Masquerade

Chapter 1 - Everyone's Invited

All characters are the property of their respective owners.

"I can't believe it," Marinette said, holding the card at arm's length and rereading the flowing script. Miss DuPain-Cheng, you are cordially invited to the Top Social Event of the Season, a Grand Masquerade Ball-

"That Chloe would declare her own party the highlight of the year before she's even had it?" Alya laughed, fanning herself with her own invitation. It was a warm spring day, and even in the shade of the trees which lined the boulevard, the air was a little too hot for comfort.

"No, that part I believe. I mean I can't believe that she would invite us. It's not like we're friends. We don't even like each other!"

"Hey, if Chloe stuck to only people who like her, it'd be a pretty small party. Not to mentioned a pretty disappointing masquerade." Alya slipped into an imitation of Chloe's haughty voice. "Ooh, it's midnight! Time to take off our masks and find out who the one other person here is! Mon dieu! Sabrina? I never would have guessed!"

Marinette laughed. "I guess you're right. I just wish I knew what I was going to wear."

"Are you kidding? Marinette, fashion prodigy, doesn't know what to wear? Here's a hint: if the whole class is invited, that means you-know-whooooo is invited toooo! This is your chance to whip something up that'll make his jaw hit the floor!"

"I-I don't know," Marinette stammered, blushing. "I-I-I-mean I don't usually wear my own designs..."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Alya said. "And it's such a waste! You make all this great stuff, and then you wear the same clothes practically every day. Not that it's not a cute outfit. And not that I'm one to talk, but I always figured a great designer would be more of a clotheshorse, you know?"

"Oh, uh, I don't really...I'm not a model or anything. I want my designs to be worn by someone, you know...beautiful? GAH!" She turned and bonked her head against the iron fence. "The second that was out of my mouth I realized what a sad sack that makes me sound like. I swear I'm not fishing for compliments. I know I'm not ugly."

Alya put her hands on Marinette's shoulders and turned her around. "Marinette, you're more than 'not ugly'. You're beautiful, okay? I'd be saying that even if I wasn't your friend."

"Oh, come on, I'm not-"

"You are!" Alya took Marinette's chin in her hand and gently turned her so their eyes met. "I want you to say it. Say 'I'm beautiful'!"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Okay. 'I'm beautiful.'"

"'And I'm hot!'"

"'And I'm hot.' Alya, can I-"

"'I am going to literally charm the pants off of Adrien at the masquerade when he see me walk in in my Ladybug costume.'"

"'I am-'" Marinette turned beet red. "I...really don't think I'm ready for anything involving pants literally coming off, Ladybug costume or no-"

Her eyes opened wide.

"Ladybug costume!?"

"Pretty good suggestion, huh?" Alya smiled. "You could make one by Saturday, easy, right? You would make such a cute Ladybug. Adrien won't know what hit him!"

"Oh! Right!" Marinette said. "You meant a Ladybug costume for the party, a Ladybug costume I'm going to make and that doesn't exist yet, that Ladybug costume! Ahahahaha!"

"Uh, you okay, girl?"

"Yes! I just...I was...surprised because...because Chloe will probably want to dress as Ladybug too, don't you think?"

Alya snorted. "So? It's not like she has dibs. It doesn't say 'No Ladybug Costumes' on the invitation."

"But-uh-"

Marinette tried to stall for time. Something felt distinctly dangerous about dressing up as Ladybug when she wasn't really being Ladybug.

But I'm always Ladybug, she reminded herself, and anyway, if I'm TOO against it, it's going to look like the ladybug doth protest too much!

"Okay!" she said, plastering a smile on her face. "That's a pretty good suggestion, Alya. Just call me Ladybug!"

"Perfect! And, 'Ladybug', you can just call me your lucky charm." Alya winked. "I'm a girl on a mission, and that mission is to get you together with Adrien."

"But we won't even know who's who," Marinette said. "It says here everyone's got to wear a mask and we don't take them off until midnight." Part of her believed that there was no way she wouldn't recognize the boy of her dreams immediately, mask or no mask-but how could she be sure? And with her luck, she'd probably spend all evening flirting with the wrong person and then die of embarrassment when midnight rolled around.

Alya grinned, her eyes sparkling behind her thick glasses. "You just work on the costume. We'll figure something out."

Marinette bent over her handiwork, working her way down the seam with tiny, careful stitches. It felt weird to be making a Ladybug costume.

"Maybe you should have spent longer looking in the mirror," Tikki said, peering over her shoulder. "It's lovely, but it doesn't exactly match your real costume."

"It's not supposed to, Tikki. I don't want to stroll in there looking just like Ladybug! Anyway, I'm not sure I even could replicate the costume. It doesn't even have a zipper. I'd have to crawl in through the neck! And the mask sort of...fuses to my face."

She looked down at her half-finished creation. She'd started with the same basic idea, but where her real costume was minimalist, this one was ornate, with a ruffled skirt, puffed sleeves, and a more elaborate mask that joined the rest of the costume. The black domino mask sprouted sprung curlicues like a ladybug's antennae, and a pair of lightweight red and black wings rose from just above her left eye, curving over the top of her head like a fancy hat. It could have belonged to a Ladybug from around the time of the Revolution.

"It's not bad, but...do you think Adrien will like it? Do you think he'll guess that it's me?"

"Don't worry about that, Marinette. Just make a costume that's right for you."

Marinette glanced over at her design sketches. Detailed costume plans were placed on a female form that was nothing but a few vague lines. Nothing more than a mannequin, really, or a stick figure in three dimensions. Literally faceless.

I knew this was for me, she thought. Why did I draw myself like that?

Defiantly, though she wasn't sure who she was defying, she picked up her pencil and gave the little mannequin and pair of pigtails and a very Marinette smile.

"I dunno, dude," Nino said uncertainly. "Isn't it supposed to be, like, a surprise?"

"I'm not saying you have to tell everyone what costume Adrien is wearing. Just me."

"But...but we're supposed to guess, right? I mean, I've never been to one of these things, but..."

Alya laughed and scooted over on the bench, putting one arm around her boyfriend and resting her head against his shoulder. "Newsflash, honey. That 'guess who' stuff is for single people and people looking for an excuse to cheat. Don't tell me you're hoping to get Chloe alone in a corner..."

Nino made a face. "Dude!"

"Ha, I didn't think so. Relax, I'm just teasing you. But my point is...wouldn't you rather we recognize each other right off, so we can find a little corner of our own?"

She leaned into him, pressing her flannel-clad body into his.

"You really will do, like, anything to get the scoop, won't you?"

She nuzzled his chin. "Mmm. Reporting is a dirty business."

"Okay, fine, I'll spill. Still don't know why you need to know Adrien's costume, though..."

"Let's just say I promise he'll be glad you did."

"Hey, anything for my best bud. Just one problem-I don't know what he's wearing. I don't think he even knows yet."

"Well," Alya murmured, "why don't you suggest something to him?"

"Like what?"

Alya considered. Marinette is going as Ladybug...

Oh.

Oh, that would be TOO perfect.

She whispered it into his ear, then placed a hand on his cheek and turned his face to hers for the kiss.