[July 4] [Fullmetal Alchemist] By The Unmourning Water

[lilacfield.livejournal.com]

Title: By The Unmourning Water
Day/Theme: July 4/even if I lose you, I'll get you back
Series: Fullmetal Alchemist
Characters: Miles, Olivia
Rating: G

Fullmetal Alchemist © Arakawa Hiromu, et al.


"Sentimentality gets a person killed, and fast," Olivia said, staring hard at the newly arrived soldier. "And if that is not what you're carrying with you, don't say so, just prove it to me."

"You seem to think that words are cheap, Ma'am."

Olivia whirled around and Miles followed her. They walked toward the fortress entrance as a flurry of fresh snow swirled down from the sky. Miles thought that all this whiteness, so alien and forbidding to him, was also desperately beautiful: a make-or-break environment. He might even love it here, and not too long after today.

"Not cheap," she said to the giant structure looming in front of them. "Just too multilayered for my liking. So, Miles. You're proud to be an Ishbalan, and planning to make the best out of the mess called the Ishbalan war. Got any concrete, long-term plan toward that goal?"

Miles slowed down for a moment. "Not yet, Ma'am. But I will do my people proud, I can assure you. A lot of things have been lost in the war, but I can at least bring one of them back to life."

"Great, an ornate speech. I hate those." She waited until he caught up with her, and added, "Here in Briggs, self-improvement is part of the job description. I personally would count recovering your people's good name as more of a vocation. However, there's no reason you can't make it also work for the rest of us."