Chapter 2: Keeping Promises
Christmas was still a few weeks away, but there were places where it felt like Christmas was just around the corner. And one of those places was at the building harbouring the headquarters of the Zany Stage Company, where Mylene's dad, Fred Haprèle worked. Like every other year, as part of the Christmas celebrations, the theatre company put on a children's play for a charity event. On that year, the play was going to be "Rudolph, the Red-nosed Deer". And both Mylene and Ivan were to play a part in it, which was partially the reason why after their classes ended, they went there to check how things were going, as well as to give their measurements to the seamstresses and to see if there was anything they could do to help with the show's production.
"Stop moving, Ivan." -Mylene begged him, as she tried to take his measurements. –"If you keep moving like that, I won't be able to do this properly." -she said, as she measured his upper arms.
"Sorry. You know I'm a little bit ticklish." -Ivan apologized to her. –"How much more are you going to measure me?" -he asked Mylene.
"I just need to measure your waist and your legs." -Mylene told him. –"And after that, I can give them to my dad." -she smiled at him. –"By the way, thanks for volunteering to do this. You didn't have to, and I know that you probably have better things to do."
"My pleasure. And no, I don't have anything else better to do." -Ivan told her. –"And I don't mind playing one of the fellow reindeer. As long as I don't have to play Rudolph or Santa, I'm cool with it." -he said. –"You know I'm not very big fan of being in the spotlight."
"Oh, but you would look cute as Santa Claus." -Mylene said. –"And I'm not saying that just because you've got the perfect frame for him. It's also because you have Russian blood." -she giggled.
"Santa Claus isn't from Russia, Mylene. He's from Lapland, in Finland." -Ivan corrected her.
"True. But Russia is just next door." -Mylene giggled, as she finished measuring him. –"There. I have all the measures I need to give the person in charge of the outfits." -she said, as she wrote down the last measure. –"And I'm going to be sure to tell her to make your outfit the prettiest one."
"I'll bet." -Ivan smiled at her. –"But you still haven't told me what your outfit will be." -he told her. –"Are you going to make me guess it?"
"No, silly." -Mylene said. –"I'm going to be an elf, just like my dad." -she declared.
"Then, you'll be the cutest elf ever." -Ivan said.
Although Marinette was the one in their class, who was known for blushing like a tomato, when praised and compliments, Mylene was not far behind in that department. Especially when those praises came from the boy, she had a huge crush on. And unlike what happened with Marinette and Adrien, both Mylene and Ivan knew about the feelings they each nurtured for the other. They just had not found the right moment to make their relationship official, even though Ivan had tried during Halloween, only to see his plans postponed.
"Oh, you're such a sweet talker." -Mylene giggled.
"I'm just stating the truth." -Ivan smiled at her.
"I don't know about that. But I know one thing. I know that it's going to be fun to do this for the little kids, and having you around, it's going to make it extra special for me." -Mylene declared.
"Me too." -Ivan smiled. –"And speaking of extra special, I just realized it's a good thing you won't have to do much around here, because you're just giving a hand to your dad. Otherwise, it would be hard for you to do what you've been assigned to do for the school's play." -Ivan commented.
"True. I still have a lot to do for the Christmas school play. But miss Bustier told me I can do it until the end of the week." -Mylene confessed.
"I thought you were just going to copy the lines from the original play, and that would be it." -Ivan told her.
"And for the most part, yes. But I'm also going to rewrite a couple of things. Nothing major, of course. But it's still going to force me to get a little creative." -Mylene declared.
"Well, I know you can do it. And I can't wait to be on that play." -Ivan said, with a smile on his face.
"I know that. Especially with the part miss Bustier chose for you." -Mylene smiled back at him.
It was hard not to notice just how perfect Ivan and Mylene were for one another. If there was any kind contest for perfect couples with prizes, they would be serious contenders. And right then, the way they were talking to one another, was proof of it. A heartfelt moment, which was disrupted by the voice of a certain kwami.
"Hey, big guy! You promised me you would get me something warm to drink!" -Muriia reminded Ivan, from inside his jacket's lapel pocket.
"And by something warm, I suppose you mean hot chocolate, right?" -Ivan asked him, before looking Mylene in the eyes. –"He's got addicted to that stuff, these past two days." -he whispered to her.
"He's not the only one. Pinn's also addicted to my hot chocolate. And she demands that hers has crushed roasted peanuts on top of the whipped cream." -Mylene whispered at Ivan's ear, which made him chuckle.
"We have two very demanding kwamis." -Ivan joked.
"We're not demanding. We simply like things a certain way." -Pinn told him, from inside Mylene's jacket pocket, having heard the whole thing. –"And I wouldn't mind some hot chocolate too, right about now." -she said.
The two of them knew their little magic companions would not shut up about that hot chocolate, until they had some. But before either Ivan or Mylene could suggest a trip to the kiosk outside, where they knew they were selling the delicious drink, Mylene's father, Fred, showed up, looking for his daughter.
"Ah, there you are, honey." -Fred sighed, as he found Mylene. –"I've been looking all over for you." -he said.
"Sorry, dad. Ivan and I needed a quiet place for me to take his measurements." -Mylene declared.
"That was why I was looking for you. I need his and yours too, so Suzanne and Louis can start making everyone's outfits." -Fred explained her. –"And you know how they are. If they don't have everything, they need…"
"They throw a tantrum and threaten to quit, like they've been doing for years." -Mylene finished her dad's sentence. –"I know, dad." -she chuckled, as she handed him the measurements. –"So, here you have both of our measurements."
"Thank you, my little Sunflower." -Fred thanked Mylene, calling her by the nickname he had given her. –"Since I still have a few things to take care of, before we go home, would you mind lending a little hand, to who you see needs a little help?
"Of course, dad. Ivan and I will be happy to help." -Mylene declared, as Fred left the room.
And with that, Fred Haprèle exited the room, as quickly as he had arrived, leaving the happy couple alone once more. Looking at one another, they shared a smile and were both about to say something sweet to each other, when the bear kwami interrupted them.
"This means that we're not ging to get our hot chocolates, anytime soon." -Muriia commented, upset.
"I'll get you some, once we help out a little." -Ivan told him.
"The same thing goes for you, Pin. And I won't forget about the crushed roasted peanuts." -Mylene promised the deer kwami, before Pinn had the chance to say anything. –"Now, let's go. I may be wrong about it, but something tells me that they're in need of a little help with building the set." -she said.
The Sun had set for almost an hour, when at the Kubdel residence, everyone was getting ready for a cocktail party at the Louvre. Everyone, except Alix. When she got home from school, her plans were simple. Take a shower, put on some comfy clothes, and eat some chips before dinner, while watching videos on Youtube. But her plans went down the drain, when her father reminded her about the party they had to attend. Alix had forgotten all about it, and it did not take long for her to try and find a way to not attend the party. She was not in the mood for it, and would rather stay home.
"Dad! Why do I have to go to this party? And isn't it a little bit early for Christmas parties?" -Alix asked, clearly not interested in attending the party.
"Because I said so, Alix." -Alim told his daughter, with a serene voice. –"You know that your brother and I have to attend it. Your mother's coming, and so are you." -he said. –"And it's not a Christmas party. It's a cocktail party to raise funds for the museum. The Christmas party will be later in December, like always."
"One more reason, why my attendance won't matter." -Alix stated. –"Let me just stay home, dad!" -she exclaimed.
"It'll matter to me, Alix. To me, and to your brother as well. You can't be selfish." -Alim declared.
"But I hate that kind of party! The music is boring. I've got to be always smiling at people I've never seen in my life. And you know I hate to wear dresses." -Alix protested.
"Alix, were not going to have that discussion again, are we?" -Alim asked her, hoping it would not come to it, because they had had it more times than he could remember.
"I guess we are, dad! Because I'm not wearing a dress!" -Alix declared. –"I'll go the parry, but I'm not wearing a dress! I'll take Jalil's old outfit." -she declared.
"Absolutely, not! You're wearing the dress your grandmother bought you for your birthday, and that's final, Alix!" -Alim warned her, with a serious voice.
"But that dress is too feminine, dad! It's got nothing to do with me!" -Alix shouted. –"I'm not wearing it, and you can ground me for the rest of my life, because I don't care! I'm not going to wear something that makes me look like Barbie!"
"Alix, please, we don't have time for this! Don't make me go and get your mother to solve this. You know how this will end, if I've to go and get her." -Alim told his daughter.
Alix knew well what would happen if her mother was brought into that. She would side with her husband and tell Alix that she had to wear the dress, because it was important to her father that all of them looked their best, independently of her thinking that the dress would make her look like a Barbie boll.
"Fine!" -Alix sighed, upset. –"But I'm not wearing high heels. I'm talking my tennis shoes." -she stated.
"Make sure they're clean. Otherwise, you put on those heels your mom bought you last month." -Alim told Alix. –"And hurry up! We leave in 20 minutes."
Alix had a fairly decent relationship with her father. But things like that made her lose her temper and get into full-blown arguments with him. She tried not to get stressed or angry with Alim, but it was hard when he seemed to not get a hint that she was not the kind of girl who liked to doll herself up. She was the opposite of it. She was someone who valued practical over beautiful, any day of the week. And after Alim left the room to finish getting ready, Daria came out of his
"Your dad is really stubborn." -Dariia told her, as she removed her blouse. –"It's hard not to see where you got your stubbornness from." -he commented.
"If this is your way of cheering me up, Dariia, I just want you to know that you're not helping." -Alix said, upset, as she unbuttoned her jeans.
"Calm down, Alix. I'm just stating something that I bet your family must've told you like a million times already." -Dariia told her, trying his best not to upset her. –"I'm just saying that if you thought you were going to skip this party, from your dad's reaction, that was never on the cards."
"Still not helping, Dariia." -Alix sighed, trying her best not get further upset, as she imagined herself in the dress she was supposed to take.
Going to her wardrobe, she opened it and saw the dress she was being forced to wear to a party she did not want to go. The dress itself was not ugly. In fact, Alix felt it was pretty. But it was not the kind of clothes she would wear of her own free will. While most girls would love to wear a dress like the one, she was to wear, she was the opposite. Given her tomboyish personality, she would rather wear a suit.
"I look ridiculous in this dress." -Alix sighed, as she looked herself in the mirror.
"You don't look that bad." -Dariia said. –"And you don't look like Barbie. Especially because Barbie's blonde, and you're a redhead." -he told her.
"Not every Barbie is blonde, Dariia. And with this dress, I really look like one." -Alix told him. –"I just hope nobody has the idea of photographing me, while I'm wearing this thing." -she cried out.
"Who are you talking to?" -a voice was heard, coming from behind her.
Hearing the voice, Alix was startled. Turning around, she saw it was her brother, Jalil, who had entered her bedroom. Unlike her, Jalil had finished getting ready for the party, and was wearing an ash-grey outfit complete with a white shirt and a baby-blue tie.
"Myself." -Alix lied. –"I thought mom and dad had taught you to knock at the door, before entering someone's bedroom, Jalil!" -she told him, upset, and slightly worried that he had seen Dariia, who had assumed his motionless toy pose, and was resting on the bed.
"Sorry." -Jalil apologized, realizing Alix was not in the best of humours. –"I heard the whole thing. Dad really wants the whole family attending this party." -he said.
"And what if I don't feel like going, Jalil?!" -Alix asked him. –"Have you considered that I'm not feeling like going to a party, where I know I'm not going to have any fun?" -she pointed out.
"I have. And I don't think that's an option, little sis. Not with dad." -Jalil told her.
"Look, I get it that you and dad have to go. You both work there. But mom and I could stay home." -Alix declared. –"Besides, like I said, I'm not in the mood for parties today." -she sulked.
"You're never in the mood for this kind of parties, Alix." -Jalil told her. –"But I get it. You're not just mad because you don't want to go to a party and dad's forcing you to go. You're mad because you don't want to go to the party and dad's forcing you to go, while wearing that dress." -he said, as she raised an eyebrow at him. –"Look, the party's not your cup of tea and you hate wearing dresses. But if you make a scene and get under dad's skin, the only thing you're going to get is a one-way ticket to a whole Summer trapped at home, grounded, without being able to have any fun."
As much as she wanted to tell him otherwise, Alix knew her brother was right. Their dad did not have problem in grounding her for the whole summer, just to teach her a lesson. She would just have to bite the bullet, and attend the party.
"I should've told him that I was with menstrual cramps. That way he would get off my case." -Alix thought to herself. –"The things he has me enduring." -she sighed.
"Come on, it won't be that bad. You can eat as many mini-quiches, pigs in a blanket, and other things they will be serving."
"I'm not Kim, you know? You can't convince me, by appealing to my stomach." -Alix stated.
"Then, do it for dad." -Jalil told her. –"He hasn't told you or mom about it, but ever since this magic business between the heroes and Hawk Moth began, he's been having a lot more work, because of the times the Louvre was attacked by one of those Akumas." -he explained. –"Every time the museum is attacked and something is destroyed, and then fixed through magic, we have to make sure that everything is right, and that takes time and patience, not to mention a lot of work. It's exhausting."
That was the first time Alix heard that. And immediately she realized that her brother was right. The times the Louvre had been attacked by an Akuma had been many, starting with their first battle against Hawk Moth; and it was only natural that the people working in the museum needed to be sure that everything inside it was intact. It was hard work, and she knew her father well enough to know that when it came to the responsibility of checking the most important pieces under his department, he would take care of that task himself.
"Plus, you know that he still wants to become director of the museum before you go to college, and this kind of party is where he gets to show everyone that he's the right man for the job." -Jalil said. –"So, come on, finish getting ready and try to smile. If not for you, at least for dad."
Alix considered herself to be many things. Stubborn, proud, fearless, impulsive and even reckless. But she was also kind, funny, and above all, unselfish. And it was that last quality of hers that made her think about others first. In her thoughts, she told herself that she was going to hate attending that party, as much as wearing that dress, but it was a fair deal, if that meant her father managed to score points with the right people, so one day he would become director of the Louvre.
"Fine…" –Alix sighed.
"I knew, deep down, that you care, little sis. You always do, even if you try your hardest not to show it." -Jalil said, as he was about to exit the bedroom. –"See you in a bit." -he said, as he closed the door behind him.
Jalil's words kept echoing inside her head. Her family was far from perfect, and her relationship with them was also far from perfect. But she would not trade them for anything in the world.
"I love them all, but sometimes… sometimes I really wish I would've been born to another family." -Alix sighed, as she looked herself in the mirror.
"You say that, but you really don't mean the last part. Deep down, you're a softy, Alix." -Dariia declared.
"Don't say that too loud, or you won't get any hors d'oeuvres at the party, Daria." -Alix warned him. –"I got a reputation to uphold." -she said, which earned her a smug from her kwami.
The clock showed 1 am, and Marinette continued to sew. It was difficult for her to sew such small clothes; she almost needed a magnifying glass to do it. And she needed to sew them under the light of her cell phone, in the utmost silence. But she had no other choice. She did not want Tikki to wake up. Her eyes were beginning to hurt and she was making an effort to keep them open. The Sandman was already in the neighbourhood, and it would not be long before he would have Marinette sleeping.
Feeling like she needed a break, Marinette decided to walk around a bit to keep herself from falling asleep, before she could sew what she had decided she was going to sew that night. Looking outside, it was once more snowing, and the wind was making the snowflakes dance in the air, before they hit the ground. Her first thought was that the following day would be just as white as the one before it. And her second thought was that she was grateful she had not been scaled to patrol that night.
"Looks so cold out there." -Marinette thought to herself. –"I sure hope Alya and Nino took a coat or a jacket to keep themselves warm in this weather." -she thought, knowing they were the ones scaled to patrol that night. –"The last thing they need is a cold."
She had just formulated that thought in her head, when she was startled by a figure, who landed right in front of her window. This figure was wearing a
"Hey, g-girl." -Rena Rouge waved at Marinette, doing her best to not start quivering.
"A-Alya?!" -Marinette cried, surprised. –"Oops, I hope Tikki didn't hear me." -she thought to herself.
"Can I come in for a second?" -Rena asked her.
"Of course… what are you doing here?" -Marinette asked in a hushed voice, as she unlocked the window, letting the cold icy wind inside her bedroom. –"Brrrr… it's cold." -she said, as she felt the wind hitting her in the face. –"Shouldn't you be in bed by now?"
"I was on my way home from patrol with Nino, and I decided to check up on you, to see if you were still up. I guessed right… now, come on, let me in. It's freezing out here." -Rena Rouge said, as Marinette helped her inside.
Once the fox heroine was inside, Marinette closed the window, and doing her best to not start shivering. The ice-cold wind was even colder than she thought it was. She wondered how Alya was not herself shivering.
"It feels good to come out of the cold." -Rena Rouge said, as she rubbed her arms, trying to get warm.
"I believe you." -Marinette declared. –"I would offer you some hot cocoa, for you to warm up, but I'm afraid the only thing I've got are some cookies that Tikki didn't eat tonight." -she said.
"It's okay. I'll be fine. But if you have a jacket or something I could wear for a bit, I wouldn't say no to it." -Rena Rouge said, as she continued to rub her arms, trying to warm up. –"Don't tell me, you're sewing things for the school's play?" -she asked her, as she noticed the numerous pieces of fabric on the desk, illuminated by the cell phone's lamp.
"No. I'm well-advanced on that department. I still got a lot of work ahead, but I'm on schedule." -Marinette told her, as she handed her one of her jackets. –"I'm actually working on the Christmas presents for the kwamis." -she said. –"You remember them asking me for little clothes they could wear? Well, I'm doing that. I finished Tikki's and moving to Trixx's."
Looking at the tiny pieces of fabric that had be laid on the desk, illuminated by the cell phone's lamp, the fox heroine imagined the work her best-friend was putting into those little clothes.
"It's like you're making clothes for little dolls." -Rena Rouge commented, as she finished putting on the jacket. –"Mmm… thanks for the jacket. I was needing it." -she said. –"But why are you working in the dark, girl? Don't tell me your parents forgot to pay the electrical bill."
"No, nothing like that. These clothes are supposed to be a surprise for all the kwamis. And that includes Tikki." -Marinette told her. –"That's why I can only work on them, when she's asleep." -she said. –"And to do that, I have to work with my room's light off, so she doesn't wake up and see what I'm doing."
"Well, I hope you don't plan on staying up to finish them all tonight. The last thing you need is arriving late at school, or falling asleep in class, because you didn't have enough sleep." -Rena Rouge said, concerned for her well-being.
"Don't worry about me. It's not the first time I spend half the night sewing." -Marinette reminded her.
"And how many of those times you did that and you ended up falling asleep and arrived late at school?" -Rena Rouge asked her, while raising an eyebrow at her. –"And before you answer it, allow me to answer it for you, girl. Half. Half the times." -she declared.
And she was right; that was what Marinette thought to herself. Every time she stayed up late, Marinette would often fall asleep, and then, ended up falling asleep in class or arriving late. Miss Bustier was a very patient and sympathetic woman, and was willing to let that pass. But Marinette did not like to take advantage of her teacher, and tried as hard as she could, for that not to happen.
"You're right." -Marinette admitted. –"Still, I really need to try and finish Trixx's present tonight, before I go to bed. I know I won't be able to sleep if I don't do it." -she said.
"Okay. I just don't want you to fall asleep in the middle of the class. Especially tomorrow, when we got P.E. class." -Rena reminded her. –"You know monsieur d'Argencourt isn't as comprehensive as miss Bustier is." -she said.
"I promise I'll go to bed in a bit." -Marinette gave Rena her word. –"By the way, how was patrol tonight? Did anything interesting happen?" -she asked her, curious.
"Oh, it was a calm night. Every criminal and burglar must've decided to stay inside tonight. The only thing we did was to help a guy change a flat tire." -Rena Rouge confessed.
"I bet that you wish you would've stayed home, instead of dealing with the cold outside." -Marinette commented.
"A little, I admit. But it also gave me the chance to spend some quality time with Nino." -Rena admitted. –"That turtle boy of mine is able to warm me up with his kisses, like no one else." -she chuckled.
More than any other coat, that conversation between her and Marinette made the fox heroine feel warmer than ever. After spending nearly two hours on patrol, jumping over the rooftops of Paris, it felt good to feel warm and cozy again. And the same could be said about Marinette, who saw her slumber disappear. Outside, the wind and cold were getting stronger, and the idea of having to face them again was becoming less appetizing by the minute. But Rena knew she needed to go home, or otherwise it would be hard, if not nearly impossible for her to explain her absence to her family.
"Remember, don't stay up. I don't want monsieur d'Argencourt to send you to the principal's office, because you fell asleep on his class." -Rena Rouge said, as she was about to take off the jacket, and give it back to Marinette, only for her to stop her.
"Take it with you. You can give it back to me tomorrow, at school." -Marinette told her, smiling. –"And don't worry, I'll go straight to bed, once I finish Trixx's present." -she said.
"You better. Because if you don't, you'll get into trouble." -Rena Rouge said, as she opened the window, allowing the cold wind to come in. –"Alright, I'm going. See you in a couple of hours, girl." -she smiled, before grabbing the window's head jamb and propelling herself upwards, flying towards the rooftop.
"See ya, Alya." -Marinette thought to herself, as she closed the window. –"Hope you get home, safely." -she smiled, as her eyes turned to her work bench. –"And now, back to work. I got to finish that little hoodie for Trixx, along with the mittens, before going to bed."
And here's chapter 2 of this fanfic. It took me so long to update this fic, but I hope I get to update again faster this time. I know most of you want to know what's going to happen in this fic, which takes place before the Collector made its debut in my AU, and well, I'm going to try and give you the full story, while also working on "Miraculous Team: Heroes Stand", which will be on hold for a couple of weeks, while I write the third chapter of this fic, while under the Christmas spirit.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions to improve this fic and/or future ones. You all know that I love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. :)