June 17th, 1997
Ian could not help staring at himself in the mirror in the wardrobe trailer, mostly because he almost didn't recognize himself. Make-up and wardrobe always amazed him, and while he was used to being done up to look sexy, or ruggedly athletic…. This was an entirely different set of skills he was not used to.
For one thing, he actually looked his age, if not several years older. And not in an aging-well kind of way. His hair was brushed back in such a way that it looked less full, and like his hairline was receding. His skin looked a bit sallow, as if it belonged to someone who did not sleep or eat properly, and his face looked somehow rounder, all done with make-up. He looked like he was slowly drinking his life away. In a long-sleeve farm shirt sized to fit his normal frame, but carefully padded out inside the sleeves to make his arms look wider, but without the muscle definition. Then there was the body-suit that added nearly forty pounds of a belly onto his stomach, Ian definitely did not feel like himself. He stood differently; his muscles definitely reacted differently to the added weight on his frame. The shirt strained over the stomach in an unsettlingly realistic way.
Then it hit him. Damn… I really do look like Urey after Cayla died. Other than being older anyway. He and his brother had always looked similar enough in that being-brothers kind of way, but suddenly it struck Ian precisely how much they looked alike, if they'd been a little closer in build. Of course, Urey was still not as slender as Ian, despite having lost quite a bit of weight since meeting and marrying Raina. Their builds were fundamentally different, but still, the resemblance was uncanny. "This thing is heavy," he groused, adjusting his shoulders and trying to find a stance that didn't make his back ache.
"You get used to it," his brother quipped, his grinning face appearing in the mirror, which only accented the similarities. Though really, given his character, Urey looked far better than Ian did at the moment. Ian was glad Urey had agreed to come along for at least the start of the project. He couldn't stay for all of filming, but his willingness to share his experiences and support Ian in his hardest role yet, meant a lot.
Bonnie was also smirking openly, and Ian supposed he couldn't blame her. "Now you know how the rest of us feel at times."
Ian shrugged. "You were a voluptuous, pregnant goddess. I look like a drunken, overweight has-been."
"Thank you," Rafael grinned. Of course, he would be the make-up artist with the skills for this task. "That was, of course, the point. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure it was possible with an exceptionally lean frame like yours."
"I'm impressed," Ian assured him. "If I walked around Central or West City like this, no one would look at me twice."
"If it wouldn't get us in the news for supposed infidelity on my part, I'd suggest we make a date out of it." Bonnie grinned at him, coming in for a closer look. "It's really remarkable."
"Please tell me you don't prefer me this way. If you do, I'm afraid you're in for decades of disappointment."
Bonnie's coy smile worried him for a moment. Then she shook her head. "I love you the way you are, even if feeding you like one of the pigs still means you're thin as a rail." She kissed his cheek lightly. "Though you will need to wear it around set some to get used to it if you want to move naturally. I admit, though, that the idea of you having even the vaguest idea how uncomfortable it was for me is somewhat satisfying."
Ian decided it was smarter not to point out that with the triplets, she had put on—babies included—more weight than even this fat suit. However temporarily. He would prefer to stay married, and she had lost a lot of it feeding said same triplets. He had loved her just as much through all of it. "I exist only to please you, my love."
"And it's not the whole film," Tanner reminded them from off to the side. "We have stepped progression planned. By the end, you will look much more—and hopefully feel more—yourself." Not entirely, Ian knew. One of the things he had insisted on when signing was that they not pull off some miraculous and unrealistic transformation. The focus of his character needed to be on his mental improvement and recovery as he bonded with and helped the girl and her mother, not on him turning into Ian at the end of the film. It would undermine the whole story.
"I'll look forward to that, though this will be an interesting experience." Putting himself into that mentality, portraying a character far more psychologically different than anything he had played before; it was a challenge he had been looking forward to for months. "I'll have to practice riding with it on too." And a whole bunch of other things. All of his stunts—such as they were, since they were all riding related, and not any of the crazier things he had done for other films—would have to be doable in this state.
"Junie is going to flip when she sees you." Bonnie chuckled.
Bonnie's little sister, who had once been one of his many obsessive teen girl fans. Now grown, and happily married, but she was going to tease the hell out of him for this one. Not only were they staying at Bonnie's parents farm for the entirety of the shoot, but they were, as he had hoped, using portions of the farm for filming. Not the interior of the house, but the corrals, and the stables, and some of the pastureland. The cows were about to get their break into show-business as well.
"It's just too bad she's too old to be my costar." Ian grinned back. When he had first met her, June would have been the perfect age for this role. Instead, they had cast a very talented young actress named Teresa Caller, who went by Teri. She was fifteen, playing the thirteen-year-old that Ian's character Chris was going to help with her competitive cattle roping dreams. Perhaps the most ironic casting, in Ian's mind, was the fact that they had actually cast his old school friend from Resembool, Jessica Norris, to play the girl's mother. With their matching dark hair, the two definitely looked like they could be mother and daughter, and Jessica had enough horse and cattle background from childhood to be believable in the role easily as well.
Jessica and her husband were also staying at the farm, though they were in her travel trailer. They didn't have kids, which made that easier.
Urey was also staying in the farm house as part of the family.
"She'll get over it," Bonnie responded. "I think she already has honestly. She's supposed to come by for dinner tonight with the family. Though she may tease you anyway since she was young enough for the role when you first told her you were eyeballing locations for a ranch film."
"And I'm finally making good on that promise." Ian stared into the mirror. "Even if not the way she probably imagined. Should I wear this to dinner?"
"It'd be good practice," Urey pointed out.
"You're enjoying this too much." Ian looked at Tanner. "You wanted to do some lighting and camera tests next, right?"
Tanner nodded. "Now that we've got you all done up. There are several shots in the opening that are just your character, on the ranch, looking contemplatively into the distance, doing basic chores and the like. I figured we could pick up a few of those. The light's good right now.
"All right. Then let's get to it."
Ian exited the trailer with Bonnie, Urey, and Tanner. The kids were in the house with Bonnie's parents. It was a little weird to see the usual sprawl of equipment and trailers that were always on location spread out just a little bit past the farm, in the direction they wouldn't be shooting. Beyond that, people and equipment were everywhere, as everyone worked on getting set up for the first day's filming.
Urey looked at everything with interest. "This is the first time I've gotten to see you work since the school plays," he admitted.
"It's a lot different than those." Ian chuckled.
Teri and Jessica were standing over by one of the corrals, while the wranglers prepared horses for the scenes they would be filming that afternoon.
Jessica looked up as they joined them. Her eyes widened a little, then she grinned. "Rafael is a genius."
"Isn't he?" Ian shrugged. "What do you think?" Jessica had been in plays with him since those school days. They had been trapped in a mine together once, and they'd gone out a few times before he moved to Central. Over the years, they had just remained friends, but she had known him longer than anyone else on set except Urey. In fact, his asking her out had been the impetus behind the one time that Urey had punched him in the face.
"I think you still look too handsome for your own good." Jessica chuckled. "But perfectly in character." She turned her attention to his brother. "It's nice to see you, Urey. You here to keep your brother out of trouble, too?"
"It does seem to take a lot of people." Urey laughed, and they shared a friendly hug. "It's good to see you, Jessica."
Ian smiled as Teri tried not to look too eager to be noticed. This was her first big film role, and she was doing her best to look cool and experienced. Ian remembered those days. "And this is Teri, my co-star. Teri, this is my brother, Urey. He's an alchemical pharmacist."
Teri's eyes went wide. "Wow. It's nice to meet you, sir."
Bonnie had already been introduced to them both. "I see you're getting to know the horses. Have you ridden much, Teri?"
Teri nodded. "I've been taking lessons for a couple of years. I love horses. Though this is my first time working with cows."
"Do you know how to rope a cow?" Urey asked curiously.
"A little. I've been learning since I got cast. Why, do you?"
"I've done it some. Years ago, I worked at a dairy. Sometimes even a milk cow doesn't want to mind, especially the calves."
"He's probably better at it than I am," Ian admitted. He had also been taking lessons since he'd accepted the role. Fortunately, any of the really complex tricks in the film would be performed by professional stand-ins with actual experience.
"Though not as good as my father, who's been helping demonstrate and making sure nobody messes up working his cattle." Bonnie chimed in.
"Or you." Everyone in Bonnie's family knew how to do anything that came with working with the cattle. He was sure they were all likely to end up as extras in the film if they wanted it, just because of the number of knowledgeable locals they would need to go about their business without needing to be told how to do it. As he had promised years ago, he had reached out to locals for extras on the project as well. It just made the most sense, and it was a good little income boost for the community.
"Well, I'm a little out of practice," Bonnie conceded. "Besides, I'm wardrobe on this remember?"
"A fact I'm sure everyone appreciates." Ian kissed her cheek. If anyone knew how to design for a film like this one, it was his wife. For once, she was designing clothes she might actually wear. Her regular attire certainly fit in on the set. Tanner had been incredibly appreciative she had been willing to sign on to the project. "Now, let's get down to business. We've got a shooting schedule to keep."
Urey had to admit, it turned into a fascinating afternoon, even if most of it meant watching his brother stand around, or getting to step in and stand around in his place while adjustments were made to camera angles, additional lighting, and other things of which Urey had no real knowledge other than a general understanding of why they were important to each shot. He didn't mind actually physically standing in for Ian when he was getting direction or getting ready for a shot. Really, Urey was more amused that he was an acceptable stand-in for his brother.
It gave him a chance to not only really see his brother at work, but everyone else who worked on the film set as well, and Urey was used to noticing things and taking in lots of finite details. The entire process was fascinating.
There were no major scenes being shot today, as had been noted, which was probably good because his brother was definitely struggling a bit adjusting to the costume, even though he never once complained. Urey also noticed that, outside of his own joking comments, and Bonnie's, no one working said a word about the costume other than to compliment the work. No jokes or snarky remarks. Urey had appreciated Ian's concerns about taking on the role when he first called him; especially seeing as how much of the psychological backstory did echo Urey's own experiences with losing his first wife. Ian wanted the focus on the character to be his emotional journey, and not for anyone to think of the character as a joke. He also hadn't wanted to be insensitive. Apparently, that had been made clear to the entire team.
Urey had travelled up to Central a couple of days before the filming team had left to come West, and he and Ian had spoken at length on the trip, more openly than they ever had, about Urey's feelings after losing Cayla. While Ian had supported him when he came to visit, and had always encouraged Urey to move on, and to step into his role as a father to his son, it was not something they had discussed much. At least, not willingly on Urey's part. Now, with many years, a new wife, and two more wonderful children between then and now, Urey was in a place mentally and emotionally where he could talk about the past, because it was in the past. He still missed Cayla, but Raina had brought him back to the land of the living, had helped make him and Yurian a family even before she joined them.
Ian had listened intently, and respectfully, to every word. In a way, Urey wondered if they were closer now than they had been before. Ian had never asked for his help on something like this, or been so clearly concerned about stepping on someone's feelings with his portrayal of a character. At least, not the Urey knew. None of Ian's characters had ever been purposefully insulting, but Urey supposed when you looked like Ian, there were certain types of characters he was just more likely to be cast as.
Particularly since his younger brother had the opposite of Urey's problem. Not that Urey had realized that it was a problem when they were younger. Urey had accepted that he was never going to be thin, even when he was considerably fit. He got plenty of exercise, he ate reasonably most of the time these days, but he'd always been the stockiest of his brothers. It was just how he was made, and that was fine.
Ian probably ate half-again what Urey did in a day—twice when he was particularly active—and still had trouble keeping it on. While it surely had benefits from an acting standpoint, Urey had come to understand it had downsides as well, and he respected his brother for not trying to push his body to do things it just wasn't going to do in a safe or healthy way, not even for a role.
The afternoon flew buy surprisingly fast for standing around while people adjusted technology around him, or he watched his brother lean on a fence, look thoughtfully into the distance, and do a variety of farm chores in the most humdrum and depressed way possible, as if he were working entirely on rote and nothing really mattered.
I remember how that felt. He's nailed it. He could imagine how incredible that was going to look on screen once the editors had their way with the footage and added in the score. Not that Urey had heard the score. Someone was still writing the music for it. Yet just in those few shots, Urey didn't see his brother in front of him, but the character that had subsumed him. Without a line, without the music, without anything but himself and his actions, Ian had embodied the emotionally broken rancher he was meant to be at the beginning of the film.
By the time they finished shooting for the day, Urey had a deeper appreciation of his brother's real acting ability. It was in the subtle, and the real.
"So, what do you think of your first day on an active set?" Ian asked him curiously later that evening after dinner. The two of them were sitting in the Walsh's living room on the sofa. Bonnie's sister and her family had come for dinner, then gone home for the night. Bonnie was taking a shower, and her parents had happily helped get all five of the children into bed, like they had since everyone had descended upon their home two nights ago.
"I think I'll never watch a film without thinking about everything involved in every shot of it again," Urey admitted. "And this is just getting started. Somehow, despite all your stories, the reality of it is still not quite what I'd imagined."
"Not as cool?" Ian asked with a grin.
"Cooler," Urey disagreed. "At least, in a way. There's a beautiful complexity to it all, and it's amazing to watch hundreds of people all doing their own little jobs and it's going to come together in a harmony that creates a film we'll all see in theaters later. Something that will hopefully really touch people's hearts."
"That's the idea." Ian nodded. "I've been wanting a role like this one for years. Something that relies entirely on my skills as an actor, to really bring a character to life that's starkly different from myself, or from the kind of characters I usually play. This one's deeply emotional, and there's nothing to sell it except how well I can pull that off."
Which Urey understood to mean there was nothing to save Ian from anything but his best performance; no over-dramatic action sequences, special effects, or relying on his body to sell the film to the audience. Which was what Urey knew Ian wanted. Ian had spent years earning the credit as an actor to get away from the roles that required him to spend half the film naked—or in bed with women. He wanted to do roles that required real depth of emotion, and nuanced acting. "Well, you had me sold today," Urey admitted. "And that was before you got to spoken lines. If you can pull the spoken lines off that convincingly, you'll have the entire audience hooked."
Ian looked relieved. "That's nice to hear. I spent half of it just trying to move naturally and stay in character at the same time, and my back is killing me."
Urey refrained from a sardonic quip. "You should see if Bonnie will give you a good back rub tonight," he suggested instead with a grin.
"I should," Ian agreed. "If she's not too tired herself, she might take pity on me."
"Depends," a female voice came from the entry to the living room. Urey glanced over and saw Bonnie smiling at them. She was dressed in blue flannel pajamas that consisted of a top and pants, her hair damp from her shower, though already toweled off.
"On what?" Ian asked without budging.
"On if you need pity." Bonnie crossed the room and leaned over Ian's chair. "I have no doubt you could use a rub down after a work like that."
Ian snorted. "Now you make me sound like a horse."
"Oh nonsense," Bonnie teased, still grinning. "The horses work much harder than you do."
Ian reached up and grabbed Bonnie's wrist. "That a challenge?"
Urey cleared his throat, just in case they'd forgotten he was still in the room.
Bonnie looked up, not at all abashed, if slightly apologetic. "Sorry, Urey. I'm going to steal my husband away from you for the night. If I don't, he'll be too stiff to walk in the morning, and we've got a full day of filming actual riding scenes tomorrow."
"Don't let me stop you." Urey chuckled. "I can keep myself entertained."
"See you in the morning, then." Ian stood up, and Urey managed not to wince outwardly at the amount of cracking that came from his brother's spine as he stretched.
Urey watched them vanish, before turning his attention halfway back to the television program that was on. He hadn't even really paid attention to it earlier. Bonnie's father had been watching it when they came in, but he had stepped out for the evening barn check and hadn't come back yet. He was glad to see Ian and Bonnie doing so well, particularly with each other. They were much more the way they had been a couple of years ago; relaxed, at ease. The gossip magazines had finally dropped sniffing around for follow ups to the story from a few months ago, and that was clearly a relief.
It made him miss Raina and the kids, but she had insisted that he should take the time off to come on this trip with Ian. As close as they had been growing up—even when it meant fighting half the time—they hadn't had much time to be together in several years. Before that, when Ian had tried to reach out, there had been years when Urey hadn't been responsive to him, or much of anyone. Which was, of course, the period of his life that made him the perfect coach for Ian playing a character like this one.
"Looks like the party broke up while I was gone," Bill Walsh commented as he returned from checking the barns before bed.
"Bonnie stole Ian."
Bill chuckled, crossing the room and taking a seat in his recliner. "Nice to see them relaxed." His comment echoed Urey's earlier thought. "They were both pretty beat when we were last in Central. Having had the kids here, I'm amazed they have as much energy as they do."
It was the first time Urey had gotten to spend around all five of Ian's children, and he had to agree. Three, with a larger spread, were much easier. Which was, Urey realized, not dissimilar from Bonnie's family. "I don't think I could keep up with them," Urey admitted, "But it's been fun trying so far."
"It has." Bill nodded. "And it's nice to have time with them. It was hard finding enough help to watch the farm when we were gone. Though if this film crew is as efficient the whole shoot as they were today, I won't have nearly as much to do while they're here."
"Did some chores for you, did they?" Urey asked curiously.
Bill smiled. "That they did. I guess it was all part of making it look the way they wanted, but every bit of tack in my barn is glowing, there's not a stray bit of straw out of place that doesn't look like it was put there, and they even offered to repaint the stable in a couple of weeks for some shoots they're doing at a place that's supposed to be newer. Also, I don't think I've ever seen so many freshly bathed cattle outside of a livestock show."
"I haven't either," Urey admitted, thinking of the livestock demonstrations and competitions every spring in Resembool. "Though watching them try and get the calves to hold still for it earlier was pretty amusing."
"Ian tells me you used to work at a dairy."
"For a few years, before I got into pharmacy work," Urey acknowledged. "Deanna's family—my sister-in-law back home—they own the biggest dairy farm in Resembool. Most of the area's sheep, though."
"Would you say you prefer alchemy over cattle?"
Urey shrugged, not wanting to insult the man whose cattle farm he was staying at, who was also his brother's father-in-law. He grinned. "Well, I appreciate a lot of the finer points of working with cattle, but I have to say pharmaceuticals works better hours for easier pay."
Bill chortled. "Can't argue with that one. Well, if you get the bug while we're here, I'm sure they'll be enough work to go around. I've also got a couple of cows with late season calves I've got kept close in the barn. Hoping to show the kids a newborn while you're all here."
"Are you asking if I'm willing to split calving watch?" Urey teased.
"Maybe," Bill admitted. "I'd be more inclined to trust you with it than some studio cattle hands, no matter where they got their training."
"Then sure, if you need it."
"Thanks. I really appreciate it."
June 18th, 1997
The South-Eastern coastline of Xing was one of the most beautiful places Winry had ever seen. Which, given how much she had traveled over the course of her life, was saying something. There was a lot of beautiful forest in Xing, but here, the large rolling mountain range that cut through Xing East of the farthest they had been before, came right down to the ocean, barely tapering before it reached the beaches. The forests that carpeted the hills were thick and lush. Being slightly further north in the hemisphere than Aerugo, it was mildly cooler, though notably subtropical, and warmer and more humid than Amestris. Particularly when compared to Resembool. In the midst of summer, the plants were lush and flowers blossomed everywhere, from the wild hills to the cultivated gardens of the Eastern Palace, which perched on a cliff over the ocean. The road that wound down the hill went through the nearby town before extending down to the beach.
"This view is incredible!" Winry exclaimed as they looked out at the ocean extending off to the south, fully visible from the parking area where the vehicles that had met them at the landing strip had driven them up the winding, forest-lined road, to the palace.
"I promise there are easier ways down to the beach than hiking the road," Ren chuckled. "There are old paths down to the private stretch of beach that belongs to the property, but they installed an elevator into the cliff itself about fifty years ago."
"Excellent," Edward grinned as he joined them looking out over the stone wall and down to the beach. "No unnecessary exertion."
"Since when are you the lazy one?" Winry quirked an eyebrow in his direction.
"I like to have a choice in how much effort I put into getting somewhere, especially in this heat." Edward shrugged. "We're on vacation, and the hills around here are steep."
All very good points. Not that Winry had plans to hike mountain roads endlessly either. As much as she could still walk a fair distance, the hills would be murder on joints. Even nine months after the attack on Resembool, she knew Edward and Alphonse probably weren't really up to that kind of strain either, especially not Alphonse. Not that it was really that long of a walk down into the town. It would just be the climb back up that might do them in.
An explosion of chatter, mostly in rapid Xingese, behind them made Winry turn. Apparently, news of their arrival had reached inside, because a swarm of family had come out, and there was a mass hugging going on. "Looks like the welcome party has started."
Mao and Jiu led the group, and Winry was happy to see the retired-Emperor and his wife looking well. She had only seen him a couple of times since he had lived in Central for a year after his retirement, to allow his son to consolidate his own authority unhindered by his living father's existence. It had been the first time in hundreds of years that a Xingese Emperor had willingly stepped down instead of dying on the throne. Of course, that was years ago now, and Tao's reign was well under way.
Beside them, Michio, his wife Minsa holding their baby boy, and Kamika were enthusiastically greeting Minxia, Thrakos, and their kids. Ren and Will were also in the mix for hugs, and then Alyse and Cal were pulled in by their nephew and niece.
Winry didn't mind not being first. They were friends and guests who had been invited along, and there were just too many people for everyone to get hugged all at once. That was how large gatherings were. It gave her a moment to enjoy the scenery, and watch with some amusement as all of their baggage was whisked quietly inside by very efficient employees who worked the estate. She knew from experience staying at the Imperial Palace in the past that everything would appear in whichever guest room to which they had been assigned.
Finally, it was their turn—her, Edward, Alphonse, and Elicia—to be descended upon with equal enthusiasm, though perhaps a little less exuberant crushing. At least until Winry gave firm hugs back.
The only one of their friends Winry notably did not see out with the crowd, was Mei.
Then they were all being led inside to their rooms so they could get comfortable. Winry admired the quality of the building as they were led inside. Grand buildings in any country always fascinated her. Amestris, being a younger country in the grand scheme of things, and having destroyed a lot of the smaller individual cultures that had been gathered into it over centuries of warfare—all aimed at expansion for dark alchemical purposes—there weren't a lot of buildings that remained of this grandeur outside of what had been built since. And Amestris had no need for palaces or castles like the ones Winry had seen in Drachma, Creta, Aerugo, and Xing.
Yet the architecture was different in all of them. Drachma's old palaces were monolithic, with stone and thick but high glass windows in grand ballrooms. Ostentatious levels of details in the carving and gilding, and even sometimes gemstones. They decorated in glittering chandeliers designed to light dark windows, and brightly colored carpets and tapestries that both warmed and made vibrant statements.
Creta was just as colorful, and the palaces just as tall, and made of stone, but the carvings were more organic, and more realistic figures, less abstractions or designs. There was an elegant lifting to the designs that made them feel lighter and less weighty than Drachman. The windows and doorways were more open to permit natural air to warm or cool. Frescos were painted directly into walls. Wood paneling was not uncommon, but it was used sparingly, particularly near the coasts.
Aerugo didn't have palaces like those. Though they had elegant manor houses and rambling estates. Buildings tended to be no more than two or three stories, outside of apartment and business complexes, or government buildings. Also designed for the warmer weather, they resembled shorter versions of Cretan palaces, but they were far more understated; elegant without being ostentatious.
The Imperial Palace in Xing, and many other old Xingese structures, Winry had noticed, tended to be made of wood, sometimes with huge beams that must once have been ancient trees. Wood that was glazed or painted, treated to keep it from being eaten away by insects or rot. There were also decorative panels of wood, carved in intricate images and scenes, sometimes paneling walls, and other times above lintels or simply as smaller decorations. Exterior doors were heavy, if ornamented in metalwork or carved, while inner doors may be, but were often panels of wood that slid into the walls, or even panels lined with paper, which allowed a nice diffuse light to flow through a space without always requiring open windows.
The Eastern Palace proved to be smaller, but no less grand in its own way, than the Imperial Palace. As Winry listened to Mao—who was their guide to their rooms—she learned that it was older than the Imperial Palace, dating back to a time before the consolidation of the Empire, though it had been updated and modernized internally since then. Which was why it had many older, more defensive elements, as well as more modern design concepts in different portions of the building. Though the exterior remained mostly wood, and it had the distinctive roofs that Winry only ever saw in Xing.
The prevalence of light-colored carved wood on the interior walls that would not have let through light from the outside anyway drew her eyes. They were beautiful scenes of gardens and forests, birds and animals. A few looked like scenes of life of the villagers nearby, if they had lived that way centuries ago certainly. Not that farming changed dramatically, even when new technology came along. At least, not that Winry had noticed in Resembool.
There was plenty of lighting, so the interior of the building hardly felt dark.
"We have everyone down here in the family wing," Mao informed them as they walked. "Since we aren't expecting anyone else to stay here for the event, we'll all fit comfortably, though we will fill the majority of the bedrooms in the palace. And, here we are," he stopped outside one of doors. "This room is yours Edward, Winry, and the one just here to the left is yours," he gestured to Alphonse and Elicia. "Please get comfortable. Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours but, before that, my mother wishes to greet you properly. You'll find her in the meditation gardens, which you can access from your rooms. They have doors to the promenade surrounding the garden."
Which was similar to how they were in the Imperial Palace, though there wasn't a walk outside those doors, just immediate access out into the gardens.
Winry smiled. "Thank you, Mao."
As she had expected, their luggage was already in the bedroom. Winry took a moment to admire the room itself. More light-wood paneling and flooring, with the sliding paper-lined doors to the outside letting in a pleasant soft light as evening was slowly coming on. Not that it would be dark for hours yet in the summer. There wasn't a lot of artwork on the walls, besides the carving in the wood. Though there was one bright painting that must be hundreds of years old, depicting a man painted as a sage, surrounded by students in a vibrant garden.
Edward laughed. "Someone has a sense of humor."
Winry looked over at him. "Oh?"
"Take a closer look at the teacher in that painting. He's got golden hair."
Winry walked a little closer. Edward was right. Long, flowing golden hair and beard. While they were painted in a Xingese style, there was no denying who the painting was meant to be of. "It's not a bad likeness, is it?"
"Not at all. My father would be flattered." Edward had already taken off his coat and shoes, slipping on the soft indoor slippers waiting for them. His pair were a deep burgundy red. Again, a nod that individual guests had been thoughtfully considered.
The slacks and blouse Winry had traveled in were comfortable enough, but she was also happy to slip into soft violet slippers. They felt nice on her feet. She took a few minutes to unpack the items she wanted to hang or fold and put away properly in the provided storage furniture, and Edward did the same. Winry noticed that their room had a bathroom that, on inspection, shared a door with Alphonse and Elicia's room. Well, it was an old building. So old it probably hadn't originally included multiple guest bathrooms.
"Shall we go find Mei?" Winry suggested.
Edward nodded. "She's the reason we were invited. I'd like to know what's up."
"We're friends. Surely that's the only reason needed," Winry pointed out as they opened the doors out into the covered wooden veranda that lined what proved to be a large rectangular garden, with palace around it. This wing was not as tall as the main, oldest part of the palace, and so there was plenty of visible sky.
The garden itself was what Winry had learned to expect from a formal Xingese meditation garden. It was meticulously laid out, with carefully trimmed bushes, small trees, and a few flouring plants, as well as large open expanses of immaculately raked sand. Yet somehow it all looked as if it simply naturally tended towards that level of order.
Today's sand patterns looked like waves in the ocean, and Winry wondered if they were in honor of the holiday. The center of the garden had a cluster of low ornamental maples that were bright colors even in summer, and since she did not see Mei elsewhere, Winry guessed that was where they were supposed to meet her.
She took a few steps towards the stairs, when Alphonse and Elicia came out of their room as well and, just down a few doors, Ren and Will stepped out as well.
Ren smiled. "Summoned by mother?"
"I would have said invited, but I suppose that's accurate too," Alphonse chuckled.
Apparently, it was just the six of them, at least for now. Winry and the others made their way through the winding path towards the center of the garden, enjoying its beauty. A calm seemed to settle over everything.
Mei came into view as they stepped into the tiny copse of trees. She was sitting comfortably on a cushion on the ground, by a low table that held a tea pot, several cups, and the usual accoutrements Winry would expect to go with tea in Xing. There were also six other cushions around the table.
Ren knelt first, and hugged her mother before taking a cushion directly beside her. Will followed suit, and then Alphonse and Elicia, before finally Edward and herself.
Mei smiled at them all. "Let us speak in Amestrian. None of the employees that work here speak it, and it will keep this conversation from well-meaning prying ears."
No one had any objections to that.
Ren nodded. "Then can you tell us now, mother, what is so urgent that you've brought us all together like this? Mao and Jiu wouldn't tell me, except that you've been ill."
Winry had to admit, as much as she worried for their friend, she wasn't sure what illness could plague Mei—besides old age—that the alkahestrists of Xing could not treat, yet she could sit there smiling at them as if it were of little consequence.
Though, being only a handful of years younger than herself, it could be something as inevitable as the discomforts of age.
Still, Mei sat comfortably on the cushions, wrapped elegantly in a layered Xingese dress of pale blues and forget-me-not violet patterned floral. "Forgive me for the secrecy, Renxiang. It was not my intent to worry anyone. If it makes you feel better, I am not in any danger of an imminent demise."
"Your words reassure me, but your formality is irksome," Ren replied with a small, wry smile.
Mei laughed, and her voice was light and amused. "Forgive the habit. It's often expected of me as the Imperial Grandmother." She sipped from her cup of tea. "Mostly it is that I am, as many of us here must admit, getting particularly old. And while I hope to live as long as my own Grandfather, the world is an uncertain place. It seemed that if we wished to have all of the family together again while I could be certain of my own presence, that this important anniversary celebration was an opportune and appropriate time for it. And, of course, a lovely excuse to bring in some of my dearest friends who are also, much to my gratitude, still alive to join us."
Ren notably relaxed, even if it was a subtle shift in her posture and expression. "Well Mao could have told us that. You've had me worried."
"He would not speak out of place, and I was ill this winter. For my age, however, I cannot complain. Though it is nice to not be the oldest person in a room for once." She winked at the rest of them.
"The real reason at last," Edward sniggered. "Well, if it makes you feel better, we're happy to be of service."
Mei smiled, and then began to pour them all tea. "Having you here, my friends, has already lifted my spirits. I look forward to sharing this tradition with all of you. We have never gotten to enjoy a celebration together before that wasn't the end of a conflict."
"Don't jinx it," Alphonse chuckled. "But you're right. We haven't been here for one of your holidays before. I admit I am incredibly interested in experiencing this one."
"It's not entirely dissimilar from the festivals you have in Resembool," Ren admitted. "After all, it was a celebration begun after a great drought that caused famine. Many of the traditions begin in the roots of the farmers who managed to keep enough food going to keep alive as many people as they did, and to help bring us out of it. They were quite enthusiastic about the celebration of the return of water."
"Though it has grown and evolved quite a bit in four hundred years," Mei acknowledged. She handed cups individually to each of them. "There is certainly more pageantry, though I think you will enjoy the look into our culture and history this will provide. Knowing you as I do."
Knowing Edward and Alphonse certainly. Though Winry would definitely enjoy it, she knew this was totally up the boys' alley, even if it wasn't focused on alchemy.
"So, what all do we need to know?" Alphonse asked curiously.
"Actually, given how excited he has been in organize things this year, I thought I'd let Mao tell you all over dinner."
Dinner turned out to be far simpler than Alyse had anticipated, at least in comparison to what the kitchens of the Imperial Palace had insisted on serving them. Apparently, here in what amounted to the Imperial vacation home, while the food was still excellent, the family could insist on something a little less ostentatious. Not that the food wasn't delicious, but it was served in a way Alyse would have considered more family style, with plenty of plates right there on the table for anyone to take what they wanted, and there weren't as many dishes, though there was plenty of each.
No one had dressed up for dinner either. After all that travel, no one wanted to sit on formality, and while there was a wide variety of styles, including the more traditional Xingese attire the Imperial family mostly wore, none of it was formal. Which made her feel slightly less awkward sitting cross-legged on a cushion in slacks and a blouse in the middle of a palace that could easily have been the set of an historical film.
Of course, none of the other Amestrians had changed into Xingese attire either, except Ren, who was of course also Xingese royalty, and she had opted for a more modern style as had always been her preference.
The tables at which they all sat had been arranged in a horse-shoe sort of shape, which allowed for conversations with more than just the people sitting immediately adjacent. Alyse loved being able to hear parts of the many discussions going on at the table. At one end all the younger members of both families were babbling away as Minxia's children asked a hundred questions about the festival. Seeing as they were holding their own in a conversation that was entirely in Xingese, Alyse was impressed. Both kids were conversant in the three languages of their family.
Viola, being an infant, was further down the table with her parents. Alexei, Thrakos, and Tao were caught up in some animated discussion Alyse couldn't hear, but all three men were grinning, so it was certainly something positive.
Off to her left, her father, Uncle Edward, Mei, Mao, Michio, and Cal were talking alchemy and alkahestry.
Minxia and her siblings and cousins were all catching up on what could only be called familial gossip.
Her mother and Aunt Winry were talking with Jiu and Peina about the week's activities. Alyse was also part of that conversation herself, though she was enjoying mostly listening. Her Xingese was not terrible, but she was not nearly as fluent as most of the other family members present. After all, she'd never had much need of it beyond enough to get by in basic diplomatic event situations. Though she had learned more during the year Mao and Jiu had stayed with Will and Ren when they had still lived right next door to each other.
It felt so good to be surrounded by life, and by people who were all happy to be in each other's company. Alyse enjoyed the peace of their daily lives—particularly when they weren't under threat—but she had missed events like this one.
Sipping her cup of hot tea, Alyse tuned back into the conversation in which she had been taking part, regarding the schedule for the week's activities. While there weren't crafting or food competitions as were common in Resembool and other rural Amestrian communities, there were a lot of available craft activities, foods to purchase and sample, a variety of games that entertained both children and adults. Each night of the week also ended with a different cultural event that usually included some form of the ancient prayers that thanked the deities in the heavens for their grace and mercy, along with a performance. Some of these were traditional plays or dances, others were more contemporary, and on the final night, there would be a huge fireworks show on the beach.
Unsurprisingly, many of the activities had to do with water. Which was really perfect in the heat of summer, Alyse thought. Many people spent time enjoying the beach and ocean all week, and there were games that involved water balloons, and the few competitions involved swimming and diving competitions, both in a local pool and in the ocean.
:I thought we'd take you all shopping first thing tomorrow: Peina was saying. :While traditional clothing is certainly not required, there are some really beautiful pieces, and honestly wearing them really helps you feel in the spirit and like you're part of the history. At least, I've always found it so. I can't say you will blend in much more, as the town is not all that large, and they don't get a lot of Amestrians or Cretans here, but you would get to be part of things more.:
:No one will mind?: Elicia asked.
:Not at all: Jiu smiled. :Even if you weren't guests of the Imperial family, I expect they would be quite happy to see some of the fashions find new life. They're not so far away that we can't export designs by port.:
Alyse chuckled. That was often the case. It also meant the garments were traditional, but not in a way that held a significance that would be appropriated. :Then hopefully we can bring them some additional business: she agreed. She hadn't gone shopping in the capitol, but that didn't mean she wasn't looking forward to experiencing Xing to its fullest extent. :Though we won't need outfits for every night will we?:
:Only if you want them: Peina smiled. :And please don't feel like you have to buy them. If nothing suits your fancy, we also have a wide variety of options stored here in the palace that have been pulled out for the occasion. You're welcome to borrow anything you like as well. I figured we might start there before the markets open, then you'll know what you're looking for before we head out.:
:Sensible and a good time.: Winry grinned as she leaned forward. :I'd be almost more nervous about wearing an antique than buying something new.:
:You just described a lot of Imperial clothing: Jiu laughed. :Particularly among the formal trappings for the Emperor and Empress. Don't worry, clothing was made to be worn, and if its still in good shape when it is old, then that means it has been worn and cared for well, and should continue to be so.:
Alyse had to admit, her interest was piqued. :I look forward to the experience.: