[ she does see his name, though it's not one she recognizes. part of her wonders if she had spoken to someone during the sickness, as there was something of a frantic period of time she might have just not remembered bumping into someone or helping, but she also can't. worry too much about it. knowing roy and hughes? there's no telling who they'll send her way. ]
Yes. [ more as an answer to her name - colonel hawkeye - it feels almost distant at this point, a title she hasn't been seriously reminding anyone about for some time. its use brings with it a kind of disjointed familiarity, but that's a thought for another time.
mako continues, and riza feels herself smile softly. she can hear the new soldier in him, enthusiastic and young. she remembers being there, herself, but that had been some time ago. (though in retrospect, not that long ago). ]
It's nice to meet you, Mako, and yes- I've been working on putting together some kind of response group prepared in case we run into more serious worlds. I have to warn you- this is still in very preliminary phases.
( he likes her. there's something no-nonsense about the way she conducts herself that reminds him of beifong in a better mood. )
That doesn't scare me, ma'am. I understand that these things take time. I've done some work with my city's emergency ordinances as well, so it's not anything I'd be going into blind.
Then your expertise will be needed. I'm still working on what this is going to look like, so I'm open for ideas if you have any, but I was planning on waiting until after the sickness had some time to pass before asking the network.
[ a pause, and then she just. has to do her due diligence. ]
Did you just arrive with the last round of Circle Members?
I did, yes. Along with two others from my world, Korra and Bolin. I'm not going to volunteer them for work, but I do know they're reliable in a pinch and they'd want to help as well.
( so he's... kind of volunteering them. kind of. he can't imagine either of them sitting by in a crisis, is all. he just wouldn't ask them for help with the paperwork. )
Korra and Bolin, you said? [ he is definitely volunteering them. ] Good to know their names.
You've already met General Hughes- he's from my world, as well as General Roy Mustang and Edward Elric, if you've spoken to either of them. [ just to get that out there. ] There is a chance both of them will want to be involved. [ does she sound tired? oh, absolutely not. ]
I take it you were explained what's been going on, and what we have run into in the past couple of worlds?
I've spoken with General Mustang. We have a mutual point of interest — I'm something called a firebender in my world, which is a form of martial arts that directs internal energies to manifest as elemental manipulation.
( he can get into the specifics if needed, but that's been the answer he's given most people when trying to explain how bending actually works. )
And yes. I'm up to date as far as far as the Circle's concerned.
[ oh, well then. riza has a few complicated emotions when it comes to that, but the biggest of them is that she's glad he's spoken to roy. ]
Is that also the ability that Astoria left you with, here?
[ the specifics of his abilities aren't necessary if they....don't usually work here. so she'll have more questions once that one is answered. ]
Good. [ she's actually pretty impressed. ] General Mustang and I have been here for a few months now, so if you do have any questions, we might be able to help. Otherwise, it is a lot of preparation to be adaptable, depending on what we find.
No. Although it's working again intermittently right now, I'm currently an earthbender, which is what my brother was back home.
( he doesn't really... feel the need to get into his competencies at it. he's trained with bolin all his life. manipulating earth isn't really that different from fire, and he knows most of the forms already. he'll probably never be quite as dangerous as an earthbender, but. he's close, and he knows his limits. )
All right. Thanks. I'd like to meet in person at some point to go over some things, but I won't keep you now unless you have other questions you'd like to ask me.
That sounds like it would be an interesting shift in abilities. [ but she does sound...almost relieved. while she's glad mako and roy can talk about their respective abilities to manipulate fire, riza still. well. she did ask roy to promise her. as different as the scenario could be, it does lighten some of this up. ]
No, I think we should definitely meet. I'm free for the rest of the afternoon, if you'd like to meet sooner, but I'm free any time before we are transported to the next world.
There are four elements that can be manipulated on my world. Water and air are the other two, with fire opposing water and air opposing earth. Fire and earth are more adjacent steps to one another. The primary difference is that earthbending requires more power and less agility.
( it's not that you can't be an agile earthbender. it's that you need to be an agile firebender. fire makes a poor shield, and it's the only element of the three that is purely offensive with no room for anything else unless you're willing to get creative about it. )
All right. I can come to you if you've got a place in mind?
So the fact you've been given an ability over earth isn't as different than what you had at home? Or at least, as different as it could have been?
[ riza considers this - her understanding of alchemy may be a bit more than others, but she's not an alchemist, her mind is never quite going to be able to grasp the technical side of things. imagining someone like roy being able to do things like edward is...a bit of a stretch, but.
sure.
she's only gotten as far as she has in a place like this by accepting things that might not normally make sense for her at home. ]
We can meet at the arena, if that's alright with you.
( poor zuko, tbqh. the arena is an interesting choice, but. if she is anything like lin, then she's probably a little worried that he might be lying to her, in which case it would make sense to meet a potential hostile in a neutral location where you can go on the offensive without worrying about it. roy never mentioned what sort of ability she might have, but having met both roy and hughes mako is willing to trust her on faith alone. )
Interesting. [ there's still a good level curiosity in her voice, if only because abilities and powers still aren't.....inherent to her. alchemists were still an impressive and rare thing back home, and despite having her own ability for.....well. months now. it's not exactly her first thought.
but mako doesn't need to worry - there's no underlying motivation to meeting at the arena. it's more of the fact it's one of the few places riza has really, truly, frequented here whenever they've been kept at the temple for extended periods of time. the arena, and then of course the kitchens and eating areas, but she's too much of a private person to go somewhere specifically public like that. while she is curious to see what mako can do, that's not for today. unless he wants to show off. ]
I will see you there in an hour, then.
[ she'll be there, whenever he decides to arrive. she just needs a few moments to check in with roy (because it will be a few days before she's really able to go more than an hour without doing so), before she heads in that direction. ]
( he wasn't doing anything especially taxing — he and korra had talked about lightning bending, and in one of the rare moments when their abilities had aligned at the same time he'd pulled her aside for a quick lesson. she's catching on fast, because... it's korra. he can't imagine her doing anything else.
but he's back to earthbending by the time he meets riza at the circle. he tosses off a quick, respectful salute once he's close enough to be polite. )
[ she sees the salute and smiles just a bit at it, nodding once to let him know he can relax. ]
I know you mentioned you were a detective- were you also a soldier?
[ where she is coming from, they are usually one in the same. but he has that serious, self-controlled kind of air to him. she wouldn't be surprised, either way. ]
( no, riza, he's just a huge nerd. there's a very slight 'uh' as if she caught him off guard with that question and then he shakes his head. )
No, why do you ask?
( it doesn't occur to him that saluting might be a military thing, because to him it's a cop-thing, and military salutes are still done the traditional way, one fist folded into the flat palm of the other. )
( it's an unsought compliment, and mako is instantly aware of the fact that his cheeks get hot. congrats, riza, you made the boy blush. way to use those powers for evil. he coughs deliberately, mostly to distract himself from it. )
Thank you, ma'am. I'll pass that along to my superior back home.
( admittedly, beifong would laugh. )
And I'm pretty sure I should be the one thanking you.
For agreeing to meet with me. I know that you must be busy.
( there isn't a lot to do here, exactly. no bureaucracy to navigate at the very least, but. she seems the sort of woman who makes work for herself to the benefit of others. )
[ he'd be correct there. riza finds ways to keep busy, no matter what is or isn't set in stone here. ]
Busy or not, the safety of the Circle is always going to be my number one priority- I appreciate you reaching out. [ she crosses her arms over her chest, glancing back over the rest of the temple. ] Everything here is unpredictable, so it does make preparing a little more difficult than usual.
[ she takes a breath, and then seems to relax, turning back to him. ]
We can take a walk while we discuss. You said you had some things you wanted to go over?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voice;
Yes. [ more as an answer to her name - colonel hawkeye - it feels almost distant at this point, a title she hasn't been seriously reminding anyone about for some time. its use brings with it a kind of disjointed familiarity, but that's a thought for another time.
mako continues, and riza feels herself smile softly. she can hear the new soldier in him, enthusiastic and young. she remembers being there, herself, but that had been some time ago. (though in retrospect, not that long ago). ]
It's nice to meet you, Mako, and yes- I've been working on putting together some kind of response group prepared in case we run into more serious worlds. I have to warn you- this is still in very preliminary phases.
no subject
That doesn't scare me, ma'am. I understand that these things take time. I've done some work with my city's emergency ordinances as well, so it's not anything I'd be going into blind.
no subject
thank god she has competent help]Then your expertise will be needed. I'm still working on what this is going to look like, so I'm open for ideas if you have any, but I was planning on waiting until after the sickness had some time to pass before asking the network.
[ a pause, and then she just. has to do her due diligence. ]
Did you just arrive with the last round of Circle Members?
no subject
( so he's... kind of volunteering them. kind of. he can't imagine either of them sitting by in a crisis, is all. he just wouldn't ask them for help with the paperwork. )
no subject
You've already met General Hughes- he's from my world, as well as General Roy Mustang and Edward Elric, if you've spoken to either of them. [ just to get that out there. ] There is a chance both of them will want to be involved. [ does she sound tired? oh, absolutely not. ]
I take it you were explained what's been going on, and what we have run into in the past couple of worlds?
no subject
( he can get into the specifics if needed, but that's been the answer he's given most people when trying to explain how bending actually works. )
And yes. I'm up to date as far as far as the Circle's concerned.
( #justdetectivethings. )
no subject
Is that also the ability that Astoria left you with, here?
[ the specifics of his abilities aren't necessary if they....don't usually work here. so she'll have more questions once that one is answered. ]
Good. [ she's actually pretty impressed. ] General Mustang and I have been here for a few months now, so if you do have any questions, we might be able to help. Otherwise, it is a lot of preparation to be adaptable, depending on what we find.
no subject
( he doesn't really... feel the need to get into his competencies at it. he's trained with bolin all his life. manipulating earth isn't really that different from fire, and he knows most of the forms already. he'll probably never be quite as dangerous as an earthbender, but. he's close, and he knows his limits. )
All right. Thanks. I'd like to meet in person at some point to go over some things, but I won't keep you now unless you have other questions you'd like to ask me.
no subject
No, I think we should definitely meet. I'm free for the rest of the afternoon, if you'd like to meet sooner, but I'm free any time before we are transported to the next world.
no subject
( it's not that you can't be an agile earthbender. it's that you need to be an agile firebender. fire makes a poor shield, and it's the only element of the three that is purely offensive with no room for anything else unless you're willing to get creative about it. )
All right. I can come to you if you've got a place in mind?
no subject
[ riza considers this - her understanding of alchemy may be a bit more than others, but she's not an alchemist, her mind is never quite going to be able to grasp the technical side of things. imagining someone like roy being able to do things like edward is...a bit of a stretch, but.
sure.
she's only gotten as far as she has in a place like this by accepting things that might not normally make sense for her at home. ]
We can meet at the arena, if that's alright with you.
no subject
( poor zuko, tbqh. the arena is an interesting choice, but. if she is anything like lin, then she's probably a little worried that he might be lying to her, in which case it would make sense to meet a potential hostile in a neutral location where you can go on the offensive without worrying about it. roy never mentioned what sort of ability she might have, but having met both roy and hughes mako is willing to trust her on faith alone. )
Of course. I can be there in an hour.
no subject
but mako doesn't need to worry - there's no underlying motivation to meeting at the arena. it's more of the fact it's one of the few places riza has really, truly, frequented here whenever they've been kept at the temple for extended periods of time. the arena, and then of course the kitchens and eating areas, but she's too much of a private person to go somewhere specifically public like that. while she is curious to see what mako can do, that's not for today. unless he wants to show off. ]
I will see you there in an hour, then.
[ she'll be there, whenever he decides to arrive. she just needs a few moments to check in with roy (because it will be a few days before she's really able to go more than an hour without doing so), before she heads in that direction. ]
no subject
but he's back to earthbending by the time he meets riza at the circle. he tosses off a quick, respectful salute once he's close enough to be polite. )
Colonel. It's good to meet you in person.
no subject
I know you mentioned you were a detective- were you also a soldier?
[ where she is coming from, they are usually one in the same. but he has that serious, self-controlled kind of air to him. she wouldn't be surprised, either way. ]
no subject
No, why do you ask?
( it doesn't occur to him that saluting might be a military thing, because to him it's a cop-thing, and military salutes are still done the traditional way, one fist folded into the flat palm of the other. )
no subject
You carry yourself with a lot of self discipline. Most armed forces try to teach that to their men. It's admirable.
[ there's a slight smile to her tone, there, before she shakes her head. ]
Either way, yes. Thanks for meeting me.
no subject
Thank you, ma'am. I'll pass that along to my superior back home.
( admittedly, beifong would laugh. )
And I'm pretty sure I should be the one thanking you.
no subject
Thanking me? Why?
no subject
( there isn't a lot to do here, exactly. no bureaucracy to navigate at the very least, but. she seems the sort of woman who makes work for herself to the benefit of others. )
no subject
Busy or not, the safety of the Circle is always going to be my number one priority- I appreciate you reaching out. [ she crosses her arms over her chest, glancing back over the rest of the temple. ] Everything here is unpredictable, so it does make preparing a little more difficult than usual.
[ she takes a breath, and then seems to relax, turning back to him. ]
We can take a walk while we discuss. You said you had some things you wanted to go over?