Quoted By:
"...Um, whose, though?"
"THEIRS." And he raises his arm and stretches the crossbow as high as it'll go, straight up to the sky above, where... Casey and Jerry are?
God, Ellery's so stupid. "Management's?! I don't— it's not like I work for— you're the stupid hero of their story, probably. Or, like, the comic relief. Or the sidekick everyone hates. Not <span class="mu-i">me.</span> I didn't even know who they were before before I started investigating—"
"You didn't?"
"Um, no, I didn't? Because they're some secret evil organization? It's not like I automatically—"
"Why do you act like them, then, Charlotte?"
You frown. "I act literally nothing like—"
"Really?" Ellery spreads his hands. "Nothing like them, except for the gullshit. I'm sure you mean to tell me it's normal to read minds."
"Well—"
"It's normal to get <span class="mu-i">into</span> minds. It's normal to tell people what to think and have them think it. The fangs are normal."
"I don't have fangs right now," you say uncomfortably. "And I wouldn't say I—"
"Right! Yes. You don't have them right now, because it's normal to steal some guy's FUCKING body. Is that right?"
"Um," you say. "I mean, I never said it was... obviously I'm special. Because I'm a heroine, and... you know."
"You're special because you're the heroine, and you're the heroine because you're special. Is that right?"
You liked it better when he was yelling. "I thought you were mad because I was a god, or whatever. Or queen. So it's probably that. I don't care."
"No, Charlotte, I thought about it." Ellery retreats, finding the far wall and leaning casually against it. He rests the crossbow over his lap. "That's what you wanted me to do, right? You thought I was crazy."
"You are crazy," you say.
"I am crazy. But I thought about it. You're still fucked-up, but things have reasons, don't they? And, you know, I believe you."
Trap statement. You've learned these from Richard. You scootch your foot against the smooth floor.
"That's also what I thought about. I believe you. I think you honestly— I think you've told me what you know, or have been telling me that. So, thanks. Don't know if I've said that. Thanks for the honesty."
You hesitate. Maybe he does mean it? "You're welcome?"
"Yeah. I don't think you're a liar. I think you're a fucking <span class="mu-i">idiot,</span> Charlotte." The face-hole is staring right through you. "Or maybe you're blind? Dense? Because most people, if they're normal, if they start off normal, they'd notice when things got <span class="mu-i">weird.</span> When did things get weird for you, Charlotte?"
Richard would know what to say. Maybe he's never coming back. Maybe he died in the snake hospital and left you all alone. "I— I don't— I can't remember a lot of things—"
"When did you lose that <span class="mu-i">eye?</span>"
You touch the bad eye, even though you don't have one, even though Everard's are perfectly normal. "I can't remember. It's extremely rude to make fun of somebody's—"
(3/5?)
