>Advancing Advanced Advanced Gaslighting

"Also—" The silence went on too long. "—also, I turned into a lizard already today. If I started turning into another one, that'd be too many lizards, Richard. Why is it lizards? Why's the Herald one? I thought the Wyrm liked snakes better."

"The Wyrm didn't have much say in the matter, Charlie. The Herald is of It, but unlike It. It is... approachable. Familiar. In it we see ourselves."

"And you have arms," you say. "And legs."

"We have been over this, you realize."

You realize. It boggles your mind regardless. "And that's two legs? Because today I had four. Did you end up seeing that, by the way? Because— I feel like— I feel like it was really exciting, and you haven't seemed that excited."

"Did I not congratulate you? Congratulations on becoming a large reptile, Charlotte. Good on you for keeping yourself together without intervention. That is the kind of progress we will need to see in spades."

You wait. "And?"

"Should there be more?"

"Yes?" You thought he was supposed to be reading your mind. "You need to tell me it was really cool?"

"I see no reason to inflate your ego. The execution was impressive. There may be some practical benefits. But I can't imagine the Wyrm approves of haemic means of activation, and becoming a large lizard was not on our actual to-do list."

"Yes it was," you say.

"Not that kind of lizard. But that brings us back to the start, doesn't it?" Richard laces his fingers. "Did you have something else in mind? I'll begin there."

Yes. He reminded you: you did keep yourself together. In fact, it seemed to you like you cowed the red stuff into submission, something you didn't think was even an option. Is that part of being the Herald? You don't want to get too far off-topic.

Richard doesn't rise to your jab. He says, mildly, that the Herald isn't thought of as frightening, Charlie. The great WYRM is frightening. But the Herald certainly garners respect, and— and it is at the center of things. It is of vast importance.

"I thought you weren't inflating my ego," you say.

"Did I say Charlotte Fawkins? I said the Herald." Richard studies you intently for a moment, then turns his head. "There is still a considerable ways to go."

"...I guess that's good. I don't feel that different."

"You might never feel different. It's a good thing the object is being, not feeling. Along those lines, I have a proposition. Would you allow me to work with your strings?"

"Isn't that what you've been doing?"

"While you're conscious? I believe you're desensitized enough to tolerate it. I have a working theory about how to improve your..." Richard grasps around for the right word. "...importance."

You think about it. "Will I get a parade?"

"Maybe someday, Charlie. Let us hope. Is that a yes, by the way?"

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