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He pockets the glasses. His eyes underneath are glowing blue pits. That's new. Teddy flashes you a mute smile, then slides his thumb through his forehead and drags it down through the middle of his face and neck and chest and down from there. His skin falls flexibly around him, and you see, for a second, <span class="mu-b">movement</span> and <span class="mu-b">light</span> in the shape of him. Also new.
Then it loses definition, flares out, spills out, whirls out, banishing the blackness, sweeping you giddily up in itself, tumbling, bubbling, <span class="mu-b">blue</span> as anything, teasing the beetles out of you— no match for this magic, your sodden body falls apart immediately— bearing you aloft, washing you out of yourself, so you can see Lottie (worm) and Ramsey (giga) from way above. And, atop Lottie's head, a dark little speckle that could be beetles. Shit. Okay. Aren't you imaginary? How do you get more imaginary than that?
You have little time to process before the <span class="mu-b">blue</span> closes around you again, pressuring cold water through delicate beetle lung-holes, and you can't actually cough or spit or do much of anything but pray for air, for half a second, before you remember: imaginary. Or giga-imaginary? You are not beholden to lung-holes, and to prove it you take a deeply fulfilling breath of nothing at all. Ahhhh.
You are still in water, though— not the kind that you don't notice. Genuine, thick, wet water, ordinary water, which leaves you more surprised when it unfolds: you are now <span class="mu-i">atop</span> thick wet water. The water is in the shape of an enormous hand. The hand is attached to an enormous muscular water-arm, which is attached to an enormous muscular water-torso, to which is attached three extra arms and a head like a swordfish and eyes like two whirlpools.
Oh, SHIT! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! It's the fishman! Shit! You mean, it's a <span class="mu-i">god!</span> The one Garvin killed himself for! You unbeetle as fast as you've ever unbeetled and fall to your hands and knees and stay there.
<span class="mu-b">}}}</span>You have made good use of my blessing.<span class="mu-b">}}}</span>
You remain on your hands and knees. Teddy FUCKED OFF before he could tell you god etiquette, so, as far as you're concerned, one wrong move equals insta-death. Imagine getting fucking smited, here, now?
<span class="mu-b">}}}</span>Respect is warranted, god-son, not deference. Arise.<span class="mu-b">}}}</span>
<span class="mu-b">}}}</span>I said, you have made good use of my blessing.<span class="mu-b">}}}</span>
Are you about to argue? Ha-ha, imagine that. You're shaking as you rise... into a kneel. It's about all you can manage. "Y-yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
<span class="mu-b">}}}</span>It has deferred humanity's destruction, as hoped. But your alternative use amuses me as well. Could I see it again?<span class="mu-b">}}}</span>
(4/5?)
