Thread to Nowhere

[Guest]

Ah, the cold air, the feeling of snow on his face… North City was far too warm for him. Briggs was bearable, but this? He couldn’t imagine taking leave anywhere South of Briggs again.

But, still, he was on leave, and he had to make the most of it. And where better to spend time to unwind than a bar? ”The Jolly Roger Café?” he asks himself, raising an eyebrow at it. The sounds filtering to the outside sounded somewhat rowdy, but he never really trusted a bar, pub, or tavern that referred to itself as a café. They either weren’t real bars, or were places set up to try and kill him. Only one of those was of some interest to him at the moment. Besides drinking, of course.

Entering the café, he scans the room. Plenty of people talking to each other, downing drinks. Again, manly enough, but did everyone have to sound like a pirate? He knew that day wasn’t for another month or so. Crazy Amestrians. Regardless, he unstrapped his Sasha from his back and slammed it down onto the bar, and took a seat on a nearby stool.

”Barkeep, one bottle of Vervada Vodka, please.”

[Guest]

It was one of those rare days for the short girl trudging through the snow in her heavy fleece and black jumpsuit, the gloves seeming rather giant upon her hands. The wind whipped her shoulder-length hair in front of her face with a flurry, her brown eyes scanning the city streets with the interest almost worthy of a tourist. She hadn't really left Briggs since she arrived a few months ago, usually spending her time dealing with the occasional patient or studying further into her alkahestry so that she could improve more. She didn't really spend a lot of time with anyone it had been discovered. It was a little bit strange to.

Sighing lightly, some personal matters were weighing rather heavy upon her mind at the moment so she asked for a day of leave time away from the place she now called home. Her pouty lips were in a rather relaxed sort of smile, currently at peace with the snow all about her. It was a relief even if the harsh weather usually deterred people from wandering about. Glancing up to the sign above her, she couldn't help but chuckle at the name before pushing the door open to head inside. It felt like one of those bells should have rung with a pleasant greeting above her head, the door closing softly behind her as the cascading voices greeted her. Some raised an eyebrow to the youthful Cora before them, but they went back to their drinks after a moments pondering. So there really were pirates, that just made it even better!

Her gaze came to rest upon a rather burly looking man at the bar, tilting her head slightly as she observed his clothes and the shotgun upon the counter, blinking a couple of times as her brows furrowed. Name... she recognized him from the halls of Briggs. ...Stalin? Last name was Stalin yes... But the first name.. Viktor I think... God she should know the names of her possible patients! Alright, she was here to have fun and maybe get tipsy. It wasn't like alcohol was the best thing for you. Her interesting looking boots thudded softly against the floorboards as she too went to the bar and took a seat near.. Viktor. She really hoped that was right.

It appeared he had gotten a drink of some sort, perking up as the bartender raised an eyebrow at her appearance. "We don't serve--" He began, and she couldn't help but frown, her pouty lips only accenting that fact. "--Children? Meaning no disrespect sir, but I am no child." Pulling out her ID, she showed it to him and did her best to ignore his look of surprise. She sighed, people were never going to change, were they? "Can I get a strawberry daiquiri please?" She asked with a sudden smile, brushing some hairs from her face as she removed her gloves. Placing them down, her bracelets clunked against the bar counter as she inwardly took a deep breath. She could do this... right? It didn't feel... natural.

Turning slightly on her stool, she looked over to her fellow comrade, finding herself uncomfortable with randomly speaking with him. So instead she focused upon his rather unique shotgun. Yes, she recognized it as just that. But at the same time, she wasn't really sure what model it was. Of course there were guesses but.... That couldn't hurt for a starting point right? She noticed the inscription upon it, 'Sasha.' Did it hold a meaning to him? That was a silly thought, of course it did! Well... here goes.... "Pardon me but.. is that a heavily modified Maliwan XV-8?" She asked, wondering if that truly was a good place to start. Usually people started these things with, 'Hi my name is ____' or something. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

[Guest]

Viktor glanced at the small woman as she had a word with the bartender, and grinned. She didn’t seem like she was the type to come here, but she was feisty, he could give her that much. Small, but feisty. Just like…

”You’re… bottle of vodka, sir,” the bartender says with an odd look on his face and a demeaning tone to his voice, as though he’d seen countless men try to down an entire bottle of vodka by themselves. With a grin, he takes it, and starts taking gulps straight from the bottle. Just like old times.

Sitting there for what felt like hours, he couldn’t help but ponder on the events that lead him here. No, not to Amestris. To the bar. Why on earth would he have asked for a short leave? He could be doing things like scrounging for scrap to repair his armor, or putting the finishing touches on his new gun (assuming he could get it to work, the stubborn thing). But first he had to repair the spinning-dealie, and then work out a portable…

”Pardon me but.. is that a heavily modified Maliwan XV-8?”

Looking over at with a grizzly look on his face, he raises an eyebrow, then looks back at his Sasha, then back to her. ”You know, most people do not know of this gun. It was, how you say… Not very popular.” He chuckles. ”But dah, she’s been modified. Officially, it’s been modified to perform better in the dead winter nights of Drachma, to increase accuracy over range with a sight, and these blue-thingies. Unofficially, it’s gauge has been changed, the revolving magazine replaced, the pump’s been changed, and I made it pointy in a useful location.” he smiles proudly for the last sentence, running his hand across it as he remembers the work he did vividly.

Coming back to reality, he takes a swig of vodka straight form the bottle, and then turns towards the Amestrian. ”Viktor Stalin at your service,” he says, offering his paw of a hand to her.

[Guest]

Soon after the vodka was delivered, she received her deliciously sweet beverage, the cold of it not really bothering her in the least. This was northern Amestris after all! If the weather didn't bug you, then you could deal with pretty much anything. Sensing a few stares, she glanced about the bar one more time, her full lips closing about her straw to sip that alcohol down. It was ok to party once in a while in moderation. She really did work too much.

Waiting patiently for his reply, she almost seemed a little confused when he spoke since she swore he spoke... Huh, he really did! Drachman! Though, the name did explain that a lot now that she thought about it. Chuckling, since one of her primary weapons was a shotgun, she had made sure to look into the various types that existed. Their pro's and con's, who used them, what ammo could be applied, modifications, specs... all that jazz. Hehe, his specifics with the blue "thingies" was rather entertaining since clearly Sasha was a work of custom genius. She certainly held a higher respect for him, especially since he obviously loved that weapon dearly. It reflected him much like a dog and its master seem to resemble each other. Maybe she could do this. Maybe.

Placing her rather small hand into his own, her grip was surprisingly firm for a woman of her size, smiling warmly to him. "Dr. Cora Nikita, a pleasure." Her hand slid out of his slowly as their handshake faded, taking another sip of her daiquiri. The alkahestry circle charm on each of her bracelets jingled softly as her hands shifted, her brown eyes considering him with a quiet sort of calm. "Do you also enjoy the cold climate of this land?" She didn't want to outright ask him what brought him from Drachma since that was so... intrusive. If nothing else, she figured he might appreciate the switch in languages. And... well she wondered what he might do. Would he stay with Drachman? Or go back to Amestrian?

[Guest]

”Doctor, you say?” he asks after her introduction. Eyeing her bracelets, he notices the symbol on one of them. It would appear she was one of… them. Still, Briggs had given him a chance. Maybe he should give others one as well.

”Do you also enjoy the cold climate of this land?”

He ponders for a moment, taking a quick swig from his bottle before answering. ”The weather is nice, I suppose. I’ve heard some of the blizzards can be particularly rough. Not like the ones from back home, but still. The cold is still comforting, like Mother Amestris is wrapping me in her own, cold embrace. Some of the views are nice, too…

“And what of you, doctor?” he asks, swirling the vodka in the half-empty bottle. ”Surely one such as yourself doesn’t come here to have a drink with some pirates. Trying to get your bearings?” he asks, pointing to one of her bracelets. ”I’ve seen my share of loss to know it’s not worth drowning in sorrows.” Bringing the bottle up, he takes a few gulps before slamming it back down onto the bar top. ”Or perhaps you simply came here for a pansy Amestrian drink?”

[Guest]

"Indeed I am." Chuckling, she failed to notice how he looked at her bracelets, instead sipping at her fruity drink. She probably would be fine for this entire glass, but she would certainly be a bit... tipsy. It wasn't like she drank that much. Heaven forbid he offer her vodka because she knew that would leave her a mess and... yes, no thank you please.

It was interesting that he chose to speak in Amestrian rather than Drachman for he clearly was more fluent in one than the other. Glancing out the window to the snow gently falling outside, it brought a faint smile to her full lips. She did love the snow, it was just one of those things. Heh, she could only imagine what Drachma must be like since it wasn't like she had been out of Amestris. "Thats a good way to put it. I tend to agree." She murmured distantly before she focused back into their conversation, turning her eyes upon Viktor as he spoke again.

He certainly made a lot of puns towards bears, or maybe she was just reading into it too much. She couldn't help but wonder if it was a reference to him being a large Drachman man, or something else.... It didn't really matter now, did it? Blinking as he pointed to her wrist, she realized he meant her bracelets, raising an arm so that she too, could look at it. So he had noticed. Did he realize she was from Briggs though? Probably, it wasn't like many military outposts had doctors akin to her running around. Well maybe wherever Carissa went, but she wasn't really sure about that. Laughing at what he called her daiquiri, she stared at the pink smoothie-like liquid and smirked with a light shrug.

"I'm merely taking a days leave is all." She began, lowering her wrists onto the bar counter with a light sigh. "I'm not a big drinker so I'm enjoying some relaxation time. I've been told I stay holed up too much and should get out more." Her smile was rather charming upon her youthful face, wondering if she should really try this or not. It still felt.. weird.

[Guest]

Viktor looked at the young doctor, listening intently. She reminded him of someone… Someone long ago that he knew. Someone that he had never forgotten. Perhaps it was time to move on?

”I am on leave as well, though it is good that one of us is enjoying their time off.” He chuckles, finally realizing how long it’s been since he’s tried this. For the last woman, all he had to do was woo her with wisdom, close combat skills, and the occasional fish. Downing the bottle, he realizes how lucky he was a handful of years ago. He doubted she’s like a demonstration of his skills, or a fresh fish for her to eat. And words of wisdom? So fickle, they were.

”You have a beautiful country, but I cannot help but remember my homeland. I fought for it, made sacrifices… I’ve lost a lot there.” Looking over at Cora, he smiles. ”But you, Doctor Cora Nikita, you are what I fight for. A person with a future, someone who still has a life to live.” He grins. ”But look at me, talking like a defeated old man.” He slouches and leans forward a bit, lowering himself more to her level. ”Perhaps I could get to know you a little better, dah?” The grizzled veteran looks at her intently, unsure of whether to make physical contact or not. Such things were… tricky for him to grasp after so long.

[Guest]

Laughing lightly, her brown eyes rested upon him, all of him. He really was giant compared to her, but she didn't really mind that. She couldn't help but wonder if other women found his ruggedness attractive or not, or found his age a dissuasion to his appeal factor. Love was love, right? So was she being true to herself by trying this out? No, of course she was. This was merely a sure-fire test. Thats all. If something happened, then it happened. And that would be fine. Or would it? She couldn't remember Amestris' policy on fraternization. "Enjoying time off is important. Too often I bury myself in things that could also be considered work." Sipping at her strawberry goodness, it was already starting to go to her head, giggling at the thought of how she spent her time. Dead bodies, and books. Such pleasant company.

Lowering her gaze to the drink before her, the look in her chocolate brown eyes growing distant as she thought over what he had said "I fought for it, made sacrifices… I’ve lost a lot there.” Feeling his eyes upon her, she met his gaze, a very slight smirk rising to her lips. A future.... Aye, she supposed she did have a future. Everyone did. But... why did it almost sound like he didn't count himself as one with much of a future? She had to be imagining that. Had to! All life deserved to be lived out, no matter the age, or anything. Blushing faintly as he leaned, she was touched by his words. So perhaps it was a mutual thing... Alright, she could do this. "I think I'd like that." She still felt a tickle in her chest, wavering on that line that seemed so narrow right now. Annd.... Aiya, she had no idea what to say. Go off of things previously said!! "Aye... Even though I grew up in Central, I just..." Sighing, she remembered that day with Carissa, the two just sitting and eating dinner after their classes had finished for the day. Those men....

"I had to come here. I had to do something. And besides, I like the snow. Confused the hell out of my family." Chuckling, another sip of that delicious smoothie, the tips of her hair curling about her shoulders. "But I digress. We must do our best to protect this country that we love hm?" Brushing her hair behind her ears, she shifted a little upon her stool, careful that she didn't fall off of its height. That would just be plain embarrassing.

[Guest]

She seemed flustered. Was that a good thing? Bad thing? Maybe he should excuse himself and buy her a fish to…

”Damnit, bear, stay out of this!” he yells at himself internally.

”We must do our best to protect this country that we love hm?"

Viktor nods. Words of wisdom he was all-too familiar with. The words of every soldier at the end of the day, but most importantly…

”I fight so that others may stay safe, like you. But I also owe a couple someones my life, so I fight for them as well.”

”Rest in peace, my love, and may good fortune find General Tsukino for allowing me to continue to fight…”

”But… I think I can fight for one more person.” Taking a leap of faith, he slowly reaches over, gently caressing her face for a moment. ”I first fought for my family, to help them live a better life. Then, I fought for myself, trying to live… Here, there are people I can care about. People I can love…” He leans in, hesitating for a moment, before kissing her pleasantly strawberry-flavored lips. It was nice, but it was… lacking. Something warmer, something closer… No, no one could replace her. And he could not replace whatever the doctor wanted. Needed. Whichever.

Breaking the kiss, he pulls back a bit for a moment, before leaning closer again and whispering into her ear, ”I do not smell arousal on you.”

Leaning back and sitting up straight, he grins. ”Perhaps you are more like sister, dah?” he laughs. He motions to the bartender for another bottle of vodka. ”Do not feel bad. For you cannot replace my Sasha.”

[Guest]

Mmmm, he was so right.... There were always people to fight for, worth fighting for. Even if there were a lot of jerkwads in the world, it didn't matter. Even they deserved to be saved. Well... at least mostly. Smirking to herself, she had to stop thinking of specific people from medical school. It wasn't like she had been at Briggs for a very long time. She hadn't seen a lot of action so to speak. Raising her brown eyes up to him, her expression softened slightly. He had seen much, lost much.

Blinking as he suddenly drew close, the touch of his hand warm and... oddly soft against her skin. It made her stomach flutter, but she wasn't sure if that was just embarrassment or if it was something else. Staring up into his eyes, she knew her cheeks were red, and she knew that there were eyes glancing over at them. But they were pirates, they were probably used to such things. "Viktor...." Her eyes slid closed, recalling how it used to feel back in school... It had felt so right then. Their lips met, and it was pleasant. She didn't dislike it. And yet... yet it... it.. That was it. That was the confirming factor. And... she didn't know if she liked that. Was this being dishonest with him? No, no it wasn't. She shouldn't think that way.

As he pulled back, her eyes remained lowered as she sat there sort of shell-shocked at her own realization. This shouldn't be an issue. Her full lips pursed together, instead looking about normal until he leaned close to her to which her eyes widened at. Her entire face flushed as she was completely caught off-guard, opening her mouth before closing it as she grabbed her drink and proceeded to chug about half of it. Drunk. Drunk would be good now. But wait... how could he "smell" it? After all, it wasn't a description people normally used. Maybe he was more than he seemed.... No, she wouldn't ask.

"I..." His sister... Maybe. "I'm still sorry. I.. I'm just.." She stopped, turning to face him more as the alcohol spun about in her head. "Nevermind. You as my brother I would like." Chuckling at her lack of proper phrasing, she ran a hand through her hair as her bracelet tinkled softly, noting the name again. Sasha... "She must have been quite the woman Viktor. To Sasha?" She held up her glass in proposition of a toast, a warm smile upon her lips. Yes... this was the great, albeit awkward, beginning to a wonderful friendship.

[Guest]

"Nevermind. You as my brother I would like."

Viktor nods, and extends his arm out when the bartender passes by with another bottle of vodka.

"She must have been quite the woman Viktor. To Sasha?"

Viktor sighs, before raising his bottle and clinking it gently with her glass. ”To Sasha, and to better fortune for you,” he replies before taking a swig from the bottle. ”She was more than this old bear deserved. May you find someone like that for yourself, good Doctor. Even half as good.”

Looking again at his shotgun, he sighs. ”Perhaps I should go back to Briggs,” he says, grabbing it and placing it in its holster on his back. ”At least I can busy myself and contemplate.” Sniffing in Cora’s general direction, he adds, ”Perhaps I shall visit you there.” He taps his side, flinching a bit. ”Old wound acting up.” He gives a soft smile before waving. ”Until next time, Doctor.”

With that, he walks out the door, basking in the cold air of North City, letting the snow on his face. Sasha would’ve liked it here.

[EXIT THREAD]

[Guest]

This was rather nice in it's simplicity. Yes, she was now rather embarrassed, and....well... At least she now had a friend to show for it right? Chuckling slightly at the thought of better prospects for herself, she clinked her glass against his gently and took a sip. It was strange, she suddenly had the image of the two of them in a battle, his large form standing tall next to her with his Sasha drawn, and her small body poised and ready to strike. Or maybe she was on his shoulders with a rifle. Either way, the image was rather entertaining in itself.

A soft smile rose to her lips, he really loved here still. "Thank you, we shall certainly see hm? I hope Sasha will forever keep you warm my friend." And she meant that. Memories could be painful, but they could also keep you content on the darkest nights. Like a blanket or something of that sort. Maybe she'd find someone, maybe she wouldn't. It was so unclear, but at least she knew what she was for sure now.

Straightening up as she finished off her daiquiri, she blinked, but nodded in understanding. Aye, they should probably head back soon. "Of course. I'm not very hard to find. Take care Viktor." Not at all. She sat there for a few moments and let the drink swirl about her mind, caring not how drunk she was just from that. Oh well.....an interesting day drew to a close as she paid for her drink and managed to walk out the door with little to no trouble, thoughts weighing heavy upon her mind. Pulling out her phone, she stared at it for a moment with a debate pressing down upon her. Should she....? Grimacing as her feet sank into the snow, she dialed up the number and put it to her ear, waiting for that familiar voice to pick up on the other end. "Hey sis, it's me." She murmured softly, the mist of her breath flowing out upon the air.

EXIT THREAD

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