"The agent group I've been talking to has been very - you should find a partner right away! I can read subtext. And now I have, but it's apparently... A weak partnership?"

"You shouldn't let anyone tell you what to do. Espers got to stand up for ourselves. Backlash sucks ass, right? So don't let anyone bully you into using your powers more than you can handle. And yeah, we're not very compatible. But more than zero! So I can be a backup option for you and vice versa when you find someone better."

"I'm not going to not help rescue people, even if it 'sucks ass'." He huffs. "It's- It's- I have a moral duty, not to give everything to charity and live as a monk or something, but... You know?"

"...Yeah kinda. Most people have that kind of charity in them somewhere. Just- The bureaucracy will chew you up and spit you out if you let it. You can be heroic while playing it smart. Actually, um, I mentioned another partner?"

Is this the part where she tells him he's not good enough?

"He does dungeons and is all heroic about it, and is, you know, smart and safe about it. Gets his due, gets paid, gets fair treatment, sticks up for himself. Also. Apparently if you're compatible with one person, you're statistically more likely to be compatible with people that person is compatible with? So Traceless asked me to mention to him if I found anyone I was compatible with. If you don't mind that. More options is always good."

"Aren't partners, um- I mean, would I be intruding on... The pamphlets mentioned, uh. Some things."

"Um. I mean, sometimes skin contact is platonic."

"Oh." He has no clear line of conversation to follow up on after that. This is terrible.

"I'm - not opposed to that kind of thing on principle, but - it's not mandatory either, right? And - okay shutting up now, talk about this later."

"No, yeah, agreed. Later." Or 'never ever'.

"Do you mind if I, platonically, touch more of your arms? I think we could both use it, it feels like you're carrying a bit of backlash and so am I."

"Surethat'sfine."

Anxious as all hell, isn't he. She feels sympathetic, was she this bad at her first meetup? No, but maybe only because she was bold about it.

She telegraphs her movements and presses both of her arms against his, palms too, up to the elbow.

"...It is kind of nice. And necessary, to use the powers."

It's also more skin contact than he gets on most days. He tries to imagine this being part of a daily routine. Necessary to superheroic people-saving. Oh noooooo what a saaaacrifice.

...This is why all the esper fic exists. He feels like squirming as he vaguely imagines Wendy's bare back...

No! Bad brain! Fic is not reality! You literally just met.

"So, when Traceless- He has a regular name too but I try not to spread it around to randoms- Is backlashing, we tend to talk. A lot. It's become a habit of mine to ramble while guiding. Mind if I fill the air with babble? Also, d'you want to go to a side room instead of this loud table in the middle of the place?"

"No here's fine," he says quickly. "Um, and no, I don't mind. What kind of babble?"

"Well, today, I'm interested in civil engineering since I'm actually learning some to help with esper construction work."

"-Ooh, engineering!" That's much better than he was expecting. He's not sure what he was expecting, though. "I'm an IT guy. Or, uh, was."

She will nerd out about cable-stayed bridges with her new friend for a while!! This is great.

Yep, this is great!

They're eventually bothered by a Vanguard staffer who would like to know if they need anything? It looks like they're compatible, are they partnering up?

-Ugh, interruptions.

"We're slightly compatible. No need to make anything formal at this point, thank you."

"Oh, of course, of course. Wendy, right? Are you with Vanguard?"

"No, Maple. I'm sure you can find my agent's number, right?" Go AWAY.