Marinette Agreste just wants to feel free. Thanks to Plagg and his ring, she can become Kit Noire. She never feels freer than when she's leaping across the streets of Paris with her partner by her side.
Adrien Dupain had enjoyed being normal. But if it's really his responsibility to defend Paris, then he will.
Miraculous: Tales of Red Beetle and Kit Noire is a Miraculous Ladybug Role Swap AU by imbadwithusernames
, following the adventures of Kit Noire and Red Beetle as they face off against Hawk Moth while struggling with problems in both their superhero and civilian lives. Can be read here.
Miraculous: Tales of Red Beetle and Kit Noire provides contains examples of:
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade:
- Because Adrien and Marinette switched lives Marinette is the one dealing with a Missing Mom, an emotionally absent and abusive father, and being forced to model despite not being interested in it.
- On the flip side, Adrien has confidence issues that he didn't in canon, though not as severe as Marinette's were, after dealing with Chloé's bullying for three years.
- Adaptational Badass: Marinette is taking self-defense classes, something she's never shown doing in canon.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Part of the backstory. In canon Alya transferred to Collège Françoise Dupont in the origins episode, but in the fic, she's been attending for two years.
- Adaptational Name Change: Several, due to Marinette and Adrien switching lives.
- Marinette is now Marinette Agreste and Adrien is Adrien Dupain. Emilie, and presumably Sabine who has not yet been mentioned by name, have also changed their last names due to their different husbands.
- Marinette's Black Cat form is called Kit Noire, whereas in canon it was Lady Noire. Likewise, Adrien's Ladybug name is Red Beetle instead of Mister Bug.
- Because Tom married Emilie instead of Sabine the Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie is the Tom and Emilie Boulangerie Patisserie.
- Adaptational Relationship Overhaul:
- Gabriel and Tom married the other's wife with Emilie married to Tom and working in the bakery and Sabine presumably having married Gabriel and having disappeared.
- The love square between Marinette and Adrien is reversed, with Kit Noire having feelings for her partner Red Beetle and Adrien having a crush on Marinette. However, Red Beetle is more receptive to Kit Noire's flirting than Ladybug was to Cat Noir's and it's implied Marinette returns Adrien's interest, at least slightly, much sooner than Adrien did in canon.
- While Adrien is still skeptical of Marinette before meeting her because he can't imagine that anyone who is voluntarily friends with Chloé is good news, their first meeting goes much better due to there being no gum prank and Alya introducing her as her new bestie. It still takes the umbrella for him to fully warm up to her, but his opinion is at worst mildly skeptical until then as opposed to negative.
- Very downplayed example with Adrien and Nino. They're Childhood Friends in this universe, just like Marinette and Nino were, but Adrien sees Nino as his best friend in both whereas Marinette just sees him as one of her closest friends.
- In canon, Chloé bullied Marinette and had a crush on Adrien. In this universe due to their swapped positions of wealth and privilege, Chloé bullies Adrien while calling Marinette her best friend.
- Marinette's opinions on Chloé are different from the ones Adrien had about her in canon, despite the fact both grew up with her. Adrien Agreste genuinely saw Chloé as a friend, though he eventually gave up on her. Marinette Agreste doesn't actually like Chloé, and mostly puts up with her to hear about the world outside the bubble Gabriel keeps her in. She notes that if Gabriel didn't force the issue, even that wouldn't be enough reason to put up with her.
- Compared to Adrien, Marinette is much more willing to admit that Gabriel is a jerk.
- Due to the swapping lives, Tikki is now Adrien's Kwami while Plagg is Marinette's.
- Adaptational Superpower Change: Marinette is chosen for the Black Cat Miraculous instead of the Ladybug Miraculous like in canon, and vice-versa for Adrien.
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Red Beetle is prone to petting Kit Noire or giving her head scritches.
- Affectionate Nickname:
- Kit Noire has a fondness for calling Red Beetle Bug Boy or simply Red.
- Red Beetle calls Kit Noire Kitten.
- Cuddle Bug: So far Kit Noire has shown a few examples of this because of her cat traits.
- She gets the urge to rub her face against people she likes.
- She purrs when Red Beetle pets her or gives her head scritches.
- Cute Little Fangs: Much to her delight, Marinette has these as Kit Noire.
- Distracted by My Own Sexy: Marinette checks herself out after she becomes Kit Noire for the first time and is very pleased with the results.
- Distracted by the Sexy: And then not long afterward she gets distracted by how beautiful and hot Red Beetle is after taking a good look at him.
- Everyone Has Standards:
- Adrien acknowledges that he hates Chloé but he doesn't want her dead.
- Marinette resents Gabriel for ignoring her and controlling her life, but she wouldn't want him to float away into the atmosphere.
- False Reassurance: After Tikki explains she's as old as the universe itself in The Pharaoh Adrien asks Tikki if she's always looked like a toy or if her true form is something similar to a biblically accurate angel and would melt his eyes if he beheld it. Tikki says that's silly, his eyes wouldn't melt.
- Friendless Background: Marinette, in her own opinion. Chloé may have technically been her childhood friend before going to Collège Françoise Dupont but Marinette has a rather negative opinion of her and doesn't consider her a real friend unlike Alya, Nino, or Adrien.
- Gilded Cage: Despite having plenty of fun things to do in it Marinette views her room as a prison, and feels like a princess locked in a tower.
- Happily Married: Despite switching who married who, our heroes' parents seem just as happily married as in canon. Emilie and Tom clearly love each other as much as they love their son, and Gabriel presumably turned to supervillainy to get Sabine back just as he did Emilie in canon.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Adrien only participates in the fashion contest because of Chloé's taunts and then she copies his initial design. He ends up winning because Marinette informs Nathalie of this and because Adrien's later design is even better.
- I Just Want to Be Free: While some of their perspectives are different despite switching rolls Marinette feels this just as strongly as Adrien did in canon.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Suggested for Adrien in the summary, but downplayed in the story proper. While he's relatively content with his normal life and is initially hesitant to become a hero, he begins enjoying it pretty early on.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: Marinette also feels this much like Adrien did, with the addition that she doesn't see Chloé as her Only Friend before the story begins and more someone her father stuck her with.
- In Spite of a Nail:
- So far the same Akumas have happened for the same reasons as in canon. The sole exception so far was The Bubbler, and the only difference there was it was for Marinette's birthday.
- Marinette is still interested in fashion design.
- Adrien is still on the fencing team, and one of the best members, despite Gabriel not being in a position to force him to.
- Chloé still rips off someone's fashion design for the contest, but it's Adrien's instead of Marinette's.
- Despite it being Adrien's design, Marinette still ends up making the prototype of the feather hat.
- Insistent Terminology: Gabriel insists his wife is missing, not dead. This bothers Marinette, because as far as she knows her mother is gone but being unable to talk about her in the past tense prevents her from accepting her loss and moving on.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Chloé points out that Alya, Adrien, and Nino, are judging Marinette for things they've heard about her online. Alya privately concedes the point, and after interacting with Marinette for all of two minutes realizes her reputation for being icy is inaccurate; the poor girl is just lonely.
- Jumped at the Call: Even compared to Adrien in canon, who very briefly doubted, Marinette is all for being a superhero the moment Plagg brings it up.
- Like Father, Like Son: Like father, like daughter in this AU. Gabriel Agreste is a world-renowned fashion designer and despite the fact she dislikes being a model just as much as Adrien did Marinette still has aspirations to be a fashion designer.
- Master of the Mixed Message: Red Beetle asks Kit Noire if she's she's in love with him. She sincerely denies it... only to have a Love Epiphany immediately afterwards.
- My Instincts Are Showing: Both of the leads gain some animalistic traits from their respective animal.
- So far Adrien aka Red Beetle has only shown a couple ladybug traits.
- According to the summary Adrien now has the urge to eat aphids.
- In Lady Wifi, it's revealed that he has a weakness to cold, which he presumes is due to ladybugs hibernating in the winter.
- Marinette aka Kit Noire has several cat traits.
- She purrs when she's happy.
- She has the urge to knock stuff over.
- She has the urge to rub her face against people she likes.
- She adores being pet or getting scritched by Red Beetle.
- So far Adrien aka Red Beetle has only shown a couple ladybug traits.
- Mythology Gag: Before Adrien chooses his hero name, Marinette considers a few he could use. She actually suggests Ladybug, which he rejects because he's not a lady and privately considers Mister Bug which is what he actually uses for his Ladybug transformation in canon.
- No Social Skills: Marinette may be an heiress. She may be sold as an image of perfection. She still has no idea how to deal with guys she likes.
- No, You: After Kit Noire accidentally admits she was Distracted by the Sexy when she first met Red Beetle, and he awkwardly questions what she'd just said she claims that he was distracted because she's pretty.
- Point of Divergence:
- Because their mothers married different people Adrien and Marinette end up swapping lives.
- Because she's Gabriel's daughter, Marinette doesn't participate in the fashion contest. Despite not being interested in fashion himself Adrien does, but only because Chloé taunted him.
- Riches to Rags: Downplayed with Emilie. While it's nowhere near the wealth she grew up with, or had as Gabriel's wife in canon, the Tom and Emilie Boulangerie Patisserie is still a thriving business.
- Shipper on Deck: Alya still ships Adrinette, but now tries to push Adrien to confess his feelings.
- The Smurfette Principle: Gender inverted with Adrien. According to Tikki, Adrien is only the second male wielder she's ever had. The first was an Aztec named Mycazoyolin.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Emilie is in good health, presumably due to never using the Peacock Miraculous in this timeline.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: In Lady Wifi, Red Beetle points out that the titular akuma needs a wifi signal for her powers to work properly. Kit Noire immediately realizes that means they need to destroy the cell tower. Red Beetle agrees, though his plan had actually been to go down into the basement where she'd have no signal.
- Terrible Pick-Up Lines: Kit Noire blurts out that she was distracted by how pretty Red Beetle is, only to immediately lambast herself for giving the worst pick-up line she'd ever heard.
- True Companions: By the time the story begins Adrien, Alya, and Nino are thick as thieves. Marinette is well on her way to being one at this point as well, as Alya's best friend and pretty close with Adrien and Nino.
- Tsundere: Very minor example with Kit Noire. She loves it when Red Beetle pets her, but denies it despite loudly purring, melting at his touch, and thinking about how wonderful it feels.
- Unknowingly in Love: Kit Noire has been flirting and playfully handsy with Red Beetle for months by the time of Lady Wifi. It isn't until he asks her if she's in love with him, and she sincerely says she is not, that she realizes she may have feelings for her partner.
- Uptown Girl: Emilie comes from a very wealthy family and married Tom who comes from as the narration puts it "a very conservative family of bakers". Lampshaded by Adrien who acknowledges how strange it is they met, let alone got married.
- Weaksauce Weakness: Marinette is claustrophobic. Using the dumbwaiter to get to Red Beetle when he was locked in the freezer was not pleasant for her.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Tikki and Kit Noire both assure Red Beetle of this when he feels guilty about not purifying Stoneheart's akuma.
