Prompt #33

adrien agreste & the body language of abuse

anybody who has seen even only one episode of miraculous ladybug can perfectly describe who chat noir is - he's brazen, he's fun, he's witty, he's flamboyant and overdramatic. he's the kind of hero who will preen confidently, give you a captivating wink and then he's off to save the world. but he's not chat noir all the time, or even half the time. most of the time, chat noir is adrien agreste - a quiet and exceedingly polite kid, who is likely to fade into the background despite his supermodel status. and sure, he knows how to be graceful and how to exude charisma, and he's still capable of being a drama queen (like slouching down a wall from being lovestruck).

but this post isn't about that.

because adrien is gabriel agreste's son all the time - a cold, careless, intimidating man, who will raise his voice to force others into submission, and who is depicted almost always with clenched fists.

what i've tried to do here is outline through images how gabriel's abuse has altered and influenced adrien's body language. because of tumblr's image limits (and the limits of my own patience), i have definitely missed some scenes, but i believe that i've managed to present with commentary the most important parts.

warning: image-heavy post.

chat noir is larger than life. adrien agreste tries to make himself as small as possible.

one of the biggest visual cues that the show gives us about adrien is that he has the tendency to wrap his arms around himself as a way of protection, whether because he's afraid of being vulnerable in front of others, or because he's self-soothing. he will do that even when there are other people around him that are offering comfort. adrien avoids bothering others with his feelings as much as possible, and putting his arms around his front serves as a replacement for the tender and warm touch he craves. he can also slouch, or put his knees up while sitting, creating a cocoon of sorts to feel safe. we also see him standing with his arms crossed in the rare times he tries to confront someone (his father or ladybug usually). whether he's sad, angry, guilty, disappointed, adrien will try to retreat to safety by forming a shield, so to speak.

there is an indisputable link between body and mind when it comes to trauma. adrien tries to not take much space not only with his physical presence, but by also almost never speaking up in class (unless to defend marinette), trying to be concise when communicating, and rarely making jokes. he's extremely reserved.

one of the scenes between gabriel and adrien that solidifies that adrien is terrified of his father happens in the first episode of season 2, when gabriel forbids adrien from attending school as a punishment for stealing and losing the grimoire. notice how gabriel is speaking with his back turned to his son, insinuating that adrien is not even worthy of being looked in the eyes. at one point he clenches his fist, as if to threaten his son. adrien is sitting on his computer chair with his hands in his lap, only lifting them defensively when he tries to explain himself. gabriel stands directly in front of him, as if shadowing adrien with his anger and contempt.

let's take a look at another episode - 'captain hardrock', in which gabriel and nathalie are listening to adrien play a piano piece. the screenshots in the upper half are from a moment when adrien hits a wrong note - notice the sheer fear and panic in his expression. he is immediately stopped, reprimanded for making a mistake, accused of being irresponsible and influenced by his rock band friends, and he's forbidden from attending his friends' concert. what's interesting about this moment isn't how he once again tries to make himself scarce physically - it's the terrified glance he gives his father when he plays the wrong key. you can just tell that adrien has internalized his father's reproaches and that his disapproving voice lives in his head, even when gabriel isn't there.

and can anyone judge him? take a look at these two screencaptures from 'stormy weather 2'. what happened is that adrien walked into his father's office, bright and enthusiastic, eager to tell him about the interesting idea behind his last photoshoot, and not only did he dare to interrupt gabriel's villainy, but he also accidentally called him 'dad' instead of 'father', as gabriel demands. a dirty look over the shoulder, two clenched fists, and adrien immediately apologizes and retreats.

adrien lives life on the defense. he has a naturally delicate and sensitive personality, which earns only eye rolls and accusations of put-on dramatism (there is also something to be said about how gabriel and adrien's relationship neatly corresponds to male and female gender roles, but that's yet another meta for another day).

notice the scene with ladybug in the image above - a rare time where adrien's trauma body language has bled into chat noir. he's insecure because 'nobody tells [him] how awesome [he] is', and he refuses to look ladybug or alix in the eyes while saying it. adrien is uncomfortable with looking at people during his most vulnerable moments.

'glaciator' is one of the episodes that can serve like a crash course on the way adrien carries himself under stress, this time because he's disappointed and heartbroken that the girl he loves didn't come to his surprise.

when around his father, if there's somebody else around he feels close to, adrien might lean on that other person, in order to feel stronger and braver.

now. not to be a conspiracy theorist about a cartoon or something, but. as miraculous is told from marinette's pov, we don't have a lot of episodes that focus on the agrestes, so we, the audience, often rely on guesswork and speculation. what was the relationship between emilie and gabriel? what was emilie really like? is she really as good as adrien claims, if he was strictly isolated the entire time she was alive? i do think that adrien's life has been mostly unexplored in canon (so far), and that includes his relationship with gabriel. i want to make it as clear as possible - adrien is brave to the point of stupidity, and not just as chat noir. let's not forget that he jumped from the top of a skyscraper, lead only by his faith that ladybug will save him, who, by the way, was busy being captured by gorizilla and screaming for help herself. if that's not crazy, i don't know what is.

adrien is afraid of his father. you don't get a child that so obviously displays trauma symptoms with a few cruel jabs. i very, very strongly feel that we haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to gabriel's abuse. look at the screencaptures above from the episode 'simon says'. adrien is familiar with his father's insults, very much so. who else remembers how his father was nowhere to be found when he won a fencing tournament in 'chat blanc', but the day his technique is slipping, his father is waiting at the top of the stairs of the agreste mansion, ready to reprimand adrien? and speaking of 'chat blanc'...

these two moments might be the saddest. we don't know yet if adrien knows the true identity of hawk moth in 'ephemeral'. i'm leaning towards yes, because adrien is so courageous that he had no problems fighting what he assumed to be the real hawk moth with an umbrella in 'the puppeteer 2'.

in both situations, he's being cornered. adrien's moving slowly (hell, he's crawling in 'chat blanc), his face frozen in a mask of pure fear. look at adrien in 'chat blanc' - a boy who has the power to destroy everything he touches is now trying to surrender and is begging with one palm in the air. in both cases, right before getting akumatized by his father, adrien displays the trauma stress response known as 'freeze', instead of 'fight' or 'flight'. he's immobile and passive. a classic adrien line is 'i can't stand by and do nothing!', and yet here he is, thoughts completely shut off, unable to plan a way to get to safety or fight for his self-preservation.

ladybug has said that chat noir is braver than her. he is reckless, for sure. but when it comes to gabriel, adrien retreats to an almost womb-like state physically, instead of the openness and 'world is my oyster' attitude he displays as chat noir. he mistakenly believes that the less space he takes, the less he is heard and seen, and the less he asserts himself as someone with wants and needs, the less angry and disappointed will gabriel be. and that is adrien's biggest mental fallacy, since we're talking about the man who will readily make adrien suffer, only because adrien is getting into his way.

Video essays that make me go "oh, so you're like smart smart"

Elon Musk and Grimes: A Retrospective

Bo Burnham vs. Jeff Bezos

The Systemic Abuse of Celebrities

Lana Del Rey: the pitfalls of having a persona

we need to talk about Call Me By Your Name

MYTH OF THE AUTEUR: Stanley Kubrick vs David Lynch

In Search Of A Flat Earth

Envy

The Commodification of Black Athletes

The Lies Of The Lighthouse

The Green Knight: The Uncanny Horror of Masculinity

Max Payne, Kane & Lynch, and the Meaning of Ugly Games

Time Loop Nihilism

How Bisexuality Changed Video Games

The Golden Age of Horror Comics - Part 1 (Part 2)

Weighing the Value of Director's Cuts | Scanline

The True Horror Of Midsommar

a few more -

You're Wrong About Cyberpunk 2077 | An Overdue Critique (this is such great critique of both the game and the genre)

Disney's Fast Pass: A Complicated History

It Has Come To My Attention You Don't All Love BIRDS OF PREY

Adaptation.

The man who almost faked his way to a Nobel Prize

Music Theory and White Supremacy

Here's the YouTube playlist! ill be adding more but that's all so far pls like and reblog xoxo 💕

Nobody knows who the most successful criminal in history was because they’ve never been caught

Fall AUs

My dog yanked on its leash and now I’m lying in a giant pile of leaves and you stand there and laugh and STOP TAKING PICTURES!

I’m babysitting for the neighbors and the kid’s kite is stuck in a tree, can you please help us?

There is a competition for carving a pumpkin at the market and you think you can win against me. The Game is on!

It’s a torrential downpour and we both have to wait for the bus without shelter in sight but I have a small umbrella.

You told me you like spring better and now I have to convince you that fall is the best season.

You think it’s funny to scare me with your Halloween costume, now I’m going to show you how funny that is.

Our school has a strict “Do not throw with leaves” rule and we’re sitting in front of the principal with leaves stuck in our hair and other unfortunate places.

I have to take pictures of the colorful trees in the park for a project but somehow you always end up in all of them.

You can find more prompts at my sideblog: creativepromptsforwriting

Poetic Quotes #1

'Cause I was filled with poison, but blessed with beauty and rage.

The Zion City Chronicles 1.1

summary: 

In a world of super-powered beings, there are those that use their power for the wellbeing of all, as well as for the protection of justice, the heroes, and the ones that use them to enact despicable deeds, the villains. 

Zion City has had its fair share of heroes and villains, all of them memorable in their own ways, but their current hero, one that goes by the name of Shadik, is, in all honesty, a disappointment. 

Shadik, scorned by all, must protect Zion City with the help of her new, inexperienced partner while rebuilding her reputation, but something is brewing in Zion City’s shadows. Something evil. 

Something that will bring everyone in Zion City down if they get in the way to its goal. 

______

"GIVE ME THAT." She growled, her blazing eyes hidden by the sweat-damp bangs hanging in front of her face, as she tried to snatch the alcoholic beverage from the suited man in front of her.

"Shadik," he called, "it is in your best interest to hold your tongue and sit down."

The man, a handsome lad in his thirties, pointed towards the couch just behind the spandex covered individual called Shadik.

"JUST GIVE ME THE FUCKING VODKA." The distraught woman cried, her fingers curling into her hand as a bright purple light started to grow in her palm.

The man didn't move an inch, not surprised by the power the infuriated female was displaying, and simply gave the glass bottle to one of his many subordinates, who threw it out of the apartment's window.

"NO!" Shadik yelled, running up to the window just to see the shards of the bottle scattered in the ground seven stories below. She pulled on her black hair and turned towards the man. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT? THAT BOTTLE WAS MINE! YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO THROW AWAY SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO ME!."

The man more commonly known as the Chancellor stared impassively at the raging female before bluntly establishing that "You are forgetting your place Shadik. We are upholders of law and justice, and not even your involvement with our organization will be a sufficient excuse for breaking the law regarding underage drinking."

"I AM NOT DRINKING UNDERAGE! I AM OF LEGAL DRINKING AGE IN GERMANY AND-"

"You are only eighteen, Shadik. Therefore, you must not drink until you turn twenty-one years old and I am not going to give you leeway to break the law just because you are in a mood."

Shadik growled. "So, you won't let me drink, but you will break the law to keep me in your employ? That's underage labour!"

A shadow crossed the Chancellor's perfectly shaven face, and with a glance at the many superheroes standing in the apartment's large living room, ordered them to grab the rebellious teenager.

The fight between the superheroes and Shadik was short-lived, and soon Shadik found herself restrained by all of them and forced to hear the Chancellor speak uninterrupted.

"You are erratic, Shadik. You are destroying the city more than you are saving it and have failed countless times to either catch the villains or protect the civilians."

"We've been lenient to you given your family history but this behaviour must stop, Shadik. As of now, you are deemed unfit to be the sole protector of the city."

Shadik's grey eyes widened at the implications behind said statement, and a burning blush appeared on her grime-covered cheeks as the Chancellor bluntly discredited her work in the city.

"You are to be assigned a partner, a co-hero if you must. You are required to provide housing but the League will cover all their living expenses."

The rest of the powered people in the room gasped. It was unheard of for a hero to be partnered with another hero for long term situations, and tarnished Zion City's reputation not only in the super-powered world but in the civilian one.

The Zion City people would not be kind to this new, unfortunate hero, not when they already had one, as incompetent as they considered Shadik to be.

"Your partner will be here in a week. In the meanwhile, whenever you receive a crime alert, it will be redirected to one of the available heroes to deal with. You must not engage until your partner has arrived "

Shadik's blood boiled, she was not useless! The Chancellor was stabbing at her already wounded pride with a red hot pole just by degrading her this way in front of a quarter of the League's heroes, but giving her a partner and announcing it?

That was the worst thing he could've ever done to her.

With a wave of the Chancellor's hand, the rest of the heroes released Shadik, who remained speechless at the revelations, and left the apartment with nothing but pitying stares directed at the unfortunate host.

The Chancellor stood from his seat in the leather armchair and stalked towards the shocked teenager. He laid a hand on her shoulder and looked directly into her dull grey eyes.

"You are no Zion, Shadik. Don't try to be something you can't be."

These were the Chancellor's last words before he left Shadik's apartment, silently shutting the door after him.

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(Next)

Resources: Master List of WQA Posts

Beginning a Story: New to Writing Advice for Teen Writers Getting Better at Writing How to Perfect Your Writing Creating the Perfect Writing Space Finding the Time to Write Beginning a Novel Figuring Out a Plot How to Give Your Story a Purpose Struggling to Get the Ball Rolling Resolving Plot Points Building a Story Off a Loose Timeline Outlining a Scene How to Tell if a Scene is Necessary Outlining and Planning a Series The Series Arc vs Each Book’s Arc Brainstorming for Ideas How to Brainstorm Finding Focus During a Storm of Ideas Turning Ideas into a Story Finding an Entry Point Into Your Story The Opening Line The Opening Scene Introducing Characters Choosing Between First and Third Person Point of View Where to Post Fiction Online Concerned About Plagiarism When Posting Story Online What is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo Tips Collaborating With Another Writer Coming Up with a Title Fear of Accidental Similarities Avoiding Similarities with Other Story How Stories Are Born

Character Development: Character Authenticity Recognizing a Flat Character Fleshing Out a Flat Character Choosing a Personality Different Kinds of Antagonists Strong Female Protagonists Name Resources How to Write a Witty Character How to Write a Smart Character Tricks for Visualizing Your Character Figuring Out Who Your Characters Are Creating a Truly Evil Villain Making a “Villain Gone Good” Likable To Kill or Not Kill a Character Alternatives to Character Worksheets Finding Your Character’s Voice Keeping Character Personalities Separate and Unique Good and Bad Reasons to Kill a Character Emotionally Muted Characters Levels of Friendship How Friendships Form The Anti-Hero Casting Your Characters

Copyright: Referencing Other Works in Fiction Using Real People as Characters Fiction Based on Original Works Plagiarism & Sharing Your Story Online Acceptable Borrowing Description: How to Make Simple Writing More Vivid Describing Physical Appearance Writing Fight Scenes and Elemental Magic Horror by Daylight Horror in Darkness Describing Actions Describing Clothing and Appearance Fight Scene Resources Battlefield Scene Resources Battlefield Aftermath Avoiding the Info Dump Give Your Story a Darker Tone Weaving Details Into the Story Describing Architecture Describing Everyday Settings Describing Rooms & Buildings Writing Emotions Writing Things You Can’t Experience Showing Rather Than Telling Showing vs Telling

Dialogue: How Much is Too Much? Cutting Dialogue Down Portraying Sign Language in Dialogue Balancing Description and Dialogue Writing Dialogue Writing Accents Translating Foreign Language for the Reader Making Dialogue More Detailed Reducing Name Tagging Smooth Dialogue & Tag Help Dialogue Tags and Punctuation Dialogue Punctuation “Said” and Dialogue Tags Getting Dialogue to Flow Smoothly The Trouble with Foreign Dialogue Sounding Era Appropriate Said is Fine

Editing: Four Drafts Minimum Ways to Tighten Up Your Writing Expanding the Word Count Cutting Down the Word Count Late Stage Suggestions Different Types of Editing Getting Feedback Self-Editing After First Draft Finding a Beta Reader Finding a Critique Partner Grammar & Style: Writing Concise Sentences Three Types of Voice (also talks about writing style) Motivation: Getting Back to Writing What to Do When Your Story Stalls Moving Forward When You’ve Lost Interest (In Your Story) Finding Inspiration When You’re Stuck for an Idea Take a “Vacation” to Re-Charge Your Creativity How to Get Excited About Your Story Again Beating Writer’s Block Frustrated with Writing Quality Getting Better at Writing Staying Motivated Struggling to Get the Ball Rolling Too Stressed to Write Experiencing Enough Shushing Your Inner Editor During the First Draft Cultivating Patience The Real Value of Practice Gaining Confidence

Plot and Story Structure:

How to Develop a Plot Plot and Story Structure The Prologue Should I Cut My Prologue? What Makes a Good Prologue? Writing a Dramatic Ending Cliffhanger Endings Chapter Titles and Endings Incorporating Back Story Publishing: Where to Begin Typical Word Counts Contests, cover letters, and Query Letters Posting Novel or Sections on Blog E-Books Agents (Everything You Need to Know) Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing Making a Living Off Books Building a Writing Portfolio Keeping Image Private A Guide to Self-Publishing Getting Published Abroad Taking Criticism Attracting Readers on Fiction Sharing Sites Finding Readers on Tumblr Getting Stories Noticed on Wattpad How to Write a Book Blurb Age Categories: Middle Grade, Young Adult & New Adult Hard to Pronounce Author Names To Use or Not to Use a Pen Name Anonymity and Pen Names Research: Research Tips How Much Research is Enough WQA’s Guide to Internet Research Writing Things You Can’t Experience Romance: How to Avoid Forced Romantic Sub-Plot Kissing Scenes Sexual Tension Writing Romance without Experience Subtle Signs of Love Getting to Know Your Neighbor Guide to Love Triangles Delicate and Relevant Sex Scenes Love at First Sight and the Stages of Love Using Timelines to Pace Romantic Relationships Avoiding the Cheesy Stuff Friendship to Love Enemies to Lovers Building an Organic Romance

Story Elements:

Tone and Theme Suspense, Climax, and Ending Conflict and Tension Foreshadowing Symbolism Making a Point Without Tongue-Wagging Writer Responsibility Accounting for Lost Time in Scene Transitions Using Transitions to Skip TIme Scene Transitions Flashbacks Alternatives to Flashbacks Flashbacks vs Memories Writing Things You Can’t Experience Transitioning Between Action and Exposition Balance Between Exposition and Action Measuring Tension

World Building and Setting:

Establishing a Non-Traditional Fantasy Setting Creating a Fictional Calendar Naming Months in a Fictional Calendar Creating a Language Telling Time Without Clocks Going Too Far with Fantasy? Map Making Creating Religion in a Fictional World Cultural Appropriation Creating and Naming Kingdoms Setting Your Story in an Unfamiliar Place Choosing a Setting for Your Story Naming Things Setting Your Story in a Fictional Town How to Set Up an Oppressive Government

Writing Process: How I Plan Drafts Timelines Organizational Tools Budgeting Your Time

"I have a price on my head, and believe me, it is NOT enough."

the best movie genre is heists where everything goes slightly wrong but in the last 10 minutes they show in flashbacks that actually everything was planned and they meant to break every bone in their body then go to prison or whatever