A party... and a meeting? Only Reila...

Only Reila... the redhead laughed to himself and shook his head a couple of times, looking at the feast that was set out - it rivaled the one that they had on for Xan. He laughed again, and looked around to see where the Ice Queen - his Queen - was. He yawned slightly, and stepped forwards, looking over the preparations once more. This was certainly an interesting setup. A party, yes... to greet the newcomers to Briggs!

It was also a meeting, though, which was what made Dai think "only Reila" in the first place. With a small smile, he looked over the food and began to chant softly.

Whiti ora ki te whei ao ki te ao märama. Whiti ki runga, whiti ki raro. E ngungu ki te pöhatu e ngungu ki te räkau tïtaha ki tënei taha tïtaha ki tërä taha. Tihei mauriora." His karakia over, he turned away from the table and walked gracefully to the door with a smirk on his face, opening the door and walking through, ready to greet anybody who was to come. He wanted to make their first days at Briggs just as... interesting... as his, well, probably not as interesting as finding a Philosopher's Stone. But, hey.

Alright, whose bright idea was it to arrange a party for newcomers? This was so frustrating! Alex walked through the halls, sighing constantly. He kept turning to go back to his dorm and avoid all of this, and then turning back to go toward the room where the get together was to take place. This wasn't his idea of meeting everyone gradually. It had been such a long time since he'd been around a crowd, and he hoped that he'd be able to handle it. He would have to show up, though. If he didn't, then what would the others think? Who exactly were the other?

"So much to think about!" the brunette said to himself as he turned back in the direction of his dorm. He lifted his hand to turn the knob, but then let it fall back down again and put his forehead against the wood. What to do, what to do? He didn't want anything drastic to happen while he was there! Well...if there were a lot of other people there, then nothing too crazy would happen...right? With a light punch to the door, Alex stood up straight and began to walk in the general direction of that room again. He would calmly walk in and greet whoever was already present. Yes, that would do nicely...right?

A groan escaped the lieutenant's small frame and he hastily walked along until reaching what he thought was the right room. He wouldn't lie, the whole aspect of meeting a group of people was a bit intimidating...but it was now or never. Alex opened the door slightly and peeked into the room.

'Whoa.'

It wasn't just a party, there was a feast! It all looked so good, and there was only one person-! There was a person. Only one so far. Well, then! Alex inhaled deeply and braved the waters by walking up to the man with the...red...hair. That wasn't something that the young lieutenant encountered frequently. The brunette's cheeks were tinted a subtle pink. He was a little shy as of late, it seemed. Despite his pink cheeks, his face kept an expression of calm.

"H- Uhh...Hi there..." He announced shyly. Oh, great. Way to mess up a first impression. It was way too girly, too! Ugh! Alex turned around and massaged his temple with his left hand before facing the man again, this time with a hint of confidence and a friendly wave. His cheeks were still pink, though. "Sorry about that... I'm Alex... Alexander Krull." Maybe his first attempt hadn't been so great, but this one surely must have made a better impression...right?

Viktor walked down the long hallways, slouching in a failing attempt to look less noticeable. He had heard of the people at Briggs. They were strong, loyal soldiers, loyal to their direct leader more than the ruler of their country. He had, since he was a child, always heard stories of the soldiers of Briggs, and while they scared most children, he had been inspired by them.

“Perhaps it was destiny,” he mutters to himself as a young soldier walks past him, staring. Viktor smiled and gave a little, friendly salute before walking off. He fiddles with his old rank emblem, one of his many remnants from Drachma. “Perhaps I should switch to the Amestrian one… I’d be less likely to get shot.” He laughs at that. Him getting shot? Preposterous. At least as long as he was holding Sasha.

Patting the gun in its holster on his back, he continues on. He kept his slow pace, not knowing if running would send vibrations to the floor below him. If not that, then the sounds of his footsteps would certainly be thunderous.

He could tell he was getting closer. For a giant wall, he had some difficulty getting from one point to another, but still, he was told there was a party, and parties had food. And he could smell the food, wafting through the air, teasing him. Hell, he’d probably be smelling it for some time after the food was gotten rid of. “At least I’ve been getting better at telling how old a scent is,” he mutters.

Soon, he approaches the door. There, this one. “I can smell you,” he says, his eyes narrowing at the door like he’s facing an old enemy. His stomach grumbles. A great, big, Drachman stomach grumble, not one of those puny Amestrian ones. His hand grasps around the tiny door handle, and he turns it carefully, as though he’s afraid he’ll pull it off. Opening the door, he sees a tiny red-haired man, then a slightly tinier brown-haired man. The latter looks a little awkward. “He must not be the soldier type,” he grumbles. That didn’t leave many options, and he hated most of them. Still, one’s job is not a reason to hate someone.

Waiting quietly, he hears the embarrassed-looking one say his name. Alexander… They always said that “Alexander” translates into “Sasha.” Coincidence? Yes, absolutely.

Closing the door a little too hard, he takes a few steps towards the two. He was used to towering over people, but these two made him feel especially tall. “Greetings,” he says a bit slowly, his accent rather heavy. Looking at Alex, he takes his right hand and clasps it tightly between both of his, giving his puny hand a hearty, Drachman handshake! “Pleasure to meet you, Alexander Krull!” he says enthusiastically, and with a broad smile. “My name is Viktor Stalin. We shall enjoy working together, dah?”

This would be his true test. Even few Drachmans could withstand his handshake. If this Alexander did, then maybe he was not such a bad man after all. He sniffs the air, some other smell floating through it. “Not to be rude,” he says, still gripping Alex’s diminuitive Amestrian hand between his manly ones, “but you smell rather pleasant for a soldier.” Was that a citrus scent? Yes. “Forgive me,” he says, looking over on the nearby table, “I think I smell the oranges.” He a hearty laugh, he releases Alex’s hand, turning towards the red-haired man. Looking over the not-nearly-as-short soldier, he notes his rank isn’t that of any that had saluted him during the short trial time he spent in his Amestrian uniform. That meant that man was of a higher rank.

“Forgive me,” he says, standing at attention and saluting, almost hitting his head on the ceiling in the process. “I am First Lieutenant Viktor Stalin, sir!” He continues to stand at attention, waiting for the order to stand down, unsure of Amestrian disciplinary regulations. It never hurt to play it safe.

Colonel Xanthus Icarus roamed the vast hallways of Fort known throughout the world as Briggs. He was on his way down to a very important gathering; apparently a meeting had been called by his direct superior, Reila Tsukino, and that 'meeting' was also a party to greet the newcomers to Briggs. As he silently walked down the halls with a stride that could be compared only to gliding, Xan began to think to himself about his first days at Briggs; about his first days as second in command, his greatest mistake, his self inflicted banishment, and finally his redemption and subsequent return to Briggs.

All in all, it had not been all that bad, relatively. He had learned much as a result of his choices, and he had grown strong; strong enough to return to Briggs and defend it against two armies, strong enough that he gained his redemption through fighting Father, and strong enough to accept his old position back again with a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that he had in fact earned it. It was enough to elicit a small sigh from the Shadow Duke. It also made him think about something different.

Today marked the beginning of new chapters in the stories of these newcomers, and as one of their leaders, it was Xan's responsibility to make sure that those chapters were filled with pleasant experiences, or at least make sure that their experiences did not quite go quite so...chaotically as his own had. Finally, he reached the great doors to the feasting room and, after a listening to the conversations inside, he took a deep breath and opened them with a flourish.

He first saw the giant man saluting towards Daigoro, then he saw the much smaller brunette who seemed to be slightly flustered but who looked none the worse for it. In the order that he saw them, the Colonel addressed both newbies in a different language, not to show off, but because he believed that one way to develop good rapport with individuals was to speak in their native, comfortable tongue.

First, the giant hulking man. The Ishvallan correctly deduced that he was Drachman, and thus began to speak fluent Drachman, though he left out the accent, as his was not complete yet. He grabbed the Drachmans' hand and shook it with a powerful grip; not such that it was overdoing it or overpowering, but just enough to convey strength.

"By my command, at ease Lieutenant. Welcome to Briggs, where survival of the fittest is key. By my reckoning, you should have no problems with that though! My name is Colonel Xanthus Icarus, and I am the second in command of this Fort, directly underneath General Reila Tsukino."

Next, Xanthus approached the brunette and looked at him for a moment, noting the androgynous features for a moment and then the sweet smell, for a moment wondering whether it was the oranges or the male which was making the scent. Then, with a shrug, Xan smiled and extended his right hand out for Alex to shake.

"Hello there Lt. Alex Krull, I'm Colonel Xanthus Icarus, and I hope that you will enjoy working with me as I'll enjoy working with you."

The Ishvallan then looked at Dai and winked conspiratorially. What such a thing meant was quite open for interpretation, but hopefully the Metal King would pull something out of it that was close to its original meaning. The original meaning? 'Oh wow, these guys look like they'll be fun new additions to Briggs!'

Murazar sidled into the room like a pale ghost, his hair swayed side by side and as he fixed his tie for his suit it was obvious he was well-muscled and armed with two large calibur pistols along with a bunch of random leather bags of what seemed to be dirt. He quietly strode towards the group before looking over everyone before announcing himself quietly, calmly, and with a cold-hardened edge that its was as if he represented briggs itself. " Fantastic. Two new people. I guess I better introduce myself. " He held his hand out to them to whoever took it first.

His hand of course was bare and had the alchemical symbol on it. He spoke up again," Lieutenant Colonel Murazar Dauthi. Nicknamed the Death-Wind. I'm the Chief of Intelligence here." He looked over to dai and xan, his two oldest friends. He gave them a smile before speaking in a far warmer and friendlier voice to them. " Well, at least we have Xan back. Right Dai? We gotta catch up Xan, theres alot to talk about man."

It almost seemed that to the newcomers that for them he was going to be icier than briggs and harder than the walls. To his obvious friends he was easily seen as far more human. He looked back to the two new people before asking them. He spoke, this time with whatever could possibly be an extra edge in his voice." The only rule I have is dont do anything to make me kill you. If I have to it might be a hassle." He seemed to not really care about either of them and know who they were already. He didn't even ask for their names or anything. Let alone mention the fact he was the well-known mercenary ace-in-the-hole briggs had. Everyone else was part of the military, whether they were another ace in the whole or no. He was the only one with the freedom to up and leave. That and his betrayal might have made the history books already.

"Mura," Reila laughed, coming out of nowhere like she usually did. (She probably had some secret door that rose up from the floor or something). Unlike most people, she was someone who noticed the apparent changes in his tone and demeanor towards to two new guys and the two old guys. The fact that she noticed it now was rather amusing. She pranced to Xan's side and grinned at him, patting his shoulder and then yanking him into a hug. "Idiot, you're working two much. I haven't seen hide or hair of you in two weeks." She let go and sniffed the air. Was that...oranges? She blinked and turned abruptly to face Alex whom she had met already. Oh... there was a table of oranges behind him. "Dai, what is with all the oranges? Did you have a craving for them or something?" Either way it didn't matter. The smell was making her mouth water and she now required one of the succulent fruits named after it's color. What? You didn't call Apples 'reds'! She grabbed one and started peeling it with a bright smile.

"Help yourselves. I'm Reila Tsukino, Head of Fort Briggs. Just call me Reila. Mess with me or call me 'M'am' and I'll send Mura after you." The smile didn't leave her face even as she was speaking about their deaths. "And no worries, Mura always gets the job done." She tossed a peel into the trash can a bit across the room by Xan. "This is our first time meeting, it's a pleasure, Viktor. I'm so sorry about what happened to you. I'll watch your back, you watch mine, okay?" Her Drachman was slightly fail, but it was understandable. She definitely could not pass for a Drachman, but she could pass for fluent.

Reila took a bite of the orange and melted inside. It was so damn good. "Okay Dai I take it back. Two tables would have been more sufficient." She laughed and went to stand next to him, leaning her shoulder into his to indicate that she was just messing with him...like always. "Right so, the meeting. I really just wanted everyone to get to know each other ...and a ton of people didn't show up. I may have to send someone to fetch them... I also wanted to talk about the growing tensions between Central and Briggs..." She looked at Xan with quizzical golden eyes just in case he wanted to add anything or start off the discussion. Besides, she wanted to finish her orange before she started talking. Quickly, she shoved the rest in her mouth and chewed.

The first person to appear before him was a strange young boy. He studied him for a second or so, wondering what he found so interesting about his appearance. Did he smell... citrus? The redhead blinked a couple of times, and sighed softly, not really caring right now.

"Sorry about that... I'm Alex... Alexander Krull." Oh, so he could speak? He smiled softly, and tilted his head to the side with a giggle - not very masculine, but that didn't bother him too much. He'd never really cared.

"Daigoro, Daigoro Ito." He grinned, and stretched, before turning to hear the next voice arrive behind him. This one... it was laced with a heavy Drachman accent. He actually had to strain slightly to hear it.

“Forgive me, I am First Lieutenant Viktor Stalin, sir!” He smirked and looked... up at the man's face. With a slightly nervous laugh, he waved his hand.

"Stand down, soldier. Please. Don't be so rigid, not around me, at least." Another laugh, more casual this time. "I'm Daigoro Ito; Lieutenant Colonel." He nodded a couple of times, and stretched, before walking away to leave the two to talk... or not.

He heard another voice, Xanthus Icarus. He turned to his old friend and smiled softly, with a little laugh. The man had looked at him and winked. Dai just grinned and winked back - if not as obviously.

"I'm sure we will."

"Well, at least we have Xan back. Right Dai?" Mura. Heh... He laughed softly, and waved. He just wanted to find Reila now - he wanted to have a chat with the woman that he loved. With a yawn, he walked of and tried to find her. Oh, she was with the rest of them? He heard her cheerful voice behind him.

"Dai, what is with all the oranges? Did you have a craving for them or something?"

"Eheheheh... I thought they'd make a nice scent. That's more what they're there for. A bit overbearing, maybe?" He laughed and walked back to the group, re-joining them again, standing next to Reila. He watched her pick up an orange and bite into it.

"Okay Dai I take it back. Two tables would have been more sufficient." A small laugh left his lips.

"Well, what can I say? They're imported from West City. They're damn good, I'll admit." He felt her shoulder lean into his, and he smiled softly, and giggled. Normally he would've taken the chance to give her a small peck on the cheek. But... eh. They were still here for a meeting, right?

"Right so, the meeting. I really just wanted everyone to get to know each other ...and a ton of people didn't show up. I may have to send someone to fetch them... I also wanted to talk about the growing tensions between Central and Briggs..."

"..." This. Great. The fact that the Fuhrer's decisions were becoming simply more and more warmongering. He didn't really have a comment on it right now - the redheaded Alchemist simply stood next to Reila, looking over the small group of old and new Briggs Members.

"Daigoro, Daigoro Ito."

Judging by his name along, this man had Aerugese blood. Not that it mattered much to Alex, it was just one of those things. One of those interesting facts about people that others might fail to acknowledge. Well, one of those interesting facts that people might fail to appreciate, rather, and despite the fact that Alex may not have been around the ages of other militants of his rank, he may have been one to have more worldly sensitivity than most. Even if he may not have been an encyclopedia of world culture, he did know a thing or two about the different cultures of the world.

The lieutenant raised a hand to shake Daigoro's, but just then a rather large, intimidating man walked into the room. When the latter spoke, the brunette could pick up a heavy Drachman accent. He found it interesting that such a man might here at Briggs. Not surprising, just interesting. Just as he found most things to be interesting. The bone-crushing Drachman handshake he received was not one of those things. With a rather odd grimace planted on his face, pushing the tears back, Alex tried his best to smile at the gigantic mass of muscle known as Viktor Stalin.

"Ah- I... The pleasure's all mine..." Alex cast a glance at the man's uniform. "...Lieutenant Stalin." Still gripping Alex's hand, the large man (who almost had a very bear-like quality to him, as Alex made a mental note of) commented on a sweet smell and first insinuated that it might be Alex, only to correct himself upon catching a glimpse of the oranges. Well, good grief. As if his small stature wasn't bad enough, even those of his rank questioned his masculinity. Not that he had much of it, but he did like to hold on to what little he did have. Upon being freed from the monstrously painful handshake, Alex turned his face away and silently mouthed a rather elongated "owwww" as Viktor addressed Daigoro.

Daigoro introduced himself to Viktor as Lieutenant Colonel. Oh, great. 'So I practically made a fool of myself in front of yet another one of my superiors. Just peachy. PEACHY!' He said to himself, putting a hand to his forehead. He was the epitome of 'facepalms' (as they were so commonly called) at that moment. Well, facepalms with glasses...so 'foreheadpalm' would be the correct term here, it seemed. Shaking his head (and with it the thought of facepalms away), Alex looked up at the newest entry to the party. This one seemed a lot calmer than Stalin (thank goodness). By the man's darker skin (well, not too much darker than his own), red eyes, and white hair, the First Lieutenant concluded that this man must have Ishvallan blood. It had a number of dominant traits, so a trace of Ishvallan blood would give an individual at least a few indicators of that.

Said Ishvallan male walked over to Viktor first and spoke to him in Drachman, which Alex was incapable of translating at that point in time, but then the man turned to him and offered his hand for a rather friendly handshake, this time speaking Cretarian.. The brunette obliged, noting that this man, too, has looked at him for a little while. Most likely skeptically, at that. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Colonel," The brunette said simply with a slight pink covering his cheeks. This colonel didn't look half bad. Neither did the Lieutenant Colonel, but... Colonel Icarus had a different air about him. After realizing that he had been staring into the man's red eyes for q bit too long, he turned away, not noticing the wink that passed from Colonel to Lieutenant Colonel. At that moment, yet another man walked into the room.

'What's with all these good-looking men at Briggs? Where are all the girls? How am I supposed to be at least a little masculine if I'm gawking at all the guys?' With a sigh, Alex noticed that this man had a completely different presence. He was intimidating, but not in the way that Viktor was. It wasn't the physical, but the strange feeling that the brunette got from him. It seemed that sixth sense that women are supposed to have didn't go away when the individual was no longer female in body (the mind was yet another, quite different story). Although it was a valuable asset, it certainly didn't to anything for Alex's sense of masculinity.

Yet another Lieutenant Colonel. The majority of the people in the room were all Alex's superiors, and yet it wasn't as disconcerting as he had originally though it might have been. Alex was the first to take Mura's hand as the latter had introduced himself, if rather reluctantly. It was the respectful thing to do, but it would definitely take a little while to get used to the man's cold demeanor. In fact, it reminded the brunette of Briggs itself. Cold, hard, and damn near impenetrable. "First Lieutenant Alexander Krull, Head of Military Operations," the young militant replied, only finding it suitable to state his department in response to Murazar stating his own. After a brief exchange between the higher ranking men, Lieutenant Colonel Dauthi turned back to Alex and Viktor. What seemed to be a threat sent chills down Alex's spine, and he made a mental note to refrain from doing anything stupid that might get him killed.

When Reila entered the scene, Alex seemed to have entered his internal perceptual fiels (also known as "la-la land") for a while. He thought about his parents, his trip to Briggs, his first encounter with the crazy side of the military (aptly named Inimeg Ty), and how he would make sure not to get himself killed. It wasn't until Reila mentioned a serious matter that he snapped out of it. The tensions between Central and Briggs, huh? Well, it did feel like something was in the air, but he wasn't quite able to pinpoint it's direct cause. He knew that Briggs and Central were on a tight rope, but it could have been something that he didn't see. Not knowing what to say, Alex simply took an orange for himself (fresh fruit was amazing) and began to peel it, looking around the room at the others present at this party meeting thing.

"Stand down, soldier. Please. Don't be so rigid, not around me, at least."

Viktor began to ease up, when another man spoke out, just a moment too late.

"By my command, at ease Lieutenant…”

Viktor turns to meet this new man. Snapping in a quick salute, he listens to the colonel telling him Brigg’s golden rule. “This man,” he thinks, “seems like a good man.” As the colonel went to talk to Mr. Alexander Krull, Viktor had already begun to pick at the food. The fish, in particular, was both pulling him towards it and repelling him from it. As he stood there, trying to make up his mind whether to take one or not, he noticed a man slip into the room. Well, perhaps “noticed” isn’t a proper term, as Viktor managed to do so only from his heightened senses.

"Fantastic. Two new people. I guess I better introduce myself..."

Again, noting the same rank symbol as Dai’s, he gave a quick salute, and watched as Alexander shook his hand first. Shortly after, Viktor also shook his hand, deciding not to give him his special test. Something deep down told him not too. Though, from the way he was talking to some of the others, he seemed like a nice enough guy… “Lieutenat Viktor Stalin, Armored Bear,” he says rather proudly. Plus, everyone was saying their job, right? At least, he didn’t think his job changed much when he “defected…”

"The only rule I have is don’t do anything to make me kill you. If I have to it might be a hassle."

Ah, that’d be it.

Before he could open his mouth (to very likely say something that might get him killed), he was completely taken by surprise as a woman appeared in the room. How she managed to accomplish such a feat, he didn’t know honestly. Scratching his head while trying to work that out, he shrugs, his mind slowly coming around again to the fish debate… He started zoning out somewhere around the mention of “oranges.” He shook his head. The smell was actually beginning to bother him a bit. He wouldn’t be smelling right for another week, at least. Maybe if he had a fish?

"Help yourselves. I'm Reila Tsukino, Head of Fort Briggs. Just call me Reila…”

Looking at her, retracting his arm that was just about to grab a fish, he takes note of her. Her reputation had preceded her, but she didn’t seem like the stories he’d heard… Then again, he wasn’t shot outside of Briggs when he first came here, so there were many facts that Drachma got wrong.

"This is our first time meeting, it's a pleasure, Viktor. I'm so sorry about what happened to you. I'll watch your back, you watch mine, okay?"

Viktor nods. “As far as I’m concerned, you’ve saved my life. If the time ever comes, I will certainly return the favor to you.” Hoping her Drachman was proficient enough to understand that, which he certainly had no doubt, he turned once again towards the fish, quickly grabbing it this time and beginning to dig into it. Immediately, he regretted this choice, and he began to argue with his bear-self on whether to stop eating the fish, and whether cooked or raw fish was better. Announcements be damned, he was going to finish this!

“... I also wanted to talk about the growing tensions between Central and Briggs..."

Viktor stopped mid-chew, his newfound loyalties overriding the Great Fish Debate of 2011. It seems as though things were getting serious, which was good, because Viktor didn't like staying put. Though… Things seemed to quiet down immediately after that. Even Alexander Krull seemed to resort to stuffing his mouth with an orange rather than say something. He, he did the only thing he could do.

“So… When do we fight this ‘Central?’” A stupid question, for sure, and he was well aware of it, but he was a soldier through-and-through, and combat ran though his veins. Also, perhaps this stupid question would spur smarter questions.

Murazar smiled to Reila for a moment as he swayed lightly and watched everyone in the room along with the exit and entrance to the room. He obviously was either paranoid or just cautious to be watching for an attack from anyone or anything in the heart of their fortress. He addressed the room loud enough to include everyone, his voice spoke as if what would come after his first spoken words would be a razor cut in everyones day and yet important enough to be spoken as such, of which he had never done before. " I have one important announcement since we are all gathered today. After the current discussion on the coming war is through or before it starts I would like to let everyone know about a new power that I have and no other"

He paused less than a second as if to breath properly without seeming rushed to look discreetly to Xanthus before continuing,"Alchemist has in the world. It is completely lethal and degrades my own being to some extent until I learn a full control over it. " He looked over at everyones face individually and his eyes decided to rest on Reilas before asking as if speaking this secret he had held might kill him," Whenever you wish me to speak it, just say so. Although be prepared mentally for it." He smiled morbidly at the last words spoken.

Xanthus would know the basic outline of his power just by that pause in speech and selective word usage. He of course wouldn't know the details just yet, but murazar knew he was probably the only person in the room who caught that exchange and understood what it mean't. Reila might have caught it but didn't understand and the same for dai. The two new ones wouldn't have seen or understood anything just yet. He clasped his hands in front of him, the two alchemical symbols still present although now weren't used primarily for combat. At least the wind wasn't, it was primarly used to just bolster the fires power or for mechanical purposes.

He ignored all the antics and ridiculousness of everyone, he was used to it and ignoring it. Sometimes he played along, but usually Rei-chan or Xan had him do it. Xan because he was even more like a brother more than ever, and Rei-chan because...Well he had fallen in love with her. He couldn't help it anymore and his stubborness around her had eroded somewhat. Which was like moving a mountain by asking sweetly, it wasn't likely to ever happen.

He was simply listening idly. There wasn't too much that he needed to hear, or that he wouldn't hear again - it seemed that he would be fine with this. A small smile crossed the redhead's face, and then Mura suddenly mentioned... an important announcement.

"I have one important announcement since we are all gathered today. After the current discussion on the coming war is through or before it starts I would like to let everyone know about a new power that I have and no other" His ears perked up slightly at his and he smiled softly, wondering what was going on.

"Alchemist has in the world. It is completely lethal and degrades my own being to some extent until I learn a full control over it." He looked carefully at him, and blinked a few times. Eh?

"Whenever you wish me to speak it, just say so. Although be prepared mentally for it." He didn't feel the need to understand. There were a lot of things about this man that he was aware would probably need him mentally prepared - so he wasn't too bothered about what he needed to know, just what would be right in front of him. He smiled softly, and scratched the back of his neck. He looked at everyone else with careful eyes. He liked the variety in who was here - it made for a lot of good minds and personalities. He stepped forwards from his Queen's side and smiled softly.

"Then... maybe I should talk about what I'm developing..." He slowly moved a piece of ear behind his right ear and smirked.

"My Alchemy, as most of you know, is bounded in magnetism... but I've been working at it. I think I've worked out a way... to use ions..." He looked down slightly, wondering if he should continue.

"...if I can work at it... I might be able to manipulate almost anything..." He laughed nervously, and smiled softly again, stepping back beside Reila and placing a hand on her shoulder. He wasn't good with new people...

“Lieutenat Viktor Stalin, Armored Bear,”

The brunette blinked a few times. Armored...Bear? Well, if that meant anything at all, then it would probably mean that Viktor either meant bear in a metaphorical sense, or... Alex shook himself promptly. He may have been an alchemist, but he wasn't very comfortable dabbling in alchemy of that sort. It wasn't the results that he strayed from - as he found that this man seemed rather interesting - but the entire concept of manipulating someone to that extent. He didn't see how anyone with proper moral judgment could do it...unless there was some sort of danger involved that made it obligatory. He returned to eating his orange as Lieutenant Colonel Dauthi - as he reminded himself - began to speak on the matter.

This...power that the Lieutenant Colonel spoke of... Alex wasn't sure what he might have been insinuating, but he almost felt that he might not want to know, either. After all, the man already had an intimidating presence, and just learning of something that could potentially be mentally scarring might completely screw Alex over. Then it was Lieutenant Colonel Ito who spoke up. This alchemic ability of his was rather interesting, but it seemed that the red-haired man didn't have much to say at this point. Maybe Alex would talk to him at a later date about it in-depth. Maybe. With an inward sigh, he tossed the orange peel accordingly and re-focused on the task at hand.

He felt like he was obligated to contribute something at this point, but he wasn't sure what he would say. After all, his knowledge in this regard was limited, given that he had just recently been transferred to Briggs. Before that, he didn't have a very high position, and many of his co-workers didn't see him as intelligent, so a lot of information was withheld when it came down to it. Not to mention the fact that he typically stayed away from large groups.

"Well... I can't say I really know the nitty gritty, the details about the situation, but it's not really a good thing to have such tension between different sectors. After all, when it comes down to it, even if we disagree, there might be times when we have to rely on each other for support. There has to be some way to remedy this... I'm not saying we have to reach a consensus, necessarily, but the longer this goes on, the bigger the chance we'll get in some serious trouble, and I'm talking about large-scale. Especially from a military standpoint. I could care less about the political aspect, personally."

That was more or less thinking out loud for him, but he felt it was relevant enough.

Viktor tilted his head at Mura and Dai, wondering why they thought their “sorcery” would be of any interest to them. What they spoke of was not tangible to Viktor, at least not at this current point in time. “Silly alchemists,” he says, unholstering his shotgun and bringing it to bare with only one arm, “THIS is true might! For you are scientists, men of thinking, but I am a soldier, a man of action!” Holding it properly now with two hands in a relaxed stance, he admires the polished gleam coming from his gun. “I am a weapon specialist, alchemists, and this is my weapon; my Sasha.

“She weighs one hundred kilograms, far more than any other Drachman could withstand to carry. And, as you can see,” he says, going back to holding it with only one hand with ease, “I am no ordinary Drachman. She fires custom-made eight-gauge shells at the rate of fifty rounds per minute. This,” he says, spinning the revolver chamber, “holds six shells, and helps ensure that this gun works even in harsh conditions. And this,” he adds, showing off the point at the end of the handle, “ensures that there’s something to use when I run out of ammo.

“It is made from a number of different metals to withstand overheating, the cold, sand, rust, dirt, and water. You could submerge it in mud for a decade and it would still fire. And I do not have to be afraid of breaking it, because it is reinforced throughout the entire gun.” He pauses, his wide grin showing off his rather sharp teeth. “And there are a few other things it can do, but I shall leave those to be surprises, dah?” He gives a boisterous laugh, showing his obvious excitement and love for his gun. But his face quickly changes to a more serious appearance. “Now, before you ask why I use such a large, unconventional gun, let me tell you this: it is more humane for me to kill an enemy with this than with my bear hands.”

He takes a look at his gun, quickly flipping the safety on before anyone with any knowledge of guns realizes it was off. "Of course, gentlemen," he says, taking a small step back to give them space, "talk is cheap. Perhaps we shall prove ourselves, together, on the battlefield?"

Colonel Xanthus Icarus rose up from his position of sitting down upon the table with a small but audible sigh. He had been sitting there whilst everyone else spoke about what ever they preferred to talk about, be it their powers, their opinion on the Central/Briggs tension, or their natural abilities; apparently now it was his turn to speak about all three in their due course.

"I suppose that as the second head of this fort I should speak about what certain things now rather than later. Let's start off with my natural talents and unique abilities shall we?"

Xan closed his eyes for a moment, then cleared his throat quite audibly to gain the attention of everyone in the room in case they weren't paying attention already. Then, ever so slowly, his eyes opened. But, instead of his eye lids opening to reveal only crimson eyes that shone with a cool and relaxed gleam, his eyes were crimson interspersed with violet, as though his eyes could not quite make up what color they were exactly and unlike normal human pupils, Xan's were slightly slitted. All things considered, it was fairly obvious that the man was not entirely normal...hell, it was likely obvious that he was not even entirely human. When the man spoke, his voice was different; In the place of the cool tones that normally soothed whomever they were directed at was a dark, chilling, and metallic voice that could send tremors up the spines of grown men.

"Firstly, I'd like to start off by reintroducing myself. I am Colonel Xanthus Icarus, 2nd in Command of Briggs and former personal agent of the Fuhrer. However, I am also someone else...something else. You stand in the presence of the Third Incarnation of Pride the Arrogant."

The Human - Homunculus Hybrid allowed that to sink in for a moment before continuing. He looked at Murazar, who had earlier made a comment that had caught his attention. 'A power that no other alchemist has that degrades ones being...' Just from the description and the fact that the merc had looked in his direction gave Xan the feeling that he knew of the power that Mura spoke. Indeed, he was about to confirm that power now.

"In case you do not understand what I said, I'll put things into normal terms now. I am not human, I am a Homunculus: I have physical capabilities beyond normal humans, I can heal from virtually any wound, I am powerful beyond reckoning and I cannot die. Beyond that are my powers as Pride...

Here Xan once more closed his eyes, only this time he reached behind himself and gripped an orange, holding it in his hand and turning it in circles in his palm, as though he were examining the fruit with curiosity. Simultaneously however, something much more interesting was occurring behind him: his shadow had begun to move. It was spreading with deliberate slowness to encompass the entire floor behind Xan, then it began to travel up the walls before reaching the ceiling and connecting with itself. In short, the entire room behind the Colonel was suddenly covered by the darkness. Here he resumed speaking, though his mouth did not move, as he had by now peeled the orange and was slowly devouring it with his human mouth, so slowly that one might have assumed that he had never had an orange before and was savoring every flavorful bite.

"Without going into so much detail, I can see, speak, and hear through my shadow, and I can manipulate anything that comes into contact with it as well. Oh, and I also have a certain power...a power over souls that I would be glad to discuss sometime after this meeting should anyone have any curiosity about the subject. Now, you might be asking why would I reveal something like this to people whom I have only just met."

Xanthus finished eating the orange, throwing away the peel in the nearby trashcan. In a reversing twist on the earlier event, Xan opened his eyes, apparently summoning the shadows to return to him simultaneously. Everything returned to normal, the shadows disappeared, his eyes were crimson with circled pupils and his voice no longer had a metallic edge to it. However, his voice was still cold and his eyes burned with a cold fire deep within the crimson gleam. He looked into Viktor's eyes, then into the eyes of Alex before continuing.

"Well here's the reason. It's because as the 2nd in Command of this place that does not matter. What we are matters not in here, nor does our past matter here. In the future I am going to give you orders, it's unavoidable. Also unavoidable is the fact that I'm going to use my powers...as much as possible.

I'm not sure how you feel about following a Homunculus; if you feel negatively about it, then deal with it or leave. If you believe that someday you will have a passionate moment and try to end me with a cry of 'DIE ABOMINATION!' then by all means, here I am, come at me if you dare. However, if you stay here, then trust that you will see a lot of me in both my human and Homunculus form and also trust that I am going to be your commanding officer both in peace and in war. Be prepared, for I equate defiance with treachery and I equate treachery with having a death wish. Now, onto other subjects."

Just like that, Xanthus seemed to become a different person. The ice-cold fire in his eyes disappeared to be replaced by a look of cool amusement, perhaps even simple amusement. He smiled, dispelling the earlier stern attitude, his pearly whites capable of erasing all traces of shadow remaining in the thoughts of men. He looked more like his normal self now than when he was playing the part of the stern, taciturn version of himself that was more than likely a fusion of his and Prides' personas.

"The situation between Central and Briggs is pretty simple. The Fuhrer, Lady Hild, is beginning to adopt more warmongering policies which is against the defense-oriented policies of our own General Tsukino, whom you will address from here on out as Reila. This is causing tension, as are some other things that I am probably not the best person to speak about, so I'll allow Reila herself to speak on them herself."

Xan finished with a shrug, then sat back down on a table, grabbing a cold glass of water to drink. That had been quite a lot of speaking all at once you know?

Murazar glanced over to the great big drachman chimera, he barely bothered to notice the enormous shotgun. It mattered not in the grand scheme of things, then he waited until Xan finished his own reintroduction which for the two newcomers was necessary. He noticed Xan glance at him and mention the soul stealing. Ah so he understands, good that he hasn't lost his touch. Gotta trust my brother-in-arms.

Murazar grinned wildly before opening his mouth and speaking, over ten different kinds of voices spoke in unison. As if arguing with each other, a old kindly grandfatherly like voice spoke first." Should we explain it all, the dearies need to know after all." Then a sharp business womans voice in her early thirties spoke up with cold anger towards the grandfather." Not everything. Only enough that they need to know." At the same time it sounded like a boy no older than ten or nine spoke up with a childlike anger." No, they shouldn't know anything!" Also at the same time a man in his early fifties spoke as if like a old soldier that had killed hundreds." Grah! Just be blunt, who cares?"

The arguing went on and the voices constantly changed. None stayed the same, after a few seconds it was like a committee. Then it ended and Murazar cleared his voice before spoking in his normal tone with a scary smile. " I am Prides brother in arms in his power. I can steal souls, I am the only alchemist in the world to do so. The side effects are quite....Drastic. " He paused and five meters around him everything became darker than prides own shadows. The darkness around him was literally pitch black. Anything material was barely visible and yet he was clearly visible.

He spoke up again,"Through me the way into the suffering city, Through me the way to the eternal pain, Through me the way that runs among the lost. Justice urged on my high artificer; My maker was divine authority, The highest wisdom, and the primal love. Before me nothing but eternal things were made, And I endure eternally. Abandon every hope, ye who enter here." He paused for a moment before speaking up again and with a gesture the darkness vanished instantly." I can kill anyone, and take everything they know; memorys, knowledge, and experience for my own. I am Soul Catcher. I am the Reaper. "

He looked over to Xan and spoke with personal tone as if he did understand him better than most did. " Pride, never ever let me touch a philosophers stone. I dont even know the effects of something that would happen. The effects would at a minimum be...Catastrophic and world crushing." He paused to look to the bear of a man with his shotgun and spoke with a evil grin." I can kill anyone, my sorcery as you say is more powerful than almost all the powers on this earth at this moment. I haven't even perfected it either." His knowing grin belayed that if the bear man turned into a enemy even his soul wouldn't be safe from him.

Murazar looked to Reila with almost glowing eyes and a soft smile." Rei-chan...Please make sure this knowledge of soul stealing goes to my grave if need be. No one but me and Xan can ever know the secrets of this power." He glanced at Xan knowingly, Xan would have figured it out by now. Probably with great accuracy while he was at it.

Reila was laying on the ornate table that Xan had just vacated. She was on her stomach with her feet waving gallantly towards the ceiling in a childlike manner. Reila had long swallowed the remainder of the orange she had been eating and was working on another while she was at it. Long strands of strawberry blond hair curled in spirals around her form, falling to the carpet just below the table, but revealing shocking red roots at the top of her head. She nodded to indicate that she understood the Drachman in which Viktor responded with. Dai was being shy and half-hid himself behind the table in which she was laying. He looked somewhat hesitant about sharing anything about his newly developed ion alchemy, but she could tell it was mostly just because of the randomness of the meeting in general. Her reflective golden eyes took it all in. This was Briggs. This was her family and Xanthus Icarus couldn't have said it better. She smiled, sunshine glimmering through the windows to her soul. It seemed he finally understood the true power of the bonds they all shared...of what they were protecting. She couldn't be more happy to have him back. Xan...Dai...Mura--they were all irreplacable pieces of not just her heart, but her soul--her entire being. But Mura...

"It is completely lethal and degrades my own being..." A hurtful expression was etched in her eyes as she recalled this line over and over again, the voices of Mura's various souls echoing painfully in her mind. The girl's thoughts thrashed against each other in endless conclusions that would never come completely to light. She clenched her fists under her, eyes never leaving her silver-haired counterpart. I want to save him... was the only thing she could think with clarity. But what about them? What...what about the souls he had taken!? Why...weren't they in pain too? She felt tears spike her eyes, but blinked them away. She would save them. She would save them all. That's what Briggs was for...that was what she was making here... This wasn't just a military base...it was something more. She smirked, twirling a finger in the air until a mini-cyclone formed around it. The necklace around her neck glowed dimly as did the determination in her eyes. The air began to freeze in the air surrounding her and soon ice crystals were dancing in the tiny spinning wind. "This is a little something I can do," she murmured, not really caring if anyone was paying attention. Her main worry was revolving around Mura and the fact that civil war was eminent. Reila could clearly also talk in code, but the reason why she threw in the implications was because she knew that something was going on between Xan and Mura. Most of all, she wanted in. Playing with other people's souls...? Even enemy's souls... it wasn't right. She peeled off the forming glare and stopped spinning her finger, letting the ice smash into the ground like a shattering mirror. That was a sound enough to get everyone's attention.

The head of Briggs pulled herself up and grinned like a demon in female human form. "Before we continue onto other matters concerning the politics Alex doesn't seem to concerned with, I would like to make an announcement. Firstly, there are other important members that couldn't attend. Siegfried is our Head of Defense, Nika heads Dai's special team, and Jericho is the Head of our Spy network. They are busy for somewhat obvious reasons. Now the announcement..." With grace far beyond what one would expect from her, she jumped from the table and came to stand beside Mura. Her eyes met Xan's and Dai's before she continued with a glee-filled voice. "Murazar Dauthi is our new Head of North. Now... he will continue to be the Head of Intel, but I wanted to allow him his own sector of Briggs, and that is what being the Head of North gives him." She grinned and leaned her head into the man's shoulder. This would show her worry...this would show how much she cared. Carefully, she shifted her eyes to study Xan. What did he think about this move? It was almost like she was playing chess with emotions. Why couldn't she just...just get them to understand!? Why couldn't she just say "Welcome Home" and that be enough? Reila didn't know--she just didn't know. She just hoped that her feelings would reach them. Did they know...that she was nothing without them? Despite Xan not being human, despite Mura feasting on souls, and despite them both having betrayed her...they were her only family.

Reila Tsukino clapped the taller man on the back and then reached for another orange. "Tensions are rising between Central HQ and Briggs. We're being forced into submission unbefitting to soldiers of Briggs. The Fuhrer is waging war, trying to get countries all over the world to fight one another. Right now, we have a treaty with Loki, the Czar of Drachma, however, it seems that those upstairs refuse to acknowledge such a thing. Well, I refuse to accept that and the Fuhrer's ideals. This is Amestris and it's our country now regardless of where we've come from... Viktor, I was born in Aerugo. And Alex, you better start paying attention to politics or you won't be able to get yourself out of a plastic bag let alone come up with battle tactics." Her eyes narrowed into vicious slits that would not be argued with under no circumstances. "Wake up!" She hissed. "This is your world and your country. It is our responsibility to protect it and to save as many lives as we can... Peace...can't be an impossible thing. It's existing now." Reila smiled, light shining tranquility through golden orbs.

[EXIT THREAD]

Everything was in the air now. Daigoro's mind was calmed, and he could only watch the group through a pair of smiling eyes. He enjoyed these new additions, that was for sure. With a smirk, he turned away to listen to the rest of what was going on. There were things that he picked up quickly, things that he already knew, and things that he understood with a soft sigh.

"This is a little something I can do," A small voice caused him to pick up his ears and he turned towards Reila, staring at the mini-cyclone with soft eyes. It was around Reila that he truly softened up, became relaxed around other people. For Daigoro may have been benevolent, but people were a different thing entirely. He had smiles and kind words for them all, but only a true wish to open up to someone as close to him as Reila. He leaned in closer, and whispered softly.

"And in my opinion, the most beautiful and graceful Alchemy in this room." He smiled and giggled at her, closing his eyes and standing up with a sigh, moving to flick a piece of hair behind his left ear. The shattering of the ice made him step back from her, and he watched as she began to speak again.

"Before we continue onto other matters concerning the politics Alex doesn't seem to concerned with, I would like to make an announcement. Firstly, there are other important members that couldn't attend. Siegfried is our Head of Defense, Nika heads Dai's special team, and Jericho is the Head of our Spy network. They are busy for somewhat obvious reasons. Now the announcement... Murazar Dauthi is our new Head of North. Now... he will continue to be the Head of Intel, but I wanted to allow him his own sector of Briggs, and that is what being the Head of North gives him." He smiled softly. That was certainly interesting, giving Mura that sort of position. Even so, he had given up his old position to Alex, in a want to develop his weapons further...

"Tensions are rising between Central HQ and Briggs. We're being forced into submission unbefitting to soldiers of Briggs. The Fuhrer is waging war, trying to get countries all over the world to fight one another. Right now, we have a treaty with Loki, the Czar of Drachma, however, it seems that those upstairs refuse to acknowledge such a thing. Well, I refuse to accept that and the Fuhrer's ideals. This is Amestris and it's our country now regardless of where we've come from... Viktor, I was born in Aerugo. And Alex, you better start paying attention to politics or you won't be able to get yourself out of a plastic bag let alone come up with battle tactics." His smile softened even further. That was certainly true. But he wouldn't speak, nor would he comment afterwards...

"This is your world and your country. It is our responsibility to protect it and to save as many lives as we can... Peace...can't be an impossible thing. It's existing now." He nodded and raised a cup into the air with a light grin.

"Hear, hear. And if you take it from my point of view... the world has it's way of unifying itself. As long as there is war, there is a way for peace to shine through, and for humans to take what they have been given, and overcome adversity. Trust me," He lifted up his right arm, showing the metal limb - proof that he had done what he could to destroy Father, "I know this for a fact." He turned away from them, waving and walking off into a corner of the party. He was open to be talked to, but for now he was simply eating oranges. No need to waste them.

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