Nero

Hild sat in her chair, staring out the window. One of her newest State Alchemists was about to enter this room - and that was for the sake of his watch. She turned back to her desk, and picked up the folder off of the brushed wood, opening it up to read the man's personnel file.

So, it said that his name was Nerosé Angelier, 27 years old, stationed in Briggs. Head of Defense, or something like that. As she read through, seeing his personal and military histories, she nodded to herself. He seemed like a good enough soldier. But as a State Alchemist? She looked at the results of his State Alchemist exam. She put her hand on her chin, and nodded to herself. 'Twas a good result, one that she liked. She smiled secretly, and put a finger on the intercom, speaking to her secretary.

"Claudia, is Nerosé here yet?" A crackled reply came through the speaker.

"Not yet, ma'am." Hild sighed. How long was this man going to be? Her hand went to the drawer by her left leg, and she opened it with a small smirk. In it lay a silver pocket-watch, and a letter that certified him as a State Alchemist.

Slicing Wind, huh? A bit obvious, if you asked her, but it was a simple enough name. She looked back up at the door, and touched her intercom once more.

"Just send him in when he arrives..." She spun back around on her chair, watching over Central City with a smile of satisfaction. This country needed more people like Nero... Didn't it? It was all to make peace in the end, right?

Nero walked into the secritaries office. "I'm here to see the Fuhrer." He said to the secretary. He wondered what the Fuhrer was like, because he had never seen the Fuhrer or had even been this close, knowingly, to the Fuhrer. "She said to go straight in. The Secretary said with a smile. He knocked on the door, and opened the door to enter the Fuhrer's office. "You wanted to see me, Madam Fuhrer?" He said after a few seconds of remembering a rumor he heard that the Fuhrer was female. He waited for her answer, but other than that, he was nervous to be in the office of the Fuhrer, and it is obvious. He smiled, to try and have the mood lightend for himself, a little uneasily to be so close to someone with so much power in Amestris. He wondered how the Fuhrer acted and what she would be like.

"You wanted to see me, Madam Fuhrer?"

She decided to wait for a couple of seconds - just to add a little drama. As soon as she had collected her thoughts, she turned in the chair to face the white-haired man. That was who was in the photo, of course, but there was always the chance of him being an imposter. She studied him for a few seconds... No, he was the real thing. She sighed softly, and spoke - in a voice that showed little of her timid nature.

"You are Nerosé Angelier, correct? The Head of Defense at Fort Briggs... I heard that you, quite recently, took part in the Amestris State Alchemist's exam." She reached into her drawer, and pulled out the piece of paper and the pocket watch, before standing up and walking over to the man, pleated skirt fluttering slightly in the draught from her windows. She walked closer to him, and presented the paper and watch to him.

"Congratulations. You passed with flying colours, and are now the Slicing Wind Alchemist. You have also been promoted to Major, and I'm sure your commander, Brigadier General Tsukino will be happy to have a new State Alchemist." She nodded to him, and after handing off the paper and watch, held out her hand for the man to shake, a smile on her face and in her remaining eye.

"Do you mind if I call you Nero? I'm not a fan of formalities."

Nero was not really expecting the Fuhrer to be like this. He was expecting someone more... scary. He smiled, happy to be proven wrong. He nodded when the Fuhrer asked him if he was Nerosé Angelier. When she stood up, took something out of a drawer and handed it to him, he smiled and took the watch and peice of paper when she went to hand it to him. He continued to smile when she congradulated him, though he stayed quiet when she was talking, and didn't want to seem rude to the Fuhrer. "Thank you, Madam Fuhrer!" He said, with a quick solute and exited the solute quickly. "And it's alright if you call me Nero, Madam Fuhrer." He said, smiling. He preferred to be called Nero insted of Nerosé. He felt that being proven wrong about thinking that the Fuhrer was scary, because he was too releived about being wrong, and too happy about becoming a new state alchemist to think about flirting.

The young Fuhrer cleared her throat.

"Hild. Please, call me Hild. I'm not 50, you know?" She smiled at him - he was one of the first people she'd talked to that wasn't Aurel or Kida, and it was interesting, even if it was only for business. She sighed, and walked back to her chair. She still had to tell him the actual rules of being a State Alchemist. She sighed again - this was far from the easiest part of this... Even as a State Alchemist, there were still rules that had to be followed.

"Alright. Nero... There are things you must know to be a State Alchemist. Three rules exist, and you must follow them if you wish to keep your certification." Her eye went steely as she stared at Nero.

"Firstly, you must obey the Military - namely me. You have your superior officer, but my word is above her's in all instances. If I require you to fight here in Central, or move to the South, you will do so without hesitation, without question. If I, god forbid, ask you to kill any one of the Fort Briggs members for treason, you will not hesitate.

Next, you must refrain from creating gold. It is a matter of the balance of Amestris and it's citizens. We cannot have every Alchemist richer than the richest without trying.

Finally, no human creation. You know what I mean - human transmutation is, and always will be, forbidden. If you are discovered with some form of human transmutation, you will not only be stripped of your rank, but courtmartialed as well. Be forewarned." She nodded, and looked at the man carefully. There was something else, right? Right! She checked the date on her calendar, and looked towards Nero once more.

"Today is the 29th of November. You will be required to undertake a yearly show of your research every year on this day. I trust that you use your time wisely - your certification would hang on it."

Nero gulped as Hild said that if she had told him to kill anyone in briggs, that he wouldn't hesitate. He then nodded in agreement that he wouldn't create any gold with his alchemy, or do any human transmutation. "I am under your direct orders, I shall not create any gold, and I shall not commit Human Transmutation, Fuhrer Hild, Ma'am!" He said, saluting again, and quickly ending it. He smiled seriously a little as he said that he wouldn't do any of those things that he had said, repeating what she had said. He was being as professional as he possibly could, which was just slightly hard for him. But he continued to stand normally. "Is that all, Fuhrer Hild, Ma'am?" He asked, with a smile still.// Nero was releived that that Fuhrer didn't snap at him for calling her 'madam', and hoped she wouldn't get mad at him for using 'ma'am'. "I look forward to undertake the show of my research." He said smiling.

Hild sighed, and leaned back in her chair slightly, watching Nero carefully, listening to his every reply, and watching with careful intent. As soon as he had finished talking, she leant forwards and spoke herself.

"Nero. I am proud to give you this position, and you are welcome to use Central HQ as a mainstay whenver the need arises. You are dismissed. Claudia will hsow you to the door." She smiled at him, and leaned back once more. Really, he was too formal for her tastes. All this 'madam' and 'ma'am' made her feel old. She sighed again as he left, and checked her watch. Still time to kill before she had to meet with her brother - he wasn't hanging around her office like he used to, which in some cases could be seen as a good thing - but it usually meant, for her bother... um, brother, something negative. She turned towards the window once more, staring out over the City that she ruled.

Some people... are strange in my eye. Why is it that people do waht they do? I just want peace, but sometimes war must be a catalyst to it. THere were more protesters today... Something that annoyed the young Fuhrer no end.

{Thread END}