Wide-eyed Stowaway (JT, Closed)

[Vesta Zweig]

Vesta was grumbling to herself, a.k.a. fighting with Death, about what happened in the store. Vesta was completely embarrassed while Death was getting tired of doing absolutely nothing. She wanted to go out and fight something! All of this 'peace' was boring her to tears and she wanted to be more active! Seeing the world through Vesta's eyes only went so far before she wanted to be in control and floating around, experiencing those things for herself. During this conversation, she could hear Nessie talking to herself.

She looked towards Nessie as she was putting everything together. She was getting this rather quickly, which slightly surprised Vesta. For a girl so young, she was rather sharp. But, then again, her father, once Mister Jin had actually told her what she was, started to tell her stories from their homeland. It seemed like the Bount that ate souls there, which were the ones that forced her and her father to move here, seemed to be somewhat ageless. If she remembered correctly, by eating the souls, they stayed youthful for longer and their life spans seemed to be limitless.

This was all second and third hand accounts, but was she like that? Did she eat souls enough to where she just stayed youthful but is in fact hundreds of years old? She was brought out of her thoughts when she said her Doll saved her and loved her. Saved her? Was it from the car accident? Then, Nessie started to get upset. She mentioned blue stuff coming from a shinigami's fingers. Was that the Kidou she had heard about? Then, she pointed at her and called her Festa.

Festa?! She had to admit it was kind of cute, but she figured her name was short enough that it wouldn't be hard to remember. Her loss of control was something different, but of course the girl didn't know that. Her last statement made Vesta's eyebrow rise. Nessie's instinct was that Vesta was more than the two of them. The girl wasn't wrong. Vesta started to slowly walk towards the Nessie and stopped when she was about an arm and a half's length away. She knelt down in front of the girl.

"Your 'belly' is right, Nessie. I am something more than you and Luke. What I am is a Nakabakki. I am half Bount and half Demon. My mother is an Akki, what you would call a demon, from Hell. My father, who you saw briefly, is a Bount. Because I'm half Bount and half Demon, I have something more than just my Doll. The outburst you heard earlier, with a voice that doesn't sound like mine right now, that was Death. She's the manifestation of my Demon half, my Demon form that I can change into."

She would then take a deep breath and her ring on her left hand would disappear. Nessie and Luke would both notice that and would notice that her shirt was now fitting her differently. She would stand up. "The easiest way to tell who is a Nakabakki is the Sinner Chain. Every Nakabakki has them. Mine are on my torso, you can see them." She would lift up the bottom of her shirt and they would both see the chains that are anchored into her skin.

"As you can see, my Sinner Chain is anchored to my torso, making it impossible for the chain to come off. I've learned a technique to hide the chain so it makes it easier to wear clothes. I've noticed a lot of my kind have the chain on their arm and I've met one that wore his like a belt. He is a Nakabakki Shinigami. I have no idea what his peers would do to him if they found him, but I'm sure he'll be fine." She would let Nessie touch the chain before she focused and the ring appeared again on her left hand.

She looked down at her again. "So, you said you wanted to know your Doll. Did you want to talk to her or actually summon her here? I can try to help but honestly, I think it's different for everyone. I was only able to hear my Doll when I was in dire need. Maybe yours is something similar?"

[Deleted]

Sorry for the short post

The way Nadez acted when Luke denied her request was to be expected. It made Luke frown a little. Not that he was mad or disappointed with Nadez, since she was only a child, but because he was a little annoyed he was having to deal with a kicking and screaming child. Okay, she wasn’t that bad. Luke was just bad with kids. A frustrated sigh escaped his nostrils as Nadez started using the “okay but Vesta has Dolls how come I don’t” excuse. Well, Luke had absolutely nothing to do with that that’s why. Vesta had already had her Dolls before Luke had even learned what Dolls were, from what he had understood. He’d read a little on Vesta’s files. She’d had Zorn for quite some time. But the point was that Luke had absolutely nothing to do with Vesta getting her Doll.

Before Luke could reply to anything, Vesta approached Nadezhda and crouched down in front of the girl and began to talk to her. Luke listened, but not because he particularly cared about calming Nadezhda down but because Vesta was finally revealing the reality of her peculiarity. It made Luke blink. While he certainly did his best to hide it, Luke looked surprised for a moment when Vesta revealed she was part Bount and Akki. Part vampire and part demon. ”The most anime cliche I have ever heard.” Jäger decided to comment, but Luke was stuck on the fact that Vesta was part demon. Demons existed? Why did this surprise him. He lived in a world where ghosts became monsters and the afterlife was Japan.

Vesta explained how her outburst had been Death, the personification of her other halfs powers. He’d seen that before. He’d seen the other form she could take. Vesta then revealed her Sinners Chain to them, and Luke felt genuine sympathy for Vesta. Seeing a chain like that just embedded into her skin...it made him feel bad for her. It made him realize that even Vesta, who always acted so happy go lucky, had her own hardships she had to deal with. Her chain vanished through the use of some sort of camouflage technique.

But then Vesta offered to help Nadezhda access her Doll. She offered to do that just after Luke had told Nadezhda no. Why did that suddenly make him so irritated. ”Vesta.” Luke quickly said, her voice harder than it had been in order to get her attention. He didn’t choose to continue saying anything, rather giving the younger Bount a hard gaze before looking at Nadezhda again. ”Vesta having her Doll has nothing to do with me. Each Doll and Bount is different. You might be right, Nadezhda, and your Doll might love you but I’m not going to take the risk.” Luke would reply, with an absolute unwavering confidence in his words. He wouldn’t be shaken on this.

”But.”

He would suddenly say, bringing the focus back to him. ”I never said I’m not going to help you. I’m not going to just throw you to the wind or leave you to your own devices. The world is dangerous...especially for us. I’ll teach you not only how to survive amongst people but also how to handle Hollows and Shinigami. And when you’re strong enough and I think you're ready, I’ll help reunite you with your Dolls.” Luke explained, before he looked at Vesta for a moment. ”The offer is open for you too. I don’t mind helping you out and helping you get stronger, either.” He would say to her.

[Nadezhda Esterházy]

Nadezhda stared at Vesta with an innocent expression, her eyes as wide as possible. Meanwhile, she contemplated how to best manipulate this situation. She knew these two were the key to helping her reclaim her former abilities and reunite with her dolls, but there would be some resistance. The half-demon seemed young and inexperienced, though knowledgeable about matters of importance. Her eyes glanced over at Luke for a moment, scanning him with her near fragile gaze. 

He seems the most experienced of the two of them. From the moment I met him I knew he would need to be the one to help me reclaim what I lost while entombed. She thought before returning her gaze to Vesta. He is apprehensive and cautious. I wonder what troubles his soul. She thought. Nadezhda's outwardly appearance was mostly a ruse. While she had no intention of directly harming either Vesta or Luke, she was comfortable manipulating them. In order to do so she would need to understand them. Knowing the mechanics of their internal systems would be integral. 

They were both kind enough to help her and this was something she appreciated. Despite this, a drive deep within compelled her to return to her dolls. She wondered if this compelling feeling was the voices of Koschei and Libuse calling out to her. While her mind was deaf to it, her soul recognized them and was guiding her to a possible solution. She wouldn't bother explaining this to Luke. In spite of his experience and knowledge, he couldn't begin to understand their relationship. Even at her weakest they were kind to her. She was not the least bit threatened by them and never had been. 

She wondered if he had been so unfortunate in the past to have his dolls attack him, or possibly someone he knew or loved. For now she'd have to play along. And while doing so she'd have to conceal her more unsavory instincts. And while the food he purchased was delicious, she couldn't quiet the voice inside her that urged her to wreak just a little havoc. Her eyes glazed over for a moment as her mind drifted off, thinking of souls and even Franklin. But she was brought back by Vesta's words. So, you said you wanted to know your Doll. Did you want to talk to her or actually summon her here? I can try to help but honestly, I think it's different for everyone. I was only able to hear my Doll when I was in dire need. Maybe yours is something similar?

Her mind snapped back like a rubber band, her eyes returning to life. "I can't hear my friend." She said softly."When did you first hear your doll?" She asked curiously. Before Vesta could answer she walked past her and to a vendor in the distance. She stood on her toes and barely was able to reach the  flat surface extending off the cart. She smacked her lips and reached into her pocket and set some money on the counter. She pointed to an item in the distance and the man handed it to her. "Little girl it isn't this much...?" 

She didn't pay him any mind. It was as though she had a one-track mind. She walked off with a smile on her face as he called out and gestured for her in background. She began to gobble down the Taiyaki. The fish-shaped cake was filled with chocolate, which dribbled down her chin as she gnawed away at it. Where did she get the money? Simple. When she was making room in Vesta's luggage she found loose money in the pockets of her clothing. She just collected it and put it all on the counter, not knowing the price.  

"Okay." She said abruptly. She stood beside Luke, staring into the distance as she ate her treat. Chocolate filling was on her hands and face as she casually spoke. "You teach me the pew, pew and the boom, boom to protect myself. Then I be okay when I meet the people who don't like me, you, and Festa." She fell silent for a moment, only the obnoxious sound of her licking her fingers clean could be heard. "What's first clockburn? What we gonna do? Where we gonna go? You will show me and festa. And maybe bring out mr puddles?" 

[Vesta Zweig]

Vesta finished what she was saying, slightly rubbing where her Sinner's Chain was. It was the weirdest sensation to feel them there and then they disappear in the next minute. She could faintly feel it there, always connected to her but then they weren't there. She looked towards Nessie and it seemed like that she had her full attention now that she mentioned that she would help her. She felt sad when she said that she couldn't hear her friend. Wait, so does this mean that she's talked to her Doll before?

She pondered the next question, as to when she first heard her doll. She still couldn't wrap her head around how you could lose contact with a Doll like it sounds like she did, but she answered her. "My Doll called out to me when I was in danger. I felt lost and like I couldn't protect myself and then I heard him. He told me how to release him and then when I followed his instructions, he appeared, running towards my enemy to protect me. When he was done, he immediately ran towards me and circled around me protectively. I've never had an issue with him like Luke is talking about."

Glancing towards Luke, she then heard him pretty much tell her to not to tell her how to do it because it was different for every person. It made sense, but the next thing he said was great. It seemed like he was ready to help out to make them both stronger. Her face lit up, smiling as big as she could, getting excited. She had already trained with Jin before, so training with another Bount would be amazing. She listened to Nessie, agreeing with what she was saying and still chuckling at the mr. puddles.

"I totally agree! I wouldn't mind getting some training done with another Bount! But, I'm really curious to see this 'Mr.Puddles' Doll. Also, I feel like I'm hearing something else in my mind, like another voice. It's definitely not like Death, but it reminds me of how my Doll talks to me. Does that mean I have two Dolls instead of one? If so, I would love to try to figure out how to summon it and see what it can actually do. So! Where are we going next? Into the city? Into the wilderness? We shouldn't wait too long!"

[Deleted]

Seemed that both Vesta and Nadezhda were rather excited to take him up on his offers. For Vesta it made the most sense. She worked alongside him at Uzaki Enterprises. Her job was to protect people from spiritual threats and fight Hollows. Getting her stronger was a goal that Luke knew that, as a Manager, he needed to accomplish. Nadezhda, though, was a little different. He was only teaching her what she would need to know to survive. If that entailed the unlocking or resurfacing of her Doll then he would do it, but only when he felt she was ready. Closing his eyes for a moment, Luke just had to reflect for a moment on the situation he found himself in.

However, both the girls seemed eager and excited to train. Vesta especially. Her eyes were practically alit with stars. He had to admire the drive. However, when she mentioned something about hearing another voice he blinked. Also, I feel like I'm hearing something else in my mind, like another voice.” This made Luke pause. So, he was dealing with not one but two Bount who were trying to awaken their Dolls. It was certainly...a interesting predicament he was in. A normal Bount might have even saw it as an exciting circumstance and worthy of celebration.

Putting his hands on his knees and pushing to his feet, Luke turned to look at Nadezhda and Vesta. ”First thing we’re going to do...is get Nadezhda a place to stay. I want you to get some rest before we start training, it’s going to be hard.” Luke explained, though he knew Vesta probably wasn’t going to like that answer. Raising his head to the younger Bount, an idea popped up in his head. ”Why don’t you let her stay with you? I’m not...great...with kids, and she’ll learn a lot more about getting used to life around her with someone closer to her age.” Luke suggested, giving Vesta his best, convincing, smile. ”You just don’t wanna take care of a kid.” Windstärke commented with an entertained chuckle.

”I’ll talk with your father about a more permanent solution if you’re alright with it. But, I need a little time to get things sorted out with the boss. Training outings do count as paid hours.” Luke explained to Vesta. Unless someone, well, stopped him he’d lead the two girls back to Vesta’s home and say his goodbyes and promise to see them tomorrow. Once he was alone on the street, he’d turn and start heading his own way back home. ”Training, training, training. This is new for you, ain’t it?” Jäger would ask as Luke walked down the sidewalk. What’s that mean? ”You’re the one that tends to beg for other people to train you. How could you eeveeeerrr teach someone anything?” Jäger was being an asshole tonight, so Luke just blocked him off with a mental wall.

---

Late the next night

---

Vesta would get the text message, with address included, where Luke wanted her to go. Oddly enough, it wasn’t too UE. He, of course, had texted her earlier that day to make sure to go to bed early. Like, the sun was still out sort of early. The message said that he wanted her to meet him at two A.M at the construction site for some new skyscraper office building. The building was nowhere near done yet, with only a few of the ground floors actually having walls and the rest being nothing more than girders. Why Luke wanted them to meet him here? Hard to say, actually. He didn’t give them any reason.

It was quiet though. Aside from the occasional car passing the fenced off construction sight. Not a soul was around. At least that’s how it seemed to be. The construction managers office was deserted, nobody was in the porta potties, and there wasn’t any sound of machinery or hammers. But where was Luke? Should the two Bount venture deeper into the site by entering the building there still wouldn’t be any sight of the other Bount. At least until they would hear, ”Glad you could make it.” from above them. Looking up they’d see someone simply standing in the empty space between the girders, on the very air itself, but who was the poorly dressed motorcycle fan boy? Well, Vesta would recognize the outfit near immediately.

Wearing a brown, leather, motorcycle jacket, cargo pants and boots, Luke gave them a smirk before he terminated his Air Ground and dropped down in front of them. ”I hope neither of you are too tired.” Luke seemed to be full of energy. The sword that he had strapped to his back clinked a little. ”Alright, so let me take a minute to explain why I’ve got you two out here. Vesta, you’re not only strong enough to summon a Doll but capable enough on your own that I feel comfortable teaching you more abilities. So, obviously, we’re going to spar. I teach best that way.” Luke explained to Vesta, before turning his attention to Nadezhda.

”Now Nadezhda, you might not like what I tell you to do...but I need to you to sit out of the way.” He’d let a moment pass so that his words sank in for the child. Crouching onto his knees in front of her, Luke continued his explanation. ”The first step to getting you stronger is to make your spirit stronger. The best way to do that is to be around people who already have strong spirits. Me and Vesta are going to work out, and as a result out spirits are going to smack together and mix with yours. That’ll wake yours up.” It was simple. Nadezhda simply needed to be in the vicinity of Luke and Vesta’s conflicting reiatsu for hers to stir and begin to fire up. As she was...there wasn’t anything Luke could teach her. Cept, maybe, air ground but that wasn’t entirely practical or useful.

[Nadezhda Esterházy]

Nadezhda stared at Luke as he attempted to find her room and board with Vesta. She wondered who was more gullible of the two of them and which would be more easily manipulated. She wondered if she overestimated Luke's kindness, but was willing to see how far she could get until he was no longer useful. Vesta seems juvenile despite her age of appearance. It was rather ironic. Nadezhda possessed the body of a child, and played the role well, but had lived for centuries before her captivity. 

It seemed no one was ever privy to her true nature as it was skillfully concealed beneath a playful disguise and childish antics. Nadezhda realized long ago she was stuck in this infantile body that seemed perpetuated by her uncontrollable hunger. Nadezhda's instincts were unstable and she fed far more than most. She was never quite satisfied. This insatiable hunger would keep her young for as long as she drew breath. It was an unfortunate side-effect of her zealous appetite. 

She had learned to adapt by playing the role of a child. While her body was ageless, her mind matured. She was witness to many horrors, themes far more mature than the youth of the present century. She had learned so much about humanity in the centuries she spent roaming the European continent. Their violence was fictional and told through stories etched on paper whereas centuries ago it was fairly normative to go to a midday hanging. She pondered for a moment, trying to determine how many deaths were a response to crimes she committed but burdened others with the blame. 

Nadezhda was adept at finding her own meals and lodging, but had to minimize her own skill set at the risk of being found out too early. First she needed some help awakening whatever flame slumbered that allowed her to share a connection with her dolls. Her flat expression faded as she delivered a toothy grin. "SLUMBER PARTTTY!!!" She squealed as she bounced around Vesta. She grabbed Vesta's hand and rubbed her cheek against it. "We're gonna be the best of friends. I won't be alone anymore." She shouted excitedly. 

She leaped away from Vesta, skipping excitedly around them both. She abruptly halted and donned a quizzical expression. Her expression quickly shifted and her eyes widened as a smile stretched into her cheeks. "We are sisters!!!!" She shouted. She closed her eyes and began prancing around, only to face plant into a nearby traffic sign. The pole vibrated wildly as she gripped her head to settle the jostling feeling. "oooooohhhhh" She howled softly as she rubbed her head, mussing her hair. 

Her eyes abruptly flicked open and she stared lovingly at Vesta. "Please do my hair and dress me pretty! And do the stuff that girls do like, uhm, that stuff that makes your fingers pretty like a rainbow. And powder and black stuff and cheek stuff and the spray and the rings and the..." She continued on and on, not even pausing for a breath. As she spoke she gestured with her hands as she was unable to find the words to describe the current centuries' trends. "And this! And that!" She said, flailing her arms around her neck and skirt. 

Later that night her enthusiasm had appeared to dry up, preferring to sulk quietly. She was once again stuck on the side-lines, a result of having been unable to manifest her dolls herself. She secretly questioned whether Luke or Vesta were capable helping her. They had shared some vital knowledge with her about the spiritual world, but now that wanted their spirits to invigorate her own by observing the clash. Nadezhda's face was blank while she sighed impatiently within her internal monologue. 

She drifted away for a moment, escaping to another century. Hearing their voices made her smile. They had always protected her. They were more than just guardians. They were extensions of her and she loved them deeply, as they seemed to her. In many ways, they seemed to mother her. Perhaps they were a projection of a deep desire that managed to manifest. She would remain patient for now with the hope of hearing and seeing them once more. As she stared at Luke and Vesta, a subtle smile came across her lips. For both your sake, I hope this is useful. She thought.

[Vesta Zweig]

Vesta stood there, listening to Luke say that they needed to find Nessie a place to stay. It made complete sense, since you wouldn't want a child to be sleeping on the streets. She immediately assumed that Luke would be taking her to stay with him, since he knew her a lot longer than she did. To her, it made the most sense. But, what he said next was a little surprising. He wanted Nessie to stay with her because he wasn't great with kids?! She'll learn more with someone around her age?!

She was shocked. Was he just doing this so he didn't have to take care of her? She immediately figured that that was the reason. Now, he kept talking about how it could be permanent and talking with UE, since they'll get paid while their training. Why in the hell did he just assume that this would be okay, to make this permanent. She was glaring at him while Nessie was getting extremely excited. She was excited for the slumber party and was yelling about what they would do. "This is only for tonight, Mister Luke. You'll have to find a more permanent place for her elsewhere."

Nessie kept telling her what they would do. She was going to try to tell her they couldn't do some of those things, like the cheek stuff (since she didn't wear makeup) but she was being loud enough to where she knew that her trying to talk over her was futile. So, she led Nessie inside, letting her dad know about what was going on quickly before they went up to her room to do the usual 'sleepover stuff.' Vesta was in the middle of painting her nails like a rainbow before she got a text from Luke, telling her that they needed to go to bed early for training. She rolled her eyes at that and finished before they went to bed.

Later on, she woke up and got both of them to the place. This was insanely early to get somewhere as weird as here and when she heard Luke spoke, she looked up and started to snicker. He was wearing that stupid outfit again. "Why do you wear that stupid outfit when you're not trying to hide your identity Mister Luke? Do you just not wear it enough so you have to break it out now?" The outfit was really a bit overboard, but whatever. Obviously he likes to break it out for 'important' things.

He then started to explain how this was going to work. Vesta was going to spar with Luke while Nessie sat on the sidelines, figuring that their spar would help her spirit get stronger, therefore being able to call out her doll. She had never really sparred before with his Dolls, but she was curious to actually see his Dolls in action. So, she would nod, smile towards Nessie and walk a fair distance away (about five feet). She would grab her locket from her neck, bring it to her face to concentrate and then would throw it out in front of her.

"Ziege Dich, Zorn!" The falling locket would start to change and before it landed, the lightning tiger Zorn would appear. He would land, roaring and shaking his static-y fur out. He immediately walked over to Vesta, rubbing up against her and slightly purring. He glanced over to Nessie and sniffed slightly before looking back over to Luke. "Why am I here? Not that I don't mind, you haven't let me out in forever." She scratches his ears before she answers.

"We're going to train! Also Zorn, the girl over there is Nad....Nede....Nadezhda. I call her Nessie for short." She was proud that she actually got the name right! It would probably never happen again. He would turn his nose towards her again and take two small steps towards her. He would sniff the air again before walking back, he didn't want to invade her space if she didn't want him there. Facing Luke again, Zorn would walk behind her, with his head to her right side and his tail to her left, wrapped around her and ready for an attack. "Alright Mister Luke! Where's Mister Puddles?!"

[Deleted]

Nadezhda doesn't need to post this round

This wasn’t the first time Vesta had been critical of his clothing choices. The last time was when he was wearing that all black motorcycle outfit and saying it was his “combat uniform”. Granted, back then it WAS a little ridiculous with the helmet and all but Luke wasn’t wearing anything on his head this time. Honestly? He liked motorcycle stuff. Biker stuff was his shit. He always liked the idea of riding free, four hours, on a interstate with nothing between him and the road but a bike. Ah, sweet dreams. Shrugging, Luke looked at his jacket for a moment in appreciation before replying to Vesta. ”I actually go out nearly every night dressed like this. It just feels...right? It’s hard to explain, but I just like how I look in it. Have you seen what Marcus wears? The guy gets dressed up in a wetsuit.”

Regardless, part of him was glad that he wasn’t wearing the helmet that went with this outfit. Vesta wasn’t afraid of making fun of how stupid she thought his choice of attire was. So long as Luke liked it there wasn’t a problem, even if his outfit had been ripped directly from a comic book. Watching Vesta make some distance between them, Luke’s mind began to work out how best to do this. He didn’t want to go full asshole and beat Vesta. That wasn’t the point of this. He’d have to hold himself back as much as possible and find that perfect middle ground between giving Vesta a good fight and helping her feel strong.

Having a good attitude did wonders for training. He watched as the half demon reached up and pulled a pendant off her neck and said the magic words. Oh, she was releasing. Okay. Luke eyed the large, electric, tiger that was summoned. Well this was...going to make things different. Okay. Luke had been thinking about just sparring one on one with Vesta but this was fine too. Reaching behind him as Vesta and Zorn greeted one another, he slipped his fingers into the butt pocket of his pants and pulled out the small matchbox he was keeping hidden.

Are you going to behave?

”No.”

At least you’re honest.

”Well, since you’re bringing yours out it’s only proper I show you mine.” Luke said with a shrug, wrapping his fingers around the matchbox. ”Ziege Dich.” left his lips as he crushed the matchbox and released his Doll. However, it was weird. There was no sensation of a release. No flare up of reiatsu, no Doll that appeared, no new presence that could be sensed on the battlefield. It was quiet. However, Luke didn’t seem bothered by this. He would, instead, lift his hand up in the direction of Vesta and focus his powerful reiatsu into his hand. Suddenly, blue lightning blasted from his hand and shot for the younger Bount. Luke had used Electrocution, only the Class 4 version, to start getting Vesta moving. It wasn’t terribly strong if it hit her. It would be, like, getting hit by a stun gun. But Luke wanted to see how Vesta or Zorn would react to this.

[Vesta Zweig]

Vesta cocked an eyebrow when he said that Marcus wore a wetsuit. A wetsuit?! To walk around at night and, she would assume, patrol? That sounded extremely uncomfortable and sweaty, since the rubber in those suits aren't very breathable. Also, how did wearing a motorcycle outfit 'feel right?' As far as she knew, no one else at UE, besides him and now Marcus, wore any other clothing while they were out on a mission. Should she start doing that as well? Changing into some leggings, with a crop top and a fancy masquerade mask on her face and lurk around like they do? She decided against it, since she usually went to bed early because of school.

She was excited when she heard him say the release phrase, but the excitement died on her face when she saw nothing. Was the Doll hiding or did he just try to trick her by saying the release phrase and actually not doing anything. Zorn pushed against her lightly, reminding her to stay focused. She nodded, grabbing some of the fur on his scruff to help her breath slower and keep a clear head. His Doll could easily be hidden somewhere or be right in front of their faces. All Dolls were different, from her experience, so she had no idea what to expect from this Doll that she had never seen before.

When he lifted his hand, Vesta watched to see what would happen. She assumed that it was some kind of fancy technique, but because she couldn't sense any kind of energy, she had no idea what he was doing. It wasn't until she saw the crackling that started to shoot out of his hand that she moved out of the way, pushing off Zorn as he ran off the opposite way. His fur started to crackle as he moved away from her and a net started to unfurl from him, setting him up to use a lot of techinques. He stood on alert, looking around to make sure that the new Doll on the field wasn't going to surprise them.

Vesta, on the other hand, avoided the attack and started to run towards Luke. She was quickly thinking on how to actually attack the man when one of her techniques came to mind. She took a deep breath and gathered reiatsu near her. When she got fifteen feet away from Luke, she would stop and expel the reiatsu, which would take the form of shockwaves expelling from her body (using Sprengstoff). She would stand for a minute, taking a quick breath and then runs after Luke again, hoping that the shockwave knocked him off balance enough so that she could get a punch in. Even though this is supposed to be a spar, she definitely wanted to work hard on this. The second voice chuckled and she knew that if the spar was strenuous enough, the voice might actually tell her its name.

[Deleted]

Good, she dodged. Luke was just far enough away that she would be able to dodge Electrocution by just running out of the way. Both she and her Doll, Zorn, went separate ways-”Ugh that mode sucks.”-and looked to be trying to surround him. Actually, that was wrong. Despite the Dolls size and intimidating appearance it actually seemed to...hang back? The electrical fur of the Doll began to crackle as something that seemed to be a lightning net unravel from his body. Some kind of field? Better not get caught in it. Luke thought to himself as he suddenly shifted his attention to Vesta. Looks like she and him thought on a similar wavelength when they fought.

Vesta was rushing in and, detected by his Energy Sensory, was gathering reiatsu for something. His eyes narrowed when he suddenly saw Vesta stop about fifteen feet from him and release some sort of shockwave from her body. That had been what the gathering of reiatsu had been for! Crossing his arms in front of himself, he braced himself before feeling the force suddenly slam into his arms. Grinding his teeth together as he was pushed back and struggling not to lose control, the back of his heels dug into the dirt as he was pushed back.

Normally, Luke shouldn’t have been able to simply block that. He wasn’t exactly a physical power house despite his physique. Well, there was a reason why he was able to block it. It was the same reason why he was wearing a jacket out in the dark as well. But, he was going to let that be a surprise for now. He wanted to let Vesta feel good about her attack as well. Positive reinforcement did wonders for training. His eyes darted upwards as he saw Vesta charging him again. He contemplated grabbing the sword on his back, but decided against it. This was training after all.

Say hi.

As Vesta approached, however, she had sprung the trap. Suddenly, without any warning, a black mass would rise out of the ground and slam something right into Vesta’s stomach. Hard. Hard enough to not only send the girl back, but potentially even make her gag and throw up. The attack came fast enough and with enough surprise that her less than stellar Instinct would have trouble anticipating and reacting to it before it happened. What hit her? If she looked up then she would see it. Rising from the shadows, not the actual ground, was Luke’s Doll. Humanoid in appearance, ripped with thick muscles, with gloved hands ending in sharp claws, was the shadow entity that Luke had summoned. The Dolls face had a large white X across it, alongside large white eyes with little X pupils. The Doll looked at its left hand, that was curled up into a fist, before looking at Vesta. It was silent, simply staring at her, before it suddenly spun around in Luke’s direction.

”I can make a fist!” It...suddenly yelled. Luke blinked. Confused. ”...w-what?” The shadow suddenly slid across the ground towards Luke, making the Bount back up in panic before he was suddenly grabbed and a hand was shoved in his face. ”Look at my hands! Look at these watermelon cutting claws! I can make a fist despite having these pig stickers for fingers!” Jäger yelled. Luke, growling in frustration, tried to shove his Doll of him by pushing on his face. ”Jäger! Focus!” Luke shouted, before the Doll blinked and turned to look at Vesta. His eyes would then situation on Zorn. ”Ooooooooooyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!! D’ya think I’m stupid enough to go over there?” Jäger shouted at Zorn, finally unattaching himself from Luke and situating himself in front of the Bount.

[Vesta Zweig]

Vesta released the reiatsu that she had been hording, in the hopes that it would knock Luke off balance. It didn't, sadly, but she needed to think of something quickly before he had the time to counterattack her. But, she didn't get to have that time to counterattack. Without warning, a black mist came up towards her fast, hitting her hard in the stomach. She had never seen something like that before and she held her stomach while she was doubled over in pain, taking deep breaths so she wouldn't throw up. Zorn looked towards her, concern clear on his face as he asked over their bond if she was okay. She nodded in the affirmative and he now glared towards the Bount and his Doll.

Zorn had never seen one of Luke's Dolls before and neither had Vesta. She tried to take in all the details of the Doll while she was trying to control the pain. It was a Doll that was black, except for a white X across his face. She stood up then and felt a shaking in her limbs. She formed a fist and felt Death pulling at the back of her mind. Luke had never seen Death before, so she was a little bit hesitant to release her. This was supposed to be a spar, not an all out brawl. But, Death was angry and it was taking all of Vesta's willpower to hold her back. Zorn, on the other hand looked this Doll up and down, trying to size it up. When it spoke, however, he had to reply.

"Wow Luke, your Doll sounds like a pussy if he's too scared to come over here and face me." He grinned towards him and felt a slight change that was trying to make itself known. He didn't risk looking towards Vesta, in cause Death decided to make an appearance, to not tip them off about it. His net was out and making some Black Static around his feet with every movement that was made in his net, even his own. Of course, they have no idea what it's used for, but they'll get a rude awakening when it does get used. Vesta, on the other hand, felt Death literally try to pull her down to let her out. Why are you holding me back?! This is a spar right?! He should see me! I've been waiting to see him for a long time!!! At that moment, she felt Death pull her out and she was falling...

While she fell, a black mist would surround Vesta, making it known that her Demon was starting to be released. If they were still looking at Zorn, they would notice that his fangs now grew out (imagine a saber tooth tiger's teeth) and black started to dominate his body, with lightning sparking more off his body. He sneered towards them, growling low in his throat. Before the mist would dissipate, she would extend her right hand out slightly before using Movement to try to get behind Luke. If she managed that, she would complete the extension to touch him with her coated Nether hand. That is when they could see her form, with mist still clinging to her right hand.

[Nadezhda Esterházy]

Nadezhda could feel the the power of their spirits clashing. The energy vibrated the air, causing her hair to stand on end. She hugged herself and shivered as if a chill has crept up her spine. She stared forward at Luke's doll. She wanted to smile. What an interesting creature. It reminded her of Koschei in some ways. As the energy collided with her body like waves crashing into a rocky shore, she wondered if this would work as Luke hoped. Would she regain her former spirit? She closed her eyes and inhaled. 

She could easily revisit the past by simply closing her eyes. It was a window into centuries now forgotten. She was strong then. She had to learn so much on her own. Much of what she knew was stumbled upon by accident or came into being out of sheer instinct. She wanted to return to that. Regain all her power. That which allowed her to behave more recklessly without much consequence. Those were days. She thought affectionately. A smile abruptly took over her face and she began humming as she danced around the various decor. 

She pranced playfully around a box as Luke and Vesta fought. She picked-up a crowbar and stared at it curiously. She then imitated a fencing post. "en garde!" She shouted playfully as she gestured jabs of a sword. She hopped around from side-to-side and thrust the crowbar like like a sword. "Ha-ha!" She shouted. "Prepare for defeat!" She declared.  She then proceeded to jab the box as if it were her opponent. She then tossed the crowbar to the side and threw her hands in the air and roared. "Raaar!"

She then began imitating Jager. She begins running in a circle as she swiped her fingers in the air like claws. Nadezhda felt a pulse of energy pass through her body and settle in her chest. Her eyes widened and her hands fell to the side. She could hear a voice whispering to her from the void within her soul. "Nadezhda..." Her expression flattened and she looked over at Luke and Vesta. She stared at them with a vacant gaze, lost in the emotions summoned by a faint voice. The rest of her body went limp "Koschei..." She mumbled softly to herself. It seemed even Nadezhda couldn't act through this. 

Despite her proclivity for joyful antics and playful banter, she couldn't ignore this profound moment. She heard the distant voice of her doll. A voice she hadn't heard in centuries. She loved her dolls and experienced great sorrow over their absence. "Nadezhda." Her eyes widened once more as she clenched her fists. It was Libuše. They had both called out to her. How. Did Luke do this? Did he reignite the dying flame residing at her core. Did he reawaken her soul from its unexpected slumber? "You're back..." She said softly. She heard nothing back, but felt their presence for the first time in over a century.

She stared directly at Luke, but couldn't summon any words. She simply stood in place like a lifeless statue. She didn't know what to do or what to say. A part of her was shocked this worked. Shocked that she heard their voices. She wasn't ready to reveal the identity of her dolls to anyone else, but she knew Vesta and Luke knew she had at least one doll. Which meant she needed to conceal the second. She didn't want to reveal all her cards quite yet. But she couldn't control her amazement. She wondered if she should reveal what she heard. Perhaps there was more benefit in waiting. Perhaps what was happening was only the beginning and their continued clash would allow for more progress. 

[Deleted]

"Wow Luke, your Doll sounds like a pussy if he's too scared to come over here and face me."

”Watch your mouth before I slap your shit!” Jäger shot back, earning himself a annoyed glance from Luke. He always found it annoying how much Jäger...talked. Honestly, he might let the Doll out more often he could reign in the immaturity and act appropriately. However, Luke decided to just let it go for now. His eyes drifted away from Jäger and back to Vesta for a moment. He really was hoping this was helping Nadezhda out. Being exposed to their reiatsu, his and Vesta’s, should be having an effect on her. The kid seemed to be having fun over there, playing with herself as she watched the fight, but Luke knew he needed to focus on the fight.

However, Zorn still made no attempt at closing the distance. Luke wasn’t really focusing on him either way. He was looking at Vesta. His eyes narrowed a little as he felt a surge of power inside her, before witnessing a black miasma form and surround her body. He didn’t like this. His gut was tightening a little as he watched. But, before whatever happened was complete, he felt reiatsu blast in Vesta’s legs that caused her to vanish. A Step! He didn’t let Vesta put her hand on him by just not being there when she tried to touch him. When Vesta stepped, so did he. She tried to touch his back but her hand would just go through empty air. Instead, Luke would reappear somewhere else entirely.

His form would blur back into existence standing on top of a girder in the network of metal that was the still being built skyscraper. ”Good try.” He’d comment, putting a hand out on a girder that was placed vertically to give himself some extra balance. Looking down at her, though, Luke would be able to get a good birds eye view of Vesta’s new form. Why did she bring that out, he wondered. He’d heard rumors about Vesta’s other powers and now he was looking right at it. So this was the power of her demonic heritage. He’d need to be careful. A little much for a spar, but considering the power gap between them he’d deal with it.

”Well, I don’t have any sort of weird powers like yours hidden up my sleeve. But! I’m confident I’ll do just fine.” Luke said with a shrug, completely unaware of what his Doll was up to. Hanging overhead from Zorn was a construction crane with a flat bed of various pipes and poles all lying atop one another. While a tarp had been tied over the pipes to protect it from the wind, it ended up just looking flimsy and weak. But, the thing was, the crane itself was covered in darkness. While Zorn’s light would toss aside shadows, those that were infected by Jäger’s presence simply grew despite the light. Those shadows grew up across the metal, until, finally, a uninterrupted path was made.

No doubt Zorn and Vesta would be too focused on Luke to notice that Jäger was simply gone. The shadowy humanoid emerged, despite the narrowness of the metal bars that the crane was composed off, upside down and beside the steel cable holding the bed of pipes. Snickering silently to himself, Jäger looked down at Zorn before swinging his arm and slicing through the cable holding the bed up. As if it were a string and his fingers were scissors, it was stupidly simple for Jäger to cut through the cord. The bed fell, leaning forwards and causing the pipes and poles to enter the air themselves. If Zorn didn’t move, well, then he was going to have a few hundred pounds of metal crashing down on top of him.

[Vesta Zweig]

Zorn just smiled towards the Doll that yelled at him. They had only fought two other Bounts and their Dolls, the two men in Russia, and the tactic with those Dolls was to send them in quickly to fight. Zorn then remembered the other Bount/Doll combo they had fought in Karakura with a shinigami. The Bount seemed off but the Doll was powerful, if he remembered correctly. They also ran in and fought immediately. Zorn had assumed that either the Doll or Luke was too freaked out to him fight, which he highly doubted, or that they were planning to do something. The Doll's power was definitely something he hadn't encountered before, but Black Static was forming along his net, which would open up more techniques for him to use.

Death, on the other hand, was gleeful that she thought that she had caught the man off guard. Once she arrived, however, and saw that he was gone, she screamed. How dare he move out of the way! It was then that she heard him on top of a metal girder. So, it seemed that he didn't want to face her and just run away from her instead. She understood that, she was definitely fierce enough to run away from. Internally, Death would feel Vesta rolling her eyes at that thought. Death grimaced, but it was more for Vesta than Luke. Death knew that she was strong, but it seemed like Vesta thought that she thought a little too much of herself.

She looked up, her Nether orbs starting to form around her. Well, if he didn't want to come to her, she would take the attacks to him. All four of her Nether orbs started to circle around her, slowly, while she thought of what weapon she could use against him up there. He kept talking and Death got more annoyed. Was he really that much of a coward that he couldn't face her on the ground. She was completely focused on him and didn't notice what his Doll was doing. Death could feel Vesta's Doll and knew if something happened to it. She also knew that he was pretty good at taking care of himself. So, while he talked two of her Nether orbs flew towards him. Once they were about five feet away, they would turn into bullets, aimed directly at him.

While this was going on, Zorn would be looking around the entire area. He saw when the man called Luke landed above them and started to look around where he landed. Zorn tried to make it a priority when he was called out to actually look around. Vesta wasn't too good at that and he knew for a fact that Death wasn't. Even though when Death came out and he was affected by her presence by feeling the pull to me more aggressive, he had been getting better at fighting that bloodlust back and using it when he needed it. So, while looking at Luke, he decided to look over the entire crane. He assumed that Luke didn't just go up there to get away from them.

It was then, when the orbs were sent out that he noticed a dark shape cutting a cable. It had to be that weird Doll of his. Zorn used the first thing that came to mind. He looked towards the closest thing to them that was metal besides the crane and saw a light pole. He immediately aimed his lighting towards it, magnetizing it. The metal that was falling towards him immediately started to get pulled towards the light pole and then hit it fairly hard. Luke would then notice that the crane would start to slightly shake. Zorn would then aim his lighting towards the base of the crane, magnetizing that as well. Metal started to get attracted to it, even the crane itself. How would Luke handle that?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spiritual Magnetisierung (Spiritual Magnetization)}
This technique allows her tiger to hit anything metal with its lightning, be it a bench, light pole, etc... charging the item with enough electrons to actually magnetize it. Once the item is magnetized, all of the metal in the surrounding area will be drawn towards the item. The strength of the pull will feel like a rocket pulling you towards the magnetized item. Spiritual steel is effected by it twice as strong. Meaning, Shinigami zanpaktous, Quincy crosses and all other metals that affects spiritual beings period. So, if a person's release is a suit of armor, the armor will get dragged to the item as well. The strength of this attractive force is equal to Zorn's offensive stat (double his offensive stat if the item is spiritual steel). The pull lasts eight posts.

Drawbacks: Cost is 300 reiatsu to start and 50 reiatsu for each eight posts to keep it active.[/spoiler

[Nadezhda Esterházy]

Nadezhda! A voice urgently whispered. Her eyes widened as she turned her back to Luke and Vesta. Nadezhda! The exigent voice returned, but Nadezhda couldn't shake the confusion. She recognized the voice, but what did Koschei want?  Run! Koschei exclaimed in a near demanding tone. Nadezhda looked over her shoulder at Luke and Vesta, who were too preoccupied to bother noticing her. Nadezhda's bare feet scurried across the ground as she made her way to a nearby door. She clutched the handle and yanked, breaking the chains on the door. 

The chains rattled and fell to the ground loudly. Thankfully the sound of the chains was muffled by the the fighting in the backgroud. She looked over her shoulder, her body blocked by large crates, and smiled at her luck. She ran into the alleyway  and looked around. The alley was isolated by buildings and a large wire fence. "Koschei?" She asked of the quiet space. To her dismay, her call went unanswered. She knew what she had heard. There was no mistaking it. Should she return? What now?! Nadezhda leaned against the brick wall and wrapped her hands around her body in an effort to comfort herself.

This century was a lonely one. Everything was different. Everyone from her past was now long since deceased and to make matters worse, she was without her two greatest allies. Her friends. Her family. Nadezhda's characteristic smile and slapstick demeanor had dissolved into abject loneliness. She lowered her head, her chin touching her chest. Her hair draped over her face as tears welled in her eyes. Nadezhda's rare, but unmistakable sadness had arrested her. A few tears crawled down her cheek before falling to the ground below.

Each tear landed near her feet, both of which were dirtied from travel. Nadezhda was a rarity among spiritual creatures. A relic from a forgotten age. A child lost in time and unable to grow old. She was so close to having a piece of her old life returned. She could hear their voices calling out to her, but perhaps it was nothing but a hallucination brought about by the vast surge of spiritual energy. She certainly didn't have a clue why it happened. There was so much about this world and about herself that she did not know.

She had spent years mastering the connection with her dolls and developing what would be unique abilities for a Bount, but she had very little context for any of it. She now knew she was a Bount, but what did that really mean? Was she alive? Was she some sort of aberration? Was she human? She couldn't possibly be human by most standards. After all, she's been a young girl for nearly four centuries. That's a long time to be stuck in a body that never seems to yield any answers to life's questions. She's now met others like her, but it has done nothing to quiet her anguish. It has answered very few questions while adding even more.

She began to slide down the brick wall as a voice called out to her. I'm here. She lifted her head as a hand materialized from black dust. The long, slender finger slid across her cheek, wiping away her tear. The hand cupped her face as a body slowly formed from the ash. The body towered over Nadezhda even as it leaned down toward her level. Nadezhda's eyes enlarged as they inched their way up, finally landing upon Koschei's visage. "Koschie..." She said slowly and emotion built in her voice. "Is that you?" She asked hesitantly, fearing she was mistaken. 

"I'm here." Koschei responded lovingly. Koschei's warm, velvety voice wrapped Nadezhda as she reached out to her. The two embraced, Koschei holding her Bount tightly. "It has been a long time." Koschei said softly. "Your voice became so distant until it was only a whisper and then it was gone altogether. I thought I had lost you. I didn't know what to do until one day i fell asleep and I woke up here, in this time."  Nadezhda explained painfully. "I can still barely hear Libuse. Is she there? Is she safe?" She asked in a near desperate tone. 

"She's fine. You're not strong enough yet. You have barely enough energy to keep me here. Which reminds me." Koschei faded from sight and began speaking to Nadezhda from within her. You can hear me now, but we must conserve our energy until a time when I am needed. Nadezhda frowned slightly before a grin laced her lips. "Eating always makes me feel strong." She said as she defiantly stood tall. "And what better way to figure things out than put our new strength to the test, right?" She smiled before she began wildly running toward the fence. She effortlessly scaled the fence by jumping and landed on the other side. She swiftly began climbing until she was atop a building.

"Easy." She said with a chuckle before jetting off. She swiftly ran across the the tops of the buildings, leaping between them with ease. Each time she jumped int he air she giggled with joy. This particular building has a skylight, which Nadezhda shamelessly gawked through. To her surprise, though, the people inside seemed frightened by something that wasn't Nadezhda. She looked around as four men brazenly waved their guns in the faces of patrons. What Nadezhda didn't know is this establishment was bank and those four men were robbing it. It didn't matter. Their fear excited her and a twinge of nostalgia returned. 

She pondered for a second before sliding down the side of the building and entering the bank casually. She slowly walked inside and delivered a large, toothy smile. "Ukaž se, Koschei." Koschei immediately materialized in the room, but her passive ability made her invisible to every, especially the likes of regular humans. "Zabij je." She commanded just before the head of one of the robbers was severed and rolled over toward the feet of a nearby teller. The woman screamed in horror as the robbers began to fire at Nadezhda, though their bullets never seemed to hit her. One of the robbers reached into his bag to pull out a larger gun when he was bifurcated clean down the middle. 

Nadezhda clapped her hands and jumped up and down gleefully. Her enthusiasm at Koschei's carnage was evident. It would seem, despite Koschei's loving demeanor, she was just as ruthless and callous as Nadezhda. One of the patrons tried to run past Nadezhda, but she skillfully jumped onto the wall and hung from a beam above the entrance. She swung back and forth as her eyes gazed into the frightened man's eyes. A wide, menacing smile stretched across her face before she grabbed him and bit ferociously into his shoulder. The man howled in pain, but then he stopped. Her eyes were directed at him, her teeth digging into his clothes.

He stared at her, his body shaking. He was likely wondering why she hadn't bit down, but was instead just glaring at him menacingly from her periphery. Suddenly the man's visage deteriorated and he fell to the ground. "That's a different kind of food." She said playfully. She grabbed the mans body and began swinging him around by his arm before his arm tore off and his body went flying into a crowd of people. Nadezhda could feel heat emanating from Koschei. "Just like old times, huh, Koschei?" The invisible launched around the room, her razor-sharp appendages slicing through everyone in the room. Though this didn't seem like a regular cut. The bodies were horribly burned in the process. 

"Bright dust! Bright dust!" She request happily before one of the teller's before to glow. Her body melted away and was reduced to ash and cinder, which seemed to sparkle as it drifted into the air.  Moments later the entire bank was silent, the bodies of patrons and the robbers thrown about and in pieces. Some only ashes remained. It was a gory and horrifying sight. Nadezhda and koschei returned to to the roof, leaping from the buildings in hunt of more fun. "I am so glad to have you back, Koschei" She announced happily.