#xingese roy

[chrysopoeias]

@rizaposting said ‘italian roy mustang’ 🤌 and then did not elaborate...🤌🤌🔥

[just-trying-my-best-everyday]

It feels like a good time to remind y'all that if you choose to draw Roy with Xingese features, you run the risk of me proposing and marrying you on the spot. Unfortunately no, you won't have a choice. Just keep it in mind.

[smudgefawn]

is there any overlap between fma fans and fans of the grishaverse and the grisha trilogy in particular? i am want to put my otps from any other fandom into it always because i like the setting and magic system and i usually go for the places of darklina (yeah yeah. it’s about the Flavor) but realized royai are actually SO malina coded. i am probably the only person with any thoughts on this but i must know.

[phantomrose96]

Thinking about Edward Elric as the Amestrian Military's specialest little unfireable boy

State alchemists can be fired for underperforming. We know this up front from the likes of Shou Tucker. And this makes a ton of sense from the homunculi's standpoint since the state alchemists are sacrifice candidates, and the homunculi would want to cull the weakest candidates and focus only on cultivating the strongest ones who stand the best chance of opening the portal.

........Then there's Edward. Who's already opened the portal.

There's no need to cultivate him. No gamble taken on whether he's good enough to open the portal. He passed the final test already. Graduated 4 semesters early.

And as such, has a free pass to do Absolute Fuck All.

And I'm imagining how funny this is from like an outside perspective.

Some newish state alchemist who'd only ever read up on the stories of Edward Elric, ready and excited to start their career of being paid handsomely with endless freedom to research and travel and do anything they want in the pursuit of science... surprised and confused to find themselves put on probation their first month for things like "ignoring orders." Which is, as best they had thought, a famous Edward Elric pastime.

Roy showing a slight bit of stress about his yearly state alchemist report, and Ed just snorting and rolling his eyes at Roy because every year HE just hastily does his on the train ride over (canon in the manga, a travesty it was left out of the anime) and it gets rubber stamped. Ed not realizing that other alchemists' reports get genuinely scrutinized and torn apart while Ed is free to turn in whatever absolute bullshit he thinks of 36 hours ahead of time. One year his report was about whether alchemy could be done via dance (conclusion: no it can't) and no one cared. Roy WANTS to tell Ed there's some kind of unknown favoritism around Ed making him literally bullet-proof but Roy has no way to phrase this that doesn't sound like he's just in denial and mad at how good Ed's train-reports are.

Guy from the Internal Amestrian Affairs sector who's responsible for auditing other internal military personel for any suspicious activity hitting about 1 million red flags for Edward Elric, issuing a STRONG and URGENT recommendation to suspend the alchemist pending further investigation into things like "literal bunk-buddies with two members of the Xingese royalty (enemy nation)" and "spent $10,000,000 of his stipend on a librarian to make her re-copy (what he seemed to interpret as?) military records in some extremely transparent effort to unearth state secrets (it was a recipe book but he was literally asking her about state secrets)" and "literally has never once obeyed an order, ever, not even once in his career, and is on public record having said 'I do not care about the goals and protections of the Amestrian Military. I am in fact only pursuing my own interests several of which are diametrically opposed to the safety and well-being of the governing body of Amestris'"

The issued recommendation is intercepted before it even reaches its intended desk. President Bradley himself has taken issue with it and denies it before a single set of eyes has seen it. The President's veto stamp is a terrifying hammer, used rarely, and it is now sitting on the auditor's desk.

The auditor sleeps with one eye open from then on out.

[tomorrowandtomorow]

thinking about fma, one of the things i love about it is arakawa's very intentional worldbuilding. she never gave the story more than the plot needed. we don't get a bunch of flashbacks detailing the characters' lives, eveything that we know about them is only in service of the plot.

the xingese characters are there because they need the secret to immortality to gain their father's favor. and despite this being so interesting we don't really know anything else about them lol. how well do mei and ling know each other? how do their clans stand with one another? anything at all about their other siblings? they get like two interactions and other than the clans just generally hating each other we've got nothing. we don't even get anything about how lan fan even became ling's bodyguard.

then xerxes, a personal favorite of mine. ed and al are kind of casually confirmed to be descendants of a dead civilization renowned for alchemy. are we going to explore that civilization at all? ofc not. anything about hohenheim's past, other that the things you really need to know? nope. we're just generally gonna mention how he's known as a sage throughout both the east and west.

the fact that grumman is riza's grandfather? left untouched. the fact that roy studied under riza's father? you get one (1) flashback.

i love this style of worldbuilding tbh.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy pride shana. Any fma!!!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4

Havoc looks up as Roy and Maes lead the slave - uhg, even thinking that word puts a bad taste in his mouth - into the office and has to do a double take.

"Did he send us a courtesan?" he sputters.

Roy freezes, Maes's smile becomes fixed, and everyone else stops what they were doing to stare.

"This is Van Edris," Maes says pleasantly, "and you are so lucky that he doesn't speak Amestrian."

Van Edris tilts his head to the side and a string of smooth Xingese leaves his mouth. Roy responds in kind, significantly less smoothly.

Riza ignores them all to get up and greet Van Edris, going into a Xerxian style bow and carefully saying, "Hello," in his language.

Van Edris brightens and returns her bow, a warm smile briefly stealing across his face.

Oh no. Roy is staring.

There's no way this ends well.

[memesmadefullmetal]

Hope you guys are doing well! Do you guys have any headcanons in particular about any fma and fmab characters?

We have SO MANY (mostly relating to Roy & Riza 😅) but here’s just a couple:

Roy has some Xingese heritage. Maybe Xingese royalty on his mum’s side, and his dad was an Amestrian spy 🤔 We just think there’s a story behind his parents’ deaths, and why his aunt never told him about it or them: was it to keep him safe?

Roy being the only boy in amongst all of Madame Christmas’ girls was treated like the baby brother who his “sisters” used to dress up 😌 Being raised in an all female environment also meant he drank respect women juice every morning 🧃

Either Grumman or Roy abolishes the fraternisation rules. Riza is resistant at first as, especially when Roy becomes leader, she wants to remain as his bodyguard, rather than be his First Lady. She also doesn’t trust / like the new bodyguards assigned to Roy 😶

We’ve thought before about the idea that Riza had some Ishvalan heritage. We think her eyes are a REALLY interesting design choice when you compare her to the other characters. We also think it’s interesting given that Arakawa originally intended for Riza to have darker skin, but set that idea to the side when Scar and other Ishvalans came into the story. We think it’s definitely food for thought 💭

Havoc and Catalina start dating after the events of main canon 😌 They’re perfect for each other: they’re the two people who complain that they’re always single and end up getting together. Plus, she wanted a good man in Central and Jean is one of the best 😉

We have an AU but we suppose you could call it a headcanon where Roy and Maria are siblings but were separated when they were young for the reasons in our first bullet point!

Riza and Havoc were academy besties 😌

Riza worries about Ed and Winry getting married so young: what do you mean you haven’t both spent over a decade egregiously codependent on each other to get to a point where you might just about be ready to acknowledge your feelings for one another?

The whole of Team Mustang absolutely despises the Roystache™️ and conspire to shave it off. Roy feels he needs it to look mature and to be taken seriously in such a high-ranking position 🪒

- Mod Mustang & Mod Hawkeye 🔥🦅

[clonerightsagenda]

Still stewing over how Riza watched Ed and Al swap sacrifices and probably learned some alchemy basics from her dad (and seems to have aptitude, given she's the one non-Xingese, non-chimera character to sense the homunculi), is willing to mutilate herself, and got pulled out of training to fight because she was just that good of a shot, so in the end she should've gone hey colonel I'm trading my dominant eye for one of yours. This works out for me too since I have to stay in the military for our Big Plan and would rather not be their star sniper anymore. Don't be dramatic about it.

Roy would not like that but what is he going to do, lie in his hospital bed and bitch about it? Ed couldn't refuse Al's sacrifice either. Second instance of someone forcing human transmutation on him but this time it's for his own good. Codependent bestie friendship bracelets partial blindness representing how uncomfortably far the other person will go even when you don't want them to. The Truth doesn't think they're quite grasping the lesson it wants them to learn but eh. Close enough. Leave the Ishvalans out of it.

[loyaltyforged]

NOTE: Specific to my portrayal. Not all headcanons apply to the canon timeline!

LAN FAN’S FAMILY AND CHILDHOOD.

canon divergent au / headcanon concept with @flamesignite. original concept with @vrheilen pulled from my previous blog, @her-loyalty.

       Lan Fan and Roy Mustang are half-siblings, born of the same mother, but with separate fathers. HERE’S HOW:

       Fu’s daughter was ordered to marry a man that him and his wife had chosen for her. She would undergo training to become ‘a perfect housewife’ as was customary of women in Xing during that time; cooking, cleaning, sewing, embroidery, and bearing children were among her duties and in exchange, her would-be husband would put food on the table and provide their household with money. Unfortunately, she did not desire to marry a man she was unfamiliar with and did not love, so she fled home and crossed the desert into Amestris to avoid her fate.

       In this foreign country, she met a kind Amestrian man that offered to hide her. He fed and clothed her, provided her with a safe haven and kept her off the streets. Eventually, they fall in love and decide to wed. Due to the woman being of Xingese descent and in the country illegally, their wedding was extremely private, the marriage certificate vague, and a single picture of them at the alter had been taken. A copy of the picture is given to Madame Christmas.

       Later on, Roy Mustang is born. When he is quite young, the Military Police are tipped off about his mother being an illegal immigrant and take action. The couple is forced to give Roy up and his father convinces his mother to return home to Xing before she is caught. His father takes the fall and is executed. Roy falls into the custody of his aunt, Chris Mustang (Madame Christmas).

       Meanwhile, his mother is reunited with her family in Xing, only to find out that HER mother has passed. Her Amestrian marriage is kept from Fu for a long time until she finally confesses. Fu attempts to understand her situation, but still begs her to find a Xingese man that will take care of her for the rest of her life as he cannot due to his occupation as a secret soldier.

       Years pass before she meets a man that falls in love with her and promises to care for her; his feelings are not reciprocated, but as she does care for him and desires to put her father’s mind to rest, she accepts his proposal and they marry. Almost fifteen years after she has Roy with her late Amestrian husband, she gives birth to a little girl whom they name Lan Fan.

       Soon after Lan Fan’s birth, her mother dies of illness and her father falls into a depressive state. At age 3, she is sent to live with her grandfather in the mountains. She receives occasional visits from her father until she turns 6 when he is killed in a clash between their family and another. 

       During her childhood, Fu raises her properly, teaching her obedience and various languages among other things. When she turns 7, Lan Fan begins her training under their Clan’s secret soldier program. She is a quick learner and is easily discriminated against as she is the youngest and only female being trained among a group of older boys and men. She struggles through unfair treatment, but the desire to become the best and prove that she is capable of being strong keeps her going. 

       When she meets the twelfth prince, Ling Yao, at the age of 10, his encouragement furthers her determination. Lan Fan works hard and becomes the top of her class, graduating when she is 13. She is soon assigned as Ling Yao’s second bodyguard alongside her grandfather.

Lan Fan does not recall anything about her mother and very little about her father. Fu is the main family member in her life, serving as both her grandfather and father figure.

HOW ROY AND LAN FAN FIND OUT THEY ARE RELATED:

       During the events of Brotherhood/the manga, there is a period of approximately 6 or 7 months where Lan Fan and Fu are in search of an Automail engineer to acquire a replacement for the loss of her left arm. After having the steel appendage installed, Fu and Lan Fan hide out in Central and she trains herself to adjust to the new hardware. 

       While she is busy with that, Fu meets with Roy Mustang for the first time and notices a resemblance between him and his late daughter as well as his granddaughter. Both suspicious and curious, Fu searches the library archives for a possible marriage certificate, but with the vagueness of it, ultimately finds out nothing. He meets with Roy a second time, striking up a casual conversation about family. Not much is revealed because of Roy’s lack of knowledge regarding his parents and his tendency to be secretive, but he does mention Madame Christmas.

       Fu’s next mission is to have a chat with Madame Christmas. He ends up asking for a photo of Roy’s parents and is presented with the picture taken on their wedding day. It is immediately confirmed that the woman in the photo, Roy’s mother, is also his late daughter. He gives this information along to Madame Christmas and they vow to keep it a secret until after the events of the Promised Day have passed.

       Of course, Madame Christmas’ tavern is blown to smithereens and she leaves town to take a vacation along with the girls that work under her. Fu dies in a battle with Fuhrer Bradley and is later taken back to Xing by Ling and Lan Fan to be buried.

       When Madame Christmas returns to Central, Roy buys her a new tavern, as promised, and she becomes occupied with getting her business up and running again. Roy is busy with restoring Ishval and cleaning up the mess created on the Promised Day; during any meeting they have, Madame Christmas struggles to find the appropriate time to mention Roy’s parents and his relation to Fu. Eventually, she finds out about Fu’s death and confesses that he is in fact Roy’s grandfather. Roy, wanting to know more about this newfound relative, keeps in mind to ask Ling–the new Emperor of Xing–about Fu the next time they have a meeting.

       The foreign affairs meeting comes around and Ling comes to town along with his only remaining bodyguard. Roy brings up the subject of Fu, asking the Emperor what kind of person he was, what he was like, etc., and evokes Ling’s curiosity. Upon being questioned as to why he was so interested in Fu, Roy reveals that he recently found out that the old man is his grandfather. This leaves Lan Fan and Ling shocked and Roy clueless. Ling is the first to bring up that Lan Fan is Fu’s granddaughter, shocking Mustang as well.

       Basically, a bunch of denial and awkward moments between Lan Fan and Roy ensue as they slowly try to get to know one another and treat each other like family. The distance and their occupations serves to be quite the hurdle, but Ling allows Lan Fan to visit on occasion and the two become used to the idea of having and being a sibling.

[edlingao3feed]

The Tangled Alchemist

longyaoi, The_Catmans_Offical https://archiveofourown.org/works/57885490 by longyaoi, The_Catmans_Offical "Al, I'm turning eighteen. I'm not a kid anymore," he tries to reassure, feeling his shoulders tense as he notices his brother tremble. "We can go outside together, right?" Edward’s confidence falters at his brother’s silence. "Alphonse?—" "Edward, I said you can't! Okay?" Edward watches his brother's eyebrows pinch and his lips curl into a frown. "Please, just— Stop. It's too dangerous, it's just— What if we accidently get separated? Or worse," he snaps, "if something happens to you?" — Or, a chronically ill Edward is locked up in a tower by his younger brother Alphonse, a renowned Liorean State Alchemist also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist. But after meeting a wanted Xingese traveler that takes him outside of his tower, Edward discovers more behind his younger brother's reasons for keeping him away from the outside world Words: 8189, Chapters: 2/10, Language: English Series: Part 1 of FMA Tangled 2010 AU Fandoms: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Tangled (2010) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen, M/M Characters: Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Wrath (Fullmetal Alchemist 2003), Winry Rockbell, Greed (Fullmetal Alchemist), Ling Yao, Lan Fan (Fullmetal Alchemist), Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Lust (Fullmetal Alchemist), Van Hohenheim, Alex Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Tringham Relationships: Edward Elric/Ling Yao, Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Edward Elric & Wrath (Fullmetal Alchemist 2003), Greed & Ling Yao, Lan Fan & Ling Yao, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang, Alex Louis Armstrong & Alphonse Elric, Fletcher Tringham & Wrath (Fullmetal Alchemist 2003), Greed & Wrath (Fullmetal Alchemist 2003), Greed & Lust (Fullmetal Alchemist) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, Wrath is a Little Shit, Protective Alphonse Elric, i love alphonse elric, join my fma roleplay discord server This post was automatically generated from an RSS feed of all new AO3 works tagged 'Edward Elric/Ling Yao'.

[just-trying-my-best-everyday]

i saw ur part-xingese roy mustang post from like march and first of all. absolutely canon in my mind. second of all… also lowkey maria ross and perhaps izumi curtis too? to me? (or some other asian-equivalent country in that world)

its just like the countries are Not incredibly far apart and even if theres not much canon cultural contact i really feel like there would be folks in amestris with xingese ancestry

I think not necessarily every black-haired character is of Xingese descent 🤣🤣 but also you're kinda onto smth. For Roy I go off two things:

1) vibes;

2) the way his eyes are drawn. More similar to Ling's than to Ed's, for example.

I do think Izumi might be Xingese or Fantasy Asian adjacent, mostly because eyes and also that's not a very European name.

Anyways, those are kinda my thoughts on the matter lol. I want to add my smallest most insignificant gripe with FMA is the missed opportunity to have more mixed folks in Briggs. More women and people from other countries (except Drachma ofc) to really nail home the "here's where the misfits gather" vibe. Could've had more Xingese peeps there.

Thanks for the ask!

[fullmetalbookshelf]

Hi! Wanted to know your opinion on the idea that Roy is actually xingese (half or otherwise)

I see it as a popular head canon, so much so I’m wondering if it’s canon and I’m just an idiot haha

It is a headcanon, not canon, though it is popularized to the extent that i would consider it fanon at this point (ie, a headcanon that enough people share that it is often treated as one of the baseline assumptions about canon, regardless of actual canon basis)

As far as I can tell it is primarily based around his character design and, to a lesser extent (as their actual blood relationship is questionable) Madame Christmas' character design. If anyone who has been in the fandom longer than I have has any further information on that, please chime in!

For my part, it is an idea that I definitely enjoy, I've incorporated it into my own worldbuilding and headcanons (which are rather extensive at this point tbh, including an entire cast of OCs for Madame Chris and her girls, which is a direction i don't usually go in)

It's one of those things that, while not canon, does have a very rich foundation in the fandom itself, there are some fantastic fics that incorporate it, though it has been awhile since I read them. I'll try and dig some of them up and reblog this with a rec list sometime in the next day or two. (I'm setting a reminder on my phone so I don't forget)

[firewoodfigs]

may i offer you: young royai + xingese roy + tailor swift 🤲🏻🫶🏻

[gyofukuki]

Introducing: Roy Mustang

Origin:

Sourced from: Fullmetal Alchemist (the entirety of manga and anime)

Voiced by: Travis Willingham

Character Name:

Full name: Roy Mustang

Nicknames: Flame Alchemist, Roy-Boy (please don't)

Basic Information:

Age: 30

Gender: male

Date of Birth: March 25

Place of Birth: Central City, Amestris

Place of Residence: Central City, Amestris* (verse dependent)

Nationality: Amestrian

Physical Appearance:

Height: 5'8

Build: sturdy, muscular

Hair Color: black

Eye Color: black

Scars or distinguishing marks: big scar on the left side of his abdomen, less visible circular one on his right hand, assortment of smaller ones across his body

Personality Traits:

Strenghts: valiant, introspective, shrewd, charming, ambitious

Weaknesses: conceited, domineering, manipulative, unrelenting, mistrustful

Background and History:

Family Background: largely unknown, to him as well. He was orphaned as a baby and doesn't remember his parents. He was adopted by his father's younger sister and that's the only relative he's ever met. [My headcanon is he is partly Xingese and if you ever feel like writing something in relation to that, I'd be happy to!].

Parents: deceased

Siblings: none

Childhood: It was a pretty peculiar time. His aunt, Chris, who took him in after his parents' death was still very young and lead somewhat chaotic life. All the same, she was preoccupied with the notion of raising him to be a good man, and it showed in her care and the discipline she showed when it came to looking after his best interest. Keep in mind, all of that happened in a chaotic environment of a hostess bar which Chris owns and is practically part of her household. As you can imagine, that made for a perfect food for prejudice and bullying. Good manners aside, Roy didn't shy away from a fight, be it just verbal or physical.

Education: He was far from a perfect student, your gifted-by-lazy archetype all the way. Meaning? He was pretty bored, for a long time keeping ahead of his classes with ease, until all of the sudden the level of studies caught up to him and he found himself quite lost, not being used to actually studying at all. At first he tried to pretend it didn't get to him and he didn't care about his grades but eventually it became a chip on his shoulder. During that time, in high school, he became a bit of a problem, acting out, getting into fights every other day. It wasn't until he became a mentoree of a renowned alchemist and eventually narrowed down a goal, to become a state alchemist, that he was able to put his head down a little and finish his studies in relative peace, both regular and in alchemy.

Major/Area of Study: Strategic Intelligence

Favorite Subjects: History, Diplomacy and Information, International Security

Least Favorite Subjects: Logistics

Career/Profession: military/state alchemist

Current Occupation: State Alchemist

Previous Jobs: n/a

Career Goals: Becoming Führer

Hobbies and Interests:

Hobbies: chess, procrastinating, reading non-fiction

Interests: philosophy, clothes, good company wine, women and song

[musing-and-music]

Royai week 2023 fic recs

In honor of Royai week in the Fruits & Roots server, I chose to highlight some of my favorite Royai fics I gathered these past years (not many years, since I've been on AO3 for 2 years and a half only). Each day, I'll recommend a few fics in a particular setting

Day 7: Happy Royai Day! Free for all - On-going fics

To end this series of fanfic recs, here is a list of a few on-going fanfictions that I love and think about sometimes. Go give them some love, because they all deserve it! And don't hesitate to comment, because you know what? Comments are the writer's fuel

Another point: this post is not here for you to pressure the authors to update their fics, but to give you things to give love to!

one single thread of gold tied me to you by fullmetallizard

Roy is a single father who is carrying a torch (terrible pun for the flame alchemist, I know) for his best friend, Riza Hawkeye. Is she carrying a torch of her own? Yes. Will they get together as a cute little modge podge family? Proabably.

One of my earliest bookmarks, it's fluffy, it's so good!

to heal by priscilladm, vadeofspades / @priscilla-dm @mayfieldarc

In the aftermath of the Promised Day, Roy Mustang ponders two things: how to ensure the wellbeing of Riza Hawkeye, and how to follow through on an offer made to him by the Xingese princess who saved Riza's life.

I love this one a lot!

Humanity hangs on a blood-iron cross by blackinkpen / @blackinkpen

Berthold Hawkeye built the first jaeger, an uncontrollable nuclear heart meant to take out the seven Kaiju. Alone, brutal—the first and last of the pilots to try maneuvering the giants on their own. Sins, they were named, coming in waves... Lust and Envy, Gluttony, with its bulging stomach and Pride, faster than the rest of them. Sloth slumbered until near the end, taking down three Jaegers at once... but we're not here to talk about them. Not yet, anyways. Berthold's work is commandeered by the military. Iron Prophet, the first of the Jaegers to rise, and the first to fall. A monster slices right through his heart, sending nuclear clouds shattering across the sky. Berthold makes it through that day... but not many more, as he hides the cough and blood and pain from radiation poisoning. Years later, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye pilot his final work.

FMAxPacRim? I say yes! Filled with angst but also hope, I keep this fic close to my heart

memento amare by firewoodfigs / @firewoodfigs

Riza pays a hefty price when she’s forced to open the Gate in Roy’s stead.

Actually, my first bookmark. Angst for Roy, hope for Riza, slow burn for both

a study in reformation by firewoodfigs / @firewoodfigs

She doesn’t like him, doesn’t like his hair, doesn’t like his face, doesn’t like his conceited attitude and the way he’s looking at her like she’s wasting his time (and not the other way round). Roy doesn’t care. - or the college au where Roy is still a pain in the ass, a thorn in the flesh and the bane of Riza's existence

Does it show that there's authors I love? And their fics as well?

The flicker by Beryllium_Astatine / @beryllium--astatine

I'll sing of the years you will spend getting sadder and older Oh love, and the cold, the oncoming cold Riza spends a few of her young years with someone she didn't want to.

Young Royai, depicted with rich and poetic writing

Unexpectedly by waddiwasiwitch / @waddiwasiwitch

Riza discovers she is pregnant and confides in her best friend, Roy, who has got some secrets of his own.

I want to lock those two idiots in the same room until they've confessed their feelings. It's so good to read this one!

Five Times (series) by 13IceAngel13

Five times Colonel Mustang didn't kiss Lieutenant Hawkeye. One time Roy kissed Riza.

&

Five times Hawkeye didn't kiss Mustang and one time Riza kissed Roy. Companion piece to Five Times Mustang didn't kiss Hawkeye and one time Roy kissed Riza.

Mutual pining at its best, and 5+1 things!

Voices of the Court by Quietshade / @qs63

A meeting gone south spirals into a full investigation of one of East Area's most powerful Generals.

I love how Royai work together here, and the way the themes are approached

Show me a hero by GelatoSushi / @gelatosushix

As the Ishvalan conflict still casts a shadow over Central even six years after the Promised Day, Mustang and Hawekey are violently separated hours before Mustang is meant to be finally named Fuhrer. Now, Hawkeye is desperately searching for a man she's not sure is still alive, while Mustang still waits for a woman he's been told is dead.

Heavy plot and angst!

~~

Thank you to all the people who reblogged and liked these fic rec lists for the past week! I hope I gave you good recommendations!

[shanastoryteller]

happy pride shana!! I seriously adore your fics. Fma?

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5

Introducing Van Edris around to everyone takes up the rest of the day, then it comes time to take him home.

Roy had argued extensively for putting him up in the finest hotel in Amestris or even renting a property for his comfort. He'd been rebuffed at every point, saying it would be inappropriate and insulting for Van Edris to stay anywhere besides his personal residence.

"It's not quite a palace," he says apologetically in Xingese, holding the door open for him. It's a large house, especially for one person, but he's seen the splendor of the Xerxes court.

Van Edris looks around with interest but no derision. So far he's been nothing but perfectly polite and bland, but Roy doesn't doubt there's a lot more going on behind that golden gaze. Despite the ambassador's insinuations, he doubts one becomes the personal slave of a king with just a pretty face.

If he was just a pretty face, then Roy doubts that King Pakor would have insisted on sending him at all. His rivals love spreading gossip about his origins of being raised in a pleasure house. As beautiful as Van Edris is, sending him a courtesan makes no sense at all.

"Palaces have their faults," Van Edris says, mouth tugged up at the corner. "You wouldn't believe how often I used to get lost looking for the bathroom."

"At what age did you start in the palace?" Roy asks, because he really doesn't look old at all, yet he must have worked for King Pakor for some time to be trusted enough to be sent like this.

Van Edris's eyebrows dip together. Roy worries he's made some sort of faux paus, but he says, "My father served the king. I inherited the position, in a way. I was brought to the palace as an infant, but I wasn't able to wander on my own until I was older. Hence the getting lost."

"Ah," he says, then clears his throat. "Well, here, let me give you a tour. I'm afraid I don't have much to entertain you, but I have several Xingese texts in my library if you're interested."

Van Edris is smiling at him again. He's got to stop doing that.