Or Worse - Tumblr Posts
All the shinogiyuu and sanegiyuu shippers arguing over what ship is more valid, meanwhile I have serveral sanegiyuu fanfic tabs open whilst drawing shinogiyuu fanart and listening to a song that reminds me of shinomitsu.
I think the problem Chloe has is the same problem Magnifico from Wish had: the writers didn't know what to do with these characters so they didn't give them a consistent arc to the point of not knowing if they were going to be bad or have a redemption.
There was no Redemption or Damnation. Chloe Doesn't Actually Have an Arc at All
Does Chloe have an abandoned redemption arc?
No. Absolutely not. She also doesn't have a “damnation” arc or really any arc at all. She is a font of wasted potential for both redemption and damnation who never gets a true chance at either path. To explain what I mean, I have to first discuss the two types of redemption arcs and also how damnation arcs work. I’ll be doing this by discussing the guy who started the redemption arc trend, Zuko, and why his story doesn’t work for people like Chloe.
The Two Types of Redemption + Some Bonus Damnation
There are two general paths to redemption: redemption through a change in worldview (the easy path) and redemption through a change in self (the hard path).
Redemption through a change in worldview is what happens when you take a character who is a fundamentally good person and give them a messed up worldview, usually through their upbringing. The story will see that worldview challenged, resulting in the character changing how they view the world, but that’s about it. They don’t really have to make major changes to themselves at a fundamental level.
This is Zuko’s path. He’s born in the Fire Nation and raised to think that the Fire Nation is good. He also has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. When he’s included in a war council and told that the army leaders are going to willingly sacrifice Fire Nation troops, he stands up and says that’s wrong. This act results in him getting banished. During his banishment, he gets to see the rest of the world and learn that the Fire Nation is, in fact, NOT good. This ultimately leads to him switching sides because he has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. Who he is and how he acts never really changes.
Chloe is not like Zuko. She is a selfish, egotistical, petty, spoiled brat. For her to be redeemed, she has to accept that fundamental aspects of her character are deeply flawed. This might involve some changes to her worldview, but that’s only a tiny piece of what needs to change and I’m honestly not sure that she really has a messed up worldview. There are multiple instances where it’s clear that she knows that she’s being mean or bad and just doesn’t care.
This brings us to the topic of damnation arcs. For something to be a damnation arc, a person has to be presented with a choice between good and evil and they have to choose evil. Zuko actually has one of these. At the end of the second season of Avatar, Zuko is given the choice to join the good guys or to join his sister and be accepted back into his family.
He chooses his sister.
That’s a damnation arc because Zuko truly had a chance to change sides. The scene would play very differently if Zuko had to choose between staying in exile and joining his sister. Joining his sister would still be the wrong move, but it’s no longer damnation. It’s just doing a bad thing vs doing nothing (though it can be argued to be somewhat damning since Zuko is going against his own morals). Along similar lines, Zuko is redeemed when he chooses to abandon his family to do what’s right even though it costs him everything he wanted: his family, his girlfriend, and his home.
This is where Chloe’s “damnation” and redemption arcs fall apart. There is no point in the series where she’s actively given a choice between good and evil. She only ever makes choices between inaction and evil or inaction and good. Does that make her a good person? Hell no! But it does make the argument that she had an arc fall very flat. She never gets better, but it's hard to say that she gets worse.
Chloe’s Choices: The Good and The Bad
Chloe becomes Queen Bee without anyone saying she was fit for the role. She just finds a miraculous and uses it. The way she uses it is selfish, egotistical, and petty. In other words, it’s just Chloe being Chloe. While the actions she takes are horrible and definitely deserve punishment, they’re in character. She’s not acting worse than normal, she’s just being herself, but with superpowers. If she’d been given the miraculous and been charged to be a hero, then her actions would be damning because she would be choosing to go against her charge. But she’s not. She has no charge.
To really assess if Chloe has potential to change, you have to look at what she does when she’s given the choice to be good and this is where things get messy.
This is how Chloe’s first encounter with her miraculous ends:
Ladybug: I have to get the Miraculous back, Chloé. (in the background, Nadja's van arrives) Chloé: Give me a second chance, please! Nadja: (holding a tablet with Audrey on it) Audrey Bourgeois, tell us live how you feel about what just happened. Audrey: (on the tablet) According to me, Chloé just clearly demonstrated that there is nothing exceptional about her. Cat Noir: (puts a hand on Chloé's shoulder) I know that you did the things you did to impress your mother. Ladybug: Anyone can make mistakes, even a superhero. What matters is how you fix them. I personally made one by losing that Miraculous. Don't make the mistake of not giving it back. Act like a hero. Cat Noir: And show everyone how exceptional you can be. (Chloé hands Ladybug the Miraculous) Ladybug: Thank you. Chloé: (the duo are about to run off) Ladybug? Cat Noir? (the cameraman moves closer) I'm sorry.
Chloe doesn't fight to keep her miraculous. A few quick lines are all it takes for her to hand it over. When Ladybug gives Chloe the chance to act like a hero would, Chloe acts like a hero. The same can be said of every subsequent time when Ladybug gives Chloe the bee miraculous. Every time Chloe is called upon to be Queen Bee, she does the job to the best of her abilities and acts as a functional member of the team. She's not incompetent. She doesn't put the team in danger so that she can be in the spotlight. Heck, the very next time she gets it, Chloe willingly admits that her father’s akumatization was her fault.
Chloé: It— it was me. I hurt my daddy's feelings. Because I want to leave Paris, forever. Ladybug: Because of what happened in school? I'm sure Marinette probably didn't exactly mean what she said. Chloé: Oh, it's not just her— actually, I don't even care about her— it's because I have no reason to be here: nobody likes me; I have no friends. I'm… useless. Ladybug: (remembering what Adrien told Marinette earlier at school about Chloé) A friend once told me: nobody is useless, Chloé. Chloé: It's easy for you to say that. You're Ladybug, a superhero. You serve a purpose. Ladybug: Yes, I can fix up all the messes. You said it yourself in your documentary. Chloé: (gasps) You saw it?! Ladybug: (nods) Mm-hmm. Chloé: Oh! I'm so embarrassed. That film's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. I realize that now. Ladybug: Don't worry Chloé. You can fix your own messes, if that's what you want. You, too, can serve a purpose, but you have to want to. Chloé: (sniffles) I do want to.
When Ladybug asks Chloe to be a better person, Chloe is a better person.
This is why I say that Chloe has a perfectly functional view of the world. She knows when she’s doing something wrong and is able to do good when challenged to do so. Even on the civilian side, we see that Chloe is willing to be a little better when given the proper motivation. In Despair Bear, Adrien says he’ll end their friendship and so Chloe actively tries to save that friendship even if she hates every minute of it. Similarly, in Zombiezoo, Chloe sacrifices herself so that Ladybug can win.
Now, none of this is a redemption. It is, at best, the foundation for a redemption. We see that Chloe has the potential to be good when challenged to do so by the right person or circumstance, but she’s not trying to be better outside of those moments when she’s challenged. For her redemption to really start, she has to choose good over evil. She has to start improving when Ladybug isn’t watching or when Adrien isn’t threatening their friendship. For it to be a damnation, she has to choose evil over good.
She is never truly given that choice.
The two big scenes where Chloe gets “worse” are at the end of Queen Wasp and at the end of Hearthunter. However, in both of those scenes, no one gives her a choice to be better even though she’s primed and ready to make that choice.
Queen Wasp: When the Civilian Moment Should Have Happened
At the tail end of Queen Wasp, Marinette has the choice to go to New York with Audrey or stay in Paris. She chooses Paris, but brings Chloe with her to try and repair the relationship between mother and daughter. Here, Marinette gets to really see just how little Audrey cares for Chloe.
In a show where Chloe has a character arc, this should be the moment when she’s given a choice. She’s just spent the whole episode trying to get her mom to love her and it’s gone nowhere. Marinette, our hero, is standing right there, fully capable of saying, “You know what Chloe, your mom sucks and you don't need her validation. I know some people who already think that you're awesome. Come on, let’s get you back home and I’ll call Adrien and Sabrina to meet us there.”
Instead, this is what happens:
Marinette: I think you're wrong. A huge part of your life is here in Paris, too! (she steps aside, showing Chloé and Butler Jean) Audrey: Chlorene? Uh— Chloé? Chloé: (looks at her mother, then at Marinette in a guilty manner, then back at her mom) Why don't you love me, Mom? Audrey: But… Uh— Of course I l-l-love you. Marinette: (groans) You're also wrong about your daughter not being exceptional. In fact, Chloé is exceptionally mean. She's the worst person I've ever met. She may be more heinous, pompous and selfish than you. Compared to both of you, even a rock seems more capable of love. (Audrey and Chloé are furious with Marinette for telling mean things to them.) Chloé and Audrey: (shouting) How dare you⁈ (gasp and look surprised at each other) Marinette: See? You're both much more alike than you think. (walks off; humming)
…our hero, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I’m not saying that Chloe’s poor behavior is Marinette’s fault. Chloe’s choices are her own, but it’s hard to say, “why didn’t she change?” when even Ladybug doesn’t seem to want her to. If no one is actively encouraging Chloe whenever she does better, then it's 1000x harder for her to get better. Fake it til you make it is a huge part of self improvement. Being a better person for validation or selfish reasons often leads to meaningful change and is a legitimate way to start a self-driven redemption arc. (Go watch The Good Place if you want a prime example of this.)
Hearthunter: When the Hero Moment Should Have Happened
Hearthunter and Miracle Queen are supposedly the end of Chloe’s “damnation” arc. The moment where she makes the wrong choice and, to be clear, Chloe does the wrong thing here. Helping Hawkmoth is a bad move and she deserved to face some consequences. However, the choice to help Hawkmoth has the weirdest setup for a “damnation” arc that I’ve ever seen.
In Miraculer, we get this line from Gabriel: all I need is for [Chloe] to lose all hope in Ladybug. To become angry enough so I can akumatize her.
This is also the episode where Chloe rejects an akuma (Chloé: No, Hawk Moth! I am a superheroine! I am Queen Bee! Ladybug will come and get me when she needs me! I WILL NEVER JOIN YOU!), the episode where Lila helps manipulate Chloe into doubting Ladybug, and the episode where Ladybug tell’s Chloe that she’ll never be Queen Bee again, setting up the tension for the season final.
However, even though that tension is set, the thing that turns Chloe to the dark side is… her parents being akumatized. Not some random akuma that Chloe wants to help with. Not Hawkmoth just randomly showing up with the bee. No, we have both of Chloe's parents as the victim of the day and Ladybug actively chooses Ryuuko over Queen Bee, making Chloe the first and only hero who doesn’t get called in when a loved one is in trouble.
All of that leads to this:
Hawk Moth: Chloé Bourgeois, rejections hurt! (Chloé turns to face him) Your talents deserve to be recognized! Ladybug and Cat Noir's reign has gone on long enough. It's time for Paris to have a new queen, and the Queen Bee on my chessboard is you. Chloé: You've akumatized my parents! If I had my Miraculous I'd- Hawk Moth: (puts up his hand and interrupts) You're right, but I did it for one reason only. So that you would finally realize that Ladybug will never give you the Bee Miraculous again. I, however, always keep my promises. (shows her the Bee Miraculous in his hand) Chloé: This isn't real! How do you have it? Hawk Moth: Try it and see for yourself. You're Ladybug's greatest fan. You've helped her, you've trusted her, and what has she done for you in return? Chloé: (gets angry) Nothing! She couldn't care less about me! I'm done with her. She's irrelevant, utterly irrelevant! (reaches out to grap the Miraculous, stops) I want you to deakumatize has my parents first!
Just like with Queen Wasp, Chloe does the wrong thing. She didn’t have to take the bee. She didn't have to stay selfish, egotistical, and petty. But at the same time, this isn’t really a damning act. It's an act that makes her unsuitable to be Queen Bee again, but she wasn't going to be Queen Bee anyway. She wasn't choosing to be a villain over a hero. She was just choosing to be selfish at a time when she's been actively manipulated and when her parents are in danger.
In other words, this is just Chloe being Chloe. She’s acting the same way she did when she first got her miraculous. If no one is going to believe in her, then why should she be a better person? Why shouldn't she just stay the same? She's arguably no worse than she was in Queen Wasp, the consequences are just greater because of Hawkmoth's plan and the powers he gives her. The only real change is that she no longer idolizes Ladybug so Ladybug no longer has a chance to encourage Chloe to be a better person, but Ladybug never did that anyway, so what does it really matter?
Once again, none of this is to blame Marinette. She doesn't have to try and make her bully a better person. That's a huge ask. But with no one actively trying to make Chloe better even when she shows that she can be better when given the right motivation, it's silly to say that Chloe had a damnation arc or really any arc at all. She ended where she started and, if that's all they wanted to do with her, then they should have just left her as a one-dimensional mean girl instead of making her one of the most developed characters in this bloated mess of a show.
Personally, I would have liked to see a redemption arc because I enjoy morally grey characters and it would have been nice to have someone on the team who wasn't a kind, sweet, goody-goody (for a team with 18 freaking members, there's really no moral diversity, which is boring). It also would have stopped Chloe and Lila filling the same basic role for 3 seasons, which was stupid. (Why do you think Lila showed up so little? It's because Chloe could do almost everything she could do and do it better.) Second choice would be don't develop Chloe, leave her as a petty mean girl and give her focused screen time to Nino and Adrien. Their relationship is barely a thing and that's disappointing considering its strong setup. Cutting Lila and giving Chloe a true damnation arc would have also been far more satisfying.
I think the problem Chloe has is the same problem Magnifico from Wish had: the writers didn't know what to do with these characters so they didn't give them a consistent arc to the point of not knowing if they were going to be bad or have a redemption.
There was no Redemption or Damnation. Chloe Doesn't Actually Have an Arc at All
Does Chloe have an abandoned redemption arc?
No. Absolutely not. She also doesn't have a “damnation” arc or really any arc at all. She is a font of wasted potential for both redemption and damnation who never gets a true chance at either path. To explain what I mean, I have to first discuss the two types of redemption arcs and also how damnation arcs work. I’ll be doing this by discussing the guy who started the redemption arc trend, Zuko, and why his story doesn’t work for people like Chloe.
The Two Types of Redemption + Some Bonus Damnation
There are two general paths to redemption: redemption through a change in worldview (the easy path) and redemption through a change in self (the hard path).
Redemption through a change in worldview is what happens when you take a character who is a fundamentally good person and give them a messed up worldview, usually through their upbringing. The story will see that worldview challenged, resulting in the character changing how they view the world, but that’s about it. They don’t really have to make major changes to themselves at a fundamental level.
This is Zuko’s path. He’s born in the Fire Nation and raised to think that the Fire Nation is good. He also has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. When he’s included in a war council and told that the army leaders are going to willingly sacrifice Fire Nation troops, he stands up and says that’s wrong. This act results in him getting banished. During his banishment, he gets to see the rest of the world and learn that the Fire Nation is, in fact, NOT good. This ultimately leads to him switching sides because he has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. Who he is and how he acts never really changes.
Chloe is not like Zuko. She is a selfish, egotistical, petty, spoiled brat. For her to be redeemed, she has to accept that fundamental aspects of her character are deeply flawed. This might involve some changes to her worldview, but that’s only a tiny piece of what needs to change and I’m honestly not sure that she really has a messed up worldview. There are multiple instances where it’s clear that she knows that she’s being mean or bad and just doesn’t care.
This brings us to the topic of damnation arcs. For something to be a damnation arc, a person has to be presented with a choice between good and evil and they have to choose evil. Zuko actually has one of these. At the end of the second season of Avatar, Zuko is given the choice to join the good guys or to join his sister and be accepted back into his family.
He chooses his sister.
That’s a damnation arc because Zuko truly had a chance to change sides. The scene would play very differently if Zuko had to choose between staying in exile and joining his sister. Joining his sister would still be the wrong move, but it’s no longer damnation. It’s just doing a bad thing vs doing nothing (though it can be argued to be somewhat damning since Zuko is going against his own morals). Along similar lines, Zuko is redeemed when he chooses to abandon his family to do what’s right even though it costs him everything he wanted: his family, his girlfriend, and his home.
This is where Chloe’s “damnation” and redemption arcs fall apart. There is no point in the series where she’s actively given a choice between good and evil. She only ever makes choices between inaction and evil or inaction and good. Does that make her a good person? Hell no! But it does make the argument that she had an arc fall very flat. She never gets better, but it's hard to say that she gets worse.
Chloe’s Choices: The Good and The Bad
Chloe becomes Queen Bee without anyone saying she was fit for the role. She just finds a miraculous and uses it. The way she uses it is selfish, egotistical, and petty. In other words, it’s just Chloe being Chloe. While the actions she takes are horrible and definitely deserve punishment, they’re in character. She’s not acting worse than normal, she’s just being herself, but with superpowers. If she’d been given the miraculous and been charged to be a hero, then her actions would be damning because she would be choosing to go against her charge. But she’s not. She has no charge.
To really assess if Chloe has potential to change, you have to look at what she does when she’s given the choice to be good and this is where things get messy.
This is how Chloe’s first encounter with her miraculous ends:
Ladybug: I have to get the Miraculous back, Chloé. (in the background, Nadja's van arrives) Chloé: Give me a second chance, please! Nadja: (holding a tablet with Audrey on it) Audrey Bourgeois, tell us live how you feel about what just happened. Audrey: (on the tablet) According to me, Chloé just clearly demonstrated that there is nothing exceptional about her. Cat Noir: (puts a hand on Chloé's shoulder) I know that you did the things you did to impress your mother. Ladybug: Anyone can make mistakes, even a superhero. What matters is how you fix them. I personally made one by losing that Miraculous. Don't make the mistake of not giving it back. Act like a hero. Cat Noir: And show everyone how exceptional you can be. (Chloé hands Ladybug the Miraculous) Ladybug: Thank you. Chloé: (the duo are about to run off) Ladybug? Cat Noir? (the cameraman moves closer) I'm sorry.
Chloe doesn't fight to keep her miraculous. A few quick lines are all it takes for her to hand it over. When Ladybug gives Chloe the chance to act like a hero would, Chloe acts like a hero. The same can be said of every subsequent time when Ladybug gives Chloe the bee miraculous. Every time Chloe is called upon to be Queen Bee, she does the job to the best of her abilities and acts as a functional member of the team. She's not incompetent. She doesn't put the team in danger so that she can be in the spotlight. Heck, the very next time she gets it, Chloe willingly admits that her father’s akumatization was her fault.
Chloé: It— it was me. I hurt my daddy's feelings. Because I want to leave Paris, forever. Ladybug: Because of what happened in school? I'm sure Marinette probably didn't exactly mean what she said. Chloé: Oh, it's not just her— actually, I don't even care about her— it's because I have no reason to be here: nobody likes me; I have no friends. I'm… useless. Ladybug: (remembering what Adrien told Marinette earlier at school about Chloé) A friend once told me: nobody is useless, Chloé. Chloé: It's easy for you to say that. You're Ladybug, a superhero. You serve a purpose. Ladybug: Yes, I can fix up all the messes. You said it yourself in your documentary. Chloé: (gasps) You saw it?! Ladybug: (nods) Mm-hmm. Chloé: Oh! I'm so embarrassed. That film's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. I realize that now. Ladybug: Don't worry Chloé. You can fix your own messes, if that's what you want. You, too, can serve a purpose, but you have to want to. Chloé: (sniffles) I do want to.
When Ladybug asks Chloe to be a better person, Chloe is a better person.
This is why I say that Chloe has a perfectly functional view of the world. She knows when she’s doing something wrong and is able to do good when challenged to do so. Even on the civilian side, we see that Chloe is willing to be a little better when given the proper motivation. In Despair Bear, Adrien says he’ll end their friendship and so Chloe actively tries to save that friendship even if she hates every minute of it. Similarly, in Zombiezoo, Chloe sacrifices herself so that Ladybug can win.
Now, none of this is a redemption. It is, at best, the foundation for a redemption. We see that Chloe has the potential to be good when challenged to do so by the right person or circumstance, but she’s not trying to be better outside of those moments when she’s challenged. For her redemption to really start, she has to choose good over evil. She has to start improving when Ladybug isn’t watching or when Adrien isn’t threatening their friendship. For it to be a damnation, she has to choose evil over good.
She is never truly given that choice.
The two big scenes where Chloe gets “worse” are at the end of Queen Wasp and at the end of Hearthunter. However, in both of those scenes, no one gives her a choice to be better even though she’s primed and ready to make that choice.
Queen Wasp: When the Civilian Moment Should Have Happened
At the tail end of Queen Wasp, Marinette has the choice to go to New York with Audrey or stay in Paris. She chooses Paris, but brings Chloe with her to try and repair the relationship between mother and daughter. Here, Marinette gets to really see just how little Audrey cares for Chloe.
In a show where Chloe has a character arc, this should be the moment when she’s given a choice. She’s just spent the whole episode trying to get her mom to love her and it’s gone nowhere. Marinette, our hero, is standing right there, fully capable of saying, “You know what Chloe, your mom sucks and you don't need her validation. I know some people who already think that you're awesome. Come on, let’s get you back home and I’ll call Adrien and Sabrina to meet us there.”
Instead, this is what happens:
Marinette: I think you're wrong. A huge part of your life is here in Paris, too! (she steps aside, showing Chloé and Butler Jean) Audrey: Chlorene? Uh— Chloé? Chloé: (looks at her mother, then at Marinette in a guilty manner, then back at her mom) Why don't you love me, Mom? Audrey: But… Uh— Of course I l-l-love you. Marinette: (groans) You're also wrong about your daughter not being exceptional. In fact, Chloé is exceptionally mean. She's the worst person I've ever met. She may be more heinous, pompous and selfish than you. Compared to both of you, even a rock seems more capable of love. (Audrey and Chloé are furious with Marinette for telling mean things to them.) Chloé and Audrey: (shouting) How dare you⁈ (gasp and look surprised at each other) Marinette: See? You're both much more alike than you think. (walks off; humming)
…our hero, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I’m not saying that Chloe’s poor behavior is Marinette’s fault. Chloe’s choices are her own, but it’s hard to say, “why didn’t she change?” when even Ladybug doesn’t seem to want her to. If no one is actively encouraging Chloe whenever she does better, then it's 1000x harder for her to get better. Fake it til you make it is a huge part of self improvement. Being a better person for validation or selfish reasons often leads to meaningful change and is a legitimate way to start a self-driven redemption arc. (Go watch The Good Place if you want a prime example of this.)
Hearthunter: When the Hero Moment Should Have Happened
Hearthunter and Miracle Queen are supposedly the end of Chloe’s “damnation” arc. The moment where she makes the wrong choice and, to be clear, Chloe does the wrong thing here. Helping Hawkmoth is a bad move and she deserved to face some consequences. However, the choice to help Hawkmoth has the weirdest setup for a “damnation” arc that I’ve ever seen.
In Miraculer, we get this line from Gabriel: all I need is for [Chloe] to lose all hope in Ladybug. To become angry enough so I can akumatize her.
This is also the episode where Chloe rejects an akuma (Chloé: No, Hawk Moth! I am a superheroine! I am Queen Bee! Ladybug will come and get me when she needs me! I WILL NEVER JOIN YOU!), the episode where Lila helps manipulate Chloe into doubting Ladybug, and the episode where Ladybug tell’s Chloe that she’ll never be Queen Bee again, setting up the tension for the season final.
However, even though that tension is set, the thing that turns Chloe to the dark side is… her parents being akumatized. Not some random akuma that Chloe wants to help with. Not Hawkmoth just randomly showing up with the bee. No, we have both of Chloe's parents as the victim of the day and Ladybug actively chooses Ryuuko over Queen Bee, making Chloe the first and only hero who doesn’t get called in when a loved one is in trouble.
All of that leads to this:
Hawk Moth: Chloé Bourgeois, rejections hurt! (Chloé turns to face him) Your talents deserve to be recognized! Ladybug and Cat Noir's reign has gone on long enough. It's time for Paris to have a new queen, and the Queen Bee on my chessboard is you. Chloé: You've akumatized my parents! If I had my Miraculous I'd- Hawk Moth: (puts up his hand and interrupts) You're right, but I did it for one reason only. So that you would finally realize that Ladybug will never give you the Bee Miraculous again. I, however, always keep my promises. (shows her the Bee Miraculous in his hand) Chloé: This isn't real! How do you have it? Hawk Moth: Try it and see for yourself. You're Ladybug's greatest fan. You've helped her, you've trusted her, and what has she done for you in return? Chloé: (gets angry) Nothing! She couldn't care less about me! I'm done with her. She's irrelevant, utterly irrelevant! (reaches out to grap the Miraculous, stops) I want you to deakumatize has my parents first!
Just like with Queen Wasp, Chloe does the wrong thing. She didn’t have to take the bee. She didn't have to stay selfish, egotistical, and petty. But at the same time, this isn’t really a damning act. It's an act that makes her unsuitable to be Queen Bee again, but she wasn't going to be Queen Bee anyway. She wasn't choosing to be a villain over a hero. She was just choosing to be selfish at a time when she's been actively manipulated and when her parents are in danger.
In other words, this is just Chloe being Chloe. She’s acting the same way she did when she first got her miraculous. If no one is going to believe in her, then why should she be a better person? Why shouldn't she just stay the same? She's arguably no worse than she was in Queen Wasp, the consequences are just greater because of Hawkmoth's plan and the powers he gives her. The only real change is that she no longer idolizes Ladybug so Ladybug no longer has a chance to encourage Chloe to be a better person, but Ladybug never did that anyway, so what does it really matter?
Once again, none of this is to blame Marinette. She doesn't have to try and make her bully a better person. That's a huge ask. But with no one actively trying to make Chloe better even when she shows that she can be better when given the right motivation, it's silly to say that Chloe had a damnation arc or really any arc at all. She ended where she started and, if that's all they wanted to do with her, then they should have just left her as a one-dimensional mean girl instead of making her one of the most developed characters in this bloated mess of a show.
Personally, I would have liked to see a redemption arc because I enjoy morally grey characters and it would have been nice to have someone on the team who wasn't a kind, sweet, goody-goody (for a team with 18 freaking members, there's really no moral diversity, which is boring). It also would have stopped Chloe and Lila filling the same basic role for 3 seasons, which was stupid. (Why do you think Lila showed up so little? It's because Chloe could do almost everything she could do and do it better.) Second choice would be don't develop Chloe, leave her as a petty mean girl and give her focused screen time to Nino and Adrien. Their relationship is barely a thing and that's disappointing considering its strong setup. Cutting Lila and giving Chloe a true damnation arc would have also been far more satisfying.
i've had so many conversations with people in fandom/creators' circles who are genuinely afraid to make the stories or art they want because they fear (often with good reason!) that their friends might kick them out of their circles, or worse, launch a public harassment campaign against them.
as someone recovering from this fear-based mindset, i want to affirm:
- friends who use implicit or explicit threats to maintain social control are not your friends
- communities that monitor your social media and ao3 to surveil you for perceived transgressive content are not safe communities
- the vast majority of people are NOT going to hate you if you make the art you want
- if you find yourself in a friend group that makes you feel afraid to speak your mind, it's in your interest to disentangle yourself from that group as quickly as possible
- real, honest disagreements between friends can be solved respectfully without the use of public shaming
- if you're feeling afraid in a community, it's likely that others are feeling afraid too. support your friends who may be struggling to leave an abusive fan or creative community, and let them know you're a safe person to voice doubts and disagreement to.
- if you're feeling like you'll never find a safer community of people, i promise there are others who feel that way too. it may take some time, but you'll find people who treat you and your ideas with respect. a good place to start is the people who make the type of art that you admire but that you're too afraid to make yourself.
ok that's all, take care of each other and be nice 💜
It’s hitting again
The grief of realizing I will likely never hear from my beloved again…
It’s been 18 months since she was last online. None of our friend group have heard from from, confirmed by several asking me if I’d heard from her.
I don’t know what happened. I don’t understand. I’m left with only my thoughts of the worst.
Try as I might to hold out hope, I’m slipping into the stage of acceptance that what was has slipped away so abruptly. It doesn’t make the mourning any easier…
and then there would have passed a pleasant slash fanfiction, had the authors misogyny not been immediately unveiled
[You held the knife right to Ramos' throat, ignoring Mirabelles panicked yelling. Mind craft?!? MIND CRAFT?!? WHY WAS THAT HERE!!!]
"Raaaaamoooooos~"
"I-I didn't!! I didn't do anything please!! P-please!!" [He looked between you, the knife, and Mirabelle.] "I-I came here with Mira to warn you, r-right??"
[You grin evily. Leaning closer to Ramos' face, the rain running down your cloak not helping your image.] "Oh you did~ Didn't you? And how do I know you didn't get Mirabelles mind as well~?"
"Loop!!" [Mirabelle yells.]
"I-I didn't do anything!! I p-promise I-I, I-"
"Oh you didn't do you? Oh, and I'm sure it WASN'T you who started meddling in everyones minds in Jouvente!!"
"I-I, I--"
"LOOP!!!" [Oh that was, a tone you had NEVER heard from the Housemaiden. You turn to look at her, she looked furious. You faulter.] "Let Ramos go!!"
[. . . . . You back away from Ramos. They stumble back.]
"Now say sorry."
"But Mira-"
"I said say sorry."
[You shudder, stars. You had never seen her like this. You look at Ramos, they're terrified. You sigh, and force the words.] ". . . I'm sorry Ramos."
"I-it'sfine. . ." [They mumble out, getting to their feet.] "I. . . S-sorry."
"Do not apologise, Ramos. Loop, look at me,."
[You look over to your Housemaiden. With a hand on her hip, she gently bonks you on the head.]
"Ow."
"No mind craft, see? I'm fine." [She says with a huff.] "Now can we please be productive?"
"Right. Sorry, Mirabelle." [You say, looking away. Stars. . .] "So, what happened."
[Mirabelle looked to Ramos, they took a breath before explaining.] "Alright, w-well, I got back from my jog, went inside, saw Isa in the common area, gave him a hug and felt a tingle- No no no let me finish!! I'm fine I promise!!"
"You better be." [You mumble, stepping back again.]
"O-okay, okay so, it was mind craft being spread from Isa to me, but, well, y'know, I can do some of that too! And I remember that mind craft needs some time to latch on? If that makes sense?"
"Go on. . .?" [You say, impatiently. Mirabelle gives you a look.]
"R-right. Well, I uh. . . I ran outside, found Mira practicing with her sword, and uh, a-asked her to hit me over the head."
"HA!"
"Loop!"
"It was funny! Sorry~"
[Ramos rubbed their shoulder.] "I-It's alright Mira, uh, s-so, well that kinda jumbled my head enough so I could use my own mind craft to dispell the one effecting me. Then, well, me and Mira went to grab you."
[You tap your foot. Great. Just, great.] "Why does this have to happen again."
"A-at least, we got to you first! Right?" [Mira says, trying to stay cheery.] "Now as long as you're safe we can figure this out!"
"Right you are~ Mirabelle~" [You say, like nothing ever happened.] "And Ramos, I am sorry. Thank you for getting me."
"O-oh! Uh. . . Thanks." [They say, looking away.]
"Now, shall we see how Isabeau's doing?"
"H-Huh?!?"
"Right away, Loop?" [Mira asks, concerned.]
"I want to see what's up in person. I promise, I wont let him touch me."
"If you're sure. . ."
[You weren't sure. But you had to see. The three of you walked back to the inn. Ha, don't let him touch you? What a reversal! To think he always thought you didn't want to be touched, yet, it's true now!! Ha!! Haha!!]
[Ugh. Mind craft. Why was it here again? Alright, if it WASN'T Ramos who caused it? You knew it could be spread by touch, so who would have had physical contact with Isabeau. Any of your party, realisticaly. Jan the innkeeper. . . Wait.]
[Ugh.]
[Nuuuullllll are you around at all~ My faaaavorite time looping headmate I could soooo use your help~ I KNOW you were the one in charge this morning and oh I don't remember a thing! It's quite serious you know, Mind craft~]
[. . . Stars. Stupid. Fine then be that way. You'll have to make do.]
[Coming around to the homestead, you notice that Isabeau is standing outside the front door looking down. He looked normal, if not a bit worried. You breathe in, and out.] "If I could talk to him alone? You can stay near, of course."
"I-if you're sure." [Ramos says, worried.]
"We'll jump in if there's trouble! Okay?" [Mira sounds confident.]
[You nod. And start walking to the front door. He didn't notice you untill you were a few paces away, he looked up, and smiled.] "Hey Sif!"
[You stop a few feet away.] "Hey Isa, everything alright?"
"Yeah! Well, kinda? Have you seen Ramos?" [He gets up and walks over to you.] "They were acting kinda weird earlier."
[You take a step back.] "Nope~ I wanted to talk to you about him, by the way."
"Oh? Is there something. . ." [You take another step back as he walks to you.] ". . . Uh, everything alright?"
"Not really. Could you just, stand over there?" [You say, you could hear the tension in the rain.] "Have you been feeling alright?"
"Yeah! I've been feeling great!" [He stays where he's standing.] "Though we don't wanna get a cold from the rain, right?"
[Questions, questions. . .] "I'm just worried, well, have you seen anyone else at the Inn?"
"Apart from those three this morning? Nope! There was a bonded-couple around this morning, but they left really early."
[This morning?] "Who were those three again?"
[He tilts his head.] "That traveler, remember? Silver hair? Her name was Vixul, by the way. I think she knew those two who were bickering but that's just a guess."
{That girl. Ask about that girl.}
[You twitch a little. Hello to you too, Antimatter~] "Oh? What was she like!"
"Oh she's nice! From some place far off, said I couldn't guess her country even if I tried!" [He replied with a laugh.]
{Antimatter? Really?}
[You need a nickname, Antimatter~ Hmm, couldn't guess her country?] "She didn't. . . Do anything weird, did she?"
"Weird?" [He shakes his head.] "No? Sif, are you sure you're okay?"
"Oh I'm great, Isa, don't worry about me~" [You say with a smile.]
". . ." [He looks away, clearly something on his mind.]
{. . .}
". . . What's wrong, Isa?" [You ask. Still not taking any steps forward.]
". . ." [He sighed.] ". . Do you even like me?"
[!?!??!??!!??]
{!!!!!!}
"W-what ah. . What brought this on?" [You say, trying not to panic.]
"You don't, do you. . ." [He gripped his arm.] "Not, you anyways."
"W-what, what do you-"
"You never liked me did you!" [He looks, looks REALLY upset!] "I-it's been months since I said I love you a-and you keep avoiding me!!"
[WHAT?!?!?!?]
{It's true. Siffrin did not want to talk about their relationship. They were terrified.}
[OF WHAT!!!] "T-that, I-, I'm sorry Isa I, I just have a lot going on and-"
[He yells.] "That didn't stop Mal!"
[What??]
{That's enough. He's being controlled, loop back-}
[You ignore it.] "I- What?!? What did, it. . ."
[Isabeau took a step towards you.] "The only one who's been close to me was Mal! And you all said it was scary and dangerous!! A-and I'm starting to think you were just jealous!!"
[W-what. What. Mal?? what is he talking about?!?!]
{Leave. Go away.}
[You are NOT kicking me out of front!! You take another step back.]
[Isabeau continues.] "Mal has been the ONLY one to be there for me! To really, really be there!! A-and, and I just want to know if you love me too or if it's all fake!!!"
[T-this, this isn't real. Haha. It's not. He's-]
{Effected by mind craft. Please leave now.}
[You didn't.] "I'm, Isa I'm sorry I, uh-"
[He's crying, he- his right hand is bleeding?!?] "It's fine!! Just say it!! Just say you don't love me!!"
{Go. BACK!}
[You shake, that's, that-] "I-isa, I, I-"
"It's fine!! It's fine!!! At least I know one of you has the courage to kiss me!!"
[WHAT?!?!]
{Loop back. Loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back-}
"W-what did, did, you, a-and-"
"What does it matter!!" [He's crying harder.] "I, I- I'm--"
-Loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back loop back LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK!!! PLEASE!!!!!}
[You can see him choke on his words. You smell, y-you smell-] "I-I'm, sorry--"
[You smell burnt sugar.]
{-LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK LOOP BACK-}
A five-step guide to being sad about fictional characters (courtesy of my physio exercise sheet)
Step 1: Cry about fictional characters.
Step 2: Lie on the floor thinking about fictional characters.
Step 3: Push the wall of feelings back.
Step 4: Wait no this is a terrible metaphor.
Step 5: Express your feelings via interpretive dance.
The sickness consumes me… someone shall perish this day but I have no knowledge on whom, may all of you be safe.
You want them? Then prove it. Stop making them feel like everyone else.
NO WAIT ROACH IM SORRY
I would then make a little funeral for it...?
look what i did i did a picrew
im so happy
Couldn’t sleep so I remade my tumblr ):
