And during breakfast the next morning, a dm pops up on her phone:

There in fifteen minutes. Hope you're ready!

Is there a test I didn't study for?

No, no, let's not be sarcastic with the incredibly powerful admin of the group who she's very grateful for.

She'll just stretch and start on breakfast instead.

And a few minutes later there's a soft woosh outside, followed by footsteps up to the door. Somebody knocks.

She opens the door with a smile. "Senior Starlight?"

The woman outside wears a leaf-patterned kimono with a sword belted across her waist; silver hair falls to her mid-back, gleaming in the dawn. She runs a hand through her hair and smiles. 

"Yes. And you must be Abyssal Bride?" 

Do you hold out your hand for a handshake, or bow, in this case? She starts raising an arm, hesitates, realizes she doesn't know bowing ettiquite, then finishes holding out her hand.

"Yes. Though I go by Trys - Bettrys Hughes, but Trys, please. I'm vaguely embarassed about that name now - it was just a screenname, originally. Um. It's good to meet you, I'm pretty honored to be - introduced to the world of cultivation."

Silver Starlight half-smiles. "Senior Starlight, please." She shakes Trys' hand, then steps in past her, looking around. "Cocoa!"

"Yes Senior Starlight?" Cocoa comes out with a full plate of food.

"Oh good, you've cooked. Were you two in the middle of breakfast?"

"Yes, Senior Starlight."

"Then I'll join you. After that, Trys, you can show me how you're training and we'll spar."

"Thank you. I apologize in advance if there is any - etiquette I'm not aware of yet. I have twenty two blood and qi strands now."

"Three strands per day this early?" Silver Starlight's eyebrows rise. "A strong showing. That monster bloodline of yours must be helping significantly. Either that or you're a stubborn one."

"It's both. I have to keep convincing her to take breaks."

Silver Starlight nods shallowly and takes the plate of food from Cocoa. She grabs half a bagel and takes a big bite out of it.

"We should do the rest of this in the kitchen," she says around her mouthful.

"I got five yesterday, though I don't think I can sustain that yet."

Kitchenwards they go.

Starlight sits down and keeps eating. "So, Trys. Describe your recent training to me. How has it been going, in your estimation?"

"Well, I think? I'm probably achieving close to my actual potential, I'm working hard. I'm riding off being stubborn and willing to exercise like hell to - forge myself like this. It's my entire life now, basically, I consider it a full time job and then some, which will eventually get wearing but I'm good for now, I think? Cocoa had a tip to practice the mental motions of qi outside of actual attempts at condensation, I think that's been helpful. I think I could pretty sustainably do three strands per day, four with some strain, and hope to go up to five or six later of course. I've - never been in a real fight, not even as a mortal, so I'm anxious about that part. Though I've been thinking about how to use the techniques in a fight, I'm getting used to the lag on the kicks, I think. And I have Turtle Breathing now which is great and I want to go freediving somewhere, but using it a lot seems to hurt my ability to condense strands, so- Later." 

"Your lack of combat experience is exactly why we should spar. You'll be fighting stronger opponents most of the time right now if you get into fights - so best to get used to it now, hm? And I would say you have the right attitude, especially for a beginner. Much progress can be made early on, so you should do your best to flower quickly and then you'll have more time to do the actual hard parts."

"Right." She nods sharply and gets back to her scrambled eggs with bacon bits.

Senior Starlight munches away contentedly. 

"These are good bagels."

"Yep."

"Hm?"

...She grabs a bagel too. Nom. 

"...Yep."

Senior Starlight finishes her bagel. She stretches. Without saying anything she wanders off in the direction of the gym.