Taking On The Day [Catherine/Yuuto]

A low whistling could be heard on the savannah's winds, the scrape and adjustment of metal and wire accompanying it, the source being within a clasp of tall grasp, the redhead picking at the hilt of some bizzare looking sword.

Was a good thing, she was worried the blade might've burnt out, but it just seemed the attack got some debris into the battery chamber. The refinement process was getting there, it was almost a design she was happy with, but she couldn't exactly have one of it's main points of function ceasing because a Hollow got a little spit-happy.

The dead being of sin had been dragged and then laid, still with cauterized wounds decorating it's dark sandy coat; She was definitely making notes of the pros and cons of the weapon - it wasn't one she could utilize as reliably as her spear, but it definitely had it's uses on targets with less dense defenses. Maybe if she even figured out a smaller design so she could carry a single thing extra...

While he was spending a lot of time overseeing the Gotei's efforts in Africa, particularly around the crater, there had been a rather notable silence around it for quite some time. With that in mind, he felt it was fine to slip away for a bit. Even if something did happen, he was never far. Silent as a ghost in sound and senses, he slipped across the open savannah, making his way toward a Hollow that happened to be somewhat nearby.

Though he was not the one to slay the creature, he did notice that there was still slight, residual Hollow energy in the same vicinity, as well as the distant, faint sound of scraping metal. Curious, yet without a sound, he made his way to the source of it all. With muted gait, Yuuto took a moment to examine the Hollow corpse, then looking at the young lady picking at what seemed to be a sword handle.

"Hello there. I assume you're the one who killed this?"

...There. If she just left the power disconnected from the housing while it dried, it should be fine in a few hours. Damn it, if only she could read those dusty notes about those 'aspect of fire' sigils or whatever, but they were practically useless without incantations... Again and again she was burned by that old shitter not being dead!-

Her hairs raised as a presence suddenly appeared, hazel eyes looking upon the intruding presence like a wild hawk. How'd he slip past her? She had her senses aware just in case something snuck up on her for the corpse! He was immediately deemed a threat by that ability alone, but a quick glance at his uniform and weapon...

An old seething boiled to the surface - A shinigami.

"Yeah, and I didn't need your lot's help. You're welcome," She'd speak with a gruff voice, "What, you come to lecture me about how I shouldn't be doing your job?"

Well, he wasn't entirely surprised that she was quick to be on guard -- but, he wasn't there to hurt or chastise her. So, despite her immediate shift in stance, Yuuto remained unfazed as he smiled, turning to examine the Hollow corpse one final time, looking for the mask, before turning his attention back to this mystery girl with her rather sharp tongue.

"Easy now, I'm not here to criticize you or anything. In fact, I'm glad you weren't killed -- and you seem unharmed, too. Though, if you do need medical attention, there is a camp nearby I can take you to."

Despite their gentle umber, the Captain's eyes were still sharp and discerning, keeping an eye on both her stance and hands, on the off-chance that she attacked. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she didn't seem to like Shinigami. Yet, from what he could tell, there was something else he noticed about her. But, that was hardly something to mention right now.

"I am, however, rather curious about that weapon you're holding. It's not like any kind of sword I've ever seen. A creation of yours?"

Though she was on guard, she ensured she didn't physically tense - tension could be interpreted as aggression, after all. If she was actually going to do anything, she wanted it to be layered in uncertainty, she wanted this man to be confused and uncertain about her. It was just those little ways she was able to punch up.

"I don't need your medicine," The cadence of her voice was unfriendly, but it was far more controlled than the introductory, looking to her weapon and ensuring it was close to her; even if she felt venom in her throat just from looking at this man, it was always an opportunity to press on about her craftsmanship,

"It is a creation of mine; and i'll have you know anything that touches my working hands comes out of it more spectacular than it began."

Ignoring the unfriendly cadence, Yuuto took another look at the weapon. It certainly looked more mechanical than a traditional weapon, and that alone made him interested. Seeing these two worlds combine was fascinating, and made him curious as to what made it unique compared to his own sword, barring the obvious supernatural elements.

"Fascinating. While it certainly stands out from conventional weaponry, I am curious as to what it does that sets it apart."

Despite the fire that laced her tongue, he could tell that she held pride in her work. Good, that was something anyone with a passion should strive for. However, that next comment, filled with braggadocio, made him even more curious.

Pulling up the sleeve of his shihakusho, he detached a simple, unassuming piece of equipment attached to his arm. But, upon a slight jerk of his arm, two long, claw-like blades suddenly shot out of the sides, creating a weapon not dissimilar to a katar. An old piece of equipment that Yuuto had commissioned for the Stealth Force, and one he held as a precautionary measure. There were no shortage of methods to neutralize a Zanpakuto, or even a person, for that matter.

"In that case, how would you improve on this?"

He took a few steps closer, holding out the item to her, before ultimately setting it down on the ground and sliding it over to her with his foot, before sitting down in a cross-legged position.

Her eyes widened with the expression only a predator could make with his sudden reach into his uniform, gripping the machete hidden just out of sight on her back tightly and staring intensely at his movements, especially as he drew a weapon. Slowly readjusting her posture to be crouched as opposed to sitting, only breaking eye contact with a confused blink as he... Was... Asking for her advice?

She froze for another moment as he got closer... Only to drop the weapon and kick it over to her. He didn't seem interested in posing any menace, either. Still didn't make her drop her guard, cautiously bringing the blade to her hands.

Earnestly, she couldn't help but scoff, "Hah? A shinigami wants advice from a piddling human? That's quite the shock, you lot are normally all high and mighty in your... 'Duty'. But alright..."

First, she maneuvered the weapon about for a moment, looking at the details up and down... Wait a moment, no way... Absolutely no way would any competent...

She put the weapon on her hand, the size of it not quite fitting her, but that wasn't the point. She'd cause the blades to retract, and then unsheathe again. The expression on her face soured into some form of disgusted offense, wordlessly grabbing the nearest pointed stone and tilting the weapon onto it's side in her grasp...

A sharp metallic TING would follow her slamming the pointed end of the stone into someplace precise, where the blades met the internal mechanisms that'd cause it to retract and free.

"What kind of shitheels you got making you weapons up there?" She'd grumble with frustration, testing the weapon's ability to retract; yep, it was jammed, "This is some over engineered skitt. A two point mechanism with a power source or energy trigger would do the job better with less a chance of breaking, if you want a damn retractable so bad. Don't even bother with barbs if you aren't physically strong, unless you want to get lodged in your enemy's flesh. A bad hit would dislodge the blades, too."

An annoyed huff, she had one more thing she wanted to try, approaching the head of the dead hollow. Weapon in hand, she'd swing at it with a particular angle, one that'd look unnatural in a single move but most certainly was possible to end up in amidst combat.

As expected. The points broke off. She wouldn't even care if the man got angry at her for wrecking the weapon, anything this flimsy and unreliable deserved to get atomized before it failed on someone amidst combat. Many a times she's snatched a weapon from one of the boys working the forge only to throw it to the flames with how shoddy the work was; they had a brand to uphold and she had a standard to be met.

"I'd suggest working only with straight, stable blades with a housing so that they are able to be replaced if needed," Tossing the weapon to the man's feet, she's click her teeth, "Maybe get a new smith where you're at it. Looked like you consulted a costume designer instead of someone who works with metal."

Piddling? What kind of Shinigami was she coming across? Then again...he knew at least one person that would fit that thought process perfectly. But, nevertheless, the comment was a bit disheartening. He set his Zanpakuto to his side, hands resting in his lap as he watched her work.

"Perhaps this is just one opinion in a sea of those dissenting, but, humans are far from 'piddling'. My duty is to this world, and to you humans. This was, and to some extent, still is a place I call home, and as long as I live, I will protect it and everything on it that I can."

After all, that was, in part, his reason to fight, a reason to continue this never-ending pursuit of strength -- to protect those who couldn't fight for themselves, to ensure that his loved ones could live a safe, happy life. To be the monster, so that no one else had to.

The sharp sound of metal against stone pulled him from his thoughts, the display causing him to furrow his brow, canting his head to the side as he watched her experiment and test the item. He couldn't help but chuckle softly at her comment about who exactly made the weapon, but, at the moment, he didn't answer. He simply watched with curiosity.

Even as she gave it a more live test, resulting in the breakage of the points, he didn't flinch or seem even the remotest bit angry. Rather, as she tossed the weapon at his feet, he picked it up with a strange amount of gentleness, examining the broken item more closely.

"A straight edge would allow for better slashing as well. The thinness would probably allow for easier extraction and replacement, too. Hmm...I suppose the position also prevents stabbing from being as effective as it was meant be. Admittedly, this was always more or less a personal project."

He set the broken weapon in his lap, looking back to Catherine.

"Well, I am better at using weapons rather than creating them. Thank you, that was enlightening. I certainly wasn't expecting it to break so easily, though."

Her eyes rolled with that attempt at sentiment. Yeah yeah, blabber blabber on, she knew his ilk were all the same at the heart of it... As soon as they grabbed that sword and wore that shihakusho, they were in the blend of those morons til they wise up and split, or die an idiot. They could play house all they wanted, they'd never be people to her - just something that was always in the way. This one wasn't quite the type she could take in a fight, if anything it'd be smarter to just play along with his garbage til he was satisfied; though she'd always been eager to get her hands on a proper Zanpakuto rather than the useless collage of asauchi she had locked up in her boat, this wasn't quite the opponent to try anything on.

"I'd avoid 'personal projects' if you don't even know the basics of what you're making. That thing's on par with a cardboard spaceship a child made," Though her tone was sharp, it played into the idea of a concern than being outright venomous, "If you used that in a proper battle it would've failed on you in some way or another. Sure maybe the first few goes would've been safe but then what if your opponent has a hard carapace? Or gelatinous skin? Stick to that pretty little sword on your hip, i've heard they're damn near indestructible."

The snark reminded him of someone -- someone he'd rather forget. An unpleasant time in his life, though, he could tell that this girl was remarkably different from them. Her virulent tongue felt less arrogant and holier than thou, more of one from genuine experience and concern.

"Those are valid, albeit rather specific concerns. Any weapon can and will eventually fail on the user, if not upkept properly, or utilized properly. If the enemy has a study carapace, find a weak point. Gelatinous skin, though, that's trickier. Even a conventional sword would find it difficult to break through that."

Indestructible? He wouldn't go that far. A hand slowly went for his sword, bringing the weapon to his lap as he drew the weapon from its gold-laden sheath, gently running a thumb over the intricate tsuba as he passed it to reach the end of the blade, briefly reminding himself of what the komainu illustration represented.

'Sorry about this, Raiu.'

Two fingers and a thumb gently pressed on each end of the blade, before suddenly, the Captain applied force from his thumb, and a small chunk of the blade's tip snapped off.

"They might be durable, but they're far from indestructible."