Progression Versus Tradition [Ehefra/Lukas]

THE CITY OF LIGHT
Another boring, uneventful day. Lukas was practically vibrating from boredom as he made his way through the city, itching for something, anything. Scratching some corners of his brain for something, anything, of interest, he'd stop in the middle of the street. A mess jotted onto paper, pressed against a buildings wall, and the man was off.

Running with a glint in his eye.

A series of stark white hallways, bordering on familiarity. Assuming, of course, the man had ever actually been there - speaking instead to the uniformity of much of the Stadt's construction. Recessed lights above glared with impunity, shadow turned to the thought of imagination. Barely keeping his eyes open behind their watering, Lukas passed by the frame of door after door. Coming to a stop, he'd peek through a small window, reinforced with several lines of wire.

"Think this is the place." the man half muttered as he'd shift back to looking at the plaque next to it, labeling its department. Practically glowing as the light bounced off him, he'd push his way in, a whistle followed by shout announcing his presence.

"Hey! I'm looking for someone from the Steingruft to help me with something!" To no one in particular as he'd adjust his sight, the room a fair bit less harsh on silver eyes. Still blinking rapidly, he'd pat down the sides of his jacket, reaching into a pocket to fumble amidst a few scraps of paper. "I was uh- unsure if I needed to schedule something, couldn't really get in touch with anyone?"

THE CITY OF LIGHT
With cleared vision, Lukas was somewhat taken aback by the lack of... substance? Rather, the lack of much at all. He'd glower at the sphere for a moment, shuffling back the paper into his pocket. The same hand returned with his phone, a flicker of sight downwards to a pair of unanswered calls. "No, but I couldn't really get in touch with anyone." the Quincy responded, tone of disdain as his gaze turned back to the ball.

"There a person here, or just lines of code?"

THE CITY OF LIGHT
"Ahuh." the man half commented underneath his breath, making his way through the opening as it showed. His gaze led upwards amongst the architecture, slipping back down as he'd step through. A half concerned cock of the brow as Lukas' head swiveled, looking for a sign of anything much more than nothing at all. As it opened up, the noise of voices overtook his attention.

Weird ass layout. He refrained from commenting, turning instead to face the woman as she greeted him.

"Hi." Lukas somewhat awkwardly responded, a half wave with his left. "I was looking to talk to someone about developing something." Not even pretending to feign some recognition, the man plowed forward. "I've got an idea that could help with some of the bullshit that's been going on lately." His opposite hand circling in the air in a vague gesture.

THE CITY OF LIGHT
The woman's response flew over Lukas' head as he reached for the material - nodding with a half smile. "Yeah, thanks."

Speeding off with a twist of an ankle, Lukas pushed through the ever-revealing hallway with flickering bewilderment in his eyes. Not in concern; confusion. Why set it up like this? Don't you guys have to talk to each other? Even with a swiveling head every second, the thought wouldn't flush away.

As the final door slipped open, the quincy whistled lowly, gaze slipping across the various screens. He'd start to count them before his attention was taken by a newly awakened Ehefra. Lukas' hand darted towards his pocket, producing the crumpled piece of paper.

"Hey, yeah, maybe." Walking closer, he'd shuffle the paper between his hands, attempting to smooth out the various crinkles that overtook the hastily scribbled drawing. "You know how things have been lately, with the arrancar and all the hollows." Looking back to the woman, Lukas flipped the paper towards her.

"Detailed" was a mess of lines going into a smiley face's eye, each lettered out with small, one word descriptions. 'In', 'Out', 'Circuit' - nothing particularly out of place for what should usually be a schematic. A textbook the man read twenty-odd years ago flashed into the back of his mind. Far more detailed in a wiring diagram, layers of skin and bone peeled back to reveal insertion points.

"I don't know how much old quincy tech you know about," the word stressed itself between his teeth as he flicked the paper towards her, "But considering no one around here's got a goggle for an eye, I'm guessing this crap has gone pretty defunct?"

In short: A communication device.

In long: A communication device predating the radio, utilizing the push and pull of reishi manipulated within the brain's blood vessels via blut. Receptors connected directly through surgical implant, the lens actually two plates of glass with five 'channels' of blood inbetween. By measuring the reishi, the channels would move to create corresponding signals meant to be reacted to rather than read, each 'channel' allowing it to be synchronized to another member of one's unit.

Abandoned for incredibly taxing mental feedback when they were attacked, causing severe mental breaks in those that experienced it. Sehenblindes.

THE CITY OF LIGHT
"It's a little much nowadays, won't lie. Although I did know a pair of twins with these, some crazy asshole who was the son of the son of the- well, his family made the thing, some fucked up sense of pride. Anyway." Lukas shook his head, a thumb jabbing towards the hovering image.

"With how archaic this is, I know the tracking and response time aren't that great, plus they can't recognize as many differences in reishi, right? Hell, those twins - if you flared blut enough by there head, you'd basically blind them for a second. What I'm thinking is a sensor. Some way to predict or figure out where anyone trying to get into the stadt are, you know, coming. When or where."

The man's eyes would flick back to the floating image, biting the inside of his cheek as he did. Why would you ever do that to yourself?