West City Train Depot

[Yoyo]

The train depot in the West City was fairly large. Thousands of people crowded the platform as Rei stepped off the train, a briefcase clutched tightly in her hand. A glance showed most of these people to be women and children. The women looked anxious as did older children. Small children seemed frightened and confused. They were all looking toward the back of the train.

Rei followed their line of sight and grimaced. Soldiers were exiting the train to get a breath of fresh air before getting back on the train to travel further west toward the front lines.

She could hardly take her eyes off the sight of the soldiers as she walked toward the building that divided the platform from the rest of the city. Not watching where she was going she bumped into a cart full of luggage, spilling some of its contents on the ground.

Rei hastily apologized, dropping to the ground to pick up the bags that littered the ground. Once they were all picked up she backed away, apologizing once more to the man pulling the cart.

[Destinykil]

A loud voice was screaming at all the soldiers exiting the train. They all seemed to be scared of whoever it was. As the last soldier exited the train, a large man exited as well, it turned out to be Des!

"Line up in formation soldiers. Don't make me wait!"

The soldiers hastily fell into formation. Des noticed the contents of the luggage cart fall and he saw someone picking them up. At a second glance he saw Rei helping pick things up.

"Rei! What are you doing here? What about your bookstore? Are you being lazy. Come here, meet some of the boys."

[Yoyo]

Rei heard a familiar voice in the crowd calling out to her. She looked about in confusion before spotting a familiar soldier. She hesitated a moment, looking around at all the soldiers, but finally made her way toward Des.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions," she said, eying him critically. "I suppose you're being deployed in Creta?"

[Destinykil]

Des laughed at her and patted her shoulder.

"Don't be silly, i'm getting these soldiers ready to be deployed. I'm supervising and staying here. Want to order them around with me?"

Des pointed at one of the soldiers and he immediately dropped to the floor and began doing push ups. He pointed to another and spun his finger around. That soldier started jogging in place.

"This is how you command a faction. Stop what you're doing and get back in formation. Say, how about we get some coffee? Men, return to the train, DISMISSED!"

Des extended his hand signaling for her to follow him to a nearby coffee shop.

[Yoyo]

Rei watched the men file into the train in some confusion. She had been unaware that being in the military meant doing exercises at a moment's notice. She shook her head and turned to follow Des when she realized something.

"My bag," she whispered, stopping short. "I lost my bag. It- I had it when I got off the train. Where did it go? The luggage cart!"

Rei frantically surveyed the platform in hopes of finding the her briefcase. "Oh, everything is in that thing!"

[Destinykil]

Des turned to the frantic Rei and raised an eyebrow. He put his hands above his head and took a deep breath.

"You know it's not good to freak like that. Bad for the heart. I'll just wait in the coffee shop right, over, there."

Des pointed to a nearby coffee shop and headed towards it and finally inside. He took a seat at a table and began tapping his fingers on the table.

[Yoyo]

Rei resisted the urge to zap Des with her alchemy and began moving through the growing crowd. "Mr. Military Man is rather useless when it comes to matters of importance."

Finally, Rei spotted the cart and raced for it. As she neared it she knew that it was hopeless. The cart was empty and the conductor signaling that all were aboard the train. She slowed until she acme to a halt. She stared in shock as the train left the station, families all around her waving goodbye to loved ones on the train. Rei smirked as she realized that she, too, was waving goodbye.

"Figures," she muttered turning away from the scene and directed her footsteps toward the small coffee shop Des had indicated. "Maybe some coffee would do me some good."

[Destinykil]

Des continued to tap hid fingers on the table growing impatient that the lady hasn't come to take his order. He slammed his fist on the table in a rage and it split down the middle.

"Oh, i'm sorry. I didn't mean to break the table, this wouldn't have happened if you came to take my order. Get me a new table. And a extra seat for my friend coming in soon."

Des kicked the broken table away from him and sat there frustrated at the lack of service waiting for Rei.

[Yoyo]

Rei stopped just inside the doorway of the shop and smelled the air. The pleasant smell of coffee filled her nostrils. A commotion to one side attracted her attention. A voice rang out demanding a new table be brought; a voice that was becoming all too familiar to her. She looked around the room to take in her surroundings before making her way toward Des.

"I'd ask if this seat was taken but it appears that it wouldn't do me much good without a table."

[Destinykil]

"Aha! Rei! Grab a seat. The lady should be bringing us another table. Good for nothing scoundrels. So what brings you out here to these parts anyways? We seem to run into each other a lot. I've improved on my alchemy as well."

Des clapped his hands and the lady brought a new table and two menus to look at. He nodded at the choices on the menu and grinned at some others.

"Yes, i'll have a large Coffee, black. That'll be all for me. What'll you have Rei?"

[Yoyo]

Rei glanced at the menu and set it down. "Just a water; I'm not hungry," she said to the waitress. To Des she said, "It is rather uncanny. I didn't expect to see you outside of Central. You seem to spend a lot of time there and travel isn't to common because of all the fighting." She smiled slightly when she considered who she was talking to.

"So you're here just to deploy some new troops?"

[Destinykil]

Des grinned and itched the back of his head. He chuckled a little and wiped his brow.

"I can't stay too kooked up in one place for a long time. Yeah, my Commander ordered me to deploy some troops. I had the choice to go along but I refused. I feel like taking a day off you know?"

With that being said, Des put his foot on the edge of the table and smiled.He relaxed his hands behind his head and took a deep breath and released it.

"This is the life Rei. I love the military but I need some ME time ya know? Of course you understand!"

Des laughed out loud and rocked back and forth in his chair.

[Yoyo]

Rei leaned on the table, her chin in both hands. "I suppose. My me time kinda took a turn south, though," she muttered, more to herself than to Des. Louder she said, "I took you for a man who would rather fight than just be alone. Why would you choose to stay here rather than fight?"

[Destinykil]

Des rocked back towards the table and placed his hands on the table getting close to her face. He looked rather serious.

"Between you and me......"

He stopped then pulled away from her face. HE placed his hand on his chin and stroked his small beard. He proceeded to move a little closer and opened his mouth. Nothing came out for a few seconds...

"I LOVE FIGHTING! However, where the troops are going, it's more for scouting and such. The real fight is in the depths of the streets back in central somewhere. The resistance. The dare oppose the Fuhrer and I will make them all pay."

He leaned back smiling and the waitress finally came back with his coffee and Rei's water. She placed them on the table and Des shooed her away with his hand. He took a few sips of his hot coffee and licked his lips.

"Mmmm, tasty. She better not have spat in this. Anyways, Rei. Whatcha wanna do today? I do have power and connections. Let loose a bit, lighten up, let's have some fuuuunn."

[Yoyo]

Rei sipped her water. "The resistance. That explains some of it."

"I was here to sell one of my books to a collector and then I lost the briefcase that had my book. Darn thing was worth a lot of money," she grumbled. She took another sip of her water. "So, you want to have fun? What kind of fun do you have in mind?"

[Destinykil]

Des put down his coffee and stroked his beard some more. He finally eyes Rei and raised both eyebrows.

"Fun only military personnel with clearance can have! We can go to the Senate? Military Base? Blow stuff up?...or we can go to the local carnival? Haven't been there since I was a lad. You don't get to do much sadly when you are in the military. It's work work work, so whaddya say?"

Des kicked back and awaited for Rei's response. He tried to size her up but got nowhere. His gaze shifted over to her 'arm' which was actually automail covered up. He eyed it every now and then when she wasn't looking. Finally he took another sip of his coffee and relaxed.

[Yoyo]

Rei began poking the ice in her water, completely distracted by the loss of her bag. Finally she sighed in resignation and leaned back in her chair, hands still hold the glass on the table. "Anything that doesn't get me in trouble sounds like fun to me," she said, her crooked smile beginning to emerge.

[Destinykil]

Des smiled and rose from his chair. He placed his hands on his hips and laughed.

"Alright then! Waitress! I'm not paying this bill, Military discount 100%. She is excused as well, Thank you. Good coffee by the way. Let's go Rei. We are taking a train to the Carnival! I'll meet you outside."

Des walked out the door rather quickly leaving Rei sitting at the table. The waitress sighed and came over to the table to wipe it up. Des made his way to the train ticket kiosque and bought two tickets to the carnival.

"This should be fun. Maybe she will open up a bit. She seems so seriousss."

[Yoyo]

Rei's mind was unable to grasp the military man with whom she had made such a strange acquaintance of. She smiled apologetically at the waitress and hurried to follow Des. "Train to the carnival?" she muttered as she caught up to him.

[SamSeven]

She stepped off the train and looked around in wonder.

So this is where it's supposed to be, huh??

The place must have bustling during the busiest ours of the day, for even now, it was rather crowded. She quickly crossed the platform and elbowed her way through a throng of people at the gate. One particularly enthusiastic military man strode by her, brushing her shoulder, almost knocking her from her feet but Amestris was a huge place, and she had information to find. She paid him no heed.

Like a needle in a haystack. , she thought, but first, I wonder if I can get some food anywhere. Amestrian food is so homey.

[Destinykil]

"Aha, Rei took you forever. Here is your ticket, get on, the train waits for no one, except me HAHAHA!"

Des handed Rei her ticket and boarded the train. Inside he handed over his ticket to the vendor and took a seat in the military booth.

"Vendor, please allow the female named Rei to enter the military booth."

He waved off the vendor to instruct Rei to his private booth. He opened the mini fridge on the side of him and pulled out a beer. Even though Des was only 19, he had many perks being high up in the military. He sipped from the beer can and awaited for Rei to enter and take a seat.

"The carnival should be fun. Maybe if i'm lucky, i'll lose my phone so the boss doesn't call." Des muttered to himself.

[Yoyo]

Rei was relieved when a man came and told her where to find her strange companion at. She entered the booth somewhat hesitantly. The military made her nervous, especially with all the war going on. Des was bad enough, but to be in any kind of military structure was awful.

She sat across from Des and leaned forward, rubbing her temples, white hair falling in her face. She looked up and smiled at Des. "So, the carnival, huh?"

[Destinykil]

Des places the beer can down and smiles back at Rei.

"Yes, to the carnival. I haven't been since I was just a little lad. I vaguely remember anything. At soon as I joined the military that was it. Wars, guns, training. My time was all wrapped up. This is the first time in a while I have a day off to an extent. So sit back and enjoy the day."

Des leaned back against the plush silk wrapped seats and began to sip from his beer again. He lowered the can from his lip and let out a large "ahhhh."

In a moment's notice, the train jerked forward and they started to pull away from the station.

[Yoyo]

Rei stared out the window as they pulled away from the station. The buildings began moving faster and faster until they were just a blur.

"So where exactly is this carnival that we have to take a train to get there?" She asked, suddenly curious. She had agreed to go somewhere without knowing where with a military man and it made her all the more nervous. She wished for a pair of sunglasses, wherever they were going.

[Destinykil]

"Aha, good questions Rei. The carnival is only two stations away. I was never big on using military vehicles because they raise questions. I live modern. The sun is rather bright isn't it? Care for a pair of sunglasses?"

Des presses a button on the side of the armrest and a vendor comes in.

"Yes, we'd like two pairs of sunglasses. And don't make me wait."

The vendor nervously shook his head and exited rather quickly. The sound of his feet stammering across the floor echoes in the distance. Des can't help but smile widely and laugh.

"I don't intend on hurting these people, but it is rather fun to see them heed to my every whim. Military Perk!"

As he finished his sentence, the vendor opened the door panting and breathing heavily. He handed Des the sunglasses and walked away still panting. He threw his pair on and outstretched his arm offering Rei the extra pair.

"Take them, come on. It is too bright. The corona of the sun could damage your retina's. Put these on and enjoy the rest of the ride.
"

[Sponsored content]