Re: Rise to the Top [Calliope/Alastair]

Yesterday at 6:37 pm

Calliope R. Schwarzmann
Director, Albedochiffren 

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.

End Transmission

Yesterday at 7:21 pm

Rise to the Top [Calliope/Alastair] - Page 2 NrZiWZE

ALASTAIR EISFLUCH | Grandmaster

At Calliope's comment that it suited him better as a title than a name for something greater, Alastair's guarded expression cracked into a curt smile. The slightest hint of a laugh escaped him as he displayed a rare hint of emotion at her answer, though perhaps it was a mixture of several factors combining into one notion that only he might find humorous. Though he already held the fanciest of titles, and the idea of strapping another upon himself utterly repulsive, something did strike a chord.

"It could be translated as protector, were one to take some liberties with it, and I suppose then it would be a fitting title to bestow upon someone. Though I believe even that is more fitting than the meaning of Vandenreich. But my grasp upon how the English language would bastardise the German intention was not without purpose."

"Wahrender." He spoke it smoothly in English, any hint of an accent fading away, though the inflexion was different again from what Calliope had inferred. "War-ender."

"But there is another translation, one that I had taken more to heart than the other you present. True End. A show of our intent, an unquestionable statement of our dedication to leave this world in a better place than when we arrived upon it."

If nothing else, it was a shining beacon of Alastair's intent. In their earlier discussions, the Grandmaster had been tactile and calm, but now he had an unmistakable gravitas to him. A fire shone behind those orange eyes that bore into Calliope's soul for the briefest of moments, entirely pure in its intent but eager to burn away any hint of impurity. His gaze flicked to the alternative she proposed for but a moment before darting back to her, his focus now all too clear.

"Wahrender is not bound to a region or land because we cannot afford to be. No mention of a state or kingdom because we need not claim such dominion. When I took on this mantle from Grandmaster Cyrus, I told him that I would blaze a path forward. I look at this and see the start of that path, as we look to bring the City of Lights into the world we must also do the same to ourselves. If the change was only slight then most would overlook it as you elude to, instead, it must be sweeping and divergent."

The Crowned Star | END POST