"He's on my list of people to interview if I see an opening but none's come up yet."

"How long a list is that?  About."

"Longer all the time, but I'm usually only actively seeking leads on a couple dozen at a time."

"Nice.  - Gwuh, you said you'd want both of our permission for an interview and then didn't get it from Bug while he was definitely going to be around, I-I-R-C."

"I think I can write about you alone and just not mention him, if you want to be featured? It's normal to not be completely forthcoming about backlash."

"If you think so.  I guess I expect him to be back at some point before that comes up anyways.  I - don't really feel the need for him, mostly unbacklashed, but I guess the key thing is that I will not actually be mostly unbacklashed forever."

"I don't know what it was like internally but he seemed astoundingly functional for an awakening person and you were merely surprisingly functional."

"Yeah I really don't know how it's going to go without the fear of not coming back after awakening.  The bucket-list aspect was pretty load-bearing for a lot of it."

"...yeah, makes sense, if he comes back then that's clearly just a thing that can go on happening, so he'd have to be afraid of something else or else - differently irrational about it."

"It sounds kind of callous to say, 'I'll let that be his problem,' but like, better him pick out what parts of the solution and problem he likes, or thinks he can cope with best, than me speculate and maybe accidentally lock him into something worse?"

"Makes sense. - Almost there."

Haru has to show his esper passport at the checkpoint - the portal was disgorging monsters for a while, and though they've been mopped up at this point and the portal is secure they're not letting people into the evacuated radius without a good reason yet. Particularly since they're hauling logs away from the site as fast as chainsaws can bring them down inside. Powers testing counts as a good reason, though, and Paula talked to them, so in they drive.

Eeeeeeee aaaaaaaaaa.  It would be so useless to try on this side of the portal, so he's Not Going To.  He's curious but he's already taking actions about satisfying that and they're getting closer to the portal in a sane and reasonable and safe way.

There's a process with making sure that while they're approaching the portal no lumber will fall on their heads.

"I'm going to be imperceptible to monsters and stand lookout for you redundantly with the teams inside since I'd regardless want to be on hand if you have a backlash crisis; if this goes on a lot longer than I expect I may need to make out before I'm good to drive."

"Thank you, understood."

"It's not likely, I can drive with company at most safe levels and they've killed what moves, in there, but monsters sometimes spawn anew." They get the signal that no logs are about to fall and they can climb up.

"I mean, I might want to clear mine even though I don't have to drive."  Climb climb.  Orient to the situation inside while trying to use only his not-(very)-magic senses.

The dungeon was a jungle, but they've made a lot of clearcutting progress near the entrance, so from here it mostly looks like tree stumps and sawdust. It smells really nice in here; they're probably not logging the trees to turn them into potpourri but they'd be great for the purpose. A team is standing guard over the pulsing core. Farther in the distance there are trees they haven't chopped down yet (droopy deciduous ones with leaves in every color except green), and the corpse of a snake as big around as a car that some people are arguing about how to get through the portal, and chainsaw noises, and a psychedelic paisley sky emitting rainbow light.

Haru assesses the place and starts taking photos.

Wow.

What's this place thinking?  He'll aim specifically for the core, in case that's easier and since it's right here.

t̵̢̢̟̯̜͕̺̩͔̭̜͒̈̏̃͒͊̀͌̽͒́͘͘͜͠h̸̡̛̫̭̰͍͙̩̤͉̣̠͖͛̿̈̌̾̎͛̂̐̿̃̒̃͜î̶̮̭͎̻̜͎̭̯̬̯̱͝ͅr̵͙̖͉̯̎͘s̸̛̪̻͍͓̬̥̣͚̦̟͓̟͇͙̆̒̍͆̐̋̔͘t̵̳̞̘̜̻̪̟͇̔̑̆̒̕͘ỵ̶̨̢̧̹̩̦̻͙͉̥̖̪̪͋̂̑͊̅͌̕̚͠͝

ť̶̢̙̭̳͚̱͇̗̺͊̉̔͂͜͝h̴̨̨̧̛̻̬̦͍̙͐̃̂̒̆̒͌͛͝e̸̝̐͑ ̴̢̠͎͙̟̅̃͋͆̍̅̕ͅd̴̢̧̧̯͈̭̝̮̺͎̖͙͙͓̺̆͂̀̉̊̃͒͗̿̒͗̈́̕r̸̨̘̞̜̦̆í̷̺̥̊̾͂n̵̳͔̺̪͚̼͕̅̈́̆́̆́̓̄͂̒̌͘͘͝͠k̸̛̗̼͓̗̹̗͐͊̀̋͋̋̔̉̆̎͑͠s̷̙̩̥̭͉̟̽͌̃̊́͒̅̃̂͂͊̾̊ ̸̡͓̑͂̓̌̂̇͒̐̕͘͘a̵̩̳͔̟͇̘͙̎r̸̨̳̳̺̮̩̤̳̖͇̠̯̈͋̓͜ͅe̴̡̛̻̥͚͓͇͉̋͆ ̸̬̱̬̘̱̊̍̒̉̔͗̕͜͠ͅg̷̠̪̭̲̭̝̰͆́̒͆̃̏̂̈́̅̌̆̕o̸̗͉̺͒̄̏̄͛̊̑̂̈́̏̔͂ņ̸͔͉̮̦͍̩͈͕̞̤̘̍̾̏̈́̆͝͠ͅe̷̡͕̬̮͇̤̥̙͔̼̩͎̦̐͘͘.̵̦̩̫̺͆̈́͒̽͗͗͊̓̀͛̒̕͘̚ͅ ̷̡͕̥͙̜̋̔̓̎̈́͐̑̏̈́̅̒̚͝ ̷̹̯̯̙͖̯̪̟̖͖̜̓̾̍̋̒̇̎͘n̵̨̧͓͙̘̪͓̯̪̺̰̮̬̰̉͒̂̂̐̂̕͘͜e̶̢̫̩̬̮͚̞̬̱̹̓́̄͗́̆̀̈́̂̏̀̒̅͝w̴͕̜͓̲̣̫͖̼̠̯͑̎͝ ̵̳̖̿̀̄̆̈́̀ḏ̶̎̄̋̒̉̕͠r̷̨̛̥̭͉̀̓̃̾̓̃̇̂͒͑̈̚͘͝i̷̭̇̾́̉̿̀̿͗̿n̶͓͍̞͔͍̠̟͖̩͎̻͍̦̙͋̉̒̃̍̒͝ǩ̵̰̙̬̗̇̔̒́̚̚s̶̢͓͖̻͍̞̲̭̦̱̜̦̞̎̈́͌̃̚ͅͅ ̴̢̠̠̥̦̥̬̊͆͊͑̓̂ä̷̢̛̲̣̬̥́̄̀̋̈̉̌͐͒͗̒̀͠r̵̡̩̅͑͘͘͠e̸̡̢̛͔̮̰̜̠̊͒̋̈̀͊͗̑͆͠ ̴̡̗̘͇̬̗̙͓͚̤̝̿͒̒̃̃̌́͒̋͒͝͠n̸̩̙̞̩͚̩͙̹͑̌̊̃̅̑ͅͅo̷̡̧͔̖̰̤̖͕͔̗̺̞̱͛̃̎͘͝t̸͎͈̫̥̩̫̿̿̌̒͐̈̇̾͘͝ ̶̧̢̺̜̮̻̘̱̻̻̬̥͕̦̿̅͐̈́̈̆̿̈́͝ḑ̶̛̺̻̥̩̺̼̫̜̏̎̇̑̉̐̒̎̕ŗ̸̡͔͙̪͕̠̬͍̖̣̓̀͊̄̀͊̓͌́̒̋͠ì̸͖̥̯͔͈́̀̐͛̾͐̀͆̑̾͐̃͗̊n̶̯̫̙̯͍̞̫̙̟̭̝̥̐̾̆̊̒͒͑̾̑͊̀̃̕͠k̶͙̗͇̜͇̰̤̘̑́̔ͅá̸͙̜̻̗͍̺̠̭̗̍ͅb̶̡̨͈̱̱̦̦̰̀̀̃͘̚͝l̴͉̲̙̻̂̀̂e̵̲̤͚̗͇̲̥̹͍͆̔.̶̡̲̿̃̆̒̆͆̾̚͝͝

t̸̳̖͎̤͔͉̦͇͑͗̓o̷̥̺̪̿͒͋͐͐͂̀̉́̄̀̃ỏ̶͙͍̞̣̺͙́͗̀̍̈̈͂͑͑ ̴̨̱̭̮̖͈̋͝ț̵̡̢̡̜̬͎̠̦̱͕̣͎͐ì̸̢̽̽͂͂̈́̿̏͂̓̊̈͝r̶̡̰̣̺̫͎̞̺͉͌͠ḙ̴̡̳̞̙̜̰̹̝̆͑͜d̸̡̢͓̼̦̞̮̲͔͕̯͍̓̅̂̈́̎̇̆̅́̏̅̏͠͠ ̷̨̡̛̝̭̘̤̟̮͎̗̣̟̌̏̓͘͜ͅt̵̡̗̣̫̥̠̲͔̑̀̿̌́̇͋̂͐͠ǫ̴͔̩̦̘̲͔̮̣̞̾͗̈́̈́͆̕͜ ̵̡̥͙̗̲̥̉̀͊́̈́̒̀̕͝ǵ̵̥̉̌é̸̺̺̝͕͎̰̠̱ț̴̨͚̻͖̳͑̾ ̴̛͓̟̘̘͛̏͐̑̃́͐͝͠͝a̷̺͖̯̪̟̥̯̮͂͆̿̈́̒̂͛̀̑̐̚͜͝͠͝͝n̷͈̜͚͔̞̱̊̐̽͜͝ŏ̵̧̧͓͕̤̫̯͚̯̖̒̄͌̽̀̅̆̒͘t̷̡͇̹̞͍̬͒̿̒̋͐͆̂͗̾̎̈́̈́͝ḩ̴̛̦͙͕̥̟̭̭̠̙̼͑̋̂͆̿̊̂̏͆̂̆̐̀͋ę̶͈̜̼̝͍̲̺͉̣̈́̊̅̂̔̌̍̈͘̕ͅr̷͇͉̥̩̞̖̙̩̹̟̽̃̌̊ͅ ̷̨̫͕̤̟̼̦̮̝̲̞̫́̓̽̄̆̄̑͒̔̍̌̈̚͝͝d̴͕̎͑̀̅̔̇̉́͑͠͝r̵̝̩̱̟͂̃̓̏͆̈͗̈̑̌̕i̵͉̘̝̘͓̲̊͌̂̈́n̷̡̢̠̯͙̮̼̘̂̀̃̏͑͌̔ķ̵̣̲̯̣̻͎̘͇̰̬̔͒.̶̯͕̣̥̫͂̑̓͒͜ ̴̛̯̼͙̣̫̩͇̩̩͆̇͐̄͂̓͒̀̈͘ ̵̤͎̒͛͋̈́̄̉̔̈́͂̃̇̌͗̔̃ş̶̡̡͓͚̝̣̜̰̩̦́̈́̈́͂̽͐̈́̀͆̔́͝ͅͅơ̵̢̡̜͇̼͚̫̬̭̩̼̲̯̘̒̉̑ö̵̡̡̢̡̲̤̤͓̤̘̙͙̺́̋̈̎̊̀̓̆͊͊͌̅͂͐͜ń̴͓͎̻͔̲͇͍͇̂̆͛͒͗̕͝͠

ǒ̷̲̪̰̗̱̱́͊̇̓̈́͘͜ͅw̶͍͙͇͓̱̟̟͍̳̣̹̠̑.̷̧̢͕͈̜̠̻̜̭͓̙̰͎͋͐͂͋̔͌͘̚ ̶̪̪̥̥͉̩̩͔̖̠̹̰̔͛̈́̀̍̍͒͊͗̚̕̕͜ ̴̡̙̙̮̪̙͎̤̞̇o̷̡̡̳̙̩̳̦̳̩̬̟̊̀̈͗̅̈̏́̆̽̑́͗̿͘͜ẅ̴̨̡͔̤̹̳̗̜̹͚͓̼́̌͑̚̚͜ͅ.̷̧̨͉̫̲̤̲̪̳͔̻͈̗̭̇

s̴̢̻̩̫͚̮̱͙̺̪͕̑n̶̨̻̫̭̯̓̔̏͝͝ͅa̴̡̧̢͔̤͍̱̖̣͇̰̜̥̹̗͗̾́̆̾͗̕k̸̛͔̜͈̦̝̝͒̏̀̉͌͂́̿̎̽̍͜͝è̷̡̡̳͕̠̦̩̯̺̪͙̦̫͋̐̈́̅̚͜ ̴̛̮͖̳̝̻̘̓́̓̑̌͒͐̓̑͆̓̀ẅ̶̧̢́́̉̆̆̒̅̓̈́̒̚̕͠ị̷̣́ľ̷͎̻̜̘̤͉̥̈̑̾̀͆̚l̸̢̲̦͎̗̜̹̖̓͑̎͛͌͗̎ ̷̡̡̛̗̲̦̬̘̲̦̟̙̗̥̣̇̐̾͠n̷̡̢̬͍̜͎̺̲̭͕͚͈͎̻͓͐̄̑̐̃̇̎̐͐͌̈́͆̕͝ò̵̩̝͇̺̩̜̬̠́̀̀͊t̸̟͔̞̞̃̃̿̓̇̆̎̽͒̑̀̕͝ ̵̝̩̄̄̀̆̈́̎̓͋̾͜͜m̸̱̪̣̝̝̞̼͓̯̹̺̞͍̅͋̏ͅơ̷̧̫̲̥̳̗̰̟̞̗̥̒̒̀͝v̸̫̤͗̀̃̓̒ȩ̵̘̥̭͇̙̞̻̰̦̥͍̀ͅ.̷͕͖̼͇̤͗̍̌̌̾͌͂̈́͌̀̇.̵͖́͐̒́̿̃̉.̴̘̼̘͊̔̀̈́͜͠

"Haru -"

"That feels like it must be really expensive, are you getting much?"

"Uh, it - it's - I don't want to ascribe emotions to it that I'm not actually getting - I think it's aware that the snake won't move.  And was thinking about that, in, who knows, a confused or a sad or an annoyed or an alien way."

"- do you think you'd get emotions off it with more practice like you thought you'd get 4D off Cricket?"