The New Kitty Noire

~ FIVE : Visitations~

Emma P.O.V.

I push open the butterfly window and bounce out of it without a word, secret identities and all. I work may way through the city, first stopping at Alya's to leave a note.

'Your request is pending, I must ask M'lady about it once I see her." 

I felt the night breeze blow over the town as Paris begins to settle for the night, I let my feet tap along the tiles of the rooftops, looking out for my fair Charlotte. I bounced to the nearest balcony to check the GPS, when suddenly a hug from behind surprised me.

"Hello, you are Kitty Noire... right?" 

"I am."

Charlotte let go and did an excited bounce, "I'm so excited to meet you, When I  lived in the U.S I used to hang out with superheroes all the time. I'm glad someone so different came to visit so quickly."

"Well, my contact said you needed a fun night, who better to bring than the queen of comedy~" I pranced around her, letting my belt-tail curl around her so she could see where I stood.

"oh, so you're the queen of comedy." She laughed pulling out a book on dad jokes... dad jokes.

"NOT THE DAD JOKES!!! My Mama does them too!!! And she hates puns!!!" I exclaim avoiding the book by hiding behind the shaken girl. She gave a heartfelt laugh, "Though I must say, my parents are the puurrrfect pair."

"I'm sure they are if they raised you this way, now why did you actually come?" She asks curiously leaning on the rail, looking deep in thought.

I don't know how to respond, why did I come, did I feel pity, lonely? "I came because I know what it's like to be alone, to feel out of sorts with the world, like a misfit." I let my belt drape over her waist and leaned against the rail, looking up at the sky. "When I was young, about 3 or 4, I was diagnosed with an odd genetic disease.  I was a miracle child, My parents said they waited by the hospital bed night by night waiting for me to recover. Dad said that everything they did was to keep me happy and alive."

She laid a hand on my shoulder, rubbing little circles into the leather suit, urging me to continue.

"But one night, they said it was the day after my birthday, a lonely blue feather fell onto my nose, they took it as a sign that I would get better... and I did. They never told me what the disease was or how I got better, they just said that after that day I felt completely different. Sometime earlier today an odd tattoo appeared on my arm. Then I got the miraculous. You know, tonight is the first time I've ever seen my parents argue."

"All couples argue..." She whispers gently feeling the expression on my face as she looks for how to safely respond.

"Yeah but this wasn't over like, ice cream or a missed call. This was personal, raw, betrayal. I didn't really come here for you per-se, I really just needed someone that could understand, I feel as though I am discovering so many secrets about my family today, and myself even, I just wish I could understand it all. Mama hides so much, and she does it well, Dad hides some stuff too, but my grandfather wasn't the best man to him, he still feels the need to hide things about that time in his life because of it."

I turn more towards her, both of her cold hands were exploring my face, searching for something, as if she was trying to find the words. I let her feel every inch of my expression, her hands somehow feel more delicate, sensitive, lonely. How can a physical touch express more than your voice. How can everything feel so real and raw and safe, yet feel so much like fiction. This hurts, but it's real. This is freeing, but it's not real.

"Even if you have everything, you feel lonely, as if you never knew someone. It's something that happens to most of us at our age, we crave validity through our parents or other companions. We search for the comfort that we need because our entire world is changing."

I give off the familiar model-smile, "I guess you're right there... do you wanna hear about the most awkward moment I had with my dad today?"

"Besides you snooping on your parents?" she laughs gently punching my arm.

"Of course! I would never-, but I asked my dad... how to flirt with girls." I shoved my face into my hands with a red blush all across my face.

She laughed, "You asked your dad how to flirt?? That has got to be the greatest thing I've heard from a superhero!"

"Well, I'm not really a hero, I've never saved Paris or completed the task given to me by my predecessor, I'm really caught in a mystery, the mystery of the Agrestes', their familial bonds."

She faces the city from her balcony, a quaint area where you can see the Eiffel Tower over the streets full of apartments.

"Well, then do your best to complete the task ahead, it is what you are after."

I give a giggle and hop onto the railing, "Thanks for the talk, Princess, but now I must be off, i'm going to see if M'lady is out tonight, I will be sure to visit again." She smiles and feels my face once more, looking for the reactions.

"Alright, bye Kitty! I'll be sure to bring snacks out next time, I'll head to bed now, goodnight." She turns and uses her hands to feel for the door, waving as me away as she enters to hug her mother, Mrs. Lee.

I jumped off the balcony and pushed myself towards the Eiffel Tower, I never noticed how pretty the city really is at night, all of the lights and gentle activity. I scaled the buildings with ease and freedom, the gentle wind cooling my face as I pulled up the tower. I sat at the top next to the hidden office looking over the city. 

"Boo" I jumped and almost fell, M'lady sat next to me, her eyes wide open looking over the sky. Her eyes... they were wide open, clear blue. Her eyes were glassy and calm, the blue was lighter as she had a white haze over them.

"M'lady? Your eyes..." I whisper looking at her, she looked confused, staring at my reaction. Her thoughts swirled in her head.

"My... eyes? Is this not how normal people see?" She whispers.

I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand and goosebumps flail my arms. "Nono that's not what I meant- this is the first time I've gotten a good look at them... They're beautiful... but what do you mean?"

"Kitty... I've been completely blind my whole life and with the costume I can see bits of color and shapes, I can recognize little things based on that."

I look her over and pull her into a hug, "I know we don't know each other well, but i'm sure we'll be great friends. I know I may not understand what you are feeling, but I can try my best..."

------

"We are partners after all... oh by the way did you see the post on the Ladyblog about us? I think we should do the interview, yo know, before whatever villain comes after us next, people are still going to be looking for our miraculous after all." She said laughing over my suggestion for keeping eyes off the Dupain-Chengs for a bit.

"Yeah I wouldn- Is that Alya??" I say zooming in on an orange figure below the tower. It is, She has a hand over her stomach, I honestly forgot she was having another kid.

She was waving maniacally clearly looking for us, I mean who else would do that. I lowered down my staff, grabbing little bug by her waist and sliding down. 

"Oh thank god you two were up there, theres an akuma at the Dupain-Cheng bakery!" Sh says in a panic, heavily breathing, M'lady nods and heads off to fight it on her own.

"Come on, I'll take you to a safe space."