Oh no, another story to add to my list of unfinished ones! Except I have a LOT in mind for this story to the point where I fleshed out the OCs past, present, and future looks, as well as her unique transmutation circle, her past (complete with ages), and her alchemy down to the last detail. HAHA I'M OK I PROMISE. Anyway, a lot of this will be strewn throughout the story so unanswered questions will be answered later!
Loud footsteps quickly echoed the halls of the Military's Eastern Command. The blue tail of the standard military uniform trailed behind a young woman, her violent footsteps threatening to let down her bun of jet-black hair. Her short, diamond face was contorted into anger; her thin lips were pursed into a frown, a slight tinge of red was dusted across her tanned face, and her crimson eyes- hidden behind shaded glasses- were narrowed dangerously. Thoughts of what the woman had overheard filled her head, bouncing around violently in her skull as she stormed the halls towards the front of the building. Catching a glimpse of the infamous flash of red, harsh footsteps suddenly stopped in front of an open window. Crimson eyes looked down upon the boy leaving the Eastern Command- the State's new prodigy alchemist, Edward Elric. With a sneer and an irritated 'tch' the woman violently turned on her heel and backtracked down the hallway.
Forcefully pushing open the door to Roy Mustang's office, the woman found the man lazily scribbling at his paperwork, his Lieutenant noticeably missing from his side- probably running errands for him. Unfazed by the sudden intrusion, the man's dark eyes kept locked on the papers in front of him. Knowing he was probably expecting her, the woman's own eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Something eating at you, Major Ziegler?" His calm voice asked.
"What's the military playing at, Roy?" The woman growled, finally getting the Colonel to look up from his work. His eyes shifted to the door and the woman stepped further into the office to shut it behind her. "A twelve-year-old boy, really?" With the door closed, her voice rose slightly, and Roy folded his hands on the desk in front of him. "Some of us had to risk an arm and leg to get in here and he's handed a title like it's candy!" Roy swiveled around in his chair to look out of his large office window.
"Under the circumstances, that's probably a bad idiom to use, Major, don't you think?" Realizing what she had said, the woman sneered, an embarrassed flush crossing her tan cheeks.
"It was unintended, sir." She mumbled under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear.
"Listen, Major," Roy began, his tone serious and low as he turned to face her. "I understand your frustration, but you can't bring your personal problems into the workplace. You want to prove your worth? Suck it up and let this fuel you, not hinder you. You're already walking on eggshells with most of the personnel here- allowing this to get to you will only make it worse." The woman clenched her hands and grit her teeth at his bluntness.
"They'd sooner let a child into the military than an Ishvalan!" She barked, "If it weren't for you, they'd have written me off and chased me out of Central! Yet they let the boy in without a second thought!" She practically yelled, trying to keep from getting too loud in fear of prying ears. Huffing in anger, the woman began pacing in her spot, unsure how to let out her irritation without yelling or destroying something. Settling for some deep breathing, she rubbed her temples with her fingers. Satisfied her tantrum was cooling down, Roy placed his elbows on his desk and laced his fingers together, resting his chin on them.
"True, they would," He began, dark eyes locked onto his coworker and seeing her tense. "But so what? You're here now, a certified State Alchemist, and if you want to make a change, you need to face all the trials that come with being an Ishvalan military dog." The woman was silent, unmoving, letting Roy's words sink in. "That's why you're here, isn't it? To make a change?" Roy was met with silence and picked up his pen to begin scribbling on his papers again when he realized she wouldn't fight him on the matter. "Is there anything else you need, Major?" Eyes still focused on the ground, the woman's lips contorted into a sneer.
"No, Colonel," She mumbled, knowing the man was right yet again. "Thank you for your time, sir." Pivoting on her heel, the alchemist left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
#
Linor tapped the tip of her pen on the corner of her report paper, the metal cap sitting gently between her teeth and the voices of several of Mustang's subordinates ringing in her ears. Apparently, the slacker Alchemist had pawned off the majority of his paperwork to his underlings and they had to split the work amongst them. Thankfully for Linor, she didn't serve under Mustang and avoided any extra work he had shoved off to them. Unluckily, she still had work of her own to do, though she chose to spend her work time with Mustang's crew, and they were pleasant enough company.
"Hey, Linor," Breda called, getting the woman to stop her tapping and look up, her shades blocking any eye-contact between the two. "I'll take you out to lunch if you take a stack." Twirling the pen cap between her teeth, Linor looked back down at her work.
"Normally I would, but I've got my own work to do." Her scratchy voice replied between the pen cap, eyes scanning the reports over multiple times. "I think I left the referral reports for this in my office…" She mumbled mostly to herself, flipping through the pages she had on hand.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just finish in your office instead of bringing your whole office here?" Riza remarked, her attention never leaving her own stack of work. Linor removed the cap from her mouth and eyed the large pile of papers on the couch next to her. Straightening her back against the couch and flinging one leg over her other, Linor pursed her lips.
"Maybe I like your guys' company." She bit back, but Havoc rolled the unlit cigarette between his lips and called her bluff.
"Or you're hiding from your commanding officer." He drawled, his eyes scanning the remainder of the report he was reading. Linor rested her arms along the back of the couch, her fingers still clutching the heap in her hands.
"Okay, you caught me," She admitted, "Lieutenant Colonel Archer has been up my ass lately." She explained, lolling her head back and closing her eyes with a sigh.
"I'm sure that's what he wants," Havoc muttered quietly, though Linor caught it and sneered.
"I would never," Just thinking of Frank Archer in such a way made Linor shudder. "Attractive, sure, but I dunno, he gives me the creeps." With a slight smirk, Linor shook the papers in her hand lightly. "But he sure as hell won't come near Mustang's office if he doesn't have to." Feeling the weight of the papers she was fanning, Linor groaned. "But ya know, maybe if it got me out of all this paperwork…" Falman nearly choked on his coffee at her quip and Linor eyed him questioningly. "You ok over there, Falman?" Still catching his breath, the Warrant Officer raised a hand and waved her concern off as the rest of his friends continued about their business nonchalantly.
"Master Sergeant Fuery, how's the radio?" Riza asked the soldier who was currently struggling with the worn radio in front of him.
"The receiver on this thing has seen better days," Kain admitted, tinkering with the old electronic. "I think I'm going to have to replace it." As if on cue, a clap sounded in the room and a small gloved hand tapped the radio to life.
"Hey, it's Edward and Alphonse!" Kain exclaimed excitedly.
"Welcome back, boys." Riza greeted pleasantly as Linor rose a welcoming hand in their direction. It had been three years since Edward had joined the military and over the time, Linor had gotten quite fond of the two brothers despite her initial resentment towards the protegee alchemist. They were brave, funny, and intelligent children and while Linor still held some jealousy towards Edward, she couldn't dislike him, no matter how hard she might have tried in the beginning. "Go on in, the Colonel's expecting you." With a noticeable grimace on Edward's face, the boy reluctantly headed for Roy's office door.
"Oh," Ed called suddenly, turning to look at Linor, "I almost forgot, some bigwig or something was looking for you, Major." Even without a name, Linor rolled her head and let out a long, exaggerated groan.
"I should have known it was only a matter of time," She whined, slumping on the couch for a moment before slowly starting to gather her papers. "Thanks for telling me," Though she really didn't sound all that thankful. Ed gave her a nod of acknowledgment before the two headed into Mustang's office. "I wonder what the Lieutenant Colonel wants this time…" The woman mumbled, rubber banding and paperclipping her work together. "Alright, well, duty calls, guys. Good luck with the Colonel's paperwork." Linor joked, seeing Havoc look like he was about to fall asleep and singe the documents on Youswell; though she still got a few groans and lazy farewells.
"Uhm, Major Ziegler?" Falman called, making Linor look over her shoulder curiously. "D-did you maybe want to grab some lunch later today?" Rubbing her temple and releasing a loud sigh, Linor gave Falman an apologetic look.
"I'd love to, but I get the feeling Lieutenant Colonel Archer is about to flood my workload. I might even have to work through lunch…" Linor explained, her last sentence said quietly and trailing off unhappily. "Sorry, Falman. You guys can have lunch without me." She assured, throwing a wave of her hand goodbye as she left. Falman kept his gaze locked on where the female alchemist stood, feeling the eyes of his friends on him, but not really caring.
"He swings, and he misses," Breda remarked coolly, earning a sob-like sound from Falman.