Chapter 9: The Mysterious Cosplayer
Everything was quiet at the Kante residence. Everyone was sleeping. Everyone, except Ari. The spider kwami could not sleep, because he took a nap, after he and Max came back from training in the Garden of the Ancients, and now had too much energy in him to fall asleep. Max on the other hand, was sleeping like a rock. Unlike Ari, he did not take a nap, and after dinner, after spending a good hour talking online to the rest of his class, regarding what had happened that afternoon on the Champ de Mars and what that meant for them all as a team, he needed a few hours of sleep. Still, just like everyone else, he only allowed himself to fall asleep, once he was sure that Alix was a lot better, after her run-in with Hawk Moth's newest lieutenant. Master Fu had done a very good job healing her, though some of the bruising on her left arm made it hard for her to move it, and she had to lie to her parents that she had taken a nasty fall, while going down a flight of stairs, on her way home, to explain why she was having difficulty moving it.
"I said I'm fine. Tomorrow morning I'll be as good as new, and just in time for Physical Education class. You'll see."
Those were the words Alix told her friends, trying her best to calm them down, regarding her physical condition. She did not want them to worry about her, even though she knew they would do that. It was only normal, since they cared for her well-being; they had gone through enough stuff together, for that to be the usual procedure, when one of them got hurt in battle. And even if they had not gone through some of the crazy things they had, their friendship bond was too strong for them not to worry about her.
"Okay, if you say it, we'll believe in you. But just as a precaution, don't move your arm too much, and make sure you apply something cold to it."
That was what Max told Alix. And it was those words that Ari was thinking about, as he tossed and turned, while trying to fall asleep, knowing that in the morning, he would have to go to school with Max. But no matter how much he tried, he just could sleep. Sighing, he decided to go for a walk, hoping that that would tire him enough to fall asleep. Looking outside the window of Max's room, he wondered where he ought to go. There was a small park nearby, and there was also a pigeon coup on one of the nearby buildings, where he sometimes liked to go, to talk to the pigeons, who were quite the talkers.
"Those are always in a good mood. And a good conversation might just be what I need to spend a little bit of my energy." -Ari thought to himself. –"But on the other hand, they love to talk about bread and about how much they love their handler, and they love to repeat themselves. I don't know if I have the patience for that." -he thought, while pondering on what to do.
After a few more seconds, the spider kwami opted not to go outside, and instead, stay indoors. Thinking about it, he realized there were lots of things he could do in that house. With Max and his parents sleeping, he had the house all for himself. Going through the bedroom door, Ari wondered where he should go from there.
"Hmm… where to go? Maybe the kitchen? I could always go for a little snack, especially since Max's mom stocked up the pantry, and there's all kinds of goodies inside it." -Ari thought to himself. –"Hmmm, maybe not, I had a good dinner and I'm not that hungry… Maybe the library would be a good choice. It wouldn't be hard for me to pick up one of the many books on the shelves and read it, until I begin to fall asleep." -he pondered about it. –"Wait, I know! I should've chosen that place from the start."
The place Ari was talking about was Max's mom laboratory. Being an astronaut in training, Claudie Kante kept a small laboratory, where she performed all kinds of experiments. These were not like the experiments astronauts performed in zero-gravity environments, but they were still quite important. On top of that, she was one of the numerous astronauts in training, responsible for testing new equipment and gadgets that could one day be taken to space. Inside the laboratory were hundreds of thousands of Euros in experimental equipment, and that was the main reason why Claudie was the only allowed inside it. If her husband or Max wanted to enter in it, they would have to do under her supervision. Of course, Ari believed that such rule did not apply to him, because he was neither one of them.
Ari loved to check the laboratory for new things, and see what they did. Having always been a rather curious kwami, he just could not help himself. Ever since he was created, luck had smiled upon him, by always giving him holders that were either incredibly intelligent and resourceful, or had access to a vast amount of knowledge. And with Max, he hit the jackpot. Not only was he one of the most intelligent young men he ever met, but his place was somewhere where you could actually smell the knowledge, thanks to the numerous books that adorned the walls, all over the house.
The first thing he did, right after passing through the wall, was to turn on the light of the division. Once he did that, light flooded the whole laboratory. Looking around, most of the things that were in it, had been there for quite a while. But there was one device that looked brand-new, and Ari knew it was, because he had not seen it, the last time he had been in the lab. Hovering in its direction, he wondered what it was.
"Whoa, this wasn't here the last time I stopped by." -Ari mused, as he checked a new device, which looked like a camera, which had been fused with a telescope.
Being the curious kwami he was, he decided to take a better look at the device. Wondering what it was for, he looked for a way to make it work. He had done that with pretty much everything in that place, and nothing bad had ever happened. So, there was no indication that something bad would happen this time. Pressing a couple of buttons on it, nothing happened.
"How does this thing work? Is it a camera or a telescope?"-Ari asked, as he noticed a box filled with dark coloured lenses on the side of the device. –"It has to be one of those. If not, why would it need lenses?" -he asked himself. –"Wait, what if I need to insert one of the lenses into this thing? It seems like you can do it…"
Grabbing one of the lenses, he quickly inserted into the slot he believed was supposed to, and once he did it, this one beeped. Wondering what was supposed to happen next, he was taken by surprise, when the device shot a bright light that hurt his eyes, after which it sounded a loud whistle that echoed all over the laboratory. At first, Ari thought it was going to continue to whistle like that, but two seconds later, it ceased. Still stunned, and with his eyes hurting from the flash of light, the spider kwami decided that it was perhaps better for him to go back to Max's room, believing that he had had enough fun for one night.
"Uh… my eyes! What was that light?" -Ari asked, as he rubbed his eyes. –"Maybe I shouldn't have toyed with it…better get out of here, before I break something. And I better not to tell anything about this to Max, or I'll be in big trouble." -he said.
With that thought on his mind, Ari went through the door and made his way back to Max's room, not knowing that because of that little stunt of his, he had left something behind that would prove he had been in Max's mom lab: something rather unique.
Arriving home from school, Marinette was happy it was Friday, which meant she would not have to get up early the next morning to go to school, and could instead stay in bed a little longer, tucked in her sheets and dreaming about Adrien and other marvellous things, but mostly Adrien. Just because she was dating him now, it did not mean she would stop dreaming about how much she loved him. And her bed was the perfect place to do it.
But before that could happen, Marinette still had a lot to do. Because that morning her parents got a large order of macarons for a party, she had been asked to help them out, once she got back from school. Like always, she was more than happy to help out. Baking macarons was the perfect way to relax, and she prided herself on her macarons, which her parents had praised them and called them the most perfect and beautiful macarons in all of Paris. And on top of that, she would not be alone, as Alya promised to come and help her with that task, once she left her backpack at home and made sure Nora would stay at home to babysit the twins, once they got from school.
Leaving Tikki up in her bedroom, Marinette went down to start prepping macarons, while waiting for Alya to arrive. Initially, she was going to ask Tikki to come and help her while Alya did not arrive, but she feared her mom might see her, if she showed up to ask her if she needed any help. So, she began to cook macarons on her own, perfuming the kitchen with the delicious vanilla scent of freshly baked macarons. The order her parents got was quite large, so she knew she would have to bake as many as she could, while her father did the same downstairs.
She had just finished cooking the first batch, when she heard someone ringing at the door. Dropping what she was doing, she went to get it, only to be greeted by Alya's warm smile, while also asking her if she had run into a macaron batter tornado, as her apron was filled with it. Laughs were exchanged between them, and quickly Marinette resumed baking, this time with Alya's help, who told Trixx to go up to Marinette's bedroom and hang out with Tikki, while they baked.
Rolling up her sleeves, Alya put on an apron and followed Marinette's instructions. She had baked macarons before with her, but unlike it happened with her mom, Alya was not the best at cooking or baking, always feeling the need to follow a recipe to a tee. Still, she was not like her sister Nora, who could not even fry an egg without burning it.
"These ones came out perfectly shaped, girl." -Alya said, as she placed the still hot tray on top of the table. –"I don't know how you do it, but yours always come up so perfect." -she told her.
"It's practice, Alya. Years of practice, and nothing else." -Marinette joked, as she placed the next tray inside the oven. –"When you spend your time making hundreds, if not thousands of these little ones, to help out your parents, you eventually get the hang of it, and don't even need to check if they're coming out alright or not." -she said, as she closed the oven door.
"You're right. You've got a lot of practice." -Alya smiled, as she looked at the tray that had some of her macarons. –"I just wish my macarons came out as beautiful as yours. When compared to yours, mine look like crap." -she sighed, annoyed about that fact. –"Nobody would ever guess that I'm the daughter of one of Paris' best chefs."
"Oh, they don't look so bad!" -Marinette told her. –"In fact, they also look just as good as mine." -she smiled.
"Marinette, how long have we known each other, girl?" -Alya asked her, while raising an eye at her.
"Since we were little, why?" -Marinette asked her.
"Because you know that I can smell a lie a mile away, when I want to. And you're lying, girl." -Alya said, smiling at her best-friend. –"You're my best-friend, and you're a sweetheart, but you're also a lousy liar." -she told her. –"I know my macarons aren't as perfect and beautiful as yours. But thanks for trying to cheer me up."
"It's my pleasure to cheer you up. You're always doing that for me." -Marinette smiled, as she picked the macarons from one of the trays. –"Besides, it doesn't matter if the macarons aren't perfect. All it matters is that they taste good, and yours…" -she said, as she nibbled one of Alya's macarons, savouring it. –"… are delicious. So, let's continue to make them, and I'll help you making yours look as perfect as mine."
"Okay, chef Marinette, let's do it." -Alya giggled.
"Not chef, Pastry Chef Marinette, if you please." -Marinette giggled. –"You know, we spend most of our days together, but I miss us having these best-friends moments together more often." -she told Alya.
"You aren't the only one." -Alya admitted, as she grabbed a bowl and got ready to prepare another batch of macaron batter. –"Things were a lot… I'm not going to say easier, because that's not the word I want to use, so I'm going to use this one… simpler. Yes, that's the word. simpler. Things were a lot simpler before."
"It's true. Things were a lot simpler up until a few months ago. But you know what? If given the chance to go back to those simpler times, I wouldn't go back to them." -Marinette admitted, as she weighed the sugar. –"Ever since we, you know…"
"I know. Ever since that happen, a lot of things changed." -Alya admitted.
And while continuing to bake, the girls continued to reminiscence of all the things that had happened to them and her friends, over the course of almost eight months. Eight months, where their lives changed drastically, and yet remained a bit the same.
"It seems like a lifetime ago, since I met Tikki for the first time." -Marinette sighed, while reminiscing about it. –"Can't believe that I called her a bug-mouse, when I first met her." -she chuckled, as she poured the batter into the pastry bag.
"I believe, because I know you, and I know just how jumpy you can be." -Alya joked.
"I'm not jumpy!" -Marinette exclaimed, while taking the tray that was in the oven.
"Yes, you are." -Alya chuckled. –"Girl, you are probably the jumpiest person I know. Sure, you're better in that department, but you're still quite jumpy." -she told her, as Marinette placed the tray on the table. –"Or do I have to remind you that up until recently, you practically jumped onto my arms, scared, whenever you freaked out about seeing Adrien walking towards you?"
One thing regarding best-friends, was just how they always managed to remember every little detail about a person's life, personality and Alya was no exception to the rule, as Marinette saw. Still, Alya was right about it. For a long time, Marinette freaked out and panicked, every time Adrien showed up out of the blue.
"No, you don't have to remind me about it." -Marinette admitted. –"But like you said, I'm far better in that department now." -she smiled. –"I don't freak out every time Adrien enters a room, anymore. In fact, I smile every time he enters a room, before I go and kiss him."
"Yes, you do." -Alya said, as she checked the macarons. –"Which proves that you aren't as jumpy as you once were." -she smiled, while picking up one of the still hot macarons with her fingertips and getting . –"Ouch! They're hotter than I thought they would be… but they also look way better than the previous ones I made. I'm starting to get the hang of it."
"But you on the other hand, you seemingly didn't change a bit since you met Trixx." -Marinette told her. –"Then again, it's hard for anyone to change, when you're already so incredible." -she pointed out.
"Incredible, me? Girl, I think you're exaggerating a bit. Trust me, I have changed too." -Alya said. –"The difference is that my change has been less visible than yours, or some of our friends." -she declared. –"Though I don't think mine started when I met Trixx. I think it started when I began dating Nino last summer. You know, when it comes to investigating and researching, I've always been a bit obsessive, always trying to find out everything about a topic. I was never satisfied, until I knew everything there was to know about said topic. In fact, that's why I wanted to, and still want to be a journalist when I'm older. Because I like to get to the bottom of things… Well, I think since I started dating Nino, I've become less obsessive about it. I mean, I still love to investigate and research about things, but at the same time, I think I've learned to do it, but without feeling like I'm in a race, trying to be the first to reach the finish line, so I can prove I'm the best, you know?"
"So, you're saying that his easiness and his coolness rubbed on you." -Marinette chuckled. –"Well, truth is I can't even remember the last time you acted so fiercely, when researching a matter. You do it, but like you said, you don't act like you're trying to get the first place on a race." -she said. –"I guess you might be right. Nino's been a good influence on you."
"I guess he has." -Alya sighed, with a smile on her lips. –"That turtle boy of mine is a sweetheart, and he's also a hunk of a guy." -she sighed, as she pictured Nino without a shirt, in her mind.
"Now, you're sounding like me, when I talk about Adrien." -Marinette told her. –"All that is left, it's to see you drooling, while looking at his picture on your cell's screen." -she joked.
"Can't help it, if I've got the handsomest boyfriend in the world." -Alya said.
"Sorry, but that place is already taken by Adrien." -Marinette told Alya, with a smug on her face. –"And don't try to convince me otherwise. Adrien's pecks and six-pack guarantee him the first place." -she giggled.
"Are we really going to start comparing our boyfriends and see who's the best boyfriend?" -Alya asked her in a sarcastic voice, while raising an eye at her.
"Do you want to?" -Marinette joked, with a devious smile on her face.
"Sure, why not?" -Alya joked back, before bursting into laughs. –"Oh, girl, if Adrien and Nino were here now, they would be calling us insane… or something like that." -she chuckled.
The laughs and the jokes went on, and because they were so amused by their joyful conversation, both Marinette and Alya did not notice Sabine entering the kitchen, coming from downstairs, to check on them and to see just how many macarons they had made.
"Well, you seem quite jolly." -Sabine told Marinette and Alya, who upon hearing her voice, ceased the laughter. –"Do you girls need any help?" -she asked the girls.
"No, thanks, mom. We're doing alright." -Marinette giggled.
"I can see that." -Sabine smiled at the girls. –"It's always nice to hear laughs in this house. It means that happiness has decided to grace it, with its presence." -she said. –"And before any of you asks, yes, I'm a little philosophical today."
"Which is always a good sign that you're in a good mood, mom." -Marinette said.
"Thanks, honey. But tell me, what were you talking about, before I came in?" -Sabine asked them, curious.
"Oh, we were trying to decide who has the handsomest boyfriend, while Marinette was teaching me how to make perfectly-shaped macarons." -Alya told Sabine.
"Oh, I see." -Sabine smiled. –"And just who happens to be the handsomest? Come on, tell me. I won't tell anyone." -she joked.
"Mom!" -Marinette exclaimed, embarrassed by what her mother had just asked them.
"What? I'm just curious, honey." -Sabine said in a playful tone. –"Besides, we all know that Adrien is cuter than Nino." -she said. –"Nino's handsome, there's no doubt about it, but Adrien is cuter, and cute beats handsome, on any day of the week."
Hearing her mom saying that, Marinette could not help but to feel embarrassed. There was something about hearing your mother, who's supposed to be a full-grown adult woman, talking like a teenager that made the whole thing absolutely embarrassing, if not even cringey. Still, Sabine quickly stopped acting like that, and once again asked them if they needed any help, with the girls saying they were all good.
"Alright. Well, then keep up the great work you're doing. You managed to bake a lot of them." -Sabine said, as she looked at the delicious treats. –"If your dad and you keep this up, we'll have all the macarons we're going to need to fill out this order." -she smiled at the girls. –"Well, I'll leave you to it. The four o'clock usuals are bound to arrive at any minute, and I need to be at the counter to get them."
And with that, Sabine left to go back to the bakery. There was a small moment of silence between the moment Sabine exited the kitchen and the moment the door that led to the inner stairs was heard. During that little moment, the two friends looked at each other and tried not to laugh. But once they heard door closing, they burst into laughs, laughing of the scene they had just seen.
"Your mom's crazy, girl." -Alya laughed.
"Tell me something I don't know, already." -Marinette laughed back. –"You know, it's funny to see our parents act, as if they were our age." -she said, as she heard her mom's words in her mind.
"Funny, and sometimes embarrassing." -Alya laughed. –"I guess one day it'll be our turn to do that to our kids." -she said. –"So, we better learn from them how to do it, so when it's time for us to do the same to our kids, we know just how to do it properly." -she joked.
"True… well, I think we've already laughed enough for the rest of this week. Let's get back to baking, or we'll be here until Christmas." -she said, as she grabbed an empty tray and started to make more macarons.
After two very exhausting hours, the girls finally finished baking all the macarons Marinette felt that were needed. Luckily, because they spent their time chatting, while baking, those two hours went by in the flash. Cleaning up the mess the kitchen was, the girls then went to Marinette's bedroom, so they could both change clothes. Knowing first-hand she would need to do so, when they finished baking, Alya had brought with her a change of clothes. And even if she had not, Marinette would be more than willing to lend her something in her wardrobe to put on. That was just one more perk of helping out her best-friend, who happened to be one of the most promising fashion designers in Paris, who prided herself on creating some of her clothes.
"I love to bake macarons, but I hate getting dirty." -Marinette said, as she removed a little bit of macaron batter from her sleeve.
"You ain't the only one, girl. I also hate getting dirty." -Alya agreed, as she took off her apron. –"I really need to change clothes." -she said, as she and Marinette started to climb the flight of stairs that led to the bedroom.
"Can I convince you to stay over for dinner?" -Marinette asked her.
"Are you trying to put the moves on me, girl?" -Alya joked. –"Because you know that I'm already taken." -she continued to joke.
"You know what I mean, foxy fox." -Marinette giggled, calling her by the nickname Nino had given her. –"And before you say anything, let me remind you that my parents don't have a problem having you over for dinner. You're like a daughter to them. On top of that, we get to hang out a little bit longer." -she smiled.
"Thanks for the invitation, girl. But as much as I would love to stay over for dinner, I can't. It's Friday and that means that my dad is cooking dinner tonight and he demands that we're all there, so we can try one of his specialties." -she said in an amused tone.
"Yeah, I know. Still, there's no harm in trying to invite you." -Marinette said, as she and Alya stopped in front of the trap door. –"I can't hear anything. Do you suppose they're sleeping?" she asked her.
"Doubt it. Trixx never falls asleep when she has one of the other kwamis to talk to, and unless Tikki fell asleep before we got here, then there's no way Trixx is sleeping." -Alya said. –"Though, it does seem too quiet. Trixx loves to talk, and I'm not hearing a single peep." -she admitted. –"You don't' think…"
"Let's not jump to conclusions and think something bad has happened. Maybe they're just not close to the door, and we can't hear them." -Marinette said.
One of the various fears both girls had, was that something or someone figured out their real identities. and would come after them, their miraculouses and their kwamis. So, when they did not hear Tikki nor Trixx, they feared that something bad had happened to them. But those fears vanished, once they opened the trap door and saw the reason why they were not hearing them, was because they had the headphones on, and were too focused on the laptop's screen to even speak a single word.
"Figures." -Alya smiled, as closed the door behind her. –"Your kwami is going to get my kwami addicted to anime, girl." -she joked.
"And would that be a bad thing?" -Marinette giggled. –"At least, she wouldn't be addicted to something else." -she said, as she approached her desk, where the kwamis were and gently removed the earphones from them.. –"Tikki, Trixx… are you having fun?"
"Oh, hi, Marinette." -Tikki smiled at the blue-haired girl. –"How long have you been there?" -she asked her.
"We just arrived." -Marinette told her.
"So, are you two enjoying yourselves?" -Alya asked the kwamis.
"Yes, we are. Tikki was showing me this anime she's been watching with Marinette." -Trixx said. –"It's really good. It's about a group of kids that end up in the digital world." -she added.
"Oh, you have been watching Digimon, huh?" -Marinette said. –"But which one? The old one anime or the new one?" -she asked Tikki.
"The new one. And you'll never believe what happened. Tai and Koshiro, they…" Tikki declared, only to be interrupted by Marinette.
"Tikki, no spoilers, please!" -Marinette warned her. –"Unlike you, I haven't had the opportunity to watch this week's episode." -she reminded the scarlet kwami. –"You know our spoiler policy."
"Oops, sorry, I almost forgot you hadn't been able to watch the new episode." -Tikki apologized to Marinette. –"But let me just tell you this… you're going to love it." -she said.
"You and Tikki have a spoiler policy?!" -Alya exclaimed, surprised.
"When your kwami watches series and animes a lot faster than you do, because she doesn't have to do any homework, you need to take certain precautions, if you don't want to end up spoiled." -Marinette said.
"It's a good thing Trixx isn't one to spoil series and films for me." -Alya said, as she opened her backpack to take out the change of clothes, she had brought with her.
"Oh, I almost forgot! While we were watching Digimon, we saw that you received a notification of an email." -Tikki said. –"It was from someone called "LettersGirl"… I know I've heard that name before, but I don't know where. Anyways, I thought you should know."
When she heard Tikki saying that to her, Marinette's heart skipped a beat. In her mind, she wondered why would one of the most popular and talented cosplayers in France, whom she followed online, contact her. But in case she had heard it wrong, she felt compelled to ask her the name she had said, just to see if she had heard it right.
"LettersGirl?! T-Tikki, are you sure that was the name on the notification?!" -Marinette asked the scarlet kwami.
"It was. I saw it too." -Trixx told her.
Once more, Marinette's heart skipped a beat. Not only that, it made the girl freeze in place. Alya quickly noticed there was something wrong with her, and did not hesitate to ask her what was going on.
"Marinette, girl, what's going on?" -Alya asked her, wondering why she was acting like that. –"Come on, girl, talk to me. You know I don't like it, when I ask you a question and you don't answer it, right away." -she told her, hoping to get an answer out of her.
"S-Sorry, Alya, but if what Tikki and Trixx are saying is true, and I'm not saying it isn't, then I just received an email from one of the most talented cosplayers in France, and I want to know why!" -Marinette said, as she leaned over her laptop and tried to open her email box. –"Come on, work! I hate it when this laptop freezes!" -she said, fully frustrated.
Like it always happened, whenever something similar happened, in her mind, Marinette was coming up with all sorts of scenarios that would explain why she got an email from such a famous person. Usually, most of the scenarios that would show up inside her mind would be bad scenarios. But not in this case. In this case, all of the scenarios were good, and the problem was to choose which ones were plausible, and which ones were just pure fantasy. Waiting for her email box to open, she could hardly control herself, with the excitement she was feeling. But when it finally opened, and she saw the name of "LettersGirl" on the last email she received, her nerves got the best of her, and prevented her from opening it.
"I can't open it! I'll faint if I open it and read it!" -Marinette said, as she turned her eyes away from the screen. –"One of you, open and read it out loud for me, please!" -she begged Alya and the kwamis.
Sighing, Tikki hovered towards the laptop and opened the email in question, so she could read it to Marinette. Looking at it, this was not a very large email, but its content was quite interesting.
"Good afternoon, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I have discovered your page through a mutual friend, who has talked about you and just how talented you are. In your page says that you accept clothing commissions, and I wonder if you would be interested in doing one for me. The commission in question is for an accessory, and I must warn you that I will need it for a convention, which will take place in a matter of a week and a half, right here in Paris. I know this is a little on short-notice, and I am quite sure that you have other commissions to work on, but if you could make the time for it, I would be very grateful to you. For you to see that I am serious about the matter, I am willing to pay double what you ask for the work, according to your price list. If you accept it, I will be more than happy to specify what I need from you. I hope to hear from you, very shortly. Yours truly, LettersGirl." -Tikki said.
The words Tikki spoke, were now echoing inside Marinette's head. She had just received a request for a commission, from one of the country's most famous cosplayers, who said she needed it with extreme urgence. Part of her brain was telling her start jumping out of joy, while the other part was in pure shock, making it impossible for her to express how she was truly feeling.
"She wants me to create something for her… she wants me to create something for her." -Marinette mumbled in an audible whisper.
"You already said that twice, girl." -Alya said, as she began to change clothes.
"I… I can't believe this is happening again!" -Marinette exclaimed, between giggles, as she kicked the shock away from her system. –"First Jagged Stone asks me for a commission, and now LettersGirl does the same… Two incredibly talented people that I practically worship! Tikki, are you sure that you're not my good luck charm? Because ever since I got your miraculous, it seems like my luck is always changing for the best!" -she giggled.
"I don't know, maybe… but you're very talented, so I even if I'm your good luck charm, I can only take part of the credit." -Tikki smiled at her.
Just thinking of how lucky she was, Marinette felt like was about to go through the ceiling, thanks to all the happiness that was inside her chest. Even though she knew it had not been a dream, she could still not believe that Jagged Stone had commissioned her. And now, one of the cosplayers she admired and followed online had just done the same. All of that seemed too good to be true, and yet, it was happening and it was not a dream.
"I can't wait to tell my parents about this... hold on, I need to sit down for a bit." -Marinette said, as she sat down on her chaise-longue. –"I must be the luckiest girl in the world, Alya… I mean, I'm always saying that, but this time…" -she said.
"I know, girl, I know. This time is different." -Alya said, as she finished changing. –"That's better. I really needed to slip into some clean clothes." -she said. –"And you have all the right in the world, to say that you're the luckiest girl in the world, Marinette. I mean, it's not every day another person you idolize asks you for a commission. This is big, like really big."
"It calls for a celebration." -Tikki giggled.
"But what could that commission be?" -Alya asked.
"Well, she hasn't specified what she wants me to make for her, but if she's asking me for a commission… then it's got to be something that she herself can't do." -Marinette said. –"I know I said I wasn't going to accept more commissions until the end of the school year, and I felt ready to tackle them again. But this… I mean, she's one of the biggest cosplayers in France, and I love her work!" -she exclaimed. –"I can't say no to her, Alya."
"Then if you can't say no to her, girl, just tell her that you'll accept it." -Alya smiled at her best-friend. –"We both know you want to do this. I can see it in your eyes." -she told Marinette. –"Besides, we don't have any tests to worry about for the foreseeable weeks. You can focus on sewing for a bit. It'll help you relax, just like baking does. You've been a little too stressed for your own good lately, so it'll do you good to just relax for a bit. And before you say something about our duties as superheroes, I think you can take a week off, if it's necessary, to finish whatever this cosplayer wants you to make for her. We can handle the training, and protecting the city without you."
"Alya…" -Marinette said. –"I'm not that stressed, or…" -Marinette said, before being interrupted by Alya.
"Marinette, listen to me, you're the kindest and selfless girl I know, and you're always there for anyone you love." -Alya said. –"And just like everyone else, you deserve a break to focus on something else. I know you're not going to admit it, but ever since you gained that Astral Plane power of yours, you've been training even harder than before. And we can't have you exhaust yourself like that. Just because you are the leader of the Miraculous Team, it doesn't mean that you need to always be training and ready to fight any Akuma that psycho throws at us. That's why we're a team. We share the glory and the work. And you can bet that we'll also share in the responsibility of saving this town. Just like you have our back, we have yours." -she declared with a smile on her face. –"Besides, the convention she must have been talking about in that email, it has to be Japan Expo, which is just around the corner."
"How…" -Marinette said.
"Girl, I'm a Whoovian, a Potterhead, an Oncer, and of course, a Miraculeur, and being a member of multiple fandoms and online communities, I've been getting emails and posts advertising the convention for nearly a month now." -Alya said. –"I'm surprised you don't know about it, with you following cosplayers online and all that. Plus, there are posters and billboards advertising it, all over the city. Not only that, Max has been talking about it too." -she pointed out.
Trying to remember about it, Marinette realized that she had heard Max talking about Japan Expo before, and that she had seen some of the ads and billboards. But because she had her mind focused on other things, she deemed important, she just stashed those pieces of information on the back of her mind, and simply forgot about them.
"With everything that's been going on, on our lives, I guess I haven't really been paying attention to what's been going on outside of my personal life, both as Marinette and Ladybug." -Marinette admitted.
"I keep telling her that she needs to relax a little bit." -Tikki told Alya. –"But she doesn't listen to me." -she added.
"I do relax, Tikki." -Marinette protested. –"Or have you forgotten that I'm always reading with you, and watching series and anime with you, and that I go out with the rest of my friends, especially Adrien?" -she asked her.
"That's not enough, Marinette. It might help you relax for a little bit, but it's not enough. Myself, as well as the rest of the kwamis do try to our best to help you and your friends deal with the stress that you're all under, by helping you out, being your confidents, and suggesting you guys to go out and have fun. But it's clearly not enough, if we have to keep reminding you to relax. You should be able to remember to relax, without having anyone else reminding you to do it. And before you say it, going out with Adrien on a date, isn't relaxing, when you two spend a third of the time discussing superhero business." -Tikki pointed out with a serious look on her face. –"You need to forget that you're Ladybug for a little bit. If not, you're going to overwork yourself, and that could cause you to get hurt, and I don't want that to happen." -she said, this time with a worried look on her face.
"I'm not overworked, Tikki. I'm just… I'm just trying to make things work." -Marinette sighed, as the scarlet kwami's words echoed inside her mind. –"But maybe you're right… maybe I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself lately, and haven't even realized it." -she admitted, realizing what was clear to everyone else, but her. –"Maybe… maybe you and Alya are right, and I really need to relax and just focus on something that isn't school or superhero work."
"There it is… when you admit to yourself that you might not be fully alright, that's the sign you need a little break from it all, Marinette. And this commission for that LettersGirl could just be that little break you need, from the chaos that your life, mine and the rest of us is." -Alya said. –"You can take the time you need. In the meantime, the rest of us will continue to do what we always do, and if Hawk Moth creates another Akuma, or even a new lieutenant, like the one who attacked us yesterday, we'll handle it. And when you, our fearless leader, come back, everything will still be where it's supposed to be. Trust me, and remember, you're not alone in this. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulder. Not when you have a whole bunch of friends, who are always there for you, just like you're always there for them." -she smiled at her. –"Today, it's you who needs to rest, tomorrow it might be or any of the others. But for now, it's you who needs to rest, and you should do it, so you don't get sick, or worst."
Over the years they had been friends, Alya had delivered some pretty incredible speeches to Marinette, but this one toppled them all. Knowing her best-friend, she knew what needed to be said to her, and how she needed to say it. And that touched Marinette, who knew she was right, about everything she had told her. Getting up from the chaise-longue, Marinette hugged Alya, while trying to withhold her tears, because she knew that if she started to cry, it would be half an hour before she stopped crying. And as she hugged her, Marinette thanked the fact of having someone like Alya and Tikki to put some good sense in her head, when she needed the most.
"Okay, I get it. I have your back, and you and everyone else's have mine. I guess I just needed to be reminded that I'm not alone in this crazy fight of our ours." -Marinette smiled. –"Then, I'm going to take up on that offer of yours." -she declared. –"I'm going to take it easy for a few days. So, after dinner, I'm going to reply to LettersGirl and see what she wants me to create for her, and I'm going to create it."
Marinette replied to LettersGirl, telling her that she would be delighted to accept her offer, and that she was humbled by the fact of having been chosen by her. It did not take long for her to answer her back, and explain to her what she pretended. She explained that she was going to cosplay Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy and she needed her jacket. Upon knowing this, Marinette quickly told her the price and asked her for her measurements, so she could start sketching the patterns, as soon as possible. As she wrote that email, she felt so thrilled about all that. At dinner, when she told her parents what had happened, Tom and Sabine were just as thrilled with that opportunity, as she was. Sending it, she then patiently waited for the answer, and while waiting, she texted Adrien to tell him the good news, and to also ask him if he wanted to go to the movies with her tomorrow afternoon. He quickly answered back, congratulating her and telling her that he would love to go to the movies with her.
Shortly after, Marinette got an answer from LettersGirl. But the email she sent her did not have any measurements. Instead, it had an address and beneath it, was a small phrase asking Marinette, if she could meet her tomorrow afternoon, so she could take her measurements, claiming that its best Marinette takes her measurements in person. Reading that, Marinette felt that was a reasonable request, and she told her there would not be any trouble at all. She already had plans to go out with Adrien to the movies that afternoon, so going to LettersGirl place would just be a little detour. Checking the address, she was given, she saw that it was on Rue de Laos, on the 15th arrondissement. Thinking about it, she wondered what kind of person LettersGirl would be and how she looked like. And it was then that she realized that starting the following day, she would be one of the very few people in France who would know her face. Realizing that, she felt even more honoured than before, because LettersGirl was willing to show her, her face.
"Tikki, do you realize what this means?" -Marinette asked her. –"I mean, she's so secretive about her identity, and now she's telling me she wants to meet with me!" -she said.
"It means that she feels comfortable enough to receive you at her place, so you can take her measurements. On top of that, she believes that you will not reveal her identity, once you know it." -Tikki answered her. –"After all, you were the one person who came up with that face-paint for Jagged Stone and you didn't blabbed about it online, until the day after the concert he wore it." -she said.
"That's true." -Marinette agreed. –"I didn't say a word about it, and with LettersGirl, whoever she is, I won't reveal it either." -she declared. –"Can't wait to meet her and tell her just how much I love her work."
Getting a lift from Adrien in his limousine, Marinette and he made their way towards Rue de Laos, quickly getting entangled into the busy traffic of Paris on a Saturday afternoon. Not that that bothered them, because it gave them the chance to sit next to one another, and just enjoy each other's company, while gazing into each other's eyes, like they always loved to do. When they finally arrived, Adrien told Gorilla to find a place to park the car, while adding that they would not be long, and that if he needed anything, he would call him on his cell phone.
"Thanks again for coming with me, Adrien." -Marinette smiled at him, as he closed the limo's door. –"That, and also for driving us here. My mom was going to accompany me, but she had to help my dad with that delivery of macarons I told you about yesterday, and well…" -she said.
"No sweat, milady. It's my pleasure." -Adrien smiled back at her, as they walked.
"I can imagine, silly kitty. -Marinette told him.
"And it's true. I couldn't wait to see your beautiful face again." -Adrien smiled at her. –"And on top of that, by accompanying you, I get to skip piano practice… for a couple of hours that is." -he continued to smile at her. –"When you called me, it wasn't easy to convince Nathalie to let me meet up with you a little earlier, because I agreed to practice, before going with you to the movies. So, I know that I won't go to bed today, without practicing it."
"Nathalie will make sure that happens." -Plagg commented, from inside Adrien's jacket pocket. –"Remember last month, when she forced you to practice for an hour, after dinner, because you failed to do so earlier?" -he asked him.
"How could I forget? We battled an Akuma that afternoon, which was why I had to skip practice, and when I arrived home, I just wanted to go to bed earlier." -Adrien sighed, as he remembered the whole thing.
"Nathalie has a way to keep you in line." -Marinette joked.
"She does. But if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be able to do half the things I do." -Adrien admitted. –"She's the reason why I can come and meet you or any of our friends, without worrying about skipping photoshoots or other kind of events. She manages to schedule them in a way, that gives me the time to have a normal life, and for that, I'll always be grateful to her." -he said. –"On top of that, it's thanks to her that I don't have Gorilla tailing me all the time."
"Yeah, it's not that I mind you having a bodyguard, but I wonder why you still have him, if most of the time, he's not even around you." -Marinette said. –"He's more like a chauffeur, than a bodyguard." -she pointed out.
"Well, my dad still thinks that it's best for me to have one, and it's like they, it's best to have not and needing him than to not having one and needing him in a dire situation." -Adrien said. –"Of course, if my dad knew what I can really do, he would fire Gorilla for sure." -he said.
"Definitely. Though I think that if that happened, you would feel sad for not having him around you." -Marinette told him.
"A little, maybe… I mean, he's not a big talker, but he's a really good listener, and there were times when he just sat there and listened to me and my outbursts, without criticizing or judging me. And there was also that one time, when he saved me from that crazy fan, who wanted me to sign her forehead with a permanent ink marker and chased me for almost a block." -Adrien admitted. –"Okay, I admit it, I would miss having him around. Even if I don't like him acting like a second shadow, I do like having him around."
"You're a softy, just like Marinette is always saying." -Tikki joked, her voice coming form inside Marinette's pochette.
"Tikki!" –Marinette hushed her.
"It's okay, Marinette. I don't mind you calling me that. I am a really big softy." -Adrien declared. –"And you can call me that, whenever you want. You earned the right to call me anything." -he smiled at her, making her blush lightly. –"I love it, when I manage to make you blush."
"C-Cut it out, Adrien. You know I blush easily!" -Marinette giggled.
"Just another reason, why I love you so much, bugaboo." -Adrien whispered at her ear, making her blush even harder. –"Oh, look here we are." -he said, as they arrived at the building, where LettersGirl apartment was.
Taking advantage of someone that was exiting the building, they quickly entered and made their way towards the third floor. For every step she climbed, her heart raced a little bit faster. She was about to know one of France's most talented cosplayers, a person she idolized, and whose work, she loved. Thinking about it, Marinette never hypothesized the idea of becoming a cosplayer, because she already had too much on her plate, and not much time. And when she became one of the defenders of Paris, what little time she had for herself, she wanted to spend it doing something she liked, which was sewing and designing. On top of that, she was not one to put on a cosplay and parade herself in it. But if she ever became a cosplayer, she would want to be just like the one she was about to meet in person.
"Oh, by the way, I know I told you this last night, but I've got to say it again. I'm happy that you're taking a couple of days for yourself." –Adrien told herm as they climbed the stairs. –"You earned them." -he said. –"And don't worry, I'll make sure that everything goes alright, and so will Alya and the others."
"Thanks." -Marinette smiled. –"You know, when I decided to take a couple of days, so I can fully focus on this commission, and relax as well, I admit that I had second thoughts about it, because it felt like I was just dropping my responsibilities on you all. But then I thought harder on what Alya told me, about us all being a team and all that, and how just because I'm the leader, it doesn't mean I have to always be there, when I know, you guys are just as capable and resourceful as I am, and I decided that I really deserve a little time for myself." -she declared. –"After all, it's like Tikki told me. If I get overworked and overstressed, it'll do me no good, and it'll do you guys no good either."
"And it's true. Just because you're the leader, it doesn't mean that we can't do this without you." -Adrien said, just as they reached the apartment's door. –"Well, we are; this is the apartment. Are you ready? I know this means a lot to you." -he asked her. Just like it happened with Alya, Marinette had told him about how much she idolized that cosplayer, and how much that commission request from her, meant to her.
"Ready." -Marinette smiled. –"It's time to meet LettersGirl." -she said, as she rang the bell.
Waiting for someone to open the door, Marinette imagine just how LettersGirl would look like, one last time. She knew she was a Caucasian woman, who was tall and skinny, but not too skinny. Other than that, she did not know anything else. She did not know if she was a blonde, a ginger, a brunette, or if her hair was coloured with a non-natural colour, like it happened with some cosplayers. She also did not know what the colour of her eyes truly was. But all that was about to change, as they heard the lock opening. As the door opened, they saw a woman with moderate vermilion hair, pulled back in a high bun, strong cyan eyes, thin light pink lips, and freckles. She was wearing a black t-shirt with the Fullmetal Alchemist logo, blue jeans and black socks. Looking at them, she smiled, just like she did every day, when she met them in class.
"Hello, Marinette. Hello, Adrien." -the woman greeted them.
"M-Miss Bustier?!" -Marinette asked, practically speechless.
Bet you weren't expecting that, now were you? Some of you sent me PMs asking me who this LettersGirl was, and even guessing that she was Aurore Beauréal, given that on "Halloween Madness" I did state she was a cosplayer. And everytime I read them, I said to myself "They don't even have the slightest idea of this stunt I'm about to pull." xD But yeah, in my AU, Miss Bustier is secretly one of the best cosplayers in France. And just so I don't have anyone saying that this wasn't planned, let me just point out that I've been giving you guys hints on this since the very first fanfic, where I sometimes have her showing up in class, dressed up in costumes from certain historical periods, :) But why doesn't she reveal to the world that she's a famous cosplayer? That will be answered on the following chapter, believe me.
Also, this chapter was heavily influenced by the "Gang of Secrets" episode as well as "Startrain". Initiailly it was just going to be a small talk, where Alya wuld tell Marinette she needs to relax and take some time for herself, or she's going to get overworked, and we don't want an overworked Ladybug, now do we? I wanted both Tikki and Alya, along with Trixx and Adrien to remind Marinette that unlike in the OG show, here, she's not alone and she doesn't have to carry all that responsibility alone.
And yes, Alya is a Whoovian (a Doctor Who fan) in this AU, just like we assume she is in the OG show, but she is also a Miraculeur (I mean, there's nothing wrong in being a fan of oneself, now is there?), an Oncer (which for thos eof you who don't know what it is, it's a fan of "Once Upon a Time") and a Potterhead (in fact, everyone in the class is a Potterhead, just so you know. It's one of the things they all have in common). Since we'll be dabbling in fandoms later on, I decided to get started and reference a couple of them, just to warm up. Oh, and before any of you who live in France and attend Japan Expo, say this, I know that Japan Expo usually happens in July, and by the time this happens in the story, it's early May, but for story purposes, this edition of Japan Expo takes place in May and not July.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or for future ones. :)
P.S. Yes, the owner of the pigeons Ari is talking about is Monsieur Ramier, or Mr. Pigeon in the OG show, in case you're going to ask.