"Yeah. I wonder what it's like for Maurice. Or some of the kids at school."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they weren't born with powers, but then they got them. Is it normal for them, too?"

"Oh. I don't know, they—we are kids, I guess by the time we grow up it will be normal."

"Is having powers fun?"

"Yeah! I like mine a lot, now that I'm learning to use them."

"Um, even if everyone were already not going to die of old age and healed properly like mer and Miracles do, would you try Manifesting?"

"Well yeah, superpowers!"

"...Should I?"

"...you mean it works on mer and you haven't?"

"It hasn't been tried on mer."

"Why not?"

He fidgets. "Cause we're a bit different from humans. We don't have blood like you do, for one thing. And we already don't age once we grow up so I guess it's less important."

"Well, yeah, but superpowers! And besides, it's magic anyway, so what does it matter if you don't have blood?"

"Well, I was thinking, Paul got the same kind of not-blood as mer when he Manifested, and he has the virus. And I'm half human, soooo...look, can I ask you something?"

"Sure?"

"Um, if you don't die or turn into a scaly monster or something when you Manifest, could you get Evan to try it on me. Sometimes he does it for kids who aren't sick or anything but just want powers."

"Why don't you come with me today?"

"I kinda feel like the adults won't like the idea. Especially Jeanette."

"Why not?"

"...Because she'd worry it would make me melt or something." He seems to hesitate before continuing. "There's kind of another reason I want you to go first. Promise you won't laugh if I tell you?"

"Okay."

"I'm scared it might turn me human. Like, all the way human. If you keep your powers, then maybe it means becoming a Miracle doesn't take away already-there specialness."

"Why would it turn you human? It's magic."

"It can cure DNA diseases, so it might think being half mer is one."