As much fun as it was to watch Plagg fall in love with Cheese-Itz, Marinette's homework wasn't going to do itself. It was already almost 21:00, and Alya's "Date Night" would come to an end sooner rather than later.
Of course, it's hard to focus on your History of Modern Fashion textbook when your new kwami is investigating everything in your room. Marinette kept getting distracted by Plagg rustling around, even though she told herself that he was harmless and that she needed to keep reading.
After about twenty minutes, she gave up. Marinette could only reread a page so many times.
"Plagg, do you sleep?" she called out to him, wondering about the habits of a kwami. Obviously he ate. Did he need to use the restroom, too?
Plagg just came out of the drawer he was nosing around in. "Is that a joke? Of course I sleep. I was just asleep for a hundred years!"
Marinette narrowed her eyes and grinned. "You and I both know that isn't true. I would invite you to share my pillow with me, but I do have a roommate, and I get the feeling that you're supposed be a secret."
Plagg looked around and noticed that, indeed, one half of the room was decked out in rock posters and a messy desk complete with a sewing machine, while the other half of the room was covered in news clippings and polaroid photo collages. "What's your roommate like?" he asked.
Marinette mulled over that, leaning back in her desk chair. Even though she had only been Alya's friend for a little over a year, she admired the other girl's spark and gumption. "Wild. But loads of fun. I think it would be a terrible idea for the two of you to meet, though. She wants to be a reporter, and she has a knack for sniffing out secrets."
Plagg landed on Marinette's desk, sitting on her sewing machine and dangling his little kwami legs off the side. "Well, we're going to have to be sure to keep this extra secret, then. So secret even your roommate doesn't pick up on it."
Marinette tapped a pen against her chin in thought. Where would be a good place to hide Plagg while he slept? Somewhere where he could be present to hear and see everything in the room without being heard or seen himself?
Struck by inspiration, Marinette went to her materials drawer and pulled out some stuffing, along with some plush fabric. She went right to work, holding the pieces up against Plagg to size them, and cutting carefully along the lines she drew.
Plagg perched on her shoulder and watched, asking, "What are you doing?"
"I'm making you a little bed. A cozy spot all your own." Although it sounded a bit muffled from the pins held between her teeth.
She finished putting the pieces together, held with the pins, and brandished it to Plagg. "Well, what do you think?" It looked like a cat bed, but much, much smaller.
He floated over to it, sinking into the stuffing. The fabric was black with green lining, and Marinette placed her spool of electric green thread into the machine. When she looked back over, she saw a tender look on Plagg's face — but when he saw her looking, it immediately vanished. "It'll do," he told her, turning away from the bed like it didn't interest him at all. But Marinette smiled with her knowledge.
As she sewed the seams together, Plagg perched on her shoulder again, watching in fascination. "I've never had a wearer who crafted."
Marinette turned the bed over to sew the other side. "I love sewing. And designing. It's why I'm trying to break into the fashion industry."
She finished the bed in a few more minutes, and then placed it on the desk. "Here, try it out, let me know if it needs more stuffing."
Plagg flew off her shoulder and landed in the soft bed, turning in circles and kneading it, just like a real cat. Marinette had to stifle a giggle and stop herself from grinning as Plagg settled in, looking up at her with his paws tucked beneath his body.
"What?"
"Nothing. You're just like a real cat, aren't you?" She put her hand up to her mouth to hide any smile she might have there.
Plagg grumbled. "No, I'm a deity of unimaginable power. Real cats were made to look like me, not the other way around."
Marinette forced herself to be serious. She didn't mean to offend him. "I'm sorry, Plagg. There's still a lot I don't know about you."
He rolled over, staying comfy in the little bed. "I'm one of two kwamis whose miracle stones were created by the Grand Mage at the dawn of human civilization. I'm the kwami of destruction; that's why, when a human taps into my power, they are able to disintegrate something."
Marinette's eyes widened. There were more of these beings? "What does the other kwami do?"
"Tikki is the kwami of creation. She allows her wearers to summon an item to assist them in battle."
Marinette played with the ring on her finger. "But disintegration isn't destruction, and summoning isn't creation."
Plagg perked up. "Someone's been paying attention. That's what the miracle stone is for. It allows you to tap into my power, but a very small portion of it, only. That's because the Grand Mage knew humans were power-hungry. Kwamis, on the other hand, are not. But we are hungry for food!" and he zipped back over to the box of Cheese-Itz, which she had left on her nightstand for him.
Marinette stood from the table, placing the small bed underneath her own. "There. Now, you can hear everything that's going on, just in case there's an emergency. But you're also very well hidden!" She put her fists on her hips, standing up, back straight with pride.
Plagg floated down and made himself at home under her bed. Marinette was feeling sorry that she couldn't do more for him when the bedroom door opened.
"Helloooo," Alya called cheerfully, crossing the threshold and showing off her slinky dress. Marinette stiffened, forcing her eyes not to dart down to where only she knew Plagg was hidden. She hoped he really would stay put.
"Hi, Alya, how was Date Night?" Marinette tried to match her friend's cheery tone, but her smile struggled to stay on her face, and Alya's own expression fell as she took in Marinette's appearance.
"You look like you've just seen a ghost. Is everything okay?" Her concern made Marinette feel suddenly overwhelmed, and she fell into a sitting position on the edge of her bed. Alya's presence brought some normalcy back to Marinette's life, and it put the events of the day into perspective. Crazy perspective. She wanted to tell Alya that in fact, no, everything wasn't okay, and she might as well have seen a ghost. But when she ran through it in her head, not even Alya would believe it. Marinette hardly believed it, but that ring was still there on her finger, reminding her that this was her reality now.
Alya sat beside her and ran a hand down Marinette's back. "The monster really is gone, Marinette. You don't have to keep stressing out about it."
She thought fast. Since she couldn't tell Alya what the matter really was, this would have to do. "I know, you're right. But I can't help it. I've been stressed all day. What if there are more where that one came from?" She said it without thinking, but the truth of it hit her like a semi truck crashing down the highway. And if Alya's wrinkled brow was anything to measure by, it hit her too.
They sat there, staring at the wall. But Marinette looked down at her ring finger again, and she clenched her fist. Although she couldn't share it with Alya, she let herself feel confident. If another monster did appear, she would stop it!
She turned to Alya, determined to lift the mood. "How did your date go?"
Alya's face brightened again, and Marinette relaxed as Alya got up and twirled around the room, going into the bathroom to remove her makeup. "It was amazing!" she called, and Marinette stood in the doorway, watching her pull off a fake eyelash. "Nino is just so good at reading me! I feel like, every time I go out with him, I'm struck by how much we connect, and I always wish we had met sooner!"
Marinette liked listening to Alya gush. It made her feel as though she was living vicariously through her friend's happiness, since Marinette had no reason to gush about her own life.
As if on cue, Alya turned to look at Marinette in the mirror, and she pouted. "I wish you weren't so single, Marinette. You're so cute. I bet you could snag any guy you wanted!"
Marinette just batted a hand at her. "No way, I'm too busy to date, everyone knows that…" but she trailed off as she saw the glint forming in Alya's eyes.
"You know, Nino has some roommates…" She raised her eyebrows.
Marinette really didn't like where this was going. "No, I'm okay, really!"
But it was too late. Alya already had a plan forming. "It'll be perfect! I can so see you with Nathaniel. Or maybe Kim! You'd have to meet them, though…" Marinette tried shaking her head to no avail. Alya pulled out her phone. "I'm gonna text Nino! We'll make a plan so we can all hang out together! That way, we can limit the awkwardness."
Marinette sighed, her shoulders falling. "Fine," she said, giving in. It was no use to fight Alya when she made a plan. "But only because tomorrow is Saturday!" That meant no class, just a shift at Sloppy Joe's and some studying to catch up on.
"YES!" Alya exclaimed. "Marinette is officially agreeing to go to a kickback! Ahhh! I'm too excited now!" She wiggled around in front of the mirror, unable to contain herself. She still had one fake eyelash on.
Marinette rose at 08:00, but Alya was still fast asleep. She peeked under her bed to see Plagg, snoozing softly, with orange crumbs on his whiskers. She couldn't help but smile to herself.
She grabbed her laptop and books and snuck into the living room, spreading her materials out to get into the zone. Being a student at Université Françoise-Dupont wasn't hard for Marinette; but keeping up on her studies while juggling a job and an internship did make it challenging. It drove her to do things like get up before everyone else on a Saturday morning.
After about an hour, Plagg flew out of the room and landed on her lap, and Marinette almost yelped in shock. "How did you get here? What if someone saw you?"
Plagg waved a paw, dismissing Marinette's concerns. "Kwamis can pass through physical materials. It's called phasing. As for being seen, no one in this place is awake but you; I can tell."
Marinette squirmed. It would take her longer to get used to this magical stuff than she'd thought. "Okay, but don't be unnecessarily careless."
Plagg cocked his head to see what she was doing on the computer. "Wow, you sure are a go-getter, Marinette. I was expecting a modern wielder to be lazier because of technology."
"Technology comes with its own challenges. And well, I have to be a go-getter, Plagg. Someone has to pay for all those Cheese-Itz," she raised her eyebrows in mock concern.
Plagg smiled at her, and Marinette felt a tension in her chest lighten. Maybe it would be nice to have something to take care of. She petted his head softly with her pointer finger, and he leaned into her touch. Just like a real cat, but she made sure not to say anything about it this time.
Marinette finished up at 11:00 and made some lunch, and around then, all three of the girls she lived with emerged to do the same. Plagg heard them coming even before their doors opened, and Marinette let herself worry less about him. He was centuries old, after all. He probably knew how to take care of himself.
"Good morning, Marinette," Mylène rubbed her eyes as she poured herself a bowl of cereal.
"Good morning," Marinette smiled back, chopping some tomatoes for a salad.
Alya yawned and stretched, blinking at seeing the small kitchen already cramped. "I guess I'll wait my turn, then," she jibed, leaning against the countertop. "Mylène, did you hear? Marinette agreed to go out tonight!"
"Oh, that's great! Good for you, Marinette!" she cooed, moving to the table to eat her breakfast.
Marinette just grumbled. "Yes, I agreed, but I'm starting to wish I hadn't. I don't know anyone who'll be there besides you!"
"That's the whole point, meeting new people… you know?" Alya laughed, grabbing a carton of eggs from the fridge.
As she did so, the door opened again, and Juleka grabbed a banana from a fruit basket and sat down next to Mylène, peeling it with concentration.
"Where are you guys going?" Mylène asked between crunches.
"Nino's place, he's having a kickback," Alya practically glowed.
"Nino Lahiffe? The DJ who lives with Ivan?" Mylène turned to look over at Alya.
Alya hesitated, turning on the stove. "Yes…? How do you know him?"
Mylène chuckled. "Because that Ivan is the Ivan I'm dating!"
Alya laughed aloud, and so did Mylène. Marinette just shook her head as she watched them wipe tears from their eyes, prepping some cucumber for her salad.
"It's a small world, who would have known?" Alya exclaimed. "Do you want to come tonight? To the kickback?" she asked as she scrambled some eggs in a bowl.
"I would say yes, normally, but Ivan and I actually have plans tonight, so he won't be there either. Have fun for me!" She got up to put her dish in the dishwasher, still chuckling, and then went back into her room to get dressed.
Alya looked at Marinette meaningfully. "See? One less person you have to meet. Just Nathaniel and Kim." She poured her eggs into a frying pan and they sizzled appetizingly.
Marinette put her cutting board away and pulled out some vinaigrette. "You're forgetting that I hardly know Nino. I've seen the kid once."
Alya dismissed her concern and poked at her eggs with a spatula. "He's great, you'll love him. You'll love all of them."
"That remains to be seen," Marinette answered, tossing her salad and leaving the kitchen.
"What about you, Juleka? Do you have plans tonight? Do you want to come to a kickback?" Alya wouldn't let Marinette dampen her mood.
Marinette speared some salad and looked at Juleka.
"Hm. Probably not. I have some homework to catch up on. Might see Rose later," she replied noncommittally, finishing up her banana while looking at something on her phone.
Marinette let herself enjoy her lunch, and the apartment fell into a pleasant silence. Eventually Alya joined them at the table with her eggs. Although Marinette had only known Juleka and Mylène for a few months, she felt comfortable with them. They were nice and tidy and were fun to talk to when they weren't busy.
Alya she had known since the start of her first year — they had been roommates in a different apartment, with two other college students, Chloé and Sabrina. Those two had been terrible housemates; messy, loud, with no respect for personal space or property. Having to endure living with them had brought Marinette and Alya close in just a year, and Alya had no qualms calling Marinette her best friend. But her looseness with the term made Marinette wonder if Alya really meant it — were they best friends? Or were they just roommates who'd gone through a rough time together? Marinette returned the term of endearment, but as a result, she wasn't sure if she was being genuine. Was a friend really a "best" friend if they were the only friend you had?
She clocked in at Sloppy Joe's at exactly 12:00 and tied her apron around her waist. Plagg flew out of her small purse and practically fainted at the smell of melted cheese and grease that permeated the air. It made Marinette chuckle, and she never chuckled at work.
"If you want, you can hide under my cap," she offered, seeing his dejected expression at the prospect of being left alone in the locker room.
Plagg zipped up and phased through the baseball cap, resting right in between the fabric and her hair. It tickled a little, but Marinette smiled to herself knowing that she had someone with her to survive the next six hours. She adjusted her polo shirt, tucking it into her jeans, and walked out onto the floor to take orders.
At 15:30, her boss told her to go ahead and break for lunch, and Marinette was relieved to have some company to share her break with. She made herself a cheeseburger and took it into the locker room, which was completely empty. Plagg phased out of her hat and landed on her knee as she sat on the bench.
"Well, I hope that wasn't too boring for you," she joked, taking a bite of her sandwich.
"It was actually quite relaxing. I feel I know you so much better now, Marinette," he replied cheekily.
His remark made Marinette laugh, really laugh, almost as much as Alya and Mylène had laughed this morning. It made her blink a few tears away from her eyes, and it made her realize with full force how lonely she'd been. How much having a companion had improved her mood. She opened up her cheeseburger, pulled the cheese off, and gave it to Plagg, whose eyes swam with joy as he relished it.
Maybe it was a good thing that Alya was making her go to a kickback tonight. A twenty-year-old girl can only handle so much work and school.
Marinette had another bite and Plagg surprised her by asking, "Have you thought of a name yet?"
"Name?"
"For your superhero persona, of course," he popped off her knee and sat on top of her cap. Marinette furrowed her brow. Right. A name. She obviously couldn't fight crime in a tight black cat suit and expect no one to ask her who she was. And admitting the truth of that matter would be detrimental.
"What kind of names do your wearers normally choose?"
Plagg ran his paws over his face, straightening out his whiskers. "Well, honestly, the last time I had a wearer was a few hundred years ago. He didn't like cats much. Just called himself the Black Knight. I thought it was meh. But you, Marinette—" he flew down and hovered in front of her face, "you're creative! I know you can come up with a name that fits your personality and sparks fear in your enemies!"
Her shoulders dropped. "Way to put on the pressure," she mumbled. Something about black cats, but also something that would reflect her. Something more than the generic Chat Noir that came to mind.
Marinette thought to herself. She liked cats, she thought they were really sweet and lovable, even if Plagg sometimes denied it. Inside herself she liked to think she, too, was sweet and lovable, but she didn't want to pick a name like Cute Kitty Cat. That wasn't scary at all.
She took another bite. Something between Black Knight and Cute Kitty Cat. She swallowed and then proposed to Plagg, "What about… what about something like Kitty Noire?"
Plagg looked closely at her and gave a small nod of approval. "I wouldn't have picked it, but it suits you. A mix of cute and scary. Like us," and he winked, and Marinette laughed again, not having the heart to tell him that he wasn't scary at all.
When Marinette got back to the apartment, the television in the living room was on, but no one was sitting in front of it.
The news channel was playing, and she stopped to watch it on the way to her room. The primary newswoman, Nadja Chamack, was speaking, her expression grave.
"Police investigators are still on the lookout for Mme. Marily Renault, a forty-five-year-old woman who was last seen nearly a week ago, leaving for her apartment near Rue Gottlieb. If you have any information on the whereabouts of this woman, the police urge you to report it."
Marinette's heart sank. This was the first major crime to happen since she'd moved to Paris, a little over a year ago. Her parents had already called her, sick with worry, urging her to stop working late shifts at Sloppy Joe's. Marinette had placated them with a promise to "try" but so far she hadn't so much as brought up their concerns to her manager. It wasn't that she didn't want to put them at ease, it was just… she didn't feel like she was in danger. Especially not now, with the beautiful green gem dancing on her finger.
Alya interrupted her ruminating by opening their bedroom door. "I thought I heard you come home. Are you ready for the magic makeover?" she asked, a steely glint in her eye.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Marinette sighed, leaving the living room and the tragic disappearance behind her.
The first thing she saw upon entering was Alya's desk, the entire surface covered in various makeup supplies and hair products. It was so much more than she had been prepared for.
"Wow, are you sure I need all this?" Marinette's hand played with her hair in her nervousness.
But Alya wouldn't budge. "100%. Now go de-Joe," she instructed gently, gesturing to the shower.
Marinette tried not to drag her feet.
Once she was clean, Alya blow-dried Marinette's raven hair, running a gentle comb through it, and wrapping it up in a delicate top knot with a floral clip. Marinette sat in her chair, folded up in her towel, and couldn't help the small smile that snuck onto her face. It was nice to have someone take care of you. A part of her brain wandered, trying to procure what her relationship with Alya was now that they were doing this together. Were makeovers only reserved for best friends? "Alya, have you done this before, for your other friends?"
Alya was silent a moment, pursing her lips. "Hm, maybe a few times in high school, for events. But this is different. We're gonna snag you a date by the end of the night if it takes all I have!" and she leaned over to wink at Marinette. Marinette wasn't sure if that really answered her question, even though it did make that small smile creep back onto Marinette's face.
After hair, it was makeup time, and although Marinette and makeup were not complete strangers, Marinette had never used more than the basics: some lipstick, mascara, a little powder. She was intimidated by Alya's army of foundations, concealer, primer, setting spray… it made her head spin.
Alya's brow wrinkled. "You're a lot fairer than I am. I'm not sure if I have a color that will match you." She rummaged about, but the only bottles she revealed were perfect matches to Alya's caramel brown complexion.
"That's okay, we can just skip that—" but Marinette was cut off by Alya's incredulous expression and firm shake of the head.
"No way, foundation is essential to any look. That's why it's called foundation. I'm going to see if Mylène has something closer to your coloring." As soon as she left the room, Plagg poked out from under the bed, raising his metaphorical eyebrows at everything that was going on.
"Have you had a female wearer before?" Marinette tentatively asked.
"You're the first. For most of history, the miracle stones have been entrusted exclusively to men. Only in more recent years have women wielded them. Some holders gave them to their wives, and they found that their ladies were much better fighters than they had been. But none of my wielders have ever done so."
"If none of yours have, that means the other kwami's wielders have? Tikki?" Marinette played with the ends of her towel.
She saw Plagg shift uncomfortably, and it threw her. She didn't think it was a forbidden question to ask.
He opened his mouth to finally say something, and then his ears twitched and he darted back under the bed, right as the bedroom door opened, revealing Alya proudly holding up a tube of foundation.
"Mylène's out with Ivan, but Juleka is about your shade, and she had some! Oh, I'm so excited! This is gonna be legendary!" Alya got right to work, and Marinette sat there quietly, with her eyes closed, trying to appear at ease. But the exchange with Plagg bothered her. She wanted to know more about the history of the miracle stones.
"Stop twitching, Marinette. It's okay to be nervous, but you'll mess up my handiwork if you keep that up," Alya scolded playfully. Marinette forced herself to stop thinking about Plagg. She could ask him about it later.
"Sorry, Alya," she said, but after a moment, she felt the urge to elaborate. Maybe if Alya knew how much this meant to Marinette, she'd be able to find out more clearly where they stood. "I really am excited for this, even though I may have grumbled a bit earlier. It'll be nice to meet people again. I feel like, ever since I got that internship, I've become a hermit. We used to have a lot of fun last year. Well, when Chloé and Sabrina weren't around," she chuckled.
Alya rolled her eyes with a smile. "Oh man. I haven't thought about those two troublemakers in months! Living with them was a nightmare, but honestly, I wouldn't be opposed to connecting again." She dabbed Marinette's face with a sponge as she said it.
"What?! They were insane. They never picked up after themselves, especially Chloé! She would leave her dirty dishes out and we had to beg her to wash them. Not to mention that they stole your stuff all the time — did you forget about that?" Marinette wanted to open her eyes and give Alya an accusatory stare.
"Ah, that's in the past now," she said dismissively. "They were bad roommates, sure, but they weren't bad people." Alya rummaged in her makeup bag. "Okay, make sure to keep your eyes closed. I'm gonna prime them and then give you a smokey look. I think it'll compliment your features nicely."
Marinette did as Alya said, trying to be as still as a mannequin, but she wasn't sure if she agreed with her regarding their ex-roommates. She, personally, wouldn't mind if she never saw either of them again. Especially Chloé.
When Alya finished up with the primer, and all the shadowing, she filled in Marinette's eyebrows, added a little blush, and then sprayed sealer over it.
"Okay, I think you're good! The only thing is mascara. It's always best if you apply it yourself, since I don't want to accidentally poke your eye out or something," she grinned, and Marinette opened her eyes to take the tube from her friend. She moved towards the bathroom to put on the mascara when Alya stopped her. "Wait, look at me?"
Marinette did, afraid something was wrong. But Alya just squealed when she examined her own work. "Oh, it looks so good! You're gonna be the belle of the ball, you know," she gushed, and Marinette couldn't help but blush.
"You mean the belle of the kickback?" she joked, trying to deflect the compliment.
But Alya saw through her. "It's the closest thing to a ball we're going to at this time in our lives," and Alya joined Marinette in the bathroom to put on her own makeup as Marinette finished up.
Marinette opened the tube of mascara and lifted it up to her face in the mirror, holding her towel around herself with her other hand.
"Ooh, cute ring! Is that new?" Alya asked.
Marinette almost smeared mascara everywhere in her shock, her heart racing double time. She had to think fast. "Um, yeah, someone at work didn't want it anymore, and it fit me, so…" she fumbled, kicking herself mentally. Why hadn't she come up with some sort of cover story earlier?
"Hm. I didn't know you were friends with anyone at work." Alya raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her. But what could Marinette do to make her story more convincing?
"I mean, we're not friends. Just acquaintances." Marinette handed the mascara back to Alya without meeting her eyes. She escaped the bathroom to pick out a dress before Alya could ask any more questions.
But Alya had other ideas. "Not friends, huh? Are you sure this coworker of yours isn't more than friends?" She waggled her eyebrows, sticking her head out of the bathroom to look at her roommate.
Marinette sighed in relief, but she covered it by looking in the closet. Of course this was about some secret romance Alya thought she could dig up. It put Marinette at ease to know her roommate wasn't onto her. "No, I'm sure, Alya. That's why we're doing all this, right?"
"True," she called back in a singsongy voice. Marinette's shoulders relaxed. Alya was nosy, it was true, but she was also harmless. All the same, Marinette made a mental note to come up with better cover stories.
For her outfit, Marinette decided to wear a glittery pomegranate pencil dress of her own design. It was modest but shapely, and it always made her feel confident when she wore it. She picked a pair of earrings and tried to match it to her ring as much as possible, so that it would blend into her whole ensemble, instead of sticking out like a sore thumb, bright green among shades of red.
Alya chose a short, black cocktail dress that dipped low to show off her assets. She wiggled her eyebrows conspiratorially. "Nino's gonna pass out, huh?"
Marinette grinned back. "I'll say!"
The girls left their apartment at 19:30 and walked the few blocks to Nino's building. Alya ran over some descriptions of the boys she intended for her friend, and Marinette peeked into her clutch to check on Plagg, who looked quite happy considering the amount of Cheese-Itz accompanying him in there.
They rode the elevator up, and when Alya stopped at door 76, she looked intently at Marinette before she knocked. "Lipstick check?"
"You're good. What about me?"
"Perfect. Deep breath."
Marinette took a measured breath, blowing it out slowly. There was nothing to be nervous about, she told herself.
Alya rang the bell, and after a moment, the door opened and a tan guy with big industry-grade headphones around his neck stood in the threshold.
"Oh, Alya. You really outdid yourself." He gave her a look that made her blush and Marinette had to stifle a giggle. "And you, Marinette. You look stunning. I'm sure the guys will think so, too," he raised his brows at both of them and Marinette sighed. Of course Nino was as much of a schemer as Alya was. They were perfect for one another.
He opened the door to let them in, wrapping an arm around Alya. Marinette turned to see three young men sitting on the sofa, in various positions ranging between too-tense and too-relaxed.
She did a double take. Three men? But Ivan was out on his date with Mylène! Alya had said there were only two that she had to meet…
"Guys, this is Marinette. Marinette, these are the guys. Nathaniel," he said, gesturing to the tensest of the three, who had long, red hair hanging shaggily over one of his teal-green eyes. He got up to shake her hand like a true gentleman, giving her a shy smile before sitting back down.
"This is Kim," Nino introduced the next guy, the one manspreading across the whole couch. He was wearing a red hoodie and just lifted up his chin as if to say 'sup without getting up. Marinette tried not to seem disappointed.
"And this is our next-door neighbor, Adrien. He heard we were having a party and couldn't stay away," Nino teased, but Marinette couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. It was Sunflower Boy, right there, sitting politely on Nino's couch. He got up and shook her hand as Nathaniel had done, but he stayed standing.
"More like I was begged to be here. Nino doesn't know what he'd do without me," he joked, looking back at Nino and fluttering his eyelashes.
Nino rested the back of his hand on his forehead and pretended to swoon. Marinette chuckled. Okay, so they were dorks. Who was surprised by that?
Adrien sat back down on the sofa, Nino and Alya squeezed together on the loveseat, and Marinette realized there wasn't anywhere for her to sit. She was about to make herself at home on the floor when Adrien scooted over to make room for her on the couch.
"Oh, thank you," she breathed out, taking a seat beside him. He smiled, his unsure expression disarming her. She didn't need to be nervous. This was Sunflower Boy — the biggest nerd in school — and Nino's roommates. Nothing she couldn't handle.
"So, Marinette, what do you like to do for fun?" Kim turned to her, getting right to the chase. This whole party was a setup, after all.
"I'm a designer. I'm trying to break into the fashion industry. When I have the time, I like to make clothes for myself. But I've been busy lately, since I've been working a lot more." She hoped that was the right thing to say. The truth was, she hadn't designed anything since the summer, but she didn't want to be boring and admit that all she did these days was work. This was a party.
"Dang, that's cool. Man, I don't really pay much attention to fashion. Mostly I wear stuff that's easy to work out in. Since I do basketball, and swimming, and wrestling. Not that I don't do other stuff for fun; Nino knows I'm trying to beat his high score in Ultimate Mecha Strike III," he gave Nino a playful punch, and Nino chuckled, punching back.
"Like that's ever gonna happen," he bragged.
"Oh, I've been practicing while you've been out DJing. Got some new moves that might surprise you."
"Yeah, right, it's impossible to surprise me in that game, I've already told you, I'm the pro under this roof…" and they devolved into a verbal competition that Marinette stopped being able to follow.
Alya asked Nathaniel, "Are they always like this?"
He nodded fiercely and chuckled, "Sometimes, they're worse. I'm trying to draw, or do homework, and I ask myself, do I live with people or gorillas?"
That made Alya laugh, and Marinette found that everyone was talking to someone else, and the focus was off her. It made her feel relieved, but it was also disappointing.
She had a moment to herself, of just listening to the others, when, "You make your own clothes, you said?" Adrien asked her softly, surprising her.
Marinette wasn't expecting him to turn to her. She had been expecting him to join the debate between Kim and Nino. They were his friends, after all. Did he sense that she felt slighted?
"Y—Yeah, I do," she finally responded. "I mean, I did. I actually haven't designed anything for myself this year, yet." She stumbled over the words, sensing her color rising, and desperately wanting to stop it. What was happening? Was Sunflower Boy really managing to unravel her?
"Did you design the piece you're wearing now?" His eyes travelled over her dress, and she knew from his expression that he was simply looking at it, with no ulterior motives, but she blushed anyway.
"I did, a few years ago." Marinette twisted her ring around her finger to give herself something to look at, because her eyes were aching to look into his, to get a good look at his face. What would she find there?
"Well, it's lovely," he told her, in that same soft tone that made her skin prickle. "Excellent craftsmanship."
Craftsmanship? What did Sunflower Boy know about sewing?
Her head whipped up to look up at him in shock, despite her efforts, and a part of her melted a little. Adrien had green eyes that were wide and open, hiding nothing, full of innocence and good intentions. It gave him a boyish look that charmed her against her will.
And, man. He was actually really cute.
"Thank you…" she replied unsteadily. She tried to snap out of it. Sunflower Boy was Sunflower Boy. He was not crush material. Marinette cleared her throat, hoping the action would clear her head as well.
She noticed that as she did so, Adrien straightened up. Since when had he been leaning so close to her? How had she not realized the proximity? The whole thing made her head spin, made her think to herself, mission abort, mission abort!
"Um, Nino, where are the drinks? This is supposed to be a kickback, right?" It came out thick with bravado.
Nino's eyebrows flew up to his hairline. "Well I'll be. Little Marinette is ready to get buzzed already? I can't say no to that!" He got up from the loveseat and returned from the kitchen a few moments later with six bottles of beer, passing them around to everyone and taking a few sips of his own.
Marinette wrung her hands around the bottle. She didn't really want to get drunk, but she needed to break whatever was happening between herself and Adrien. She forced herself not to look at him, although she was all too conscious of his golden hair in her periphery. Not to mention his well-fitting button-down.
She mentally scolded herself. She was only at this party for Alya, she had no intentions to actually meet someone. She hadn't been kidding when she had said she didn't have time to date. Meeting someone would be nothing but a distraction right now, especially considering the new responsibility she had concerning the kwami in her clutch and the ring on her finger.
"Alright," Nino took a swig and put his bottle down on the coffee table. He rubbed his hands together. "Let's play a drinking game. Confession. You pick someone to answer an embarrassing question. They can either answer it, or drink. I'll start," he turned to Nathaniel, who suddenly stiffened. "Nathaniel, tell me, have you ever kissed a girl below the waist?"
Nathaniel turned tomato red. His expression shifted from anxious to pained. Marinette couldn't help but say "oh no," under her breath in pity. Poor guy.
After a long moment, Nathaniel grabbed his beer and chugged. He put it back down, disgusted. "Ugh, that stuff's awful. How do you all drink that?"
Kim laughed and shoved Nathaniel playfully. "You're gonna be drinking a lot more of it tonight if you keep that up. That was an easy one."
Alya covered her mouth to hide her amusement. "It's your turn to make someone confess, Nathaniel."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Nino, have you ever failed a class?"
"Ohhh!" The other boys called in excitement.
"Now this I wanna know," Adrien grinned, sitting up straighter.
Nino's face tightened. "Damn. You all really have it out for me, huh? Um, okay, sure. Yeah, yeah. I've failed a class."
"No way," Adrien breathed in disbelief.
"Yeah way. It was that dumb GE we took together. I couldn't stay awake. I missed the midterm." Nino sighed, and then he took a drink anyway.
"Babe, why did you confess if you were just going to drink?" Alya looked at him like he was crazy.
"To spice things up, obviously. It's boring when no one confesses!" and he casted about for the next victim. "Marinette. I wanna know."
She squirmed, holding her beer like the lifeline it was. "Uh oh. What do you want to know?"
"I want to know…" and he scratched his head in mock concentration. "I want to know who you think the hottest guy in this room is."
Had she been drinking right then, she would have sputtered it out. Her heart skipped a beat. Should she confess? Or should she drink? She peeked at Adrien as discreetly as possible, but he was looking at his own beer.
"Um, I'll pass," she decided, holding up her bottle dramatically, in a cheers to Nino.
"It's okay," Alya winked. "I'll get it out of her later."
Marinette glared daggers at her friend, putting her drink down. What would Adrien have done if she had admitted the truth? They hardly knew one another. She didn't even want to think about it.
It was her turn now to ask a question. But to whom? Whose secrets did she want to know?
Adrien's, obviously. She was dying to know how he had managed to seem like a completely different person in class. There, he seemed like the biggest nerd on the planet. Here, he seemed like a fun guy. Which one was he, really? She glanced down at her half-drunk beer bottle, willing it to give her confidence. This was a kickback. She was supposed to be having fun, letting loose.
"Adrien, tell me. Have you ever kissed a girl below the waist?" She made herself look him in the eye, forced herself to stay confident.
He choked a little, flushing almost as red as Nathaniel. He looked at the beer bottle, which Marinette realized was entirely untouched, pushed out of his reach on the coffee table.
Nino laughed, loud and giddy. "Oh, man. I love this! You're so cute, Adrien."
"Shut up, man. Agh…!" He ran a hand down his face.
"For context, Adrien doesn't drink," Nino informed Marinette. She guessed it was supposed to make her laugh, but it just made her feel guilty. She wasn't trying to be mean to him.
"Sorry, I didn't—" she started, but Adrien just shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. Nino, I will so get you for this later." Then he took a deep breath, looked right at Marinette, and said, "Um, no, if you must know, I haven't." Suddenly, she didn't know why she had asked such a stupid question. Of course not. This was Sunflower Boy. Her gaze fell into her lap.
They went around like that for another hour, Alya and Marinette getting through a few bottles, confessing about half the time and drinking the other. Kim just talked and talked, his drink untouched, always confessing since it put him in the spotlight. Nathaniel and Nino went through the most bottles; Nino because he always drank and confessed, and Nathaniel because he never confessed to anything.
Marinette relaxed more as she got to know her company, and being tipsy helped. She found she didn't particularly like Nathaniel or Kim. Nathaniel was too shy; she didn't know anything about him, and he didn't want to share. Kim seemed like such a meat head. There was nothing in there of substance.
Adrien, on the other hand, was fascinating. Whenever he was asked a question, he always took a long time debating, and a few times she wondered if this would be the time he would actually choose to drink, but he always ended up confessing, and with his confessions, she learned so much more about him. He loved college because all his life, he had been homeschooled. He grew up sheltered, had never had free rein, and thus, had never done anything questionable in his life. He was a good boy who had stayed on the "right path," as her father would say. A boy much like Marinette, except she drank at parties, and he didn't.
Until, finally, Kim asked him, "Adrien, have you ever genuinely wanted to kill someone? Even if just for a second."
Adrien hesitated as he always did, and Marinette sat forward, truly engaged. Had he? What were the circumstances? Marinette was very sure about what her own answer would have been had she been asked the same. What did his deliberation mean?
Adrien opened his mouth, and Marinette was so sure he would say something, but at the last moment, he closed his eyes, let out a deep breath, leaned forward, and drank.
Marinette couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. Nino was too shocked to speak. Adrien finally put the bottle back in place, and the frown he wore made her insides twist. Something was really wrong.
Marinette leaned closer, trying to think of a way to comfort him, even though she hardly knew him. Her hand was almost on his shoulder when something crashed outside.
Kim, Nino, and Nathaniel all turned to look out the window. Alya's phone blipped, and she couldn't pick it up fast enough. "Oh my God," she breathed out in horror.
"What is it?" Marinette asked automatically, sure she knew what the answer would be.
"The monster. It escaped from police custody. They don't know how," Alya scrolled on the page frantically.
"Guys, don't look now, but I think I know where it went," Nino said, voice full of false confidence.
Marinette and Adrien turned to the window at the same time, Marinette hoping not to find what she knew she would.
There it was. The bear monster. She could see it, moving slowly and deliberately, a few blocks down, and damn was it big. The news footage hadn't done its size justice. Marinette was on the fourth story, and it was still taller than her vantage point.
Her brain snapped into action. It was go time! But how could she go now? How could she explain her disappearance to Alya?
"I… gotta use the restroom," she fibbed, getting up and heading in the direction Kim pointed out. She closed the door behind her and Plagg immediately phased out of her bag.
"I wouldn't have picked this place to transform, but whatever works for you works for me."
"Don't be ridiculous. I can't transform here! I'm stuck at this party, Plagg! How am I gonna get out of here?" She pulled her hair, forgetting about the effort Alya had put in to style it.
But Plagg only shrugged. "Make something up, I don't know. But that monster won't fight itself."
"Ugh, okay, I'll try to leave…" She opened the bathroom door, mind reeling. What could she say that would seem a valid reason? There was a monster rampaging. The only logical thing to do would be stay put.
Plagg phased back into her clutch, and the first thing Marinette noticed was that everyone was now glued to the television. Clara Contard was on the scene, reporting the location of the monster and the police efforts to recapture it.
Well, everyone except Adrien. He was missing.
"Where's Adrien?" Marinette asked before she could stop herself.
"He went back to his place to hide, he said," Nino told her without moving his eyes from the TV.
Marinette didn't understand why they were watching it on a screen when she could see the monster right outside the window. But she didn't argue. Nino had given her the perfect out.
"I think I'm gonna go check on him, make sure he's okay," she informed them, backing up toward the door.
"Stay safe," Alya called to her. It was an innocent pair of words, but the look Alya gave her was anything but. Marinette was grateful for once that Alya always jumped to conclusions. It made her alibis so much easier.
She left the apartment, rushing into the hallway, casting about desperately for a good place to hide. The elevator? Weren't there cameras in there?
She looked at the door right next to Nino's. It couldn't hurt to check in on Adrien — that way she'd be covering her bases in case he came back and claimed he hadn't seen her.
Marinette knocked on the door, calling, "Adrien? You okay? It's me, Marinette."
She waited impatiently, but there was no response. She began to worry. Was he actually in trouble? She turned the door handle without thinking, and it opened onto a nice, tidy apartment.
"Adrien?" she called tentatively, but he wasn't in the living room. Maybe he was in the bathroom. She began to back out into the hallway when she realized this was the perfect place to transform. There were no cameras in Adrien's living room.
She opened her clutch, fingers shaking with adrenaline. "Plagg?"
He flew out and nodded at her. She clenched her fists with determination. "Transform me!"
He disappeared into the miracle stone, and with a flash of green light, Marinette felt her body change, and in just a moment she was encased in the magical suit once again.
She casted about for an escape route. There! The living room window!
She quickly padded over to it, deftly undid the hatch, hopped out, and slid the glass back in place, all without making a sound. Once outside, she found she could cling easily to the exterior of the building, as if her hands and feet were sticky, like a bug's. What shocked her the most was when she looked down at the street, stories below her, she didn't feel dizzy at all.
She launched herself onto a nearby roof, soaring through the air, and landed on her feet, already running, just like a cat.
"Watch out, monster," she taunted under her breath. "Kitty Noire is on the hunt."