Chapter 10: A Commission for a Rockstar
On that night, at dinner, when they were already having dessert, Chloe asked her father if he could get her Jagged Stone's new cell phone number. Telling him that she desperately needed to talk to him. Andre Bourgeois, hearing her request, could not help but to feel curious about it, and asked Chloe why she needed it. Instantly, she told him that she wanted to talk to him and ask him if he could get her tickets for the KISS concert, which was sold out, and that he was opening for later next week, while claiming that she was planning to get the tickets as part of a birthday surprise for Alya, who she lied about, was a huge fan of KISS. She added it was going to be her birthday present for Alya, and she wanted to take the rest of her class to the concert, to celebrate along with Alya her birthday. Hearing her say that, Andre felt that if she did manage to get the tickets, attending to two concerts in such a short notice was a little too much. But given that she had been studying hard for her exams, and it was going to be a birthday gift for a friend, he told Chloe that he was going to try his best to get Jagged's new number, and that if she managed to get the tickets, he would allow her to attend the concert.
"Thank you, daddy, thank you!" -Chloe giggled, as she got up from her chair and hugged her father. –"You're the best father in the world." -she smiled at André.
"Anything for you, honey." -André told his daughter.
Once they finished dinner, Chloe quickly went back to her suite, telling her dad that she was going to study a little bit longer, before going to bed. But not before grabbing something sweet from the dessert cart, saying that she might get hungry while studying and she did not want to bother anyone with one of her after dinner cravings for sweets. Of course, this was not for her, but for Pollen. Because there were no desserts containing honey, Chloe was forced to get her kwami something that had caramel on it, which she knew was her second favourite thing. Looking at the dessert cart, she chose a slice of caramel cheesecake. As always, when she arrived at her suite, Pollen showed up out of nowhere and greeted her with a smile. Chloe returned the smile, by showing her treat she had brought her.
As Pollen ate the treat, Chloe told her, her dad had agreed to finding out what was Jagged Stone's new cell phone number, while also agreeing to let her attend the concert.
"You're really determined to get those tickets, aren't you?" -Pollen asked the blonde, as she nibbled the cheesecake.
"I am. I owe it to Adrien and the others." -Chloe told her.
"You keep saying that you owe it to your friends, Chloe, but I don't think you owe them anything. I think that whatever you think you owe them; you're already paying it with your friendship and your love for them." -Pollen said.
"But it's true, Pollen. I don't know how long it will take, but I need to make up for all the bad things I did to my friends." -Chloe declared. –"It's the least I can do." -she sighed.
The bee kwami had heard that speech dozens, if not hundreds of times. On the outside, appeared to be someone who was tough as nails. Someone who would not be afraid to tell others what she thought about them. But on the inside, she was someone who was afraid of being rejected or forgotten. Someone who desired to be noticed by those she cared about. And more importantly, she was someone who had low self-esteem issues, though she was very good at hiding them. Pollen had pieced those assumptions of hers, from everything Chloe spoke with her. But even she did not know everything that was going up on the blonde's head. Still, she remained by her side, hoping that one day Chloe would tell her or someone else what was really going through her mind, and hopefully, she would be able to help her overcome those fears she had.
"Chloe, I know that you feel like you owe them for everything bad you said and did to them, but if they were here, they would tell you the same thing I'm telling you now. That you don't owe them anything. That having you as a friend, makes it up for everything else that happened between all of you and that they have forgiven you." -Pollen said, as she nibbled the cheesecake again, this time licking the liquid caramel that was on top, before eating it.
"Maybe. But I haven't forgiven myself, Pollen, and I don't know when will that happen, if it will ever happen." -Chloe sighed. –"I mean, I did unspeakable things, things that I'm truly ashamed, to all my friends." -she said. –"Sometimes at night, I still remember them and can't sleep because of it."
"Is that why you go and get Mr. Cuddles from the box he's in?" -Pollen asked her, surprising her. –"Don't look so surprised. I'm a light sleeper, and I've seen you doing it, once or twice." -she declared.
"Having him by my side, helps soothing my thoughts." -Chloe admitted. Only a handful of people knew about her teddy bear, and what it meant to her. –"When those moments happened, once or twice, I had the idea of getting you and placing by my side, instead of Mr. Cuddles, so I can sleep better, but…" -she said.
"But you don't want to wake me up, when that happens, so you go and get the teddy bear." -Pollen finished her sentence, with a heart-warming smile. –"Don't worry, I'm not jealous of Mr. Cuddles. If having him by your side helps you to sleep better, when your mind is in a turmoil, I don't mind you picking him up to keep you company, just so I can continue to sleep." -she said. –"But next time that happens, if you don't want to go and get him, you can just wake me up and I'll keep you company, until you fall asleep."
Smiling tearfully, Chloe could not help but to place her hands around Pollen, and gently place her against her chest.
"You're the best kwami, someone like me, could ever have, Pollen." -Chloe told her. –"And I promise you, next time I'll leave Mr. Cuddles in his box, and I'll go and get you. I'm sure he won't get jealous of you. Plus, he might like having a night-off." -she joked.
Ever since she was created, Pollen had had numerous holders. Some of them more memorable than others, but none of them were like Chloe. When she first met her, the blonde was afraid of her, but after the initial shock, and a little help from Master Fu, the two of them became inseparable, and part of her wished they would remain like that for a long time, even if that meant having to fight Hawk Moth for decades.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Chloe." – Pollen thanked the blonde, as she opened her hands, leaving the little kwami levitating near her chest. –"So, do you want to study a little more, or do you want to watch something on Netflix?" -she asked her. –"I don't mind helping you out, by giving you a quick pop quiz."
"I think I can go for another hour of studying, if you'll lend me a hand, of course." -Chloe smiled. –"Cant' believe I actually said that." -she chuckled. –"A year ago I would have probably said, "Why do I need to study something that I'm never going to use in my life?"… I really have changed."
"And for the better." -Pollen said, as she landed on her shoulder. –"And that's one of the things I like the most about you. You truly have changed for the better. It's just that sometimes you need to be reminded of that. Glad I'm around here, to remind you of it." -she said, making Chloe giggle.
"You, and Sabrina. Sometimes, I think I wouldn't survive, if I didn't have you two around me." -Chloe declared.
When the Sun first appeared in the horizon, on Monday, Jagged Stone was already awake for at least an hour. Since he had decided to accept to open for KISS, that he had hardly been able to sleep properly. Just like it happened to him, before beginning a new tour, he was feeling restless and agitated. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and though he did not want to admit it, he was a little nervous. Opening for, and later, play with, a band, whose musicians were practically considered by fans and other musicians alike, as gods of music, was a big deal, and he did not want to disappoint anyone, especially himself.
Which was why, he decided to practice. After grabbing something to eat, he closed himself inside the penthouse's recording studio, and began to play his most famous songs, trying to see which ones he was going to use on the concert. There so many songs to choose from, and the concert was going to be an hour and half long. He needed to choose the right songs for it, so he could practice them, even though he already knew them by heart. But more importantly, he needed to practice the songs that he was going to play alongside KISS. Not only they agreed to his demands, regarding merchandise, they had also agreed to let him play three songs with them, one of which was "I Was Made for Loving You", his favourite KISS song. Jagged felt like a kid in a candy store, where each candy or sweet he saw was even better than the one before. And how could he not feel like that? He was about to fulfil a dream of his.
Still, has he practiced, Jagged could not help but to feel like there was something missing. If he wanted to make that concert something absolutely memorable, not only for himself, but for everyone in the audience, he needed something special make it happen. He just did not know what. Stopping for a moment, he placed his guitar down and began circling the live room, trying to think what was missing and how could he use it. Pacing around in silence, numerous ideas came to his mind, but none of them sounded right.
"Come on, man, you can do this! Think, think, think!" -Jagged Stone thought to himself. –"There's got to be something I can do to make this concert absolutely memorable. But what?" -he mused to himself.
And then, as he looked into his reflection in the glass window that showed the audio workstation, he found the answer. His reflection was the answer. Or better yet, it was what one could not see in his reflection, a face paint. KISS was not just known for their music. They were also known for their iconic face paints. Those face paints were part of the reason, why they were on the map, per say. A person may not know any KISS song, but it would recognize their iconic face paints, anywhere. And that was what he needed. He needed an original face paint, for when he was called up to the stage.
"That's it! A face paint! I need a face paint." -Jagged Stone exclaimed, as if he was the Greek inventor Archimedes, and he had pronounced the "eureka", after finding the answer to a problem.
Not wasting time, he practically stormed out of the recording studio and went to get his laptop. Turning it on, he went to the living room, looking for ideas for a face paint. Googling it, there were hundreds, if not thousands of images of face paints. Some of them good, some of them bad, some of them silly, some of them more serious. All in all, there were face paints for all shapes and sizes, not to mention tastes. Looking over the multitude of images, it was hard for Jagged to find one that clearly stood out. And without realizing it, when he looked at the time, it was nearly 10 in the morning. He was so focused on what he was doing, he had not even realized that Fang had also awakened and had decided to fall asleep again, at his feet. Only when the large reptile snored, did he realized that had happened.
"Guess you felt I needed some company, huh, buddy?" -Jagged Stone thought to himself, as he petted Fang's head, as the reptile continued to sleep.
"Hey! What are you doing?" -Penny asked him, as she entered the living room, carrying a few bags, startling the musician.
"Don't do that! You know how I hate, when people show up from behind my back. And since when are you so silent, when walking?" -Jagged asked his agent. –"Last time I checked, I didn't have a cat for an agent." -he joked.
"Sorry. The sole from these new pump shoes I bought last month, make them extra silent." -Penny apologized, as she sat on the sofa, next to Jagged. –"I thought you had heard me saying I was going out for a walk, when I went out."
"I apologize, but I didn't hear you. I must have been too focused on this." -Jagged admitted. –"I didn't even heard or noticed Fang here, until he snored a couple of moments ago." -he said, as he looked at the sleeping crocodile.
"It must have been something quite important, for you to be that focused. What are you looking up online?" –Penny asked him. –"Shopping for a new piece of music memorabilia for your house in L.A.?" -she asked him, knowing that Jagged had been thinking about acquiring a some pieces to decorate his house in the West Coast.
"Nah, I'm not… I'm looking for some inspiration." -Jagged Stone told Penny.
"Inspiration for what? A new song for the concert?" -Penny asked him. It would not be the first time that happened.
"No, not this time. This time, I'm looking for a face paint." -Jagged declared. –"I figured that, because I'm going to perform alongside KISS, I'm going to need a face paint similar to the ones they wear." -he said. –"So, I decided to search for one, and I've been looking into several artists' pages for inspiration. Who knows? I might even commission one to create one for me, if I can't find one that suits me."
"Why don't you just use one of the face paints from the band's past members? I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you did that, if you asked them." -Penny told him. –"I can send an email to their agent, asking them permission for you to do that." -she suggested him.
"No, don't do that. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one "Fox" and one "Ankh Warrior", and they are the late Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent. It would be disrespectful for me to wear their face paints, when I'm not either one of them." -Jagged told her. –"Plus, I don't want fans to feel offended by me wearing their make-ups. That's the last thing I want, especially because KISS fans are incredibly picky, to say the least, with those things." -he added.
"Takes one to know one, that's what they say." -Penny joked. –"Oh, and before I forget, I brought you another box of these." -she said, as she placed a pink box with the Dupain-Cheng Bakery logo on it, in front of him.
"Oh, macarons!" -Jagged said, as he opened the box and quickly grabbed one of the sweet little treats. –"I know I keep saying this, but I really can't get enough of these little things. Especially from this bakery." -he said.
And it was then. his eyes caught on the bakery's logo and recognized the name from somewhere. He had seen it before that morning, but he could not remember where. It took him a couple of seconds, but he remembered that it was the name in one of the artist pages he had checked before. Tapping the name on Google, two results came out. The first one, was the Facebook page of the same bakery where those macarons had come from. As for the second one, it was an artist page with name "Marinette Designed", which belonged to a Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
"Ha! I knew I had seen that name before." -Jagged smiled, as he quickly opened Marinette's page. –"Whoa… this girl's got talent! I can't believe how this almost passed me by. Penny, come here and take a look at these." -he asked Penny, as she sat closer to him. –"Here, you see these Kabuki style mask concepts? These look amazing. Look at the detail she placed into these sketches. And they're just sketches. Imagine how they would look like, if she had finished them."
"These look really nice." -Penny admitted, as she looked at Marinette's profile. The photo in it was more than a year old, and Marinette was sporting a different haircut in it, but her face had not changed a bit. –"I think I recognize the girl. I've seen her once or twice in the bakery. I think she's the owners' daughter." -she said, remembering the few times she had seen her. –"But to be honest, I don't think she's a make-up artist, Jagged. She's more of a fashion designer. Look at all the sketches and the photos of clothes and accessories she has on her page." -Penny said.
"Doesn't matter if she's not a make-up artist, Penny. Look at her work, especially on these masks." -Jagged told her, as he clicked on one of the images. –"I mean, this is really good. They're just sketches, I know, but they're really good. It's too bad that she doesn't seem to have more images of this kind of work in her page, but it already shows you that her talent is not restricted to just one area." -he said, as he continued to browse Marinette's page. –"And look at this. She's accepting commissions."
"She's got talent, there's no doubt about it. Foe someone her age, she's incredibly gifted. Some of these works look incredibly beautiful. But let me state this once again; I don't know if it's the right kind of talent you're looking for." -Penny told him. –"Like I said before, she's more of a fashion designer than a make-up artist, which is what you're looking for and need, right now." -she pointed out.
He knew Penny was right. He could tell the girl was more of a fashion designer, than anything else. Still, there was something about her work that had captured his attention, something that did not allow him to ignore it. She had a gift. And if it had not been for that box of macarons, Penny had brought him, he would have most likely never found out about Marinette's work. In his book, she was someone who truly deserved his attention.
"Maybe it's a sign." -Jagged told Penny. –"I mean, I don't know about you, but I always believed everything happens for a reason, and this might not be a coincidence." -he said. –"The name of this bakery, where you got these macarons that I love, it's what guided me to her page. If it hadn't been for it, I would've probably never had found it." -he declared.
"You know very well that I don't believe in signs or coincidences, but that's me." -Penny told him. –"Still, if you believe in it, and if you think it's a good idea, then go ahead." -she smiled. –"It's not like this is the first time you would take a newbie artist under your wing."
"Hey, come on, let's not get hasty here. I'm only going to commission this girl a design for a face paint." -Jagged Stone said. –"Though, from what I see in her page, her talent, combined with some very hard work, she might one day become a great designer." -he admitted, as he checked the sketches Marinette had in her gallery. –"It's settled. I'm going to commission her that face paint. And just so she doesn't think this is a prank or anything, I'm doing a video, so she can see it's really me, and not someone, pretending to be me."
"That's a good idea. But maybe you should change into something a little less casual?" -Penny asked him. –"I don't think even your greatest fans will want to see you in a night robe and slippers. It doesn't match your personality." -she joked.
"Very funny, Penny, very funny." -Jagged shot at her, with his voice filled with sarcasm. –"But you're right, I best change into something else, before I record the video." -he said.
"What if she doesn't accept it?" -Penny asked him.
"If she doesn't, I'll have to find someone else to create a face paint for me. But I'm truly hoping she accepts the job." -Jagged said, as he placed his laptop on top of the coffee table and woke Fang up, by scratching him underneath his jaw. –"Come on, Sleeping Beauty. Need your help to choose some clothes to wear." -he said, as Fang let out a roar of happiness.
Like it happened every time students had exams, the day before them, was spent clarifying doubts and asking questions in class, so by the time they took the exams, there were no doubts clouding the students' minds. That was what happened with Miss Bustier's class, and most other classes at College Françoise-Dupont. By the time the bell rang, signalling the end of classes, every student felt their minds as exhausted as the rest of their bodies felt. And Marinette was no exception to the rule. As she made her way home, she wished Adrien did not have fencing lessons that day, so she could invite him for a quick snack at the bakery and spend a little time with him, before he headed home. Still, there was nothing she could do about it. She would just have to wait until after dinner, so they could talk a little bit before bedtime.
But before Marinette could even think about that, she still had a study session ahead of her. She did not feel like it, especially after a whole morning and part of the afternoon hearing Miss Bustier answering all questions she and the rest of her class asked her. But she knew that if she did not use every free moment she had to study, before the exams, there was always the possibility she had not study something that was going to be on the exams and that could make the difference between her getting a good grade and a bad one. The stress she was under was quite great. And to make things worse, at lunch Chloe told the whole class, her father had not got Jagged's new cell number yet, complicating matters for them, who were hoping she could get them tickets for the KISS concert. But there was one thought that kept her from going crazy, and that was that she believed everything was going to end up alright, and that after the exams were done, she would be able to relax.
Arriving home, she quickly went up to her bedroom, not even stopping by the kitchen to get some snacks. She was not hungry, and she knew she had cookies up in her bedroom for Tikki. Just because she was not hungry, did not mean her kwami was not, and she had promised herself she would never allow Tikki to be hungry, even when she was not in the best of moods. After dropping her backpack, the first thing Marinette did was to check her cell phone. That morning she forgot about it at home. Finding it where she had left it that morning, next to her laptop, Marinette quickly went to through the texts and emails she had received, while at the same time, Tikki, who was famished, made her way to the secret box of cookies, Marinette had under her bed, to get one.
She only had one text from Adrien, sent earlier that morning, asking her why she was running late. As for the emails, most were just advertisement, virtual trash and spam, and she quickly deleted everything related to that. But there was one email which was not spam and that caught her eye. Its title "Possible Commission: Urgent" made her smile.
"A commission? It's been so long, since I actually had someone asking me for a commission." -Marinette thought, happy to see that someone had taken the time to check her artist page. –"Which reminds me, when I finish Alya's hoodie, I have to take a couple of photos and post them on my page… that is, after I give it to her. I don't want to spoil her surprise." -she thought, as she opened it. –"Whoa, it's got a video attached to it. Asking for a commission using a video. Very classy. Let's hope it's a bit of a challenge. After the exams, I'll have time to work on it, and whatever it might be, I would like it to be a challenge, so I can perfect my sewing skills."
Opening the video, she almost dropped her cell phone, when she saw who was on the video. If anyone had told her that she was going to receive an email with a video attached to it, and the person on the video was none other than Jagged Stone, her favourite rockstar, she would have said they were crazy. And yet, it was happening.
"Hello, there." -Jagged said. –"Before we go further, yes, I'm Jagged Stone. This is not a prank or bad joke, it's really me." -he said.
Marinette just could not believe her eyes. Jagged Stone had sent her video. The whole moment looked and felt absolutely surreal. So much, that the girl's heart skipped a beat.
"You're probably wondering why would I send you a video, and here's the thing. I saw your work, which captured my attention. In particular, the sketches that you made for those Kabuki masks. I love how you blended the traditional design, with a more contemporary one." -Jagged went on. –"So, I was wondering, if you would be interested in creating an unique face paint? If yes, you would have until next Friday to finish it, so I can use it on the KISS concert. Yeah, it's really that important and urgent." -he said. –"I understand that asking such a thing on such short notice is, well, for the lack of better words, is a little too much, especially since you're so young. But I've seen your sketches and your designs, and I don't say this often, but when I do, I mean it. You're very talented. And I would feel very honoured, if you would accept doing this for me. And I would be willing to pay five times, the price you think it's fair, because it's an emergency."
Marinette kept watching the message, listening to every word Jagged said, as her brain tried to process everything that was happening. She could not believe what she was hearing. Jagged Stone, one of the best musicians in the world, a legend, was asking her, if she would accept a commission, he had for her. A commission that he was telling her, was very important. And though it was not as important, as knowing who the commission was for, she was happy to know that he was willing to pay her five times more than whatever her price was.
"You're probably wondering what kind of face paint I would like, right? Well, I don't really know. But from your work, I can tell that you have a keen eye for detail, and that you are also a fan of mine. So, I'm trusting your instinct on this one. Make me a face paint that resembles the ones worn by KISS, but at the same time, unique. If you accept to do this, reply to this email, which I hope you will. Jagged Stone, signing out." -Jagged said, as the video ended.
When the video ended, Marinette was still in shock. She could not believe what had happened. So, she repeated to herself what had happened, just to be sure she was not dreaming. And after she repeated to herself numerous times what happened, Marinette shouted it from the top of her lungs, making Tikki almost jump out of her skin.
"I can't believe this, Tikki! Jagged Stone… the Jagged Stone, has commissioned me!" -Marinette shouted, jumping around, as if she had won the lottery.
When Marinette said those words, the scarlet kwami could not help but to feel thrilled for her. She knew just how much Marinette worked to create her own brand and become a fashion designer. So, knowing that, she could only imagine how happy Marinette was right then. It was not every day that someone you admire commissions you something.
"I'm really happy for you." -Tikki told her, as she finished eating her cookie.
"Thanks, Tikki. It's a little on short notice, because he needs it ready until Friday, but it doesn't really bother me. This is the coolest thing ever! In fact, the only thing that could top this was if Adrien's dad commissioned me something." -Marinette told her, her voice filled with joy.
The atmosphere inside Marinette's bedroom was one of joy and happiness. Tikki had not seen Marinette that excited and happy about something since three weeks before, when she and Adrien started dating.
"Once people know that you created something special and unique for Jagged Stone, I bet you're going to get lots and lots of orders and commissions." -Tikki chirped happily.
"You're right! I even hadn't thought about that. When people find out about this work Jagged Stone has commissioned me, I bet that I'll be getting dozens if not hundreds of commissions, Tikki." -Marinette realized it. –"It will definitely be a huge help for my portfolio, and it will definitely give me the chance to work on new things." -she said. –"I just hope that because of school and my job as a superheroine, I can find the time to do all. Plus, the money would definitely come in handy."
"You'll worry about it later. First, tell me what he commissioned you? You said it was something that needed to be done until Friday, so it must be something that's really small or really simple." -Tikki said, while trying to guess what it could be. –"Is it a pair of fingerless gloves? A pair of customized sunglasses?"
"Actually, it's not something fashion-related, Tikki. He commissioned me a face paint." -Marinette told her kwami.
"A face paint?" -Tikki asked her, puzzled.
"Yeah, just like the ones that KISS members wear. And it has to be rather unique." -Marinette explained.
The word "unique" was really what Tikki would use to describe the kind of commission Jagged had asked Marinette. Because she was an aspiring fashion designer, Tikki never thought Marinette would ever have someone asking her to create something that was not fashion-related. Even so, it had been commissioned by someone who was incredibly famous, and whom Marinette was a huge fan of, so there was that. Plus, she knew Marinette would never refuse a job, if she believed she could do it.
"Well, it is something unique, indeed." -Tikki said. –"But, if you agree to do it, do you think you'll have the time? You have exams tomorrow and the day after." -she reminded her. –"And you still have to finish Alya's birthday present."
"It's going to be a little tight, I admit it. But the hardest exams are tomorrow. The ones on Wednesday are the ones, whose subjects I'm more at ease with. That way, I'll be able to start sketching the face paint tomorrow, once I come back from school, and I can have it finished on Wednesday." -Marinette told her, as she looked at the nearly finished Rena Rouge hoodie, she was making for Alya. –"As for Alya's present, it's almost finished. An hour is just what I need to finish it, and it will be ready for Alya's birthday on Thursday."
"If you think you can do it, then, I'm sure you'll be able to do it." –Tikki said.
Marinette believed she could handle it all. It was a simple face paint. She had accepted a few commissions before, and some of them were a lot harder than what Jagged Stone was asking her. It was just a face paint, after all. But then, it hit her, that it was not just a simple face paint. Jagged Stone had chosen her, because he believed her talent was incredible, so she did not have margin for error, and that scared her.
"Oh no…" -Marinette said, as a horrifying thought crossed her mind. –"I just realized one thing. What if I can't create what he asked me, Tikki?" -she asked, terrified about the idea of failing. –"What if Jagged Stone hates whatever face paint I come up for him, and he says that I suck and that I don't have any talent? Or better yet, what if everyone hates it?! I mean, he's going to wear it in front of thousands of people, and he will definitely be photographed with it and those photos will end up online! That means dozens if not hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dislikes!"
Fear and doubt took over Marinette's thoughts, clouding her judgement and making her come up with the worst possible scenarios in her mind. No matter how much she tried, Marinette just could not stop that from happening. Though her self-confidence had grown a lot, ever since she got her miraculous, Marinette still suffered from occasional anxiety attacks, which gave her shortness of breath, nausea, as well as making her overthink things. And she could feel that that one was going to be a big one. She tried to calm down and not overthink things, but it was no use. As she began to hyper-ventilate, in her mind, her thoughts were all focused on one thing, and one thing only, failure. She was imagining Jagged Stone telling her that he hated the face paint she had done for him and that he was going to tell everyone she was a lousy artist.
Tikki had seen those anxiety attacks one too many times, and she knew there was only way for her to help Marinette out. She would have to force her to think of something else. Something that would make both her heart and her brain relax and forget about whatever thoughts were crossing her mind right then.
"Marinette… stop!" -Tikki shouted, as she looked her in the eyes. –"Close your eyes, and think of happy thoughts. Think about Adrien… go!" -she ordered her. –"Do it!"
Doing as Tikki ordered her, Marinette closed her eyes and did her best to think of happy thoughts, and of Adrien. It was a rather crude technique, but it had worked in the past, and both the girl and the kwami were hoping it would work once more. With her eyes closed, she took deep breaths, and tried to slow down both her breathing and her terrified heart, while thinking of Adrien and his kind-hearted warm smile. That thought alone was enough to calm her down a little bit, and after almost a minute, the anxiety that had crept into her, was gone. Slowly opening her eyes, she was met by a kind smile from Tikki, who was both happy and relieved to see her a bit calmer.
"Feeling a little better?" -Tikki asked her.
"A little bit." -Marinette sighed. –"Sorry about that, Tikki." -she apologized.
"You don't have to apologize to me, Marinette. It's not your fault you have these attacks." -Tikki said, trying to cheer her up.
"Maybe, but I still feel like it's my fault I can't control my nerves." -Marinette sighed, upset about it. –"I shouldn't fear things that most likely, will never happen." -she told her.
"Then, let me tell you this. It's okay to be afraid about certain things, even if they might never happen." -Tikki smiled at her. –"Still, this attack was a lot shorter than the previous one. You're getting better at controlling your thoughts." -she said.
"Thanks, Tikki." -Marinette thanked her, as she sat on her chaise-longue. –"I just wished these anxiety attacks didn't happen." -she sighed.
"Sooner or later they will stop. They were a lot worst when I first met you." -Tikki said. –"Plus, you're getting bolder each day it goes by. I know it's not easy to live with those attacks, but sooner or later, they will be nothing more than a memory, you'll see. You're a strong girl, with an even stronger heart and mind." -she smiled at her, cheering her up. –"And even if they continue to exist, I want you to remember one thing, Marinette. I want you to try and remember that you'll have me and lots of people, including a handsome blond model as a boyfriend, to be there for you, no matter what."
That last comment from the scarlet kwami made Marinette giggle. Smiling at Tikki, Marinette thanked the fact she had someone like her to remind her of what she already knew, but sometimes forgot.
"You always know what to tell me to try and cheer me up." -Marinette said, already calmer.
"Well, I know you pretty well, by now." -Tikki said, as she landed on top of Marinette's head.
Unfortunately, even if she was calmer, the fear and the anxiety were still present in her heart. When she saw the video, Marinette was ecstatic about the opportunity of creating something awesome and unique for one of her idols, especially after all the praising she heard about her work and her talent. But now, she was not so sure anymore, and she did not know what to do.
"I'm having second doubts about accepting this commission." -Marinette declared. –"I mean, I know it's a huge opportunity, and it's like they say: "Temptation leans on the door bell, but opportunity may only knock once"." -she said. –"But will I be able to pull this out? What if I screw it up, Tikki? What if I think that I've got the skills to pull this out, but in the end, I'm just kidding myself, and I don't have the talent to do it?"
"No, you won't screw it up. You're going to rock it, Marinette. Just like whenever you are there for your friends, when they need you the most, or when you decide create one of your amazing fashion designs, or when put on your Ladybug outfit and save the day." -Tikki said, encouraging her. –"I told you this a thousand times before, but I'm going to tell it to you again. You're the most amazing, most talented girl I've ever had as a holder, and I've had my share of talented holders over the millennia." -she smiled at her, before flying in the direction of the fashion model where –"You keep saying that you're not as talented as people say you are, but you are. A person with less talent wouldn't have come up with something as beautiful as this for a present, for her best-friend, which will look even more beautiful than it already is, when it's finished. So, yes, you're going to succeed in this task you have. And when you finish it, you're going to say "This looks amazing! And if I think it's amazing, that means Jagged Stone will also think it's amazing.", and you're going to smile at me, as you say that."
All of the kwamis had lived long lives and during those lives, they had given inspirational speeches to their holders. Speeches that made them believe the impossible was possible, and that the limit was the sky, when they set a goal for themselves. And Tikki had given Marinette one the best motivational speeches, she had ever given to one of her holders. She knew Marinette had it in her to succeed at anything she set her mind into. But she also knew that she sometimes needed a little push to remember that, and that was why she was more than happy to give her that little push in the right direction.
"You never give up on me, do you, Tikki?" -Marinette asked her, as a tear rolled down her cheek, after hearing such a passionate and heart-warming speech.
"Never." -Tikki tearfully smiled at the blue-haired teenager.
"Then, in that case, I'm not going to give up either. I'm doing this." -Marinette said. –"I've decided. I'm going to accept Jagged Stone's commission." -she declared with a triumphant voice. –"And I'm going to present him with a face paint worthy of a god of Rock."
"That's the Marinette I know and love so much. You're going to do great. I'm sure you're going to." -Tikki winked at her. –"Now, answer him back and tell him you will accept this commission of him, before you change your mind again." -she said with a playful voice.
And one more chapter is finished. This one was written a little faster than the previous ones. I think I'm slowly and steadily getting back to my old routine. I wanted to post this one yesterday, before going to sleep, but I was so tired I couldn't find the energy to revise it and then post it. Still, here it is. There isn't much to say about this particular chapter, with the exception that this is the first time I mention Marinette's page, where she posts photos and drawings of most of her works (i'll have to revise that in the previous stories, that's for sure).
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this and future fics. Oh, and before I forget, the next chapter my take a little longer, because I just downloaded the new Streets of Rage, and I'm going to spend a little time playing it. :)