#the white haired alchemist gives you a smile that seems almost too genuine

[somoln]

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴...

[kindofwriter]

I know Alex just intended Wilde’s robes to be ‘gay Shakespeare costume’ but I really love the idea of them being almost like ‘robes of unapologetically being yourself.’ Robes of ‘I’m not afraid to be queer, I’m not afraid to be Irish, I have bardic inspiration and I’m better than you.’ Because even if it means absolutely nothing in RQG universe, I’d like to think that’s a meaningful visual to real people.

Also, hypothetical RQG TV show where Wilde’s VA speaks fluent Irish and all his bardic castings are in Gaeilge? I want that.

Anyway, transcript under the cut:

SEASON 5, EPISODE 204

As the party enter the main room they find the table laid with a mediocre breakfast, however at each place setting there is also a parcel, wrapped in brown paper and with a note card laid on top. WILDE, already sat at the table, has clearly already opened his parcel, then hastily stuffed it back into the wrapping to appear polite. He turns to grin excitedly at HAMID, who shoots him a quizzical look.

WILDE: I think it's our lucky day!

HAMID: Oh?

AZU: Huh?

CEL: Ooh!

HAMID: Well, that's exciting!

CEL: Is that like a thing that we, uh, that, like, we, like- Are all the presents for, for, for us? Uh, do we-

ZOLF steps past HAMID, impatient rather than aggressive. He squeezes WILDE once on the shoulder, then takes a seat beside him. The rest of the party clearly take this as their cues to begin to sit at the parcels with their own name cards.

WILDE: It turns out that Augusta does actually have a role here, beyond just annoyance, which is quartermaster. So, Barret may have been sent out to fetch some things... for us?

HAMID: Oh!

ZOLF: Right.

HAMID: So, not 100% useless, that's nice! C-c-can we open them now?

WILDE shrugs - how should he know? - then makes a gesture of 'yeah, go for it' to the table.

AZU (BEAMING): Let's all open them together!

HAMID: How exciting!

HAMID leans slightly across the table, as if he's about to say something to SKRAAK, but they're already tearing into their present. From his package he removes a sturdy leather belt, studded, and buckled, with adamantine. They immediately put it on.

WILDE takes this to mean it's alright for him to re-open his own gift. He hurriedly shoves off the paper and pulls out a set of glimmering robes. They're an iridescence white, complete with a ruffle around the neck, and entirely covered in shimmering rainbow script. The text shifts, in a way that clearly marks it out as magical.Everyone pauses for a moment to look at WILDE, whose grin could split his face. It's been a while since they've seen him this happy. 

HAMID: Oh, Oscar, those are magnificent!

ZOLF (WITH A SMALL, SOFT GRIN): You are gonna look ridiculous, Wilde.

WILDE beams smugly down at ZOLF.

WILDE: I am going to look magnificent.

WILDE shakes the robes out, and a miasma of illusory glitter hits ZOLF in the face. ZOLF scowls dramatically at a laughing WILDE.

Still unfolding the robes, WILDE turns his attention to AZU, whose parcel is by far the largest. She is carefully unfolding it, grinning face barely visible about the huge package. Inside is a golden agile breast plate. As it shimmers in the light it becomes apparent that it is covered in the same kind of shifting magical scrawl as WILDE's robe.

Attached is a note that AZU reads aloud. Despite being busy with their own gifts, everyone turns as she does.

AZU: Whatever you do, don't use this inside.

This receives a round of curious looks from the table. HAMID and CEL lean in to get a better look at the armour.

AZU reaches out to turn the breast plate over in her hands, and as she does the text starts to fill in. Beginning at her hands, the shifting text slowly begins to run through with glowing pink, until the plate is more pink than gold. It's as bright as AZU's armour was on Hades' plane. The pink begins to settle, and as it does the magic text stops shifting. With a soft hum, it settles into Arabic scripture: the fundamental teachings of Aphrodite.

AZU beams with delight.

AZU: Ooh! Do you think- Do you think that don't use it means don't wear it? Or do you think I sh- could put it on but I can't get hit?

HAMID: Oh, it probably has some sort of, um, y'know, activation, like, similar to casting a spell inlaid into it, but I think wearing it you- It won't be a problem.

CEL frowns.

CEL: Yeah, like, um, I'm just, I-I'm a little concerned, it reminds me a little of, um, some of the, the symbols, uh, one learns when, uh, learning, uh, how to, to transmogrify ones shape. So I would just, think maybe, uh-

CEL inspects the armour, head cocked slightly to one side.

CEL: Maybe, uh, a triangle? Or, um, or a square? Maybe a platypus? I-I'm not exactly sure.

HAMID opens his mouth as if to refute them, but then decides to drop it. AZU carefully takes her hands off the armour - it remains pink.

HAMID, next to AZU, unwraps a long metal pole. As soon as he retrieves it from the wrapping paper gold lines begin to emanate from his hand and down the pole. They curl and flicker like flames.

Something alights in HAMID's eyes as he holds it. His hand that clutches the pole begins to sharpen and elongate, twisting into a clawed grasp. The once single point of his ears is now three, giving the impression of a reptilian ruffle. No one, not even HAMID, seems to notice.

CEL unwraps a pair of diamond lenses. They're scuffed around the edges, dusted with the debris of whatever they've been hacked out of.

CEL immediately pulls their alchemists goggles from their head, slips the lenses out, and inserts the new ones. At first it seems as though they won't fit, but as CEL begins to apply pressure they resize and slide in with ease.

ZOLF has been very carefully unwrapping his package - unknotting the string and unfolding the paper. Folded at the centre of his parcel is a thick, smoothly woven, grey cloak.

WILDE watches with curiosity as ZOLF reaches out to touch the fabric. Instantly a small smile toys at the corner of his lips. He glances across the table, making eye contact with HAMID, and widens the smile to a grin. HAMID, though taken off guard, smiles back with slightly sharpened teeth. ZOLF has turned back to the cape before he can notice.

Everyone is now chatting, inaudibly, absorbed in their gifts. CEL and SKRAAK are excitedly showing off their new accessories to each other, AZU runs her fingers over the text on her armour, ZOLF gently unfolds his cloak, WILDE has now donned his robes and is leaning back languidly in his chair. The text has stopped shifting, and has now settled as Gaeilge scripture - WILDE's 'inspire courage' performance, scrawled across his robes in rainbow ink. HAMID looks around at all of them, unable to contain his excitement at seeing all of his friends so happy.

WILDE: Well, it's nice to be appreciated again for a change-

A brief pause and a glance at ZOLF, as if he's expecting a gentle elbow to the ribs, but none comes. ZOLF is too busy smoothing out the cloak, preparing to put it on.

WILDE: Don't know about all of you.

Finally looking away from his gift, ZOLF notices that WILDE's hair is caught in his ruffle. He stands and swings the cloak quickly over his shoulders. Then, with a frustrated grunt of 'c'mere,' he shuffles behind WILDE's seat and begins to gently extract his hair from his collar. He murmurs something inaudible to WILDE, though we assume it's something nice, as it swaps WILDE's smug smile for a genuine one.

HAMID watches, grin now spreading far past the confines of his mouth. All sounds of the room begin to fade out. CEL laughs without sound. AZU pays a silent compliment to SKRAAK. WILDE tips his head back to say something to ZOLF.

Then, with a pained hiss, HAMID collapses forward, clawed hands gripping the edge of the table.

Suddenly the room is LOUD. Cries of 'Hamid!' 'What's wrong?' 'You alright?'

WILDE grips ZOLF's hand to his shoulder, now sitting bolt upright. SKRAAK is already looking round for an enemy. AZU reaches out to place a hand on HAMID's back, but as she does so the fabric of his suit begins to writhe. Two small holes are torn as brassy talons claw their way out of HAMID's back. These are quickly followed by the unfurling of immense, brass dragon's wings.

Breathing heavily, HAMID straightens again, glancing behind him. Everyone else is in utter shock.

HAMID (SOFT, SURPRISED, THOUGH NOT AT ALL DISAPPOINTED): Oh!

[rocksandrobots]

Fanfic Fashion - Engagement Gown

So in this episode, Rapunzel tries to booker a peace treaty with the Saporians by canceling the Day of Hearts and replacing it with a new holiday called ‘Unity Day’ to symbolize, what she hopes will be, the end of the second Saporian/Coronian war. 

The Saporians surprisingly agree to the truce, however Rapunzel’s idea of ‘Unity Day’ is just to repurpose and repackage old Hearts Day traditions.... this goes about as well as you would think. 

Anyways she talks Varian and Honey Lemon into participating in the ‘new’ tradition of signing the ‘Shampanier Scroll’. 

Below is a segment from this episode... so spoilers 

Varian starred up at the hastily repainted ‘Happy Heart’s Day’ sign in annoyance. All they had done was cross out the ‘Heart’ with a big red X and then wrote the word ‘Unity’ above it. It was tacky and lazy, and it pretty much summarized everything that was wrong with Rapunzel’s plan. They hadn’t even let the paint dry completely before hanging it up and the rose-colored paint ran down the banner making it almost ineligible. 

It made Varian angry. This was their best shot at ending the war and Rapunzel threatened to ruin it all with her thoughtlessness. And the worst part about it all, was that the princess genuinely was trying. She wanted this peace more than anyone, but she was unfortunately too inexperienced and shortsighted to enact her attempts at diplomacy with any sort of tact. 

She barreled on through with her ideas, ignoring how pressed for time they were, paying no heed to the nuances of history, culture, and tradition, and generally failing to listen to anybody. It was a surprise that Andrew and the rest of the Saporians had even agreed to go along with this mess.

It was more than surprising; it was suspicious. 

Varian would have much rather spent the whole event with the Captain helping to maintain security. He didn’t trust Andrew to keep his word anymore than he trusted a storm cloud not to poor down rain. Unfortunately, Rapunzel had insisted that his participation in the festivities was vital to the negotiations. 

Many of the smaller villages were sympathetic to the Saporian cause, including most of the former residents of Old Corona. As one of them, Varian was one of the few people in a position of power that they trusted. Seeing him agree to the truce and take part in the ceremonies could help to bridge the gap between the islanders and the folks of the mainland, which in turn could put pressure on the Saporian forces to keep up the peace. 

It was all just political theater, and Varian hated it. He hated having so much responsibility. He hated having to plaster a smile on his face and pretend that everything was okay when it wasn’t. Mostly though he hated how his private affairs had become public spectacle. 

Everyone knew that he was in love with Honey Lemon. That was no secret. The townspeople even referred to her as ‘the alchemist's wife’, which made Varian cringe whenever he heard it. Not only was it inaccurate, but he also felt that it was disservice to Honey Lemon herself since she was a brilliant chemist in her own right. Still their relationship, as rocky as it was, had always been between the two of them up to this point, and not some show for people to gawk at. 

“I got the scroll!” Rapunzel sang out, carrying a roll of paper with her. 

“And explain to me again how this is any different from just signing Herz Der Sonne's journal?” Varian asked, exasperated. 

“It’s a scroll.” She said, pointing to it as if such a superficial change mattered. “Also it belonged to General Shampanier, the person who helped to end the first war, so it’s both Saporian and a symbol of our new truce.” 

Varian folded his arms and looked at her as if she was the dumbest person alive. “General Shampanier? The same general who is still deemed a traitor by the Saporian people to this day... Gah, Rapunzel! Why do you think they all hate Heart’s Day to begin with!? 

Rapunzel only looked up at him with big wide eyes and a pout on her face as she clutched the scroll. It made him feel guilty, which only made him even angrier. He wasn’t the one who was jeopardizing everything that they had worked for with their stupid schemes. 

“Well, then just don’t mention that it belonged to her.” A voice behind him gently suggested. 

Varian turned around when he heard Honey Lemon’s voice, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. 

She was radiant. 

Varian had sewn a new dress for her, just for the occasion, along with Faith’s assistance. His friend had found some old tablecloths that the royals were just going to throw away. Instead they had rescued the material and together had made a fancy ball gown of linen and lace, with Faith giving input to the design. Varian knew nothing of fashion nor of women’s undergarments, and was grateful for her advice. Especially, now that he saw what it look like on the love of his life.

It was cream colored and trimmed in off-white lace. Both the skirt and sleeves proofed out in soft folds of fabric, framing her already slender waist which was fitted in a golden threaded stay. The collar was also made of lace and hung off the shoulders revealing Honey Lemon’s swan like neck, which was adorned with a simple gold chain. Varian wanted nothing more than to trace kisses along those shoulders and hear her gasp in delight whenever he would reach the nape of her neck, but not here. Not with everyone watching them. 

Instead he reached out and kissed her hand. As always, she wore the platinum promise ring he had given her back in San Fansokyo. He kept it’s matching half on a chain close to his heart. He had been but a boy, foolishly high on his own hype, when he had first proposed to her, and she, perhaps foolishly herself, had believed his grand proclamations. He had broken so many vows since then, made her cry so many times. He didn’t deserve her, and yet here she was, still refusing to leave his side. Hopefully today would be the day that he could finally give her the other half of that ring and keep his promise. 

He tucked a stray bang of her hair out of her face and behind her ear and then in the same motion caressed her cheek. She nuzzled his hand and held it there with her own hand. She looked up at him with the sweetest smile, and his heart melted. He could get lost in her hazel eyes forever, the rest of the world be damned. Everything else about her was appealing to look at as well. From the delightful dimple in her chin, to her elegant long nose, to her fiery read hair that refused to stay in place. It was all imperfectly perfect, just like her. 

“Do you like the dress?” He asked her. 

“I love it.” She breathed. “Especially, the flower crown.” 

Varian had spent hours that morning making the blasted thing. It was still February and there hardly were any blossoms to be had, and so he had scoured the country side looking for them. The end result was less grand than he had hoped for, but Honey Lemon had seemed to like the simpler style. It was an Old Corona tradition for bride-grooms to pick the flowers for the bride’s crown. True they weren’t having an actual wedding, yet, but Varian wanted Honey Lemon to feel special on this day, anyways. Just because the ceremony was performative, didn’t mean that his love for her was. 

[chrysalispen]

ii : a shadow in dappled green

AO3 link HERE

More below the cut.

=======================

To the somewhat prosaic Aurelia - whose healthy wariness of magic was a product of her imperial education - the Stillglade Fane carried about it a mysterious air. Much like the Black Shroud and its eternally youthful shepherds, it seemed to move on its own and in its own time, observing the world around it as time passed but almost untouched by change. Seasons came and went and with them the cycles of novitiates, marked by the fall of leaves to give way for the growth of the new. All moved in their turns beneath the boughs of the great old-growth tree.

As ever, entering the grove felt like stepping into another plane of existence. Aside from the odd figure in hempen robes and wide-brimmed hat making the rounds between patients, it appeared as solitary and peaceful as ever.

Brother E-Sumi-Yan awaited her arrival at the guild hall entrance with a pleasant smile and the usual air of serenity about his soft and regular features. The old Padjal had never given his true age and Aurelia had never asked, though it was not necessary: she knew from his manner and from some of his recollections that he had a good century on her at least. As with all of his novices, he treated her with the amiable familiarity an old man might bestow upon a favored granddaughter.

Truth be told, it was why she looked forward to their visits.

"Well met, Aurelia. Punctual, as ever. I thank you."

"Guildmaster." She bowed from her waist, just a few ilms, enough to show a student's proper deference to her teacher. "Mother Miounne said you had need of me. Something about a request."

"I do, but it can wait for the time being. Will you take tea with me?"

“I suppose I can hardly say no if you went to all this trouble.” The modest service, Aurelia noted, was already laid out with two cups at the ready. She made her way to the empty seat at his gesture. “Please don’t say you held up your breakfast to wait on me.”

“Not at all. Please, sit. I’ll pour.”

Tea was the customary herbal offering, paired with a small plate of lavender scones and a little tin of something she thought was butter but appeared to be lemon curd upon closer inspection. Aurelia patiently cut open a pastry and helped herself to a small dollop which she spread as he filled her cup. It was a few degrees cooler here within this shaded bower than the rest of the city, and she was grateful for the boon.

“Now then,” he reached for his own cup in turn as she sipped, “how did your morning meeting fare?”

Ah, she thought. He already knows. I suppose I should have assumed as much. “I’ve been pardoned-- over the incident in Willowsbend, so Commander Heuloix said. The Elder Seedseer had them make a citizen of me. Frankly, I had all but assumed the matter forgotten.”

The words felt as strange on her tongue as they sounded in her ears, as if she were attempting to speak a language she did not recognize. But he merely nodded, not seeming even the slightest ilm surprised.

“We can be very slow and deliberate at times, but rest assured no one here would have forgotten your service. Least of all Kan-E-Senna.” Smiling, E-Sumi-Yan reached for a scone of his own. “Citizenship is among the greatest rewards in her power to bestow. In truth, I can think of precious few I would consider more deserving of it.”

“Thank you, Guildmaster.”

He made a hum of acknowledgment and took an experimental sip from his cup. For a few minutes neither spoke, busying themselves with their tea and taking in the deep quiet of the grove. She could hear the warbling of wood thrushes among the melancholy whicker of cicada calls, and the occasional warm breeze stirred the branches high overhead. Beneath the fragrance of her tea were the distinctive scents of river water and damp soil, scents and sounds with which she had grown intimately familiar in the past four years.

“The wood is recovering,” she said aloud.

“Hm?”

Aurelia set the cup aside with a small clatter. “Guildmaster, I’ve been... thinking. For a while now, if I’m honest.”

The Padjal remained silent, the tilt of his head an indication that he was content to listen. A sharp gust blew a stray wildflower, stem and all, onto her dalmatica; one of the children playing along the lanes without must have picked it and discarded it before an adult could stop them. Gently she plucked the flower from her chest and held it betwixt her index finger and thumb as she stared down at it.

“I’ve had my entire life dictated to me as far back as I can properly remember.” The star-shaped petals spun with the motion in a tiny burst of color, white tips with a red throat. With great care Aurelia tucked the wildflower stem behind one ear, where its little blossom peaked coquettishly over linen darts and golden hair. “I think the last choice I made for myself was to request a provincial posting when I enlisted, and that was a rare allowance. My family always made all the important decisions.”

“You needn't explain yourself, Aurelia. I understand your position. More than most, I believe.”

“Do you?”

“As you know, the Padjal are born to serve the needs of the forest and to act as its intermediaries. In the most literal of senses.” E-Sumi-Yan lifted his right hand to brush one of the horns that crowned his head, curving upwards from his mop of sand-colored hair. “My parents surrendered me to my compeers shortly after my birth, in order that I might learn as soon as possible those sacred duties which were expected of me. We are not given a choice in the matter. Sooner or later, we must all obey what we are called to do.”

She couldn’t meet his eyes. Her gaze traveled downwards into her emptied teacup. “I had forgotten,” she said. “Pray forgive my selfishness.”

“There is nothing to forgive.” He reached across the small stump that served as their table to pat her hand. “Most of us reconcile ourselves to our fate early in life and find acceptable outlets for our energies - personal pursuits that will not interfere with our charge. For you, there are no such limits.”

“That’s just it. I don’t know if I would be able to do what I want to do, if I remain here.”

“Had circumstances not conspired to bring you to Eorzea permanently, what would you have done then?”

“I suppose I would have finished out my enlistment, barring further misadventures. After that, I wanted to go... oh, I don’t know. East, perhaps, to Othard. Or south." She chewed on her lower lip in thought. "Actually, I would have liked very much to go to the southern provinces. If not Ala Mhigo then somewhere nearby- Werlyt, perhaps. I confess, I hadn’t thought too far beyond the end of my tour.”

“You have the freedom now to decide for yourself in truth,” he said gently. “A life spent healing others is a noble pursuit. There are certainly no lack of opportunities here.”

If he only knew how close his thoughts were to Keveh’to’s. She allowed herself a chuckle. “That much is certainly true.”

“But?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean precisely what I said, Aurelia." He folded his hands in his lap, calm grey eyes fixed on her face. " 'Tis quite plain to me that you harbor doubts. Are you not content to remain in Gridania?”

Unbidden she thought of her mother’s parting words. Take the new life you have been granted, Vittora cen Remianus had said, and live it.  

What shape, then, should that ‘new life’ take--

"I will take no offense if your answer to this question is 'yes,' you know. You would hardly be the first young person upon the star to be afflicted with wanderlust."

“In truth, I would like to continue my studies,” she admitted. “I’ve learned much more about botany in my time here than I would have expected, and for that opportunity, I am immensely grateful. But the gap in my education is a weakness. Eorzean alchemy appears to involve the synthesis of aether housed within appropriately aligned crystals, not only in regards to reagents but to the tools themselves. Neither of which I possess. Nor do I yet have the understanding necessary to attempt it, even if I did.”

E-Sumi-Yan’s brow knitted thoughtfully. “You raise a good point. The Twelveswood boasts skilled hedge witches and amateur apothecaries in abundance, but few alchemists of mention. If you seriously mean to enrich yourself-”

“I do.”

“-then you could do worse than to make inquiries with Frondale’s Phrontistery. They are the foremost institution of such learning here, and even if they cannot take you the Alchemists’ Guild might still prove a fount of useful information. Both are located in Ul’dah, far to the south and across the Thanalan scrublands.”

“Would they accept a late enrollment, do you think?”

“I cannot say.” He spread his hands as if to say these are not questions I can answer. “But so long as you were capable of aught your studies would require, I cannot think it would serve as much of an impediment.”

“If you think they might allow me to enroll, then I would very much like to do so.”

“You are a talented healer and I would much prefer you remain here with us- but that is not my decision to make.” His smile took on a rueful cast. “If memory serves, you will require letters of recommendation and introduction in order to enter the Phrontistery-”

“That is the way of things in the Garlean Empire as well,” she said, trying and failing to keep the eagerness from her voice. “If you would be willing to vouch for me, that is.”

“I am. If your mind is set, say the word and I shall make the necessary arrangements.”

For the first time in a very long while, Aurelia felt something in her stir with genuine excitement at the idea. Ul’dah! New sights. New land and a new city. A new school, with all the untapped possibilities that would bring.

“Before we discuss this matter further there is a small favor I would ask of you, which brings us to today’s business. The guild has had a request from the Bannock.” E-Sumi-Yan reached into the sleeve of his robe and withdrew a neatly folded square of parchment. “A missive arrived this morning from Galfrid, one of the Twin Adder’s drill instructors. There has been suspicious activity around Lifemend Stump as of late.”

“The moogles’ glade?”

“The very same. Due to its sensitive nature, I would rather not send it to Miounne. I was hoping you might be able to see to the matter in my stead."

"Of course. Should I go to the Bannock first?"

"No need. There is a witness who has been in touch about the same issue, and he should be able to provide more information directly.” He handed the parchment to Aurelia and stood from his seat, indicating their meeting was over. She took it and tucked it into her belt as she followed suit. “Should you find anything which merits further investigation, pray report to the Bannock and relay it to Galfrid before your return.”

“I will.”

“And be on your guard. Even so close to the city, the wood often cannot tell friend from foe." Abruptly, E-Sumi-Yan's easy smile faded to take on a most serious cast indeed. "Even its shepherds.”

==

The Lifemend Stump lay perhaps a half-league to the southwest of the city, nestled within the central Shroud. Despite the heat of the day, the greenery and the rushing sound of water from the nearby river made the journey a relatively short and peaceful one, and she took the opportunity to sort through her thoughts as she walked.

Aurelia thought she had made peace with the notion that her homeland was lost to her. But once one came down to it, she wasn’t sure that a quiet life in the forest was truly what she wanted. At least not for the rest of her days. Gridania was a lovely place, but she had come here as a prisoner, after all. Perhaps that circumstance was the core of her conundrum.

Just this once I would wish to be the captain of my own ship.

To her mind, E-Sumi-Yan’s very lack of resistance to her wanderlust spoke volumes. Perhaps he simply thought that some time spent away from the forest broadening her horizons in Ul’dah would change her mind and convince her to stay- or at the very least dispel any grand illusions she might have of the world without the Shroud, once the novelty of it all had worn off.

“What have we here, kupo?”

Aurelia drew short so abruptly that she nearly tripped over her own feet and over the edge of the riverbank into the water in an attempt to correct her balance. The familiar round form of a moogle floated perhaps a fulm away from her face. Its tiny leathery wings fluttered furiously, the most immediate sound by far in the still summer air. They were much smaller than the fluffy body they held aloft, and as the moogle studied her with open curiosity she watched it list to one side under its own weight. Its bright orange pom twitched atop its head.

“Good morning,” she managed. “Um…”

“So Kupto Kapp was telling the truth, kupo!” the moogle performed a triumphant spin midair, “You can see us!”

“Ah... yes. I’m- that is, my name is Aurelia. Are you-”

“Oh, I mean you aren’t supposed to be able to see us. Not unless we let you, kupo. But I guess it’s all right since he said the Elder Seedseer asked you to come here and help fix the Twelveswood and all. Usually the only ones who talk to us around here are the Padjal so this is a fun change! ...though this means I did lose my wager with him, kupo…”

“I’m sorry,” the Garlean attempted to (politely) interrupt this cheerful outpouring of words, “but I really must be on my way. I’ve been asked to-”

“Come to the Lifemend Stump! Yes, yes, I know all about it. Brother E-Sumi-Yan told me I should expect someone, kupo. If you’ve come to have a look for yourself, I can be your guide!”

“That’s very kind of you-"

"You're Aurelia, you said? I’m Kuplo Kopp! Pleased to meet you, kupo! This way, Miss Aurelia, this way!”

Once again her reply went nigh unheeded as the creature performed another circular turn of joy, this time about her head. This was clearly going to be one of those moments in which any response she might give would be meaningless, and it was just as obvious that she had a companion now whether she liked it or not.

Just as well. The entire endeavor would give her something to do other than ruminate.

So thinking, Aurelia let Kuplo Kopp take the lead. The path diverged at the river’s edge, snaking into a small cavern next to the waterfall. The well-worn rocks magnified the rush of the current into a grinding roar that drowned out all other sounds. Cool spray struck her cheeks and dewed her clothes on her passage, a welcome respite from midsummer heat- though she knew she could not linger, as tempting as the thought might be.

Beyond the rush of water upon rock the rustle of leaves reaching her ears once more. Before they could draw closer, she reached for the moogle and grasped the pom antenna on his head. The moogle let out a startled yelp.

“Ow! That hurts, kupo!” His tiny wings fluttered with wild indignation. “Didn’t E-Sumi-Yan teach you any manners? You aren’t supposed to pull on a pom like-”

“Hush,” Aurelia interrupted. She let her free hand drop to her belt. Her fingertips brushed over the stem of her wand, registering the slightly roughened texture of its bark before closing about it in a ready grip. “Let me make certain the area ahead is clear.”

“Clear?”

“Just be quiet.”

Stealthy movement was not precisely what Aurelia would have called her strong point. She was a healer, not a skirmisher. Even during the Willowsbend incident, she had relied upon her wits as much as what paltry magic she had at her disposal. But she had learned while foraging in the depths of the forest how to move quietly and avoid the notice of poachers and bandits, and she put that knowledge to use now. Each step she took, she did so at a slow and steady pace, in order that the wooden clack of her pattens upon stone would not alert a potential intruder.

Leaf-shaped patterns of shadow dappled the sun’s glare at the far end of the craggy tunnel, and Aurelia slipped past and behind the tree’s trunk to survey the area more closely. It didn’t take long to dispel her worries: the glade lay still and pristine, by all appearances undisturbed.

She let her hand fall back to her side, posture relaxing somewhat as she took in the natural beauty of the place. Shafts of sunlight poked holes in the canopy high above to shine down upon wildflowers and tall grass in the places it could touch, and small yellow butterflies drifted from bloom to bloom. Somewhere not too distant she could hear a thrush’s call.

And at the center of the clearing---

The massive breadth of the Lifemend Stump lay at the glade’s heart. Though Aurelia herself believed in no gods, she had learned much of local custom and folklore over the past handful of years, dwelling among the people of the Black Shroud in more remote settlements. This place, one the Padjal called “branch of rebirth,” was sacred to the moogles. The smallfolk left items here to be mended, usually things with deep sentimental meaning. People rarely lingered, for it was considered extremely ill fortune to do so, though on occasion some souls tried to catch a glimpse of their benefactors.

There was a blade, a very crude one, stuck into the center of the stump. Aurelia’s brow knitted into a deep frown.

This is surely not one of the locals’ doing.

Her sense of caution renewed, she drew closer to have a better look. Whomever had done the work had done so with violence and purpose; a segment of the leaf-and-acorn resin mosaic so artfully impressed into the stump’s surface had cracked beneath the force of the blow and defaced it. Broken pieces lay in sad and cracked fragments around the point of ingress.

Who could possibly have done such a thing? Surely it would have been no one from the city. She could hardly imagine the Coeurlclaws or really anyone from the local Keeper communities defacing something that belonged to the moogles. The hunters and trappers among them quite often depended upon the creatures’ largesse themselves. And precious few of the bandit crews that called the forest home would dare venture this close to a Wailer outpost, for fear of--

“Oh, look! There’s someone else here ahead of us!”

Aurelia startled at the cheerful trill. She righted herself and turned in the direction it had come: not from the mouth of the cave, but from a small stand of nearby ash saplings. The voice’s owner was waving at her: a young Hyuran woman, perhaps a year or two Aurelia’s junior. Everything about the stranger’s attire lay open and loose, from her shirt and very short pants to bright crimson plated thigh-high boots. But the most remarkable thing about her was the strange contrivance which sat atop her head and over the half-mask she wore. It looked almost like a magitek device, Aurelia thought, something an army engineer would wear. Like safety goggles, only more ponderous.

Kuplo Kopp fluttered anxiously about the woman’s willowy frame, and the movement of his wings drew Aurelia’s attention to the Lalafellin man who trailed behind. He wore the robes of a mage and the same curious headgear as the woman. His lips were pursed with something akin to displeasure.

“Yes, I can see that. Perhaps we might resume- oh dear.” He drew towards the center of the clearing, brow as deeply furrowed as Aurelia’s own. “Is that-”

“A sword in the stump? Oh. That’s… bad. Really bad.” She turned her attention away from her companion to settle upon Aurelia- or, rather, it seemed that way from her body language, given all of her face that was visible under the heavy headgear was her lips. Her chin tilted from side to side in a way that felt oddly birdlike. “Um, you weren’t… responsible for this, were you?”

Aurelia opened her mouth to answer, but in the same instant found herself surrounded by glowing pom and cloudlike fluff.

“What? Oh, no no no, Miss Yda, not even close!" cried Kuplo Kopp, with a flurry of his wings and another spin about her head for good measure. "Miss Aurelia would never do such a thing, not at all, kupo! The stranger I saw wore dark robes, and anyway, she’s been sent by Brother E-Sumi-Yan!”

“Hm,” the mage grunted. He leaned forward to peer at something through his goggles; clearly, he had taken the moogle’s denial at face value. Aurelia was relieved to find herself no longer the subject of the pair’s scrutiny for the moment. Even the girl’s attention had turned back to her diminutive companion, who now busied himself with some sort of adjustment to his goggles while he muttered under his breath.

“...How are the readings, Papalymo?” The woman Kuplo Kopp had called Yda was fidgeting, rocking idly from heel to heel in a manner that indicated she was not accustomed to standing still for long periods of time. “Do you see any disturbances?”

Papalymo tapped a small button on the outer rim of his headgear. The bottom half flipped upwards on a hinge--- not goggles, then, Aurelia amended; some kind of visor. “Yes, in fact, I do. This one is exactly the same as the last. Newly manifested, mind, but quite visible. At this rate-”

An icy chill ran down her spine in the moment before the air in the glade seemed to turn thick and heavy. Through the screen of the canopy a cloud blotted out the sun and the wind began to stir itself into a gale with increasing speed- no mild summer breeze, this. It lashed at her clothing and skin as if it were throwing handfuls of invisible needles.

“Oh hells,” she muttered, unslinging the wand from her belt. In the moment the other two moved to react in kind, the wind became a loud and throaty roar that drowned out the sound of falling water: one echoed by the lumbering movements of a large treant. The seedkin crashed into the clearing with an angry bellow. Its cry shook the surrounding leaves and rattled the broken pieces of resin upon the stump’s surface, and the grinding sound of the wind seemed now to rumble into their very bones.

Papalymo shrugged the carved bone staff from his back and offered Aurelia a briefly questioning glance. “Kuplo Kopp seems convinced of your innocence,” he said. “Thus I shall take him at his word and trust that weapon of yours isn’t ceremonial.”

“No more than is yours, I should think.”

“Excellent. Then you can watch our backs, if you would be so kind. Yda! Draw that blasted thing away from the Stump! No point in making matters worse.”

“On it!”

Yda took a running leap towards the rampaging creature without hesitation, her position marked with a bright flash of crimson and gold as her body twisted midair into a hefty kick that connected with a sound thwack against the treant’s trunk.

"Over here,” she called, dancing into stance after stance with each pace that lured it away from the center of the clearing- in time for a cluster of other, smaller seedkin to spill from the trees. They made a beeline for Papalymo, only to find themselves caught in the sudden magical pyre that surrounded him.

“Hurry up and take that thing down,” he shouted at his partner, drawing his staff back for another cast, “unless you want to be eaten!”

“All right, all right! I’m trying!”

Determined not to lag behind either of them, Aurelia called forth a condensed handful of wind-aspected aether to dance at her fingertips for a brief moment, before spinning the globe into its branches to rip at its leaves and splinter its branches. The treant yowled its rage to the skies, gnarled hand-like branches thrashing wildly. Yda wove through each attempted blow with the sinuous grace of a serpent as her brass-clad knuckles landed hit after hit. Another burst of flame made short work of the smaller creatures, and as they fought she could see the treant’s swipes begin to slow: its wrath, for a small mercy, was now all but spent. Aurelia duly turned the earth against it as Papalymo did the same with fire, stones and flame smashing and scorching trunk and branch alongside Yda’s swift fists.

Between their combined efforts, the creature finally crashed to the ground with a heavy groan and lay still. The trio stared at each other, each in various states of singed, bruised and sweaty. Without a word Aurelia reached for Yda with an outstretched hand. Cool aether suffused her skin like water as her wounds - mostly superficial - closed in the next instant.

“Thanks,” the pugilist panted, wiping at her brow with one forearm. “Erm. ...Sorry about all this.”

“It’s nothing I’ve not seen before.” After assuring herself that none of them had suffered any grievous injury, Aurelia tucked the wand back into its leather loop on her belt. “Unfortunately, the forest has been rather sensitive.”

“Ugh! I know. It’s bloody hideous.” Yda braced her hands on her hips. “One little fluctuation in the aether and you get something like this. We’re lucky you came along when you did.”

“Likewise. What brings you and your friend to Gridania?”

“Hm? Oh, we’ve come here lots over the years!” Aurelia did not miss the brief glances exchanged between the two strangers before Yda replied, perhaps a little too brightly: “...That is, we’ve come from Ul’dah-”

“Yda,” Papalymo began, his voice sharp, but she barely glanced at him before plunging on ahead.

“-to conduct our annual aetheric survey in the Twelveswood!” The fists made a clanging sound as she hastily hooked them back onto her belt before thrusting out a hand in greeting. Bemused, Aurelia accepted her vigorous handshake. “I’m Yda Hext and this is Papalymo Totolymo. Nice to meet you!”

“Yes, yes, very good,” Papalymo huffed an impatient sigh, “Now that we’ve introductions out of the way and we are no longer in immediate danger of being devoured by the local flora, might I suggest we do what we came to do and go before we press our luck?”

“Right! Right. Sorry.”

As the pair argued, Aurelia had caught the flutter of something out of place from the corner of her eye-- a feather, split and ruined at the ends, bending listless and forlorn in the cooling breeze that whispered through the cavern and into the glade. She knelt to study the corpse which the feather crowned. It was an Ixali warrior, adorned in trappings much more elaborate than she had seen before.

There were footsteps crunching through the grass at her back. Aurelia stood, dusting her hands off on the front of her dalmatica at Yda's approach.

“Oh, you've found something!"

“Yes,” Aurelia said. "Our culprit, I don't doubt."

She caught the yellow of Papalymo's robes as he joined them, squinting at the corpse through his visor lenses. “So it would seem- and that is not just a scout, either. That is a chieftain." He let out a soft whistle from pursed lips before adding: "I don’t suppose you might be able to tell us what killed him?”

“Not at a glance, no.” She looked back down at the dead Ixal. “I suppose the wood might have retaliated against him, but to be certain of that I would have to take a closer look with the proper tools. Which I do not happen to have on hand at present.”

“Pity. ...Well, I don’t suppose that is as important as the obvious fact that their war bands have ventured far too close to Gridania for anyone's comfort," Papalymo said. "It’s quite possible they’re acting under orders. Of course, that begs the question as to whose…”

“A question which I am sure the Twin Adder will be most anxious to investigate themselves,” Aurelia interjected, keeping her answer polite but brisk. This encounter was growing stranger by the moment, and as curious as it all was she knew a report would be expected soon. “Would either of you mind terribly if I take that sword back to the Bannock with me? I'll tell the Grand Company they’ve got a body to collect.”

“Hm? No, by all means.”

The Ixal's ritual blade was embedded a good few ilms into the stump’s surface, but it was not a stout thing and one good yank was enough to dislodge it. Aurelia hefted it over her shoulder; it was a bit heavier than she had expected, but she had run enough minor errands in this part of the wood on the guild’s behalf over the last few years to have a rough idea of where things were. The Bannock wasn’t far and the extra weight wouldn't slow her enough to matter.

“Please take caution while traveling through the wood,” she said. “It isn’t always welcoming to outsiders.”

For the first time since they had met, Papalymo finally offered her a genuine smile. “No," he agreed, "it isn’t.”

Aurelia raised her free hand in a friendly wave and crossed the glade towards the cavern. Had she chanced to look over her shoulder, she would have seen that the pair lingered to stare after her long after she was out of sight.

[mnthpprt]

Chapter 49: Desperate Measures

[Sorry for the short chapter. My computer is broken and I can’t afford to get it fixed anytime soon, so I have been writing on my phone instead. In addition, life has gotten pretty busy lately and it will probably stay that way. I will still update whenever I can.]

Our laughter dies down when I hear a noise coming from the hallway. As usual, Arthur has managed to turn an awkward conversation into an opportunity to make my sides hurt. He truly has a talent for finding the humor in every situation.

“Was that a knock?” I pant. 

He simply shrugs, so I approach the door to open it. On the other side stands Sebastian, his fist up, ready to knock again. I immediately throw my arms around him, jumping on my toes to be able to reach his broad shoulders, but soon become overwhelmed by his scent.

“Nope, bad idea,” I say, pulling away. He tilts his head as he lets go. “Human,” I point at him, and then at myself, “hungry leech. You smell delicious, no offence.”

“None taken,” Sebastian smiles. “We can catch up later, le Comte wants to see you,” he informs me before moving out of the way. I nod and hurry out, followed by Arthur. “He’s in his study.”

We part ways in the hallway, the two men leaving together in the opposite direction. I arrive to find le Comte’s door wide open. I lean on the frame and knock to catch his attention.

“Bonjour” I playfully greet him, making him look up from a book.

“Welcome back, ma chérie,” he says, standing up. 

After we exchange two kisses on the cheek, he gestures toward the fireplace. I have been here enough times to know he wants me to sit, so make myself confortable on one of the armchairs as he does the same, across from me. 

“So... I know you lied about how the door works.” Le Comte looks worried for a second, but quickly regains composure. “Don’t worry, I get why you did it. I met a friend of yours,” I begin before extending my arm over my head. “About this much taller than me, red eyes, white hair?”

“Vlad is here? I had my suspicions, but I did not think he would have the nerve to show up in Paris,” he muses. “I take it you know about his plans, then.”

“Mhm. Did you know William is working for him?”

“No, I had no idea. I might have to have a word with him,” he adds sternly. “How did you find out?”

“The ball. He had introduced me to Salieri before, and seemed pretty amused by his misunderstanding,” I answer. “At the time I didn’t know who he was, but Antonio was convinced that Mozart and I were a couple. William just added wood to the fire.”

“I don’t understand, ma chérie. You still decided to go live with him?” he asks, confused.

“It started with me not wanting any of you to see me in that state... you know, practically feral, and all. And then I thought I could make something useful our of this little vacation,” I explain. “So I’ve been keeping an eye on him, seeing what I could find out. Which leads me to Vlad. I was introduced to him just a couple hours ago and found out about his plans to conquer the world or whatever. He was... charming,” I conclude sarcastically, rubbing my neck. Though the hand shaped marks have mostly faded, it is still sore from his strong grip.

In a manner completely uncharacteristic of him, le Comte pries my hand away, revealing the faint, finger shaped bruises on my neck. His face contorts into a mask of pure rage, his eyes growing darker, as he abruptly stands up and begins marching towards the door. Luckily, I manage to shoot up and catch the hem of his jacket as he walks past me.

“Sit the fuck down,” I order, pulling on his clothes. He glances at me, still looking furious, and I grab his arm and push him backwards onto his seat. “I am not done here.”

“Forgive me, Anaïs,” he mutters before taking a deep breath. That seems to calm him. “I could hardly contain myself when I saw you have been hurt.”

“It’s nothing, but thank you for caring,” I wave away his concern with a smile. “Anyway, he built his own door and traveled to the future, which horrified him so much he has now decided that humanity doesn’t stand a chance without vampire rule. But you probably already knew this.” le Comte nods slowly. “The point is, I figured out when exactly he traveled to. He ended up in the middle of World War Two. No wonder he’s traumatized,” I chuckle. 

“That explains a lot,” he says. “We have been friends for a very long time, Vlad and I. I’d say around a millennium, even. A couple centuries ago, he disappeared. When I met him again, he was... strange. He had changed,” he narrates. “He told me he had built his own door, and that it did not work properly. He also mentioned seeing the future. I believe that is when he started turning new vampires to achieve his goal.” The nostalgia in le Comte’s voice shifts to something akin to regret. “I tried to talk him out of it, to no avail, and we had a falling out. That was the last time I saw him.”

“We both know more about the future now, so maybe talking him out of it is still an option,” I chime in. “When he described his experience, I told him I was born long after that. I explained how much better things are in my time, and why his plan would never work, but he didn’t believe me. Comte, do you think he would keep his word, even after what he went through?” I suddenly ask.

“Vlad is many things, but he is not a liar,” he sombrely assures me. “I trust that aspect of him has not changed.”

“Good,” I smirk.

“What do you have in mind, ma chérie?” he inquires when I get up and make my way around his desk. On a loose leaf of paper, I quickly scribble a note, which I hand to le Comte. “I want to offer you a deal. Allow me to prove you wrong. Meet me Sunday at 9 in your shop to negotiate the terms,” he reads out loud. “Shop? What shop?”

“He sells flowers in town. I don’t have the address but William probably knows where it is.”

“Does he also know what he is helping Vlad do?” he asks. I shake my head.

“I don’t think so. You know how much of a shit stirrer he is, I’m willing to bet he’s just in it for the drama,” I state, rolling my eyes. “I have gotten to know him better over the past week, and I sincerely doubt he would be okay with what Vlad is planning. As far as I can tell, he just knows about the vampires he has recruited. Speaking of-” I remember, “he has two trusted minions. Faust the alchemist-slash-crazy scientist, and Charles. I have no idea who the latter is, just that he is French.”

“Interesting...” he mutters. “Tell me about this deal.”

“I was thinking of showing him the future. Grant him access to your door, and in exchange he has to stop his pursuit for power. What do you think?”

After a moment of thoughtful silence, le Comte shifts in his armchair. He leans forward, caressing his chin as if he had a beard.

“It is risky...” he quietly says. “Are you sure you can convince him?”

“I can and I will. Whatever it takes.”

Le Comte nods slowly, pondering my proposal. He stares at me, brows furrowed in concentration, as I suddenly feel as if his piercing golden eyes could read my mind. I return the gaze with as much confidence as I can reflect back to him. Unless he has a better idea, this is our only chance, and I intend to make it work no matter what.

“In that case...” he finally says, leaning back, “I shall aid you as best as I can and provide anything you need, ma chérie. However, I am not sure about letting him into the mansion. I need some time to think about how that would work.”

“Thank you Comte, I understand. Oh, one more thing,” I quickly add. “Do not tell anyone about this, especially William. If Vlad suspects anything he will kill me.”

“Then why did you tell me about his involvement?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. I shrug.

“You have a right to know,” I simply state, standing up. “Besides, you’re a good liar. Just keep that up and we’re all set, I’ll handle the- Rouge. I need rouge.”

Distracted by the sudden pang of hunger, I shuffle away, mumbling to myself as I count the time that has passed with my fingers. Roughly three and a half hours before I even felt anything, and I have not gone mad yet. That is a personal best.

I stroll into the kitchen sporting a proud grin. I reach over Sebastian’s shoulder for a bottle of rouge, leaning heavily on his back. He turns around, surprised, but I shush him before he can say anything and proceed to down the entire bottle in one go.

Once I am sure there is nothing left, I put it down on the counter with a deep breath before holding onto Sebastian’s shoulder once again. This time, I propel myself up to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Did you miss me?” I ask coyly.

“How could I not?” he laughs. “Although the flowers probably miss you a lot more, I’ve been too busy to take proper care of the garden.”

“Oh, Seb, I am so sorry about that...” My apology is genuine, accompanied by a  gentle squeeze on his arm. “Sorry I left so suddenly. Should have at least warned you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he smiles. “You’re here now. I saw you packing before, do you need help carrying all that?”

“I can ask someone else. I’m sure you’re busy enough without me helping out.”

“I am not too busy to listen. What is it like?” he suddenly asks, pulling a stool from under the kitchen isle. 

“What?”

“Living with Shakespeare! I want to know everything.”

“Oh,” I laugh. 

I sit on the counter, letting my legs dangle beside him as he looks up at me, his brown eyes impatient and full of wonder, almost like a child waiting for a bedtime story.

“Well, he wakes up super early, which as you know I am not very good at,” I humor him. “We spend most days in rehearsal with his troupe. They’re pretty cool. Uh... I’ve also been caring for his little vegetable patch that he keeps in the garden to feed the-”

“Puck, yes?” he interrupts me, making me look down.

“Seriously?” I snort. “You’re taking notes? Man, and I thought William was creepy.” I nudge Sebastian with my foot as I tease him. My voice drops to a whisper when a thought occurs to me. “Do you keep those on everyone? Oh my God, have you been taking notes about me?”

“No! Of course not,” he exclaims, unconvincingly shaking his head. I stare at him. “Okay, fine, don’t look at me like that! When I said I came here to study historical figures up close, I meant it.”

“Can I see?” I don’t wait for him to answer before I take the notebook from his hands. My eyebrows rise higher with every page of diligently detailed information I flip through. “Aw, you do have one about me. Adorable.”

“How do you think I’ve kept track of your schedule the past month?” he chuckles. “I only started writing that when it became clear you were planning to stay. Too bad I have no use for that cordon bleu recipe now...”

“Whoah, stop right there. You know full well I will travel from the Moon if I have to just to taste those ‘libritos’ again,” I state with as much seriousness as I can muster, which, frankly, isn’t much. A self sufficient smile grows on Sebastian’s lips.

“I know.” 

[skvaderarts]

Hiraeth Chapter 47: Crossroads

Masterlist can be found Here!

Chapter Forty-Seven: Crossroads

Note: *laughs like that one jerk from Dexter’s Laboratory.* Sorry for any mistakes. It was just one of those days.

(-~-)

The last cards were placed on the table, and to the surprise of only one person present, they fell in the young blond woman’s favor. A bright smile spread across her face as the demon hunter in red walked past her and around the table towards his brother, ruffling her hair in the process. It seemed that she had as little mercy for first-timers as she did for experienced players. Just the way he’d taught her.

On Vergil's part, it was a resounding loss. Even after having the rules haphazardly explained to him by his younger twin and Lady as they debated which version of the game they were actually playing and what the house rules were, he’d been somewhat confident that he would be able to pull off a win. Naturally possessing what he understood the textbook definition of a “Pokerface” to be, he was almost certain that he had not managed to give himself away to his opponent. But that did not by any means explain why he had managed to not only lose the game but to do so with astonishing speed. That game couldn’t have lasted more than five minutes!

Rotating his head slightly to make eye contact with his brother, Vergil tilted his head back slightly so that he could more easily speak to his younger twin without the worry of the entire room hearing him. He wasn’t exactly whispering, but he did desire privacy for this particular inquiry.

“Are we entirely sure that she does not come from demonic blood, Dante?”

Laughing slightly at that statement, Dante shook his head and shrugged, more amused by the question than anything else. As much as he was hoping for a case of beginner’s luck for his unfortunate twin, it seemed that the gambling gods just didn’t favor their family. For all of Vergil’s talents, cards were one of the few things that they both sucked at. That said, he had lasted longer than he’d assumed he would against her, so credit was due there. He would need to run this test with both of his nephews once they had time. Perhaps they would fare better.

“Well, she comes from a family of Alchemists or something like that on her mom’s side, but she didn’t grow up with them, and I don’t think they practice anymore. The Lowell family, if I’m remembering that right. Could be wrong about that, though.”

He had to admit that this was news to him. Patty came from magic as well? He wondered for a moment if her family had had any dealings with the Ludwigs in the past. To his knowledge, they were the biggest coven still operating in these parts. But to be fair, they were not alchemists, either. While it was true that they did possess the requisite skills, and some among their ranks had dabbled in the craft, he doubted that any of them would stay that they were experts in the craft. They were far better sorceresses than anything else. 

“Curious…”

“Honestly, I think she’s just really good at cards. She held her own in a game against some pros about a decade ago. Patty subbed in for me at one point since I wasn’t exactly winning, and losing kinda meant you’d die. The demon we were trying to catch made sure of that. The whole situation was kind of a mess.” Dante said with a shrug, shaking his head as he watched Patty laugh at something that Lady and Trish were talking about from the other side of the small table. For a moment he remembered when he’d had a pool table in that very spot. He had to say that he missed it. One of these days he would have to get another one. She’d probably be good at that, too, and he’d love to teach her how to play.

Vergil went slightly wide-eyed for a moment, fully turning around to face his twin. He couldn’t have heard that statement correctly. Surely he was imagining things. Dante had done some extraordinary unintelligent things in his lifetime. They both had… but that…  “And you thought it was an acceptable decision to let her play under those conditions?!”

Somehow he instantly knew that he was either going to fully explain that decision or find himself pinned to the wall with Yamato stuck through his head and several spectral blades piercing every extremity he possessed. Yes, that did sound bad and it had also been pretty bad, but he had realized as much at the time, and he hadn’t allowed her to really go through with it. Dante might be bad at poker, but he did know how to read a table, and the second he sensed danger, he’d pulled her out of harm’s way. It hadn’t been a perfect decision, but it was what he had done in the heat of the moment.

“Look, it wasn’t my idea in the first place. I didn’t even know she was on the boat until she showed up. It just sorta happened, ya know? And I pulled her before anything serious could happen. I wouldn’t let her get hurt. We had a pretty good idea of what we were up against.” Dante said with another shrug, unsure as to what else he could say in a situation like that. He knew that Vergil knew he wouldn’t casually risk his life, but either way, he saw his older sibling’s point.

The Darkslayer calmed slightly at that revelation and nodded. He could believe that. His younger twin clearly cared a great deal for the young lady, but he still thought that it was an awful idea and a fair bit irresponsible on his brother’s part. Knowing it hadn’t been his idea lessened that somewhat. He just hoped he wouldn’t willingly partake in something so foolish again. But considering his own track record, he was aware of the fact that he had very little ground to stand on. 

But if that was the case, then it meant that magical intervention was very unlikely, even if she had done so involuntarily. A child her age who didn’t know that she was in possession of possible power could unwittingly sway things in her favor, but he sincerely doubted that to be the case in this situation. No, she was simply just that good at the game. A genuine advisory to go up against, then. He liked that.

“… I must improve, then.”

“Good luck with that, Vergil,” Dante said as he gave his older twin a supportive pat on the shoulder. His older twin had his work cut out for him if he thought for even a second that he was going to stand a chance at beating Patty in a game of poker. If he’d never done it before and he actually knew how to play poker, then what hope did his older twin have?

Just a few feet away from the twins, Lady was laughing slightly to herself as Trish sighed and handed her the cash she owed, somewhat begrudgingly. That was what she got for assuming for even a second that Patty might ever lose a game of poker. She had to be more careful with her bets going forward. After all, Lady was a dab hand at seizing financial opportunities, and the last thing that Dante would be doing was paying back his debt anytime soon. She wouldn’t be expecting any cash from him anytime soon.

(-~-)

The cup clicked quietly as it was placed back down on the table, the tray that normally housed it gone for the moment. Using a coffee cup for tea didn’t feel right to her, and she couldn’t seem to get the ratio of sugar and water right, not to mention that the tea was either too strong or too weak for her liking. It was a never-ending cycle of mediocrity, but she would live. Bad tea was a travesty, but it wouldn’t kill her unless she mixed the wrong leaves into it, and she kept those out of her reach in another part of her house just in case she did just that in a moment of thoughtless ineptitude.

A sudden knock at the door drew her attention and aroused her suspicions as Magnolia stood up and slowly headed over towards the entrance to her home, she stopped. No one had a reason to come and knock on her door this late at night. Something didn’t feel right about this, and she knew it. Whatever was on the other side of that door could be a threat. She needed to keep her guard up.

Fixing up a quick defensive spell, she placed her left hand behind her back, keeping it at the ready as she approached the door. A quick glance through the peephole was all that it took for her to realize that someone she had never seen before in a white hoodie and a pair of black jeans stood at her door. They shifted from side to side as though they were nervous, and she noted that she could more than likely take advantage of this fact.

Opening the door quickly and giving them a sideways look, she was unsurprised when they stepped back a few steps, clearly startled and seemingly scared out of their mind. It was then that she realized that this younger individual seemed to have a bit of blood on their side. Were they injured?

Before she could inquire as to what they were doing at her doorway and what was going on, they cleared their throat and looked around, clearly nervous. “Please, there isn’t much time. I need to tell you something. I’ll explain everything, but you have to let me in. I can’t let them see either of us, or it won’t end well. I know you don’t know me, but I’m begging you to trust me. I don’t have anything to gain by lying.”

She studied them for a moment, considering his words. They seemed to grow more and more afraid by the moment, and she didn’t sense anything amiss about them. Perhaps whatever unease she felt in the pit of her stomach was due to whatever they were seemingly fleeing from. If that was the case, then she was going to need to activate the defensive wards she had placed around her house. Something told her that she would regret it if she didn’t.

“You had better not be playing me for a fool, child. I don’t like to play games with strangers. Come in quickly. You have some explaining to do.

A look of elated relief crossed the stranger’s face as they practically dived through the door, clearly feeling instantaneously safer just by crossing the threshold of her house. She folded her arms as they took a moment to compose themselves before turning back to face her, shuddering from the change in temperature in her home as opposed to the arctic cold front that had moved in just outside of the door.

“That’s what I’m here to do, ma’am. To explain everything… And to warn you of what’s to come. Because it’s bad. Very, very bad. And I don’t think any of you are ready.”

(-~-)

It hadn’t really occurred to them until they had left that they didn’t really have a way of getting to V’s house on the other side of town without the van. Nico was still in Fortuna, and couldn’t get a ferry over to the mainland until morning came, so they were either looking at walking about ten miles, or they were going to be taking the metro lines. It wasn’t exactly a difficult choice, but it did mean that Nero wasn’t going to get to eat whatever Kyrie had been making for dinner. It was a tragedy that his father would pay dearly for if not for the circumstances.

Unfortunately, hindsight is twenty-twenty after all, and while Nero registered the fact that they should have probably just gone back to the office and asked his father to drop them back off at their respective homes, he couldn’t say that any of them really had anything better to do than catch a train and go for a ride.

As they entered the terminal, the trio was surprised by how quickly they almost got lost. It seemed that several lines were out of order due to the destruction caused by the Qliphoth several months back, and what few people there were seemed to be a bit on edge about the prospect of riding a train when just some parts of the region were still experiencing inconsistent tectonic activity as a result of the attack. Apparently, some of the areas that had once been inhabited by the roots of the massive demonic tree were still settling.

Nero genuinely wondered if they would ever be able to repair that city; if the lives of everyone who had once been in that region would ever be the same. The majority of the people there had been able to evacuate before the worst had happened, but it had been a huge place, and countless lives had still been lost. 

Perhaps it was best that he not think about it for now. It was still all over the news as it was, looming over the hearts and minds of everyone who heard or saw it. After all, everyone knew. And it seemed that the laboratories that had been contracted to research the cause of the destruction had been unable to come up with a scientific explanation for the flora that had started to bloom within the exclusion zone in the time since the attack. Well, at least one that didn’t obviously scream “demons”. 

Big surprise there. 

The general public the world over seemed to know what had really happened there since so many people had been there at the time and lived to describe their first-hand experiences, but while the local government attempted to find any other explanation, the damage was done. Even if no one running the country wanted to go on paper or public television and explain the actual reason, seeing it with their own eyes had been all the proof that basically every resident of the surrounding area needed.

Bleak times they lived in.

Slipping through the security checks had been surprisingly simple. While there had been a man on standby with a metal detector, the second that V’s cane had set off the machine, he’d allowed them both to pass, seemingly uncomfortable with the fact that he was holding someone up who probably didn’t like to stand for long periods of time. He had more than likely assumed that asking for the young summoner to stand there without his cane while he looked it over would be overstepping somewhat, so he had simply allowed them to pass, not realizing that in an ironic twist both Lucia and Nero possessed weapons of their own, and that V was certainly more dangerous than his frail demeanor allowed him to appear.

As they approached the onboarding ramp, Lucia took a look at the map. She had made a point of trying to remember where all of their homes were in case she needed to find them, and although she didn’t know basically any of the local street names, she remembered a few key ones. Namely the larger intersections closest to their homes. And back home she was quite good at traversing the underground railways in her area. This wouldn’t be too bad. “To my understanding, we should only need to go three stops.”

Looking over at the wall-mounted route map, V studied it for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. He then turned back to looking over at… whatever he had been looking at previously, shifting in discomfort slightly. Nero and Lucia both took note of this subtle change in his demeanor, but were hesitant to ask what seemed to be making him so uncomfortable. That was until V swayed slightly and had to catch himself, his palm making its way up to his forehead before his fingered rubbed his left temple. He didn’t seem to be in noticeable pain, but he was most certainly disorientated.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but is something wrong? Are you alright?” Lucia asked pleasantly, clearly worried. She allowed her right arm to list slowly as she got within catching distance of the young man, unwilling to allow him to topple over should the need arise. He couldn’t be that heavy.

Nero nodded in agreement, placing his hand on V’s shoulder and gesturing towards a bench that sat near the boarding area. People were watching them more than they already had been when how much they stood out was taken into account, but that was the least of Nero’s concerns. “Do you want to sit down? You seem kinda dizzy or something.”

V shook his head slightly, lowering his hand. He then looked back over in the direction of the boarding platform that he had been studying just a second before. It stood on the opposite side of the tracks, and he couldn’t say that he wasn’t concerned with what he thought he’d seen. He liked to believe that his eyes were simply playing tricks on him, but that was rarely the case. His hearing and eyesight were perfectly fine, exceedingly so, in fact. His mind might play tricks on him, but his other senses did not.

“I believe that someone may be following us.”

The devil hunter with the short hair turned to look, but Lucia stopped him. She then looked back over at V, nodding very subtly. “Then it may be best to not let them know that we are onto them. What gave them away?”

Gesturing in a manner casual enough to not attract attention, V tilted his head slowly in a pointing manner towards the other side of the tracks. There, an obscure figure in a long white coat stood by a pole, looking directly at them with what could only be described as an intense stare. They didn’t move, and their face couldn’t be clearly made out from where they were. It was as if there were some otherworldly that kept them from being able to identify this figure, and it was unnerving, to say the least.

“... Call it a hunch that I have.”

Seemingly realizing what he was referring to, Lucia was about to say something when a train pulled across in front of the other side of the track, obscuring the target of their attention. A little less than a minute passed before it pulled off again, revealing that the person in question had disappeared. They looked around, not seeing where they had gone but now silently alarmed that they had lost them. There was no way that they could board the train now. Allowing this individual to know where they were going wasn’t at all a card that they were willing to play.

“What do you think we should-’”

Just as Lucia was attempting to finish asking her question, a screeching noise could be heard from the train tunnel on their right side, the direction that their ride should have been coming from. Cacophonous screaming could be heard as people with a better view of the platform suddenly turned and ran for the stairs on either side of them. Backing up out of reflex, the trio looked at one another, unsure as to what was going on.

But they didn’t have to wonder for long. Just seconds later an ear-piercing screech echoed through the terminal as the train came flying through the terminal on its side and crashed into a support beam, knocking them back on their backs and the wind out of their lungs with the sheer force of the impact it made with the platform they were standing on. As the power to the terminal cut, a rumbling noise could be heard from all around them as part of the ceiling above them to one side cracked and fell in. And then everything went dark.

(-~-)

*Laughs evilly to myself.* Some of you asked if the finale was drawing near. I assure you, this is the beginning of the true build-up to that climax. It’s going to take a few chapters to get there, but now that all of the main players have been introduced, we can begin the true descent into madness. *Evil laugh.*

I hope you enjoyed the cliffhanger! See you next week on Wednesday and in the comment section. Stay safe out there!

[lantur]

royai week 2020: day four, “crackle”

summary: The Colonel and the Lieutenant have an unusually candid conversation.

rated: t for teen

tags: pre-canon

words: 4384 | read on ao3

Identifying and interviewing candidates for the State Alchemist program requires travel all over the Eastern area of Amestris. A lot of soldiers - hell, even most of Roy’s unit - dislike travel. They’re reluctant to leave the comforts of home and put up with questionable accommodations and questionable food, not to mention the practical annoyances. The long rides in trains that are either too hot or too cold, and the inevitable delayed connections that turn a four-hour trip, one way, into a six-hour trip.

Roy loves to travel. He always has, ever since he had been a kid accompanying his aunt on trips outside of Central to meet with her network from outside of the capital city. The inconveniences are, well, inconvenient, but they don’t bother him much. They are considerably outweighed by the fascination of seeing the rest of the country firsthand; striking up conversations with locals (or overhearing conversations between locals) and listening to them talk about how they live, about what their thoughts and concerns are.

Employment is an issue in the northeastern sector of the East Area, and has been ever since the mines closed. Import of food and other necessities to the southwestern area is sketchy and unreliable. The farthest west areas of the Eastern region have a significant problem with drug-related crime, due to its proximity to Central. Roy notes all of this down in his travel journal during the train rides for later reference.

I like to keep my finger on the pulse of the people, he tells his unit. They agree that his phrasing is “a little creepy,” but also agree that this genuine interest in the populace is what makes him a good leader.

This month’s trip has taken Roy and his Lieutenant to Liore, near the border of the North Area. It’s quite a bit colder than it had been in East City, even though it’s hardly a week into October. Their appointment with this potential State Alchemist candidate - Robert Gotha - is at eight the following morning, leaving them with just about twelve hours of downtime when they check into their inn.

The rooms are side-by-side on the first floor. All Roy wants is a hot shower and dinner, in that order, but Riza insists on doing a sweep of his room first, as she always does, and making him wait outside for his own security.

“Nobody outside of Grumman’s office and our unit knew of our travel plans,” Roy points out, risking her displeasure by opening the front door a crack. Riza is inspecting the interior of the room’s small closet. “There are no explosives under the bed or under the sink. I’m willing to bet that there are no assassins hiding in the bathtub, either.”

She throws him a glance, and a frown. “You never know, sir. You remember Major Rosen. The bomb was strapped to the back of his nightstand. We shouldn’t take any chances.”

Roy does remember Philip Rosen, the Bone Alchemist, blown to bits a year and a half ago by a survivor of the Ishvalan massacre. He nods, somewhat abashed. “I appreciate your diligence, Hawkeye.”

“Of course, Colonel. Now, please close the door. You can wait in my room, if you want to set your things down somewhere.”

Riza’s room is even smaller than his. Maybe the reminder of the Bone Alchemist’s fate had set him on edge, but Roy walks the perimeter of her room, checking in the bathroom, pulling the closet door open. The last thing he needs is for someone who planned on attacking him to find Riza instead. Everything seems safe, but drafty, and he frowns, noting the lack of fireplace in the room.

Riza returns in a few minutes, and draws her coat closer around herself the moment she walks in. “Clear,” she says. “The locks are flimsy. I suggest bracing your chair against the door, just in case.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. Your room is secure too.” He sees the surprise on her face, and he’s rewarded with a small smile. “It’s cold, though. You don’t have a fireplace. Do you want to switch?”

Riza shakes her head. “That won’t be necessary. I sleep better when the temperature is a little lower.”

“At least have dinner and do your paperwork with me, then.” Roy walks to the door. “Your food will go cold in a couple of minutes if you eat it here.”

Riza hesitates, and then nods. “Thank you. I’ll go get dinner for us now.”

He doesn’t have to tell her what he would like. She already has his preferences memorized, as he does for her. Roy gives her the key to his room, and the first thing he does when stepping in is to light a fire in the fireplace. It warms the room instantly, and he sighs with relief.

The shower has dreadfully weak water pressure, but at least it’s hot. Roy towels his hair dry, pulls on a pair of dark pants and a white button-down shirt, and then steps out, releasing a wall of steam into the small room. Riza looks up from her paperwork. She had changed into civilian clothes too, a long skirt and a white button-down like his, and settled into one of the armchairs near the fireplace. The warm glow of the firelight does lovely things to the color of her eyes and hair, loose around her shoulders. The heat brings a faint blush to her cheeks. It isn’t the first time he’s seen her sitting in front of a fire, but the sight never gets old.

“I bought kebabs with chicken, eggplant, and bell pepper.” Riza gestures to the foil-wrapped package in the chair across from her. “I had mine already. It was even better than the ones we had last month in Meox.”

Roy flings himself down in the chair, unwrapping the kebabs. They smell wonderful, and he’s glad that they had opted against the cold sandwiches sold on the train. “But are they as good as yours?”

Riza continues writing, and a tiny smirk touches her lips. “No.”

Roy wolfs down his dinner, making no effort to be decorous. “Why do I have all this paperwork on this table next to me?” he says, with his mouth full. “Isn’t it enough that I spent all of this morning and afternoon in meetings that could have been memos?”

“It’s because you spent all of this morning and afternoon in meetings, instead of getting any work done. And because you refused to make up for any of those hours while on the train, in favor of testing out that new long-distance radio with Havoc.”

Roy bites back a laugh at the memory of his and Havoc’s increasingly ridiculous codenames. “Right.” He balls up the foil packaging and tosses it into the garbage can in the corner of the room. “What are you working on, Hawkeye?”

“Figuring out your schedule for next week.” Riza taps her pen against the paper. “You have two weeks’ worth of meeting requests in one week’s time. I’m trying to make sure that you still have enough downtime to get your paperwork done.”

“Paperwork and downtime don’t go in the same sentence.” Roy picks up Breda’s most recent intelligence report and rifles through it. “Just plan on me working late on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. That should do it.”

Riza makes a note. “So, I assume I’ll be working late on those nights as well.”

“You assume correctly.” Riza gives him a displeased look, and Roy twirls his pen through his fingers, unable to resist teasing her. “What? Are you upset about missing out on the coming week’s date nights?”

“Hardly,” Riza says, impassive. “I figured that would be more of a concern for you.”

“It isn’t. I’m giving it up.”

Riza raises an eyebrow, managing, as always, to convey a great deal with that small gesture.

“I am,” Roy insists. “It’s all getting to be a little much. And it’s pointless.”

Riza raises both eyebrows, this time. “Pointless? With all due respect, this doesn’t sound like you.”

Roy shrugs, and the expression in Riza’s eyes softens somewhat. “I’m sorry if you had a bad experience, sir.”

She’s speaking to him in the gentle, pitying way one would address the recently heartbroken. The same way she talks to Havoc, for heaven’s sake. Roy runs a hand through his hair, flustered. “It’s not like that, Lieutenant.”

Riza tilts her head to the side slightly, intrigued without pressing, and he has to elaborate. “I don’t mean to sound arrogant. But the women I’ve gone out with know of my rank and reputation. The Flame Alchemist, the Hero of Ishval,” -- Roy’s voice takes on a faintly mocking air -- “and the youngest Colonel in decades. I’m practically guaranteed to be a Brigadier General by the time I’m thirty-five, if I continue to play my cards right. Do you follow me?”

He sees a flicker of amusement in Riza’s eyes. “If I understand you correctly, you’re implying that your dates would prefer to be more than just dates.”

“Exactly. They don’t just want a couple of nights out. They want a real relationship, Hawkeye.” Roy sighs, rubbing his temples. “They want to be a General’s wife, someday, and live in a fancy house with large, manicured lawns, and a couple of nice cars, and a couple of nice kids that will go to Central’s best private school.”

Riza makes a sound that’s almost a laugh. “The dream.”

“I can’t provide that,” Roy says tersely. “I have no intentions of living that life. I have no intention of living a long one, after becoming Fuhrer and implementing the changes that we want. If there’s any justice at all, I’ll be held accountable for what I did in Ishval. I don’t want to leave a widow and a couple of kids behind. That’s not an option.”

Riza inclines her head. “That’s fair.”

He shrugs, momentarily lost for words. “It’s starting to feel...wrong, to take what I want from these women, when I know that there’s absolutely no chance of them getting what they want. They want the third date. They want the relationship. They want to be the girlfriend, and then the fiancee, and then the wife. And I’ll never make that happen.”

“So, nobody’s happy.”

“Basically. Which is why I’m finished with that.” Roy leans back in the armchair, stopping the pretense of working, setting his stack of paperwork on the side table. He regards her thoughtfully. “What about you?”

Riza tenses up slightly. “What about me, Colonel?”

“Oh, you know.” Roy waves a hand casually. “You may not be as highly ranked as I am, and you don’t have the reputation that I do outside of military circles, but you’re a beautiful young woman. That carries its own weight. I’m surprised you’re not beating men back with a stick. Or your pistols.”

He had intended it as a compliment, but Riza glances at her lap, momentarily downcast. “That’s it, sir. That’s all that men see when they look at me. Just another blonde that they’d like to buy a few drinks for, and then take home for the night.” She sounds resigned. “They don’t see me. It feels a little dehumanizing.”

This is all news to him, and Roy stiffens. It’s stupid, it’s hypocritical, to be so stricken by men doing the exact same thing to Riza that he’s done to other women.

“Even the nicer ones, the ones that ask me out to dinner first…” Riza trails off. “They don’t know about Ishval, and the things I did there. They don’t know the burden I carry.”

“Hmm.” Roy considers this. There’s still a knot in his chest at the idea of anyone being foolish and shallow enough to see his Lieutenant - thoughtful, empathetic, kind, intelligent Riza - as nothing more than a conquest. “You could tell them.”

Riza shakes her head, at once. “They wouldn’t understand. Or they would think I was a monster.” She pauses. “Similarly, I doubt they would understand my goals, and what I’ve dedicated my life to.”

Roy feels a wry smile tugging at his lips. “I figure that most men would struggle with the idea that their girlfriend spends every day, and some evenings and nights, in service of another man’s ambitions.”

“Exactly.” Riza looks at him steadily. “Besides, I’m in the same position as you. I intend to be held accountable for my actions in Ishval as well.”

They’ve talked - argued; even fought outright - about this before. About the fact that he has no intention of prosecuting her at the same level that he would seek for himself and the other State Alchemists. Riza’s entire kill count in Ishval had been a mere fraction of what his had been. She had vehemently disagreed with his position. “Hawkeye--”

Riza gives him a quelling look, and Roy falls silent. “I don’t want to leave behind a husband or children, either,” she says. “I don’t want to be in a relationship that will go nowhere. That can go nowhere. It seems dishonest - like I would be holding the other person back from the happiness and uncomplicated life they deserve. I would rather dedicate myself fully to work.”

Somehow, with everything else they have in common, he’s not surprised that they share this perspective as well. “We’re both in a similar predicament, then.”

Riza exhales slowly, and then looks into the fireplace, at the flames crackling there. She looks so far away all of a sudden.

“What is it?” Roy asks, and she glances at him, startled, as if she had forgotten he was there.

“Nothing, Colonel. It’s nothing.”

That piques his interest, and he leans forward. “Don’t lie to me, Lieutenant. It violates our unit’s code of conduct.”

Riza narrows her eyes at him, but finally, she gives in. “You pointed out that my commitment to you and our cause doesn’t leave much space for another man,” she says, but then she hesitates, and stops entirely.

“Well?” Roy prompts, his curiosity getting the better of him. Over the years, they’ve come to know one another so well - as well as they know themselves, he would guess - but this is the one thing they’ve never talked about before. About serious romantic entanglements, and their lack thereof.

“I’d rather not say.” Maybe it’s just the fire, but Riza’s complexion is a little warmer than it had been several minutes ago.

“Come on, Hawkeye.” Roy gives her his most charming smile; slides into his most persuasive tone. “My curiosity is killing me.”

Riza sniffs. “That sounds like a personal problem.”

“Unfair, Lieutenant. I told you what was on my mind.”

She sighs again, exasperated, a little resigned, keeping her eyes determinedly trained on the fire. “Fine. You know, you’re like a dog with a bone sometimes.”

“I am a dog of the military, after all,” Roy says sardonically, and his Lieutenant rolls her eyes.

“You’re such a significant figure in my life,” Riza says, at last. “And you have been, for so long. I worry that would open the door to...comparisons. That wouldn’t be fair to whoever else was trying to find a place in my life. ”

Well, he hadn’t expected that. The words are so unexpected, so sweet and so sad, that Roy blinks, lost for words. “Hawkeye,” he says, trying to inject some levity into his tone. “I’m flattered.”

Riza doesn’t have a dry retort for him. She just looks at him with somber eyes, and Roy relents. “I feel the same way.”

He doesn’t tell his Lieutenant that when he’s looking into his dates’ eyes, he expects to see amber-colored ones looking back at him. He doesn’t tell her that when he leans over to tuck a lock of hair behind their ears, he’s expecting to see her blonde locks against his fingertips. He doesn’t tell her that when they laugh at his jokes (usually too long and too loud for what the joke actually warranted) he expects to see her small, wry smile instead. Or an eye-roll, or that look she gives him sometimes, the one that mingles exasperation with affection.

He doesn’t tell her any of that. But from the expression on Riza’s face, he thinks that he doesn’t have to.

Roy clears his throat, breaking their gaze, looking into the fire. “Well, Lieutenant. I think our close professional relationship has put us in an unfortunate situation.”

“As always, you have a gift for understatement, Colonel.”

It had been a typical Hawkeye deadpan, but when Roy looks back, he sees a tiny, reluctant smile on her face. It gives him a shot of courage, or recklessness; he isn’t sure which yet.

“You know,” he muses, “I have a thought exercise for us to work through.”

Thought exercises - running through hypotheticals, from the mundane to the far-fetched - are one of his favorite things about leading his unit, and they are at least a once-weekly event when the unit is together in East City. Riza sets her pen down for the first time, giving him her full attention. “Yes?”

“It would solve a lot of problems if you and I could...”

Roy trails off, his meaning clear, and Riza sits up straighter.  

It’s bold, even for him. It doesn’t just cross the line; it sprints across the line. It isn’t the kind of thing he would have said if they were back in East City. But the sheer distance from the imposing figure of Eastern Command, from superior officers, from anyone else who knows them and might see or overhear something they shouldn’t - that has opened doors. That all feels so far away, here in Liore, sitting by the fire in his room.

Riza shifts in her chair -  not in discomfort, but consideration, drawing her legs underneath her, tucking them to the side. “It’s interesting that you think that. I think it would create a lot of problems.”

Her tone is mild, though, and there’s no hint of affront on her face at the outrageous suggestion. Riza seems utterly unfazed by being propositioned by her commanding officer. Which isn’t that surprising, now that Roy thinks about it. He has discussed treasonous plans to overthrow and overhaul the existing government with her for years. Compared to literal, actual treason, the prospect of a sexual relationship seems considerably less shocking.

Additionally, she hasn’t yet threatened to shoot him in the foot, which is promising. She hasn’t stopped this little thought exercise that he had started.

“I argue that it would solve more than it creates. We’re both unable to pursue relationships, due to the barriers we’ve discussed.” Roy straightens his collar, feeling rather like an attorney beginning opening arguments in a case. “On the other hand, you and I understand our situation perfectly. We know where our lives are headed and where they will end. We know that we aren’t looking for marriage and children.”

He doesn’t have to say the rest. We know one another and what we’ve done in the past better than anyone else could. There are so many conversations we don’t have to have with one another, that we would have to have with others.

The truth of what they are striving towards and why, and their vision for their personal futures and the future of Amestris. The years in Ishval and what they had seen and done there. The ugly truth behind the harmless, bloodless epithets of Flame Alchemist and Hawk’s Eye. The nightmares.

Riza inclines her head slightly, wordlessly allowing him to continue.

“Pursuing anything with anybody else would distract both of us from our goal, which isn’t an option.” Roy studies her, trying to judge her reaction.

His Lieutenant’s expression gives away nothing. “What makes you think we wouldn’t distract one another?”

“Because I know us, Hawkeye,” Roy replies patiently. “I know that there’s nothing we’re more committed to than reforming this country. You and I both know where this work ends. We always have. Nothing and no one is ever going to make us change our course.”

“That’s all true,” Riza says, her voice steady.

He hears the rest of her sentence, and sighs. “But?”

“There’s one issue you haven’t addressed. The anti-fraternization regulations.”

“Oh, that.” Roy dismisses her point with a shrug. “It’s not an issue.”

Riza glances skyward for a moment. “Please elaborate, Colonel.”

“The anti-fraternization regulations prohibit personal relationships between officers and enlisted members within the same chain of command, as they are prejudicial to good order and discipline,” Roy recites, with no effort. He and his Lieutenant are both very familiar with the regulations, after all. “Romantic relationships, cohabitation, and marriage fall within the umbrella of personal relationships. We wouldn't be living together. We wouldn't be getting married. And it wouldn’t be a romantic relationship, Hawkeye. It would just be--” He pauses, searching for the most tasteful word choice. “Some companionship, as we need it. To help us make our way down the long road we have ahead. And we would be discreet about it. Nobody would ever know.”

Riza props her chin in a hand, mulling it over, and Roy watches the firelight flickering in her eyes. “No pressure, of course,” he says, with an easiness he doesn’t feel. The adrenaline and boldness has worn off, leaving him with an uncharacteristic case of nerves. “It was just a thought exercise.”

Riza glances back at him and then stands up, gathering her paperwork. “I think I’ll turn in for the night, sir.” She sounds so calm and even, as if they had been discussing the logistics of how to implement democratic voting in the most rural areas of Amestris.

Roy stands automatically and opens the door for her. “Good night, then, Lieutenant.”

“Good night.”

Roy watches until she closes her door behind her; until he hears the lock click safely into place. He closes the door, locks it, braces a chair against it, as Riza had suggested. Then he collapses onto the bed and presses the heels of his hands against his eyes, all the breath leaving his body in a long sigh. Hughes has always called him a risk-taker and chastised him for being impulsive. That’s nothing new. Tonight, though, he had taken that to an entirely new high. Or an entirely new low, depending on how one looks at it.

-

They return to East City the following day. A week passes, and Riza gives no indication that their conversation in Liore had ever happened. She treats him the same way she always has, both when others are around and behind the closed doors of their office, after everyone else in their unit has left for the evening.

“I asked Elizabeth if she’d like to start something up with me,” Roy tells Hughes on the phone, on Saturday night. He’s supposed to be working, but it’s half past eight already, and he hasn’t been working with his full attention span for two reports now.

Hughes makes a strange sort of spluttering noise; it sounds as if he’s choked on his sandwich. “No way.”

“It’s true.” Roy winds the phone cord around his finger absentmindedly. “I don’t think she was interested in the idea, though. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. She's the only one I've ever really wanted."

“Roy--”

Riza walks back into the office then, carrying an armful of files from the archives, and Roy is forced to improvise. “I have no interest in your services, and don’t call this number again,” he orders, in his most forceful tone. He slams the phone down, before giving his Lieutenant an apologetic smile. “Telemarketers. I have no idea how they get their hands on the military lines.”

“Please give Lieutenant Colonel Hughes my regards before you hang up next time.” Riza sets the files on her desk, and then picks up her coat. Roy notices that she’s changed back into civilian clothes, a dark skirt and a silk blouse. “We could head back for the night, since we got quite a bit done today.”

“That’s the best idea you’ve had all day, Lieutenant.” Roy stands up hastily, before she can reconsider, and picks up his coat. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”

They live within a couple of streets of each other, about twenty minutes from Eastern Command. They pass the time in quiet conversation, speculating about how Breda’s undercover mission in Mouhed is going, and the upcoming joint training exercise at Fort Briggs. As always, Roy feels an irritating pang of disappointment when they reach the back parking lot of his Lieutenant’s apartment building. He spends every day with Riza, and many evenings and nights, too, and yet he never tires of her company.

“Sleep well, Hawkeye.” Roy throws her his most appealing look. “Any chance you’ll bring in coffee on Monday morning?”

“I could be persuaded.” Riza crosses her legs, and Roy tries to ignore the slit up the side of her skirt. She studies him for a couple of moments, and he catches the faintest flicker of apprehension in her eyes. “Would you like to walk me upstairs, Colonel?”

She’s never asked him that before. It takes the words - the offer - a moment to register. Roy shifts the car into park as soon as it does, more roughly than he should. “I would,” he says, realizing that he can’t remember the last time he had to fight back an actual shiver of anticipation. “Very much. Oh, and Lieutenant?”

Riza’s hand stills on the door. “Yes?”

“You should call me by my name, when we’re upstairs.” Roy remembers, then, that Riza’s apartment building doesn’t have an elevator, and they’ll have to make it up four flights of stairs like civilized adults.  

“Of course, Colonel.” Riza holds his gaze, and Roy’s mouth goes very dry. “I think I’ll be able to do that. When we get upstairs.” She pauses and adds, almost as an afterthought. “You can call me whatever you want.”

Riza. It’s how he refers to her in his mind, but never out loud, not for years. It makes his throat burn, how much he wants to say it. To whisper it as he lets her hair down from its updo, and brushes his fingers against her collarbones. Roy exhales slowly. “We should go up. Now.”

Riza gives him a small smile. “Yes, sir.”

---------------------

notes

Writing from Roy's POV is always an interesting and amusing exercise. I had a bit of a laugh while I was writing this because it's basically like

Roy: What if... we fucked... ahaha, just kidding Lieutenant, it was just a thought exercise, just running hypotheticals...unless...?

I hope you enjoyed reading; I'd love to know what you thought! Royai Week has been super fun so far, both with reading others' amazing and creative responses to the prompts, admiring the gorgeous art, and sharing my own stuff. I'm hoping to have Day 5's prompt posted sometime tomorrow, but it might be a day late if I don't get it up in time.

[tardiss-addie]

Who Could Love a Monster

{Hatred}

Chapter 2:

Readers POV-

[Oh god, I’m gonna die!] I closed my eyes tight as the alchemists hand burned my arm, the pain searing into every crevice of my body. I screamed again and again, the white hot agony all I felt. 

Suddenly, the pain went away, and my eyes shot open as I heard the man in front of me get shoved hard. I stared in disbelief as the homunculus jumped high into the air, slamming his feet against the man and forcing him to let me go. He stumbled back a few feet, and the homunculus got in a fighting stance, facing the blonde haired lady. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and as if a miracle had happened, she lowered her gun, nodding to the creature. He turned to me and grabbed my hand, staring into my eyes with a similar worried look I gave him not more than a few minutes ago. “Come on!” he said, and I obeyed as he pulled me along, fast walk shifting rather quickly into a run. “Where are we going?” I panted as we ran, having a hard time keeping up with him. He had almost inhumane like speed. “Away from here!” he shouted, almost sounding annoyed at my question. I frowned at the vague answer, but kept following him as best as I could. Eventually, we got to a giant white door, and we stopped. I put my hands on my knees, panting and wheezing hard. The homunculus practically fell to the ground, breathing in a similar state as mine. I reached to help him, but he waved me off. “Fuck!” he said loudly, massaging his temple as if this whole situation was a bothersome thing. After a minute, he got up, quickly moving to the door and pushing it open. I blinked as he motioned to me. “Look, I don’t know how long it’ll be until the eclipse happens.. But you have at least a few minutes. Get out of the country, if you don’t, you’ll die.” his eyes bored into me as he spoke, as if these words were the most important words ever spoken. I opened my mouth to speak, and then a thought hit me. “Wh-you expect me to get out of the country in a FEW MINUTES?!” I yelled, now as frustrated as he was acting. The homunculi grit his teeth, seething in annoyance at my little outburst. “I dunno! What else am I supposed to say?!” He shouted back, and I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Let me come with you! I can help stop.. Whatever’s about to happen!” I said, wanting to help, but also to figure out what the hell was going on. A grin spread across his face, and he laughed. “HAH! You think I’m trying to STOP it?! Pathetic, measly, hilarious human!” he broke into laughter, having to stop as a bout of coughs erupted from his throat. My eyes widened and I ran to his side, putting a gentle hand on his back. He quickly shot up and shoved my hand away, giving me a look of disgust. “I’m the bad guy, IDIOT!” His grin seemed to grow at this, and he leaned a bit closer to me, now looking down at me with his big purple eyes. “I am the sin of Envy! Did you really think your little stunt would.. HAH-would turn me to the good side?!” His eyes widened, a crazed look plastered on his face. “I will NEVER be on the side of you. Pathetic. Worthless. Disgusting humans!” he growled, stepping forward with each sentence to punctuate his speech. I let my expression slip for only a second, fear showing through at his manic appearance. But I quickly hid my fear, putting on a brave face and shaking my head. “Listen. I don’t care whose side you’re on. I wasn’t going to let you die regardless of whether it would change your mind.” I spoke, my determination making its way through. His expression faltered, his eyes seemed to soften a little. Although that was gone as quickly as it came. “You know, I haven’t met a human like you before. You’d willingly risk your own life for your enemy.” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “Pathetic.” he said darkly. I gulped, feeling fear break through my barriers. I quickly sealed shut my walls as I remembered that he had no more power left. “You don’t scare me.” I said, in the bravest voice I could manage. His expression darkened, grin disappearing from his face. For a second, I thought he might walk away, but was unfortunately proven wrong as his hand reached up, gripping my throat tight. He shoved me against the wall, eyes glaring down into mine as I gasped for air. “Do I scare you now?” he said, his voice a mix of anger and disgust. I clawed at his hands, finally kneeing him in the stomach when I realized I couldn’t get out any other way. I held my neck and gasped for air as he keeled over, coughing and stumbling back a few steps. I quickly regained my composure, sprinting to him and slamming him down, using my arms to pin him to the floor. “I saved you!” I said, as loudly as I could without my voice causing pain in my throat. “SO?!” he spat back, expression wild again as he tried to resist my pin. In normal circumstances, he would have definitely overpowered me, but given his current situation, he couldn’t. “SO YOU SHOULDN’T BE TRYING TO KILL ME!” I yelled, voice slightly hoarse as I glared at him. He simply stared at me, expression no longer wild and eyes wide. I put more pressure on his arms as I pinned his wrists to the ground with my hands, anger bubbling in my stomach at how selfish he was being. “A FUCKING ‘THANK YOU’ WOULD BE NICE!” I yelled, my voice booming through the silence. He simply stared at me, wide eyed, and he almost seemed.. Surprised. Then, out of no where, he started laughing. He was fucking laughing! “You want- haha- me to thank you?! Hahaha!! A hu- a human?!” he managed to choke out, in between fits of laughter. I was too shocked to respond, so I just stayed still, eyes radiating anger as I glared at him. “What have you pathetic humans ever done for me?! All you ever do is judge, and hate and kill! And you expect me to thank you?! You humans are all the same!! You all look at me like I’m a monster! Like you hate me!” he growled under me, eyes piercing and narrow, iris’s glowing a dark shade of violet as he spoke, growing darker with every word. He paused, and I took the moment to think. Was I really looking at him like that? I leaned down, my face mere inches from him as I spoke. “Well I don’t! I don’t think of you as a monster! I don’t hate you!” I said, for what he was seeing in my expression wasn’t hate. It was determination. His eyes widened, his mouth slightly open from shock. “What?! No sane person would say that!” he said, after a minute of silence. “Well maybe I’m not sane! But I don’t care! I refuse to look at anyone as anything less than a person!” I shot back, loosening my grip on his arms slightly. “And you’re just a person. Someone whose hurt.. And lashing out. And you’re right to be angry. I’m sure people have done nothing but hurt you…” I paused, getting off him and holding out a hand towards him. He instinctively flinched back, then just stared at me, like he didn’t know what to do. “But I’m not going to hurt you." 

Envy’s POV- 

Her words sounded genuine, and she even gave me a small smile. Her eyes emitted resolve and purpose, her expression firm in its stance. I could do nothing but stare at her outstretched hand, reaching towards me like it was the most normal thing in the world. Though it was the farthest thing from normal that I could imagine. [This.. Human. She saved me, for one. And what’s more.. She doesn’t expect me to change because of it.] I thought to myself, my eyes darting up to hers, searching for any sign of deception. After all, I know deception better than any human would. But there was none. [She still wants to help me. Even after I tried to kill her.. And she doesn’t think I’m a monster.] I felt my body start to tremble as the realization of all these feelings hit me. [She doesn’t care if I’m good or bad… And yet.. That only makes me want to change more.] My eyes widened as I stared at her, so many confusing emotions whirling through my brain. It hurt so much.. What was happening? [What is this?!] My brain screamed, and I managed to choke out, "Wh-who are you?” and I couldn’t help the near puppy dog eyes I gave her, beyond shocked and even scared. This human was different. She actually.. Cared.

[wildandsexyjacks]

Maybe It’s a Chicago Thing

I know we’re way past halloween, but here’s Johnny (no The Shining pun intended) + #2 and #56  from this halloween prompts list requested by anon

Hope you like it!

Word Count: 1.9k

“Do I really have to go?” You ask, playing candy crush on your phone while you wait for your friend to finish her make-up.

“Yes!” she shouts from the bathroom of your shared apartment “You promised me, remember?”

You roll your eyes.

“It’s not like you’re gonna miss me, being too busy swallowing Ten’s face and all...”

She laughs and sticks her neck out to look at you through the open door.

“Y/N, come on, you used to love those parties! Is this about Jaehyun? Because that was, like, ages ago. I’m sure he doesn’t even remember it anymore. Probably no one does.”

You throw a cushion at her and even though she actually ducks, it doesn’t even reach the doorway, landing right in the middle of the living room. 

“It was literally last halloween.”

She shrugs and turns back to the mirror.

“Just stay away from jello shots or try not to throw up on anyone’s shoe this time and you should be fine.” after applying a heavy coat of red lipstick, she comes out of the bathroom with her hands on her hips “How do I look?”

You squint at her outfit, uncertain.

“Like a stripper dressed up as a nun.”

You have no idea what her costume really is and the comment was supposed to make her mad, or at least a little annoyed, but your roommate smiles brightly instead.

“You know, that’s why we’re best friends. You just.... get me on a spiritual level. Are you ready?”

-

When you get to your old college friends’ place, the infamous House 127 known to host unforgettable parties, Yuta is at the door, dressed up as Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. He’s hugging a bowl full of chocolates, surrounded by half a dozen whiny children in cute halloween costumes.

“Come on, little dudes!” he orders, keeping the bowl out of the kids’ reach “Ten push-ups each or no one gets candy.”

Your friend charges at Yuta and punches his arm then takes the bowl from him to give a chocolate bar to each one of the kids. They all thank her very politely and run off to the next house.

“It’s called trick-or-treating for a reason, idiot.” she mutters, handing the candy bowl back to Yuta “They’re supposed to threaten you, not the other way around.”

“And where’s the fun in that? All right, whatever.” he rolls his eyes and gestures at the door “Hello to you too Slutty Nun, nice to see you Jello Shot. Welcome to our house of tricks, ladies, please come in.”

You pass by your friend, bumping her shoulder. “No one remembers, huh?”

The living room is heavily decorated, with purple lighting and spiderwebs and bloodstains on the walls - hopefully fake, but you never know with these guys, Doyoung sometimes takes things a little too seriously. There’s a table with snacks of all sorts and a silver platter with an unholy amount of the jello shots you need to stay away from. There’s also a beautiful jar filled with red wine punch, ice cubes shaped like tiny skulls. 

You’re about to go for the punch but your best friend’s boyfriend - Ten - intercepts the both of you, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. Then he looks at you and frowns.

“Where’s your costume?”

You point at your black smudged eyeliner and the Chicago Bulls shirt like it should be obvious.

“I’m Pete Wentz.”

“She’s lazy.” your friend corrects “And didn’t even wanna come, can you imagine that?”

Ten, you notice, is wearing a sexy french maid costume, and he looks utterly ridiculous but incredibly funny at the same time.

“I’m actually glad I came, though, otherwise I’d miss this.” you point at his costume “You two really deserve each other.”

“Thank you. Donut?” he asks, offering one of the pastries on the tray he’s carrying as part of his costume.

You’re about to take one but a large hand grabs your wrist. You look around - and then up because he’s super tall - to find a man you’ve never seen before. He’s got brown hair falling in front of his eyes, amazingly beautiful cheekbones, broad shoulders, and looks really good dressed in a black button-up and a white lab coat.

“Don’t take it, it’s a halloween prank. He filled it with mustard instead of boston cream.” he explains.

You want to slap Ten, but the nice-looking stranger is still holding your arm, so you stretch your leg and kick him instead.

“WHAT THE HELL?”

The boy almost drops the tray, hopping on one foot with a pained expression.

“Ouch! Thanks a lot, Johnny.”

So that’s his name.

“Thank you... Johnny, right? Are you dressed up as a doctor?” You ask, looking at his lab coat. He turns completely to you, so you can see the rest of his costume. There’s a tiny Snoopy plushie in his pocket, and you raise your free hand to touch it. “Oh! A vet, then?”

Your roommate sighs.

“Wow, you didn’t even bother, John. Congratulations, you’re literally dressed up as yourself.” She complains. “I bet you even came straight from work.”

Johnny laughs.

“No. If I did, I’d be covered in Mr. Flufflestiltskin’s urine. Big boy was really happy to see me today.”

“Oh, I can’t wait for that demon cat to be adopted.” She rolls her eyes, then smiles, holding onto Ten’s arm with one hand and waving the other to get your attention “Johnny is Ten’s best friend. He’s volunteering at our animal shelter while the construction company is setting up his clinic, he just moved back from... Oh.” staring at your Bulls shirt, she tilts her head to the side, a weird look in her eyes “You guys have a lot in common. You both like sports and suck at halloween costumes... Maybe it’s a Chicago thing, he was born there too.”

You look up at Johnny, and he finally realizes he’s still grabbing your arm, quickly letting go with an embarrassed laugh. Ten and his girlfriend exchange a look you know can only mean trouble and make up a poor excuse to leave, abandoning you to Johnny’s care. He looks around, eyes darting in every direction, not knowing what to say.

“Um... Thank you for saving me.” You say again, just to break the ice. “I’m Y/N, by the way.”

“No problem.” He shrugs “In fact, you should be suspicious of pretty much everything from now on, the guys have a bet going on and whoever pranks more people gets a reese’s peanut butter cups box and a month free of any household chore obligation. Trust no one tonight.”

“Not even you?”

You frown, but he shakes his head.

“I don’t live here. Besides, I know all their plans, which makes me the safest person to hang out with right now.” offering his arm, he winks at you “Wanna get something to drink?”

There’s really not much to think of. Your friend ditched you to make out with her boyfriend somewhere in the house, the other boys would not hesitate to prank your scaredy-cat ass... And Johnny looks really good. He’s also very nice, with his soft velvety voice and broad shoulders and warm smile. And he looks really, really good.

You grab his arm and take him to the food table. He reaches for the jello shots, but you tell him a quick variation of your sad jello encounter from last year - not getting into gastrointestinal specifics because that’s not something you tell a cute guy you just met -, and after laughing for a whole minute he ends up filling two cups with punch, handing you one. 

With a steady hand on your lower back, Johnny guides you to one of the couches, and you sit down side by side. He compliments your shirt and starts a conversation about Chicago, then sports, then your interests. It’s easy to talk to him, he has a nice voice when he talks and seems genuinely interested when it’s your turn to speak. And you do have a lot in common, indeed. You talk about music, movies, sports, not even noticing how much time has passed since your friend vanished with her boyfriend.

A few punch cups later, when your favorite Fall Out Boy song starts playing, you drag Johnny to the improvised dance floor adjacent to the back door. He’s surprisingly good at it as well, especially for someone as tall as him. It makes you wonder if there’s anything he’s bad at, and you ask him just that. 

“Flirting,” he replies with a cute laugh. “I’ve been meaning to ask your number for...” he squints at his watch “over an hour now.”

You take a step forward.

“Oh, I suppose it’d be useful.” you joke, smiling “I mean, you’re a vet and I have a goldfish at home.”

He comes closer too, only a little bit, subtly resting one of his hands on your hip. 

“It definitely would. Goldfish need special care, it’s very important to have a professional at hand.”

One more step closer.

“It is isn’t it?”

You’re already on your tiptoes, hands on Johnny’s shoulder, and he’s leaning in... Until Haechan comes from nowhere running like crazy and bumps into the both of you, completely ruining the moment and making you jump back. 

“If anyone asks,” he goes, barely stopping to talk to you “you never saw me.”

And just like he came in, he goes out with no explanation whatsoever. You and Johnny look into each other’s confused eyes before bursting out laughing.

“What was that?” he asks mid-laugh, shaking his head.

“I have no idea. He’s probably in trouble, but it’s not our problem...” you reach for his hand, a little shy, and clear your throat “Where were we?”

He glances at you, chewing on his lower lip.

“I’m pretty sure you were about to kiss me.” 

You avoid his gaze, biting back a smile.

“Really? I think I don’t remember that...” going against your words, though, you move into his personal space, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Well, in that case...” with his hands on your waist, Johnny closes his eyes and leans in again “I was definitely about to kiss you.”

He does so, and it’s unlike any other kiss you’ve ever had before. Johnny pulls you closer, running his hands up and down your back as you thread your fingers through his hair. 

“Mmhmm....” he hums after you break the kiss “Just like I imagined.” smiling, he takes your hand, intertwining your fingers “Come on, let’s get a drink.”

You move back to the table at the same time as Doyoung storms inside coming from the backyard, carrying a half-empty reese’s box that was probably meant for the bet and looking seriously pissed. 

“Who ate all my candy?!!” He yells, poking random people on the dance floor, looking for the culprit “I WILL find out who did it and WILL kill everything they hold dear, whoever and wherever they are!”

Johnny laughs and squeezes your wrist to get your attention.

“Perhaps we should go somewhere else before he finds out the chocolate thief has left already and things get real ugly... Would you like to go grab something to eat?”

You nod in agreement, and the both of you head for the door, hand in hand and twin smiles on your faces. 

The house really is one to host unforgettable parties. This time, however, you’re set to make good memories and you’re very glad you came.

-

Not nearly as good as I thought it’d be, but here it is. Happy belated halloween everyone, and thank you for requesting, anon!

[momorabu]

Code Realize ~Future Blessings~ Playthrough - After Story White Rose - side Fran -

Warning: Spoilers. Image heavy post.

Please read Fran’s route on the original Code Realize’s playthrough before procceeding.

Finally~! Sorry if this was a long wait, but I decided to summarize the entire route into a post rather than splitting it up since I wanted to do a shorter playthrough than my usual ones as I find myself getting too long-winded ^^; Nevertheless, I end up adding alot of thoughts and the route was still pretty long to write so there you have it~ Enjoy the Fran and Cardia moments below ^^

Before the story starts, there was some flashback to the earlier game in regards to what had happened. (I personally like how it was basically a monologue of Fran’s thoughts, especially the part where he explained that he initially wanted to help Cardia in order to get rid of his guilt, deluding himself that by doing so, he might be able to erase his sins.)

Now, onto the future after the main game!

Fran and Cardia were still staying together at the huge mansion that Saint had left in their care. Fran had his day job as the royal alchemist at the palace, and the scene started with Cardia reminding Fran not to forget anything before he left for work. (Apparently, Fran was a little clumsy to have forgotten his stethoscope the day before, had his shoes worn on the opposite feet the week before, and had even accidentally brought Sisi to work XD)

(Fran’s explanation sounds like he didn’t have a good night sleep due to something Cardia did the night before... >////<)

Cardia noticed that Fran had a cowlick poking up on his head and was about to touch his hair to flatten when she realised what she was about to do and immediately stepped back. She isn’t wearing her gloves now, and she had been taking medicine to control her condition, but she was still afraid of her accidentally harming Fran. 

Fran took her hand and put it on his cheeks, assuring her that it’s fine and she did not need to be afraid. There’s no scent of melting, rotten flesh, and instead, she felt the warmth of her lover. It felt that only a little time had passed since Cardia had managed to touch things, so Fran tried to help her to feel comfortable about her sense of touch, which Cardia really appreciated.

Fran encouraged her not to rush, and that she’s just a regular girl now. (He even calls her his princess, awww~ >/////< When did Fran become such a sweet-talker~)

But, it’s not the time to endless indulge in touching each other’s cheeks now since Fran was going to be late. Cardia rushed Fran off to work, though she knew that she would have kept holding onto him if he didn’t have to work. Just as she lingered for Fran (when he just left ^^;), Fran came back again, claiming that he had forgotten something.

(Yep, this was what he had forgotten - to tell Cardia that he loves her, aww~ ^///^ Too bad he didn’t manage to stay for her answer.)

The story then went onto explain what other stuff had happened after the main game. Victoria had changed herself and now planned to aim for peace with progression and development for the country. Fran had rejoined the Royal Society once again as an alchemist.

In the day when Fran was working, Cardia would be cleaning and tidying up the mansion, the place where it held many memories of her and her friends. Now, only Fran, Sisi and she were the ones remaining in the mansion, with Saint, the original owner, signing the property over to them, and departed for France. (Wow, Saint just gave them a free house just like that... OWO) Cardia had decided that she shall take care and keep the mansion in top condition so that when her friends returned, the mansion would be just like how they’ve remembered it. 

(In case anyone was interested, Lupin and Impey were still travelling together, seeking of something of great import, whereas Van and Dora-chan were working together to protect the remaining surviving vampires.)

Remembering about her friends and realising the Fran wasn’t around in the house either made Cardia felt quite lonely, but Sisi nestled close to her feet to remind her that he’s still there. (So cute~) Suddenly, Sisi noticed something and ran off, thus Cardia chased after him to the dining room, and realised that there was a parcel on the floor... which was actually Fran’s lunchbox (Why is it lying there on the floor o.O?) Realising that this was perhaps an excuse for her to see Fran, Cardia decided to send the lunch box to him and set off with Sisi.

However, Fran wasn’t at his workplace when Cardia reached there, as he was attending a meeting at the palace with the Queen instead. Cardia could have left Fran’s lunchbox there actually, but she decided to head all the way to the palace instead. (Cardia must really want to see Fran badly XD) The guards were there when she arrived, and since she can’t just go through them, Cardia wondered whether she should just stay and wait until the meeting is over. 

A voice called out to her just then, and to her surprise, it’s Van~! (Van’s face when he realised that Cardia had come all the way to the palace just to give Fran his lunch~ XD)

Van decided to lend Cardia a hand in getting her into the palace by following him. Turned out that Van was here as a bodyguard for Dora-chan and this other person called Marquis Renfield, who was a supporter in Dora-chan’s aim to establish a vampire-governed zone, and their seminar for today was the one that Fran was attending. 

When Cardia spotted Fran, he was apologising to Dora-chan, revealing to him that he was the one had droved his vampire clan almost to extinction, since the poisonous Zicterium gas used to kill the vampires was ultimately invented by him. Though Fran knew that no apologies would be enough for him to atone his sins, he wanted to find someone who had survived, which in this case, Dora-chan, and attempt an apology. 

Dora-chan calmly told Fran that if he had not told him what he had done, Dora-chan himself would have never known about his sins, and thus not even have to apologise for it. But that won’t do for Fran since the guilt pained him every time they shared a conversation, and he knew that if he had continued on keeping this a secret, he would never be able to share a genuine moment with him. Dora-chan simply smiled and said that he knew what kind of a person Fran was and knew that he won’t be someone who would create a murder weapon of his own wish. He told Fran to stop taking responsibility for his creation and asked him to stop hating his own self because of that. (Now that Dora-chan had forgiven him and asked him to forgive himself, it seems that everything was much better now~ ^^)

When Van and Cardia approached them, Dora-chan blushed when he realised that they were eavesdropping on them, and also because Van had praised him that he was like his father XD Cardia told Fran that she was happy for him, now that he had finally dealt a thing that had been plaguing him for a long time.

Fran was curious why Cardia was here though, thus Cardia showed him the lunch he had forgotten to bring along with him. Dora-chan got curious and peeked into the basket Cardia had brought, then started asking whether this was a lunch packed with love and adoration, which made Fran started to blush furiously XD

(Cardia, you are not helping the situation by admitting to it XD)

(This scene is seriously too adorable <3)

Too bad that Fran had yet another talk after lunch, and thus wasn’t able to take the time to walk Cardia back to the mansion. Cardia decided to head home back herself, bidding goodbye to Van and Dora-chan, who promised that they would call on them when they passed by London again.

Before Cardia could leave though, she met Leonhardt, who told her that the Queen would like to see her. Even though Cardia was worried, Fran assured her with a smile that it would be alright. 

Queen Victoria smiled when she saw Cardia, explaining that she just wanted to have a chat with her and was even alright with Cardia calling her by her name. There had been major changes since the last time they had met, with Victoria reducing the military pressure on neighbouring European countries, and shifting towards a policy of peace. Victoria revealed that she had personally walked down the ruined street of the Lower Town of London, and saw it for herself how her actions had caused grief and misery to that part of the city. But she realised the people living there had not given up, continuing to rebuild their home, and found ways to survive and move forward. It was then she knew that the Britains themselves and Great Britain was not weak. 

(The Queen smiles here which I found it a beautiful sight <3)

Victoria decided that she shall now oversee the country’s progress rather than acting as a direct protector, claiming that she shall lay down the groundworks for future Britain. In fact, she had been so busy recently that she doesn’t even have the time to complain, which Cardia offered to listen to her whenever she’s free or even both of enjoying a teatime together.

Suddenly, Victoria motioned to Cardia to get closer, and wanted to know how things were proceeding with Cardia and Fran. Cardia smiled and answered Fran was always being very kind to her, even telling her that he loves her every day, (Aww, Fran does dotes on Cardia very much >////<) The Queen was glad to hear that and mentioned that it’s lovely to find someone that she can share her innermost self with, even remarking that she wanted to give marriage a try.

 (Poor Leonhardt did not take to this well though XD)

Victoria assured Leonhardt it would still be in the distant future that she will get married since stabilizing the country was her priority now. Even Cardia noticed that Leonhardt’s smile when he’s relieved seems more personal... (Hmm~? O////O) Cardia was glad to have the chance to share a pleasant afternoon chat with the Queen nevertheless.

As she walked home with Sisi though, she saw an elderly couple and wondered whether she and Fran would be like that someday, perfectly serene. She tried to imagine that, but couldn’t in the end...

When they were having a late teatime together after Fran came back from work, he noticed that Cardia seems abit distracted, and wondered whether she’s feeling unwell. 

(Cardia being unwell could be a good excuse to visit Fran, now that he had said that XD)

(It’s so adorable how Fran just straight up gave Cardia a peck on the cheeks with this confession~ >////< Guess what Cardia had said about Fran telling her that he loves her every day was true after all~)

However, their lovey-dovey time was soon stopped by a guest, who was none other than Saint, after coming back from France for some “business”. Saint was serious as he met them, telling them that there’s someone he wanted them to meet, or say, confront. And thus, three of them set off into the night and ended up on tower bridge.

Fran soon realised that something was amiss when he got on the bridge, remarking that it was weirdly quiet around here when usually there should still be traffic around here at this time.

The first person to appear before them was... someone in armour which Cardia remarked that she had seen before. A voice came from within the armour, explaining that they had been observing her ever since she had come in contact with Saint. An old woman in a wheelchair soon appeared next, and noticing Fran’s and Cardia’s confused faces, guessed that Saint had not told them anything at all. 

The old woman introduced herself as Omnibus, and that she governed an organisation known as Idea, where others had referred to them as “agents of destiny” or “guides of history”. Their mission was to ensure that history unfolds justly and to coax humanity away from grievous error. Turned out that Saint was a member of the organisation, an apostle as well as the woman in armour - Guinevere. 

Fran questioned their motive for meeting them here, to which Omnibus replied that she’s here to give them a warning, as well as offering a proposal for Fran. Apparently, Idea was impressed by Fran’s intelligence but was worried that he might cross into the realm of taboo like Isaac in creating what that was not supposed to, which was Cardia. They wished that Fran would consider things carefully before creating something, which Fran promised that he would take responsibility for what he had created, considering how he knew that the Zicterium he had created had caused countless of death. 

But the warning was just the beginning of what Idea had wanted to talk to Fran about. Their main aim was regarding Cardia, as even though her Horologium was currently rendered to be completely inert, there was still a possibility that it would awake someday, and that the dangerous poison would come back again. Fran was angry as he countered that this was impossible since he had used different methods available to check that the Horologium was stable, and thus the possibility of it reactivating was zero. 

However, what Idea was worried was not the Horologium reactivating in recent years, but instead, hundreds and hundreds of years later, since Cardia was still considered inhuman even if her body was not poisonous anymore, and might have a longer lifespan than one had thought of. 

(All this talk about Cardia was torture to herself, I feel bad for her D:)

And thus, since Idea was greatly fond of Fran’s talents, they wanted to offer him to become a member of the organisation, an apostle just like what Saint had become. 

Fran was shocked and wondered if this was an order, to which Idea informed him that if Fran was to choose to join them, he would be granted immortality, and he would get eternal life with Cardia this way. Obviously, this offer was very attractive to Fran, but Saint quickly stepped in and asked Omnibus to warn him about the consequences if he were to choose to become an apostle. 

In exchange for Fran’s immortality, he would have to dedicate his entire existence to Idea and carried out their orders, which was usually to kill others to remove their humanity to bring peace and prevent disasters from happening. Fran now had two choices, to accept Idea’s offer and be able to spend eternity with Cardia or to keep on living as a human and die one day, leaving Cardia alone in the world. Fran was suspicious about Idea’s purging of whoever that might bring harm to the world, since if Cardia was deemed as someone harmful, she was also considered a target by them as well. Initially, Saint was ordered to remove Cardia’s existence but Saint had pleaded with them to spare Cardia’s life, and now that Fran had managed to suppress Cardia’ poison, they decided to let her continue with her life for now. But if the Horologium was to create poison again in the future, Idea would spare no mercy in killing her. (Damn, Idea just seems really bent on on “purging” Cardia this entire conversation actually, and they kept calling her the cursed daughter D:)

Fran asked for time to think about the offer and was ultimately given three days to make his decision. When Omnibus and Guinevere were gone, Saint apologised as he had wanted to help to shield them from Idea, so that they can continue to live happily and peacefully together. Turned out that rather than going to France which he claimed to, Saint had actually gone to plead with Omnibus all these while, asking for Idea not interfere with their lives. Cardia was glad that Saint had helped them to ask for this chance though, as both Fran and Cardia knew that they would have to face with this problem regarding Cardia’s immortality eventually.

(Yes, these two had gotten so strong after what had happened in the first game T////T)

The two returned back to the mansion, but Cardia found herself unable to sleep, thinking that even though the poison was gone from her, she only looked like a normal girl and was ultimately still....a monster. Fran joined her at the garden, later on, remarking that he was unable to sleep too, and looking at his smile, Cardia wondered why can he still smile at a time like this. 

(Fran’s smile looks painful though T////T)

Fran admitted that he was worried, but he touched Cardia’s cheeks as always, assuring her that everything would be alright, but rather than worrying alone, he decided to stay by Cardia’s side instead. Cardia knew that Fran must be feeling more worried than her, but he was still so caring and warm towards her, which broke her mental defence and poured out to him that she was very frustrated and scared regarding this entire thing. She’s scared that she would end up destroying Fran’s future, her poison might come back someday and also losing Fran. Cardia realised that she had become weaker since, in the past, she was alright in spending nights alone by herself and being called a monster, but now... she could hardly bear the thought of landing herself in such a situation again. 

Fran was serious as he assured her once again that everything will be fine, and that he would never ever let her be turned back into a monster, even after hundreds and thousands of years. But in midst of his words, Cardia could sense a little amount of uncertainty in his voice, but all she could do was to break into a sob in his arms, knowing that Fran had never even mentioned what would happen to him at all. As Fran comforted her and got her back to bed, Cardia wondered what Fran was thinking about actually, and what will he decided on in answering Omnibus... Fran could only tell Cardia that he was still thinking about it, promising her that when he came to a decision, he would inform her first before anyone else. 

(I do like Fran’s determination here though, even though he had absolutely no idea what he should do at this point in time...)

The story continues on in Fran’s point of view. Two days had passed since Idea had offered the proposal to Fran, but what he had done till now was just comforting Cardia, and that was all he could do. Fran wondered what he was supposed to do, anxious to come to a conclusion before tomorrow evening. But he knew that there would be regrets regardless of whichever path he chose.

Just then, Saint appeared before him, noticing that Fran seems tired and sympathize his circumstances. Saint was considered a friend yet an enemy to Fran, since he had been acting secretly on behalf of Idea when he was with them, with orders to eliminate the Horologium, yet he did not. He told Saint that it was difficult to understand Idea’s prerogatives and he could not even forgive Omnibus for calling Cardia a “cursed” being. But, Fran was the most frustrated with himself, knowing that after all his efforts, he was still unable to mend Cardia. Saint encouraged Fran that he had actually done alot for her, by suppressing her poison, and teaching her about human warmth and learning to love others. 

Fran had initially thought that as long as he could suppress Cardia’s poison, they would be able to move on with their lives happily, but they indeed have to think about Cardia’s lifespan. Though it might be like an average person’s lifespan, there was also a possibility of her living on for hundreds and thousands of years just like what Omnibus had deduced. But regardless the length, Fran was firm in his goal in never letting Cardia becoming a monster, and will do anything in order to make her happy. 

He was about to come to a decision to join the Idea with Saint when the latter asked him whether Cardia was just a justification for him to reach a decision. Saint said that Cardia was a gentle and kind-hearted girl, which Fran should know better than others and wondered whether Fran was willing to spend an eternity bound to killing others for the sake of their future, and asked Fran whether doing that will make Cardia truly happy. 

(Off-topic but I do love this huge close up of Fran’s face here >////<)

Fran was at a lost and claimed loudly what on earth should he do. Though Fran will make sure that everything will be fine as long as the two of them are together, he worried about what will happen when he dies, thinking about how Cardia will be left alone forever and ever without him, living in terror and wondering when her poison was going to come back and turn her back into a monster... Therefore, in order to prevent that from happening, Fran saw it as a must that he had to continue living, in order to make Cardia happy.

But Saint’s words soon brought Fran back to reality. What he had said was his own vision of happiness, as Fran had no idea whether what he had thought of was Cardia’s happiness. If Fran were to pass away in the future, Saint would offer to watch over Cardia as part of his job of surveilling, but honestly, Saint wondered what would Cardia’s idea of happiness be with Fran. 

Even though Saint had tried to sound calm when he talked, Fran noticed a tint of anger in his voice. Saint warned Fran that eternity was far too long to be spent alone, making Fran wondered how long did Saint had lived, or how many missions he had done for Idea. Saint remarked that how he would be seeing them passing away one by one in the future, and when that time arrives, he would occasionally remember the days that they’ve spent happily together, and continue to live on with that. That would be the pain that Fran would have to bear if he chooses to go on this path, and Saint continued on that perhaps it was a blessing that he himself does not know of love, and thus he won’t have to bear this type of pain. (I feel abit bad for Saint when he said he doesn’t know love though TWT) Saint’s wish was that both Fran and Cardia would be able to remain as they are, and said that though a human’s life may be short when compared to the apostles of Idea, it would still be longer than what Fran had thought to be, claiming that the decades Fran had ahead of him would be enough for him to struggle through.

Thanks to Saint’s insight, Fran’s troubles seem to have cleared as he thanked him for his help. To that, Saint simply smiled and disappeared. Fran knew that Saint initially have no intention on talking about himself or his past, but he decided to, in the end, seeing that he trusted Fran enough, and had viewed him as a friend. The two paths Fran had in front of him, he decided that it was all too early for him to choose either path yet. 

Back on Cardia’s side, everything was as per normal, though she realised that she wasn’t feeling hungry and came to a revelation once again that she’s inhuman as she doesn’t need to eat to survive. She worried about herself becoming a monster once Fran was gone, though she knew that Fran swore that he would never let her become a monster and promised that she would never be alone too again. She wondered how Fran was going to carry out these promises, and knowing that she would be robbing Fran of a natural future, she’s not happy about it. Cardia could not bear the thought of sweet and kind Fran becoming an apostle and killing people an eternity. 

In the end, Cardia decided to go on a walk with Sisi to clear her head, and along the way, she noticed many royal guards and met up with Leonhardt, who explained that the Queen will be at the Royal Society today. Seems like Victoria likes to roam the city more nowadays since she felt that going out will aid her to gain more wisdom rather than staying cooped up in the palace.

Suddenly, Leonhardt apologised to her, especially for his actions against them as the Zicterium facility where they had confronted the Queen. Cardia forgave him, saying that they have very opposing beliefs at that time, but Leonhardt still felt bad about pulling his blade against her and hoped that she will accept his apology... as well as gratitude, since Cardia and Fran had helped prevent the Queen and Leonhardt himself from making a drastic mistake, smiling as he claimed that their actions had helped in creating the future of Britain. 

(Leonhardt’s smile was just too dazzling here~ +W+)

Leonhardt’s smile as he showed his confidence in the future made Cardia turned away as she found herself unable to face him, muttering that she found him amazing to be so positive about the future without any proof, and had, in fact, felt jealous about it. I really like Leonhardt’s answer towards Cardia so I’ll just let him say it below:

Leonhardt’s words reminded Cardia of the times when Fran had strived to save her life, even at the cost of his own life, and that because she had trusted and believed in him, they were all able to live today. Cardia decided that she shall be the one to help Fran and told him what he had told her before when he was suffering alone now, rather than relying on him to comfort her. And off she went to find Fran immediately, with Leonhardt chasing after her to stop her as Fran and the Queen were still in the middle of an important conference.

At that moment, Fran and Queen were discussing in the conference, which Victoria felt reassured that things would be able to proceed even more smoothly now that Fran had come back to the Royal Society. She noticed that he lacked confidence, and wondered what were his troubles about. 

However, before Fran could reply, Cardia rushed into the room and ended pushing Fran to the floor, asking him what was he going to do about Idea. Since Fran had said before that Cardia could find him at work, Cardia decided to do that since she can’t wait even a moment longer to hear Fran’s answer. Cardia revealed her wish to Fran -  she didn’t want him to join Idea and kill people just to secure her future, even if she does want a future together with him.

(Awww~ I just love this point of view from Cardia <3 Even Fran’s glasses got knocked off by the impact XD)

It was then Fran realised that his thoughts were different on what Cardia had wanted for her happiness since he had wanted to become an apostle at Idea if that was what it takes to prevent Cardia from weeping in agony and desperate for him when he wasn’t around anymore. In the end, if the future isn’t one that they would smile together, Fran guessed that it isn’t even one that they should consider. Cardia told Fran that she wanted to be the one to help Fran this time, by helping him to find the answer if he had yet to make up his mind, by finding a third path if either of those options will make either of them miserable.

(I know this was a joke by Fran, but erm... it would be scary if it’s true~)

(Confession time again~! >/////<)

Fran got up and complimented that Cardia was indeed a strong yet kind-hearted girl, and that was why he loves her, as he embraced her. He revealed that he just wanted to have a normal life with her, and doesn’t really care about maintaining the order in world history, and had made his final decision, which Cardia doesn’t have to worry about. 

Victoria interrupted them at this moment since she found it boring to be on the sidelines, though she’s glad to have witnessed this interesting scenario of Cardia pushing Fran to the floor. 

(Haha, Victoria’s teasing ended up making Fran blushed XD)

However, since Queen Victoria had heard about them talking about Idea, she was interested and wanted to know more about it, especially since she heard that they were involved in maintaining world history, though she also offered them help if they required it against Idea. Fran decided to reveal what they had learned about Idea (with some omissions though), and while they were grateful for Victoria’s offer to help them, they decided to face this problem by themselves, making a promise to report to her when this fiesta was over. 

It’s finally the night that Fran had to give his answer to Omnibus, though until the last hours, they've yet to prepare their best response. Fran had an idea though and asked Cardia to trust him, even though what he was proposing was going to be abit of a gamble. 

Saint met up with them later on and brought them to the same bridge again. Fran was worried about what will happen to Saint since his actions already proved to Idea that he’s biased to them, which Saint replied that he would be fine since he would have been eliminated long ago if it had been that bad. Saint wondered what was the odds of winning in Fran’s “gamble”, which Fran answered he had no idea, but he isn’t going to give up on this possibility. 

Sensing that Cardia seems nervous and afraid, Fran could only hold onto her hand, but that was already more reassuring that any words in Cardia’s heart ^////^

Omnibus and Guinevere soon appeared, asking for the decision to be made. Cardia could sense that the atmosphere had changed, with Fran motioning her to stand behind him while glaring at Omnibus, and even Saint’s intent to kill was exuding even though he had yet to draw his blade. 

Fran told Omnibus that the offer of being grant immortality was very appealing, and Omnibus urged him to accept it, even offering to grant him a wish of staying alongside with Cardia if he chooses to join Idea. But, even though Fran wishes to stay with Cardia and live with her, what he meant was the opposite of what Omnibus had expected. He had decided not to join Idea and just wanted to live his life with her since Cardia doesn’t wish for Fran to take the lives of others for the sake of their future together. The options for Fran were to either cease his humanity to gain an eternity with Cardia, or to erase Cardia’s existence since Idea still sees her as a threat, but both options were not what Fran had wanted, and thus he’s going to aim for another future that they had wished for.

Omnibus warned Fran again about Cardia having the possibility of reverting to a monster, which Fran promised that it would not happen as long as he was still living, swearing to protect her at all costs. Since the offer was being rejected, Idea might have to attack Fran and Cardia, but Saint warned Guinevere from getting any closer, as Fran had yet to make his offer to Omnibus.

Since Omnibus had praised Fran of his talents, Fran wondered perhaps he would be able to fully understand the Horologium within his lifespan, as he had already been able to suppress the Horologium’s production of poison completely within a year. Thus, he pleaded for Omnibus to give him time, until his death to fully analyze Horologium, though it was not to completely removing the poison from Cardia but instead ensuring that her lifespan would be similar of a human, with Cardia agreeing on shortening her lifespan voluntarily. This was after the discussion Cardia had with Fran - rather than him sacrificing his humanity to be with her, she wanted to be changed into a complete human being instead. If Fran had failed in his research to shorten Cardia’s lifespan, she asked for Idea to come and take her life away when Fran had passed away. Fran had made this proposal as a test for himself so that he could test his own potential in alchemy. He vowed to search for a way to make Cardia a human so that she will never become a monster again. 

However, Omnibus remarked that she could not see such a future working out for them, and the proposal does not guarantee peace for the world, and thus she could not accept it. With that said, Idea still viewed Cardia as a target and decided to eliminate her...

Omnibus even asked for Cardia to give up her life for the sake of peace, but Cardia just wanted to live with Fran and rejected her order. (Seriously who would actually do that =w=“)

Idea started to summon other apostles to fight against Saint, Fran and Cardia, up to eight of them which surprised Saint since he had never seen an incident which requires that many Apostles. (But that’s just how serious Idea had viewed this situation D:)

Though they were outnumbered, Saint isn’t willing to bow down without a fight, and even Cardia offered to help too, though she won’t be able to use her poison as an advantage anymore. However, suddenly there was the sound of gunshots in the air, and guess who’s here to save the day?!

Yep, it’s the rest of the gang! Saint revealed that he had actually called for them beforehand and brought them here so that they could come and give Fran and Cardia a hand when the situation calls for it. Cardia felt relieved and reassured since the appearance of her friends made the atmosphere much lighter.

(Saint was indeed in a difficult position, but I admire his courage to create a different path for his friends, even if it meant defying Idea’s orders though he isn’t planning on betraying them.)

Lupin’s gang doesn’t really believe much in helping the world in getting on the right path, all they cared now was to grant Cardia’s and Fran’s happiness since the two of them had worked so hard trying to attain them.

(I can’t help to fangirl abit over Lupin here. That was so cool coming from him! >////<)

(Woah Woah, Fran’s outburst of confession may be abit too hard for me to handle >////<)

Omnibus turned to Cardia, telling her that she foresees her future to be a path full of endless suffering, but asked even if that was the case, would she wish the happiness of being a human to herself. Of course, Cardia wanted that, saying that she will be happy, as long as she was with Fran, and she believed that Fran would do what he had promised. 

(I just love this part where Cardia tell the old lady off~ No one can decide on one’s future other than themselves! Sounds like Impey fell in love with Cardia all over again ^^;)

In the end, Omnibus decided to give up and gave Fran and Cardia a chance in paving for the future they wanted for, telling them that they shall put their current plan on hold and see how things will turn out. Cardia was glad that Idea had decided to give them a chance and believing in them.

(After pretty much being cold to Cardia the entire story, the old lady finally called her by her name and even smiled... Whew!)

As Idea left, the sun shined and it was another brand new day. Seems like they were saved (for now), and now Cardia and Fran can be together forever~ ^////^ The rest of the group pounced onto them, hugging and congratulating them. (Awww~) Cardia was thankful for the group showing up since, without them, the results of Fran’s proposal might end up differently. 

(I love the scenery of the morning sun, especially with Fran’s close up face in it~ ^//////^)

After some sweet talk between the couple, they kissed in front of their friends, with Van automatically covering Dora-chan’s eyes so he didn’t get to see them. (I guess this was still too early for Dora-chan XD) (And poor Impey feeling his jealousy fuming when he saw Fran kissing Cardia XD)

A week later, things were back to normal, with the rest of the group soon left to fulfil their life goals, and Cardia doing her housework at home with Sisi, waiting for Fran to return every day. 

Fran had reported to Queen Victoria about Idea as promised, and she was relieved to see both of them were safe and sound after the confrontation. Fran requested for an assistant to help him with the lab work since now he had yet another task (analyzing the Horologium) other than his daily duties as an alchemist. The Queen smiled and agreed, asking for the “new” assistant to make an appearance, and that person was none other than Cardia~! That really surprised Fran as Victoria explained that it was actually Cardia who had suggested it since she wanted to be of use to Fran, and... since Fran’s research would revolve around the Horologium now, she felt she should be around, though the real reason was because she wanted to be close to Fran too XD Fran thanked them while Victoria replied that she’s glad that her subjects had found happiness. Cardia wanted Victoria to find her own happiness as well, and her words took Victoria by surprise that she guessed that she shall search for her own happiness when things were more settled.

(I feel that Victoria was hinting something at Leonhardt here, but too bad the guy didn’t get it =w=“)

Fran and Cardia left the palace together after that, with Fran still feeling surprised as he had never dreamt that they would be able to work together, with Cardia being his assistant. Cardia felt that she still lacks in knowledge, but she was determined to study more to help Fran as much as possible, and Fran smiled as he told her that she will be a great assistant.

With Fran leading the way, they ended up in front of a church. (It’s a beautiful church~) Fran told Cardia that he had something he wanted to tell her today, and taught her that a church is a place for taking vows of love. He wanted to swear an oath of love to her and vowed that they shall live their lives as a couple and find happiness together. 

(I love Fran’s words here, regardless of what had happened in the past, we should always try to accept it and move on...)

(Cardia’s smile here is so adorable, I’m so glad that she found her own happiness here finally in the end ~ T/////T)

In the end, they exchanged vows as a couple and kisses at the church, with Fran promising Cardia that he shall love her with his all, forever and ever. The end~

Final Thoughts / Ramblings:

I’m so happy and touched to finish this route on the fan disc, so glad that everything turns out to be alright in the end T////T A part of me still wanted some more lovey-dovey moments though since most of the route was like bitter and sad moments D: I love Fran even more after this, he’s not a strong character, but he really works hard and tried his very best to give Cardia happiness the most he can. Most of the time I’m already touched by Fran’s feelings and motivation, rather than what he had actually done, guess it’s the thoughts that count? Fran is seriously like an angel, how can a guy be so kind seriously~ T/////T

PS: Felt that Saint was such a great pal to be, seriously without him, there may not be a happy ending for Fran and Cardia, so thank you so much, Saint~

[incandescent-eden]

Pensive, Effervescent, Glamour

It took a while to get used to Della’s smiles. At first, Aurelia thought she had something to hide, or she wanted something. There was no in-between for people who smiled so often. But Della came from a prominent alchemist family, and was well known in her generation for her abilities as an alchemist herself. She was born into prestige - this was power that Aurelia, for all her talents, could not give her - so perhaps she had something to hide, but she seemed so genuine.

It never struck Aurelia that Della was naturally happy. That Della was warm.

Icaria was easier to be around. Icaria was quiet, and she never smiled. The shadow to Della’s brightness, Aurelia thought of her, because it seemed they were inseparable. Aurelia couldn’t figure out why except, perhaps, that Icaria was also from a well-known witch family. A waste though, since Icaria was also known to be phenomenally bad at magic. Worse, in fact, at the age of twenty-four, than Aurelia had been at fourteen.

And yet, thought Aurelia, Mother Maple O’Rourke let her into the coven. It was no secret that almost everyone who applied was let into Mother O’Rourke’s coven. A bunch of weaklings and misfits, teachers at the academy of magic would call Maple O’Rourke’s coven members.

Mother O’Rourke was also, perhaps ironically, one of the most powerful witches in the world. They said she had a chance to become a sorcerer, but she declined to continue teaching.

And now Aurelia sat in Mother O’Rourke’s office, a tray with cookies and tea in front of her. Mother O’Rourke was not what Aurelia expected of one of most powerful witches in the world.

Her suit was scarlet, her painted lips the same shade but shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight. Her frizzy hair was tied in a messy bun atop her head, streaked with white instead of gray, a few springy orange curls escaping  to bounce in front of her face and at the nape of her neck. A green gem sparkled at her throat, fixing her white colar in place, so green that her eyes almost looked yellow.

Most witches Aurelia had studied or appeared before, especially matriarchs, were stately and proper. Marmly, at best. Mother O’Rourke was effervescent, talking to Aurelia while she gave her a tour of the grounds, ending at her office, and calling out greetings and encouragements to her coven members in the meanwhile. 

She had a high pitched voice, and as she bustled around her office in her clacking yellow heels, she reminded Aurelia of a fat robin tutting around its nest. The fox scampering at her heels whining for treats ruined the illusion somewhat.

“I’m sorry the office is a mess right now,” said Mother O’Rourke as she sat down. She clapped her hands and files flew into place, drawers closed. “Coven week is always so,” she waved her hand, frazzled. The window flew open.

“Oops,” she chuckled, as the same window slammed shut behind her. There was a calming aspect to the way she spoke. Aurelia felt safe. Almost.

Perhaps she cast a glamour on all of the applicants to her coven so they would feel this way, Aurelia thought. Perhaps it was a test.

But Aurelia couldn’t detect anything unusual in the air. “Thank you for having me, Mother O’Rourke. I’ve heard much about your coven.”

“Please, call me Maple. And ah,” Mother O’Rourke snorted, “You’ve just come out of the academy, right? I’m sure most of what you’ve heard was quite rude.” She chuckled, taking a cookie and gesturing to Aurelia to do the same. Aurelia did as she was bade, but did not put the pastry in her mouth.

“But never mind that. They always ask, you know, why I turned down Loisa’s offer to study under her.”

“Loisa Morisot? She offered?” Aurelia asked, surprised. “But, and forgive me for asking, Mother O’Rourke, but.... well, this may come off as rude-”

“Why did I say no?” Mother O’Rourke took a bite of her cookie, a pensive look on her face. A few crumbs clung to her bottom lip, camouflaging with the freckles on her pale skin.

Mother O’Rourke smiled, gently patting her mouth with a handkerchief that seemed to appear out of nowhere and disappear again as she waved her hand with a flourish. “A sorcerer’s life is lonely, young lady. Loisa taught me, and my mother before her, and her mother before her, and I don’t think I have ever seen her laugh. I wanted a home full of laughter and warmth. Is that too much of a cliche?” She laughed. “Maybe it is, but I don’t mind. I’m happy as I am. They will say a witch’s power is in her ambition,” she looked knowingly at Aurelia, “but the most powerful magic must be found in the ordinary.”

“I don’t think I understand,” said Aurelia.

Mother O’Rourke nodded. “Neither did my old friends at the academy. Remember that no matter how high or how long you fly, young lady, you must ground yourself eventually. Loisa... well, she’s been flying for a very long time.”

She patted Aurelia’s hand. “Don’t forget to land once you’ve seen enough of the sky. You are always welcome at my coven if you need a place to land.”

Aurelia thanked Mother O’Rourke and left. 

[spoopyghostgirl]

Character Sheet for my Greedfall Original Character

Will be a

ConstantinXocXVinbarr

KurtXocXVasco

Character’s full name: Ellowine Marea Della Morte

Reason or meaning of name: Named after her grandfather, Alwyn

Title: Princess of Theleme. Legate of the Theleme.

Character’s nickname: Winne, Ella, Sunflower, Princess, Snake Charmer

Reason for nickname: Winnie + Ella are short for Ellowine. Sunflower for her smiley disposition, Princess because she's a princess. Snake Charmer because she's charming.

Birth date: October 13th

Physical Appearance

Age: 22 years old

How old does he/she appear: 17 years old

Weight: 125 lbs

Height: 5'7

Body build: Slim, muscular legs and arms

Eye color: Gold

Skin tone: Fair

Distinguishing marks: Marking on the left side of her face, like vines

Predominant features: Full lips, large eyes

Hair color: White/Pale Blonde

Type of hair: Long, wavy

Hairstyle: Normally wears it braided, sometimes straight down her back, other times it sits like a crown on top of her head

Voice: She has the kind of voice that can make anyone flush. Jokes about having a "sex worker" voice.

Overall attractiveness: 10/10

Physical disabilities: None

Usual fashion of dress: Wears lots of black, since Theleme seems fond of the color. Lots of frilly dresses in her youth that are slowly replaced by frilly jackets and form fitting pants, better for fighting.

Jewelry or accessories: Ears are double pierced with opals, a ruby pendent gold necklace, and two rings, one opal, one ruby.

Personality

Good personality traits:

-Friendly

-Considerate

-Funny

Bad personality traits:

-shameless flirt

-arrogant

- short tempered

Mood character is most often in: Content

Sense of humor: Dry but is quick to laugh and make jokes

Character’s greatest joy in life: Fighting or Magic

Character’s greatest fear: Losing her family/deep water

Why?

She is royalty, it's easy to see why she'd be worried about assassination attempts.

Almost drowned as a child, hasn't recovered for the experience.

What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil?

- her older brothers death. If he died she would become heir to the throne and be expected to rule Theleme.

Character is most at ease when:

- she is dancing

- practicing magic

- reading

Most ill at ease when:

- dealing with her own family

Enraged when:

- people she likes are insulted

- people comment on her mark + compare it to the malichor

Depressed or sad when:

- her family fights

Priorities:

- learning and expanding her knowledge of magic

- expanding her familial agenda

- being happy

Life philosophy:

- Kind of a mash up of do what makes you happy and do whatever will expand your horizons

If granted one wish, it would be:

- to be free of Theleme and her familial obligations

Why?

- she's a magical prodigy and science lover. She feels held back because of how backwards her country is. Wishes her family would do more about it but her father is to her a figure head of arrogance and ignorance.

Character’s soft spot:

- Her brother

- Constantin d'Orsay

- Demetrius De Sardet

Is this soft spot obvious to others?

- She gives out nicknames to just about everyone and has a perfect political mask, so she likes to think not but... if you spend enough time with her, it becomes more and more obvious.

Greatest strength:

- Magic, short swords and daggers

Greatest vulnerability or weakness:

- Physical strength

Biggest regret:

- Finding out she was taken from her family.

Minor regret:

- Treating her mother and brother poorly after she found out she was kidnapped.

Biggest accomplishment:

- Being able to convince her father to allow her to stay in Congregation territory to learn magic from a member of the bridge alliance.

Minor accomplishment:

- Making those she cares for smile.

Past failures he/she would be embarrassed to have people know about:

- none that she can recall

Character’s darkest secret:

- Being adopted. Her father trying to force her to marry her older brother and then Constantin. Sleeping with Vasco and Kurt at the same time and neither of them knowing.

Does anyone else know?

- She confines in De Sardet and Constantin about being adopted and her fathers marriage plans.

- Siora knows shes sleeping with both Kurt and Vasco though Ellowine doesnt tell her.

Goals

Drives and motivations:

- Escaping her father's grasp and becoming her own person. Protecting those she loves

Immediate goals:

- Becoming a renowned mage

Long term goals:

- *possibly* becoming Cardinal on the island and guiding those on the island into a more progressive and better future

Past

Hometown:

Type of childhood: She is the "spare" child. She was raised to be the perfect diplomat and possible assassin and body guard.

Pets: A cat before they started killing cats thinking they spread the malichor.

First memory: Walking on a ship towards a man with gold eyes and a kind smile.

Most important childhood memory: Discovering her magical abilities

Why: It changed everything for her.

Childhood hero: Bartholomew Della Cruz, a man who broke from Theleme and became a successful Evoker and Alchemist in the Bridge Alliance.

Dream job: Unsure.

Religion: Technically, she was raised to believe in the enlightened one but she has always struggled with it, finding strength in magic, something the man seemed to be against.

Present (Game Start)

Current location: Teer Fradee, Saint Matheus

Currently living with: Within Castle with her aunt, the Cardinal. Has apartment separately that she part time lives in.

Pets: A raven she uses for sending messages

Religion: None

Occupation: Legate/Diplomat

Family

Mother: Lucille Marea Della Morte

Relationship with her: Good. Her mother is her dearest friend. Has given Ellowine the freedom to be the person she wants to be.

Father: Alexia Alwyn Della Morte

Relationship with him: Bad. Is not above using Ellowine for political gain. Had Ellowine trained as an assassin "just in case".

Brother: Nicolai Alexia Della Morte

Relationship with him: Good. They're best friends. After the reveal that they aren't actually siblings their relationship became... complicated. Ellowine quickly nipped this in the bud when it came to light that her "father" was willing to force them to wed.

Other important family members:

Grandfather: Alwyn Nicolai Della Morte

Relationship: They had a great relationship. Despite his conniving and... questionable methods, he loved Ellowine greatly and did what he could to make sure her childhood was at least enjoyable.

Favorites

Color: Red

Least favorite color: Brown

Food: Any sweet fruit, dried meats, soup

Literature: Softy for poetry and anything related to magic or history

Form of entertainment: A tie between fighting and dancing

Most prized possession: Opal ring that was her grandmothers. Her grandfather gave it to her for her 13th birthday.

Habits

Hobbies: Reading, painting, singing

Plays a musical instrument: Piano

How he/she would spend a rainy day: Reading in a library, practicing her magic, eating sweets and drinking hot drinks with her favorite people

Spending habits: Will treat herself and others because her family is very wealthy.

Smokes: Doesn't

Drinks: Likes spiced wine

What does he/she do too much of: Pick fights. Ellowine has a short temper.

What does he/she do too little of: Genuinely smile. Ellowine is a rather serious person. Her smiles are perfect, given her years of practice.

Extremely skilled at: Mage Craft, combat, dancing

Extremely unskilled at: Swimming, cooking

A picture that kind of looks like Ellowine(?)

[blackrose-ffxiv]

Staying Sharp 09/12

Kyt'ir Gahre had kept a rather low profile, cozying up in his little lab after receiving the order from Lebeaux. It didn't take him long to devise a potion that would work for the Elezen's needs, but it did take him a night to regain his own speech after one too many drops of dartfrog venom. Once he had his voice back, there he was stepping into the by now familiar estate, albeit with a much  smaller bag fastened to his belt. "Delivery for one sharp-tongued Elezen." He quipped almost immediately.

Lebeaux Desrosiers was inspecting another delivery, a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers all of the purest white. He was inspecting a lily for any discolorations or spots of browning when the door was opened and a familiar voice called out jokingly to him. The elezen turned, smiling sweetly at the miqo’te though his eyes remained chilly as ever. “Oh, Kyt’ir. Hasn’t anyone told you the best way to dull a bladed tongue is to busy the mouth otherwise.” He teased in return. “Pastries work as well, in a pinch.” Lebeaux gathered up the flowers and walked over to tuck one of the ‘reject’ lilies into the miqo’te’s hair just above his ear. “To my office, then you can show me what you’ve done.”

Kyt'ir Gahre blinked as the flower was tucked into his hair, the Keeper looking upwards at it. "Please. I hope brandy will suffice." He mumbled, before following along quietly, leaving the lily undisturbed amidst his hair.

“Ohh? You’ve brought brandy as well. How thoughtful. Next time include pastries, as mentioned.” He suggested with a snicker, wondering how long it would take before the miqo’te was serving as his personal delivery boy for all of his snacks and treats. “I’m going to put these in water, you can tell me about your process and final result as I do so.” He explained, carrying the flowers over to a nearby vase to get them properly arranged.

Kyt'ir smiled warmly. "One or the other, unless you pay me well enough." He retorted with a little wiggle of his ears. While Lebby handled those flowers, he reached into his bag, plucking two vials free. "Now, I wasn't sure just how strong you wanted this concoction to be. My first batch was perhaps a little too much, but if you don't mind rendering them completely mute..." He set that one aside, well away on its own while he instead waggled the second. "This one is exactly as described. A little dartfrog venom, and a pinch of ochu vine dust. Instead of quicksilver, a little hint of cinnabar. Not as potent, but lacks the metallic tinge that would otherwise give it away."

Lebeaux busied himself arranging and fluffing the flowers until he was satisfied with the aesthetic and with that settled he walked past Kyt’ir towards the sideboard, reaching out to pluck the second vial along his way. The less potent, theoretically untraceable one. “I’ll take the first as well. It would surely be worth a giggle or two if I put a few drops into especially chatty guest’s tea. As well as some more practical uses until the sound warding is finished on my clinic.” Lebeaux needed something to dampen the screams after all. He poured a small amount of tea into a cup and turned to offer it and the vial to Kyt’ir. “Add a tiny drop then have a sip. You’ll have to excuse a touch of paranoia. It has been a trying moon.”

Kyt'ir blinked, canting his head to the side. He took the cup in hand, uncorking the vial with the thumb of the other hand. Just a tiny drop, which he lets mingle with the tea properly before he brings it to his lips. "People have been letting you down?" He murmured, giving the Elezen a questioning look.

Lebeaux held up a hand to stop the other. “Cast a small spell before. Have a sip, then try again.” He reached out to place a hand on Kyt’ir’s shoulder, apparently trying to sense the flow of aether within the other to ensure he was truly unable to cast and not simply acting. “There was the abduction I had mentioned previously. Now I find myself tangled in a game of Eastern intrigue. To top it all off I’ve been served papers from what I /thought/ was a sympathetic Ishgardian demanding I stand trial by combat.” He complained, sighing heavily.

Kyt'ir blinked again, an ear twitching. His free hand - the scarred one at that - lifted up, palm upturned. A little fire sparked to life for a few scant moments, before being snuffed out. "Why on earth would you need to stand trial by combat? Heresy?" He questioned, before taking a sip from the concoction. "...it will take a moment to set in."

Lebeaux sniffed in annoyance. “You’re an uninvolved party. I suppose I can tell you.” He used the hand on Kyt’ir’s shoulder to guide him over to the couch nearby. They could at least sit in comfort as they tested strange alchemical concoctions on themselves. He gave the miqo’te a small push to sit him down then sat down beside him. “Some ‘unnamed accuser’ has petitioned a knight to dig in to my history and the knight has seen fit to arrange a trial by combat for what he found. As though it’s some great crime to chance one’s name after leaving a prior profession.” He complained. “And things done during war time cannot be held to the same laws of a peace time situation, don’t you agree? It’s ridiculous.”

Kyt'ir followed along, resisting the temptation to take another sip of the tea - even with the knowledge it was poisoned, Lebeaux's tea was a large reason he always came back. He instead settled down on the couch, clearing his throat briefly. "...well, if it were done to support the war effort, I suppose. But one should be held accountable for looting and the like..." He trailed off, glancing at his hand as he summoned up another - albeit weaker - flame. Another sip. "You weren't looting, were you?”

"Perhaps... now. I admit I'm rather curious, who exactly is my little concoction for? Not for your conjurer guest?" Kyt’ir Gahre wasn't very delicate about changing the topic, but there was the slender little smile again.

Lebeaux Desrosiers shook his head slightly. “I suspect I have him rather well tamed for the moment. Let’s see… there’s an Ishgardian conjurer who annoys me. I may test it on him. Then there’s an arcanist who has been stepping too far out of line lately for me to overlook. I’ll need to correct his behavior. Then there’s another fellow I suppose I’ll slip a bit to just for a laugh.” He exhaled a sigh and placed a hand on his cheek, glancing aside at the other as he smirked slightly. “Oh, is that wicked of me.”

Kyt'ir seemed to take it in stride. "I'll just have to build up a tolerance to it... or succumb to poisoning from  the copious amounts of cinnabar-laced tea I'd be imbibing." He quipped in response, before taking another sip of the much preferred brandied tea. "...hm. Might I recommend lacing a bottle of brandy with it? Could disguise it as some celebration. The alcohol would likely  cover it far better than tea would alone."

Lebeaux rolled a shoulder. “You haven’t irritated me enough to be deserving of such a prank. Besides, why would you continue providing me the means to your own demise. I’d rather not burn that bridge just for a giggle.” He mused, reaching for the brandy bottle and leaning over to give Kyt’ir another small splash added to his tea. “I would have to use tea because, believe it or not, you are one of the few who will drink with me. Something about ‘staying sharp’ around me.”

Kyt'ir Gahre couldn't help but flash a genuine little smile. "I suppose I am confident enough in knowing our bridge is too valuable to be burnt. I will start being worried if you hire another alchemist." He quipped, before pausing. "...though now I wonder why I wasn't cautious beforehand. I'll blame the somnus for now."

@kytir

[hihowareyawrites]

Swiss System

Cross Posted from my AO3

(no pairing), FMAB

Summary: Swiss System: A system of pairing tournaments whereby players are paired against opponents who are doing about as well as they are. Wherever possible, players get about an equal number of games with Black and White, and will not play the same opponent twice; Roy and Solf are assigned guard duty the evening following their dispute.

Pulling his rifle from it's rack in his tent, Roy Mustang sighed heavily in contempt for the night to come. He should have known better. Kimblee was only goading him, right? He shouldn't have lunged for him, no matter what he said. But Hawkeye looked so frightened at his words alone, he couldn't just sit there and let him prattle on. Still, Kimblee hadn't seemed at all bothered by Roy's grip on his collar, or how close to getting punched in the face he was. The same couldn't be said of the patrolling general, who punished them both by assigning them to overnight guard duty, together.

In Roy's opinion, the guard duty wasn't the punishment- spending time with Kimblee was.

The sun hung low in the sky over Ishval and the orange glow cast along the rubble around them made the hair on the major's neck stand; why had they been tasked with causing so much destruction? The question was rhetorical, and Kimblee's response to him earlier echoed in his mind: “because that's the job we were given to do, that's what we signed up for.”

Logically, he was right. Roy couldn't argue with anything he said, and that angered him even more. The fact that Solf J. Kimblee was correct, and he truly was naive not to see it.

As he approached the outskirts of their camp to stand guard, he noticed his guard partner was already there. Ever the punctual one, Kimblee stood with his rifle over his shoulder, idly observing the destroyed town beneath the cliff fall their post overlooked. At Roy's approach, he turned to acknowledge him, giving one of his friendly smiles. “Good evening, Major Mustang. Glad to be working with you tonight.” He'd extended a tattooed palm to Roy, who knew the destruction it could cause and shook it anyway, almost wishing the Crimson Lotus would blow his hand off and send him home.

“Yeah.” Was all he could offer in response, he couldn't lie and say he was glad to be working with Kimblee. He let go of the fellow alchemist's hand (how was it so cold in this temperature?) and walked over to the small bit of rubble piled up for them to sit on. With the amount of lives Kimblee took only just today, it was sure to be an uneventful evening, but long nonetheless. He figured he'd better set some ground rules, while he could. “Let's get one thing straight, neither of us want to be here. We're both more than capable enough to do more serious work. This is a punishment, not time to hang out. I have no intention of acquainting myself further with you, Kimblee.” Roy's lack of title when speaking to his equally ranked officer struck the other as impolite, but he would disregard it for now.

“Why, Major Mustang, surely I can't be that terrible of company.” Kimblee stalked over to him and sat beside him. He pulled one knee up to his chest, laced his hands over top, and rest his chin on them. “I apologize to have so deeply offended you earlier.” His words were earnest but his tone was nonchalant, and Roy could tell this would be a very long night.

“I'm not the one you should be apologizing to.” Truly Roy didn't fight for himself, but for Hawkeye's sake. She was the most upset by it, she was the most disturbed by Kimblee's words. And yet, Roy also found himself a bit... jealous? Not long after that argument, the sniper did approach him and say she couldn't deny what Kimblee said, and she felt so upset with herself that he was right. The fact that this man had made her acknowledge something and feel that guilt, was not something that sat well with the Flame alchemist.

Kimblee seemed aware who Roy was referring to, and looked away wistfully. “The woman, then.” He thought aloud.

“That's right. Whether or not what you said is true, this isn't the time to say it. Just because you're cold hearted enough to take lives so easily... doesn't mean it comes as naturally to the rest of us.”

“Cold hearted, eh...” Kimblee echoed Roy's words thoughtfully. For once Roy thought perhaps he offended him, and against his better judgment considered taking his words back, but he would be lying if he said he didn't feel Kimblee was every bit as cold hearted as he was perceived “Perhaps you're right, maybe I am cold hearted. But, it does make me a rather efficient weapon in our situation. It seems being cold hearted is exactly the trait our military finds valuable.���

God, he really did like to hear himself talk. The sun was beyond the horizon now and dusk had settled in. There was silence for a while, and Roy was thankful, until Kimblee spoke again. “Dusk is my favorite time of day. What's yours?” How arbitrary. He was just making polite conversation, and yet it made Roy angry. Everything he did made him mad.

But that sounded more like a personal problem, the more he rolled the idea over in his head. For just this evening, he would humor this man, and see if perhaps they had some common ground.

“Late afternoon. I like the sun to be high. There's something optimistic about it.”

“Hm, how interesting. What's your opinion on astrology?” That sure came out of nowhere. Kimblee was an alchemist as well, so he should be just as critical of made up sciences as any alchemist, but Roy would be lying if he said he didn't check his sign in the paper every day. Just out of curiosity of course.

“It's foolish, and favored by young girls. But I do know my sign, if that's what you're going to ask next. I'm a Leo.”

“I see! How thoughtful of you. I don't particularly subscribe to it, but it is interesting. August, I presume?”

“That's right.”

There was a long silence before Roy realized that he had given Kimblee information about himself without asking for anything in return. Equivalent exchange and all, he would learn this man's star sign.

“And yours?”

Kimblee laughed lowly at this, though it sounded somewhat genuine.

“I'd like to know what you think, how you perceive me.” It was painfully like him to do this. It was so very Kimblee to request information and give nothing in return. Roy unfortunately knew very little about astrology other than some basics so his guess was as good as anyone elses. He pondered a moment and gave a sidewards glance to Kimblee's hands still rested on his knee. Two arrays, huh...

“Gemini...” Roy guessed idly.

“Hm, that's wrong, but nice try. You're in the correct range. For your efforts I'll reward you and let you know that I'm a Cancer.” Roy had to stop himself from making a bad joke and accusing him of actually being cancerous, and finally settled on a simple 'I see'. “You know in Xing, they have their own zodiac, but it's based on the year rather than the month.” Was Roy really going to come out of this experience with only updated knowledge on global astrology? He guessed there were worse outcomes.

“No, I didn't know that... do you know them?” He was a bit curious. He'd heard women liked astrology, and if it was something he could potentially use on his plentiful dates, he wouldn't turn that down.

“I do, but I'll need to know the year you were born.” So there was the monkey's paw, Kimblee was going to know more about Roy than he really needed to, and Roy cursed himself for being so curious. A birth date though shouldn't be too incriminating.

“1885. August 16th. Do you need my blood type and shoe size too, or of have you gotten what you needed?” Kimblee turned to look at him and feigned surprise, then smiled.

“No, that should suffice. 1885 is the year of the rooster. How appropriate, in some ways they're likened to phoenix... bird of flames and all that. Coincidentally, you're one year older than myself.” Roy hadn't realized they were so close in age and almost felt happy to be the older, if only by a year. That's at least one year of superiority he had over this snarky man.

“What about you, are you going to make me guess again? Because I don't know any of them enough to-”

“Dog. My year is the dog.” Roy was taken back a bit that he was interrupted and upon recovering thought is words over.

“I see.” There was another long silence. The sun had completed disappeared and the sky was dark. Roy stood up and walked around to Kimblee's opposite and sat back down. This seat was small enough that their backs touched and it made Roy's skin crawl; as if he could catch whatever it was that made Kimblee so uncanny simply by resting against him this way. Again he felt a small pang of guilt. Kimblee was perfectly docile here, not going out of his way to harm anyone or anything, perhaps Roy misjudged him? Maybe he wasn't the man Roy thought he was? He contemplated for a while and investigated further. “So... do you like dogs?”

“I'm actually more of a cat person myself... I appreciate how self sustainable they are. They are independent, and intelligent.” Roy was almost personally offended but unsurprised by Kimblee's answer. If Roy looked hard enough, the Crimson Alchemist reminded him of a cat. Always perched somewhere staring harmlessly, seemingly docile and inattentive, maybe even affectionate occasionally. But seemingly without warning, the likelihood of getting scratched seemed fairly high. The idea of Kimblee as a small, harmless cat eased him. “I don't mind dogs however.” The addendum to his statement pulled Roy from his imagination. No, he was not a domestic cat. He was much more akin to a panther. The way he would skulk around, his sharp movements and reflexes, and his utter brutality.

“I could have predicted that.” Roy expected a snarky retort, but got none.

An hour or so passed and it was the dead of night, and Roy forgot how cold it was outside their tents in the desert evening. He considered making a small fire, but that would really make their position as guards rather compromised. Not that he needed it, he was rather accustomed to the cold and didn't mind it. The same couldn't be said of his companion however. A chill ran up the Crimson Lotus' spine and Roy felt it in his.

“I take it you're cold then.” He stated matter of factly.

“Ah, you could tell then? I'm not exactly accustomed to this weather... I must not eat enough iron.” Roy could hear the thrum of his fingers on the rock they sat atop. “When I'd heard we would be stationed in the desert, I was a bit happy about that. At least during the daytime, it's rather nice. My worst fear was being stationed in Briggs.” Roy smirked at the mental image of Kimblee in Briggs, far too cold for his liking, under the harsh command of their respective Iron Wall.

“Yeah... I don't think I could handle that either. Not just the weather, but the officials...”

“Yes, I've heard she's rather something to behold.” Kimblee considered for a moment before asking Roy, “What is your opinion of Major Armstrong?” Roy perked up at this.

“Olivier's brother?”

“Yes, our Strong Arm alchemist.”

“My opinion of him... he's quite powerful, if a bit eccentric. He has a lot of political pull given his family, so a good ally to have. Someone I would very much like to work beside.”

“But here?”

“I don't understand your meaning...” Kimblee shifted slightly and Roy felt him move and was thankful when he didn't turn to face him.

“It's true, he may be a powerful alchemist, and he may have political pull, and he may be the most reliable ally there is... but on this battlefield, perhaps none of that matters.” Roy's heart sank as their conversation drifted back to the war. And just when he thought they were acclimating to one another. “Remember how earlier, you had said I was “cold hearted”?”

“...yes, I do remember.”

“As I said, whether or not that's true...” It is. “... that just means that I'm more suited to this kind of work. If I'm cold hearted,” you are “then the reverse would be true of Armstrong. Despite his strength, his values, everything that makes him a great man... it does make him rather ineffective here, wouldn't you say?”

Roy considered his words for a moment. Logically, yes he was right. But did he want to give Kimblee the satisfaction of knowing that? Not really. Still he didn't want another night of this so he bit his tongue as best he could and said only “I suppose.”

“Objectively speaking though... I don't believe he is weak.” At that Roy's attention returned to Kimblee.

“Go on.”

“Personally, I don't believe being warm hearted or cold hearted is necessarily the determinant of one's strength. Rather, the conviction yielded by that heart. Whether or not you are kind or cruel, your dedication to your disposition is truly what grants a person strength.” If Roy didn't know better, he would think Kimblee was complimenting Armstrong. He couldn't find fault in what he was saying either. “For what its worth,” He began “my words to you earlier weren't meant to incite you. I simply believed if you could see things from my perspective, this work might not be so hard on you...”

Roy sighed. It's true he didn't feel a necessarily malicious intent from Kimblee earlier, and there was no secret his views and feelings were just a different standard than others, but was Roy really ready to allow himself to accept him? To accept this man who delighted in the destruction of others' lives to be his ally? His mind turned these ideas over and over for what felt like forever. “I see.” Was all he could offer Kimblee in response for now.

The night seemed to move at a decent pace after that. Neither of them said much, the occasional comment about current events back home. Little by little, they learned a bit about one another. Roy told Kimblee small details of his life only, and thus that is all he learned in return. He learned that the Crimson Lotus alchemist wasn't a fan of citrus, that his family worked in textiles, that before being sent to the war, he split up with a girlfriend and wasn't terribly broken up about it; he had no expectation for her or anyone else to build their life around him. Roy learned that Solf J. Kimblee was indeed human, like him and everyone else here. And that fact made him comforted and scared. If he truly was a human, just a normal human, how could he possibly feel so little for killing others? Could Roy become that way too? Would Roy become that way too? He just didn't know.

By the time morning came, both of them were a little worse for ware, and reluctant to go about the rest of the day without sleep. As they prepared to part ways, Kimblee was approached by a lower rank officer requesting his presence with General Gran, saying they had something for him to help aid them in their mission and get everyone home quicker. As he turned to leave Roy stopped him. “Wait-” Kimblee turned to Roy, his tired eyes asking what the Flame needed with him. “What is it that you tell yourself... to make being here easier every day?” To that Kimblee had no hesitation, a chesire-esque smile spreading across his face.

“It's just a job.” He said, and turned and left towards his request, leaving Roy standing there to ponder that sentence.

[queenwinry]

Snowed In

Rating: T for steamy situations at the beginning

Pairings: Royai, with Parental!RizaEd 

Summary: While on a supply trip to East City for Winry, Ed gets stuck because of a snowstorm and calls the only person there he trusts. 

A/N: So all the Mama!Hawk feels on my dash lately led me to this idea, which wouldn’t leave me alone. I kind of let it get away from me a bit in terms of length, but I like how it turned out. The beginning is pretty heavily royai, but it turns into 100% Mama!Hawk feels by the end. Hope you guys like it!

Riza really shouldn’t have done this.

The weather outside was bad enough. The quickly accumulating snow should have been the lieutenant’s first sign that giving into the impulse to call her superior officer in the middle of the night to indulge in his particular set of “talents” disguised behind the pretense of a forgotten file wasn’t her best idea. He was likely to get stuck here, which also meant the whole “secret” part of whatever this thing was that they were doing was in jeopardy the minute the sun came back out.

But when a handsome and doting man with sinful hands was only a phone call away…well, Lieutenant Hawkeye found it was difficult for her to resist.

Said sinful hands were on her practically the moment the door swung shut behind him. She thanked the small part of willpower that remained as soon as his mouth met hers for the ability to at least lock the damn thing before he was pushing her toward the couch in her sparsely furnished living room.

A small (infinitesimally small) part of her felt a twinge of regret as he guided her down onto one of the only pieces of furniture in her East City apartment. Given how long the two of them had been a team, she never really imagined they’d finally come together like this: stolen nights when one of them got particularly needy (or frisky) followed by hasty escapes when no one was watching. She wanted more for them than this. They both did. But, at least for the moment, they weren’t allowed anything more. There was still far too much work to do. The events of the Promised Day were only a year ago, and they hadn’t even scratched the surface of everything that needed to be done.

He quickly discarded his bulky overcoat, the one he had slung on in a desperate hurry mere seconds after he’d hung up the phone in his own measly home, followed by his shoes and the beginnings of his white button-up shirt.

Their mouths had barely separated since he stepped through the door, really only when one of them was lacking for air, and Riza was starting to feel the effects. Kissing him was like getting lost in a cloud. Her mind instantly fogged over and her heart refused to slow as his lips moved against her own. It had been years since she had felt them like this, and even then it couldn’t compare to when they were young and inexperienced teenagers fooling around behind Berthold Hawkeye’s back.

No, this was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She knew it was dangerous getting lost within each other like this. But, at the moment, she didn’t really care.

She finally finished what he’d started with his shirt, as his hands went underneath her own and she felt the strong and calloused touch of his fingertips drifting upward toward her breasts. He had almost made it there before the shrill sound of the telephone ringing immediately brought Riza out of the fog he’d put her under.

She broke away from his mouth with a loud and gasping breath, not realizing how much air she had been lacking until that moment. Her eyes drifted toward the phone resting atop her kitchen table before she made to get up from where he had her lying beneath him on her couch. She immediately felt resistance and turned back to find him giving her a rather exasperated look.

“Just ignore it,” he told her by way of explanation and she couldn’t help but lift an eyebrow at him. She forgot sometimes how childish Roy could be, especially when he really wanted something. She supposed she should feel flattered that she was that ‘something’, but in this case it was just annoying. He leaned in to try and resume their little escapade, but she wasn’t having any of it. She had to physically remove his hand from beneath her shirt and move farther away from his wandering lips to get him to stop.

“I can’t just ignore it. What if it’s important?”

Making one last move to distract her, Roy leaned in and whispered in a husky voice, “They’ll call back.” Again, his hands wandered back to the skin of her waistline practically itching to run across her toned stomach, but for once she wouldn’t indulge him.

“No one calls in the middle of the night for just nothing. Someone could be in trouble,” she spoke in a calm voice that betrayed her still racing heart and nearly shaking limbs before she made one last valiant push to get out from underneath him and, begrudgingly, he obliged.

With only slightly unsteady footsteps, she walked over to the telephone and picked up the receiver, giving a businesslike greeting to whoever was on the other line.

She supposed she shouldn’t have been too surprised to hear the familiar voice of one golden-haired former state alchemist, but she couldn’t help the small gasp of shock as he, almost sheepishly, began to talk.

“Uh, hey there, Lieutenant. Listen, I’m really sorry to be calling you so late…and so suddenly, but I’m kind of in a bind.”

Whatever shred of motherly instincts she possessed immediately kicked into gear and she quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Are you in trouble?”

“N-no! Well, not really. I’m fine physically, and I’m not in any immediate danger or anything, but I’m kind of stuck.”

“Stuck where?”

“Well, I came into East City to do a regular supply run for Winry and I was supposed to go back on the overnight train, but they just let everyone know that because of the weather they’re shutting down the station until further notice.”

Finally, understanding dawned on the blonde lieutenant. She barely registered Roy standing from where he had been watching her on the couch and walk toward her looking just as concerned as she had been. She tried her best not to care that his shirt was still unbuttoned.

“Ah, so you’re stuck in East City for the night, then?”

“Yeah, seems so. I didn’t really know who else to call. I tried talking to a few hotels, but with the holidays being so close, and everyone else already snowed in, no one has rooms available.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay here, Edward. All I have is a spare couch, but that’s better than freezing to death in the train station.”

She noticed Roy’s eyes widening as she said this, before they narrowed in suspicion. No doubt he wasn’t thrilled about the change in their plans, especially now that he knew Edward was involved.

“I-I couldn’t put you out like that.”

“Nonsense, Ed, you’re not inconveniencing me at all.” An insistent tug on her shirt sleeve pulled her eyes toward her superior officer, who was giving her a look of pure disbelief at her last comment. She sent him a heated stare back to get him to suck it up and deal with it before she turned back toward her phone conversation. “I mean it, Edward, come over here. You shouldn’t be out in the snowstorm anyway.”

“Okay, if you’re sure. I really appreciate this, Lieutenant.” Riza couldn’t help but give a small smile at the tone of his voice. He sounded genuinely surprised that she would offer up her home, but that was probably due to his general desire not to inconvenience the people he really cared about. She almost wanted to reprimand him for it though, as if she would let him do anything else.

“Don’t worry about it, Edward. It’s not a problem. Do you need me to pick you up from the station?”

“Nah, I can make it there on my own. Your new place isn’t far from here, right?”

Riza nodded her head and made sure he had the right address before they exchanged quick goodbyes and she set the receiver back in its cradle.

Only to turn and face a practically affronted Colonel Roy Mustang.

“Seriously? You’re letting Fullmetal stay with you? What happened to ‘I need you now, Roy’?”

The tone in his voice made the task of not outright rolling her eyes at him incredibly difficult. She settled for crossing her arms and flashing him a terse glare. “You honestly think I’d let that child wander around the city in the middle of a snowstorm? I’m not exactly thrilled about the change of plans either, but I don’t think it matters much, do you?”

Mustang let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, fine, but what do you expect me to do? It was a difficult enough task getting here in the first place, do you want me to just leave?”

“That’s up to you, sir,” she spoke in her usual business-like tone and she could tell the noticeable switch thoroughly annoyed him. “If you want Edward to come upon you staying in the home of a subordinate at a late hour, that’s your headache to deal with.”

“I don’t know, he’s kind of dense when it comes to things like this, maybe he won’t put two and two together,” Roy offered as he took a step closer to her, almost subconsciously reaching for the curve of her waist.

“That’s not really a fair assumption, sir. Or a safe one, for that matter.” Her voice lowered before she continued, “We both agreed we’d take whatever precautions were necessary to keep this all a secret. Taking the chance that Edward won’t see how suggestive of a situation this is seems to be a pretty risky bet.”

Mustang’s voice also lowered to match hers as he took another step closer and began toying with the bottom hem of her shirt. “If it means I get an extra twenty minutes alone with you, it’s one I’m willing to take. Besides, as much as it pains me to admit it, I trust Fullmetal. He won’t say anything.”

Keeping her gasp of surprise expertly wrangled in, Riza let Roy wrap his arms securely around her before he sat down in one of her kitchen chairs and pulled her atop his lap. She lifted a questioning eyebrow, but that didn’t stop her from resting her arms casually around his neck. “Okay, so from the way I see it, you have three options. One, stay here until Edward arrives and deal with whatever assumptions he decides to make. Two, make up some convoluted excuse for your presence that he won’t immediately second guess. Or three, leave. Which one do you choose, Colonel?”

Mustang smirked and wrapped his arms tighter around her body. “If my options are to risk the pipsqueak’s inevitable smug taunting to finish what I started with you or leave before that to spare myself some dignity, I think I’ll choose the first one.”

Giving a smirk of her own and leaning closer toward her commanding officer’s tantalizing lips, Riza offered in a low voice, “Brave man.”

A quick knock on the door announced Edward Elric’s arrival and Riza quickly went to let him in, greeting him with a warm smile. He looked only slightly different than the last time she had seen him, though his completely annoyed expression at having to deal with the weather outside was incredibly familiar.

“Hello, Edward, come in quickly before you freeze.”

He stepped through her doorway, only narrowly avoiding a tackle by Black Hayate before he began discarding his thick scarf and coat. “Thanks, but I feel as though I already froze. It’s really bad out there.”

“Well, I’m glad you made it then. I brewed you some tea that will hopefully help in warming you up some,” Riza offered as she took the boy’s outerwear and hung it up beside where she kept her own.

“Oh, great, I could really use some-,” he spoke before he abruptly cut off his words. The lieutenant already knew the exact reason why, as the former alchemist turned toward the kitchen table to find the apartment’s other occupant. “Ugh, great. Just what the hell are you doing here? Part of the reason I called the lieutenant was so that I wouldn’t have to deal with your ass.”

Sitting at the table with a mug of tea in his hands and a thoroughly self-satisfied smirk on his face, Mustang couldn’t help but delight in Ed’s distaste for his presence. “Well, Fullmetal, sometimes the lieutenant and I are a package deal.”

Sitting down at the table with a heavy plump, Ed narrowed his eyes at the colonel. “Yeah, great. Doesn’t explain why you’re at her apartment in the middle of the night. That’s rather curious, isn’t it?”

Completely unphased, Mustang set his mug down and turned back toward his former subordinate. “We were busy going over some last-minute paperwork that needed to be finished before the end of the weekend when the weather started to get really bad. Unlike you, I’m not crazy enough to go walking through the streets during a snowstorm, let alone drive through it.”

Ed’s mouth curled even further in distaste. “Great, so we’re both stuck here. Honestly I think I’d rather sleep outside.”

“You aren’t the only one.”

“Play nice, boys. Keeping your egos in check isn’t worth hypothermia. I think we can all manage to make it through the night unscathed,” Riza reminded them with a touch more force than was necessary.

They both grumbled at having been scolded, but conceded her warning all the same, agreeing to not kill each other for the duration of their time at Riza’s apartment.

“Alright, I’m going to go get some pillows and blankets to make up both the couch and a makeshift bed for whoever ends up on the floor. I’ll let you two decide who gets what,” Riza spoke with the authority of a mother before turning toward a side closet that held whatever linens she had collected.

From his place at the table she heard Roy utter a shocked, “Wait, what?”. This time she couldn’t help the distinct roll of her eyes.

“I only have the one bed, sir, and I’m sorry if that makes me a bad hostess, but I’d rather I take it.”

“Y-yeah, but-,”

“You don’t expect to share my bed, sir? That would be far too inappropriate.”

Mustang waited until Ed was turned away from them before shooting his lieutenant a dirty look at the slight. She merely responded with a flat face and a raised eyebrow, daring him to test her on the issue and, of course, he quietly conceded to her, at least for the moment.

“So, Colonel Bastard. How are we going to decide who gets the couch?” Edward asked as Riza went to work.

Heaving a far too dramatic sigh, the colonel responded, “Well, best to let fate decide since something tells me us arguing over it will lead to nothing. We can draw straws, unless you’re naturally inclined to always pick the shorter one.”

Riza winced and braced herself for the outburst.

“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME YOU BASTARD?”

While the lieutenant was busy washing up for bed, she heard footsteps approach the bathroom before Mustang slipped through the door and flashed an angry look at her through the mirror.

“So, explain to me how I went from the prospect of rolling around naked in your bed all night to sleeping on the cold, hard floor while Fullmetal gloats from the couch.”

Heaving a sigh as she dried her hands with a nearby towel, Riza turned and faced her commanding officer head on. “Sir, as I said before, I’m not thrilled about the change in plans either, but Edward needed us, so we have to help him. You whine and complain, but I know you would’ve done the same thing if he came to you.”

Avoiding her hard stare, Mustang scoffed. “Yeah, like he’d ever do that.” Riza flashed him another disapproving glare, which he finally heeded. “Alright, fine, I probably would’ve. But did he have to get the couch?”

This time, Riza gave a small smile before lightly punching him in the arm. “You’ll live.”

“Alright, alright. Goodnight, Lieutenant.”

“Goodnight, sir.”

Pausing to look around the corner and make sure Edward wasn’t eavesdropping, Roy quickly turned back around and planted a quick kiss to Riza’s lips. She was slightly taken aback by the daring gesture, but she wouldn’t fault him for this one. As he’d said, he was expecting this night to go far, far differently than it had.

Tossing and turning for probably the hundredth time in the last hour, Riza heaved a frustrated sigh and sat up in her bed. She didn’t know if it was the raging snowstorm outside or just the stress of work from the last few weeks, but she couldn’t get to sleep no matter how hard she tried. Normally cases of insomnia this bad would be best solved by putting her mind on some other task (or giving her colonel a call), both of which were options not currently available to her, given the two snoozing occupants of the other room.

Making her way to the living room to get a glass of water, Riza tiptoed quietly around where her commanding officer was sprawled out across the floor, snoring away. He might’ve complained, but the man did have a knack for falling asleep in pretty much any situation. Learning to do so was essential for every solider. She couldn’t help the fond smile cross her face as she watched him, in all his ridiculousness.

She quickly opened a cabinet drawer to grab a glass and then ran the faucet a few seconds for some water. As she took a sip, she heard movement from the couch and watched in surprise as Edward sat up and regarded her through the dark.

“Lieutenant?” he whispered in confusion. “Are you still up?”

“Yes,” she whispered back. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Riza was rather surprised when Ed answered back with a scoff. “No, he did,” he spoke angrily as, even through the darkness, the lieutenant could see as he indicated to the snoring colonel.

Smiling fondly at this, she nodded her head toward her bedroom. “Come on, we can talk in here. Best not to wake him when he’s like this.”

Another scoff accompanied Ed’s whispering. “Yeah, wouldn’t him to lose his beauty sleep.” She watched as he kicked away the blanket he had been using and stepped around Roy to follow her into the other room. She closed the door behind her and he awkwardly followed her toward the middle, raising his voice only slightly.

“So, you couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

Riza sighed and shook her head as she walked over to the lone window in her bedroom. Though she didn’t care much about any of her apartments, she did like the fact that this one had a nice window sill alcove to lounge on. She motioned for Ed to come join her and he sat opposite her own form before turning to look at the snow still steadily coming down outside.

He gave a small whistle. “Damn, it’s really bad out there.”

“Yeah. East City usually doesn’t get a whole lot of snow, but when we do, it all comes at once. You just happened to be unlucky enough to be traveling while it did.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

“So,” Riza began pointedly. “Something tells me the colonel’s obnoxious snoring wasn’t the only thing keeping you up.”

Riza watched as Ed’s eyes widened slightly before he sighed and nodded his head, not even bothering to lie to her.

“Anything you want to talk about?” she offered.

Another sigh. “I don’t know, not really. It’s probably dumb.”

“I highly doubt that. You have nothing better to do right now, so as long as it’s not something really difficult to say, I don’t see why we can’t discuss it.” Riza tried to make her tone gentle enough so that he would open up. He seemed to thoroughly ponder her words before he spoke again, still watching the snow falling outside in the street.

“It’s just something Al and I have been talking about for a little while now. I can’t make up my mind about it.”

“About what?”

“Things are pretty great in Resembool, don’t get me wrong, but we’ve both been getting…kind of antsy. We don’t really do much other than help Granny and Winry with the chores and automail shop stuff. Al’s been reading a lot on Xingese alkahestry and now he’s got it into his mind to go visit Mei and learn more about it from her.”

Understanding flashed across Riza’s face as she nodded her head. “Ah, I was wondering when the travel bug would bite you two again.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of difficult to keep us in one place for too long, huh? These trips to East City have become the extent of my exciting travels and…not that there’s anything wrong with the countryside life…but…well, you know how we are.”

“Yes, I do. Have you told Winry about this yet?” she questioned, remembering their conversation from over a year ago at the table of her Central apartment. He had nearly lost his mind when she suggested that he was in love with his childhood best friend, but Riza knew she was as big a person in his life as his little brother was, even if he wouldn’t admit it. Leaving her would be difficult.

A small blush appeared on Ed’s cheeks, but he answered truthfully anyway. “No, not yet. That’s been one of things keeping me up at night. I don’t really know how to tell her.”

“Just be honest. From what I can tell, Winry knows the both of you very well. She’ll understand if you tell her what you’re really feeling.”

“That’s just it, though. I don’t know what it is I’m really feeling. Part of me wants to go galivanting across the world, while the other loves fixing the roof for Winry or gathering firewood for Granny while Den naps in the backyard. I’ve always been moving, for about as long as I can remember. I haven’t yet decided whether I like being stagnant or not.”

“Does Alphonse feel this conflicted?” she wondered aloud curiously.

Ed scoffed. “Hell, no. Believe it or not, Alphonse has become the globetrotter out of the two of us. He can barely shut up about going to Xing long enough to not let Winry know.”

Riza tilted her head with a soft, knowing smile. “I guess that’s understandable. Given how long he was trapped in his armor, it would make sense he’d want to have all those new experiences.”

“Yeah, and that’s great for him. Really, I want him to do what he’s feeling called to. I think it will be good for him, but…” Ed trailed off, not finding the right word to say.

“But you’re not sure the same will be good for you,” Riza offered.

Ed nodded his head. “Yeah, pretty much. I probably will end up going somewhere new eventually. Creta, Aerugo, somewhere like that, but at the same time I keep thinking about what I get to come home to if I go away. What my future looks like each time I leave…and I can’t help but like that more than the idea of a new place.”

Riza smiled again at that. “So you’ve fallen in love with the countryside, huh?”

The lieutenant watched as an even softer smile crossed Ed’s face, as he wistfully continued looking out the window. “Among other things,” he replied cryptically, though she knew exactly what (or who) he was referring to.

“You know, I always pictured myself settling down somewhere like Resembool. That idyllic, small town life. It might be monotonous, but given what we’ve gone through, I think I’d take a little bit of monotony in my day.”

For the first time since they’d sat down to talk, Ed turned his eyes back to the woman sitting across from him and widened them slightly at her own wistful, far-off expression.

“Why don’t you?” he asked.

Now it was Riza’s turn to scoff. She avoided his knowing stare and answered, “I don’t deserve a life like that. Not after everything I’ve done.”

Ed made to protest, but she cut him off. “There’s far too much work to be done for me to run away and live the life I always wanted to. Far, far too much work. I’m needed here, I’m needed in Ishval helping with the restoration projects. I can’t always afford to do what I want.”

Once again remembering their conversation from a year ago, Ed stayed silent, knowing there would be nothing he could say that would change her mind.

“I may not have the ability to go off and raise a family in the countryside…but you do, Edward. You’d be happy doing that, I know would be. And, if you’re still not sure, talk to Winry. I have a feeling she’ll be able to understand you far better than I could.”

Ed nodded his head to concede her point. “Yeah, you’re right.” He paused a moment, taking one last look at the snow falling outside before sighing and moving to stand back up. “Thanks for talking to me, Lieutenant. I think I’m getting tired enough to fall back asleep. Let’s hope Colonel Bastard doesn’t keep me up again.”

Riza smiled at that. “Yes, of course.”

Ed turned and walked toward her bedroom door but, as a thought occurred to him, he stopped himself and turned back around, a curiously unreadable expression on his face.

“Hey, Lieutenant?”

“Yes?”

“I know you don’t think you deserve a quaint, normal life after everything you’ve done and everything you have to do, and you may be right about that, but I know one thing for sure.” Riza watched in awe as he turned his beautiful golden eyes on her with a strange kind of determination and wisdom. “At the very least, you deserve him,” he said in a low voice before nodding his head in the direction of the living room, where Roy was still no doubt asleep on the floor.

Riza widened her eyes at his statement and couldn’t even begin to think of a response before Ed was turning back around and leaving through the door of her bedroom. He shut it behind him quietly, leaving her in a stunned silence. She had to wonder just how perceptive Edward Elric actually was. Roy didn’t like to give him a lot of credit when it came to the more emotional, human things, but in this case she could tell he had aged well, and had become far wiser than anyone would have expected.

She couldn’t help the soft smile that graced her face as she stood up from the window alcove and walked back over to her bed. She curled up in the sheets and fell asleep with surprising ease, given how difficult it’d been for her to do so lately.

She silently thanked the golden-haired former alchemist for getting stuck in East City and asking to stay with her. She found she got more answers out of him in one night than she’d been able to in years. She didn’t know what it was about that boy and his brother, but they left far more of an impact on her than she could have ever imagined.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Bucky and the Alchemiste

Part Four

unique /juːˈniːk/

adjective

‘being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else’ or ‘particularly remarkable, special, or unusual’

 -

 With the arm now on and functioning, Bucky’s little self-made timetable changed again. He rose even earlier, giddy to start the day while he had more energy than he could remember, the nightmares for once at bay. It didn’t matter so much, either, for even when Bucky immediately dressed and made breakfast to take down to Tony, Tony was always in the lab, already at work. Bucky still spent his mornings with Tony, but there was little observing in what he did now. Tony had thrown him in the deep end, and Bucky loved it. No more was he delegated to the couch to nod and listen – he was hands in, opinions matter, I hope you remember that because I don’t know what we just did but I think it worked and it’s only science if one of us writes it down.

They chattered as they worked, in between brewing and building and testing. Tony was opening up, bit by bit, although it was very much a case of ‘ask no questions and be told no lies’, so Bucky listened and listened and stored away what he could. It often seemed that Tony was doing the same thing, but Bucky wasn’t willing to get his hopes up.

Lunch in the timetable was often forgone, with Tony having snacks stashed down in the workshop, and- when they finished with daylight left to them- Bucky grabbed an apple from the kitchen on his way into the garden. Bucky had the grass cut within several days, but the flower beds were a different battle entirely. Tony actually came to find him, the second day he was attempting to fight them, laughing at him almost elbows deep in dirt as he tried to weed out every last scrap of other-plants.

“You’re such a punk.” Bucky said, reaching out to shove him, but Tony danced out of the way, still grinning.

“Why are you even bothering?” Tony asked, and Bucky took a deep breath so that when answered, he wouldn’t snap. He even briefly considered making something up, but Tony was honestly just curious, no sense of mocking or anger there in his question.

“I figured the garden was a good place to start.” Bucky told him, sitting back on his heels and brushing the worst of the dirt off his gloves. He flicked a bit off one of the plates. “Man, am I glad this is waterproof…” he muttered, and a smile flickered on Tony’s face, but he was frowning deeply.

“Start?” he asked, when Bucky raised an eyebrow at him in prompt. Bucky shrugged.

“Putting some life back into this place for ya.” He admitted, and Tony’s face went through a series of emotions – shock and loss being prominent among them – before settling on a happy smile with tears in his eyes. He suddenly looked massively unsure of himself.

“You- do that.” He said. “Uh- I was hoping you’d be able to give me a hand with something before dinner?” he asked, like Bucky could, or would, ever tell him no. “But if you’re busy-“

Bucky waved him off. “I always got time for you, doll.” Bucky nearly regretted the automatic (and genuine) flirt but Tony relaxed into a grin – and it wouldn’t be til later Bucky realised it was because he hadn’t referenced it being in his contract to do so. Bucky left his gloves by the flower bed, and followed Tony inside.

 The first gift was waiting for Bucky on his bed that evening. Tony had needed help building- well, Bucky honestly wasn’t quite sure what it was. Tony called it a gauntlet, but it was like no gauntlet Bucky had ever seen as he held little bits in place, for Tony to secure together. Tony had finished piecing it together, they’d eaten dinner, talking animatedly, and Bucky had gone to the library, to read another chapter of the book he’d started before his arm had been built.

It was a small, folded piece of card, and Bucky had frowned at it for a moment, before realising that it was a spell – albeit it a simple one – that would help speed up the process of de-weeding the garden. Bucky had smiled to himself, warmth growing in his chest at the thought of Tony’s kindness, and gone to sleep dreaming that it meant something.

It wasn’t a one-time thing. Each night Bucky returned to his room there was something waiting for him – he’d had a book on Wakandan culture that second night. It was clearly one of Tony’s, the page corners thumbed and dog-eared, with little notes in the margins of the chapters about their magic and technology, and answered the questions Bucky had been asking earlier, muttered to himself as he’d been reading. Soon, the days were too cold for Bucky to work, and he’d – once he’d discovered that the postman did still deliver letters up here – decided not to visit the village except for when they needed more food. It was early November, and Bucky knew, knew he had to do something. Tony had found him the plums he adored, dark chocolate he’d struggled to find even in the city, book after book and spell after spell that, Bucky was mostly certain, were his own creation. The garden was mostly ready for spring; not as much as he had ambitiously hoped, but he’d just have to do better next year, if Tony would still permit him to be here.

The final straw was the cat.

Bucky considered just calling it “Cat” and then belatedly “Stevie”, but the cat was small yet sleek and handsome, almost completely black except for two white paws and a white splotch on his chest. Bucky had found it curled up on his pillow, a note next to it with all yours in Tony’s graceful script, and his heart had just swelled. He’d picked the cat up – receiving one hell of a glare in return, before it clawed its way up his shoulder and settled there, tiny and purring. He’d called it T’Challa, like the Prince from Wakanda – they treasured cats, after all, and Bucky was going to treasure this one.

“Edwin?” Bucky asked after a moment’s deep thought.

“Yes, James?” the mirror-butler replied curiously.

“Is there a gramophone or somethin’ that I can set up in the dining room?” He turned, to find that Edwin was giving a half-smile behind a frown.

“Of course,” he replied, “four rooms down to the right, across the hall.”

“Thanks, Edwin.”

“May I ask why?” Edwin sounded cautious, so Bucky flashed him a smile as he left the room.

“I want to take Tony dancing – but I can’t do that in the village. So I’m gonna bring the dance to him.” Bucky tried to feel the confidence he injected into his voice, and was rewarded with a grin from Edwin for his words.

“I think he’ll like that. Very much.”

 Bucky put his deep blue Sunday best on for tea that night, nervously flattening the tie every couple of minutes or so. The table had been moved – who or how, Bucky didn’t know – but it was towards one side, the table set for the two of them close together like usual, but instead of the usual meal, there were several smaller sharing dishes. More intimate, Edwin had told him with a wink Bucky had never expected from the fatherly, mirror-trapped man. The gramophone was set up on a small table – both of which Bucky had carried down – and the record Bucky had found was slow and sweet, for the most part, without lyrics, and that was all he needed.

“Uh, Bucky, why-” Tony was speaking even as he walked into the room, not looking up yet as Bucky turned – and felt his mouth go dry. “-did Jarvis suggest I ‘wear something nice’?” Tony finished his question and looked up, his mouth falling open as he took in the room.

Tony had taken Edwin’s advice and then some, in a suit that was slightly ill-fitted (and still more fitted than Bucky’s was) in a dark grey, with a deep red shirt and a black tie, his tattoos peeking out in tiny swirls along his wrists. He looked gorgeous, his hair tamed more than normal and unusually free of oil. There was still a smear on his cheek, though, just under his ear where he must’ve missed it in the mirror, and Bucky grinned at the sight.

“Bucky?” Tony asked again, swallowing hard and smiling shyly back, “Why…?” He sounded slightly nervous, and Bucky turned to put the needle down on the record, before walking over to Tony. He brushed the oil mark carefully with the metal hand, and then held it out in an offer.

“Dance with me.” He sounded more confident than he felt, and a smile ticked up the corner of Tony’s mouth.

“Are you- you’re serious.” Tony muttered, eyes searching Bucky’s face almost desperately.

“As a heart-attack, darlin.” Bucky promised, and Tony grinned at him, but still he didn’t move. “Please, Tony.”

“I- I don’t really know how to dance.” Tony warned him, but he took Bucky’s hand anyway.

“Then follow my lead.” Bucky told him softly, pulling him closer and holding him steady at the waist. Tony let his other hand rest on Bucky’s shoulder, where Bucky could feel it intrinsically, and loved every second of it.

He started them off through the steps of a slower waltz, watching their feet to make sure he was getting the steps right, but he glanced up and caught the incredibly soft smile on Tony’s face and was unable to look away from those warm eyes again. Following the rhythm of the music, Bucky automatically lead them into a spin. Tony laughed quietly, and they found themselves pressed together much closer than before; the rhythm and the music and the momentum of the steps lead them through. The walls could’ve fallen down around them, and Bucky wouldn’t notice anything but the way Tony was smiling at him, laughing and young and alive like he should always seem, with a spark in his eye like he’d thought of something worth building.

The music slowed again, and they slipped back into slower steps, though Tony made no move to put the space back between them and Bucky had no wish to prompt him.

“Who taught you to dance?” Tony asked him, grinning.

“My dad… he always used to dance my Ma around the kitchen, tell us all that dancing would get us anywhere if we could do it well.” Bucky huffed a laugh. “Ma always used to tell him she didn’t marry him for his dancing.” Tony was smiling softly at him, and slowly, before the music quite allowed, they came to a stop. The kiss when it came was soft and sweet, hopeful and tentative, and Bucky found himself hoping that it never ended.

 Bucky had once cursed at the sky, at those cruel ladies of Fate, for robbing him of his arm, of his work and pride and purpose, along with his family. Now, he gave them one quiet thanks, for bringing him to and allowing him this moment of happiness.