#remember in ephemeral when plagg just went for the kill?

[dravid-writes]

"I still just can't believe I did it... Plagg, I... I Cataclysmed someone!"

"You Cataclysmed Monarch. Of all the people to Cataclysm, that's probably the best option."

"It's not about who, Plagg, it's... I used the power of destruction on a human! A living, breathing person."

"Adrien, don't worry about it, it's not your fault. He literally did it to himself. And besides, he was transformed, it's fine. Nothing can destroy those suits."

"How do you know that for sure? A Cataclysm can destroy a miraculous."

"Kid, you literally fought an akuma yesterday. Monarch's clearly still kicking."

"What if it's slow? What if it injured him, and it's gradually eating away at him? What if every day, he gets weaker, and starts having trouble walking, and can barely get out of bed and then- And then-"

Plagg sits on Adrien's shoulder, looking up at him with an unusually serious expression. "Adrien. Calm down. It wasn't your fault. Enough with the what ifs, okay?"

"... Yeah. Yeah, you're right. It's just... Sometimes I wish I had a power other than destruction. I can't stand the idea of... ending someone's life. If that Cataclysm kills him..."

"Good riddance."

"Plagg!"

"Look, Adrien, I don't blame you for how you feel. It's human nature to care about others, and that relentless kindness of yours is why I love you as my holder. But you gotta know when to throw out bad cheese, and Monarch? He's so stinky even I'D throw him right in the bin, given the chance."

"That's awful! Even if he's a villain, he's still a person!"

Plagg sighs. "Sorry kid. Just like it's your nature to care too much for your own good, it's my nature to see a problem and want to just get rid of it. But hey, that's why you're the hero. You're Chat Noir, so I trust you to call the shots."

Adrien flops down onto his bed. "Can we just... stop talking about superhero stuff for a while? I don't want to think about this anymore."

"Sounds good to me!" Plagg grabs a magazine from the ground. "I've been waiting to tell you about this new restaurant-"

"I don't want to talk about cheese either."

Plagg sighs dramatically. "I suppose no holder is perfect. Well, I can't stop thinking about cheese now, so I'll spare you my poetry and just grab a snack, 'kay?"

"Thanks. Don't get seen."

"Psh, of course I won't! Careful is my middle name."

Plagg flies through the Agreste mansion, passing through walls and occasionally checking for humans before entering a room. But as he enters the kitchen, he finds Adrien's dad on the phone with Nathalie or that Tsurugi woman or someone. Plagg was about to phase into the cupboard and grab a snack, but he freezes as he hears Gabe say "akuma candidates."

Suddenly paying attention, Plagg starts eavesdropping.

"That's why we need to increase production on Alliance rings, immediately. Marketing, shipping, everyone needs to be wearing an Alliance. The akuma of a lifetime could have the worst day of their life, but if they aren't wearing an Alliance, they'll have no miraculous power, and they'll stand no chance against Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

Plagg didn't understand most of what he was hearing, something about those rings Gabe keeps trying to make Adrien wear? But it sure sounds like Gabe is trying to... help the akumas? Is he working with Monarch?!

"... No, I don't have time to be patient! Look at this!" Gabe pulls up his sleeve, and reveals a black burn spreading across his arm. "If I wait for a chance, this Cataclysm will kill me. I need to make the wish soon."

Holy shit Adrien's dad is Monarch.

"... I don't care, make the rings out of plastic with dollar store microphones if you have to!"

Holy shit. Monarch is right in front of Plagg.

"This isn't about business, the only thing that matters is getting the ladybug and black-" Gabe, in his frantic back and forth pacing, finally turns toward Plagg.

The two stare each other down from across the kitchen.

All is silent, except for the confused sounds of the woman on the phone.

Finally, they both snap out of it.

"Nooroodarkwings-"

"Nadja Chamack here with breaking news! I'm at the home of Gabriel Agreste, where half of the mansion appears to have spontaneously disintegrated! Gabriel Agreste is currently missing, though Adrien Agreste and his bodyguard, as well as Nathalie Sancoeur, are unharmed and currently being questioned by the police. There has not yet been an akuma sighting, so we do not know the source of- Wait, there appears to be a small... er, creature, in the missing part of the mansion! Excuse me, do you have any information on this sudden event?

"... Huh? Wait, is he really not showing up on the camera? W-well, regardless, Mr... Plagg? Mr. Plagg, do you know what has happened to Gabriel Agreste?

"... Bad... cheese?"

[into-september]

white hair and pronouns ("Passion")

no Alya the WEIRD THING is that you just woke up in Marinette’s bed on a school day and yet you’re having this discussion about which boy she is or isn’t in love with

“Papa” what the fuck happened in ep. 5

Cooking with grease and batter while dolled up in all white is just vaguely better than what the Korean lady on youtube was doing and I’m going to assume Gabriel’s clothes are way more expensive

the fact that Adrien’s looking at the remote control ring and promptly gets starry-eyed about a happy family is frankly gross, but it’s not like I had expectations about this after Kuro Neko’s demise

but thanks anyway to the people who created a sexy catboy superhero with the powers of destruction and decided to make him the patron saint of hopeless romantics

yes I was listening to figure out whether he’s adressing her with “tu”. She certainly isn’t and I’m pretty sure that was what she just refused him here

if the moral is going to be that Gabe proves his humanity by letting his son and his partner in crime who sacrificed her health and wellbeing to aid his personal ambitions adress him with the familiar pronoun

“What Adrien needs is his father” NATHALIE HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS HOUSE. HE HAD A MAN KILLED FOR A BRACELET AND WAS SECONDS AWAY FROM LAUNCING A NUCLEAR ARMAGEDDON. HE MAKES HIS SON ADRESS HIM WITH “VOUS”. DO YOU NOT REMEMBER “KURO NEKO”

I’m not following Plagg’s cheese metaphors any longer

lesbianism increasing

and so the backstabbery begins, oh boy

not Adrien asking her about “the first time she was in love” the moment after we got our first look of Emilie on screen and Nathalie flashbacks to her

Adrien Agreste and the Quest for the Family Curse

how sad is it that my first thought here was “hey is that Kagami’s car”

Details I love: Tikki’s drawing talent. I hope S5 will have her and Plagg hanging out while the kids are in class at least TEN TIMES.

I’m pretty sure Plagg just confirmed that the “never tell each other identites” rule was just some BS that Fu made up, never mind how S4 had some two or three episodes explaining in THOROUGH DETAIL why it is necessary

Tikki is COLD

Gabe she’s like two floors above you, don’t be lazy

so how are we gonna explain this akumatisation to Adrien

needless details I love: Marinette went into an empty bathroom and locked the door to a cubicle she wasn’t even planning to pull down her trousers in

I can’t believe I’ve yet to find fanfic about Ladynoir bunking off to go on dates

If Marinette is conscious during all this and this is how the reveal happens then my hat is off to the writers, no joke

You let Ladybug struggle with the gravity of a bowling ball, you can let Adrien struggle a LITTLE with the gravity of a teenage girl when the superpowers are gone

I screamed very quietly inside my head when we first saw both miraculous in Adrien’s hand there

how dare they not give us Adrien having a pow-wow with Tikki and Plagg

Gabriel’s concern here might’ve almost been touching if we didn’t know that he just had to face another smarting loss at the hands of those meddling kids

I’m sure there are things to be said about how Adrien’s first second ever episode as the MVP had him doing the heroics in Ladybug’s dress but as a Mr. Bug stan I have absolutely no complaints about anything

Gotta say this is a change in tune from the end of last episode, Marinette, but if nothing else the “no stammering” had its precedent in “Cat Blanc” and “Ephemeral”

Nathalie I hope you’re taking notice about the concept of knocking on doors here

You can start your good deeds of being there for him by reporting his father to the childcare authorities jsyk

is that end card supposed to make us draw the contrast or comparison between Gabriel and Monarch