The sound of Kaitlyn's footsteps echoed through the empty stairwell, their usually quiet volume magnifying to an uncomfortable degree in the silence. Wincing, she made a conscious effort to step a little more softly. It wasn't like she was trying to sneak up on anyone. But she knew from experience that everyone sitting near the stairwell doors would hear the noise. It felt a little rude not to try and be a bit quieter.

She rolled her neck, feeling at the tightness there. As much as she had gotten accustomed to work at Chella's, it still came with some negative side effects. The stress-induced knot was one of them. Luckily, her improved skills and the relatively routine nature of the work meant it was easier to stave it off nowadays. But delaying the discomfort was one thing, completely eliminating it another.

Guess I should be thankful that my body resets, after all. I can't imagine how bad it would get otherwise, especially after a few decades of this.

She reached her floor, eyes adjusting as she emerged into the common room's more brightly-lit space. Her hand fished in her pocket for keys as her dorm came into view. However, reaching out revealed that the room was already unlocked.

Huh. I'm kind of surprised she's not still out and about. I guess there are classes tomorrow, but still… well, not like I'm complaining.

Kaitlyn rolled her shoulders one final time, straightening before she stepped inside. The cozy atmosphere of her room greeted her, its fluffy furnishings, fairy lights, and familiar clutter welcoming her home. Her keyboard leaned against the far wall next to her desk, various pieces of cooking equipment neatly stacked nearby. Through the window, the night sky wrapped the campus in darkness, its expanse studded with pinpricks of glittering light.

Heather looked up at her arrival, face brightening immediately into a cheerful grin. "Omigosh, hi, Kate!"

"Hey, Heather." She closed the door, smiling at her roommate. "How've you been?"

"How've I been?" The blonde geared up for her usual barrage of conversation. "I'm fantastic! There's a Maze of Ills concert next weekend that I'm soooo excited for! Oh, I was meaning to ask, did you wanna come with? It's gonna be me and Brenda and Chelsea, some of the dance girls are going too—"

Kaitlyn waved her off, settling into her desk chair. "No, but thanks for the invite. Seriously. Hope you have fun."

She'd been to the concert enough times that it had kind of lost its magic. Not that it wasn't fun, of course. But she had plenty of other things that she could be doing with those few hours instead.

Not to mention that it feels a little weird to go when I'm on Ian's route.

"Omigosh, we totally will! Maze of Ills is my absolute favorite—"

The girl continued prattling on for a few minutes before a text caught her attention. The brief diversion left Kaitlyn to formulate her own thoughts. Heather wasn't the only one who's been meaning to ask her roommate something. And this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"Hey, Heather?"

"Hmm?" The girl looked up from her phone, her thumb continuing to swipe across the screen.

"I need your help on something."

"Of course!" The blonde straightened, shoving the phone back into her pocket. "What's up? You got some new ideas for the Kitchen?"

She shook her head. "No, not today. It's kinda related, though. I need your help with marketing for a friend. He's making a video game."

"A game?" Heather tilted her head to one side.

"Yeah," Kaitlyn steeled herself, calling the practiced words to her mind. "It's really good, and I think it can go places. Problem is, he's not good at getting the world out or doing the self-promotion stuff. So… I was wondering if you could help him advertise for it. Kind of like you do for Kate's Kitchen."

"Hmmm…" The blonde's stenciled eyebrows scrunched together in thought. "Those aren't really my thing, y'know? I mean, I know they're totally popular with some people, but…. I dunno if I'm the right gal for the job, y'know? Not that I couldn't do it—I mean, a lot of the marketing stuff just sorta carries over—buuuuut…"

Kaitlyn grimaced. She'd expected it, of course, since she'd never once heard Heather even talk about games in all these loops. But still, it seemed that she'd need to be a bit more convincing.

Stolen story; please report.

"You wouldn't have to do it alone," Kaitlyn quickly explained. "I can help. I'm a lot more into games, so I can give you more insights into what people like and look for there. And I've got some ideas of what we can do, too. But you've done incredible things with our business, and I think you can do the same here."

She was prepared to do this alone if need be. Ever since getting the go-ahead from Ian, she'd been looking into options and brainstorming ways to make his game as successful as they possibly could. At least, from a marketing perspective.

The efforts had rewarded her with more than a few ideas. For example, there were ways to make money before the thing had even launched. Her previous obsession with webnovels had shown her that writers often had a paid subscription option for people to access early chapters or extra unreleased content. She also knew that people were more than willing to buy a beta or even alpha version of a game if it seemed promising enough. So why not leverage that?

If he doesn't think game development is a real, viable career, then maybe this'll help him open his eyes.

Still, Kaitlyn knew better than anyone that having Heather onboard to actually enact those plans would be an incredible boost. As much as she'd learned from watching the girl, her biggest lesson was that advertising simply was not something that came naturally to her. And she certainly didn't feel like spending a half-dozen loops learning it.

Heather crossed her arms in front of her. "I get that, Kate, but… it's totally different, y'know? Cuz I'm not, like, nearly as interested in a game as I am in your food. Plus, I'm already soooo busy. Classes really haven't let up after midterms…"

Kaitlyn's lips pressed together. The situation didn't seem promising. She hadn't outright rejected the offer, though, which meant there was some room for negotiation.

At least, I hope there is. Because I have a few cards up my sleeve.

"I'm not asking you to do it for free, obviously." Kaitlyn met Heather's gaze steadily, watching for her reaction. "I can make it worth your while."

"Oh?" Crystal blue eyes lit up with interest and thinly-veiled greed. "How so?"

She suppressed a smile at the response. Maybe this would work, after all. "Well… I can up your share of Kate's Kitchen."

Promising some portion of the game's income was definitely overstepping. Even if she had talked to Ian about it, which she hadn't, the idea felt a little icky. Offering her own money, though? Well, it wasn't like she really needed it, anyway.

Plus, I feel like Ian would totally give up way too much of what he earns. Given his attitude so far, at least. Also because Heather would eat him alive in a negotiation.

"Hmmm… Tempting. Very tempting." Heather waggled her eyebrows. "How much are we talking here?"

She feigned a thoughtful expression. It had taken a bit of consideration to decide what a good offer would be. On one hand, this was a negotiation. On the other hand, she really wanted Heather on board. So why not go for broke?

What do I really have to lose?

"...I'll up it to 95% of all profits," she said, "if that works for you?"

Heather's eyes went wide at the suggestion, her mouth dropping open in surprise. Kaitlyn didn't blame her. With all of the progress they'd made, the business had started taking in quite a bit of cash. Between seasonings, desserts, and her weekly meal preps, Kate's Kitchen was earning more than her work at Chella's by a significant margin. It wasn't enough to make either of them rich, but for a college side hustle? It was pretty considerable.

"Kate, girl," Heather finally said. "That's, like, not how you negotiate, y'know? You're supposed to start low!"

She just shrugged. I would have offered 100% if I didn't think she'd refuse that. If I still have a stake, she might be more willing to accept the deal. And I REALLY want her on board.

Her roommate mulled the offer over. Kaitlyn could practically see her mind working, running the numbers as to just how much she'd stand to make and lose.

"...You like, really care about this, don't you?"

Kaitlyn nodded. "I do. Not just because it's a great game, either. I care about… well, I want to make sure this guy has the best chance at success that he can."

"Hmmm…" Heather leaned back, a thoughtful expression still on her face. "Dang. I wasn't kidding about being busy, Kate. This would totally screw up my plans. I'd have to, like, reschedule stuff, cut back on so much… ugh, especially when we get to finals? They're gonna kill me!"

She waited with bated breath as the girl wrestled with herself. All she could do was cross her fingers and hope the offer was good enough.

"...Honestly, Kate," Blonde curls bobbed and swung as the girl shook her head. "You're gonna work me to death, girl. But… how could I say no to an offer like that?"

Her heart soared. "You mean…?"

"Yup!" Heather winked at her and extended a hand. "I'm in. Though… don't suppose you can throw in a pan of fudge to seal the deal?"

This time, she didn't try to keep the grin off her face. "You drive a hard bargain. But I think I can manage that."

They shook hands and Heather began to wiggle with excitement. As they separated, the girl leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. Her fingers steepled together in a classic villain pose. "Awesome! Now, I gotta know what I'm working with. Tell me everything."

And so she did.