"Mlle. Bustier, I'm not saying your philosophy is wrong." Carter is on the verge of pleading at this point. The calm certainty this lady holds herself with is astounding, and her talent for twisting words even more so. He's only half-certain at this point that she's not doing it on purpose. Honestly, for the first time since he's gotten to Paris, he's starting to doubt his grasp of the language, if only because he specifically avoids placing blame of any sort directly onto her. Even if the blame lies with them, nine times out of ten if the one he's trying to help feels attacked, they'll close off to discussion, so he can't make them feel like they're at fault regardless of if they actually are.

The guardian not included, of course. That's a special case. With the guardian, Carter is coming in from a position of clear authority approaching a man who committed unforgivable crimes. He needs to know there's no acceptable defense for what he did, so Carter has to be aggressive to avoid letting that defense get set up. Plus, Carter isn't really trying to teach him anything but consequences. With Mlle. Bustier, he's trying to better he. This here is a teacher who truly wants to do right by her students. So, if she keeps feeling like the victim here, he has to be saying things more aggressively than he means. Right?

Considering even Juleka is starting to look exasperated, Carter thinks he's still got the right of it.

"In fact, I agree! Promoting peace in a classroom is a very good thing, I'm just trying to voice some concerns over how some of the kids are interpreting this philosophy."

"I assure you, all of my students understand what's expected of them. Ask Juleka, if you have doubts."

"We have!" Anarka roars. "That's why we're concerned!"

Mlle. Bustier plasters a pleasant smile on her face. At least she isn't losing her cool. Carter can respect that, for what it's worth. "Juleka, why don't you explain the rules of the classroom for your family?"

Juleka looks nervously between Mlle. Bustier and Anarka. After a too-long pause, she mumbles, "Be kind to your classmates. Set a good example. If there's a problem, take it to Mlle. Bustier instead of causing a disturbance in the class."

"Does that sound unreasonable?" Mlle. Bustier asks, satisfied.

"Unless the problem is Chloé." Juleka continues unbidden, tone bitter. "Then you ignore it because she's 'not that bad' and just doesn't understand the meaning of love so we can't force her to change."

"Not that bad?" Carter echoes. "Is that what she's saying about the class bully?"

"Chloé is not a bully!" Mlle. Busier protests. "And Juleka…" Juleka quickly curls into herself. "You know how important the rest of the class' example is to Chloé. That kind of tone will only reinforce Chloé's behavior, not encourage her to change."

"Juleka is allowed to be frustrated with the girl who bullies her." Carter says quickly, disregarding Mlle. Bustier for a moment to ensure his words strike home with Juleka. "All of the students are."

"But if they allow themselves to get upset, they could attract Hawk Moth." Mlle. Bustier counters. As if her whole class sans Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves haven't been akumatized. Carter stifles a flare of rage at the way Juleka curls up even further when she says that. "And it will only feed bad behavior in retaliation. We can't force Chloé to change, so we have to set good examples for her to show her what love means."

"I agree." Carter says. He lets Mlle. Bustier look satisfied for just a moment before he continues. "Example like that may be the only way to get this bully to change her behavior. That said, Miss Bourgeois' growth is not Juleka's, or the other student's, responsibility. They endure her bullying regularly. Do you understand how bullying affects kids, Mlle. Bustier?"

Mlle. Bustier looks a bit affronted at the thought. "Of course, I do! I'm a teacher! That's why I take every effort to ensure there's none of that in my classroom."

"I believe you." Carter says. "You're doing everything you know to do. But will you listen, and allow me to guide you through what we have in front of us?" He pauses, watching her expectantly. After a breath, he says, "My cousin told me she's being bullied. She also told me she's not the only one. That means there's a few options here, either Juleka is lying to us – you don't believe that, do you?"

"Of course not! Juleka is just young. She doesn't understand that there are people much worse than Chloé."

Carter hums, unconvinced. "I wouldn't be so sure. I think she's well aware of that. But just because there are worse people out there, that doesn't make what Miss Bourgeois is doing okay. And just because there are people out there with worse problems doesn't make everything Juleka goes through less painful, or less important. Juleka says she's bullied. And she's not lying, so that means, mistaken or not, she feels like she's being bullied. I know teenage drama, and even bullying, can seem a bit inconsequential to us as adults, but that's because we've been through it and know how to deal with it. As teachers, we see it all the time. It's old news to us. But the kids are living it. It's not nothing to them, and when you tell them that there are worse people out there, so they shouldn't overreact or blow things out of proportion, you teach them that they can't talk to you about this issue."

Mlle. Bustier gasps. "My students can come to me with anything! They love me, they know that I'm always willing to help."

"Unless the problem is Chloé." Carter says. "You heard your student say that just now. They know they can come to you for anything, except if the problem is Miss Bourgeois."

Mlle. Bustier flinches back as if stricken, expression quickly turning to horror as she realizes that he's right.

"I'm sure you know this already, but the best way to ensure your students trust you is to take them seriously. Your students do love you, so I have no doubt that you're an excellent teacher. But on this one issue, this bully, your students have been feeling like you aren't taking them seriously when they try to talk to you about it. Downplaying the problem Miss Bourgeois is in the classroom in order to avoid conflict only makes them feel like you think avoiding conflict is more important than addressing the problem."

Mlle. Bustier's head hangs low as she lets the implications wash over her. "I… I never meant to make them feel like…"

"I know you didn't." Carter says. "That's why we wanted to talk to you. Avoiding akumatization is important, but that's exactly why we have to face problems like this directly, and deal with them in a healthy way. Juleka and her classmates are victims of Miss Bourgeois' bullying. Implying that they shouldn't feel frustrated, or angry, over how they've been treated is invalidating and will only make those feelings worse, and they'll be at more risk of akumatization. If measures are taken to address Miss Bourgeois' behavior, your students will know you're taking the problem seriously. Even if punishing Miss Bourgeois won't change her, you can still take measures to ensure your other students aren't forced to put up with her."

Mlle. Bustier spends a long moment in thought before sighing. "You're right. I… haven't been doing everything I should have. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I promise, I'll do everything I can to fix this."

"Good." Carter smiles. "I'm sure my cousin is in good hands with you."

Mlle. Bustier gives him a smile, and Anarka has a few words with her as well, notably about the picture day fiasco, but it quickly comes to light that the driving force behind that event was more the principal's rushing everything than Mlle. Bustier herself. Still, it shouldn't have fallen on another student to make Juleka feel so much as seen. On picture day.

Actually, he's going to have to investigate that "picture jinx" Juleka mentioned. Now that he's thinking about it, he wonders if maybe there wasn't any truth to that theory. He doesn't know of any magic of that sort off the top of his head but he's certainly seen stranger. It might be an interesting thing to occupy his mind with, if he ever has time away from the Hawk Moth and Anais investigations.

Regardless, Mlle. Bustier has learned and Carter leaves satisfied that she'll at least try. He mentions to Juleka to keep an eye on her, but he believes that she'll fix the problem. Hopefully, this'll take a load off of Marinette's shoulders. And now that that's done with, it's time to get back to work on finding Hawk Moth.

"Mein Lieber." Avery says gently, when they part ways with Anarka and Juleka.

"Hm? What's up, Bärchen?"

"Quick update. I went over Gerard's notes, and compared them with mine. I've got a theory, but it's a bit far-fetched. I want more info before I share it."

Carter hums. "Understood. Need anything from me?"

"No. Not yet." Avery worries his lip. "But I thought you might want to tag along with me today. I've got to go see the guardian. Then Chat, but I'm talking about the guardian part."

"The guardian?" Carter raises his brow. Chat Noir is no surprise. He's come by almost every evening since the first. He clicks better with Avery, responds more to how Avery talks than how Carter does, so by and large Carter lets Avery handle Chat. It's good to know they're meeting up again today, though.

But the guardian is a different matter. The only reason Avery will need to see the guardian for the investigation into Anais is if he thinks a Miraculous could be behind her condition. But… Carter isn't sure why a Miraculous would ever do that. He doesn't know the specifics of every Miraculous in the box, but surely even the guardian would never purposely remove some poor spirit's memories. Or worse, kill her in such a way that she lingers as a spirit and has amnesia on top of that.

"Stop that overthinking. I don't believe the guardian is behind it." Avery says flatly. "But yeah, I'm worried the Miraculous might be involved. I'll explain more when I talk to the guardian about it, but if you have something else to do, I'd rather give you the full report once I'm a bit more sure."

"I understand." Carter says. "And I'll tag along. I'm curious, now."

Avery chuckles. "Alright, then. Come on. To the guardian's house, we go."

Iinar is out looking for Hawk Moth again, and Arrel is doing is own research in Gerard's library. Neither of them are so clingy that they feel they can't go do their own thing while Avery and Carter talk to a teacher, and their bonds have been trained to the point that they can find each other if they need to, not even considering that they have an apartment to meet back up at regardless, so unfortunately neither of the kwami are with them when they revisit the guardian.

Not that they're necessary, but it feels appropriate to have them around when their topic directly concerns the Miraculous. The guardian does question their absence, but it's not his place to judge. It's been a long time since Arrel stuck so close to Carter as the guardian expects a kwami to, and Iinar has always been free-willed. For his part, Carter doesn't see the point of keeping Arrel so close at all times. He's not a hero, and Marinette asked him specifically not to interfere in the attacks unless asked. Arrel's keen mind is better put to use following his own leads than trapped alongside Carter. Four heads are better than two, and all that.

Carter can't help but curl his lip hearing Wayzz call the guardian "master". He understands the idea behind it is more akin to martial arts masters than slave masters, but the word still grates at him, considering the binding magic attached to the kwami and Miraculous. When one has read as much as he has about past keepers, it's hard for it not to. Just like the terminology of "using" or "wielding" the Miraculous, and by extension the kwami, as if they aren't powerful magical beings with their own desires and personalities and thoughts, but mere tools to be "used" to the "owner's" ends. It's disgusting, and whether it's meant innocently or not, if that's how the old guardian order talked about the kwami, then Carter will be glad to never emulate them in that regard.

His own teacher taught him that by accepting the Miraculous, he's a keeper. A keeper, a caretaker. Of history, of the kwami associated with the Miraculous entrusted to him, of his principle, that which the kwami represents, and of the community at large. He protects them and nurtures them, so that they might grow and live well in their own way. "His" kwami is only his insomuch as he is Carter's partner. Just like Avery is "his", so is Arrel, but neither of them are controlled by him. Neither are used by him. The very idea is sickening to his core.

Carter hopes that through his lessons he'll passively drill that terminology out of the keepers here. He knows they think of their kwami appropriately, but words are powerful things. If everyone keeps talking about them like that, it won't be surprising when someone starts acting like it. Like Hawk Moth is.

"I'd like to see the Miracle Box." Avery says, gesturing casually to the gramophone at the side of the room. "Open, that is."

The guardian frowns, scowl lines deepening on his face. "Why? You have your own Miraculous."

"I won't touch." Avery promises, his voice has a familiar husky teasing to it, smooth and clear but low and dangerous. That's just his voice, really, but when he gets sarcastic like this it always stands out more to Carter. "Promise."

The guardian's frown doesn't lessen any, but he does rise to retrieve the box. He lays it out in front of Avery and opens it, asking, "What are you looking for?"

Avery bites his lip and furrows his brow, examining the open face of the box. The design, and the compartments, each clearly with a specific Miraculous meant for each place. The design on top, a five-petaled flower with a yin-yang symbol in the center, draws Carter's attention. He's not an expert on Eastern religions and philosophies, but he recognizes the yin-yang symbol and he's familiar with the concept of the wuxing, if not so much as to immediately recognize how these Miraculous relate to it.

Dualism and the Five Agents. Carter will need to read into both ideas. The box itself is a larger taijitu, Carter suspects, but he'll have to do a lot more research into it to be certain. There's not much more Carter can tell just by looking at the box. Not without more research. As it is, he at least knows how this box is arranged. That gives him a very good starting point for when he begins his research into these Miraculous in earnest, and indeed a hint towards the priorities of the guardian order. That philosophy might very well also give Carter a better idea of how the guardian thinks, which will be a valuable tool in itself.

"You're missing two. The peafowl is also gone." Avery says matter-of-factly. There's a troubled tenor to his voice that Carter is sure only he picks up on. "That's… interesting."

"The peafowl was lost along with the butterfly." The guardian says grimly.

"So, it wouldn't be out of bounds to assume that whoever has the butterfly also has the peafowl." Avery says. "Not necessarily, of course, but depending on how he found the butterfly…"

"Yes." The guardian nods. "It is possible."

Avery acknowledges him with a sharp hum, almost dismissive, and refocuses on the box. "The peafowl…" He closes his eyes, muttering, "That which feels deeply, and stands firm with its heart. Emotion, or integrity, depending on who you ask…"

The guardian opens his mouth to ask something, but Carter silently cuts him off with a gesture. Avery is thinking, he's figuring something out, and now is the time to be patient, not to distract him with questions.

"Not naturally, but… but what could cause that?" Avery sighs and shakes his head. "Carter. I mentioned a theory?"

"Yeah?"

"Gerard had a lot of promising leads, but everything I look into has some major problem. No reason for one specific quirk or other, you know? But this… it explains everything perfectly, but the problem here is that it's just hard to imagine it happening. If the peafowl were sent into an emergency state, damaged, maybe, to the point that the safeguards fail and its magic becomes unstable, it's… possible that it might…" He sighs. "She might not be dead, is what I'm saying. The peafowl is focused on the spirit. On an indominable spirit. Without the Miraculous' proper safeguards the kwami's magic could, in theory, separate the spirit from the body."

The guardian's eyes fly wide open. "The peafowl Miraculous gives the power to create sentimonsters. Creatures of spirit given physical form to fight for the one whom the peafowl's amok has joined with."

"Carter." Avery says sharply. "Don't run with this. I need to get back to the library. This needs a lot more research before we move forward with it. That said, I think… I think there's a chance our spirit friend is alive, and possibly the keeper of the peafowl. That magic, uncontrolled, can, in theory, create a… sentimonster, of sorts, out of the keeper's own spirit. A preservation mechanism, reacting to the Miraculous' own damaged condition. Sort of like an autoimmune response."

"And you think our spirit friend is that keeper? But if her spirit is here because of the power of the peafowl, where's her body? Is it even still alive?"

"Good question." Avery says. "Her body… could be anywhere. But I'm sure she's alive. Her spirit isn't totally severed from her body. That explains that weird stretch she had about her, and why she stands out so much to Iinar and I. Her spirit is both still in her body and roaming free. She's in a liminal state, not quite dead or alive, not quite spirit or physical. If her body died, I'm sure she'd either disappear, or that liminal state would resolve into her death. She'd be just another spirit to me."

"Well," Carter says, "that's… good news?"

Avery nods. "Good news. But only if this is what really happened. I still need to do more reading, and you still need to find her, to be sure."

Carter nods. "Understood. You heading straight to the library?"

"Oh, yeah. See you at home?"

"See you."

Avery leans in to give Carter a quick kiss before taking off with only a stilted wave to the guardian in his rush.

The guardian, for his part, seems bit shell-shocked. "What… exactly were you two talking about?" He asks carefully.

"Just a… side mission, of sorts." Carter says. "But, if Avery's theory is right, it might tie in more with this Hawk Moth business than we thought." He chuckles lightly. "Things have a way of doing that in this line of work. I wouldn't be surprised. Anyway, it's none of your business. No offense, but as of right now, it's still unconfirmed if a Miraculous is even involved, so I'm not going to tell you the details of the case. Suffice it to say, we're looking into something for someone."

The guardian ducks his head. "I understand. But can I ask… you mentioned a library? And your partner knows more about the peafowl than he should. This library… what manner of library contains books on the Miraculous?"

Carter blinks. The question throws him for a loop because it never occurs to him that the guardian doesn't know about the keeper's library. How can a guardian not know about one of the keeper's centers of knowledge? That's absurd! "Are… are you serious?" Carter asks, looking at the guardian's face and seeing that yes, he's deadly serious. "Wayzz, man, you never mentioned it?"

The guardian follows Carter's gaze to the green kwami, who shrinks down, seeming ashamed. "Master Fu was only an apprentice when the temple was destroyed." Wayzz says. Carter fights off the small surge of snide pleasure that comes with that revelation. He's not even a true guardian. That explains a lot. "The trainees were strictly forbidden from the library, and only the eldest of them were even told of it. The order forbade us to tell anyone of it, to protect it. As Master Fu was never officially granted the Miraculous by the guardians, I was still under their orders of silence."

Carter wants to laugh out loud at the pure shame the guardian shows after hearing that. A trainee guardian, not a full one. That's just perfect. The more Carter hears about this guardian, the more he loathes the man. Though, he supposes with the box falling to him by default with no other guardians, he is technically an official guardian, as far as the magics are concerned. Still, that's an interesting tidbit that Carter will definitely use against him if he tries anything funny.

"The keeper's library," Carter says, "contains the records of the keepers of the Miraculous. By and large, all the volumes in there are biographies, telling the stories of the lives of the keepers, but there is a small section on more general magic, as related to the Miraculous and kwami."

"Truly?" The guardian gasps. "Such a thing still exists?"

"Yes. Avery and I use it often, to learn from our predecessors. Much of what they knew is written in their biographies, though obviously a lot of the books are written in the native languages of the keepers, so we can't read a lot of them. It's still tended to by the librarians. You surely know about them, yeah?"

"I do not know much about them, but I have heard of them, yes. There were a few at the temple while I was training there."

Carter hums. "My teacher was one of them. Not the ones at the temple, but one of their people. She taught me everything she could about the Miraculous, and about magic, and then gave me access to the library so that I could continue my education on my own."

"Ah… could… could I see the library? To see such a place with my own eyes would be…"

"Wondrous. Awesome." Carter says teasingly. "Keeper or no, I'm not in charge of who comes and goes from our library. If I were you, I'd ask a librarian." With a shake of his head, he stands. "Good luck with that. Really." He's not even being sarcastic. Maybe lessons from their forebears will teach this guy a thing or two about responsible care of the Miraculous. He could probably stand to be a bit more helpful, but the guy has a whole box of kwami who can tell him anything Carter can. Assuming they aren't still bound by old guardian magics, but that's none of Carter's business. After all, he's not a guardian. "I'm going to head home. Thank you for your time, guardian."

Truthfully, the keeper's library is very tightly kept. It's all under the librarians' purview, though, so Carter isn't lying when he says he's not in charge of that. Carter could vouch for the guardian, and given Carter's standing with the librarians there they're pretty likely to let him in, but truth be told, Carter can't in good conscience vouch for the guardian. The librarians made him promise when they granted him that authority that he should only vouch for people he truly trusts. People he knows for a fact are like-minded and won't abuse the knowledge held in the library.

No matter Carter's own opinions on what knowledge should be shared to whom, the guardian does not fulfill the stipulations of the promise he made to the librarians. Carter doesn't trust him as far as he can throw him and given how he's used the Miraculous to make child soldiers, Carter definitely doesn't believe he'll never use the knowledge of the library to distasteful ends. Well-meaning or not, his crimes stand, and Carter does not forgive them. He doubts the librarians will overlook them either. It's a shame, and Carter does feel bad for him – libraries are truly the most wondrous places in the world, and one devoted to the Miraculous, for a keeper, is pure bliss – but without breaking promises, there's nothing Carter can do. Honestly, even if he did vouch for him, Carter isn't sure the librarians would overlook everything. They can be pretty strict, and they're very protective of the library. Especially after the temple was destroyed.

But Carter has better things to think about than whether an old man will see a library or not. Like Avery said, he still has to figure out who Anais is. Avery is right that they can't roll full steam ahead on this peafowl Miraculous theory just yet, and even if they could, Avery is the one who will know better all the implications of it. That means Carter is essentially exactly where he left off, with little to go on but obituaries and missing persons reports to read through in the hope that Anais still resembles her living self enough that the connection is even possible. If she is still alive, then this search might have a greater chance of success, all things considered. If she's still technically in her body, it's much less likely that her appearance has changed drastically, but again, Avery is the one who will know more accurately how that works. To Carter's knowledge, this isn't something that's happened before, so he has little practical experience to base his theories on.

Carter groans. He just had a cup of tea at the guardian's place, but honestly? He needs a good cup of tea right now. Arrel should still be at Gerard's. He thinks. Maybe I should go for a visit, too. It's tempting, very much so, but instead Carter elects to simply return home. It's been quite a day already, with the Couffaines and the guardian, and neither he nor Avery have eaten dinner. Avery will no doubt be researching late into the night, but it'd be nice for him to have a meal waiting for him when he gets back. Carter can whip that up, eat something himself, and spend the rest of the evening quietly with a book. Or maybe he really will go through some more obituaries. Some work, he decides, then something for fun.

Or, at least, that is the plan, until he opens his door and sees Ladybug standing there, looking rather cross, he thinks. That's probably not a good sign. "Hey there." He says cheerily. "Honestly, I didn't think I'd be seeing you here. What can I do for you?"

Ladybug huffs. "Care to explain why my classmate suddenly has a new cousin?"

Carter shrugs. "I did message you about Anais telling us who you are."

"Yeah, I know you know who I am, but you're talking to my teacher? And bringing my friends into it?!"

Carter blinks. "Oh. Oh, no, no, no. Okay, let me explain, alright? First, though, you want some tea?" Ladybug taps her foot and looks at him expectantly. Carter takes that as a sign that she is not in the mood for tea. "Avery and I are teachers. That's like, what we do. Anais told us about your classroom. About Chloé and how your teacher was handling her. From what we could tell, your teacher is a good person, who's trying her best, but pinning the responsibility of changing a bully on that bully's victims is totally unacceptable. All we did was talk to your teacher, as Juleka's concerned cousin, about the classroom environment. I promise, you weren't even brought up."

Ladybug narrows her eyes. "Why Juleka? How did you manage to pose as her cousin? You're… not actually her cousin, right?"

Carter laughs. "Naw, I'm not. That's more her business than mine, so I'm afraid I can't tell you the whole situation, but suffice it to say we know the Couffaines. With some degrees of separation. Okay?"

Ladybug crosses her arms and stares him down for a moment longer. Then she sighs and relaxes. "Okay. I guess… thanks. I'm… surprised you went out of your way to help me like that."

Carter just grins and makes himself comfortable on the sofa. "That's why I'm here. To make your life easier. Plus, that was affecting more than just you. I would've helped if I could, anyway. No telling just yet how your teacher will take my advice, but she seemed eager to fix things."

Ladybug nods stiffly. "So… how is it going? The search for Hawk Moth?"

"Not well, I'm afraid. Iinar's out searching a lot of the time, but it hasn't turned up anything with enough proof to act on. We might have another lead, but it's super tentative right now, so it's not really worth going into. Avery's out doing some research, as is Arrel."

"Your kwami are just… out? Roaming around without you?" Ladybug asks.

"Yeah. Why not?" Carter says. "Arrel is smart. Smarter than me, in a lot of areas. And Iinar is clever, if nothing else. They're alright on their own. If we need each other, we know how to find each other, so there's no need to stick by each other's sides all the time." Ladybug hums and shifts uncertainly, so Carter asks. "You alright? Is there something you want to ask me?"

Ladybug blushes, bites her lip, and sighs. "Yes." She sounds almost… defeated when she says it. "It's just… argh, I hardly know you! It's hard to say it!"

"That's alright." Carter says. "You don't have to say any more than you want to. Sometimes a stranger's perspective is just the thing we need, though."

Ladybug groans again. "It's… it's my crush. You said… you said you were, uh, possessive with Avery, right? How did… how did you stop that?"

Oh. Carter quickly prepares himself for this conversation. It's certainly not what he was expecting, but if Ladybug is ready to talk about it, who is he to deny her? "Well, it wasn't easy." Carter admits. "I had friends who care a lot about us both, and who never hesitated to call me out on it. So, their interference helped a lot, especially when I didn't realize right away what I was doing."

Ladybug frowns again, looking down. "My friends are more eager to set me up with him than to keep me away from him."

The way she says that catches Carter's attention. She sounds almost… dejected. Maybe I really should put on some tea. "You don't sound appreciative of that. Is that a good or bad thing?"

Ladybug groans again, holding her head in her hands. "I don't know! I'm glad that they're helping me, of course, but… after your story, I just… I feel like maybe I should be doing the same thing you did. Even if we do get together, if I can't stop this behavior then I'm only going to hurt him, so…"

"That's true. Some jealously is okay, if you manage it alright, but it can never get to the point of possessiveness. I'm sorry, I have to ask again. Would you like a cup of tea? You can explain the situation more, and maybe I can help."

"I… yes. That sounds like a good idea. Thank you."

Carter gets up to put the pot on, chuckling all the while. "Don't thank me yet. I haven't done anything."

Ladybug just sighs and mutters. "You're already the only person who hasn't just told me to not give up and to keep chasing him. Even though it's hopeless."

That's interesting, but it sounds like she doesn't mean for Carter to hear it, so he pretends that he doesn't.

When he returns with the tea, she sits down with him and explains in more detail everything about her crush. She fawns over him a bit, not unexpected, and she does admit who he is, which Carter finds both hilarious and extremely concerning. Anais mentioned it, of course, but it's still a strange situation. Considering both of the kids have shown unhealthy behavior towards each other, if they do get together because of an identity reveal of all things, he can't imagine that relationship going smoothly. They're still young, so there's a good chance they'd work through everything together, but still. They're not exactly set up to succeed.

She details how she fell in love, and a lot of her more concerning behavior since then, citing each subsequent example of stalking or, in one concerning anecdote, theft as only more reason that she should give up on him entirely. She also details his oblivious rebuts of her advances, citing those as evidence that he doesn't like her that way.

Given she's currently Ladybug, Carter is quite sure he does like her that way, but that's neither here nor there.

Eventually everything boils down to the teary question, "What should I do?"

Carter takes a moment, collects his thoughts, mulls over everything she's told him, and says, "One way or another, you know some of that stuff you did was way out of line. For your own sake, and for whoever you end up with, you're going to have to learn to put a stop to those kinds of behaviors."

Ladybug hangs her head. "I know. I always knew, I just… it's hard."

"I know it is. I went through the same thing." Carter carefully pats her shoulder, making sure she's comfortable with that small but of contact. "If I were you, I'd ask your friends to help you. Explain to them that encouraging that stuff isn't going to help in the long run, even if did somehow manage to land you a date. Ask them to reign you in when you go too far. And you have to listen to them, too. Back off when they tell you, no matter what your gut's telling you to do. You're asking them to stop you, so you have to let them stop you. What do you think about that?"

Ladybug taps her chin. "It… sounds like a good plan. If I explain everything, I'm sure my friends will help."

"Good." Carter nods. "If you think that'll work for you, it's worth a shot at least. Now, as for giving up the crush entirely, I'm afraid it's not quite so easy as just deciding to do it. I told you that love is a choice, yeah? But that's the kind of love that Avery and I have. The kind that you get married with. Crushes are a bit different. They're that attraction that gets people together to start with. That thing that brings people together long enough for them to decide to love each other. Make sense?"

Ladybug nods, a bit unsure. "So… I can't get rid of it?"

"I didn't say that. Just that it won't be so easy as just making a decision. It takes time. Truth be told, the whole idea behind the 'love is a choice' thing isn't that you just decide to love someone or not, it is that anything not fostered will eventually die. It's the choice to nurture your love, and reaffirm it, that keeps it alive as you continue your lives together. Not the choice to love in the first place. If you decide that getting rid of the crush is what you have to do, the key is not to reject it. It's to leave it alone. Let it exist. Acknowledge it. But don't nurture it."

"I… I see. And… do you think I should?"

Carter smiles sadly at her. "I'm afraid that's not something I can decide for you. I'll tell you this, though. You don't have to lose the crush to improve your behavior. Just focus on yourself. I lost my crush because I prioritized myself and stopped fostering it. You might, too. You might not. It doesn't really matter so long as you get yourself to a point you're happy with. The crush isn't the problem here, understand? It's how you approach it. What you're trying to do here, really, is change a habit. Like all habits, it's hard to change. But it is possible, and once you've set up your new, healthier habit, you don't have to worry about it quite so much. A little, you still have to monitor your behavior, of course, but you're less likely to even try stuff like that. Make sense?"

Ladybug nods. "I think so. Thank you." She wipes at her eyes. "Honestly, sometimes it feels like I can't talk to anyone about things like this. Like… if I admit that I'm not perfect, then no one will like me anymore."

"Hey, I know." Carter says gently. "You have a lot of pressure on you. And a lot of expectations. I can't promise anything about how other people will treat you, but here in this apartment, I promise you can be as imperfect as you need to be. I'm not going to judge you, and I'm here to help, with anything you want me to help with. Avery, too. Yeah?"

Ladybug nods, watery smile on her face. "Yeah. Thank you."