#chrismaster

It starts off the same, Marinette is babysitting Nino’s little brother Noel, and he’s being a bit of a pain in the butt for our dear protagonist. After snooping around her room, he finds the stash of presents, the difference being instead of them being gifts for Adrien’s next 35 birthdays, it’s actually the gifts for all of her classmates and friends for Christmas next year. The first Christmas happened off screen, it’s the second half of the school year now. We’re making time pass. Noel even comments that it’s waaaayy too late for Christmas presents, tipped off by the festive wrapping.

Marinette, in an effort to keep Noel from digging around in them to find one with his or his brother’s name on it, tells her white lie that grows in size and depth that she’s an elf and doesn’t have the gifts for the town with her. She finishes off with her statement that the kid on the top of the list for good kids is Ladybug, but also mentions Chat Noir is in the top five himself (a slight nod to how his behavior in the last episode did annoy her). Nino and Alya arrive shortly thereafter, Alya slinging an arm around her best friend’s shoulder while Nino thanks her for watching his baby bro so he could have one last afternoon with his girlfriend. Noel asks sadly what he means, and they extrapolate.

The Cesaire family is going out of town for the weekend to visit relatives back in their hometown. Noel begins to throw another tantrum, showing that he’s kind of just at that stage in general. Shouting about many things, christmas presents, Santa, Alya leaving, and overall just not having a good time. Nino lifts him up and shoots Mari a concerned glance, to which Marinette gestures wordlessly to her gift chest, Alya nods in understanding and whispers about it to Nino. He also realizes what happened and surmises as they leave that Noel’s just getting a little overstimulated, it’s common for kids his age. To which Noel starts shouting through his tears that he’s in fact a big boy now and doesn’t do that. 

Tikki zips out from her hiding spot then, asking if maybe Marinette got a little carried away. Marinette responds that it’s no more carried away than she’s had to get for certain Superheroing alibis, giving Tikki a sort of playful glare, to which Tikki waves off with a chuckle. Marinette then pulls out the pull down chart in her room, revealing a long Christmas list for next year. “Okay, who's next?”

“Why not your boyfriend?” Tikki teases, clearly a return of fire from Marinette’s earlier remark, and the girl blushes firetruck red.

“K-Kagami then!” 

We see a quick montage of Marinette’s christmas list being filled out, as she works on various articles of clothing and accessories for her friends, before eventually falling asleep on her chaise, clutching a Teal and black wristband in her hands. (Whoever could that be for?)

Eventually a slight rumbling jostles Tikki to fall from Marinette’s shoulder and tumble onto the cushion. Alerted by the fall Tikki wakes Marinette up, and the two of them poke up onto the balcony to see… well what else? Colorful toy airplains with lazily spinning propellors, green army men waddling down the street with orders to hunt down Santa, and the Eiffel tower wrapped in tinsel and covered in ornaments, a giant star on the tip. 

Marinette sighs, looking dreadfully tired. “Of course.”

“Told you you got carried away!”

“Oh hush!”

And of course, transformation time.

As Ladybug hops through the city, learning about the different kinds of toys being brought to life and what they can do, she discovers the destroyed sleigh. Hoping for the best she calls Chat to update him, only to learn, thankfully, he already knows. Claiming that He’s got the survivor of the sleigh crash in a safe place, you remember the rink Frozer came from? (because like, i’m pretty sure there’s more than one ice skating rink in ALL OF PARIS)

When arriving there, it’s made clear to Ladybug that Santa isn’t quite like the lot of them. He seems to have a crude stitch line up the sides of his suit, and the puffs on his hat look more like cotton balls glued to felt than an actual Santa Claus hat. But Philippe the Rink manager, the small gaggle of teenagers that had been taking lessons at the time, and Chat Noir all seem blind to this, a few cozying up to Santa and telling him what they want next Christmas. 

Santa is taking this rather well, it’s behavior he’s used to. But the levity is quickly destroyed when a toy dog and a small militia of army toys burst through the doors, the dog claiming he knew he smelled Santa over here! And to hand over Noel Lahiffe’s presents this year or else. Ladybug and Chat Noir put themselves between the group, But Santa refuses, saying that there are rules and traditions that go with Christmas. No one is allowed their presents early. There’s only one exception and no child that attempts to hold Christmas itself hostage could ever fill out the qualifications. The Dog then responds that he’ll then be taken to Chrismaster. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir prepare for battle, but Philippe and the skating teens stand as one between the army and the heroes. Philippe claiming that they can buy some time. Take Santa and get out of here! It’s a sweet moment showing that civilians even without much direct contact with Ladybug and Chat Noir are still being inspired to be heroes in their own way.

Back in the throng of the city, Ladybug is clearly not having a fun time in this winter wonderland. Chat inquires in his Chat-like way, what’s up, and Ladybug responds that they need an extra set of hands here, since Someone is gonna need to protect Santa, and they don’t even KNOW where the Akuma is. It’s gonna take more people, and the Fox isn’t particularly apt for this type of mission, so it can’t be Rena Rogue. 

Chat furrows his brow, scratches his head as he turns over all of that info. “Well… Rena’s your Secret Keeper, isn’t she?”

“Yeah?”

“And… you…” he looks pretty uncomfortable as he continues. “You know where the others are, right?”

“Where are you going with this, Chat?”

“Just… just go wherever you go, I’ll keep Santa Safe, then we trade off and I give whatever Miraculous it is to MY secret keeper.”

She blinks a few times, clearly surprised, and a little concerned, but eventually nods. “If he’s someone you trusted enough to give your own Miraculous to when needed, then I’m sure I can trust him, too. Stay safe, Chaton.” 

Chat gives Ladybug a Sad smile, salutes her, and as she swings away he turns to Santa, all crooked smiles and Bravado again. “So, about that one exception-”

We next see Fu’s Massage parlor. Fu’s chillin, watching the snow fall and toy airplanes above. When the door slides open. 

“Somehow I had a feeling…” He says cryptically as Marinette bows. A short “Master Fu.” in greeting. 

“I don’t have a lot of time Master.”

“Us wielders never have much time on our hands, do we?” Fu agrees. “What made you decide you needed assistance?”

“Well…” Marinette huffs, rubbing her neck and looking out the window. “I can’t find the Akuma, Chat’s seen no sign of it, we’ve got someone to protect and… This just isn’t a two person job today, Master.”

Fu nods sympathetically. “You’re both young.” As he slowly makes his way to the gramophone he continues. “The Miraculous’ work better with an active imagination to accompany them. A less Creative Ladybug would likely result in more straightforward Lucky Charms. A less creative Chat Noir could cause more rampant destruction.” He gets out the box.

“Creativity is a large part in how the Miraculous’ work. Which is why Our friend Hawkmoth is often confronted with peculiar looks for Akumas. I doubt anyone truly intended for certain creatures to come out looking as they have. Does the person you have in mind have a healthy sense of creativity?”

Marinette nods. A little white lie, but she’s seen Temp Noir work. “I do Master.”

“Then Marinette Dupain-Cheng, what Miraculous will you need to support you temporarily?”

The girl glances at all the Miraculous. This time, she’s asking small questions in the form of another montage. She doesn’t have the foresight of Volpina to help her like she did with Rena Rogue, and though we don’t hear what each Miraculous does, we know that Mari is better informed for future choices. 

“Will it be ok to borrow your Miraculous, Master? Protection is what we need, but I also don’t want to leave you with nothing.” 

Fu smiles at her worry-filled questions, removing the Miraculous after a nod from Wayzz, and he picks up a different Miraculous from the box. “I have many friends here, Marinette, I will be safe, I promise. Be careful.” 

Marinette nods and bows again, taking the box gratefully.

We  next clip to Nino, he’s clearly coming pretty close to panicking, running through one of the shows’ main parks, shouting for Noel. Certain toy soldiers give him glances, but no one is seeming to acknowledge him. He stops a random civilian, asking if they’ve seen his little brother. He’d stalked off into the park when he was taking him home and now there’s an Akuma and he can’t find him. He’s going into a bit of detail about Noel’s appearance, and he looks ready to admit defeat, call his parents and get grounded for an eternity for loosing his little brother during a fucking AKUMA ATTACK.

But just as he slumps onto a bench at the edge of the park, we hear the telltale ‘tap tap’ of steel toed boots against the hard concrete. Nino turns, and sure enough there’s Chat.

“Hey Man.”

“Bro-uh… Chat Noir!” Chat looks around, making sure they were alone, before pulling Nino to his feet and giving the clearly distraught bestie a Solid bro hug. 

“So we’re pretty sure Noel is the Akuma.”

Nino is clearly unsure whether to be relieved or even more terrified. 

“Is this what he was talking about with all the christmas tantruming?”

“I don’t know what that means, but we can’t find his hideaway and we need another set of hands.”

Nino isn’t even given a moment to process that before Chat’s offering him the box. 

“Ladybug said it’s the Kwami of… protection? I think? You gotta give it back when we’re done fighting. Can’t have more than a couple of Kwami out and about.”

“Makes sense.” Since it’s not given much fanfare, it isn’t treated with as much reverence, because these two are teenage boys so of course they wouldn’t. Nino opens the box and meets Wayzz.

Only now does it really feel momentous. Nino smiles unsurely at the wise turtle before him, Asking if he’s a cheese smuggler like Plagg is. To which Wayzz scoffs and says he much prefers tea. Tentatively, Nino offers Wayzz a fist, to which is heartily bumped. 

And Thus Carapace is born.

We next clip to Ladybug with Santa, the two of them doing repairs on Santa’s sleigh. Ladybug is wondering just how tough those toy airplanes really are, to which Santa responds that they’re as tough as they need to be, as anything is within a child’s imagination. 

Just as they put the finishing touches on making the sleigh operable again, of course they’re spotted by The toy soldiers. Ladybug gets between Santa and the toys, starting to Spin her Yoyo and telling Santa to make a break for it while he still can, Santa responds that he’s no shrinking hollyberry, and gets into a defensive position, but before either of them can fight, the whirr off a shield flying through the air is heard. Bouncing off of buildings and street lamps, the green turtle shield decapitates and decimates multiple plastic soldiers. Ladybug grins, and so enter two gentleman heroes. 

Ladybug says it’s nice to see Temp Noir again, and asks if he has any ideas for his new hero form. Nino humms, fiddling with his hood, before it comes to him. “Shell guy? Maturin?... uh...Carapace! Call me Carapace.”

Ladybug nods and asks if Chat brought him up to date on all the rules.

“Yeah! Chat’s the only one that can know, I know how my power works, and I gotta give Wayzz back after the battle’s done.”

“Have a little faith in me Bugaboo!” Chat winks. 

Ladybug takes a breath, Asks if the two of them have seen anything. Chat shakes his head, saying if Chrismaster is in the city proper he’s doing a damn good job of hiding himself. Nino is clearly thinking of something, before having a bit of an ‘aha’ moment. 

“Noel...er… kids like Legos, don’t they? And these enemies all are… probably based on this kid’s toys. So where’s the lego?” 

Ladybug raises a brow, but thinks for a moment. 

“And why was their first action to shoot Santa out of the sky…?” she followed up, before the lot of them collectively look upward, and sure enough, with the passing of a small patch of clear sky, one could see the end corner of a bright red lego platform. 

Ladybug nodded to herself and calls Lucky Charm. To which, again, a stationary falls into her hands. She nods to herself, and writes a letter to Santa. Leaving it open, she asks Chat and Carapace to sign it, before also doing so herself. 

She asks Santa if he can make an exception for any of the three of them and give them something for Christmas early. Since he said there was an exception earlier. Santa hems and hawws, taking the envelope and looking it up and down. He says only the best child on the planet can get a present early, do any of them think they’d be up there?

“It’s worth a shot!”

So Santa gets out his List and hemms and hawws some more, before getting to the top of his list and saying “oh yes, there you are. I don’t see why not. Are you sure? You won’t get anything else from me this year.” The three of them nod in unison, keeping it ambiguous as to who is really at the top, though clearly we all know who it is.

Santa produces the gift from his sac, saying a quiet ‘there you go, the same thing as Noel Lahiffe.’

Chat takes Santa’s hat and jacket from him, wrapping them around his shoulders and saluting the big man before pole vaulting off. Ladybug and Carapace then take the opportunity to do as Ladybug does in canon, offer Noel his present so he’d descend from his Lego hideaway. Carapace clutching her shoulders as Ladybug hitches a ride with her yoyo. The two are flung onto the tower and into the third act.

Carapace is taken by surprise/awe more than Ladybug is, given he’s had less experience than she has, and is quickly dragged by the arm behind a pillar made of blocks as they watch the gift be delivered to the akuma of the day. Carapace is noticeably tenser upon seeing the akuma, his fist clenching at his side, and Ladybug’s eyes narrow, but she doesn’t question the act much, not that she would’ve if she’d had the chance, as a certain cat shows up, restrained in ribbons and presented to Chrismaster. All dressed up and with nowhere to go. 

Ladybug face-palms at her partner in such a position, while Carapace has a more obviously worry-filled reaction. 

Chat is able to get free, because of course. But after the butterfly halo lights Chrismaster up for a moment, he looks around, finding a transformer at his feet. He smiles and says It’s time to get Hawkmoth his Christmas present. It’s only fair.

And down descends a less than giant robot. (Idk Bumblebee or something, a good robot but not as big or cool as his Christmas present, the Ladybug and Chat Noir Dolls were stupid-Vega) The Robot starts causing some trouble, since of course Ladybug is out of powerups right now, so there’s not an intricate plan just yet she’s going mano A mano with the robot, Carapace is trying to make his way to Chrismaster, but is being held back by being forced into fighting the teddy bear, and Chat is going against an actual mob of toy soldiers. Chat makes a joke about how this feels familiar to him (referencing both Zombizou and Amun) to which Ladybug responds with a quick ‘Same’ (Gamer) 

Carapace wonders aloud how all of this stuff has become so commonplace to them. Ladybug is just about looking on the outs from fighting… you know… a huge robot, when who should arrive, but our old friend Santa himself. Towing his sleigh along is two hijacked airplanes, and he drops his gift bag over the robots head. Then coming down and swooping up the Teddy bear Carapace was fighting, saying he’ll do what he can. 

With the robot now blinded Ladybug is able to make Quick work of him, then shooting out her yoyo to help Chat get rid of the army men. The three of them begin to approach Chrismaster, whom, in his panic, brings his Christmas present, the ultimecha robot to life, the absolute monolith toy descends from the heavens, already poised to attack. To which, without thinking, Nino Activates Shelter. The force of the robot touching down, but unable to crush the three of them under its boot shakes the whole base. Carapace’s arms shake a little under the strain, but their position gives Ladybug an idea. 

“Chat, activate cataclysm, hold it up, but don’t touch anything. Carapace, can you make an exit on shelter?”

And so Ladybug approaches Chrismaster once again with the same gambit. The Snowglobe, or she’ll tell Carapace to drop Shelter and have his robot be cataclysmed. 

Chrismaster tries to play like a grown up, saying that Ladybug is bluffing. But as Ladybug turns and tells Carapace to drop shelter he gives up and hands over the Snowglobe. To which Ladybug throws it to the ground. 

The robot stops its attempt at crushing, and as Shelter goes down, Chat lets out cataclysm on some stray lego brick. It’s then that santa arrives with the teddy bear ragdolled on his sleigh, claiming that he was a big softie in the end! Chat laughs and the three way Bien Joie becomes a four way rather quickly. But Nino barely spared the time, as just as they were done fist bumping he runs over to check on Noel.

Santa retrieves his bag from the robot and says quietly that it's about time he left. Chat Asks why, to which Ladybug reveals the truth. Noel owns a Santa Claus stuffed toy, doesn’t he? Santa smiles sadly and nods, saying that every story needs a villain and Noel had decided Santa would be his villain today, stuffy and needlessly focused on rules. He rests his hands on Ladybug and Chat Noir’s shoulders, Saying no matter what the Real Santa has on his list, the two of them were the best kids he’d seen. Glancing up at Nino and saying that their new friend was a close third.

When Miraculous Ladybug sweeps the land, The heroes are returned to the ground, and Santa is gone. 

Ladybug’s earrings beep likely on their last dots, and She tells Chat that she’ll meet him at patrol tonight to get the Miracle box back, before Swinging away. 

We don’t see the patrol meet-up, but we do see Ladybug hopping through the window to Fu’s shop, a box in her hand, and the transformation drops. Fu looks up from a chat he was having with a different Kwami, still green, still reptilian, but more teal than jade in color. He smiles at Marinette, gesturing to the new Kwami and referring to him as one of his friends, and potentially an ally for her later. She bows slightly, not sure how to react, before the bracelet is off and the Snake Kwami vanishes before her eyes. She quickly hands the mini-box over, and Wayzz pops back into the world, darting over to Fu rather quickly, declaring that Chat Noir’s Secret Keeper made for a… decent partner, though he missed his fool of a master. 

Fu raises his brow, commenting mildy that Marinette doesn’t know whom Wayzz’s temporary wielder was. To which Marinette wrings her hands and sheepishly apologizes for not being direct, she didn’t want to sound like a fool for trusting someone she didn’t know. 

“You made a calculated risk based on previous experience working alongside Temp Noir. I’d hardly call it foolish behavior.” He gestured for Marinette to sit. “Have some tea, you look stressed.”

Finally, we clip to Nino, he’s chilling in his family home, Noel happily watching a cartoon that’s probably half dark half silly. He gets a call and answers.

“Y’ello?”

“Nino. Dude. Duuuddeeee.”

“ADRIEN MY MAIN MAN THAT WAS SO COOL”

“CAN I COME OVER? I HAVE PIANO RIGHT NOW BUT I CAN CLIMB OUT THE WINDOW”