S5.158 - Leading Coefficients

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"So! We finished early," QT remarked. Kneeling on the floor of the medical bay, the quartic slowly turned her attention from the gelpack on the floor to ParaB, currently sitting on her haunches.

"Yeah," ParaB affirmed. "We make a good team. First Quadcorder, now gelpacks..." Her voice trailed off as their eyes locked.

The catgirl began to figit with her fingers. "We shouldn't celebrate the way we did last time."

"O-Oh? Then you didn't like it," ParaB said, mixed feelings flashing across her face.

"No! Not that!" QT countered quickly, waving her hands in front of her. "It's just... I don't think I'm bi. Only biquadratic. So you're simply a substitute for Para, and I shouldn't lead you on further, it would be cruel."

"Oh, but I don't mind! Uh, that is..." ParaB's expression started to look pained, then her gaze dropped to the floor. "Look, QT... I have to level with you too. Before we ended up here, Circe was on me about trying to get closer to you polynomials. Hoping you'd let your guard down around me." She began to bring her gaze back up. "So... maybe I'm only leading you on too."

The quartic function stared back for several long seconds. "Why would you tell me that?" she whispered at last.

"I... I don't even know. In all honesty, I'd forgotten about what Circe said until your ladder incident. Yet now I keep remembering it. In fact, I've also been feeling increasingly depressed of late; I'm not sure why. I wonder if it's because part of me thinks conic subterfuge would be my only motivation for spending time with you."

QT licked her lips. "As opposed to...?"

ParaB shrugged.  "To... the soft curves of a polynomial?"

QT smiled.  "Conversely, I'd say there's something to be said for the focus of a conic."

"Ha! Could you love my focus the same way you love Para's roots?" ParaB joked. At least, she was pretty sure she was joking.

"I don't know," QT said, answering in all seriousness.  She found she was leaning in closer to ParaB as they spoke, causing the bunny girl to behave in the same way. "But we're agreed we should stop, yeah? I mean, if we're just using each other, and the others are getting suspicious, and our very pairing is contraversial... we should stop this.  Maybe."

INTERSECTION OF PARABOLA AND QUARTIC?

"Maybe. Or maybe you just need to stop talking," ParaB recommended, reaching out to glide her fingers down the side of QT's face.

"Or else what?" QT murmured, her eyes having drifted closed.

"Or else... Mmm, I'll make you stop..."

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