Without Masks: Frightingale

(Y/N)'s P.O.V.


🎵 Don't you stop dancing to the music! Baby~ Yes, just like a miracle~ 🎵


My body rocks to the loud song playing on the speakers as I sing along watching the music video on my computer.


" ♪ Don't you stop dancing to the music! Music~ Oh, it's getting physical~ ♪ "


Seven groans heavily as I shake my hips to the rhythm.


"No more!" The Kwami yells as she covers her ears. I grab a pillow and shove it towards her whilst still grooving and intensifying my singing only to annoy her.


"YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS SONG FOR HOURS!" She says with an exasperated tone and I shrug.


" ♪ I can't hear you through the music! Oh yeah~ This song is so incredible~ ♪ " I sing-along to the beat and send Seven an unphased stare.


"Oh god..."


"Come on! Loosen up a little! When was the last time you ever danced?" I laugh as she glares at me.


"I don't know? Maybe a HUNDRED YEARS AGO?" She says sharply to which I ignore, humming to the tune of the song.


"But Clara Nightingale is a bop! How are you resisting this?" I ask but not expecting an answer, I continue with a twirl as the Kwami doesn't pay attention to me. Just then my phone buzzes making me turn off the speakers and pick up.


"(Y/N)! Did you hear? Clara Nightingale is holding auditions for extras on her new video! WE HAVE TO AUDITION!" Marinette squeals in my ear through the phone as my eyes widen in excitement.


"WHAT?! Seriously! I'm on my way!" I hang up, grabbing my bag and rushing out of the door, soon yelling across the hall to my mom that I'm leaving for the matter.


Marinette texts me the location of the audition and I speed up towards there.


"(Y/N)! Here!" Rose calls and waves at me as I approach the group.


"Is everyone here?"I ask, looking around to see if all seven of us have arrived. It seems so and we cheer.


"What's the music video about?"


"It's a tribute to the superheroes of Paris called 'Miraculous'!" Alya says to which my heart flips and my face burns up.


"Seriously?" I ask as I turn to Marinette who nods.


"Yeah, they already found someone to play Cat Noir and are also holding auditions for the Primvère and Ladybug!" She states with a knowing expression to which my jaw drops.


"Extras on the left! Primvère Rosé and Ladybug auditionees to the right!" A stagehand hollers and we form a line in front of the building.


"I'm going to head to the bathroom for a sec," I say to them and speed walk towards the nearest women's restroom and quickly entering a stall.


"Great. Another 'bop' for you to listen to." Seven says popping out my bag then raising an eyebrow at me, "You aren't going to audition for Primvère Rosé, are you?"


I scoff at her assumption, "Of course not! The last thing I want is people finding out who Primvère Rosé is!" I say as she sits on my palm with a troubled look, "I'm sure it's going to be a great day! I'm just here to have fun with my friends playing extras in her video!" I pat her head with a smile as she sighs and eventually nods.


After a while, I head towards the line for the extras.


"Took you long enough!" Alix says as she saved me a spot on the line making me awkwardly cut through it.


"Look! There's Clara Nightingale!" Marinette squeals leading all of us to poke our head through the crowd towards the front where the singer stands.


"🎵Thank you for coming, all of you! This is like a dream come true!🎵" The singer says with her iconic rhyme-along tune and her hips moving.


"🎵Together we will dance and sing! Today's going to be amazing!🎵"


"We're going to be in Clara Nightingale's music video! This is humungous!" Alya cheers.


"I can't believe this is happening!"


"🎵And now, meet our rising star! Adrien Agreste as Cat Noir!🎵"


It takes me a moment to realise what the idol said as Marinette looks at me and then towards the stage where Adrien walks out in a Cat Noir suit but without the mask. He walks to Nathalie in the front who holds a tablet showing Gabriel Agreste.


Good golly...


I shake my head trying to figure out what's happening as the girls cheer for him. Adrien catches us in the crowd and waves at us as Marinette pulls me by the shoulders and waves at him. I wave back hesitantly, cheering for him with a loud whistle.


"🎵Come on now for it's the hour! Ladybug and Primvère auditionees, show us their power!🎵" Clara says and the auditions begin with ease.


This all starts with great enthusiasm yet an hour passes with no luck. The auditions, should I say, didn't turn out as I thought it would, usually consisting of people falling from trying tricks which seemed to be a big no-no for Clara. There are no more auditionees left and the singer frowns but she smiles as she sees the extra auditionees.


"You must be starving from all this waiting!" She says as she picks up a tray of cream puffs and starts giving them out. My instincts kick in when I see the way she clicks her heels towards us, very wobbly.


"H-Hey! Watch out!" I caution as she soon stumbles making me go under the divider and catch her before she falls.


"Are you okay?" I ask as I pick her up and then she holds a delighted expression which confuses me.


"🎵There you are! Strike a pose, for we have now found the rose!🎵" She says with a cheer as my mouth gapes in shock.


"W-What did you just say?"


It was a trap...


An uncanny feeling of betrayal and exhilaration passes within me as she picks me up from my daze.


"🎵You have a scent as well as physique! You're Primvère Rosé! Yes, you're unique!🎵" She praises checking my whole exterior and I chuckle nervously at the unexpected compliment. "You must be mistaken. I don't think I-"


"GO (Y/N)! YOU DESERVE IT!" I hear Marinette and the others cheer which makes me turn to them in surprise.


"🎵You did what Primvère would have, just the same. Your heart is pure, like hers. What's your name?🎵"


"(Y-Y/N)." I mutter sheepishly as I look at her gleaming eyes.


"🎵(Y/N), say it's so. Will you please play one of the heroes in my video?🎵" She asks making me look towards my friends and eventually Adrien who smiles at me from afar.


Sure...it's tempting as I'd be acting with Adrien as Cat Noir but then I remember Seven's painful gaze and I shake my head.


"That's so nice of you to think that and I'm a huge fan! But...I came here to audition as extras with my friends and that's just what I want to do. I want to stay with them." I decline, attempting to be polite although not expecting to hear gasps from every corner in the room.


Clara looks a little disappointed at my refusal but shows a small smile, "🎵Oh, that's a pity, a shame. But I understand it's true. That's a very cool gesture, very Primvère Rosé of you!🎵" She says making me blush.


She then pulls me towards one of the trailers and makes me sits in one of the chairs. "🎵Just sit here for makeup, okay? I'll ask your friends to be sent over right away!🎵" She says which makes me smile wide.


"Thank you so much!" I say as she winks and walks towards the audition stage.


"I'm proud of you, (Y/N). You didn't give in to the appeal." Seven says to me and I pat her head with my finger, "You bet. I did it for you, Seven."


She smiles and goes back to there hiding spot when I see the group approaching us.


"You're crazy!" Mylene says as she hugs me tightly. Alya playfully punches my shoulder coming in for the hug, "You gave up a chance to be with Adrien just to stay with us! You're awesome!" She says as the others join in the bear hug.


"Not the first time I did that," I say with a cheeky smile, Marinette pinching my cheeks in the process.


"You're the best!" Rose says as I snuggle in the hug.


"Well, I can't say I love you guys for nothing~"


The entry door bursts open and all of us turn to it.


"HOLD THE AUDITIONS! YOUR HERO HAS ARRIVED!" A well-known voice sounds through the building from the entrance.


"Chloe?" Marinette grumbles as the Mayor's daughter walks in flaunting her hips with her Chanel purse and that damn familiar yellow jacket. She walks up to the stage with a huge grin.


"Hah. Knowing Clara, she will NEVER cast someone so out of character like Chloe!" I claim. Alya glances at me with an amused smile.


"How are you so sure?" She asks and I shrug.


"Common sense."


"You can cast me as Ladybug or Primvère Rosé or both, I don't mind being in two places in once. When does the shoot begin?" Chloe says with a sickening smirk. It makes me sick thinking Chloe to be Primvère Rosé.


"Chloe..." Adrien speaks, "You know you have to audition to be in the shoot."


Chloe rolls her eyes as she throws her purse to her butler and stretches her arms. "Sure, we need that kind of formality~" She begins to dance to the music being played and nails the audition.


"See? You don't need to think twice to know I'm perfect!"


"You do have the talent I'm looking for. What do you think, Gabriel?" Clara says as she is clearly debating what to do.


"Artistically, the young girl with the (h/c) hair would have been ideal as Primvère Rosé. We can audition Miss Chloe Bourgeois as Ladybug. We can get her a wig." The older man from the tablet says.


"CHLOE AS LADYBUG?! No way!" Marinette screams angrily as she begins to march towards the stage. I grab her hand before she can do anything stupid.


"What are you doing?"


"Saving Ladybug's dignity." She says and jumps on top of the stage, creating attention towards her.


"I want to audition as Ladybug!" Her words make people gasp as we cheer for her as Alya begins to take pictures of the event before us.


"What do you have to offer, Dupain-Cheng?" Chloe mocks as she places a hand on her hip.


"W-Well...I can do this!" Marinette pirouettes in front of the audience and shows us a few tricks that the rest of us girls' jaws drop.


"Woah, Marinette..." Adrien seems impressed with the girl who sheepishly scratches the back of her head.


"🎵Perfect! And with the right coloured hair! That will certainly give us time to spare!🎵" Clara sings and holds Marinette by the shoulders.


Chloe growls at Marinette yet her lips form a smirk soon enough, "Fabulous! Then I can act as Prim!" She says as she giggles delightedly sending a shiver down my spine at the idea of Chloe being me. Clara also seems to be downed by that notion but she then nods, "🎵Alright! This will suffice! Although it's not exactly precise...🎵"


"Hey! Wait!" I hold out my hand walking up to the stage, "I changed my mind!"


Here goes nothing...


"I'll act as Primvère Rosé if it not too late..." I say regretting my decision as soon as I spill those words.


"🎵Of course it's not too late! Surely this seems to be more than fate!🎵" Clara kisses my cheeks in a fit of joy and then turning to Chloe who seems to be shocked.


"🎵I'm sorry, what's-your-name. But you can be in the extras of the video if you're game.🎵" The singer inputs but Chloe fumes at the idea.


"Me?! You want me to be a mere...extra?! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" She says and storms out of the building. I let out a sigh in relief as I stand beside Marinette who also seems to be relieved yet concerned.


"Let's get these girls dressed." Mr Agreste says which leads Clara to pulls us away and into one of the trailers.


"🎵Awesome! This is going to be the best video yet! Thank you, thank you, (Y/N) and Marinette!🎵"


"You're welcome?" We say in the same tone when the singer closes the door to give us some privacy. Marinette and I look at each other speechless at each other's performances leading us to share a friendly laugh.


Seven and Tikki float beside us as we recount our acts that led us here.


"You both deserve each other." Seven whines as Tikki seems to be relishing this moment. It is only when we actually try on our designated outfits that we realise.


"What have we done?" I mutter as I hold on to the mask. Looking at my reflection, I notice how identical the suit looks to the real thing.


"Great choice of fabric and the seams are well done! Almost looks like the real deal, don't you think?" Tikki comments to which Marinette groans, "It's too well done! If we wear the masks, they'll recognize us for sure!"


"That's Gabriel Agreste for you..." I remark as I check the leather, "He's outdone himself...almost as if he knew how it looks and feels..."


"Marinette! (Y/N)! Are you done?" The voice startles us from outside.


"Just a minute!" I reply, looking to Marinette anxiously. She takes both of our masks and hides it under the costume rug near us. She nods at me and both of us step outside of the trailer.


"There they are!" Alya and the others cheer for us as we walk upon the stage.


"🎵Spotless!🎵" Clara declares and the spotlight shines on us. "But where are your masks?"


"We couldn't find them..." I lie with a nervous smile.


"🎵No worries~ This way, we can rehearse with ease!🎵"


We begin by learning the dance steps to the music video. All is well until Clara giggles towards us, pulling me and Adrien with her.


"🎵Alright now, this scene is special! It's about eternal love so let's dazzle!🎵" She says and with a swooping motion, she grabs my hand and places it on top of Adrien's so we're holding hand. A wave of shock erupting from within me as I look at him, he gives me a sheepish smile with his cheeks all red.


"🎵Don't be shy~ Like lovers do, give it a try~🎵"


"W-Wait! Cat Noir and Primvère Rosé are NOT lovers!" I say although with my hand still on his. Clara whistles as she shakes her head.


"Not yet..."


I snap my head towards Adrien questioning if what I heard him mumble was real.


"🎵Oh, that's what they want you to believe! But I know true love when I see intimacy!🎵" Clara says and postures us in such a way that we're dancing with our hands held.


This is so embarrassing...


I feel my heart pound faster the closer we get, sending a glare towards Marinette and the others who have huge grins on their face. Adrien looks at me from top to bottom continuously which makes me chuckle tensely.


"Is there something on me?" I ask to which he snaps out of his daze and his face reddens.


"N-No...it's just that you look almost like her..." He says and a blush creeps on my cheeks. "Thanks..."


For the rest of the time, we get ready with some fight scene as well as posing and such. Clara claps her hands and pulls us together.


"🎵One final task! Put on the mask!🎵"


"Oh no! But we don't know where they are!" Marinette lies with a straight face as I sheepishly nod.


"We couldn't find them..."


"Y-Yeah! I don't think it's-"


"I FOUND THEM!" The stagehand waves the three masks at us and walks up to the stage, handing them over respectively to us.


Darn it.


"Go on~" Clara urges as I gulp slowly lifting up the mask and about to place it on my face when the entrace door bangs open once again.


"DROP THE SHOOT!" Chloe says, smiling smugly as she enters with her father behind her.


"What is the meaning of this?"


"I'm sorry but it has come to my attention that you never submitted permit A-38 as stipulated in the circular B-65 that one can only get at counter C, the third floor of City Hall which is, alas, closed for renovations until August, which means you don't have a permit to shoot...anywhere in France, including Paris!" The Mayor says and hands her a load of paperwork leaving all of us to gasp.


"I...don't understand!" She says as Chloe takes away her iconic microphone form her.


"It means no more singing or dancing today! The nightingale can spread her wings and fly away!" The brat tosses the mic on the air and lets it fall to the ground which breaks it.


"No!" Clara rushes to in with tears in her eyes.


Chloe crackles with laughter, "See! I rhyme! What a talented person I am!"


Clara sniffles as she stands up from her crouched position. "But this video has to be shot in Paris! The city of love, the city of Primvère Rosé, Ladybug and Cat Noir! This ruins all my plans...I'm sorry, my beloved fans." She cries ad rushes away from us to one of the trailers.


"Great. Another blowdown by none other than Chloe Bourgeois..." I comment glaring at the girl who sticks her tongue at me.


"Shoo, people! Go home!" She says manically as people start to leave the area with diminished hopes. Then the pain hit me right in my chest.


"Marinette..." I pat furiously at her back, "W-We have to go..." I whisper and then we enter on of the trailers with the illusion that we're to change our costumes. We quickly do so and then transform into our alter-ego.


"Seven, it's springtime to bloom!"


We jump out of the trailer as Cat Noir is already present.


"🎵Sing, dance or rhyme! Or you'll be frozen in no time!🎵" The familiar villain says as she lashes her whips at people making them glow in a pink hue before freezing. I use my own whip to grab her hand that holds hers.


"I thought you were a fan of ours, Nightingale! We can help you! We just need your Akuma!" I say and pulls her down.


"🎵No! I'm Frightningale from here on out forever and ever, there's no doubt! And if you stand in my way, there'll be a price to pay! 🎵" She says and tries to lash at us but we dodge them. We take the battle outside the building and land on the roof.


I look at Ladybug and Cat Noir both standing on either side of me and I signal.


"I'm front and centre! Ladybug! Cat Noir!"


"Let's do this!" We charge at her as she dances on top of the building. I use my arrows at her but the evades them and they nearly hit Ladybug.


"Hey! Watch it!"


"Sorry!"


Cat Noir and I rush to her at the same time and we pounce on her but she dances her way above us and lashes all three of us with her whip. A pink hue forms around us which makes me grit my teeth.


"🎵Sing, dance or rhyme! But your miraculous will be mine!🎵" She laughs as she attacks us. Cat Noir goes in for the attack.


"♪ Wait! Stay right here and dance or you'll be frozen..." I pull him, "Without a chance! ♪" With that, I start shaking my hips to a certain beat and then look at Ladybug who stands there shocked. Before she freezes, I grab her hand and start dancing with her with my arms around her to which she blushes.


"♪ Rhyme and dance, Ladybug! Or....uh...she'll put you under the rug! ♪" I say as she gets a hang of the dancing.


Cat Noir pouts at my actions with his body moving in beat, "No fair! Why don't you dance with me, if you dare? ♪" I giggle at his remark as I keep on with the tempo.


"All this rhyming and dancing is hard! With what words do we start! ♪" Ladybug grumbles as we look towards the villain who charges at us.


"🎵 To defeat me, you have no chance! When all you do is dance!🎵" She says.


"♪ Oh, please. We'll defeat you with ease! I'm not to whine! 'Cause you're in it for a..." I rhyme approaching her, "Roses Divine! ♪" I chant and rose petals charge towards her, distracting her as the three of us find a hiding spot. "♪ I admit. This rhyming is taking all my wit ♪" I say with a heaving breath as my miraculous beeps.


"♪ Don't fret! Better yet! This next bit will do her harm! Here comes my..." Ladybug signals, "Lucky Charm! ♪" A handcuff falls on her hand.


Cat Noir sceptically looks at Ladybug, "♪ I don't mean to interrupt. But do we really need someone chained up? ♪" He says making her look around with her lucky vision. She smirks, "♪ They're not for her, they're for you! Cat Noir and Prim, you need to sync up, you two! ♪"


"♪ To be handcuffed with my lady? You don't know how long I've been waiting for this, baby~" He says and the comment makes my heart flip. I roll my eyes to distract him from my pounding heart as we latch ourselves to the handcuffs.


Ladybug sends me an amused look as she lets out a satisfied smile, "♪ Now your movements will be alike! It's like dancing, but aligned! ♪" She says, pausing to think for a while, "♪ It's our only chance to counter! Cat Noir, we'll need your power!"


"♪ I sure do feel the optimism! Round it up for..." Cat Noir gets ready in his stance, "Cataclysm! ♪" His power activates and then I give both of them an approving grin. I connect both of our legs with my whip as we step out of our hiding spot.


Frightingale spots both of us charging towards her and her smirk drops seeing both of us tied together.


"♪ Connected, we are one! Now you'll have to come undone! ♪" Cat Noir and I say in unison as we fight Frightingale. We bring her to the roof of the building as she staggers back unable to attack us at this speed.


"🎵 You can't bend the rules. Dancing tied up is cheating, you fools!🎵"


"♪ Sounds like a sore loser we're dealing with, right? Come on, Cat Noir, let's win this fight! ♪" I say as we keep on advancing the villain who keeps retracting her steps. As she's about to fall off the ledge, Ladybug grabs her with her yo-yo. Cat Noir grabs her whip with his Cataclysm and whip rusts away.


"Miraculous Ladybug/Primrose!" We chant and then everything goes to normal including the pink hue that trapped us in this awkward rhyming mess.


"Time to de-evilise!" Ladybug de-evilises the Akuma. Nightingale comes back to her senses and looks at the three of us.


"What...What are you doing here?"


With a long heaving sigh from the difficult rhyming, I smile at her, "You were Akumatized by Hawk Moth!"


"🎵 I was saved by you! Oh, it's too good to be true~!🎵" She says and places her hands on mine, jumping excitedly at the thought.


"No more injustice in the world and here's a token from a rose~" I chant and rose petals form and hover towards her mic that's fallen on the ground before picking up and landing on Nightingale. A floral design forms on the base of the mic which immediately brightens Clara.


"🎵 Thank you, thank you, Primvère, thank you! A token from a superhero, it's best you could do! 🎵"


"Hey...I do have an idea for your music video..."


---


🎵 Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous! The luckiest!
The power of love, always so strong!
Miraculous! 🎵


We all cheer at the end result of the video as all of the people of Paris got to be in the music video, except for Chloe, of course, who wanted nothing to do with the 'monstrosity' of a video it would be.


It was a win-win situation if you ask me.


Alya grins at Marinette and me, "Even though (Y/N), Marinette and Adrien do look a little like the heroes, you gotta admit they weren't believable." She says which makes my eyes widen.


Ah...


"Totally..." I mutter as I dangerously sip on the punch that the school provided for the party. All of us students were present in the lounge looking at the video that got out earlier this morning.


Marinette laughs at my reaction, "True! We would've never been able to pull them off!" She says and looks at me, "Right?"


I nod at her with an amused smile.


"I don't think I would have been able to do as much as Cat Noir would have..." Adrien enters our conversation to which I chuckle.


"Yeah, world's apart..." I say dismissively and everyone looks at me with a confused look.


"O-Oh. I mean it's highly unlikely t-that Adrien could be Cat Noir since he's already busy being a model, right?" An awkward laugh escapes my lips and everyone seems to agree with me.


"Yeah! SHE'S TOTALLY RIGHT!" Adrien adds with a nervous smile leading me to blush as he gazes at me. I begin to examine his features strongly as he turns to chat with the others.


Although, I do wonder...


An uneasy feeling pierces through my chest, feeling like I shouldn't even make the assumption. But...it is true.


He does look a lot like that cat...


End Chapter.


You don't know how difficult this chapter was because of all that rhyming...this chapter is dedicated to Sammy. You know I love you. 

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