March 3rd, 1974
There was one person Aldon could try to exert some control over, even if he was all the way in Central. So when he was fairly certain Ian should be home, Aldon picked up the phone and called Sara's house.
It only rang twice before a young male voice said, "Heimler residence, James speaking."
"Good evening, James. It's Uncle Aldon." He smiled on his end.
"Hi!' The mature formality dropped, replaced by enthusiasm. "Do you want to talk to Ian?"
"Is he available?"
"He should be. He's upstairs finishing a research paper."
"Great."
"I'll go get him."
Seconds later Aldon heard James distantly yelling up the stairs for Ian to come to the phone. Aldon noted he didn't tell Ian who it was.
Apparently, Ian was expecting a female caller. "Hello?" the voice was suave, and just a touch deeper than normal. Aldon knew that type of voice well.
"Sorry to disappoint you, lover boy, but I'm not your girlfriend."
"Dad?"
"Kill James later," Aldon chuckled. "I wanted to talk. You available?"
"Yeah, and I will do that," Ian replied, sounding mildly disgruntled. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Just checking in mostly, unless that's a crime now," Aldon replied. "It's not like I can keep up with everything you're up to just by reading magazines."
There was a moment of hesitation before Ian replied. "Or much of anything from magazines. Half of what they print is conjecture, and the other half rumor."
"So does that mean you haven't actually been out with the fifteen girls I've seen you in photos with?"
"Is that what you're worried about?" Ian asked, scoffing slightly. "It's all the magazine reporters blowing stuff out of proportion, Dad. I haven't been with that many girls."
Aldon considered that phrasing. "What do you mean been with?"
"Out with… geez!" Ian replied, sounding exasperated. "I haven't. Some of them are just friends who came with me to parties or openings. I didn't get romantically involved with all of them."
"How many of them?"
"Well, it's not like I can count every girl I've ever stood next to…" Ian's tone grew warier. "What is this about, Dad?"
"It just seems like a lot of girls," Aldon admitted. He couldn't see dating that many girls, not even when he was a teenager. "Wouldn't it make more sense just to find one you like?"
"And what, settle down before I finish high school?" Ian quipped. "Most of them are one-offs, or publicity shots. I don't really care how it looks, if you want to know. Everyone in the business has to deal with it, especially those of us with piles of teen and younger adult female fans. A hot commodity gets attention, and a lot of pretty dates."
"Well it's causing some problems." Aldon briefly sketched out the details of the article in the Resembool Times.
"So I'm getting growled at because someone's making stuff up?" Ian asked, sounding not at all sympathetic, merely annoyed. "You and Mom are awesome. If anyone asks me I'll tell them so. But I don't see how that means I should stop going out with girls if I want to. It's not like any of them are prostitutes."
Aldon winced, wishing Ian wouldn't say that so loud. "I'm sure they're not, but-"
"But nothing. It's my rep, and I can handle it," Ian cut him off, patience waning. "And it's not fair to blame me for what this other chick is saying! It's my life. I'm not breaking any rules, so lay off!"
"Well if you don't see something wrong with this situation, maybe you should take a step back and look at something other than girls," Aldon snapped back. "I didn't think your career was more important to you than your family."
"That's not what I said!"
"Isn't it what you implied?" Aldon retorted. "That your mother's feelings don't matter? It doesn't bother you at all that someone is using you against us?"
There was a long pause. "Okay, yeah, it does, but that doesn't make me the bad guy, does it? I'm hardly the only guy who's ever gone on a lot of first and second dates, or asked a girl to something as a friend. The difference is when I do it everyone wants to know about it. I didn't ask the press to start nosing into my private life."
"Fair point." Aldon sighed. "But I still don't approve."
"Fine," Ian replied. "I can live with that. Unless you're going to try and order me not to date for the rest of my adolescence."
"No, I'm not," Aldon replied. For one very good reason; he was certain it wouldn't work.
March 5th, 1974
Three days were enough to make Minxia about ready to go mad. The situation with Thrakos had not improved, not one wit. It just continued to go from bad to worse.
:Are you sure he's not coming?: Minxia asked Kerr, Thrakos' friend and roommate, as they all sat at the lunch table.
:I said yeah,: Kerr replied. :He skipped free period to have lunch with Korina, then they vanished. I haven't seen him.:
:Has he said anything about me?: Minxia pressed. She hated feeling like a desperate girlfriend, but it was not a fun place to be! She refused to consider 'ex' girlfriend. Something was just so very wrong about the whole thing. Like Thrakos' sudden lack of availability. He didn't talk to her during class, or after, and he hadn't come to a study session in all three days, but the one time she'd tried to corner him, he had said he was busy and couldn't talk, and vanished into a crowd.
Not wanting to make another embarrassing scene, Minxia had backed off.
:No, actually,: Kerr replied, scowling. :He's acting really odd. I mean, he's completely normal, until the subject of girls comes up. Then it's Korina this and Korina that and…"
When he cut off, Minxia glanced at Angelique who was making 'cut it out' motions with her hand. Angelique saw Minxia looking at her, and blushed. :Have you even asked him about me?:
:I tried,: Kerr assured her as he put mayonnaise on his sandwich, :But it was like talking to a wall. It was like he didn't even hear me say your name.:
:It's weird,: Minxia replied. :Unnatural even.:
:Minx… sometimes boys do stupid things,: Angelique commented gently.
:This is Thrakos,: Minxia pointed out in exasperation. :He's never behaved like this, ever. We all agree it's weird and out of character. I think something happened.:
:Bad food?: Kerr suggested.
Minxia almost rolled her eyes. :No, I think someone's tampered with him somehow. Put something in his food maybe.:
:Poison?: Angelique looked mildly lost.
:No, not poison,: Minxia snorted. :Alchemy.:
Both of her friends gave her highly skeptical looks. :Really, Minx? Not everyone here's an alchemist,: Angelique pointed out. :Do you think, really, that Korina is an alchemist? And what would she have made? We've been told repeatedly that love spells don't work.:
:I know that,: Minxia sighed. It was her only theory, and she didn't want to let it go. :But if she's not an alchemist, than she might know someone who is who would be willing to make something for her that would mess with Thrakos' memory, or his hormones. It's possible to do that much, even if it's not really a love potion.: In both cases, she was disgusted by the idea. But she wouldn't put it past Korina. She just didn't trust the girl.
Okay, so she didn't like the older girl because she was prowling around kissing Thrakos in every corner they could find. That didn't mean Minxia wasn't justified in her dislike, in her opinion.
:I guess,: Angelique replied. :What are you going to do though?:
:Get to the bottom of things,: Minxia replied firmly, even though she had little to no idea just how she was going to do that.
Minxia was paranoid all evening. It was far, far too easy to arrange to sneak into Korina's room while the other girl was occupied. For one thing, she and Thrakos were hardly hiding out. Korina made it very obvious that they were going out on a rather expensive date, in the earshot of anyone who might possibly be interested, and many who weren't. Certainly she talked about it incessantly around her friends, who Angelique had little trouble listening in on.
:Just call me the gossip queen,: she had chuckled as she told Minxia exactly what time Korina was leaving and roughly how late they'd be out, based on location and restaurant and everything else mentioned, like which movie they were going to. Minxia had looked up the movie times and determined she had a window of almost three hours to get into, and out of, Korina's room without being caught.
It was convenient that Korina had paid for a private single room. That meant there was no roommate to mess with. Only the fear of running into someone else on the floor without having a good alibi at the ready. Thankfully one of their classmates lived on that floor, so she had that excuse if need be, to abort the mission and not get herself in hot water.
The problems still remained of getting in and out of a locked door and searching without putting anything out of place.
There was nothing for it, Minxia decided finally. She was going to have to use alchemy. It was faster than learning to pick pockets, and quieter. As long as no one saw the light on her way in or out, she should be good to go.
What she expected to find, Minxia wasn't entirely sure either. Correspondence? Alchemy supplies? Something to prove that Korina was up to no good and had somehow made Thrakos start acting so odd he had completely forgotten about her literally overnight. It just wasn't natural!
Minxia fully intended to go to the teachers with this, but first she wanted some sort of evidence, or she was just going to sound like a scorned teenage girl angsting over stupid lost love or something.
Her heart was pounding as she approached Korina's dorm, trying to look casual; a book under her arm for class so it looked like she really might be going to talk to someone about something merely academic. It wouldn't be the first time she had done it.
Angelique and Kerr were both willing accomplices in this little espionage mission, and Minxia was grateful. She knew for certain that Korina and Thrakos had left campus over half an hour before. She had no idea how they had gotten permission, but she suspected it had to do with Korina's family connections.
Angelique had verified which room was Korina's, and Kerr was keeping an eye out, while doing what he did well, flirting with every girl who came in or out of the dorm. It actually made it easier to slip inside unnoticed.
Minxia swallowed and tried to keep to a steady stroll as she walked through the foyer, down the hall, past the living room, and up the staircases to the fourth floor, where Korina had one of the few private single rooms, on the top floor of the dorm. They were up under the gables, which meant they had interesting slanted ceilings, but no one who had one minded if it gave them privacy.
Given how social Korina was, Minxia wondered at the girl's insistence on her own room. Probably, she thought, it was just that Korina was snobby enough not to want to share her space. She was, Minxia thought, an only child as well. Maybe that had something to do with it.
She made it to the landing on the third floor before she hit her first hiccup.
:Minxia!:
She turned and saw Salea Rinner poke her head through the door onto the landing from the third floor. Minxia turned and gave Salea her best smile. :Hey, Salea. What's up?:
:Oh I was just working on a paper about Xingese commerce, and I saw you and thought, you know, maybe you could help me out? I'm a little confused on the monetary system.: Salea looked at her hopefully. :Lucky you came by.:
Lucky indeed. Minxia hated the delay, but it should only take a few minutes, and she wasn't known for blowing anyone off if they asked for help. It would be suspicious. :Sure. I was on my way to talk to Ainessa,: she held up her book. :But I'm sure she can wait.:
:Ainessa went to the library an hour ago,: Salea told her as Minxia reluctantly followed her to her room.
:Oh, well, then I'll have to find her after,: Minxia replied, as if it wasn't a big deal. :Thanks for letting me know.:
By the time she reached Korina's door, she had lost nearly half an hour, and Minxia had been lucky to give Salea the slip when the other girl went to the bathroom. Quietly, Minxia pulled a silk handkerchief out of her pocket on which she had already sketched the transmutation circle she would need to get into Korina's room. The last thing she needed was to waste time drawing circles.
Minxia placed the handkerchief over Korina's lock, and focused on simply getting a proper feel for the shape of the lock, then using alchemy to unlock the door without mangling the inside of the lock. A skeleton key of compressed air was malleable and very useful.
Korina's room was lavish, enough so that Minxia almost gagged at the amount of pale pink, lavender, and lace frills. Velvets, silks… it was more like a palace than a dorm room.
Minxia controlled her gag reflex and set to work carefully inspecting the room for any sign of foul play, but trying not to touch or move anything without putting it back exactly as it had been.
There was nothing on Korina's desk… not even studies or homework. It was spotless. Nothing on the bed, nor under it. Nothing on her bookshelves to even hint at any interest in alchemy; mostly because there were almost no books, just a few trendy magazines and her text books. Minxia knew Korina must study sometimes, because she bragged about her grades in several classes. Or she had until she had something new to brag about.
Minxia kept looking. Finally, the only place left was the closet which was, she discovered, also locked. Using the same alchemical transmutation, Minxia manipulated the closet lock.
She had struck gold! Or at least, alchemy. Minxia looked at the alchemy set in the closet, still full of some sort of lavender liquid, and knew she had found the evidence she needed. But how to prove it? There were no useful books or notes she could scavenge, and even if she did Korina would be sure to miss anything.
Thankfully, Minxia was not without resources. From her pocket, she pulled a tiny stoppered vial, and proceeded to pour a measure of the liquid into it, and close it tightly before wrapping it in cloth and putting it back in her pocket. She would have to have it analyzed and verify what it was before she had any sort of a real case to bring to the faculty. But at least she wasn't crazy! Angelique and Kerr would have to believe her now. Thrakos too, if she could just get a moment to talk to him when he wasn't completely out of his senses.
Somehow, Korina had to be feeding this stuff to Thrakos. Since they were eating together daily, slipping it into his food couldn't be all that difficult. Minxia wondered if she could get Thrakos away from her long enough for the effects of whatever the stuff was to wear off?
She heard footsteps in the hall and, panicked, Minxia closed the closet door, waiting, trying not to breathe loudly as the steps stopped outside the door. There was a knocking sound. :Room check.:
:Korina's not here Professor Pritchett,: Minxia heard another female voice. :She's out this evening. She got permission.:
A sniff of annoyance. :Very well then. We'll start with your room, Penelope.:
The footsteps faded away again, and Minxia started to breathe a little easier. It was time to get out of here! Quietly she dislodged herself from the closet, closed and relocked the closet door, then slipped back across the room and listened at the bedroom door. Assured that she heard nothing, Minxia cautiously opened the door…
The hallway was empty.
She slipped out of the room, relocked the door, and headed for the stairs, her book still under her arm, and she decided if she ran into Salea again, she would tell her that she had missed Ainessa at the library and had come back this way.
Thankfully, the excuse turned out not to be necessary. When she got back outside, Kerr had started juggling… and had half the dorm transfixed. Minxia almost stopped and stared herself. She hadn't known he could juggle!
Only common sense made her turn and head away from the dormitory as quickly as possible. She did not head towards her own dorm however, but headed straight for Grandpa Al and Grandma Elicia's campus apartment. If anyone could tell her quickly just what the purple liquid consisted of, it would be him.
Alphonse looked in puzzlement at the little jar his granddaughter had presented him with. "You want me to analyze a compound you found sitting unattended in a lab?"
"Yeah," Minxia nodded. "I have no idea exactly what's in it, but it's definitely alchemical."
"Well, that's true." And there was no reason a professor –and very few of them were alchemists- would have left something unattended in a student lab. "Let's have a look then." Al took the vial over to the kitchenette counter top and pulled out another small glass container. He poured the compound in so it would stand up on its own, then sketched out a transmutation circle on the counter that he used for determining the properties of existing compounds. It made it simpler to break it all down without doing hours of chemistry. "Watch carefully and see if you can pick up anything on how to do this," he offered with a soft chuckle as he set the glass cup on the circle.
"Why are you using a circle?" Minxia asked as she watched.
"Because not every single transmission uses the same circle," Al replied patiently. "So while I can do just about anything circulating energy through my body as a circle, sometimes it's just as useful, and instructive," he added, smiling at her, "to use the circle. If I didn't, could I have you follow?"
"Well, no," Minxia admitted, watching intently.
Al got to work as Minxia and Elicia watched quietly. It took him a couple of minutes to separate the compound into all its components. When he was done, he released the transmutation and the items in the cup were nothing left but an awkward mess. Al was glad he hadn't emptied the entire vial into the cup though. "Did you follow that?" he asked his grand-daughter.
"Most of it," Minxia replied. "I can identify all of the elements, but I don't understand exactly what they made."
"It looks like someone's botched attempt at a love potion," Al replied. "Not that it would actually create love, but it could seriously mess with someone's brain and their hormones. Are you sure you don't know who made this?" He didn't think she had done it, but that didn't mean she wasn't trying to help or cover for a friend.
"It's not me or a friend," Minxia shook her head. "I don't know for certain. Like I said, I found it. I… well honestly, I think I might know but, I need to deal with something first. Then, I promise, I'll tell you everything." Now she looked a little nervous.
Al sighed. He could press the issue, but he could also choose to trust her. "All right, but I look forward to that explanation. I've never seen this before, but it's a lot like the ones your mother has mentioned Xingese alkahestrists attempting."
"Are the effects permanent?" Minxia asked, and now she sounded too eager.
"No, they wouldn't be," Al shook his head. "I'd say they would wear off about every, oh, twelve to eighteen hours. If anyone wanted to use this, they would have to feed it to whomever they were drugging at least that often.
Minxia looked thoughtful, then nodded and looked at him, then at Elicia. "Be at breakfast in the morning, and I think maybe we'll all find out just what's up."
"And you're not going to tell us," Elicia commented.
"Sorry, Grandma," Minxia replied, looking honestly apologetic. "I just… it's my own mission, and I need to handle it."
"All right, as long as you aren't going to try any dangerous alchemy, I'll let it go," Al responded, looking her straight in the eyes.
Minxia did not look away. "I swear that I am not going to do any dangerous alchemy, or alkahestry. This isn't an academic or alchemical issue, really. This is just the evidence I need to help someone out."
"Does this have something to do with Thrakos Argyros?"
Minxia's face flushed, and Al knew he had hit the point right off. He resisted the urge to tell his granddaughter that sometimes guys just did stupid things, like forget about their friends under the influence of infatuation. Just because he and Ed hadn't been like that didn't mean it didn't happen.
"All right," Elicia cut in. "You need to get back to your dorm, young lady. We'll see you in the morning."
"Yes, Grandma." Minxia turned and hugged her, then turned back to Al and gave him a squeeze. "Good night, Grandpa." Then she hurried out.
Al glanced at the cup on the counter. He had a feeling whatever went down tomorrow, it was going to be interesting.
