scriptumigni

[scriptumigni]

‘ you won’t lose me. ’ <3

TERROR grips his chest, throat, legs, rooting him in place. paralyzed by fear and held still by father’s lackeys. roy watches as they took a blade to riza’s neck, unable to move, unable to protect her or save her. unable to do what she’s done for him all this time. then she’s dropped atop the transmutation circle, life draining as her blood spilled forth. he grit his teeth, eyes cast aside at the sight. the image of her dying in front of him was not something he’d wished to carve into memory. a heavy sigh escaped him, unsure and uneasy. and then, with her last remaining strength, she reminds him of his past words. i can’t die. i’m under strict orders not to die. and she gives him a look; she’s telling him no matter what happens, do not stray from the path.

he promises her. alright. i won’t perform the transmutation.

then the conversation is interrupted, as allies appear just in time, and he’s given the chance to break free. in an instant he’s at her side, lifting her from the cold stone. adrenaline drowns out every other sound, distracting him from the red searing him, his clothes, the ground… 

“ – lieutenant! c’mon, stay with me… ”

her voice comes quiet, barely audible. you won’t lose me. and her eyes are locked to his for a single moment, a small yet steadfast smile touching her lips. she was promising him this time. he smiled back. just hearing her again was enough for relief to spark – but it did not begin a steady blaze, as she fell back to unconsciousness, and panic quickly returned. death’s touch would not be bated by prayer; fate could not be bent and bowed to his will. what he needed was no miracle but a doctor, a person versed in medical alchemy. he was all but ready to attempt… something, anything to at least stabilize her…

– when, as if to prove that fate did listen, a certain xingese princess offered to aid. riza’s breathing steadied, no longer within the grasp of the reaper. alive. he gave thanks, pulling her close. for just this moment, they were both safe, and silence seemed to fill the room. just for a moment… there was peace.

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‘ how are you holding up? ’

MANAGING A terse smile, her gaze falls momentarily upon the floor, to the shadows at her feet. she’s become conscious of them lately, the angles at which they fall on the floor, the way they seem to cover every inch of her apartment when she returns after a long day. riza never truly feared the dark, not even as a child– but these days, she tenses at the sight of her own shadow, whether it moves alongside her on the wall or stretches across the room. she’s seen what lurks in the shadows, knows she has something to be afraid of. if she steps out of line or provokes them… they could dispose of her at any moment. which isn’t saying much, really; she knows they’re planning on using her later. she had practically confirmed it for herself. and all she can do is silently steel herself, her drive towards their cause, and subvert whatever it is that they’re planning. behave the way they expect her to… until it’s time to change tactics.

the fact that they cannot speak to each other directly is frustrating. however, it hasn’t been impossible. not for them. each time they pass in the hall or in the dining room, a traded glance is all it takes for her to confirm to him that she hasn’t gone anywhere. that she’s still– always– with him, despite being kept elsewhere.

he knew something had happened… and she knew that he noticed. ever since her brief silence on the phone– showing up the next day with a paper thin cut across her cheek. ( however small an injury, it whispers a discreet threat for his ears alone ) and in the eyes in the shadows, that much likely seemed normal. ideal, even. evoking some fear and concern in their human adversaries. yet what pride doesn’t know is that in the process of a simple ‘chat’ over lunch, she had discreetly communicated the one thing the colonel absolutely needed to know. selim bradley is a homunculus.

since then, she can tell he’s been wanting to know more. and she’ll find a way to offer more information… in time. when they can be discreet.

riza shifts the stack of paperwork in her arms, glances at him knowingly. there is only so much they can say to each other in passing. even when they’re perceivably ‘alone’.

❛ —i’m fine, sir. ❜ tone strictly professional, she eventually replaces her thankful smile with a stern front, seeking normalcy in the slightest form to set her mind at ease. ❛ i certainly hope you haven’t been slacking off in my absence. ❜

@irefell

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“There is someone I need to protect.”

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✰   —  —  —  STRANGER THINGS : THE GATE SENTENCE STARTERS

‘  i never gave up on you.  ’ ‘  i called you every night.  ’ ‘  what the hell is this? where have you been?  ’ ‘  let’s talk. alone.  ’ ‘  so i should be thanking you then?  ’ ‘  no, nothing about this is okay! nothing about this is okay!  ’ ‘  you stupid, disgusting, lying piece of shit!  ’ ‘  oh, you like these pearls?  ’ ‘  you’re a real lifesaver, you know that?  ’ ‘  how is this important right now?  ’ ‘  it’s not important. i’m sorry.  ’ ‘  you should go with him.  ’ ‘  no one’s leaving anyone.  ’ ‘  i may be a pretty shitty boyfriend, but turns out i’m actually a pretty damn good babysitter.  ’ ‘  turns out i’m a pretty damn good babysitter.  ’ ‘  just be careful, alright?  ’ ‘  i can’t lose you again.  ’ ‘  you won’t lose me.  ’ ‘  you promise?  ’ ‘  promise.  ’ ‘  so what, we’re just not gonna talk about it, huh?  ’ ‘  i’m just curious, you know, why all the sudden you look like some kind of mtv punk.  ’ ‘  i’m not mad, i just wanna know where you’ve been. that’s all.  ’ ‘  i… i shouldn’t have left.  ’ ‘  no, this isn’t on you. i should’ve been there.  ’ ‘  sometimes i feel like i’m just some kind of black hole or something.  ’ ‘  the blackhole got her. and somehow, i’ve just been scared, you know? i’ve just been scared that it’d take you too.  ’ ‘  i’m so sorry. for everything.  ’ ‘  i can be so… so… stupid. just really stupid.  ’ ‘  i don’t hate it, by the way.  ’ ‘  bitchin’.  ’ ‘  okay… sure. bitchin’.  ’ ‘  is this really necessary?  ’ ‘  this is a ground-breaking scientific discovery. we can’t just bury it like some common mammal, okay? it’s not a dog.  ’ ‘  okay, first of all, this is not some stupid sports game. and second, we’re not even in the game. we’re on the bench.   ’ ‘  right– so my point is… right, yeah.  ’ ‘  we’re on the bench so, uh, there’s nothing we can do.  ’ ‘  yeah, and then we all die!  ’ ‘  no, that’s not a point of view, man. that’s a fact.  ’ ‘  oh yeah? that’s a no.  ’ ‘  hey! hey! hey! this is not happening.  ’ ‘  no, no, no, no, no. no buts.  ’ ‘  i promised i’d keep you shitheads safe and that’s exactly what i plan on doing.  ’ ‘  we’re staying here. on the bench. and we’re waiting for the starting team to do their job.  ’ ‘  i said does everybody understand that? i need a yes.  ’ ‘  he can’t know i’m here. he’ll kill me. he’ll kill us.  ’ ‘  am i dreaming or is that you?  ’ ‘  yeah, it’s me. don’t cream your pants.  ’ ‘  what are you doing here, amigo?  ’ ‘  doesn’t ring a bell. sorry, buddy.  ’ ‘  you know, i don’t know, this whole situation here is giving me the heebie-jeebies.  ’ ‘  man, were you dropped too much as a child or what?  ’ ‘  i don’t know what you don’t understand about what i just said.  ’ ‘  looks like you got some fire in you after all!  ’ ‘  yes, kick his ass! murder that son of a bitch!  ’ ‘  you little shit, what did you do?  ’ ‘  are you sure this is a good idea?  ’ ‘  let’s kill this son of a bitch.  ’ ‘  it’s okay, you put up a good fight. he kicked your ass, but you put up a good fight.  ’ ‘  they were gonna leave you behind, but i promised you’d be cool, okay?  ’ ‘  everybody shut up! i’m trying to focus!  ’ ‘  what’s happening? it hurts!  ’ ‘  let me go!  ’ ‘  oh, no… you guys.   ’ ‘  hey, where do you think you’re going.  ’ ‘  what are you, deaf? hello!  ’ ‘  we are not going down there right now, i made myself clear!  ’ ‘  this ends right now!  ’ ‘  you’re upset, i get it.  ’ ‘  the bottom line is, a party member requires assistance and it is our duty to provide that assistance.  ’ ‘  i know you promised them that you’d keep us safe, so keep us safe.  ’ ‘  whoa, whoa, whoa. hey, hey, hey, hey! i don’t think so.  ’ ‘  any of you shits die down here, i’m getting the blame.  ’ ‘  got it, dipshit?  ’ ‘  from here on out, i’m leading the way.  ’ ‘  those suckers got you pretty good, huh?  ’ ‘  it’s not working. it’s not working! are you listening to me?  ’ ‘  you’re killing him!  ’ ‘  you remember me?  ’ ‘  that was a pretty douchey thing to do.  ’ ‘  you did good. you did so good.  ’ ‘  sometimes i impress even myself.  ’ ‘  what’s so important about one night?  ’ ‘  do you always have to be filming everything?  ’ ‘  you look so handsome!  ’ ‘  we should, you know, get out there… like, do our thing.  ’ ‘  yeah, i love it, but not as much as i love you.  ’ ‘  get out of my room!  ’ ‘  see? pretty.  ’ ‘  you don’t care.  ’ ‘  i don’t care.  ’ ‘  there you go. you’re learning, my friend.  ’ ‘  hey, come on. you look great, okay? you look great!  ’ ‘  you’re gonna go in there, look like a million bucks, and you’re gonna slay ‘em dead.  ’ ‘  yeah, uh… don’t do that, okay?  ’ ‘  holy shit! what happened to you?  ’ ‘  are you trying to ask me to dance, stalker?  ’ ‘  wanna dance?  ’ ‘  you’re my favorite.  ’ ‘  you’ve always been my favorite.  ’ ‘  girls this age are dumb.  ’ ‘  how are you holding up?  ’ ‘  yeah, that feeling never goes away.  ’ ‘  it is true what they say, you know. every day it does get a little easier.  ’

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peepo

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‘ keep your eyes open. ’

INSTEAD OF finishing her off, they leave her with time. not a lot, but just enough. ( –or so she hopes. ) riza steadies a trembling hand over the fresh wound on her neck, blood warming her fingers, dyeing her jacket collar. she doesn’t think about the pain. doesn’t think about what’s going to happen to her. right now, all she can do is focus on him. he cannot perform the transmutation. and she will not be made the ‘weakness’ which casts him into the enemy’s hands. ( taken as a hostage-- facing her newfound paranoia of the shadows-- long ago she steeled herself for this possibility ) by failing to finish her off, they underestimate what a dying woman is capable of. because she still has the gall to smirk, to speak. i’m under strict orders not to die.

then she conserves her strength, grapples for her thoughts when they threaten to fade. every word, every glance from this moment on matters. it’s when they notice her stillness and wonder if she’s dead, when the colonel blanches with terror that she speaks again to reassure him. this time pleading with him. you don’t have to do this. her approach is countered quickly-- but you will do it, won’t you mustang?-- and she knows she doesn’t have the breath to argue with. thus she resorts to glaring at him, as strictly as she can manage when his expression wavers-- easing her gaze slowly, meaningfully to her gun. he looks away. she hopes he understands. 

riza clings to what remains of her consciousness as she waits for his decision. sweat crawls down her face. her vision blurs at the edges. she can hardly stay awake, stay alive-- but she needs to hear him say it. 

i won’t perform the transmutation. 

the relief she feels is immense. enough to bring about a sort of peace, even as she faces the possibility that she just might die here. knowing she can trust him to make the right decision, her hold reality slips, catapulting her towards a certain darkness she had been denying. 

riza’s vaugely aware of a fight that goes on without her. distant and faraway, despite the fact that it’s occurring right over her head... but she can pinpoint the colonel’s voice. just as she knows it’s his arms encircling her now, lending her warmth and the familiar, lingering scent of smoke. she knows it’s him-- all her instincts beg her to respond-- but she’s never felt so frail before. even opening her eyes is too much. 

❛ colonel... ❜ and suddenly, it gets easier. she sees him. ❛ –i’m so sorry. ❜  

@irefell

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hey babe

TIRED eyes reopen as he detects a familiar presence. he definitely hadn’t fallen asleep at his desk … again. the smell of coffee met him as she approached, two cups in hand; it was her words, though, that truly roused him to consciousness. 

“ hey … ” 

A moment is taken to gather his bearings, ridding himself of remaining lethargy. he smiles as she sets the prepared drink beside him – 

“ thanks, babe. ”

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graphic request meme // @the-light-of-the-sacred-flame asked: FMA + favorite romantic relationship.

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Hawkeye’s look in the final arc is so good….

inked in my sketchbook, colored in photoshop!

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‘ i have to leave you behind. i’m sorry. ’

    ❝NO, SIR.❞ It’s frustration hidden in cold layers of professionalism, an exasperated beginning calmed by a tinge of understanding at the end. Riza holds a response– one he can likely already read in her eyes– between her teeth. Levelheadedness is one of her greatest strengths. All it takes is one long breath, one extra moment to assess a situation before acting. By allowing her heart do the talking, her words would likely incapacitate her just as much as her injuries. Maybe he’s trying to keep her safe. Maybe he thinks it’s too dangerous out there. He says he’s sorry. Does he think he’s being selfless? Had they discussed this earlier, had this been a part of some larger plan, she might have complied. But this…

     Gaze hardens, a clear ‘don’t give me that’– and she takes a step towards him. Challenges his authority, never losing her cool or raising her voice. She is as loyal as she is stubborn– and he should know by now that an order to forsake him is one she will not obey. For him, she can and will endure.

    Even into hell. That’s what she promised.

    ❝I’m coming with you.❞

@ignisis

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* soft angst starters

‘ stay with me tonight? ’

‘ don’t talk. save your strength. ’

‘ hey, i’ve got you. it’s okay. ’

‘ i’ll be right here. don’t worry. ’

‘ i think we’re done. ’

‘ hold my hand. ’

‘ it’s all been a lie, hasn’t it? ’

‘ we’re out of time. ’

‘ you’ll always be a friend. ’

‘ just hold me. ’

‘ i have to leave you behind. i’m sorry. ’

‘ don’t do that. it’ll only hurt. ’

‘ go on, cry. ’

‘ keep your eyes open. ’

‘ can i hug you? ’

‘ i trusted you. ’

‘ do you remember? ’

‘ i loved you. ’ 

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There wasn’t anyway for anyone to settle in You made a slow disaster out of me

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ignisis:

kelly this is so good omg i love !!! riza !!!! so much !!!!

i was just thinking about how pride mentions the way she keeps her gun holstered (i think he even says something about how brave she is?)-- and i remembered the way she used so much ammunition dealing with gluttony and lust... like that whole scene between riza and pride gives me chills but she handles it so well askdjfksdjs