As one, the entire team belts out the response they'd been planning for the last twenty minutes.

They all turn to face Timothy, and snap out a parade-perfect salute.  "Yes, Sleeping Beauty!"

He always gives this speech, and they always listen, and it's not wrong but oh my god would this man get the stick out of his ass?

Having undergone the formalities, they wait for Tim to count off the seconds 'till buff, heave a flat chunk of concrete out of the way.  It's a wonder how a piece of concrete this size wound up over here.  Maybe it used to be part of the school walls?  Or maybe part of a mall?  Whatever it is, it's picked up and hurled into the street in under ten seconds.  Not bad.

"DRT here!  Is anybody home?"

From deeper into the rubble, closer to the parts still recognizable as having once been a nice little house in a lovely neighbourhood, comes the sound of a young woman sobbing hysterically.

"Over here," calls a louder, clearer, less emotionally compromised voice from the same direction.

They pick up the pace.  "We're coming!  It'll just be a few more minutes, hang in there!"  Rubble begins flying towards the street.  Riggs, whose secret job is Esper Management, nods towards Tim.  "Son, why don't you be the one to help them out, while we're clearing the path?  Not like you're going to roll an ankle here."  That boy needs a job or he goes crazy.  Can't teach some people to relax.

Tim has been Observing all day.  It makes sense, he needs to manage his stamina.  But he haaaaaaaates not having a job to do, and hasn't internalized the fact that his job is to sit there and be a good little distributor of augmentation.

Hell yeah he'll save a civvie!  Esper balance, combined with a touch of his power, is more than enough.  "Okay, I'm going to tap on this wall!  Can you tap it back at me, so I know where you are?"

Knock knock?

"Uh, one sec..."

Shuffle, shuffle.

Inconsolable weeping.

Knock knock.

"Okay.  How much clearance do you have back there?"  How far back do you have to stand before I won't hurt you with splinters?

"Uh, some? Do you want us to get back? I think we can do like a few feet..." His muffled voice sounds dubious about this prospect.

"Yeah, please - and turn around.  I'll be careful about it, but you don't want splinters.  Let me know when you're clear.  You'll be alright in a few minutes, I promise."  He gestures at the rest of the team.  <Clear space, back up.>

"Can do..."

Shuffle shuffle.

Sobbing, wailing, etc.

A quiet vocalization that's either wordless or unintelligibly muffled, and then, "We're clear!"

"Okay, hang tight!"  Tim gives himself just a sliver of power and slides one of his spikes through the wall like it's butter.  Then he does that at three locations in a rough rectangle.  "Almost done, you'll be out in a jiffy."  Then he scores lines between those holes using a spike.  "Okay, I'm about to take this out.  Sunshine in ten seconds!"

He puts a hand into each of the two left-most holes, then flexes his powers and his biceps.  The wall crumbles in his hands.  He does this on the right hand side as well, then he breaks off most of the top of the wall.  "Sunshine in three...two...one...!"  And finally, he rips the chunk of wall out, largely intact bar a small chunk at the bottom.

Total backlash accumulation: twenty-three seconds of medium intensity.

He looks back over his shoulder with a hesitant grin. "Hey, would you look at that. Sunshine!"

It's hard to tell whether the head of blonde hair weeping into his chest has even noticed he's talking to someone.

Yeahhhh...

"Okay, work with me, babe," he says gently to his armful of tears. "We gotta get out of here."

"Waaaaaaaaaaaah I haaaaaaaaaaaaaate thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis..."

But she's beginning to detangle herself and turn toward the light.

Her boyfriend(?) gets her as far as the hole in the wall and then hands her out through it.

She's still full-on sobbing as she reaches half-blindly for whoever or whatever is out there to grab.

That's Tim!  He's grabbable!  He's got to pick her up, a little, this wall isn't exactly a ninety-degree angle anymore.  Maybe a forty-degree angle.  "I've got you, ma'am, just a - "

"Uhhh, you're an esper?  Are you -“

- clinging to him in a clumsily skin-contact-maximizing way and yelling "FUCK SHIT ASS BALLS!" in a tone of combined shrieking rage and hysterical relief? Why yes, she is!

?!?!?!

Well.  He's trained for calming civvies.  He hasn't trained for quite this.  But the skills are basically transferable?  "Hey, hey, shhhh.  It's okay, I've got you.  Shh-shh-shhhhh.  You're okay.  Easy now.."  He is absolutely fucking not going to maximize skin-contact with a random woman he literally just met, what the fuck, but he...supposes...he can lift his shirt for her?  A little?  Actually wait, a lot, what if she grabs his ass or something because his back isn't available???

Riggs shoots Williams a look of disbelief and shoots Williams a message in dungeon-sign.  <Look out, esper, and civilian>.

Williams gestures back.  <You, me.  Retreat>.

Riggs nods back and the two of them retreat away from the backlashed? civilian? esper???

"Fuuuuuuck," she half-pants, half-moans.

Then she drags in a deep breath and does her level best to produce normal human words.

"—okay. Sorry. Okay. The thing that is happening. Is I am not an esper. And I have been crying for three days straight. And you feel like the sun shining out of God's own asshole. So I think I'm, literally, awakening right now??? Why is this my life???" The edge of hysteria is creeping back into her voice. She grits her teeth to beat it back.

"You know, I kind of figured," her boyfriend(?) remarks thoughtfully from his position waiting patiently inside the hole.

"Okay, no, it's fine, if you're awakening, it's fine.  Um.  I can, uh - shine on you, if you want.  But I would take it as a favor if you could.  Not use your powers until you're in a testing silo."  Tim attempts to convey to the boyfriend? that he'll be with him in just a second, via facial expressions alone.  This is incredibly awkward.  "Um.  You're, uh, welcome to touch my back.  If that'd help?"

Her hands creep up under his shirt and she makes a sound like "ghhhfrlflrhghbhfhhhbhff", simultaneously instinctively trying to flatten as much of her skin against his skin as possible while also trying not to make this weird.

"I am suuuuuuuper not doing whatever it is I do until I have somebody right next to me I can hold hands with about it. This fucking sucks. Everything about it fucking sucks. Sean, why did my house fall down???"

"It's, uh. It's a confluence. We got hit by whatsitcalled, the Dune one. Giant worms eating people and wrecking shit."

"...great. Fuck." She bonks her head lightly against her new favourite teddy bear. "You have, like, a job to do that isn't hug me, I'm guessing."

"Yes'm.  A little bit.  Um.  I don't know - this is completely up to you, you really, really don't need to do anything.  But there's a way you could help, that would help save a lot of lives, indirectly.  If you're interested."  Carol was so much better at this than I was.  I wish I had her - force of personality.

"Spill."

"So, uh.  I have a power, it does regen, kind of?  It's kind of - slow, mostly, but it's really good over time.  Um.  Guiding gets more - efficient the closer two backlash rates are.  If you're willing, you could.  Uh.  Guide me.  Skin only, I - really, this is a little - I don't want to take advantage of you?"  WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS, TIM.

"Sign me the fuck up I canNOT overstate how much it sucks to not be doing this."

...she makes an effort to dial it down.

"I mean like. ...Okay first let's get Sean out of my house. You can put me down if you need to, I'll just start crying again, it's fine."

"Um.  Yes'm.  Sorry sir, uh -."  How do you say 'your girlfriend was freaking out at me and I didn't want her to be too upset?'  I guess you just don't.  "Here, I'll help you out.  Ma'am, you can uh - hold my arm.  If you like."  She just got done telling you - whatever.  Just do your job.  "I'm quite a bit stronger than I look, if you just hold my hand I can lift you out, sir."  A hand is extended towards the poor guy trapped in his girlfriend's house.

April clings to Tim's arm and makes a remarkable variety of little grumbling and hissing noises.

"It's cool," says Sean, "I'm just glad she's okay."

He takes Tim's hand and climbs out of the hole, wincing again along the way. "I got a little banged up in there but I don't think it's too bad."

Well.  The smallest sliver of your power won't hurt anything, and it's recent enough that maybe it'll help.  "I have you, sir.  I think you're okay, just a few contusions.  Worst one's your...I think it's your rib?  Nothing internal I can see and nothing on your head.  You did a good job.  Is it okay if I pick you both up for a second, so we don't have to deal with this rubble?"  Maybe he can have more than a sliver, as a treat.

"...sure, if that's a thing you can do?"

"Hglkflkgbrfl."

"...yes. Picking me up is fine. And then if you're okay with me clinging to you like a koala for a little while longer, I would like to take advantage of this cool new trend where I'm not bawling my eyes out to scarf like six granola bars."

Pfffffffft.  He's holding back a little bit of a smirk - okay, he's failing to hold back a little bit of a smirk.  "Yes'm, we can manage that.  Okay, I'm going to pick you up - actually - " He extends his power briefly to the Crying Esper Girl for a second, okay, good, no issues.

"Okay.  I'll pick you up first, sir, I'm going to be careful of the rib.  Just hold tight to me, and don't worry about falling.  If you fall, I'll protect you before you hit the ground."  He scoots low and wraps an arm around the man's lower waist, picking him straight up with one arm.  "You don't have to do anything, just be as comfortable as you can."

This is a pretty bizarre experience but whatever, he can roll with it.

Welcome to interacting with espers!

And then he'll pick up April a little less carefully - he'll grab her around the waist and let her perform the as-promised koalaing.  Then he surges his power for long enough to jump across the rubble.  It's a pretty smooth transition for anyone who doesn't have a rib injury, and it's not too awful for someone who does.  "Griggs, we've got a request for six granola bars.  She's, uh, apparently she's in the middle of awakening?  So extra calories would be good if they can be spared."

"I've got you covered, miss.  I've been waiting my entire career for someone to ask for six granola bars.  We've got...peanut butter, chocolate, oatmeal, and...orange and raisin?  Hnh.  New flavor."  He'll offer her all of them, plus a yellow Esperade.

"Marry me," she says, quite possibly to the Esperade, snatching it out of Griggs's hands. Then she cannot say any more weird embarrassing things because she is busy downing every granola bar in sight.

"...yeah, uh," says Sean, disembarking from the Esper Express, "I could use a granola bar too if you've got any going spare. We were doing pretty okay on food until the house fell down but it's been a bit."

"We've got plenty for you, sir.  I won't let your girl eat them all on you.  You alright?  Anything else you need?"  He's offered a selection of bars and another yellow Esperade.

He makes a slightly awkward face at 'your girl' and starts to say, while reaching for a granola bar, "I mean, uh, we're not exactly—"

Scarf nomf nomf - pause.

"We're best friends," she says firmly. "These people don't need the whole drama, Sean."

Omf nomf gulp glug scarf snarf.

"...heh." He smiles a little. "Sure, yeah, 'best friends' pretty much covers it." Granola bar and Esperade: acquired. "Thanks."

Whoops.  "Right, sorry.  And for the paperwork, what're your names?"

"I'm Sean Vasile, she's April Turnberry - do you need any of that spelled?"

"Yes, please - funny story, we had a S H A W N once, but everyone spelled it S E A N and he didn't bother correcting it for a month..."  He can take down spellings and put them on The List.

Nibbling his granola bar at a normal and decorous pace as he recites sequences of letters, he gets to the end of it not long after the names are recorded. "Here," he says, offering April the second half of his Esperade since she's already finished hers.

April, already making abnormal and indecorous inroads on her fifth granola bar, grabs the beverage out of his hand and guzzles it.

Poor thing.  "How, uh, how long have you been like this?"  He catches a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, only to see two of his team having a sign-conversation.

Griggs: <Esper one, no guiding, 3 hours.  Guiding, esper one, esper two.  More.>

Williams: <Civilian, emotional distress.  Danger.>

Griggs: <Worth it, surmountable obstacle.  Insurmountable obstacle?  Retreat.>

Williams looks conflicted, while Griggs looks more confident.

Hmm.  There's a thought.

Since April is busy eating, Sean answers, "A few days. I'm not a hundred percent sure how many, to be honest, it's been kind of a lot."

"Awakenings are like that, for most people.  Right, Sleeping Beauty?"

Unfortunately, Tim's sense of professionalism constrains him in several ways.  The most relevant way right now is that he's unwilling to flip off Riggs.  Instead, he signs <monster> and points at her.  He explains for the civvies.  "My backlash is exhaustion, I spent my Hell Week asleep.  So now I'm Sleeping Beauty, and they're all dwarves.  Especially Riggs over there."  He holds a palm flat to the ground, and gestures somewhere around his waist.  She's taller than that, but that doesn't stop soldiers from hassling each other.

"Heh. That's pretty cute."

"Hll Wwk s fckn rght," grumbles April with her mouth full.

Riggs primly responds, "I'm a perfectly respectable height for my size, thank you very much.".  Then she grins about it.  "It took us two months to get him to lighten up a little and crack a joke.  But we should get moving on, unless..?"  She raises an eyebrow at Tim and gestures, <guiding?>.

"Um.  So, my power is strength and durability, and a little bit of regen.  You, uh, you don't seem like you want to go...unguided right now.  If you're willing, you could help me with search and rescue.  You super don't have to, but.  Um.  I heard a rumor that you don't wanna go unguided right now."  Shy little grin?

mmf nomf "God yes I will be your stupid koala backpack."

"Cool.  Um, I don't know how much you.  Er.  Know about guiding norms, it's uh.  Skin contact.  Exclusively for me, right now - I'm.  Anyway.  Even if I wasn't, consent during Hell week would be - uh.  Y'know."  Also your ex-boyfriend best friend is right the fuck here aaaarrrgghhhh.  "Anyway.  We'd just have to, uh.  Koala backpack."  He looks at Riggs and gestures for <Evac?>

Riggs smirks and says nothing.  Griggs, on the other hand, is trying to earn brownie points.  "What he means to say is that espers typically guide each other through fluid exchange, but he's not doing that with anyone right now, especially not someone not in her right mind.  People in Hell Week are often considered unable to meaningfully consent, but I'm not a barracks lawyer.  He's only interested in skin contact in non-bathing-suit areas."

"Uuuugh fuck I can see why. I could make so many bad life choices like this. Whatever, koala backpack is fine."

Thank you, Griggs, you're winning the Better-Iggs contest this week.  "Okay.  I'm going to set you down, go ahead and just - uh, you can climb my back, I'll kneel down a little - keep skin contact me if you want to, so you don't, um."  Cry like a baby.  Suiting deeds to words, he'll set her down, squat down a little bit, and wait for her to become a koala.

She tries her best to maintain contact, but while adjusting her grip in the process of climbing him she ends up with just a couple of fingertips on his arm and takes a big heaving sniff of about-to-cry before she stabilizes herself and gets her hand more firmly wrapped around his bicep.

In short order, though, she ends up in proper piggyback position with her face pressed against the side of his neck.

"Okay cool," she says. "I think I'm good for now. Probably I'll get tired eventually and then it'll have to be koala princess."

Tim tries his best to Stay Professional, but fails.  He breaks out in chuckles at that.  "Let me do most of the work, I'm the one with the strength power.  Um, sir - Sean?  Are you, uh, both of you, wanting to stick around for.  Er.  Management?"  For when she starts crying again when I have to go take a leak?

"Yeah I think that's a good plan."

"Please keep Sean around for when I totally lose my shit again, yes."

Griggs is a Professional and is willing to Do Some Shit but is very glad he doesn't have to.

"Yessir, yes'm.  Yeah.  Okay.  Let's head to the next one, Sean, I'm going to buff you a little, okay?  It's not the whole deal, but you're going to be stronger and tougher than normal.  No sudden movements and be careful using your full strength on anything.  We've got spare clothes if you do pop a seam, but.  Easier to not need it."  And in saying this, their little squad can move out.

"I will do my best," he says agreeably, following along.

Well.  It's a very fulfilling job!  Much more emotionally satisfying than lying around all day while playing video games and trying not to fall asleep.  Tim takes an even more passive role than usual, esper strength is dwarfed by his power.  And he doesn't need to conserve nearly so much power as usual - she's quite compatible with him and frankly it's slightly uncomfortable how much skin contact the girl needs.  But mitigating Hell Week and lifesaving vastly outweigh this level of discomfort.  She's a perfect backlash backpack koala.

"Here you go, sir, I've got you - Riggs, you've got the chock, slide it in after we lift."

"Aww, what a cute kid!  Hey kiddo, did you know that our esper over there kidnapped a shark once?  Maybe if you ask nicely he'll show you the video."

"Sir, I know your house got destroyed.  We've got dungeon insurance, you'll be okay.  I know, it's not fair - here, I can get you a ride to the rally point, you'll be able to get in touch with a social worker there, they'll help you with - I know, sir, it's not fair."

"Ah, shit, this one's bad - Tim, you think you can focus on her for a minute?  She's got something in her stomach.  Williams, you've got the medical kit, let's get this out of her, I don't think we have the time to spare to get her back to a real doctor.  No offence, either of you."

"Hey, it's okay.  I know.  It'll be alright.  Hey.  You're going to be just fine, okay?  We'll get you out of there.  I know it's scary.  Riggs, get the chock out.  It's okay, ma'am, we'll get you out in three...two...one...Chock!  Okay.  can you make it out on your own?  Okay, great, come here, we've got you.  It's okay, that chock isn't going anywhere.  Look, I'll go under it myself, you can trust it.  C'mon, ma'am, I know.  You'll be alright.  THERE you go, good stuff.  You're doing really well."

As they proceed it becomes increasingly clear that April is hanging onto her composure by her fingernails. She keeps making sad little whining noises into Tim's neck and then muttering "ah fuck, ignore me" in grumpy, petulant tones. She makes more of an effort when there are other unhappy people around, so as not to set them off.

Sean, by contrast, is basically chill. He gravitates to simple, helpful tasks like handing out granola bars and Esperade, and otherwise sticks close to April so he can pat her on the back when she makes unhappy noises.

Wonders will never cease.  TWO helpful civvies who aren't even freaking out a little bit.  Well.  One who isn't freaking out even a little bit.  But the freaking one is pretty helpful, so that makes up for it.  Maybe they'll have a nickname for her by the end of the deployment, when she's in a mood to appreciate one.  They're currently saving Princess Charming for if Menhir and Sleeping Beauty hook up for real, or if it winds up being really funny.

Tim eventually does offer her a princess carry.  Unknowingly, this provokes a discussion on whether April really will wind up being Princess Charming, but it's shot down for not being the time or place.  It's uh.  Incredibly awkward trying to comfort a girl who's crying because of a magic curse, but.  He'll do his best?  He shoots Sean some incredibly grateful looks, especially after the princess carry becomes a thing.

"You're doing really good, you know."  But eventually, regular fatigue and backlash fatigue take their toll on Tim.  He's getting pretty tired.

Riggs carefully circles to where he can look at Tim, but April can't.  "It's getting pretty close to your bedtime, Sleeping Beauty.  We're thinking about packing it in pretty soon, you've got your night job coming up.  Gotta save some juice for that."

"Night job?"

"So, uh.  Sorry, ma'am.  I have the b-well, the second-best backlash ever.  I just get tired.  So what I do when I'm not dungeoneering, is I get ten-ish people in a room and give them all my buff.  It's weaker the more people get it, but it does healing properly, none of this achy elbow when it rains shhhtuff.  Which, uh, is what I was mentioning to you, earlier, ma'am.  If you're willing to, er.  Cuddle.  And be a little less - " do not say crazy DO NOT SAY CRAZY  "Uh, backlashed."

"I am incredibly fucking thrilled to be your teddy bear if the other option is crying on Sean all night. I'm really tired of crying on Sean all night."

"Okay.  I think uh, I'll talk to Bill - my agent - about this and make sure that we're both covered on this.  It's uh, it's also possible that another esper will be compatible with you, so you're not - chained to me or anything.  Not that I'm - uh.  You can absolutely be my - teddy bear - you just.  Don't have to."

You'd think a combat esper would have more game than a chunk of concrete, but no.  He does not.

"Cool cool," says Princess Charming Koala. "I know I don't have to. But like, I had better be somebody's teddy bear or I'm going to go right back to being a huge fucking mess. And you seem like you'll do a lot of good with it? If you find somebody else I can take a sad shitty nap on who will save more lives that way, I'm game, but, like, can you?"

"Um.  I don't think so.  Maybe?  But compatibility is pretty rare."  He'll lope off towards the rally point, also known as 'the nearest flattish area that can fit a helicopter'.  "And I know this is your hellweek, but - people like you are really important to humanity.  It's stupid and bullshit that you've gotta put up with it, but when you get through it, you'll be doing important work."

"Oh yeah I am absolutely going straight to powers testing as soon as I have powers to test. Because dungeons fucking suck. Even more than my backlash fucking sucks, which is saying something."

"Good shit.  Cool.  Just uh, I had a bit of a scare with my powers, when I woke up from Hell Week.  Seriously, please be careful, okay?  Um, I don't - know how much you're - comfortable with?  If you have any - preferences you want to.  Make in advance?"

"Can you say that again but, like, use words to describe concepts, please."

oh no why is this his entire life.  "I know what - kinds of guiding I'm comfortable with?  I don't know.  What your limits are like.  If you want to.  Talk about them before we, uh.  Settle in.  On the barge."

"I'm fine with, what was the phrase, non-swimsuit skin stuff. And like my backlash doesn't make me pass out, this isn't gonna be a, what's it called, advance directive kind of situation... I guess if I was already really upset to begin with, I might get into a situation where you can't get me in shape to talk just by cuddling me a lot?" She considers. "...Sean."

Why is this his life.

"If I end up in an advance directive kind of situation, you get to make the call about whether it's reasonable for somebody to make out with me about it."

He can't believe he's saying this, but, "Makes sense."

Him, too, Sean.  Him too.  "Okay.  Thank you.  Um.  Let's, uh.  Let's.  Let's just get going."

"Yeah let's do that."

Oh thank goodness, no more awkward conversations.  They make it to the evac without more awkwardness, and with a certain amount of ribbing amongst the Dwarves.  Soon enough, they're aboard the hospital, and transferred from there to the medical barge.

Sean tags along. Teddy bear support staff, that's him.

"Okay.  So, normally I'd ask you to clear out, Sean, but we uh.  We need you.  The way my power works, is it makes you stronger and tougher and heal faster.  So you're going to be accident-prone, because your shirt isn't rated for superstrength.  I've got some outfits like mine - see how stretchy this material is?  So you don't pop a seam and have, uh, accidents.  It's happened.  We've got some boxes, label one with your name, put anything you want to keep in there.  The.  Um."  Fuck.  "April I have no idea how you want to handle the, uh, changing situation.  And at some point I'd like to, uh.  You know.  My back teeth are afloat."  Why.  Why does being a dungeoneer involve having to explain to a cute girl and her ex-boyfriend that you can't touch her constantly because you have a shy bladder?!?!?!

"You can put me down and let me suffer, it's fine, I'll get over it. Do I need the special clothes too?"

Why is this his life. “Um.  Probably.  I usually guide back to back, or I - tangle legs.  That way you don’t have to just sit there, you can do stuff other than sit on me.”

"Makes sense. Sean can help me get changed."

"Okay, then I should pick out clothes for me and April and you should drop us off somewhere private to change while you go off and change and whatever?"

"Yeah, that."

"Okay.  Uh.  Sorry about this."  He sets April down in a DRT lawnchair, then books it for the changing area.

"AWAKENING FUCKING SUUUUUUUUUUCKS!"

It's fine, he's been doing this for days, he's used to it, he can get April and some super stretchy clothes together and ready to take their turn in the changing area once Tim is out.

It takes him about three minutes, including a shower hose-down.  No soap, just water.  He's back, wearing dark orange shorts.  No shirt, but he's got one in his left hand.  "Here, I'll tag in, Sean.  April, uh - " hugging gesture?  Fuuuuck this isn't easy with people I doesn't know.

She isn't great at coordination when she's unable to stop sobbing, but she plants her face on his chest and takes several very shaky deep breaths and then she's coherent enough to maneuver for a more targeted hug.

Sean disappears into the changing area and emerges about a minute later ready to accept handoff of April so he can help her change.

Good luck, Sean.  Here's one April in reasonable condition.

He's done this several times in the past few days, it's fine.

"aaaaaaghbhblughblublub"

It takes them more than a minute, that's for sure, but his and April's combined efforts do get her into the super-shorts and back out to resume guiding.

Cool.  Great.  This is fine.  April can get embraced, Professionally, Platonically.  Then carried to the Triage Area.  "Ready for your first stint as a professional guide?"

"Oh dang, I get paid for this shit? It's my lucky day."

"I mean, technically we haven't signed a contract or anything.  But I'm going to text Bill about it and make him take care of some of the bullshit paperwork so we can get you something for this.  Since you're not a working esper, it's not customary for guiding to be a quid quo pro.  I'll have to make an estimate of how much extra healing I can do because of your, uh.  Your not-backlash.  But that's not a problem.  Maybe you want to hire a PA at some point, it sounds like you maybe need one."  He is not trying to drop hints, he's just making conversation!  That's his story, and he's sticking to it.

"Sean! Find me a PA."

"I don't know how to do that! I guess you don't either. Fine." Where's his phone - it's in the 'don't break stuff with your superpowers' box. "I will find you a PA later. No phones in the superpower pit."

"No phones in the superpower pit," she agrees grudgingly.

Oh my god you two are so dense, is this what it's like talking to me from the outside???  "Well, a PA has to be someone you really trust, especially managing a psych backlash.  They really suck.  You need someone who's really good at managing your moods, I.  Uh.  Knew someone with one, it was pretty bad, sometimes."

"So you're saying it should be Sean."

"I didn't say anything of the sort.  That's something you should talk about with your agent, when you get one.  But I think right now, he's functionally acting as your PA.  And I do mean it about psych backlashes, you need someone with the patience of a stone to put up with those."  Don't ask me how I know.

"Luckily Sean is patient as hell when he's not setting high school teachers on fire."

"What happened to 'these people don't need the whole drama'?"

"...ugh, fuck, you're right, you're right."

He what.  You know what, it's fine.  "Uh.  Right.  I mean, I don't have any kind of - stake in this one.  You should pick the person who's willing and able to do the job best, and it's none of my business who does it."  Tim pull his phone out of his pocket and starts texting.

"My parents are gonna be pissed if I drop out of school to be an esper's PA," he muses, sounding like on the whole this is a point in favour of the plan.

"I think esper PAs are in the top 40% of all incomes, back home.  Sometimes more, if the backlash is bad."

He laughs. "Oh, wow. I hope you're right, that's the funniest way this could possibly turn out."

"Well, it depends on April's powers, right?  For all we know, I've got the next Skybreaker climbing me."  She's probably D-rank, but she doesn't need to hear that right now.

"Being Skybreaker sounds exhausting. I mean, also awesome. But also so fucking exhausting holy shit."

"Yeah, power use is tiring."  He chuckles a little bit.  "If you do turn out to be the next Skybreaker, can I get your autograph?"

"Sure," she snorts. "You deserve it for putting up with me whining in your ear all day."

"This is not the worst backlash I've put up with.  Well.  For me, anyway.  It...could be the worst for the, er, backlashee?"

"I do hate it a whole fucking lot."

Sad awakening espers can get a squish.  He's learned some people like squishing, and this may be such a case.

She sighs contentedly, though it trails off into a slightly sadder noise at the end.

There, there.  Poor baby esper.  The squishings will continue until morale improves.

This results in an April who is having a harder time keeping her shit together, but seems overall comforted by and appreciative of the squishings?

Sean also seems to approve of this development, if Tim would like to resort to the Best Friend/PA/Ex(?)-Boyfriend(?) approval barometer.

Please, yes, Sean, he's flying by sight while wearing a blindfold.  He will absolutely take any port in a storm.  He can rub her back in little circles.  Texting with his other phone, he Convenes the Injured.

If any of the Injured are also the Emotionally Compromised she will do her best not to whine too loudly. Perhaps she will even succeed.