futurology | MASS TEXT; USERNAME: HAWKEYE

MASS TEXT; USERNAME: HAWKEYE

[In the end, she opts for the efficiency of a brief written message. (The message functionality of the jewelry still amazes her from time to time, but she's becoming increasingly fond of how fast it makes communication with others.)]

My name is Riza Hawkeye. I'm a military officer from the nation of Amestris. [Vague credentials, for anyone that really needs them.] There are a lot of us here gathered from different places and times, with different skills and areas of knowledge. I've spoken with a few others and we've agreed it would be beneficial for all of us to have a database of skills to pull from, both for this mission and otherwise.

[Most likely 'otherwise'; she can't be the only one suspicious of ALASTAIR after what happened in Anwick.]

If you're willing to provide a brief listing of the skills you possess, magical [because that's a thing that exists, apparently??] or otherwise, it would be greatly appreciated. If you're uncomfortable using the communications device I'm also happy to meet with you in person.

[And if you're not willing that's cool too. Everyone's got their secrets.]

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[The network is super Big Brother, it's true.]

Absolutely. Where are you currently staying? I'll come find you.

I'll send you my coordinates so you'll be able to locate me with ease.

[He's just staying with Anna Kushina at the residential area. There's nothing special about that, but it never hurts to be careful.]

[It's something she can appreciate, tbh.]

Understood.

[Julius will be waiting for Riza to arrive at those said coordinates. He's currently holding a long black sword covered in gold outlines. Simply wielding it makes him stand out like a sore thumb. That's entirely intentional on his part.

He'll explain how it works soon enough!]

[She shows up shortly afterward, nodding in greeting when she catches sight of him.]

Good evening, sir.

[He may have technically told her to stop calling him 'captain', but 'sir' is perfectly respectable.]

I've been expecting you, Lieutenant. [He doesn't mind being called sir at all. Julius makes a hand gesture to Riza as a greeting. ]

As I promised, I'll show you the extent of my abilities. [He holds up the blade by his side.]

This is a God Arc. We create these weapons by using advanced Oracle technology. It's complicated so I must thank you for coming out here to see me.

[She cracks a faint smile at the words of thanks.]

I wouldn't be much of a lieutenant if I weren't capable of fulfilling basic duties.

[But her attention is drawn immediately to the 'God Arc', her brows pulling downwards as she carefully inspects the blade. Swords aren't much of a common sight in Amestris any longer, having been replaced largely by guns and unique alchemical weapons. Her eyes flicker back up to Julius, curious.]

Why the name God Arc?

We call them God Arcs because the weapon is technically a God itself.

I'll need some room to demonstrate. [He steps back for a second. Suddenly there's a mouth coming out of Julius' blade and it looks more like a monster if anything. This is some weird stuff so Julius doesn't want to tell everyone what he can do.]

['God' isn't much of a concept in the heavily science- and war-influenced Amestris. The word is a familiar one to her, of course, but not one she places any particular belief in. (Besides, if there really was some sort of god out there, surely he wouldn't have let an atrocity such as the Ishvalan extermination occur.)

Still, she dutifully steps back, whatever stoicism previously present on her face giving way to blatant surprise at the sword's sudden transformation.]

Is the sword magical in nature then?

It's not a magical weapon as far as I'm aware. [The concept of magic is still strange to Julius. He isn't even sure where to begin with that topic. It doesn't really exist in his time.]

The God Arc's core is artificial and only a few of them have been manufactured. [Riza's the first person he's showed his abilities to. He feel's comfortable discussing it with her even though they just met recently.]

It can devour things so I can fight at a distance. Do you have any questions?

[Honestly, that's something of a relief. There's too much about magic that's still an unknown to her, a gaping maw of unanswered questions that's just too overwhelming, especially in the wake of the recent discoveries of the existence of homunculi and philosopher's stones.

Even so, the sword's nothing to be laughed at, and she pities whoever might find themselves at the other end. She studies the mouth again, then looks up at Julius.]

Where do the devoured objects go? Is there some sort of digestive mechanism attached?

[She's reminded of Gluttony, and the monstrosity that had erupted from his stomach. Wants to know if she should be expecting a repeat of that.]

My weapon automatically converts devoured objects into energy. Then I can fire it off when it's in gun form.
[He'll show Riza the God Arc's gun form too. The blade transforms into an assault rifle within a mere second. ]

Everyone else in my unit possess similar abilities. [She'll know what to expect from Julius' friends now. ]

How about you, Lieutenant? I assume you've been through standard military protocol, but we come from different places. Can you tell me more about the training you did? [Julius is curious, but he'll understand if Riza doesn't want to tell him.]

[She'll return to the topic of the gun later; seeing something with so much power fills her with a measure of unease. For now she straightens, ready and willing to share her own experiences.]

Of course. It was all standard military training - close combat exercises, battlefield tactics, general politics and geography. I was also stationed on the field as a sniper during my last year of academy training, so I do have first hand experience. That's where my specialty lies, with firearms.

[She pauses for a beat before continuing.]

With that said, the majority of the military's forces are comprised of the State Alchemists, people with the ability to manipulate and create objects out of pre-existing organic and inorganic matter.

[Some of the God Arc's functions have been disabled so it's not as strong as it could be. ]

Not many soldiers can wield a gun with ease. Your combat experience will be useful to you in the future.

[He thinks about Riza's explanation. This is the first time he's heard of Alchemists. Even so, Julius can understand why her military uses alchemists on the battlefield. They seem quite powerful by the sounds of it.]

Do State Alchemists have limits to their abilities? [He sounds worried. ]

[It's a concern that's well-founded; with so much power, they could raze whole cities with barely a flick of their wrist. And had. Her eyes dim somewhat at the memory for a moment, but she shakes it away, refocusing her attention on the matter at hand.]

Only those limits imposed upon them by the field of alchemy itself: equivalent exchange. You can't make something out of nothing. If you wanted to create a weapon from stone, you would need to use an equivalent amount of stone from some area nearby.

[Ah, right:]

There are three rules imposed upon State Alchemists by the military itself, though those are sometimes still broken by alchemists gone rogue.

[She feels safe sharing this much; it's information freely available in Amestris, after all.]

[Equivalent exchange seems like a fair rule. Julius isn't surprised to learn that some alchemists do whatever they want though. People who have power tend to abuse it and it's something he's seen many times before.]

To be frank, I'm relieved to hear that your military sets rules and regulations for State Alchemists in general. [He looks at Riza with some curiosity.]

Power should never be misused. [That doesn't even need to be said really.]

Though, I'm quite intrigued by everything you've told me so far.

[All government have rules. Whether or not the members of that body follow said rules is another matter entirely. But she supposes Amestris - most notably the military - would have deteriorated in a mere few months if those three rules hadn't been put into place.

Or maybe not. Homunculus do have powerful ways of getting what they want, it seems. Just not through trust, which is what she'd like to stick to now, if at all possible.]

It must be quite different from what you're used to.

[Everything she's learned here has been for her so far.]

You're right about that.

[He contemplates on her words. The military in Riza's world is really strong. Fenrir's forces seems like a joke in comparison. ]

We can learn many things from each other because of our differences however.

[It's hardly a bad thing. ]

[There's the briefest hint of a smile as Riza's lips twitch up and then back down. A true military man, seeking knowledge of not only the strengths currently available to him but also strengths he's only just begun to learn about. She nods, vocalizing her thoughts.]

I agree. [Now that both their respective worlds have been brought to light:] Was there anything else you were interested in?

[Either about her world or what information she's gathered thus far.]

Naturally, yes. [He's a curious person. There's always things he's interested in. ]

I want to learn more about your commanding superiors and what kind of presence they made in your military.

[Julius had extremely questionable superiors okay. He often argued with the General so he wondered if Riza had similar experiences.]

[GUESS THEY'LL BE HERE ALL DAY THEN which is okay, Riza likes Julius more than she likes most others she's met so far here, and she definitely respects the most out of everyone. But ah. Commanding superiors. At the thought, she unconsciously straightens back up to attention.]

King Bradley is in charge of the military as a whole, though it's rare he directly oversees my work.

[She's far too low on the chain of command for him to notice her at all.....except as a hostage, but that's an entirely different situation altogether and not one that needs to be revealed to anyone here.]

There are a number of generals in charge of the various headquarters, each with their own method of management. I've spoken to any of them but the military has been running smoothly so far in all branches. [So she can only assume they're not fucking it up entirely.] Most of them deal more with paperwork than riot control, though they are occasionally set to the field in times of war.

[As for her...] My direct superior is Colonel Roy Mustang, also a State Alchemist. He sees more fieldwork than others because of that.

[The feeling of respect is mutual. Julius thinks highly of Riza and treats her like a close comrade. She doesn't appear to be the type of person who'd disobey a direct order yo. ]

It's not too uncommon for leaders to work away from soldiers who fight. [It happened a lot back in Fenrir too. Issac rarely showed himself at the military base even though he's their main director. ]

You coordinated with the Colonel well. He must have been responsible for your actions to some extent. [He's happy to know that there's someone out there who'd watch Riza's back in a time of crisis. The battlefield is truly an awful place.]

[Not uncommon and quickly becoming the norm, though Riza can't help but wonder if the evergrowing distance from the battlefield is ultimately a beneficial thing. Knowing nothing but the safety of their office while common soldiers - and civilians - suffer and die in droves....how much will that skew their perceptions of war?

But that's neither in the here or now; at the mention of the colonel, she nods, shifting her thoughts away from the hypothetical. Though she doesn't smile her voice is unwavering, cutting clear through the evening air.]

He's a man who takes great care in ensuring the safety of his subordinates; none of us would do anything less for him.

[That, if nothing else, should speak to his qualifications. Loyalty born from fear is one thing, but loyalty born from mutual respect is a different creature altogether, and far more powerful. Anything further she has to say is interrupted, Riza cocking her head at an incoming message on the network.]

My apologies, sir. It seems as though there's someone else who wishes to meet in person.

No, I'm the one who should be apologizing. Sorry for keeping you here. [Julius offers Riza a small yet polite bow to show his respect.]

You are quite busy after all.

[He learned a lot from her today. Hopefully everything will turn out well for them both. ]

[Wow, she's the one who should be bowing here, don't take her job away from her!! Regardless, she echoes his bow back, a hair deeper than his.]

Not at all. It was my pleasure, Captain. [She gives him a smile and a small wave.] Until next time.

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MASS TEXT; USERNAME: HAWKEYE

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action [wooper]

[wooper]x100!!

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i dont even know why im awake... hi val

nami please??? go sleep.....

ok )X i just wanted to invade your inbox while no one was looking...

you succeeded....hands you a gold star

YAY ..treasures it forever

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