Chapter 3
New Friend
"U-huh.
Ok.
And you're sure she's only available on Tuesdays?
No, that's fine.
5:00pm? Perfect.
Thank you very much, Adieu."
The click of the phone when Celine hung up on her last caller of the day echoed all levels of satisfaction in her ears.
Flopping back on her bed, she raised her arm to check the time on her wristwatch.
2:00pm.
Her stomach growled its hunger again, not at all happy at being denied its usual lunch, which Celine was supposed to have eaten almost two hours ago.
Supressing the urge to groan, Celine rolled to her feet, opened the mini-fridge hidden in her bedside table, and took out a blueberry yogurt.
The snack was gone within a minute.
"Geez… Took you long enough to finish up." Scaale said, wriggling his way out of Celine's bag, a few crumbs still clinging to his furry coat.
Celine giggled at the sight, eyes alight with laughter.
"Oh Scaale, perhaps I should keep a pocket mirror next to your snack stash. It looks like you missed a few crumbs." She managed to say after a few seconds.
Scaale narrowed his eyes at her, but shot her a playful glare once he'd flown over to her floor-length mirror, and cleaned the crumbs off of his fur.
"Yeah, yeah. It's not like you keep serviettes in your bag now, is it… and speaking of "missing" something, why not use the rest of your afternoon off to redecorate?" The Kwami suggested, casting a harmless gaze around Celine's room.
Celine mimicked his action, and let out a sigh on a breezy breath.
"Well, it's not as though I have anything else planned. My schedule's been set…"
"and thank GOODNESS for THAT." Scaale interrupted, his ears still thrumming from the ringtone of that awful, old-fashioned phone Celine had insisted on installing in her room.
She shot him a glare of her own, before picking up where she'd left off.
"and the weather's not AWFUL at the moment…"
Celine paused at the sceptical look Scaale was giving her.
"…Well it's not raining. Just cloudy, and grey… and windy, and cold." She trailed off when she realised that she was digging her own grave the more she spoke.
"So, the weather's not GREAT. We'll only be going outside to do a bit of shopping and then we can use the rest of the afternoon to do the ACTUAL redecorating."
Celine's eyes were hopeful, now that Scaale had made the suggestion, and ideas were already piling up in her head.
Said Kwami gave a short sigh, in order to hide his smirk, before diving into Celine's favourite purse. An apricot coloured, leather handbag, with a thin, lavender coloured wool interior.
"Grab a coat, kid."
Was all he said, before disappearing into his personalised side pocket.
Celine smiled at Scaale's antics.
She was getting to be rather fond of the ancient peace-keeper. Strange that, considering he was a rather mischievous rascal in person.
Quickly throwing open her suitcase, she'd just finished repacking it when the first of her teachers had called, Celine cast a quick shoulder glance at her reflection.
A cream coloured top; knee length, full circle, blush coloured skirt; apricot belt; skin coloured stockings; and cream coloured flats, each topped with a pale pink bow.
Yep, she was DEFINITELY going with the purple iris trench coat.
Since she was already wearing her everyday jewellery, Celine quickly checked her reflection in the mirror.
Everything looked good.
Dashing about the room for another minute, Celine grabbed her keys, wallet and phone, now installed with a tracking device and French SIM card.
With everything packed in her bag, Celine felt a satisfied smile lift her lips as her door clicked closed behind her, and the private elevator started it's decent to the ground floor.
She was out of the hotel with only a quick hello to the door man who could only just wish her a good day as she sped on past.
The air was slightly chilly, and stung Celine's lungs a bit, but it was fresh and clear, making her smile as she inhaled and exhaled a deep breath.
Crystalline blue eyes practically glowing when she saw the gods rays filtering through the cloud cover not too far off.
Shaking her head, Celine reminded herself that she was outside for a reason.
A re-decorative reason, that had her smiling all over again.
Walking along the streets of Paris, Celine takes the time to immerse herself in the scenery.
The buildings are all tightly packed, strategically placed, and surprisingly colourful. No two structures are alike.
Houses, apartments, even a few skyscrapers and hotels, catch Celine's eye.
She notes the chimney placement as well, slowly coming to understand the two heroes' apparent preference for travelling by air, even without the aid of wings.
Every window is alight with some kind of light, like a symbol of homeliness for the people coming home to their families from work.
Parisian households are obviously used to dealing with the sky's inconsistent lighting during autumn.
Eventually, Celine makes it to each and every one of her chosen destinations.
Taking a little longer to decide on decorative pillows, couch cushions, bed spreads and curtain designs in one of the homier stores; Immediately purchasing the picture frames that caught her eye in the private establishment she'd selected to visit online; Carefully examining the drawing tools of a high-class artisan brand before deciding which ones she would buy; and finally making the final payment for a couple of new outfits that were much more HER.
It took a moment for Celine to pinpoint why the air felt somehow off when she stepped out of the last store for the day, before she realised that there was absolutely no-one else on the street, and the air was heavy with the fresh scent of impending rain.
'Oh dear…' Celine thinks, dashing from one undercover store to the next, as the first splatters of a shower started coating the streets in a glistening layer of liquid.
She made it to a small park, not too far away from the Eifel Tower, and surprisingly close to her new school.
Thunder growled threateningly, displeased at being ignored, while a few strikes of lightning set the cloud cover aglow in agreement, and the rain started to POUR.
It couldn't even be described at rain anymore; the water could hardly be distinguished from the air surrounding it.
Celine stayed a moment longer under her tree, but quickly realised that it was not only pointless, but also dangerous to stay there much longer.
Scanning the buildings on the other street side, her eyelashes weighed down from the moisture they'd caught during her run, Celine made out the sign for a bakery on the very corner of the street.
Another crash of thunder, this time followed much more closely by the lightning strikes, which Celine could make out as jagged lines and abstract claws now, had the blonde teen sprinting to the street corner like a startled rabbit.
"Told you, you should've hurried up."
Celine heard Scaale grumble from her bag, she shushed him quietly as she neared the store.
The bakery was open, a few patrons still lingering, not wanting to brave the storm just yet.
-o-
Sabine heard the door to her family's bakery jingle the arrival of another customer.
One look at the poor girl standing on the door mat, shivering, and almost soaked to the bone, and her mothering instinct took over.
"Marinette!"
Sabine's daughter practically flew down the stairs at the sudden call of her name.
Heart beating frantically at the prospect of her mother having heard her conversation with Tikki.
She breathed a sigh of relief however, when she saw a girl who looked to be about her age standing in the bakery's entrance, completely soaked and looking as lost as a sheep without a shepherd.
Mother and daughter shared a quick glance and Marinette was gone and back with a warm, fluffy towel, the bath water already running.
-o-
"Here."
Celine was startled out of her daze when a dark-haired teen, about her age, though a little bit shorter than she was, threw a big fluffy towel over her shoulders, and started leading her up the stairs to the house part of the building.
The patrons of the bakery were polite enough not to stare, though Sabine was also quick to ensure they each had another warm cup of tea or coffee on the house, to keep them preoccupied while the two teens made their way up the stairs.
"You're going to catch yourself a cold if you don't dry off soon. Oh, my name's Marinette, it's nice to meet you."
Celine smiled at the girl's bubbly mood, trying to keep track of the steep stairwell, and the conversation, at the same time.
She thought she was doing pretty well so far.
Celine chuckled at Marinette's sudden topic change.
"Don't I k-know it. My name's Celine, n-nice to meet you too."
Marinette smiled at the spark of laughter in the Celine's eyes, her shivers were already receding, though still causing an unnatural stutter in some of her words, the blue of her lips turning rosier and she wasn't dripping water when she walked anymore.
They reached the bathroom in no time.
Marinette was pleased to note that the tub was filled with the perfect temperature water, only having to turn off the faucet when they entered the steamy room.
"Ok, so, you've got the towel there, you can put your clothes outside the door and I'll throw them in the dryer for you while you warm up. Feel free to use the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and anything else you might find lying around and make sure you get out of the tub before you start getting cold again." Marinette instructed, channelling a bit of Tikki's lecturing tone.
Celine smiled her response.
"Offering a stranger your bathroom, quite the open family, aren't you?
…Though that's definitely not a bad thing!"
She added in a rush, hoping she hadn't offended Marinette in any way.
Marinette giggled at Celine's sudden unease, glad to have someone she could tease who teased back.
"It's fine Leni, I completely agree with you." She said, her gaze turning slightly worried at Celine's expression.
Celine's eyes had glazed somewhat, a far-off voice in her childhood memories calling her by that special nickname.
'Dre.'
Celine snapped out of her reverie, just before the image of a childhood friend could crystallise completely.
Shaking her head a bit, Celine offers Marinette an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, I haven't heard that nickname in a REALLY long time is all. Please keep using it though, I like it."
And just like that, Marinette's uncertain expression melted into a playful smile.
Though her lips quickly twisted into a guilty frown when Celine sneezed. An adorably high-pitched squeak, but a sneeze all the same.
"Right, well, you have a bath to get into, and I still have customers to serve downstairs. Just remember to put your clothes out here, I'll put them in the dryer before heading down. See you in a bit Leni." Marinette said, speaking through the crack of the door, before closing it, and leaving Celine to her own devices.
Celine quickly stripped out of her clothes, wringing each article out over the bath.
Her coat was soaked, and her top wasn't much better off, though neither were her skirt and stockings.
Wrapping herself in the rosy pink towel Marinette had given her, Celine opened the door a smidge, and pushed the neatly folded stack of clothes out into the hall.
She felt Marinette pick them up just before she withdrew her hand.
Marinette heard Celine's satisfied sigh as she sunk into the warm bath water all the way at the end of the hall.
Smiling as she ticked off another good deed.
A VERY good one, if their new friendship was anything to go by.
A good half an hour later found Celine standing, warm and dry, wrapped in her rose-coloured towel, in Marinette's bathroom.
Her hair had stayed dry thanks to her trench coat's hoodie and she'd already given it a good brush through with the brush Marinette had pointed out to be hers earlier.
She was unsure of what to do though.
She didn't have a clue where the laundry was, nor Marinette's room, and she had yet to try calling her new friend.
Decision made, Celine opens the door a smidge, only to find her clothes, folded and dry, right in front of her.
Celine chuckles to herself, picking up the garments and disappearing back in the bathroom another ten minutes, before making sure everything is back where it belongs, checking and picking up her bag, in which Scaale was currently napping, and quickly pulling her hair up into a rushed bun, before making her way downstairs.
The sounds of overlapping conversations grew louder with every step she descended, and Celine had only to check her watch, which read 05:00pm, to realise that the bakery was currently enjoying the last rush hour of the day.
Pleased to find that her shoes were also dry, Celine quickly slipped into her flats, spotted her small friend dashing about behind the counter, and immediately made a beeline for Marinette.
"Hey. Anything I can help with?" Celine asked, already noting Marinette's pinked visage and panting breath.
"You don…"
Sabine cut in before her daughter could refuse the offer.
"…Could we trouble you to take and balance orders at the tables, dear?"
They were short staffed today as it was.
"Of course, ma'am. I'll just need…"
Sabine held out an apron, notepad and pen, disappearing back into the actual bakery with a quick smile and wave.
The girls shared a look, before quickly getting to work.
They made a great tag team.
Marinette serving the customers with to-go orders, and keeping coffee and water hot for Celine to serve any customers who ordered it.
While Celine dashed from one table to the next, noting the table number, the patron's order, and always leaving, and returning, with their order and a smile.
An hour flew by like it was nothing, the girl's wishing their final customer a good night, before Marinette flipped the sign to closed, and fell against the counter with a sigh.
"What a work out."
Celine merely nodded her agreement, both girls not quite out of breath, but certainly a little pink-cheeked.
"Is it always this busy around this time?"
It was a genuine question, though Marinette never did get to give her an answer.
"Everyday sweetheart!"
Celine jumped in fright, at the booming voice that came from the bakery.
The name tag on his apron read "Tom", and though his size was definitely intimidating, his jolly nature, and smiling expression had Celine's body relaxing almost instantly.
"Papa! Don't scare people like that!" Marinette chastened, albeit half-heartedly.
Celine chuckled at their familial interactions.
"It's quite alright Mari. He only gave me a little fright, though that's passed now. It's nice to meet you, sir." She said, swinging her attention from Marinette to her father.
The large man gave the blonde teen a quick once over, his smile broadening into a grin as he ticked her name off on his good-person-list.
She'd be a fine friend for his Marinette.
He could tell right away.
"Oh, come now dearie, you can call us Tom and Sabine. Sir and Ma'am sound much too old and formal." Sabine provided, coming out of the kitchen to see what all the hub-bub was about.
Leave it to her husband to cause a scene.
She couldn't keep the smile from her face at the thought.
"Sorry… Sabine, I've just been taught to always be respectful, so the habit typically sticks for a bit."
Sabine noted the pause before her name, and realised that the child really had to, actively, tell herself to use their names.
She must've been raised in a very high-class family.
"Better get used to it quickly then, we're much too laid back to enjoy such formalities." Tom chuckled, and Celine could tell that it was indeed true.
"Alright then, I'll try my best. I do have to be leaving though, I hadn't realised how late it already was." Celine said, only then realising that it was pushing seven.
"Of course, dear. Be sure to come and visit again though, it was so nice to have you over. And, if you like, I'm sure Tom and I would be more than willing to hire you too." Sabine supplied, pressing a warm chocolate croissant into Celine's hand.
"Oh, thank you! I'll see if I have the time to take on a part-time job, but, if Marinette attends Collège Françoise Dupont, then I'll probably see her tomorrow."
Marinette's eyes widened as she realised that her new friend would also be attending her school, only managing an enthusiastic nod, when her father gave her a gentle nudge.
"Yep. I'm in my last year, but I'll see if I can find you during a break." Marinette added, the two teens sharing a look, before laughing at how interesting the conversation had suddenly become.
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Bye Marinette… Bye Tom and Sabine."
She smiled, lifted a hand in farewell, collected the bags she'd left by the stairwell, and ran the rest of the way home, praying that she was scheduled to attend a late dinner today.
As it turned out, luck was on her side, and Celine had just managed to sneak back into the Hotel Lobby, when Timeo appeared behind her.
"Oh. Goodness, you startled me… I, uh, just went out to collect these things I ordered online; They came by a few minutes ago and dropped everything off…" She paused in her rant, realising that, even for an expressionless bodyguard, something seemed to be wrong with Timeo.
"Is… everything alright?"
Timeo said nothing, cast a quick look around, and picked Celine up, before completing a complicated jumping sequence that brought them to the back servants' entrance.
"Akuma. Don't move and stay hidden." Timeo whispered, grunting when Celine gave a little nod in understanding.
The large man then completed that same jumping sequence back to the hotel lobby doors, and sent everyone who tried to enter away.
Celine's eyes widen a moment, when she realises she needs to find a place to transform.
Casting a quick glance into her bag, her gaze meets Scaale's, and the miniature Pegasus shoots her a cheeky grin.
Celine rolls her eyes, a smile adorning her lips, as she changes her position to a crouch, and carefully tries the servant door.
It opens on oiled hinges, not making a sound, which was a DAMNED good thing, considering the Akuma came crashing down the stairs, just as Celine's exit clicked closed behind her.
Her shopping bags hidden behind the lobby counter. Her other purchases were due to arrive the following afternoon.
The alleyway in which Celine then found herself was utterly deserted and, she happily noted, didn't have a single security camera overseeing it.
"Alright then, we'd better make this quick. I hope Ladybug's on her way." Celine frets.
"Yeah, yeah, just call the transformation already kid, and remember to stay hidden. You only have to step in if things are looking REALLY bad. Or if Ladybug or Chat ask you to." Scaale says, tapping his foot in the air as he waits for her to react.
Celine steels herself at Scaale's words, nodding once, before calling her transformation.
The resulting spark of shimmering light remains almost completely undetected in that side alley, only a black alley cat is given pause, when the light registers out of the corner of his narrowed green eyes.
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Author's Note
Well... That was fun!
I hope you enjoyed reading today's chapter and I wish you all a Merry Christmas!
...and BECAUSE it's Christmas, my present to all of my readers will be to upload another chapter within the next 24 hours!
I'm really looking forward to any comments and/or questions, queries or theories!
Enjoy!