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miraculouslbcnreactions · 2 months

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I actually thought that Adrien and Gabriel's relationship seemed like it might have been possible to salvage in the early seasons. What do you think?

@tallwriter Starting a new post since this one was getting super long as this is a different topic.

The problem with Gabriel Agreste's character is that they very clearly wanted to write a sympathetic villain - you can tell that from how the show handles his death - but sympathetic villains don't work if you make them cartoonishly evil. You have to handle the situation with nuance and delicacy, especially when one of the main heroes is the villain's son.

Gorizilla is not a perfect episode by any means, but it does showcase how Gabriel should have been written if they wanted him to come across as complex and sympathetic. In that episode, Gabe thinks that Adrien is Chat Noir and, because there's no way to magically force Adrien to reveal himself or confess his secrets, Gabriel has to come up with a situation where Adrien would be forced to transform of his own free will (since that can't be overwritten with a ring or something crazy like that). Which is how we get Adrien hurtling to his death while his father looks on:

Adrien: Always! (jumps out of Gorizilla's hand, and over the side of the building) Yeah-ha! Hawk Moth:(from his lair) No! ... Hawk Moth:(from his lair) If indeed you are Cat Noir, then transform, son. Please. (Adrien continues to fall downward, resolutely remaining as he is) Come on, son! (Ladybug looks down at Adrien, then raises her head, eyes closed.) Ladybug: Cat Noir, help!! Hawk Moth:(from his lair, to Gorizilla) Drop Ladybug!

This is good writing. Yes, Gabe's plan was kind of dumb (you live with Adrien, dude, just bug his room), but if we accept that this was the only way to go about a forced reveal - and that does seem to be the writer's logic - then we see a situation where Gabriel put his son above winning. A situation where he's still very much the villain, but he's not a dastardly, cold-hearted one. He does love his son.

There are actually several of these moments in the first three seasons. Some involve Adrien and many more involve Nathalie. It's why season five's claim that Gabe put beating Ladybug above everything else rings hollow. He never actually did that outside of Evolution (S5E1). He's almost always been loved-ones first when it really counts, a thing that Ladybug uses against him in the final when she tries to crush Emilie. The whole "Ladybug obsession" thing truly feels like something they just made up for that one episode to justify Nathalie "turning sides" aka doing nothing useful beyond maintaining the status quo (hey, they needed someone to keep the senti plot from having consequences and it wasn't like she was doing anything useful anyway!)

The problem is that this "loved ones first" mentality is only used for big dramatic moments, often as a way to keep Gabriel from winning. It's not Gabriel's main characterization even though it needed to be if you want season five's ending to feel even remotely earned. Going into that ending, we should have all thought that Gabe was a messed up dude who truly did love his son. And, if Gorizilla, Style Queen, and Ladybug had all been examples of his standard characterization, then we would have thought that.

But that's not who the writers told us Gabe was.

Instead, his standard characterization paints him as petty, controlling, and manipulative. Which is wild because there was no reason to do that! Gabe could - and should - have been played as stern and removed, but generally loving when he's outside of the mask. In other words, Gabriel Agreste could be well liked while Hawk Moth was hated.

The crazy thing is that this is such a simple change to make. You either removed the episodes where Gabe's awful parenting is the source of the conflict (ex: Bubbler) or you just make a few minor changes to show that he's conflicted about his actions.

For example, take Chat Blanc, the episode that ruined so many elements of this show! In that episode, Gabe is a total bastard. He happily sacrifices his son's happiness to make an akuma in the form of Marinette and then, when Adrien's secret is revealed, does Gabe have any sort of conflict about traumatizing his son? The kind of conflict we'd expect after episodes like Gorizilla? Nope! He straight up delights in showing Adrien Emilie's... corpse? Comatose form? Whatever! Gabe then akumatizes Adrien with a smile on his face.

That gets the writers a solid F for consistent characterization. It's why I highlighted "almost" in red when I mentioned Gabe's motivation. Because in Ephemeral and Chat Blanc, the writing ignores the sympathetic stuff that characterizes the dramatic moments and goes straight for the worst-father-of-the-year, love-to-hate-him, please-let-him-die-now characterization that we get in most episodes.

If you were writing Chat Blanc's Gabriel to fit his intended complex, sympathetic mold, then you would probably drop the breakup plot or you'd have spent all season setting Marinette up as the perfect akuma target, changing the breakup into something that Gabriel felt that he HAD to do instead of opportunistic evilness. You'd also have Gabe drop a line like, "I'm sorry, Adrien. You'll thank me later" before the Chat Blanc akumatization. Or at least don't have him grinning! Do something, ANYTHING to show that Gabe sees using his son like this as a necessary evil and not a fun time! You know, like how he was begging Adrien to transform during Gorizilla? Almost like Gabe had stopped caring about winning and started just wanting his son to live.

Would these changes make Gabe less of a fun cartoon villain? Yes, but that's the point. Cartoon villains are cartoony. They're over the top. They have no nuance. Sympathetic villains don't work with those characteristics.

The normal way to get around this in a cartoon setting is to have secondary antagonists who can be played as cartoonishly evil. And, confusingly, Miraculous has those characters. Chloe, Sabrina, and Lila have been here since season one (Kim could also have stayed a bully and been added to that list, but he's not a teenage girl, so I get why they didn't do that /s.) Felix has been around since seasons three. Nathalie has been an active villain since season two. Any or all of these characters could be the cartoonish, nuance-less villain while Gabriel stays sympathetic.

Instead, they play Gabe however they want to play him in any given episode, making it so that he's impossible to understand from an audience perspective. I personally like the sympathetic take and think that those are the show's best episodes because I like complex villains. It's even how I write Gabe in my stuff because I go for less cartoony takes on canon.

I don't think a redemption was needed, but a sympathetic villain doesn't require one. All that term means is that you can understand the villain and be sympathetic to their plight. Redemption is optional. In fact, the goal is often not redemption, but an understand that, "there but for the grace of the gods go I." I mean, we've all lost loved ones. Wouldn't the power to bring a loved one back tempt you, too?

If they wanted to go for evil, cartoony Gabe, then they needed to drop all of the complexity and go for a Disney villain type character who gets a Disney villain death a la Scar or Mother Gothel. Don't give Gabe the wish. Let him fall to his own hubris by falling into the water of his secret layer and lading as a puddle of ash while a sad Ladybug looks on, having just failed to save him.

If you want to see an excellent look at how cartoon Gabe could have worked, then I highly recommend @zoe-oneesama's Scarlet Lady comic, which is just nearing its end after a multi-year run. I think it's fair to say that Zoe and I largely agree on canon's flaws, she just fixes them by leaning into the cartoon side of things, creating a hilarious story with lots of heart. Canon could have absolutely gone that way too and worked out wonderfully! The issue is not a lack of nuance, it's that they tried to add nuance without ever fully committing to it, making a story that is the worst of both worlds. While a more serious nuanced reboot would be my ideal dream, a reboot that scraps all of Gabe's nuance and just makes him go full evil would be just as satisfying and Zoe proves that.

#ml season 5 salt #ml salt #ml writing criticism #ml writing critical #Gabriel Agreste deserves better #Gabriel Agreste deserves worse #Gabriel Agreste deserves anything but what canon did with him #Let me love to hate him #Or watch sadly as he ruins his relationship with his son #Just don't give me the mess that is canon

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ninadove · 9 months

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Hello, all respectfully, may I ask, why do you want emilie to be dead? I mean adrien deserves to have his mom back, don’t you think? You can answer it thru private chat if it makes you more comfortable.

No that’s perfectly fine! I love getting a chance to overanalyse and write down my own thoughts! 📝

So, I have a complicated relationship with Emilie as a character, but I don’t hate her by any means. I do believe she is a lot less pure and innocent than we were first led to believe, but that makes her much more compelling, so as far as I’m concerned it’s a great writing choice.

The reason I think she should be dead, or more accurately, stay dead (the nuance is crucial), is simply storytelling.

As fun as the show is, it is also pretty serious when it wants to be, and these 5 seasons were written with a couple of core messages in mind:

Part of the experience of being human is to accept that there is no magical solution to our problems. Sometimes things don’t work out, sometimes we lose the people we care about; and actions bring consequences, always. This is why using the Peacock carries such a heavy toll, even after it is fixed, and why the Lucky Charm primarily relies on Marinette’s intelligence and creativity (characteristically human qualities) rather than being an automatic problem solver.

Whenever these losses occur — you have to move on. Staying stuck in the past means depriving yourself of a chance to enjoy the present and plan for the future. All of the events of these 5 seasons were triggered by Gabriel’s inability to accept the concept of death, and by his attempts to drag all of Paris down the pits of grief (symbolised by the akuma attacks) with him — starting with his own son.

Of course, Adrien deserves to be happy and loved! And Emilie herself explains how it can happen:

By letting her go.

Adrien is an extremely strong and loving kid who, unlike his father, is able to shoulder the pain while still opening himself up to the world. Gabriel trying to bring Emilie back did nothing to fix the sorrow his son had to deal with; in fact, it cost him his other parent and a normal childhood in the process.

But the thing is — Adrien does not need Emilie anymore.

He has a girlfriend who loves him so much she gave his dad one last chance to make the right choice, despite all the pain he caused (and will likely continue to cause from the grave). He has a cousin who loves him so much he was willing to burn the world down, then help fix it to protect him. He has amazing friends who supported him through this entire ordeal (special shout-out to Nino, who has been on Gabriel’s case since S1 E9), even when he did not feel comfortable enough to share the full extent of the abuse he was going through. He has Amelie and Nathalie, who will provide him with the motherly love he needs in his life, and Tom and Sabine, who are already packing him his breakfast every morning because they’ve carved him a place in their family and hearts. Also, he has a cheese-eating demon who lives in his pocket.

No one is entitled to raising the dead, and Adrien would never even consider it. But he does deserve love and care and happiness, things his father deprived him of in his senseless quest to defy the laws of nature — things he was able to build for himself because he chose to be kind and vulnerable despite his grief.

Season 6 will be terrible on him, but he will come back stronger on the other side. And in doing so, he will send an important message to the core audience of the show: young children who will sooner or later have to mourn a loved one themselves, but will know they can be OK thanks to his example.

And you know, sometimes us adults need a little reminder too. 💚

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miraculously-quality-content · 6 months

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What if Gabriel couldn't control Gimmi?

Idea that's been rattling in my head since the finale of season 5

"Tikki, Plagg, unite!"

He had done it! He had finally gotten both miraculous! Now, he could make his wish a reality!

As Gabriel thought this, Plagg and Tikki merged into one, forming the true form of Gimmi.

The massive purple kwami stared down at him, then spoke.

"We are Gimmi, the kwami of reality. What is it you require of us?"

Gabriel smirked. "I want my greatest desire to be granted." Gabriel bowed slightly. "With the cost of my life."

Next thing Gabriel knew, he felt extreme pain in his head. Worse than the effects of the Cataclysm.

"We decide the price of the wish, mortal!" Gimmi yelled, seemingly from all around him.

After catching his breath, Gabriel spoke.

"I summoned you! I control you!" Gabriel glared at Gimmi.

Gimmi gave an unimpressed stare back.

"You use our power, yes. But holding our miraculi does NOT give you the ability to say how they work." Gimmi rose so they were not eye level anymore. "The universe requires a balance. So, the price is something of equal value from you."

Gabriel glared at the Kwami. "The grimore-"

"The grimore says a kwami is summoned with a miraculous. And yet, we require 2 miraculi. So, clearly, we are the exception."

Gabriel wanted to say something, but he started going into a coughing fit.

"You may want to stop arguing, as you do not have much time left."

Gabriel pulled his hand back to see that Gimmi was right. It wouldn't be long before the Cataclysm took his life.

"Fine, what is the price for my wish?"

Gimmi raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "Be more specific, everyone has many desires."

Gabriel growled. "My greatest desire, of course!"

Gimmi tilted his head. "Which one? The real one, or the one you claim?"

Gabriel's confusion was visible. "What?"

"Your desire to win in all things, that is your truest desire."

"What? No! That's not-!"

"Lie all you want." Gimmi interrupted Gabriel's response. "But that is your greatest desire. It can be seen in your actions." Gimmi leaned down and got in Gabriel's face, causing him to step back.

"That is why you sent your son away for being unruly. That is why you didn't save Emilie when you had the Rabbit miraculous. That is why you get pleasure in defeating a child." Gimmi used one of their many hands to gesture to Marinette, who has been watching this all happen, while still frozen from Venom.

Gimmi then turned back to Gabriel. "So again, claim all you want that your greastest wish is for Emilie's return, but you and I know the truth."

Gabriel, throughout Gimmi's examination of his character, was silent. Then did his best to look imposing. The way he did when ever someone challenged him.

"Fine, but seeing as how I was able to summon you, I think we can agee I've already achieved that dream. So, another wish is in order."

Gimmi rose back to their full height.

"I wish for Emilie's return."

"We cannot do that for you."

Gabriel physically recoiled. "What!?!" Gabriel scowled at Gimmi. "Is this some kind of rebellion? Because-!"

"We are not rebelling. The problem with that wish, is you."

Gabriel, still furious. "Explain. Now."

"Even when we ignore the fact that the Emilie you think you know and the real person are different, you still do not have anything that would be equivalent."

"Of course I do! A life for a life! I offer my own for hers!"

"Those are not equivalent." Gimmi pointed at Gabriel. "The life must equal in your eyes. An eye for eye, a loved one for a loved one."

Gabriel sputtered as Gimmi rose again. "No loved ones? I have a son!"

Gimmi stared down at Gabriel with thinly veiled contempt. "The fact that you are even considering sacrificing him shows you do not love him the way you love Emilie."

Gabriel, unbothered by Gimmi's accusation, defends himself. "He's a sentimonster. Now that the Peacock is fixed, we can just make another. I'm sure Felix would agree to do so."

Gimmi closes all their eyes as they shake their head. "Do you hear yourself? How can you claim to love your son, when this is how you talk about him? Like he's a thing to throw him away when your whims desire?"

"We're a family! We-"

"We require the bond to be present. And that bond does not exist for you. Nor does anyone feel that way for you, for the matter."

Gabriel gave a bewildered look. "No one feels... again, I have a son, Adrien. He loves me. I'm his father."

Gimmi gave Gabriel a withering look. "There was a point when Adrien loved you. But in your haste to make sure you always win, even against your son, you snuffed out any and all affection he had for you."

Gimmi looks off into the distance. "Maybe in another life, one where you loved your son like you claim to, HE could have made the wish." Gimmi turns back to Gabriel. "And do what you originally intended when you summoned me. Sacrifice you to bring her back."

As Gimmi laid out the consequences of Gabriel's actions, he seethed. "Stop this stalling!"

Gabriel went into another coughing fit as Gimmi gave him a pitying look.

When stopped coughing, Gabriel continued. "There has to be for-"

"There is no way for to bring Emilie back for you"

Gimmi leaned their cheek on the back of their hand. "Nor can I give you eternal victory, as the only way to do so would be to grant your other desire."

Gabriel snarled, with a trail of ash going his face. "Then heal me of this!"

He gestured to the part of his body that was Cataclysmed.

Gimmi shook their head. "The price would either to give you an equally bad condition-"

"I want to be healed! Not obtain a new condition!"

"-or to give it to someone else you care for." Gimmi continued without pausing when Gabriel tried to interrupt them.

"But as we established, you have no one you care for. So again, we cannot do that either."

Gimmi stared down at Gabriel, as he finally realized what they were saying. "You can't mean..." Gabriel, for the first time in a long time, was feeling dread.

"Yes Gabriel," Gimmi leaned over him, "you have nothing to lose, and as such, nothing to gain."

#miraculous ladybug #ml spoilers #ml #miraculous #miraculous ladybug spoilers #ml s5 spoilers #ml s5 finale #ml gabriel agreste #ml gimmi #ml fanfiction #ml fanfic #gabriel is a bad dad

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sizzleissues · 7 months

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So here’s what I think the reverser world looks like (can’t wait to see I’m wrong or have thought about this too much)

Origins

The guardians and Master Fu are a malicious organisation that controls and deals the miraculous. Whether the kwami’s agree to this I’m not sure but historically the miraculous were used for personal gain and power, with occasional blips of heroic holders but their miraculous were always eventually reclaimed by the Order through bloody means.

The organisation and thus the havoc it wrecked on the world disappeared in a fire (Master Fu still fucks everything up but on purpose this time). Most miraculous housed there were destroyed and the miracle box (the most powerful) was stolen as Master Fu escaped. He lost two on the way. The Butterfly and Peacock.

He thought they were destroyed until where Origins would have taken place, a champion appears.

Master Fu immediately finds two souls to take his most powerful miraculous in order to retrieve the lost pair. He selects two people with a bone to pick with society and no problem causing some mass destruction to lure Hesperia out.

Gabriel

Gabriel seeks out the legend of the miraculous in hopes to use their powers for good. Tales of them being heroically used are rare but he believes that the miraculous are neutral, they aren’t inherently evil things. A book on them had been passed down through his family so he knows of their powers. He finds the lost two and decides to study them with his wife before using them on strangers.

They find the peacock is broken but Emilie becomes enchanted with its power to create life. She cannot do the same. In a fit of despair she uses the miraculous to create a son. She soon falls ill. Their son has always been strange due to the circumstances of his creation. Gabriel focuses on raising him for the time being and caring for his sickly wife.

Upon her death she instructs Gabriel to use the Butterfly for good. To create a better world for Adrien. Soon, Gabriel creates his first champion.

Marinette

A Marinette that did not have the same resilient kindness as her normie counter part (though under all that eyeliner there are the kindlings of what she could have been). She soured from Chloe’s toture and became jaded with society.

Her parents are never around, too busy working too many jobs after Chloe has their bakery shut down. They are still good people but they are tired and can’t support Marinette the same. She’s allowed to fester hate while putting on a pleasant face at home.

She blames the system for no supporting her family. For allowing people like Chloe to wave her hand and ruin lives. She wants revenge.

A perfect candidate for Master Fu’s plan.

Adrien

He can’t help but know he’s the reason his mother is sick. He realises this in her last years and spirals because of this

His mother was always distant with him - afraid of her creation and thinking him the curse affecting her health.

Gabriel is overly optimistic - never admitting the obvious and avoiding the problem. This infuriates him. Gabriel never blamed Adrien from what Emile did. He loved his wife but the decision to create Adrien and cause her downfall had been her decision, Adrien was the blameless product of a power he’d warned her was dangerous.

He’s Adrien was even less self-esteem and his mother never gave him a loving streak. Gabriel may be good but he’s still emotionally constipated. He spoils Adrien to make up for it but it does nothing to help.

Adrien’s self-hatred turns outward in a violent rebellious phase. As son of the philanthropist and fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste, his misbehaving is on a world stage. Gabriel attempts to uphold the brand image but it only makes Adrien hate him.

(Adrien does love his father. Deep down… very deep down)

Another perfect candidate for Master Fu.

They both take the power willingly, doing as Master Fu instructed even before he tells them what to do.

That’s a wrap

#sizzle rambles #miraculous ladybug #ml paris special #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste

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immaturityofthomasastruc · 7 months

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I think it's bad writing cause Nathalie supposedly loves Adrien like her own child and it's implied she was the one who basically raised him, yet she doesn't try stopping Gabriel when he does shit that can harm Adrien. As you mentioned, she uses the peacock miraculous aware she'll meet the same fate as Emilie, yet she doesn't stop and think "oh f, I'm going to end up leaving Adrien alone cause Gabriel is too busy drawing designs most of his day or with his miraculous obsession to pay attention to his son", instead she just plays Gabriel's game with him. Did we not watch Chat Blanc? She doesn't hesitate telling Gabriel Adrien is Chat Noire when she sees him transform and she was willingly to let Adrien suffer when Gabriel wanted him to break up with Marinette. I didn't see no Mayura fighting Hawk Moth before Chat Blanc Thanosed that timeline.

Hey, remember how in the first episode she ever appeared in, "The Bubbler" Nathalie stole Marinette's birthday present for Adrien so Gabriel could take the credit for it? Truly a sign that she loves him like her own son.

#immaturity of thomas astruc #iota #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug salt #nathalie sancoeur #mayura #adrien agreste #cat noir #chat noir #gabriel agreste #hawkmoth #hawk moth #monarch

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rosie-b · 4 months

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Centuries Overdue

Chapter 2

The first thing Marinette noticed on opening the leather journals when she inevitably returned to the South room one week later was the grayed ink flowing across the pages. The second thing she noticed was that this particular journal was not written by Adrien Agreste, like the first one had been, but by his mother, Emilie Agreste.

There were perhaps twenty to thirty books on the shelf, with two-thirds of them being written by Adrien’s parents and the last third being written by Adrien himself. The time during which the journals were written spanned from the years just before the French Revolution to 1810, just before the end of the Napoleonic Wars. They all seemed to be travelogues detailing the Agrestes’ long journeys to various historical and legendary locations in Europe as they evaded the worst of the fighting, met different groups of people, and moved on to new adventures.

It all seemed normal enough until Marinette noticed a passage describing a magic ritual done under the full moon in striking detail. Even then, she assumed it was just some forgotten tradition, not an example of true belief in magic. But as she skimmed through the rest of Emilie and Gabriel’s journals, she realized that each of them truly believed in magic, and so did the people they met. Even the places the Agrestes journeyed to were all associated with magic through legend or myth.

And Adrien? He grew up going on these extended journeys; he was brought up on old stories and spell castings and the peace treaties of mages. For him, magic’s existence was a solid fact of life, not a hypothetical or something to be questioned.

The more she read, the more disappointed with Adrien’s parents Marinette grew.

The moment they realized they were having a child, they left France (it was in early 1789, which Marinette begrudgingly admitted made it kind of a smart move, since the Agrestes were part of the aristocracy). They went to Britain, heading straight for Glastonbury Abbey, and never looked back. They raised their son on legends and then, predictably, died during one of their more extreme displays of faith in the supernatural, leaving a twelve-year-old boy to deal with the fallout. It was hardly good parenting.

Even so, she found the story intriguing. Marinette began to sneak into the South room during breaks and read through the journals, one by one. She decided that Gabriel’s entries were all bland and didn’t add much to the story, while Emilie’s were too long and flowery most of the time. There were only so many times she could read about Adrien’s “golden, glowing locks and paper-pale skin” without wanting to throw the fragile book across the room, so eventually, Marinette decided that she would stick to reading Adrien’s journals instead. They were much more interesting, anyway.

But there was one thing that annoyed her about all of the journals: The nouns were capitalized (seemingly at Random!) throughout the entire series.

That haphazard style was something Marinette would have expected from old books written in English, not French, so she decided to blame the situation on Emilie, who, as her journals noted, had come to France from England when she was a child. She must have taught her family about the new style being developed across the channel, and when they moved to Glastonbury Abbey and then around the British Isles for the first years of their traveling, improper capitalization must have become habit for the Agrestes.

At least it wasn’t a problem when Adrien was writing in German. Most of the time.

His journals were really quite interesting, Marinette found as she pored through them day by day. Reading the books during her lunch break and even after her shift ended became something of a habit for her, and she found herself declining lunch invitations from her friends in favor of reading about the long-dead Agreste’s adventures throughout Europe.

Adrien, like his parents before, mostly stayed out of France on his journeys, which made some sense, but even as the Napoleonic empire expanded, he continued to make regular visits to occupied countries. He kept his trust in magic spells to keep him safe from enemy eyes as he traveled by foot or on horseback through the rapidly changing world.

Even if he was obviously exaggerating some parts of his tale and making up others (please, no amount of spell-casting could help him defeat an entire platoon of soldiers), Adrien Agreste was much more interesting than anyone Marinette had met in real life. And his writing style, for all its capital crimes, was masterful and compelling. She could tell he was in charge of every aspect of the story he wrote, because he came off as too good to be true, but in such a genuine way that she couldn’t help but sympathize with his struggles. If he was someone Marinette had met around modern Paris instead of just another dead guy in a book, she might have been tempted to date him.

She hoped that wasn’t too weird.

It probably was.

__*__*__*__*__

Excerpt from the ninth journal of Adrien Agreste, written in Leipzig, Germany, on the sixteenth of January, 1810.

Leipzig is a good place to get a new Journal. They have many good publishing houses, and as such they must have good Bookbinders as well. I was able to purchase this particular Journal from a kindly man in Anger-Crottendorf with ease and no questions asked . . . But I am only somewhat put at ease by the City’s Peace, such as it seems.

There is talk of a Darkness in Venice. And again, a Darkness in the Dolomites, and in Scotland at the Loch Ness, and still more Talk about nearly every place I have visited in my years as a Mage and as a boy with my parents. Still no reported Darkness in the Harz, and none in Paris yet, and still it is clear that the Danger is not shrinking but burgeoning.

Time, like a Candle too well loved, is growing shorter, and soon it will run out entirely. I must make my Attack before it is too late.

I have gathered several like-minded, strong Mages, and a dozen Talents as well. They have agreed with me that Blå Jungfrun is the proper place for our Fight, partially because it is so isolated, meaning no Lives save our own will be risked, and partially because it seems to be the Home of the Darkness. It is its place of birth, and its Lair.

If Blå Jungfrun is truly the Heart of this dark Magic, then our Mission ought to see victory. For I do not see how any group of Mages of this size and Heart could ever fail in their Quest.

I did venture to the Cave to ask Plagg if he would join us, but the Kwami was not in the Cave. The Mages there told me that his Absence is more common than his Presence these past months, and he spends more time with Tikki than with his Mages. But this information has not broken my soul, for it was Plagg who taught me all I know of Magic. He will be with us in Spirit if not in body, and that gives me still greater hope.

Come this time next year, the Darkness will be vanquished. I have sworn it on my parents’ grave…

__*__*__*__*__

Marinette had never believed in magic, not past the age of seven, anyway, when she’d stumbled on her father peeling a fake Santa beard off of his face on Christmas Eve. That year’s holiday season wasn’t the best in her memory.

But some parts of the journals she’d found in the library made it seem almost like magic truly was real, like questioning its existence was something only fools did even though the opposite was true. (Some parts of the journals. Not all of them.)

Gabriel’s journals, for example, were too preachy about magic, proudly explaining the ‘gift’ from the ‘kwamis’ that let him sense magic even though he couldn’t wield it. He was a ‘Talent,’ not a ‘Mage,’ but the way he wrote made it clear that he thought he was above all the Mages he met. His writing made Marinette want to write an essay proving the dead man’s views on magic all wrong. It certainly didn’t convince her to give magic a chance.

Emilie’s journals were nice, but she wrote mostly about the people she met and the delicate peace treaties that allowed her and her family safe passage from country to country in the midst of a war that spread across most of the continent. For her, a Talent’s job was more similar to that of an ambassador’s than a magician’s. She was humble about her powers, and her belief in magic was quiet, not presented in a way that brought out the spells holding the world together, that could make Marinette reassess her own beliefs and take a chance on the impossible.

But Adrien’s journals…

Adrien’s journals were gripping, seizing Marinette’s attention in a way that popular published books might; they were as captivating as seeing a fashion design on the catwalk for the first time. They made her want to believe in magic. Want to, but Marinette lived in the real world, not the crumbling pages of a tantalizing, yet obviously fictional, journal. She couldn’t afford to start believing in magic, even if something about the way Adrien wrote made her ache with the desire to trust, to believe in its existence like she had long ago.

At one point in the journals, he’d written about discovering that he could wield magic. It was something that his parents had kept secret from him, even though they had known about his potential. It felt like seeing the world in color for the first time, he’d written about the first time he’d wielded the magic his gift gave him.

Gifts, according to Adrien’s journal, were something each Mage was given at birth. Sometimes, they seemed to be genetic, passing down from family member to family member over generations, but the gifts were actually random. The kwamis, the first holders of magic, determined who would be given a gift based on each baby’s character and situation. They knew the past, the present, and the future, and so they knew who deserved to be given a gift.

There were many kwamis, and so there were many gifts. From creation to destruction, each young Mage learned a different style of magic. When they were old enough, they joined a group of other Mages with the same gift, often leaving their home country behind to focus on their magic.

Talents, like Adrien’s parents, moved from group to group, bringing new Mages to the fold and serving as messengers while keeping magic a secret from those without a gift. Talents could not wield magic, but they could sense it, and they played a vital role in the Mage community. It was said that Talents, too, had a gift from the kwamis, just one that worked in a different way from most. They were responsible for finding new Mages who might not know about their gift and teaching them about it.

From the journals, it was clear that why Adrien’s parents hadn’t done this for him was beyond his understanding. And even though he didn’t want to be mad at the dead, he couldn’t help but be hurt by what seemed to be a lack of trust in his ability to handle his gift. Destruction could be dangerous, but only without training, and to its enemies, of course.

And if Adrien had been taught about his power, couldn’t he have even saved his parents from the death they had suffered? Fought off the Darkness together with his parents?

Marinette wondered these questions along with Adrien as she read his journals, and she doubted whether anyone would write something so open, so vulnerable, if there was not some truth to it. She kept reading, day after day, promising herself that she wouldn’t fall for Adrien’s lies but knowing that maybe, she already had.

Once he moved past his hurt, Adrien began taking lessons from a Mage in the city he was staying at. He wasn’t the best teacher, but Adrien learned a few good spells from him, so he wrote them down in the journal.

Marinette eagerly took a picture of the spells and uploaded them to Google to be translated, since they were written in a foreign language she didn’t understand.

It was a made-up foreign language, Marinette discovered when the search results were fruitless.

Maybe magic was fake, after all.

But Marinette kept reading.

Halfway through the third journal, Adrien moved on to another teacher, a Mage of Plagg in the Harz mountains. He learned how to use simple spells accessible to all Mages, called Universal Spells, as well as more specific ones that only Mages chosen by Plagg could use.

Then Plagg himself returned to the cave. And he decided to train Adrien, though according to Adrien, it had been in an almost condescending way, like he had no choice but to train Adrien or leave him “as defenseless as a newborn kitten.”

Marinette thought Plagg’s description of Adrien was hilarious and somewhat accurate.

Adrien went on to describe Plagg as being “monstrously tall and blacker than the night, with a glowing green aura, three eyes, and six arms.” So that was another strike to his story’s credibility, as far as she was concerned, because no one had six arms and three eyes, ‘kwami’ or not.

Maybe one of the ‘spells’ had included smoking some hallucinogenic plant, and Adrien had dreamed Plagg up while high. But he remembered everything in such detail, and wrote about the kwamis he met with such consistency, never mixing his story up. Could a drug-addicted man spreading lies really do that?

Maybe, just maybe, the magic Adrien wrote about was real.

There were more incomprehensible spells recorded in his journals, sometimes accompanied by descriptions in French, English, or German. Hoping to find one that could be translated (so she could check its veracity), Marinette flipped through one journal seemingly dedicated in full to the spells, landing on a page of one with a described purpose for it.

The title read, “A Spell for the Preservation of Leather Journals.” As Marinette looked at it, the tip of the dog-eared page fell off and landed on the floor.

The spine was threatening to crack in her hands, so despite the lies Adrien had been told, this spell clearly didn’t work.

Marinette set the book down, glanced at her reddened, dusty fingers, and scoffed.

Still, the next line of the description had said to replenish the spell’s strength every decade, so the evidence might not be as conclusive as she’d thought.

She kept returning to read the books and held off on judging them one way or the other.

By the time a week had passed, Marinette was determined to figure out once and for all if Adrien’s journals were just a fantastic tale or an actual record of powers beyond humanity’s ken. And she’d found a way to tell the truth from lies, assuming the Paris tavern Adrien described in one journal was still standing.

The tavern was, supposedly, a meeting spot for Mages as well as Talents. They met in the tavern every Wednesday at one hour past sundown.

Assuming it was real, Marinette planned to join one of their meetings, herself.

A few searches on the internet revealed that there was a restaurant by the same name as the one Adrien gave in roughly the same location as he described, so she headed there after work on Tuesday. It wasn’t a tavern, but the restaurant’s website had bragged about its long history in Paris, so she was willing to go out on a limb and say that it was the same place Adrien had described.

Marinette arrived at The Clockwise Fox precisely thirteen minutes after her shift finished. It was a very average-looking café; its cream brick walls and large glass windows were unassuming and woefully unmagical.

She walked inside anyway; discreetly took an average-looking wooden seat at a standard wooden table; and definitely-not-at-all-suspiciously glanced around for a secret magic symbol. If Adrien’s journals were trustworthy, it would be carved into at least one of the beige walls. If it wasn’t there, then Marinette would give up on magic once more and assume that Adrien Agreste was a bald-faced liar who should have gone into writing fiction. But if the symbol was there, she’d be coming back the next day for a longer visit.

Marinette scanned the wall near her, first, then the far one. Nothing yet. Maybe—

“Would you like something to order?”

Marinette blinked at the café worker, who’d seemingly popped out of nowhere to take her order.

“Uh,” she replied, slapping herself internally.

“See, normally people order at the desk before they sit down, but we’re not busy right now, so if you know what you want, I’ll take your order,” the worker continued in a bored manner.

Marinette stared blankly at them, taking in their white, orange and blue uniform and bubblegum pink hair. It should clash. It did clash, but it wasn’t like the café could expect their employees to color coordinate their hair to go with their uniforms.

Marinette shook herself and forced herself to focus.

“Uh, thanks! I’ll take a hot mocha, then.”

Marinette dimly realized that she did not want a hot mocha on this hot and humid summer afternoon.

The worker gave her an odd look, probably judging her for ordering caffeine this late in the day (hot caffeine at that), and went back to the desk.

Marinette cringed. All of this and she still hadn’t found the symbol, though who could tell if it had lasted through the past centuries? Hmm — come to think of it, the café looked as if it had been renovated not so long ago.

Marinette was on a wild goose chase.

A different worker called out Marinette’s order, and she got up to collect her unwanted mocha.

As she collected the still steaming cup from the obviously amused barista, she noticed something.

The barista was wearing an apron with a symbol, presumably the café’s logo, on it. And the symbol looked awfully familiar. It hadn’t been on the sign outside the café or carved into the walls, but still…

Marinette turned her coffee cup around as she slowly walked back to her seat. The same symbol rested there, in the middle of the mug! It was a white circle outlined in black, with two chevrons inside it. One was a red-orange chevron pointing to the top of the circle and an inverted, light blue chevron pointing to the bottom.

In Adrien’s faded drawing, the symbol had no color, but just like in the symbol on the cup, the chevrons met together and formed a diamond inside the circle. And just like in his descriptions, at the very center were two black dots like eyes.

With the café’s name and now this symbol’s appearance taken together, there was no doubt — Adrien had been telling the truth in his stories!

But just how much of what he’d written was true, or was he inventing fiction set in real locations?

Marinette would have to return to the cafe to find out, but in the meantime, she had an unwanted beverage to drink.

When she reached her seat, she set down the coffee cup and slid into the chair. Just then, a young girl slid out of her own seat; and she excitedly ran around until she bumped into Marinette’s table and fell down with a squawk.

The steaming cup of coffee fell over, spilling most of its contents on the table before Marinette could catch it.

She could only shrug and smile as the child’s mother ran over and started apologizing. It wasn’t as if she’d been looking forward to having the hot drink, after all!

Coming back to the café later and testing Adrien's claim that a group of mages used it as their base, though... that was an entirely different story, Marinette thought as she exited the building.

Written for @mlbigbang

#ao3 links are at the top #ml fanfic #centuries overdue #rosie-b writing #miraculous ladybug #ml au #ml big bang 2023 #next week we get to see the first piece of art!#are you excited? i'm excited :D

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i-turned-the-emperor-to-dust · 10 months

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EMILIE VS AMELIE DEBATE

I know this is a hot topic at the moment, leaning heavily in Amelie’s favor, but I'm still convinced it's Emilie, and that a lot of people are going to have a rude awakening once Season 6 hits.

So, just to clarify.

I know the leaks aren't "canon" and that they should be disregarded, but in all fairness, how? It's impossible to pretend we didn't see something when we obviously did, and these leaks were EVERYWHERE. Most of us didn't seek them out; we stumbled across them when we didn't want to.

But even if you disregard the leaks, there are enough context clues to support the Emilie argument anyway. So we'll get back to that.

First of all, WHY would Gabriel be okay leaving Adrien an orphan? In Emilie's video, she spoke as if Gabriel would be there to raise him in her place . . . but after getting cataclysmed, he knew that was no longer an option.

So if he really had a "change of heart" wouldn't it make more sense not to make a wish at all? Why is it okay to sacrifice himself to save Natalie but not Emilie? Yes, Natalie cares for Adrien, but she's not his mother. I refuse to believe that after everything he sacrificed, Gabriel would just shrug and decide, "Oh well. Adrien will be fine without us. I'll respect Emilie's decision and save Natalie instead."

…Natalie. Who ignored the video too and helped him terrorize Paris for nearly nine months? Who used the peacock miraculous willingly even after knowing what it would do? Who eventually defied him at every turn and even put him in a headlock?

He’s okay saving her because she didn’t request it in a video? 🤨🧐

And if he can only "theoretically" save one, why would he EVER choose his secretary over the love of his life? Over Adrien's own mother?!

I mean, I know Natalie was a good secretary, but damn! 😅

So just to recap: This is a video he had already seen, a video that failed to prevent him from becoming Hawkmoth in the first place. Yet now, right on the cusp of having his wish granted, he suddenly chooses to respect her last wishes??

A wish that would leave their “miracle” without a parent??

Doesn’t it make more sense if his epiphany was actually this: Emilie doesn’t want him to sacrifice someone in order to bring her back to life—

“No one should have their life stolen from them because of a mistake that we made.”

—so he finally hears her, and resolves that no one else will take her place?

After all, Gabriel’s life is already forfeit, so he doesn’t need to trade someone’s life for hers. So by choosing to sacrifice himself instead of an innocent, he’s respecting Emilie’s wishes, ensuring Adrien won’t be alone, and fulfilling his goal to bring his beloved wife back to life.

It’s not like he wanted to live without her anyway. 🤷‍♀️

And that decision IS huge because it means Gabriel is finally giving up on his ultimate goal: To reunite all three of them as a family. That’s the big "wake-up" call he gets, not that he shouldn't make a wish at all or that Natalie deserves it more.

Like he told Ladybug . . . originally, he was willing to sacrifice anyone:

“In order to bring Emilie back, someone else will have to disappear! In order to heal the wound that Cat Noir inflicted on me, someone else will have to be wounded!”

“Someone else. But who?”

“Anyone. No one matters except us.”

That's why he asked Marinette to keep his secret. He really was making a sacrifice by giving his son the parent he deserves, rather than damning an innocent so they could both be in his life.

He could have been selfish. He could have made the decision to save himself anyway.

But he saw his wife’s video.

But what about balance?! How could he bring two people back?!

This show retcons like no other. Trust me, they'll find some BS reason to explain how it was possible. They'll either use Gabriel's lines about the "heart and soul" to explain it away; or they'll claim he wished the peacock miraculous was never broken, so neither woman was technically ever ill.

The possibilities are endless. They'll think of something, or pretend they never said it. 🤭

Either way, again - why would he choose Natalie over Emilie??

Then there's the other context clues.

If Gabriel used his wish to cure Natalie, then why is "Amelie" the main focus in this shot? Shouldn't she be in the background so there's no confusion?

I've read: "But Amelie should be at that party!"

Why? Not every significant adult was there. Tom and Sabine weren’t? And there’s one very obvious reason why Amelie isn’t: If she's there and that's Emilie, then the jig is up. If both twins attended, then the mystery would be solved, there'd be no debate, and we'd all know that Adrien's mother is back. It's the same reason crucial shots were cut from the storyboards.

They're trying to create buzz, mystery, and anticipation for season 6. It's simple marketing. They really don't need another reason, guys.

But let's listen to Astruc and look at the final scene closer.

Why is Emilie's memorial statue removed? Symbolism? No, it's because she's alive. Why did the mansion suddenly get a flowery, idyllic update? Is Amelie helping Adrien process his grief by installing a swimming pool? No, it's probably because Emilie is back. Why is Adrien smiling and happy, and free to make out with his girlfriend so soon after losing his father? Because he hated Gabriel? No, it’s because his sadness is mitigated by his mother's miraculous return.

Adrien loved his father. Even after everything he put him through, he never stopped caring. So even if he did die for a good cause, it’s normal that he’d be sad and depressed. The fact that he isn’t absolutely traumatized is yet another reason why that has to be Emilie.

For me, nothing makes sense otherwise.

These kids are celebrating something, and it can't just be Monarch's defeat, not when the cost was Adrien's father and they're having this party at his house. There are a million other places they could've gathered to commemorate the end of Monarch terrorizing Paris.

But it makes perfect sense if it was Emilie's idea. If Emilie is trying to cheer her son up following the “martyrdom” of his father. It's not like Natalie or Amelie would've suggested it, and I doubt it was Adrien or Marinette's idea or any of their friends. They know Adrien's grieving, so I doubt "let's throw a party" would've entered any of their minds.

But Emilie . . . planting flowers, bringing life back into the house. It fits.

And if a Tibetan temple can suddenly reappear after being destroyed 172 years ago and nobody bats an eye, then why can't a fashion mogul's wife? For her, it's only been a year 🙄. And as an explorer/adventurer, there are soooo many ways they could explain her return. The only thing limiting them is imagination.

And let's be real, most of us had a gut reaction at her appearance and it was "OMG, is that Emilie?!" It wasn't until Thomas Astruc baited us and this theory started making its rounds that we suddenly started second-guessing ourselves.

Apparently what we "need" is to be gaslit constantly?

Because story and character-wise, if that's not Emilie, then what did Hawkmoth/Shadow Moth/Monarch even die for? He literally wasted nine months terrorizing Paris for what? A commemorative statue? 😅 I mean, I knew he was incompetent, but that takes serious skill.

And finally, back to the leaks.

Now that the finale has aired, and spoilers are less of an issue, here's a friendly reminder that yes, leaked scenes do exist that seem to hint heavily at an answer. If you're trying to pretend they don't or are claiming the moral high ground, then by all means, don’t look. However, I still think it’s only fair to include ALL the evidence, not only what’s convenient or Astruc-approved. And since these leaks are already out there (by no fault of our own), it’s too late to shove them back into their box and pretend they don’t exist.

So if you’re curious and want to know all the facts as they currently stand, then click below.

(⚠️ There ARE leaks below ⚠️)

Here's that lingering shot everyone was demanding from the finale: It exists in limbo as a deleted scene on the cutting room floor.

And I know some people are claiming the writers simply "changed their minds" but they can't just suddenly decide that's not Emilie. A change THAT significant can't be made on a whim. It would've shaped the ENTIRE story moving forward. This had to be something they had planned from very early on in the season, if not sooner. Not a choice that was made during last minute editing.

Plus, there's the following scene to consider: In the script, Adrien says his mother gave him the rings, but in the storyboard, you can clearly tell that the line was dubbed over and suddenly changed to Ladybug.

So why remove these scenes at all?

Again, to keep the outcome of the wish a mystery. It's to drum up interest for Season 6, that's all. Anything they lost by omitting them can be rectified in the next season: This show LOVES to backtrack.

Lastly, there's this. The 3D model is even marked Emilie:

I’m sure there are things I’m forgetting, but I think that covers most of it.

So in conclusion: Even though the internet has done a fine job trying to convince us it’s Amelie in that final scene, I still think there's much better reason to believe it really is Emilie.

You're not required to agree, but I had to throw this out there because I'm seeing a lot of people getting vocal and loud about one side of the argument, and seeing relatively little on the other side. So if you've read this far, consider this a friendly way of preparing you in case season 6 does end up going in this direction.

It's better than convincing yourselves otherwise and being blindsided later on.

#miraculous ladybug #ml recreation #ml recreation spoilers #ml season 5 spoilers #ml season 5 finale #emilie agreste #ml season 5 #emilie vs amelie theories #ml confrontation #amelie graham de vanily #enjoy this while you can #I wouldn't be shocked if it got pulled #gabriel is still an ass #don't be mistaken #what kind of arc ends with a pointless self-sacrifice?#let Adrien be happy #(that final scene was the ONLY thing I was spoiled on)#although I really thought it was a dream #stupid twitter

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whywhyok · 1 year

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Lol, I want a movie series on Gabriel Agreste's life from highschool/college years too him going to prison.

So here's some ideas based off that

The first movie is on him meeting Emilie, him going to school and him trying to make a name for himself.

The second with him and Emilie being married (him being successful) and them meeting Natalie, getting involved in treasure hunting and finding the miraculouses.

The third will be about his down fall from the corruption fame and wealth, them raising Adrien, Emilie's worsening health and how Natalie ended up working and living with the Agrestes.

The fourth movie can be about Emilie's death and him deciding to become Hawkmoth. He has opportunities to stop, to actually accept his wife's death and grieve, to raise his son, etc. but he doesn't. He keeps pushing forward and eventually everyone else away. From movie two it's hinted that there may be something between him and Natalie, and with his wife dead and him relying more and more on Natalie emotionally and physically we see some of that drama in the movie too. He slowly goes insane from grief and misusing the miraculous. The movie is only from his or Natalie's (maybe Tomeo, Audrey, Harry, and Andre too for some depth) point of view, so that he doesn't know Chat Noir is his son and neither does the audience. His suspicions of his son play into the going mad element. It all ends with Gabriel having gone insane (Natalie dies sometime near the final battle) fighting Ladybug and Chat noir, Chat noir is revealed sometime before battle/during battle to be his son #betrayal, he's furious, climatic emotional moment, he loses and is tied up. There's a moment were the authorities are removing Emilie's body from the glass coffin and carrying her away (maybe he's watching with his head on the ground [no/muffled sound in the scene]), the next scenes are a summarized trial with like his crimes being said, him in court, the news anchor on tv saying something, and then the final scene is like him in a prison cell all alone. (My headcannon for this is that after the fight Ladybug and Chat noir find the lucky charm he took with him so she Miraculous Ladybug's it and all the damage done to his brain and the miraculous goes back to that time, so he's crazy, but not AS crazy as he was) The scene is just him alone with nothing left, but his regrets and grief.

I want it to be a gripping romantic tragedy too, like from the beginning him and Emilie have this whirlwind all consuming romance (all consuming from his side at least, and theses movies would be mostly from his prospective) and then as you follow their story everything falls apart. Her parents don't approve of him, they can't have kids, (plus Natalie falling in love with him and her heart breaking story of giving everything she had for their happy ending too happen only for Gabriel to end up in prison, Adrien an orphan, and her dead) she gets sick, she then dies, Gabriel turning to crime, him going mad, and ending up in prison with his son's life in shambles.

I'll probably be making more in detailed posts for each movie later

#Don't have a name for the movie series yet though #Gabriel Movie #miraculous ladybug #ml #miraculous #gabriel agreste #hawkmoth #ml season 5 spoilers #ml spoilers #gabi grassette #emilie agreste #natalie sancoeur #fake movies #ml destruction

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jonmyblaze · 9 months

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MAMAN LE CHAT AU

Or how Adrien found out his bio!parents were American furries., And his mother was a famous cat girl.

MLB and DC Bat fam batcat, Adrienette and ladynoir,

" imagine as a subversion of the Marinette bio daughter of Bruce. We have Adrien being BATCATS biological child.

Born before Helena, and before Bruce and Selena were ready to tie the knot for realsies.

Selina was young, Bruce wasn't in the right mindset after Jason's death. Boundaries were drawn and lines were crossed.

She thought she was fine. Until she started puking in the morning during her Trip to France

It was positive

She was pregnant.

During her trip she stumbled across a loving family. At a swingers party (this was during the early stages before she decided)

At one point she wasn't going to keep the pregnancy but then while her trip around France found a lovely couple named Emile and Gabriel.

They were so loving and kind to her. Emilie even joked that they could be twins.

)she had decided to grow her hair out and stop dying her hair black. Nobody would recognize her and on the plus side Selina had absolutely ravishing blonde hair. )

She wasn't planning on keeping the pregnancy but then she heard the couples plight.

Emile was infertile. And Gabriel too. But they really wanted a child

they were so loving and kind and supportive that Selena felt it would be best she gave her child the life of a child that was wanted.

Both were deeplly loving. But they didn't want to be intrusive , They argued against the idea but Selina made up her mind.

she would keep the pregnancy, give the couple a chance to raise a bouncing baby child that they would love and adore.

Selina never felt like she was cut out to be a mother butShe still visits.

At least once a year for his birthday.

She even was Even labeled godmother of her son should both the parents be unfit for her sons. She was still a part of her child's life.

All was going well until the incident

------years later----

Now imagine, Selina Kyle finds out her son was in a worse position, his father is emotionally neglectful now and is in a downward spiral trying to find a way to save his wife at the cost of his own son's happiness.

and get the bat family to help , (save Adrien, fight Gabriel advocate for him to be taken to either home or emancipation. )

imagine him being the Only blonde in the family other then Steph and Bette. (Who I will keep in the family)And they all thinks he's the normal one."

Imagine what dick (who is fully grown and married to Starfire) would think about his mentor having a blonde bio child

And she only takes him away after he hires her to steal the miraculous.

Welcome to "MAMAN LE CHAT AU"

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aroacewitch04 · 10 months

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I just watched the Miraculous Ladybug and Chat Noir movie and I have a lot of thoughts about it (Spoilers below!! Be warned!!)

I want to focus on both the positives and the negatives of the movie so let's start with the Meh:

The movie was good but it felt like it was lacking something. And what it lacked was more screentime for Adrien (At least that's what I think). The movie felt like it was just a Ladybug movie instead of a Ladybug AND Chat Noir one.

Adrien's characterization felt different from the show, he was more of a mysterious loner type, with his Chat Noir alter-ego being more ego-centric. While I don't really mind this characterization for him, I just think that maybe they should've shown us more of him and what I mean by that is the kind aspect of his character (Something the movie failed to show since only Marinette being chosen to be Ladybug was given justification, meanwhile Adrien was only chosen to be Chat Noir for no good reason other than a ring randomly appearing in his room.) His character felt more selfish because of the movie's failure to show us more of his character. If I'm honest, the one thing the show did better than the movie was showing Adrien's kindness.

The movie also focused more on Ladynoir bond and there were barely any scenes that showed us their relationship with each other as Adrien and Marinette. If their relationship as Marinette and Adrien was explored more, the reveal at the end probably wouldn't have felt...How do I put this...Underwhelming.

Hawkmoth's characterization, I don't mind either. I actually liked it, which is something I'll expand on later, but I failed to understand how his powers in this movie worked. He just keeps people locked in his evil villain basement to akumatize?? And it's never addressed again. The ending also doesn't show what happens to him after he surrenders. We don't know where he is or what happened, so I'm guessing they're trying to set up for a sequel.

The movie also failed to give justice to Ladybug's power which is creation...Ladybug never uses her lucky charm to fix Paris and all the destruction is left for the civilians to clean up...Ladybug's power is literally CREATION while Chat Noir is destruction. They're supposed to be each other's halves. How can you only show destruction but not creation??

I wasn't really a fan of the musical aspect of the movie but I did like the visuals in every song.

Lastly, the pacing felt messy and there were some parts where I had my eyebrow raised because I was so confused on what was going on.

For the positives:

The visuals and animation were stunning. SOMEONE GIVE THOSE ANIMATORS A RAISE.

I think Adrien wearing earphones a lot gives some kind of depth to his character, and I admire how he stands up to his father near the climax despite his father trying to reach out to him. I also loved the scene with him listening to careless whisper after Ladybug's rejection while his father causes the goddamn apocalypse. It was hilarious and it added a new layer to his character which is him being an absolute dork.

The adrienette was lacking but I do like how Marinette is able to have a full conversation with him without having her nervousness and clumsiness around him being exaggerated. I like that Adrien is able to open up to her about his mother even though the scene was just a short part of a montage that focused more on their hero identities. It may be short but it did tell us that he trusts her enough to confide in her.

Gabriel Agreste's younger photo with Emilie had me hollering. LIKE THEY DID THIS MAN NO JUSTICE LMFAOO. I do like that he's more sympathetic and caring towards Adrien and immediately gave up when he realized he was hurting his son the whole time. In the show he would've just thrown his son and continued on with stealing the ring instead of surrendering. In the movie it's made more clear that he's doing this all of this out of grief for his dead wife and his neglectful behavior towards Adrien was only a result of it. Even if he's a shit father, he still cares and even tries to reach out to his son, something Hawkmoth in the show would never do.

The chemistry between Ladybug and Chat Noir was also great. I really REALLY LOVED the banter between them both and I find it endearing that Chat Noir calls Ladybug 'Watermelon' instead of the usual 'My Lady'. Ladybug jokingly calling him 'Fleabag' in response was the cherry on top of their dynamic as Ladynoir. The play fighting between them made me like their dynamic more since it was cute. It really felt like they were close friends who've grown comfortable with each other.

So yeah, that's all my thoughts on the movie. I don't know why I wasted so much time typing this, maybe it's because I wasn't really satisfied with it but it did have some good to it. All in all, if I were to rate it out of 10, I'd give it a 6.5/10.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug awakening #miraculous ladybug movie #mlb movie spoilers #ml movie spoilers #miraculous awakening #ml spoilers #movie review #miraculous movie #miraculous movie spoilers

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susannaius · 10 months

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In the D&D film, there is a moment when Edgin admits that he didn't want to bring Kira's mum back. He wanted to bring his wife back.

And I keep thinking about this, in relation to Gabriel Agreste. Because it was the same. He didn't want Adrien's mum back. He wanted his wife back. The main difference is that Edgin does care about Kira very much, while Gabriel couldn't care less about Adrien.

And in the end, Edgin uses the "wish" (the tablet of resurrection) to bring back Holga, the woman who actually raised Kira. And Gabriel also uses the wish to save Nathalie's life, who is the woman who lately has been closest to something like a mother to Adrien. But the reasoning couldn't be more different.

Edgin understands that Kira needs her mum. And her mum is Holga. So he lets go of his wife and of his past, and finally starts thinking of a future. Gabriel, on the other hand, simply cannot let go of Emilie. He just wants to be with her, even in death. He chooses death specifically not to save Nathalie, but to run away from a life without Emilie, even if it means abandoning his son one final time, after choosing to abandon him so many times, again and again, throughout five seasons. Saving Nathalie is not an end, but the means to an end: to being together with his very dead wife. It is not a sacrifice, but a suicide with a "lucky" positive side effect.

(As a bonus, please accept some very d&d potatoes to chuck Gabriel Agreste in the face with.)

#dnd honor among thieves spoilers #dnd movie spoilers #dnd honor among thieves #miraculous ladybug #ml s5 finale spoilers #ml recreation #ml analysis #literary analysis #my five cents #gabriel agreste a+ parenting

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 1 month

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„Adrien being a sentimonster was planned from the start“ they say, completely forgetting that in Chat Blanc Adrien destroyed the universe, including the ring containing his amok and he didn’t poof out if existence

I'm not sure if one or both of the amoks got destroyed there or if they both survived because I don't know if Gabriel was wearing one or what happened to Emilie (she may just be underwater) or what happened to the mansion, so I didn't want to make that claim when it is ambiguous. It's a good point, though, as that is an obvious question to ask in a situation where most of the world was destroyed.

We can say for sure that it's not with Felix as that happens in episode is 323 and Chat Blanc was 322.

This does raise another question, though: what would happen if only one of the amoks got destroyed? Would Adrien still dissolve into purple nothingness or would he lose half of himself somehow or would it just not matter?

Idk, everything about the dual amoks is weird and it really does feel like they didn't think that one through. I'm still on team "the rings meant something else in season three and they retconned them into amoks in season four because they'd already established them as important."

Personally, I would have made the amok Emilie's broach:

That makes way more sense than the wedding rings unless the Agrestes were just never planning to give their son his amoks because why make two? Did they planned for Adrien's eventual spouse to have partial control of him? Was that why Kagami was made? To protect Adrien and keep him in line? If so, you think that she'd have been trained for that. Or maybe Emilie never thought further than having a baby and that's why Adrien has no hopes, dreams, or ambitions? (A plot line that I'd LOVE for a real kid, but that just makes me go "so he's less than a human?" in this show where all the normal humans have those things.)

It's just really, really dumb, weak lore that doesn't hold up to the slightest scrutiny.

#ml writing salt #ml writing critical #senti salt #ml season 5 salt

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inkjackets · 3 months

Text

To Save a Loved One Epilogue

It's been a moment since I've posted any sort of fiction let alone for this story, but I've finally found the time to get this epilogue done!

I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Let me know if you did :)

I hope to see you in future works.

AO3

Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8 Epilogue

~~~

10 years later

‘How are you?’ Gabriel’s voice was low and soft, and reverberated through Emilie’s heart.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The scent of bleach and sanitiser penetrated her senses and the conditioned air dried her throat, blonde wisps of hair fluttering against her neck.

She slowly exhaled and met the gaze of her husband sat on the other side of the table. Each time she came here he looked older but no less refined. He wore his elegance like a shield – like a mask – a form of protection behind of which existed an exhausted, worn-down man.

‘I’m well,’ she said quietly.

Gabriel’s expression softened into the barest of smiles.

‘And Adrien?’ he asked. ‘How is he?’

Emilie didn’t reply; she let his question hang in the room as she thought back to a few days ago when she’d last seen their son. Adrien had been laughing and smiling, and oh, he was the most beautiful thing in the world; he’d been gorgeous as a child and only blossomed further as he’d grown – something she didn’t quite know how to forgive Gabriel for missing out on.

‘Do you regret it?’ The words slipped from her tongue before she could stop them, words she’d wanted to voice for years but never dared to.

Gabriel’s smile fell away. What little warmth was in the room vanished.

‘No,’ he said, in a voice so deadly gentle it sent shivers down her spine.

Emilie cast her eyes down. She ran her fingers across the metal surface of the table, catching her nails on the grooves made from years of wear and tear.

‘You know you didn’t just lose Nathalie that night…’ she said soft and quiet. ‘You lost Adrien too.’

Gabriel swallowed. ‘I know.’

‘And yet, you say you regret nothing.’

‘Everything I did, I did for you.’

He took her hand and she slowly raised her gaze to meet his. His grey eyes pierced her heart and warmth rose within her at the love and devotion he clearly held for her.

‘I know,’ she whispered. Her heart clenched in her chest. She twisted her hand and gripped him back just as tight, gazing at him with conflicted affection, love flowing for him despite her better judgement. ‘I know.’

Emilie breathed in the sunshine as she strolled along the river, savouring every moment that her second life gave her. Grateful to be out of that prison and amongst life.

She paused at a billboard showcasing the latest Emilie collection. With his side-swept blond hair and smile that lit up the skyline, the model was the perfect Emilie ambassador. Yet he was nothing compared to her Adrien.

After Gabriel’s imprisonment she’d taken over the company and rebranded it. Though she hadn’t expected Adrien to disagree with her about it.

‘You’re continuing the business?’ Adrien had asked her after he’d found out. ‘You’re not selling it?’

‘Of course not,’ she replied. ‘It’s your father’s legacy. And it would be wonderful if you would continue being the face of the brand.’

Adrien had stared at her, offended and wounded, before turning his back on her and walking from the room.

Emilie exhaled and tore her gaze from the billboard. Despite the years that had passed, that rejection still hurt and confused her. But after her conversation with Gabriel this morning maybe, just maybe, she could start to understand.

She turned away from the river and crossed the road to meander down the backstreets and alleyways of Paris, determined to get lost; to explore and discover, whether it be stumbling upon a fresh set of blooming flowers or a new cafe that had opened. Overcome with the overwhelming desire to not waste her life.

Eventually though, she found herself gazing up at the familiar building where her son lived – a humble little flat he shared with the Dupain-Cheng girl. Not for the first time she wondered why they didn’t move somewhere more suitable for his station, it’s not as if they didn’t have the money.

After a moment’s hesitation, she strode up the steps to their flat and paused outside the door, fist poised to knock. She probably shouldn’t show up unannounced.

Especially just after visiting Gabriel…

But she dismissed her concerns with a shake of her head, and rapped her knuckles on the wood.

‘Mum!’ Adrien opened the door with a wide smile on his face. And tension leaked from Emilie’s shoulders as he wrapped her in his embrace. ‘I wasn’t expecting you, come in, come in!’

Plagg popped out Adrien’s mop of blond hair as she followed him into their little sitting room, he stared at her with his unreadable green eyes. She smiled at the Kwami.

He narrowed his eyes in response.

‘Can I get you something to drink?’ Adrien asked, turning and forcing her to break eye contact with Plagg. ‘Tea? Coffee…?’

‘Tea would be nice.’ She placed her bag on the couch and sat down, looking around, ignoring Plagg’s eyes on her as Adrien headed into the kitchen. This living room was so small it barely held the television and sofa.

As Adrien made their drinks she leafed through the exam papers scattered over the coffee table that he’d been in the middle of grading. She sighed. Being a teacher was such a waste of his potential.

‘I saw the Gorilla the other day,’ Adrien spoke loudly from the kitchen as the noise of the kettle boiling died down.

‘Oh?’ Emilie put the papers back. ‘How is he?’

‘He’s doing well! He’s got a gig driving around some high-flying lawyers, so he treated Marinette and I for dinner last week. We had a really nice time.’

‘How lovely.’

He appeared with two steaming mugs. ‘Have you been up to anything?’

‘Oh a bit of this, a bit of that. Nothing out of the ordinary.’

Adrien handed her a mug, smiling, and Emilie’s heart swelled. She loved that smile, it never failed to warm her heart. What she didn’t like however, was the unnatural paleness of his skin and the deep shadows under his eyes.

‘How are you sleeping?’ she asked, wrapping her hands around her mug.

Adrien shrugged. ‘I tried coming off my medication, but they put me back on it. But it’s always hard this time of year, regardless.’

‘Well, I’m glad the medication helps, even if it’s just a bit.’ She brought her mug close to her chest and cradled it in her hands, grateful for the warmth seeping into her skin.

Adrien hummed an agreement and perched on the arm of the sofa. ‘It does help,’ he said. Comfortable silence wrapped around them and Emilie blew gently on her tea.

‘You seeing him doesn’t.’

Emilie tensed. She met Adrien’s gaze, which had lost its former brightness and grown an icy edge.

‘You don’t deny it then,’ he said at her silence.

Emilie squeezed her mug so hard it burned her hands. ‘He’s my husband,’ she said quietly.

Adrien’s expression grew unreadable. ‘He’s my father,’ he said, devoid of emotion. ‘Yet I’ve never had the urge to visit him.’ He raised his mug to his lips. ‘Then again, I didn’t choose to be related to him.’

‘He’s still a good man, believe it or not—’

‘I don’t.’

She closed her mouth at the hardness in his eyes. Eyes which had long lost their childhood innocence. She glanced over his defined jawline, clenched fair too tight, with its ever so faint shadow of stubble, the ever so faint creases at the corners of his eyes, and his long locks of blond hair so haphazardly styled.

She’d never admit it, but she often missed the child he used to be. The one who never defied her – who said, ‘Yes, Mummy!’ to everything she said and listened to her like she was queen of the world.

She went to gently brush his fringe to the side but he pulled back.

‘You remember it, don’t you?’ she began softly, lowering her hand. ‘The way he would smile and play with you when you were little?’

Adrien looked away. ‘That was a long time ago.’

‘He can be like that still,’ she urged, ‘if you just—’

‘Drop it, Mum,’ he said, his voice quiet but sharp. ‘There’s no coming back from what he did.’

Emilie lowered her gaze. ‘He saved my life.’

Adrien glanced at her, more tired than ever.

‘I know.’

All the other acts Gabriel had done filled the room with their silence, swirling around and around like the tea in Emilie’s mug as her hands clenched tighter and tighter. He wanted us to be a family again, she wanted to scream but she bit her tongue. She knew too well where that sentence led.

She took a deep breath and sipped her tea, the lemon bitter on her tongue. Her eyes drifted around the room and landed on the mantelpiece, specifically on the framed picture of Adrien looking gorgeous all dressed smartly in black, with the Dupain-Cheng girl dressed in white next to him.

‘How’s Marinette?’ she asked, breaking the silence.

‘She’s well,’ he replied, sipping his tea, not looking at her. ‘Not that you care.’

That stung her. ‘I care—’

BANG.

They both jumped as the door slammed open.

‘Adrien, I’m home! And I’ve got everything for dinner! Also Alya just messaged saying her and Nino will be over at seven — Oh!’ Marinette froze as she stepped into the living room and laid eyes on Emilie. ‘Madame Agreste,’ she acknowledged, her demeanour suddenly changing. Without taking her eyes off Emilie, she placed her bags down and walked over to Adrien, placing her hand on his shoulder. The gold band on her ring finger glittered dangerously. ‘It’s nice to see you.’

Emilie pursed her lips and, like she did every time, scanned Marinette for any sign of hidden jewellery. She never had figured out what the girl had done with her peacock miraculous, though that wasn’t for lack of trying.

‘You’re not overworking yourself, I hope?’ she put on a smile.

Marinette placed her hand protectively over her stomach. ‘Luckily I’m sat at a desk drawing all day, it’s not demanding work, but I thank you for your concern.’

Emilie nodded. Of course she cared about Marinette; if the girl wasn’t careful or healthy the effects could be disastrous.

‘I’m sorry, did I miss a memo?’ Marinette asked. ‘I wasn’t aware you were coming over today.’ The air of nonchalance in her voice hid the ice underneath.

Adrien slowly shook his head. He placed his mug on the coffee table.

‘Can’t I visit my son?’ Emilie asked.

Adrien’s eyes grew cold. ‘Not when your trying to convince me to forgive him.’

‘I’m not trying to convince you to forgive him,’ she said. Adrien raised an eyebrow. She deflated a little, glancing away and rubbing her arm. ‘Just to visit him,’ she admitted.

Adrien rubbed his face. ‘I’m not having this conversation, not again.’

‘He’s your father!’ Emilie said.

‘He’s a terrorist.’

‘He loves you!’

‘No. NO! I’m not doing this, Mum!’ He jumped to his feet and found Marinette’s hand and gripped it tight.

‘You’re married with a baby on the way!’ Emilie cried. ‘He deserves to know and you should be the one to tell him!’

‘He deserves nothing,’ Marinette hissed as Adrien ran his hands through his hair in distress.

‘I don’t want anything to do with him!’ Adrien cried, ‘Why don’t you understand that?’ Tears rose in his eyes. ‘I can’t do this, not again, Mum. Please,’ he begged.

Emilie stepped back, a stab of guilt flashed through her.

‘I just want what’s best for you,’ she whispered, truthfully

Adrien swallowed. ‘I know,’ he said. He sounded so tired. ‘But this isn’t the way to do it.’

Emilie looked away, not knowing what to feel.

‘I think you should go,’ Marinette said quietly.

Emilie looked sharply at Adrien, and her heart sank as he glanced at her and nodded.

She swallowed, picked up her bag, and followed Marinette to the front door.

She turned back, holding her son’s beautiful green gaze.

‘I love you,’ she told him, filling her words with truth and sincerity, brimming with emotion.

Adrien sighed. ‘I love you too, Mum. I’ve never denied that.’ The barest of smiles rose on Emilie’s face. ‘But I loved Dad too.’

His words curled in her stomach, goosebumps ran up her arm.

‘Adrien—’ she began, desperate. Adrien turned away. Marinette grabbed her arm and pushed her out the door

And Emilie was left standing in the hallway, trying not to cry, with the sound of the slamming door in her ears, and her son’s broken eyes in her mind.

~~~

Marinette leant back on the door, fringe hanging in her eyes, and exhaled. Nothing was easy with Emilie.

She brushed her loose hair behind her ears and turned her gaze to Adrien; he stood silent, jaw tense, hands clenched, with a crease in his brow, gazing unseeing to the side. After a moment he bit his lip before grabbing the mugs from the coffee table and headed into the kitchen.

Marinette followed him.

She watched him as he placed the mugs in the sink and turned the tap on to get the hot water running. His hair shrouded his face as he washed the mugs, and when he turned the tap off, they were both met with sudden silence, broken only by the gentle dripping of water echoing in the drainpipe.

‘After all these years,’ he began softly, ‘all these years and she still doesn’t understand that he never loved me like he loved her. He never will.’

Marinette walked over to him, her soft footsteps loud in the silence, and placed her hand on his shoulder. He yielded to her touch, turning into her, burying his head into her neck, wrapping his arms around her. And she held him back, one hand clenching the back of his shirt, the other tangled in his hair, and she held him.

Tikki, Plagg, Nooroo and Duusu crawled out of their hiding spots and pressed themselves into the spaces between her and Adrien.

‘You did good, kid,’ Plagg whispered as he curled up against Adrien’s neck,

And the six of them stayed like that for a while in the broken yet warm silence, protecting each other just like they’ve always done.

Eventually Adrien pulled back. Marinette held his cheeks and gazed into his eyes. She planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, nose, and then on his lips. Adrien chuckled and warmth lit within her.

A sly look appeared in his eye.

Marinette yelped as Adrien spun her and dipped her, scattering the Kwamis and making heat rush to her cheeks as he winked and kissed her. Even after all these years he still made her blush so easily. One of the Kwamis found the speaker and Adrien threw her back to her feet in time with the music, before grabbing her hand and making her spin back into him. She grabbed his hand in return and spun him and spun him — Dusuu swooping and yelping, Tikki giggling, Plagg egging them on, and

Nooroo begging them to be careful but with a smile on his face — until Adrien was crying with laughter and begged her to stop. She pulled him close.

And they danced in the sunlight falling dappled through the window, dust motes swirling around them, hearts fast, breaths quick, life thrumming between them.

They ended up arms wrapped around each other rocking gently in the middle of the room.

She went to brush his hair back and he leant into her hand before taking it and kissing her fingers in quick succession – one two three four five.

She rested her head against his shoulder, but after a moment he tilted her chin back up to face him and forced her to gaze into his eyes, so soft and gentle, skin flushed pink.

‘I love you,’ he whispered.

She raised to her tip toes and kissed him on the lips, holding the moment between them.

‘I love you too,’ she murmured in his ear. ‘Now go get the shopping, let’s get this feast going!’

‘Anything for you, milady,’ Adrien smiled and kissed her on the nose.

They spent the rest of the afternoon cooking, intermittent with dancing and laughing, the latter of which only increased as Alya, Nino, and Chloe walked through the door, each bearing delicious gifts of their own.

They had a wonderful dinner, the five of them, like they did every year. Filled with memories and stories and laughter and fun. All cheering as Marinette brought out another bottle of wine along with a fantastic dessert.

Before long, plates were empty, everyone was sat back, glasses were topped up for the umpteenth time. The Kwamis were curled up on the sofa, sleeping together as the clock ticked past midnight. Soft music in the background, everyone smiling as they listened to the story Nino was telling…

‘—so she walks onto the set wrapped in this golden shawl,’ Nino said, ‘with these heels which must have been like ten inches high, and this MASSIVE headdress thats all spiked and celestial looking, and this gold paint on her cheekbones—’

‘She looked like a goddess,’ Alya chimed in.

‘She looked. Like. A. GODDESS,’ Nino agreed, slamming the table, ‘but with a Kazoo in her mouth. Like what? I know! Ruined her image. But then Kyle, the lighting guy, walks up to her and, well he—

Marinette snuck her hand towards Adrien as she listened to Nino. She found his fingers and weaved their hands together. He instantly gripped her. She smiled. ‘—And then she says, she says’—Nino struggled to hold back his giggles,—‘“Well I would, but it’s impossible with you standing there!”’ They all burst into laughter.

‘Well he was being an idiot!’ Chloe said shrilly, with a smile on her face.

‘Of course you’d think that, Chloe,’ Alya said, sticking her tongue.

‘Hey! I won’t stand for this slander!’ she scoffed in mock offence. ‘That’s ridiculous! Utterly, ridiculous!’

They all dissolved into laughter once more, Nino swung back in his chair dangerously.

Marinette shared a grinning glance with Adrien and he squeezed her hand under the table.

Despite the warmth in the room, it couldn’t help but bring memories of the five of them sitting around that coffee table all those years ago.

And Marinette watched them. She eyed her friends. She could see it in all of them. The hurt from all those years ago and their concern for Adrien.

It was in the way Alya swirled the wine in her glass but never quite managed to drink it. The way Nino would speak just a little too loud and tell just one too many jokes. The way Chloe would fuss over Adrien’s appearance and mutter about how he needed a hair cut.

She ran her thumb over the back of Adrien’s hand. All of their wounds, despite leaving scars, had managed to heal over. Except for Adrien’s. His wounds were constantly being ripped open, again and again. By his mother, his father, by Parisian celebrations.

Marinette closed her eyes. If she listened hard enough she could just make out – behind the jokes and the laughter and the music desperately trying to drain it all out – the noise on the streets from those celebrating Hawkmoth’s downfall.

Adrien was still smiling after everyone had left but Marinette eyed him worriedly. He danced as they cleaned and hummed while brushing his teeth but when they collapsed into bed, he lay on his back with his eyes wide open.

Marinette curled into him. ‘Talk to me,’ she whispered, bringing his forehead to hers. They both stayed there a minute, breathing in each other in silence.

‘Even now…’ he swallowed, ‘I still hold hope he might become a good father.’

A lump rose in her throat. ‘I know,’ she said.

The gentle sound of their breathing was the only sound for a moment.

‘I think I need to see him.’

Her breath caught. She pulled back and looked him deep in his eyes. ‘Not if you don’t want to, you don’t have to.’

He closed his eyes in a faint grimace, holding back his emotion. ‘I know. But I think I want to,’ he whispered.

‘Then I’m here to support you.’ And her heart broke for Adrien who would once again have his wounds ripped open.

~~~

‘What changed your mind?’

Adrien cast his eyes down and let the question roll around the room.

‘Why did you decide to see me after all these years?’

He let the silence swell.

‘I’m glad to see you. How has life been with your mother?

Adrien raised his eyes to meet those of the man who sat opposite. He looked tired and old. He had lost all of his former elegance and yet the look in his eyes held the same coldness that had haunted Adrien’s waking life all those years ago. Only at the mention of Adrien’s mother did warmth flash through them.

‘Do you understand me now? Are you finally here to forgive me?’

Adrien let the questions sink in.

‘Ten years ago I exchanged one parent for the other.’ He began quietly. ‘Over the years that followed I learnt why it was that you two were both so well suited.’ He ran his fingers over the grooves in the table. ‘You both knew how to tie your hooks into me so well, pulling and pushing and making me do what you wanted me to. Mother has learned to back off. It’s either that or she loses me, and she fears losing me more than she fears losing control of me. But I don’t know if that applies to you.’

Gabriel held Adrien’s gaze.

‘I don’t understand you,’ Adrien whispered. ‘I’m not here to forgive you. I will never forgive you.’ And his heart broke inside because this man, despite everything, used to be his father.

‘Why are you here?’ Gabriel asked.

Adrien twisted the ring on his finger.

‘Was it worth it?’ he asked, ‘The price you paid to…’ he trailed off.

‘Out of everything I did,’ Gabriel began slowly, ‘bringing your mother back is the one thing I do not regret.’

‘But what about Nathalie? What about Marinette? What about—?’ He cut himself off, biting down on his tongue, fighting the burning in his throat.

Gabriel sighed. ‘What happened to Nathalie was unfortunate, but she knew the risks. As for Marinette, she was a talented girl — still is from what your mother tells me. I would not have wished it to be her that got caught up in what happened, but I was not the one who selected her as wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous, it was not my fault it was her that got caught up in that fight.’

Adrien gazed in pain at his father. Waiting for an apology. Waiting for any form of repentance. Waiting for him to answer his third, unfinished question but the man remained silent.

Adrien swallowed his emotions, his face impassive. ‘I shouldn’t be here,’ he muttered and stood up. ‘I don’t know what I expected.’

‘Adrien, wait,’ Gabriel moved as if reaching for him.

Adrien looked at Gabriel’s hand. He slowly raised his tired eyes, waiting.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Gabriel whispered, voice cracking.

‘No you’re not.’

Gabriel opened his mouth, but no words spilled out. He stammered, silent.

Adrien stared at the man and all he felt was sadness. Sadness for a life lost, for what could have been, but nothing at all for the man himself.

‘I’ve married Marinette and she’s pregnant with your grandchild.’ He said emotionless. ‘Mother wanted me to be the one to tell you.’

Shock rose in Gabriel’s eyes. ‘Adrien. Adrien! Wait—’ but Adrien had already turned on his heel and walked from the room. He didn’t look back.

~~~

Marinette gave birth in the middle of a storm.

The rain battered at the windows and wind howled through the cracks, then a baby’s wail rang out, drowning it all out.

The nurse placed the baby boy in Adrien’s arms as lightning flashed outside. He sat down on the bed with a thump, stunned and amazed and gazed at his son, at his tuft of dark hair and large bright eyes.

Marinette lay her head on his shoulder. ‘He looks like a Hugo, don’t you think?’ she said softly.

Adrien burst into tears.

Marinette and the nurses looked at him in alarm as he held Hugo tight to his chest and thunder crashed outside as rain pummelled the rooftops.

That storm, oh so many years ago, had changed his life for the worse, filled it with regret and guilt and ways he should have changed it.

But no more.

Adrien couldn’t stop staring at the baby in his hands. Marinette cooed and played with Hugo, and when Hugo giggled, Adrien was filled with so much emotion fresh tears poured down his face.

Marinette wiped them away and kissed him on the cheek. ‘I love you,’ she whispered. And Adrien gazed at the amazing woman who had saved him in more ways he could count.

‘I love you,’ he said fervently and kissed her full on the mouth.

And finally he could see so clearly his path moving forward. He was done with the past. Done with it dragging and ripping into him time and time again.

He had a family worth loving and a life that was worth living. He could finally begin to heal.

#miraculous ladybug #ml #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #adrinette #adrienette #ml fic #angst #angst with a happy ending #gabriel agreste #emilie agreste #ml angst #this ending has been living at the back of my mind for the last three years #can't believe it's been that long oops #it feels good to have got it done

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