#and that she should have known that gabriel would be terrible

[buggachat]

Half the fandom thought Gabriel had standards and would never knowingly hurt Adrien

For all we know, Nathalie thought this would stop Gabriel

I mean we dont see anymore of her afterward

(this is about Chat Blanc)

YES, that's exactly it. I don't think it's fair to assume that Nathalie knew that finding out Chat Noir was Adrien would make Gabriel double down. I think it's completely plausible that she thought it'd make Gabriel... I don't know....... reconsider his actions? Give up? Maybe even just have a gentle talk with Adrien and come clean to him about everything and ask for his help?

Mayura was not present during the Chat Blanc fallout, and considering everything we know about Nathalie, I just don't believe that she was in support of the Chat Blanc thing / believed that Gabriel was capable of that.

I mean, hating Nathalie or seeing her as irredeemable is still totally fair because she's done a lot of fucked up shit, but I don't think "Nathalie, in a state of shock, informed her almost-lover that he was unknowingly battling his son" is as clearly malicious as a lot of people took it. I dunno.

[lordmartiya]

Second day, second chapter in this love story. You have no idea how much I laughed when I read this prompt, or while I was writing this...

Day 2: Fake Dating

The last two days had been terrible for Marinette. Her secrets had caused Luka to be Akumatized and then forced them to break up, and then, after Kagami too was Akumatized for other reasons, her friends had been Akumatized for trying to help her just that hard.

She thought she had found a way out of her maddening stress by admitting her secret to Alya, but she also had to explain that no, Lila wasn’t Ladybug’s best friend, the interview was a lie… And her friend was PISSED.

“Calm down!” Marinette told her, interrupting her tirade of what sounded like Antillean Creole cusswords (she didn’t want to know what the ones that didn’t derive from French meant, thank you very much). “You risk being Akumatized!”

Wait a minute, the head in the trap door-

“I’ll have you know, I don’t have such degenerate grooming habits.” Lila said as she entered. And of course the teen traveler from Rome knew another language’s swearwords…

“YOU!” Alya roared. Then paled and asked: “How much did you hear?!”

“I opened the SOUNDPROOFED trapdoor as you started cussing me. I take you found out something I’m not supposed to know before the bit about the prank interview?”

“Wait, prank?” Marinette asked.

“Well, what kind of idiot would lie on camera while showing crossed fingers and expect to be taken seriously?”

As Alya blushed mortified, Marinette guessed it could have been to have plausible deniability. But before she could decide to voice her guess or not, Lila continued.

“And in the end it turned out a prophecy of sort, after all on the same day Ladybug saved me and we became friends.”

“Sure you did.” Marinette replied. “You’re here for the measuring, right?”

“Originally, yes. Though I just found out we need to start fake dating.”

Wait, what?

“Wait, what?” Alya asked.

“Well, you heard that Adrien and Kagami-kun broke up, right?”

No, they hadn’t.

“THIS. This is reason number one.” Lila said as she took a picture of Marinette. A Marinette with a surprisingly hopeful look. “As anticipated you are rebounding, and that’s unhealthy under normal circumstances, let alone rebounding on your old stalking target.”

“I wasn’t stalking him!” Marinette protested.

Lila didn’t say anything, she just moved her arm to indicate the many pictures of Adrien still decorating the room.

“She has a point…” Alya admitted. The traitor.

“The second reason is that Gabriel Agreste thinks you’re a bad influence on his son, and he did so even before I tried to convince him of it.” Lila continued. “Better give him the impression you aren’t going to try and date Adrien before he does something extreme AGAIN.”

Wait, again? Did Gabriel Agreste tell Lila to have her expelled?! Was her modeling job payment for it? Wait, this may be paranoia, better ask later when Alya isn’t around to try and kill Lila and get Akumatized in the process.

“And finally, the big thing, the one I know for a fact will convince you: Adrien’s fan club, the darker part.” Lila said.

“I’m in.” Marinette replied.

“What? Why?!” Alya asked. Right, she didn’t know.

“Certain parts of Adrien’s fandom are insane, criminally so.” Lila explained. “And it’s well known that Kagami-kun, the two of us, and Bourgeouis are the closest girls to him, and while Bourgeouis has all their families by the balls and can get away with stunts like last Valentine’s Day and they learned not to mess with Kagami-kun after they tried to harass her the day after they went public, we don’t have the reputation to scare them off. But if they saw we’re dating, we should be safe. Especially my knuckles.”

Alya’s palm met her forehead. She knew how she felt at the absurdity of the situation, having to pretend dating her enemy to keep herself safe. She wondered how Adrien would take it.

“Wouldn’t be easier to have the Gorilla take care of them? He used to do this kind of stuff, before Father poached him from uncle Colt.” Adrien asked as soon as he got them alone after they went public with their fake dating.

“She’s the daughter of a diplomat, she can’t take this kind of solution.” Chloè pointed out. “Otherwise they’d have already hired someone.”

“Bold of you to assume we need to hire someone.” Lila replied.

What did Marinette get herself into?

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

We're finally at the final (thank the gods)! Things that we talked about that I haven't seen discussed:

Nathalie trying to kill Gabriel is such bullshit. "You can't do this! You'll hurt someone!" Nathalie, you have known that since day one! You knew he was working on this all season and you're good now! Why are you only trying to kill him now? You were healthy most of the season! You even physically pinned him! Oh, right, because you're not actually good. It's all just "better than thou" lip service. Hypocrisy is the easiest way to make us dislike a character and Nathalie's a massive hypocrite, so we're not fans.

Evil Nathalie was pretty fun. "Good" Nathalie is aggravating and has as lackluster a redemption as they gave Felix or perhaps even more lackluster. Felix at least switched for love of Kagami. Nathalie switched because Gabriel didn't heal her even though she had zero knowledge that he truly had a chance to do so (she wasn't there and Gabriel has never given up an opportunity to save Emilie so that he could chase Ladybug before). Adrien was never Nathalie's motivation or else we would have seen her protest things like Gorizilla, Style Queen, and Chat Blanc.

Moving on!

The mass teleport to Ladybug should have killed everyone because the whole world is supposed to be after her. A couple billion people teleporting to the same location should mean people squish each other or that portals open over each other/on top of people. Just saying. Budget saved her life because Mirauclous' Earth has a teeny tiny population due to rendering costs.

SO was mad how anticlimactic the final fight between Marinette and Gabe feels. Oh two people who barely interacted, have minimal personal connection, and always hated each other are fighting? Such a big moment! I'm so invested! He talked about how other shows build up to moments like this by making the villain terrifying or by making the villain and the hero have a strong, personal connection or even by making the fight super fun to watch, but miraculous did none of that. SO seriously didn't care about the fight at all and, to be honest, neither did I when I first watched it. I only tuned in when Marinette detransformed and I went, wait, wtf are you doing?

We get to all the scenes with heroes in other locations and SO paused the show every few seconds to ask me who tf person X was. Fei resulted in multiple pauses because of her varied forms. So I can confirm that the casual viewer totally followed this part and it was a wonderful addition (that's sarcasm, btw). He did ask "why would the French say that they need a bunch of Americans to win?" Which I though was pretty funny. That's certainly one way to read the Americans showing up!

SO works in IT. He was so mad that the laptop wasn't remotely wiped after it was lost/Lila stole it. And why does it have access to the Agreste mansion and not just the police robots? I thought Tsurugi corp was a tech company? This is all security 101.

SO's final thoughts: well that was soulless. I feel nothing. I can see why you're so done with this show.

Credit where it's due: while the final was massively disappointing from a story perspective and while I don't think Caline Bustier was written like a good teacher for anyone above the age of 5, it is really cool to show a pregnant woman run for office, win, and then be allowed to do her job with her baby in tow without any of that being treated as a joke. That's a really powerful thing for a young child to see and I'm glad it was included even Caline would make a terrible mayor in real life.

[rachelsshowerthoughts]

Was musing on the Aware AU and how the trio internalize and process the abuse and otherwise contextualize or understand and communicate it or otherwise maybe fail to do so.

Because realizing a parent is unfair or doesn't care or is cruel is one thing. It can often be another to straight up be aware of and say you are an abuse victim.

Be it because they are young and thus even with the spread of therapy speak, being able to use it effectively on themselves is hard.

Or because abuse victims don't often look like they do, IE, aren't usually mega rich heirs to powerful names. Even if being a rich child can be rather akin to being an exotic talking pet given none of that money is theirs.

Sad money also makes getting empathy hard and feeling there is a way out even harder. They may not want the former or at least not desire it consciously. But its also a case of, "If we were even believed what could anyone do?"

But then there's also the more personal takes on things, such as how:

Adrien may not blame himself for his fathers inability to love him (Or at least love him in a not terrible way) but he sure as hell blames himself for "Fooling himself" for so long. He's known Gabriel his whole life, he is his son, if anyone should have figured out what he was like it was Adrien. But he didn't so he can't blame anyone else for not seeing it.

Then there's stuff like media where cold and controlling parents get redemption arcs by being soft once or the like. Adrien's just throwing popcorn at the screen, "He's lying to you, its a trick, he'll never change!"

Kagami genuinely loves fencing, she loves how skilled she is, she loves that she is a world renowned fencer. This makes it hard to deal with when abuse is woven into training, such as with overly violent spars, or with training sessions that see her hit the ground and then be forced up again and again.

She's used to her body hurting after training, the issue isn't the punishment, its how arbitrary and unfairly her mother applies them Compounded with the social isolation, control and emotional repression which she has a hard time naming. Meanwhile you have Marinette just wanting to scream because Tomoe is intentionally harming her daughter as punishment.

She'd likely need an outsider to highlight the punishment spars themselves are a bad idea that hinder rather than help her. That the pain itself was wrong, not just when or why it was applied. Kagami is proud of who she is and what she can do. So to some degree she sort of.. Needs the trauma. Because if it was unnecessary, if it isn't how she got so good, then it was just pain.

Chloe has the. other victims do not look like me jacked up to eleven. Most victims are not rich, most people who are aggressive (In her research) are physical and were harmed physically. Most don't have mayor fathers who bailed them out of trouble, though be it to make her reliant on them and feed his own self esteem, hence encouraging her acting out as it fed him.

But its also because she chose to imitate Audrey. She chose this path in order to win her parents love and it didn't even work. She chose this and now she is not choosing it but something else. She had agency in this god dammit and don't you dare tell her otherwise! She is not a victim! She is not weak!

Feeding into that is stuff like Andre actively and outright teaching her, "Extortion, intimidation, bribery, these are how you win a campaign." Because even as she restructures herself, part of her still defaults to these, part of her still sees them as pragmatic and useful. Part of her thinks they will be needed for her and the people they care about. So again, was it abuse or just Andre being bad at parenting?

Plus on the physical side of things, there is some stuff that can be bled into headcanon, among other things... But one thing I would note is that canon Chloe grabbing Zoe and inspecting her like livestock before giving her approval. How she gets so aggressively close and into people's space when she otherwise seems to try and be distant. This screams learned behavior and we can't even blame it all on Audrey cos she was more of a: Fly in tear my daughter apart and leave parent. With likely a mix of social media, calls and streams, or rejection from and via those to compound things. So she's getting this heavily from Andre. But its not overt, its not hitting, it can't be abuse then, because Chloe is too different to the victims she finds, too different to be seen as a victim.

All true! I don’t think any of the kids would apply the words "abuse victim" to themselves. Like, their parent suck. They suck SO BAD. Their parents are awful people who aren’t going to change. They know this. They accept this. But I'm not a VICTIM. I'm not ABUSED. I'm not what that looks like. It doesn’t apply to me(derogatory).

Funnily enough, they might apply it to EACH OTHER. Chloé absolutely thinks Gabriel is emotionally neglecting Adrien. Adrien thinks André and Audrey emotionally abuse Chloé. They both think Tomoe abuses Kagami. But it doesn’t apply to themselves, and they don’t bring it up or try to convince each other.

[nixthelapin]

I’m surprised I haven’t seen anyone talk about this yet, but in that weird play that Félix and Kagami did for Marinette, Félix showed her what/where his Amok is. To Ladybug. The superhero literally known for breaking Akumas and Amoks, and who he watched literally throw sentis into the freaking sun (which we all saw how upset that made him), not to mention who undoubtably hates him because every interaction they’ve had has been terrible (1st: tries to sexually assault her with a kiss, then temporarily teams up with the supervillain; 2nd: tricks her to steal all the miraculous and, once again, temporarily teams up with the supervillain; and 3rd: commits mass genocide).

She has every right to be pissed, so, since he most likely doesn’t know she sympathizes with and thinks senti humans should have free will and not just be killed like other sentis (Sentibug), he probably thought she would try to break his Amok if she ever found out he’s a senti. (And I honestly wonder how her views of him would be different if Sentibug never happened- maybe the same bc of his story, but she’d maybe be less kind if she found out a different way. Idk)

But Kagami, dear sweet Kagami, managed to convince him, not just that Marinette (who she knew to be Ladybug) could help them with Gabriel and his shenanigans, but also that she was trustworthy enough that Félix would be safe telling her. Kagami wouldn’t have known about Sentibug either (unless it was televised, but then Félix not knowing really just looks bad on him), so that means she just knew my Marinette’s character that she was trustworthy. And he trusted Kagami’s judgement enough to tell her his biggest secret. He didn’t actually have to tell her what the Amok was- why would she need to know?- just the part about him being a senti would’ve made the story make sense. (It would’ve made the visual style hard or not possible, but if it’s between creative decisions and safety about the thing you’re most insecure about, people tend to pick safety, Félix especially has been shown to prioritize self preservation.)

His willingness to let her in really shows how much he’s changed and how positive of an influence Kagami is on him. Trust seems to be really hard for him (who can blame him, with that kind of father and inability to get help from anyone his whole life), so that was a massive step- he literally trusted his girl, who he used to hate and saw as a murderer, with knowing his biggest weakness.

Talk about character growth!

[trishacollins]

Picnic

@nyhoo @paracosmicat

Media: Art or playlists or writing or anything at all

Characters/Ships/Ect: Marinette x Kagami I would love 🫶🫶 but also Adrien x Marinette, Chat Noir x Marinette, Felix x Kagami....... Or like any content of Kagami and/or Kagami at all

Have fun! Let me know if you have any questions.

Media:

Art or playlists or writing or anything at all

Characters/Ships/Ect:

Marinette x Kagami I would love 🫶🫶 but also Adrien x Marinette, Chat Noir x Marinette, Felix x Kagami....... Or like any content of Kagami and/or Kagami at all

Have fun! Let me know if you have any questions.

GiftFic for Anarchist Gang Server

*~*

Marinette had to admit, the view was pretty nice.

Why Kagami had dragged her to watch ‘the boys’ practice, she didn’t know. But sitting on a blanket in the shade watching Adrien and Felix do what seemed to be their level best to beat the snot out of each other with sticks was certainly entertaining.

Adrien paused, panting and grinning, hair wild and eyes sparkling. He looked like Chat Noir right now, completely in his element.

Felix had settled into an odd stance, grin a wolfish mirror of his cousin.

The Kwami were spread out on the blanket around them, Longg and Plagg in the sun, Tikki and Duusu inspecting the last of their lunch.

Kagami was sketching, head on her lap, lifting her gaze every now and again to look at the boys. She had transformed them into a pair of knights, the staffs into swords, heraldry for a cat and a peacock – which meant no one else would ever be able to see them, Felix was more or less known, but Adrien was most certainty not.

“How long do you think they’ll be at this?” She asked, pressing her shoulder lightly to Kagami’s.

Kagami smiled at her. “Until one of them manages to win, I suppose. They do this weekly. I only found out about it recently.”

‘Working on their relationship’ Adrien had claimed, which apparently meant ‘trying to kill my cousin with a stick’.

“They’re both high energy, it helps.” Plagg offered without opening his eyes. “Plus, it lets them air their grievances without getting overly emotional about it. They’ve still got baggage.”

“Baggage? Is that what we’re calling it?” Marinette snorted, scooping Plagg up and rubbing the top of his head. The Kwami grumbled, but didn’t try to fly away. “I think we could use a stronger term.”

“But they don’t.” Kagami smiled, watching them start up again, the rythmic clatter of their sticks. “They like the term ‘baggage’. It hurts less than the years apart. They were always meant to be together.”

She felt a pang at that, turning her attention back to the boys. “When everything came out.” Messily, terribly, with not a few tears and so much pain. It had felt like her world was ending because it was colliding. Because nothing was right and everything was wrong, but she had loved the boy behind the mask as much as she ever had, and that love had been enough to push through – through the screaming and the anger and the agony of knowing.

When all of their secrets had become known. When everything was laid bare between them, when it wasn’t *them* until they could sort out who *they* were.

She had never talked to anyone about it, not even Alya. She knew that Kagami and Felix knew, because Adrien apparently had talked to them about it. But she hadn’t felt worthy of leaning on anyone.

Her fault, her mistakes. She had let Gabriel win. She had let him dictate how he was to be remembered, and she had kept it from Adrien – who deserved to know – and Chat Noir – who absolutely should have always known.

She just hadn’t known they were the same people.

“We did similar. Of course, we did it transformed. But…”

“They’re not trying to reconcile that part of themselves with who they are. They’re both themselves under the masks.” Kagami glanced at her, sly. “You aren’t.”

She ducked her head. “I’m working on it.”

“We know.” Kagami nudged her shoulder gently. “That’s why I thought you might like to come and watch them be ridiculous together.” The echo of Chloe was clearly deliberate, and Marinette laughed.

“We’re so lucky. To have so many second chances.” Kagami mused, when the laughter had faded. “All of us together.”

She kissed the top of Plagg’s head, settling him back on the blanket. “I always thought I had to keep my secrets, or everything would go wrong. But. Keeping them almost ruined everything.”

Her relationships with her friends, with her partner, with her boyfriend.

“That doesn’t mean we have to tell everyone. Just a few is enough.” Kagami offered gently. “Being the Guardian – they were an entire order, weren’t they? They had each other to lean on.”

“From hearing Master Fu, I don’t think there was much leaning.” Adrien was breathing hard and sweaty, but he kissed the top of her head and circled the blanket to get a towel rather than dripping all over it. “Actully, Su-Han too. It seemed they had very high expectations.”

“But they were also gone for nearly two hundred years.” Felix did not kiss Kagami before he toweled himself off, and then he settled on the blanket facing her, she lowered her book, and they kissed like it was their first and last time.

She looked away to find Adrien watching her, a wolfish smile settling on his face. “You’re a stinky boy.” She pointed at him.

“But Marinette-” He was grinning, prowling closer.

“Nope. No. Bad kitty.” He scooped her up despite her protests, rubbing his still damp face all over her while still damp.

She squealed and fought with him, as the face rubbing turned to kisses on her belly and his laughter rasped over her like a warm purr.

So maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. Even if he was completely insane. “You really smell.”

“I smell like Adrien: the Fragrance.” He teased.

“I think they need to update the formula, because wow.” She shoved at his shoulder, then put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“I have it on good authority that you liked both the ad and the product.” His eyes were bright with mischief again.

“Alya is dead to me.” She retorted. “And nothing she says should be trusted.”

“She’s going to be so sad when I tell her you’re denying your innocent wonder.” He teased back.

“Keep your clothes on.” Felix ordered from the blanket, watching them. “We’re in public.”

Adrien snickered. “The amount of times I had to strip in public-”

“We’re not at a runway, you animal.” Felix rolled his eyes.

[ailendolin]

❤️‍🩹: Francis and Isabelle

Here’s your ficlet, anon! It's a bit all over the place but I hope you like it!

Next up:

🤒 Needing to be looked after - Humphrey

🛁 Platonic bathing - Ian/Gabriel

⚡ Scared of thunderstorms - Robin

🎶 Dancing - Robin, Humphrey’s body, Mary & alive Kitty

🥶 Cold - Fanny

✊🏽 Protecting - Thomas & Francis

💪🏽 Bridal carry - Pat & the Captain

🐾 Pet-names - Humphrey's head and Annie

Ask Game is here. Filled prompts are here, here & here on AO3.

I’ll accept 2 more prompts for this ask game until I move on to a different one. Please take a look at my pinned post for information about which characters/pairings I will/won't write for.

————

Leaving

❤️‍🩹 Reunited after a long time apart

When she was a little girl, Isabelle had dreamed of marrying a handsome man. She’d always known he’d be kind and loyal, that his smile would shine and light up his eyes just like the sun lit up the grounds of Higham House every morning. He would love and cherish her with his whole heart, and their wedding would be a merry summer affair under bright blue skies that left her breathless with happiness.

She had not known back then how easily dreams could turn sour.

In the beginning, Francis Button had been everything her childish heart had hoped for. He had been handsome and unbelievably kind to her, especially after Thomas’s love for Mary Shelley had come alight and left her terribly distraught even before his untimely death. Francis had comforted her so lovingly that day despite his own grief, and Isabelle couldn’t help but feel drawn to the trembling smile on his lips when they parted ways that evening.

Over the next few weeks, they kept in contact through letters until Francis came to visit her again. On the third such visit he asked her father for her hand in marriage and Isabelle couldn’t have been happier when her father smiled and gave them his blessing. It was the moment she had been silently waiting for for months now, and she was glad to see that Francis wasn’t one to hesitate like Thomas had been – even if that meant their wedding wouldn’t happen under blue summer skies like she’d always dreamed of since Francis wanted to seal their bond as soon as possible. So a winter wedding it was.

Once the date was set, Francis’s visits grew rarer until they stopped altogether a month before the wedding. He told her he needed time to make arrangements ahead of the ceremony, and Isabelle, naïve as she had been, had believed his every word. His absence and disinterest in the wedding should have been the first warning signs that his affections for her didn’t run as deep as he’d claimed, but she had been woefully, and perhaps wilfully, blind to them.

When she walked down the aisle and saw Francis for the first time in over four weeks, the first thought in her mind was, He has changed. Francis looked as handsome as ever – there was no denying that – but his smile had an edge to it now Isabelle could have sworn hadn’t been there before. It made her steps falter, just for a moment, before she chalked it up to nervousness. This was an important day for both of them. She couldn’t blame Francis for looking a little uneasy despite the joyous occasion.

In hindsight, she should have trusted her gut instincts and turned around right on the spot, running away as fast as she could. Perhaps that would have spared her most of the sorrow she’d felt in the years that followed.

It didn’t take long for Francis to show his true face after they’d been pronounced husband and wife. His carefully crafted façade began to crack with the announcement of her first pregnancy and was hastily glued back together when she gave birth to a girl rather than the boy he’d hoped for. A year later, it finally fell when his son’s cries echoed through the house for the first time. Having given him the heir he so desperately wanted, Isabelle, along with their daughter, became an afterthought for him. Francis avoided their company as often as he could, and when it finally dawned on Isabelle that her marriage would never be like the ones she’d read about in books and dreamed of as a child, she found herself breathing a sigh of relief rather than sorrow whenever he went away.

It was during that difficult and lonely time that her thoughts began to stray towards Thomas again. He might not have loved her but she had no doubt he never would have stopped pulling the stars from the sky for her if he had. His smile would not have dimmed after she bore him a son and he never would have left her side unless he absolutely had to, of that she was sure.

Perhaps she was romanticising him the same way she had romanticised Francis once, Isabelle thought. Perhaps, in the end, Thomas would have turned out just like his cousin – the apple never fell far from the tree, after all. That did not stop her from dreaming about the life they might have had together if fate had just been a little kinder to them both, though. It would have been a good life; not without its fair share of sorrow but with enough love and light to cancel it out.

There was neither love nor light in Francis’s eyes when he came back from yet another trip that evening and greeted her with a quick peck on the cheek and the words, “Don’t wait up for me tonight. I’ll turn in early and will be gone again by first light tomorrow.”

For the first time in their marriage, Isabelle didn’t force a smile onto her face. She merely nodded at him before she turned away, leaving him standing in the middle of the hallway just like he was always leaving her.

[the-dark-mirror-beckons]

Gabriel, The Expressive Bell

Next up is Gabriel, also known as Gabe, is known for being vocal and not afraid to fight for others. He is close towards his boyfriend, Gideon, who he's known since childhood. Unlike his boyfriend, Gabe is more expressive and makes sure to be vocal about his opinions and statements. He also has a caring side towards the rest of his dormmates back at Ramshackle dormitory (the characters we've created).

Out of the list of Disney characters we had our friends choose from, our friend we based Gabriel on chose Tinkerbell from "Peter Pan," one of the characters in a pair. As mentioned in Gideon's post, me and Datura had Tinker Bell and Peter Pan listed and hoped that the he and his boyfriend would choose the pairing. However, that did not happen, and it resulted in them realizing their mistakes once we revealed the characters. But no worries, it all went well (I think... maybe I should check in on that).

For his unique ability, we decided to go for flying, because in the original game, the characters are known to be flying on brooms. However, since Gabe is referencing an actual fairy, we wanted him to fly! And so, we named his unique ability "Fly to the Sky," in which he is able to not only make himself fly, but anything around him, whether it's a person or a random object.

In terms of curse, me and Datura weren't sure at first what to use as a curse based Tinkerbell. But then we remembered... Tinkerbell doesn't speak in Peter Pan... she speaks in bells. And so we made Gabe's curse into whenever he's aggravated, his voice turns into the sound of bells ringing! Isn't that annoying? Imagine trying to express your feelings to someone while angry, and then your voice turns into bells? Terrible! Perfect for a curse!

When creating both the characters Gabe and Gideon, we weren't sure whether to keep their characters together as a couple, or have them meet each other in the main story, develop feelings, and get together in the end. That was when me and Datura asked our two friends based on these characters and they decided, "let's have them together from the starts!" And here we are!

All images used in this post are from the game "Twisted Wonderland" and is not owned by me.

[parheliion]

maxence danet-fauvel . cis man . he/him ➶ I RECOGNISE THAT FACE ! that’s GABRIEL DOVECOTE , the THIRTY year old STYLIST OF DISTRICT TWO from THE CAPITOL . they’ve been in the capitol around THEIR WHOLE LIFE , long enough to gain a reputation for being so IDEALISTIC & EMOTIONAL . they’re so lucky getting to live in the tribute center for the duration of the games! ( character ISN’T part of the uprising )

LOADING PANEM CITIZEN NO. C-87263122... G. DOVECOTE, CAPITOL.

███████▒▒▒  50%  

full name: gabriel nocturn dovecote age: thirty district: the capitol gender: cis man pronouns: he/him sexuality: homoromantic homosexual occupation: stylist for district two status: active public reception: notable for their interesting take on design, highly sought after within the capitol for their concepts medical conditions: none. height: 6′5″ parents: CITIZEN NO. C-23813234; uriel dovecote, CITIZEN NO. C-726312934; aphrodite dovecote. siblings: an older brother & a younger sister ( wanted connections ).

ACCESS GRANTED.

the dovecotes have always been a staple within capitol society, and it’s something that they’ve seemed to thrive on for decades. people know who they are, people know what their family is doing and although eyes aren’t always on them much like any of the other high families, they’re still known for their resilience to rise above the horrible goings on within the inter-fighting and gossip. 

uriel was a stylist in his heyday, one with great renown. founding the ‘house of doves’, the fashion house was quickly recognised for its innovative designs and forward thinking fashion. uriel never wanted two looks to exude the same emotion, to be looked upon the same: every piece was unique, just like his kids. because of this, when it came time for them to grow up as children, each of them may have been held to the same regard, but both parents had a mind for where they wanted their child to go in life. to gabe? they had an idea of perfection for their tender hearted boy. one that, he fears, he could never truly live up to.

but that doesn’t mean he didn’t try. in fact, all he did was try. in school, when it came time to speak of what their parents did, gabe did his best to design an outfit himself at the age of eight with a toy sewing machine that he’d been given by his father as a joke, a ‘maybe one day you’ll take over the house’ way. instead, he took the gift as an opportunity. maybe if he made something beautiful, gushed about his father, maybe then he’d be viewed in the same light as his older brother or younger sister. instead what happened was the fabric got torn by kids who wanted to see the soft one’s downfall. at the end of the day, all he had to show for his hard work were torn scraps and broken dreams. maybe if he was tougher, he could’ve fought back, but he wasn’t. he never would be.

their father wanted him to be the best he could be because uriel knew gabe’s potential. he could see that same spark within him that reminded him of his creativity, and although there were times when aphrodite would step in and mention about going a little easier, ultimately she knew that if gabe only applied himself, that he could achieve great things-- even outside of just riding their family name for the rest of his life. still, those words stuck in gabe’s head for years. ‘maybe one day you’ll take over the house.’ and if anything, gabe wanted the approval of his father. he tried, and tried to garner his favour through sketchbooks that were left open with designs of grand gowns, to suits with structure that would look perfect on a chariot in the very hunger games itself.

ah, the hunger games. now, that’s something that gabe has always struggled with. in school, they’re taught that the reason the districts have to pay such a terrible price such as life is because of all the countless losses that were lost in the first uprising. he...doesn’t agree with that. ultimately, life is something that should be savoured, not used as a bargaining chip. right? if panem really wanted to work towards a better future for all of its people, then the grand pageant wouldn’t be needed-- there would be a common ground found among its people and one that would benefit all. right? of course, gabe can never voice these internal thoughts. especially after his chosen profession being that of a designer, one contracted to work for the games themselves. 

when the opportunity arose six years ago, gabe was twenty four and had made quite a name for himself outside of the name of dovecote, even founding his own fashion company known as featherdown. more and more, his pieces began to be mentioned at balls, at galas, at events and on day time television shows that capitolites would watch in their morning hungover stupor. featherdown is one to watch. and you’ll never guess who created them. 

however, success comes at a price. uriel’s joke may not have been too much of an actual joke and more of a plan, in hindsight. so when gabe set out on his own to make his own, to have his name attached to perfectly crafted outfits for tributes during hunger games season, what he wanted more than anything was to make his father proud. instead, he was met with resentment and disappointment. ‘you were meant to follow in mine, take over the company some day. not make your own with your trust fund.’

today, gabe lives alone in a large apartment close to his workshop. it’s lonely. and although he has never truly agreed with the hunger games, the one thing he always gets happy for is for the season to roll around again. for the last three years, he has been one of the stylists for district two, a district of warriors. and if there’s something he can do, it’s make a design that will make the tributes stand out, tailor an outfit to exactly what they wanted and the image they wished to portray. if asked, he would tell the truth-- he loves each and every one of the tributes he’s had the honour of designing for, and has kept mementos of the ones that fell. though the capitol may forget their names, gabe doesn’t. and neither does district two.

[livia-dovehallow]

a headcanon request ask!

can you share some hc of how [redacted] were when they got [redated] back from [redacted], like once they had [redacted] again :)

**SPOILER WARNING**

request: can you share some hc of how gabrily were when they got Alex back from Tatiana, like once they had him in their arms again :)

I've both thought about this a lot and not at all LOL it's hard to think about knowing what comes later for them but we will ignore that part for the indefinite future

(also had to re read what happens once Anna has him bc I forgot and I've only read the book once so far)

I think that when Anna arrived back at the Institute, only her mother was still there. I fully believe Gabriel had gone out with the others in search of Alex. So when Anna comes back, holding a still-crying Alex in her arms, Cecily is the one who surges toward both of them

Cecily, still hysterically crying, begins to hum and soothe him just as Anna did (Anna learned it from somewhere!) and realizes what Tatiana did to him at the same time as Gabriel comes back.

Gabriel comes bursting through the doors and drops his sword in relief at the sight of Alex safely in Cecily's arms and Anna standing beside her. He explains that he came rushing back because someone reported seeing Anna with a baby running toward the Institute and all he could think about in the moments after was getting to them. Cecily just scream-sobs to him what Tatiana did to their baby and Gabriel rushes all of them to the infirmary, yelling for a Brother to come. [ROYALLY PISSED OFF, LIVID GABRIEL LIGHTWOOD EVERYONE]

"I should have known you would go off against the rules," they say to Anna, but they aren't angry with her in the slightest because she got her brother home before any more harm could be done to him.

Anna definitely was still bleeding from knocking broken glass out with her elbow but forgot about it because of all the adrenaline at getting her baby brother away from a madwoman and rushing him home to their parents. But she doesn't say anything or remember it until Alex is finally in the infirmary being looked at by Brother Shadrach and Cecily looks up to Anna and zeroes in on her bleeding elbow.

Cue renewed motherly anguish and Cecily forces Anna to sit down so they can pick out the glass and give her an iratze. This is one of those moments that Anna says nothing and lets Cecily fret all about her and call her her baby, too, and all that, because she knows her mother has been put through a terrible, terrible night, and if letting her treat her injuries like she was a child again was going to help Cecily, so be it.

Later, when Cecily brings Christopher and Ari up to see Alex, Cecily frets all about Kit, too, asking him where he was and if he's hurt and if he needs anything. I like to think Kit just gives his mom a really big hug, which earns him a proud smile and nod from his father (who is still royally pissed off and livid and boy if Gabriel ever sees that madwoman again so help him Raziel...)

That's all I can think of right now... I'm sure I'll come up with more later once I'm able to think about it separately from *THAT* event.

But yeah, I just get beyond royally pissed off, livid Gabriel vibes despite the fact that CC wrote him just STANDING THERE HOLDING CECILY because the Gabriel we all know and love would NOT have just stood there when someone had a knife to his child's throat no way jose

[alamin48]

The torture ... an abstract way of helping you… written by the well known romanian writter Adrian Gabriel Dumitru

Been to the dentist.

She was torturing me this time.

Usually does not hurt, but this time was hurting a lot. psychological games

But ... all it was for a good reason ... to help me have a good dental health and cure all my teeth.

So ... the torture was for a good purpose.

While staying on the chair, having all those terrible pains ... i was thinking at all the people tortured by the nazism and the communism. psychology of love

I read lots of books about the subject, but i only found our what happened and not why happened.

Why those people from that time had the misfortune to have such a life?!

The first world war ... then the second world war ... then in many parts of the world the communism continued the torture.  romance books

Did those people deserved to have such a life?!

Why did the Universe allowed as this to happen?!

It makes no sense at all ... but i can’t find any explanation.

Was it a message behind the message?!

What was the spiritual meaning of all of that?!

But ... maybe the torture had a purpose ... to purify them as spirits.

I had been studying the lives of the ones that spent 10 to 20 years in the communist prisons.  philosophy of love

Should make no sense to write about how terrible it was for them.

Probably a scene of torture in those prisons was like an eternity … and the ones that survived ... keeping their moral high all the time, should be called ... saints.

So ... the meaning of those times could be defined as ... a way in how they purified so, so many souls?!

Should that be the message behind the message?!

Maybe is too much to define the whole picture in such a way ... but the truth is that i would define for example a guy as Nelson Mandela as a saint ... after 27 years of prison. love letters

So ... the torture ... might be an abstract way of purifying the human souls ... but maybe we can find others ways of doing it.

Meanwhile i continue going to my dentist, letting her to torture me from time to time ... cause i just did not found any other ways of curing my teeth.

So ... at least from this point of view ... i accept the torture as a positive thing in my life. love stories

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Do you think having to model would have been damaging to Adrien when his mother was still with him?

Potentially controversial take here, but no, I don't think child acting is a terrible thing that should be illegal and child models are just a variant of child actors. Acting in commercials or movies is arguably more serious than something like community theater or local ads, but the risks aren't actually all that different. No matter the level of the production, the risk for abuse is there. It's not something limited to Hollywood. So I have no issue with child stars as a general concept. I think I've only ever hinted at this in my stuff, but I can actually picture a scenario in which Adrien got into modeling as an act of love.

His mother was a professional actress and Adrien very clearly enjoys acting. I could absolutely see Emilie recognizing his talents and getting him involved in commercials and modeling shoots for the company so that he can try acting in an environment that she can fully control (which is not concerning given that Adrien has clearly been modeling for several years, so he started young.)

I think most "good" parents would be super hesitant to let a little kid work with people they don't know, but with Emilie's connections and the success of Gabriel's company? Adrien going into an acting career actually makes a lot of sense. Especially if Emilie acted as his agent and was always on set to make sure he was okay.

Adrien being a model only becomes concerning when we get things like the super creepy Alliance AI-Adrien. Stuff that Adrien clearly isn't okay with and that should never have been considered to begin with (you literally see the model in his underwear when Soquline is showing off the fact that you can dress him up in Jubilation.) If Adrien was actually enjoying the work and the work was all ethical? Then it wouldn't be a problem.

Creative fields are rife with abuse and poor working conditions, but they're also a source of joy for many. Minors working in these types of fields is an incredibly complex topic, but I can't view it as inherently bad. I've known too many kids who legitimately loved acting or playing sports or whatever creative thing they were into.

Oh, and random side note, but it's super weird how the show plays Adrien's fame. He's fashion model, not a movie star. He would not be as famous as the show tries to make him. I actually researched this a while back to make sure France didn't have some sort of model-obsession and I couldn't find anything (btw, please let me know if I missed something and this is wrong).

I mention all of this because I think fashion modeling is potentially a much safer way to let a kid do some acting. Commercials and one-off fashion shoots are much smaller commitments than movies and TV shows and they carry way less risk of super star fame. I actually get distracted when fanfics have Gabriel constantly pulling Adrien out of school for fashion shoots for two reasons: first, that appears to be highly illegal in France. Second, how much marketing material is the Gabriel brand supposedly producing??? Especially since Adrien seems to just be a teen model and not model for the adult line, which would be standard for the industry. You don't really become a full fledged model doing things like runways until you're at least 16. (Btw, guess what age I often scale Adrien up to? There's a reason for that.)

As far as I can tell, most models have to work with multiple brands and companies to make good money. An exclusive deal with a single company should mean that your schedule is pretty relaxed, which is another reason I could buy a loving parent letting Adrien model. Modeling, commercials, and voice acting are actually a fantastic set of options for someone who wanted to do some acting work while still going to school. It is incredibly easy to take the setup the show gave us and use it to make Adrien a child star who wasn't exploited.

[doublegoblin]

Rituals and Red Tape: Chapter 10

The sharp clack of the door bolt setting itself into place was only a momentary reprieve from the droning of the park. Each of the sandstone pillars had inset small holes and funnel shapes, something to direct the wind and assist in the creation of otherworldly music. From afar the sounds became muddled and clashing, resulting in a low hum. Within the confines of the space each note was discernible, the melody however was not. As I followed the path low moans of something deep and distant punctuated the changing of the winds and as such the song that wailed.

My presence was known.

Paying it no mind, they had little sway over me, I pressed on. Seeing the water return in the spaces between the bricks was a comfort. The current was growing strong as I rounded each bend. Sweet rot; I paused. Watching the sand to my right I saw the fine particles circle, caught in their cyclones. Backing from the edge of the path as they drew near, I felt the shrill vibration of the pillars in my spine. A singular grain of sand was the only thing to make its way atop the brick. Filled with relief I cautiously pressed on.

Perhaps I should not be as comfortable.

Small clusters of the same crystals were now overtaking the sands, and I could smell the water now. Shortly after, walls of the same sandstone rose far into the sky. Slow moving water was contained in troughs at the border of floor and barricade. It was then the first way point before going beyond the border. Sitting along the rim of the bubbling fountain was Peter, just as expected. He seemed to be lost in a silent conversation as the fountain swayed and motioned back at him. She was an older model than the one at the farm, and being this far out, I’m sure she was enjoying the company. So I lingered back as a sensation in my chest caught me. It was a subtle flutter of…something. How strange. But, it soon passed.

As I approached the fountain swung its processing module down to meet me. Peter, startled by the motion, nearly fell into the frothing liquid but was caught by her manipulation matrix. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I patted the old girl; her stone exterior was so much smoother compared to The Farm’s. Her need satisfied, she rose up and merely observed Peter and I as I took a seat next to him.

 We sat in uncomfortable silence. Several times we would start to speak at the same time, stop, and wait for the other to take the lead. The fountain must have been agitated by our inability to converse because she soon swung her module down and prodded me in the back with a gentle shove.

“Alright alright,” I pushed her module aside with a half hearted shove, “so Peter, how was the morgue?”

“Terrible!” he stomps his foot on the ground, “it was a horrible place and I regret ever going! How can you people even stand it? All those body parts just…moving, I had half a head try and talk to me. Half a head!”

“Oh so you met Gabriel. Nice enough guy, used to be a quarter of a head, glad they found more bits of him-” I took note of how rigid he was sitting and moved closer, “nevermind that. Would you like to discuss something else?”

He nodded.

“Well,” I leaned back on my hands, “what abo-”

“How did you know I would be here?” He interjected.

“An easy enough question. This place has a draw for new employees, we all end up here at one point or another.” I dipped a finger down into the cool waters.

Confusion made itself clear on him, “Why?” He looked down at my hand and mirrored my posture.

“Do you feel that?” I nodded down to our hands, “it helps. Helps to put things in their proper place, helps set your mind at ease, it’s an oasis. You just can’t linger for too long however.” I withdrew my hand and dried it on my robes.

“What, is the water going to get me?” He laughed and swirled his hand around, “Make me lose my way and keep me prisoner?”

“We are not alone here.”

Raising an eyebrow he was about to inquire further when the deep rumble from before made it’s return. We both sat still as cyclones of sand collided with the high walls. The wail of the stone was nearing deafening but subsided along with the swirling winds. Two small grains of bone white sand drifted down to our feet.

“We’re leaving.” For a reason unsure I went to grab his hand.

He in turn pulled it out of reach and scooted down the rim of the fountain, “What? No. So it’s just a few grains of sand, why are you making this out to be such a big deal?”

The wind was picking back up again.

“Peter I don’t-we don’t- look this isn’t the place to dawdle we need to leave now. Trust me.” I reach for him again and he jumps to his feet.

“Trust you? Why should I trust you? For the first time since I’ve been here I have felt good. And now you want to take me away from it? Just because of some damn sand? No no no,” he backed away while pointing a shaky finger at me “I’m not going anywhere until I know what the hell is going on!”

I rise to stand as his equal, “Peter I know you are frightened right now, but you are going to come with me. I can answer any questions you have once we are safely back in the office.”

The wind was starting to howl, the stone walls creaking and scraping.

“No!” He stomps his foot and takes a step forward, “right here right now. I’m so sick of keeping this all in. Ever since I woke up on the street I’ve been so utterly lost! I have no clue where I am, what I am, or who the hell I am! Do you have any idea what that’s like!?” he was now inches from me.

“Peter that is enou-” I place a hand on his shoulder and he knocks me back onto the rim of the fountain. The hard stone digging into the back of my calves and burning.

The first small piece of the wall crumbles away, the fountain has retreated down into her basin.

 “You are going to sit the hell down and you are going to stop talking! I don’t give a shit who you are; you are going to sit right there and listen. Do I make myself clear?” He leans in close, inches from my face and shouts.

A fire ignites in me and I rise, towering over him, “Peter that is enough!” My voice reverberates off the sandstone walls and the fountain pensively emerges at the commotion, “ I will not be spoken to in this manner. I am your acting manager and you will afford me the respect I am due with this title, do you understand? Your behavior is unbecoming of an employee and reflects negatively upon this department and I will not have my or Dave’s reputation sullied. We will be returning to the office, you will be allowed time to settle your emotions, and then we will continue this discussion after this point. Do I make myself clear?”

His panic and rage melt away as tears well in his eyes. Covering his face he sprints off deeper into the park. The screeching wind died down to a hushed whimper as it followed him.

The fountain looks from me to the direction Peter has ran and back. I feel my own emotions settling and let out a sigh as I descend back to the ground.

“I didn’t mean-I didn’t,” I look to the fountain who solemnly nods her module and motions down the path, “right.”

Unable to discern his location any longer I had to sprint down the corridors. What had once been a straight line towards the next fountain was now a snaking and twisting knot of walls and openings. I called out to Peter as my footsteps thundered. Each step was becoming harder as my feet sunk into the sand, the air heavy and oppressive; levitation was no longer an option. My advance slowed and soon I was still as I watched in dismay.

The horizon was starting to curve towards me.

Now waist deep in the crushing sand I struggle to free myself. The horizon was now almost directly above me, the sun cradled in the center.

I felt myself fall.

The world curled in upon itself.

And I was still no closer to finding Peter.

All consuming darkness was my companion for a time after this. My lungs burned as they demanded I let the air back in. How was I to explain to them that there was no air to fill them, only the small particles of things worn down by crashing tides? The weight of which pressed down on me everywhere all at once. I could not breath, I could not move, and I could not succumb to these; only endure their consequences. If there was one solace I could take, it was that my hood had happened to fall over my eyes before I was entombed. So here I wait, for what I’m not exactly sure, but I wait.

A sound?

Scratching?

Light!

Like the shoot of a young sapling my head erupted from the sand and I took in the arid air gratefully. Lungs now obliged; I flicked my head back and raised the blindfold. The blinding sunlight stung my eyes but in time they adjusted. With my limited range of motion I looked over my surroundings. There was no obvious source of my disinterment. However, the sand had been disturbed enough that with some intentioned thrashing I was able to free a hand. With it I clawed the rest of my body out from underground and lay on my back staring up at the sun and the maze that surrounded it. Sitting up I spied the benevolent graverobber and liberator.

“Thank you.” I croaked, clumsily getting to my feet.

Peter did not respond, he leaned against the wall with arms folded and gaze cast down.

Keeping my distance I brushed the clinging debris off, “Look Peter, I’m sorry for shouting that was unbecoming of me.”

He muttered something and kicked at a nearby pile.

Keeping my temper down, “I’m sorry I didn’t catch that, must still have sand in my ears.” I feigned a smile and laugh.

“I’m sorry too.” He turned his back towards me, but stayed where he was.

Now thoroughly de-sanded I joined him on the wall, at a respectable distance.

“Are we trapped?” He asked.

“Yeah, we are.” I tried to keep my tone neutral, I wasn’t about to divulge the true severity of the situation.

“For how long?” He turns back to face me, eyes still down.

I shrugged.

He was silent.

Taking a couple steps to the left, “We shouldn’t be standing out in the open, c’mon.”

He didn’t protest, thankfully.

After some time, and many detours, we came across a large crag in the wall. I slipped through the divide and waited in the chamber on the other side. Not seeing him follow I poked my head out and motioned for him to follow. There was some hesitation but a low rumble further down the maze encouraged him inside. It wasn’t anything fancy, or nice, but it was out of the sun and more importantly; out of sight; with just enough space for us to recline comfortably. He occupied himself by curling into a ball and letting his panic take him over. I was trying to be more helpful and productive; though my pendant was remaining dark despite the effort. I then tried to meditate on the situation at hand, his sobs were quite distracting so no progress made there either. When I took out my notebook to jot some things down, he had the nerve to mutter about his woes and misfortune.

Not looking up from the paper, “Are you quite done? The sounds you keep making are rather grating.”

Still facing away from me, “Oh how could I be so selfish? Certainly, my dark overlord, I’ll wallow in my despair quietly.”

“Thank you.” A decent sized rock goes screaming past my head, so I look up.

He has sat himself upright, his eyes are narrowed and arm still outstretched.

With a sigh I shut the book, “We are going to be here for quite a while, whether you choose to accept the fact or not this is all of your doing. Now” -I pocket the book- “we can either sit here for that time and fester in our disdain for one another, or, we can try and work this out. Which would you like?”

“What the hell kind of question is that? Is this your attempt at an apology?”

I remain quiet and maintain a neutral expression.

His aggression unrequited he softens, shifting his weight and averting his gaze, “I…I think I would like to not be angry.”

Nodding, “Alright. What can I as acting manager do to help de-escalate the situation?”

His gaze is cast out towards the blinding light beyond our hovel. He opens his mouth to speak but closes it just as quickly. 

Bringing his knees to his chest he tucks his head between them, “Can you sit next to me?”

“Are you going to hit me or anything of the like?”

He shakes his head.

“Alright.” I reposition myself at his side.

He peeks up from his knees, “Thanks.”

“Am I to just sit here or was there more?”

He tucks his head away once more, “I don’t know.”

“Well, if I recall correctly, you seemed to have some questions. Some very important questions. Things you don’t feel you have had adequate answers to. We have the time now.”

Raising his head he looks to me with suspicious eyes, “You aren’t going to give me the run around are you?”

“I don’t intend to, no.”

Slowly he unfurls himself, “What am I? What are you? What are those things? Why can’t I remember much of anything about myself!? Why can’t I-”

“Peter slow down, please, take a breath.”

Closing his eyes he inhales shakily and lets out a long warbling sigh before looking through me, ”Why can’t I remember who I am?”

“Cripes,” -sighing I stand and call forth a chalkboard and chalk- “okay so this is going to take some explanation. Like, a large amount. But we have the chance, so might as well use it.” I scribble down some terms and tap the board with a finger. “I want to also cover any questions that may be follow up, so please, hold all questions to the very end and try to not interrupt. I understand this is going to be a lot of information all at once but bear with me as I do my best to make it interesting.”

I was never one who thought they were cut out for teaching. Though, Peter did seem invested and at least feigning understanding. To even have a chance of explaining this entire ordeal I had to start at the Conception. In many words I recounted the tale of The Board coming together to create this plane of existence; he of course interrupted and asked why, but seemed to accept that the reason was of no concern for us to understand if we even could. Breezing past the cycles before we Dreamers were allowed admittance into this reality I couldn’t help but feel pride as he drew closer to the chalkboard with sparkling eyes. It was here I could see in his body the release of long held tension.

 In my limited knowledge I attempted to convey how while we come from a being, and are a piece of that being, we are not that being. That we are things of pure consciousness, or cognition depending on the one explaining. As the one we came from slumbered in their own reality, a fragment of them slipped through the cracks between existences. When we awake in this place we hold within us for a time the shard of identity and memory from our host, but this information is not anchored by any ego or id, and so fades away. He seemed troubled by this.

“Well speaking from experience, I’m glad I don’t have the ghost of a second identity clouding my perception of self.” I remarked trying to reassure him.

I tried to highlight the liberation that this provides. Being things of the mind our bodies are of our own design, as easy to change and shape as clay in the hands of a sculpture. Not bound by the confines of permanence Dreamers are free to take the shapes or form that brings them the most satisfaction. While most do take a more humanoid form, there are of course those who get a little more creative with their form; myself included. Before he could interrupt I reminded him I did explain why we still experience sensations of pain and suffocation, but relented to his forgetfulness and covered it yet again. With the chalkboard more white than black now I closed out our little lesson with a demonstration of my form shifting and changing rapidly, as exhausting as it was. 

Of course he still had follow up questions, which I did my best to cover. Things about The Board, the different departments, why everyone is typically in suits. I was so engrossed in my explanations I hadn’t noticed our proximity to each other until he was pressed up next to me with his head on my shoulder. I was in the middle of waving my hands in a gesture when this change dawned on me. Sheepishly I coughed and made to move away, muttering an apology. He in turn gently held onto my robes.

“Wait, can we just sit like this for a bit?” He tugged on the cloth.

“I don’t think that’s appropriate, I am your manager after all and-”

“Please? It’s helping.” Out of the corner of my vision I could see him close his eyes and felt him nestle his head down more.

That fluttering feeling filled me once more, “Sure…but not for long.” I relented and let him hold his body closer to mine.

And so we sat like this, comfortable in the moment. I could feel his breath along my arm. I was starting to enjoy the quiet; a low rumble snapped me away from tender expression. He must have felt the same as he raised his head and went to speak. I slapped a hand over his mouth and held a finger to my lips.

The vibrations grew more frequent and violent. Light that once filtered in from beyond the crag is blotted out. We both sat statue still as two large black limbs slammed into the brickwork path beyond our sanctuary. The lower half of a featureless white mask creeping into view.

[kiillerqueen]

❝ I know hard to believe right? How the fuck does my brother end up falling in love with someone with such low status. I mean he could have at least gone up one up. Anything would be better than be at the bottom of the food chain. ❞ If they were to come from a normal family than sure maybe Amelia would be happy that her brother fell in love with someone with such a career. That is the thing though they're never going to be able to live a normal life. Laughter erupts from the blonde at her friend's words. ❝ Do you think she has some kind of diary that she wrote all about her feelings and time that she spent with Declan? I bet it would be worth a good read if we needed some entertainment. ❞ It has been awhile since Amelia has found herself being so hurtful with her words. The blonde is well known for having words that cut deep. ❝ You do realize that Mason also is involved with the manor right? ❞ Amelia is just putting the reminder out there before Gwen possibly say something else that could be taken personal. ❝ I've neverr claimed that I thought Mason is going to be my prince charming. Its just giving me a feeling that I now have two people possibly telling me that Mason is a terrible idea. ❞ A sigh escapes past the femme's lips , ❝ I love him Gwen and we both know what happened the last time I allowed myself to be in love ... ❞ Her gaze look down for a moment before back up at her friends last remark about how she handled Violet. ❝ I have no worries that she will be back around. ❞ Amelia can't help but shrug because she knows that Gwen spoke the truth. People like Declan could never be with someone like Violet even if they really did love each other. ❝ In all truthfulness I don't know what Declan was thinking by having a secret relationship with her. As far as I see it , I did them both a favour from getting more hurt later on down the road when Declan would have to marry the woman of my father's choice. ❞ Little did the blonde know that she couldn't be more wrong about the events that have taken place since her conversation with Violet. ❝ What do you see as so wrong with Mason that my father would think that Gabriel was the right choice? ❞ Why did it seem like everyone in her life seemed to be so against the male? Was Amelia missing something that everyone else saw? ❝ Mason indeed met Gabriel and there was no physical fight but he probably thought it. It's it kind of weird and funny at the same time out opposite I went with boyfriends? ❞ Femme laughs more to herself than out loud to her friend. ❝ Okay Gwen what are you suggesting I do? Should I just call mason up the next time Gabriel is over and suggest we have one big happy sleepover? ❞

❝ She's a nurse from the Wellington Manor... ❞ Gwen had heard some things about the mysterious institution that all of their families seemed to have a deal with. She couldn't begin to understand why Declan would like someone from a place like that. All the people she knew from there were weird and she stood away from them with a ten foot pole as soon as she knew that's where they came from. ❝ —And she broke the rules for Declan— And fell in love— ❞ Her disgust growing with every pause she made. ❝Sounds like she tried to make a Wattpad story a reality. Good think you stopped her. She's probably a psycho or something. All those Wellington people are. That place is a hub for weirdos. ❞ Not knowing she was alluding to Amelia's boyfriend. Mason being from the same place would make it make a lot more sense. Amelia's next question almost made her dumbfounded. Was this even a real question? ❝ Amelia, don't be dumb. The one thing men are good for is breaking hearts. Look at all the men we know. We'd be fools to believe in a prince charming. ❞ Her words were harsh even though her own relationship was the exact opposite. ❝ Well, I supposed you did a good job then, ❞ she mused.

❝ Even if they could, they wouldn't be allowed to be together anyways. Too many people nowadays are caught up in their own fantasies. I'm just surprised that your brother almost fell for it. I didn't think he was that dumb. ❞ Though, it did confrim the stereotype of Declan being too weak to rule anything. Gwen bit her lip as she thought of reasons for the switch. ❝ Hm... Maybe he just wanted to have a certain look for his wedding and Gabriel fit the ideal better than Mason. I wouldn't hesitate to kick someone at my wedding who ruined the vibe with their presence. ❞ The femme's mind didn't even fall on the topic of marriage. Herself and Amelia both were well past their years in engagements, yet, it didn't seem to be in the forefront of her mind. Marriage was more fun to talk about than she imagined it in practice. ❝ So I guess Mason met the dork. ❞ Gwen shouldn't be mean towards her boyfriend's brother, but he made it difficult to be around. ❝ Keeping it from him is not going to make it any easier. He's for sure think that you're hiding something from him. ❞

[flightfoot]

Everything’s Not Fine

AO3

He stared at the capsule, frozen. For a moment, he forgot how to breathe.

His arms shaking, he reached out to touch it, to touch- to touch his mother.

“I should’ve known you’d find a way down here.”

Adrien jumped, turning around hastily. “F-fath-”

“Don’t attempt to trick me, Felix,” Gabriel told him contemptuously. “Adrien’s out of the city by now, with Nathalie. You haven’t even bothered changing clothes. I am not deceived as easily as I once was. I know my own son.”

No, you don’t, you never have… and apparently, I never knew you either. “We swapped so he could tell you-” he shook his head. “That’s not important right now. Why’s mother down here? What- what is this?”

“Still committing to the bit?” Gabriel snorted. “Really now, I thought you were smarter than that. Adrien was compelled to obey the order Nathalie gave via his amok - you would not have been.”

“My WHAT?!” his heart seized up, then started pounding, faster and faster, until he thought he would pass out.

“I may not have your amok,” his father said, staring at him coldly, as if he meant nothing to him. “But I still have power beyond what you’ll ever possess. You should have known better than to cross me, Felix. But don’t worry. Your mother will never know what happened down here - she’ll just think that her poor son got into some terrible accident that caused him to lose all his memories. I’m sure that once she gets over the shock, she’ll like your replacement more anyways - a quieter, more obedient son, like my own.”

No- Father couldn’t be saying- accident- replacement?!

Pieces of Father’s words swirled around, beginning to settle into a horrifying picture. 

“Nooroo, Duusu, Dual Metamorphosis!”

Adrien scrambled backwards as his father transformed into an even more menacing figure - Shadowmoth.

“You should’ve taken the fake Miraculous and gone home, Felix,” Shadowmoth said, reaching out a hand. 

Adrien’s chest constricted. It felt like someone had put a phantom hand around his soul, squeezing it tighter and tighter. He fell to his knees, not having the strength to stand.

This- this must’ve been what Sentibug had felt, those months ago, when Mayura murdered her. Just like Father’s about to…

He grimaced up at the man as his fingers moved closer together, preparing to snap.

“No…” Adrien gritted out. He wasn’t going to die. Not like this. Not to his father. Not under his control. “Plagg, Claws Out!”

He had no idea whether it’d work. It was more of a desperation attempt than anything else. But as Plagg’s magic surrounded him, the tug faded into a whisper of what it was, before cutting off completely.

“WHAT?!” Shadowmoth gasped. 

Adrien wasn’t going to stick around for him to get over his shock. Plagg may have been protecting him, but even the suit was only going to do so much once Fa- Shadowmoth, got over his shock and started going after him.

Placing his staff against the ground, he accelerated towards the cavern roof. “CATACLYSM!”

A fifty-foot diameter circle of land ceased to exist as he vaporized it. Distantly, he wondered how the city was going to react to a giant sinkhole opening up in the wealthiest part of town.

With another pole vault, he sailed over the city, running and leaping on autopilot, trying to get the HELL away from everything he’d just seen and heard. He didn’t realize where he was until Marinette stared back at him from her balcony. “Chat Noir, what’re you-?!”

He collapsed into her arms, ugly sobbing, unable to hold it in anymore. She hugged him tightly, not understanding what was going on, but knowing he needed comfort, to know someone was there for him.

After a moment, his ring beeped its final warning. 

“Chat, you need to hide,” Marinette murmured. She didn’t loosen her embrace. 

“There’s no point,” he said dismally. “Shadowmoth already knows.”

That DID get her to let go, flailing wildly as she looked up at him with wide eyes. “How?!”

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as his transformation released, sending Plagg spiraling out of the ring. “Marinette, I-”

“FELIX?!” 

He blinked, glancing down at his suit.

Oh right. He was still dressed as his cousin. 

Well this was awkward.

He scratched the back of his neck. “My cousin and I switched places, he was going to talk to Father for me about- about the trip. Since I couldn’t.” His throat closed up. Gabriel had mentioned an amok - ADRIEN’S amok. And with the feeling he’d had of his soul being squeezed…

When his cousin had said that he could disobey Gabriel while Adrien couldn’t, he’d meant it literally.

“Then- on the train with Nathalie- that was Felix?!”

Adrien frowned. “I told him to abort,” he muttered. 

He glanced up at Marinette. She was weirdly slack-jawed, staring off into space. “Marinette?” He asked cautiously.

She shook herself. “It’s nothing!” she said. Her voice sounded a half-octave higher than usual. “What’s going on with you is more important, let’s talk about that instead!”

He frowned, but let it go. “Gabriel is Shadowmoth, he just tried to murder me while under the impression I was my cousin, and he’s been exerting control over me for- for I don’t know how long, because my cousin and I are both sentimonsters.” Saying it out loud, he almost had to laugh at the absurdity of it all. It didn’t feel real.

“You- how- huh?!” Marinette blurted out. That pushed it over the line. He started to laugh, at first because of Marinette’s reaction, and then because he just couldn’t stop. Sobs infiltrated, until he wasn’t sure whether he was laughing or crying.

“It’s okay,” he heard Marinette say distantly, “We’ll work things out. You’ll be fine. Everything’s fine!”

He didn’t think she believed it, anymore than he did.

[ijustliketoreadstuff]

Something about Nino

    You know, its weird, all the while I was re-watching some episodes and movies, it occurred to me that whenever something happened to Adrien, it was always Marinette who would go and talk to his dad in order to persuade him to do something he wouldn’t normally allow, such as return his son to public school after finding out his book was missing in “The Collector ” or allow him to go on the school trip to New York in the miraculous world New York special movie. But all the while I was thinking about how Marinette was the only one who would go and talk to Gabriel, I realized Marinette wasn’t the first person to face up to gabriel...it was Nino.

       In “The Bubbler”,  Nino alone tried facing Gabriel in order to persuade him to let Adrien have the birthday party he wanted, however, unlike Marinette, Nino’s attempts to convince Gabriel wound up ending terribly. Now, Gabriel is a very intimidating guy, not only is he a famous fashion designer but he is also well known to be one of the most powerful people in Paris, so it makes sense any one of Adrien’s friends would stutter and become a nervous wreck when deciding to go and talk to him. However, unlike Marinette who was able to confront Gabriel during times when he saw it necessary to comply  with another person in order to accomplish his own goals or just obtain something he wanted without raising suspicion, it was Nino who had the misfortune of facing Gabriel when he saw him as a target to akumatize. Not only did Gabriel tell Nino he is a bad influence for his son and shouldn't be someone Adrien should be around, he then adds additional backlash by telling Nino he was unwelcomed in his own home despite his good intentions towards his son. Now, thankfully Adrien stayed friends with Nino despite his dad’s words, and considering Gabriel had no other reason to talk to Nino, he just let them be. But after what happened between him and Gabriel in “The Bubbler”....Nino never tried to face Gabriel ever again.

And its not just Nino, every other person in Adrien’s social circle is never shown making attempts to try and talk to Gabriel, but perhaps this is because after what happened to Nino and what happened to Adrien throughout the seasons, everyone simply came to the saddening realization that they simply cant help Adrien if and when his father is involved. In the New York special, no one went inside the mansion to help Marinette confront Gabriel, they just stayed outside as moral support, but this just goes to show you how much they know Gabriel is hard to talk to and how afraid they are of saying the wrong thing which could lead to not only them , but Adrien with consequences.

  Marinette was always followed by the others whenever she tried to persuade Gabriel, but perhaps this was because unlike them, they might have simply thought Marinette was able to meet Gabriel on some equal grounds as she was the only one among them to earn his approval and respect as a fellow fashion designer when she impressed him with her hat in “Mr. Pigeon”.  

Sadly, in “Party Crasher” alone, Nino and the others had to make a well thought out plan in order to enter the Agreste mansion while Gabriel was “away” in order to give Adrien the chance to finally have friends over at his house. They literally had to wait for the opportunity to not face Gabriel in order to carry out a plan to help Adrien.

    But considering the lengths they went to in order to not only avoid Gabriel , but hide their visit by bribing the family body guard Gorilla, its clear Nino desperately wants to do anything he can to help Adrien, but his fear of what Gabriel might do and say is ultimately what is holding him back as he realizes he is willing to do anything but help Adrien stand up to his old man. I guess looking back at “Guiltrip”, it makes sense we heard Nino say those same words and it makes even more sense seeing Adrien(as cat noir) feel so saddened that Nino feels guilty for not helping Adrien where he knows he needs the most help, but he just can’t, after all, facing akumatized villains as carapace, helping others during an akuma attack without superpowers, and doing what he can to help those in need in his every day life is one thing ...but going against Gabriel!?, heck no! 

   We have seen first hand that anything anyone does and anything Adrien does, such as accidentally losing his fathers book, will always lead Adrien to be the one who suffers the worst of the consequences. It’s no wonder cat noir felt so sad after hearing Nino say those words in “Guiltrip”, because not only is Gabriel preventing him from doing what he wants in his own life as Adrien, he is now preventing his best friend Nino from doing what he wants the most...help Adrien and finally get his father to see he needs to let Adrien do what he wants.

Which really gets me thinking about what it will take for Nino to finally regain the courage to face Gabriel again and help Adrien stand up to him once and for all.