Post by Aura Kyuketsuki on Apr 22, 2020 1:01:14 GMT -5
It had to come to this. Like really, this was always meant to be when it concerns a race fighting for its future. There was no other alternative when it came to surviving under the oppression of the other races. The Shinigami could not control their creations, finding them to be a threat to the soul cycle that they were suppose to safe guard. A creation that fed on Human souls, regardless of them being dead or alive. When alive, they allowed the Bounts to develop their power quickly, insuring almost complete supremacy over the other races. Hollows fed over time and would naturally evolve on their own. But that was the thing, they had to do so in order to continue their evolution. Through that evolution the Hollows became stronger. But for the Bounts, their own raw power would explode into higher levels.
Beings like them could truly be the one and only true immortal in the world. So long as they continued to feed on souls, then their dominance would be unmatched by any other species. The proper nutrition for them were that of the souls that passed on beyond their physical bodies. Those that were already deceased and waiting to be taken to Soul Society. Aura knew how this process worked as she had been overhearing things like this for all her life. Not only that, but Doctor Erika explained the purpose of the Shinigami, and why they operated the way that they did. All of it made sense, beside the creation of the Bounts that is.
Never had the Bounts direct themselves with their own volition or choice. Always having to be guided by the hand of someone else, being forced into a scenario that they did not wish for themselves. Always, their kind had to keep their heads down in fear of being discovered by one of the other races. That fear was what drove them to the shadows. That fear was what drove the remaining Bounts in hiding, if not, exile. There was little hope for their kind to really excel. After the purge, the Bounts had to be sure that their identities were kept secret. Some would likely forsake their species, and by all means chose to live as Human. Their natural abilities gone to waste to insure that their secret remained a secret. Aura hated that.
How many friends could they help with their abilities? How much right can they do if they were fully able to express themselves beyond the character they made for themselves? The amount of good that can be done when directed correctly. But that wasn't the only concern. The more Bounts that stuck together, the more that they will be able to repopulate. Some of the Bount test subjects back in Soul Society were made from her own blood. Cells and eggs taken from her and molded into Bounts that can be used for further testing. Erika told her about what was going on. She didn't hide any of the facts as she didn't like what they were doing too. But she had to. Erika was one of the few Shinigami that wanted to help the Bounts to end their need to feed on Human souls. That was the reason for her work.
To her knowledge, Erika didn't make it after Aura escaped. She didn't hear anything of what may have happened to the Shinigami after helping many of them escape. Aura wanted to see her again. She wanted to thank her. She wanted her to be with them all to help, and live a life that she would have wanted for herself. But she wasn't here. So much was taken from Aura because she was weak. All because Aura didn't stand up when needed. The Bounts were divided and lost. No one wanted to bring them together. Aura had to do it. She had to become the symbol to unite all of the Bounts into a single covenant. No one else was going to do it, and she couldn't rely on anyone to do it either. Why was she going to wait for a miracle, when she could make one herself.
That was what Taka taught the Bount when it came to making a decision of taking over the Bunker. The bottom depths of their new home echoed from droplets of water that leaked from the stones that made up the ceiling. Bits of moisture that was collected over time, and fell down into the corridors. Leon had already begun digging further into the mountain, away from the fault lines. More housing units had to be made in case of emergencies if the upper levels were breached. A chamber that could be used for training purposes that extended beyond the length of three football fields. This was where Aura spent her time training, honing her skills. She had done so in the dark in many of the days. Her senses came first, tracking down where the droplets were forming over her head, etc.
The collected moisture made small puddles of water in the ceiling that gradually fell over time. Pockets made up and used to help Aura train her senses. Location, distance, amount of water, where it would fall, and when to move to intercept it. All of this done while in the dark chamber. Aura would at times spend hours either sitting down listening to the water, honing and timing the drops of water to see when and where they will form and drop. Her ears twitching just for the slightest sound that it would make. Her focuse specifying on a single pocket. The change in air current that blew in and out of the chamber to the other corridors and aqua-ducts. She listened to a single pocket to hone her senses, and match them with the processes of her brain.
Other times Aura would stand and strike out at the droplets. Her timing was a bit off as usual, but she persisted. Her key weapons for fighting was that of her physical strength. Reiatsu usage wasn't something that she was particularly good at, though that had to change over time. Despite how weak she was in this department, there were powers that the Bounts possessed that helped to alter the course of a fight by changing the environment to their advantage. Or, at least make full use of their environment. The night was when the Bounts were at their strongest. Aura was no stranger to that. The shadows were their mask, and the night was that of their cape. With the two working together, the Bount was nearly unstoppable. The Dolls were their main weapons and allies to be used in the fight, but for a Bount to strictly rely on them was doomed to fail. At least that was what Aura thought when it came to their leader.
And that was the thing about trying to be a leader. There was so much stuff that she had to cram into her head. Subtle behaviors and mannerisms Eris wanted her to learn. "How to compose oneself in front of the masses" was something that Eris would nail into her head constantly. That Bount came from a different land away from Karakura. A land across the sea that was many times caught in the midst of a fight. Eris hadn't been home in a long time, so she didn't know what shape the country was in. She didn't even bother looking into the matter as firmly believing her reasoning to check was most certainly gone. Perhaps what she meant by that was family. Eris must have lost people, or a person most dear to her. Maybe that was the reason why she wanted Aura and Leon to get better.
Other Bounts that fell in front of, having to witness those fighting for the sake of survival, and only having to be forced to watch them die. That must have been a far deep blow than what Aura had experienced before. What Eris had gone through, being able to fight along side them, Aura compared that ability to her own, someone being unable to do anything but watch. The level of frustration of knowing that she was too weak to do anything, compared to someone who couldn't do anything at all. Their differences were there. Nevertheless, the pain that was felt at the time was surely similar, if not worse for Eris. Maybe it was because of what happened to those people that Eris did not want to see happen again. Maybe that was the reason the Bount woman pushed Aura and the others to be stronger, to be better.
Aura didn't know. She had that feeling about Leon too. The two of them got to know each other a bit better. Leon came from Amercia, the United States of America. Rather immediate he did explain that he wasn't a good man. Someone who often broke the rules to get what he wanted. A man who was utterly selfish and lacked any sense of code or honor. In that regard, Eris was deeply offended. Though he explained such things to Aura, she still had a hard time picturing it at all. After what Leon has done for her, from what she has seen, the man didn't come off as being someone who was selfish. He had a job at a respectable company. He was a Engineer for them and helped to work on cars. There would be times that she would see Leon helping small children find their way home, or even comforting the souls of the departed. He almost looked like to be a big brother. That was the aura that she felt he had anyways.
She'd had seen the man in a daze at times. Usually spacing out when given time to think, or when discussing matters of family. A touchy subject? Aura wasn't sure as how this was to be taken as considering he never once went further into his personal life. Aura did understand that everyone has their secrets, and there are some details that were considered to be best left closed. She respected this. All she could think about whenever Leon preferred not to talk about certain subjects, was what could have happened. What took his mind so far away that he would be constantly trapped in thought over? Leon and Eris were very much the same as they were different. Each of them had moments in their past that they didn't wish to talk out loud to anyone. Preferably, such information was meant to never be disclosed. In a way, it made Aura feel sad for them.
They were in this together. No matter what occurred in their past, she wanted them to understand that she was there too. Maybe she wouldn't be able to understand. Maybe she would. None of that would be seen if Aura was never given the chance to go through it all. Regardless, even if meant lending them an ear, something at least she wanted to do for them. This was what made consider, if they did share some of those details with her, if all possible to make cases in which they will look into further down the line. If they had family or friends whom they were worried about, then when the Bounts were stocked up and ready to fight, those places, those people who they were so concerned with, Aura would do everything in her power to bring them back home to the two.
Whoever they were out there. Whatever that made those two reminisce so much about what was out there, it meant much more to Aura. A place of importance, or people who would be like family to her, she wanted to protect what they held dear. But, this wasn't exclusively for Leon and Eris. No. She wanted to do this for all the Bounts that were in the Covenant. They each had something that they held precious. Taka held her staff and comrades very close to her. They respected her and followed her because she was there for them when they needed it. Aura wanted to be just like that. She would them dear because she holds each Bount dear to her. After all, they were all in the same Bount.
Aura had to get stronger. She had to develop herself more. Exercising her strength and pushing her limits became a daily routine for her. No way in Hell could she let the newcomers who would join them see how weak she was. Aura set the example. Practicing her kicks and punches. The way she spun herself to feel more and more comfortable on how she moved her body for a fight. Everything had to be spot on. Aura had to familiarize herself with her new body. Leon and Eris always came around to beat the information into her head, and the mindset when it came to physical training. "To train the mind one must train the body." That was how Eris phrased it. As for Leon it was more like, "No one is gonna follow a leader who can't pull their own weight." She was hoping he wasn't calling her fat or anything like that.
Spiritually, Aura had the best perks among everyone else. She was well balanced in that area despite having low reiatsu strength. Speed was another thing she was lacking a bit of too in terms of physicality. Training one's senses was the best way in making up for her short comings. Trying to focus on the subtle shifts in the air, sounds. Looking to see the changes in the earth as dirt is kicked up, or when her own personal bubble was broken. How quickly could she respond to those sudden shifts around her environment, making sure she trusted her instincts to move her hands without thinking about it. Her primary responsibility was protecting herself among the others. If she were to fall in a fight, then the rest of the Covenant will fall with her. Aura was suppose to be the head of the Covenant, the leader, and if she fell so easily in a fight, how could she expect the other Bounts to keep their heads high, if not follow her.
The Bount girl didn't have any other reason but to perfect herself. All of this wasn't just for her, but for the entirety of her race. If she was to guide them into the future, then she had to stand at the front of all of them. She had to show not only to the Bounts around her, but to the world that she was strong, and someone who to be screwed with. Like she said before, the world didn't need a hero. There were too many "heroes" as there was already. Too many of the "heroes" that went around protecting the weak and fighting off the so called monsters. Where was there a hero for the Bounts? There wasn't one.
There was never a Bount that told the others to keep their heads held up high and proud. There wasn't a Bount who would come to help the others. No one came to their rescue, or to that of Aura's when they needed it the most. Where were they at? Truth of the matter was there wasn't. All that they knew were the monsters that lingered in the world waiting to eat them all with their might. Bounts controlled by the oppression that might hammered onto them. The fear that was nailed into their cores. A life beneath the fear made by those that hunted them down. They were feared to be monsters, which made them targets. Monsters that disrupted the order of the life around them. Aura resented this to her core. It was what drove her to train harder. To push herself until her whole body ached.
Her fists snapping forward through the air and in front of her. Fingers stretched out. Each digit clinging together to make a single chopping slash across her horizon. Her physical strength was what surpassed that of her other traits. She wasn't by far muscular or toned like Leon or Eris. She was athletic to a degree but without the toned physique of a up and coming sports champion. She gave herself a good sweat practicing her strikes and slashes, trying to make full use of that physical strength. Aura was fit to say the least. She had to utilize what she was good at. And practice in the other areas she felt she was weak at.
Using her strength to punch and chop people was good and all, but did very little good for her at a distance. Aura didn't like not having something to work with to hit those who wanted to keep their distance. Always wanting to waste her strength and stamina for each effort she put into trying to catch them. So, to better solve that issue she had to learn how to develop a means of closing that distance quickly, or making it so her fists and chops can fly through the air to hit her targets. Easier said than done to be honest. Aura had a lot of work ahead of her, no doubt about it. Not only with dealing on how to make better use of her strengths, though they it was looking nice, but to train her senses even more.
Timing to avoid a variety of speeds was essential. Not two people were going to move alike. Everyone was different. The Hollows that she fought before weren't all that quick though had a lot of mass to cover more space. Plus, they hit harder too. The Shinigami specialized in a multitude of speeds and strengths. They were the dangerous sort that would keep her on her toes if she wasn't careful. So, when it came to training alone, Aura would go farther into the cavern depths of the base. The deep she would go, the more droplets that fell at a quicker pace. Almost every inch there were pockets of water overhead. They constantly dripped, sometimes in a set sequence, and sometimes at irregular intervals. Aura had to stay on her toes when using this area to exercise.
Those pools that dropped at irregular intervals made them difficult to predict when keeping her eyes closed. They will at times stop for no reason at all, then suddenly come back with a drop, or a short series to even a constant pour. Now this was annoying to guess. Aura couldn't remember the amount of times she became frustrated over doing something so simple. She didn't have the patience for this really. She always had a thought that if she vented a bit of reiatsu, tracking each droplet would become more easier to do. However, Eris didn't like that idea. For one, Aura was using excessive amounts of reiatsu to try to maintain a small field like that. In addition, trying to maintain a field like that would not only give away her position if she was hiding, but at the same time force her to become reliant on it too. At the end of it, the Bount would be exhausted before being able to get to the juiciest part of the fight. Leon's words not hers.
Learning on how to sense each individual droplet around her was something that she had to work on without using reiatsu. Again, she had to learn to trust her own instincts on when to act. When to strike, and when to block or dodge. This was the only way for Aura to truly fight to her fullest potential. Becoming reliant on others would make Aura weak as a person. Her confidence incredibly affected when she would come to fight, and when dealing with people altogether. The Bounts wouldn't learn anything from her if she solely relied on her powers rather than her own physical capabilities. All the more reason for her to push herself in each training session to make up for her weaknesses.
Dodging water droplets and punching stone walls was what made up her regiment in terms of physical prowess. It didn't matter if her fists began to bleed or how tired she got. In a fight to the death she couldn't give up. She had to work on mustering up her strength, and powering through the fatigue and pain that she felt. She was going to become the leader of the Bounts and she had to prove it using her own strength. No one was going to carry her to the finish line. No one was going to expect that the leader was some shrimp. Aura had to command that respect when entering the room. She had to show everyone that she was capable of leading others. Aura was going to fight for each and everyone that came into their new home under her watchful eye. This did include punishing those that went towards the path that she never intended.
By her hands that the Bounts who came to disobey were going to be punished by. She was going to be the one to set the example for all of them to follow. Didn't matter what the case may be, whether the Bounts needed the power boost and began eating live Human souls, or when the other races came to attack them. Aura had to stand on the front lines and be the last line of defense. In short, she was gonna be running herself ragged for the most part. Training inside the caves was just the first step. She had to go out there into Karakura to demonstrate her abilities at their fullest. If she was to be the Queen of the Bounts, then she had to display her strength for all to see rather than letting someone explain it to them. The next step was going out into Karakura town, and rounding the Bounts that lingered there.
Training to fight in the shadows and doing the same in the city are completely different monsters. One had lights that could easily brighten an entire place, plus with all the different elevations made the terrain very diverse too. Buildings like Apartment complexes had so many different heights that didn't compare to the skyscrapers or houses. Each one of their designs made it very advantageous to all sorts of people, including those that were more driven to use their physical strength to just mess things up. Lots of cover to make use of including the sewers that resided beneath the city. So many places to hide which made it just as easy to get lost when zipping and zapping around sharp corners. This is why sensing the environment and the souls within it was all the more important.
Daylight fighting was really ideal for the Bounts considering their abilities and powers. Their abilities were mainly to be used in the shadows, and at their best when the moonlight was out to play. Aura didn't make have many of those abilities unlocked just yet as her body didn't seem to have finished with adjusting itself quite yet. She will have to get stronger in order to really be ready to use them, and that was hopefully sometime soon too. A Bount who couldn't make use of their heritage's powers was ridiculous. Somewhat stupid and embarrassing if she had to be honest with the whole idea of it. That was why Aura had to make sure her body was strong. She had a lot of openings that could be made exploitable, which sucked, and didn't seem quite fitting for a Bount Leader.
In all hopes, she wanted her strengths to make it appear that there was no reason to use them at all. Clobbering her enemies would set a firm example that she wasn't someone to be messed with. No tricks or gimmicks, just a solid clean hit to the snout was more than enough to show off her power. At one point or another she was gonna have to do just that so better get ready to start doing that as soon as possible. Leaping from building to building Aura would come to spend the other part of her days scouring the city for other Bounts. She would come to watch alleys, seeing whether or not people were being pulled into their dark caress by possible Bounts. Usually turns up some sort of action while others she was too embarrassed to keep watching. Like honestly, why do couples think it to be okay to do those sort of things in dirty places like an alley when they could be doing that on a soft warm bed at home. At least do things like that a hotel, like come on treat the lady nice.
Just imagining herself doing something like that in a dirty place like that just make her shiver. Completely unacceptable, not to mention unsanitary too. Eww. Even a movie theater would be fine if they were that kinky, but still ew. Aura shook her head to try to erase those sort of images out of her head considering that she wasn't watching to learn things like that. Nope. She wasn't there for love advice but rather looking for others of her kind. No, not the pervert sort so shut up. Bounts had to keep to the shadows because of the possibility of them being hunted were still high. She sighed. Probably wasn't much hunting going on because of the decline of her race. That idea just made her sad.
It was good to know that her kind weren't being hunted as often as before the purge. But the idea knowing that there were that many Bounts left to even consider was painful. How many of her people were put down because of the thought that they were dangerous. That sort of nature they were imbued with wasn't their decision but a byproduct of their creation. An immortal body that can surpass that of the Shinigamis and Hollows but at a high cost. That cost was being that of the Human souls that the Shinigami are responsible of safeguarding. This made them targets for obvious reasons, and targets that they had no way of getting out with explanations. Didn't matter how corrupt the soul was, it was the job of the Shinigami to take care of each of them. This was why they were in heated conflicts with the Quincies.
Pursing her lips, a Plus that was trying to get away from her focus was drained and sucked into her own existence. The taste of eating a dead soul wasn't all that great when comparing them to a living one, but at times it was necessary. Mmmmm, she could still remember the freshness of a living soul that ran down her tongue and into her stomach. Nothing quite like it in any realm that came to quench her palette. But enough of that, she had a job to do. On nights like these it wasn't strange to find one Bount, or at least two. Karakura was definitely a hot spot for spirit activity, and made the souls here all the more sweeter. Hollows and other beings like them came often to devour the souls of the Humans here because of the richness of being around strong souls. That added the extra flavor to them, and considering that the Osen wasn't plaguing her any more, she didn't have to feed on a daily basis. So that was good.
Last night she was able to come to locate one Bount. Just one alone made the hours looking all the more worth it. To know that her kind was still kicking around made her feel some level of reassurance. It honestly was a relief that there were a few roaming around. Despite the odds stacked against them all, this was the best course of action. The few that were found were lost, confused, or nearly gone savage as they were beginning to attack due to desperation. Three female Bounts were what she could tally up from among the newcomers as the others served as men. A total of seven being tracked down and pulled into their ranks. Finding them was a difficult job to do, even for Aura. Her skills of finding them did not compare to the others, but she didn't have a job like Leon or Eris. So she was the most available person from among the trio to do this.
Finding them was one chore, but convincing them was another. Thus far looking for a place to stay and eat was what made coming with her seem all the more appealing. For the women, considering to sell their bodies had been the most logical choice seeing that they were able to feed whenever they needed to and make some money when they lured in a big spender at other times. Since Bounts hardly aged their sex appeal didn't falter at all either. Yet, finding a place to sleep that was cheap wasn't as easy as it looked. Rent and taxes made it difficult to keep up with when their jobs were on the slow days, so money became inconsistent. Aura, on the other hand, offered free rent so long as they were able to work.
This made her offer more feasible when offering hot meals, a warm bed, and plenty of room to expand. Not only that, but with the future plans that Aura discussed with them would give them a larger clientele than ever before. Her hopes of making the upper floors of the Bunker into a Nightclub, with it doubling as a Brothel, came with a lot of perks. This enabled a lot of Bounts to gain experience in a variety of different career choices, whether it be customer service, Entertainment, Dancing to Management. There were a lot of openings that were needed to be filled, and that did include with outsourcing with potential contractors. They will be receiving a lot of customers in vast quantities with their appeal of entertainment, with girls that truly never aged, to "private" events for those that wanted a bit of adventure for the extra dollar.
This provided the girls with protection, a home, and unique individuals who they can form bonds with that could last for an eternity. This was what Aura wanted for her people. This helped in many degrees including for the worst case scenario should anything happen to their new home. With the bonds that they will come to form with each other, Aura knew that they will be able to stick together and survive. Altogether, this will allow the Bounts to have a future beyond the Bunker, beyond any tragedy. All of this will be made possible not only from Aura's work, but the effort that each of the newcomers would put into the place. Something to truly call their own.
The women Aura was able to negotiate with more easily, but the men had their own issues. Some who had too much pride to follow a woman and wanted control. Some who considered Aura to be naive and not capable of leading the Bounts. Aura did had to admit that she was still learning and didn't have much resources beyond what they had access to. It only made their help all the more necessary. Each of the Bounts had abilities and skills that Aura herself lacked. Each one had something that could be used to help expand and contribute to the whole. One had mind reading abilities while another could manipulate the minds and hearts of others. Of course, none of those couldn't work on Aura, nor would she allow them to use it on each other. Such abilities were used on the Humans that lived in Karakura.
Immediately they were put to work after some rest. Jobs that were needed to be filled were scavenging supplies how ever means that they could, though without killing. Their abilities were definitely useful as being able to erase certain memories being played as the favorite. Mind control to contract Humans who knew construction, others to ship supplies and lose the paperwork, it would only be a matter of weeks before they were able to get everything up and running. Human workers were also employed to help fill in the spots that couldn't be. Waiters, Waitresses, cooks, dancers, janitors, there quite a few positions that were needed to be filled in order to have everything running smoothly. That would take time to do, and Aura will have to make sure that none of the Human workers were allowed to stay past a certain time. Because when the night came, that was where the Bounts completely took over operations.
Leon was able to provide supplies and other resources from the company that he worked for. His time was limited in terms of helping the Club to grow and expand. Filling it with furniture didn't come easily. However, the man made up for it with his contacts and a few buddies of previous jobs. Surprisingly enough that Leon was actually quite likable. Just let in go into a group and he could help set up an atmosphere, though sometimes he was socially awkward. Eris was firm, dedicated, and somewhat a perfectionist. She didn't allow anything to slip by. In fact, she almost seemed like a tyrant, dictating a state with an iron fist. Aura would probably need to talk to her about that one day. Aside from that, the male Bounts were put to work to help gather resources for the club too, even gone off to look for more of their kind. This was the first priority aside from feeding everyone and providing proper shelter.
At least things were going smoothly for the time being. All Aura had to do was keep up the work and push in her strive to gather more Bounts. And when the Club finally opened, then the Bounts that would come to wander around Karakura, no, around the region will definitely hear the rumors, and come to the place where they can call home. A home that would be known as the Bount Citadel.
Beings like them could truly be the one and only true immortal in the world. So long as they continued to feed on souls, then their dominance would be unmatched by any other species. The proper nutrition for them were that of the souls that passed on beyond their physical bodies. Those that were already deceased and waiting to be taken to Soul Society. Aura knew how this process worked as she had been overhearing things like this for all her life. Not only that, but Doctor Erika explained the purpose of the Shinigami, and why they operated the way that they did. All of it made sense, beside the creation of the Bounts that is.
Never had the Bounts direct themselves with their own volition or choice. Always having to be guided by the hand of someone else, being forced into a scenario that they did not wish for themselves. Always, their kind had to keep their heads down in fear of being discovered by one of the other races. That fear was what drove them to the shadows. That fear was what drove the remaining Bounts in hiding, if not, exile. There was little hope for their kind to really excel. After the purge, the Bounts had to be sure that their identities were kept secret. Some would likely forsake their species, and by all means chose to live as Human. Their natural abilities gone to waste to insure that their secret remained a secret. Aura hated that.
How many friends could they help with their abilities? How much right can they do if they were fully able to express themselves beyond the character they made for themselves? The amount of good that can be done when directed correctly. But that wasn't the only concern. The more Bounts that stuck together, the more that they will be able to repopulate. Some of the Bount test subjects back in Soul Society were made from her own blood. Cells and eggs taken from her and molded into Bounts that can be used for further testing. Erika told her about what was going on. She didn't hide any of the facts as she didn't like what they were doing too. But she had to. Erika was one of the few Shinigami that wanted to help the Bounts to end their need to feed on Human souls. That was the reason for her work.
To her knowledge, Erika didn't make it after Aura escaped. She didn't hear anything of what may have happened to the Shinigami after helping many of them escape. Aura wanted to see her again. She wanted to thank her. She wanted her to be with them all to help, and live a life that she would have wanted for herself. But she wasn't here. So much was taken from Aura because she was weak. All because Aura didn't stand up when needed. The Bounts were divided and lost. No one wanted to bring them together. Aura had to do it. She had to become the symbol to unite all of the Bounts into a single covenant. No one else was going to do it, and she couldn't rely on anyone to do it either. Why was she going to wait for a miracle, when she could make one herself.
That was what Taka taught the Bount when it came to making a decision of taking over the Bunker. The bottom depths of their new home echoed from droplets of water that leaked from the stones that made up the ceiling. Bits of moisture that was collected over time, and fell down into the corridors. Leon had already begun digging further into the mountain, away from the fault lines. More housing units had to be made in case of emergencies if the upper levels were breached. A chamber that could be used for training purposes that extended beyond the length of three football fields. This was where Aura spent her time training, honing her skills. She had done so in the dark in many of the days. Her senses came first, tracking down where the droplets were forming over her head, etc.
The collected moisture made small puddles of water in the ceiling that gradually fell over time. Pockets made up and used to help Aura train her senses. Location, distance, amount of water, where it would fall, and when to move to intercept it. All of this done while in the dark chamber. Aura would at times spend hours either sitting down listening to the water, honing and timing the drops of water to see when and where they will form and drop. Her ears twitching just for the slightest sound that it would make. Her focuse specifying on a single pocket. The change in air current that blew in and out of the chamber to the other corridors and aqua-ducts. She listened to a single pocket to hone her senses, and match them with the processes of her brain.
Other times Aura would stand and strike out at the droplets. Her timing was a bit off as usual, but she persisted. Her key weapons for fighting was that of her physical strength. Reiatsu usage wasn't something that she was particularly good at, though that had to change over time. Despite how weak she was in this department, there were powers that the Bounts possessed that helped to alter the course of a fight by changing the environment to their advantage. Or, at least make full use of their environment. The night was when the Bounts were at their strongest. Aura was no stranger to that. The shadows were their mask, and the night was that of their cape. With the two working together, the Bount was nearly unstoppable. The Dolls were their main weapons and allies to be used in the fight, but for a Bount to strictly rely on them was doomed to fail. At least that was what Aura thought when it came to their leader.
And that was the thing about trying to be a leader. There was so much stuff that she had to cram into her head. Subtle behaviors and mannerisms Eris wanted her to learn. "How to compose oneself in front of the masses" was something that Eris would nail into her head constantly. That Bount came from a different land away from Karakura. A land across the sea that was many times caught in the midst of a fight. Eris hadn't been home in a long time, so she didn't know what shape the country was in. She didn't even bother looking into the matter as firmly believing her reasoning to check was most certainly gone. Perhaps what she meant by that was family. Eris must have lost people, or a person most dear to her. Maybe that was the reason why she wanted Aura and Leon to get better.
Other Bounts that fell in front of, having to witness those fighting for the sake of survival, and only having to be forced to watch them die. That must have been a far deep blow than what Aura had experienced before. What Eris had gone through, being able to fight along side them, Aura compared that ability to her own, someone being unable to do anything but watch. The level of frustration of knowing that she was too weak to do anything, compared to someone who couldn't do anything at all. Their differences were there. Nevertheless, the pain that was felt at the time was surely similar, if not worse for Eris. Maybe it was because of what happened to those people that Eris did not want to see happen again. Maybe that was the reason the Bount woman pushed Aura and the others to be stronger, to be better.
Aura didn't know. She had that feeling about Leon too. The two of them got to know each other a bit better. Leon came from Amercia, the United States of America. Rather immediate he did explain that he wasn't a good man. Someone who often broke the rules to get what he wanted. A man who was utterly selfish and lacked any sense of code or honor. In that regard, Eris was deeply offended. Though he explained such things to Aura, she still had a hard time picturing it at all. After what Leon has done for her, from what she has seen, the man didn't come off as being someone who was selfish. He had a job at a respectable company. He was a Engineer for them and helped to work on cars. There would be times that she would see Leon helping small children find their way home, or even comforting the souls of the departed. He almost looked like to be a big brother. That was the aura that she felt he had anyways.
She'd had seen the man in a daze at times. Usually spacing out when given time to think, or when discussing matters of family. A touchy subject? Aura wasn't sure as how this was to be taken as considering he never once went further into his personal life. Aura did understand that everyone has their secrets, and there are some details that were considered to be best left closed. She respected this. All she could think about whenever Leon preferred not to talk about certain subjects, was what could have happened. What took his mind so far away that he would be constantly trapped in thought over? Leon and Eris were very much the same as they were different. Each of them had moments in their past that they didn't wish to talk out loud to anyone. Preferably, such information was meant to never be disclosed. In a way, it made Aura feel sad for them.
They were in this together. No matter what occurred in their past, she wanted them to understand that she was there too. Maybe she wouldn't be able to understand. Maybe she would. None of that would be seen if Aura was never given the chance to go through it all. Regardless, even if meant lending them an ear, something at least she wanted to do for them. This was what made consider, if they did share some of those details with her, if all possible to make cases in which they will look into further down the line. If they had family or friends whom they were worried about, then when the Bounts were stocked up and ready to fight, those places, those people who they were so concerned with, Aura would do everything in her power to bring them back home to the two.
Whoever they were out there. Whatever that made those two reminisce so much about what was out there, it meant much more to Aura. A place of importance, or people who would be like family to her, she wanted to protect what they held dear. But, this wasn't exclusively for Leon and Eris. No. She wanted to do this for all the Bounts that were in the Covenant. They each had something that they held precious. Taka held her staff and comrades very close to her. They respected her and followed her because she was there for them when they needed it. Aura wanted to be just like that. She would them dear because she holds each Bount dear to her. After all, they were all in the same Bount.
Aura had to get stronger. She had to develop herself more. Exercising her strength and pushing her limits became a daily routine for her. No way in Hell could she let the newcomers who would join them see how weak she was. Aura set the example. Practicing her kicks and punches. The way she spun herself to feel more and more comfortable on how she moved her body for a fight. Everything had to be spot on. Aura had to familiarize herself with her new body. Leon and Eris always came around to beat the information into her head, and the mindset when it came to physical training. "To train the mind one must train the body." That was how Eris phrased it. As for Leon it was more like, "No one is gonna follow a leader who can't pull their own weight." She was hoping he wasn't calling her fat or anything like that.
Spiritually, Aura had the best perks among everyone else. She was well balanced in that area despite having low reiatsu strength. Speed was another thing she was lacking a bit of too in terms of physicality. Training one's senses was the best way in making up for her short comings. Trying to focus on the subtle shifts in the air, sounds. Looking to see the changes in the earth as dirt is kicked up, or when her own personal bubble was broken. How quickly could she respond to those sudden shifts around her environment, making sure she trusted her instincts to move her hands without thinking about it. Her primary responsibility was protecting herself among the others. If she were to fall in a fight, then the rest of the Covenant will fall with her. Aura was suppose to be the head of the Covenant, the leader, and if she fell so easily in a fight, how could she expect the other Bounts to keep their heads high, if not follow her.
The Bount girl didn't have any other reason but to perfect herself. All of this wasn't just for her, but for the entirety of her race. If she was to guide them into the future, then she had to stand at the front of all of them. She had to show not only to the Bounts around her, but to the world that she was strong, and someone who to be screwed with. Like she said before, the world didn't need a hero. There were too many "heroes" as there was already. Too many of the "heroes" that went around protecting the weak and fighting off the so called monsters. Where was there a hero for the Bounts? There wasn't one.
There was never a Bount that told the others to keep their heads held up high and proud. There wasn't a Bount who would come to help the others. No one came to their rescue, or to that of Aura's when they needed it the most. Where were they at? Truth of the matter was there wasn't. All that they knew were the monsters that lingered in the world waiting to eat them all with their might. Bounts controlled by the oppression that might hammered onto them. The fear that was nailed into their cores. A life beneath the fear made by those that hunted them down. They were feared to be monsters, which made them targets. Monsters that disrupted the order of the life around them. Aura resented this to her core. It was what drove her to train harder. To push herself until her whole body ached.
Her fists snapping forward through the air and in front of her. Fingers stretched out. Each digit clinging together to make a single chopping slash across her horizon. Her physical strength was what surpassed that of her other traits. She wasn't by far muscular or toned like Leon or Eris. She was athletic to a degree but without the toned physique of a up and coming sports champion. She gave herself a good sweat practicing her strikes and slashes, trying to make full use of that physical strength. Aura was fit to say the least. She had to utilize what she was good at. And practice in the other areas she felt she was weak at.
Using her strength to punch and chop people was good and all, but did very little good for her at a distance. Aura didn't like not having something to work with to hit those who wanted to keep their distance. Always wanting to waste her strength and stamina for each effort she put into trying to catch them. So, to better solve that issue she had to learn how to develop a means of closing that distance quickly, or making it so her fists and chops can fly through the air to hit her targets. Easier said than done to be honest. Aura had a lot of work ahead of her, no doubt about it. Not only with dealing on how to make better use of her strengths, though they it was looking nice, but to train her senses even more.
Timing to avoid a variety of speeds was essential. Not two people were going to move alike. Everyone was different. The Hollows that she fought before weren't all that quick though had a lot of mass to cover more space. Plus, they hit harder too. The Shinigami specialized in a multitude of speeds and strengths. They were the dangerous sort that would keep her on her toes if she wasn't careful. So, when it came to training alone, Aura would go farther into the cavern depths of the base. The deep she would go, the more droplets that fell at a quicker pace. Almost every inch there were pockets of water overhead. They constantly dripped, sometimes in a set sequence, and sometimes at irregular intervals. Aura had to stay on her toes when using this area to exercise.
Those pools that dropped at irregular intervals made them difficult to predict when keeping her eyes closed. They will at times stop for no reason at all, then suddenly come back with a drop, or a short series to even a constant pour. Now this was annoying to guess. Aura couldn't remember the amount of times she became frustrated over doing something so simple. She didn't have the patience for this really. She always had a thought that if she vented a bit of reiatsu, tracking each droplet would become more easier to do. However, Eris didn't like that idea. For one, Aura was using excessive amounts of reiatsu to try to maintain a small field like that. In addition, trying to maintain a field like that would not only give away her position if she was hiding, but at the same time force her to become reliant on it too. At the end of it, the Bount would be exhausted before being able to get to the juiciest part of the fight. Leon's words not hers.
Learning on how to sense each individual droplet around her was something that she had to work on without using reiatsu. Again, she had to learn to trust her own instincts on when to act. When to strike, and when to block or dodge. This was the only way for Aura to truly fight to her fullest potential. Becoming reliant on others would make Aura weak as a person. Her confidence incredibly affected when she would come to fight, and when dealing with people altogether. The Bounts wouldn't learn anything from her if she solely relied on her powers rather than her own physical capabilities. All the more reason for her to push herself in each training session to make up for her weaknesses.
Dodging water droplets and punching stone walls was what made up her regiment in terms of physical prowess. It didn't matter if her fists began to bleed or how tired she got. In a fight to the death she couldn't give up. She had to work on mustering up her strength, and powering through the fatigue and pain that she felt. She was going to become the leader of the Bounts and she had to prove it using her own strength. No one was going to carry her to the finish line. No one was going to expect that the leader was some shrimp. Aura had to command that respect when entering the room. She had to show everyone that she was capable of leading others. Aura was going to fight for each and everyone that came into their new home under her watchful eye. This did include punishing those that went towards the path that she never intended.
By her hands that the Bounts who came to disobey were going to be punished by. She was going to be the one to set the example for all of them to follow. Didn't matter what the case may be, whether the Bounts needed the power boost and began eating live Human souls, or when the other races came to attack them. Aura had to stand on the front lines and be the last line of defense. In short, she was gonna be running herself ragged for the most part. Training inside the caves was just the first step. She had to go out there into Karakura to demonstrate her abilities at their fullest. If she was to be the Queen of the Bounts, then she had to display her strength for all to see rather than letting someone explain it to them. The next step was going out into Karakura town, and rounding the Bounts that lingered there.
Training to fight in the shadows and doing the same in the city are completely different monsters. One had lights that could easily brighten an entire place, plus with all the different elevations made the terrain very diverse too. Buildings like Apartment complexes had so many different heights that didn't compare to the skyscrapers or houses. Each one of their designs made it very advantageous to all sorts of people, including those that were more driven to use their physical strength to just mess things up. Lots of cover to make use of including the sewers that resided beneath the city. So many places to hide which made it just as easy to get lost when zipping and zapping around sharp corners. This is why sensing the environment and the souls within it was all the more important.
Daylight fighting was really ideal for the Bounts considering their abilities and powers. Their abilities were mainly to be used in the shadows, and at their best when the moonlight was out to play. Aura didn't make have many of those abilities unlocked just yet as her body didn't seem to have finished with adjusting itself quite yet. She will have to get stronger in order to really be ready to use them, and that was hopefully sometime soon too. A Bount who couldn't make use of their heritage's powers was ridiculous. Somewhat stupid and embarrassing if she had to be honest with the whole idea of it. That was why Aura had to make sure her body was strong. She had a lot of openings that could be made exploitable, which sucked, and didn't seem quite fitting for a Bount Leader.
In all hopes, she wanted her strengths to make it appear that there was no reason to use them at all. Clobbering her enemies would set a firm example that she wasn't someone to be messed with. No tricks or gimmicks, just a solid clean hit to the snout was more than enough to show off her power. At one point or another she was gonna have to do just that so better get ready to start doing that as soon as possible. Leaping from building to building Aura would come to spend the other part of her days scouring the city for other Bounts. She would come to watch alleys, seeing whether or not people were being pulled into their dark caress by possible Bounts. Usually turns up some sort of action while others she was too embarrassed to keep watching. Like honestly, why do couples think it to be okay to do those sort of things in dirty places like an alley when they could be doing that on a soft warm bed at home. At least do things like that a hotel, like come on treat the lady nice.
Just imagining herself doing something like that in a dirty place like that just make her shiver. Completely unacceptable, not to mention unsanitary too. Eww. Even a movie theater would be fine if they were that kinky, but still ew. Aura shook her head to try to erase those sort of images out of her head considering that she wasn't watching to learn things like that. Nope. She wasn't there for love advice but rather looking for others of her kind. No, not the pervert sort so shut up. Bounts had to keep to the shadows because of the possibility of them being hunted were still high. She sighed. Probably wasn't much hunting going on because of the decline of her race. That idea just made her sad.
It was good to know that her kind weren't being hunted as often as before the purge. But the idea knowing that there were that many Bounts left to even consider was painful. How many of her people were put down because of the thought that they were dangerous. That sort of nature they were imbued with wasn't their decision but a byproduct of their creation. An immortal body that can surpass that of the Shinigamis and Hollows but at a high cost. That cost was being that of the Human souls that the Shinigami are responsible of safeguarding. This made them targets for obvious reasons, and targets that they had no way of getting out with explanations. Didn't matter how corrupt the soul was, it was the job of the Shinigami to take care of each of them. This was why they were in heated conflicts with the Quincies.
Pursing her lips, a Plus that was trying to get away from her focus was drained and sucked into her own existence. The taste of eating a dead soul wasn't all that great when comparing them to a living one, but at times it was necessary. Mmmmm, she could still remember the freshness of a living soul that ran down her tongue and into her stomach. Nothing quite like it in any realm that came to quench her palette. But enough of that, she had a job to do. On nights like these it wasn't strange to find one Bount, or at least two. Karakura was definitely a hot spot for spirit activity, and made the souls here all the more sweeter. Hollows and other beings like them came often to devour the souls of the Humans here because of the richness of being around strong souls. That added the extra flavor to them, and considering that the Osen wasn't plaguing her any more, she didn't have to feed on a daily basis. So that was good.
Last night she was able to come to locate one Bount. Just one alone made the hours looking all the more worth it. To know that her kind was still kicking around made her feel some level of reassurance. It honestly was a relief that there were a few roaming around. Despite the odds stacked against them all, this was the best course of action. The few that were found were lost, confused, or nearly gone savage as they were beginning to attack due to desperation. Three female Bounts were what she could tally up from among the newcomers as the others served as men. A total of seven being tracked down and pulled into their ranks. Finding them was a difficult job to do, even for Aura. Her skills of finding them did not compare to the others, but she didn't have a job like Leon or Eris. So she was the most available person from among the trio to do this.
Finding them was one chore, but convincing them was another. Thus far looking for a place to stay and eat was what made coming with her seem all the more appealing. For the women, considering to sell their bodies had been the most logical choice seeing that they were able to feed whenever they needed to and make some money when they lured in a big spender at other times. Since Bounts hardly aged their sex appeal didn't falter at all either. Yet, finding a place to sleep that was cheap wasn't as easy as it looked. Rent and taxes made it difficult to keep up with when their jobs were on the slow days, so money became inconsistent. Aura, on the other hand, offered free rent so long as they were able to work.
This made her offer more feasible when offering hot meals, a warm bed, and plenty of room to expand. Not only that, but with the future plans that Aura discussed with them would give them a larger clientele than ever before. Her hopes of making the upper floors of the Bunker into a Nightclub, with it doubling as a Brothel, came with a lot of perks. This enabled a lot of Bounts to gain experience in a variety of different career choices, whether it be customer service, Entertainment, Dancing to Management. There were a lot of openings that were needed to be filled, and that did include with outsourcing with potential contractors. They will be receiving a lot of customers in vast quantities with their appeal of entertainment, with girls that truly never aged, to "private" events for those that wanted a bit of adventure for the extra dollar.
This provided the girls with protection, a home, and unique individuals who they can form bonds with that could last for an eternity. This was what Aura wanted for her people. This helped in many degrees including for the worst case scenario should anything happen to their new home. With the bonds that they will come to form with each other, Aura knew that they will be able to stick together and survive. Altogether, this will allow the Bounts to have a future beyond the Bunker, beyond any tragedy. All of this will be made possible not only from Aura's work, but the effort that each of the newcomers would put into the place. Something to truly call their own.
The women Aura was able to negotiate with more easily, but the men had their own issues. Some who had too much pride to follow a woman and wanted control. Some who considered Aura to be naive and not capable of leading the Bounts. Aura did had to admit that she was still learning and didn't have much resources beyond what they had access to. It only made their help all the more necessary. Each of the Bounts had abilities and skills that Aura herself lacked. Each one had something that could be used to help expand and contribute to the whole. One had mind reading abilities while another could manipulate the minds and hearts of others. Of course, none of those couldn't work on Aura, nor would she allow them to use it on each other. Such abilities were used on the Humans that lived in Karakura.
Immediately they were put to work after some rest. Jobs that were needed to be filled were scavenging supplies how ever means that they could, though without killing. Their abilities were definitely useful as being able to erase certain memories being played as the favorite. Mind control to contract Humans who knew construction, others to ship supplies and lose the paperwork, it would only be a matter of weeks before they were able to get everything up and running. Human workers were also employed to help fill in the spots that couldn't be. Waiters, Waitresses, cooks, dancers, janitors, there quite a few positions that were needed to be filled in order to have everything running smoothly. That would take time to do, and Aura will have to make sure that none of the Human workers were allowed to stay past a certain time. Because when the night came, that was where the Bounts completely took over operations.
Leon was able to provide supplies and other resources from the company that he worked for. His time was limited in terms of helping the Club to grow and expand. Filling it with furniture didn't come easily. However, the man made up for it with his contacts and a few buddies of previous jobs. Surprisingly enough that Leon was actually quite likable. Just let in go into a group and he could help set up an atmosphere, though sometimes he was socially awkward. Eris was firm, dedicated, and somewhat a perfectionist. She didn't allow anything to slip by. In fact, she almost seemed like a tyrant, dictating a state with an iron fist. Aura would probably need to talk to her about that one day. Aside from that, the male Bounts were put to work to help gather resources for the club too, even gone off to look for more of their kind. This was the first priority aside from feeding everyone and providing proper shelter.
At least things were going smoothly for the time being. All Aura had to do was keep up the work and push in her strive to gather more Bounts. And when the Club finally opened, then the Bounts that would come to wander around Karakura, no, around the region will definitely hear the rumors, and come to the place where they can call home. A home that would be known as the Bount Citadel.
