The Good, The Nat and The.... Arrancar? [Cala/Natasha]

Cala blinked rapidly at Nat's assertion they were flattering her, both a warm flush dusting their cheeks along with a cold chill in the pit of their stomach, a feeling of something almost like guilty as they frowned a tiny bit. Not at Nat's mention of where the food came from but rather that Cala did not mean to give her the idea they were trying to flatter her in that way. Saiko was the only one they wanted to flatter and so Cala felt very odd at even that minor comment as Nat focused in on the targets. As Nat began to fire her Reishi bullets Cala shivered as the targets transferred the energy back to Cala. Nat's energy was very interesting, spicy almost, but also golden and fierce, with a hint of playful sweetness to it. Cala found themselves mumbling without thinking their synopsis on Nat's energy as Nat finished up her exercise.

"Spicy honey......"

Even distracted as Cala was tasting Natasha's energy they nonetheless marveled at how she wove such an intricate shooting pattern so quickly as Cala had not even been able to get their gun to fire earlier. Natasha hardly needed to ask if Cala was impressed before the small Arrancar applaud, quite literally, her display of skill and earn a smile.

"Mhmm! It was r-really wonderful."

Cala pursed their lips and shrugged.

"I dunno if you can umm.... tell the difference in the energy you absorb Miss Nat but we can sense a lot about the energy we take in and uhhmm....."

Cala's tongue briefly darted out, as if tasting their lips, before they brought the Fade targets back to them and coiled the dark ash around themselves away from Natasha.

".... we think yours tastes like warm, spicy honey. Very active, very fierce, but also sweet with a uhhhmmmm.... sort of almost hidden low flavor to it. It's really unique too. We think this might be because we've started learning to cook recently since, before, we only sensed the emotions in the energy....."

Cala added this last bit somewhat quickly, perhaps a bit sheepish about their explanation, but Cala would ponder for a moment before glancing down at their katana.

"Ahhh a-and for the guns... we think we might do better with one in one hand and our sword in the other? Does that seem okay?"

Cala sounded softly, wholesomely and genuinely worried that trying to hold a sword AND a gun at the same time might be viewed as "wrong" or "incorrect" by Natasha.

An amused smile lined the southern woman's lips as she returned to her meal, helping herself to a rack of ribs. It was the messiest thing to indulge in after her performance, though, but thankfully there was no shortage of napkins to while away any excess barbeque sauce. Between her soft and measured chewing, Natasha listened to Cala silently, raising a curious eyebrow, her expression clearly an awkward one.

It was an odd thing to say to someone, and there wasn't any immediately reply on her end to indicate any particular reaction to their analysis. What could she say? She was a simplistic woman at her core. She absorbed reishi particles, manipulated their shape, and fired them in the form of bullet-shaped Heilig Pfeil. Lately, she'd entertained the idea of adding spicing up her repertoire through training, but that was a work in progress. Either way, she hardly expected to hear about her energy of all things being referred to as spicy honey. There was something to be admired about honesty, but it definitely left her with a momentary pause, simply on account of how difficult it was to reply to something like that offered at random.

"I didn't know spirit energy had a flavor to it," she quipped, smoothly regaining her position in the conversation, though that was simply all she had to offer in response to Cala's odd flavor analysis. Now, the subject of weaponry was well within her wheelhouse, and she leaned back against the bench, contemplating the the feasibility of wielding a gun and a blade. Could she imagine both at the same time? Perhaps. It'd require a lto of training, though. Still, she didn't fancy herself the type to turn an eager spirit down, and she simply offered Cala a polite smile.

"S'long as yer' willin' to put in hours training wise. Everything requires it's fair share of expertise, and while it is tricky wielding two weapons that are worlds apart in approach, it could open ya' up to a treasure chest of versatility'. Nothin' wrong in tryin' at least, sweetheart."

Cala also hummed at Natasha's response because, truthfully, Cala had only been vaguely aware of it themselves. From what their other self suggested Hollows had a.... texture to them but nothing in so far as "flavor" was concerned and, really, they had been the only one to comment on it so far. Maybe it was a result of them focusing so heavily on learning to cook recently? That was their hypothesis but, well, it at least seemed to surprise someone else who could eat energy like they could so maybe they were weirder than they thought still.

As Natasha leaned back, seeming to contemplate Cala's suggestion, the small Arrancar lifted a hand to shield their eyes from the sun as they watched her blonde hair glow from the light and her blue eyes shimmer. Her eyes, at least, reminded them of Saiko's and in that way they were very pretty. Though if Cala was being honest with themselves Natasha was very pretty but their heart was simply too far elsewhere to really do more than notice it aesthetically. Wide, inquisitive eyes would peer up at Natasha as she considered, only to offer a smile and note that it would be a difficult combination to master.

This Cala had expected and they gave a series of quick, determined nods, clenching their hands into fists in front of them, palms facing their own chest, as their lavender orbs shone with determination!

"Y-Yes Miss Nat! I am definitely w-willing to try!"

Cala wished in that moment they had something to do with the energy they were subconsciously gathering for the effort but, as things were, they simply peered down at the mortal firearm they had purchased. Turning the odd device this way and that in their hands before offering it, barrel-first, to Natasha.

"M-Maybe you could show me with this? I dunno how to get this one to work....."

A small pout graced Cala's lips as a bit of their earlier frustration seeped into their soft features.

Natasha quietly observed the gun offered by Cala. It wasn't a weapon composed of reishi, as most of her gunplay-based weapons typically were, but a physical firearm of earthen make. Familiar. Before she learned the quincy arts, she slowly recalled memories of fighting in the army with these bad boys. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she fought off that nostalgia, acknowledging that every pleasant memory was also accompanied by the bad ones. Natasha took the gun from their hands, azure eyes recognizing the issue. They likely weren't pressing the trigger hard enough to get this going, which, after taking a sweeping glance in of their delicate fingers, didn't strike her as shocking. Not at all. Humming softly, Natasha pressed the trigger on the gun, firing a bullet toward the air. A loud boom echoed, a trail of smoke in the shape of a small cloud followed.

"Come, darling. I'll show ya' how to wield this. It's not all that hard once you fire with conviction. Of course, ya' gotta also be mindful of accuracy. Ya' can have all the conviction in the world with a gun, but it dun mean nuthin' if yer' firin' aimlessly. At that point, yer' just a madman' or an idiot' with a gun'," she humored.

After rising up, she'd wait for Cala to follow her as she formed a couple of lightly armored reishi targets in the clearing.

"Ready whenever ya' rearin' to go, sweetheart."

Cala nearly jumped out of their skin at the loud noise the firearm made and pouted supremely, suddenly not liking the weapon very much at all, but they definitely weren't going to back out now! Not with Natasha willing to help them train, anyways, and so as Natasha stood Cala would follow her, blinking their eyes curiously Cala would nod and note the way Natasha held the pistol. Looking down at their hands as if they were now foreign objects Cala would mimic Natasha's grip somewhat clumsily but, once having the firearm in hand, would nod slowly in understanding as they kept their finger well clear of the trigger.

Turning the gun this way and that Cala would make sure each of their fingers were placed into the proper position before mimicking the form Natasha had when she fired it into the air. Thankfully for Cala they were, well, supernatural so they could hold the gun inhumanly steady in both hands. With one eye shut and their tongue sticking out the side of their mouth in focus Cala would line up the little prongs on top with the closest target and fire a shot after a long, slow trigger pull. As the gun let out it's loud BOOM of a shot Cala would yelp as they had not expected it to actually.... hit back against their hand!?

This caused the gun to nearly flip out of Cala's hands and, nearly dropping the device, Cala pouted once again as they tilted their head. Now not quite trusting the device Cala pointed it at the ground as they turned to Natasha.

"Ummm M-Miss Nat? Do your guns push your hand like that? It almost felt like something was punching my palm......."

Cala did not seem very happy though, if they were to look downrange, the small Arrancar was at least having beginner's luck as the shot had struck the Reishi target only a couple inches off-center. Thus, despite Cala seeming as pouty as a kitten that had been sprayed by a spray bottle out of nowhere, they seemed a natural shot if nothing else.

Natasha noted Cala's reaction after they took their first shot. Since this seemed to be their first time wielding a firearm, she expected them to have an interesting reaction. Anyone wielding a gun for the first time probably react poorly to the recoil. Even more so if they failed to grip it with any form of conviction. Since ambient reishi was often her primary form of ammunition, the concept of kickback basically didn't exist. She could control the shape and form of her Heilig Pfiel bullets with ease. It was a type of cheat code compared to the real thing. She resisted the urge to chuckle, smiling warmly as she approached them.

"That's what we call kickback, darling. It's the sort of thing that occurs when ya' fire a gun. If ya' lack the proper grip necessary to wield one, it'll drop right out of yer hand. As far as my guns, go? I'm a bit of a cheater," she quipped, forming a pistol composed of reishi within her palm. "Since I'm usin' reishi as a conduit for ammunition versus bullets, I don't experience kickback in the slightest."

Natasha cast her gaze toward the target, azure eyes visibly impressed by the natural accuracy. It wasn't totally on the mark, but it was pretty damn close. For a beginner, they at least showed potential. It was all about conviction at this point, though maybe not even that entirely. Natasha recalled that energy Cala was utilizing from earlier to form those shields, and then something clicked in her head. Snapping her fingers, she pointed toward Cala.

"That energy from earlier... can you manipulate it into other forms? I think I might of solved your issue. So, you know what I said about convertin' my energy and turnin' it into bullets? Maybe we could do somethin' similar with that ashen-lookin' energy from earlier. Come, come. Let's try this out'."

As Nat approached Cala they would turn and look up at her earnestly, that kitten-like energy still very much present, the curious ears and tail all but visible as Cala took in Nat's instruction. Looking up at the Quincy woman with a few small, understanding nods though they did pout gently as Nat admitted to cheating where her own guns were concerned. From her explanation Cala suddenly felt like the mortal weapon was useless, and instead looked to their hip at Ceniza, and began to wonder. If Cala truly began to prefer this kind of combat would their Zanpakuto change further? It already bore different appearances for each of their selves so.... it seemed possible at least.

Cala would look back up at Natasha as she looked at the target and, if Cala did possess ears and a tail, they would be both perked and swishing the air eagerly behind them as they awaited a verdict from their instructor. Alas Nat seemed to have something else in mind as they questioned whether Cala was capable of forming their Fade into bullets and Cala would pause, nod softly, and think for a moment. If they remembered correctly their other self had used their Fade with their natural Bala before. Though given how little they fought in this form they hadn't thought to experiment like that before but.... well....

Cala would given another affirming nod and, making a small noise of confirmation, would extend their hand and have some of their Fade slither out of their kimono and into their palm before beginning to float above it. Removing the clip from the mortal weapon Cala studied the bullets it fired and was able to make a very, VERY convincing copy of a bullet with each small dot of Fade. Going from little more than a floating orb of ash to a more solid packed substance, mimicking the grooves and shape of the pistol bullet with precision aided by Cala's Pesquisa studying it from every angle. Even down to copying the serial number and manufacturer's logo on the casing before Cala held it up for Natasha to inspect. Using an honorific for Natasha without truly thinking about it as they asked.

"L-Like this Natasha-Senpai~?"

Natasha found the honorific attachment endearing. Considering its meaning in Japan, it was a honorable term used to display respect for those individuals that were viewed as a role models in the eyes of others. Did she view herself worthy of a role model's respect? Perhaps. Neither here nor there, the woman inspected the weapon with curiosity after Cala had made the necessary adjustments. Surprisingly, they replicated the pistol moments ago with impeccable precision. It was accurate down to every minute detail. That was more than ideal.

Nodding her head to display her approval, Natasha would move behind them to position their hands in the proper stance, physically instructing Cala to hold a tight grip even with a weapon composed of their own make. When wielding a weapon of any kind, it was always best to wield it with conviction. Letting uncertainty crawl in was extremely counterproductive, lessening one's overall ability to be effective in battle. If Cala intended to get stronger, it was her duty as a soldier to remind them of that one immutable law.

"Alright, let's see what ya got', Cal. Be mindful of yer target', don't fire haphazardly, and above all - fire with conviction. I shouldn't have to tell ya' somethin' that goes without sayin', but whether sword or firearm, none of this trainin'll matter if yer heart's not in it to take down the enemy."

As Natasha moved behind them to begin helping them find the positioning necessary to hold the weapon Cala was.... incredibly bashful. The only people to have gotten this close to them in any way like this had been Arianda and Saiko, and it didn't help Natasha was also very pretty, and even if Cala's appreciation of her appearance was only on the aesthetic level well.... having someone's arms wrapped around them, period, was enough to make Cala quite an anxious mess of an Arrancar.

With hands fumbling with the weapon of their own make against Natasha's Cala would blink rapidly and turn a soft pink color along their cheeks, trying to focus on what the more experienced warrior was saying, their shoulders hunching and at even the slightest touch of softness against their back Cala would scoot forward anxiously. Frankly speaking having someone's breasts touch them at all was enough to fry their inexperienced mind and Cala was rather stubbornly determined to focus on the training, wrangle their anxiety, and not be distracted by the admittedly pretty Quincy helping them as they closed one eye, focused as best they could.

In an imitation of the power of Natasha's own guns Cala would 'fire' a silent round of Fade, off the mark by about half a foot, and Cala lowered their weapon sheepishly as they glanced back at Natasha.

"E-Ermmm... Natasha-Senpai? Does the jumping err.... kicking the gun does help any? Are they supposed to do that?"