Fake Dating

10 - A nickname for him

The GPS informed them that they would reach Château d'Auvers-sur-Oise within an hour. They should use this time efficiently, because they were aware that three days given by Plagg weren't too much for all preparations they needed to make.

"I guess we should start from the reason why we kept our relationship secret." she began, trying to ignore Nino. "I think journalists will ask about it first."

"Really?"

"They always pry about a bombshell. They won't be interested in details at the beginning."

"You sound like a specialist in media issues." Adrien smiled.

"Well, I don't have too good experiences with the press..."

"Seriously?" he was surprised. He couldn't recall any scandalous articles involving LadyBug.

"There's especially one journalist who really hates me." Marinette sighed and looked through the window as if she remembered something from her past.

"But why?" Adrien asked intrigued, and Nino only pretended that he wasn't listening.

"It's all my pseudonym's fault. At the beginning of my career Tikki decided that I should have a stage name. You know, she's brilliant at her profession. She hid my identity so deeply that I was practically untraceable. And that made Alya mad."

"Alya Césaire?" Nino spotted, slowing down unknowingly. Marinette looked at him uncertain, as if she forgot about his presence.

"Yes. Do you know her?" she asked suspiciously.

"No." he replied shortly. "But we've had some problems with her once or twice..."

"So you know what I mean. Oh, if you saw her! Every single time we met at the press conference, she asked me a question that could help her to find my true identity."

"But you don't hide your name!" Adrien noted. "Yesterday you introduced herself as Marinette."

"Now it doesn't matter anymore, because my pseudonym has become a label itself. But Alya hasn't forgotten the beginnings, so she still pesters me at each press conference. She takes revenge on me for hiding my identity in the past."

"I can't believe she didn't find you. You know, on the street or something..."

"It wasn't so easy. My personal image differs from the professional one. That was another Tikki's idea to create an official LadyBug's image that would be recognisable."

"I don't follow."

"Every day I look like now. Jeans, T-shirts. Sometimes a dress... Usually I wear my hair up – a bun or ponytail. Or just hair down. On stage I wear two pigtails with red ribbons. And I always have a little ladybug on my cheek."

"But you still look like you."

"You'd be surprised how such details matter! I've met a lot of people who passed by me, glancing or even staring at me. And they always moved on, because they weren't sure if it was me or not. I guess they didn't want to accost a stranger or to feel foolish if they were wrong."

"I have to share this idea with Plagg."

"It's too late for you. You're too recognisable."

"I have to admit that your manager was unusually determined."

"She wanted to avoid a double marketing. You know, once they're talking about Marinette, the other time about LadyBug. She directed all the efforts to promote LadyBug to let people associate my face with that name."

"Like Madonna. Or Pink."

"I'm flattered, Adrien. But they're out my league."

"I mean a label of a pseudonym. Nobody remembers real names of those stars."