A Cognate Thing-a sophitz story

forty four

The next two weeks were a familiar blur for Sophie. Her special sessions were really fun and broke up the monotony of studying all the time and what had become regular volunteer time in the tutoring center with Rina.

Oralie and Sophie discussed using her telepathy to visit the emotional center of someone's brain and then understand what was needed to elicit the emotional response she wanted. This is where Bronte took over and they discussed how to harness that emotion and inflict it. Unfortunately no one was willing to be the test subjects on Sophie’s new emotional inflicting and so that session had all been discussing the theory but was fun to spend time with Oralie and Bronte.

Councillor Liora had Sophie teleport her places and tried to figure out a way for Sophie to locate items that had been placed in the void, but the void was bigger than either of them had realized and in the end it didn't really make much sense for Sophie to retrieve items since you still needed to have a conjurer to know where whatever it was you wanted was in the void and they could just pull it out. It was still nice to visit with another Councillor and build a relationship that had nothing to do with tribunals or heroic events, just 2 people trying to figure out a puzzle of sorts.

Sophie and Fitz transmitted with each other almost daily with little stories about their day or how the other felt about something that had happened. It helped a little but they still missed seeing each other. It didn't help when they had tried to mindloop and Fitz still couldn't connect with Sophie’s subconscious. Sophie could tell that Fitz was growing more and more frustrated with with not being able to do it. She hoped that they would have a telepathy session together soon but this week she had her session with Orem Vacker.

Sophie was a little uneasy Thursday night at dinner when she decided she needed to talk to someone about things and what was going on.

“Can I be excused? I need to go see if I can talk to Biana about some school things.” Sophie said with a distant look in her eyes.

“Sure, just don't stay up too late.” Edaline answered, the look on her face was a dead giveaway that she was worried about Sophie but fortunately Sophie was lost in her own thoughts.

A few minutes later Sophie had settled on her bed and played out in her mind what she wanted to talk to Biana about, with one last breath for courage she hailed her.

“Hey Sophie, what's up?”

“Umm, I am wondering if I can talk to you about something with Fitz.”

Biana was surprised. Since Sophie and Fitz had officially started dating Sophie hadn't wanted to talk details. This was definitely a new development.

“Sure, what do you need to talk about?” Biana asked a little too eagerly.

“Well it's a lot of things. We talk telepathically but it's not the same and I miss him but I am worried that something is wrong. Remember when we switched Mr. Snuggles and Ella so we could mind loop?”

Sophie could see Biana nodding in agreement knowing it was ok to continue.

“Well we have tried it and I can do it but Fitz can't. I can tell something is off but I don’t know what it could be. Plus tomorrow I have my special session with Orem Vacker. I don't even get why I have that session, he is a flasher, it's about illusions. I just don't even understand.”

“Well I know nothing about telepathy but when I was trying to teach my mom about vanishing so the gnomes couldn't see us, there was just something that she couldn't let herself get past. Maybe Fitz is still hung up on you being a better telepath than he is. Before you came here he was it.”

“It?”

“Like Mr. Popular, he was the coolest kid and did well in everything. I mean Dex calls him Wonderboy for a reason. Maybe your head is still stronger than his or maybe he is just hung up on something else. . .like being replaced.”

“Replaced?”

“Seriously Sophie, who is the star student? Who is the one getting all these special sessions? Who is the one that changed our whole world? He used to get all the attention and now it's you.”

“You really think that's it? What about the Orem Vacker thing? Any insight there?”

“It must be something that the council wants or maybe it will be something really cool. I don't know why you are worried you are ‘the Sophie Foster’ you can take on anything. But can I ask you something?

A look of panic swept over Sophie’s face.

“No it's nothing about what we have talked about already. I'm just wondering you've done your midterms, have you thought about getting your matchmaking packet?”

“Honestly, a little.”

Biana stared at Sophie’s face coming through her imparter. This was not what she had thought the answer would be.

“Well Grady and I were talking about it and he made some very good points but I don't know. I still don't know how to feel about everything. I mean what if it destroys everything Fitz and I have worked for with our cognate bond, I mean there are so many things that could go wrong.”

“But there are so many things that could go right, you are officially together now and you know you both like each other. I mean I know other things are still years away, but it would be so much fun if things do work out.”

Biana's words jerked Sophie to a new reality. What would happen it she and Fitz didn't work out?

Author note: I know updates were coming a lot faster in April-June but summer is keeping me really busy so they may be once a week for awhile. Enjoy!