#ml protection analysis

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OH! mustache Adrien is a DAD. But since Adrien doesn't know what he will look like when fatherhood finally hits him, and since he sure as hell doesn't see himself being Gabriel, he modeled himself after the only man he considers a good father, Tom.

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They never blamed her

At the end of "Protection", Marinette finds out that Kagami had come into contact with Lila. This was huge news for Marinette because it finally answered the question of who gave Kagami that friendship test list back in "Perfection", the very list that made Kagami believe that Marinette never considered her a friend and was not good enough to be anyone's friend.

Marinette has previously dealt with Lila's attempts to ruin her friendships and reputation. Way back in "Ladybug", not only did Lila frame Marinette for various misdeeds but she also made sure to cover her tracks by making Marinette seem like the bad guy. As much as Marinette tried to defend herself, even she came to the cruel realization that her words would still fall on deaf ears even in her most dire moment, as she realized Lila was just too good at lying.

When Marinette tried to clear her name to Kagami in "Protection", she once again faced the same troubling situation as in "Ladybug", which was that she was not being taken seriously over Lila's words.

(Kagami believed Lila's lie that Marinette would lie her way out of trouble, she refused to listen to Marinette's attempts to clear her name.)

The only reason Marinette's name was cleared back in "Ladybug" was because Adrien demanded Lila come up with another lie that would prove her innocence, as even he knew he did not have the capability to expose Lila and could only threaten to end their friendship if she did not carry out his demands. And of course, Lila reluctantly agreed, not for the sake of friendship, but because she could not risk losing the privileges that came with such a friendship, including being able to stay close to Adrien amidst her (failed)plans to start a romantic relationship with him.

Near the end of "Protection", Adrien overheard the conversation between Marinette and Kagami and likely also understood that what happened in "Perfection" and "Protection" had all been the result of Lila once again having no regard for others as she now attempted to ruin the friendship between Marinette and Kagami.

Just like in "Ladybug", it was Adrien who stepped in at the end of "Protection" to try and help clear Marinette's name to Kagami, but unlike in "Ladybug", this was different. Ever since Adrien ended his friendship with Chloe back in "Derision", it was very likely that he also ended his friendship with the only other person who would willingly hurt Marinette, Lila. But while the two of them no longer being friends would end up being a good decision for Adrien, this also meant that Adrien no longer had any leverage over Lila.

Risking the friendship Lila had with him, was the only thing he had to make Lila listen as he knew she could not be reasoned with normally. However, by now, even he knew that friendship never really mattered to Lila as he learned she was still willing to make attempts to hurt the people he loved behind his back. The only chance he had at helping Kagami realize that Lila was wrong about Marinette being a liar and a manipulator, was by openly expressing his honest and heartfelt opinion about Marinette.

It was left to Kagami to decide for herself whether or not Marinette was really a bad person, Adrien could only hope that Kagami did not forget the time she shared with Marinette, what she saw Marinette do for her and for others that proved every day how much of a good person she truly was, and she didn't, but this hurt all the more as she realized that she misjudged the friends who cherished her and the love they had for each other (more here).

No matter how guilty and ashamed Kagami felt for allowing her own emotions to cloud her judgment and believe Marinette was a bad person, Marinette never shunned her for it, because in many ways, Marinette knew all too well the position Kagami was in.

Back in season 2, when Kagami first arrived to Paris, Marinette had the rough impression that Kagami was not only cold, but a threat, someone who never hesitated and was capable of making secret plans in their shared love rivalry for Adrien. The thought of the two of them ever being friends never crossed her mind as she assumed Kagami viewed her as someone who was inferior and imperfect, someone who only ever hesitated at any given opportunity.

(In the past, Marinette believed Kagami was perfect in every way)

(In "Frozer", Marinette becomes intimidated by Kagami's willingness to not hesitate with Adrien, to not be afraid to take the next step with him and not be considered just a friend in his eyes)

In "Animaestro", Marinette really believed the idea that Kagami was determined to kidnap Adrien so she could take him to japan forever, and that Adrien was too nice a person to realize Kagami's "evil plan", all things which in reality, never happened. Back in "Ikari Gozen", Marinette really believed Kagami only entered the friendship day competition in a plan to receive all the credit for winning the game that Adrien was involved in, fully intending to use the game as a chance to make Adrien fall in love with her, something that in reality Kagami never did or intended to do, all she really wanted was to make a friend.

In "Protection", when Kagami believed Lila's words that Marinette was secretly pretending to be nice to her from the start as part of her secret plan to steal Adrien from her one day, she really believed in the idea that everything she did to help Marinette get that chance to get closer to Adrien, and help direct Adrien towards understanding his feelings for Marinette, was all part of Marinette's "evil plan" to act weak as a way to lie and manipulate others into feeling compelled to help her get what she wanted (more here), and Adrien for one was too blinded by Marinette's manipulation to see through her deception, all things that in reality Marinette never did or had the intention to do, all she really wanted was to be a good friend to Kagami.

Marinette's past views of Kagami were of course brought about by her overactive imagination conjuring and believing in situations that never happened (something she would later learn to admit to herself in "Glaciator 2"), that the only solution to stopping what she thought were Kagami's "diabolical plans" was by sabotaging her and even adhering to the word of someone like Chloe, who had a hatred for Kagami, a similar course of action Lila instilled in Kagami in "Protection" as she pushed Kagami into believing that she had every right to go against Marinette and fight to take back what she stole, Adrien(more here).

Although Marinette did eventually come to her senses and realized she completely misjudged Kagami, she never forgot that overwhelming sense of guilt and shame she felt over just how much she misjudged her, especially in regards to what she did during that time she believed Kagami was the evil one in a situation, when in reality she never was.

(In "Ikari Gozen", Marinette realizes Kagami was never the cold hearted perfect person she thought, and was simply a socially awkward girl desperate to learn how to be friendlier and make friends)

Over time, Marinette grew to learn the kind of person Kagami was, she was flawed just like anyone else, she was a girl who struggled to learn about herself, especially friendships, but was eager to learn, and befriend those who were willing to accept her. Kagami has always been very strong willed, and yet despite this, those who would actually take a chance to talk to her would learn that behind that strong will, was a fragile innocence.

Which is why when Marinette and Adrien learned that it was Lila whom Kagami had been listening to, they never blamed her for doing so, and how could they? They understood Kagami knew very little about friendships, and Lila was fully willing to take advantage of this.

To know that Kagami believed the friendship test back in "Perfection" and still stay with Lila even after the matter was resolved, was likely enough to reveal to them that Kagami had considered Lila a friend who cherished and listened to her, because that's how Lila would have presented herself from the start to draw Kagami towards her.

Adrien and Marinette knew they had to warn Kagami about Lila and they did, but being upfront about Lila had already proven to be of no use in the past, so they did what they could and told Kagami that Lila was one person whose actions didn't prove she is as good of a person as she claims to be.

However, no matter how much they would try to warn Kagami about Lila, even they must have understood that Kagami was now trapped in Lila's clutches. They have seen Lila lie her way out of trouble many times before, and as we all know, that's exactly what she did the moment Kagami confronted her about the lies she spoke about Marinette.

Without proof, they could only hope Kagami would adhere to their word over Lila's the next time she attempted to lie and manipulate her into another one of her scheme's.

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The choice that Kagami regretted.

In "Protection", Kagami comes to the realization that she had fallen in love with Adrien again.

Originally, Kagami was set in her decision to not only end her romantic relationship with Adrien, but also help him and Marinette find their way to each other, as she knew long ago that they were the ones who were made for each other. 

(in "Mr. Pigeon 72", Regardless, of Marinette's effort, Kagami was set in her decision to end things with Adrien)

(In "Mr. Pigeon 72", Kagami understood Adrien and Marinette were made for each other)

And yet, despite previously accepting that a love life with Adrien was likely not meant to be, it was Lila who made Kagami question the choices she felt certain were right, and it all started with resurfacing one simple little emotion, pain.

Kagami used to believe Adrien was perfect and in turn the only one who was perfect enough to be worthy of her love, but it was not until they actually started dating did she realize that she did not know him as well as she thought. Adrien was secretive because of his life as Cat Noir, he distanced himself during important moments to save the day with Ladybug, and his at times undecisive choices disappointed her as it held him back from taking the initiative and saying what he needed to say.

However, in "Protection", as Kagami heard Lila talk about how she too was left broken hearted by a boy she once loved and struggled with the pain of knowing they would never be together, for a split moment, everything Kagami did in regards to Adrien and Marinette came flooding back, revealing to her a truth she had previously accepted, but had not properly grieved and gained closure on, the end of what she thought would have been a long and meaningful love life with Adrien.

(Back in "Heart Hunter," Kagami confides in Ladybug that she truly believed she and Adrien had a future together, believing they were made for each other as they were a lot alike. Such a future with him was something she could not give up, even if it was for the sake of friendship. )

Although Kagami tried to shrug off her past with Adrien and push away any feelings she believed were unimportant, to instead focus on her friendships and attempts to help him and Marinette get closer, it was a single conversation in the kitchen that would not only change her whole perspective of Adrien, but their lost love.

In the kitchen, as Kagami consulted Adrien over the events of the failed Ferris wheel plan and Marinette's struggles, Kagami witnessed Adrien do something she had never seen him do before, she saw him set aside his doubts and take charge.

As much as Kagami knew that Adrien disappointed her in their past relationship, to see him now in "Protection" proclaim how he should be the one to take care of a problem, all the while expressing a great deal of determination and confidence in his decision, made her realize that he was now far from the person who previously disappointed her, he changed, but it was precisely this change that made her fall for him all over again.

As Kagami heard Adrien make so much effort to plan something special for Marinette, she was honest when she said how lucky Marinette was to have someone like him, but deep down, Kagami felt a sense of pain surfacing as she heard the guy she once dated make so much effort for another girl, but not show that same effort when he dated her.

(Back in "Lies", it was Kagami who made the carefully constructed plans for the two of them to spend more time together, outside their busy schedules while also keeping their alone time a secret from their parents.)

(In "Protection", as Riposte Prime, Kagami speaks out about her frustrations and reminds Adrien about his past lack of effort in loving her when they dated)

As much as Tomoe wanted Kagami to take a second chance with Adrien, she couldn't, because she knew Adrien loved Marinette. Coming between them would not only hurt them, but her as well, they were after all, her friends and she loved them both. However, what Lila told her next, not only made Kagami doubt Adrien's past lack of commitment, but her entire perspective on breaking up with him.

Although Lila's words helped resurface Kagami's romantic emotions for Adrien, and although her own mother pushed her to cut the bonds she made so she could take Adrien back from Marinette, the one thing which held her back from taking her mothers extreme advice, was her sense of moral as she knew it was wrong to betray a loving and caring friend like Marinette, a friendship that was ultimately something Lila took away in an instant with a single lie.

Lila knew Kagami would never turn against Marinette if she did not cast aside the love and respect she had for her, and what better way to do that than by convincing Kagami that Marinette was a fraud. (More here)

As much as Lila's lie convinced Kagami that Marinette was secretly a horrible person who lied and manipulated her since the day they met, what finally crushed Kagami was the belief that she had wasted her life trusting and loving a friendship that was never real. As for the time and effort she spent helping Adrien and Marinette come together, well, all of it was now meaningless as it meant that she had not only lost Adrien, but also aided in helping him start a relationship with someone who was completely wrong for him, something her own mother had strongly believed.

Kagami had made the decision to break up with Adrien back in “Lies”, but given all that she has seen Adrien accomplish and having now been swayed into believing that Marinette had lied and manipulated her way into stealing Adrien from her, left her questioning if her decision to break up with him was not only too sudden, but possibly the biggest mistake of her life.

( As Roposte Prime, Kagami claims that Adrien's efforts and love towards Marinette is nothing more than the result of her “lies” and “manipulation” pushing him to love her and do more for her, it was not real and he was a naïve fool for ever believing it was )

Kagami used to believe she and Adrien were made for each other, and knowing now that Adrien had the capacity to change, was enough for her to question if Lila's words were true, that they truly were the ones who were made for each other and that things between her and Adrien were bound to work out, Adrien just needed more time and help from her to become the guy she always thought him to be and had now become, but for the wrong person.

Even after Kagami was de-akumatized, Lila's words stuck to her, making her believe that any of Marinette's attempts to reconcile with her was nothing more than another attempt to lie and manipulate her way out of trouble. Although she attempted to push Marinette away for "falsely befriending her" and "robbing" her of a life with Adrien she thought was meant to be, it was Adrien who took the initiative and cleared her clouded judgment, reminding Kagami of the truth she lost. 

Adrien cared for Kagami and cherished her just as much as any good person in his life, he knew that no matter what it was Lila told her, Kagami knew just as much as he did that Marinette had always proven herself to be a kind and considerate person.

But for Kagami to see Adrien proclaim why it was he loved Marinette, reminded her that true love was something that could not be controlled, the knot that tied Adrien and Marinette together could not be undone, and despite her mother's belief, it could not be cut, not even by her own sword, because no matter how different her friends appeared to be, what they had was real, it was no lie.

Despite the love she and Adrien shared in their past relationship and despite how alike they thought their lives were, the two of them understood they could not ignore the truth, and the truth was that they too were still very different people with their own individual issues, and no matter how they tried to go about it, things just didn't work out between them, because they were simply not meant to be.

No matter how much it pained Kagami to realize that she and Adrien would truly never be together, she knew now better than ever before that she had to learn to acknowledge and sort through her own emotions, to learn to move on with her life just as he did, and accept that no matter what love she had left for him and no matter what future she thought they could have had together, such a life between them would never come to be, Adrien's heart belonged to someone else, and that someone was Marinette.

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Lila made some investments

In "Protection", Lila reveals herself in a lie by explaining how she has always created the illusion in which she makes it seem like she helps others, when in reality it is everyone else who has been manipulated into helping her. However, back in "Chameleon", after Lila comes to terms with the fact that Marinette would not would not heed her warning and halt any attempts to expose her and all her lies, we see Lila take some time throughout series to make some "investments" to help in her fight against Marinette.

Times when we saw Lila go out of her way to baby sit Alya and Nino's younger siblings in "Time tagger", participate in the special video message for Adrien in "Felix", or attend Sabine's class in "Quilin", were far from moments when Lila was willing to be considerate enough to help others, they were an investment , and sadly, Kagami was now one of them.

(Back in "Perfection", we find out that Lila had come into contact with Kagami, offering both her friendship as well as advice on friendships.)

If Lila was ever to continue her façade and plans to ruin Marinette's life, she needed to not only get closer to those who were the closest to Marinette, but also convince them that she really was just as much of a good person as she pretended to be, resulting in Marinette's words falling on deaf ears if and when she attempted to expose her or tell others she was a fraud, because if she did, how could they believe such horrible things about Lila when they genuinely believe they have seen first hand how kind and considerate she can be.

In regards to Kagami, Lila's plan was simple, to befriend the girl(Kagami) who had lived much of her life in solitude and without friends, while also helping her better understand relationships and bonds, that is, so long as it was under her terms. Lila could have focused her attention on anyone else, but unlike everyone else, Kagami had something no one else in Marinette’s social circle had, a fragile innocence, a lack of experience with friendships, a connection to Marinette that could be twisted into a tragedy(more here), a former relationship with Adrien and a great sense of shame and unfamiliarity in simply living with her own complex emotions, viewing them as a weakness in her pressured life to maintain the image of perfection her family expected her to be.

Lila knew Kagami cherished her friendship with Marinette, but if Lila was to ever sever that connection, she needed to seclude Kagami and convince her that she was the only one in her life to confide in and trust, and that all other friendships in her life were meaningless. Which is why of all the things Lila could have talked to Kagami about in "Perfection", she chose the one thing that not only made Kagami vulnerable, but also damaged the friendships she already had, which was the concept that there were requirements Kagami needed to fulfill in order to NOT be considered someone's friend, requirements that Lila carefully worded on a list to ensure that she couldn't meet, but also make Kagami believe she fit well enough to believe she was never worthy enough to be considered Marinette's friend.

(Some of the things on the list specified that a person does not consider you a friend if they 1. never pick up the phone, 2. use a different language only their real friends will understand. Lila always picked up the phone and she was always straight forward when talking to Kagami, even if it was all a lie)

Although Kagami's situation was resolved near the end of "Perfection", Kagami never realized that the list Lila gave her was absurd, only that a simple misunderstanding had occurred between her and Marinette. Regardless of Lila's plan failing to sever Kagami's bond with Marinette in that moment, the situation still played out in her favor as Kagami's realization near the end of "Perfection" left her willing to accept Lila's friendship with open arms.

Although no one but Kagami knew it was Lila who created the list, it did not matter anymore, it fulfilled it's purpose by making Lila appear as someone who was willing to be what Kagami desperately wanted, a friend who would reach out to her and listen to her.

(Ladybug understood what Kagami desperately wanted, to be heard)

Unfortunately, when Kagami accepted Lila's friendship, it was Lila who placed herself as a friend with a far deeper connection to her than anyone else, and whom Kagami should consider above all others as she alone proclaimed that she viewed Kagami not just as a friend, but a sister. Lila wanted Kagami to feel as if the bond they had as friends was so strong they actually considered each other family, something Kagami had never experienced before but would have likely greatly appreciated and viewed highly.

In "Protection", Lila continued to present herself as someone whom Kagami could really talk to, someone who could always be there for her, and although Lila did not commit to these things wholeheartedly, for someone like Kagami who had lived a lonely life, it was enough just to see a "friend" like Lila show up for even a little in the midst of her busy schedule.

(Kagami appreciates Lila seeing her after practice)

The more Lila was present in little ways, the more she could slowly slip in how Marinette hated her for no good reason and make Kagami question why Marinette, or anyone for that matter, would ever hate someone as "good" and "trusting" as Lila.

The moment Kagami felt comfortable enough to tell Lila of the plans everyone set to help Marinette, was the moment Lila proceeded with her next attempt to sever Kagami's friendship with Marinette, but in order to do this, Lila needed Kagami to feel ashamed of herself, and what better way than by resurfacing the pain of her lost love with Adrien. Lila knew Kagami would never intentionally hurt someone, much less Marinette, but she would if she was akumatized into someone she was not, all Lila had to do was direct Kagami's negative emotions towards Marinette, a chance that came sooner than expected as Kagami confided in her something she could not tell anyone else, her rekindled love for Adrien(more here).

As Lila heard Kagami speak out about her struggles and frustrations, Lila simply looked on and smiled, pleased to see Kagami so vulnerable and secluded from the others as she felt her feelings would only trouble everyone else amidst their efforts to help Marinette and Adrien. Lila had Kagami right where she wanted, all that was left was to give Kagami one more little push, a reminder of how "perfect" she was in the situation.

At the beginning of "Protection", Lila told Kagami she was perfect, and although Marinette and Ladybug are helping Kagami realize that her imperfections were nothing to be ashamed of, it was Lila who reminded Kagami of the duty she had to her family, that she is perfect and must always be perfect, but she would never be truly perfect if she did not cast aside the importance she felt towards Marinette's friendship, the very friendship that led her to lose what she wanted most, Adrien.

(As the akuma approached Kagami, Lila once again tells Kagami how perfect she is, reminding her that she is not like others and must not feel upset, she must suppress her feelings and pain, but in doing so, Kagami's pain would worsen and further attract the akuma.)

All of Lila's lies towards Kagami narrowed down to one simple suggestion, that Marinette lied to her, manipulated her and everyone else, stole Adrien from her and took what could have been a happy and meaningful future, so as a result, she had every right to go against Marinette to take everything back

Near the end of "Protection", as Lila realized Kagami had come back to her senses and was now confronting her about the lies she spoke about Marinette, Lila was still able to convince Kagami that she had no intention to hurt anyone, because regardless of the horrible things she said before about Marinette, it was in this very moment that Lila’s little investment came into play.

Lila did not deny the things she said about Marinette, Kagami knows now that Lila does not like Marinette, but the moment Kagami spoke about how she loved her just as much as Marinette, was the moment Lila knew that what little time she spent in pretending to be a good friend to Kagami had paid off.

Lila genuinely made Kagami believe she cared for her, that there was too much importance in their "friendship", as such, it was not worth losing so quickly, so as a result, Kagami did not end things between them right away, instead, she offered Lila a chance to stay friends if her feelings were genuine, and of course, Lila accepted, not because her feelings were genuine, but because she was not done with Kagami.

Kagami made it clear she was not a puppet for Lila to use, but to Lila, another chance will come along where Kagami can still be used, so long as she is still innocent enough to believe that what they have is a real friendship and not a toxic one, something Lila had ironically previously warned her about within her lie about Marinette.

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She was talking about herself

In "Protection," as Lila proceeded with her next lie to convince Kagami that Marinette was not the person she thought she was, Kagami remained unaware that Lila had essentially revealed her true self in her lie.

Everyone who has been willing to befriend Lila has learned to value that friendship for one reason or another, but just as Lila said to Kagami, they should not be attaching so much importance, not to Marinette, but to Lila herself, as she does not feel the same way. Lila sees everyone around her as nothing more than tools for her to use to her advantage. 

(In "Chameleon", Lila reveals herself to Marinette and explains how she views everyone around her as idiotic individuals who are easily manipulated by what they want to hear)

Even when someone like Chloe gave into the idea of considering Lila her new best friend as a result of her devotion to ruin another person's life, Chloe had no idea that Lila never had the intention to befriend her, only use her until she was no longer useful.

When Kagami questions why Lila would ever consider Marinette as someone who does not care for others, as Marinette is well known for being nice and doing what she can to try and help others, Lila tells Kagami the situation is not at all what she believes, and it isn't, not in terms of Marinette but Lila. If anyone looks closely enough, they too will notice that everyone is willing to help Lila, but Lila is not shown doing the same towards others, they only believe she is and/or will, because of the help she claimed to have given and the things she claimed to have done to help other people from all around the world. They never saw her do these things, but they trust that she did, because she presented herself as someone who was worth trusting. Any form of help that she would offer another person, were empty promises to Lila and nothing more.

Back in "Volpina", when Lila first arrived at school, she would talk about all sorts of things about her fake wondrous life without them ever realizing that her pretty words had dragged them into her clutches.

 Of the many lies she told, Lila had additionally made false promises to those she knew would need help. Back in "Chameleon", before Lila finally accepted that Marinette would not easily fall for her lies like the others, she had attempted to not only befriend her, but promise to help her get closer to Adrien.

Had Marinette accepted her offer, Lila would have done exactly as she lied about what Marinette was intending to do towards Kagami, which was set her eyes on Adrien and focus on taking Adrien from Marinette, then throw whatever lie would convince Marinette to do anything she could to help her get closer to Adrien.

Now, in "Protection", given Kagami has been willing to confide in Lila that she has fallen in love with Adrien again, it's clear she has quickly grown accustomed to talking to other friends since the events of "Perfection", when everyone reached out to her, offering her their phone numbers if she ever wanted to talk. In the beginning of "Protection," when Kagami excused herself to meet up with everyone for the Ferris wheel plan, Lila did not ask about what they were doing because Kagami already told her about how everyone came up with a plan to help Marinette and Adrien, while likely additionally informing her how Marinette continues to struggle in opening herself up to the boy she loves because of a past trauma she faced when she confessed her feelings to the previous boy she loved, Kim.

A lot happened after the events of "Derision" and considering Marinette previously talked to Alya in "Perfection" about not knowing why she was so hesitant to love Adrien, she would have been willing to inform everyone why she acted so strangely in the midst of all of their plans to help her, now that she finally knew the reason behind it.

Hence why at the Agreste mansion, Kagami and Adrien mention knowing that Marinette's odd behavior was because of an internal struggle she had, rather than it being just some quirk Adrien found charming.

With Lila now being aware of Marinette's past from Kagami, the situation would have been all the more easier to turn in her favor as she convinces Kagami that Marinette has only been pretending to be weak, but she wasn't, Lila has always been the one pretending to be weak in order to take advantage of everyone, and as a result, they all feel like they need to help her and stand up for her.

(In "Chameleon", everyone stands up for Lila, disapproving of Marinette's actions against her)

Lila will occasionally come up with some new illness or phobia she is suffering from in order to make others feel sorry for her enough that they would feel compelled to help her in anyway they could.

(Upon Lila's return in "Chameleon", she told the lie that she not only had a hearing issue, but a sprained wrist, resulting in everyone feeling compelled to do everything they could to help her)

In the event that anything could go wrong for Lila, well, its just as she told Kagami, manipulators would always manage to lie their way out of trouble.

 (In "Ladybug" Lila agreed to Adrien's demands to make up another lie that would prove Marinette was innocent, all so she could ensure Adrien would not push her away now that she had become a model alongside him.)

Lila is perfectly aware that her way of life is highly frowned upon by others, which made it the perfect personality to push onto Marinette to quickly upset Kagami. However, despite all the lies she has fed to Kagami and all those around her who continue to fall prey to her manipulations, she was truthful about one thing, that toxic people like her are dangerous, they cannot be talked to reasonably, they prioritize themselves, and people who claim to know them only see a version of them that does not exist. Anyone who encounters them, needs to open their eyes and get as far away from them as soon as they can, before they are manipulated and taken advantage of any further.

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Adrien was done with Chloe and Lila.

In "Protection", as Lila lies to Kagami, she makes up the lie about experiencing a tragic heartbreak in a previous romantic relationship she once had, saying that the boy she once loved had made the decision to no longer see her. Lila has lied about many things and although we know Lila is lying to Kagami about a past romantic relationship, it's not uncommon for some of her lies to end up being twisted versions of reality.

The "boy" Lila is talking about who left her in so much pain, is obviously Adrien since he is the only boy she has had eyes for since her first introduction in "Volpina". So, perhaps something did happened between her and Adrien, and that something might have occurred not long after Adrien made the decision to end his friendship with Chloe back in "Derision"

In "Derision", as Adrien silently walked away from Chloe, a lot of things must have been running through his mind as he thought about everything in his life and the life he had with Chloe (more here), but among those thoughts, he might have also begun questioning the one other thing that reminded him of his decision to end a friendship with someone, and that was his reasoning for staying friends with the only other person he knew would, and did, hurt the people he loved, Lila.

At the start of the series, Adrien had made attempts to be patient with Lila and her deceitful nature, why? Because no matter how much of a liar Adrien realized Lila was, after learning she was not a descendent of a superhero or saved by Ladybug, part of him could not help but hope that maybe Lila could eventually come around and realize her lies would not give her the life she wanted and would eventually turn others against her rather than give her the connections he thought she was searching for, to give her the love and attention he thought she needed. To Adrien, Lila had the potential to be good just as much as anyone, but she would never learn to be good so long as there were others who would attempt to expose her and humiliate her in front of others. 

(in "Chameleon", Adrien questions Marinette if her attempts to expose Lila in front of everyone was a good idea as doing so would only humiliate and hurt Lila more, pushing her away from following a better path for herself.)

Adrien remembered the way Lila reacted when Ladybug exposed her back in "Volpina", to see Lila cry the way she did after being humiliated made him feel a sense of sympathy as he determined Lila was nothing more than someone who craved attention. 

(Adrien explains his views of Lila in "Oni-chan", believing she was not dangerous and only craved attention)

At the start, Adrien genuinely believed Lila was not dangerous and just needed someone to trust and confide in, someone who would be willing to offer her a helping hand and be that person she could rely on, and he for one was more than willing to be up for the task so long as she was willing to be honest with him. However, over time, Adrien would learn just how dangerous Lila was, the more he saw the full extent of her lies, but more than anything, Adrien would also learn how his kindness for her fooled him into believing she was someone else entirely.

  In "Oni-chan", Adrien did not appreciate Lila deceiving Nathalie and his bodyguard as he knew they would suffer consequences from his father, but despite this, he would later feel hopeful in seeing Lila show a sense of (fake)vulnerability as she clung to Ladybug and expressed how she understood heroes like them were only trying to help her, but it was precisely this moment of potential good that led Adrien to build his understanding of Lila and further imagine the type of person she was, as well as what she could do for herself in the future.

To see Lila have a more positive attitude towards Ladybug amidst Oni-chan's relentless pursuit, was more than enough for him to believe that Lila was coming around and learning that she could rely on others if she was willing to set aside her ways and open up as a more truthful person, that she really was just a girl who needed a little kindness and guidance her way.

(In "Oni-chan", Cat Noir really thought Lila was coming around to accepting Ladybug, a sign that Lila had made steps to being a better person)

Unfortunately, through that one little moment of watching Lila express a sense of "good", Adrien formed a positive view of Lila which had blinded him to the reality of her deceit, all the while he was amidst a fight against Oni-chan. Ladybug knew what Lila was capable of, she knew how much Lila could deceive others because Lila told her in "Chameleon" just how far she was willing to go to ruin another person's life if they did not fall under the line she had set and let her continue to live out the life she had built around her lies.

(Marinette/Ladybug saw Lila for who she was, a bad person).

Adrien on the other hand, could not see the same truth Ladybug saw because it was in his nature to see the good in everyone, to love everyone just as much as they were willing to love him, but the good he believed he saw in Lila was something he wanted to believe Lila would prioritize for herself, however, Lila had no such plans to do so regardless of understanding the harm her lies could cause.

(Lila is perfectly aware of her actions and the lies she is telling other people )

Still, regardless of what Lila did during "Oni-chan" and "Ladybug", Adrien was still not willing to end their friendship, why? Because no matter how cruel Lila appeared to be, Adrien did not have the heart to leave someone, not when he still held out hope that things could change for the better, which is why he didn't officially end his friendship with Chloe back in "Queen Banana", even after he watched her continued cruel actions towards the others over the year.

(Despite their actions in "Ladybug" and "Queen Banana", Adrien could not bring himself to end his friendship with Lila and Chloe and only reminded them of the possibility of doing so if they did not fix what they caused and stopped their ways. Regardless if they did or didn’t, he held out hope they would listen to him and do as he asked, because they we’re friends)

And yet, in some ways, it was as if Adrien thought he understood Lila and her desperation for attention from others, because he too had experienced life where he was all alone and in desperate need of others' attention. Adrien grew up being isolated from the rest of the world, devoid of interacting with others his age. 

Sure, he had Chloe growing up, but it was precisely his experience in having just one person in his life to talk to that made him believe it would be all the difference in others like Lila who had no one. However, to Adrien, it would also be all the more painful if Lila ever lost someone like him who was willing to listen to her. After he became Cat Noir, Adrien even understood what it was like living a life surrounded by lies, lies he knew would hurt him and the good people around him, but was something he would not need to continue in the future if he found ways to improved things for himself, and so odds are, Adrien thought Lila felt the same way, but as we all know, she didn't.

Much like Chloe, Adrien believed Lila's toxic behavior was temporary, that somehow, he could help change her. Adrien never stopped trying to hold out hope that Lila would eventually realize the harm she was causing and learn to make positive changes, all things he had also thought of when it came to facing Chloe. But the more Adrien saw Chloe and Lila continue to fall back into their ways, the more he began to question Lila and Chloe, their actions and whether or not they actually wanted to hold true to their word, to their apologies, as well as their promises and commit to the hard work and sacrifice of bettering themselves, but more than that, Adrien had to question whether or not his kindness and loyalty actually meant anything to them. 

After learning the full extent to Chloe's bullying in "Derision" and knowing that Lila had already succeeded in ruining Marinette's life and reputation in "Ladybug", Adrien had to face the cruel reality of his friendship with Lila and Chloe, as well as his attempts to salvage his friendship with them, time and time again, and the reality of it all was that his friendship with the two of them was not like the friendships he had with the others, it had become toxic and one sided. 

Things he believed Lila and Chloe would never do, were things he would not do himself and only assumed others had the good sense to do the same, but Lila and Chloe had every intention to continue doing what they did, why? Because they did not see the world the same way Adrien did, and to them, they were entitled to more than others and felt justified for much of what they did. 

Adrien had tried to understand how Lila and Chloe felt and thought, but in many ways, those thoughts and feelings were his, not theirs. He tried to find the reason behind their actions, but in many ways, he believed their reasons would be the same as his if he was in their position, but they weren't, their reasons were their own and they took joy for much of what they did, even when they knew it was not morally right in the eyes of others like Adrien.

In the end, as Adrien faced Chloe in Derision and heard her talk about her views of the world (more here), he did not give the same approach he would always give, because for the first time in a long time, Adrien did not see Chloe through his eyes, he saw Chloe through her eyes and understood that no matter what his hopes and expectations were, no matter what opportunities he and others were willing to offer and no matter how much time and dedication he was willing to give, he could not expect another person to decide the path he believed was best for them, they had to decide for themselves if they would take it, and that is exactly what he had to think about when it came to Lila, he had to look at Lila through her own eyes and understand her for who she was, not who he had imagined she would become if he stayed with her long enough.

In one little moment with Chloe in "Derision", Adrien knew he had a choice to make, should he allow one sided friendships with people like Chloe and Lila to continue? To live a life where he would only have brief moments of hope over the possibility that maybe the two could one day give up their ways, as he continued to watch from the sidelines knowing they felt they were entitled to hurt Marinette and others the moment they did something again, OR set his boundaries and stick to them, say enough was enough.

Adrien told Chloe as far back as "Despair bear" that he could not be friends with someone who was cruel to others, he told Lila as far back as "Oni-chan" that she could always rely on him as a friend, but not if she hurt the people he loved.

The day Adrien ended his friendship with Chloe, was likely the day he also decided to end his friendship with Lila, he was done with both of them as he understood that although anyone can change, not everyone wanted to, some people are who they are, and not even he could change that.

[ijustliketoreadstuff]

He wasn't there

In "Derision", Kim came to terms with how he genuinely hurt Marinette when she declared her love to him the year before, and decided he wanted to own up to his past mistakes. Originally, he'd be present for nearly every plan everyone set up to help Marinette and Adrien get closer, like in "Perfection" when they planned a special situation in the art room, during the yoga session and on the boat. But now that he knows his past actions and words resulted in Marinette feeling fearful in accepting that she could share a love with Adrien without consequence, Kim likely decided to do right by Marinette and kept a distance during the Ferris wheel plan in "Protection", so as to not further unnerve her.

And since Max is his best friend, he would have stayed with Kim while the plan was in motion so Kim wouldn't be all alone.

P.s. Alix isn't there because she's hiding in the time stream from Monarch, and Luka isn't there because he had to leave Paris after Monarch discovered he knew both Ladybug and Cat Noir's identities.