We’ve cried in defense of Marinette. We’ve blasted Adrien for his “do nothing except lecture the good person and let a bad person keep doing bad things” plan. And we’ve pretty much torn Alya apart over her contradictory “I’m here for you girl except when I’m not” actions. We’ve even vented about the rest of the class, usually as a collective.
But you know who we haven’t really discussed?
Nino.
Hear me out.
Nino, much like the others, was fed lies by Lila. Her lie to him in particular I believe was regarding a possibility at a future meeting with a Hollywood director. As someone who is into music and filmmaking, this is HUGE to him. This is a teenager who doesn’t know anything about the internal politics of those circles or how networking actually works. He, like many young people, was just told “hey, stick with me and I can give you this opportunity!” And like many young people working towards a dream, he wants to take it.
So he listens to Lila’s stories. Believes her claims of injuries. And ultimately hangs on her every word about her adventures because to someone like him who has pretty much spent all of his life in one city, this does sound amazing. And why wouldn’t they be true? Why would Lila lie? Why would she throw out a possible opportunity to him with no intent to follow through?
That would just be cruel. And it is.
So Nino continues, much like the rest of the class, trailing after Lila’s tall tales and believing her many stories all while being played like a fiddle. And he falls for it all hook, line, and sinker because…well, there’s no gain as far as they can see, so why would she be making it up?
Eventually, Lila’s lies catch up to her and she’s outed for every false claim she’s made up. Marinette had been trying to warn everyone all this time and is now vindicated. All that time he spent listening to Lila and all that faith he had in her is destroyed, and it’s like he lost a friend he’s only now realizing he never really had. It also meant losing what he thought was a real opportunity he had been looking forward to—something that he only now realizes had been a pipe dream. He’s wrestling with the anger and guilt and self blame. He should have known better. He should have been smarter. He was such an idiot. He’s really getting down on himself.
But then something else comes out amidst this entire mess.
Not only that Lila lied about everything.
Not that Marinette was right all along.
No, no, no.
It’s that Adrien knew the whole time.
His best friend and someone he thought he could trust to never steer him wrong KNEW that Lila was lying all along. And he did nothing. Adrien had knowingly and willingly allowed Nino to be played like that. In wanting to “not cause problems”, Adrien had stood by and watched the guy he claimed to be his best friend be led around by a manipulator. And he never said a thing.
Should Nino have trusted Marinette? Yes, he should have. He knew her well enough to know what she was like at the very least and that she wouldn’t just make claims like that without some reason. But he chose not to listen, so that’s on him and he accepts that.
But Adrien was his best bro. If Adrien had said something about what Lila was doing or in any way backed up Marinette’s warnings, you’d better believe Nino would have listened. That’s what bros do. They look out for each other and trust each other.
Maybe Nino didn’t really lose out on anything by following Lila, but she had successfully made a complete fool out of him for kicks. His pride is damaged. His emotions have been hurt. His confidence in himself is pretty much shot. And now he has to deal with the knowledge that Adrien had intentionally allowed Nino to be played and manipulated by someone he damn well knew was untrustworthy.
And this was Nino. The first one to willingly try to befriend him. The one who tried to talk to his dad for him on his behalf. The one who was freaking akumatized just to give him his very first birthday party. And Adrien, rather than in any way return the favor, chose to be passive. Just like he always does for everything. Because it was easier.
Then he finds out Adrien not only knew, but he had also previously told Marinette not to out Lila for the sake of “not making it worse” and concerns about how it wouldn’t “make a bad person be good”. Because clearly making Lila be “good” was the greater concern here.
In multiple ways, and in every possible meaning, Adrien chose to protect, aid, and enable a serial liar over his own best friend.
Adrien: Plagg, I think Marinette having a crush on Chat Noir might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Plagg: ….what. why? I mean….what?
Adrien: Yeah! Because now I finally have someone to talk to about my crush on Ladybug!
Plagg: …….adrien no…….
Adrien: Everyone else just dismisses my love as a celebrity crush.
Plagg: ….please no adrien…….
Adrien: But Marinette will understand, because she’s in love with Chat Noir.
Plagg: …….please don’t do this to us adrien……..
Adrien: I can’t wait to tell her that I’m in love with Ladybug. She’ll probably feel super relieved knowing she has a very good friend who can relate to her situation.
The gist of it is that Darling Marinette gets found out.
But it’s not her parents. It’s not Alya, it’s not Adrien.
It’s Manon. Adorable, bratty, Manon.
It can be before the Puppeteer episode or after (in my head it isn’t).
Bloody Manon.
How I see it Manon is waiting in Mari’s room to apologize for what she did while akumatized. Mme. Chammack is arranging a catering event with the Dupain-Chengs at the station as a small apology of her own to her coworkers, and they’re so busy that they don’t notice that Manon sneaks upstairs to see Mari, even though they told her not to go up because Mari had to do some studying for an important test.
But Mari isn’t there. The room is empty with Jagged Stone playing softly and the repaired dolls are sitting on the desk, with a few papers with sketches of the other akumatized forms of people. There is a quick one of her on the bottom of the stack. On a sticky note next to the dolls is the reminder to make a new pair of Chat Noir and Ladybug for Manon, but she doesn’t see that.
Manon picks up the Chat Noir and Ladybug dolls and plays with them nervously for a little while; after all just a few days ago she had used these to cause a lot of problems. Manon is sitting by the chaise, so she can’t be seen from the skylight.
Which leads to Ladybug soaring through her skylight, bouncing off her bed and popping up in the middle of her floor. Manon is stupefied, and before she can call out to her idol and rescuer, there’s a flash of red light and Marinette is standing where Ladybug once was and smiling at a red creature that was giggling happily.
Manon stands and stares.
Tiki see her, squeaks, and attempts to hide.
Marinette freezes and then slowly turns around to peek at who finally found out her secret.
After a suitable amount of Freak Out™ Manon promises to keep her secret and is the proudest seven to eight-year-old in the world when she’s told she’s the only person Mari’s ever told.
She starts to ask to spend more time at the Dupain-Chengs with Marinette, who kinda adopts her as her little sister/protégé.
She learns all about fashion at the hip of Marinette and all about duty from Ladybug.
(Manon is the only one who sees how exhausted Marinette is after her patrols as Ladybug, is the only one who knows how many injuries she’s bandaged over and the scars that mean Mari will never again wear a midriff bearing top, seen Marinette soak her twitching hands in water after hours of pinning, and sewing, and hand embroidering the clothes that will make her future.)
Manon blooms with her newfound sense of responsibility and after a few months her mother gifts her with a phone with four numbers programmed in: her mother’s, the station, the bakery, and Marinette’s personal number.
She adds Ladybug’s compact number the moment she alone with an Ladybug emoji in the name slot. It’s set as her number three speed dial.
All of a sudden Ladybug knows where all the shit is going down because Manon has her on speed dial and an alert on the Ladyblog.
Not only that but she has the schools number and she can call and get Marinette out of class by stating that she needed Marinette to come and get her, she didn’t know where she was and her mom was at work.
(She only does this if it’s really bad though.)
In an interview with Alya, she asks what the secret to her new response time to danger.
Ladybug winks, puts a finger to her lips, and declares “I have a little Ladybird helping me. She’s slowly earning her spots.”
After this Manon demands that her number be given to Chat Noir, and Marinette agrees. So the next time they get together before a patrol and before he can ask any questions she opens her compact to make a call, the only identifier a small red ladybug with no spots, before a voice chirps out a greeting and asks for his number.
After coming to terms with their off-screen sidekick, he gives her the number to his personal phone with the understanding that she was only allowed to text, and not call, that phone.
(Manon low-key ships LadyNoir, but that’s mostly from Him always saving her big sister than any real idea on their relationship.)
Adrien is a sad kitty one day and shoots a text to her on accident.
He immediately gets a response and they become bros.
Manon is now determined to play matchmaker because this guy is the perfect guy for Marinette, and much better than that Model that never pays attention to her.
Insert Classic LadyNoir love square happenings complete with Marinette getting over Adrien (painfully) and Adrien noticing that “Wait. Dis a Boss-@ss-B*tch.”
Then BLAM: Manon is being chased around Paris because if Akuma (no she was not found out, just reasons okay?) and in the midst of saving her Ladybug becomes injured and Manon is the one who directs Chat Noir (Ladybug in his arms, Ladybird-known-as-Manon on his back, no problem.)
On the roof of the Dupain-Cheng bakery.
Where Marinette lives.
Ladybug turns into Marinette right after they drop onto her bed.
While Chat gapes in stunned awe, Manon is on the move pulling the first aid kit out and after having Tikki ensure her that she could be woken “It was just the pain that knocked her out.” Mari is summarily shaken awake and handed the muscle relaxant cream that she immediately spreads on her shoulders and sides with Manon deals with the big one at the small of her back.
Chat is a sad-ashamed kitty, but Marinette is okay with it, as long as he doesn’t reveal his own identity. Her family and friends had just been put in danger, she refused to put his in danger too.
Marichat occurs intensely and mild pre-Adrienette colors school hours and group projects with adorable littlesister!Manon as a constant no matter what side of the mask.
That is all my brain has.
It is dry now.
Whyyyyyyy?!
Someone has to come and help.
Please.
I liked the idea that for some reason he recognized her as the original Ladybug and is assuring her he’s not mad… and Alya just clued in because of it.
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