"Hey, kid, wake up," a raspy voice said.
"Fivemoreminutes," Adrien groaned, wrapping himself deeper into the blankets. He didn't want to leave the bed. He didn't wanna wake up. He'd been exhausted since yesterday.
"Heard Sophie's waiting for you," the voice teased.
"Sophie..." Adrien mumbled, half-aware of the drool coming out of his mouth.
"Ooh, someone's got a new crush!" the voice laughed.
"No..." Adrien replied. "She'sjustafriend."
"Riiiight," the voice said. "Because you two having easy banter is a sign of friendship."
Adrien finally opened his eyes to see Plagg hovering over him.
"Gah!" he cried, tumbling off the bed. "Why did you have to wake me up?"
"I've only been for the past ten hours," Plagg shrugged.
Adrien bolted up with a start.
"Although, I must say, whatever's in those elixirs? I'll have to try those myself," Plagg said. "Girls back in Paris would fight in the Hunger Games for you."
Adrien rubbed his eyes, then stopped short, staring at his hands.
No doubt about it. The skin was definitely... a little different.
Like, somehow smoother.
And when he ran his hands through his hair, it felt... softer, silkier.
Plagg was right.
What was in those elixirs?
He groggily trudged downstairs.
"Wow," Sophie giggled. "Detoxes really sap people's energy."
Adrien pursed his lips together.
But he did catch Biana ogling him for a second.
Fangirls, he mentally groaned.
But he did catch his reflection in a mirror sitting against a wall.
Okay, so he did look like he'd been sleeping for a week (and thankfully, he didn't have any nightmares last night). And his hair was disheveled.
But still.
His eyes seemed to glow brighter, his hair looked shinier and silkier, and it genuinely looked like he went through some kind of "glow up," like what Chloe would always brag about.
"Where's Marinette?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Still sleeping," Linh shrugged. "Poor thing's been worn out since they implanted the powers into her."
Adrien couldn't help noticing the silver framing Linh's face, the color coating the ends of her hair. He couldn't remember anyone else but Tam with dyed hair like that.
"How exactly did you do that?" he asked. "To your hair, I mean."
Linh's cheeks pinked a little.
"It's... a long story," she mumbled.
Adrien decided not to push it.
"Adrien?"
He looked up to see Marinette, and he felt his cheeks heat up.
"Wow," Marinette said, blushing a little. "You... um... you look... different."
"Look who's talking," Adrien said. Her dark blue hair bounced as she walked, the sun shining small flecks of silver into her large bluebell eyes.
"Ooh, you look so pretty!" Biana squished Marinette into a hug. "I swear, if I could just do your hair and makeup a little and get you into a sparkly dress, the guys at Foxfire would fall to your feet!"
"Uh..." Marinette nervously giggled. "I... don't really want... that."
"Oh, come on!" Biana pressed. "You're like my blank canvas, and I've already got the paints and the paintbrushes!"
"But I don't wanna be anyone's blank canvas," Marinette said, her eyes darting everywhere but Biana.
"Leave the poor thing alone," Dex said. "Seriously, Biana. When are you gonna stop trying to give everyone a makeover?"
"Please," Biana crossed her arms. "Everyone knows I made you look amazing and all I did was put product in your hair."
Dex smirked a little and rolled his eyes.
"So... what exactly did I miss?" Adrien asked, feeling left out.
"Just two years of battling the Neverseen, friendships, drama, love triangles..." Sophie shrugged.
"And an oblivious Foster who keeps going to see Elwin," Keefe added.
"Oh hush," Sophie rolled her eyes.
"Okay, looks like everyone's up," Alden said, walking into the room with Della. "And... everyone looks like they just woke up."
"You think?" Marella raised an eyebrow. Adrien had noticed that Marella was definitely... the sassy one in the group.
"Well, we've got a busy day today," Alden said. "We've got to go to Atlantis. And... I suggest you guys at least dress up a little."
"Yay!" Biana squealed. "I've got the perfect dress for you!"
"Actually, I–" Marinette began, but was cut off as Biana started dragging her upstairs.
"You're not backing away," Biana said. "Besides, wanna look nice for your boyfriend."
"Keefe is just a friend," Marinette groaned before they both disappeared out of sight.
The rest of the teens all stared at each other.
"Well, while Biana's..." Della said. "Uh... being Biana, I've got some things for you, Adrien."
"Oh no," Sophie said, peeking into the next room.
"What is it?" Adrien asked.
Sophie stared at him with her large brown eyes, and he could see flecks of gold in it.
And he could feel that strange glimmer.
That he and Sophie were... connected. Like, more than just the two of them being the moonlarks.
That's when Adrien looked past Sophie and saw the room.
Or... the clothes.
"Yeah, I wasn't sure, so I just grabbed a little of everything," Della said.
"This... this is all mine?" Adrien gasped, starting to dig through all the tunics and capes.
"Yeah," Della said. "Do you not like it?"
Adrien was speechless.
"Well, there's also these," Della said, gesturing to a small pile of silver packages.
"Oh, those," Sophie said, picking up one of the smaller ones. "Just basic elvin jewelry."
Adrien stopped short for a second, noticing the silver ring on his finger.
More jewelry?
But he opened the first package, revealing a silver choker with a clear crystal set in the center. He remembered seeing them on the rest of the elves, but he hadn't bothered to ask what they were.
"That's a registry pendant," Della explained. "Helps the Council keep track of our whereabouts. Here. Let me help you."
Adrien hadn't felt a mother's touch for almost two years now. So to feel Della's fingers help clasp the pendant around his neck...
It made him think of Emilie.
He shook his head.
Hopefully he would know his real mother soon.
"Wow, this is pretty," Sophie said, holding out a thick black cuff with swirly designs, a peridot crystal inlaid on one side.
"What is it?" Adrien asked, his fingers involuntarily stroking over the crystal on the pendant.
"It's a nexus," Sophie explained. "It's supposed to help keep your cells together during a light leap. The crystal is a meter that lets you know how well your concentration is. Once you have full concentration, the nexus falls off."
"Interesting," Adrien commented as Sophie helped put the nexus around his left wrist. He watched her glittering brown eyes focused as she got the last bit of the metal clasp together.
He shook his head. Why did he always act so weird around her?
Sophie somehow seemed to get nervous a little too as they locked eyes for a second, and her fingers stumbled a little.
"Yeah, that was harder to get on than I thought," she shrugged, tucking her long blonde hair behind her fingers.
Both moonlarks happened to stare at each other a little longer.
Why was Adrien always getting lost in those golden-brown eyes?
"Well," Della said. "And this is an Imparter."
She handed him a small silver square.
"It'll let you hail anyone," she explained.
"Got it," Adrien replied as Della revealed a small green cube.
"And if you want to pay for something, just give them this," she said. "Your birth fund's been activated. It's strange, though. I swore I heard Bronte talking about Marinette having one as well..."
Adrien wasn't completely focused on Della talking.
"Well, I feel like we should all be getting ready for Atlantis," Alden said. "Sophie, why don't you go join the other girls? I'm sure they wouldn't mind a fifth."
"Sure," Sophie sighed as she trudged out of the room. "I get to look like a girly girl again. Great."
Adrien snickered a little as everyone left him alone to get dressed.
He couldn't help but dive into the pile of clothes.
He was gonna like it out here.
"Well, you gonna pick something or what?" Plagg asked, digging through a pile of pants. "Seriously, why do elves dress like it's the Middle Ages?"
"I'm not sure," Adrien said, picking up a deep blue tunic.
He wasn't sure if there were any specific colors he'd needed to wear.
He ended up going with a forest green jerkin and simple black pants, with sturdy brown boots and a velvety black cape with wine red lining. Plagg, of course, was trying to stuff Camembert in the pockets.
"Hey," Alden said. "Just so you know, all the kids are upstairs. I'm sure Biana's getting to them."
Adrien nodded and went upstairs, noticing Biana braiding Sophie's hair.
"I don't even know why I agreed to let you do this," Sophie grumbled, in a bright red ball gown.
Adrien finally noticed the missing girl.
"Where's Marinette?" he asked.
"Too shy to show her face right now," Marella snickered.
"Oh, hush," Keefe snapped, then turned back to a small door, his voice suddenly gentler. "Hey, soulmate's waiting for you."
"Ugh, you really think I won't get embarrassed?" Marinette's voice said from behind the door, and Adrien thought he saw a glimmer of pink through the translucent crystal door.
"Marinette, you're coming out of this bathroom, or I'm telling Adrien about the pictu–" Keefe began before Marinette shoved open the door.
"He doesn't need to know about that," she crossed her arms, then turned and saw Adrien.
Adrien swore even Plagg's jaw dropped.
"I know," Tikki said, flying up to the two of them. "I can't believe it either."
Biana had given Marinette a total makeover.
She was now in a frilly pink dress, with small pink roses around the waistline. Her hair wasn't in their usual pigtails; it had been let free and some locks pulled back and twisted around, held in place by small pins with pink flowers. Her eyes were dusted with silver and rose gold shadow, her cheeks rosy, her lips glossed with a small hint of rose gold. A gold cape hung around her shoulders, and beneath the hem of the dress, he could see small pink shoes (he remembered Chloe saying that those types of shoes were called "kitten heels" or something... Chloe usually talked about girly things whenever her and Adrien had their "playdates" when they were younger).
"Woah" was all Adrien could say.
"Not to brag, but Marinette could be a princess or something," Biana bragged. "I wouldn't be surprised if she really was a princess!"
Marinette blushed, but Adrien could still see that she was still a little insecure about the whole thing.
"Hey, why are you so worried?" he asked, walking closer to her.
"I... I don't know," Marinette sighed. "I guess it's just the stress of the whole thing. And then there's all of..." she stared down at the dress, "this."
"Hey, if anyone says otherwise, let me know," Adrien said. "Although, I must say, Biana does have a point with you looking like a princess. And that you definitely should be wearing your hair down more."
Marinette blushed even harder.
"Um..." she said, running her fingers through her hair. "And you look great too."
"Thanks," he nervously giggled.
"I'm... gonna get some fresh air," Marinette said, walking out of the room.
Adrien and Keefe just stared at the door she had just passed through for a while.
"You gonna tell me what those pictures were?" Adrien asked.
"Soon, Agreste," Keefe said. "Soon."
"Okay, Adrien, your turn," Biana said suddenly.
"Huh?" Adrien turned to her, noticing the pot of golden goo in her hand.
"Everyone else has had a turn," Biana shrugged. "Well, except Tam, who made it clear he didn't want a 'Biana makeover,' as he dubbed it, and Fitz, who's just being an annoying older brother. It's your turn now."
Biana didn't give him any time to say no; she plopped him into a stool.
"You'll get used to it," Sophie said, tugging some locks of hair out of her braid, letting it frame her face.
And... BAM!
Adrien was staring into those eyes again.
Then he felt the cold goop seeping into his head.
"Hey, what is that stuff?" he asked, leaning away from Biana.
"Relax, model," Biana giggled. "I'm trying to help you."
But Adrien still felt a little weirded out with her fingers running around his hair.
"So what was it like in Paris?"
Adrien turned to see Dex for a second before Biana adjusted him back to where he was before.
"Oh," he said. "It was okay, I guess. I was either at home, school, or in photoshoots, mostly. My fa–uh–Gabriel always made these rigid schedules that I had to follow. Even on my birthdays."
He could tell Keefe had noticed the stutter.
As well as Sophie.
"Man, sounds rough," Dex said. "And how long was that going on?"
"Since I was five," Adrien shrugged.
"Stop moving," Biana groaned. "Seriously, don't you have the ability to stay still?"
"I don't always have people rubbing glop into my hair," Adrien pointed out.
"Just try and relax," Biana said. "I'm almost done."
Adrien let out a small grunt.
He had a feeling this wasn't the first time he and the rest of the gang would go through a "Biana makeover."
Although, he would like to see Marinette get one more often.
No doubt about it, she was definitely one of the most beautiful girls he'd met (probably because she wasn't always obsessed with it like Chloe was).
So was Sophie.
Adrien wasn't sure about the two girls; maybe it was that they didn't 100% care about looking like girls on those magazines he'd sometimes read (mainly because Plagg had some strange guess that there would be Camembert ads).
Either way, he liked it.
Wait a second...
Oh, crud.
He, Keefe, Sophie, and Marinette...
They were slowly getting into a love square now, weren't they?
"There," Biana said. "See, I'm good with hairstyling. Especially for boys."
Adrien turned to the bejeweled mirror.
He didn't want to openly admit it, but Biana was right again. Whatever that goo was really did bring out the gold in his hair.
"Okay, are we done?" Tam asked, tugging on his jagged bangs. "Are we all ready to go?"
Adrien started fidgeting with the corner of his cape.
"I'm good to go if everyone else is," he shrugged as Della poked her head into the room.
"Not even surprised Biana got you all roped into her little makeovers," she giggled.
"Little?" Biana playfully scoffed. "Have you seen Mari yet?"
"Who's Mari?" Adrien wrinkled his nose in confusion.
"It's Marinette's nickname," Biana shrugged. "Anyways, I was right–she's gonna be my new canvas."
Adrien couldn't help but snicker.
"Given Marinette's reaction when you literally dragged her up the stairs, I'm gonna have to say that you just lost a canvas," Sophie snorted.
A/N: Yeah, so this chapter was a little more of a filler, but come on! I had to give Biana her little moment in the spotlight!