"So it has. It would've destroyed many others. What are you doing?"

You've miming getting stabbed in the heart. "Um, acting?"

"Right. Yes. Carry on. I think, despite your reservations— not despite. The fact that you have reservations about the plan, Charlie, is proof you are sane. This is no small undertaking. The fact that you persist despite them... we haven't re-taken the pain test. I think you could score higher than before. Is that acting too?"

You were pretending to writhe in agony. "No. You're just that boring."

"For quite a while, I thought you had no sense of humor."

>[The Red Stuff III]

"For quite a while, you had no sense of humor," you say. "You were a snake. And the Wyrm likes snakes? I think it hates fun. And happiness."

"It certainly isn't cheery, no." He's drawing a frowny face. It has nostrils, for some reason.

"It just wants everybody to die. Or turn into lizards, I guess. Does the Wyrm have legs? Shouldn't I turn into a snake?"

"You have legs, Charlie. I'd imagine it's doing the best with what it has to work with. You did an excellent job of keeping it all under control, by the way."

"It would've been really embarrassing if I ate Arledge. I couldn't do that. And I guess I know what's going on with it, now."

"Or you've developed an ability to channel it in a useful way. Don't discount that."

You examine your non-lizardy hands. "Do you think I could do it without needing the syringe? Or I could use the syringe, but it'd happen really fast? It took a long time. ...And it was gross."

"I don't know if such a thing is physically possible, without a catalyst." Oh, God, he's smirking. "That being said, 'physically possible' may become less of an obstacle. Metaphysically—"

>[Extrareal I]

"No!" you say. "You can't add another lecture onto the first lecture! Keep going!"

Richard sighs.

>[Advanced (Advanced) Gaslighting III]

"Besides, I already do things that aren't super possible. Arledge didn't think it was possible to convince Lucky, and I... it's because I'm God, right?"

"Yes."

"I think it's gotten easier. With Lucky, I didn't have to... I mean, I tried, but... I didn't feel that much pushback. When he should've given me lots. Do you think I could just walk up to somebody and tell them...?"

"Tell them what?"

"I don't know." You don't like to think about it. It's not very heroic. "I guess I'll have lots of time to figure it out."

>[Communion II]

"I suppose, if negotiations failed, you could've gotten inside that man's head."

"Lucky's?" You wrinkle your nose. "It's probably gross in there. And he'd hate me even more than before. Do you think I could do it so they don't realize?"

"Practice is everything. Have you been practicing?"

"...No."

"There you have it."

(3/9???)