Licking the wounds

"¡Argh!"

"Do not move. You need me to tighten it more."

"I need you to finish it once and for all! Argh!"

"No. You need ME to do it well, otherwise it will be more difficult for you to recover in the future. Trust me."

"Trust y- Aaargh!"

"Be careful not to bite your own tongue. You should bite the cloth I gave you.

"And put a dirty cloth in my mouth? I'd rather cut out my own tong- Argh!

"Whatever you want

"As if I wanted th- Argh!

I'm already getting fed up with not being able to finish saying what I want to reproach her for. I always criticized what I wanted to criticize and I was never stopped by anything or anyone. For the first time in my life, my words are cut off and all because I can't stand a broken arm. My mother would be disappointed in me for not having class in front of someone, for something as insignificant as my health.

"Ready. Now slowly bend your elbow until you have your forearm on your chest and I will make the final adjustments. Are you ready?"

Not wanting to continue damaging my throat, I nod my head and try to steady my breathing.

Keyword: Try.

"Good. In 3, 2, 1."

The pain is horrible, enormous, I have never felt so much pain in my life as I do right now.

I grit my teeth so the scream doesn't escape. She said it was the end and I won't let this all end with me screaming the whole time. My pride doesn't allow it.

"I finished splinting your arm. Hold it still with your other arm until I put the sling on it."

I hold it as gently as possible with my good hand. I watch the anime girl scratch a sheet with her own hands. She does three long strips, before sitting back down on the bed to my right.

"Now I will make the sling. When using fabric it will be rudimentary and a little loose. It will hurt you to move, but we can't afford to go to a hospital right now" she directs her gaze to a point in the room. I follow her gaze with mine. "We do not know when we will be called to the battlefield again."

Through the window, we look at the destroyed city of Paris.

We are currently in the room on the top floor of a house, above a furniture store. The family who lives here must have escaped when the dining room wall was smashed through by a police car. If the food, almost untouched, on the table is any indication.

My beautiful city.

The arrangements will take months.

People take longer to recover.

Like any city where superhumans appear for the first time. Nothing will be the same.

"You say it can come back?" My voice expresses more weakness than I intended.

She turns to look directly at me. "Do you know who our enemy is?"

It took me a while to remember as she finished the sling. Many events happened today, important topics were said in a short time and I did things that no young woman or civilian should have done. It would be strange for me to have a clear head and a calm mind to respond immediately.

"Holder of the butterfly miraculous. That's what Plagg called the supervillain" the venom seeps into my words without effort. The one responsible for creating the akuma and causing this hell.

"A miraculous holder, like us," she says frustrated. She rests her elbows on her knees and leans forward. She doesn't have any signs of injury or fatigue, but the situation also weighs on her. I notice it in her shoulders when they fall a few centimeters. "If his special power works like ours, he will only have to feed his kami to transform again and use it again."

What she means is clear.

"Another akuma can appear at any moment" I express what we both think.

She sighs resignedly "Yes. That's why I can't take you to a hospital. It was proven that I can't fight without my partner. No, if I want to win against the akuma."

"Something cruel to say to your partner who is currently seriously injured and almost died a few minutes ago."

Her shoulders shake and fall even more "I know. You don't have to say it. I'm a bad person for doing this to you, but what can I do?" She hides her face in her hands. Her voice, like her tenacity, break "The kamis have decided this. They have chosen me to fight their war. My people demand respect from the kamis" She moans and wails at her spot on the bed. Soon, drops form between her fingers and fall to the dirty floor. "How could I say no to them? That I don't want to be their warrior, their chosen one. How? Is it even a choice?"

I can only stay silent watching her breaking down with every question. I cannot speak and convey words of comfort or support. I was never in the unenviable position of encouraging a person. Adrien doesn't count; a hug here and a caress there to keep him happy. In that sense he seems like a locked cat who only wants cuddles and attention.

And even if I try to help her, how would I do it? I'm in the opposite pair of that shoe; I am a victim of capricious gods.I say this thinking that everyone looks like Plagg. I haven't spoken to Tikki yet, but from what she reproached her divine companion, she has a fearsome temperament. I can't help but think that she caused the Big Bang in a fit of anger at that glutton who kept looking for food while being yelled at.

I laugh at the absurdity of the idea. That they are as old as reality? Someone can only laugh at that stupidity. Plagg is destruction, so was he there when the dinosaurs became extinct? In the city of Pompeii that day? At the dropping of the atomic bomb? How ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. I can not stop laughing. I laugh so much that I have to cover my mouth to avoid being indecorous. My mother told me that a lady doesn't yawn or laugh with her mouth open in public. My partner counts as an audience.

The truth is, my mother is wise.

My mother is the best.

My mother loves me.

She didn't let me.

She will return one d-.

The sudden pain in my right arm brings my sanity back to me and I press my mouth hard to keep from screaming. With my eyes wide open, I survey the surroundings without moving. My heroic partner is still crying next to me, the sun is still shining high in the sky and there are no sounds of giant footsteps coming through the window. It didn't take long, I realize. I feel my face wet. I extend my good hand and see it stained with smudged makeup; and a salty taste invades my tongue.

With horror, I realize that I almost had an emotional breakdown.

I hold my broken arm to my chest and remind myself not to let it go again. I scream at myself in my mind for almost having an emotional breakdown in this situation. Unfortunately, I am not a first-timer in these circumstances, although it is normal for me to be next to the collapsed person. Adrien, growing into the beautiful young model he is today, had to live in the mansion for 14 years. The few trips to work or to the hotel were not enough for his childish and hyperactive mind. Being locked up and staring at the same walls all day, every day, made him overthink what it's like outside. A thought that I could not quell with my stories or my company, resulting in him crying on the floor asking for freedom.

The first time, I could only cry with him, at the same time screaming for help. It took them more than two hours to find us. It looks like they were in a meeting and those walls are soundproof.

The second time, I hugged him with one arm and called Uncle Gabriel and Aunt Emilie with the other, cell phone in hand. It took them an hour to answer my calls. Their jobs did not allow them to have a cell phone with sound, was what they told him.

The third time, I had already prepared myself thanks to Sabrina and the notes given by the best psychologists that money can buy. That's when the hugs and caresses on my part became more intimate.

And see me here, again, in a similar situation. I may be delusional and lying to myself to find a familiar situation for my own mental good, but seeing her next to me crying and babbling reminded me of Adrien. I know they are two different people: gender, nationality, personality, everything. And that doesn't stop my mind from returning to that time, to that scenario with my best friend needing help. Where only Adrien had Chloé and Chloé had Adrien.

Nowadays, Chloé has the anime girl and the anime girl has Chloé. That's how it is and that's how it must be to survive today.

For my father.

For my Adrien.

I make a decision. The one I didn't tell Plagg when he confronted me this morning.

With a new resolution, I get up without caring that the pillows fall and then sit, a few seconds later, on the other end of the bed. Fortunately, I am not a first-timer in these circumstances and I know what to do. Slowly and methodically, I extend my left arm to place it on her shoulders.

I feel her harden at my sudden touch.

Now comes the hard part.

I repeat to myself that she is not Adrien and since I don't know her, I will have to make it up as I go. It's a good thing I had private theater improvisation classes with Aunt Emilie; those lessons will be useful for once.

"Yes, it is a disgrace that two beautiful and strong girls like us must carry such magnificent power. At this time of day, we would both be shopping for designer clothes or getting makeup done by fashion professionals. And here we are, two young heroines healing their wounds after stopping the evil monster; saving millions of lives in the process. What does it matter, if two kwamis have seen how great we are and decided to give us superpowers. The important thing is that we saved the day… well, half the day. I think it's still noon."

At some point during my rant, she lowered her hands and showed me her tearful face.

I have her attention. Is something.

"Besides, it's our first battle. In my humble opinion of my humble social status, I say we did spectacular. was totally spectacular. And we will be more spectacular in the future. Yes, that, we will be the best hero duo in all of France, no, the best in the entire world. And history too…"

"Don't you get tired of listening to yourself?" the anime girl suddenly asks. "I feel sorry for hairdressers who have to stay with you for hours."

"Hey! I take care of my hair and only me. To brush it you need 3 different types of combs and 2 moisturizing creams to start. Then you ne-."

"For the kamis, enough is enough. I'm better now. You don't need to humiliate yourself like that."

"Excuse me!"

"You're horrible at encouraging someone. If it weren't for my mother's daily temper-strengthening practices, I would be much worse off now than before I started speaking."

That ungrateful girl dares to say that to me when I'm just trying to help. That's why I avoided doing quality, people don't know how to appreciate my help.

"And for that I thank you" without me realizing it, she finds herself with both hands on her knees and her head is bowed towards me.

I didn't expect that and that's why I'm speechless.

"Without your annoying and narcissistic words, I wouldn't have been distracted enough to remember the practices. Thank you so much. I am once again indebted to you."

I got as far away as I could without falling out of bed. Seeing it in an anime doesn't compare to seeing it in reality.

Orientals are too formal even for her.

The seconds pass without stopping and she continues with her head bowed. I'm already missing when she only responded to me with nods.

"Eh, yes, you're welcome. We are heroic colleagues, right? It's part of the job" I decided not to respond to her obvious criticism of me and cut it short. I feel like she would be in that position until she had a positive answer.

What I said seems to work, as she looks up and relaxes her posture; Her eyes shine with tears that never came out.

Out of nowhere, she snorts and starts laughing.

I couldn't stop myself from staring at her like a weirdo. I get the impression that she hasn't finished putting her emotions back together yet.

"Don't worry about me. Just give me a moment… and it's you we should worry about. You're the one with battle wounds."

"I'm tougher than you think, than everyone thinks," I refute. I like attention, not pity and even less from strangers.

"Noting that you are not lying down due to the pain of your bleeding back and broken arm, I do not doubt that statement."

Now that she says it, my lower waist feels moist and annoyingly itchy. Nathalie's bandages must have loosened and my wounds opened. I need to change them urgently.

I look into her eyes, hoping she gets the message. Showing more weakness when asking for help is not good to start a working relationship. Dad's words.

Say without speaking; tacitly communicate your need and when the other does it, your image is not damaged.

The anime girl demonstrates acuity and confirms that she can change the bandages, and then begins to blame herself for my condition.

Maybe we can both work together.

But before that, I must do something first with her negativity.

"... is the least I can do. I will treat your wounds to the best of my abilities. You can hate me for not taking you to the hospital; I deserve it. I am a bad person, a disgrace, for forcing you t-."

"Alright that's it! Dishonor! Dishonor on your whole family! Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!"

"Japan does not honor cows. That's in India."

I control myself not to facepalm myself.

"You really don't recognize the quote?"

"No. Ought? Is it from a very popular text in Paris?"

"Ugh, I have a lot of work ahead of me. First we start with baby steps" I grab the bloodless part of the sheet and wipe away her traces of tears. "My partner can't walk around like she's just finished watching La vita è bella. And don't worry about being a bad person. That means I only have to be good enough for both of us."

"How is that fair treatment?"

"Easy. I decided."

"You are strange."

"You are an anime-loving girl."

"Just because I'm Japanese doesn't mean I like anime."

"I'm wrong?"

"Yes... I like manga."

"It's the same shit!"

"They are two different entertainment medium."

"It's the same product."

"They never are. Anime changes or cuts or lengthens scenes arbitrarily."

"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"

"Please stop pointing at the anime when naming me."

"As if I had any other way to call you."

"You can use my name."

"As if I knew."

"I showed up to class this morning."

"An American fashion show was broadcast on Instagram."

"You're not a model student."

"That's why I have Sabrina."

"Who?"

"My seatmate."

"I understand."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I introduce myself to you. I am Kagami Tsurugi. The holder of the ladybug miraculous and heir to the Tsurugi sword style."

"My name is Chloé Bourgeois. The holder of the cat miraculous and the best girl in Paris."

"..."

"..."

"Thanks you. For everything."

"You're welcome. For everything."

Hello everyone. Vicav12 is alive and back.

It was a long year and my writing improved.

For those who remember the previous 3 chapters, this one must have felt heavy, but as you saw in the title of the fanfic, there will be chapters where seriousness will prevail.

The next one and the next one and maybe the next one will look like the first three.

Sorry if it seemed short. I thought it would be better to separate the serious part from the rest.

What did you think of the "serious" Chloé? Did you guess who Ladybug was? Will this working relationship last or will Chloé put her foot (like a cat XD) in the deep end?

Your comments give me energy to continue writing.

PS: I made minor edits to the previous chapters. I will be uploading them over the course of this week.