Dreams and Reality

A single copper eye blinked at herself in the oval mirror as she peered through the violet bangs that nearly covered half of her face. The rest of her black hair tumbled past her shoulders with a hint of similarly colored strands over her shoulders. Sighing at her own appearance, she reached up to put a hair clip in her bangs, but upon seeing the one she chose, she put it back down. 'Yeah, like I want that memory.' For nearly a minute she sat there, her eyes misting over and her heart pounding as a ferry barge floated past the Liberty, causing the ship to lightly rock while the ropes mooring it to the docks creaked and groaned.

Luka opened his soft blue eyes to see Juleka sitting at her vanity. "Are you ready for school, sis?"

Turning to her right, she smiled at the sight of her brother. 'How can he just sit there, calmly, in a meditative trance for an hour without a single eye twitch?' Nodding at him, she turned back to look at the mirror. "Yeah. I was just wondering if I should do something different with my hair?" Lowering her head to look down at herself, she was already dressed in her typical black mesh outfit with the sea green mandarin collared black vest. Standing up, she shook her head and reached for her compact. Her hand stopped barely five centimeters away from the item before she closed her fingers. Turning around, she walked for the stair well with a scowl on her face.

"You okay, sis?" Luka asked stepping in front of his younger sister, and placing a hand on her shoulder. Once he had, the young man could feel the slight tremble to her arm.

Closing her eyes, she turned her face away. "I will be."

"Jules, talk to me. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

Wrapping her arms around herself, she shook her head. "I keep getting Akumatized by Hawk Moth, Luka." Raising her head up, she looked him in the eyes. "The last time it happened was because of my desire to be a model." He could see tears welling up in her eyes. "I wanted to model Marinette's designs so badly, but my stupid anxiety got the better of me, and I started to panic."

Nodding, he wrapped her up in a hug, setting his chin on the top of her head. "I know, but you can't let that upset you, Jules. Hawk Moth will use anything he can to hurt others, and if it hadn't been you, it would've been someone else." He felt her clutching at his back, her body shaking. "Just take strength in your friends, sis. They are there to help in your time of need, especially Marinette."

"I could've killed someone, and yet I don't remember anything that happened. The only things I can remember was... anger, pain, and disappointment." She turned away from her brother, but he held her close. "You don't understand, I-I can't rely on everyone else forever. One of these days I'll need to stand on my own, but... I can't do it, Luka." Letting out a soft sob, she felt her shoulders shaking as she turned her head side-to-side. "I'll never be a model."

"You don't know that, Jules." Luka remarked softly. "Here's an idea. Why don't you ask Adrien about how to become one? Surely he knows a way for you to get your foot into the door."

Juleka shook her head. "I... I can't." she shivered in his arms. "Adrien is incredibly sweet, but there are times when I swear he hates modeling, and I don't want to ask if it's going to make him angry or sad. I respect his opinion too much."

"Come on, Jules. I'm sure he would consider it an honor to at least help you out. He and the rest of your class seem to genuinely like you." Smiling at her, he gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "Just talk with him today, okay?"

Her eye flew open. "T-Today?! I... I can't ask today! I have... I have school, and... I need to talk to Rose... and I-I'm not ready..." fidgeting with her fingers, she looked everywhere except her brother's face, and yet she had a feeling he had that annoying, knowing smile.

Oh the times she hated that smile.

"Never put off to tomorrow what you should do today." Luka advised with his knowing smile plastered over his face. "Take some time out of your day to talk with him, just to see what he says. You never know what can happen unless you try, little sis. I'm sure he would love to help you out."

With her heart pounding, she shivered. "I... I-I-I'll try..."

"That's all I ask, sis." Kissing the top of her head, Luka winked at her. "Now come on or we'll be late for school." With that, the pair emerged on deck and crossed the gangway to head off to school. It was only a five minute walk for the teenage girl to reach Françoise Dupont, but on the way she felt her own little ray of sunshine approach from the side in the form of an eternally bubbly, Rose.

Miles away, another ray of sunshine sat in his room, looking through Marinette's website for showcasing her fashions. 'Everything looks great.' A smile spread his lips as he saw Alya's handiwork with several graphics. When he noted a place for comments, he saw that several were about him, so he decided to add his commentary while the little black cat Kwami floated over his shoulder.

"Happy to help an aspiring designer, and some great friends from class..." Plagg muttered as he read Adrien's comment, "... and yet that day was nearly a disaster."

"We defeated Reflekdoll, I don't know what the problem was?" Adrien had just finished and pressed the ENTER key.

"The problem was that you used Tikki while I used..." Plagg shook his head in just enough time to stop himself from saying "pigtails" before he saw Adrien looking at him. "Either way, I didn't like being merged with someone other than you, kid."

"Yeah, you said that. Several times. How was it to be paired with Ladybug that day?" Adrien asked, genuinely curious.

"I..." Plagg shook his head, a shiver coursing down to his body causing his tail to flick. "She's not you, Adrien. It felt like I was merged with... Tikki, and it was..." he didn't say anything for several seconds before letting out a soft "intimate."

Looking at the black cat Kwami, he blinked. 'I'm not sure if I should be jealous or not.' Adrien's thought had barely coalesced when there was a knock on his door. Plagg flew into his shirt as he turned left to regard his door before calling out "Come in" completely forgetting about shutting down the page with Marinette's fashions on his screen.

"Breakfast is served, Adrien. Your father..." Nathalie started to say before her eyes took in the screen. The sight of the smiling blond next to the copper eyed, black haired beauty caught her attention immediately. "What is that?"

Turning to his computer screen, Adrien blanched. "Oh! Um... just some volunteer work I did for a friend..."

Nathalie stalked forward, her eyes glaring at the screen. "Adrien, is that a designer's company website?"

"Wh-What? Oh... um, not really. It's more for showing off Marinette's fashion designs and..."

"... but there's company logo, and site address for commissioning fashions." Walking over, she narrowed her eyes at Juleka. "Who is that?!" She pointed to the black-haired girl with the violet bangs standing next to him in the picture. "You are expressly forbidden from working with any models except those employed by the Gabriel brand." Taking a good look at several of the pictures, she noted the web address, and tapped the screen on her tablet.

"It's not like that, Nathalie!" Adrien countered, worry in his voice. "She's a girl in my class, and she wanted to model Marinette's clothing, but she needed pointers, so Alya asked me to help her out. I was only too happy to volunteer to model with her." It was as close to the truth as he was willing to admit to his father's assistant, especially when he had a free hour out of his normally packed schedule. "I learned she wants to be a model, so I offered to show her the ropes, and after the Reflekdoll issue, she learned really quickly."

Looking at him, she scowled. "Your father must be informed of this immediately."

"Please, Nathalie, I didn't think we were doing anything wrong." he begged as he followed her out his bedroom.

Turning to regard him, she narrowed his eyes. "Adrien, you are under contract to only appear in Gabriel brand advertisements." She then showed him her tablet. "This is not a website funded, nor sponsored by your father. Shutting down the entire site may be the least of Miss Dupain-Cheng's problems. Depending upon how angry your father gets. She may be looking at legal trouble if you..." She stopped at the foot of the stairs when the teen interrupted her.

"No." Adrien stopped right next to Nathalie, his green eyes hard.

"Adrien, it's not up to..."

"I said "No", Nathalie! No matter what my father says, if he attempts legal action I will never do another photo-shoot or another modeling contract for Gabriel brand for the rest of my life!" Adrien announced vehemently, his voice deep and low. "I don't care if he is my father! The moment he tries to do that with my friends, I will never willingly step in front of another camera ever again."

Standing there, stunned by his proclamation, Nathalie nodded. "I will inform your father about your decision in wanting to protect your friends, but understand it is not up to me. Now head into the dining room for breakfast. I must go see Mr. Agreste."

Walking across the foyer, Adrien did as he told. Unfortunately, his conversation with Nathalie had quickly made him lose his appetite while she stood in his father's office. "You're telling me that my son deliberately defied me by modeling for another company? Both without my permission, and with no contract?"

"No, sir. I am saying that he attempted to assist his friends, but the pictures are being used for an online designer's page with an address meant to take commissions for her fashions." She watched as his eyes narrowed in anger, his mouth twisting into a scowl.

"Show me."

Nathalie swiped her tablet, and within seconds images of Adrien and Juleka filled Gabriel's screen. He looked them through, and his eyes blazed with anger. "Call my attorneys. I want..."

"Your son has also expressed an interest in you not pursue legal action."

"He is in no position to..."

Interrupting, she shook her head. "He has outright stated he will refuse all modeling jobs from this point forward if you take legal action against any of his friends." Nathalie stood there watching as Gabriel's eyes went from the screen to her.

Gabriel went from angry to enraged, then intrigued in the span of a few minutes. "Bring my son to me." he instructed. Turning around, she left his office and crossed the foyer to the dining room.

When the door opened, she looked at Adrien. "Your father requests your presence." she noticed the untouched food with a scowl. "Not hungry?"

"No." was the only thing Adrien said before he exited the room, his head and eyes downcast.

Knocking on the door, he waited for the word "Come" before Adrien entered the office, a shiver of fear coursed down his back. Nathalie followed, closing the door behind them, until they stopped in front of his father. Looking at the man with trepidation, the younger Agreste felt the sweat drip down his back. "I have been informed of your... "extra-curricular activities", son, and I am not happy to see you modeling for another designer."

"Father, I..."

Holding up his hand, silencing his son, the designer glared at him. "You are under contract to the Gabriel brand, and that brand alone. Seeing you modeling for another brand, even of an up and coming designer, is in strict violation of your contract, and I expected better of you." He watched as Adrien's head dropped, nodding. Looking back at the pictures, he pushed up his glasses. "Although the photography is amateurish, the designs and the professionalism of this other model is not."

"Marinette is a talented designer..."

"This would be Miss Dupain-Cheng?" his voice was even, yet Adrien could hear a slight hint of interest.

"Yes, father." Adrien said, hope blossoming in his chest. "She's the one that won your design contest for the..."

"I'm well aware." Gabriel waved off his son's recollection. "Is she the one that designed this outfit?"

"Yes, and the jewelry."

Blinking, he noticed the rings, necklaces, and earrings. "Really?" Almost immediately he went into designer mode. "Just from the photos I can tell the design and coloration holds quite a bit of skill, but I would need to look over the stitching to be sure of whether or not it is of professional quality." He then went to the way the girl looked. "You seem comfortable with the young lady in the picture. Who is she?"

"Juleka Couffaine." Adrien answered.

Gabriel nodded. "You say she wants to be a model?"

"Yes, father." For a few seconds Adrien dared to hope that his father would forgive this single transgression and let him help his friend achieve her dream. "She always wants to model for Marinette, and she's always acted professionally around me."

Nodding, he rubbed at his chin a bit more. "Nathalie, have we had any models whose contracts are up for review?"

"Only one, sir." She brought up the file and sent it to his screen. He looked at the name. "She signed a provisional contract for three months, but has been... difficult to work with." Cataloging all of the reviews from other models, photographers, and designers she sent them to Gabriel's tablet.

"Who?" Adrien asked, praying internally he knew the answer.

"That is none of your concern, Adrien." Gabriel countered.

Adrien nodded. "I was just hopeful it was a certain Italian girl..."

Looking at Gabriel, Nathalie saw him stare at his son for several seconds before looking up at her with an almost imperceptible nod. "Yes," he said at last, "the model in question is Miss Rossi." The sight of his son's eyes hardening caused the designer to blink.

"Father, if your intention is to switch out Juleka for Lila..."

"I need neither your counsel, nor your criticism, Adrien..."

Even though he was effectively being dismissed, Adrien continued. "I will just say, that I would only be too happy to work with Juleka, as long as I never have to see Lila again."

That caught Gabriel's attention. "Are you saying she has caused problems?"

"No, father, I'm saying that she's worse than that." Adrien announced. "She's a habitual liar, an unprofessional model, she constantly tries to push me into compromising situations, and will not keep her hands off me. Lila Rossi is one of the only people I can truly say I do not trust or like, and although I try to be nice to her at school, it's only because I don't want her to go after my friend, Marinette."

"Why?" Gabriel asked. "What does she have against Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

He shook his head, glaring. "Marinette calls out every single one of her lies, trying to make sure that Lila doesn't hurt anyone else even though she was nearly expelled due to that..." the young model watched as his father's eyebrow rose even as he self-censored, "girl." Adrien didn't even notice that his hands were clenched into fists, but Gabriel did. "I feel like I made a deal with the devil when I agreed to act as her friend just so she wouldn't go after the people I care about. Part of me wonders if she lied to you in order to become a model."

It genuinely stunned Gabriel to hear his son speak so venomously about Lila, his eyes scanning his face and body language with a critical eye. Nodding once, he looked at Nathalie. "Invite Miss Rossi to the mansion after school to talk about her contract." his eyes then went to Adrien. "For lunch, I want you to invite both Miss Couffaine, and Miss Dupain-Cheng to the mansion. I will be joining you three for lunch, and... tell them nothing about this conversation, only that you have been given permission to have them join you."

Nathalie didn't even need to be told what to do. "I will make the arrangements with the kitchen, sir." She then looked at the time on her tablet. "Adrien, you will be late for school if you don't get to the car soon."

"Okay. I-I'll see you at lunch, father." With that, Adrien left his father's office, and headed down to the car, a skip in his step.

Watching him go, Nathalie waited until the door closed to speak again. "What are your plans for Miss Rossi?"

"The girl is useless for my designs as both Gabriel Agreste, and Hawk Moth." he narrowed his eyes at the screen once more. "She has disrupted my business, forced several of my better models to quit due to her antics, and focused all of her attentions onto Adrien. Hearing him talk so disparagingly of her makes me wonder if hiring her, and trusting her word on Miss Dupain-Cheng wasn't the worst mistake I had ever made." Rubbing at his chin, he shook his head. "Get me anything you can on this budding designer, and everything you have on Lila Rossi. I want facts about these two girls, not just idle speculation and gossip."

"At once, sir."