I'm currently on jury service and yet to have been selected for a trial, so I'm using my time wisely but writing Miraculous fanfic haha.

•••••

"Adrikins!"

Adrien internally screamed as he heard the voice of his long time friend. It's not that he wasn't happy to see her, it was more that everytime he heard her screech his voice out like that his whole internal body parts shrivelled up in preparation for what came next, and here it was.

In the matter of sections Chloé had wrapped her arms around Adrien's neck and began to press her lips to his cheek with such fierceness he swore he'd have the imprint for weeks to come.

"Chloé, hey," he greeted, "it's great to see you."

"Of course it is, it's me after all."

Adrien maneuvered Chloé off him and looked around her into the eyes of another of his friends.

"Hello Kagami, I'm so glad you could make it."

The Japanese beauty looked him over and smirked.

"You look silly, Adrien, I'm surprised your father allows this to happen."

Adrien looked down at his current attire. Navy blue pinstripe trousers with a white shirt and navy suspenders over his shoulders. He thought he looked quite dashing, in a nineteen fifties kind of style.

"Well, father is no longer designing for myself and Marinette, we have ended that relationship."

"Interesting," Kagami said, as she looked around the room, "so where is this charming partner of yours? I want to check you're still getting your fencing practise in."

Adrien couldn't help but smile, that was such a Kagami thing to think about. Of course, she would want to make sure Adrien was still practising, after all she wouldn't want to challenge someone unworthy of her skill level, and Adrien was always known for equalling her skill set.

"She's in the changing area if you want to go see her, she knows that you're both here and excited to meet you."

Chloé barked out a laugh.

"Good one, Adrikins, but I'm quite sure you know about me and your dazzling partners past."

"She has mentioned something, yes." He nodded, not wanting to go into the full conversation he'd had about Chloé. He knew Chloé could take it, after all, not many people did actually like Chloé, he was surprised Kagami had agreed to travel over with her. It was no unknown fact that Kagami and Chloé did not always see eye to eye, but still he didn't want to stir up something what is obviously in the past.

"Yeah well, it's a shame she's so good at dancing because I really wanted to hate her being with you, but I'm quite sure Dupain-Cheng's going to help you win."

Adrien couldn't help the smirk on his face, Chloé Bourgeois admitting defeat.

"Thank you Chloé," he said, causing the blonde socialite to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, well, I suppose I need to be prepared in case you marry her or something, unless Lila is more you cup of tea."

Adrien scoffed at Chloé.

"You know me better than that, Chlo,"

"So it's dear old Daddikins Agreste pulling the strings again. I should have known. When will that man learn to back off?" She huffed, Adrien nodded in agreement.

"We had a slight disagreement yesterday about it -"

"Slight?" She questioned.

"Okay, more than slightly. I think he gets the idea now."

"For your own sake, I hope he does Adrikins."

•••••

Kagami made her way through the corridors, asking every now and then for directions to Marinette and Adrien's dressing room. The BBC corridors were like a maze. Weaving around corners, up and down steps, twisting and turning.

Finally, she approached the door with a star displaying A+M, feeling like she'd hit the jackpot. She had completely forgotten to knock the door and signal her arrival pushing it open and tepping in. She noticed Marinette at the dressing table, an array of different coloured tablets spread out in front of her.

Kagami watched as Marinette began to pick up and take the tablets, one after another, after another, until she was at her sixth.

"I don't think that's the best idea," Kagami spoke calmly as Marinette's head shot to the side to look at her.

"Who - who are you?" She stuttered out, eyes wide open and terrified that she'd been caught.

Kagami closed the door behind her and stepped forward into the room. Marinette still held a bottle of water in one hand and the sixth tablet in the other. Reaching up, Kagami held Marinette's hand and removed the tablet from it, looking at the name written in tiny letters on the top. Seeing the boxes on the desk and looking at the one currently in her hand Kagami knew they shouldn't be mixed.

"Marinette, I'm Kagami Tsuragi, one of Adrien's friends. You shouldn't be mixing these." She said, throwing the tablet in her hand into the bin.

"What do you know?" The aggressive tone leaving Marinette shocked herself, this wasn't right, this wasn't her.

"From what I've heard about you from Adrien, which believe me is a lot, you're not the type of girl to start abusing painkillers."

The two girls faced off eyeing each other tentatively, seeing who would break first.

"I can't perform without them, the pain is too much."

"Then you shouldn't be performing at all, Adrien wouldn't like that."

Marinette looked over at this girl in front of her. She didn't know her, yet despite her harsh, cold exterior, something made her want to trust what she was saying, to believe that she was on her side.

"Sit down," she said, commanding Marinette to follow the instructions. Nodding Marinette sat down following the instructions of her fierce companion.

Kagami crouched in front of her and clapped her hands together, before rubbing them fiercely.

"Woah," Marinette exclaimed, "is this going to be like in the karate kid?"

Without breaking a smile, Kagami stared her caramel eyes into Marinette's bluebells.

"My hands are cold, so I'm warming them up to feel your injury."

"Oh!" Marinette gasped, embarrassment taking over her.

Great way to make friends, Marinette thought to herself, wincing slightly as Kagami began to prod and poke at the injured ankle.

"Do you have anything to wrap this with?" Kagami asked.

Marinette nodded and hinted towards her bag on the side table. She wasn't planning on wearing her wrap for the performance, after all, she didn't want anyone to discuss the possibility of being removed for health issues.

"You're a designer right?" Kagami asked as she began to wrap the bandage tightly around Marinette's ankle, compressing the injury as best as she could.

"Yes,"

"Then make this part of your costume." The way she said it so matter of fact that made Marinette wince. How had she never thought about that? The obvious option had been there all the time, yet she'd managed to completely miss it.

"Why did I never think about that?"

"Because your head is to focused on the game, and Adrien is too dim to think about things like that when he feels like he can act as the hero."

Marinette let out a giggle, Kagami was growing on her second by second.

"There," the fencer announced, standing up and holding her hand out for Marinette to take.

Slipping her hand into Kagami's, she placed pressure on her bad foot and stood without an inch of pain shooting through her.

"How did you do that?" Marinette asked.

"Years of fencing injuries."

"Listen, Marinette, pain killers only hide what you're feeling, using that and continuing to dance without support on your ankle is only going to damage it further. Keep it wrapped, rested and iced. I understand you're not willing to give up your place in this competition, so you need to look after your body. It's your instrument."

Nodding slowly, Marinette comprehended what Kagami had said and she was right.

"Thank you for helping me before I got into a situation where things could have gotten worse."

"You're welcome," she said. "Adrien means a lot to me, and you mean a lot to him."

She made her way back to the door and positioned her hand to open it, only to still in mid action.

"What do you know about Lila Rossi?" She suddenly asked, Marinette frowning at the sudden change on conversation.

"More than I'd like to, to be honest." Kagami nodded in understanding.

"She has some sort of deal with Gabriel, and Adrien, unfortunately, always seems to be stuck in the middle."

Without saying anything more, Kagami left the room leaving Marinette stunned.

What was the issue with Gabriel Agreste?

Within seconds another knock sounded at the door, Marinette answering it still a little startled.

"Come in,"

The door creaked open to reveal the one face she didn't want to see.

"What do you want?" Her tone was harsh.

"I have an offer you won't want to refuse."

•••••

Time to Vote

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