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overworkedunderwhelmed · 2 years

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Considering canon has given us:

The True Love’s Kiss spell break during Dark Cupid

AND Sleeping Beauty-mode frozen Adrien Agreste in Style Queen

What are the odds that as things go dark...and maybe once they know who Hawkmoth is (or perhaps because of it), we see both of these two concepts finally meet in the middle.

Given all the craziness they’ve already gone through and how being close in Ephemeral, even fleetingly was all Gabriel needed to turn the tides in his favor in the darkest way possible, I kind of doubt even if the Love Square reveal to each other happens before Hawkmoth is unmasked. If anything their love and their doubts might make them both only pine that much harder.

Until Adrien tries to break free of Gabriel’s control.

Gabriel already has the alliance rings to pretend his son is there and real.

And with no Nathalie to keep Adrien in line...and the Gorilla’s competence already in question, it wouldn’t be a leap to see Gabriel take a drastic move.

Especially since he conveniently has had at least two glass coffins for his wife since he seems to be pretty prone to smash the glass in a fit of rage.

At least to anyone who might not be watching him close enough.

Of course, Marinette would know. She would absolutely worry...and with maybe only Alya else to lean back on, her Gabriel Agreste theory might come back up... (especially since Alya’s early theory was far more spot on than either of them ever realized.)

It just would make Adrien’s suddenly compliant behavior all the more suspect.

She wouldn’t let him suffer. Not when she could do something about it.

We know from Style Queen that Plagg could be free when Adrien was in stasis, so long as he escaped.

We also know Adrien still has the spy tools he picked up from when Felix dropped them.

Getting down into the basement would be easy. And with Plagg unseen by cameras, he could easily mess with the cameras to hide Ladybug’s presence in the Agreste basement.

Surely it would be shocking for Ladybug to see Adrien’s mother lying prone in the middle of the basement, after she was supposed to have been dead for more than a year. But it would be seeing Adrien lifeless and unmoving that would be the most chilling. Especially after knowing how free and animated as Chat Noir that Adrien had proven himself to be.

It all felt wrong.

She tried jostling him. She tried pleading.

She even tried crying.

Her mind raced and must have tried a dozen more things -- to include her Lucky Charm to bring her Prince back to her.

Until, finally, a mad, truly reckless thought occurred.

True love’s kiss had worked once before.

She just hadn’t realized why. She never would have imagined Chat Noir and her Adrien were one in the same.

So, Ladybug’s powers weren’t the only ones she had.

Which meant there was hope.

With her earrings beeping furiously, Ladybug leapt forward, hastily pressing her lips to Adrien’s chilled one before she could second guess herself again.

Not daring to breathe. At least not until he finally did.

Adrien’s green eyes fluttered open.

The soft pink glow of her de-transformation haloing around her head as Adrien slowly smiled back up at Marinette, his hand lifting up to dry the tears from her eyes. “Hello, my Lady.”

She dove back against Adrien as he sat up, hugging him for all he was worth.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Adrien smirked, fingertips hovering just over his lips. “But this isn’t exactly the way I expected to be woken up. Your plans never fail to amaze me.”

Bracing her hands on either cheek, she covered her lips over his once again. “It was a last resort,” she assured, exhaling as she backed away from him a little more. “However, unless you want that kiss to be our last, we both need to suit up quick, to deal with your father.”

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tempests-bards-and-birds · 2 years

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S113 Animan | S218 Style Queen | S510 Transmission

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lady-de-mon-coeur · 2 years

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Watching this

I immediately thought of this

#carmen sandiego #ladrien #ml style queen

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motherofplatypus · 9 months

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Still extremely salty over the fact Marinette and Adrien barely had any moment over modelling or designing.

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gale-gentlepenguin · 1 year

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What if Lila was Gabriel's spy and Adrien's modeling partner from beginning?

So I think the best assumption on this would be if Gabriel hired Lila right after Volpina.

Because Gabriel didn’t know Lila existed until season 1. And with how isolated Gabriel was for the years Emilie was sick then dead.

-So for the sake of making it fit better. Let’s put the point right after collector.

____________________________________________

-After the events of Collector. Gabriel realized that he needed someone on the inside to keep an eye on Adrien.

-So he decided to make a secret deal

-He had Nathalie reach out to Lila. A secret deal to be made.

-He would make her lies real, in exchange for her being his eyes and ears on Adrien.

-Lila happily agreed. Her grudge against ladybug melting a bit.

-Lila arrived a week or so later. Back in school.

-When asked about her disappearance, Lila told them she was negotiating a modeling contract.

-Marinette was ready to call BS, but Lila did return earlier and she still felt bleh about the whole Volpina incident. And it turned out she did have proof.

-Lila was an official Gabriel brand model.

-Adrien just found out about it now. It was quite a surprise.

-Of course Lila is a bit more cautious with her lies, and her focus is more of getting info on Adrien.

-Most of season 2 has her in the background, but there was one shift.

-Lila kept tabs on Adrien but with her being a model, she didn’t need bigger lies to be called out.

-Marinette didn’t like Lila being closer to Adrien, but she already remembered the last time she confronted her, and with no apparent lies, she couldn’t call her out.

-Lila was indifferent to Marinette, so there was no beef.

-Lila was the one that finds the bee miraculous instead of Chloe!

-During style queen, Lila was supposedly one of the models and after Adrien was taken, Gabriel ordered her to follow or he would cancel the deal.

-Shockingly as she ran to get info she found the Bee miraculous.

-And that was a massive change of events.

#ml #ml what if #Lila spy early AU #ml au #alt style queen

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adrinoir · 2 years

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Bully into friend/lover arcs - how Chloe was robbed

I was just thinking about this. There are so many good ways to write a bully into friend/lover arc. I know a couple, but Chloe Bourgeois was robbed of this because we can’t have nice things can we, Mr. Astruc?

Good examples

In The Owl House, Amity Blight went from being a school bully to being Luz’s girlfriend, and restoring her friendship with her childhood best friend, Willow. It was so well done, too.

Throughout the series, even after the arc, we see how pressured Amity is by her family. Her parents want her to be a certain way and hold up a “good” reputation. But, Amity wants to be her own person. She cares about Willow, she’s a lesbian and wants to be with Luz, she has her things she enjoys doing (ie working at the library and reading Azura). She doesn’t care about someone being “more powerful” or being a tool in helping her family’s business grow. They even made her changes in hair color represent that, and made her siblings understand her better.

Also notice how it wasn’t super rushed. Willow wasn’t entirely forgiving of Amity right away, it took time to feel okay having her around again and getting Amity to see her as a strong person. Amity also had her chance to ask Luz to prom, but got so scared, and over the course of a few episodes, their feelings for each other blossomed naturally.

There’s also Tyler in Turning Red. He’s this immature kid making fun of Mei, but it’s shown he has no friends. Tyler has all this insecurity in who he is as a person and can’t even have people come to his birthday party without having Mei there to turn into her panda form.

This one also wasn’t super rushed. Mei and her friends agreed to go to this party for the sake of making money, not for Tyler. But they connected dots as soon as they saw him at the 4Town concert, and ran to him. Then, he ends up sticking with the friend group, which was so sweet.

These characters were given reasons for why they became a bully. And you know who else was? Chloe. Their insecurities and upbringing helps the audience understand and connect with these characters, and why they do what they do. This leads me to my next point.

Chloe’s build up

Chloe has a great backstory. Her mom left her and her dad for New York, neglecting them both and having an affair. Meanwhile, her dad is very dismissive and doesn’t know how to be a good parent. He feels the most he can do is buy her whatever she wants. He cares about her, but isn’t good at being an actual dad, moreso just pleasing her impulsive desires.

Chloe also only had one childhood friend, thanks to the parents being friends: Adrien. She’s used to being around not only her rich family, but this one cute boy who also has a rich family. So, her view of other people who don’t live a life of luxury is very warped.

Chloe has this idea that you’re unworthy of being treated well if you’re not super wealthy. The one friend she made at school, Sabrina, is treated as a servant, being ordered to do things for her.

However, deep down, Chloe does care and we started seeing a lot of that at the end of season 1 and in the beginning of season 2. She has a solid enough friendship with Sabrina that she plays dress up with her, and they pretend to be Ladybug and Cat Noir. She cares so much about her friendship with Adrien that she hosted a party and invited all her classmates, just to show she cares. She felt bad about ruining Marinette’s present to Ms. Bustier, enough to apologize and hug it out with her.

Then, we really see how much she cares about her mom in the two part special, when she gets hold of the bee miraculous. She creates a risky scenario to save these people, simply to prove to her mom that she’s “exceptional.” She also wanted to prove herself to her idol, Ladybug. Her mom is shown to be so conceited and neglectful that she can’t even remember Chloe’s name and picked Marinette over her own daughter to come to New York with her. There’s such an emotional scene before her mom gets on the plane, where Chloe cries and says, “why don’t you love me, mom?” Heartbreaking.

There was such a good build up to a potential character arc. So many episodes shined a spotlight on her actions and backstory. The audience could get a good understanding and sympathize for her. But by the time season 3 rolled around, all of that was completely destroyed, as if none of that meant anything.

Thomas knew he wanted her to stay a bully. He selfishly based her off of a nasty ex girlfriend of his. He did the audience so dirty because anyone who wanted a good character arc for Chloe can’t feel that way anymore. She became even more of a brat and didn’t even want Adrien to be her friend anymore in season 4. It’s now too late for her to have any sort of character arc that would actually make sense.

What could’ve been done

If I had overthrown Thomas early on, there are things that could’ve been done to create her character arc.

She could’ve eased up on Marinette after wrecking her present. She knows Ms. Bustier sees the good in her and wants to prove she can change.

She could’ve made more of an effort to be nice to all the classmates, instead of her losing development as soon as the party in Despair Bear was over.

She could start treating Sabrina like a real friend. Hanging out with her more and showing she appreciates her company.

If she proved she can be a good person, she can eventually get the bee miraculous back in her possession, gain Ladybug’s trust.

After proving her worth, Chloe could become Marinette’s friend or at least friendly acquaintance, like Amity with Willow or Tyler with the girls. She could get close with Adrien again and have a more genuine friendship.

Or, if we want to get into lover territory, maybe Marinette feels okay enough to introduce her to Luka or Kagami, and Chloe starts feeling a certain way. Maybe it’s comphet behavior, obsessing over Adrien, because she’s shoving down feelings for girls. Maybe she hasn’t been exposed or understanding enough of other guys who don’t fit the rich boy standard. Either way, having a significant other and/or friends who see the good in her would be so good for Chloe.

She could stand up to her parents about how she needs more love and time with them. How she wants them to be here for her and accept her as a caring person.

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wilygryphon · 2 years

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The Key to the Miraculous - Style Queen

Audrey Bourgeois is Akumatized into Style Queen again. Fortunately, everyone clears out quickly, and Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Leo Rex arrive on the scene before anyone gets glitterized. Leo Rex immediately freezes her solid with Blizzaga. Then, after verifying that no one was hurt/is dead, the three heroes head off to get ice cream, making sure that someone would put an alert on the Ladyblog if Shadow Moth removes the Akuma while they're gone, and they just leave Style Queen stuck there for an hour.

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hawkmothdiemotte · 1 year

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2/2

Part two of my comic, I drew this yesterday and today just because I couldn’t stand an unfinished project. The story is different than I would have liked now but eh..

#my stuff #my artwork #my art #fanart #original comic #comics #miraculous ladybug #miraculous lb #ml ladybug #chat noir #felix agreste #hawkmoth #style queen #sentimonster adrien #ml sentimonster #sentimonster felix #miraculous fanart

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beom1e · 2 months

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eternal 19 | deprived

genre slice-of-life, angst. warning cursing, alcohol, kissing. wc 1.4k. playlist ml.

prev | masterlist | next

after much debate, your friends decided on a group halloween costume inspired by the alice in wonderland characters. you were thankful, having almost been dragged into dressing like a scooby doo character or one of the chipmunks. each of characters’ names were put into one of chaewon’s caps, and each of you drew out your costume.

sakura as the white rabbit, yunjin as the mad hatter, kazuha as the cheshire cat, chaewon as alice, and yourself as the queen of hearts. of course, each costume strayed far from the actual character design, needing to fit into the dress code of a university-style house party. which, of course, meant pleasing to the eye and a little slutty.

you arrived fashionably late with kazuha, your arms linked and her cheerfully greeting everybody you passed by. she was going to stay at your apartment afterwards, having claimed that it was a shorter trip home. and you didn’t mind, happy to know that she’ll be getting home safe.

your friends had already started on the drinks, taking up one of the sofas in the living room and chatting loudly. you led kazuha into the kitchen and began searching for a bottle of anything, not trusting the pre-made cocktails sitting on the counter. as your eyes laid on the mini fridge, kazuha began flirting with a boy dressed as cupid. you rolled your eyes and pulled out two glass bottles. in the time it took you to find a bottle opener and get the two bottles open, she had been ushered away towards the beer pong table.

you huffed, and leaned your body against the counter.

your red corset seemed to overwhelm your senses, and the music sounded dull. despite pre-drinking as you got ready beside kazuha, you felt the most sober you ever had. it used to feel amazing, going to parties and making the most of your early twenties. but now you felt so out of place, like you’d fallen out of love with how it used to make you feel.

a part of you knew why you felt that way. ever since beomgyu had reached out to you, you had been thinking about him nonstop. and he had disappeared just as quickly as he’d reappeared, leaving you longing for an interaction. but he didn’t text, or update on his socials, and you never saw him around. and after being berated by yunjin, you kept your thoughts of beomgyu to yourself. you always claimed that maybe you were just tired, or maybe you just needed a break from all of the drinking and partying.

it all just felt so insincere.

you weren’t the girl you really were when you were partying. putting on a front of a sociable, easy-going girl who wanted nothing more than to have fun that simply wasn’t you.

you sighed as you placed the ice-cold bottles down onto the counter. you brought your hands up to run through your hair, and took a moment to tug against the roots before you loosened your hold. as you opened your eyes, you were met with beomgyu stepping into the kitchen. you lowered your gaze and reached for the bottles once more, about to make a move to get far away from him when you realised you were now trapped behind the counter.

you watched as his hand slid against the counter and he leaned the side of his torso against the surface. you slowly lifted your gaze and took in his familiar features. the corner of his lip was curled up into a slight smirk.

‘queen of hearts?’ his eyes trailed over your figure, making you feel exposed. it shouldn’t have even bothered you, knowing that he’d seen more of you than anyone else in the short time that you were together.

you gave him the same once-over that he’d given you. he clearly hadn’t tried to be on theme. black jeans a white graphic tee, paired with the plainest silver chain. he had one singular streak of fake blood draw along his cheek, and his gaze seemed slightly darker than it used to be. with his energy feeling so far off, you wondered if he had moved on from you already. a sickly feeling met your stomach as you considered the possibility of his date soon rounding the corner.

‘yeah,’ you pursed your lips and awkwardly fiddled with the bottles in your left hand. ‘what are you supposed to be?’

‘someone so clearly forced into his friends’ plans at the last minute,’ he joked, tilting his head to the side as the smirk remained on his lips. ‘it’s nice to see you.’

‘oh, yeah,’ you smiled awkwardly. ‘it’s nice to see you too.’

‘where’s your friend?’ he raised a brow, expression hardening at the thought of yunjin. ‘you know, the one that despises me.’

‘yunjin doesn’t…’ you trailed off. ‘i was about to go find out, actually.’ you took a step toward him, as his figure was still blocking your way out.

‘don’t,’ his response made your legs feel weak, your body physically unable to move. ‘sorry, i’m not trying to overstep. i don’t know where i stand with you, but i just wanted to apologise for sendings those texts. i had good intentions, but it did more bad than good. and i wanted you to know that if it was up to me, i never would have stopped.’

‘there’s no need to apologise,’ you shook your head dismissively. ‘i appreciated hearing from you.’

‘i wish that things could be different,’ he confessed. ‘i wish that i still had you around.’

‘i know the feeling,’ you smiled sadly. ‘drink?’

beomgyu stared down at the bottles in your outstretched hand. he wordlessly took one from you and watched as you took a sip. a stiff silence fell over the two of you.

‘you should probably go back out there,’ he spoke, lifting the bottle up to his lips. ‘i’d hate for yunjin to find another reason to hate me.’

‘she’ll find one either way,’ you teased as you pushed away from the counter. he followed you with his gaze as your body only slightly brushed past his. ‘see you later, beomgyu.’

you found your friends still chatting on the sofa, now more giggly than they previously had been. you tried to ignore the dryness of your throat as you approached them.

you tried to let it be freeing. the alcohol and the dancing, and the buzz felt in the presence of your friends. and knowing that beomgyu still longed for you the way that you still longed for him, at least a weight had been lifted from your shoulders.

kazuha had been dancing beside you only moments ago, but was soon being swept away by cupid once more. you sighed and dropped your arms down to your side. chaewon looked over at you and gave you a thumbs up, as if asking if you were feeling okay. you forced a smile and held up both of your thumbs, before your expression fell once more.

beomgyu headed straight for you, ignoring the looks your friends had gave him. he reached for your hand, fingers wrapping around your own before he led you out of the crowd and towards a quieter corner. your back was soon pressed against some stranger’s door as he looked down at you with his still darkened gaze. his tongue poked out to wet his lips before you could question his actions.

‘just tell me you want me to leave you alone,’ he spoke softly, but his voice still managed to reach your ears despite the music. ‘i need to hear you say it.’

‘of all the things that i want from you,’ you lazily shook your head. ‘leaving me alone hasn’t even made that list.’

‘good,’ he cupped your cheek with his hand and tilted your head up. ‘because i don’t think i ever could.’

the room felt as though it had set ablaze as soon as he moved in to kiss you. the first kiss lasted mere seconds, before he used his hold on your cheek to part your lips. you moaned into his mouth as a sense of peace began to sink into your skin. he was so familiar and so warm. he was everything you’d ever needed, and you had been deprived of him for far too long.

taglist @beomsitez @wccycc @captivq @wave2love @soobsfairy444 @woncheecks @gyuville @hyeinszn @wonioml @soonyoungblr @axo-l0tl @isascat @bgomtori @strawbrinkofdeath @minhoino @run2seob @bangchansbae @xxmaysaaxx @moagyuu @suurejann @cherriesbloss0m @koeuh @ameliesaysshoo @n034sy @starrsea @destairea @barbi2709 @alyssajavenss @lily-loves-kpop @bunnisoobin @lolos-hoes @rikizm @mwahvvis @heegyuwrld @zzhyuu @damn-u-min-yoongi @junsprincess @miyawwn @ja4hyvn @20-cms @seestrio @itxshiluvr

#tomorrow x together #txt #txt x y/n #txt x reader #txt x you #choi beomgyu #beomgyu #beomgyu smau #beomgyu angst #beomgyu fluff #txt smau #txt angst #txt fluff

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hometoursandotherstuff · 4 months

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Thanks to 70thstreet for sending this 1906 Queen Anne in Boise, Idaho. Yes, it's been remodeled and yes, it's white. But, we have to look past the white b/c it's a blank slate for buyers and they've chosen to combine old & new in this remodel. 5bds, 4ba, $2.850M.

The entrance hall is full of beautiful original millwork from the magnificent original fireplace to the stairs, to the windows and doors.

Clearly, the walls were all redone, and so were the floors, but I'm not sure how much was changed. Did they remove pocket doors, take down walls?

This could be an original fireplace painted white, or it could be a new faux one. It's pretty, though.

The wood doorway wall is original, but the others look very square and modern.

Original windows, doors, and lighting are still intact.

The kitchen is gorgeous. The cabinetry is very high end, the floors are marble, the counters are quartz.

It has 2-tone cabinetry- some white to offset the dark. The appliances are chef's grade.

This is a large eat-in kitchen.

This looks like the dining room.

There is a bedroom on the main floor.

It's not unusual to have a primary bedroom on the main floor. This one has a new en-suite bath. It's not Victorian style, but it's a beautiful new bath.

On the 2nd fl. is a sitting room.

Off the sitting room is this adorable turret room.

All of the bedrooms and baths have been renovated. The baths are very attractive. I like the pedestal sink and shower tiles.

The walls and ceilings have been renewed but the original doors, transoms and moldings are here, painted white.

They've got a bath/laundry room conveniently located up here.

The old porch has been completely transformed with modern windows.

The attic is huge and has been completely redone.

Beautiful porch, patio and pool are on the side of the home.

Meticulous landscaping on a .36 acre lot.

#queen anne victorian #victorian homes #renovated victorian #houses #house tours home tour #submissions

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teawinx · 2 years

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Ladies and gentlemen: HER.

So I’ve not been posting a lot of art lately, and this isn’t a big “I’m back post regularly” thing. I’ve been detoxing from Miraculous, and I feel great! So now I’m only posting ML art when I really really want to. And that’s the case today! But I’ve officially stopped watching the show. I don’t care to watch something so toxic, so I’m enjoying it in my own controlled way. If that makes any sense, probably not lol.

So, elephant in the room, yes that is Ascended Queen Bee!!! Note that she doesn’t actually get the form in the rewrite, not because she doesn’t earn it but she doesn’t keep her Miraculous. But, hypothetically, if she got it back she would have this form. She earns it and I love her, your honor.

Design wise she hasn’t changed this last time I drew her. I only modified her Queen Bee suit to look more like a leotard and tights, since she’s a sports star. The Ascended form was HEAVILY based on Winx Club’s Enchantix. I can’t help myself. Very Stella, but I love Stella so I’m not complaining.

My art style is going through a renaissance and I’m having so many good brain beans about it

#Miraculous Ladybug #Queen Bee #Miraculous Ladybug Queen Bee #Miraculous Ladybug rewrite #Miraculous Ladybug redesign #Queen Bee redesign #chloe bourgeois redesign #chloe bourgeois #Chloe deserved better #miraculous ladybug queen bee redesign

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princess-of-the-corner · 13 days

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ML-AU idea, but instead of Adrien having the pseudo arranged marriage situation with Kagami its Chloe. Mostly cos her mother is Style Queen & Andre makes buying land on the cheap & covering up shady stuff easier. Plus Tomoe's already Gabriel's' main investor outside Audrey she doesn't 'need' him.

This doesn't change a ton in either girls life overall.

Kagami is encouraged to be more 'take charge' given the assumption Chloe's basically just a nepo-baby being used to 'seal the deal' and so its assumed Kagami will be taking the lead on things like dates, dancing, ETC.

For Chloe, the changes are mostly her dad throwing a tutor or two at her for noted subjects before peacing out. & her mother making some snide, "Even someone unexceptional should make a passable paramour."

Amusingly, I could actually see it going kind of well given they are both proud, competitive, place lots of emphasis on their families name and reputation and maintaining its influence. Plus they have strong personalities so one would not be able to domineer the other, or find them frustrating due to being too passive.

Plus, both but especially Kagami are probably touch starved as hell.

Not sure where I am going with this, sorry XD

God if only their parents weren't homophobic af

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tempests-bards-and-birds · 2 years

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Adrien x black suits

#this boy is my life and fucking soul #this is the result of the mental block that has been plaguing me for the past couple of days #the new trailer gave me something else to do for like a day but now i'm back in the struggle of what the fuck to do during a hiatus #turns out it's just gifsets of mari and adrien's outfits #also #the suits are just *chef's kiss*#i've been calling this gifset the 'suitdrien' gifset in my head but idk if that sounds too weird to be the title so-#sorry for all the weird tags ksdfvjhgdvfkhj #miraculous #mlb #miraculous ladybug #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #miraculous les aventures de ladybug et chat noir #adrien agreste #ml gifs #mlb gifs #gifset #risk #style queen

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hwaightme · 1 year

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Your fan, Mingi (part 2)

(part 1) (your fan ml)

🎤 pairing: mingi x rapper!reader 🎤 genre: slice of life, mix of fluff and angst, music and the industry, slow burn 🎤 summary: a bulletpoint-style wordstream of what it would be like if mingi was stanning you 🎤 wordcount: 3.3k 🎤 warnings/tags: language, reader is a rapper, reader is a tattooed queen, mingi and reader collaboration, album of the year, big concert, toxic fandom (but it is overcome:)), mingi support, reader is a shining star, comfort, celebrity, hongjoong is proud dad, studio energy, write angsty rap, power couple, new future, new home 🎤 a/n: Hi <3 this is part 2 for Your fan, Mingi!! Part 1 can be found here. From the bottom of my heart thank you so much for your support and care, and as always, I greatly appreciate any asks, reblogs and likes!

You trusted Hongjoong. He was one of the only idol artists who you clicked with and remained connected to, and you had no regrets. He never pushed any subject you were not comfortable with, nor did he really mention idol life outside of music, composition, production and lyric writing.

Through him you had gotten to know more about the idol life, and just what it took for such a talented and prominent fourth generation group to do world tours, to do fansign events, to always be there for fans and create fantastic music.

There had been a couple of times previously that Hongjoong had implied that it would be interesting to collaborate with you, but you had brushed it off.

You had no idea whether you, having the standing that you did in the music industry, would benefit or suffer from such a collaboration. For you the thought of potentially having to have official big-scale promotions and delving into the political side of the industry was more than unpleasant.

It was clear that had you signed any contract for officially making a track with Hongjoong, you likely would have had to play by his company's rules, maybe even have had to fit a particular concept.

This time, however, Hongjoong had unknowingly hit you in your weak spot. He mentioned Song Mingi.

When Hongjoong and you had a listening session together, with him and yourself sharing some tracks, both released and in the works, you had fixated on the other rapper's voice and flow.

He had a unique tone, and a way of incorporating off-beats and delays that made you inadvertently shake your head and make the classic 'damn this shit is good' face. The highest level of approval.

You had not hesitated in informing your friend that Mingi was a gem in his team, and that you were grateful to have had the chance to listen to him.

And of course Hongjoong was going to remember that until the end of time and employ that information against you.

The text was simple, but did not leave much room for negotiation. Not that you would have refused anyways.

<MC MINION> hey Mingi loves you and wants to record a cover of your track Dum Spiro Spero. You cool with that + got instrumental?

You had to admit, you had been hopeful that a day would come when you could meet Mingi, especially after you had spotted him in the audience at your recent concert.

You were too cool to let your glee show, instead launching into one of your more challenging openers. Did you want to impress him? Yes. Did you want to spell out that you liked him? No.

It was lucky that your fans did not recognise him, or were polite and respectful enough to pay no mind, nor alert anyone on social media. So, in peace you could enjoy giving him the occasional glance throughout the show and let your inner fangirl perform a victory dance as you noticed he was completely enchanted.

So without any further thought, you sit send on an offer for them to come over to your studio and to make something completely new together. Bureaucratic shit could wait for a second, you had some self-wingwoman-ing to do.

They had arrived at record speed, much to your delight. And to say that your heart skipped a beat when you locked eyes with Mingi would be an understatement. You were envious of the unbelievable boom-bap that it had produced, barely being able to contain yourself.

Mingi was the same. Shining like a thousand suns, he stretched his hand out to you and once you did the same, could not help but admire the tattoos that were peeking out from under the sleeve of your oversized hoodie.

In a spur of emotion he blurted out a series of compliments, his hand still holding onto yours, him melting as you chuckled and sent warm words right back.

While deciding what the track was going to be, Hongjoong had suddenly decided to volunteer himself into an exclusively producer role, saying something along the lines of "the track will just sound better that way trust me"... which could be taken two ways.

Mingi swooned a little at the thought that Hongjoong was literally waving a green flag for him to make a RAP DUET with you.

While you, interpreting it as a subtle jab at your productions skills, clasped your hands together, uttering a low, "1v1 me dude I dare you"

Never before did Mingi see Hongjoong so unsettled, his hands flittering over your equipment as he laughed nervously. But in a matter of seconds a sweet smile returned to your face as you leaned back in the chair and said "you know that we are both control freaks right? Wait- Mingi? You a control freak or just freaky?"

His face slowly started turning beet red as he looked to his captain for reassurance. It did not help that you addressed him informally, catching him off-guard completely. But he did not mind. In fact, he liked it. A lot.

And with that buzz motivating you, you Hongjoong and Mingi began to write lines, lay down beats, nearly crash Ableton a couple of times, hold a mini-concert on some Launchpads, and made sure to include a catchy hook, credit to Hongthoven being in the house.

It was totally different seeing you work. Just as you were sweet and mellow when chatting away to him or Hongjoong, you were the world's energy personified both in the booth and while guiding Hongjoong if there was something he could not find, since the set up was slightly different.

Mingi could not take his eyes off you as you were recording your parts. The way in which you were fully immersed in the story spoke volumes about your professionalism, and how well you added vocals to his parts made his heart flutter. He could not help but imagine how this could sound live.

He wanted to take this out of the booth and into the world. To be that rap duo that everyone wanted to hear. So once it was his turn, he gave it all.

You were in awe. He was even better than before, and matched you impressively well. He had even used some of your beloved techniques, and took a rhythmic pattern from your part to emphasise its importance. You could not help but lean over to Hongjoong, who was looking awfully similar to a Cheshire cat, and whisper:

"I need an album with this guy."

"He's all yours. Trust me, he'll break KQ down if you tell him."

Now it was your turn to blush. Who were you? A school girl? Maybe. Maybe on the inside there was a little school girl. You didn't mind though. Not one bit. You liked it. And though you were still one to want to keep that tough girl persona, you admitted you had a soft spot for the gentle giant.

After the first day of working on the track had gone incredibly well, Hongjoong and Mingi had taken straight to management to convince them that this was going to be a hit. Later that same night, on an hour-long zoom call with you, your agent, Hongjoong, Mingi and their management present, you had all agreed on terms and were ready to make the track official for future release.

You knew that this was likely going to involve a lot more publicity, and was going to be something new, but Mingi had highlighted, when the topic of promotions came up, that he did not want to follow a hardcore route, instead opting more for the few but highly sought after appearances. Hongjoong simply agreed.

It was obvious to you that Mingi was doing this out of consideration for you, and it did make you think that maybe he saw you as weak, but that evaporated once the call was done and he messaged you privately.

<MC Mango> Hey Y/N! Just wanted to say that I am so excited to be able to actually make this track with you! Feels like a dream haha

<you> Hi Mingi, likewise :) super cool stuff, you coming to the studio @ 10am tomorrow right?

<MC Mango> You know it! Also, what's your favourite food?

Well that was random, but you decided to answer anyways

<you> Nachos are life.

<MC Mango> RESPECT! Okay thank you :D

<you> You mysterious man... O_O

<MC Mango> See you tomorrow Y/N :) <3

<you> haha see you :) <3

His addition of the heart made your heart do flip flops. You really were getting too soft. So you put on your noise cancelling headphones, and in your best nature, turned up an aggressive hiphop and trap playlist.

And yet, thoughts of him did not want to leave, so instead, you returned to tweaking what you had recorded today, listening to his wonderful voice many times over.

After a few more days of the two ATEEZ members basically living in your studio (and Mingi bringing nachos for you because of that one text you sent), you were officially finished with the preparation of the track, having mastered it to the highest quality attainable, and after that, it was a big time rush to tie up all the loose ends for the set release.

The way that this one song scaled in terms of production was unprecedented, and compared to your lonely nights in the studio or at most, five people working on an album, you could not help but feel like you did not deserve this.

You felt like everything was being taken out of your control, and there were moments when you, quite literally, had no idea what was happening, neither with your song nor with what the bureaucrats had lined up for you. It was all simply too much. Too loud, too much like a hive.

So walked right into your studio, and got to writing.

The words came naturally to you, and it was your fingers that were struggling to keep up as you let loose on the pages in front of you. The message was simple enough, but it resonated. The feeling of realising that you will never really quite know a person, or the wide network of people who are connected to you.

Just as you were finishing up, you noticed that the second verse seemed to have a slightly different voice. One that was too similar to a certain tall rapper. Oh you were in deep.

You were alerted by a soft knock on the door, and looked up to see none other than Mingi, poking his head in, evidently worried. You could not be happier to see him.

"Hey, you weren't at KQ so I figured I could find you here. What's up? Can I come in?"

He asked, ever so gentle. As he ambled across the room upon shutting the door behind him, you noticed he had a plastic bag in his hands. After seeing your line of vision stop at the object, he raised it a little, explaining:

"I brought some fuel. There were these cool new fusion kimbap rolls launched, and I wanted to try them with you."

With you. The words repeated in your head. You thanked him, and patted the seat beside you. There was no need for you to explain why you were taking some time out, Mingi understood in a heartbeat.

The only thing that mattered to him was that you were still here, smiling, and more than happy to see him. Be with him.

You slid over the lyrics you had written for a still untitled rough idea, asking him for his opinion. Brows furrowed, he leaned over, closer to you.

"Oh this flows... nice... oh I really like that line. Wait why did you write 'Fix On'?"

"Guess."

"Wait, no way. Is this us?"

"Well... it could be?" you left the question hanging in the air. Silence fell upon the room as he looked deep into your eyes.

"This... is going to be THE BEST ALBUM EVER LET'S DO THIS!" he almost deafened you with his scream for joy as he jumped up from the chair, taking you with him and wrapping you up in a tight hug.

At first you were frozen, unsure of what in the world you were supposed to be doing, but as seconds passed and he was not planning on letting go, you chuckled and returned the embrace, rocking just a little.

Another spark passed between you as both of you felt that this was definitely going to be much more than just an album.

As days turned into weeks, and one song turned into a mini album, your interactions with Mingi also changed. Instead of just staying in the studio to work, you now spent hours on end in the space just staying together to chat. Initially sat opposite one another, but recently, intertwined in a cuddle on the couch, both of you looking at either your phone or his.

When Hongjoong was in the studio too, he was constantly eyeing both of you with a cheeky smirk.

It had already been five times that the rest of the members, led by Yunho, crashed the studio 'to see how things were going' and to 'see Mingi because they have not seen him in so long'. Soon enough that had also changed to 'you know what just take him forever he doesn't stop talking about you anyways'.

Though you had not made it official yet, everything was progressing in that direction. Both him and you were evolving thanks to your collaboration, and had only one wish: for this to never end.

Mingi had helped you familiarise yourself with official photoshoots, and you had given him freestyling tricks for 'the future'.

Once the mini album dropped, it seemed that everything you knew combusted.

Initially, your fans, those fans who you held so dear and worked tirelessly for, were pouring in with nothing but disappointment and hatred. You were appalled. It was also obvious that they had not listened to any of the tracks, and they were just displeased that now you were 'searching for the mainstream, sucking up to popular culture and losing yourself'.

It would be a lie to say you did not spend nights after the release in tears, instead of celebrating. Hiding in your beloved studio, you could not stop yourself from composing sad track after sad track, trying to find an outlet for your anguish. You knew you should not have done this. You knew you should not have loved.

You did not answer Mingi's calls, nor his messages, but when he bust through the door, misty-eyed and crying out your name, you collapsed into his arms as he comforted you, promising you that he would always be there. No matter how hard things seemed.

Once you had calmed down, he took out his phone and started showing you some screenshots. Then went on Twitter, and then even searched up articles related to your collaboration. He wanted to show you that there was a different side to the story.

And oh how bright it was.

ATINY were overwhelmingly positive about this surprise release, praising both Mingi's and your talents, and diving into searching for more of your content.

You read the critics raving about each track, especially the first one, which you had made into the title track.

The public was calling for this to be in concert. On a show. Anywhere where they could feel this live. You took Mingi's hand and slipped your fingers through his, and he responded by bringing you closer, kissing your cheek.

"And finally, take a look," and he showed you one more page. Your social media page. With the follower count unlike anything you have ever seen before, even though you had experienced a crash just a few days ago. And a flood of comments of appreciation and gratitude. In that moment, you returned to Mingi, and pulled him into a hope-filled kiss.

It was interesting doing promotions as a new couple. Though you had not revealed the relationship, multiple public figures had commented on your 'unique chemistry' and 'what seemed to be musical telepathy'.

On a couple of shows onto which you had agreed to go, (given the condition that Mingi would be there too) you shined. Initially you were irked by their requests that you covered up your tattoos, but as it turned out, long-sleeved, form fitting turtlenecks and modern cyber and industrial wear quickly became your signature.

Your agent was ecstatic at your rise in popularity, and was now almost always on new phone calls, even negotiating with some brands who wished to do advertising with you.

And Mingi, well, he was falling in love with you more and more, as you shined brighter and brighter. During a small break in your promotions to accommodate ATEEZ's pre-filming, he continuously messaged you and even invited you onto the film set, where you had the chance to mingle more with the staff.

You had gotten to know a lot of them closely, even recognising some from the time of initial preparations for your album with Mingi, and took no time to present them with small thank you gifts, and helping them out when you could.

Their attitude towards you also softened, with one of the younger interns admitting that initially, she had perceived you as a much scarier and stricter figure, and after hearing some rumours. To this, you responded with a light-hearted laugh, and thanked her for the honestly.

How glad you were that Mingi had snuck out to see you that day, and that serendipity had brought you a friend in the form of Hongjoong.

Fast-forward a couple of months, and you were having the largest-scale concert of your career. Before, it used to be within the hundreds at most, the highest profile one having approached one thousand.

But now, there were a few thousand voices, all chanting your name. The venue was sold out in record time, and the first batch of merch that you had designed, with Mingi cheering you on in the background, was nearly sold out. The concert merch too, had been swept off the stalls.

It was exhilarating. You were alive. Before, it was you breathing life into the audience, sharing your energy with them, connecting to them and lighting up the room. But now, the exchange was mutual, and in some moments, you were flabbergasted at the pulsating force of the crowd. They were there for you. They were cheering for you. They knew your words by heart and were overjoyed to be in this time and space with you.

You were on the extended platform connected to the main stage that went further into the audience. A peninsula, surrounded by a sea of shimmering glow and the wonderful people attending. It was time for you to perform the title track of your and Mingi's album. You were seated on one of the two stools that were right in the centre of the 'peninsula'. One single spotlight on you.

The crowd roared, signaling Mingi's approach in the darkness. You felt his back press against yours, his heartbeat steady, giving you rhythm, giving you reassurance. While your microphones were still off, but he moved his away just in case, you heard him whisper to you quick words of adoration, and a cheerful 'let's do this'.

In this wide world, you had always thought that keeping your circle small, your fanbase small, and your music inaccessible was the only way to preserve identity. But you had grown. You had now understood that you had been selfish, denying those who wanted to dream the opportunity to do so.

Now on the stage, together with the love of your life and with the universe surrounding you, you were truly alive, and truly an artist.

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sometimesthatsbetter · 1 month

Text

Every thing i read in Febubary

I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game

The MC of this novel is so fucking silly cause who tf names their kid Ash 'Born hater' Everblack? Like i'm being for real right now, his mom literally called him her 'little hater'. Love that

So, a Korean gamer who was streaming about this old strategy game on hardmode where if you fail once the game resets. The guy got isekaied the moment he finished the game on stream and right in the middle of the battle field too, tough luck hater.

Before we go more in depth about this story I would recommend that you read the novel version, the manhwa seems a little tacky and i've seen alot of readers complain that the manhwa makes everything look cheaper.

So, one of reasons why it made on to my reading list is because it was recommended by my guy friends who has great taste for this kinda genre. It drew him in because it used actual strategies that he would also use in his game instead of throwing around random lingo in hopes to cater to gamers. Like every battle was truly suspenseful and the author isn't afraid to show that every victory requires a sacrifice. Also I've seen people praise the character development of this novel, everyone starts out a little stereotypical and annoying but they get their own story arcs to shine.

Another thing i like is that this story is about the fight against the end of the world. Like i know alot of stories with that kind of premise but rarely do i ever feel the urgencey as strongly as i do with this story. The last stand against a sea of monsters waiting to consume the world and the young prince who's tasked with the question of remaining human or turning into a monster to save his world. I love me some classical fantasy

Anyways, it has 500+ translated chapters and it's all free. Go read it now.

The problematic prince

If i'm being honest here i can think of at least 10 more manhwa crown princes who are even more problematic than the ML, especially that guy from the abandoned empress, yeah fuck you blueberry head.

So the story premise is the typical bad boy x good girl story trope. Our prince Bjorn keeps getting pestered by his ex wife whom he doesn't want contact with and our FL is being sold off to the highest bidder in society, shinnaigans happen and so the are married. That's the very shorten version of the plot

First thing that i noticed, the vibes. It gave off so much Edwardian, turn of the century energy that i adore. From the costuming to the city streets and the interactions between common people. Love it.

The author seems to have been blessed with amazing writing skills because oh my god did the writing style made me swoon. Erna, our FL, can be classified as one of those soft girl heroines but i feel like she's more than that. She knew what she had to do to keep her loved ones safe and always strived for better, she's not a cunning villainess nor a simpering coward. Erna never settled and kept enduring and trying new ways to connect with others around her even when she's being labelled as a home wrecker.

Also the nobilities and medias reaction to their marriage was incredibly realistic, i see alot of manhwas with rags to riches stories or men marrying women with horrendus reputations but never mention how powerful the influence of the peoples opinions. Here you can see that Bjorn and Erna's relationship, while rocky still holds strong, it seemed like they are truly in love and happy with their choices. Yet media still condemns her as a witch, a slut and a disgrace towards the royal family. It even lead to a attempt on Ernas life. Which shows you how easily the public can be whipped into a frenzy just because of a narritive that she is other woman.

The spirit queen

If i even find the author of this manhwa i would like to make out with them and have their babies, cause this kind of genious deserves to be preserved.

Do you want a story with proper drama? Do you want something that actually keeps it's momentum and doesn't half ass shit half way through? Do you want themes about power and how it turns people into the worse version of themselves? Well look no further. The spirit queen has your back

Another thing that i loved about this story was it's sympathy towards the working class. The servants in this aren't the stereotypical happy go lucky loyal maids that you see in manhwas, they also aren't evil back stabbing people either. They know that their lives are worthless when it comes to the upper classes so they do all that they can to survive and to protect their loved ones. And i respect that as hell, even if it made them do less than savory things.

Also i recently learned that the author, Tutu-nim, wrote and drew this manhwa on their own. A true girlboss

Run away with me, girl

Remember all those times you said that you can be a better husband for the FL? Well this is a lesbian romance based on that premise.

It's a bittersweet romance story about two girls who were high school friends meeting each other after 10 years. Maki, who is till doing her graduate courses while living with her mom and lamenting her loneliness, while Midori is engaged and pregnant and living that perfect, normal life she wanted. Of course everything is not as it seems, and that's what the author wanted to explore in the coming chapters of the story

It's a short read, about 16? 17? chapters. But the author manages to do so much in that short amount of time. Every character felt so real and complicated. At first when you see Midori and the way that she treated Maki after their reunion, it's not hard to come to the conclusion that Midori is just playing around with Makis feelings. Especially with the way that she flirts and then reminds Maki of her engagement to her boyfriend.

This manga has the most realistic, hut wrenching potrayals of abuse, love and hate i've seen in a while. And if i'm being honest there is a high chance i would do the same if i was stuck in their situation.

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