Frenchy sighed and crossed her arms, her gaze breaking from his, a rare occurrence. She couldn't look him the eyes.
"Aunt Penelope...she can be well...you know...the thing is, she's always been this way, ever since I was a child. Maybe that's why I don't really notice it but I know she's not well. I'm not making any excuses for her but from what my mom and Aunty Madeline told me, she was never good with interacting with others and then something happened...I guess its just how she tries to be...friendly. I guess I just...I'm sorry, I think you should talk to Aunty Madeline about this. She'd be able to do more than I can. I...I have to go actually," she said, standing up and placing her hand on her arm, "Talk to Aunty Penelope or Aunty Madeline about it...trust me, It'll be ok. Thanks for...um...telling me."

Briskly, Frenchy left the room.

Running his hand through his hair, Nil sighs. "Thanks anyways," he says to the empty room. Checking the time, he heads to prepare for Kendo, changing into his uniform. He enters the room, doing some warm-up exercises. This was going to be a long practice. He figured he'd have to talk to Ms. K about it if she were there, and it wasn't a talk he was looking forward to. Especially since he still needed to ask her for further training in the Kendo katas that utilized two weapons.

"Hmmm think you'll want to stick with coffee this time because I'm not going to be making cookies." He opened the door to let her in and followed after. He pulled up a chair by his station for her to sit on and prepped the coffee. "It'll ring when it's ready, so help yourself."

He liked handwhisking over using the machine. It was occupied anyways, mixing the dough. Folding diligently but carefully as not to overwhip, he made sure the cream was light and fluffy. He slid his finger along the rim, scooping up some of the sweet cream that he was going to glaze over the finished buns. He took a lick and mulled it over for a moment "... Perfect." He took a small tasting spoon and scraped some on and handed it to Chi. "Here, you think it's too sweet?"

Satisfied, he swapped to making the cinammon bun's filling. Nathaniel mixed sugar and cinammon and once the dough was ready, he covered it with wrap and set it aside to raise. With the slight lull, he pulled up another chair and sat down next to Chi, helping himself to a cup of coffee. "So I know you can hear really well, but how's your smelling? You think you can guess what I'm making?" She would be able to smell the sharp scent of cinammon over the smell of coffee.

While waiting for her coffee, and Nathan to be done, Chi was browsing through the shelves. Mostly out of curiosity and boredom, she was taking out various bags and cans with different spices, letting Aiko read the label first, and then opening and smelling it. Eventually, she put a can, with vanilla canes on the table, next to the cinnamon bag, that Nathan was using. At the end, when the coffee was ready, she added a lot of milk to her cup, a pinch of cinnamon, followed by some sugar, and grated vanilla. She sat back on her chair, and enjoyed the hot beverage. Asked a question she sniffed twice, for show.

"Well, you sure used a lot of cinnamon, but you don't need my nose to smell that..." Chi tapped her nose and smiled. "...Also sweet cream, that you gave me to try earlier... Im betting on cinnamon rolls, or my name is not Detective Chamaine." She chuckled and took another sip from the cup. "Here, you should try it, it's better that way." She extended her hand, holding a mug, in Nathan's direction.

As Ms. K led the club through Kendo practice, she appeared to be distracted, focused on something else.
"Ok, time for Ji-Geiko, everyone find a sparring partner and sit in line."
Despite starting the sparring practice, she didn't appear to be paying attention at all.

Nil stands before her. "I'll be your partner, Ms. K. I'm pres after all."

With a scowl on her face, Ms. K looked at him for moment, sighed and then picked up a spare shinai from the wall.
"This wasn't what I meant Nil, but if it's what you want fine."
"Ooooh," rang out voices from other members, "This I'll be good."

Without any armor or even changing out of her normal clothes, she walked to the center mat with the shinai resting on her shoulders.
"Go ahead whenever your ready, Pres."

Nathaniel took the mug and took a sip. He laughed. "You seem to use coffee just like you used the vanilla, as a flavoring agent. You added a lot of milk. A good amount of cinammon though. Not overpowering in smell or taste, but you can still taste it and it mixes well with the smell of coffee." He gave the mug back and in his own cup added some peppermint and a little of the glaze. He took a swig and added a dash of vanilla before offering it to Chi. "Try this. More robust because I didn't add milk but pretty sweet."

He went to the counter and pulled out the now fluffed up dough. He quickly beat it and rolled it out, cutting it into sections that he generously seasoned with the cinammon and sugar. He rolled them up and polished them with butter before settling them on a nonstick baking pan and placing them into the oven. He quickly cleaned up his cooking station before putting new dough he had set aside onto the table. He kneaded and rolled them out, cutting the dough into squares until he had four which he seasoned with some italian dressing and olive oil. Halfway through the baking of the buns, he added the rolls. Now he had to wait for them to bake and he sat back down. "So what did you think of the coffee?"

"Alright," he says. "But it would've been unfair of me to take on any of the others, since there's an odd number of us and I've got the most experience. That's why I want to set up a little wager. If I manage to land a hit by the end of today's meet, then I want you to teach me the tenth kata, Kodachi no sabonme. And I want you to teach me it in the style of nito ryu." Though he says this, she can likely see that there is more than just that on his mind.

"Y-hm." Chi answered and nodded, even before she took away the mug from her mouth. "Ok, this is actually better..." She took one more sip, and then placed the cup back on the table. "Welp, looks like im not going to best you in your element, why am I even trying?"

She leaned back on her chair, put her hands behind her head, and sniffed the air, smelling the pastries that were still in the oven. "Aaah, this is a torture...Why did you had to make them smell so good?" She finally felt relaxed, at least for a moment forgetting about these troublesome thoughts, that were haunting her for past few days. Then it came back to her again. Not with so much of an impact as usually, but still...

She cleared her thought, and put one of her hands back on the table casually, yet rhythmically, tapping the surface with her fingernail. For some it may have looked like a simple sign of boredom, while for her, and Aiko it was a message.

"Anyone around?"

"Not really, not too close at least." Aiko rattled back immediately, right after he looked to the sides.

"Um...Nathan..." Chi lowered her voice a little, and leaned slightly forward. "...Did it hurt for long after you...you know...back there...Just...be honest with me." Although He might not get it at first, she was referencing the battle with the Fire Lady.

"A wager is it?" a devious smile appeared on Ms. K's face and for a moment she resembled her sister. She looked a lot more excited however.
Holding her blade down to the ground with one hand, she held her other hand at and gave Nil the universal sign for "bring it".

"Hey Lyora," started Frenchy, "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Hm? Oh... that..." Nathaniel checked his watch, still a while until he had to take the buns out of the oven. He sat down, pouring himself a new cup of coffee. He didn't put anything in it, rather deciding on just drinking it black and strong. "Don't really think this is something we should talk about." He scratched the back of his head but the look on Chi's face showed that she wanted to know. He sighed and began.

"At first? Yea hurt a lot, it did a real number to my chest. I couldn't breath and it was a struggle to even lay down. But over time, what was worse than the pain, was the lack of it. Over time I just started not feeling it anymore. It started at my fingers and toes, then crawled up my arms and legs. A bone-numbing chill that just seeped in and settled, stiffening my muscles and nerves. It was a haunting experience, a nightmare as you realize that it's not that there was no more pain, it was that you weren't alive enough to feel that pain. It was still a labor to breath and lay there, but the pain that came with trying to force air into my lungs, the pain of my ribs digging around my chest, was all gone. I was fading and was almost gone if it weren't for you guys."

He drank his coffee and placed the mug down, then wrapping Chi in a hug. "Thank you Chi, from saving me from that Hell." He held her close until he felt tears begin forming. He drew back and rubbed them away furiously. "I preferred being devirtualized. It hurt just as much, but didn't last even a hundredth as long. Just bam! And I was back here. There was some residue pain, but at least the pain made me know I was alive instead of that feeling of drowning and the cold." He poured himself another mug. "Why are you suddenly curious? A pretty depressing topic when we're getting ready to eat cinnamon buns."

Nil takes a deep breath, and focusing on the tip of her shinai, moves in. He keeps his blade lowered, planning to use it to parry her weapon away and move in to lock her arms and score a hit. It would be a good tactic, though, he doubted it'd work on somebody like her.

In a flash, Ms. K took two step to the right and then followed through, sliding her shinai under his. Before he could react, she stepped in close simultaneously raising his own sword above his own head and slightly back sending him completely off balance. Pulling back, she struck again in an instant striking him on his shoulder.

"Kiai!"
***
"Wait...what? Do I...no no! Frenchy, what are you?!"

Flustered, Lyora slammed her notebook close and tried to regain her composure.

"Honestly Lyora, you know what I'm talking about."

Nil grunts, then retakes his stance. Though there was little chance of him landing a strike, he was determined to do so. He goes for a thrust as a feint, waiting for her parry to counter-parry, and move in to slice her across the chest.