#there are... six more kwamis to go

[zoe-oneesama]

I finished "Kira Kira Pre Cure A La Mode" like a month ago, and I have brain rot that makes a Miraculous Ladybug AU out of anything with an animal theme so here we go. I would label this more as a crossover tbh and even thought of my own rules to make it coexist in the Miraculous Ladybug Universe.

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To start, they break a few Miraculous Rules: the Miraculouses themselves have no resemblance to the animal they're imitating, and their powers are closer to their Pre Cure ones, which are baking/cooking based. And the reason I have for this is that these are technically not Miraculouses and technically not kwamis.

They aren't the "Miraculous of [x]" representing a concept, they're actually fairies who desire to be heroes. As such, they're actually at odds with Kwamis and there's a bit of a feud between them - the Kwamis have always worked alongside humans and see the Fairies as reckless and violating nature's laws, while the Fairies see the Kwamis as hording all the fun and not even trying to bridge the gap between them.

I imagine akumas would start showing up in Japan in Ichigozaka, bringing out the six PreCure Miraculouses, and they'd eventually follow them back to Paris to have a showdown with Hawkmoth AND the existing heroes. While the kwamis and fairies are having it out, the humans are meeting in the middle.

Ichika uses Whipp to become Crème Fouettée (Whipped Cream), a Bunny Hero with the ability "Batter Up", which captures the enemy in a giant cake. It has the side effect of being able to extract an akuma, but it can't purify it.

Himari uses Flann to become Swirl Caramel, a Squirrel Hero with modified clacker/rope darts as a weapon and the ability "Cherry Bomb", which is pretty self explanatory.

Aoi uses Aisuu to become Glace Bleue (Blue Ice), a Lion Hero with the ability "Gelato Shake", which encases her fist in a block of ice for even more painful punchs.

Yukari uses Cookie to become Kitty Macaron, a Cat Hero with a spiked yoyo and the ability "Cat Scratch" which inflates the size of the yoyo and increases their strength, making them able to scratch through anything.

Akira uses Chocco to Chien Rouge (Red Dog), a Dog Hero with the ability "Chocolate Armose" which creates a chocolate shield.

Ciel "uses" RinRin to become Blande Volante (Flying Bands), a Pegasus Hero with the ability "Kiracle Rainbow", which fully purifies the enemy and all of the damage caused during a fight. (If you know you know)

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

“it could mean that they didn't think further than season five and we're about to get a lot of awkward writing.”

Genuinely, I’m pretty sure this exact problem is about to rear it’s ugly head into the plot so hard. Once it becomes obvious enough next season, I think this is about to become the biggest gripe people have with the show.

I don’t subscribe to the “Chloé was rewritten by TA out of spite” theories—however—it is almost **impossible** that season 5 didn’t, at the very least, have the bones of the plot laid out *when it was still intended as the final season,* and then those bones were **heavily** rearranged when contracts were signed for Miraculous Ladybug to continue production beyond that point.

This is quickly having a domino effect on the plot, where storylines are being re-sculpted left and right to somehow tie-up the arc of the previous 5 seasons, whilst still maintaining pre-reveal status quo for the seasons still to come. The most glaring problem with this is, of course, that they had to royally shoot Marinette in the foot to make that work.

I don’t want to put my tin-foil hat on too much, but Adrinette getting together sans reveal is just a symptom of the show continuing past it’s original intended “end of life”. We were likely supposed to get exactly what is holding Adrinette back from being interesting right now—the reveal—in the original midseason finale of season 5 instead of Kwami’s Choice.

What’s an even more cynical thought—if season 5 was the end of the show like intended at one point, there is ZERO chance that Marinette would have even NEEDED to lie to Adrien about his father. *THAT’S* what frustrates me most about the season 5 finale. Not that it’s shocking, not that it subverts expectations, that it’s so glaringly obvious the main character is making a decision simply because the plot for future seasons implodes on itself if she thinks logically for 1.2 seconds. It’s not interesting. It’s only there because they wrote themselves into a corner they never intended to be in 5 years ago.

And as the seasons tick on and on, the cycle is just going to continue to chase itself in circles under the guise of “drama” and “plot”, but in reality the episodic nature of the show means that none of the plot lines will ever conclude in a satisfying way

(Post that inspired this ask)

it is almost **impossible** that season 5 didn’t, at the very least, have the bones of the plot laid out *when it was still intended as the final season,* and then those bones were **heavily** rearranged when contracts were signed for Miraculous Ladybug to continue production beyond that point.

Now that is a theory I can get behind and will even admit to subscribing to. Season five absolutely feels like it was written to be the final season and we know that it was, originally, supposed to be the final season. It's not a conspiracy theory to say, "I think that they may have committed to elements of season five before they got a sixth season and that ended up making season five into a bit of a mess."

I'd be fascinated to know the behind-the-scenes timing of things and what was written before the season-six greenlight and what they were allowed to change after season six became a thing. Things like scripts, lore bibles, and plot lines get signed off on by a lot of people! It's entirely possible that the writers' hands were tied on certain elements of season five. If the leaked, season-five Bible is to be believed, it says that it was signed off by TF1 & Disney and has a date of 1/29/21, about three months before season six was officially announced, implying that major elements of season five may have been set in stone all the way back in early 2021:

[Image description: footer for the leaked Bible reading "Ladybug - Bible FINAL VERSION updated season 5 - approved by TF1 & Disney 1/29/21 - CONFIDENTIAL]

This may mean that the writers literally weren't allowed to make major changes to season five because they'd already gone through the approval process for the overall plot. It's also possible that they could have redone things, they just didn't have time based on production timelines or maybe they did have time and just couldn't think up a new version of season five in the time they had. There's no way to be sure with the limited information we have. Maybe season five is exactly what they wanted it to be!

It's hard to buy that, though, because a lot of the awkward writing makes so much more sense if there was supposed to be an identity reveal at the end of Kwami's Choice. Like why Adrien is worrying about how to tell Marinette that he's leaving, but he never once stops to think about Ladybug. If he knows they're the same person, that's suddenly perfectly understandable.

I also full agree that the lie at the end of season five feels like another stalling tactic and not a piece in a well-crafted narrative. It's really common for the writing to get stilted in TV shows and movie series that get renewed past their expiration dates because no plot can last forever. Even the best writers can't draw a concept out to the end of time and Miraculous doesn't seem have the best writers. Now that they've been greenlit for ten freaking seasons, I think we're in for a wild ride and I don't mean the fun kind. Serious identity shenanigans like the love square are not designed to last for 86+ hours. (The show has 26 20-minute episodes per season, so if you multiply that by 10, you get a little over 86 hours + specials and such.)

I just don't see how they're going to draw out the identity reveal for another five seasons without making the love square a toxic waste dump, but I also don't think that they're ever going to do an identity reveal in the mid game. They're saving that sucker for the end no matter how much it ruins the story. (Watch season six prove me wrong, lol. You never know.)

[flightfoot]

Best Lovesquare-centric Fics And Series That Completed In 2023

So the majority of fics I read include the Lovesquare in some capacity, but I figured people might appreciate a list of great fics that really center around them, particularly romantically.

As with the other lists like this, these fics all come from my previous reclists for ML fics I really liked that finished during 2023. So if you like these, you might want to look through the collection I set up for all these fics.

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home is where the fight is by @rosie-b

Nadja Chamack’s voice greeted Adrien as he sat up straight, wiping his clammy hands on his pants and ignoring the black kwami floating by his shoulder. “—shocked to see our heroine fall in battle today, taking a direct hit from the akuma just as she detransformed. Parisians are torn between blaming Hawk Moth and Cat Walker for their roles in this tragedy, which ultimately revealed the civilian identity of Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Adrien turned off the TV and lowered his head as his vision blurred. Written for Ladrien June Day 7: Injured

I adore this fic! Which shouldn’t be a a surprise, it’s no secret that I love Sentiadrien Enemies AU. Adrien’s so worried about Marinette getting hurt, and wishes that he could help keep her safer, could tell her what’s really going on or get rid of the ring or something, but he can’t. Still, he IS able to find clever ways around some of his father’s more problematic orders. Loopholes for the win!

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Patrolling with a friend for Christmas by @seasofsilver

Adrien just wanted to gift his Lady some time off and hang out more with Marinette during the festive season - it didn’t exactly go to plan, but somehow ended up… better?

This was adorable! Chat Noir tries to give Ladybug a break by recruiting Multimouse to replace her on patrols for a bit, and Ladybug returns the favor by recruiting Aspik to replace Chat. Yep, it’s Snekmouse!

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Under the Umbrella by @fruitdragon1a

Almost everyone has a soulmate. What are Adrien and Marinette supposed to do when they meet theirs? ML Secret Santa gift for Mei! Merry Christmas! Thank you to Now Loading and Rewan Demontay for beta reading this fic!

So this is a version of soulmarks I haven’t seen before. Around age six, soulmates get a soulmark that shows what their soulmate is thinking when they first meet them. Though I guess it doesn’t register while transformed, since it only counts for this one when Adrien and Marinette meet as civilians, and not when they first meet as superheroes.

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you don’t even know me at all (but I was made for loving you) by @ladyofthenoodle

They didn’t remember each other. The hospital told them there’d been an accident—brain damage—but Alya had told them the truth, later. Who’d they’d been to each other. What they’d given up, and why. But even with their memories of each other gone, Adrien and Marinette are still inextricably tied together—by law, by their social circles, and by their hearts. And in the apartment they share, there’s only one bed.

Yep, it’s the “there was only one bed” trope XD! I especially love how it was used here, how Adrien and Marinette are strangers now but they had a whole life together, and they pine for each other even without remembering, and how Marinette just can’t believe how in love with her Adrien is even though he doesn’t remember her. I loved the emotional turmoil the two of them went through together in the fic, and the resolution, it’s great!

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Until I Found You by @linnieluna

Working their way up to a settled adulthood, Marinette and Adrien, now 23, gain a reason to believe that they are expecting—way earlier than they ever planned. Still unwed, it evokes a revelation on Adrien’s behalf. Was it time to take the next step forward?

I loved the emotions here, how Adrien and Marinette reacted to the results of the pregnancy test, how complicated their feelings about it were - and how it prompted Adrien to take action. It’s a really sweet fic!

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From school bells to wedding bells by @linnieluna

When the superhero duo takes on another exhausting fight against an akuma, Chat Noir does what he never hesitates to do and takes a hit for his partner. The problem being: neither of them knew what power the akuma possessed. That is… until he is transported into the future. More specifically, to his friend Marinette’s wedding.

Ah I love time travel fics! Older!Marinette’s surprised, Younger!Adrien’s bewildered, and Older!Adrien is off knowing exactly what happened and giving his younger self some subtle heads-up. 

It gives Adrien something to look forward to, to cling onto, through bad days in the future at least!

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u + me = love by @xiueryn

Marinette has a massive crush on Adrien. He has a crush on the superhero, Ladybug. When he says the only person he’ll invite as his plus one to an event is Ladybug, Marinette takes her chance to romance him for the night. AU. (a fanboy and fangirl start to date.)

This is just a fun Ladrien story. Ladybug is happy to oblige in Adrien’s fantasies, and no one else believes that he’s actually dating Ladybug.

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Miracoffee by @pauliestorylover

Ever since the last Mr Pigeon attack over nine months ago, Hawkmoth has fallen off the face of the earth, seemingly for good. There’s never been a better chance for an identity reveal—but after keeping her identity a secret for so many years, Marinette feels incredibly nervous about one. When Chat Noir accidentally finds Ladybug working at a café, Alya comes up with a brilliant idea. If Ladybug and Chat Noir interact regularly in a civilian setting, surely they’ll move towards an identity reveal without outside interference?

Adrien Never Goes To Public School Coffee Shop AU here! It’s funny how he clocks Marinette as being Ladybug IMMEDIATELY. And then after discussing it for awhile, decide to make a bit of a game of the identity reveal, having Chat come in on pre-determined days and seeing whether Ladybug can figure out who she is, all while they get to know each other, even if in passing. 

Love the other Miraculous heroes making cameos as well, Marinette seems annoyed that Nino cosplaying as Carapace actually doesn’t tip anyone off XD.

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For the Sake of a Ring by @rosie-b

An akuma that transfers people’s consciousnesses into other universes hits Ladybug, sending her into a world where everything is the same… but instead of earrings, she’s wearing a ring on one hand! She’s only just arrived in this universe, but already Plagg seems to have gone missing. It’s up to Marinette to figure out what happened before she’s sent back home! This fic takes place in the future, after Season 5, but it does not contain any leaks or major spoilers. Please keep the comment section spoiler-free, too!

This is really cute, Marinette gets transported into a world where she’s married to Adrien and is really confused as to why and how they got married at sixteen. Adrien’s just an adorable puppy who thinks his wife is the most amazing person in the world! 

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His Princess and Her Knight by @seas-of-silver

Adrien, Marinette, Nino and Alya have a group assignment about how the past has shaped them into the people they are today, but they’ll make a discovery that’ll send them searching for answers.

This fic is adorable, Adrien, Marinette, and Nino uncover that they all went to the same preschool together, with Adrien and Marinette immediately latching onto each other, Adrien being the knight to Marinette’s princess, and also making friends with Nino. Sadly he was pulled after two weeks, but it made quite an impression on him.

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A Friendship Not Abandoned (Just Delayed) by @nomolosk

Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste first met as tiny little kids, but then Adrien had to move away. When they finally meet again, will they even remember each other, much less become friends again?

Poor Adrien keeps on saying or doing just the wrong thing to give Marinette the impression that he’s a bully like Chloe when he’s not, and he keeps desperately trying to fix it. So a bit of an enemies au in that way, since Marinette doesn’t like him much. He does gradually manage to convince her that he’s a good person though.

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The Mer-Human Race by @rosie-b

Bringing her hand closer to his lips, Adrien tried to plant a kiss on it, but Marinette pulled away before his lips could touch her. “Save it for your girlfriend,” she said teasingly. “Or do you still not have one yet?” Adrien smirked and crossed his arms. “It’s a girl,” he said. “And I know her in real life. That’s all you get. Now, let’s get back to planning, shall we? We have a mermaid to beat.”

Lovely world-building here! Merfolk and humans have had a treaty for a long time, so there’s a tradition where merfolk can challenge humans to a race, and whoever wins gets to ask for a reasonable sort of reward (in Marinette’s case, she wants to be allowed to captain a ship at a younger age than is usually allowed). Alya, Nino, and Adrien are naturally very encouraging towards Marinette, and luckily for her, a nice merman going by the name of Chat Noir shows up and challenges her to a race…

Yeah you can see where this is going XD. It’s fun, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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A Mousey guest by charliepoet13

Adrien Agreste has finally managed to break away from his father and make his way out into the world. One faithful night, after settling down in his new home, he spots a strange guest.

Adrien X Multimouse fic here! So this is inspired by the Borrowers, with little people the size of mice living amongst ordinary-sized humans, and Marinette got a little careless here XD. But soon finds that Adrien’s friendly and not a threat. It’s adorable and reminds me of the The Littles book series that I read when I was a kid!

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Caught In A Multimouse Trap by @a-flaming-idiot

Adrien was having a rather slow morning. That was until he discovered a tiny superhero trapped in his home and decides to be a bit of a hero even out of his suit.

This was adorable! Adrien does his best to care for the little miniature superhero caught in a mousetrap, bandaging her up as best as he can (thankfully only her tail got caught so it’s more of a phantom pain than an actual injury) and just… it’s really cute.

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do you think I have forgotten about you? by @roseinaugust

Based on the song ‘About You’ by The 1975. Memory Loss. Told in alternating time lines, one leading up to and one dealing with the aftermath of Marinette relinquishing the Miracle Box and the guardianship. Marinette struggles with her life after losing her memory, though there is a persistent voice that calls to her that always seems just out of reach in her memory.

Beautiful memory loss fic here, with seeing Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s relationship before she gave up the Miracle box, juxtaposed with the present day, when Adrien is only a stranger to her. I could really feel how Marinette was struggling with navigating these new circumstances, with her friends seeming to expect her to remember, to be who she was to them, to Adrien especially, before, and her just… not knowing whether she can do that. It’s got a happy ending though, for those who are concerned about that.

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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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Stay Weird, Ladybug by @diadraws

Ladybug receives an invitation at the end of a patrol! Contains some of my own headcanons, most notably: MIRACULOUS HOLDERS ARE CREATURES!!! They get actual animal traits when transformed instead of just a costume. My tumblr is diadraws where I elaborate some more on my headcanons which may add some additional context to this fic if you are interested! CONTENT WARNINGS: *major* depictions of panic attacks, discussion of child neglect/abuse, and a minor emetophobia (vomiting) warning towards the end.

I’ve loved the comics and fanart I’ve seen dia create for this AU, with Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s more animalistic designs, so reading a fic set in that AU was a real treat! It’s mostly just a Ladrien sleepover at Adrien’s house, but it’s very nice and cozy, with some good character development of Adrien helping Ladybug with panic attacks she keeps having.

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Our Tales Are Endless (That’s Why I Tell Them) by @joonapeach

Marinette lives a simple life - one surrounded by pretty dresses, fresh macaroons, and the calming view of Paris. It’s a life she thinks she has always fit in. And yet sometimes, when a certain boy comes by her shop with a flower and a new adventurous story, she can’t help but wonder if there’s something else she’s missing.

This was a truly gorgeous story. It’s the classic “Marinette gives up the Miracle Box and loses her memories” storyline, exploring her life two years later. Even though she’s had time to heal and recover, she still feels like she’s missing something, something big. At least Adrien’s stopping by regularly to tell her stories about Ladybug and Chat Noir, even if she doesn’t understand why they resonate with her so well.

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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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The Power of Love by @nedjsmlfavs

In which Ladybug announces that she’s pregnant via her long term boyfriend and Chat Noir is a supportive partner. After all, he can hardly be upset when he’s been dating his Princess for years!

A different take on the show’s tagline (“The Power of Love Always so Strong”) written for Valentine’s day 2023.

This is just a sweet, fluffy fic about Ladybug and Chat Noir finding out they’re having a baby, revealing to each other, getting married, and becoming parents. Gabriel actually tries to do better here, as he does actually care about getting to know his grandchild, and realizes that he can’t undo this timeline without undoing his granddaughter’s existence as well. 

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Villainous Matchmaking by @nedjsmlfavs

When Chat Noir is tragically unable to attend an event with Ladybug, the mayor calls in a favor from a designer ‘friend’. Now she’s attending in style, on the arm of the hottest male model in Paris. Which would be fine if it weren’t for one, tiny issue: Paris’ favorite domestic terrorist now knows how Ladybug feels about his son. This leads him to his greatest plan yet, using Ladybug’s extremely obvious crush on Adrien Agreste to akumatize Chat Noir.

A Ladrien/“platonic” Ladynoir fic

This is adorable and hilarious. Gabriel keeps on “accidentally” releasing things which makes it looks like Adrien and Ladybug are a couple in an effort to make Chat Noir jealous, while Adrien and Ladybug ae just over-the-moon about getting to spend time together and finding out that the other person loves them XD.

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Fate, Destiny... A Hamster by @mostmagical

After finally moving into his very first apartment per Ladybug’s suggestion, Adrien discovers something no movie or TV show could have ever prepared him for: someone else's hamster.

Marinette was so excited to have her first pet. If only it would stop escaping!

At least now there’s an excuse to talk to the new neighbor.

(Adrienette Never Met AU)

Funnily enough, this is based on a true story. Specifically, the author’s own experience of having her hamster run out and be found by a neighbor.

Anyway, this is adorable! Marinette and Adrien become smitten with each other extremely quickly, with Marinette’s hamster keeping giving them reasons to talk. Very effective wing-hamster, that one XD. 

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Through the Looking Glass by @jheqiawrites

Adrien is a lonely child, cut off from the outside world by his parent's strict rules. But when he discovers a window in his closet and sees a young girl looking back at him like his reflection, maybe he has hope for friendship after all.

Poor Adrien here, he makes a long-time friend (who everyone thinks is an imaginary friend), and has several great years interacting with her as his parents grow more concerned with him not growing out of it... and then Emilie dies, Gabriel orders the window destroyed, Adrien’s put on medication to suppress his “hallucinations” (which also makes him forget Marinette) and he’s just kind of left like that for the next several years, until he’s an adult.

Luckily, while Adrien forgot Marinette, Marinette never forgot him, and he’s not too difficult to track down...

This is some really cute Adrienette, if you want a “forgotten childhood friends-to lovers” Adrienette story, you should check this out!

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Miraculous Conception series by @ladynoirfanao3

Summary of the first story, The Power Of Creation:

Everyone knows that Ladybug's cure fixes everything after the destruction wrought by Shadow Moth's akumatized villains. After an akuma with an unfortunate power leaves Ladybug and Adrien in an awkward position, Marinette has never been happier to simply forget. However, she soon discovers that her miraculous ladybugs have a limitation on their curing ability, a limitation that puts her in a situation she never expected to be in.

So basically, Ladybug and Adrien run into each other just as an akuma makes everyone in the vicinity extremely horny, and when they both start remembering things again, they’re in a pretty... compromising position. But it’s just an akuma so they put it out of their heads, until Marinette discovers she’s pregnant and has to decide what to do about it, whether to keep the pregnancy, tell Adrien she’s Ladybug and is having his baby, what to do with the earrings when she’s too pregnant to be Ladybug, etc.

I really enjoyed it! Just watching Ladybug and Adrien try and navigate the situation, especially with secret identities thrown into the mix.

The main fics in the series are basically the same story, it’s just that the first one is from Marinette’s perspective, while the second one is from Adrien’s. The Power of Creation is rated M while the Power of Destruction is rated E, but for both fics it’s just rated that for a single sex scene that occurs in the fic (with it being the same sex scene in both fics, just told from two different perspectives).

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you made me a hero - reverse crush short stories series by @non-fantasy

This series is just plain fun! Like the title says, it’s a reverse crush AU, so Adrien’s head-over-heels for Marinette, while Ladybug’s smitten with Chat Noir. Which means that Adrien’s constantly trying to woo Marinette while Ladybug’s attempting to have normal conversations with Chat Noir (and failing), and both of them are oblivious to each other’s feelings. 

I love the way non-fantasy executes it, with Alya literally carrying around a spray bottle because of how eager Adrien is, and Ladybug being VERY SCARY if you ever lay a finger on Chat Noir (seriously akumas will literally beg for their akumatized object to be broken just to escape her wrath). 

Oh, also, Ladybug regularly stops by Adrien’s room so they can both lament how difficult of a time they’re having wooing their crushes, and just have fun together.

There’s a lot of entries in this series - 29 of them in fact - but most of them are pretty short, making it great if you want to devour some quick, cute, hilarious romcom action! 

Some stuff does actually change over the course of the series, it’s not just slice-of-life. Like identity reveals, dating, and even Hawkmoth’s defeat, so there’s clear progression and changes in circumstances as well.

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Dreams of You by @chocoluckchipz

Dreams had long been his only escape. Dreams of Ladybug, the girl who had always been there for him.

If only in his dreams. And only while she was also sleeping.

Because with the first rays of sunshine gliding over her skin, with the first fluttering of her eyelashes, from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, memories of Adrien would vanish from her mind.

She would go on living her life.

He would always be the only one who remembered.

At least until they meet in the real world and fall in love all over again, something that would’ve been easier to do if Adrien wasn't a prisoner in his own home.

Chocoluckchipz has some of the most beautifully executed lovesquare fics I’ve read, and this is no exception. Most of the fic is dedicated to Adrien wooing Marinette, spending time with her, with her own dream self acting as his wingman, giving her tips on how to get her to fall for him, all the while frustrated that she can’t share memories with her waking self, and that she and Adrien can’t share as much information as they’d like while asleep, due to limitations of the “curse” that allows Adrien to share dreams with his soulmate. 

It’s not all cute Adrienette fluff though. There’s a threat in the background waiting to erupt, as the weirdness of Gabriel’s ultimatum to Adrien about finding Ladybug or else being forced to marry Lila keeps on gnawing at him - and with good reason. This is a world with magic and kwamis still, and that fact makes itself very relevant in the last third of the story. 

It’s a well-written tale and very much worth a read!

[gale-gentlepenguin]

ML Ficlet: Miraculous Strike

(Based off Six Hundred Strike)

(Seriously, go listen to the Epic Concept album)

Bug noire felt her body shaking. Even with her new abilities it wasnt enough to compete with all the powers that Monarch had.

She felt herself sinking into the water below.

But as she sank, she remembered all of Paris, the world, Her friends, Her partner, Adrien... She couldnt end it now!

[Kwami ensemble] Mir-a-cu-lous (Miraculous) Mir-a-cu-lous (Miraculous) Mir-a-cu-lous (Miraculous) Mir-a-cu-lous (Miraculous)

Bugnoire bursted from the water, utilizing her space power up, Her eyes glowing green and red. Cosmic Bugnoire was not going to give up! She charged at Monarch

[Bugnoire Singing] I don't think you seem to get it I can't afford to die 'Cause I will get back to my love And I will get back to my life

For every hero, every one of my friends Almost all of whom have suffered by your hand Miraculous strike!

Bugnoire managed to fling his weapon away and began hitting him with countless strikes

[Kwami ensemble] Mir-a-cu-lous (Miraculous) Mir-a-cu-lous (Miraculous) Mir-a-cu-lous (Miraculous) Mir-a-cu-lous (Miraculous)

[Monarch, spoken] You idiot

Monarch, his butterfly miraculous had been swiped away into the water, now laying, exhausted, his back against the coffin.

[Monarch] Can't you see? You sealed your fate just to bеat me You removed my miraculous when you attacked me Stopped your only chanceNow you'll never save them

[Bugnoire, spoken] You're goin' to call off your Alliance [Monarch, spoken] Or what? You can't kill me.

He said as he activated the miraculous of the bull and the Chicken. Making it so he will not die and resisting any cataclysm. Bugnoire did not change expression [Bugnoire, spoken] Exactly

Bugnoire lifted her staff, and it changed, making it more like a sharpened spear.

[Monarch, spoken] Wait Wait, ahh Ugh!

[Bugnoire , Monarch screaming] How does it feel to be helpless? (Argh) How does it feel to know pain? (Ugh) I watched my friends all suffer (Ah-ah) Crying as they were in pain (Ugh) I heard every moment (Argh) Calling their leader in vain (Ugh) Look what you turned me into (Ah-ah) Look what we've become(Ugh, enough) All of the pain that I've been through (Stop) Haven't I suffered enough? (Stop) You didn't stop when I begged you Told me to close my heart(You) You said the world was dark(Monster) Didn't you say that ruthlessness is mercy upon our—

[Monarch, spoken] Alright, please!

Bugnoire drops the staff. She takes off each one of his rings, He told her where all the controls were to stop the invasion.

[Monarch, spoken] After everything you've done How will you sleep at night?

[Bugnoire, spoken] Next to your son.

She took them and left him there as she went to go save the kwami that she knows were in the mansion somewhere.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Okay, Okay, my brain has officially gone off the deep end with team balance thoughts.

So. Obviously this will never happen in canon. But HC Mari's identity is known to her teammates, she has a healthy support network, and is, in general, much less paranoid.

So I think she'd be a lot less opposed to passing her miraculous off to a teammate if she's busy. Matter of fact, I think they'd try to convince her to do it more often so she can have a life outside of heroeing. I think Luka and Kagami would be especially insistent, both because they're her partners and it's their job to help check her unhealthy behaviors, and because they're not part of the miracuclass. So in a New York Special situation, Kagami and/or Luka could just use the Ladybug for the cure.

I'm picturing this making Marinette more trusting of her teammates capabilities without her supervision overtime, and eventually getting to the point where the three to six people who are closest beat up the akuma and just text Mari about it so she can use the cure real quickly from wherever she happens to be.

And now I'm picturing patrol and training turning into team comp and strategy sessions as well as trying to investigate the Hawkmoth Sitch. So they've got a system (probably made by Max) tracking who's powers work best together and who's fighting styles and where the akumas are densest and which people are most likely to be together at any given time. They've got a whole matching system of which teamups and combos need more practice and with what. They may even switch up their kwamis once in a while in the case of an emergency. I think a lot of them would start treating it like Fighter Game Meta.

Just some fun ideas for what a bigger team could mean.

Honestly yeah like.

HC!Mari trusts her team enough. Yes she's the de facto leader. But if she's not there they can make decisions on their own. While their main order is 'observe until I get there', she's not asking them to hang around, she's asking them to pay attention and figure out how the Akuma's powers work what are it's weak points etc. so they can fill her in when she shows up.

And on top of that, she does say 'if you have an opportunity, go for it'. Even if they don't see an opportunity, they're still allowed to interfere as needed to rescue civilians.

Furthermore I'm going to point out a few parts in HC itself where this is going on!

There's the Day and Night chapter, where Chat is decently confident in taking the lead due to Ladybug being taken out. He directs the Team and even hands out the new Miraculous.

Most recently in Multiplication, Petite Souris has an idea for how Lucky Charm works, and Ladybug hands it over to her without asking because she trusts her teammate's ideas.

If there were ever an episode where Mari was sick, she'd be fine handing the Ladybug off to one of the others. The only problem is everyone fighting for it lmao.

[thechatsmeouch]

Ladybug Blues

Chapter One - Her Last Words

Marinette Dupain-Cheng always had bad luck.

She could trip over a blade of grass, and jumble an entire sentence together. The one thing she always had plenty of luck in, was making friends. She adored her friends, loved them all like they were her own flesh and blood. Even back in grade nine, when Lila Rossi had vowed to make everyone hate her, she never faltered. The truth always comes out, she would tell herself. And that was enough. She could sit through her high pitched rants of being best friends with Ladybug, because Marinette knew the truth. But somehow, her friends would drift away. Waves in the hallway turned into rolling eyes and sneers. All she had left were Adrien, Alya and Nino. Her closest friends, no one could tear them apart!

Right?

**********

Marinette forced her eyes open, groaning as she pressed every button possible to turn off that godforsaken alarm clock. Pulling the covers off, she took a deep breath, and hopped down from the bed.

Rummaging through the closet, Marinette selected her outfit. Her style had changed since she was fourteen, she had thrown out her tacky blazer and pink jeans long ago, settling for a more casual look. Her signature pigtails were gone, and her hair was usually loose. Jeans and a hoodie would suffice for the day, just like any other. Perhaps it was growing up that had prompted Marinette to reshape her entire wardrobe, it had to be. It couldn't have had anything to do with the isolation she'd been experiencing in the past six months, only going out once in a blue moon when Alya and Nino weren't with everyone else who had opted not to invite her. No, that definitely wasn't it! Besides, it gave her more time to design, and draw, and bake!

Not that she'd designed anything since Rose cancelled her commission, or drawn anything since Nathanial suddenly didn't need help with his proportions anymore. She still baked, but that was her job. Nonetheless, Marinette didn't really need to go out and see her friends! She could stay home and watch the bakery while her parents went on a date, or— or do her homework! Yeah, she loved homework!

With a sigh, Marinette pulled on her shoes and opened up her purse for her beloved kwami to fly into. "Let's go, Tikki, Alya said she wanted to talk about something before class, so we have to be there early." She murmured sleepily, opening the trapdoor.

"What do you think she wants to talk about, Marinette?" Tikki chirped, getting comfortable in the soft purse Marinette had made for her.

The girl stepped down the ladder and shrugged. "I don't know, let's go find out.."

As soon as Marinette spotted Alya, her stomach churned. Her best friend gave her the same look everyone else had been giving her for the last six months. She knew what Alya wanted to talk about.

Marinette smiled politely and nodded through their conversation, ignoring the lump that had formed in her throat.

"...I'm sorry, Mari, I.. We just can't hang out anymore, it makes me look bad, y'know? Nobody really trusts you anymore.. You understand, right?" Alya grimaced.

At that moment, Marinette expected to be angry. The lump in her throat faded, and she was left with numbness. She just nodded her head and walked away, entering the school.

Marinette slumped against her locker and chuckled dryly. "I have no one, Tikki."

The kwami slowly hovered out of Marinette's purse and gave her a sad look. "You still have Adrien, don't you?" she whispered, nudging the girl's cheek.

Marinette smiled at that, not a big one, but enough that Tikki knew she'd considered it.

Heels clicked through the hallway, and Tikki disappeared into the lockers. In sauntered Lila Rossi, with a smirk on her face.

"Didn't I tell you I'd ruin your life, Marinette?" she sneered, coming closer to the girl. "I always get what I want. Maybe this time you won't forget it."

All of the rage that Marinette had shoved deep down inside of herself for half a year resurfaced, and Marinette snapped. She rammed Lila into the lockers, pressing her forearm hard against her throat. Three years of being Paris's superhero paid off in this moment; Marinette had only gotten stronger since becoming Ladybug.

She stared into Lila's wide eyes, her mouth agape in obvious surprise. The sound of Lila's body being slammed against the metal lockers must have gotten someone's attention, because the door to the locker room opened, and a small crowd of students filtered in.

"Let her go, Marinette," Adrien's voice cut through the whispering, his tone pleading. Marinette didn't move, her anger burning hotter than ever.

The crowd of students murmured, some clearly on Lila's side, some looking concerned for Marinette. But his voice rose above the rest, and everyone fell silent.

"I think you've made your point," Adrien said, his voice firm but not unkind. Marinette's body tensed as she slowly let go of Lila, who coughed and rubbed at her throat as she slid to the ground. "But you can't do this. It's not who you are, Marinette."

Marinette closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She could feel the weight of everyone's stares, and it was almost unbearable. "I'm sorry," Her voice was barely a whisper.

In an instant, she dashed out of the locker room, not caring about the stares or whispers. She had to get away. She knew she couldn't face Adrien, not now. So, she ran. She ran all the way to the park, where she collapsed on a bench and buried her face in her hands. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to make sense of everything that had happened.

"Tikki," Marinette sobbed, "What am I going to do?"

The kwami slowly floated out of her purse, hovering in front of her face. "You'll do what you've always done, Marinette. You'll be strong, and you'll face your problems head-on."

Marinette sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "But Lila... She'll tell everyone." The thought sent a shiver down her spine. "No, I-I can't do this, I can't keep living like this, Tikki!" She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

The kwami floated closer, her expression gentle. "Oh, Marinette..."

The girl drew in a deep breath, and suddenly, she was overwhelmed with a sense of clarity. The rough sea of waves she'd been in for months calmed, and Marinette, for the first time, felt absolutely nothing.

"I know what I have to do." Marinette spoke, her voice soft as she slowly removed her earrings.

Tikki's eyes widened. "Marinette, wait, what are you talking about?"

She hovered in front of her chosen's face, trying to force eye contact.

Marinette just smiled. "Tikki, I renounce you."

"Marinette-!" Tikki screeched, but in an instant was sucked into the earrings, leaving Marinette completely alone.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, carefully tucking her miraculous into the pocket of her hoodie.

Marinette waited until lunchtime to go home, careful not to draw attention to herself from her parents. She stepped up the stairs to her room silently.

She placed a delicate kiss upon her earrings before setting them inside their box, hoping that Tikki could feel her love.

Her fingers brushed across her notebook, and she picked up her pen. Glittery and pink, as always. How ironic it was that she was about to write the worst possible thing with such a lovely color. The girl let out a breath before writing her last words.

Dear mom and dad, and... everyone I guess,

I'm sorry. Sorry that I couldn't bear the burdens of life anymore. I'm tired, and I just want to rest. I realize I no longer serve a purpose here on earth, in Paris... and I know that my leaving will hurt you. But please, forgive me. I love you all so much, and I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me one day.

She thought for a moment, then flipped to the next page.

Adrien,

I love you. I always have, ever since that first day we met, and you offered me your umbrella. I'm looking at it now, hanging in my room, and it makes me smile. I wish I could say something more, something to make it better, but I can't.

I hope you can forgive me, but I'll understand if you can't.

I love you, Adrien.

As she slipped the note to Adrien into her bookbag, tears welled in her eyes. She knew this would destroy her parents, but Marinette needed this. She needed to be gone. She left the note to her parents on her desk and opened her trapdoor.

Marinette hesitated before opening the front door, taking one last deep breath to steel herself. She knew what had to be done. She slipped out of the bakery door, glad that her parents were in the back. They were prepping for a large order for the following day.

Marinette hoped they would forgive her for not helping.

She walked down the street, her heart heavy, her steps slow. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, but she couldn't appreciate it. People passed her by, oblivious to the pain she was feeling. Marinette wondered if they could see it, if they could see the weight that she carried. She wondered if anyone would even notice if she were gone.

Stepping into the locker room once again, she slid Adrien's note into his locker. Hopefully he'd see it, he deserved a goodbye.

Marinette opened Alya's locker, smiling a bit as she remembered all the times she hid encouraging sticky notes and baked goods in her best friend's locker. This time, it was a box, and a sticky note that read: Guard them with your life, Scarabella.

She couldn't bring herself to look at the earrings anymore, so she closed the locker shut, pressing her forehead against the cool metal. The bell for lunch rang, and Marinette forced herself to walk away, wondering how everyone else would react to her absence. As she made her way through the hall, she saw Adrien standing by Nino. They seemed to be sharing some kind of joke, judging by the angelic smile on his face.

As if on cue, he turned to look at her, his smile suddenly falling. Adrien began to walk toward Marinette, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Marinette?" He mouthed, a hand reaching out to her.

Marinette ran into his outstretched hand, feeling the warmth of his touch as he pulled her close. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice low and concerned. She could feel his eyes darting over her face, searching for answers.

She wanted nothing more than to tell him everything, to make him understand why she had to do this. But she couldn't. She hugged him tightly and pulled away. Before he could say anything else, she placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'll miss you, Adrien," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

With that, she walked away, ignoring Adrien's calls to stop and wait. Her steps fell faster and faster until she had run all the way to the Seine.

She sat down on the concrete railing, watching the water flow past. It was peaceful here, a moment of solace amidst the chaos she will have created. Marinette wondered if her loved ones would ever find peace. Her parents would be crushed, her 'friends' would be hurt, and Adrien... She didn't even want to think about how he would feel.

A light breeze prompted Marinette to stand. She allowed the anxiety of what she was about to do course through her. It wouldn't change anything. Her back faced the water. She closed her eyes.

Marinette breathed in.

Then let herself fall.

The last things she felt was the shock of the cold water, and the burning of it filling her lungs.

Next

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

Late but Regarding why the Miraculized were able to use all the miraculous Felix traded Gabriel, I have to ideas.

During passion, Gabriel specifically says "Remember Safari, you can't use more than six powers at once" it's possible that the limit was only for her due to her body already failing her. Though on the possibility that it was meant for every Alliance user then it's also possible that due to how all of the Miraculized looked identical it could be that none actually surpassed that limit but due to shot changes it might have appeared as if they did

Probably the more likely option at least in my opinion due to how Gabriel had a Global size Army worth of them he likely didn't cared if they slowly started to die off or if they're ring slowly give out from the stress especially due to how far he was gone as well as how his wish was going to destroy the world anyways.

That's a decent idea, but here's the problem with your argument: In "Transmission", Kouki, a perfecly healthy person, was wearing five Alliance rings, which Monarch took note of.

Monarch: So much anger in one single person! With five Alliances to boot? Rejoice, dear Kwamis! Five Alliances enables as many Miraculous powers to transfer at the same time! This villain promises to be exceptional!

They clearly establish that it's one Miraculous power per Alliance ring thanks to this episode, and we can't use the frail body excuse because Kouki isn't sick like Nathalie is. Not only that, but Kikou never shows any signs of fatigue from temporarily having access to five Miraculous powers at once. Therefore, by the show's logic, there should only be just over a dozen Miraculized rampaging throughout the world.

[nuvolisa]

Branches of a timeline

It was six AM when Marinette woke up in a cold sweat and with tears in her eyes. It had worked, and the awful nightmare she just had was just proving her theory. Without wasting any second, just throwing on the least atrocious outfit she could find in two minutes, she decided to transform. She had to do this, even though she hated the idea with her whole heart. Ladybug swallowed her bile and fled out of her balcony.

Ladybug rushed to Alix’s house, sprinting through the buildings of Paris with her yo-yo and a face of pure terror. Her eyes were bulging and her skin was as pale as porcelain: from her face, one would’ve thought it was the end of the World. And they wouldn’t be too far off, just not in the way any of them could ever be expecting.

Truth was that she had managed to contact the creator of the miraculi through her kwagatama. And the mage had terrible, terrible news to share, when she finally did.

“We need to go back in time, now!” she screamed at the girl, who looked at her like she was seeing someone being possessed by demons.

“Calm down girl, I just woke up,” replied the girl, holding out a carrot for her kwami to feed.

“I know, I know, it’s just… I think this is really the end for all of us,” Ladybug explained briefly. The more details she was going to tell, the worst it would be to actually convince the girl to help.

“What is it? Has Hawkmoth come back from the dead?” Alix asked, putting on a pair of jeans. Couldn’t this wait at least until after breakfast.

“There’s a problem in the timeline… it’s bad. Somehow, the entire timeline is wrong. I’ve seen it,” the hero explained with a broken voice. It’s hard to explain such things, things that are bigger than the cosmos.

“Go on.”

Ladybug looked away as Alix put on a shirt. “First, let’s get into the Burrow.”

Alix nodded in understanding, finally calling on her transformation. As the two entered into the ring of light, Marinette took a look around Alix’s room, knowing that it was the last thing she will ever see in this life.

“So?” Bunny asked, with her arms crossed. She really was starving, and she would’ve appreciated if the hero could’ve waited for her to have breakfast.

“Look, I’m going to sound insane. But you know that the miraculi work in mysterious ways, and so I’ve been able to contact the original creator. The first mage who forged the miraculi and all the other powers,” Ladybug started explaining, her hands gesturing around nervously, like she couldn’t contain her nerves in her body.

Bunnyx nodded in acknowledgment. Ladybug took another deep breath.

“He told me that making the gods and the humans interact was a terrible idea. He explained that the fact that the miraculi exist is the reason why we are doomed. That’s because the miraculi are a temporal loop problem: there will be someone in the future who’s going to come back to the creator and teach him how to make them, after he learned what Hawmoth had done. The miraculi existing is a testament to human hubris and stupidity, and the multiverse is going to pay, unless we stop it now!” Ladybug had tears in her eyes, but she didn’t notice. There was a more urgent matter at hand.

Bunnyx looked at her with a sorrowful expression on her face. The gravity of the situation was dooming on her now, and she put a hand to her heart. “B-but that means…”

“… That the current universe we’re living in is going to get destroyed, I know. But we are standing on a paradox, and it’s either now or when it will be too late. You know how dangerous paradoxes are for the multiverse,” continued Ladybug for her.

“How do we do this without creating more paradoxes?” Bunnyx asked.

“We need to go into the future, when the butterfly miraculous holder’s disciple will be tasked to go back in time and teach the mage how to forge the miraculi. Then, we will simply need to block his entrance to the Burrow somehow,” Ladybug explained.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Bunnyx, not entirely convinced about all of this. It was basically a death sentence, but it was either this way or in a much more scenic, awfully disastrous way.

Ladybug pointed at one of the windows, and Bunnyx got closer, rewinding what was going to happen.

The year was 2035, and an older Chris Lahiffe was being sent by a masked woman back in time. For some reason, the brother of their classmate had the rabbit miraculous.

Bunnyx opened the portal, and the two teens showed up in the strange, underground room. As they looked around to pinpoint the location of the young man, they were welcomed by an “old friend”.

“How many years! It’s a pleasure to finally see you again, dark wings fall!”

In front of them was unmistakably Lila, she had been the one to order to Chris to go back in time and ensure that the miraculi could exist. Ladybug tied her up in her yo-yo.

“Fucking piece of trash, of course it could only be you to cause such an awful amount of damage, order him to stop!” She screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Oh, silly. Do you really think I can control him?” the woman replied, with a mocking expression that made Marinette want nothing more than to punch her in the face.

With Lila tied up to her throne, Ladybug and Bunnyx sprinted toward the guy, who had been trying his hardest to understand how the magical clock worked.

They reached him just in time, pulling him back from the portal that would've sent him back in time. Bunnyx gave him a well-assessed hit with her umbrella. "Sorry, Chris," Ladybug said, panting heavily, "The future of the universe depends on this."

Ladybug grabbed the clock from his hands and shot it to the ground, at the same time as Alix did hers. As the two clocks became unusable, the ground behind them started trembling.

Marinette undid her transformation and ran to hug Alix. Tears strolled down their cheeks.

Marinette’s limbs started disappearing into thin air. “It worked,” she whispered, filled with pride, fear and dread. She tried to hug Alix tighter.

Catharsis. Purification. Everything turns white, like in the burrow. Mistakes and errors all wash away as everything gets corrected once more: it has happened a million times, it happens this time too. As the two girls watched each other disappear, the world around them crumble and their stories become nothing more than a possibility in another multiverse entirely, they smiled through the tears.

“I won’t forget you, in any universe,” said Marinette, putting her forehead against the head of the girl.

“You’ll be my hero in every universe,” replied Alix.

Then, it was all white.

Marinette wakes up in her bedroom, opening her eye to see a ray of sunlight come through the roller shutter. It’s just another saturday.

As she walks down the stair into the kitchen, her mother is making breakfast and watching the TV. Her father is intently looking at the newspaper for the latest football news, doing so just to procrastinate having to mow the lawn.

“Good morning sweetie. Did Theo wake up yet?” her maman asks, putting the moka on the stove.

“Mister sleepyhead wouldn’t wake up if an atomic bomb was dropped near him,” Marinette says, serving herself some juice.

“Did you sleep well?” asks her father, his eyes glued to the last PSG match on the paper.

A small smile actually forms on her lips. “You wouldn’t believe the dream I had tonight!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the premises of a new AU I've decided to create, where I give Marinette a regular life without magic and supervillains running around her city :D Hope you like it

[the-sisters-bread]

Fairytales

For day 12 of Adrien AUGreste - fairytales

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Fairytales have always made Adrien feel safe, no matter how dark they get.

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Ao3 link

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Warnings: child neglect, references to panic attacks

There are certain things that children require as they grown up, beyond basic human needs such as water and food and shelter. There are certain things that children need in order to be healthy, in order to enjoy the best quality of life possible. 

There are certain things that Adrien was not given. Any semblance of freedom, mostly. Emotional validity. Actual interest. There are other things that Adrien was given too much of. Clothes. Money. Space. 

It seems contradictory to have too much space and not any freedom but his parents diligently managed. There were eyes on his every step and yet there was no warmth in them, no care. Adrien has spent much of his life being cold.

He used to hunch under the sheets and shiver, despite his room being the optimal temperature. It was almost every night before he found a cure. From then on, he would curl up under the covers, weak torch on, and thumb through the pages of his fairytales. 

His mother had smiled indulgently when she saw his recent order, seeing no problem in allowing her son to have a book or two. It wouldn't teach him enough about outside for him to want to go there, after all.

It hadn't taught Adrien about outside. His first book of fairytales had taught him about humans instead. When he ordered his second, his mother had barely blinked. By the fourth, she'd stopped paying attention. And so it was, that his materials grew darker and darker, shifting from fairies and unicorns to selkies and sirens. Adrien himself grew less outwardly emotional, immersed further and further into his fairytales.

His mother went missing.

Adrien fell deeper into another world, sunk into the gaps between the letters of the fairytales he never stopped reading and let his mind whisper of tragedies and bargains and sacrifices and kidnappings and spells that backfired. He watched his father with narrowed eyes, waiting for the grief to manifest itself. His father no longer ate dinner with him. Nathalie offered to but he turned her down, taking the opportunity to read at the table too.

Somehow, just as his mother faded from visible to obscured, his fairy tale books went from obscured to visible. If his father noticed, he did not care. His father never cared what Adrien was up to as long as he didn't stray from the path he had set out.

Then Adrien did stray.

He'd become desperate to gain his freedom from his tower, his six months in the Aboveworld, his own grand adventure. In exchange for his failed attempt, his father took his books. He didn't truly look at Adrien as he did so, despite the antics of his son catching his attention. He took Adrien's books and didn't even have the decency to look at him.

Plagg had entered Adrien's life before he could truly begin to despair and Adrian had considered it a fair bargain. His books for the chance of a real-life fairytale.

One of delicate flutters and bloody smiles and vibrant gashes and harsh giggles. One of predators and prey and glowing, green, poisonous eyes and lazy smirks and jagged wounds.

Ladybug and Chat Noir won most battles but Adrien was never sure whether or not they'd win the war. Fairytales become easier to predict the more of them you read but how could he be sure which one this was? There are consequences to thinking yourself on the wrong fairytale. Too much haste can lead to the mongoose losing its life for saving another’s. Too little can lead to avoidable carnage.

Adrien doesn't know which fairytale he's in. He doesn't know much really, other than academics and awkward moments with friends. He especially doesn't know what to do with a kwami. Feeding Plagg is natural, as is putting up with his laziness and general inconvenience. 

What isn't natural is the way he bites his lip and glances over at Plagg after a particular bad alums that leaves the kwami exhausted. What isn't natural is the skittish way he approached the god, hands tightly clutching the sole book to survive his father's purge. (Adrien suspects his father has forgotten about the whole thing. He could be punish him still, of course, but that's less likely.)

What isn't natural is the way he cracks open the book and starts to read, his voice uneven and stuttering. What isn't natural is the way that Plagg eyes him speculatively the next morning. ("Fairytales, huh? I can work with this.")

What isn't natural at first but swiftly becomes so if Plagg's voice in his ear as he struggles to breathe, to fight back against the choking weight of anxiety. The kwami reads him fairytales as Adrien struggles to focus on his voice and when those run out, he starts to make up his own.

Plagg is a horrible storyteller, all disorganised and full of both rapid passages and long pauses but it's good. It's good to have these spaces to lift Adrien up, to anchor him back to firm ground. Fairytales have always been something for Adrien, something he keeps to himself. They are safe in a way that people are not. Plagg is certainly not safe.

And yet, when the kwami tells him fairytales, Adrien can pretend, might even believe that he can one day be both loved and free.

[tumblingxelian]

so first, fair explanations - my devices are WEIRD. For some godforsaken reason, they are EXTREMELY TEMPERAMENTAL. Sometimes they delete asks I send (sometimes Tumblr does this, but it happens to me SO MUCH. I've sent you asks that never showed, that I've had to resend, I'm sure, so if you ever get doubles, that’s why). Sometimes I don’t get alerts. Sometimes I get the same alert six times in a row. Sometimes they just decide to crop my home page or queue, and I have to refresh the page four times before it fixes it. It’s why I keep including @'s, or might look like I didn’t see something - sometimes, I didn’t. Sorry if that’s annoying, but I genuinely think I might be cursed at this point, it’s happened on MULTIPLE DEVICES, THIS IS THE SIXTH TABLET ITS HAPPENED ON, TECH GODS!? DID I ANGER YOU SOMEHOW!?

(*and breathe*)

Moving on (sorry about that!) you once mentioned your Six-Teen Heroes AU, and I've seen a few things on @princess-of-the-corner, but what is it exactly? It sounds interesting! If you don’t have a lot of time, is there a link you can send me?

Hope your day is going good (and that your tech is cooperating with you!)!

oof, that sounds rough @rachelsshowerthoughts my sympathies!

I think this is the first ask I've ever received from you ><

I'll try to tag more often and such going forward!

Now, as to your question!

Six-Teen Heroes AU is one of my more well developed AU ideas, up there with the Alternative Butterfly and Lady Glasswing stuff.

The basic gist is that this AU opens with Fu fighting off an assault from Gabriel as the Scarlet Sovereign. A crimson themed villain in possession of the Ladybug Miraculous.

He may be supported by Nathalie wielding the revised Peacock. Or she just has a gun and or is waiting in the car.

Hawk Moth reveals he's been experimenting with the magic before coming and unveils his Charm Construct. Basically a mundane object analyzed by the charm and made into the 'core' of a magical construct to fight for him.

The battle turns against Fu & he is forced in his bid to escape, to release many of his Miraculous. Both to cover his retreat but also to seek out allies to help him.

Slipping away with Wayzz and an incredibly pissed off but still trapped in the box Plagg, Fu vanishes.

Gabriel doesn't know if those released were the one's he's after though or where Fu went so he's stuck with the less subtle option of taking the city hostage to force Fu out of hiding.

But not before he goes to deal with the big ass wound Fu gave him. Turns out shields can cut you up really badly if they spin and are thrown hard enough.

Anyway,

The seven Miraculous released largely split up to go find holders they identify with. They also have a vague discussion regarding how best to avoid a fate like Tikki's and how to best interprit Fu's instructions to fit their goals.

IE, they preference younger wielders so if one sucks the others can help free them, they will keep things close to their chests & their goal is free Tikki, not helping restart the order or making ideal heroes strictly speaking so their chosen need to be effective not necessarily nice.

They largely pick well though.

Also as an aside a big theme is how all of them wear masks and how being a hero and having a new mask influences them & their various ideas of identity.

Sass, the elder Kwami of time & Eternity, or the Ouroboros Snake as they introduce themself picks Luka. Drawn to his empathic abilities and calm mind as well as protective nature. They have a good rapport.

Luka's mask is essentially just playing his base personality to the hilt while obscuring all the massive issues he has. IE, "I've seen my sister die, my friends die, I've seen us lose... But I am OK!"

Roaar stuck with Sass.

She was very drawn to Juleka's scream thrash metal voice & the fact rather than be afraid she was excited to have a monstrous tiger in her room. Right up until Roaar became small & cute & they had to have a conversation, still, the Kwami of Ignition & Chaos thinks this can work.

Juleka has not confessed to Rose yet, in fact she still struggles to speak with most people at all. As Roaar though, she can lose herself in her new identity, she is a berserker, a bubbling mass of explosions and confidence and Rose will surely love this version of her more right?

Rose is a lil freaked out by Violet Tigress, but also kind of into her.

Not all pick their targets on the first night nowever & its only later that Gabriel makes his move anyway, but:

Kaalki picks Nino, impressed by his various ambitions and wide range of skills, as well as the fact he heroically got other people out of dangers first before thinking of himself & only panicking after the fact.

She is less impressed with his relaxed attitude and sense of style but they can work on that. They butt heads a lot and Nino is... Not strictly above using Voyage (Which has various powers here, individual teleportation multiple times, portals, ETC) for personal gain. Leading to a bit of "What am I in the dark?" worrying.

Tirxx chooses Lila, having arrived early, finding her poker face and frantically creative mind, as well as penchant for trouble making charming. But also low key wanting to mentor her on how to get what she wants with zero lies, just creative use of the truth.

Lila is very much into the idea of being a hero & feels the only thing about a person that matters is how they are perceived. IE, there is nothing deeper or more real than the mask one is wearing.

She & Nino have a strong focus on helping civilians in this AU, as there's no Ladybug to fix everything.

Meanwhile, Kagami has only just arrived in France.

Her family's new home is not ready yet so she's staying at the Le Grand Paris Hotel at Andre's insistence. He hopes to sort out whatever 'tiff' is happening between Tomoe & Agreste brands. & assigns Chloe as Kagami's hostess, a task she takes to with great enthusiasm. Give Chloe an important task and she will do it.

The pair actually get on quite well, in part cos of their distinct but similar experiences with Autism (Neither are diagnosed but they both practice smiles, ETC)

Anyway, Longg likes Kagami's general dutiful vibe, respectful but bold manner and bravery, as well as skill with a sword and chooses her.

Kagami regards her time as Ryuko as noble work, much more what she was born for than what she usually does. & sees the mask as a way to let off steam so she can keep her real impassive mask up.

Meanwhile Pollen is impressed with Chloe's sheer force of personality & will, She might be shocked or irritated by things but she is largely unflappable beneath the veneer & has much potential.

To Chloe, the hostess, and heiress to Style Queen & Andre, & Queen Bee are all entirely distinct identities. IE, she doesn't consider it inconsistent to do corrupt things to win an election as Chloe, but would consider them wrong as Queen Bee. But these things have a way of bleeding into one another.

These are the Six-Teen Heroes, but where's the seventh?

Well, Mullo divided herself up to look for an ideal candidate and found several, so she took awhile to make up her mind. Followed by actually having trouble making contact because of her chosen's incredibly bad luck! Suffice to say, Mullo chose Marinette.

Note:

Also Tomoe is the Butterfly Wielder, she has no interest in the power that surpasses death as Gabriel does. She's after al; the Miraculous & wants to Akumatize the wielders. She's seeking more general "Power" but is also much more reasonable & so can be worked with at times.

She & Gabriel are essentially fighting over the Miraculous stuff & who gets them, likely having only met & become allies because of their mutual search. She is also a great way to have a hero "go evil" without permanent issues.

Fu is out of the picture for awhile as Kaalki opened a portal for him and he ended up very, very far away.

Also as noted, all the Heroes have more varied power sets.

The Bee for example is less just "Stun enemy" and more about imposing a command or creating order. So she can sting someone and "Impose!" a command, or perhaps sting rubble and order it back into a wall.

People can also use smaller variants of their powers several times or big one's once.

Oh, also the Snake has a vague but actually limited number of uses & each use leaves everyone with a sense of deja-vu. So the more uses the less helpful it is.

Finally, all the heroes have very different relationships behind the masks to in the masks, that create contrasts. Like Luka generally trusts Lila and thinks she's very cool, he 100% does not trust Volpina cos he's seen her make some less than stellar decisions.

Chloe & Kagami 'get' each other surprisingly well, even if Kagami doesn't like what Chloe does she understands the logic perfectly well. But as Ryuko and Queen Bee often butt heads about how to approach things.

Nino & Juleka would normally get along fine if a bit awkwardly, but as heroes, she doesn't want to listen to what he has to say and he can't stand how reckless and wild she is.

Oh Adrien's also attending school, but is legit just a nice civilian boy at the moment XD Maybe a Peacock later?

[mymiraclebox]

What about Ommen for a drabble

[Ommen's bio here: Raven of Probability]

[Yanna's bio.]

-

Ommen ruffled her feathers, yellow eyes gleaming as she stared into intense golden ones, which watched her unblinkingly. A smirk tugged at her beak, the Center of the Miracle Box gleaming bright as the two of them stood in the middle. The other kwamis of the box surrounded them, each standing in their designated space of the Center circle, surrounding her and Yanna.

The Bison kwami tossed her head, horns gleaming and fur shaking. Ommen stayed still, before reaching down to toss several dried beans to the side her and Yanna, adding to the small pile that was their betting pool. Snacks were the most common things to be gambled, having the most value in the Miracle Box. They were consumable, unlike trinkets and knickknacks, and were limited due to the Guardians providing limited food for them to take into the box.

But despite the frequency food found itself as currency for their games, putting one's favorite food on the line was a rare thing indeed.

So Yanna's eyes were wide as she saw the kidney beans enter the ring, Ommen sending a silent challenge. Murmurs from those standing around the Center echoed about them, all kwamis eagerly awaiting to see what would happen next.

The Bison kwami reached for the dice, not adding anything herself to pool– just tossing the two dice. Ommen watched the cubes as they rolled, resisting the urge to extend her powers. To tip the Probability into her favorite, but she knew it was never that simple when fighting against Victory herself.

The dice landed each on a one.

"Habuu-eyes!" The kwamis watching cried excitedly. "Zero points!"

"Just call it snake-eyes," the Rattlesnake muttered.

Yanna grinned, in a game were earning the most points would make you lose, this was the best roll she could get. Especially since this kept Ommen's score as the highest. As soon as one of them hit a thousand the game would be over, and they were steadily crawling closer to that point, and Ommen knew it would be a dangerous game from here. The more Victory Yanna gained, the stronger the Bison became. Ommen didn't let her worry show, however, just drifting over and scooping up the dice herself, letting them drop.

Once again, she did not exert her powers– in fact, she had not turned the tides in her favorite once the whole game. Despite that she hadn't been losing by a landslide this whole time. Perhaps it had been luck, or perhaps Victory's aura had been rubbing off on her. Either way Yanna assumed Ommen had been her using powers, and must be thinking that she was getting drained.

Ommen looked down at her roll– a five and a six– nearly the worst roll possible, adding eleven points to her score.

Yanna grinned Victoriously, cheers going up among the watching kwamis. Ommen was rapidly approaching a thousand points, which would not only end the game, but let Yanna claim the whole pot. There was a good claim as well, quite the assortment of treats were waiting as the prize, along with a beautiful doll Ommen had her eyes on, and a golden pocket watch she had lost several decades ago in a game that she was determined to win back.

Yanna did not reach for the dice as her turn came again, instead zipping back a ways. Ommen floated up high, looking to see what the Bison was flying away to retrieve. Her eyes widened when she saw what exactly Yanna was flying back with, causing all the other kwamis to mutter as they realized just how much the stakes were now being raised.

Yanna placed a square piece of cake at the top of the betting pile, eyes bright and determined. Yanna loved cake of all kind, it was her very favorite of all foods, but it was also one thing she never gambled with. Yanna didn't even need to say a word to declare the confidence she was feeling on this game, because Yanna would never risk her cake–this was a statement that said she was sure she going to win no matter what.

Ommen smirked as Yanna tossed the dice up into the air, at last reaching out with her powers, throwing all she could to turn the Probability to her favor. With Yanna's Triumph ability running high she knew that the odds were naturally in the Bison's favor, but that wasn't accounting for the powers she had been holding back until now.

Two sixes shown up from the Center as the dice landed– the worst roll possible in their game, and earning double points.

Ommen didn't waste a moment, sliding forward to strike the dice, sending them rolling once more. A pair of snake-eyes showing as they came to a stop. This caused Yanna to hesitate for a moment, before slowly moving to the dice once more, rolling them with only a moment's pause, her eyes widening as once more two sixes showed up.

Yanna looked up at Ommen in disbelief, her confidence from before now completely gone.

"975 to 988," Ommen mused to herself. Technically she was still losing being the closest to a thousand– but she was completely fine with that. She rolled the dice again, not getting snakes-eyes, but the three points wasn't bad at all either. "Make that 991."

"Nine more points and it's game over for you," Yanna said softly.

Ommen grinned as Yanna picked up the dice again. "May the odds be in your favor."

But when you controlled the odds, those words didn't mean a thing. Ommen let a small glow surround her wing as Yanna rolled the dice, excitement racing through her as she found yet another two sixes were rolled, twenty-four more points being added.

999 for Yanna.

One more point and Victory would lose.

"So it comes down to this," Ommen said as she picked up the dice for the last time. "If I get nine or more points its your game. If I get lower... well, then I take the whole lot."

Yanna's eye twitched, looking at the piece of delicious cake she had added to the pile.

Ommen didn't even roll the dice far, just letting them fall from her gleaming wings. They clattered against the floor, tumbling a ways before coming to a stop, revealing a two and a six on the dice.

Eight points, putting her up to 999 as well.

Ommen scooped up the dice, flying them over to Yanna, placing them into her hooves. "You can still win if you get snake eyes, you know."

Yanna snatched them from the Raven, saying nothing. She tossed the dice over her shoulders, not looking at what they would roll as they tumbled towards the edge of the Center. All kwamis looking on craned their heads, flying up to watch if this would be the game match.

One of the die landed on a one, the other one skittering to a stop. Everyone held their breath as it teetered for a moment, before it fell.

Two gleamed on top– three points.

Ommen let out a cheer alongside the fellow kwamis who were watching, which told Yanna all she needed to know. Hooves were crossed, eyes seeming to burn as she took in her loss. Ommen didn't waste a moment, zipping over to the pile of goods that were now all hers.

"You did it, Ommen!" Fawnna screamed, the Deer running to tackle her into a hug.

"Fascinating game," Dess muttered, the Cougar keeping their distance as the others rushed forward, cheering and chattering.

Ommen stayed on top of her new pile of treasures, looking out at Yanna. The Bison was looking down a the ground, muttering under her breath, before her gaze flickered up at Ommen. Her eyes were bitter, there was no denying that she was not happy with her loss.

Yet despite it all, a gleam of pride smoldered beneath it all– because after all it was no easy feat to defeat Victory herself.

"Good job, birdbrain," Yanna said with a grunt. "You better enjoy that cake."

"Oh, I don't plan on eating it," Ommen said with a sweep of her tail. "I'm sure you'll see it again in a future game."

Yanna's eyes gleamed with an unspoken challenge at this, the two rivals smiling at each other– neither could wait for the next game they would play.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Hi! I think Season 5 was a really weird time to invert the love square - it just kind of happens, and the reasons don’t feel very organic, to say the least - I think fandom already has enough to say about it (and hey, you’ve probably talked about it too!)

So if you had to do it (keeping in mind 5 seasons, and canon’s overall structure), where would you invert it? I’ve had this question for a while, and recently arrived to, I’d do it in Miracle Queen, possibly show Marinette or Adrien reconsidering in a post credit scene (or in general, after the scene where they’re all sitting and Marinette goes for Luka). Main reason for me is, Miracle Queen is pretty inconclusive on the shipping aspect - it opens with Adrien being uncertain of his relationship with Kagami, and ends with Adrien still unsure, and Marinette finally accepting Luka.

On the Marinette side, that last part might seem pretty conclusive, but after she suffered a major loss (going with canon’s “Marinette lost Fu” here despite the many problems I have with the way Fu was written), I think the emotional void really couldn’t be properly filled with Luka, and had Chat Noir’s character not gone down the drain after the season finale, he’d be the only real option Marinette can consider even talking to - temp heroes outed, kwamis being glorified toys, barely anyone even knowing Fu and all that. In my ideal world, she would’ve at least moved on from Adrien (wherein canon of course has to insist on the OTP), and I feel Chat Noir fills the void very naturally.

On the Adrien side, I think him interrupting the kiss was a sign of him not knowing what he wants out of a relationship in general - he seemed to be moving on from Ladybug in Hearthunter, and the Ladynoir in Miracle Queen to me felt much closer to them being together against the world (which is… exactly what the episode says out loud), not falling in love. I don’t think Kagami would want a relationship with Adrien after that whole mess (and that did end up being the case), so the closest non Ladybug option would be Marinette. So not a random “I love Marinette because she’s so nice and she kissed me after I pranked her” (canon please 🙄), but more of a “Marinette has always been so nice to me, instead of bothering Ladybug even more I’ll at least try getting a little closer to Marinette” and things develop from there on out.

But Season 4 threw my hope and dreams onto a burning landfill so that was cool. Anyways, how would you structure it? This got a bit long haha

Don't apologize, that was an interesting and quite good argument for flipping the crushes at Miracle Queen. I hadn't really thought about it before, but that would have been a much more satisfying way to shake things up in season four instead of waiting until season five and then speed running the flip only to immediately undo Marinette's side of the flip all within six episodes. I think that your alternate season four could have worked, though it would require season four to really lean into the ending of season three instead of largely ignoring it.

Since you asked where I'd do it if I had to flip the crushes, I'll give you my thoughts, but first I want it put on the record that I hate the idea of both crushes flipping mid-show. One crush flipping feels reasonable, but both? At the same time? That's really hard for me to buy, especially since you'd have to do it pretty quickly given the way canon is structured. You can't drag things out for episodes at a time. Most things take, at most, two episodes.

I'm also not sure what the point of flipping the crushes is. It feels less like narrative progression and more like a stalling tactic since the love square will only get together if one crush flips. Both crushes? Same square, different angle (I jokingly call it the love diamond.)

And yet, canon actually managed to pull off a very solid reverse crush setup. If season five had started off with the crushes flipped, then I would have totally believed it. Marinette just had her crush on Adrien cost her all of the miraculous. That's a very good way to kill a crush just like finding out Chat Noir's identity is a very good way to banish her fears from that event, allowing her to have the confidence to stay with Adrien post-reveal.

Similarly, Adrien just spent a whole season being sad about Ladybug not giving him enough attention, leading up to an episode where Marinette saw that he was suffering and reached out (if only because of magic). I absolutely believe that he'd start falling for Marinette and be less upset with Ladybug post-reveal now that he knows that she has been supporting him all along. He was just looking for support on the wrong side of the mask.

Instead of taking advantage of that setup, canon delayed the flip a few episodes and made it wholly unbelievable. They really give us an episode where Ladynoir got married and had children, followed it up with the episode where the crushes flipped, and then tried to convince us that Marinette was the one who hadn't really fallen in love with Chat Noir. Marinette. The girl whose deepest desire is apparently marriage and children with Chat Noir. But her love isn't real? Really? Yet Adrien is really over Ladybug?

Bull. Shit.

Jubilation is not that setup you go with if Adrienette is your goal. It's the setup for Ladynoir.

Anyway, back to your question! As I detailed above, season five's intro episodes feel like the most obvious place to flip the square. I'd also be interested to see someone do it at Miracle Queen like you discussed, though it would be much less straight forward than season five, making it a better fit for a fanfic than canon in my opinion as I think you'd be hard pressed to do it well within the confines of canon's structure.

My other top choice is Origins because I am a love diamond purist. I think that it's the easiest way to fix a lot of canon's issues. For example: Marinette hanging magazine clippings of her friend/crush all over her walls for all to see with the full knowledge that she actually knows this guy? Kinda weird. Why are you writing it like she has a celebrity crush and not a "real person" crush?

Marinette hanging magazine clippings of her secret hero partner all over her walls? Totally understandable. It's not like she can act like it's a "real person" crush without giving herself away or looking unhinged. Plus how else is she supposed to get pictures of him? It's not like she can take some of her own. That would lead to a lot of awkward questions! She'd also have no reason to think that he'd ever see her shrine. 😈

[flightfoot]

ML Fanfic Recs for 2023: 125K+ Words

So I’ve been going through and adding particularly good fics I’ve read throughout the year. Only Complete fics, of course. Enjoy!

---

Dreams of You by @chocoluckchipz

Dreams had long been his only escape. Dreams of Ladybug, the girl who had always been there for him.

If only in his dreams. And only while she was also sleeping.

Because with the first rays of sunshine gliding over her skin, with the first fluttering of her eyelashes, from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, memories of Adrien would vanish from her mind.

She would go on living her life.

He would always be the only one who remembered.

At least until they meet in the real world and fall in love all over again, something that would’ve been easier to do if Adrien wasn't a prisoner in his own home.

Chocoluckchipz has some of the most beautifully executed lovesquare fics I’ve read, and this is no exception. Most of the fic is dedicated to Adrien wooing Marinette, spending time with her, with her own dream self acting as his wingman, giving her tips on how to get her to fall for him, all the while frustrated that she can’t share memories with her waking self, and that she and Adrien can’t share as much information as they’d like while asleep, due to limitations of the “curse” that allows Adrien to share dreams with his soulmate. 

It’s not all cute Adrienette fluff though. There’s a threat in the background waiting to erupt, as the weirdness of Gabriel’s ultimatum to Adrien about finding Ladybug or else being forced to marry Lila keeps on gnawing at him - and with good reason. This is a world with magic and kwamis still, and that fact makes itself very relevant in the last third of the story. 

It’s a well-written tale and very much worth a read!

---

one does not love breathing by @wackus-bonkus-maximus

All of Paris watched as Hawkmoth murdered Chat Noir, taking the Black Cat Miraculous for himself. Ladybug swears revenge, but her enemy—and every miraculous in his possession—disappear without a trace.

Six years later, a new team of villains launches an attack for the last remaining Miraculous: Volpina, armed with new powers; Queen Bee, with questionable loyalty; Argos, the new holder of the Peacock Miraculous; and Cat Walker, who Ladybug hates the most.

Takes place after S4 - Strike Back.

This is a simply phenomenal fic. You get to explore a lot of different perspectives, like Felix, Kagami, Marinette, and Adrien’s, just to name a few, and see their different thought processes and plans and priorities, and how it can cause their plans to collide with each other, even when they all ultimately are aiming for a good outcome for everyone. The characters are pretty complex and can mess up at times, even when they’re doing things (or not doing things, looking at you Luka) with the best of intentions. It was a joy to read and a real nail-biter the whole time, I actually wrote a fic for it halfway through just to resolve some of the tension for myself, One Does Not Love Shadows.

It also features the version of Luka I’ve connected best with to date, as he feels like Luka, but also is a lot more fleshed out, and can make some major errors while simply trying to avoid missteps. It’s helped me get a better handle on a character who I’ve generally had a lot of problems with really understanding.

It is an M-rated fic, though I think Wackus is being overly cautious on that front. There’s no sexual content and I wouldn’t put the violence or gore above a T-rating, so I wouldn’t let the rating scare you off.

---

Boomer!Luka: FeLuka Ending series by @19thsentry-blog

In the Shadows (the first fic in the series) summary:

On one side is Luka, 140-year-old Snake Miraculous holder and keeper of the Guardian's secrets, on the other is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a relatively newly minted hero of Paris and Guardian of the Miracle Box. Each is looking to fulfill their promises to their now gone mentors to reunite the Kwamis and keep them safe. Sounds simple--until you throw in a rocky start, the Atlantic Ocean, Félix Graham de Vanily, and a whole host of secrets…and suddenly simple becomes complicated (story of Marinette's life, right?).

So this is obviously way outside my normal wheelhouse. I don’t typically read Lukanette fics, even ones that turn into FeLuka later on in the series (though boy it becomes apparent quickly that the author’s fascinated with FeLuka’s dynamic.) But this one is really good, with the best Luka-centric fics I’ve ever read, and some of the best Felix-centric content as well. I love how Luka has his own baggage here, with all the pressure of wandering around for over a century, looking after the few Miraculous he found, trying to keep what’s left of the Order alive, unaware of Fu’s survival or of the Miraculous user’s re-emergence in Paris. There’s a lot of focus on Luka’s own feelings and thoughts and problems, not just on helping other people with them. 

The plot works even without the romantic aspect, so even if Lukanette isn’t a pairing that draws you in, I still recommend this fic, so long as you don’t actively dislike the pairing itself. And even though it’s a Lukanette fic, Adrien and Alya are treated fairly and with respect. Adrien may not end up with Marinette and is bummed about it, but the narrative is still kind to him overall, there’s clearly no ill well towards him, or Alya for that matter. (There are later fics in the series that focus more on Adrien just healing and coping and living after finding out that his father’s a villain and his mom’s been in the basement this whole time, and in the multiversal travel fic, Alya gets some standout appearances as Scarabella which are fun).

And FELIX - it’s clear that 19thsentry has this whole conception about Felix’s psychology. He’s wrapped in a ton of self-loathing until it started to consume him, made him lash out. Him being a sentimonster, wanting to get the Peacock Miraculous, actually gave him some direction for that at least. And he’s just in this pit of his own making, until he meets Luka, who can see through him when no one else can, who cares for him even though he doesn’t understand why, who’d been through so much over the years and yet kept himself kind. He’s attracted like a moth to a flame, infuriated that he cares, yet not able to stop himself from caring about this mysterious, infuriating musician. 

Yeah if you can’t tell this is the series that really sold me on FeLuka as a couple.

Oh yeah, one of the fics in here is M-rated, and it does earn the M rating for sexual content, though it’s nothing too major.

---

Accidents Are Also Miracles by @liiinerle

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

Awaken by InkyIbis

The previously white butterfly, now oozing black and purple as a conduit of the butterfly miraculous powers, flutters softly within the silvered-gloved hand.

It sits there for a long time.

"Go, my akuma," The soft sigh pushes the butterfly, the akuma, out towards the despair of a love not returned. The same ache within his chest. On a level so great that he's willing to sacrifice the city to mend it.

It's okay if he's the villain for now. He'll force the miraculous of creation and destruction to be revealed, and once he gets his hands on them, none of this pain, none of his loss, will ever happen.

This is essentially a canon rewrite for Miraculous (specifically seasons 1 and 2, with a bunch of the events mixed around) that focuses primarily on Adrien, with his relationship with Nino being the main driving relationship of the fic. (Don’t worry, Marinette’s still treated fine, she’s just not the focus). This is the best “rewrite Miraculous with more of a focus on Adrien” type fic I’ve seen, with it reworking the plots of the episodes so that they’re different enough to be their own distinct thing - it’s not trying to just rewrite the canon episodes but from Adrien’s POV, there’s a lot of lore changes going on as well, and things occur in different orders.

Like lorewise, Chat’s given a more important role in cleaning up the mess the akumas leave, with his power helping to cleanse akuma victims and he and Ladybug needing to use their powers in tandem in order to cast Miraculous Ladybug. There’s also no Miracle Box holding the kwamis. Instead, Chat sometimes surpasses his limits and ends up summoning kwamis, which is dangerous to him, but very useful.

What really makes this fic great though, is its focus on Adrien’s emotions. You really get a feel for Adrien’s insecurities, especially when it comes to not feeling like he’s good enough for Nino, with not wanting to bother him when he absolutely should, with feeling like he’s not a good enough friend to him, and then there’s dealing with all of Gabriel’s usual abuse on top of that.

Speaking of Nino, this is an Adrino fic (though several characters get crushes on Adrien, Nino’s the one who matters most for this), though a slowburn one. Nino’s clearly head-over-heels for Adrien, but Adrien has like, no context for what a romantic crush feels like and is basically viewing Nino the way he viewed Marinette in canon prior to season 5. He clearly cares for him a lot, including romantically, he just... doesn’t get it.

Anyway, if you want an interesting canon rewrite fic from Adrien’s perspective with Adrino as the main pairing, this is a good story to pick up!

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Kintsugi - The Beauty Of Broken Things by @xaran-alamas

When freed from Mayura's control, and given a chance at a normal life, the Sentimonster clone of Ladybug must learn what it is to be not only a hero, but also a human being, and part of a family.

Meanwhile Marinette needs to figure out what to do with a hyper-energetic Kwami with a broken Miraculous.

Sentibug-centric fic here! The longest one in existence, in fact. Xaran does a great job of developing Centi, having her figure out what she wants and how to belong, and also deal with her feelings towards her creator - which are pretty negative since, you know, Mayura tried to kill her. The way she’s developed is excellent, and I adore her fitting into the Couffaine family after they take her in, with Juleka, Luka, and Anarka taking a shine to her quickly, and her to them. We spend a lot of time with the Couffaines as a result, so it’s also worth reading if you want to see more of that family, especially Juleka.

---

you made me a hero - reverse crush short stories series by @non-fantasy

This series is just plain fun! Like the title says, it’s a reverse crush AU, so Adrien’s head-over-heels for Marinette, while Ladybug’s smitten with Chat Noir. Which means that Adrien’s constantly trying to woo Marinette while Ladybug’s attempting to have normal conversations with Chat Noir (and failing), and both of them are oblivious to each other’s feelings. 

I love the way non-fantasy executes it, with Alya literally carrying around a spray bottle because of how eager Adrien is, and Ladybug being VERY SCARY if you ever lay a finger on Chat Noir (seriously akumas will literally beg for their akumatized object to be broken just to escape her wrath). 

Oh, also, Ladybug regularly stops by Adrien’s room so they can both lament how difficult of a time they’re having wooing their crushes, and just have fun together.

There’s a lot of entries in this series - 29 of them in fact - but most of them are pretty short, making it great if you want to devour some quick, cute, hilarious romcom action! 

Some stuff does actually change over the course of the series, it’s not just slice-of-life. Like identity reveals, dating, and even Hawkmoth’s defeat, so there’s clear progression and changes in circumstances as well.

---

Not a Monster at All by @book-sandwich

Adrien Agreste overhears a conversation he shouldn't, and a revelation sends him falling onto the terrace of the only person he can trust: his good friend (?) Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Takes place sometime after the first two episodes of season 5!

As you can probably guess from the title, this is a Sentimonster Adrien, Monarch takedown fic. Adrien’s going through a tough time, and Marinette’s just trying to be there for him as his whole world’s collapsing around him. Unfrotunately, they still don’t know what the object is, or how likely Gabriel would be to control Adrien if he hinted that he knew the truth, which leaves Adrien in a precarious position - still not having done an identity reveal doesn’t help matters.

It’s a really solid fic for the genre, though since it started up before the later parts of season 5, there are a few things that don’t match up with the canon information we obtained later on. 

---

Under Oath by @eoscenes

In the aftermath of Hawk Moth's defeat, Ladybug finds her heart torn between her schoolgirl crush and her superhero partner ― who returns, after an unexplained hiatus, more irresistible than ever.

⋆☆⋆

Gabriel Agreste is unmasked, and Paris rises up in the aftermath.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng must weather Paris' anxious protesters, ravenous reporters, a scattered team of judiciary investigators, and her conflicting feelings for two different boys. In the eye of this storm is the elusive Adrien Agreste, the primary witness in his own father's trial, who might just hold the secret to finding the Peacock Miraculous.

(If only she wasn't in love with him.)

Meanwhile, locked away in Le Grand Paris hotel, Adrien grapples with his responsibilities to a city that can't decide if it hates or loves him. Keeping his daytime persona and Chat Noir separate entities becomes even harder when Ladybug, whom he has finally decided to get over, starts visiting him at night, determined to figure his secrets out.

(If only he wasn't in love with her.)

When an unknown figure returns with the Peacock Miraculous, Ladybug and Chat Noir will have to save their city once more — or lose each other trying.

I love how this fic shows Adrien just breaking down over the reveal of Hawk Moth’s identity, he’s in a Very Bad Place for a substantial portion of the fic, and being a suspect and witness in the case does NOT help. It’s got the most detailed “Adrien suffering the consequences of the backlash to his father’s prosecution” plot that I’ve seen.

Still, things get better with time, slowly, gradually. It’s not all at once, or a completely linear road, but he’s got his friends, even after everything.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

ML au: Lady of Second Chances (Season 3 opener)

(Season 1) (Season 2 + Divergence)

-The New Season begins with Hawkmoth unmasked and captured. Ladybug's plan worked and Viperion was able to capture the weakened Hawkmoth the moment he detransformed.

-Nooroo was safe. But the six teens now had to question what to do.

-Ladybug looks to Viperion to make sure that he is really Hawkmoth.

-"I have the butterfly here". He hands her the miraculous and nooroo pops out. Chat noir was silent as he looked at Gabriel, who was konked out.

-"So he really was Gabriel agreste." Ladybug spoke. Her mind flashing to all of her assumptions, all of the moments he was suspicious. That jerk played and manipulated them. Thats how Felix was able to hand over all the miraculous. All the thoughts clicked.

-She used her yo-yo to tie him up.

-She hands Viperion a macaroon. "Go feed you kwami and come back. I want to make sure we are playing this cautious."

-Viperion nods and heads off.

-Carapace is the first of the heroes to speak.

-"What am I gonna tell Adrien, I know his pops was a jerk but... I didnt think he was evil." Carapace let out.

-Chat noir's eyes went wide at the statement.

-"Assuming he wasnt the one helping him" Rena Rouge commented.

-Carapace, Queen bee and Ladybug shut that down.

-"Adrien would never do that!" Simultaneously said by the three.

-Chat noir punched the sewer wall hard.

-That got the attention of the group.

-"Why would he do this? He has a son, and he just decides to try and be a villain? For some stupid wish?! He is rich? He can have everything! The only thing he doesnt have is..."

-Chat noir realized why Gabriel was hawkmoth. His mother.

-Gabriel woke up. Tied up he tried struggling.

-"Dont bother, we caught you Hawkmoth." Ladybug stated.

-"You have no idea what youve done!" Gabriel stouted with hatred in his eyes. "You ruined everything. If you had just let me have your miraculous I..."

-"You wanted the wish to bring back your wife." Chat noir stated.

-The room was shocked by the sudden comment.

-Gabriel could feel a chill go down his spine. The stare of chat noir piercing him.

-Viperion returned as the tension grew.

-Gabriel thinking that nathalie will notice something was wrong. She might be foolish enough to try and send another sentimonster. He hated to admit it, but that might be his only escape. He needed time though. he needed to stall.

-"Yes. thats the only thing I ever wanted. I tried for years to get the miraculous... undo my wifes illness, but the miraculous were nigh impossible to find. So with the one I did find. I decided to take a more... drastic approach."

-The rest of the group started to feel sympathy... except for one. Ladybug. Ladybug was furious. She remembered the time with Bunnyx. She remembered how obsessed he was at getting the miraculous. He could have used it to time travel and save his wife but didnt.

-"Youre lying." Ladybug spat in hushed tones.

-Chat noir and the crew looked at her.

-"I know thats a lie. You get a chance to go back in time. You could have saved your wife, but you didnt! Youre lying! I know your lying! You want power!"

-Gabriel was shocked by that? Time travel? Why would time travel even matter? How dare she accuse him of such a thing. He loved Emilie! And he nearly gave up to protect Adrien, the last piece of her he had.

-"What ever are you blathering about, time travel doesnt matter? The miraculous of the peacock is still broken. That wouldnt stop my wife from using it. we were desperate."

-"Why would she use a broken miraculous? Why were you desperate."

-"She wanted a son!"

-Ladybug stopped cold. The others were confused. They didnt really know what Gabriel meant by that statement. But she did.

-Gabriel noticed.

-"You know what the peacock can do. You know what it means."

-Ladybug dropped to her knees. She knew what it meant. Oh she knew better than anyone else what that meant.

-"My lady, what does it mean?" Chat noir asked.

-"You cant mean it, youre lying. That cant be true." Ladybug focused on Gabriel.

-"I havent lied since ive been down here. I dont know why you know so much, or about time travel. Maybe thats how you figured out how to stop me. But know this Ladybug. I will do anything for my family.

-A sudden burst from above. A woman clad in blue with blue skin and a Peacock motif appeared. On top was a Massive dog like creature. Easily the size of Feast, but leaner, sharper and more beast like.

-Gabriel was a mix of relief and despair over seeing Nathalie.

-"Get them." Mayura ordered.

-"So thats the peacock." Carapace commented

-Ladybug was still in shock over the revelation she had. Gabriel managed to get untangled.

-The dog knocked Viperion into the water. Rena Rouge and Carapace jumped to try and fight Mayura. Chat noir trying to snap Ladybug out of it.

-Gabriel rushing to get away.

-Mayura was still fresh and was bullying the teens.

-Ladybug did snap out of it, seeing chat noir worried about her. She realize now is not the time for a crisis. She thanks chat noir and makes a plan. She tells Viperion to go after gabriel. He gets out of the water and does so. She tells Queen bee to stun the dog. Rena Rouge and Carapace give her an opening to do so.

-"Go help Viperion capture Hawkmoth. Ill handle Mayura."

-Chat noir sees the look in her Eye. and nods. He cant let his father get away (not that she knows that)

-Mayura looks at her.

-"You really think you can handle me alone?"

-"You would be amazed at what I can do."

_____________________________________________________________

-Viperion and Chat noir split up to try and find Gabriel. and as luck would have it. Chat noir found him.

-Gabriel found himself at a dead end (a deep drop he isnt surviving without super powers)

-"Dead end."

-Chat noir points his staff at him.

-"So all of this was to save your wife." Chat noir stares him down

-"Yes. I need her, my son needs her."

-"Your son? Do you really know what he needs? have you even spent time with him after she past? All you did was keep him locked away."

-"You know nothing about my son."

-"No, YOU know nothing about your son."

Vote now and share.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Had a realization visa V the Butterfly can do the Peacock post.

Anyone can get a familiar if an item is AKumatized and a Familiar manifested andnothing major goes wrong. The process of the Familiar fully manifesting though takes several months, let's say six on average.

In that time its being fueled and shaped by emotions and low key leeching vitality/essence from their host. But again provided all goes well this is fairly safe. Said familiars also tend to start small and grow larger to avoid taxing their human source.

Akumatized subjects, IE an Akuma with a Familiar, can get away with stronger familiars. This is because they themselves have been changed into something stronger and more extreme. But as before, the process to manifest still takes a long while.

Similarly, Butterfly Wielder Familiars are very powerful cos they can dump raw magic into them to make them stronger. This does not make them manifest faster though as magic is only one part of thee equation. It'd be like trying to grow a full person with only bones.

& this is why making kids, even just the start of one's is so bad with the Butterfly. Its essentially using the Butterfly to 'create' stepping into another Kwami's domain and compensating for the absence of raw materials, essence and vitality by using the human subjects.

A mundane comparison would be as such:

Regular Familiars receive twenty four platelet donations a year before manifesting. Butterfly children rip all twenty four platelet donations at once.

Unsurprisingly, this has disastrous effects on the person in question.

Though be it, said effects would be more subtle given Emilie did still carry said butterfly child herself. Thus they were not a 'huge' material cost compared to manifesting full person in one go as Nathalie did with Familiar-Ladybug. Hence death taking awhile to catch up to Emilie, while the ramifications on Nathalie would be more immediate.

Fortunately it can't be 'forced' on a person as their survival instincts will break the connection to the Akumatized Item and Familiar before it gets too bad. Sort of like instinctively choking & trying to cough up food when choking. So unless they are themselves forcing those instincts off, most people will be OK, though there's always a danger.

I imagine this being why Emilie died, with Nooroo not having been acknowledged, or not understood, or simply not asked the right questions, and so didn't realize their intent before it was too late.

OKAY LIKE

This is also addressing my personal beef with the Sentikids plot! Not the genuine plot holes and all, but the personal opinion beef!

Which is that I don't like how the Peacock can casually create Sapient Life.

Like maybe it's the fma:b fan in me. But I want the creation of Sapient Life to be A Process™. Something that takes time and effort and a bit of danger. Whether it be intentional or accidental, mundane or magical. It should be more than just a handwave and 'oops here's a person!'.

[thechatsmeouch]

Ladybug Blues

Chapter Six- Her Bracelet

Adrien's eyes fluttered open early the next morning, swollen and red from crying. He stared at the ceiling above him, feeling more exhausted than ever. He knew he should get up, get back home before his father, or rather Nathalie noticed he was gone, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He just wanted to stay curled up in Marinette's bed, hiding from the world and his own thoughts.

Eventually, the boy peeled himself from the bed, gently waking his kwami to transform. With one last look around her room, Chat Noir slowly closed the trapdoor, and headed towards his home.

The sun was barely beginning to rise as he hopped over rooftops, trying to keep his mind off Alya and her newfound power. He still didn't know how she'd managed to get her hands on Ladybug's miraculous, but he was determined to find out when he'd ripped them from her ears.

He slipped into his room and into his bed just in time for Nathalie to knock on his bedroom door, gentle and quiet. Adrien quickly muttered his detransformation phrase, green light revealing his tired eyes. Plagg nestled on the pillow and immediately started snoring.

"Adrien?" Nathalie called. "Are you awake? There's something your father needs to discuss with you over breakfast, come down when you're ready, please." Her voice was soft, her footsteps even softer as she walked away.

Adrien's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his father never ate breakfast with him, and he was never asked to go downstairs when he was ready. The softness of Nathalie's demeanor both comforted and annoyed Adrien. He didn't like being treated so fragilely, as if he'd shatter into a million tiny shards if they treated him the same way they did before Marinette's death. They never cared before, why start now?

With a sigh, Adrien climbed out of bed, changing back into fresh clothes. He ran a hand through his messy hair, wishing he could just go back to being Chat Noir. At least then he could be himself, not this shell of a person his father seemed to think he was. He grabbed a piece of cheese, setting it on his nightstand for Plagg when he woke up.

Making his way down the stairs, he followed the sound of voices to the dining room. His father, Nathalie, and a stranger were already seated at the table, their conversation hushed. Something didn't feel right, and Adrien's gut clenched in fear as he took a seat across from the stranger, nervously glancing at his father and Nathalie.

"Adrien," his father began, his voice gentle but firm. "I want you to meet someone. This is Dr.Dekuyster. She's a therapist, she's here to help you... Grieve." His father's voice caught on the last word, and Adrien felt a lump form in his throat. "She's here to help you through this difficult time."

A therapist? Was he joking? Adrien didn't need a shrink, he knew that from the last time his father had drilled it into his mind. He'd just been fine on his own, hadn't he? He didn't need anyone's help to get through this, he just needed Scarabella's miraculous.

He glanced back up at the woman sitting across from him, her kind eyes studying him. He could feel the weight of her gaze, like she already knew everything that was going on. He couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable under her scrutiny. She looked... nothing like he'd expected a therapist to look like. She was young, probably not much older than he was, maybe in her early twenties. Her dark hair was pulled back into a neat bun, revealing delicate features and pale skin. She didn't have the stern, authoritative air that he associated with therapists.

Adrien stood, about to make an excuse to leave the table, when his father's stern voice stopped him.

"Adrien, sit down. Your first session begins now." Gabriel gave him a look he couldn't quite read, motioning to the chair. The therapist, Dr.Dekuyster, didn't seem fazed by his father's demand. Her eyes remained kind, even as Adrien slowly sat back down.

Gabriel stood, Nathalie along with him. "We will be in my office if you need anything, Doctor." He said, pushing in his chair and leaving the room.

It wasn't until the sound of the office door closing echoed throughout the mansion, that Dr.Dekuyster spoke.

"It's nice to meet you, Adrien. I understand you're going through a hard time right now, and I want you to know that I'm here to help you however I can. I'm also aware that one of your friends has passed, I'm very sorry for your loss. If you feel comfortable talking about it, I'd like to hear more about how you're feeling. But if you'd rather not, that's okay too. The most important thing right now is for you to feel safe and comfortable." Her voice was sweet as honey, somehow making Adrien angrier by the second.

Who did this woman think she was, talking about Marinette? She had no idea what they'd gone through together, what they'd sacrificed. No one understood the bond they shared, the depth of their friendship. They'd been through hell and back, and now Marinette was gone, and all this woman could do was pry into his feelings like they were some sort of experiment. The blonde said nothing, opting to memorize the shapes in the mahogany table instead.

Her lips curled into a small smile. "This session, and all of them moving forward are strictly confidential, Adrien. You are free to say whatever may be on your mind, when you're ready." Dr.Dekuyster said, packing up her notepads and laptop. She stood, offering one last smile to Adrien before turning to leave.

With her gone, Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to talk about Marinette. Not yet. He didn't want to talk about how much he missed her or how much he'd been relying on her these past few years. He didn't want to talk about how he felt guilty for not being there when she needed him the most. He didn't want to talk about how he'd failed her. He'd talk to Marinette when he finally brought her back, but until then, his lips were sealed.

He trudged up the stairs to his bedroom, flopping down on his bed. Adrien raised his wrist over his head, jingling the dainty silver bracelet he'd taken from Marinette's room.

"Where did you get that?" his father asked, entering the room. He'd followed Adrien upstairs, unbeknownst to him.

Adrien jumped, quickly scanning for Plagg, silently thanking the little black cat for not being visible. "I, uh...Marinette gave it to me, before she... you know..." He lied. Lying was something he'd sworn he'd never do to his father, but in this case...he couldn't help it.

"I see," his father said, his voice quiet. "I... wanted to let you know that this week your schedule will be back to normal, Mlle. Rossi will be at the next shoot, I expect you to be there as well."

"Lila?" Adrien started, rage bubbling up in his throat. "I'm not modeling with her anymore, father." The words came out so easily, like he'd been practicing them for weeks. He'd never talked back to his father like this before.

Gabriel's head snapped back, a look of disbelief on his face. "Adrien, I am your father, and you will listen to me. I will not accept any excuses. You will be at that shoot, and you will work with Mlle. Rossi. Do you understand me?" His fingers twisted his mother's ring, a habit Adrien had always considered to be a nervous tic.

He wanted to protest, wanted to scream and shout that he would never work with that witch again, how she'd been the leading cause in Marinette's suicide.

But he couldn't. Some unknown force seemed to grip his throat, choking off his words. His father's eyes narrowed, the expression on his face growing darker. He fought against the pressure, to no avail. He shrunk into submission, lowering his head in shame.

"I understand, father."

Adrien's words hung in the air like a lead weight. He felt his father's eyes bore into him, searching for any hint of defiance or rebellion. But there was none to be found. He had submitted. He had given in. And it felt like a piece of him died inside.

Gabriel nodded, closing the door behind himself, leaving Adrien alone with his thoughts. He rolled over onto his side, staring at the wall. His father's words echoed in his head, and he felt a weight settling into his chest. He knew he should fight against his father's demands, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. No matter how hard he tried. Tears burned Adrien's eyes, threatening to spill over, but he forced them back.

"That father of yours sure is something," Plagg yawned, startling Adrien. "You really need to stop giving into every little demand of his."

"Shut up," Adrien snapped, rolling over and facing the little black cat. "You have no idea what it's like, all right? You think I want to do this? I don't! But I can't just say no to him, Plagg. I can't."

The kwami remained silent for a moment, eyes wide and empathetic.

Adrien sighed, offering a hand for Plagg to float to. "I'm sorry, Plagg, I shouldn't have said all that... I just, I-I don't know why I can't, but I can't." He said, rubbing his eyes.

Plagg gulped. He knew this sounded familiar, but couldn't place why. He just nodded in understanding, nuzzling his head against Adrien's palm.

The next few days were torture. Every time he'd be about to transform, suddenly he had a task. Chinese lessons, fencing, a photoshoot, you name it, he had to do it. Every. Single. Time.

He was beginning to become restless. All of his thoughts were occupied by ripping those god forbidden earrings from Alya's possession. He dreamt of it, he basically salivated at the thought of having them in his hands.

He was sitting at his piano when she walked in. Perfume overwhelming and heels clicking, Lila Rossi was in his room. After Nathalie closed his bedroom door, Lila sauntered over.

"Adrien, you poor thing, I've been meaning to talk to you." She sat on the edge of the piano, facing him.

He hated her. He really did. Her ability to lie her way through anything and everything, her freakish obsession with him. "What do you want, Lila?"

She smiled at him, and something in his gut twisted. "Oh, Adrien, I just haven't been able to shake that you need someone right now, after everything you've been through and all..."

Adrien stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly across the wooden floor. "I don't need your help, Lila. You're not my friend, and you never will be." He stepped around the piano, coming face to face with her. "You're the reason she's gone."

Lila's smile didn't falter. "Oh, Adrien, you know that's not true. You're just looking for someone to blame. And I'm here, aren't I? I'm right here, and I'm always here for you." She reached out, tentatively, and traced a finger along his jawline.

He flinched, wanting nothing more than to wipe the look of pity off her face. But she just smiled, an almost genuine smile that made his skin crawl. "I know you're hurting, Adrien. I know what it's like to lose someone you love." Her eyes were glassy, and for a moment, he almost believed her.

"But you didn't lose her, did you? You hurt her. You took her away." He spat the words out, angry at himself for letting her get to him. He grabbed her wrist harshly, yanking her forward. "You didn't lose anyone, Lila. You just want to win at whatever game you think you're playing."

He shoved her back, with a satisfied smirk when she lost her balance, landing on the floor with a quiet thump. "Get out of my house, Lila. Get out of my life." He turned away from her, going back to the piano. She muttered something under her breath as she got up, but he didn't care.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the door to his room close. It was only then that he realized he was still gripping the edge of the piano so tightly that his knuckles were white. Shaking his hands out, he forced himself to sit down on the bench, his fingers finding the familiar keys without any conscious thought. He started to play, lost in the music, letting the notes wash away the tension and anger that had been building up inside of him.

A loud shriek snapped Adrien out of his daze. He spun around in his seat, locking eyes with Plagg. This was it, this was the day he was going to bring her back!

"Quit smiling at me like that, you're creeping me out!" Plagg exclaimed, floating to his holder.

Adrien's grin only grew wider. "I didn't even know I was smiling," he said, still chuckling a bit. "Plagg, claws out!"

Chat Noir was too happy as he ran across rooftops, searching for that red and black polka dotted suit. His heart soared with the thrill of the chase, the wind rushing past his ears as he leapt from one building to the next. He could feel the magic of his suit coursing through him, making him feel invincible. 

Suddenly, he was tackled from behind, sending both of them to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs. Panic surged through Chat Noir as he struggled to break free from the powerful grip around his wrists, pinning him down into the concrete.

"You've become a danger to Paris, Chat Noir." A woman's voice said. "I'm taking your miraculous."

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