WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? PICTURES? BESIDE STORY SUMMARIES? WHAT'S NEXT, A FOOTNOTE SECTION? (And then I see 'Upcoming – Notes Feature'… Okay, FF, I see how it is.) And summaries are longer! Yay! I don't have to cram a description into 255 characters! FF knows how to make a girl happy. Always the simple things. (Even if I don't like the new crammed-in look.)
So, just letting everyone know what an awesome time I had at SeishunCon last month. I was Casual France. With real fuzz. That did not belong to me. Poodles have many uses. (No animals were harmed in the making of my cosplay, but they were traumatized upon seeing me glue the fur they just lost, to my face.)
I'm also in the process of helping plan a large cosplay meet-up at the end of July. If you can make it to Atlanta and you enjoy either Hetalia, Kuroshitsuji, or Homestuck, come out to Centennial Olympic Park on the 21st for an Olympics styled set of games, from 11am to 3pm. I'll be the short Baldroy.
The Lovely Daaaarlings!
Cmggoncrazy: I'm glad he's alright! Haha, our tabby's the badass of the neighborhood. I can't count the amount of times he's come home with a new scratch.
Thank you! Yes, it's quite Riley of her, hah.
Gummy'Fish'Lover: I hate the security codes. I failed it three times when I was trying to sign in last week.
No, no he does not die if you keep it paused. In fact, if we get everyone who owns this movie to watch it, and then pause before he dies, I think the Earth will spin backwards and keep him alive, because that shit was messed up. (I think we all have problems, friend.)
IceFire Dragon Alchemist73: No harm done! Just wanted to make sure you remembered! xD
katsekala: Thank you! Hah, Shiori will bounce back. She's young.
CloudEnvyKunoichi: Haha, those pictures won't come for a while! I stopped by so many fabric stores looking for the right material to use, and the cheapest deal I could find was eighty dollars. This will take a little longer than I thought it would.
I don't know if I've looked for you on DevART yet, but I will definitely be doing that when I finish writing this.
Hah, at first I was worried Bolin was going to be nothing but a mood lightener. Now I think I like his character even more than Korra's. You make a good point about dialogue. I do think that's in part due to their era. Korra's generation is much more like ours, not to mention she's more of a teenager whereas Aang was still a child. As far as relationships for Korra, I'm very unsure about it at the moment. One thing I liked about Avatar was that Aang's relationships moved at a more realistic pace. We weren't even ten episodes in, and Korra's already exploring the back of Mako's throat, ahaha. And I agree with the individualistic episodes – I think that's my biggest problem with the show, really. It's kind of spastic and just… Too fast-pace. I like having to wait twenty episodes before seeing 'Final Showdown!' in giant letters on the screen.
Thanks for the review, however much it may have focused on Legend of Korra! I don't mind at all.
Shiinku: Shiinkuuu, you're spoiling meee…
I do want to make it known that the four chapters that took me so long to write were actually a part of the first story! Every chapter of this sequel has been written in this year and posted twenty-four hours after being written. I'm doing a much better job this time around, I think.
And yes! Bingo! That's it exactly. Finding her will offer him a partial answer and some kind of comfort – or, you know, agony.
I'm glad someone understands about my love for one of my own characters. I at least like most of my characters, but every once in a while, I come up with that one particular person I can't stop molding. And your examination of his role in the story, as well as Gregory's fears, are completely amazing to hear. It's awesome when someone else puts that kind of thought into something you create. Riley has a lot of obstacles coming her way.
I was very unsure about creating the dojo in the first story, and knowing that Riley had agreed to come back to it once her journey with Ed was over, I really wanted to try and 'upgrade it', so to speak.
Haha, I wondered if anyone would be taken back by Shiori's little joke! She's the kind of kid to prod some of the most sore spots a person may have, and the only person who would have the backbone to prod Riley's sore spot. And I loved that scene from FMA. Hah, that was where Riley got the inspiration for it.
Shiori and Daisuke are both from other parts of the world, and that's the short answer. Shiori's mother is Gregory's sister, but her father was of another culture, pretty much their version of Japan. He was given permission to name their first child (being Shiori) after his own mother. Daisuke comes from a long line of people with Japanese names, and his parents carried on the tradition.
And no worries! It was more or less starting chapter four that was a bit of an obstacle for me. The first few chapters were complicated for me, which is why I took a small hiatus before I posted chapter three. That one was a lot of fun to write, and I'm currently working on three other stories as well. This story is no burden at all – I've always had fun writing, sometimes I just have to force myself through a particular chapter in order to get back to the fun part. And in turn, I complain about it unnecessarily. xD
Mizunou: 'Al'ed! My new favorite term, hah!
You know, the idea of them being related did cross my mind. Like some kind of messed up soap-opera where Radley had a kid but Kevin and Clairessant agreed to take her as their own because he couldn't handle it or something like that. I decided to take a less dramatic approach. xD I know what you mean with making weird connections, I do it all the time.
Ninjapanda: Riley is not entirely lost just yet! There is hope. They're pretty much taking an FMA version of a cross-country road trip. Riley will be visiting some old friends along the way, and Daisuke and Shiori will want to check in on family, but other than that, it'll be aimless wandering. A bunch of adventures in one big journey.
Ohoho, you would be angry, would you?
Ausumist: Reading it back, I think I know what you mean. No, that was not intentional. It was more of an assumption on Riley's part. She knew Shiori was back there fuming, because she could almost see it in her mind, you know?
Silver Levi: Riley is always true to her word. Always. (And it may be nonsense, but by God, it's inspirational nonsense!)
AnimeVamp1997: Lawl, last year was hard for me, okay?
Blackburn is a daddy, yes. A sour-puss one, in the brooding, long-jacket wearing, kind of way.
AHAHAHAHA PREPARE FOR THE MIND-FUCKERY. (Oh jeez, I really am going to have to give this story an M-rating, aren't I?)
AddXC92: Oh how sweet Revenge can be. For the both of them. Mwahaha… Thank you! Glad you like it!
Kira-Harajuku: Your demand has been granted, madame (even if it took like a month. Pssh, who's counting anyway?) And thank you! I hope it does wind up being amazing. =w=
SIFProductionsdesu-yo: That is really weird. =I I have successfully managed to creep myself out at this point. But thank you! I'm glad you like the story! Flying Mint Bunny, indeed, friend.
Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha…
If I owned FullMetal Alchemist, I would use that power to shorten summer down to a few weeks and make Fall the primary weather. Do not debate this logic. You will not understand it. I do not understand it. But I believe in it. Believe, my friends, and you will be rewarded.
(This is me when I've been awake for two days.)
Chapter Five
The Lion's Den
Riley grabbed the back of Blackburn's coat, growling, "Now it's my turn."
Her hands heated up around his coat. Within seconds, his jacket blew up – just as he wrapped his fingers around her arm. Pain shot up through her arm and Riley lost control, as well as concentration. The explosion was much larger than expected, and Ed could hear both Blackburn's and Riley's screams over the sounds of the Riley's attack. His blood froze as he spotted Riley flying out of the dust, landing hard on her back. "Riley!"
It was on instinct that Ed's entire body tensed in rage. His fists clenched, surely turning his knuckles white. He even felt blood. Blackburn's eyes widened when he saw Ed, and that was enough. Blackburn remembered him.
So Ed lunged.
His fists went around Blackburn's neck in an instant, and the two flew toward the carpeted ground inside the house. There was a large thud from the impact, which did nothing but please Ed. He raised back one of his fists and sent it to Blackburn's face. There was a crack underneath his fist, but Ed had no chance to continue his attack before hands wrapped around his upper arms. He looked to either side of him, fully prepared to yell at whoever stopped him.
A bald boy stood there, perhaps a few years older than Ed. He was glaring down at the blond, a frown etched deep into his features. A woman had also made her entrance, helping Blackburn to his feet. Her auburn hair was tied, loosely, to the back of her head and her green eyes were watching Ed like a hawk. "Are you alright, Radley?" She asked, her voice bold and her tone firm.
Ed turned his attention back to said man, who was putting pressure against the bridge of his nose. "It's just a bloody nose," Blackburn replied, pulling out of the woman's grasp. "Nothing to fret over, Moa."
The woman, Moa, rose a skeptical brow as she looked down at him, but accepted the answer. She turned toward Ed, and stood straighter, preparing for any possibility. "Do you know this boy?" She questioned, eying his appearance and posture with small distaste.
For a quiet moment, Ed and Blackburn stared one another down. It was tense in the small office as the seconds passed. Ed wanted nothing more than for the boy behind him to let go; he could feel every bone in his body aching to lunge at the man. He knew Riley had killed Blackburn, but a part of him never stopped feeling responsible for letting Riley getting as hurt as she did. He wanted his own revenge.
"Yes, I know him," Blackburn spoke up, bringing Ed out of his thoughts. With a long sigh, Blackburn moved his glare off of Ed as he added, "I just called him short, it's nothing serious." More silence passed. The woman, Moa, appeared confused by Blackburn's response, while Ed began twitching. Just what game was Blackburn playing at? He knew who Ed was, he was the same Blackburn as before he crossed the gates, so what was the purpose of his lie? "Leave us," The man ordered with a calm tone, keeping eye contact with Ed all the while.
Moa seemed just as confused as Ed. She crossed her arms across her chest and the subtle muscles in her arms flexed. She moved to speak in protest, but catching sight of the boy restraining Ed, who shook his head at her, Moa gave a heavy sigh. "I'll be at the infirmary if you need me," She stated with a small nod. She waved her hand toward the boy behind Ed, and the two removed themselves from the situation.
Ed watched as they left the office. Just before the door behind them closed, Ed caught sight of a long hallway. He wondered just how large the building was – he wouldn't have been surprised if all the houses along the road outside were just there to cover a much larger continuation of rooms. Turning his glare back toward the man in front of him, Ed stepped forward, only to have Blackburn raise his hand. Returning the glare with a firm look of his own, Blackburn said, "Cause another scene and I will have you thrown out."
Knowing how much authority Blackburn seemed to have, Ed dimmed his glare and loosened his fists. "You remember," He growled, though he wasn't sure what good it would do him.
Blackburn sighed. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he gave a nod and said, "Yes, I remember. Judging from your reaction, you died then, too."
"To save my brother," Ed snapped in response.
He was quick to notice Blackburn rolling his eyes as said man leaned forward. "Well how wonderful, shall we build a statue in your honor?" He hissed out vehemently under his breath. He ignored Ed's intense glare as he repositioned his jacket. "We all were fighting for something we lost, Elric," He added as he walked toward the desk in the corner of the room.
Ed's irritation rose. Was this man serious? Ed lost his life, so that his brother could live. They lost limbs and childhoods and friends, and Blackburn was honestly belittling all of that? "What did you lose, future victims?" He exclaimed.
Blackburn spun on his booted heel, glaring down at Ed with an expression of pure rage. He opened his mouth to speak, yell, or scream in anger, but he was caught off. "Who is this?"
The new voice was deep, smooth, and without emotion, and it cut through the tension in the air like a bullet. Blackburn straightened at the sound and Ed felt his own back and shoulders stiffen as he looked to face the new man.
He was tall, probably standing a few inches above Blackburn, and his lean build made him appear even more intimidating than one would think. His skin was a deep tan, hinting at the time he spent under the sun. His hair, long and black, reached his shoulders and several strands were fading into a matured gray. Bangs, nose-length, swept around the sides of chillingly dark brown eyes, which were deep set and shadowed under his brows. His lips thin, his nose straight and long, he stared down the room at the two men before him.
Clearing his throat, Blackburn stood straight and turned his gaze toward the ground in respect. "Edward Elric," He replied, "An… Acquaintance."
The man's gaze turned onto Ed, who felt far smaller than he preferred. This was odd to him; he hadn't felt this way with any of the authority figures in the military. It was a frozen kind of feeling, one of inferiority. Ed hated it. The man glanced toward Blackburn with curiosity, asking, "Why is he here?"
Blackburn cleared his throat as he tugged at the collar of his coat. His eyes darted to Ed, narrowed, holding the same question as the stranger in the doorway. Ed turned his head downward and clenched his fists together. Noticing this, Blackburn let out a small sigh. "He's… Here for recruitment, Sir," He spoke as a mischievous look sparkled in his eyes. Whatever was going through his mind, Ed was sure he didn't want to know.
The room was quiet as this man stepped toward them. He stopped when he reached Ed, and examined the boy with close scrutiny. The frown tugging at his lips was tight and judgmental, and Ed began to regret coming. "No, I'm here for Riley," He told himself with determination. He would stand his ground. He had to, for her.
"And you're recommending him, Radley?" He questioned without turning toward Blackburn.
Said man nodded, much to Ed's surprise. Ed watched him with confusion as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Elric is… Good, at what he does. He's also Hohenheim's boy," He replied with a blank tone and an emotionless expression.
Ed felt his nerves tensing, though he didn't fail to notice the man in front of him bare a small change in posture at the mention of Hohenheim. How did Ed's father figure into this, and how did Blackburn know him? He thought back to his last moments in Amestris, where he'd witnessed Blackburn working for Dante. Perhaps through her, but why did it matter here? There was something else, he was sure of it.
"Well, he sounds fairly qualified," The man in front of him mused under his breath before twisting his torso. Looking to Blackburn, he ordered, "Very well… Have Moa check him over. If she gives him an approval, he'll be under your watch until we can do any official tests."
As if he hadn't seen enough that day, Ed watched Blackburn bow. With an arm resting across his stomach, he nodded and muttered, "Master Mauler."
He looked back to Ed, who almost stumbled to the floor in shock. "Mauler?" He whispered, returning the hard stare. "You're Kevin Mauler?" He asked, his voice loud in an incredulous tone.
"Good to see he isn't totally daft," Kevin commented with a steely voice as he left the room.
What color was there flushed from Ed's face. Kevin Mauler, the Kevin Mauler, leader of the Rebellion Army, the man who led soldiers into battle against the government, cities, and monsters in the form of people, insulted him. He mocked him, belittled him, made fun of him, condescended him – and Ed did not feel the urge to hit something. That in itself told him of Kevin Mauler's strength, and that scared him a little. He had no idea Riley's father was like this.
Before Ed could assess his situation fully, he felt Blackburn's fingers wrapping around his upper arm. As Ed looked up at him, Blackburn began pulling him to a door at the left of the room. Ed yanked himself free. With a strong glare fixed on Blackburn, Ed's fingers curled into tight fists. "What are you planning?" He growled, his suspicion clear.
The man standing in front of Ed rolled his eyes. "Calm yourself, boy," He started, stepping toward Ed to speak in lower tones, "I assume you're here for her, yes?"
Comments surprising him, Ed leaned away with wider eyes. "I…"
Sighing, Blackburn gave a small frown. "No one gets to her unless they're part of the Rebellion. You included," He explained through narrowed eyes.
Ed almost stumbled backwards yet again. His fists loosened even more as he tried searching Blackburn's face for deceit. There was no way this man was willing to help. "You're putting me in the Rebellion?" He asked in surprise.
Blackburn shook his head. "I'm putting you in training," He corrected. Ed twitched a little at how smug he sounded, but ignored it for the time being. "Unless, of course, you want to walk away now. Just don't expect to see her," Blackburn commented, crossing his leather clad arms over one another.
It kind of amazed Ed how even when Blackburn was offering to help someone, he was still a smug, blackmailing bastard about it. Taking in a deep breath to cool down, Ed gave him a subtle nod. "Fine, I'll… I'll join the Rebellion," he muttered out, all the while knowing he had no clue as to what he was getting himself into.
The smirk that appeared on Blackburn's face was condescending and arrogant. It pissed Ed off. "You mean you'll try. We don't even know if we want you, Elric," He mocked as he turned to the door he was about to lead Ed through. Ed's fingers curled into a fist, but he held back his anger as best he could, instead following Blackburn through the door.
The hallway behind it was just as Ed suspected. It was long, far too long to fit in the narrow house he'd entered. All the houses along the street were just covers – probably used film sets the Rebellion managed to collect over time to hide their real building. Everything in sight looked clean, with white walls, a smooth white tile floor, and lights strung up all the way down the wall. There were several doors to Ed's right, many of which were closed. The few that weren't looked in at personal chambers, where one or two soldiers were residing, watching Blackburn and Ed pass by with curiosity.
Ed suddenly felt confined, a ball of anxiety rising in the pit of his stomach. He began to regret his rash decisions, realizing he was in over his head even more than he first thought. With each door that passed, he felt worse. Blackburn's boots tapped on the floor, echoing in the hallway and ringing through Ed's ears, making him feel sick. After several moments of silence, Blackburn stopped at the end of the hall, where one door sat in front of him, and one at his right. He turned to the door at his right and opened it, walking into the room without glancing back to see if Ed still followed.
A moment of hesitation passed through Ed. He could leave then, if he wanted to, and not look back. But only then, could he. If he walked through those doors, he knew he was in this for the long run. A part of him told him to turn back while he still could, that he was about to throw himself straight into the lion's den. A much larger part of him demanded he continue, that Riley was connected to this organization, that if he felt he was in danger, then Riley surely was, and he couldn't walk away knowing he could try and protect her. And then there was a tiny voice in the back of his head, telling him Riley did not need his protection. That she was strong, and she was just fine without him, and it would be better for him to run back home.
"Just stop! Do you have any idea how hard I tried to move on? I don't want to hear about it!"
Ed almost winced as Riley's voice played through his mind. No, she wasn't as strong as he thought she was. She wasn't as strong as she thought she was. He hated it, that she was a world away from him, and he could do nothing to help her. The least he could do was be here, in this world, for her. Right?
With a deep scowl, he walked into the room. He was welcomed by the sight of an infirmary, which looked even brighter and cleaner than the hallway had. There were counters lining the back wall, with a large window placed over them, looking out into what appeared to be a large training field. A table sat in the middle of the room and a cot was folded up in the right corner closest to Ed, with a desk by the wall to the right, which was scattered with papers, folders, office supplies, and a desk lamp which sat on the edge. The counters themselves were bare of objects, though Ed was sure the drawers underneath the counter tops told a different story. A narrow refrigerator sat in the far right corner, in between the counters and the desk, and it hummed with power. The left wall was bare, aside from some free-standing equipment Ed didn't want to know the uses of.
The woman from before, Moa, sat at the desk, scribbling away on a thick notepad as she muttered to herself. Ed took the time to examine her closer now that she wasn't glaring at him with disdain. She looked fragile, despite the faint muscles in her arms and legs. If it weren't for her long hair being a heavy mix of light brown and white, and the aging to her hands, Ed would have assumed she was much younger than she was.
Blackburn cleared his throat. The woman tossed her free hand over her head, waving him off as she continue to write. "Yes, yes, I know you're there," She snapped, before poking the notepad with the last of her writing. Placing her pencil down, she leaned back into her chair and turned to look up at them. A scowl replaced her neutral expression when she spotted Ed. "What's he still doing here, Radley?"
Ed took the initiative to speak up, looking across the room at the woman. "I'm here to join the Rebellion," He told her with a determined tone.
Moa snorted, resting her elbows onto the arms of the chair. She crossed one leg over the other, eying the boy. "Maybe you'll learn some manners while you're here," She commented before turning her gaze back toward Blackburn. With an exasperated sigh, she nodded to him. "I'll give him an examination. Wait outside," She said as she pushed herself to her feet, smoothing out her skirt. Shooting Ed a warning look, Blackburn turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving Ed with the doctor. Moa pointed to the table in the middle of the room as she pushed her chair in, saying, "Sit up on the table, Kid. There's a box underneath it if you need some help."
Twitching, Ed glared at the back of her head as he hopped up onto the table. He rested his elbows on his knees, watching as Moa slipped on her coat and grabbed her notebook. She turned toward him, dropping her notebook onto the table beside him as she flicked her pencil between her fingers. She moved with speed and precision despite her aging, managing to wrap a cloth around his arm with one hand as she wrote notes with the other.
"You want to join the Rebellion, huh?"
Ed looked toward her as the cuff on his arm did its job, tightening around him. "Yeah, what of it?" He snapped a little quicker and firmer than he intended.
She didn't let him go with it. She yanked the cuff from his arm once she had her information, glaring down at him. "It's 'Yes, ma'am,' and, 'Why do you ask?'" She corrected, hissing through her teeth.
With a large scowl, he muttered blankly, "Yes, ma'am, why do you ask?"
He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he saw the corners of her lips twitch upward. "You're getting better," She remarked as she put away the sphygmomanometer. She turned back toward him, "Now you just need to learn not to put your elbows on the table and keep your mouth closed when it's full." He said nothing to this as she scribbled more notes into her notebook. He glanced over at it, noticing a small profile of his details, written under his name. "Why?"
"What?" He asked, startled out of his own thoughts as he looked back up to the woman, whose eyes were still on her notebook.
Moa sighed, shooting him a sharp expression before turning back to her work. "Why do you want to join the Rebellion?" She questioned, before pausing in her writing to look up at him fully and examine his features.
Ed went quiet. He had not planned of a story to tell other people. Blackburn already knew the truth, but that wasn't something that was meant to be spread around. Thinking back to the conversation he'd overheard in the bar, he came up with a quick excuse. "The Nazi party's not going to end well. I want to help stop it," He replied.
The woman rose a thin brow. "This isn't going to be all fun and games, Kid. You better make sure you're prepared," She warned him.
A darker look crossed over Ed's features as he looked away from the woman. Nostalgia rushed through him as he tightened his fists. "Yeah… I'm pretty prepared," He muttered under his breath. They both knew it was to himself more than anything.
Crossing her arms, Moa leaned against the table as she nodded to his arms. "I imagine those fake limbs put that sour look on your face?" She piped up, a knowing look on her own face. Ed turned toward her with surprise, but she pursed her lips. "I know fake body parts when I see 'em, Kid."
"…" Frowning, Ed nodding, flexing the fingers of his synthetic arm. "Yeah, this arm and leg may have something to do with it," He mumbled in response, not caring how vague he sounded.
Moa watched him for several minutes with an unreadable expression. It was clear to her that Ed was far more experienced than most his age. Probably more than half of those in the Rebellion. Finally, she nodded and stood away from the table, uncrossing her arms in order to fold her notebook shut. "Well I'm done, here. Take the door on your right when you leave. Radley will spar with you and I'll assess your physical state from here," She explained as she moved her notebook toward one of the counters under the large window. "And don't get too beat up, Kid. We don't do hospital drop-off."
Ed's eyes widened as she spoke, looking between her, the window, and the exit. He was… Going to spar with Blackburn?
Anxiety, anticipation, and a little bit of panic ran through Ed's veins. He had known from the beginning when he caught the sparkle in Blackburn's eyes that there was something he was planning. This is what it was.
Can you tell I threw in 'sphygmomanometer' for the hell of it? Cause I did.
Be Responsible. Don't Flame and Drive! Rawr.