Set to Love

Chapter 6

Marinette thought that she would struggle to wake up at six to be on set at seven in the morning, but she actually ended up waking up at four to the sounds of movement in the hallway –– it turned out that the floor she was on was not only home to the rest of the Art Department but also the actors who were called to the hair & makeup room on set at six, an hour earlier than the remainder of the crew, so they would be ready to do blocking with the director. But said director, Adrien Agreste, was nowhere to be found, forcing the assistant director and cinematographer to pick up the slack.

Marinette and the set decorator Jemima, armed with bumbags containing seemingly every item imaginable, maneuvered their way around the actors while they were blocked, taping their clothes and gelling their hair to ensure not a single strand of hair or crease on the fabric would move ––for continuity sake.

Being up close to the actors like that, Marinette could see their too-perfect noses and preventative botox up close and personal. Not that she had anything against plastic surgery, per se. After all, being in an industry where your face literally pays the bills, why not invest? Even if it expands idealistic beauty standards that ultimately harm society and those living in it.

Okay, so maybe she was a bit critical.

The scene was shot on the picturesque bank of the Huangpu River, where Kung Fu fighters sparred with handheld cameras capturing every move. However, it was June –– the time of the notoriously unpredictable Meiyu (Plum Rain) Season. Despite the threat of inclement weather, the crew decided to embrace the atmospheric charm that the rain lent to the scene.

Marinette had read tidbits about the local weather during her flight, learning that from August to mid-September, it would be typhoon time. So there was a sense of urgency among the crew to capture as much outdoor footage as possible before the typhoon season –– which would relegate production to the confines of indoor sets. Thus, despite the looming uncertainty of the weather, the team pressed on, determined to make the most of the serene rainy backdrop while they still could.

As a consequence, instead of set dressing or doing anything remotely creative, Marinette found herself downgraded to the role of the designated umbrella holder, moving alongside the camera operator to ensure the expensive Blackmagic camera setup would not get wet. While Marinette dutifully upheld this amazing responsibility, the rest of the art department either monitored the footage for costume continuity on the Blackbox, or others, like the Art Director Chloé, who preferred to stay dry, were busy prepping props for the next scene after lunch.

"The art department is responsible for having everything. If it starts raining and the crew has no umbrellas, that's our fault, and we'll be blamed. Even though it's not technically our job to think about that," Aimée explained, handing Marinette the crate of now-wet umbrellas to carry back up the hill to the Art Department's minibus. As the Production Designer, the most experienced member of the team, Marinette trusted her expertise implicitly.

The stakes for the production were undeniably high, and Aimée was clearly under immense pressure to ensure everything ran smoothly. "I'll be on set for almost every shoot, just to make sure no mistakes happen that could reflect negatively on our department. I know the producers are already on M. Agreste's back about allowing us to go over budget. So, as the head, I must be careful, or else the whole department could fall apart." Aimée continued. Marinette couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. It was no wonder people sometimes rejected promotions, opting for less responsibility in exchange for preserving their sanity. Marinette almost wished she could have had that choice with being the Guardian.

The weight of leadership was indeed a heavy burden to bear, and she knew that fact well.

"Being in the Art Department seems like more work than it's cut out to be," Marinette commented as they began walking up the hill.

Aimée sighed, "It's not the work that's the problem, it's more the lack of recognition. You know, other people taking credit for your work and such. It happens a lot." Marinette thought that at least Ladybug always got proper credit, but thinking of the media's dismissal of Chat Noir, Marinette could still relate all too well.

"That's rough," Marinette sympathised, nodding in understanding. "It happens a lot in the creative world, doesn't it? Or even in the corporate world in general. It's always the big man who gets the credit, not the actually smart little people below who keep the show running." She paused, her thoughts drifting to her experiences. "It's the same in fashion, too," she added, reflecting on her internships and contract work. "It's hard to keep going with passion when your efforts are stolen by others."

"But at least all of us little people have each other's backs, right?" Aimée said with a reassuring smile. "You seem like a good person, Marinette. Friends?"

"Friends," Marinette agreed with a warm smile, relieved to find a sense of camaraderie and friendship with someone on the team, other than Luka.

Speaking of Luka, after loading up the minibus, Marinette parted ways with Aimée as she set off to hunt him down for lunch. Said lunch turned out to be a rushed experience at FamilyMart, devouring steamed buns and bento boxes, as the morning shoot ran late until twelve-fifteen and Luka had to be at the recording studio by one, leaving little time for a leisurely meal. Nevertheless, it was good to catch up again, and Marinette was able to return Luka's guitar pick to him on time.

The afternoon shoot, however, proved to be less successful. This next scene required more detailed props, most of which Chloé and the rest of the team had prepared, including golf bats and prams. But there was one crucial element missing: decapitating some baby dolls' heads.

It was a peculiar scene, to say the least, but one that needed extra care to pull off convincingly. While Marinette began cleaning the art department's corner of the crew's workroom (which was more like a repurposed function hall), Aimée busied herself with preparing the doll's heads. However, in the process, while dyeing the fabric that would serve as the dolls' exposed neck insides, she accidentally spilled some of the red food dye onto the carpet.

Instantly springing into action, Aimée took charge. "Jemima, get the dishwashing liquid and rubbing alcohol out of the bumbags," she instructed, her voice urgent. With determination, she grabbed her shirt and began soaking up the dye that had not yet sunk into the carpet.

"Here," Jemima said, handing over the dishwashing liquid and rubbing alcohol, which Aimée immediately started using along with a nearby white towel. Seeing the chaos, Marinette rushed over to assist, hydrating the area with bottled water in an attempt to prevent the dye from drying in.

"How're my props going?" a voice interrupted, and Aimée sprang to her feet. Oh no!

"M. Agreste, we'll be ready in about fifteen minutes if that's okay?" Aimée said, attempting to usher him away from the scene. Marinette couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration. Adrien Agreste's timing couldn't have been worse, arriving just moments after a food dye disaster they were still grappling with! This is just her luck!

Adrien seemed to see right through the situation, his gaze sweeping past Aimée's attempts to shield the scene. "What's going on here?" he asked, moving around Aimée to get a clear view of both Jemima and Marinette still frantically trying to remove the dye from the carpet.

"Well, you see..." Aimée began, obviously feeling the weight of the situation, aware that any misstep could reflect poorly on the entire team in the already tense production environment.

Marinette stood up, "I spilt this dye on the floor while helping Aimée make the baby heads," she interjected, deciding to take the blame. As Aimée said, if she took the blame, as the head of the department, it would reflect badly on everyone. So it would look better if it was the new hire's fault, right? Besides, Aimée was a good person, and Marinette didn't mind taking the fall for her.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, I expect to see you in the executive lounge at seven this evening in private," Adrien ordered firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument before he turned and walked away.

"Okay, sure," Marinette replied, though Adrien was already too far out of earshot to hear her. She couldn't shake the feeling that this meeting could be the last straw, the final blow to her already strained situation. Nonetheless, she believed that taking the fall was the right thing to do for her team, so she wouldn't regret it.

Right?