Welcome to another Swapped Saturday! This chapter is a bit rough in my opinion, as Stormy Weather's canon episode and my Swapped rewrite of it are so drastically different. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoy this week's chapter! Thank you all again for your favorites, follows, and reviews! Your support is my motivation to continue writing and updating :)
Chapter Nine
Adrien Agreste
Saturday was sunny and warm. Well, as sunny and warm as a winter day in Paris could be. Adrien's phone had been buzzing all morning as Alya and Nino ironed out the few remaining details of their fairytale project. He had skimmed through the texts just enough to know that they were meeting at the Place des Vosges shortly after Marinette's photoshoot ended to film the final product, and Adrien was beyond nervous.
He was currently pacing his bedroom, running his hands through his hair as he rambled to Tikki, who just giggled and said, "You can save Paris day after day, but you can't film a school project with the girl you like."
Adrien stopped pacing and glared at the Kwami. "Not helpful."
"Wasn't trying to be," Tikki retorted. "But seriously, Adrien, you need to calm down. You've been to so many photoshoots with Marinette. You guys talk during every class. This isn't any different."
Adrien shook his head. "This is entirely different."
"How so?"
"I have to act like I'm in love with her."
Tikki blinked. "I...don't see the problem."
Adrien collapsed into his desk chair and buried his face in his hands. "What if she realizes that the way I act as the prince and the way I act at school isn't that different?"
Tikki softened and floated closer to Adrien, nuzzling his cheek. "Adrien, don't worry. Marinette is a lot of things, but observant isn't one of them."
"That...wasn't exactly encouraging."
Tikki shrugged. "I'm just being honest."
Adrien sighed, stood, and grabbed his phone off his desk, stowing it in his back pocket. He waited until Tikki had hidden herself in his shirt pocket before turning and racing down the stairs, yelling a hasty, "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" over his shoulder.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette's resolve was wearing thin. She had been modeling since she could walk, but these photoshoots were becoming tiresome. The cameraman, Vincent van Gogh (who is not at all related to the famous Dutch painter of the same name), positioned her into yet another pose, this time with her body turned slightly to the left, her hands holding either end of her skirt to fan it out, and her gaze focused on the ground a few feet in front of her. He snapped a few photos, then repositioned her again. Over and over and over until Marinette was sure they had been there far longer than the hour they had agreed upon.
Finally, Vincent set his camera aside and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. Marinette wasted no time in rushing off the set, worried she'd be dragged into another round of photos if she didn't move fast.
Alya, Nino, and Adrien were already at their selected meeting spot when Marinette arrived, the costumes she had designed and sewn draped over her arm.
"Ooo," Alya squealed, grabbing the costumes from Marinette. "These are beautiful."
"You made these?" Adrien asked, glancing from the ballgown Alya was holding to Marinette's bashful expression.
"Yeah, I did."
Alya passed out the costumes and then wrapped her left arm around Marinette and her right around Adrien, steering them towards the nearest bathrooms to change.
Adrien Agreste
Adrien was the first to arrive back at their meeting spot, where Nino was waiting with his video camera and tripod.
"Whoa, dude," Nino said when he caught sight of the blond. "That suits you."
"You really think so?" Adrien asked, glancing down at the elaborate, princely outfit Marinette had crafted for him. "I've never worn anything so elegant."
Marinette and Alya chose that moment to return, their gasps of surprise causing Adrien to whirl around.
"Dang, Mari," Alya said, her gaze traveling down Adrien's torso as she admired his outfit. "You did good."
"I'm just glad it fits," Marinette replied as her gaze raked down his body. She then seemed to realize what she was doing and flushed, averting her eyes. Adrien, however, hardly noticed. He was too busy staring at her.
The dress she had crafted for herself had a deep purple skirt that ended just below Marinette's kneecaps with white ruffles lining the bottom. Golden thread wound through the skirt, forming little suns. The bodice was lilac with a pink ribbon threaded through it and tied off in a bow just below the neckline. Purple and lilac striped sleeves puffed up around her shoulders, connecting the bodice to the sheer fabric coating her arms. Her hair had been braided down either end of her scalp, forming a braided crown that then combined to form a braid down her back. A golden, sun-studded ribbon had been intertwined into the braids. Her feet were bare, but she had golden sandals dangling in her hand.
All in all, Marinette was breathtaking.
"Uh, dude?" Nino waved his hand in front of Adrien's face, then snapped his fingers in front of the blond's nose. Adrien startled back to reality, blinking as his gaze shifted from Nino to Alya to Marinette.
Why is everyone staring at me?
"W-what?" Adrien sputtered, flushing.
"We asked what you thought of Marinette's dress," Alya said, crossing her arms and smirking at him.
"But you were too busy gawking to hear us," Nino finished, snickering. Adrien shoved the boy, scowling at him.
"Alright, boys, break it up," Alya said, stepping between them and linking her arms with theirs. "Let's get filming before we lose all this great lighting."
Alya was befitted in a scarlet dress that ended about mid-thigh, a black cloak swung around her shoulders. Her feet were clad in leather, ankle-high boots.
Set up took five minutes. Alya positioned Adrien and Marinette in their positions, then nodded at Nino, who raised his hand and counted down on his fingers, mouthing, "Three, two, one," and then nodding. The red light on his camera flickered on, indicating that he was recording.
Marinette turned out to be an amazing actress. Alya had positioned a makeshift tower by propping a cardboard cutout against the tree, and Marinette sat in the branches, a beautiful melody falling from her lips. The camera then shifted to Adrien, who was hidden behind another tree. Then Alya stepped into the scene and called, "Rapunzel, let down your hair!" The golden rope Nino had brought tumbled out of the cardboard cutout's window, and Alya grasped it and began climbing.
They filmed the scene in which Adrien clambered up the tower, then filmed the scene where Alya forced Adrien to fall from the tower. Adrien stumbled around feigning blindness in another scene, and then stumbled upon Marinette, who threw her arms around him and wept with joy. They shifted from the grass to the fountain to film the wedding scene. Marinette added a veil and bouquet to her outfit, and Adrien had a white rose pinned to the lapel of his. Alya positioned them with their arms around each other, smiling and waving to the camera. Nino was going to edit the cliche ending line on that video, declaring their "happily ever after."
"Perfect," Alya said as Nino began packing away his camera and tripod. "That takes care of the majority of the scenes. We can go to my house tomorrow to film the indoor tower scenes, then Nino can splice everything together and edit it all on Monday, and we'll have the finished product on Tuesday."
"In that case, could you keep the costumes at your place?" Marinette asked. Alya nodded.
"Yeah, I definitely can."
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
It took ten minutes for Marinette and Adrien to change back into their regular clothes. Alya took both costumes in her arms (having opted to leave her own costume on), and bid them all goodbye, wrapping Marinette in a hug and waving to the boys.
Nino left next, nodding goodbye to both Marinette and Adrien because his arms were too full with his filming supplies to wave.
"That was some amazing acting," Marinette said, turning to Adrien with a grin.
"Really?" Adrien asked, his cheeks turning pink. "I thought yours was a lot better."
Marinette shrugged. "I've had a lot of practice."
She averted her gaze, not wanting Adrien to see the telling anguish in her expression, then glanced back up with a plastered smile on her lips.
"Anyway," she said before he could respond, "I should be getting home. Mother hates when I'm late for supper." And, with that, she sped away as if staying there one moment longer would give Adrien supernatural insight into her sorrowful life.
--
As expected, Sabine remained locked in her office for the evening. Marinette ate her dinner alone in the cold, massive dining hall, then retired to her bedroom and flopped onto her bed, the day's events replaying in her mind.
How fitting it was for her to play Rapunzel. Both of them had been locked away for the majority of their lives, held under lock and key by the seemingly uncaring caretakers in their lives.
She closed her eyes, imagining the bliss she would feel if Beetlebug swung into her room and whisked her away from the loneliness and sadness this mansion was drowning in.
"What in the world are you smiling about?" Plagg asked, his voice startling her out of her daydream. She sat up and chucked the nearest object at him, which happened to be her pillow. It missed, of course, but it did manage to knock away the cheese he had tossed in the air, which was satisfactory enough for her.
"Hey!" Plagg whined in protest, zipping off after his cheese. Marinette laughed and flopped back against her mattress.
"Maybe next time you won't disrupt my daydream."
"Nah, it was worth seeing you jump."
Marinette rolled her eyes.
A crash of thunder sounded from outside, followed by the pounding of a torrential downpour. Screams from the street drifted up to the window. Marinette shoved herself up and glanced out the window, eyebrows furrowed.
"That doesn't sound good," she murmured, jumping to her feet and flipping on the news. Nadja Chamack sat on screen, her gaze shifted to the side, jaw slack as she stared in shock at whatever was happening at her right. Someone behind the camera cleared their throat, and Nadja snapped her head back around.
"Ah, so, there's apparently been a strange thunderstorm that has suddenly swept over Paris. Could this be the sign of another attack?"
The screen flickered, and Nadja's image was replaced by a pale, purple-themed girl. Her hair was pulled back into two, bushy, purple striped pigtails. Purple lightning bolts were painted around her eyes. She smiled at the camera, and the malice in her expression chilled Marinette to the bone.
"Good afternoon, Paris," the purple girl said. The sickly sweet tone of her voice added to her already menacing appearance. "Allow me to introduce you to the best weather girl the world has ever seen! And, just to prove that, I'm going to exterminate every other weatherman in Paris, starting with that false winner Mirelle." She gritted her teeth, then raised her parasol at the camera and covered it in a blast of ice.
Adrien Agreste
Adrien had been sitting on his balcony when the thunderstorm began, icy rain pelting him until he managed to dash under the awning. Tikki instinctively dove for the television remote, flicking on the news in time to see Nadja Chamack's image flicker out and Aurore's distorted face fill the screen.
One look at the purple and white villain was all Adrien needed.
After transforming into his superhero persona, Adrien swung back into the rain. It was only a matter of time before Aurore revealed her location, and Adrien wanted to be ready when she did.
He spent fifteen minutes dashing along the rooftops, glancing for any sign of the akuma's latest victim, before stumbling upon Chat Noire. She was clutching the chimney of one of the houses, searching the sky and ground around her. She was completely soaked, her hair hanging in stringy strands around her head, and her expression held the same wide-eye misery of a drowned cat.
"Not a fan of the rain?" Adrien asked, kneeling beside her on the slippery roof.
"Usually, I don't mind it," she muttered, "but I think my Kwami is channeling his distaste through me."
Adrien shook his head, amused, and offered Chat his hand. "Don't worry, Kitten. I'll keep you safe from the big, bad rainstorm."
Chat shot him a nasty glare but allowed him to help her up. The moment she was on her feet, another thunderclap reverberated through the air, causing the feline-themed heroine to jump straight into Adrien's arms. The force of Chat's body against his and the slipperiness of the rooftop sent Adrien and Chat toppling over the side. Panicked, Adrien tossed his yo-yo every which way until, finally, it attached to the chimney of the nearest building, suspending them in the air. He tightened his grip around Chat's waist to keep her from slipping to the ground, then used the string of the yo-yo to lower them gently to the ground.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette had never been so embarrassed in her whole life, and the butterflies that had begun swarming in her stomach the moment she realized that Beetlebug's arm was around her waist only emphasized the flushing of her cheeks.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she stepped away from her partner, averting her gaze as she mumbled her apology. Beetlebug only shrugged it off, telling her everything was fine, but the layer of awkwardness she felt and the fact that the scene was on repeat in her mind said otherwise. They didn't have time to dwell on it, though, because Miss Weather Girl chose that moment to reveal herself.
She was hovering in the air, her parasol aimed at the cart selling Mirelle shaped balloons. Her voice boomed like thunder as she shouted, "There will be none of that in my Paris." A gust of wind shot out from the tip of her parasol, sending the vendor and his merchandise flying straight towards Beetlebug and Marinette. The two heroes dashed out of the way. Beetlebug caught the vendor and set him gently on his feet.
"Take cover," Beetlebug called over his shoulder. Marinette glanced back in time to see the vendor scurry into the nearest alleyway.
"Hey, Aurore!" Beetlebug yelled as they ran. The akumatized villain whipped her head towards them and growled.
"My name is Stormy Weather, not Aurore."
"Stormy Weather is a bit long," Marinette replied, skidding to a stop. "How about we call you Stormy. That's kind of cute, don't you think?"
Stormy Weather responded by shooting a gust of wind at Marinette, knocking her off her feet and into the windshield of the nearest car.
"I'm taking that as a no," Marinette muttered with a groan as she rolled off the hood and stumbled back onto her feet.
The wind and rain were blinding, making it increasingly difficult for the superheroes to see. There was a crackle as ice formed along the road. Marinette slipped, lost her footing, and tumbled to the ground, pawing blindly around in an attempt to keep herself from sliding halfway down the block.
And then, suddenly, the wind and rain stopped. Marinette glanced up just in time to watch as a blue city bus arced towards her.
She had no time to react, and even if she did, the ice was keeping her trapped against the ground.
Well, I guess this is as good a way to die as any.
"Chat Noire!" Beetlebug's voice ripped through the air, but Marinette refused to open her eyes. She didn't want her last sight to be Beetlebug's heartbroken expression. If he even was heartbroken. She hoped he cared about her enough to be heartbroken by her untimely death, but she also didn't want him to go through the rest of his life mourning her.
Why must love be so difficult?
Something warm, large, and solid settled on her back moments before the bus landed with a sickening crunch. Surprisingly, the coldness of the ice beneath her body didn't fade. Instead, it intensified as whatever was on her back rolled off, taking its warmth with it.
"I expected the afterlife to be a bit warmer," she muttered, "and a lot less painful."
"Yeah, well, this isn't the afterlife," Beetlebug's voice replied, causing the raven's eyes to snap open.
She was still lying on the icy street, though the wind and rain had been replaced by a light snowfall. The only indication that the rainstorm had ever occurred was the wetness of her suit and hair. The bus that had landed on her happened to have a 6-foot hole right where she was lying, which was the only reason she had survived. And the warm, solid object that had pressed on her moments before she was supposed to be crushed must've been Beetlebug.
"What in the world happened?" she asked, grunting as she pushed herself up.
"Stormy Weather halted the storm so she could toss the bus on us. You weren't moving, so I jumped on top of you as gently as I could and used my yo-yo to drill a hole in the side of the bus. Stormy didn't bother waiting around to check if we were dead. I think she was heading back to the KIDZ studio, probably to receive the trophy she believes is rightfully hers."
Marinette blinked. "So you saved my life, and I now owe you for all eternity?"
Beetlebug laughed. "Something like that, but you can repay me later. Right now, we have a weather girl to catch."
Review Responses:
LaViolaViolaRosa, thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying Swapped :) Reviews like this help motivate me to continue writing 3
GuardianAngel1234567, unfortunately, I could not figure out how to incorporate Adrien & Marinette's canon love letters, though I wish I could've :(
Potato, thank you for your kind review! I really appreciate your support and encouragement 3