Hakuda Matata [Lerna/Asami

Lerna was sweating as she watched the rest of the class begin to take their leave from the class, watching as the other students all filed out, and she hung back, pausing as she let her attention shift to the rest of the room, a few stragglers, and of course the teacher putting away equiptment. She had to admit that she didn't think Hakuda training would be anything other than a formality. She had enormous amounts of experience, absurd really in terms of raw physical combat, not only that but she felt a good deal physically more capable than many of her peers. True as it may have been that the REASON was that most of them were little rukongai peeps that were just trying to make it into a solid stable job, but all the same she had figured that Hakuda would just be one of those coasting classes.

And yet it was actually one of her most challenging classes. Her vast experience of improvisation and cunning in fact made it difficult to maintain her stances and forms, when her heart and instincts rold her to abandon such things and fall into old rhythms. Fighting against herself, the class was both physically AND mentally exhausting. Compounded by the fact that as it seemed, Professor Furukawa seemed to favor calling on Lerna in particular for demonstrations. And truth be told, she couldn't even fault the woman for using her as an example. And no doubt, the extra attention was probably something she honestly needed. A strange sentiment to deal with in particular.

All of this swam around through her head as she glanced to the side. Ah right, she had been so lost in thought she'd forgotten that SHE was supposed to be helping put all this stuff away. Thankfully it wasn't much, a couple things to put away and then clean up while the teacher prepped herself to leave off to the side. She finished up her cleaning, and then glanced to the teacher with a smile, making note of the brief look that had been sent her way when she had spaced out for sevral long seconds.

"All done, Professor!" She chimed, internally cringing when she heard her own voice. "I got uh, distracted." A common problem in this particular class as it were, or well...thats how she played off her particular difficulty.
She attempted to play it off with a smile.

Lerna gave a nervous smile when she noticed that node, and promptly moved to start getting the equipment back to where it was supposed to be. Though WHILE she was doing that, she did tense up just a little at the implicative question that had been thrown her way. "Oh, no! Not at all! I mean, I just uh.....have to concentrate a lot. You know, push out all the distractions." She fumbled through her response. Truth be told, she WAS usually more smooth about this kind of thing, more relaxed. But not only was she tired, but there was a strange sort of ......hierarchy. Her other teachers certainly she respected as her teachers, but because of how....badly, she perfomed in Hakuda class, AND the fact that the teacher seemed to go out of her way to help actually had elevated Asami to a higher level of respect. As a result, she felt a bit more vulnerable to having her stride broken by the woman.

For all of her strength and prowess, she KNEW Asami could put her flat on her ass at a moment's notice. That meant she was to be respected. And even if obviously the same held true for teachers like Murasaki and probably more or less EVERY professor in the academy. Asami was the only one to actually....DO it. And so it felt more......real?

She paused, putting away the last of the equipment and .....pausing....looking them over. Making sure she actually put them away where they were SUPPOSED to be. Something she had had to learn the hard way once or twice. Living out on the streets working for gangs had definitely not prepared her for the level of ......grace and oirganization and purpose that the sereitei just seemed to have in spades. Satisfied with her job, she turned to Asami and offered a big smile. "There we go, All set, Professor!" She noted, just a hint of satisfaction in her voice. Pleased that she had double checked and ensured her work was more than satisfactory. A glance around, the floors, the mats, everything was clean and tidy. Which felt strange to be proud over, but for some reason she was. Promptly looking to the Professor for acknowledgement.

Lerna paused for a moment at that and felt .... a bit guilty hearing that. An immutable core. She reached up and gently let her hand rest over her chest for a brief moment. To anyone watching her, she was simply holding her hand over her heart, but her hand was slightly off the spot for that. Resting over her pill in her body. The gigai she inhabited, passing herself off as just... a talented human that had taken up Shinigami work. She did wonder how long it would take. She HAD only recently gotten in. Maybe a month or so at most. Supposedly this was like a multi-year curriculum wasn't it? But she didn't let herself zone out this time, refocusing after that brief moment of consideration.

She smiled again, as if it had never left her face. "Awesome possum." She chimed, making her way off to the side to grab her own things before she paused and glanced at the woman. "Professor, I do appreciate you putting in the extra work with me and all that. I know it's probably hard seein me get in my own way. Do you want to go get something to eat sometime? It can be my treat." She offered with an enthused smile, oblivious to any notion of professional teacher student conduct. But then again, with so many humans living in post apocalyptic conditions before they die, and so many shinigami coming to shino off the rukongai streets, she probably wasn't in the minority. So sar as she was concerned so long as she minded her manners around the woman who was her sensei, she was gucci right? Working with gangs she always knew that relationships were important. Wether you were dealing with someone directly or just in someone else's turf. A bit of networking helped smooth things over. It only felt natural to apply it to her time as a shinigami as well. Especially with how much Asami went out of her way to help her.

Lerna felt a slight sheepishness course through her in response to the teacher's words about her ...AHEM.....incredibly lacking performance in Hakuda. Awesome. But at the very least that sheepishness was shortlived, almost immediately perking up when the professor accepted her offer! "Awesome! When are you free next?" She asked brightly, smiling from ear to ear as she tucked her things under her arm and then stood up to her full height to wait for the woman to respond. Completely unaware that her rather reserved and calm teacher had even felt any such surprise. Frankly the girl probably would think herself mistaken if she even had spotted anything. Lerna certainly did see Asami through badass tinted lenses.

All of this transpired while Lerna was making her way to the door, possibly with Asami in Tow, though she still would start heading there even if her teacher didn't move with her. She DID need to go shower or something. Which at this point was just habit after Hakuda class.

Lerna perked up a bit when fortune was so kind as to smile upon her a second time in succession. "Oh that's excellent! Anything in particular you're in the mood for?" She asked enthusiastically as she lashed her own Zanpaku'to to her waist as well, resting her hand on the opening of the scabbard and relaxing as she walked with the woman, ever so slightly allowing a slow trickle of her spirit energy to seep into it as they went.

She DID pause for a moment as the Teacher then indicated indecisiveness. And THAT surprised Lerna a bit, the notion of the woman being unsure certainly was odd. "Hmmm, well I DID find a pretty cool place that's nearby." She chimed, smiling from ear to ear as she was all too happy that she herself was a bit more decisive, not even imagining that this perhaps would be some sort of trap or some kind of test. Once they were in the hallway Lerna slowed a little so that they could walk side by side, slooooowly arching her back and stretching her arms for just a moment to get the creaks out of her body before letting her arms rest tucked behind her head. "Honestly I usually try to cook my own stuff, but it's a whole different market for food up here compared to the world of the living. I'm used to just making some noodles or a roast and just calling it a night So I've been kinda eating out a bit more than I usually would. It's a little unbelievable how great some of the food here is." She noted with a wistful sigh. Seamlessly transitioning into conversation, glancing now and then to the woman beside her as they headed outside.