Welcome Aboard [Cyrus/Nicoletta]

If Nicoletta had gained anything as the 'one eyed face' of the blacksmithing operation that her uncle ran, it was a good poker face. So as Cyrus did indeed prove to separate the goals of the Wandenreich from those of Sylvia's own goals, Nicoletta nodded, her expression not shifting at all. She thought she was holding a very professional air rather well. Still, she hadn't been expecting Cyrus to turn and gesture for her to follow her throughout the city. But she didn't let the "mask" slip just yet. She was still trying to gauge everything. So she followed, muddling over what Cyrus had said so far. She was the one in charge of everything, given that she held the title of Grandmaster.

And of course, she couldn't really find any problem in the stated goals that had been laid out before her. If Cyrus and Sylvia had both been lying, then they certainly had quite the poker faces. "I suppose that you have a fair point, Ms. Auramazda." She said rather succinctly as she straightened her own hair and clothes out a bit more. Of course, she still wasn't fully used to the frankly too long hair that she had decided to grow. But that would fade away eventually. That being said, she almost immediately began to follow Cyrus, deciding to pick up the silence before she had a chance to really start monologuing proper. After all, this was quite the setup for it.

"You know, it's quite interesting how wildly different the atmosphere here is compared to anywhere else I've been. Until now, everything has felt rather..I suppose muted is a good way to describe it, when it comes to the density of reishi. Here, however. It's like that sense has had its eyes opened, for lack of a better term." It was obvious that she was trying to choose her words carefully. And yet, she had gotten her idea across rather succinctly..at least she hoped.

"Well, such is simply the nature of the Quincy in such a place, and in particular of my own intentions here. The world, once, was not so different from how you find it here. But the nature of power in many beings has meant that there is less and less of it around the world. For we Quincy, who use the energy around us rather than simply hoarding it within our souls, it is far easier to fill the world with life."

Smiling to herself at that explanation, Cyrus simply led the way down the street, idly passing by the many men and women who lived in this place. Though it was true that it was the home of the Vandenreich, it was still the only homeland that many Quincy knew, and there were quite many who had taken up almost civilian positions within the Reich to maintain the place. In time, Cyrus hoped, they might become a nation in their own right once more.

"It is that tranquility, that power in the world around us, which I quite wish to return to the whole of the world."

As explanations for this city's strangely reishi rich atmosphere went, Nicoletta supposed that there could have been worse ones. What she was hearing was something that did make sense, and matched up with what knowledge she already had. So she didn't really try and push for a further explanation. Instead, she found herself watching the reactions of the people they passed as she listened to Cyrus talk. As she expected, most people recognized her, and even gave the usual polite greetings. But every so often, she would catch a glimpse of someone who seemed very confused looking at her. Hm. That was odd.

But that would be a question for later. For the moment she had to react to what was currently being told to her. Hearing the goals being echoed from what she could only assume was the source of said goals was comforting to Nicoletta, in a way. If she was being tricked, then it was being handled in a way that she couldn't really pick up on. Still, she found herself chuckling in response to what Cyrus was saying.

"As goals go, that sounds rather lofty." She said as she continued to look around, taking in the sights of the city as they walked through it. However, she obviously wasn't finished talking. "But, this place wouldn't exist without lofty goals like that. So I can respect the idea." She said as she continued to walk down the streets with Cyrus, her eyes scanning over the woman to try and figure out why some people even now were looking at her with confusion, while others were treating her as a completely normal woman. There was no real tell of what was confusing people.

Perhaps it was the dissonance between name and appearance? No..while that might have been the case if nobody had ever seen her before, this was different. Some people treated her as a normal sight down these streets, and other people were looking at her with confusion. And while it nagged at her, she wasn't going to simply bluntly ask about it.

After all, it was possible that some people had just never seen her before. And today was more about getting a good grip on if this was someplace she could find herself staying at long term. So far, she was getting a good feeling about it, and deep down, she found herself hoping that this vibe continued until she was actively forced to make a choice. It would make the choosing so much easier.

"Goals, I have found, are best separated into two sorts. The first are those goals which we can tangibly see the path to, those we can lay out for ourselves and accomplish in relatively short order. They are tasks, even if grand ones. Many put a great deal of stock into these sorts of goals, but when accomplished, there is nothing left to rely upon. Groups which live by these things will ultimately collapse when they must find any further meaning."

Cyrus spoke confidently about all of this, though whether she had any particular group in mind as she spoke was not especially clear. She simply continued to walk, giving gentle greetings to any who passed by. Naturally, as the caretaker of this place, she wished only the best for each and every person who lived here. Even the smallest of things, such as a greeting on the street, did wonders for one's well-being.

"The second sort of goal is the sort I have built for the Vandenreich. One which cannot be simply accomplished through one single action, but rather demands active effort in the lives of many. To change the world is not so easily done as removing those who have made it this way. Rather, we must first remove the issue, and then live our lives such that it does not return to this state. There is so much more work to be done than any of us, even myself, could ever see completed in a singular lifetime. These are the kinds of goal with unify people, which allow them to see past useless delineations such as race or purity of blood which have bound the Quincy for far too long. They are what make individuals into a people."

It was interesting seeing the mindset of someone who was in charge of so many people. Nicoletta had always led a life that had been focused more on what she could immediately handle around herself. Never the big, worldwide picture. She knew that humanity had precious little place when it came to the big picture of who was running things. So when she tried to look at the bigger picture, she saw a war that could never be won, from her own perspective. There were simply far too many beings of the non-human races for them to make a dent in it all..right?

And yet, with the way Cyrus was talking, it seemed like her view was different. Of course, it helped that she seemed to be ok with the idea that if this goal was going to succeed, then she very well might not live to see their glory. It was a viewpoint that threw Nicoletta off, admittedly. That being said, she did find herself agreeing with several points that had been made. From what she had seen and heard in her few days of wandering, Cyrus had indeed managed to make what were tribes that had been split, a united people.

It made Nicoletta lift up her right arm, staring down at the bangle on her wrist. Her own personal symbol of unity. A literal family tree. And that was when it really hit her. The goal that she had seen as something so far out of her reach. The goal she believed deep down to be impossible. Not only had Cyrus managed it, but she had managed it on a far greater scale. Her arm dropped back to her side as she followed Cyrus, mulling many things over.

"That might very well be true. But you don't strike me as the naive type. Changing the world is an agonizing process. One that many countries have tried to do. But what is there to stop some of the very people we are passing from breaking under the pressure, and going back to that all too familiar kind of hatred?" It was a question that she didn't really want an answer to, and her tone reflected this. Still, she sighed softly.

"I apologize. That was uncalled for. You really have managed a wonderful thing here. And while I personally don't know which way the wind will end up blowing..I don't think I could live with myself if I went back home and idly twiddled my thumbs for the rest of my life. Not when I not only have the power to help change things, but also have somewhere to go that is designed to assist in that."

She had plenty of ideas running through her mind, certainly. But at this point, she was merely speaking the truth that was on her mind. She had been thinking about merely returning to her old way of life..and it was almost as if the very fibre of her being was rejecting the idea. And the more people they passed..the more Cyrus showed off her city, the stronger that feeling became. The more familiar the feeling of walking around this city felt. Even now, this city was beginning to feel like a true home. Something she hadn't had in quite some time.