choose your last words, this is the last time.

mysevendevils:

Within seconds of catching sight of Sofya, the man and two others behind him were giving glances back and forth, feet faltering and knees beginning to tremble.  They knew that neither of the women would be the types to give idle threats.

“Yes,” Dante said, smiling towards Sofya.  ”Perhaps these men would like to meet us outside of town.”  She turned her gaze back towards the three men.  ”You all could surely learn a lesson there if I don’t happen to get the government files that I’ve requested.”

The threat was magic to their ears, and one of the men scrambled back into the room he’d come from before running back out, a pile of papers in his arms.  He dropped them in front of Dante and Sofya before running back over to his friends.  “Take ‘em!” he yelled.  ”Take anything!”

A flick of Dante’s eyebrows showed that she was pleased, and she lifted a stack of the papers from the ground, handing half to Sofya.  The papers dated back over the past few months, most of which being the transcriptions between government officials, but they would do.  ”Well, I apologise that you may not get to show off your talents at the moment, but I do believe that we’ve been given quite the gift of secret intelligence.  I’ll leave it to you whether you’d like to give them a parting display of explosions; otherwise, our work here is done.” 

Sofya stared blankly, intensely, without really caring one way or another what happened to these workers. They were replaceable and thought that because they knew some slivers of the truth, they’d never be let go. It was nearly enough to make her laugh. Even someone like her could be replaced after a while. The homunculi, at the true top, they’d been around for centuries and would always need humans who wanted enough knowledge that they would go to the opposite side- she’d never asked but clearly, they’d had people like her long before she was alive.

“No, I’ll pass,” she smiled lightly at Dante. “We’re out in the open, and I’ve only recently left prison. I don’t want to squander my freedom on something so small as this.” She wondered if Dante had ever experienced  being trapped. Maybe, she thought, there were different sorts of traps for someone to be in. “I think it would be best to just leave…I will go with you.”

(Source: ivorylady-crimsonlotus)

mysevendevils:

“Ha, very true.”  The two of them posed quite the threat, and Dante wouldn’t allow anyone to forget that.  She began walking towards the city centre, an idea in mind.  ”There are a few members of government intelligence in town from whom I had demanded a steady stream of stolen information.  Even with no contact, I can only hope that they’ve continued the job.  And if not, we’ll do a little scaring.  Possibly killing should the need arise.”

They walked for a few minutes across town, drawing no suspicions even though they had planned mischief.  Dante smiled.  Same old town; they expected nothing from the two women, and they were all so incredibly wrong.  It didn’t take long at all for Dante and Sofya to be standing at the front desk of some average looking government building, and Dante requested the three men whom she had commanded.  At first sight of Dante, one of the men yelped, his step faltering.

“I’m just going to assume that you haven’t been very faithful to my commands,” she guessed, voice heavy and threatening.  ”Sofya, my dear, shall we show them what happens to those who don’t follow orders?  Perhaps an explosion or two?”

“Yes, that’s an acceptable idea.” Sometimes she wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or contented by the fact that so many- in fact, most- of the non-elite military members were all mediocre, so far from the truth. So…close to the earth and so human. Sometimes she was sure that she was the only one who knew humanity the way she did. Not even Dante, who had seemed to distance herself from it. (But that was not something she would just ask.)

On their walk, everything looked as it should. Central’s content changed, but the city itself was made to be a canvas for the homunculi.

The man didn’t seem to notice her initially, but the cold, bright look in her eyes at Dante’s words made him notice. One of Dante’s tools, she could assume. “Out in the middle of Central? That would be really a show.” Not that she would mourn the destruction of Central, but it was not what she was meant to do. She narrowed her eyes. “I think you can come to the secluded area outside of town. I wonder,” she turned to Dante, “if this one here really understands  what he was getting into?” No one ever wants to.

(Source: ivorylady-crimsonlotus)

mysevendevils:

ivorylady-crimsonlotus:

“The same for me as well. It seems every time I turn around, a new part of the world surfaces.” Not that she wouldn’t suspect that it existed- for so long, half her life had been in the undercurrent of the world, the true world not shown. “No new danger…” she half smiled. Her being alive was dangerous, any moment she could be dragged into conflict with the other alchemists, or Scar could find her and kill her, or the homunculi could run out of uses. These weren’t as likely. But she was living on borrowed time ever since she knew the true meaning of danger. “Only old ones. We never get rid of those.”

Dante nodded in understanding.  Women with power always lived in danger, but that was yet another thrill of life.  Or perhaps her near-immortality had left her with slightly less fear than Sofya.

“Come, we should catch up,” Dante suggested with a raise of an eyebrow.  ”We can check in with a few citizens to see if they’re still doing my dirty work—and frighten into doing so if they’re slacking off.  And stop off for dinner should the need arise.  But I figure that if we’re going to be in danger as powerful women, then why not use that power a bit?  Shake things up.”

“All right,” she agreed. “But…what sort of citizens would you choose for that?” she shifted her eyes. “You either have them in your hands for good, or kill them afterwards.” She smiled distantly. “If we’re in danger, then the rest of the world is in vastly more danger. Even if we’re humans.” Sometimes she wondered if Dante forgot that. “Even if we all live in the same world…not everyone does the shaking.”

mysevendevils:

ivorylady-crimsonlotus:

“Of course…or, whatever passes as a place that we…revolve around, if ‘home’ is not the correct term.” It had not been for her, for a long time. Central was her…base. Once, she’d had a home. But that was when she was different. “And I could say I missed you.”

“Well, home or not, I think that I’ll always come back.  And I suppose that I’m overdue in paying visits across Amestris; I can only begin to wonder what’s happened during our absences.”  There was no telling who was even alive or dead by this point, and Dante could sense the need to travel from town to town, checking in on those whom she’d known.  ”Anyway, you haven’t had any run-ins with danger lately, have you?”

“The same for me as well. It seems every time I turn around, a new part of the world surfaces.” Not that she wouldn’t suspect that it existed- for so long, half her life had been in the undercurrent of the world, the true world not shown. “No new danger…” she half smiled. Her being alive was dangerous, any moment she could be dragged into conflict with the other alchemists, or Scar could find her and kill her, or the homunculi could run out of uses. These weren’t as likely. But she was living on borrowed time ever since she knew the true meaning of danger. “Only old ones. We never get rid of those.”

mysevendevils:

ivorylady-crimsonlotus:

“Dante…” Sofya said. “I thought I was the only one drifting around.”

“No, quite the opposite.  I think that there are many of us who have been off in different places for a while.  But we all have to come home at some point, don’t we?”

“It’s nice to see you again.”

“Of course…or, whatever passes as a place that we…revolve around, if ‘home’ is not the correct term.” It had not been for her, for a long time. Central was her…base. Once, she’d had a home. But that was when she was different. “And I could say I missed you.”

“Dante…” Sofya said. “I thought I was the only one drifting around.”

ltcoloneldaddy:

idontantimattermuch:

“I agree.” 

Cassie admit she did miss Solfa’s company. Cassie considered her a friend and a mentor and a wonderful woman.

“I think more people would be better off if they saw the world the way we saw it, but I suppose that’s their loss, and all the better for our gain.” She half-smiled. “You know, when we first met, I knew you had some of me in you, even though you’re individual to the point of being nothing like anyone I’ve ever met. And considering some people, that’s a compliment.”

(Source: ivorylady-crimsonlotus)