Freedom of Life(Hisana/Rio)

The mention of Hueco Mundo had certainly not only earned the Shihoin woman's curiosity. but allowed her to confirm that this Hisana was different from the one in her memory... or so she thought, at least. Rio never recalled a day of stepping foot into Hueco Mundo, though she was very familiar nevertheless. That hardly changed anything so far. Her calming presence and kind aura she exuded was enough to disarm any suspicions so far. If she was here roaming the city, she assumed that her presence was welcome here, and the Soul society welcomed her, then so too did Rio. She would smile as they received their orders of well-seasoned meat skewers as she walked beside Hisana, towards the direction of a nearby cart that sold ramen.

Rio would turn towards as she smiled, aiming to answer her next question. It was an interesting one, all things told. Rio had spent the vast majority of her life admittedly... living a somewhat uneventful life. Half of her attention was focused towards keeping a watchful eye over her family while she trained endlessly to prove that she could maintain the family whenever Chidori departed elsewhere on a whim. Living as a Shihoin? Rio chuckled softly, smiling somewhat sheepishly as she ruminated on what explanation she ought to provide Hisana before settling on something.

"To answer the first question, Miss Hisana... If I might be truthful, I cannot offer a genuine explanation on what it means to live as a Shihoin. Our family is full of the whimsical, the stoic, and the eccentric. My own life was one spent training and striving for strength, so that I might protect my family properly in the absence of others. "
Rio would form a warm smile as she continued on, softly chewing on a meat skewer as she reminisced.

"It wasn't very eventful and perhaps one might say I should've aimed my life elsewhere and enjoyed myself more but I don't regret anything. My family or my siblings are on their own paths now, though I'd love to reunite with them again. It isn't until now that I decided I ought to pursue my own and see what this world has to offer. Enjoy an adventure, you know? Make new friends, new memories... and whatever else this new path offers."

Now that was an interesting perspective. The point of view of a hollows versus soul reapers. As one who never ventured into Hueco Mundo, she had no opinions to offer on battlefield philosophies, to say nothing of how a Shinigami improved themselves versus a hollow. Rio's interest in this conversation only increased tenfold once she heard that the woman was teaching at the academy. Huh... what a pleasant revelation, she mused. She wouldn't have entertained the idea years ago. It was good to see the higher-ups moving beyond their archaic point of views.

Everything was so structured within the Soul Society, especially the way instruction and tempering one's skill in the academy went. What was it like out there in Hueco Mundo, she wondered? Gazing at Hisana, she felt the woman's aura and presence to be warm. Far from what she might naively expect an Arrancar to be like. Come to think of it, how many of that race had she met? Was Hisana the first? She couldn't quite recall. Perhaps that was to be expected.

"That is an eye-opening perspective that I don't think I've entertained myself. I learned of hollows and Hueco Mundo through my own time as a student in the Academy and I'm certain I've come across a few but I think that experience goes no further. The Soul society more or less always operates on structure for the most part, so I'm curious about how things are in a place with no such establishment..."

Rio would gaze at the scenery before continuing, ruminating on her next words. She was right. For all the advancements they made, there were other parts that still remained very much the same. The outer districts of the Rukongai. Rio had never traveled throughout those parts but she commonly heard the stories and the crimes and the danger it presented. It was somewhat depressing to know they hadn't received their own attention but Rio didn't let it linger.

"No. My parents would have likely advised against it, even I wanted to. I've heard of the crimes and the danger if one even dares to step foot there but I never once journeyed out to sate any curiosity that might have reared it's head. It is unfortunate that for all the advancements made elsewhere, none have properly been given to those born into circumstances less fortunate. If you don't mind my asking... my curiosity has been sparked during this conversation so far. How is Hueco Mundo? I've only ever read the books but a personal point of view never hurts."

A curious venture in exchange for another.

Rio listened to Hisana with a focused silence as she listened to the woman's words. HIsana was warm and welcoming and certainly held no qualms with providing the Shihoin with helpful pieces to connect the puzzle. It was insightful. The initial exposition helped her piece together how Hisana came to be a teacher and the purpose behind her classes. She admired that sort of bravery in the woman. She couldn't imagine that an Arrancar would be open to teaching soul reapers how to properly handle hollows, though that was a given considering how sheltered the woman was in her own upbringing, to say nothing of spending her time on nothing but training and striving to be a protector. If nothing else, the insight was a welcomed one and would perhaps effect how Rio approached hollows or arrancar in the future.

The second exposition was centered around what the question Rio had posed towards Hisana. Hueco Mundo. It was almost as the books in the Academy described it but not entirely so. This felt more personal, as if she had experienced everything that she spoke of. As RIo expect, it was neither composed or structure. A realm resonant with the law of the jungle. Eat or be eaten. No fellowship, no companionship... hunt or be hunted. That's all. And for every group that may have formed together, their selfishness would lead them to disband all the same, treachery their ruin. She gazed Hisana and wondered just how difficult a journey it must have been to get here, to reach this point. To survive... that. She was certainly worthy of praise. Rio possessed her own iron will but she couldn't bear to imagine how she would've adapted or what she would've become in a realm like that.

Hisana would pose an interesting questions towards the Shihoin woman that caused her to blink ever so slightly. It was a question that caused her to pause as she tapped at her chin. The sensation of drowning... Rio could remember days where she would swim in water but she had never recalled a time where she was on the verge of drowning. If it wasn't water she was referring to, then perhaps it was something else. It was a chilling question, to be certain but a question nevertheless. An exchange of curiosity in exchange for another.

"I have never felt that sensation before. During all of my training and working myself to exhaustion in the past... I'd always feel like my lungs might give out or I might fall over out of exhaustion. I experienced some forms of pain to train my body... to become the shield of my family, as a means of improving my physical endurance... but I don't think I've ever experienced that sensation before, Hisana."

A cursory nod would indicate that Rio had understood the baseline idea of what Hisana meant when she spoke about the hunger of hollows - or rather the Menos in particular. She would chuckle at the woman's suggestion at making the students run a few laps before a lecture. Rio could hardly tell if she was making humor or if she was genuinely serious but it was an interesting idea nonetheless.

Within moments, they would arrive at the small section that was Hisana's home - a graceful Japanese Inn. Rio would be respectful as well, removing her sandals as she followed the woman towards the table and sat a few meters across from her.

When they were comfy and settled in, Hisana would turn the conversation towards a different subject. Rio tapped at her chin to think things over for a moment. Hm... what would she do? That's right. She had indeed talked about a change of pace at the outset of their meeting and her plans for the future. Rio would smile as she began to speak, a pleasant tinge in her tone.

"Ah, well... There's so many things I'd like to do. Where do I start? If I had to say, first I'd like to pass on some of the skills I've learned to other fledgling soul reapers trying to achieve great things in the Soul Society. It's why I took the role of a substitute teacher. I can't offer my entire time but I can offer something." Rio would cross her legs as she continued on, leading into the next plan of her future endeavors.

"The other part of my time will likely be spent exploring the realm of the living. I've visited it a few times but... I never learned to appreciate it. I will always pursued training and worrying about my family and I worked myself to exhaustion, without once thinking of my own wellbeing. I want to correct that... love this life, enjoy an adventure, explore the unknown..."

To hear that Hisana was a teacher at the Academy was quite an eye-opener. It was certainly not something she would've imagined in the past but this was a new generation, and with a new generation, change and innovation were inevitable. Hisana's warm nature was more than befitting for a teacher.

Rio inwardly assumed that her students were probably fond of her because of it. Perhaps this meant they would cross paths more. As their conversation continued, Rio would chuckle at the woman's comments about the state of the world. Hisana was correct in a sense. The wars of earth had left certain parts of earth in ruins.

Some countries were forced to rebuild while others were destroyed entirely. Truth be told, such knowledge made Rio appreciate how blessed she was to have avoided those wars. She was certainly a warrior worth her weight in gold but that didn't necessarily mean she welcomed the idea of war. She could only feel remorse for those who suffered in the aftermath.

"Funny thing about that... I've actually been to earth quite a few times, though none of them were extended visits. It'd either be a mission when I was a seated member or a casual stroll to see what my peers found so amusing about it. Though it is true that much of the earth realm has been compromised in one way or another, there are still some places that have managed to retain their luster. The first time was a culture shock but I think I've grown quite use to the way humans are, even if they vary greatly in personality. " Rio would smile once more, gazing at Hisana as she inquired about the ramen. It was quite delicious, to be sure.


"Tasty. I like it. I'm certainly no ramen critic but this was certainly a fine and enjoyable choice, Hisana."