Thank you to Khanofallorcs for beta-ing this chapter! :D
Chapter Forty-Two
Getting ready on a Monday morning was already difficult enough, but with Plagg constantly poking her with a piece of rolled up paper wasn't helping. The kwami stayed right behind her, poking right at the back of her head– and she didn't have any cheese to bribe him to stop.
"You need to read it," Plagg insisted. "I finally finished it."
"I will, just let me get ready," Marinette promised.
"You gotta read it before you go to school!" Plagg said, zipping right in front of her– and she sighed, accepting the piece of paper. She unfolded it, looking at the words written in handwriting that seemed much too fancy for what one would expect from her kwami.
–
Plagg's Rankings of People You Know:
10. Plagg
9. Sugar Cube, Trixx, Roaar, most other kwamis you will meet.
8.
7. Marianne, Band-Girl
6. Your Parents, Fencing-Girl
5. Stone-Boy, Monster-Girl, Song-Girl
4. Your Classmates, Band-Boy
3. Music-Boy, Jagged-Man
2. Guardian, Crimson Beetle
1.
-1. Blogger-Girl, Model-Boy, Blonde-Girl
-10,000,000. LIAR-GIRL
–
"Plagg, what is this?" Marinette asked, staring down at the paper.
"I told you I was going to make a list," Plagg said, floating up and tapping the paper. "I thought it would put things into perspective, you see, because while there aren't many amazing people in your life, there are some that should very much be several continents away from you, so I thought this should help."
"Plagg..." Marinette began, but the kwami wasn't about to let this go.
"Anyone with a negative number should be as far away from you as possible," Plagg said. "Those around one, two, or three are ones I'd prefer you'd avoid, but either you can't or it isn't the end of the world if you do hang around them... Anyone who is five or above passes in my book– but a nine and ten are really the only ones you can fully trust."
"So... only kwamis?" Marinette said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, humans are pretty risky," Plagg agreed with a nod. "Marianne is pretty trustworthy, though, but unfortunately I can't put her higher because of her association with Fu. Band-Girl is up there as well since she's always been supportive of Lady Noire, but I don't know her well enough to put her higher. Would recommend her as an alternate best friend to your current ones, however."
"Why did Luka get pushed down to a four while everyone else in the band is a five or higher?" Marinette asked.
"He's courting Model-Boy," Plagg explained. "So just like Marianne and Music-Boy, they get pushed back due to their poor taste in romantic partners. Jagged-Man is low on the list for his taste in music– though his character is fine."
"Okay, what's with the hate for Adrien, then?" Marinette asked, crossing her arms. "He's been a very vocal Lady Noire supporter from the start, and has used his reputation to further that– yet he gets a negative one?"
Plagg froze up slightly, not moving for a moment, before looking down at his list again. "Uh... that's a mistake. He's supposed to be one, not a negative one."
"Still low."
"Rich people annoy me."
"Why is Kagami so high, then?"
"She's nice to Lady Noire."
"Like Adrien?"
"Adrien is a faker!" Plagg declared. "I mean, not as fake as Liar-Girl, but still suspicious enough to be thrown from this list as a potential good friend."
Marinette sighed, folding up the paper. "Where am I even supposed to put this? Your name and the mention of kwamis means it's too risky to just throw it away." She glanced about her room, but even leaving it out had its risks. "I guess I could just Cataclysm it? It wouldn't be restored with the next Miraculous Ladybug, right?"
"You can't destroy it!" Plagg protested. "That has very important information you need to know, thank you very much!"
In the end, Marinette settled for putting in it the same box that her journal was locked in– secure enough to keep anyone walking about in her room from just finding it, and Plagg happy enough with it still being in one piece– so in the box it would stay for now.
She grabbed her backpack, herding Plagg into his purse, and was about to head downstairs– when she caught a glance of her reflection in the vanity mirror, hair pulled up in a high ponytail. She stopped and stared at it for a moment, hesitating.
Marinette then pulled out the hair tie, letting her hair fall down her shoulders. Turning her back on her reflection she threw her bag over her shoulder as she rushed downstairs, no time to spare to eat breakfast. She slipped a few cheddar danishes into her purse for Plagg, sticking a croissant in her own mouth as she waved goodbye to her parents. She rushed out the door only to immediately crash into someone– nearly falling over and forcing them to steady her.
"Kagami! Sorry, I didn't see you there, after you okay?" Marinette asked frantically.
"I'm just fine," she smiled. "I was just wondering if we could walk to school together?"
"Of course, you don't even have to ask," Marinette said swiftly. "I, um– do you want a cheddar danish?"
She pulled one out of her purse, offering it to Kagami, who just smiled and shook her head. She went to place the danish back, Plagg immediately snatching it from her hand as it was placed back into the purse. She could feel his glare on her, so she quickly closed the purse and offered Kagami a hesitant smile, only to find that she was offering her hand.
"Oh!" Marinette said, face heating up, and she placed her hand into Kagami's. Her hand was warm as it wrapped around her own, and Kagami led her down the sidewalk. With the school right there, they didn't need to go far, nor did they have much time to talk.
"Are you doing anything this Wednesday?" Kagami asked. "I have some free time, and I was wondering if we could go get some orange juice together."
"Sure," Marinette said, raking her mind to see if anything would interfere. "That sounds good?"
"We could do something else if you would like."
"No no, orange juice sounds great," she said swiftly.
They climbed up the front steps– which meant that they would have to part ways. Kagami's homeroom was on the main floor, and due to sleeping in, Marinette didn't have time to hang around and talk. The two said their goodbyes, and Marinette sprinted up the stairs in hopes that she wouldn't be marked as tardy.
There was a heavy feeling in her gut, one that had been there the whole morning– the whole weekend, actually– and Marinette wasn't sure what she was going to say to Alya today, and she didn't know where to begin. Maybe... maybe she was just overthinking this? Maybe Alya had just wanted to have the dance be just a date with boyfriend, and there was nothing else behind that request and she was just overreacting–
"Hi, Marinette!" Lila chirped, popping up in the doorway as she tried to enter the classroom. "I'm glad to see you here, I did want to walk you to school but Kagami told me to leave when I went to meet you."
"O-oh?" Marinette said, barely having time to process her words as she was suddenly pulled from her thoughts– and Lila had already linked arms with her and was dragging her off to her desk before she could even offer a reply.
"So, how was your morning?" Lila asked, slipping down into the seat next to her. "I mean, you're cutting it close, Kagami didn't keep you for too long, did she?"
"No, I just slept in," Marinette said sheepishly– and having her kwami insist she read his Very Important List (not to be confused with his Super Important List, which was a list of his favorite cheeses) hadn't helped with time, either. "Um, I think we have another date planned, though? For this Wednesday."
"Oh," Lila said, pausing for a moment. "I guess that means our plans are canceled, then?"
"Plans?" Marinette asked, her panic rising– because she swore that she had nothing planned for that. She pulled out her phone, pulling up her reminders– but nothing was recorded for then. "I– I didn't know, I thought–"
"Don't worry about it," Lila said quickly. "I don't want to interfere with your date."
"But if I already said–"
"Really, it's fine," Lila said, looking away. "I get it, you have–"
Lila wasn't able to say much more than that, however, as Miss Bustier clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone to their seats, the bell is about to ring. Hurry along now, I know we only have a few weeks left of class, but still a lot to cover..."
"I'll talk to her at lunch, and we can find another day–" Marinette said before Lila could leave for her own seat– but she paused when she found the girl doing the opposite.
Lila was pulling out her textbook and notebook, laying them all out on the desk. Marinette blinked in confusion, turning in her seat, wondering if Alya wasn't here today– only to spot her two rows back, in Lila's usual seat. Alya's eyes were glued to her book, not speaking to Nathaniel next to her or Ivan in front of her, or even looking in Marinette's direction.
"Miss Bustier asked me to switch on Alya's behalf this morning," Lila whispered as Marinette turned back to face her. "I don't think she wanted to make a big deal out of it, so let's talk after class, okay?"
Marinette was only able to give a quick nod– because the bell was now ringing throughout the school, and Miss Bustier was starting the lesson, and she had to hurry and start scrawling down the date on her notes, trying to force her mind to start focusing. But there would be no focusing today, the fact that Alya was not sitting next to her being seared into her mind.
Had she asked Miss Bustier to move to another part of the classroom? How long had she been wanting this to happen? Had she been pushing Alya too far away– she had been trying to do better! To separate her life as civilian and hero and not let those feelings clash; which had been easier than ever with the lack of akuma attacks.
But this meant that she had to have messed up somewhere– and Alya's distance at the dance should have been a red flag. She had hurt Alya and had failed to do anything and now was only seeing the damage when it was too late. What was she supposed to do, what should she say? Should she talk to Miss Bustier herself to ask why she had wanted to move, or would that be too invasive–?
A piece of paper was slid into her view, which snapped her out of her panic, and she glanced at Lila's writing.
Could I use your notes today? My arthritis is acting up and listening isn't enough with French as my second language, I have to have something to read back on.
Marinette gave her a quick nod, pushing the paper back to her, before forcing herself once again to focus on what the teacher was saying– even with this horrible heavy feeling in her heart.
"Alya, before you go, I want to thank you for being willing to switch seats today, I know it was a bit last minute," Miss Bustier said quietly, causing Alya to pause in the doorway, her being the last one leaving the classroom.
"I..."
"I did consider having Marinette and Nathaniel switch seats, but he actually focuses better when drawing, and I know he's hesitant to do it at the front of the class, even though I've told him he's fine as long as he's paying attention to the lesson." Miss Bustier continued. "But until Lila gets new medicine for her wrist, she's going to need someone taking notes for her; can't have anyone falling behind this close to the end of the term."
"That... that wouldn't be good," Alya agreed slowly.
"Would you tell Marinette thank you for taking those notes for Lila? She left in such a rush I didn't get a chance to say a word."
"I– I got to go, Miss Bustier," Alya said quickly, hurrying out the door. "See you tomorrow."
She shut the door behind her, only to find herself face to face with Nino– amber eyes watching her in concern. She was quick to stand straight up, and put a smile on her face. "Let's get going–"
"Alya, what is going on?" Nino asked.
"Nothing, Miss Bustier just wanted to talk about the new seating arrangement–"
"Babe, please," Nino said softly, voice sounding almost begging. "I know you didn't agree to anything, I saw how surprised you were this morning when you moved seats."
"It's really not a big deal–"
"Why won't you let me help you?" Nino whispered, and Alya felt tears stinging her eyes.
"Because... because I don't even know what's happening," Alya whispered. "I don't know what I did wrong, I... I don't know how to fix it."
She took in a shaking breath, trying to keep herself steady, and Nino's arms wrapped around her. Alya leaned her head against his shoulder, his headphones pressing against her cheek, but she didn't move. This horrible feeling of helplessness was hitting her all at once, and today it truly seemed to hit home.
"Marinette hates me," Alya whispered, tears stinging her eyes.
"She does not."
"She won't look at me," Alya said. "She... at the dance, she didn't want to be with us, and before that... she's just been so on edge, Nino, and I don't know why. She never wanted to talk about it and I'm not even sure what I did, but she's just gone and I just– I just hate this feeling."
He put an arm around her, guiding her away from the classroom. "What about the seat change, what happened there?"
"I... I've been trying to give Marinette some space," Alya said quietly. "At the dance, Lila said she thought Marinette needed the same thing and I guess... I guess Marinette killed two birds with one stone or something? Had us switch seats so she could help Lila with notes and we could have a bit of distance? Or maybe all that was just to get the teacher to agree to switching so suddenly."
"Marinette has been a bit distant lately," Nino agreed after a moment. "But none of this sounds like her– I mean she might shy away from something or get flustered, but I've never seen her, like, straight up ignoring a dude before. Like, even with Chloe she usually had something to say."
"Then I must have really messed up," Alya muttered.
"Babe, look at me," Nino said, and she met his eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders. "I know you, and I know Mari– and I know that nothing would come between you two easily. We'll figure out what happened, and fix it– got it?"
She wanted to be comforted by his words, but things were never that easy.
Nino bumped up against her when he saw her expression. "Don't worry, fair maiden– Detective Nino is on the case– and no mystery will ever go unsolved with me at your side."
Alya managed to let out a small snort at this. "...You're a dork."
"Detective Dork is on the case, then!" Nino said, posing– and this time she couldn't help but let out a small laugh, which is what Nino was clearly waiting for. He smiled, grabbing her hand as they headed towards the stairs.
Adrien was hungry, thirsty, and tired.
Though for anyone looking on, he was at the top of his game. Looking like he had just walked right off of one of the billboards. His hair had been carefully styled this morning– and it wouldn't be the last time today. His clothes were simple, something to easily slip in and out of for when his time came on the walk. Weeks of a careful diet had been calculated to make sure no last minute adjustments would be needed– as today was the start of his father's show.
"We cannot have anything hold us up today, Adrien," Nathalie said as they drove through the early morning. "When it's time for you to walk, you need to be ready to be on stage. Once you've finished your piece, you exit immediately so the next model can walk– and you go get into your next outfit."
"Don't worry, Nathalie, I'll be a supermodel," Adrien replied– as the woman was acting like this was his first show.
"You are Gabriel's son, and the face of the brand– but that does not mean you get to goof off or lounge about. Other models will be watching you, along with the media, so think before you act," she continued. "Now, I will be with your father for most of the show, so if you need anything, you go to Adeline, got it?"
"You're going to be at home?" Adrien said in surprise– because Nathalie was always at the shows.
"Your father needs me there, and Adeline needs hands-on experience," Nathalie said. "There will be a camera crew filming behind the set, so be on your best behavior."
"What do you think I'm going to do?" Adrien asked, leaning forwards towards the front seat. "Run rampant?"
"Adrien."
"How much coffee have you had today?" Adrien asked, watching as she tapped away on her tablet. "The sun isn't even up yet."
"Adrien."
"You know, it's not really that healthy, and trust me, healthy is all that's been stuffed down my throat lately–"
"Adrien!" Nathalie exclaimed. "Don't talk like that, 'stuffed down your throat'… I know today is going to be a long day, so why don't we start it off pleasant, alright?"
He leaned back in his seat, thinking this was a bit of an overreaction, but clearly she had a lot on her mind. He sighed, listening as Nathalie listed off more instructions. He was doing his best not to tune her out, not wanting to be rude, but none of this was new information. He stared out the window, watching the buildings fading away– but it wasn't long until the Gabriel building came into view, the limo slowing down.
Adrien grabbed his bag, opening the door. "Adrien."
He looked back at Nathalie. "Yeah?"
She watched him for a moment. "Stay safe."
He gave her a smile. "Of course."
With that, he shut the car door behind him, running up to the doors. Even though there was a long way to go until the show started, it was already busy inside, people rushing by. Some carried chairs, others clothes, some just talking urgently on their phones. A few gave Adrien an acknowledging nod as they passed, but he didn't have time to stay and talk. He made his way past the stage and to the back, heading towards his private dressing room.
He shut the door behind him, locking it before pulling his jacket open, letting Tikki fly out of his pocket. "You ready for the big day?"
He smiled. "Yep, don't have to do much more than look pretty– and I think I do that quite well, hmm?"
He flipped his hair dramatically, and Tikki giggled into her paws, before flying up next to him. "Well, if you have some time, maybe you should grab something to eat. You had a really small breakfast today."
"Yep, they give enough to keep my stomach from growling on shoot days," Adrien said, setting his bag on a chair. "I'll have a real meal once the show is over."
Tikki's antennae twitched. "You can have some of my food while you wait."
"And let them find something in my teeth?" Adrien said with a small laugh. "You heard Nathalie, I can't get away with anything just because my father owns the company, I have to be held to the same standards as everyone else."
Tikki fluttered about him nervously. "Look, Adrien, I'm worried, okay? That diet they had you on was strict, but it wasn't starving you. Yesterday and today, though, you haven't eaten much, let alone drank much water!"
"Oh, that's supposed to make your skin look better," Adrien said. "Models need to drink a lot of water, actually– but right before the shoot you cut back a lot. I don't normally do it for photoshoots, Mom didn't like me to– but with a live walk I do."
"Adrien–" Tikki began, worry appearing on her face.
"It's only until the show's over," Adrien said reassuringly. "Nothing to worry about– I only do it, like, two or three times a year."
"That doesn't make it right!"
He smiled. "Tikki, it's really fine, there's laws around the industry to make sure the models are fine. Like, just last year they were in the process of passing a law banning dangerously thin models– I promise you, I'm fine."
An angry hum filled the air– and Tikki didn't look happy. He gave her a small smile, reaching out and cupping her in his hands.
"Why don't you go fly around?" He offered. "People are going to be in and out of here all day, and I don't want you being seen, and you shouldn't have to be stuck in a bag all day."
"Kwamis are supposed to stay with their holders," She replied, and he was glad she accepted the change of topic, though she didn't look happy about it.
"There hasn't been an akuma in weeks," Adrien said, and Tikki gave him a pointed look. "Besides, you're not going to leave the building, right?"
"I will go fly about, but only on the condition that you eat at least one piece of candy you brought for me," Tikki said after a moment, crossing her arms.
"Tikki, I told you, I'm–"
"Actually, no, you need to drink some water," Tikki said, pointing to the sink. "Now."
"Tikki–"
"It would be a shame if something went wrong during the show..." Tikki said, trailing off. "I mean, a small creature could probably do a number on the electrical equipment, or what if all the cameras were mysteriously knocked over..."
"Tikki."
She crossed her arms. "Water, now."
He sighed, not liking this, but he knew his kwami wasn't going to budge. He went over to the sink, turning on the water and taking in a few gulps. It was refreshing against his dry mouth, but he forced himself to pull away, wiping the droplets away, before looking up at Tikki. She beamed proudly, waving– before phasing through the wall and out of sight.
It took Adrien some time to convince Adeline to let him out from backstage; she clearly much rather preferred if he would stay in his dressing room until he was needed on the walk, but at the same time she didn't seem to want to directly say no to him either. She was used to being the one to give directions, but clearly she didn't want to upset the son of the boss, either– and relented. Adrien felt slightly bad for pushing with her hesitation– but Nathalie would have let him out and that was good enough for him.
He probably didn't need to race away from her once he got his yes, but he was not going to be cooped up any longer. He had already had stylists and makeup artists all over him today, and it wouldn't be the last time. Besides, this was about the time that guests were arriving– and he had added quite a few names to the official guest list.
He peered out from the entrance of the stage, eyes scanning the seats. He felt a grin spreading across his face as he saw the entire front row was taken up by friends and classmates, along with some of their own family members. He knew that they weren't just here for him, they were also going to be supporting Marinette– this being her first fashion show– but that didn't stop the giddiness of that fact that people were here to watch him. Usually shows and fashion week were just exhausting, but he couldn't help but feel a bit excited for today's show.
He walked out onto stage, hopping down right at the beginning of the catwalk and headed towards them. A few cameras were turned his way as he went, but with the show having not officially started, he had yet to truly instantly take up the spotlight. Nino was the first one to see him, calling out his name, and the rest of his friends looked his way.
"There's the dude of the hour!" Nino said, reaching over the velvet rope to give him a friendly slap on the back. "Managed to slip away from all the guards?"
"I'm allowed to be out here," he said, rolling his eyes with a grin. "I know it hasn't started yet... but you guys are enjoying yourselves, right?"
Everyone gave a reply, and a small chorus of agreement, smiling at him, and he made his way further down so he could talk to everyone. He held out his hand, fistbumping Alix and Kim, nodding to Max and Ivan, giving a wave to Mylene– and he came to a stop in front of Lila, Marinette, and Kagami. His eyes slipped past Lila, landing on the others.
"So, how's the designer doing?" Adrien asked, leaning forward. "Ready for your hat to knock everyone out of the park?"
Marinette's face was red with nervousness, and Adrien flashed a small smile to Kagami as she laid her hand on Marinette's shoulder. "It's just a hat..."
"A hat that my father designed a whole outfit around," Adrien replied. "That he handpicked to be in his show– the first walk of the entire show, actually, and he knows talent when he sees it–"
"Adrien, she's nervous enough," Kagami said, giving him an even stare.
"You have nothing to worry about, Mari, trust me," Adrien said, seeing that Marinette was burying her face into her hands. Lila scooted closer, laying an arm around her shoulder, which brushed against Kagami's hand. Adrien eyed it uncertainly– he knew the two were friends, but when Marinette's girlfriend was right there...
"Is the hat okay?" Marinette asked in a small voice, peering at him. "You, you don't think it's too out of style yet, right, I mean I made it months ago–"
"'Style' is a relative term, Dupain-Cheng," an annoyed voice said with a long sigh– and he looked up to see Chloe and Zoe making their way towards the group. "The current trends are decided easily up to a year in advance– they become 'trendy' as they hit the shelves. Now where are we supposed to sit?"
"Anywhere you like," Adrien said, sweeping his hand across the benches. "Father reserved the front row for all my friends."
"Good morning Chloe, Zoe," Kagami said politely.
"Good morning," Zoe echoed, giving a smile. She shifted uncertainly, hands curled into the skirts of a luxurious dress– one from his father's line that Adrien knew hadn't been released yet. Considering that Chloe wasn't wearing something similar, he guessed it was something that Audrey had gotten just for her– and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Say 'good' all you like, Tsurugi– it's just another morning. One that my– I mean our–" she glanced at Zoe. "'Dear' mother is going to use it as a stage despite this being a Gabriel show. But oh well, you've been to one show, you've been to them all. I'm only here because you're going to be in it, Adrikins."
"Where is your mother, anyways?" Marinette asked Zoe.
"Back with Andre near the front," Zoe said. "Chloe dragged us ahead while they were talking to a reporter, I believe."
"Not 'a' reporter, dear sister– all the reporters. And I hurried us ahead before she could say anything so she didn't parade us about like a circus lion. Come on now, let's go sit away from these..." Chloe's eyes shifted across Marinette and Lila. "...People. Unless you want to sit here or something, but in that case I'm between you and Tsurugi; I need to keep in good company."
"Thank you for trying," Adrien said dryly, and Chloe narrowed her eyes at him.
"Oh, by the way, your boyfriend and that sister of his are being hounded by some fans of yours; you might want to do something about it," Chloe said, linking her arm through Zoe's, and pulling her down the row, near Sabrina.
"I'll be back," Adrien said quickly, jumping over the velvet ropes and past his friends, knowing he should have gotten someone to bring Luka's family here. Several people greeted him as he ran, but he ignored them, slipping out into the main foyer.
He immediately spotted Audrey and Andre– the Style Queen and the mayor speaking to a half-dozen reporters. Audrey took in the attention, while Andre's eyes kept scanning beyond those throwing questions at him. His eyes settled on Adrien as he made his way forward, giving him a questioning look– and he threw the mayor a quick thumbs up to let him know Chloe and Zoe had found their way inside.
While the reporters had their interest on the Bourgeois, the younger audience had set their eyes on a different target. It was easy to spot Luka with his height and bright blue hair– who was smiling awkwardly at the group of fans that had surrounded him and Juleka, who had slid uncertainly behind her brother. Adrien stepped forward, not sure if his presence would make things better or worse– but it seemed someone else had something to say about it all.
"Get away from my kids, you scallywags!" The unmistakable voice of Anarka echoed out, the woman swinging a stanchion at the group– making Adrien's eyes widen. "Scram before a beat you all to a pulp, you uncivilized–"
"Ma'am, you can't say that–" A weary security guard said, grabbing the other half of the post, clearly having been trying to handle her for some time now. "We can–"
She whipped around, jabbing the end of the post under his chin like it were a sword. "Ye haven't done anything yet, what makes ye think that you'll handle it now? I did not come 'ere to be treated like–"
"Luka, Juleka!" Adrien called, raising his voice up much louder than what was needed for an actual greeting, which did the trick. "There you are, I've been looking all over for you guys!"
"It's Adrien Agreste!"
"He's actually out here!"
"Adrien Agreste, I love you!"
The murmurs and calls he ignored, pushing his way through the small group, throwing his hands around Luka and Juleka's shoulders, guiding them away as he continued speaking loudly. "Well, it's time we get going, it would be such a shame to delay the show because we were late, best be going! Come on, Mme. Couffaine, right this way."
He retreated back towards one of the doors that lead backstage, two security guards outside of it. The doors were opened for him as he came near, his fans following after him– a few asking for autographs, others wishing him luck, and someone asking Luka if Adrien was a good kisser. Adrien gritted his teeth slightly, guiding the twins through the door, before grabbing Anarka's arm as her sharp eyes searched for the one who had spoken, dragging her through as well. The security guards were swift to shut the door behind them, and he let out a sigh of relief.
"I am so sorry about that," Adrien said apologetically as he turned towards him. "I should have had Father assign someone to walk you in, this is my fault."
"It's not your fault," Luka said, reaching and grabbing his hand. "But thanks for the rescue."
"No, lad, it ain't ye fault at all," Anarka agreed. "Those mongrels shouldn't be prying into yer lives, annoying little things... Wait a moment now, is that Tomoe over yonder?"
Adrien followed her gaze, slightly confused, before remembering they had both been aboard the Liberty during Zombizou's attack. "Yes, that is–"
"Tomoe, seems fate dragged us together again– haven't been falling into any more rivers, have ye?" Anarka asked, making her way towards the woman, who had turned in their direction as she heard her name.
Several workers uncertainly looked at Anarka, before glancing at Adrien, who simply waved for them to let her be. He was too far away to see what Tomoe thought of the sudden visitor, but she did stop to let Anarka approach.
"Whoa," Juleka said softly, eyes flickering about. "This the big rush before the show?"
"Yeah, things get pretty crazy right before hand," Adrien said, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Adeline is probably going to send someone to drag me back with the other models, but I can take you out to where everyone else is waiting, I think Rose has a seat saved for you, Juleka."
"Where are the models?" Juleka asked, eyes flickering towards Adrien. "Do you guys get your own section? How are all the clothes stored?"
"There's a series of dressing rooms, though I kind of have my own? They have lots of ways they bring everything in. Um, I can tell you about it another day, but we should get going."
"Oh, yeah, of course," Juleka said, eyes flickering down, voice becoming a mutter. "Sorry."
"Won't have to worry about any fans this way," Adrien said cheerfully, leading them forward. "I'll just take you straight to the seats. And if anyone does bother you, flag down one of the security guards. Or maybe I can get Ezra to stay with you guys, he knows what to do."
"We'll be fine, really, Adrien," Luka said with a smile. "Don't worry about us."
"You kids go on ahead!" Anarka called to them as they made their way towards her and Tomoe. "Tomoe said that I can sit with her, you all go join your friends."
"I said no such thing–" Tomoe began, but Anarka let out a loud laugh.
"We both be personal guests for this boring land-lubbing show, at least now we can pass the time, you never did call me back after the zombie akuma attack, now that I think about it, I told ye I can take you across the Seine anytime."
"Bridges work just as well."
"Stationary and inhibit the flow of the great river– should all be torn down, each and every one of them!"
The three teenagers continued their way forward, Adrien leading them towards the stage, eyes scanning for an exit that wouldn't deposit them onto the catwalk. He felt a few eyes drift towards them as they went forward, and he squeezed Luka's hand tighter. Juleka's eyes swept across the large room, taking everything in with fascination– and Adrien realized that her questions from before were probably from more than just curiosity.
"Here we are," Adrien said, pushing a door open. It deposited them right behind the music booth that stood behind the stage, startling the woman that was currently adjusting some of the giant speakers, before flashing a smile at Adrien. "Everyone else is right up front."
He had tried to convince his father to let Nino DJ the event, but his answer had been a firm no. His reasoning being a combination of wanting someone who was more experienced, with a music taste he was more familiar with– his father's nice way of saying that he was not too impressed with the taste of music his generation mostly favored. Which was a shame, because Nino's music was much more diverse than his father would probably ever know.
They made their way past the music booth and down the steps, Adrien's eyes flashing across everyone. Alya was sitting at the end of the bench, near where official photographers were sitting. Kagami was talking to her, handing her a folder– Marinette nowhere near them, instead awkwardly standing some distance away as the two talked.
Adrien hesitated, knowing not long ago Marinette would be right alongside them– the fact that his friends weren't even looking at each other wasn't good. There had been a tension between the two of them as of late; he had tried to talk to Nino about it, who said Alya hadn't said too much to him, but that he was on the case. Adrien hadn't pushed, because while he wanted to do something, he wasn't even sure what he could do.
"Kagami, this is in Japanese," Alya said, looking at the old newspaper clippings in the folder.
"I thought you'd find it interesting," Kagami said, turning to head back to her seat, and Marinette scrambled after her. "Maybe for your blog or something."
"Kagami– I can't read Japanese!" Alya called after her, and Adrien saw the humored gleam in Kagami's eyes as she made her way back towards Marinette. "Kagami, you can't just leave me hanging!"
Kagami sat down next to Marinette, giving her a warm smile, which fell as soon as she wasn't looking– and her eyes narrowed in on Lila. He wondered if Kagami just didn't like her, or if something had happened between them. He would have to ask her sometime; Lila seemed nice enough, but he had never been able to throw off the uneasiness from their first encounter. The lie about a Miraculous just left a bad taste in his mouth, even if she hadn't done anything like that since.
Juleka hurried off to go join Rose, leaving one space open for Luka, which the two headed towards. As they slowed to a stop, Luka turned, smiling softly at him, before leaning and placing a kiss on his cheek. "Good luck up there, Adrien."
"I– I will," Adrien replied. Should he return the kiss? On the lips? Or was Luka purposely trying not to do anything too big with cameras all around the room, but would it be rude to not do anything in return? He didn't want Luka to think he was brushing him off, but he didn't want to put more pressure on him–
"Ugh, I swear these shows just get more tackier every year," a loud voice declared as it made its way towards them, and, internally, Adrien cringed, looking over Luka's shoulder to see Audrey making her way down the row. "I mean whose idea was it to seat me among a bunch of brats– not even a place for Andre? I mean surely my husband is more important than all these–"
"Ma'am, ma'am, you're not being seated in this section!" A voice called, and Adrien saw Adeline hurrying forward after Audrey. The poor woman looked stressed out of her mind– used to guiding workers and models around, not the high maintenance Style Queen. "This row is already reserved!"
Audrey whipped about, glowering down at Adeline from behind her sunglasses. "Yes, reserved for me. You do know who I am, don't you? You're not the usual miserable assistant Gabriel sends out– you'd think he'd get someone more confident, and not an annoying little–"
"Audrey," Adrien said, speaking up slightly as he stepped forward. Usually, he never directly dealt with Audrey himself; he was more than happy to leave that to his father and Nathalie– but neither were here and he knew that Audrey would at least be slightly nicer to him than she would be to Adeline. "It's really nice to see you, my father is really happy you came all the way from New York."
Audrey's eyes flickered across him. "Oh. Agreste Junior."
"Adeline here was right about the seating," Adrien said with a warm smile. "My father reserved this row for my personal guests, but I know he wouldn't forget a place to seat you, not when you're at the top of his list. If you'd just follow Adeline here she'd be able to take you there."
"Yes, yes I can," Adeline said, stepping forward. "We're only one row back, placed right alongside all our other VIPs, like Mme. Tsurugi and–"
"A row back?" Audrey let out a gasp– looking as if it had been just suggested she go sit next to a trash can. "You want me, the Style Queen– the one that made Gabriel Agreste worth anything– sit in the second row at his fashion show? You, disgusting maggot, are fired!"
She stepped forward, and Adeline stepped back, eyes darting about as she looked for something to say. "I–"
"Adeline works for Gabriel," Adrien snapped, just barely able to keep his tone on the edge of polite. "You aren't able to fire her, I'm afraid."
Audrey's eyes were still locked on Adeline, a gleam in her eyes. "Oh, we'll see about that. I hardly doubt that dear Gabriel will tolerate any worker who has treated me this way."
With that she turned, pulling out her phone, no doubt ready to call his father. Audrey took a few steps forward, and Adrien remembered just how much he did not like this woman. Why wasn't Nathalie the one here to deal with Audrey? It wasn't fair to place this on anyone else. He stepped forward, touching Adeline's shoulder.
"You're not going to be fired," Adrien told her quietly. "Father wouldn't do that, especially when you're just doing what he asked."
"I– He and her–"
"Adeline, I will personally make sure nothing happens," Adrien promised. "Audrey can say whatever she wants to Father, but he put you in charge of this show for a reason."
"I know, I just–" She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, looking down at him. "Thank you, Adrien, don't worry about me, I'll handle–" She tensed up. "Wait– what are you doing out here? You should be in the dressing room right now!"
"I'm on my way, don't worry," Adrien said swiftly, but before he could finish, Audrey pulled her phone away from her ear in disgust– it had clearly gone to voicemail. She was turning back towards them, and Adrien stepped forward Adeline wouldn't be taking the brunt of Audrey's attitude. "I take it that no one's getting fired?"
"Oh, respect your elders, boy," she snapped in English, as if he wouldn't understand her.
"And respect my father's decisions," Adrien replied. "This is his show, and he's busy and doesn't need unnecessary calls. The front row is for my friends, and that's not going to change."
"Come on, Audrey dear," Andre said– the mayor having at last reached them, having been slowed down by those wanting to talk to him on his way through the auditorium. "You don't want to sit on these metal benches anyways, look at the nice seats Gabriel has set up–"
"I don't care if he has prepared a whole throne for me!" Audrey thundered. "It is the principle of the matter– I have been on the front row since day one of my career, and I am not going to degrade myself by letting a bunch of plebeians and my own children sit there while I–"
"Leave," Adrien said stiffly. Audrey never had anything nice to say– but this was being pointed directly at his friends. "If you don't want to be at this show, then leave."
Audrey scowled at him. "Gabriel is much too soft, letting you push him about. Shameful, really, how you're talking to me. You should be glad that you're–"
"Oh– stop acting like you're worth anything, Mother," Chloe snarled, raising her voice, eyes falling to her. "Everyone can see why Gabriel doesn't want you on the front row– don't want the models running away and throwing up everywhere in disgust at the sight of your face!"
"Chloe!" Andre cried, eyes going wide– and even Adrien was startled at this comment. Chloe had plenty to say about her mother behind closed doors, but usually gave no more than dirty looks in public– her family's reputation usually being her top priority.
"I get why you wear those glasses all the time," Chloe continued. "Helps hide your reflection from yourself, and that hat doesn't help with covering up your bad hair day. Hmm, what else– you apply makeup like a clown, glitter isn't in style, it's actually just a mess, I'm tired on pretending of even being remotely happy to see you when you make everyone's life around you miserable–"
"I will not be spoken to like that, you insufferable–!" Audrey's voice was rising– but Andre was faster. He reached out for his wife, spinning her about so he was facing him.
"Oh my dear, let's get you out of here," he said softly. "I cannot just stand here and let you be treated like this."
"That horrible daughter of yours–"
"Audrey, my dear, my queen," Andre pulled her closer. "Right now I am worried about you, come along, you do not need this stress put on you."
"No, I don't, this absolutely horrible place and everyone here thinks that they can just..."
Adrien didn't realize he was holding his breath until they were walking away, and he took in a sharp breath, eyes wide. He looked back at Chloe, who was breathing just as heavily, cold eyes locked on her parents. Zoe reached for her, and he half expected the girl to snap as the hand touched her shoulder.
Instead, Chloe turned towards Zoe, pulling the sunglasses she never wore down over her face. Adrien stepped forward, knowing that he needed to go to her. That Chloe couldn't just be left–
"Adrien, you need to get backstage, now," Adeline said, guiding him towards the catwalk. He looked back, opening his mouth to protest. "Adrien, I cannot thank you enough for stepping in– but this is not a burden you need to bear. Go, get ready for the show, I will handle things from here."
He shot a glance back at Chloe once more– both Sabrina and Zoe with her now. The rest of the class was careful not to look at her, not wanting to single her out as she struggled to keep herself composed, worry on their own faces. After a moment of hesitation, he knew he had to leave– and that Chloe was being left in the best hands he could imagine. Chloe had said what she had needed to say, and those with her would let her know that.
And as much as he couldn't care less about the show at hand, he couldn't let his own Father's show fall more apart than it already had, so he headed out of the auditorium and backstage– where he was immediately surrounded by workers, being ushered away towards his dressing room.
Tikki knew that she should have been more alert– but with a whole month without akumas, she couldn't help but lower her guard.
She had spent a majority of the show up in the beams near the ceiling, watching the show unfold down below. She wasn't too happy with what was required of Adrien, especially when he had felt the need to step forward to deal with that abusive woman himself. He was only a child, and already had enough responsibility to bear! It had taken all of her willpower to keep herself from zipping down and speaking to that horrible woman herself– but out of sight she stayed, like she had done for thousands of years.
The lights dimmed, music starting up and an announcer's voice echoed through the room. She tried to listen to what was being said, to enjoy the music she was listening to, wonder what Plagg was doing in the purse at Marinette's feet–
She wasn't able to truly relax until the first model stepped out onto the catwalk, however, her chosen easily wearing a mask of confidence as all eyes fell onto him. He strutted down the walk, pausing just long enough to pose as cameras flashed, hand along the rim of the hat that Marinette had made.
It was almost poetic, a Ladybug wearing the Creation of a Black Cat– on a catwalk for the whole world to see, though she knew Plagg would refuse to acknowledge it, even though she knew he did recognize such.
Adrien reached the end of the walk, posing several more times, smiling that smile that was plastered on billboards across the city. With that, he turned, confidently walking back down the catwalk– when the screaming began.
Adrien paused, turning as a flash of gold landed right on the end of the stage, front and center, the mass of glitter materializing into the form of a woman, holding a golden scepter in her hand. Tikki froze up as the akuma looked up at the panicking crowd, a cruel grin on her face.
"A fashion show without the Queen of Style?" The akuma cooed. "What a horrible sight to see– but don't worry, even after this horrible humiliation I was put through, I will let you all bask in Style Queen's presence! But first I just have to find the one who orchestrated this whole mess– where is Gabriel Agreste?"
Adrien, who had been quickly retreating down the walk with the akuma's back towards him suddenly stopped, looking back at Style Queen with a look in his eyes that Tikki knew too well. Fear rushed through her, and she whispered: "No, Adrien, you have to run."
"My Father isn't here," Adrien snarled, and Style Queen turned to look at him, face twisting in disgust. "And you're not going to go near him. He's done absolutely nothing to you!"
"Hmm, I suppose you're right, I haven't even seen him today..." Style Queen mused, tapping her scepter against her chin. "But you see... the thing is I don't care. He should know how to keep his workers and son in line, and not let you all run wild and insult me as you have today." Style Queen pointed her scepter towards him, and Adrien shifted as if he were about to charge. "If you ask me, you're just deserving as Gabriel himself is, Agreste Junior– so you're fired!"
A blast of golden light flashed from the end of her scepter, a burst of glitter engulfing Adrien. Tikki let out a cry, though it was drowned out by the audience, and she rose into the air. As the glow faded, there stood a golden glitter statue of Adrien, cries and calls of fear echoing throughout the large room. Style Queen paused to admire her work as everyone scrambled towards the exit, and a purple mask flared up over her face.
"So what if he wasn't my target?" Style Queen snapped. "The boy was annoying!"
The mask persisted, Monarch speaking into her mind– but Style Queen merely laughed, waving a hand dismissively.
"He'll be good for luring that horrible Gabriel Agreste out of his hole," she said. "Now, let's see, who else spoke to me today as if they were worth more than the dust on the floor– oh, you two horrible things! Fired, and fired!"
Two more bursts of light were launched in succession, one hitting Chloe, and then Zoe, the two girls being left as golden statues as well. Style Queen started firing more lashes of the light into the audience, panic pouring through Tikki. Luka was hit, Kagami, Sabrina, Juleka– all turned to glitter. Tikki's eyes desperately scanned the crowd, a quivering sigh escaping her when she saw Marinette racing to the doors, unscathed.
The kwami turned, rushing up to the ceiling and phasing through. She immediately whipped about until she spotted the Seine, before rushing away in desperation. Even in his golden state, Adrien was alive– she could sense that– but she didn't know how long that would last in his current state, and she wasn't going to waste a moment.
She was not going to lose a Bug, she was not going to lose her Adrien.
"No," Monarch whispered, going stiff.
"Nathalie?" Gabriel asked in worry, looking in her direction.
She was standing on the edge of the metal walkway, her heavy breathing seeming to echo through the room. He put a hand on her shoulder, and Monarch recoiled from him, hand clasping around the Butterfly Miraculous. She stared straight at him, a glowing mask appearing over her lavender one as she desperately spoke to the akuma.
"Let him go, he's not your target," she said, voice firm as it always was, but there was a panic in her eyes. The purple mask flared up. "I don't care what you think– let him go."
"Nathalie, what's going on?" He asked, his urgency growing with her rising panic.
The mask flickered away. "Style Queen... she's not listening to me. She's not listening, she's–" Then the mask was back, and Monarch's worry grew. "No, no, it won't draw him out, you need to release him now!"
Chills crawled up Gabriel's spine, because he knew that he was the intended target for Style Queen. She was supposed to search for him and never find him, and if she planned on luring him out, there was only one target people would have in mind...
"Adrien!" Gabriel cried, turning away from Monarch. He rushed past the garden and past the glimmering white pod that laid nestled among tree roots, his heavy footsteps ringing out as they hit the metal walkway, desperately trying to reach the elevator on the other end.
Powerful arms seized him, pulling him back, the strength of the Miraculous easily overcoming his own. "Gabriel! No! She's heading towards the manor right now, you can't go up there!"
"She has Adrien!"
"I– I didn't mean for it to happen!" Monarch choked out, and suddenly the grip on him fell away. Gabriel turned, watching as she sank down to the floor, her cane rolling away and down into the water below, tears flowing down her mask. "I didn't want this to happen– I swear! He was supposed to be safe, the akuma was going to come straight here, she wasn't supposed to go back to the show after she was akumatized–"
"Nathalie, breathe," Gabriel muttered, everything in him telling him to run to the elevator, but still he reached down to pull Monarch to her feet. "Nathalie, look at me, I need you to look at me–"
"I keep messing up," she whispered. "I keep hurting you instead of saving her, why is this happening, why is this–"
He grabbed the Butterfly Miraculous, ripping it from her. Lavender light fell across her, leaving a weeping Nathalie in her place as Nooroo came spiraling out of the brooch. Nathalie whipped her head up towards him, panic in her eyes.
"No– give it back!" She cried, lunging for him. "I have to fix this, I need to fix this–!"
"There's nothing you can do," Nooroo snapped, zipping up to hover above Gabriel's shoulder. "You can't take the powers from an akuma– you have to wait until the heroes defeat her."
"What if–" He looked down at the horrible brooch. "What if I were to transform? Then couldn't I remove–?"
"You can't remove a forced Champion's powers– no matter who wears the Miraculous!" Nooroo cried. "You may have selfishly created them, but you can't take those powers back– it goes against what my Miraculous is!" He grabbed at his head. "I– I warned you not to use my Miraculous like this from the beginning, I told you not to, that one would eventually turn against you– n-now look at what's happening–"
Nathalie was still reaching for the Miraculous, but no longer fighting him. She was shaking and crying– and the look on her face was nothing like the Nathalie he knew, yet it was dangerously familiar. The same expression he had seen after Emilie had fallen to the magic that had taken her, this woman carrying a guilt that was not hers to bear.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around Nathalie, trying to calm her– and trying to calm himself. "Where... where is Adrien? What happened?"
Nooroo swallowed, zipping back and forth. "When Style Queen declared she was going after you... Adrien confronted her. Told her not to go near you, and of course Style Queen didn't like that, and once she realized if there was anyone that could lure you out..."
"It was Adrien," he muttered. "What was he thinking? He did the same thing when I was akumatized."
Nooroo tilted his head. "Style Queen is no longer in the manor– she didn't find you and is more angry than ever. She is currently heading towards the Eiffel Tower with Adrien, and everyone else she turned to gold."
"Can... can you remove her powers?" Gabriel asked, looking at Nooroo.
The kwami jerked back in horror. "No!" He cried, causing Gabriel to recoil. "M-my unfiltered powers, on a human? That's far too dangerous, not to mention the fact that this is a forced champion. You just can't–" Nooroo covered his eyes, quivering. "E-even if I could safely, it wouldn't reverse what she had done. Adrien would still be gold, and if Crimson Beetle doesn't have the energy of the corrupted butterfly to cast his Miraculous Ladybug, it might not be enough to reverse the state he's in..."
"I... I see," Gabriel said quietly, still holding Nathalie tightly.
"You knew that if you were going to corrupt my powers to make these 'akumas' that Monarch would never have true control over champions she created," Nooroo whispered. "You have no other choice but to wait until the heroes defeat Style Queen and restore order."
Gabriel scooped up Nathalie into his arms, turning towards the elevator. "Is Style Queen going to come back?"
"No, she's still at the tower delivering her ultimatum, it sounds like she plans on remaining there. You either show yourself or else she'll..." Nooroo trailed off, and he looked back at the kwami. "Um. She's dissolving Adrien's glitter form?" He whispered quietly, and Gabriel froze. "It– it isn't killing him because he isn't in an organic form! It's just scattering him, the Miraculous Ladybug will be enough to–"
"I'm going out there," Gabriel said, stepping into the elevator, holding Nathalie tightly in his arms as they rose up.
Nooroo's eyes were wide. "If... if you want to, sir, but you need to know that Style Queen may not release Adrien even if you do give yourself up–"
"Gabriel Agreste isn't going out there," Gabriel said as they stepped into his atelier, gently setting a shocked Nathalie down into a chair– who gave no response that she was aware of what was happening. He carefully slipped the Butterfly Miraculous into her hand, which tightened around the brooch. "Cobalt Plume is."
Nooroo's gaze turned from surprise to horror. Gabriel turned away from Nathalie and towards the picture of Emilie, and Nooroo zipped in front of him. "No! It's too dangerous, Gabriel!"
"My son is out there!" He cried. "I can't just sit here and–"
"The heroes might have been told about Cobalt Plume," Nooroo whispered, phasing through the painting as Gabriel pulled it back to reveal the hidden safe behind it. "They won't trust you, they might turn against you, and then Style Queen could strike any of you–"
Gabriel pulled the safe open, grabbing a ceramic dish which held a collection of jewelry. He dumped it out onto his desk, eyes locking onto the Peacock brooch that fell out, and once again Nooroo was in his way, tears in his eyes.
"No, please– don't put Duusu through this!" Nooroo cried, tears in his eyes, and Gabriel's hand froze. "Don't– don't make her watch you suffer, don't make her... She– she sacrificed her Miraculous f-for mine! If she saw what you were doing, if she had to watch her powers be inflicted on you she'd– she'd..." Nooroo swallowed. "Sir, the heroes have never failed before, they will save Adrien."
Nooroo slowly drifted forward, curling Gabriel's hand shut.
"Adrien will be okay," the kwami said softly. "I promise. Be here when he comes home, and don't let him come home seeing the same thing happening to you that happened to Emilie."
It was this that made Gabriel pull away, turning his back on the kwami and the Miraculous, tears filling his own eyes as he hunched over. Nooroo let out the shakiest sigh of relief, before flying over to land on his shoulder, giving him a small pat as if trying to comfort him, despite all they had put the small being through.
Kwami of Generosity, indeed.
"Looks like our break is officially over," Marinette muttered as she pulled around the corner, voice quiet compared to the panic that was radiating through the whole building, everyone fleeing from the akuma that was swiftly taking over the show. She opened up her purse, and Plagg flew out, the kwami's eyes wide as he hovered there in the air. "Time to transform–"
"No!" Plagg suddenly shouted, causing her to freeze up. "We can't transform, not now."
"I mean, we can go farther away, but the longer we wait, the more people will turn to glitter–"
Plagg was suddenly in front of her face. "I need you to go to the Guardians."
"...Huh?" Marinette wasn't sure how to react to this, because Plagg never asked her to do such. Always wanted the opposite when they did make their way towards the small massage parlor, suggesting every other possible activity except for going there.
"You need to go to the Guardians right now!" Plagg insisted, zipping back and forth nervously– and that was all Marinette needed to see to know that something was wrong. Something big must have happened if he was being this insistent, and an uneasy feeling came over her.
"...Okay," she whispered, opening up her purse, and Plagg dove back in. "Let's go."
