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Edward Elric is the Fullmetal Alchemist (fullmetal_chibi) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-01-20 09:08:00

Who:Ed and Lina
What:Chatting and such
When:During the wish plot
Warnings:None
STATUS: complete



Even the smallest tasks were painful, Ed really had no idea what the hell was going on. The bus ride to Lina’s had him grimacing every time it went over a speed bump or hit a rough turn, he felt the sting of moisture creeping into his eyes, it wasn’t normal but then again nothing in Orange County was normal. They were driving over freaking snow in one of the typically warmest climates he’d ever been in. Ed figured maybe it was the automail reacting to the cold, who the hell knew.

Whatever it was, he was glad it was over as the bus came to a stop and he gingerly climbed out looking a little paler than usual as he got off to Lina’s. “Oi, it’s cold out here.”He muttered as he knocked at her door.

Cold was the understatement. And Lina wasn’t a fan of old climates - one of the things she hated about living on the east coast - but considering how it was a yearly theme that the OC experience a white Christmas under one circumstance or another, she wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t magic; she would have tasted it in the air otherwise. Pete knew the cause, it didn’t seem like anything too pressing. Someone figuring out how to take the reigns on their powers, and there were bumps in that path. Like there always was when someone’s stuff was just breaking the surface.

Comfortably clothed in a turtleneck sweater dress, sheer tights keeping legs warm, she shuffled to the door in slipper-flats and opened the door to quickly usher him in. “Come in, punk,” she greeted with a huff laugh. It was warm inside, the festive decorations simple - a fiber optic tree in the corner, the lights more like ethereal shimmers, with the beginning pile of gifts beneath it. Not a lot of ornaments either, thank fuck. Guess liked to think they were toys. Her toys to break. There was some garland wrapped with lights, stockings hung too. “I could have picked you up, y’know.”

Ed peered up at her with a huffy squint. “I managed.” And slipped inside rather easily, he looked around at the place and it looked like Christmas. That was no real surprise though since everything was starting to. He wasn’t overly fond of holidays, Christmas his least favorite but he wasn’t about to dash other peoples holiday. Let them do what they wanted as long as it didn’t involve him seeing some fat drunk guy at the mall calling himself Santa.

“Besides I wanted to get out of the house. Riza’s been all over me.” He made a face. “A bruise and it’s the end of the world or something.” He brushed some of the snow off his hands and wiggled his automail one in attempt to get some of the water out of the joints. “All ready for Christmas huh? Didn’t realize you were so into it?” He was curious mostly, Ed had deemed himself an Atheist this year, the only reason he was doing any Christmas activities was because Al seemed adamant.

Bruise? Hm. Edward didn’t look bruised. He was a spry little shit, he probably got himself into something (like all cranky boys did his age). Lina shut the door before the calico got the bright idea to run out and die in arctic weather, and led him to the kitchen - she’d been in the middle of making white hot chocolate to warm the bones. “It’s the first time I decorated in a while,” she shrugged. Years. Last Christmas she and Neal returned from their travels the night before; everything had been up and done, but she didn’t get much of a chance to fully enjoy it.

Not when she’d committed a murder several days before. Lina had been more focused on just ending that year. A new start, and boy, it delivered.

“And I figured since my life’s slowed down considerably, I can enjoy the more normal things. I wanna start the trend of traditions between Pete and I, anyway, since…” Well, she motioned to her stomach. The baby gut was in the beginning stages - she’d be getting a bit more round by the end of the month. “Y’know, give the spawn some good things to look forward to throughout the years. Hey, you want some? I’ve got marshmallows to put in it, and you look like you’re freezing.”

He didn’t emphasize, Ed really wasn’t the type who liked being babied. He just left it at that and let himself be nudged toward the kitchen. However he did find a seat at the table instead of just standing around. Everything ached. “Hn…” He responded to her life slowing down. “It’s weird...I’m not exactly sure what to do with slow. People keep telling me to be normal, but I’m not normal.” He hadn’t meant to say any of that stuff so he chewed his lip instead for a moment.

“Everyone’s obsessed with this stuff, I think Henry had like five cups the other day…” Ed didn’t see the big deal, but he was cold, he agreed to it unaware yet how it was made that it contained large amounts of milk. Ed wasn’t terribly fond of winter, it just reminded him of bad times past honestly. His mother dying in winter time didn’t help his distaste for the season. “I think Al wants to do Christmas...I can’t really say no to him but I have no idea how to do Christmas. Heh.”

“You figure out what your own brand of normal is,” she told him, shoulders shrugged. “It’s different for everyone; you don’t find out what it is overnight. You sort of…” Lina chewed her lip thoughtfully, stirring the steaming chocolatey goodness, about to add the tiny rainbow-colored marshmallows in a second. “Grow into it. You find out what works for you and what doesn’t, and even that changes as you get older.”

That’s the best way she could describe it. And none of them were that normal, not really. Everyone had changed thanks to this strange phenomenon that seemed unique to only this location - it had killed them, injured them, given them powers beyond regular human comprehension and changed their lives until they seemed almost unrecognizable. Still wouldn’t stop her from wanting a damn Christmas tree, nor would it stop her from wanting a family of her own. Things that were considered normal outside of their reality that she still could have. Don’t ever tell Lina Inverse she couldn’t have something, because the bitch would take it anyway.

Two mugs were pulled from the cupboards. Hers being the stoneware one that Neal had brought back for her, the other one had bold letters shamelessly spelling ‘COFFEE MAKES ME POOP.’ Steaming drinks poured, extra marshmallows added on top, she passed him the one with the words. “Why don’t you ask him what he wants to do? Figure it out between the two of you and make your own traditions. It could be anything, Ed, as long as you two do it together.”

“Raven said that too.” He huffed slightly, wanting more than vague answers in that area-but he wasn’t likely to earn any. There wasn’t really one answer as far as he was putting together. He watched her for a moment with a few heavy thoughts of his own, all of which caused his head to hurt a little, so he sat on a stool near by to watch.

“Classiest mug I ever did see.” He teased as he accepted it with a nod of thanks anyway. “Yeah, I guess...I duno, it just feels like winter goes on forever.” He didn’t care for winter, his mom had passed away during it. It brought back unwanted memories. “I did have another reason for coming here actually..” He trailed off as he ran a finger along the rim of the mug. “In my world people aren’t supposed to just develop alchemy, but I think Riza did.”

It was classy, wasn’t it? Lina was a very classy lady, you see, and jokes about bowel movements were sort of a thing between her and a couple others. It was the truth anyway, what the mug said. “I don’t even think we’re supposed to have winters here,” she pointed out, taking a seat by him as her hands cradled her beverage. “But the coldness leaves eventually. It doesn’t stay that way forever.”

Same could be said for a lot of things. It was an optimistic line in her view. She blew the steam from across her cup to cool the drink a little bit, and when Ed announced the purpose of his visit, she blinked. “Huh. Really? Did it carry over?”

“That’s what I thought...It’s a desert or something isn’t it? This place?” He frowned a little as he looked at his mug with all the mini colored marshmallows and picked up a few to munch on. “I don’t really mind the cold as much.” It was starting to become more tolerable, Sarah also helped. He still saw her on a regular basis. His visits cut back to once every other week now, and it likely showed a bit. He wasn’t nearly as emotionally weighed down as he was before. He was able to move on quicker than he used to as well.

“No, she’s not an alchemist there either. My commanding officer is who she works under but Riza has never been an alchemist. Plus...you aren’t supposed to just be able to do alchemy like I can. I’m pretty sure I can only do this alchemy because of the Gate. Without the circles.” He explained a little better as he leaned back in his chair and peered over at her over his cup. “She said she didn’t see any Gate…Is it this city doing it?” The city did a lot of weird stuff, he was automatically suspicious of it. Could he really be blamed?

Hmmmm. Now that was weird. If Riza didn’t dream of knowing alchemy, then it wasn’t something transferred over. “This month has been weird,” Lina murmured, casting that blood red gaze out the window. Snow, mistletoes with minds of their own, random-as-fuck characters from childhood stories trotting around like they lived here. “I heard rumors about wishes being granted last year for a certain amount of time - not that I was around to reap the benefits. That’s the best I can think of.”

Chances are, Riza’s alchemy most likely wasn’t a permanent thing. But if she wanted to give it a try and learn some tricks while she had it, why not give it a go?

“Wishes...like wishing on a star but wishing on this ass backwards city and it actually coming true?” Ed raised a skeptical eyebrow. He didn’t really believe in wishing on stars. He found it juvenile and it didn’t happen. That kind of magic was all just fairy tales mostly.He stole a few of the marshmallows off the top of the hot chocolate to munch them by themselves.

“I guess it isn’t too hard to believe with everything that happens here...and it’s a relief in comparison to seeing the Gate..” He looked down at the warm drink. “Could...you help her? I have no idea how to teach anyone stuff.” He was good, more than that. He was damn near a prodigy when it came to alchemy, but teaching it was another story all together.

Technically this place did have fairytale characters and their ‘true love’s kiss’ sort of magic - anything was possible, all laws flexible, there was nothing inherently absolute about the OC except for what can happen will likely happen. Lina had come to terms with it, and preferred to just kinda go with a tide instead of resisting it. It was home, and the only safe place to raise a half-mutant baby anyway.

Next year, though. Next year she’ll wish for a castle and hope it comes true even if it was for the shits and giggles.

“Sure can,” chirped the redhead, cocking her head to the side. “Even if it’s probably temporary, wouldn’t hurt to hone what she has while she has it, right? It’ll probably be fun.”

“Yeah, just fun is good. I don’t want anyone to see all the hard shit I’ve seen…” He made a face at some of the dreams he’d had to deal with because of alchemy. He seemed to be able to cope with them a bit better, but somebody brand new to alchemy probably wouldn’t know what to do with that sort of thing. He wouldn’t wish them on anybody.

“Thanks..I kinda hope it’s temporary. Also...Al’s been starting to try stuff to.” That worried him more than Riza. “In the dreams he’s a suit of armor. I had to bind his soul to one for him to survive. I really don’t want that happening here.” That part still weighed heavily on him. “It was my fault in the first place, he shouldn’t have to suffer for it.”

Yikes. A soul bound to a suit of armor. “We had to help someone keep their soul bound to their body a couple months back,” Lina contemplated, tapping her fingernails against the mug. “We can do the same with Al for extra precautions? Couldn’t hurt, and if he wants to work on his alchemy, he can join in with you when we practice and work on things. You’re not going to be able to stop him from trying to harness his own abilities - we might as well teach him how to use it responsibly.”

“Unlikely..if he loses it we lose access to his body in general, nothing to bind him to at all. That was why I chose the armor. The Gate didn’t think I was enough.” Ed had put down the mug now, thinking about Al in that suit didn’t exactly put him in the most cheerful mood.

“I dont think we have to worry about him trying to raise the dead at least, heh. That was my shtick.” He admitted a bit guiltily before leaning back some. “He wants me to show him stuff, but maybe it’d just be better if he came with me?” Ed shrugged.

“You can show him things and help teach him; he looks up to you, doesn’t he?” Hell, she remembered looking up to her Big Sister during the younger years - when she wasn’t too much of a rebellious shitstarter that made several wrong choices and shrugged at the consequences. “Make your years together at this age ten times better than what you dream about. A day at a time, that’s all both of you can do. And don’t forget to have a little fun with it, too. You’re too young to have the grouch level of an old man, Ed.”

Sometimes life forced you to grow up a little faster than the rest. It happened to her, but she was too stubborn to let it bog her down. Enjoy life while you’re breathing, because the world could be swallowed into the void the next day.

Literally.

“You wanna watch something stupid on TV for a bit?” Lina motioned over to the living room. “I’ll drive you back home so you don’t have to stubbornly trudge through snow or wait for a bus.”

He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. “I do not have the grouch level of an old man.” He scoffed and made a face at her before finishing off the hot chocolate he’d been handed a little earlier. He was conflicted with teaching alchemy to Al. On the same coin it would be nice to have someone to talk to about it who didn’t just nod along and humor him at home. “He’s already good at science, he’d probably be good at alchemy too.” Ed admitted as he leaned on the table.

“Hn...yeah, I don’t really have to be back until tonight anyway. Riza’s making dinner apparently not just the usual takeout.” He gave her a little grin, Riza had to work a lot now that she had two boys with her, Ed felt kinda bad for that but it wasn’t like it could really be helped.

“It’ll give us a chance to chat then, yeah?” Two birds, one stone, that kind of thing. Mug still in hand, Lina pushed him towards the living room - Guess was on the couch already, on her back with her round belly up. You’d think she was the pregnant one, fuckin’ fatso. “I’ll make you watch something besides Finding Nemo, pinky promise.”