Riza entered the room when called to, giving the standard military salute. "Riza Hawkeye," She announced calmly, as if there were nothing between them and nothing strange about a lower officer in their room. Because there wasn't and as far as she was concerned, their past mattered little in the face of the future.
Her features betray little of her own feelings about the situation she was in and his own in stern, commanding. If she tried, she might detect the emotions reflecting back at her. She doesn't. It's a moment before he speaks. "So you went through all that in Ishval, but in the end you chose this path?" he inquired when his thoughts settle.
"Yes," Riza agreed, watching as he began to shift through paperwork, "I chose it myself, and put my arms through the sleeves of the uniform at my own will."
He was no longer looking at her as he pulled out the recommendation letter, but it's another long moment before he asks:
"What's your field of expertise?"
She might wonder if he was testing her, as if seeing if the girl who'd been destroyed in the sands of Ishval would truly have the resolution to stand in front of him now. She's already thought about that.
"Guns," Riza remarked simply, and where she couldn't read him before there's no denying it now. He goes rigid, dark eyes turning to her wide eyed as the paper sits forgotten in his hand. She expected it, in a way, so she continued with her reasoning, "A gun is good. Unlike a sword or a knife, it doesn't leave the feeling of the person dying in your hands."
She was silent, waiting for his answer, and chose to ignore the way the lines around his eyes seemed to soften, the paper now put away.
"That's deceit," the Lieutenant Colonel reminded, "So you plan on deceiving yourself like that and continuing to soil your hands?"
It's another thing she had thought of.
"That's right," Riza clarified firmly, without missing a beat, "we soldiers should be the only ones soiling our hands and spilling blood. It should be enough for only us to go through something like Ishval. As alchemists say, if the truth of this world can be shown through equivalent exchange, so that the new generation that will be born can enjoy happiness... to pay the cost we will have to shoulder copses and cross a river of blood."
The Lieutenant Colonel remained quiet a moment longer, assessing her resolution, before rising from his seat to stand with her.
"I'm thinking of recommending you as my aid," the Colonel remarked, "I want you to protect my back. Do you understand? To entrust my back to you means that you can shoot me from behind anytime. If I step off of the path, shoot and kill me with those hands. You are qualified to do that."
He let the words hang in the air a moment, only a moment.
"Will you follow me?"
"Understood," Riza said, closing her eyes as she gathered herself, "if that is your wish, then even to hell."
I am a powerless human. Because of that, I need your help in order to protect everything. I will protect your lives. And you will protect only whom you can... Even if it's a few, protect those below you. And those below you would also protect those below them. No matter what happens, live, continue to survive greedily. Live and let's change this world together.
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Her features betray little of her own feelings about the situation she was in and his own in stern, commanding. If she tried, she might detect the emotions reflecting back at her. She doesn't. It's a moment before he speaks. "So you went through all that in Ishval, but in the end you chose this path?" he inquired when his thoughts settle.
"Yes," Riza agreed, watching as he began to shift through paperwork, "I chose it myself, and put my arms through the sleeves of the uniform at my own will."
He was no longer looking at her as he pulled out the recommendation letter, but it's another long moment before he asks:
"What's your field of expertise?"
She might wonder if he was testing her, as if seeing if the girl who'd been destroyed in the sands of Ishval would truly have the resolution to stand in front of him now. She's already thought about that.
"Guns," Riza remarked simply, and where she couldn't read him before there's no denying it now. He goes rigid, dark eyes turning to her wide eyed as the paper sits forgotten in his hand. She expected it, in a way, so she continued with her reasoning, "A gun is good. Unlike a sword or a knife, it doesn't leave the feeling of the person dying in your hands."
She was silent, waiting for his answer, and chose to ignore the way the lines around his eyes seemed to soften, the paper now put away.
"That's deceit," the Lieutenant Colonel reminded, "So you plan on deceiving yourself like that and continuing to soil your hands?"
It's another thing she had thought of.
"That's right," Riza clarified firmly, without missing a beat, "we soldiers should be the only ones soiling our hands and spilling blood. It should be enough for only us to go through something like Ishval. As alchemists say, if the truth of this world can be shown through equivalent exchange, so that the new generation that will be born can enjoy happiness... to pay the cost we will have to shoulder copses and cross a river of blood."
The Lieutenant Colonel remained quiet a moment longer, assessing her resolution, before rising from his seat to stand with her.
"I'm thinking of recommending you as my aid," the Colonel remarked, "I want you to protect my back. Do you understand? To entrust my back to you means that you can shoot me from behind anytime. If I step off of the path, shoot and kill me with those hands. You are qualified to do that."
He let the words hang in the air a moment, only a moment.
"Will you follow me?"
"Understood," Riza said, closing her eyes as she gathered herself, "if that is your wish, then even to hell."
I am a powerless human. Because of that, I need your help in order to protect everything. I will protect your lives. And you will protect only whom you can... Even if it's a few, protect those below you. And those below you would also protect those below them. No matter what happens, live, continue to survive greedily. Live and let's change this world together.