It Looks Good on a Resume | Joint Training / R |

[Deleted]

Training for CTP

Why did Luke get into this? Honestly? At first he wasn't really sure. He'd seen a few fliers about it, he heard a few rumors, and even talked to someone who was in the gig. So why did Luke decide to get involved in it? Was it boredom? Was not having work getting to him? Was it the hours spent not doing anything but being left alone with his own thoughts and two arguing assholes? At first he wasn't sure. But he knew the answer now. From fliers, to word of mouth, Luke found about one activity in Taka's club that he could actually get into. Not racing, not dancing, not mechanical stuff, Luke finally found something he could do. Something he could, at least, give back to Taka some for letting him live in her club. What Luke found was fighting.

Taka's club conducted a lot of activities, many of which may or may not have been legal. But Luke was fine with that. He was starting to get used to it. Sure, he never did anything his mother wouldn't approve of, for the most part, but fighting was something he was used to. Something he was familiar with. Something he was good at. So he signed on. And boy, did he underestimate just how serious of a thing this was. Cage matches. Weapons allowed. Powers allowed. No holds barred fights to bloody victories in front of a ravenous and loud audience. Luke didn't sign on immediately. He took a few nights to watch, learn, inspect the fights and see how they went. Things were interesting to say the least.

Anyone with powers could sign on. For the most part. Luke noticed that someone with pale skin who reminded him of Impossible was denied entry. By watching in the audience Luke learned the rules. Fights were scheduled beforehand and then hosted. They were one round fights, ending when the someone passed out, surrendered, or, as Luke witnessed on his third match, killed. It was intimidating to say the least, but Luke also happened to learn that kill matches weren't generally the norm. It was rare for someone to die, as the refs generally called the match before things got too bad.

The locker slammed itself shut. Resting his hand against the cold steel, Luke let out a deep sigh as he rubbed his eye. The skin around his eyes was red, scaled, and the eyes themselves were bloodshot and obviously irritated. Sitting himself down on the middle of the isle bench, Luke looked at the envelope he'd kept sitted on the bench. A couple stacks of hundred dollar bills slid out to greet him when he tilted it, the congratulatory words of the fighting ring manager still ringing in his head. "Ya did good tonight Clyburn. Poison Ash never saw any of that comin. But maybe next time let the fight go on a little longer before ya take 'em down." Closing his eyes, Luke sighed yet again. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh-oh, maybe he's depressed he didn't get to see some tit during that fight, ke ke ke." The Dolls chimed in. I didn't like how this fight went. I'm just worried. What if I screwed up with this? I didn't mean to stab her. Just the sight of the clubs staff carrying her off on that stretcher is stuck in my head." Luke confessed as he closed the envelope holding the prize money. "You're concerned over the condition of your opponent? Tch, I need to stop forgetting how weak you are sometimes." Springflut shot back, not really helping with Luke's mood. "Springflut don't be so hard on our Master. You know he's got a thing against fighting girls already. Besides all Luke did was run her through the stomach with his sword. No need to think there's any major organs in that part of the body or anything hehe." Mmmgh.

That fight wasn't what Luke would call...sportsman. Poison Ash was just as her name sounded. A Fullbringer with a coating type Fullbring (one of those ones that cover you in clothes, armor, etc). All of her abilities revolved around poison. Ranging from paralyzing claws, a burning mist, and a deadly kiss. During the fight Luke had gotten that mist in his eyes, blinding him. What happened was a complete accident. Apparently, from what he'd been told, was Ash had moved in to secure the victory for herself. Luke had finally managed to calm his panic down, and using a sudden burst of Willpower had hit her through that poison armor thing she had going on. Really he had no idea how he won. Maybe he had the devils luck or something he really didn't know.

"She knew the consequences when stepping into that ring. Whether she lives or dies she did so doing what she wanted, so stop worrying about someone who lost and start finding out who you're fighting next." Wonderful advice Springflut. "Anyone else want scrambled eggs?" Luke pushed himself to his feet, opening his now fully healed eyes, and slid the envelope into his bag before grabbing onto his sword, aiming to leave the locker room and head back to his apartment in the club. Oh, yeah, he actually lived at the club that housed the fighting ring. Long story.

[Marcus Cole]

Training for TTP



"Ladies and Gentleman, it is my pleasure to introduce you to our next two combatants! The man on the right needs no true introduction. You’ve seen him win nine of his last ten fights right before your eyes. Good luck getting under his skin – or punching through it, for that matter. Let’s give a warm welcome to our very own Iron!”

The crowd of onlookers erupted into a roaring flood of applause only broken through by piercing, enthusiastic whistles. After a few moments, the claps began to fade away, replaced by a cacophony of confident voices eager to make money off the bets they placed on Iron. He seemed to be one of their more successful fighters. The screen above the cage displayed how heavily the bets favored him, setting the odds at 11:1.

At least some people believe in me… kinda.

And on the left… Well, I don’t know how to describe this guy to you, folks. He’s got some black armor on. Uh… looks like he uses knives. To be honest with you, the only info he gave me was his name. But let’s give it up for the newbie, Nightwing!”

An brief, unenthusiastic ripple of applause spread through the crowd before quickly subsiding. I guess this place is less interested in the fight and more interested in making money, Marcus thought to himself. But he wasn’t their for money. Or thrill, for that matter. Marcus was their to test himself. He had sparred against Harle before she returned to Soul Society, but he couldn’t be completely sure that she wasn’t holding back. For that matter, he had a new combat style now. He needed experience, and this was one place he could get it. It was time to prove to himself that he was ready to for action.

DING DING DING “LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!!”

Iron didn’t waste any time. The moment he activated his fullbring, which literally turned his skin into metal (hence his name), he closed the distance between himself and Marcus with movement. As he came out of his step, his fist moved through the air toward his target’s face. If it hit… well, it would hurt. So Marcus had to make sure it doesn’t it.

Marcus was swifter than his opponent, and so his head ducked down to avoid the jab punch. That downward motion manifested into a low squat where Marcus twisted his body, sliding his right leg across the ground as swiftly as he could to deliver a sweeping kick. It would have been a good idea if he had his past strength. Unfortunately, Marcus was no longer as strong as he once was, a reality that eluded him as he instinctively transitioned his mind to battle mode. He’d pay for that mistake.

The sound of Marcus’s shin bruising against Iron’s sturdy ankle was accompanied by his painful grunt and laughter from the crowd. He wasn’t the first to try to engage Iron in physical combat, and none in the past had success in doing so. Onlookers arrogantly called the fight in Iron’s favor without even waiting for it to end. They were sure it was over. ”If this kid only knows how to fight with his hands, he won’t last another second.”

Perhaps, against another opponent, Iron may have won then and there. Unfortunately for him, Marcus wasn’t just another guy. That kick wasn’t just a kick either. It left an imprint of Marcus’s reiatsu. Iron had turned his free right hand into a spiky mace and began to bring it down on Marcus with all his might. That bloodthirsty gaze in his eyes made it clear that his intent was to kill. He found pleasure in the blood of those he defeated.

But Iron would only see his own blood after that fight. As he began to slam the mace down into Marcus, a force suddenly hit the side of his ankle, right where Marcus had injured his shin. It was so sudden and powerful that it knocked him off his feet, forcing him into an awkward spin in the same place. With his legs going up, his body was horizontal to the ground, parallel to and just a couple of feet above the ground. This position locked his fate.

Marcus was faster and more agile than Iron could respond to. With his superb acrobatic ability, he kicked off from his low position on the ground into a flip right when his technique, Shadow Punch, hit Iron. When he completed the flip, his right foot would land on Iron’s right elbow, just below the mace. There was no downtime before Marcus activated Bringer Light, which forced Iron’s own mace into his body with the immense force of a step technique. The spikes of his mace impaled a variety of his internal organs, narrowly missing his heart. The step technique propelled Marcus backward, and so he kicked off the cage wall behind him to recover. By the time his feet returned to the ground, a pool of Iron’s blood began to collect on the floor of the arena.

”Woah, that was fast, folks. If you blinked, you missed it. Iron’s down, Nightwing takes the win! Now let’s get that man some medical attention ASAP.”

The crowd was dead quiet as Marcus exited the cage, staring at him with a mix of confusion and anger. To many of them, he was the man that robbed them of easy money. But Marcus didn’t care about any of that. He walked to a nearby bench and picked up a stack of paper. The man, still wearing his battle suit and visor, made his way through the crowd, passing out the fliers as he did. Most were too puzzled to reject the paper. Others were actually interested in seeing what he was handing out. ”Hey, what’s that you’re giving out?” But he didn’t answer with words, responding only by handing them the paper and moving on to their neighbors.

Eventually, he made his way up the stairs into the upperdeck, handing out fliers to those he passed. He didn’t make eye contact or exchange words. If someone rejected his fliers, he’d simply move on to the next person. Final, he made his way to Luke. With his gaze low, he extended his hand outward with a slip of paper. Luke would be able to read the flier’s text in Marcus’s hand. It read in big letters:

Uzaki Enterprise - Hiring Now!

Spiritually Aware Humans, Free Shinigami, Free Quincy, Mod Souls, Bount, Failures, and Anything In Between.

[Deleted]

I think I'll go to that ramen place near the model shop. It looked good when I saw it. Luke chitchatted mentally. "Ramen? Do you ever eat anything else? I've got an idea! How about you march straight up to Taka and you tell her that you want to eat her-" And like that Luke cut Jäger off. It was hard to explain how Luke did that. It was like talking on a phone and Luke just decided to hang up, but if he wasn't careful the phone would open back up and Jäger would start barfing again. "Personally I'd prefer curry. It gets boring eating the same thing over and over." Springflut added, causing Luke to second guess his choice. Curry really did sound good now that he thought about it.

But it seems that eating out wasn't on the schedule. As Luke exited the locker room, he happened to cross paths with Marcus, who promptly handed him the flier he'd been giving out to everybody else. Luke blinked, reaching out and taking the flier curiously. Who is this guy? Luke asked, giving Marcus a raised eyebrow. "He looks like a Mexican wrestler. What're they called again?" Springflut asked. "Nah he looks like a cut Robin design from that shitty Mr. Freeze Batman movie, kekeke." Oh damn it Jäger slipped back in. Regardless, Luke turned his attention downwards to the flier in his hands. "Uzaki Enterprise?"

Where have I heard this before? Luke questioned mentally as he began reading. T-the hell? When Luke got to the section about WHO Uzaki Enterprise wanted to hire, it caught him by surprise. Various races all listed off, and the two that stood out to him were Mod Souls and Bount. Blinking, Luke quickly raised his head and turned out, reaching out to stop Marcus from walking away from him to hand out more fliers. "H-hey hold on a second. Just what sorta place is this?" Luke questioned, holding the flier up after releasing Marcus and pointing at it.

"Just what kind of place is looking to hire all these spirit things?" Luke questioned, curiosity abounding.

[Marcus Cole]

"Uzaki Enterprise?"

Marcus’s gaze rose from the ground, eagerly meeting the first man all day to show interest in his company. He struggled to repress the smile pulling at his lips. This guy might actually want to join us. I can’t wait to tell Kazura. Wait, better seal the deal first. His eyes shifted from Luke to the flier as Luke held it up in front of Marcus’s face. ” "H-hey hold on a second. Just what sorta place is this?"

Marcus responded by pulling out his phone and… typing. It might seem like he was ignoring Luke at first, but this clearly wasn’t the case. First of all, Marcus’s fingers were moving so rapidly that they’d look like a blur to Luke. Secondly, he wasn’t sending a text or going on snapchat. Once he finished typing, his phone began to speak with an artificial voice.

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}Enter the text below into this website.

”Uzaki Enterprise is a technological company based in Karakura Town headed by Kazura Uzaki. His goal is to gather spiritually aware individuals and provide them with training so that we may protect the human world from threats, both external and internal. There aren't enough shinigami to stop all hollow attacks, so that's where we come in. Kazura Uzaki is a great man, and he provides very generous compensation to his employees in the form of a large salary, commission, and benefits. Please consider joining us.”

Marcus watched Luke carefully, studying his reactions and waiting on his response once the message finished player.

[Deleted]

Well this was certainly a interesting turn of events. When Luke began digging for answers regarding this "Uzaki Enterprise" the man he was talking to didn't...actually talk back. Instead he pulled out his cell phone and began typing away. "Is he...sending a text?" Jäger asked a little shocked. But when Luke looked at the mans fingers, he noticed how...blurred they were. He was typing away on his phone so fast Luke could barely see the fingers moving. He blinked. Seems that this guy was more than he was letting on after all. He was actually a little impressed at what he was seeing. But that astonishment turned to confusion when, suddenly, Marcus pulled a damn Stephen Hawking on him.

He blinked, raising an eyebrow at Marcus for a moment. Why was he talking through his phone? He was about to ask, when the thought came to him that, possibly, Marcus might actually be a mute. He could have suffered some sort of injury, been born with a condition, or a list of other possibilities. It then made sense why he was using the phone, and Luke lowered that eyebrow. "Huh. Wow. Really?" Luke spoke when it was all done, looking down at the flier once again. It sounded a little too good to be true, in all honesty. A company looking for spiritually aware humans to not just train them, but have them face off against threats against the Human World? It...sounded like a superhero club in all honesty. But pay? Benefits?

It would be a better a opportunity than just making a couple hundred bucks fighting in the arena. Rubbing his chin with his fingers, Luke looked at Marcus for a moment. "This is...an official thing, right? We're talking I can slap it on a resume, my paychecks get hit by taxs, etcetera etcetera?" Luke asked. It was a stupid question. Uzaki Enterprise was a real thing. Luke recognized the name after all. He softly smiled, chuckling to himself before he flashed Marcus a grin. "Alright whispers, I'm interested. It's got to be better than this or cashering." Luke said, giving Marcus a thumbs up. "Oh god why did you do that that's so damn cringey."

[Marcus Cole]

Marcus wasn’t all to surprised with Luke’s confusion. Yeah, suddenly typing on his phone after being asked a question wasn’t normal social behavior. Then again, Marcus was notoriously awkward, so not much he did was considered ‘normal social behavior’ to start with. Still, he’d try to be normal if it meant winning over a new employee. The fight club consisted of many exceptional spiritual individuals. Luke could be a very valuable addition to Uzaki Enterprise, and Marcus wasn’t going to mess this up.

"Huh. Wow. Really?"

He hesitated before typing a response. I can’t exactly tell him the truth without scaring him away, can I? Or maybe not the full truth. After a moment of thought, he finished his sentence and hit play. ”I apologize for having to communicate through my phone. I have a speech impediment.” There, that was normal enough. Definitely beats explaining how God’s son destabilized my soul and somehow disabled his ability to communicate. I guess that counts as a speech impediment.

"This is...an official thing, right? We're talking I can slap it on a resume, my paychecks get hit by taxs, etcetera etcetera?"

Marcus nodded enthusiastically, his fingers energetically crafting his words. “Yes, it is a normal job. If you have non-spiritual skills, you may also work in our non-spiritual departments. For example, I am one of the heads of accounting as well as a spiritual employee. We are a very large corporation with many opportunities and connections for you to take advantage of.” Marcus’s face lit up with Luke’s chuckle, responding to the stranger’s grin with an uncomfortable but undeniably genuine smile. "Alright whispers, I'm interested. It's got to be better than this or cashering."

Marcus motioned with his hands for Luke to follow as he began to exit the building. As he walked, he typed on his phone. ”If you have time right now, I’d like it if you could come with me to the Uzaki Enterprise headquarters in downtown Karakura. I can introduce you to the company. We can file the paperwork on the way, and as I drive, you can ask me yes or no questions that I’d be able to respond to while I drive.” Once they emerged from the building into the street, Luke would find Marcus walk toward a slick black convertible Mercedes E550.

”As a senior employee and active employee, my salary and commission allow me to live a comfortable life.” Yeah, Marcus was referring to his car. Considering that he didn’t have much use for his money, most of it went toward a nice car and his apartment. Most senior employees didn’t drive middle-tier Mercedes, but Marcus could afford it. Perhaps the luxury might appeal to Luke and win him over. Upon entering the car, Luke would be greeted with a smooth maroon leather interior and luxurious technological display.

It would take about 20 minutes for them to arrive, so in that time, Luke had some options. He could either ask Marcus any questions or pick up the pen and clipboard by his feet which held a few Uzaki Enterprise job applications. It asked him for basic details like his address, contact information, birthday, etc. However, it had 4 main components that truly mattered:

Name:

Race:

Reason for wanting Employment:

Particular Talents:

[Deleted]

Hmm. Well that answered that question. "Naw you're fine." Luke commented quickly when Marcus gave him the explanation for why he had to communicate using the phone. Wasn't a bother at all. At least it wasn't fucking sign language. But as the talk went on, Luke was getting more and more interested. A legitimate job looking to hire spiritually aware races, and was apparently even willing to let people like Luke work a completely normal job if he so choose, at least based off of what Marcus said. Luke noticed Marcus's smile, but chose not to put any thought into it. The guy was probably just happy that someone, out of all the people he'd handed these fliers out to, finally started asking him some questions.

Motioning for him to follow, Marcus began to lead Luke from the fighting arena to the clubs exit. Luke blinked, hesitating to follow for a moment, before shrugging and deciding to follow. It made sense for the young Bount to not simply go following someone he just met and barely knew. That's how you kept your kidney from being stolen. Once again that modulated voice reached his ears, Luke tilting his head a little in interest as he listened. "Not exactly in my Sunday best over here, but sure. Got nothing else going on. " Luke shrugged with a smile, putting his hands in his sweaters front pockets as he followed after the mute Fullbringer.

Stepping outside, Luke was greeted to quite the sight. Parked in front of them was Marcus's own Mercedes, and immediately Luke felt like drooling. "Whoa. Damn. Not bad, man, not bad at all." Luke expressed, with a little bit of jealousy. Ever since moving to Karakura he'd been living paycheck to paycheck, always on the verge of rockbottom poverty. He'd worked minimum wage after minimum wage, living in shitty apartments and eating terrible food to get by. Things had gotten better since moving to Taka's club, tremendously so, but something that Luke still didn't have was his own car. He had a bike. A bike that had since been dropped in a dumpster ever since one of Taka's racers accidently hit him with her car.

Once again the phone spoke, grabbing Luke's attention away from the car. "That so, huh?" Already Luke's mind was running wild with ideas. Then again, he wasn't considering the "Senior employee" part. Getting in the car, Luke was just as impressed with the interior as he was with what was on the outside. Fancy. "Oh god he's getting wet." Jäger groaned. "Shut up.". Being handed the clipboard, Luke blinked. It looked like a job application, but there were a few sections that caught his attention. He began filling it out, but paused at the "Race" section. He blinked. And he actually had good reason to pause.

Whenever people found out what he was they always made assumptions about him. “Bount... answer carefully. When was the last time you fed?” The words Aevus directed at him when he found out still rung clear in his head. "This, is what most Bount I've ever met have been like. You hear a lot of legends about them. But the most common name would probably be." "First and foremost, figuring out what you are, as you clearly don't know. From there, I can get a better feel of how to handle ya." "- you should have told me you were a fucking BOUNT!" Even Taka had quite the reaction when she found out, though he understood why she did. Pushing the thoughts out of his head, Luke's gaze softened as he looked down at the application. The last question was...odd. Particular talents? Did it mean past work experience or something else?

Luke filled out the rest of the information, though he left that part blank for now. Here's hoping I don't get discriminated against. Luke thought to himself as he wrote in what he was in the race section. "So...Uzaki Enterprise. You said that guys like us, with special skills, defend the human world. What's that make this place, some kinda superhero league or something?" Luke asked, trying to remember to use yes or no questions. He wished Marcus wasn't driving so he could answer more complex questions. "This 'Particular Talents' section. What's it asking for? Do you mean combat skills? Or do you mean something else?" Luke asked, turning to look at Marcus.

[Marcus Cole]

For the first part of the drive, Luke dedicated his time to the application. Marcus kept glancing at his passenger every few seconds, his eyes discreetly darting to Luke before returning to the road in hopes that the stranger would fail to notice. He’d probably only find partial success, but Marcus was too excited not to keep track of Luke’s progress on the application. Since he had only recently recovered from his injuries, the Fullbringer felt like he had failed Kazura and the company. He needed to make up for the nine or so months that he had been out of action, and one of the ways he planned to do so was through recruitment. He was dedicated to bringing Luke into the company.

Once Luke had finished with the core elements of the application, he had directed some questions toward Marcus. "You said that guys like us, with special skills, defend the human world. What's that make this place, some kinda superhero league or something?" Marcus nodded, answering fairly quickly. He held his index finger up at Luke, indicating that he’d answer more in depth in a minute. "This 'Particular Talents' section. What's it asking for? Do you mean combat skills?” Marcus nodded. ”Or do you mean something else?" And he nodded once more, his silent answer accompanied once more with his index finger. Now, Marcus really wanted to answer Luke, but he was waiting on the next red light.

After a few minutes, they were finally forced to stop at an intersection. The moment they did, Marcus’s fingers went to work on his phone. ”Yes, we’re kind of like the Justice League. Kazura Uzaki even likes to refer to himself as Batman, and well… I like to go as Nightwing when making public appearances to defuse threatening situations. Not all of our employees have similar aliases. That depends on if they want one.

“As for your other question, the ‘Particular Talents’ is fairly vague. Both combat and non-combat skills apply. For example, my finance knowledge was relevant. If you only want a spiritual role with the company, you don’t need to consider non-combat skills. But if there’s something you’re particularly good at that may help our non-spiritual business operations, feel free to mark it on the application.”

As the phone spoke, Marcus’s eyes scanned over Luke’s app from his seat. He couldn’t read most of the content, but there were a few details he picked up on. Huh, so his name’s Luke Clyburn. And he’s a bount… Let’s hope he doesn’t go on any feeding frenzies or that might be a problem. There were only a few Bount in Uzaki Enterprise, as the race was fairly rare. Still, Kazura kept an eye on his employees. There was no danger hiring Luke at the moment, but if they found him terrorizing any civilians and feeding off of them, he’d be terminated very quickly and eliminated of with appropriate force. It was a simple matter, but for now, Luke had nothing to worry about.

Still, glancing at the application made Marcus realize something odd. He had failed to introduce himself. The light turned green, forcing him to return his focus to the road. Still, he reached into his glove compartment and handed Luke his Uzaki Enterprise badge. It included his name, title, and an awkward picture of Marcus half-smiling at the camera. That was the best introduction Marcus could pull off at the moment. Nice to meet you, Luke he thought to himself, wishing Luke could hear him. Still, he was communicating decently with the newcomer. Soon, they’d arrive at Uzaki Enterprise and he can start using his phone’s text-to-speech once again.

[Deleted]

God Luke felt like an ass making the mute guy have to give him "please wait" finger. Made him feel like a jackass honestly. But even so, Luke couldn't keep himself from busting out laughing when Marcus told him that the CEO of Uzaki Enterprises liked to go around calling himself Batman. It was just the idea of naming yourself after an established character rather than creating his own persona just made him laugh, same way with Marcus. Wasn't a rude "haha in ur face" kind of laugh. Just one where Luke found it to be hilarious. "That so huh? Sounds like you guys have fun with it. Suppose you need to if you're fighting Hollows all the time." Luke commented, returning to look at the application for a minute before his attention was returned to Marcus when he began to talk through the phone again.

Ah, so that's how it was huh? "Alright I see." Luke replied with a nod, returning his attention to the application and jotting down some things in the Particular Talents section. Even so, Luke found it...weird...writing down he was good with a sword. He blinked, staring at what he wrote for a moment. On one hand he'd put down the sort of things you'd expect on a application, but seeing things like "sword skills" and "supernatural combat experience" were...off putting. This was a real job. This was an actual, real job, that was asking him to put these sort of things down. It certainly felt weird. "Put down you got a big dick."

No.

Luke's attention was once again drawn to his mute driver as he reached into a glove compartment and pulled out something small and plastic. Handing it to Luke he quickly realized it was an I.D card. He blinked, realizing a moment later why Marcus had given it to him. "Heh. Guess we both got a little too caught up in this, huh?" Luke asked with a soft chuckle and cheerful smile. "Nice to meet you, Marcus. Though, guess its Mr. Cole ain't it? I'm Luke Clyburn. Here's hoping we get along." Luke greeted. "Gay." "Jäger shut up."

Looking back at his application, the young Bount rested his eyes on the Race section once again. He was still a little worried what might happen if it got out he was Bount. He'd not had many good experiences when people found out what he was. "This might be...a odd question. Feel free to wait whenever you can to answer it but...do ya'll have...any other Bount working at Uzaki? It's just I've...not exactly always been given the warmest reception when people find out what I am." Luke asked. He had no idea how things worked at Uzaki Enterprise, and really, really, hoped he wasn't going to be subject to nasty rumors and discrimination with his, hoping to be, coworkers.

Name: Luke Clyburn

Race: Bount

Reason for wanting Employment: Looking for a place where I can grow and develop what sets me apart from other people.

Particular Talents:

• Adept in communicating with people.
• Ability to work well in a team.
• Capable of conflict management.
• Able to effectively collaborate with both co-workers and supervisors.
• Trained to use a sword.
• Experience with combating the supernatural. Both human and non-human.

[Marcus Cole]

"Nice to meet you, Marcus. Though, guess its Mr. Cole ain't it?” Marcus’s uncomfortable chuckle should answer that question. No thanks, he thought, as though Luke could hear him. Just Marcus is fine. ” I'm Luke Clyburn. Here's hoping we get along." The fullbringer nodded in agreement. Luke Clyburn seemed like a nice guy. Perhaps Marcus would have a new work friend. Strangely enough, work friends were hard to come by. Marcus’s closest relationship was, unfortunately, with that crazy Kitai Yoru. Luke was definitely a step up.

"This might be...a odd question. Feel free to wait whenever you can to answer it but...do ya'll have...any other Bount working at Uzaki? It's just I've...not exactly always been given the warmest reception when people find out what I am." Luke’s inquiry was reasonable. Most people tended to take interest in their own race. It was a group that they had much in common with, so why not pursue them. Uzaki Enterprise was fairly diverse, and so Marcus could answer Luke’s question with a straightforward nod. He didn’t need to type an elaborate response. While bount were not very common, there had to be at least a handful. Off the top of his head, that girl Vesta came to mind. Maybe she and Luke could meet at some point.

By this point, they had reached downtown Karakura. Marcus maneuvered the car into an underground parking lot entrance, where he found a private parking spot on the first level reserved specifically for him. After parking, he left the vehicle and walked over to Luke’s side. ”May I see your application, if you’ve finished?” his phone would ask while he stretched his hand. If Luke complied, he’d look over the document. It was filled appropriately, but there were two phrases that caught Marcus’s attention in the Particular Talents section: ‘Trained to use a sword’ and ‘Experience with combatting the supernatural.’ Marcus would need to collect more information.

He led Luke toward the elevators of the parking lot while he hammered out a few sentences on his phone. ”This is the Uzaki Enterprise headquarters. Most of our non-spiritual operations occur in the offices above the ground until the top of the skyscraper. Our spiritual operations, however, mostly take place underground for safety reasons.” Once the elevator arrived, Marcus would hit the button marked B10. ”I’ll be taking you to one of our training rooms in the basement. It’s reinforced with very durable spiritual materials to provide a safe space for sparring. I’d like to test how skilled you are in combat, if that’s okay with you. Don’t worry, we can start slow and escalate the fight little by little. Your chances of getting the job are very high, so don’t think of this as tryouts. Instead, treat it like a showcase. Show me what you got.”

The elevator would only take a few seconds to arrive, so Marcus’s phone would still be speaking when Luke first encountered the training grounds. He’d find a set of bleachers separated from three rooms by a glass wall. Each room was the size of a basketball court. Considering that the far left training facility contained some flashing lights, it seemed like there were a couple employees sparring within it. Therefore, Marcus led Luke to the right-most room. The floor, walls, and ceiling inside were grey and smooth, like they had been made from a concrete-metal hybrid. Furthermore, it glass on the closest wall was clearly one-sided, so while anyone who came by outside could look in, it appeared to be just another grey wall from the inside.

Marcus positioned himself toward the end of the room, putting about 50 feet of distance between himself and Luke. From his waist, he pulled out two cylinders about as long as a short sword, holding each from the bottom third of their length. Since Luke was just a potential new recruit, there was no point in bringing out his sharp bladed weapons. The eskrima sticks would do fine, even against Luke’s sword. Marcus beckoned for Luke to begin the fight with his eskrima stick as the fullbringer took a ready position. His feet were shoulder width apart with his left foot forward and right foot back, like a boxing stance. Each weapon was held in front of his body at the ready. The ball was in Luke’s court, and Marcus watched with keen interest to see what the bount could do.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats, Skills, and Items}

Strength - [100] (60) Points

Speed - [400] (600) Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] (800) Points   

Light Aura - [60] Points

Dark Aura - [40] Points

Instinct - [150] (112) Points

Senses - [150] Points

Energy sensory - [0] (0) Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points

Abilities

• [Martial Arts: Escrima] {2}
  
  
• [Weapons: Throwing Weapons] {1}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {2}
  
  
• [Special Skill: Movement] {2}
  
  
• [Stealth] {2}
  
  
• [Acrobatics] {2}
  
  

Items:

2 Escrima Sticks

15 Kunai

Kunai Canon

Suit MK I

[Deleted]

Luke had gone back to relaxing while in the car. He couldn't think up any more important questions after receiving that nod from Marcus. In honesty he was wondering just what sort of things he'd be up to if he was hired. What was he going to do? Arriving in the parking garage once they hit the downtown area, Luke stepped out of the car and handed his application over to Marcus when he was asked. He watched as the other man read over what he'd put down, hoping that everything was filled out properly. Didn't want the guy to suddenly go "Yo you filled this out wrong". Suddenly being led towards a group of elevators, Luke was unsure of just where they were going. Finally things were being explained. "Huh. I see." Luke commented when Marcus explained the skyscrapper to him.

So Marcus was taking him underground then? Luke had noticed the buttons that Marcus had pressed. Leaning against one side of the elevator walls, the Bount listened to what was said next. It made sense that they had training rooms located underneath the main facilities. Considering how unpredictable some peoples powers could be, or just how destructive they were, you'd want a place to train that wouldn't endanger the main workforce. Plus it was reinforced with what now? Spiritual materials? Ghost concrete? Luke simply nodded, crossing his arms across his chest as he waited for the elevator to reach its destination. "So no trying to kill each other? Good." He commented with a chuckle, happy for once he'd have a fight that didn't have lives on the line.

The training rooms almost looked like what you'd imagine a gymnasium to look like. It was about the size of a basketball court, had bleachers separated by glass walls. Flashing lights over to the furthest left side caught Luke's attention, and before he could ask about them he was lead by Marcus to the rightmost room. Smoothed grey floors and walls greeted Luke when he stepped inside. He blinked when he noticed that what had been a glass wall on the way been in ended up just looking like a normal wall once he was inside. A two way mirror? Must have been for spectators to not distract the people inside.

Luke turned his attention back to Marcus as the Fullbringer took his position at the opposite end of the room. Luke smirked, shaking his head a little as he began undoing his sword bag. "Well color me impressed so far." He commented, tossing the bag aside so it wouldn't get in the way during the fight. Unsheathing Mūnran'nā and tossing the sheath over towards where he'd landed the sword bag, Luke took a few moments to analyze Marcus. The other man had summoned up two...what were they? Sticks? Bats? The hell were they called again.. "A staff?" Oh right, staves! "Idiot."

Fifty feet apart and adopting a more professional, trained, position than Luke did, the Bount weighed his options. Fifty feet was quite the distance for either of them to travel, well out of range of eithers weapon. If anything didn't a long range attack make more sense in this situation. Looking at those eskrima sticks as well as Marcus's footwork, Luke got the feeling that the Fullbringer would give him one hell of a headache if he got too close. While Luke could certainly use a sword he wasn't professionally trained. Aevus had shown him the steps but then left Luke to, as he put it, develop his own dance. Checking him out with his Energy Sensory abilities, Luke could even tell that Marcus was stronger than him. He might not really have looked it, but Marcus was many times more powerful than Luke in the spirit department.

Smirking softly, Luke decided to start this thing off with a bang. Despite the distance, Luke would raise his arms upward with sword in both hands as if he were to swing overhead. But Luke's sword couldn't reach the Marcus from fifty freakin away could it? If Marcus had energy sensing capabilities he would have detected some sort of action going on with Luke's energy. When Luke began swinging his sword, he shouted out the attacks name. "Decapitation Strike!" And just like that, the reiatsu exploded outwards. Like the boom of thunder it came into existence, a turbulent wave of bright red energy rushing towards Marcus like a speeding train.

It was a technique he'd created by combining the properties of two other techniques he'd learned before. The destructive, sword swing, of Entei and the ease of access of Spirit Waves. Entei had a problem where you needed to keep your sword in its sheath to build up the energy. Spirit Waves was just an expulsion of spiritual energy. What Luke had created was a technique that absorbed his energy into the tip of his sword at the moment of the slash and then released that energy as a wave of destruction. It was stronger than both Entei and Spirit Waves, and possessed the best perks of both. Luke figured it best to start off with a ranged attack, to see how Marcus himself would handle the small bus sized wave of energy heading towards him.

Remaining Reiatsu: 2600 / 3000
-400 for Decapitation Strike

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}

• [Weapon: Swords] {2}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {2}
  
  
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
  
  
• [Anti-Stealth] {2}
  
  
• [Charisma] {1}
  
  

Luke | Soldier

Strength - 100 - 70 Points

Speed - 200 Points

Spiritual Pressure - 300 Points

Reiatsu Strength - 200 - 300 Points

Light Aura - 90 Points

Dark Aura - 10 Points

Instinct - 150 Points

Senses - 150 Points

Energy sensory - 100 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1200 Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Technique}
Technique Name: Decapitation Strike

Class: 3

Technique Type: Sword

Usable By (Technique is available to which races?): Anything

Technique Element: Other

Technique Description and Effects (Explain appearance, powers, and effect): Simplicity is sometimes the greatest weapon. There is nothing ingenious about this attack. Complexity was traded for simple, raw, power. While it has some creative uses, Decapitation Strike is defined by it's simplicity. Luke was inspired to use this technique from seeing various versions of it all across different forms of media. Animes, video games, mangas, comics. Nearly any fictional media has some form of it. This technique is a sword based energy slash/wave, whatever you want to call it. Created by combining the concepts of Entei and Spirit Waves, Luke created aimed to create a technique as powerful as Entei but with the ease of access of Spirit Waves. What he created was a technique he calls Decapitation Strike.

This sword swings works in a way that is easily explained. When the user of this technique swings their sword, at the instant of the slash the weapon will absorb and condense the users reiatsu and release it at the tip of the blade, releasing a wave of destructive reiatsu at whatever is in its way. These blasts tend to either take on the form of a crescent moon or a wave. Obviously this technique relies on the user's Reiatsu Strength, but if used through a weapon in its release state Spiritual Pressure is an applicable stat as well. What makes this technique powerful is its ability to be strengthened. Before the blast is fired, the user is able to spend more reiatsu than normal to increase the power of the resulting blast. They are able to insert as much reiatsu as their highest spiritual stat allows (so 700 RS would allow the user to put in 700 reiatsu), capping out at 3x their offensive.

How one decides to use this technique is all up to the imagination. Simple techniques breed variable uses. Though the uses of this technique are limited to the original design when it's at the Learned and Proficient stages, upon reaching Mastery the user can use Decapitation Strike in creative ways. Keeping the destructive power held within the sword for empowered slashes (for one post), releasing the power outwards during a sword lock, are just a few examples of what a Master of this technique can do.

How to use technique (How is it activated?): See above

Technique Drawbacks (Limitations, repercussions for use, etc) First of all, inserting reiatsu is not as easy as the based off of techniques. Inserting reiatsu costs 25% more. This technique does not handle non Spiritual Steel, Zanpakuto, or Release weapons well either. Using it through a sword that does not meet these requirements will cause the weapon to explode, and send the energy flying out chaotically all around the breaking point. This technique requires the user have at least a 2 in swords. Costs 2x the TTP to acquire. When it comes to adding more power to the attack, the stages of proficiency play a part. At Learned, someone is only able to put an extra 200 reiatsu into the attack. At Proficient this goes to 450. At Mastered, the user can go all in. Also counts as a short term stat boost.

Made By: Luke Clyburn

Reserved? (Yes/No) (Can others use your technique, or just your character?): Yes, but can be taught.

[Marcus Cole]

Marcus studied Luke carefully as his sparring partner prepared for combat. Just as Marcus chose his escrima sticks, Luke armed himself with his blade. Marcus wasn’t an expert on swords in any sense of the word, but he could tell when someone was comfortable with their weapon. Luke fit the bill. His footing and form wasn’t awkward in any way. He seemed confident with the weapon, but that was all an inference based on sight. Luke would have to prove that he was good enough with a blade to stand his ground.

The bount began the fight by elevating his sword, preparing to swing it in a downward motion. Hm, is he strong enough to create a shockwave from the sword? Or maybe he can have the blade launch some type of energy projectile. Perhaps he’s more of a spiritual fighter. No offense to him, but Luke doesn’t look all that strong… Marcus was of course right about a couple things. No, Luke wasn’t supernaturally strong. Yes, he was casting a spiritual technique. But what Marcus didn’t anticipate was that Luke would let out a yell while bringing the sword down.

”Decapitation Strike!"

Did… he just yell out the technique’s name? I thought only Shinigami do that…

Still, Marcus had the tools necessary to predict the technique. As Luke swung downward, the fullbringer was already dashing to the side to avoid the crescent of reiatsu flying toward him. Marcus had only moved ten feet to the side at his maximum speed, ensuring that he dodge Luke’s attack. Immediately after he was certain his was safe, his speed dropped to a comfortable 300 as he altered his trajectory, now moving directly toward Luke. It was time for things to get physical.

Marcus was experienced in the martial art of escrima, and he acknowledged that Luke had the advantage of range with his blade. Thus, it was best to play things smart. As he approached, his left foot led his lunge toward Luke as his right hand swung his escrima stick in a diagonal motion, starting at his left shoulder. The strike, however, did not target Luke; it targeted Luke’s sword. The contact would keep Luke’s blade occupied. Through the lunge, Marcus’s left foot planted itself a foot and a half in front of Luke in between where his feet were, invading invaded Luke’s space. If Luke’s blade stayed occupied by Marcus’s first move, the bount would have no defense against the uppercut strike coming from Marcus’s left escrima stick.

All this was executed at a speed of 300. Luke’s best option to avoid Marcus’s combo was to step back and give himself more space, but to do so in a physical fight against a faster opponent would grant Marcus momentum and give him the advantage of always playing offense. Perhaps Luke had other ideas. Marcus was looking forward to finding out.

[Deleted]

The only reason Luke let out a yell was for cinematic purposes. In a real fight he wouldn't do such a thing, since it would have clued an enemy into knowing that an attack was coming. Luke just did it for cool points in this fight. Of course Marcus dodged it, that was to be expected, but what Luke was surprised by was how fast the other man was. He came blitzing forward at a speed just a bit greater than Luke's, swinging one of those sticks from his left shoulder. Fast! Luke realized, Marcus having closed the distance much faster than Luke was expecting him too. As that stick came down, Luke raised his sword upwards to catch it between the blade and the guard. Oh fuck.

Luke swore as he realized that, from the impact of that stick into the sword, Marcus might actually be physically weaker than him. Not by a substantial margin, but Luke was honestly expecting some kinda massive push back from blocking the stick. But when no "bring me to my knees" effect happened, Luke realized they might just be even in the strength department. But he didn't have time to really think about that revelation, because Marcus was still on the offense. With the Fullbringers foot invading his personal space, and his sword currently locked into blocking the first stick, he didn't have much of a response to the second one coming except for pulling back.

Metal scrapped against metal as Luke pushed himself backwards, narrowly dodging the upwards swinging stick. Trying his best to bounce back a few feet, Luke needed to think this through. Marcus was getting up close and personal with him, and Luke was really beginning to realize just how much of a weakness fighting like this was for him. He knew how to swing a sword, yes, Aevus having taught him that much...but being able to use it in practical situations was another thing entirely honestly. Maybe I should buy a gun...start being the gunslinger Bount.. Luke complained for a moment. "That's fucking stupid." Jäger bounced back.

Narrowing his eyes, Luke decided to press the offensive before Marcus could. As he danced backwards he applied pressure to his left foot, and kicked off the ground with a burst of reiatsu. Using Movement, Luke aimed to deliver a fast blow to Marcus's right side. He wasn't aiming to draw blood; he was aiming to slam his swords dull backside into Marcus using the force behind his high speed. If the attack was successful, Luke, having appeared behind Marcus, would turn around and aim to slam the backside of his sword against Marcus's unprotected back.

Remaining Reiatsu: 2575 / 3000
-25 for Movement

[Marcus Cole]

Marcus’s prediction was right. He had forced Luke to retreat a couple of steps to avoid being struck by Marcus’s blunt weapon. Still, Marcus felt the resistence from Luke’s blade as his escrima stick pressed against it. The man was certainly stronger than him. By how much? Well, Marcus had no choice to but to wait and see, but if Luke had monstrous strength, he certainly wouldn’t have retreated. Furthermore, it was uncommon to possess spiritual and physical abilities, so since Luke opened with his energy-based technique, it was unlikely that he was a physical superhuman.

Still, Marcus had to be cautious. After all, Luke’s form didn’t exactly signal that he was running away. Despite moving backward, he was still leaning forward slightly, indicating that a counterattack was coming. Marcus had no idea what this counter attack would be, but he was prepared.

Now, when Luke disengaged with Marcus, he ended the weapon-lock between his sword and Marcus’s escrima stick. Still, both weapons would be level with one another. For that reason, all Marcus had to do was adjust the angle of his escrima stick, setting it perpendicular to the ground, in order to block Luke’s blade as the bount moved past Marcus with Movement. The action was so minimal compared to Luke’s that he was more than capable of setting his escrima stick at this defensive position before Luke’s blade made impact.

Still, even without Movement, Luke was stronger than Marcus. But since the attack was aimed solely at Marcus’s right side while his left foot was still planted in the ground from Marcus’s previous lunge, he could pivot on his left as the force of Luke’s blow was absorbed and deflected by the spinning motion of the pivot. The end result would leave Luke to Marcus’s right side rather than at his back.

Still, Luke’s action was unobstructed. If he desired to follow through with his second strike, Marcus would raise his right stick and intercept Luke’s blade with it. However, he didn’t try to beat Luke out in a direct comparison of their strength. As he parried the blow, he’d display his acrobatic skill by kicking off the ground with his right foot as his left foot swung with the force of a roundhouse kick directed at Luke’s face. The motion would rotate his body so that all Marcus’s escrima stick had to do was push Luke’s blade toward the right a few inches, away from Marcus’s body as he delivered the kick. If successful, the top of his foot would strike Luke’s jaw and continue forward until he completed the spin, landing back on his two feet with his escrima sticks raised. Even if the kick didn’t connect, Marcus wouldn’t skip a beat. He’d stick the landing, already anticipating Luke’s next move. There were no breaks in combat.

[Deleted]

POW

Luke's head was sent turning in the direction of Marcus's kick. Between getting punched in the face and getting kicked in the face...Luke had a feeling he preferred the former over the later. While Marcus was preparing himself for Luke to counter attack, perhaps the Fullbringer would be surprised when the Bount suddenly pulled back. Leaping backwards to gain some distance between himself and Marcus, Luke simply gazed at Marcus as he rubbed the back of his hand against his cheek. The Fullbringers kick split Luke's skin, causing it to bleed a little. "Oy...oy oy oy. The hell you do that for, idiot? You could have handled that." Jäger suddenly said interrupting Luke's train of thought. Luke figured Springflut would criticize him for that action, not the idiotic one out of the two. Out of boredom he must have gone to sleep. Jäger was right though...Luke could have responded to that kick.

His senses and instincts were good enough that he had been easily able to tell that kick was going for his face. It wasn't like Marcus had locked his blade either. Luke could have used Movement to yank himself away from the Fullbringer. He could have ducked, in all honesty, or even turned himself into smoke on impact. He had plenty of options he could have done to dodge the attack. Yet he didn't. He opted to take it. Luke removed his hand from where the cut had been, but surprise surprise the wound was gone despite some slight smears of blood. There wasn't any point in dodging. Luke suddenly replied to Jäger. "What the hell do you mean "no point"? You're making yourself look like a total bitch against this guy!" Jäger shouted back, clearly annoyed.

So? This is a spar just so he can see how good I am. I just want a job to get some money flowing in. This fight isn't important. Luke explained to the Doll, reapplying his grip on his Zanpakuto as his gaze remained locked on Marcus. "I don't even get your logic here." Jäger replied back. You heard what he said. I can opt for a day job. Non spiritual crap. So if he thinks I can't fight for shit then the other higher ups will be more inclined to put me in for non-fighting work. Luke explained. ".......but you love fighting." I don't want to make a career out of it. "You're a bitch." And I'm thinking of retirement, bills, food costs, and other shit that you don't ever have to worry about. Luke snapped back.

Luke figured that Marcus wouldn't be satisfied just yet. The Bount would probably need to take a few more hits before Marcus would end the session. Hmm. How should Luke approach? Simple ideas always worked. The Bount dashed forward straight towards Marcus, before he used a quick burst of Movement to instead head upwards! Zanpakuto held above his head, Luke let gravity pull him downwards towards Marcus as if the Bount aimed to try and slice him in two. But that was the thing...it was a painfully obvious attack. It wasn't something that would work in anything but a dumb anime show. Once Luke was close enough that his sword would be able to hit Marcus, he swung downwards fully expecting Marcus to dodge and counterattack. Well, that was his hope anyways. He was preparing himself to get hit by Marcus in return.

Remaining Reiatsu: 2550 / 3000
-25 for Movement