An Academy of Flames

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Quest Name: An Academy of Flames

Who can participate?: [Feng Miyu]

Quest Time Frame (How long it takes): [5 years]

Quest Setting (NDE/DE): [DE]

Quest Synopsis:[/b] [Miyu was once an Academy Student. This is her journey through the Academy and her story of graduating into a Squad]

Maximum Number of Participants: [1]

Overall Goal: [Survive and Graduate the Academy]

Number of missions involved: [5]

BASIC Synopsis of each Quest mission:

Year One [Easy]: Year one features the most basic of classes, Kidou 101, Zanjutsu 101, and History 101.

Year Two [Easy]: Year two features Kidou 201, Zanjutsu 201, and Hoho 101.

Year Three [Medium]: Year three is where students begin to get involved in the cycle of souls. It features classes Kidou 301, Zanjutsu 301, Hoho 201, and Zanpakutou 101

Year Four [Medium]: Year four features Kidou 401, Zanjutsu 401, Zanpakutou 201, and Purification 101.

Year Five [Hard]: Year five has but one class, Purification 201.

Each year comes with Basic training, Advanced training, and End-of-year Exams for each class.

Recommended Class for entry:[8]

Special Conditions: Miyu will begin the thread at 280 Stat Points and will not be able to increase beyond that unless otherwise noted. She will start with her current Type, Soldier Version 2. Techniques can be "temporarily" purchased for QP and either kept at the end of the thread or Miyu will be allowed to "forget" them with no penalties. Techniques that are required for passing classes will be granted for free as rewards for "studying" but can be forgotten at the end of the thread for no penalties as well. This is to allow Miyu to have techniques to be used during the thread, but not necessarily fill her technique pool with all class 8-7 techniques.

After each End-of-year exam, a QP shop will open for Miyu to purchase items and other helpful things to be used during the Quest and kept afterwards if desired. QP will be awarded for defeating other students in Basic or Advanced Training like they were enemies per standard QP rules and will also be awarded based on her grades on his Exams.

Techniques required by Classes will be gained for free based on the paragraphs required to obtain in a JTT. 1 paragraph for a Class 8 technique, 2 for a 7. And can be improved to Proficient/Mastered by the same number of paragraphs inside or outside of "class"

Miyu has the first post.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Miyu's Marks}
Kidou 101: ?/5 + ?/8
Zanjutsu 101: ?/5 + ?/8
History 101: ?/5 + ?/8

Kidou 201: ?/5 + ?/8
Zanjutsu 201: ?/5 + ?/8
Hoho 101: ?/5 + ?/8

Kidou 301: ?/5 + ?/8
Zanjutsu 301: ?/5 + ?/8
Hoho 201: ?/5 + ?/8
Zanpakutou 101: ?/5 + ?/8

Kidou 401: ?/5 + ?/8
Zanjutsu 401: ?/5 + ?/8
Zanpakutou 201: ?/5 + ?/8
Purification 101: ?/5 + ?/8

Purification 201: ?/5 + ?/8

Total Tally: -/195

[Miyu Feng]

After a long journey from the depths of the 78th District of the Rukongai to Soul Soicety the Chinese girl found herself accepted in the Shino Academy where she'll begin her training to be a Soul Reaper, to say that she was excited was an understatement this was her chance to prove herself and raise to the top as a legend like she wanted when she was alive, the academy was just the first step and of course she would give her best and start making her reputation there.

Besides, how difficult could this be? She already considers herself a competent fighter and has more experience than many rookies here or so she assumes, truth be told she didn't pay much attention to the subjects she was going to train on this first year so she was going to receive a big surprise when of the three classes she was assigned none sounded like hand to hand combat.

"Kido? Zanjutsu? Well that last one does sound like a fighting style but that's not Hakuda?" She spoke out loud a bit confused maybe being a Shinigami was more than just combat and helping souls reach Soul Society "Well whatever those are I'm going to pass them with the highest score possible!" She said hyping herself up before walking towards the classroom.

She make sure to keep her head tall as she enter reinforcing that aura of confidence she wanted to show to hide the fact that deep down she felt a bit out of her element, Miyu wasn't much of a scholar so being on a classroom was a bit odd but that doesn't mean she won't give her all! She sit on the front row because in her mind it sounded like the best place to hear and pay attention to the instructor and also make sure that said instructor knows she's there.

---

Stats

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Strength: 50

Speed: 60 (90)

Reiatsu Strength: 40 (28)

Spirit Pressure: 40

Light Aura: 100

Dark Aura: 0

Senses: 30

Instinct: 30

Energy Sensory: 30

Healing Expertise: 0

Total: 280/280

Type:Soldier V2 (50% to Speed - 30% decrease to Reiatsu Strength)

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Miyu's first class in the rotation was going to be Kidou 101. She had been selected to take one of the indoor classes this year, a rare placement that they were just starting to try. Very few of the Kidou classes took place indoors, most of them being outside where practice could occur better, but this set of Basic Instruction was being held inside. In the front row, Miyu could see everything that was going on and hear everything in front of her pretty well. The bell rang and there was a buzz coming from the talking of the other students, but nothing that Miyu could fully make out from her vantage point at the front. The bell had rung, but where was the instructor?

It wasn't long before the door opened slightly, softly, and a figure walked in. The instructor was an interesting sight, one that most of the class missed as they moved near silently into the room, behind the desk in the center, and up onto the desk. Miyu was definitely paying attention as most students weren't at the time, so she would notice the old squirrel-like soul standing up on the desk, grooming her tail and waiting for the class to settle down. They were wearing a shihakusho, one specially tailored for them it seemed. After a few minutes, the squirrel with the graying fur coughed slightly, to no avail. With a frown, she held up a hand and a red orb started to grow in size, starting marble sized and ending up as big as a human's head.

"Ye Lord," she whispered. No response from the class. "Mask of blood and flesh," she whispered a little louder. The other students in the front row started wising up and started to quiet down, but there were still a few rambunctious students laughing and talking amongst their peers. "all creation, flutter of wings," the incantation continued. "ye who bears the name of Man!" The instructor still wasn't done with their demonstration... "Inferno and pandemonium," the sea barrier surges," the volume increased and by now the majority of the class was focused on the front of the room where a squirrel lady in a shihakushou was holding a red orb about a third of her body size. "march on to the south!” One last phrase... "Hado #31: Shakkahō!"

The Shakkahō was fully "cooked" as the incantation finished and with her shouting the last bit of it everyone in the class looked on in suspense of what would happen. They were indoors, after all...

[Miyu Feng]

While Miyu waited for the bell to rang and meet her instructor of Kido she couldn't help but think how different things were going to be compared to her previous life, not only was the classroom as said before but also having classmates and she most likely will rely on them for certain tasks, back in the world of the living it was just her and her "brother" and he teach her everything he knew from simple combat to more  casual stuff like playing instruments.

The bell took her out of her thoughts and focusing back into the figure that just enter the classroom and a figure that it seemed only Miyu notice at first since she was on front row if she was a behind due to how slow and soft the instructor move the door she probably wouldn't have heard it either, that aside the instructor was an interesting sight  to say the least, it was a squirrel... What? But the confusion and dumbfoundedness of the girl didn't end there as now the squirrel was talking and a red orb started to form on her hand, not only that it was growing with each passing second and word spoke by the instructor.

"Hado number 31..." She repeated after the instructor finish the chanting

It was hard to explain what she was feeling right now, on one side amazement for what she was staring at after all not every day a squirrel just creates red orb three times her size, on the other hand there was a slight sense of fear on what that thing could do and now she was regretting being this close because... Well a Squirrel was aiming a giant energy burning ball almost at her face!

But there's no way the instructor is going to shoot that, right? It's just to get the attention of the class and it totally did it's job, more importantly it could also be a test of character? Shinigami will face a lot of stuff in the future so maybe testing she was testing the reaction of the rookies, with that in mind Miyu hold her breath and did not move and hopefully this won't blow up on her face (literally).

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

The squirrel-professor stood there, arm up, orb out for what felt like thirty seconds or more, just waiting for the class to get scared. She could see Miyu in the front row holding her breath, but she hadn't been particularly worried about Miyu and her behavior so far so that just got glanced over. When she was satisfied that at least two students had wet themselves, the fiery orb started to dissipate into harmless spirit particles, an advanced skill. Releasing a Kidou once it was fully formed back into the essence it came from was no easy feat, requiring focus and mastery of the art. Now that the class's full attention was on the front of the room, she began to teach like nothing had happened.

"Professor Shihoin Riho, pleased to make all of your acquaintances. My class is not one of the hardest, nor the easiest, in Kidou 101. I won't force you to learn, but if you fail to pay attention, you will most likely fail out of the Academy. The basics of reiatsu theory and Kidou in this class form the basis of 4 of your classes throughout your years here. Fail to do well in my class and on my End-of-year Exam and you're on track to failure and obscurity, if you ever become a Shinigami in the first place."

Professor Riho esteemed Kidou very highly, much to the groaning of some students who were less spiritually inclined. They were ready to move on past this class, but again the squirrel professor called them out on it. "If you ignore my class, and the other three Kidou years, you will only obtain a maximum of 143 Marks, that's if you ace every other one of your classes... That leaves only 4 missing marks from any other class or Exam and you will not Graduate." She let that point sit for a moment.

If Miyu was not familiar with the Mark system Professor Riho mentioned, she would find out soon enough that Grades in the Academy were based on 13 levels of Marks, one for each of the Gotei 13 Squads. They were symbolic of your aptitude for the class as well as how much effort you put into the class. End of year exams made up for 8 of the 13 marks, but the other 5 were up to the instructor to give or take away as necessary. Few instructors gave more than 3 for standard results and effort, saving 5 for the students who excelled and stood out the most as exemplary. In the course of the 5 years and 15 classes they would take, a student needed 140 Marks out of the possible 195 to graduate. 175 Marks would let them graduate with honors. If they managed to get all 195 Marks, a feat not met for several hundred years, then they were easily on the fast track to the prestigious Squad 1. Squad 1 only took students who graduated with honors but held open Seated positions for fast tracked individuals in the case that a student did get all 195 marks.

Once that had marinated throughout the class, Professor Riho continued with Basic instruction. Holding up her hand, Professor Riho let a small orb of energy grow at the tip of an outstretched finger, starting small and growing larger until it was the size of a basketball and increasing larger until it was the size of an exercise ball, far bigger than the body of the Professor herself. Good thing she was standing on the top of the desk... "As Souls, reiatsu is in our blood. Quite literally, in fact. You have channels of reiatsu just as you have veins in your body. To manipulate it must come naturally for you in order to survive my Class. Everybody work in pairs. Don't focus on size of reiatsu orbs, focus on their stability. Don't over exert yourself. Let your orb burst uncontrolled and I will deduct a Mark from your grades for the year."

[Miyu Feng]

Once it was clear that the instructor wasn't aiming at her nor she was planning on shooting the red orb the Chinese girl stop holding her breath and let out a sigh of relief yet could be seen of defeat as spiritualism was going to be a huge subject on the next years of her academy life, it's not that she doesn't like all the spiritual stuff quite the opposite she holds a lot of respect for people that can control reiatsu with ease, it's just that she doesn't have that much patience to sit and learn or meditate so we are starting on possibly one of her worst subjects.

Still that did not mean she was going to slack on the class, she might not be the best but she's not the worst either as when she was alive she had some extremely basic training that should be enough to carry her the earlier months as she gets the hangs of things, even better it seems they'll work on pairs which it's perfect! She might not be too confortable on big groups but pairs just means two just like she use to train with her brother.

"Excuse me..." She tapped the shoulder of the student next to her "Mind if we do this activity together? My name is Feng, Miyu Feng" She introduce herself "I may not be the most spiritually strongest but I am confident on my other skills such as speed I might be able to help on other clases if you help me here"

With that said and hopefully a partner secure the girl began with the activity, she close her eyes and took deep breaths carefully feeling the reiatsu on her body moving it to the palm of her right hand and trying to make a sphere form, she knew that as long as she kept her focus and a steady breathing controlling the flow of reiatsu was the easy part and creating a stable orb of a relative good size the hard part.

As the girl felt the faint warm of the reiatsu channeling on her hand Miyu picture the orb she wanted to make on her mind and work on materializing it on her palm, at first it was really small barely the size of a golf ball but as the seconds passed and the Chinese girl kept her focus it grow to the size of a baseball at that point she open her eyes and opted to focusing in keeping it stable rather than bigger as she felt it would burst if she push it a bit more.

At first Miyu was holding her right arm with her left to make sure she could keep her own pulse stable and not let a single uncareful move burst the orb, slowly she let go and hold her breath a couple of seconds to make sure she was able to hold it as is and once that was confirmed she went back to her steady breathing, she then look at her partner with a smile who hopefully had an easier or faster time making the orb than her.

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

The student next to Miyu was a calm, collected girl in a wheelchair. Her right leg was wrapped in clean white cloth and ended just above the ankle. Her left leg was missing entirely. She was whispering to herself, holding onto a pair of rings around a necklace resting on her sternum. One ring thick and masculine, the other dainty and feminine. She was whispering far quieter than anyone around could hear, almost like she was just going through the motions of talking without sound actually coming out. When addressed, however, she raised her head, returned the rings to her chest, and turned towards the other student.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. My parents taught me the best way to focus sprit energy. Let me show you real quick." She held up her hand and closed her eyes again. Her Reiatsu Orb was flaring in an instant, vibrant and stable. "Visualize this... Draw a circle in your heart, as dark as possible, and as heavy as possible. Then... imagine yourself jumping right into the center of the circle. This is the basic image that works for all Kidou." A tear ran down the right side of her face, a tear slightly pink in color. Professor Riho took note of the girl's very stable and sufficiently large Reiatsu Orb, then nodded at her to confirm that her effort had been noticed.

Stopping the exercise, she watched as Miyu performed it adequately as well. She smiled, a half smile really, and congratulated the other student. "That's good! You don't really need my help. As for your help in other classes... I'm just hoping to get a good Zanjutsu professor who would understand my situation and not fail me immediately." Hopping off of her desk, Professor Riho made her way over to Miyu and the wheelchaired student. "Shiba Orimi, a pleasure as always. Good to see they assigned you to my class. Good work with the exercise, I know it's second nature to you, but thank you for participating. As for you, Miyu Feng, did you say? Good work as well. Keep it up."

Professor Riho lingered a few moments, waiting to see if Orimi would respond to her praise, but the student barely acknowledged it. She simply bowed her head again in a mixture of embarrassment, submission, and prayer. Her hand went back up to the necklace around her neck and simply waited for the next exercise, which would be coming shortly.

[Miyu Feng]

Seeing how easy her classmate ignited a huge and vibrant reiatsu orb made Miyu whistle in amazement, she might not be the most spiritually strong person but that doesn't mean she does not care about it and for the most part she respects a lot those that focus on their spirit as they have a different approach to things that more often than not could be more beneficial than throwing hands.

"I see, it's an interesting way of putting it" She said looking at her small orb and comparing it with the one of her classmate "My brother use to tell me that the key was on keeping a steady breathing pattern and get the feel of the reishi around you" Then again things in the world of the living are different from here so maybe his approach wasn't the most optimal for this training.

Miyu smiled and nodded once Instructor Shihoin praised her on a job well done and sighed on relief knowing that at least the first assignment was a success despite her being on the weaker side spiritually, the girl noted the reaction of her classmate towards the instructor's praise and while she raise an eyebrow of curiosity she thought it would be better to let it be for now, they just met it would be terrible to inquire about something clearly too personal.

"Don't worry about the Zanjutsu instructor, I'm sure they'll understand and if not I'll be on their face about it" Miyu said nodding and smiling at Orimi "We are classmates, we are in this together and my brother always said that "no one reaches the top by stepping on others" I'll have your back, I promise!"

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

The squirrel professor returned to her desk and began to instruct the students once more following the Orb exercise. "Most of you have done adequately, and those who didn't have been recorded as such in the mark log. Now for a pop quiz. Get out paper and a pencil and write down three ways that a Reiatsu Orb could be useful in a Shinigami's life." Students began frantically searching for something to write on, which would be found underneath the counters of the desks in ample supply. Orimi's hands moved right to it, showing Miyu where to find the paper if necessary, then pulling out a fine pen from a pack on the side of her wheelchair.

"You can't erase with it, but its yours if you want it." The elegant pen was offered to Miyu, held out to her for just a few moments. Orimi wouldn't leave it just hanging in the air for long, so if Miyu wanted to take her up on it, she'd have to decide quickly. Would she rather a pencil from the common supply that she could erase with, or was she confident enough in her words to ink them down onto the page? Either way, this quiz needed to be completed alone, so Orimi started working silently on her paper with enough of it covered up to avoid any possibility of cheating without being overt and risking being caught.

Especially in the front row in full view of the Professor.

[Miyu Feng]

Three ways that the Reiatsu orb could be useful in a shinigami's life? It sounds easy to write and explain but after repeating the question in her head Miyu realize that only one answer pop into his head immediately and was struggling to find two more, that said Miyu didn't doubt when accepting the pen from Orimi and make a quick bow with her head as thanks, the girl was determined to make the best of her first day.

As for the task Miyu started writing with the obvious one which was use the orb as a light to illuminate their path or read in dark places, but what else she could add? She wasn't that good spiritually and doubted she would much millage of such technique, and thanks to that line of thought she found a second use! To feint an attack as one without much knowledge would get defensive seeing Kido forming on the hand and focus on that rather than whatever the actual attack is.

Now the third one was the hardest as she had one very obvious use and an unlikely but still possible use, what can other use a technique this basic could have? Try as she might her thoughts were everywhere and nowhere at the same time, but suddently the words of the instructor pop up in her head "let your orbs burst uncontrollably and I'll deduct a mark from your grade" And another unlikely use pop in her head so she got to write everything down

1) Light source: The more common use of the Reiatsu orb is to illuminate one's path in the dark places or help read/visualize things easily in darkness

2)Feint Attack: Creating it and make the opponent think you are preparing a Kido then attack with a different technique as they focus on the orb

3)Burst it to make noise: You could burst the orb to create noise and attract attention of hollows towards you and take pressure of allies

Where this good answers? Only the teacher can say but Miyu was confident that at the very least she surely was the one with rather unique answers because she was thinking outside of the box instead of focusing on the obvious use for the orb, and if not at least she tried and didn't cheat to reach her answers hopefully that's something the Teacher will take into consideration when grading the quiz.

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

Professor Shihoin collected the quizzes after a reasonable amount of time, with a small number of groans but mostly ambivalent attitudes. There was one student, however, who seemed far too cheery. When she handed her quiz in, she squirmed a little in her chair with antsy anticipation. When the squirrel professor returned to her desk and just plopped the stack on top, the squirming student piped up. "Professor Shihoin, won't you read some of them out loud? I think mine are particularly brilliant." The class started to chuckle at her over-enthusiasm. The Professor just shook her head. "That's not how I run my class. I'll be grading these and handing them out separately after a short intermission."

She waved her little squirrel hands as if to say "you're free to stretch or do whatever" and moved to her stack of papers. It wasn't large, so it wouldn't take her long especially given it was just three items per page, but they'd have time to talk and socialize before moving into the Advanced Training portion of the class.

[Miyu Feng]

Miyu would hand her paper and lean back letting a sigh of relief, whether her ideas and application were correct or not it was on the instructor to decide, but she hope that at least writing her answers on ink would at least show a bit of confidence and that she's not afraid of making mistakes, that should count for something, right?

The girl open her eyes wide when a classmate ask if the professor would read them out loud, but then relaxed as the squirrel instructor said no, while she was sure her answers were fine she wouldn't like to hear people laugh or chuckle when they hear it just like they did when the girl asked if they were going to be read out loud, Miyu would look at said girl and give her a smile with a thumbs up, her excitement and cheerfulness is something she appreciates.

"Confident in your answers?" Miyu would turn to Orimi "I'd say mine are a bit outside of the box but definitely work, and isn't that what's important? Being unique and creative?" She would let out a small chuckle, hopefully Professor Shihoin thinks the same since she knows that she'll need a lot of help for this signature.

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

"I'd say so, yes." Orimi gave a smile, not even enough though to be called a half-smile. A quarter-smile, if you will. She looked lost in thought. As to which question she was answering of Miyu's, it was unclear. Was she confident in her answers, or was it that she agreed that being unique and creative were important? Either way, suddenly there was a flash of blonde hair in Miyu's face. The over-enthusiastic student from before was leaning over the row of desks behind Orimi and Miyu and was in between the pair, head cocked towards Miyu. "Hihihi! I'm Suzie, from the lesser noble house of the Jusuns. Fourteenth in line for the Head, if I may be so forthcoming. Isn't it just a wonderful place to be, the Academy? I'm sure my great-uncle twice removed would be so proud to see me here if he could see... or hear... Anyways, isn't it just wonderful?"

A very enthusiastic person indeed. Professor Shihoin was still grading papers at this time, so there was still some time to get to know her fellow students a little better.

[Miyu Feng]

Miyu didn't know how to react at Orimi's answer, on one hand she got an answer and sort of a smile, on the other it didn't seem like she was paying that much attention to begin with and being honest that's not something that the girl appreciated, unfortunately there was not much time to dwell on that as Miyu would get a handful of blonde hair on her face as the enthusiastic classmate walk all the way to lean on the row above them.

Miyu would lean back a bit and look at her as she began talking and talking and talking, she didn't understand much of what she was saying outside of her name, once she stopped and Miyu had a chance to process everything she spew the Chinese girl was ready to answer.

"It's an honor to meet you, I'm Feng, Miyu" She would say and bow her head "I'm no noble nor I am attached to an important name, I had a sort of brother while I was alive but right now I'm on my own" Would said brother be proud of hER? Now that was a question she would dwell on it later, she can't lose focus with those thoughts yet "For the first day I actually like the Academy so far, hopefully the years to come will be the same or even better, either way I'm not bailing out from here if I want to become captain of Squad 3 in the future" She would offer Suzie one big confident smile after finishing

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

"Fang Me You? What an interesting name! Almost sounds like Fang Pee Ew, if you know what I mean! HahaHA! Anywys, Fang, those are pretty lofty goals you've got there. I'm on the fast track to Squad 1, myself. Aiming for that 195 Marks, won't settle for anything less than 175! hahaHa! Gotta graduate with Honors, after all..." At that, Orimi snorted. Good luck with that, Suzie. Last student to hit all 195 marks was before you were even born. Suzie's head snapped towards the Shiba, blonde hair flopping in that direction, dragging itself over Miyu's face and slapping Orimi. "Say that again, I dare you."

Orimi was about to say exactly that again when suddenly there was the sound of papers being loudly stacked together on the desk at the front. "Your papers have been graded. I will pass them out now. Back to your seats, all of you. Suzie made a "I'm watching you" motion with her fingers towards Orimi and pulled herself back up into the correct row and made her way back to her seat. Professor Shihoin quickly passed out the papers that had been given to her and let the students look at them for a few moments.

Miyu's paper had a 2/2 on it and a comment in red ink. "Solid creativity, good focus on a variety of uses."

Full marks for the Basic Instruction portion of today's course was on the right track for the Chinese Student. There wasn't a lot of discussion about the papers, especially when the Professor went straight into the Advanced Instruction portion of the class.

"Who can tell me the difference between Hado, Bakudo, and Kaido?" Her eyes moved across the room and settled on Miyu. "Ms. Feng?"

10 QP awarded for full grades on pop Quiz