[The military never prepared him for this. Scratch that, nothing in life had prepared him for this - the idle smalltalk, the burning questions about his past, and even the suits that had become his everyday wardrobe. All good lies were rooted in the truth (or so Senel had heard), so he stuck to the truth wherever possible: he was still an Alliance Marine; he and Chloe had been close friends before he proposed to her; and he made the best melon bread in town. Tonight, he just hopes that he can smile and nod long enough to please their visitors, because he doesn't want their hard work to be in vain.

As she wanders over, he gazes down at her hands and attempts to memorize her careful motions. He's almost certain the heat's rising to his cheeks, mostly from her touch, and yet, he can't bring himself to protest. Technically, she's doing him a favor this time.] Th-thanks.

[Boring? The talks weren't... okay, the neighbors led boring lives. Senel's annoyance must've been more obvious than he let on, but he couldn't help it. At least with baking, the different types of flour had texture that made all the difference!]

I'm okay. Seriously, I can listen to your neighbor whine about gardenias if it means you'll still be a knight.