Carter didn't think it was really his place to comment on the lives of succubi. For the most part, they were harmless. Most, as with most intelligent beings, didn't actually have any malevolent intent and just wanted to go about their lives in peace. Still, there were complications.

A lot of demons, for example, didn't understand the limits of what a human could take. Some erred on the side of caution, and often Carter never had to involve himself with them beyond a few words, but others… Carter was sometimes forced to step in and explain things to them that no one else was qualified to explain.

Not that he was particularly qualified to explain it, but a year with his Miraculous had taught him a lot, and the Miraculous' attributes meant he was uniquely qualified to mediate between humans and magical beings. The special thing about him was that he had a foot in both the human and magical worlds. Unlike witches and weres, who could pass as non-magical, Carter actually was an ordinary human. He belonged in that community. But with his Miraculous, he gained access to an entirely different and underground layer of his city.

Many folks in the magical community still didn't accept him. He understood. He'd never really know what it's like to live underground and not be able to just turn off his magic.

So he tried not to make judgement calls. It kept him rational and kept his image in the magical community safe. That was why, when he snuck into the succubus' apartment, careful not to wake her sleeping boyfriend, she only looked at him with worry on her face.

Working under the cover of night was hand-in-hand with being part of the magical community. As such, they had seen and used all sorts of ways to find each other in the dead of night. That he was sneaking through her window was, quite frankly, almost less surprising to her than that he was there at all. Still, he thanked the powers that be that she only held a finger to her lips, gesturing to her prone boyfriend, and slipped out of bed to lead him to a room where they could talk.

It was always sad, he thought, when he met a succubus or incubus who desperately wanted to be monogamous. It wasn't that they were not capable of it, it was that they largely fed off of human sexual desire. For a succubus to be healthy, she needed – not necessarily sex, not for most kinds of succubi, anyway, but she needed a lot of people to want to have sex with her. And she needed to be in close proximity to those people.

For a healthy, monogamous, human-'cubi relationship to work, the 'cubi needs some sort of outlet where they can get that. Often that means going to a club or remaining flirtatious to other people, and often that leads to jealousy on the human's part.

If the 'cubi tried to stop that, then either they would starve themselves or they would drain their partner, often unintentionally to death. It was a tough situation all around, which is why most 'cubi had open relationships or never got into romantic relationships at all.

Carter sat down with her, accepted a cup of tea, and calmly explained to her that if she continued at the rate she was, she'd hurt her partner. The succubus was devastated, and asked hesitantly what she could do. He explained to her that the best thing she could do was ensure he was healthy – diet and exercise did a lot for a human's lasting power with 'cubi (Luckily in this case the human seemed to be fit, he probably worked out on his own) – and try to get what she could from people outside their relationship. She had to be opportunistic.

She apologized and stressed that she had no intention of hurting her partner. Carter assured her that he knew, and that a lot of succubi had the same problem. He also reiterated that she shouldn't let herself starve, and that if she took what little she could from the guys whistling at her in the streets, or her creepy coworkers, she could make the relationship work and keep both of them healthy. That those guys existed was unfortunate, but she could exploit them if she could handle them. He also recommended that she go out every once in a while. If she went to parties, even with her boyfriend, it was exceedingly likely that she'd have a veritable feast and she wouldn't even have to be unfaithful since the nature of parties meant everyone was relatively close by.

She thanked him and promised to be careful and Carter left out the front door. By his standard, he would visit her again in a few weeks, enough time for her partner to show signs of improvement if she kept her word and enough time for her to show signs of starvation if she was too careful. But at the moment, he had done all he could.

So, job complete, he stole through the night back to his own home.

Having a secret identity was a concept Carter had juggled with after he had gotten his Miraculous. His public image with the magical community was strained at best – great on a personal level, he was close friends with many of the magical beings he had helped before, but strained in the broader picture. Most "official" institutions refused to acknowledge him as part of the community, but even with them there were overtures of civility. The only major organization that supported his niche was the werebeasts, and Carter was pretty sure that was because the weres had a somewhat unique organizational structure.

The more personal level bubbled up with them, and they heard about him keeping a pup out of trouble or taking a homeless were to breakfast after a full moon. And though everyone else obviously heard about him, they were a lot less willing to lend too much credit to handfuls of scattered testimonies.

Unfortunately, the werebeasts were also somewhat looked down upon by the larger community, so their support didn't actually mean much.

It stressed him out, sometimes. Not knowing whether the next witch or 'cubi he meets will be overtly hostile or friendly. But he considered himself lucky. He had a whole year to learn and a mentor who was always there when he needed her. And he found that keeping his magical activities hidden only from non-magical people worked out for the best for him.

"Carter, I found a lead on a new Miraculous."

Carter whipped his head around, an audible gasp touching his lips before he stilled, bit his tongue, and furrowed his brow. "What do you know?"

His mentor was an elegant, proper woman lost to time. The deep furrows in her brown skin revealed more than just weathering by the ages and indeed, despite her being as old as she seemed, the sparkle in her eye could convince someone who did not know her of an inner youth.

Carter knew better than to assume anything like that, though. For though she shone like a woman in her prime, she also commanded a dignified experience that only someone of her age could achieve, and she was as proud of that as she was of him.

She smiled at him. "Only rumors, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to follow up on them."

"But you usually search for the Miraculous."

The look this time was a sad one gilded in pride. "Oh, Carter. I am becoming too old for this kind of adventure. And you're ready. I know it."

"I…" Carter worried his lip. "I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask. The Miraculous, as I heard it, was found in the river."

Carter made a face. "The San Antonio river?"

"Do you know another?"

"No, it's just that… it's kind of…"

"Polluted."

"Yeah."

"Well, you'll only have to swim in it."

"…This is why you're making me do it, isn't it?"

His mentor's amused chortle made him smile, despite what he had to look forward to. "Not at all, Carter. Do you think I haven't experienced worse?"

"Suddenly, I'm a lot less excited to be searching for the Miraculous."

"Oh, shush, child. As I was saying. It was found in the river, so you'll need to go and find it."

"You do realize that I can't search the entire San Antonio river."

"Of course I know that. If you'd listen for once, I'll tell you where to look." She shook her head. "I'll go with you and stay nearby. I want this to be your mission, but since it's your first time with something like this, I'll keep watch. What you need to do, then, is dive into the river from somewhere near the mall. It was found there, but it was probably found by a naiad by now, or washed downstream, so you'll need to follow the trail."

"Great. So basically, it's going to be just around the riverbend."

"Did I ask?"

Carter snickered, seeing in her eyes that she appreciated his comment. "Sorry."

"I understand you know the naiad at the mall?"

"Yeah, we had brunch once."

"She might be able to assist you."

"I was just thinking that."

His mentor chucked. "Good. We can start the search immediately, if your schedule works."

"I have some homework due tomorrow, but I'll manage."

She nodded. "Good."

She drove him downtown to the mall. Together, they made their way through the crowds to the Riverwalk, where Carter got a view of the brown water from close up. He was just making a face at it when someone tackled him from the side. His reflexes caught him before his mind did, and he found himself wrapped in the arms of a young woman, appearing his own age. "Woah. Hey there, Annie."

"Carter! It's been so long! Why don't you ever come visit?"

Carter chuckled wearily. "It's a big city, Annie, and even with the Miraculous it can take a long time to get over here."

She sighed dramatically. "Oh, alright. I'll forgive you. But, uh, you didn't come just to have brunch this time, did you?"

He smiled sheepishly. "No, actually. I had heard that a Miraculous was found here. I wondered if you knew anything about it."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Do I know anything about it." She mocked. "Come on, Carter. As if I don't know what's coming through my own river. I am a little surprised though. I sensed the magic, but are you sure it's a Miraculous?"

"You know about it, then? Good. Any chance of us recovering it?" He glanced back at his mentor, who watched him with smiling eyes and stoic lips. "And, uh, it was only a rumor. If my mentor says so, though, it's worth following up on, I think."

Annie looked past him, as if noticing the woman for the first time. She smiled gently and shook her head. "I think you've got your hands full, Carter."

"Why is that?"

"Well, because when it first drifted into my part of the river, you know I sensed it. Well, I knew it had to be important, so I tried to catch it."

"But?"

"It bit me."

Carter tried to say something, but everything he thought of sounded stupid in his head and dies in his throat. "What? Isn't it a… rock?"

"Of course it's a rock. If it's a Miraculous, that would explain it. I've never met a kwami, especially a dormant one, who bites, though. It didn't even occur to me that that's what it might be." She shook her head roughly. "But you need it. You guys collect them, right?"

"Better to keep them out of the hands of the undeserving."

"I get it. It's too bad that only humans can activate them. Otherwise you might not have to worry so much."

"Or we'd have to worry more. Annie, if people who actually knew about them could exploit them…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll get you your Miraculous." She looked over her shoulder and cradled her finger. "On second thought, I'd rather it not bite me again. This is your job, you can get it."

Carter sighed. A dip in the river it is, then. "Can you lead me to it?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. Come on." She took his hand and guided him along the Riverwalk, chattering all the way. "You should probably transform before diving in. The water isn't that bad, but it should keep you mostly dry. And the suit should keep you safe, especially your eyes, you need to see, after all." Carter stuck his free hand in his pocket, petting the kwami that resided there idly. "And your kwami is a polar bear, right? You should be good on air. I know places you can surface to breathe where the humans won't see you. We shouldn't have to stay in the water long, I know that isn't pleasant for you. You know you should really help me clean this place up. I'm sure people will support a campaign to clean the river. Think about it?"

Carter looked over the water, wondering what he was even supposed to be looking for. Annie could guide him to it, thankfully, otherwise this mission would be much more difficult. "Down here, come on." She said, guiding him under a bridge. "You need to be quiet, but no one will see you from here. Ready?"

"Yeah." Carter tapped his pocket lightly. "Arrel, transform me." With his back pressed against the wall, the familiar surge of magic overtook him. His clothes melted away into a snow-white body suit, and attached to his usual white domino mask, lenses covered his eyes.

"Hurry, no one's looking." Annie slipped into the water, not making a sound. But that was unfair, considering she melted into the water the moment she broke the surface. By contrast, when Carter slipped into the river, a splash echoed on the brick of the bridge above him. He flinched, but just took a huge breath and slipped under the surface before anyone could investigate.

Swimming in the San Antonio river was… unpleasant. It didn't feel bad, per se, but with visibility so low coupled with knowing why the water was so murky led to the general feeling of him just needing a bath.

Which I do. Or four. Annie appeared in front of him and took his hand, shooting them both through the water at speeds impossible for him to reach on his own. After only a few seconds, Annie stopped to look back at him and gesture upwards. Carter surfaced as quietly as he could, took a single gasp of a breath, and rejoined Annie to continue on their way.

After only a few more stops, Annie pulled him deeper, close enough to see the muck at the bottom. Maybe I should start a campaign to clean this place. Annie isn't the only one living in these waters, either. But that's something that we'd need human support for, and I don't have the kind of influence to pull strings in organizations that can convince the humans to do anything.

Annie pointed out a grey rectangle resting on the river floor. The Miraculous. He dived closer to inspect it. Pretty unremarkable, but then, most are. He looked up at Annie. "What?" She said, her voice as clear in the water as on land, and producing no bubbles. "I'm not touching it. I told you. The thing bit me."

Carter smirked and rolled his eyes, reaching down to pick it up. "Ow!" He exclaimed, quickly shutting his mouth equally in an effort to keep the river water out and to stop the bubbles that would tell anyone on the surface that someone was swimming there. The bite didn't penetrate his suit, thankfully, but it did hurt. Like little needles stabbing his fingers. He growled, and took a firm hold of the Miraculous.

Some invisible force bit down hard on the outside of his hand, but he was prepared and didn't let go. Carter gritted his teeth and nodded to Annie, who took his arm and started dragging him back upriver.

But the force, probably the kwami, didn't relent. It shifted its grip, biting down again and again until eventually, the Miraculous in his fist began glowing.

Carter pulled back on Annie's hand, causing her to slow them to a stop. The Miraculous itself began thrashing, pulling his fist in wild directions. Carter used his other hand to steady it, but it only grew more determined. What the heck is going on with this thing? I've never heard of this before!

He was proud to say, in the end, that a rock with a mind of its own did not overpower him. Not really. When the kwami, a large-headed mammalian sprite, appeared growling at him, he was too shocked to keep a proper hold on the thing. With a nip at his fingers, making him reel back in surprise, the kwami pried the Miraculous from his hand and shot straight up and out of the water.

Oh, shit.

He gave Annie a wild, pleading look. "Don't," she warned. "Humans look out over the river here."

Well I can't let it get away, can I?

He started swimming for the surface.

"Carter! The kwami is awake! How is that possible?"

He shrugged, and continued his ascent. It doesn't make sense. The kwami shouldn't be able to awaken if its keeper isn't nearby. Annie can't wield a Miraculous, and I already have one. So unless…

Oh, shit. He broke the surface, scanning the wall as quickly as possible for any sign of the rogue kwami.

One pair of eyes, from just off the side of the river, stared back at him. He locked eyes with the boy, freezing in place. The boy furrowed his brow, opened his mouth, shut it, and held up a grey, rectangular stone.

Carter memorized the image. Brown hair, a confused, yet confident pose – probably faking, but impressive in light of the Miraculous flying to him and a boy in what can only be described as a superhero suit surfacing in the middle of the river – soft features, with evidence of lingering baby fat on his cheeks, sleek, black-framed glasses, tight khaki pants with a green tee shirt. Carter narrowed his eyes, held a finger to his lips, and looked purposefully to the regal, queenly woman calmly making her way down the Riverwalk.

The boy, he couldn't be sure, but his mentor Carter knew understood the situation. She would stop him at least until Carter could find someplace to get out of the river.

He sunk back underneath the surface.

Annie understood the situation too. Or, she at least understood that his mission had moved above the surface of the water. She pulled him to the closest safe place and pushed him roughly onto dry land.

Carter had realized something rather important in that short time, though. Isn't he in my class? Shit. Annie pulled herself out of the water after him, her clothes and hair totally dry.

He let his transformation fall, which returned him to his dry clothes, though his hair was still soaked through.

Annie took his arm, and together they sprinted towards where they had seen his classmate. What was his name? God. Look closely tomorrow.

When they got there, they met only Carter's smiling mentor. "Where is he?" Carter gasped, leaning on his knees as he panted. "I'm so sorry, the thing bit me and-"

"Shush, Carter. It's okay."

"It… it is?" Carter shared an incredulous look with Annie.

"It's rare, but some kwami prefer to choose their own keepers. Some of the more… temperamental of them get upset if their Miraculous is even touched by someone not chosen. Sit. Listen." Carter sat on a nearby bench with his mentor, giving her his full attention. He knew it was time for another lesson.

Annie joined him, listening raptly as well.

"The kwami you have found is the otter. Do you remember what I taught you about kwami symbolism?"

"Each kwami represents a force." He repeated, recalling the many lectures he'd had on the subject. "Some of the more powerful ones represent things like creation or destruction, but most fall along the lines of patience," He touched his Miraculous, a carved totem pendant around his neck, "or temperance, or fun."

"And yours?"

"Patience. The kind that has its goal in sight but knows not to reach for it."

"And recognizes when to move." His mentor said. "Remember that part."

"I'm not sure why we have to talk in metaphor about it."

His mentor chuckled. "Think of it as tradition. It helps you understand, doesn't it?"

"I suppose."

"Anyway, the otter kwami represents liminality."

Carter shared a look with Annie. "Liminality?"

Annie frowned. "That's taking things a bit literal, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't say that. The otter's connection with liminal space is exactly why it was able to lash out at you while still dormant inside the Miraculous, and why it was able to manifest itself without the touch of its chosen. It was never truly asleep in the first place."

Carter tried to wrap his brain around that. "So does that mean it's not truly awake right now?" His mentor smiled and nodded encouragingly. "It's living in an in-between state. Will it ever wake up?"

"It's possible. It's likely, even, if that young man accesses the otter's powers. A connection to a human keeper would likely anchor it to this world and keep it at least mostly awake."

Carter hummed and worried his lip. "How do you know this?"

"I've heard of many Miraculous we have not seen."

"Yeah, that's clear, but how?"

"I was taught. Just as I'll teach you. Be patient."

"Why did you let him keep it? And where did he go?"

Carter's mentor smiled gently. "He had an appointment to keep. And this is not my assignment, little bear. It isn't my place to take the Miraculous from him. I understand that you will see him soon enough."

"He is in my class, isn't he?"

His mentor just chuckled and stood, leading the way back to where she had parked the car. "We should get you home. You still have homework to finish, after all."

Carter followed suit, with Annie following at his heels. "When you say it's not your assignment," Annie asked, "you mean it's still Carter's? You still want him to recover it?"

"The assignment is not the recovery of the Miraculous, dear Annie. It never was."

Carter bit his lip. "Right. The assignment is to make sure the Miraculous is safe. If it has a new keeper, I have to decide whether he's fit for it."

"That sounds… difficult." Annie made a face. "Well, good luck with that. Don't be a stranger, Carter. I'll let you figure out what you're doing from here on, but I'm here if you need me, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Annie."

At school the next day, Carter's suspicions were confirmed. The boy with the otter Miraculous was sitting on the other side of his history class, and as the day continued, he saw that he shared two other classes with him, Anatomy and Physiology and Art.

Carter figured that art class would be his best bet, though he did sit in front of him in anatomy, so he didn't rule it out. Not wanting to waste time, though, Carter introduced himself that very day in art class. He had gotten lucky. They were doing critiques that day, and the boy didn't seem very talkative, meaning he was removed from the groups of friends that formed to give each other advice. It was about as perfect of an opportunity as he was going to get, and Carter wasn't one to let something like that slip by.

He found himself at the boy's desk almost before he thought about it. "Hey, want to partner up for the critique?"

"Huh? Oh, sure." The boy mumbled, keeping his eyes trained studiously on his work – a beautiful color pencil piece – and stilled his progress on it. He pulled the critique sheet out from under a book, and switched for a pen to write with.

Without a word, he pushed his project toward Carter. Strange. He seems so shy. Maybe that's why I never really talked to him before. But he didn't seem this bad yesterday. Maybe it's school. Carter handed the boy his own piece, also colored pencil, but on black paper and working almost exclusively with white. Carter liked monochromatic work. "Go easy on me, yeah?"

The boy grunted acknowledgement and started scribbling on the critique sheet. His eyes locked onto Carter's artwork and scrutinized it so intensely that Carter was actually nervous about what he would say. With a shake of his head, he pulled his own gaze from the boy to the artwork in front of him.

"So, what's your name?"

"Hmm? Oh, Avery. Graham. Here." He pushed another piece of paper towards Carter, this one an assignment from another class, with his name written neatly at the top. Avery Graham. "Your name?"

Carter looked up at where Avery's pen hovered over the line on the page. "Carter Wroden. W, R, O, den like an animal home. Yeah, you got it."

Carter smiled at Avery's focus, but decided not to push too much more. Not immediately, anyway, he didn't want to be suspicious. He had to get the critique done or Avery would notice.

He worked idly, formulating his plan in tandem. Easiest way to figure out if he's worthy of a Miraculous would be to befriend him, though I do also have to be careful not to let affection influence my decision. Otherwise, it's an easy thing. I just need to take every opportunity I can to talk to him. Start making us being partners normal when we get to choose, anyway. This was a good gateway, from here on it's just "oh well, we partnered that one time in art so I was more comfortable asking you than a random stranger".

With a devious smirk, Carter decided to be maybe a little more complimentary than strictly necessary in his critique. He did, of course, point out what could be improved, but the things that were done well didn't strictly call for quite so glowing praises. He considered it one step closer to getting Avery comfortable with him. Or it'll scare him off… nah, everyone likes compliments. It's not like I'm complimenting him. This is something he put a lot of effort into. No one would be scared off by that.

Critique finished, Carter handed the sheet and his artwork to Avery, receiving his own in return. "You know, I wish I could work with color like that. All my stuff is monochrome."

Avery hummed quietly. "You have a lot of control, though. I can't get the kind of details that you can."

"Are you kidding? Your detail is amazing! You even have the reflections on the lock and everything, there. I couldn't even imagine trying to draw metal here."

"You didn't do it during the observation exercise?"

"Well, I did, yeah, but not very well. I always miss stuff."

"Your bear doesn't look like it's missing anything."

Carter hummed, looking at the bear on his paper. "No, I suppose not. I'm kind of proud of this one, though. And there's no ridiculous reflections going on."

"You reflected the snow in its eye."

Carter actually had to look closer to see that, but sure enough it was a detail he had included. The project was one he had been working on for a few weeks, and the eye was one of the first things he had done, so he had totally forgotten about that. "Oh. Well, would you look at that. Nothing compared to yours, though."

Avery just hummed, picking a pencil and setting to work. Carter realized that not once in their conversation did Avery look at him directly. Is he shaking? Carter observed his breathing, seeing his chest expand with deep, purposeful breaths even as his hands worked the page and his eyes remained focused on the art. Calming breathing. Am I scaring him? Well, someone so nervous around strangers wouldn't be a danger with a Miraculous. There is the chance that he could act somewhat irrationally because of it, though. Something to consider.

Still, I can't help but kind of like him. Maybe it's just because he complimented my work. He snickered softly, reading the critique. Like his own, the places for improvement were clearly laid out, and like his own, he thought that the praises were just a little beyond what was strictly necessary. I think that's just the way he writes, though.

Carter continued making short conversations, often cut shorter than they otherwise would have been by Avery giving a clipped or unhelpful response, but Carter didn't mind it. He liked sitting in silence with Avery just fine. The only problem was that his purpose was to learn about the boy, and decide if he'd be a worthy keeper, so he had to keep asking questions.

He thought back to some of the "thirty questions to make two strangers fall in love" articles he's read. No intentions of love, but there are some pretty good questions for getting to know someone new.

"Hey, Avery, would you want to be famous?"

Avery stiffened. "No."

"No? Really?"

"Nah. Well… I mean maybe, in a way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to be famous like… people recognizing me. That would just stress me out."

Carter chuckled. "I get it, dude. Who wants people asking for pictures when you're just trying to go to the grocery store?"

Avery hummed softly, not offering any more.

"Okay, well, how about this one. If you could sit down to dinner with one person, anyone alive or dead or fictional if you're so inclined, who would it be?"

Avery chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Hmm. Alexander Hamilton."

"Really? Why?"

"I could just give him a newspaper and watch him blow up. I wouldn't have to talk, and it would be one of the most entertaining dinners I can think of."

Carter held back his laughter, aware of the other students. "Okay, that actually does sound pretty great. Can I change my answer to that?"

"Sure. What was your first answer, though?"

"You."

Avery's pencil dug in deep in the paper, and he dropped it the next second. "I'm sorry, what?"

Carter coughed it off, and pretended that he hadn't said anything at all, ever. What the heck? I was supposed to think that. Now he probably thinks I'm a creep.

To his relief, Avery decided not to mention his slip up. The other boy just picked up his pencil again, warily sending glances is way, and began fixing the heavy mark left behind in his surprise. And I made him mess up his work. Damn. So much for a good impression. This is why people have things called filters, Carter. You think when you flirt, and be an actual sane person when you talk. Too late to pass it off as something innocent, though.

Carter bravely (he thought) stayed in his seat, though, remaining next to Avery for the remainder of class. Neither of them said anything, but that was fine. Carter ended up seeing him later that day, in seventh period anatomy. With two classes time since the incident in art, Carter thought that maybe speaking wouldn't be horrific.

It wasn't. Carter greeted Avery as he sat down, smiling amiably, and Avery responded as if the incident in art hadn't happened. Good.

But with that behind him, Carter focused his attention on more important things. Namely, the Miraculous. He likely has it on him. Though he may not have a way to wear it, so I suppose leaving it at his place is an equally likely option. Either way, I doubt that he actually used it. Given the nature of his Miraculous, though, I wouldn't be surprised if the kwami has bonded with him on some level, despite not actually transforming yet.

That is, if the kwami actually chose him, and wasn't just using him to get away from me. In which case, he probably doesn't even have it, and the trail is cold.

When the teacher finished lecturing, they all got a worksheet to fill out. He started to work, but the murmuring of his classmates distracted him. This could be another opportunity.

He spun in his chair, facing Avery, and put his worksheet on a notebook in his lap as a makeshift desk. "So, remember what number three is?"

Avery glanced up at him disinterestedly. "Clavicle."

"Oh, right." Carter wrote the answer down and tried to keep his eyes on his paper, but as he didn't turn away, he failed pretty miserably. "What's your lunch period?"

"Fourth."

"Hey, me too."

Avery raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up at him.

"You usually stay on campus?"

"Mhmm, I bring my own lunch."

"Oh. That's nice. I usually go off campus."

"Okay."

Carter sighed in the silence that followed. Okay, I get it. He doesn't want to talk. Avery furrowed his brow slightly, biting his lip, and covered his eyes with a hand. Or he's shy. Either way, I can't give up. I have to make sure he can be trusted with a Miraculous.

The silence between them stretched on, making each next moment feel even less appropriate to say something in. Finally, though, Carter reached the end of his worksheet, and Avery was the one that said something. "You done with that?" He gestured to the paper.

"Yep."

"I'll take it up for you." He stood, taking Carter's paper.

That's when Carter noticed the grey rectangular stone. Belt buckle, huh? Was it like that, or did he modify it? Well, he definitely still has the Miraculous. Carter's eyes tracked it as Avery walked by, and as he turned to walk back. Would it be too obvious to ask about it? Or would he just think I was – Oh, good god, I'm totally just staring at his crotch. Carter flushed and turned to put his notebook back in his bag. Focus on the notebook. I hope he didn't notice that.

Well, taking my paper up for me is a sign of friendship. I think. Or he's just that kind of guy. Something to keep in mind. People who are casually altruistic, with small things like that, tend to be good people. In my limited experience, anyway. I really don't know enough to be able to make a judgement call like who deserves a Miraculous.

Honestly, if the kwami thinks he's worthy, what right do I have to say anything to the contrary? Still, I have to follow through. It's my mission, and I know that I'm supposed to take over doing this all the time. First time has to be sometime, right?

Should I transform and visit him? It wouldn't be weird, he did see me in the river. He might even be expecting it. I'd have to figure out where he lives, but that shouldn't be difficult. His Miraculous is at least partially active, so mine might be able to track it. If not, that dryad still owes me a favor.

Carter chuckled. I think I will. I don't want to like, become his friend that way, though. I'd rather do it this way. He doesn't know who I am, after all, and at least for this first meeting I want to retain that authority. Just until I can emphasize what being a keeper means. And I can't introduce him to the magical community until I make a decision, so revealing myself is a little bit too much until that point.

It's a good impression so far, though. He's just not very talkative. Doesn't seem hostile, though, thankfully. I'm leaning towards shy.

Avery had already slipped his book off his desk and cracked it open, so Carter didn't bother him. He just busied himself with his phone and his thoughts until the bell rang.

"What's your eighth period?" He asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Avery glanced up, otherwise keeping his eyes trained on his own bag (mesh, Carter saw a rainbow collection of pens in the front pocket, along with other standard school supplies and a small, colorful, individually-wrapped cylindrical package. He didn't quite make out exactly what that was.) "It's a free period. I'm going home."

"Really? I've got eighth off, too."

Avery hummed, leading the way out the door.

Carter followed at a respectful distance, sidling up next to, but not too close to him once in the hallway. "Which way do you go?"

"Past the bus loop."

"Mmm, I go back past the portables. See you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah."

Carter waved goodbye and separated, heading towards his own home. Well, that was good. A promise of tomorrow. I just need to be patient. I'll find him tonight, have a candid discussion, talk to the kwami if I can. Here's hoping.

His day, thankfully, was quiet. He whiled the hours away, getting a head start on his homework and then wasting time on the internet. Finally, it was time to go, and Carter called to his parents to tell them he was going out (they knew about his life in the magical community, and knew that he sometimes couldn't elaborate on his missions, so they let him go with only a plead to be careful), and transformed before stepping out into the night.

He took his discus off his hip, wiping his hand over it to bring up the screen that would tell him where nearby active Miraculous were located. He breathed a sigh of relief when a brown dot appeared on the map, blinking methodically.

Getting there was somewhat tricky, but even in the suburbs, where things were spread out more, Carter had plenty of practice moving about unseen in the night. He found his way to the building, a two story brick house, and looked up from his place in the back yard. He double checked with his discus, confirming that the Miraculous was in a room on that side of the house, and judging by how the room in front of him was clearly a kitchen, he assumed it must be the second floor.

He narrowed his eyes, examining the window. A bug screen. No sneaking in that way, then. I really do hate sneaking through people's homes, though. Maybe I can… Carter examined the window he needed to reach. Thankfully, there was a protruding window on the ground floor – from the dining room by the looks of it, connected to the kitchen. Regardless, it gave him something to stand on. He jumped and pulled himself onto it, and peered into the open window.

He didn't see Avery at first, only a desk in the corner with a computer, a wall of bookshelves, a whiteboard, and a filing cabinet. He only realized a few seconds later that Avery was laying on a futon on the ground, close to the wall that the window was on.

Carter rapped gently on the glass.

Avery didn't stir. Heavy sleeper? Or he thinks it's nothing. Or I'm just not being loud enough. He knocked a little louder. Avery turned over, his hair falling messily over his eyes, his blanket only barely covering his lower body. Carter shook his head when he realized that Avery was probably not wearing pyjamas. Hopefully he's not naked, at least. Though I guess it's my fault for coming by unannounced in the dead of night.

Once more, Carter knocked on the glass, and this time Avery threw an arm over his eyes, opening his mouth in what was probably a groan. A few seconds of stillness later, he lowered his arm again and opened his eyes.

And jumped to his feet, assuming a kind of fighting stance before squinting and reaching for his glasses. Once he put them on, recognition passed through his gaze and he relaxed slightly, though he was still obviously on guard.

He opened the window. As the bug screen was still between them, Carter couldn't enter, but he did ask Avery to grab the stone he found the day before and meet him in the back yard.

Avery wouldn't make eye contact with him, Carter noticed, but he agreed readily enough.

A few minutes later, Avery exited the house, wearing blue plaid pyjama pants (put on after their conversation at the window), and holding a belt in his hands. "I assumed you'd want this, but I didn't think you'd be able to find me."

"I found it in the first place. Trust me, if I can find it in a river, I can find it in the suburbs."

"How did you find it? And, uh, what is it? And who are you?"

Carter chuckled. "Relax. One question at a time. I'm in no rush."

Avery curled his fist protectively around the Miraculous. "Who are you?"

Carter thought about that for a moment. "My real name… I might tell you some other time. You just need to know right now that I'm exceedingly familiar with stones like the one you're carrying." He thumbed the totem around his neck. "And my companions and I are somewhat like collectors of the things."

Avery didn't seem satisfied by that answer. "What is it, exactly?"

"A magic rock."

Avery gave him a withering glance.

"No, really. And actually, I'm going to want to talk to the creature inside it."

Avery paled. "Creature inside it?" He repeated. "Oh… but that doesn't make any sense. There can't be anything inside it."

"What was the last question?" Carter thought out loud. "Oh, right. How I found it. Well, I had help the first time, but since I was able to make contact with it, my own could track it down for me. I just had to follow the map."

"Go back to the creature inside the rock, please?"

"Sure. You haven't seen it?" He shook his head. "Strange. It was what carried it up to you from the river."

Avery looked at the Miraculous, opening his hand to get a good look but quickly reaffirming his grip, stepping back. "I don't think I should give it to you."

Carter arched an eyebrow. Well, I am a stranger to him. And he doesn't know why I want it. "No?"

"No. It doesn't… oh god, what's happening? It… I feel like it doesn't want to go with you."

"Ah." Carter nodded. It makes sense. The kwami returned to dormancy after getting the Miraculous to him, but since it's not truly asleep, it's talking to him. I wonder what that's like. It sounds like a feeling, but it could be a voice. I wonder what kind of connection is really there. "That would be the creature inside."

Avery shook his head. "Fine, okay, I'll pretend that there really is a creature inside this. If that's true, it doesn't want to go with you, so I'm not letting you take it."

Carter smiled. Willing to defend a creature that he's not even convinced exists. That's definitely an attribute worthy of a keeper. "Okay."

Avery hesitated. "Okay?"

"Yeah. I haven't decided whether taking it would be best or not. I'll of course have to factor its opinion into the matter. But just because it wants to stay with you doesn't mean you're the best for it. If you'd rather not have it on your hands, I can take it. I know it might not seem to be worth much, but I do give my word that I would take care of it.

"You see, that stone comes with more than just being a nice accessory. If you accept it, you'll have to take care of the creature inside. And I do mean that it would be outside the stone. And then that opens you up to a whole other beast. It's a lot of responsibility, and can be difficult even without juggling an everyday life alongside." Carter scratched the back of his head. "I'm being vague, aren't I?" He chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I have to be, unfortunately. The phrase 'ignorance is bliss' wasn't written by the ignorant. It's hard to emphasize what will happen without telling you explicitly. There's a very real chance that you'll have a much easier life if you don't accept the stone. It's only fair to warn you."

Avery worried his lip. "It wants to stay with me. I'll handle whatever comes from that, but I'm not sending it off someplace it doesn't want to go."

"You don't actually believe that there's a creature in there. Why would you care what it wants?"

"You insist that it's there. And I have… a feeling."

Carter examined him closely. Avery had lifted his chin, bringing his head and gaze up enough to stare him down. He was clearly determined. Whether it be empathy for the kwami, or wariness about me, either way shows qualities of a keeper. If I was in his place, I'd be reluctant to give me anything I wanted from him. Brave, though, to tell me no so explicitly. Coupled with the other things, a good quality. Strange how he never seems so brave elsewhere. "Alright, then." Carter shrugged. "As I said, I'm not taking anything. I'll trust you with it. I'll be back though, to check up on you, alright? If you decide you still want it then, I'll explain in more detail what it is." I doubt at this point that I'll need to take it from him. But, without saying it, I can't rule it out just yet.

"Okay."

"Okay." Carter repeated, grinning. "I'll see you again sometime."

With a hop, Carter ran over and jumped over the fence to the neighbor's yard, and began making his way back home. He stopped on the roof of the neighbor's house long enough only to see Avery get back inside. I think this will turn out just fine.