Date: 6 October, 1916

Riza probably was quite a sight. No, she knew she was already a sight. So when she heard Edward walk into the kitchen and take a sharp breath, she knew she wouldn't have to turn around to know that the young man was holding back a laugh.

She had convinced herself that she was able to at least pull her hair back in a ponytail; after all, she had nearly gained enough dexterity in her metal fingers to grasp a few select objects. It would appear, though, that strands of hair were not on that short list.

So there she was, bent over the kitchen table with her automail elbow on the table, her metallic hand woven through her hair while her flesh hand tried fruitlessly to gather it into a bunch in order to pull it back into a loose ponytail. Why she thought that would work, she would never really know.

"Need some help, Hawkeye," she heard him say at last, a repressed chuckle still evident in his tone.

"That would be wonderful, Edward," she replied nonchalantly, "Thank you."

"No problem," he answered as he stopped by her side and helped her unwind the metal fingers from her tangles. Once they had successfully unknotted her hair without pulling out an excessive amount and smoothed it out, he invited her to take a seat in one of the table's chairs. Standing behind her, he gathered her hair in his hands, he began to tease it apart and separate it into various pieces. As he began to twist the pieces together into the form of a braid, he finally said, "It looks like you got pretty far in it."

"Further than I thought I would," she admitted with a small laugh, "Although I'm not exactly sure what I was thinking, seeing that I can't exactly move my elbow or shoulder quite yet."

"Eh," he replied dismissively, "I did the same thing at this stage in my recovery. You just want to be able to have full mobility in it so that you can stop relying on others to help you."

With a sigh she asked, "Am I that obvious?"

"A little," he answered truthfully, "But like I said, I did the same thing. It's natural for anyone in our situations to want to be able to stop relying on others.

"However," he continued, "It's always okay to still ask for help. That's what we're here for, after all."

"I know," she answered with a smile. "It can be hard going from being so independent to someone that depends so much on others to help you. I know that it's been a few months since I got here, but sometimes I need a reminder of that." Feeling Edward give her hair a light tug as he began working on the second half of her braid, she added, "Thank you, Edward."

She heard the smile in his voice when he said, "It's no problem, Hawkeye. I went through the same thing, so I know where you're coming from. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."

"Well," she began in response to the invitation as she began to flex her steel fingers, "There is one thing I've been thinking about."

"Shoot," he immediately replied.

"I've just been thinking about my steps in recovery. So far I've just about mastered moving my fingers, though my motor skills in regards to my elbow and shoulder are still lacking. So," she continued, "What is the next step in terms of 'levels' of recovery."

"Ugh," he instantly uttered, "Yeah. The coffee mug challenge."

"The coffee mug challenge," Riza inquired as she felt Edward give her hair a final tug before tying a hair tie around it.

"Yeah," he grumbled, "It's a stupid test Winry has you do before you can move on to 'more delicate work.' The object is to be able to pick up a coffee mug without shattering it."

"Oh, is that it," Riza asked.

"It's more than that," Edward explained as he dropped the braid down her back and sat back in his chair to admire his work. "Pressure control is the most difficult thing when it comes to automail, which you're becoming more aware of each day as you gain more dexterity in your fingers. You need to be able to differentiate and control a range of pressures; from gripping something as delicate as a seashell to grasping a stone, and then everything in between."

Riza nodded thoughtfully at the explanation. She knew she was still a ways away from the so-called 'test,' but it was always good knowing what was to come.

"So," she asked as she turned toward him, "How many coffee mugs did it take for you?"

Sniffing proudly, Edward grinned and folded his arms across his chest. "I only broke four—"

"Hundred."

Turning toward the third voice, Riza watched as Winry leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms, smirking at the blond young man that was glaring back. "You had to have broken at least four hundred, Ed, so don't go sugar-coating your results."

With a mild 'hmpf,' Edward slapped his hand down on his knee and narrowed his eyes. "That's because half of them were already cracked and glued back together, Winry. Of course they'd be easy to break."

Winry rolled her eyes teasingly and countered, "That's because you broke all of them. I didn't have any more of them to use."

"That wasn't my fault," he objected. "I was in training; of course I was going to break some of them."

"You aren't counting the ones you threw at the wall," she noted.

Wrinkling his nose, Edward 'hmpf-ed' again and folded his arms, clearly admitting defeat.

Rolling her eyes toward him once more before focusing on Riza, she smiled and said, "All ready to go?"

"Where are you two heading off to," Edward asked, his small tangent now left in the dust as curiosity got the better of him.

"We're heading off to the bazaar in town," Winry replied as Riza got to her feet. "I heard there are going to be a bunch of clothes vendors and there are even a few automail materials there that I need to pick up."

"Oh," Edward replied with surprise as his eyes wandered over to Riza, no doubt trying to see any hesitance, seeing that she didn't seem to necessarily be one for clothes or automail. But when he realized what Winry was thinking about, he looked back toward her and smiled knowingly, "Well then, you two have fun."

"Wow, look at this dress," Winry exclaimed as she picked up a beautiful high-necked navy blue dress and smiled. "It's gorgeous!"

Glancing up from her own browsing, Riza said, "It is! That would look great on you, Winry. You should go and try it on."

"Oh," Winry replied, her blue eyes widening slightly with surprise, "I wasn't thinking for me." Turning her body, she held it out at arm's length, holding it in front of Riza's form. "I was thinking more for you, Riza."

"For me," Riza asked as she reached out with her flesh hand and brushed her fingers over the silky fabric.

"Uh-huh," Winry answered excitedly. "It has a high neck and everything. It would look stunning on you!"

Riza couldn't help but feel the corners of her lips tug upward in a small smile. "It is beautiful, although," she cut herself off there, flexing and bending the metallic fingers of the arm she had secured in a sling. As much as she admired it, she couldn't imagine wearing something as beautiful as that when she had something even more aesthetically displeasing than the tattoo.

It wasn't that she was dissatisfied with Winry's design; in fact, the limb fit her and her body perfectly, shaped to match her flesh arm in terms of size. But still, something so blatantly obvious and prominent was difficult to draw attention away from.

She saw Winry's giant smile falter, and she immediately felt regret for the way she had trailed off. Focusing back on the dress, she ran her fingers over the fabric once again and tried to imagine what it would look like on her. Maybe just this once… Looking back up at Winry, she smiled and said, "You know what, I think I will try it on."

After getting some assistance from the shopkeep in a private tent, Riza looked in the mirror provided, admiring how it fit the contours and curves of her body perfectly. It was almost as if it were tailored just for her. Turning slightly she brought her automail arm into view.

Surprisingly the dress did not bunch at her shoulder, where she would expect it to considering that the shoulder plating was nearly half an inch above her flesh. Still, she noted as her eyes skimmed down it, it was still very noticeable and very attention-drawing. With a sad sigh, she reached over her shoulder and grasped the zipper and began to tug at and loosen it. But just as she was about to begin unzipping it, she heard Winry tap on the flap that covered the tent's entrance.

"Riza, can I come in for a second? I'd love to see it."

"Oh," Riza answered, surprised. "Of course. I was just about to slip it off, though."

Slipping inside, Winry's eyes instantly lit up as she clapped her hands together in front of her. "Wow that looks amazing on you! You have to tell me that you're getting it."

Smiling at the young woman's compliment, Riza said, "Thank you, Winry. I do think it's a great fit… I'm just not sure it's the right for me right now."

"How so," the younger woman asked as she furrowed her brows.

Exhaling through her nose in defeat, she motioned to her left arm. "I truly appreciate everything you've done for me, Winry, and your work is unparalleled by any other that I've seen. I'm just," she continued cautiously, "I'm just… not sure if I'm ready to display it so obviously to the world."

"Ah," Winry exclaimed, startling Riza, "I didn't know you felt that way, Riza! Why didn't you just say so?" Taking a step toward her and placing her hand over her heart, she said, "I don't know how I didn't notice this before."

"It's alright, Winry," Riza reassured her as she shook her head. "It's something I should have voiced before to you."

"Still," Winry said, "I should have been more sensitive to your feelings on the matter."

"Really," Riza answered honestly, "It's perfectly alright, Winry. I'm glad you picked it out for me because I think I will purchae it." When she saw the young woman's expression change to one of confusion, she explained, "I'd like to have it for when I'm ready to wear it."

"Are you sure," Winry asked. "I don't want you to buy it just because I encouraged you so strongly."

"Positive," Riza replied with a smile. "It's beautiful and I appreciate you picking it out. Honestly with how I look at myself, I doubt I would have picked it out. But despite how different my body is now, you still managed to look past that and find something that would make me feel beautiful.

"There is nothing to be sorry about, Winry. If anything, I should be thanking you."

"Of course," the young blonde responded as she smiled, her bright and cheery expression returning once more. "I have the perfect thing picked out to compliment it too, if you don't mind."

"I'd love it see it."

With that Winry slipped out of the tent, only to return moments later, a long silver piece of cloth laid over her arms. Seeing what it was, Riza turned around to allow her to drape it over her shoulders. After Winry helped her weave it under her left arm as she did the same with her right, Riza looked back at the mirror and smiled.

The shawl brought the outfit completely together, drawing attention to the bright contrast between the two colors. And, she noticed, it even helped to conceal her arm.

After admiring it for a few moments longer, she breathed, "It's beautiful, Winry. A perfect addition."

Peering over her shoulder to look at her in the mirror, Winry grinned widely and said, "I thought you might like it. It's even the same colors as the Amestrian military uniforms. Plus," she added quietly, "I think there's a certain someone that will really like it…"

With a light laugh at Winry's not-so-subtle nudge, Riza said, "I think they'll like it too. I just have to find a reason to wear it someday."

"Maybe when you see them next," she added hopefully. "When they're here in a few weeks?"

"We'll see about that," Riza replied, her thoughts already turning to that certain someone's visit in just a few short weeks. Maybe she will wear it then. After all, navy blue had always been Roy's favorite color.

The further into the bazaar they walked, the more… choosy they became when looking at stalls and booths. Long forgotten were the thoughts and desires to look at clothing and shoes, these ideas now replaced by the need to admire the newest tools and objects put on display at select stands. Though there were no stalls specifically for weapons or artillery, Riza found herself fascinated by the selection of automail-specific tools available there.

Though she did not tell the younger woman, she had been opening the front plate of the metallic limb in order to poke around inside of it, tugging gently at the lines wired directly to her nerves in order to stimulate them and cleaning the compartment as meticulously as she would one of her own weapons. And she had been watching Winry as she worked, taking in everything she did in order to hopefully absorb any possible information she may need for future reference, in the event that they may not be able to reach the mechanic immediately should a problem arise.

She was confident now that she at least had some basic knowledge in minor repairs and fixes. And seeing these tools, she found, legitimately excited her, her mind racing as it began to make sense of and give purpose to the tools laid out before them.

Reaching out, Winry brushed her fingers delicately over a brand new steel wrench, admiring its sheen and shape. But when the man at the stand began to try and convince her why she needed it, the young blonde politely declined, saying that she had something of the same size and shape back at home. Turning back to Riza, she silently conveyed that she was ready to move on.

Signaling her with a small nod of understanding, Riza dipped her head in acknowledgement to the shopkeep before the two women began to make their way back toward the entrance of the bizarre, getting ready to head back home.

Just as they got close to the end of the booths, Winry tapped on her arm and motioned for Riza to stop beside her at the last stall. Reaching out, the younger blonde grabbed one of the coffee mugs that on display on the table. After turning it over in her hands, she nodded and said, "I'd like a dozen of these, please."

Surprised by this, Riza picked one up with her flesh hand looked it over before turning to look at Winry, who was now smiling back at her. Glancing back down at the mug once more, Riza asked, "Do you think it's time?"

"Well, that depends on what you think," the young woman answered, "Because I think you are. But it all comes down to what you're comfortable with."

"If that's the case," Riza said as she set down the mug and pulled her wallet out of her purse, "I'd like to purchase them myself." When Winry tried to argue, saying that it was part of her recovery plan, Riza shook her head dismissively, handing the shopkeeper the bills necessary to pay for the mugs. Turning to Winry, she flashed the younger woman a smile. "It's alright, Winry. I insist. Besides," she continued as she removed her arm from the sling and lowered it toward the table, resting her hand beside one of the mugs she purchased, "I'll feel better knowing that I'm breaking my own china instead of yours."

"Okay," Winry finally agreed as Riza opened the hand, focusing her attention on the ceramic. Pushing the arm forward so that the hand was surrounding it, she then closed the steel fingers around it, urging her mind to move slowly as she did so.

Smiling to herself the moment she heard steel meet porcelain, she was just about to celebrate internally when it shattered in her hand, sending pieces of it flying in all directions. Completely surprised by this, she looked up to see Winry giving her a knowing look.

It seemed that she still had a long way to go...

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! D: I was out of the country and kind of started a few new stories ._.;;; I did not forget about this story, though, and have gotten my motivation back after being stuck for a while! This chapter is dedicated to Alja, who wanted some Friendship!RizaWinry! Next time expect more coffee mugs and a retelling of a certain proposal ;) After that will be some Friendship/Parental!RoyEd.

Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! You guys are incredible!