#kid quick/Marinette

[verfound]

FIC: The Birthday Chocolates (MLB; Lukanette; House Band)

Rating: General Audiences

Characters/Pairings: Harmony Couffaine (OC), Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng; Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Summary: When Marinette’s too sick to make the chocolates for Harmony’s birthday treat bags, Luka offers to help to…some success.

Author’s Notes/Warnings: No one’s allowed to tell me kid stories.  Period.  That is all.  😝 (It's ok the involved parties gave me permission 😂)

“The Birthday Chocolates”

Marinette felt awful.

She’d been feeling awful a lot lately – this pregnancy had been the worst one yet – but this morning she felt particularly vile.  What was even worse, she absolutely could not afford to feel awful this time around.

Because her baby girl – her oldest, so her not-so-baby anymore – was turning seven next week.

And she had a birthday party to plan.

[bigfatbreak]

Want to point out sm real quick

I like how in these 2 frames, Marinette and Bunnyx are on different sides: Marinette on the left side facing right and Bunnix on the right side facing left. It could be interpreted, as both Marinette and Bunnix have a point but they are essentially still wrong.

Marinette refuses to bring more kids into this whole miraculous mess - which is good, because whose brightest idea was that it's the right decision - but by doing so she is leaving herself without a supportive system. Marinette's plan is effective, yes, and she is looking in the right direction, but it's only a question of time when she makes a mistake, and it all will go to hell. Bunnix on the other hand is standing on the right side, talking about how it isn't about sacrificing sm for the greater good, and Marinette can't help Paris if she is gone. And it's true, but she is also wrong because just being a sitting duck won't fix anything. The window beside Bunnix lights up her figure, but it feels fake. Like she is just repeating the same words over and over again, not fully believing them. Or she is blinded by her perception(closed eyes) and can't see the point Marinette trying to make. And still on the topic of the lights, in another frame, where Marinette says that she understands what Bunnix trying to say, she has beside her those light symbols, that we saw before, so it's more natural. So she does understand Bunnix's worries, unlike Bunnix, who is light up by artificial light.

Anyway, I am in love with symbolic things in this comic, I want to make a hour long video-essay talking about them /jkjk unless?

aahh thank you for the introspection!! you really hit the nail on the head with a lot of the aspects I was trying to include with these two!!

[marauderundercover]

Babies??

Marinette blinks at the toddler Jason was holding (badly) in his arms. She’d left her boyfriend alone for one patrol. One. It wasn’t even technically morning yet. Not even a full patrol had gone by. And yet. 

“Do I even want to ask why you have a baby?” She asks, tiredly. Jason winces. 

“Okay, so it’s not what it looks like.” He starts and she groans. 

“Jay! What did you do?” 

“It wasn’t met! Well, I mean, I’m the one who brought him back here, but the kid told me at the start of patrol that he was technically benched. And I didn’t really wanna get lectured for letting the kid stay out instead of sending him back.” He rambles, and Marinette frowns. 

“Are you- Jason, babe, love of my life, are you telling me that the toddler in your hands is one of your brothers?” She asks, already feeling the migraine coming on. Jason nods solemnly. 

“Yeah. And I’m pretty sure he’s not potty trained.” He says, glancing at the toddler. Who had been scarily quiet since Jason brought him in. Marinette frowns as that realization sets in, stepping closer to the two. She tilts her head, looking into the eyes as she tries to figure out which of her boyfriend’s brothers had had the misfortune of turning into a baby again. 

“Tim?” She says quietly. The toddler grins, his mouth full of tiny little baby teeth. Holding out her arms, Marinette grins as Tim leans towards her. Taking him from Jason, she cuddles him close to her. She’d heard things about Tim’s childhood. And not that she would ever say it aloud to the kid, but she often thought about how lucky Jack and Janet were that they didn’t live long enough for her to give them a piece of her mind. 

“So, uh, what do we do? Most of the kids I’ve ever watched are like, a lot older than this.” Jason asks nervously. Marinette walks into the kitchen and grabs a piece of paper off the notepad from the fridge. 

“I’ll write a list of supplies for you to go get. Any idea how long he’s gonna be like this?” She asks. Jason shakes his head. 

“No, it was some sorcerer. I could ask B, but…it’d kinda feel like betraying the kid at this point.” He says. Marinette raises an eyebrow, handing him the list. 

“Are you sure that it has nothing to do with the fact that both of you would be getting a huge lecture?” She asks. Jason opens his mouth to argue, then snaps it shut and sighs. 

“Okay, yes. You caught me. Will you watch him so I can go get this stuff?” He asks. Marinette nods, pulling him down to give him a quick kiss. 

“Of course, love. I’ll be here.” She says, turning her attention to the toddler patting her cheek. She grins at him, scrunching her face to make him giggle. Spinning around a little with a laugh, she freezes when she realizes that Jason has frozen by the door, staring at her with a dopey look on his face instead of leaving to get the supplies. 

“Jay?” She says, concerned that maybe the sorcerer got him with something too. 

“We should have one of these one day.” He says, nodding at Tim. Her eyes widen, and his do as well as his words register his face turns bright red. “I’ll be back soon!” He says, turning and rushing out the door. Marinette stays, frozen in the middle of the living room, shocked. Blinking, she looks down at Tim. 

“Well. That just happened.”

[mochinek0]

Reunion

No one from Françoise Dupont High School expected Marinette Dupain-Cheng to walk into the ten year reunion. As far as they knew, she hadn't been invited. Marinette strode in, with her head held high, and walked right up to Lila Rossi.

"I want to thank you for being such a bitch to me, Lila." Mari smiled, "You changed my life for the better."

"E-Excuse me?" Lila questioned.

'There' no way that forcing her out of school and isolating her gave her an amazing life!'

"That whole shit about telling people what they wanted to hear." Marinette began to explain, "I got really tired of defending myself and being told that I had to 'love you' to make you a better person by the staff. I got tired of being stacked with doing shit for free: all that babysitting I never said I would do, the banners, uniforms, clothes, fundraisers! It was exhausting for a fifteen year old."

Mari smiled, "Once you turned everyone against me, I realized how much free time I had! I signed up for homeschooling and worked extremely hard to graduate early. I even skipped a couple grades. It turned out that my husband's family were huge fans of my designs, so they offered to pay for my schooling if I moved."

"Husband?" Lila asked, concerned, "I didn't realize you had gotten married."

"Yeah." Marinette stated, "We met when I was seventeen and got married when I was nineteen; we have two kids."

Lila looked up and down at her arch-rival. Aside from a growth spurt and a larger chest, Marinette didn't look like she had changed at all. She looked like she was in her early twenties!

"So, thank you for bullying me." Marinette continued with a smile, "It was the best thing that could have happened to me."

Lila stayed silent. She didn't know what to say to that. None of her other victims had ever thanked her. She could feel eyes on them. She knew people were listneing in on their conversation. If she started to make a scene, it wouldn't end well.

"We'll, I'm married too!" Announced Lila.

"Oh, congrats." Marinette smiled, "Where is the lucky person?"

Lila spotted a tall, dark, and handsome man walk into the venue.

"There he is." Lila smiled.

Lila watched as her prey came towards them.

'Just a few more feet and I'll be able grab him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind playing along for a few minutes.'

Lila reached out a hand to grab him, when he put his arm around Marinette's waist and kissed her.

"Hello, Habibiti." he spoke.

"Everything okay without us at the company?" Mari asked.

He sighed, "Yes. It was just Grayson being himself."

Marinette giggled, "I'm sorry, Lila. This is my husband, Damian Wayne. Where were you saying your spouse is?"

Lila plastered a smile on her face, "They just stepped out. They had their cellphone out. It must be an important client. We're both models."

'There's no way she is married to this guy! The sooner she leaves, the sooner I can tell everyone I recognize him as an actor.'

Lila couldn't believe her luck. Adrien had just walked though the doors.

'Marinette was obsessed with him for years! Her fake marriage will be exposed and I can get the guy to stay with me. It doesn’t matter how much she paid him. I'm sure I could pay him more.'

"Marinette!" Adrien shouted.

He was quick to run over and hug her, pulling her away from her husband.

"Agreste, put my wife down." Damian growled.

Adrien turned his attention to Damian and froze.

"Hey, Wayne." He smiled, before looking around, "Where are the kids? Where's my neice and nephew?"

'Kids? They're really married and have kids?'

"They're with my parents, Adrien." Mari answered, "I'm sure they're being fed sugar and will pass out soon."

"So, is that an invite?" the model asked.

"To my parent's place for sweets?" Mrs. Wayne questioned, "You live here! They call me like once a week saying you were at the bakery!"

Adrien chuckled, "No. What about my time with the kids?"

Marinette looked to Damian, who shrugged. She turned to Adrien and shot him a look.

"Tell you what, you can see them in two days." she replied, "A whole day with Uncle Adrien."

'Uncle Adrien?'

"Really?" Adrien cried out, happily.

"But, you got to plan it." she answered.

"Disneyland Paris?" the Agreste heir suggested.

"Fine." Marinette growled, "But if you lose one of my kids, again, I will hurt you."

Adrien glanced towards Damian.

"Adrien, if you think my husband is scarier, just because you have seen his sword collection, you're wrong." Marinette Wayne declared, "You lose one of my children, I will hurt you worse than my husband could ever imagine."

"Got it." Adrien smiled, "Plan awesome VIP experience for the kids!"

"Great!" Mari smiled back.

"Man, you moving really toughened you up." the model winced.

"I punched my brother-in-law the first day there because I thought he grabbed my ass." Mrs. Wayne spoke.

"That is still one of my best days ever. No one has underestimated you since." Damian stated, before kissing her head.

"So, what are you doing here?" Adrien questioned, "Didn't you graduate like two years before us?"

"Oh, I just wanted to thank Lila for bullying me and getting me homeschooled." Marinette smiled, "It sucked that she bullied me, at the time, but if she hadn't done that, I wouldn't be with Damian and we wouldn't have our kids."

Adrien quickly turned to Lila, "Thank you for being a bitch to my best friend. I love my niece and nephew. Marinette, do you think we should get her like a fruit basket or something?"

Mari laughed, "We have dinner plans so we're gonna head out. Enjoy the reunion, Adrien."

Adrien took a step back and eyed Marinette's dress. It was a short black bodycon dress with puffy transparent sleeves. He eyed the black heels, warily.

"Dressed like that?" he questioned.

"Eyes on my wife's face, Agreste." Damian growled.

Adrien rolled his eyes, "She's all yours. I don't think I've ever seen you dressed like this, is all. You think you'll be able to take care of the kids dressed like that?"

Marinette answered, "They are staying with my parents tonight." before walking away.

Adrien watched as Damian placed his hand at Marinette's waist, likely making sure she didn't fall in those heels.

Adrien smiled, evilly, "Hey, Marinette!"

The designer turned to look back at her friend.

"I want another neice or nephew!" he shouted.

Marinette's face morphed from shock to embarassment, before she quickly glared at her best friend. She squeaked as she was quickly lifted into her husband's arms.

"Damian, you put me down!" she snapped at him.

"No." her husband responded.

"Why not?" she growled.

"Adrien won't get his wish if you're in jail for harming him." Damian smirked.

Marinette buried her face in her husband's chest and remained silent.

Adrien laughed as Marinette was carried out of the reunion. Nino walked up to him, confused.

"You….You kept in touch with Mari?" he questioned.

"Of course!" Adrien smiled, brightly, "I helped her with her math sometimes and she talks with Father about designing. She's my best friend."

"Designs?" Rose asked.

"Marinette is a fashion designer in the states." he answered, "Her husband's family runs an international company. She occasionally designs for their clothing line, but they do other stuff, too. Marinette has an office in their building, but she mostly does custom work. I think last year someone asked for a wedding dress. It was around $25,000."

"Seriously?" Alya asked, full of surprise.

"Oh yeah!" Adrien smiled, "She's an amazing deisgner. A lot of her dresses and suits have been coming out on runways and red carpet events."

"You're forgetting that she bullied Lila!" cried Sabrina, "She was mean to her! How can you be friends with her?"

"Actually, it was the other way around." Adrien stated, "Lila once claimed that Mari pushed her, after school, so hard that she injured her knee and was forced to walk home with a limp. I tried to tell you that Marinette couldn't have done it; Marinette had been with me the day before. You told me I was just confused. You never let me speak. You just decided Lila was right."

The class just stared at him.

'Had they really done that? Had they ignored Adrien when he tried to defend Marinette?'

"You never listened to me or Marinette when we told you about Lila being a lying bitch." he shrugged.

"But you're married!" Kim shouted, "How can you choose Marinette over a model?"

"I didn't. I'm bi and dating a male model from my father's company." Adrien announced, "Lila was fired when she was sixteen. Wasn't Lila held back a grade? Why is she even here? You didn't graduate with us or even from this school."

"It was a computer error!" Max spoke up, "Lila said that-

Adrien rolled his eyes, "Her mother called Natalie and declared she was owed a meeting with my father. She said we ruined Lila's future by forcing her to model. She threatened to sue the Gabriel brand until we showed her the 'signatures' on the forms. Turns out, Lila forged those so her mother's hands were tied. Her mother started shouting how she should send her to boot camp, back in Italy, as the left the house."

One by one they turned to look at Lila.

"i-I wanted to see everyone." she whispered, weakly, "I missed my friends."

"Thank for stopping by." Adrien stated, "You can leave now."

"Adrikins!" Chloe shouted.

"Chloe!" Adrien called back, "I missed you. We loved that spa treatment. You're the best!"

Chloe smiled and pulled Adrien away from the rest of the group to socialize with the other students.

"You still talk to that trash?" they heard Chloe ask.

"Rossi?" Adrien questioned, "Nah. You missed Marinette by a couple minutes. She came here and thanked Lila for being a raging bitch. The rest of them were still trying to kiss ass."

"The queen, herself, and I missed it." the Bourgeois heiress teased.

"Date night." Adrien quipped, "She brought Damian and the demon brigade."

"I missed the little ones?" she screeched.

Adrien laughed, "They're with her parents. Better book your time with them before they leave again. Oh, and Mari is already threatening bodily harm if anything happens to them."

"You lost one last time!" Chloe cried.

"I said I was sorry!" Adrien rebutted.

Chloe scoffed, "You're lucky you didn't die that day."

"I know." Adrien sighed, "Would it be weird if I put them on one of those kid leashes? I feel like they would fuck with me and purposely try to get lost to see me sweat, again. Honestly, I don't know if it's a mini Damian or mini Marinette. Don't get me wrong, Damian is frightening and he could probably work in the CIA torture room, but seeing Marinette pissed off, scares the living crap out of me. She's creative and could probably make something specifically to hurt me."

Chloe looked up from her phone, "I bought you the leashes. They'll be here tomorrow. You're welcome."

"Chloe." Adrien replied, "You didn't answer me."

"I was frenemies with her for years, Adrikins." Chloe answered, "Mari will find some way to hurt you and she wouldn't need her godly husband to do it. You have every right to fear for your life for pissing her off. Look at what happened to the idiot brigade: they believed a liar and bullied her. None of their dreams came true. The Waynes own half the companies those idiots wanted to work for. I wouldn't put it past Damian to rat those losers out to his family and have them blacklisted. You have seen how overprotective he is of their kids; he's the same way with her."

"True." Adrine sighed, "He still yells at me when I hug her."

"Idiot." Chloe declared, rolling her eyes.

The class looked at each other before pulling out their phones. They looked up Marinette and the Wayne family. The class shifted nervously as they realized what Chloe had said was true. The Waynes and Marinette owned their jobs. They were all comfortable with their jobs, but they weren't anything to brag about. They had all wanted bigger and better things at thirteen.

None of them were the doctors, rock stars, DJs, journalists, environmentalists, or the Olympians they thought they would be. They worked desk jobs or became something close to what they wanted. Lila knew she would never model again when Gabriel told her that he was going to blacklist her. The Waynes owned everything from food to biolabs to steel to shipbuilding and aerospace. Lila silently left the reunion as everyone came to terms that their dreams ended long ago.

TAG LIST: @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 @missmadwoman @meira-3919  @princessdaisysolosyourfaves @blep-23 @fangirlingfanatic @darkhinauniverse @ravenr22 @im-a-satanic-ritual @ravennm84  @bianca-hooks123 @a-slytherinish-gryffindor @starling218

[xhanisai]

Uhh marichat where Chat gets Mari away from an akuma and she accidentally forgets she’s not wearing the mask when she talks to him.

~(x)~

.

He didn't even take the time to breathe and before he knew it, Chat Noir pounced on Marinette's frozen form and rolled them away in the nick of time. The nasty Akuma's razor-sharp claws swiped the area she was at momentarily ago at lightning speed and had the hero not been quick enough, well...

In his arms, he'd be holding Marinette "I'm-In-So-Much-Du-FUCKING-PAIN" Cheng instead and it would have been a severely gruesome sight. Thank the kwamis from all around the world that some good luck shined on him for once (but most importantly, thank the lucky charm bracelet Marinette gave him a long while back which he wore religiously every day as a civilian).

The Akuma's warning growls and oncoming form were enough to snap the feline out of his thoughts and by instinct, he picked Marinette up bridal style and sprinted away as fast as possible. Though, the Akuma let out one last roar of anger which Chat Noir managed to hear even after putting a few good hundreds of metres between them.

"I WILL GET MY REVENGE ON YOU MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG! YOU WILL NEVER INSULT MY BRILLIANT FOOD EVER AGAIN YOU BRAT!"

Wide-eyed, Chat Noir directed his greens towards his huffing good friend, the girl rolling her eyes at the Akuma's words and looking very annoyed rather than scared for her life. As if the whole thing was just an inconvenience and the Akuma's claws weren't literally millimetres away from turning her into a sheesh kebab.

"Marinette? Est-ce vrais?" He asked as he continued to leap from rooftop to rooftop, noting in the back of his head that the Akuma was now busy arguing with le Papillon in their head a good distance away. They were safe for now.

"He was selling mouldy fruit tarts! And the sandwiches tasted like they were made ten thousand years ago!" She folded her arms and huffed childishly again when he set her down on her feet, his hands on his hips and a brow raised attractively under the mask. "I told him this politely and tried my best to not make a fuss. But no! He started yelling at me and got all the customers' attention!" Her blue eyes then turned beady with its glare. "Then that stupid man tried to insult Maman and Papa, saying how can a stupid kid like me with parents like them know any better? So I said his food sucked and that even a five-year-old could do a way better job! Hmmph!"

Ahh. No wonder he got akumatised and had a vendetta against the pouting girl. Chat Noir could only smile at her endearingly, always admiring the way Marinette could get so fired up and passionate on behalf of other people. It's one of the many, many things about her that made his heart flutter and try his best to match her energy when he can. It's just a shame that instead of getting a chance to de-escalate the argument, le Papillon reared his ugly head and took advantage of the fuming man's emotions.

"Well. It looks like he's itching to dice you up and put you on a tart. You should hide before the Akuma--"

"COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE, DUPAIN-CHENG!!!!"

Just as Chat Noir was about to scoop her back in his arms and dart away, Marinette did a complete one-eighty and took on a strong stance. Fists curled by her sides, eyes now narrowed with determination and she stared down at the Akuma who was still quite a distance away from them; his giant but clumsy form still looking for her with a nasty scowl on his face.

"Chat Noir. Get to the rooftop on the Akuma's left and have your catacylsme ready. I'll summon a lucky charm once I'm behind him. I guarantee that the butterfly is in his apron so hopefully I'll get a pair of scissors or something." She was completely blind to the way Chat Noir gawked behind her, his jaw comically dropping to the floor and his eyes bulging out of their sockets.

He couldn't even utter a word.

"Let's go!" She ordered and just as she ran and reached the end of the rooftop they were perched on, her hand automatically went to the side of her hip.

When she didn't feel her yoyo anywhere on her and realised that she was still decked up in her civilian attire, it was as if a bucket of icy cold water mercilessly poured on her head. In pure Marinette style, her face contorted into one that screamed 'I FUCKED UP' and slowly, she faced her Chaton who was still gaping at her.

.

"...I can explain." She rasped weakly. Instead of laughing it all off and pretending nothing happened like he should've (that stupid cat!), Chat Noir got down to one knee instead, pulled off his ring, revealing himself to be none other than Adrien Agreste and spoke.

"Marry me. Now. Please."

.

Of course, Marinette screamed like a dying monkey.

.

~(x)~

HOPE YOU ENJOYED!

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Do you think it makes sense to think that Marinette has taken/is taking ballet classes off-screen (both in canon or as a headcanon)? Why or why not for each? I had this idea once I realized that she wears ballet flats and considered all the ballet-esque ways that she moves in and out of costume, even to reorient herself during her Clumsy Moments™.

From a fandom is for having fun perspective? Go ahead and make her a dancer!

From a canon/world building perspective? There's no way that she's currently doing ballet and I'd be hesitant to give her a history of ballet outside of maybe a few classes for fun as a little kid. Ballet is simply too much of a time sink for it to be a good fit for Marinette. I never did ballet seriously, but I knew others who did and a quick internet search backs up my memory that you're looking at around 10 hours a week at a minimum once you're in your teens and we're talking year-round here. Ballet doesn't have an off-season.

Trying to make Marinette balance that on top of her friends, being Ladybug, and her other hobbies feels like way too much. How would she ever find the time? Plus any sort of team-based hobby is a terrible fit for a superhero who needs to rush off at a moments notice. What happens when an akuma strikes in the middle of a recital?

I would only make her a ballerina if you got rid of her design hobby because, to be a good designer, she would need to have spent a ton of time working on developing those skills. Time she probably wouldn't have if she was a ballerina unless she was the kind of kid with no friends and a major focus on her career goals which she's really not. However, replacing design with ballet feels like a disservice to her character, so I still wouldn't do it. Her big thing is supposed to be physical creativity. I'd go with some sort of engineering, baking, or any other physically creative hobby before ballet. (That's not to say ballerinas can't be creative, but choreography is a very different type of creativity from what Ladybug does.)

The only character I'd consider giving ballet to is Chloe because I think she needs some sort of hobby and I could see that being a good fit. Ballet has a pretty strong association with wealth and snobbery because it's an expensive sport to pursue. Between the shoes, the outfits, and lessons, you need some serious cash!

Anyone with more knowledge of ballet is welcome to chime in to support or counter my arguments! I'd be especially curious to hear thoughts on ballet mixed with Marinette's clumsiness as that seems like a bad fit to me, too, but I don't know enough to make that argument.

[princess-of-the-corner]

So, I haven’t seen the London Special, just seen the reactions, but it is really hammering home to me how much of the plot could be … not “fixed”, but at least “untangled” if Mari had literally ANY CONNECTION to Gabriel that didn’t involve Adrien. Like, her mentor, an old family friend, her godfather, her dad’s old college buddy, just … ANYTHING that made Marinette connected to Gabe on a personal level. It still wouldn’t make her lying to Adrien ok, but it at least would make it more sympathetic. Cause then she isn’t just lying to Adrien, she’s lying to HERSELF, because if she tells Adrien, then she has to acknowledge that actually, Gabe kind of sucked. Like, “cool motive, still murder” - yeah, you tried to revive your wife, and you loved your kid, but you were a dick, man. Marinette having ANY connection to Gabriel that is more personal than “my crush’s dad” would make the entire thing at least a little easier to understand. As it is, it comes across as Marinette, I’m not sure this is the right word, but almost “infantilizing” Adrien. She’s making decisions for him, denying him agency in his own life, because she’s decided she knows what’s best for him.

And like, Mari’s a kid who had a hell of a lot heaped on her shoulders, I get where the mindset probably came from, but Marinette’s only major connection to Gabriel in canon is that he’s Hawk Moth and she’s Ladybug. And while yes, that is a big connection, it also isn’t personal? Like. Gabe’s relationship with Marinette is basically nothing, if you take out the Miraculous stuff. Marinette is just some girl who goes to the same school as his son, is a rather promising designer, and … that’s kind of the extent of their interaction. Without the Miraculous, they barely qualify as acquaintances. If Marinette isn’t Ladybug, or Gabriel wasn’t Hawk Moth, there would be basically nothing there. And while I can make an argument that Ladybug absolutely has a say in what to tell the PUBLIC, that keeping up the ruse with them MIGHT be … not GOOD, but the lesser of two evils, I don’t think Ladybug/Marinette has any right in denying that info to Adrien. It’s his damn dad, he has a right to know what happened. Hell, even just about his mom! He has a right to know what happened to her!

And on a quick swerve, it actually annoys me that Ladybug hasn’t told Chat Noir. Like, the guy is your partner, you’ve been fighting this thing since day one together, on the superhero side of things, he ALSO deserves to know who the hell the pair of them have been duking it out with. Like, I’m aware identity shenanigans are afoot, but if Ladybug has the right to make this kind of call, then Chat should also get that right, which means LADYBUG SHOULD TELL HIM.

(… I will admit, this might all be bothering me less if my dad hadn’t been playing Hallmark movies all day, and I hadn’t been forced to sit through at least 12 separate scenarios where literally TALKING TO A PERSON would solve all the problems. But like … 8 times out of 10, when someone says, “don’t tell anyone I did this thing”, it is A) something you should PROBABLY tell someone, or B) something that is going to blow up later if you keep it a secret.)

-

Yeah no like!

On top of wanting some acknowledgement that this is well-intentioned but fucked up to do

the whole thing about Mari having no investment in the identity reveal past ‘ah that’s my bf’s dad’ has bothered me for a while because REALLY she should have some connection and they already set it up but never did anything with it.

But Marinette lying to herself and trying to convince herself that her mentor/friend is a Good Person despite the fucked up things he did would be a lot better than ‘uwu I don’t want to tell Adrien that his father fucking sucked despite the fact that Adrien is already VERY aware that his father fucking sucks’.

[bumblydumbly]

ok but the way Adrien is actually more suited to the Ladybug miraculous and Marinette is more suited to the Black Cat miraculous is crazy

Adrien/Chat Noir as he is is lovely, of course, and Adrien as a sheltered kid craves the freedom and spontaneity of Chaos, and he revels in it. But, as someone who was deprived of everyday Chaos, he craves it too much and occasionally needs to be reminded of when its too much or too far

Marinette/Ladybug does remarkably well under the pressure shes constantly dealing with, and shes incredibly reliable for Paris as a whole and the team of heroes she recruits. But Marinettes neurosis is exaggerated by the power of Creation and the role as The One Who Needs to be Infallible, her fingers are in a million pies, shes walking a tightrope and one mistake means EVERYTHING.

If adrien had the ladybug miraculous, instead of being a tightrope, it would be like handing him the reins for once in his life, giving him control he never had, letting him feel needed instead of desperate for his father’s attention and often worrying that ladybug didnt need him anymore. All of Paris needs him, HIM, and the people love him because of his actions and not an image constructed by his father. Generally, instead of the vaguely rebellious undertone it initially has for chat noir, it will feel very virtuous for him, give him purpose that he Chooses, plus! Tikki would be sooo good for him! He’s self deprecating whenever he’s not pleasing his father (for senti reasons ofc) but Tikki would always shut that shit down. He gets a bit of a backbone! He can’t immediately enforce boundaries but he gets there quickly, ducking away from clinging arms or hands, taking on his lessons like hero training, generally choosing to enjoy life in spite of his fathers efforts to craft him in whatever image. Not afraid to lie to his dad about plans, or dating kagami. Every time adrien would waver between something he wants or needs, tikki is quick to calm him, and tell him to listen to his heart, that there is no wrong answer, just pick the one he would regret not choosing, and hed get so much more confident!

With the Black Cat miraculous, marinette would be able to harness her natural chaos! Obsessed with her. She’s clumsy and forgetful, her anxiety takes things out of proportion a lot, but plagg is the ‘what the fuck ever’ that marinette needs to give her perspective! Instead of constantly being encouraged to see the absolute best in everyone and to always be the bigger person, shes allowed to be mad? Talk shit with plagg, him offering to put smelly cheese in chloes locker and marinette telling him not to waste his good cheese. Shes also allowed to be the Helper, which she loves to do, is pivotal to her character, being able to support and put her excess kinetic energy to use. She gets to be silly, because the whole of reality isnt on her back!

If they had these miraculous from the beginning it would be so different but still interesting, i think!

[coralpaperthoughts]

for this au I'm thinking reverse love square, but Luka instead of Adrien

Luka walks his sister to school (coz he's a good big brother and she's nervous about her first day), he bumps into Marinette - now, he's already heard about Marinette from his sister but he's never actually met her before

He actually physically bumps into Marinette, or she does to him coz heck our girl lacks spatial awareness, and she falls but he catches her, and she doesn't feel anything but embarrassment but he, oh Luka, Luka is blushing, just a little bit coz wow, she's just got the prettiest freckles

and he's all up in her face so he leans back and helps her upright because he was practically dipping her and he let's go of her waist and Juleka mumbles 'Hi, Marinette'

so this is Marinette

she says hi back and introduces herself, 'oh you must be Juleka's older brother, Luka', Juleka mumbles smth about twins but Luka's not paying attention to her anymore, he's looking at Marinette and thinking about all the good things Jules has had to say about her in the past and how pretty she is, our boy is swooning so hard, he forgot to reply back before the warning bell has rung signalling to students class is starting soon

he says a quick rushed 'bye, you'll do great, I'll be here to pick you up' to Juleka and a quick smile to Marinette before he pushes the girls towards their classrooms and rushes out himself (this all takes place after the incident (test) with Master Fu)

This is Luka crushing on Marinette, then you have Marinette crushing on Scarlet Bug

because this strong, hunk of a guy, beautiful man is now her partner against crime (which she didn't sign up for !! but she'll do what she needs to do for the people of Paris) and at one point she gets flung across the block and lands in the beefy arms of a boy with gorgeous blue eyes

cue Marinette getting extremely nervous and stutter-y around him coz damn, she's falling

the fight goes so and so but it passes pretty quick, it was a bit difficult for Luka coz his partner would trip sometimes and wouldn't look him in the eyes but he just put it down to first time jitters, he was deffo feeling them too

they don't, however, purify the Akuma and so they're back at the fight a little over an hour later but now with a new addition to their already new team, Adrian !! (referring to Dog Miraculous!Adrien as Adrian coz I don't like Flairmidable, and Adrian is apparently a common name for dogs so hush)

Adrien is gay, he's known since he was a kid, women never crossed his mind - so when he lays eyes on the gorgeous gorgeous black and red haired (because I say so !!) boy that he is now meant to fight these so-called Akumas with, can you really blame him for falling in love?

So Adrien being Adrien starts flirting with this boy, non-stop, and it's not like he tells him to stop, no !! The boy, ScarletBug he introduced himself as, flirts back !! he indulges in Adrian's advances which springs a little hope in his heart, but also makes a certain Kitty mad

This wretched dog, just showed up out of no where! and is stealing her man!!

She gets so mad, she forgets to be nervous around Scarlet and here marks the start of a beautiful rivalry between Chien and Chat (maybe I'll have a play with the word chein for Adrien's superhero name)

This leads to them defeating the Akuma rather quickly and skillfully, bringing all surrounding citizens to awe as they watch this trio of Superheroes who work so well together and at the end, after Scarlet has purified the Akuma and Miraculous ScarletBug'd all the damage away, he extends both of his fists to new partners

the first 'Pound it' of many, even if this time Kitty and Adrian didn't do it to each other (they both have eyes only for Scarlet, they don't even take notice of each other)

until he bounds away that is, saying how he's about to transform and needs to hurry home and he rushes a quick goodbye and salute to them both before leaving

then the two left on the Eiffel finally take notice of each other's presence, glaring at each other with pouts on their faces and crossed arms

'Back off, dumb dog'

'He's mine, stupid cat'

'I saw him first!'

'I talked to him first!'

cue more glaring, growling and hissing until their ring/choker (omg I forgot the dog miraculous is basically a collar) beeps and reminds them they need to hurry back to class

so with a hmph from both kids, they hop down from the Eiffel and head off to detransform

masterpost

[jacquesthepigeon]

The writers NEVER want to acknowledge Anarka’s role raising Luka and Juleka and it makes me so mad. Luka should HATE Jagged’s guts, Juleka at least had her doubts (I recall?), but Luka. It’s like he got brainwashed.

This show has such a blatant rich successful dad favoritism it’s insane.

It’s part of why I hesitate when in comes to responding to messages I get wanting to discuss how Anarka “obviously” hasn’t provided a stable home to the siblings what with her lack of explicitly stated source of income and frequent confrontations with the authorities bc, while I don’t think one parent being worse than the other means the other should be exempt from criticism, I do think Anarka has enough plausible deniability to still be interpreted as providing sufficient support to her kids despite her eccentricities and sometimes chaotic behavior and I feel like going hard on her for not being a conventional mother without explicit evidence of how she’s “failing” her kids could lean into accidentally parroting talking points often used against single mothers and working mothers. People have used the fact that Luka has a part time job as indication that he needs to help the family make ends meet and I’m not opposed to that reading but treating it as undeniable cold hard proof of the Couffaines having a turbulent home feels like jumping the gun when the perfectly innocent possibility that he just wants extra pocket money is right there.

Anyway, I wouldn’t put it past the crew to adopt the “Anarka is an unfit mother and Jagged Stone is a million times better actually” mentality as the series goes on. They were so quick to have every character involved enthusiastically accept JS after the reveal to the point where they had Adrien assume Luka’s passion for music comes from his relation to JS rather than the also accomplished and passionate musician mother who singlehandedly raised him. It was so jarring. There’s also the fact that Marinette is the only friend of theirs to have gotten mad at JS in their stead and stand up for them because he was ignoring Juleka and she wound up getting shamed for it by JS and the narrative bc how dare she think a deadbeat might give his kids preferential treatment??? Silly and stupid Marinette! Rich white men are never wrong!

[generalluxun]

Touché- A Chlogami ficlet

So a discord server I am on is doing a fun thing with 750ish word fics for Pride Month. I figured I'd post anything I wrote here too. So without further ado.

Post Glaciator 2, things have been going better for Marinette. Chloé seems like a non issue, though she has been ‘excused’ from gym class regularly. Building up her courage, Marinette decides to attend fencing class again to get closer to Adrien. However when she arrives…

The two fencers lashed back and forth along the strip. Kagami’s bright red uniform stood out, the other fencer was dressed in a striking yellow.

The color of Adrien’s hair… Marinette sighed.

The match was intense. Kagami’s quick and controlled style versus her foe’s brute aggression. Marinette couldn’t imagine anyone else but Adrien giving Kagami such a fight, so she inched closer to the watching crowd to cheer him on silently. Other students gave her room in the semi-circle. He really is going all out… If he’s tired after, maybe I could go get him a water. Then he’d be so happy he’d ask me out. He’d propose over dinner. We’d get married and have three hamsters and a kid named Louis.

“Decided to come back?” A voice rippled on the edges of Marinette’s pink daydream.

“Yeah.” She wasn’t fully present.

“It’s good to see you here again.”

“Yeah.” She was drifting closer to the surface.

“Maybe we can practice a little when they’re done,” the voice was starting to register.

Marinette’s head craned around slowly to the person beside her. She recoiled in shock, throwing her hands up and dropping her foil. “Adrien!”

His smile was everything. He stooped to pick up her foil. “Hey Marinette.”

She lunged for it, they bumped heads and she backpedaled. Her world was reeling, “But- you- if- out there- here- who?”

“TOUCHE!” Mr. D’agincourt called, blessedly pulling attention away from Marinette.

On the strip Kagami stood over her fallen foe, with her saber’s point to her opponent’s chest. Theirs was thrust against her thigh, just shy of a legal strike. Both fencers could be heard gasping from within their helmets.

Economy of motion, Kagami withdrew her weapon and reversed its grip, offering her opposite hand to help her opponent up. The other fencer swatted the hand away, but then grabbed Kagami’s forearm and pulled themselves up with her aid.

D’Agincourt was effusive as he approached, turning to the fencer in yellow, “Splendid! Magnificent! Such progress in such a short amount of time! Control, control is the only thing you lack. You have chosen your partner well to learn that lesson.”

Kagami pulled off her helmet, sweat matted her hair but only served to enhance her austere beauty. She squared her shoulders under the instructor’s praise. Beside Marinette, Adrien noted lightly, “And I’ll end up with fewer bruises after each lesson.”

The unanswered question returned, “But if you’re here, then who-?”

The Fencer in yellow pulled off their helmet and shook out a long blonde ponytail.

“CHLOÉ?!?!!”

Annnnnnnd all eyes were on Marinette again.

Kagami smiled in greeting while the blonde demon rolled her eyes. Kagami stepped off the strip, turning the spectacle into a more private affair. She pulled off her gloves as she approached. “It is good to see you, Marinette. We have not had enough occasions to ‘hang out’ as you had suggested.”

Marinette was still stun locked. “But- you- how- her- here? SWEATING!”

Chloé smirked. “I think she’s broken.”

“Hsst!” Kagami chided, thumping her saber lightly against Chloe’s shin.

Adrien supplied, “Chloé started fencing with us a few weeks ago. Kagami brought her, and she’s really taken to it!”

Marinette’s mind was clearing, but still she was having a hard time believing. “But you hate gym class!”

Chloé chuffed, then grinned. “The games they play are ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Stabbing people is more my style.”

To Marinette’s surprise, Kagami snorted in mirth.

Marinette looked back at her, “but… why?”

Kagami’s smile returned, triumphant. “Because, I win Marinette.”

“Win?”

Kagami’s smile broadened, with a hint of familiar smirk slipping in. “You called my manga nonsense. I wished to prove you wrong. Enemies to rivals.”

Kagami stepped sideways, hooking her arm around Chloé’s waist.

She added, “Rivals, to lovers.”

Chloé’s head snapped to the side, but there was color on her cheeks. She looked back at the group and leaned slightly into Kagami’s side.  “I have no idea what she is on about with her books, but I must say I like the outcome.”

That was too much, “You… two?!”

Chloé perked, an idea forming late. “She’s got a sword... Does this mean I can stab Marinette?”

Kagami hissed again, but squeezed the other girl, “Behave, or I shall be forced to humble you once more on the field.”

Chloé was already pulling on her helmet again. “I love it when you try.”

[verfound]

FIC: Dear Uncle Luka Clause... (MLB; Lukanette)

Characters/Pairings: Angie Couffaine (OC), Juleka Couffaine, Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Rose Lavillant; Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant

Rating: Mature (More of a High Teen/Light Mature?)

Summary: It all started when his pregnant sister-in-law convinced Luka to volunteer as a hospital Santa.  It got worse when Marinette brought his five-year-old niece to come see him at work.  This is either going to be the best or worst Christmas Uncle Luka Clause has ever had…

Author’s Notes/Warnings: Rating to be safe, but more of a High Teen?  I was reading this thing about crazy things kids have asked mall Santas for, and…yeah.  Oops?  😂  Angie is the amazing @quickspinner’s.  We just kidnap her from time to time for shenanigans.  😁

“Dear Uncle Luka Clause…”

“Thanks again for the help, Marinette,” Rose said, grinning at her not-quite-but-practically-would-be-if-Luka-would-just-move-his-ass-already sister.  Who currently had glitter smudged on her cheek and the red dot from one of the labels stuck to her nose and was extra adorable, if Rose did say so herself.  It was almost a shame Luka wasn’t around to see it.

Rose could almost see it now: the soft Christmas carols playing in the background.  The glitter on her face sparkling in the fairy lights strung up around the flat.  Luka reaching over to wipe the glitter off her face.  Their eyes locking as they leaned in.  They would just be drawn to each other, like…planets, or magnets, or something – they wouldn’t even need the mistletoe Rose would have hidden in the light above them!  And they would finally – finally – kiss, and it would be the first Christmas of a lifetime of many happy Christmases, and by the next Christmas Marinette would be the one too pregnant to fit into her stupid elf costume for the children’s hospital and –

But, alas, that was not the case.  Because Luka was working.  As Santa.  For the children’s hospital.  Because their usual Santa – a lovely old man named Hank who actually was a professional, year-round Santa – had broken his leg two weeks before December, and that close to the holiday it had been nearly impossible to find a suitable replacement (there were options, but Rose refused to have a Santa that smelled like beef and cheese).  It was bad enough that Rose couldn’t dress in her elf costume – because who had ever heard of a pregnant elf? – but no Santa?

She’d only had to cry a little before Luka caved.  (She’d had to cry a little more to convince Juleka to don the elf costume instead.)

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Lollipops

Timari January Day 1: Lollipop

By @maribat-calendar-events

Listen, when Marinette Dupain-Cheng opened up a clinic, she had been expecting a lot of things.

Children, since she was officially in pediatric care. You know, the branch devoted to treating children.

Eventually, she expanded to consider her patients might include henchmen, as well. And she had been mentally prepared, perhaps, to possibly meet their bosses, if they wanted to thank her for their services in person, though she had doubted this.

She had not, however, been expecting to look a vigilante dead in the eyes (domino mask, it didn’t matter)... or, at least, not like this. She had been expecting to get approximately one glimpse of their usual suits and then have a fist obscure most of her vision. Not to see him hunched over in one of her chairs, hugging the knife buried in his side.

“... hi,” she said, glancing behind herself at the Scarecrow goon she had been about to lead out the door. “I can get to you in a minute.”

The vigilante didn’t say ‘okay’, but he didn’t say ‘no’, either. From what she had been told, this wasn’t uncommon. Introverts, the lot of them.

She quietly closed the door and pointed the goon towards the exit, and waited a few minutes with her ear against the door to make sure he hadn’t gotten immediately jumped by a second, secret vigilante. Once she was reasonably sure that the henchman had gotten away to safety, she went back to the vigilante who was, apparently, in her care.

He was… still in that chair. Stab wounds will do that to you, she supposed.

She hesitated as she eyed him up and down.

This was Red Robin, she was pretty sure, though he could have been Robin or Red Hood or really just any other male vigilante in Gotham… they all looked the same. She wasn’t going to say it aloud, though, she didn’t want to risk being wrong. Embarrassing.

Also, she was pretty sure she was on thin ice right now. Getting his name wrong might just screw her over.

Thankfully, he was aware of her presence immediately, and she didn’t have to call his name to get his attention.

She sent him a slightly nervous smile. “You do know this is pediatric care, don’t you? I was trained to treat children.”

“The guy before me wasn’t a child.”

“He has a kid,” she said. Technically, this was true.

“Was the kid here?”

“I plead the fifth. And the fourth. And any other applicable laws that might help me right now.”

He snorted. “I’m not a cop.”

“You still get people arrested, I’m not going to risk it.”

He lifted his hands in a kind of ‘I surrender’ gesture, only to wince. He quickly went back to applying pressure to his wound, which was probably for the best.

Marinette shook her head to herself, sighing. “I’ll bring my equipment over here. I’d rather not have to carry you.”

“I can still walk,” he said.

He moved as if to stand. She grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him back down, giving him a cold look.

“Don’t do that. Christ.”

He groaned and slumped back in his chair, pouting like the child that she was supposed to actually be getting. How had her life come to this?

You say ‘ohmygod why are you bleeding on my doorstep oh my FUCKING GET INSIDE’ to a henchman one time and suddenly it just becomes your thing.

She sighed internally as she went about collecting her things and then sighed externally when her eyes flicked to the security footage. She had put a camera next to the door a while back, when she had first started taking henchmen. She didn’t use it often, she really just had it to make people at least hesitate before trying to steal things.

Anyways, the point is, Red Robin was not in the chair she had left him in.

She made sure her next footstep was audible, before feigning a pause to make sure she had everything she needed.

By the time she stepped out, he was back in his chair, looking for all the world as if he had never left.

Marinette hated life.

She was quick in stitching him up. Perhaps quicker than was strictly medically advisable, but whatever. This wasn’t meant to be permanent or anything, this was just to last him until Batman could, like, magically fix it. Or whatever that cryptid of a man did. Marinette, frankly, preferred not knowing.

She pulled back, wiping bloody hands on the towel around her neck.

“Normally, I’d say to take things easy for the next few weeks, minimum, but considering…” she shrugged. “I dunno. Just try not to pop those.”

He tilted his head to the side consideringly for just a moment.

And then he laughed. “No promises.”

“It was worth a shot.”

He jumped to his feet, and she cringed just slightly. But it wasn’t like she could stop him if that was what he wanted to do. She could only mumble a few curses under her breath and move to leave so she could close up shop.

Red Robin lingered for just a few seconds longer than she expected him to.

Marinette narrowed her eyes at him briefly. She figured it was probably best to just ask him outright whether or not he needed to go through some files. He was going to do it regardless of her wishes, and she liked pretending to have free will.

“So, is my clinic up to par with your standards?”

Red Robin didn’t bother denying that he had had ulterior motives for visiting.

Instead, he held up a candy he had grabbed from the jar on her desk.

“For sure. You guys have lollipops.”

[marauderundercover]

Jasonette July ch. 1

AO3

Chapter 1: If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago, I might be here with you

Glancing at the email again, Marinette can’t help but feel sort of bittersweet. She’d used to think that when she finally went to Gotham, that her best friend would be there waiting for her. She’d thought that by the time she finally was able to visit Gotham, that they would have revealed their actual identities. Instead, she was just past the three year mark of losing her best friend. Taking in a deep breath, she pushes her negative feelings aside. She should be excited for her new opportunity. She should- She sighs as her phone starts blaring. Grabbing it, she glances at the caller ID and smiles before answering.

“Hey,” She says, relieved at the chance to get away from her own thoughts.

“Hey, kiddo! How’re you doing? Hear back from any colleges yet?” Dick Grayson asks. The man had found her back when Robin passed away, but he’d found her as Nightwing. Apparently he’d worked with Batman and Robin before, and had helped Batman go through Robin’s comm logs and history to see if there was anything important. He apparently hadn’t been aiming to actually make contact with her in Paris, but she was really glad that he had. He’d saved her. He’d found her at the darkest time of her life, and been there for her like no one else could. He’d also mentored her as a hero, which was amazing since she hadn’t really had any help on that front since Master Fu had given her the role of Guardian.

“As a matter of fact, I just heard back from Gotham U,” She says, having to yank the phone away from her ear as Dick whoops.

“I knew you could do it!” He cheers, and Marinette snorts.

“I didn’t say yes, yet,” She points out.

“But you didn’t say no, right?” Dick asks, and Marinette sighs. He cheers again, and she can’t help but smile a bit. Dick was a great mentor. He cared about her outside of the mask, which is one of the reasons she’d applied for Gotham U despite not being able to go with her best friend anymore. Dick had insisted that Gotham was still a place she’d enjoy. So she was willing to try.

“Course not. Are you sure it’s safe, though? Weren’t you just complaining about that new Crime Lord like, three months ago?” She asks. Sure, she knew that Gotham had an insane amount of villains (or Rogues, as Dick called them), but apparently Red Hood was different from the rest of them.

“I actually don’t think I’ve complained about Hood for like six months,” Dick corrects her. “Besides, he’s…well, he’s not as bad as we’d originally thought.” Marinette chokes on the coffee she had tried to sip, eyebrows raised.

“I’m sorry, Mr. ‘heads in a duffle bag’ isn’t as bad as you originally thought?” She asks. Dick’s silent for a minute.

“Yeah, yeah he’s not as bad as we thought, kid.”

It had been a couple months since Marinette had been accepted into Gotham U, and she was finally moving into an apartment in Gotham. Dick had originally said that he would help her, but something had come up and he’d had to go do Nightwing stuff. Which was fine. She was just in a city she didn’t know in a country she hadn’t grown up in. Everything was fine. Walking out of her building, she starts heading towards the convenience store that she’d seen on her way to her building earlier. She figured she’d go shopping for actual groceries later, and just grab something quick for tonight and tomorrow morning now. Before she can make it to the store, something grabs her wrist and she inhales sharply. She tries to tug back, but whoever had her wrist yanked her into the alleway.

“Just gimme your wallet,” A gruff voice demands. Marinette tries to pull her wrist away, but the man’s grip just tightens.

“Let go,” She says, unable to stop her voice from shaking. She was cursing herself internally for leaving after dark. Robin had told her so many stories of Gotham, so many different ways it wasn’t safe, and yet she hadn’t listened. And now she was being mugged on her first night. Joy. The man tugs her closer, and Marinette feels her heart stop as he looks down at her.

“C’mon, Sugar, just gimme the wallet and then you and I can have a little fun,” He says, and her stomach drops.

“Please, just let go,” She pleads, pulling harder to try and get out of his grip. The man snarls at her, but before he can do anything an unfamiliar voice rings throughout the alley.

“I believe the lady asked you to let go,” The voice calls. Marinette twists as much as she can, eyes widening as Red Hood stalks further into the alley. Almost immediately, the mugger lets go of her and pushes her away from him. She stumbles as he runs, obviously scared of the (former?) crime lord.

“You’re not gonna stick my head in a duffle bag, right?” She asks instantly. Red Hood snorts, shaking his helmet-covered head.

“Uh, no. That’s uh, I’m not-” He stops, letting out a long exhale. “I don’t do that anymore. I was just making sure you were okay.” Marinette nods, giving him a half hearted smile.

“Yeah, I know, sorry. I don’t always have the best filter,” She apologizes, laughing awkwardly.

“Do you need an escort home?” Red Hood asks. Marinette shakes her head.

“No, thanks. I’ve got to stop by the store-”

“Seriously? You were just almost mugged and you’re going to the store?” Red Hood asks incredulously. Marinette raises an eyebrow.

“Well, what am I supposed to do? I just moved in,” She says simply. Red Hood crosses his arms.

“I’ll walk you to the store and then home,” He says. Marinette snorts, but Red Hood doesn’t move.

“Oh, you’re serious?” She asks. He nods. “Mon dieu. Okay, let’s uh, let’s go, I guess.” Gotham was sure to be interesting.

Jason sighs as he drops onto his couch. It’d been a long week. Somehow, Dick had managed to convince him to sign up for classes at Gotham U. He wasn’t exactly sure how it worked, especially given the fact that he’d been dead for the last two years of high school, but it was done. So on top of keeping Crime Alley running smoothly and going on his normal patrols, he’d spent the days this week going through registration and getting his school supplies. Stuff he hadn’t expected to ever really matter for him again. Just as his eyes start to flutter close, his front door is thrown open. He immediately jumps, one hand on his holster.

“Chill out Jay, it’s just me,” Dickhead says, walking in with a bag of takeout. Jason huffs, flopping back down onto the couch.

“Why the hell are you here?” He asks, eyes narrowed. Dick just grins.

“I brought food,” He says. Jason just blinks. “Okay, fine. I just wanted to see how you are. I know this has been a hard week for you.” Jason snorts, shaking his head.

“Definitely not the worst I’ve ever had,” He points out, feeling a little bad when he sees Dick wince. “I’m fine, Dick. The most interesting part of the week was when I helped some French girl who was getting mugged.” Dick’s eyes widen a fraction before he frowns.

“A French girl?” He asks. Jason nods.

“Yeah, said she came for Gotham U. Though why anyone would come to Gotham just for college, I’ll never understand.” Dick laughs nervously, and Jason raises an eyebrow. “Is she some secret girlfriend of yours or something?”

“Of course not,” Dick scowls. Jason just laughs, grabbing the food Dick holds out for him.

“Don’t suppose you’re gonna tell me why you reacted that way?” He asks, and Dick shakes his head.

“It was nothing, Jay. Just…interesting that someone would come here for college is all,” He says. And look, Jason is not stupid. He knows that Dick’s lying, but he also knows that if Dick doesn’t want to tell him, he’s not gonna tell him. They’ll just go in circles all night. And honestly, Jason’s too tired for that. So instead, he’ll just eat the food his brother brought, and try to forget all about the French girl and the fact that she’s obviously connected with his brother somehow.

@maribat-calendar-events

[starwarsmum]

Day 13's prompt is In Sync 🫶 this is part 4 to Discovering the Paris Issue

Parts: 1 2 3

@maribat-calendar-events

Marinette stepped off the plane into Gotham and took a shaky breath. She had sworn a year ago that she would never set foot there again, but after time - and the very bizarre art exhibit - she felt ready.

Not only that, but Tikki had mentioned that the darkness in the city was of a more magically inclined nature. When Marinette had pressed the Kwami for information, the tiny god had explained that chaotic energy engulfed the city, making it easier for people to make destructive choices and harder to build something new.

So after she had done a year of travel, visiting places like Tibet, China and Italy, she had finally accepted Jagged’s offer to visit his home city. And now that she knew the city was immersed in chaos, she knew that the panic she felt was largely being amplified by it.

She laughed when she saw the sign Jagged had made for Luka to hold and rushed towards her old friend. His hair was even longer, tied back into a ponytail in a sparkling turquoise scrunchie, and he was holding a sign that said ‘Coolest Designer Ever’ in hot, glittery pink. 

“Hey Ma-Ma-Marinette,” he chuckled, letting the sign drop as he gave her a big hug. “Dad's looking forward to seeing you. We need to get a move on, he booked a table for dinner with the Waynes, because one of Mr Wayne's kids is a fan of your work.”

“Like, Wayne Enterprises?” Marinette was surprised, she'd always heard wonderful things about the Waynes as a whole. All of them were well known for their philanthropic work and donated millions to charity annually. One of them was known for working with street kids, another for donating tech to schools and yet another was well known for working with animal shelters.

“The very same,” he assured her, grabbing her suitcase for her and leading her to the car. They chatted about her travels and his new single as they headed straight for the restaurant. They didn't have time to let her change into another outfit, but she was too tired to care overly much.

The restaurant they arrived at was possibly the fanciest one she had ever been in. It had huge arching ceilings, fish tanks embedded in the walls, and tables were spaced far enough apart that privacy was much easier than in a standard restaurant. 

Luka spotted the table Jagged and Penny were sitting at and dragged Marinette after him; she was too busy staring at the architecture and wishing she'd taken her sketchbook and pencils out of her luggage. She only came back to reality when they arrived at the table and she heard a familiar deep voice in a heated argument with someone else.

“Nette, you made it!” Jagged exclaimed, ending the other conversations as everyone turned towards the late arrivals. “Bang up job of the pick up Luka. Lil M, I've put you next to Brucie's co-CEO he's a huge fan.”

A confused Tim looked up at her, clearly recognising her as the student representative that had run away from Damian the previous year. He frowned and opened his mouth to say something but Jason, who was sitting opposite him, flicked something across the table to shut him up.

“Father, why did you not tell us who would be dining with us?” Damian asked, voice lethally quiet. Marinette felt her heart begin to race and forced herself to take a deep breath.

“I think I finally understand why you were concerned about me being after connections,” she joked, meeting Damian's eye with a small smile. She saw an emotion flicker through his eyes but it was too quick to catch before he looked away. “Sorry for being late, getting through customs was the worst.”

She sat down next to Tim and resolutely focused on talking about her designs. Eventually conversation started up again, the table breaking out in small talk and jokes. And if she felt Damian's eyes on her sporadically throughout the meal, she wasn't going to mention it.

Saying goodbye at the end of the meal, Marinette stayed back from the bustle and cheerful farewells. She thanked Tim for the conversation and promised to get in touch about doing a commission for him whilst she was in Gotham.

Jagged was fairly oblivious to the quietude that had befallen his honorary niece, though Penny kept shooting her curious looks. Luka was humming as he tapped the steering wheel and Marinette recognised it as the tune he always played for her when he said her heart song was chaotic.

She excused herself to her room as soon as they arrived at Jagged's penthouse, blaming jetlag when he asked if she was okay. He nodded sagely and Marinette breathed out a sigh of relief when she closed the door behind her. 

But an hour later, she slipped open the window that led to the fire escape and settled onto the roof. High places always gave her a sense of security and calm, a feeling she always associated with her Ladybug persona. 

It didn't take long before one of Gotham's infamous vigilantes landed on the roof and approached her. It was Robin, and she eyed the bright colours of his suit with distaste. He paused as he looked at her and she tried to lighten her expression with a smile.

“Um, hi,” she said, stepping towards him. “I was hoping to run into one of you. I kind of need to talk to Batman and it needs to happen soon.”

Damian paused and surveyed Marinette with interest. He had been surprised when she had shown up at dinner and his heart had beat faster when she looked at him without the anger, or panic, that he had seen the previous two times. 

No, this time she was clearly determined about something and he felt his previous appreciation of her flare again. He had come to terms with the loss of his chances with her, and had even tried to date other women who reminded him of her, either in looks or in behaviour but it hadn't worked. All it had done was remind him of what might have been.

He hesitated for only a moment before calling for backup. Marinette smiled up at him and he felt heat rushing up his neck. She chattered about nothing as they waited and Damian had to work not to be pulled into her sphere of energy. 

“What seems to be the problem?”

Batman arrived in all of his menacing glory and Damian fully expected Marinette to cower a little. Instead, he felt his heart skip another beat as she turned towards the elder vigilante without flinching. She greeted Batman before taking a deep breath.

“Okay, so this is probably going to sound a little crazy, but I need you to hear me out. Your city is kind of incredibly drenched in chaos magic and I know how much you hate magic, but I think I can help with it because IwasLadybuganditmeansIcanbalancechaosenergy,” she said in a rush, pushing down the anxiety that threatened to swamp her. It's a reaction to the chaos energy, you're fine, she told herself.

“I'm sorry, did you just say that you were Ladybug?” Batman looked at her but with the cowl she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

“Um, yes,” she said, picking at her thumb nervously. “Also, I think someone maybe figured it out when I was in Gotham a year ago? Or at least, he worked out I had ties to the Miraculous and was working me for information about them. So I would appreciate your help in digging into his background to see how much risk there is in me staying here.”

Robin seemed to have frozen, and she was worried she had moved too quickly and was now at risk of a psych evaluation. But then Batman was nodding and assuring her that there was no problem with her staying and trying to fix the gloom of Gotham.

Now that her extremely stressful job was over, she bid the pair goodnight and headed back to her room so that she could pass out.

_ _ _

Damian slumped into a seat in the batcave and tried to process what had happened. Marinette had wanted to talk to Batman. Damian, still feeling guilty for hurting her, had decided it was probably at least worth finding out why she wanted to do that. And then she had said she was Ladybug, and everything else had gone in one ear and out the other. 

So he was ready to put the night behind him and tackle whatever this was next time, but his father insisted that the family needed to sit down and discuss this. He even called Dick and Kor'i to get their view on the situation.

“...think she might be suspicious of Damian for asking questions about the Miraculous. Now that we know who she is, it's clear that the questioning set off alarm bells.”

“What were the chances of Demon Spawn choosing the one Parisian in that class that had as big a secret as the rest of us?” Jason joked, rolling his eyes at Steph. 

“We should be thankful that she chose to come back here at all, considering she thinks he's trying to steal the Miraculous off her,” Barbara said through the speakers of the Batcomputer. “Also, her two blond friends? Knowing what we do now, I'd bet on them being involved as well.”

At last, the meeting was adjourned and Damian was able to vanish into his room to think everything over. Her concern, her anger, even her panic at her fashion show made sense now. And he ached to think about the what ifs, the could have beens. 

She had liked him. She hadn't been put off by his colder demeanour and hadn't had the chance to let his reputation as Damian Wayne impact her views. Not only that but he had been interested in her. He knew, now, just how rare that was for him. 

But they hadn't stood a chance because, between Dick, Jon and his godforsaken mission to learn more about the Parisian heroes, he had hurt her and made her distrust him. He had so badly screwed up that a year later she was still wary of him.

He had never before so detested being Robin.

_ _ _

Marinette fell into a rhythm over the following days. One of the benefits of staying with Jagged instead of a hotel was that nobody expected her to be awake in the morning. And because one of her better known traits was oversleeping, it meant that she could stay up late to talk to the batfamily (or, more specifically, Robin) and no-one would bother her to wake up.

Her nightly rendezvous quickly turned into training and trips around the Gotham rooftops. She explained as much as she could to Robin, talking about the chaotic energy that made her twitchy unless she was transformed. And he responded by doing anything she asked in relation to her desire to purge the city of as much chaos energy as possible.

In between magical bursts, she asked him to spar, or teach her things and he agreed readily. She had rarely felt so in tune with another person, moving almost in tandem with him sometimes. Adrien came close, but they had been working together for years now. 

And for the first time in a year, Marinette felt a pull of attraction to someone. She tried to deny it to herself for all of one day before privately having a breakdown over her fast growing crush. It was hard not to like him, and the fact that he was also a hero, who already knew her identity, meant that one of her major hurdles for dating was already cleared.

So, obviously, she was disappointed when instead of Robin one evening, she was met by two others from Batman's crew. Reds Hood and Robin were waiting for her when she stepped out and she had to swallow her disappointment. 

“Hey LB,” Hood said cheerily and she sent him a weak smile in return. “Sorry about the change to your regular date, Robin's got something else on his plate tonight. So Red and I are here to escort and protect you to your next site.”

“He's- we're- they're not dates,” she squeaked, making Red Robin chuckle. She shot him a glare and he hastily turned it into a cough but couldn't wipe the grin off his face. “Ugh, whatever, let's get this done so I can get some sleep or something.”

“Aww, don't want to spend extra time sparring with us? I'm hurt.”

“Ha ha, very funny Monsieur Hood. I'm fairly sure you are both too old for me and not my type. If you are quite done with your jokes, I would like to finish my tasks as I have plans I actually need to be awake for tomorrow morning.”

With that, she transformed and they headed into the night. The area she cleansed that night was heavily steeped in chaos, and Marinette had to expend a lot of energy to even put a dent in it. She made a mental note and verbally commented that she would need to return to Crime Alley in the near future.

So even though she had planned for an early night, she found herself rushing the next day. She cursed her inability to be on time and shouted goodbye as she raced past a bemused Luka. 

She was going to be spending the day with Mar'i, as both of the young girl’s parents were going to be out of town the night before. But she was due to take over from the overnight sitter any moment and she was still running from the station. And it didn't seem to matter how many times she messaged Kor'i, nobody was responding to confirm that Mar'i was still waiting for her.

Banging on the apartment door, she tried to catch her breath. She was bent over double when it opened and straightened too quickly, gabbling an apology to the sitter, only to pull up short. Because, somehow, Kor'i had failed to mention that the overnight sitter? It was Damian. 

“Marinette?” He seemed just as unsure as she was, which made it easier. “I am afraid that Kor'i is not here at the moment, although she should be back this afternoon.”

“Um, no, I know,” she replied, pushing her fingers along her scalp. “I'm here to take over babysitting. But Kor'i didn't mention…”

“Ah, Richard and Kor'i likely did not know. The sitter backed out at the last moment and as I was put down as the emergency contact I collected her from school and stayed the night.”

“I see. Do you want me to-”

“Marinette!” Mar'i came barreling out of the apartment and practically flew into her arms. “You really came! And uncle Dami’s here too, so now we can play lotsa games!”

“I do not think I should remain,” Damian said, clearly uneasy with the situation they found themselves in. He looked to Marinette as she stood in the doorway juggling his niece and she made the decision to leave the choice up to him.

“You don't have to leave on my account,” she said softly, stepping into the apartment. She heard his breath catch but decided to ignore it and smiled up at him. “But if you have somewhere else to be, Mar'i and I will be fine.”

He ended up staying, and they played games until lunchtime. Mar'i was clearly delighted that both adults were paying her so much attention and her exuberance and energy only began to flag after she had stopped moving. 

After lunch, she curled up in Marinette's lap, the television on and giving a soft background noise until the girl fell asleep. Marinette giggled at the open mouth and light snore coming from Mar'i and moved her expertly to her own bed.

“You are very good with her,” Damian said when she returned, and she grinned happily. He had made them both coffee and her heart gave a thud as she realized he had made it exactly right. How had he even remembered something so small after all this time? She wasn't sure, but she knew it was bad for her resolve to steer clear of him. “It's true, and you should know that she does not take so easily to just anyone.”

They sat together on the sofa, and Marinette curled her feet under her as she hugged her mug. She glanced at him and had to remember to breathe as she found him already watching her intently. 

“It's cute to watch you two together,” she said, mentally berating her heart for getting pulled back towards him. 

“Mar'i is a wonderful child, I am fortunate that she likes to spend time with me,” he said softly, looking towards the closed door that hid the sleeping girl. 

“Even if she sometimes says the wrong thing and outs your secret plot to gather information?” Marinette asked with false nonchalance. Some of the tension left her when he snorted and a flush spread up his neck.

“Even then. It wasn't her fault that I failed to tell you how I felt until it was too late. And I…have a better understanding of why you were so protective, now. When I approached you before your flight home, I had assumed I would be trying to placate hurt pride.”

“How do you know that wasn't what I was doing?” She asked, frowning slightly. She couldn't think of a single interaction that had had since that would have changed that opinion.

“I would like to preface this by saying that I do not share this with you lightly,” he said after a moment's hesitation. Marinette's fingers tightened around her mug and her eyes darted around the apartment before resting back on his face. “Our, ah, nightly meetings have granted me such insight.”

Damian watched as understanding filtered into her expression, and he waited for the inevitable shouting, swearing and accusations of betrayal. So he was surprised when, after a couple of minutes, she smiled wryly before slumping over her mug.

“Oh my God, that's why you wanted to know about Ladybug and Chat Noir. Jesus Christ, I thought you were trying to steal the Miraculous! Ugh, Chloé and Adrien will never let me live this down. Of course I would fall for another hero, even in civvies.”

“You are not angry?” Damian was stunned, and a little concerned, by the lack of vitriol. He watched apprehensively as she set her mug aside with a determined look on her face.

“Damian, I didn't explain it fully yet, but the chaos smothering your city makes me a little paranoid. I only found out after I took a gap year to travel, but I'd already decided I had overreacted when things went sideways between us. So mostly what I'm feeling now is relief. And that I really, really want to kiss you.”

Damian put the mug down so quickly he distantly wondered whether it had just dropped, but he didn't care enough to check. He pulled Marinette towards him, his hand cupping her face gently and kissed her.

“Does this mean you're really going to be my auntie now?”

Damian pulled back from a blushing Marinette, who buried her face in her hands as Mar'i flew over to the pair. 

“I'll settle for being your uncle's girlfriend, if he wants it,” she replied, eyes peeking out from between her fingers. 

Damian thought his smile might actually break his face as he nodded and buried his face in her neck.

[flightfoot]

Hi Keyseeker! Just wondering if you could recommend any reveal fics that have the LS talking it out afterwards? Or just, don't end immediately? So many fics include a great build up, full of misunderstandings and shenanigans, do the reveal, and then just...end. And the tension is never really addressed! And I just feel...left hanging. I don't know, is this just me? In any case, no pressure but was just wondering if you've come across any that linger around after the reveal. Not necessarily prpr, which is kind of its own category IMO. Am I making sense? Thanks either way in advance!

I'm guessing you're looking for longer fics then? I'll see what I can do.

---

Perfectly Platonic (Unless...) by @frostedpuffs

After accidentally revealing their identities in less than ideal circumstances, Adrien and Marinette must navigate their newfound relationship as both partners and friends. Becoming best friends was a quick process, but when romantic feelings begin to bleed into what's supposed to be a platonic connection, their friendship starts to change in more ways than one. Surely it can't be that hard to hide their feelings from their best friend? (A post-reveal, pre-relationship fic full of romantic crushes, best friend shenanigans, and a whole lot of dumbassery.)

If you just want a straight-up romance slowburn with these two just somehow being convinced their relationship is platonic (or that the other person wants it to be platonic at least), you'll find little better to scratch that itch than "Perfectly Platonic (Unless...)". It's a little smutty and definitely earns its M rating because of that. If you want mutual pining, there's a ton of that here!

---

The Adventures of Babybug and Kitten Noir by @unecoccinellenoire

When Chat Noir gets turned into a baby all seems lost to Ladybug....or is it?

So despite what the name and the summary makes it sound like, this fic is less about Chat Noir and Ladybug, and more about their parents, with Gabriel and Nathalie discovering that baby!Chat Noir is Adrien, and Tom and Sabine finding out that baby!Ladybug is Marinette. Needless to say, neither group are happy about their discovery.

I loved seeing the parents work things out here. While most ML fics are about Adrien and Marinette driving the plot and ultimately, the resolution (for obvious reasons), in this case, we get to see the adults being reasonable and competent, and doing their best with this new situation they've been thrown into.

---

A Child's Love by jaron5

This takes place post-Hack-San. Ladybug hands Chat Noir a potion she brewed which accidentally turns him into a kid without any of his memories. How is she going to keep an eye on a miniature Chat Noir while trying to keep their secret identities intact? Or the more pressing concern- how will she preserve her sanity when faced with the overwhelming cuteness and innocence that is her now de-aged partner?

I loved this fic, it's adorable and heart-wrenching. Adrien doesn't understand what's going on, but he still enjoys being around Marinette and the rest of his friends, and they just keep on hearing more and more little things that make them increasingly worried about Chat Noir's childhood.

---

The Parable of the Caller by @nemaliwrites

A week after Hawk Moth’s identity has been revealed, Adrien finds himself with nowhere to go, nothing he can do, and worst of all, strange gaps in his memory he can’t explain. In a stroke of luck, he stumbles upon a burner phone filled with voicemails from one of the Saviors of Paris: Chat Noir himself, who disappeared following Hawk Moth’s arrest.

But with each new voicemail Adrien listens to, he’s forced to confront the fact that there might be some kind of connection between himself and Chat Noir — and discovering it might leave him more broken than before.

I absolutely adore this fic, it’s a fantastic character study for Adrien! Basically in this universe, Ladybug and Chat Noir talked about who should be Guardian, with Chat eventually convincing her that he should be the one to take it on, primarily due to the whole “the Guardian gets amnesia about Miraculous-related matters” situation, and wanting to protect Ladybug from that. Then he finds out Gabriel is Hawk Moth, they take him down, and he relinquishes the Miracle Box and his guardianship to Su Han - all without having a Reveal with Ladybug, since well, he’s not in the greatest shape mentally at the time.

It’s a real treat to see Adrien’s thoughts and feelings about one of the Heroes of Paris leaving him all these voicemails, treating him like this close friend for reasons he doesn’t understand, and just seeing Chat Noir as this outside person. He’s got a very different viewpoint on Chat when looking from the outside than he would from the inside, with being able to see his heroic and good qualities far more easily when he doesn’t know that he is Chat.

Also Marinette’s struggling in the background of the fic with the loss of her partner and guilt over sending Adrien’s father to prison. It gets touched on at various points, and you can tell that she’s having her own story off to the side that we’re just not entirely privy to, what with this tale being told entirely from Adrien’s perspective.

---

call it even by @anna-scribbles and @sha-nwa

After a year of dating, there is one thing Marinette knows for certain: it's her and Adrien against the world. Through it all, Adrien is kind, patient, and endlessly understanding—even as she tries her best to keep her secret superhero identity hidden from him along with the rest of the world.

Nothing could ruin it, not even the supervillains of Paris: Hawkmoth and Chat Noir.

(adrinette dating // ladynoir enemies au)

This is one of those fics where Adrien and Marinette are REALLY going through it emotionally, with them starting off with wildly different perceptions of each other when untransformed, and then reckoning with the person they love the most being someone they think of as a villain, with all the betrayal and doubt that involves. Especially with Adrien having been lied to extensively by his father, and not knowing who or what to believe.

---

team is a four letter word by @ladyofthenoodle

Alya didn’t want to come between Ladybug and Chat Noir. But she didn’t want to stop being Rena Rouge either. And if Chat Noir didn’t want to talk to her, then she’d need to find a different way to prove all three of them could be a team. Her plan unintentionally brings a few secrets to light, which leads to even more secrets coming to light, which leads to... well, Alya is sure it'll all work out eventually.

This is a season 4 fic, with a heavy emphasis on repairing the relationships that were damaged, or could have been damaged, during that season. I love how everyone gets to really feel and react, be hurt and then gain understanding, with a happy ending to cap it off!

---

I hope that these satisfy you!