Ficlet: Izumi/Seig
When an eighteen-year-old Izumi was attempting to become an alchemist's apprentice by surviving a month in the killer winter of the Briggs Mountains, it was her determination not to die without having felt the flames of love that kept her alive. But the experience hardened her and her temper frayed, so that even old men who tested her patience would be beaten and left on the floor.
It was in this mood that she descended from Briggs and wandered for a time--her plan for life was derailed, but she would not settle for returning home and admitting failure.
Izumi met him in Dublith. She needed to stock up food again, and when she asked where she could get a good bargain, she was referred to the Curtis family butcher shop. The butcher's son hulked behind the counter, his shirt looking like it was ready to burst with a twitch of muscle. She stood in the door, staring.
"What?" rumbled the young man.
"Macho, aren't you," Izumi observed.
His shirt strained as the man shrugged. "Pork loin, forty-nine cents."
"I don't want anything like that."
Seig glowered. "Butcher shop. We sell meat."
Izumi glared back at him. "Don't you pay attention to who your customers are at all? If you're any good at your job, you'd know what your customers want by what kind of person they are."
Seig seemed to puff up in response to the woman's rude tone. "Well? Who are you?"
It only took her a moment to cross the space between the door and the counter. Izumi seized the front of Seig's apron and hauled him down to her level, a terrifying expression on her face. "I'm single," she growled.
Seig did not flinch. The butcher's son merely gave an understanding grunt and a nod. "Beef, on me."
It was in this mood that she descended from Briggs and wandered for a time--her plan for life was derailed, but she would not settle for returning home and admitting failure.
Izumi met him in Dublith. She needed to stock up food again, and when she asked where she could get a good bargain, she was referred to the Curtis family butcher shop. The butcher's son hulked behind the counter, his shirt looking like it was ready to burst with a twitch of muscle. She stood in the door, staring.
"What?" rumbled the young man.
"Macho, aren't you," Izumi observed.
His shirt strained as the man shrugged. "Pork loin, forty-nine cents."
"I don't want anything like that."
Seig glowered. "Butcher shop. We sell meat."
Izumi glared back at him. "Don't you pay attention to who your customers are at all? If you're any good at your job, you'd know what your customers want by what kind of person they are."
Seig seemed to puff up in response to the woman's rude tone. "Well? Who are you?"
It only took her a moment to cross the space between the door and the counter. Izumi seized the front of Seig's apron and hauled him down to her level, a terrifying expression on her face. "I'm single," she growled.
Seig did not flinch. The butcher's son merely gave an understanding grunt and a nod. "Beef, on me."