exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Date: March 1st
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings.
Warnings: None.

You've just been hustled and bustled through mazes of information and literal, wide corridors of the Initiative Hold and you've been equipped with your weapon—be it a gun, a sword, or even your existing powers. They've handed you this light netbook and a small pouch of coins (or a debit card, if you're more inclined), and there are several Transports before and after you going through the very same motions. You can hear the Greeter's voice as she walks alongside large groups, telling them all about the history of this place and sharing with you your purpose here in a hurried and urgent tone. "You're in luck that we have enough rooms for all of you; the housing building is getting awfully full. Please, let me show you into the courtyard."

You pass what looks like huge gymnasiums, all with dummies and targets strewn and splayed around the room. Training areas. There are even classrooms, and a few small offices. You're rushed past a large library while the Greeter informs you that you can find almost all your information there, if you've got the time to look—and trust her, you'll have time. You don't spend a lot of time in the bank, and it's a bit of a blur of exchanges with more and more of these strangely-accented and oddly polite-seeming members of the Initiative.

Soon enough, you're in a massive courtyard bustling with all the other Transports. It's not exactly what you'd expect, and it looks more like barracks than anything—huge walls of concrete and stone, separating you from all of the hallways you'd just passed through. It's raining heavily, and dark clouds loom in the air, though it hasn't turned to snow. It's a chill cold, and there are shelters—long cloth hangings that extend from the walls of concrete to house you from the rain, but not enough. Most notably, the courtyard is filled with a marketplace. Even in the cold and the rain, there are several citizens seated at their covered booths and tables, bundled up against the weather. They're selling all manner of their own handmade goods and foods, and citizens and Transports alike are traveling from one small covered shop to another in search of all manner of necessities.

The Greeter's voice has become so faint now, but you swear you can make it out in the back of the crowds as she tells you, "Good luck. Be safe!"

Her voice is drowned out by the busy marketplace, though even the transactions taking place are somewhat subdued. Nobody is overly happy, really, though most citizens can be found with smiles on their faces. It doesn't seem like they're that shocked to see you, either; even if you're not bound in tattered rags and wrapped in heavy shawls as they are. You're welcome to walk up to a shop, and find yourself something to eat—hey, maybe you'll even find something akin to a raincoat. Or, you can join the others under the coverings against the walls. Where am I? What war? She was talking so fast, and it didn't all make very much sense… did anyone else catch it all?

Welcome to the courtyard. Welcome to the Initiative Hold—and most importantly, welcome to Exsilium

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's crazy.

[Potentially, a different person calling the shots for the homunculi could have changed everything about Amestris. It'd be foolish to hope for too much when those things are involved in any capacity, but still, he wonders.

After everything he heard just a few minutes ago Al doesn't see what could be left that Ed's reluctant to discuss, so this time he takes the disinterest at face value.]

You're not even a little curious?

I know we've got more important things to focus on while we're here, and it'd be too much to cover all at once anyway. But it's still really interesting. And if we don't have any better information to go on, we're probably going to make a lot of the wrong assumptions about each other. [A beat.] I don't even know how old you are yet.

Nineteen, Al. Or... close enough. [Ed looks slightly sheepish for a moment.] Different calendars and all, I don't know exactly any more either.

[He claps to return his hand to normal, but doesn't look up again right away once he's done. Of course there are still things he's reluctant to discuss. One of the more disturbing ones right now is the idea that, even with his and Al's worlds potentially having diverged not that long after his world and Earth (who knows how old Dante and their dad really were in the end?), he could apparently have ended up with a brother stuck in a suit of armour more than once. It's like someone's idea of a sick joke.

If he's honest with himself, he's afraid.]

...What about you? How long have you been in there?

[It's not an unfair thing to ask, but Al finds himself holding back a sigh anyway.]

I'm fourteen, so that means it's been about four years.

[Closer to fifteen these days, but a few extra months don't do much to put a dent in an age gap like that. It's pretty surreal that Ed's actually an adult; that so many of the things that are front and center and urgent in Al's life are ones he considers done and over with.]

How much of that time did you spend stuck in the other world?

[Ed isn't fazed by the age gap, but he's still quiet for a second. He wonders how to break it to Al that they decided to stay without him getting mad again.]

A couple of years. Almost long enough to get used to it.

[Well, maybe some other time. He leans back in the chair.]

Sorry, Al. Winry and I, we... didn't talk much about any of this. [And for that matter he has no way of knowing if she was from exactly the same world as Al, but at least he could've got some practice in explaining himself.]

[Well, that saves him the trouble of asking.]

That's okay. I did wonder how much you two were able to figure out, but there's really no telling how many worlds like ours could actually exist.

[And knowing Winry, she'd be the first in line to insist that the differences aren't what matter. Still...]

Did she say anything that stood out to you?

[He shakes his head.] Something about heading up north, something about going to Central without her... but not how I remember it. Then she just told me it didn't change anything.

[The way he says it, it's nearly a question.]

That definitely sounds like her. [There's an unmistakable fondness to his voice as he finally sits back down.

[Which her they're talking about is still up in the air, but for now there's nothing they can do about that. She'd kill him for overthinking it anyway.]

In some ways we're really lucky that not being from the same world didn't make that big of a difference for the three of us.

[It wouldn't have taken much at all to set them on wildly different paths, and Al's not sure what he would even say to an Ed or a Winry who looked at the armor and couldn't recognize it as him.]

[Ed actually smiles.] Come on, Al, what else did you expect? [He raises a confident fist.] That's how I can promise you you're gonna get out of there. One way or another, even if it isn't mine.

[There's another face swimming to the forefront of his memory now that Al mentions it, but Heiderich is probably a story for another time.]

I'm guessing you already don't want to kick around this dump any longer than you have to, right?

I can't. [It isn't a matter of what he wants anymore; under different circumstances an opportunity to learn from an entirely new world might have been something he welcomed, but right now curiosity would be way too selfish of an indulgence.] No matter what, I have to get back home before Spring.

But the same goes for you too. With the Transporter it should be possible to get you and the other me both back to your original world where you belong.

[Ed rubs the back of his neck.]

Worry about yourself first, Al. I'll take care of the rest. [He's still looking at Al, but he seems to look through him for a moment.] If I finally got my hands on that machine just to claim it for the two of us, I'd be no better than them.

[Then he inclines his head and pulls his right glove back on with a flourish.] But that's all wishful thinking as long as we're just sitting around in here. Was there anything else you still wanted me to clear up?

[Saying that with such an air of finality, maybe he can convince himself they've reached some level of understanding. Maybe.]

You know that's not what I mean. I'm just saying that we need to consider every option we've got.

[He fixes Ed with a long look that he fully expects him to read as Al's way of saying that from another world or not, there's no way he's going to stand by and let Ed start taking things on alone.]

Are you sure there's nothing else you want to know? You've been pretty quiet about what you think of all this.

[Better to level the question back at him than to answer completely dishonestly, he supposes. There's a limit to how much of their first conversation Al wants to spend arguing, but they're still taking so much on faith that he's not sure they've managed to clear up anything at all. Even the things Ed has told him have mostly only served to raise more questions.]

[Ed just nods. He's reasonably confident that by this point he's considered at least a couple more options than Al has. Or ever would. Not that that needs to come up.]

You think so, Al? [This small, resigned smile hasn't left his face.] Is there really that much to think? We don't have a home any more. This world, your world, any world, it's all the same to me. Besides, you figure out pretty fast that scenery's a lot quicker to change than people.

[He yawns and stretches a shade theatrically, then settles down again.]

Can't say I'm not a little curious about this other me, but I wasn't planning to interrogate you the moment you dropped in. I'm just... glad it didn't take you two years this time, I guess.

[There are a lot of implications in those sentences; more information Al chooses to file away rather than press on just yet. Maybe a little time to get used to each other existing is what they need to make things start falling into place. Or so he's hoping anyway.

He doesn't buy Ed's nonchalant acceptance for a second, but the tone he takes on is light and almost teasing.]

You really have gotten older, haven't you? [He shakes his head as if any display of maturity from Edward Elric is a foreign concept.]

We'll make the most of it while we're stuck here, but where we are is always going to matter, Brother. You might not have the same goals as me anymore, but there are still plenty of things you need to do.

[Ed responds to the implied light jab about as well as anyone could expect: he gets up and gives Al a decidedly more physical jab in the chest plate.] Don't say that like you were hoping I'd stay a brat for the rest of my life!

[But he settles down almost immediately, and folds his arms again.]

Just remember we aren't the only two people stuck here who matter, okay? I'll get you home, Al, but I'm gonna do it right.

[Ed's overreaction gets a laugh, but Al sobers just as quickly, tilting his head in confusion as Ed goes on. Sure, he's been keeping the conversation focused on their situation, but it seems like a weird leap to caution him as if he'd really be that callous. It's another small reminder to not keep making assumptions about how well Ed understands him and the things he leaves unspoken.]

Now who's calling who a brat? I know it's not going to be that easy. I've only spoken to a few other people here so far, but some of them are just kids who seem even less suited to being dragged into a war than us.

[He sighs, his fingers curling into fists. It's downright painful to consider the rest of this when there's such a desperately important fight waiting for him to return to, but he can't become the kind of person who weighs lives against each other and decides one world is more worth saving than the next.] The natives of this place have it even worse. I'm not saying I trust the Initiative or anything, but the people here do need help. If there's really something I can do for them then I can't ignore that just because it's inconvenient.

Just as long as we're clear. [He'd figured the reminder was probably unnecessary, but he can't help recalling the last time Al had really needed it, sometimes in the middle of the night.

He privately adds that to the already extensive list of things he should mention when Al is a little more settled in. There are only so many hours in a day.]

Me, I know how to play a part, try to figure out exactly what their resources could be doing. You think you're finally through being anybody's dog, then one day you look up and someone new is pulling on your leash... and I'm okay with that for now. But that's not the only way to help. Hell, I can't be sure just yet it is a way to help. So like I said, you make up your own mind.

I'm sorry if I said something to make you think I feel that way, but you don't need to worry. There's no way I'd be able to face everyone at home if I got there by turning my back on people in danger. [Or perhaps it's more simple and Ed isn't as ready to trust an alternate universe counterpart as he wants Al to think he is. Either way, the topic unsettles him.

[To the rest he nods along a bit absently, trying not to be daunted by how impossible the task ahead is starting to look. There are no guarantees his soul's connection to the armor is going to hold up all the way until the Promised Day, much less adding another world's fight into the mix. And even that much good fortune is supposing the Transporter can truly throw out the laws of time and send him back before it's too late. If Al were a little less optimistic he'd probably dismiss the whole thing as hopeless.]

There's a lot I have to learn before I can start making decisions. I'm not asking you to tell me what to think, but you've been here longer and I'd still like to hear anything you've already figured out.

[There's a brief flash of guilt across Ed's face. He'd been going for cautious, not accusatory. Not for the first time since he first hauled Al up here, he wishes Winry was still around to do the talking.]

As in what, Al? I know we keep getting people who think this army's a joke and talk about starting their own, even if half of them seem to forget they're no better equipped than the rest of us. Then there's others who walk away, like I was telling you. And some just try to keep their heads down, do what they can away from the fighting. Like Winry.

[Now he's staring at his feet.]

But the answers I want? I'll be honest with you - I can't figure out where to start looking.

Information on this world's history that hasn't been pre-approved by the Initiative would be nice, but I know that's going to be hard to come by.

[He shrugs a bit instead of getting discouraged, though maintaining the confident front is for his own sake just as much as anything else. Besides, sometimes finding the right questions can be half the battle in itself.]

Even knowing the things you've looked into that didn't pan out would save us from wasting time covering the same ground. [Has he countered Ed's use of I with we enough yet to drive the point home? Well, just in case.] No matter how difficult getting answer seems, you have me here to help you now and that means we'll find a way to manage just like always.

[Al's confidence might be an act, Ed isn't sure, but it's something he can damn well match if he's going to set a good example. He rallies.] Yeah, we will. That's what we do.

[He walks over to where he left his coat.] Might be too early to say whether any of this will pan out or not, but... [Quickly rummaging through one of the pockets, he pulls out a small notebook, which he flicks through once -] Looks like the right one. Here, catch. [- before tossing it Al's way. It's well-thumbed, slightly damp and almost completely full of his scrawl. ...Not that he knows if Al is going to recognise it as his scrawl.

Some of the notes are on past missions. Most of the rest are broader summaries of world history; they're more or less split up into discrete time periods starting from around the 19th century, but there's little semblance of order, chronological or otherwise. A few less relevant pages are mixed in as well, including a list of miscellaneous lab equipment and, oddly enough, a sketch of a familiar-looking ouroboros and hexagram.]

That should be all I got on history so far. Cross-referenced where I could, tried to note where the books and sources looked fishy to me - I figured that's the second best thing. But I didn't really start until a little while back, so it's pretty bare-bones. [He grins sheepishly.] And organisation kind of took a back seat.

Hey, a start's a start.

[Al catches the notebook, immediately flipping through it. A tangible source of information genuinely serves to cheer him up; as valuable as he's sure the network must be, it's still unfamiliar and involves way too much wading through personal conversations to be within his comfort zone. At least having an idea of what to look into further is a big help.

Since the notes are much more general than their usual field there's no reason to be put off by the lack of coding, but it gets a chuckle out of him all the same. It's not often he can decipher any of his brother's research at a glance, well organized or not.]

It's a lot easier to read than your alchemy notes. Thanks.

[The familiar--and yet, like almost everything else today, slightly different--image of the ouroboros does indeed give him pause.]

You didn't find something about the homunculi here, did you?

[Ed raises an eyebrow - is it easier to read? It's not like he's an actual historian! - but is distracted by the next question. He peers over at the page.]

Nah, that's something else. False alarm. Or I'd like to think so. Best you could say is that if any of them are around, they're keeping to themselves. [He straightens up.] There was this kid who sounded like he was asking about them, but when I showed him that, it turned out he meant some other group with a different tattoo. That's alternate worlds for you.

[He shrugs.]

No reason to be careless, though. One of them could show up someday, if they aren't here yet. Or... whoever their boss is. It's not impossible. You seen some of the people who get pulled into this mess, Al? They'd almost be an improvement. [He grins darkly.] At least most of them know what a functioning army's supposed to look like.

I don't think I'd call their idea of an army functioning.

[He turns another page in Ed's notebook, not bothering to look up as he talks. The homunculi are at the top of the list of things he wants to ask about when Ed's feeling more agreeable. If they were really created by a normal human then it makes sense that they'd be younger, and while he doesn't want to hope for too much, it sure would be nice to hear there's an Amestris out there where they didn't spend centuries engineering wars for maximum bloodshed.]

That's part of why I think comparing this stuff will be important for us later on. We can't be prepared for everything, but we can at least know what to expect when it comes to our own worlds.

[Another casual page flip as he mulls over what might happen if the homunculi really did show up.]

Actually... That we aren't from the same place is probably something we should try to keep to ourselves, just to be safe.

[Ed looks uncertain.] Well, I wasn't about to go shouting it from the rooftops, but... you really think someone would try to use it? Or could? [He spreads a hand.] I mean, people already know there's all kinds of issues with the way they bring us here. It's hard not to notice. Parallel timelines fit into that pretty easily.

[It's the principle of the thing. He's never particularly needed any reminders to keep a secret.]

It's more about not giving up a potential advantage. [Wyrly:] You don't exactly fit into anything the homunculi I know have planned.

[He closes the book and sets it aside.]

Normally they need us alive, but it's hard to say what they'd make of you being from another world. The only thing I can be sure of is that they wouldn't pass up a chance to use you against me if they thought they could. Like I said, we just barely got Winry out of a bad situation back home, so I'm not looking to take any more risks than necessary.

[Assuming the homunculi don't decide Exsilium changes the game completely, of course, but Al would like to think he and Ed would be able to stop them before any new plans become an issue. Anyway, that's a lot of paranoia for a hypothetical, so he quickly turns sheepish.]

But um, hopefully that won't be something we'll ever have to deal with.