"When?"

"Probably right after you joined."

Grumble.

Giggle.

Okay, she'll get her and her partner's name tags set up. It really is a very good idea.

"Might be smart to also add in our screennames in the chat," adds Minseo, thoughtfully. "As a little title underneath."

Oh! Yes. She might have talked to some of these people on guild chat, actually.

A little 'wallflower' gets quietly added to Hana's nametag. Because she's gotten her own, of course. It is The Procedure They Are Doing. (And it's so helpful!)

Park Yoo-min feels like his handle is really obvious from his name but on the other hand this is fun.

Well he doesn't use chat anyway so.

Most of the others don't either but sure, it's not a bad idea.

"Incoming."

Vworp! "Sorry I'm late, everyone, had to chase some customers out before closing the bar."

"Hi, noona, you should get a name tag."

OH NO MORE PEOPLE oh wait she actually knows this one. She's her partner's twin. They've met before. She knows her name already. Still, it's good she'll be getting a nametag, they bring Hana some measure of reassurance. Especially if more people show up, that she hasn't met before. They should all get nametags. ... But will they be in the database???

Being a supportive partner is hard sometimes okay.

"Is anyone else arriving by not-teleportation? Is there a guest list at the door, or...?"

Is this perhaps a chance to make NON-ESPER FRIENDS???? Without concern for mind control???? She's excited, but also kind of terrified, she doesn't feel super up for doing this but it might be like, her only chance until Kang Jaeha's handled, so can she live with herself if she doesn't try to mingle...?

"Yeah, Tae-hwan had a bunch of friends... He was a really friendly sort of guy." YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS IT'S TIME TO DOWN ANOTHER SHOT OF SOJU OR TWO THAT'S WHAT TIME IT IS

It sure does look like that time, yes.

Hana will pat him and make sure he also eats properly.

More non-espers do arrive. A few of them are from Quasar—Jeong Seo-ah (the lawyer), Park Eun-ji (the comms person who goes by kitkatcat), Kwon Jiesang (the receptionist who goes by Zzzzgirl but who also refuses to admit this lest Hye-jin connect the face to the chatname)—but a few are from elsewhere—he got into Quasar straight out of high school and managed to keep in touch with some of his friends from then even through the two-year gap due to their military drafts.

People get really, exceptionally, uproariously drunk, and exchange stories about Tae-hwan, and sing drunk songs. They get an absurdly large cake, and they sing happy birthday, and Woo-young blows the candle and cries a lot. This is probably Tae-hwan's last birthday, Woo-young doesn't think he'll do it again, and of last memories to have of him, it's not a bad one at all.

User0002: hey
User0002: it's ready

Tae-gun and Hye-jin continue to be sent to new dungeons, most of them abroad following their safety guidelines. They'd planned to reconvene the War Council soon after Tae-hwan's birthday to discuss ways to more proactively deal with Kang Jaeha but three of the named S-ranks they were due to get show up at the same time two days later which keep everyone exceptionally busy. It helps calm their nerves that Kang Jaeha seems to be spending most of his time in Nightmare and most of the rest of it with his partner (though it seems like they've been having some troubles recently), but he's shown that he can be very dangerous even under these constraints. The thing that they really need is for Si-yeon's underworld contacts to find the shooter so that they have some evidence of connection.

The named dungeon Tae-gun and Hye-jin in particular were helping with seals itself and vanishes about a week before Christmas, though, leaving them some time to decompress and do things other than that.

Which gives Hye-jin enough space to finish the ~final touches~ on her ~secret underground (and also underwater) silo~. Which is, at least structurally, done! Without any meddling from Quasar, actually; she'd left her mother in charge of it, with a generous helping of money to make it happen, and it sure has happened. Just in time for Christmas.

She is absolutely delighted by this, and gleefully begins decorating and personalizing and and and look she's also been settling into Tae-gun's house a bit but, but, look this is going to be hershershers!!!! There is no danger of anyone taking it away from her ever, not if she breaks up with her partner, or leaves her guild, or another psycho stalker mental esper shows up out of the woodwork to try and fuck with her brain! She is, legally, in international fucking waters, so actually if someone shows up that's not supposed to be there she can actually just fucking kill them over it. (Probably the legalities would shake out to actually revolve around the nationalities of those involved, but STILL.) It! Is! HERS!

Tae-gun's not allowed to see it until it's, quote, "less sad and empty," apparently. But he will get to see it, and she does actually still silo in his house with him. Just, just. ... She needs this, okay? She would like him to please be patient.

? Sure? It's fine if she doesn't want to show it to him at all ever, too.

(He'll miss her, though. He doesn't say that part aloud, because it's objectively speaking a ridiculous thing to feel, but he will.)

Okay! You can see my secret underground base now!

You should be able to ask the system to send you to it by typing in 'deepcoverhyejin,' as the coordinates.

Alright. 

A few minutes later she gets the notification requesting for teleportation permission for him.

~Approved!~

He arrives in a circular, domed genkan, with solid stone tile beneath his feet. The walls (or... wall, since it's just the one) are a pale cream with the subtle painted pattern of bamboo shoots, faux-wood beams, and recessed lighting. There's a tidy little nook meant for shoes, and stairs leading down to what looks to be a proper living area. Hye-jin stands at the top of them beaming at him.

"Hi!" she says, bouncing on her toes.

He loves her. 

"Hi."