maskormenace | {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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

I won't pry if you don't want to talk about it now.

[ She completely understands the It's Complicated excuse. ]

So you must be unused to needing adults to sign documents for you if the military enlisted you back home.

Yeah. Thanks.

But uh, yeah. I had pretty decent status back home, equivalent to Major so I was higher rank than some adults that joined the military. This place is still taking a bit of getting used to.

As long as you don't think these laws and rules are meant to spite minors.

They must be there for a reason. Just--a pain, is all. I'll figure something out.

To ensure your protection.

[ She knows it may sound ridiculous to a teenager who's enlisted in the army. ]

What is it you need signed?

I joined the military at twelve. I don't think there's much I would need protection from. [But. Well, he gets it. For the most part. Not every kid is a prodigy like him and not every kid enlists in the military at that age. So obviously the laws here take that into account, expecting them to still be pursuing their education.]

Papers to rent a building for a shop. Planning to sort a place to make or fix stuff with alchemy. Better job than delivering milk....

Well, you can't legally drink yet. Or... drive? If you're not sixteen yet. You're not lying about that are you?

[ He looked fairly tiny in the feed. ]

Oh, yeah. That's not going to fly even as an imPort, I think.

[ A pause. ]

... Well, people need their calcium?

I'm--nearly sixteen? If not already. A lot was going on back home, like I said.

[And a lot of time has passed. He's not as tiny as he used to be at least. He has had a growth spurt during his time hiding and traveling with Ling and the chimera in preparation for the Promised Day, after all.]

I don't care about calcium! I can get it some other way besides milk and so can they! Or they can find someone else to take care of getting milk. Disgusting opaque liquid secreted from a cow......

... When you put it that way, it's going to sound disgusting.

Because it is! It's gross and I hate it.

Are you lactose intolerant?

I can have stuff with milk in it fine, like stew. I just hate milk itself. Never liked it. I've grown fine without it too. Don't see why Al and Winry keep nagging me about drinking it.

Because it's good for your bones and teeth.

It's still disgusting. I can get calcium and stuff with other things besides milk.

[Like, through all the things Winry bakes and cooks using it to make him get some without pouring it down his throat most likely.]

As long as you're getting enough of it.

{2nd Transmutation; Video}

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