#like Luka has Marinette on his mind

[chocostrwberry]

Secrets

[kuraidesuraven16]

Miraculous identity rant

I have seen videos, comments, post about the latest season 6 episode The ruler, mainly the aftermath of how Marc and Nathaniel decided to reveal to each other their hero identities.

People are saying that “ Ladybug should/ would take back their miraculous.” “They shouldn’t have a miraculous if they’re going to do that.” “They’re putting each other at risk.” I’m not saying people cannot have thoughts and opinions about the episode but to me, it sounds homophobic.

I think the lesson on that last scene especially for Nathaniel is that he shouldn’t hide who he is with being bisexual in the term of him hiding his comic.

Marc being the one who had always been there to support his struggles, defending him by making up lies to his mom about a school assignment, jumping into danger to protect him from an akuma and being the shoulder for him to lean on.

I believe that they came to that term of their relationship where they shouldn’t keep any secrets from each other. With Nathaniel wanting to protect Marc but trusting him with that information.

Similar to gang of secret with Marinette dealing with an extremely difficult and stressful situation of now being the new guardian. Alya being her best friend was willing to wait and offer to help with whatever was on her mind until Marinette broke down and revealed to that she was Ladybug.

So why can’t Marc and Nathaniel do the same?

May I also remind the fans that in earlier seasons there has been countless reveals.

First off Chloe not only revealing a miraculous but also transforming into Queen bee in front of everyone and to the world.

Ladybug stated she could not give her the bee miraculous anymore as she had put herself and her loved ones in danger but proceed to still give it to her when they needed help.

Until the episode Miracle Queen where she betrayed them

Chloe had revealed the other heroes identity to the enemy breaking Ladybug’s trust in her.

Hawkmoth already knew Chloe and Kagami but that was just added more to the list with that information and the translation of the miraculous book which were probably saved in Tomoe Tsurugi’s laptop that’s now in Lila’s possession. She knows their identities.

Felix had also done the same in season 5 Emotion during the Diamond dance in front of people but not on screen for the world to see compare to Chloe.

His mom also knows but chose to keep it secret as she loves her son.

Ladybug did demand the miraculous back twice but randomly gave up.

Nino and Alya during season 2 Heroes day. Ladybug gave them the miraculous at the same time being unable to separate them from the current situation they were in even let them be permanent holders too.

When Alya went into hiding as Rena Furtive in season 4 Marinette told her to keep it a secret but she still told Nino.

Nino had also revealed his and Alya’s hero identity to Adrien in Rocket tear and Marinette finding out in Deflagration.

In season 5 Multiplication. Alix as Bunnix was revealed to the whole class by her dad with the addition of a Marc included in episode Reunion and Luka in the season 5 finale probably more but we’re unsure about that.

If they were to get akumatized ?

They haven’t been akumatized since their introduction in season 1 and 2

Puppeteer does not count as Nathaniel was not affected by the akuma but more forcefully transformed and controlled by a doll.

Same goes for Gamer 2.0 as everyone literally got turned into akumatized video game characters.

Even if they were in a upsetting or sad state to where they’re about to get akumatized. They’re able to break the hold knowing that they are both Miraculous holders just like Sabrina did in Daddycop.

What if people saw from the outside ?

Nathaniel’s window was being covered by the sun and if you ever look at building where the sun is shining then you’ll know can’t see nothing but bright light even when it’s setting.

The window could be tainted on the outside for privacy. Hardly doubt the bed frame did any help as that entire area was covered in glass.

Trees were covering some parts so we don’t know how tall Nathaniel’s place is.

Heck even Adrien has transformed in his room before countless time and one section of his wall is literally made of window.

What if one of them goes into hiding?

I don’t think it’s possible due to the fact they only knew each others.

If they knew Ladybug and Chat noir’s identity like Luka and Alix then I can see why.

The antagonist always to seem to want one thing which are the bug earrings and cat ring due to its ability to make a wish and not the other miraculous jewels even if some are extremely powerful like time travel, reset time, teleportation, transfer objects, have any power or object you want.

What if Chat Noir erases their memories?

His new ability to erase parts of memories are if the person is willing to accept it but that’ll erase only that part of their memories and throw away the whole point of trusting in each other.

My main point.

How is it far and acceptable to all these side characters revealing their identities and secrets but not when it comes to Marc and Nathaniel.

We don’t know much about their character as they weren’t seen much in previous seasons other than the fact that they enjoy each others company, they love to work on comic and that’s about it.

Them knowing their hero identities would help make them stronger in battle and future challenges just like Nino and Alya.

[mochinek0]

Daminette December: 13-In Sync

Damian arrived to Paris, using the GPS to locate his wife. She was pinged in the park, near her place. When he arrived, he saw she was surrounded by people yelling at her. A tall boy knocked her over and he quickly stepped in.

"Habibi?" Marinette questioned, as Damian helped her up.

Just as Kim was about to hit Damian, Marinette grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder. Everyone froze.

"What the fuck?" Kim whispered, still reeling from the throw.

"Since when can you do that?" Nino shouted.

"Always." Mari smiled, "It's what I was trained for."

"Who the fuck would teach someone to do that?" Alya cried out.

Damian smirked, "My mother. She made sure my wife could keep up with me."

"Wife?" Alya shouted.

"Since when are you married?" Max asked, trying to run calculations in his head.

"We were married when we were three years old." Marinette expressed, "You could call it a Political Marriage."

"Huh?" spoke Nathaniel.

"But-" began Nino.

"Our parents insisted." Mari spoke, "I just remember waking up one day and being dressed up. They walked me down a long corridor and said 'Here is your new family' and left. I never saw them again; not that I remember them, anyways."

"Tom and Sabine-" Kim groaned.

"Work for my family." Damian stated, "They ensure that she is provided for. They are not her parents or family."

The class stood silent.

"What about Adrien?" shouted Alya.

"Yeah!" Nathaniel agreed.

"You're bullying Lila because-" Kim winced, as he tried to get up

"I'm not bullying her." Marinette sighed, "She's nothing but a pathetic liar and you all keep listening to her. Even Adrien knows how pathetic she is, but he wanted her to make friends. He thought you would be smart enough to figure that out."

They looked at her confused.

"What do you mean 'smart enough'?" Max pressed.

Marinette turned to Alya, "What happened to fact checking, Alya? Does it not count when it's your best friend saying bullshit to you?"

"Huh?" Alya questioned, upset.

"Why haven't you interviewed Juleka or Luka about their father, Jagged Stone? Why haven't you gotten an exclusive, directly from the source about his 'Great niece'?" Marinette questioned.

Alya remained silent. It had never crossed her mind to get that type on interview. She didn't want to admit she had forgotten he had been there for the twins birthday a few years ago. Juleka and Lila were close; it would have been an amazing interview.

"I-" she began.

"Why didn't you interview Rose and her friendship with Prince Ali?" Mari pushed again.

"But-" Alya tried to reply.

"Or is it because they met through a children's charity event for pediatric hospitals, not an environmental project like Lila does?" Marinette continued, with a smile, "Is it any wonder that they might 'ignore me' , but not bully me, like you?"

The crowd fell silent, trying to figure out when was the last time Juleka and Rose were apart of their group.

"Half the people she talks about are dead. Half of her illnesses or disabilities don't make sense." Marinette sighed.

"Hey!" shouted Kim, but he was ignored.

"And when you look them up, they are described somehting completely different than what she claimed." Marinette pushed harder, "Why did Max never get interviewed? She saved his life, when I threw that rolled up paper napkin! I'm sure you have evidence about how deadly those can be or is it because deep down, you know it's bullshit, but you just love the attention?"

"You're lying." Alya whispered, struggling to find her voice.

"Marinette hates liars." Damian spoke.

"Should I call the authorities?" he asked, pulling out his phone.

"No Habibi." Marinette smiled, "It's alright; I just won't hold back next time."

Marinette stepped into Alya's personal space, "You better tell that Bitch, she better watch the next words that come out of her mouth because if I 'bully' her again. If she has a black eye or an injured wrist, she'll get one for real. She won't have to wear make up to pretend and this time, she'll wear the proper braces on her 'injuries'."

Alya's breath hitched. Marinette had never been this forward about her dislike of Lila.

"Same goes for all of you." Mari spoke, taking a step back and smiled, "You touch me, I'll break what you need most. Nathaniel's dominant hand. For Kim, a leg for swim practice. Maybe some head phones, a cellphone, or an AI. I'm done playing nice with people who are not my friends."

"Well, we'll sue you!" Alya cried out, thinking it would scare Mari.

Damian smirked, "I haven’t introduced myself; I'm Damian Wayne, son of CEO Wayne Enterprises. I'd shape up if I were you, Miss Blogger. We do not hire tabloid reporters at the Daily Planet."

"Huh?" Alya questioned, feeling the floor give out underneath her.

Damian made sure she had her full attention on him, "You bullied my wife and heiress to the Wayne fortune. The same Waynes who own the Daily Planet. She informed me it was your dream job, I believe, Habibiti."

Mari scoffed, "Don't bother putting my name down, as a reference, if you still want that job. Better shape up now, before it's too late."

Damian nodded, "Lois is very thorough in her investigations."

Alya said nothing as they walked away. The few there, realized they had messed up. Marinette had let them walk all over her; she built up their confidence and torn them down in five minutes.

Adrien quickly removed the miraculous of destruction, tossing it to his floor. He clutched his hand in pain, a faint pink glow around his ring finger.

"Plagg." He hissed, "What's going on?"

Plagg stared at him and then floated down towards his ring, "Ladybug……found her soulmate."

"I know!" he shouted, as his hand continued to throb, "I'm-"

"It's not you, Kid." Plagg announced.

"Huh?" Adrien questioned, forgetting the pain.

"That's why the ring made you take it off." he answered, "You are no longer worthy of it."

"No!" Adrien shouted, "That…That can't be true!"

Adrien reached for Plagg and the miraculous, but as soon as he touched it, he felt burned again. The pain, so intense, it made him drop to his knees.

Plagg looked at him, writhing in pain, "I'm sorry, Adrien. I really did like you." before flying out the window.

"Plagg!" Adrien cried out, "Come back!" but he didn't listen.

Plagg entered Marinette's room with his ring. From the shadows, Damian emerged, startling the Kwami of Destruction. Plagg cackled and dropped the ring in his palm.

He turned to Marinette, "He's good."

Mari smiled, "He's my husband."

As Damian slipped the ring on his finger, a jolt went through them. Tikki and Plagg looked at each other.

"You are finally in sync, with your soulmate." Tikki announced.

"The kind of soulmate Chat Noir kept insisting we were?" Marinette questioned, looking to her husband.

"Yep." Plagg cackled, "That's the one. Kid had it right; it just wasn't him."

'I'm glad our honeymoon is finally coming around.'

'Is that right?'

"You ….You can-" Marinette began, blushing red.

'Read your mind? Yes; as can you.'

Damian picked up Marinette and placed her on his lap.

"I love you." he whispered.

Marinette kissed him, lightly on the lips, "I love you, too."

'You only need to wait a little longer, Habibi, and soon you will be home with me.'

'I know your mother's rule, Habibi. Soon your marriage will be official and I will never have to leave your side.'

'I shall remain in Paris until we defeat Hawkmoth.'

'Gotham won't know what hit them upon our arrival.'

'I wonder what Father's face will look like.'

Marinette giggled an curled deeper into her husband's embrace.

"You think he'll like me?" she whispered.

"Whether he does or not, you are my wife and I will follow you." Damian responded, "We will go where you are comfortable."

'As long as I have you, nothing matters.'

@maribat-calendar-events

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[ilikekidsshows]

As a huge Adrien fan who was horrified and disgusted by what the show has done to him (especially the season 5 finale) I am so grateful to have found your blog! I hope you don’t mind but I would like to vent my feelings a little to someone who understands.

As an abuse victim with a controlling father I connected with Adrien from the beginning and I was so excited to see his story play out. I thought it could be another Zuko type of character arc where he slowly overtime comes to realize he is being abused and that the way his dad has treated him is wrong and eventually stand up to him and break free of his dad’s abuse and control. I was eagerly watching and waiting what I thought would be such an amazing journey ahead of Adrien. I loved seeing him finally able to attend public school and getting a chance for freedom through his miraculous and being able to make real friends. I thought all of this would help him slowly build up that support system to help him continue to take more control of his life. I couldn’t wait to see Adrien slowly start to heal and gain a found family with people like Nino Alya and even Ladybug as Chat Noir (these were the early days when I genuinely thought they were a team). The episode where all of Adrien’s guy friends threw him a party was so much fun and I was happy to see he had made so many friends who had his back.

In that one episode (can’t recall the name right now) where Luka was making instruments and seeing Adrien a bit aimless and unsure of his future I remember thinking it will be so wonderful to watch him come to figure out who he is and what he wants to with his life outside of his father’s expectations. To see him forge his own identity (something he’d already begun doing as Chat Noir). I went through my own journey of discovering who I am and who I want to be after breaking free of my dad’s abuse. It’s beautiful and empowering and I couldn’t wait to see Adrien go through something similar.

I was a little worried by episodes like Chat Blanc and Ephemeral that showed futures where Adrien learned his dad was Hawk Moth and fell under his control due to his emotions spiraling out of control. It was completely understandable given such a situation and revelation. But I figured the reveal will just need to happen in a way that gives Adrien time to process and work through it before he goes to confront his dad as Hawk Moth and defeat him with Ladybug.

But then he quickly started losing his support system and friends. Things were never quite the same between him and Nino after Rocketear. Chloe became too awful and he had no choice but to cut ties. Ladybug completely disregarded his feelings and never listened to him and he was forced to be HER support system and keep his feelings and problems to himself.

I didn’t understand why this was happening. I stayed in deep denial about senti-Adrien right up until the finale because I just couldn’t fathom them actually doing something so completely horrific especially to one of the leads of the show. I didn’t understand why suddenly everything was regressing and becoming worse for Adrien. He lost his support system and friends. His dad became even more abusive and controlling than ever before in season 5 and then the finale happened.

I truly felt physically sick to my stomach by everything that happened in the finale. It was such a slap in the face to me as an abuse victim. Seeing Adrien trapped in that room. Watching him completely stripped of all autonomy and not allowed to take part in the final battle. And then he never even got to know the truth about his dad and was made to believe his abuser was a hero who he should aspire to be like. He never learned he was a sentimonster never allowed to have any control over his life. He also decided he didn’t need to figure out what he wants to do with his life or who he is because all that matters to him is loving Marinette. It was awful. A living nightmare! The absolute worst show finale I have ever seen in my life. It was all a lie. Adrien was never going to get any kind of character arc or growth. Never get to confront his abusive dad, never get to be anything but Marinette’s satellite love interest. No goals or dreams of his own. And made into a sentimonster (I firmly believe that whole thing is a retcon he wasn’t a sentimonster in the beginning) stripping him of any agency or autonomy. Lied to by the person who is supposed to love him but instead treats him terribly. Forced to see his abuser as a hero.

I am sick, horrified, and devastated by what the show has done to Adrien. I saw so much of myself in him and he got the worst possible “happy” ending. Handed from one controlling abuser to the next with no hope of ever breaking free or even realizing that he needs to. The writers have given the biggest f you to all the abuse victims out there with such an abysmal heartbreaking ending.

---

This blog is a free-to-vent zone, so go ahead.

It really is cruel how much more sympathy Miraculous directs at the abusers in its narrative than the victims. We get to learn all the reasons the abusers have for what they do, how they feel about everything, how they truly do care so the abuse shouldn't matter and they are the ones who get, not just forgiven, but vindicated, proven to be correct in a way that they don't need forgiveness. Right as Adrien is finally ready to say his father's treatment of him is wrong, has always been wrong, our hero shuts him down, tells him he is wrong for being so ungrateful for being angry at the man who saved her and the world.

Like, sure, it's a lie and Marinette feels really bad about it throughout the London Special, but it's not like that lie is ever going to be properly unpacked in the story. Even if Adrien learns the truth, the pieces have already been laid out so that he will instantly forgive Marinette, that he will understand her totally selfless reasoning and vindicate her. Abusers and abuse apologists get all the sympathy and vindication, and it's granted to them by the abuse victims of the story, whose feelings are always treated as secondary to what the people who harm them are thinking and feeling.

Even Emil’s introduction serves to further vindicate Gabriel. These two supposedly unrelated men are carbon copies of each other in looks and mannerisms, and the reason for this is to further enforce the idea of them as loving family men who just have difficulty with expressing their care and that means we should view them as victims of circumstance and celebrate the bare minimum they manage of not always being abusive. There's a difference between acknowledging that abusers are people and not always abusing their victims and celebrating abusers for these facts, and Miraculous does the latter with its constant insistence that people like Gabriel should be remembered for the good they did while the bad they did gets almost completely ignored.

Many people defending Miraculous say this isn't glorifying abuse, that it's just “letting them off too easily”, which just begs the question: how much further would a kids’ show need to go with its blatant abuse apologia to qualify as “glorifying” by this standard? Do we need a character to say: “man, it sure is good Gabriel abused Adrien into submission so that Marinette can enjoy a perfect, subservient boyfriend!” Because, like, no one might say that, but it's very much the implied takeaway.

[jardinvrn]

i don’t know how to feel about alya anymore, after everything that happened in this episode i’m starting to question even more if marinette should keep consulting alya on all things ladybug related. from the beginning of this episode when she said she hates lying and doesnt like keeping secrets, i just thought "then why are you a hero?" cause being a hero, more specifically a hero that is in ladybugs inner circle, means that you're gonna have to keep a lot of secrets from a lot of people wether you like it or not. the way she reacted to marinette’s secret was understandable but at the same time it made me so mad, she didn’t try to understand why marinette made her choice of lying to everyone after she explained it to her. she’s supposed to be her best friend whom she trusts, so why not at least try to listen to the whole story before making your mind about her choice. after this episode i’d really like to see en episode where luka finds out by accident and see his reaction because like bunix he also knows chat noir’s identity, and i really believe that if marinette told him how the final fight with monarch really went down he would understand her and give her some genuinely good advice on the matter or reassure her that no matter what happens when adrien and everyone else find out about it that he’ll be there for her and support her.

this episode also relieved one of my worries that i had when the season first started, that is that chat noir’s was gonna become a side character like the other hero’s, not adrien, but chat noir. i’m so glad the writers decided to power up chat noir and give him another little power like they did with ladybug and her little charms she makes cause it helps set him apart from the rest of the heroes. what i mean is that it started to feel like ladybug was THE hero but since the start of the show it’s been highlighted repeatedly that they’re a duo and need each other to be their best hero selves if that makes sense, but it started to feel like he became her sidekick sort of after she unlocked that bonus power and got the guardian suit, so them giving him a bonus power as well makes it feel like they’re on equal footing again.

aside from the main plot points from this episode something that i’ve been wondering about was what felix was gonna be like this season. the main thing i was curious aside from felix was “how are the rest of the heroes going to stop the detransformations?” and well apparently ladybug and chat noir put them all through a boot camp, which was honestly nice to see all of them gathered and call themselves a team. the main thing i noticed in this scene tho was felix, when the season first aired i honestly had some doubts about what they were gonna do with Argos since Felix has always been a bit of a wild card but it’s nice to see that he’s part of the team and making friends, even if it’s not in his civilian form, i think it’s good character growth for him.

anyway these were just some thoughts i had and they’re just my opinion, so please don’t take any of this seriously, and if there’s anything i missed or got wrong please kindly let me know in the comments (^^)

[raphaellight]

Logic talk time,

There was no reason to bring him out other than narrative. I know it works for the story, but practically speaking (in the show) there is no use for him. I mean by practical, superhero standards.

In the movie they made it that Ladybug's and Cat Noir's power grows when they are used in unison, so it's right to put both of them in action. But there isn't any hint for that in the show. However, there is a real danger: it's Cats miraculous that villain needs with Ladybug's to make a wish.

Ladybug is required to cleanse the akuma and repair the damage. Paris wouldn't survive without those abilities. But she could do with any help, Turtle or Fox miraculous are first bets. Especially Turtle given the idea to give her someone who will protect her, so yeah, give her a guy with a sheald. From strategicall point, Master Fu made a terrible blunder by revealing two miraculous that the villain needs to obtain.

Now, it probably would make for a completly different story. And narratively it's hard to imagine Ladybug without Cat Noir. But there is some potential in that plot, where Master Fu has a team already formed, but the challenge, for example in the season finale, rises to greatly to deal by any means and then he unleashes the second main miraculous holder he picks himself to save the day after thorugh deliberation whether to run and keep miraculous safe or to risk losing it for the possibility to safe Paris.

Imagine Ladybug and Chat falling for eachother in that one fight only for Master Fu to order Adrien to give miraculous away. Next season conflict is Marinette being extremely salty with her master because he doesn't want to bring Cat out again and also conflicted, because this one time guy suddenly makes her feel disloyal to Adrien (in that AU Adrien isn't distracted with Ladybug, so he goes for Mari immidietly). Or complete opposite. LB dislakes Cat and is fighting her pride everytime she needs him, making a pros and cons list to calling for this flirty, distracting, unserious, flamboyant boy. Or anytime she needs cotactlism, she tries to persuade Master Fu to give her black cat miraculous so she can chose someone "more fitting" but Master Fu is set on keeping as little people involved, therefore it's either that guy or no Black Cat at all.

Or even better, don't tell us who he is at the start. Make one time Chat Noir just show up in the darkest moment, then be gone and Puff, no sign of him until he is needed again. Show revolves around Marinette anyway, they didn't need to pretend like Adrien is main character. It's like, Chat Noir is on minds of so many fans because he us underexposed constantly. So maybe the fix was to intentionally underexpose him. That way people would lounge for him instead of resenting writers. Introduce him far later into the story, don't tell us who he is and roll with the mystery man who either is this fantasy lover Marinette is ashamed to dream about or the most annoying teammate to work with (and just imagine how much more impactfull would it be for the first Marichat scene if we didn't who he was and had generally no idea about his personallity). Make however some clues, enough for people start theorizing, like phew puns here and there coming from Adrien, he wears a distinctive ring, he knows something about miraculous that no outsider should, but also, put some decoys along the way, is it Felix, maybe it's another introduced character, maybe Luka (there is a whole Reddit post with that idea). And then, big reveal, it was ADRIEN all this time. Then people watch the show again and are like "OW MY GOD, I TOTALLY SEE IT NOW". Imagine

[ijustliketoreadstuff]

Let’s talk about everyone who knows.

Identities have always been a strict topic for Marinette, because as guardian, she felt she alone had to ensure the safety of all the heroes who were entrusted with a miraculous, this included herself and Cat Noir

However, as much as Marinette had initially attempted to keep a strict hold on her rule on keeping identities a secret, there were eventually bound to be some who would learn who she and Cat Noir were. Marinette alone has always done what she could to keep others from learning she was Ladybug, however,  this was never foolproof as the unexpected was bound to happen. Out of all the people who came to learn about her identity, Marinette technically only ever told ONE person her secret, and that was Alya. 

Back in “Gang of Secrets”, when Alya confronted her about what was weighing on her, Marinette had to decide if she would continue keeping her secret or take a risk. Overwhelmed with her responsibilities as Ladybug and guardian, Marinette took a risk to tell Alya her secret identity, because out of everyone in Paris, it was Alya who broke Marinette’s fears over what could happen if Hawkmoth discovered someone knew her identity. Alya’s actions in “Gang of Secrets” and “Senti-bubbler”, left Marinette willing to entrust her secret, as well as a miraculous, to Alya, but most of all, it convinced Marinette to ease up on her rule to not entrust a miraculous to the people whose identities were exposed, and instead have faith her friends could protect themselves and trust they would not betray her in the same sense Chloe did, as they did not prioritize the power of the miraculous, but rather the help they could give to her and all of Paris, even without superpowers.

Now, as of season 5, including Alya, there are now 8 people who know Marinette is Ladybug, but unlike Alya, Marinette never told any of the others her secret identity, they all just found out on their own, one way or another. 

Luka was one of the rare few who learned both Ladybug and Cat Noir’s identities, but the only reason he found out both was because he was placed in the unique situation of fighting an akumatized villain with the power to potentially expose Ladybug and cat Noir’s identities. Wishmakers power transformed Ladybug and Cat Noir into physically becoming what they dreamed they wanted to be when they were kids. Normally the quantum masking magical effect of the miraculous would help confuse human minds to prevent people from connecting the obvious, so they wouldn't easily identify the heroes through appearance alone, but Wishmaker counteracted that magic by changing their entire appearance. Ladybug had hoped that by Viperion using his power of second chance, he could help them defeat Wishmaker before he got the chance to use his power on them. Unbeknownst to Ladybug, Luka felt no other choice but to lie about learning her and Cat Noir’s identities, until “Migration”, because just like Ladybug said in “Ephemeral”, if anyone knew either her or Cat Noir's identity, things could still be manageable, because at least there would still be one of them left to fight shadow moth if he took action to defeat just one of them, but if anyone knew both her and Cat Noir's identities, then it's over for everyone. Luka knew that if Shadow Moth caught him, everyone would be endangered, but he did not want to become a priority for the heroes to protect over everyone else in Paris, so he kept it a secret until he had no other choice but to tell Ladybug and all of his friends he knew.

(In "Migration", Luka reveals to his friends he knows both Ladybug and Cat Noir's identities, and must leave Paris for everyone's safety, including his own.)

Luka left Paris for his and everyone else's protection, but in the season 5 finale, it was revealed that he had come into contact with SuHan and had been under the tutelage of the guardians. Luka was taught to fight by Su Han, so if he also learned how to defend himself against the akumas the same way Su-han did in “Furious Fu”, Luka may be able to return to Paris regardless of Lila being the new butterfly holder, and unlike Su-Han and the other guardians, Luka has experience fighting against akumatized villains, allowing him to defend himself better so as to not leave Ladybug and Cat Noir to worry over his safety.

(London special, Alix reviews everything she knows about Marinette and Adrien's history as Ladybug and Cat Noir)

Aside from Luka, Alix is the only other person who currently knows both Ladybug and Cat Noir’s identities, but unlike Luka, Alix is the only person who can know any hero and villains identity at any given time, this was something that was inevitable because unlike the other heroes, Alix’s power over time left her the responsibility of ensuring the timeline stayed safe, her job meant she had to look over the history of everyone's lives to ensure everything was on track. Such knowledge would of course place her in a great deal of danger, but fortunately, she remains at a safe distance in the burrow, traveling through time. Ladybug never told Alix her identity, but she had no complaints over Alix knowing her personal secrets, along with anyone else's, because she knew it was just part of Alix’s duty as the bunny miraculous holder to one day know such secrets, secrets even she can't know, no matter how much she asks Alix. 

(Kagami learns Marinette is Ladybug)

Kagami was an interesting case. Marinette never told Kagami her secret identity, but in “Representation”, it was revealed that Kagami wound up being at the right place and time back in “Perfection”, when she overheard Marinette talk about her identity to Alya, at Anarka’s boat, during a moment of internal struggle over her love for Adrien. Even though Kagami was akumatized that same day she discovered Marinette’s identity and then later akumatized again in “Protection”, Kagami never told Monarch Marinette’s secret, Monarch never even sensed she was hiding such a secret like he did with Luke in “Migration”. Of course Kagami’s crisis over her friendship with Marinette was likely what kept her mind clouded enough to prevent Monarch from sensing she was hiding something from him, but at the same time, no matter the situation, Kagami could not help but feel a sense of loyalty to the friend who was always there for her, as both Marinette and Ladybug. 

Even after resolving those matters and being de-akumatized, Kagami did not reveal to Marinette she knew her secret, until “Representation”. Kagami is normally very upfront about things, but to know the biggest secret of Marinette’s life, was likely something Kagami felt she needed time to figure out how to tell Marinette. Kagami might have been in the dark about a lot of things about Marinette, but its interesting to see her shift from the one who knew the least, to the one who now knows everything, things Marinette couldn't even bring herself to tell Alya, like the truth about Gabriel's demise.

Felix didn't know Marinette was Ladybug until Kagami told him. Kagami telling Felix Ladybug's identity made sense seeing as he was willing to confide in her one of the biggest secrets in all of Paris, Monarch’s secret identity. Felix trusts Kagami with his secrets, but doing so meant more than it being just about trust, it was about him accepting that he needed help.

Felix put quite a target on his back when he blackmailed/bargained with Gabriel to give up the peacock miraculous back in “Strike back”, and although Felix refrained from using his powers to wipe Gabriel out of existence again (First time was in "Emotion"), Felix knew Gabriel still needed to be dealt with before he could bring further harm to him and everyone else in his life he wanted to protect, and who better to help than the one person Kagami knew wanted to stop Monarch more than anyone, Ladybug. So long as Felix prefers to rely on his own abilities, he has no interest in the powers an akuma can provide, allowing him to resist Monarch’s control, but we’ll see about Lila.

Su Han discovered Marinette’s identity with the help of a magical compass that located the miracle box. Marinette could not hide her identity from him, let alone lie to him, because the box was in her own house. Although Su-Han knows Ladybug’s identity, she had refrained from letting him know Cat Noir’s too. Su-Han may be capable of defending himself from the akumas and miraculous holders, but he has no real experience fighting against akumatized villains, leaving him vulnerable if it was ever revealed he knew both Ladybug and Cat Noir's identities, fortunately, he only ever visits Paris if it's necessary.

Marianne, Fu's wife, was someone who had a long history with Fu. Fu trusted Marianne with the knowledge about the existence of the miraculous and how he had the responsibility as the last guardian to protect the jewels that wielded such incredible power. Marinette didn’t need to tell Marianne her secret identity, it would have been easy enough for her to figure things out on her own.

Marianne knew that whoever wielded the miraculous, was in turn associated with Fu, so even after seeing Marinette in civilian form to reunite her with Fu at the end of “Miracle queen”, it would have been plainly obvious to her that Ladybug and the girl who escorted Fu after he lost his memories, were the same person. Marianne and Fu don't live in Paris anymore, so Marinette can feel assured they are at a safe distance from  the akumas.

Nathalie discovered Marinette was Ladybug, after Gabriel finished making his wish. In the London special, after Gabriel made his wish, Nathalie was originally planning to continue her efforts in stopping Gabriel the moment she returned to the secret basement under the Agreste mansion, but she instead discovered Marinette talking to Plagg and Tikki. Nathalie heard Marinette’s conversation with the kwamis and that just about confirmed Marinette as Ladybug, even before she transformed into Bug Noir. Nathalie didn’t end up learning Cat Noir was Adrien again, but now she faces an entirely new dilemma, hiding the truth from Adrien about Marinette’s secret life as Ladybug as well as the truth about Gabriel's death. Marinette might have had her doubts about Nathalie, but knowing just how much Nathalie has been there for Adrien was enough to make her feel willing to trust her. Nathalie was normally the one who was willing to be akumatized for the sake of a mission, but now that the butterfly miraculous is in the hands of Lila, Nathalie is now just another citizen trying to avoid being akumatized.

Those are the people who currently know Ladybug and Cat Noir’s identities, but let's not forget the people who knew temporarily. 

It's not the first time Nathalie knew one of the heroes' identities, in “Cat Blanc”, she saw Adrien transform into Cat Noir. However, this left her greatly conflicted about what she was doing, because she never set out to hurt Adrien. The shock of learning Adrien was Cat Noir alone made her make the mistake of telling Gabriel, who jumped at the opportunity to akumatize his own son for the chance at a quick victory. However, the events of Cat Blanc were never meant to happen and were quickly fixed by Ladybug and Bunnyx.

Lila was always hinted to be the future butterfly miraculous holder, and as soon as she got the butterfly miraculous, she wasted no time in using it to tract down Ladybug’s identity on her own. Fortunately for Lila, Marinette had no idea where the butterfly miraculous went, giving Lila the element of surprise. However, Lila knowing Marinette’s identity was something that was not meant to happen, her tampering with the timeline of events to uncover Ladybug’s identity only wound up alerting Bunnyx so she could do what was needed to help Ladybug prevent her from ever finding out Ladybug’s identity.

Gabriel had always aimed to uncover Ladybug and Cat Noir’s identities, and on several occasions, he did, even if it was only temporary. He discovered Cat Noir was Adrien in “Cat Blanc”, and both Ladybug and Cat Noir’s in “Ephemeral”. Although these moments were not meant to happen and were quickly reversed with Sass and Bunnyx’s help, as it turns out, Gabriel was at most meant to discover Ladybug’s identity without it completely destroying the entire timeline…it just had to be on the day he died. 

Fu of course knew both Ladybug and Cat Noir’s identity because he was the one who entrusted them with the miraculous. Unfortunately, in “Miracle Queen”, in a last desperate effort to protect the miracle box, the miraculous, the Kwami, Ladybug and Cat Noir, along with himself and Marianne, he wiped his memory clean. Without his memories, Hawkmoth had little to no use for Fu.

Adrien got the chance to figure out Ladybug’s identity in "Cat Blanc", but it was in “Ephemeral” that Ladybug chose to learn Adrien’s identity first and then later decide to reveal her own identity to him. In both episodes, the two learned each others identities, and each time they did, it led to disaster because of one crucial thing, Gabriel was still Monarch. The opportunity to obtain a quick victory had always outweighed any sense of logic Gabriel had, making him quick to use the control he had over Adrien to akumatize him and defeat Ladybug, but now that Gabriel is gone and the rings containing Adrien’s amok have been returned to him, who knows what's going to happen.

Moving onto Adrien, as of season 5, only two people officially know he is Cat Noir, Luka and Alix. Adrien has not had many occurrences that led to others knowing his secret identity, because unlike Marinette, Adrien was limited by what he could do, where he could go and who he could talk to while under his fathers care, he was heavily protected and controlled in his civilian life and this alone prevented a lot of close encounters that could have led to others discovering his identity. But now that Gabriel is gone, Adrien is no longer under the same restrictions he once had, meaning anything could happen. Adrien has not told anyone his secret identity, but there are a lot of characters to think about whom Adrien could tell his secret to and even more people who could end up discovering his identity, one way or another. But again let’s just wait and see what the show has to say.

[frostedpuffs]

some thoughts about furry au:

while Adrien is still a model, he also participates in "cat shows", which are like the real world counterpart we have, except its more to show off agility and a well-groomed coat...but this often results in Adrien batting a cat toy around on stage and the audience going "his FORM! it's immaculate!" i don't think he'd like participating in these shows very much. he finds them fake (and boring. Because he always wins)

marinette, like a hamster, uses her cheek pouches as a place to store things. she will bring her friends snacks this way. they are polite and accept the treats...even if they're like "umm...this was in your mouth?" sometimes she forgets she put something in there until someone points it out

Adrien's fur is softer than soft. supremely soft and conditioned. he takes very good care of his coat and brushes it daily. this may or may not be because his mom scared him as a kid telling him if he doesn't take good care of his fur, it'll fall off and he'll look like his father (a sphinx cat)

nino's tail is almost always wagging. especially when he is with alya. that is one happy dog

you know how baby hamsters start as "pinkies" with no fur? yeah that was Marinette. have fun with that visual

lila tried to say she was a rare breed of fox for the longest time. people bought it

gorilla is a silverback gorilla. you can't change my mind. it's practically canon

chloe is extremely conceited about the fact that she is a mink

Felix still tries to impersonate Adrien. when people question where all Adrien's perfectly groomed fluff went, felix tells them he had a bad trip to the groomers. that becomes a headline in all the magazines

when Adrien first develops a crush on Marinette he physically cannot stop himself from purring at the sight of her and Nino has to discreetly be like "bro, your motor started up again"

whenever luka is getting into a really good jam it's hard to stop himself from howling to the music

[cookiedough77]

ok this is a nothing post, but i wanna talk about how i feel writing miraculous ladybug characters? like from their perspective 🧍‍♂️ anyway

adrien-

i write about this guy the most, obviously, he's a favorite, AND i realte to him, like our mindsets are very similar he is insanely easy to write im not kidding. also he has like crazy lore and fun to write about so thats why i write about him so much. his brain makes so much sense to me, i understand why his character does things and thats why im so character accurate with him, its fun!!

marinette-

ok she is VERY fun to write, she has a wacky thought process and is all over the place, she overthinks and just, very fun! the only thing i cant get is her cleverness, because well, im not clever at all, so i just never write about akuma attacks because i cant have cool plans like she does

felix-

ive only started writing him a bit more recently, his character is easy to understand, but somewhat hard to capture his mindset, if that makes sense? we dont see enough of him to see his thoughts, and thats all i need to write him just a tad bit more accurately

nino-

he's a simple guy, he likes what he likes and he's protective, easy to write, and he cares a lot about adrien, and since my fics are usually centered around adrien, ninos usually there

nathalie-

ive only written her once (in a wip) and i got her somewhat, she's just boring i think. not her character, not her lore or her thoughts, just boring? no challenge i guess i dunno

luka-

i really want to, but i dont understand music enough and im too stupid for metaphors to get into his mind enough to write from his perspective

gabriel-

ok, i havent written him, BUT ive thought abiut it, and i always avoid it due to, yes i understand his actions (be it unrational) and like i understand his character, but like his mindset is completely lost on me, he is like, weird and confusing, unpredictable sometimes, as in, what the fuck is he doing at like anytime???? why does he do that???? he's weird... i havent been able to crack open his skull and pick at his brain to write him, but i also i hate him so i kinda dont want to

[official-vampire-business]

absolute worst crack fic concept. ladynoir starts dating and a few months into their relationship confide in each other that they think they both have feelings for someone else, too, and wonder if theyre up for seeing other people as well. they both readily agree, happy that theyre on the same page. adrinette starts dating a few days later. they confess that theyre each seeing someone else as well, but that they request privacy on that front and would like to keep their two relationships seperate for now. they are both okay with this, obviously, because its the same for both of them. this makes it incredibly easy for them to get away with it because theyre both too caught up in how convenient it is that they dont question the oddity of it. mari assumes adriens other partner is kagami, adrien assumes maris other partner is luka. they never talk about it, and are happy to each be dating the two most important people in their lives. plagg is having the time of his life. adrien cant get more than a word in about his girlfriends before plagg starts cackling like a maniac. tikki is suffering. she only seems to look at marinette with a strange kind of sympathy these days when she talks about her boyfriends, despite how happy she is. then, an identity reveal that they will NEVER live down occurs. post gang of secrets, so alya knows about maribug, and is losing her entire mind when she finds out about chadrien. she found it suspicious when adrien said the same thing about his supposed secret partner as mari did, so in an effort to make sure her bff wasnt being used or mistreated, she did what alya does best: investigated. years down the line, alya gives a speech at their hero-exclusive wedding as the maid of honour, and recounts the entire story to the mirateam. alix is in shambles shes laughing so hard. nino has heard the story so many times he could repeat it word for word, but it never fails to double him over in laughter.

[unhinged-domestic-raccoon]

Miraculous Rewatch Where I Overanalyze Everything: The Bubbler

Man, I was eleven the last time I watched this episode. Season one was still airing. My fifth grade teacher was a fan of the show and put it on in class as a Friday treat and my life has never been the same since.

I wanna start by saying that the soundtrack for this show is extremely underrated. I love that it shows it's anime roots by being all techno instead of more classically superhero. It may just convince me to finally watch the movie.

continued under the cut:

Ah Marinette being clumsy! When I was a kid I was mostly just annoyed by this (possibly from the secondhand embarrassment), but I actually found her clumsiness very charming in this episode, and I hope that continues. She's just such a failure at existing and it's very endearing to me.

NO WAIT I FORGOT THIS WAS A THING! Chloe and Sabrina are actually frequently paralleled by Gabe and Nathalie in the show! I think it's an important detail to recognize! It shows that Chloe and Sabrina's unhealthy relationship really is just modeled after all of the terrible adults they're surrounded by, and that this includes Gabe and Nathalie! The Andre/Audrey and Andre/Roger parallels may be more relevant, but the Agreste household only exacerbates the situation. They really don't have any good examples in their lives, which is how they got to be as dysfunctional as they are.

I think it also does some lifting for framing Nathalie in a more sympathetic light and Sabrina in a less sympathetic one. Nathalie has just as much care for Gabe as Sabrina does for Chloe, and Sabrina is just as much of a willing accomplice as Nathalie is. Those parts of their characters are frequently overlooked, and I think this is a good reminder!

I'm gonna use this as a moment to note that the writers fully managed to instill the sheer awkwardness of being a teenager into Marinette. I (aromantic) was sitting here going "why is she hiding her crush from her mom? What's the purpose? Oh wait, all my friends hid their crushes from their parents in high school just to avoid getting lovingly teased. Right." And for all the stress Marinette gets put under as the show continues, I honestly don't think this ever changes. She really does just encapsulate the feeling of being 15, and I love her for that.

HANG ON, I didn't realize they were doing alternate expressions for Marinette's transformations so early! The only other example I can recall off the top of my head is Angrybug in Psychomedian! I'm gonna be keeping a counter now!

Marinette. Honey. You just came bursting out of your house as Ladybug. This is season 1. Remind me how nobody but Felix (and Luka I guess but he cheated with time powers) has put together her identity yet?

Y'know, for all the fandom jokes about Adrien having a skewed idea of normal. . . he knows his life is depressing and his dad is not a good parent. His dialogue here is (sarcastically) "Wow. That was a birthday lunch break to remember." Even way back when he was just so depressed. Poor dear has been doomed by the narrative from the start.

And here, you can see Plagg in his natural habitat, encouraging Adrien to be selfish and being my favorite character in the show! I probably won't bring it up again too often, but I just wanna make my Plagg bias clear from the start. Just so we're all on the same page.

Hey guys, remember when Chloe was smart? Cuz I do and it's a big reason why I like her so much! This episode is a great example. She knows exactly what to say to Nino to manipulate him in to doing what she wants. She isn't an idiot, she's actually pretty good at reading people. She's just also loud and has a short attention span/one-track mind.

Ivan, I fully respect your right as a fellow introvert to glower on the wall at The Function, but that is a whole supervillain. The Hawkmoth issue is well established at this point in time, you have got to know this isn't a good idea at this point. Actually, that's an interesting thought. Do we think Ivan is maybe less afraid of akumas because he was the first and knows what it's like? Something to look for during this rewatch!

This is during Ladybug and Bubbler's fight about adults, where Ladybug's dialogue is "Kids need adults! [. . .] Adults keep children safe and protected, they care for their kids, they love them!" I wanna draw your attention to the fact that while everyone else during this scene looks sad or scared or exhuasted and is largely checked out of the conversation (they just wanna get their parents back and go home), Chloe is not! She instead looks confused and is very invested in the back and forth these two have going on. Wonder why. Surely it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that Chloe has never experienced any of those things from an adult in her life! Moving on.

Here, we can see that even at the height of the status quo with no crazy extraneous circumstances driving a wedge between them, LadyNoir still had problems in their dynamic! Chat is already fully relying on LB to *tell* him when to use his cataclysm, but in return, she's all too ready to boss him around. That's an interesting hurdle to explore in their relationship!

Ugh, I don't miss this. When Miraculous designs hit, they hit hard, but when they don't? We're stuck with the face-melted-on, Adam-West-Batman-Villain looking bald cap. Also, Gabe, those are literal children you are monologuing about crushing and destroying? I've seen talk about how his mental state got worse with time, but uh. No, I think he was just as bad from the beginning.

I don't talk enough about how much I love the core 4 of Miraculous, and this is my apology for that! I love that Nino and Alya show affection for their spiraling mentally ill bestie with exactly the same shoulder touches, it's too cute.

[treatop]

MIRACULOUS SEASON 6 EPISODE 7 SPOILER ALERT!!!

ok so I just finished watching episode seven and MAN do I love lore heavy episodes.

im curious as to whether gabriel told marinette not to tell adrien that he was monarch because he wanted adrien to find the letter. that way, he would be able to control the narrative and frame himself as a ‘good’ person with ‘good’ intentions instead of marinette’s point of view. either that or he just forgot about the letter completely and changed his mind about adrien finding out. also why was it in his 1 year old box. like is there one in every box?

also can we talk about nathalie and this end scene for a second? i dont believe she’d betray marinette. i think that she’s lying to whatever this ‘diamond’ group thing is. she’s developed as a character and has become a mother figure to adrien, i dont think that she would just go back to having evil intentions? like?

also i love lukas design. dare i say better than the original? ok im done now

[mc-lukanette]

"I sent you a twenty-page document on Jagged's requests. You can't tell me you didn't get it," Penny told the person on the phone. Putting her free hand over the lower half of it to keep them from hearing her, she glanced over her shoulder at Marinette on the couch and said, "I'm sorry. We'll talk about designs as soon as I'm done."

Marinette waved away the concern, understanding the struggle of changed plans. She'd already gathered enough information based on the call they'd had inviting her to their hotel room that she could stay occupied by doing some experimental sketches anyway.

However, realizing how much she may have underestimated the time she was going to spend there, she set her sketchpad aside and pulled out her phone. Navigating to her text conversation with Luka, she typed out a couple messages to update him on what was going on.

Got stuck here a little longer. Penny seems swamped. We could do this any other time, so I'm surprised she didn't send me home yet.

She got a reply less than a minute later.

I'm not. Everyone loves you and wants your talent, Marinette. They're probably making sure no one else can steal you away.

She shook her head in disbelief at such a bold statement, but smiled. Luka was never afraid to say exactly what was on his mind and, while she didn't agree with him, it did make her happy.

She was about to message him back when she caught movement out of the corner of her vision. She looked past her phone to check, nearly screaming when she saw Jagged's face mere inches away from her.

"W-what?!" she asked, stiff. "What's wrong? Did I zone out?!"

"You were smiling," he stated.

"I'm sorry! I'll stop smiling!"

He snorted, then plopped down next to her on the couch, resting both arms along the backrest. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with smiling! A rock star's smile is one of their best assets!" He smirked for emphasis. "But you looked like you were texting your boyfriend."

"H-huh?"

He tilted his head. "Girlfriend?"

"No! I was texting Luka!"

"So his name's Luka!" Jagged brightened, leaning in with interest. "What's he into besides you?"

"Besides—" Marinette choked. "No, h-he's a musician? He plays guitar!"

"Guitar!" he exclaimed, and which was clearly the only word he'd heard. He jumped to his feet, strolling over to Penny and wrapping an arm around her. "Hear that? Our frockstar's got herself a rock star boyfriend!"

Penny ignored him briefly to talk into the phone, "If you can't take the requests, you can always find a different number one music star to book your venue," then covered the lower half again to address Marinette. "Congratulations."

"But—!"

"I told you," Jagged boasted, though to no one in particular, "our designer deserves the best and has the best taste!"

—————

Luka was on his way home when he heard a familiar sound of pounding footsteps behind him. Stopping in place, he turned to look at the source, bracing himself as Marinette practically plowed into him.

It would've been delightful had she not looked so distressed.

"Luka, I'm so sorry!" she burst, gripping his sleeves. "I swear I'll make it up to you!"

"Easy, Marinette," he soothed, taking her wrists and gently pulling her hands away. "What happened?"

"Nggh." She pouted, then hung her head in shame and replied, "Jagged Stone thinks we're dating."

That—

...huh.

He kept on a poker face, not wanting to freak her out further with his potential reaction. Something must've happened to make Jagged think that they were dating, and while he recalled sending Marinette an affectionate text earlier, that alone shouldn't have been enough to make any assumptions.

Did that mean that it was something Marinette did? And it had been convincing evidence for someone to think they were dating? Granted, Jagged Stone wasn't known for being a perceptive guy and Luka was content with the friendship he had with her. He hadn't confessed for that very reason, but—

Oh, she was still talking.

"Sorry," he interrupted, having caught none of it, "what were you saying?"

She rubbed an arm, embarrassed, her hand slipping under her sleeve to rub at her shoulder. "I...I was asking if we could pretend to date? He seemed so happy for me and I didn't want to disappoint him and neither of us are dating anyone—but if you're uncomfortable or you already like someone then I'll think of something else!"

Huh.

On one hand, it was charming in a way how much she wanted to please everyone, if a bit concerning, but he didn't miss the amusement of her talking about him "already liking someone" when she was the one he liked. Perhaps ironically, he might've even agreed to the proposa—suggestion if it hadn't been for that fact. He simply didn't have it in him to date her if it wasn't real.

"...I can't," he admitted reluctantly, as tempting as it might've been to say otherwise. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he frowned and explained, "It's not your fault, Marinette, and I'm not uncomfortable. I just couldn't fake date you."

She pursed her lips, disappointed but not upset with him. He looked away, feeling bad anyway but not so much to where it'd change his stance; it wouldn't be right. He would, however, be willing to help break the news to Jagged to make it a little easier for her, especially if his text was at all responsible for what happened.

The silence started to drag on. Luka debated on breaking it by asking her if she wanted to go somewhere or do something, but hesitated when he considered that it might seem insensitive after having just rejected her.

"Ah, then—!" Marinette, surprisingly, spoke up first, stepping forward and clutching Luka's forearms to get his attention back. "Then we'll real date! That's okay, right?"

His mouth fell open without a sound.

"I'm okay with it, and I'll take really good care of you! I've already been all over Paris, so I know all the best date spots, and I could always ask my parents where they like to go if we run out of ideas! So..."

She trailed off, the situation slowly dawning on the both of them. Luka's mind was still stuck somewhere at "I'm okay with it" and was making unsteady progress to get past it. The thought that the whole fake dating may have been a substitute for what she felt was the most she could get out of their relationship was something that'd have to come later.

Marinette's fingers twitched against his skin, then pulled away as her face flushed red. She couldn't look at him anymore, but her eyes were unable to decide on anything interesting enough to focus on. One foot shifted against the ground, and he realized what it meant before anything actually happened.

"Wait."

He reached out to grab her wrist, but it was too late. Marinette turned and bolted, leading into a full-on chase as he ran after her. If he'd had his bike then he could've caught up to her easily, but as things were, he was just barely keeping pace with her.

The problem was that he wasn't really a runner, and he knew without having seen it himself that Marinette had all sorts of experiences getting away from awkward situations or going somewhere in a hurry. Out of all the people he'd ever met that he could've fallen in love with...

She sped down the sidewalk, nearly bumping into someone on the way, then turned a corner. Luka followed, smoothly slipping past the same someone, but his eyes never left his destination. As he took the same bend that Marinette did, he caught sight of her just as she ducked between two buildings.

He hurried to go after her, only to find when he reached the alley that she'd seemingly disappeared. He looked left, right, then around the sidewalk he'd stood on in case his eyes had played a trick on him, but he couldn't see her anywhere.

A noise from somewhere up on the rooftops caught his attention. He stepped back as far as he could without tripping onto the road, eyes scanning the sky just in time to catch Ladybug throwing her yoyo out and swinging off into the distance.

Face slightly flushed, not entirely from the exertion, Luka snorted and put a hand to his mouth, his other hand feeling the phone in his pocket. He resolved to talk to her later when they both had cooled off, but it didn't stop the song that desperately wanted to be sung playing up a storm in his chest.

That's cheating, Marinette, he thought affectionately.

[adaobiiii]

────── Behind The Runway ⋆｡𖦹°‧★

─────────────────────── 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ✧˚.⋆ 21 Gone

Kagami and Luka arrived at the Dupain-Cheng bakery within minutes of each other, their expressions set with quiet determination. Tom and Sabine met them at the door, worry etched deep into their faces.

“She’s upstairs,” Sabine said softly. “She won’t talk to us. She’s just… crying.”

Luka and Kagami exchanged a glance before nodding in unison and heading up to Marinette’s room.

The sight that greeted them was heartbreaking.

Marinette sat on the floor in the middle of her room, surrounded by scattered sketches, overturned fabric rolls, and sewing supplies she’d clearly torn through in a desperate attempt to find her missing dress. Her hands were shaking as she clutched a crumpled piece of paper—probably the final design. Her breath was uneven, her face blotchy from tears, and she barely even reacted to their arrival.

Luka hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, his voice gentle. “Marinette.”

She lifted her head slightly, just enough so they could see her torn expression, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. “It’s gone,” she whispered. “I looked everywhere. It’s just… gone.”

Kagami knelt beside her, resting a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “How did this happen?”

Marinette shook her head, her fingers gripping the fabric of her pajama pants like a lifeline. “I don’t know. Only a few people even knew it was finished. You, Chloe, Sabrina…” She trailed off before exhaling shakily. “And Adrien, but—” she stopped herself, shaking her head more firmly. “It wasn’t Adrien. He left early that day. And he wouldn’t do something like this. And it couldn’t have been any of you girls either.”

Her hands pulled at her hair in frustration as she rocked slightly. “I can’t even blame this on Lila. She doesn’t even know about the dress,” she muttered, her voice thick with exhaustion.

Luka frowned, mind racing through possibilities. “Marinette, who exactly did you tell?”

“Just Kagami, Chloe, Sabrina, and Adrien,” she murmured.

“What about the girls’ group chat?” Kagami spoke up.

Marinette sniffled, confused. “What about it?”

“You, Chloe, Sabrina, and I were the only ones who knew exactly where the dress was.”

“But Sabrina’s still out of the country, and it’s definitely not you or Chloe,” Marinette muttered, rubbing her temples.

“That’s true,” Kagami admitted, her expression sharpening. “But… Sabrina did get a new phone and a new Instagram account, didn’t she?”

Luka’s expression darkened. “What if it was her?”

Marinette’s stomach twisted. “No—no, Sabrina wouldn’t—”

“I’m not saying she did,” Luka reassured. “I’m saying someone might be pretending to be her.”

Marinette’s breath hitched. That would explain so much. Lately, Sabrina had been more distant in the chat, only responding when someone else initiated the conversation. Marinette had brushed it off as stress from being away from home, but what if—

Luka was already pulling out his phone. “I’m calling her dad.”

Marinette and Kagami froze. Neither of them had even thought of that.

The phone rang twice before Mr. Raincomprix picked up. “Luka? Is something wrong?”

Luka’s voice was careful. “I need to ask about Sabrina. She got a new phone, right?”

A heavy sigh crackled through the line. “Sabrina hasn’t had a phone for weeks. Her bag was stolen, passport, phone, everything. She couldn’t even come home because of it.”

Marinette’s blood ran cold.

“Sir,” Luka continued, his voice steady despite the weight of the situation, “I think someone has been impersonating her online.”

A pause. Then, quietly, “What?”

“We think whoever stole her phone also stole something from Marinette,” Kagami added, her tone clipped and serious.

Marinette felt numb. Someone had been watching her. Someone had known she wouldn’t be home. Someone had taken advantage of her distraction, her trust, her routine.

And now, not only was her dress gone, her identity was compromised. Whoever this was knew she was MDC.

She clenched her fists, her entire body trembling with the weight of the revelation.

Luka placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her. “Listen, Marinette, we can’t change what’s happened.”

Kagami knelt beside her once more, her voice firm yet kind. “But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options.”

Marinette swallowed hard as fresh tears stung her eyes. “What am I supposed to do?”

Kagami met her gaze without hesitation. “You’ve worked too hard to let something like this stop you.”

Luka nodded, his blue eyes steady and sure. “The event is tomorrow. I know it’s not a lot, but you still have time.”

Marinette inhaled sharply, feeling the crushing weight of reality—five days of work, stolen in an instant. But she had never been the type to back down.

She wiped at her eyes, forcing herself to stand. “I’m not giving up.”

Kagami smirked, her pride in Marinette evident. “Good.”

Luka grinned. “Then let’s go.”

“To where?”

Marinette’s eyes burned with new determination.

“The fabric store.”

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[booksrbetterthanpeople]

I was bored a while back and made the MLB characters using the Black OC maker on Picrew

Marinette: Proud to be Blasian, still tense when she gets weird looks/Dyed her hair because she wanted to be Coraline for Halloween, now she just likes the color

Adrien: Black mom, white dad, identity crisis/Gabriel’s still a dick and wants Adrien to be a “Good Black.”/Usually always on the receiving end of light skin jokes

Alya: The same, just with bigger hair/The Queen of Hoop Earrings/One TikTok account for general stuff, the other just to post videos of her and her friends dancing and stepping

Nino: Undoing Gabriel’s influence on his bro and helping him embrace his blackness/You did NOT hear him listening to Robin Thicke/Starts every Shabooya Roll Call

Chloé: Bad and bougie/Identity crisis on a count of she was adopted as a baby to make her white parents look good/Will only let Marc and Juleka style her hair

Sabrina: Only knows English because she listens to Megan Thee Stallion religiously/Scarily good at break dancing

Juleka: So goth, she was born black/Favorite movies in order: Get Out, Candyman, The Blackening, Us, Karen, and Ma/A pro at doing hair

Rose: Will punt you if you make a “Not Black enough” comment/Not fond of how hospitals treat black patients. She’s had first-hand experience, and it wasn’t great/Excited for the Tiana series

Luka: Doesn’t say much, but when he does, it’s insightful as hell/He can’t see, but it adds to the mystery, so he keeps his hair like that/Imagine Johan from Black-ish

Nathaniel: Black Panther, Storm, Spider Man, Cyborg, Vixen, Bumble Bee, and Static Shock comics lining his shelves/The definition of Blerd/Surprisingly good at stepping

Alix: “Scar twins!” “But your scar is-“ “Shut up! Scar twins!”/Classroom solidarity by shielding her from others when her hijab slips off/She and Nath tag the city by putting stickers with images of historical women of color everywhere

Marc: He’s the one braiding his classmates’ hair/Hates how black people are written in most shows and movies/Scarily good at rapping. Do NOT try to challenge him to a rap battle, you will be humiliated

Kim: Always swimming, so he constantly has his hair braided or in twists/“Yes, I’m black and I can swim.”/Worships Beyoncé in his spare time

Max: The same, but with vitiligo and a fancy tie/Not selling the patents for any of his inventions. He’s not risking any companies purposely leaving out that he’s the brilliant mind behind any of them

Lila: She will never lie about Oprah. That’s where she crosses the line/Competing for Alya's title as Queen of Hoop Earrings

Ivan: You know those videos where the white baby leans over to see what the black guy is watching on his phone and then holds his hand? He’s the black guy/Worried about looking too "threatening"

Myléne: Constantly promoting black-owned businesses on her socials/Most likely to lead a protest/HATES Rachel Dolezal… Actually, they all hate her

[wisteriasymphony]

A little something based on @dreamer-in-a-far-away-land 's post about a self-aware miraculous au! :) I think it'd only be natural that, if they figured this out, our lovely duo would try and find a way around it....

The knowledge that Marinette was Ladybug was something that, by design... Adrien had no reaction to. He hadn't been given a reaction yet, so he thought. The event hadn't yet been written. ...The Epicurean paradox states that, given the presence of evil, either God is not all-powerful or all-good: Though he now believes whatever pulls the strings must be neither, the fact that him and Marinette have kept such a profane secret for this long is testament enough that God's watch is finite.

He looks around, the streetlamps glowing with an orange light that reveals no shadows. This far out into the city, there are no doors and there are no windows. Streets end (or begin?) in perfectly straight lines, and he's stood in places where his feet can reach the sky below them. To step off the ledge is to fall for longer than he has ever lived. It's a boring suicide, and so he quit the habit.

"You have the ring?" Marinette asks him. To ease her anxious mind, she never wears her pigtails at night ("What do you think would look more like... 'me'?" she's asked him, as Ladybug, many nights before. He never knew the answer.). She hopes it's harder to recognize her that way.

Adrien nods, taking the hexagonal box out of his back pocket. The engraved lid of the wooden box is merely a trick of the light, as when Adrien passes his hands over its surface it is the same uncanny smooth as everything he's ever felt.

He licks his bottom lip, feeling a cold against his face that isn't there. "You have the earrings?"

Marinette takes out the same exact box from her jacket pocket, thumbs brushing up against the box's sides. She's so clever, infinitely clever, and yet it's always on the brink of trying something that she gets a chilling anxiety that transforms her into another person entirely. Adrien couldn't say whether this is or is not the 'real her', because that would mean deciding a 'real him'. He wants to believe that the girl he fell in love with, through act of God or otherwise, will keep that bravery and cleverness.

They swap boxes silently, exchanging wishes of good luck through their gazes. Adrien turns away to get home before sunrise, confident in the plan, before Marinette's hand pulls him back.

"Wait!" she whispers. "...I still have the earrings."

Adrien flips upon the box he knows for a fact Marinette just traded him, and sees his own miraculous inside.

They stop for a moment, and the silence around the outskirts of the city that once gave them comfort has now become haunting.

Marinette's brows are furrowed, but she insists they try again. The boxes are traded once more, then opened: Marinette has the earrings. Adrien has the ring.

"We can't... We can't give them up... I thought that wasn't written, it's... No, we've traded them before, there's no way..."

Marinette drops her box, fingers raking through her hair as she hyperventilates. Not bringing the Ladybug to a fight—Impossible. Permanently handing over the miracle box to Alya—Impossible. Luka is gone because of things she told him, Chloe is gone because of things she told her, and the more times she tries and tries and tries leads to people "moving" or "catching flights" or just not telling her why they leave entirely. Marinette can't even reach Socqueline anymore, and the number she spent her first year in middle school memorizing now only leads to static on the other end of the phone. There's nothing to do about it, nothing at all!

"Marinette, it's okay," Adrien spoke calmly, bending down to pick up the earrings-box. "We just need to keep trying. I believe in you."

For a moment, two rings of the Black Cat Miraculous are in Adrien's hands.

...Adrien neglects to tell her this, fearing it would only worry her further. Juggling both boxes in one palm, Adrien takes Marinette's hand in his, interlocking their fingers.

"I know y... I know we're going to find a way out of this, Ladybug. We have to."

"We don't even know what we're fighting, Adrien!"

"Tomorrow, don't use your lucky charm. Don't do anything that your gut tells you to," he says. "If anyone has a chance at surviving that, it's you."

"...And what are you going to do?"

Adrien smiles, handing her one of the boxes. "Tomorrow, I'm just going to follow you, like I always have," he assures her. "We'll figure it out from there."