Homecoming [Joint Training / R / NDE]

[Deleted]

Training for TTP

”Oh. Hey Luke. Haven’t seen you around for awhile.” The doorguard greeted, lowering his magazine as he spotted the familiar face entering the prison entryway through the doors. Raising his head, Luke looked at the guardsman for a moment before waving. ”I’ll let Taka know you’re back.” he said as he hit the button the unlock the door that would lead to the lower levels of the club. ”Do what you want..” Luke replied, the tiredness in his voice clear as day. The bag of groceries rustled in his hands as he made his way down the stairs to the structural marvel that was Taka’s club hidden beneath the prison.

The guard had been right through. It had been a few weeks, in fact, since Luke was last home. That raised the question where he had been. Answer was simple. Karakura. Luke had been spending his time in the city, doing work for Uzaki’s and keeping his eyes on the city. He’d been following through with what he’d sworn to himself and Aevus. He had been balancing his time between training, watching the city, investigating the Hollow Wranglers the best he could, and other stuff. Since he had to start spending more time in the city, he ended up just renting an apartment with all the money that was rolling in from Uzaki’s.

It wasn’t a big place. Just one big room for the kitchen and living room, and one bedroom and bathroom. Small and out of the way. It didn’t even have a washer and drier. He had to take his clothes to the laundromat. But it was convenient. He didn’t have to wait for the bus to get back to the club now, and had a place he could spend a hour or two at a day to rest and get back to work. He only needed around half an hour or so to get his full eight hours ever since his Bount powers had begun awakening after all.

But Luke couldn’t abandon Taka’s. This place was still his home. Even if he had been spending less and less time there, and not keeping up with the friends he had living there. Luke was an awful friend. He knew he had a problem with keeping in regular contact with people. Taka he wasn’t that worried about. She was so busy with the day to day of club management that he didn’t want to bother her. There were other people that were on Luke’s mind more though. ”You haven’t gotten the call that they sent her to the gallows. So relax fuckboi.” Jäger decided to comment, knowing who Luke was thinking of.

Aura had been on his mind the past couple of nights. He was worried how she had been doing. He had told her he’d be around to hang out and keep his eyes on her, so she at least had a friend at the club, but he ended up not being there most of the time. He hoped she was doing well. Each night he wondered how her condition was holding up and if it had been getting any worse.

Arriving to his room, Luke let out a sigh when he stepped into his room and immediately noticed how dusty everything was. ”Good grief…” He grumbled with a frown, knowing what he was going to have to spend some time doing. Looking at the clock it was 3AM, but he still felt awake enough to work some elbow grease. Putting his groceries away was the first, and easiest, step. What came next was more tedious and time consuming. He started with vacuuming his suite, making sure every room had been done before he started the dusting. Luke didn’t have a proper bed here, only a futon he kept folded out. Without any windows or a padio to let the mattress air out, Luke just shoved the dirty one in a closet and pulled out his spare, clean, mattress. Fitting it in, Luke felt himself collapse into it and let out a moan. He was tired. Shutting his eyes for a little bit wouldn’t be a problem right? Well, when he did so he seemed to go to sleep near immediately.

Waking up with a groan, Luke pushed himself off of the futon and looked around his room. Slobber had left a nice puddle on the mattress from where he drooled while he slept. ”Ugh.” He grunted when he noticed it, wiping his jaw for any that remained. Looking at his watch he noticed it was 7AM. He’d been asleep for 4 hours? That was more than he usually slept for. Pushing himself to his feet, he made his way to the kitchen. ”So. What’s the plan?” He suddenly heard Springflut ask. Food. Luke replied as he placed a pan on the stovetop and began getting everything ready.

”That’s not what I meant you dumb shit and you know that. What’s your reason for coming here?” Springflut demanded an answer. Luke, cracking an egg over the skillet, shrugged. Clean and relax for a bit. I’ve been working nonstop. Figured I’d relax for the weekend and see how everyone was doing. Luke could tell Springflut didn’t like that answer, and before the Doll could erupt with a plethora of insults Luke erected a mental wall between them. ”Oh wow I think that’s the first time you blocked him off.”

Before Luke could reply he heard a knocking on his door. He turned his attention towards it, wondering just who it could be. It might have been Taka, now that he thought about it, coming to see how he was doing. Exiting the kitchen and heading towards his front door, he took off his cooking robe and left it on the counter. ”I’m coming I’m coming hold on..” Luke answered as he reached for the handle and began pulling his door open. ”Yeah what’s u---oh...hi.” He was sort of surprised to see who was standing on the other side of the doorway.

[Aura Kyuketsuki]

CTP


*Sssiigghhh* What could she have done to make the nights more bearable? The room was already as quiet as it got with it being soundproof and all. Staring off at the walls as much as she did didn't help the fact that they were as solid as any other wall was in the world. But just because they appeared to be normal didn't necessarily mean that they were. One sided mirrors that were reinforced with ten times the amount of bulletproof glass and shock absorbers. So, there wasn't really much to see beyond that of an ordinary wall on her side. Even sucks more that she couldn't put nails into the walls to hang pictures up. Darkness was all that there really was in home during these times of the day. While everyone was asleep, Aura was busy at work with her regular routine during the night.

With an upset stomach and sweat drenching her clothes, the Bount had little to no choice but to clean up. The nights were always Hell. This couldn't be helped as her curse continued to hold it's influence over her. Her nights were surrendered to the curse. Swelling with an unrelenting hunger, the Bount didn't have much of life to live. School itself became almost impossible to attend due to this. The facility that she called her new home was far away. Traveling by bus took up most of her time. It would be too risky if she were to be late upon catching the appropriate bus, or should it arrive late to come pick her up. The issue resided in the time. For that reason she had to do home tutoring through the web.

Done over via webcam Aura did what she could with what was available to her. That made travel a lot more easier for her, but the experience all the more duller. She did learn what was needed, more so acting as an Assistant up in the club above. That was all the work that the Bount could really do as she was. No job experience or training, so to speak of, Aura was left with little choice but to at least help out with some of the minor chores and duties. Though the music was strange to her, she did like the flow that they presented. New beats and rhythms that filled her ears was something entirely different from what she heard before in her life. That, and the life that it brought to the people that were immersed in it.

During her off times, she would look down below from the railings high up to watch the people dance with each other and enjoy themselves. Aura herself would be the sole individual to reside without beside her. Zaluu, or rather Taka to how Luke referred to her as, was the one training the Bount. Bits here and there as her own fears were quite the same as the others. Those who watched her through the plane of thick glass. They saw what she was, what she became during the nights. Just like an animal at the Zoo to be put on display for the amusement of others to watch and wonder, Aura was a freak of nature. Or rather from human design really. She didn't like that at all. She didn't want to be seen as something other than a human being. Aura was human.

Looking at her own reflection, all that was to be seen was that of an ordinary girl. But in reality she knew better. What was beyond that was the face of a monster. Aura grunted as she faced her own reflection. She hated it. The Bount saw herself as being human. A normal girl who just desires to be the average. And from what she saw most of the average girls she hung around didn't look to be frail or docile, but to be more out there in the action. Aura didn't want that. The Bount desired to be different, but the same as everyone else. So..... Aura did what she did.

Trimming the tips and dying the ends, wrapping most of the ends of her hair towards the back into a smaller tail at the upper most scalp. Fluffed up the bangs that crossed over her face. A little blush to brighten the face and provide a bit of color as well, and.. "There we go." Despite the exhaustion, Aura was pretty perky. Luckily it was her day off from schooling. A quick shower did wonders to freshen the body and the mind. It helped to start over, to begin anew. But, there was still quite a ways to go. She couldn't... she wouldn't allow what she was to define who she was. There was work that still needed to be done.

Just like before Aura suited up. Setting aside the clothing she had before, the Bount garbed herself in the new clothes that she requested after her training with Zaluu. Change didn't occur over night but gradually as time went on. Zaluu served to be that example. What she desired; why did she want to be stronger. Perhaps back then she didn't realize how firmly she was with it. An answer that suited her best. She wanted to be stronger for herself. She didn't like how things turned out for her, but it didn't matter. No one was around during this time of the day. Well, Security did their rounds like they normally did. Zaluu herself was mostly busy during this time too. Operating a business like this was something that Aura didn't completely understand altogether.

Nothing but a fresh string tank top and thick sweat jacket kept the Bount's top warm. A pair of sparring shorts were all that she kept with herself when wandering around during the dawn. There was a new day about them, which meant more opportunities were to be had. Which meant... more training. Aura was developing herself to the person she dreamt of being. That would have taken effort and a strong desire. Aura was undertaking both. Jams and beats of the night before raged on through the large headphones that were sent to Bount's quarters. Something to keep her mind off of her night cases when having to endure them. All was good except for one issue........ there was no one to train with.

With the entire staff being busy, with opening the club or at least beating the damn time clock before the shift, not many of them were willing to help someone who was a freak at night. That was what she was considered around this place. A freak. Obviously it didn't show on the outside. Aura was labeled on a daily basis when residing in Soul Society, so the name calling did little to effect her spirit. Still it did hurt to be called that. Aura shook those thoughts off because the smell of some cooking going on roused her up.

Looking at the complex, it couldn't be. Could it? Aura's small hand dangled for a moment before commencing with the knocking. Did she really knock because of the smell of food cooking, or maybe it was for another reason? Case and point, the door was answered. She thought it much being the one introducing her to the place along with Zaluu. The only other Bount that she met time spent in the World of the Living. "O-oh, h-hey. How's your day been?" Aura chuckled, stupidly to add to that. She sighed. What was she thinking? Being it stupid or just fool hearty to think that she could ask just because he was the first one met. "W-well... Hi.. Um, well... this is awkward. But, well.. I was wondering.. if you're alright with it.. Maybe.. you can teach me a few things? ... Fighting I mean." she was redundant to add, but in case of clarification was needed, then it was put there.

Aura blushed, as this was a tad embarrassing to do. Yet, it felt like it was a step in the right direction.

[Deleted]

Brown eyes widened a little with surprise as he looked at the girl standing in his doorway. It was Aura, wasn’t it? Luke was confused for a moment because she hardly resembled herself the last time they had seen each other. Not only was her hair different but it seemed that her body language in general had taken a shift. Luke had to wonder if living at a club had begun to bring Aura out of her shell and she’d begun to learn how to better integrate herself into human society. She certainly looked better. She didn’t look quite as sad. But, still it was a surprise to her. It’s...good so far.” Luke answered, though his words hung at first just because of how surprised he was. But what she said next caught him especially by surprise.

She was asking him to teach her how to fight? Why was...no. Luke was forgetting to do something important first. His eyes drifted away a little when he saw her blushing, the male Bount scratching the back of his head as he stepped back from his doorway. ”Uh...come on in. I’m making some breakfast. I’ll fix you a plate too.” He offered, shutting the door behind her if Aura accepted his invitation into his room. ”Good thing you cleaned the place, keke.” Jäger decided to comment as Luke showed Aura where she could sit. His kitchen table wasn’t anything fancy or nice at al. It was literally a white fold out table. But Luke didn’t like spending money on useless things.

Getting her some water, Luke went back to cooking. It was obvious he was saving the conversation until he was done with preparing breakfast for them, but it was also a method to kill time so he could think about how to answer her. Cracking another egg into the heated skillet, Luke began getting to work on the bacon while the eggs readied themselves. Laying the cold strips of bacon, which he got from his fridge, in another pan the Bount thought on what Aura asked him. ”Maybe.. you can teach me a few things? ... Fighting I mean.” Why did she want to learn how to fight, Luke wondered as the minutes passed and the bacon began to cook.

Aura’s reasons for living at the club was to protect other people from her vampiric episodes, the ones programmed into her by her Shinigami meddlers. By staying locked up in a cell that kept her under control, Aura didn’t need to worry about hurting other people or getting hurt herself. Aura could live a semi, reasonably normal, life at the club. So why did she want to start getting stronger? If Aura began getting stronger, then the security put on her would get stronger. She’d be more a risk than she was already. It had been quite awhile now since Luke actually said a word to Aura as he was focusing on his thoughts and the cooking.

Talk to her. Luke told himself as he prepared to remove the eggs from the skillet. ”You have a cute girl in your room RIGHT NOW and you’re not saying a word to her. This is why--” Luke cut Jäger off. He hated to admit the Doll was right. Well, not about THAT, but that Luke needed to talk to Aura. ”Why do you want to learn how to fight?” Luke suddenly asked, deciding to get the question out of the way.

Placing all the food on two plates, Luke approached the table with their meals. It wasn’t anything special. Sunny side eggs with bacon. ”Here.” he said as he place her plate infront of her and sat across from her at the table. But those brown eyes weren’t placed on the food, they remained locked on Aura as he looked for her answer. ”You know that if you get stronger then the security put on you will get stronger as well, right? So why do you want me to teach you how to fight?” Luke asked, those eyes focused entirely on Aura as he waited for her answer.

[Aura Kyuketsuki]

Giving thanks for the meal, the Bount ate. The room around them was that of Luke's. Designed to his own personal life style and necessities. Much different than what she would expect it considering that he too was a Bount. However, there was a difference in life styles. Both of their needs were different from the other, according to their own situations. Aura, despite being older, bargained for a bit more whoop to her living, while Luke resided there for comfort and out of coincidence. That was how Aura saw it seeing that he shows time and time again only on occasion. But nevertheless, he was free to roam about as he pleased, where ever, when ever. Aura could not.

An average human being was capable of such a free. That was the natural order of things for them. Born with a level of freedom that Aura never understood nor experienced. What Ericka did for her that day, her day of liberation, was only the first step to keeping the promise she had with Aura. But the rest of the journey was for the Bount to take on herself. Since her first day in the World of the Living Aura was provided choices, decisions that would effect her life immensely. In her hands was she given opportunities to piece together a life of her own. What her life was going to become. Aura began to stir the eggs, seeing the yolk surrounded by the whites that caressed it firm. Training with Zaluu, she found her answer, more willing to push herself to obtain it.

"Have you ever been unable to go to places that you truly wanted to go to? To see sights that only happen during certain times of the day? Experience things that would normally a couple would be able to do?" a rhetorical question no doubt. Just food for thought to be honest. "I have lived with four walls always around me because they were needed to keep other people safe. And it is those same four walls that have followed me everywhere I go; keeps me from going anywhere." Star gazing. A late night movie. Out to a nice dinner somewhere. Sailing on a cruiseline. Many many things that she could think of knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to do; in fear of her night tendencies may cause a massacre if not careful.

Half of the days spent was finding methods in handling the condition for the coming night. Another half was utilized solely for preparation and working. What free time was there when she had to worry about the safety of other people. Getting to point A to point B was tasking. The days grew shorter and shorter, only to prompt the Bount into a continuous cycle of anxiety day after day. It was like clock work. Hell, if she were to continue any more then she'd be the best Manager in the world in terms of scheduling. The fork in her hand poked the bulbous yoke, spilling it's contents into the surrounding white disk of Egg Whites. "I'm.... so tired of it. It's like... I'm losing my mind after every night."

In all honesty, Aura was exhausted. Nights without sleep were beginning to take their toll. Every night the Onsen struck the girl's nerves and body with hunger. Pain and the longing for a stronger ecstasy kept her eyes open in the dark, knowing full well that there were eyes watching from beyond the walls. She turned to the music in her headphones to rid most of the unneeded background noise that she made at night. The Bount actually turned to music to forget herself. Her longing in those nights spent most of the energy that had been stored throughout the days. Altogether, they wore her down bit by bit. The longing began to blur itself into the days. Her eyes shifting from the eggs to the man's neck. Aura snapped back to reality by stuffing herself with the food Luke cooked.

"I want to stronger. Not just to protect myself, but so I can change how things are. To change who I am." she responded, looking down at now emptied plate. Enclosing the eyes with darkness provided some comfort. The dark rings beneath her eyes faded with some moments of shut eye. But when opening them she was still in the same reality as before. "I know that if I get stronger, then it might be a much larger problem for you guys; to everyone here." Aura took a deep breath. "I want to learn how to fight because maybe there might be a way to tame it. You know, give it some direction during my... um.. episodes.... I just want to be able to live like everyone else....... That is why I am here now." she put her fork to rest across the ceramic surface of the plate.

"Would you help me?" her gaze lifted to meet with Luke's.

[Deleted]

His brown eyes never left her as she spoke. His full attention was on her, even as he ate, so that he didn’t miss a single thing she said. What Aura said got to him though. As she asked him had he ever been locked away, Luke had to confess that he couldn’t understand just what she had gone through in her life. He could sympathize with her, but he couldn’t imagine what she had to have gone through. ”Did she say a couple?” Jäger, oh my god, shut the hell up. Luke’s eyes grew sympathetic as Aura spilled her guts to him. What she had to say almost reminded him of himself a little. No, he never went through what Aura went through every night, but why she wanted to get stronger was something he knew too well.

Before that night where he battled the Quincy, Luke had been lost. Discovering that he was a Bount had been a jarring experience. Taka had explained it to him in the worst way possible. She had taken him to the furthest depths of the prison, where nobody except himself and Taka had been, and shown him just what he was capable of becoming. Luke still had dreams, sometimes, about those red eyes he saw in that cell. He remembered the desperation in that mans eyes, in his words, and the sheer hunger that the man exuded. Taka had shown Luke that he was capable of becoming nothing more than a vampiric monster.

Luke remembered how afraid he had been. He’d been afraid of developing his Bount powers. He was afraid of becoming a monster. But...something changed in him. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but Luke at some point decided “to hell with it.” He wouldn’t let Taka’s fears and that mans failure control his life. If Luke was destined to become a monster then he would bare his teeth at destiny and reject it. Luke sought strength to control his own destiny. He swore he wouldn’t become a monster like that man had. So, looking at Aura, Luke saw...himself. She wanted to take back her life. She wanted to become normal. She wanted to be human.

Luke felt his cheeks flush a little when she turned her gaze to his own, prompting him to quickly look at something else. He just was no good with cute girls. Placing his fork on his plate that only had a few slices of bacon left, Luke took a drink of water as he thought about his response. ”If she gets stronger she will pose a greater threat.” came Springflut. ”But there’s a chance that we can help her beat this thing!” Luke suddenly heard Jäger reply. Luke understood the danger than strengthening Aura could have. He knew just what sort of powers a Bount could have, after all. It was too dangerous. Especially when her Dolls would begin to manifest. There’s only one right answer… Luke mentally sighed. He wanted to keep Aura safe. He didn’t want her to endanger herself. He would have to tell her no.

When he returned his gaze to her, for just a second, he remembered himself. He remembered how he had nobody to help him. He only had someone to instill fear into him. He never had someone to extend a hand to him when it came to being a Bount. He had been alone. A soft smile pulled itself across his lips as his brown eyes settled on Aura. ”Yeah. I’ll help you.” He decided. She deserved this. She deserved this chance.

--

Placing the wet dishes in the dish holder, he washed his hands with a dish towel as he began making his way to the living room. He had fixed his futon so that it was a sofa and not a bed. ”So, first things first then.” Luke said as he sat on one end of the futon. ”I’m going to tell you right off the bat...I’m not exactly a teacher. I’ve never tutored someone about anything in my life.” He explained with a sigh and a shrug, before smiling. ”But, luckily for us, there’s a easy method for you to start developing your powers. Starting today you and I are going to spend every minute of every day together as much as we can.” Luke stated.

”Ohohoho.” Shut up. ”Being around each other so much will constantly expose you to my Spiritual Pressure, which will jump start your own sleeping abilities. The same thing happened with Taka. I’m the reason her own powers even started developing.” Luke explained, almost with a hint of undeserved pride. ”Of course we won’t just be sitting around doing nothing. I’m going to start you on a exercise program. It won’t be too bad. Just some cardio and other exercises to get you into fighting shape. Oh, and we can do some light sparring from time to time once you begin getting the hang of it.” Luke was really getting into this.

He didn’t even notice how his smile had been growing as he was going over all this with Aura. ”So before I start drawing up a routine, do you have any ideas or suggestions?”

[Aura Kyuketsuki]

He said yes. Finally, some progress,, some means to really improve herself. Training with Taka helped the Bount a lot. Immensly so, her abilities to help to get her into shape. Most likely things are going to be rough on the outside of this place. Always thinking of the worst case scenario when it came to operations or even fights. If things came down to it, light sparring wouldn't do anything for her. Aura is a Bount, which meant that she was made to fight under intense strain. That was the purpose for them anyways, no reason to settle for anything else. But to be honest, there was another reason as to why she couldn't settle for anything less than actual fighting. Aura needed to be placed under intense pressure for the reason of maintaining control.

"It's fine Luke. Can't say that I'm a good tutor myself either. But, if we can. Can we start with the rough training?" said the Bount offering her plate to her host. "Life isn't going to be holding back when it gets down to the nitty gritty, you know? So I'd rather start off with something tough, then later," Aura stood seeing herself out the door, or rather to look beyond the walls that surrounded the pair, " heading outside for the real thing. Right?" Aura sought out as she turned her gaze over her shoulder to Luke. This was the point of it all. Training with both Taka and Luke was meant to help inspire better control over herself.

Every aspect of her was a drawn weapon. Only during the night was when her potential was made known. Better to start off where she would least expect something to happen rather than start off slowly. Aura was one to refrain from violence, therefore training was originally out of the question. However, life wasn't like a sweet dream. There were going to be bumps along the road that was for certain, so might as well take them on early rather than wait for them to happen.

Stepping out and marching her way to the training area, Aura discarded the jacket and switched over to the black yoga thermals and sporting bra. From what she learned from Taka, it was definitely better to be comfortable and a bit clingy, than being uncomfortable and bloated. She definitely had to think it, but Zaluu's clothing wear was really suiting her. Red and white stripes of her torso went well with the black stretchy fabric down below. Very much suited for their intended workout, and with some quick warm ups, she was ready. Aura wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. This had to be done. When Luke arrived, she would ready to begin immediately.

Surprisingly, they would be the only two around. Absolutely no one trained as early as they were. The ring was empty with the equipment already polished and cleaned. Mats prestine and tucked away. Treadmills in working order with the Dumbells squared away. Everything was ready to go. Looking it all over, Aura thought to herself. Everyone had a particular fighting style, yet she didn't. A frown scurried over to push down her brows. Something something, there had to be something that she could learn to help her overall abilities. Ggggrrrrr..... "AAAAHHHH, what the Hell do I wanna learn?" The idea itself was frustrating.

Then it struck it. The last few nights she was watching a few martial movies. Thus far, there were two that the Bount took and interest in. A combination of Judo and Muy Boran. Maybe. When her partner came to, she would propose the idea to him.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Clothing Reference}

[Deleted]

She wanted to start with rough training first? Luke looked at Aura as the Bount began to leave, gazing at her with a surprised and confused look as he listened to her reasons for wanting it to go that way. What she had to say about life wasn’t wrong. Luke knew she was right. He had experienced the same thing. If life had the opportunity to throw shit at you it was going to do it as hard as it could. Luke knew that better than some people did. He sat quietly as Aura left, leaning back in his futon and resting his head back on the cushion as he shut his eyes. ”So what’re you gonna do?” Jäger asked. What do you mean? I’m gonna train her like I said I would.

”Not what I meant fuckboi. I meant what’re you going to do if she hurts someone after getting some vitamin L.”

”Or what happens once her Dolls begin to manifest? You’re ignoring the fact that that girl is nothing but trouble.” Springflut decided to advise.

Luke let out a sigh, deciding to ignore the complaints of his two Dolls for a few minutes. Erecting a mental wall to keep himself to himself, Luke wondered about what they said. Luke wasn’t stupid. He was aware of the dangers of training Aura. If she got stronger so too did the security measures put on her. The chances of her hurting someone also increased as well, and both she and Luke knew that Taka was only going to give her one chance. So it begged the question why it was worth helping her if it was only going to open the door to more problems. Well, answer was simple.

It was the right thing to do. Aura firmly believed that if she began gaining control over her life then she could beat the affliction she was stricken with. Her confidence and fate in this was enough to convince Luke that this was worth a shot. Stretching and wishing he had time for a nap, Luke pushed himself to his feet and headed off into his bedroom to change. He was gonna need to put on something more comfortable if he was going to train. Besides, he was still in the clothes he fell asleep in.

A grey tanktop with black gym shorts and some old, shitty, falling apart sneakers, Luke made his appearance in the gym. The Bount looked at the room they stood in, remembering the time he had that argument with Timor since this had been the same place that happened. Unsurprisingly nobody was here. Nobody was ever here. People didn’t come to the club to train, they came to hang out and party. The gym was only put in for the convenience of having one, and to fill an empty room. Entering the gym Luke spotted Aura and waved to her as he started heading over, and as he did so he saw what she was wearing.

It was something he had could have seen Taka wearing. It surprised him and he quickly had to tell himself to not look too hard at her or he’d come off as staring. He could hear Jäger snickering in the back of his mind. ”So...you ready?” Luke asked, resting his left hand in his pocket as he looked at her, waiting for to answe

[Aura Kyuketsuki]

”So...you ready?” Braiding the base of quickly fastened ponytail, Aura tucked herself into her stance, putting her favorite right foot forward. "Let's do it." she answered coyly as the legs pumped the necessary energy to push forward. Jerking the right hand back, there wasn't time wasted in charging the Bount head on. As reckless as it was Aura was overwhelmed. Bounts, such as herself, didn't enter the fight directly. Her segment prioritized with strategy and waiting rather than fighting. That was left for the Dolls. Beyond that, Aura was kept away from the tussle.

For that reason, the girl was shakened. Anxious to be stronger. Anxious to actually be part of a fight. The two Bounts may be of the same race, but the experience between them seemed laughable. Luke wasn't trained in the same manner as Aura. Like those who were separated from her group, he was well nourished in the art of combat. Exposure to the field of battle steeled his own resolve bit by bit. Battle after battle taught him lessons in which Aura could never have learned while sitting by supervising. Her lack in experience clearly showed as to how she carried herself with every gesture.

Cocking her right hand back whilst she came about at Luke was already a clear sign. Finding it remotely to no training to that of a novice, Aura was an amateur of course. The only clear references she had to fighting were watching the other Bounts while in the command center, and that of the few action movies and anime that she watched called "The Protector," and "The Mighty Disciple." Complete fiction she had no doubt about it. Like, how can anyone be that dense or that surreal when it came to fighting legions of goons. It was hilarious just as it was entertaining.

But that jolt of action that Aura enacted wasn't completely out of interest or being anxious. Aura was scared. Forming a fist for the first time in a long while, she always remembered herself being pinned to the ground by the Shinigami. Her escape attempts were met with aggressive detention. Since the Bount was too valuable to lose at this point in time, her death would cause a regrettable setback in researching the Bount race. Hurting the girl was still allowed, but never to the extent in which her life would be endangered. That was why the Shinigami did as they did in order preserve their precious sample. That was why her fists shook as they did. Aura was scared alright, because she has never known what it means to fight. For that reason, she entrusted her training to Zaluu and to Luke.

Perhaps it was this frailty that she had that allowed her mind to be easily seized by her Osen. The curse continued to rampage her body and mind. Nights seemed to be endless, blurring into the days with endless pain. Her Vampirism progressed as much as her own growth. Aura hungered. Aura's desires grew, signaling a need to push them back. To give into them meant losing. In truth, Aura hadn't fed in days. Desires upon cravings, training with Luke felt a glimpse of salvation as she found herself no longer sitting around. She was moving.

The first punch was thrown. Aura's weight was pushed through the shoulder and down to the fist. Didn't matter according to the lack of power behind it. It was just as it seemed to be; Aura gave a whole new reference into "hitting like a girl." Nonetheless, Aura had to keep her guard up. But there was an issue to that, as the Bount would soon come to learn, how the Hell was she going to protect herself?

[Deleted]

Smack

The sound filled the training room as Aura's punch connected. But it wasn't with her intended target. Her punch had been intercepted by the male Bount. Her fist had been caught in his hand, with little effort and much ease. Brown eyes gazed at the girl as he analyzed her. He had come to realize that she was scared. He could see the poor girl trembling. He could see the fear in her eyes. She was doing this in the hopes that it would better herself. She wanted to take back her life. Luke could respect that. He understood her and that's why he wouldn't hold back. Aura was unfortunate. She had decided to ask this man to train her. He would train her. He agreed to it. But he'd do it the same way he was taught himself.

Catching her fist was like childs play. He was faster both physically and mentally than the older, less experienced, Bount. His fingers clenched on her hand like a bear trap on a unsuspecting leg, locking her in place and making it impossible for her to get away. Just from the grip he had on her hand it would be painfully obvious just how much physically stronger Luke was than her. His brown eyes narrowed, the only signal that he was moving, as he would suddenly blur from her perspective before pain would explode in her stomach. He had, with that superior speed of his, delivered a punch straight into her stomach. He had angled it so that it faced upwards a little, so that when he let go of her hand she would be sent into the air.

Lowering his fist as he allowed her to regain herself, he stared ahead at her with a hurt expression. This wasn't something he wanted to do. The idea of hurting her wasn't something that he enjoyed. It made his own gut hurt, but more than likely nothing like hers would. He realized he needed to harden himself, otherwise his own soft emotions would get in the way and compromise what he was doing. He closed his eyes to steel himself, to focus on what needed to be done. "I just want you to know that I'm not going to enjoy this." Luke commented softly, as his left foot lifted from the ground and was placed in front of him. "I don't want to hurt you. It's the last thing I want to do." He continued as he pushed forward, closing the distance between them.

"I told you in the room that I'm no teacher. You wanted to start with the rough training and that's fine...it was the same thing I did." Luke explained, the warmth that normally occupied his voice slowly draining away into something colder, controlled, apathetic. Memories of those nights dancing across the rooftops began to fill his mind. Memories of himself and the man who wore black robes. The clashing of steel and vibrant blooming of sparks as their swords crossed. The sound of a snarling wolf. The feeling of torn flesh still fresh in his mind. He remembered being told to get up. He remembered being forced to heal wound after wound. He remembered the hell that bastard put him through in the name of "training." That fucking prick wasn't a teacher. He was a fucking drill sergeant. But everything he did worked.

His feet would come a stop before Aura. The aura of friendless Luke had towards her minutes ago were gone. He stared down at her, eyes burning intensely as he looked at the weaker Bount. "So I'm going to train you the same way I was taught; through blood, sweat, and tears. I'll teach you the steps, but it'll be on you to learn how to dance. So get up, Aura." Luke said coldly, before his left leg became a blurred kick aiming for her right arm. He held back this time. If he kicked her with all his might this time, he would actually break her arm. He held back just a bit. Not enough that she'd be able to block the blow, but enough to send her into the floor and not break her arm.

[Aura Kyuketsuki]

She knew that it wouldn't connect from the get go. Hell, at least have it draw close to the intended target. But even that didn't come to fruition as her fist was suddenly stopped in mid air. Before her eyes the small little fist had halted in front of her. In disbelief, that the extent of their differences was as clear as the sight she had, and obscured as what came next. As though all the air was forcibly sucked from her very lungs, the pressure that caused this effect toppled the girl over. Drool and spit ran down her jaw even as the logical mind of the girl faded. All she could focus on was that of the pain. Speed and experience wasn't all that Luke excelled in, but strength as well. Was this the difference between them, between an experienced Bount, and one kept in isolation.

Aura tried to regain what she had lost. Gasping for air as her own body would try, her compressed chest and lungs from the blow wouldn't respond as they should have. Nothing would respond as it should have. The body that was kept away from training and learning what it was meant to do on the battlefield, this was the result. The result that left Aura on her knees rasping as she slowly withdrew int a fetal position. Then finally, after a pain moment past her body began to recover as it should. All the while as she brought herself slowly up right, Luke began to converse his own experiences. Seems that she wasn't the only one who had the mind set of reaching higher in one setting. Luke was just as foolish to forget the baby steps and began with running.

This was what Aura sought out in this session. But perhaps she went a few steps beyond what was needed. The voice that once supported her through the haunting nights here in the Human World turned to something that was foreign to her. A similar tone in which the Shinigami had when they came for her during her escapes. That same level of malevolence that they carried as they attacked her. This was no different as Luke slowly made his way to Aura. She knew that this was what she wanted, and what was to come she had to meet with it as she did back then. Unwavering conviction and dedication. It was just as Luke said, "blood, sweat, and tears" Aura had much to make up for in the time spent in captivity. So it began here.

His leg rose, coming about as it meant to strike. Aura's dukes fled from her stomach and up to her head to cover herself. The length of his leg made contact, striking the forearms that guarded the girl's side. Aura flopped over to the right from the brunt of the blow. The kick was strong, but not as it was before. The strength in the blow before this, it wasn't restraint. This Aura could tell immediately. The drastic change in power. Her arms were slowly growing numb from the blow that Luke delivered onto her. She shook it off. "It's just like back then. But I will learn." Finally, she was getting somewhere. This was what it meant by taking back her own life.

Aura took a stand as she braced herself. "I will learn to stand on my own two feet!" she said as she took to another charge at the man. Arching her arm back for a second try at that same right swing of her arm. Another shot at pushing forward as she closed the narrow gap between them. Her right arm swung to the man's face. "I will push for that very end. So give it all that you've got." she dared to say at a man who felt to hold back. Aura was going to push herself, despite how weak she may be. She will strive to gain what she should have been.

[Deleted]

Luke felt a sense of satisfaction seeing Aura rise back up on her feet. Despite the pain she must be feeling from his blow she mustered the strength of will to rise to the challenge. It showed that she had conviction. It showed that she was dedicated. It was only the start to what was to come though. Part of Luke had hoped that she would stay down. Like he said, he didn't want to hurt her. He knew that making her stronger carried the risk of increasing her danger to others...but he couldn't turn her down. She managed to shake off the blow he had delivered to her arm, but that was fine. Luke had accomplished what he set out to do with those first two blows.

Both of those attacks had carried his reiatsu with him. Each time he struck Aura he had sent that reiatsu into her. It wasn't to deal damage or activate any technique. Like Luke explained to her, exposure to his spiritual pressure would awaken the reiatsu inside of her and pull out her latent power. Blasting her with his reiatsu would aid the process as long as it was mixed with the physical activity of fighting. Fighting had more benefits to a person than just stretching muscles. The rush of adrenaline, the full use of ones instincts, the trauma of pain, all of it came together like a cocktail that had unseen benefits. Fighting could strengthen ones spirit. It could awaken powers that still lay dormant.

But those powers that lay dormant inside Aura were still something to worry about. Nobody knew what was going to blossom when Aura had grown strong enough. What powers would come to light? Neither he nor Taka, nor even Aura herself, knew what was lying in wait in the near future. What were her Dolls going to be? What sort of powers were they going to possess? Luke had first had experience with knowing just how destructive a Doll could be. He knew that if you weren't careful they were capable of much death and destruction.

Tch. Luke suddenly thought to himself as Aura's arm streaked by his head. She was so slow to him that it wouldn't have been wrong to say it was like she was standing still. Push that crap out of your head. You agreed to train her. She has you watching over her. Luke told himself as Aura screamed for him not to hold back. He could have let her hit him, but he knew if he did that then she'd be damaged by his cutback. He thought about letting her have a taste of cutback...but he decided to let that slide for now. Once she had begun to strengthen herself he would show her how spiritual combat worked.

Luke ducked beneath her outstretched arm and repositioned himself alongside her exposed right flank. He quickly, and simply, slammed his open palm into the side of her torso. With his strength it would be enough to push her away from him, and leave a nice bruise right on her ribs. Like before, he had sent another blast of reiatsu into her to further awaken her spiritual abilities. Brown eyes looked at her, watching her, waiting to see what her next move would be. As he did so, an idea came to mind. A dangerous, and stupid, idea.

"I want to see what you're like at night." He suddenly stated calmly and loud enough for her to hear. That statement might have come as a shock for Aura, so he'd give her a few moments to process what he just said. "Well, it's more like I need to see what you're like. I need to know how dangerous you get." He explained simply, waiting for her to return words to him or to continue their very one sided spar. It was a dangerous game, that was for sure. Luke had no idea what Aura would be like...but he was confident he could handle her when the time came at their current levels.

[Aura Kyuketsuki]

Again damn it. She quickly made her approach only to be avoided without much effort. Was this really what she was capable of? No, Luke was much stronger, meaning that there was room to improve on. That what Bounts were capable of becoming. Not like how Aura was now. The difference in strength was mostly due to experience on the field and training. Which was all the more reason why this was important to Aura. She didn't want to be left behind in the dust. That was just laughable as much as it was insulting. Being left behind while everyone else was able to live fulfilling lives was something that poked at her nerves.

Her fist struck nothing but empty space as Luke came about to her side. Unable to react quickly, the man scored another blow on the Bount's body. A heavy twinge of pain to the left side left an impression on her as well. It stung as she thought it would. Unlike before, Luke's strength was easily greater than that of the Shinigami guards she tussled with in Soul Society. Most likely they were holding back, or simply were stronger enough only to restrain her. Hell if she knew how strong they considering she really never had the time to hone her own skills. That was why she sucked more than ever before. But, all that was going to change. She wouldn't be stuck in the rear letting everyone pass her up.

Aura's feet slid against the training ground's floor. Coming to burning halt she fixed her gaze to face Luke once more, only for "it" to be the center of attention. "B-but Luke...... we aren't even going out?" she teases. Aura knew what he meant despite the snickering she let out from the joke. She knew what it was that he meant by seeing "it." Something that still gave her shivers just by thinking about it. What it wanted and what she desired were completely different things. Just like what happened with Zaluu, the question was if she would be able to control it?

"Do you.....really want to see it?" It was a wild card at best as she could describe it. With no real reign over it, it was simply a matter of luck that she hadn't really done anything to anyone just yet. Though with Zaluu, it was questionable. Much of it was still somewhat hazy. The thought of it remaining unclear to her scared her. What the Hell happened during that time when she lost control? "It's still early in the day, how are you going to do it then? You know, get me like that?" she questioned. From what she knew of, it only done so during the time of darkness. Potentially now she can, which can explain why her body was being stirred about. The lack of Sun seemed to have kept it down, however, never really did well when under shadows or dark places that lacked natural light. What she thought of, it can possibly be triggered under certain circumstances.

"I'm not sure. But, only if you think you are confident enough... then... I suppose." The girl was hesitant. Like, why wouldn't she be? The thought of her scared her shitless. However, it brought more opportunities to have a better grasp on it. Whether or not she had one already on it remained to be seen. Though hopefully with the sessions with Zaluu and Luke, that something might change. So that is why she kept up her attacks. Aura pressed on. "If you think you can then bring it on!" She limped at first, pushing past the soreness of her left rib cage. She had to push on. Seizing about two feet away Aura's right leg took flight. Darting upwards from the right, the Bount brought herself arching backwards to further raise her kicking leg up the man's head. It's time to push.

[Deleted]

Raising his left arm up he would catch her kick along the length of his arm. A satisfying smack came from the two limbs clashing together, and thankfully Luke had lowered his Spiritual Pressure to keep Aura from injuring herself against his cutback. He looked at her calmly for a moment, thinking over what she had to say. She raised a good point. It was still early. They had the entire day before night would arrive. It wasn't something, as far as Luke knew, that could just be summoned at will. The way Aura described it was that it was something like a program waiting for the right conditions to be flipped. Luke hadn't thought to ask Taka or anyone who watched her how she did in the dark during the day, but since nobody had reported being hurt yet...

"Let's take five." Luke suddenly said, pushing her leg away with his arm. It was certainly a bit soon to take a break, but Luke had definitely noticed Aura limping. He didn't expect Aura to just listen right away, so he decided to offer a bit of a explanation with a casual tone. "It's good you want to get right into training, but you can't make the mistake in thinking that destroying your body will earn you good results. I can tell you're hurting so let's sit down for a few minutes." Luke explained. That cold tone he had earlier gone and having been replaced with his normally friendly and warm one.

Waving for him to follow her Luke made his way over to one of the benches in the gym, wasting no time to go ahead and sit right down. But it was obvious on his face that he still had something he wanted to say. "So, I'll go ahead and explain what I've been doing since it's more than just beating you up." Lifting his right hand for her to see, Luke went silent for a moment as he focused on what he wanted her to see. In a few short seconds the man's hand had a faint outline of blue light tracing its edges. He didn't need to explain that it was reiatsu, since it was pretty obvious. "Each time I've hit you I've been sending my reiatsu into you. Like I told you in the room I want to expose you to my reiatsu."

Lowering his hand, Luke continued to explain. "Your powers are still asleep. Fighting and sparring is the perfect way to start waking them up, but doing it alongside this method will give you better results. It's just like I said, this was the same thing I did with Taka to wake up her powers." Saying that made him remember the last time he and Taka spared. He could still feel the sensation of his back being burnt into by those invisible wires. "But yeah, I want to see what happens to you at night. I didn't get to see it that time, remember?" Luke asked, his eyes focusing intently on her as he remembered that night at the docks. "It's not out of curiosity. It's something I need to know about going forward with this. Can you use your powers? Will it make her stronger? How will she behave when it happens? These are all questions I need to have answers to." He continued.

"But, yeah, like you said it's still morning. We've got a hell of a lot of time before night. So, while we wait, there's something I want to do." He said as he suddenly patted the spot on the bench to his right, beckoning her to sit down beside him. "I want to take some time to really focus on exposing your reiatsu to mine. It's going to do a lot more good than punching each other or hanging out will...though we're still going to do that stuff too. So, come here."

[Aura Kyuketsuki]

"Already?!" Aura questioned. She was beginning to wonder how Luke became this strong with this sort of activity going on. Geez, maybe she was really getting her hopes up on this? Though she had to admit that the purpose behind it all was to have Aura's spirit roused up. The idea was sound just by having her near him so his spirit can rile her own. And for her to really think about it, the soreness in her side made it quite obvious that she would struggle if they continued to do as they were. Her body wasn't use to the physical intensity that Luke was more familiar with. So for now, she was stuck with the baby steps. And as displeasing as it was, for Aura it was for the best in her case.

The two pulled off to the edge for a quick breather. More like a general lecture as to what was already known. Aura knew the activity and form of reiatsu, but she had to admit that she wasn't aware to the sight and what other applications that can done with it. For Aura, this was a better solution than physical fighting for the time being. By doing this, her body can slowly adjust to the use of reiatsu throughout her body. Her muscles and reflexes will absorb them naturally at a much quicker rate than building it up herself alone. Well, she will still need to build them up herself, but this will give her reserves that can be used later on. So yeah, it was a good idea.

Luke explained the idea behind her and him being together. Spending time together. Friendly..... Screw you. Introducing a more experienced, stronger presence of reiatsu to her body will help to awaken her own reiatsu, possibly making it stronger. But that wouldn't be an issue. The issue resided with what was already there. She didn't want to bring up the subject, as she did it's growling grew. It was there, lingering, stalking Aura in the shadows of her mind, urging her more and more to follow her desires. The Bount shivered, rolling her shoulders back as she spoke to Luke as he referred to her affliction. Her eyes turned to Luke as he continued on. Wrestling with the strands of brown hair down to the shade of Sun at the tips, she responded once more to his query, "I'm not sure how far it goes, and the thought of it does scare me a bit."

She can hear it. It's rumbling lips seemingly to be next to her ear. Waves of goosebumps came one after the other as her focus was primarily on Luke rather than the other. "What if I can't control it. What happens to me, what will happen to the other people here?" Those anxieties came back. She couldn't believe that her hands were beginning to shake, tremble just slightly. Despite how she changed her exterior, her looks, it still didn't change what was inside. Inside she was still the same girl that resided in the white room in Soul Society. Inside, there resided the same scared girl who just wanted to hide and wish for her affliction to go away.

Bite him..... Aura's eyes widened. She could hear it. ....Bite.....him.... It wasn't speaking to her in the sense at a civilized being would. No, these were it's thoughts. It was slowly implanting them into the girl's head. Playing on the thoughts and desires that were brewing inside her after every night. Aura's fangs began to grow in, taking on their full form. She could tell this much by a simple lap around them with her tongue. Just keep calm and stay in control. I'm in contro- Why are you holding back.... This isn't who you are..... The Bount sighed.

"You guys are really weird, you know that?" She had to move around. Slowly coming to her feet, Aura winced just slightly as she remained close to the bench and Luke. "You guys want to stir something that really shouldn't. I understand why, but..." Her anxiety was just piling up more and more. The times she spent locked away in Soul Society's labs didn't do her any good in terms of physicality or mentally. Both were hurt, despite her current predicament. Do it...do it...do it..doitdoitdoitdoit.. The tips of her hair grew in length. _{"Shut up."} she mumbled to herself.

Deep breaths. Just deep breaths kept the girl in control. The more attention that it drew from the girl the more fierce the hunger grew. "I think we should just continue with the training rather than just sitting around. It really does help out instead of just yammering about. Ya know?" she smiled as she adjusted her clinging sportsware.

[Deleted]

Luke simply looked at Aura. Brown eyes gazed at the girl, watching her as she responded to what he had to say. Displeasure flashed within those muddy browns for a moment before he closed his eyes and let a sigh escape his lips. Leaning forward after resting his arms on his knees, Luke placed his chin against brought together hands. Suddenly, and without warning, Aura would be slammed down onto the floor of the gym. It was a force that she couldn't reject, that she couldn't push up against, and what made matters worse was that it wasn't Luke pinning her to the floor physically. He was still sitting there. But Aura would know it was him. She would know that he was pinning her to the floor with nothing more than the pressure of his own power.

"You don't need me to say this...but I will." Luke said softly, lowering his hands as he looked down at Aura. "You're weak. And that's the difference between us." He said once again, before pushing himself to his feet. "When I began training I had already gained my powers. I had already stared death itself in the face. I had experience. I was able to keep up with the Shinigami that trained me. But you? You can't do anymore than throw punches. You were nothing but a school girl when I met you." What he said certainly sounded mean, but he wanted to drive a point home. "You want to continue training though? You want to jump straight to the hard stuff? Alright then." Luke conceded, shrugging before crossing his arms across his chest. He did not let up on the gravity weighing Aura down.

He was careful though. He was making sure to restrict this pressure to only be within the gym, and on top of that keep it from killing Aura outright. It was a tedious process, and was the reason that he wasn't moving around a lot. It required focus. "Get up." Luke ordered her. "You said you'll learn to stand on your own two feet, didn't you? So get up! Get up, Aura!" Luke shouted, knowing full well that Aura was going to have trouble with this. She wouldn't be able to get up with her physical strength. It was going to require her to bring out her reiatsu. That's what Luke wanted. He wanted her to get used to the feeling of using her reiatsu.