Harsh Goodbyes & Butterflies {LadyNoir/Adriette}

Chapter 17

Noir

"Plagg? I can't do this."

It had been hours. Hours of staring at myself in the mirror, cursing silently, finding every single little flaw in my appearance possible and completely discouraging myself. Hours of gel and adjusting and even quick makeup touch-ups - yes, I was that desperate - didn't do jack-shit for my self-confidence. I was so nervous I was sure I'd make myself sick.

What also didn't help was the steady stench of Camembert that destroyed my nasal passageways every time I breathed.

I forgot to breathe through my mouth, which resulted in me choking for a bit. "You filthy animal," I cursed, turning back to the mirror and running a comb through my hair, "I should've dumped you in the trash when I had to take it out this morning. It would've made things a hell of a lot easier around here."

"You don't mean that, nya."

I sighed. "Whatever."

The sly little black cat darted up to join my reflection in the mirror, bright green eyes glittering mischievously. He tugged on a strand of my hair and I swatted him away.

"You're going to make things worse!" I hissed, wincing as he ruffled another section.

He laughed in response. "Kid, I'm not sure how much worse you can possibly get. I've never seen you this much of a stress case."

I sighed and put my elbows on the countertop, pushing my forehead into my hands. "I know, I know," I groaned, hating the stickiness of the layers and layers of semi-dry gel on my hands. "I just can't help it. I'm so nervous."

"I know one way to fix that."

I turned to look at him and shook my head. "Soon, but not now. We have to make sure we save our energy; it's going to take a lot out of you to have me transformed all night."

Plagg yawned and stretched, his little tail quivering. "You underestimate me. Keeping you transformed will be a cakewalk. Keeping you sane is a whole other issue."

"Shh, shh!" I waved him off, annoyed by his constant snide comments. He just grinned and went back to his cheese. I dabbed a little concealer under my eyes and leaned back, blinking as my vision corrected.

Still not perfect. Not perfect, but enough.

I pushed myself away from the counter, and Plagg looked up, slightly stunned.

"Dude, you're actually done?"

I laughed and flicked him, sending him spiraling across the countertop. "Haha, very funny. Let's get going, you nightmare."

I carelessly tossed the towel on my lap onto the countertop and stood, legs wobbling a bit as I regained my balance through the cloud of hairspray fumes. I reached the door and swung it open, taking a long breath before heading to my closet. I stood, arms crossed, in front of it.

"Alright, Plagg," I chuckled. "Your turn."

I shut my eyes and felt a light wind brush through my hair. I focused on my breathing and kept my eyelids sealed, having learned with years of practice that less energy would be used if I kept still. Strange tickling sensations climbed up my legs and from my fingertips to my shoulders, past my chest and up to my neck, and I did my best not to giggle. Standing my ground, I hummed a little, trying to pass the time the best I could without breaking down into another full-fledged panic attack.

"Alright, Adrien!" A voice chimed out inside my head, and I felt my smile widen on its own.

I turned to the mirror and laughed a little. Nice work, Plagg - it'll definitely make a mark. My trademark mask and ears were back in full force, allowing me to clear my head and switch my thought process into Chat mode, but I was wearing crisply ironed dress pants. They had always been a little too big for me, so I kept them stuffed in the back of my closet and tried to forget about them as much as possible. Now, though, they couldn't have fit me more perfectly - that was Plagg's doing. My dark grey undershirt was spotless and perfectly creased, the collar freshly starched and turned up. The black vest over it (one I'd forgotten was in my closet as well) was flawless as well, every inch of the material hugging my torso perfectly. My bell - a facet of my costume I always thought was a little awkward outside of my superhero form - was clipped onto the shirt, pulling it down a bit. If I was Adrien, I would've felt uncomfortable, but now, I fully enjoyed it. I whistled and turned, grinning as my tail swept into view as well. Quite the work of art, I must say.