Costume Designer

Inspired after I read the movie companions for the first two Narnia films

Marinette gets the job of a lifetime working on costumes for the upcoming movie, The Silver Chair.

It is hard work with little sleep, especially for a heroine. So good thing it is taking place during the school holidays.

Marinette travels all over the world, truthfully telling her disappointed friends that she is working while on vacation.

Alya: don’t you think you should chill for a while? You look like you missed a whole week of sleep!

Well, she does have to help make thousands of costumes, so no. This is why Marinette’s best friend at work is the coffee machine.

Marinette makes a good impression on the costume team, including head designer Isis Mussenden. She even got to be the one to work with Ben Henders, the very cute actor playing Prince Rilian.

When Marinette returns to Paris, she does not brag about her job, only mentioning how satisfied she was that the costumes were without flaw and she had met the quota.

After one or two years, The Silver Chair is about to be released.

Chloe brags about getting to sit at the premiere viewing thanks to her world-renown mother.

Lila gushes about how the stars of the movie are like family who had asked her to play Jill Pole but she had to decline since she had already made a commitment to save endangered penguins up in the frigid north. However she will still get to sit at the premiere.

Marinette: penguins live in the Antarctic!

Nino is a huge fan of the Narnia chronicles and even buys the movie companion book to learn about the film making process. It is how he learns about Marinette’s job.

Because at the costume design section, Isis praises Marinette and there is even a picture of Marinette helping Ben into his knight suit.

Realizing Marinette had actually been on the set, Nino wondered why she never told them about it.

Ok, maybe he can understand considering that they might have pestered for her information about the movie the way they asked Lila.

Hang on, Marinette will probably be at the premiere.

Maybe once she sees that Lila was there herself, she will finally believe their newest classmate.

But in the meantime, he can respect her wishes and let her secret remain, at least till premiere day.

At the premiere, Chloé was surprised to see Dupain-Cheng. Immediately she began mocking her, asking if she was there as a waiter again.

However, the cast and crew (seeing Marinette as part of their second family) defend her from this rich brat, praising Marinette for being a talented designer and even bringing them homemade pastries that were to die for.

Audrey could see the odds were in Marinette’s favor, and that Chloe was an unwanted blot in the party.

As the director begins to ask Chloe to leave, Audrey swoops in. “You’ll have to excuse my daughter. She gets jealous whenever she sees Marinette’s exceptional talent.”

Chloe: mother!

Audrey: marvellous job, Marinette, as always.

Chloe: mother, you can’t be serious! She’s just a baker girl.

Audrey: who is renown for her talent. What are you famous for, Claudette?

Sensing danger, Chloe flushed and stalks away, trying to hide her tears.

To make herself feel better, she has to make others feel worse. Dupain-Cheng is surrounded by the crew so no hopes of sneaking over, especially when she won’t be welcome.

Hmm, what about that Lila girl?

Somehow Marinette always got the short end of the stick whenever they were together.

She headed over to the director. “You, where is Lila Rossi.”

Andrew Adamson scowled at Chloe. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”

Chloe ignored the cameras recording her bratty behavior. “Well, duh. She’s the one you wanted to play Joan Pill instead of that creature,” she waved her hand at the young lead actress.

Andrew’s scowl deepened. “I think you meant to say Jill Pole. And I don’t know any Lila Rossi, but if she is friends with you, I’m glad not to have been introduced. Good day.”

Chloe gaped, then rounded on Marinette. “Dupain-Cheng, explain yourself this instant.”

“What is there to explain, Chloe? I’ve been telling everyone for months that Lila’s been lying about her celebrity connections.

Chloe gasped then rounded on Ben Henders. “You, do you know a Lila Rossi?”

Ben: no.

Meanwhile, back in Paris….

Class are watching videos about the premiere (some official and some leaked), and are shocked. Lila had lied to them?

That kind of put a damper to their happy surprise about Marinette being one of the costume designers.

Lila’s phone was bombarded with texts demanding explanations.

Squealing, she immediately switched her phone off and tried to think of a suitable lie.

….

Lila said she was friends with the director of Narnia, but she never said his name. There have been more than one media series of Narnia. She can use that to excuse Andrew’s ignorance of her name.

As for Ben Henders…that was more tricky. She had claimed to the girls to be good friends with the actor, talking about the very movie itself. Hmm, maybe she can attribute his denial to Chloe’s abrupt and rude attitude?

Satisfied, Lila turned her phone back on, only to pale at what she saw. Since she took so long to reply, the others had done their own research and were now calling her fraud, that she now owed their money back (as if!), etc.

At the premiere, Chloe felt humiliated and overshadowed as all the celebrities ignored her.

At the Rossi residence, Lila began pleading to her mother that they should move because she was being bullied by the very same people who had sent Mrs Rossi video interviews of her contrasting opinions of Ladybug and demanding their money to be returned.

Galette is meant to be shared

Andre mournfully walked back to his limo, where his impatient daughter glared at his empty hands.

Chloé: what’s the point in being mayor if your own subjects don’t respect your wishes? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.

Andre: forgive me, Chloé. But there are other bakeries in the city.

Chloé: none of them are the best. Anybody who’s anybody is eating a galette made by Dupain-Cheng. XY, Clara, Prince Ali….I refuse to be the exception.

Except it seemed that pretty much all the galettes Chloé coveted were already eaten (by Tikki)

Father and daughter entered the hotel in a dismal mood.

Audrey was already complaining when they crossed the threshold, not noticing their empty hands. “I don’t know about having galette. They leave such a mess.”

Chloé’s mood brightened. “You’re right mother. We don’t need a galette like everybody else does. The Bourgeois are not trend followers, they’re trend setters.

Audrey: exactly. I’d rather have a mousse today. Jean-Pierre!

Andre sighed.

Zoe: actually I bought a galette early this morning, if you would like some. I had prepaid and reserved one in advance just in case.

Chloe: haven’t you learned anything. Anything baked by a Dupain-Cheng is trash.

Andre gaped at his daughter.

Perhaps it was a combination of sympathy for Zoe and frustration with Chloe’s ingratitude, but Andre declared, “I’ll eat it with you, Zoe.” Then to prevent another outburst. “As mayor, I have to be seen celebrating this day.”

Chloé started to yell, “Ridiculous-“

“Chloé, quit yelling,” Audrey snapped. “I refuse to have my holiday ruined by you. Galette, mousse, just pick one and shut up.”

Chloe shut up her mouth, scowling at Zoe, who smiled weakly.

So while Andre and Zoe retired to her room to share the galette, happy to enjoy their holiday without any more fussy demands or cruel words, Audrey and Chloe dined on their mousse in tranquil silence.