"Ready to head back, or do you want to explore more?"

He has to stop and think. Or rather, pace and think.

“I want to — do something,” he finally says. “Doesn't have to be getting in a fight like I thought earlier. But not wandering.”

"Any ideas on what?"

“Something that — matters? No, that's not quite —

Something that's a goal, not just walking around. A destination, a project.”

"I get you on that. Sitting around here... It's bad, a lot. For projects - we can try closing dunjes, though that often feels like pushing against a tide. Maybe we'll be able to get an angle on what's causing them. I know Marian was researching that."

“— I meant about where I'm heading within the next minute, but all that's good too.”

"We can go look through name websites? I'm not sure there's much else to do short term - I don't like rushing bonding, though that's technically possible..."

“Bonding?”

These all sound like going back indoors activities so he starts that way.

They'll walk along.

"Weapons and wielders get more effective if they know each other well. More powers, better at the existing powers. Liking each other helps, but... isn't required. Learning each others' personalities outside combat is in a way more important? It seems connected to improved outcomes at least..."

“So — basically we practice all sorts of things together, not just fighting?”

Walking the same path is boring so he's taking detours onto every rock, fallen branch, or other non-flat ground that is plausibly on their route.

"Somewhat. Also involves getting to know each others' likes, dislikes, tastes, style... Enough you'd recognize me versus a pretender, is the general gist."

“That sounds uncomfortable to rush.”

"Some people try anyways."

“I don't even know what my style is yet!”

It does include trying to walk balancing on fallen tree branches even when they are small enough to roll around and squish into the ground.

"That does complicate things! It's important to get to know yourself, first."

“Got any advice there?”

"Try things out? I've been trying to figure out my new self since - a thing. Reading different types of books, watching different shows, doing different exercises..."

“I am definitely up for trying things.”

"The house doesn't have as many things to try as some places, but it has some. And we can do to an arcade or something later - it'd be nice to get out of the house some."

“Sounds good!”

Then they'll lead the way back to the house, to introduce him first to multiplayer video games.

That sure is a collection of stuff that he has no idea what any of it does or how to interact with it!

His attention is, of course, caught by the large square mat.

They'll explain the DDR mat, what the game is, and pick out one of the ones with a good tutorial mode, then.

He takes to this activity with great enthusiasm! But does not yet have the skill of accurately reading fast-moving graphics on a screen, and this business where the directions are laid out in a row unlike how they are in reality is weird. So it's not very high-scoring enthusiasm.

That's fine! The basic levels are really slow, so it's a gentle learning curve.