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goggles-mcgee · 2 years

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Replaced: It’s The Latest News

Second Chapter of the story for @miner249er

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Summary: Alya prided herself on being the Number 1 Ladybug journalist in all of Paris. She was the one who got exclusive interviews, she was the one who got recognized in a sea of reporters and news channels on the scenes of akuma battles and she was the one who had been trusted to be Rena Rouge. So imagine her surprise when a rival Ladybug blog has the latest Ladybug scoop, not just a scoop, no, they had Ladybug as a guest and she gave them the honor of hosting her announcement.

Alya tried her best not to feel betrayed.

Alya prided herself on her journalism skills. Her blog was the culmination of those skills. It was definitely a step up from going around her old neighborhood with an old tape recorder (her father’s) and a little handheld journal to write whatever she found that caught her eye or ear. She upgraded to using an app on her phone to record herself or whatever juicy lead she was following and a note app that let her type out quick notes that she would later transfer to her computer so she could flesh out her story. It was a beautiful if not meticulous process, one she found almost methodical. Oh it was hard work don’t get her wrong but it was work that paid off and it was work that deserved to be recognized. Alya had a talent and she knew that, ever since she was a little girl she knew she had wanted to be a reporter. It was different than most kids her age, especially when her and her family had been living in Louisiana in the States.

Moving to Paris had been a big move but when her mother had gotten the job offer by the mayor of freaking Paris to work in his hotel restaurant it had been an easy decision to let her mom follow her dream, the whole family had agreed. Besides, from what her mother had told her and her sisters, their ancestors had lived in France for a substantial amount of time before they fled to the States and settled down in New Orleans. When Alya had asked why their ancestors had fled her mother had been particularly avoidant of the whole thing, she always said it wasn’t the kind of story she wanted her little girls to know. Of course her father had agreed with his wife, that was what led Alya down her path of journalism. Down her path of justice. Her ancestors were her past just as much as her mother’s, she should be able to know why they had fled to the states in the first place.

War had been ruled out pretty fast, as it was something her mother denied when asked and she knew her mother wasn’t lying. When her mother lied she tended to bite her lip and scrunch her nose. It was an obvious tell. When her father lied his left eyebrow would twitch just the slightest bit. Nora rarely lied, her older sister was someone who wore their emotions on their sleeves, but on the rare occasions she did lie she would give this awkward smile. Now the twins were still at that stage where if they lied they looked off to the side or giggled, it was horribly obvious. Alya knew all her family’s tells so she knew when her mother lied or told the truth, her mother quickly caught on to that fact and just refused to talk about their ancestors all together. She wanted to know the story, no, she craved the story! She needed to know and so she set out to find the truth.

It made her feel like a secret agent! Hunting down the clues, following leads if she got any. It was thrilling. In the end it wasn’t that big of a shock, Alya had honestly been expecting the fleeing of her ancestor (who she found out was a woman called Fayette) to be something big and shocking like running away from an assassin or an arranged marriage to a wealthy family and her ancestor had a torrid love affair! Something dramatic! In the end it was because Fayette wanted to travel while her father firmly denied his daughter’s wish because, though she was the youngest daughter, she had responsibilities. The family had a farm and Fayette knew she would either live a life on the farm or have to marry to get away from the farm and that wasn’t something she wanted so she ran and caught a boat to the States.

Though it wasn’t the story she had been wanting nor expecting it was still something that she had hunted down and found herself and it had made Alya feel so good and accomplished. Her mother and father hadn’t been so happy with her, nor had her grandparents but nothing could have dulled her flames that day. She told everyone about it, even those not in the family, it was a story she found, so she figured she had every right to share it. Nora had been interested to hear about it but when she found out Alya was telling her friends at school and the neighbors, she got mad just like their mom and dad. That was the night that Alya got lectured about what she shared, because that was a story about the family, one that was supposed to stay in the family.

Alya really didn’t see why it mattered. It’s not like Fayette did anything bad, so she saw no problem with sharing the story about her ancestor, but her parents told her it would have been fine if she had asked permission. That was also the night that Alya decided it was better to ask for forgiveness than to beg for permission because she knew her parents never would have given her their say to share the story. Okay maybe she didn’t know for sure but she liked to think she knew her family members well enough to know they wouldn’t have so she stuck to her thought to ask for forgiveness. Plus, reporters never asked for permission to follow stories they just did! And she was going to be the best reporter ever.

Maybe that was a childish thing to still believe in but Alya knew she had the skills and the drive to reach for it. Sure she had some hiccups but those were merely bumps in the road towards her shining future! Alya had grown since those small mistakes and so had her blog, her blog was truly her greatest accomplishment. Her blog would also be the key to getting her future, it was her portfolio, her experience, it was her everything. A large part of her success she credited towards Ladybug, if it wasn’t for the hero, her blog wouldn’t have found its focus nor its audience, but it was her who built it to what it was today. It was her hard work, her editing, her research, her talent that made it what it was. Perhaps she sounded smug but Alya firmly believed she earned the right to.

Lately though her posts weren’t getting as much traction as they usually got. The numbers were still high but not nearly as high as they had been months ago and Alya had no idea why. She hadn’t done anything differently. She still posted the latest akuma fights, she still posted random facts that correlated with the animal or whatever thing the Kwami of a Miraculous represented, she still posted interviews with Lila. Her content was the same perfect formula she had created and observed as being her most popular, so there should have been no significant drops, and yet there was. Sure Alya could go to her comments and try and see what the people were displeased with but it was getting harder to find the actual constructively critical comments and the haters.

Ever since her first interview with Lila she had been getting massive hate, that’s not to say she never got any before but that interview seemed to set off a chain reaction of hate comments. They called Lila every name under the sun that was synonymous with ‘liar’ and they called Alya many names too but more often than not she was labeled with ‘sell-out.’ Lila, of course, apologized for the hate her interview brought. Apparently she had quite the following of people who hated her and tried their best to denounce everything she did. Alya had brushed it off but to be honest it was a pain because those comments took up so much of the comment sections of her posts that she basically gave up blocking people and deleting comments. It was just too much work. What made it worse was that Alya’s best friend seemed to believe those people.

Marinette was never someone who didn’t give someone a second chance or believed rumors right off the bat, and yet she was whole-heartedly against Lila. It hurt. It hurt because Lila was amazing and kind and generous and just everything that Marinette was and if that girl could just open her eyes, Alya was sure they would be friends. Apparently that wasn’t going to happen, or at least not any time soon, so until Marinette could grow up Alya had decided she needed space from her BFF. The girl squad knew and agreed so they too held Marinette at arms-length when they interacted with her. They hoped it would make the girl realize she was in the wrong and apologize but she hadn’t.

It hurt to admit but Alya missed Marinette, she missed how they would pass notes during class (well back when they sat together), she missed how Marinette was always ready to help her if Alya needed her, and she missed their sleepovers. There was so much she missed but those were the things that first came to mind because in class her and Lila didn’t pass notes, Alya had to take class notes for Lila and herself because of Lila’s wrist issues. Alya loved Lila, she really did, but Lila promised help but she had so much already going on that she often forgot. And sleepovers, Alya missed not stressing out about them, every time Lila came over for a sleepover she felt like her house, her very room, wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t a very nice feeling so somewhere along the way she stopped offering sleepovers.

Another thing she missed was how excited Marinette got for Alya when she got a new scoop on Ladybug and the Miraculous Squad. Her joy amplified Alya’s. Nino was always excited for her but it wasn’t really the same, and so was Adrien, another local Ladybug Fan, but again, it wasn’t the same.

Speaking of Ladybug it seemed like the hero was avoiding her. Lately after an akuma battle the hero left the space no matter if her Miraculous was beeping or not. She would give a couple of answers to the press and then yo-yo away. Usually she would give Alya a little interview or at least wave to her camera but lately that stopped. It stopped and Alya wasn’t sure when it actually started to stop and that scared her because that meant her attention slipped. Her focus slipped and as a reporter focus was crucial.

“You good babe?”

Alya blinked out of her thoughts and gave Nino a small smile and a shrug. “Yeah I guess. Just a little anxious I think.”

“Of the upcoming announcement?” Adrien asked from his spot next to Nino.

They had all headed to the park next to Alya’s house when Mireille and Aurore notified everyone at school and on their blog (MiraculousTales another blog about Ladybug and the other heroes that defended Paris-Alya was loathe to admit it was a good blog) that they had an interview with Ladybug who wanted to make an announcement.

“Partly.” She admitted as her focus went back to Nino’s laptop that had said blog on display. “But I don’t really want to talk about the other thing right now.”

Nino gave her a knowing look but nodded anyway while Adrien just looked confused. The poor boy always looked confused these days. No not confused, well okay, yes he looked confused but he also looked frustrated a lot. Alya and Nino just chalked it up to problems with his dad, it seemed like the model had a new event or photo shoot going on each week. Alya had half a mind to report it to her parents and see if anything could be done because surely that had to be illegal. She had even considered writing a piece on it but Alya wasn’t stupid, she knew if she wrote about Adrien and his awful work hours that she could very well be sued by Gabriel Agreste and really her blog didn’t need that. Plus she didn’t exactly have proof, nor was her source confirmed, two things that were very important in the field of journalism.

“Oh look! It’s starting!” Adrien announced as he bounced in place. Alya couldn’t help the fond smile that slipped through, if she didn’t know better she would say Adrien was a bigger Ladybug fan than her.

“I wonder what this whole announcement is for.” Nino mused as they heard the voices of Mireille and Aurore greet the viewers from the screen.

“I don’t know…Usually they let everyone know what their next videos are going to be about, same with announcements. I mean they at least give a brief synopsis of the announcement or if it’s a surprise they say it is. This feels like something else.” Alya mumbled as she stared hard at the screen. Whatever Ladybug had to announce she knew it was going to be important so of course she had her notepad and pen out just in case.

“Hey Lovelies! Aurore here, I know, not who you wanted to see, but before we bring in our special guest Mireille and I had a couple words we wanted to say.” Aurore said with a bright smile, Alya felt a little bad when she wished the girl would hurry up and announce Ladybug already, but well, they promised Paris’ number one hero and if there was one thing Alya understood about running her own blog was that the people were impatient for their content.

“We know you guys are eager to see our guest and hear her announcement,” Mireille said softly, “but we just wanted to take a moment before that to let you guys know how grateful we are to each and every one of you for following our blog.”

“Yes, we are so grateful. We never imagined the blog gaining popularity so fast. So we just wanted to thank you, our wonderful followers, as well as those who helped us set up this blog. A special thanks goes out to Claude Beauréal, my cousin, for doing the coding and technical stuff for the blog as Mireille and myself are awful with technology not related to our phones.” Aurore admitted with a laugh as she held up her phone to show a picture of said cousin to the viewers.

“See, if this wasn’t an important announcement Claude would have edited a picture of himself on the screen so you guys could see him better, though I’m sure you will see a picture of him somewhere on the blog following this video.” Mireille said with her own laugh.

“Very true Mireille! We would also like to give a special thanks to the designer of the blog who helped with the layout and the icons, Paris’ own Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Aurore made a heart with her hands towards the camera before her smile broadened and she straightened in her seat. “Now that the thanks have been given, please welcome our guest, the beautiful, the talented, the miraculous…Ladybug!”

Alya felt like she had been on a rollercoaster back in the States, one that traveled with a fair. It looked fun but you still looked at it with skepticism because while it looks fun you don’t know how much you trust it despite the fact you know the machinery is constantly being checked over. Alya had willfully boarded that rollercoaster and already her stomach had dropped, Marinette had designed their blog’s layout? She didn’t know how she felt about that. The first emotion that came up was betrayal followed by rage followed by this chest clenching sadness. All to end with numbness, but then the introduction of Ladybug had her heart swooping, her pulse rushing and she pushed all thoughts of Marinette away in favor of her favorite hero.

“Thank you for the warm welcome you two.” Ladybug smiled at the two girls as she strode into frame and took a seat across from both Mireille and Aurore. Alya bitterly thought of all the times Ladybug gave her that smile and how it always made her feel so warm, so special, so important.

“Huh. That’s weird.” Nino mumbled.

“What? What’s weird?” Alya questioned right away.

“Uh, well, there’s a lot of seats there for just three people.” He replied.

“Maybe they didn’t have time to take out the other seats?” Adrien said, though he posed it as more of a question. Nino just shrugged while Alya frowned.

There were a lot of seats.

“You are always welcome on our blog Ladybug.” Mireille gave the spotted heroine a shy smile.

Ladybug returned the smile with one of her own. “You’re too kind. Now, I don’t want to take up too much of your or Paris’ time but I felt like this needed to be addressed. There may be some of you who have noticed and those of course who haven’t, but…there have been some changes as of late to do with what you have dubbed us as, ‘Team Miraculous.’”

“Changes?” Aurore asked.

“Yes. First off, it has fallen to me to let you, the people of Paris know that Chat Noir has decided to be a solo hero. We are no longer partners. I can’t nor will I, disclose his reasons why. Those are his own. So just know his actions are also his own and are not affiliated with myself and the new ‘Team Miraculous’.” Ladybug was as she always was in her interviews, business as always but her words were like a rock being thrown at a window.

“New team?” Alya whispered in horror.

“Dude…I wonder why Chat left.” Nino said as he shook his head like he still couldn’t believe Ladybug’s words. Adrien…Adrien was oddly silent and very focused on the screen with a scowl on his face. Alya felt for him, she figured it was because he was such a big Ladynoir supporter like herself and this was like a cannonball to the ship. It seemed like it was well and truly sunk.

“Maybe she’s just announcing that the temporary heroes are going to be permanent? I mean they haven’t been called in a while but with Chat ditching her she is going to need help.” Nino mused in excitement, one Alya shared, maybe Ladybug was just too stressed with Chat leaving to notify them of their new status’ as the permanent heroes! That had to be it!

“Now I noticed the not so subtle air-quotes over ‘Team Miraculous.’ Why is that?” Mireille asked.

Ladybug hummed as she leaned back in the chair she had been provided. “You’re observant. It’s because the old team was disorganized, we never had an official name. Frankly it was a hot mess. The new team does actually have an official name now and this is a good time to introduce you all to them, I would like to introduce you all to 'The Court of Miracles’.”

Alya’s hopes dropped as fast and hard as her heart and stomach.

The first to appear on screen was a new Bee hero. She strode in with her two high pigtails swaying behind her. Her pigtails had black streaks curl around them to end at a point and she had ribbons near the base that came up to slightly curl above her head like antennae. The ribbons were black and ended in little yellow pom poms. The black of her gloves came up to about mid-bicep, her black boots came to about mid-thigh. Her body suit was striped black and yellow like a bee but it did have a white fur collar and it looked like she had poofy shorts reminiscent of Victorian bloomers, the stripes on the shorts were vertical instead of horizontal. Above the shorts seemed to be a silver belt that looked to be like a honeycomb design.

“This is Honey Bee.” Ladybug introduced and said hero waved to the camera before taking one of the empty seats.

Next came out another girl, the new Mouse hero. Her short hair was in a half-up half -down style with the part that was half-up was styled into little buns, the color of her hair was black that faded into a soft pink. Around the buns were false mouse ears, the outside of the ears were gray while the inside were pale pink. Her gloves were black and slightly puffed out at the wrists with gray ribbon on the wrist, you could faintly see pink mouse paw-prints on the hand of the gloves when the hero waved. Her boots resembled her gloves and her suit was mostly gray with pink details. The shoulders of the suit were puffy like a fancy dress shirt and it seemed like there were edges of sleeves that, like her gloves and boots, fanned out. Only instead of gray ribbon for detail there was black ribbon.

The collar also resembled that of a dress shirt only rounded and black. There was a pink bow there on the collar and there was a bigger bow wrapped around her waist, much bigger, tied in the back and the end of the ribbons wound around each other to mimic a tail. If you looked closely you could see what looked like a jump rope tied under the ribbon on the waist. Alya distantly thought she kind of looked like a magical girl from an anime. “This is Merry Mouse.”

The hero that followed Merry Mouse was like a punch to the gut for Alya, she barely even felt her eyes tearing up as she saw the new Fox hero. He was tall and his hair was an ombre of burnt orange to white, it was a little long so it was pulled back in a little ponytail, fake fox ears were attached to what looked like a Newsboy cap sat atop his hair. His suit looked like a three piece suit that Alya had seen men wear in the orchestra, though it looked a little old fashioned she noted, she wasn’t quite sure what made it so, but they were meshed together it seemed. It wasn’t a bad look she bitterly admitted to herself. Hell, she herself had given her Rena Rouge look a tailcoat somewhat. To top off the look, the Fox hero had ankle length boots. Of course everything stuck to an orange, white and dark brown color palate.

“The new Fox hero, Foxtrot.” Ladybug said with a warm smile at the replacement.

“Hello.” Foxtrot said softly with a wave as he took a seat.

Another hero came out briefly after Foxtrot and Alya had to bite her lip so she didn’t make a sound or worse yell something out in outrage. The next hero was the Turtle hero. She was elegant as she walked out, her head high, her short hair was a dark green that looked almost black. The suit itself was a bit intimidating to Alya for being the Turtle but it did look cool. The suit under was dark green like her hair but she had what looked like a black kimono over it. Over the kimono in sparcing pieces were what looked like armor in the fashion of samurai armor. They looked like turtle shells, spiky turtle shells and they too were black like the kimono. Her hands were covered by the dark green material but if you looked closely it looked like she had claws.

“This is Genbu.”

“It is an honor to be here.” Genbu said as she took her seat.

“It’s an honor to have you.” Mireille said.

“Wow. The new Turtle looks…” Adrien muttered. Alya flinched when he spoke, she completely forgot he had been there. Alya turned to look at her boyfriend who was staring at the screen intensely, she knew the feeling. She grabbed his hand and gave it a soft squeeze, one he returned.

“Next we have Striker.”

Striker seemed to be the new Snake hero. He walked on screen with a quiet confidence, his hair was a little hard to see because of the hood that covered it, it was no surprise that the teal hood looked like that of a snake. The hood itself was attached to a tunic vest, the front of the vest looked like the belly of a snake and was a pattern of aquamarine and seafoam. The suit underneath the vest was dark, clearly it was a mix of green and blue too but Alya honestly only knew a handful of colors because of Marinette’s fashion rants. The boots that went to mid-calf were the same color as the back of the tunic vest and hood and also that of the gloves. It was a simple but effective look. When Striker sat and waved at the camera it was the hair that shocked Alya, the hair was pure white.

“And finally we have Vouivre.”

Alya didn’t know if she could handle any more new heroes. How could Ladybug replace them all? Not just temporarily, she made that perfectly clear, these clowns were there to stay and it burned Alya. And yet, she couldn’t look away. The last hero walked on screen, the first thought Alya had was, wow this chick is tall. The second thought she had was, I would not try to take that girl on in a fight, Miraculous or not. Vouivre had short fiery red hair that looked like it was slicked back due to the wind and nothing else. Two black horns sat in her hair and in the middle of her forehead was an eye shaped ruby. Her suit was this gorgeous emerald green and the pattern looked like scales, the green and scales wrapped around her left leg and vanished into her boots. It was very reminiscent of a tail. Around the ankle of the left boot was a golden ring. The boots themselves and the right leg of the suit were black. Around her waist and neck were what looked like strings of pearls and to top off the look were the symbols of the chest.

“This is the Court of Miracles. We are Ladybug, Honey Bee, Merry Mouse, Foxtrot, Genbu, Striker and Vouivre, along with our two Chamberlains who work in the shadows we swear to protect the people of Paris.” Ladybug said with such conviction that Alya flinched.

“Marinette?” Now that caught Alya’s attention and she silently thanked Adrien for the distraction no matter how distraught the boy sounded. She felt like she was about to have a mental breakdown. When she got home she was certain she was going to be sobbing into her pillows but for now she was going to indulge in whatever caught Sunshine’s attention.

The sight that greeted her however threw her for another loop, one just as big as the damn announcement. Now Alya would be the first to admit it had been a while since she had seen Marinette and to be honest she hadn’t really paid that much attention to the girl but she didn’t think much would have changed. Evidently she was wrong. There Marinette was walking with Luka Couffaine like there was no where she would rather be, with long fucking hair. Since when had her hair gotten so long? And when did she dye the underside of her hair pink? The same pink that matched her high-waisted plaid skinny jeans. She wore thick heeled silver boots that gave her some height, though she was still smaller than Luka. She wore a black cropped Jagged Stone shirt that Alya knew she had cut herself and she was wearing Luka’s jacket.

The trio of Alya, Nino and Adrien watched the two teens walk by as they remained oblivious of their audience and talked animatedly about the same announcement they had been watching. Alya felt her heartbreak when Marinette didn’t even glance at them but she also felt this overwhelming fury, she turned to complain at being unnoticed but caught sight of Adrien frowning at the retreating forms of Marinette and Luka while he rubbed at his chest.

“You okay there Sunshine?” She asked in lieu of complaining.

“What?” Her question seemed to snap the boy out of whatever thoughts he had been drowning in. “Oh…yeah. Yeah I’m fine.”

Alya didn’t know if she fully believed that but she was more than happy to let the issue go in favor of talking about the new heroes and how there was no way they would be better than the old ones.

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Honey Bee- is Aurore if you guys did not guess. I considered also giving her the name of Honey Queen but I decided she wanted to distance herself from Chloe's version of the Bee. Though her aesthetic does have some parts to it that are reminiscent of royalty.

Merry Mouse- is Mireille. Her appearance is based on a headcanon I have for the girl and that is she loves Magical Girl animes/shows, and since the Miraculous Transformation takes your ideas and wants into mind she has a more Magical Girl look than most of the heroes.

Foxtrot- is Luka. I gave him this Miraculous because after Miracle Queen he can't keep the snake and he holds a creative patient soul that I believe would mesh well with the Fox Miraculous, add to that his mischievous side and I thought it was a good fit. His look is inspired by men's fashion from 1914, because that is when the Foxtrot started up and was popular. (he is also the one that cast illusions of Mireille and Aurore as their hero selves partaking in the announcement.)

Genbu- is Kagami. I gave her this Miraculous because she is fiercely protective of those she loves and is loyal too and because Genbu (who was worshipped as a God and known as Black Warrior/ Black Turtle) is seen as a warrior deity. This is because the shell of a turtle is like a suit of armor. So it is no surprise that Kagami wanted to look like a mighty warrior.

Striker- is Marc. I gave Marc this Miraculous because he is patient and more than willing to hang back and observe so he can help out. He chose the name Striker because it sounded like a cool superhero name from the comics he loves so much and because he liked to compare being the Snake Hero to that of the snake "sudden striker" in Sunzi's Art of War. His look is based more on a traditional hero look mixed with a rogue look since he thinks himself a background hero.

Vouivre- is Ondine. I gave her this Miraculous because she is a fighter and determined and loyal. Her look and name are taken from the description of the vouivre in The Drac: French Tales of Dragons and Demons. I headcanon Ondine being obsessed with fairytales so when she was given the Dragon Miraculous she immediately remembered the stories of the vouivre and thus her decision for her hero look and name was made.

The two Chamberlains that Ladybug mentioned in her Court are Chloe and Sabrina, they offer the heroes support from the shadows. Chloe still wanted to help the hero but knew she couldn't do that as a hero anymore so she offered her aid in support and finances if the hero needed it and where Chloe goes, Sabrina follows.

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wordsofrowan · 5 months

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The Shadow Court

Chapter 11 - Shattered Shadows

Adrien's footsteps echoed as he stepped out of the sleek car, the weight of his earlier conversation with Nathalie beginning to ease. The dojo's entrance welcomed him, its serene aura a sharp contrast to the chaotic thoughts that had plagued him earlier. His gaze swept over the training area, drawn inexorably to Kagami, who stood like a poised warrior amidst the tranquil setting. Their eyes met a silent exchange that carried a world of understanding.

Caught in Kagami's gravitational pull, Adrien smiled and approached her, the corners of his lips lifting in response to her beckoning wave. The polished wood beneath their feet seemed to recognize the rhythm of their steps as if it were already attuned to the dance that was about to unfold.

Their routine was well-worn, a series of lunges, parries, and graceful retreats that unfolded seamlessly. Each move was a testament to their dedication – a blend of discipline and passion that characterized their dynamic. As they sparred, their eyes locked in a duel of their own, a wordless conversation that transcended the movements of their foils.

Adrien's thoughts, once in disarray, now found alignment with the rhythm of his practiced actions. The weight of the world seemed to lift with each precise movement, replaced by the focused determination that came from years of training alongside Kagami. The dojo provided a sanctuary – a place where external worries could be set aside, if only for a while.

Kagami's swift parries, her every motion executed with grace and precision, pushed Adrien to give his best. Theirs was a dance of respect, mutual admiration evident in each exchanged blow. There was an unspoken connection between them, a bond formed not only through their shared skill but also through the understanding of each other's motivations and struggles.

Kagami's perceptive gaze met Adrien's as they finally lowered their foils, the rhythm of their sparring coming to a graceful halt. Their breaths were a steady cadence, synchronized by the exertion of their practice. As they moved to take a seat on the wooden bench, Adrien's chest expanded with a mixture of exhaustion and contentment. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Kagami inclined her head, her dark hair falling in a curtain as she regarded him thoughtfully. "You seem lighter today. Did something happen?" Her words were accompanied by genuine concern, a reflection of the genuine friendship that had blossomed between them over time.

"You noticed?" he replied, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. Kagami's ability to perceive his emotional shifts was uncanny, a testament to the connection they shared beyond the confines of their fencing routine.

"I had a conversation with Nathalie," he began, his voice carrying a sense of transparency he reserved for a select few. "Sometimes, just talking things out with someone you trust can make a world of difference." He leaned back, the bench cool against his skin as he exhaled.

"Oh," Kagami responded softly, her eyes narrowing in a mixture of concern and curiosity. "I was unaware you were facing any difficulties."

Adrien sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "It's just some stuff with school and Marinette."

Kagami's gaze held a level of understanding, though her expression remained neutral. The atmosphere in the room seemed to shift, the air growing warmer, amplifying Adrien's discomfort. His mind raced, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions telling him that opening up about this was a mistake. But he found himself in a space where he felt compelled to share, to seek some form of solace.

"What do you mean?" Kagami's voice was gentle yet probing, her genuine interest prompting Adrien to continue. His heart pounded in his chest, nerves mingling with the need to express his concerns. The air seemed to thicken with anticipation as he chose his words carefully.

"It's just that there's this situation going on at school," Adrien began, his voice soft but resolute. "Marinette seems intent on leaving everyone behind and pushing us away for no reason whatsoever." He paused, his gaze dropping momentarily before lifting to meet Kagami's eyes again. "Nathalie simply reminded me that some people are worth fighting for."

A flicker of understanding crossed Kagami's features, her brows furrowing as she absorbed his words. "It's good to see you are finally acting on your feelings for her," she remarked, her tone carrying a hint of reassurance.

Adrien's brows shot up in surprise, his eyes widening. "What? I don't have feelings for Marinette," he responded, a touch of exasperation in his voice. He shook his head, a disbelieving smile tugging at his lips. "She's just my very good friend, and I don't want to lose her."

Kagami's sigh was a mixture of fondness and exasperation, her gaze steady as she regarded Adrien. "Please, Adrien, have some dignity. You don't have to lie to me." Her words held a mixture of humor and seriousness, a testament to their friendship. "I saw the way you looked at her on our date."

Adrien's cheeks flushed, the sudden heat in his face betraying his embarrassment. He looked away for a moment, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts as he tried to process Kagami's words. It was true that he cared deeply for Marinette, but he had never truly allowed himself to admit the extent of his feelings. And Kagami's observation had caught him off guard, laying his emotions bare in a way he hadn't anticipated.

"It was disgusting how she kept stringing you along even though she rejected you and brought that other guy," Kagami continued, her voice tinged with a mix of sympathy and frustration. She reached out, her hand briefly resting on Adrien's arm in a gesture of support.

“Marinette wasn’t the one who rejected me! No no, this whole situation is about how Marinette is distancing herself from me and aligning herself with some very bad people all because she thinks we're choosing Lila’s side over hers.”

"You mean that Italian girl who manipulates others to satisfy her every desire? The one who lies and cheats to get what she wants?" Kagami's tone turned sharp, her disdain for Lila evident.

"Yeah, that's her," Adrien confirmed, slightly taken aback by Kagami's reaction. "But no, Marinette didn't side with her. In fact, Lila lied, and Marinette tried to expose her to the whole class, but no one believed her. I mean, I knew Lila was a liar, and Marinette really wanted to expose the truth, but I thought it would be better to..."

"To expose Lila discreetly to the class, ensuring she wouldn't immediately retaliate against you so you'd have time to prepare your defense. That's quite clever," Kagami interjected, her words filled with a mix of admiration and skepticism.

Adrien suddenly felt a surge of heat in the room, wondering if the thermostat had malfunctioned. Only moments ago, a chilling sensation had crawled up his spine, leaving him unsettled. "Uh... that's not what happened," Adrien stammered, his voice filled with unease.

Kagami's once approving gaze turned icy, colder than anything Adrien had ever witnessed. The chill in her eyes seared into his soul, stirring a mixture of anger and sorrow within him. "What did you do, Agreste?" she questioned sharply, her words dripping with disappointment and hurt.

Adrien's heart sank, his fear intensifying under Kagami's piercing glare. It was a fear deeper than anything he had experienced, even more, potent than when Ladybug faced imminent danger. Desperately, he tried to explain, his voice quivering with remorse. "I... I told Marinette to stay silent and take the high road, so as not to expose Lila," he confessed, his words laden with guilt. Kagami's gaze, like a knife to his heart, sliced through him. The magnitude of her disappointment and anger overwhelmed him, suffocating his spirit. Adrien's voice trembled as he struggled to justify his actions. Adrien had never felt such a profound sense of dread, not even when faced with the jaws of a ferocious dinosaur as Ladybug. He faltered, desperately searching for words to backtrack and explain his misguided reasoning.

"Adrien, I've heard positive opinions about Marinette from our fencing peers, and I've come across numerous articles praising her talent. I've always disregarded her actions with disdain, ignoring all the positive opinions instead of considering them as valid perspectives. I still disapprove of some things she has done, like working with Chloé or having that wall of photos of you. However, I understand that they were mistakes she has learned from and rectified," Kagami admitted, her voice heavy with regret. "For you to give her that kind of advice while someone was actively bullying her and hurting her, while she was only trying to help, fills me with bitterness as I recall the times I called you a good friend."

"What... What are you saying, Kagami?" Adrien faltered, his voice filled with confusion and a tinge of desperation.

"I'm saying that I misjudged Marinette, and I will apologize to her for my misguided perception," Kagami asserted with determination. " And I'm also saying that you have made wrong decisions, and you continue to make the wrong decisions by seeking solace from someone who understands your cowardice. I'm saying that I cannot associate myself with a boy who allows baseless persecution of an innocent person who has shown nothing but selflessness." Kagami's words pierced through Adrien's soul, leaving him feeling as if Frozer had returned and replaced his ribs with shards of ice. Her voice, sharp and cutting, served as a warning that echoed within him. "I suggest you wear a chest protector next time. After what you've done, you should be grateful I'm giving you this warning," Kagami remarked coldly, her tone conveying a mixture of anger and sorrow.

"I only told her not to tell anyone that Lila was lying. It wasn't hurting anyone," Adrien pleaded, his heart constricting with pain. This wasn't good. My friendships are crumbling over a mere predicament.

"Wasn't hurting anyone? Agreste, you must be out of your mind if you believe that this wasn't hurting anyone. Marinette was hurt by Lila's lies, and everyone who has been deceived by her will feel immense pain when they discover they were tricked. Marinette has been doing the right thing by trying to expose Lila because it's better to learn the truth from someone rather than have your hopes crushed. But as long as it doesn't hurt you, it's fine, isn't it?" Kagami's voice dripped with bitterness and resentment, leaving Adrien speechless.

He opened his mouth to respond, but the words died on his lips. There was nothing he could say. The realization washed over him with a crushing weight.

"Do me a favor, Agreste, and don't speak to me again. I refuse to associate with someone whose morals are so flimsy," Kagami declared, her sharp words lashing at his wounded soul. The scene ended with Adrien standing there, devastated and alone, as anger and sadness consumed him.

XoXo Rowan

#writing #spilled ink #miraculous au #miraculous fandom #marinette deserves better #adrien salt #Slight Adrigami salt

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writer-rider-flirty-thirties · 6 months

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Marinette wants them to hurt. 88/101 of Fanfic Wars (2022)

#Fanfic Wars 2022 #Bre's Fics #What Could Have Been by Sting #miraculous ladybug #miraculous #marinette dupain cheng #akumatized marinette #Princess Justice #lila salt #alya salt #slight nino salt #another surprise hit

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jeankirsteind · 9 days

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“Why should I? Ladybug is no better than he is, controlling everything, deciding what’s right or wrong, who gets powers and who doesn’t.”

- Felix, What If... Adrien and Félix didn't swap? by Booksforthelost

#miraculous fan quotes #marinette dupain cheng #felix fathom #find this on ao3 #slight ladybug salt #at least she admitted it towards adrien and felix

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ravennm84 · 1 year

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Making Your Own Luck

Quick story I wrote while thinking of Plagg’s love of cheese, Tikki’s love of cookies, and the different ways we associate with good and bad luck. Sprinkle in a little Lila salt and you’ve got some wonderful brain candy to tide you over until the next story. Warm-Fuzzies and enjoy!!

There were more than a few abilities that kwamiis had that normally weren't used. Kaalki could improve her holder's horseback riding ability. Pollen could help flowers grow when she spent enough time in an area.

Tikki's power over luck and good fortune was very well known. But it wasn't only her lucky charm, but her ability to take away luck. Now, this wouldn't give someone bad luck, that's Plagg's thing and had started the whole black cat crossing your path superstition. It would just set a person's luck to zero, and their actions afterwards would determine if it turned good or bad. This is where the concept of karma and the saying 'making your own luck' came from.

Normally, these were abilities that kwamiis kept to themselves or would become a side effect of being active for an extended period of time. Tikki was able to control that ability easily… until her holder came across that Italian rat, Lila Rossi. Oh, how she wished for the chance to reset that girl's luck and let karma determine her punishment. It would be so easy, just a second of physical contact and all her luck would disappear. Then everything she did would continue to build and grow, not that the little Goddess had to guess which way it would go.

Then, one glorious Tuesday morning, Lila accused Marinette of stealing her orange pen. Tikki had been eating her blueberry and lemon curd macaron while reclining on a silk scarf when the girl snatched the purse she was in. Marinette tried to get it back, horrified when Lila opened the latch and shoved her hand inside.

The purse jostled roughly to one side, causing Tikki's cookie to fall to the floor as the stolen pen slid out of the girl's sleeve and into the purse. What happened next occurred so quickly, that she would always claim, while ignoring Plagg's jokes and side eyes, that it was a complete accident. Tikki grabbed the pen, touching Lila’s fingers as she pushed away and fazed through the bottom of the purse. With all the chaos of Lila keeping the purse out of Marinette’s reach and Mme. Bustier, demanding that everyone calm down, no one noticed the kwamii fly under the desks, drop the pen under Lila’s chair, and return to Marinette to hide in her backpack.

"...but she took my pen, I saw her put it in-"

"If that is the case, you tell me and I will handle it," Bustier said sternly, displeased that her lesson had been interrupted and her pregnancy hormones giving her a shorter fuse. "Give Marinette her purse back, now." She did, barely hiding her smirk. "Marinette, may I please take a look inside your purse?"

Hands shaking from the adrenaline, having a flashback of the last time her bag had been searched, and worried about Tikki being found, Marinette wanted to say no. It was only when she spotted Tikki out of the corner of her eye, head poking out of her backpack and giving a reassuring nod, that she handed over her purse.

A few seconds later, Bustier handed the purse back and cast a disappointing scowl at Lila. "I believe you owe Marinette an apology."

Shock broke through Lila’s façade as she sputtered. "But… but she took my favorite orange pen. I swear I saw-"

"Isn't this it?" Nathaniel asked, causing everyone to turn and see him pick the pen up from under their shared desk.

Sputtering a bit more, Lila clenched her jaw before giving Marinette a terse "sorry" before stomping back to her seat.

Plagg knew exactly what his Sugarcube had done, he'd felt the slight spike of power after the cookie had shattered on the floor and that brat had shoved her hand into Pigtail's purse. The embarrassment of apologizing in front of the class was just the start. He knew the girl wouldn't accept defeat so easily, and the consequences would keep growing.

And he was not disappointed.

Lila tried to trip Marinette in the cafeteria, and ended up stubbing her toe on a table leg hard enough to cry real tears. When she attempted to switch their homework assignments in Mendeleiev's class, the teacher not only spotted the switch but proved it in front of everyone by comparing handwriting. That got Lila a week of detention.

Then, at the end of the day, Lila accidentally dumped her water bottle all over Marinette’s head and backpack. Despite acting oh-so apologetic and reminding everyone about her weak wrist, she wasn't getting the support or assurances of "it's not your fault" that she expected. Many glared at her while others ran off to get towels to help Marinette. Realizing that she miscalculated and did too much on a single day, Lila made a hasty retreat outside. Only to get absolutely soaked when a car sped through a puddle on the street.

Plagg laughed his little whiskers off from that one. But he knew it was just starting. He couldn't wait to hear about what happened away from school.

~oOo~

The following morning, Lila looked like she'd been dropped into Dante's Inferno and spat back out just in time for school. What happened didn't even have anything to do with Marinette, so she couldn't blame it on her. That just annoyed her all the more.

While storming home wet from the puddle, she kicked a pebble that hit a bird, then a flock of birds swarmed her while she ran for two blocks. She shoved a neighbor out of the way when she got to her apartment building, and the door flew back and cracked her in the nose. It bled for over ten minutes.

She went to the mall for some retail therapy, coupled with a five finger discount, and was caught immediately. Her mother was called and she was banned from the mall for life. Greta was not happy with her daughter and gave her extra chores as punishment. While Lila was muttering mean and disrespectful things about her parents while cleaning the bathroom, she didn't account for the volume of her voice or the bathroom tiles echoing what she said. Her grounding was extended.

All this made Lila’s mood particularly volatile when she arrived at school that morning. Not bothering to pay attention to what was around her, she gave Mireille a shove out of the way, making the girl stumble down the stairs. A couple seconds later, Lila slipped on the wet steps and fell all the way to the bottom. Her classmates saw the whole thing, and although they were miffed that she pushed someone, they still helped Lila to the nurse to get checked out. Nothing broken, but there were multiple new bruises to match her black and purple nose.

In class, Marinette had to resist the urge to stare at the hot mess her bully had become in a single day. The rest of the class had noticed too. Nathaniel decided to move up a row to sit with Ivan. Rose and Juleka cast wary glances in her direction whenever Lila started muttering to herself. Even Mme. Bustier had to tell Lila multiple times to stop talking with the threat of detention.

By the time lunch came around, Marinette made sure to be with one other person at all times. With how unhinged Lila was getting, she didn't want to risk being caught alone with her. Luckily, Ivan, Rose, and Juleka wanted to talk with her about the new designs for Kitty Section, so she was covered.

Lila noticed how the class was starting to avoid her. Fighting off the urge to curse and scream at them, she took a few deep breaths to clear her mind. She'd been rushing too much for the last two days, she knew that. Trying to compensate for her failure was only bringing more attention to herself and the sheep were noticing that something wasn't right. She had to slow down and make them come to her.

For the next few days, Lila backed down. She smiled at her followers, paid attention in class, and would occasionally look at her phone in distress and act like she was fighting off tears. By Monday morning, things were going better for her. She'd avoided getting in any more trouble with her mom and teachers, she'd texted a fake apology to her classmates, and admitted that she was going through something that was causing a lot of stress. When some of them asked what it was, Lila timidly said that she was too nervous to say anything else. She knew they would bug her and assure her that she could tell them anything.

Monday morning, just as she planned, everyone was encouraging her to trust them and tell them what was bothering her. Seeing that Bustier and Marinette weren't in class yet, she knew now was the time to strike.

Squeezing her eyes shut as she harshly pinched the inside of her elbow to bring tears, she started weaving her story. "It's just, someone's been bullying over text. It's so bad. She keeps telling me that I'll lose all my friends and that I should just kill myself," she said between forced sobs as she dropped her head into her hands. "And it never stops. Sh- she texts all day and into the night. And when I tried to show my mom, the messages were gone. I don't know how, but it's like my phone got hacked and the messages disappear after I've read them."

Max mentioned that there are self deleting message apps, but he wasn’t familiar with them. Then he looked at her searchingly. "You keep saying 'she', that would indicate that you are aware of who is behind this?"

Doing her best surprised face, Lila shook her head. "I can't say, none of you would believe that Marinette would-" she gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh no, I really shouldn't have said anything."

Lila watched as the sheep exchanged surprised looks while Adrien glared at her, but he wouldn't say anything. His father would have made sure of that.

"You're saying that Marinette, our class rep, has been bullying you over text?" Alix asked, unease evident in her tone.

She shook her head while turning up the water works. "I knew I shouldn't have said an-anything. She's your friend, too."

"You said she's been doing this constantly?" Mylene asked, eyeing her carefully as Lila nodded. "When did she last send you one of those texts?"

Sniffling, Lila rubbed her eyes to give herself a second to think. It felt like these were leading questions, like they knew something she didn't. Meaning they'd probably spent time with her over the weekend and would have noticed her messaging Lila constantly. But since everyone was here and Marinette wasn't…

"Right before class. It- it asked if I was dead yet." Another sniffle and she was sure the class was wrapped around her fing-

"Marinette was right! You are a liar!"

Lila was so surprised by Kim's outburst, she forgot to keep crying and stared at everyone as they glared at her in disgust and moved away from her.

"I can't believe we almost bought that crap you were selling!" Alix turned away, face turning red in anger.

"But- but it's the truth! I-"

"There is a .03% chance of what you said being true." Max interrupted, staring down his nose at her. "At this point it is better that you admit it."

Casting a desperate look around the classroom, she was surprised that no one looked supportive. Even Adrien looked absolutely done with her. Realizing the jig was up, she let her expression morph to anger and annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Wow, I'm surprised you idiots figured it out. Usually you do exactly what I say after faking a few tears. I'm curious, what gave me away?"

The sudden change in the Italian girl gave them a bit of whiplash, but Nino answered her. "You ruined Marinette’s phone when you dumped your water on her. She isn't getting a new one until this Friday. No way she could have been messaging you at all."

"Huh, I guess it was worth dumping that on her, even if you idiots started to notice." Then she shrugged and stood from her seat. "Oh well, good to know for my next school, this place was getting stagnant anyway."

Kim blocked her way. "You're not going to get away with-"

"Shut it, you stupid jock. I've already got Bitch-stier and Dumb-ocles eating out of my hand. When I tell them you're ganging up on me, all of you will get detention while I walk free." Sidestepping her soon-to-be former classmates, she gave them a sarcastic wave and smile as she bid them "ciao" and opened the door…

To come face to face with a furious teacher, principal, and her mother!? What's she doing here? Did they just hear what I said?

The thought barely finished when her mother reached out, literally grabbed her by the ear, and dragged her out the door. The class watched in shock as Mme Rossi screamed and lectured her daughter all the way to Damocles' office.

They would be informed days later that Lila had been sent to military school in Italy. In lycee, they heard rumors that she had been arrested for stalking a local celebrity in Venice. During university, Alya found an article about Lila Rossi being sentenced to 30+ years in prison for attempting a ponzi scheme. It had failed terribly and her victims got all their money back, but Lila would have to serve 5 years for each of her victims.

Not that it mattered to them anymore. The class was too busy with their own lives and futures to put much thought into some lying brat that they went to school with for a little while.

Bonus:

Tikki fought her grin as she watched Lila being dragged away by her ear as she and Marinette came up the stairs. Sighing with relief, she was about to enjoy a well deserved treat when she heard a familiar snicker behind her.

"Nice going, Sugarcube. Couldn't have done it better, myself." Plagg cackled as he passed her a cookie before indulging in a wedge of cheese he'd brought with him.

She grudgingly took the cookie before looking away from him. "It was an accident, I touched her hand when she tried planting that pen in my holder’s purse. What happened was her own doing and not my fault."

"Su~re. And the fact that she interrupted your cookie time and dumped your macaron onto the floor had nothing to do with it?"

The look she gave him had Plagg laughing on the inside. Only on the inside.

"That was a perfectly baked, blueberry macaron with a tart, lemon curd filling. I only got one bite before it got dumped to the floor. A price had to be paid."

Plagg watched with great affection as his Sugarcube took a bite of her sweet treat. Oh yes, he'd learned millennia ago not to interrupt cookie time. Just like Henry the VIII, that Lenin guy in Russia, and a few others. They had experienced the wrath of the goddess of creation when interrupting cookie time, though Plagg was the only one to know why things went so bad. It made him smart enough never to do it again.

Taglist:

@2confused-2doanything @7-sage-7 @aadnrsstar @abrx2002 @awkwardromances @bayball @babylovebug18 @botanicalfoxx @back-cats-and-broken-mirrors @caffeinetheory @cheshire5210 @chocolateherringtacofan @city-of-all-tunas @classycollectorreviewworld @corabeth11 @chocolatechipcookiesandcamembert @darkened-flame @delightfulcookiesrecipespizza @fandom-trapped-03 @ghostmaster83@iamblinkmarvelarmy @interobanginyourmom @izang @jesussavedevenme @kazedancer @kitten12113 @lady-phoenix-of-tardis @lilypotter2018 @lunataravler @ladylupuscrow @maskedpainter @ miraculouslydumb @nerd-nowandforever @naruwitch @ola-is-dead @pandacatxd @plushbookworm @plz-excuse-my-inner-ravenclaw @pheonix-biach @pandora-fucking-box @raiderofthelostbooks @ramos123 @rowanrouge @rowanyx @ren121 @seesea22 @seraphichana @sashakoi @shypeacekitten @smartlanceisreal @tazer6787 @that-girl-sakea @thecrazyfantrollshasmoved @the-smallest-kittenz @tishwinchesterannabethjackson @t1dwarrior-of-earth @ulmban @with-forward-motion @wonderbat91939 @zoiechance

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous justice #lila lies #lila salt #lila bashing #class redemption #badass tikki #tikki and plagg

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theerurishipper · 8 months

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It’s so hard being an Adrien stan in this fandom. People are constantly nitpicking every little thing he does. He can never do right by them. It’s so frustrating. And that’s not even mentioning how he was treated in canon

I feel you anon. I wasn't actively posting for the fandom during the major salt periods, like right after the airing of Syren and then Chameleon, but I was around to see the ridiculous salt fests that would go on. People love to pick on Adrien for every single little thing that involves him making a decision that doesn't cater perfectly to Marinette's whims and needs, but woe be upon you if you say anything about Marinette that isn't praising her. It's not even like I have a problem with Marinette as a character. Some of her writing in Season 4 and 5? Yes. But in Seasons 1-3, I really loved her. She was such a breath of fresh air for me as a character. She was so full of charm and life and energy. But she got ruined for me by her stans who jumped to salt on every other character for not exactly agreeing with her every decision and for having minds of their own and having desires that weren't about her.

And another annoying part is their insistence that Marinette is treated oh so cruelly by the narrative and poor Marinette is always suffering and everyone is treating her so cruelly and she deserves better than people who aren't willing to be her faithful slaves. Then Seasons 4 and 5 brought this into canon, and then you saw people who were salting on Adrien for being upset about being neglected by his partner, and they were blaming him for "feeling entitled to her" despite never calling her out for her treatment of him. Lemme tell you, the chimney discourse was wild. And all that bullshit ass "discourse" about him harassing Ladybug, while ignoring all the stalking Marinette did and pretending it was nothing. I generally ignore anyone who says either of these things because they are clearly meant to be jokes, and I think calling Adrien a harasser is just as ludicrous as calling Marinette a stalker, but the double standard of taking the joke seriously for Adrien but not for Marinette is annoying, to say the least.

And ultimately they just want Adrien and everyone else to be Marinette's sidekicks/yes-men who will never disagree with her and will always do whatever she wants and will never think for themselves. And you unfortunately can see this attitude seeping into canon too, with how Adrien isn't allowed to have independent thoughts outside of how he can be of service to Marinette. Nothing matters for him, the only thing that matters is her and what he can do for her. She's allowed to yell at him and throw him into trashcans, but fuck him if he disagrees with her on something and isn't happy to just sit by and accept being replaced and ignored. And canon Adrienette is such a good example of this phenomenon.

But the salters will whine and rage about how Marinette is such a victim of the narrative and how she suffers so much that we should all excuse her less than perfect actions, while also raging at Adrien for any small slight and denying that he also suffers. I guess Marinette can be excused for being traumatized and stressed, but being a victim of horrific abuse is too less of a reason for Adrien to be excused, and I guess it means he isn't suffering. To them, only Marinette's feelings and suffering matters. And this has also become true for the show, because Adrien's feelings don't matter, only Marinette's feelings about him matter.

And the worst fucking thing I've seen from this fandom is the occasional post about how Adrien is "spineless" and "cowardly" and "doesn't have a backbone" because he is non-confrontational and doesn't get up in arms about everything. And, aside from the fact that there is absolutely nothing wrong with not flying into a righteous rage about everything, this is some fucking heavy victim blaming bullshit. Like, y'all know that Adrien is like that because he's a victim of abuse, right? That his actions are a trauma response, right? It's called fawning. How awful of Adrien to have been conditioned into being non-confrontational by an abusive father who wants him to be subservient to his every whim! How useless is he for being traumatized because of the abuse he suffers! What a loser!

Honestly, the deranged Marinette stans are the worst. If someone says that shit about Adrien, they can go fuck themselves honestly. The gall to accuse a character who is an abuse victim of being "a spineless worm who can't grow a backbone" (someone legit wrote this word for word). Acting like he's the scum of the earth for not agreeing with Marinette 24/7 and victim blaming him for not rising swords drawn the moment someone does something mean to her.

So yeah, I understand you anon. It's really annoying to see all these "hot takes" going around. But there are still many Marinette fans who are nice and don't say all this goofy shit about Adrien, and there are plenty of Adrien stans who love and defend our boy. My advice is to block the salt tags, follow the right blogs and curate your experience the best you can. Trust me, it took a while for me to learn to stop putting myself through the agony of looking through these salt posts and to start blocking tags and salters' blogs. But I'm better off for it now. It won't stop some of these posts from popping up here and there, but it'll massively improve your fandom experience.

Thank you for your ask!

#MLB #Adrien Agreste #Marinette Dupain Cheng #ML Salt #Marinette Salt #ML Fandom Salt #Meta #My meta #Asks #Also how could I forget the fucking Maribat fics lmaoo #Anyway it was nice to get an opportunity to vent about this #So thank you anon

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flufflepuffle296 · 1 year

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The Perfect Day

Hello!!! I wrote this prompt post-(ish)-s3 pre-s4 era where there was a lot of salt so this is about 3 years old I wanna say? So that’s why it’s so outdated so HEAVY Alya/Lila/Adrien/Tom and Sabine salt with a lot of Chloe sugar and slight Marigami (best ship) because *this was the vibe at the time* (ayyyy Kendall Jenner) on this page SO if that is not for you fair enough love that for you now SCROLL ON you have had many warnings about how old this is.

Also because this was written before all of s4/a few s3 episodes the lore is very much not present here and outdated so tough luck!

⚠️trigger warning!⚠️

Talking about s*icide here. Please stay safe and do not read this if you think it may trigger you even the slightest bit. Look after yourself! (Also I’m not trying to romanticise sewerslide in any way here (if you want the trauma dump version of how we came up with this you’re welcome to it) but if there is something that shouldn’t be in a post please do let me know and I will remove it but HEAVY TRIGGER WARNING).

SALT FOR (almost) EVERYONE

The Perfect day:

Marinette alarm startled her eyes open at exactly 4am. She scrunched her face up at the prospect of consciousness, but her expression softened slightly when she remembered: today was going to be the perfect day.

The perfect day, to die.

She clambered out of bed, and went downstairs to make her favourite breakfast, with a hot chocolate on the side and mountains of whipped cream, just how she liked it. She had spent the last week trying to convince herself out of this, but it was the only solution.

She was numb.

She was always going to be numb.

Nothing made her feel (that being a full sentence in itself) truly, wholly happy in her being anymore.

She went back upstairs to her balcony and ate her breakfast as the sun rose, squinting at her city. As she finished the last bite, she realised a good swing around Paris was just what she needed, so effortlessly transformed and pulled out her yo-yo, setting out for the Eiffel Tower, the source of so much inspiration for her designs.

Or rather, her *old* designs. She hadn’t the energy or mental strength to do anything she loved recently, nothing sparked much happiness or felt worth it. Her last design was about 2 months ago, but all it did was make her sob at the realisation that she was a failure and a fraud; nothing matched or was cohesive in any way. But in a way, realising her lack of talent when it came to her recent designs was sort of a net positive she concluded.

It meant it stung less when Lila spilled juice all over them, when Alya said they looked better smudged and ruined, or when Adrien delivered his father’s disapproval.

So instead she just watched the rest out the sunrise from her favourite spot, not picking out the different angles in the monument for a ridiculous geometric gown, or whatever her most recent fantasy was.

After another half hour, she sprung back home and got into her favourite Sunday dress, twirling her hair into her cutest hairstyle that the night before she had meticulously studied for hours on Pinterest, that she had always wanted to try. She packed her bag, three letters included, and ran out to catch up with her only real friend at a Francois DuPont.

Alya had left her a long time ago. After all, Lila had “no reason to lie”. She was “perfect”. Marinette was “just jealous” and “refused to cooperate”.

Because after all, it was always Marinette’s fault.

Marinette wished Alya the best in life, but she wasn’t going to waste much more energy on her. She was drained enough as it was.

Chloé was waiting for her, grinning ear-to-ear as she held up her first try at macarons for Marinette to critique. Marinette bit into the surprisingly good attempt at the cookie as they walked up to school together, laughing at Chloe’s sudden inability to swallow a cookie without choking. They walked to the back of the class and sat in their seats, ignoring their classmates.

It’ll all be over tonight anyways.

She spent the lessons talking with Chloé, as it wasn’t like she’d ever need the information after tonight. She encouraged Chloé to reminisce on their favourite times together, such as the day they realised they were different enough to be the same, or the day they realised that they (platonically) loved one another, and were the closest thing each other had to a soulmate.

That was also what Marinette considered a “perfect day”…

…Was Chloé going to be alright tomorrow?

At lunch, the pair met up with Luka and Kagami and went out to a cafe for food and orange juice, before sprinting after André the ice cream man and getting sweetheart ice cream together, Chloé paired with Luka, and Kagami with Marinette (“platonically” of course!). They parted ways once the hour was over, as they had to return to school, where Marinette spent the time daydreaming, recalling childhood memories from before Francois DuPont. This was going to be the last time she would ever remember them, after all.

They were let out of school at their usual time, thankfully no akuma that day, and Marinette, Chloé, Luka, and Kagami briefly chatted outside the gates, before parting ways. Marinette hugged them all tight as she left, handing them her letters and telling them not to open them until midnight AT LEAST.

She returned home, and watched her favourite films, favourite shows, and had her favourite meal for the very last time.

She kissed her parents on the cheeks, which was the most contact she’d had with them in a while, after Lila decided the bakery was her favourite Boulangerie, and she went upstairs to peacefully watch the sunset.

She would never have to deal with Chat Noir again and his flirting sexual harassment, so she decided to enjoy being Ladybug one last time. She transformed and went her usual route, ending up at the Eiffel Tower to finish watching the sun go down, swinging back home whilst it was still just barely light, taking notice of the cool air stinging her cheeks; the first real feeling she’d had in months.

Tikki begged her not to go through with it, but Marinette had made her decision, and renounced Tikki, telling her to find a new Ladybug; her only real plea being to warn them about Chat Noir prior.

Tikki was distraught, but Marinette used her guardianship to send her off and push her away — she needed to be alone for this, she wouldn’t let Tikki under any circumstance.

But Marinette didn’t want everything to be over quite yet, the air was too still, so she turned to her dust covered mannequin, and slowly stitched the zipper onto her old project that she never had the creativity or energy to finish. She tied a figure of 8, and snapped off the thread, taking notice of how it frayed.

Looking at it finally finished, it wasn’t as horrific as she made it out to be in her head a couple months ago, but still, not good enough to convince herself she had any worth.

She looked over at her clock.

10:30

I guess it’s time…

Marinette climbed up to her balcony and stepped over the railing, peering down. She took a deep breath…

And jumped.

She lay in the air, feeling as if she was floating for a second, waiting to to hit the ground. She thought she heard her name, but knew no one was around…

“MARINETTE!”

She felt a clawed hand grab her waist, knocking the air out of her as the two beings shot into the sky, the black figure clutching her tight.

She opened her blue eyes, and stared into Chat Noir’s brown ones.

…Brown?

…This wasn’t Chat Noir?

The black cat landed on a roof, hurriedly demanding to know if she was okay, in a voice that Marinette recognised must be —

“Kagami?!”

The black cat set her down on her balcony and explained that when Tikki was renounced, she was so distraught and furious she renounced Chat Noir of Plagg, revealing Adrien Agreste. The two Kwamis sailed around trying to find someone when they came across Kagami coming back from late night fencing. They quickly told her to read her letter as they were near incomprehensible from stress. Kagami briefly skimmed the letter before immediately snatching the nearest miraculous - the ring - and transforming into the black cat before sprinting across the rooftops as fast as she could, rushing to Marinette’s aid still clutching her letter. She arrived just in time to see her topple over, and saved her just before she hit the ground.

Marinette started sobbing in Kagami’s arms. Kagami sobbed with her a few minutes, promising to never let her go. She eventually picked her up once again and carried her to Le Grand Paris, where she banged on Chloé’s window. Chloé opened it and let the two crying girls in, announcing Luka’s presence as he happened to be in the room teaching Chloé guitar. He rushed to the girls when he saw them collapsed in each other’s arms. Marinette was feeling the first emotions she had felt in months, refusing to leave her saviour’s side, clutching to Kagami. Luka and Chloé listened as Marinette vented how she had been feeling, or rather the fact that she hadn’t been feeling anything, whilst Kagami stroked her hair and wiped her face, kissing her forehead every so often to remind her she was safe.

Chloé had a room prepared and the four of them off school the next day, booking Marinette in for a highly rated therapy appointment. The four friends snuggled in each other’s arms, Marinette in the middle. They fell asleep immediately, crashing from the excitements of the past hour, except for Marinette, who lay awake just a few more moments to make a promise to herself.

Every day, from today, I will make into the *perfect* day.

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Hello me again!!!! I had a few other endings in case we weren’t feeling this one so just quickly:

Alternate ending 1) She jumps. When midnight comes around her friends open her letters and rush to her place, only to find police and an ambulance declaring her dead, and if you want some more angst, Chloé and Kagami storm into the school the next day scream-crying at their classmates whilst Luka repeatedly whispers “I couldn’t save her” crying in his mum’s arms. (Very depressing)

Alternate ending 2) Marinette realises that she doesn’t want to die. Why should she? She’s just spent today just doing what makes her happy? She should live like this everyday! She has so much to live for! Sure therapy is needed and some communication too, but she can do it. (Yayyy happyyy)

This was for the most part written when I was around 14/15 so if the sentence structure is a bit shit I’m gonna blame it on that (and not my lack of progress in writing in the past 3 years!)

#Alya salt #Lila Salt #Adrien salt #Marigami #marinette deserves better #mlb salt #Chloe sugar #cat noir salt #mlb salt fic #chat noir salt #tom and sabine salt #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #mlb #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #kagaminette #chloe bourgeois #marinette dupain cheng #kagami tsurugi

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alien-slushie · 1 year

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Hi! If it's okay, can you write a maribat Damian X Marinette with class salt, Alya salt, Adrien salt, Lila salt and Bustier salt based on this prompt please? 🙂 (I send you a link 'cause the prompt is a bit long sorry! ^^')

https://at.tumblr.com/sayuricorner/maribat-salt-prompt-adopted-sisterenigma-au/xcl9fupxbi9s

Disclaimer: I don't hate any MLB characters, salt drama is just funny, and I want to get my writing enthusiasm back. Don't like, don't read. And any hate comments that are not constructive criticism will be laughed at and then ignored so don't waste your own time.

Thank you for the prompt, this was a lot to read and comprehend, and I wanted to include as much as I could from what was provided in the prompt, but this turned out pretty messy and bad, so I am so sorry if this isn't how you imagined. Anyway, let's get into this.

Contains: Batman crossover, (Mild)Class, (Mild)Adrian, Lila, and Bustier Salt, cannon typical violence, brief mention of child abandonment, Daminette, Le Coin de Sayuri's OC as a Main Character(as the prompt asks), Not beta read, (kinda)implied past Batman x Riddler.

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Title: The Weird Life fo Jade Dupain-Cheng

Jade Dupain-Cheng, the older daughter of Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng. In complete honesty she was adopted, though for your own safety you shouldn't bring it up as a slight towards her. Jade had come to terms with her birth, how she was found, by chance, in a Gotham dumpster as a baby by her grandma Gina and was adopted by her parents, so her adoption being brought up never really bothered her. Her parents loved her, her sister loved her, her extended family loved her, and that was enough for her. But the Dupain-Cheng family was tight knit, and proud and did not take shots fired at their family lightly, and while they didn't try to hide the adoption or anything so absurd, Jade was as much their blood and Marinette was. But no matter what the Gotham snark seemed to be ingrained into her blood.

Oh Jade was every bit as golden hearted as her sister, but she had every shred of snark and scrappy intelligence that was needed to survive the streets of Gotham. She was smart, and wordsy, she could twist and tangle anything anyone said to make them embarrass themselves. Though, she was too well raised to use it against anyone that didn't deserve it(ie, anyone who slighted herself, her sister, or her family). And though she was only born four months before Marinette(to the day, hilariously enough, born March 9th), she took her role as Marinette's big sister very seriously.

They were in separate classes, the school feeling that pairing siblings together encouraged in fighting, cheating, and/or co-dependance. It did little to curb Jade's involvement with her sister's class however. She loved her sister, truly she did, but she was a naturally hard worker on the best of days and a supreme over achiever on the worse, she just didn't know how or when to stop herself, As a result Jade had a rather bland feeling towards Marinette's class. She didn't necessarily like them, but she also didn't hate them. She did wish they showed Marinette proper appreciation from time to time but while rude, they weren't doing it from a place of malice. There was the issue with her crush on Adrian that Jade had to deal with, what with Marinette's female classmates fanning the flames into borderline obsession, but Marinette was always one to be talked down, and the harsh tongue lashing the girls got after the Beaver Incident(do NOT ask) but a swift end to that mess. And do not get her started on the Ladybug situation. Jade hated Hawkmoth /before/ she knew Ladybug was her sister, but afterwards she was determined to see him burn. Initially she was in shocked, as anyone would be, but looking back it had been pretty obvious, and after sitting in a borderline comatose state for three hours, Jade was extremely proud of her sister and for her sake, and maybe her own, never spoke a single word about knowing, not even a few weeks later when Ladybug appeared in her room.

After finding out Marinette was Ladybug everyone else sort of fell into place and she was able to connect who everyone else was, except for Chat Noir, as he had been chosen by someone else and not Marinette. Because of that, Jade was somewhat unsurprised when the spotted hero appeared at her window with a Miraculous. She knew that things were tense between Marinette and Alya, so while the fox being replaced wasn't a surprise to her, her being the replacement had been. And thus, Silver Fox was born.

And through it all she had only ever been akumatized once, after she found out about the idiot storm that had overtaken her sister's class. Marinette hadn't spoke a word to her about Lila. Oh she knew Marinette had been unfairly expelled, and while pissed she had let the matter go for Marinette's sake once the matter was cleared up, and then she was asked to go to the nurse's office to escort Marinette home. Marinette was quick to assure her that it was an accident, she had gotten into a fight with Alya and the girl had shoved her down in a moment of anger, but kept pushing and it all came out. The lies, the betrayal, the slights made towards Marinette by the people who were supposed to be her friends. Her anger and frustration had consumed her, and in her moment of weakness, she took the butterfly. Her time as an akuma had been short, she would never willingly hurt her sister, possessed by a butterfly or not, but it did happen. Using her akumafication as an excuse Jade pushed to be moved to Marinette's class, and while the teacher, Bustier especially, were hesitant, Sabine Dupain-Cheng made it happen. With her presence in class Marinette became outcast but no dared hurt or bad mouth her.

Not all was bad though, Chloe did seem to be making a turn for the better. While the would-be princess was by no means friends with them, she had sloppily apologized. She still obviously had a long way to go, but it was a start, no matter how minimal it was. Marinette's crush on Adrien also slowly dried up, and one night the girls spent carefully removing her collages off the walls before breaking into the ice cream tub.

And then the Cultural Exchange Program was announced. Jade was surprised on where they would be going. Gotham was /the/ most dangerous city in all of America, why would any teacher from anywhere agree for a class of 13-14 year olds to go there of all places, school necessity or not? According to Marinette, Ms. Bustier used it as an example and Lila had latched onto the idea, and Marinette had been out voted. Jade was even more surprised the parents agreed, Marinette and Jade were only permitted because Jade was curious about her birth city and their grandma Gina would be in the city to watch over them, even then they were given strict rules they had to follow, such as: not going out at night, no going anywhere without their safety keychains(equip with: bear mace, a mini taser, body alarm/gps, seatbelt cutter, whistle, foldable knife, and window breaker, both customized with little yarn dolls, curtesy of Marinette), and calling them every breakfast, lunch, and dinner, no matter the time difference. Though from a few whispers she gathered the other students didn't tell their parents where they were going, or outright lied because they knew they wouldn't be allowed to go.

Something told her the exchange was going to interesting.

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The Cultural Exchange Program was to las three months, and for the first month everything was fine. There was a slight language barrier, Jade and Marinette was stuck having to deal with the class 24/7, and culture shock was real, but other than that things were generally going very smoothly, they were roomed together and other than a confusing couple of times they were ambushed by rogues, only to see Jade and turn tail for some reason(?), the Americans seemed nice enough. Damian Wayne had been a right pain in the butt, but Marinette fully body flipping him to the ground in Gym class seemed to turn his whole opinion around, for them at least, as he went from pain in the butt to rude but somewhat polite.

Yes Jade laughed when he awkwardly asked her on a date. Yes Jade laughed when Marinette agreed and he turned 50 shades of red all at once. And yes Jade tore Adrien Agreste apart when he got on Marinette's case for "agreeing to date Damien just to out Lila as a liar!", followed by another ripping to shreds of Lila when she claimed, "Marinette is a no good, boyfriend stealing has been that would amount to nothing." Neither Adrien or Lila were very popular with the class after that, seemingly coming to their senses a little too late.

But everything came crashing down when she and Marinette came face to face with the Riddler. It had been like looking into a funhouse mirror, she looked so much like him, but also so different. She could map out their similarities, even the inflections in their voices were similar! The Riddler fled and Marinette guided a shocked Jade back to their dorm.

The next morning Jade contacted Poison Ivy, a rogue who had taken a liking to Marinette, and together they were able to meet with the Riddler again. With Marinette's hand gripped tightly in her own she explained the circumstances of her birth and they got a blood test drafted. It took a few heart wrenching days, but they got the results back.

Positive.

There was only a 1% chance the Ribbler, Edward Nygma, was not her father.

When Jade called their parents that night, she told them everything and was reassured that if she wanted a relationship with her father that it was okay with them, and they just hoped she'd keep them updated. Jade cried wrapped in her siters arms while on call with her parents, and later set up another meeting.

Meeting her birth father again was awkward, especially when Batman dropped by to check over the situation. Jade was unsure of the relationship between the two, but it was somehow more awkward than her own relationship with the estranged Rogue. According to Robin, who dropped by with Batman and was chatting Marinette, suspiciously enough, there used to be some serious tension between the two, and while it was still tense it was now more just awkward. But as Jade sat back and took in everything that had happened in her life, no matter how weird or crazy, she actually quite enjoyed it.

#miraculous ladybug salt prompt #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #lila salt #maribat #daminette #lila rossi salt #class salt #bustier salt #Adrian salt #chloe redemption

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miraculousdeservesbetter2024 · 5 months

Text

MAJOR Revelation & Collusion salt/vent incoming:

Look, I’m sorry if I’m misunderstanding something here, but I really dislike these episodes.

Why? To me, it seems like that guy is using Gabriel (the main villain and known terrorist of Miraculous) as the main "mouthpiece" for the fans who have the gall to take up for Chloe or call out her bad character portrayal (“You have a wonderful life, power, wife and a daughter”).

It also feels like the exact same thing when it came to Lila in Revelation, using the whole “Chloe is capable of change” speech for her own advantage, similar to what she tried to do with Marinette in Chameleon with the whole "friendship and not fighting over a boy" speech. It’s like he’s using them both as mouthpieces to represent the fans who still think Chloe can change or has potential.

So basically he's saying "Only psychopaths think that. You should listen to Marinette when she says Chloe is incapable of change because she’s the protagonist, and you shouldn’t listen to Lila and Gabriel when they say that Chloe can change because they’re the antagonists!”.

It’s really frustrating because any other time, we are made to feel sorry for Gabriel despite everything that he’s done, now we shouldn’t listen to him??? This is really disappointing to think about because he’s ruining Marinette's character this way. I still like Marinette and I really do think she deserves better, but I’m starting to see why people are starting to dislike her. She's becoming ANOTHER Thomas self-insert (on top of the MANY he already has in the series). The guy loves himself TOO much, don't you think?

I'm going to be completely honest here. As a Marinette fan, I still think the way SOME critics go about describing/criticizing/disliking Marinette and her character isn’t necessarily correct, but I must say that it’s still understandable. This guy is basically making her into his own personal mouthpiece, making S5 Marinette’s portrayal the worst as it has ever been 😓

Which is really a letdown because I love Marinette. It’s Chloe’s “Darnation arc” all over again. He’s ruining characters and development just to push his own morals and fill his own ego to the brim and it’s a shame.

And before anyone says:

“Geez! I swear to god people act like they know Chloe more than her own creator!” 🙄

Maybe your right, but MAYBE it wouldn’t of turned out that way if the show wasn’t so inconsistent and contradicting all the time! This is another reason why I think people have so much animosity towards characters like Andre, because the story portrays him as the victim “this entire time” who only got into politics to please his father and Audrey, pretending that he was never a corrupt politician on his own free will. It’s questionable because…he made his own bed. He choose the life that he has now, to have a child with a despicable woman, choose to spoil Chloe rotten, not to discipline her when she was being rotten to other people, and choose to not be there for her for emotional support.

I’m not saying that Chloe bares no blame at all, but it’s not ENTIRELY her fault just because “she’s her own person”. There is such things as bad parents & bad role models 🙄 You don’t have the right to give up on your daughter, saying things like “you have a terrible/cruel daughter” or “you tried everything in your power to help” when all you really did from the beginning was enable her, let her make everyone’s lives miserable and not be there for her like your should have. Yeah, she’s horrible, but at least she has the excuse that she’s a child. Your not only a grown man, but her father.

This goes for other figures in her life also (Audrey, Bustier, her butler, heck, even Ladybug to a degree). People are right, not everybody is responsible for holding her hand through redemption/reformation (and I agree) and to coddle her every time she does something wrong, but to say that “they’ve tried everything/their best”…just isn’t true. It’s more of an excuse to give up on her. Then JUST SAY THAT instead of trying to convince everybody that you did everything that you could.

Enabling =/= Helping.

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bloomskullberry · 9 months

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Ok you know what i just gotta write out my feelings on the new Miraculous movie. I have both good and bad things to say. I will be rewatching it cause i was pretty biased (we'll get to that) and maybe reposting this with my new thoughts afterwards cause this is a lot.

THUS: READ MORE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION and understand that most of this is based on personal perception, preferences, and an element of nostalgia/frustration (ive been watching this show since season one, would not have made it this far if I didnt have FEELINGS about Miraculous). but take everything with a sprinkle of salt.

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS ABOUT THE NEW MIRACULOUS MOVIE UNDER THE CUT

1. Pacing felt like the biggest issue. A lot of stuff was happening, and a lot of big moments were happening, but there was nothing inbetween that made them feel like they flowed into eachother, and a lot of the character/relationship "development" relied on the viewers previous knowledge of the show, even tho its pretty clear the movie was doing stuff very differently in terms of characters and relationships. Do i understand this is a 1hr 40min movie trying to encapsulate the slowburn romance and 5 seasons worth of content in a way that caters to the fans of said 5 seasons? Yes, its a huge ask for what is essentially 5 episodes (average 20 mins long). Especially with the amount of exposition the concept of Miraculous requires. Is it still disappointing, considering the movie left out information because of its audience and still rushed through important stuff to just get to the "juicy" moments? Yeah

2. Visuals were lovely, as was the music and specific moments. Honestly if the pacing wasnt such an issue and everything was developed more, the Ladybug and Ladynoir songs (maybe even the Hawkmoth one too) would be really enjoyable as a way to progress stuff and show development. Im also a sucker for dramatic visuals during musical numbers to help emphasize the feelings/emotions of the characters, and it really showcases the potential benefits the animation could add to the show as a medium

3. I actually really liked movie!Marinette (partly cause she wasnt a stalker and creep about her crush on Adrien) qnd because she had a much more sarcastic and bantering attitude, even outside of the costume, which made Ladybug an alter ego more than a complete other person (which is a slight issue ive had with the show). The scene of her growing into her civilian persona and becomign more confident actually made me really happy, especially her standing up to Chloe

4. Movie!Chat Noir kinda pissed me off ngl, and felt very disconnected from movie!Adrien (or at least how he was shown). People have said movie!Adrien is much more depressed/isolated and acts appropriately as to his home life (and dont get me wrong, i loved his scene where he stood up to Gabriel), but i think thats why his relationship with Ladybug and complete 180 as Chat Noir feels so off to me? Like his almost "meanness" with Ladybug at first from being super cocky and then doesnt even apologize for his treatment of her even after he falls for her just throws me off (tbf ive always been biased against the "cocky assholes falling for people who put them in their place" trope, so this might just be a me thing). Idk, it just doesnt sit right with me

4b. Anyone else notice Adrien didnt even get chosen for being kind? Plagg just appeared in his bedroom? Like Marinette almost got ran over from saving Master Fu and then Adrien is just like Yo A Cool Ring. Idk, its funny but that felt weird to me

5. The stupid freaking montage. Yall cannot even imagine how much I hate the montage. If they had replaced the montage with one scene and maybe cut down the magician and mime fight to add another scene in to focus on marinette + adrien friendship and then adrien personal life development or chat noir + ladybug bonding/respect for EACH OTHER i think it would have elevated the movie to new heights. The montage essentially was the movie pressing fast forward x3 on any development of characters. Its because of montages like these that make me appreciate filler or fun episodes in any show, because when you just stick a montage in then you feel like youre watching coworkers kiss when the movie is trying to convince you theyre starcrossed ride or die lovers. Made me feel like i watched the origins episode and then the season 5 finale with just the stormy weather 2 episode inbetween. Hate it.

6. Movie!Tikki has personality and movie!Plagg is a fart machine. I think its clear theres a favorite. Feels like it reflects the focus on Marinette and lack thereof on Adrien as a character present in both the show and the movie. Hardly a new observation, just food for thought.

7. ¿¿¿¿¿¿movie!Hawkmoth/Gabriel???? That basically sums up how I feel about him but to explain theres just very little done with him i feel. Plus it seems like all his Hawkmothing around actually takes a toll on his wellbeing, which is really cool and interesting, but it just comes out of nowhere afTER THE STUPID MONTAGE. Like id love to see the kind of degradation of his health, mental physical and emotional, as he works to revive Emilie, cause you cant tell me thay wouldnt make stuff a lot more interesting (i know he got catacylsmed but the show just treated it as an outfit change and checking his arm like a clock until the season finale, so it doesnt really count for me), but mans just shows up looking like a wreck and fights with Adrien

7b. Also i was pretty confused about how him breaking/rejecting his akuma at the end of the movie worked, and him just having all the powers ever while akumatized?? But that's just me being picky at a superhero show where magic animal jewelry exists

8. Movie!Chloe and movie!Sabrina felt more real in a way? Like Chloe was just stuck up and self centered, not actively making everyones life hell, and Sabrina didnt just blindly follow her along (i ADORED when she let Marinette escape and when she shrugged at her during the ball, you go girl you have that personality and self-consciousness the show never allowed you to have until the last moment), it was more a reluctant follower ignoring a friend's red flags ya know? Movie!Chloe wasnt the mayors daughter who had control over every adult in Paris and would literally become a dictator if elected. She was just freaking out at Marinette for "ruining" her sweater. Shes still a bully/mean kid, but shes dialed back, which i think makes her much better.

9. Alya and Nino were just kind of chilling, i dont have any feelings about their characters except how terrible Nino is at advice, and Alya was set up as a good friend throughout the movie, so i appreciate her supportiveness of Marinette. Tom and Sabine were set up to do more/be more important in the movie (I was so sure Tom was gonna be akumatized at the fair, but nope), but were kind of dropped halfway? Like Tom was set up as the overprotective and loving kinda helicopter father who would go all the way to the fair in disguise to watch over Marinette, and then he was just never mentioned again after Marinette felt embarrassed by him at said fair. Wasted opportunity and time for a movie with so much issue in pacing

10. I saw buggachat say this movie felt like an animated fanfiction of MLB and I have to say i completely agree. I dont mean that in a bad way, i love fanfiction with all my heart and you can clearly see that the movie and a lot of fanfiction fixes the issues many fans have with the show. But the thing is, this is a full movie, not a collection of one-shot specific scene rewrites. Thus, for it to be successful in "rewriting" or creating an alternate version of MLB, it has to include those in-between moments, not just the juicy identity reveal, or the "my heart belongs to another " moment, or even the "Gabriel actually cares about his son" moment. Is the movie good at those moments? Goodness yes. It definitely has its humor, its enjoyment that you can tell is a gift to the fans. But as a movie, a whole animated film, it disappoints.

10b. I mean for goodness sake they didnt even mention that Catacylsm was a thing until it was used, and Lucky Charm wasnt utilzed at all, just the fixing power (that might just be a genuine change they made so Ladybug wasnt too unbalanced with Chat Noir tho)

OK IM DONE, phew. Those are my major thoughts from the day after watching the movie, and im going to watch it again more carefully later. Ill not to be so personally biased and to just enjoy it. Who knows, maybe ill think differently afterwards.

Definitely gonna listen to the songs again, and definitely gonna burst out laughing at Careless Whisper tho

#miraculous ladybug #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #miraculous spoilers #miraculous movie #some miraculous salt #heed the tags #miraculus movie thoughts and opinions #youve been warned

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goggles-mcgee · 2 years

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Replaced: She’s a Star Now

Newest chapter in the story for @miner249er

Beginning

Last Chapter Next Chapter

Summary: The girls decided they were overdue for a hang out in their favorite park. Rose was delighted but the park and small things kept reminding her of their former friend Marinette. She knew she missed the girl but she would never admit it to the others and a big part of her hoped the girl missed them. If she did it certainly wasn't enough to set aside whatever she had against Lila. But Rose was an optimist, that is until she saw just how much they were missed.

__________________

The Jardins des Tuileries was truly the Girl Squad’s favorite park to hang out in. It was picturesque and made Rose feel like she was in a fairytale no matter what direction she looked. It always made her feel unbelievably happy when they had the time to visit and just have the day to relax and do whatever they had planned. Though it had been a while since they had been able to go due to Lila’s busy schedule and since they deemed it ‘Their’ spot, none of the girls wanted to go to the park without their sweet Italian friend. To be honest though Rose did feel guilty that they were there considering that said friend wasn’t even in Paris that weekend. Lila apparently had some sort of party to go to that she couldn’t miss considering the host was a close personal friend. They all understood of course but they had been bummed out since they had planned a day in their park, but Lila, ever the kind soul, said they could go without her and have fun since they had already had everything planned. She had looked sad at giving her permission and at first they hadn’t wanted to go without her but Alya had been in a mood lately and they wanted to cheer her up with some good old fashioned girl time.

Their favorite journalist had lit up when they had talked about visiting the park and truly it had been awhile since all of them could hang out and not just in smaller groups. That was why they had all been so excited and put their everything into planning and working around everyone’s schedules, Lila had even been free! But then she remembered that party a little last minute but Rose could never be frustrated with her like she knew some of the girls had been at the news. It wasn’t Lila’s fault she had a bad memory, apparently she used to have a photographic memory but because of an accident that occurred when she saved the lives of an elderly couple, she had lost her photographic memory and had problems remembering things ever since. Rose had helpfully reminded the girls about that before they got too frustrated and just like that they had let it go, not that they had said anything to Lila but Rose didn’t want there to be tension when Lila got back from her small trip.

Rose knew there was tension anyway and the source was Alya. No one knew what was wrong but after the interview Ladybug did on Aurore and Mireille’s blog the reporter had been in a mood. At first Rose had been like most of the class and thought it was because Ladybug and Chat Noir were no longer partners but something told her that was not the issue. Contrary to what a lot of others thought of her, Rose’s head was not constantly in the clouds and she could be observant. Alya had many signs when she was in distress over her favorite hero duo, her hands were either ink stained or still had her compression gloves on them after a long night(s) of writing or typing, she tended to wear worn t-shirts rather than her beloved flannels and she always had this fire in her eye. There was no fire this time. Her hands were still ink stained, but her nails were bitten. She was wearing the worn t-shirts, but it was the same shirt days in a row. Then there were her eyes. Oh her eyes.

Rose loved peoples’ eyes, she knew how creepy that sounded but she was very much a believer of the saying that eyes were the windows to the soul. If she could draw she would have sketchbooks full of her favorite people’s eyes in her life. Her all time favorite eyes were Juleka’s even if she hid them behind her hair, she sighed as she thought about her best friend who seemed to be more busy as of late. She missed the girl’s honey-hued eyes, but she understood that her friend had things to do, but those eyes held everything her shy friend couldn’t say. They lit up with joy, practically sparkling like the amber pieces she hid in her treasure chest in her room on her boat. When Juleka was angry, Rose thought her eyes resembled one lone piece of yellow apatite that was in the same treasure chest as the amber. Honestly Rose could go on and on about Juleka’s eyes, or really any one of her friend’s, the point was she saw how dull Alya’s eyes were and that was never a word she would use to describe Alya’s eyes. Ever.

Even now, they were dull as all of them started setting up their picnic. She pretended well enough though Rose observed, as it seemed like no one else noticed the too-wide smile Alya had painted on or the tense way she held her shoulders. Or maybe they had and they were just like Rose, holding their observations to themselves. Either way, they just wanted to have a nice time and bringing up whatever was bringing Alya down was sure to bring the whole group down. It sounded cruel but that’s just how they operated. They hung out and had fun until the end of their planned outing and that’s when they would bring up anything bothering them, so Rose would be patient and wait till the end of their hang-out to ask Alya and be there if her friend needed comfort. It felt weird to wait because she really wanted to know if her friend was okay and what was troubling her and waiting and not asking made her feel this crushing weight of guilt.

Thinking about it, this hadn’t been how they used to do things in the group. When it was Marinette with them they had no problem asking what was troubling each other or simply bringing up their own troubles because they knew they could talk it out or have the group distract them. Rose could admit to herself that she missed how the group was and she could also admit it was because of Marinette that the group used to be so open and wonderful. Marinette made them all feel like their troubles weren’t as big as they felt they were in a good way, she was a shoulder to cry on and you could always count on that no matter what, and she was always determined to help or fix whatever the issue was. Rose missed Marinette, she would admit that to herself because she could admit it to no one else, she missed those blue-bell eyes. They never spoke about her anymore and to be honest, Rose hadn’t thought about her in a while.

Her heart clenched at the thought. That used to be one of her best friends. They used to gush about the latest romance movies and the latest installments of the C-dramas they followed thanks to Marinette’s Mom's love of them. They used to have sleepovers, one-on-one and with the group that was made all the more fun and cozy by Marinette’s parents letting them bake their own sweets. Marinette used to help Rose pick out the perfect stickers for her scrapbook no matter how long Rose took, she had been endlessly patient with her. Marinette had been one of the first people she wanted to show a finished song or poem to because her excitement and joy were so infectious. Marinette was kind, compassionate, loving, loyal, and overall wonderful. She had been a great friend, one Rose had thought she had known and one she had ultimately lost. No, not lost, Rose and the others had pushed her away, but all the blame couldn’t be put on them. Marinette had been extremely rude to Lila and had continued to do so and make the girl feel awkward and unwelcome so they simply stopped…everything. They stopped talking to her, they stopped hanging out with her or inviting her to hang out and slowly the hole she had left had been filled by Lila.

It’s not like they had meant for it to go on for so long. They had genuinely thought that Marinette would cave and apologize for her behavior towards Lila and that they would all get past it and become friends. Marinette was a lot of things but they had forgotten, she was also incredibly stubborn. She thought she was right so there was no proving her otherwise despite them telling her how good a person Lila was and all her charitable deeds, it was like it went in one ear and out the other. It had been frustrating until eventually they forgot, it sounded awful when Rose thought about it but they well and truly forgot about what they had been doing and in the process they had forgotten about Marinette. They were having so much fun welcoming Lila and then just being her friend! She always had amazing stories to tell and advice to give, she had connections that she graciously promised to make for them, and she was such a strong and kind person despite life making things hard on her with chronic illnesses and such.

“What’s going on in that head of yours Pinkie Pie?” Alix’s voice pulled Rose from her thoughts.

“Oh nothing, just got lost in a stray thought is all. It’s a beautiful day today isn’t it?” Rose deflected as she did best.

“Very! I’m just glad it’s not as windy as it’s been.” Mylène chirped as she set down a plate of cheeses and sandwich meats on their picnic blanket that Alix brought.

“Oh I know what you mean,” Alix said as she popped a grape into her mouth and placed down her own dish of sliced fruits and bread on the blanket. “My dad nearly had a fit the other day because he had the window open and his paperwork almost escaped with the wind.”

“Poor thing.” Alya giggled behind her hand, it was so good to hear her giggle. She too brought something for the picnic, her mom had made the girls some roasted red pepper tapenade that Rose was especially looking forward to with the baguette Alix had brought. Alya also placed down the Quiche Lorraine they had bought from a traiteur on their way to their spot, at first they had had their hearts set on some tomato tarts despite it not being summer, but the smell of the Quiche Lorraine won them over in the end.

Rose smiled as the girls spoke and placed down the lemon meringue tart she brought as well as the juice. She had bought the tart before they had all started gathering to meet as she was assigned dessert for this particular day. They all took turns to bring the dessert ever since…ever since Marinette was no longer part of the group. No one spoke about it but Rose knew, she knew each time they bit into whatever dessert the others brought that it didn’t compare to anything they could have gotten at Tom and Sabine’s. She felt bad saying that about the new boulangerie & pâtisserie she and her parents went to but she knew it in her heart to be true. Ever since the class cut ties with Marinette, it was awkward to go to Tom & Sabine’s and act like everything was normal and Rose really didn’t have the heart to try and do so. That was when Rose had told her mother about Marinette’s change in character and why she hadn’t been going to Tom & Sabine’s to get her pastries and bread.

Her mother had been upset for her and rather down about not going to Tom & Sabine’s for their goods, they were regulars, but her father hadn’t minded much. He had actually been a little happy to try and find a boulangerie closer to home. He had and luckily it was a boulangerie & pâtisserie just like Tom & Sabine’s but what he didn’t want to admit and what her mother wouldn’t voice out loud was that it was nowhere near as good as the treats they had grown accustomed to. Her mother had begun to not so subtly ask her if things with Marinette were better and Rose wanted to cry every time she asked, because goodness did she want things to be better.

Rose wanted Marinette to be part of the group again, she wanted them to all be together. She wished whatever Marinette thought Lila had done or whatever thing she was jealous of could be resolved so they could all be one big group of friends again. Rose just knew that Marinette and Lila would get along if Marinette would just give the Italian a chance, but Marinette was blinded by her love. Where once Rose would have thought that to be peak romance and devotion, now she found it slightly aggravating. Kind of like all the times their Team Adrienette Plans failed because Marinette couldn’t do what was planned. Rose was a believer in True Love but love still took hard work, her parents were a glowing example for her, so every time a plan failed she couldn’t help but feel like Marinette hadn’t been trying hard enough.

Doubting a friend was always an awful feeling

“I wonder what’s going on over there.” Alya mumbled.

Rose blinked her thoughts away as she turned towards where Alya was looking. It was the bit of the park that was closer to the Place de la Concorde, it seemed like people were evacuating the area but not in a hurry so definitely not an akuma, besides they hadn’t heard the Akuma Alert go off.

“Well this might have something to do with it.” Alix announced as she grabbed a paper off a tree and brought it over to them. “Seems like they are going to be shooting a music video of some kind over there. They rented the space, just that space, not the whole park. So like we can watch from a certain distance if we wanted,”

“Oh that sounds cool!” Mylène said as she too looked over at the spot where people looked like they were setting up tables, trailers and other equipment.

“Did you guys want to go over?” Alya asked.

“Nah. We just set up our picnic, we would have to put everything back and then find a new spot and that just sounds like too much work to do on an empty stomach.” Alix groaned before she sprawled out on the grass next to the blanket.

“To be fair we haven’t taken out everything,” Alya teased as she reached into her lunch bag and brought out a small container, “I forgot to bring out the butter.”

“Alix brings up a good point. What if we eat then go see what the music video is about? I mean they are just setting up right now.” Rose suggested.

“Betsy Bubblegum gets it!” Alix said from her spot on the grass which made Rose laugh, she adored the nicknames Alix came up with for her. They had a good mellow time just enjoying their picnic and Rose couldn’t remember the last time they had had such a peaceful day. Lila just made life so exciting and interesting but it was nice to just be once in a while. Though, she did miss Lila and wished she could have joined them on such a beautiful day.

“Hey girls! Surprise!” Rose perked up when she heard a familiar voice and turned to see Lila walking towards them. She was so happy to see her friend that she jumped up so she could embrace the girl.

“Lila! What are you doing here?” Alya asked, her mouth agape.

“Oh it was the darndest thing.” Lila said with a wave of her hand as she sat on the picnic blanket and got comfortable. “The party for my friend got canceled. I can’t say who they are as you guys know, biiiiiig celebrity who didn’t want anyone to know they are vacationing here in Paris, but poor thing ate something bad I guess and got sick.”

“Oh that’s awful!” Mylène gasped. “Where did they eat?”

“Well, I don’t want to say anything. I’m sure the staff was just having an off day or something…but they said they had gone to eat at Le Grand Paris.” Lila confessed. Rose stiffened when she saw Alya go absolutely rigid, the smile on her face froze. Rose hoped she had heard wrong, because if she didn’t she didn’t like the odds of Alya not exploding at Lila for her comment. Especially because Alya had been off for a while so this was not a normal Alya they were dealing with, this was a stressed Alya.

Alya opened her mouth and Rose braced herself but just before Alya could say anything they all heard Mylène’s soft voice, “Is that Kagami?”

All of them turned so fast to see Kagami who strode over to the part of the park that was being used for the music video. Rose had no idea what she was doing over there but she was pretty sure that was not where she was supposed to be. She could hear Alix fill Lila in over what they were doing over in that spot and how the Italian made a sound of interest. It was with that one sound that they all decided to pack up their things and move closer. As they got closer Rose saw Kagami show a couple security guards-who Rose guessed was with the music video crew-a badge of some kind and was let through.

“I wonder what Kagami is doing over there.” Alya mumbled.

“Well, she is rather pretty, maybe she’s a background dancer or something.” Rose suggested.

“Isn’t she a sword person thingy?” Lila asked. “Not to judge or anything, but why would she be involved in a music video? It just doesn’t seem like something she would be interested in.”

“Well maybe-” Mylène had begun but cut off as they saw another arrival of people they knew walking towards the film location of the music video. This time a known duo. Aurore and Mireille this time walked the path towards the security guards, Aurore was shielding the both of them with her parasol and the two giggled about something. They showed the guards badges and Rose watched in shock as the two made their way over to Kagami and gave the girl a friendly greeting and hugs. Kagami hadn’t even looked awkward nor like she wanted to push them away, she actually looked happy. Genuinely happy.

“They know each other?” Alix asked but no one answered.

“This just got weirder because I’m pretty sure that’s Ondine heading over there as well.” Alya said clearly shocked.

And she was right too. Ondine, with the kind of confidence that Rose envied, strutted over to security guards to show them her badge all the while waving at Kagami, Aurore and Mireille. Once she was given the okay she ran up to the trio and pulled them into a group hug which made the small group break out into giggles. It was such an odd little group that Rose was kind of thrown for a loop as she watched them interact and she could tell her friends were as well. She could see Alya’s fingers flying across her screen texting Kim, probably questioning him about Ondine but as much as Rose loved Kim, she knew he probably had no idea what Ondine was doing there. She was trying to guess what the next surprise was going to be but nothing would have prepared her for seeing Luka and a completely different Marinette.

“Mari…” Alya breathed out when she too saw their former friend.

It was a shock, perhaps the most shocking thing that they had seen yet. She just looked so different from their former friend that it was hard to believe that was who they were seeing walk hand in hand with Luka. For one, her hair seemed to be longer since she had it up in loose space buns, the shock wasn’t that it was longer and they hadn’t noticed, no the shock was the fact the underside of her hair was dyed a light pink. Rose heard the girls muttering something about her looking like a punk or dressing in punk fashion but Rose had sat through many of Marinette’s fashion rants and this looked more grunge than punk but really she was no expert so she wasn’t sure. She had on a well-worn cropped Jagged Stone tank top that was most likely Luka’s judging from the size, underneath that was a pale pink tank top to cover any skin that would have been showing from the over-shirt. Her pants were black and high waisted, they were capris and the cuffs themselves had a pink plaid design on them that was also on where the pockets looked to be.

Rose gasped when she realized Marinette also looked taller and her eyes dropped to see Marinette was wearing black platform boots with pink laces. She had one fishnet sleeve that went from her mid bicep to her wrist on her left arm and it was adorned in various kinds of bracelets, one that Rose just recognized that she saw Ondine, Kagami, Aurore and Mireille wearing too. Oh…Friendship bracelets. On her right hand she had a black fingerless glove and a black cuff bracelet on. Around her neck was a matching cuff choker but attached to it was a Jagged Stone guitar pic, one of Luka’s Rose guessed. Marinette completed the look with a pink plaid bandana on her head and some round black sunglasses. It was a very different look but Rose thought she looked breathtaking.

They all watched silently as Marinette and Luka made their way over to the security guards all the while swinging their hands back and forth between them cutely. The guards let them in right away, no badges necessary. The odd group of friends, because really that’s what they had to be, all rushed together to give out hugs and greetings and just talk and laugh and Rose…Rose felt breathless. Marinette took off her sunglasses and Rose watched as her eyes lit up in joy as she interacted with her friends. She saw how her eyes softened when talking with Luka and she absolutely could not ignore the smile she wore the entire time. Rose couldn’t remember the last time she saw Marinette smile or look that comfortable. She missed that. She missed making Marinette laugh and smile and she felt like she wanted to cry just watching the little friend group interact.

“She looks…” Lila began.

“Happy.” Rose cut her off. “She looks…happy.” Happy without them.

It would be a couple weeks later that the Girl Squad found Marinette’s YouTube channel where the music video that had been shot at the Jardins des Tuileries was posted. They had watched it silently like when they had watched the new friend group meet. It was good Rose admitted, and it hurt to admit, because that used to be her friend and one person used to be her bandmate. They had watched other videos they had found on the page, all music videos, and they had been stunned. They hadn’t even known that Marinette could sing! But it was that song from the Jardins des Tuileries music video that haunted them.

It was a song about finding new friends. Better friends.

Next Chapter

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wordsofrowan · 8 months

Text

From Ashes to Embers

Chapter 8 - Calling Time of Death

The sun peeked through the curtains, casting a warm glow into the hotel room. I groggily rubbed my eyes, slowly awakening from a deep slumber. As my senses gradually sharpened, I realized it was morning, and we had a day full of adventures ahead.

I quickly got ready, slipping into my favorite outfit and tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The anticipation of the day ahead filled me with renewed energy, and I couldn't wait to explore the wonders awaiting us.

Making my way to the lobby, I caught a glimpse of Alya, her infectious smile spreading across her face as she spotted me. We exchanged a knowing look, excitement twinkling in our eyes. It was as if we were sharing an unspoken understanding that today would be a day to remember.

Gathering in the lobby, our group slowly formed, each person brimming with anticipation. Adrien, Nino, Sabrina, and the rest of our friends joined us, their voices filled with chatter and laughter, echoing in the vibrant space.

Ms. Mendeleiev called us all to attention. "Good morning, everyone! Today, we have a special treat in store for you. We're heading to the museum to dive into a world of art and knowledge. So let's get ready to embark on our journey!"

As she spoke, a sense of adventure coursed through me, heightening my eagerness to explore the rich tapestry of art waiting to be discovered. Our group made our way to the waiting bus, excitement bubbling within us.

Alya and I found ourselves seated next to each other on the bus, the low hum of the engine providing a soothing backdrop for our conversation. The anticipation of the museum visit still lingered in the air, but Alya's remark about the previous night's events brought a wave of mixed emotions.

"It was so romantic, you two dancing in the moonlight, wasn't it?" Alya exclaimed, her voice filled with enthusiasm and a touch of longing.

I rolled my eyes at Alya’s statement I couldn’t believe she was still stuck on this. Looking at her I could see that she was actually serious about it and I clenched my fist at my sides. "Actually, Alya, it wasn't as romantic as you seem to think," I confessed, my voice tinged with a hint of annoyance, “In fact, I felt rather trapped and forced.”

Alya's eyes widened in surprise, her curiosity piqued by my response. "Really? Because it sure looked romantic from where I was standing, Marinette," she insisted, her tone expressing a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.

I took a deep breath, mustering the strength to stand by my words. "Except that, need I remind you, I already have a boyfriend who isn’t Adrien and I don’t like Adrien anymore," I asserted, my voice filled with a firm resolve.

Alya's expression softened, her gaze filled with understanding. "Sure, sure, girl, whatever you say," she replied, her voice conveying a hint of skepticism. The rest of the bus ride to the museum passed in a somber silence between us, the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging in the air.

The bus came to a gentle halt, and the doors swung open, revealing the bustling street and the grand entrance of the museum. Excitement filled the air as our group eagerly disembarked, stepping onto the pavement with a renewed sense of anticipation.

We stood for a moment, gazing up at the magnificent building before us. Its towering facade and ornate details whispered tales of history and creativity, beckoning us to explore the wonders within.

As if on cue, our group instinctively gathered together, forming a lively cluster of friends and classmates. Laughter and chatter filled the space as we exchanged anecdotes from the bus ride and shared snippets of excitement about the museum.

Ms. Mendeleiev, our dedicated chaperone, called for our attention, her voice carrying the perfect blend of authority and warmth. "Alright, everyone, let's make our way inside and embark on a journey through art, history, and culture!"

With her guidance, we began to move, a lively procession of curious minds and eager hearts. Each step we took brought us closer to the entrance, fueling our anticipation for the treasures that awaited us.

As we entered the museum, a collective gasp escaped our lips. The grandeur of the atrium unfolded before us, a sight that left us in awe. Sunlight streamed through the vast glass ceiling, casting a soft glow on the marble floors and intricate sculptures.

The air hummed with a sense of possibility as if each corner held a hidden world waiting to be discovered. Our footsteps echoed through the halls, filling the space with a symphony of anticipation.

As our group moved from one exhibit to another within the grand museum, we found ourselves in a room brimming with historical artifacts and treasures. Dean Gate, our knowledgeable guide, stood before a glass case, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"This is the famous saber of the Marquis de Lafayette," Dean Gate announced, his voice filled with reverence. His hands gestured towards the gleaming sword, its intricate details capturing the attention of everyone in the room. "And here, the necklace he presented to George Washington as a symbol of friendship between the French and the American people."

We gathered closer, our eyes fixated on the precious artifacts, aware of the significance they held in the tapestry of history. Dean Gate's cautionary words broke the silence, a reminder of the delicate nature of these priceless pieces.

"Careful! The security system is very sensitive!" he warned, his voice carrying a sense of urgency. "You don't wanna be accidentally setting off the alarm."

With newfound caution, we exchanged glances, recognizing the weight of responsibility in the presence of such esteemed artifacts. We took a step back, mindful of the importance of preserving these treasures for future generations.

Dean Gate's enthusiasm remained unwavering as he guided us to the next room, excitement dancing in his eyes. "Let's carry on to the next room, where we'll see the Statue of Liberty!" he declared, his voice brimming with anticipation.

Eagerly, we followed, our steps infused with a sense of wonder. The next room greeted us with grandeur, and there, standing tall and proud, was the Statue of Liberty. Dean Gate's voice echoed through the space, sharing the fascinating tale behind this iconic monument.

"France gave the Statue of Liberty to America in 1886," Dean Gate informed us, his voice filled with awe. "Gustave Eiffel himself built the armature for the inside of the statue!"

As we gazed upon the majestic figure before us, our hearts swelled with admiration and gratitude. The grandeur of the statue and the symbol it represented intertwined, evoking a sense of unity and shared values.

Alya's voice cut through the bustling room, drawing my attention. I turned to face her, ready to lend a helping hand. Her request took me by surprise, but I understood the urgency in her tone.

"Marinette, could you go and take a quick pic of Lafayette's saber? I completely forgot, and I gotta film Dean Gate!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of excitement and slight panic.

Nodding in understanding, I offered a reassuring smile. "Of course!" I replied my eagerness to assist evident in my tone. Without hesitation, I made my way toward the display, eager to capture the historic artifact for Alya.

As I approached the glass case, my attention was momentarily diverted. A familiar figure caught my eye, and my heart dropped to my stomach. Adrien stood not too far away.

Caught off guard, I instinctively reached for my phone, glancing down at the screen. Nervousness flooded my system as I wondered what he was doing in here. Adrien's gaze met mine, his warm smile lighting up his face "Huh? Uh...? A-Adrien?" I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper, my mind racing to make sense of the situation.

Adrien's eyes met mine, a flicker of recognition shining in his gaze. His voice carried a mixture of surprise and concern. "Marinette?"

Confusion clouded my thoughts as I tried to comprehend what was happening. Before I could gather my wits, the door abruptly slammed shut, enclosing us within the room. Panic coursed through me, my hands instinctively gripping the door handle, desperate to escape.

"That's strange!" Adrien exclaimed, his voice laced with a touch of worry. I couldn't help but feel a wave of unease wash over me. Something was definitely not right.

As we grappled with our confinement, a notification chimed on Adrien's phone, stealing our attention. Nadja's urgent voice resonated through the room, delivering news of an akumatized villain causing chaos in Paris. The name "Robostus" sent a shiver down my spine, knowing the devastation it could unleash.

"But Markov can't have been akumatized in Paris, he's right here with us in New York!" Adrien's confusion mirrored my own, intensifying the mystery of our circumstances. I looked in my purse at Tikki and the charm I made for Chat Noir to Alert me only to see Tikki shake her head at me.

Before I had time to process what was happening, the room plunged into darkness, plunging us into a world of shadows. Fear gripped my heart, the unknown looming before me. Before I could fully process the situation, a hologram materialized, depicting the figure of Solitude, a villain of formidable power.

"I am Solitude, and I am here to take captive those who are loved by no one!" the chilling hologram declared, its words echoing in the air, sending a chill down my spine.

Amidst the disorienting circumstances, a deafening rumble from above shook the very foundation of the room. Adrien's eyes met mine, a shared sense of urgency reflected in our bewildered glances. The intensity of the situation escalated with each passing second.

In a disheartening twist, the hologram flickered out, leaving us engulfed in darkness. Panic surged through my veins, constricting my chest as I frantically searched for an escape route. Desperation welled up within me, fueling my every movement.

As the shadows seemed to thicken, a sinister presence emerged from the darkness. Techlonizer materialized before us, his form radiating a palpable aura of threat and danger. Fear coursed through my veins, mingling with the anxiety that gnawed at my mind.

I desperately scanned the room for a secluded spot, a hiding place where I could transform into Ladybug and summon the power within me. But my efforts proved futile, as the room offered no sanctuary. The weight of my own vulnerability began to suffocate me, causing my breath to quicken and my heart to race.

My thoughts spun in a whirlwind of panic, each second ticking by relentlessly. The realization that time was slipping away intensified the direness of the situation

As Techlonizer absorbed the power of a cannon, his once robotic arms transformed into formidable weapons. The sight sent a chill down my spine, and my heart pounding in my chest. His sinister presence loomed over us, the stolen saber of Lafayette gripped tightly in his metallic grasp.

Sparrow, his voice deep and commanding, called out to Techlonizer, his words laced with a hint of defiance. "Hey! I thought your thing was new technology?" he challenged, his voice resonating with unwavering determination.

Uncanny Valley, her voice filled with skepticism, joined the confrontation. "What are you planning to do with the saber? Use it as an antenna?" she taunted, her words cutting through the tension.

Techlonizer's response was swift and filled with venom. "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO PLAY WITH ANNOYING KIDS!" he roared, his cannons charging up and unleashing a barrage of destructive energy toward us.

Reacting swiftly, Sparrow and Uncanny Valley split up, their agile movements a testament to their battle experience. Their instincts kicked in, guiding them away from the path of Techlonizer's relentless assault.

Amidst the chaos, I couldn't help but worry for Chat Noir. Why hadn't he warned me about the return of Robostus? I could only hope that he wasn't in harm's way, facing his own battles somewhere in the city.

Turning to Tikki, my trusted companion, I sought guidance in this moment of desperation. “Chat Noir should've told me that Robostus is back. I hope he's not in trouble!”

"What do we do, Marinette?" Tikki whispered, her voice filled with a mix of determination and uncertainty.

As if on cue, a deafening crash echoed through the room as a section of the museum wall crumbled, causing people to scatter in panic. The chaos intensified, and the urgency to protect innocent lives surged within me.

Doorman, previously known as Dean Gate, stepped forward. His voice rang out with authority as he urged everyone to run to safety. His heroic gesture instilled a sense of urgency in our group, prompting us to follow his lead. I watched as the students rushed to go through the portal to safety.

As the battle raged on, Sparrow and Uncanny Valley joined forces, their unique abilities combining to launch a fierce assault on Techno-Pirate. Sparrow's rings whizzed through the air, striking their mark with precision, while Uncanny Valley's laser beam pierced through the darkness, illuminating the scene.

"Sparrow to United Heroez! Enhanced Techno-Pirate-" Sparrow's deep voice boomed with urgency, his call for backup echoing through the chaos.

However, Doorman, ever protective and valiant, intervened, urging us to seek safety. "This way, kids -- let the adults handle this!" he commanded, his voice filled with authority and concern. Uncanny Valley, understanding the gravity of the situation, soared towards the portal, ready to retreat to safety.

But before she could reach her escape, Techlonizer's grip tightened around her, his metallic form absorbing her powers with cruel efficiency. The air crackled with energy as Uncanny Valley struggled against his grasp, her once formidable abilities slipping away.

"YOUR POWER BE MINE!" Techlonizer's triumphant declaration reverberated through the room, his maniacal laughter filling the air. With a forceful throw, he discarded Uncanny Valley, leaving her powerless and bewildered.

"What?!" Uncanny Valley exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief and frustration. The reality of her powerlessness sent shockwaves through her, her scanning tools and laser now in the hands of the formidable villain.

Techlonizer's gaze swept across the room, his determination unwavering. "NOBODY ESCAPES MY SIGHT!" he bellowed, his voice laced with chilling intensity. He unleashed a powerful laser beam, the force of it causing the ground to quake and crumble.

In the midst of the chaos, I caught sight of a small collapse in the museum, a dangerous situation unfolding right before my eyes. The urgency to act surged within me, compelling me to take a stand.

Without hesitation, I summoned the strength within me, the familiar mantra ringing in my ears. "Vacation is over! Tikki, Spots On! HA!" I declared, my transformation sequence illuminating the room with a dazzling display of light and power.

As my miraculous transformed me into Ladybug, I felt a surge of energy and determination course through my veins. It was time to face the imminent danger, to protect those in need, and to restore peace amidst the chaos that threatened to consume us all.

I picked up Sparrow’s body off of the floor, hoisting her arm over my shoulders to carry her. As I looked across the museum I saw a familiar face that made my blood boil.

"Ladybug?" Chat Noir's voice held a mixture of surprise and relief. "What are you doing here?"

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips, the relief of seeing Chat Noir safe and sound washing over me. "Chat Noir?" I replied, mirroring his surprise. "I could ask you the same question!"

Chat Noir's expression shifted, a flicker of hesitation crossing his features. "It's a long story," he admitted, his voice filled with a hint of urgency. "But where's Marinette?"

I took a brief pause, quickly trying to figure out what to say given that I couldn't let him know I was Marinette. "I got her to safety," I assured him, my voice laced with determination. "But why aren't you back in Paris?"

Chat Noir's response was swift, his urgency evident in his words. "I'll explain later," he promised, his tone carrying the weight of a hidden story yet to be revealed.

Techlonizer's menacing advance towards Uncanny Valley sent shivers down our spines, his intentions clear as he threatened to absorb her powers entirely. The urgency to intervene surged within me, and I swiftly swung my yo-yo into action, using its precision to snatch Techlonizer away and throw him off balance.

"Let's see if I can absorb you whole!" Techlonizer's taunting words hung in the air, only to be interrupted by my intervention.

As the dust settled, Sparrow's deep voice resonated with surprise and gratitude. "You've come all the way from Paris to help us out?" he exclaimed, a touch of admiration coloring his words.

Chat Noir, ever the charismatic hero, chimed in with a confident smile. "Yeah! We thought it'd be friendly to give you a hand in honor of French-American Friendship Week!" His voice held a sense of camaraderie and kinship, but to me, it just sounded fake and filled me with even more anger.

Techlonizer, undeterred by our presence, crouched down, preparing to unleash its devastating laser beam. In a split-second decision, we split up, each of us seeking cover and formulating our next move.

Sparrow, his deep voice filled with determination, observed our coordinated actions and spoke with admiration. "See that?! They don't need anyone's permission to take action!" he declared, his words resonating with a sense of empowerment.

Ladybug, seizing the moment to assert her own strength and independence, affirmed Sparrow's statement. "That's right! You never ask for anything! DO YOU, CHAT NOIR!" My voice echoed with a wave of resolute anger as my anger at Chat Noir boiled over.

Amidst the chaos, Uncanny Valley engaged in a fierce physical confrontation with Techlonizer, her punches landing with a resounding impact. In the midst of the battle, she turned to Sparrow, her voice filled with concern. "Sparrow, did you warn Knightowl and Majestia?"

Sparrow's response was filled with determination and defiance. "I couldn't! But you know what?! We don't need anyone's permission either!" His deep voice resonated with a sense of rebellion and determination, fueled by the belief in our own capabilities.

Uncanny Valley questioned the risks involved, her voice tinged with caution. "Are you sure you wanna step out of the procedure?" she asked, her words hinting at the potential consequences of our independent actions.

Sparrow's response was unwavering, filled with conviction. "This is our chance to prove to them that they were just like these two! Autonomous, bonded together, but with trust and super efficiency!"

My eyes ablaze with anger, intervened, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. "Just go and rest easy! Yeah, leave Paris with me!" I said mocking the exact words Chat Noir had told me before I left.

Chat Noir, caught off guard by the accusation, stammered in response. "I-I didn't know I was going to leave! It was a last-minute decision, that's all!"

Before we could continue our exchange, Techlonizer unleashed a powerful blow, striking both Chat Noir and I. Sparrow and Uncanny Valley watched in shock as the impact sent our heroes reeling.

My frustration reached its peak, and I confronted Chat Noir with a mixture of anger and disappointment. "Do you realize that because of you, there's no one left in Paris to protect the city?!"

Techlonizer, seizing the opportunity, swiftly retreated, its efficiency evident in its escape. Ladybug's voice rang out, stating the obvious, "He's running away!"

Sparrow, his deep voice tinged with sarcasm, couldn't help but remark, "You sound like Captain Obvious!"

The tension between Ladybug and Chat Noir reached its boiling point as she confronted him about his unannounced departure. "Why didn't you tell me that you were leaving?!"

Chat Noir, his voice tinged with regret, revealed his apprehension. "I was afraid you'd get angry!"

Ladybug's frustration escalated, her words dripping with anger and disappointment. "And you were right because, as you can see, I AM angry!!"

"Autonomous, bonded by trust, and super-efficient?!" she exclaimed, her words laced with a hint of irony.

Sparrow, his deep voice resonating with a touch of regret, admitted, "Yeah, I might have overestimated them."

Techlonizer descended with a resounding thud, the ground trembling beneath his weight. Uncanny Valley, no longer able to hold Sparrow, released her grip as our attention shifted to the formidable villain before us.

"Surrender, Techno-Pirate!" Sparrow's deep voice echoed with determination, his words carrying a note of finality. "There's nowhere to run now!"

In a synchronized sequence of power, Chat Noir unleashed his Cataclysm, the raw force of his ability reverberating through the air. Meanwhile, I summoned my Lucky Charm, an unexpected item materializing in my hands—a bicycle pump.

Chat Noir couldn't help but question my choice, a mixture of confusion and curiosity evident in his voice. "A bicycle pump? What are you gonna do with that?"

A glint of mischief danced in my eyes as I responded, my determination unwavering. "I may have an idea, but you wouldn't like it!"

Techlonizer, undeterred by our defiance, taunted us with a sinister declaration. "Why run away when I can finally get me revenge by eliminating the beloved kids of AMERICA'S MOST BELOVED HEROES?"

In the midst of the intense battle, Chat Noir's voice quivered with regret as he admitted his true motivation. "M'lady, I didn't tell you because I was afraid of losing your trust!"

My voice turned cold, a palpable rift forming between us. "Well, I can't trust you anymore, can I?!" my words hung in the air, heavy with disappointment and a sense of betrayal.

As Techlonizer turned around to grab Chat Noir's wrist, preparing to throw him away, Uncanny Valley appeared, shielding me with an unwavering sense of loyalty. However, the unexpected happened. With an unprecedented force, Chat Noir's Cataclysm struck Uncanny Valley, overwhelming her with its power.

The shock of Uncanny Valley's demise reverberated through me, Chat Noir, and Sparrow, leaving us stunned and reeling from the unexpected turn of events. Meanwhile, Techlonizer reveled in their anguish, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

Majestia's anguished cry pierced through the chaos as she soared through the city, her punches causing destruction to the surrounding buildings. The force of her blows echoed with a resounding crash, leaving a trail of devastation in her wake.

As Knightowl's gaze fell upon the sword embedded in the ground, Majestia's sorrowful tears flowed freely. In a sudden burst of light, Uncanny Valley transformed back into Aeon, her presence a reminder of the cost of this battle. Chat Noir and I stood in stunned silence, our hearts heavy with shock and guilt.

Majestia's heartbreak filled the air, her voice trembling with grief. "What have you done?!" she cried out, her words laden with pain and disbelief.

Chat Noir's voice quivered with guilt as he shouldered the weight of responsibility. "It's my fault," he admitted, his tone filled with remorse.

In the midst of this turmoil, Knightowl swooped in, his anger palpable. He questioned their actions, his voice tinged with frustration. "Why didn't you call us? And you, what are you doing here?!"

I spoke up, fear and anxiousness lacing my voice, as I tried to offer a glimmer of hope. "I-I might be able to help," she stammered, her words carrying a note of uncertainty.

Knightowl's tone turned skeptical, his anger evident. "Oh, really? With your magical bicycle pump?" he retorted, his words laced with sarcasm.

Undeterred, I pressed on, my faith in my abilities unwavering. "Precisely. Miraculous Ladybug!" With a swift motion, I tossed the bicycle pump into the sky, invoking the power of my Lucky Charm.

As the Lucky Charm's magic took effect, the shattered buildings and museum were restored to their former glory. Aeon's systems rebooted, bringing her back to functionality. Majestia's heartbreak transformed into relief as she embraced Aeon, her gratitude overflowing. "Oh, thank you, Ladybug!" she expressed, her voice filled with appreciation.

However, Knightowl's anger persisted, his accusatory gaze fixed upon Ladybug and Chat Noir. "You two are dangerous!" he declared, his tone hardened.

Sparrow, his deep voice brimming with a sense of defense, attempted to interject, but Knightowl cut him off, his frustration evident. "So are you! You disobeyed me! You were supposed to call us, and you didn't! I'm ordering you to revert to your civilian identities and hand me the source of your powers! You will have them back when you leave town!"

My voice trembled with determination as I stood my ground. "We can't do that! It's true we made a mistake, but I've fixed everything!" I attempted to make my plea convey the weight of my remorse and the belief in my ability to right the wrongs.

Knightowl's resolve remained unyielding, his demand unchanged. "If your power is fixing Chat Noir's mistakes, we don't need you!"

Majestia, her tone filled with resignation, expressed her acceptance. "It's better like this," she admitted, her voice tinged with sadness. She turned to Aeon, her gratitude evident. "What would've happened if you hadn't been able to fix Uncanny or if she hadn't been an android?"

I walked over to Chat Noir, putting an arm on his shoulder as I whispered in his ear, "We can't give them our Miraculous."

As Knightowl raised his hand, poised to take their Miraculous, Chat Noir and I made a split-second decision. In a swift motion, we turned and fled, refusing to yield to Knightowl's command. His order to stop fell upon deaf ears as we ran away, their determination pushing them forward. Knightowl's authoritative voice echoed in the air, demanding their compliance, but we pressed on hiding in an underground sewer.

We continued running until we found a safe area where we would be separated from one another and could transform back in peace. "Okay! Let's feed our Kwamis and get back to Paris to take care of Robostus,” my voice trembled with a mix of sorrow and frustration as I addressed the situation. Chat turns on the Paris News and Nadja's voice fills the air, sharing the latest news. "Today, Paris was attacked by a villain who ultimately disappeared on his own! Clara Contard is on the scene."

Clara's voice comes through, questioning the absence of Ladybug and Chat Noir. "Parisians are surprised! Why didn't Ladybug and Chat Noir step in? And will Ladybug repair the damages caused by the villain?"

My voice cracks with emotion as the weight of our actions and I can feel the consequences weigh heavily on me. "We waited too long to return to Paris," I admit, my voice trembling with sadness. "There's nothing I can do anymore!"

Chat Noir's voice carries a glimmer of hope, his words an attempt to offer a solution. "Can't you just do a Lucky Charm when we're back in Paris?"

Despair and defeat lace my voice as I answer "My powers allow me to create a magical object that repairs damages caused by a specific villain! But the villain is already gone!"

Chat Noir's voice reflects his realization. "Then there's no longer a chance for repairs?" he asks, his tone heavy with the weight of their missed opportunity. I continued sobbing and frustration made his guilt deepen. "It's all my fault. You were perfect as always. Knightowl was right to want to confiscate my Miraculous. I left Paris without telling you. I ruined everything! And if Uncanny Valley hadn't been a robot, I would've caused irreparable harm."

Chat Noir and I called out our transformation words, our voices filled with determination as we returned to our civilian identities. My transformation falls away, and I extend my hand for Tikki to land on. I look at her, tears welling up in my eyes, mirroring the sadness in her expression. Tikki whimpers softly, her sympathy palpable.

In the midst of our sorrow, I hear Chat Noir's voice quiver with emotion as he speaks, his words heavy with sorrow and regret. "Please forgive me, my friend." His plea hangs in the air, carrying the weight of his choices and the pain he feels.

Plagg's desperate plea fills the air, his voice laced with concern and disbelief. "No!"

I hear Chat Noir's voice, filled with determination and resignation. "Plagg," he says, his voice tinged with sadness, "I renounce you." The words cut through my heart, each syllable accentuating the weight of his decision. I crumple to the ground, the reality of the situation crashing down on me.

Chat Noir's next words struck me to the core. "I never want to risk harming anyone ever again. Least of all you." With a heavy heart, he sets down the Cat Miraculous, his actions reflecting the weight of his choices and his desire to protect me.

Desperation fills my voice as I try to call out to him, my heart pleading for him to stay. "Wait!"

But Chat Noir, consumed by despair and misery, runs away, his steps echoing the pain he feels. I am left standing alone, tears flowing freely down my cheeks, my voice choked with sorrow as I try to call out to him, my words fading into the empty air. "Chat Noir..."

XoXo Rowan

#writing #spilled ink #miraculous au #miraculous fandom #marinette deserves better #akuma class salt #miraculous new york #Slight Adrien Salt

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mariharem-trash-heap · 2 years

Text

Representative Duties

Slight Lila salt. AU.

Marinette took her duties as class president very seriously. So when Lila starts making all kinds of claims about her health conditions, she has to set aside her own jealousy and irritation to do her job, whether the girl liked it or not.

Notes:

This oneshot contains medical conditions that the characters may or may not have.

Marinette heaved an irritated sigh as she collapsed onto her chaise lounge, groaning loudly.

Tikki flittered around her, chewing on her bottom lip in worry for her Chosen. “Marinette?”

“Hmm?” The girl grumbled.

“Are you... are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?”

“What else is there to talk about?” Her voice was slightly muffled by the furniture, but the frustration bleeding into her tone was no less missed even as she pushed herself up onto her elbows, resting her forehead on the backrest. Her eyelids were clenched shut as she added, “I’m just going to keep making myself angrier and angrier. I don’t want to be angry anymore.”

Tikki said nothing in reply, merely coming down to rest atop her shoulder. She nuzzled her head into the girl’s cheek affectionately.

The two lay there in silence for several long moments.

“I just... don’t understand,” the teenager quietly murmured. “I don’t understand how anyone could just... fall for a bunch of lies.”

The little god hummed to herself. “Humans are complicated, Marinette. After thousands of years I still don’t understand everything about them, myself.”

“I mean, come on! She’s contradicted herself so many times already!” She turned to grimace at Tikki. “Does nobody else see what I do?”

Tikki patiently smiled. “The Miraculous changes people, Marinette - for better or for worse. You being Ladybug has opened your eyes to more than what’s on the surface.”

The girl closed her eyes again as she nuzzled her cheek. “Your soul is greater than most. The Ladybug Miraculous is drawn to those pure of heart and innocent of intention - in order to create, you must willingly devote yourself. Not very many people would want the responsibility.” She paused, trailing a paw along the girl’s cheekbone. “I don’t blame them.”

Responsibility.

Marinette’s eyes opened, then narrowed. She sat up, making the little god make a noise of surprise - and as the Kwami lifted into the air once more, she inquired, “Tikki... would you call me crazy if I said I had an idea?”

The red god beamed at her Chosen.

-0-0-0-0-

It had taken a long night of work - several texts back and forth to her classmates, an email to Dupont staff - but when the next morning arrived, Marinette felt exhausted, yet satisfied.

“Hey, girl!” Alya greeted cheerfully, bumping shoulders good-naturedly as they walked up the front steps. “What’s the occasion?”

“What occasion?”

“Well, you aren’t fashionably late for once.” The redhead pointed out. Then she winked. “Is it about Adrien?”

Marinette chuckled, shaking her head slowly. “No, no... I just realized something important. Is Lila going to be in today?”

“Yeah, she should be.”

“Great.” With a comforting nudge at her hip from Tikki, she raised her head high. “Because I have an apology to make.”

-0-0-0-0-

At the first bell, nearly everyone was in the classroom. Alya squeezed her shoulder warmly before heading to her seat, leaning on Nino for a moment before getting out her things.

True to form, not long afterward Lila strolled in with a peaceful expression. It dimmed a bit when she noticed Marinette standing near the front, but at the radiant grin the girl gave her in greeting, she gave a wary smile back.

“Seats, everyone!” Bustier called, and when the second bell rang she stood from her desk with a smile as she clapped her hands. “Good morning, students.”

“Good morning, Miss Bustier,” the class responded in varying tones of boredom or cheerfulness.

“Marinette has informed me ahead of time that she has something to say to you all before class starts.” She gestured to the representative encouragingly. “Marinette?”

The noirette nodded before turning to everyone. Lila was looking her way with a scrutinizing stare, but Alya and Adrien gave her smiles.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for my behavior yesterday,” she began. “I admit that I was not in the best headspace and I shouldn’t have let my emotions dictate my actions. Lila,” she turned to the Italian, “I shouldn’t have let myself treat you unfairly. I understand that having medical conditions is incredibly hard and I want to let you know that everyone here is supportive of you and is willing to help you however they can.”

At this, Lila’s smile twitched, and she could see a puzzled, calculating look in her eye.

“Will you forgive me?” She implored, clasping her hands together.

Hook.

The rest of the class had softened towards her, and everyone turned to the transfer student with eager anticipation.

The girl opened her mouth.

Marinette tried to contain her grin.

Line.

“Of course, Marinette,” she gushed, and a syrupy-sweet expression filled her face. “I know you can be... protective of your friends. I wasn’t trying to make things harder for you in any way. I accept your apology, and I hope we can be good friends from now on!”

“I hope so too,” she found herself saying back as she plastered an identical smile on her face. “Starting now, I’ll be taking my duties as class rep more seriously. That’s why I’ve compiled a full list of your ailments to make things easier. You don’t have to worry about getting sicker from now on.”

Sinker.

Lila’s smile wavered, and she could see her lip twitch. “Oh, you didn’t have to--”

“But I wanted to,” she implored, using her best innocent ‘I want what’s best for you’ voice. “I have detailed records of everyone’s allergies and medical conditions so that, say, if we go on a class picnic, we can include them.”

“Yeah,” Kim spoke up. “I’m lactose intolerant, and Mari always makes sure we have dairy-free options on outings.”

“Not like that stops you,” Alix snarked.

“It’s the thought that counts!” The jock huffed a laugh. “Besides, my gut doesn’t suffer. Too much. Don’t use the restrooms after me during lunch period.”

“Don’t be gross, Kim,” someone else muttered.

“And I have a gluten allergy,” Nathaniel quietly added. “Marinette always makes sure to include gluten-free pastries for me.”

“Chloe is on a diet,” Sabrina chimed in nervously. “So we always make sure to have options that she can eat.”

“Speaking of, Adrien’s on a diet too, right?” Alya lightly poked the model.

“Yeah,” he nodded, then he smiled up at Marinette. “Those new croissants were delicious.”

“Oh,” she squeaked, face turning red. “Th- thanks!”

“My bestie would never leave someone out on purpose,” Alya continued, winking at Lila. “We’ll all do our part to make sure you’re included, too!”

“If anything new crops up that I wasn’t aware of, please make sure to let me know,” the noirette finished. “I’ll make a note of it and add it to the file.”

“Thank you for stepping up, Marinette,” Bustier complimented, resting a hand on her student’s back. “You are a shining example for the rest of the class.”

She just beamed. For once, the title didn’t hurt as much. It was only made sweeter by the covert scowl Lila sent her once everyone broke into their own chattering groups.

-0-0-0-0-

The rest of the week went by much smoother than she thought it would. It was almost like a dream compared to the disastrous first day she had.

Lila got all the attention she wanted - even if not all of it was to her liking. Bustier’s students would speak up for her in every class she had, warning the teacher of this condition or that ailment - and as puzzled as the teachers would be, they reluctantly made a note of it for the future. With every class, Lila looked more and more tense when nobody else was looking... and it filled Marinette with a sick sense of pride that she quickly dismissed, feeling guilty over her happiness in seeing the girl so angry.

At lunch, one of her new friends would go through the line with her, informing the cafeteria staff of her allergies. As confused as they were (they hadn’t gotten proper warnings from the other staff, not until the health file was updated), they graciously tried to make their way around her intolerances. Every day Lila found herself with a plain salad with no dressing, chicken, and a small cup of fruit.

At PE, Kim and Alix personally informed Mr. d’Argencourt of Lila’s injuries, and so she was sent to the library to study with Mylene, who had hurt her knee.

Lila got the attention she wanted. And Marinette didn’t even have to lift another finger.

Thanks to her announcement on Tuesday, she’d managed to rope Ms. Bustier into compiling an official document to send to the nurse on Lila’s behalf during lunch period. Mysteriously, there was nothing of note in her file other than a clean bill of health.

The nurse was nothing if not thorough, and as soon as she was handed in the updated health file her brow furrowed in confusion. She resolved to get to the bottom of the issue, realizing how many conditions Lila had claimed to have would have been manifested before the school year began.

Ms. Bustier was just as confused. Why hadn’t Mrs. Rossi made note of anything herself?

On Wednesday, the nurse went to Principal Damocles with her concerns. The principal was just as confused when he read over the files, and when he tried to phone home the number went straight to voicemail.

Even stranger, when they attempted to email Mrs. Rossi, they immediately got a reply back - one that read, “I’m terribly sorry for the mix-up, perhaps some things were lost in translation.”

-0-0-0-0-

On Thursday, Lila was called to the office. Nobody knew why, not even the girl herself - though Marinette caught her throwing her a calculating stare as she left the classroom. Ms. Bustier had already been called in before, and when she came back to class, she looked visibly upset and almost shaken by whatever had been discussed. Several students asked her, but she waved off their concerns with a tight-lipped smile and a half-hearted reassurance.

By lunch, Alya was frantically tugging at her hand. “Mari, girl, you’ve gotta see this.”

“What’s happening? What? Akuma?” She instantly tensed, eyes darting around.

“No, it’s Lila.” Alya shoved her phone forward, and Marinette blinked as she focused on a video from Juleka. “Her mom’s here, and she is not happy.”

Shouting could faintly be heard from the speakers, and Juleka’s bewildered face filled the screen for a split-second before she turned the camera towards the principal’s office.

“...making a mockery of the family name!” Mrs. Rossi was yelling. “I can’t believe...”

Juleka’s face came into view again, mouthing an ‘uh-oh’ before the video ended.

The noirette looked up, shocked. “How many people have seen this?”

“It was in the group chat, ‘Nette,” Alya said slowly as she lowered the phone. “Didn’t you see?”

“I was busy helping Aurore with student council stuff,” she admitted with a long exhale that drooped her shoulders. “Wow.”

“Wow is right.” The redhead sighed. “I can’t believe Lila lied about that. I was so ready to help her out and everything. I mean... I’m really angry. Furious, even. But... I just feel so exhausted.”

She gave the other girl a grimacing frown. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I feel like such an idiot.”

“No, no, it’s not your fault, Alya.” Marinette was quick to soothe her friend, pulling her in for a tight hug. “I admit, I didn’t exactly put my best foot forward on Monday. I don’t blame you for not believing me at first. I must have looked really jealous and petty.”

Alya hesitated, but squeezed back and pulled away. “I’m gonna be honest here, girl... you kinda did. It really felt like you were just dogpiling on her for no reason. I mean, none of us even knew her that well to begin with. And you’ve done more for less...”

“I know, and I’m really sorry.” She sighed, disappointed in herself as she remembered Kagami. “I’m gonna try harder to keep my feelings in check, but I can’t promise I won’t make my case when I know somebody’s being dishonest and exploiting you.”

“That’s totally fine. I’m trusting you to call me on it, too.” Alya’s mouth curved into a wry half-smile. “Guess that means I’ve gotta scrub my blog. I don’t want my viewers to realize she was lying and lose their trust in me.”

-0-0-0-0-

On Friday, Ms. Bustier began the class with an announcement.

“Marinette, please come to the front,” she called.

The girl in question froze, anxious and unsure, until Alya nudged her with an encouraging nod towards the podium.

Swallowing, she slowly got up from her seat and approached the teacher.

Instead of the pinched expression of disappointment Ms. Bustier wore when she was about to scold a student, however, she smiled warmly as she approached and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I believe some of your classmates have something to say to you.”

Almost immediately, someone piped up. “Sorry, Marinette.”

“Yeah, we’re sorry,” Alix chimed in, a guilty look on her face.

One by one, the others apologized. Chloe remained silent, but Bustier sighed out of her nose and passed her by with a shake of her head.

“We should’ve done more to listen to your concerns,” Sabrina added, wringing her hands together. “Instead we just accused you of being jealous.”

“Nobody is more sorry than I am, Marinette,” Ms. Bustier nodded in agreement. “I should have spoken with you before the seat change in case you were uncomfortable. I should have taken your feelings into account as well as Lila’s. Can you accept my - our - apology?”

Warmth bloomed in her chest and she nodded, a smile spreading across her face as Bustier’s hand squeezed her shoulder in comfort. “Y- yeah. I’m sorry too. I should’ve properly confided in you about my concerns instead of jumping to attacking her. I’ll try harder to communicate from now on.”

“And we’ll try harder to listen.”

#ml salt #realistic lila #realistic ml #class sugar #marinette sugar

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