The night continued, and it wasn't long before then men I was entertaining became boisterous with drink. I handled their attentions and demands with grace, as I had every day at the Plaid Skirt for a year, making their requests and taking their coin for the grateful barmaid. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to pay my and Alphonse's room and board. It reminded me strongly of my time with my master, almost an entire year ago. I wondered how he was doing. I hoped he wasn't giving Tanya and the other barmaids too much trouble, that perverted old man. I should give him a call when I had a moment after this mission.
Al sat on the other side of the dining area from me, speaking with Holling and his son. I noticed that they had given him a plate of food, which he had not touched for obvious reasons. Usually Al would have to pretend to eat to keep up appearances, but this time he did not touch it at all. Maybe he was saving it for Ed, who had been thrown out before he had gotten a chance to eat. Poor kid must be starving, I thought guiltily. Maybe we should have gone after him. I looked through the cabinets behind the bar, looking for some fresh ingredients. I pulled out what looked like some blood oranges. Huh, that gave me an idea. I grabbed a few and added them to the other ingredients I had gathered.
"Ok, everyone," I shouted, gaining the attention of the majority of the bar's patrons, "I've got a special treat for you. I call this drink the Bloody Hell, and it's my own recipe like nothing you've ever tasted in this land!" And it wouldn't be like anything they had ever tasted, because it took a true American to come up with such a crazy recipe. Party on. I began juicing the oranges with a juicer jammed between the bar and the wall, compensating for my lack of limb. Luckily, there was plenty of beer around, because that was the main ingredient for what I had in mind. That, and jalapenos. Oh yes. I glanced around discretely to make sure I had everyone's attention, and it looked like I was succeeding for the most part. I waved at Al, and the boy seemed to catch my drift. He grabbed his plate of food before quietly slipping out the door, unnoticed.
A handsome man shouldered his way to the bar and leaned against the counter, grabbing my attention. He was a blond with bright blue eyes, like the majority of the people I had encountered in Amestris. He leaned over the bar like the other patrons and watched in fascination as I sliced jalapenos and added it to my concoction in the large mixer. "Just who do you think is going to drink that thing," he asked in a low disbelieving tone. The other patrons nodded in agreement, a little disturbed by my recipe. I began to shake the drink with a flourish and gave a mischievous grin.
"Only the bravest of men can handle this drink," I teased. I took out a tumbler and poured my bright red concoction over a large ice cube. At my challenging look, the young man squared his shoulders and took the proffered drink. The men around us gaped in anticipation as the blond brought the drink to his lips. He flinched slightly at the smell before steeling himself taking a large gulp. I winced. Maybe I should have warned him. Immediately, his face turned bright red, and he began hacking as the men around him guffawed loudly, boisterously slapping the youth on the back.
I clapped my hands together. "Right, anyone else want a taste?" Everyone put their hands up and nervously shook their heads, although many still shook with laughter. I shrugged and poured myself a shot in my own tumbler. I took a sip of the drink, like you are supposed to, and let the tingling flavor wash over my tongue, to the exclamations of the men around me. I smiled, feeling my cheeks heat up at the familiar spice. I used to drink these all the time back in my other life, and although it tasted a little different in the body I was in now, it still felt the same. At my pleasured expression, the patrons gaped at me in disbelief. They glanced at each other before they started loudly demanding a glass. I chuckle and complied, amusing myself by watching their expressions as they tried the drink for the first time. Swiftly, the pile of money I was collecting grew. Should be just enough to cover our expenses, I thought smugly.
I took another sip and sighed in contentment. Man, I had missed having a good drink. Orkan had never let me have any, the old bastard. The young man from earlier suddenly grabbed my hand pulling me out of my thoughts. He leaned forward over the bar, a charming grin on his face. "You're an impressive one aren't you?"
"Nah, I've just been a bartender before, that's all," I said back smoothly, although I had a blush on my face. Because of the drink, not because he was good looking and clutching my hand. Obviously.
"You know, you said earlier that you wouldn't stick around because that man wasn't your type. So tell me, what is your type?" He hooded his eyes and leaned forward, and I blushed hotly. Was he…coming on to me? I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out.
"Um…" I mumbled, not sure just what to say.
"Because you know…" he pulled me forward and whispered in my ear. My heart started pounding as he got closer. I could feel the heat from his face and his gold hair showed brightly in the subdued light. The closer this guy got, the more attractive he became. He leaned to the side suddenly and pointed across the bar where a pretty young lady sat. "My sister is available!" He shouted exuberantly.
My jaw dropped open in shock and my head smacked on the bar dramatically as I slumped forward. I sighed in disappointment. Of course he was going to introduce me to his sister. I'm a guy now. All of my energy drained out of me and my inner voice cried out in annoyance.
"Big brother," the girl sitting across the way screamed, an angry blush on her face, "stop trying to marry me off to every random guy you find impressive!"
"But I can't help it!" The older brother, who was still clutching my hand, wheedled back, "that farm boy you like just isn't good enough! You should marry someone I approve of!" I furrowed my brow in annoyance, trying to yank my hand back. There wasn't enough alcohol on the planet to deal with this nonsense.
The girl stood up and smacked the guys grip on my hand away before dragging her brother out of the room, yelling all the while. The other customers chuckled as if this was a daily occurrence before going back to their conversations. I threw back the rest of my drink with a slight gag at the taste and slumped back on the bar, my good humor gone. The patrons continued to chat around me, but I ignored them as I sulked.
A man slapped me on the back and laughed drunkenly. "Don't worry, boy. A good lookin' kid like you is sure to get plenty of women chasing him in his life!"
"Erm, no…that's not…" I tried, but gave up before I finished. What was I supposed to say? That I wasn't interested in girls? That would fly over well.
The man beside me suddenly tensed and grabbed my shoulder roughly. "Hey, what–" I protested, but then I noticed that everyone in the bar had become deathly silent. Tension hung in the air and the previously boisterous miners now wore stony expressions.
A group of men stood in the center of the inn, all wearing military blues. Two of them were large and burly, as fit as the miners around me. The one in front was a lanky fellow with a balding head and a sour expression. He covered his face with a handkerchief and looked down on the patrons haughtily.
"Holling, your inn is delightfully filthy as always," the lead man said with a wheedling high voice. His words dripped with contempt and malice, and I took an instant dislike to him. "It seems like the rumors of this place being a gathering spot for thugs and ruffians was true."
Holling glared menacingly at the arrogant man and I could almost hear him grinding his teeth from some yards away. "Lieutenant Yoki," he growled, "you should cover your face more often. It's a good look for you."
"Enough small talk," the man snapped. "I'm here to collect the taxes on this place. You are late. In fact, I could say the same for all of the people of this town." I could feel the people in close proximity to me tense further, and the man who was holding me tightened his grip.
"Our wages are too low to pay the taxes, sir," Holling gritted out.
"You are paid so little because that's what you men are worth," one of the men behind Yoki, a tall man with short cropped black hair and grey eyes, stated coldly.
"What!" A man beside Holling stood and banged his hands on a table angrily. "You can't just lower our wages and raise the taxes and still expect us to –" He was cut off rudely by the other of Yoki's guards, an older guy with a bald head and a hard expression.
"The State has given Lieutenant Yoki full authority over this mine. You would do well to learn your place," he interrupted in a clipped tone, crossing his considerable arms.
Another man shouted angrily from the crowd. "He only got to where he is by taking all the money we sweat and bled for and using it to bribe the higher ups!"
Yoki laughed mockingly. "If you've got it all figured out, then maybe you should try bribing me?" I grit my teeth in anger and reached for a tonfa behind my back. This guy was really starting to get on my last nerve. If this was what these people had to deal with on a daily basis, then I completely understood why they hated the military so much. "But don't blame me," Yoki continued haughtily, "Because you have to grease the wheels. It's the way of the world."
Anger at this contemptuous man rose within me and I grabbed ahold of my weapon, but someone else beat me to the punch. Kyle, Holling's son, yelled out in fury and threw a glass at Yoki's smug face. In a blur of motion, the black haired man behind Yoki pulled out a sword and the glass shattered off the flat of his blade. Yoki's expression, if it was possible got even more smug. "Don't kill him Barret, we just want to make an example of him."
"Yes sir," Barret grunted, walking menacingly forward. I tried to jump over the bar, but the patrons in front of me, who had closed ranks when the man had drawn his weapon, blocked me. The man holding onto me held me back, and I tried vainly to shake his grip.
Kyle stumbled back in fear with a cry and fell.
"Kyle, no!" Holling rushed forward, only to be brutally put down by the other guard. Kyle's mother screamed out in distress as Berret lifted the sword above the trembling boy, and the rest of the patrons stood aside in shock.
He brought the blade down, only to be blocked with a loud clang. Edward, who had followed the men into the bar without any notice, held his automail arm above his head, holding the sword in place. I relaxed back cautiously, content to watch now that the danger was passed.
"Who the hell are you," Yoki shouted angrily.
Edward pushed the large man back, and he backed off without a fight. Ed stuffed his hands in his pockets. "When I heard the Lieutenant would be dropping in, I thought I would come by and say hello." The blond pulled his out silver pocket watch and grinned arrogantly.
Yoki's jaw dropped. "State Alchemist," he whispered. "Emest, let him up." Yoki snapped at his other guard, who was still pinning Holling to the floor. The man let Holling up and both the burly guards snapped a salute to Ed. Yoki plastered on a sleazy smile and folded his hands together. "Please forgive my men, they tend to get a little overzealous at times when it comes to their duties. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Ed lifted his brow. "I'm just here to do a little inspection," he said casually.
"An inspection? Marvelous. Please, I would be delighted to invite you to my mansion for the duration of your stay. I hope you haven't had too much trouble with these riff-raff."
Yoki gestured towards the door and Edward walked out ahead of him, Yoki and his guards falling into step behind him. Berret slammed the door behind them, and the occupants of the room slowly relaxed.
"Those dogs," the man holding me back spat. He patted me on the shoulder and finally let go. I rubbed my arm for circulation.
"So that was Yoki," I said to myself. I wished Edward all the best of luck. I had no inclination to follow him out of the inn. The night was slowing down, since everyone appeared to have lost their good moods due to the military's arrival, and I was no longer needed behind the bar. I spotted Al on the other side of the room and sidled over. "Well, that was a huge load of drama," I said, leaning against the wall next to the suit of armor.
"Yeah," Al said. "I feel sorry for these people, having to put up with someone like him. The military is supposed to protect people, not extort them."
I shrugged, agreeing. "I think this town is just a little too out of the way, and no one is really paying attention to what is going on out here. It could just be that no one in Central Command has noticed."
"Maybe," Al said doubtfully. "Do you think brother will be ok?"
"I'm sure Ed can handle it. He's got more brains in his little finger than Yoki has in his whole body." I pushed off the wall. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'm beat."
o-0-o
The room we were given was a small, only containing two twin sized beds and a desk. I dropped my bag containing my travel gear at the foot of one of the beds and threw open the window, leaning against it and breathing in the night air. I was exhausted mentally and physically, from all that had happened. It felt like I hadn't caught a break since before…Well, the constant movement was taking its toll. I shuffled over to the desk, which had a small washbasin on it, and gingerly began to unbind my hand. I winced at what I found. The flesh around the stitches was red and inflamed, swelled a bit grotesquely. At least it did not look infected after all I had put it through in the last couple of days, although it ached horribly.
Alphonse clanked up behind me. "Here, let me help." He extended his hand, but I shied away from his touch. He pulled back slightly.
"No, it's fine, I've got it," I said stubbornly, struggling to open the pouch containing the medicine I would need to clean the wound. I growled as the seam refused to come apart. I pulled one end with my teeth and yanked viciously, entirely impatient after my long day.
"Alex," Alphonse tried, reaching out to take the pouch. I jerked away from him and shook my head. Unconsciously I tried to move my other hand to help, and pain zinged down my arm, causing me to flinch.
"Alex," Alphonse snapped, his voice ringing loudly through his armor and into the room. Startled, I jumped and dropped the pouch. I looked up at Al with wide eyes, surprised at his sudden outburst. "Quit being an idiot and let me help you," he said, at the end of his patience.
I avoided his eyes. "I can do it, really –"
"No," Alphonse said, "you can't. You can't keep avoiding me forever."
My mouth opened with a ready denial at the tip of my tongue, but it never made it past my lips. I hung my head. He was right of course. I had been avoiding his touch ever since I woke up. But it wasn't like I didn't have a good reason!
"Look," Al said, taking in the stubborn set of my jaw, "I know you've been feeling stressed lately, I get it. But you are hurting yourself by avoiding me." He sighed as my expression did not change. "Just let me take care of your wound. I will not let you hurt yourself over this."
Al extended his and again for my own and irrational anger spiked within me. I grit my teeth but grudgingly admitted to myself that Alphonse had a point. I really couldn't take care of this wound on my own. I extended my hand, feeling like a reprimanded child.
Alphonse took it gently, careful to both suppress his emotions and not to jostle the wound. He flinched slightly at my inner turmoil, but did not comment as he diligently began applying medicine to my wound and rewrapping it. As he was in contact with my skin, I felt all of his concern and worry, and more than a little bit of hurt, and it only made me angrier, even though I couldn't really rationalize why.
"You are in a lot of pain," Al said quietly. I grunted in response. Of course I was, I got stabbed in the hand! Al shook his head, his armor clanking slightly, as if reading my thoughts. "Not just your hand. You're hurting on the inside." He tied off the gauze.
I jerked my hand back as soon as he was finished. "Yes, I get it, you can feel my every emotion. You don't need to broadcast it," hissed defensively.
"Alex," Al said gently, "I don't need to be in contact with you to sense when you are in pain."
For one terrifying moment, I thought Alphonse meant that he could feel my emotions physically even without touching, but then I realized what he meant. It wasn't our strange connection; it was Al's natural empathy. I thought back to the emotions he had broadcasted to me, and my anger drained away, leaving only emptiness. He was just worried about me. I sighed and flopped back onto the bead, ignoring how it squeaked obnoxiously. I threw my arm over my face to hide my eyes, blocking out the dim light.
"I'm sorry, Al," I whispered. "I know I've been kind of a jerk lately. When this mission is over…I'll talk to you then. Just give me a little more time…"
"…Ok," Al said. I could hear him clanking to the other side of the room and back, and I felt him gently pull a blanket over me. "Just remember: Ed and I are here for you. You don't have to bear any of this alone."
I nodded and fell still, allowing myself to relax my tired muscles completely. The last thing I heard before falling asleep was Alphonse clanking to the other bed, preparing to enter his nightly vigil.
o-0-o
Edward glanced around his surroundings with a vague look of interest on his face, although inside he was seething with annoyance. He was in a large dining room in Yoki's mansion, waiting for his meal to be served. The floors and walls of the hall were a smooth white marble and the edges of the windows and the faux columns that decorated the walls were trimmed in gold. The only furniture in the overly spacious room was the long stately table at which he and his host sat, covered in a white tablecloth and various expensive looking tableware.
Yoki sat across from him, a smug expression on his pompous face. Ed remained impassive as the man spouted platitudes and flattery in his direction.
"It's such an honor for me to be hosting a genuine State Alchemist such as yourself in my humble abode." Ed snorted internally, humble his automail foot. "I hope the food is to your liking. I tried to have something prepared that would fit your refined taste."
Ed glanced down as a maid placed a plate in front of him. All it had on it was a small cut of meat slathered in gravy. He held back a grimace of distaste. How was that supposed to fill him up?
"You sure are eating well, considering the economic conditions of the town," Ed commented dryly, not bothering to pick up one of the three forks sitting next to his gold trimmed plate.
"Times are hard for all of us," Yoki stated smoothly, sidestepping the obvious jab. "I tell you, I have had a lot of trouble collecting taxes from those rowdy towns folk." He folded his hands delicately together. "And those miners can be so brutishly obstinate sometimes, as you saw."
"And by obstinate, you mean asserting their rights and refusing to pay more than they earn," Ed drolled, expression neutral.
"See, you get it! I knew you were a man of great understanding!"
"To understand the world you only need to grasp one thing, the concept of Equivalent Exchange, the founding rule of Alchemy. You can't get without giving. Right?" Ed clicked his teeth together at the last 't', his eyes hooded.
"Absolutely, eloquently put. I myself have always conducted business under a similar guiding principle. In the spirit of which…Kyla?" A young maid delicately placed a velvet bag next to Edward's elbow and slid it forward. It clanked as it came to a stop, hinting at its contents. "This is just a small token of my appreciation."
Ed glanced at the bag. "This supposed to be some kind of bribe, Yoki?"
"That is such an ugly word. Let's just call it a gift from me to you. Now," Yoki leaned forward and laced his fingers in front of his face, "about your inspection of the mine."
Ed closed his eyes. "Yeah, I think I catch your drift," he said blandly.
Yoki grinned, pleased. "I just knew we would reach an understanding, you and I. Oh, and I have a feeling the townspeople will start behaving very shortly."
The way the sleazy man said it made Edward's skin crawl, but he accepted his terms for the moment. There was little he could do at that point. He needed to regroup with his brothers, and then he would figure out just what to do about Yoki and his thugs.
After dinner, Ed was led to a spacious bedroom with a four-poster bed and a view of the town below. He washed his face in a water basin placed on a lavishly decorated desk and flopped back on the bed to think on what he had learned. From what he could tell, Yoki had free reign out here in the boonies, with virtually no military supervision. He wondered idly if Yoki had bribed every Alchemist who had come to inspect his mine or if they just hadn't cared about the economical situation of the town. Either way, Yoki had to go. But how? Ed contemplated this for a couple hours before falling into a light doze, tired from the events of the day.
His slumber was interrupted as a violent explosion echoed off the canyons surrounding the town. Ed sat up, startled, and looked out the window. His heart leapt into his throat and he cursed. Down at the edge of town, the inn where his two brothers were staying was on fire.
There you go. A little bit of humor, a dash of action, and a sprinkle of angsty sweetness. I hope you guys enjoyed this. Yes, Lyra isn't there. Because reasons. Don't sweat it. Man, this chapter was freaking long. My fingers are going to fall off, but I just didn't feel right leaving it without addressing Yoki's bribery. Plus, I don't really like ending too many scenes with people falling asleep. I feel like I do that way to often.
Dudes, I saw a FMA story that was just as long as mine, and it had like 230 followers. I was freaking jealous! But then I realized that that story had been out for a year, and mine has only been out for what, a month? I now have a goal to reach 230 followers by the end of its first year(I can dream right?)! But no worries, even if I don't come close, I'll still keep writing. I just think it's fun. That and all your great reviews of course. They give me warm fuzzies. Next Chapter: BOOM! And some other fun stuff. Not sure yet. Thanks for all ya'lls support! See you next time!