An Unexpected Partnership!? [Klein, Ehefra]

"I've got to do things a little differently, you know? Get creative."

It was equal parts explanation and faint boast, as Klein knew perfectly well that anything he made was, by and large, put together with what could only ever be called scraps. His resources comprised only what he could find, and whatever hadn't been plundered by the Gotei. It wasn't exactly much.

His eyes watched with some fascination, though the obvious analytical gaze of a scientist transparently took the forefront as he studied Ehefra's work. The tail was an interesting concept. He could probably come up with something similar if he needed it, though whenever he needed an extra hand, he just had one of the girls do it. Regardless, he examined the collapse grenade when all was finished, fully expectant that he'd have to wait until he was back home to fully break down what had happened with it.

"Very confident, huh? But it's an impressive modification, especially with how quickly you put it together."

Had he done similar in the past? Yes. He didn't need to go telling her that, though. Even in this larger form, he was still the same old Klein, carefully avoiding any vague sense of responsibility or importance that might have been beyond the exact level he wanted. Right now, he wanted to be respected, but he didn't need people beating down his door. Few, he imagined, were so casually creating and modifying hollow life as he was in the depths of Hueco Mundo.

"Well, I'll be in town for a little while longer anyway, I think. I'd like to catch up with the Grandmaster myself some time, and who knows how long that might take. So don't be surprised if you hear back from me sooner rather than later, hm?"

"If it wasn't worth the praise, I wouldn't say anything, Miss Kleinmund. I don't really like wasting my time with empty flattery, least of all with a colleague who understands the subject matter."

If anything, Klein found his pride faintly wounded at the notion that she apparently found it unthinkable that someone might find it praiseworthy. Maybe she was just overconfident, or had more technical hands-on experience than he did. No, that last part was definitely true, it wasn't even worth pretending otherwise.

"Listen, while I appreciate that you think I might be a danger if I stepped out of line, I was only talking about hearing back about whether or not I decided to join up. I don't need to get data back to do some more assessments first, and I get the feeling the Vandenreich has plenty more to offer me and the world than just this. I'm not inclined to go throwing this around the city, I get the feeling I'd be dead before you even needed to step in."

A scavenger could always taste an easy meal in the air, and the prospect of what could reasonably be gained just by ingratiating himself further with this organization was extremely tantalizing. Of course, he was probably not going to be getting in so easily from step one, but Klein was patient, and he'd played some long games in his lifetime.

"Well, what if I cut to the chase and just ask for your number now? And any recommendations would be better with a pretty local guide to tell me the details, you know."

Ah, well, he couldn't entirely help himself, could he?