"I mean, my agent can cover you on a temporary basis, but while I believe there exist ways to represent oneself to the dungeon dispatch and bounty system I'm not familiar with it because Paula handles it for me."

"...That seems not great, conflict of interest wise. Or well- It would be strange to do it more than once, I really need an agent of my own probably. Maybe what I should do is call possible agents while mildly to moderately backlashed and see which ones annoy that version of me the least. God, that sounds like an awful experience though, maybe not."

"Yeah, I think partners are only really supposed to share an agent if they're working together particularly closely."

"...I'll work on it tonight. I think I want to go and... Think and process when we're fully back to zero. Uh, thanks for having me over."

"You're welcome. I think I'm almost there, flying didn't cost as much with you right there as it would with nobody or with Wendy."

"...Wait, is backlash cost actually reduced by a compatible partner being right nearby? I hadn't heard of that. I'm- Not entirely sure if I can tell it's gone or not. The guiding feeling goes fully down when you're at zero, right?"

"Not completely, the sense of compatibility thing still works at zero. I'll probably be able to tell when you're at zero if you don't have enough practice to be sure yet. And yes, power use is more efficient with a partner in guiding distance."

"Maybe it'll make logistical sense to hug you while I'm sensing, especially if you're cooling off from your own dungeon."

That sounds kind of nice actually. A Legitimate Reason TM for a hug.

"Yeah, probably something like that will make the most sense."

"I'm going to want to practice... Translating my sensing into precise angles and ranges. 'Four degrees fifteen minutes left. One degree up, five fifty meters!'. Maybe some mapping software? Instead of 'about thereish' or doing more backlash to send sense of place."

"Yeah, once you know more about what you need you can probably get something bespoke if nothing that already exists works well."

"I already have some ideas."

They can finish the chess game. Teddy wins, but there was quite some flailing around first.

"Good game. - I think you're zeroed."

"Yeah, I think so too. So I guess I'll go now. Feel free to text me?"

"I think I'm not yet, if I could trouble you for another couple minutes."

"-Oh, of course, I thought you were cleared earlier."

"Nope, almost but not quite. When you're at zero and I'm not it slows down how fast you guide me a bit."

He sighs. "Okay." 

This is certainly a situation and a day.

"Want me to try and find one more topic, or is it fine to just... Sit and think?"

"I'm low enough that I can check my email instead of talking aloud." He does this.

"Yeah it's just- I would keep talking if you needed but I'm a little worn out."

He'll... Check his web serials for updates. Ooh, one of them updated. He'll read that, then.

Eventually: "I'm zeroed. Sorry to have kept you."

"It's fine. It really is. I'm not just saying that as social words. I think I'll, uh, be more comfortable in your presence next time, and I look forward to saving people from dungeons together or separately and everything."

He starts packing away his laptop... And putting his shirt back on.

"I'll text you later today or tomorrow, Haru."

"Seeya."

And Cricket didn't acknowledge his 'hello' earlier which means probably the monstercat is not feeling social? So he won't say goodbye to him.

Out he goes, then, back to the hotel and to research which esper agencies and agents operate in both Canada and the US. And aren't Vanguard. He doesn't really want to drop everything and move to Canada. Without thinking about it more, at least.

Seaboard Esper Response operates in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba, though only in the eastern parts; Toronto's on the edge of where they work.