No shit, Sasha. Deep breath. "No, Xa Si-yeon-nim, that wouldn't be right. I cannot in good conscience ask for the government to xelp me run from my problems when there's a confluence on. I will disappear on my own, when this is over."

He gulped. "I am just here to xelp with the confluence. Xowever little I can."

"Alright. Well, Nemtsov Sasha-shi's powers are on record but yours aren't, and you said you're D-rank and if I understood your meaning you wanted to work as a professional partner? I'm a bit unclear on you guys's relationship and expectations, here."

"He's my primary partner—"

"He's just a fr—"

"I mean, we're compatible! But I can guide wxomever needs it! Including Sasha-shi, of course!"

Perhaps in some limbic recess of his brain, he knew that Sasha liked him—as a guiding partner, anyway!—but the sheer weight of grievance radiating off of that surly, betrayed grimace was so genuine in a way that Alexandr Nemtsov never was in his life that Dasol couldn't help feel a little—fuck they're both still staring at him! NOT NOW, YOU STUPID BONER. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

What's Ha Si-yeon-nim going to think of him now?! No, he's not paying attention to that, a high-powered hot guy high up in a guild has better things to be worrying about, just act professional, act professional, act—

"I meant to say that I am experienced in serving multiple partners, and that you can assign me as you see fit." Do you hear yourself right now?! 'Just a hole, sir.' Fuck! Have some self-respect! "Sasha-shi and I are compatible but it may be that you xave better partners for xim. I will go where I am needed."

"Okay, I believe that you may have some assumptions about how things work from the GBE that don't quite translate," Ha Si-yeon temporises, carefully.

Having sufficiently embarrassed himself for at least the next five minutes, Dasol folds his hands in front of him and nods demurely for Ha Si-yeon-nim to continue.

"If you were to sign up to be a professional partner, Quasar would try to match you with espers that might have compatible backlashes, and you'd interview each other. If both you and your prospective partner wanted to work together, you'd sign a contract delineating exactly what that'd entail.

"Regular esper partnership contracts don't typically concern themselves in detail with which guiding methods are expected, as it's understood that either esper can choose to find a new partner if it's not working out, but due to the responsibility differential involved in professional partnerships and the fact that professional partners are more likely to have multiple partners than dungeoneering espers, the contract will cover what you've agreed to do under what circumstances. Then you'd get scheduled according to your partners' schedules, and you'd be provided with non-dungeon means for safe backlash accrual to match the expected levels your partner should leave their assignment at.

"Sometimes professional partners will accompany their dungeoneering partner, depending on their respective powers and the dungeon and what they agreed on, to provide onsite guiding, as needed."

“Interesting.” Excessive. Things are much more efficient the Russian way.

“Interesting.” Exciting! Things are so much more exhausting the Russian way.

“How fast can we get all that done, though? With the lawyers arguing, we’ll be onto the next confluence before we’re ready, and you need all the help you can get now.”

"Pretty fast, usually, but this is a marathon, not a race. The confluence will last at least a month, and given how long it's been since the last one, probably longer.

"The dungeoneering esper contract is probably more similar to what you'd expect. The broad strokes are the same as what I mentioned for a professional partner but will also include powers testing and training and an expectation of dungeon clearance within certain bounds in the standard contract. We'd likewise offer to help you find a compatible partner as needed."

“Well, you said I’m in your database and you had the sense to shield up before talking to me—paranoid of you but whatever. Point is: you probably have a decent sense of what I’m capable of.

“What do we expect to get from you all?” It better be good, if I’m letting you rent out Yuri to some randos. “Just, like, money? We had plenty of that back in Russia. No need for Yuri to come all the way over here for a few extra rubles.”

"Well, no, I didn't imagine Yun Dasol-shi's reasons for coming here were monetary," he says, a half-smile playing around his lips.

"It was mostly for the sightseeing."

Active Strikes Against This Guy:

1. Agent of a Degenerate Western Government

2. Has a better sense of our motivation than we do of his
    2a. Damn I hate psychic shielding. Cheaters

3. Coyly smiling
    3a. Don't coyly smile at Yuri while being that hot. He's a little f*#&!t and can't be trusted to make good decisions around that.
    3b. Don't coyly smile at me while being that hot! It's weird, bro. It's damn weird. 

4. Is that eyeshadow?
    4a. It's definitely eyeshadow and your makeup game is weirdly good and that's very untrustworthy (see point 1)

5. Weirdly chill about this whole confluence thing
    5a. Weirdly chill about me volunteering to help out and not immediately thanking me

6. Non-hostile relationship to lawyers and the law (see point 1)

"... yeah, it's been cool to see my ancestors' land."

Active Points in Favor of This Guy:

1. Fuck Russia

2. Clearly understands me and my situation

3. That smile?
     3a. People usually sneer, or leer, or fear. This guy is just very relaxed.
     3b. Anybody who can set off Sasha like this is pretty inherently trustworthy.

4. What are those piercings?
     4a. Someone that willing to express themselves on their body in a highly conformist society must be trustworthy

5. Weirdly chill about this whole confluence thing
     5a. Weirdly chill about me volunteering to help out and not immediately pressuring me

6. Actually, we're upgrading 3b to its own separate point because it is so important

"If you want to discuss compensation, that's going to be with legal, but the basics are money, access to Quasar's facilities and personnel, access to the commscreen," which he gestures at the translation above his head to demonstrate, "and access to teleportation credits to use Min Woo-young's powers. Less direct benefits include us being the biggest guild in Korea and one of the biggest in the world, hosting powerhouses like Kim Hye-jin and Lee Tae-gun and Min Woo-young himself, plus we've got the best work culture in Korea." He flicks one of his piercings to clarify part of that he means.

"You guys have Min Woo-young?! The transport esper of all time? Fuck." It's probably fine to geek out a little bit in front of a guy in eyeshadow. What's he gonna do, judge me? "Transport is my favorite power. You can get so creative with it. And it looks awesome when people are like, 'he's right behind me, isn't he?' and then I'm right there. Man. Good times."

Aww, man. They have Min Woo-Young? He's even famous in Russia. Not even to mention Lee Tae-gun and.... They have... everybody already. They're not going have any use for someone like me....

"Okay, so like, I can get that sick tattoo I've wanted forever, and I can meet Min Woo-Young. That's like... not the worst pitch, dude. So far anyway."

I'm useless. I'm so useless. This guy is probably only talking to me because of Sasha.

"Yeah you guys can totally meet him, although he's like super busy because it's a confluence. Might want to wait until afterwards. Or maybe when he's taking a break, he's one of those rare espers who have heard of a work-life balance."