On Point

Famed hidden choreographer 'Chat Noir' revealed to be ballet legend, Adrien Agreste.

By Rena Rouge

Over the past year there has been a lot of hushed whispers about who the choreographer was for the Elite Squad of The Miraculous Studios.

The studios have always been known for their interesting and varied choreography, but as most festival goes will agree The Miraculous Studios have upped their anti over the past 12 months, raising the bar to a height others have struggled to contend with. They have dominated the festival scene in all disciplines but the real 'wow' came from their group performances, the recent 'Paris Dance Stars Championships' being the best yet.

After an incredible performance of 'Pandora's Box' The Miraculous Studios were crowned the champions with a massive 98 marks out of the possible 100. Not only was the score a record breaker, but as the group of dancers took to the stage they were joined by their coach and choreographer, formally known as Chat Noir, none other than ballet legend, Adrien Agreste (22).

It seems the ballet legend has a lot more tricks up his sleeve than just an impressive pas de chat . Some of the parents of the dancers also informed us Adrien isn't the only mastermind behind his routine, but his girlfriend too.

So not only are we now waiting to see what Adrien puts on stage next, but also the reveal of this unknown girlfriend. I wonder about how Lila Rossi feels about losing her man.

*****

Gabriel Agreste had always been a factual man. When Adrien's mother, Emilie, had been diagnosed with cancer he'd simply asked the doctors what they could do and he asked how serious it was.

When she recovered, he asked if she wanted to dance on stage again.

When she was diagnosed a second time, he questioned how much longer — Adrien knowing full well he meant how much time did they have left with her?

When Emilie had eventually succumbed to the disease his father wanted to know how much the funeral would cost, proceeded by whether the studio would have to shut, or any performances cancelled.

When Adrien said he didn't want to perform anymore, that he needed a break, Gabriel worked out how much he'd have to pay for a skilled dancer to take his son's place.

And when Adrien asked about his promotion to school director of another function, Gabriel had placed down many, many terms and conditions in relation to it happening.

Gabriel Agreste was a factual man, but what Adrien needed right now was a father.

Gabriel sat across from him, his hands threaded together, fingers wringing through each other, and a sheet of paper underneath his hands — an invitation sitting on top of the pile.

"We made a deal," Gabriel said, his voice lacking any emotion.

Adrien always thought his father saw him as nothing more than a business associate; a means to making more money and of growing more fame. The father/son relationship evaporated as soon as Adrien was potty trained, Gabriel spending more time in the studio than anywhere else. When Adrien started dancing he considered it an easy way to get his father's attention... now he would do anything to give it back.

"And yet, for some reason, you think going to a child's festival is more important."

Gabriel picked up one of the pieces of paper on his desk and slammed it back down in front of Adrien. He didn't flinch. Flinching showed weakness and weakness was not something Gabriel Agreste stood for.

Adrien sat waiting to see what his father would do next, not wanting to give his father an additional reason to punish him if he was to breathe the wrong way.

"You were meant to be at the fundraiser Adrien, Kagami Tsurugi had travelled just to see you. She's interested in joining the company as long as she's dancing with you."

Adrien remained silent. That wasn't going to happen.

"The least you can do is give me an apology! You're such an ungrateful boy, Adrien. I have done everything for you! And this is how you repay me."

The anger simmered inside him. Boy? At 22, Adrien was quite sure he wasn't a 'boy' anymore, and after everything he'd done! Adrien couldn't think of one single moment his father had done anything for him.

Adrien had been pushed, and he'd been pulled, and he'd been thrown to the lions to dance like some sort of caged monkey. But not anymore. He'd had enough. Standing from his chair in front of his father's desk, Adrien looked at the headline 'On Point' had run.

Famed hidden choreographer 'Chat Noir' revealed to be ballet legend, Adrien Agreste.

Famed choreographer! Even if his father did turn against him, he could do it on his own. That headline and article proved it. Everything he'd worked for he'd done on his own, he was respected and he knew, if this didn't work out, he would always have a home with Tikki and Plagg. The studio was only one of many; other Miraculous Studios hidden around Paris with many others trained by Dance Master, Fu.

He could do this. He didn't need Gabriel.

Picking up his bag he prepared to walk out of the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Gabriel demanded.

Adrien stopped and turned back to look at his father, his face strong and hard, and most of all – determined! Pulling his bag further up his shoulders.

"I don't know how you do it," Adrien said, shaking his head. "I don't know how mom can leave the world in a blink of an eye and you just block it out, because I can't. It's too hard. And then you expect me to just go on, like, just deal with it. So I am. I am dealing with it in my way! You only wanted me to be as sad as long as her flowers lasted and then go back to normal — well guess what, father, without mother there is no normal. You might channel your grief into this company, but I channel mine into telling stories, of creating something for people to feel that comes from my heart. I hope one day you will respect that! I'm not a doll made for the crowds or for you to promise to other dancers. There's only one person I'm dancing with from now on, and I hope you can respect that."

Gabriel stood from his position on his chair, hands poised on the table as he leaned forward and glared at Adrien. The hate was obvious in his grey, crystal eyes. Nobody spoke up to Gabriel Agreste to live the tale (except Plagg).

"How dare you!" Gabriel spat out. "How dare you insinuate I don't grieve for your mother! How dare you think that each and everyday I don't wish it was me in that grave instead of her. This is all I have left of her, Adrien, and I thought you'd respect that."

The words punched him in the gut harder than the Hulk could have. How dare he! How fucking dare he! He was his mothers son. He was part of her, yet his father couldn't seem to see that. What more did he need to do?

"And if that doesn't prove it, father , nothing ever will." His tone was so harsh, so cold, so unemotional.

Adrien opened the door, fire coursing through his veins and burning every inch of his body. He knew there were stages to grief, and he thought he'd gone through them all, but the anger that flamed inside him right now was more than he'd ever felt.

Keeping his head away from his father, he looked up and out the door, his eyes catching Nathalie's as she sat at her usual desk.

"This isn't the only thing left of my mother." With that, he slammed the door hard behind him, making his way towards the studio and ignoring the call of Nathalie asking what was wrong. He was done with all this. He... was... done!

As he encroached on the studio, he saw the light on and heard the faint sounds of Lewis Capaldi escaping the studio.

Love songs that could go and rot in hell.

He didn't even look at Marinette as he entered the studio, instead throwing his bag across the floor without a single care of scratching his father's beloved, sprung floor, and removed his coat, dumping it in a heap on top of the piano.

As he made his way over to the stereo, he didn't notice the surprise on his partner's face or the way she looked slightly terrified.

*****

Marinette woke up with a strange feeling in her stomach. It was like the feeling she'd get the morning of a festival knowing Chloé, or worse, Lila was going to be competing there.

She lay looking up at the ceiling trying to understand why she was feeling the way she did.

Was it the thought of seeing Adrien after missing the festival? No, of course not. She'd spoken to him last night, and everything was fine. He'd thanked her and she'd congratulated the girls.

Was it the feeling she had from the concert? She had definitely enjoyed herself for most of the evening, even if their date had been gatecrashed by Zoé. So what was wrong with her?

She rolled to the side of the bed and grabbed her phone, glad that, as she looked into Alya's bed, her friend had already left. Adrien was a late starter, believing in being awake and fed before attacking a routine, where Gabriel had scheduled his rehearsals to start at 8am, Marinette and Adrien didn't start until 10.

Bringing her phone in front of her face, she noticed it was only 7:15am, so the gang must be in the kitchen having breakfast and preparing for the day. Her stomach churned at the thought of going out to join them, which once again brought her back to the reason why?

Luka.

The name kicked her in the gut hard. She was stalling because she wasn't ready to face Luka. Their story had been one which had built over months of late night chats, movies and what if's, and she wasn't foreign to having her stomach flip for him, but to roll like it was now wasn't normal.

They'd kissed for the first time last night, and it just didn't feel like she thought it would. Wasn't your first kiss with a true love meant to be all inspiring and ground breaking? Nothing shook. Nothing broke. And in all honesty, she wasn't exactly enthused about doing it again. It felt like kissing a relative. Like a cousin, or a brother (not that she had one).

Marinette couldn't help but wonder if Luka felt the same. If the spark never ignited for her, is it possible it hadn't for him either?

The sound of a door slamming in the main area of the apartment, almost had the phone dropping on her face, her hands fumbling to catch it before she gave herself a black eye. How attractive would that be!

Marinette pushed up on the bed, forcing herself into a sitting position and listening for any possible noise. She counted slowly...

1... 2... 3... 4

By the time she got to 30 she was positive she was alone. Taking the opportunity to climb out of bed and make her way into the kitchen. She set her phone on the nightstand as she made her exit, praying she wasn't going to end up face-to-face with Luka, not until she'd sorted these feelings out. Heading to the fridge, she grabbed the milk before finding a bowl and the cereal box. Replacing the milk in the fridge, the click of the front door opening almost had her head butting the rack above.

She closed the door quickly and looked to whoever had just entered the apartment, only to come face to face with the wide blue eyes of Rose.

"Oh, Rose! You scared me," Marinette chuckled, turning back to the drawers and grabbing a spoon.

Her stomach settled knowing it wasn't Luka and she knew that was a telltale sign of what was to come. Maybe she should kiss him one more time, that way she could check to see if it was first time nerves or something more. She liked Luka – a lot! It would be unfair for her to use her childhood fairytale fantasies against him.

Rose continued to glare at Marinette as she hopped up onto the bar stool and placed the bowl in front of her. Rose shook her head and moved to grab the phone left on the coffee table.

"Are you okay?" Marinette said, noticing Rose's silence.

"What's it to you?" The sharp tones took Marinette back, Rose had never been anything more than pleasant and happy. She was sweet, but everything radiating off her at the moment was definitely sour.

"Did I do something to upset you?" Marinette placed the spoon back in the bowl and looked at the smaller girl. Rose, unable to even look her in the face.

"Listen, Marinette, I don't care what you do in your own time, but if you hurt Luka you will regret it. He's pretty much family to me, and he's been hurt enough. If you're lying to him, you better come clean."

Remaining speechless, Marinette watched as Rose left the apartment once more, a cold shiver vibrating down her spine. Whatever feelings she was having she needed to get them sorted sooner rather than later, she was quite certain Rose would not go back on her words.

A couple of hours later, she'd made it to the studio. She was training at one on a higher floor with Adrien, closer to his father's office and away from the other students. They pretty much were left alone during rehearsals, only Plagg would come and see them, every now, and then doing his best impressions of Gabriel Agreste to help them out for when the director finally turned up.

She was first there. She made her way inside and switched the light on, placing her bag at the front, and heading over to the stereo and plugging her phone in. She may as well make the most of her alone time here, it wasn't very often Gabriel allowed it without the sign off from himself.

Taking centre stage, she began to dance. Each move came naturally as she just danced – feeling the music and what was in her heart. The memories of when she danced with Adrien at the studio earlier that week flooded back to the forefront of her mind, the effortlessness and ease. The feeling of dancing with Adrien was as easy as breathing, and one she shouldn't be reacting to as much as she was.

She spun and leaped, she pieced together some intricate floorwork, before combining arabesques and attitudes with pirouettes and développés. The movements were calm and fluid, and completely destroyed by the entrance of her partner.

Marinette heard Adrien before she saw him. The solid sound of heavy feet echoing in the halls before hitting the wooden floor of the studio floor, his bag flying across the room and rebounding against the wall. He made his way to the stereo, ripping her phone from the lead before placing his own in.

"We're going to go from the top. It was sloppy last time we danced it, and I think we need to change the beginning, have it all move slower into the main climax of the music."

Her forehead creased, who was this Adrien and where had her Chat Noir gone? She was fairly certain they'd agreed this wouldn't happen again.

"We'll see if we can move the first part into the middle and then look at the possibility of extending it into the ending, we'll see what Plagg thinks when he comes up. You better have warmed up because we're now 20 minutes late starting."

Marinette stared at him for a moment as he messed around on his phone and made her way to her coat, grabbing it and placing it on before sleeping her feet into her boots and wrapping her coat tightly around her body.

Adrien turned to look at her, probably realising she hadn't spoken yet, only for his face to fall. The carefree smile she'd started to become fond of nowhere to be seen. Instead it was replaced with a cool, hard glare.

"What do you think you're doing? We've only got 2 weeks to make this perfect. Take your coat off."

She crossed her arms over her chest in challenge, raising one eyebrow at him and pulling on her sassy side. "No, I don't think I will."

"There's no need to be stubborn now, Marinette. Take your coat and shoes off."

She screwed her nose up and pursed her lips. "No, thank you," she responded.

Adrien sighed and threw his head back with a deep, husky groan. She took the opportunity to go and grab his coat. In a perfectly timed fashion, he brought his head back level to look at her and she threw it straight into his face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Adrien hissed, his hands pulling the coat down and holding it tightly in his hands. She noticed how his knuckles were turning slightly white from the grasp.

"I'm not doing this again, Adrien. We agreed to be nice to each other. So we're going out."

"What? No! We've got a week and a half to get this together!"

"Yes! We're going to The Magic of Christmas, and for once in your life you're going to have fun. Now, put your coat on!" Marinette demanded.

"No!"

She looked at him. If Adrien was this stubborn, what the hell was his father like? He must have gotten it from somewhere.

"We're going to have fun! Put it on!" She was almost growling at him.

"No!" He leaned his face forward, almost landing nose to nose with her.

They stood face-to-face, eyes burning into the other before she backed away.

"Fine! Stay here like your father demanded you to. I didn't think you wanted to be under his wing anymore, yet here you are." She knew this was a low blow, but it was the only thing she could think of to get him out of the studio and out of his own head. It was obvious he'd just seen his father. This was the exact reaction from every meeting between the two Agrestes.

Adrien's knuckles loosened, his hands releasing his coat slightly and allowing him to slip it on. "Fine!" he sighed defeatedly. "But if I don't have fun, I'm suing you for false advertising."

He looked up at Marinette from buttoning his coat, a twinkle in his eyes which made her smile.

"I'm sure I'll deliver."

Adrien led her to the doorway, placing a hand on her lower back, one which seemed to spread warmth all through her body.

"So, what is The Magic of Christmas?"

Marinette smiled at him, she couldn't wait to take him there.