Back at home, Marinette slumbered. Her mother had come by to check on her, but was soon overwhelmed by the lunchtime traffic, just as Marinette was by her thoughts upon awakening. Adrien, she despaired, certainly had to have been approached by Chloe. Was there any reason for him to withhold his signature? Unable to remember who signed it due to the sheer volume, Marinette thought it best she didn't check. Either way, her feelings could spiral out of control. And with the Ladybug akumatized…
Marinette sat up in bed. Even if none of her classmates knew, she was still Ladybug. That's why she thought she could be a good producer. That's why she tried to look out for the group's best interest. And even if she didn't feel nearly as confident as she did when she had her mask and spots to hid behind, Marinette felt it was high time to snap out of her pity party. Mooning after Adrien couldn't repair her reputation in his eyes. Marinette had to do something to capture his attention. Something that could give a reputation to rival Chloe. Something that could give her a real chance. Marinette Agreste had a very nice ring to it.
Running over to her basket of fabrics, Marinette pulled out her sketchbook. She smiled at her pictures of Adrien as she drew, imagining jackets perfect for his muscular physique, scarves that would complement his gorgeous eyes. Marinette was a girl on a mission and she had set her mind to menswear. As a designer, perhaps Mr. Agreste would notice her; as a model, Adrien would too. She grabbed swatches of fabric and colored pencils, shading in shirts and sketching satchels. Marinette worked like a woman possessed, not daring to stop. A nearly-full notebook and a desk scattered with other designs and clippings, Marinette sighed and sat back in her chair. For the first time since she had so nearly kissed Adrien, things were making sense again. She had a new goal, and she was not ready to back down so soon. Chloe wouldn't see her coming until Marinette had reached the top.
Filled with a new energy, Marinette scrambled to get her things together. Grabbing her purse, she snuck down the stairs and out the back door, hoping that her mother wouldn't notice. She had about 2 hours before her mom would want her back to help prepare dinner, and she wasn't going to waste a second of it. If she wanted to have her menswear collection ready to present to people in a month, Marinette needed to work fast. Otherwise, she wouldn't have enough time to gain support in the build-up to the latest fashion challenge. The best way to catch the attention of the fashion mogul would be to enter. The prize hadn't been disclosed yet, but Marinette prayed that Adrien would truly model her designs. And this time she wouldn't use any pesky feathers!
Marinette breathed deeply as the bell above the door to the fabric store rang. It had a certain smell that made her feel immediately at home. Rifling through her purse, she pulled out a notepad and began writing a list. 3 yards of a cotton blend for a shirt, buttons and zippers, a dark denim... Marinette quickly realized that she would have to scale her designs back a bit. Otherwise she would never be able to afford to create this collection! Her parents understood her love of design and supported it, but even they would only help her to a point. Though Marinette wished that she could simply design the clothes, she knew that realistically she needed a way to get a little more money. Babysitting was hardly constant work, but it was manageable between school, her homework, as well as her experiments in design. Marinette specialized in hats, but recently had begun to branch out more. A clothing collection was a lofty goal, and would take far more time and energy than a single hat. Sighing, she told herself that she could figure it out later. She would start small and work outfit by outfit. Marinette turned back to the vast array of materials in front of her. Looking through the selection of fabrics, Marinette decided to get a light cotton blend in a pale blue and a slightly heavier material for trim. A shirt was a good place to start, right? Marinette smiled as her fabric was cut and she was finally able to leave for her house again. There was an additional spring in her step as she imagined the potential looks. This time, anxiety wouldn't defeat her.
Mrs. Dupain-Cheng looked up as the door to the back room opened in her peripheral vision. She relaxed as she saw a smiling Marinette look around furtively before tiptoeing away. Her daughter had seemed out of sorts earlier, and it was a relief to know that her poor mood had been short-lived.
Upstairs, Marinette unpacked her haul and grabbed a roll of pattern paper. Dashing to her computer to confirm measurements that she was pretty sure she already knew, she began to sketch the outline of her first piece. She double-checked each and every measurement, made sure of each seam allowance, a note of potential bias cuts. How could she make this shirt stylish and comfortable for Adrien's gorgeous skin? Where could the panels be sewn together for minimalistic, effortless style? Adrien would be attractive whatever he wore, but the right clothing could only enhance his looks.
Marinette paused in her planning. If he was already so handsome, perhaps making him look even more so would be more than she could handle. Dismissing that thought, Marinette cut out the patterns carefully, calculating how much fabric she would end up using. She thought that she had bought enough, but she would definitely have to make another trip to the store if she wanted to use this material again for another piece. Setting down her shears, Marinette scampered down the stairs, hunger emerging voraciously when she caught a whiff of the onion soup her mother was cooking for dinner.