Post by Alexander Alistair on Apr 29, 2024 9:45:44 GMT -5
”I’ll take a coffee. Black. With two…three…no actually just bring the entire sugar tray.” Alexander stated when the subject of refreshments came up. He was doing his best to avoid showing the discomfort brought about by his hangover. He felt so sweaty and clammy underneath his clothes. Like his outfit was sticking to his skin. Once again mentally chastising himself for the decisions he’d made the other night. Seizing the opportunity Alexander requested his own drink while the others prattled on. While he wasn’t terribly interested in what they had to say, he nonetheless listened. Moreso because he had to. Those who took the initiative to speak first before everyone else wound up validating a few conceptions Alexander walked into this meeting with. The Vandenreich really was scraping the bottom of the barrel after the loss of more exceptional personnel.
Barely listening to Ruhe’s pitiful mewing or whoever in the levels of hells this Für, Alexander was more or less waiting for someone other than Lulatrix to speak. You’re not supposed to make it so obvious. he thought to himself, resting his chin into his fingers as Lulatrix proposed her idea. Those words were thought in response to her rambling on about how she wanted to launch an attack on Las Noches. While she claimed that it would be an excellent staging ground, she did an utterly poor job disguising the true reason she proposed such an idea. The Philosopher’s Stone. Why does that sound so familiar? Alexander asked himself, looking at the nails on his left hand and picking at them with the same thumb.
Captain Supervisor Lulatrix Lazuli was making it abundantly clear that this was her own personal quest rather than something that would benefit the Vandenreich. It was akin to Alex trying to justify his own hobbies by saying that they were a benefit for the faction as a whole. Everybody knew it was horseshit hence why he had to do it on his own time and often with no help at all. Unfortunately he seemed to have misplaced his two most treasured assistants. Mentions of attacks that he hadn’t heard about at all were mentioned. Seems someone was being fed bad information. Reliable intel was so hard to come by these days.
But what caught Alexander off guard the most was when one Private in particular opened his mouth. What came out of it was positively baffling. In fact, so baffling in fact that it actually prompted Alexander to look at him. With a rather perplexed expression. What was more shocking than someone announcing that the Espada existed as though they were a new thing were the others' reactions. Are they just letting that slide? Alex wondered, confused. Baffled. Confounded. Perplexed, Alexander's word of the day.
Why were they all putting forward half baked ideas? This was supposed to be a military meeting wasn’t it? ”Ah thank you.” Alexander commented as his coffee and sugar was delivered. Lucien talked, and promptly coughed up one of his lungs, as Alexander began putting sugar into his drink. One cube, two cubes, three cubes. Four? Four cubes. No. Today we were going to be bold. Five sugar cubes. Stirring his diabetic concoction together, Alexander simply listened like a good boy to what Captain Supervisor Dantes had to say. It was odd. Why was he so utterly disappointed by everyone's displays today? Normally Alexander didn’t care. Was it because he was hung over and rather short on patience today? Or was he expected better out of everyone present?
As he took a sip of his drink he cast a side eye to the metallic woman sitting on his side of the table. What about you though? You’ve been awfully quiet. he thought to himself. There is a phrase that Alexander thought was rather appropriate right now. Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt. And, right now, doubt had certainly been removed from a few in this room.
Finally, though, the one Alex had the most interest in finally spoke. So this was what pride felt like. At last, someone actually proposed a good idea. The first Quincy in the room to reference and remind everyone else who the actual opponent of the Vandenreich was. Alex could cry with tears of joy. But before he could add his own thoughts on the matter, the doors of the meeting room were opened. Appearing before each and every single one of them was none other than General Caesar. Alexander, who at this point had either been looking very bored or smirking about something, was widened, straight backed, and staring directly at the legend himself. Chair scraping across the floor as Alexander rose to his feet, hand across his breast, and bowed his head in reverence to the one before them.
The ranks and titles of all others in the room ceased to matter. The man second only to the Emperor had opted to grace this meeting. ”General.” Alexander commented. The title of Sternritter was one of honor, no doubt, but the rank of General held even greater weight. The power that Sieglinde held in the room had immediately shifted from her to him, something that Alexander immediately took note of. What’s more, Caesar even approached Alexander and gave him a few words. ”Of course, General.” he affirmed. Once Caesar had situated himself, Alex did so as well.
Unfortunately though, Alexander couldn’t sit back quietly anymore. Someone had taken notice of his silence. But, be that as it may, it actually might not be the worst thing in the world to finally speak. At first there was a genuine worry of mispeaking in the presence of Sieglinde and Lulatrix. But as the meeting had gone on and Alex got a feel for the individual players at the table, and with the sudden appearance of a remarkably superior officer, Alex realized that he had inadvertently been granted a little protection. With what he knew of General Caesar, and with Dantes and Frost being there, Alex was certain that if he picked his words carefully then even a mere Captain would be able to speak his mind. Besides, if those idiotic Privates got away with what they had to say then Alex was in the clear to provide a genuine contribution to the conversation.
Wait, Frost? Captain Supervisor Frost? Why did that name sound so familiar? It had to be a mere coincidence. Surely.
”Ahem, well, I understand we are positively shocked at this newfound information that the Arrancar are gathering together under the banner of the Espada, operating within the walls of Las Noches and being led by the former Shinigami known as Souken Kouhai. But-” Alexander paused, to let the words he said reach the ears of everyone in the room, and to take a quick sip of his coffee ”I think it is an utterly pointless endeavor. Las Noches is… more or less no longer a noteworthy player at the table. If anything at this point, I would almost suggest that we should help bolster it. Give Soul Society a second adversary to draw their attention. Nation building, as the Americans would put it.” Alexander chuckled to himself. ”That is a jest, of course. That would require Arrancar to have talent or potential.” He commented with a shake of his head.
”Granted, I understand that we as Quincy certainly have a hefty cultural purpose to wanting to set the sands of Hueco Mundo ablaze. But as Captain Supervisor Dantes so emphatically put it, the death of a single Private is not worth the eradication of a thousand Hollows. Putting aside more personal ambitions, it wouldn’t do the Vandenreich well to divert forces to wanting to take what is effectively an irradiated wasteland. We already have the perfect staging ground for assault here in the Silbern. Why bother taking land an entire boundary dimension away that is also quite toxic to us.” Alexander explained. He loved the sound of his own voice.
Many of the ideas proposed had been half baked at best. Seemingly, it was as though those here at the table implied that the Vandenreich needed to peacock around. ”I also believe it ill advised to assault the factions of the Human World. For the most part they seem content to meddle amongst themselves. Kicking that hornets nest, in my opinion, would only cost our military instead of strengthening it. We run the risk of providing intel, or at worst losing soldiers, to an enemy that hasn’t properly gotten involved in this war. We run the risk of prompting these factions not only banding together if we provoke them, but also potentially allying with Soul Society. I need not remind you all how unpredictable human capability tends to be.”
Taking a sip of his coffee to wet his throat, Alexander decided to continue. ”I think instead of wasting the Vandenreich’s time by attacking adversaries that are so far beneath us, we should be focusing on our actual target. The one that, once defeated, guarantees our absolute victory over all else. Soul Society.” By the gods he had to swallow the urge to make a bait and switch joke. He so badly wanted to say Hell just to catch everyone by surprise.
With that though, Alexander couldn’t help but smirk as he rested his hands atop one another on the table. ”Of course, my friends, this is not just a simple proposition. I have… an idea. An unorthodox plan. One outside the box. Which is why I’m sure I was invited to this meeting. With your permission, General Caesar, Master Sternritter, if I may continue.” Alex purred, looking from Priscilla to Caesar with a fox-like smile.