Lana chuckled, rolling her eyes. Instead of grinding the grains and wheat when she grew it, she had started just storing it in the containers provided. She didn't have enough prepared so she quickly made herself flour. Well, quicker than when she first started doing this, anyway.
"Okay, Blaine. Do you know how to make crust?"
He chuckled, "I barely know what a kitchen looks like much less the tools! Back… at that place…. Well, I just asked and it was brought to me. I want to learn. Please?"
She nodded, "In that case, come help me make flour."
The kitchen had a set of 3 mortar and pestle and she handed him one, poured some grain in and demonstrated in hers.
"Well, this is a pain. Is there a faster way?" Blaine asked.
"Well, yeah. They sell grain grinders both hand-cranked and automatic. I just can't afford one yet. So, we build our muscles."
They were working on the last bit anyway. Lana quickly made sure they had enough. They were making two pies and needed two crusts because the top would be a crumb topping. She measured the other things and put them in.
Lana handed Blaine a pastry cutter and demonstrated its use while she prepared the ingredients for the topping. She looked over and saw his hand movement and started laughing.
She scooted under his arm to be in front of him between his arms. She put her hand on top of his to guide him. She felt the energy behind her change and she whirled around and knew she wasn't imagining it. The other person had come forward.
"What's your name?" she whispered.
"Kyle." He smiled, "and you are Lana. I want to learn, too."
Lana's cheeks turned rosy and she nodded. She turned back around and continued guiding his hand. His energy was making her want to just wrap his arms around her rather than bake pies. Somehow, she got through the rest of the steps and he eventually got to experience the joy of using a rolling pin. Lana had to admit it was entertaining having him in her kitchen.
They got 2 pie tins ready then she told him to use the pastry cutter on the topping while she peeled apples. She was still peeling when he got done so he learned that was well. Soon the tins were filled with apples, heaping and the topping was on. They went in the oven and Kyle switched back to Blaine. Lana was annoyed.
"So, he came out to help then went away? Does he not want to talk?"
"Kyle is afraid you won't like him."
Lana chuckled, "he probably won't like me either…"
"He does like you, actually. A lot."
Lana raised an eyebrow, "but he doesn't want to talk to me?"
Blaine's face turned red, "you make him … well…" he cleared his throat. "He's afraid you'll feel uncomfortable. He can be intense."
Lana nodded accepting that answer and Blain breathed a sigh of relief.
They sat at the table talking about classes and before long the timer went off. She removed one pie, he removed the other complaining it was hot in there. She laughed.
Blaine started going through drawers looking for a knife.
"What are you doing?"
"We need aa knife, don't we?"
She chuckled, "we let it cool and we eat it tomorrow after school. We have PT in the morning, We need to get to bed."
Blaine looked at his watch and realized the curfew alarm was getting ready to go off. "See you at breakfast!" and he ran off to his room. The girls did their mediation and were out soon after.
PT was just as boring as the previous week. Lana did notice more effort from those she had in her session. What Lana was really concerned about was beast weapons class. She barely paid attention throughout the day until the fateful hour arrived and she found herself being marched right up to the door by Sergeant Barry Elder. She took a deep breath and followed her classmates into the hall.
The other classes had not arrived yet and she didn't even see them marching so she figured they had a minute or two before they arrived.
Chekof greeted her, "you ready?"
She nodded but he wasn't convinced. "He said you like that corner?'
She nodded again and he started walking that way and she followed.
"For right now, I'm going to throw punches at you and I just want you to defend. No ability still."
She nodded, "okay."
He started off slow and picked up speed gradually. He realized her speed was better than a normal human and wondered if it was her species or her ability. Or was what she called her ability just a species skill like he thought it was. He was almost convinced.
"Do you want to use a bit of your ability?"
Lana looked around and the class was in full swing now. "No."
Chekof raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
"Try to hit me."
She nodded and the roles were switched. "I'm sure if I hit you, ot wouldn't hurt you. You might be a better pick for this."
"Less talk."
She chuckled and picked up speed. She noticed she was sweaty. She realized PT may be worthless but this session was a workout for her.
Out the corner of her eyes, she saw the same guy that almost stumbled into her area last week randomly waving his sword around. He almost stabbed the person in front of him.
Lana threw a vine out and it wrapped around the offending individual. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" She shouted.
"What am I doing? I'm using my weapon. What are you doing?"
"I'm stopping you from stabbing our fellow student. You were this close!" She held out her finders just an inch apart.
"You're seeing things."
"Am I? Why were you waving your sword about like that? What technique requires you to do that?"
"I'm trying to activate my beast weapon. Something you can't do!"
By now, Sergeant Tanaka was there trying to settle the situation.
"You can't activate your weapon with a swish and flick. It's not a wand. It's a sword."
Thinking he was being cute, "you do it then if think you can do better!" He moved his had to move the sword her direction. His upper arm was wrapped so he still had a small bit of movement.
She didn't think it was so cute so she kicked the side of the sword hurting his wrist and the blade slapped against the side of his thigh.
"Sergeant Tanaka, please hold your sword up so I can touch the hilt, DON'T move."
He did as she said and she slowly inched forward with a trembling hand. She wanted to run but she knew she needed to do this. She needed to prove herself in some way. Lana felt Blaine's hand on her back and she was finally able to touch the sword. She activated it and it glowed brighter than when the teacher activated it. She quickly took her hand off the sword and stepped back.
She turned to the student, "it's not that I can't. It's that I can. Have you ever drawn the blood of another, cadet? Have you ever stood in a pool of red that resulted from hurting another? I know you haven't because if you did, you'd respect that weapon more. I could teach you how to activate it but you don't have the maturity required to use that thing."
"Perhaps I should put him up front?" Sergeant Tanaka suggested.
Lana shook her head. "This class is too big. I'll keep an eye on him."
"You need to get something out of this class as well."
Lana raised an eyebrow, "do I look like I'm not getting anything out of this class?"
He chuckled, "you have a point." He nodded and returned to the front. Blaine and the kid move to the corner slot and he took the spot to his left. He seemed to be taking swordsmanship more seriously but the sword didn't seem to fit right with him.
Class was almost over and the teacher told them to resume. He then went to talk to the doctor who was also there. Chekof could hear them and told Lana not to go so hard. He relayed what he was hearing.
Cogito: so she has protective instincts.
Tanaka: looks like it and it overrode her fear.
Cogito: I don't think that's a fair assessment. She new she could neutralize the threat. You said she's been fighting bullies, right? Do you think they were all unarmed?
Tanaka: Good point. Before you go there, Chekof said she want's to be able to be around the beast weapons her friends are wielding.
Cogito: I think I've seen enough. Offer her like a tutoring session sort of class so she can get martial arts. Maybe a few friends so they can work as a team.
Tanaka: okay.
"Damn, I'm not getting out of this."
Chekof chuckled, "You have talent."
Lana sighed, "that's beside the point. I need to study for my ability. I want to conduct research."
"And you want to spend time with Blaine." Chekof stated.
Lana blushed but didn't say anything. "Do you think I could have a future with him?"
"I think anything is possible."
Lana looked at his back and her expression softened. "I do wonder if the school is going to make any more moves against me. I feel like this is just starting but what's their end game?"
"We'll find out together. You are not alone in this.
While the two were speaking they didn't know Blaine had a super hearing ability active right now. He wanted to make sure she was safe. He heard every word she said. So did Kyle.
**********************************
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