Dear Ladybug and Chat Noir,

Here is a list of reasons why you should consider sharing your identities with each other. Please consider these.

Volpina, or another akuma, can create an illusion of your partner. This illusion of your partner could be of them as their masked or unmasked self. Will you be able to know if the person you are talking to is an illusion? Will you know if you're partner is safe? Having a safe word could be helpful, but the better you know your partner, the better you will be at identifying an imposter. Knowledge is power.

Have you ever been, as a civilian, rescued by your partner?

Have you ever rescued your partner when he or she was dressed as a civilian?

You don't know the answer to the second question, do you?

What would you do to protect your partner when she or he is a civilian? Would it be enough? Would it be too much? If you knew who your partner was, you would always make sure to protect her or him. At the same time, knowing who she or he is would prevent you from feeling the need to protect both her/his civilian and his/her hero self-because you would know that s/he is one and the same, and therefore the people who could be used against you would decrease.

If you know who your partner is, you will have a better idea when he/she will be delayed-and why. For instance, if your partner, as a civilian, is being attacked by an akuma, you'll know what needs to happen to get help. Also, if your partner falls under an akuma's spell before he/she transforms, you will know why your partner did not show up and won't waste valuable time trying to contact her/him.

Making excuses for your regular disappearances, your tardies, and your apparent flakiness makes your life even more challenging. It has the same effect on your partner's life. If you knew each other's identities, you could be each other's back up outside of the masks. You could provide each other with alibis, brainstorm solutions for your bizarre behavior, and commiserate with each other about how being a super hero affects your daily life.

Right now, one of the biggest threats against you is an akuma forcing you to share your identity with your partner. Chat Noir worries about discovering his partners' identity and losing her trust. Ladybug worries about losing her anonymity. If you share your identities, just with each other, these fears will no longer plague you, and learning each other's identities can no longer be used as a threat against you.

Heaven forbid something, from an injury to death happen to you, but if it did and the miraculous cure did not restore it (for instance, if you were hurt after the cure), your partner would be able to efficiently get aid for you and inform your family. Trying to keep your identities secret when your partner needs help could result in disastrous consequences. And if your partner died, would you be able to take his/her miraculous to keep it safe? Would you be able to tell her/his family the real reason for his/her death? If you don't know each other's identities, then clearly the answer is no.

One of Ladybug's biggest fears is that if Chat Noir learns her identity, suddenly everyone will know it. This is clearly illogical. If Chat Noir knowing a secret identity equated to everyone knowing it, everyone would know Chat Noir's secret identity.

Secret identities are important-they protect your loved one's from being targeted in traditional ways and give you a veil of protection when you are not acting as a hero. This is true of Hawkmoth as well. While he will always be on the lookout for Ladybug and Chat Noir, you have the element of surprise if you approach him as your civilian selves. Which would be hard to do if you don't know who your partner is under the mask.

What happens if you wind up, as a civilian, out of it for some reason-taken to the hospital, taken hostage, sick. Who will you send in your place? Who will help you protect your miraculous? Who will take care of your kwami? If your partner knows your identity, your partner could come for you, or remove your miraculous and keep it safe, or take care of your kwami.

Let's say Hawkmoth discovers your partner's secret identity-but you still don't know it. How can you help your partner now?

I know that sharing your identity with your partner could be dangerous. But clearly, keeping it a secret from your partner can also be dangerous. There are no safe choices in life. Is it worth the trade off?

I have never heard Master Fu or Tikki say you couldn't share your identities with one another. I have even heard Tikki encourage it. As a matter of fact, Tikki told Ladybug to listen to her heart. Ladybug says that a good superhero listens to her head. If that is true, you should consider sharing this secret with each other, because not knowing your partner's secret identity puts you at a disadvantage.

Sincerely,

Knowledge is Power