a/n: hi all,

The way I've been writing these latest chapters has been a bit A/B/A/B where A is a lengthier one, that dives into a single period of time followed by a B chapter that includes a series of mini interactions that help fill in the story/time with added context. This has resulted in smaller chapters than I'd normally publish, but I like the rhythm of this and plan to continue it for the rest of this term. It means more frequent posting, if you're jumping straight to the latest chapter, please be sure to check that you aren't missing any important bits in other chapters. Term VI started with Chapter W for reference.

As always, thanks for giving this a read and sticking with all the experimenting. One day I'll do something constant again.

Cheers,

EQT.95

"Hey, have any of you seen Kate?"

Melvin, Sophie, and James all looked up in surprise as Chelsea stopped by their table at the mess hall.

"Uh… no," Melvin answered for the group.

"She isn't around?" Chelse asked, unphased by the confused looks on the trio's faces.

"Not sure, why?" Melvin asked.

"Can one of you message her?" Chelsea continued.

"Why can't you?" he replied, trying to deflect the task and responsibility of interacting with Kate.

"Because she'll respond faster if it's one of you," Chelsea explained.

"Maybe you should text her."

"Why?" Chelsea asked, clearly not reading the room.

"W-we-"

"We might be going to the library," Sophie chimed in. "And the reception is pretty spotty."

"I've literally never stepped foot in the library," Chelsea gaped. "But if you say so," she sighed, pulling out her phone.

"Just curious - what'd you need her for?" Melvin asked. "If we run into her we can pass along the message."

"Oh, she didn't come back to the room last night. I wanted to make sure she's not like, dead in a ditch somewhere, you know?"

"Really?" Melvin asked, unable to contain his surprise.

"Well, if she did, she must have gotten up super early. It's kind of weird, actually; she must sleep like, four hours a night."

"Right," Melvin nodded.

"But it's Sunday."

"Meaning…?" Sophie asked.

"She's off on Sundays. It's like, the only day I wake up before her," Chelsea replied, befuddled that the trio didn't seem to know this. "Can you believe that Lieutenant has her training a hundred people?"

"I heard it was closer to fifty," James offered, finally joining the conversation.

"Same difference. I hope she's getting paid for that," she added as an aside. "Oh, are you two back together yet?"

"What, no," Melvin said, fielding the question with surprise.

"Too bad. Glad you're still friends though," Chelsea smiled excitedly before leaving them.

"Is she getting paid?" James asked once Chelsea had left.

Melvin and Sophie glanced at each other, realizing they had no idea either.

"I actually have no clue how that whole thing works," Sophie said with sincerity. She'd casually tried to get clarity a number of times, but no one from the group of scholars could shed any light on it.

"It's new, though, right?" Melvin asked thoughtfully.

"As far as I know, it is. I feel like no one wants to ask too many questions for fear of getting roped into it, too. The hours are insane; I really don't know how she's doing it."

"But how did Kate get roped into it?" Melvin asked, voicing questions he'd only thought for the last few weeks.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I'd ask Reyes, but I'm not exactly on his good side these days."

"And I'd ask Kate but…"

"Right," Sophie said, agreeing with his unfinished remark.

"Four hours of sleep is nothing," James added in unrelated fashion. "Right? I mean, I get like...seven, eight?"

"Ten," Melvin corrected. "You're like a sloth, man."

"Yea, ten. Compared to four? That makes it worse, right?"

"That is how math works, bud."

"Not bad today, Sarah."

"You remembered it!"

"Don't tell the others or else I'll have to remember everyone's."

"Lips are sealed. I'd even give you a gold star, but you're saying it wrong," Sarah grinned.

"How am I…?" Kate faded as a realization dawned on her.

"It's Sarah," she smirked back.

"Right."

"I hear you and V got to know each other last weekend," she continued casually.

An unfamiliar blush pinked Kate's cheeks from the sudden vulnerability of the situation. She didn't know what she expected from V, but she thought there'd be some discretion about who she shared the information with.

"Relax," Sarah continued, sensing Kate's discomfort. "Only the right people know about it," she added with a wink.

"Sorry, I… I don't understand," Kate continued, glancing around, cautious of what might be overheard.

"There's a small group of us that get together every Tuesday at a place in town. You should come."

"Uh, I can't. I have… well, some version of this," Kate said, gesturing at the remnants of the training session, appreciating the excuse.

"When do you finish?"

"Late," Kate replied cryptically.

"What time?"

"Nine, usually, but sometimes it goes later-"

"Great. You can come after."

"I really don't think-"

"I'll have V text you the details," Sarah continued, turning to leave before pausing. "She did get your number, right?"

"Uh, no."

"It's a wonder she ever gets a second date."

"Oh, no, it wasn't like that-"

"Relax, Kane. It was a joke. Are you always this uptight?"

Kate paused at this. She knew Sarah's question was rhetorical, but Kate realized how on the mark it was.

"Here, type it in," Sarah said, thrusting her phone into Kate's personal space. Kate obliged and Sarah offered a smirk of satisfaction before parting. "See you Tuesday."

"Again."

"How many times are we going to do this?" Sophie sighed, the familiar tinge of frustration eating at her patience.

"Again," Kate repeated without further explanation.

They'd been at it for nearly an hour, and after two weeks Sophie had yet to make any tangible progress. Every time she thought she was beginning to improve, she wound up on the mat again.

"Kate," she said, unable to hide her growing annoyance before trying to block Kate's attack. It lasted for all of two moves before it failed, and she again felt the mat catch her fall.

She let out another sigh of annoyance, lifting herself to her feet. Her patience was waning, and it was exacerbated by Kate stonewalling her.

"Again."

"This is teaching me nothing," Sophie tried explaining as she lifted her arms again. She saw Kate shift her weight to the left and raised an arm to deflect before she realized her error and saw Kate's weight slip to her right. A moment later she fell onto the mat with a groan of frustration.

She lifted herself quickly, raising her arms as Kate's stoicism remained fixed. She waited for Kate to make the first move and saw the same slight shift, this time to Kate's right. Instead of immediately reacting, she took a step back and watched Kate's weight shift forward. Sophie lifted an arm and deflected it before jumping to her right. She mimicked the process, waiting for a glimpse to appear before reacting. It worked two more times before she found staring up at Kate.

Her frustration grew as she climbed to her feet. It had been weeks of nothing but this indifferent version of Kate, and it was worse than she could have imagined. The lone hour they spent together each week had introduced a small glimmer of hope into Sophie's life. How she ended up in this predicament was of her own making, sure, but it also introduced a path toward a relationship with Kate. Or so she thought. Instead, week after week was met with the same cold, calculated interactions, and Sophie couldn't help but struggle to understand this version of Kate. Even on their worst days, the distance she felt from Kate had never reached this magnitude.

"Aga-"

"Kate," Sophie cut in. "Can we please just talk for a second?"

"That's not what you're here for."

"I know that, but… is this working for you? Is all of this… is it?"

Sophie couldn't identify the stare coming from Kate, but it sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine.

"I'm not here because any of this is working for me. I'm here because you fucked up and somehow we're both paying the price for it. This will start working for me when I don't have to spend another minute around you."

"Kate," Sophie said softly, stepping back in surprise. "You… I'm sorry."

"I am really sick of hearing your apologies, Sophie."

"And I'm really sick of seeing you build up walls because I hurt you. That isn't why I… that's never what I wanted, Ka-"

"No, you don't get to do this. You don't get to decide to say this to me," Kate interrupted. "Again."

"Hey."

Kate glanced to her left and saw Melvin had slipped into the seat next to her. She glanced to her right and behind her, as though contemplating punching her way through the wall or row of cadets to flee his company.

"I heard you were training with Sophie," he whispered over the lecture going on at the front of the room. Kate remained silent, staring diligently ahead. "I know it can't be easy, but I'm really glad you two are working it out."

Kate flinched at Melvin's words, and she turned to look at him, her face clad in confusion. "Sophie is the last person I'd work worth."

"But I thought-"

"I'm only doing it because Reyes is making me."

"Oh… I… I didn't-"

"Do you mind?" Kate interrupted, nodding toward the professor at the front of the class.

"Right… sorry."

Minutes passed, and Kate could sense every fidget from Melvin. Either he was nervous or eager to say something more. A moment later Kate found clarity: It was eager nervousness.

"Are we cool?" he whispered softly.

"Sure," Kate answered.

"Really, or are you just saying that?"

"Can we talk after this?" Kate asked, tearing her eyes from the front of the room.

"Yea, yea, of course."

The remainder of the lecture was spent in silence, but Kate noted the final five minutes were met with the same fidgeting as earlier. She couldn't help but smirk at Melvin's obvious discomfort.

When the professor had released the class, everyone got up and began filing out but Kate remained in her seat, and Melvin obliged by staying put in his own. They sat in silence for a few moments after the last cadet trickled out.

"I'm sorry about how last semester ended," Melvin began. "I didn't mean any of it, and honestly I wish I could take it all back."

"No you don't," Kate said. "You meant it at the time, and that's fine."

"Yea, but I don't want that to mess us up," Melvin said softly.

"You have a real way with words," Kate smirked, causing Melvin to relax slightly. "You were right though, even if I wasn't ready to hear it."

"Wait… what was that?" he asked, a small grin threatening the mood.

"I'm not saying it again."

"Here, let me get my phone out to record this."

"Melvin-"

"Just a second," Melvin continued, flipping through his phone. "Ok, go."

"You're an ass."

"Nope, that's not it. I think you were looking for three different words."

Kate sighed, shooting Melvin a mock glare of annoyance.

"You were right."

"Yessss," he called out.

"You never pressed the record button, by the way," Kate said, rising from her seat and climbing over her seat to the row behind them.

"Wait, what? Oh, no, no, no," Melvin groaned. "Say it again?"

"Not a chance," Kate smirked.

"Hey, wait up," he said, realizing Kate was making for the exit without him.

"Can't," she called back. "I'm already late."

"For what?" Melvin asked, shoving his notebook into his bag as he chased after her. "There aren't any classes scheduled."

"First years," Kate explained briefly.

"But it's Friday," Melvin said in surprise, half jogging to keep up with Kate's pace.

"Yea, and the poor kids have to spend it with me."

"You have these on Friday?" Melvin continued, perplexed by this.

"I have these every day," Kate replied with a sigh.

"Are you serious?"

"Except Sundays. Reyes graced me with that off."

"How nice of him… for how long?"

"No idea. The semester? Sorry, I've really gotta run."

"Oh, yea, sure," Melvin said quickly. "Hey wait, sorry, real quick."

"Yea?" Kate asked, pausing a few steps ahead of him.

"What are they paying you for this?"

Kate's head tilted to the side in confusion. "Funny."