Qua: Ok, I hate the disclaimers everyone else gives; so I'm gonna let Kain take this one over.
Kain Feury: Qua doesn't own FMA; but wishes she did. The song is by Carlos Santana, whom she also does not own. She does own Lynore, and she does own you; no matter what you may think.
Qua: Beautiful job, Kain. You deserve a cookie!
Kain: How about a hug instead? ;)
Staring at the massive building before her, Lynore got the feeling that she should go back now. The long green tapestry adorned with a white chimera fluttered in the breeze as if it was urging her to turn on her heel and run. Combing her fingers through her waist length raven hair, she steeled her nerves and reluctantly trudged towards the door only to be stopped by a rather bored looking guard.
"Mind telling me where you think you're going?" He was holding his right arm out to block her entrance. Lynore simply smiled at the man and batted her long black eyelashes.
"I'm just here to visit an old friend of mine; perhaps you could direct me to his office," moving closer to the soldier, her black skirt began riding up her thighs. The slit was rising dangerously close to indecent exposure, which she figured might help her cause.
"His name is Mustang, and I just can't wait to see him. It's been years!" Following the soldier's eyes down to her cleavage, Lynore smiled sweetly. "So, any idea where his office is?" A familiar hand gripped Lynore's elbow, dragging her away from the poor stunned soldier and she almost tripped over her own boots.
"Lynore, how many times do I have to ask you not to flirt with the men? They end up incapacitated for the rest of their shift and that would make them useless as guards." The stunned girl looked up into fierce ebony eyes, only to notice them taking her in much the same way as the front guardsman. "Get in my office, park it and we'll discuss where the hell you've been." General Mustang opened the door to his new office and gestured towards the couch for her to have a seat. After he left and closed the door behind him, Lynore opted for a more comfortable perch on the end of the General's large desk. Sitting Indian style, she glanced around the room and spent a brief moment reminiscing before remembering her original reason for being there.
"Well, Roy. It looks like you've moved up in the ranks while I was on vacation. Now, where's my watch?" Leaning backwards, Lynore fiddled with the drawers on the desk only to find that they were all locked. "What's wrong, he doesn't trust me?"
"Looking for this?" Roy had appeared at the door, dangling her old State Alchemist's watch in his left hand and a gripping a glass of iced tea in the right. Moving to sit in his chair, he set down his drink and looked up at the young woman who was now leaning across his desk suggestively.
"Aw, how sweet," she purred. "The General missed me and he decided to hang on to my watch as a memento of all our times together. I'll take that back now." Reaching out to take her watch, Lynore almost fell directly into Roy's lap when he yanked it out of her reach. It was most likely a deliberate move, judging by the smug look on his face and the position of his gaze. This Casanova was not known for his subtlety.
"I'm sorry, but this watch belongs to a State Alchemist. She went by the name of Steel Angel, and she completely disappeared years ago around the time of the uprising in Lior. Pity. If I remember correctly, she was quite an attractive young lady." Swinging the watch by its chain, Mustang smiled haughtily into Lynore's violet eyes; the poor bastard thought he had won. Leaning closer to the General, Lynore gently brushed her lips across his cheek and whispered in his ear.
"I'd do just about anything to get my old job back….Roy." She was now on all fours facing him atop his desk. Her violet eyes flashed momentarily, and Mustang knew he was going to be in trouble. Watching him squirm in his seat, Lynore reached a hand up as if to stroke his face and snatched her watch just as the door opened.
"Uh, am I interrupting something?"
"No!" Lynore jumped off the General's desk and stepped back, blushing furiously.
"Yes!" The General let out an exasperated breath; that was too close!
"You know General, it would be a shame for Riza to find out that you had a girl in your office. And in such a compromising position, too. By the way, how is she doing? Has her morning sickness passed yet?" Amber eyes flickered derisively from behind their glasses as they took in the girl before them. She was wearing the standard military issued coat and boots, but that was where the uniform ended. Even the boots had been modified to have a 3-inch heel that the current wearer didn't really need. They no doubt existed solely to accentuate the long legs that disappeared under the ankle length black skirt, peeking out whenever the very high slit opened just enough. In addition, he was sure that a strapless indigo corset was not military issue.
"You evil son of a bitch! You have a pregnant wife at home? Oh my God, I didn't even notice a ring!" Lynore was dangerously close to transmuting Roy's underwear into a medieval torture device complete with unpleasant spikes. However, that meant that she'd have to touch him, which was not on her list of things to do at the moment. Turning back to the intruder, she began to walk out of the office but was interrupted again by that arrogant voice.
"Not just yet, Lynore. I want to introduce you to Edward Elric, your new partner. I have a mission that requires both of your… talents." The smug smile on The General's face told Lynore precisely which of her talents he was speaking of.
"What the hell do I need a partner for? It's not like I have much to do around here anymore!" Ed's obvious displeasure at the thought of his precious time with his books being interrupted rang through the office like a bell.
"The Fullmetal Alchemist? I thought you died in the uprising in Lior?" Lynore's eyes narrowed, and she examined Ed closely. Dressed in his usual outfit of black pants, black jacket, red overcoat and white gloves, Ed shifted uncomfortably under her nosy inspection. His blond ponytail was tied back in a black band and he was wearing reading glasses. "Well, you're taller than I expected."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN SO SH - HUH? Did you say taller?" Ed looked positively stunned. What was wrong with this girl? Was her perception a little off, or had he really grown? Well, they were almost the same height. And, she was wearing heels. Therefore, he was actually taller than her! Looking back at her, he thought he saw a flash of amusement in her violet eyes, and found himself suddenly very physically close to her.
"I must say, the stories don't do you justice, Mr. Elric. You look absolutely fantastic for someone who has been through so much at such a young age. I would love to hear everything about your fabled quest for the Philosopher's Stone." Running long fingers through his ponytail, Lynore smiled at him warmly. She was leaning on his left shoulder, and running her nails down the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Removing his glasses and tucking them into his coat pocket, she intensified what eye contact they had until Edward gulped noticeably.
"Well, um, see it's kind of a long story…" Ed spluttered, his last remaining metal faculties ordering his mouth not to move. He inched slowly away from Lynore, and Mustang began chuckling softly behind his desk.
"Calm down, Fullmetal. That's Lynore's talent. Don't even try to tell me that you resisted her completely. Steel Angel was one of our most successful interrogators. That is, before she went AWOL." Mustang's brows furrowed as he laced his fingers under his chin.
"I - I wasn't going to tell her anything! You think she can just charm me into babbling my entire life story?" Suddenly embarrassed, Edward flopped himself on the couch and sulked. Lynore rested against the edge of the General's desk, crossing her ankles and smiling down at the young man in front of her.
"I wouldn't dream of prying into that mind. Too much self-loathing, too much angst; makes a girl sick after a while." Folding her arms in front of her, she turned at the waist to face Mustang. "So, what's this mission you have for us?"
"There have been reports that a young man in Aquroya has attempted a human transmutation. I need you to find this boy and bring him to me. Don't worry, Elric I'm not going to try to make him into another 'Dog of the Military'. We learned our lesson with you." The black gaze from the couch was melting through Lynore straight to the man behind her. If there was one thing that Edward didn't want, it was to bring another person into the lifestyle that he had chosen. Growing up in the military was hard on anyone, especially if they had no family.
"So tell me why we're going after this kid in the first place. If you don't want to recruit him, then why the urgency?" Edward's arms were folded across his chest, and his gaze had dropped to the floor.
"We just have a few questions for him, that's all. Steel Angel, I need you to find out as much as you can from anyone there. Relatives, friends, the works. Fullmetal, you're going because you've had first hand experience with this kind of situation. I think you might be able to get in that boy's head better than Lynore. I mean, you weren't very interested in girls until about last month, right?" The outright mocking of Edward's love life was a favorite past time of the General's and he simply couldn't pass up a cheap shot.
"Go fuck yourself," Ed muttered and stormed out the door.
"Hmm, perhaps I touched a nerve. Lynore, I can trust you not to pry too far into Elric's head, right?" Smirking that egotistical smirk of his, the General handed her a large file folder, which she tucked neatly under her arm. Nodding she turned toward the door, but was stopped before she could get there by a billowing cloud of cigarette smoke.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes! How the hell have you been, Lynnie?" Lieutenant Havoc stood in the doorway blocking her exit. Her eyebrow was twitching when she reached out and gently played with the lieutenant's hair, creating a static charge. Humming a little tune, she ran the hand with the folder in it behind her back to touch her knuckles to the transmutation circle she had tattooed there. Almost instantly, the tips of Havoc's hair were aflame. Scrambling around the office, he finally managed to put it out with the General's glass of iced tea.
"Dear, sweet Lieutenant. I believe I have asked you repeatedly not to call me 'Lynnie'. Next time, it'll be your pants I set on fire." Spinning on her heel and causing her ebony tresses to fan out behind her, she strutted out of the office, intent on heading to her apartment.
"I'm gonna marry that girl, General. Mark my words; she will be mine one day." Using the windowpane as a mirror, Havoc tried to make the best of his new singed hairdo.
"Good God, man! She's only 23. Even I'm not that crass. Besides, I think she might have something to say about that. And, judging by the look in his eyes before she used her… talents on him, so might Fullmetal." Roy Mustang's lips curled at the edges in a conspiratorial smile.
First draft of re-dos. Let me know if you can figure out what I changed. I'll give you much loves and inter-cookies!
Qualy