The entire class is at the Mayor's Hotel for the day, a 'work-experience project' instead of class for the day. Most everyone's already been assigned, but Bloom and Marinette are still waiting in the lobby for their assignments. The ghost above Mayor Bourgeois' head says their names aren't on the lists, despite Chloe having assured him they were all accounted for.
Bloom murmurs to Marinette "Just you wait, Chloe's behind this. We're going to be stuck in the worst jobs possible." The look on the blonde girl's face alone, even if they aren't close enough that Bloom can see her ghost, says it all.
Marinette fumes for a moment, and says "While she gets to hang out with Adrien all day and flirt with him." Bloom's pointed out how uncomfortable he always looks when she drapes herself all over him, which calmed her worry about him falling for her - point of fact, apparently Adrien sees Chloe as a cousin of sorts after so long, but not as girlfriend-material - but the way she constantly hangs all over him, rubs against him, or even kisses his cheek is downright disgusting. Not to mention a huge violation of his personal space - lucky Chloe, he doesn't seem to mind all that much despite how uncomfortable he clearly is.
Maybe he lets her because she's such a good friend, maybe it's something to do with his father - Bloom doesn't know, and she doesn't want to ask right now and end up storming the Agreste Manor and tearing Agreste Sr. a new one like he so dearly deserves.
At least Chloe knows some boundaries, and she actually CARES about Adrien in her own specific way.
She isn't using Adrien with no regard for his needs like she does Sabrina, anyway.
Chloe calls her father over, waving a sheet of paper around, and he says "Ah, right, here we are. Bloom, you're going to be…sorting trash at the main dumpster. And, Marinette, you'll be…" Before he can finish that sentence…Jagged Stone walks in, his crocodile Fang next to his leg and two trolleys filled to the brim with luggage.
Marinette whisper-asks "Is that…?"
Bloom murmurs back "Yep."
Jagged Stone, purple hair, crocodile, and all - Marinette introduced her to the rock-star's music, and her own love for it, and now Bloom's a fan as well. And he just walked into the lobby.
Mayor Bourgeois, on the other hand, somehow doesn't recognize the man even though he was at the event Chloe set up to try and buy her way into the Class Rep position. "Excuse me, but this is a hotel, not a zoo."
Before he can say anything else, though, Chloe calls him over near-frantically. After a moment spent talking into his ear - Bloom distinctly catches the words 'famous' and 'very, very rich' - the man gets the biggest - slimiest - smile on his face and says "Welcome to the Grand Paris Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in all of Paris. I am Mayor Bourgeois, owner of this fine establishment, how may I help you?"
Jagged Stone raises an eyebrow, and flatly asks "How do you think? I didn't just come here to admire your lobby."
Marinette bites down on the side of her cheek to keep from bursting out in laughter - that is exactly something Bloom would say. Adrien seems to be having a hard time keeping his composure to, because he just turned to organize the rack of brochures and Marinette can see him biting his bottom lip as he does so.
Thankfully, his assistant - the famous Penny Rolling - says "Jagged would like to check in to your most luxurious suite."
Jagged adds "And it better have a tub for Fang, not a tiny little watering hole like that hotel across the street."
Mayor Bourgeois says "We have everything you need, Mrs. Fang. Even a state-of-the-art fitness center." Bloom, Marinette, and Adrien all trade shocked glances - one of the things Jagged Stone is known for is his crocodile named Fang. Jagged immediately tells him as much, and he backtracks into…a bubble-bath. Which would dry out the croc's scales.
Bloom sends Marinette an exasperated glance, then says "Mayor Bourgeois, for the love of…who is that?" When they all turn to look where she's pointing, they see a guy with pale hair and a camera kneeling behind a counter, camera in hand and a look on his face like a deer in the headlights.
Jagged mutters "Oh no, not him again…"
The blonde guy, sporting a look on his face that has Adrien shuffling away from him instantly, grins and says "Hi, Mr. Stone, remember me? Vincent Aza! Just one photo to show everyone that we're best buds! C'mon, please? I'm your biggest fan!"
Jagged snaps "I know, you've been to my last thirty-six concerts!" He's also snuck into the backstage for ten of them, tried to take pictures of the rock-star at any time he can find him, and even nearly hurt Fang one time! "But we are not friends!"
Vincent tries to get over to Jagged for an unwanted photo, but Bloom steps in his path and hotly says "He said no, you stalking creep! Get a life already!"
Vincent scowls at her, and tries to push her out of the way…only for his wrist to get caught and twisted around in a deceptively strong grip, and he's forced to turn around just so his arm doesn't get broken or pulled out of the socket. And then he gets slammed face-first into the counter he was hiding behind, and everyone hears a sound that usually goes with a broken nose. "Kim, you mind getting the door?"
Kim watches in half-amazement, half-amusement as Bloom practically marches the stalker out the door, tossing him on his behind and all but shoving the camera into his chest in the process.
And then Penny Rolling says she'll be calling the police next time to get him a cell in jail until the restraining order paperwork goes through if she ever catches him around Jagged Stone again.
Adrien, meanwhile, can only think 'Sis, your Dragon Fyre is showing.' She's not exactly subtle about it sometimes - she's never broadcasted it, shouted it to the skies or anything…but she's also not one to stand back if she can help either. She once described her role in their group as the big, flashy distraction, taking everyone's attention so that Ladybug can come up with a plan and Cat Noir can get a sneak-attack in or get away to regroup. Or so they can get over there, if they aren't already transformed and on the scene.
Marinette, meanwhile, is wondering just when people will get a clue about Bloom - yes, she's incredible, with a no-nonsense attitude during serious situations like this…but sometimes she wonders if Bloom's sometimes a little too good at this stuff. The Miraculous' are slowly giving them enhanced speed, strength, and agility outside of the suit - as she personally found out after dropping a book from off her bed only to find herself doing a Ladybug-esque stretch to get it back as Marinette, something that should've been physically impossible with her usual lack of coordination, and Bloom recently went to the top of the rope you have to climb in about…five seconds flat - and she's not afraid to use it when need be.
And then Jagged Stone asks "Uh, Mr. Mayor? Who's she?" Because that was absolutely rock 'n roll! Not to mention she just threw Vincent Aza, his biggest and most problematic stalker ever, out on his backside...literally!
Mayor Bourgeois hastily says "She's one of the students that are here for a work-experience project, one Bloom Peters."
Jagged Stone grins, and says "Ah, in that case, I'd like her to be my bodyguard for the day. Aza's not exactly one to take no for an answer, but I'm thinking she might be able to drive it through his head."
Chloe makes a strangled sound from behind the desk, Marinette stares at her in utter shock, and even Adrien stares at her in surprise. Bloom just shrugs, sticks her hand out, and says "Nice to meet you, Mr. Stone."
Jagged grins, and says "Rock 'n roll! Good to meet you to!"
Bloom, to everyone's shock, just grabs onto one of the trolleys and starts pulling it towards the elevators after shaking his hand - Kim, the class athlete, was completely out of breath just getting them into the lobby, and Bloom's just casually pulling it along like it's nothing!
And then Marinette finally gets told what she's going to be doing - she's the Gopher, the employee who 'goes for' anything a guest needs. And Jagged Stone needs a set of sunglasses for his concert tonight, red, white, and blue with two large Eiffel Towers on them.
Once the Mayor and Ms. Bustier are gone, Bloom asks "How about the three of us sit down with a sketchpad and work out a design?"
Jagged nods his head at once, and says "Rock 'n Roll, these are going to be the coolest shades ever!" Marinette quickly sketches out a rough outline of how he wants the sunglasses to look, and Bloom adds on some details - like the nose bridge connecting the two towers, for instance - and Jagged whistles in admiration at the finished result. "Now that is a rock 'n roll set of shades, ladies! How much?"
Marinette blinks in shock, and Bloom asks "You want to pay us?"
Penny takes one look at the design, then says "Absolutely! You two have some real talent, and Jagged's always been one for encouraging talent he comes across."
Bloom shares a glance with Marinette, then asks "You want to start up a brand, Mari?"
Marinette blinks, even as Penny and Jagged both start giving support, then says "Alright, let's do it. What do we call it?"
They come up with the brand name 'B&M' - for Bloom and Marinette - and Marinette insists on splitting the profits 50-50 with Bloom. Bloom wanted Marinette to have it all, but Marinette subtly threatened to leave every penny of it in a bag at her place if that's what she had to do, so they came up with a compromise. And a promise of a business account at Marinette's parents' bank, with two cards connected to it.
Marinette dashes out the door once all the details are settled, and Bloom grins and says "She'll be back in around an hour or two, Mr. Stone." Penny smiles, and says "If it's alright, I'd like to get both your phone numbers in case we need to contact you two." Bloom grins, gives her number over at once, then texts Marinette. And then gets the go-ahead, along with a flood of emojis.
When Marinette gets back, she finds…Bloom being cuddled by Fang. The six-foot croc is wrapped around her as much as he can be, trying to lick her face.
Penny and Jagged are sharing amused looks, and Jagged says "He doesn't usually like strangers at first, but he's a wicked judge of character."
Marinette takes a picture of Bloom pseudo-wrestling Fang, and then helps her up so she can put her finishing touches on the sunglasses - Marinette only had sturdy cardboard, but Bloom can turn it into plastic. After getting Bloom in the bathroom - both for privacy to change the sunglasses and to clean the croc-spit off her, Marinette shows Bloom the sunglasses. Bloom grins, and her eyes burn orange for a moment as the glasses turn from cardboard into plastic.
And then, Bloom shows Marinette the various designs she came up with for their logo. Marinette giggles at the subtle scale design on the B, and the way the M has what looks a bit like Ladybug antennae on her last idea, and picks that for their logo - and then it appears on one of the arms of the glasses, Jagged Stone's own logo on the other.
When he sees the sunglasses, Jagged is over the moon, declaring them the most rock 'n roll pair of shades he's ever seen before. And then Penny pays them 1000 Euros for the sunglasses, even as Jagged promises them free tickets to his concert tonight. Bloom and Marinette trade glances, and Marinette accepts the check Penny wrote out with only slightly shaking hands - but she and Bloom just got 1000 Euros from Jagged Stone!
The detail that that's enough for Bloom to buy some food for a while is very, very clear on the disbelieving look on Bloom's face. The detail that Marinette absolutely expects her to use that money to buy food for herself is very clear in the pointed look she sends her redheaded best friend.
Marinette has to go back down, and Bloom goes back to guarding the door after using the bathroom, only for someone who can only be an Akuma to get rid of Penny and then Fang as well just as she's finished. Something about looking into the lens. And then he corners Jagged, backing him up to the wall, only for Bloom to tackle him from behind, putting a hand over the camera on his head.
"Argh! Little wretch, get off me!" He's so close, Jagged Stone is right there! And now this little girl gets the idea to jump him from behind and block his camera lens!
Bloom growls out "Not a chance! Run, Jagged! Get out of here!" Jagged hops off the bed and runs for the door, and then he hears a weird sound. When he glances back…they're gone.
No Bloom, no weirdo…just the pair of glasses with the camera-like object on them.
Well…A+ for effort, I suppose.
He'll definitely hire her for a bodyguard if she ever offers.
Adrien sighs in despair as Chloe jumps him while screaming, wrapping around him like an octopus and scratching him with her nails as she scrambles to hold onto him - of course, he quickly takes back that sigh when he sees why Chloe's screaming. A crocodile just appeared next to them.
And then Bloom and a guy that can only be an Akuma appears as well, the two of them either wrestling or trying to knock each other out. Bloom yells "It's that stalker from the lobby! He's been Akumatized! Somebody help me tie him up! Fang, sit on him!"
To Chloe's unending horror, the crocodile that appeared comes over and plants itself on top of the Akuma. And then Bloom uses her jacket to tie up his arms behind him, then scratches Fang under his jaw.
And then they get released maybe five minutes later, with the Akuma turning back into Vincent Aza. Bloom promptly throws him out, barely restraining herself from tossing him straight out the window of Jagged's suite.
That afternoon, Marinette, Bloom, Adrien, and Nino all get free tickets to Jagged's concert as they made the greatest effort - Chloe, meanwhile, throws another tantrum because she didn't get a free ticket. Even though all she did was flirt with Adrien the whole time - when she wasn't justifiably screaming in terror about Fang appearing next to her, that is.
AN: Hey, everyone! Next chapter is up, hope you like it! Just going to go ahead and make it a double because Jagged Stone - and, YES, Bloom and Mari FINALLY have their own brand! A source of money for Bloom - so she can finally buy stuff instead of sneaking around a grocery store! ...not that she's going to pull from the brand-money for something non-work-related as food right away, unfortunately. Baby steps...and yelling from her bestie and brother. But we'll get there soon!
Enjoy! More updates coming soon!