Capítulo 4: Mr Pigeon
It was rare for the class to be stopped, especially by the principal. Marinette could hardly stay in her seat, she was so excited. Mr Damocles, at the front of the class, summed up his long explanation. "In short," he said, stroking his long, grey beard, "You only have ten hours to work on your derby hats, and it must be your own design. The judge will be Gabriel Agreste and will be modelled by our own Adrian Agreste." Marinette turned to Alya and grinned. A chance to prove herself as a fashion designer to one of the greatest designers in the world! And it will be modelled like a real designer's hat would! The bell rang, freeing everyone from Mr Damocles' long, meandering tales.
Marinette flipped through her sketchbook. There were dresses, tops, skirts, trousers, scarves. There were hats of all kind; top hats, caps, even two-horned hats! Need a beret? She was your girl. A sombrero? No problem-o. A derby hat? On your horse. She had none. They were cute hats, too. She liked them so why did she not have one ready? It won't even matter, because she'll probably make a total fool of myself at the event! "Why am I bothering? I'll most likely trip over my stupid derby and collapse on Mr Agreste; give him a full-blown concussion and he will hate me! I'll never be a world-renowned fashion designer. MY LIFE IS OVER!" she said to Alya. The panicking girl paced up and down before her friend who sat on the bench in the courtyard. "All this over a derby hat? Let me see your sketchpad, girl. There must be something in here," she said. Marinette did as she asked, biting her nails. She hid behind the bench so she could watch Alya search through. Adrian walked past and caught sight of the book. With a friendly smile, he said to Alya, "Wow, Alya those are some awesome designs. I didn't know you had such mad skills. You entering the contest?" Alya laughed. "I can't even draw a stick figure. This is Marinette's," she corrected, pointing to her hidden friend. Adrian followed Alya's finger and walked over to Marinette. He knelt to her, realising she was nervous, and said, "You're super talented, Marinette. You seriously have a good chance of winning." She began to blush. He would know. He not only was a model but the son of the judge. He knew what the judge liked and didn't. This filled Marinette with more confidence. She could do this! She just needed to design a new hat meaning she'll need to go to her secret garden of inspiration. "Well, um, yeah! I mean, uh-uh, um, thanks. Sorry, I got excited there," she said. Adrian chuckled to himself. "So, uh, good luck. Maybe I'll be wearing your derby at fathers next photoshoot," he said. Adrian walked away, leaving Marinette more sure of her abilities.
Adrian walked over to Chloe. She stood with Sabrina, like always, by the stairs near the class. "Hey, Adrikins. What were you three talking about?" she asked him. "Oh, it was nothing. Just Marinette's entry into the contest," he told her, "I never knew she was so good." For a brief moment, Chloe shot daggers at Marinette. "You know, I was planning on joining, too," she told him. He raised an eyebrow. "You need to make it yourself. Can you sew?" he asked her. "Of course! My mother is a fashion icon! I need to be able to make clothes to impress her," Chloe responded. Sabrina couldn't follow her logic but still backed her up. "Fashion is in her blood! And I'll be helping her," she said. Adrian raised his hands in defeat. "Sorry. I'm sure you will both do great," he told them. Chloe smiled proudly. Looks like he said the right thing. He needed to be careful with this next part. Adrian reached into his pocket and pulled out pieces of Alix's broken watch. Chloe raised her eyebrow. "What is that junk?" she asked. He looked in his hands rather than at his friend. "Um...Remember the other day? You broke Alix's watch?" he asked. It didn't reset when Ladybug used her powers. It broke before Alix was vilified, that was why. "I didn't break it," Chloe asserted. Adrian wasn't going through that argument again. He placed the pieces into her hands. "I would really love it if you fixed it. It would make Alix happy and...make me happy," he told her. Chloe bit her lip. She wanted nothing more than for Adrian to be happy. Still, she didn't break it. "I'll just throw this away. It's worthless anyway," she said, placing it in her pockets. Before Adrian could protest this, she walked away, Sabrina following closely.
"I have a few ideas for the hat," she told Chloe. In a voice too quiet for Adrian to hear, Chloe said, "Marinette has ones that impressed Adrian, though." It didn't take Sabrina long to realise what she was planning.
Adrian stood dumbfounded for a moment. Was she really going to just throw Alix's watch away? He knew she was a bit...unpleasant sometimes but would she really just dismiss his request like that? "Yo, dude. You okay?" Nino asked his friend. Pushing his feelings on what just transpired deep down, Adrian pulled a smile on and turned to Nino. He had to think positively. No point dwelling on Chloe's negativity! "I'm great! Father will be coming! In-person! I haven't seen him in person since starting school," he said excitedly. Nino didn't seem to share his excitement, instead growing a larger frown. "You haven't seen your dad in that long?" he asked. Adrian didn't think it was so strange. "He is usually busy with his work. Sometimes he doesn't leave his office for weeks on end," he explained, "But he is coming to judge the competition!" It was then Marinette and Alya passed by to go up the stairs to class. Nino suddenly tensed up. "Y-Yo, Marinette. Dude. Dudette. Dude. Um, Yo," Nino stuttered. "Erm, hey. Sorry, need to go. I have a hat to design," she told him. "And what was that? Does someone have a tiny crush on Marinette?" Adrian teased. Nino relaxed his muscles and hunched over. "Is it that obvious?" he asked. Adrian placed an arm around Nino's shoulder. "Relax. I'm sure she doesn't know," he assured him.
Marinette had spent the class trying to sketch a few designs. She knew she needed to go to her garden for inspiration but she thought she could at least get the shape set out. Nothing. When the bell rang, she broke off from Alya to go to the place of her inspiration. She looked around. Not so long ago she was fighting a time-travelling villain here. She took a deep breath and sketched out a hat. It was better than the ones she made in class but she was clearly hungry. She laughed at the cake-like design before ripping it and the others out. She continued to scribble down designs, each one not meeting her standards of a hat. After a while, she looked up to find some more inspiration. A man walked like a bird over to a bench. He blew into a whistle, attracting a flock of pigeons to him then sat down and pulled out some seeds, cooing like the birds. What a strange man. She watched as he threw the seeds to the birds. Their feathers looked so pretty in the warm sunlight. Slowly, a police officer meandered over to the man. "How many times do you need to be told, Mr Ramier?" the officer asked with a sight, "No FEEDING the pigeons! It's strictly forbidden. If everyone feeds them, they'll leave their waste everywhere and ruin our city." The man continued to throw the seeds despite the officer's warnings. "Someone needs to feed my pigeons," he said. "I don't want to ban you from here. I know all the other parks did. Hand over the seeds and leave," the officer warned. Sadly, the man walked away. How persistent. How strange. He could have been one of the pigeons if he wore feathers. That was it! A feathered hat! Marinette's hand hurriedly sketched the design she imagined, desperate to get it to paper before the inspiration faded.
Adrian and Nino were on their way to get lunch. It was one of the only times Adrian could wander outside without his bodyguard following him or Nathalie keeping him on a strict schedule. "So, you gonna ask her out or just stare at her all the time?" he asked. "I'm no good with the ladies. You saw what happened when I spoke to her earlier," Nino replied. The two-spotted Marinette sitting alone. Nino used his hat to hide his red face. "Would you ask her out if I helped you?" Adrian asked. Nino nodded. She looked busy, drawing in her sketchbook. He hadn't seen her quite so focussed before. "S-should I ask now?" Nino asked him. Adrian thought for a moment. "Probably best to wait. You aren't ready and she's in the zone," Adrian explained. Their attention was drawn by the police officer as he kicked the strange man out. Adrian saw him from time to time when doing photoshoots. He would act like the birds he fed, talked to them, named them. Poor man. He didn't deserve to be kicked out. "Hey, isn't that Chloe?" Nino asked, pointing to the blonde girl a bit away from Marinette. She had her phone in hand pointed to where Marinette had been looking. "I guess this is where every designer goes," he said. Nino's stomach growled, forcing him to continue walking. Adrian followed.
The pigeon man, technically outside the premise, sat on the ground in front of the boys. A little black butterfly made its way to the man's whistle. Adrian knew what it meant. "Look out!" he warned but it was too late. The man chuckled as he transformed into a pigeon costume. Adrian was stunned. Laughing? What sort of reaction is that? No agreement to an offer like Alix, just an unnerving laugh. Nino grabbed his arm and pulled Adrian back to reality. The two boys turned and ran away. He was just laughing...Adrian slowed down a little then, when he was sure Nino wouldn't notice, he ducked between two buildings. The day was going so well but now Cat Noir was needed. Without wasting a second more, Adrian whispered, "Spots on," so the people walking down the street wouldn't hear. Time to get to work.
With her sketch completed, Marinette held it up with pride. She climbed to her feet and ran towards the flock of pigeons the man summoned. The flew away in fright, leaving a feather. It was exactly what she needed for her hat! The officer looked at her strangely. Awkwardly, Marinette grinned and waved to him. He nodded and she turned away, running to her bus stop. If her eyes just lingered on the officer longer, though, she would have seen a flock of pigeons swoop down and carry the man away.
On the bus, Marinette admired her design. A derby hat inspired by pigeons with a real feather as a finishing touch. Mr Agreste will love it! The bus began to slow until gradually it came to a stop. She looked up. It was too soon to be stopping. They were nowhere near a bus stop. The doors opened. "Sorry, folks. We have a situation. You'll need to get off the bus," the driver told them. Marinette looked out the front window. It was just a traffic jam from what she could see. When she stepped off the bus, she was startled by how many pigeons there were. None of them flew away. There were hundreds - no thousands! More than could be considered normal. Marinette pulled out her phone and brought the news up. The newswoman, Nadja, stood safely in the news studio, pictures of pigeons crowding empty streets of Paris appearing behind her. "Pigeons have taken over Paris. This is just one of the many alarming situations giving authorities cause for major concern," she reported. Her hand shot up to her earpiece and she quickly added, "Yes, I've just been told that someone named "Mr Pigeon" is making an announcement." Behind the reporter, the pictures were replaced by live footage of a vilified man dressed as a pigeon standing on the Eiffel tower. "Oh, dreary day, poor Parisians," he said, birds casually walking around him, "Sorry to ruffle your feathers, but Paris now belongs to the pigeons! Flap flap!" He mimicked the birds in their movement, adding pigeon noises throughout his statement. She sighed. There is only one person she could think of who would act like a bird. The man feeding them earlier. She looked around for a place to transform. The subway would do. She ran down the stairs and emerged as Ladybug. Time to catch a villain.
Cat Noir ran across the rooftops of the city, chasing a flock of pigeons carrying a park keeper away. Birds. Why birds? He stifled a sneeze as he jumped to the next roof. The park-keeper screamed, hands reaching out to the cat-themed hero. He was so close. Their fingers brushed against each other. He needed to save this man. Cat Noir couldn't keep the sneeze in anymore. He tried to keep running as it burst out of him, but the strength of the sneeze was greater than expected, causing him to trip and fall. When he picked himself back up, the birds with the park keeper were gone. He looked around desperately. What sort of hero loses the person he is trying to rescue? A bad one. Another sneeze escaped him. Feathers. Stupid feathers. Cat Noir pulled the few feathers that covered him off his suit and dropped them over the side of the building. He leaned against a chimney until his sneezing stopped. A cat-hero who is allergic to feathers. How troublesome. He smiled as he saw Ladybug swing onto the roof in the distance and run over to him. "There you are. These birds are acting beyond weird," she said, pointing to the sky. They were flying around in square formation, covering the whole sky. "Birds of a feather flock together, I guess," he half-joked. A feather fell onto his face causing another sneeze. He smiled sheepishly and explained, "I'm allergic to feathers." She reached out and pulled the feather off him, saying, "Well, that's helpful." He wiped his nose, worried snot was starting to drip out of it. "Tell me about it. These birds are only part of the problem. The park keepers in Paris are vanishing without a trace," he informed her. She looked to be in thought. He could sense one of her great plans forming. It was always amazing. She was smart and heroic. He just recklessly jumped about and hoped for the best but it seems this time, it was not the best idea. "We need to find Mr Pigeon ASAP," she told him. "Do you know where?" he asked. She shook her head. "Hmm, I don't know where we can find him, but I do know where he can find us."
Ladybug hid behind a tree in the park, keeping a close eye on Cat Noir who walked back and forth, dressed up in a park keeper's uniform. She hopped her plan would work. She still needed to go home and make the hat for the competition. Cat Noir began to hum to himself. She thought nothing of it as she had seen many park keepers sing whilst they worked. What she couldn't let slide was his dancing that began shortly after the humming. "Act natural or he'll never show up!" she scolded quietly. A mischievous smile grew on his face as he responded, "What do you mean? I am acting natural." She glanced behind him and saw a pigeon staring at him. Quickly, she hid behind the tree and out of sight. It had flown off when she checked again. Her plan was working. Soon enough, she heard a sneeze and saw a huge flock of pigeons form a ball around her heroic partner, lifting him into the air. Ladybug threw her yoyo and started to follow the birds. Cat Noir sneezed, seemingly freeing himself in the process. Ladybug landed next to him on the roof of the Grand Paris Hotel. She knelt and held her hand out to him. "Are you okay, kitty?" she asked him softly. He took her hand and picked himself up. "Where's that bird-brain Mr Pigeon?" he asked angrily. "He's gotta be here somewhere..." Ladybug said. She looked around the roof, curious about all the pigeons staring at them. It was like they were awaiting orders. She held her yoyo at the ready. Suddenly, Mr Pigeon, stood atop a flock of pigeons, flew into view. He stepped off them and onto the roof. His hand brought a whistle to his lips and blew into it. Ladybug threw her yoyo at him. At the same moment, the birds began to enclose them in a circle and metal bars sprung up, trapping the heroes in a large birdcage. The yoyo hit one of the birds instead of the pigeon man as intended. Ladybug took a step back in surprise. They were trapped! She couldn't see a way out! This was not a part of her plan. "Got any bright ideas, bug?" Cat Noir asked her. She shook her head frantically. "Your Miraculous. Give them to me or face the wrath of my feathered friends," Mr Pigeon threatened. He blew his whistle again and the birds began to swarm against the cadge, trying to smash through and peck at them. Ladybug and Cat held each other in fright. "A plan would be good right about now, M'lady," Cat Noir told her. Ladybug couldn't think. She closed her eyes but nothing would come. "You're the cat, don't you eat these things for breakfast?" she snapped. It was too much. She knew she wasn't cut out for this. Cat Noir let her go and said, "I have an idea." Without giving Ladybug a chance to figure it out, or even telling her, he shouted, "Cataclysm," and slammed his hand against the bars. The metal corroded and the cadge around them crumbled. The pigeons immediately began attacking the heroes. It was clear Cat Noir hadn't thought that far ahead but he at least had a plan. Ladybug swung her yoyo so fast in a circle it acted as a shield. He was incredible! How is he able to keep calm under so much pressure? She glanced at Cat Noir and saw he was copying her trick. She was lucky he was her partner. "Cat," she called over to him. When she had his attention, she began to push forward to Mr Pigeon. Cat Noir nodded and did the same. The birds will all stop as soon as they devilified Mr Pigeon. They just needed to find and capture the butterfly. To their shock, though, as they moved closer and closer to the man, he moved further and further away until he stepped off the edge of the building. The heroes froze. H-how was he... Ladybug watched in shock. She couldn't believe her eyes. Mr Pigeon didn't fall like he should have but instead looked to be standing on the air itself. He slowly started to fly away. The further into the distance he got, the more of him could be seen. Pigeons. He flew away on pigeons. The remaining birds continued their assault. A loud beep sounded amongst the chaos. "I gotta get out of here before the cat's outta the bag," he told Ladybug. She found herself able to move again. "Right. I'll cover you. Get to the hotel," she ordered. She couldn't form a plan under this pressure. Hiding out and taking a breather would do wonders. She backed away to Cat Noir and fought the birds off until they were safely in the hotel, entering through a fire escape. The doors shut behind them, locking the birds out. They were safe for the time being.
Cat Noir followed Ladybug as the two made their way down the stairs to the lobby. He couldn't stop tapping his hand against his leg impatiently as they walked. His ring beeped once more. Three minutes left. Mayor Bourgeois, owner of the hotel and Mayor of the city was just finishing a phone call. Cat Noir jumped up and down, anxiously looking around. "Ladybug, Cat Noir! Thank goodness! My poor Chloe is stuck out there at the tower! She can't get moving with them. You are going to get rid of those pigeons, aren't you?" he asked desperately. "Of course we are, but before we do I have an urgent need," Cat Noir said. The Mayor looked him up and down. "Oh. There is a paper over there if you-" he began before being interrupted by a loud beep. Two minutes. "Ah! That need. Here. Take this," the Mayor corrected himself. He handed Ladybug a key to the top floor.
Cat Noir sat on the bed of the luxurious room. It was soft and comfortable. Everything was red, white and gold in the large, expensive room. It was obviously intended for the wealthiest of visitors. He knew Ladybug was waiting for him outside. "Claws in," he muttered. As soon as he detransformed, he collapsed onto the bed. He was exhausted. His arms and legs were too heavy to move. He needed to charge the ring. How was it done again? He knew it charged gradually over time but there was another way, too. What was it again? He slid off the bed and dragged himself to the door. He sat against the door, aware Ladybug was waiting on the other side. "Ladybug?" he asked. "Yes, kitty?" she asked. Her voice sounded so close. She must be sitting the same way he was. Just the thought made him blush. Kitty. She kept calling him that. No time to be love-struck! "Erm, how do we charge these things again?" he asked her. "Um...I can't remember the third but...pass the ring here," she told him. He didn't even question it. He took his ring off and, with great trust, slid it under the door. "I just press it against my earring and...here," she said. The ring slid back under and he put it on.
With Cat Noir's miraculous charged, Ladybug felt it was safe enough to leave the door unguarded. She took the short walk down the corridor and looked out the huge window. How strange. The pigeons were all flying to the same point in the city. The exhibition centre and museum. That must be where Mr Pigeon is hiding. "Nothing like a good cat nap," Cat Noir said, stretching as he walked over to Ladybug. "I can't use my Lucky C-H-A-R-M but I can still use everything else," she warned him. Cat Noir frowned. "I don't have enough power for another cataclysm. Sorry. I'll look in the guide later for that other way to charge," he told her. She didn't mind, though. They had bigger problems to sort out. Her finger pointed to the Exhibition Centre. "We need to go there," she told him. She was right in thinking a breather would refresh her mind and allow her to form a plan. They just needed to sneak there and scout out the area. Then she can put together the next part and save the park keepers. Together, the two made their way to the roof of the hotel and made their way to the Exhibition Centre.
Ladybug held Cat Noir as he extended his staff and carried them up the building. She stopped a sneeze as they made their way to the roof. If he sneezed now, her plan would be ruined. They crept to the skylight. Cat Noir lifted the window and the two peered inside. There was a cage in the middle of the room stuffed with park keepers. "So that's where they are being kept..." she muttered to herself. Mr Pigeon was talking to his birds, not looking anywhere near them. "We need to get the bird whistle," Cat Noir told her. When did he figure that out? Doesn't matter. What matters is how to get it. She could grab him and pull him up to them with her yoyo and have Cat Noir steal the whistle. Or they could sneak in along the support beams and knock it out his hands and break it. "Those birds are everywhere. We could sneak up bu-" she told Cat Noir. Before she could finish her thought, he interrupted with, "Early bird gets the worm," and jumped down. Argh! Cat Noir! Ladybug wasn't quick enough to stop him. She could only watch from the side-line as he carefully crept towards the villain. If he got in trouble, she will jump in. One of the birds flew over to him and sat on his shoulder. Come on, Cat, keep it in. They needed to distract those birds of his. Ladybug looked to the cage where she saw the officer who confiscated Mr Pigeon's seeds. Her attention was pulled back to Cat Noir who let out a loud sneeze. Mr Pigeon turned to him. He gave a nervous chuckle. "Come on down, Ladybug. My pigeons already know where you are," the man announced. Ladybug turned and saw a pigeon sitting beside her. They wouldn't have been able to sneak up on them even if Cat Noir hadn't sneezed. She jumped down and ran towards him, her yoyo spinning at her side. Cat Noir followed her lead and did the same with his staff. They never got close, though. Mr Pigeon lifted his whistle and blew it. A swarm of birds flew straight into the heroes, sending them flying into the metal bars of the cage. Ladybug rubbed her head. It hurt but this could work in her favour. "Cat, I have an idea," she whispered. "We could use one of those about now," he said. "There is a man in there who has some bird seeds. Get them," she told him. He nodded. She picked herself up and ran towards the villain again. Like before, he blew his whistle but before the birds could hit her, she ducked down and slid under them and through Mr Pigeon's legs. Her yoyo wrapped around his foot as she did this. When on the other side, she sprung to her feet and jumped to the support beam above them. As the man went to blow his whistle again, Ladybug looked over to Cat Noir. She was about to shout out his next instructions but she found it wasn't needed. He threw the seeds in her direction, then his staff. The staff hit the seeds and broke the bag above Mr Pigeon, covering him completely. The birds all at once looked at the man. They all flocked to him, pecking at the seeds which covered him. He struggled to get his whistle, dropping it onto the ground. Cat Noir ran to grab it but being below a flock of pigeons, he naturally got covered in feathers. Once again, his sneezing caused trouble. In an attempt to catch his sneeze, Cat Noir accidentally threw the whistle in the air. Instinctively, ladybug dropped Mr Pigeon and went to catch the whistle. Hoping to rectify his mistake, Cat Noir chased the whistle too and, of course, Mr Pigeon ran after his power source. The whistle landed on the ground and was immediately covered by Mr Pigeon's hand. He couldn't lift it, however, as at the same moment, Cat Noir's hand piled atop it, followed by Ladybug's. She looked to her partner and saw his mischievous smile. It seems they both have the same idea. They each lifted their hand briefly. Together, they slammed their fist onto Mr Pigeon's hand and broke the whistle underneath. The man detransformed and pulled his hand to himself. A little, black butterfly emerged from the whistle. How can something so pretty cause so much damage? Ladybug always wondered this. She spun her yoyo until it became a net and caught the butterfly. When it emerged from her weapon, it was pure white and disempowered. "Bye-bye, little butterfly," she said to it. Quickly, she threw her yoyo in the air and enacted her other special power. All around them, everything reset, most of the pigeons vanishing, the whistle was fixed and the park keepers who were captured presumably returned to where they were taken from. Ladybug turned to thank her partner but he began to walk to the man. She watched him, curious as to what he was doing. Cat Noir knelt before the pigeon enthusiast and said, "Thank you for caring for the birds of Paris but, please, you need to find another place to take care of them. Perhaps by the river," he suggested. The man nodded. She didn't realise how sweet cat Noir could be. He turned to leave and was surprised to see her still there. "I thought you left, M'lady. Do you need a chat?" he asked. "Uh, no. No, it is nothing," she said. He lowered his head. "Um, sorry for messing up so much today," he said. Ladybug waved her hands as she assured him, "Don't worry about it. You did great today. Got us out of a few messes." He looked up at her with huge, green eyes. "Does that mean I don't need to tell you what I found out to make up for it?" he teased. He had more information? Just who is this boy? A detective protege? "What? Cat got your tongue?" he joked. "Tell me," Ladybug requested. "Not too useful but means we don't need to keep calling them the 'Villain'. The one pulling the strings goes by Hawkmoth," Cat Noir told her, "and Mr Ramier said he had a male voice." Ladybug brought her hand to her chin and mulled over this new information. There wasn't a time limit on how long a person could be vilified. It certainly exceeded the five minutes a child would have. "We must be dealing with an adult man," she said. Her earring suddenly began to beep. Her hand brought itself to the jewellery. "I should go. Nice work today, though, kitty," she told him. Her fist held itself out for him to hit. He did so with a huge grin.
Adrian waited at the school for his father to arrive. The podiums were set up and everyone but Marinette was ready to start. Marinette was always late. He went to the classroom to check if she was there, sitting at her desk toiling away. He couldn't help but smile. It had been a great day and it could only go up. Ladybug complimented him. She fist-bumped him even though he messed up. She wanted to be friends with him still. Maybe more. Then his father was coming! He walked into the class and hung at the door. Marinette wasn't there but Chloe was. What was she doing at Alix's desk? Was she putting gum on it like she did Marinette's? Adrian snuck up behind her and looked over her shoulder. Alix's watch was sitting in plain view, now fixed as good as new. He smiled. He knew she would do the right thing in the end. She just needed a little push. Chloe was busy writing a note.
Fixed it for you
-Adrian
Well, she did what was right. That was all that mattered. Adrian left her to it and walked back out without being noticed. His father should be arriving. At the entrance, he saw Nathalie waiting with a tablet in her hands. He thought Nathalie would have arrived with his father. Perhaps she was sent on an errand and they agreed to meet here. Yeah, that must be it. "Nathalie, where's Father?" he asked. The woman tapped the tablet and turned it. "Father? I thought you were coming here in person," Adrian said. The man fiddled with some paper and answered, "I'm far too busy to pick a hat in person." Adrian's face dropped. He had been so excited about this. Nathalie adjusted her glasses, hiding her ever so slight frown. "Will you still be having dinner with me tonight?" he asked hopefully. "No. I'll take dinner in my office. In fact, I think I'll be eating in here the rest of the week," he answered. Why is he always busy with work? Can't he just take a break for once? Just an hour to spend with his son? Adrian decided to try to push his father on this matter. "But father-" He was silenced with an icy glare. "Yes, sir," he weakly replied. His shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Adrian, show Nathalie around," his father ordered.
Marinette was running late like usual. She was just finishing up the last stitch on the hat. She placed it on the podium, turning it ever so slightly so it sat in the best light. Perfect. Alya had been waiting for her. Once she saw her friend was ready, she asked, "What took you so long?" Marinette pointed at the final touch, the real bird feather. "I couldn't get it sitting right," she explained. Alya frowned. She didn't quite know how to tell her friend, especially not as Adrian and Mr Agreste were coming to judge her hat. "Um, girl, I don't know how to say it but...That is Chloe's hat," she said. What? Marinette stared at the blonde's entry. She was right but...How? Her fists balled up at her sides. "That thieving brat!" she muttered under her breath. Alya scowled at Chloe. "Want me to handle this?" she asked, not wanting her friend to get into trouble. Going against Chloe when authority figures were involved never went well. She shook her head. "I got this," she assured her friend through gritted teeth. Adrian flashed a fake smile at her. For a moment, her anger towards Chloe was replaced with concern for Adrian. He and Nathalie walked towards her. Mr Agreste was ready to judge her hat. "Hmm...Turn me back to Miss Bourgeios's hat," he requested. Nathalie silently complied. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked, sounding extremely agitated. "No fair! Marinette copied my design! It's scandalous, how could you do that?" Chloe cried. She covered her eyes and made sobbing sounds. "Excuse me, sir, but I can prove it is my design. I have the sketch here. Both it and my hat are signed," she said. Marinette pulled her sketch out her handbag and showed it to the fashion designer. She then showed the hat, turning it upside down and revealing at the rim of the hat her signature in gold thread. Everyone looked at Chloe. She pushed her podium over and stormed away. Alya walked over and lifted the hat, showing Marinette's signature that she worked into the design was present on Chloe's entry. Number one rule of design; always sign your work. Marinette learned that long ago. "Well then. It is clear you are the winner, miss..." Mr Agreste said, Adrian finishing, "Marinette," for him. "Yes. Nathalie, I need you here ASAP," Mr Agreste said. The woman walked away, leaving the two alone. "Well done. I knew you could do it," he told her. As he reached for her hat, his fingers touched hers. She began to blush. Adrian put the hat on, striking strange and funny poses. The two laughed and Marinette began to join in. Why was her heart beating so fast? Her palms were sweaty. She couldn't stop laughing. Adrian let out a sneeze, dropping the hat to cover his mouth. Marinette picked it up. "Sorry. I'm, uh, I'm allergic to feathers," he told her. She looked at her hat then put it on herself. "Not to worry. I'll just replace the feather with a synthetic one," she told him. Why was she smiling so much? When Adrian thanked her and left, the answer struck her. All at once, everything made sense. How could she not have seen it sooner? Alya walked over to congratulate her friend. It was so obvious! The blushing, the sweaty hands, the confidence she gained after he complimented her and why she stuttered when he gave her his umbrella that first day they met. "I have a crush on Adrain."
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