Academy Beta: Meian and Amaya (R, DE)

[Zeich Yajuu]

Quest Name:[/b] Academy Years – Meian and Amaya

Who can participate?:[/b] Meian Nakazawa and Amaya Azarola

Quest Time Frame (How long it takes):[/b] Takes place over five years at the Academy.

Quest Setting (NDE/DE):[/b] DE

Quest Synopsis:[/b]

This is the Academy thread for both Meian and Amaya, who are new students attempting to make their way through the Academy. They will be faced with five years of hard coursework, practical exams, and temptations galore to distract them from their studies as they attempt to become Shinigami. There are many trials to face, many obstacles and challenges, not to mention several teachers that are so fearsome that it’s almost preferable to face Hollows. But, if they should somehow survive all five years, the two students will graduate to become Shinigami of their chosen squads.

Maximum Number of Participants:[/b] Two

Overall Goal:[/b] Graduate from the Academy.

Number of missions involved:[/b] 7

BASIC Synopsis of each Quest mission:[/b]

1. The first day of the Academy; friends are made, cliques are formed, and first impressions are given to all who meet. Teachers are introduced, classes begin, and studies are undertaken. The first day is always the biggest step towards the rest; do the two students have what it takes to last it out? Easy Difficulty.

2. This is the first of the intermediate exams, in which students are expected to show their progress thus far in combat. Students are paired against one another and their progress is gauged based on their expertise as the two fight. One, both, or even neither can pass should they not perform to standards, but with determination and hard work, they may be able to pass this exam. Easy-Medium Difficulty.

3. This is the second of the intermediate exams, in which students are required to show their performance in the art of spiritual combat. This can come in many forms, depending on the student; whether it is practice in the most basic of Kido, attempts to demonstrate basic healing techniques, or even to reveal the level of communion with Zanpaktou for those who are more physically inclined, progress is once more gauged to determine if the student is fit to pass the class. Easy-Medium Difficulty.

4. This is the last of the intermediate exams, in which students are required to show their progress in their movement abilities, as well as stealth and survival capabilities. This is done through an overnight trip through a survival course created just for this test; though there is no danger from Hollows and the like, several traps and obstacles have been placed to slow or hinder the students. Should they make it to the end without giving up or losing enough points through poor performance, then the students will pass. There are many factors to this test, so be warned! Easy-Medium Difficulty.

5. The second part of the finals, this is when the students first head to the World of the Living, to a specialized area in which Hollows have been corralled and trapped. The first part of this exam is a simple exercise in which the entire group of students is put up against a single weak Hollow. This is not done unsupervised; medics and higher-level Shinigami are on standby in case something goes wrong, so as to prevent fatal injuries. This battle is simply a brawl and a determinant of one’s ability to fight in the face of such a monster; teamwork and the like is not necessary. This is a harshly graded exam, and the pass rate is roughly 65%. Medium Difficulty.

Updated to match current quest progress.
Students are split into small groups with a single proctor, and from there they are led into a forest near the Rukongai where Hollows have been known to lurk. From there they are expected to find their way to a shrine while making their way through the Hollows, escorted by their proctor for only a single day before being force to go it alone. Many students die during this exam due to ill preparation and the inability to work together. Medium Difficulty.

6. After the Hollow fight, students are split into groups of three with an actual Shinigami leading them, and they are escorted to various places within the containment area. From there, they are given a general location in which they must arrive, and grades are based on the time one’s team takes to arrive as well as their actions taken in the process to foster their teamwork. This will generally take at least one day and one night. Hollows still roam the area, and should they attack, groups are required to use teamwork to defeat them. As the Hollows are weak, even three students should be able to defeat them, should they work together and think strategically. The Shinigami is there in case of emergencies, as well as to grade progress. Medium Difficulty.

Updated to match quest progress.
Students are now placed within the shrine, where they are faced off against a much stronger Hollow, one that is supposedly above their ability to defeat. It is, however, a specially cultivated one whose goal is merely to defend an object within the shrine, and it is the students' task to retrieve said item without getting themselves killed. Be warned that this Hollow, while cultivated for the exam, is still deadly; death occurs at a fair rate. Medium Difficulty.

7. Something has gone wrong; the Shinigami escorts have gone to investigate, leaving the students in a supposed safe house to wait out the issue. However, a Hollow has broken in, and the students are on their own, forced to face a creature more powerful than the others they had come across previously. Will they be able to hold out until help arrives, or will they be consumed? This part is about survival and teamwork, and probably won’t be winnable without extreme difficulty! Medium-Hard Difficulty.

Recommended Class for entry:[/b] 8

Special Conditions:[/b] Note; this thread has a posting time limit. As the GM, I will post no later than one week after my previous post, and if a post is not in by then without an understandable excuse, then it will count as a demarcation and affect your final rewards. Naturally, if posts come faster, so will the GM posts. This is to keep the thread from going too long.

[Zeich Yajuu]

It was the first day at the Shino Academy for the newest batch of first-year students; leaving their parents or standing alone for those who were loners, orphans, or simply without anyone to see them off, the new students were almost like children despite their age and the time they had lived within the Rukongai or among the noble families. Everyone there was nervous, anxious in their own way, as they were entering a prestigious Academy to become defenders of the human realm: Shinigami. Shinigami were in high demand right now, and it was a daunting role, considering what had happened lately; there were invasions, with many dead, and wars that had gone on between the many factions. Hollows were no longer the only worry that the Shinigami faced, yet those who stood here were still determined to do their part, to become a warrior to defend the world of both humans and spirits.

The students were gathered together in a large auditorium, comprised of numerous seats arranged in ascending tiers around the central podium, like a semi-circular amphitheatre. At the podium stood a man that, judging by his uniform, was one of the teachers at the Academy. As the students shuffled in and took their seats, the man cleared his throat and tapped at the microphone several times, attempting to get everyone’s attention. When the noise finally settled down, the teacher began to speak. “Greetings students, and welcome to the opening ceremonies of the Shino Academy! My name is Ichiyusai Meiji, and I am in charge of the Kendo classes for the Academy. Our director was unfortunately busy today, and so he asked me to give the opening speech and welcome all of you to our humble facilty.”

“All of you gathered here today have come to this Academy for the same purpose: to learn to become Shinigami. You have come together in order to become protectors, healers, guardians against those who would threaten the balance of the spiritual and material realms. You are here to stand strong against many threats that would harm innocents in both the human and spiritual realms. You are here to become strong, and in becoming strong, serve as a sentinel against darkness. You are here to become Shinigami.” Meiji leaned forward as he spoke, his eyes slowly moving across the room, capturing each individual in his gaze, making them feel important, making the speech feel personal, like it was directed at each person by themselves. It was almost mesmerizing.

“Today you have made the first step to becoming Shinigami; you have started yourself down a long and arduous road. This will be a difficult time for many of you; we expect much of our upcoming Shinigami, and we can be strict, but that is only because we require the best, the bravest, the strongest; we cannot allow weakness within the Shinigami ranks.” Many of the students would frown at this, as if they were being talked down to, told they may not be enough. “But that is our purpose, here in the Academy; we are to serve as the crucible to mold you into those fine Shinigami. With us, you will learn combat, history, survival, ethics, courage, and honor; you will be broken only to be rebuilt as better people in body and in spirit. Each of you will be tested, and through our efforts, we will do our best to see each and every one of you succeed to become true Shinigami, to become true guardians of the two worlds.”

“And with that, students, let me welcome you into the ranks of those who would reach for the goal of becoming Shinigami. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors, and I look forward to teaching each of you as you come to learn the art of swordsmanship in my classroom. Dismissed!” With that, Meiji was greeted with a round of applause, and he smiled at the students as they stood and headed out the door, speaking to the few that came up to the stage to talk with him personally. The rest all shuffled out into the main courtyard of the Academy, chatting among one another and slowly starting to branch off. First impressions were made, and friends got to know one another; now was the best time for students to meet and become close, form their groups that would get them through the Academy.

(OOC: Posting Order will be loose in this thread unless otherwise specified. First Come, First Post.)

[Deleted]

((Amaya thinks in orangered and talks in yellow.))

Music!

It was finally time for that glorious first day at Shino Academy. Amaya was wearing a simple outfit on this day: just a plain white tank top and a short black skirt. The outfit was attractive in its simplicity. The tight-fitting fabric of the top highlighted Amaya’s chest. Equally enticing was the fact that it was cut just low enough to offer a small eyeful of the prize beneath. Possibly more enticing to some was the skirt. It was short enough that, frankly, Amaya looked a little slutty in it. Unfortunately for any eager perverts, the garment was also fitted well enough that it wouldn’t blow up in the breeze.

The body beneath this outfit was a rather interesting one. This particular specimen stands only five feet and two inches tall; calling her short is perfectly fair game. Her body is well proportioned with curves in all the right places. Both her curves are modest by comparison to some of the more ridiculous spirits out there, but they still look quite large considering this girl only weighs 135. Amaya’s raven hair falls down to just below her hips. Often times her bangs obscure part of her face, hiding one of her yellow cat-like eyes from view. Easily the most intriguing part of Amaya’s body is the part that isn’t human. On top of her head sits a pair of fox ears that match her hair. From the top of her hips, a single snow-white fox tail pokes out of a carefully cut hole in the back of her skirt. The tail reaches to halfway down her calves, but the puffy fur makes it look a bit larger than it really is.

Dressed thusly, Amaya had made her way to Shino Academy. After a bit of searching she found her way to the auditorium. She took a seat, but the auditorium was still rather empty when she got there. Apparently she had arrived early. Damn, what a waste of time. Oh well, at least this means I have time to check out all the boys coming in! There were some rather cute boys in that filtered in. In the long run, this meant that Yoko would probably end up running late to class because she was too busy failing at flirting… but for right now it just meant Yay eye candy!

Unfortunately, checking out the eye candy only got to last for a while. A speaker eventually made his way up to the podium. Amaya ignored him almost completely. As soon as she realized it was a generic welcoming speech kinda thing, she just tuned him out. Her mind was more about which boy she should ask out first. There were so many to choose from… it’s a shame she’d only be here five years. As the speech lingered on, she did catch a few details. She caught that the man speaking was an instructor, and she caught that they were dismissed. Everything else was filed under “not as important as boys.”

Before leaving the auditorium Amaya mentally went over her schedule. On her first day, she had Kido, travel, spirit communications, history, speed, reiatsu focus, and then Kendo. Tomorrow swapped out speed and reiatsu focus for boxing and kick boxing. It was going to be a busy first day, so she began to head off towards the classrooms. She stopped when she caught sight of another student. Though she didn’t know it yet, his name was Meian. Unlike most boys that made Amaya stop in her tracks, this one wasn’t because of the good looks. He just looked… interesting. The girl caught up with the other Shinigami hopeful and offered a greeting as they slowly filtered out of the room. “Hiya. I’m Amaya. Who’re you?”

Crap. I rhymed. He probably thinks I'm lame now.

SPOILER: Click to show

• [Battle: Hakuda] {1}
  
  
• [Battle: Other: Kido] {1}
  
  
• [Battle: Battle Analysis {1}
  
  
• [Utility: Charisma/Leadership {1}
  
  
• [Body: Mental Incantation] {1}
  

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [50(25)] Points

Speed - [80] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [40] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [80] Points

Light Aura - [100] Points

Dark Aura - [0] Points

Instinct - [100(50)] Points

Senses [50] Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [Insert Number Here] Points

[Nakazawa Meian]

After having waited for what seemed to be eternity, Meian was finally going to enter the Shino Academy. Since he had managed to leave his previous life behind by simulating his own death, this felt like a new beginning for him. Moreover, he would soon be granted with the opportunity to fight for what he believed to truly be peace, justice and balance. Who wouldn’t be thankful of that? For the first time of his life, he would aim for a goal, he would follow a purpose, and he would protect his beliefs. Although Meian was clearly stressful about his first day at school, probably even more than a casual student, a sense of satisfaction came with it and combined to create a strange feeling in Meian’s heart.

When he departed for the academy, Meian was wearing his academy uniform along with his usual leather harness and a bokuto attached to his waist. He had also made sure that he would have enough of his vocabulary sheets for the day, since he would need them if he wanted to discuss freely with someone. His trip started from an inn in the 1st District of North Rukongai, where he had rented a room to prevent encountering a past acquaintance, who were all located in West Rukongai. It was a long way up to the academy, but Meian had plenty of time since he took off early. As a result, he arrived ahead of time and got to the auditorium, where there were already many persons, though it wasn’t full yet.

Since he arrived earlier than expected, Meian took the time to watch those who came in the room and those already there. He saw many different persons, some who seemed to be of a noble bloodline, others who looked like studious learners, but only one person managed to attract his attention above anyone else; a girl with the ears and the tail of a fox. In his entire lifespan of more than four hundred years, Meian never even heard of stories about someone with animal parts, and needless to say that he was curious about it. I’ll have to talk to her later… However, now wasn’t the time for that, since the students were already all gathered in the auditorium and a man, looking like a teacher, was heading to the front of the room.

After managing to obtain most students attention, the instructor started speaking and began his speech. Meian listened thoroughly. ”Greetings students, and welcome to the opening ceremonies of the Shino Academy! My name is Ichiyusai Meiji, and I am in charge of the Kendo classes for the Academy. Our director was unfortunately busy today, and so he asked me to give the opening speech and welcome all of you to our humble facility. All of you gathered here today have come to this Academy for the same purpose: to learn to become Shinigami. You have come together in order to become protectors, healers, guardians against those who would threaten the balance of the spiritual and material realms. You are here to stand strong against many threats that would harm innocents in both the human and spiritual realms. You are here to become strong, and in becoming strong, serve as a sentinel against darkness. You are here to become Shinigami.”

This man, who introduced himself as Ichiyusai Meiji, showed through his speech that he had quite an accurate idea of why Meian wanted to become a Shinigami. It was both a wish to defend the balance of each world and a desire to save the defenceless that led him to become a Shinigami. The gaze that Meiji gave to every student through his speech further increased the feeling that he could understand Meian’s goal perfectly, which led Meian to believe the Kendo class would probably be his most interesting class of the year. After all, how could such a man give boring classes?

As he kept watching the crowd of students, Meiji spoke again. ”Today you have made the first step to becoming Shinigami; you have started yourself down a long and arduous road. This will be a difficult time for many of you; we expect much of our upcoming Shinigami, and we can be strict, but that is only because we require the best, the bravest, the strongest; we cannot allow weakness within the Shinigami ranks.” His words seemed to cause some reactions among the students, but Meian wasn’t part of those; he already knew that he would need to work hard if he wanted to reach the ranks of the Shinigami. ”But that is our purpose, here in the Academy; we are to serve as the crucible to mold you into those fine Shinigami. With us, you will learn combat, history, survival, ethics, courage, and honor; you will be broken only to be rebuilt as better people in body and in spirit. Each of you will be tested, and through our efforts, we will do our best to see each and every one of you succeed to become true Shinigami, to become true guardians of the two worlds.”

”And with that, students, let me welcome you into the ranks of those who would reach for the goal of becoming Shinigami. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors, and I look forward to teaching each of you as you come to learn the art of swordsmanship in my classroom. Dismissed!” As his speech concluded, the students applauded him, which Meian joined as a sign of respect for everything he said. Meian then got toward the room’s door, taking out his schedule and his map on his way to know where he would need to head now, until he remembered about the strange girl he saw before the speech. Where is she now? Before he could find the answer by himself, however, the “answer” came to speak to him. ”Hiya. I’m Amaya. Who’re you?”

As he turned around, Meian saw the same girl as before, with the white tail and the ears of a fox, but now that he was closer, he also noticed her unusual-looking eyes. The fact that she came to him, and not the opposite, slightly surprised Meian, but he quickly recovered his mind. ”I am Nakazawa Meian, a pleasure to meet you.” As he introduced himself, Meian calmly smiled to her and took a relaxed stance with his shoulders low, giving a feeling of simplicity. I’m curious about how she got her ears and tail… ”You seem to be an… unusual person.” Meian said, pointing toward her fox ears. ”I never even heard about someone like you. Care to explain me how you got those? Or did you get them directly from birth?”

SPOILER: Click to show

Year 1 Schedule

1- Travel 1-2 SP
2- Kendo 1-2 SP (Transfer to SPR as soon as possible)
3- Speed
4- History 1-2
5- Reiatsu Focus
6- Spirit Communication 1-2 SP
7- Kido 1-2 SP (Transfer to SPR as soon as possible)
Same for all days

SPOILER: Click to show

Abilities

[/i][/center]

• Iaijutsu Level 1
  
  
• Battle Analysis Level 1
  
  
• Hoho Level 1
  
  
• Stealth Level 1
  
  
• Survival Level 1
  
  
• Kido Level 1
  

--------------------

Strength – (70 x 0,5) = 35 Points

Speed – (60 x 2) = 120 Points

Spiritual Pressure – 20 Points

Reiatsu Strength – (30 x 2) = 60 Points

Light Aura – 60 Points

Dark Aura – 40 Points

Instinct – 60 Points

Senses – (40 x 0,85) = 34 Points

Energy Sensory – 0 Points

Healing Expertise – 0 Points


Total SP: 280 Points[/spoiler]

SPOILER: Click to show

“Nakazawa Meian talk in Darkgoldenrod”

Nakazawa Meian think in Slateblue

[Deleted]

First music

”I am Nakazawa Meian, a pleasure to meet you.” Well, Meian certainly seemed nice enough to start off. As soon as Amaya talked to him he appeared more relaxed. Unfortunately, the feeling wasn’t mutual for long. In an instant Meian hit one of the sore spots with Amaya. He asked about her kitsune appendages right off the bat. Amaya’s face quickly began to flush. Meian likely had no clue just how taboo of a topic that was with the girl in front of him. Half-muttering, Amaya responded, “What’s it matter? You’re not going to make fun of me for them like everyone else, are you?” The poor girl had been there for only an hour and she was already finding that Shino Academy wasn’t the dream she had imagined.

That single question had brought back a surge of painful memories. Amaya was always different. From the time she was born she’d been cursed with her fox ears and tails. At first she looked human enough, but then people would notice. They called her many mean names, though they never did go as far as to hit her. In such a traditional society it was a near miracle that she wasn’t simply assumed to be a demonspawn and slain her. Over the years Amaya had racked up names such as “fox-bitch” and “animal.” Kids weren’t exactly nice about this stuff. She had been completely ostracized from any socialization with her peers growing up. Most of what she knew about manners came from watching people from a distance. The pain of that childhood had come surging back with only a single honest question.

Switch to this track now

After a moment lost in these dreadful memories the young girl snapped back into reality. She still needed to be polite, despite her feelings being stirred up. That was her nature. The flush drained from her face slightly as she defaulted back into a more neutral state of mind. “Sorry, about that… I’ve had them as long as I can remember,” she continued without a hint of muttering. “I don’t know how I ended up like this. My mom died giving birth to me and I never knew my dad… so I really don’t know what to tell you. Either way, we shouldn’t dilly-dally too much. I’m in travel first up. What about you?”

Amaya would of course learn that Meian had the same starting class as her. Together, they headed out towards the location of the class. The girl darted ahead of Meian slightly. She did this mostly to hide her still slightly reddened face, but that much wouldn’t be obvious. Her voice carried nothing but a friendly tone as she called out behind her, “This way Meian. It’s upstairs!” Even with her less than optimal mood something about the way Amaya spoke was enticing. She had a natural talent for being a socialite, but people’s reactions to her body meant that talent didn’t get to be used often. Those who knew her heritage would of course see her father shining through in this way. He had been notoriously charismatic after all.

With Amaya’s quick pace it only took the pair a couple minutes to reach their classroom. It was a fairly large room, easily big enough to accommodate at least a hundred students. The space was arranged like a classic Greek auditorium aside from the addition of desks and chairs. It was shaped into a 120 degree arc. Each level rose a few feet higher than the last. Aisles gently sloped down towards the front of the room where the professor was waiting for them. Amaya chose a seat in the back of the room. She wasn’t planning on being a slacker… but this spot totally meant she could keep checking guys out if she got bored during the lecture.

SPOILER: Click to show

Totally altered this to make Z's life easier.

A Days

1- Travel 1-2 SP
2- Kendo 1-2 SP (Transfer to SPR as soon as possible)
3- Speed
4- History 1-2
5- Reiatsu Focus
6- Spirit Communication 1-2 SP
7- Kido 1-2 SP (Transfer to SPR as soon as possible)

B Days

1- Travel 1-2 SP
2- Kendo 1-2 SP (Transfer to SPR as soon as possible)
3- Boxing
4- Kickboxing
5- Reiatsu Focus
6- Spirit Communication 1-2 SP
7- Kido 1-2 SP (Transfer to SPR as soon as possible)

[Nakazawa Meian]

As he spoke, Meian saw Amaya’s attitude change entirely through their conversation, and when he got an answer to his questions, it wasn’t what he had expected. ”What’s it matter? You’re not going to make fun of me for them like everyone else, are you?” ”What? Of course I won’t…” It was too late, she was lost in her mind now, probably remembering harsh memories. Meian had understood by then that he had stepped right into a minefield, a place he shouldn’t be tickling with. Alright, I guess I’ll try to avoid this topic from now on… He calmly waited for her to come back, trying to find a way to apologize in the meantime.

Once she regained her mind, Meian could still see she was saddened, but at least she managed to hide it slightly now. ”Sorry, about that… I’ve had them as long as I can remember, I don’t know how I ended up like this. My mom died giving birth to me and I never knew my dad… So I really don’t know what to tell you.” ”I… I’m sorry.”, Meian said while nodding slightly, as he just had been confirmed his previous assumptions; his question had brought back bad memories. ”Either way, we shouldn’t dilly-dally too much. I’m in travel first up. What about you?”

”Oh, I’ve got travel too. Let’s go.” As they both moved toward the classroom, Amaya had taken the leading step. It didn’t bother Meian much since, except in a situation where survival is endangered, he isn’t the kind of person to take the lead anyway. ”This way Meian. It’s upstairs!” As she talked, Amaya’s voice suggested that her emotions came back to normal, but Meian knew better. She is probably still burdened… After a short walk, they had quickly reached the class, where Amaya went to sit at the back.

As for Meian, once he entered the room, he took a good look at it. It seemed to be a big coliseum of strange architecture, the kind of architecture that he had never seen before, with higher floor levels as he got farther from the center. Since he knew no one else in the Academy yet, Meian decided to stay with Amaya and join her in the top row. ”Do you mind if I sit with you?” Meian would then patiently wait for the class to begin, taking a brief look at his other classmates to spot anyone looking strong or noble.

[Zeich Yajuu]

The run up the stairs towards the classroom was brief, and in their minds the two students had arrived early, seeing as none of the other students had arrived to claim their own seats. The teacher wasn’t even there, and on the first day, one would expect the instructor to be there early and greet new students personally, making them feel welcomed to the institution. However, the classroom the two entered, which was clearly marked as the one where the Travel classes would be held, was dead empty. The only sound was that of a clock on the far wall, above the teacher’s podium, ticking away the minutes. The two would have a good fifteen minutes of conversation between the two, talking about classes or whatnot, before Meian would remember something very important. Being the more observant of the two and having kept his eyes peeled for more classmates, he would notice the room was empty still, and that would jog his memory.

In their awkward first exchange, neither of the two students had remembered that there were no classes on the first day! Meian would notice first, and eventually Amaya would remember as well, and the two of them would probably feel awkward about the whole thing. The first day at the Academy was an opportunity for students to meet one another, to foster friendships that would last them throughout their schooldays and even persist once they officially became Shinigami. Thus there no classes, but plenty of times for socialization while meeting teachers and students alike, and maybe a few social events. This day was meant to be a welcoming one, not a studious one.

Upon realizing it, the two would probably head back into the courtyard, where they would find students in abundance. Many of them were talking or introducing themselves for the first time, while others were meeting with old friends and forming their personal cliques. Teachers could be seen here and there with several of the more interested students about them, talking about classes and the curriculum ahead. Compared to the silence of the empty classrooms before, the noise was like a blast that would seem overwhelming at first before the two students adapted to it, and foraged out into the crowd. It seemed that there would be no lack of social experiences today!

Who would they talk to? Would they visit the crowd of well-dressed young men who seemed to already be establishing friendships? Would they join a trio of students who were sitting and talking about coursework ahead? Or maybe they would visit some of the teachers? There were plenty of options; the one who had spoken before at the auditorium, Meiji, was the teacher with short black hair and a look of aged wisdom in his slightly lined-face. Another teacher appeared to be a young woman with long yellow hair tied into a braid that went down her back, and she was demonstrating for a larger group, holding a shining orb above her palm. Perhaps she was the Kido instructor? And then of course, there was a severe-looking woman with shorter black hair, held back with crystal pins, who had only a few students about her, and even they looked uncomfortable.

The decision was up to the two students; who would they speak to, what bonds would they form in the first day? It was their choice, now.

((OOC: Your goal to wrap up mission #1 is to socialize! Pick a group, or a teacher, and go visit, talk a bit. You can go together or separately, and do whatever you want! Just try not to make a bad first impression, okay? Free posting order this round, first come, first post.))

[Nakazawa Meian]

As Meian sat with Amaya, he noticed that no one else was in class. It wasn’t much surprising though, since they had came to their class early, but it meant that he would have time to talk with her before the start of classes, which he did despite the disastrous results it had led to before. This time, however, he would aim for her actual life instead of her past. ”So… What Dynasty do you plan to join once you graduate?... Personally, I think I’ll join the 3rd Dynasty since my specialty is survival, and anyway, I believe I can prevent casualties by being the first samurai sent on the battlefield.” In that sentence, Amaya would likely notice some strange words which could, unless she has good historic knowledge of the World of the Living, confuse her. Expecting this, Meian took out a sheet from the storage pocket on his belt and gave it to her. ”That’s a vocabulary log of the strange words I may say when talking.”, he said while smiling. ”I say those words because of a blessing which was set on me in my previous life as a living being, and although it allows me to remember my past life perfectly, the side-effect is that I can’t say a word I didn’t know when I lived.” Meian would then wait patiently for her reaction and an answer to his first question.

However, after listening to Amaya, Meian took a better look to his surroundings. Even though they had arrived early, there should at the very least have some of the more studious students currently in class, which was not the case; they were completely alone. Moreover, the teacher should have arrived quite early in class, even more so since it was the first day. He began to be suspicious that something was off. What am I forgetting? Seeing that he had some difficulties finding the answer by himself, he decided to ask Amaya, in case she would remember something. ”Um… Amaya-san, are we even supposed to be here? No one else came in class after all this time…”

If she didn’t remember either, Meian would take some time to think about what he may have forgotten until, not finding the answer, he would take out his schedule. As he would look at his schedule, Meian would finally notice a small sentence at the bottom of it. Please take note that all classes are cancelled on the welcoming ceremony day… Oh, how did I forget that? ”Seems like we are at the wrong location after all… “ Meian would say as he showed his schedule to Amaya, pointing the sentence with his finger. ”Let’s go join the other students.” Remembering where the entrance of the Academy was, he then made his way toward it, making sure that Amaya could keep up with his quick pace, until he would reach the courtyard, where most students had already joined to introduce themselves and talk freely.

As he looked through the crowd of students, though, Meian spotted the previous teacher, Meiji, who had ignited his curiosity before. ”I’ll go meet up with the teacher who made his speech earlier. Let’s meet up again later!”, Meian said to Amaya while departing toward Meiji. Once he got close to Meiji, however, Meian noticed that he probably wasn’t the only one to be interested by this teacher and his class; two other students were already discussing with him. Once he saw an opportunity, Meian entered the discussion by firstly introducing himself. ”Greetings, my name is Nakazawa Meian. Can I ask you some questions?” Meiji’s gaze was, once again, encouraging and without an inch of malevolence. This person seems to have so much experience… ”Well, first of all, what have you planned to teach us in Kendo, and how will it increase in difficulty through the years?”

SPOILER: Click to show

(OOC: some words, which would normally be part of this list, were removed since Meian isn’t aware of the existence of those things yet (for example, Zero Division). )

Shinigami - Samurai
Hollow - Darkhan
Arrancar - Tengu Darkhan
Vizard - Tengu Samurai
Quincy - Bishop
Fullbringer - Native
Bount - Immortal
Akki, Nakabakki, Hason, Saika - Tsumi
Seireitei - Edo
Rukongai - Outer-Edo
Hueco Mundo - Khan Empire
Las Noches - Xanadu
Vandenreich - Vatican
Hell - Yomi
Captain-Commander - Edo Emperor
Captain - Shogun
Vice-Captain - Daimyo
Division - Dynasty
Beginner - Ashigaru
Deserter - Ronin
King of Las Noches - Great Khan
Espada - Darougatchi
Fraccion - Tamagatchi
Emperor of Vandenreich - Archbishop
Zanpakutou - Katana
Japan - Honshu
America - New World
Society - Bakufu
Family - Clan
Barrack - Shrine

[Deleted]

”Do you mind if I sit with you?” ”Nope. Go for it Meian.” Even if Amaya had been embarrassed by Meian’s earlier question, she was somewhat used to that one by now. She was just happy he hadn’t run away screaming or insulted her yet. Sad though it may be, that was the standard she was used to working with. ”So… What Dynasty do you plan to join once you graduate?... Personally, I think I’ll join the 3rd Dynasty since my specialty is survival, and anyway, I believe I can prevent casualties by being the first samurai sent on the battlefield.” Amaya paused in thought for a moment. Dynasty? What’s this guy talking about? Does he mean the Gotei 13 squads?

No sooner had Amaya wondered what Meian was talking about then did he offer a translation. ”That’s a vocabulary log of the strange words I may say when talking. I say those words because of a blessing which was set on me in my previous life as a living being, and although it allows me to remember my past life perfectly, the side-effect is that I can’t say a word I didn’t know when I lived.” What a strange circumstance… I wonder what causes it to function like that? I’ll have to look into what causes memories to be saved between lives one of these days. Of course Amaya was far too tactful to express this out loud. She simply nodded, accepted the vocabulary list, and offered a quick, ”Thanks Meian.”

After a moment, Amaya realized she had completely spaced out on Meian’s first question. ”Oh, as for what Squad I’m joining… I really don’t know. I just came to Shino Academy to get a fresh start. I didn’t really do any research in advance. I don’t really want to fight much though. Maybe I’ll end up as a medic or over in R&D then!” Despite not having a clue what she wanted to do with herself, Amaya was incredibly upbeat. The reason for this was simple. She was starting a new, independent life. She was her own master now. A few more moments passed before Meian piped back up. ”Um… Amaya-san, are we even supposed to be here? No one else came in class after all this time…”

”Uh… I think so? Amaya’s tone of voice made it painfully obvious that she had zero clue if they were in the right place at the right time or not. ”There’s no need to use an honorific with me though Meian. We’re friends right?” Unfortunately, Meian was too busy looking over his schedule to respond to Amaya right away. However, this did allow him to catch that important piece of information. ”Seems like we are at the wrong location after all… Let’s go join the other students.” Well damn. Meian probably thought Amaya was a complete airhead now. She’d been so eager to get to class that she totally forgot there was no class on day one. Not letting herself dwell on that, Amaya picked herself up and followed Meian back to the entrance of the academy.

Once they got there, Meian spoke once more. ”I’ll go meet up with the teacher who made his speech earlier. Let’s meet up again later!” ”Sure thing Meian! Amaya didn’t really care about the kendo instructor. She didn’t care for sword fighting, nor was she impressed by his speech. Instead, her attention was drawn to the woman holding an orb above her palm. The orb was likely a low-level Kido, such as Shakkaho, but that knowledge was beyond Amaya. The kitsune weaseled her way into the group and eagerly examined the orb. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but it was really shiny. In a bout of curiosity, Amaya raised a finger to try and poke the orb. More than likely she would be stopped by the teacher, as there was little doubt in anyone except Amaya’s mind that touching the orb was a bad idea. As she reached in to poke it, she innocently asked, ”How’d ya make that? I wanna make shiny things too!”

[Zeich Yajuu]

(OOC: Meiji speaks in deep sky blue while Akane speaks in chocolate.))

Meian had chosen to speak with Ichiyusai Meiji, the teacher in charge of Kendo, though he would have to wait in line to have an opportunity to do so. There were several students, all clamoring for his attention. Several of them were young women, already smitten with their first schoolteacher crush, and it was no surprise; despite the age that traced lines around his eyes and forehead, Meiji was still rather young-looking, and moved and spoke with a quiet maturity that spoke of a calm and graceful harmony in everything he did. Something about Meiji just felt… well, the best way to describe it was that he felt like he had found a special inner peace, a sense of purpose, and it wasn’t one that dragged him forward despite flagging energies, as an obsession would; instead, it was he who forged his own path, moving at his own pace, and content with what he did.

Finally he managed to wave away the latest crowd of giggling, infatuated admirers with an amused sigh, and the path was cleared for students who were actually interested in learning about his classes. Meian actually managed to get a word in edgewise, speaking up first and addressing the teacher with his question. Meiji raised a hand to silence the other questions that came, and it was a mark of the respect he had earned with his speech that everyone quieted immediately. “I apologize, young man, but I haven’t had a chance to make your acquaintance, so forgive me if I don’t know your name.” The man’s voice was soft, without rush; instead it was filled with a subtle confidence, a strength that inspired anyone who listened to him.

“Though my class is officially titled ‘Kendo,’ I do not actually teach that style of swordsmanship, at least not by itself. Instead, I teach the students to learn how to use a sword overall, rather than focusing on any particular style. Different students are skilled with different branches of swordsmanship, and so in order to teach all to do their best regardless of their skills and preferences, I teach one to use a blade, rather than the way in which it must be done.” That last bit was confusing to some; how do you teach someone to use a blade without showing them how to do it? Meian would get it though; it wasn’t so much about learning techniques, styles, and specific stances. The teacher taught them how to use a sword in combat only in the most general sense, and they would pick up and develop their own styles through practice. There would be no limits imposed based on styles taught, and thus the students would adapt and develop their own styles.

“As for my curriculum, it’s quite simple; I start off with basic breathing and calming techniques, and train you to find your inner balance, your self-confidence. Without that, even the sturdiest swordsman will crumble beneath a single blow. One needs to stand proudly, with strength, with confidence; fear and worry undermine the foundation of one’s focus. Once we have mastered that, and only then, will you pick up a sword. From there, we will begin by teaching you simply how to use a sword, learning how to adjust to different weapons and to find their balance as well as learning the limits of your strength. The lessons continue like that.”

Meiji was proving himself to be interesting; his class was not about performing the same routines as a normal Kendo dojo, but instead tempering the student’s spirit first, and then slowly building them up into a swordsman. It was unlikely that he would teach them any sort of fighting techniques; instead, he would teach them to find their own style, their own stance, and build upon it to truly find confidence in their ability to fight. There would still be those who would be ill-suited to fighting, and they would have their own difficulties, but it was likely that Meiji had plans in store for them too; the teacher seemed to have everything in hand as he continued to answer questions with a patient smile.

------------------------------------------------------------

Amaya, on the other hand, had chosen to speak with Mitsukuri Akane, the teacher in charge of the Kido classes. The younger woman was demonstrating one of the earlier lessons that the students would learn, holding simple sphere of Reiatsu above her hand. It wasn’t a powerful molding of spiritual energy at all; the woman easily held it with minimal concentration, answering questions about the usage of Reiatsu as well as the many shapes it took. There was a large crowd gathered, for who didn’t like magic? Many of the students just watched in wonder as the teacher explained the basics of molding Reiatsu, and the lessons she would teach as they went through the years and learned how to use both offensive and defensive spells through the use of Reiatsu.

Though Akane looked busy, she was well aware when Amaya moved in close, attempting to touch the orb in her curiosity. The woman’s lips curved into a small smile a second before the student made contact, and as Amaya touched the orb, it shifted to a light yellow color. Touching it was like a minor version of poking at an electrical outlet; a surge of energy flowed through the student, causing her hair and the fur on her tail to puff out in all directions from the static released and giving her body a minor tingle of warning. It was obvious the teacher could have done far worse, but had merely made a reprimand in the way that would be most likely to cause a change in actions, especially as the other students laughed at the young woman’s now-disheveled appearance.

“Now, now, students, that’s enough.” Akane was a fair deal more energetic than Meiji’s quiet, relaxed stature, and her smile showed far more strongly as she reached into a bag nearby and pulled out a brush, handing it to Amaya. It was clear that the teacher had expected such a demonstration at least once or twice throughout the day, and had come prepared for it. “I hope this teaches you not to mess with unknown objects, little one. The world of Kido is a very dangerous one, far more than swordsmanship can ever be. While you can cut yourself with a sword, and many mistakes are permanent, such as the loss of a limb, you generally have the ability to learn from your mistakes. However, a mistake in Kido is often life-threatening; loss of control with one’s Reiatsu can lead to a horrible backlash that will simply consume you whole. Atop that, it is an even greater threat to those around you, as such a failure could destroy a larger area, causing a large amount of harm. A sword may only harm you or your opponent; Kido has the potential to harm many, if used improperly.”

Once Amaya had smoothed her hair, Akane took her brush back and then took the young woman’s hand, pressing her fingers to it lightly and closing her eyes. There were minor burns on the fingers from the electrical discharge, barely enough to do more than tingle, and as Amaya watched, they slowly began to fade. Her eyes would detect a slight glow of green Reiatsu around the teacher’s hand, flowing into her own skin, and soon the injuries were gone, mended without a trace. “Of course, on the other side of the coin, Kido can be used to heal as well. Some of the most powerful techniques within Soul Society are not those that can destroy, but those that can heal, that can save lives rather than take them. In my class we will be learning destructive spells, otherwise known as Hado; binding spells, which are referred to as Bakudo, and even the healing arts. Advanced classes will eventually have you finding which subject you are best at, and help you to focus on developing that art so as to help you find your calling.”

[Deleted]

As should be expected –though Amaya didn’t expect as much herself-- her plan backfired horribly. When she reached out to touch the orb of reiatsu, no one stopped her. Had Amaya’s senses been a little sharper she might have picked up on the subtle clues that warned her of the rapidly approaching embarrassment. The slight change in the teacher’s expression should have served as a warning, but Amaya was far too distracted by how pretty the orb was to notice. She proceeded to reach out and poke the orb. A small jolt of electricity ran through her body. It momentarily locked up her muscles and slightly burnt her hand, but that was not the worst of it. The worst part was that her hair and tail had poofed up in a comical fashion.

While the physical damage was a pain, the embarrassment was far worse. The other kids laughed plenty, and it was all direct at Amaya. Now she’d embarrassed herself in front of Meian specifically, and a bunch of other students generally. The only thing that stopped the young girl from running off immediately was that the teacher had expected this to occur and was prepared. She hushed the other students and offered Amaya a brush to fix her hair and tail. The kitsune retreated to the sidelines to fix her appearance before returning the brush, now full of fur, to the teacher. While that gesture, as well as healing Amaya’s hands, was indeed appreciated, it didn’t save Amaya from the embarrassment.

What she had been through, first with Meian and now with everyone else, was simply too much for the young girl to take. She had no classes for the rest of the day. In her mind, the best bet was to just cut her losses and escape. She listened to the teacher for a bit more, but her mind was set. She’d be looking forward to Kido this year as a chance to try and make up for that mistake, but right now the main thing on her mind was just getting away. Maybe, if she was lucky, everyone would forget about that stunt she had pulled. If she was really lucky, she’d never see any of those other students again. On the other hand, it could spread as gossip to the point that all of Shino Academy knew, or the teacher could bring it up in class. After the day she’d been having, Amaya expected the latter. Sulking slightly, she wandered out of the hallway with every intention of just getting lost. She had no destination in mind.

Well, that was a horrible way to start things off. I just hope tomorrow won’t suck as much.

((Sorry for the short post. Sad Amaya just isn’t a ton of fun to write. I just didn’t see a great reason to go around posting her being mopey for the rest of the day.))

[Nakazawa Meian]

When Meian had approached the Kendo teacher, he had spotted two or maybe three students actively talking to him, but as he got closer, he saw the real crowd which claimed the teacher’s attention. Since there was no way to ask his questions to Meiji yet, Meian simply waited for an opportunity to do so, which occurred quickly. Meiji managed to clear a path among the students for others to come closer, which Meian used to reach him and ask his questions, but firstly to introduce himself. ”Greetings, my name is Nakazawa Meian. Can I ask you some questions? As Meiji answered, the other students respectfully quieted, maybe waiting to listen to what he had to say. ”I apologize, young man, but I haven’t had a chance to make your acquaintance, so forgive me if I don’t know your name.” For the second time of the day, Meian felt inspired by this man’s charismatic confidence.

”Well, first of all, what have you planned to teach us in Kendo, and how will it increase in difficulty through the years?” ”Though my class is officially titled ‘Kendo,’ I do not actually teach that style of swordsmanship, at least not by itself. Instead, I teach the students to learn how to use a sword overall, rather than focusing on any particular style. Different students are skilled with different branches of swordsmanship, and so in order to teach all to do their best regardless of their skills and preferences, I teach one to use a blade, rather than the way in which it must be done.” Although most students around Meian seemed to be confused by those words, Meian understood what he meant; a fighting style is something personal, unique, and it can be developed only by sheer efforts, not with techniques. This man is wise. Not only does he understand that anyone relies on different things in battle, like skills, instinct, agility or even Kido, but he also created a class that will allow anyone to learn to their full potential. No one is weak in battle, everyone can become an asset once they know how their body should react in battle...

”As for my curriculum, it’s quite simple; I start off with basic breathing and calming techniques, and train you to find your inner-balance, your confidence. Without that, even the sturdiest swordsman will crumble beneath a single blow. One needs to stand proudly, with strength, with confidence; fear and worry undermine the foundations of one’s focus. Once we have mastered that, and only then, will you pick up a sword. From there, we will begin by teaching you simply how to use a sword, learning how to adjust to different weapons and to find their balance as well as learning the limits of your strength. The lessons continue like that.” With only a speech and the small discussion they had now, Meian was now confident that this man knew what he was doing. Meiji had proven to Meian that, despite Meian’s already great knowledge in swordsmanship, he would be able to teach him some useful things through his classes. Whether he would keep up with this through the year remained to be seen, but for now, Meian knew he could trust his Kendo teacher.

”Thank you, Meiji-sensei. I’ve got the answers I required.”, Meian said while nodding respectfully. He would then back away a little, leaving his place for anyone else who may have questions too, or if the interested students lacked, for the crowd to reform around Meiji. Since his entire day was off, Meian took the rest of his day talking with other students and listening to the other questions who were asked to Meiji; he could have gone to talk with the other teachers, but since he knew he would, unlike in Kendo, have everything to learn from them, he wasn’t worried much about learning things he already knew. Among all the students he talked with, some stood out of the others, either by their bloodline, their personality or their traits, but none were as unusual as Amaya. Through the day, Meian had searched for her a couple of times, some times to introduce someone to her and other times to simply talk, but he of course never managed to actually find her. Where did she go? Did something happen?

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: Mission #1 complete! For an easy mission, with socializing, you two get 10 QP each. Remember that QP can be converted to TTP or CTP immediately at a 1:1, or else stored to be converted later. It cannot be converted to SP either.))

End of Year 1

The first year had gone by quickly for the two students, faster than they had thought. Despite their first day, especially for Amaya, the two of them advanced fairly well. Obviously there were challenges for both based on the knowledge they had when they had started as much as such difficulties were determined by their chosen fields. Still, despite the dullness of some classes, the excitement of others made the time just simply fly by, and soon they found themselves at the very end of the first year. Exams for the first year were only two days away, and most students were pushing themselves to cram at the last second in order to perform well on the tests, so that they could prove themselves fit to pass to the next year.

Amaya would find herself staying in a dormitory on-campus, since she had no real place of her own. The young woman had a nice little room to herself despite sharing the actual dormitory apartment with two others; her room had a table and chair for studying, a small but comfortable bed, a nightstand near the bed, and a small bookcase with only two shelves for her school books. The main living room that her sleeping area was connected to had a couch and chair arrayed around a small coffee table, and a small kitchen area that was kept irregularly stocked for when they didn’t feel like eating at the cafeteria. There was even a small fireplace against the far wall. Overall, the Shino Academy certainly did a good job of keeping their students comfortable!

A knock on the door would draw Amaya to it, and she would open it to find Hike Yasuhiro standing outside the door. A young man from a semi-noble family, Yasuhiro had luck in both wealth and looks; short brown hair was kept neat and well-combed, while his robes were apparently of a more formal design, likely for dressy occasions. Amaya had found throughout the year that the young man was often watching her, always distracted from what he was doing, and it was obvious he had some interest in her. Whether it was because the young man found her fox-like features unusual or he actually found her cute was up in the air, but either way, it was obvious he would eventually make his move sooner or later. Was this perhaps the moment where he did so?
“Ah… excuse me, Amaya-San. I know you’re probably busy with studying for finals, but I was hoping you’d be free for an hour or two? I just thought that, y’know, we’ve been in a lot of classes together, so maybe we could take a walk or something, just a break away from schoolwork for a bit… Maybe we could talk some, get to be friends…?” His attitude seemed nervous, a bit uncomfortable as he shifted about. Clearly there was some sort of infatuation going on, here!

---

Meian, on the other hand, was staying in the male dormitories, the board included as part of the whole package for attending the Academy. His room was similar to Amaya’s, though on the opposite side of the Academy, as it was considered inappropriate for both genders to room nearby, despite the fact that many spirits were at this point far beyond simple human maturity. He only had one other roommate, and the extra room was unoccupied, but said roommate was often out and about, rarely at the dormitory. As a result, Meian often had the run of the place to himself, and he could use the time to study, to practice, or to waste time as he chose to; what he did in his free time was completely up to him.

Lately, however, the young man had been pestered by a small group of other students who seemed determined to single him out and make a fool of him. Papers were often taken away, or notes lost, while at other times harmless pranks such as the classic bucket over the doorway were employed to mock Meian’s efforts. None of them were actually harmful, mostly just hurtful for his pride, but it was obvious that they had decided to pick on him for some unknown reason. It was possible that it was simply the luck of the draw that he had been chosen, or perhaps his strange vocabulary; either way, the student would find himself hard-pressed to concentrate at times, with how that group bothered him.

Tonight, thankfully, they had left him alone. With exams coming up, Meian would probably want to study, and with luck he wouldn’t be bothered. Of course, it was up to him if he chose to do so, or if he felt confident enough that he could relax for the next few days. He could go visit Amaya, or maybe just go for a walk. Alternatively, he could be staying at his books, and focusing on preparing himself for the grueling paperwork ahead. He had the whole night to himself; what would he do with it?


((OOC: Okay, you have an extra mission in this next round of posting aside from the main! It is to give a brief summary of your first year. At least one class with major importance to your character must be described, along with at least one significant event that happened within it, whether good or bad. Additional information is always a plus, and each additional class described in the same detail counts as an extra “Easy” completion worth an additional 10 QP (Max: 50). (Mission Difficulty: Easy)))

SPOILER: Click to show

Yasuhiro speaks in Green

[Nakazawa Meian]

Meian’s first year was about to end; only two days remained before the exams. Since his first day, he had made many friends, including Amaya, and managed to get along with almost anyone in the Academy, up until around a month ago. For an unknown reason, some students had decided to humiliate and bother him by using various means, like taking away his sheets, stealing his notes and placing a bucket full of water over his door. Meian never reacted violently to these provocations and simply took preventive measures to stop them; he started to hide his sheets, to keep his notes on him at all times and he even removed his room’s door. Nonetheless, those persons always found new creative ways to annoy him, and the worst was that, since they always acted when he was away, Meian had no idea who they were.

Aside from this, his year had gone rather smoothly, except for the occasional challenges scattered on his path. Looking back, his most interesting class had clearly been Kendo, where he had challenged almost everyone in class. Since he already knew many things about fighting with a sword, Meian won almost all of his fights, except for a few near the end of the year, where he had been pushed to his limits. However, the day he would remember the most was when he had made the error of challenging the teacher. Many had called him crazy on that day, since they knew that Meiji, because of pride, wouldn’t hold back, and as a matter of fact, Meian had been sent flying with the first blow, going through the dojo’s wall. Even at the end of the year, his body remembered the strength behind the teacher’s slash and the bruises it caused.

On the opposite, though, his spiritual communication class had been the most painful of all his classes; not because he had difficulties, but rather because he was actually good at it. In the entire year, the class was focused around getting a response from the inner-spirit, and increasing that response as much as possible to try and form a link with it. The response could be anything, going from flash of lights to words, but the answer Meian got was… one of a kind. Since Meian was accustomed to meditation, he first made contact with his inner-spirit earlier than most people, but his first contact was painful; he felt like he had been slapped on his cheek multiple times by someone. In fact, the feeling was so real that, at first, it broke his concentration, thinking it had happened for real.

His second most painful class had been Kido. Of course, in this class, he couldn’t expect to be as good as he was in Kendo; he was in the lower half of the class. At least, though, he could say that, as one of the persons categorized as a melee fighter, he was actually better than most of those in this category in terms of strength behind his Kido, but he was hindered when the classes were about sustaining a Kido for a while. Meian had quickly noticed that, despite all of his efforts, he exhausted himself quickly when he needed to use his reiatsu. This class was among the most difficult he had to go through this year, but at least, there were some happy results too. Meian’s most impressive outcome was around the middle of the year, on a day he was practicing the creation of an orb of reiatsu light in his hand palm. On that day, he managed somehow to shoot his orb in front of himself without it undoing itself, which led to a small blinding explosion of light in front of him. Throughout the entire year, Meian never managed to create the same result again, but when he talked about it to his teacher, she called it a reiatsu flare.

Meian of course had the same difficulties in his Reiatsu focus class, although it was less of a problem since those classes were based more on control than sustenance. In the first classes of Reiatsu focus that Meian had, he managed to keep a control over his reiatsu fairly well, better than he would have expected, but this didn’t last long; as the tasks got more difficult, his control over his reiatsu became weaker too. Fortunately for him, though, the worst he had gone through was near the end of the year, when he had to create, along with the rest of the class, a particularly instable reiatsu shape. Meian’s end result was extremely frail, so as soon as his concentration weakened because of exhaustion, the reiatsu disrupted and caused most of the other students to have theirs disrupted too in a big chain reaction.

Although this led to quite a funny moment, it clearly was not the funniest he had through the year. The most entertaining class Meian got was History, because of the loads of problems that his vocabulary first brought upon him. Although the teacher got to understand Meian’s situation after some time, at first, it created some comical events when he tried to relate his historic knowledge to the rest of the class. The worst situation was on his first day with a History class, when the teacher asked each student to explain what they knew about the Shinigamis and the hollows. Meian somehow tried to explain, limited by his vocabulary, that the samurais fight the darkhans with their katana to purify them, but that recently the Tengu Darkhans had became stronger and that their greatest warriors, the Darougatchi located in Xanadu, are so strong that the Shoguns are almost the only ones capable of defeating one. No need to tell how much laughs, uproar and stunned faces these sentences created.

Finally, in his last two classes, things had been going smoothly. In travel, nothing worth mentioning really happened, since the class was stricter than any other, Meian simply learned more about the hell butterflies, the Senkai gates and the numerous worlds. In his Speed class, though, Meian was among the higher half of the class, being quite fast compared to the others. Unfortunately, since his Speed classes were always after Kendo, he always arrived in class already exhausted, which hindered him when he had to run. Still, his skills in this class were better than most, except for a single day. Near the middle of the year, the entire Speed class got to practice shunpo for the first time, which was an ability that, of course, Meian wasn’t accustomed to using it yet. When they practiced it and Meian managed to perform a shunpo step for the first time, the sudden increase of speed made him lose control of his balance, which sent him sliding toward the wall, impacting it at a higher speed than he would have attained by sprinting.

However, this was all behind him now. Tonight, Meian had to focus on his upcoming exams; he wanted to make sure he would be ready. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t be the subject of any pranks today, although he kept cautious since he highly doubted whoever was behind all this would skip this opportunity. As a warm up before starting the study for real, Meian took his bokuto from the corner of his room and started giving hits on the training dummy he had installed in his room near the beginning of the year. So far, this was the best way he found to clean up his mind before studying.

When he was sure he was ready, Meian placed his bokuto inside his belt and took all of his books related to reiatsu, history or travel. Then, he departed toward the Academy’s library, where it would, he hoped, be quiet. In fact, he had brought both his history and travel books simply to revise and make sure he wouldn’t forget something on the day of the exams; what he really wanted to study was everything he could find about reiatsu and Kido. He wanted to know more about how to use his reiatsu effectively, what kind of errors to avoid, and maybe a bit more about the various Kido that existed. Meian would as such, once he would reach the library, borrow any book available about Kido or reiatsu and read them, as well as those he already had, about anything he could find that would help him in his final exams.

[Deleted]

Amaya’s first year passed in a flash. Some parts of it went incredibly well, but other parts of it weren’t so great. She met a lot of people, but reactions to her were mixed over all. Some of the students had a Meian –style reaction and were just curious about her appearance, others gave her hell for it, and still others were actually attracted to her. The reactions to her classwork were also mixed, but that largely depended what classes people were in with her. Overall, she did pretty well in her classes related to reiatsu and kido. Her physical classes were definitely her weak point, but her innovation allowed her to make up for it in some of them. As for the learning classes, she definitely did well, but it was harder to for her classmates to notice that as the performances weren’t as obvious when you were earning your marks through quizzes rather than combat.

Kendo was a mixed bag for Amaya. When it came to the actual art of using the sword, Amaya was no better off than her father was. Hibiki was absolutely terrible at swordsmanship, and that trait seemed to have been passed on. No matter how much Amaya trained herself in the traditional Japanese way of the sword, she simply did not progress in the actual wielding of a blade. One day about half-way through the school year, Meiji-sensei pulled the girl aside to speak to her. ”Amaya, you’re showing great progress in most aspects of my class,” he had said. ”except for the bit where you know how to use a sword properly. I know not all Shinigami are going to be the best swordsman… but you aren’t on track to pass this class. Have you considered Squad Four?”.

While Kendo didn’t go ideally, Amaya actually made good progress in one of her other physical classes. Boxing seemed to click with Amaya decently well, but only because her innovation was paying off. Unlike Kendo, boxing was primarily focused on just fighting and learning how to fight. It was far less concerned with things like proper breathing and inner balance. Amaya initially struggled with the boxing since she was far weaker and more fragile than most Shinigami. Her struggles vanished almost overnight when she got the idea to incorporate one of the Kido she had been practicing, Sho, into her boxing. It was awkward at first, and it drained her far more than using Sho normally, but this moment of inspiration was the beginning of her forming her own fighting style, Shoken Hakuda.

Speaking of the Kido that Amaya had been practicing, what about the Kido class itself? That class actually went pretty fantastically for Amaya. She demonstrated an aptitude for Kido that most could only dream of. Her talent was so great that it was no question she would pass the class with flying colors. This actually led to other students beginning to ask her for help. In the end, Amaya was coaxed into running a Kido study group and tutoring some of her fellow students. This study group was one of Amaya’s best experiences, as it led to her making a great number of friends. Almost everyone who saw her talent in the Kido class treated her with respect and was friendly towards her. There were some who were obstinate and jealous, but Amaya’s study group ensured that was a minority.

The spirit communications class went rather averagely for Amaya. Most of the first year’s curriculum was just a discussion of theory and practice meditating. No one really expected them to make contact with their spirit in the first year of class. The ones who actually made contact were considered exceptions rather than the standard. Amaya had contact all right, but the contact she got while she was actively trying to communicate with her Zanpakuto wasn’t anything she recognized. Instead of words or a glow of reiatsu, Amaya was simply overwhelmed by a sensation of loneliness when she tried to tap into her soul’s power. It was such a bizarre feeling. In a way, it almost felt like a part of her soul had been here at Shino Academy before, but had been trapped and forced into a world all by itself. It was an incredible feeling of loneliness that could likely only be compared to the power of Lucifer himself.

What made this even odder is that Amaya received communication from her soul when she wasn’t even trying to obtain it. In history class, she was doing fairly average as well. She didn’t exceed the progress of her other students like she did in Kido, but she also wasn’t very far behind. Her markings had her in the top 25% of the class, but that was mostly as a result of her natural intelligence rather than her effort in the class. What made this class interesting was once in a while, Amaya would hear a voice in her head. Every time she heard it, it simply said, ”Sooooooooo booooooooorrrrrriiiiinnnngggggg,” before fading into silence. The voice was male, sounded like it was that of a young adult, and sounded somehow attractive despite the few words it spoke. While Amaya couldn’t make heads or tails of what this meant, the reality is that it was Hibiki, her zanpakuto spirit, expressing his discontent with having to sit through those lectures once more.

Travel was probably Amaya’s least favorite class. Despite the fact that it wasn’t a hard class, she simply dreaded it. With history, she could at least understand why they were being taught, but she simply didn’t see a great need for most of the material in the travel class. Couldn’t they just leave it at, “go where you’re told when you’re told” and be done with it? Amaya’s attitude in this class ended up getting her in a bit of trouble. Her care about this class was so little that she actually managed to pass out in class on a few occasions. She always sat in the back for this class, but not even that could save her from eventually getting spotted by the teacher. Her punishment was a bit odd. To most, it didn’t seem cruel, but Amaya hated her teacher for it. The punishment was to sit through the next hour’s Travel class as well, and she had to answer every question the teacher asked. Her intellect let her manage to answer the questions, but the embarrassment from being singled out like that wasn’t exactly fun to deal with.

All those memories, for better or worse, were there to stay. The academy had certainly been interesting so far. On top of all the challenges she’d been working through in classes, there was also Amaya’s constant goal of trying to get in a relationship. She was yet to have any luck with that, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. She’d asked out a few boys, but they had all turned her down. She was aware of a few boys that had been looking at her, but she wasn’t really interested in them. In her eyes, most of the ones looking at her were the outcasts. They were the people who didn’t fit in with everyone else for some reason or another. Usually it was just because they were the other weirdoes.

One such example was Yasuhiro. Amaya had caught him staring several times, and his quick desire to turn his head away signaled an embarrassment that she was pretty sure meant he liked her. Eventually, just a few days before final exams, Yasuhiro actually came to Amaya’s dorm to speak with her. He spoke of taking a walk together, and he said he wanted to be friends, but Amaya saw through him instantly. If there was one thing she had inherited from her father it was the ability to know when someone wanted to get in your pants. Her instinct in that knowledge was still far from well-tuned, but Yasuhiro was painfully obvious. Amaya’s response was kind in the long run, but it would likely hurt Yasuhiro a bit right now.

”Sorry Hike-san, I can’t. You know we both need to be studying for finals, and it’s not hard to see that I’m a huge distraction for you right now. Just forget about me and go work on your studies ‘kay?” Unless Yasuhiro was completely oblivious, he would realize that Amaya was completely shutting him down. There was a chance that his infatuation was enough that he wouldn’t comprehend what Amaya had said. She had chosen words that could be construed as a concern for him. If analyzed out of context, it could definitely look like she was simply worried about his grades and interrupting his studies. Anyone who has learned how to interpret womanese would know better though. She was simply telling him that he didn’t have a chance in hell, that he should forget about having a shot with her, and he should just go work on something else instead. It was brutal under the surface, but it still gave him a way to save face.

But why had Amaya done this to him? She wanted a relationship quite badly after all! The answer is an impressively simple one. Amaya had grown up in conditions that were far from perfect. She wasn’t a huge fan of nobles, fancy things, or people as dressed up as Yasuhiro was. To her, Yasuhiro just seemed stuck up. Whether he actually was or not is an entirely different issue, but that was the impression his hairstyle and clothing made on Amaya. She simply wasn’t interested in a lifestyle as boring as how she pictured the life of a noble housewife. This might just be a case of her having an overactive imagination, but the life she pictured with Yasuhiro simply wasn’t the kind of life she wanted to live. She was going to be a Shinigami and help people!

((Assuming all objectives are satisfactory, this puts Amaya at 70QP, all remaining unspent at the moment.))