maskormenace | {2nd Transmutation; Video}

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{2nd Transmutation; Video}

Whoever mentions the word 'camping' again gets a fist to the face. Just saying. Those assholes even got Winry involved in all that, dammit.....

[Oh, yes. Ed is quite evidently still pissed off to high hell over that. Winry is not a fighter and should never be involved in them. Ed's tried to make it a point to keep her out of the front lines back home, as it were. So she never has to see him fighting. But that was unavoidable with the arena mess. At least he didn't get hurt too badly, all things considered. It could be worse.]

Anyway, I had something I wanted to ask, Major. Not....about dinner. About the job thing. They won't let me sign anything because I'm a minor, apparently. I was wondering if you were still willing to help set this up? Maybe they'll let you sign since they're being stubborn about letting me just do it myself.

[Which is ridiculous when he is so used to being treated more like an adult with his status back home and how different things were in general back home with that particular time at 1914, but still. He's working on this. Slowly.]

Also, might have neglected to mention, but Al and I moved in with Winry, so we're at Residence #35 now instead. I know I've offered to help one or two of you with my alchemy, so that's where I am, if anyone needs anything fixed or made, I can see what I can do. Working on setting up a proper shop for it, but....it's a work in progress.

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[The no id thing has him raise an eyebrow, but. Well, there are others here from Amestris so even if he himself doesn't explain someone else would.]

Yeah, alchemy. It's a science. I basically analyze the materials, break them down and reconstruct them to something else, or use the pieces to fix whatever might have been broken. It's pretty simple chemistry really.

Talk about handy.

How much you charge on average?

Haven't really thought about the prices yet. But I guess it would depend on what people want me to do. Fixing stuff is easy, provided they have all the pieces of whatever it is. And it depends if I might need to research certain materials. Since with people from all sorts of times and places there might be some I'm not familiar with.

I'm thinking something much simpler, unless you aren't familiar with it.

Clothes?

[ Her costume gets torn a lot and it would be extremely handy to have another pair of hands to help her out with repairs. ]

Clothes? Easy enough. I fix mine up all the time back home. Unless yours are made from something completely different, I should be able to figure that no problems. I'm still figuring out the money here since it's so different from cenz but I'm sure we could figure out a price. I'm guessing most of the time it'll be case by case on the cost.

Jack of all trades, huh.

The material isn't quite the same as you'd find in most clothes, since mine is made to be more durable and resistant to the elements. I can give you the details if I ever need to swing by for a repair.

Well, it's simple chemistry once I know the materials I'm working with, really. But sure, that sounds fine. I can get a better look at it then and figure something out with you when you need repairs.

[He knows all about ripped clothing from fights, after all. He's just glad he's saved fixing all Armstrong's shirts at least, even if his power is still.....weird.]

[ She hopes he doesn't make a face at her costume whenever he sees it. Even Kanaya had paused noting the boob window. ]

Sounds great. I can't tell you how hard it is to find locals who know how to repair costumes like mine.

Yeah, well. It's easier when you fix your own all the time. I'll see what I can do when you need a hand. They not have people that do that for a living, make or fix clothes?

[He's sure there were people back home, but this place is so different. That or maybe its like she says, the material is a challenge for them to work with.]

Not when it comes to mine.

Aaaand I won't lie: the starry-eyed looks and constant yammering can be time consuming.

[ She doesn't always have time to sit down and chat. ]

Starr--oh. Right. Yeah. I guess at least I'm used to that back home, being a pretty well-known State Alchemist. I mean, maybe not quite to this point with photos or whatever, but....you know. Don't worry. You won't get that from me. I mean, even if people are famous back home, chances are I've never heard of most everyone here anyway.

And I admit I've never heard of a "State Alchemist". What is that exactly?

A State Alchemist is attached to the military. We get funding for our research and are sent on military assignments like overseeing the mines, for example, and we get paid a decent amount, access to restricted documents. In exchange, if there is a war, we're called up as Human Weapons, essentially.

[ A brief pause on her end as she collects her thoughts on the matter. ]

How old are you? [ He doesn't sound or look any older than sixteen to her. ] So it's basically conscription.

Fif--maybe sixteen, actually. I might have lost track with everything back home. But....yeah. I joined when I was twelve. I knew the risks. Same as I do here. Being Registered isn't that different, really.

Are you sure? Being called as "Human Weapons" isn't something a sixteen year old should be doing.

Your military enlists minors?

I can't say I've been involved in any war, but I know how to fight. They don't make a habit of it, bringing in kids that young though. I was the first.

[After they saw him transmute without a circle, they knew they had to keep him close as a potential Sacrifice for Father. It all makes way too much sense now that he knows the truth. ]

Kind of a special case, you could say.

[ Concern seeps into her voice. ]

There's a difference between fighting and being treated like a weapon.

Why did they make an exception?

I know. I just--had a promise to keep and figured joining as a State Alchemist might help me to keep it. To find the answers I needed. They saw in the exam how talented I was with alchemy, basically.

[Perhaps vague, but no less true. He is a prodigy in this particular field, even if he hasn't been to school since he was eleven.]

[ So he's valuable to them. Ugh, politics at play, isn't it? ]

Joining the military is one heck of a way to do that.

I thought their restricted documents might help me find my answer. The only way to get access is to join. I didn't mind that, if that was what it took.

[Though in the end the answer was always right in front of him. That thing they created in attempting to transmute their mother, his alchemy being the price for getting Al's body back.]

And what is it you're looking for?

A way to keep a promise I made to my brother. To fix a mistake I made years ago.

[Again, vague, because he's still not sure on trusting talking over these phones and how secure they might be. How much this government might already know about his situation back home. How anyone else might react if they knew the truth.]

I do. Eventually.

[ It's the weight of his words that grab her attention.

How bad a mistake was it that it entailed enlisting in the military? ]

Sounds pretty complicated.

Yeah. It's....a long story. To put it lightly. Maybe one day I'll tell it.

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