Of Interns and Influencers
Chapter II
The first thing Marinette did after hopping out of bed the next morning was dig out her locked away design materials. Taking her dear, pink, hard-cover sketchbook out was like an archaeologist uncovering a long-lost treasure. Her fingers touched the pages gingerly.
Marinette hadn't realized what a gaping hole the book had left in her life. Not until she had it in her hands. Her old drawings and sketches were still there, even though they felt like a dream in the past few months. She thought that being rejected from one of the top arts and design universities in Europe was a sign. A sign that she should stop what she was doing. That her hobby was just that: a hobby and nothing more.
But maybe…maybe it was a test. A test for her resolve, for her determination, for how much this 'hobby' was worth for her. Perhaps she had given up a bit too easily. But surely, she wasn't planning on giving up forever – it never felt like that, despite her self-pitying antics holed up in her room all summer. Deep inside, she knew she would be pulled back to where her light fingers felt most comfortable and where her mind was at peace.
Well, Marinette was back now. She had picked herself up with the help of her best friend and mother, and she was not going down anytime soon.
At least, that's what she thought…. until she found herself pulling at her hair in frustration after more than an hour of intense brainstorming.
"Transformation...transforming…. what can I do with that…?" She muttered feverishly, tapping a pencil loudly on her desk. Her sketchbook lay open on a new, fresh page, patiently waiting.
It made sense to have artist's block, so to speak, after not using her creative juices for a while. But the theme was so simple, so broad, that it was difficult to pinpoint an idea. Marinette had read over the contest's thorough instructions and the only requirements were that the design be original and somehow tie into the theme. She kind of wished the criteria was more restrictive.
Honestly, she would be happy to even be on the list of twenty mentions (as read in fine print), whose designs would be displayed on the company's official blog. For her, that was enough – certainly opportunities could come out of a such an honorable feature.
So, she decided, as overwhelming as the whole deal was, there was nothing to lose. Even if she didn't get featured, she, at the very least, was back in the momentum of designing. She enjoyed the hobby again. Rationalizing her stress away to the best of her ability, Marinette continued brainstorming, googling related things to inspire her. It took quite a while and quite a few breaks, and quite a many search, before she landed on an idea.
The most difficult part out of the way, she got on with the enjoyment of materializing her thoughts onto paper.
Then came a week of drafts and crumpled paper; fervently skimming through her reference books, clothing design informational texts, and the like. But finally, a rough sketch came to fruition – one that finally felt right, complete.
Feeling unable to stop now, Marinette continued with a couple more drafts, before beginning on the final version on her digital drawing tablet. It was well into the night when she finished coloring, saved the design, and typed up the description with reference photos of materials.
This was it. On the official Gabriel Fashion Industries page for the contest submission, she input her information into the form. Uploaded her entry. Held her breath. Doubtful mind urging her to double-check, to hold off in case the design could be retouched. But she'd already done so a million times. As an artist, knew that second-guessing herself was an unwise idea, especially if she already felt satisfied by her work.
A hesitant finger clicked the mouse.
Thank you for your submission! The results will be announced by the following date….
Marinette sighed heavily, the good kind, and leaned back in her chair. "I did it, Tikki," she breathed, but the cat was curled up on her pillow sleeping. After resting for a bit – her drawing hand was spasming – she texted Alya, updating the spammer (Alya's supportive messages had been overflowing her notifications) on her submission. It instantly vibrated with a reply.
ALYA: Yesss! I'm so happy for you girl, you did it
ALYA: we HAVE to meet up to celebrate!
ALYA: You me and Nino, we could hang out tmrw and go to this nice café I know
MARINETTE: yeah, I'd love to! it's been a while :)
She received another text with the address to the café, the plan for noon the next day. Marinette hadn't seen Nino in a while and was glad for the chance now to catch up. She knew he was going to a liberal arts school for his musical talents, while trying to get recognition online as a DJ.
That night, Marinette finally went to bed, falling into an easy slumber for the first time in a while.
The chimes on the café door jingled, announcing Marinette's entrance. Located in a chic quartier of Paris, only a quick bus ride away from her home, the café exuded cozy, urban vibes. It sat on the corner of a block, cobblestone streets bustling with city-goers and tourists. The homey exterior was of dark wood paneling surrounding glass windows, the entrance shaded by a green and white striped awning. Inside revealed a cozy setting of round tables and antique chairs, verdant leafy plants peppering the area.
She spotted two familiar heads, one of brown-auburn curly hair, the other covered by a red cap. Marinette smiled as she neared, her friends catching sight her with welcoming expressions.
"Hey, Nino, Alya!" Marinette greeted both with a peck on each cheek before taking a seat in the chair saved for her.
Nino looked the same as he did in lycée, with an upgraded version of his trademark cap, his orange headphones around his neck, wearing a blue button up rolled up at the sleeves. His skin was a rich, dark caramel, darker than she'd remembered, the product of sunny summer days.
Once all three had gotten settled with their drinks – Marinette thought the French Vanilla latte was marvelous – they chatted about the new things going on each person's life. Alya gushed about her school's newspaper club, how referencing her blog as a portfolio got her a spot as article writer. Nino talked eagerly about his side job DJing at local clubs and events, complementing his music courses.
"Speaking of which," Nino continued after a generous sip of his iced tea. Warm brown eyes gleamed behind the sheen of his glasses. "You won't believe who I met at the exclusive online entertainer party I was at last night."
Alya spluttered, eyes wide in betrayal. "I can't believe you even got access into that party! And without telling me? Nino! Imagine the scoop I could have gotten!"
Her boyfriend ducked down as if trying to disappear into his shell. "I kind of…wasn't supposed to tell you. See, they heard about me locally and invited me on the condition that I tell no one about it. It was a low-key thing, they didn't want too much... attention. Sorry, Alya."
Alya pouted, but forgivingly said, "Oh, I know how those cult-like influencers can be like. So…. you were saying?"
Nino beamed as his returned to the point. "I actually talked to Adrien Agreste!"
At the very moment the words tumbled out of his mouth, it became Marinette's turn to choke on her drink, nearly knocking it over before it was saved by Alya's quick reflexes.
"Adrien! You spoke to Adrien!" Marinette voice came out in a high-pitched whisper, as if her larynx froze.
Nino rubbed the nape of his neck. "Whoops, again. I forgot you were obsessed with him. Sorry, I didn't get an autograph or anything. But as it turns out, the dude's super chill for a rich model with a rich dad. We even exchanged numbers!"
Alya was slapping the Marinette's back in the hopes of easing her subsequent coughing. Nino met the Adrien Agreste! The flustered fan could not believe it. The concept was ethereal, that the popular guy on the other side of the computer screen was a real, living being, and not some perfect fictional character.
"Perfect in real life, too?" Marinette managed. "That's too much power."
"That's great, Nino," Alya jumped in with a thumbs up. "This will definitely win you more visibility. And Mari, here, is going to see him around soon, once she wins a seat at Gabriel Fashion Industries."
Marinette met her hazel eyes with an uncertain smile. "Heh, let's not get our hopes up like that."
The close-knit group continued chatting away. Marinette enjoyed her time finally out of her house; and she was glad that she wasn't left behind even if she didn't go to college like the rest of her classmates. Plenty of people took breaks after high school, to find their passions, or experience life differently outside of rigorous academics.
A nagging feeling at the back of her mind irked her, however, after Alya's words. Would she have a chance to meet Adrien? Certainly, if she interned at Gabriel, if she even came close to winning the contest, there was the chance that she run into him eventually, right? She didn't think she wanted that though. Despite Nino's experience with him, she could not expect the guy to be exactly how he existed in her mind. It was evident that videos only showed what the creators wanted to show, so she couldn't claim to know him at all. Even more persistent was the ugly feeling that even if they met, she was nowhere near his standards. He would think of her as another avid blushing fan, maybe thank her for her support politely and forget about her forever.
That night, Nino posted a photo of him and Adrien, the background dim, illuminated only by colorful strobe lights. Their faces were highlighted with purple, Adrien's airbrushed features and carefree grin as photogenic as ever. Marinette half-heartedly cursed Nino's luck in her mind, as she typed a comment of shocked emojis, daring to add a heart-eyes at the end.
A while later, as Marinette sketched at her desk, a notification popped up on her phone by her sketchbook. Her heart stopped upon reading: Adrien Agreste liked your comment. Suddenly, her Nino-directed curses melted into gratitude. She fanned her cherry-red face.
Meow, interrupted Tikki, sensing that Marinette's mind was already conjuring up fantasies of where this comment could lead. But Marinette just couldn't get a break, because the next thing she knew, Adrien had liked a couple photos on her page, mainly those of pastries.
Adrien Agreste commented on your photo: Could go for that croissant right about now!
He just couldn't give her a break, could he? Not knowing what to do with this unimaginable turn of events, and the implications of what him being on her page meant, she simply liked his comment, brain too overheated to consider replying.
A few restless weeks had passed before Marinette received a letter in the mail from Gabriel Industries one morning. The speed of the blood in her veins doubled. Her parents huddled around her, urging her to open it.
This is it, she thought, mind racing. Getting a letter means I won, or I lost, or I made the list of twenty honorable mentions. All are great, I mean, I prepared myself not to expect a win at all, and my artist's block is gone! So even if I lose, I still got something out of it – my design received a lot of positive feedback online, which gave me the confidence to post more artwork, so it's okay if it's another rejection letter…right?
Holding her breath, she delicately slid her trembling finger beneath the envelope seal, ripping it open smoothly. Unfolded the letter inside. Focused her vision on the words.
Dear Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng,
Thank you for your admission for the 2018 Gabriel Design Contest. We, the design team at Gabriel Fashion Industries, are happy to announce that you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, have won the contest and a place as a temporary, unpaid intern at our company for the duration of the Autumn season….
Marinette's gaze stuck at the sentence announcing her winning, and she gasped out, "I made it, I actually won…"
Marinette's heart was bursting with uncontained joy, while her mind trailed back a few minutes, still in shock. The bounding sound of her racing blood was felt through her eardrums, and she could barely hear her family congratulating her. Tom Dupain squeezed the life out of her with his strong arms, yet it hardly registered. Sabine squeezed her cheeks gently, gray eyes filled with pride. Once the underwater-like feeling drained away, Marinette came out of her still, robot like state, and returned the hugs and the cheers enthusiastically, laughing as happy tears glistened at the corners of her eyes.
She made it through this, and that's all she could ask for. The Gabriel Design contest had chosen her as a winner from a pool of undeniably thousands of entries – that was a feat in of itself and even if she didn't get the actual official paid-internship after three months, or get into her desired school, she was completely content.
The letter gave her the date for her first day at the company, her orientation, in about a week. Finally, Marinette had something to look forward to.
The first day of her internship came too soon, yet not soon enough. Marinette tried to fill her time with working at the bakery, making new designs and creations, as per her returned burst of inspiration, and preparing for the internship as much as possible. With the advice received from online sources, she stocked up on business-casual clothes.
Checking and double-checking that everything was in place in the floor-length mirror – her pale pink blouse tucked in neatly, her hair swirled into a loose bun with shorter strands strategically pulled out in front of her ears, very light makeup to appear more mature (in addition to masking the results of excitement-nervousness-driven insomnia). She smoothed out her knee length high-waisted gray skirt, on the hunt for anything else to fix.
"Well, Tikki," she said to the cat's reflection, sitting upright behind her. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
She put on her simple black ballet flats, and picked up her purse filled with a notebook, her sketchbook, and other things she thought she might need just in case. The letter had not informed her about necessary materials for the first day.
Checking the time to make sure she would not regress to her old high school habit of being late (she made sure to wake up earlier than she had all summer today), she bid Tikki goodbye. Her parents enthusiastically voiced wishes of luck, before she ventured on her way to catch the train.
After a relatively peaceful and quick subway ride, Marinette found herself staring up at the elaborate, imposing building of Gabriel fashion industries. It was a modern building of glass and slate-colored marble, stretching up to the clear blue sky, imposing upon the streets of the Parisian city. A beautiful white-stone fountain sat in the middle of the expansive area outside the entrance flanked by two doormen. Busy looking people rushed passed Marinette, some looking like tired, serious men in suits, others like glamorous models gliding their way to their next shoot, or the gym, or an event. Marinette seldom came to this fast-paced area of her city, but now that she was about to join its ranks, she felt small, like a child dressing up in grown-up clothes.
Taking a deep breath, she made her way closer to the official, majestic looking entrance, crystal-clear glass double-doors gilded with bronze accent. She pressed her hands to push it open, stepping into a sweeping, high-ceiling lobby. The floors were polished and echoed with the crisp footsteps of people going about their businesses. A receptionist sat at a wide, circular mahogany desk in the middle. Elevators sat to the left of the desk, and to the right was a built-in, fancy café complete with tables, couches, and a long table against the glass wall lined with high stools so people could sit and watch the street-life.
Marinette clasped her bag strap tighter and walked purposefully or tried to – she'd be happy if she managed not to trip once – up to the receptionist. She was a young woman with blonde curls tamed in a high bun, immaculate in her deep red button-down and a tight brown pencil skirt.
"Hello," Marinette cleared her throat. "My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I am here for—"
"We've been expecting you, Miss Dupain-Cheng," the receptionist said brightly, "Congratulations! You can go on up to the 8th floor with those elevators, someone named Nathalie will be there to welcome you."
Marinette thanked her, finally realizing that this was real. Throughout the past week, she had pondered the reality of the situation. Read and re-read the letter, wondered if this was all a mistake, or a joke, worried that she'd get to the company and be kicked out, deemed delusional. It wasn't a dream that she'd won, that she was an intern at Gabriel! The receptionist's warm greeting proved it was all real, and she was meant to be here.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she headed towards the sleek elevator. Paying attention in time to see the doors sliding open for a young man to enter, she hurried across the lobby, trying to remain as dignified as possible. Marinette made it in time to slip her arm between the closing doors, causing them to open back up for her to board. She composed herself from the brief exertion.
"What floor?" The only other person in the small space asked, voice smooth and deep. The young man wore a black cap, dark sunglasses, and dressed in a light leather jacket with collar up slightly covering the lower part of his face.
Marinette looked at the numerous buttons, seeing the 8th one already lit. "Oh, I'm going to the 8th floor, too."
"I haven't seen you before, do you work here?" he said.
Marinette couldn't make out his eyes through the shades (designer, she noted). She suspected he was someone important or famous, attempting to avoid much attention. Again, she could not believe she was allowed access to the same place in which such people resided. The young man seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her figure on it….
"No, but today's my first day. As an intern…although temporary, but yeah."
Despite his hidden features, he seemed to perk up in interest. "Oh? You must be the winner of that contest. Wow, didn't know I was talking to such a talented designer."
Marinette bloomed in humble embarrassment. "Hah, well, I wouldn't go that far. I'm only an aspiring designer, and I still can't believe I'm here."
"Well, don't sell yourself short," the mysterious man said, finally lifting his head to show a soft smile that seemed to pinch at Marinette's memory. The elevator dinged. "You're here for a reason after all." The doors slithered open and he stepped out, disappearing around the corner.
Marinette was perplexed. Who was that guy? She shelved it away to ponder later. Hesitantly stepping out, she found herself in a smaller, relatively emptier lobby. Another receptionist sat at a desk parallel to the elevator doors.
"You must be the new intern," she smiled. Pressing a button on a pager, she spoke into it, "Madame Nathalie, she is here." To Marinette, again, "She'll be with you, promptly."
A moment later, a tall woman came from the hallway on one side of the desk. She emitted a serious aura with her dark gray blazer and slacks. The red turtleneck peeking through matched the red streak in her hair, revealing her subtle flare. Crystal blue eyes crinkled into a professional smile.
"My name is Nathalie Sancoeur, personal assistant to CEO Gabriel Agreste, and I welcome you to Gabriel Fashion."
Hello! I finally managed to upload, although I feel like I could have worked on it more, or extended the chapter (because I know it's been quite slow-moving, with trying to set the scene and all). But I figured I'd just get it over with. Also, I've made some changes: previously three winners, now one winner, who will intern for 3 months rather than 1 month.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, I appreciate all the support!
Ree