A Miracle, Magical Encounter [Klein, Liltotto]

Klein smiled at Liltotto's correction, finding it all the more endearing that the woman would so firmly assert that notion. Well, he wouldn't disagree with it. His own assessments of her character were hardly ironclad.

"I promise. Like I said, this research is for the sake of bettering the lives of hollows. I'd prefer it if the day came that my research meant hollows could join the Vandenreich without worry that they and the Quincy might be at odds again."

This specific research, at any rate, wasn't something that Klein had much interest in weaponizing. Not directly, at any rate. It was simply a gateway to progress. Discoveries he got from her would likely be only stepping stones toward things of much greater value, in his intentions to replicate the effects of something far more dangerous from the past.

"I'd like to say that I hope you'll come around on what I'm doing here, but that would feel a little bit fake, you know? So, instead, I'll just thank you for the cooperation."

He could swear up and down this was for a selfless purpose until the earth scorched, and it still wouldn't get rid of the nagging sensation of wrongness he gave off. He didn't appear to be lying, if anything she hadn't smelled even a bit of stress from him the entire conversation, but whether or not someone was actively anxious was not the end all be all of determining intent off her olfactories.

As far as she was concerned of it now, there was agreement; this wasn't turned on the people she wanted to preserve, and he got to live. She surely, surely hoped this promise would be kept... She didn't want to be a hunting beast seeking retribution.

"Same to you," She'd say through another bite, "What are you wanting to do to find your conclusion, exactly?"

"I'll do what I have to, within reason. If I had some 10 step plan to success, I wouldn't be a very good scientist. Right now, I'm testing a hypothesis that the difference between souls is defined by something like genetics in living beings. But it's hard to put that to the test, and I don't want to start some unreasonable experiments just on a hunch."

That was why this woman across from him was such an ideal opportunity, something Klein couldn't ever possibly let get away. Of course, he'd have to be out of the lab at some point soon, but...well, he could manage.

"Whether it's creating artificial life that can sate the needs of Hollows, or altering our nature not to even need to eat, I don't know where this research will go. It's just a matter of what results I get."

Well, she guessed she didn't really think about the differences all that deeply, at least past the obvious - Hollows were products of negativity, Shinigami were just Pluses with more juice to them, Quincy were humans that learned to wield a power far greater than their own; most of her field of view on subjects lied in more, mortal affairs. Even as she picked at her latest plate, she seemed to do it with less gusto.

"Guess finding a total outlier was your lucky day. I sure am a wad of nothin'."

And that was all the more reason to have fully expected she wasn't going to be leaving on her own terms...