p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"To say it rained that day would be an understatement./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"From the moment Marinette Dupain-Cheng woke up, water poured from the sky, creating an unforgiving fog that prevented even the sharpest eyes from seeing so much as their hand in front of their face./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Marinette was no stranger to rain. It had never bothered her before, as many of her favorite memories came from the rain./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"It was the rain that brought her the love of her life, though he may not know his status to her. It had hardly been seven years since Marinette stood outside her college waiting for the rain to subside, and in his innate kindness, supermodel and fellow-classmate, Adrien Agreste stopped to give Marinette his umbrella. He would go on to regard that encounter as a simple act of kindness to a friend. She would regard that moment as the moment she fell head-over heels in love with her classmate./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"It was rain that set the scenes in many of her encounters with her best-friend and superhero partner, Chat Noir. She fondly remembered late night patrols with her leather-clad kitty, racing the rooftops of Paris as the rain wet her face. When she needed a happy memory, she thought back on how Chat Noir would vault from a balcony to a puddle claiming that he would make the bigger splash. The years may have passed and opponents may have become more fierce, but she and Chat Noir, no matter how old they'd become, would always have their rain patrols./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"To say the least, Marinette enjoyed the rain./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"This rain, however, felt different. Ominous, even. Marinette, though being the holder of the Miraculous known for luck, was never superstitious. This storm, for whatever reason, put her on edge./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""Something is strange, Marinette." her kwami, Tikki, called her out of her trance at her bedroom window./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""I feel it too, Tikki. Do you think I should transform? Go and find Chat?"/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""I'm not sure that it's not just a feeling. You don't want to risk anything if you don't have to. Besides, if Chat is anything like his kwami, he's not even noticed that it's raining yet."/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Marinette laughed at her tiny friend. Tikki was right, Chat did tend to be a little aloof./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""You're right, Tikki. Come on, we can't be late for our first day at House of Gabriel." Marinette concluded, making her way into her closet to get ready for internship with famous fashion designer (and father of the love of her life) Gabriel Agreste./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"-/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Adrien didn't mind the rain. He didn't particularly like it, but he never minded it. Most of the work he did was inside, so it never really interfered with his carefully calculated schedule./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"He sighed as he ran over his schedule for the day in his head./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"6 a.m.: Running (accompanied by Gorilla)/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"7 a.m.: Shower and Dress/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"8 a.m.: Breakfast with Father (which was usually subject to change seeing as his father was almost never seen in person anymore.)/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"9-11 a.m.: Photoshoot/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"12 p.m.: Lunch/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"1-3 p.m.: Photoshoot/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"4 p.m.: Fencing (he used to take lessons, but upon him turning 18, Monsieur D'Argencourt offered him a position as an assistant coach, much to his father's approval.)/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"5 p.m.: Dinner with Father (again, usually subject to change.)/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"6 p.m-9 p.m.: Free Time/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"It was roughly the same schedule as every single day from the past ten years of his life. There were few things that changed as he got older, such as the removal of school once he graduated and the addition of free time at night where he was permitted to socialize with friends, accompanied by the Gorilla, of course./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Much to Adrien's dismay, Gabriel made up his mind shortly into his last year of school that he would not need to attend University and that all the further education he needed to take over the company when Gabriel retired would be best taught by him and Nathalie./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Regardless, most nights when his father thought he was asleep, Adrien would call upon the tiny God of Destruction housed in the silver ring upon his finger. Clad in skin tight leather as black as night, he would pounce from his bedroom window across the roofs of Paris to meet with his Lady./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Oh, his Lady. What a Lady she was. The memories he shared with her were his favorite memories of the rain./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"His most treasured memories were observed by the way the rain clung to her red and black spotted suit in droplets and the way it made her navy blue hair shine against the lights of Paris. He treasured the way her blue bell eyes would squint when she laughed at him as he pounced from puddle to puddle along the cobblestone streets. Her voice would ring out "Silly Kitty" with a giggle. He'd place a kiss to her gloved hand before they departed with a "M'lady" and then watch as she swung away through the sheets of rain./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Tonight, he decided, would be no different./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"He carefully combed through his blonde hair as he listened to the hard beating of todays rain outside of his bedroom window./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""Mon Dieu, it's pouring les chats et les chiens out there!" his kwami snarked as he flew into the bathroom and took residence beside Adrien's hairbrush on the counter./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""I hope Marinette and Tik- Marinette and her TOTALLY AWESOME SELF get to the office okay." Plagg commented./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""Marinette?" Adrien questioned, "What does Marinette have to do at the office?"/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""You forgot didn't you?" Plagg retorted, unamused. Adrien felt a blush creep to his ears. "Personally, I would have thought the beginning of your so called 'best friends' apprenticeship at your father's studio would have been at the top of your reminders today."/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""Of course! How could I forget?" Adrien lamented./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""I'm not sure she's only been talking about it for three months."/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""Plagg, take a look at the schedule. Do you think if we leave now we'll have enough time to pick up a coffee and a croissant from the Bakery as a 'Welcome'?" Adrien asked as he knotted the laces on his loafers./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""You'd be cutting it close, but a certain feline I know would make it with time to spare." Plagg suggested with a sly and knowing smirk./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;""Plagg," Adrien grinned, knowing all-too-well what Plagg was implying, "Claws Out!"/p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Then he lept out of the window into the downpour, racing to the nearest bakery to retrieve treats for his best friend on her first day of her dream job./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"In his rush and excitement to find the perfect Croissant, Adrien didn't notice the figure standing at his bedroom door waiting to remind him of his commitment to Paris Fashion week in the next few days. He didn't notice the figure that watched his entire encounter with his tiny God and then his entire transformation. He didn't notice, and probably wouldn't have known if he did, that this figure was the same that had been transforming heartbroken and angry citizens of Paris to retrieve the same silver ring that he'd noticed on his son's finger so many years ago but never had any proof that it was what he was looking for. He didn't notice that his father, Gabriel Agreste, more villianously known as ShadowMoth, had seen him transform./p
p style="margin: 0in 0in 9pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; vertical-align: baseline;"Maybe he should have paid a little more attention to the rain./p