Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Thu Jul 04, 2019 6:17 pm

Sylvia Brauer

The warm wind blew through the City of Light like a hopeful friend, carrying the fresh, salty sea air between buildings and through alleyways. The morning sunlight shone off the grand walls just enough to light every path imaginable, but had yet to become strong enough to be glaring.

Sylvia Brauer walked the hard roads with purpose this morning. She had been making too many mistakes lately. She had thought joining the Vandenreich would somehow improve her lot in life all of its own, and she had slipped in following that belief. She needed to correct her misguided course.

The first step in doing so, she believed, was in the workshop of one Sofia Montero.

Dressed in a uniform entirely of her own make and design, she came to the large building where she had been directed. White boots with a raised heel reached partway to the knee, where dark leggings continued until the large coat -a mix between trench coat and bomber jacket- covered the rest of her while trailing back down to her ankles. All of her uniform bore the traditional Quincy white and blue with pride, with a small amount of golden brown to make the young woman's mark known.

"Excuze me." Sylvia poked her head through the open door into the workshop. Areas so pristine and clean she thought the room had never been touched clashed strongly with broken pieces and decaying parts scattered haphazardly across the floor. She took several steps across the threshold before stopping, and stood with her hands clasped behind her back to wait for her host to respond.

"I vas told mein item vould pe ready."

Fri Jul 05, 2019 6:19 pm

The Melody

Artist: Carrotwine - Song: Dark Side Of The Road

”Yes, come in,” called out Sofia from the inside.

The tone of her voice, if Sylvia had not heard it before, was both eloquent but strong. There was the most subtle hint of an accent particular to those of the Iberian peninsula, but it was something that kept fading to the point of nonexistence. If the young woman walked in, she would see Sofia facing a table with a number of artifacts, any of which could be the one in question. A couple of tables behind her sat a woman that for all intents and purposes could pass for the twin of the Sternritter Executive. She seemed busy with a soldering iron trying to weld a couple of pieces together. The only difference between this one, Sophie, and Sofia, being the perky fox like ears in the one farthest back.

”Take a seat while I get your things,” added Sofia before finding the bangle and bringing to her.

”Extend your arm.”

The bangle wasn’t anything out of the ordinary as far as Sofia was concerned, though it was far different than what was typically seen in history books. It resembled a simple bracelet of a very reflective silver-like material. To the untrained eye, it would pass unnoticed as nothing more than a bracelet; certainly something done in purpose to allow its use in just about any occasion. There was a small dimple to a certain side where one could, if so desired, attach a Quincy cross to it. More importantly however, if Sylvia either purposely or accidentally allowed even the slightest amount of her spiritual energy to seep out her body, she would notice quite the intricate effect. If the previous were to happen, several small, arrow like dimples would protrude from the surface of the bracelet. The surface and texture would change as well to resemble what one could explain as a form of solar panel looking metal. In simpler terms, it would allow for easier concentration of spiritual energy by the user, as well as far more seamless manipulation over the reishi in the surroundings.

She figured that sooner or later, hopefully sooner, Sylvia would get to see the effect. Ideally both the weapon and the young Quincy would be put to the test in a quick but through training session to ensure proper working conditions. If Sylvia looked closer she would notice that despite being in her lab, Sofia still maintained the sort of attire that she expected others to wear. Her uniform was very Quincy-like, mostly in an array of white, gold, and blue hues. The military top and matching white skirt seemed to contrast nearly perfectly with the black of her hair and matching thighs. Naturally no weapon was seen at her side, though plenty of seele with odd, weird, and downright bizarre looking hilts could be seen scattered across the table along with miniature printed circuit boards.

Fri Jul 05, 2019 11:02 pm

Sylvia Brauer

Sylvia obliged the instruction she was given by her superior to take a seat, and her green eyes watched patiently as the two, near-identical women worked. She had seen the pair before, of course, but it was always strange to see the two, and just how uncanny was their resemblance.

However, she wasn’t here to ask about Sofia’s family, and quickly, the silver bangle had been clasped around her left forearm, just behind the dangling bracelet. She examined the accessory for a few seconds, fully expecting an explanation of how it worked, but when none came, instead assumed it would be like any other bangle she’d worn before.

It certainly worked the same, she thought as reishi began accumulating around the device without her instruction.

”Danke,” she let slip a thanks, under her breath and in her native tongue, before correcting herself. “I mean, zank vu. It vorks zee zame as mein last one?” The young Quincy flushed a light pink for her mistake. The familiar silver bangle did bring back a lot of memories, though not all of them pleasant, but that was no reason to have forgotten herself like she had.

She stood and extended her arm fully, before an exquisite longbow as tall as she appeared in the grip of the same hand. The speed and ease with which she’d called her bow did bring a smile to her face.

Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:02 pm

The Melody

Artist: Carrotwine - Song: Dark Side Of The Road

When she spoke, there was a light giggle, not coming from Sofia, but rather from a table or so behind it; it was Sophie. The giggle was not meant in any way to mock or demean the newcomer however. The woman likely just found the accent and the mistake relatively cute. But alas, what Sophie found so humorous, Sofia certainly didn’t. The quick and stern look behind her was all that was needed to keep things in line and in a manner with which she was accustomed. The Quincy was becoming more and more accustomed with means of relaxation and laid back attitude that she simply had no time for before. Even then, there was a clear time and place for everything, and she would try to maintain a professional stance when meeting her men and women, especially during their first time.

”Don’t mind my assistant,” said Sofia referring to Sophie, [b]”She’s still learning what’s considered adequate and appropriate behavior around here. Work in progress.”

”As you can see, it works just as they should. The process and the equipment has simply been refined to be more in line with modern times. It will stay out of your way when you don’t need it, and ready to act when you do. By the time you’ve outgrown a need for the item, you will find your skills to perhaps be better, even if marginally than they ever were before it all.”

With that being said, Sofia walked to one side of the room, motioning to Sylvia to follow. They were to head through a side door that would lead to an adequately sized but reinforced training ground. She intended to test the limits and the calibrations of the bangle before Sylvia was on her way. As for Sophie, a quick hand motion from Sofia made it clear she did not want her to join just yet. For as well as she was doing in behaving, the Quincy had no time for the flirtatious and unprofessional behavior and comments that would ensue otherwise. It was something she wouldn’t tolerate; especially to a seemingly innocent young Quincy like Sylvia.

”Let’s take it for a spin, shall we?”

Sun Jul 07, 2019 1:18 pm

Sylvia Brauer

To tell the truth, Sylvia didn't mind the light giggling that came from the cat-eared twin. No, her attention was fully on the bow in her hand, and the reishi that flowed naturally towards the arm with no direction from herself. It was almost funny how the device was the polar opposite of her leiden hant, yet they would accomplish the same goal.

How much stronger would her Letzt Stil become now, anyways?

"It's fine." The young woman replied with a brief smile towards the now-silent twin in the back of the room. She had been put in too good of a mood now to let something so small get to her. She dismissed her bow and followed after the more in-command twin, as she was instructed. "Ja."

Once out in the open courtyard, she called her bow to her hand again, and knocked an arrow. Even with the abundance of reishi around them, she could feel a quickness that definitely wasn't there before. However, she didn't fire into the wall.

"I forkot how guick it vorks." Seeing as this was a test, Sylvia made her thoughts known to Sofia as she drew her arrow back and aimed it skyward. She had yet to test if the city's walls would stop her arrows, and had no inclination to find out by accidentally shooting a passerby. Upon loosing the arrow, it shot at amazing speed up and out of the room.

It did travel for quite a ways before vanishing into the air, too. After all, range was her specialty.

"Vat's next?"

Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:47 am

The Melody

Artist: Carrotwine - Song: Dark Side Of The Road

”Is there a specific type of music that you prefer? Personally I’m partial to classical, pop, or occasionally metal. String instruments are my preference but I’ll let you pick this time.”

It was an odd question, or so she figured; at least the seeming randomness of it. Once Sylvia had made her choice, a music to its likeness would have drown out their surroundings. It wouldn’t be loud enough to be obnoxious or to make communication difficult. It would be just enough to set a mood that stood a chord or two above the permeating silence. If she did not make a choice, Sofia would simply fall back on a somewhat more modern take of classical and string instrumentation; one that adapted modern tunes and songs into a more refined and auspicious manner.

With inherent interest Sofia looked up at the arrow the girl had fired until it disappeared into nothingness. Her gadget worked just as she expected, and far better than any of the archaic bangles they would have dusted off for her instead, but she knew that. The Quincy wasn’t really there to make sure her gadget worked, she was there to make sure Sylvia would make the most out of its potential. She’d hate for the girl to squander all that her unique bangle could do for her, and all the progress she could squeeze out of it in the meantime.

”Very well,” said Sofia with a quick smile and a low and short clap.

As her hands moved away from one another, a reishi bow, no, a sort of Quincy crossbow was created on her hands. It started out from her left hand as it extended outwards and finished on her right hand as she brought it closer to her. On one of her fingers, a ring marked the spot where the string was skillfully held back. Across the weapon, a long and strong Quincy bolt was created and fired away towards Sylvia’s midsections. Before it could have time to get within a foot of her however, Sofia would wave and make her hands into fists, gripping the air itself tightly. In doing so, the bolt would disintegrate and cave before it could hit her. The result was a harmless but appealing silver dust.

”Creating and firing arrows is the easy portion, and I know you can do more,” said Sofia choosing to ignore the former action.

”Try firing into the distance and attempt to get control over your projectile. Control it. Subdue it. If and when you’re able to, we’ll up the ante. Begin.”

Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:26 pm

Sylvia Brauer

The young Quincy took a moment or two to answer the first of her would-be teacher's questions, but in the end, gave a quick, "hair medal," in response. What could she say, really? She loved ballads.

As music played softly in the background, the test continued. Sofia's clap drew Sylvia's attention back down to the ground, where she watched as the woman created her own weapon, a magnificent crossbow. However, the weapon was almost immediately aimed at her, and Sylvia flinched in reflex against the coming bolt.

The blue lines of her Blut Vene shone brilliantly on her face and hand before she realized the arrow had been caught and destroyed before it could reach her. They were soon replaced by a light pink tinge in her cheeks, just for a moment.

"Ja," she replied to her new instructions. As she knocked another arrow and pointed it skyward, she explained, "I halready know how to control mein arrovs in flight." To demonstrate, Sylvia loosed an arrow packed with excess reishi in its tip, and let it fly some couple dozen feet into the air before it burst with a powerful gust of wind in all directions.

"Now..." However, she did knock another arrow a second later, and tried to replicate what Sofia had shown her. Again, she loosed her missile into the sky above, and turned her attention to pulling the reishi away from its shape as it flew. The arrow wobbled some, but did not fail.

She frowned a disappointed look at the skyward projectile, and knocked a third. This time, she loosed the arrow and pulled not from the center, but from the tip. Quickly, the missile disintegrated from its head down the shaft, with a small shower of droplets of rain to show for her efforts.

"Vy vould I need zis, zough?" She spoke through a barely controlled smirk.

Sat Aug 03, 2019 8:52 pm

The Melody

Artist: Carrotwine - Song: Dark Side Of The Road

”Good question,” she said before taking some steps to the side and around Sylvia.

”Aside from a select few, control over reishi is at the core of our power. It feeds almost every aspect of our abilities that makes us unique. And despite what some may believe, there’s no ceiling or cap, just a vast sea of opportunity most are far too lazy to navigate through. As for you, if you’re able to push your understanding and control over this energy with the bangle, by the time you no longer need it, you will have seen exponential growth in this regard; no doubt about it.”

The Quincy had seen her student succede earlier, but she had made no comment on it just yet. She believed that discipline and punishment was necessary as well as reward. However she was against constantly rewarding expected behavior as to try and not diminish the importance of it. Her result was satisfactory but expected; the difficult portion of her exercise was simply about to start. Once Sofia was behind her, she’d speak yet again.

”In the count of three, make a shield or barrier or surface to cover your legs. It needs to have the design of a Quincy pentacle and a look as though it was sewed. It also needs to be strong enough to stop my blade. One, two, three.”

Her golden and silver ring would glow before producing a beautiful artisan one handed blade. The strike towards Sylvia’s legs would come quickly and hard. Of course, she wouldn’t be struck with the sharp length but rather smacked with the flat surface of its body. It would be no different to being hit with a ruler. Sure, it likely hurt, but it shouldn’t have been to a level to make her drop or even cry, or so she thought. From the start, Sofia expected Sylvia to fail this task, and that was okay. She had asked a lot of specific things to be done in a hurry from someone that had difficulty controlling reishi before using the bangle. Waiting for whatever time it took for Sylvia to either sulk, respond, or whatever else, the Quincy would continue.

”Creating anything out of reishi is simple,” she said as a small square was erected by her feet and quickly smashed by a swift swing of her blade.

”Creating something strong and that actually matters requires skill and time for some. I intend to push your understanding and control over this, and further test the equipment.”

Taking a step back, Sofia seemed to sit onto thin air, were not for a beautiful glass looking chair that was created underneath her butt. No doubt it was a design of her own reishi control. Crossing her legs due to the outfit she wore and sinking the tip of her blade to her left side, the lesson continued.

”Without rushing this time, create a sort of blanket like surface. It needs to look as if it was sewed. Make sure to think about what sewing looks or might feel like to you. Feel the reishi around you and pull on it into the construct to appear that way. It needs to feel flexible yet be several layers thick. Create a pattern over the middle that has some sort of Quincy-like motif. And to finish it all, imagine and introduce with your mind a sort of sticky like nature into this construct. You will fail the first and second time, but keep trying. Once you manage it, keep it active, I intend to teach you far more than what you came here for.”

Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Re: Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Re: Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Re: Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Re: Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Re: Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Re: Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Re: Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]

Re: Of Tradition and Innovation [Sofia]