Chapter 4: The Lunchdate
Emily redeemed, for one. And another recurring character. This chapter actually ended up being focused on money for some reason (don't read if such talk offends you). That and the glass ceiling. Actually, Amestris' military is probably more diverse, racially and sexually, than the US army. I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.
Riza encounted Emily the next day at the shooting range, practicing with her pistol. She entered her stall.
"Hey," she said as she loaded her rifle.
Emily fired another shot and then removed her protective earwear.
"Hey," she replied.
"Pretty good," Riza said, glancing at Emily's target. The shots were a little sporadic, but they were all within the first four rings.
"You would know better than me. Do you even have to practice with handguns?"
"I practice sometimes." Riza took aim with her rifle and fired. Top of the second ring. She always did aim a little high.
"Yeah? Do that with a handgun," Emily challenged, holding out her gun.
Riza took it and aimed. This time it was a bullseye. She grinned, as did Emily.
"Get out of my stall," her friend demanded. Riza gave her back her gun.
Emily took aim. "So did you put any of the clothes to good use yet?"
"With four military uniforms in my closet? Unlikely."
Emily fired a shot. Fourth ring, to the top. "Dammit," she said. She switched cartilages and took aim again. "When you're in the military is that you don't really have to choose what to wear every day. That can be a blessing and a curse."
She fired again: third ring, to the right side.
"We don't have to worry about everyday wear," Emily continued. "I even wear my uniform while scrubbing the kitchen floor. It's handy, so practical."
She fired again: second ring, also to the right side. Riza murmured her approval.
"Of course that means we have the excuse of filling up the rest of our closet with frilly, colorful things. Or rather you have no excuse for wearing black on your day off, Riza Hawkeye."
She fired again: bullseye.
Emily lowered her gun and faced Riza.
"We really should put those dresses to good use."
"I don't think I can go out again tonight. It's pretty draining going to bed past midnight three nights in a row, even if it's not from work."
"Yeah, I usually don't go out so much in one week either. When's your next day off?"
"Depends."
"How long is your lunch break?"
"Depends. I have a good amount of discretion though. What did you have in mind?"
"My boss is a stickler for lunch breaks but my day off is tomorrow. Since I've been out on the town three nights this week, how about a nice lunch instead? I'll spend the rest of the day catching up on domestic chores, spend the night reading those novels I've been wanting to get to."
Riza and Emily both liked reading romance novels, almost as much as they liked deconstructing them and pointing out their fallacies and improbabilities. They swapped samples from their selections sometimes. No sense in doubling up on potboilers.
"I think I can manage it."
"Great," Emily turned back to her target. "I'd suggest the white dress. I can meet you in the women's locker room to prep." She fired a shot. "Now get your own stall 1st Lieutenant."
Riza smiled and took her rifle elsewhere.
"Wow, you sure know a lot of ethnic places," Riza commented the next day as she and Emily were seated.
Emily perused her menu. "I try. Actually, shopping is international, but whatever."
"It's these sticks again," Riza held up a pair of said sticks.
"You can order a fork, you culturally-deprived freak."
"So what culture is this restaurant supposed to be recreating?" Riza asked, opening her menu, "It doesn't look Xingese."
"Mmm, some island country in the East."
"Hmm, Breda was station in the East Island Countries. He learned to play this one board game there, junsi or something. He's quite arrogant about it."
"Oh no, it's not a Southern island country, it's up north."
"These prices are outrageous [2."
"Hmm, yes, I know. I'm trying to weigh the balance between paying a lot for something I know is good, and paying a lot for something new that could be even better, or too foreign for my palate."
"I'm going to be paying out of my retirement fund, what with this and last night's shopping."
"Hey, you get paid more than I do."
"Yeah, but do you know my how much more?"
"Yeah, $7000 more a year [1. That's nothing to sneeze at."
"Lousy $7000 for one rank. Divided by 12 that's . . . what? Less than $600 a month."
"Yeah, $150 extra a week."
"I'll pretty much be using up my week's quota with this meal."
"Hey, if I can afford it, you can afford it. Now shut up."
Riza chuckled. "I'll pay for your drink, since you brought me here."
"Great, that's $12 dollars saved. Oh, wait, you're paying. Let me review the beverages list."
Riza was scribbing on a notepad she had with a pen. "I've figured it out. They pay me an extra $2.24 an hour. And that's based on the 60 hour work week. Damn. I know I put in more than 10 hours a day. And when was my last day off?"
"I thought I told you to shut up. You know what you should do? Get a rich boyfriend. That's what women are supposed to do, you know. They're not supposed to get careers. That's why they keep us down on the low rungs of the ladder. To discourage us and to make us get boyfriends, get married, have kids, etc."
"Thank you for the rant. Now what's good here? I've never heard of any of these things."
"You can try the tonkatsu since you're a beginner. The gyoza's good too. Are you getting sake? I'm getting sake."
"Better not. I have to go back to work, remember?"
"Oh yeah, I can just imagine," Emily cackled.
"Though I doubt I could get drunk on the amount they would give me for my money," Riza pointed out.
"At least the tea's free." Emily's eyes raised to look at something beyond Riza.
"Well, well, I thought I saw a military-issue coat."
Riza turned around and saw the Colonel.
The reason Riza had taken her black overcoat was on account of her dress. It was basically two rectangular pieces of cloth sewn over her shoulders and down her sides. There were four slits: two at the sides of the skirt (easy access to her gun, Riza had noted) and two down the front and back of her bodice. Riza had liked her white dress's geometrical symmetry. It was much like her jacket. Too much like her jacket, Emily had thought. She insisted Riza wear another jacket. Riza pointed out that all of her jackets were white. Emily had rolled her eyes and muttered something about how their world was not black and white, and that she should get out and see more of the world besides paperwork. Then she had told Riza to take her overcoat because she was not going to wear a white jacket with a white dress, especially since she had forgotten her white sling-backs and had to wear her black pumps again anyway.
She regretted that decision now.
From behind the Colonel emerged a redhead with deep green eyes. Why was it that redheads with that color hair always had the deep green eyes? She was wearing a spring green dress that Riza knew she could never pull off (she'd tried the color not two nights ago). And even if she did manage to wear a dress of that cut and color she'd never look as sprightly as that girl. How old was she anyway?
Riza turned to glare at Emily as if to say, "Why didn't you warn me?"
Emily raised her eyebrows as if to say, "What? Like I had time?"
Riza turned back around. "Colonel, we seem to be running into each other a lot."
"Well it's not my fault. I've been coming here for years."
"It's Lieutenant Jensen's fault. She brought me here."
"Are you on your lunch break, Lieutenant?"
Riza raised an eyebrow, "Are you, Colonel?" The Colonel was still dressed in his military uniform, actually.
The Colonel laughed. "Well, it's nice to get away from cafeteria food once in awhile. I'll leave you two to your lunch." The Colonel placed his hand on the sprightly green girl's forearm and gently led her to a nearby table. Riza had a perfect shot of the back of his head.
"So this is where he disappears to all the time," Riza huffed, picking up her menu again. This time though, instead of letting it rest on the table, she erected it as a fortress.
"Well he can afford to. He has a Colonel's commission."
"I suppose you know how much that is as well?"
"$100,000."
"That's not all," Riza threw in. "He's a State Alchemist too. I saw his research grant the other day. That's another $70,000."
"You're kidding me."
"Nope," Riza turned the menu page, "Anuual research grant, approved by Brigadier General Godard. I don't even know what he researches."
"Didn't he figure out how to alchemize steam? Invented the steam car?"
"I meant Colonel Mustang."
"Oh. I suppose he figures out new ways to burn people."
"I suppose," Riza peered over the top of her menu to look at the back of the Colonel's head. She remembered when he had had to stay up nights, in Ishvar, figuring out new ways spread fire, to find new fuel after all the oxygen had been used up.
"You know there's a fifteen year old kid who makes just as much?"
"$170,000?!"
"What? Oh. No. Just $70,000 [3."
"Still more than I make."
"And he's been making that much since he was . . . twelve I think. Three years. Yeah."
"Geez, I want to be a State Alchemist. Or I could date one, like that girl over there," Emily turned in her chair to glance at the Colonel and sprightly girl.
"Military fraternization."
"Oh well. Another tool to keep us career women in place. I can look for a rich husband elsewhere."
"Can I take your order?" a tall, bespectacled, dark-haired waiter asked.
"Oh, sure. I guess I'll get the – the tonkatsu?" Emily nodded. "That comes with miso soup, right? And I guess I'll get an order of gyoza too."
"I'm getting the house sake."
Riza threw Emily a dirty look and glanced surreptitiously at the wine listing. Damn it was expensive. Emily finished ordering and the waiter carried the menus away.
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"Here, try this."
"Isn't that raw fish?"
"Yeah, try it."
"I am not eating raw fish."
"Oh come on, its part of the experience."
"Yeah, well your experience can include raw fish and the $40 sake. My experience is just fine, thanks."
The food had been good, but Riza hadn't exactly gotten the nice, relaxing lunch she had wanted. She kept looking over at the Colonel, and the sprightly girl who kept giggling. She would hate to be like that. She tried to remember the number of times she had giggled when she was drunk at the bar.
"This was a great lunch. We should do this more often," Emily giggled.
Riza sighed. She supposed it was only fair that she would have to ferry a tipsy woman home. She didn't relish the prospect though. Their waiter came up again and to Riza's horror refilled Emily's sake cup until it overflowed into its saucer. Emily murmured her thanks and picked up the cup.
"Would you like another refill?" the waiter ask, holding the now near-empty sake jug.
Riza sweatdropped. How many jugs had Emily gone through? "No thank you," she said nervously, pushing her hair back.
"Oh, you're wearing the earrings."
"Hn?" Riza paused, wondering how he knew. Emily was suddenly sober, and was looking at the waiter intently.
"Oh! You're that guy! From the night market!"
"Hn?" Riza was still puzzled.
"The guy who sold you the earrings, Riza," Emily muttered, as if stating the obvious.
"Oh! Well – how are you?"
"I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking. I'm sorry if I'm being too forward. It's just I remembered when you bought the earrings that they really complemented your eyes."
"I chose them!" Emily chimed in with a grin. The waiter grinned back.
"You have good taste."
"Umm, I think we're ready for our check."
"Of course ma'am."
The waiter left.
"Psh," Emily said. "Why'd you brush him off like that. He was totally flirting with you."
"He's just a nice person."
"A nice person who notices the color of your eyes."
"A nice person who remembers two women who paid full price for a pair of earrings."
"He's cute."
"He's a waiter."
"Don't be so elitist."
"You were the one talking about the importance of finding a rich boyfriend."
"Riza, when was the last time you had any boyfriend? Don't get picky on me now."
The waiter returned with their check with a smile. Riza sweatdropped at the price, but she put the money down. Emily would pay her back later.
"Remember, you're paying for the sake."
"How could I forget?" Riza replied as the waiter took the money away. She looked over the Colonel, who was pouring sake for sprightly girl. For some reason this irritated her.
The waiter returned with the change without much more ado.
"How much are you going to leave for a tip?"
"I don't know. What's standard for lunch? This is a nice place though, so probably 20."
"Give him more; he was nice."
"Ah, so that's his motivation," Riza chuckled, and put down 25.
"Don't be so cynical," Emily reprimanded as they gathered their coats to leave. "Not all men are opportunists."
As she left the restaurant Riza glanced back to look at the Colonel. She was surprised to find his eyes meeting her own. He smiled at her and then turned back to his date. The sound of giggling followed Riza out of the restaurant.
[1 Actually, I've never been to a really expensive Japanese restaurant. But if this is the only restaurant of its kind in Eastern, then they're going to hype it up. There is a single Taco Bell in Shanghai. I think it might be the only Taco Bell in China. People wait in line to get in. Oh yes.
[2 I'm using US dollars because I'm not going to get into the whole Japanese/German/Amestris currency fiasco in the making. $7000 seems realistic to me, someone whose only experience with money comes from allowance and a barely-above-minimum-wage-job, especially for a cheapskate military.
[3 I feel like I should explain. $70,000 doesn't seem like that much for research, but it's for an individual person, for whatever their heart desires. I've fanwanked it so that $70,000 is the salary of a Major. I guess since Ed isn't technically a soldier, he only gets $70,000. Major Armstrong, being actually military, gets $140,000. Roy, as Emily pointed out, gets $170,000. That's more than I ever expect to make. I probably won't even make as much as Armstrong either, actually. Meh, me and my bad career choices. Teachers and good, socially conscious lawyers get paid shit.