Smiling Agent. Chapter 8.
~}I{~
The Dupont staff were honestly at a loss at the 'recent issue' regarding Lila Rossi.
According to their protocols; the teachers sit down with a troubled student to talk through the issues, give the student warnings and try to correct the behaviours, and if those fail the parents or guardians are called in for a parent/teacher meeting to talk about said behaviours.
While some have been enforced more than others due to Hawkmoth, the calling on Parents and Guardians were essentially a last resort in regards to behavioural issues due to any reason. The mayor may or may not be a reason for that last one, but the school still had to do it. And the requirements for their students' file were Not an option, it was to ensure the teenagers' well-being and in case of emergencies.
But in regards to one Lila Rossi…
Where to begin with this student…
Well, for starters, she had the worst attendance record of any of Dupont's students. Even if it was all excused, Lila was out of school more often then she was in.
Her grades did seem to suffer because of those absences, even if she had a reasonable excuse. Although, Ms Mendeleiev was not convinced, more so, when she kept getting homework assignments that were a little too identical to her classmates. Yeah, the science teacher has lectured Lila about this three times officially, but seeing as the teen has apparently been tuning her out… Ms Mendeleiev has been failing Lila on her homework assignments, which pulled down her already mediocre grades.
Then there was the… Concerning behavioural issues that have been discovered recently… Of which, were not innocent in any way. And given that even the rather lenient Miss Bustier couldn't and wouldn't think of a reasonable excuse for those… Yeah, it's that bad.
And now the contact information for Cecelia Rossi was completely fabricated…
Oh, boy… There were several legal issues with THAT, one being the safety of said minor, but the big question was…
Did Lila alter her mother's contact or did Mrs Rossi?
Well, given that all correspondences have been via emails, despite leaving several voice messages… It was most likely Lila altered her mother's contact and was posing as her mother…
Officer Chase scanned the other emergency contacts that were on Lila's student file. The frown on his lips grew even more. He looked at the teachers when he stated, "I am sorry to say, but the emergency emails and addresses are fake. I recommend you test the phone numbers, but given what has been established, it's likely these are also fake."
Damocles was quick to snatch the file from the policeman, scanned these phone numbers, and dialled the first one on his personal cell phone. Professionalism be damn! This child was in serious trouble! Mrs Rossi too if she knew about this!
Aside from the number for Cecelia Rossi, which went to voicemail as usual, the rest of the emergency numbers were disconnected or out of service.
Ooohhh… Fucking hell… This was legally a majorly bad thing…
A parent/teacher meeting is NOT going to cut it anymore…
Miss Bustier couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure the addresses were fake?" As she looked at the policeman in the weirdest mixture of worry, dismay, and anger.
Officer Chase nodded when he stated as he took back the contact list and pointed at the 'Current residence' of the Rossis, "This address is within the property of the fire station, of which, does not allow for regular citizens to dwell." He then pointed at the 'address' for Mr Rossi as he continued, "Despite going to Italy for a brief period of time, I clearly remember a rather nice art museum being at this address. Before you ask, my husband and I were there five months ago on an exchange assignment." Officer Chase then pointed at the last 'address' when he finished, "And while on that assignment, we made a 'drug raid' on a storage warehouse within range of this address. There were nothing but office buildings and another storage warehouse in that plaza."
Ms Mendeleiev couldn't help but get out in shock, "And you… Actually remember all that?" She then had a thought before asking with a raised brow, "Do you have a photographic memory of some form of it?"
Officer Chase tilted his head to the side, "I do not, but it has been noted by my co-workers, friends, and husband that I do have a excellent memory regarding my job and fields of interest, but on things outside of that…" His lips twitched slightly, "My memory seems to be pretty average."
The science teacher did have to admit that there were people with that type of memory out there in the world.
Damocles let out an annoyed huff when he stated, "Well, after looking up the addresses on a global map app… I can confirm that Officer Chase is right about them…" He narrowed his eyes when he asked no one in particular, "Seriously! Do the Rossis know how bad this would've been if Lila had gotten seriously hurt? We wouldn't have been able to contact any of her family members!"
Armond couldn't help but remind, "While this is more… Ammo for Dupont to use for our now legal case… Uh, we still have no way to locate Mrs Rossi…" Everyone looked at him when he added, "Trouble or not, Lila is still a minor and we're not allowed to 'act' on these issues without informing her Legal Guardian, which as far as we know is her mother."
Miss Bustier folded her arms when she stated bitterly, "Given how all of Lila's contact list is fabricated… I am honestly wondering if her mother is really her guardian…"
Oh… Did THAT earn some concerned looks from the other Dupont staff.
Officer Chase wearily glanced between the teachers at this, not completely sure about the actions but could understand the notion behind this situation. The policeman timidly got the Dupont's staffs' attention when he got out, "Um, if I may offer up a suggestion…" He glanced to the side as he continued, "Perhaps one of you could… Follow Ms Rossi after school? Surely, this will answer all the inquiries we have…"
}{ Meanwhile }{
Now that the business meeting ended according to plan, Gabriel and Nathalie could turn their complete focus on locating some magical artifacts that could hopefully heal Emilie.
From the comfort and security of their hotel room, they went over the data they had acquired. The secretary checked her tablet for the address in question when she stated, "Alright, everything is set and we should be able to sneak into England easily enough." Nathalie looked up at her boss when she added, "If the information is correct, this shop should have some Healing charms, potions, and a few artifacts."
Gabriel nodded in satisfaction when he stated, "Good, and hopefully, they will work and we'll have Emilie back." He twisted his wedding ring on his left hand.
A lot of planning went into this work trip in Ireland, making sure to 'end' everything early so they could sneak into England and then return to Ireland without anyone back in Paris realising it.
Soon enough, they left the hotel room and made a beeline to the train station, making sure to use cash to purchase their tickets, and boarded the train. Both Gabriel and Nathalie kept to themselves and stayed in their private seating area. Only interacting with the food cart employee for meals and drinks.
Nathalie did bring up that they should check in on the house staff or the Gorilla, to make sure that Adrien is doing all his scheduled assignments as he's supposed to do. But Gabriel replied that there was no need, since they were ordered to call him or her if something happened so that would be what they would do. Therefore, since no one has called either of them, then that means that everything is perfectly fine. Of course, Nathalie had to agree with that logic.
Neither was aware that they accidently left their cellphones in the Agreste mansion before leaving for their trip. Which was the only way the house staff could contact them.
Once they arrived in England, they disembarked and made a beeline towards an unremarkable little shop in a rather plain shopping plaza. Hard to believe that this place could have what Gabriel was looking for.
When both Gabriel and Nathalie entered the shop, a soft bell rang throughout the building. It was a nice little shop with a lot of scented items that oddly didn't overwhelm one another or the store. It was a well-organised and stocked store at least.
Gabriel and Nathalie made a beeline to the check-out counter.
A teenager close to Adrien's age with neck-length bright red hair with dark eyes, wearing a black shirt under a white jacket paired with matching slacks and shoes came out from the back and walked to the counter when he pleasantly greeted the duo when he said, "Hello and welcome to the 'Incense of Nature'. Is there anything in particular you are looking for?"
A young girl around seven or eight with loosely braided dark blond hair, black eyes, wearing comfortable clothing peeked out from the doorway that led to the back to see what was going on. It was on the side, away from the check-out counter and neither of the customers even noticed she was there.
Gabriel couldn't help but stare at this teenager in confusion before he asked, "Aren't you a little young to be working here by yourself?"
The redheaded teen flashed a smile when he stated, "The owner is out on an errand, and I am quite capable of covering for her for this." He glanced up at the roof when he added, "Besides, my father is making some of our more popular scents on the first floor." The teen smiled again when he stated in a customer service voice, "So I will be able to help you with anything you need."
Gabriel was skeptical, as was Nathalie, when he stated, "Really? I'm looking for some very specific 'scents' that I was informed would be at this shop." He folded his arms when he added, already expecting this teen to fail the task, "Specifically, the more 'magical' kind."
The redheaded teen replied by asking in a casual tone, "Are you looking for spells, charms, or potions?"
Oh, did that take the pair off guard.
The teen smiled as he raised a brow in amusement when he stated, "Did you really think this shop employs those who don't know anything about Magic?"
The little girl covered her mouth to stifle a small giggle at this. But it seemed like the two adults didn't seem to notice her.
Once Gabriel got over his shock, he quickly recovered his composure when he stated, "I would like all the above in a particular field of magic." Nathalie was quick to hold up the briefcase she was carrying with her.
The redheaded teen got serious when he stated, "Uh, sure, but it's going to be a bit pricey if you want to get all three… And magic uses a, uh, different method of payment…"
Gabriel snapped his fingers and Nathalie placed the briefcase on the counter, opened it, and turned it so the teen could see what was inside. The fashion mogul then stated, "I am willing to trade these for the magic I am looking for."
The redheaded teen's eyes went wide at the neatly arranged rows of 16 magical charms inside the briefcase. Arranged in four rows of four within the briefcase. The teen was not just surprised at how many, but also the quality of them. The teen looked between the items in the briefcase and the man when he asked in disbelief, "Are! Are you bloody serious! You're offering these up for trading!?"
The girl couldn't see what was in the briefcase, but given the fact that the teen was swearing… '{Nigel? Are those good magical items?}' the girl sent the redheaded teen telepathically in confusion.
The redheaded teen, Nigel, quickly replied telepathically, '{Oh, 'good' would be an understatement… I can't believe he's willing to trade those away…}' He waited for a reply from the white-haired man. The child was still unsure of this whole thing, but kept to where she was to see what would happen.
Gabriel was serious when he stated, "If you have the magical items that I seek, then I am."
Nigel glances at the items in the briefcase wearily. Each of the magical items in there were very high quality and rather rare, which made the redheaded teen wonder what this guy wanted that he was willing to use these as a bartering chip. 'Maybe I should wait for Mrs Arcadia to return…' Nigel thought before he concluded that it would depend on what this guy wanted. He then asked in a polite tone, "Uh, alright… What are you looking for?"
Gabriel used his left hand to push his glasses up, causing his wedding ring to gleam in the light, when he stated, "I'm looking for powerful Healing Magic. Does this shop have any?"
Nigel's smile wavered a bit when he replied wearily, "Uh… Yes, we do, but those are…"
That was when Gabriel stated in a stern tone, "Excellent, I shall trade whatever items I have for those." He moved his hand so it was at chest level. The ring gleamed again in the light.
Nigel was quick to raise his hands in a 'hold on there' manner when he tried to explain, "Sir! Those items aren't up for trade!" When he got the white-haired man's attention he continued, "Due to their natures and specialisation, they can only be loaned, much like a library book. Granted, you will have to offer a collateral item in case something happens to the Healing Item, and you must return it once the task is done!" Nigel took a deep breath before he ducked under the counter to pull up a leather-bound ledger, placed it on top of the counter, opened it to a clean page, and stated, "If that is fine with you, I will need your name, reason for needing the Healing Item, and the item you wish to put up for collateral. Once that is written down, I will try to match the best Healing Item for you to use."
The little girl raised a brow at this action as she watched the scene play out. She then sent telepathically,' {Nigel… Why are you doing that? Only the adults can use that book.}' As far as she knew only her mother, her father, Nigel's father, and the workers her mother trusted were allowed to use that ledger, all of whom were adults.
Nigel replied as if this was a normal thing telepathically, '{It's okay, Archie, as long as everything is filled out and he understands, I am allowed to do this.}'
The girl, Archie, was rather confused by this.
Gabriel frowned as he reached out his left hand to wave slightly in a 'no way' manner, causing his wedding ring to gleam, when he ordered in a calm tone, "That won't be needed. Just bring me the strongest Healing Magical items you have and you can take an item in the briefcase of equal value."
Without question, Nigel closed the ledger when he said, "Very well, but…" In a more serious tone, he asked, "May I ask what medical issue you would like healed?"
Archie's jaw dropped at this… Major breach of protocol that even she knew was needed and that Nigel knew to a 'T' and would follow it to the letter. But before she could say anything, Gabriel stated seriously, moving his left hand to chest level again and causing his wedding ring to gleam in the light, "There is no need for you to know that, just bring me those Healing Items."
Nigel nodded before he said in a pleasant tone, "Certainly. Please wait for a moment while I get them." He then left the counter and made his way to the back.
Archie ducked behind the doorway and avoided being seen by the weird duo. She watched worriedly as Nigel passed by as if he didn't see her. Archie was concerned and did the one, logical thing that a child would do in a situation like this… She texted her Mum on her phone. Archie would've called but she didn't want those weird duo to know she was there.
After close to five minutes, Nigel came back to the front and layed out the Healing items onto the counter. The redheaded teen then stated with a smile, "These three are the strongest Healing Items we have."
The first item was a mellow blue bangle with soft red gemstones decorating it. The second item was a intricate butterfly-shaped crochet-stitched plush that was made with the primary and secondary colours beautifully interwoven in the wings. And the third item was a cotton candy blue potion in the shape of a curvy perfume vial.
Gabriel smirked when he stated as he adjusted his glasses with his left hand, causing the ring to gleam once again, "Perfect, please take any of the items in the briefcase that correspond to the estimated price, then place the Healing Items inside."
Nigel nodded before he did just that without question with a smile on his face.
Once that was done, Nathalie closed and locked the briefcase as she thanked the teen for his cooperation. Before they left, Gabriel stated with that smirk still on his face as he gave the teen a small wave with his left hand, causing his ring to gleam in the light one last time, "Thank you, and forget about this transaction if you will after we exit."
Nigel smiled when he said pleasantly, "Of course, thank you for your business, sir."
As soon as the duo left. Archie came out from the back as she got out in worry, "Nigel! What was all that about? Mum is going to be furious!"
Nigel looked confused when he asked the girl, "Archie… What are you talking about? Did something happen?" He then noticed the Loaning Ledger and three High-Classed Magical Items on the counter. Nigel was perplexed when he got out in pure confusion, "Where… Where did these come from? And why is the Loaning Ledger out?" He backed away from the counter in disbelief when he got out as he tried to settle down, "Archie, this better be a joke…"
Archie shook her head when she got out, "It's not! Two weird people came in and…" She then told the redheaded teen what happened.
Nigel was horrified at what he was hearing. It was made worse by the fact that he couldn't remember any of that! How?! Nigel ran a hand through his hair before he asked the girl, "Did you see either of the two do anything strange while I was… Talking to them!?"
Archie thought back to what she saw. She placed a hand on her chin before she mused, "Well… The man with the white hair moved his left hand a lot… And I saw him wearing an expensive watch on that same wrist…" She then got out critically, "So that means he was right handed… So, it's kind of weird that he moved his off-hand more than his dominant hand…"
Nigel folded his arms at this, wondering if that had to do with what happened.
That was when a new voice of a woman stated in a serious tone, "I do believe that we should look at the security cameras stationed in this shop to see what happened."
Both Nigel and Archie turned towards the voice in surprise.
~}I{~
Officer Prowl pinched the bridge of his nose as he finally finished with the footage from the spy cameras that were hidden in Adrien's room… And compiled all the parts that were needed for this case; namely all the times Lila entered Adrien's room and what she did in there, the times when Nathalie entered and what she did, anyone else who entered and what they did, and, of course, Adrien doing his usual things to show that the room was his.
Of course, Officer Prowl edited the footage so there were no moments of Chat Noir, an invisible Kwami, and private moments were seen. The 'missing moments' could easily be spun as unneeded footage of nothing happening or private moments of Adrien that didn't need to be shown.
And, of course, the only time all the spy cameras that were hidden in Adrien's personal bathroom were touched were to be fingerprinted. After that, they were locked in a sturdy, steel, lock box that needed two keys and a six digit pin to open. Only Officer Prowl knew the code, he gave the keys to his husband with Jazz giving the second key to a trusted person without telling him who it was. Sure, this might be much, but given that the… Urg… 'Main subject' of these cameras was an international model who was underage, unaware of the cameras, and were placed in the private bathroom of…
It wouldn't surprise the homicide officer if there were 'THOSE' kinds of fans who would turn to violence to get their hands on this kind of footage. Officer Prowl has investigated murders involving that kind of thing before. Thankfully Adrien wasn't the 'obsession' of these murderers but given the fame the teen had, it wouldn't be surprising if he had 'THOSE' kinds of 'fans' laying in wait for an opportunity… Urg! That was something the homicide officer wasn't looking forward to, but he was hoping that they could be stopped before anyone did anything.
Officer Prowl leaned back in his chair with a sigh as he shook those thoughts out of his head.
"Are you okay?" Duusu asked the homicide officer in worry.
Officer Prowl nodded before he stated softly, "I am, but…" He let out a sigh before he added, "It's clear that this Lila Rossi was the one to plant all the spy cameras in Adrien's room and bathroom…" The homicide officer then grumbled out, "And until we can interrogate Ms Sancoeur and her checked for Archome's Control Magic, we won't know if she's somehow involved in this case… Not to mention the issue with Lila Rossi's Guardian…"
Nooroo pushed the coffee cup closer to the homicide officer when he stated sadly, "I told Hawkmoth that he should keep a better eye on her when she was in the mansion, but…" The purple Kwami let out a sigh. He couldn't believe that a child would do such an invasive thing to another.
Officer Prowl figured as much when he replied, "It seems like Mr Agreste thought he had control over her by giving her freedom within his home and given how… 'Well' he hid the entrance to his lair, so it was clear he wasn't worried about her stumbling on it." He picked up his coffee cup when he added bitterly, "I guess Adrien wasn't on his priority list." Officer Prowl took a sip of his lukewarm coffee.
Duusu sat on the desk next to Nooroo when he asked, "That Lila girl is in big trouble, isn't she?"
Officer Prowl let out a sigh when he replied bitterly, "That would be an understatement… And that's just this case…" He frowned when he added bitterly, "The issue with Dupont has a different kind of legal problem…" Officer Prowl had to wonder how long the inevitable court case would be for the Rossis, given all of these rather serious legal issues that Lila was accumulating.
}I{ At the Same Time at Dupont }I{
"{She really likes the sound of her voice, doesn't she?}" Ki asked his friends. He and the yukita-wearing teen turned off the vocals on their translators without having to worry about being overheard.
Ishi nodded in agreement as he brought a hand to his ears and stated, "{I'm not facing her, yet I can still hear her yapping… Even if I can't make out what she's saying… So she MUST be talking really loudly.}" He couldn't help but glance at the taller teen at that last part.
Kon couldn't prevent a frown on her face when she nodded in agreement. The tall, green-haired teen was wearing her noise cancelling headphones, but the fact that they can still hear Lila… Kon clicked her tongue when she told her friends, "{I really hope the school can get her mother in so she can give her a good talking to.}" They pressed her hands on the earpiece of the headphones to try to block out more of the noise that shouldn't be at that volume.
The three transfers then agreed that they should go to a different location for their free period. One that was less noisy.
The three stood up and started on making their way to exit. As Kon took her headphones off to hang them around her neck Lila tittered off, "But the star of the ballet twisted her ankle and was in too much pain to continue the finale!" (0)
That caused Kon to pause in her steps as she processed those words. They looked over her shoulder when Lila continued her tale, "My ankle was just as bad a shape, but I couldn't let everyone down! So I volunteered for the part even though I was in so much pain. Besides, I was one of the few people who knew the steps for that part."
Kon narrowed her eyes at the loud brunette at what she was hearing.
"{Hm? Kon?}" Both Ki and Ishi vocalize when they realised that their friend wasn't following, so they turned to see where she was.
The reluctant audience were finally jolted when a shadow loomed over Lila, who, of course, reacted to it by looking at who dared interrupt her. Only to freeze when she spotted a pair of glaring amber eyes bore down on her.
Kon narrowed her eyes when they stated calmly, switching to French, "I couldn't help but overhear your story and had a few questions for you that I hope you can answer."
Lila saw an opportunity and took it when she stated in a loud cheery tone, "Of course!"
Kon cringed at the volume before she stated as she rubbed their ears, "But can you please turn the decibels to an indoor voice. You're practically shouting…"
Lila didn't seem bothered too much by this when she got out with a smile, "Oh, come now, I can't be that loud." Since her back was to her 'audience' she missed the frowns on their faces at those words.
Clearly, the other students didn't think the same as her.
Kon frowned at this before they asked, "If you had to take over the lead in that ballet last minute, then you were 'cold', right?" (1)
Lila didn't get why the tallest of the transfers asked that question, but she already had a perfect answer, "Well, a little because the a/c backstage was on and made it chilly, but it was fine." Internally, the liar was patting herself on the back for being so quick witted.
A suspicious glint gleamed off of Kon's amber eyes before she asked, "Did you keep your hair in the same style as you have now?" (2)
Lila preened when she flipped her hair when she almost boasted, "Actually, yes, the director liked how well my hair showed under the spotlight. I just use the basics in hair care, so I have no idea why my hair gets so much attention."
One of Kon's eyes twitched at the volume of Lila's voice, patience being pushed by the fact that this girl insists on being so loud. However… The tall transfer then asked about how Lila felt to dance with the Nutcracker co-star during the climax of the ballet. (3)
Lila happily prittled off about how she made sure to balance herself, skillfully, of course, while making sure the audience could see the nutcracker toy.
Ki and Ishi were very confused by those questions and responses, and they weren't the only ones… The other students nearby seemed to catch on that something was going on but couldn't put their fingers on what.
"And how long have you known your ballerina friend?" Kon asked as she slid on her headphones, getting really annoyed with how often she had told the other to turn down the volume and the brunette didn't seem to register that that meant she should lower her voice, even stating that her tinnitus was acting up.
The part about tinnitus made Ishi raise a brow.
Lila happily, and loudly, "Five years! The ballet was our fifth friendship anniversary!"
Kon narrowed her eyes when she asked her final question, "If that's the case, then… What's your attitude on a devant?" (4)
Ishi and Ki looked at their friend with perplexed expressions at the words.
Lila let out an exaggerated sigh when she stated in a 'reasonably crestfallen' tone, "I can't say I'm surprised that there are people like that in ballet, you always come across those in every industry."
That sounded reasonable to the other students, but for some reason…
"If you're going to tell your exaggerated self-insert stories, Don't lie about having skills that you don't have," Kon stated in a cold anger, her amber eyes seemed… A lit with something stronger than a glare for some reason. A lot stronger.
OOOOHHH! Did THAT earn the attention of everyone in the canteen.
Before Lila could do her little 'cry and accuse' skit, Kon loomed over her and pointed an irritated finger at her and snapped agrilly, "Because nothing good can come from lying about having a skill that you Do Not have! And losing your so-called popularidade (5) will be the least of your problemas (6) if you continue lying!"
Lila was about to do her song and dance, but Kon then stated in a cold, hard tone, "Cry if sua (7) want, but the truth will come out soon enough. And I highly doubt sua mãe (8) will be feliz (9) to learn what sua have been mentindo sobre (10)."
With that, the tall transfer walked away from the liar and headed out of the canteen. Ki and Ishi were quick to follow, both. casting looks at Lila that read 'You brought that on yourself' before they disappeared into the hallway.
Lila just stared at where she last saw the tall transfer with her jaw dropped. Which gave the others the brief opportunity to leave before the liar noticed. Although, Lila was still processing the whole 'How did that trans trap know I was lying?!' thing. When she finally remembered to do her 'act', everyone was already gone.
Of course, Lila fumed about this as she thought about a way to get back at that trans trap for this! And outing her lies!
From one of the other entrances to the canteen, Aurore recorded the whole thing in a mild shock. At first, she wanted to record Lila because she needed evidence to show the teachers that the Italian student was being 'disruptive', to put it simply, but now…
Aurore tapped her chin in thought before she left.
}{
The little book club that Chloe, Sabrina, and Marinette made was so little anymore. But the Mayor's daughter couldn't help but feel the absence of her friend at these meetings…
Marinette placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder as she assured her that Sabrina will be fine and they'll see her once she's ready. It helped, but… Chloe still missed Sabrina.
}I{
Being on the bottom of the staff hierarchy, Fred ended up being the one to follow Lila home…
The part-time teacher took in a deep breath as he waited patiently outside, and out of sight, of the school within the shadows and wearing a disguise. Of course, it was nothing outrageous or anything along that line, just some rather bland clothing, sunglasses, no hat, and today's newspaper folded in half. Fred narrowed his eyes as he watched the students leave the school building.
Mylene came out and waved goodbye to her friends before heading off. The father couldn't help but smile at this before his expression hardened when he spotted Lila.
Fred waited until he saw the liar heading off before he followed her, at a reasonable distance. After a few minutes, a disguised Mylene joined him.
Not the father/daughter activity they wanted, but… This was important.
Lila had no clue she was being followed as she planned that trans trap's downfall.
}I{ Meanwhile }I{
The rest of the Miraculclass regrouped at the Louvre, running into Armond and Aurore along the way. Of course, the weather girl shared her recording of the incident in the canteen.
The question about the Nutcracker made sense, since that was the ballet Lila claimed to have starred in and saved the show. But the fact that she didn't know about the part about the 'Nutcracker co-star'… Okay, THAT felt like a very careless lie that anyone who had seen or knew about the Nutcracker ballet would take notice of…
Just like the lies about knowing and helping the author of Smiling Agent…
Armond glanced at the three transfer students when he heard the last question Kon asked Lila. He rested his knuckles on his hips when he asked the green-haired teen, "Ms Forest, given your questions, I can assume that you either do ballet or you're on good terms with someone in that world?"
Kon nodded when she stated, "Yes, my brother and I do ballet with our father when we get the chance." They raised an amused brow when she asked the PE teacher, "I can guess you're similar? Since you understood what I was doing."
Armond nodded when he stated, "My younger sister lives in that world, so I know a few things about ballet from her." He folded his arms when he stated in a more thoughtful tone, "Even so… I'm rather surprised that Ms Rossi didn't know even the basics of The Nutcracker… And saying that she memorised that part to save the show as well as her other claims… I can understand why you called her out on that, Ms Forest."
Something about that statement seemed to have clicked in the heads of Adrien, Chloe, Kim, Nino, Ivan, Nath, Max, and Markov as they glanced at Marinette. NOW a lot of things the bluette has done in the past makes sense… They're going to have to apologise to her at a later date.
Armond turned to Aurore and told her to send that recording to Ms Mendeleiev, asking her to add the context of the video and that he asked her to send it. The weather girl nodded and did just that.
That was when Ki asked the PE teacher if that recording will be used for the parent/teacher meeting with Mrs Rossi. Armond nodded when he stated, "Having some visible proof of Ms Rossi telling tall tales and lying about things will help get her mother to understand the issue." He let out a breath as he thought, 'If we can get her in… I can't believe that this issue is getting as bad as it is, and that's just on the school's legal end…'
That was when the guys of the Miracuclass asked Kon about the non-Nutcracker questions she had asked Lila. The green-haired teen was more than happy to explain, while doing some visuals so they could understand.
}I{
Fred and Mylene quietly entered the boutique as they continued to follow Lila, both getting rather annoyed by the fact that the liar has yet to attempt to return home after close to over an hour after leaving the school. Which was kind of weird given what she told her class earlier.
As the disguised father/daughter duo watched Lila looking over some of the pricier clothings, Mylene whispered to her dad as they pretended to look through a nearby section, "Okay, so she lied about heading home to help her mum with something… I shouldn't be surprised by this point, but…"
Fred had to agree with his daughter when he whispered back, "And considering that she's in no rush to get home, I think it's safe to assume that she doesn't need to be home by a certain time…"
That was true.
The duo then watched as Lila came to a rather lovely silky red-to-orange scarf with woven laces at the ends to make it look like a long tapestry. The liar then found a matching vest that had a soft red to orange gradient. Lila then took these items to the changing room.
Fred and Mylene glanced at each other as they let out a sigh as they carefully moved to another section with a better view of the changing rooms. As they pretended to look through the items in the boutique, they glanced at the changing rooms to check to see if Lila would come out. Since she only took two items, she should finish pretty quickly.
But Lila didn't emerge from the dressing rooms until ten minutes later, and made her way to the exit with a satisfied smirk on her lips.
Subtly, Fred and Mylene followed after her.
And that's how they ended up inside a general store… And watched as Lila bought a pocket knife, a small notebook that could fit in a pocket, a pen that matched that notebook, and a fake silk wallet. All of these were relatively cheap. Both Fred and Mylene didn't understand why Lila was getting these things, but they wish she would hurry up and head home so they can learn her address for the school and the police.
But the next stop was McWendy King… Where Lila took her sweet, sweet time at as she ate her meal and wrote in her new little notebook with that matching pen… While doing something on her phone…
The Harpreles settled on having some of the fast food chips and drinks as they waited for Lila to finish up here and go home. Mylene sipped her soda through her straw as her father snapped a picture of Lila on his phone and sent it to the other teachers, as he had been doing this whole tailing to explain why he hadn't gotten Lila's address yet.
Fred sighed as he pocketed his phone when he whispered to his daughter, "Your class isn't working on any projects right now, right?"
Mylene shook her head when she replied softly, "No… So I don't know why she's doing all of this…" She frowned when she added in worry, "But still… I wonder what she could want with that pocket knife…"
Fred wrapped an arm around his daughter when he said in a soft tone, "I would hope it's for self-defence if an Akuma attack…" That was when he wondered if Hawkmoth was taking a break or something.
}{
Officer Prowl and Officer Chase brought the case before a judge to request a warrant to bring Lila Rossi in with a guardian appointed by the juvenile court. Because they needed to get that teen's fingerprints to confirm or eliminate her, but given the large amount of evidence…
The judge signed the warrant after a thorough series of questions that the two Officers answered readily. After that, the judge told them that even if this Rossi girl wasn't the culprate, her real legal guardian needed to be told about her behaviour. Officer Prowl and Officer Chase readily agreed to that.
As of now, the homicide officer was walking through the magical section of the police station with a container of soup in hand. Of course, Nooroo and Duusu came along because they could and wanted to see the area, from the safety and secrecy of Officer Prowl's jacket. Officer Chase was preparing everything he would need to bring Lila Rossi in the day after tomorrow, regardless if she wants to or not. The warrant was legally binding and she will be brought to the police station.
The homicide officer gave the workers in this section pleasant nods as he passed by them as he continued towards his destination.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through the hallway in a furious tone, "YAH GOTTA BE KIDDING!?"
Everyone who heard that, froze in their tracks or any motion they were doing. Even Officer Prowl. of course, Nooroo and Duusu huddled deeper into their hiding spots at that.
The moment the voice registered in Officer Prowl's mind, he almost ran towards his destination. He skidded to a halt in front of a door with an image of the territory of France. After steadying his breathing and heart rate, Officer Prowl tucked the container under his left arm and cautiously reached out to the knob. He held his hand on it before he carefully opened it and slipped in, closing it behind him. Officer Prowl's eyes widened at what he saw.
Jazz was standing in front of four orbs of light the size of a standard computer monitor. Each orb had a different face… The face of the Magi Guardians of England, Ireland, Japan, and the North-East region of the United States…
Magi Guardian of England: Archadia.
The blonde woman in one of the orbs stated seriously, "I wish I could say that I was, but Agreste used Archome's Control magic to take three of my most powerful Healing Items from one of my shops. Nigel went through the Control Analysis Test smoothly enough." She let out a sigh when she added, "I think the fact that there weren't a lot of orders and my daughter, Archie, witnessing the event to tell him… Of course, he'll have the mandated time off to recover from this." Archadia seemed to turn her attention to the side, apparently to look at another Magi Guardian on one of her orbs on her end, when she stated, "Jake, I would like to inform you that this won't interfere with Nigel's transfer to your territory, but please try to assure him that what happened with Agreste wasn't his fault if it comes up."
Magi Guardian of the North-East territory of the United States: Jake Long.
The 13-year-old teenage boy nodded in understanding when he stated, "Acknowledged." Jake took a breath before he said in a serious tone, "And continuing on the Archome's Control topic…" He let out a sigh before continuing, "We managed to convince Audey Bourgeois to take the CAT Scan, and she tested positive for it. She's still in the detox stage."
Jazz frowned when he stated in a displeased tone, "Well, can't say that Ah'm happy that that distasteful human being unduh Archome's Control explains her behaviour, but even someone like her doesn't deserve that." He took a deep breath before he stated in a calmer tone, "Ah'll notify her husband and daughter 'bout this. Hopefully, they'll be as unduhstandin' as they were with tha Raincomprixs."
Jake looked perplexed at those words when he asked in confusion, "What do you mean by 'you'll tell her husband and daughter'? I already did that on site."
Jazz, now confused, retorted in that same tone, "What'cha yah talkin' 'bout, Jakester? That person's husband and daughter are natives of muh territory, and Ah had ta talk ta them regarding their clan friends who tested positive fur Archome's Control."
Now Jake was very confused when he replied, "Natives of your territory? They've lived in my territory for close to a decade, according to the records."
Magi Guardian of Japan: Nezumi.
The gray-haired 17-year-old narrowed his eyes at this… Strangeness, before he asked in a serious tone, "What are the names of the husband and daughter of that Audrey the so-called Style Queen?"
That was when Jazz and Jake stated at the same time, "André Bourgeois/Zachery Lee and Chloe Bourgeois/Zoe Lee… Huh?" Those two then looked at each other's respective monitor orb when they registered what the other had said.
Magi Guardian of Ireland: Maidin Cheo.
The disembodied head cringed when they stated, "Uh… Who is actually married ta that unpleasant human?"
Both Jazz and Jake stated at the same time, "According ta/to our records… Huh?" They looked at each other via the monitor orbs.
One of Archadia's brows twitched when she got out in a disdainful tone, "Please tell me that one of you is mistaken… Or that the two families know about each other…"
Things were awkwardly silent at this for an entire 30 seconds before Jazz suggested, "Jakester… How 'bout yah give meh that data yah have on the Lees and Ah'll give yah tha data Ah have on the Bourgeois, then we can ask'm if they know one another? And how 'bout we also check tha marriage records again before talkin' ta those Clans…"
Jake readily agreed with that.
Now back to the original topic.
Nezumi let out a sigh before he stated, "I just got the report from my subordinates and, apparently, seven out of the ten CEOs of the Main Branch of the Tsurugi Industries have tested positive for Archome's Control and are currently in the detox stage, and considering the pattern… Jazz-san, since Tsuguri-san is currently residing in your territory, can you get her tested as soon as you can?"
Jazz nodded in agreement.
That was when Maidin Cheo chimed in, "Speakin' of CEOs… Tha ones that Agreste had that 'business meeting' with ended on tha same day it started despite tha time they said they would need… Take a wild guess as ta tha reason why Agreste managed ta finish up that meet in' sa early."
"Archome's Control," The other Magi Guardians growled out in disdain.
Maidin Cheo nodded when they added, "Ah'm goin' ta guess Agreste planned tha whole thing so he'd have an alibi fur Paris while he used that open time ta get tha Healing Items from yahr store, Archadia."
The Magi Guardian of England narrowed her eyes when she stated bitterly, "And sneak back into your territory so he can return to Paris without anyone knowing."
Nezumi placed a hand on his chin when he asked, "Archadia-San… You mentioned earlier that he took three of your strongest Healing Items, correct?" When Archadia nodded, the teen then asked, "Why would Agreste need them? He is not ill, nor his son or his secretary, correct?"
Jazz placed a hand on his chin when he mused, "Well… The guy hasn't been to any Healers officially, but he's had a private physician come to the mansion every once and a while… However…" He glanced at the other Magi Guardians when he stated, "That physician is currently in the detox stage, so… We're gunna have ta wait until they're awake and settle down after realisin' what's happened ta them before we can get anything from them directly. We will have the orders that were given to them while unduh Archome's Control soon enough and we can use'm to help with their questions."
Archadia let out a low hum when she stated, "Even if he is sick, those Healing Items won't have much of an effect on whatever ailment he has without the incantations needed to focus the Healing magic on it…"
Jake nodded when he added, "Which is the reason why they are strictly regulated and kept tracked of. They need the right incantation to heal the right ailment, and when those items are activated without the incantation needed, the ailment will only be temporarily fixed."
Maidin Cheo let out a thoughtful hum when they stated, "Ye have a point, Jake. But tha fact that Agreste didn't seem aware of tha accompanying incantations despite tha apparent research he did ta find these Healin' Items…"
Jazz's lips twisted into a frown when he stated bitterly, "Given that Agreste and his secretary furgot both of their cellphones in tha mansion before this sa-called 'work trip'… Ah can believe that they can overlook such things…" He let out a sigh before adding, "Little Adrien has been removed from that place unduh a different issue, but Ah'm gonna have ta insist that his current Guardians keep him with'm fur the fureseeable future."
The other Magi Guardian understood.
They talked about apprehending Gabriel Agreste the moment he arrives back in Ireland. Maidin Cheo already had planned a number of counter-measures to prevent him from using the Archome's Control magic on anyone during the takedown. Jazz asked them to have Nathalie tested for Archome's Control while she was there.
Then, of course, came the topic of the item that Gabriel Agreste was most likely using for the Archome's Control… His Wedding Ring, which will have to be destroyed the moment it is confiscated due to protocols involving controlling magic.
Then the call ended.
Jazz let out a relieved sigh as he rubbed his temples.
Prowl finally walked closer to his husband when he told him, "At least you got a lot done."
Jazz looked at the taller when he asked, "How much of that did'ja hear?"
Prowl glanced away when he replied, "Right after you shouted…" His eyes were back on his husband when he stated, "I can't blame you for getting upset."
Jazz let out a sigh when he added, "Yeah… And Ah gotta get ta Mrs Tsuguri and have her tested fur Archome's Control, but given tha pattern so far…"
Prowl nodded in agreement when he added, "She has a daughter who has most likely met with Mr Agreste, so it might be good to test Kagami too…"
Jazz nodded in agreement.
Nooroo and Duusu couldn't believe how much trouble Gabriel Agreste is going to be in… But that does mean that they won't have to deal with him anymore!
~}I{~
Chloe was scrolling through her phone, just looking through the pictures of her, Adrien, and Sabrina that they've taken over the years.
She didn't know what she hated more… The fact that Sabrina was 'Sick' or the fact that Gabe or Emilie had Sabrina under that Archome's Control…
…
Maybe the latter, in all honesty…
Chloe can go to the clinic Sabrina was brought too and leave gifts and messages for her even if she can't see her yet, but the Archome's Control thing… Yeah, there were some implications to that that she wasn't sure she wanted to know yet at the same time…
Chloe stared at a selfie of her and Sabrina making peace signs as they showcased the outfits they were wearing.
'Why would uncle Gabe and aunty Emilie put Sabrina and her dad under Archome's Control magic?' the blonde girl wondered as she brought her knees to her chest and tucked them under her chin.
}{
Nino rubbed his left arm again as he wondered why it hurt. He hasn't done anything that would warrant the pain…
And this was when his mothers checked his arm to see what was wrong.
Nino couldn't help but stare at the familiar marks that he's seen on Adrien's arm not long ago…
Greata gave her oldest a serious look when she asked him in that same tone, "Nino, who did this too you?"
But Nino could only stare at those nail marks.
Winnie noticed when she asked, "Wait? Nino, are these the same marks that you told us were on Adrien's arm?"
Nino snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the question and nodded. He was trying to figure out how he got these. After all, he hasn't been to any of the Gabriel Brand photo shoots, and he would've noticed if anyone got close enough to hurt him… Wait a second!
"Lila…" Nino got out in disbelief before he said, "Lila was the one leaving those nail marks on Adrien…" He then explained what had been happening at school to his mothers.
Both Mrs Lahifes glanced at each other before they asked if he reported that to the teachers. Which Nino told them that he did. The mothers told their oldest to tell Miss Bustier about that too the next school day.
That, Nino was planning to do.
}I{
Finally! Lila finished up her overextended meal and left the McWendy King.
Of course, the Harpreles discreetly followed.
Lila thought about something for a bit before she pulled her phone out of her pocket and searched for a number as she continued on her walk. Once she found the number, she tapped on it and brought the phone to her ear, and waited for the person to pick up.
"Hello?" the voice of a teenage boy came through the phone.
Lila smirked when she got out in a pleasant tone, "Hi, Jeany! How have you been!"
The voice of Jean Duparc let out a sigh before replying reluctantly, "Oh… Hey, Lila, I'm fine."
Lila frowned at the tone before she continued her (fake) pleasant tone, "Oh, are you feeling alright? You sound under the weather."
Jean Duparc replied through the phone in a more (forced) pleasant tone, "I'm fine, I was just doing something. Uh… Why are you calling me?"
Lila smirked when she said in that false pleasant tone, "Oh, I wanted to ask you about Ishi~."
Jean Duparc's voice let out a low 'huh?' before he asked, "Um, he's also in your class, so… Can't you just talk to him directly?"
Lila kept that smirk on her face when she said with that same tone into her phone, "I would love to! But I wanted to get him something special but I want it to be a surprise, so I don't want him catching on to it."
Jean Duprc's voice let out an 'Uh-huh' before he asked, "Oh… Kay… Long as you don't get anything with coffee or chocolate, I'm sure he'd be fine with anything food-wise…"
Oh, did Lila hear something interesting. Her smirk widened when she asked into her phone in that (fake) pleasant tone, "Huh? Why not?"
Jean Duparc's voice came through the phone when he said, "Well, Ishi's allergic to coffee and he sometimes shares food with Ki and Kon but Kon can't eat chocolate." His voice grew suspicious when he asked, "Didn't Miss Bustier tell your class about that?"
Lila prattled off cheerfully, "I'm sure she did, but I was with my mother on a work trip when they joined and missed it and I guess Miss Bustier was too busy to tell me and figured my classmates would tell me but it seems like my classmates assumed Miss Bustier told me."
Jean Duparc didn't sound convinced when he replied, "Right, sure… Listen, if you want to give Ishi something he'll really like, I recommend you get him a challenging mystery puzzle book or game. He's pretty good at them."
Lila tittered off a thanks before she hung up, her smirk was wider than before. She then owned her texting app and sent Alya a text that will not only help with her plan but also get that goody-goody in so much trouble too!
A little behind Lila… Fred and Mylene glanced at each other after hearing the part of the conversation they could hear. The daughter shrugged at her father's unasked question. But still…
The two continued to follow Lila. until she FINALLY came to an apartment building and went inside it.
Fred snapped a picture of the address of the building and sent it to his co-workers, before he went inside with his daughter.
The woman in blue manning the front was quick to notice the new arrival and asked, "Hello, can I help you with something?"
Fred nodded when he took off his shades when he stated, "Yes, actually. I'm Fred Haprele and I am a teacher from Dupont." He motioned at his daughter when he added, "And this is my daughter, Mylene."
The woman in blue raised a brow at this when she replied, "Uh, I'm Phantasma, the building's owner." She looked the two over when she asked, "Why are you here?"
Fred nodded in understanding when he stated, "It involves one of your residents. The Rossis, their daughter, Lila, is a student at Dupont." Mylene was quick to show the woman in blue a zoomed-in picture of Lila on her phone to help emphasise her father's point.
Phantasma looked at the image for a bit before she finally realised what was going on, "Oh, I see, Dupont is here to talk to Cecelia about how well Lila's doing again." She looked at Fred when she added with a small smile, "You didn't have to come in person to tell her that though."
"Huh?" Both Hapreles got out in confusion.
Fred blinked a few times before he told the building's owner, "Ma'am, what are you talking about? One of the reasons why I am here is to finally get in touch with Mrs Rossi regarding Lila's behaviours at Dupont."
"Behaviours at Dupont?" Phantasma parroted in confusion before saying, "But Cecelia has been telling me how glad that the principal herself keeps calling her to tell her how great Lila is doing despite the school being closed so often."
That was when Mylene piped up by saying, "What are you talking about? Dupont hasn't been closed for any extended period of time, and the headmaster is a man."
That was when Fred added, "Not to mention Damocles hasn't actually spoken to Mrs Rossi." He scratched his head when he mused, "Well, aside from leaving voicemails… His and Miss Bustier's only means of contacting Mrs Rossi has been by email, but due to recent events we've started thinking that they haven't been corresponding with Mrs Rossi, at all…"
Phantasma looked concerned when she stated, "Is that so? But I've been hearing a completely different story from Cecelia." She then realised something before asking, "Wait? Dupont was never closed? Not even for Akuma attacks or structural issues from those attacks?"
Fred shook his head when he explained that the school building hasn't had any structural issues of any kind and even if it got hit by an Akuma, it got fixed by Ladybug's Miraculous Cure as if nothing happened. He then folded his arms when he asked the woman in blue what Cecelia had told her.
When Phantasma explained that… Let's just say that Fred was very quick to 'correct a few things' she had said as Mylene couldn't help but feel her stomach churn in discomfort when she grumbled out, "Does… Does Mrs Rossi constantly wear rose-coloured contact lenses or something?"
~}I{~
Adrien was actually enjoying helping out in the bakery. It was just… It was so much fun and he loved the fact that he could make so many delicious things with his own hands. Even better, Adrien was baking with Marinette!
Speaking of…
"Ah, right, keep this batch away from anything with chocolate and coffee," Marinette told the blonde boy with a smile before adding, "This is going to be for our class. Kon and Ishi can't have chocolate and coffee respectively."
Adrien nodded in understanding as he continued with making this batch with a smile.
Both Tikki and Plagg were happy about this, as were the Dupain-Chengs.
~}I{ Meanwhile, in Ireland }I{~
Magi Guardian Maidin Cheo was preparing for the arrest of Gabriel Agreste at the train station the moment he disembarked. Everyone had an Anti-Control Magic charm on their person so they didn't have to worry about Archome's Control, but…
They still needed to get the item away from the guy, so that was a major priority.
With their head in their outstretched hands to get a better look to see if the train was arriving on time, Maidin Cheo told their subordinates, "Alright, everyone get ready to act! Agreste is gonna arrive in a few seconds!" As they returned their head back onto their neck, everyone vocalised their 'understood's before getting into positions.
Soon enough, the train arrived… Right on time.
~}I{~
To be continued.
~}I{~
0… Interesting fact about Ballerinas and Danseurs (male ballerinas)… They end up developing a rather high tolerance to pain in regards to their legs and feet… So to them, a twisted ankle isn't anything to worry about (unless it is actually broken). So they can dance on a sore ankle if they have to without much thought. Knowing this, Kon thought Lila 'saving the show' because the leading ballerina twisted her ankle and couldn't move because of the pain was VERY strange.
1… This is something that I remember learning about a while ago so I don't know if it is accurate or not term wise, but in order for ballerinas to prevent injury when on stage they have to 'Keep Their Muscles Warm'. In order to do that, they tend to be constantly moving when they aren't performing on stage while they wait for their part. If they don't, their muscles will get stiff and that can cause injury. So when Kon asked Lila if she was 'cold' before going on stage, she was asking if Lila did any warm-up movements to get her muscles used to moving to 'perform'.
2… Given how often Ballerinas move during a routine and some of the movements, it's highly recommended in Ballet that you keep your hair cut short but if you do want to keep your hair long, it's expected that you keep your hair tied back in either a small ponytail or a bun depending on the length so it doesn't get in your face or someone else's. If your hair isn't long enough to tie back, you have to use hair clips and headbands to keep it back. So, yeah, this question was Kon asking if Lila's hair was this long and free flowing when she had to 'perform'.
3… For those of you who have not seen or read The Nutcracker, the toy at the start of the ballet 'comes alive and dances' during the story. Therefore, it is played by a danseur or another ballerina. So the question Kon asked Lila was asking how she felt about dancing with a danseur who Lila probably never practiced with before that 'performance'.
4… This is somewhat more me having fun with words. But, fun fact: in ballet, the words 'Attitude' and 'Devant' are the names of positions. Attitude is a position where the dancer stands on one leg with the other lifted in back, the knee bent at an angle of 90 degrees and well turned out so that the knee is higher than the foot, the supporting foot may be à terre, sur la pointe or sur la demi-pointe, the arm on the side of the raised leg is held over the head in a curved position while the other arm is extended to the side. While Devant is a term that may refer to a step, movement or the placing of a limb in front of the body, in reference to a particular step (for example, jeté devant), the addition of the word "devant" implies that the working foot is closed in the front. So to someone who knows ballet being asked "what their attitude on a devant is?' wouldn't make any sense, so when Kon was asking Lila this, they were testing her to see if she actually knew ballet like she was claiming. Obviously, Lila failed the test.
5… "Popularidade" means "Popularity" in both Portuguese and Spanish.
6… "Problemas" means "Problems" in both Portuguese and Spanish.
7… "Sua" is Portuguese for "You (fem)".
8… "Sua mãe" is Portuguese for "Your (fem) mother".
9… "Feliz" means "Happy" in both Portuguese and Spanish.
10… "Mentindo sobre" is Portuguese for "Lying about".
~}I{~
Gale-Dragon: The research on Ballet was for a completely different project a while back, but a few things from that stuck and I wanted to use some of those. Anyway, lots of things are going to happen in the next chapter, one being Gabriel getting arrested and Lila pulling some shit that might not go as she plans.
~}I{~