It was about time Nadja Chamack had an event to cover that wasn't interrupted by an akuma attack.
To be honest, she couldn't help herself from glancing over her shoulder every so often, wondering if Mrs. Bourgeoisie had angered some employee, or if somebody with a bad hair day had cried out in anger. But shockingly enough, Mrs. Bourgeoisie seemed pleased by the overall performance, the fashionistas were all happily swapping hair-care tips, and the air was clear from butterflies as far as the eye could see.
"Too simple," the blonde-haired woman stated when Nadja Chamack asked her on her opinion of the new lineup. "Utterly too simple. Certainly not Gabriel's best work. However… that last piece was clearly inspired. And I will say that the bee-inspired dress was a sight to behold, wasn't it, darling?"
"Of course it was!" a younger version of the woman piped up, tossing back her hair. "Everyone knows yellow and black are the hottest new colors!" She and her mother laughed in unison, slinging their arms around each other's waists.
"And what about the mysterious last-minute replacement of the model Yin Yang?" Nadja asked. "Any inside thoughts about the matter?"
Mrs. Bourgeoisie opened her gaping mouth in a way that suggested some juicy information, but a voice from behind her interrupted.
"I'm sorry, but anyone associated with Agreste Fashion isn't at liberty to discuss our models' personal lives."
Nadja gasped and quickly motioned for her cameraman to reposition. "Ms. Sancouer!" She smiled brightly into the camera. "Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear, huh, folks? This is Nadja Chamack, speaking to none other than Nathalie Sancouer, personal assistant to Gabriel Agreste and last-minute replacement model for the most important piece in his new lineup!"
Nathalie nodded her head professionally to the camera, and Nadja eagerly shoved a microphone into her face.
"So, Ms. Sancouer, what can you tell us about the disappearance of Ms. Yang, who was scheduled to model the dress you're now wearing?"
Nathalie folded her hands politely in front of her body. "She didn't 'disappear,' she merely grew sick at the worst possible moment."
"Of course, of course," Nadja said with a wink. "Speaking of the dress, you look absolutely stunning in it! How did it feel to be up on the stage instead of down in the bleachers where you usually watch?"
To the reporter's glee, Nathalie was unable to hide the red rising in her cheeks from the compliment. "Well, it was… certainly out of my comfort zone. But I'm happy to have been able to help what may have been a disastrous problem."
"No kidding!" Nadja replied. "Our ratings are up by 37% right now! From the sidelines to the stage! A new star in the spotlight!"
"You do realize this is only temporary," Nathalie stated, glancing from Nadja to the camera.
"All I know is that the cameras have been eating you up," Nadja stated slyly. "And I overheard multiple newspaper reporters calling you the newest queen of style. Not to ruin the surprise for any Sunday paper readers, but I believe one quote written about your aesthetic was 'a longing blue gaze on a starry night sky?'" She nudged Nathalie in a less-than-professional manner, but the reaction was exactly what she was going for.
"W-well, it's certainly a pleasure to hear that people are enjoying the show," Nathalie stated. Then, to the camera, she added, "This particular dress is titled Empty Heart, for those of you who are interested. It will be in stores soon, so don't forget to stay up-to-date with the official Agreste Fashion website."
"And what about the gloves?" Nadja asked. Nathalie froze for a moment, and her professional demeanor broke just long enough for the fear to shine out of her eyes.
"Th-they aren't for sale," she said after a second of silence. "These were actually a last-minute addition to the outfit." She clutched her left arm with her right in an unusually nervous manner. There was definitely a story hiding there…
But as much as Nadja's reporter instincts wanted to pursue the issue, she also didn't want to be the harbinger of negative emotions to a butterfly-free sky.
"Another mystery, hm? Well, thank you so much for your time!" she said cheerfully. She shook hands with the interviewee and smiled charismatically at the camera. "We'll be right back for a special interview with none other than Gabriel Agreste himself after the break, so don't change the channel!"
The cameraman nodded as the feed was sent to commercial break. Not a moment later, a well-dressed boy with green eyes ran up to the filming group energetically.
"Nathalie, you look amazing!"
Nadja silently cursed Adrien's timing, because to catch Nathalie's face on camera when he ran up and hugged her would've shot the ratings up another 20% for sure.
"Adrien—" Nathalie coughed to clear her throat, then sighed and awkwardly laid a hand on the boy's head when he didn't let go. "Thank you, Adrien, that's enough."
"Sorry," the blond apologized, stepping back. "But really, you did a great job! I should get Father to let you replace me in some of my photoshoots."
"Good luck convincing him with that," Nathalie responded, and for a moment it looked like the pair was smiling about some inside joke. But it was gone in a moment as Nathalie's firm professionalism came back and Adrien turned to Nadja.
"Hello, Mrs. Chamack!"
"Hello, Adrien," she greeted, shaking the boy's hand. "It's been a while since your father's last adult clothing line, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was nice to be able to sit down and watch for a change, honestly," he replied with a smile.
"Adrien!"
Nadja saw the all-important figure of Gabriel Agreste approaching and motioned to both Adrien and Nathalie. "That would be your cue to leave," she said. "I expect he wants both of you someplace or another, as we have a personal interview with him in just a few minutes."
Both models nodded and turned around. As their voices faded into the rest of the crowd, Nadja could hear Adrien continuing to compliment Nathalie, which she unsuccessfully tried to get him to stop doing. She couldn't help but wonder what their dynamic was when the cameras weren't around.
…But that scoop would have to wait for another time. Nadja motioned to her crew and they started traveling over to their next location as a pack.
After all, in this city, there was always another story to be told.
(A/N: Hope you enjoyed, and as always, reviews feed my muse!)