Innocent Banter

Chapter 1: An Innocent Meeting

Sounds, so many different and intriguing sounds, assaulted Tenzin as she stepped off of the last stair of the train and onto the platform. Turning way from the train, she let out a shocked meep when the whistle blew and the train bustled out of the station, her hat nearly going with it. Scurrying off of the platform Tenzin silently wished that Vulferam was with her. However, she knew that was impossible, as he had died two years ago at the age of eighty-five.

Once she was off of the platform, she clutched her suitcase tighter in her hands. This was not her first trip to Central, nor was it her second or third; however, this was her first trip to Central alone. Usually she took her troops to Central with her good friend Miriam Baum who, due to the Ishvalan Civil War, fled to the desert with her husband Abraham and their family. Apparently because Miriam was half Ishvalan she was a part of the problem. When the eradication was ordered, Miriam and Abraham packed up and left as quickly as possible. It was a tearful goodbye for Tenzin, as Miriam was the best friend that she had ever had in her life, and she missed her terribly. Also, due to Miriam's fleeing the prejudice, she was left to visit her niece all by herself, which wasn't the scariest thing or the most traumatizing thing she had done, but it was nerve-wracking all the same.

Walking towards the exit, she quietly prayed that she would find a map, as she didn't know her way around and she needed to find out how to get to the Military hospital. One of Tenzin's fears about this large city was getting lost and never finding her way out again. She rather preferred wide open spaces, as she could always tell where she was. Even Bhasundara, her home in the long gone country of Narayan, was a bit too crowded for her.

As she looked around, Tenzin spotted the map next to the train departure and arrival list. Walking briskly towards the map, she smiled in relief when she realized it was large and, thanks go to lha*, detailed! Tracing her path from the train station she was at, which apparently was called Central City Train Station, she traced to the military hospital. Then as she removed her finger she realized something...

"Ga re byas nas**!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening when she saw that there were three military hospitals in Central.

Closing her violet eyes, she shook her head in disbelief. This certainly was not going to be a cake walk for the petite woman. "Why couldn't she be more specific," she muttered to herself, reaching up and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and fixing her braids again. That is when she blushed and sheepishly looked around her, realizing she was talking to herself in public again. Standing to the right of her was a young man, half her age, making him about seventeen, with bright blond hair and a cigarette. He was looking at her with a perplexed but amused look on his face, which caused the thirty-four year old Tenzin to blush even harder and mutter something unintelligible.

Quickly backing away from the map, she straightened her hair once again, this time in pure nervousness and bowed to the gentleman. Then she scurried off to the exit like a scared little mouse, too mortified to return to the map and take a better look at it. She hated the fact that she was intimidated by the city life, and the people of the city, but that was probably why, after they moved to Amestris, she bought the little farm house outside of Giribaz rather than the house in Giribaz that was also for sale.

The street outside of the train station was, thankfully, less crowded and much easier to move about in. Turning to the right she started to walk, forgetting all about what she had seen on the map. She would probably ask for directions when she was good and lost, but until that time came she would continue to walk around aimlessly, clutching her small suitcase for dear life. Thankfully her dear friend Gabi gave her a few proper Amestrian dresses, in the conservative style, so that Tenzin wouldn't get stared at due to the fact that around Giribaz Tenzin dressed in the traditional style of her homeland.

Meanwhile, across Central in the high-end part of the city, a young man by the name of Alex Louis Armstrong was sitting down in the nearby park, feeding the birds the last of his sandwich bread. His shoulders were sagging and he kept his head down, not acknowledging anyone as they passed by. Looking down, he dropped the last of his bread and crossed his arms.

'How have I fallen this far?' he asked himself, his spit curl bouncing in the fall breeze. 'All I feel is this immense shame for what I have done…what I couldn't stop.' He thought to himself, musing about what he should, could, or would have done in Ishval if he had the chance. What he had done, open the wall for two Ishvalan women, was destroyed by Kimblee when he killed the two women when they made it out of the wall. He felt so much anger and disgust about all the senseless killing that had happened. He hated the feel of innocent blood on his hands, and no matter how much he had washed himself after the war, or when he was taken out of the field, he just couldn't help but feel dirty.

However, he also felt the shame of dishonoring his family. He had disobeyed orders, and that had brought shame to his family. His sister Oliver, when she found out, had written him a strongly worded letter telling him how he was worthless in her eyes and that she didn't want to see him ever again. The greatest shame was the look on his mother's face when she heard that her son had participated in the atrocities done to the Ishvalan people during the war. He would probably never be able to fully forgive himself for what he had done.

Bowing his head even lower, he fought back the tears of remorse as he remembered the feel of the Ishvalan child who died in his arms. It tore him up on the inside, and his father- well, his father understood how his son was torn up on the inside and said nothing to him about it. However, it would never be the same at home. He was shamed and he knew it all to well.

Standing up slowly, he started to walk out of the park, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. He was probably going to meander back to his apartment now; he would probably just pick up a book and read or maybe sketch a picture or something of that nature. Looking up at the sky, he suddenly smiled as a leaf drifted down and he reached out, his hand open so that the leaf could safely land on the palm. Armstrong then gently tucked the richly colored leaf into the pocket of his jacket. It was such a pretty leaf that he would probably take it home and press it into a book.

Once again he clasped his hands behind his back and started to walk, feeling a tad bit better but not much better than before. As he turned to the right he walked down the street, not at all impressed by the splendor of this part of town when he knew that there were people out there living in absolute squalor. That is what urged him to move away from the Armstrong Manor, he wanted to live a life of his own outside of his father's domain. However, that did not mean that he didn't enjoy visiting the parks, or his family every once in a while – especially on his days off.

It didn't take long for him to once again get lost in thought as he walked towards the thirty-fifth street; which was where his apartment building was. When he did arrive there he bowed his head and took a seat on the steps of his apartment building. Sighing heavily he rested his head on his hand and drifted deeper into thought. He was not resting because he was tired physically; he was tired mentally from all the abuse he was giving himself for what he had done. He just hoped that he wouldn't have nightmares again tonight of that child.

Suddenly two petite feet appeared in his line of vision, causing him to look up to see a little lady, petite as she was, with a perplexed look on her face. She was gazing at him, which unnerved him until she blushed and looked down to her own feet, which only caused him to wonder what she was thinking.

'Does she know what I did in Ishval?' he thought to himself, a look of shame appearing in his eyes and he continued to look down, sadness billowing through him.

All of a sudden she bowed crisply at the waist, her braids slipping down to dangle in front of her as she bowed. Then she started to speak, her voice carrying a strange accent but she was probably from the country, Armstrong mused.

"E-excuse me?" Tenzin stuttered out, straightening her frame as she looked at the large man sitting on the stairs. He seemed to be gentle enough, and unlike the others she had contemplated approaching, he seemed much more approachable, hence why Tenzin chose to ask him for help over the others she had seen.

As he looked up she saw the shame in his eyes, however, and that caused her to be taken aback. But rather than give a shocked or sorrowful look, she just smiled cheerily at him and clutched her suitcase all the tighter. She wanted to see him happy for some reason, it was like his face wasn't built for sadness or shame – in fact it was downright scary! However, she did need help and he at least acknowledged her.

"Yes?" Armstrong asked his voice strong but giving, like a young branch bending in the wind. In his mind he was rather glad that she wasn't so standoffish. In fact, she was smiling at him and for some reason that lightened his heart a bit, and he didn't know exactly why.

"I...I was wondering where the Military Hospital was…the one for…" she was trailing off as she dug into her pocket and withdrew her niece's letter. "The one for the soldiers with a-au….aiutro….automail!" she exclaimed at the end, struggling over the word automail as it was the first time she had seen the word in writing, and the fact 'au' still gave her problems when she had to pronounce it. Giving him a smile she blushed hard, stuffing the letter back into the jacket that she was given as well.

At this Armstrong couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, nonexistent as they were. She was asking him, a random stranger, to help her get where she was going? She appeared to be foreign, now that he thought of it, and for a split second he thought she could be an enemy, but the blush that covered her features told him she wasn't. Standing up, he smiled down at her in return, her demeanor a bit contagious.

"May I ask why you need to get there?" he asked in return.

"My niece, Warr…Warrant Officer Sonam Bach is currently being treated there, she might be home now I am unsure." Tenzin explained, blushing as she looked down at her feet.

However, Armstrong only nodded in understanding and offered her his arm, which Tenzin accepted as she was told by Miriam that it was the proper thing to do in these situations. "I believe the hospital you are looking for is this way." He told her, smiling as they started to walk towards the end of the street.

The walk to the hospital was rather cheery, thanks to Tenzin's innocent banter about the weather and how she liked his hair. In Armstrong's eyes she was a rather cheery woman who apparently loved her niece very much, considering the fact it was very clear the woman was only this talkative because she was nervous. However, she was pleasant and Armstrong enjoyed the walk with her. So when they arrived at the hospital, before Tenzin went inside Armstrong stopped her, a smile on his face as he looked at her.

"Would you like to go for tea sometime?" he asked, nearly positive he'd be shot down. He wasn't looking for a relationship, he just wanted a friend who wouldn't judge him, and he hoped he had found one in her.

Looking up at him with slightly widened eyes Tenzin couldn't believe he had just asked her that question. She wasn't looking for a romantic relationship, she was way past her prime, and she was even greying! However, the hopeful look on his face caused her to smile; she could always use another friend. "I'd like that; I'd like it a lot." She answered, patting his hand gently. Then, he let go of her and stood there, watching the little lady hurry into the hospital. At that moment however, he realized something: He didn't know her name! Hurrying up the stairs he caught her right before she entered the hospital.

"My name is Alex Louis Armstrong by the way. What, what is your name?" he asked, his eyes still hopeful.

At first Tenzin was in shock he actually was introducing himself now and that he had thought enough of her to actually do that. Her smile broadening into a grin she turned to face him. "I am Tenzin." She answered, her own eyes sparkling with glee. "Where shall I meet you?" she asked, curious about it all.

"Can you find your way back to here?" he asked her, figuring she should remember how to get here or she could ask her niece.

"Yes. I am sure I can." Tenzin replied, gently twirling one of her fly-away hairs between her fingers.

"Then I shall meet you here tomorrow, at twelve o'clock." he told her, then he took her hand and kissed it, a proper goodbye for the little lady who had cheered him up.

"Alright." She answered, patting his head in an odd fashion before he let go of her hand. That is when she gave him a polite bow in return, saying goodbye to him in her own way. Finally she turned and entered the building, waving bye to him for a second and that is when Armstrong smiled, a real smile this time.

"She's certainly a strange one." He murmured to himself, shaking his head as he walked down the steps and back towards his apartment building. "Tenzin I'll see you tomorrow." He added, his sparkle returning for the time being.

Footnotes

*lha = god

** Ga re byas nas = Why