Delivered into Dante's hands
[[RP log between light__of__day, selfmadeinferno, and aliensecretary. A follow-up to this post.]]
Dante: *Dante sits, perched on a chair in her little hideaway, smiling. Smiling over the fact that the Nexus has given her a new chance at vitality, smiling over the fact that everything, thus far, has been going according to plan. ... and she also waits, for Sloth to inevitably show up, with good or bad news.*
Riza: *isn't offering much resistance to Sloth, still a bit too shocked trying to find rationale in what just happened*
Sloth: *Sloth, of course, arrives with Riza, held captive, offers a small smile* I've brought you a present, Master
Dante: *smiles and stands, walking over to them.* Well well well... what do we have here? ... Did our friend Mustang give you any trouble, Sloth, or have we broken that honor of his at last?
Sloth: No, trouble at all. He brought her right to me.
Riza: ... *lifts her head and stares at Dante... okay, she was -hoping- it was maybe Envy but... it sure doesn't sound like it...* ... *breathing unsteady, speechless and pale*
Dante: *nods, and kneels down, lifting Riza's chin with her hands* ... And how does that make you feel, my dear? That your precious "friend" betrayed you...?
Riza: ... *narrows her eyes in revulsion, jerking her head away* Get your hand off me.
Sloth: Now, now that's no way to speak to the Master
Dante: Let her go, Sloth. *smiles, and stands* ... I don't like your tone... but then, I'm not exactly willing to harm that beautiful body of yours. ^_^ ... Shame, though. *taps her chin* I'll have to buy a whole new wardrobe.
Sloth: *does as she's told*
Riza: ... *jerks her arms away as Sloth lets go... getting to her feet, clasping her hands tight to keep them from shaking, looking around the room*
Dante: *it's a simple place, more plain than Dante's last hideaway... but it's spacious at least.* I'm afraid we can't let you have a good look around, Ms. Hawkeye...
Riza: *silent, glaring at her, okay, so the mun misjudged her, she's not -completely- broken yet*
Dante: My my my... a look of defiance. Did you learn that from Edward...?
Riza: I learned a lot of things, such as what you were doing to Amestris. *tone cold*
Dante: Yes, yes. That's old news. I suppose you also learned how everything I did ended in failure, when Alphonse used my precious stone to save his brother...
Riza: It's easy to fail when you're mediocre.
Dante: ... *backhands her across the face*
Riza: *head snaps to the side with the force, keeping her face turned away, breathing heavily*
Dante: ... I haven't failed. *calms herself and takes a deep breath, smirking* ... I haven't failed yet. Everything I lost... shall be regained.
Riza: You're delusional.
Dante: *smiles* ... And what would you know? You've lived a short, meaningless life. You have no idea of the depths of knowledge I've probed...
Riza: There's a line between genius and madness, and you crossed it a long time ago.
Dante: Genius... madness... all relative. It has nothing to do with what I do KNOW now.
Riza: And what would -that- be? *headtilts, eyes narrow, expression disdainful*
Dante: *smiles* There is a way to take something from the Gate... that the Gate has already taken away. You just need something that the Gate has touched already. *grins* And that's part of why you're here...
Riza: What are you talking about? I'm not an alchemist.
Dante: ... You don't need to be. Edward does. ^_^
Riza: ... *looking at her, wary and confused* What do you mean?
Dante: Not only are you here to provide me with a new body... you're here to lure Edward here. And once dear Russell finds the exact information I need, we'll be ready to begin...
Riza: ... Then you're out of luck.
Dante: ... And why is that?
Riza: He's not going to come here.
Dante: ^_^ Underestimating him, are we...?
Riza: You overestimate him. His primary concern is his family. He's already left.
Dante: ... He'll come. Everything will go according to plan. *sneers* ... Sloth, take her away. I don't care if she's uncomfortable, just make sure she stays there.
Sloth: Of course *binds her again* Is there anyplace in particular you want to keep her?
Riza: *tries to pull her arms away but Sloth's stronger* ... what the hell did you tell him anyway?
Dante: I don't care. The basement's fine... *turns to Riza* What did I tell who?
Riza: That wasn't really the Colonel. He'd never listen to someone who was behind Hughes' murder.
Dante: ... Maybe people are less honorable than you think.
Riza: *shakes her head* I don't believe you. That was your pet shapeshifter.
Dante: ... Envy's no longer my pet. He's been apart from us for quite some time, hasn't he, Sloth?
Sloth: He has
Riza: .... then another one, there's others...
Sloth: There are only a handful in the Nexus
Dante: We can show you everyone that's here, Riza. ^_^ I'm afraid it's just Sloth, Gluttony, and I. The other Envy in the Nexus? Too dedicated to his "Father" to help us...
Riza: ... *voice low, too steady to be genuine* ... I don't believe you.
Dante: You know... it's VERY easy to get someone to help you when you help them... indulge themselves. Not even Mustang is above that...
Riza: ... what are you talking about?
Dante: He was VERY fond of Sloth. Wasn't he, Sloth? *smiles at the homunculus, an indication to tell Sloth to lie.*
Sloth: Very fond of me, you have good taste
Riza: ... *eyes widen, WTFish expression, blinking, a quick, humorless, incredulous laugh escaping her lips* ... He loathes the homunculi...
Dante: You seem to believe he has principles. And yet, he abandoned you and the rest of his subordinates just the same.
Riza: No, no. He didn't abandoned them, he... ... *he didn't cut off contact with the -others-...* ... you're lying. It's a trick.
Dante: ... So then, how did we do it? We told you, Envy's not here? *satisfied smirk*
Riza: ... *staring at her, yeah... she can't quite figure out any other way... sure it could've been some other Roy but out of all the ones she'd seen, he was the only one who matched the one from her world...* ...
Dante: ... No explanation, I see. ^_^ Take her away, Sloth.
Sloth: *starts to haul her to basement*
Dante: *Dante sits, perched on a chair in her little hideaway, smiling. Smiling over the fact that the Nexus has given her a new chance at vitality, smiling over the fact that everything, thus far, has been going according to plan. ... and she also waits, for Sloth to inevitably show up, with good or bad news.*
Riza: *isn't offering much resistance to Sloth, still a bit too shocked trying to find rationale in what just happened*
Sloth: *Sloth, of course, arrives with Riza, held captive, offers a small smile* I've brought you a present, Master
Dante: *smiles and stands, walking over to them.* Well well well... what do we have here? ... Did our friend Mustang give you any trouble, Sloth, or have we broken that honor of his at last?
Sloth: No, trouble at all. He brought her right to me.
Riza: ... *lifts her head and stares at Dante... okay, she was -hoping- it was maybe Envy but... it sure doesn't sound like it...* ... *breathing unsteady, speechless and pale*
Dante: *nods, and kneels down, lifting Riza's chin with her hands* ... And how does that make you feel, my dear? That your precious "friend" betrayed you...?
Riza: ... *narrows her eyes in revulsion, jerking her head away* Get your hand off me.
Sloth: Now, now that's no way to speak to the Master
Dante: Let her go, Sloth. *smiles, and stands* ... I don't like your tone... but then, I'm not exactly willing to harm that beautiful body of yours. ^_^ ... Shame, though. *taps her chin* I'll have to buy a whole new wardrobe.
Sloth: *does as she's told*
Riza: ... *jerks her arms away as Sloth lets go... getting to her feet, clasping her hands tight to keep them from shaking, looking around the room*
Dante: *it's a simple place, more plain than Dante's last hideaway... but it's spacious at least.* I'm afraid we can't let you have a good look around, Ms. Hawkeye...
Riza: *silent, glaring at her, okay, so the mun misjudged her, she's not -completely- broken yet*
Dante: My my my... a look of defiance. Did you learn that from Edward...?
Riza: I learned a lot of things, such as what you were doing to Amestris. *tone cold*
Dante: Yes, yes. That's old news. I suppose you also learned how everything I did ended in failure, when Alphonse used my precious stone to save his brother...
Riza: It's easy to fail when you're mediocre.
Dante: ... *backhands her across the face*
Riza: *head snaps to the side with the force, keeping her face turned away, breathing heavily*
Dante: ... I haven't failed. *calms herself and takes a deep breath, smirking* ... I haven't failed yet. Everything I lost... shall be regained.
Riza: You're delusional.
Dante: *smiles* ... And what would you know? You've lived a short, meaningless life. You have no idea of the depths of knowledge I've probed...
Riza: There's a line between genius and madness, and you crossed it a long time ago.
Dante: Genius... madness... all relative. It has nothing to do with what I do KNOW now.
Riza: And what would -that- be? *headtilts, eyes narrow, expression disdainful*
Dante: *smiles* There is a way to take something from the Gate... that the Gate has already taken away. You just need something that the Gate has touched already. *grins* And that's part of why you're here...
Riza: What are you talking about? I'm not an alchemist.
Dante: ... You don't need to be. Edward does. ^_^
Riza: ... *looking at her, wary and confused* What do you mean?
Dante: Not only are you here to provide me with a new body... you're here to lure Edward here. And once dear Russell finds the exact information I need, we'll be ready to begin...
Riza: ... Then you're out of luck.
Dante: ... And why is that?
Riza: He's not going to come here.
Dante: ^_^ Underestimating him, are we...?
Riza: You overestimate him. His primary concern is his family. He's already left.
Dante: ... He'll come. Everything will go according to plan. *sneers* ... Sloth, take her away. I don't care if she's uncomfortable, just make sure she stays there.
Sloth: Of course *binds her again* Is there anyplace in particular you want to keep her?
Riza: *tries to pull her arms away but Sloth's stronger* ... what the hell did you tell him anyway?
Dante: I don't care. The basement's fine... *turns to Riza* What did I tell who?
Riza: That wasn't really the Colonel. He'd never listen to someone who was behind Hughes' murder.
Dante: ... Maybe people are less honorable than you think.
Riza: *shakes her head* I don't believe you. That was your pet shapeshifter.
Dante: ... Envy's no longer my pet. He's been apart from us for quite some time, hasn't he, Sloth?
Sloth: He has
Riza: .... then another one, there's others...
Sloth: There are only a handful in the Nexus
Dante: We can show you everyone that's here, Riza. ^_^ I'm afraid it's just Sloth, Gluttony, and I. The other Envy in the Nexus? Too dedicated to his "Father" to help us...
Riza: ... *voice low, too steady to be genuine* ... I don't believe you.
Dante: You know... it's VERY easy to get someone to help you when you help them... indulge themselves. Not even Mustang is above that...
Riza: ... what are you talking about?
Dante: He was VERY fond of Sloth. Wasn't he, Sloth? *smiles at the homunculus, an indication to tell Sloth to lie.*
Sloth: Very fond of me, you have good taste
Riza: ... *eyes widen, WTFish expression, blinking, a quick, humorless, incredulous laugh escaping her lips* ... He loathes the homunculi...
Dante: You seem to believe he has principles. And yet, he abandoned you and the rest of his subordinates just the same.
Riza: No, no. He didn't abandoned them, he... ... *he didn't cut off contact with the -others-...* ... you're lying. It's a trick.
Dante: ... So then, how did we do it? We told you, Envy's not here? *satisfied smirk*
Riza: ... *staring at her, yeah... she can't quite figure out any other way... sure it could've been some other Roy but out of all the ones she'd seen, he was the only one who matched the one from her world...* ...
Dante: ... No explanation, I see. ^_^ Take her away, Sloth.
Sloth: *starts to haul her to basement*