Yes! There is one south of the city, we went there on a field trip as children.

I think I would like that. Maybe hiking, just to start? So we can see how we like each others' company in the wild, first. We could do multiple of those. Hiking and/or snowshoeing, stargazing afterwards? 

I’d really like that.  Hiking isn’t complicated, so I love it.  Do you want to show me around your preserve?

That would be nice. I haven't been back in a while, but I have cousins there, still. I can ask them if anything big has changed before we go.

It's very far out in the country, just so you know. Up around the Bay. We'd need to drive or take a teleport, there's no trains that way. 

Despite rumors to the contrary, I can take a vacation occasionally.  I might like to drive up, instead of teleport.  Especially if the views are nice.

They are! Assuming you like rocks and trees and water :) it's all Canadian Shield most of the way there, once you get out of the lowlands. 

One of our cousins got the house, but he lives in Montréal. I bet I could get him to send me the key. 

It's probably in disrepair, though. 

Also, this trip is a bit more of a committment than our first hike should be, I think ^.^' why don't you show me around Montpelier or your hometown, first? It must be closer than a twelve+ hour drive. 

Sure!  We can go on a big trip after the confluence.  Maybe Wendy will want to go with us, I don’t think she’ll have ever seen anything like it.  We do have a weekend coming up, do you want to go this weekend?

If we survive the confluence.

I think I can do that, yes!

She spends a couple minutes looking up flights and then trains on her phone, then continues.

I can take a train from Québec to St. Johnsbury on Friday night, and then transfer up to Montpelier? Are there good hotels in town?

Okay. She’s willing to go to a hotel.  That’s good.  But is this what I actually want?  I do have an extra guest room.  Do we want to invite that kind of intimacy?  It’s not weird for friends to visit, and you need to at least be friends to be guiding partners.  Well.  You could just be professional, but.

A few minutes of marking up a whiteboard later, and Tim has a list of pros and cons.

PROS:
Convenience
Ease of meeting
Save money(ESPER.  LOL)

Cons:
Scary(grow up)
Pressures her

Do you want to stay at my place?  I have a spare bedroom.  If not, there are a dozen hotels nearby.

It takes her a minute to reply, while she thinks it over in her head in her own version of his whiteboard strategy.

I think I'll book a hotel just in case, but if things go well I'll stay at your place? Maybe something terribly awkward will happen and we'll need eight hours to come down from the embarrassment ^.^ Or, not to say I think so but, maybe one of us will turn out to be a serial killer and the other will need to flee. 

Though I suppose going on a hike together would be more dangerous in the serial killer scenario than me sleeping in your spare room ^.^

About thirty seconds later, she sends:

...Truth be told I just like to be prepared in case of disaster. Sorry, I don't mean to insult you.

That’s fine!  You’re welcome to book a hotel, it makes sense.  I’m not a serial killer, but I already admitted to kidnapping.  I can’t blame you for being prepared.

You didn’t insult me.  I’m an overplanner too, and it’s not like we really need to save money anymore.  If you’re buying peace of mind, it’s cheap at the price.

Okay.  Doing great, we’re all doing good.  And there’s more communication here than in a week of my last partnership.

But Tim, what if I'm the serial killer? ^.^

But really, thanks for getting it. 

That sounds like a plan, then? I'll come in- actually, hang on.

She pokes around some more at train schedules, and then sends:

Okay, so I could get in Thursday night really late, Friday morning but I'll have to catch the train around 7, or Friday evening I could be in around 5pm. Any of those would work for me, how about you?

Half the trains passing down the Vermont line don't even stop at St Johnsbury. She'd have to get a car from the next station, which is... Lebanon, New Hampshire?

There are a few more options, but they'd be much more hassle.

Hmmm.  Hmmmmmmm.

If you want to get a teleporter and want to commit to some guiding during Friday, we can get the cost covered by the insurance companies?  You can work towards getting your superstrength cert too, if you’re interested? Or you can just play videogames or study while you guide me if you want.

Shit.  Is this too professional?  Ugh.  This is a known issue, why isn’t there a pre-built social script that everyone knows.  Getting guiding should be as convenient as going to the grocery store.  Uggghhhh.

I can do some guiding on Friday! Actually, if we're talking teleporters, I could port in after class on Thursday (my class ends at three) and just do my reading with you, assuming you'd still be being sat on then. I'm not sure how often or how late you do that.

If Friday works better, though, I can get my readings done beforehand and maybe do some knitting or something. Maybe if I only bring my current projects I'll actually get some of them done ^.^'

If you want to play some two-player games I'd like that, probably. I don't usually play horror games, but it could be fun with a partner :)

Thursday works for me, then!  Pending agent approval and all that.  And if you want to get some alone time at any point, you can head to your hotel and decompress.  But I want you to promise me something.

She waits a couple minutes before realizing he maybe wants her to respond. With some trepidation, she sends:

Yes?

You have a hotel room for if I turn out to be a serial killer, but what about me?  If you turn to be a serial killer, you’ve gotta let me use your hotel room.  Fair’s fair, right? =D

Well of course! ^.^ Fair's fair!

Wonderful, it’s always good to have a plan for if your partner turns out to be a serial killer.  The dress code is at least one of “elastic” or “robes”.  For a while I wore my old gi, but I managed to tear it while playing around.  Very tragic.  If you want Bill to get something for you in terms of clothing, just have your agent set it up with him.  We’ve done this a lot, it’s not a trouble in the slightest.

As far as hotels go, I’d recommend one of [three modestly extravagant hotels, which Tim got from his agent while off-camera], listed in order of what I’d prefer if I were to stay there.

I have some lounging around clothes that should work. Now you mention it, maybe I shouldn't bring my knitting, huh? I wonder how your strength would interact with my bead-making, though. 

While she's waiting for a response, she takes a look at the hotels he suggested and starts the process of booking a room for Thursday through Saturday night. She pauses before making that purchase, though, and adds:

Would I be getting a teleport home, or the train? I'll need to leave on Sunday if I'm taking the train, at the latest, to make my Monday morning class. 

Let me check with Bill about the teleport.

Two minutes later:

SOP is a round-trip teleport, he’s going to make sure it gets covered.  I’m so glad that I don’t have to deal with this kind of paperwork.

You’re welcome to bring your knitting, but it’s not a good idea if you’re being augmented.  Certainly don’t bring your favorite set of needles!  I got a suggestion from the mixer to try making jewelry, maybe we could do a collaboration?

What kind of things do you like to knit?

Amazing! Okay, I'll send on to Evelyn that I can head home on Monday morning or Sunday night, and- actually, she should deal with the hotel, she knows how to get our money's worth.

She swaps text threads briefly to send all of this on to her agent. She gets an acknowledgement swiftly. 

I'll bring both, then, and we'll see what we can make. Maybe something your shark tooth can go on?

I knit the sweater I was wearing last night! I make all sorts of things, really. Whatever strikes me at the time. It's a bad habit, actually, I keep starting new projects and buying more yarn. 

Tim was raised to believe that he can do anything he puts his mind to if he’s willing to put in the effort for it.  Is it true?  Well, if he acts like it’s true, it’s a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

To his agent:
A request for a jewelry workshop to be set up in the healing silo, gently shot down when it’s pointed out that jeweler’s tools that require heat will give off fumes.  Which are famously bad for convalescing patients. 
An order for cold-working jewelry toolkit and loupes.
An order for a mixture of pre-cut stones and raw rocks.  The pre-cut stones are mostly artificially grown.
An order for various spools of metal wire.
A request to the Tiny Sharkholding Lab to call in his tooth favor if one’s available, please.  It is? Great, thank you.

Oh, it looked very nice.  It was soft, too.

It is! Would you like something? I have a few scarf and hat projects going spare, I could bring one with me and if it's a hat, I can fit it to your head. 

What's your favourite colour?

Shit shit shit.  Okay, you should have seen this coming.  It’s fine, don’t panic.  A scarf would be nice but what if it gets caught?  A hat.  No muscles in my head.  Okay, perfect.

I could use a hat!  My favorite color’s orange, what’s yours?

surely SOMETHING will match in that gem order.  I’ll confirm with Bill after I know.

Dark blue and purple are my favourites. I think I have a hat like that started somewhere around here... If not I guess I'll have to start a new one :)