Roses Among Weeds (Joint Training) open

[Klein Spatzen]

AKA

Amalia's Crazy Ass Boot Camp for Lollipop Licking Vandenreich Recruits

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler - Click To View}
Training for CTP

Ah the first day of training as an official Vandenreich. Klein was admittedly excited for this day as he sat around in his usual uniform with the several other dashing recruits around him that looked almost as sharply dressed and prepared as he was. However, he always had a bit of a competitive spirit and possessed the drive to be on top in the end. They even each had their own individual poses that expressed their confidence. Though Klein had his own little way of expressing it.

Keeping true to his craving, he was carelessly sucking away at a lollipop with very skillful dexterity. And being as skilled as he was, he couldn't hold back any further, deciding to show off a little. Exposing the hard candy on a stick he began darting his tongue in several directions while managing to keep his lollipop from dropping to the floor, even taking the time to taunt them as well with a simple "Rerorerorerorerorerorero.". He would continued this while steadily adding more and more speed, delighting at the attention and reactions he was receiving from his small audience.

Over time he would do a few new tricks as well such as tossing it upward with his tongue before catching it before returning to what he was doing before. He even gave a slight chuckle at the other recruits as he seemed to have drawn a few slight blushes from them. By doing this several times, he had started to also show his stamina and endurance while letting his little mind game weaken their resolve. Truly a wondrous strategy that displayed the natural talents that came from a pure-blooded Quincy such as himself. Though his little display couldn't last forever, so he decided to catch his treat in midair one last before letting out a satisfied chuckle and shooting a victorious glare at the other recruits.

Though despite their now less than composed demeanor, they still had their fair share of charm. Letting out a giggle of amusement, he leaned back against the wall with his hands behind his head, wondering who would be teaching the lot of them today. Odds are it would be a Captain or someone who was, at the least, decently high in terms of rank. It could be someone as simple as a Lieutenant or someone as strong as a Captain Supervisor, if someone that strong would even bother with a few simple recruits. But no matter the case, he just wanted to finally get things started and begin his climb through the Vandenreich's ranks.

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

OOC: Training for CTP

Amalia's Outfit

Amalia's hair style


Click. Click. Click. The iconic sound of a heal could be heard striking the beautiful marble flooring of the grand hallways as an ocean of fabric is lifted into the air by a light flow of air. The delicate layers of clothing floated in the air as if gravity had vanished. A woman casually made her way through the lengthy hallway with all its ornamental fixture and vaulted ceilings. The sound of her heels would continue to echo as the light from the courtyard generously illuminated the given path. The sun gently kissed her skin, glistening off her neatly painted nails and meticulously styled hair. As she approached the outer Weiterbildung, she took notice of the lieutenants as they forced the recruits to properly position themselves. 

It was customary to properly adhere to one's formation and greet one's supervisor. The recruits were about to have a special guest, a visit from someone who, despite her rank, delights in greeting recruits. Fear is an important variable for how she forces others to kneel. It is how she bends others will and ultimately results in complete obedience. She doesn't much care how her hounds are created, only that they do as she asks. Meeting them fosters the fear she thrives on. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself. It also teaches the many of the few's power. It provides them with an understanding of how life will operate in the Vandenreich. That and she simply enjoys lording her power over others.

Her enjoyment can be very simple at times, this is no exception. Amalia halted at the top of the dizzying stairs that would descended to the recruits. She glared down at them, a serious expression coloring her face. She narrowed her eyes as she coldly examined each of them. Her azure-colored eyes scanned the neat formations, noticing a recruit who was obnoxiously enjoying  some candy on a stick. It was crude and immediately caught her attention, which was not always a sign of fortune. In many cases, arresting her attention wound up becoming someone's misfortune. Her attention could be the curse that extinguishes your soul or causes it to burn brighter. 

Unfortunately, it was not latter in this case. The others stared at the goofy-acting recruit as he toyed around with his treat, acting like a fool when he should be anything but in such circumstances. Amalia's expression immediately loosened and she smiled slightly as her eyes lit-up brightly. Suddenly a concentrated stream of energy burst through the chest of a recruit directly beside Klein. It would startle the entire group, gripping them in fear. He would be foolish not to perceive this as a clear message to behave accordingly.  Was he a greater fool than he appears? Was he a fool at heart or merely in appearance, like some poorly choreographed jester? 

The body of the recruit fell to the ground, blood pooling around their feet. "Life is fleeting. One minute you're about to embark on a glorious journey and the next you're a bleeding corpse at the heels of your brothers and sisters. Fleeting and cruel, I suppose." Amalia remarked with a honeyed tone. She began to descend the stairs as she spoke to the numerous recruits. "Youth has a terrible habit of accentuating the most undesirable qualities of a person. Truthfully, we should be cautious of youth as it deceives us every chance it gets. It outlines our inexperience and highlights our flaws for others while masking them from us. It isn't particularly loyal either as it will betray you by clouding your mind." Amalia's delicate phrasing and deceptively sweet tone echoed as she made her way toward the recruits. 

Her expression softened as she frowned slightly, as if to indicate displeasure in her own observations. She released a deep, longing sigh before continuing. "I'm no longer astonished during this process. Admittedly, I now expect it. The bright, eager faces and the poorly trained minds and bodies. I anticipate disappointment, but only because experience has taught me to do so. And yet, here I am, once again, greeting another round of recruits. I do wonder how you will be different than the others, and mostly because so many of them died trying to be something they weren't. Will you allow yourselves to be deceived? Will you die insisting others take part in our false identity? I hope not." She said as she stared directly at Klein. 

"His Majesty has willed your presence and by doing so he sees potential. Of course, he then tasks me with determining whether you are capable of harnessing that potential. Believing in his Majesty can be a tricky endeavor. On one hand, he can grant you unfathomable power and force your true potential to burst forth like an unstoppable storm. On the other hand, you must prove yourself. His power and guidance is not gifted frivolously.  Squander his affection, his trust, or his generosity and..." She paused as she approached Klein. "...you'll be erased from this world, but not before suffering tremendously." She stared at Klein, looking him up and down. Her lip raised slightly, a sign of mild disgust. "What is your name?" She said as she smacked the candy from his  hand and onto the floor. 

[Klein Spatzen]

As the last of Klein's candy trick had been finished, he and the others could hear the sound of shoes coming from up above them. Though something seemed a bit off. No, something just wasn't plain right. This power difference that he could feel was so vast that he could practically feel it envelop the room before the person it even came from even entered the room. This presence was intense enough to the point that Klein felt his breathing getting a bit shallow from it all.

He bit down on the stick of the treat he still had in his mouth as he took a big breathe to get his breathing back in order. He wondered just what was coming towards them when he could suddenly hear the door open. The feeling of this person's strength was almost like it was flooding the room in comparison to them before a flash suddenly zipped past them, leaving the recruit beside Klein dead on the floor. It all happened so fast, but Klein had figured who this person was supposed to be, the difference in ability was too strong to mistake it otherwise. It was the worst case scenario for all of them, they were being instructed by one of the Sternritters, their glorious Emperor's greatest warriors.

He looked up and saw a red haired woman, clad in a flowing white dress with a small trail of smoke withering past her as she spoke to them. His focus veered in and out as he tried processing what had just happened in those few short seconds. From what little he could here, apparently the one with them had gone through this process several times before. Though in all honesty, someone as decorated as a Sternritter would obviously have been through a lot. Though the feeling of how bloodthirsty she was just wouldn't stop pressing on down on him.

No...he had to fight his way out of this feeling, he couldn't let himself drown in this or be beaten before he could even start. He didn't run away from home just to die somewhere-else like this. No, he had to fight it. He had to snap back at it with every ounce of willpower that he could and keep it up as long as he could. He knew he could do this, he knew that he had what it took to keep his head held high. And he certainly wasn't about to let the joy his grandparents gave him be left behind, not today and not ever.

So even after the woman would walk up to him and toss what remained of his candy to the floor before asking him his name, he could feel a smile creep up across his face. He twirled on his heel before giving the woman a deep bow with his left hand rested across his chest with his right arm extended behind him before announcing his name with elegance and greatly expressed pride "Klein Spatzen, at our glorious Emperor's service as well as yours, Ma'am~!". He would continue to flex his skills as an actor to maintain his flamboyancy and enthusiasm, not letting a single crack of horror or disgust of his own through his expressions.

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

Amalia watched as Klein twirled in front of her, laying on what he perceived as charm and elegance. Unfortunately, she was perceiving in quite the same way. He was eccentric, which she could appreciate, but he lacked discipline and sincerity. There was something about him and his actions that felt contrived and rehearsed. While she wanted those around her to project confidence, style, and beauty she was less thrilled when it didn't feel genuine. Then again, she knew some were likely complying out of fear. And then she heard it. A forbidden word. She couldn't deny the automatic reactions. The hot feeling on her skin or tightening of her muscles. 

Ma'am? She said to herself silently. A cold, steely gaze fixated on the anxious boy. She continued to stare down at the pint-sized recruit before a grin came across her face. "Tell me something, Klein Spatzen, do you normally address your superiors using such a vile word?" She asked. "When addressing me, the proper honorific will be Lady. You can reserve ma'am for a shopkeeper or your elderly neighbor. Don't disparage me by using such a word." She abruptly spun around and began walking away, only to stop and stare back over her shoulder. 

"If tomorrow all of you went into battle in the name of His Majesty, who of you would survive? Hm?" She questioned. Turning and placing a finger upon her lip, she mused about her own question. "Let's see. I suspect you'd be torn apart by brute strength alone." She remarked calmly while pointing at a mousy haired recruit. "You," she said pointing at a lanky recruit,"would certainly become blood on the edge of a Shinigami's katana." She directed her sight to Klein and tilted her heady slightly before playfully approaching him and tapping him on the nose. "You, I see a very different picture. I don't foresee you being dismembered or torn apart by hulking female Shinigami captains. Your death will be slower and more painful. Maybe you'll succumb to the roaring flames of a captain's Shikai, though why would such a person use something on the likes of you."

She clicked her tongue and shook her head slightly. "It is far more likely you'll be torn to shreds by hollows, their teeth and claws digging into your soft flesh. Your soul, of course, will be subsumed into the greater amalgam of meals." Amalia's tone sounded sympathetic, but she was truly lacking compassion. Then again, a part of her believed they must embrace their identities as Quincy. It was not long ago that she meant a young Quincy who denied her heritage. Denied the crimes done onto her ancestors. To deny one's Quincy blood is not only blasphemous, but a certain death wish. She remembered the anger she felt upon hearing the denial of their ancestors struggles. It infuriated her. 

Despite her knowledge and commitment to the Vandenreich and Quincy as a race, she had difficulty nurturing young Quincy. She simply couldn't overlook opportunities to create puppets and couldn't quite dismiss her methods of instilling fear. It had been problematic in the past, but normally it works well. If a recruit can display potential that catches her attention, they might  gain access to her vast knowledge of Quincy, both their powers and history. She hasn't seen much talent so far. And she simply wasn't amused by this Quincy's antics. "Klein, how do you see yourself thriving in his Majesty's empire?"

[Caesar]

[OOC] I'll join so I can get used to Caesar interacting with the Vandenreich in a more "gentle" way. I'll be training for TTP

[IC]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play Me}

"Klein, how do you see yourself thriving in his Majesty's empire?" "It is simple." a simple, quiet yet powerful voice spoke out. It whispered into everyone's ear as if a kind elderly man was standing next to them. Speaking casually without a care in the world. But for someone such as Amalia who knew this voice very well she would know that this is the voice of someone who should not be taken as lightly and that person was Caesar, C, The Cardinal. He had gotten there without releasing any pressure. Using his experience and power to simply disappear from the world.

A man dressed in a dark brown cloak was walking towards the group from behind and casually walked between the privates ready to be trained and stood in front of everyone. He turned his head towards Amalia and a small smile appeared behind the mask. Caesar loved each and every member of the Vandenreich as if they were his children so when he saw his children working very hard it made him happy. "Dear child of Der Kaiser. There is no death when serving His glorious army. There is no death nor is there pain. For Der Kaiser loves all of His children. As much as I do to you all. and you share that love by making sure that the privates are more than ready to spread the words of Der Kaiser. For that you have done well. Amalia." he gently spoke as he turned his heads to the recruits.

"That is not to say you must fully show the power that Der Kaiser has bestowed upon you. You must shine as if the very essense of your being lived to serve and to spread His words." he took a short pause and continued again "As stated within Die Ära des Wissens. Chapter 2, verse 2. 'Their devotion could only increase, and as Der Kaiser began to send his spirit across the world, they embraced it. The Faithful could pass through Fire and Storm unharmed with His Majesty supporting them with his very essence' Amen." He turned his head towards the private that Amalia had pointed out, he made sure that his eyes made contact with the privates. And that his stare did not leave his eyes even if he turned to look away. "your name stands out. Child. Klein. Yes? You are able to thrive in His Holy Emperors Army if you serve to spread His words as if it was like breathing. You will thrive when you can show the world that the true way is with Him."

[Klein Spatzen]

The sad part was that the woman's predictions would most likely come true. Klein wasn't exactly the most physically or spiritually gifted among his peers. He was more along the lines of honing his accuracy and conducting himself in a regal manner to show the likes of the Emperor and Klein's other superiors the respect that they deserve. Sadly it sounded like all of that was a huge waste of time if he was going to snap like a twig in the first instance of combat. As much as he didn't like it, she was most likely spot on in terms of how he'd die.

But it also looked like she didn't care to much for his choice of words, thinking that it made her sound old. It wasn't exactly how he'd hoped she'd take it, but his train of thought was interrupted when a figure came up from behind him and the others that were lucky enough not to die yet. This time he didn't even sense this one's presence, almost to the point of being invisible. And then the name "Amalia" came out of his mouth as he spoke. After that, her actions suddenly became crystal clear to him.

When Klein grew up with stories of the Sternritters, he'd heard that Amalia had a certain...reputation while possessing an impressive talent for bloodshed and destruction that only other Sternritters could rival her in. And from what he'd seen within seconds of meeting her, he wasn't disappointed. And judging by the way the man was talking to her, Klein wouldn't be surprised if he was one of them as well, otherwise she probably would've killed him where he stood. Though judging by his habits of preaching, it was pretty obvious that it was Caesar.

Klein had planned on meeting the Sternritters himself one day when he became one of them, but he never imagined meeting two of them minutes apart so soon. It was almost enough to make him forget about the fact that a corpse was right at his feet as the other recruits looked on with either horror, amazement or both. And while Caesar's words were slightly comforting to him, it didn't make Amalia any less right. With Klein's strength right now, death would be certain, no guessing about it. Though right now he did have a certain choice of words he had to amend.

"My apologies Lady Amalia" he'd say as he gave her another respectful bow and speaking with a voice as smooth as silk "I meant no offense in the slightest. I was only calling you by a title that I was taught was appropriate. I mistook that word you took offense to by thinking it gave you the proper respect you deserved. Then again, a woman bursting with power and maturity such as yourself hardly needs words to do so. After all, why speak with power when others can feel it, just as I felt the heaven wide gap between us before you entered the room. Though if you insist, I shall humbly call you 'My Lady'.". As he finished, he gave Caesar a bow in the same manner as before "And my apologies for not addressing you further, lord Caesar. Though the only way I could serve our glorious Emperor is by increasing my own abilities. I am as useful as a brittle leaf in Fall to him as I am now. Then again, he does have a knack turning his servants into mighty warriors. I truly await the day I can serve him properly.".

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

Amalia listened to Klein's apology and was pleased by its immediacy. This is how she believed recruits should behave, well-mannered and obedient. She could forgive such a thing when the efforts to rectify were immediately employed. She smirked as he spoke. He was quite the payer of compliments. She never quite trusted those who relied on such things. On one hand, she knew he was right. She was all that he said. Her perfection was not something that went unnoticed. Then again, she was never quite convinced of compliments paid to others, including herself. They could be used to deceive and obscure. After all, she was one to utilize such a tactic.

It was not uncommon for Amalia to compliment others, but many times she is patronizing them. What better way to pull another's strings then to reach deep into their soul and caress and nourish it with warm words. She was a master of games, the type involving the mind and heart. She could reach into you and pluck the most obscure flaw and shower it with kind words with the intention of shaping your decisions. As such, she was inherently mistrustful of others who might be using the same tactic. Surely he couldn't do so as artfully as she, but he could try.  

Before she could respond, a distinctive voice interrupted. "It is simple." He continued to speak, shattering all that she had planned. Her eyes widened for a moment before she glared from her periphery. She knew who it was. It was unmistakable. He had the power to trump all that she desired for the recruits. More so, he would see her nature in plain sight once he spotted the dead body lying on the ground. Death was a part of life within the Vandenreich, but Amalia enlisted its help far more often than others. Death is so beautifully articulate. How could she not? It was simply called upon and made such profound statements. For Amalia, it was a win-win. 

She wouldn't hide her darker proclivities from Caesar, as even his Majesty knew of them, but she wouldn't dare to speak of him. He was to be respected. Revered. Even if he put a wrench in her plans from time-to-time. Amalia turned to face Caesar as he spoke. Klein was quick to respond to the Vandenreich general, but had made a grave error. You don't simply bow to Caesar. You kneel. He is the closest extension of his majesty and therefore you must bend the knee. Amalia immediately knelt before Caesar as he approached. She glared off to the side an bitterly whispered to Klein. "Kneel!"

Upon saying that her spiritual pressure poured down on each of the recruits, causing them to collapse, landing on their knees. Unfortunately, none would even remotely be able to deny the gravity of her spiritual pressure. The gap in their power was simply too strong. She glanced up at Caesar before standing to her feet. "Lord Caesar." She dismissed Klein's comments and immediately approached Caesar. "Surely you do not want to waste your precious time on mere recruits. I'm here simply because my lieutenant shared with me updates on the newest recruits. He thought it might be beneficial if I make an appearance and asses their performance." Amalia glanced at him and smiled. "Perhaps a demonstration? Unless you have more wisdom to share?"

[Caesar]

[OOC] Im still alive, sorry for the delay

[Klein Spatzen]

As Klein finished his little speech, he suddenly felt a force with the equivalent of several sledgehammers force him down on both knees. Barely managing to look around, he could see the other recruits in the same state as Amalia continued speaking while Klein was barely able to twitch any other part of his body. It was then that Amalia told Caesar about the reason why she was here at all, revealing it to be a suggestion from one of her subordinates instead of a whim. And judging by the fact that one of them was dead already, saying that she wasn't impressed would be a massive understatement.

But then she suggested a demonstration. This teased Klein's curiosity for a bit, making him wonder what kind it'd be. It would probably be a simple fight, or judging by how murder-happy their superior was, it'd probably be an all out fight to the death. Then again with Caesar around and seeming a bit more caring for them in comparison, it probably wouldn't go that far. And while they could probably do a few simple tasks like run to place A all the way over to place B and back again, it'd seem pretty dull, especially for members of the Vandenreich watching.

Another demonstration would probably be sicking them on a Hollow and seeing what happens. But that'd be pretty dangerous and more than a few of them would probably end up being ate or, at the least, chewed up. But regardless of what Klein could think up, it wasn't in his hands to decide. He also tried moving his legs around to shift his weight so that his kneecaps wouldn't get crushed, managing to move them a few inches at a time. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that he was slowly getting used to it. And while the "getting used to it" part was practically at crawling speed, Klein figured that Amalia could just flex a bit more pressure on them and they'd be right back to square one.

Klein could also take the time to speak up, but odds are Amalia would exert so much pressure onto him that he'd be buried six feet into the marble floor or merge with it entirely for speaking out of turn. So right now all he could do was wait for whatever the two Vandenreich had in mind for them while hoping that he could get out of this situation relatively unscathed, despite how obvious that that wasn't going to happen. So all that he could do at the moment was keep his mouth shut and realign his body in an attempt to not make it look like he was holding an invisible boulder on his back.