Tender Scenery

[Dai]

It was cold, but that temperature was something that he didn't notice, not anymore. Closing calm red eyes, the redheaded Alchemist shook off the small amount of snow that landed on his shoulders; slowly talking steps throughout the North City streets, looking around the cool setting with a soft smile on his lips. What a place - it had been his home for almost two years, which surprised him. He had to think back now, to over a year and a half ago when he passed through here and up to Fort Briggs. His first look upon the face of Reila Tsukino, and his meeting with his colleagues at the same time. Men and women had come and gone, but he had remained behind. Himself, Xanthus, Murazar and Reila; they were the four that had not left. While Xanthus had grown more powerful in body and mind, Murazar had only sought power. Reila had grown more beautiful in his eyes, and he had changed himself, had he not? It was only a year and a half ago that this man was standing before the office of Reila Tsukino, with a sheepish look on his face and a weak Alchemy to his name. He had walked in, started looking around, and not really been of much use. After a while, they had dispersed; and his next memory was of the attack on the Armory. Being a newfound developer of Briggs' armaments, he had wanted to protect his stock, or destroy it. That was the first time that Reila's power was shown to him, and his first look at the sheer beauty and strength that she exuded. After that, came the assault on South City. He didn't know what to think of that, all he remembered was the Stone. The Stone, Zaska's death, and carrying Reila to the makeshift police station. It was also the first signs of Xanthus' betrayal, though he had returned to their side shortly afterwards.

His next thoughts moved towards Father. At the thought of that, his right hand clenched, making metallic sounds as his fingers scraped along each other. That day, he had lost his arm, but gained his first kiss. He had stolen her first kiss, and in return... gladly given her his. After Father's death, there came the Festival, didn't there? Yes, he was certain of that... that damnable Festival. The man had felt true loneliness then, grasping for straws within the world that he lived in, though when he finally returned to Briggs... he was as lonely as before. Reila was cold, and nobody trusted him. It had been Hell, though a Hell that he'd deserved. Musing upon this further, he cast his thoughts to the recent events of Drachma, and could only smile at this. There, he and Reila had reconciled, or so it had seemed. That kiss, that revelation; that was Daigoro's answer that he'd been searching for all along. So yes, Dai himself had changed. They all had... Murazar had stepped into the realms of Madness; Xanthus into Prideful shoes; Reila into the strength of a Queen, and Daigoro into a face of Stability. Together, they were Briggs, and nothing would remove that bond which they shared.

Mental digression over, Daigoro began to slowly look around his surroundings. Oh, he recognized this intersection. If he recalled correctly, Reila had been chased by a polar bear down... that street. They had run down... that street, been shat on by birds, and fallen into a sewer. A wonderful date. He chuckled, wandering over to the cafe and shaking his head. His civilian's clothing sat upon his body as he walked; a pair of blue jeans on his legs, a grey hooded jacket over a vest and tshirt on his torso. His eyes calmly took in the cafe, and he walked into the main room of the place itself. One of his strange foibles was to find a cafe in every city that he'd visited; of course his favorite in Central was gone now, destroyed by the bombs. A pity, it was little walking distance from the manor in which he'd grown up within. Hm, he had to wonder, too. What had become of that manor? He would have to look at it someday. Shaking his head, the redheaded Alchemist approached the counter with a soft smile on his face. "A green tea, please. And one of the wraps." The woman on the counter smiled brightly at him, taking his order and his money--some of the 5000 cenz that he had been repaid from Jay recently. Humming to himself, he took his food back to an outside table, sitting down and taking small bites from the meal, while silently sipping the tea.

Normally, he would eat his meals in the confines of Briggs, but today was an exception. For once, he had decided to actually go around North City itself, instead of simply sticking to Briggs. He smiled softly, enjoying his meal as he did so. Though, he had to wonder. All of these people that wandered the streets such as he; what did they think of Alchemy, or the Amestrian Military? He always wondered that--knowing that they wielded a power that was great and strong; however also knowing that they were humans themselves... it always... confused him...

[Guest]

Deadra sat at a table in the corner. Alone as usual. It wasn't that she was anti-social, perhaps it was just the lack of feminine appeal that other women carried. Or it was the large assortment of books littered across the table, a couple notebooks, several empty bottles of mead, and a small platter picked at since her arrival. Her cap lay on the table, and her cigarette idling between her fingers. Her long blond hair hung freely, as she was in a relaxed environment. No need to stick to protocols in a civilian area. Her left hand scribbling furiously, as she muttered between her thoughts. "The necessity of the Nanofactory elliminates the frivilous time waste in constructing each one by hand, once the proper sequence is constructed the factory could manufacture 8.6 billion..." She paused as she took a drag from her cigarette and exhaled the smoke across her table. Her break in speech, did not slow her hand, as her thought was unbroken. "Nanobots should not be autonomous. Requiring a frequency chip inserted into the second node of the spinal column to ensure that nanobots and biological functions do not fight the other's existence. The chip could also be used as a "hive" mind to give direction nanobots, but should be done sparingly in basic models."

She took another drag, but this time dropped her pen to the notebook. She pulled out her watch, and checked the time. She had been here for nearly 3 hours now. She should head back to the department to check on her subordinates. She closed her notebooks, and placed bookmarks in her books. She pushed everything to the far side of the table and sighed. The young sixteen year old waitress approached the table where Deadra sat. She quickly cleaned up the bottles, and immediately asked if she would like another round? "No thank you, Carmella. Just the check please, and could you call Arianna to come fetch my things for me?" Carmella smiled and hurried off. She was such a good girl. She glanced around the establishment. The red head at the table...that was Lieutenant Colonel Daigoro...Seems he managed to unhinge himself from clinging to General Reila. How Comical. She grabbed her cap and began to wrap her hair, and then stuffing the lot of it elegantly under the cap. Her hair assuming it's short appearance. Well no sense sticking around here.

[Dai]

Footsteps began to walk past him; normally he would ignore most of them by sound, but the presence of the person was rather different by right. Turning his head slightly, the man tapped his temple and slowly looked up at the woman who was walking through the cafe, approaching the exit. He recognized her as Major Daedra Balistrong; the recently appointed Head of Power, here at Briggs. He chuckled softly, pulling his legs up and sitting cross-legged on the chair, continuing to eat his wrap, though watching her out of one eye. Hmm, he had to admit she was beautiful to look at; though certainly not his type. As he chuckled softly, the last of the wrap was mopped up and swallowed. "My, my." He picked up the teacup, raising it to his lips and sipping with a quiet slurp. She was approaching closer now, and the redhead slowly raised his eyes and gaze to the blonde. The footsteps came right by him, and he gave her a curt nod of his head. "Captain Balistrong, correct?" Tilting his head to the side, he smiled softly and kindly at her, closing his eyes and chuckling lightly. His eyes opened once more, and went straight to her face. No detours there.

"So, what brings you out here? The last I had heard, you were a reclusive one." He snickered softly, shaking his head and smiling brightly. Strange; she'd only been here for a little while, and he'd caught wind of a few rumors. Most of them were to do with this girl's genius; though one or two of them were more to do with her ideas of a new group being made. He blinked, looking over her features carefully. She seemed cold, disconnected from the world. It was a strange thing for this redheaded man to look at; having usually met with people that actually expressed emotion. Closing his eyes and smiling quietly, he shook his head to rid himself of that thought. "Anyways... I have rarely received the chance to socialize with you--it would be an interesting experience." He chuckled quietly at this, considering as many of the variables as possible in the back of his mind. This could go either way, it seemed. Though, his mind was still on Reila, back at Briggs. "My, my..." Those words were whispered quietly, and he bit his lip softly. Well, now. What would be occurring soon? The redheaded Alchemist would most certainly have to wonder.

[Guest]

"Captain Balistrong, correct?" Dai asked. His head titled at an angle and his lips smiling at her. Perhaps if she were a bit more naive, she might have been captivated by this, but the woman she was it had little more effect than him breathing in her direction. "Good Afternoon, Sir." Was he always so lax? Even while she taking her personal time to eat, she was working on something for the Brigg's military might. Did one lose their sense of leadership the higher they got, or was it the further they got from the field of combat? "So, what brings you out here? The last I had heard, you were a reclusive one." Reclusive? No, not her. She just saw more value in work than in frivolous time wasting. Were her men thinking the same of her? But it was rather different, when your job is to check in on other Divisions to ensure they are doing their jobs correctly and effectively. She wondered what she would possibly do, with a day off? She had never truly just relaxed without working on something. "Anyways... I have rarely received the chance to socialize with you--it would be an interesting experience."

Deadra pulled out a seat,and took it. She looked at Daigoro for a moment before he came back to his senses. "Forgive me Sir, if I appear reclusive. I value the lives of my men over the frivolities of wasteful time. However I shall spare you the wasted time of trying to find any interest in myself, by pushing a single thing into your mind." She pulled up a single case, which she kept a few files she could not leave for Carmella to hold on to. She pulled out a manila folder, and slid it toward Daigoro. "Inside this folder is a request for authorization to found and operate a small task force specialized and engineered for combat." She opened the folder to reveal the acronym, T.U.N.E.D. on the cover page. "It stands for Technology Uniformed Extermination Division. It will act as a precision strike force to be activated by and supervised by a single individual. I believe that individual should be you. If you read my file, you know I don't look kindly on Alchemy. These operatives would need to be militants, with no Alchemic ties. I would like to be placed in charge of recruitment and placed as Head of this group."

She felt uneasy about what she had said, but she failed to show it. She knew alchemy, but even now she hid that fact. Why? Letting people know she knows Alchemy was nothing to be worried about...no they might misinterpret her work as Alchemy fueled. It had to be kept secret at all costs. She crossed her legs, which was a rare thing for her. "Any questions Sir?"

[Dai]

"Forgive me Sir, if I appear reclusive." A voice that most certainly did not appear from the area that he was looking into came into his ears, the redhead slowly turning his look upon Deadra herself, who had taken a seat across from him. Why was she asking his forgiveness? What he had stated was the result of simple observation, taken from about three weeks of their new-found work environment together. "I value the lives of my men over the frivolities of wasteful time." Tch. An eyebrow twitched, and the man placed a hand onto the table, looking at her with a frustrated expression. "And exactly what are you insinuating by that, Major? If you are simply speaking as a generalization, then I'll forgive that. However, making such a brash statement without proper information is reckless and rude. See that you fix that." Oh, crap. He had spoken too much. Blinking, he shook his head. That was most peculiar, and certainly unlike his usual self. He would have to rectify that problem at some point. "However I shall spare you the wasted time of trying to find any interest in myself, by pushing a single thing into your mind." Hm. She was most certainly objective; though he had already understood that much to be true from first impressions. "My, my, straight to the point I see. Well, what is this thing you're attempting to push on my mind at this time?" Let me guess. Work related. Insert sarcastic 'yay' here. A manila folder was slid across the table, and Daigoro took a closer look at it.

"Inside this folder is a request for authorization to found and operate a small task force specialized and engineered for combat." "..." Yeah, he was right. Work related. The folder was opened, and an acronym was revealed on the cover page. T.U.N.E.D. Most certainly not his cup of tea, though this woman seemed to lack a creative mind. "It stands for Technology Uniformed Extermination Division." Ew. Definitely not his cup of tea, or at least not in the way that she was putting it. "It will act as a precision strike force to be activated by and supervised by a single individual. I believe that individual should be you." A slightly cynical expression moved onto Dai's face, and he slowly raised his head to meet Deadra's gaze. "You do realize that I am no longer Head of Military Operations, correct? Therefore, I have little to do with that sort of project. My own personal team is all but disbanded; I am simply working with my arms development right now." What makes you think I'd be interested? A question he would've liked top ask, but didn't. He was, by all rights, interested; no denying that.

"If you read my file, you know I don't look kindly on Alchemy. These operatives would need to be militants, with no Alchemic ties. I would like to be placed in charge of recruitment and placed as Head of this group." Yes, yes, he'd read her file. Yes, yes, he knew that she was rather anti-Alchemy. That was another reason that he didn't appreciate her presence a lot of the time; he felt that her view was too extreme. He assumed it to be a part of his nature, and continued to listen. "Any questions Sir?" The man slowly closed his eyes, breathing in and thinking a few things over. Any questions? "My first would have to be why you decided upon me. You have a dislike for Alchemy, and I am an Alchemist. That's a bad combo, as far as I know." He tapped his chin, and stretched. "My second would have to be pertaining to your reasoning behind creating this small team. If it is for the help of Briggs, then I shall push no further." Finally, he had to ask the simplest question of them all. "If I were to accept, would you see this through to the end? I do not wish for any, and I mean any, betrayals." His red eyes looked directly into hers, curled slightly in a mixture of frustration and determination. "I may consider following in this scheme, but only for good reason."

[Guest]

"My first would have to be why you decided upon me. You have a dislike for Alchemy, and I am an Alchemist. That's a bad combo, as far as I know." He tapped his chin, and stretched. "My second would have to be pertaining to your reasoning behind creating this small team. If it is for the help of Briggs, then I shall push no further. If I were to accept, would you see this through to the end? I do not wish for any, and I mean any, betrayals." His red eyes looked directly into hers, curled slightly in a mixture of frustration and determination. "I may consider following in this scheme, but only for good reason." She reached into her jacket, and pulled out a lone cigarette and lit it. She raised it to her lips and then took a drag from it. She blew out a thin stream, away from Daigoro. "Forgive me, if I insulted you. That was hardly my intention. I was merely expressing my distaste for needless activities that yield no meaningful results." She took another drag and turned her head once more to exhale the smoke.

"The reason I chose you is solely because your connection to Reila means you will not betray her. Clearly. Likewise, directly accessing Lieutenant General Reila is harder than breaking into Briggs singlehandedly." She flicked the cigarette away and looked at Dai with a cruel seriousness. "As for my purpose for forming this group, I have multiple purposes. However, none of them are against Briggs, and all of them are for the betterment of Briggs. As for betrayal, I have no intention of such a thing. And I can personally guarantee that none from this squad will betray Briggs." She uncrossed her legs and pulled her case back to her. She flashed another folder labeled Brigg's Armaments. "I have nothing against Alchemists, just the reliance upon Alchemy in this world."

[Dai]

"Forgive me, if I insulted you. That was hardly my intention." He watched the stream of smoke dissipate into the air, and grunted softly. He disliked the scent of cigarettes; it made him feel awfully sick sometimes. He sighed--it was probably just something to do with his weakness. Chuckling softly, the redhead shook his head. "Not insulted, no." At least, he was sure she didn't insult him. He'd have to check that later. "I was merely expressing my distaste for needless activities that yield no meaningful results." "Tch." He disliked her already. It wasn't the fact that she was cold or calculating; he just assumed that she was a person who'd be unable to take the time to stop and smell the roses. "You don't do impossible things, huh?" He whispered, hoping that she didn't hear his near-silent musings. Another whiff of that damnable smoke. Who the hell would ever stand kissing that woman?! Actually, would anybody be able to get past her impossible personality first? He was certain that even Xanthus' manly Ishvallan charm wouldn't get through this woman's cold defenses.

"The reason I chose you is solely because your connection to Reila means you will not betray her. Clearly." Well, he'd heard of sleeping your way to the top before, but using someone else--nono, bad thoughts Dai, bad thoughts. "Likewise, directly accessing Lieutenant General Reila is harder than breaking into Briggs singlehandedly." "I don't see why it's so difficult. She's a lovely person." Those words were colder than they would normally be, but this man was finding it difficult to deal with this person. Normally this man was of a complete and unnerving calm; she had slightly shaken that. He didn't know if it was simply because she was one of total coolness in such a situation, or if he was just frustrated by her frankness. Well, who would know? "As for my purpose for forming this group, I have multiple purposes. However, none of them are against Briggs, and all of them are for the betterment of Briggs." That was a relief. "As for betrayal, I have no intention of such a thing. And I can personally guarantee that none from this squad will betray Briggs." He sighed softly, looking up at her with a slightly frustrated expression.

"Let me get this straight. You have hand-picked these men? If we are to come to an agreement, they will need to have proper background checks done; especially if any of them are outsiders. You may say that they won't betray Briggs, but the word of one person isn't enough." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. Being former Head of Military Operations, Dai knew how easy it was for one man to say that these men would not betray; knowing full well that they had intentions of stabbing their 'allies' in the back. He would have to be completely sure of her intentions before even considering accepting this proposal. "I have nothing against Alchemists, just the reliance upon Alchemy in this world." Ah. So, she was a woman who saw no need to rely on an unknown force, and lambasted humanity for doing as such? Yes, he could see that. "Hmm. Seems my original idea was correct--you really don't do impossible things." He chuckled softly, his words whispered so only the ghosts that fluttered around his face could hear that statement. Looking up at her and then back down at the folder that was flashed, he smirked. Another official looking manila folder stared back at him. "Briggs Armaments. You have no need to show me my own stocks, girl." Not trying to be condescending or anything; Daigoro just found it funny that she was showing him a folder of something he basically knew off by heart.

[Guest]

"Let me get this straight. You have hand-picked these men? If we are to come to an agreement, they will need to have proper background checks done; especially if any of them are outsiders. You may say that they won't betray Briggs, but the word of one person isn't enough." Her eyes hardened. "No, anyone who serves in this group will not be able to betray Briggs. At least not under their own will. Also, members have not been selected. Quite wasteful to scout prospects without authorization to do so. But all candidates will be screened by me before passing to your desk for final approval. As the group Commander, your word is our Law." She however, did understand what he meant. "Hmm. Seems my original idea was correct--you really don't do impossible things." She sighed. The first sign of emotion she had shown all conversation. "Impossible is based upon viewpoint. By human standards, Alchemy is to perform the impossible. But likewise, things Alchemy can not achieve technology could one day. However, I do what I must to get the job done."

She noticed his smirk. "Briggs Armaments. You have no need to show me my own stocks, girl." This time it was her turn to smirk at him. "What makes you think the contents of that folder are your products? In fact these are for the units of this force I will construct." With them, she could wage war against Alchemy. A war she had no intention of losing.

[Dai]

Her eyes hardened, and his did the same to match, staring back into hers with a tranquil annoyance present. "No, anyone who serves in this group will not be able to betray Briggs. At least not under their own will." That... bothered him, slightly. Under their own will; what was she plotting? His thoughts didn't show on his face however, and the redheaded Alchemist simply kept a tight gaze with Deadra, not moving an inch in recompense. "Also, members have not been selected. Quite wasteful to scout prospects without authorization to do so." "To some, maybe. Others would call it preemptive action." He smirked, not breaking the gaze. To do so would show some form of weakness, it would be difficult to do so. "But all candidates will be screened by me before passing to your desk for final approval. As the group Commander, your word is our Law." That last statement worried him, and he sighed softly. He made the comment on impossibility in her mentality, and she retorted with a sigh. Strange, it was unusual of her to give off emotion, so this was slightly new for him. "Impossible is based upon viewpoint. By human standards, Alchemy is to perform the impossible." "By human standards, maybe. But in my eyes, Alchemy is simply a means to speeding up towards an end." No emotion from that voice, a simply deadpan expression and reaction.

"But likewise, things Alchemy can not achieve technology could one day. However, I do what I must to get the job done." Tch. That bothered him, but a lot of the statements that this woman was making were bothering him really badly. Maybe it was just him, but he felt that there was more to this little 'group' than she was telling him. When he commented on the Armaments, her next statement worried him further--though he wouldn't show it in his eyes or facial expressions. "What makes you think the contents of that folder are your products? In fact these are for the units of this force I will construct." "I think you misunderstand." He had the upper hand this time, she would see that. "I may be the Head of Arms Development here at Briggs, but that's not just it. Everything to do with weaponry goes through me before it goes to Reila. That means that I've already viewed anything to do with your little scheme. And I'll admit--they're interesting weapons indeed. Strange, though. You seem to be holding a lot of Anti-Alchemy Warfare weaponry. Seem to be... preparing for some form of war..." With that, he broke the contact and stood up, food finished along with his need for conversation.

"As far as I know, this discussion is over, Captain. My break here is finished; I am required for a session with our Head of Science at some point today, so I must prepare for such a meet." He turned away from her, closing his eyes and sighing. "I advise you think over your options a little while longer before coming to me again. I am willing to consider your case, do not get me wrong." His head turned to the side, a red glare coming from narrowed eyes. "However, I am also in need of a proper understanding. Therefore, I myself must think this over for a while. Good day, Captain Balistrong. I shall speak to you another time." Successfully hiding the mistrust in his voice, the redheaded Lieutenant Colonel turned completely away from her, slowly walking back towards Briggs. Several thoughts were running through the mind of his youth, most of them confused and wondering. Gah, this was difficult. Without proper knowledge of this woman's intentions, he wouldn't be able to fully sign off on something this ambitious. Slowly walking through the city streets, his fingers tapped the side of his face, red eyes finally softening and closing slightly as they did so. "He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata. He tangata. He tangata..." What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, people, people. Unfortunately, he had to wonder if Deadra was putting her ambitions before humans themselves. He'd have to properly check a few things out before making final decisions...

[Thread LEFT]

[Guest]

"I think you misunderstand." Oh? I doubt that. "I may be the Head of Arms Development here at Briggs, but that's not just it. Everything to do with weaponry goes through me before it goes to Reila. That means that I've already viewed anything to do with your little scheme. And I'll admit--they're interesting weapons indeed. Strange, though. You seem to be holding a lot of Anti-Alchemy Warfare weaponry. Seem to be... preparing for some form of war..." Perhaps it was best I had not requested approval for my own personal weapons. It seems that eyes on many levels see my work. This is a very important piece of the puzzle. However, to call this a scheme is by far an understatement. With or without this team, I will have it all. A war isn't the only thing I've been preparing for. She had amassed a library of books, since her rise through the ranks. Her Military chamber contains several valuable books, but her own personal library contains irreplaceable books she had acquired through less than honorable means. However, she would not be stopped. Briggs needed to stand so long as she needed it to. She wouldn't allow anything to happen to it. As he stood up, so did she.

"As far as I know, this discussion is over, Captain. My break here is finished; I am required for a session with our Head of Science at some point today, so I must prepare for such a meet." She heard the sigh. It seems he suspects me of being underhanded. Good. It's easier to hide in plane sight than behind a smokescreen. "I advise you think over your options a little while longer before coming to me again. I am willing to consider your case, do not get me wrong." He wanted to know the details did he? She could divulge some information, but she deemed him a bleeding heart. The self-less hero for the people. Such an annoyance. In a world of cruelty, being soft will only lead to you getting yourself killed. Bah, she had no use for such thoughts. Only emotion she had was desire. Desire to understand everything in this world. To do so, she needed to remain unbiased. "However, I am also in need of a proper understanding. Therefore, I myself must think this over for a while. Good day, Captain Balistrong. I shall speak to you another time." I doubt that. Your eyes condemn your words, oh how your emotions control you. Your trust in me is very little, almost as much as the old Head of Power held for me. She would need to manipulate him in order to get her way, it seemed a bit of acting was in order. However, she would need to alter her work on the booster, in order to get it past Dai. As her mind pondered, she had set up the six moves for victory in this scenario. Good. Carmella came to give her the bill, Deadra grabbed the sake bottle and poured a single cup. "Cheers Carmella, this game is almost over."

[Reila Tsukino]

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