You are Charlotte Fawkins, dashing heroine, detective, adventuress, heiress, sorceress, etcetera. Three years ago, you drowned yourself in a quest to find a long-lost family heirloom; nowadays, you're just nobly c̶a̶u̶s̶i̶n̶g solving problems with the help of trusty retainer Gil and snake/maybe-father Richard. Inexplicably, many people tend to "dislike" you, though you've never done anything wrong in your life.

Right now, you are in Gil's manse. You are attempting to confront Richard about his recent erratic behavior, using all the information at your disposal: the ritual that killed him, his alleged unexpected "sick leave", and the get-well card his coworker R-D/C #1 gave you. You're hoping you'll be able to fix his weird post-death disappearances without actually turning him back to normal (read: mean)... but this is a complicated prospect. It could go wrong really fast. Not that it will! Positive thinking! But it could.

"Charlie?"

"Huh?" you say.

"Nothing. You just seem distracted." Richard gently twirls his glass of lemonade. "Is everything alright?"

Is it? Maybe it could be. "Uh, I was just... can we have a talk?"

"Are we not already?"

You meet Gil's eyes across the table. (He shrinks back unhelpfully.) "Uh," you say. "Well, yes, but I meant more about— I wanted to talk about you."

"About me?" Richard arranges himself in his chair. "Well, I'm flattered to be the topic of conversation, but I don't see what—"

"You've been acting weird," you say.

"Ah." He taps his glass twice against the edge of the table, then takes a swig of it. "I believe we've spoken about this previously. Multiple times, to my recollection? In <span class="mu-i">just</span> the past day or two? You're a very persistent young woman. Is there more that needs to be said?"

Has it been that much? It's not your fault, if it has. If he wasn't acting weird, you wouldn't have to bring it up. "You've— you've been gone. During times where you really should have been here. Again. Gil can testify!"

After you make more eye contact, Gil raises a tentative thumbs-up.

"Haven't I apologized already?" Richard is rubbing his forehead. "It's not out of any lack of will or caring, Charlotte. I have been doing my utmost to— I simply have not been feeling very well. But I am extremely proud to see that you've made it through thus far without me, and while I hope my illness subsides swiftly, I am confident that you will—"

"Your illness?"

Richard clicks his thumbnail against the glass. "Yes."

"You haven't called it an illness before."

"I thought it was apt for an unexpected downturn in functioning. I don't know the specifics, if that's what you're implying." His smile is tight.

You don't know what you were implying. "It's an illness where you're... in saltwater? Sometimes? Were you in water right before this?"

(1/3)