Rainy Day Nightmare [open]

[brit3wonderland]

The wind didn't seem to rest, whipping abut trees and shutters, creating a racket outside, rain pounding against the ground, falling heavy like bullets hitting their destined target. The shop was closed, silence seem to cover the Curtis's home. After the boys had left, there was a strange emptiness that seemed to linger in the home, a sense of loneliness and unrest that didn't want to vanish, lingering and hanging on. Things were dull, and the silence left Izumi there thinking, when it was one of the last things she wanted to be doing at that moment.

She was feeling ill again, left to just relax, her body aching from stress and from the past happenings. She lay there, eyes closed, just thinking. Sig has gone off, venturing in the rain, to pick up some more painkillers and some milk and necessities, the house really empty without his presence. She had woken up just moments earlier in cold sweats, her heart beating at a unrealastic pace, her hands clenching the white sheets around her, another dream came haunting her. She calmed herself down though, telling herself it was just a nightmare, an unrealistic nightmare, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking...Where were her babies now? Her students? Left on a mission she couldn't help but wonder, where they going to be lost as well?

She slowly opened her eyes, pain screaming from her muscles, telling her to take it easy and relax. She moaned slightly, not giving into the pain, sitting up, her eyes staring out onto the cold rain that poured from the grey, dark sky. She looked down at her hands, shaking her head, mumbling to herself. "These hands...created that monster...therefore...these hands will be there death. Or will they overcome?"

Slowly, wincing ever so slightly, she slid herself off the bed, walking across the room to a small dresser, a photo above it, a small one of the two boys when she began to train them below it. She smiled, looking at, running her hand through her dark locks, sighing. "They'll do fine Izumi, calm yourself, it was just a dream..." She spoke gently to herself, closing her eyes as images of blood and violence flashed across her eyes, of Wraths hands around Edward's throat, Edward's eyes turning blank.

A bang came from below, a knocking against the house door. Her eyes flew open, the thoughts banished from her mind as she wondered who it could possibly be pounding on the door in this rain.

OOC: Yes I'm lazy and I'm starting with my sample post! =P

[dante]

The streets were mostly empty, save for a few children splashing in the puddles and soaked townspeople running through the streets, desperately trying to take care of whatever business they had so they could get back to their homes and out of the wretched rain.

But one woman was walking down the street as if she were taking a stroll through the park on a beautiful sunny day , not bothered by the heavy rainfall in the slightest. In fact, she liked the rain quite a bit; it had a certain je ne sais qua that relaxed her and took her mind off the various obstacles on her path to immortality - at least for a little while, anyway.

Dante looked up at the gray sky from beneath her ornate parasol, withered lips pursed into a small frown as usual. Heading into town wasn't something she was particularly fond of, but it was necessary to do so every now and then, for groceries and the like. And she had to maintain a positive image by socializing with the worthless townsfolk, even though she detested doing it.

As she neared her destination, she caught a glimpse of a child no older than six sitting on the dirty cobblestone street, holding his sprained knee and crying out for his obviously absent mother to help him. Seeing this brought a small smile to her face. He was crying out for help, but did it come? No. Equivalent Exchange at its finest. Instead of consoling the poor child and offering to help him find his mother, something she would have done if other people were around, she simply made her way down the road, pretending she never even saw the boy.

Eventually she reached her destination, the abode of her former student, Izumi Curtis. Thinking of that name was enough to wipe the sadistic little smile from her weathered face, reminding of her of all the wasted effort she put into turning that rebellious teenager into a respectable alchemist. All she managed to produce was a delusional fool ruled by the myth of Equivalent Exchange and enslaved by her maternal instincts.

Stepping onto the porch, Dante gently rapped on the front door. "Izumi, dear? Are you in?" she called in the usual sweet, deceivingly innocent voice.

[brit3wonderland]

Izumi turned her neck, trying to peak out the window, seeing if whoever it was that was at the door were worth answering in the first place, but the window was clouded and speckled with raindrops, the window making them look like they were shivering. Carefully, as not to strain herself, her body still aching both mentally and physically, she opened up her dresser's draw, the photo that sat on top quivering slightly. She slipped out a pair of black legging and her usual button down beige color dress and began to change as quickly but carefully as she could, slipping on the leggings and hastily buttoning the dress. She tossed her head back and sighed, mumbling about how uncalled for and strange this interruption was. Hand on the wall she carefully walked herself out as to not hurt herself, just in case it was someone of importance, and not to look like a total mess.

She climbed down the stairs quickly, her hand on the rail, as she walked down the steps, into a hall way on the first floor. She stopped briefly to look at herself in a hallway mirror, studying her face, somewhat blank, her eyes showing worry. What was with this random anxiety attack? She pondered....not quite knowing the answer. Their fine Izumi...now get to that door...for god's sake it could be them for all you know..

She continued to walk down the hallway, turning and into the doorway that connected her home to Sig's shop, flipping a switch to turn the lights on as she walked towards the door. The rain continued to drop like bullets, hitting the ground making a loud noise, thunder pursuing it, a flash of lightning showing them both up. Izumi heard a muffled voice from the other side, distorted by the rain and thunder, and she paused for a moment. It was familiar...

Without anymore hesitation Izumi opened the door, rain dripping everywhere outside, just to come face to face with her old mentor, Dante. She looked her down, in somewhat disbelief as to why the fragile elderly lady was here in town, and on a day like this. She eyed the parasol, suppressing a giggle, but once she realized it really was her there her mind went serious. What in hells name is she doing here? She thought, raising an eyebrow. She stepped back, bowing her head to Dante, suddenly feeling 10 times stronger then she was just seconds ago, standing up straight, her hands at her side.

"Oh...Hello. Come in, please, your getting wet." She said respectfully, beckoning her former Sensai inside. "What has brought you out of the forest, especially in this storm..." She asked suspiciously, knowing the lady must want something, as she never gave Izumi surprise visits in the past or popped in for tea.

[dante]

Dante sighed in relief when her student finally answered the door. She doubted she would have been able to last another minute out in the pouring rain. Her body ached all over from her walk through the town, and the freezing rain had chilled her to the bone. But she toughed it up, reminding herself that she would be out of her withered husk and in the body of a beautiful young woman soon enough.

She noticed the respectful tone Izumi addressed her with and the stiff posture she suddenly took, mildly impressed that the woman still held her in high regard despite the fact that they weren't exactly on the best of terms. Perhaps Izumi failed to live up to her high expectations, but she certainly wasn't an ingrate, something she had to commend her for.

"I was in town on business, so I thought I would stop by for a visit," she flashed her a disarming smile as she closed her parasol and stepped inside. It was the truth, even though she twisted it a little. "After all, it's been so long since the two of us had a chance to catch up."

Her aged eyes wandered around the room, lips slowly curving into the disapproving frown she was so used to giving both her students and her minions. Trying to ween Izumi off the baby bottle that was Equivalent Exchange and turn her into a passable alchemist had proved to be a waste of time, but she had hoped that she would have at least learned how to properly decorate a house after living with her in her grand mansion for so many years.

Setting her parasol aside, she turned back to Izumi. "So, how have you been these past few months?"

[brit3wonderland]

"After all, it's been so long since the two of us had a chance to catch up."

Izumi stared at Dante, glaring to be more precise. It was strange that she would be here so out of the blue, and her excuse was that she was 'in town' and the two hadn't had a chance to 'catch up' in a while. There had to be some sort of bigger and better reason as to why she was here, because it had never been much of Dante's character to pop in unannounced to just chat with a student that she felt had slipped through the cracks of her standards. She sighed and smiled, closing the door, locking the rain outside. There was no reason for her to be hostile to the woman at the moment, and truthfully she was somewhat lonely in this home after Edward & Alphonse departed, and with Mason and Sig off who knows where, and that dream of hers...a little company didn't seem too bad. Even if Dante did critique her and her ways she was always someone interesting to talk to, as if she had lived for years and could tell you wonders, even if it was dramaticly twisted.

She felt Dante's eyes wandering, critiquing her home, more importantly at the moment, her husbands shop.
"Its not a mansion, but its home to Sig and I ," She said as she Dante examined her home with her eyes, that ever familar smug expression of disapproval on her face. "Nothing what your used to," She added, looking around her home with a slight smile

"Anyway...could I make you some tea perhaps? The rain is terrible. It could warm you up." She asked, glancing quickly at the outside, the chilling rain exploding all over the streets. As she walked through the hallway, motioning for the elderly woman to follow her into the dining room, the one that she ate one time sat with Wrath at as the young boy devoured plates full of food, stuffing himself.

"I've been fine." she said, answering the question a few minutes later. She knew there was something deeper Dante must want. She never had taken interest before, so it wasn't like she wanted Izumi to go into much detail. Fine described her fairly well. Nothing great and nothing bad...besides her creation that is. She sighed again, trying not to think of the monster and the trouble he would be causing. She didn't always go well under stress, and after that anxiety attack earlier, going easy wouldn't be a bad idea. Edward can handle it...

Izumi pushed the kitchen door open, switching the gas stove on and taking the tea kettle off of it, filling it with water, and placing it onto the stove to boil. She pulled out a chair at the table for her formed teacher and waited for her to take a seat, wanting to find the true reason she was here.

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[dante]

Dante was by no means surprised to find Izumi glaring at her. Her student knew her well enough to tell when she had some sort of ulterior motive in mind, and was obviously suspicious as to why she was paying her a visit, even though she never showed any signs of being the least bit interested in her life. Indeed, she couldn't care less about Izumi and her affairs with the insignificant insects that lived in Dublith. Her bright young students, on the other hand, were an entirely different case.

She said nothing when Izumi commented on her silently judging her home. The house was certainly not a mansion, as she said, and she supposed it was the best she and her husband could afford on such a meager salary. Regardless, it was still far too frugal for her extravagant tastes. Izumi could have done so much better with her life if she fervently pursued the study of alchemy instead of focusing on helping her fellow man. But she digressed. No use crying over spilled milk, as her mother would always say.

"That would be lovely, thank you," she smiled softly, following Izumi to the dining room. A warm cup of tea sounded like just the ticket.

Taking a seat on the chair her old pupil had so graciously pulled out for her, she rested her powerful gaze on Izumi, carefully analyzing her. Contrary to what she had told her, she seemed anything but fine, no doubt still stressed from her meet with Wrath. Encountering your deceased child as a homunculus was not something a mother could handle easily, something she knew from experience. Perhaps she would have even felt a bit of empathy for the woman if time and decay hadn't rotted her heart away.

"Are you sure you're all right, dear? You seem a little high strung..." she observed, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. "Something on your mind?"

[brit3wonderland]

"Something on your mind?"

Izumi kept her face tough and straight, something she had learned from time from her husband and butcher, Sig. Just ignoring the question, concentrating on what she was doing, reaching up to a higher shelf - Carefully as to not hurt herself of strain any muscles of hers. She grasped two china tea cups, dusty from dis-use, seeing as she rarely had company over with such a formal matter. She didn't want to give Dante anything else to smirk about, especially if it was as childish as to how grungy her mugs were. She looked around the room, grabbing a cloth and running it under water briefly, and cleaning the cups, whipping the dirt away from the inside out. The cups began to show there true sparkle, white with girly pink lacing on the cups top and bottom edges, the hand gold, gold lacking found throughout the cups. She took another cloth to dry them quickly and set the two cups down on a plate, waiting for the tea cup to whistle. She looked around ,seeing if there was anything she could offer the woman as a snack, opening up the freezer.

She pushed her hand around, trying to reach anything of interest. She pulled something out, staring, first a smile coming to her face and then a sigh. It was something she normally would never make, seeing as she wasn't a mother nor one who would go around offering them to others. It was a roll of dough, chocolate spritz cookie dough, that she had made for Wrath...the same night they found him. She knew what he was..but denied to accept it. She couldn't sleep so she had came down here and slightly paged through a cookbook, and began making these for the boy and possibly the Elric brothers. She had forgot about them completely though...

She closed the freezer door and walked silently to the counter, slipping a knife out from one of the draws and slicing the dark dough, full of past feelings and chock full of chocolate, into just round disks, the continuous, monotonous stroke of the knife similar to that of her husbands. Once she was done with half of it she took out a baking sheet from up top one of the shelves, rinsed it down, and put the dough disks on it. She stared at them for a few moments and then slipped them into the oven which she had clicked down.

"I though you might enjoy some warm cookies..." She mumbled, going back to the seat across from Dante, her face still quite blank. There was another moment of silence as she thought what Dante had said about her looking high-strung. She had just woken up from a horrifying dream which was caused by the encounter between her and her once deceased child, and then he is not out to kill one (or both) of her students. Yeah, she was just dandy!

"And I guess maybe I am a little high strung. But I'll be fine. Just...it's nothing." She said, looking at her fingernails as to take her away from the old woman face, the face innocence held across it. She knew Dante cared little about her and how she had felt, she hadn't in the past, why would she start. As much as she wanted to talk to somebody about it...she knew Dante wasn't the person she wanted to talk to. "How about you. how have you been? It's not like you to show up in town..." She said, looking up at Dante.

"There must be a deeper reason then catching up..."

[/color]

[dante]

Dante waited patiently for her host to finish cleaning the cups, not minding in the slightest that she was trying to avoid answering her question, for she already knew the answer. She knew many things about her former student, some learned from living with her for those many years since passed, others told to her by her loyal pawns. And she loved to tease Izumi with that knowledge, continually baiting her with little morsels of information she should not know and drawing the line back before she has said too much. Perhaps the practice was a little sadistic, but having lived for so long, there were only so many ways she could entertain herself.

The elderly alchemy teacher was broken from her train of thought when she caught a glimpse of Izumi rummaging through her freezer. A small smile appeared on her weathered face, realizing that she was going to prepare a little treat for her, as well. Izumi might have failed to live up to her high expectations, but she was certainly a polite and considerate host. An excellent host indeed, sadly tarnished by that awful disease that ate away her insides when she tried to revive her deceased child. So very unfortunate that such a beautiful woman had to be denied the honor of housing the soul of the Shepherd of Sins because of a foolish mistake she made in times long since gone.

She watched as Izumi chopped the cookie dough, shifting her pink shawl into a more comfortable position. Cookies were not a treat she was too fond of; not because she disliked the taste, but because she considered them fit for only small children. Besides, a woman her age should not be eating such an unhealthy food. But she supposed it did not matter, seeing as the body she was currently squatting in would be feeding the worms in her garden in a few more weeks. Nourishing worms was probably the only thing her dying husk was good for nowadays.

Her seemingly innocent smile broadened when Izumi joined her at the table and finally answered the question she had poised minutes before. She wondered if Izumi was still bothered about her encounter with Wrath or simply uncomfortable about discussing it with her old matron. Probably both, she wagered. When Izumi moved the focus of her conversation to her and finally voiced her suspicion that there had to be another reason for her to be visiting her old pupil, the old woman chuckled inwardly, amused that Izumi had finally stopped beating around the bush. And soon it would be time for her, too, to get to the point.

"Me? I've been busy as ever these past months. My new student Lyra has been keeping me busy night and day. I must say the girl is a bit awkward, but she has the potential to become a great alchemist one day," she answered with the pride of a mother bragging about the accomplishments of her child.

A small silence followed her answer, eventually broken by a sad sigh from the ancient alchemist. "But you are right, Izumi, there is another reason I have come to visit you today. You see, dear, there isn't much life left in these old bones of mine; I doubt I will be alive for much longer. And I know the two of us haven't always been on the best of terms, something I can't help but feel responsible for...."

She slowly raised her eyes to her former student to see if her prey had been ensnared in her web of lies.

[brit3wonderland]

Izumi had an urge tugging at her to roll her eyes as Dante bragged about her new student. new child. Something made her want to snap back at her with some cocky line, but she held her tongue, not wanting to bicker. Dante seemed to always hold some sort of grudge against Izumi once she left her mentor, disappointed in the beliefs Izumi held. She recalled her one time mentioning that she wasn't fulfilling her true potential as an Alchemist, but Izumi choose to be a simple housewife instead, and Dante always seemed to be disgusted by her choice. She figured that bit about 'Lyra' was a way of Dante telling her she had found a better heir to her alchemy secrets. Not that Izumi cared all that much. She enjoyed being exactly who she was, a simple housewife to a simple butcher in a simple town, even if she couldn't do that simple thing that other couples could, even if she couldn't even bare a child...She still influenced other lives who influence other lives. A circle.

Izumi plastered on a grin, nodding. "I'm sure she will, with you guiding her under her wing."

"But you are right, Izumi, there is another reason I have come to visit you today. You see, dear, there isn't much life left in these old bones of mine; I doubt I will be alive for much longer. And I know the two of us haven't always been on the best of terms, something I can't help but feel responsible for...."

Dante's prey was caught, entangled in the lies, her past grin fading with Dante's words. It never really occurred to her that the teacher she had so long knew was slowly slipping out of reach in to the cold world of death, yet something of her character hinted that she had escaped death and was still running. Was it her time to finally loose the race and succumb to the circle of life, of equivalency? Something made Izumi feel off, something not right, for she wasn't used to her strong willed ancient teacher to give up so easily.

Silence followed again, broken only by the steam rising for the tea kettle and a loud whistle, blowing more steam out, circling around the pot. Izumi's gaze was broken from her old mentor's wrinkling eyes, creased with age and tainted with sights Izumi herself probably could not begin to wonder about. Her thought chain was broken as she slowly pushed herself up, walking silently to pour the tea into the two china glasses she had set out, her face blank, not to sure what it was Dante was trying to put across to her, what it was she wanted to answer. The two hadn't been on good terms, of course, but was Dante trying to imply guilt onto the housewife?

Izumi grasped the kettles ebony handle, pouring the water into the cups, the steam blasting into her face, a warm yet comforting blast. she filled the two cups, leaving enough room for any sorts of milk or sugar the two would like. She slipped out two teabags from a jar she had near the corner, putting them into the cups, letting the flavors soak out of them. More silence.

Once again she opened the refrigerator, pulling out a jug of milk, a slight bit of cream left, seeing as Alphonse and Edward both didn't drink any. She set it on a tray, along with a small sugar bowl and two spoons, lastly placing the china teacups, and bringing the tray carefully to the table, setting it down, taking a few moments before she sat down.

She bowed her head to her mentor, silence following again.
"I'm sorry to hear that your time is coming closer, but I'm sure we'll all be joining you soon, the world isn't as it once was with these military men running around, blowing people up for no specific reason..." She said, thinking to herself of the homunculus as well, creations such as Wrath and Greed roaming the lands.
"But what you say is true. We haven't always been on the best of terms, but it's my fault just as much as it is yours..." Her head remained bowed as she looked down at her lap, knowing that a majority of their rough relationship was indeed Dante's doing ,but not wanting to rest guilt on the dying elder. "But why do you wait until now to confront the problem? What is their for you to mend? Things take time to heal, and I'm afraid somethings can't be patched up in one visit." She said, now facing her, her eyes gazing into Dante's core.

"Now please, continue. There must be more to your reasons? Or is that all?"

_{OoC: Sorry to make you wait so long.}

[dante]

Dante was tempted to smirk victoriously when she saw that Izumi was no longer wearing that artificial smile she so often used to hide her true feelings from her former instructor, but she managed to overcome the urge and maintain her melancholy expression. It appeared that Izumi had taken the bait, but she could not help but wonder if she was really hooked. Her eyes seemed to convey a sense of suspicion, which did not come as a great surprise to the old alchemist, considering that Izumi rarely took her words at face value.

The old woman closed her eyes and relaxed her muscles when Izumi rose from the table and went to prepare the tea. The long walk down from her mansion had worn her out, and she was unable to take her afternoon nap thanks to a series of stupid mistakes made by her blithering idiot of a student, so needless to say she was eager to head home and get to bed. But there was still business to be taken care of, so she toughed it up and tried to keep her wits about her for a little while longer.

Hearing Izumi close the refrigerator door, she opened her eyes to find her student approaching the table, carrying a tray with two cups of tea. She eyed the tray when Izumi rejoined her at the table, a small frown creeping onto her weathered face when she saw there was no honey to be found. She never took her tea without honey, but in this case she decided to make an exception. Reaching forward, she took a cup and, after adding a spoonful of sugar, brought it to her lips and took a small sip.

Anger flashed in her eyes when she heard Izumi speak about the military. Despite being the driving force behind it, she was not too fond of the military, and did not mind that Izumi held the same opinion. What did bother her, though, was her ‘no specific reason’ remark. Every action the military took - be it blowing someone up or invading a country - was to ensure the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone, which she needed to preserve her life. The military was nothing more than a mass of worthless humans that existed for her advantage, but they served a very important purpose, unlike her failure of a student.

Regaining her composure, she sighed and lowered her eyes with false regret. “Indeed, things take time to heal, and I doubt I will be around long enough to completely mend all the damage I’ve done. All I want now is to spend some quality time with an excellent student whom I should have treated better before I pass on…”

Saying those words left a bad taste in her mouth that would probably be with her long after she took over the body of her voluptuous student. But they had to be said; she had to appear genuinely apologetic for her spiteful and misanthropic ways, even if she was completely in the right. Izumi posed a threat to her plans, a unique threat that could not be silenced by a slit throat. And that threat had to be eliminated before she could reincarnate and begin her campaign in Lior.

(No problem. =D)

[brit3wonderland]

As she delivered the tea she noticed a frown creeping onto Dante's face, and inside Izumi couldn't feel more vulnerable to see the degrading disappoint she held in her eyes every time Izumi tried to offer her something. Something she had long given up on trying to please, seeing as the two had much differing standards, Izumi preferring the homey housewife life and Dante preferring the secluded wealthy life. Her eyes scanned the tray she placed out, examining it for flaws, but giving up shortly after, reminding herself Dante was no longer her teacher and she didn't have to go out of her way to please the women in every which way possible. She sighed and looked down, taking the cup leftover after Dante took hers, mixing a half a spoonful of sugar, stirring it and taking a sip. She enjoyed the rich and bold flavoring, the strength it held, adding a slight amount of sugar to give it a more enjoyable taste, yet keeping the strength and boldness. In some ways...she imagined it could be related to herself. Strength and boldness, yet sweet to some on the inside, meanwhile she was falling apart from the inside out. Collapsing. Some days...she imagined her death would be seen before her elderly teachers.

After her mention of the military she saw anger flash before Dante's eyes, a red tint rising to her face. She pondered for a moment, thinking of what it oculd have been to upset the old woman, but gave up after a few minutes. She wasn't to sure if the anger was direct at her or the military, but didnt want to get involved with a lecture that could follow the question, so she kept it to herself. Besides, Izumi had plenty of reasons as to why she dislikes the military diction of the country. They start pointless wars, get each other killed, tearing apart their own country for their own personal gain, and lie to the citizens claiming people were rebelling and they were 'stabilizing' the mass of people, all for the 'greater good'. It was all a bunch of nonsense directed by the Fuhrer. And to top that off, he also took Wrath from her, returning him as a sadistic, twisted mess- no longer possessing his innocence he held before they took him into hostage for 'research'.

“Indeed, things take time to heal, and I doubt I will be around long enough to completely mend all the damage I’ve done. All I want now is to spend some quality time with an excellent student whom I should have treated better before I pass on…”

Izumi looked back up from her gaze set on her reflection in the dark tea, staring into Dante's eyes, slowly melting away into her lies with each word, another pawn for Dante to move about. With every word the women sad more and more guilt began to pile up onto Izumi's back, unnecessary guilt she shouldn't be feeling, that wasn't necessary. Normally she wouldn't be this vulnerable, so open, yet something tweaked at her, that this sweetness that spewed from Dante's mouth, wasn't as pure and meaningful as it seemed. That she was just a pawn to be moved in Dante's quest for something greater. But every time she looked at that women's face the word's flashed before her mind, about her time coming, and that she just wanted to make it right. Masking the confusion going on in her brain, a mix of emergency alarms buzzing and guilt-inflicting words, she kept her face blank and straight, staring into the eyes of her past teacher, not breaking the gaze.

An Excellent Student... something she had not heard come from Dante's, something that made her bubble with delight, just to have a sinking feeling, a feeling that wasn't right, that she was just being played, being buttered up. "That's all fine and good, but why recognize this now Dante? After years of outcasting me for what I chose, just to come and sell yourself out here?" She questioned, shaking her head, tossing stray hairs behind her. "Whatever your reasons, I suppose I can entertain you. I haven't got much better things to do. And the rain is dreadful." She said, eyeing the windows. She sighed again, inhaling the scent of baking cookies, which would be ready soon enough. "Is the tea alright? Would you like some more?" she offered, trying to be a pleasant hostess.

[dante]

Dante raised her cup to her lips once again, hesitating for a moment before taking another dainty sip. The tea was far too strong for her tastes, and the absence of honey made it absolutely unbearable. She wondered how Izumi could possibly bear to drink such filthy toilet water. Then again, considering the kind of job her pathetic excuse of a husband had, she doubted Izumi could afford anything of good quality.

She sighed and closed her eyes when Izumi poised her next question. "...I outcast you because it disgusted me that you would settle for such a mediocre existence when you had the potential to make something of yourself. But looking back now, I see that I was terribly mistaken. Your decision to move to the city and help the needy has given you a loving husband and two faithful students. But what do I have to show for my life? An empty mansion and countless ruined relationships, all thanks to my misanthropic ways. I was wrong to resent you for wanting to be happy, and I'm sorry."

The old woman shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked to the side, hoping her unease would give the impression that her words were indeed genuine. Never in her unnaturally long life had she been so utterly disgusted with herself. Had she known Izumi would go on to teach Edward and Alphonse, she would have treated the worthless fool like a daughter to prevent her from harboring any suspicions about her teacher that she might pass on to her students. But that problem would soon be rectified, if it wasn't already. Now it was time to move on to her second objective.

"And the tea is lovely, thank you," she spoke up again, trying to look as broken and pathetic as possible before turning back to Izumi. "Enough of all this depressing talk; let's move on to something else," she said, forcing a small smile onto her face. "How are young Edward and Alphonse doing nowadays? I've heard those boys have quite a talent for alchemy, just like their father..."

[brit3wonderland]

Izumi peered into the dark, bold tea she had fixed herself, swinging her small silver spoon around in it, rippling her reflection that it created, the dark liquid swishing around. For a few minutes she played with this, watching her dark eyes, her blank face, her unwavering lips, her dark hair. Then, once again, Dante's voice broke her chain of daydream and she looked up, dropping the spoon against the china of the cup, picking the cup up, and taking a small sip, holding the cup up to her lips for a few more seconds as she watched Dante, putting it down when she was complete.


"...I outcast you because it disgusted me that you would settle for such a mediocre existence when you had the potential to make something of yourself. But looking back now, I see that I was terribly mistaken. Your decision to move to the city and help the needy has given you a loving husband and two faithful students. But what do I have to show for my life? An empty mansion and countless ruined relationships, all thanks to my misanthropic ways. I was wrong to resent you for wanting to be happy, and I'm sorry."

Alarms went off in Izumi's head, telling her something was wrong, out of place, not right. The way Dante spewed complements to her, kissing her feet with words of false jealousy. Since when did Dante refer to her students as faithful and her husband as lovely? Usually she gave the burl man a look of disgust, and her students a menacing laugh of pity. So was she faking these words of sincerity? Or was she truly apologizing, these words coming for the depth of her rotting heart. Her mind battled with each other, finding herself speechless to Dante's words. Did she mean for that to happen? She wasn't sure. She shifted her glance back to the puddle of dark water, her tea, then to the mahogany table that it rested on.

"I'm sure your life has been a complete waste. You have a wonderful mansion, and as you said earlier, a marvelous new student with potential beyond imagination. You have your name known to many as respectable, I'm positive no one would take a death of your lightly. You have, if not intentionally, to be a idol of strength to many. And a great alchemist." She said, knowing these words were forced of hers, but did have meaning in them. Of course she may not love her old mentor, the women still was important in her life, teaching her alchemy and affecting her life and in turn the Elric brothers and Dublith today.

An awkward silence followed there words, at which point Izumi stood up and silently walk over to the over. She opened the over door, an overwhelming sweet aroma drifting into the air, and odor that would make many children run to the kitchen and beg for their shares, and make many adults feel in their youth again. The spritz cookies, a deep brown in color, did not look yet ready ,needing several more minutes to be crisp on the outside and soft all around. She closed the oven and lowered the temperature, to secure that they would not burn if she were to continue her discussion with Dante. Before returning to her seat she scanned the counter, noticing some essentials for tea she has been missing.

"Yes! Of course. I almost forgot, could I offer you any fresh mint or fruit with your tea? Our neighbor gave us them, fresh as can be. Or perhaps some Honey? Fresh from down the street?" She offered, bring over a basket of fruit and setting it on the small table. She then walked back over and picked up a small jar of honer and fresh mint leaves and set them on the tray she had carried over the tea with.

She set herself down, nodding to Dante's question. "Edward and Alphonse are doing fine, last time I saw them at least. They were in town recently, actually. Those boys are always on the move though, always looking for something and never resting. There alchemy is..." She paused, thinking of how to put it. Edward had quite the interesting talent, one she herself had attained. "Quite interesting. Splendid actually. I hear there father was a great alchemist in his time as well...but he must be long gone by now. When I took them in they said they had no parents..."

[dante]

Dante kept her eyes fixed on the floor as Izumi spoke, wanting to appear as remorseful as possible to further ensure the success of her deception. She listened as her student tried to convince her that her life had meaning, just as she had anticipated. No doubt there was some truth behind her words, but she had a feeling Izumi was just trying to be polite to her old teacher. Whether or not Izumi truly believed she was sorry for her ways, however, was still a mystery to her.

Smelling freshly baked cookies, she raised her eyes to find Izumi lingering near the oven, looking over the delectable sweets she was baking. The last time she made cookies was when her minions first brought Wrath to her mansion. Wanting to appear warm and loving to her young servant, she baked him a batch of chocolate chip cookies, which he promptly scarfed down like the uncivilized little brat he was. A homunculus that can use alchemy is a valuable asset, so she needed his trust.

She perked up at the mention of honey. When Izumi came back to the table with a basket of fresh fruit and a jar of honey, the old woman wasted no time in adding a few spoonfuls of the latter to her tea. "You really are too kind," she flashed her the usual false smile.

Bringing her cup to her lips, she took another sip of her tea, this time savoring the sweet liquid instead of forcing it down. Honey really made a world of difference. She listened as Izumi spoke of the Elric boys, a frown creeping onto her face when she mentioned their father. She had forbidden her to speak of Hohenheim of Light when she was studying under her, but apparently Izumi had not learned that he was the father of her two students, so she decided to overlook the transgression.

"I knew their father very well, actually," Dante told her, forcing that disarming smile of hers back onto her face. "Easily the greatest alchemist I have ever known. It's no secret where they get their talent from. Unfortunately, it's been years since I last saw him..."

Placing her cup on its coaster with artful care, she continued: "I've been hearing a lot about those boys of yours, young Edward in particular. They say he's a champion of the people. You must be very proud of him."