Cigarettes and Whiskey [Open]

If there ever was a dame as beautiful as the state, maybe I could settle down and be a family man but until I find that woman I'll spend my days on desolation row riding with lady Military till the day I die. Days off, most mooks adore them, time to spend with the blood or chat up the girls, but then I'm not most guys. I can't stand free time, it's so trivial and triviality and I have an easy alliance at best.

He sat there in a small tavern that showed it's true heritage, flagons of ale were found in men's hands, bearded giants stooped over oaken carvings with the aryan whores peddling their wares to all to pass by. It was Felix's kind of jam, a real tune he could get hip too without much struggle and for a good reason in his line of work. Places like this had a habit of picking up the scum of the city and when scum gets together, well you get one hell of a mess. A mess that Felix just loved, nothing sold him more on a place than a chance to find a new informant or perhaps a sewn sob story tossed to him without much thought.

In the far corner there was a lone mic with a suave yet sleezy man drooling words over the device, they came pouring from his lips making the steel moist with it's sickening tone that lead the bar. Karaoke, a humiliating act for those with little skill and a chance at the big time for those with some chutzpah. As the suited singer staggered his way from the mic the Gas Mask totting detective kept to himself leaning against the wooden bar gazing up to the beast of a man behind the bar. "Oy vey. What happened to the good ol' days, mac?" the Gas Mask alchemist commented swirling his fingers around a glass of whiskey which caused the man to raise an eyebrow whilst cleaning an empty flagon "Dead and gone me boy, dead and gone." he commented causing the detective to slam his fist on the bar end "And how!" Felix grunted but his grumpy demeanor was cut short when an angelic tune began to fill the air...well, less angelic and more a tune that caressed Felix's hidden ears.

"No freakin' way!" Felix stated with a grin as the tune began to play, it was a familiar song from all the way back in Liore quite popular around the bars and the woman who led the song caused Felix to rise his glass as a sign of respect to the woman. It had been many years since he had heard the songs of his faith. Swaying along he laughed merrily, the tune had put him in high spirits, clapping when appropriate and joining in on a few of the verses. In short, the tune had captured him, he'd forgotten about his rule of attempting to stay discreet especially in a bar like this it would be hard to tell what people would do to a relegious man such as himself.

As the tune came to an end and the young woman walked from the stand she passed the Gas Masked man who in a strange pose of one hand flipped outward and one out freely commented as she moved on "With a set of pipes like those, it's a wonder why you're down here" Felix remarked to the woman with blonde waves strung out to her bosom, thick in features and body. A female specimen like no other really, after his attempt to strike up a conversation all he got was a shrug and a murmur which caused Felix to feel a little offended, the cogs began working and after examining the woman now pacing he made a note that her eyebrows were significantly darker than her hair, brown to the roots. Her clothing was torn around the ankles where she might walk, they were bigger than her body by perhaps an inch - good will most likely, that or she was one of the few women who didn't know her size. The final hint he needed was the thin lines of purple beneath the eye, she'd been missing sleep but these creases didn't come from mere insomnia instead this was birthed through uneasy nights, disturbances in slumber land. "How long since you ran away from Liore, eh?" Felix questioned as she passed him, her footing slowed somewhat a stagger in her path "Big voice, big city and a new costume. It's a story I've heard more than you might think...Hell, almost a daily basis these days." the Detective commented expecting the woman to turn and grin at him embracing his intelligent mind...instead he was met with a splash of his own whiskey and a woman fading into the distance.

With a sigh he folded his arms leaning back once more "Dames." he commented to which the barkeep chimed in once again "Dames..." he spoke out trailing off with his words, the two watched the woman leave and Felix was left alone.

Inimeg sighed boredly, a cross look on her face as she walked through the bar, trying to get TO the bar. It had been a few days since her meeting with General Masu and she was tired already. A few pervs tried to get a feel as she walked by to which she promptly responded by beating them senseless with her cane, and screaming at them how taking advantage of a blind girl was asking for pain on a whole new level. Finally she reached the bar. "Can I get some vodka over here!?" She sat as the drink arrived and waved her cane around slowly, seeing the bar through the thermal vision camera mounted on the handle of the cane. When her drink finally arrived, she went to sit down near some poor loser who'd just gotten his drink dumped on him by some girl. "Idiot, ahah! Show's what happens trying to be smooth!" Ini grinned and laughed at him a bit as she sipped her drink, toying with her dyed black strands of hair, standing out among her pale blonde hair.

He leaned back somewhat turning his gaze as a petite young thing began to saunter her way across the oaken floors much to the delight of the Gas Mask Alchemist. With a grimace like that she could suck the soul right out of a new pup, Felix may have been grizzled but he hated ill tempers and more over those who basked in the failure of others. He gave her a quick examination, she was irritated so either she was having a hard day and the unsightly bar wasn't assisting in her mood.

The Gas Masked Alchemist could at least take some solace in the fact that she was a woman who enjoyed her drink strong gaining a strand of Felix's respect who focused his eyes on his own empty drink wondering how he planned to drink it with his mask on anyway, It was a strange habit of his he'd need to shake off if only for the fact that the more he spent the less he had to send back to the temple.

As she took her seat the Gas Mask Alchemist couldn't help but chuckle at her comment "What can I say? It's hard when you've got a face like mine" the cheerful detective stated pointing to the mask that seemed to never leave the man's face. Through rain, sleet or storm that mask was fixed in place, it was a wonder if the dedicated jewish man would ever really take it off, sure he had an array to fit certain occasions but for now this mask was what he was used to staring back at him when he awoke each morning.

As he looked her up and down behind the concealed black visors of the mask he took a few things into account, notably the cane and her temper. Could she be frustrated with her impairment? Probably not at her age, in all honesty she looked quite young if anything she had to be between sixteen and twenty four by looks alone though in a bar like this she'd have to be one with real balls. "Hard day?" Felix inquired knocking on the oaken desk, as he did the barkeep made his way to collect the emptied glass refilling it with a seltzer replacement much to the dismay of Felix. The Detective supposed you only had a free ride for so long, but seltzer would suffice for the time.

Inieg smiled at Felix and looked him over. Plain and simple:Why was he wearing a gas mask? That was very weird... Ini took another sip of vodka. Maybe he was just a weirdo or something. She laughed at his reply to her comment. "A face like yours? Can't even see it. What's with the mask? She lazily pointed at the mask as she spoke, heavily Xingese accented, and in choppy Amestrian. He seemed alright, not really like Ini, but not like some of the other patrons. Sort of quiet, like he wasn't trying to be seen.
Ini sighed at his second comment. "My hard day was a few days ago. Still feeling it. I got fired from Briggs because of that-" Inimeg stopped abruptly and seemed to count to herself for a few seconds. "Because of my threats and rudeness to General Tsukino. And now I'm at East City where apparently my attitude is being adjusted by General Masu. So yeah, I guess you could say so..." Ini tipped the last of the vodka back into her mouth before yelling for a refill.

(You've inspired me to add a colour to my speech :3)
He shrugged as he heard her thickened accent call once again, it was hard to place, one that Mister Eisenhardt had never truly encountered before but it did give him enough information to narrow her origin somewhat. She obviously had ancestory somewhere other than Amestria, Briggs or even Creta. That was all he needed for now, it wasn't like she was an assassin or anything along those lines but once you get into the business of analyzing situations and following hunches it was hard to get out of the habit. As she commented on his mask Felix chuckled yet again at the comment "Well...When I was younger, I was lost in a world no boy should ever experience, my father was a mobster you see and took to beating my mother and I whenever he'd get drunk. I can't look at my face without seeing his...so I wear this mask to distance myself from who I am." he stated looking deep into his glass of Seltzer with a sigh that followed the remark.

He remained still for a moment before perking up with a hearty chuckle "Nah, I'm just a freak. A little too cautious you know?" the strange man with an even stranger sense of humor remarked to the woman before she finally began to talk of her hard day, she'd been bleeding information much to Felix's delight. As she lamented about her firing from Briggs and the like Felix cocked his head to the side as he leaned back "It's a shame to hear that." he remarked, he could go on about his experience in the military...or rather his shaky alignment with the government but Felix had learned from day one that information is power and to toss it around, well it wasn't his style. "On the level though, I think your attitude seems just swell."

Inimeg listened as he told the story of the mask, and how his father beat his mother and he wanted to hide his face from himself. She was actually feeling a little sympathetic by the end of it... Then he laughed and she assumed it was a joke. She started to comment and ask a question but instead shook her head and looked at her new glass of vodka, confused by the story.
As he responded to her own story of the past few weeks for her, albeit without her trail of destruction from Briggs to East, she smiled slightly. "Well, it's good to be out of that place anyways. Briggs was too cold and between you and me, I don't like General Tsukino. Dunno why." She shrugged as if to emp point. It was true, she had no idea why she hated Reila so much, when she'd never done anything bad to Ini other than firing her, which had been coming to her anyways. She laughed as he complimented her attitude. "[color=red]Really? Most people tell me my temper sucks and that I need a new one, because it shrunk a bit too much. I am known for biting heads off of people, you know." She grinned and drank aanother gulp of vodka. "Cheers to damaged livers!" And she tapped her glass on his and drank another gulp.

Felix was delighted that his joke went down awfully, he had an odd sense of humor and when others didn't get it or decided to take him seriously he absolutely basked in it. A small smirk laced his face as the woman was about to make a quip and decided against such things, it was adorable that she would visibly show her mental debate. As he watched the woman continue her story and remark about General Tsukino, in truth he'd never got to know many of the military but rumor enough about the legendary Reila was enough for Felix to have something of a growing respect for Inimeg.

Hrm, So she's gone toe to toe with a Briggs General, she's got to be important to say the least. Felix pondered as she continued her tale "Yeah I hear it's an iceberg up there, with even colder people. It must've been hell having someone like that above you." Felix remarked to Inimaga with a shake of the head, he knew all too well how irritating trusting someone you knew you couldn't trust was.

As she remarked of other's opinion of her, Felix couldn't help but smile "Ah forget 'em, I've had the same for my own but hey. Everyone's different, and although most people rub me the wrong way, I like a little diversity" he commented with a laugh raising his drink to the ceiling for a moment "To an early grave" he remarked about to lift the glass up to his lips...and then remembering the mask, swiftly putting it back down, he couldn't quite remember why the hell he kept asking for refills, perhaps to have more drinks sloshed upon him. "So how long have you been serving anyway? You look a lot younger than most soldiers who saunter in."

Inimeg grinned. "Yeah. Looks and feels like an iceburg full of iceburgs. Except one guy there, Alex. He was funny, to say the least. " She took another gulp of vodka. "Well, I guess the stranger people in life have to stick together, right? Not evryone plays by the rules, and half of them make their own rules as they go. Life is a great big bag of potato chips. Some are crispy, some are big, some are wavy and just a few are green. I think the green chips people make the world a bit better, don't you think?"
Ini smiled at his last question. She didn't think she looked that young, though she'd never seen herself per se. "I joined at17, like all the people scraping out a living in the land of the military dogs. Been in service 4 years, 2 at Central, then at Briggs, and now at East." She laughed as she finished off her thirdglass, yelling for a fourth. She was enjoying her talk, and drinking made it all worth it...

Felix nodded along as she spoke of briggs, "Hrm, Central must seem like a vacation in comparison." he stated swilling his drink around in it's glass thinking of his first time in the large city, it was far different from what Otto had told him back home. Everything was so large and important, all in a rush to do whatever needed to be done and all seemed to be so focused unlike Liore, deep in religion and calmer than the sands it was built upon.

"An interesting analogy, but still one that rings very true. I suppose when it comes down to it, I much prefer a person who's willing to be themselves rather than put on a fake face and prance around like the rest of these mooks...." Felix remarked soon realizing how hypocritical the remark was for he in a sense was the personification of a 'masked man'. "A... metaphorical mask that is!" he corrected swiftly with a slight chuckle emitted from behind the thickened mask.

"Ah you're doing well then to already be able to stand with the Brigg's General. Twenty three ah? A good age, the age of romantic quests and adventure." he laughed as he spoke "Well, that's for most people anyway, how about you? Any ridiculous adventures of love, life and all those sunny things?"

Ini smiled. "Oh yeah, Central's peachy alright. I think it's actually one of the few places I like about the world. Briggs sucks and East sucks, and I can't even begin to describe Xing. I hope the country burns down. She shrugged her shoulders, sipping more vodka. She had started to get lightheaded by then, so she set the glass aside and took a cigar from her pocket. She didn't smoke a lot, but she did after drinking, just for the best smoking experience. As she lit it, she listened to Felix.

She laughed as he spoke about the mask thing. Not a very smart analogy, but true, of course. So I take it you are different from the rest? You seem to be a proud masked mook. Ini laughed again, taking a draw from the cigar. She tilted her cane, which she'd knocked down, back towards Felix, seeing him in thermal vision now. She held up a small cigar tin. "Need a smoke? This is the good brand. I like a good cigar every once in a while."

She grinned at his last statement. "Thanks. I think I'm just lucky she was in a good mood at the time. Otherwise she wouldn't have FIRED me, she would have probably set me ON fire. Heh, Ms. Tsukino isn't one to mess around with. And no, nothing of that sort. Unless you count adventure as causing a 7,000 dollar debt to Amestris on a plane ride to East City, for an attempted Terrorist attack that was shrugged off as a psychologically ill lunatic. But no love, little life, and the sun in my life is a lot like the great desert: Empty. But I'm fine with it, so long as I can make some money and live. That's all I want from life."

Felix pulled out his suspenders and snapped them against his chest as he spoke out "Never seen Xing myself, so I can't really judge." Felix stated with a nervous laugh, he hadn't really ventured to far out of the country when it came down to it "Man, I need to do more with my life..." he muttered taking another glance down to the glass before him with a smile hidden beneath the gas mask that was forged so perfectly to his face.

"Pride isn't really my thing, hell in Liore we're brought up doubting ourselves since day one but when it comes down to it...I'm content with where I am. What more can you do, right?" he stated with a small chuckle and a shrug that soon followed from the religious man "Then again...better than being dull right?"

She offered him a smoke, a gesture that caused Felix to take a greater liking to the woman, generous and cynical such a perfect combination. He gave a nod taking the cigar and popped into one of the holes within the gas mask smiling from beneath the leather exterior "Cheers. I'm the same really, can't have too many or it'll slow me down." he stated, although the filtration system killed the smoke instantly the scent was enough to drift through giving Felix a taste of the brand with a delightful tickle with each curl of scent that made it's way within.

Finally she spoke more of her time at Briggs that caused the man to gaze deeply at that smile of the woman from behind the darkened lenses, her first comment of the firey temper of the Briggs general caused the Detective to laugh into his hand as she spoke "Haha, Well I'm certainly glad you're not a heap of ash right now" the gas mask alchemist stated before she finished the rest of her story. It made him gain a greater interest in the woman, she really was something special that was for sure "Yeah I hear that, believe it or not women don't really 'dig' the mask and when it comes to this life? Ah, I'm a bit of a shlimazl..." Felix spoke, he decided he may try something so bold, something he'd not often done with a woman he'd just met. "Alright, my father used to say that sometimes life throws you an opportunity and it's up to you to cease it or let it fly away. So..." Felix whipped out his notebook and pen, jotting down his phone number and a little sketch of a gas mask with a fedora on top sliding across the table the note "That's my number, and if you're not busy, why don't we spend the rest of the day together?" Felix suggested with a smile behind his masked face "Maybe we can find a little more life together, eh?"

Inimeg laughed ryly. "Not much to see about it. We have bamboo, pandas, Xingese food, Xingese hippies, and that's it. So boring, it made me sick. And I was poor growing up there, so when my sister died, I took my mother to the 'land oif opportunity' in Central. Not so many opportunities as you may think." She sighed lightly and took a long draw, drinking a sip of her vodka which she'd reclaimed momentarily. Who cared if she got drunk off her feet? She missed her sister, so talking about her made her feel depressed. Maybe some drink and smoke would help.

Inimeg blinked at his next comment. "You're from Liore? Wow, that must have been rough. I hear it's not much of a place for the rich and noble, more of a poor man's neighboorhood type place." She then listened as he spoke some more, until he took out a notebook. What could that be for, she wondered? Then she saw his number and a little funny sketch. Was he asking her out or something? She was dumbfounded. No one had ever really shown interest in her, mainly because she was an overly-cynical, psychotic danger to life and limb. This was a big surprise to her and after a minute or two, she shook her head to clear her thoughts and smiled. "Sure, why not? I could do with-" Then she remembered she was speaking Xingese, and quickly corrected herself in Amestrian. "I mean, I'd like that. Sounds fun.

Felix cupped his glass and nodded as she wove an image of Xing in the mind of the detective who couldn't help but feel the place would be vastly different from Amestrian, it was evident enough from the words she spoke of pandas and the like, he wasn't familiar with such phrases but decided to entertain the idea of some hybrid. A mixture of a bird and a lion that stood at a colossal height. Could that possibly be a Panda? "Well although the panda certainly sound entertaining, the hippies would rub me wrong just on a glance" he commented with a nod to the woman who proceeded to sigh, she was lost in though and Felix could see it in her eyes.

In truth, it was why he wore the mask, he could distance himself from those around him with a simple screen. He viewed the world through a tinted lense that allowed him to remain happy with even the foulest situations.
His attention was caught once more when she brought up Liore "Ah! To be rich and worry about what outfits are in this summer and how my wine tasted. Those are the worries I'd trade for anyday" The man jested averting the question somewhat, he needed to keep on his toes even to a slightly inebriated woman who continued to stun him, it was his role on this earth and he clung to it with all his might.

I suppose our nations sound a very different tone than the one sung out in central eh?" Felix stated as he examined the woman speak in a strange language, cocking his head to the side out of confusion he was pleased to be met with Amestrian once more "Swelll!" he exclaimed quickly asserting himself once more "Well, that is to say, I'm glad." Felix stated with a nod to the woman...forgetting for a moment of her blind hindrance.

It was at this point that Felix realized he hadn't introduced himself quite yet, a rude act for any gentleman and so cupping his glass and extending his hand he gave a smile, albeit a hidden one "Felix, Felix Eisenhardt." he stated with that same hidden smile.

Inimeg grinned. "Yeah, pandas are kind of funny things. Big black and white bears, except they don't eat meat. Probably why the rest of Xing is made of sissies and wussy little hippies." She then laughed at his comment about the worries of the wealthy. "Amen to that one. Amen to that one, alright. I'd kill to worry about such important topics as to whether or not my diamonds are sparkly enough and how clean my yacht is." Though in truth, Ini would have killed just to HAVE diamonds and a yacht. Money was one of the things she sought, though not in greed, but in hunger, hunger for a good life, for her mother to experience more than poverty and depression.

She smiled as he responded well to her agreement to meet again. She rather enjoyed his company, and he was one of few that kept her so calm. She might need him if she has more work trouble, or such. She then grinned as she remembered that she'd also forgotten about her name. "Sgt. Major Inimeg Ty, at your service. But call me Ini."

Felix couldn't help but chortle at the comment Inimeg made of panda bears, he was way off in his assumptions and boy was he glad he didn't open his trap about his view of them. One thing he did note was her hatred of the 'sissies' and hippies, it made him beam to find another old soul such as he who through out his life had tried to be a true man, a good man but a true man who could provide none the less and to see a woman who seemed to be powerful enticed Felix further "Ah, well, unless we start robbing banks I'm sure it'll be a while before we worry about such things." he stated with a merry tone behind his voice.

In truth, Felix was just getting by but through his own vices, he had been sending money back to Liore every paycheck and living off the scraps. Although it was quite a noble gesture the fact that he couldn't afford that of which a State Alchemist might purchase was an irritating factor. As she agreed to his company he couldn't help but beam but when she stated her rank his mind went numb Sear-Sergeant Major!? N-no way! That's a scary thought to have someone that young that high up... his mind raced before he opened his mouth "Well, It's a real gas to meet you Ini. Glad to know this city hasn't all turned lavender." the man commented with a swift nod to the blind Sgt.Major, He had to admit it was quite thrilling to find someone to converse with outside of the regular slow witted patrons.

Felix proceeded to glance around the room, men had began eyeing them from the mention of the military out of fear or hatred and the sharp detective knew those looks all too well, trouble. In a drop kick bar like this it was no wonder that they'd be surrounded with rogues and scum of the earth but the real question was whether or not it was worth fighting these damned fools or to just continue the conversation, going with his gut Felix decided to engage the woman more so, today was a day of pleasure, tomorrow would be filled with enough bloodshed than needed. "So, Ini, What do you do for fun anyway? Hobbies and such?" the detective asked with a cock of the head keeping his hidden eyes on the patrons around them just in case.