>[Good With A Sword II]

Richard is drawing a long line, then a shorter line cutting through it. "You haven't been practicing your combat skills, either, I've noticed."

"Is that supposed to be a sword?" You've been thinking about it, but you'd rather die than let Richard best you again. "And I will! I got that trophy and everything! Just not with you."

"You're going up against a woman who's spent decades fighting to the death. You've previously bested animals or untrained, surprised opponents. Even if you don't get decades of experience in a month, at least a baseline—"

>[On Fire! II]

"Okay! I get it! I think you're ignoring the fact that my sword is on fire, but— ooh! And it's even more on fire than it was!" You pull it out. It is, in fact, flaming gloriously. "What if I lit on fire?"

"What?"

"Or had fire powers? If I could shoot fire out of my hands..."

"You'd have to alter reality substantially. But the hope is that you will, so I—" He really doesn't want to say this. "I suppose, if you earnestly desired 'fire powers'—"

"Yes!"

"You would have to focus on it, though, Charlotte. And you can't focus on everything. You may have to make some difficult decisions." Richard pauses. "Additionally, we are underwater."

"How did you stop being old and get even more boring? Maybe, if I was a lizard, I could... breathe fire." Since you'd be walking on your hands. Claws. Whatever. "That would be so cool. Like... ROAR! And..."

Richard spends ten seconds watching you mime shooting fire out of your mouth, then clears his throat. "I'm glad you can find enthusiasm in this. Moving on."

>[The Sun III]

You lower your arms. "Could I at least have sun powers?"

"Charlotte, I have no idea what that means."

"Like, instead of fire, I shot really hot... light...? I don't know. But the sun's Heraldy, so you can't complain about it. I— I think—"

"Have you begun manifesting sun powers?"

"No, but... I've seen it! In my portents! And Ellery got it out of my chest! And it's a good thing to focus on. Like, if you put me in the pain machine, then I could think about the sun and not you torturing me to death." You pause. "I'd really like to see it again. Not in a manse. For real."

"You will."

"I know." You tap your heel against the ground. "Are sun powers a thing?"

"Consider anything viable, Charlotte. Moving on."

>[OPEN II]

"Maybe if you used your secret key powers, you could help get it out," you muse. "I still can't believe you're actually—"

"It's trivia, Charlotte, not impactful."

"It is impactful! I'd like to magyckally open doors. I think I can do it a little better than I used to... I mean, I practiced in that horrible maze... but what if you made me into a key? Huh? You're messing around with my strings anyways."

Richard doesn't say anything.

"And then I could open myself up, if I wanted. To get the sun out. Or maybe I could— I could, you know— it'd help with turning into a lizard! I bet it'd help. What do you think?"

(4/9??)