Disclaimer: If I owned FMA… oh, if I owned FMA… but I don't. Very, very sadly. And Ed is very glad that I don't, as are most of the other characters. They've had glimpses of Gwendolen. (My newly discovered psychotic yaoi muse, though I think she's more of a psychotic anime-in-general muse)

Chapter 7

To be honest, Ed was plain old freaked out. He didn't understand. Why would Roy spare him? It had totally skewed his score – a win got you much more points than a draw. It made elder Elric nervous, and so he paced. His room wasn't long enough, so he went up and down a hall way. Then he'd gotten kicked out because, as it was a second story, the metallic tramping had managed to bother two floors of people.

It wasn't doing him any good anyway. He didn't know enough about Roy. Aside from the possibility of a link between Roy's Ishbal Adventure and Ed's pixel character, but that didn't make any sense, and besides, it hadn't been that sort of look on Roy's face anyway. That look was more haunted. This look was more… dazed. Roy looked like Ed felt.

The really awful thing was that Ed didn't know what to do about it. This was happening more and more frequently recently – pacing, incomprehension, a lack of something to do about it. Normally he could just whack something's head off and possible kill the seal below, and all would be well. Or else head off somewhere and find something to tear apart. Life was too complicated anymore. If only the Colonel would send him off on a mission – but no, that couldn't happen until he'd won the tournament.

But what to do about life's general incomprehe – of course! It wasn't a particularly appealing plan, but it was something to do, and surely Lieutenant Colonel Pictures-of-Elysia would know something he should be doing.

With a whirl of sudden purpose, Ed strode firmly down the hall.

"QUIT CLANKING!" An annoyed office worker bellowed behind him.

Hughes was very happy to get a visit. He usually had to go out and find people. In fact, it was so odd for someone to come seeking him that those who did rarely found him, as he didn't tend to frequent anywhere in particular. Except, perhaps, the mess hall, where plenty of victims were to be found.

But to be visited – to be found in his office, in particular! This was heaven. Particularly for Ed, who was promptly sat in a chair while Hughes decided which bookshelf to take a photo album from.

"Uh… " Ed began.

"Perfect! Elysia in the last year – that's this wall, you see – outside – that's this shelf." Hughes plucked a rather grey-brown album from the shelf. On closer inspection, it was not grey-brown, but it was so layered with paint that it looked that way. "You see? Elysia painted it herself."

"Uh… yeah." Ed agreed. "Sir? I wanted to ask you…"

"Oh, she's fine." Hughes interrupted.

"No! Not Elysia, and not Gracia either! Could you please just tell me what to do?"

Hughes paused. Some of the Elysia fervor died from his eyes, replaced, very briefly, by calculation. It passed. "Feet itching?"

"Er… I'm just confused."

Hughes pulled the chair intended for him around so it faced Ed, rather than was beside him for better shared viewing of the pictures. "Confused regarding what? That new game?"

"No, no, I have Armstrong for that." Ed assured him. "Well, yes, actually. But not about playing. You duel, see, and –"

"I know how to play Ultimate Fantasy Bloodbath XVII." Hughes assured him calmly. "Continue."

"Well, I was dueling Roy – you know that. But he won. Only he didn't. I mean, he had me flat on my face, and he should have dealt the Match Blow, but… he… Talldarkandhandsome just walked away."

"That's Colonel Mustang's screen name?" Hughes confirmed.

"Yeah. I'm AltimetricAlchemist."

"Interesting." Hughes raised his eyebrows. "Talldarkandhandsome."

"It is the general consensus."

"Yours too?"

"Lieutenant Colonel!" Ed protested. "That's not what I meant. I was just explaining that it was a fitting name, and Roy – I mean Mustang – is obviously aware of this. I expected something like AlmightyFlameAlchemy – which does fit, by the way, if only just – but apparently he wanted to be identified. Or that's more how he thinks of himself. Or something. I dunno." Ed thought a moment. He'd expected Hughes to say something by now, but the man just sat and looked expectantly at him. Ed ran back up the conversation. "It's not the only thing I'm confused about, though. I mean, you have to have heard of… ah… the new clothes Mustang and I are wearing."

Hughes' mouth twitched. "Something along those lines, yes."

"It wasn't my fault! It was pink. Pink isn't Roy's color. Colonel Mustang's, I mean. He looks better in green…"

"And apparently you look better in purple. Oh, don't look like that, it's definitely an improvement over the zipper, and that cloak of yours is downright tatty."

"Excuse me! That cloak –"

"Really must go. Colonel Mustang was right. In fact, you need an entirely new wardrobe. You should go shopping. Take Al with you, I think, he has good sense, and Falman and Hawkeye need new outfits, and Mustang has some sense as well as needing something to wear to the tournament. In fact, I'll organize some parties, shopping buddies and all that. Be sure to get an outfit for the tournament, Ed, it's next week remember."

"But –"

"Don't but, you asked me something to do. Unless you'd like to go over my Elysia-in-her-room-with-the-teddy-bear-she-named-after-Fuery albums?" Hughes rose, his excitement growing again. Ed leaped to his feet before he could be pinned again.

"Shopping will be fine. I'll go find Al."

"Good. You can go tomorrow. I'll have the parties drawn up by then." Hughes assured him. Ed galloped down the hall.

"AND QUIT CLANKING!" An officer in Hughes' hallway shouted after him.