History Fanfic / WeightOffYourShoulder

* AdaptationalJerkass: While the Future!Alix in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'' is undeniably a {{Jerkass}}, she at least [[JerkassHasAPoint has a point]] about the new Ladybug being a SketchySuccessor. ''This'' Future!Alix lacks such a stance, and sees nothing wrong with [[spoiler:telling Marinette and the Kwamis that they should just ''endure'' the horrors Monarch will put them through once he steals the Miracle Box because "that's just the way things are meant to go", as well as manipulating the timeline in order to have force Marinette and Adrien into a relationship]].

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: After Ladybug [[spoiler:tricks Gabriel into revealing himself as Shadow Moth, several people start beating him up. While most state stuff he did to deserve it, the last one claims to "just like punching".]]

** Also applies to Adrien, to a lesser extent; one of his {{Fatal Flaw}}s is how he expects others to conform to ''his'' wishes, demands and way of thinking. He's nicer about it than Chloé, but treats it as a ''moral failing'' on the part of his friends when they don't comply. Several of the {{Bad Future}}s also highlight his tendency to be AllTakeAndNoGive, particularly the one where [[spoiler:Marinette divorces him after years of doing all the heavy lifting to keep their marriage and his company afloat]], or the ones where [[spoiler:he turns evil after learning his father is/was Hawkmoth]].

** As this story [[ForWantOfANail diverges from]] {{Canon}} early in Season Four, the ''rest of the series'' effectively becomes one here. Something reinforced by how [[spoiler:Marinette learned that Shadow Moth was going to steal the Miracle Box and become Monarch, something she was desperate to prevent at all costs]].

* ForWantOfANail:
** In this work, Marinette decides to give up her guardianship and status as Ladybug in the middle of "[[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS04E03GangOfSecrets Gang of Secrets]]", triggered by how Alya and the rest of the GirlPosse barged into her bedroom, invaded her privacy and demanded that she spill all her secrets in order to 'prove' they were friends. As in canon, Marinette countered that maybe this meant they weren't friends after all; however, she then guiltily decided to try and fix things by giving up her guardianship.
** This also means that unlike canon, Alya is ''not'' rewarded for her pushiness by becoming her SecretKeeper; Luka and the new Ladybug share that status instead.
** Unlike its inspiration, Marinette selected somebody she sincerely hoped would be a good replacement; said Ladybug wastes no time in trying to set things right and deal with the various problems plaguing both Paris and the superheroine.
** Marinette's replacement looks enough like her that no one has realized that Ladybug is not the same.
** Thanks to [[spoiler:Bunnyx having LooseLips in the middle of trying to maintain the timeline, the events of the rest of the series are definitely RetGone]].

* PrivilegeMakesYouEvil: Chloé is accustomed to getting whatever she wants, thanks to her father being the Mayor and her homeroom teacher being so permissive. Not only did this lead to her willingly working with a ''magical terrorist'' when Ladybug won't let her continue being Queen Bee, she sees absolutely nothing wrong with [[spoiler:working with Gabriel's legal team]] or scheming to take complete control of [[spoiler:Adrien's life on his father's behalf]].

** [[spoiler:Ladybug being in part the Ladybug half of Marinette without the parts that are Marinette]] is inspired by ''[[Fanfic/MissingMiraculousLadybug Missing]]'' by the same author.

...and ends up dazed on her rooftop, her ex-boyfriend Luka standing next to the ''new'' Ladybug. Who, strangely enough, looks just like her. Marinette no longer recalls her time as Ladybug, but the new one reassures that everything's going to be alright, encouraging her to focus on living a normal life while ''she'' handles the protection of Paris. However, her successor has her own methods for dealing with Shadow Moth and his allies...

...and Luka subsequently arrives to find her somewhat dazed on her rooftop, standing next to the ''new'' Ladybug. Who, strangely enough, looks just like her. Marinette no longer recalls her time as Ladybug, but the new one reassures that everything's going to be alright, encouraging her to focus on living a normal life while ''she'' handles the protection of Paris. However, her successor has her own methods for dealing with Shadow Moth and his allies...

* AdaptationalNiceGirl: Compared to her counterpart in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'', this work's version of Post-Ladybug!Marinette is much less bitter towards those who have been previously akumatized and looks for a suitable replacement for her once she decides to pass down the mantle of Ladeybug.

* AdaptationalNiceGirl: Compared to her counterpart in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'', this work's version of Post-Ladybug!Marinette is much less bitter towards those who have been previously akumatized and looks for a suitable replacement for her once she passes down the mantle of Ladeybug.

* AdaptationalNiceGirl: Compared to her counterpart in ''Fanfic/TwoLetters'', this work's version of Post-Ladybug!Marinette is much less bitter towards those who have been previously akumatized.

** This also applies to the alternate timelines/{{Bad Future}}s; as it turns out, [[spoiler:Adrien]] manages to do this in the one where [[spoiler:he and Marinette divorced]], as they actually ''learn'' from the experience and grow enough to handle the AwfulTruth about [[spoiler:his father being Hawkmoth]]. This directly contrasts with several universes where they ''don't'' go through that CharacterDevelopment and end up hit by LaserGuidedKarma instead.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Ultimately, things turn out ''much better'' for Marinette and her friends. [[spoiler:Even Bridgette, the former Sentibug, gets to live a normal life alongside Marinette as her sister and having been adopted by her parents, with them splitting the duty of being Ladybug -- and Bridgette finds herself a girlfriend as well.]]

* SuperiorSuccessor: The new Ladybug wastes no time dealing with several of the biggest obstacles standing between her and protecting Paris; sadly, in the process, she leaves Marinette increasingly convinced that she was a {{Failure Hero}}ine.

** Despite how Adrien [[BrokenPedestal lost her respect]] due to his stubbornly defending Chloé's bratty behavior, Marinette immediately checks on upon after learning that [[spoiler:his father is Shadow Moth and was going to akumatize him]].

** [[spoiler:Ladybug being in part the Ladybug half of Marinette without the parts that are Marinette is inspired by ''[[Fanfic/MissingMiraculousLadybug Missing]]'' by the same author]].

** As usual in these types of fics, Adrien considers Chloé's feelings to be ''significantly'' more important than any of the people ''she's'' hurt with her selfish actions. When the new Ladybug reminds the public that Queen Bee was responsible for the near trainwreck that signaled the start of her brief career, as well as how she personally betrayed the heroes, Adrien complains to Marinette and her other regular victims that they're not being 'fair' and shouldn't be celebrating their long-time bully's misery.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:Ladybug used the power of the Mouse Miraculous to take Sentimonster Ladybug from just before she was destroyed in the timeline to the present to make her the new Ladybug]].

** A RunningTheme in ''Two Letters'' is the lack of learning. Most of the major characters show no signs of addressing any of their {{Fatal Flaw}}s; even when it's directly spelled out how they caused her retirement, they continue insisting that the original Ladybug needs to return and [[HoldingOutForAHero solve all their problems for them]] without so much as a ''glimmer'' of self-reflection. ''Weight Off Your Shoulder'', by contrast, has several characters go through [[JerkassRealization Jerkass]] and {{Heel Realization}}s, recognizing their mistakes and resolving to [[CharacterDevelopment change for the better]], while still accepting that the consequences of their actions won't magically go away. Fitting, the biggest exception to this is [[spoiler:Future!Alix, who created the {{Canon}} timeline by trying to force Marinette and Adrien to become a couple ''without'' either going through any of the development necessary to make that relationship ''work'']].

** The entirety of the [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug canonical show]]'s fourth and fifth seasons are represented [[spoiler:as a BadFuture that the whole cast accepts is better off RetGone]] and the sole defender has a serious case of SkewedPriorities. Not even [[spoiler:Chloé Bourgeois's]] canonical LaserGuidedKarma ([[spoiler:being shipped off to New York to live with her even bigger AlphaBitch of a mother]]) is seen as a good thing (if anything, [[spoiler:Marinette [[AbusiveParents considers it overkill]]]]).

* TraumaCongaLine: PlayedWith darkly through Adrien. As far as he's concerned, Chloé's KarmaHoudiniWarranty running out and Ladybug no longer putting up with his constant harassment of her are both terrible, ''terrible'' trials. Then [[spoiler:Ladybug reveals that she suspects his father is Hawk/Shadow Moth, and strips him of the Ring when he refuses to accept this and attacks her]]. ''Then'' [[spoiler:he gets a full-fledged trauma conga line when his father reveals he ''is'' Shadow Moth, transforming in front of everyone attending his fashion show while bellowing that Ladybug just ''killed his wife'' -- Adrien's mother -- by blowing up his lair. And he fully intended to exploit his son's trauma by akumatizing him then and there]]. In short, Adrien ''thought'' he had it tough, only to learn just how wrong he was.

** During the above confrontation, Marinette also expresses this regarding [[spoiler:Chloé's canonical punishment]]; while she fully supports the idea of [[spoiler:her former bully getting karma for her actions]], she remarks that [[spoiler:forcing her to live with her abusive mother]] is a step to far for her taste, outright saying that it isn't really justice.

* SympathyForTheDevil: While facing down [[spoiler:Future!Alix]], Marinette, Luka and the new Ladybug all remark on the underlying tragedy of their situation. Namely, how [[spoiler:she was burdened with a massive responsibility that she was in no way ready for]].

** The entirety of the [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug canonical show]]'s fourth and fifth seasons are represented as a BadFuture that the whole cast accepts is better off RetGone and the sole defender has a serious case of SkewedPriorities. Not even [[spoiler:Chloé Bourgeois's]] canonical LaserGuidedKarma ([[spoiler:being shipped off to New York to live with her even bigger AlphaBitch of a mother]]) is seen as a good thing (if anything, [[spoiler:Marinette [[AbusiveParents considers it overkill]]]]).

** The entirety of the [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug canonical show]]'s fourth and fifth seasons are represented as a BadFuture that the whole cast accepts is better off RetGone and the sole defender has a serious case of SkewedPriorities. Not even Chloé's canonical LaserGuidedKarma ([[spoiler:being shipped off to New York to live with her even bigger AlphaBitch of a mother]]) is seen as a good thing (if anything, [[spoiler:Marinette [[AbusiveParents considers it overkill]]]]).

** The entirety of the [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug canonical show]]'s fourth and fifth seasons are represented as a BadFuture that the whole cast accepts is better off RetGone and the sole defender has a serious case of SkewedPriorities. Not even Chloé's canonical LaserGuidedKarma ([[spoiler:being shipped off to New York to live with her even bigger AlphaBitch of a mother]) is seen as a good thing (if anything, [[spoiler:Marinette [[AbusiveParents considers it overkill]]]]).

* TakeThat: During a public address, the new Ladybug makes her boundaries clear, stressing the idea that she refuses to be involved in any publicity stunts, promotions, or scams. She further specifies that "Coming to me with ideas for Ladybug [=NFTs=] will not even be dignified with a verbal response."