"Do you want to break it up a little, do half that number and recover?"

"Might be a good idea, yes. Though I think I endorse getting an initial big wave in so people could get on finding that portal. It's a real problem of a dungeon and we don't want it getting away."

"Yeah.  It's part of why I'm not out there right now, I don't really want to be doing the whole call-and-response to every single DRT dude who gets out of my sightline for thirty seconds."  She pauses, thinking.  "My backlash is annoyance.  I'm not just being lazy."

"That's a pretty bad one. I'm not actually sure if it's worse than mine or not..Mine is...self destructive moral scrupulosity. I get obsessed with worrying about whether my actions could hurt somebody...and at high levels...I'm basically convinced that everyone would be better off without me."

After a moment of stunned shock, Overcoat's ribcage gets an impromptu stress test by way of Extreme Hugging.  "Oh my Christ, that's the worst backlash I've ever heard of, I am so sorry."  This girl deserves beatification if anybody does, oh my God.

This startles her but she's not objecting.

"I have ever met people with ones I would definitely hate more, but not often. I'm just lucky my power is literally completely unable to hurt anyone. If it had any offensive uses at all...it would be really bad for me."

No fucking shit, it would be bad for you!  "Yeah.  Oh my God, Overcoat..."  I don't want to tell her to not work Confluences, but.  "Yeah, I'm not gonna match you at all, anymore, I could tell it got to be a problem but...I am so sorry..." The entirety of this thread plays out in Carol's mind, trying to figure out how the fuck she could have just.  Not.

"I may have a bit of a responsibility problem all on my own...I blame my drunk deadbeat father for that. And being the oldest."

"Yeah, I guess.  Still."  She finishes off her beef stick and sips at her water contemplatively.  "I, uh.  Kissing you on its own wouldn't be a.  A hardship?"  You're very pretty in a neighbor's hot mom kinda way.  "And.  Neither of us wants you feeling that miserable, y'know?"

"You understand that it's strictly platonic yes? I have an understanding with my husband about this but we are in fact monogamous. And...no offense but I am not one of those people who's sexuality...flexes...for guiding."

"Yeah, I'm flexible, but it's just kissing.  I'm not even - well.  It doesn't matter, I'm not gonna do anything stupid.  Promise."

"In that case...it would be more efficient to strip down to bras, as well."

Carol's blush is starting to fade a bit.  "Yeah.  It would be.  D'you want to do that after the next round, if you're still okay with it then?" Wait, doing stuff is hard for her.  "Or I can do it for you?" Nope, her blush is back.

"It will be easier if you do it."

"I can do that.  Was that position okay for you?  Anything else we should touch on before we get you another group?"

Aaacckkkk phrasing.

If she's bothered by or even notices the phrasing she doesn't show it.

"It was fine, though you could switch it up occasionally, I'm not quite as young as I used to be and staying in a position like that gets wearying."

"I can manage that."  Thank you so much for just ignoring how red I get.  It's easier when I'm on top.  So to speak.  "You wanna get comfy again and we can do another batch?  Or d'you need anything?"

She's finished most of her water and protein bar by now.

"I'm good for now, thank you. You?"

"Ready!"  She flops back on the couch, looking relaxed.  She's a little unsettled, but she really doesn't want to give Overcoat's awful backlash anything to dig into.  Feels weird to be kissing someone's actual wife.  But I feel like such a dick for what I said earlier.  'Couldn't have a power and not use it'.  God.

She sits down.

"I really am sorry. I am usually better at staying focused and...not dragging other people down with me."

She pats Overcoat's hand, subtly making sure she's actually zeroed.  I once threw a couch because my guiding partner changed the channel.  This is just static on the line.  "I mean, I'd rather know how bad it gets, right?  So you're not just.  Y'know.  Toughing it out, being miserable, when I could have helped you."  Fuck I hate saying this.

She smiles at Overcoat, a little sadly.  "My power's about killing.  Sticky traps for monsters, strength to kill them, just enough vision of the future that my hits always land.  And just enough durability that I live to do it all tomorrow.  It's good that I can do more than kill, sometimes."

She is actually zero'd yes. These are completely organic home-grown brainworms. 

"I'm used to toughing it out. But maybe I shouldn't.."

She thinks about Carol's power for a moment.

"This might be a bit rude, but it seems like a risky combination with your backlash. "