So... early chapter! Before anyone asks, no, this is not related to a certain death threat we received.

From Clovercream:

I have a chainsaw I will personally come and chop off your head if you don't post the next chapter by the end of next week!

do0m: while this death threat is grammatically correct, with no spelling errors, the content is what concerns me. though specific, it is very simple. with the recent death threats we've received, our standards are set high. it's not a bad death threat, but we have seen better. therefore, I give you a B-.

AL1321: I agree with do0m on the simplicity of this threat. Also, it seems you only threatened one of us. Perhaps this is to ensure the story continues, I can't read minds. So... C. (I like chainsaws but they're overused)

AL1321: The real reason the chapter is early is since do0m and I could actually meet and write without homework and projects and family messing up our schedules.

True to Moppet's promise, Lane returned to her normal, calm self the next morning. She doled out the necessary apologies as well, explaining that in her grumpy self, any 'nicknames' that did not contain swear words were generally not disrespectful or mean.

"Still can't believe you called Kai a 'jerkface'. I would have expected 'hothead'." Alexia mused to her friend. Lane shrugged.

"...That was part of it."

"Then why the 'jerkface' part?"

"Because he's been so... mean to you!"

Alexia, stunned, didn't pay attention to where she was walking, and walked right into the girls' room's door (she and Lane were walking back to their room after morning training). "OW! Owowowowowow..."

"Are you okay?!" Lane asked, frantic as her motherly nature kicked in. Alexia grunted before nodding, opening the door, and continuing the conversation.

"Since when has he been mean? In the past few weeks, I mean, don't count the fight I had with him when we first got here... and later that day... and when I called him an asshole during prank week... and when I called him the bane of my existence after one of my sword lessons... and whe- I get your point."

"See? He's horrible to you! I mean, the fact you two spend time together confuses me! I would have thought you'd be avoiding him."

Alexia was about to burst out laughing and ask if Lane hadn't noticed the change before realizing it might be better that Lane didn't know about her and Kai. "Look, he's not that bad. I could ask the same question about you and Zane. He practically stalks you, but you're fine training with him and working on the ship together."

"Zane is not yelling at me. Besides, he's smart and we can debate on time travel... if only he would accept the clearly proven theories..." Lane kept muttering on about the finer points of astrophysics while Alexia chuckled.

Moppet, meanwhile, was busy with Lloyd, trying yet again to master her Spinjitzu. "This is impossible!" She gasped after falling on her face yet again.

"No, it's not. You just keep falling because you need to have confidence in yourself." Lloyd explained.

"This is not a feel good movie." Moppet muttered.

"What?"

"Never mind." Despite being annoyed, Moppet knew better than to tip off anyone about the fact she still considered this a TV show.

"Come on, Alexia is catching up to your level in Spinjitzu. Don't you want to master it first?"

Moppet shrugged. "I usually come second or third. That way, I can watch the people who do it first, more people help me, and I'm not expected to do anything too dramatic or difficult."

Staring at Moppet, Lloyd groaned. "Okay, then I want my student to master it first. Kai's training Alexia in sword and Spinjitzu, and it'd be weird if she mastered both before you even master one fighting style."

"I told you, I'm fine with second. Besides, I'll master Spinjitzu before Lane."

"Why?"

"Have you seen how she avoids the obstacle course and everything involved with Spinjitzu?"

"Good point." Lloyd continued to try to get Moppet to use her Spinjitzu, but the closest they got was when Moppet accidently loosed her light powers instead, resulting in a blind Lloyd and a five minute break.

Elsewhere...

Zane was in the male ninja's room, pacing. He still had... stirrings... for Lane. And if he asked Jay again, Jay would start asking why he continually asked for advice on his 'observation' of Kai and Alexia, especially as the two were no longer fighting.

As luck would have it, Kai walked in, planning on grabbing his practice sword for training. Zane, out of options, decided it couldn't hurt to ask someone else. "Kai, could you give me some... relationship... advice?"

Kai stopped cold. "Why? And why me?"

"You are in a relationship with Alexia."

"How did you-"

"You are no longer at each other's throats and also spend more time together."

"Oh. So... what exactly do you want to ask?"

Thinking for a few moments, Zane selected the least revealing question in his mind (he could perfect his courting technique later). "When did you... realize you had feelings for her?"

"Uh... It just kind of happened. I mean, when we first met, we hated the other's guts. Then it went to grudging respect... and I guess the whole 'affection' thing just developed."

"Is this hatred necessary for certainty?"

"No! Look at Jay and Nya, they liked each other from day one. Maybe it's just unique for each person, I'm new to this."

Zane sighed in relief, it would have been a pity to destroy what headway he had made with Lane. "Any advice for... figuring out if the other person feels the same way?"

"Zane, are you okay? You've been acting off lately."

"...is that what one is supposed to ask to ascertain another's feelings for them?"

"No... I'm just asking because you don't look okay. It's better to... I dunno, Alexia didn't ask me and I didn't ask her. Just... try and see if they do and ask if you really want to know." Kai exited the room, confused, leaving Zane to attempt to work out how to best approach the strange phenomena known as 'affection'.