acatalepsy_logs | (no subject)

Who: Edward Elric + OTA
Where: All over!
When: Arrival + sickness event
Rating: PG most likely
What: Edward arrives and Gets To Work

( a - arrival; temple and exploration )

[Edward probably didn't make the best impression with Astoria - but then, first impressions are rarely his strong suit - and he's very quickly angered by his lack of alchemy; any time it happened back home while battling that Father bastard had brought with it a sense of helplessness that just makes his irritation rise in spades. Even so, alchemists are still scientists, and a big part of science is observation and investigation, and he's pretty good at those.

Thus, Edward's first days are spent either lurking around the temple, watching as people come and go, or venturing through the territory of his new surroundings, interrogating people as they go about their lives. Don't be surprised if he's suddenly jogging over to you, annoyed and full of questions.]

Hey! Got a minute?

[Most of what he's noticed is how sick people are getting, which does not bode well.]

( b - sickness shenanigans )

[Yeah, the sick stuff definitely didn't bode well- and is getting increasingly worse over time. Edward himself is doing okay, suffering from just a bad case of the sniffles at worst, but he's starting to wonder if he's been dumped into a quarantine zone instead of some kind of battleground. It's making him wish he'd had the chance to study alkahestry, in case it could affect illnesses... then again, it's not like alchemy works here, anyway.

He's a mediocre cook and an even lousier nurse, so there isn't much he can do for the people who are sick, but he's got all four limbs and strength enough to run errands, so for a while he's wandering from place to place, checking in with those who are sick (or those in charge of the sick) for what they need- supplies, an extra pair of hands, cleanup, whatever. It's harder to feel so helpless when you keep yourself busy, and he's not afraid of a day's hard work.

He might also have a black dog with him, trotting along at his side and helping to carry small supplies in her mouth.]

( c - for castmates )

[Thanks to Mustang, he's been made aware of certain other Amestrians in the area, so with some directions in hand, Edward goes looking for them. Hawkeye first, as she's always been straightforward with him. There's no one more dependable. And Hughes...

...well, maybe he puts Hughes off, just a little bit. He won't admit that he's nervous, but... anyway, he'll get there before too long, if Hughes doesn't find him first.

Of course he's on the lookout for the others as well. Gotta check in, make sure they're still kicking.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The handshake is solid, firm, and between that and the hand on his shoulder, the truth of this meeting finally sinks in proper for Edward. This isn't fake, this isn't a trick. Mustang was right. Hughes has a certain vibe to him, some kind of fatherly aura that he hadn't understood until meeting the man because Hohenheim had never felt like that. It's not something that Envy or any other fake could replicate, not if they tried for a hundred years. In many ways it makes this easier and infinitely more difficult all at once.

He purses his lips, taking a long pause before he speaks again to avoid the tremor he knows might crop up in his voice otherwise.]

You'll probably scold me for this, but I gotta say it. I'm sorry... for what happened. And for dragging you into it.

[While he doesn't let the handshake linger, he does keep a hand on Edward's shoulder. He glances upwards, trying not to sigh because he'd already heard this apology before. While Roy hadn't apologized for getting him involved, he had of course come up with a number of things to say he was sorry for. As if Roy could have done anything from miles away.

What would have happened if he had answered the phone? The only difference would have been getting the message to him before dying and then Envy would have gone after Roy as well.

He'd expected this to come up from Edward as well. Edward was a little old now to get scolded, but Maes wanted to make his feelings clear on this as well.]

I understand...but let me say something too.

[He places his now free hand on Edward's other shoulder.]

Look at me Edward. Neither of us could have known the kind of information I was going to come across in that time. I know you, and Alphonse, and even Roy all blame yourselves in different ways and for different parts of what happened [He releases Edward, taking a step back as he continues.] ...but when all is said and done, I made my own choices. I willingly agreed to help you and Alphonse. I chose to use an outside line to call Roy.

[He hesitates and then adds.]

I've been thinking about this a lot. And while I would do many things differently back then...I would still have helped you. That's just who I am and do you really think you could have stopped me anyway? I served in the military with Roy Mustang. I can be stubborn too you know.

[Edward's quiet for a long moment, considering those words, and eventually he's able to lift his head again to face Hughes directly.]

Miss Gracia said the same thing. I guess that's what being married is all about, huh- knowing someone as well as they know themselves.

[He's not going to agree, exactly- guilt and shame aren't things you can shrug off, especially when you've carried them around for as long as he has. But he understands, because he himself can be as stubborn as Mustang sometimes. And what Hughes says is probably true. This secret had to come out, and in many ways Hughes' death had only been the first step towards discovering everything they'd had to discover in order to save Amestris. It'd been Envy who pulled the trigger. He knows, he knows.

It hurts just the same, though.]

She did?

[He smiles slightly. Of course she did. It hurts to think about her and Elysia, alone, but he can't help but be cheered by thinking about them either. He supposes this is what people mean when they say something is bittersweet.]

Yeah, she certainly knows me very well. There's a lot I couldn't have done without her.

[Maes had only ever been as sure of himself and steady because he'd had Gracia to fall back on. He knew she must have had it rough after, but there was no one stronger or more put together than she was.]

Sounds familiar.

[All of the men he knows - including himself - are supported by more competent and held-together women. That's just sort of how it goes.]

You... know about all that happened, right? Mustang told you?

[Maes understands Edward's concern and hesitation with that question. He knows it must be weird talking to him for fear of making things worse. ]

You mean everything with the homunculi, their Father, the country-wide transmutation circle, and The Promised Day? Yeah. He filled me in on most of that and what he was involved in at least.

[Granted, that last part Maes had stumbled on to himself and that was why he'd been taken out. It was interesting to think that he'd found such a crucial part of their big plan. Maes has a sense there are parts that Roy has left out, but he hasn't pursued them because in the end it hadn't really seemed to matter. He'd told him the major parts at least, that much Maes could confirm after discussions with Riza.]

Feels kind of crazy to look back on how little we knew about everything. For you to find out as early as you did... we had no idea.

[And he still hates that ignorance - probably always will - but it really speaks to Hughes' detective work. Father and the homunculi had kept everything hidden for so long.]