tushanshu | [voice]

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[voice]

I was wondering...how many other people here can speak other languages?

[But then, she paused and there was a slight jostling of the camera as she shook her head. Sorting out her thoughts.]

No, not speak. That doesn't really help any, with everything always being translated for us. More like...read. I was wondering...what languages everyone here can read? Since written words have never been translated. Not since I've been here.

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I'd like to read that book sometime. If I can ever find a copy.

[It might not exist here. It might not even exist back home, or if it did, would only be in a place she could access.]

It would be nice if we could turn it on and off at will. Just to hear all the languages being spoken around here constantly. Then turn it back on to find out what they were saying.

I don't think...I remember that somebody turned the magic off at one point, and all the people who had powers didn't have them anymore. [One might think she'd be pleased at something like that, but the memory came with a small frown; apparently, some magical creatures literally depended upon their powers for survival, and had fallen gravely ill during that time.] But I don't remember any of the translators ever failing. Not once.

Let me knows if it's any good if you do.

[Because hell if he knows what it's like, or even about, really. Catch 22's, he assumes.]

Wow, that really happened? Everyone's powers just vanished? I take it they came back?

[Adrien you sound way too concerned about that for someone who apparently doesn't have any powers. ]

Hm. So whatever's powering them might be something different?

[...so he hadn't read the book? Then how did he know the saying? Curiouser and curiouser.]

Not completely, but a lot of people got really weak. Some of them even got sick. But only people with powers or extra special abilities.

I always thought that A--I mean, the Turtle was the one sharing his power with them. But if people can still use magic even when he's been in that deep coma, then I have no idea what it could be.

[The joys of pop culture and those pesky millennials. ]

Wow. That's...weird. I hope that never happens again.

And I doubt we'll figure it out unless we wake him up. Maybe not even then.

...I think we will.

[Wake him up, she meant. There was no telling how long it would take, but all the signs were there.]

But you're right. We have no idea what will happen when he does wake up. Or how much he knows about what's been going on in Keelai.

We don't even know if the "Asti" we used to know a long time ago is even the same Turtle.

I really hope so. I mean, things are looking good on that front at the moment, right? With the...glowing?

[Look, he is no expert on giant world turtles okay. ]

So you think his personality might have changed? While he was asleep? I mean, I guess that sometimes happens to people who come out of comas, right? Makes sense it might happen to the turtle as well.

[She shook her head.]

No, that's not what I--

I mean, that could happen, yes, but that wasn't what I meant. Long before he went into a coma, he was being controlled by Malicant. We didn't learn about that until later, but at the same time, we also don't know how long he was being controlled for. There's a chance that he could have been controlled for as long as any of us have been here.

Oh.

[Well, THAT he can put into horrible experience. He knows exactly what it's like, seeing someone being controlled by an evil figure. Hell, he's been the victim of mind control himself. It's the worst. There's a touch of tension in his voice when he responds. ]

Then if it ends up that he's been controlled for that long, chances are he will be different than you remember him. If he's very lucky, he won't remember being controlled at all. That's usually a blessing.

Edited 2016-07-03 23:23 (UTC)

Part of me...hopes that too.

[The other part is unnerved by the thought that that boy she'd encountered in her dreams so long ago had been Malicant. An unfriendly presence infiltrating somewhere that should have been safe.]

It'd be kinder for him. Confusing, sure. But kinder. Then he wouldn't know what Malicant made him do.

[It made things better back home, at least. None of his friends ever needed to know how many lives they put at stake. How much havoc they wrecked on Paris. They could remain, for the most part, pretty ignorant of it all. ]

I don't know. For me, if someone were to ever do that to me...I'd want to know.

[No matter how painful. The worst thing, to her, would be getting left in the dark. Risk people knowing things "she" said or did with no way of defending or explaining herself.]

[He can understand that. The incident with Dark Cupid springs to mind. He did so many awful things to Ladybug, and remembers none of them. Plagg won't tell him, and Ladybug never talks about what happens to him when someone else is pulling his strings. It's frustrating, yes, but would he be any better in knowing the truth?]

Not knowing wouldn't be fun, that's for sure. Never really knowing what happened, what other people know about you that you have no recollection of. But...I don't know. Wouldn't knowing hurt more?

[What would Nino say if he knew he very nearly killed him and Ladybug both? How it felt to be turned into a twisted version of himself? Someone he wouldn't ever recognise in a mirror? ]

I mean. If he was under someone else's control, it wouldn't have really been him. It would have been like having a stranger in his own body.

The pain of not knowing has always outweighed the pain of knowing for me.

At least, if I know, I can do something about it later. Or know for absolute certain there isn't anything I can do.

...I never thought about it that way before.

But what if there's nothing you can do about it? Wouldn't that make you feel even more powerless?

I'm already powerless.

[Despite her words, her tone didn't sound forlorn, defeated, or even resigned. More like she was stating a fact. Because it was true--compared to so many supernatural abilities she had seen, she truly was power-less.]

I'm not a fighter. I can't fly or do magic or anything like that.

What I am is a survivor, and I've always survived by using my brain. Learning what I need to know, and how I need to react. When it's better to run or stay or speak up or remain silent.

I'd say that makes you pretty powerful. So long as you can survive, get up and carry on, you're not powerless.

[He's been powerless. Sitting under his father's thumb, doing everything asked of him. Not having the strength or courage to move out from under it. He could never go back to that. Not again. ]

...But I understand. How knowing would help with that.

[They were talking about two different definitions of power. Not so different, but enough for them to...in a sense...both be right.]

And that's why I want to keep learning. So I can know as much as possible. Just in case something like Malicant ever comes back, or other bad things start happening around here again.

...That's...actually a really good idea. I mean, that's what we were brought her for originally, right? To help keep this world safe. Just because it's safe now doesn't mean we won't be needed again.

[Otherwise, why would the Dreaming keep bringing them here at all? ]

Unless it's not actually safe.

[...hypothetically speaking, of course.]

...Well, okay. Good point. It's not exactly the safest place ever. But it's not as bad as when he was in charge, right?

No, it's not as bad.

It was never as dangerous as back home, but... [She bit her lip, brows furrowing at the memory.] ...at one point, we were all back to rationing. And curfews. And...I'd been out in the city when one of the really bad attacks occured. The explosions set up in some of the public areas.

[So, yeah, compared to those days, now was a peaceful paradise.]

[...Welp. He glances up, concern crossing his features. ]

I'm sorry, Midii. That sounds like it was awful.

It was. [She wasn't going to pretend otherwise.] But...it wasn't anything I hadn't faced before. Even the rationing. I was used to having to conserve my portions, so I knew what to do. Better than some of the adults, even.

And...people here were kind. It surprised me. Some of them were even willing to give up small amounts of what they had to make sure all the kids had enough.

Silver lining in every cloud, huh?

[Not exactly. But at least her suffering back home aided her in some way here. Helped her aid other people. It was...something. ]

That's...pretty great of them. To look out for everyone. Great of you too, to show them how to deal with it. I wouldn't know the first thing about it.

I could show you.

[She wasn't the best teacher, as she'd previously told someone who'd asked about leaning the local language. But there seemed no harm in at least demonstrating one or two basics.]

Just the simple things. Useful things. Rationing, Which clothes will last you longer so you don't have to waste money. Even a little first aid.

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