Reversing Roles

The weather in central was slightly bitter, but not nearly as much as... She stopped her own thoughts. There was no need to think of that place.. not yet. It still hurt to remember, no matter had it been hours or years, it would always hurt. Her outward breath showed on the air, before dispersing. Her jacket was pulled closer, pulled tighter. The cold was for once unwanted. She didn't want to feel the bitter fangs and she didn't want to remember. People passed by her and it was as if nothing had changed. She wasn't even sure if she'd be transferred. At this point, she didn't know if she wanted to be in the military anymore. She'd almost died.. actually, she SHOULD have died, but she didn't. She was alive.

Iris sat awkwardly on a bench. Her finger poised on a text message she hesitated to send. Warmth trickled down her cheeks as the sights of faces ran through her mind. Briggs had lost everything, everyone. Iris could feel nothing.. nothing but the lump in her throat that threatened to make her death. Was it out of desperation she had someone she needed to call? It ate at her, bothered her and moreover, she had a couple things to talk to him about. Ah! Way to make awkward situations more awkward. What made it worse was trying to figure out how to casually bring up the question. Hey Toss, are you a 'hommunculus?' Yeah.. and 'Hey Toss, what do you know about hommunculi?' sounded just as bad. How troublesome. Her brow furrowed. First manner of business.. trying to convince him to come see her.. or go see him? It didn't matter which, she just needed.. she needed something to get her mind off of the trauma and focused on the after affects. She'd partaken of Satan's cup, or at least that's what most soldiers she knew referred to it.

Her loyalties were askew, who could she turn to, now? The past three years of her life had been surrounded by ice, but now, she was in central.... Gently, she folded her paper and gave a disgruntled sigh as nothing happened. Her fingers could trace the edges without so much as a papercut. Sacrifice.. what all was it that had been lost? Pink eyes stared distantly upon the world as Iris still hesitated on the text. What was the best way to text a man you liked without sounding desperate or creepy. "Can I see you?" That sounded too bold. Finally she settled with "Can we hang out soon? Liiiikkkeee Asap." Well desperation was still there, but HELL she WAS desperate. There was no one else to talk to on the matters. Really, the only reason she had pieced it together was a shot out of the blue based on that odd tattoo. Of course she could be wrong. That was okay too, because she could STILL see Toss again, which made it worth it.

Some of the pain began to slip away as she could remember their last couple of encounters. Toss was always so vivid and entertaining. Even the weird quirks he had amused her enough. Softly the pain was washed away, or at least eased for a time in hope. Hope.. dreams were made of hope. Would she have a new dream too? With the text typed, now came the nerve racking part. Her fingers froze on the send button while her body second-guessed, everything. Should she- ? What should she buy. After the ASAP part, she decided to type as well; "I'll buy you ice cream". Ice cream made everything better.. right? Before she even thought twice, the finger on her phone twitched and send was pressed. "NO NO NO NO!" She shouted, already embarrassed. Oh god, rereading it, she sounded so childish. I want to see you because ice cream. Yeah.. totally legit.. right? Her face buried into her hand. Oh man, what had she done? He was probably giving her that look he always gave: Eye brow cock. Gah why did he frazzle her brain?! She hit both sides of her head twice, before breathing out slowly. Okay, there was still a chance it didn't go through maybe....

A check mark appeared on the screen. "DAMMIT!" She swore loudly to nobody. Well, on the bright side... at least it wasn't a sexy picture of herself. Not that she HAD those, but in prospective this situation was better. Flipping shut her phone, she decided to try and think of an excuse. "Sorry Toss, wrong person. No that makes me seem like some sort of whore. Not to mention a creep. GAH WHY DID I MENTION ICE CREAM?!" And now I'm thinking out loud? Oh just great.

Strange as it was, she had received a text back of sure, but the thing was she had to go THERE. Well.. that was a turn she hadn't expected. This meant she had to pack up her things and prep herself for a long airplane ticket- as soon as possible. Using her phone, that she would die without (most certainly glad that she didn't destroy it), she checked frequently for flights and booked the closest one she could that gave her time to get her things together. Her fingers flew as she typed 'See you in a week.'

AND THERE SHE WAS. Ten'o'clock in the morning ran somehow to twelve'o'clock pm despite being six hours later.It didn't make sense to her, but hell it had happened. NOW she was standing and waiting at the airport. She looked awkward as hell, standing out with pink hair among redheads and the people who all looked like foreigners to her. She was rather blank. Eyes searched hopefully through the crowds. What id he didn't turn up? Her paranoia played softly at her strings. What if- She was stuck here? All the people around her- she couldn't breathe...

Softly, a voice cooed to her, a lullaby and then she felt herself swaying. She wasn't used to it. The hungry voice in her mind that wanted only to take her body and sleep for an eternity. The force of sudden sleep need made her sway a bit. She'd have to get that under control. A shaky breath left her lips and she rose her eyes to look through the people. It was as if, all of a sudden she didn't care. Those people didn't matter and the fact she looked insanely out of place also didn't. Nostalgia rolled her in waves, giving her an odd thrill that could only be explained in drowning in the atmosphere. Briefly yawning and throwing her arms over her head, her next action was to try and glare at the people staring at her. With her large bag at her side, she looked almost like she was from a completely different world. Signs filled her eyes, but none of them made sense. After she pulled out her phone and texted; "Where are you?" and then, she played the waiting game.

Can we hang out soon? Liiiikkkeee Asap. I'll buy you ice cream.

Needless to say, he was in it for the ice cream. When he received the text, ironically he was in the shower. Not caring by any means about the water, he dragged the obnoxiously toned phone in with him. Scouring the surface with a swipe of iridescent dragon scales, he set about opening the message sent by... Iris? Blinking away droplets of water collected on white eyelashes, he scanned the contents, seeing the glorious word: ice cream. He was taken already, but realized that it was too easy, way too easy. There was something missing--something essential about a random person's number somehow being entered into his phone without his recollection of it. But wait! Iris. Wasn't she that pink-haired girl that he gave a tour to in East City? Industrial wasteland. Burgers. Ah, it was all coming back to him now accompanied by a singe of heat in his cheeks. He turned down the hot water, accrediting it to that. But that wasn't it, they definitely didn't exchange numbers then because he ran into her in North City when he was out to gather a part for a project he was commissioned to work on for King Gavin. That part was all set in stone (or should he say metal) right about now and that specific ship was already sailing the skies as healthy as can be. He smiled to himself, thinking of The Fallacy now glimmering in the garage in tip top shape. He brand new paint job, red and glaring--the top-of-the-line computer system installed and ready for the daring leap of her life.

Toss was going into Space.

Again. He had agreed to it. This time without his baby sister riding shotgun. And if he crashed, well, it didn't matter because he wouldn't die. Even from that height, he was sure his shield would hold out. It would be risking it, but it wasn't like he didn't have a plethora of mortality in stock. He shrugged, tossing the phone up into the air and catching it. Funny how he could make anything mostly indestructible; transience had no place here AHAHAHAAH!!! Even water couldn't seep through the cracks in the scales and wreck the wiry undercoating. His cocky smirk turned quick into a thin line. There was that issue with Kit. Whoever he was, Toss still didn't like his guts. In fact, he had initially thought that he was the kind of chimera that spilled people's guts. An artist with a different flavor. Literally. Even so, it was that encounter where he had most likely obtained Iris' number on one of the many phones he owned. By many, it had to be something around fifty or so? He could never remember which was for what and what had what on it, so he always had to dig through the large pile on his coffee table to determine which color and what model was the exact one he needed for a certain job or contacting a certain person and so on. The only thing that Toss remembered about his many phones was that the white one (the only white one) was for the express purpose of contacting Gavin. But that wasn't really important; he could pretty much call the guy on any phone seeing as he memorized the number (the only number he memorized). This was just one phone of the many in the pile; it just happened to be the only one ringing obnoxiously. This was the one he expressly recalled bringing to North City that day. What he didn't remember was recording Iris' contact in his phone's memory--so how? He tapped his chin in contemplation, glancing at the soap bottle he was just about to use on his head. But hmm, he should reply first. SEIZE THE ICE CREAM.

YES, came his first word in his response. The rest was a blur. Something about asking her to come to Carraig regardless of how complicated and far away it was. If she put forth the effort, then they definitely were meant to see each other again. And he oddly wanted that. Of all the females that irked him and made him want to crawl in a hole and die, she was one he could stand. In fact, he enjoyed their time together. What was she doing in Amestris? He scrubbed his head violently, rinsing the suds out and down the drain. But could you come here? Work. It plagued him often. Right now, he was so tied up with it that he just barely had enough time for sleep. Next week he had a few days off though. Maybe it'd work. He finished scrubbing himself and enjoying the fresh shower feel just in time to receive the next message. See you in a week. He looked at the calendar. Perfect. Savvy chirped a greeting as he pranced from the bathroom and into the kitchen for a glass of milk. Chocolate milk. So she booked a flight? As easy as it would be for him to pick her up, he was just too preoccupied at the moment to do much of anything aside from checking and rechecking his zero gravity capabilities and the status of The Fallacy. The Central City annual festival was going to be Carraig's rise to fame. King Gavin had elected him for the task with The Fallacy as the show ship. They would make history in front of a million eyes and then laugh at their success! Toss was so excited that he was drowning in the work accompanying it. A week, huh. He'd look forward to the break, seeing her again, and most definitely...the ice cream.

Airport. Not his airport, but the commercial one. People, people everywhere. It was a mind-boggling fiasco of coming and going and just-- He scanned the crowds, hoping the information he received matched where he was now because if it didn't, he'd be screwing Iris over. He'd never do that. Adorned in a thickly woven black man sweater and tight black jeans, he kinda didn't stand out much save for his horrendously white hair and red eyes. He was used to standing out from the crowds of freckles and redheads, yet had somehow acquired the Creig accent to nearly all languages he spoke. It was interesting how integrated he had become over the years. It was all about demeanor and stance; people didn't even bat an eye at him anymore despite being the rare Ishvallan breed. His white, unscuffed boots clacked on the linoleum, hands in pockets, eyes on each passerby. He reached her gate number, scanning the premises, but it seemed he had missed when all the passengers were first let out. They were all scattered now. Shit. He cursed under his breath, looking through the slew of humans for anything that stood out. Past the masses, a faint glow drew his gaze, pulling him in like a vortex beckoning. She was alight with a strange essence--a nuance of vibrant hue. He understood all at once. What he desired. There it was. Greed. Never let her leave.. His skin crawled, red eyes wide like a deluge of flame licking at the very meaning he had possessed all this time. And finally...he realized. Where are you?

"Behind you."

It felt like an eternity standing there. Iris felt her heartbeat raise at the hustle and bustle of people in a panicked throw. It was as if someone just dropped these other beings into the airport with no sense of direction. They wandered around like clueless ants, by twos and threes in some groups. Yet, she was alone. The sting sunk in a bit deeper. When would the numbing set in fully? The ice wouldn't help, it would only hurt her further. A flutter of panic ran through her and she was frozen in thought. Tobias, Daigoro and Reila.. they were all important people to her and now they were gone. She'd never see them again and... Reila was... Reila was the piece to her past that she would never retrieve. Absent-minded, Iris gripped the locket on her neck. The picture was there, now, a better kept secret, she supposed. Maybe in a while she'd look into it, but she didn't want to. The obsessive thoughts and memories replayed like a video stuck on a certain spot. A skip that was frozen in time.

"Behind you."

Just as she went to check her phone for a new text, a voice struck her mind. Iris, needless to say, jumped in surprise and spun around. Her eyes were wide on her head for a second, while her mind was recollecting.

"JESUS! YOU SCARED ME!" She shouted out of pure response more than anything. Her hand rested on her chest. It wasn't like anyone would kidnap her, but it was still one of those scary moments. She didn't know this land or even what other people spoke here. What had he called it? It was Carraig, right? So they spoke Carraigian? Or was it Carraigese? That didn't sound right. Carraigish? No... Still wrong. She'd figure it out hopefully. However, she should have known that someone speaking to her in Amestrian should have been a give-away. Then AGAIN, she did look like a foreigner and Amestrian was probably the most common language around. NEVERTHELESS, it was Toss dressed clad in black. Against his white hair and red eyes... he looked almost like a burglar. What was he going to steal? The answer she gave herself was far too cliche. Was he going to steal her away? In a way it was true, but mostly it wasn't going to happen. they were meeting for ice cream and after a few days she'd be going back home.

Home... What kind of home did she even have to go back to? Her parents lived on separate sides of Amestris and she refused to move back with either of them. Her home at Fort Briggs was gone, she really had no idea where to even start. For now, she had to wait on the transfer papers to go through. Did they even know she WAS alive, she wondered. No time for such thoughts. She'd come here to forget the pain, little by little. That and the questions she had about the mark... What was it, exactly? Her eyes lowered to glimpse at the hand. She could have sworn she'd seen it before, but in the building, it was hard to tell. Of course, she also didn't want to look like a complete freak by staring at him.

"Hey," she managed. Her eyes brightened a bit and she could feel the peak of a bit of a smile. "Nice to see a familiar face around here." After fixing her hat and dusting off her dark gray skirt, she grinned at him. "Hope you didn't miss me too much." She already knew he probably didn't, but she was okay with it. Take life with a grain of salt, after all. At least she could smile, a little bit, even. It may have been barely anything, but it was more than she had in a while.

"JESUS! YOU SCARED ME!"

"...Really?" Blank stare. He didn't think it was possible to scare this girl; she always seemed completely prepared for anything. Just...what was up? He was immediately suspicious, narrowing his red eyes. AH! It was probably that news about Fort Briggs being captured by RIOTE or something, right? He wasn't really aware of that kind of stuff, but he tried to at least know the main things. And this was definitely a main thing. It gave RIOTE a leg up in the world, allowing them to inch even closer to the ever-peaceful Carraig. He shook away a chill, hoping their small island would never face the perilous turmoil that Amestris had to constantly endure. Poor country. Sucked for them really, but that was prolly why the pink-haired Iris was in such a rut right now. She looked like she was standing in the middle of an intersection about to get hit by a bunch of cars at once. But that was silly! People weren't cars! They were just people!

She was looking at his hand(s?), and what? Toss tilted his head to the side, inching closer like he was inspecting something on her face. He sniffed once, offhandedly brushing an index finger under his nose then grabbing her hand with the one she seemed infatuated with under the range of their sight. Is this what she wanted? Isn't this what all girls wanted? Just this. It made them happy so fine. His face immediately turned just as red at his eyes, which were glowering in focus and embarrassment. Yep, just here to pick up a girl from the airport. Nope, nothing serious. Just holding her hand and all. It was totally fine. Totally chill. Nothing going on here. Yeah, keep walking. No spectacle here. He ushered Iris to the side of the massing crowds, carting her along via hand. Yep, hand. He still had her hand and hadn't combusted yet. All was A-okay. Alright, moving on... "Hey." His heart stopped in its tracks, everything still as if he had forgotten that she could speak. OHGREAT he should have ASKED her first if it was okay. IDIOT. He wanted to bash his head into the accompanying wall, but thought better of the half-million people in the airport learning of his healing abilities. THEN it would certainly be a spectacle. GODDAMMIT ALL. "Nice to see a familiar face around here." Oh ahahaha that was all?

She smiled. "Hope you didn't miss me too much." They began walking again.

"That was clever," he began with a smirk, "putting your number in my phone." He turned his gaze around to look at her with a brightened happy-go-lucky grin. "At least this time we could plan for it, yeah?" He didn't wait for a response before emerging out into the warm Creig air. The outside was as bustling as the inside, but there was sky--wide...open...sky. So fresh, so lustrous. That air, he took a deep breath of it and spread his arms, letting go of her hand. "Welcome to Carraig!"

Toss looked almost like a timid animal. In an odd way, his eyes were suspicious though, cautious of her? What? Was she going to sprout claws and attack him? Almost for a moment she thought that was what he was thinking about. However, his mind was somewhere hers hadn't ventured nose. A nervous feeling twitched through the air, and then to her surprise, Iris could feel warmth on her hand. Her heart stopped, if only for a second.

He was.. holding her hand? She didn't have to take it? It seemed the whole time she'd been around this man, she'd dropped hints at him, but she had never expected something so.. bold. Of course.. she was probably getting ahead of herself though. In her life, she learned to not get her hopes up, because people loves to break them down and steal pieces. Like Aurelius. She didn't know him.. but he'd taken everything from her. Her home, her sis-.. There were those thoughts. Maybe her friends had been right about the obsessive compulsive thing. Her mind let out a dark laugh. Why hadn't she listened when she had a chance? When they were alive.

She hated that feeling of weakness that crawled up her spine. Her whole life had been spent proving she was strong. People took one look at her and would look down at her. Her words were replaced with his own. A comment of her being clever.. oddly made her ears burn harshly. She could only smile at him, trying not to look stupid. Push had come to shove and if she fell into this trap, then wasn't she proving them all right? Stepping outside the airport seemed to put Toss in a completely separate mood.

His smile warmed her up, which was strange as she was used to the frigid ice everywhere. Her hand had been released but it left a lingering comfort about it. She may have lost a lot.. but now that she thought about it.. She grinned at the man. "Toss.." She started, wondering if she was saying this too soon. However, she DID want to make sure she told him before she forgot. "Thank you. You don't know how much-." Her face turned into a frown. No.. that sounded odd. "Just.. thank you." And her brain was mush! Fabulous! Onto things she understood. "Soooo.. are you going to teach me the the basic of Creig so I can find my way? Like how to say 'Where is the bathroom?', 'I don't speak Creig.' or even "you look really good in your turtleneck?'" Obvious flirt was not obvious. The last part was kind of unintentional.. partially. She kept a calm smile, wondering if he would even catch onto it.

"Toss..."

"Hm? He was distracted by the pretty. It was compelling. Like ice cream. And other things that didn't involve holding a girl's hand outside the airport or listening to what she had to say. In the buzz of his mind, he realized this and snapped to attention, leaning closer with raised eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Thank you. You don't know how much--" How much money it cost her? How much time it took to get there? How much fuel Boeings used? He pulled down his sweater that was riding up his waistline and sighed in defeat. "Just.. thank you." Oh. OH. It was that kind of thank you. He beamed, lighting up like the twinkle of stars at night despite the fact that she was frowning and looked like she was about to cry.

"You're welcome." His cheerful spirit was unrelenting in the face of utter despair! That, or he just didn't notice the fact that she was definitely not acting like herself (not that he really knew her or anything). He'd like to... he would. The realization was kind of shocking because hell if he wanted to know Molly; she was just like a virus. Couldn't get rid of it. Yeah, she was an it. Jesus, why was he thinking of her?! SHE'D APPEAR OR SOMETHING.

"Soooo.. are you going to teach me the the basic of Creig so I can find my way? Like how to say 'Where is the bathroom?', 'I don't speak Creig.' or even "you look really good in your turtleneck?'"

"You're gorgeous in anything." Toss smiled, pointing towards a platform. "I took the train so you could experience some of the city life on the way back to my place. If you'd like, I can start teaching you right away. It's not too hard; Amestrian was my first language. Maybe by the time you go back, you'll know how to say more than just that. Though I wish you'd stay a bit little longer."

[EXIT THREAD]