Jazik, Marinette, Alya, and Manon walked across the Place des Vosges, a vibrant green square framed by stately red-brick buildings. Sunlight dappled through the meticulously pruned trees, casting dancing shadows on the gravel paths. Laughter and distant music drifted on the gentle breeze. In the center of the square, a small crowd had gathered around a makeshift photo setup. Adrien Agreste stood before a tall photographer with wild, dark purple hair and bright orange eyes, who gestured dramatically with his hands. Beside them, a large, stoic man in a black suit, presumably his bodyguard, stood like a statue.
Marinette's eyes, usually so full of gentle kindness, widened to an almost impossible degree. A soft gasp escaped her lips.
"Come on," she whispered, her voice tight with a mixture of excitement and nerves. "We're gonna stroll over there real cool as if we just happened to be passing by."
"Then what?" Alya asked, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. She adjusted the strap of her bag, her gaze flickering between Marinette and the distant figure of Adrien.
"Then?" Marinette's eyes glazed over, a dreamlike quality entering her voice. "I'll invite him out for a fruit smoothie at the end of the photo shoot. Then, we'll get married. Live happily ever after in a beautiful house and have two kids? No, three. And a dog. Maybe a cat? Nah, forget the cat. A hamster! I love hamsters!"
Jazik listened, a small frown forming between his dark eyebrows. The words tumbled from Marinette with a breathless urgency he had never heard from her before. It was a side of her he hadn't known existed, a vibrant, hopeful current beneath her usual kind reserve.
"Is she always like this?" he murmured to Alya, his voice quiet, almost a question to himself.
Alya sighed, a hint of affectionate exasperation in the sound. "If only she were half as enthusiastic when she's actually near Adrien. Usually, she turns into a clumsy, stammering mess."
Jazik nodded slowly, the explanation doing little to clarify the complex emotions swirling around him. He understood the concept of protection, of loyalty, but this overwhelming, almost painful intensity for another person remained a mystery. He had known love as a fierce, possessive instinct to shield, not this dizzying, aspirational dance.
"Let's just start with just happen to be passing by and see if we can get to that smoothie," Alya suggested, a practical anchor in Marinette's storm of dreams.
Marinette giggled, a light, airy sound that floated on the breeze.
Meanwhile, the photographer, Vincent, barked orders at Adrien. "Magnifico! Super! Come on now, I want to see hunger in your eyes!"
Marinette took a deep breath, clutching her hands tightly. "Remember, cool! Just be cool..."
Alya glanced around the bustling park, then back at the small group they made. "Um, we couldn't be more invisible."
"Okay, let's start over." Marinette took another step, then froze.
Adrien, catching sight of them, offered a polite, charming wave.
Marinette gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "Did you see that? He waved at me!"
"Yeah, I saw it too," Alya replied, her voice flat, as she gently pulled Marinette's hand down. "Pretty normal, since we're in the same class."
Vincent, oblivious to the drama, continued his energetic direction. "Bravo! That's it! Give me the smile when your mom brings in spaghetti! Okay! And now, Oh no! Mama dropped the spaghetti! And now, you have to eat the spaghetti off the floor! Oh yes, you're angry! Show me angry, yes, yes, yes!"
Manon, who had been patiently observing the scene, suddenly spotted a balloon vendor. Her small face lit up.
"Marinette, I want a balloon with Mireille on it!" she cried, tugging on Marinette's shirt. "Can I? Can I!? ...Marinette? MARINETTE!!!"
Marinette flinched, startled from her reverie. "Ah!"
"Ngh! Silenzio!" Vincent yelled, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
"Come on!" Manon insisted, her voice rising in pitch.
Alya stepped forward, a kind smile on her face. "Come on, small fry! I'll get you that balloon!"
Manon, however, remained rooted, wrapping her small arms around Marinette's leg. "No! I wanna go with Marinette!"
Marinette looked from the determined little girl to the distant Adrien, a conflict playing out on her face. "Hmmm... I'll deal with it. I am her babysitter."
"But what about Adrien?" Alya asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
Jazik stepped forward, a quiet confidence in his posture. He knelt down, meeting Manon's gaze with his steady indigo eyes.
"Do you want to go with me?" he asked softly, extending a hand. "We can get the Mireille balloon."
Manon considered him, her wide eyes assessing. After a moment, she released Marinette's leg and took Jazik's hand. He led her toward the balloon vendor, a small sense of relief settling over him as Marinette's focus returned to Adrien.
They returned with a brightly colored balloon, Mireille's smiling face emblazoned upon it. Manon's eyes sparkled.
"I want to go on the merry-go-round!" she declared, pointing an excited finger.
"No, no, no, no, not right now," Marinette said, her gaze already drifting back towards Adrien. "I gotta get back to Adrien..."
Manon's lower lip trembled, and she looked up at Marinette, her large eyes welling with unshed tears. It was the "baby doll eyes" Marinette had mentioned earlier.
"Aw, please, please," Marinette pleaded, her voice cracking, "not the baby doll eyes... You know I can't say no to the-"
Marinette's resolve crumbled, a soft sigh escaping her. Manon, sensing victory, grabbed Marinette's hand, giggling.
Vincent, meanwhile, was growing visibly frustrated with Adrien. "No, no, no! The boy has eaten too much spaghetti! Ugh, we need more energy! More romance! We need...a girl!"
He spotted Alya and rushed toward her, his movements a blur of theatrical energy. "You! I need an extra!"
"Who, me?" Alya asked, surprised.
"Sì!" Vincent insisted. "To pose with Mr. Adrien!"
Alya's eyes darted toward Adrien, then back to Marinette and Manon. "Uh... Hah! You don't want me, I... uhh... I think I'm having an allergic reaction to this apple." She spoke as if her tongue were swollen, making a comical face. "I know jutht (just) the perthon (person) you need! Hold that thought!"
She dashed back to Marinette, her words a rapid whisper. "They need an extra to pose with Adrien!"
"What? Seriously?" Marinette's face flushed a deep red, a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"Is that boy your boyfriend?" Manon asked, looking up at Marinette with innocent curiosity.
"What?!" Marinette sputtered, her voice high-pitched. "No, I mean, yes? No!"
Alya nudged her forward. "Go on! What are you waiting for?!"
"But, what about Manon?" Marinette asked, still hesitating.
"You take care of Prince Charming, and I'll take care of Miss Unicorn here," Alya said with a confident grin. "You don't know how to control her anyway."
"No way!" Manon protested, tightening her grip on Marinette's hand. "Marinette's my babysitter!"
Alya laughed, bending down to address Manon directly. "Trust me. Unicorns unite! Let's go to Rispa and find us some sad little village kids and grant those wishes! Yee-haw!"
Marinette, still flustered but with a newfound determination, headed toward the photoshoot. Jazik watched her go, a quiet warmth spreading through him. He then turned his attention to Manon, who was now pouting, clutching her Mireille balloon.
"Do you want some ice cream?" Jazik asked, his voice soft. He knew sweets often helped.
Manon's eyes lit up immediately. "Yes!"
"Stay here with Alya," he instructed, his gaze sweeping the carousel. "I will be right back."
He walked toward a small ice cream cart at the edge of the square. The air, previously warm and pleasant, suddenly grew heavy. The sunlight dimmed, replaced by an unsettling grey. A cold wind whipped through the park, carrying with it the scent of ozone and something sharp, like ice. whoosh It was strong enough to make an adult person stumble.
He heard a distant scream. His head snapped up. The merry-go-round, with Alya and Manon still inside, was encased in solid, gleaming ice. A chilling white mist swirled around them.
Jazik felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. His gaze shot upwards, following the source of the sudden, unnatural chill. A figure hovered in the sky above them, wreathed in dark clouds and crackling energy. It was Stormy Weather, her voice echoing across the square, proclaiming her arrival with an almost cruel delight.
"I am Stormy Weather," a voice boomed from above, cold and sharp as winter air. "I'm the one who should have won, not that goody-two-shoes Mireille. But Paris chose her, so now Paris will pay."
The wind howled around Jazik, a furious, icy breath that threatened to tear him from his feet. He clung to the gnarled trunk of a plane tree, its bark rough against his hands, as the invisible force pressed against him.
Stormy Weather cackled, a sound that seemed to slice through the cold air.
whoosh
A blur of black and green dropped from above, landing with a practiced crouch on a nearby lamppost. Cat Noir, ever the dramatic one, twirled his staff with a flourish.
"Hey Ice Queen, what's with all the terrorizing?" he called out, his voice light despite the danger. "Why don't you pick on someone your own temperature?"
Stormy Weather paused her assault, her icy gaze fixing on the new arrival. "My name is not Ice Queen! It's Stormy Weather!"
"Listen. I'm feline more generous than usual today. So cool down and we'll call it quits, 'kay?" Cat Noir offered, leaning casually on his staff.
Stormy Weather did not appreciate the puns. She extended her parasol, and a blast of concentrated wind erupted from its tip, striking Cat Noir squarely.
thwack
"Waaaaaahhh!" he cried, launched through the air. He disappeared over the rooftops, a dark smudge against the grey sky, before landing with a distant CRASH in a neighboring street.
Jazik ignored the fleeting image of Cat Noir and focused on the merry-go-round, its frozen figures gleaming unnaturally in the suddenly dim light. He approached the solid ice, the chill seeping through his clothes. He peered through the frosted surface, seeing Alya and Manon inside. They stood close together, Alya holding Manon's hand.
"Are you alright?" Jazik asked, his voice a low rumble against the howling wind. The cold bit at his exposed skin.
"Yeah, we're alright," Alya called back, her voice muffled but clear. She gave a small nod, then pulled Manon a little closer.
Just then, Ladybug landed with a practiced grace on top of the frozen carousel. Her spotted suit stood out sharply against the icy backdrop. She studied the frozen structure, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"I'll get you out of there!" Ladybug announced, her voice firm with determination. "Let's wire-cut this icy cake!"
She spun her yo-yo, sending the string flying towards the ice. It hit the solid surface with a thwip, but instead of cutting, the cord merely slid across the slick, frozen dome, utterly ineffective.
"Don't worry, everything's gonna be okay!" Ladybug said, her tone a little too bright.
"Where is Marinette?" Manon asked, her small voice echoing faintly through the ice.
Ladybug paused, a slight hesitation in her posture. "She hasn't forgotten about you, Manon."
"How did you know my name?" Manon questioned, her head tilted.
"Ah! Uhh... Marinette told me!" Ladybug stammered, recovering quickly. "She's coming right back, okay?"
With another fluid swing of her yo-yo, Ladybug launched herself away, disappearing over the rooftops. Jazik watched her go, a sense of familiar loneliness washing over him.
Alya knelt within the glassy enclosure, Manon tucked protectively against her side.
"It's okay, sweetie," Alya murmured, her voice a soft, steady hum. "Ladybug will take care of everything. She always does."
Manon's wide eyes, still fixated on the towering villain outside, slowly turned to Alya. "Will she really?"
"Absolutely," Alya affirmed, a reassuring squeeze to Manon's shoulder. "While we wait, how about we play a game? We can count all the colors in this ice."
Jazik stood by the frozen carousel. The ice hummed with residual cold, a fragile shield for the two girls inside. His presence was a quiet promise.
***
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