges the guy on the floor next to her foot.  He pulls off his headphones and gives me a wave. “Oh, hey! Miles Morales. Brooklyn native. Freshly 16.”  

A girl about my age looks up from the small project in her hand. “Riri Willaims, Chicago. 15.”  

Lastly was a girl who looked even younger than me. She waves from her seat on the floor by Riri. “Peni Parker, no relation to Peter Parker. I’m from New York. I’m 14, but will be 15 in two months.”  

I wave back. “Hi, I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Stark. I’m from Paris and I turn 15 tomorrow.”  

Harley chokes on the drink he’d just swallowed. “I’m sorry, Stark?”  

I nod. “Tony’s my Dad. We’ve just kept it on the downlow so I could have a normal childhood.”  

Everyone one is looking at me. I simply shrug it off. “So, you guys are all going to the International Technology Showcase in D.C. this summer, right?”  

There’s several nods. “Yup.” Peni gives me a wide smile. “We’ve all got stuff to showcase. What about you?”  

“I’ve got my showcase pieces.”  

My Father claps me on my shoulder. “Ok, now that you are all here,  can give you guys a tour.”  

Ned shuts his computer and Riri sets the components in her hands down on the coffee table. I set my backpack on the ground as my father guides us to a door on the right. He flips on a switch to reveal a large game room, complete with several large TV’s and game consoles. “This is the Game Room.”  

He walks across the main living room and flips on another light. A huge kitchen with a large table sits in this room. “Kitchen and dining room are here.”  

He points up. “Bedrooms are on the next two level. Boys on the next floor, girls above them. All of the rooms have labels and there is a central living space where the stairs and elevator dump you out. The floor below us is a training room. The two floors below that are labs. Engineering labs on the upper floor and a Biochem lab on the floor below. We expect to see you all at some point, so don’t live in isolation.” Dad walks back over to the elevator. “Have fun, just don’t blow up the building.” We all watch him wave as the elevator door closes.  

It’s silent as everyone looks at each other awkwardly. I roll my eyes after a few seconds. “So, Star Wars marathon? Who’s in?”  

Ned and Peter immediately stick their hands up, to the amusement of Gwen and MJ. Riri nods. “I’m up for anything. What are we doing for dinner?”  

Miles shrugs. “I don’t know how to cook.”  

I roll my eyes. “I’ll order pizza. How does a Deluxe, Margarita, and a Meat Lover’s sound.”  

“You getting drinks?” Harley raises an eyebrow.  

“A couple two liters, some normal breadsticks and some of those dessert pizzas that look like someone dumped a whole bag of sugar and icing on top.” I get a nod from Harley.  

Anya nods. “I don't know what you all are going to do over the next hour, but I’m moving in. Pizza and movies in an hour or so?”  

I pull out my phone and start to put in the order. “Should work. I don’t know about you all, but I am putting on sweatpants.” I grab my bag from the floor and handle of my suitcase as I make my way to the elevator.   

Peter starts to pull out his wallet. “How much do we own you?”  

I shake my head. “Nothing.”  

Peter shakes his head. “That doesn’t seem fair.”  

I raise an eyebrow. “My Dad is a billionaire. He paid for a quart of strawberries with a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch. He can buy us pizza.”  

“A Jaeger-LeCoultre watch, serious?” Riri looks absolutely annoyed.  

“Stark just gave a bunch of teenagers 6 floors all for ourselves with no supervision.” Harley snorts. “He doesn’t seem to think everything through.”  

“He has FRIDAY watching us.” I press the confirmation button on the Pizza. “Pizza will be here in 45. But, ya. My Dad has FRIDAY and KAREN keeping an eye on all of us.”  

Harley gets a look in his eye. “We have babysitting monitors!” A scary smile graces his lips. “I say we revolt!”  

Gwen face palms, but it’s too late. MJ, Peter, Riri, Peni and Miles all look too excited. Frankly, so was I. “Anyone know a lawyer?” Riri is grinning now too.  

Peter sticks his hand up. “Mathew Murdock.”  

Anya seems to be getting excited too. “So, what are we rebelling?”  

“Baby monitor protocols!”   

Gwen rolls her eyes, but caves. “We need more than that!”  

I bite my lip. “We also need time. We need our own AI.”  

“How are we adding in our own AI to the tower?” Ned has his computer under his arm as we enter the elevator.   

“I helped design the security for this building. Once we have our own AI, I add them to the tower’s system. Once we’ve done that I’ll take FRIDAY out of our 6 floors and add in our AI.”  

Silence for a second as the elevator doors close. “Can you keep Tony out of our floors?” Peni is practically vibrating.  

“I can keep everyone off our floors.”  

Harley throws his arms into the air. “We revolt at dawn!”  

“After the Star Wars Marathon!” Peter and Ned have thrown their arms into the air too. Peni joins in with Miles and soon several teens are cheering in this tiny elevator.   

I blink a few times and van’t help the smile that forms onto my face. How did my dad find these crazy teenagers?  

Before ~~~~~ Next

[alexiessan]

Never alone - Chapter Four - Soulmate AU

AO3

Previous - Here - Next

Master List

For most of his life, Damian has been told by his mother and his grandfather that soulmates were nothing but a nuisance and a weakness. His mother told him he was lucky that he didn’t have any physical sign of having a soulmate bond, even if it was unlikely that he didn’t have one.

She told him that it would be better if he didn’t have one, but there was nothing they could do about it. At least, he didn’t have any way to communicate with them, which meant no distraction in his training.

Damian knew better than to express his opinion when he was in the league of assassins. He has been taught to repress his emotions, and he was good at that. Too good, even, but it didn’t mean that he didn’t have them.

The boy disagreed with his mother and his grandfather. He liked the idea of someone out there meant for him. Whether it was platonic or romantic, it didn’t matter. Growing up practically alone without anyone his age around, he felt a bit lonely. So knowing that someone was out there, who would be there for him and understanding, who would be his perfect match, it gave him hope.

A hope that he could never show as a child.

When he met his father and his brothers, and Alfred, their thoughts on the matter of soulmates were different. For them, the bond was something to cherish, to look forward too.

Damian preferred that point of view.

He still struggled with showing his feelings. Repressing them for years made some damage, and while he was doing better now, at fifteen, he wasn’t quite there yet. He knew that people around him thought he was a cold, emotionless teenage boy. He heard what his classmates said about him. They called him the “Ice King“, laughing silently as they whispered about how he didn’t have friends, how he would never find a girlfriend and spread rumors about him not having a soulmate at all.

He didn’t care. But his brothers and best friend did.

Jon would always try to defend him, saying that if you were brave enough to try to get to know him, Damian was a nice guy.

A blunt guy, without any filters, but still a nice guy.

Well, maybe not nice. But a good guy.

The son of Bruce Wayne would gut himself with his swords before admitting this out loud, but it made him happy that his friend thought so highly of him.

Like he said, even if he didn’t show it, he does have feelings.

So, when he met this dark-haired girl with bright, bright blue eyes and saw her eye change as their eyes met, he was happy, if a bit shocked.

He wasn’t prepared to meet his soulmate.

Especially not as Robin.

“You ok there, baby bird?”

Nightwing’s voice woke him up from his thought. His older brother was smiling at him, a hand on his shoulder.

Five years ago, he would have violently reacted to the touch. Today, he appreciated the gesture.

His brothers didn’t say anything about the change in him, but he knew from their smiles and the way they always tried to subtly touch him that they appreciated his progress.

One day, maybe, he would tell them that he was happy they were a family.

Just, not today. Not yet.

“Yeah, I’m ok. I just wasn’t expecting that.”

Nightwing laughed.

“I can imagine. A bit awkward that you met your soulmate as Robin, but I’m sure you’ll manage. So, what’s her name?”

Robin paused. Damn, he didn’t get her name. What kind of idiot forgets to ask for their soulmate’s name?

“Shit, I forgot to ask.”

As Nightwing laughed, Robin caught a movement from the hotel. He watched as a window opened and saw his soulmate looking down at him, waving and smiling at him.

She had a nice smile, he thought as he nodded to her.

“We agreed to meet at one though, so I’ll get her name then.”

“Alright. Do you want me to tell B?”

Robin thought about it. They rarely talked about soulmates as most of them didn’t find theirs. It would probably be awkward as Bruce was as bad with feelings as he was, but he should tell his father the news himself.

“No, I’ll tell him.”

Nightwing smiled at him. It was this ‘I’m proud of you’ smile that always made him feel weird, in a good way.

“It’s probably better that way. Nice eye, by the way. Blue eyes suit you.”

Unconsciously, Robin raised a hand to his left eye. He sighed.

“As nice as it may be, I have to hide it if I want the press off my back. I need to ask you something.”

Marinette looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was currently in the bathroom back in their hotel room as Alya was on her laptop.

It had been difficult to hide her eye during dinner with everyone. She was always repositioning her bangs, so much so that the reporter asked her what was wrong with her hair.

Now, it was 10 pm, three hours until Robin’s visit. She was lucky that her best friend was an early sleeper, if 11 pm could be called an early bedtime.

Then again, Marinette was a night owl, so she wouldn’t really know about healthy sleeping habits.

As the designer looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but stare at her left eye.

The eye that was now green, the color of her soulmate’s eyes.

It was a really beautiful jade green color.

The blue-eyed girl still couldn’t believe that she met her soulmate. And that he was a vigilante from Gotham, America.

That would complicate things. She always imagined, when she met her soulmate, that she would tell her parents right away. They would be so happy and hug her. She was sure her father would even cry tears of joy.

But she couldn’t tell anyone that Robin was her soulmate. If one day, he chose to tell her who he was — and she hoped he would one day, just not now, she knew all about secret identities — it would compromise his identity if people knew about her soulmate being Robin.

So, no. There was no telling anyone.

But she was so happy, she felt like dancing and smiling like crazy. She couldn’t repress her smile and the small laugh that escaped her.

“I’m so happy for you, Marinette!”

The tiny kwami was smiling at her, her big blue eyes shining at her holder.

“Thanks, Tikki. I’m happy too. I can’t wait to get to know him.”

The tiny god smiled.

“You’ll find that soulmates have a very special bond, Marinette. You will get attached faster than with anyone before, but it won’t force any feelings on you. It will be all you.”

She knew about that already. The soulbond made you attached really quickly, but it was pretty much all it did, besides telling you that this specific person was made for you.

The baker’s daughter looked at the mirror once more.

“I still need to hide that eye, though. Even if I don’t want to.” she sighed.

It was one o’clock sharp when Marinette heard a knock on the window. The girl looked at Alya, who didn’t react at all to the sound, still sound asleep.

The French girl opened the window and didn’t hesitate to the hand that Robin was extending. She wasn’t scared when he pulled her to him and only watched as he closed the window behind her, letting only a few inches open so she could open it later.

With his grappling hook, they were on the roof in seconds, the sensation not unlike the one she got as Ladybug.

They were silent for a few seconds before she decided to break it.

“Hi again.”

“Hi,” he breathed.

The fashion designer only smiled, struggling a little to come up with what to say next.

“Oh, I didn’t introduce myself earlier, did I?”, she asked, talking in English.

Robin shook his head.

“Then, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m fifteen years old, and I come from Paris. I’m here with my class on a trip for two weeks. And I guess we’re soulmates. It’s very nice to meet you.” she smiled.

Robin watched as his soulmate smiled at him. It reminded him of Dick’s smiles, the ones everyone called ‘Sunshine smiles’.

The vigilante looked at Marinette, really looked at her for the first time since he met her. She had bright blue eyes, one of them jade green now, that were shining with happiness. Her hair was black with blue high lights and he could see freckles on her nose and cheeks.

She was pretty. But there was something about her, he was sure that he’s seen her before, but where? He obviously didn’t look at her in the eyes back then, but she seemed familiar.

And he’s been silent for too long.

“It’s nice to meet you, Marinette.”

He tried, but he has always struggled with the French accent, so he was pretty sure he said her name the wrong way.

But she only smiled at him.

“I’m Robin. I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more than that… Ah, I’m fifteen too.”

“It’s ok, I understand.”

There was another silence then.

“Ah, I have something for you.” he finally said.

He searched his pockets and got a small white box out.

“I found contacts that should match your eye color, if you want to hide your left eye.”

She beamed as he handed it to her.

“That’s great, thank you! Not that I want to hide it or anything! I don’t want to! But it would be easier than to explain, and it could compromise your identity!”

“It’s ok, I know what you mean.”

His soulmate smiled and sat down on the roof. An idea struck him as he took his cape off and put it on her, pulling the hood on her head.

“Just in case some journalists decided to go on a night walk. We wouldn’t want you all over the front page tomorrow.”

She laughed.

“No, we wouldn’t want that. Thank you.”

He nodded at her.

“I know you can’t tell me who you are, but we can still get to know each other, right? As long as I don’t ask for personal informations that would expose your identity to me…”

He gave her a small smile.

“Alright, ask away, Marinette.”

Tag list:

@bigpicklebananatree​ @animegirlweeb​ @crazylittlemunchkin​ @northernbluetongue​ @cutechip​ @justafanwarrior​ @iloontjeboontje​ @resignedcatservant​ @maribat-is-lifeblood​ @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff​ @toodaloo-kangaroo​ @mikantsume​

[gryffindorcls]

Please Tell Me I’m Awake Right Now

(Part 1)

It had been exactly 1 month, 3 weeks, 5 days, 8 hours, and 17 minutes since Marinette Dupain-Cheng accidentally found out that Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste.  Approximately 10 seconds after that moment, Adrien Agreste discovered that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug.  (Not that Marinette was keeping track or anything.)

No one was at fault.  The Big Reveal ™ was nothing but a case of unfortunate timing.  There were no declarations of love, no tears, and no screaming.  It had simply been two teenagers standing in a hallway stunned silent after both their Miraculous ran out time.

There was an uneasiness between the pair immediately following the reveal.  However, thanks to a few pep-talks from Tikki, Marinette gathered the courage to start a dialogue with Adrien.  After a few stuttered words and awkwardly formed sentences, Marinette was finally able to invite him over for dinner.

Throughout the following weeks, Adrien had spent more and more time at her home.  Her embarrassing stutter lessened as she realized that she had been holding Adrien to an impossible standard of perfection.  She soon discovered that, in reality, he was (for lack of a better word) a dork.  

Watching Chat and Adrien’s personalities bleed into one incredible human being had been an amazing experience.  He and Marinette spent time playing video games, watching movies, and telling stories.  Marinette even convinced Adrien to learn how to make cookies.  He had nearly burned down the kitchen three times, and his cookies were more like rocks than actual food.  Nonetheless, it was still one of the best days of Marinette’s life.

Their friendship as civilians made their bond as partners stronger when fighting against Hawkmoth’s akumas.  They were unstoppable.  Marinette suddenly felt as if any obstacle could be overcome as long as she and Adrien tackled it together.  It was perfect...well...almost perfect.

Despite their newfound friendship, there was still a rather large elephant in the room:  Marinette’s unspoken crush.  It’s not that Marinette liked Adrien any less than she did before.  No, if anything, she had fallen head over heels for her amazing partner.  Seeing Adrien for all that he was made her long to be with him even more.  

The thought of not having him in her life now felt unfathomable.  He completed her.  Something was missing from her life when he wasn’t around.  The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she would do anything to see Adrien happy.

Gone were the days that she fawned over her picture shrine of Adrien.  All of those images had been tastefully replaced with photos that were taken of them together.  She no longer had a copy of his schedule hanging from her ceiling.  Instead, they communicated regularly, and he always told her where he was going to be.  

Her feelings now are so much bigger than the crush she had before.  It was real and big and scary.

Yesterday had been the last day of school.  To celebrate, Adrien came over to Marinette’s house to hang out and eat pizza.  

Adrien (being the affection-starved boy she discovered he was) fell asleep on her shoulder while watching a movie after dinner.  As the movie progressed, he snuggled closer and closer to Marinette.  It wasn’t uncommon for Adrien to cuddle with her when he fell asleep, and it was even more commonplace for Marinette to absentmindedly run her fingers through his soft, golden locks.  

While last night was no different than the now countless times Adrien had been over to her house, Marinette’s mind began to wander.  She pondered on how normal and right everything felt.  She realized that if she could just find the courage, she and Adrien could have so much more together.  

She realized that there was no way that Adrien didn’t have some sort of feelings for her.  There he was, cuddled against her side in a peaceful slumber.  She thought at that moment how much he must trust her.

Before the reveal, he had declared his love for Ladybug on multiple occasions.  Now that they knew each other’s identities, his flirting and teasing were still there, but it was laced with shy laughs and loving glances.

As the night had come to a close, Adrien woke up and sadly said goodbye to Marinette.  He apologized for not being able to see her the next day due to the multiple photo shoots and the “insufferable, stuffy party” that he was required to attend.  

As he hugged her at the door, he lingered and told Marinette that he needed an extra dose of her warmth to get him through his busy schedule the next day.  It was then that Marinette became almost one hundred percent sure that Adrien had to like her as more than a friend.  She spent the rest of the night and all of the next day attempting to figure out what to do with her revelation.

***

It was now 11:00 at night.  Marinette was no closer to figuring out what to do.  She didn’t think she was wrong.  Well, she really, REALLY  hoped that she wasn’t wrong.  If anything, she prayed that it wasn’t just her own wishful thinking.  

“What’s the worst that could happen if I am wrong,” Marinette thought, “Oh yeah, Adrien will hate me, and he’ll never want to see me again.  It’ll be too awkward to speak to him, and that will mess up our relationship as Ladybug and Chat Noir, and then Hawkmoth will win, and then Paris will burn, and then…”

“Hey, Marinette,” Tikki (thankfully) interrupted her spiraling thoughts, “you seem to have a lot on your mind today.  Is there anything you’d like to talk about?”

Marinette stared blankly at her Kwami.  Tikki had been there during her obsessive phase with Adrien.  She wondered what Tikki would think of Adrien potentially liking her.  Would the little being shake her head and smile?  Would she be supportive?

Marinette decided to rip it off like a band-aid.  Otherwise, she wasn’t going to get a good night’s sleep again.

“Do you think Adrien likes me?” Marinette asked.

“Of course he likes you, Marinette!  You’re friends and partners,” Tikki replied enthusiastically.

“No, Tikki,” Marinette stared at the Kwami, “you know what I mean.”

“Oh.”

“Just, oh?”

“Marinette, I thought you told me that you wanted to try being friends with Adrien after you both found out each other’s identities.  You’ve been doing so well.  You haven’t stuttered in weeks, and you both look so happy,” Tikki had a glint in her eye as she spoke with her chosen.

Marinette sighed.  “But...have you seen the way he looks at me sometimes?  And last night he hugged me for a really long time.  Also, we seem to cuddle a lot.”

“Do you want him to like you as more than a friend?” Tikki queried.

“Yes,” Marinette replied without hesitation.

Tikki posed a second question.  “Do you still like him?”

Marinette gathered her thoughts before speaking.  “Honestly, I like him even more now.  I always thought Chat was incredible, and Adrien is well...Adrien.  Now that I know they’re the same person, my heart feels...what’s the word….full?  It feels like I’ve finally completed this puzzle that couldn’t be solved until now because I didn’t have all the pieces.  Does that make sense?”

“Oh, Marinette!” Tikki clapped her paws together in delight, “I knew it would all come to you one day!  I’m so happy for you!”

“Wait, what?”  Marinette turned her head to the side.

“I learned a long time ago that meddling in the relationships between a Ladybug and her Chat Noir was never helpful.  I will always be here to offer encouragement, but you really needed to figure this all out on your own.  Trust me it’s better this way,” Tikki explained.

“So,” Marinette began tentatively, “Do you think he might like me?”

Tikki giggled.  “Marinette, he loves you.  I’ve heard from Plagg that he’s always admired Marinette even though he was in love with Ladybug.  Apparently, it wasn’t hard for him to start loving both sides of the mask.  Plagg keeps complaining about Adrien’s tendency to be a bit of a hopeless romantic, but I think he secretly likes it.  I know that Plagg is glad that his charge is finally happy.  He cares in his own way.”

“Really?” Marinette questioned wistfully.  Hearing Tikki’s confirmation made her insides melt.  She could feel warm, happy tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes.

Tikki laughed again.  “Yes, really!”

Marinette’s hands rushed to her cheeks and she spun in place.  Her smile was so wide that it was beginning to hurt her face, but she didn’t care.  She eventually flopped down on her chaise and clutched her hands to her chest.

“So,” Tikki began again, “what’s your plan, Marinette?”

Marinette didn’t need to think about her next course of action.  

“I need to go see him...now,” she responded.

“Well, I’m ready whenever you’re ready to go,” Tikki said beaming at her charge.

Marinette looked at the clock.  It was now 11:30, and she knew that Adrien had most likely just gotten home.  It was now or never.  She was doing this.

“Tikki, SPOTS ON!”

***

Marinette lept over the rooftops at top speed.  Her heart pounded loudly in her ears.  A confusing mix of nervousness and excitement churned in her stomach.

Upon reaching the Agreste mansion, she momentarily stopped before making her presence known.  Inside the room, Adrien was sprawled out face down on his bed with one of his legs dangling off the side.  He still had on his dress shirt and suit pants.  His left shoe was still on his foot, and his navy blue tie was balled up in one of his hands.  Plagg was flitting around his charge gesticulating wildly, and Adrien sporadically flopped his arms in what looked like a response to his Kwami’s pestering.

Marinette took a deep breath and knocked on the window.  Adrien immediately turned over and sat up.  As his eyes met hers a bright smile enveloped his face.  He bounded across the room, opened the window, and pulled Marinette into a tight hug.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, “I didn’t think I was going to get to see you today.”

Marinette returned the hug.  “Well, hello to you, too, Adrien!”

After a few moments, Adrien finally let her go.  He held both of her hands in his, and he gently bit his lower lip.

Marinette broke the silence. “Would it be okay if I came in and sat down for a bit?”

Adrien’s eyes widened in worry.  “I’m so sorry.  Where are my manners?  Of course, you can come in and sit down!  You’re not hurt, are you?  You’re okay, right?  Please tell me you’re okay?”

“No, Adrien, stop.  It’s okay,” she reassured him, “I’m fine.  I’m okay.  Nothing is wrong.  I just need to talk to you about something, but I wanted to make sure that you were up to having company first.  I know you must be tired.”

“Oh,” he said.  His expression calmed slightly, but a hint of worry still lingered behind his eyes. “You need to talk to me about something?”

“Adrien it’s not a bad thing.  Please don’t worry,” Marinette looked down and started to panic internally, “I’m so sorry.  I don’t want to worry you.  You’re probably tired.  It’s not a big deal...well...no it is a big deal, but it’s not bad.  Sorry...I...sorry.  I just...I should just go.  We can talk about it another time.  I should let you sleep.  Sorry.”

Marinette turned to leave, and Adrien gently grabbed her wrist.  

“No, please don’t go,” he pleaded, “Seeing you is the best part of my day.  Please stay.”

Marinette saw the sincerity in his eyes and whispered, “Okay.”

“Please, come in.”  Adrien gestured towards the couch.

Marinette dropped her transformation and watched Tikki flit away.  Before disappearing with Plagg, the red Kwami offered her an encouraging smile and nod.

Marinette made her way to the couch and sat several seats away from Adrien.

“So,” he cleared his throat, “you--uhm--you wanted to talk to me about something?”

“Yes!” Marinette said a little too loudly before correcting her volume, “Yes, I wanted to talk to you...about...uhm…”

Marinette’s voice trailed off and she swallowed hard.  She felt her breathing become shallow, and she fiddled with her hands in her lap.

“Marinette,” Adrien said softly while scooching closer to her on the couch, “are you sure you’re okay?”

Concern flooded his features once again.  Marinette knew that she had to just say it.  She couldn’t let him worry any longer.

Marinette looked up and met his eyes with determination.  She slid closer to him and took his hands in hers.

“Adrien,” she said with confidence, “I’m in love with you.”

 Next—>

AO3

Fanfiction.net

[sparklyaxolotlstudent]

Karma Chameleon Part 5

In which Marc keeps being awesome. Because he is. 

And Adrien... doesn’t come up too well in this... Sorry to his fans!

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

Marinette was exhausted. Hawkmoth had attacked Friday night –debut of Cocorico- and now Monday morning – Guest Starring Rena Rouge-. Did he not know weekends were sacred for a teenage girl? And now she had to deal with Lie-la and her lies. And the cold shoulder everyone else was giving her… except Nathaniel, Alya and Nino… and sort of Adrien. She was glad to have them (and Marc) on her side; otherwise, she was sure she would have been akumatized since the day Lie-la showed her sausage hair in class.

She remembered how she felt the first few days, how furious she was at how Lie-la had been all clingy and possessive of  Adrien, even with him being clearly uncomfortable… but she had found herself less and less furious each day, especially after remembering that Adrien knew Lie-la was a lying liar who only lies… and kept quiet about it. She had tried talking to him about that, but he only kept saying some nonsense about taking the high road and how no one was being affected by her lies, which really didn’t sit well with Marinette. She was at least thankful that Marc hadn’t been present that time, or he would have kicked Adrien’s shapely butt into next Friday. Adrien’s passivity was a huge turn off, and while she still had her crush, it was harder to justify his actions –or rather, inactions- even if he was being affected personally.

She also missed talking with Alya all day, but had to admit that having Nathaniel as a bench mate wasn’t so bad. He was funny, and although he wasn’t very talkative, they communicated through silly doodles. They also had bet on how long would take Lie-la to claim to be Rena Rouge (she lasted a week, and see how that turned out), and they were counting her lies. Her record was 20 in a single day, including starting a rumor about Marinette and Nathaniel dating now. Marinette had been slightly amused, Nathaniel was a bit annoyed, but surprisingly, this particular lie had made the others more talkative.

Juleka approached their table at lunch. Marinette, Nathaniel, Marc, Alya and Nino were eating together.  She asked them about the rumor (No doubt inquiring for her brother), just as Marc was drinking from his soda. The soda made a return trip through Marc’s nostrils and couldn’t stop laughing for a few minutes. After that, he was very overly dramatic, saying he wanted to be Marinette’s Dude of honor at her wedding with Nathaniel and other even more ridiculous stuff. Nathaniel was as red as his hair, and no one could contain their laughter.

Juleka got the joke, and after a phone call (which they were very sure was to Luka) she apologized to Marinette and Nathaniel for believing that rumor.

And then she got to school and the Lilakuma happened. By the time Marinette had returned from the locker rooms, the adults had done some damage control and had taken Lila to Mr. Damocles office, while giving them a little more of time to eat, since the Akuma attack had interrupted them, and they had to deal with Lila. Marinette was still amused that Lila’s name was technically “Lila Lola”, and even more amused that Chloe had used her bitch powers for good. Chaotic Good, but coming from Chloe, it was still something to comment about.

Marinette reached the cafeteria with Nathaniel (Alya was uploading the fight to the blog, and Nino was getting food for the both of them). To their surprise, Marc and Chloe were sitting together and talking in a civil manner. Marc waved to them.

“Hey guys! That fight was awesome! A shame Miss Mendeliev didn’t allow us to join you… But we were able to see everything from the windows!”

Marc was very excited and wasn’t even trying to hide it. Chloe looked amused at this over stimulated puppy she found herself with.

“Oh, I thought Chloe was awesome enough to sit with us, so I invited her” Marc said with a smirk. “Especially after taking out the Queen of Lies”

“Pfft, her lies weren’t all that good; a five year old could have come with better stuff.”

“Ah well, at most she was a duchess, I guess.”

“Whatever, I’m only having lunch with you guys because Sabrina is still grounded from siding with that Lie-la before” It was hard to tell, but Marinette couldn’t help but notice a hint of joy in Chloe’s words. Was she happy that Marc had invited her?

“What you did to Lila was wrong” said Marc in a deadpan tone. “You could have been meaner, Lila deserved it. ” He added with the biggest smile he could. If Chloe had been a closer friend, she probably would have been glomped into oblivion by the over excited puppy she found herself with.

“Thanks?” Chloe was clearly uncomfortable, but grateful. It was obvious she was struggling interacting with people in a normal way instead of her usual haughty self, but Marc seemed to be going extra friendly for her. It really helped that he had never been personally bullied by her. Marinette could even swear she heard Chloe actually laughing at one of Marc’s jokes, about Lila, but still.

By the end of lunch break, Chloe and Marinette had relaxed enough thanks to Marc, while Nathaniel was still his silent self –although he smiled and laughed a lot too. – The others saw the table with some wariness, as the sight of Marinette hanging out with Chloe was a bit disturbing, not to mention they still hadn’t recovered from the Lilakuma.

They returned to the classroom when Miss Bustier went for them to the cafeteria. Marinette looked around, and noticed some of her classmates were looking at them, trying to be inconspicuous of it. OF COURSE they were now realizing what kind of asses they had been. And probably were in awe of Chloe’s destructive powers. Not even a Cataclysm could have created such havoc.

Lila was of course nowhere to be seen, not even her things were in her seat. Adrien asked about her.

“Due to… her behavior… and the consequences it might carry, her mother decided that she will be attending another school… And grounded for a long time.”

“Is it true… that all she said were lies?”

“Unfortunately, yes. She never had tinnitus or a sprained wrist” Miss Bustier looked disappointed in Lila more than anything. The others understood the implications. Not only they had vanquished Marinette to the back for nothing, they had placed their trust on someone who didn’t deserve it, and had just played with them. Alya felt lucky that she had taken down Lila’s videos, Nino was glad he never got the time to make a demo for her. The whole class felt gloomy the rest of the day.

As the bell rang, the class went to the lockers to retrieve what they would need for the afternoon, and it was there that Adrien decided to approach Chloe.

“Chloe?”

“Yes Adrikins?”

“I can’t believe what you did to Lila! That was mean even for you!”

Marinette couldn’t help but turn to see them. The rest of the class that was still in the locker room also paid attention, even Alix, who seemed to be making amends to Nathaniel.

“What”

“I know she was lying, but her lies weren’t hurting anyone. It was wrong of you to call her out like that! And you even involved her mom and the teachers! I barely recognize you anymore.” The last part was said with a sad tone to it. Chloe was shocked to hear this. “I don’t think I can be your friend anymore”

“She just did what you didn’t have the guts to do” Marinette had never seen Marc as serious. “And for the record, she did threatened Chloe, so don’t even dare go with your ‘high road’ nonsense again”

“Again?” Chloe was confused. She seemed to have warmed a bit to Marc since lunch break.

“Adrien here has knew about Lila from the beginning, but unlike us, he didn’t deemed necessary to expose her”

“YOU KNEW?” Alya and Chloe reacted at the same time. Nino seemed shocked by this.

“Well… yes. When she claimed she was Ladybug’s friend, Ladybug herself appeared in front of us and yelled to her to stop lying.”

To everyone surprise, Chloe slapped Adrien. Not hard, but still it shocked everyone. Chloe’s eyes were watering, clearly trying to hold tears. She stared at Adrien’s shocked expression for a few second and then left, angry and confused. Marc and Sabrina went behind her.

“Be glad I’m more worried about Chloe than mad at you, Agreste!”

Adrien was about to protest, but found himself facing Alya and Nino.

“Adrien, you let Alya post Lila’s lies on her blog, potentially ruining her credibility, you let Rose write letters to Prince Ali, you let me get excited about meeting a famous director, and you say Chloe went too far? NOT COOL DUDE!”

“And just to be clear we are not blaming you for Lila ‘s lies, that was on her, and on us for believing them, but, seriously? We didn’t believe Marinette because we thought she was jealous. We didn’t believe Nathaniel because we thought he was acting on his crush on Marinette”

“I’m not crushing on her anymore” Protested Nathaniel weakly.

“Yeah, sorry about that… But Adrien, we wouldn’t have any reason to doubt you!”

“I just… Making a bad guy suffer has never turned them into a good guy.”

“Adrien, dude, I consider you my best friend, but that’s completely BS. By that logic, Ladybug should just stop fighting Hawkmoth!”

“That’s completely different! Lila’s lies were harming no one, and exposing her only made her become an akuma.”

“For the THIRD TIME. Even Ladybug said it was bound to happen sooner or later!”

“Yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me if they have to face her yet again sooner than later”

“Yeah, Adrien, I’m sorry, but I’m going to leave right now before I say something about you I MIGHT regret later or attract an akuma over that damn liar.”

The rest of the class agreed and left before anyone did anything else. Some shooting dirty looks to Adrien. Marinette looked sadly at Adrien, but before she could said anything, Adrien left, clearly annoyed.

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

Hopefully only one part left. Will Adrien change his ways? Will he be akumatized? Will people stop teasing Nathaniel over his crush on Marinette?

[trishmishtree]

live-tumbling my reaction to ml season 3 episode 1 (”chameleon”)

Spoilers and salt below

=======

Hearing issues? Really? after she'd gone around charming the entire school and making everyone adore her and obviously having no trouble communicating? I'd buy it more if she had vision issues. I always had to sit in the front of the room in middle school because my eyesight sucked.

Also, whose brilliant idea was it to pair Alya/Nino and Ivan/Mylene together? Does this teacher have no idea how teenagers work?

Oh never mind. Apparently it was Lila's idea to reseat everyone. But why did Ms. Bustier agree to it? Doesn't she have enough to worry about with kids getting akumatized every other day and students not showing up to class because they have to fight crime? Does she really want to deal with the rest of her students being too busy chatting up their friends/SOs to pay attention in class, which is exactly what happens with this kind of seating arrangement?

You know what would make more sense? Putting this episode in season 2. Lila only showed up in the finale, even though they alluded to her being in their class before.

"You have a hearing issue, Lila?" Marinette asks, her voice at a normal volume. "Yes I suffer from tinnitus a constant ringing in my left ear etc. etc." Lila replies, apparently having no trouble hearing Marinette at all. For a "good liar," she's really, really dumb.

Also, they make it sound like everyone already knows about her "hearing issues" except Marinette, even though Lila's apparently been in their class for a while now. Why is the writing for this show so fucking lazy?

Remember during Origins when Alya confronted Chloe, asking her "Hey, who made you queen of the seats?" I feel like that might apply to Marinette right about now.

(This reaction has been mostly salt so far because I hate Lila [as a character, not as a person] and can't understand why she keeps getting shoehorned into the show, and I hate how Marinette acts when she's jealous about Adrien and how her characterization is so inconsistent across episodes.)

Oh for fuck's sake, just akumatize her already. At least then something interesting will finally happen. I'm sick of this status quo that the show seems to be allergic to changing.

I feel like I've talked about this before, but if the akumas aren't customized and can land on just about anyone anytime, why does Hawkmoth wait for someone to get pissed off before making one? Why doesn't he just cast one out every morning and wait for a nibble?

Ooh, cool. First look at the school cafeteria. (Where is it in the school though? It kind of looks like it might be on the top floor...)

Oh, now she has a wrist problem, too?

Has anyone referred her to a psychiatrist yet? You know, for her anger issues and her malingering/factitious disorder?

Okay, this makes even less sense. According to Marinette, Lila has literally only been at their school for a day, and that was during Volpina. So when the fuck did the rest of her class find out about her hearing issues? And how do they still remember it after she spent all of season 2 "traveling the world"?

Alya and Nino have a point that Marinette's being ridiculous. But at the same time, it's really not like them to not believe her and throw out whataboutisms to derail her. It's almost like the show writers have no idea how to write consistent characters, so every character on the show just exists there to throw out dialogue when it's convenient for plot.

(Where's Chloe in all this? I'm still waiting for the catfight that will happen when Lila inevitably trash talks Ladybug in front of Chloe.)

I know the point of this episode is to teach Marinette that it's really not worth it to get down in the mud with Lila (i.e. take the high road/sometimes it's okay to mind your own business if the other person isn't really hurting anybody), but I feel like this is something she should have learned a long time ago. Like, in season 1. Why bother with "character development" that you're just going to throw out the window by the time the next episode rolls around when it's the fucking third season now? That ship sailed a looooong time ago, and all you're accomplishing now is regressing Marinette as a character in order to build her back up to baseline. That's just shitty writing.

Interesting how Lila is baiting Marinette and making her look bad in front of her friends, and then extending her a peace offering.

I have a new theory: Hawkmoth noticed that Ladybug shows up really really fast when the person akumatized is a student at Francois Dupont, particularly when the victim is in the same class as Chloe Bourgeoise. The only 2 people in that class who haven't been akumatized yet are a) his son and b) that fashion designer girl, so he's sending Lila in to try and piss them off to see if he can tease out the identity of Ladybug.

That, or they're making Lila as obnoxious as possible so that fans won't protest when Marinette and Chloe become friends.

"Uhhhh I'm still here if you still need help catching up with schoolwork?" Finally a voice of reason! Adrien already knows that Lila's manipulative, so he just cuts to the chase and offers his friendship and a chance for her to be honest with him. And when she storms off because she can't manipulate him, he feels pity for her but he doesn't bother chasing after her because he's not interested in dealing with her shit.

Well, I guess it's a good thing that neither the akuma nor HM can sense Tikki's presence.

I guess he decided to give up on Marinette. Not a bad idea, really. This is the 3rd time he's failed to akumatize her (twice today and once in Zombizou) now.

But if Lila's angry all the time, and she's been in Paris all along, then why doesn't he just use her as his champion all the time? It's way more convenient that way, plus she's actually willing to help him.

Wait, so Lila's new akumasona is....herself?

Never mind. This is even weirder than her Volpina powers. It's like Princess and the Frog meets reverse-Sleeping Beauty.

And I guess it makes sense that she's using Adrien to go after Marinette.I

I wonder where her corrupted earring went after she transformed into Adrien though.

It is...REALLY weird watching Not-Adrien jump around the rooftops of Paris in his civilian clothes.

LMAO of COURSE Lila goes back to the Eiffel Tower.

(Can we leave her up there again at the end of the episode?)

What is she trying to accomplish here? I thought she'd pretend to be Adrien to mess with Marinette, but it looks more like ADRIEN is the one she's pissed off at, so she's making him look like an asshole to ruin his reputation in Paris. (And how is Gabriel letting her do this? I get that he's a shitty father and doesn't give a fuck about Adrien beyond making sure the kid is alive and breathing, but you'd think he'd be more concerned with the PR nightmare that's starting to brew around his fashion empire's most recognizable model.)

Well, I hope his voice actor is having fun messing around and not acting like the standard mopey and sad Adrien for once.

I'm glad that Ladybug saw through the disguise right away. But where IS the akuma, if Not-Adrien isn't wearing the earring?

What's up with the real Adrien waking up all of a sudden? Was the spell only temporary?

I would make a comment about being annoyed that Chat Noir got taken out again and served as nothing but a meat shield YET AGAIN, but whatever. It's only temporary.

I wonder if Not-Chat Noir's transformation will wear off in 5 minutes after the Cataclysm. Copy Cat had a time limit, but Queen Wasp was able to use her special Miraculous power as many times as she wanted.

I like how Lila hates Ladybug so much that she'd rather chase her down than grab the ring off an unconscious Chat Noir, even though it would only take her two seconds tops.

Aaaand we're back at the Eiffel Tower. Because of course we are. Lila had better get stuck up there again.

Seriously, WHERE IS THAT AKUMA? WHERE DID THE EARRING GO?

Wait, kissing an inanimate object turns Chameleon into that object? Or was that oyster alive? Is the real oyster asleep now? Can oysters kiss, or is she stuck as that oyster forever?

(Why does it have to be a kiss anyway? Did they only do that so they could show Lila kissing Adrien in the episode promo? Why couldn't she have a magic projectile shooting wand or something like Frightningale or Style Queen? That would be way more efficient and she wouldn't have to fight to shove her face close to anyone else.)

(Oh wait, no. Lila was watching from the window when Marinette kissed Adrien at the picnic at the end of Mayura. She must have specifically chosen kisses as Chameleon's special power as payback for that.)

"You sure got that supervillain to clam up." That.........was a terrible pun. I'm sorry I laughed. If you told me that pun in real life, I would refuse to look at you.

Wait, so if she hadn't turned Chameleon into an oyster, then where would the akuma have been??????

Oh, right. Adrien figured it out it was Lila already.

Wait, so what was the shirt for? (Disclaimer, I know nothing about how pearls are harvested. Do they need a towel/cloth to put the oyster on? Fuck if I know)

AHAHAHA, glad to see Nino got his cap back.

......I hope that comment about wanting to be Ladybug's friend is a reference to the end of Volpina, and not to the conversation she had with Marinette in the bathroom.

So she didn't get left on top of the Eiffel Tower again, since they fell off of it. But I guess getting left on a seafood stand under the Eiffel Tower is close enough.

Hey, I know that you (the writers/show creators) have promised an even scarier, more powerful threat than Hawkmoth in the new season. But you do realize that having Lila do the death glare like "oooh i know more than i'm letting on" after Ladybug leaves doesn't make her any more menacing as a villain, right? I'm still not going to take her seriously. She's a shit character, and the only reason she's even relevant is because you need a mean girl character now that Chloe's a good guy. Even though you could just make Chloe revert to being awful again. It's not like you've ever had an issue with writing characters inconsistently and having them lose any growth they had before.

Yay, words of wisdom and a voice of reason from Adrien.

(Now watch Marinette un-learn all of this by the time episode 2 rolls around.)

Again, unless Lila has figured out that Marinette is Ladybug, I don't give a shit about her as a villain. Her "evil" face at the end just looks like she has some kind of facial paralysis issue going on (hey, maybe early-onset Parkinson's can be next on her list of ailments that requre special attention). And "you and I are at war"? Really? Has the person who wrote that line ever interacted with a teenage girl before? Is that really how you think they fight with each other? How do you expect anyone to take that line seriously?

8/10. Overall, not a bad episode at all. I did have to dock a point off for having Lila in it, and another point off for everyone (except Adrien) acting out of character. But the voice acting was fine, and the villain powers were interesting, and the fight scenes were cool, and Ladybug's strategy for ultimately defeating the villain was actually brilliant.

tl;dr "It's like Princess and the Frog meets reverse-Sleeping Beauty."

[dfcfanfics]

Howling Into The Wind About 2018

(Or: My first State of the MiraculElse Address. This is a text rant, not a story, so if you're not up for that you should not feel bad about pressing F to show respects and skipping it.)

I started writing fanfiction this past spring -- not just for the Miraculous universe, but period. It had been a very long time since the creative writing bug had bitten me, unless annoying people on message boards and Twitter counts. Long enough ago that the last time I'd dabbled in anything resembling that, it was on Usenet, back when Usenet was an actual communication medium and not just a transmission vector for spam and porn and binaries.

Those of you young enough to ask "What's Usenet?" are forgiven. Suffice it to say that I am olde. Old enough to be a grandfather to a few of you, and a Weird Uncle to most of the rest.

I am old, and writing fanfiction for what is at least nominally a kids' show. Yes, my wife gave me a bit of a funny look when I told her that, and yes, she should've. (She's watched some of Season 2 with me and enjoyed it; she thinks Marinette is unbearably cute and liked the humor in it. But I'm handling the obsession part for the two of us.)

Why? As my profile pages state, it's a love letter to this show and its creators. Even within the frustrating framework of 22-minute non-serial episodes with nearly no defined running order, flaky continuity and scheduling snafus, it's a marvelous show with a ton of heart at its core. The characters crack me up and remind me of some of my own teenaged battles with unrequited love, back in the dark ages. It should have stopped there, if I was a rational person.

But I read the leaked half-transcript to Troublemaker and thought, Hmmm, I bet I could take that somewhere interesting! I read a couple of flailing attempts at fanfic that someone posted on Reddit and thought, with egotistical glee, I could do better than THAT!

And so I did. I lashed together what became Summer Break, put it up on FFN, and figured that three people would say "that's nice" and it would disappear and I would go back to being a normal old fart.

But people seemed to like it! And that encouraged me to start writing a handful of "episodes," canon-respectful one-offs meant to mimic the status-quo, 22-minutes-and-we're-out format. They got nice feedback as well. "What if I did a multi-parter?" I thought, and I tried it. THAT got nice feedback, including people clamoring for more of it when I posted the last chapter. (And here I thought I'd already rambled on with it too long! Maybe... I was getting the knack of this?)

A discussion about a theme in that story inspired me to write The Marinette Project... and its fan reaction EXPLODED beyond my wildest dreams. I watched all the numbers go up on FFN and AO3 and couldn't believe my eyes. I still can't. (I remember showing my wife when it hit 5000 views on FFN and losing my mind over that. It's at eleven times that now, and ten thousand hits on AO3 (where hits are counted more rationally than FFN's system). Who ARE you people?)

Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright followed. I figured that this was going to be a short thought experiment, dabbling in non-canon with an AU Kwami personality and a generic villain and my usual piles of fluff and one-liners and references. But people _loved_ the Kwami I'd invented, the villain took on a distinct personality of her own, and before I knew it four chapters turned into nine and I had another hit on my hands.

My current project (Let's Take It From The Top) was probably overambitious from the start, and it's never found the same kind of audience as the last two. But it's been fun to write, and those who have read it have enjoyed it, and that's good enough for me.

"So what?" flits through the reader's mind at this point, either in the form of "I already knew all of that" or "Get to the point, you old fart."

The point is: Once you get past the reference to my Summer Break story above, NONE OF THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. None of it was anticipated by me. I had no idea that I was going to turn the corner from "a guy who wrote a short story once" into A Writer.

You and people like you made that happen. The response to everything I have put out there (even the two crackfics!) has absolutely blown me away from the start. It's been overwhelmingly positive and every last word of it has been appreciated. I've read my PMs and comments and reviews and grinned from ear to ear. I've laughed out loud, I've gotten good ideas and interesting speculation, I've acquired some regulars, I've had many requests for sequels, I've had others recommending my stories, and my mind is absolutely BOGGLED. Boggled, I say. I shake my head and letter dice fly around and people make words from them.

(Those of you too young to know the "Boggle" word game are, of course, excused again.)

I was particularly astonished when something legitimately mindblowing happened twice -- other people made their own creative responses to something I had written.

@yunyin did me the considerable honor of sending me a pair of images, one a depiction of a scene from Let's Take It From The Top, the other a portrait of La Tigresse from Tyger, Tyger. My first fanart ever! My post gushing over them is still on my main page, so if you haven't seen them, scroll down and marvel at them. I'll wait.

Not long after, @brittsarts reached out to me and blew my mind when she asked permission to do a comic version of Tyger, Tyger. (As if I was going to say "please, no, DON'T pour your heart and soul into bringing my characters to life in a visual format!") She has been doing a wonderful job of interpreting my story and making it come alive, and that comic is the reason why 95% of the Tumblr followers I have found me in the first place.

So here I am. I am banging out the ending to Let's Take It slowly and steadily, concluding my longest story to date. I am debating which of several ideas will be the one I tackle next. I am checking my comments and PMs and reviews on FFN and AO3 more often than is healthy, because every time something pops up there it warms my heart. I am still wondering how I got to this point. And to all of you who've read my stories, enjoyed them, and encouraged me in all these ways and more to keep creating them:

Thank you so much.

And now, off to bed because I remain an old fart who needs his sleep.