"Alright!"

The early conversation's light, mostly social gossip.

And then Akira steers it around to her recent past.

"Something up?"

"Kind of. I made an enemy of another alchemist, named Dante. She's got some political power around my home town, but mostly is a powerful alchemist, and dangerously temperamental. I was wondering what protections the military affords if she decides she's still angry enough to do anything about it in the future."

"Guards for you and your family, especially when there's intelligence that a threat's acute. Once you're a State Alchemist, I'll be able to turn some resources to keeping an eye on her, though beforehand it'll just be my own free time on the case."

She nods. "I'm hoping she'll let the issue drop, mostly, but that'd be good if the feud does come to a head again."

"Anything else you can tell me about her?"

"I don't know her last name. She's an old woman. Lives outside Dublith, mostly as a recluse."

"Well, Dante's not a common name, at least not in Amestris - sounds vaguely Cretan, but not one I've heard before. I'll see what I can dig up."

"Thanks."

"No problem at all! Now, did I tell you about - "

And he turns back to gossip. Disproportionately about his wife, of course.

Akira listens for a bit, then makes her excuses, shepherding the girls back to the estate before it gets too far into nighttime.

And, shortly thereafter, it's time for Akira's State Alchemist entrance exam. The first stage alone is six hours; she uses up every second, but notes that she finished the questions. She successfully bullshits her way through the psychology exam. She has Hughes help her find a volunteer with an old, chronic injury, and heals him in front of the judges.

There's a delay, between the test and the results.

A week after her demonstration, Akira receives her acceptance, an advance on her salary, and the title of Aesculapian Alchemist.

It was practically a sure thing, but still. Well done.

Thanks.

Hughes wants them by for a congratulatory dinner, of course.

Related, do they want to move into military housing, or use the military's housing allowance to rent somewhere? Tucker's commented he's still willing to put them up for a little bit, especially until she's sure where she'll be getting assigned (though he was distracted when he said that), but it might be nice to have their own space. Though it'd probably be much smaller...

Military housing doesn't sound very appealing. And having the extra space is nice.

"I wanna stay near September so she doesn't get lonely. It'll be harder to visit her if we're all the way over near command..." Also Tucker hasn't said anything about Bellona's armor yet, and there might be more alchemists who can notice something's up with her in military housing.

"Alright. Here it is, for now, though I can't promise I'll be around all the time - if they're smart, they'll be putting me to work even before they decide where to station me."

"I'm sure we'll find some way to fill our time."

"We'll be good while you're gone!" Bellona says, innocently.

"I'm sure you will."

"Play with the cats more, maybe."

"Sounds fun."

"Cats usually are."

She just smiles.

"Come on, I think we have a celebration to get dragged to."