#disabled adrien

[bugstung]

Miraculous Ladybug redesign ft disabled Adrien and some thoughts

[diadraws]

im finally done moving into my stupid new apartment so i drew some symmetry icons of evil fucked up creatures to celebrate

[maridotnet]

@shameboree​ this is for you (he’s wearing hokas)

[demigodseameg16]

Bro as someone who uses a walking aid (a cane) and is disabled seeing the new trailer for Miraculous Ladybug makes me absolutely furious. I have never felt so much hatred for a fictional character before and yet here we are. I didn't like Marinette before but like, this just. This hits way too close to home and I know Astruc is going to frame it in a way that makes Marinette the good guy. But NOTHING excuses touching a disability aid without permission, especially fooling around with it and sabotaging it. And the fact that a younger generation is going to see this, I absolutely can't. I feel so bad for disabled children who will see this scene on TV and have their feelings be in the wrong, shown that they are the bad guys for getting upset, or heavens forbid being disabled. Screw you Astruc.

[miinxxo]

I think he should have pots and use a cane because I say so

[fernsnouveau]

I know people are still rooting for the idea that the Miraculous S5 ending was bad on purpose, and everything about Marinette inheriting Gabriel's mantle as the one who treats Adrien as a perfect, pure, passive object, and keeps him in the dark about everything, and prevents him from having informed choices, and manipulates him into believing that he wasn't really abused, "will be addressed later" and then everything will be great.

However, I don't think this story arc, the one we were watching pre-s5, in salvageable anymore. I don't think a character getting SO dramatically ejected out of their own plot when it was ACTUALLY HAPPENING is something that "can be fixed later".

The awaited resolution for Adrien's personal story was never "Marinette eventually reveals the truth to Adrien after the fact".

It was even less "Lila reveals that Marinette has been lying".

Someone else telling Adrien now, would just ONCE AGAIN rob Adrien of agency and make him a passive object-not-subject observer of his own story.

Whoever may have the dignity to tell Adrien, will still be the one with all the agency and power over him in that situation.

The most agency Adrien can have now would be, like, finding out on his own, against Marinette's will, and then "going evil" or whatever... Which would STILL be obnoxious, because it would portray a victim of abuse seeking autonomy/justice/control of their own life as "going evil" against the will of the abusive authority figures keeping them "safely" under control.🍎

A big part of the problem with the s5+ trajectory is that, yes, Marinette[1] should tell Adrien the truth in order to not continue to be a terrible person who sided with Adrien's abuser against Adrien's human rights. But also... that whole setup is just Not That Satisfying, either.

The satisfying outcome would have been for Adrien to find out himself in a way that had a genuine plot impact and was a significant turning point in his character arc.

However, Gabriel is dead and has been discovered by Maribug and got his Wish, so that possibility has already been thoroughly wasted. RIP.

___

[1] yes, there are several other people who should also tell Adrien the truth in order to not continue to be awful, but, honestly, did we ever expect any better from the likes of Nathalie or Félix, who have been enabling the abuse all along? I know Kagami used to have principles, but she appears to have lost them after getting strangled by the red string and getting reduced to Félix' arm candy. A tragedy really.

[blue-sky336]

Origin || Part 2

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

The little black box that rested in your palm left you intrigued. Tracing the intricate carvings of gold-stained wood your mind wandered to how it ended up on the floor in the first place. You didn't notice the old man dropping it earlier, yet he was your only suspect. Maybe it would have that old man's number engraved on it? You couldn't be completely sure until you opened it.

Shaking those thoughts away you mustered the courage to open it, as much as you wished to return it to its rightful owner, something else was selfishly drawing you closer. A soft white glow emitted from the case as a gold necklace with what seemed to be an angelate pendant rested on a cream cushion. What you were yet to notice was the small creature floating right behind the open box. Your fingers caressed the gem, it had always been one of your favourites due to the gentle shimmer it held compared to the harsh contrast of an opal or chrysocolla. You had a vast knowledge in gemstones.

Your eyes flickered upward at movement, only to widen. You gasped and took a step back. You didn't scream or speak as the floating blue and tan bunny stared you in the eyes. With a sweet smile they opened their mouth to speak. "Good afternoon! I'm Cece." The creature flew close to your cheek, almost expecting a warm welcome despite your shocked expression.

"What the fuck— I have to be high." You muttered, placing the opened box down and immediately rubbing your eyes. You did take your medication earlier, but hallucinations weren't a side effect that you were aware of.

"Oh, dear! You aren't high, or I hope you aren't... Miraculous owners are supposed to be well behaved." The bunny spoke once again, taking that small floating hop backwards to regain some space between you. Your eyes widened once again. Miraculous... You'd heard that word before watching a live video of Ladybug and Chat Noir. They referred to their jewellery as Miraculous', but there was no way that was what this necklace was. No. It had to be a prop, a stupid prank even from a random Parisian who just wanted to cause trouble to the foreigner. "Are you alright?" The petite voice spoke up once again, its large eyes staring curiously into your own, yet you couldn't bring yourself to speak.

Finally gathering the courage to make your presence one of relevance, you nodded. "I am... okay. You said 'miraculous holder'... Right?" Your voice was hesitant, nervous even as you swallowed down the nausea and word vomit that the anxiety of the situation pushed upon you. As the creature went to speak again, you interrupted them, earning a small frown. "Because I can't be a miraculous holder. I can barely walk up the stairs on a good day and on a bad day I'm bedridden. I can't save anyone if I can't save myself—" Your words were full of sincerity and truth, showcasing your true worry to complete a job that you weren't even sure was meant to be for you. It had to be some form of mistake. Your face, full of worry simply expressed your concern for everyone else, a prominent frown on your face while your hands gestured while you spoke.

"Calm down," the small being smiled, a soft paw caressing your shoulder, "You were chosen not for your physical ability but your use of sympathy and empathy for others. If you choose to be the holder of the bunny miraculous, all you have to say is 'Cece, let's bounce'."  Cece understood the weight of the decision; it was one she had witnessed over the course of thousands of years. Each one of her holders had their own select difficulties that held them back from accepting at first, but each one always found their way back.

You swallowed hard, the decision weighing on your shoulders. "I don't know. How is this real?" You muttered rhetorically before turning to sit at your desk, spinning so you were facing away from Cece. The idea of becoming a hero was fascinating and thrilling, but what would happen if you couldn't save someone in time because of your own inability to do things? Dwelling on the thought for a few moments, you took your time before turning back to Cece. Maybe this would be worth it, give you a reason to look forward to the day rather than see it as a hindrance. Cece's ears flopped against her face as she tilted her head. A gentle smile flashed across her small face as she watched you turn around. "You are the chosen one, brace it." The way she spoke your name made you smile, filling you with a comfort and the assurance that you certainly needed in that moment. She trusted you and hoped that you would do the same.

Letting out a shaky breath and offering a small nod. You stood up and reached to the small stool that you'd left the miraculous box on, carefully pulling the gold necklace from its resting place before placing it around your neck. It was lightweight and simple, matching your own style yet bringing more personality. "Cece, let's bounce," you flashed a small smile towards the creature, watching with slight fright as it was absorbed into the necklace. Five swirls surrounding a white dot appeared on the centre of the necklace, indicating the amount of time you would have before turning back after using your special ability.

Blue and tan wrapped enveloped your body, a suit that was adorned in white swirls and golden accents appeared against your warm skin. Your hands moved across your eyes as a blue and gold mask concealing your identity spread across your face before a small staff-like object fell into your gloved hands. You recognised it to be similar to Chat Noir's staff, one that you'd only seen in videos but paid close enough attention to recognise the few buttons that made the staff extend. However, your staff didn't extend as much as his. When you pressed the button, it extended to double its length, with a curved blade on one side. The other came to a sharp point, decorated with angelate jewels and iridescent swirls, it was both beautiful and dangerous.

Looking in the mirror you were amazed at the way the suit morphed to fit your body. You no longer looked like the weak little kid your parents envisioned you as. Your hair was pulled into two low buns, your natural colour being hidden through baby blue and white highlights that matched the pale rabbit ears pinned into your hair. It was an odd sensation at first, watching as they flopped each time you moved your head from side to side, but eventually it became rather fun.  An immense pressure had been lifted off your shoulders, the weight of your suit feeling non-existent compared to the overwhelming empowerment it gave you. 

No longer feeling like a little kid, overwhelmed by pain and exhaustion 24/7, you decided it was time to explore. You had arrived in Paris almost over a month ago and you were still yet to truly discover the extent that the city had to offer you. You'd always wanted to try Andre's ice cream, so perhaps that would be your plan for this afternoon, not necessarily taking the moment to realise that you may look like an akumatised villan stalking around in your costume.

~~~

Launching yourself from roof to roof with the assistance of your staff, you relished in the light feeling of your body. Nothing hurt anymore. In some ways this unexpected opportunity was becoming much more appealing than your everyday suffering. Landing on a tiled roof, you momentarily close your eyes. The sun provided you with it's warmth, reflecting off the white swirls that decorated your suit and illuminating you in golden light. There was something so oddly satisfying about witnessing the glow of those white swirls.

Your ears twitched, standing up straight as the heavy thump of multiple footsteps fell behind you. There was no moment to react as leather clad hands grabbed you, pushing you down against the concrete tiles. You hissed in pain, hearing your own attacker grunt as you both landed uncomfortably. You went to speak, only to be immediately cut off by a vaguely familiar voice.

"Who are you?"

It was stern and commanding, lacking the usual humanity it held towards regular civilians. You recognised it to be the voice of the leather clad heroine, Chat Noir. Your wide eyes studied his face, your lips not moving to answer as you attempted to analyse the harsh expression the young man held. Eventually you spoke up, his rough hands shoving your shoulders slightly deeper into the concrete. You flinched, this was going to bruise later. "I am the holder of the bunny Miraculous." You spoke, trying your hardest to keep a brave face, "I understand that seeing a new face might make you antsy."

Perhaps your choice of wording wasn't the best, feeling the claws of Chat Noir's suit digging into your shoulders. You expected him to puncture the baby blue fabric of your suit, but a certain red and black yo-yo pulled him back. The bug themed hero placed her hand on his shoulder, their conversation falling on deaf ears. All you noticed was the disappointed tone of her voice and the apologetic glance Ladybug offered you. Slowly sitting up, you rubbed your right shoulder.

In the blink of an eye, the young woman was walking towards you. Each move of hers was decisive and cautious of you. "I was told that you would be joining us soon." The hero flashed a friendly smile at you, "But I suppose my dear friend here didn't quite catch that message, did you, Chat?" Ladybug glared at him, watching as the corner of his lips turned downward. You noticed the way he took her words and felt your own frown forming.

She held a hand out to you and you cautiously took it. While you trusted Ladybug, that interaction with Chat Noir had left you a little bit on edge.

"What's your name?" Your thoughts were interrupted as the bluenette held her hand out for you to take. You smiled slowly and carefully placed your own gloved hand in hers, letting her help you up as her feline friend stood there with his arms crossed. He held a defence position, the scowl on his face never leaving.

"Thank you." You smiled with gratitude, watching as she returned it. Thinking on her question, you simply shrugged. "I don't know yet. I'm still trying to decide." You hummed nonchalantly. It was as if Chat Noir's horrid introduction didn't bother you anymore, although on the inside you felt horribly shaken up by the whole ordeal. You wouldn't want them to think that you might have been weak, or an accessory to Shadow Moth's master plans. This newfound ability to express your feelings more clearly through words made you feel somewhat calmer after the feline hero's attack. 

Chat Noir stood a step behind Ladybug, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't trust you. Something had to be off, surely Ladybug would have told him there was a new hero being thrown into the mix. He scowled at the thought and his frown deepened as he watched the friendly interactions play out before him. This wasn't fair. None of this was fair. His brows furrowed and he shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking like this, there was no point in dwelling on the moment just in case he was to fall victim to an akuma. The blonde boy noticed your hand brushing against the young woman's shoulder, watching intensely as you steadied yourself once again. Little did he know, this was the first time you had properly distributed your weight across both legs. And God, did it feel perfect.  

He was yet to notice the way you turned to face him, eyes running from his leather ears to those emerald eyes of his. Offering a friendly smile and a hand, you spoke once again. "Maybe we can start over," you began, "I wouldn't want to get off on the wrong foot with you, Chat." You hummed. He tensed and inhaled sharply; his eyes flickered from your smile to your hand. "Whatever..." He finally exhaled with a huff, lazily pulling his arms down and finally shaking your hand. He pulled your arm, forcing you to lean in close as he began to whisper into your ear. "This doesn't mean we're friends. Got it?" he hissed. Your shoulders tensed. 

"I understand..." 

Word Count - 2111

[soullessjack]

ive been thinking a lot about how adrien was supposed to be disabled during his concept development and how much of a missed opportunity the whole thing was, like. on one hand I honestly respect the writers for backing out of a topic they thought they wouldn’t be able to handle well; not to say the representation in miraculous is anything great but it shows they do care about it at the very least, which is more than most media can say. I also know this was a decision that came way before the show even started, but I feel like Tomoe Tsurugi is proof that they can write disabled characters and do it in a way that’s fairly decent, so i feel like they could still incorporate it in now since their prior concern is pretty much ruled out (they’re never gonna do this).

and narrative wise I think it would add very much to the entire Agreste family arc, like idk. you could have his disability be a result of the peacock’s damage, or damage to his Amok. have it be part of the reason why Gabriel is so controlling and isolating (ie; viewing his son as frail and made of glass now) and distant/abusive (viewing his son as now “less than perfect,” at least in terms of what he’d envisioned for a perfect child, and blaming Emilie’s sickness/death on it). Adrien’s modeling career is entirely just inspiration-sensationalism with a “hopeful ray of sunshine” public persona. it can even be important to cat noir, too! it’s still an escape from his home life and career, but it’s also a chance for adrien to show that he’s not as fragile as gabriel thinks. It’s his own way of having independence and autonomy and for once being someone that isn’t constantly pitied or made to pretend he’s a docile ray of sunshine constantly.

I’m also deeply autistic enough to say it could match with him being the holder of destruction; half of his life is centered around preserving him and, again, treating him like he’s made of glass. so why not give him the power to literally crack and shatter that glass? poetic cinema and all that. additionally it adds to both why he’s so unserious with his role as a superhero and why he values his partnership with ladybug so highly—he’s indulging in this new freedom while also recognizing that the partnership it comes with is about the only one where he’s genuinely treated as an equal and trusted to take his own part in something. that’s not to say I think all of his friends would instantly change personalities and baby him (especially not Nino) but let me tell you, even as someone who’s not physically disabled, the distinct feeling of being othered or unequal is there no matter how much support you have.

everybody knows this already but there’s just so much potential in everything that the writers don’t do reagghhhhhghhhh

[foursidecity]

ADRIEN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DISABLED....

[pearl484-blog]

Has Miraculous Lost its Innocence?

Just got an ask from @tallwriter asking if Miraculous has lost its innocence permenantly, but my inbox ate it. Sorry.

So, just to be clear, I'm not really sure I understand the question, so I'll answer it in a few different ways.

Will Miraculous Ladybug ever return to primarily catering towards its younger demograghic again? No, I don't think so. It seems pretty determined to interact with older fans and grow up with its audience. I doubt it's going to backtrack. Which is kinda a shame, because one of the things it seems determined to lose is its episodic nature in exchange for an arc. Unfortunately, the episodic nature is not the writer's strength, and arc plots are...difficult for these writers. Their inexperience in this type of writing shows. Their style of arc building how also lead to them not being able to contain their stories in small chunks anymore, which leads to me ...not enjoying them as much, along with them following this weird piece of writing advice to make whatever is the most painful thing to happen to the characters happen.

On a side note, for any writers out there, please do not follow this advice. For a stronger story with a more coherent theme, figure out what your theme is and try to come up with conflicts that might naturally arise from this, and would enhance your theme instead of distract from it. Think of it like cooking. No matter how tasty all the ingredients in your kitchen can be, you can't make them all, and some foods do not pair well. Figure out what you're working towards, warm and savory? Cool and refreshing? Healthy and lean? Then go towards that. A triple layer chocolate came next to grilled salmon and roasted mixed veggies is an ...odd choice that would raise some eye brows. Is Miraculous always going to have mature themes? Miraculous has always had themes of bullying and child abuse from the beginning. Part of why I liked this show was its realistic depiction of emotional abuse with Adrien, and its refusal to adhere to the trope that is the school bully somehow being the most popular girl at school. Considering how its aiming towards an older audience now, and it's never shied away from subverting comon trope expectations, I do not expect this to change.

However, that is not to say that I enjoy every trope subversion that MLB has done, nor do I think that it has always handled mature subjects very well, but I'll touch on that a bit more in my next section.

Have I Lost My Faith in Miraculous Ladybug Permenantly

Short answer: No. But it's going to need a lot of back bedaling and extremely good writing to make me invested in the series again.

Most of this is related to one unfortunate plot point, the mishandling of child abuse. Of course, that's not the only issue. I also do not like Lila. She is my least favorite character in the entire series. I do understand what the writing team is trying to do with her. They messed up with her character during the episode "Chameleon" and they are trying to fix that error. It is an admirable effort, but unfortunately their attempts to fix that issue have not rendered a villain that is likable or is clever and easy to hate. Unfortunately, each time I see her, I see the hand of the author every time she shows up. Everything about her is contrived, and I do not believe that she could have all these lies. Furthermore, the handling of Chloe in Seasons 4 and 5 also seemed unnaturally spiteful and petty. Perhaps, they were trying to backtrack and make the character someone fun to hate, but unfortunately, they could not. Each time she appeared, I could only sense ill intent from the author, and it was not a good look. The absolute final straw was when Chloe is revealed to have a learning disorder, and Marinette takes the time to say that it is unfair for Chloe to get accomodations for her disability because she's been taking steps to mask it by having Sabrina do her work for her. This does not make me dislike Chloe in the way the authors apparently thought I would.

However, the biggest flub of all is Adrien Agreste. He is abused. I could use an abuse checklist, and he'd hit most if not all the boxes. The show is still one of the most realistic decpictions of emotional abuse in the media and a good demonstration of abuse, why people might not recognize the abuse, why a victim might make excuses for their abuser, why a victim might not believe they are abused, and in season 5, there was an excellent depiction of the honeymoon/apology part of the cycle. I am honestly so shocked at how realistic and well portrayed Adrien's abuse is compared to the stereotypical abused woman who's got bruises and blaming it on walking into a door. BUT dear god. There is so much victim blaming towards Adrien. Adrien is too weak to stand up for himself. Adrien needs protecting from his own fragile emotions. Adrien can't know information. Adrien keeps fawning. He keeps making VERY concerning statements about himself, his feelings, his relationships to people, and no one realizes how fucked up it is. No one challenges him. The narrative, at several points, ends with his fucked up abuse logic being the end-point of the conflict. In order for Miraculous Ladybug to regain my faith in it, I need for people to challenge the fawning. I need for Adrien's unhealthy behavoirs and mindset to be challenged. I need for those behavoirs to be shown as wrong. And I need for the victim blaming to be shown as wrong. I need for people to understand what they did was wrong.

The senti-monster thing, by the way, DOES NOT HELP. It is not a good metaphor for abuse. Gabriel and Adrien was a good representation of a parent abusing their own child, now it's a representation of a creator abusing his creation. There is so little representation of a parent abusing their biological offspring. Why destroy it?

Did the authors not think the audience would be able to understand why Adrien obeys without magic? By making him controlled by an item, they undermined the whole abuse theme.

Adrien should be controlled by the man who raised him. The man he loved his whole life. The man who should've loved him. The man everyone told him loved him and knew what was best for him.

Adrien has been emotionally crushed his whole life. Told he's impulsive, too emotional, that he never makes good descisions, and the only way for him to be worthy of love is to be obedient, to be unresisting, to be perfect. He should think that molding himself to whatever people wants him to be is right, is expected, and his friends should challenge that. But they don't.

Each relationship Adrien has has been carved away besides Marinette and Plagg. Marinette will not help him. She cannot help him. Plagg is an abuse victim whose also internalized worldviews similiar to Adrien. He teaches him how to rebel. He understands these rules, but Plagg cannot acknowledge them as healthy.

Miraculous can restore my faith by re-aligning its abuse structure. Backpedaling and saying that abuse victims are not weak because they bend their knee. That sometimes they see obedience as the only option to survive, and that's okay. That victim blaming is not okay. That accomodation is good and necessary, and its wrong to be a jerk about it. That fawning is unhealthy. That molding yourself to what others want you to be is unhealthy. That judging your self-worth on how useful you are or how happy you make other people is not healthy.

I do not think it will do that. But it could. And the fandom has done that, so I will continue interacting with the fandom.

[bugstung]

adrien and rose choosing stickers to go on their disability aids!!!

Rose was prepared for this moment

[kasienda]

Aftermath - Ch 5: Reason to Live

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Read on Ao3

Chapter 5: Reason to Live

After their unplanned disaster sleepover, Marinette and Adrien fell strictly back into their routine. She came over six days a week, and stayed home for one. She didn’t risk any more late night visits, and he didn't ask her to stay. And he hadn’t mentioned her slowing down or stopping her visits again even though he could take care of the place and himself almost on his own now. 

He really didn’t need her. 

But as long as he didn’t send her away, she was going to keep coming. The guilt for taking advantage of his kindness, for making him put up with her usually only haunted her as she was falling asleep or while she wallowed pitifully during her seventh day of “rest”.

But every time the guilt became almost unbearable he would ask her to teach him something new.

First, it was laundry. She taught him all the basics of washing, folding, and ironing in an afternoon, though she insisted most people their age didn’t bother with ironing. Modern fabrics and detergents didn’t need it nearly as much, especially if you put things away right out of the dryer. Nino still came over to take care of the chores, but now, the three of them tended to do it together, which made the folding and stowing parts way faster, and more fun because neither one of them would stop cracking stupid jokes.

Adrien’s sense of humor was far too reminiscent of a certain cat.

She quashed that thought before it could sour her mood, instead trying to savor every bout of unrestrained laughter shared between them.

Then, Adrien suggested out of the blue that they go for a walk. 

“Like outside?” she asked.

He visibly swallowed and then nodded. “Yeah, outside.”

He held her hand so tightly when they stepped over the threshold into the complex’s hallway that Marinette almost asked if he wanted to change his mind. 

The hallway was deserted. Marinette had made sure beforehand as she knew it was the fear of running into a person who recognized him that triggered his panic, not the being outside itself. 

They didn’t stay out long. They just walked a single loop around the building. Adrien kept his gaze on their feet, and nearly strangled her hand when they passed by a woman walking two dogs. 

“Can we go back home?” he asked after she passed in the smallest voice Marinette had ever heard from him. And when the front door had closed behind them, Adrien collapsed to the floor immediately like his legs were made of jello. 

She sat beside him, and rubbed what she hoped were soothing patterns into his shoulders and neck. 

She wasn’t sure if the outing had been a success or not, but then four days later he wanted to try again. 

The second attempt went better. When he made it all the way around the building without panicking, Marinette led him to a nearby park and watched a group of children playing. They managed to stay for about twenty minutes. They might have lasted longer except when the two adults clearly responsible for the children glanced their way Adrien had bolted as skittish as a squirrel.  

She brought him oversized sunglasses and a bright orange sun hat to hide his most recognizable features, which helped a ton. Before she knew it, a half hour walk became a part of their daily routine. Every day, no matter the weather, after lunch they’d go for a walk, always in a different direction.

They were getting to know the neighborhood pretty well.

Adrien avoided the most crowded areas and he never wanted to stop for tea or ice cream, but he didn’t visibly flinch when someone crossed their path anymore either.

He was clawing his life back bit by bit. She was so proud of him for that, and a little jealous as well. With every bit of independence he regained, she felt left behind even as she walked at his side, holding his hand. How long would it be before he could go for a walk independently without her?

She hated herself for wishing he would continue to struggle. He shouldn’t have to keep hurting just so she didn’t feel alone. 

She was supposed to be helping him, not weighing him down or holding him back. She was supposed to be happy for him. She wanted to be happy for him. He deserved to get his life back.

She forced herself to be his biggest cheerleader whenever they were together and she tried to save all her other feelings for her days of “rest”.

Though that wasn’t ideal either, as she often ended up snapping unfairly at her parents or Alya. 

“Would you stop? I don’t need you to do my hair!”

Alya’s hands fell from her neck. Marinette missed her soothing ministrations immediately, but she didn’t deserve Alya’s care and attention anyway. Not after snapping at her day after day. 

“It’s not like I’m going anywhere today anyway,” Marinette offered more meekly. 

“There’s nothing wrong with getting dolled up purely for yourself,” Alya countered, completely unperturbed by Marinette’s waspishness. But she didn’t pick up the hairbrush again. 

Marinette didn’t know how to ask for Alya to come back or how to apologize. Instead, she flopped back to the bed and just lay there, feeling as limp and useless as a severely overcooked noodle. 

It didn’t matter, she tried to tell herself. Marinette didn’t feel very pretty these days anyway. And Alya probably wouldn’t have to put up with her for much longer at the rate that Adrien was healing. 

“Looks like it’s time for lunch anyway. I’ll be right back.” 

The hatch door closed behind Alya. Marinette’s shoulders immediately sagged. She was so tired of pretending. But with Alya’s absence the silence stretched until it became unbearable and she flopped onto her side. Every limb felt like lead. She might just sink into the mattress and never arise again. She was tired of pretending, but she didn’t want to be alone. She was terrified of being alone.  

A single tear leaked from her eye, but her hand was too heavy to do anything to wipe it away. 

She didn’t understand why it was so much easier with Adrien, and nearly impossible with Alya and her parents. It shouldn’t be such a chore to hang out with the people she loved. What was wrong with her? 

Why did she keep hurting the people she loved the most?

The creak of the door hatch rising from the floor sounded through her room just moments after Alya had left. And she huffed a sigh. 

“I’m not hungry,” she called down petulantly.

“Well, it’s good I didn’t bring any food then.”

Marinette scrambled to an upright sitting position, suddenly hyper aware of her unfinished hair, the fact that she wasn’t dressed, and the dirty laundry that cluttered the floor in haphazard clumps.

“Adrien! What are you doing here?” She winced the moment the accusatory words were out.

He frowned. “I was trying to surprise you. Your maman said I could come right up. I don’t mean to intrude. I thought… I thought you’d be impressed that I managed to make it here on my own.”

She tucked a tangled loop of hair behind her ear and tried for a smile. It felt forced.

“I am super impressed. I just… wasn’t expecting you.” She couldn’t meet his eyes, not when every part of her burned with shame. 

“Are you sick?” 

She wanted to take the out he offered and run. But she couldn’t do it. She didn’t want to lie to him. 

But she couldn’t admit the truth to him either.

Her chin trembled.

He climbed up to her loft and took a seat beside her on her bed. “You’re not okay, are you?”

She hung her head, tears burning at the edges of her eyes. “I didn’t want you to know.”

He slipped an arm around her waist, and pulled her into his chest. “I understand. Before you visited me that first time in the hotel, I didn’t want you to know about me either,” he admitted. 

She sobbed and laughed at the same time. “We make quite the pair don’t we?” 

He didn’t say anything, just held her tighter with his head resting on hers. She felt so warm in his hold. 

She didn’t deserve it though.

“You don’t have to stay,” she told him. She didn’t want to become a burden for him the way she already was on her parents and Alya. 

“Marinette, you’ve held my hand through every part of the disaster that is my life since my father was taken down. May I support you in the same way?” 

She wanted to argue.

She didn’t deserve him. He was only struggling because of her - because she had single-handedly shattered his whole life and never had the courage to tell him even when his circumstances were so much worse than her own. Every time he wanted to get up, to do anything for himself, he had to break away from the gravitational black hole left behind by his father, a hole that she had torn open unknowingly.

But his eyes sparkled with so much hope - more hope than she had seen from him in a long time, so she couldn’t fight him on this. 

When he pushed her back into bed, she let him. He climbed down her ladder and returned a moment later with a book. A book of poetry her mother had given her a few weeks prior that Marinette hadn’t so much as cracked open. He settled in next to her, their sides pressing against one another, and started reading out loud. 

She didn’t hear the words, but there was a rhythm to his voice as he read. She found herself crying into his shoulder as his free hand stroked her hair.

“What is it?” he asked. 

She shook her head. These tears were the good kind of tears. The kind of tears she thought she had forgotten how to shed. “Nothing. I’m just really glad you’re here.” 

His answering smile was blinding. “I’m glad, too.”

The hatch door flipped open. 

“Hey kids!” Alya greeted brightly. “I brought lunch!” 

Normally, Alya would have stayed and ate with her, but this time she just smiled at the two of them curled up, laid the tray over their laps, and disappeared back the way she had come. 

It was like she knew that with Adrien there, Marinette wouldn’t refuse food.

And she wasn’t wrong. 

…

Marinette couldn’t get out of bed the next morning. 

Her maman came in, surprised to find her still buried in blankets, but when she immediately moved to haul Marinette out of bed as she had so many times before in weeks past Marinette didn’t take her mother’s offered hand.

“Marinette, Xīngān Băobèi, what’s wrong?” 

“I can’t!” Angry tears fell down her cheeks. 

Her maman frowned. “Why not?” 

“He knows now.” 

“Knows what?” 

Marinette clutched her knees to her chest. “That I’m in just as bad of shape as he is. He knows that I can’t help him now.”

“Why does your struggling mean you can’t help him anymore?”

Marinette turned away, fighting tears. Her maman didn’t understand. 

“Alya and you have both told me that Adrien’s been struggling really hard with his own inner demons. That didn’t stop him from helping you yesterday, did it?” 

Marinette furiously wiped her tears away even though it was pointless because they just kept falling. Her maman didn’t understand. Adrien had been the only one in her life who had still viewed her as whole, that still seemed to have faith that she could do anything. The only person in her life where she was adding some benefit instead of weighing him down.

Surely, that illusion had been shattered.

Now he would hesitate to ask her for help, feel guilty for putting things on her plate, or just not trust that she could be what he needed. 

And he would be right.

Her phone buzzed. 

Adrien: 

If you’re up for it, I have something big I need your help with. If you’re not up for it, tell me, and I’ll try to arrange it for another day. Excited to see you in any case. 🙂

Her eyes blurred reading the message. 

He still thought she could help him. That idiot boy.

Now, she had to go. Now matter how big the task, she needed to help him to make up for the energy that he spent on her the day before. 

She took her mother’s offered hand, pushed herself through her morning routine, and followed the familiar route to Adrien’s apartment with her stomach writhing the whole way there. 

His concerned gaze at her arrival made her want to bolt immediately. As it was, her gaze remained locked on the floor, and her heart felt stuck up in her throat somewhere.

He cleared his throat. “I umm…”

Goodness, she had made things so awkward. Had she ruined everything between them in one afternoon? 

“I’m sorry that I didn’t notice… that you were hurting.” 

She shook her head rapidly, looking up at him. “No, Adrien, no. It wasn’t your fault. You had your own things, and I… I didn’t tell you.” 

He rubbed the back of his neck as she came in. “It just seems obvious, looking back. I should have seen it.” 

“It’s fine!” she insisted, pasting on a smile. She didn’t want to talk about it - it was all too close to things she couldn’t tell him. “You said you needed my help with something?”

He hesitated a moment and then allowed the subject change. “Yes, I was hoping you could help me run an errand today?” It sounded like a question. 

“You mean out and about?” 

He nodded.

“Yes, of course. I thought Nino was running all your errands.”

“He is. Or Alya sometimes, but this is more personal. I can’t ask him for this.” 

“Okay. Where are we going?”

He gave her an address. 

“This is a busier part of town,” she observed. “Is that going to be okay?” 

He laughed nervously. “Well, we’ll find out, won’t we?” 

She reached for his hand, and he took it gratefully. “I’ll be there with you every step of the way.” 

He squeezed her hand. “Thank you. I figure it makes the most sense to go after lunch,” he said.

The ensuing morning felt almost normal. He played video games, they made lunch, and ate it together. They chatted throughout all of it. The only difference was he was more affectionate. 

He leaned into her while playing, squeezed her shoulder when she was setting the table, and he just seemed to smile at her more across the table. Or at least he would smile whenever she looked at him. A few times, she had caught him looking at her with a more searching or contemplative look. 

She couldn’t decide if she loved or hated the development. Their time together was supposed to be about him , and she despised that he was worrying about her now, but she had always wanted to be close to him. 

That had never changed. 

But it was exhausting bouncing back and forth between delight to have his care and attention and overwhelming guilt that he was putting any energy into her at all. It was almost a relief when it was time for them to go. She didn’t even ask what they were doing. 

Adrien drove for the twenty minute commute and parked his car in an underground garage. It was only when they reached the ground floor, after he led her two blocks north, when they were standing in front of a familiar building that Marinette realized she had been tricked.

The Center for Occupational and Lifestyle Redesign. 

Marinette glared at the blue lettering. “Alya put you up to this?” she demanded harshly. 

“Sabine actually,” he whispered. 

She froze. “You’ve been talking to my parents?” 

“For a few weeks now. Since our accidental sleepover.”

No no no! This was all wrong. He hadn’t just figured her out yesterday after all. He had known the whole time?! 

But then, why was he being so worried all morning?! That was definitely new!

Maybe her maman hadn’t told him everything.

She searched his face, and he was clearly as anxious as she was.

“Mari, I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped. I think Nino gave them my number, but it was only because you were spending so much time here with me. And apparently they were really worried about you. I don’t know why I didn’t realize that something deeper was going on.”

Her chin trembled. He felt so guilty. He wasn’t supposed to feel bad - not on her account. 

“Yesterday was my test run, to see if I could go out by myself. I didn’t realize you were hurting. They didn’t tell me that though I wish they had. They only told me that you stopped going to your appointments. That you insisted I was more important.” 

His gaze turned down, and his eyes glassy.

No no no! He wasn’t supposed to cry. Not for her. She didn’t matter. 

He held his hand out. “I made an appointment for you. Will you come inside with me?” 

And his eyes were shining. They were so bright. She couldn’t say no. She could go to therapy if it was helping him . 

She took his hand. 

… 

“Hello Marinette. My name is Juliette. It is very nice to meet you.” 

Marinette made herself smile. “No Camille?” she asked. She wouldn’t be surprised if her old therapist had given up on her. She would have, in the same position. 

Juliette smiled and gestured for Marinette and Adrien to follow her. “She’s out on maternity leave, but I have her notes here. Shall we get started?”

“Sure,” she agreed, following Juliette to a table set up with putty, a pegboard, clothespins, stacks of folded white towels, and various contraptions that Marinette remembered using at her last appointment months prior to stretch and strengthen her hand. She didn’t remember what most of it was called. 

“How often are you doing your stretches?” Juliette asked as she took Marinette’s hand, gently urging her locked fist open with firm, yet gentle ministrations. 

“Umm… not very often,” she admitted, feeling small and like a failure. Camille had only wanted her to work on it for ten minutes a day, and Marinette hadn’t been able to keep up with even that much. 

She would’ve lied, but Adrien was right there listening to them talk. And she still didn’t want to lie to him .

Juliette smiled. “I appreciate your honesty. When patients lie, it makes it difficult to know if something is not working or if it’s just not being done.” 

Marinette’s shoulders relaxed, relieved that Juliette wasn’t going to lecture her. Camille would have. 

Juliette pressed on different points on her palm and wrist. “What do you want to be able to do with your hand?” 

Marinette bit her lower lip. She didn’t have any desires or goals. “What do you mean?”

“Like, what are the activities that you want to be able to participate in your everyday life?” 

Marinette shrugged. 

“Cooking?” Juliette suggested. 

Adrien shook his head. “She manages quite well in the kitchen already. What about sewing?” 

Juliette looked at her for confirmation. 

Marinette hesitated. She didn’t really care about sewing anymore. Fashion design wasn’t going to happen. She glanced at him, and he smiled brightly. He had been thrilled when she gave him her old quilt. She might not ever be a designer, but she would like to be able to make something else for him again. 

She nodded. 

Juliette smiled and moved her attention to assessing each of Marinette’s fingers. 

“The tendons that move your fingers are very stiff and too short from your injury, but you still have a good range of motion in your thumb and ring finger. I’d like to show you some new stretches that target the other fingers to see if they can catch up.” 

“Can you show me as well?” Adrien asked. 

The therapist smiled. “Of course! I want to ask, what do you think you’ll actually do at home?” 

“How much does she need to do?” Adrien asked. 

“Ideally, you’d spend ten minutes stretching, and ten minutes on another exercise I’m going to show you, but if giving you that much homework means it feels impossible to start, it’s counterproductive. Any stretching will be beneficial, even if it’s just two or three minutes a day, so I recommend starting small until you’ve successfully established it as part of your routine.” 

Juliette looked to her. “Which is why I asked what you think you can do? I won’t give you more than that.”

Marinette didn’t know what to say. She had never been able to get herself to do the stretches before, and she didn’t think that was likely to change. 

Except Adrien was there. She wasn’t willing to admit to him that she didn’t think she could pull off even the shortest of routines.

“Can we start with five minutes?” Marinette asked.

Juliette nodded, and then gestured for Marinette to follow her. She opened a closet that was overflowing with cutlery, paintbrushes and paint, pin cushions and spools of thread, and so many different kinds of scissors. And was that a fishing rod? 

Juliette hands her a piece of cardboard with holes punched out and an oversized plastic needle. 

“We’ll start with this,” Juliette explained, “and work our way down to the scale you need. Next time, you can tell me more about the type of sewing projects you tend to work on, and I can create some individualized activities to help you work towards that. It looks like you might benefit from some adaptive scissors as well.” 

Marinette glanced at Adrien who gave her an encouraging smile, and took the offered tools. She felt like a child with the needle fisted in her right hand. 

Juliette opened her fingers firmly. “Place the needle here,” she directed, slipping the needle between her pointer and middle fingers. “And approach the hole with the back of your hand. It will feel awkward at first, but the key is just to practice with it here.” 

The holes were large enough and the needle long enough that Marinette could string the yarn through as long as she went slowly. It wasn’t even close to what Marinette needed to be able to do to be able to sew by hand again, but it was already more than she thought she could do. 

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She blinked them back. Adrien’s hand was on her shoulder an instant later and she leaned into his support. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to let him help her, too. 

“You can make your own lacing card. Just punch holes in some laminated paper or cereal box cardboard. Then you can thread yarn through it. This will develop the right muscles you need. Precision will come in time.” 

“Thank you,” Marinette said. It didn’t seem like enough to say.

But Juliette smiled brightly. “Of course! Happy to help! Does this time work well for you? Adrien said he wasn’t sure what worked best for your schedule.” 

Marinette glanced at Adrien. “You’ll come back with me?” 

He smiled, nodding. “As many times as you want.” 

Her assigned exercises became a part of their routine. Right before they made lunch together, Adrien would walk her through each stretch. With him holding her accountable, she probably could have committed to the twenty minute routine, but it was just as well because her hand often felt tender and sore. 

He made her three different kinds of lacing cards in the first week, and any time he played video games, she would sit next to him working on threading a skein of neon green yarn through the overly large holes. 

He took her to her next therapy appointment where she experimented with several different types of adaptive scissors. Adrien absorbed all of Juliette’s advice and directions when Marinette herself was feeling overwhelmed. 

She had gone to the bathroom once, and she came back to Adrien geeking out over various pieces of adaptive equipment. 

“That is so clever! I had no idea any of this existed!” 

Another week went by, and specialized cooking utensils that could be used in a closed grip and cutting boards that suctioned onto the countertop started popping up in his apartment. Every week, he kept adding little things that made the space more accessible for her. 

She suddenly loved cooking when she was in his kitchen. She rarely needed his help to cut things up anymore, though he was always standing right beside her anyway. 

She blew her hair out of her face for the third time with a sigh. Her mother hadn’t had time to put it up for her that morning due to an early morning appointment. He slipped in behind her and tied her hair into two pigtails. They’re not perfectly even, but this time the hair style didn’t bother her. In a weird way she feels like herself again.

She smiled at him. “Thank you.” 

“Anytime.” 

Two months into weekly therapy, Adrien started coming over to the bakery on her seventh day of “rest”. Then he started coming over to the bakery on her seventh day of rest. And he started adding the same modified tools to her family kitchen the same way he had already modified his own. 

She felt guilty that he was spending so much money on her. The specialized utensils weren’t exactly cheap, and he just brought it and installed it without any fuss or fanfare, especially when she was only home one day a week.

“Have you tried using this knife, Marinette?” her father asked.

“Yes, papa! Adrien has a similar one in his apartment. It’s really easy to use.” 

“I’ll say! My wrist hasn’t felt this good in years!” 

Her eyes watered again. Maybe it wasn’t a waste afterall. “I’m glad!”  

She and Adrien made dinner for her parents once together. It wasn’t anything fancy - just a ratatouille stew. Her parents ate with enthusiasm and didn’t remark on the lack of sides. They never said anything to her, but she caught her mother clutching Adrien to her chest that evening in tears. 

The next time he came over, Tom had invited Adrien into the back of the bakery. He taught Adrien to make bread. Just ordinary white bread. 

He brought her the first slice. 

“What do you think?” 

It was soft and airy. A bit inconsistent in texture, but she probably wouldn’t have even noticed had she not grown up in a bakery. 

“It’s really good, Adrien. Thank you!” 

“Do you think we could come back tomorrow?” he asked her. 

“Why are you asking me? You can go wherever you want on your days.” 

“Your dad said he would show me croissants next, and I honestly don’t want to wait a whole week.” 

His excitement was infectious. Soon they established a new pattern - where they spent every other day at Adrien’s apartment hanging out just the two of them, and then the other days at the bakery where Marinette watched her father teach Adrien the finer points of baking.

Soon Adrien was making baguettes, sourdough bread, cookies, and tarts, though he still struggled with pie crusts and macarons. 

“Do you like it?” she asked him over dinner. 

“Like what?” 

“Baking?” 

He grinned. “I love it! It feels good to create something for a change. And maybe to feel a teensy bit useful if only a few hours a week.”

She smiled. “I’m glad.”

“Do you think I could ever be as good as your dad?” 

She grinned. “Maybe. He insists it’s all about practice, patience, and love. Those are all things that you are very good at. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.” 

She realized with a start that she wanted to be there to see it. To see him. 

“You okay?” 

“I think I’m better than I’ve been in a long time.” She smiled. “Thanks to you.”

…

[buggachat]

SEASON 6 ILLUSTRHATER THOUGHTS

honestly, I was expecting the animation to be more jarring for me than it actually was. It was actually really easy for me to get into and tbh just looks really nice. Adrien is the character I'll need to get used to the most, but I like his look fine, I just need to get used to it.

But like. special shoutout to nino. NINO????? NINO LOOKS. SO FUCKING CUTE. I love him so much I want to squish his face?? I'm almost unable to watch this episode in a normal way because I'm too busy staring at Nino's adorable face the whole time.

the DJWifi was so cute in this episode. theyre so sweet

in general I really like the redesigns of all the characters. I think they all look like... them. Like Nathaniel looks more like Nathaniel to me, Kagami looks more like Kagami, Sabrina looks like Sabrina and Ivan looks like Ivan. I can't describe it — they look like they've matured enough to have a better understanding of who they are. I like it.

Also, the intro sequence. If there's still any doubt about whether the show will address "marinette's lie coming back to bite her / looming over her" this season, I feel like the intro answers that pretty clearly and with a distinct tone

Another thing — the background characters look soooo much better in the new animation. Not only do they not look like terrifying low res monstrosities like they did in the old show, but they have such a wide array of distinct body types that i really appreciate. a lot of diversity in the crowds w race and disability too. and they look good. it's really refreshing.

I. LOVE. the new butterfly-telepathy sequences. the way that butterfly!lila talks to her victims in a little dreamscape where she's able to use her body language and manipulation tactics. I cannot actually emphasize how much this strangely excited me. It feels so much more emotionally impactful and interesting and dynamic and Lila than what Hawkmoth did

I know people are going to be upset about Marinette being awkward around Adrien again, but I feel like it makes a lot of sense to me. In the more general sense, it makes a lot of sense for this soft-refresh of the show that is marketing itself to a new audience to re-introduce the adrienette dynamic in a way that is just a smidge redundant to old fans. This is kind of important background on how Adrien and Marinette have always been with each other and the context of their relationship! That's important to show.

As a more in-character/universe explanation — while, yes, Adrien and Marinette started to get much more comfortable in their relationship in the old season, they never really got time to BREATHE. they were awkward and messy for the majority of their time together in s5, and then right as they started to get comfortable, Gabriel started puppeteering Adrien in a way that made things pretty tense for them, and then a whole whirlwind happened where he was sent away, and then his DAD DIED and he presumably spent a lot of the summer in mourning and— and— i dunno. I don't think it's too much of a stretch for me to believe that their relationship still feels awkward, especially when a new butterfly villain just popped up and likely reminded marinette of the whole Fiasco and threw her into mega-stress mode.

Their relationship isn't technically all that "new" like they act like it is, but this IS actually probably the first time they've been able to go on regular dates like this! So it feels new, they're still sort of in that "new" stage. Before, Gabriel was keeping Adrien away, and then Adrien probably wasn't in a good headspace for a lot of the summer after he died.

(Also, I just enjoy watching Marinette be awkward about Adrien. I definitely prefer them re-treading some old ground to new audiences than for their relationship to feel too jarringly different than how we've seen them interact in the past. I wouldn't want the time skip to be used as too much of a crutch, especially when I expect that Adrien spent a lot of it in mourning)

But anyway, they're still kissing in the season intro, and this is only episode TWO of the season, so I'm excited to see them gradually get more lovey dovey as the season goes on. (Or for Marinette's stress and guilt to overwhelm her! Who knows! I'm down!)

Oh also, Ladybug looks SO GOOD. she is so shiny and pretty and I love the red in her hair and i love her and I love ladynoir talking about their relationships and and and. and. i love them. thanks for coming to my ted talk

[sp00ky-scary]

For an app I spend an ungodly amount of time on I sure do forget to post things a lot

Marinette and Adrien like thumbnail things, idk working out outfits before I do a full drawing (context for Adrien having a cane, he's disabled but it's kinda complicated to explain)

[wehadabondingmoment]

ID: Adrien Agreste is sitting at his desk, writing on his ipad while humming a melody. Plagg is sleeping next to him on the desk, partly eaten cheese in front of him. Adrien wears a Ladybug-themed shirt in red and black. He is wearing a black and green cochlear implant that is currently (voluntarily) not attached which means that he can't use it to hear right now. In the background, you can see a speech bubble spelling out "Adrien! Adrien!" in all caps. He obviously doesn't hear that he is being yelled at and instead enjoys his break. End ID

no one needs to hear all the time … give the boy a break!