It felt like something deeper than sleep, once more. Lust opened her eyes, not entirely surprised to find herself staring at her ceiling. She felt limp and relaxed, and she supposed it was from whatever drugs those damned bugs had injected into her with their bites. She couldn't remember much, only running to the room with her legs growing numb, and then a strange sensation of bliss. Yuuri had passed out, and she supposed she had as well.
Blinking a few times, she stretched and listened as the intercom began its morning announcements. New staff? Lost patients? God, what had she missed in her drug induced stupor? She supposed she'd find out. She slipped out of bed, a smug smile on her face. Despite the drugs and being deterred from sacking the medical wing, Lust felt good. She had lost sight of too much. She hadn't truly realized, until last night, the unique opportunity this place afforded her. She was the master here. She held the power. She was the one who could call the shots and make use of those loyal to her.
( ... )
Instead of Haru, however, the former homunculus found someone far different stalking towards her. Scar's eyes had found Lust's seat in the cafeteria, instinctively and unknowingly appraising her as something a little more meaningful to express his rage to than toppled tables.
"What the hell is wrong with those bastards?" The warrior of God sat down across from her, beginning his biting complaints without any kind of introduction to the subject at hand. "I should have known better than to consider for a damned second that those murderers could think of anyone besides themselves and their own countrymen."
I'm such a fool, he would have added had he not known Lust would turn it against him.
He looked to her with narrowed eyes. The volume of his voice ascended slightly.
"And you should've known better than to feed me such worthless advice as that 'alliances' crap!"
Lust glanced up, her small smirk not slipping an inch. My, but he was in a foul mood this morning. Had the colonel upset him? Most likely. Boys never could play nicely, now could they?
"Trouble in paradise, scarred one?" she teased him, purring slightly. She rested her chin in her hand and watched him, her eyes amused. He had such rage inside of him. Such passion. She had always found it alluring, even in their first encounter in the library.
"And what have they done to wound you so? I've found their company to be nothing but pleasant. Not to mention useful. Why, the colonel's even protected me against a threat. And come now, you're being rather hypocritical. Among the four of us, we're all murderers, aren't we?"
"Some paradise this is," Scar snorted without humor, clenching a fist and slamming it down on the table. He glared at the woman. "Right, useful. As if that's a rare virtue in your eyes."
At the talk of hypocrisy and Scar's own shame, the warrior lowered both his head and the tone of his voice.
"The reason I'm a murderer is for the sake of the murdered." His eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth. He gazed down the length of his stolen arm. "Their enemies are of their own making. They killed all those they knew to do good and only left those too weak to follow.
He looked up towards the wall, the cracks in the ceiling. He brought his hand to his face.
"Nothing else?" Lust laughed then, her fingers curling about her own cheek. She parter her lips, smiling widely to show her teeth. There was a hint of mocking in her expression.
"What a narrow view you have of yourself. How many times did you save the younger Elric's life? How many times did you care so little for your own life that you risked it for others? You forget, scarred one, that I know you. You were even willing to give your life for mine. Or had you forgotten?" No, of course he hadn't. But she wouldn't allow a chance to go by and not remark on it.
"They're soldiers, Scar. Soldiers kill in war. It was hardly their fault, they were acting on orders. And soldiers are quite useful in this place." She shrugged. "Many different men have many different uses. I would be a fool not to advantage of all that I can."
Scar looked to her with dull eyes. It was tragic, indeed: The man had made himself into a weapon so efficient that any admission of humanity would destroy its own potency. After all, a tool of God is only a tool so long as it knows it can't use itself.
The voice that followed was hard and cold, as if the weapon had been forced to reestablish its purpose for fear of losing it altogether.
"No, nothing was done to me." Lust shook her head. They had been talking about him, not her! "I had a pleasant and successful night last night. Other than the unfortunate building shift that seemed to have damaged the building beyond immediate repair. And the drugging." She smiled at him, sizing him up with her eyes.
"I suppose I've simply regained my confidence." She cocked her head, surprised that he noticed. Did he pay that much attention to her? "You must take rather detailed note of me, to pick up on such a small thing, scarred one."
Blinking a few times, she stretched and listened as the intercom began its morning announcements. New staff? Lost patients? God, what had she missed in her drug induced stupor? She supposed she'd find out. She slipped out of bed, a smug smile on her face. Despite the drugs and being deterred from sacking the medical wing, Lust felt good. She had lost sight of too much. She hadn't truly realized, until last night, the unique opportunity this place afforded her. She was the master here. She held the power. She was the one who could call the shots and make use of those loyal to her. ( ... )
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"What the hell is wrong with those bastards?" The warrior of God sat down across from her, beginning his biting complaints without any kind of introduction to the subject at hand. "I should have known better than to consider for a damned second that those murderers could think of anyone besides themselves and their own countrymen."
I'm such a fool, he would have added had he not known Lust would turn it against him.
He looked to her with narrowed eyes. The volume of his voice ascended slightly.
"And you should've known better than to feed me such worthless advice as that 'alliances' crap!"
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"Trouble in paradise, scarred one?" she teased him, purring slightly. She rested her chin in her hand and watched him, her eyes amused. He had such rage inside of him. Such passion. She had always found it alluring, even in their first encounter in the library.
"And what have they done to wound you so? I've found their company to be nothing but pleasant. Not to mention useful. Why, the colonel's even protected me against a threat. And come now, you're being rather hypocritical. Among the four of us, we're all murderers, aren't we?"
Reply
At the talk of hypocrisy and Scar's own shame, the warrior lowered both his head and the tone of his voice.
"The reason I'm a murderer is for the sake of the murdered." His eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth. He gazed down the length of his stolen arm. "Their enemies are of their own making. They killed all those they knew to do good and only left those too weak to follow.
He looked up towards the wall, the cracks in the ceiling. He brought his hand to his face.
"I murder because I can do nothing else."
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"What a narrow view you have of yourself. How many times did you save the younger Elric's life? How many times did you care so little for your own life that you risked it for others? You forget, scarred one, that I know you. You were even willing to give your life for mine. Or had you forgotten?" No, of course he hadn't. But she wouldn't allow a chance to go by and not remark on it.
"They're soldiers, Scar. Soldiers kill in war. It was hardly their fault, they were acting on orders. And soldiers are quite useful in this place." She shrugged. "Many different men have many different uses. I would be a fool not to advantage of all that I can."
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The voice that followed was hard and cold, as if the weapon had been forced to reestablish its purpose for fear of losing it altogether.
"You're different."
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"And what do you mean by that? In regards to how I see you, or in regards to your heroic attempt at defending my life?"
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He couldn't find words to describe it. He studied her for a moment before his eyes narrowed.
"Did they do something to you?"
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"I suppose I've simply regained my confidence." She cocked her head, surprised that he noticed. Did he pay that much attention to her? "You must take rather detailed note of me, to pick up on such a small thing, scarred one."
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