"I have a location thing but it's spotty.  Don't really know why yet."

"Spotty how?"

(His hair does iridesce a little in direct sunshine, like a grackle's feathers.)

"It comes in and out.  Or, it's mostly out but sometimes I get flashes."  Pretty.

"Weird, do you think it's responding to something about how you're approaching it or something about Cricket or the environmental conditions or...?"

"I'm not sure.  It does seem like a separate switch than the thought reading; I could maybe try it on you?"

"- sure, I am now attempting to let you observe my location."

"Cool."  Okay, where's Haru.  ....He's right there.  Sure.  Julien closes his eyes and he's still right there.  "Do you want to move around a bit?  And maybe make it so I can't hear you doing it?"

"Sure." And then Julien can't hear him breathing and he's - there's a warmth, when you're standing right next to someone, even if they aren't touching you, and a shadow where they're between you and the sun, and that's gone too.

Up up and away, just onto the roof to start.

Julien 'watches' him go a ways, and then - once again has no clue where he is.  He doesn't say anything yet, though, just keeps a...... psychic proprioception... out for in case it starts working again.

Haru climbs the roof, jumps down on the side of the house, strolls around right past Julien.

He opens his eyes and tries to - no, not bap!  Do not touch the intangible guy!  Danger!  - Bap the air like a foot away from Haru as he passes.  And then point at him.  "It's when you're coming towards me.  Or no matter what if you're close enough, I think."

Haru reappears. "Interesting, that fits with the paranoia backlash!" Handholding? They could be holding hands right now.

They really could be!  "Yeah it's thematic.  Maybe I can open it up to a non-targeted version?  Like not aiming for you or Cricket, but just - anything?"  - Holy shit there are so many, they're probably bugs, who're pointed at him for a second and then switch trajectories; that's got to be an ant colony over there - some of them are above the ground, can he see them woah he can see them, from all the way over here.  Esper eyes.

- And aaaa backlash; let's be done with that.  "Yeah I can.  Back inside?"

Back inside. Makeouts?

Yeahhh.

High compatibility makeouts are great actually? Sparkler's half this compatible and not into kissing (boys; Haru's pretty sure he kisses Arctic) so, who knew, lots of people but not Haru, mmmmm.

Mmmmm.  "It's weird being able to see ants in grass from far away.  I assume you get used to it."

"...I didn't notice any ants from where we were standing. Did that backlash you or is it too hard to sort out as yet?"

.................He looks out the window and tries to focus on - that speck there - and yep, that's ennervousing.  (And that's a brown bird with a tan belly.)  "Wow yeah okay my eyes are bonus-y."

"Sweet." Kisses again now please.

Yes yes.

"Uh -"  And then he can't immediately get the rest of the words out.

"Hm?"

"Um, if it's easy for me to build up a lot of backlash accidentally, which, it seems like maybe it will be even if I don't care what most people are thinking about, if I can also wonder what things that are far away look like, then - maybe before that happens - uh, if I'm going to go back to my place for a while, then - we... should maybe decide what to do about that?  In advance.  In terms of there being a lot of backlash.  Uh, specifically."

"Yeah, you probably need some kind of advance directive. Also maybe more partners, if you get in a bad way while I'm in a dungeon or something."

"Uh, sorry, yes, that also, but the thing I mean is - in the next like week or month or so do you think we will want to have sex with each other?"  Julien already knows his half of the answer but if he phrases it plurally then maybe it will sound less pressurey and needy.