djbubbles | IC Inbox (The Wake)

I would argue my Lady is the best, but we would be here all day.

In case I need to be Chat again. I remember how to bend it back and I can be your back-up Chat or at least provide a good distraction.

[He still had quite a few fake memories still around and not just the one about Plagg. Mostly from his fights with Akumas.]

[There is a long, long, long time where Chat just stares at Nino, face blank.]

.....

You do realize you could die, right?

Especially when it comes to Akumas, like the very core of my job is to take the hit if someone has to.

Yeah I know. You come back here after a week even if that were to happen. I may not have formal training, but I know how to fight now.

[Believe him, he knows the risks.]

.....

[Chat breathes deep. He lets it out.]

Okay, I'm. Shelving that for right now. Just. Things. Things first, discuss things first before. That.

[Rubs at his face and. Okay. Okay. Prioritize, cover key points, get. Somewhere.]

Okay. First point. The Doctor, just Ten, and Rose know, the Doctor got one of my memories during a psychic storm, Rose figured out from the ensuing freak out. Spark knows because the suit does nothing to alter the smell of an open wound. Leia knows because she figured out secret tutor Chat during the Academy storm and put two and two together.

Those are the four who definitely know and are safe to talk to about it. There's a couple of people who probably know or at least suspect, but they are leaving it alone.

Ladybug does not know. She does not want to know. I am going to have to tell her you know.

[He'll accept that since it's not a hard no.]

Got it.

Just like with me and my Lady. I remember she didn't want to know either. Your lady should know sooner than later. You two are partners after all.

If I had known during Dark Cupid, I would have immediately ratted her out.

Same. I can see why both Ladybugs don't wanna know 'cause that's a risk.

[It made sense, even if he did wish he knew.]

Yeah. [He sighed. Stupid safety.]

[He flopped down in the couch.]

....when combined, the ladybug and black cat Miraculous can grant ultimate power. Able to grant any wish.

[He's staring at the ceiling.] Balance is important. Everything between Ladybug and I is about maintaining a perfect balance, stepping in where the other needs it. I doubt that wish is free.

But Renard didn't care to think beyond the prize. It was a way to bring them back. It was worth being evil to get it. He believed it was worth sacrificing his soul.

I agree, there's gotta be a catch to it.

[And certainly not worth whatever Papillion truly wants. Nino shakes his head at the last part.]

Just as I thought. I could tell he was desperate but I wasn't sure if it was because he went crazy or got impatient.

[Since that was something he never attempted before that point.]

Garfield was in on it. Adrien found the Miraculous shortly before Renard appeared. Several months later, Garfield found out, and they'd been switching ever since.

When father just appeared from our perspective, it was a shock. Didn't trust it. But Garfield came up with the idea of us both jumping Ladybug at once since we didn't need the Miraculous to transform, and it'd catch her off enough for us to hopefully get at least one earring.

We knew how to get Ladybug. We were waiting to somehow lose father again. And I....I decided that I wasn't going to let it happen. You were new, I could win if I just stopped caring about the consequences, we could get them quickly, make sure we didn't lose him, and maybe figure out how to get her.

That explains a lot. My Lady and I had assumed Renard had two personalities. We never considered the possibility of two people using the Miraculous.

[Nino feels a pit in his stomach. Yeah it's the storm's fault, but it still chilled him to hear such details.]

I'm glad at least I was able to stop you in a way then. I don't know what I would have done without my Lady. I wonder why Garfield didn't try to kill me while I was in Medbay yesterday.

[Since that was a legit concern.]

I hadn't wanted to, at first, but we were both too protective for our own good.

Because it'd have destroyed me? You were the first person we let in since Kirika. Chat Noir? Yeah, we could delude ourselves that far. Not our friend. Not my best friend. He was plannig to do sone stupid suicide run, let himself get destroyed as long as he got it, but I talked him down via the power of a pretty major mental breakdown.

[He can't help but cringe. Looks like he dodged a bullet there since if Garfield actually went ahead and attempted to kill him, he mostly likely would have been screwed.]

And that's why you ran when you saw who I was under the mask.

[Which makes sense 'cause even in an AU, there's no way Adrien could ever kill him.]

Renard's motivation was love. To fix the lonely, broken world. To....to risk breaking part of what he had left was too much. He relied too much on self lies and mental gymnastics, to tear anything significant down was going to make things start falling apart.

[He looked over.] Still loved you, man. You helped a lot in keeping Adrien centered, to remember why he tried to keep his moral compass somewhat intact.

[Well that certainly makes him feel a lot better.]

It's what friends do, bro.

[He smiled at that.] True. You're a really good friend.

[He paused, expression failing, hands clasping together in his lap, looking away again.]

I don't....I don't want to be....dishonest, I guess. This Renard thing....the thing that's messing me up so much is I...I get how I got there. A little more bitter, a little less kind, a lot more hurt. And....

[He closed his eyes, and let out a deep sigh.] And keyed into one of the few things that have....have led to that dark temptation. I don't want to hurt people, I don't want to kill anyone, but there's been moments, when I thought I almost lost Ladybug, when Papillon had my father, and suddenly the idea didn't seem so impossible I'd cross a line.

I would never go after people I love.

But when it comes to the people I love being in danger or being taken, there...there's enough anger and fear there.

[His hands were clenched together tightly, claws digging into the material on the back of his hands.] I don't know if that changes your thoughts, but if it did, I can't....I can't just say I would never, ever cross a line.

[Nino frowns and looks at him with concern. He places a hand on Chat's shoulder.]

We all have our bad sides and the ability to do bad things. Remember Bubbler? The important thing is choosing not to fall into that temptation, and being a good person. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, man.

I already said I forgive you and that's not changing.

Edited 2017-11-28 03:29 (UTC)

[Things like that were always hard to hear. Hard to believe that it could be so simple.]

[But...it was Nino. Nino who went Bubbler for him. He supposed he would understand.]

[He sighs and then unclenches his hands, putting one over Nino's.] Sometimes you feel too good to be true. You know that?

[He can't help but laugh a little at that.]

Well there's always thinking about the Bubbler to fix that.

[He's half joking though there's always the fear that he could become the Bubbler again as long as Papillion is still around.]

I don't know about that. I always thought it was touching, in a kind of demented way. Pretty effectively negated a lot of anxiety I'd mess up our friendship too.

[He shrugs.] I guess so.

Then again, you and your Lady have Miraculouses so you're safe from getting Akumatized.

[At least he assumes that's the case. After all, both back home and in that AU, Papillion had yet to try Akumaizing either Ladybugs or Chat Noirs.]

...I'm...not actually sure that's true? I mean, its possible, but Ladybug and I have bad personalities for Akumas.

Not that we're too good. But Ladybug is pretty quick to solve problems, Papillon has a short time to offer her anything. And I quickly lose anything for Papillon to burn.

With Tikki and Plagg to be immediate support, the window doesn't last long.

That's also a good point. Let's hope we never find out.

[So much for that idea of making himself Chat again if he feels too bad to protect himself.]

He's certainly tried here. Fought him twice during the Endos thing. But the rules are different. People can resist, so it might be he wants to test my willpower.

....

[Nudges his side.] You got the worried look.

And we know people can resist getting Akumaized so who knows how it works now?

[That surprises him and he tries his best to force a smile.]

I-I'm fine. As long as I keep my chin up, he can't get to me.

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