"Cool." Back to the portal again, then.

And indeed when they come out Luis is there with a dungeon assignment in Detroit they want Rhombus for if she can be spared.

"No rest for the wicked. You make sure you get a real day off now and again, Juggernaut," sighs Rhombus, redoing her ponytail while she reads the briefing on Luis's phone where he's holding it out for her. "But today is not mine."

"Heh. I'll see what I can do. Take care."

Then it is time for her to:

(1) take another fucking shower,

(2) put on a shirt that does not have one tit bitten out of it,

(3) update Sean on newly acquired sage advice,

and (4) call Tim.

Tim picks up on the third ring.  Faint splashing noises can be heard in the background.  "Hey, April.  How's your first dungeon going, you get the core yet?"

"Yeah, it's sitting by the entrance waiting for us to be done with the place. I wrestled a giant lizard into a giant lizard laundry machine and I should get guided while I'm waiting for my giant lizard cage rush order to show up in a few hours; do you want to come here, or should we meet you wherever you are?"

"Oh, I was teasing you, but I guess I'm shouldn't be surprised!  I should be able to head down pretty quickly, I think I'm just a few miles down the road?  You sound like you're not, ah, backlashed too badly?"  Tim had gotten the address of the dungeon from Sean earlier; he orders himself an OTTO and gets out of the hot tub.

"I'm coasting on the relief of how much less bad than awakening this is but I'd sure hate to wrestle a second lizard right now, I'll tell you that. You sound wet, am I interrupting something?"

"Well, Sara wanted me to take an actual day off, and it turns out her 'endurance' works just fine for extended guilt-trips."  His tone of voice makes it very clear he's joking.  "So I was soaking in the hot tub for a while.  I might get one, it's pretty relaxing."  Various rustling noises come through as he towels off and changes into a dungeoneering outfit.

"Oh sweet! Heck yeah, get a hot tub."

"Oh, well, since..." his voice drops into a lower register for the next two words, "..the Juggernaut says it's a good idea, I'll get it on ASAP."  Rustle rustle.  Click-tap click rap.  "Anything special I need to bring?"

"Nothing special I don't think—unless you think you wanna help me put a lizard in a box in a few hours, and generally tag along while I try to wrap up the rest of the dungeon, in which case bring whatever you'd want to have for that "

"I think I can manage lizard rasslin' if you need it.  You think you can wrestle one without breaking it open?"  Shoe A, Shoe B.  Toe-wiggle.  Treads are still good on this pair, probably 5-6 more dungeons out of 'em if they're not too power-hungry.

"I got the damn thing into the dryer! But it was a real pain in the ass. And more backlash than the entire boss fight. I think you'd be a huge help."

"Sounds good.  I'll see you in...twenty-some minutes?"

"Sure thing, see ya!"

Then twenty-three minutes later, Aumento exits his OTTO! and makes a beeline for the cordon.  Is April and/or Sean easily visible, or is he going to have to hunt for one of them?

Sean's car is the same rather eye-catching vehicle it's been for all the several days they've known each other.

And April is in there grumbling loudly with the window rolled down. Sounds kind of like "ennyyyeaaaauuuurrrghhhnnnnmmmmrrrrrrrr."

Well, in that case.  He waves at the pair and chuckles a little about April's funny noises.  I shouldn't laugh at someone's backlash, but she's sure working to make it not be tears.  "Hey, April.  Hey Sean.  I hear the conquering hero needs some guiding?"

"Yes please." She hops out of the car, throws her arms around Tim, and although she isn't using her power there is a certain inexorability to the way she marches toward the guiding tent. That's sure some end-of-workday backlash on her, too.

Well, far be it from him to hold up the lady from getting guided.  Will April resist a Scoop?  It's easier than doing an awkward crabwalk or having one person walk backwards.

A Scoop sounds just fine to her.

Then she's carried into the guiding tent with one arm under her thighs and a hand on the back of her neck.  "How'd it go?  I looked it up, you got partnered with Rhombus, right?"

"Yeah! She was supposed to mentor me but there was a lot of 'keep doing what you're doing' and not a ton of mentoring - some, though, I got Sean to write down all the Sage Advice for later." She plonks her face on his shoulder. "It's gonna suck so much to make a career out of feeling like this."

"You've just gotta get a clown to follow you through the dungeon and distract you whenever you start turning on the waterworks."  Soothing neck pets are interrupted by the need to open and then close and secure the tent flap.  Then he sits on the bed.  "Shirt off?" He's like, 95% sure that she wants shirtless guiding but he's always a little anxious about it.