Fourteen Days of Valentine (Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

Author: RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

FFNet ID: 12343354

Status: Complete (15 Chapters)

My rating: 3.5 of 5

Having discovered Ladybug’s civilian identity, Chat Noir has determined to woo her–in truly typical fashion for him. He’s determined to imitate the classic Christmas song over the fourteen days leading up to Valentine’s Day, with a new gift for each day. As one could expect, Marinette’s a touch overwhelmed and flustered, as well as confused, since she still harbors a deep crush on her friend Adrien (if only she knew!). Will our unlucky kitty’s extravagant and heartfelt gifts be enough to win his lady’s heart?

Fourteen Days of Valentine is exactly what I love and want in a Miraculous Ladybug fanfic. It’s sweet and silly and entirely fluffy. There aren’t any real surprises, although the last chapter/epilogue was a bit unexpected in a refreshing way. But mostly, this story is just our two adorable dorks being cute and romantic and going through the uncertainties of youth. It’s also a reveal fic, although I don’t think of that as being the primary focus . . . but yeah, these two kids finally figure out each other’s identity, which is nice. Even if they do play up parts of the love square first. Recommended if you’re looking for something both adorable and funny.

Egg(ing ’em on) (Young Justice Fanfic)

Author: CaptainOzone

AO3 ID: 10986921

Status: Complete (oneshot)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Artemis is dying for a distraction from the essay she’s been fighting. But when Robin comes in wearing a dark mood that (scarily) morphs into one too bright, she’s instantly suspicious. More so when he brings up the bright idea of sneaking through the security of Wayne Manor to–wait for it–egg the place! Seriously, what is he thinking? There’s no way the team will agree . . . only, somehow Artemis finds herself doing just that. This is going to end badly.

CaptainOzone is a fabulous author, and Egg(ing ’em on) is a delightful, well-written story. The characters are in character, and we get some solid character development, particularly on the parts of Artemis and Dick. I absolutely adore their interactions. You get to see some of the darkness and hurt that lies underneath the surface of there characters. But you also get some great insight into the friendships that keep them going and the laughter and fun they have together. Secret identities will be revealed, and there are some great Batfam moments as well. Definitely recommended.

Note: You can find this fic at https://archiveofourown.org/works/10986921.

If At First You Don’t Succeed (Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

Author: Leisey

AO3 ID: 12852174

Status: Complete (oneshot)

My rating: 4 of 5

Rated T–mostly for language

Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste are madly in love with each other. Duh. It’s so obvious that it’s driving their classmates crazy how oblivious the two are and how resolute they are about not pursuing a relationship with each other. So, they do what any good (and exasperated) classmates would do–band together and try to find a way to get Marinette and Adrien together. Whatever it takes. It might go a bit better if they had a complete set of information to work from . . . like knowing that Marinette and Adrien are secretly Paris’s superhero duo, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Or knowing that Marinette and Adrien know each other’s secret identity and that that’s a major reason for their hesitation. As it is, the class is going crazy . . . and poor Nino just has soooo many questions!

If At First You Don’t Succeed is the sort of fanfic that I can just re-read over and over. It’s cute and fluffy and super amusing. The sheer level of involvement from the class and the increasingly ridiculous strategies they come up with are both impressive and very funny. Almost the entire story is told from the class’s perspective, as opposed to from Marinette or Adrien’s, which is the usual. So kudos to the author for the unique perspective; I really enjoyed that. I also liked the Chloe-redemption aspect of this story–it’s nice to see her growing up a bit. Also loved the group-chat parts of the story. They really bring out the maturity of the whole class (ha ha). But seriously, this whole story is pretty hilarious, definitely good for some serious laughs. Add to that some pretty adorable Adrinette scenes and general awkwardness on the part of our heroes, and you’ve got a great story. Recommended.

You’re Sure of a Big Surprise (aka The Adventures of Gwaine and Smelly Geoff) (Merlin Fanfic)

Author: Kroki_Refur

AO3 ID: 11052399

Status: Complete (oneshot)

My rating:  4 of 5

Rated T for mild violence, innuendo, language, alcohol, and general Gwaine-ness

When an obviously unnatural beast comes at their small party in the woods, Gwaine uses his astounding observational skills to determine that it’s going after Merlin in a very specific, prejudicial manner. His equally-impressive naming skills go into calling the creature “Geoff” to Arthur’s chagrin. Actually, Gwaine’s just a font of useful skills today, which is good, because Merlin’s in trouble.

So yeah, Gwaine and Smelly Geoff is one of those stories that’s kind of challenging to summarize, and I guess there’s technically not a ton of plot–magical beast attacks, Gwaine &co. deal with the consequences, Merlin is saved, oh, and Gwaine’s not as unobservant as most folks would like to think. Where this story really shines is not so much in its plot development, however, as in its character observations. The entire thing is told from Gwaine’s point of view, and it’s done so charmingly. His personality is just brimming over throughout the whole thing, tongue-in-cheek humor, ambient innuendo, brusque caring, mostly-hidden smarts, and all. And even though the actual plot is kind of serious, because of Gwaine’s humor, the whole story is actually pretty funny to read. Also, major kudos to the author for writing the whole thing in present tense without it sticking out painfully; I was, like, halfway through before I even noticed! This was definitely a fun story and a great character study–recommended.

Note: You can find You’re Sure of a Big Surprise at https://archiveofourown.org/works/11052399.

To Be Shared (Merlin Fanfic)

Author: clotpolesonly

AO3 ID: 2212308

Status: Complete (19 Chapters)

My rating:  4.5 of 5

Rated T for violence; otherwise, no warnings

Arthur is mortally wounded when their small hunting party is attacked, and the only way for Merlin to save him is to use magic–openly for the knights accompanying them to see. Not even a choice, in his mind, between staying safe himself and saving Arthur, his best friend and his destiny rolled into one. But, being Merlin and having a great deal of raw power but very little training in using it, he basically shoves his magic into his injured friend. It works . . . but it also leaves Arthur with magical powers himself, a warlock in his own right. Now they have to deal with not only Arthur’s reactions to finding out Merlin’s secret(s) and the knights’ reactions but also must keep Arthur’s condition from the king and teach him how to control his magic–fast!

To Be Shared was a unique and very enjoyable fanfic that I would definitely recommend. As the author mentions, it’s rare to find stories in which Arthur has magic, and I think both the concept and the execution of it in this particular fic is wonderful. The author does a great job balancing the shock and emotional conflict with the easy bromance and friendships that are present within Merlin and Arthur’s small inner circle. Add in the tensions brought by Morgana’s dark presence and the fear of discovery by Uther, and you’ve got quite a nice plot going–very engaging, and balanced by enough humor and warmth that it makes for a pretty great read. Seeing Arthur’s reactions to magic, both Merlin’s and his own, was very fun and in character. I loved how the relationship between Arthur and Merlin was handled too–“soulmates” of a sort, but NOT slash. So you’ve got that warm, supportive Arwen dynamic going on, coupled with this intimately close brotherly connection between Merlin and Arthur; let’s just say that it works really well and is also pretty consistent with what you see in canon. On which topic, it should be noted that this is a bit AU from canon right at the start, and gets moreso the further on you go, but in a way that works and is logical considering the plot development. Honestly, my sole complaint for this story is that I wish that author used clearer section breaks; you go from reading about one scene and the next topic is a completely different section, only it’s not indicated visually, so it took me a moment to recover and figure out what I was looking at a few times. Other than that, To Be Shared is a really great story that I would definitely recommend to Merlin fans everywhere.

Note: You can find To Be Shared at https://archiveofourown.org/works/2212308/chapters/4849671.

Pick-Up and Chase (Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

Author: SKayLanphear

AO3 ID: 7568518

Status: Complete (10 Chapters)

My rating:  4 of 5

Rated T – some language and slight innuendo

During a random conversation between Ladybug and Chat Noir (while she’s teasing him about his goofy pick-up lines and flirting), Chat brings up the fact that in most relationships, guys do most of the work and it would be nice for girls to initiate sometimes. Not that she immediately agrees, but the conversation does get Marinette thinking–everything she’s tried to get close to Adrien so far hasn’t worked, so it’s worth a try, right? She starts off covering for a trip by saying she’s “falling for him,” and it goes on from there, Marinette pushing past her awkwardness to deliver smooth pick-up lines, and Adrien puddling into a blushing, stammering mess. And when Chat comes to Ladybug complaining about this girl in his class who’s flirting with him, leading her to discovering his true identity, well, things get even worse. After all, turnabout is fair play, considering all the awkward flirting he’s put her through!

My, but Pick-Up and Chase made me laugh. It’s cute and funny, almost bordering on crackish but not quite crossing the line. The banter between Ladybug and Chat Noir is spot on. Love the characterizations here just in general; they’re quite well written. And seeing the role-reversal when Marinette takes the initiative and messes with Adrien’s head is pretty amusing–especially when you add Alya and Nino’s reactions into the mix. We get some cute Ladrien vibes here, too, made all the more amusing since to the outside observer Marinette and Ladybug are competing for Adrien’s affections. Basically, this is just a really cute, funny, and oddly romantic story that I enjoyed a lot. Warnings for bad puns and pick-up lines.

Note: You can find Pick-Up and Chase at https://archiveofourown.org/works/7568518/chapters/17218156.

The Big Reveal (Merlin Fanfic)

Author: Anonymous

AO3 ID: 237304

Status: Complete (14 Chapters)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

The cast of Merlin are filming a scene deep in a cave, working up to their upcoming scene where Merlin reveals his magic to Arthur. Unexpectedly, the lights go out, and Colin and Bradley find themselves alone together in the dark. When Bradley uses the magic he secretly has to light a candle, they discover that all the filming equipment and such is gone, and upon exiting the cave, it soon becomes apparent that they have been transported to the world of Merlin–and everyone there believes them to actually be Merlin and Arthur! Meanwhile, the real Merlin and Arthur find themselves in the baffling modern world where everyone thinks they are famous actors, not that they really know what that entails. Now they’re all going to have to play their parts until they can figure out a way to get home. At least Merlin and Bradley can finally reveal their magic to their best friends, right?

The Big Reveal was my first experience reading RPF (real-person fic), and I have to admit I’m still a bit conflicted as to how I feel about that. Because reading fictional stories about actual present-day people feels a bit . . . intrusive, to be honest. But, for this particular story, I felt like the discussion of these individuals was handled appropriately and with respect. A lot of the concepts and characterization used were pulled from publicly available sources like interviews and the YouTube videos they’ve posted. Of course, some bits are pure fiction as well, like Bradley’s having magic . . . but that did make a nice parallel to Merlin and his reveal, so it worked really well in this story. Merlin and Arthur’s characters were handled well, too–just in general, the characterizations were quite well done. The story was well written as well, again with some great parallels, solid plot development, and a good sense of balance between humor and poignancy. The final result is similar, in some respects, to something like “The French Mistake” in Supernatural, and it works surprisingly well. It makes me kind of sad that this was released anonymously, because I would read more by this author.

Note 1: You can find The Big Reveal at https://archiveofourown.org/works/237304/chapters/363763.

Note 2: If you don’t know what the fic is referring to when it talks about Colin and Bradley singing, please, please check out this video. It’ll make you smile. 😀

The Ladyblog Comment Section (Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

Author: DragonsandInk

AO3 ID: 8255729

Status: Complete (10 Chapters)

My rating:  5 of 5

Poor Alya! She’s so utterly committed to her work writing the Ladyblog, but the fact is she just doesn’t always get her facts right . . . and who better to set her straight than the two superheroes to whom the blog is dedicated, Ladybug and Chat Noir? Only, instead of coming right out and correcting the Ladyblogger, these two troublemakers create ambiguously-named Ladyblog accounts and begin commenting on Alya’s posts. They maybe go a little crazy, actually. Hijinks ensue, and more is revealed about these two trolls than either of them originally intended.

The Ladyblog Comment Section was such a fun and amusing fanfic to read! As in, I seriously wouldn’t recommend reading it in public if you want to avoid embarrassing yourself by laughing aloud while reading. The whole premise of this fic is borderline crackish, and yet, considering the characters, it’s also just believable. As such, it manages to walk that fine line between the possible and the absurd that makes it absolutely hilarious. I love the way the body of each chapter is split with part of it being actual excerpts from the Ladyblog comments section–complete with Bugaboo and MrWhiskers  flirting, trolling, and playing tic-tac-toe–and the other part being real-life character interactions–mostly Alya bemoaning her troubles and Marinette and Adrien trying to hide their involvement. Very funny, all of it. This is a reveal fic, and I love the way the author handles that . . . because Nino is way smarter and pays more attention than he often gets credit for. I do have to warn that if text abbreviations, terrible spelling, and emoticons bother you, you may find parts of this story annoying; the author does a great job of making the comment section realistic in that regard. But seriously, if you’re interested in a funny (punny?), cute ML fanfic, The Ladyblog Comment Section is a fantastic choice that I would highly recommend.

NOTE: You can find The Ladyblog Comment Section at https://archiveofourown.org/works/8255729/chapters/18916784.

Secret Santa (Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

Author: TheLastPilot

AO3 ID: 5386433/FanFiction ID: 11644460

Status: Complete (7 Chapters)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Talk about good luck! Marinette draws Adrien’s name for their class’s Secret Santa exchange, giving her the perfect opportunity to give him the handmade coat she’s been designing just for him–with no excuse to back out in stammering embarrassment. Little does she know that he’s drawn her name and is putting a lot of thought into getting the perfect, thoughtful gift for her too. Gifts exchanged lead to more conversation, plans to hang out, and Marinette’s realization that for all the glamour of Adrien’s rich-kid/model life, he’s actually pretty lonely, especially when his other friends leave town for the holidays. Marinette’s not about to have that, so she pushes her (huge) crush on him down and determines to give him the happy family holiday he’s never had.

I know, I know, this is totally out of season, but this adorable story was too utterly sweet to not post about, regardless of the season. TheLastPilot is probably one of my absolute favorite Miraculous Ladybug fanfic writers because the tone is spot on (pun only slightly intended), the plots are thoughtful and well-planned, and the characters are the best, most enjoyable versions of themselves. Secret Santa is a great example of just that. It’s mostly this sweet (like, watch out for cavities, seriously), adorable friendship-to-maybe-more fluffy story with a big emphasis on the friendship. Marinette and Adrien’s awkward but growing friendship is really fun to read, especially with the way they esteem each other’s alter-ego without knowing their true identity woven into their interactions. And yeah, we do get a great reveal eventually. But there’s a lot of these two just being teenagers, too–shopping, playing video games, hanging out with Marinette’s parents (who are also awesome)–and that is lots of fun. The sense of humor that pervades this story is just perfect, balanced with just enough angst (mostly stemming from the notorious Gabriel Agreste) to balance it out and make the happy parts all the sweeter. Secret Santa is definitely recommended, regardless of the season.

NOTE: You can find Secret Santa at https://archiveofourown.org/works/5386433/chapters/12440687 or at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11644460/1/Secret-Santa.

 

That Awkward Moment When . . . (Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

Author: breeeliss

AO3 ID: 7770289

Status: Complete (7 Chapters)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Much as she and Chat Noir were careful to keep their true identities secret from everyone–including each other–Ladybug was well aware that they would probably find out eventually. But she never expected her superhero partner to be her hopeless crush, the boy she sits behind in class. And neither Marinette nor Adrien expected to find out by running into each other in a back hall of the school in the midst of transforming back to their normal personas. Awkward. . . . The two struggle to combine their images of each other–Ladybug and Marinette seem pretty different to Adrien, and Marinette could say the same about Adrien and Chat Noir. And how do they even relate to each other now?! The challenges of teenage awkwardness facing these two could very well be enough to break the good thing these two superheroes have together . . . or maybe, just maybe, it could be the start of something even better.

Okay, this fandom is totally killing me with cuteness. I blame it entirely for my lack of posting much recently (okay, and I’ve been in a slump, but mostly I’ve been reading ML fanfic). I feel like That Awkward Moment When . . . does something special, even for this adorable fandom. Because it takes the reveal between these two and gives it to us in a lighthearted, humorous manner . . . but it also draws out a real, human side of this pair’s situation, a side that has relevance even to normal everyday relationships. It shows clearly how these two focused on each other in a surface-only manner and obsessed over someone who wasn’t even the real person at all. And it also shows a growth of real relationship that goes way beyond the surface level, becoming something meaningful and lasting and beautiful. You get a beautiful, real friendship that, yes, eventually grows into something more (but maintains a canon-typical rating, which is nice). I enjoyed the characterizations in this story, the way the people were written, as well as the writing style itself. That Awkward Moment When . . . managed to make me laugh (a lot), think, and even cry a bit at the end. Definitely recommended.

Note: You can find That Awkward Moment When . . . at https://archiveofourown.org/works/7770289/chapters/17722588.