"And… we're… done!" Alya exclaimed, her voice ever so slightly muffled by the huge powder brush she was holding in between her teeth. She'd just finished applying a beautiful cherry red lipstick to Marinette's lips, and had taken a step back to admire her handiwork.
Marinette brought herself up from the chaise, careful to remove any wrinkles that might have settled on her skirt. She strode over to the full length mirror than hung on the back of her closet door to take a closer look.
"Wow, Alya," she breathed, taking herself in. She was wearing the blue and white dress Chat had liked so much the first time he visited. Thanks to Alya's insistence, it was paired with a pop of crimson lips and matching red pumps.
"I know right," her best friend smirked from behind her, obviously pleased. "Call me when Prince Charming falls in love with you."
"Alya!" Marinette squealed, haughtily turning on her heel to make a retort. She slipped and fell in the process, collapsing in a heap on the hardwood floor.
"You good?" Alya asked, half concerned, half amused.
"Yeah, I'm used to it," Marinette grumbled, rubbing her tailbone. She accepted Alya's hand and was pulled back onto her feet.
"Man, I wish you could come with me," Marinette sighed, dusting off stray pieces of fabric that had settled in her dress. She sat herself back on the chaise, glancing outwardly toward the window for a moment. "I won't know anyone there."
The clouds were lazily drifting across the sky, the horizon lit as though on fire before blending into the indigo colour that promised of a clear night.
"Same," Alya whined, plopping herself next to Marinette and recapturing her attention. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to be there!"
Well, just Chat Noir, Marinette thought, smiling knowingly. "I'll take a picture with them if I see them, don't worry."
"Thanks, Mari," Alya leaned into to give a quick hug.
"Marinette, it's time to go!" Sabine called from down the stairs.
"Coming, Maman!" She smiled gratefully at Alya before standing and making her way to the landing. "I'll talk to you later, I guess."
"Have fun!" Alya called, waving goodbye while watching her friend descend down the steps.
Ladybug had been invited to a lot of galas in the past as a result of her superhero status, but somehow, none of them even came close to comparison with this one.
Typically, such events were held in one of the many elaborate palaces in Paris, places that sported glamorous chandeliers and stunning vintage furniture and were listed in "Top Ten Spots to See in Paris" articles.
This one was held in La Defense rather than the city core, in what appeared to be the penthouse of the building, if penthouses even came this large. The elevators found themselves situated in one edge of the gigantic room, which featured enormous floor-to-ceiling windows on the other three walls. Up above, structural beams held a number of giant abstract shapes, each one a different colour and lit up to illuminate the otherwise dark room.
Marinette couldn't help herself from gaping upon first entering, mindlessly making her way through the crowds of people to the center of the room. She could barely remember the number of the table she was supposed to be sitting at, simply letting herself take in her surroundings.
What table was she supposed to be at? She frowned, stopping for a moment just to remember. Sixteen. Right.
She figured she probably ought to head over there, considering she didn't actually know anyone who would be attending.
Except Chat. Who was nowhere to be seen.
From above, the space between tables was filled with tons of people; small conversational circles were formed and every so often the people inside those circles would move to another, creating a pattern akin to cog wheels turning. In the midst of it all, one girl was twirling about, obviously lost, obviously looking for someone. She hadn't bumped into anyone yet , but given her history, it was only a matter of ti-
"Your dress is beautiful," she heard a voice to her left.
"Thanks, you look-" Marinette turned to greet the one who gave her the compliment, and came face to face with Adrien Agreste.
She's been face to face with him before, of course- on buses, subways, newspaper stands- you name it. In fact, it was practically impossible to get around Paris without seeing the famous supermodel's face plastered everywhere. And yes, he was gorgeous.
Even more so in real life, Marinette realized. He was like, really very gorgeous, and normally Marinette had a wider vocabulary to describe such beautiful things, being a sort of artist and all, but he was too close and people were flocking around them, pushing them even closer together and she needed to find Chat right now because her face was about to explode.
"-great too." She finished lamely, and with an awkward smile and half-hearted wave she threw herself into the midst of people milling behind her, hoping somehow the current would direct her to table sixteen.
Author's Notes:
I apologize for not updating yesterday (and for the short chapter today), I had a rather… hectic weekend, you might say, but I did want to get something out, even if it was only half of what the chapter was supposed to be ;-;
Thanks for the support as always and shoutout to Hatsune Miyu because your reviews always make me so happy ^^