#chloe burgeois salt

[reclamosmiraculersenspanish]

Muchas veces, los fans de Chloe justifican sus acciones, como si ella fuera "Solo una niña que quiere llamar la atención de su madre." Ay, pero no vaya a ser Marinette, que a ella sí se le debe juzgar como adulta.

[nothingtherefornow]

After reading all of this, I may sound like a bitch while saying it, but Chloé deserved what she got at the end of Revolution.

I don’t care that she ended up in the care of her so called « abuser », because the abandonment and emotional neglect Chloé went through because of Audrey doesn’t even compare to the hell that she put Marinette through for years and for nothing but her own entertainment. It wasn’t just about getting a scapegoat and stress relief for her own abandonment and mother issues (which is already a fucked up thing to do), Chloé made Marinette suffer because this is her definition of « fun », this is what brings joy to her life, tormenting and abusing an innocent person to the point of giving them lasting trauma and PTSD.

So yeah I don’t give a damn that Chloé is probably gonna suffer while staying with her mother, she pushed herself to that point, after many people gave her chances to chose another path for herself.

And I’m angry that the adults at Françoise Dupont weren’t brought to reflect more on how they were complicit to Marinette’s abuse and bullying, by not trying to look up more into the situation and give Marinette the benefit of the doubt like any responsible adult should, and by not trying to at least confort and protect Marinette behind Chloé’s back. And Marinette’s classmates are mostly guillible 14 years old who still lack some maturity and who are unfortunatelly are easilly led by their survival instinc to not go against the most popular student’s actions and words, which in these situations were unfortuntally Lila and Chloé.

And after reading this, I can better understand why Marinette thought bad of Kagami and beleived that the japanese girl was mocking her in Ikari Gozen, this what Marinette was used to for years. And I can understand why Marinette tends to rely more on herself than on others, because that’s what she was forced to do for years, not even able to count on her powerless parents.

It breaks my heart to know how much Marinette was failed by the adults and friends surrounding her, in the past and between season 1 and 5, to see how much she was left alone to suffer without being able to ask for help from the people that should have been able to ensure her safety. And it breaks my heart to once again realize how realistic Marinette’s situation was, how many people in this world are in the same situation as her and suffer because of a screwed up and incompetent school system and because of trash teenargers who are too pathetic to live without the need to hurt somoene.

I'm really surprised at how many people are taking away from Derision that the thing that ruined Marinette was Kim's prank. Because it wasn't about Kim - it was about Chloe.

The reason why we have so much flashback in this episode is to show that Chloe was making Marinette's life hell every day. Marinette is afraid to go to school because of Chloe. Marinette is nervous to open her locker because of Chloe. Marinette is late to class and gets in trouble because of Chloe, because Chloe is relentlessly harassing her.

This isn't even just implied. There's a whole conversation in which we see that many people like Marinette and she has friends she sits with at lunch because the cafeteria is the one place that Chloe isn't ruining her life, and Chloe immediately shows up and tells Marinette that the last safe space she has in the school isn't going to be safe anymore.

Then Chloe proves that she's right! She manipulated Kim to mess with Marinette outside of school, and Chloe is right there to take a picture. That's the point. That's why Marinette says that "above all I'll make sure they aren't friends with Chloe". She knows exactly what's happening because it's been happening to Marinette for years. Chloe chose Marinette as her favorite person to bully and did not let up on her for multiple years, and by the end of the last year of middle school it had reached the point that Marinette couldn't even count on her life outside of class to not be under Chloe's attack.

It's not paranoia either! Chloe has gotten people fired! Chloe worked specifically to give Marinette a reputation at the school of being a bad kid - one who doesn't come to class on time, who is clowning around and taking up everyone's attention, who is consistently blaming Chloe for all her problems as consistently as Chloe as bullying her. Socqueline is literally expelled for standing up to Chloe, which means every time they've threatened to expel Marinette for the same she's right to be afraid!

As an adult who has worked in the school system, this is painfully real. I saw so many kids who would consistently get in trouble despite the fact that they were the ones being bullied. It happened to me when I was a kid in middle school and high school because I was the weird kid with ADHD who couldn't sit still. It doesn't take much for a kid to get a reputation, and for teachers to spread around and share that some kids shouldn't ever be believed or listened to.

The episode explains that Marinette knows the system will not help her. Marinette has reached out for help and been called a liar for years. She's looked to her fellow students for help and found them all silent. She has been attacked by people with wealth and power because they don't think she's high class enough to be in their presence.

Why do people believe Lila? Why do people ignore Marinette? Why is she consistently paranoid about being hurt, about thinking other people are trying to deceive her? Why is Marinette terrified of relying on anyone other than herself?

Because Chloe bullied her for years, destroyed her school career, and convinced her first crush to pretend to be into her as a joke just so they could post it on social media. And that whole time, there was one person who stood up for her, and it ended with that person being expelled from school.

Trauma isn't always just one incident. Sometimes it's years of a pattern of behavior that informs the way you see the world, and it makes the people around you think that you're crazy and paranoid and that you're always seeing dangers that aren't there.

If you want to hate on the show or hate on Marinette, fine, but don't belittle how much this sucks. This is a real thing that real kids experience all the time. This is what bullying actually looks like, the consistent neverending drip of misery that convinces people that safety is an impossible dream.

It wasn't one bad proposal. It was a pattern of systemic abuse and neglect for years.

[mochinek0]

I'm a Princess

Chloe sipped her champagne as she looked around the Waynes' Gala. She spotted many people that were clients of her mother and some that promoted Gabriel. She noticed a few other designers, but the rest of the people…..well, they at least dressed the part. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a girl who she could have sworn was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The girl had darker skin and green eyes, but her face, her eye shape!

Chloe sauntered over and shoved the champagne flute in front of her face.

"Go on." she demanded, "Get me another drink."

The girl looked her up and down.

"You still wear Gabriel?" she questioned, "Ew."

Chloe gasped, "He is an amazing designer!"

"He's an asshole." the girl retorted.

"You better shut your mouth, you Twerp!" Chloe bristled.

"Or what?" the girl commented, "You're gonna tell my mommy about your horrible fashion choices?"

"How dare you!" the Bourgeois heiress cried.

"No. How dare you show up to the Wayne Gala in something that is four seasons old!" the girl claimed.

"I am a Princess and-" Chloe began.

"No." the girl interrupted, "You are the daughter of a hotel owner, who didn't even wear clothes designed by her mother. You decided to wear trash."

Chloe was fuming. She had never been spoken to this way and the face of the girl wasn't helping.

'Her face is irritating! She looks just like Baker Girl when she started pushing back!'

"I am a princess and-" Chloe spoke again.

"I'm a princess." the girl declared, "Technically, after Great-Grandfather and Grandma passed way, Daddy became King. I'm a princess; you're playing dress up."

Chloe scowled, "You little-"

"Princess Amaya Wayne, lovely to see you again." a voice called out.

"King Ali of Achu." Amaya curtsied, focusing her attention on him.

Chloe closed her mouth and focused on the interaction in front of her.

'The Waynes have royalty in their blood and this….brat is actually a princess?'

"I'm very sorry, Ms. Bourgeois, but I must get going. My family will be summoning me soon." Amaya smiled, "King Ali, why don't you accompany me? I'm sure Father would love to discuss the next fundraiser for the children's hospital."

"Of course." the king answered.

The hotel owner fumed as they walked away. She lost sight of them in the crowd; Ali had never forgiven her for that fish-smell fiasco when they were younger. Chloe had to see for herself if the girl who humilated her was actually a Wayne. She followed them from a distance and tried to blend in with other girls nearby. She was too focused on Amaya to notice the judged looks thrown her way, as she tried to incorporate herself into their circle talks.

Sure enough, King Ali walked Amaya up to Bruce Wayne and someone else. Chloe couldn't make out who the guy was, but she heard the King of Achu refer to him as Damian. Amaya hugged Bruce and call him 'Grandfather', before he was asked to answer some questions for the Daily Planet.

'She's actually a Wayne!'

Bruce excused himself and the hotel owner was able to get a clearer view of the guy. He looked exactly like Bruce, but his complexion was similar to the kings' and he had green eyes.

"Why don't we continue this conversation tomorrow, Your Highness?" Damian spoke, "There are some things I want to go over without prying eyes or ears."

The King nodded and walked off.

"Have you seen your mother, Amaya?" Damian questioned.

"I believe she is with Uncle and people watching, as usual." she smiled, "She does love to look at everyone's outfits."

Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe spotted a familiar head of blonde hair. As Adrien walked out of the crown, Chloe scowled as she noticed his companion: Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Chloe dropped her glass as Marinette Dupain-Cheng walked over and kissed Damian Wayne.

"Mother." Amaya smiled, before hugging Marinette.

'Baker Girl; she married into the Wayne family! How did she manage to weasel her was into a family with royal blood?'

Chloe stomped and politely shoved her way through the crowd towards the stage. She couldn't believe that she saw that brat was hugging her Adrikins, after she disgraced the Gabriel name!

"You look lovely as always, Amaya." Adrien complimented, "You definetly get your beauty from your mother."

Amaya smiled, "Thank you, Uncle Adrien."

"Don't act high and mighty!" Chloe demanded, "You were just trash talking his father a few minutes ago!"

"Chloe." Marinette spoke.

"Baker Girl." the hotel owner sneered back.

Adrien and Damian were quick to push the girls behind them.

"So what?" Adrien asked, "Who cares if my niece talks shit about Gabriel?"

Chloe looked at him in shock, "But you-"

"Left his place and company when I was eighteen and I never looked back." Adrien declared, "I hated being a model and everything that came with it. The rules, the photoshoots, the diet, the loneliness, that stupid schedule pack dictating when I woke up, went to bed! I couldn't even hang out with my frineds!"

"But we're suppose to run an empire together!" Chloe shouted back.

"Is this some bullshit my father told you?" the former model questioned, "The last time I saw him was twelve years ago and the last time I spoke to him on the phone, was eight. I don't know what he told you, but I never wanted to own Gabriel. I can't draw to save my life; I never want to model again. I don't know what you would do, but it's certainly not draw."

"I can draw!" the hotel owner shouted.

Adrien smiled, "Really? Anytime there was a competition, you tried to steal Marinette's sketches and frame her. You have never put in any effort to practice drawing. I never even saw you take fashion classes. You just decided since your mommy was a fashion designer, you would be too. Audrey probably des more in a day, then you do in a week!"

Chloe could feel the promises she was fed start to crumble. Gabriel had told her that once Adrien was done with his vacation, they would run the company. Adrien was telling her that was never going to happen. She had been waiting for the da when she didn't need to watch over the hotle anymore. It was annoying having to serve others and make sure their needs were met. What about her needs? She wanted a trip to Cancun! She wanted to sail the Caribbean! She wanted to sleep past six am!

She snarled, "What about Baker Girl, huh? You seriously expect-"

Damian was quick to get in her face, "Call my wife that again and you'll be thrown out on the street."

"She is-" Chloe faltered

"My wife is a fashion designer." Damian stated proudly, "Number one in the country and number three internationally."

"Hah!" Chloe smiled, thinking she had caught them in a lie, "Zahr is-"

"My wife." Damian replied, wrapping his arm around Marinette's waist, "She makes all designs and has total control of her own design company. It's not even associated with Wayne Enterprise."

Amaya laughed "She's just sore that her gown is horrible."

"Amaya!" scolded Marinette.

"It's true." Amaya declared, "She tries to act big, but that spray painted gold just screams 'Look At Me; I Deserve Attention'!"

Adrien began to laugh since Chloe had been wearing the same color scheme since they were toddlers. Her attitude certainly hadn't changed. Damian just smirked at his daughter's decleration.

"And what is with that horrible blue eyeshadow?" the Wayne heiress continued, "No one wears eyeshadow that blue; it's outdated. It doesn't even match your dress or skin tone. If anything it makes you look a bloated fish. Why on Earth would you wear a nude lip shade of color? Even in the 50's, when they did use that shade, at least they had red lips."

Chloe's jaw dropped. Never had she imagined a child would tell her off for how she dressed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Marinette biting her lip and could see Adrien laughing himself to tears.

"Yep." Adrien cried, "Tha-That's definetly your kid, Damian."

Mari sighed, "Is Yami and Malik gonna be the same way?"

"You do love honesty, Habibiti." Damian pointed out.

His wife groaned, "I'm gonna get so many phone calls when the twins go to school."

Chloe scowled and began to stomp away. She couldn't believe that someone who was related to bakers talked to her like that. The trash that came out of that girl's mouth left her fuming!

"Good." Amaya called out, enough for Chloe to hear, "Grandma is leaving. My eyes were starting to hurt, just from looking at her. Thankfully, the galas are at night. If we had it during the day, we'd have a disco ball on the floor with all that metallic strips sewn in."

Chloe could hear the baker's daughter snort, before laughing along side her Adrien.

"Amaya, you know how much your grandfather cares about appearances at these." Damian stated, causing his daughter to sigh, "Grounded for a week."

"Yes, Baba." Amaya spoke, "I only did it to get back at her for being a bully to Maman, when she was my age."

Mari kissed her daughter's head, "As long as you're not like this at school."

"Never, Maman." their daughter answered.

"Come along, Amiriti (Princess)." Damian spoke, "Let's go find your grandfather."

Chloe looked back to see the baker's daughter on her husband's arm. Adrien and her bratty daughter were right behind them, talking and laughing. Chloe had never felt so humiliated before.

'Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous!'

Nothing was like how it was before when they were all in Francois Dupont College. She was no longer the Mayor's Daughter. Her father had moved to NYC with her mother, after high school. She had taken over as the owner of the hotel. Chloe had tried to use the same control she had in school to dictate the hotel's conditions and staff, but it failed miserably. People started to leave bad reviews of the hotel; some of the staff quit. When her father had heard about it, he offered to come back for a few months to show her how to run it properly; she had hung up on him.

Chloe Bourgeois couldn't believe that promises she had overheard as a child were over. She was suppose to marry Adrien Agreste; he was her Adrikins!

'I never should have helped him runaway from home to get into school!'

Chloe knew that was the moment everything changed in their realtionship. Everyone had turned him against her! He started speaking up more, defending others from her, and calling her a bad friend. She had hoped that one he finished 'exploring' that his new habit would be broken and they would get married after university. She had never even looked at another guy so when she found out that he had quit modeling, she thought he was getting ready to take over the company and propose. The proposal never came and Adrien had left Paris, without a word.

'It was all Baker Girl's fault! She ruined my Adrikins! Her Adrikins never behaved like this 'til he met her!'

She continued to glare at Marinette. She hated how Marinette was now rich, even richer than her. Marinette always got what she never had; a loving home, parents who cared about her, and now a husband and family. Chloe refused to believe she was jealous.

'I deserve more! I deserve my happily ever after with My Prince!'

Chloe turned her gaze to Adrien and she felt her heart stop. Adrien was on his tip-toes, kissing some guy taller than him. To add insult to injury, he looked just like Marinette. He had dark hair and blue eyes. Adrien Agreste had always been her dream Prince Charming, but she wasn't his Princess. Apparently, Adrien Agreste was the princess.

Chloe walked away as she heard Amaya ask if Uncle Adrien and Uncle Jon were excited for their wedding next month.

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[prisi]

I think writers/creators should keep in mind that not just because you dislike one of your characters means you should throw all of their development and potential out the window and give them unsatisfactory treatment in the narrative.

Good nigths.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

There was no Redemption or Damnation. Chloe Doesn't Actually Have an Arc at All

Does Chloe have an abandoned redemption arc?

No. Absolutely not. She also doesn't have a “damnation” arc or really any arc at all. She is a font of wasted potential for both redemption and damnation who never gets a true chance at either path. To explain what I mean, I have to first discuss the two types of redemption arcs and also how damnation arcs work. I’ll be doing this by discussing the guy who started the redemption arc trend, Zuko, and why his story doesn’t work for people like Chloe.

The Two Types of Redemption + Some Bonus Damnation

There are two general paths to redemption: redemption through a change in worldview (the easy path) and redemption through a change in self (the hard path).

Redemption through a change in worldview is what happens when you take a character who is a fundamentally good person and give them a messed up worldview, usually through their upbringing. The story will see that worldview challenged, resulting in the character changing how they view the world, but that’s about it. They don’t really have to make major changes to themselves at a fundamental level.

This is Zuko’s path. He’s born in the Fire Nation and raised to think that the Fire Nation is good. He also has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. When he’s included in a war council and told that the army leaders are going to willingly sacrifice Fire Nation troops, he stands up and says that’s wrong. This act results in him getting banished. During his banishment, he gets to see the rest of the world and learn that the Fire Nation is, in fact, NOT good. This ultimately leads to him switching sides because he has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. Who he is and how he acts never really changes.

Chloe is not like Zuko. She is a selfish, egotistical, petty, spoiled brat. For her to be redeemed, she has to accept that fundamental aspects of her character are deeply flawed. This might involve some changes to her worldview, but that’s only a tiny piece of what needs to change and I’m honestly not sure that she really has a messed up worldview. There are multiple instances where it’s clear that she knows that she’s being mean or bad and just doesn’t care.

This brings us to the topic of damnation arcs. For something to be a damnation arc, a person has to be presented with a choice between good and evil and they have to choose evil. Zuko actually has one of these. At the end of the second season of Avatar, Zuko is given the choice to join the good guys or to join his sister and be accepted back into his family.

He chooses his sister.

That’s a damnation arc because Zuko truly had a chance to change sides. The scene would play very differently if Zuko had to choose between staying in exile and joining his sister. Joining his sister would still be the wrong move, but it’s no longer damnation. It’s just doing a bad thing vs doing nothing (though it can be argued to be somewhat damning since Zuko is going against his own morals). Along similar lines, Zuko is redeemed when he chooses to abandon his family to do what’s right even though it costs him everything he wanted: his family, his girlfriend, and his home.

This is where Chloe’s “damnation” and redemption arcs fall apart. There is no point in the series where she’s actively given a choice between good and evil. She only ever makes choices between inaction and evil or inaction and good. Does that make her a good person? Hell no! But it does make the argument that she had an arc fall very flat. She never gets better, but it's hard to say that she gets worse.

Chloe’s Choices: The Good and The Bad

Chloe becomes Queen Bee without anyone saying she was fit for the role. She just finds a miraculous and uses it. The way she uses it is selfish, egotistical, and petty. In other words, it’s just Chloe being Chloe. While the actions she takes are horrible and definitely deserve punishment, they’re in character. She’s not acting worse than normal, she’s just being herself, but with superpowers. If she’d been given the miraculous and been charged to be a hero, then her actions would be damning because she would be choosing to go against her charge. But she’s not. She has no charge.

To really assess if Chloe has potential to change, you have to look at what she does when she’s given the choice to be good and this is where things get messy.

This is how Chloe’s first encounter with her miraculous ends:

Ladybug: I have to get the Miraculous back, Chloé. (in the background, Nadja's van arrives) Chloé: Give me a second chance, please! Nadja: (holding a tablet with Audrey on it) Audrey Bourgeois, tell us live how you feel about what just happened. Audrey: (on the tablet) According to me, Chloé just clearly demonstrated that there is nothing exceptional about her. Cat Noir: (puts a hand on Chloé's shoulder) I know that you did the things you did to impress your mother. Ladybug: Anyone can make mistakes, even a superhero. What matters is how you fix them. I personally made one by losing that Miraculous. Don't make the mistake of not giving it back. Act like a hero. Cat Noir: And show everyone how exceptional you can be. (Chloé hands Ladybug the Miraculous) Ladybug: Thank you. Chloé: (the duo are about to run off) Ladybug? Cat Noir? (the cameraman moves closer) I'm sorry.

Chloe doesn't fight to keep her miraculous. A few quick lines are all it takes for her to hand it over. When Ladybug gives Chloe the chance to act like a hero would, Chloe acts like a hero. The same can be said of every subsequent time when Ladybug gives Chloe the bee miraculous. Every time Chloe is called upon to be Queen Bee, she does the job to the best of her abilities and acts as a functional member of the team. She's not incompetent. She doesn't put the team in danger so that she can be in the spotlight. Heck, the very next time she gets it, Chloe willingly admits that her father’s akumatization was her fault.

Chloé: It— it was me. I hurt my daddy's feelings. Because I want to leave Paris, forever. Ladybug: Because of what happened in school? I'm sure Marinette probably didn't exactly mean what she said. Chloé: Oh, it's not just her— actually, I don't even care about her— it's because I have no reason to be here: nobody likes me; I have no friends. I'm… useless. Ladybug: (remembering what Adrien told Marinette earlier at school about Chloé) A friend once told me: nobody is useless, Chloé. Chloé: It's easy for you to say that. You're Ladybug, a superhero. You serve a purpose. Ladybug: Yes, I can fix up all the messes. You said it yourself in your documentary. Chloé: (gasps) You saw it?! Ladybug: (nods) Mm-hmm. Chloé: Oh! I'm so embarrassed. That film's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. I realize that now. Ladybug: Don't worry Chloé. You can fix your own messes, if that's what you want. You, too, can serve a purpose, but you have to want to. Chloé: (sniffles) I do want to.

When Ladybug asks Chloe to be a better person, Chloe is a better person.

This is why I say that Chloe has a perfectly functional view of the world. She knows when she’s doing something wrong and is able to do good when challenged to do so. Even on the civilian side, we see that Chloe is willing to be a little better when given the proper motivation. In Despair Bear, Adrien says he’ll end their friendship and so Chloe actively tries to save that friendship even if she hates every minute of it. Similarly, in Zombiezoo, Chloe sacrifices herself so that Ladybug can win.

Now, none of this is a redemption. It is, at best, the foundation for a redemption. We see that Chloe has the potential to be good when challenged to do so by the right person or circumstance, but she’s not trying to be better outside of those moments when she’s challenged. For her redemption to really start, she has to choose good over evil. She has to start improving when Ladybug isn’t watching or when Adrien isn’t threatening their friendship. For it to be a damnation, she has to choose evil over good.

She is never truly given that choice.

The two big scenes where Chloe gets “worse” are at the end of Queen Wasp and at the end of Hearthunter. However, in both of those scenes, no one gives her a choice to be better even though she’s primed and ready to make that choice.

Queen Wasp: When the Civilian Moment Should Have Happened

At the tail end of Queen Wasp, Marinette has the choice to go to New York with Audrey or stay in Paris. She chooses Paris, but brings Chloe with her to try and repair the relationship between mother and daughter. Here, Marinette gets to really see just how little Audrey cares for Chloe.

In a show where Chloe has a character arc, this should be the moment when she’s given a choice. She’s just spent the whole episode trying to get her mom to love her and it’s gone nowhere. Marinette, our hero, is standing right there, fully capable of saying, “You know what Chloe, your mom sucks and you don't need her validation. I know some people who already think that you're awesome. Come on, let’s get you back home and I’ll call Adrien and Sabrina to meet us there.”

Instead, this is what happens:

Marinette: I think you're wrong. A huge part of your life is here in Paris, too! (she steps aside, showing Chloé and Butler Jean) Audrey: Chlorene? Uh— Chloé? Chloé: (looks at her mother, then at Marinette in a guilty manner, then back at her mom) Why don't you love me, Mom? Audrey: But… Uh— Of course I l-l-love you. Marinette: (groans) You're also wrong about your daughter not being exceptional. In fact, Chloé is exceptionally mean. She's the worst person I've ever met. She may be more heinous, pompous and selfish than you. Compared to both of you, even a rock seems more capable of love. (Audrey and Chloé are furious with Marinette for telling mean things to them.) Chloé and Audrey: (shouting) How dare you⁈ (gasp and look surprised at each other) Marinette: See? You're both much more alike than you think. (walks off; humming)

…our hero, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I’m not saying that Chloe’s poor behavior is Marinette’s fault. Chloe’s choices are her own, but it’s hard to say, “why didn’t she change?” when even Ladybug doesn’t seem to want her to. If no one is actively encouraging Chloe whenever she does better, then it's 1000x harder for her to get better. Fake it til you make it is a huge part of self improvement. Being a better person for validation or selfish reasons often leads to meaningful change and is a legitimate way to start a self-driven redemption arc. (Go watch The Good Place if you want a prime example of this.)

Hearthunter: When the Hero Moment Should Have Happened

Hearthunter and Miracle Queen are supposedly the end of Chloe’s “damnation” arc. The moment where she makes the wrong choice and, to be clear, Chloe does the wrong thing here. Helping Hawkmoth is a bad move and she deserved to face some consequences. However, the choice to help Hawkmoth has the weirdest setup for a “damnation” arc that I’ve ever seen.

In Miraculer, we get this line from Gabriel: all I need is for [Chloe] to lose all hope in Ladybug. To become angry enough so I can akumatize her.

This is also the episode where Chloe rejects an akuma (Chloé: No, Hawk Moth! I am a superheroine! I am Queen Bee! Ladybug will come and get me when she needs me! I WILL NEVER JOIN YOU!), the episode where Lila helps manipulate Chloe into doubting Ladybug, and the episode where Ladybug tell’s Chloe that she’ll never be Queen Bee again, setting up the tension for the season final.

However, even though that tension is set, the thing that turns Chloe to the dark side is… her parents being akumatized. Not some random akuma that Chloe wants to help with. Not Hawkmoth just randomly showing up with the bee. No, we have both of Chloe's parents as the victim of the day and Ladybug actively chooses Ryuuko over Queen Bee, making Chloe the first and only hero who doesn’t get called in when a loved one is in trouble.

All of that leads to this:

Hawk Moth: Chloé Bourgeois, rejections hurt! (Chloé turns to face him) Your talents deserve to be recognized! Ladybug and Cat Noir's reign has gone on long enough. It's time for Paris to have a new queen, and the Queen Bee on my chessboard is you. Chloé: You've akumatized my parents! If I had my Miraculous I'd- Hawk Moth: (puts up his hand and interrupts) You're right, but I did it for one reason only. So that you would finally realize that Ladybug will never give you the Bee Miraculous again. I, however, always keep my promises. (shows her the Bee Miraculous in his hand) Chloé: This isn't real! How do you have it? Hawk Moth: Try it and see for yourself. You're Ladybug's greatest fan. You've helped her, you've trusted her, and what has she done for you in return? Chloé: (gets angry) Nothing! She couldn't care less about me! I'm done with her. She's irrelevant, utterly irrelevant! (reaches out to grap the Miraculous, stops) I want you to deakumatize has my parents first!

Just like with Queen Wasp, Chloe does the wrong thing. She didn’t have to take the bee. She didn't have to stay selfish, egotistical, and petty. But at the same time, this isn’t really a damning act. It's an act that makes her unsuitable to be Queen Bee again, but she wasn't going to be Queen Bee anyway. She wasn't choosing to be a villain over a hero. She was just choosing to be selfish at a time when she's been actively manipulated and when her parents are in danger.

In other words, this is just Chloe being Chloe. She’s acting the same way she did when she first got her miraculous. If no one is going to believe in her, then why should she be a better person? Why shouldn't she just stay the same? She's arguably no worse than she was in Queen Wasp, the consequences are just greater because of Hawkmoth's plan and the powers he gives her. The only real change is that she no longer idolizes Ladybug so Ladybug no longer has a chance to encourage Chloe to be a better person, but Ladybug never did that anyway, so what does it really matter?

Once again, none of this is to blame Marinette. She doesn't have to try and make her bully a better person. That's a huge ask. But with no one actively trying to make Chloe better even when she shows that she can be better when given the right motivation, it's silly to say that Chloe had a damnation arc or really any arc at all. She ended where she started and, if that's all they wanted to do with her, then they should have just left her as a one-dimensional mean girl instead of making her one of the most developed characters in this bloated mess of a show.

Personally, I would have liked to see a redemption arc because I enjoy morally grey characters and it would have been nice to have someone on the team who wasn't a kind, sweet, goody-goody (for a team with 18 freaking members, there's really no moral diversity, which is boring). It also would have stopped Chloe and Lila filling the same basic role for 3 seasons, which was stupid. (Why do you think Lila showed up so little? It's because Chloe could do almost everything she could do and do it better.) Second choice would be don't develop Chloe, leave her as a petty mean girl and give her focused screen time to Nino and Adrien. Their relationship is barely a thing and that's disappointing considering its strong setup. Cutting Lila and giving Chloe a true damnation arc would have also been far more satisfying.

[red-balloon12]

The Chloe-Lila team up in S4/S5 makes no sense. Why would Chloe trust anything Lila says or does when the VERY last interaction she had with Lila, Lila lied straight to her face about a method to try and get Ladybug’s attention? (Something that, at the time, she cared a lot about.). Not only that but she made Chloe look stupid as a result and it didn’t work. Why would Chloe trust Lila at all after that??

Edit:

Like, I really can’t help but notice that they flanderized the “dumb blonde” stereotype in S4 and 5 (especially 5) when Chloe was NEVER dumb to the point of she can’t even pronounce words right. That’s when you know they were railroading shit to make Chloe worse. Even S1 Chloe wouldn’t trust Lila after being lied to by her.

[jennrypan]

Everyone always goes on about how Adrien and Mylene aren't assholes despite experiencing trauma

But

Surprise, surprise!! People react differently to trauma!

YOU may wanna be a better person, YOU may never wanna be mean.

But not everyone comes out of trauma all nice and kind.

Obviously, and I can't stress this enough cuz sometimes people CANT FUCKING READ. This doesn't mean be a bully, this isn't excusing Chloe. She's a fucking bully and an asshole. We KNOW that.

But holy shit. Not everyone wants to be a good person, sometimes when you feel shitty you wanna lash out and take it out on everyone. Is it right? FUCK NO. But it happens.

It doesn't make then evil, (especially when you're fucking 14 and you get compared to a literal grown terrorist, bffr)

Also. Marinette told Chloe in order for her shitty mom to love her she had to act like her..no ones gonna talk about that stupid ass evidence?? Just. God damn.

Also. Mylenes mom abandoning her shouldn't be compared to Chloes mom abandoning her to have a whole other child and leaving Chloe with a spineless, useless father who gave her EVERYTHING she wanted and never taught her how to act cuz he sucks.

Adrien was conditioned to act properly and do everything he's told or he'll get his freedom or anything he loves takin away, and despite that he still sees the good in people, that's great!!

Chloe was raised being handing everything with no consequences. They can't be comparable!

Chloe definitely deserves to be called out for bullying but she's not worst than all the shitty parents or terrorists in this show idc

[graaythekwami]

what are your thoughts on the bombshell flashback from derision? Ignore this if you haven’t watched the ep yet lol

I have a lot of thoughts on it, where do I begin?

It's a little thing, but Marinette's hair being in a bun was adorable. But also it is adorable that she changed her hair style so it was the same as the one that protected her.

Also my respect for Socqueline has gone up a ton. I didn't really have any opinion on her character before this episode but she epically protected Marinette. What more is there to say?

Then Chloe... gah, where to begin?? I knew she was bad, I knew she was horrible to Marinette for years, but seeing it on the screen for ourselves... stay away from sunshine daughter, Chloe.

Adrien officially ending his and Chloe's "friendship" was a fantastic scene. Adrien this whole episode, actually. He was mad. He was in protect-Marinette-mode and it was beautiful.

Sabrina looks like she's been pushed to her limit more and more each episode. I hope we do get to see her break free from Chloe soon, she's in such a toxic relationship and she deserves better.

I've seen other posts mention that they wish they had used a new character instead of Kim for the "prank" on Marinette, and I agree. Having a character whose been part of the superhero team (not counting Chloe, she full on betrayed them) be the one to have been the one to pull something so cruel on Marinette was just so... jarring, for lack of a better word.

Another thing I think they could have done if they wanted it to be Kim would have Kim realize full on what he had done during the flashback instead of a whole year later. Like he pulls the "prank" because he thought it would be seen as funny, but when he sees Marinette's reaction he has his realization of what he did. I am glad they're having Kim's character get on the right track though even if it took a lot for him to realize what he had done.

This episode also got me wondering what might have happened if Chloe hadn't gotten Kim to pull that "prank". Like what if Marinette and Kim had started dating? How could it have changed canon if it had lasted? How would it have impacted the characters?

[eggheadsguidetorunning]

Discussing Felix: Who He is and What that Means

Felix Graham de Vanily is a wild card of a character in his use and effect on the plot of Miraculous. The result of this is often the fan base having difficulty placing him. I have seen him get a lot of hate for being more loved by the writers than other characters for no determinable reason to him getting oodles of praise for being the only character who does something. Both of these takes seem to often go too far in one direction with both often not giving the writers any credit. It is for that reason that I want to provide a different way of looking at Felix that would seem to clarify both of these mistakes. To do this I would like to go over first the three sentimonsters we know of, and secondly the theming of rebellion around Felix.

So there are three sentimonsters that we know of currently in season 5 and I'm going to not go in great detail of them to avoid spoilers, but those three are: Adrien, Felix, and [redacted character]. You might be able to guess [redacted character] but if you can't or don't want too they are going to stay redacted in this text. Anyway, Felix and Adrien are not revealed but greatly hinted to be sentimonsters in season 4, so I am okay with going over their characters here. What I want to go over is an aspect of sentimonsters that many people forget that being sentimonsters are created by a emotion. Now the better made the sentimonster the less they are controlled by that emotion, but they all are created by an emotion so what is that emotion for Felix and Adrien? For both it is apparent for Adrien it is that of his mothers love for him and, likely, her husband (I have proof of this but I do not want to go too much into it here since this is about Felix not Adrien). For Felix the emotion is desire. Every action we see Felix takes has a start or focus on a desire he has for something. Whether it be the Graham de Vanily rings or the Peacock Miraculous. This is also why it is so much harder to stop him Felix has never once not gotten what he wants in some way or another. Most of his loses, especially in season 4, are more of delays and setbacks then hard loses. This is why stuff happens when Felix shows up not because he is given cart-blanche by the writers but because in order for him to be justified in appearance he has to want something and be doing his best to get whatever it is he wants. This extends past other characters Felix only ever wants something when he appears it is his drive and motive for anything he doesn't care who he hurts, who he has to step over, and who will get in his way. Other characters do care greatly about these things without these limits so far Felix gets what he wants.

Second is Felix is very often represented as a rebel without a cause, or rather a bad rebel. Someone who is able to rebel or wants to rebel against the system but either does not realize what the system is or why it is. Felix just knows there is a system in place and that it has chained him up and beat him like a dog. In return Felix will burn it to ash and anyone associated with it. I personally really like Felix as a rebel because combined with his powerful desires it can lead him into very interesting villain scenarios. For example, thinking that it was for the best what he did at the end of Season 4 even if he does apologize for it. Put on top of that the fact that his mother appears to be part of the British monarch and their is a hard sense of delicious irony there. Felix wants to burn down the system, while often working for the system.

If I am right and this is the way the writers seem to be going and implying with Felix (and I have seen season 5 stuff including Gloob episodes) then Felix is a very very doomed character, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[pedanticat]

A large reason why Chloe became the person that she is is was due to Andre spoiling her rotten and never disciplining her. The show framing this as a victory is incredibly dumb and is yet another reason why I dropped this series.

Not really correcting your own errors if you're just sending Chloe to live with her mom.

[reclamosmiraculersenspanish]

"Chloe no merece redención, porque los malos no cambian." Tres segundos después, Félix nunca fue malo.

[mochinek0]

Daminette One Shots

“Normal”

Sweetheart Ice Cream

Fairy vs Angel

Maribat Halloween

Bruce v Gabriel

Team Damidrien

Chat’s Retaliation

I Don’t Bite

Reunited

Karma

Not my Type

Umbrella Scene

The Moon and her Shadow

Tied for Second Place

The Sketchbook

Party Crasher

SIT! (meme)

Halloween Treats

Dirty Mind

Bees (meme)

Pissed Off

Green Eyes

Damian X Plagg

Diner Girl

Valentine’s Day Surprise

Robin Hoodie

TAGLIST:  @animeweebgirl @a-star-with-a-human-name @meme991001 @vixen-uchiha @abrx2002 @alysrose-starchild @fandom-trapped-03 @dood-space @moonlightstar64 @saltymiraculer @marveldcedits20 @09shell-sea09 @icerosecrystal @animegirlweeb @insane-fangirl-of-everything @blueblossombliss @nickristus-dreamer @megawhitleycalderonpaganus @scribblinggraveyard @urbanpineapplefarmer @northernbluetongue @mystery-5-5 @zalladane @grandmaveitch @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @friedchickening @iggy-of-fans @mjisntme @sam-spectra @sonif50 @dur55 @danielslilangel @notmycupoftea26 @t1dwarrior-of-earth @bee-wrecker @polyvirnl @pawsitivelymiraculous @wannajointhecrabcult @goblinwhoships @starlightshield @demonangel27 @dreamykitty25 @irontimetravelflower @clumsy-owl-4178 @lavenderjunes @miyla-lokidottir @toodaloo-kangaroo @our-preciousss @crystalangelluna @sassakitty @tomanyfandomsonmymind @ichigorose @tigresslily @legodetectivemalsblog

[red-balloon12]

Why are people still saying Chloe’s arc in season 2 is “non-existent”? And incomplete/backtracked arc isn’t the same as an arc that doesn’t exist. No matter how many people wanna say Chloe wasn’t changing in S2, she was. There were genuine glimpses of development that got reset after every episode and you can’t put that as a “Chloe not learning anything” situation because EVERY CHARACTER GETS EFFECTED BY THE RESET-

[jennrypan]

"Hey kids, remember no matter how shitty your parents are, no matter how badly theyve treated or neglected you..you have to forgive them cuz they have feelings too!" - ML writers

I'm sorry, what's with this show and handling victories to bad parents? First Roland is reintroduced in his son's life (Bakerix), then Audrey gets the evil daughter she wants (Queen Wasp), followed by Jagged Stone reconnecting with the children he knew he had but never raised (Truth).

Now Andre gets to quit being mayor by sending his daughter to live with her abusive mother while adopting a child that isn't even his without facing consequences on how HE raised Chloe. And in the finale, GABRIEL GET THE WISH! WHY!?

[that-was-a-bit-stupid-of-you]

Alya, teaching marinette how to drive: okay so you're driving and you see chloe and sabrina on the road. Quick, which do you hit?

Marinette: oh without question, chloe

Alya, rubbing her temples: the brakes, marinette, YOU HIT THE BRAKES

[bigfatbreak]

I want to see the aftermath of Lila being exposed by lady clarity, I mean she’s useless to Hawkmoth now right?

(Also I use voice to text for this and it corrected hawk moth to HOK mouth)

its not Hawkmoth she needs to worry about, honestly.

...needless to say, Lila won’t be getting any Akuma’s to exacerbate her tantrums anytime soon, either.