Rise to the Top [Calliope/Alastair]

And who exactly would fill that position? Even Calliope had not realized they were on the same page. The Vandenreich's numbers were steady, yes, but there were far too many upwards vacancies and little-to-no candidates even remotely capable of filling these roles. Even the Albedochiffren was suffering in this regard. There were far too many "acting administrators." Creating a seat only for it to remain vacant was only going to cause headaches.

These headaches would not just be limited to the Vandenreich or the City of Lights if things continued. There would be times where his ideals would clash with reality. Calliope would just make sure that the Vandenreich came out on top in that conflict. She wasn't loyal to Alastair, but to the ideals behind the Vandenreich. It just so happened that their interpretations on said ideals lined up more often than not. Perhaps they just differed on execution...

Calliope let out a tight sigh. This was not quite going according to her plans, but it was at least giving her avenues to approach other subjects. She had yet to see where or how Alastair valued her skills. Perhaps he did just value her opinion on matters others could not possibly care about. There was a need to focus on the wider aspects than the details they were sorting out currently. She had plans for that as well, but that would come up after this new matter was settled. She gazed at the blank document. There was a hint of stylization with the font choice. "Ah, so this is why the classified budget had a rapid increase in expenditures." Her assumption was that graphic designers were being scouted for potential work on designing the new logo. Knowing he was asking for her opinion, Calliope thought hard before speaking up.

"Wahrender... Truthfully, it sounds more like a title and not an organization. In fact, it sounds like the title you would hold. Your lofty goals of defending and preserving our beautiful world, that does sound like a protector." That was perhaps one of the few shots she'd fired at Alastair's ideas so far. The name was not a name for everyone. How was she a "protector" in the same degree? She wasn't, but Alastair was.

"But there are some considerations to be made. It will be mispronounced. Not everyone knows the Germanic W and how it is meant to pronounced. Wah-render is likely going to be what we are referred to." She pronounced "wah-render" with an English "w" sound instead of the intended German inflection. It was a minor notation, but one to be considered nonetheless. "Most importantly, changing the name from 'Vandenreich' will lose us brand recognition. If Coca-Cola suddenly changed their brand name to Cocola, one would think that it is a bootlegged product like the fake handbags and watches one used to find in New York City."

"I'm not against the idea of renaming the Vandenreich, nor am I necessarily opposed to this name... But the name Wahrender is lacking identity. Using the United States as an example, it is the United States of America. That second part is crucial to its identity. To solve two issues, perhaps something more..." Calliope began writing on her datapad. "Like this would work. My German is a little rusty, so it may need to be double-checked. Though, I did take one creative liberty with the lettering." In her neat, clinical handwriting was a similar, but different word: Vahrenreich—the Protector-Kingdom, if her translation skills weren't as rusty as she believed and with an English V taking the place of the proper W.

ALASTAIR EISFLUCH | Grandmaster

The Crowned Star | END POST

For once, Calliope's own personage failed her. Who she was. Who she had been around. All of that? It was for naught because her accent with its lazy, low as had prevented her from pronouncing the double entendre. Calliope couldn't help but let out a short, yet genuine burst of laughter whilst covering her mouth with but a few fingers. It was, without a doubt, the single silliest idea she had ever seen. What made it so farcical... was that she saw it working.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Director erased her own proposal once his speech concluded. His idea was just human enough to work. "Did you come up with that idea on your own? It's quite clever. Ingenious even. It's something I'd have seen an art-nouveau advertising agent propose. It's the exact thing that someone like myself would have thrown out in the first round of drafts."

"It's a very human name. You rely on it being imperfect—from pronunciation issues to translation liberties to even spelling changes, the name is designed to reflect that this world and the people within are imperfect and that we are imperfect too. I can not say I have ever seen eye-to-eye with the common man. I attended a rather exclusive private school, graduated with distinction from a reputable college you likely haven't heard of, and held a high-level job in the US government until the government collapsed. To say I have not enjoyed privileges the masses do not have would be ignorant."

"I don't know much of your history, but you have the connection to the common folk that I just do not, will not, and can not have. It just shows that backing you and your group—whatever name it takes—will be the right move." Calliope flipped her datapad over to being screen-down. "Which is why I want to ask. How aggressive are you wanting the organization to be in blazing the path forward? It is part of my current duties to manage public image. Depending on how heavy our hand will be, I may need to start preparing."

ALASTAIR EISFLUCH | Grandmaster

The Crowned Star | END POST

Compatibility. Oh, that was a loaded word. Certainly their ideas mixed, but were they compatible? She saw it more like complementary flavors on the same dish, not puzzle pieces that locked together. Perhaps Alastair saw it differently. Perhaps there was a connection point that she had, somehow, missed. Pure individuals like him weren't her strong suit. No, she manipulated those like herself. That was the type of person she knew. That one word might have been the start. But the histories would not record this meeting.

International relations and how the Vandenreich—no, Wahrender approached them was what they had almost argued over earlier. There was a bit of irony in him bringing that up... mostly because once again, it felt like he was going to shoulder the burden himself until an "appropriate person" was found. He was that type. It may be manipulative, sneaky, or downright despicable, but there would be cracks caused by him shouldering it all. Someone would have to fill them.

But that thought was not for today. Calliope nodded. "Tell me which leaders to reach out to, and I can start the process. Some are... more particular than others." The two went over a list of diplomats, corporate C-suites, and other influential people. This wasn't just a meeting of politicians, but of the people who truly controlled parts of the world. Some would love to be in a room with one another, and others, well, she'd set up virtual meetings for those.

The meeting was fairly procedural. Minor disagreements were sprinkled in, but there was little to mention. It was the kind of discussion that needed to happen—and Calliope couldn't help but wonder how much Alastair hated the minutia of running an organization. She hated it except for the loopholes she could exploit. He'd probably seek to close those very loopholes... Ah well.

As the meeting concluded, Calliope stood and bowed her head slightly. Her legs and back were stiff from sitting for so long. "This meeting has been most productive. I will keep you apprised if there are further developments on the projects we discussed. Without anything further... I'm going to start the trademark process for the new name now." She glanced down at her datapad as she turned to leave. She stopped mid-stride. A news notification popped up. "Hm. Gas tanker explodes in Beijing... Might be something to take a look at." Calliope walked out without another word—writing an email to start off this chain of events...