for tonight we see the water the night we only fear; (CLOSED)

[queen_sacrifice]

WHO; Cornelia li Britannia, Roy Mustang, possibly others.
WHAT; Birthday celebrations + conversations via Destiny Crystals
WHEN; January 13th because Kattu actually forgot her own character's birthday
WHERE; Military quarters in Darobeth. To be more precise, Cornelia's quarters
WARNINGS; None

A birthday was the celebration of life, but for someone like Cornelia li Britannia, it just signified another year of accomplishments and military success. For as long as she can think back (an action she hardly engages in for it leaves her with nothing but bitterness in her mind), her life hasn't been her own for years. This was the path she chose - a path to protect her baby sister, her half-siblings, and her cousins. While it was a daunting road to travel, it was one she did with little complaint, for as long as the aforementioned were content and safe, then she herself can find solace in her actions.

So it mattered little to her that she spent another year on the field of battle.

Unfortunately for her, the day was called to her attention by a glimmer of hope discarded many years ago. A stupid man from her childhood who insisted upon foolish parties. Thankfully for her, there was no one close by to invite, but she did still held the obligation of answering the call of Roy Mustang. All she can do is pray to some deity for patience to endure.

Comments

[king_of_flames]

"Believe me or not, but I'm going to stick by it. As for the brandy..." Roy trails off and lets his actions do the talking. He takes the pan off the burner and adds some brandy to it, then sets the bottle down and raises his left hand.

Snap.

The contents of the pan catch fire. The alcohol burns off in a matter of seconds, and the flames die. Roy then adds a few more ingredients and gets to mixing.

[queen_sacrifice]

Cornelia flinches.

It's a subtle action in which she quickly recovers from without showing a trace of the fear there was before, but it's enough to the trained eye to notice. Cornelia is the type of person who's impossible to startle and even if she should expect nothing less from this man, it still was enough to snap her out of her senses briefly.

Maybe she was growing to trust him a bit too easily as she shifts the weight of her body more on the left side as if she intends to strike with her right. A reaction invoked in her from a war she should already forget.

[king_of_flames]

When Cornelia moved, Roy looked up. A confused frown appeared on his face, but then comprehension dawned, and he softened his expression.

"It's okay. It's flambé. Just part of the cooking process."

[queen_sacrifice]

"Ah, is it?"

While she's upset he was able to notice, she tries to draw as little attention to it as possible by neglecting to draw attention to it.

"I wasn't paying much attention to it."

[king_of_flames]

"That's a shame. Flambé is best appreciated when one watches the cooking process. But anyway, lighting the brandy on fire causes some chemical changes in the sauce I'm making. You'll see what I mean when you get the chance to taste it...which will be in a couple of minutes now, since I'm done."

With that, Roy carefully takes the pan and pours the sauce over the steaks on both plates, then carries the pan over to the sink to wash when they're done with dinner. He quickly sets the table for the two of them, then puts the meals down on the table.

Once that's done, Roy pulls out a bottle of red wine and pours two glasses, and then takes his seat. Before eating, though, he raises his glass. "To another year?"

[queen_sacrifice]

Nope, not going to admit she was and that's why she was taken by surprise. Allowing Mustang to feel a twinge of frustration with the neglect to his abilities isn't all that cruel, but something to keep him wanting. It wasn't as though her charm could do all of that on it's own.

While he occupies his time with prepping the meal, Cornelia busies herself with watching him. An easy compromise and it allows her to study her subject without much notice.

"Another year of what?" The question takes her by surprise enough to ask for clarification, the woman lifting her own to mimic him. "Good war efforts?"

[king_of_flames]

Watching Roy cook would have yielded an interesting sight. Roy was putting for all of his focus into the job before him, something not usually shown off the battlefield. He was devoted to making this meal delicious.

When Cornelia asked her question, though, he just smiled and replied. "Oh, I was thinking just...life. Good health. You've said yourself we're not in the safest profession, after all."

[queen_sacrifice]

"I don't need that sort of thing." Cornelia can take care of herself, thank you very much. "I suppose we can wish it for you at least."

[king_of_flames]

"Not if it's just for me." Roy withdrew his glass for the moment. "I'm sure there's something you'd be willing to make a toast to."

[queen_sacrifice]

"Is there? The future is unpredictable, so what point is there in toasting for anything?"

[king_of_flames]

"Hope, plain and simple. We both have our own hopes, dreams, and goals -- I know that because we're both human."

That gave Roy an idea. "How about a toast to our goals?"

[queen_sacrifice]

"To our goals.." She's not going to comment on hopes and dreams. Generals really shouldn't focus on that kind of thing. "Fine, that will do."

[king_of_flames]

"All right, then. To our goals." Roy once again raised his glass.

[queen_sacrifice]

"To our goals."

Clink!

Now that he's left her speechless, she'll take a sip from her glass, trying to remain calm.

[king_of_flames]

Roy likewise takes a sip from his own glass, then cuts into his steak. After cutting off a piece, he sticks his fork into it and lifts it into his mouth. It tasted as delicious as always.

[queen_sacrifice]

Well, she's going to try to hide how much she's enjoying this meal, but there are some things she's not trained well to do. Keeping her emotions to herself is one of them as she's rather expressive, so instead she'll enjoy herself.

[king_of_flames]

Roy doesn't even need to ask how the meal was, for he could read Cornelia's satisfaction quite well from her face. He watched her for all of about two seconds and found himself smiling, then busied himself with his own meal.