#relationship: Juleka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain Cheng

[verfound]

FIC: "Luka's Secret" (MLB; Lukanette; LBSC Lukanette Month 2024)

@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers is doing a Lukanette Month for September 2024, and we all just kinda tossed some prompts in the disco to compile a list?  We ended up with 71 prompts, so I decided I’d roll some dice to pick a prompt, do a twenty minute (ish, bc we all know sometimes they run away from me) sprint, and try to get some short fics out this month?

(Rated M for half-dressed smoochies)

Read on Ao3

05 September 2024

Prompt 66: Secrets

Luka had a secret.

Juleka was fairly sure of that.

It was pretty obvious – about as obvious as that time Marinette had been keeping a secret and their squad had gotten themselves akumatized trying to get her to come clean.  Luka and Marinette had that in common: they were both terrible at keeping secrets.  They had multiple tells, some pretty obvious and some less so, but what that meant was when Luka started jumping at the sight of her own shadow she was pretty sure she knew what was up.

…well.  She didn’t actually know what was up.  She just knew he was keeping something from her.  And while she respected that – they were both keenly aware of how important privacy could be, growing up in such close quarters as they had – it was still driving her a bit nutty.

Because Luka had always been big on truth and honesty.  Being open with people was very important to him.  So she knew, when he got squirrely like this, that he had a secret, and keeping secrets was bad for him.

She was pretty sure secrets were what had gotten him akumatized, the last time around.

She was just trying to be a good little sister.  Help him out.  She didn’t actually care what the secret was – that was his own business – just that he was being weird about it and she needed him to stop.  The weirdo.

She had been planning on confronting him when he got home, but as she walked towards their cracked door and heard his low voice on the other side she realized she had lost her element of surprise.

“I think she knows,” she heard him sigh.  “Or suspects.  I told you I was bad at this.”

…no shit, Sherlock.  At least he was aware of it.  It’d probably be worse if he tried to play it off like everything was fine when, clearly, it was not.

When no voice answered him, she assumed he was on the phone.  He chuckled, and then she heard a thump.

“Shut up,” he said.  “It’s easier for you.  You don’t share a room with her.”  There was another beat, followed by: “…she will not.  I promise you…she won…but…”  Another heavy sigh.  Another thump – the sound of his head hitting the wall, she was sure.  “Fine.  We’ll do this your way.  But…it’s not a bad thing, you know.  I think she might even be happy about it.”

Her brow furrowed.  It was obvious they were talking about her, but what exactly was she supposed to be happy about?

“I know,” he said.  “Ok.  Ok.  I’ll be there.  I love you.”

There was a harder clattering, like he had just dropped his phone on the amp he used as a nightstand, and another sigh.  She blinked as she stared at their door, fairly certain her heart had just stopped.

Luka…loved someone?

Well…shit.

Who the hell was going to tell Marinette?

. : .

“I think we have a problem,” she said the next day from her place on Rose’s bed.  Rose was busy changing – she had just returned from visiting her brothers, and Frankie’s husband had taken her shopping.  She had called her over for…well.  Juleka was pretty sure for make up makeouts, since she’d been gone a week, but she’d also wanted to show off her haul.  She tipped her head back, looking at the closet door that blocked her girlfriend from view.  “Rose.  Did you hear me?”

“I did,” she called, tossing the lilac dress she’d just shown her over the top of the door.  Juleka had liked that one.  The hornier part of her couldn’t wait to peel it off her.  “I’m waiting for you to tell me what the problem is.  I need to assess for optimal reaction.”  She poked her head out, and the bra strap sliding off her otherwise bare shoulder was very distracting.  “I’m trying to not be so extra, remember?”

“I think Luka’s seeing someone,” Juleka said.  She dropped her head back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.  “He’s…been avoiding me.  And acting weird.  Like he’s keeping something from me.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s seeing anyone,” Rose said, stepping out from behind the door with her arms folded across her chest.  Juleka glanced at her before forcing her eyes back up, because if her shoulder had been distracting…  “He could just be busy, Jules.  You know he’s taken on a bunch of students over the summer.”

“I heard him on the phone,” she insisted.  “Didn’t sound like a student he was talking to.  He…said he loved them.”

Rose’s brow furrowed.

“…did he have the call on speaker?” she asked.  Juleka shook her head.  Rose sighed and looked down at her feet.  “Well.  Shoot.  Have you asked him about it yet?”

“Didn’t really know how,” she sighed.  Her eyes closed as she settled back onto the bed.  “I just…I guess I always thought he’d work things out with Marinette?  I like Marinette.  I don’t want to have to get used to someone else.  She was going to be a great sister-in-law.”

“…it’s been a long time since they tried to make it work, Jules,” Rose said, her voice sympathetic.  Juleka sighed and rolled onto her side, reaching out a hand for her.  Rose smiled as she walked over, climbing onto the bed beside her and cuddling up against her side.  Juleka smiled as she wrapped an arm around her, the skin of Rose’s back hot against her own.  “Maybe it’s for the best.  Maybe it’s time they both moved on.”

“…who are you and what have you done with my hopeless romantic girlfriend?” Juleka grumped, smiling at her.  Rose giggled and leaned up, kissing her slowly.

“It’s called growing up,” she said.  “It’s supposed to be good for you.”

Juleka hummed and leaned in for another kiss.  She’d worry about Luka’s secrets later.  There was entirely too much half-dressed Rose to occupy her attention to worry too much about stupid brothers just then.

. : .

A few blocks away, hidden in the depths of the Liberty (or: hiding out in the laundry room, where suspicions Captains and sisters couldn’t catch them), Luka was busy with his own…distractions.

Specifically the lapful of half-dressed Marinette, who had pushed him back onto the dryer and climbed on top of him the second he’d set the timer.  And while he had been the sole focus of his sister’s attention lately, he could safely say she was the absolute last thing on his mind.

It was a little hard to be concerned with worrying about her, when Marinette’s hands were in his hair and her tongue was in his mouth.  Or when she tipped her head back like that and made such delicious little sounds when his lips moved along her neck, lower and lower to…

“N-no one’s home, right?” she asked, breathless, and he hummed as his lips found her chest.  His hands slid up her back, toying with the band of her bra.  “Luka.”

“Jules is at Rose’s,” he said, nipping along the lacy edge of the cup covering her breast.  He was starting to think she had fallen into the river on purpose, though she should have known by now there were easier ways to get her shirt off…  “Ma’s…not home.  We’re safe.”

“I’d hope so,” she giggled.  “I mean…it’s bad enough if they catch us together, but if they catch us like this?”

She pushed her chest a little closer to him, wiggling as if to emphasize her point, but all that made him want to do was kiss her more.

“Don’t fall into the river, then,” he teased.  He glanced up at her, his eyes darker than they had any right to be.  “If you weren’t still such a klutz, we wouldn’t have needed to toss your clothes in the wash.”

“And wouldn’t a gentleman offer me a shirt, too, instead of making me walk around practically naked like this?” she quipped.  He hummed, dropping another kiss to her chest.

“I’m a boat kid, not a gentleman,” he reminded her, “and I happen to love you like this.”

“You love me anyway,” she laughed.  He chuckled, picking at the hooks of her bra again, and nodded.

“I really do,” he said.  He glanced up at her with a wicked little grin.  “…klutz and all.”

“…why you…” she huffed, and then he wasn’t sure what happened.

There was a brief moment where the world seemed to spin and flip, and then he was lying on his back across the washer and dryer with Marinette hovering over him, his shirt pushed up around his neck and her lips closing around a nipple.  Her teeth scraped the sensitive skin before she sucked, and he gasped as his entire body twitched beneath her.

“Who’s the klutz now?” she hummed, and his laugh turned into a strangled little sound he couldn’t bother being embarrassed about.

“M-my point,” he huffed, his hands sliding up her thighs and around to cup her ass, “is that your secret – our secret – is safe.  For now.  They don’t suspect a thing, and no one’s here to find out.”

It was just them for the foreseeable future, and he had every intention to take full advantage of that.

“…don’t say it like that,” she sighed, her teeth grazing his nipple again.  “We will tell them, Luka.  Just…not yet.”

“I know,” he said, squeezing her ass and encouraging her to look up at him.  He pushed her up, lifting his head to catch her lips in a slow kiss.  “I just…don’t you think it’ll be worse?  The longer we keep this from everyone?”

“We could always elope first,” she said.  “Then no one will be able to complain.  It’ll be too late to, by the time they find out.”

“Bullshit,” he laughed, pecking a kiss against her lips.  “Your dad will flip.  He’s probably been planning our wedding since you were in collège.  He’ll kill me if I marry you and he’s not there to see it.”

“And the Captain won’t kill me?” she teased.  He chuckled and shrugged.

“She’s more lenient,” he said.  “Eloping has just enough chaotic flair to make her proud.  Plus, she already likes you.  It’ll just cement you as a keeper in her books.”

“Papa loves you,” she reminded him.  She sighed as she settled against his chest, her ear resting above his heart.  “We’ll tell them.  Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” he agreed, the word sounding more relieved than he’d probably meant it to.  “Until then…”

He rolled her towards the wall, and she squealed out a laugh as he was suddenly on top of her.  They’d tell everyone tomorrow.  Eventually.  For now, she was still his secret to keep, and he was determined to enjoy every last minute of it.

[awholelotofladybug]

Random AU Moment #19: The Very First Meeting

*Flashback to Marinette and Adrien's very first meeting in the Stammering Adrien AU* Adrien: *sits down* Marinette: Uh, excuse me. Adrien: *timidly looks up* Marinette: Hi. Um, Adrien, is it? I don't mean to bother you, but that's my seat. Adrien: *is terrified and rushes to get up* Marinette: W-Wait, it's okay, I'm not mad. I just... Adrien: *gets up to reveal he had sat in gum* *other students snicker and giggle* Adrien: *hangs his head* Marinette: *immediately glares at Chloé* That was you, wasn't it, Chloé? Chloé: Don't play the hero, baker-girl. That gum was meant for you. *turns to the class* And you peasants better stop laughing or I'll have you and your families thrown out into the streets with the rest of the trash! *whips out her phone* *everyone shuts up* Juleka: *whispering to Rose* If Chloe's defending him, this guy must be a stuck-up snob. Rose: *whispering back* Don't say that. He's probably just shy. Marinette: *looks at the new boy with concern*

This all takes place during the same day as The Incident and The First Day

[frickingnerd]

poly relationship with marinette & luka

pairing: marinette dupain-cheng x gn!reader x luka couffaine

tags: polyamorous relationship, wholesome fluff, established lukanette + reader joining, tons of physical affection

marinette and luka were dating already, when you came into their life and changed everything!

both of them found themselves falling for you, but while luka took his crush on you rather well, marinette felt incredibly guilty about loving someone other than luka

it took some reassurance from luka to make marinette realize that her feelings for you aren't something she needs to be ashamed of and that she's allowed to love more than one person at the same time

luka was the one who made the first move on you and he'd continue to be the one making the first moves throughout your relationship

while marinette loves you, she struggles to communicate her feelings, so luka often plays the translator for her and nudges you two in the right direction

marinette is super flustered and awkward at the start of your relationship and tends to cling a bit more to luka, as she's nervous to make mistakes with you and scare you off

but luka's calm demeanor rubs off on marinette over time and she becomes much calmer and confident, being able to even initiate intimacy with you, without stuttering, blushing or needing luka's aid

marinette is very clingy and touchy! she loves to spend as much time as she can with you and luka!

luka likes to be near you too and enjoys to cuddle, but he has a much easier time giving you space than marinette has

there's no jealousy between the three of you, but marinette and luka tend to get pretty jealous if any outsiders flirt with you!

luka likes to believe he's the protective one in the relationship, but it's actually marinette! her ladybug persona comes through whenever luka or you are in danger…

the three of you have a very healthy relationship and are very close with each other's families too! juleka becomes marinette and your best friend, while marinette's parents always invite luka and you over for dinner!

[flightfoot]

Miraculous Halloween Fic Recs

It's Halloween, so I figured that people might be in the mood for some spooky, supernatural, or just plain Halloween-related fics! All of these are complete.

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Herbs And Steam by @liiinerle

Juleka le Flor Blef, nature witch from near the forest of Couffaine, arrives at Eiffel Castle so she can partake in the Queen's Trials - a contest to determine the strongest witch in all of France. She wants to prove the strength of her magic, but when she arrives, her attention is quickly distracted by two very interesting women: Kagami, the princess, who seems to act nothing like a princess should; and Marinette, the blacksmith, who has created a magic all her own through metal, steam, and ingenuity. Juleka is immediately besotted with both of them, and needs to work extra hard to focus on her magic. Juleka also soon becomes aware that there is stronger magic at Eiffel castle than she had expected. For one thing, there's a tree in the courtyard put there years ago by a witch whose powers seem to surpass hers; for another, there's Alya la Pluvie Versaunt, who must be the most powerful mage Juleka has ever met...

Unusual poly here, there aren't a lot of Juleka/Kagami/Marinette fics! I love the world here, getting to see all these different witches honing their craft, and Juleka making friends with many of them - though especially the nonwitches Kagami and Marinette, of course XD. If you like some femslash or a good fantasy AU, this fic should scratch that itch!

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Soul Seeker by hislittlelady

After a shooting on her 6th birthday, Marinette Dupain-Cheng died. She was brought to the afterlife by her grandmother. She was content. Until the paramedics did their jobs and suddenly she wasn’t dead anymore. Waking up to find that half of her soul had remained tethered to the afterlife, allowing her the ability to see things others can’t, Marinette grows up an outcast. It isn’t until she moves in with her only friend, a detective she’s known since preschool, that she finds her purpose, solving his harder cases with the help of her spiritual connections. Three years later, she’s thriving. Her own business, two best friends, a K-9 drop out as a companion- life couldn’t get better. Until she meets Chat. A ghost with amnesia and a mask to match, Chat isn’t sure what he needs to move on to the afterlife (and, considering he’s stuck around for another three years, he doesn’t seem in all that much of a hurry to figure it out either!) When Amelie Agreste, a socialite from out of town, comes to Marinette for help locating her missing nephew, Marinette knows her career and her life will be on the line. But even a murderer intent on silencing her forever can’t keep Marinette from seeking the truth.

This is a really fun detective story. You can probably guess one or two of the major twists (not counting the twist of "Adrien is Chat Noir" which I certainly HOPE isn't a spoiler to anyone reading this), but that doesn't make it any less satisfying, especially with how Marinette's and Chat's relationship is developed. Or well, what interactions we see from them, since they've known each other for years by the time the story starts. I adore the "my friend is a ghost" trope, and the identity shenanigans and mystery around what actually happened to Adrien kept me wondering.

It's an M-rated fic, which I'm guessing is mostly due to an attempted sexual assault at one point in the story, though it doesn't get very far before it's stopped. I also want to warn Luka fans that he's not shown in the best light in this fic, though it's not too extreme.

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Through Yellow Eyes by @echo-has-queries

"Nooroo bleeds and Paris drowns in his blood." The day of the Blight, Paris bore witness to a horror too grand to comprehend. Only Chloé Bourgeois bore witness to a miracle. Marinette, Alya and the rest of Paris will need more than faith in Gimmi to survive. As the city's sanity hangs by a thread, bodies, minds, and souls are traded with the unknown in order to hold on to the things they each treasure most. Written for the AU Roulette Challenge 2024 with the prompt: Cosmic Horror AU

If you like Cosmic Horror (Lovecraftian I think? Though this isn't really my wheelhouse), then this is the story for you! I love seeing how Paris copes with the madness seeping through its streets, somehow going about daily life despite it all.

Kwamis here are more inhuman, more separated from humanity. There's no cute little miniature form to help bridge the gap. While humans can still meld with kwami, it's not all quite as firmly in the human's control as it normally is, and the side effects are worse. It doesn't help that the kwamis can't fully understand squishy little humans' wants, needs, or morality.

Like, as Ladybug, Marinette can't remember her human name, and her human concerns are somewhat muted. While as Marinette, she can't remember certain aspects of her time as Ladybug, and only regains those memories when she transforms again. She also has to be careful about restoring everything, as she can't just give Tikki a cookie and call it a day. Instead, she herself needs to eat enough to compensate for the lost energy, which can be a substantial portion of the goods in her parents' bakery.

As for Adrien... well, this is still going off of Sentimonster Adrien, though the ritual to create him went differently... and went wrong. But he is still Adrien.

Chloe's interesting as well, she's this sort of priest, this missionary for the kwamis, but her methods are... well, not the best. She still has a bunch of her canonical hangups, even though she IS somewhat helpful.

I love Alya in here, she's just desperately trying to figure out what's going on so that she can try to fix it, especially since Nino's one of the people who's been driven mad by the Blight. She does find some answers, and even ends up being partially responsible for Ladybug's creation and Chat's and Ladybug's subsequent fight against the worst effects of the Blight, but the risks, danger, and side effects she suffers are still significant. Though some of those side effects can be used to her advantage.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this AU and thought it was an interesting take on the subject, I highly recommend checking it out!

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Centuries Overdue by @rosie-b

Long ago, an evil Darkness spread across Europe, claiming the lives of many in the magic community. Trained by Plagg himself, Adrien made it his mission to stop the Darkness before it snuffed out the lives of more Mages and Talents, as it did to his own parents. Though he seemed to succeed in his mission, the pages of his old journals tell a different tale. In the modern world, Marinette is a fashion student, working at a small library for the summer to earn extra credit. She’s never believed in magic before, but when she finds the old Agreste journals in her library, her beliefs about reality begin to crumble. Determined to find the truth, both about magic and the unsolved death of one Adrien Agreste, Marinette begins on a journey that will eventually lead her deep into the city’s catacombs, where an ancient force sleeps, but is ready to awaken once more…

If you want a nice Magic AU, this is your jam! I slowly became more invested with Adrien's fate as Marinette did, and I loved seeing bits of this magic society. And of course, Adrien and Marinette always find their way to each other, even if Marinette happens to be a few centuries overdue.

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the monster who loves you by @purplecatghostposts

Mum nods, clapping her hands together. “Your brother is finally feeling better and is coming home today! Isn’t that so exciting?” Félix pauses mid-bite, processing her words. Mum waits expectantly, as if expecting him to jump for joy, or his equivalent of it. But… Félix doesn’t have a brother. (Or Félix’s brother is a monster, but only in the most literal sense. Félix’s father is a monster despite being very, very human. He learns to navigate the world through these two truths.)

I loved how this story emphasized the differences between different kinds of monsters - the type who inhabit horror stories, who look terrifying, and the mundane, human sorts of monsters who are often the most dangerous. And how monsters can choose to act humanely, while humans can choose to act monstrously.

---

See This Chance by @19thsentry-blog

Luka died in 2016. Yep. Crushed by the Arc de Triumph when Mayura’s Robustus slammed into it. It was kind of a big deal, but once you’re dead, you’re dead—especially when there’s no Lucky Charm to bring you back. Luka’s been dealing with it in the typical ways. Written for FeLuka week 2023.

Yes, this is FeLuka. Not one of the typical ships I read, but I ain’t opposed to it, and this is a nice foray into the pairing. I love ghost AUs! Luka’s just fumbling around, unsure what to do with his incorporeal existence, until he starts haunting Felix. It’s an intriguing plot and I gotta admit, I wish it was longer so it could be fleshed out more, but what’s here is good.

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Attack of the Crystal Zombies by @trainsinanime

Kagami had spent more and more time hanging out with Zoé, talking about things like families, expectations and crushes on Marinette. It was only natural, probably, that she would help Zoé practice flirting. That was definitely a great idea. Granted, the deadly Akuma battle around them was a bit of an issue…

Quality Zoegami fic here! I loved how Kagami kept thinking she was bad at flirting, but it was sure working on Zoe XD. The akuma attack going on around them, interweaving with their conversation, added a bit of spice to the whole affair!

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Anchor by @liiinerle

“Marinette. Please take that sabre out of your neck.” “Right. Thanks. I forgot it was there.” She grabbed hold of the guard and pulled; the blade slid out like it had only been run through butter. After dropping it on the floor, she picked up one of the teacups and picked up a biscuit from a tin she’d brought in; she placed the biscuit on the saucer plate and handed the whole thing to Kagami, who could only really resign herself to accepting it. —– Marinette has raised Kagami from the dead, and also happens to be dead herself. It turns out some bad choices were made in the past. But that doesn’t mean they’ll lead to bad outcomes for them now.

I love this, Marinette’s incredibly blase about being a zombie - which makes sense, given how long she’s had to get used to the idea. And she’s waited so long, tried so hard to bring Kagami back as well, though if she didn’t WANT to be back, she’d accede to that request. Luckily, Kagami doesn’t seem to mind as long as she’s with Marinette XD.

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delicate in every way but one by katrinette

When Marinette finds a wanted ad that provokes just enough questions in her mind that she can’t help answering it, the reward is sweeter than she could have imagined.

I love the little bit of worldbuilding we get here about vampire society, and Adrien’s usual awkward adorableness in asking Marinette for a certain necessary favor. It’s always neat to see such familiar characterization in a supernatural setting like this.

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How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Ball by @rosie-b

Hidden from the crowds thronging around the busy fairy portal in Paris’s town square, a fae gate sits at the edge of the forest, locked, rusty, and full of ancient magic. Marinette thinks that this abandoned gate must not work anymore… but one day, a fairy disguised as a black cat steps through it.

Ah, Fantasy Soulmate AUs, my beloved XD. This ain’t the only one of this fic type I’m gonna be recommending. This is just a cute fluff fic without much strife. I love Marinette and Chat Noir being able to be childhood friends via his visits, even if he has to pretend to be her cat whenever he comes over, and I ESPECIALLY adore Alya being his chaperone and quickly becoming friends with Marinette in her own right. It ain’t a complicated plot, but it is a nice and warm fic.

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a winter so warm by @rosekasa

winters were hard for even the best of vampires, but at least adrien had marinette to keep him warm with her cuddles. december was going to suck without her. so it was only to be expected to get extra cuddles in before she left, right? (well, not really, considering those heating supplements he was taking, but she didn’t need to know about that).

This one’s mostly just cute cuddly adorableness! It’s basically like all those “Marinette gets the Ladybug trait of needing to cuddle up to someone for warmth”, but with Adrien instead. And of course featuring Marinette being a very talented witch who just wants to help Adrien stay warm when she isn’t there XD.

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Stitched Together by @nedjsmlfavs

Stitch Witch Marinette was just supposed to be having a nice, terrifying outing with her best friends. She never expected to find a magically trapped kitten, but here we are! Whatever happened to this poor little guy?

Poor Adrien, being transformed and chained up for ages, having no idea that he was gonna be rescued. But at least he got to have fun at Marinette’s place as a cat! 

Most of this fic is adorable, though with some dark undertones lying in wait. After all, SOMEONE chained up that poor little kitty…

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I Put A Spell On You by dazaimaru

Friday, October 25. 6 days until Halloween.

It’s their first high school Halloween dance, and Marinette and Adrien are ready to throw on some non-superhero costumes for once--that is, until an akumatized witch spoils the party and threatens to reveal what lies underneath everyone’s disguise.

With Hawkmoth taking full advantage of the spooky season, the days leading up to Halloween are certainly going to be thrilling! Especially considering Marinette’s growing feelings for a certain black cat…

This one’s mostly just some really cute Lovesquare shenanigans around Halloween, with some really fun sequences like Marinette and Adrien getting body-swapped and Marinette temporarily becoming a vampire (and also Marinette repeatedly stunning Adrien with her outfits. I was just waiting for him to pass out from blood loss from a nosebleed).

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don't you worry child by @mexicancat-girl

Marc and Nathaniel have a good life, married and living together in a cottage in the woods. But they consider having children at some point. Marc in particular really wants to start a family with his husband. He knows the fey are real, so he goes searching in the woods to find one to strike a deal. He may get a bit more than he bargained for in the process.

This is based on a tumblr post that’s been going around, which I think a lot of people will recognize as they continue going through the story. That post is credited at the end of the fic, so as not to spoil the plot.

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The Convention by Peppermint_Shamrock

“Oh, sure, when Ladybug comes up with unusual solutions, it’s “clever” and “inspiring”. But when I do it, it’s “oh no” and “you’re going to get us all killed, Marinette”,” she grumbled. “At least Adrien believes in me.” When an Akuma rages through a comic convention, everyone is forcibly transformed into their own cosplays. Unable to transform into Ladybug, Marinette has no choice but to fight as a civilian alongside her friends. At least she was dressed as her partner. Written for Miraculous Spooktober Day 5 Prompt - Costume Party

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Ghost of You by its_just_lori

It finally happened. The akuma attacked at the wrong time. They weren't prepared. For the first time, there was a casualty. Someone was killed. Marinette didn't care that her identity was exposed to the world; she couldn't stop blaming herself for what happened. If only she'd been ready... if only she'd done more... There's nothing for Adrien to say. There's nothing he can do other than stay by her side and help her through this pain.

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The Pink Lady: Marichat May 2018 by @seasonofthegeek

In this story, Chat Noir, Carapace, Rena Rouge, Queen B, and Paon are the heroes of Paris. The Ladybug Miraculous has been lost for almost a century and it takes all of their combined power to cleanse akumas sometimes but they’ve found something that works since they don’t have another option. Hawkmoth is one of their villains, but not the only one plaguing Paris. Chat Noir happens upon an old hotel one night on patrol and discovers something and someone he didn't expect.

[abyssal-ali]

'tis the damn season

Pairing: Luka Couffaine x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Rating: T | Ao3 | Masterlist

WC: 3.8k

A/N: For my wonderful Twinsie @wildbookcat 💜 Beta'd by @sneksnacc

Tiny flakes of powdery snow danced through the air, carried around by the whims of the wind. Luka envied their carelessness. Somehow, he had ended up at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport, waiting for his high school ex-girlfriend, who was also his little sister’s best friend, and thus someone he couldn’t avoid.

It wasn’t even that he was still heartbroken about the end of their ill-fated relationship (lie), or that they had ended on bad terms (was both parties being broken-hearted and depressed for the next several months ‘bad terms’?), the issue was that he didn’t know how Marinette was going to react.

They were now both adults, had a collective handful of ended relationships under their belts, and were mature enough to look past that summer, right?

Another gust of wind blew through the man-made wind tunnel–aka the main doors exiting the airport–and caused a shiver to go down Luka’s back. He was still affected by his reptilian Miraculous, though he’d returned it after Hawkmoth had been defeated seven years ago. He wondered how Marinette would deal with the snow and chill when she arrived, since she was even more attuned to her Miraculous than he had been, and she continued to wield the gems occasionally. Ladybugs didn’t like the cold either.

The doors slid open, another batch of travellers entering the snowy grey afternoon with a shiver.

A pink pom-pom caught his eye, and Luka stepped out of the car to wave at its owner.

“Marinette!”

Her head turned to him, surprise overtaking her features, before being replaced by a smile. “Luka!”

Her cheeks were already flushing pink, matching her coat and hat, Luka noticed when she stepped back from la bise. He picked up her suitcase, slung her bag over his arm, and motioned towards his blue VW Golf.

“Your parents were busy with the holiday rush, so they asked me to come get you when I was over there saying hi yesterday,” Luka explained, getting into the driver’s seat once he’d stored her things in the hatch.

“Couldn’t stay away from their pain au chocolat, huh?” Marinette teased him easily.

Luka exhaled soundlessly as he pulled away. Maybe this would go okay, after all.

“You know it. So, how long are you here for?”

Marinette settled back in her seat. “I’m not actually sure. I want something new, but old…no, familiar, at the same time.”

Luka hummed. “I hope you find it.”

“Thanks. So, why are you here? It’s been a while since either of us were in Paris,” she commented, blowing hot air on the window and doodling hearts and smiles with her fingertip.

“I thought it was time. Haven’t seen Ma and Juleka in a while, and I have friends here I wanted to catch up with. I’m currently on a break from producing, so I figured now was as good a time as any.”

“Right,” Marinette agreed. “It’s nice to see you again.”

And now the awkwardness was seeping through the car.

“You too; it’s been awhile,” he said softly. “I’m always happy to see you.”

Even if it hurts when I don’t.

Her gaze darted down to her mittenless hands, fidgeting with her short, buffed nails. Luka could see the calluses from being constantly pricked on the pads of her fingers; a thin red scrape on the side of her hand likely came from brushing against a pincushion the wrong way.

The snowflakes had gradually become larger and more frequent, so Luka turned on the wipers.

“So, I saw you snagged the honour of designing Clara’s outfit for the Grammys next year,” he commented to break the silence.

Usually, he was fine with silence, especially around Marinette, who often needed it, but right now he was acting very unlike himself. Coming back to Paris had stirred up all these old feelings and actions, and he cursed it in his mind.

“Yeah. I’m hoping coming back here will provide some inspiration. I want to pay homage to her roots,” Marinette explained. “We could go for a drive around all our old haunts, maybe. Oh, but you’ll probably be busy, sorry. I can drive around.”

“I’m not that busy.” He blurted the words before he thought. “You still don’t have a license, right? I don’t mind being your chauffeur.”

The snowflakes appeared to have come from Marinette’s sparkling eyes. “Thank you, Luka!” She watched him drive in silence for a while. “You haven’t really changed, even though you’re famous.”

He flicked a glance at her, slowing down for a red light. “You think so?”

She nodded. “You look older now, because you are, obviously, and your image-controlling people have changed your appearance somewhat, but at your core you’re still the same Luka I know from seven years ago.”

The light turned green, and Luka wondered if it was a sign for one delusional second before he pressed the gas again.

“Is that a compliment or not, Mari?” he asked, settling for a teasing inquisition instead.

‘It’s a good thing!” she insisted. “Okay, you’ve matured, but your essence is the same. You’re like…like a nice red wine! Aging improves a good thing!”

“Oh, so you’re calling me old now?”

Mari sputtered. “That’s not what I said at all! And men say women take things too seriously! Pfft!”

Luka couldn’t hold back his laugh as Marinette crossed her arms, her puffy jacket turning her into  a cocoon of pink.

“I know what you meant, Mari; thank you for the compliment.”

She sniffed at the traces of humour in his penitent tone, but uncurled her arms.

“There’s the bakery. We should just have missed the closing rush,” Luka glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “Have a good time, Marinette.”

“Thank you, you too! Oh, you can text me when you want to go for a drive. I still use the same number.”

“0-474-152-772?”

A wave of pink coated her cheeks. “You still remember it?”

I stare at it for a good half hour every week debating calling you or not. Of course I know it; it’s seared into my memory.

“Yep. I kept my old number too.” He popped the trunk and lifted her bags out.

“0-516-352-772?”

“Yep. Say hi to your parents for me!” 

He placed her bags just inside the door, and then beat a hasty retreat. Why do you still remember my number? 

~~~

How could she forget his number, when it spelled out her name?

Marinette sighed, waved goodbye at Luka’s car, then shut the door, ready to greet her parents.

“Maman! Papa! Guess who’s home!”

“Marinette! Sweetie, you made it!” Once the overwhelming hugs and bises had been exchanged, her parents looked curiously at the empty space behind her. “Luka got you here safely?” asked Sabine.

Mari nodded. “He was waiting for me at the airport; he asked me to say hi to you for him. He said you were busy with the holiday rush.”

Tom agreed. “We were sorry to miss picking you up, but our seasonal helper was sick, so we weren’t able to close and get you after all. Luka coming by and being free was fortunate.”

“It was nice to catch up with him,” Mari agreed. “I’ll just bring my bags up to my room and then we can catch up while we make dinner?”

“That sounds good,” agreed Sabine. Tom brought the luggage up, then left Mari to settle in after one more hug.

Looking around her room, Mari smiled at the remembrance of all the memories she had made in the pink space. Pictures clothespinned to her wall of fairy lights danced in the breeze as she twirled, releasing a deep breath and closing her eyes at the peace of being home again.

She could feel the ideas coming for Clara’s outfits.

It was a brilliant idea to come back to Paris.

~~~

It was a horrible idea to come back to Paris.

Why had he said yes to picking Marinette up?

Why had he said yes to driving Marinette around?

Why had he answered her text as soon as she sent it, at 2:08 am?

Why had he showed up at her door at 7:30 am, why had he let Tom drag him to the kitchen and feed him pastries (okay, that one was self-explanatory), why had he lingered and chatted, why why why.

The answer to all his questions was sitting in the passenger seat of the car he was borrowing from a friend, looking devastatingly beautiful and chattering away about how things had changed since she had left, a year before he had, and contrasting it to Los Angeles.

If he’d wanted to hear about her failed relationships after she defeated Hawkmoth, broke up with him, and moved away, he would have asked.

Luka was well aware that he was sulking, but he didn’t care at this moment. They were driving by College Francois Dupont, and the memories of that time weren’t the most pleasant.

“Ooh, I have an idea! Can you park here? I want to walk around for a bit.”

Luka dutifully pulled over, parking in an empty space between the school and the Methodist church down the block.

Marinette strolled around the quiet street, the fluffy flakes floating down muffling her footsteps and muttered monologue. 

She returned to him eventually, scribbling away at her sketchbook.

Luka’s hand raised before he realised what he was doing. 

“Luka? What are you doing?”

He blinked down at her, his hand frozen as she glanced up at him from under her bangs.

“You, um, snow-”

Why was he making this awkward? Biting the bullet, he gently brushed the accumulated snow off the top of Marinette’s ponytail.

She flashed him a smile and climbed back into her seat.

“Where to next, Mari?”

~~~

“So, any plans for your break?” Mari clutched a mug of cocoa in her hands, careful not to drop it over the edge of her balcony on the head of some unsuspecting passersby out admiring the lights.

Luka leaned his back against the balcony, blowing on his own mug. “I haven’t made anything firm yet, but I expect my schedule will fill up rather quickly.”

Mari hummed. “I guess I should book our hangouts while you’ve still got room for me then, Mr. Hot-Demand.”

“I’ll always have room for you, Mari.”

She smiled at him before turning back to the cityscape. “I’ve missed this view.”

The real view nudged her shoulder. “Old memories coming back, huh? I’m glad you’re able to miss it, Mar.”

“Did you miss it?” She turned on her back to be companionably side-to-side with him.

“The city? Not so much. The people in it? Yeah, I missed them a lot.”

She nodded in understanding. “Did you miss the people who weren’t in it, too?”

He sipped his cocoa. “Everyday.”

~~~

Marinette opened her eyes, breathing deeply. There was nothing like a full ten hours of sleep in your childhood room, warm and cozy under blankets as the snow drifted by the window hypnotizingly, your secret love snuggled up beside you-

Oh yeah, she’d made Luka stay the night, saying it was too cold to walk back home as her excuse to have him sleep here. Her fingers brushed a teal lock back from his forehead as she took in his peaceful features. Honestly, they weren’t much different from his usual everyday expressions. She envied his calm, never being able to stay still for long. 

Luka shifted, blinking sleepily at her, a sleepy smile curving his lips. “Morning, Mari.”

His arm raised to trace a feather-light path down her cheek to cup her neck and pull her towards him.

She let him guide her closer, her breath catching in her throat.

“Mari, if you’re up, could you help out at the register for a bit?” called Sabine through the door.

Luka jerked away and Mari rolled out of bed with a thump. “Be there in a minute, Maman!”

“Are you okay?” he peeked over the edge of her mattress.

“Just fine,” she rubbed her behind. Luckily, the duvet had cushioned her fall.

“Er, sorry about that,” Luka ran his fingers through his messy locks.

“It’s fine,” she shrugged off the hurt, grabbing a pair of jeans and a flower-embroidered sweater off the back of her chaise. “Want me to save you anything for breakfast when I go down?”

“A quince pastry would be nice.”

“Got it. See you!” She fled down the stairs to the secondary powder room to change and twist her hair into a braid. Ready to suppress the feelings stoked by Luka’s earlier actions, she washed her hands and prepared to face the public.

Luka wandered downstairs a while later, looking neat and as if he hadn’t slept in her bed and almost greeted her with a kiss before they were interrupted and then ignored it. 

She could feel Sabine and Tom pause in their work as they took in the situation and incorrectly interpreted it.

“Oh, I thought we missed you leaving last night, Luka,” smiled Sabine. “Are you-”

“Here’s your pastry,” interrupted Marinette, thrusting the napkin-wrapped goods into Luka’s hand. “You’re lucky I saved you the last one.”

“Er, lucky, yeah. About that. Can I talk to you? Later, I guess, when you’re not busy,” he cast a glance at the blatantly listening bakers. 

“Sure. We can go for another drive in about an hour? Around one?”

“Sounds good, I’ll see you then. Bye, Tom, Sabine.” With a wave, he ducked out the door, leaving a bill in Marinette’s now-empty hands for the pastry.

She turned to her parents. “It’s not what it looks like. It was late and cold and I didn’t want him walking home in the snow-”

“Mhm,” Sabine raised a knowing brow. “Would you like to talk about it?”

Marinette shook her head. “Not yet.”

~~~

Luka shook his head, sending accumulated flurries flying off his hair. He’d had the most lovely dream, waking up to Marinette cosying up to him in his bed, smiling at him lovingly. Except it hadn’t been a dream, and he’d almost kissed her.

He was not going to go down the path they’d travelled in school, with the secrets and barriers between them. She still didn’t know he knew she was Ladybug and the Guardian, and she hadn’t told him. He wasn’t going to lie to himself; it hurt a little.

Realistically, he knew there were several reasons why she wouldn’t bring it up (not the least of which because she didn’t want to dredge up those traumas again) but emotionally, he was simply hurt by her still not trusting him with her identity even though she’d entrusted Sass and literal timelines to him.

Still, his therapist in the States had done him good. 

He was going to tell Marinette he knew on their drive this afternoon, get everything off his chest, and then leave it in her hands while he returned to LA and broke his heart over her for the last time. Yep, sounded like a good plan.

~~~

Marinette climbed into the car. Luka closed her door, crossed the front, and slid into the driver’s seat. 

“Where to?”

“I thought maybe we could just drive around this time, unless there’s somewhere you wanted to go?”

“No, that sounds fine.” He took a sip from the mocha she had supplied them with, humming appreciatively. “This is perfect; thanks, Mari.”

“You’re welcome.”

He started the car and pulled away. 

They drove in silence for a while, occasionally pointing out some place they and their friends had adventures at. 

Luka pointed at the tip of the Eiffel Tower. “That thing was destroyed more times than I can count.”

She made an agreeing noise, thinking back to some of the battles the Tower had seen. 

“Marinette, I need to talk about something with you.”

She nodded, looking at the un-Luka-like tension in his body language. “Okay.”

“I was Viperion, on the Miraculous team. I reset so many timelines. It was impossible not to know who my allies were, with all the mishaps occurring. I’ve known you were Ladybug for years.”

She stilled, breathing stuttering as old trauma resurfaced. Someone knew she was Ladybug, something bad happened.

Reminding herself that Hawkmoth was gone, she wasn’t Ladybug anymore, and she was safe, she regulated her breathing and thoughts. 

“I knew you were Ladybug when we were dating, and that your identity was why you were so hesitant to open up. I thought now would be a good time to tell you that you don’t have to keep that secret alone anymore.”

“Luka, I-”

“It’s okay, Mari. I didn’t hold it against you. After all, we were all kids. Just thought I could even the score before I leave, since we both know each other’s secret,” he muttered. 

“I- you-” she stuttered, falling silent as her thoughts whirled.

“I’m flying out tomorrow afternoon,” he broke the silence after a few minutes. “Don’t worry, I haven’t told another soul and I never will. But, if you ever want to talk about it…you have my number.”

She nodded, still processing. “Thank you, Luka. For- well, everything. I’m sorry for what I put you through.”

He gave her a smile meant to be reassuring and forgiving, but she knew it was fake. “Have a happy new year, Marinette.”

Strangely feeling like she’d been broken up with, she closed the car door and walked into the bakery, where her parents met her.

“Everything okay, sweetie?”

She shook her head. “I think I need to take you up on your offer to talk about it.”

~~~

Luka packed his suitcase methodically, thoughts with one person miles away.

He wasn’t quite sure what he’d expected when he’d told her he knew. 

Maybe for her to ask him out again since they had no secrets between them anymore? Okay, that was his wildest dream, but he supposed she hadn’t changed that much, still taking her time to process things. Not that he blamed her–having a magical emotional terrorist attacking your city didn’t exactly inspire impulsive actions regarding your feelings.

His therapist had told him that there were seasons in one’s life, and sometimes people were only meant to be with you for a season, like a flower. Others were like trees, there no matter the weather. He wanted her to be a tree, but maybe she was only a flower. Whatever she was, he’d always remember the beauty of her blooms and the sweetness of her perfume. 

“‘Tis the damn season,” he mumbled, slinging his guitar case over his back and picking up his suitcase.

He’d left her with a reminder of his phone number. Hoping she’d call him one day, he drove to the airport. He only realised he’d chosen the route that took him by the bakery as he passed it, peering in the window to catch a glimpse of Marinette working the register. 

~~~

Marinette wasn’t having a good day. She’d taken forever to fall asleep, tossing and turning as she stewed over Luka and her parents’ advice.

They’d understandably been surprised by her explanation of the inner workings of her and Luka’s short-lived relationship, but provided some valuable outside-perspective commentary.

After a fitful sleep, she’d been working the register while her parents worked on a rush-order of pastries, her mind consumed by thoughts of Luka.

“Here’s your change, ma’am. Have a happy new year!” Handing the coins over, she wiped her hands on her apron and tidied up the counter space.

Clean up complete, she ran upstairs to change into jeans, boots with Ladybug pom-poms, a turtleneck, and her favourite Viperion hoodie she’d worn thin.

She tossed a quick goodbye over her shoulder to her parents and ran out the door, waving her hand at an approaching taxi. 

“International airport, please,” she huffed, buckling her belt.

“Hope you’re not late for your flight, mademoiselle. The snow is slowing traffic,” said the driver.

Marinette clasped her hands to stop her nervous fidgeting, calling on all of Tikki’s luck that she’d arrive before Luka’s flight left. 

~~~ Luka wasn’t having a good day. He’d slept off and on, was leaving his first love behind, and now he couldn’t even do that because of the sudden snowstorm. All flights were postponed or cancelled for the time being.

So far his flight was only cancelled, so he found a comfortable piece of carpet to claim and began strumming an imaginary guitar while he waited for updates.

Snippets of lyrics floated through his brain as he composed a piece containing his feelings in the moment. 

“I won’t ask you to wait…if you don’t ask me to stay…” He hummed softly.

The sound of running feet made him look up, curious who thought they were late for a flight that wasn’t taking off.

“Marinette?” “Luka?”

She paused in front of him, catching her breath.

“Why are you here?” he asked cautiously, getting to his feet.

“To see you,” she panted. “Didn’t want you to go.”

His heart picked up pace as if he’d been the one running through the airport. “Really?” “Really. I want you. I have for years. Is there any way you can stay?” she asked softly.

“I’ll stay any way I can if you ask, Ma-ma-marinette,” he grinned. “I love you. I never stopped.”

She tiptoed to be face-to-face with him. “I love you too,” she whispered in his ear before greeting him with a soft kiss. It felt like home and the beginning of everything and the end of everything and the past and future all wrapped up into one amazing kiss in the present.

He cupped her face in his hands, resting his forehead on hers.

~~~

Luka drove them back to the bakery, keeping her hand entwined with his. They stepped into the entry, stomping snow off their boots. Sabine and Tom greeted them as if it was an everyday occurrence, though Marinette saw the happy spark in their eyes.

“Just in time for the party!” boomed Tom. “Dinner is ready; let’s sit!”

After a festive new year’s eve dinner and delicious buche, Luka and Marinette carried their flutes of champagne up to Marinette’s balcony to watch the firecrackers and revellers beneath them.

Chanting filled the air, little sparks in the distance showing where firecrackers had been set off.

“10! 9!” The countdown to the new year had begun.

“My new year’s resolution is to have the woman I love become my girlfriend. Will you be my girlfriend?” Luka asked.

“4!”

Marinette nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

“3! 2! 1!” 

Horns sounded, firecrackers popped, and hollers filled the air, but Marinette and Luka heard none of it, too wrapped up in each other. 

“Joyeuse annee, Luka.”

“Bonne annee, Marinette.”

[foxwitchaine]

Which is your most loved character in Miraculous Ladybug?

Buckle up, buddy, it's gonna be a while. Or not, given how the showrunners treat the cast. Let's just say that before Season 3 aired (cough, Chameleon, cough) I was rather indifferent to most of the cast. But now that it's been about five seasons going on six, I've got a better understanding of who (read: what the writers want) the characters are. All the pomp and circumstance aside, let's get to it

1.) Marinette Dupain-Cheng

I'm cheating a little, I know. But girlie gets so much crap thrown at her in the show, I just had to give her a little love. Never mind the fact the writers seem to have it out for her just for existing (which is a whole other can of worms I won't touch). Matter of the fact is, I see myself a lot in Marinette. I too stress myself out by overthinking the simplest things and need my partner Rafe to help bring me down to earth. I think Marinette is an excellent protagonist who is treated unfairly by both the fandom at times and the writers. But mostly the writers.

At the same time, though, I won't sugarcoat her flaws. Flaws are what makes characters feel human. No, they don't need to do things that sink them to unlikable levels (the stalking allegations towards Marinette by the fandom). But little mistakes like talking before thinking, missing the mood of the room, not always checking the time, things like that we do every day. What I can't wrap my head around is why the writers have given her Qrow Branwen levels of bad luck in her everyday life. It's very Wattpad-levels of writing skill (I say this knowing full well I've published The Wolves in the Woods on Wattpad).

Marinette deserves better than what the writers have done to her.

2.) Luka Couffaine

I won't lie. I was rather lukewarm to Luka when he was first introduced. He didn't quite make an impression on me when he first debuted. However, in light of the recent red flags shown by the canon love interest Adrien, he's unironically proven himself to be a better match for Marinette. It might just be me personally, but I'm not fond of overly aggressive suitors. I like men (yes, men; age myself, why don't I) who treat their women with respect. Which includes taking "no" for an answer. Luka is a strange case where the secondary love interest fits the MC better than the canon love interest. And for that, I place the blame entirely on the writing team.

Because seriously. How do you make a secondary love interest match your heroine better than the official one? It's mind-boggling.

And again, thanks to the writing of the show, Luka's personality is pretty much a blank slate. What little there is, the fandom has pretty much turned into a better character than what we see on the show. I find it very telling overall that the fandom prefers Luka over Adrien when it comes to matching Marinette with someone.

3.) Juleka Couffaine

Yet another one who was done so dirty by the writers. Juleka, alongside Rose, is one of the few classmates who I don't like reading about in salt fics since, like most of Bustier's class, she's not inherently a bad kid. She, like so many of the other female teenagers in the show, get the short end of the stick in terms of writing (I can't be the only one seeing a pattern here). I find Juleka's aspiration to be a model despite her shyness to be a very compelling storyline... in the right hands, given what we saw in Reflektdoll. Again, had it not been for Alya wrecking things, we could have seen a plot where Juleka got to come out of her shell on her own. It's a pretty logical next step after overcoming her photo curse in Reflekta, but the writing team is allergic to writing compelling female characters.

I also really love her relationship with her brother Luka. But then again, I'm a sucker for well-written sibling love.

What many writers, not just in Miraculous Ladybug, miss is that male-female relationships don't always have to be romantic. More often than not, you can write a really compelling male-female relationship without going the romance route. Like best friends, siblings from another mother, heck even adult friendships.

There were so many ways they could've handled Juleka's character instead of what they did.

4.) Kagami Tsurugi

Speaking of patterns I've noticed...

Jokes aside, Kagami is another one done dirty by the writers. And it all boils down to the fact she was literally created to be Adrien's substitute girlfriend. I wish I was kidding. I can feel the bile in my throat as I write this out. Kagami ties with Marinette on "most screwed over by the writers" alongside Chloe, but I'd rather see them be friends and ditch Adrien altogether.

Why can't female love rivals be friends instead of bitter enemies. But then again, female rivalries tend to be rather nasty in real life, too. See how many women competed against each other for the position of queen in olden times. Or queen consort. Whatever position of power there was available to women at the time. Or whatever accomplishment there was to be had. Anyways, this isn't the first time girls have been pitted against each other for a guy in fiction, and it unfortunately may not be the last.

Just like Marinette, Kagami deserved better than what the writers did to her.

5.) Nathalie Sancoeur

She's an icon. What can I say? Nonsensical "romance" with Gabriel aside, Nathalie's one of the few female characters who stands out from the Miraculous Ladybug cast without the aid of a man. I know. Very telling, isn't it. Not just her design, but her personality, too. I find Nathalie to be more of a charismatic villain than Gabriel, tellingly enough. It's not just how she helps him commit acts of evil. But how she's very cool and level-headed in what she does. Even her kinder acts, such as convincing Gabriel to let Adrien attend school (wow, not doing yourself many favors, Gabe) are met with cool indifference.

If that's not a recipe for an iconic villainess, I don't know what is. But like everything else, she was butchered by the writing team.

Seriously. Do they have something against strong women or something? I've never seen a supposed girl power show treat their female characters with such contempt before. Even allegedly problematic shows like Puella Magi Madoka Magica didn't have this problem (I say allegedly because it's subject to opinions I might not share).

Honorable Mentions

None this time, because MLB has very few actually likable characters.

[monpetitchattriste]

Speak now (or forever hold your peace)

THANK YOU @bubbybug for making this wonderful art for the story! I appreciate it so much!

Chapters: 1/4

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Ivan Bruel/Mylène Haprèle, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine, Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, Ivan Bruel, Lê Chiến Kim, Alix Kubdel, Original Miraculous Ladybug Character(s)

Additional Tags: Romance, Light Angst, Friendship/Love, Post-Magic Reveal, Pre-Relationship, Weddings, Love Confessions, Idiots in Love, Mylene/Ivan wedding, We don't like Ethan

Summary:

Adrien had dreamt of seeing Marinette walk down the aisle to him since he was fourteen. The only problem was she was with another man and it wasn't their wedding. If he doesn't speak now he might lose it all.

Since the reveal, Marinette's heart has been at war with itself, but seeing Adrien standing at the end of the aisle was a punch to the gut, knowing she could lose the one thing she always wanted.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Where have you been?

by vanillaandcookies “And Talia was like…” “Cat Noir was a bitch…took his miraculous…” “So good to be back to the OG group…” I blinked. Once. Twice. Yep, I still see the same thing. The DAMIAN WAYNE, ice prince of Gotham, was sitting with a group of people his age, and one girl was even leaned onto him and he just continued laughing. It’s official. I’m dead. Words: 855, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug, Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F, F/M Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Sabine Cheng, Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Chloé Bourgeois, Juleka Couffaine, Bruce Wayne, Luka Couffaine, Kagami Tsurugi, Jason Todd, Harleen Quinzel, Joker (DCU), Lila Rossi, Alya Césaire, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Pamela Isley, Caline Bustier, Caline Bustier's Class, Principal Damocles (Miraculous Ladybug), Alfred Pennyworth, Rose Lavillant, Selina Kyle, Batfamily Members (DCU), Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug) Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Damian Wayne, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi, Juleka Couffaine & Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois/Jonathan Samuel Kent Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug is Called MDC, Fluff and Angst, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Cat Miraculous Holder Damian Wayne (Miraculous Ladybug), Bullying, Slow Burn, Uncle Jagged Stone (Miraculous Ladybug), Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Overprotective Batfamily (DCU), Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Alya Césaire Bashing, Childhood Friends, Guardian of the Miraculous Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Salty Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Evil Lila Rossi, Manipulative Lila Rossi, Lila Rossi Faces Consequences, Protective Harleen Quinzel, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Has a Crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng via https://ift.tt/9IRDYz2

[imsparky2002]

Vampire AU - The Main Group

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Still a klutz and a dork even as a blood-sucking creature of the night. She tries to be intimidating, but is usually seen as too adorable (the only one cuter than her is Rose.)

Dreams of turning Chloe and Lila into her mind controlled servants as revenge for their torment of the other human students. Also wants to turn Adrien into a vampire so he’ll live as long as them.

Nathaniel Kurtzberg

An artist who uses blood for his paint.

Even though he dresses like a classical vampire, he’s a Twilight fan. Marc’s a huge fan of Bela Lugosi.

Marc Anciel

A shy and nervous vampire who writes eerie tales for his classmates.

He’s written many songs of angst or joy of his love for his boyfriend, Nathaniel. You can find him and Juleka playing spooky songs on the pipe organ, and laughing like maniacs.

Juleka Couffaine

A eerie and gothic girl who can be kind to her friends, yet terrifying to her enemies.

She’s actually a major shy dork when arround her family and when she gets embarassed.

Rose Lavillant

A peppy and cheerful girl, with an attitude so bright for a girl who hates the sun.

She’s the vampire that works best with kids, acting as the spooky yet loveable vampire that’ll protect children from the bad guys.

Alix Kubdel

A rebellious tomboy with a love for pranks and dares. Uses her vampiric skills to mess with Kim.

Due to being the shortest of the group, she uses hypnosis and trickery to strike fear into the hearts of her victims.

Various Facts

They all love to wear cloaks! They often give each other cloak hugs, where they smother each other in their capes.

A year in a monster’s life is 12 years for a human. This means that the group are 14 in monster years, but 168 in human years.

They only suck the blood of criminals, animals, and people who have harmed them. Though they still love to playfully scare the citizens of Paris as well as their classmates.

They hangout in a huge creepy castle, but they all live close by in seperate homes. They plan on buying the castle after graduation, and moving in together.

The sun doesn’t kill them, but it burns their skin and generally hurts pretty bad. Umbrellas and sunscreen usually do the trick.

They’re great friends with the demonic Alya, a gorgon named Mylene, and a golem named Ivan, who chose to accompany the vampires when they chose to attend DuPont. These monsters use glamor to appear human to other students.

Juleka has a lovely relationship with her vampiric parents, as the blood-suckers always planned on staying together while having kids. The Couffaine vampires love to rock out and hunt for blood together.

They can shapeshift into small bats, if they want to spy on people without being seen.

The Dupain-Cheng’s bakery has been around for generations, with Tom and Sabine switching up their looks in order to convince people that they aren’t immortal. Jagged Stone is an incredibly famous rockstar, while Anarka is a vampiric pirate. Nathaniel and Marc have made money over the years writing and painting works of art. Rose has been spotted and known as the “Charity Girl” for appearing at various charities over the years while Alix and her family are known for showing up at various points in history. 

And that’s some more info on the Vampire AU! I just wanna shout out @artzychic27 as well as @msweebyness as we’re all doing a Mirrorverse collab together. Lemme know if you have any questions about these spooky students, and next time I’ll be talking about two more vampires, Kagami and Luka. I’ll also talk about the other monster students, Alya, Mylene, and Ivan. Hope you enjoy!

[blaiseking04282004]

Miraculous Hunters Rewritten: Book 1

Miraculous Hunters Rewritten: Book 1

by DragongirlFury28, Aemon_Targaryen13

Jim and Marinette are half siblings, and are seemingly normal teenagers. They go to school like everyone their age, have friends and do normal teenager things… but that’s not the whole story. They have the responsibility of keeping the world safe from dangers that threaten it. Jim is the eldest out of the two, and is the Trollhunter, who protects the surface lands from the evil Gumm-Gumm trolls, and their leader; Gunmar. Meanwhile, Marinette is the youngest, and protects the city of Paris, from supervillains empowered by magical butterflies, that are sent to those who feel negative emotions, but the evil Hawkmoth. Follow along on their adventures in keeping the world safe from evil.

Words: 401,555 Chapters: 60/60 Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug, Tales of Arcadia 

Ratting: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Jim Lake Jr. (Tales of Arcadia), Claire Nuñez, Toby Domzalski, Nino Lahiffe, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Nathalie Sancoeur, Lê Chiến Kim, Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, Luka Couffaine, Blinkous "Blinky" Galadrigal, Aaarrrgghh (Tales of Arcadia), Master Fu (Miraculous Ladybug), Vendel (Tales of Arcadia), Bular (Tales of Arcadia), Walter Strickler | Stricklander, Barbara Lake, Alya Césaire, Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng, Steve Palchuk, Eli Pepperjack, Nomura (Tales of Arcadia), Draal (Tales of Arcadia), Chloé Bourgeois, Max Kanté, Ivan Bruel, Sabrina Raincomprix, Trolls (Tales of Arcadia), Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Lila Rossi, Original Akumatized Character(s), Wayzz (Miraculous Ladybug), Nooroo (Miraculous Ladybug), Original Characters

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Jim Lake Jr./Claire Nuñez, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain

Additional Tags: Jim and Marinette are siblings, Miraculous Love Square, jlaire, Jim knows Marinette is Ladybug, Marinette knows Jim is the Trollhunter, Toby is like a brother to Marinette, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Jim and Marinette are each other’s wingperson, Jim knows about Marinette’s crush on Adrien, Marinette knows about Jim’s crush on Claire, Adrien thinks Jim is Marinette’s boyfriend, Everybody in Arcadia knows Marinette and Jim are siblings, Co-written with Aemon_Targaryen13

Read here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42317163/chapters/106261860

[cardiac-agreste]

Minou Rouge! (or M'Lady Rouge!)

A Moulin Rouge! x Miraculous crossover.

Despite her uncle’s disapproval, Marinette Dupain-Cheng has just moved to Paris from Shanghai, determined to become a famous fashion designer in fin de siècle Paris.

She meets up with a ragtag group of fashion-adjacent artists like Luka Couffaine, his sister Juleka, Kagami Tsurugi, and Alix Kubdel, exchanging ideas, and getting excited about their futures. While gushing about the current trends in art, Marinette quickly fashions an outfit from discarded objects in the apartment they’re squatting in.

One day, Alix comes back to their shared hovel (affectionally referred to as “the Burrow”), telling them to put on their best clothes, because she’s secured a meeting between Marinette and Adrien Agreste, a model and host at Club Gabriel, where the wealthy and powerful women of Paris come to play!

At the same time, at Club Gabriel, the eponymous proprietor informs Adrien that he’s arranged a meeting this evening with Duchess Lila Rossi, and that he must impress her by any means necessary. It is vital to secure funding to stage Gabriel’s first show, which he’s been trying to finance for Adrien’s entire life. He promises Adrien that if it goes well, then Adrien can finally be “a real model.”

We see Adrien performing for all the socialites of Paris, including Chloe and Audrey Bourgeois, throwing money at Adrien, trying to buy his attention and affections.

Up in the tower of Club Gabriel, Adrien makes his way to “do whatever it takes” to please his father. In the room he finds a captivating young woman. They flirt, they exchange ideas, and Adrien falls in love.

His father bursts in, furious to discover Adrien in the arms of some unknown tart. Behind him barges Lila Rossi. Fretting, Gabriel, Adrien, and Marinette improvise an idea for a fashion show, offering Lila to be the earliest investor, who stands to make the most money.

Marinette and Gabriel’s ideas, alongside the guitar stylings of Luka Couffaine and draped across the body of Juleka, with artistic backdrops painted by Kagami, seduce Duchess Rossi’s pocketbook, and Lila agrees to finance the show.

Marinette and Adrien work closely together, designing the show, and Lila Rossi is none the wiser, despite repeatedly trying to arrange late-night liaisons with Adrien.

Finally, one day, during the fashion show, one model jealously points out Marinette and Adrien’s close relationship, and Lila storms out, withdrawing her support, until Gabriel placates her by promising Adrien will make it to her room that night.

Marinette discovers this, and—furious with Adrien for agreeing—insults him and storms out of his life.

Adrien marches to his doom. Lila manipulates and begins to violently undress him, ripping his clothes and muttering depraved roleplaying ideas to him. Adrien stands there and takes it. But then he sees Marinette out the window, walking away in the distance, and fights off Lila and runs after her.

Gabriel stops Adrien from making this mistake, pulling out an amok and controlling Adrien to go back to Lila. Marinette sees this, and goes to the tower, where she and Lila fight. Marinette throws Lila out a window and runs to the room Adrien is waiting, only to find him considering jumping from the tower.

She flees to him and catches him in the nick of time. Together, they flee to Shanghai and live happily ever after.

(Also I hope you like Satine-Adrien's google eyes)

[morphomixz]

Eclipsed Character Chart

Name: Y/N Vaugrenard-Bourgeois

                  Alias: Y/N Bourgeois, Rogue, N/N, The Serpent

Age: 15

Height:  5'6

Miraculous: Bat Miraculous of Fear 

               Kwamii: Bazoo (Baz-zoo)

Likes: Playing piano, baked goods, her cousin Chloe (sometimes), sleeping. Currently does not know of any other likes.

Dislikes: STAN culture, liars, Bob Roth, being told what to do with her body, Chloe (sometimes), her Aunt, her parents, bullies, people looking at her weirdly, whispers, Lila Rossi, when her Aunt uses Life360 to demand something from her.

Love Interests: Alix, Kim, Luka, Kagami, Marc, Dante, Felix, Lila

Alignment: Good/Neutral

Friends: Marinette Dupain-Cheng,  Alya Cesaire, Bazoo, Alix Kubdel, Kim Le Chein, Max Kante, Luka Couffaine, Juleka Cuffaine, Rose Lavillant. 

Enemies: Bob Roth, Hawk Moth, Mayura.

Recommended Artists: If there's no given playlist or video with a song some artists I listen to while writing this story include: Faouzia, Camilla Cabello, Sleeping At Last, and Demi Lovato; if you wish for the whole experience on how I intended this book to be read with background music. 

Background Trivia:

- Her Aunt essentially adopted Y/N after her parents gave her up. She still speaks to them once a year but hasn't seen them since she was six. 

- She's 15 in this story

- Her and Chloe's relationship is unstable due to her working with Chloe's mom

- Her Uncle is the closest thing she has to a parent

- Her parents live in Switzerland and moved there after giving her up

-She has two older brothers who she doesn't speak to; Raphael Vaugrenard and Raoul Vaugrenard; twins aged 24

A/N: I haven't forgotten this story, I've just been busy with life. The next chapter has been in progress since June but is taking a while to write. 

[lady-de-mon-coeur]

Love Squared (4205 words) by @purrincess-chat

Chapters: 3/?

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire, Rose Lavillant, Alix Kubdel, Mylène Haprèle, Juleka Couffaine

Additional Tags: ladrien, Ladrien June, Crack, Girl Squad - Freeform, Shenanigans, Identity Reveal

Summary:

When the girl squad figures out Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities, they become hellbent on bringing their two friends together in the only way that makes sense: Ladrien.

[vwritesawholelothm]

SABRINA JUST SHOVING A LOVE NOTE INTO LUKA’S HANDS ONE DAY AND HE READS IT IN CLASS BUT THE TEACHER CATCHES HIM AND MAKES HIM READ IT OUT LOUD AND SABRINA IS SLOWLY DYING IN HER SEAT TILL LUKA KISSES HER HEAD AND SHE LOOKS UP ALL STAR STRUCK AND HAPPY-

I sorta took the bare bones of this plot and sprinted with it, apologies!

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Sabrina Raincomprix Characters: Juleka Couffaine, Luka Couffaine, Rose Lavillant, Sabrina Raincomprix, Sass (Miraculous Ladybug), Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Additional Tags: Love Letters, Luka Couffaine Knows, Love Confessions, Snake Luka Couffaine | Viperion, Akumatized Sabrina Raincomprix, Post-Episode: s04 Exauceur | Wishmaker, Supportive Luka Couffaine, Luka Couffaine-centric Summary: Viperion helps face a heartbroken, humiliated girl close to his heart.

[dovelyanon]

“Stay back!” “Marinette-” “How do you know that name? What…” Her features scrunched for lack of a better question. “… are you?” It blinked its clear, blue eyes in thought. She’d never seen an insect with eyes that clear or blue. Or thoughtful.  “I came from the earrings.” “… what?” This is not what she’d expected from Gabriel Agreste’s coveted earrings. A family heirloom, sure. A rare gem concealed in a pearl drop. A secret etched into the metal. Something normal. Plausible. “Bugs don’t just…” She gestured at it. “… come out of earrings!” It drifted near and she scrambled into her dresser, bottles and a scented candle clattering to the wood. This was it. She’d finally lost it. “I’m crazy.” She slid down the side of the dresser, ears ringing. “You’re not crazy.” Marinette scoffed. It would say that.

Chapter 3: TIKKI is up!

When We Were Stars (9804 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 3/30 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Original Character(s), Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Original Character(s) Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Alya Césaire, Gabriel Agreste, Emilie Agreste, Nino Lahiffe, Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, Luka Couffaine, Su-Han (Miraculous Ladybug), Kagami Tsurugi, Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Enemy AU, Enemies, Identity Reveal, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Abusive Relationships, Abusive Parents, Emilie Agreste Lives, Sex Work, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Is So Done, Bisexuality, Exploitation, Smoking Summary: They say she fell from the sky, a comet of night black hair and star flecked blue. No name. No memory. No family. No history. Nothing but one lingering dream- frightened green eyes and a flash of white light. So when world-renowned power couple Gabriel and Emilie Agreste reach out to her, she jumps at the opportunity to be something. But their meeting veers off track and sets her down a tumultuous path, leading to the past she so desperately craves and threatening any hope she had for a future. Choosing the greater good has never been this hard.   Canon Divergent Wish AU