Chapter 17: At the Gala
Two days went by in a heartbeat. And before they knew it, it was the day of the high society gala organized by Audrey Bourgeois, which would be taking place at the Le Grand Paris. The media had done a pretty good job spreading the word about it, so almost everyone in the French capital knew that it was going to take place that night. In fact, not counting an embezzlement scandal involving one of the largest banks in Europe, and Ambroise Delay's latest online attack on the Miraculous Team, the high society gala was the only other theme of discussion among the Parisians.
For those that had been invited to it, it was a chance to mingle with those that were in the same social level. To show off the best clothes, the best styles, the best jewels. In sum, the best of the best. But like every other gala that Audrey Bourgeois organized, this one was also a charitable gala, even if it had not been advertised as such. Those that were invited had written a sizable check to the charitable organization that Audrey had decided needed the money to continue to fulfil their projects. And on that night, the money would go to an organization that was s for Audrey, she was not especially interested in saving the world, or making it a better place. But she was interested in making people see her in a good light. And donating money to charitable organizations was one way to do it.
But charitable organizations were the last thing on Marinette Dupain-Cheng's mind right then. When Adrien invited her to be his plus one to the gala, she was excited about it. But soon she realized that she would be walking into a trap, per say. She had never attended a high-society party. At least, not as a guest. She and her parents had already catered to a few parties of the kind, but that was it. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that this was a big deal, especially because she would be accompanying Adrien, who for all intents and purposes, belonged to the selected few in the high-society circle. So, making a great impression on everyone that would be on that party had become a priority for her. She knew what she was going to wear to it, but there was a small detail that was bothering her. Her hair. She had no idea what kind of hairstyle she ought to take to such an important party. Afraid that she might not be able to decide which hairstyle to go with, Marinette decided to convene an online meeting between her and her friends, to help her out. Calling them by Skype, the only ones she did not call were Chloe and Sabrina, whom she knew would be busy themselves, getting ready for the gala. And as they talked, Marinette tried several hairstyles, only to realize that none of them were the right one.
"Girls, I'm freaking out!" -Marinette said, as she combed her hair, after another failed attempt to choose a hairstyle.
"Girl, calm down." -Alya told her. –"This isn't the first time you go out with Adrien." -she said, trying to calm her down.
"Alya's right. It's not like you haven't gone out with him before." -Mylene said.
"Yeah, but this is the first time that I'm going to a gala with him!" -Marinette said, as she felt her nerves starting to get the best out of her. –"Dang it, no! This hairstyle won't do for tonight." -she sighed, frustrated, as she tried a different hairstyle.
"Marinette, please, calm down." -Tikki told her. –"It's just a party." -she said.
"No, Tikki, it's not just a party. It's A party!" -Marinette told the scarlet kwami, emphasizing the "a" in the sentence. –"This is a high society gala, hosted by Chloe's mom. Some of the biggest names of Paris' high society will be there, judging everyone and everything that happens. And when they see me and Adrien, they'll be judging my every move." -she said, her voice filled with fear.
"You don't need to be afraid, Marinette." -Alya told her.
"But you don't get it! I'm not afraid for myself. I'm afraid for Adrien." -Marinette declared. –"I'm afraid that people might think that I don't belong there, and that I'm not adequate for Adrien, and they will comment on that." -she said, as she began to panic. –"And if they do that, those comments will probably transpire and Adrien's dad will know about them, either by someone who will be at the party, or on social media, and he'll change his mind about letting Adrien date me, and will go back on his decision, and I'll never be able to date him again!"
The way Marinette was talking, it felt like she was describing an end of the world event that was about to happen, and she herself felt like it could really happen. But to the others, they saw that her nerves were making her see things out of proportion. One could even say that she was making a mountain out of a molehill. It was natural for her to think that, but she was clearly letting her nerves get the best of her.
"Is that all?" -Alix asked her, with a slightly sarcastic voice.
"And here I thought that you were nervous because of something a little more serious." -Juleka commented.
"You and me, Jules." -Rose giggled.
When she heard the girls talking like that, for a moment, Marinette's brain wondered if they were mocking her, or if they were just trying make her feel more relaxed. But the logical side of hers, quickly dismissed the first option, knowing fully well that her friends would never mock her like that. And it was that logical side of hers that was trying to get control of her emotions, which right then were overflowing and making her have all kinds of crazy thoughts, she did not want to have, regarding that night.
"What do you mean is that all?! This is a big thing!" -Marinette told them all. -"How can you girls be so casual about it?" -she asked them, while trying her best to control her nerves.
"Because I'm sure that Adrien's dad isn't going to change his mind about the two of you dating, if you happen to make a fool out of yourself in that party, which won't happen, girl. I mean you're only human, and I'm sure that even if you do something that might not seem right in the eyes of those snobs, that Adrien's dad will not think that you're not worthy of dating his son." -Alya reassured her. –"Marinette, as your best-friend I'm telling that you're just allowing your nerves and your imagination to come up with scenarios that won't happen. Like Nino's always saying, you need to chill out a little." -she said. –"I know you want to make a good impression, especially because you don't want to cause any problems to Adrien, but you've got to calm down, for your own sake. Otherwise, you're going to blow a fuse, and none of us want that to happen."
"Alya's right. You can't allow your nerves get the best of you." -Trixx's voice was heard, even if she could not be seen on the laptop's screen.
"Also, having that happening is never good. The more you think about not committing mistakes, the quicker you will commit mistakes." -Alix told her. –"Take it from me. Every time I go skating and I start thinking of what I'm going to do, so I won't make any mistakes, instead of just allowing my instinct to take over my actions, I always end up on the floor." -she admitted.
"It's true. And that tends to happen a lot more than you can think of." -Daria's voice was heard, joking about it.
"Oh, quiet you! Nobody's supposed to know that!" -Alix warned her kwami. –"I've got a reputation to maintain, remember?" -she told him.
"Maybe you should do some stress exercises, like I do, whenever I'm about to go up on stage." -Mylene suggested. –"They always help me out." -she told Marinette.
"I don't think those stress exercises will help me out, Mylene. I think that they'll just get me more nervous than I already am." -Marinette told her, as she continued to –"Tell me, do you think this hairstyle looks good?"
"Whatever your hair looks like, I think you'll look beautiful, Marinette. Especially with the dress that you're going to wear tonight" -Tikki told her.
"I'm with Tikki on this one. No matter your hairstyle, you always look good." -Juleka declared. –"I wish I had that luck. I look hideous if I don't wear my hair down, like I always do." -she sighed.
"No, you don't! I already told you that you look beautiful, no matter how you wear your hair, Jules." -Rose told her girlfriend.
"She has said that countless times, Juleka. And she's right." -Tamara told Juleka.
"I know, but…" -Juleka said.
"But nothing! You are gorgeous! And believe me, I'm not just saying that, because Rose is always saying it." -Flint said. –"I'm not joking here." -he said.
"See? Even my kwami says that you're beautiful, Juleka." -Rose told her. –"And next time you come to my house, I'm going to prove to you that you look beautiful with any hairstyle." -she said. –"You can pay me in kisses, if you don't feel like buying me a little snack, to thank me for it."
"Uh, girls… not wanting to rain on anyone's parade, but I'm still freaking out here, girls!" -Marinette exclaimed, begging for a little bit of attention from her friends, who had seemingly forgotten about her for a brief moment.
"Oh, sorry, Marinette." -Rose apologized to the blue-haired girl.
"Yeah, sorry. I guess with all this talk, we forgot about why we were summoned like this." -Juleka declared.
"It's okay. But what's not okay are my nerves. I'm starting to hyperventilating." -Marinette said. –"I need a way to calm myself down a bit." -she said, practically begging them for an answer to her problem.
"Girl, just breathe in and out." -Alya asked her. –"Do that and then, repeat after me… "Nothing bad is going to happen. Everything will go alright, and I'll have a wonderful night, with my boyfriend, and tomorrow, I'll tell all my friends about it…." -she said. –"Go on, say that, Marinette."
Marinette hesitated for a second. But then, she went ahead and did as Alya was asking her. She had nothing to lose, and she truly wanted her nerves to calm down and her heart to slow down a bit. Taking a deep breath, she repeated what Alya told her to.
"Nothing bad is going to happen. Everything will go alright, and I'll have a wonderful night, with my boyfriend, and tomorrow, I'll tell all my friends about it." -Marinette said, repeating what Alya had spoken, word by word, after which, she took another deep breath.
"Good. Now say it again." -Alya said.
Marinette repeated the same thing over and over, until she had lost count of how many times, she had already said it. Little by little, both her heart and her mind calmed down, and Marinette was able to think clearly and stop saying nonsense.
"There. I think you've said it enough times." -Alya told Marinette. –"Are you calmer now, girl?" -she asked her.
"Yes. Yes, I am, Alya." -Marinette sighed.
"Good." -Alya smiled at her. –"Now, since you called us, maybe you can at least show us what you will be wearing tonight? I mean, if it's not much to ask?" -she asked her, playfully. –"Don't tell me you finally found the time to do that dress you're always referring as your dream dress?"
"No. Unfortunately that one dress is still far from even being properly sketched, and even farther away from being finished." -Marinette giggled.
"Oh, it's such a pity. The sketch you showed us is already super beautiful. I can't imagine you coming up with an even more beautiful sketch for it." -Rose declared.
"It's true. It's a lovely dress." -Mylene agreed.
"Thanks, girls." -Marinette told them. –"But today I'm going to take this one here." -she said, as she went to get the dress from the chaise-longue, where she had left it. It was a beautiful white and blue long frilled dress. –"Here it is. I'm going to wear it with matching blue high-heels."
"And a white pochette." -Tikki added.
"Yes, and white pochette." -Marinette smiled, as she continued to hold the dress in her hands.
"It's beautiful." -Rose said.
"It matches the colour of your eyes." -Juleka said.
"Thanks." -Marinette smiled. –"It belonged to my mom, but I modified it to suit me." -she said. –"I modified it, with the intention of wearing it, when Adrien presented me to his dad. But I couldn't finish it on time."
"Well, now you have the chance to wear it." –Alix told her. –"It's a really pretty dress, I admit." -she said.
"I thought you didn't like dresses, Alix." -Daria commented, after hearing Alix saying dozens of times she did not like dresses, and that she would never wear one.
"And I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't like seeing other people wearing them." -Alix clarified.
"Now, if I only could decide on what hairstyle I should wear." -Marinette sighed, as she began to feel herself nervous again. –"My mom already suggested me I should just wear it loosen, but I'm not feeling like wearing it like that. And I can't go to this gala with my usual pigtails." -she said.
"I don't see anything wrong with wearing pigtails. It's a hairstyle like any other." -Flint's voice was heard.
"I agree. There's nothing wrong with your pigtails." -Pin's voice was heard, as she sat on Mylene's left shoulder.
"Yeah, but this is a high-society gala, guys. People attending it are as snobbish as you can imagine. If I show up wearing pigtails, they'll think that I'm either childish, or that I don't belong there… or both." -Marinette sighed.
"Or they will think that you're so incredibly snobbish that you don't even care about what others might think about you." -Alya joked.
"Yeah, in my dreams and yours." -Marinette laughed.
"Well, then you need to become famous, so you can establish pigtails as a high-society trend. That way, your hairstyle will be seen as something that is acceptable at those parties." -Alix joked, making Marinette and everyone else chuckle a little.
"Don't worry, Marinette. We'll help you find the perfect hairstyle for tonight. You can count on us." -Alya told her.
Later, already on one of the limousines owned by the Agreste family, Marinette was trying her best not to be nervous. After nearly half an hour, Alya and the girls managed to help her decide which hairstyle to wear to Audrey Bourgeois' gala. They all threw numerous ideas, but in the end, the winner was a rope braid. Usually, a braid like that would take at least an hour and half to do. But thankfully, Marinette had Tikki to help her out. The final result was astounding, and Marinette was not the only one to think that. Adrien was also astounded by how beautiful her hair was that night.
"You look so beautiful." -Adrien told her. –"I can't keep my eyes off of you." -he admitted, as he kept staring at Marinette's visage.
"Please, stop!" -Marinette giggled nervously. –"I'm already nervous enough, without you saying those words." -she said.
"But it's true. You look like a princess, Marinette. I mean, you are always a princess in my eyes, but tonight, you look even more like one with that dress." -Adrien stated.
Hearing him say those sweet words, Marinette blushed, like every other time he told her something sweet.
"There's no need for you to be nervous, Marinette." -Adrien assured her.
"I-I didn't say I was nervous!" -Marinette stuttered nervously.
"You don't have to, Marinette. I can see it in your eyes that you're a little nervous." -Adrien smiled, as he placed his hand over hers. –"But it's okay to be a little nervous. I'm a little nervous myself."
"You?! Nervous?!" -Marinette said, pretending to be shocked. –"Adrien, you're good when it comes to many things, but you're one lousy liar." -she smiled at him. –"I mean, over these last few years, you spent a significant amount of time in front of a camera or on a runway. There's no way you're nervous about this party."
"Alright, you got me, I'm not nervous. I'm actually used to this kind of situations." -Adrien chuckled. –"Still, that doesn't mean I don't know what it is to be nervous. Remember, just be yourself and try not to think about making a good impression on everyone, because you won't be able to please everyone. You're a person, not a Chinese buffet with a little bit of everything in its menu." -he told her. –"I'll be by your side the whole evening, and I'll make sure that everything goes alright. And even if it doesn't, at the end of the night, we'll be both laughing about it."
The way Adrien spoke those words, it made him sound so mature and so wise, while still retaining a certain childlike nature, and Marinette loved that. She knew him to be a wizard with words, when he wanted to, and right then, she had watched him do his magic and managing to calm her nervous heart.
"If you say so, I'll believe in you." -Marinette smiled.
"Trust me, Marinette. Everything's going to be fine." -Adrien said, as he leaned forward to kiss Marinette, only for her to stop him.
"Sorry. But I can't risk smudging my make-up." -Marinette told him. –"But don't worry, I'll be sure to save all the kisses I want to give, for later." -she promised him.
"I'll be sure to not let you forget about it, milady." -Adrien winked at her.
At the same time, at the Le Grand Paris, the guests had already started arriving, ready to make the most of that gala, which many had already considered to be the best unexpected event of the season. But Chloe on the other hand was not yet ready. She had told Jean to warn her parents that she would take a little longer to get ready. She knew because her mother was the gala's host that she had to be the first one to show up, with the same applying to her father. But that did not mean she had to be among the first to who up that night. Usually, she loved to be among the first to arrive at a party, but not that night. If it was not for the promise she made to Adrien, that she would go to the gala, so he and Marinette had someone to talk to, she would not even set foot in it, claiming that she was feeling indisposed. But if there was one thing that Chloe had learned, ever since she had been given the bee miraculous, was that a person should keep her promises, no matter how small or insignificant they seemed. And on that night, she was going to keep the promise she had made to Adrien, by attending the gala. She owed it to him, after all. Looking herself in the mirror, she was trying to get her hair to look perfect.
"There. That's enough hairspray." -Chloe said, as she finished fixing her hair. On that evening, she opted to go with her hair loosen.
"You look incredibly pretty." -Pollen told her. –"I especially love the dress you chose to wear tonight." -she smiled at the blonde.
For that evening's gala, Chloe had decided to wear something simple, yet stylish. She chose a Channel yellow and white sleeveless long dress, that reached her knees. So, it was no surprise, when Pollen told her she loved the dress. Because even without having a single black string to it, it still made her look a bit like a bee.
"You're just saying that because your favourite colour is yellow." -Chloe smiled back at her. Even if she was not feeling in the mood for a party, she was trying her best not to show it to her kwami, not wanting to worry her.
"Perhaps." –Pollen said, with a mischievous smile on her face. –"But the truth is that that dress looks very pretty on you." -she told her.
Sighing, Chloe once more, felt like she had hit the jackpot with her kwami. Pollen always knew what to say to her, and that was one of the things she liked the most about her.
"Thanks, Pollen. And truth be told, I feel pretty in this dress." -Chloe thanked her. –"By the way, do you know where I left my shoes? I can't remember where I left them." -she asked Pollen.
"I saw them in the living room." -Pollen answered her. –"You want me to get them for you?" -she asked her.
"There's no need for it. But if you want to bring me the earrings that I'm taking tonight, I would thank you." -Chloe asked her, as she looked herself in the mirror, before applying the rimmel to her eyelids.
"It's the ones that are on your desk?" -Pollen asked her, remembering seeing a pair of earrings on it.
"Yes, the Givenchy ones, please." -Chloe said.
With her make-up done and her earrings on, the last thing Chloe needed to do, was to put on her shoes. Entering the living room, she checked the time on her cell phone, at the same time, as she saw her shoes, and wondered why she had put them where they were then. Sabrina was to have arrived 10 minutes before, but there was still no sign of her. Sating on the couch, she began to put on her shoes. Slipping her right foot into the shoe, she heard someone knocking at the door, which prompted her Pollen, who was standing on top of the coffee table, to disappear out of sight almost immediately.
"The door is open! Come in!" -Chloe said, as she finished putting on her shoes.
Opening it, Sabrina entered Chloe's suite. She was wearing a lavender strapless dress that reached her ankles, with a matching evening clutch, and black pumps. But what impressed Chloe was not Sabrina's dress, but her hairstyle. She had combed it back, and then used hair gel to keep it in place and give it a wet look. This was the first time Sabrina wore her hair like that, and Chloe had to admit that she liked it.
"Sorry, if I'm late, but it wasn't easy to enter the hotel. The commotion at the entrance is so big, that I had to enter through the backdoor." -Sabrina confessed, as she approached Chloe.
"It's okay. I should have warned you that that would probably happen. with all the paparazzi. Still, what matters is that you arrived. You look pretty." -Chloe told her. –"That dress really accentuates her curves, but not too much. And her hair looks incredible too. She looks cute and sexy, but not super sexy… wait, why am I saying those things?! This is Sabrina we're talking about; your best friend! You don't talk about her like that!" -she thought to herself.
"Thanks, Chloe." -Sabrina smiled nervously at her. –"Like always, Chloe has a knack to choose the right clothes for the right occasion. She looks so beautiful and graceful in that dress. Yellow is definitely her colour." -she thought to herself. –"I like what you did with your hair."
"Thanks, Sabrina. I also like what you did with yours." -Chloe thanked her, before praising her hairstyle.
"You don't think it's too manly?" -Sabrina asked her. –"This was my mom's idea and she said it's not too manly, but I'm not sure." -she admitted.
"Too manly? There's nothing manly about it, Sabrina. It's actually very feminine. I like it. You should wear your hair like that more often." -Chloe smiled at her.
"Really?" -Sabrina asked her, surprised.
"Yeah, really." -Chloe asserted. –"It doesn't make you look like a bookworm. Not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just that…" -she said.
"I get it, don't worry." -Sabrina told her. –"I know you're not criticizing my usual looks, Chloe. And maybe, just maybe, I'll think about wearing my hair like this, from time to time." -she smiled at the blonde. –"But I'm not the only one who looks nice with a different hairstyle. Chloe's hair also looks great like that… like everything else in her. No! Stop thinking about that, Sabrina. We had this conversation before. You're only going to talk about having a crush on Chloe with her, once her mom's gone. Focus on what you came to do here tonight. You came to be by her side and to make sure that she feels safe, and you're going to do just that. It's your job, as her best-friend."
"Hey! Can I get something to eat!" -Mika exclaimed, as he jumped out of Sabrina's evening clutch, startling her and Chloe. –"You said that I could eat something, as soon as we got here!" -he reminded Sabrina.
"Mika! Where are your manners?!" -Sabrina asked him, looking him in the eyes, upset. –"Aren't you going to say hi to Chloe and Pollen first?" -she asked him, before turning to the blonde and her kwami. –"I'm sorry about this. He's a little grumpy."
"I'm not grumpy, I'm hungry. And you should know that you should never let a wolf on an empty stomach, kiddo." -Mika told Sabrina.
"Then, it's a good thing you are a kwami, and not a wolf." -Pollen told him. –"And good evening to you too, Mika." -she greeted him.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, good evening." -Mika said, rolling his eyes.
"I think it's best if we get down there and make sure that that kwami of yours is properly fed, or otherwise, we might try to bite our fingers." -Chloe joked.
"She seems to be in a rather good mood. That's good, because we're about to go inside a snake pit." -Sabrina thought to herself. –"Are you sure you want to go down already? We can stay up here for a little longer, if you want to. I'm sure Mika can wait a little bit for a snack or two." -she told her, knowing that deep down, Chloe did not feel like attending her mother's gala, or be in the same room as her.
"No, that's okay. Marinette and Adrien should be arriving, so it's best if we go. We wouldn't want to let them waiting." -Chloe told her, with a smile.
Though Chloe was smiling, she was feeling incredibly nervous, and Sabrina could tell it. Still, she did not say a word and decided to stay close to her. She knew she was going to need all the support she could get that night.
In the ballroom, the gala was animated, with more guests arriving, while the ones that were already there, were enjoying themselves. The whole ballroom had been magnificently decorated. Warm colours filled the room, giving it a warm and welcoming feeling. Each of the tables had a beautiful flowery centre-piece adorning it. In the middle of the room a life-size ice sculpture of an angel had been set, surrounded by magnificent ice swans. If one observed it closely, they would see the angel's face had been sculpted to look like the face of Audrey Bourgeois. Some would call that a clear sign of vanity, while others would call it a sign of good taste and personalization. As for Audrey, she saw it as a small detail in the room's décor, which also served to remind those who attended the gala, of who had organized it.
The air inside the hotel's ballroom was filled with the scent of incredibly expensive perfumes and fragrances, as well as lively chatter between the guest that kept arriving and classical music. For that gala, Audrey had hired some of the best members of the Paris' Opera orchestra. And as usual, what she wanted, she got it. It was one of the things that she and Chloe had in common for a couple of years.
Outside of the ballroom a handful of photographers were taking photos of everyone that arrived. These photographers had been hired by Audrey herself, and were the only ones allowed into the hotel and the ballroom, as she did not want the paparazzi to upset her or her party guests, and as such, gave orders to the security guards and the bell hoppers to not allow any of them inside the hotel.
And standing on the ballroom's entrance were Audrey herself and her husband, the mayor, greeting all the guests, as they arrived. The mayor was wearing one of his classic gray suits, as well as the mayoral sash. Audrey, on the other hand, was wearing something a little more extravagant. She was wearing red and black strapless night dress from Dior, with matching red stilettos, also from Dior.
"Welcome to the party." -Audrey welcomed one of the guests.
"Thank you for coming. It is a pleasure to have you here with us." -André told one of the guests, when he noticed who the following guests were; Marinette and Adrien.
"Good evening, Monsieur and Madame Bourgeois." -Marinette greeted Chloe's parents, with a smile on her face.
"Yes, good evening." -Adrien smiled at the Bourgeois, greeting them.
"Good evening, Adrien, my boy. It's a pleasure to have you and Marinette here with us." -André told him.
"Thank you, sir." -Adrien said.
"Yes, it's such a shame your father couldn't come, my dear Adrien. I'm sure that Gabriel would love to be here." -Audrey told him. –"But it doesn't matter now. There will be other parties and galas. You're here and that's what matters." -she said. –"I'm sure Claudia will be happy to see you."
"You mean, Chloe, dear." -André corrected her.
"Oh, yes, Chloe…" -Audrey said.
"Chloe wasn't kidding. Her mom really doesn't know her real name!" -Marinette thought to herself, shocked to see that Chloe was not exaggerating on her stories about her mother.
"Either way, Adrien, let me remind you that I still think that you and Cristina make the most lovable couple ever. Just thinking about it, makes me imagine the beautiful grandchildren that you will give us." -Audrey said.
"Audrey!" -André exclaimed, not liking his wife's behaviour towards Adrien and Marinette.
"What, André?! I'm just stating the obvious." -Audrey told him. –"We both know, and so does he that our daughter is the only girl there is for him." -she said, ignoring the fact that Marinette was standing right there. –"It's not like I'm telling a lie."
The way Audrey was talking, Adrien just felt like slapping her. Coursing through his mind, were numerous things right then, and one of them was just how futile and vain Audrey Bourgeois could be, speaking to them in that way. It angered him that she was disrespecting both him and Marinette, when the latter was standing right there, next to him. He already had enough reasons to not like her, and she had given him a couple of more to add to that pile of reasons. And Marinette saw that Audrey and her conversation was having a negative effect on Adrien. Even a blind man could see that. So, she decided to do something to prevent her boyfriend from saying or doing anything that could get him into trouble.
"W-Well, it was nice talking to you, but we better go and mingle with the rest of the guests. We'll see you later." -Marinette smiled nervously, as she grabbed Adrien by the wrist.
Pulling Adrien by the arm, Marinette led him inside the ballroom, as she herself tried to forget what she had heard from Audrey. The first and only time she met Audrey, Marinette felt that she was not a very friendly person. But now, she saw that not only she was the opposite of friendly, she was a shallow person, who seemingly did not care about what others said, or about what she told others, as if she was owner of any truth in the world. In sum, Audrey was a bully, who enjoyed feeling superior to everyone. Marinette hated that kind of people, which would explain why she and Chloe had a hard time becoming friends, when the blonde acted like her mother.
"Thanks for getting me out of there, Marinette." -Adrien thanked Marinette, as they stopped next to a table. –"A couple of more seconds, and I would have probably done something that I would've gotten me in a lot of trouble with my dad." -he admitted.
"No problem, Adrien." -Marinette told him. –"And... just to be sure, because I want to be sure about what I head, but did Chloe's mom just try to convince you to ditch me and to start dating Chloe?" -Marinette asked Adrien, not believing in what Chloe's mom had told Adrien.
"Yes. Yes, she did. That's Audrey Bourgeois for you." -Adrien sighed. –"That woman clearly doesn't have an ounce of respect for no one." -he told her. –"No wonder Chloe doesn't like to be around her."
"Such a shallow woman. With a mother like her, even I wouldn't want to be caught near her." -Marinette commented.
"Indeed. But let's try to forget her. We're here to support Chloe, and that's exactly what we're going to do." -Adrien declared.
"I hope you don't forget about me!" -Plagg exclaimed, from inside the pocket in Adrien's jacket.
"Plagg, don't talk so loud. People might hear you." -Adrien whispered at him. –"Why can't he be like some of the other kwamis, who try their best to blend in and not make much noise, while in a crowd?" -he thought to himself.
"Whatever! Just don't forget to get me some cheese. I can smell it from here." -Plagg commented.
And once more, the black cat kwami's sense of smell could not be tricked. A waiter that was passing by them was carrying in a tray some appetizers that looked like small toasts with a thin slice of cheese on top, as well as what seemed like caviar.
"Don't worry. I'll get you something to snack on, in a minute or two. Just try to be a little patient, okay?" -Adrien whispered at Plagg. –"And don't talk. I don't want people to think that I'm talking myself, Plagg." -he asked him.
"It's a good thing that I slipped a few cookies for Tikki inside my pochette." -Marinette commented. –"That way, I know that she won't be hungry, and she won't bother me to get her some food, like your kwami does." -she said in a playful voice.
Adrien was about to answer her back, when he saw Chloe and Sabrina arriving. The two girls saw him and Marinette a second later, and quickly made their way through the guests, who continued to arrive, to meet them.
"Whoa, you look pretty. And so, do you, Sabrina." –Adrien praised the girls, as they stopped in front of him.
"Thank you, Adrikins." -Chloe smiled at him. –"You also look great in a tuxedo." -she praised him.
"Yeah, thanks." -Sabrina thanked him. –"But we're not the only ones, it seems. You're also very pretty." -she said, as she looked at Marinette. –"Is that another original of yours, Marinette?"
"You could say it's half an original." -Marinette answered her.
"Well, either way, it's quite beautiful. Blue is definitely your colour." -Chloe said.
"Thank you." -Marinette told her.
After they finished praising each other, there was brief silence between them, muffled by the sound of the band that continued to play classical music. Right then, they were playing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The musicians from the Paris' Opera that Audrey got to play at that gala were magnificently talented. Each note produced by their instruments was coming out perfect, contributing to create a sort of peculiar atmosphere in that ballroom, transporting everyone who was in it to a different time, a different era. But even with the music, Chloe could tell, just from looking into Adrien's eyes that there was something going on with him, and it was not hard to imagine what it was.
"Let me guess, my mother tried to convince you to start dating me?" -Chloe asked Adrien.
"How did you…" -Adrien said, surprised, as he had not said a word about it.
"She gave me the same speech today, when I arrived from school. I tried to make her understand that you were now dating someone, and that I didn't see you as more than a friend, but she didn't even care, saying that whoever the girl you are dating is just another obstacle that I need to get rid of, so I can date you and later on, marry you." -Chloe sighed. –"Honestly, I don't know how can she say those things? I'm telling you, I can't even believe that I'm related to that woman." -she said in disgust, as she looked over her shoulder and saw her mother and her father greeting the latest guest who was arriving.
"You clearly take after your dad, there's no doubt about it." -Adrien told her. –"Mayor Bourgeois may have a few defects, but he at least is a lot friendlier and nicer than his wife, and Chloe inherited those traits from him, that's for sure." -he thought to himself.
"Daddy says that I also take after my mom, but I can't see in what way… not anymore, at least." -Chloe sighed, with a sad voice.
"Look, don't think about it, Chloe." -Sabrina said, trying to cheer her up. –"Let's just try and have fun." -she declared, though she had doubts about them being able to have fun at that kind of party.
"Sabrina's right. Let's try and forget about your mom, and have fun." -Marinette smiled.
"Yes. Let's do that." -Chloe told Marinette, this time with a more upbeat voice. –"What do you say if we check out the appetizers they're serving? I was the one who chose them." -she asked her friends, who silently nodded at her, accepting her idea.
Covered by the shadows of the night, Reptile and Brutus arrived near St. Anne's Psychiatric Hospital. It took Reptile a little longer than usual to fully recover from the wounds inflicted on him by Hawk Moth. But thanks to Brutus, who sutured his wounds and helped him to recover, it did not take him as long to recover, as they believed it would. And that was a good thing, because Brutus needed him for his plan to work. Stopping in front of the hospital's main gate, under the darkness of a busted streetlamp, they looked at the security guard that was by the gate, and wondered what their next step would be. At that moment, there was no one on the street, but they both knew it was only a matter of time before anyone showed up. On top of that, an ambulance could also show at any moment.
"How are we going to get in there?" -Reptile asked, as Brutus had not told him how he had planned to get them inside the hospital, without anyone realizing it.
"I thought by now that you would know how we are going to do this." -Brutus told him. –"Do you think that I just brought you along because I appreciate your company?" -he asked him.
"I don't know? Maybe?" -Reptile asked him, not understanding if Brutus was messing with him, or not.
"Be serious. Of course, not. We're going to need your powers to get in." -Brutus answered him. –"You, of all people should know that thanks to your ability to chance your appearance, you can enter where most can't. And we're going to make use of it, tonight." -he said.
"Why don't we just jump over the fence?!" -Reptile asked Brutus. –"It would take two seconds, and I wouldn't even have to change my appearance. -he said. On that night he was a Caucasian male with blonde hair, auburn eyes and thin lips.
"Look over there." -Brutus said, as he to the fence, next to the security guard's booth. -"Cameras. And I bet that those over there aren't the only ones around the fence. The last thing we need is someone suspecting that we're here."
"I say we slither that guy's throat open and enter. It's easy, and honestly, I wouldn't mind making use of my switchblade." -Reptile said, as he pulled his switchblade from inside his jacket.
"It's thoughts like those that don't make you see the forest for the trees, Reptile." -Brutus said.
"What does that mean?" -Reptile asked him, not understanding what he was talking about.
"It means that if you use your head, you will see that there's more than one way to skin a cat." -Brutus answered. –"Sometimes one must not rush into doing the first thing it comes to its mind." -he said.
"The way you're talking, it's almost like you believe you are Confucius." -Reptile said.
"A wise man that one. And no, I don't believe I am like him. I merely know how to be patient and how to assess multiple situations." -Brutus declared. –"And I'm telling you, we will need your powers to get into that hospital, without alerting security." -he said.
This chapter went through a lot of revisions, before I finally finished it. The basis for it was partly the "Gigantitan" episode, as well as "Despair Bear". You have no idea just how fun it was to write Marinette the way she acts in the beginning of the chapter. I figured that just because she's dating Adrien now, and that she's Ladybug for more than 7 months now, it doesn't mean that she still doesn't act like her nervous self, from time to time. xD It was a fun chapter to write because I'm setting up things for what's going to be a busy night, in more senses than just one. We're getting close to seeing ChloexSabrina happening for real (finally, xDDD).
Also, I would like to hear your opinion on a matter that I've been putting some thought, over the last few weeks. Would you be interested if I wrote a fanfic, in which each chapter is a small slice-of-life event between some of the Miraculous Heroes, either in their superhero personas or in their civillian selves? I ask this because I recently went through some of my older notes, and I noticed that there are a lot of situations that i chose not to add to my Miraculous Team fanfics, because they were not good enough, or because they would slow down the action. As such, they were put aside, and I think that it's a bit of shame that some of those situations were never properly developed, as they could provide some funny bits, and an excellent way to also develop some other supporting characters, as well as the main ones. So what do you say? Would read it?
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this and other future sequels, okay? Until the next chapter.
P.S. I recently bought "Assassin's Creed Valhalla", so the next chapter might take a little longer to be completed, as I want to take this baby for a test drive on my PS4. :)Oh, and be sure to check out Liehl-FerZ page on DA for another illustration from this AU of mine... this time, we have the new and improved design of Mullan, Nathaniel's kwami. :)