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Post by Michi on May 4, 2006 19:20:20 GMT -8
Alora sighed, and slid into her seat on the train. It certainly felt good to sit down after walking for so long. She'd had to walk for nearly two hours to reach the train station, and her shoes were not exactly made for long jaunts across the countryside. Next to her sat a small, tattered black suitcase, which contained all of her earthly possessions. There weren't many, and she had been able to stuff them all inside before leaving.
She sighed again, and closed her eyes, remembering the events that had led her here, on a train bound for Central.
She was sitting outside on the front porch, reading, as usual. Her stepfather was not due home for another hour, at least, and so she was safe. He didn't approve of a woman being so literate, and he definitely would not approve of the book she was reading; a book about alchemy.
Alora turned her attention back to the circle she was drawing in the dirt, and added the final touches, careful not to disturb the various things lying in the middle. Once it was complete, she set her book down, and pressed her hands to the circle. Light rose up around her, and the assorted odds and ends assembled themselves into a shiny dagger, a little longer than Alora's hand.
She barely had time to admire her creation, however, before she was hauled to her feet suddenly by a hand gripping the front of her shirt.
"WHAT THE HELL D'YOU THINK YER DOING?" Alora sputtered a little as she found herself staring into the face of her furious (and possibly a bit drunk) stepfather.
"I-it was just-" but before she could explain, he snatched up the book and proceeded to tear it to shreds. "NO, YOU CAN"T-"
"I can do whatever I want, wench!" He spat, "And I will not have you practicing that witchcraft in my house!"
"It's not witchcraft, it's alchemy, and I-"
"ALCHEMY? ALCHEMY WON'T HELP YE IN LIFE, GIRL! What you need to learn is proper things, like mending and cooking, so ye can find yerself a husband and get the hell offa my property!"
"I don't want to be a housewife! I want to be a State Alchemist!" Her words rang in the air as the entire world seems to fall silent. Then her stepfather roared, and backhanded her across the face. Alora saw stars, but scrambled to her feet as soon as possible. She had had enough of the constant abuse, the yelling, the drunkenness. She turned on her heel and stomped into the house, slamming the door behind her.
"What's wrong, Alora? I heard shouting..." Alora's mother was sitting by the window, knitting. She wasn't well - hadn't been well for years, in fact - and rarely stepped in whenever her husband threw one of his fits. Alora tugged the closet door open, and pulled out a tattered black suitcase, and began to throw her few posessions inside.
"I'm leaving, mom." She announced, "I can't take this anymore. I'm going to central, to become a State Alchemist." Her mother looked up, shocked.
"You're...leaving?" Alora finished packing and snapped the case shut.
"I'm sorry," She said, "but I can't live like this."
"Alora.." A tear ran down her mother's cheek.
"I'll write, I promise." She crossed the room, and gave her mother a brief hug. Brief, before she lost her resolve. With a final look around, she went back outside. Her stepfather was waiting. She ignored him, and began walking down the dusty dirt road.
"Go ahead and go, see if I care!" he bellowed after her, "but don't you ever come back, you ungrateful brat! You'll never be a state alchemist! you're not good enough!" The abuse continued until she was well down the road; out of sight, and out of mind.
She shook her head tiredly, long flaming red hair swinging around her shoulders. She hadn't thought this through at all; she most definitely didn't have the training yet to become a State Alchemist, and what would she do until she did? There probably wasn't terribly much in Central for a girl in her late teens with no training in anything useful, and hardly any formal schooling, to do. But she had to try. Anything would be better than what she had left behind.
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Post by Naucoaran on May 7, 2006 21:08:07 GMT -8
Merrick sat oh his bench as the trail rattled down the tracks. It had been a horrible recruiting trip; he had only gotten two yes's and a couple of maybes. Shaking his head he squeezed his nose between his eyes and squeezed them shut. Now he was on his way back to Central where he would probably get a lecture on trying harder to recruit the younger more active people who could do the military good. It didn't help when they sent him to a small rural area where no one would have noticed him even being there. Sighing he looked around the train car. There were a couple people, none that he would probably be able to talk into joining the military. Turning back to his briefcase he pulled out the paper and opened it up and began to read it. It seemed that nothing interesting was happening anywhere. "At least I haven’t missed anything..." he mumbled dryly. Checking his signature alchemist's pocket watch he noticed that time was barley creeping by on the rickety train. Sighing he stretched and put his legs on the bench across from his own. Get some more recruits this time they had said. Your actions might sway the consideration of your promotion. "I'm never going to get Lieutenant Colonel..." he muttered as he ran his hands down his face. His hair fell into his eyes and he promptly ran his hands back over his golden hair and pushed it back from his face. Looking at the badge on his shoulder that indicated Major he frowned. He needed to stretch his legs and walk; he couldn't stand sitting any longer. Standing he straightened his uniform and situated his sleeves so that his cuffs weren’t overly exposed. Walking down the narrow isle he scanned the faces of the people. The train went around a bend in the track and he stumbled and almost fell on an unfortunate woman with red hair. "Pardon me," he said apologetically as re righted himself. "These trains can be a hassle sometimes, I don't know if I'll ever get use to how they move." he explained as he stared at her with his piercing sapphire eyes. "I am Major Merrick Sorbate, it's nice to meet you." he said as he offered his hand to shake as his other grabbed the back of a seat to steady himself on another turn. (It’s lousy I know…But keeping to my word I joined Spazz.)
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Post by Bessain on Jun 3, 2006 8:49:34 GMT -8
Why was she always given these petty odd jobs? They really weren't worth their time. After all, they had already found an alchemist with some of the talent they required. Was it really necessary to keep an eye on the newer ones? None of them threatened her plans. But then again, it would be unwise to watch one part of the game and not the rest. Someone could always enter a triad. And if that was so, they needed the third player on their side...or dead. Either way would suit their cause.
The train rattled on and on. Behind her, a few seats back sat an officer of middle rank who had been attempting to recruit for quite awhile now. It never surprised her how bad the military could be at selling things. The stereotypical norm should have been "Do this or we'll shoot you". But when violence could not play a part in their everyday life, they tried flattery. Flattery was a good tool, but the idiots always forgot to take their guns off their waists. Her enemie's stupidity was not necessarily a bad thing.
Sighing softly she brought a hand to the middle of her chest and jerked her blouse up a little higher, hiding the tattoo of Oroborus.
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Post by spiritchan on Jun 6, 2006 18:51:32 GMT -8
(wahahaha, i post! i post! =D)
Rei was laying on her train seat, watching the sky from upside-down, listening to a tune playing in her head. She felt giddy, like there was a large amount of energy building up in her chest, telling her she needed to jump up and scream. Thinking of herself doing so, she grinned and giggled to herself. The weird thing was, she wasn't even sure why she was in such a good mood. It's not like it was unlike her, it was just uncommon for her to be this much in a good mood.
Finally deciding to get up and move before she exploded, she wandered to the back of the train. She opened the very back door of the very back car, and stood there, watching the world go by in a flash. Leaning on the railing, she smiled again, her medium-length, reddish-brown hair wipping around her face.
Well, this isn't doing any good, she thought. It just makes me wanna fly!
It seemed nothing could bring her down today. With this in mind, she let go of the railing, and raised her arms above her head. If you feel like flying, why not try? Even though the wind was blowing the wrong way to be flying, she was still having a blast, and laughed out loud. (lol! XD um...sorry...)
Her excitement was interrupted, however, when she heard the train car door close behind her. Rei quickly spun around, arms down and blushing, to see who had joined her. It was a boy- young man, more like- around her age. He was about four inches taller than her, dark brown hair that was close to black, and emerald green eyes. He looked shocked to find someone else out here.
"Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry...I didn't know you were here..." he apologized quickly. He had a country accent, one heavier than Rei's. (did I forget to mention Rei has an accent? mah bad!) Rei smiled.
"No, it's fine. This is a public place, isn't it?" she told him. He smiled and nodded.
"I guess so." Rei extended her hand after a moment, almost forgetting her manners.
"Oh, my name's Rei O'Dell," she said. He shook her hand.
"Jack Nichols. Nice to meet you, Rei." She smiled at him again, and he joined her on the rails, watching mountains of desert dirt fly by.
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Post by Michi on Jun 7, 2006 15:29:27 GMT -8
(OOC: .....who have you added, Ashley? *eyes strange Harry Potter-esque boy warily*)
"No, but thank you anyway."
"But-are you certain?" The poor Major sounded almost desperate to recruit someone, anyone, even if that someone happened to be a teenage girl with no training to speak of who probably couldn't handle military life anyway.
"Yes," Alora said. True, she had been considering joining the military as a normal private, but had dismissed the notion almost immediately. She simply wasn't suited to that sort of military involvement. For her, it would be alchemy, or nothing. "Thank you for the offer, though." The man nodded.
"I should have known - you don't look like you'd make a very good soldier -no offense meant!" he amended, as she frowned and opened her mouth to reply, "Some people were made to be soldiers, and some weren't. It's just my job to ask everyone." She nodded.
"I see." Alora looked down at her hands, which were sitting n her lap. This man was in the military- he would know what it took to become a state alchemist. "I'm actually very interested in alchemy," She said suddenly, "Would you happen to know how they recruit state alchemists?" The man grinned.
"Well firstly," He began, "We don't recruit them - they come to us. So many of them, in fact, that they have to take three different tests to prove themselves. And many of them never make it. You not only have to be an exceptionally good alchemist, but you have to be able to think on your feet, and you have to be different from all the other hopefuls; you have to have something that makes you stand out. It requires years of training and study to make it, and frankly, you look a bit young to be thinking about it just yet."
"That's what I was afraid of," Alora said miserably. "I've had no training at all, and to put it bluntly, I'm nothing special, Major Sorbate."
"You never know," He told her, "You've never been trained, meaning you've never had anyone else assess your abilities."
Alora opened her mouth to respond, but their conversation was interrupted by a distraction in the form of a small orange ball of fluff, which landed in Alora's lap. She gasped, but before she could do anything, the ball of fluff, which actually resembled a kitten, clawed its way up her arm and shoulder to a spot between her neck an the chair. It didn't move any farther, but instead sat in her hair, making small angry noises.
"I'm sorry! She doesn't normally behave this way, I promise!" A boy who looked to be a little younger than Alora ran up. An older boy followed. Both were very blonde, with silverish eyes.
"It's fine," Alora said, through gritted teeth, "But could you get her off, please?" Those little claws hurt.
"Fletcher, I told you to keep her in her cage," The older boy said, moving to extract the kitten from Alora's hair. Thankfully, it sat still so that he could remove it without savaging the back of Alora's neck in the process. "See what happened? Animals don't travel well," He turned to Alora, "I'm really, very sorry about this," He told her.
"It's ok - I'm fine," She assured him. Upon further inspection, however, she discovered that her arm and shoulder were rather scratched up. Nothing terrible, but some of the scratches were bleeding slightly. Alora had suffered worse.
"I'll go see if I can't find something for those," Merrick said, standing up and nodding to the boys, before walking off briskly.
"I'm Russell Tringham, by the way," The boy said, "And this is my brother, Fletcher."
"I'm Alora Bauer." She replied, touching the back of her neck lightly, to see if there was blood. Russell apparently guessed what she was doing because he gently brushed her hair aside and surveyed her neck.
"You've got one or two cuts, nothing serious. Barely bleeding." He informed her, "Still, we really feel bad about this, don't we, Fletcher?"
"Huh?" Fletcher had been preoccupied with stuffing the kitten back into her carrying cage. "Yeah; I'll be more careful in the future." Alora smiled faintly.
"I've had worse, believe me. Have a seat," She offered, gesturing to the padded bench in front of her. The two boys grinned, and sat down.
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Post by spiritchan on Jun 7, 2006 20:49:53 GMT -8
(Oh, I see how it is, Michi...stealing the Tringham brothers all to yerself, just cuz I refuse to make Rei date Fletcher in both RP's.....Well, you never know- I might change my mind...>=])
Rei and Jack had chatted away in the back of the train for some time, before deciding to move back inside. Since she had been traveling alone, they returned to Rei's compartment and resumed their conversation.
"So you're an alchemist?" Jack asked her. Rei nodded.
"Yup, but I'm not that great." she admitted. "I've only been at it for a few years."
"Any specific reason why you became an alchemist?"
Rei thought this over a minute. She didn't really have a reason why. She shrugged.
"Guess I don't. Just picked up an alchemy book one day and was hooked." She grinned widely. "But I do plan on becoming a State Alchemist!"
At the exact moment Rei had declared this, a man in a military uniform stopped in his tracks next to their compartment. He stared at Rei, a bottle of ointment and a towel in his hands. Rei noticed him, a questioning look in her eyes.
"Um...yes, sir?"
"Sorry to listen in on your conversation," he apologized, "but I couldn't help but overhear- you want to become a State Alchemist too?" Rei cocked her head to one side.
"Too? What do you mean, too?"
"Oh, there was another girl in a compartment some ways up, about your age. She was interested in becoming a State Alchemist as well." he explained. Rei's eyes lit up.
"Really? On this train?" The military man nodded.
"Yeah. You should come and meet her." He moved the items in his hands to one arm and extended an empty hand for her to shake. "I'm Major Merrick Sorbet, by the way." Rei and Jack both shook his hand.
"I'm Rei O'Dell."
"Jack Nichols."
And with their introductions, Rei left her compartment for the second time.
(Sorry it's short and var crappy....my parents are telling me to get off...>.<)
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Post by Naucoaran on Jun 8, 2006 14:56:39 GMT -8
After returning with both the bandages and the two young kids he had met on the way the major cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “On my way to get these,” he held up the medical supplies, “I overheard these two talking about state alchemy. Apparently it’s getting quite popular with you young ones. Of course there is that one child who had become a state alchemist at the age of twelve...” He had muttered the last part mainly to himself. Realizing that he had stopped talking and was just standing there trying to remember pointless details, he lightly shook his head to clear the thoughts. After introducing everyone to one another, Merrick took a seat next to the cat victim. “This may sting a little,” he explained then before she could protest he started to clean and bandage the wounds. When the state alchemist had finished he leaned back in his seat and looked thoughtfully at each of the girls in turn. So young, he thought as he looked at each of them but was assaulted by the stories of the twelve year old who had been able to become a state alchemist. What was his name? He pondered. The name was regardless though. If he could convince them to at least look into some future with the military, alchemist or not, then maybe he wouldn’t be disciplined so severely when he returned. “How talented do you consider yourselves in Alchemy?” he addressed no one in particular, wanting more then one of them to answer anyways. Their replies were relatively the same: that they were the run-of-the-mill standard alchemists, as far as country kid standards go. The major frowned. At least they were honest, an admirable quality, he contemplated. “As I had said before though, you have never been properly assessed by a real state alchemist. Where are all of you heading? I have some free time later on and if you all are still around maybe I could help you out with honing your alchemy skills.” At this time he pulled out the signature pocket watch and checked the time in an over exaggerated way. He was more interested in showing it to them all then checking the time and after holding out for a couple of seconds he spoke, “Didn’t I tell you that I was a registered state alchemist?” he asked coyly. Sitting back down Merrick returned to his lucid demeanor. “All that I ask in return is that you take the military into some more consideration. Not all the positions are dealing with war and death.” He reminded them as he placed his fingertips together, much like a lecturing professor.
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Post by Michi on Jun 8, 2006 18:26:30 GMT -8
(OOC: Moohooahahaha. Nein, I really only want Russell. Maybe. Or can I have both, and maybe Havoc as well? And Roy? And Edo, and -*is beaten severely by Riza and Winry* We can share!)
"But- doesn't it take years and years of training?" Alora asked. Merrick shrugged.
"Depends."
"On what?" the question came from Rei this time. She was leaning forward in her seat and looking eager.
"On a lot of things. Natural ability, how fast you learn, what you learn, how useful you would be to the military," he was ticking the points off on his fingers as he spoke. "But there's no harm in trying, right?"
Alora was still skeptical; she couldn't help it - if there was one thing that life had taught her so far it was that nothing was for free. This man seemed like he wanted them to try for their watches very badly, but why? There had to be something in it for him, Alora surmised, and she wasn't about to accept any offers of help until she learned what it was.
"I suppose," She said slowly, "but aren't you very busy, being a state alchemist and all? I mean, why would you take time out of your demanding schedule to tutor two mediocre girls?" He shrugged.
"Are you complaining?"
"I think what Alora is trying to say," Russell said suddenly, "Is 'what's in it for you'?" He looked at Alora, and she nodded. Merrick sighed.
"Not too much, to tell you the truth. It would spare me a lecture, maybe, and if you two turned out to be promising alchemists, it might increase my chances of a promotion. That's really about it." Alora, satisfied, sat back in her chair. She could read between the lines - he had obviously been sent out to recruit, and if he didn't find someone, anyone now, he was in deep trouble with his superiors, whomever they may be. He wanted a promotion, and the only way he was likely to get it was by contributing to the well-being of the military. Rei and herself were to be that contribution.
"All right; I'm in." She said, "I had no other plans anyway." She looked over at Rei, who appeared to be in deep thought. "How about you?"
~ (OOC: Short post, but hopefully good. I think I like Alora better in this story; she's smarter, and more calculating. I enjoy writing calculating characters.)
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Post by Chad on Jun 8, 2006 19:00:34 GMT -8
Kai simply sat in his compartment alone. He was watching... waiting for the right moment when he would strike. As soon as he saw that rich-looking military man who seemed to be occupied with a lot of things on his mind step onto the train and accidentally fall on some girl in the apartment across from him, Kai knew the man would be his victim. All he had to do was look for an opportunity. He saw the man speak to several different people and eventually sat down in the compartment speaking with two very young girls about Kai's age. What a pervert. Kai thought to himself. Hitting on teenage girls like that...Teddy whined. He was getting restless. Kai leaned foward and whispered to his dog. "We'll strike in due time, buddy," he said quietly. "Just have some patience." Teddy gave Kai's arm a lick that seemed to mean he understood. Then, the opportunity came just like that. The military man took a silver pocket watch out of his pocket. Kai recognized the watch-- it was a special watch only carried by state alchemists. Kai knew he had hit the jackpot! A watch like that must be worth something. As the military man got more involved in his conversation, he set the watch down on the empty seat next to him and continued to talk. "Now's our chance, boy," Kai whispered to Teddy. "Go grab it!" [ I hope you guys don't puke over my writing. ]
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Post by Michi on Jun 8, 2006 19:21:11 GMT -8
swoosh.
All Alora saw was a black blur, as a relatively small dog snatched Merrick's pocket watch almost literally right out from under his nose. She alchemist surged to his feet, producing a small bit of white chalk as he did so.
Apparently, however, Alchemy wasn't entirely necessary, as the pocket watch clattered to the ground and skidded to the side. The dog has stopped to bark incessantly at Fletcher and Russell's kitten.
The kitten was having none of it, however; in a matter of seconds, it had gotten itself free of the cage, and was running as fast as it could go to the other end of the train, the large dog close behind.
"Dammit!" Fletcher exclaimed, jumping up and running after. The others followed, at a slower pace so as not to startle the other passengers into thinking something was wrong.
By the time they caught up to Fletcher and the animals, Fletcher was holding the wildly struggling kitten, as another boy tried to calm the dog.
"Teddy, dammit, leave-the-thing-alone!" MErrick stepped forward, clearing his throat impressively. The boy looked up, and flushed a little, "You should keep your cat in a cage."
"You should keep your dog on a leash." Merrick retorted. "For some odd reason, it decided to try stealing my pocket watch."
"Not my problem." The boy said, still struggling with the dog, clearly wanting to be elsewhere.
"Oh, but it is your problem," Merrick said, a faintly manic gleam in his eye, "My watch seems to have tossed itself off the train, and guess who's going to be paying for a new one?"
~
(OOC: Severely sucky, I know; I'll edit it later, but I'm pressed for time.)
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Post by Bessain on Jun 8, 2006 20:32:56 GMT -8
What good were sound proof earmuffs if they couldn't even muffle the noisey train that raced by the range every so often. It was getting really really annoying. What idiot decided to build a train track next to a shooting range? Extending her right arm out before her Gale raised her 9mm pistol, lining the sights up and taking a deep breath before pulling the trigger.
A blind man could tell that she missed the center of her target. Damn gun kept pulling to the right. She fiddled with the sights again and almost broke the handle while shoving another magazine in. With a sigh she buttoned the pistol back into its holster and backed out of her stall. Gale had been raised with guns. She knew them so well, that it even helped her pick out a profession involving the military. But it was times like this that really made her doubt herself. And she hated it.
Now utterly pissed at the world, she shoved her hands into her pockets, brushing aside her navy blue jacket. Gale turned to head for the parking lot, but spun around in rage when she was in the head with someone's pocket watch.
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Post by Chad on Jun 8, 2006 21:38:59 GMT -8
Gale picked up the silver watch after a small dizzy spell and held it in her hands. The watch was slimy from what seemed to be dog drool (or so she hoped) and it glistened in the sun. She turned it over in her hands and found a few words engraved into it's back. It read "Major M. Sorbate - Central". Hmm, a military man, eh? Gale's anger slowly subsided. He sounds important.~ Kai looked into the sharp, blue eyes of Major Merrick that were glowering down into his. "That watch was worth your life, boy," said Merrick. "Uh... it was an accident," replied Kai. "Don't think you can trick me. I've dealt with scum like you more times then I could count. You only had intentions to steal it, now it's long gone," said the Major. "You're going to have to pay me back." "Are you crazy? I could never afford that! Why do you think I was stealing in the first place?" said Kai. "Of course I know that you have not a cent to your name. What is it, anyways?" asked Merrick. "The name's Kai, sir," said Kai obediently. "Well Mr. Kai, you're going to pay me back with some hard work," said Merrick gaining an evil smirk on his face. He pointed at Alora and Rei. "You're going to help these two young ladies become state alchemists." [ sorry about the shortness ]
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Post by Michi on Jun 9, 2006 16:05:30 GMT -8
Alora frowned. Just what exactly was Merrick trying to pull? Having this boy - Kai, was it? - help them become state alchemists would be like a cat trying to help a pigeon fly. The cat had no idea what on earth the pigeon was trying to do, and god help the pigeon if the cat gets hungry. Like as not this boy would simply rob them all blind and run off in the night.
She considered this a moment - no, this boy defiantly was not stealthy enough to get away with that. For heaven's sake, he had used a dog to steal a pocket watch on a moving train; he was quite obviously only an amateur thief. Mediocre at best. He wouldn't be able to rob them, but by the same token, Alora couldn't see how he would be of much use, either. Merrick must have something else in mind.
"But-how?" Rei asked, looking the boy over. "He's not an alchemist." Merrick grinned coldly.
"That doesn't make him useless."
"Stop talking about me as though I'm not here!" Kai said, frowning. He seemed to have realized that there was nowhere left to run.
"How is a thief - an amateur thief, at that - going to be of any use?" Alora asked, enjoying the way Kai pouted when she said 'amateur'. Even if he wasn't exactly useful, he would be amusing.
"You'll see." was all Merrick said. "It's a good thing the next stop is Central - I no longer have any identification." He sighed, "I'm going to get a tongue-lashing for sure. General Hakuro never lets anything go." With that, he turned and walked back to his compartment, leaving the others to follow.
"What exactly were you thinking, trying to rob a state alchemist?" Russell asked. Kai's frown deepened.
"I didn't know he was a state alchemist." He said, "I thought he was just a rich man with a nice silver pocket watch." Alora grinned.
"Military uniform. Silver pocket watch. Most of us can put two and two together and get four." She teased. Kai simply glared and followed Merrick's retreating back, dragging his severely bruised ego along with him.
~ (OOC: another real sucky post, but I'm short on time.)
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Post by Naucoaran on Jun 9, 2006 17:19:06 GMT -8
Merrick walked back to his seat, confident that Kai would be following him like a trained dog. Try to steal my watch will you. he thought bitterly. I'll teach you, he just better be happy I didn’t fry him. he thought as he looked down at his cufflinks with the subtle transmutation circles on them.
Just as they arrived at the compartment a woman who was dressed in uniform came down the isle. "Prepare your items sir, we will be arriving at our destination shortly." she said kindly. Merrick pushed against the wall for her to get by and she squeezed though. Before she had passed him the major winked and she giggled as she covered her mouth and hurried down the isle.
Pushing Kai into the seat across from his own he picked up his suitcase and checked inside it for all of his belongings. Everything was accounted for, excluding his watch, and soon the train was stopping. "Come along everyone," he said to the group as he led Kai out of the train, a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Welcome to Central." he said as they all looked out from the platform of the train. (Terribly short I know, but I figured we should move this along and get off the train, tell me to edit if you had other plans.)
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Post by spiritchan on Jun 10, 2006 10:06:34 GMT -8
(dammit, hafta repost this cuz i wasnt logged in the first time!! >.<)
Central. It wasn't Rei's original destination, but life was full of detours.
She quickly grabbed her bag of belongings and hurried off the train to catch up with Alora and the major. Before she hopped down the steps, however, a hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned around to meet Jack.
"Hey! Are you coming with us?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No, I have to go north." he explained. Rei nodded in understanding.
"Oh, well then, it was nice to meet you!"
"Yeah, you too. Maybe I'll drop by and give you a visit sometime?" They smiled at each other, and he returned to the train. Rei sighed. It was a pity he wouldn't be joining them; he was so good looking.
"So, Merrick, are we going to headquarters with you?" Rei ashed as she walked up to their small group. He nodded.
"That's the plan." he explained. "I just hope you guys will pass as new recruits-in-training and save me a lecture." He looked over to Kai, who was sulking, and frowned. "And I hope they won't be too angry about me losing my pocket watch."
But he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. At that moment, a woman dressed in a military uniform walked up.
"Excuse me, sir," she asked, holding out a very familiar silver watch. "Are you Major Sorbate?"
(Bess hasta post next! NO ONE ELSE!!)
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Post by Bessain on Jun 10, 2006 18:42:07 GMT -8
((Gale's Character Bio is up and running))
Her work now completely ruined, Gale had to travel to Central to gather more information and to return the watch that had so violently assaulted her. She had a few things to say to the owner of that particular piece of clockwork.
Just outside of Central Station she was lucky enough to find Major Sorbate. As soon as he confirmed his identity she chucked the watch at his head, as he had so obviously done to her, and turned to greet the new recruite-ees. "Hello all, I am Gale Harrison." she said.
Hearding them away from the inferior officer, Gale joined the small group in traversing to Headquarters.
((Sorry about how short it looks. But, Im
not
like
you
people
who
have
to
double-space
every
sentence.))
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Post by Naucoaran on Jun 10, 2006 21:41:14 GMT -8
The major sputtered then after looking the watch over for damage he placed it back in his pocket. Stomping off after the military woman he held the welt growing above his left eye.
"Hey!" he shouted at her when he had caught up. "Why did you hit me with my watch?" he demanded as he kept stride with her. "You hit me with it!" she countered quickly. "I didn't hit you with it, he did!" he said after a look of bewilderment crossed his face.
"The runt tried to steal it on the train and it flew out the window!" he continued as his face turned a slight shade of red from yelling. He had used up most of his temper when he had lost his watch but now to have been hit with it in the face some soldier he had just met and have his 'recruits' taken away made him snap.
"Plus if you had realized that it was a state alchemist watch you would have figured that no one in their right mind would throw it out the window at someone." he said triumphantly. He had a point and she knew it.
"Besides these are my recruits, the two girls might even be promising alchemists." he said as he glowered at the woman. She was younger then him, maybe by five years maybe more. "Were on our way to headquarters and I'm going to properly assess their skill in alchemy and maybe help them improve in it." he said more calmly, his anger played out.
"By the way, keep an eye on this one," he lightly slapped the back of Kai's head. "He'll try to steal all your shiny objects, maybe even that gun." he said as he spotted the pistol holstered onto her hip.
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Post by Michi on Jun 11, 2006 13:44:58 GMT -8
(Someone PLEASE explain what Kai's doing here!!! What is his purpose?? I neeeeeed to know! *rips hair out of skull* Okokok, large vast amounts of people time. Gawd. Has anyone seen the Tringham brothers? I think they sort of ran off. Ah well.)
"All right, kiddos, follow me!" The Major said, before turning and walking off down the street. The woman -Gale - followed, obviously sulking. Alora followed behind them, and was rather startled when Rei strode up and linked arms with her as they walked along.
"Are you nervous?" She asked. Alora considered a moment, then nodded.
"A little. I'm scared that they'll tell me I'm no good, and send me back." She shuddered, "I can't go back." Rei's brow furrowed.
"You can't? Don't you have a family?"
"Yes, but it's slightly more complicated than that. I'm not welcome there anymore - if I ever really was to begin with." Rei nodded.
"Ohh. So you want to become a state alchemist? A dog of the military. Why?" Alora shrugged.
"Why not?" She said, to cover up the fact that she didn't really have a reason for pursuing the title so ardently. "How about you? Nervous?"
"Yes. It's mainly the uniforms. These people look so official, so-"
"Stoic?" Alora supplied.
"Exactly. And they stare at you like they're trying to read you. It's creepy." She grinned, "But I guess that's what they want us to think, huh?" Alora smiled.
"Probably. I bet they can smell fear, too."
"Yup. We'll just have to try not to show our nerves, then."
~
Behind them trailed Kai and Teddy, flanked by two other officers. He didn't like this arrangement one bit. His fingers itched to steal the shiny little silver pins that adorned the men's sleeves, but he knew that if he dared to steal from the state, he would end up being shot, or worse. So he kept his hands to himself and walked along obediently. He was quite surprised when one of the men talked to him.
"So, you tried to steal the Major's pocket watch, eh?" The man said, grinning. He had a shock of blond hair, and a cigarette sticking out of his mouth. "What made you think you would get away with it?"
"I didn't know he was an alchemist," Kai growled. He was incredibly sick of people asking that question. "Where exactly are we going, anyway?"
"Well, the Major's taking those two girls," He jerked his head towards Rei and Alora, who were chatting animatedly up ahead, "To see Colonel Mustang. He'll know what to do with them. Might scare them out of their wits in the process, though."
"Is it really that frightening to become a state alchemist?" Kai asked interestedly.
"Naah, the Colonel's just a sadistic bastard who likes to scare people for fun. Don't tell him I said that, though, or he'll have my hide. I'm Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc, by the way."
"My name is Kai." Kai told the man, thinking. Maybe the military wasn't filled with tight-lipped stern old men, as Kai had previously thought. In fact, this 'Colonel Mustang' man didn't sound half bad.
~
"You're seriously taking them to the Colonel?" Gale asked. Merrick nodded. He was polishing his watch as he walked along.
"Yep. Then he'll have to admit that I'm not a 'complete and utter disappointment', as he told me the last time I returned from a circuit with no new recruits."
"You know how much he likes to frighten the new recruits." Gale said flatly, "All hell will break loose, and you know it. Those girls will have fled Central by sundown."
"Nonsense." Merrick said, pocketing the watch, "Lt. Hawkeye will be there. She'll keep him in line."
"We can only hope."
~ (OOC: So they're going to go see scaaaaaaaary Mustang and Merrick may finally get that promotion. Sorry I kind of kidnapped everyone's characters, but I felt like writing, and they were just there. So I took them. Mwahaha.
Sidenote: Did you know that blonde/blond is a gender word? blonde is used to describe females, and blond is used for males. I find that amazing, but then maybe I'm just sort of stupid for not knowing it all along.)
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Post by spiritchan on Jun 11, 2006 18:39:19 GMT -8
(holy crap, michi, thats actually pretty cool! ((the gender thing)) and i dun mind you stealing Rei. thanks for practically writing her bg for me! ^-^ saved me the time!)
"Colonel Mustang, sir! Major Merrick Sorbate, reporting!"
Merrick had gone into Mustang's office alone, everyone else waiting outside. He figured it would be best to explain everything to his superior officer by himself. Rei sighed, kicking her feet back and forth as she sat by Alora on a bench just outisde Mustang's office door. Waiting was not her thing. After a moment, Merrick returned.
"The Colonel would like to see you two," he said, motioning to Rei and Alora. They exchanged glances, and rose from their seats. They were very nervous about talking to such an important man.
Rei's vision of Colonel Mustang was your stereo-typical colonel: middle-aged, grey hairs poking out here and there, wise, strict eyes, and a large moustache covering his mouth. She entered his office, only to find out how wrong her vision had been.
Colonel Roy Mustang was nothing like Rei had imagined. He was young- very young, at that-, black, messy hair, clean shaven face, and a kind smile. His eyes, however, did look wise. He stood behind his desk, and welcomed them.
"Welcome to my office, ladies. I'm Colonel Mustang, but you can call me Roy." he told them. They bowed, and Roy smiled. "Major Sorbate tells me you're both interested in becoming State Alchemists, am I correct?" Rei and Alora nodded in unison.
"Do you think they'd be exceptional recruits, Colonel?" Merrick asked. "I haven't observed their skills yet, but they seem pretty confident in themselves, so they can't be that bad."
Roy put his hand to his chin, looking the two young girls over. He was like that for a moment.
"They are very fine young ladies," he finally said. The girls blushed at this comment. "But their alchemic skills will need to be observed before we can tell."
"Yes, sir." Merrick said, nodding.
"But they're very young, meaning their skills can't be anything above average. Unless, we have another case of the FullMetal Alchemist on our hands," Roy mused. "But that's very unlikely. Do you have a plan for training them?"
"Yes, sir. I plan to train them myself."
"Great! Just let me know when you plan on pbserving their skills, I'd like to be there." Roy said, smiling. "Lt. Hawkeye will escort them into the next room and add their names to the list of recruits who will be taking rthe State Alchemy exams."
It was then that Rei noticed the blonde woman, hair pinned up, sitting at her own desk off in the corner. She stood, and hearded her and Alora through a door to the right. Once they were gone, Roy turned back to Merrick.
"Well then, Sorbate," he said. "now all that's left to do is talk to Hakuro about your promotion. You're dismissed." Roy returned to his seat as Merrick happily saluted him, turned, and left.
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Post by Naucoaran on Jun 12, 2006 11:46:24 GMT -8
Merrick left the office and once he had closed the door he silently punched his fist up in the air in success. After he had done so he noticed that Jean was staring at him, his cigarette sticking out of the corner of his smile. "That promotion is coming my way I know it." he said to Havoc. "Yes sir I know," he said as he struggled to suppress a laugh. Clearing his throat to hide the large smile that was creeping across his face Jean turned and walked out of the room.
Waving his hand dismissively at Havocs retreating form he spied the door where Riza had taken the two girls. Opening the door he saw that they had just finished signing up for the exams. "Ah very good." the major said as he clapped his hands together. "Thank you for your assistance Lieutenant." Merrick said as he nodded thoughtfully at the blonde woman. Without another word she walked past him and back to her desk in the other room.
"You might have heard stories about how the exams are a grueling process. And those stories aren’t necessarily blown too out of proportion. I have to tell you that you have to be very dedicated to this, you have to taste it and want it more then anything or you wont get it." he explained to the girls as he led them out of the room. "Oh before I forget, watch out for the Colonel. He has more charm then common sense allows and has the libido of a jack rabbit." he said with a somewhat twisted smile on his face. There had been many stories about Mustangs...experiences...and many if not all of the people in head quarters knew about the young Colonels fascination with women.
"But besides that you should be fine, just know that this isn't a time of relaxation you two have a lot ahead of you, and seeing as I am your teacher we better get started. Your skills will reflect on me. Would you like some preparation time before the first assessment?" he started to chew his thumb. "The Colonel wanted to witness it too." he muttered to himself.
((I got the Majors bio up, its under Phoenix's profiles because I can't change the name of my old bio database and that use to be my name on here.))
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