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#lament series
nobodyfamousposts · 11 months
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Chloe’s Lament: Ripping Apart
Chloe’s attempts to improve her situation…didn’t work out, to say the least.
Mostly because in her mind, improving things for herself had to involve tearing down others to build up herself by comparison. Something she was easily able to do in the previous world when she was the ‘Princess of Paris’ with the power of her father and her social status to push her demands.
Here…she didn’t have that. At all. Which to Chloe’s ever-growing frustration, made her efforts entirely uphill battles.
She didn’t even have the Ladybug Miraculous to either set things right or to use to her advantage. She didn’t know who the new Ladybug or sidekick were, either. And unfortunately for her, her disregard for people unless she needed something immediately meant that she hadn’t paid attention to the old man Hawk Moth was attacking and thus didn’t know where to start looking for the Guardian or the Miracle Box to at least get the Bee again. Even worse, she hadn’t thought to bother with Hawk Moth or his sidekick once they had been stung, meaning she was just as clueless as everyone else was on the villain’s identity, so she couldn’t try to target him for his Miraculous either!
What she did have, however, was future knowledge of events—or at least what she bothered to notice outside of her own activities in the previous timeline. And one in particular stood out the most:
The hat contest.
Dupain-Cheng was still very much a fashion enthusiast despite the changes in this reality. That meant if nothing else, she would still take part in the contest once it came around.
And Chloe knew it would. She even checked to make sure! Even if Adrien despised her, she was still his ‘friend’ as far as Gabriel was concerned. Thus, she was still allowed to visit the Agreste Mansion. Sure, she had to make an appointment and didn’t have as much freedom to go about as she pleased, but she was able to slip away and confirm Gabriel’s intention to hold the contest.
So that meant she already knew what was coming! And with her foreknowledge, she was sure to win!
The plan was simple: recreate the famous feather derby hat for the contest before Marinette could. 
Without the signature this time.
This way, when the would-be designer tried to reveal Chloe as the thief, Chloe would have the upper hand. With no signature to prove Marinette’s claim and more than enough time to build proof that she had created the design first, Chloe would succeed in gaining fame and simultaneously crush Marinette’s dreams of being a professional designer. She would be branded as a cheater and blacklisted from any further design competitions. Gabriel would certainly never trust her again. And Adrien—poor Adrien would obviously need Chloe’s shoulder to cry on once he learned that Miss Perfect Marinette was only using him!
But as it turned out, there were three problems with this plan that Chloe had not accounted for…
Originally, Chloe was able to send Marinette’s hat design sketch to a professional hat maker to bring to life within the deadline.
This time, Chloe had neither the influence nor the funds to get any decent professional to make her design. Her attempts to use her mother’s channels didn’t work either when she couldn’t replicate the original design for them to use as a base.
“They’re feathers! What’s so complicated about it?!”
She also didn’t have the original sketch this go around.
And her less than eloquent efforts to explain the appearance, make, or materials of the desired hat to the interns only got everyone involved both frustrated enough to set off an argument that quickly got her mother’s attention.
Audrey Bourgeois was still very much the famed Style Queen and had no patience for Chloe or her tantrums. And without Andre’s position as Mayor or hotel owner to at least make him a business associate that could exert influence, it wasn’t like Chloe was in a position to make demands. And with only so much time to Paris Fashion Week and not to mention the other shows in the meantime, Audrey didn’t have the people or the patience to spare.
Audrey promptly told her to leave the workers alone unless she had something revolutionary. And despite her insistence to the contrary, a half-formed idea of a hat made with feathers of all things did not count.
As such, there was no one Chloe could get to make the hat for her.
This meant that if she wanted to create this hat and crush Marinette, she would have to make it herself.
Which led to the second problem with Chloe’s plan: for all that she prided herself in knowing and wearing fashion, she had no idea how to actually make it.
Sure, Chloe had a head start on the contest, but that was a very limited advantage for someone with little to no experience in sewing and an unwillingness to learn. Instead of taking the time to plot out a process, figure appropriate fabric, and learn the steps to make a hat, Chloe decided to jump into trying to just make the hat from her memory.
It couldn’t be that hard, right?
As such, by the time the competition actually started, what Chloe had was not so much a hat as…
“What is that? A gaudy balloon?”
“It looks like someone tarred and feathered a plastic bag.”
“I thought it was a deflated football?”
Yeah…that.
It was a sad-looking thing that could hardly be called a hat. Sunken and lumpy with a few feathers sticking out in odd directions. Chloe’s attempts to make her hat by hand resulted in a complete mess, and she had only a number of burns from the hot glue gun and bandages over her fingers from pricking herself to show for it.
“It’s…definitely unique.” Bustier said, clearly trying to be supportive.
Okay. Fine. So her hat was a failure. But she had wasted no effort in building proof that it at least was solely her creation. She could at least still get Marinette on theft of the idea. Maybe she could even claim sabotage if she spins it well enough!
And maybe she could have, except that there was still the final problem with her plan…
She had been assuming all this time that Marinette would be entering the contest with the same hat as before. That she would experience the same lack of inspiration and go to the same place and thus gain the same idea to enter into the contest.
All of which were very vital steps that Marinette would have to go through to reach the desired outcome Chloe had intended to achieve. All were steps that Chloe could not ensure Marinette would follow.
…all were steps which would be completely pointless when Marinette didn’t even compete.
“Wait—what is she doing in the stands?!” Chloe demanded, pointing to Marinette in outrage.
Marinette, for her part, had been sitting in the stands with a notebook in hand and surveying the various entries. She had been taking notes or drawing or who knew what until she looked up in confusion at the yelling.
“Chill out, Chloe. It’s an open contest.” Nino said, frowning at her.
“Yeah. People are allowed to watch.” Alix added.
“No!” Chloe shook her head furiously. She spun on Marinette. “I mean why are you THERE instead of HERE? It’s a hat competition! Aren’t you supposed to be competing?! Where is your entry?!” She demanded.
Marinette blinked in surprise.
“Well, I’m not competing. I’m just here to cheer the others on. And maybe observe. The officials said it was okay.”
And just like that, all of Chloe’s less than carefully laid plans were thrown out the window.
“What do you MEAN you’re not competing?!”
Because Marinette HAD to be competing! That was the entire point of Chloe even wasting her time with this stupid contest!
Marinette shook her head. “I’m friends with Adrien, and he’s the son of the man holding the contest. And the one who will be modeling the hat. While I don’t doubt Mr. Agreste would be impartial, there are rules against this sort of thing for a reason. It would reflect poorly on his integrity. And I don’t want people to question anything I create because of any potential bias.”
But…
That…
That was—!
“Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!”
What was even the point of having connections if you didn’t use them? What kind of socialite was Dupain-Cheng supposed to be, anyway?! It was like she didn’t even know anything!
Marinette was an idiot! She had this amazing position and the world at her fingertips and she couldn’t even use it right!
Chloe stormed out of the auditorium, ignoring the voices and attempts to call her back.
It was…
That was so…
It wasn’t fair!
Marinette was just being lazy! Not using her position or appreciating what it gives her! Not doing anything to prove herself to anyone and show just why she deserved her role! And yet everyone just loved her anyway!
And that…that was the worst part!
Previously, Chloe had to fight tooth and nail just to get people to so much as acknowledge her greatness. She had stayed on top of trends, learned how to navigate the world of the elite, and dealt with anyone and everyone to show why she was not one to cross. She showed why being the “Mayor’s Daughter” was such a pivotal role and why she most deserved it. She had learned to take advantage of any mistake to use to her own ends and end up on top. From Daughter of the Mayor to Queen Bee to Miracle Queen, Chloe had earned her kingdom.
And yet Marinette Dupain-Cheng…she wasn’t doing any of that! She was rich and didn’t use it. She had the power of the Mayor’s Daughter and she didn’t defend it.
She…she was doing nothing and people loved her.
It wasn’t fair!
It wasn’t FAIR!
It wasn’t fair it wasn’t fair it wasn’t fair it wasn’t fair 
IT WASN’T—
“Chloe?”
Chloe jerked up at the voice and immediately wiped her eyes.
Bad enough her plan had been such a failure, she didn’t need people knowing she was crying over it, too. She had nothing left in this world but her dignity. She couldn’t be seen as weak to anyone.
Even if it was Bustier.
“Chloe, I’m sorry. Were you upset?” The teacher asked as she approached cautiously.
“No.” She denied immediately. Because she wasn’t upset! That would suggest her plans had gone completely wrong. And they hadn’t! Because she hadn’t lost yet! She could still find some way to turn things around!
“Chloe, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Chloe refused to look at her.
It wasn’t like Bustier could understand. It was more than just the hat. It was more than a single contest. How could she even begin to explain it all? Everything she’d had? Everything she’d lost?
Bustier—in true ignorance, smiled kindly and rested a hand on Chloe’s shoulder.
“Your hat was your first attempt, wasn’t it? It clearly had a lot of effort put into it.” She said, soothingly. “I think I could see what you were trying to do with the design. You must have felt rushed with the limited time to work with.”
The words didn’t help. They did the exact opposite of help. Because Chloe had known the contest was coming. She’d had more time than anyone to put her entry together. And she still failed.
“With a bit more practice, it would have been a very beautiful hat. I’m sure it would have won.”
It would have won. In another world, it did win. She hadn’t expected it to be so hard to put a hat together. Why was it so hard?
“Oh! Here’s an idea!”
Chloe blinked as Bustier clapped her hands together, smiling brightly at the sudden thought.
“If you’re interested in fashion, maybe we can ask Marinette can help you?” 
And.
Chloe.
Froze.
“It’s hard when you’re first starting out and trying something new—”
It was like she was underwater. Bustier’s words washed over her, but she could barely hear them. Just sound. Just noise. Somewhere above her but its meaning unable to reach her.
“—maybe with a bit of guidance, you can make your hat even better—”
It was like she was falling. No ground beneath her—no stability. Free falling, but fully aware of her own weight dragging her ever downward, not knowing just how far the hole went…
Chloe gripped her creation harshly. Her ugly, pathetic imitation of a masterpiece that even her mother had praised.
“—Marinette loves fashion and knows a lot—”
Marinette must have cheated. There was no way she could do something like that in a few hours without help!
Neither of them noticed as the seams began to unravel and tear in the force of Chloe’s hold.
“—perhaps what you need is a mentor?”
Stretch.
“—volunteer to tutor you—”
Pull.
“—very talented—”
Unraveling.
“—a lot of love to give—”
Unraveling apart.
“—always willing to lend a hand—”
Just like her world.
“—I’m sure she’d be happy to help you improve—”
Just like her life.
“—don’t we try to ask her? I can even go with you and—”
Until it all ripped apart—
“SHUT UP!”
Bustier jerked back in shock at the outburst. She was actually acting as though Chloe had hit her or something—which was ridiculous! Because Chloe was the one in pain right now and nobody would see or try to help her!
“I’m sick of hearing about Dupain-Cheng and how special she is! I don’t need her help! I don’t need anything from her!”
Her teacher frowned, looking confused. Like she didn’t understand. Because she couldn’t see it.
No one could see it!
“Chloe, what are you—”
“She’s a thief!” Chloe yelled. “She knows what she’s doing! I’ll bet she planned this! She must have!”
“What are you talking about?”
She stomped her foot in rage. “This isn’t hers! None of this is hers! She only has it this good because she stole it from me first!”
“Chloe, you’re not making any sense!”
“I didn’t Wish big enough the first time! Why did I even bother with taking everything from her? I should have just Wished for her to disappear!”
“Chloe!”
But she just stormed away.
Out of the hall. Out of the building. Out of the school altogether.
But no amount of walking would take her out of this life she’d Wished herself in to.
All she left behind were the torn remains of an amateurish hat and fragments of her idealized hopes that were just as broken as her plan for revenge.
The only witnesses were her own teacher.
…and a classmate who had seen the whole thing.
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randomestfandoms-ocs · 5 months
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12 Days Of Christmas Countdown
12 Fandoms (2/12): Adhara Black [ Harry Potter ]
Tag List: @airwolf92 – want to be added?
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idolomantises · 4 months
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sometimes i forget i'm allowed to be indulgent. i'll make another female character and several lesbians and then think "Gosh i hope people dont mind 🥺" like hello? these are MY ocs, what the fuck am i saying.
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moeblob · 6 months
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Me, too, Blade. Me. Too.
(I am taking donations to buy a gigantic $250 stuffed cheeseburger. It's giant. I want it. I will never obtain it. I saw it in a shop window and..... wow. Big.)
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sweatermuppet · 2 years
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from the laments series (1989) by jenny holzer
[Text ID: there is no one's skin under my fingernails. there is no one to watch my hair grow. no one looks at me when i walk. people want me to pay money for each thing i get. i have every kind of thought and that is no embarrassment. i look at myself when i bathe. what i give to all the people who do not want to live with me is arithmetic. i count infants and predict their days. i subtract peopled killed for one reason or another. i guess the new reasons and project their efficacy. i decorate my numbers and circulate them. /End ID]
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unspokenstydia · 1 year
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LYDIA MARTIN And I've got a lot to pine about. I've got a lot to live without.
You don’t care about getting hurt. But you know how I’ll feel? I’ll be devastated. And if you die, I will literally go out of my freaking mind. You see, death doesn’t happen to you, Lydia. / Unbelievable…you have no idea what you are, do you? The wailing woman.
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ozziekrak · 1 year
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My life’s one never-ending carnival
A world of boozy-floozy flashing light
I want to be that …
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sesamenom · 5 months
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eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS! four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree
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The day of battle approaches. Finarfin retained his position as High King, Feanor has been released from the Halls to lead the Host of Valinor, Elwing and Eonwe get to lead the bird army this time around, and Ecthelion just showed up to lead his army of battle flutists.
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candydos · 4 months
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<watching hilda s3e1 with my sister>
pooka: i wasn’t going to eat it! I wasn’t going to eat it!
my sis:
my sis: he was going to EAT IT??
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sollucets · 1 year
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in its shadow
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nobodyfamousposts · 11 months
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I love the newest part of chloe's lament!!!
As always, the problem with all of chloe's plans Are that she doesn't think them though, because she doesn't think she needs too. She has it in her head that she has future knowledge, and so operates solely on that.
I am very curious as to which student overhead Chloe and Bustier. Sabrina or Adrien who already knows of Chloe's wish? A classmate with no idea of theyre even being a wish? Maybe marinette herself?
Thank you for writing and Sharin chloe's lament btw it's one of my favorit miraculous aus and I just reread it all when i saw the newest post <33
To be fair, it's not just her future knowledge.
The thing about Chloe (or at least the way I'm doing her), is that she has this perception of how the world works and how it SHOULD work based on the many years where the world DID work that way. For years, Chloe could essentially do whatever she wanted and not only were there no consequences, she was never even suggested that she was wrong or anything she did was wrong.
Look at canon: even in the few instances where Chloe "lost", she didn't really lose anything. At most, someone else "won" and she just didn't get something she wanted. And even when she was revealed to have been cheating or acting dishonestly, nobody really calls her out on it. She still at most doesn't get something she wanted. That the adults seem to ignore her behavior and even the narrative made more of an effort to woobify her didn't help matters.
Chloe in this setup is the prime example of someone who thinks she's the main character and the world is just supposed to make things work out for her. This is combined with her future knowledge to make her think that this is an advantage she can use to benefit herself...not realizing that the entire setup has changed and whatever benefits she had before that protected her from consequences are no longer there.
In her limited defense, at this point her future knowledge is really her only advantage. Through it, she knows things that most other people don't. But not only is she trying to use it for selfish reasons, she's trying to apply it in ways where it simply can't be applicable due to the changes already made by the setup of the world.
Half of the akumas Chloe knows about were created because of her. But Chloe isn't in a position anymore do to as many of them this time around.
Do you really think Princess Fragrance is going to happen? It'd be Marinette whom Rose would ask instead of Chloe, and while Marinette may not be able to personally introduce Rose to Prince Ali, she could still take Rose's letter to him. At the very least, she certainly wouldn't just rip it apart in front of her.
Vanisher? Sabrina and Chloe aren't friends.
Rogercop? Haha no. Chloe doesn't have a golden bracelet.
So yes, while she is acting on future knowledge that may not apply, the bigger problem is this "protagonist centered morality" Chloe has where she is operating under the belief that SHE is the protagonist and that things are just supposed to work out in her favor because she is herself. Because that's how they always did before.
But as a result of the Wish, Chloe gave that up. Not just the money and social status, but also the protection and ambivalence she received not just from the adults around her regarding her behavior. Chloe is getting first hand experience of what Marinette and others had to go through when it came to her, and she hates it. But what Chloe especially hates is that unlike her, people don't resent Marinette for being better off and she fails to see it's because of her actions.
It's easier to just act as if Marinette's manipulating everyone or that they're brainwashed than admit that Chloe caused her own issues.
The worst part is that Chloe could have turned her situation around at any point. Her future knowledge would have helped her do that. But that would require her to accept her position for what it is and more importantly, stop repeating her previous behaviors. And given it's Chloe, that's going to be the hardest thing for her.
As far as your question, I'm not going to reveal just yet which student it is. Though I will go ahead and say it isn't Marinette. She's still at the contest, marveling over the other entries and maybe even giving feedback to some of the contestants if they want it.
You're welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!
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Adhara Black ✤ Blackbird
She felt suddenly as if she were a ghost in her own life
Tag List: want to be added?
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richter10 · 16 days
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An idea for Lila's Lament-like stories...
In stories inspired by @nobodyfamousposts Chloe's Lament, where Lila is the one to make the Wish, she Wishes to have Adrien's life and the Lament is that now she have Gabriel as her father - with all that it implies...
But to add on it... wouldn't it means that this new reality's Lila is now a Sentimonster, created by Lila's mother?
(And depending of how much the Reality changed... Would it mean that Felix's mother, Amelie, is actually related to Lila's mother? And since it means that Colt created a Sentimonster at the image of the Agreste's child... food for thought)
An interesting idea by @imthepunchlord is about a Tri-Life Swap AU, where Lila have Adrien's Life, Adrien have Marinette's, and Marinette have Lila's.
In a Lila's Lament's scenario, it would mean that Marinette is the daughter of a diplomat - and since she is not Lila and is actually a kind, compassionate, creative, hard-worker person, there is the possibility that Marinette really have the connections that Original Reality's Lila lied about.
It would mean that not only Lila have to live under Gabriel's control (in double if she is a sentimonster), she gave Marinette the chance to have an even higher profile life and a chance at Adrien without the pressures of being Ladybug...
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hazbinbossbrainrot · 8 months
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personinthepalace · 2 years
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y'all...
if you haven't yet (and have read the boys comics first of course), def read "dear becky".
it's perfect. it's just fuckin' perfect. that's all i can say... OOH~! i wanna say moar! it hurts so goddamn much but it's a good bittersweet hurt.
also lovely to get full confirmation that kripke is a superfan of the source material and ennis' work~<3
very reassuring and show's he's an open minded person willing to listen and learn with good media literacy, but also means he set out to adapt the story proper from the very beginning<3<3<3! and boi, it has shown from the very beginning but it just gets me all the more excited<3
butt~ if you have any wonder of what he's going for with butcher--motives, self view, goals, even spoilers--this might help clear it up... leik a LOT actually lol
comics butcher and show butcher are actually a lot more alike than people want to admit (def looks like kripke is going for making him as accurate as he can tho)
plus i'm always a sucker for moar big bobbi<3<3<3 she is literally the BEST<3!
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