"Finally!" I say as I look at the sketch of my dress. It's a sleeved dress with a scoop neck cut, it's 'skin tight' until the waist where it becomes flow-y and large like a princess ball gown, the waist has a bow and on the back there is an integrated corset to tighten up the dress.
"What type of materials are you going to use Marinette?" Tikki asks as she scans the sketch.
"I was thinking lace for the top and tulle for the bottom, I'm going to need a crinoline* for under the dress so it has the princess effect or else it will just stay down." I explain to her as she nods.
"What about the bow?" she asks me, I haven't thought of that yet.
"Maybe... silk or satin?" I tell her wondering what the bow should be made of.
"You can make bows out of silk?" she asks me surprised.
"Yeah, it's usually a shiny material so it's used more for decorations while satin is a much more matte colored material," I tell her as I imagine both kinds of fabrics on the dress.
"Have you decided on the colors yet?" she asks me curious to know.
"No..." I confess with a groan as I slam my head against the table. I have five days and three hours to work on my dress; I still have to go buy all of the materials and can't decide on the colors for my dress.
"Think Marinette, you save Paris on a daily basis, and deal with Chloe daily; you're Ladybug for crying out loud! Picking colors shouldn't get you down" she says cheering me up, she has a point and she just gave me an idea!
"That's it Tikki! I'm Ladybug!" I tell her making her confused and startled by my sudden outburst.
"Yeah..." she says putting her little fist in the air with not much enthusiasm.
"You don't get it Tikki, I'm Ladybug! The girl in black and red!" I tell her finally making her see my point.
"Oh I get it! That's a great idea Marinette!" she says as she gets excited as well.
"Let's go Tikki! We have materials to buy!" I exclaim as I grab my bag, wallet and phone and race out the door.
"I need to go buy some materials mamma, I'll be back in a few hours!" I tell her as I grab a croissant, kiss her cheek and rush out the door. I bump into my dad who is sweeping the side walk outside.
"Where are you going dumpling?" he asks me as he sees me.
"i'm going to buy some fabric papa, I'll be back in a few hours" I tell him s I kiss him on the cheek and dash off.
"Be careful!" I hear him yell as I cross the street and hurry off to the train station. I finally reach it just in time to see the train arrive. I sit down miraculously and I place my earbuds in and press play on my playlist. I ride for fifteen minutes and it comes to a halt, I get off trying my best to not get shoved off by the many people that are also getting off.
I walk until I see a big fabric store, i can hear a faint 'wow' from Tikki as she spies through my bag making sure nobody sees her. I walk in and start my search.
"Can you pass me another pin?" I ask Tikki as I cut out my dress, four days and six hours to go and I finally have all of the materials, measurements and methods to make this the perfect dress. Given the fact that akumas don't ever rest yesterday I got interrupted while I was going to start making the dress but I hope today I will be ale to works as much as possible.
"It's amazing how you manage to work so fast Marinette," Tikki says as she passes me another pin.
"Thanks Tikki, I've sewn since I was about ten. My mother and father gave me a sewing machine after I begged them for a really long time," I tell her remembering a younger me begging my mother and father.
"Wow your parents really are supportive" she says, but that's not entirely true.
"It wasn't always like this," I tell Tikki.
-Flashback-
"Fashion week is right around the corner and only the most elite will be showing up!" I hear the television announcer say, I'm helping mama mix some cookie batter.
"Mama, isn't fashion week awesome?!" I ask her excitedly as I continue mixing.
"It is dumpling, there's a lot of pretty clothing made by some of the most prestigious brands and designers" she tells me as I stare at the television in awe.
"You mean... all of that clothing is made by one person?" I ask her.
"Well, not all of it, brands usually have designers with the same sense of style design their clothes. Designers usually design it themselves and personally pick anybody they believe worthy enough to design for them" mama explains as she butters up a tray for a cake.
"I want to do that too" I tell her as my mixing slows down and my eyes don't abandon the screen.
"Do what dumpling?" she asks me as she starts pouring in the cake batter.
"I want to be a famous designer mama," I tell her causing her to spill a little bit of the batter out of surprise.
"I want to design pretty clothes and become famous and be in fashion week with all of the famous designers!" I say as I stop mixing and instead start clapping my hands.
"But honey..." mama begins, I look at her and wonder what's wrong.
"Don't worry mama, I'll be good at it. And I can still help you and papa here," I tell her reassuring her so she knows I'll help out in our bakery.
"Honey,but you don't know anything about fashion" my mother tells me, she has a point.
"Well... I didn't know how to count or read but you told me to study hard and I learned! So if I study hard, I can learn all about fashion too" I say, my mother gives me a small smile and pats my head.
"Gabriel Agreste made a spectacular guest surprise last night, what a way to closure fashion week! He was accompanied with his wife and son announcing his son would now enter the modeling business!" one of the television announcer says as I stare at the television. I looked in awe as I watch Gabriel Agreste on the television, they display a runway full of beautiful dresses of all styles and colors.
"Definitely stole the spotlight don't you think Karla?" he asks his co-announcer.
"Yes of course! If it's Gabriel Agreste you know it's going to be good, he didn't let us down with his autumn collection" the announcer named Karla says. I want to be like Gabriel Agreste, I want to design good clothing and have models display them on runways. I'll work hard and show mama and papa I can do it.
"Please!" I beg my parents as we sit having dinner together.
"Marinette, this is just a temporary thing, I'm sure that in a couple weeks you'll want to be something different" mama says as she takes a bite out of her food.
"That's not true mama, I really want to be a fashion designer," I tell her not touching my food at all.
"Dumpling your mother is right, plus, you're only nine aren't you too young to have a sewing machine?" he asks me as he also takes a bite from his food.
"I'm not, I can already sew with a needle thread but it's really slow" I complain to them and pout.
"I won't repeat myself Marinette, I bought you a set of sewing needles already, and your father bought you that black thread and a piece of fabric. What else could you possibly want?" my mother asks as she wipes her mouth with a napkin.
"I already made a pillow case, I want more fabric, and sewing machine, please" I beg again.
"My final answer is no, and if you don't stop with that nonsense I'll take away the needle and thread" mama says sternly. I don't say another word and poke at my food instead.
"Look Mama!" I say as I enter the bakery with a beautiful purple fabric.
"Marinette where did you get that?!" mama exclaims, making the only customer in the store startled.
"Sorry sir, Marinette go upstairs and wait for me" she orders me and I do as she says.
I wait for a couple minutes and hear the faint sound of the bell of the bakery ring, followed by footsteps coming up.
"Marinette, why and how do you have that fabric!" mama exclaims, she looks angry and I don't know why.
"Miss Chamock gave it to me, I gave her the pillowcase I made in return!" I tell her proudly.
"Marinette, I told you to stop this nonsense. I'm sorry to break it to you honey but being a fashion designer will get you NO where! You aren't rich or famous and without either of those two you can't get anywhere!" mama yells, it's rare to see her like this but even the perfect mom isn't so perfect.
"But mama..." I say as I pull out a sketchbook from the fabric.
"Nothing Marinette, the only way you would be able to be a designer is if you had pure talent! Your grandmother got no where with that silly dream of fashion designing and neither will you because it is a mediocre job that people like us can not achieve... now give me this! I don't ever want to hear you talk about this again!" she yells as she grabs the fabric and sketchbook from me and storms downstairs.
I just sit there and let tiny tears roll down my cheeks.
"We're going to be doing a fashion show for the end of the year school fair!" my teacher tells the class, everyone gets excited. I just sit in the corner not caring about anything that has to do with fashion.
"We're going to be making our own costumes to model, you can ask your parents and family members to help you out or you can stay after school and work on them" our teacher says, I can here everyone talk about it saying that their mom's will sew it for them but I still remain in my seat expressionless. After a while class ends and we all pack up our stuff to leave.
"Marinette is something the matter?" I hear the teacher ask as she approaches me.
"No Madame," I say as that's what we call her.
"Marinette I thought you would be really excited about having a fashion show, all you've been talking about for the last months is how you want to be a fashion designer that's how I thought of the idea" Madame says as she kneels down to be more at my level.
"Mama says I can't be a fashion designer" I confess as I look the other way not wanting to cry.
"Oh... maybe your mom just doesn't know how good you are! Have you shown her your designs" she asks, I nod no since mama took my sketchbook before I could show her.
"See, that's why. Why don't you work really hard and make something really pretty for the fashion show? You can use all the materials I'm going to bring tomorrow so you can work on your design! You can surprise your mom the day of the show" Madame tells me, she makes me smile with her idea and I nod as I think of all the possibilities.
"And last but not least in our fashion show is Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Her design is a one hundred percent Marinette original! She sewed it together by hand and here is the result!" Madame announces as I walk down the mini catwalk, I made a pink dress that has flowers sewn on to it all over with a huge bow at my waist.
It's not perfect but for being my first dress I think I did a good job, Madame helped me cut the fabric but this was her first time sewing so it wasn't exactly what you would call even everywhere and my stitches were noticeable on all sides but since it's done in white thread you can barely see it. Everyone claps as I walk the catwalk and I finally spot Mama and Papa. Papa claps really loudly with a big smile while Mama stares at me in awe.
It's Christmas! Mama and Papa decided it was okay for me to design clothes but still didn't buy me a sewing machine which was quite disappointing but I didn't insist since I saw that it took me no where. Today though, was Christmas and I asked for some dolls (so I can use them as models), and pretty fabrics with patterns on them.
I walk to our living room and see our tree with the Christmas lights on, Mama and Papa sit by it as they watch the telvision and smile when they see me.
"We have a present for you dumpling" they say together as they hand me a medium sized box wrapped in yellow wrapping paper and a big blue bow.
"Thank you" I say as I look at the box wondering what could be inside, maybe a doll?
"Well... are you going to open it?" papa asks as they both look at me, I nod and unwrap the box carefully. I finally take of the paper and see printed on the box a big image of a sewing machine. I stare at it not knowing how to react at first but slowly I smile and hug both of my parents.
"Thank you so much!" I squeal not letting go of my tight grip. Eventually I do though and tiny tears escape from my face.
-End Flashback-
"Wow, who would've guessed" Tikki says as she passes me another pin.
"Mama and Papa are great parents but they aren't always as perfect as everyone thinks" I explain to her.
"The good thing is that you're following your dream now!" Tikki says as she hugs my right cheek.
"Exactly!" I say as I tickle her side.
"Now come on, we have a lot of work to do!
A/N: I know, I know. This is more of a filler chapter but next chapter we'll finally be seeing Marinette's dress and Adrien's reaction!
For all you that do not know what crinoline is, it's basically a skirt made of wire and fabric which is used under wedding dresses or ball gowns (if you're latino/a like me it's also used under quinceañera dresses) the purpose of a crinoline is to give shape to the dress, it makes it look fuller since and bigger. Not to be confused with petticoats which are made of different materials and can be layered to have the same use.
I will probably be designing new cover art with her in her gown, I'm going to try really hard to make it as pretty as I imagine it in my head.
As always thank you all for being so lovely and favoriting, following and reviewing! It means so much to me and makes me want to keep writing! 'Till next chapter!