When the Cat Met the Wolf

1. Of Photoshoots & Hidden Love

Sixteen year-old Arianne Mercier stood in her practice room at her house in Paris, France. The notes playing in her violin flooded the entire place with a harmonic sound. She was playing the My Soul, Your Beats!

"That was beautiful, Ari" admitted her kwami, Ayu, a wolf, flying in front of her. Arianne smiled slightly as she left the violin on the table.                

"Thanks, Ayu" she said truthfully "But I still think it could be better"

She had been playing the violin since she was ten, and had improved a lot, obviously, but she still thought she could do better.

"You need to give yourself some credit, Arianne!" exclaimed Ayu "You are very talented at it! You'll do great in your presentation!"

"I really hope so" she admitted, just as the bell rang.

"Are you expecting someone?" asked Ayu.

"Nope, but let's see who it is" she left the violin in its case and opened the door, to find her best friends, Marinette and Alya, and a little girl she had never seen before on Marinette's shoulders.

"Hey, girl!" greeted Alya the usual way, and Arianne smiled at them.

"Hey, you two" she then focused her gaze on the little girl "And hello to you, what's your name?" she asked kindly. 

"Manon" replied the little girl, and Arianne's smile grew bigger.

"That's a very nice name! I'm Arianne, it's nice to meet you" she stepped aside to let the three girls in "What brings you here?"

"Well, Manon is my mom's friend's daughter, and I'm supposed to watch her all afternoon, but Adrien is in the park right now and I have to see him" explained Marinette dreamily, and Arianne felt a sting of guilt, but shook it off with a chuckle.

"Let me guess, you couldn't say no" tried Arianne, and she guessed right.

"Exactly" replied Alya "And we thought we could come pick you up and go together. You're not busy, are you?"

"Nah" said Arianne with a wave of her hand "I was just practicing for my presentation next week, and I hope to see both of you there"

"Of course we'll be there!" said Marinette "We can't wait" Arianne smiled.

"Okay, then. Let me just grab some stuff and off we go" the girls nodded, and the violinist grabbed her bag from her room so Ayu could hide, before walking towards the park with her friends.

"C'mon" said Marinette, looking at Adrien. All four of them were hiding behind a tree, their heads poking out "We're gonna stroll over there real quick as if we just happen to be passing by"

"You do know that I know him since we were five, right?" asked Arianne "Him and the crew. They won't have a problem with us talking to them if I'm with you"

"We know, Ari" said Alya "But you know Marinette, she will be all—" she babbled something illegible.

"Exactly" Marinette agreed "Just follow my lead"

"And then what?" questioned Arianne.

"Then...I'll invite him out for a fruit smoothie at the end of the photoshoot!" said Marinette excitedly "Then, we'll get married, live happily ever after in a beautiful house, have two kids...No, three. A dog! Maybe a cat...Nah, forget the cat. A hamster, I love hamsters!" she was imagining a future with him, but for it to happen, first she needed to be able to actually talk to him.