#in pursuit of the uneatable

[nemaliwrites]

Chapter 17: the only one there for you is you

This is wrong, a voice in her head whispers, but she’s quick to shut it down. What’s so wrong about this? Isn’t this exactly what she wanted: a way to take things into her own hands, a way to feel like she’s doing something herself instead of just feeling like things are happening to her? It hasn’t been long since school let out. Lila can’t be far.

Chapter 17 of my @mlbigbang fic is up! Art is, again, by the lovely Neteshez <33

[nemaliwrites]

from chapter 9 of my BB fic:

 “Either way, what we do shouldn’t change. Those two might be illusions, but we know the two of us aren’t, right?” Chat Noir leans back on his staff, smirking. “So true, my lady. After all, you’re far too beautiful to be an illusion.” A giggle forces its way out of her. “Hey,” she says, chiding, “don’t let your guard down, alley cat! We still have to stay focused.” “You’re right,” he says, and his expression shifts into something more serious. “Name?” The akuma — the man — looks like he is cloaked in darkness and shadows. He moves, shimmering in the sun, with an odd kind of grace, contrasted by the sharp talons that tip each and every one of his fingers.  “Nocturne,” Ladybug says. “And Molosse.” It’s been a comfort to them — her more than him, she suspects — to name the akumas before fighting them; she isn’t about to stray from that now. Just because someone has been akumatized doesn’t mean they’re any less human, and giving them a name is a way to remember that. 

This week’s word is…

✨ SUSPECT ✨

Find the word in any WIP and share the sentence containing it! Reply, reblog, stick it in the tags, tag us in a new post, or keep it private. All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome.

[mostmagical]

i wish i had the time and energy to become a fantastic artist because i just. need to show my mutuals the pictures they create in my head when i read their works.

[flightfoot]

do you know of lila take down fics that don't bash the children?

Hm, I'm assuming you mean ones that are still focused around Lila being a schoolyard bully? I generally stay away from those nowadays, instead opting to just read the fics where everyone's aged up and she's presented as more of a supervillain (those tend to not bash anyone else), but I do still have some recs for you!

Not Quite Right by @ladynoirfanao3

When Marinette wakes up one morning, she can’t help but feel that something is just a little bit… off. No one else around her seems to feel the same, however, and she is forced to shake off the strange feelings. It proves to be more difficult than she imagined, especially when an akuma attack leaves her feeling helpless as she watches Chat Noir and Ladybug arrive on scene.

---

In Pursuit Of The Uneatable by @nemaliwrites

Who do you trust when your own reflection becomes a stranger? In a Paris where Lila weaves tales that blind the city, Marinette stands accused, isolated. Her parents' trust is shattered, her friends distant, and in battle, illusions blur the line between ally and enemy. As the shadows and uncertainty threaten to close in, Marinette finds herself turning to the last person who claims to be on her side: a boy in a white mask who calls himself a fox hunter.

---

Hold Me By Both Hands by @angelofthequeers

“I know he said never to take you back,” Plagg mutters. “But he’d change his tune if he knew.” He looks Adrien straight in the eye and, more serious than Adrien’s ever seen him before, says, “There’s someone you gotta meet. He’s been looking for that book for ages.” How differently might the events of season 2 have gone if Adrien had also known of Master Fu from the start?

---

Accidents Are Also Miracles by @liiinerle

After some turbulent days that end with five people knowing her secret identity as Ladybug, Marinette loses faith in her ability to keep herself hidden. Wracked with doubts and insecurities, she pleads with Alya to take over as Scarabella, and tries to disconnect from heroing altogether. Along the way, she starts to date Kagami. Hard as she tries, though, she can't stop worrying - especially not once Monarch takes a particular, and personal, interest in her. At the same time, Alya tries to adjust to her new role while she works to uncover who Monarch really is, and makes some realisations about her own wishes. Kagami struggles against a controlling and abusive parent, and a girlfriend who seems bent on destroying herself - with or without Monarch's involvement. And in the meantime, Alix keeps popping her head back in with offers to help (because cool though time travel is, she misses hanging out in her own time).

---

Side Effects Include: Empathy by Word_Devourer

Adrien develops touch-based empathy from using a Miraculous as long as he has. This can only go well.

---

The Investigation by @11jj11

Adrien and Marinette are finally dating-- which is what Alya has always wanted... but yet this sudden transformation in their relationship overnight? Things aren't adding up. They are suddenly so much closer than they ever have been before, Adrien is apparently a flirt, Marinette is no longer a stuttering mess, and not to mention the nicknames that came out of no where. Alya is happy for her friends, but she knows there's something more going on, and the reporter in her is going to get to the bottom of it.

---

best (fake) smile by Reiaji

After Gabriel arranges for Lila to be his date at Paris Fashion Week, Adrien rights a wrong as best he knows how: with a little bit of sweetness, a little bit of subtlety, and a lot of social media magic.

[ask-the-critters-survival-au]

Static dances out from the speaker of the monitor... which is probably power by magic now that you think about it-

"I am sorry children... Picky does not seem willing to listen... It hurts me to think she still considers Dogday to have abandoned you all- especially because it was her own words that confirmed my knowledge of where he is. She seems so... scared to believe what I have said. So quit to curl her ears and ignore it. So quick to turn her emotions into rage... I feel like forcing her to confront that truth may break her."

"I hope you have a plan children. One that does not involve making a deal that could permanently disable you or make this situation even worse. As Hoppy explained the rules behind our contracts? I hope so- if only for you not to fall victims to one of my fellows suggesting a deal that will do more harm then good."

"I have been hard at work devising a way to create a deal that could help you all without harming you or making the situation worse... and I believe I have finally found it. I am to assume that much of the food you all have is food either to rotten to eat or stuff your bodies cannot consume? Picky has told us of your carnivore diets... which does not make sense do to what was used to make you. Studying of that strange issue must be dealt with later."

"Using the rules established- it should be possible for you to use the rule of equivalent exchange to turn that rotten and uneatable food into something you can eat. Again, it perplexes me that none of you can eat other things- Ah sorry, Lost in my thoughts again. I will warn you now that you may end up with an amount of food a small bit less then what you use for the deal- but that should be made up for in spades by the meat sent back being cooked- allowing your bodies to absorb much more of the nutrients then simple raw meat."

"As of the recording of this message... Crafty has only been revealed to me. For the sake of future proofing I have also prepared a deal for her as well. I am not sure of the nature of her episodes of madness... all I do know is that she may freak out at no having anything to paint with- and even that is faulty knowledge. So, with this extra deal, it should be simple to change any spare art supplies you have around into another color. In the case you don't have any... I will attempt to devise a safe deal for that for out next contact."

"All you must do is gather the proper items listed for the magics to consume and warp and accept the deal as per our rules. I hope this can help you all moving forward. I got suggest rationing what you can and eating slowly, as flooding the body with nutrients during starvation can cause a multitude of issues. Perhaps getting you all glass jars to preserve the food is in order. I'll attempt to keep the spell work up so you may continue to do this at any time... but magic can be finicky."

"Maybe making this deal to Picky in return for stopping her pursuit would work, but I am still unsure any magic can be done away from the monitor. What are your thoughts on this Children?"

"I will also look into this issue of you not being able to eat food stuff other then meat- that should not be so yet it is... what has Playtime done this time- How would one warp the human stomach that way? Possibly an inhibiter to the brain? or possibly an certain change in the enzymes your bodies produce?- Ah sorry- Rambling once again. Talk to you all soon. Please- Be safe."

(Heh- Magic time : ), Hopefully everything here makes sense and seems fair to you mod. No need to have our beloved stars starve no? Of course if not that is always alright! I simply wish to fulfill my promise of doing all I can to aid these young souls! Hope you have a great day!)

YES YES! FOOD! IM SOOO TIRED OF EATING ROTTEN FLESH! WE ARE SO TAKING THAT DEAL.

I’m not surprised about Picky. She’s…always been a little ignorant.

She’d still hunt me down even if she got that deal. Me and her...have history.

And Crafty not having paint isn’t exactly the problem. She doesn’t have hands to paint with anymore.

You can thank CatNap for that.

[Mod note: I hope you have a good day as well! I love getting your asks :)]

[rosekasa]

top 5 fics? (from the year or month bc i know it can be hard to choose just 5)

HSHEZHDJEJDJD lowkey i love ur questions bc they make me actually think. BUT THIS IS SO HARD

so this is really funny because i just went through all the fics ive adored over the past 30ish days and have discovered. they are all by @nemaliwrites shdjdjsj

- in pursuit of the uneatable - @nemaliwrites

- none of this is real - @nemaliwrites

- a body without spirit - @nemaliwrites

10/10 READS ALL OF THEM!!

i havent really had the bandwidth to read fics this past month but nemali's fics always give me something to Think about ❤️🫶 always recommend them

ask me my top 5 anything

[porterdavis]

Quote of the Day

The dueling Republican clinchpoops, Trump and Ron DeSantis, are nasty and pitiless, “the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable,” as Oscar Wilde described fox hunting.

Maureen Dowd

[handeaux]

One Hundred Years Ago, Cincinnati's New Year Began With . . . A Fox Hunt?

Bright and early on New Year’s Day 1923, several hundred residents of Milford, Ohio, gathered on Tealtown Road for a fox hunt. The hunters were not decked out in full regalia for an English-style romp, once described by Oscar Wilde as “the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable.” No, these were sturdy township yeomen, farmers out to protect their poultry. According to the Enquirer [28 December 1922]:

“Union Township is thickly infested with foxes and some real sport is assured. Foxes to be taken alive.”

Only the hunt captains were allowed to ride horses; the rest of the hunters marched on foot. No firearms were permitted, only clubs used to beat the bushes, and there were no dogs baying at the scent. Still, the Milford hunt netted six foxes captured alive and auctioned (for fur? pets?) at prices ranging from $9.50 to $18.75.

The remainder of Cincinnati’s residents were apparently nursing hangovers. Despite the imposition, two years previously, of Prohibition, and despite the ubiquitous presence of liquor-control agents, it is obvious that the flowing bowl ran unimpeded. The whole of Downtown was an outdoor party, according to the Cincinnati Post [1 January 1923]:

“The New Year was given a tremendous ovation, so to speak. Clanging of bells, blowing of whistles and discharging of firearms seemed louder than ever before. Automobile horns added to the din. Long before midnight those unlucky ones who had failed to make table reservations at hotels started to parade the streets. Theater crowds added to the throng.”

Police reported multiple incidents of people shooting pistols, rifles and shotguns. One of the few arrests that night was Charles Nichols, apprehended at Fifth and John streets firing a handgun loaded with blanks. Mary Daugherty, a widow living at 1715 Vine Street, suffered a mysterious wound in her right hand that police believe was caused by a falling bullet.

Adding to the din was a massive explosion on Vine Street at Fourteenth, which sent a sewer lid thirty feet into the air, returning to earth with a resounding clang. Investigators rushed to the scene and determined that fumes in the subterranean tunnels had ignited to create the blast.

With all the obviously lubricated revelry surrounding them, it is surprising that police made very few arrests for liquor violations. A twelve-year-old boy was found unconsciously inebriated in a vacant lot in the West End. Police transported him to the hospital and initiated a search for his supplier and for his mother, who was nowhere to be found. William Rockey, the village smithy of Loveland, was hauled in on charges that he was supplementing his ironmongering by distributing moonshine by the gallon. Norwood’s arrests amounted to a single tosspot, who was provided with a cell in which to sleep it off.

There was less liquor to go around on New Year’s Eve 1922 because prohibition agents had raided two 100-gallon stills, one in Mount Airy and one in Avondale. It appeared that both stills were operated by the same gang of bootleggers. In addition to the stills, agents confiscated 35 barrels of mash and 50 gallons of finished product.

The big excitement in town on New Year’s Eve was out in Price Hill, where a gang of Cleveland auto thieves raised a ruckus at the Warsaw Avenue police station. Harry Forthoffer and Harry Legoy robbed a Cleveland clubman and drove to Cincinnati to meet up with Forthoffer’s brother, John. The trio were arrested for speeding in Price Hill and taken to the station (the old District Three building).

There, the Forthoffers were brought inside for booking while Legoy sat in the stolen vehicle under police guard. In the lobby, Harry Forthoffer pulled a gun from under his coat and waved it at the officers, who backed away. Abandoning his brother, held by police at gunpoint, Forthoffer burst through the front doors. As he made his break, Legoy saw that the police guarding him were distracted. He punched the gas and sped off. Forthoffer, now on foot, made a dash for Dempsey Park where he was able to evade his pursuers. Legoy was stopped a few blocks away and hauled into the station where, under questioning, he revealed the address of the flophouse in which the trio were hanging out. Police forced Legoy to drive to that address and hid themselves in the hallway and alleys. When Forthoffer saw Legoy sitting in the getaway car, he ran outside and jumped into the vehicle. Immediately surrounded by lawmen, his only complaint to the police was, “You got us too soon.”

Judge Charles W. Hoffman, of Cincinnati’s divorce court, reported a significant drop in marriage dissolutions during 1922. Judge Hoffman heard only 1,057 divorce cases in 1922, compared to 1,201 in 1921. Of the 1,057 cases in 1922, women won 608 decrees while husbands won only 289. Most of the remainder were denied and a few were suits for alimony only.

Amid all this excitement, the Cincinnati Post predicted brighter days ahead, illuminated by psychic energy. In an editorial [1 January 1923] the paper forecast interplanetary telepathy in language that would fit right into any pulp science fiction novel of that decade:

“Shall we, in 1923, talk with Mars or Venus by radio or mental waves? Shall we discover new psychic powers that have been lying dormant in us, waiting until Destiny is ready for us to use them? All of us have been vaguely conscious that such latent powers exist. Occasionally they are manifested by mysterious happenings that no one can satisfactorily explain. The World War, titanic struggle, was the forerunner of something new and tremendous. Great spiritual or psychic forces shook civilization to its foundations. Leading up to – what? We may know, before the end of 1923. Forward, across the threshold of the unknown.”

[rosiewitchescottage]

We have a wild boar park here in Lancashire and it's well worth a visit.

(The Forest of Bowland is one of our UK National Parks.)

Beavers are gradually being reintroduced across The UK. Apparently it's going well. And I really hope we get to see them in Lancashire before too long.

We've already got one of the areas where the native red squirrel is protected.

I'd love to see wolves reintroduced. But I can see why farmers would need to know that sufficient effort was being made to help them to protect their live stock, on top of everything else that would need doing.

To be frank. I'm not sure I'd trust our current government, nor those that we might get next election time, to do the job in the best way.

In the same vein, I loathe fox hunting because of the barbaric cruelty involved in killing the foxes.

But I also know that many farmers have no love for foxes. Because, just like wolves, they are highly efficient predators who can do serious damage amongst livestock.

There's also the countryside management involved, which I can see the value of. Plus the community spirit engendered.

But hunting for fun, rather than killing simply to eat the meat. I'll never be able to get on board with that. It isn't the sport that they call it.

I'm right with Oscar Wilde on the subject. "The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable."

King Charles III has been keen on environmental matters, since long before it became fashionable.

As Monarch he doesn't have any say in Government matters/politics. But there's still plenty that he can be involved with.

He's always been a little too keen on fox hunting for my peace of mind. But heigh ho. None of us are perfect.

We do have many wildlife and nature charities.

The Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust, The Wildlife and Wetland Trust.

And one dedicated to Rewilding Britain

There are wildlife reserves popping up across the country, which are great to see.

Plus our National Parks.

On the subject of exports. That's one subject I get really annoyed about.

One thing that I hoped Brexit would be able to achieve was getting more British Made Products.

Sadly not. 🙄

Patriotism, for me, has always been about The British (and especially my own English) People. Our Government has left much to be desired for quite some time.🙄

I'm a Monarchy Supporter, precisely because The Monarch is Head of The British People, not The Government.

Actually your society is the freaks for shooting everything that moves and burning half your "nature reserves" every year so that upperclass dandies can eat leaded pheasant. North Americans are the well adjusted ones here, your country has become a desolate suburban lawn in island form

[incorrectlooneytunesquotes]

The English country gentleman galloping after a fox -- the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable.

Bugs Bunny

[fieriframes]

[A group of people standing in a room. Caption: The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable!]

[nemaliwrites]

Kasie West, Pivot Point / Vera Nazarian, Salt of the Air / A Softer World / In Pursuit of the Uneatable

Illusions, love, and Ladynoir: a webweave. For Chapter 7 of my @mlbigbang fic.

[nemaliwrites]

from chapter 15 of In Pursuit of the Uneatable:

Tikki thinks about her words for a second, making it clear that she’s choosing them very carefully. “I know you, Marinette,” she says, “and that means I know him, too. I know that you are brave and loyal and dependable. I know that you are strong, and that when you want to do something you put your whole heart into it.” Tikki doesn’t sound anything other than genuine, which is good. But still, Marinette gets the impression that the kwami is holding something back. “What are you saying, Tikki?” she asks.  “I’m saying,” Tikki says, “that Chat Blanc calls himself a fox hunter. And if I know anything about you, Marinette, then he won’t stop until he catches himself a fox.”

This week’s word is…

✨ IMPRESS ✨

Find the word in any WIP and share the sentence containing it! Reply, reblog, stick it in the tags, tag us in a new post, or keep it private. All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome.

[foxfxce]

Like for a starter! Specify verse or I’ll randomize it

[flightfoot]

got any fic focusing on marinette's trauma? all i can find are adrien trama fics

That makes sense. All Hawk Moth related trauma is stuff that Adrien would also have, and who it would be ten times worse for. Still, I'll see what I can do. I'm gonna stick to ones where the trauma Marinette suffers is derived at least somewhat from canon, and not like, from being captured and tortured, or having a fatal illness, or her mom dying, or anything like that. I'm assuming you want ones that are at least close-ish to canon, instead of just "Marinette angst" fics.

---

A Small but Stubborn Fire by @cardiac-agreste

What if you were the parent of a teenage superhero, but didn't know they were? All you know is the nightmares, the panic attacks, and the bruises. She's missing school, she's disappearing on you, and she's not telling you anything. So you assume the worst: Assault. Depression. A permanent rift in the family. And what do you do when you realize you weren't thinking dark enough? Because your fourteen-year old daughter is the hero who flirts with death on the nightly news. -- Come inside and read about one mother's struggles to raise her daughter in a dangerous world while avoiding the mistakes her own mother made with her.

This is a more serious take on the consequences of Hawk Moth's war on Paris, with actual bloody, painful deaths as a consequence of many akumas, and Parisians developing PTSD because of what they've gone through. Ladybug can fix all the physical scars, but not the mental ones, including her own.

I love the focus on Sabine here. She's not just presented as being a mom - though of course that IS an important role she has. But she's explored as a character in her own right, one with a lot of emotional baggage as a result of her abusive mother, and trying to not fall into her mistakes, but sometimes doing so anyway out of fear for Marinette's safety. She's a really fleshed out, humanly flawed character, sometimes admitting that she would do something selfish if it means protecting the people she cares most about, like her daughter, even if its at others expense. She grows and changes a lot throughout the course of the story, her perspective on many matters changing multiple times as a result of getting new information or seeing the consequences of her previous approaches, and adjusting as a result.

If you want a fic that more realistically explores the dark consequences of Miraculous's setting, that fleshes out Sabine, or just develops a character in a complex way, then I highly recommend you check "A Small but Stubborn Fire" out!

---

In Pursuit of the Uneatable by @nemaliwrites

Who do you trust when your own reflection becomes a stranger? In a Paris where Lila weaves tales that blind the city, Marinette stands accused, isolated. Her parents' trust is shattered, her friends distant, and in battle, illusions blur the line between ally and enemy. As the shadows and uncertainty threaten to close in, Marinette finds herself turning to the last person who claims to be on her side: a boy in a white mask who calls himself a fox hunter.

THIS IS NOT A BASHING FIC. Well, Lila bashing, I guess, but even then she gets a lot more consideration than usual. Anyway, there's no animosity towards Marinette's friends and family here. Instead, the fic has more of this melancholy, contemplative tone, with Marinette feeling boxed in by Lila, and trying to figure out how to navigate her circumstances, especially being around Lila. Even when there isn't any particular threat against her, just having Lila around, knowing that she could pull something else to make Marinette's life worse, and thinking that there's no way to counter her, that she always wins... you can feel how suffocating it is. But she does have a way out, a mysterious boy who she's seen around, who completely has her back as far as Lila's concerned... but she might not want him to, to the extent that he goes.

By the way, this IS a Lovesquare fic, the thing with the boy... well, that'll make sense once you read the fic. But it's not romantic, I can tell you that.

Anyway, it's this interesting psychological, low-key sort of fic. If you want a look at the more emotional consequences of Lila's brand of bullying and isolation WITHOUT any sort of demonization or bashing towards anyone else, but just exploring the effects on Marinette and how to respond to it, then this fic is worth a look.

Oh, also, this is rated M, though I'm honestly not sure why. Marinette's not in the best headspace, but it's not a "this isn't appropriate for teens" headspace, there's nothing sexual, and the most that is present in the story as far as violence and gore goes are some bruises that were acquired under indeterminate (though probably abusive) circumstances, and the breaking of an arm and being bludgeoned in the head, and neither of them are described particularly graphically. So long as you're 13+, this fic's probably fine.

---

Stop Time by @liiinerle

— she put her hand on the page, blocking it so the words wouldn’t scream so loudly at her. They had screamed more than enough already. Gritting her teeth, she pulled her fingers together, crumpling the paper slightly — just enough that it didn’t look so pristine and mocking. It needed to be full of despair, in every possible way. “Marinette —” started Mullo. “No! Never again. Marinette is… gone, forever.” She let go of the paper. Now it lay alone in the light, as the last thing she could ever tell them. That she loved them, that she’d miss them, that she would never talk to them again. A suicide note. Of sorts. ----- Fu accidentally names Marinette as the new guardian, and not Ladybug. She's forced to fake her own death and go into hiding in order to get away from Hawk Moth. She finds a hiding spot in the Louvre, but there she's forced to face the effects of her going away by a very unexpected source: her friend Alix.

Definitely mind the tags on this one! But if it ain't triggering to you, then I highly recommend reading it. You can really feel Marinette's struggles here, with basically making herself homeless, unable to reach out to her friends and family, needing to steal just to feed herself and the kwamis, and then dealing with everyone in her life grieving... and then moving on. Except for a few people who don't...

It's just... it's really good, really heart-wrenching.

---

Bend the World Around It by @kasienda

“Tell me it was real." She can’t look at him. She can barely stand the pain in his voice. She definitely can’t face it. “It wasn’t.” He shakes his head, and turns to her - his eyes swirling in their intensity. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Tell me that you were there. We were there together, having the same dream.” She squeezes her eyes shut. She wants to lie to him. She needs to lie to him. But she can’t. Lying would be like it never happened. But it did happen. And if it’s all they get to have, she wants him to know it. “I think we were having the same dream,” she whispers, unable to meet his eyes.

So this is an adorable Jubilation aftermath fic, with Ladybug and Chat Noir both mourning the loss of what only they remember, of a dream that never was. And them deciding that screw it, it may not have been real to anyone else, but it was real to them. They remember those years together, and they want to live together, if only during the times when they can afford to be missing from home. They remember being happily married, and crave that life.

---

I (Wish I) Knew You by @buggachat

University has been hard on Marinette. Making new friends and maintaining her grades is a lot easier said than done when she has to disappear at odd times to fight akumas. She's struggling, and with Alya away with family and Adrien painfully out of reach, she's never felt lonelier.

If only she could talk to someone who really understood her struggles... but it's not like Chat Noir would know anything about loneliness. Right?

Nice aged-up Ladynoir fic here! Marinette’s struggling with losing friends and lovers because of her flakiness due to her superhero activities, until at last she breaks down. Thankfully, Chat Noir’s there at least - and it soon turns out he’s got problems of his own that he’s been hiding.

There’s some fluff and angst, it’s mostly just the two of them navigating life, dealing with their feelings and talking things out.

---

Accidents Are Also Miracles by @liiinerle

After a few turbulent days where four new people discover her secret identity, Marinette loses faith in her ability to keep the secret hidden. Wracked with doubts and insecurities, she pleads with Alya to take over as Scarabella, but she still can't let those worries go. Especially not once Monarch starts taking a particular, and personal, interest in her.

Along the way, she also starts to date Kagami, and has to deal with changing feelings about herself, Adrien, Alya, Kagami, and the idea of being Ladybug. At the same time, Alya works to uncover Monarch's secret identity, while Kagami struggles against a controlling parent, and a girlfriend who seems bent on destroying herself - with or without Monarch's involvement.

Fantastic Marigami fic here! You’ve got three major POVs in this fic: Marinette, Kagami, and to my delight, Alya. I loved getting to see Alya cope with taking over as Scarabella especially.

But of course, this fic centers more around Marinette and Kagami, with Marinette struggling with Monarch targeting her, and Kagami struggling against her abusive parent, as well as both of them trying to navigate their relationship together when they know that not everyone will approve. 

There’s also some other plots going on in here, like Sabrina breaking away from Chloe and becoming more independent (and closer to Adrien in fact), as well as a Lila takedown plot, though thankfully not one that involves demonizing other characters. While there are conversations about people believing Lila and siding with her, no one’s actually attacked for it except for Lila herself.

Oh yeah, and while this fic may not have much focus on Adrien, he’s still treated fairly and with respect, even when he messes up. He can make mistakes, but people understand where he’s coming from, and are still kind to him and want things to be okay, and to help him escape his abusive circumstances.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

The English country gentleman galloping after a fox – the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable.  

- Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance