Nathalie stood behind her, posture straighter than a pin (and her sexuality). "Sorry, I just assumed that... Well, since we'll probably be seeing each other much more often, we should be comfortable with dropping the formalities."
'Nathalie dropping formalities? I didn't know she could do tha-'
"I'd like that, Nathalie. So... What did you and Ms. Tsurugi have to show me?"
The woman smiled, motioning for her to enter the mansion. Marinette was hit with a wave of familiarity, and not the good kind. This was the building she had defeated Monarch himself in, the building where she had witnessed his death before her own eyes...
'Adrien and I hadn't talked about moving yet...'
"Ah yes, Kagami's unique friend, come, come, hurry. You and your family decided on a very early date so we don't have time to waste."
Before she could answer, the blue-haired teen was being pushed by the older woman's cane into a room full of drawings, books, and Gabriel Agreste's designs, encased in glass. Nathalie wasted no time sliding a small golden key into the side of the largest bookcase, backing up one she felt the floor shake. The bookcase made a whirring sound as it turned, revealing a white gown and suit, also encased in glass.
Marinette's blue eyes widened, her mouth agape. "Oh... my- Are these...?"
"Gabriel and Emilie's wedding ensembles, yes, made by Gabriel himself." Nathalie answered, a wave of nostalgia returning to her. "Although his relationship with his father was strange and complicated to say the least, he asked if he could wear Gabriel's, and luckily we were able to locate it. Both Ms. Tsurugi and I took it upon ourselves to ask you if you'd wear Emilie's?"
'I can't say no. How horrible would that be if I said no? They already know I don't have a dress at the moment so...'
"Of course I would!"
Nathalie used the same key to take down the glass barrier, allowing Marinette to examine it further. It was a simplistic, elegant, A-line dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, glittering tulle reflecting from every inch of it.
"It's beautiful..." The girl whispered, completely absorbed in Gabriel's craftsmanship.
'Glad to hear it. I'll put it in a proper bag for you to take home... Thank you, Marinette. I'm sure Emilie would be glad to see you wearing it."
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Marinette arrived home, sending a text to Alya letting her know what happened.
It wasn't the end of the world... Yet it so closely felt like it. Making a dress so extravagant to express her personality and talent is one of her goals. It feels like the milestone marker and reality check of her life so far each time she adds a new stitch into the fabric.
But at the same time... She should be happy to honor Emilie instead of being so ungrateful.
For the rest of the night, Marinette tried to put the situation out of her mind, focusing on finalizing details for the big day.
"Marinette, Alya keeps bugging me about the flowers. have you decided what to do instead of lotus?" Sabine asked as she rolled out pastry dough for eclairs. "I mean... has Adrien given you a particular kind of flower before...?"
Marinette ran upstairs, taking the rose Adrien gifted her before.
'I can't believe I never thought about it until then... Ever since we first met as Ladybug and Chat Noir, he's given me roses...'
"Roses. Tons and tons of roses, I don't mind if they're fake or not, it just needs to be roses." She declared. Sabine smiled, seeing her daughter's determination. "If it's roses you want, it's roses you'll have, honey. It's getting late... I'll call Alya to let her know about the flowers and then I'm heading off to bed. You should too, dear. Alright?"
"Alright mom. Thank you."
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The screech of sirens and the ringing of her phone filled Marinette's ears. Instinctually she transformed into Ladybug, going up to her balcony to observe the situation. She discovered through text that Rena Rouge had created the cop car illusions, while Carapace was defending himself from a group of people below, right in front of the bakery. She then realized that the group all had guns in hand, a few attempting to break the hero's green shield while some entered the bakery.
Ladybug jumped down, taking cover behind Carapace's forcefield. Swinging her yo-yo, she attempted to round up the criminals as they fired shots in haywire directions, ruining Rena's illusions. Once it felt safe enough, Carapace used two force fields to block the road, realizing that was the best he could do at the moment as he and Rena worked much better as defense.
Ladybug tightly wound up the criminals in the string of her yo-yo, thinking she had won a second to soon until she heard a click.
"I couldn't become a police officer because of you and you're shitty gang, and now I finally get my fair revenge!" The escapee, clad in black, threatened. "Let em' go and I won't shoot!"
Ladybug noticed a figure in the air, diving down towards the criminal.
"CATACLYSM!"
The spotted hero moved quickly to the right, dragging the four men she had tied up with her. A shot rang out, with the sound of many pieces of metal and plastic falling onto the street. The real police cars arrived soon thereafter, taking all five of the attackers.
Ladybug and Chat Noir observed the damage, until a rough, familiar voice rang clear throughout the area.
"Nobody needs you heroes in this world, always creating more problems and villains for others! We could've been fucking starving, just trying to get somethin' to eat in this god-forsaken city!"
The last criminal finally gave up, and was pushed into the car with the rest of his comrades.
"Nobody needs you in this world, Dupain-Cheng!"
"You okay, m'lady?" Chat Noir asked, but his partner was more focused on figuring out why her home was attacked. Could it be...?
"Rena Rouge explained on the way to the scene that she and Carapace had been observing the group, before they decided it would be a great and totally smart idea to target this place, just to cause commotion. We never have this kind of action in Paris..." Officer Roger Raincomprix told the hero.
"A-and hopefully we never will again," Ladybug contended, finding her voice. "Head on home before the news arrives. Thank you Officer Raincomprix."
Ladybug rushed onto her roof once the cars were gone, becoming Marinette once again. She fed Tikki a snack, then ran downstairs to check on her parents.
"Oh thank god you're okay, Marinette, we were so worried-" Her father professed, pulling the family of three into a hug.
"Yes dad, I'm perfectly fine... I don't think the windows and door are though..."
"Don't worry about that, your father and I can easily replace those. Go upstairs and get some rest dear, don't worry about all this right now." Her mother kindly ordered.
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