Central. This place was too hot for her. Nearly choking in the humidity, she briskly walked towards the hotel she was temporarily staying at. Sweat dripped down her neck as she mentally ran through her successful act in front of the Fuhrer. She stopped in a house's shadow. Was it an act? She'd played the role so convincingly, landed herself in a position of so much power. And, there it was again, the obvious question.
Did she want immortality?
She didn't know. All certainty was gone from her life; it had disappeared when she'd left her fortress. There, in the snow, she'd known every crevice and every man. She had wielded so much power. Here, she felt like she was stepping into a whirlpool of chaos. The military was so much more complicated than she'd ever expected.
She shrugged off her jacket, the sun burning her fair face. She had to stay strong in this malignant arena of allies. Rounding a corner, she stopped still in her tracks. Calmly reclining on a bench in front of a hotel was a dark haired man who toyed around with a bouquet of roses. How had he found out where she was staying? Anger and annoyance welled deep within her. Him again. She thought she had made things clear back at the headquarters when she bitterly brushed him off.
This man was persistent.
"And who might you be waiting on, Colonel Mustang?" Her voice flat, with the barest hint of a sneer.
He perused her with a playful smile, toying with the roses, "Why, what luck! I had arranged to meet on a date with a pretty damsel but I don't think she's turning up! How unlucky."
She continued to peruse him with wariness and exasperation. His story was so poorly thought through, she almost felt a bit insulted. Usually he had far many more theatrics up his sleeve.
"But," he rose. "A beautiful flower from the North has just appeared in front of me and my day has become so much brighter!"
She nearly groaned. He had not changed at all. In fact, his theatrics had grown so much more predictable they were almost bland.
"It's nice of you to welcome me, but I think I'd like to retire to my room now," she said in the most scathing of ways possible to her.
"Why, being the gentleman I am, I feel positively obliged to walk you there!" Mustang grinned.
She sighed in exasperation: "There's really no need. Remember – I'm the general while you're still low in the ranks, how predictable. I think I will be able to reach my destination without the need for company."
He stood up, still holding the bouquet of roses. "While that may be so, Olivia, I would prefer if you at least accepted this gift from me."
Sensing and urgent undertone in his words, she knew that this was more serious than the usual banter. He probably did not think she was so deeply involved in the mess that was the politics behind the scenes of the military. What information could possibly be contained in the prettily painted card nestled in the bed of roses?
His gloved hands held hers for a brief moment as she accepted the bouquet. This was not personal: she accepted it as a general who was in need of a better grasp on the intrigue she was almost drowning in.
"Thank you for your gift, Colonel Mustang. I will take care of it."
He nodded, then with a flick of his hair he had already turned, walking away. "I trust that you will, General Armstrong, I hope we meet again soon."
Once he was out of sight, she headed upstairs and locked her room's door. Quickly stripping out of her clothes, she gulped down a glass of water and decided to fish the card out of the leaves. Reading it, her wildest suspicions were slowly confirmed and with her heartbeat quickening in shock she realized that she would be seeing a lot more of Roy Mustang, very soon.
After all, how else would it be possible to stop the spread of the homunculi's rot?
Author's Note: So, will Olivia Armstrong and Roy Mustang see each other again? I think I'll continue this tale as the manga unravels, but is it just me or is there a strong chemistry between those two? The ice queen and the king of flame. There's definite electricity there. Thoughts are all very appreciated at this stage!