Fateful Meeting (Social - Rei)

[Miyu Feng]

Slowly but surely Miyu was getting use to her new afterlife and with a set of goals in her mind driving her to be better one could say she was more than ready to tackle whatever the academy life was going to throw at her, but things weren't as simple she has face what could possibly be one of her major obstacles on her way to the top and that was kido 101.

While the class went swimmingly at least on her opinion she couldn't ignore the fact that she wasn't the most spiritually strongest out here and that she had to improve, especially because she was pretty sure any class involving any kind of physical activity she was going to pass it with her eyes closed but Kido was the base of everything in the future years and classes.

With that in mind she use her free time between classes to go to the academy's main courtyard and sitting under the shadow of a tree she began concentrating on creating the reiatsu orb just like in class, trying to use the method told by one of her classmates the Chinese girl imagine a circle as dark and heavy as possible and then herself jumping on said circle.

It was odd to say the least but it sort of work better and faster than her old method, problem was that unlike her other method the orb form almost immediately without her fully controlling the reiatsu flow, this turn into the orb forming and increasing in size rapidly before bursting with a loud sound that would get the attention of  anyone passing by for sure.

Miyu would immediately stand up and bow her head apologizing to whoever was looking at her since it wasn't her intention to interrupt them, once the panicking apologize were done the girl would slump down and let out a sigh of defeat, this wasn't going to be as easy as she wanted it to be.

[Rei Takagi]

The free time held between classes was something that was extremely pivotal for a student, for they could use this to do either one of two things. Screw around, or actually make valuable use of their time. The problem with such a distinction was that it was extremely subjective in nature. What constitutes screwing around, and what exactly constitutes a valuable usage of time? Such a question was...difficult.

The courtyard was an open space where Rei figured he could keep to himself relatively efficiently as well as prepare for his next class, at least in peace. He was just about to sit down at a spot when suddenly he heard a rather loud 'POP!' nearby, something akin to a balloon bursting. It was startling, jarring, every word you could use for that, and if the reader knew a thing about Rei Takagi, it's that loud noises were...something that stung. He had jumped to his feet at the source of the noise, but...

...The source was a girl--it seemed as if it was an accident from what he could tell. And she seemed as if she had her hands full with apologizing to anyone who had noticed. The question of what to do or how to approach this lingered, and eventually, Rei took a deep breath, and walked over towards the slumped over Miyu. "...Hey, I'm sorry if this isn't my business, but are you alright...?"

[Miyu Feng]

Miyu would have to think better ways to practice Kido that doesn't end up creating a mini scene because she couldn't control the orb, at least it wasn't during class so no marks would be remove from her score which she aimed to keep as perfect as possible, fortunately no one seem actually mad at her and they proceed wit their day as if nothing happen.

One person did approach, it was another student and for a second she thought she would have to apologize but he actually wanted to know if she was alright, it felt really nice hearing that after everyone just walked away as if nothing happen, the Chinese girl would stand up and nod

"Yes, I'm fine, luckily a Reiatsu Orb poping is nothing dangerous" She laughed nervously "Sorry if I interrupted something or bother you" the raven hair girl bowed to the student in apology "My name is Feng, Feng Miyu"

She thought that since this person took the time to come and check on her, it would be nice to be polite and introduce herself, who knows? It might also start up a conversation and make a friend, everyone here is training to be a Shinigami so making as many friends as possible now is something important in case one needs help from other squads, it's always nice to know people!

[Rei Takagi]

Speaking as truthfully as one can speak in such a time, Rei was more than a little upset at the loud noise, but a quick moment or two to breathe and regain one's bearings...Yeah. There were bigger fish to fry at that moment in time. Plus, talking to people always seemed to help ease nerves a little bit, no? It was worth a try. It always was worth a try.

An apology was at the back of Rei's mind. One would've been nice. At the same time, he also did not think it necessary. Accidents were...accidents, yes? "Reiatsu Orb...?" He repeated to himself, mostly, before he nodded to the Chinese girl. Oh. There's an apology...uh. Huh. "I-It's fine. The most you did was scare me, but I figured something exploded and someone might've been hurt and..." Rei had to stop himself from going on a tangent. He gave a quick bow in return to Miyu. "My name is Rei--Takagi Rei. It's nice to meet you!" He made his best attempt at a smile to cap that off.

"So, what exactly were you trying to make that...orb for if I can ask?" There was curiosity to be had from the fellow trainee. How would Miyu regard that?

[Miyu Feng]

Miyu smiled as Rei bowed and introduce himself, it might be small but that little gesture was more than a couple of people have done so far and politeness is something Miyu can respect, at a quick glance the student didn't seem like a bad person and the girl could use someone to talk  and just pass time until the next class, she then sit on the ground and wait to see if Rei did as well.

"I was practicing for my Kido class, the very first thing the instructor taught us was how to form a reiatsu orb" She began explaining closing her eyes and extending her arm, the girl made a pause and focus to create the orb before continuing her explanation. "I had some experience in my past life but I was never that spiritually strong and as you see the orb isn't really that big" She show the glowing ball of light that wasn't bigger than a baseball "A classmate taught me a different method to focus and channel reiatsu and was trying it and then..." She hold her breath and then made a "pop" sound with her mouth to explain that the orb blow up on her face before laughing

Luckily this small orb was easier to control and she made it fade away with ease rather than bursting like the last one, it was the most basic of the basics and the instructor said it was fine but at the same time if she wanted to graduate as the top student she had to put the effort into achieving that goal!

[Rei Takagi]

Indeed, a simple gesture of kindness went a long way with some, especially in an environment like the academy. Miyu had gone to sit on the ground, and seemed to be waiting for him to do so as well. So, really, there was nothing better to do than hear her out, right? Yep. The fellow academy student carefully sat right next to Miyu, glancing at her as she made a quick demonstration of the orb.

Utilization of a technique learned in class in order to focus and apply a different technique for channeling spiritual pressure. An interesting way to approach it, but the methodology that Miyu had been applying was foreign to him. Making the orb, however? His own Kido class had taught him something similar. "I get what you mean--apparently when I was alive I had a bit of...spiritual strength, something I can hone now. But it was never really what I excelled in in life." Not that one could really tap into that when you're alive.

"Moreover...!" Rei would extend his own arm, focusing to make a ball of reiatsu of his own--lavender in color, a small, palm-sized sphere, before quickly making it go away. "That noise was -loud- for something so tiny...I wonder what'd happen if you made it pop on purpose at a bigger size." ...Rei, no, that's a horrible idea.

But it was also something to talk about, truth be told! "I don't know if I'm grasping the basics of Kido all too well yet, but it seems like an interesting class so far! How's your course going?"

[Miyu Feng]

The girl smiled as Rei decided to sit and pay attention to her explanation, it might not be much but considering no one else came to see if she was OK it felt nice to have someone to talk and spend sometime before the next class, who knows? Maybe he could add his imput to the training of this rather simple technique!

"I was sort of able to do it but my control was very limited, my brother on the other hand he was a master, then again he was called the "Skillful star" for a reason" The girl chuckled remembering a bit of those days and the training with her "brother" "I had an easier time grasping martial arts and weapon combat so I'm not too worried about my other classes"

Rei seemed to have a better time making the orb as it didn't took too long to focus and create one in his hand, he then wonder how much noise would make if one pop it on purpose or in a bigger scale, which is funny because the one that Miyu lose control and burst was bigger than the one she show to the student.

"Well you see, the one that made the noise was bigger, as said I was trying something different and I lost control and got bigger and" Once again she made the pop sound with her mouth and laugh "First class was nice, took me by surprise that our instructor was a Squirrel and try to blast us with a Hado" She commented remembering the introduction of the Instructor Shihoin, that's definitely an introduction she won't forget. "That aside it was a pretty normal class, learning the orb, writing what use could have and a bit of theory on how Kido works, overall nice but I'll have to apply myself as hard as possible if I want to be at the top of the class"

[Rei Takagi]

"Skillful Star...?" A title that held zero significance to Rei. Seriously, he had never heard of anyone of that title before, so...he couldn't help but be curious about that. Otherwise, Miyu being more specialized in martial arts and weapons explained what exactly she did if she wasn't very spiritually aware. Essentially?

This lady likely knew one or two ways to kick his ass! Maybe! "Well...Even if you're skilled, there's no such thing as too much practice, right? Granted, I don't know if I have much room to speak given I'm not exactly an expert at weaponry or martial arts. Most of what I know, I was taught at the academy." It's true--even if most of his practice was trying to perfect his 'form' with an Asauchi.

Recalling the first orb, learning that detail at least helped him connect two and two. Of course it was that loud. "...Honestly, not the strangest instructor at the academy." Rei noted. "And yeah, that's generally how it works, you know? Those who dedicate themselves the most end up excelling the most! Or so I've heard. Really, I think it's a matter of applying yourself in the best way you can."

There was a long pause from Rei's end, before he quietly admitted, "I don't know how I'd do that for myself, though. Frustrating, but...Yeah."

[Miyu Feng]

The girl smiled as Rei repeated the title of her "Brother" she certainly got the attention of the student, but unfortunately it's a long story to tell just like that so for now he'll have to stay curious about it. That aside Rei say something very true even if you're skilled there's always room for improvement and grow.

"That is something I agree, my brother always said that the path we follow is one of self improvement, only a fool would think they have learn everything that there was to learn" And Miyu live and die for those words, there's always room for improvement and even at the top of your game you'll learn stuff from others too! "And if we reach the end of the path we have to either expand said path for those that walk behind our steps or start a new journey" The journey of a martial artist is never ending and knowing that it certainly has grown and many new martial arts appear in the centuries she's been in Soul Society only excites her even more about returning to the world of the living.

Miyu tilted her head looking at Rei with a bit of curiosity, it's true that finding a way to apply one self to improve is not always easy to figure out and that's something she could relate, but for her that problem was long gone and she knows at least a way to figure out a starting point and that's having goals.

"Well if you want an advice I'd say first you need to ask yourself "why do you want to get better?" I know it's a very broad question but I promise it'll make sense" The Chinese girl began her explanation "You see trying to get better just because won't do because you don't know what you're trying to do, so I figure the best way to go about it is to either question why you want to do it or to have goals!" If Rei was following her so far Miyu would then continue and tell him her goals "For example one of my minor goals is to graduate from here with the highest notes and to be recognize as a top student and example for others, so I have to put more effort on my spiritual side as I find it lacking, of course as said that is a minor goal I won't lose sleep if I don't achieve it, there are bigger things in my mind but for now the Academy is the first obstacle to overcome to reach the other goals" She smile at Rei hoping what she said make sense and help the student

[Rei Takagi]

Attention was, luckily, one way of putting that. What had begun as seeing if someone was alright following a mishap that had the potentiality to ruffle a few feathers had turned into an interesting conversation. One where two students at different points in their journey intersected. Moreover, Miyu's brother seemed like a wise man! At least, that was the first impression that Rei got, hearing her speak about him.

The words that Miyu spoke seemed like ones she lived and breathed by. And it was a good way to deal with the end of one's journey--widen the path for others, or start a new one. "Or both." Both sounded good, let's be real. It seemed as if there were two very different yet similar philosophies on display at the moment.

"I think I get where you're coming from. Having a 'why' to rationalize wanting to better yourself with could potentially help you figure out where to start. If you can answer that..." He trailed off, mostly because he felt like it was obvious how such a statement would end. Miyu was, to her credit, making a good amount of sense to Rei. "So, what made you want to set that goal, if I can ask? What's the 'why' behind that?" It was a pretty lofty one for Miyu.

At least, from what Rei could tell. "I mean, mine's similar--I want to learn as much as I can so I can help as many as I can, but...What brought you to decide 'I'm not just going to pass this, I'm going to conquer it!' You know?"

[Miyu Feng]

Both indeed was a way of going about it, nothing says that you can't improve a prior path with the knowledge of the new one you're walking, in that sense Rei understood how Miyu see things and the girl couldn't help but smile, it's hard to explain or sell people on that view not everyone is enticed by a never ending journey, some people just want to reach the peak of the mountain and call it a day rather than see the other places they could go.

"Well, you could say is an extension of the goal I had when I was alive" The Chinese girl sighed and look up in the sky, even if it has been centuries it feels like everything was yesterday for her. "I want to leave a mark on history, it might sound selfish but I hate the idea of leaving without a trace and being forgotten" Just like when she was alive "Heroes may die but their legend lives forever and as long as you are remembered you're not truly gone, the impact you leave on others will carry your memory forever"

The girl would laugh and scratch the back of her head in embarrassment as she realized that she suddenly dump a lot on poor Rei, it might lack the context but it's definitely easy to point out the reasoning behind that goal with what she said, hopefully it won't make the other student uncomfortable, in any case she would then look at Rei and ask him the same question

"What brought you here? What are your goals? If you find the answer to those questions you'll be able to set some goals and apply yourself to achieve them" That's the first step into this journey to pick the path you feel suits you to walk, be one you follow from someone else or one that you find yourself.

[Rei Takagi]

Mutual understanding. A difficult thing for most to reach, but the beginnings of which were something that the two had managed to take a step towards. Most did not realize that there is another side to the mountain beyond the peak. Most people did not get to such a level of understanding when they first meet! Likely!

There was something about what Miyu was saying that Rei seemed to zero in on, in a figurative sense. An extension of the goal she had when alive. That goal being leaving a mark upon history. Selfish, yes, but a shred of empathy was felt, and for Rei a shred was oft a lot more than it appeared. He had...heard that before, many a time from his own mouth, yet never from another's. Yet, he had never thought to link that to the idea of heroism.

Hell, the concept of heroics was a foreign thing to Rei Takagi, which was something you could likely consider ironic given he was in the Academy for Shinigami--the heroes of Soul Society to many. It was likely the work of a hero, yet to him? It was merely a matter of doing the right thing. "I heard once that you only really die when you're forgotten. I...confess that I don't recall who told me that, but...I feel as though those words fit right with your goal, no?"

...This felt like a weirdly dangerous conversation, despite how...innocent it seemed. It was the subject, the idea of goals. Laying something so personal out on the first time they ever met meant that one had to take great care not to accidentally insult the other. For such a stab would cut deep. Yet...

Why -was- he here?

Miyu had raised an excellent question that had never been asked so casually before. Rei had an answer rehearsed for when a teacher asked, but never for a fellow student...How to respond? Gears turned. Shifted. "...I came here because I wanted to do the right thing with a...second chance. To prevent wrongs from happening to the people that don't deserve them. It's naive, I know, but at the heart of things that's what motivated me taking the long walk."

But...

"I don't think that's my true answer, though. Which just means the real answer could well be anything. Learning, all the way to simply wishing to leave one's mark on history. From there...I think it's as you say, right?"

[Miyu Feng]

For this to being one of her very first non classmates interactions in the academy things were going great, she could feel a certain bond growing faster between her and Rei as they seemed to be on the same page about the current topic, it feels nice having someone that understands where she's coming from with her goal and doesn't judge her.

"That is correct" She nodded to Rei's comment of one dying when they're forgotten "That's why when I was alive I wanted to leave a mark, a way of saying "I was here, I existed" but unfortunately things didn't work out in the end" She let out a nervous laugh "But now I have a "second chance"in the afterlife so I'll put everything I have into completing my goals I wasted a couple of centuries and I'm not letting one more pass without achieving something"

It's interesting how easy it feels to talk about this stuff with Rei as it really walks a thin line between just a talk about her goal and going a bit deep into personal territory about her previous life, that aside it was Rei's turn to do a bit of introspection and answer a rather simple but interesting question the Chinese girl dropped.

Miyu was able to get a couple of things from his answer which painted a really good image of what kind of person Rei was, most importantly was his honesty, many would simply give a reason like fighting hollows or doing the right thing, and while he did use the latter he also admitted that he wasn't sure if that was the true answer.

"I wouldn't call you naive, especially if you're doing it following your heart and what you believe is right" She gave Rei a warm smile "Most importantly being able to tell that you're not sure it's the true answer is great, it means you are aware of your inexperience and are taking the first step of a journey blind" Hopefully she didn't sound rude by saying that, not many take kindly being called inexperienced "The great thing about it is that you're not following on anyone's footsteps, you create your own path and journey and I'm sure sooner or later you'll found the true answer, you just have to keep following your heart"

[Rei Takagi]

It was eerie in more than a few ways, truth be told. Do people normally get off on the same page so quickly? Or was it mere chance, a rolling of the dice? There was nonetheless something...melancholy to be had about Miyu being forgotten, though. At least, that's what Rei had been inferring from what she had said.

"...Not letting one more pass without achieving something, you say?" He repeated. "I think you will--Even if you don't? I'll remember you anyways. You deserve that." Good grief, he must have sounded dumb, right? Even if such a notion was rather swiftly dismissed by Miyu? It lingered. It lingered and that uncertainty was something that...stung.

Yeah. Stung. That's a word for it. It was a touch too complex a matter at the moment to really describe what Rei was feeling at the subsequent validation(?) from Miyu, but to put some facet of it simply? That smile was returned. To be aware of one's own shortcomings meant a lot. Yet, it was his own path, as she said.

"Make your own path too, then! ...And at the end of it, I'll tell you what my answer is. Okay?"

That felt fair. Right? That was a motivator for them both to see their goals through to the end. If they even saw each other again after the rigors of the Academy would call them away. Time was...a menace.

[Miyu Feng]

Miyu couldn't help but blush at Rei's comment of remembering her, considering the topic they were talking it was a nice compliment but at the same time a bold claim, they just met by mere chance and she doubts she left that much of an impact on the student, but maybe there was something they could do to make sure neither forgets this meeting.

"Would you really remember this small event in what may be a long after life?" She said chuckling "But I have an idea to make this little lucky encounter into something more memorable, if you're free after class think you can meet me in the training grounds, let's have a friendly sparring session" A simple proposition that could turn this lucky meeting into something else.

Five years may seem long at first but having a friend outside of her class could help make those years go flying, besides both can improve a lot and help each other off school with classes the other struggles, camaraderie is key for a Shinigami for what she knows so starting early is a great advantage even if they end up on different squads.