Edward Elric is the Fullmetal Alchemist (fullmetal_chibi) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-08-17 19:50:00 |
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Entry tags: | edward elric |
Who:Rumble via Regina and Ed
What:An offer for training.
When:today
Where:The library
Warnings:Rumble, but low~
Status:Complete!
Ed hadn’t been on the internet in a while for once. He was attempting recently to get his life back in order, but it was difficult. He was starting to manage a bit by merely filling his time with other things to occupy himself with rather than a spiral of depression, but when he found himself alone it was difficult to hide.
Today he’d chosen the local library as a place of solace. He hadn’t gone inside however, he was busying himself by sitting on the wall just outside with a chemistry book in hand and a note book in the other. Science relaxed him, it refocused his mind away from other bits of unpleasantness and gave him a bit of peace. Everything made sense in Chemistry, as plain English might to a writer-it was his language. When things went to hell it was soothing.
The sun was low in the sky by the time Ed looked up, and he raised an eyebrow. He’d been there all day, when he’d gotten there the place had just been opening but now it was nearly vacant. Only the cars of the people working there remained and Ed stretched his arms a bit.
He wasn’t alone for long. The intruder seemed to come from the shadows, click clack of the shoes, somewhat of an expertat walking in them (don’t ask how it was possible, maybe it was magic). She was dressed for battle, tall heels, pencil skirt unforgiving; The beauty of ‘borrowing’ this form was that it didn't necessarily need to be trussed up with fanciness and expensive attire but it helped anyway, and made her feel better. More powerful.
Eyes sparked autumn - a bleeding combination of brown and gold and even a bit of red. They were eyes that glowed in the heat of it all, but burned in the hate - that was the contradiction of Regina, the danger that came with being close to her, how she was passionate about love and hate. Only this wasn’t really Regina, but he put on a damn good act, didn’t he?
Rumple had been observing this one. The boy here.
“All by yourself?” ‘she’ asked, in the familiar contralto murmur that was vaguely concerned.
A pair of golden colored eyes blinked open at the voice. He hadn’t been expecting anyone, nor had he felt anyone watching him. “Who me? Yep, couldn’t convince anyone that spending a day at the library was fun this time. Their loss..” He shrugged as he gave her a small smile. “How have you been Regina?” He asked her as he began to pile up his books on the brick wall he’d been sitting on.
When he turned to face her and saw that strange color touch her eyes, he rubbed his own Must have been focusing too hard, that was all. It was a trick of tired eyes.
“Oh, fine.” ‘Regina’ answered casually, as if nothing was amiss at the moment. “At least, compared to some others here. Things have been a bit odd lately, haven’t they?” Yes, concern - it was present in her tone, as if she couldn’t even begin to fathom the sheer amount of chaos that had been unleashed upon the lands.
Such beautiful chaos, and it was all Rumple’s design. It felt good to stretch his figurative wings, after being confined for many months.
“I hope you’re doing well, and haven’t been bothered by the goings-on.”
“You sure?” He couldn’t say she didn’t seem like herself, if he was entirely honest he didn’t know her all that well. If she said she was fine then he’d accept it. “Heh, place never ceases to be weird but nope, not really been affected much personally. I think I’ve given Riza enough to worry about lately...trying to lay low a bit these days.” Not to mention with everything that had happened, he needed the time to be able to get things back in order.
She smiled, a flash of teeth was meant to be calm and reassuring but probably erred on the side of predatory. “Quite sure,” Regina insisted, managing to leave off the dearie on the end - it took some getting used to, this new form, but while the original owner was out throwing fireballs at her lover and other hapless denizens alike, Rumple would learn how to best fit in his new skin. Maybe eventually he’d even take care of the original too. It’d be easier that way - favorite pupil of his, yes, but their relationship was a roller coaster. Up, down, sideways - in this world, he thought it would be best if they did not exist in the same place. No hard feelings.
“Oh, but you have such a talent,” the Queen purred - he’d done his research, Rumple had. He was very quick on the uptake, you see. And he was just as comfortable in the modern world as Gold, his counterpart, had been (well, besides the whole...not understanding metal death tubes, also known as airplanes). “How is the alchemy going? I do hope you’re continuing to progress despite the...unfortunate absence of your teacher. I am so sorry for your loss.” Not really. One less person to get revenge on - she’d been there, in that circle, when he was sucked into that godawful stone. Now her death simply saved Rumple a lot of time.
Ed wasn't someone who was easily intimidated, it was hard to be when he had so many skills now. He'd nearly been called a prodigy, but when Regina smiled like that it sent a shiver down his spine. She had a lot of influence and Ed wasn't used to dealing with people like that.
"It's harder." He admitted, doing alchemy without Lina often only served to remind him of her, and he lowered his gaze. "I thought for the longest time she'd come back, but I guess she really isn't. " Ed added quietly,Linas funeral had weighed heavily on him. He'd lost so many family members already it was difficult to choke down the loss of another. "Thank you...I'm trying to continue though. People say she would have wanted that. Even learned some new skills, but...I can't use it. "
Sagely, the Queen nodded. “Of course she would have wanted that,” ‘Regina’ assured, as if that’s what she ought to do - she was good with the young ones, somewhat, when she wasn’t sending them to witch’s houses for her own gain, or traumatizing them by committing homicide in front of their youthful, innocent eyes. Details, really. Though Rumple was guilty of the second himself - such great things he and Regina had in common.
“Perhaps...I could help you?” she suggested. “I would never want to replace your former teacher, of course not. Not in terms of what she meant to you. But I would really hate for such skills, new ones, to go to waste and not be properly developed.”
He frowned at the memory of the funeral and shook his head as if to clear it away. "In the dream world it's easier to do without a teacher. " the idea of replacing Lina left a sour taste in his throat.
"I don't know..." He was hesitant of course, but at the same time, he was stuck with his abilities. "You know alchemy?" Ed couldn't help but feel awkward around Regina, he was idly fidgeting with his coat sleeve.
“I know everything,” was the confident response, but it was also true. The Dark One did know it all, and since he’d taught Regina she knew... most of it. Probably not all. There was only so much heart-blackening a student of his could stand, and he’d already done a number on her. As for his own heart, it was a lost cause. Too much darkness as it was - that had been why he couldn’t even be affected by a spell like Shattered Sight anyway, if it were turned on him.
But she’d be glad to tutor this young one. Really get him to use his gifts for evil good. “I don’t think you should hold back, or hide who you are and what you can do. If it gives you an advantage in this world...?” A casual shrug of slender shoulders, “Then do take advantage.”
Ed was skeptical at that response. Nobody could know everything, but there was no real reason not to trust her, she had helped them in the past. If someone knew about alchemy he really shouldn't be that picky. There really weren't that many alchemy teachers out there.
"Maybe..." Ed really couldn't think of anything that had actually given him an edge in the world. Things had been hats for him since his mom had died. "Okay. I guess it isn't a terrible idea to have that for once. What do you want me to do first then? "
Of course it wasn’t a terrible idea! The Dark One was just full of so many great ideas. “Well, there is a practice space, isn’t there?” Regina asked, though it was more rhetorical than anything else. Rumple knew of a quaint hideaway for magic users in the county - he could practically smell it from a mile away. Glamoured visually, from prying eyes, but anyone with a connection to magic could suss out the doorway.
“How about we meet there tomorrow?” Yes, sounded fabulous. That way, he could assess the space and see how it would best suit his own purposes. Maybe take over later too; it never hurt to have an extra lair at the ready.
“Yeah, that sounds fine.” Ed responded with a nod, picking up his notebook. It was going to be odd practicing with someone else, but he couldn’t deny the need for a teacher. It was harder in this world learning alchemy. Not impossible, but things worked a little differently than in his world. Things were harder to get at his age that he needed for recipes and the like. Very few magical practitioners would give certain items to an underage teenager. It made sense to have a mentor to him. “I’ll be there.”