Bounts are Dumb [DP, R]

[Nola Vilde]

Thread Title: Bounts Are Dumb
Participants: Nola Vilde,
World: Human World
Death Setting: Permanent Injuries Enabled
Rating: R
Location: An Abandoned Car Garage nestled on the shoreline of a beach. Originally an automotive factory, it was abandoned and converted into a warehouse once all the machinery was moved out. Outside of the warehouse is nothing but shoreline.
Special Conditions:
Circumstances:

[Nola Vilde]

Nola honestly hadn't wanted to go patrolling. She was perfectly content with going to the Human world and just enjoying herself. She had funds and a relatively comfortable just having a nice evening. But as it were, this was not what was going to happen. As she was making her way down the beach, she happened to spot the body. No damsel, no little child, no poor young soul. What she saw, was an old lady, having appeared to have drifted off sitting beside a young man, as the both of them stared off into the sunset. But she was a shinigami. And she could sense that the woman had died. Not only this, but that there was no plus to be found.

She was gone. Obliterated. And as she turned her attention to the young man beside the old woman, she recognized the reiatsu. It had a certain sensation about it. One that she had only ever sensed in a classroom looking through a set of bars from the 'subject' that was being displayed. Before her very eyes, was a Bount. One that had sucked the life out of that old woman. And it didn't matter that the woman was old. It didn't matter, that unbeknownst to her, that old woman had asked her dear frend ot only to end her life, but she wanted to stay with him. She had wanted to help the young man live his life. She felt that an old crone like her couldn't do much for this new generation, but at the very least she, knowing that he was a man who got into trouble, would at the very least somehow help him stay safe.

She didn't know. He didn't know. and Nola didn't know.

And Luke wouldn't know, when he saw the Bount that had helped him with learning about cars, the one who had been one of the only bounts that had come in AFTER the advent of luke, one of those that Zaluu had brought in because of how nice Luke had turned out to be. On his knees before the shinigami, that black uniform billowing in the wind as that long needle of a blade swept across his shoulders, and he dipped his head, before that skull simply dropped to the ground, his body falling in the other direction.

And Nola simply frowned. She didn't know what it was about the man that had possessed the bount to feed so openly. She didn't care. The obliteration of another soul was not forgivable. The bount had been cleansed. And that was the end of that. she slid her zanpaku'to into it's sheath and narrowed her eyes down at the headless corpse, irritated that her evening and appetite had been ruined.

"You should have stayed in your coffin."

Skills and Stats

Strength: 100 (70)
Speed: 210 (147)
Spiritual Pressure: 250 (750)
Reiatsu Strength: 50 (35)

Light Aura: 100
Dark Aura: 0

Instinct: 200 (140)
Senses: 100 (70)
Energy Senses: 0 (0)
Healing Expertise: 0 (0)

Strength of Will: 2
Pain Resist: 2
Charisma: 2
Weapon: Swords 2
Crafting: 2
Memory: 2
Hoho: 1
Kido: 1
Imitation: 1

[Deleted]

Just once could things not turn to complete shit? It was supposed to be a good night. "I'm meeting with a friend tonight before we meet up. I'll text you when I'm ready, alright?" was all it was supposed to be. Someone that Luke had come to like, learned a thing or two from, and even turned out to be a Bount who wasn't like the one under the club. Luis Sera was someone who was like Luke. He'd been born a Bount, from two parents who were both Bount themselves. He'd grown up in a small rural area of Spain before moving to Japan to pursue a career in automobile construction. One way or another he'd fallen in with Taka's gang. He was much older than Luke, much older in fact, and had even promised to teach Luke a couple of things about Dolls and Bount abilities once he'd helped with this favor. He even understood when Luke requested to avoid the subject of feeding abilities.

The younger Bount had an idea what this was about. Luis had told him about his elderly human friend and how it was nearing her time. He'd guessed something cinematically romantic was going to happen. Maybe some shtick of "wanting to be together always." Luke had been in the middle of buying some light groceries. Eggs, onions, bacon. Shit for breakfast. Hell, he was even wanting to try inviting Taka over for an amulet or some stupid shit just to get a chance to talk with her privately. But when Luke got the text and headed to the beach, what he saw caused him to drop the bags.

Those brown eyes widened and his mouth parted in a mixture of panic and confusion. Just...just what the hell happened? He Luis's body, blood staining the sand red, the same skin colored Shinigami standing over him. He felt his eyelids twitching as he stared at the still bleeding corpse, before raising his gaze at Nola herself. Just what the hell happened? "Holy shitdicks is that..!?" Even Jäger, so often the clown, was taken aback by the scene. Springflut, though silent, let out a pulsing wave of anger that both Luke and Jäger could feel. But Luke was not consciously noticing either of them. All he could hear was the sound of his own accelerating heart beat. Questions were bouncing around his head fueled by panic. What should he do?

Attack? Call Taka? Attack? Try reasoning with her? Attack? Attack? Attack? Luke suddenly remembered words. He spontaniously remembered something that his friend and mentor, Aevus, told him once before about the relationship between Shinigami and Bount. “Reaping creatures of ilk without merit. Masked Fiends known as Hollows, are a common prey of my kind. Yet other races stray into what we are ordered to hunt. Bounts, such as you, used to be a ’Kill on sight‘. Lucky for you, that only applies to those who have fed upon the souls of pluses and humans.” Aevus's words rung like crystal clear bells as the situation suddenly began making sense.

Luis had come out here this night to meet with a dying old friend. Luis had planned to finish this business before meeting with Luke for some training or talking under the moonlight sky. But, if Luke's assumption about what happened this evening were correct. Then this Shinigami...then this Shinigami had caught Luis in the act of feeding. And if what Aevus said was accurate...then it meant that this Shinigami had been doing her duty and slaying what she thought was a monster. It didn't matter the reasons. It didn't matter at all. All that mattered was she saw something she was supposed to kill and did it And with that logical conclusion in mind, Luke decided to skull fuck logic. "URAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!" Luke roared as both of his wrists slammed together, his hands open and pointing at Nola horizontally as a blast of bright blue light erupted violently from those open palms.

It didn't matter the reason. The logic didn't matter. None of it fucking mattered. A friend was dead. A friend who was a good guy was killed in cold blood by some heartless god damn ghost! Luke's anger overwrote his normally working brain and caused him to lash out, firing a well over averaged sized Spirit Wave at the tomato skinned beauty. Massive in fact the blast was. It easily dwarfed Luke as it ripped the sands apart, leaving a pathway of empty air through the shoreline and, if hitting Nola, would ram her like a bus and carry her out into the sea itself. "How. Could. You!?" Luke shouted once more, each word causing the beam to pulse and enlarge before the head finally exploded, violently, creating a tower of water and stream and chunks of wet sand. It was one hell of a way to start things off. Lowering his trembling arms, Luke's mind slowly began to lift the veil of rage and allow his Dolls back into his conscious. "Idiot. Why are you so immature? You might have just gotten yourself in a mess you won't be able to get out of." Springlut, understandable, criticized. Luke didn't respond however, narrowing his eyes as he kept himself on guard. "His feelings got hurt and he wants to blow things up. Let him have his tantrum. Did you notice her skin?"

Remaining Reiatsu: 1900 / 2000
-100 for Spirit Wave

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}
Luke | Soldier

Strength - 100 - 70 Points

Speed - 200 Points

Spiritual Pressure - 200 Points

Reiatsu Strength - 200 - 300 Points

Light Aura - 90 Points

Dark Aura - 10 Points

Instinct - 200 Points

Senses - 150 Points

Energy sensory - 50 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1100 Points

[Street Fighting] {2}


[Weapons: Sword] {2}


[Battle Analysis] {2}


[Pain Tolerance] {2}


[Strength of Will] {2}

[Nola Vilde]

She felt that sudden anger, looking over her shoulder shen she heard that sudden buildup of energy, she noticed luke just in time to see that enormous ball of reiatsu surging in her direction in a powerful beam. That surging rush was powerful, and even she with her lack of talent in sensing reiatsu felt the tickle in the back of her mind. It was actually fairly powerful if she could sense it. But she was not afraid. As the beam surged in her direction, her mind flexed, and the reiatsu in the air around her was dragged in, sucking the energy from the air and pulling it into a space infront of her. And with a sudden drop she fell to one knee as a blade formed along her palm, and then expanded, an enormous weapon bursting into existence, one that seemed more like a kite shield with a sharp edge than an actual weapon. So as that blast surged in, it slammed into the weapon and Nola endured. She had spawned the weapon with it's blade buried in the ground, not sure if her own physical strength would be enough, and so that beam was split as it slammed into the flat of her blade, rushing on either side of her body before erupting off in the ocean behind her.

"Is that so?"

Nola rose to her feet, the blade loosened from the soil by that beam as she tugged the seemingly weightless weapon from the ground and rested it's massive flat along her shoulder, furrowing her brows as she reached up with her free hand, pushing her glasses up along the bridge of her nose, thankful that she had managed to come up with such a power. And indeed, Luke would actually recognize this power. It was similar to something he'd seen before. But HE'D only seen it used to move around. But this was something else entirely.

What he was familiar with was Advanced Air Platforms. A technique to generate complex and variant panels of reishi in order to maintain bracing or motion. This, was Advanced Air Arsenal. Using that same concept, instead of using free reishi to create platforms, she used them to make weapons, in a mimicery of Quincy tactics. The blade itself was very simple. It was a sheet of sharpened metal with a hole near one end, and a bar through the center which made a handle. More or less, it was a mix between a greatsword and a tower shield. But due to it's simple design, it was very easily made. And it had been more than powerful enough to block the attack. There wasn't a scratch on it.

"I'm sorry... But I don't have a tons of tricks up my sleeve boy." She murmured, furrowing her brows at the ....whatever he was. "I don't have any talent in combat I'm afraid. So if you pressure me, I'm going to have to use my Zanpaku'to. And ....that's gonna suck for both of us. Take your hormones and go somewhere else kid." She advised, keeping that blade in it's blocking position, though her guard was still very up, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as she knew that this was going to be a pain. She was a pencil pusher, not a fighter. And that blast had been very rapid. She wasn't entirely sure if she'd be able to deal with him just spamming it. If forced to... she might actually have to just release immediately.

And that knowledge twisted in her gut. Why did this have to be so complicated? That was the deal wasn't it? That bount had murdered someone. And now this? Some random human decided to try and kill her. Because of this stupid misunderstanding. And what was she even going to do? Tell him it was her job? This was pointless. She hoped that her ability to slap his attack away would be more than enough. Maybe he'd back down. She hoped so.

AAA Class 3 used, -300 reiatsu
Offensive Panel Strength/Durability: 550
Panel Duration: 1/4 posts

7200/7500 reiatsu remaining.

[Deleted]

"Hormones? Is that...what you think this is?" Luke asked rather lowly, a unnatural coldness carried in his voice that had never been there before. When people met Luke they could describe him best with a few words. Asshole, dork, idiot, kind, thirsty. He was a warm hearted guy. Never did his voice carry with it the icy chill that flowed between his lips like it did now. This Shinigami had the gall to actually reduce everything that Luke was feeling right now to simple hormones? He found his jaws pressing against each other, causing that familiar cracking sound in his teeth to ring in his ears. "Ke-ke go get her tiger." Jäger egged on. "Calm down and think, idiot. If you rush at her blindly you're going to get yourself killed." Springflut advised, causing Luke to back down slightly.

However, his frown was still painted on his face. "Eat a dick you sunburned bitch! You think I'm just gonna walk away after you killed Luis in cold-god damned-blood?! This isn't your world Shinigami! You don't get to do whatever the hell you want in OUR world!" Luke shouted back, though he was sure to not go charging in blindly. Especially since he had no idea what Nola was capable of. Yeah she did just say she wasn't good at fighting, but Luke didn't buy that crap for a second. She blocked his attack easily enough. And just what was that anyways? Looking at it Luke got the feeling he'd seen it before. Taking a few moments to analyze it, Luke realized what it was. An air platform. But it had been changed. That wasn't a platform. It was some kinda weird mix of a shield and a sword.

Why was it able to block his attack? Was the durability of the shield greater than his blast? Or was his blast too weak an ability to get through the shield? Would a direct approach be better? Narrowing his eyes he could tell that her spiritual strength really wasn't all that. It was weaker than his. Was she preserving her energy? Hiding its true strength? He wouldn't know until he pushed her. But he really didn't intend to give her that opportunity. The sword bag hit the ground as the Zanpaku'to in was removed. Unsheathing the blade and tossing the sheath aside, Luke took up a basic stance. Exhaling through his lips, he steeled his nerves. Closing his eyes for a moment, Nola would notice those browns had become amber.

"Cast away... Mūnran'nā."

That would probably be a "wait what" moment for Nola. The weapon that Luke held looked just like a Zanpaku'to, and even had a callout phrase and name just like what you'd expect from a Shinigami's weapon. So why did this human have something like that? The swords blade went from a steel color to a soft glowing neon blue. The base of his shoes also began glowing with that same light. Aevus's words rung in Lukes head again about how this weapon worked. But, hopefully, Luke wouldn't have to use it. It was just a precaution. The sand he was standing on suddenly exploded as he kicked off of it, speeding towards Nola with speed much greater than any wild animals or normal human. It looked as if Luke was aiming to ram his head straight into the weapon that she created, before he suddenly vanished.

Movement. Slow as hell compared to other Step Techniques, but it tended to work. But Nola had combat training. It was painfully obvious were Luke would end up. If she chose to look behind herself, she would...not see Luke? She would see small specks of sand lifted in the air. Luke had been behind her, but he sure as hell didn't stay behind her. He went up. He'd gone behind her, and then used a second Movement to go straight up. That sword held over his head, he sent a rush of spirit energy through the weapon before swinging downwards. Luke had spent many nights mastering Spirit Waves. Being inspired by animes from the nineties, he'd thought up a lot of cool ways to use this attack. And one of those ways was actually what he was doing now.

He was sending the energy through the sword, so when he swung that sword downwards at Nola below him, the Spirit Wave exploded out of the swords arc, forming a crescent moon shaped blast of energy. Being at a much closer range than he had been before, would Nola be able to react in time before being hit by this Wave? Pinned to the ground by it and then suffering the resulting explosion? Luke himself leapt upwards some, to get out of the range of the explosion, standing a top air ground looking down at where the attack was sent. "So you're really doing this huh? Even if it pisses off those people you call your friends?" Springflut suddenly questioned. ...

"Figures you didn't think this through. Well, whatever, we'll deal with it as it comes I suppose."

"Hehe you said comes."

Remaining Reiatsu: 1550 / 2000
-50 for Movement x2
-100 for Spirit Wave
-200 for Art Zan release

[Nola Vilde]

"You cannot help it. I understand that. The idea that your friend died for a good reason conflicts so hard doesn't it? That rush of emotion overriding logic. Surely I must be destroyed. Surely I cannot live. Surely, I have to die. Because the evil never win." She noted softly, staring calmly at the man, despite the sweat that beaded along her brow. As he released. and her eyes narrowed even further. She gritted her teeth as she spotted that zanpaku'to release. Shit... She didn't know how to.... Gh...

"Stand down! If you're a shinigami then you should know tha-" The boy vanished, and she twisted, her stance widening as she ducked her head under her blade, the thing had been resting over her shoulder, now she lowered her head, and slid the flat of her blade from her shoulder to resting on the back of her neck, both hands on that hilt as she swung, and that blade swept through the sand behind her, twisting her body and keeping herself under the blade, keeping up the momentum instead of letting it all out. She had intended to comb the swing into a series of horizontal slashes, but with that second step technique, suddenly Luke was gone.

The sudden impact above her shocked her, and she was lucky she had that blade above, her knees tensed, but she did not buckle, he was not overly strong compared to him. But when that sword suddenly detonated, that power burst outward and she felt her legs give just slightly, dropping to a knee as the blade easily tanked the hit and that attack caused her to shift, that point sliding towards her hand and she immediately shifted her grip, avoiding that blade as it slid in. She shifted with all of her speed immediately after that explosion. In the outburst of reiatsu, Luke had given her a boon.

He had not backed off. He kept up that pressure, aiming to pin her beneath his blade. so under cover of that dust, she slid her blade, until the point of his zanpaku'to slid through the hole of that generated sword and she twisted, locking the blade in that opening. She was taking a risk after all, being so close to the blade, especially with him being released. She wouldn't be able to just grab the blade. So instead she opened her other hand, using one ahnd, and stepping on her own blade to keep it in place, making sure that if luke wanted to back off, he'd have to give up his zanpaku'to, and unlike a normal zanpaku'to, even if Nola wouldn't realize it immediately, she COULD simply use it against him.

With one hand suddenly freed, just as the dust was still settling in that flurrt of motion, Nola's hand pulling that long needle from her hip, that thin pointed weapin slipping in like a dart as she aimed to sink her own zanpaku'to into Luke's side, intent on inflicting a shallow, nonlethal wound. With how close they were, she leaned in, aiming to bring her face so very close to Luke's as she spoke, unaware that even though she'd locked the blade, she hadn't completely avoided it, and on that crimson skin, the slightest hint of blood along her hip where his blade had nicked her was barely even noticeable. She'd fucked up, she knew the theories behind swordplay, the utilization of her techniques. But that didn't mean she could execute it perfectly.

"Please don't do this. I'd rather not remember. And I don't think you want to remember either." She murmured softly, and there was a worry in those eyes. Not a fear, but a genuine worry. For Luke. And herself. Her zanpaku'to was cruel to everyone involved usually. Through Kindness. Or Harm. Either way, nobody usually left unscathed. She was running out of ideas, and though her ability to summon blades at will was impressive, she could only do so much, and the way he had channeled that blast through his sword was worrying. she had been underneath her own blade from the last blast, but now that blade was keyed through that shield-like weapon. If he decided to allow himself to be stabbed, he could channel another blast.

She hated fighting like this... Even AS she spoke, she knew it wouldn't stop him. Luke was far too angry. It didn't matter what she said. And it was something that scared her to some extent. She used to be so ready to be aggressive. So focused on being the best, the strongest. But now... every time she thought about it. Sozen came to mind. and the fear of becoming HIM....drove her to go back to her deskwork. Drove her from being her true self. To try and resolve this.

Even though she hadn't expended all that much spirit energy, she DID feel anxious. simply knowing the danger she was in, she didn't like this. And she did feel the instinct to release. She hoped that her words would scare him. Make him cautious. IF he started fighting more carefully, she would have room to breathe. But this pressure... it wouldn't be long before she was scared into releasing. And that... one way or another... would be the end.

AAA panel: 2/4 duration

[Deleted]

Why was she talking like that? What the hell was this, a opera? The more she talked the more Luke wanted to punch her right in her fucking glasses. He was pissed. Angrier than he'd ever been before. The cloud of knocked around sand had given them both cover, but it was Nola who made use of it. Luke suddenly felt it. He felt his sword being tugged on violently. Did the blade get caught in that hole on hers? He felt his weapon being tugged, threatening to pull him forward. But what Nola forgot was that she and Luke had even strength. So when he felt his own weapon being pulled, he pulled back. If the hole was big enough to let a flat piece of metal in, then surely it could get back out. But Luke didn't get to test that theory, because he saw what Nola did next.

Luke's instincts were like lightning. He heard the weapon being unsheathed, so close to her and with the hearing like a wild animal and all, before he saw it. Next he saw the weapon being lunged at him. It was like a needle. Was that her real Zanpaku'to? Did this mean that all Zanpaku'to were different between Shinigami? No, what a stupid question. Of course they were. Yetsuna's was a broad sword while Aevus's had been a katana. Back to the matter at hand however. That thin, needle like, sword rushed to meet with Luke's flesh. Not wanting to release his blade from Nola's lock, Luke steeled himself for what he knew was coming. Okay it wasn't as bad as he thought. Sure, he'd just been stabbed but...oddly enough it wasn't as bad as he thought. Maybe the fact he'd been cut and stabbed by a sword once before had made the experience not so shocking?

"Oh nooo. You're not the one supposed to get impaled."

But even so, he still felt the cold pain in his side from being stabbed. His glowing amber eyes dropped downwards to see the wound. It was shallow, but still deep enough to draw blood to stain his shirt. Luke winced, before looking back at Nola who had now gotten very, very, close to Luke's face. Damn it. She was cute. But in his current state of mind Luke didn't give a damn. What she said, though, stuck with Luke. "Please don't do this. I'd rather not remember. And I don't think you want to remember either." It wasn't so much the words that affected him. It was the look in her eyes. The worry. Why was she looking at him like that? How could she give him those eyes when she... Luke grit his teeth together, before suddenly reaching with his free hand and suddenly grabbing a handful of Nola's hair.

"What sort of bullshit is that?! What about the man you just killed? Did he tell you not to do this, huh?" Luke shouted. He was so close to her. Close enough that, if he could, he could tear into her neck and... suddenly he was pulled backwards. Doing so freed him from the needle like sword inside him, and even yanked his own sword free from the lock Nola had on it. But the movement had been unnatural. It was as if Luke had been yanked backwards by some invisible force. It had been the ability of Mūnran'nā. The Artifical Zanpaku'tos abilities weren't anything that Luke would describe as "epic, cool, amazeballs, cinematic". Instead it was only just useful. It was like a Step Technique, albiet much much slower than Movement. It would move its user backwards at a rate and force of twice their Strength and twice their Speed. Moving backwards with 540 points of force and speed was more than enough to yank his sword free from Nola's AAA, but doing so might have irritated Luke's wound. A few breaths escaped his mouth as Luke realized just what he'd been thinking. In his anger he'd considered... no, push it out of his head. He wasn't like that.

"How the hell...can you look at me with eyes like that...when you can just kill someone because your leaders dictate it? The longer I stand here lookin' at you, listenin' to you, the more pissed off I'm gettin'!"

Luke shouted, suddenly and violently being consumed within blue flames. It was obvious it was reiatsu, but why did it look so much like fire? "Luke are you.." Springflut began to ask, before Luke muttered the phrase. "Yes...yes yes yesyesyesyesyes AHAHAHAH!!" Those flames surrounding him suddenly grew more intense, consuming the young man for a moment before rising off of the young Bount and...vanishing. A laugh was heard, despite nothing being there, as the flames vanished, the sort you imagined the rapist on the crime show would make when he saw his next victim. Luke narrowed his eyes, putting a hand over the injury Nola dealt him and feeling around it, checking to see how deep it actually was. Nola probably had a lot of questions bouncing around in her head. But while nothing seemed to happen, a new player had joined the battle. A player that Nola would have no idea about.


Looking at the blood on his hand, Luke returned his gaze to Nola, those emblazoned ambers locking onto her own eyes. "I'm not like you. I'm not going to kill you. Yes, I'm going to beat you to an inch of your life so you'll remember this, but I'm not going to take your miserable life. You said you had a good reason for killing Luis...well what the hell was it? Was it because you caught him feeding? Because he's a Bount?" Luke questioned.

Mūnran'nā Duration: 1 / 7

Jäger Duration: ∞

Remaining Reiatsu | Luke: 850 / 2000
-100 for Mūnran'nā ability
-400 (+200 | Freak) for Jäger release

Remaining Reiatsu | Jäger: 1150 / 1500
-350 for Ungesehen

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}
Jäger | Freak

Strength - 150 - 187 Points

Speed - 200 Points

Spiritual Pressure - 200 - 150 Points

Reiatsu Strength - 300 - 375 Points

Light Aura - 0 Points

Dark Aura - 100 Points

Instinct - 150 - 112 Points

Senses - 100 Points

Energy sensory - 0 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1100 Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Ungesehen}
This is a passive ability, available to Jäger at all times. It suppresses his reiatsu signature, rendering it incapable of being detected by anyone except those who have superior Energy Sensory to his Reiatsu Strength. This alone is potent. However, it also augments his Overall Ability, causing shadow form objects to vanish from energy sensory in the same manner. However, regardless, Jäger is capable of tracking those objects with his own energy sensory.

Drawbacks: Jäger can still be detected by sight when it is in it’s hunter form, regardless of people’s energy sensory. The same holds true for shadow form objects. Additionally, if someone has superior RS then this ability is also negated. This ability instantly docks 350 reiatsu from Jäger’s pool once he is are released.

[Nola Vilde]

SCREEEEEEEEECH

The noise of Luke's blade as it was yanked out of that hole. The blade had been twisted so that it was locked between the material on either side of the hole. Like putting a pole through a ladder, then stepping on the ladder, the friction kept the pole in place, much like the friction would keep that artificial zanpaku'to in place. So when Luke suddenly backed off with that strength, the force of that pull was much stronger than the strength of his own blade. But... NOT stronger than the strength of that weapon itself. So when that blade was pulled out, that big weapon of hers shredded the metal of Luke's zan, biting into the edge and back of the blade and eating into it, peeling the metal from it as it qwas torn away, leaving the panel of Nola's untouched as Luke retreated.

Nola simply sighed softly and stared up at Luke, with an empathy like likely none he had ever seen on the face of an opponent before. "Does it matter? Would anything I told you make you any less angry? You're not asking me anything. You're fueling your own anger. You're just waiting for my answer, just for the sake of stepping on it and calling it inferior. Is that what you want? I'm sorry.... in so many ways." She murmured softly, pausing as she watched him unleashing flames, and she felt a tickle up her spine that made her frown sourly. Dammit.

Blackness bloomed like a flower around her as suddenly, Nola's blade let out a horrible stench of dark aura into her surroundings. And Nola whispered, and as she did, Luke would practically FEEL her breath on the back of his neck, the effect of her sheer spiritual pressure as now that she was released, her strength was actually palpable. He would FEEL just how strong she was. That deep dread that had fueled her worried expression, and the reiatsu that bled like black wine into the air, seeming to cloud and choke everyone around her. Even Jager, despite her lack of knowledge of his presence, would be subjected to that sensation.

"Whisper in my ear. Alte Furcht." (Music Link)

And in that instant, Nola's left arm dissolved before Luke's eyes, all the way to her shoulder it vanished, withering into blackness as suddenly that needle morphed around her needle blade,melding into a black cleaver, a hunk of twisted barbed metal that was not true steel, but a shadow of a weapon. In addition, a cowl wrapped itself around Nola, a hood drawn over her head as blackness enveloped her head, pointed bat-like ears sprouting above her head, made completely of shadow. And through the shadow, not two... but four bright yellow eyes shone through the darkness. Hers, and Alte Furcht's. And as Luke saw this transformation, he would FEEL the air crackle, and a barrier was laid down around them. And everything within 100 meters was suddenly crackling with Nola's energy as those four glowing eyes stared into his soul. A stare that every single one of his dolls would feel. As her Bitter Heart was placed, and even if Luke immediately bolted for it's borders, he would still be forced to endure it at least once.

"It's time you remembered."

Bitter Heart begins

The sweep of Nola's blade rushed forward, slamming into Luke's as he suddenly skidded back and was forced up against the wall, the feel of cold stone against his back. And as Luke took in his surroundings, as he REMEMBERED, it would be all too real. Only Nola wasn't in her shikai anymore. They weren't at the docks. They weren't near the beach. They were in Taka's club. In one of the training rooms. And he would see Nola's face curling into a smile as she backed off, her spiritual pressure rising as that fuzzy sensation would waft over the both of them. Like a dream, they didn't have control over their bodies. But they knew why they were doing what they did. Even as Nola let out a slow, steady sigh and stepped back from Luke, sweat visible on her brow as she adjusted her stance, causing Luk's eyes to wander to her choice of clothing. A set of running shorts and a tanktop. And that scarlet flesh would be all too visible. Even though that flesh had been wrapped in shadow so recently.

"You need to pay more attention." Nola snorted, lowering her guard as she took a moment to critique Luke's stance. And that familiar voice would trickle into Luke's mind. More attention to her ass~ I swear it's almost like those shorts are choking her thighs. That voice would whisper, because not only was Luke within the memory. But so where her dolls. And Jager's comment would make Luke's eyes wander briefly to those legs, right before eh felt that pang of irritation at Jager being so crass.

Noticing the expression, Nola simply smirked a bit more. "Distracted? Look, I may have joined after you, but that doesn't mean you get to go EASY ON ME!" She called out, smiling as she suddenly lunged forward, that bright smile on her face as she streaked toward Luke and put on that look she always had when they sparred. That look of enthusiasm... a REAL need to learn, to get better. And a comfort around him. Even if he did stare, it was nice that it wasn't because of her skin. A subject Luke had come to notice she was sensitive about. Something he knew she hated. even if she showed it off so often, at the same time he was one of so very few people that knew how she felt about that pigment.

But then there was a tremble. And suddenly Nola's spiritual pressure rose slightly, and Luke suddenly realized that he had been staring off into space as she approached him. She ws too close, and in that sudden error, he tried to overcompensate. Flexing his own reiatsu strength, he swiped upward, backstepping just as that voice in his head tried to warn him, his spiritual energy flaring to such an extent that the ground beneath him turned bright orange as it melted, and the smell of burning air filled his nostrils. Idiot! That's too much! Just as his blade, with it's much higher spiritual integrity, in Luke's panicked state, cleaved cleanly through Nol's blade. And Luke would watch as his sword swept from her left hip to her right shoulder, and that look of excitement suddenly halted as he slashed her open, blade cutting clean through her lung and along her bowels, causing her to drop, her own broken blade slashing down his thigh as Nola dropped to her knees in the sudden unfortunate accident.

Oshit!

Luke watched and froze, staring at what he'd done to his training partner, that slow, seizing fear locking in his lungs as he realized what had happened.
"Wh-....what.....the f-"

End of Bitter Heart

"-uck." Nola hissed, gritting her teeth as that memory finally ended, and the memory of that injury still seared her body. And more than that, the air around Luke still smelled like it was burning. And when he looked at Nola, she was still bleeding. Still wearing that outfit. That shadowy cowl nowhere to be seen. All he would see was how he'd last seen her. And how his dolls had seen her. Both Jager and Springflute would see her just the same. But of course, in reality, she was not injured. She remembered it. Her body remembered it. But she had used Kioku ni Usureru during Bitter Heart. even if Luke wasn't still cut, (though it would still f eel as if it had been, the memory of that pain would persist). She would seem, at least to Luke and his dolls, as if she were barely standing. As if she still had both of her arms. He'd be unaware that that Remembering Blade was still there, waiting for him.

"You've always been so clumsy..."" She hissed, her voice crackling, as if the blood in her lungs were altering her voice. And in that next instant she used flash step. Suddenly appearing before luke, that blade sweeping up aiming to slash up along Luke's chest, intent on surprising him with the sudden attack. Though in actuality, that black cleaver was longer than the blade that he saw. And even if that blade swept through his body r if he attempted to block it, it would not cause injury. Her blade would simply seem to do nothing.

At first.

-100 reiatsu for Shikai (Release costs 50% because of Lunatic)

-700 reiatsu for Nigai Kokoro (Bitter Heart)
Bitter Heart Resist Requirement: 938
Duration: Ends when Shikai ends

-600 Reiatsu for Sôki Ha (Remembering Blade)
-3 posts to Shikai Duration
Shikai Refresh cost: 100-> 200 reiatsu

-300 reiatsu for Kioku ni Usureru (Fade into Memory)
(changes to Nola cannot be sensed, she is seen and sensed as the target last remembers seeing or sensing her. Does not apply to nonliving things, eg. Cameras)
Necessary speed or strength to physically injure Nola: 1,125
Necessary ES to see past shroud: 150
Post: 1/4

Total: -1700 reiatsu
Shikai: Post 1/7 (reduced because of Remembering Blade)
5500/7500 Reiatsu Remaining

Tracking for Yakkaina Omoide No Kabe (Cloak Thorny Memories), currently in Incubation period
Last Injury for Nola: slash from Waist to Shoulder
Last Injury for Luke: Slash down Thigh
1 post until Cloak is active

[Deleted]

Pulling his sword free the way he did really wasn't a good idea after all. Yanking it from the hold that Nola had on it damaged it, though it was nothing too bad. It was still useful at least, and Luke might be able to find someone to repair it. Though having a gift damaged in such a way only added fuel to Luke's ever growing anger. Her voice caught his attention, drawing his gaze to her as she spoke to him with...a meaning behind her voice he wasn't expected to hear in a fight. He blinked. Would anything she say make him less angry? He was being irrational, stupid, slowly he was beginning to realize that. But the hurt of seeing a friend get killed...it didn't matter if Luke was being stupid or not. Was Luke only feeding his anger when he yelled at her? Was he only trying to justify his desire to ram his sword through her throat?

But those were questions he wasn't going to get answers to. Nola would suddenly change tactics, and turn this fight over to her side. Literal blackness suddenly surrounded her like a blooming flower. Following was an intense aura of darkness coming from the blade she was wielding, and then came the physical transformation. Luke stood, staring in interest, as he felt everything happening around him. He thought he could actually...no that wasn't a feeling. He literally felt Nola's breath on the back of his neck. He heard the command phrase, causing his eyes to widen as a result. Her arm dissolved. The needle she wielded morphed itself into a large black cleaver. A cowl wrapped around her, hood drawn over her head that now sported bat like wings with eyes within them.

It felt like electricity was dancing around him. His eyelids twitched as he raised his sword once more, preparing himself for whatever attack was coming next. Why did he feel so uneasy? Looking at those eyes he felt...unnerved. No, it wasn't just his apprehension about this he was feeling. He felt anxiety from both Jäger and Springflut. It was like Luke was being looked at under a microscope. Like it didn't matter what he did, every part of him was being seen. He felt violated suddenly. Just what the hell was this Zanpaku'to? Can...you get he- Luke was about to ask Jäger, when suddenly was subjected to Bitter Heart.

What.

It felt real.

Everything he saw.

Everything he felt.

It all felt real.

The hell is...the hell am I doing? Why am...why am I fighting Nola?

Every word between them.

The clashing of those swords.

The words heard by his Dolls.

What...what the hell is this?!

The fun he had with her.

The feelings he had for her.

The fear, guilt, pain he felt when he hurt her.

The pain in his leg was all too real.

"LUKE WAKE UP!"

Springfluts screams woke Luke up just as Nola appeared in front of him. His instincts, lightning fast as they were, reacted immediately to what his eyes took in. Luke vanished from where he was standing, reappearing about twenty feet away from her, tripping and dancing backwards. Cold sweat. Chills. Why was he shaking? What was he doing? Why was he fighting Nola? Why did...why did Nola hurt Luis? What was that? No that couldn't have been real. He'd never met Nola before in his life. But that had been...that had been one of the training rooms in the club hadn't it? And those clothes? She was wearing them now. Those clothes that Luke thought looked hot on her. He grabbed onto his head with his left hand, his breathing becoming erratic as he began to panic. Was...was what he saw real? Was Nola...someone he knew? Just what...what the hell was that?

She was wearing those clothes. She had both her arms. She sounded like she was still hurt. Just...just what? What was this? What WAS that?! Did...did-did any of you see that too?" Silence. Utter silence. He felt they were there. He felt how stunned they were. Both of them stunned into silence like he had been. Springflut, at least, had been aware enough to knock Luke back to his senses. "Guys!" Luke shouted mentally. "I'm...I'm here.." Springflut didn't sound as confident as he usually did. "Same.." Jäger didn't carry his usual goofiness either. Raising his gaze to the Shinigami, Luke just...couldn't bring words to his mouth. Just what...what the fuck. When he looked at her...the anger was gone. He was looking at someone he might have...might have called a friend. But that was impossible wasn't it? Didn't he just meet her minutes ago?

Nola, unknowingly, might have just hit Luke's biggest weakness. Like it or not, she'd unraveled the Bount. She managed to insert something akin to friendship into the male. Luke...couldn't hurt people he called his friends. Sure he could spare with them. But he couldn't seriously bring himself to hurt people he called friends. But she wasn't a friend...no she wasn't. She was the Shinigami who killed Luis. Everything he was feeling was fake. It couldn't be real. It couldn't be real. These emotions weren't real. These feelings weren't real. His sword trembled in his grip, knees were weak and palms were sweaty. The feeling of guilt for trying to hurt what, in his memories, he saw as a friend was hitting him, and the memory of what he had done to her. "......Nola.....you....what did you...do to me?"

Mūnran'nā Duration: 2 / 7

Jäger Duration: 2 / ∞

Remaining Reiatsu | Luke: 825 / 2000
-25 for Movement

Remaining Reiatsu | Jäger: 1150 / 1500

[Nola Vilde]

Another drop of sweat formed on Nola's brow, flung from her body by the vigorous act of slicing at Luke. As she missed him, however barely, she did notice the look on his face, and a look of surprise and hope formed on her own, perking up as she swallowed. She waited, not sure if she should attack. Was he still like this? Was he still....aggressive? He couldn't remember, or it looked like he was trying. It really really looked like he was. She swallowed loudly and took a step forward, in Luke's eyes that wound that wasnt' really there would continue to drip, and Nola would shake slightly.

It was clear that Luke was struggling with these memories, and she felt her heart race, hoping, wishing that she could remember more as well. "Luke please remember! You have to snap out of this! Don't you remember? We promised!" She shouted, just as that barrier trembled around them, and the memories surged in again. Tricking Luke. Tricking Nola. Tricking all of them. Unlike so many soul reapers, Nola had a very restricted control of her powers. When it came to Bitter heart. She didn't have any say in it at all. She was just as much a victim as her enemies.

"Luke....please..." (Music, and listen to it this time you lazy stupid >:L)

Bitter Heart

It was much less abrupt. Instead of suddenly being somewhere else, it was a slow drift into the memory. The gradual return as this time. It was Jager and Springflute that would feel this the most. They would find themselves staring off toward a beach. So very much like the one they really were in. But this one was not the depressing landscape near a warehouse. This was a calm, sweet ocean. The waves lapping gently at the shore. As a pink sun nestled past the horizon. Nola smiled softly, sitting with both Dolls on either side of her.

Of course Springflute had to try and keep still, but even so, as he moved it wasn't a big deal, the water just rushed out to shore, the three of them smiling as they watched the sunset and the clouds. Nola was looking thoughtfully at Jager as the doll went on and on. "It's not like I hate him tch! Far from! Luke's a punk but I still care about him. He's hopeless, and he's certainly never gonna get laid, but.... nah.. I don't hate him Nola. I just think.... it's important that I not be too serious. The kid... he is always so anxious. So worried. I feel like... I gotta snap him out of it. I gotta try ya know? If I took everything as serious as him... neither of us could pull the other out of a funk. And Luke... he's been in so deep." The doll murmured, staring at that sun with a look that was unusual for him.

"Hmph... for all of your lechery, I am, at the very least, pleased there is some nobility to your debauchery. Or at the very least that you have a good excuse." Spring chided, eliciting a snicker and a laugh from both Nola and the shadow. Nola herself shaking her head and looking off to the water. And having to admit that... she supposed it made sense. Luke really DID seem overly depressed sometimes. She almost wondered if Alte was the same. glancing down at that needle she sighed.

"I can never tell what they're thinking. every time they appear to me, they look like something else. I don't even know if Alte is a he or a she.. And what's worse... every time I fight it feels like I'm being tugged around... like I'm just a puppet. Like I'm the weapon and they are the wielder." She murmured, wondering if, like Jager, Alte also did what they did for a reason. And seeing that worried expression. Spring did shift slightly in his spot, speaking up once again.

"It does not matter. Your power has saved you often enough. Strange as it is... " he noted, a comment to which Jager gave an affirmative nod. " Of course! Though I ain't gonna lie. If she turns out to be a babe you lemme know yea?" That smirk was felt, even if it was hard to see, and made Nola gigglesnort, shaking her head as springflute gave a gruff noise of disapproval. And as the laughter died down, Nola paused, glancing at Jager.

"Have you even ever touched a girl? You certainly seem to have a lot of ideas despite the fact." She snorted, still smiling as Jager immediately became a little frazzled, blowing her off with an audible psshhh, but really said nothing to the contrary, and BOTH him and Nira could sense the somewhat smug thoughts floating around Springlute's head, as if a silent 'she has you there' was floating over their heads.

Nola paused, looking to that sunset for a moment before smiling. she paused, and focused herself, gently collecting reishi, and just like when she used her Shadow shroud, she began coating herself in reishi, only a bit denser than normal, thickening it up so that it was easier and easier for it to be interacted with. and witha little scoot, she leaned in, and with a soft little Smuch, she pressed her lips to the side of Jager's shadowy face, and for the first time Jager would feel actual contact, the press of lips to his cheek, without having to change modes. A look of absolute surprise passing over BOTH dolls as Nola smiled and then released the reishi, giving Jager a thumbs up.

"There, now you can tell Luke you got to first base before he did."

They all laughed at that. Except for Luke, who was standing behind them, looking rather unamused. But.... the edge of his mouth still curled into a bit of a smile. A little happy for Jager, having seen everything.

End of Bitter Heart

And suddenly they were back, though Nola was still roughed up. and she hadn't changed into swimsuit she'd been in during the memory. After all, she'd created the shroud back during the last one, so it was locked on this current look until she turned it off and then back on again.She would still seem like she was bleeding, still looking at Luke with that worried face. She could still smell the breeze, the sand underneath her.

"I know you can't remember... it's...it's hard for me too. But you remember... don't you? You remember... in the basement." Only Nola didn't intend to say that last part. Her zanpaku'to had stepped in a little. Puppeted her to talk about something that Nola actually didn't quite know about just yet. But Luke WOULD remember that. that was a REAL memory. A memory he and Jager would remember very well. All too well.

"You know what happens... when a bount feeds."

Fade into Memory 2/4
Shikai 2/7

[Deleted]

No. Not again. Why was she calling to him? Why was she acting like everything she'd seen was real? If this was her ability then why was she affected by it? Nola had to be fucking with him. There was no way what he saw was real. "What...what promise?" Luke asked amongst his panicked breaths. What was she talking about? Luke needed to think this through. He needed a minute to just sort this crap out. But he wasn't going to get a minute. Because suddenly it happened again. Without warning. She pleaded with him to remember something between them, something real between them yet all together fake. He had no choice in the matter. He didn't get to say no. It happened again. He was forced to witness the memory created by her Zanpakuto. He was once against affected by Bitter Heart.

What is this? Is this the same beach? What is...no this isn't real...this can't...no this..

And just like that it was over. He grabbed at his head, staring at the ground in disbelief. Nothing made sense. None of this made sense. Everything had to be fake. There was no way any of this was happening. Luke would never have just let his Dolls out like that. There was no way he...his Dolls! Springflut, Jäger, are...are you guys.. There was silence. Just like before he got silence back. Jäger...you... Was what he'd seen actually how Jäger felt towards him? The reason he acted the way he did was because Luke needed something to balance his own issues out? The Bount stood there, panting, resting one hand over his eye.

Why was that memory so much more relaxing than the last one was? It was touching, kind, gentle compared to what happened before? When Luke raised his head once more and laid his eyes on Nola, he didn't know what to feel. Concern, care, fear, affection, all those and other emotions mixing around in his gut when he looked at that damaged form of hers. "Stop it...whatever...whatever this is stop it..." Luke found himself pleading. He'd never faced a power that could affect his psyche like this. It was eating at him, crushing him, beating him. Nola wasn't even touching him and she was beating him. Jäger. Get her god damn leg! Luke commanded. If Jäger could cripple her, then Luke could deal with her from there.

But what surprised him was the hesitance. He blinked when he got no response from Jäger. J-Jäger? Luke questioned. "Are...are you sure? She...I don't think I can..." What...what?! He couldn't attack? Had he been...Luke found himself biting his lip. Even Jäger had been taken in by Nola's abilities. He felt his grip on his sword loosening as his conscious kept telling him, demanding him, to stop attacking what it recognized as a friend. But what she said next...those words that reached his ears...they caused him to panic. There was no way she knew. There was no way she knew about what was beneath that club. In his fright he aimed a hand at Nola, and sure enough that wave of energy began to form once again. "Stop it! Stop whatever the hell this is! Get out of my damn head, Nola!!" Luke shouted, but couldn't find it in himself to fire the Spirit Wave at her.

[Nola Vilde]

Seeing Luke in so much pain it truly twisted inside of her. Even though it was safer... even though it pained her, it was too much. And as she watched him, she immediately ended her remembering blade. That weapon dissolving, even if Luke would not be able to sense or see it fading, see that cloak dissolving from her body as she got her arm back. Still, she felt better. and when that Spirit wave suddenly roared to life she felt her eyes widen. She knew that this was. It was simple. Even from the few times Luke had used it in their training, she knew what it was. "Jager...." She whispered, though even despite it, all of the dolls as well as luke would hear it. And even without Bitter heart, the residuals of those memories would trigger, and Jager would feel it. He'd feel the tension. The rest of that memory. He'd remember when Luke had cut her. That he'd come for her, and he'd tried to block it. Even though he'd failed.

"Luke.... I'm so sorry.. I didn't want this... but... I couldn't... I couldn't..."

BiTteR HEaRT

Luke.
Jager.
Springflute.

They were all in shock. Seeing Nola like this. Staring off into space. It was crisp. It wasn't just the feeling of the stone steps beneath them, the steps of that familiar club. It wasn't just the soft cool breeze that seemed to slip it's arms around them. Not that clear starry night above. What was so clear was the memory of what Nola had just accidentally revealed them. The pure, utter shock. That of all things, Nola had sparred with a Captain. And that very Captain had twisted it into some cruel lesson. That he had electrocuted her into unconsciousness. and had left her in that chamber. For ages. For ever it seemed. In a place with no sound, no sight, no touch.

For so long, and having used healing to force her to remember those painful memories. Memories that not even Nola had known that she'd had. Memories that had changed who she was. They were shocked, because they had been sparring. And for the first time, Nola had released during. And during that Bitter heart, they had experienced it. They had been the ones taken out. Luke had been left alone in that chamber. slowly going inane. Listening to his Dolls slowly fight against eachother. Slowly rifling through Luke's old memories, until he had gone insane, and then sane, and then broken all over again.

And looking across from him, Luke would realize why she had been so weird. Why she had been so... strange for that fight. Why Nola was so tense, and why she wasn't smiling. Why she looked so hurt. they had stopped the match, and had simply left. and here they were. Sitting on those steps. Nola hadn't bothered speaking up, and Luke frankly didn't blame her. But he did know that he had to say something. Because outside of that memory. He had been reminded of something. A place where sound had drifted away. Where everything was cut off from outside of a certain space. And the THING he had seen inside. And as he looked up to the stars. He was harrowed by the fact that that could have been Nola. If Sozen had simply decided to LEAVE her down there. And he imagined. If THAT was what madness was truly like. He wondered if the elixir of life was similar. If somehow that...thing... had once been like them. Until that drink had twisted him too.

"Nola... I think I need to show you something." He started, trying to pick his words. "Luke... do you....do you really think...?
"But first... Luke ignored the voice and stood up. Much to Nola's surprise, standing up with him as he reached out and gently took her hand. He noticed that surprised look, surprised that he was being so bold. So serious about this. Normally Luke wasn't like this. But this was nothing he could afford to just keep inside.

He stepped in, and with his expression alone, he made it clear, and he could see it in those soft blue eyes. She knew that this was something important. And he felt her hand gently tighten to his. Even as those words seemed to leave his mouth of their own accord. "But before I do. I need you to make me a promise. It's not going to make sense. Not until you see it. I need you to make the same promise someone once asked of me" He murmured, and for that brief moment, through the clarity, there was a waver. Because for that brief instant. Luke. And Nola, would feel the spiritual energy. The spirit energy of of someone only Luke had any right remembering.

Ciel

"Once you've seen them. The eyes of the man I'm about to show you. You'll know. If I ever have those eyes of his. I want you to close them."
"Once you've seen them. The eyes of the man I'm about to show to you. You'll know. If I ever have those eyes of his. I want you to close them."

And once Nola Agreed, he took her inside.

And she learned about those eyes.

The Bitter End

Nola stepped forward, even with that spirit wave pointed at her, she felt fear inside of her. Fear that it wouldn't be enough. That Luke would still not remember. Or that he wouldn't care. She wasn't sure if she could survive it. Or how bad it'd be if he hit her anyway. And she .... she knew Jager wouldn't even try to save her this time. But looking up at Luke, she felt a tremble. Because she felt that layer. Just beneath the bond she'd forced with Luke. When she'd removed that Bount's head from his shoulders. Luke probably remembered what she'd said.

Ciel drove that god-awful Toyota Crown Hearse. That limousine for the dead. He practically lived in the damn thing. And in those bitter memories her zanpaku'to had forged. She didn't know whose place she'd taken. But she remembered being at the club. Teasing him about that car.
They always called it a coffin.

" It's.... It's okay luke... If... I ..." it hurt. Knowing that this might be the end. She had never imagined it. But she had thought the night was over once she'd done it. Once she'd given that promise. But now seeing Luke so upset. Seeing what Ciel's death had done to him. It felt even worse. Because the more Luke looked at her, the more she saw it.... in his eyes.
"It's okay if... you don't forgive me... it's okay.... if you don't remember... I... I don't care anymore." She whispered, even as those soft beads of hot salted fluid ran down her cheeks, and she looked Luke in the eyes. "Just.. Please.... Luke... please stop looking at me like that." She sobbed softly. The only thing worse than having to end Ciel. Was knowing that in doing so, she'd doomed Luke to a similar fate. Seeing the reason drain from his eyes. She knew that it was dangerous. Continuing to press him like this. But at the very least, he seemed to be losing that anger.

She didn't care if she was injured because of it. If it meant that look never came back to Luke's face. She'd push it as far as it needed to go. Reaching up and gently trying to wrap her fingers around his wrist, in that gentle touch that seemed to join her in begging him to calm down. And even though that cloak still had time left. She intentionally refreshed it. so that before Luke's eyes, the training clothes and the injury vanished. and it was just her. In her shinigami's uniform. Her left arm was still not feeling right. It would be a while until it worked properly again. But at the very least, refreshing that shroud meant that the illussion was gone, and he'd be able to see her clearly. Even though that shroud would still mitigate some of the damage. Even in that moment of honesty. she was still afraid.

"Please."

Remembering Blade deactivated, Left Arm's Instinct and speed reduced to 75%
recovery duration: post 1/5

-300 reiatsu to re-activate Fade to Memory
Duration: 1/4

Shikai: 3/7

5200/7500 reiatsu remaining

[Deleted]

Was that what he thought it was? Before he knew it he'd been sucked back into it. Nola pleaded to him once more, and right after was when it began again. It was different again. It was much more different than it had been before. Nola's Bitter Heart made Luke see things that did not ever actually happen, and yet affected him as if they had. The rush of emotions he felt this time from all of this stunned him, shocked him, hurt him. So many emotions rushed to him. A feeling of sadness and anger struck him when he learned about what had happened to Nola at the hands of her Captain. Hatred had formed towards a man that Luke had never known before now. Sympathy for what she had gone through. This was now the second time Luke had seen her Zanpakuto. No, it was actually the first.

Luke was losing it. He was losing the ability to tell if these memories were real or just planted. He felt like screaming as he experienced a Bitter Heart inside a Bitter Heart, replacing Nola in the cell that she'd been locked in. He felt his sanity breaking, his Dolls losing both of theirs gradually alongside him, and eventually shattering like a pane of glass. The moment they shared together on the stairs, the words of warning Luke gave to her. Suddenly Luke heard Luis. From nowhere from within the Bitter Heart Luke heard the voice of Luis. No, he didn't just hear Luis's voice, he heard his own layered on with it. A promise that both of them made to different people, but the message delivered had been the same.

"Wake up!"

"Open your eyes you stupid fool!"

Luke had taken her to see that man. He'd taken her to see the source of all of his fears, all of his doubts, all of his nightmares. He'd shown Nola the future of Bount that lost control. He'd shown Nola a possible future that existed for Luke. If the young Bount didn't have Taka, and Nola, then it was entirely possible for him to follow down the same path that man did. Luke could have become a monster. A monster that needed to put down. He made Nola promise him. He made Nola promise him that if Luke had the same eyes that man did. Luke would have only had so much trust in someone he cared deeply about. Luke began to wonder if these feelings for Nola were genuine and just how far did they go.

"None of what you're seeing is real. It's a fabrication of her Zanpakuto! The memories and your feelings are fake! Luke!"

Luis had been cut down for a reason different than what Luke had previously believed. He wasn't cut down simply for being caught feeding. He was cut down because of the promise between him and Nola, created through Bitter Hearts. She cut Luis down because he'd shown her those same eyes.

"None of this is real!"

He heard her voice. He heard the words she was saying to him. But he only opened his eyes when he felt the touch of skin on his wrist. Those ambers opened themselves to see Nola standing before him, those blue eyes melting with concern and begging desire. Tears streamed down the sides of her crimson skinned face. Tears. If all of this was fake then why was she crying? Her words rung in his ears as the meaning behind them hit him. And finally, all of that pent up pain was let out. Luke's confused and hurt face found itself lodged into her shoulder, both arms wrapped tightly around her form as he finally just let it out. "I'm...I'm so sorry Nola...I'm so sorry.." He whimpered into her form. She would feel something wet beginning to build up in the fabric of her robes, those tears streaming from his own eyes being absorbed into her clothes.

"L͚̼̻̺̩̄ͣͩ̍ͦ̓͘u̟̫͚̳̮̦ͬ͆͊ͅk̼̮̠̲̟̆͠e̥̪͗̒͠!̛̪̘̣͈̘̑ͧ̃ͮ͒̍͋"

"I didn't know...I didn't remember...I'm so sorry...I'm sorry... I didn't know Luis he...I didn't..." He chanted, the guilt of everything that had happened hit him. The memory of him hurting her, the realization he'd attacked someone he had such strong feelings for. They were all fake. They were all imprinted. Forced onto him by her powers. Just what he felt was real enough. What he felt for Nola now was real. The Dolls had gone quiet, though Jäger didn't simply vanish. He stood, emerged from the shadows, off a ways simply watching the scene unfold before his eyes. Jäger was already prone to disobedience because of his strong personality, and for once was happy he defied Luke's panicked orders. Seeing Luke and Nola made him happy. He wanted them to be together again. He wanted them to be happy again like he remembered.

[Nola Vilde]

The world seemed to go so very still. With death so close, life seemed to crawl just as cautiously as she had been. She watched the expression on luke's face slowly peel away from the fear. Away from the uncertainty. And before she knew it, she felt those arms slipping around her body, and his embrace of her surprised her. When that heated wetness on her shoulder bled sincerity, and Luke apologized from the depths of his heart. The worry and despair in her own features shattered, and her own arms slid around him, hugging him back. as she closed her eyes tightly and sniffled.

"Touching... isn't it, Springlflute?"

"It's okay Luke. I.... I'm just glad you're okay." Nola's voice came at a whisper, her form seeming to go fully lax as she let out a relieved sigh. and suddenly exhaustion hit her like a brick. She was hardly out of steam, far from it really. But she had used a good chunk of energy in a short ammount of time, and even if she wasn't on her last leg, it had still been a tiring ordeal. How long had it been... since she had sincerely released her zanpaku'to? Forever almost. And now it looked as if she were paying for it. She knew of course... deep down she ALWAYS knew. She knew that every fight was the same...


"Is it not fascinating how it works? They all know it's not real. even Jager. To some degree. Their minds are well aware. But their hearts, and their bodies don't care about any of that..."

She knew that it wasn't real. But she had given up a long time ago, just as the old Nira had given up on trying to fight it. Going against such things, twisted you. They tore you apart. They turned you into new people. Even before being a shinigami, she had known..... known what memories could do to a person. You could tell yourself all you wanted that it wasn't real, or that you were safe now. But memory was such a powerful thing... In the end... wether she liked it or not. Luke really was her friend now.

"So long as your heart believes. It will overpower your mind. It will overpower the limitations of your body. In the end. Memory is how their species came to be what they are. Memory is so important to their survival and dominance, that it overpowers everything else. From someone like you, it must be so frustrating~"

Slowly pulling back from the embrace, Nola rubbed her eyes, sniffling a little as she slowly composed herself, and gave Luke a soft, warm smile before she got herself under control. It was so weird... that he was a stranger. And yet just like that... he felt so familiar. "Come on Luke. If you want, I can catch up after.....well....I...I can't just leave him there..." She murmured, remembering exactly where she had left their friend. On the beach. Looking right out to sea.

"I know you're not immune~ Sadly you are not quite that powerful. But I do know that you're resisting. So I'll save you some time my watery friend~ This sensation will never fade~ It will never dwindle~ You can steel your heart, and train yourself all you want. You can even try to convince Jager and Luke~ But even you, in your core of cores, will always look upon Nola, and feel the bond I made for all of you~ Normally this is pretty boring, Nola is usually the only one who tries to resist~ She's the only one that I get to torment and take my time with. But you Springflute? I want you to remember my name. The name you will hear every night that Luke rests~
Alteste Groll~"

[Deleted]

Member Grading

34 Paragraphs for Luke = 340 TP
50 Paragraphs + Victory TP for Nola = 600 TP