"There is no such thing as a magnetic monopole, but it's sufficiently nerd-jokey that I'm putting it on the short list."

(She's not getting much backlash at all, actually! Not with things so tiny. It ticks up faster when she switches to new kinds of denser plastic, and then to actual metal, and starts using the paper targets at different ranges.)

"Oh.  Whoops."  Well, you knew you were never going to be a physicist.  "Um.  Is a...coilgun a thing?  Accelerator?"

(It's not much, but he's pretty backlashed!  So.  A little improvement is a big deal right now.)

"Accelerator's taken. Coilguns are a thing, and so are macrons, they're kinda like space sandblasters? Backfire and Apogee are taken ...Centrifuge? Hmm! I just thought of a power testing trick to try!!!"

"Yeah?  We happen to be the only ones in the building, so if you think it'll be safe for us...?"  She's so excited!  I love it.

"Uh, do you have anything that's like... Dusty? To throw all up in the air? Or maybe a glass of water and something to mix into it, like, salt? You see, centrifuges use motion, to separate materials in solutions. I wonder if I could push only the dust and not the air!"

"Oooooh.  That's really smart!  Lemme think for a second, maybe..."

A few minutes of scrounging later, they have some sand in a bottle of water.  "Try it?"

She shakes it up nicely, and then... Hmm. How to try this. She's either been pretty narrowly focusing on a specific object, or on pushing her own self away from other things, or pushing everything away in a haze of NO...

She holds the bottle up to her face and tries to... Hmm. It's not really working. "The particles are too small to see and thinking about pushing 'the particles' isn't really working. What if... What is sand, silica, right. I might have to sort of... Think of the sand as one connected object? Even though it's- No, don't doubt myself here. I can definitely do this. Like, mystically speaking, 'the sand in this bottle' is totally a coherent thing. We can make a clear distinction between sand inside and outside the barrier. If I can target the set of all atoms of iron in a ball bearing, I can target the set of all atoms of silica in this bottle."

Glaaaaare.

"As soon as I find the right mindset for it."

That's a rationalization if Tim's ever heard one, and he's heard plenty of them.  "Well, it's just one glob of sand in there.  I had a handful of sand, now the handful of sand is in there.  Just push the handful of sand.  You're overthinking it." Maybe skill at manipulating psych backlashes will help manipulate powers?

"Mmmmmnh."

The whole bottle goes flying a bit. She moves to catch it, but fumbles the catch, and it clatters to the floor.

She moves to pick it back up, a look of focus in her eyes. This time she holds one hand above it and sets it on a flat surface.

And this time with a hand motion like pushing down on it, the silt suspended in the sand churns... Sort of kicking up again in places, but the water clears up at a clearly not natural pace.

She lets out a deep breath and then scratches her cheek. (That was about as much backlash as all the shooting so far.)

"Good stuff, Wendy!  You look like you got it just fine.  Er, are you going to keep experimenting on that one?"

"Maybe in a bit. I think - I gotta think about the physics, I think doing it fast is a no go because tiny particles have tons of resistance, like, proportionally... It was a lot of backlash at once."

"Ooh.  Gotcha.  That makes sense."  It doesn't, actually, but that's okay.  She can manage her own power tricks.  "Uh, do you need some guiding, then?"

"-Oh sure, do we uh, have a couch or anything?"

“Yes’m.  I think that you might like it.”  It’s a little closer to a twin bed in terms of size, and clever design on the seat that makes it possible for someone to lay face-down and still be able to interact with their phone.  To simplify a lot, there’s a hole in the seat suitable for arms and head.  There’s also a supporting brace for someone’s head.

Must’ve been a custom order.

Something about this sends a creepy shiver up her spine?? But like. Mmrh. Not endorsedly. She only hesitates for a couple of seconds.

"How do you feel about shirts and long pants vs shorts? I brought a tube top in case of, um... Also 'centrifuge' is growing on me, presuming it's not taken, 'cause it made me think of that power stunt."

"I'm okay with shorts?  I'm wearing some underneath this.  I'm not, um - really looking for a relationship or anything right now, or anything - similar?"  Also even if I was, I don't want to spook you.

"I think I am too young for that. I'm glad you agree. I also find myself surprisingly unaffected by skin exposure now that I know it's just kind of an esper thing. It's not like I never went to swim class in school. So,"

Off goes her long sleeve shirt. Tube top under it. Same with thick sweatpants; cargo shorts under 'em.

"This is a prototype for squishguiding, isn't it, hmm~?"

"Um.  Yes?  You mentioned you wanted a setup like this, so I worked something out for you.  D'you like it?"  Well, Bill did the details and commissioned it, I just took care of the spec.  He's...not quite sure what that tone of voice is, but it seems to trigger his flush reflex.

"I like it. I- I dunno what I'm saying. I kinda forgot about that." Sigh. "I thiiiiink you're kinda signing up with Sara, right? And I'm decently compat with both of y'all. So existing somewhere in the middle - maybe unless I find someone else - I dunno. I guess I'm not really sure of the - social shape that falls out of that, I don't want to fuck it up."

Anyway time to flomp embarrassedly on the designated position on the squish couch. See if she can use her phone from here.

Well, unless she has unnatural proportions, she can!  The forehead rest is adjustable, and there's a little shelf for her phone, and if she wants them there's little hanging supports for her forearms.  It looks like everything's pretty adjustable if she just pulls on various different strings.  It might take her a few minutes to get it comfy, but she almost certainly will be comfy.

"Hey.  It's okay.  You don't have to get everything just right, and you don't have to sign up with me, or Sara.  You've been an esper for under a month, you're going to make mistakes and do embarrassing stuff.  It's what new espers do."  She might not see it, but she can hear him shucking out of his pants.  He deliberately scuffs his bare feet across the floor as he approaches the couch.  "Ready?"

"Yeah, it's easier if I don't see you and can be all professional medical about this and also squiiiiiish, backlash demands it."

“It is medically necessary and lifesaving care.” Slow and steady.  Don’t startle her.  She’ll feel a hand on her shoulder, first.  Then his pectorals covering her shoulders.  His stomach settles on her lower back and butt like a weighted blanket.  His hips settle down around her thighs, and his legs cover hers.

Squishing is complete.  “How are you feeling?  Good?  Or do you want me to just pretend you’re a comfy pillow while you scroll?”

Kinda turned on by BUFF GUY who is BIGGER than me being right on TOP of me and GUIDING.

...Do NOT say that. He's probably not into your scrawny ass and also is too old for you.

"Uh... I'm fine. This, it feels like it would be really great at somewhat higher backlash, and is pretty okay right now. The squishing is nice. Little worried about, like, muscle soreness if we did- Um. If were like this for hours."

"Yeah.  It's okay, usually I lay back to back, or we wrap our legs around each others', so we can do other stuff while we guide.  If you need me to do anything else, just tell me, okay?"  He very slowly moves his left arm so that it's loosely draped over Wendy's shoulder, then turns his head to the side and starts playing with his phone.  So that he doesn't contemplate anything else.  Didn't spook her, mission success!