open to anyone that would venture into the bookstore.

[faithlost]

[If anything could stay in business in a city overrun by Elrics it was a book store or a restaurant. And it was with that mentality that they'd decided to open one.

Not that Ed had much to do with the actual 'running' of the store, spending most of her time draped on an overstuffed chair and reading their product instead. Even if she did do a lot of the paperwork after the place was locked up for the evening.

At the moment she was busily avoiding Roy, tail swishing back and forth - draped over the arm of the chair and nearly scraping the floor. Flipping to the next page of the book in hand as if reading in the privacy and comfort of her own home, golden ears flicked back with a lazy yawn.]




[ooc: For anyone that remembers my Loveless!Ed from the original DR (faithlesselric, this is his female counterpart. Unlike him she is sporting the cat features associated with Loveless]

Comments

[faith_lost]

[She quirks a brow at the interruption. You meant her feminine charm, right Al?]

Ed. [No, Alphonse, not even you are getting the dreaded full name.

After a pause she does smile though, tail swaying behind her legs idly.]

It's a lot to take in, trust me- I know... Hopefully you'll get home before you have a chance to get used to it though, right?

[alkahestic]

[ A glance is made towards the windows, where he can see the snow coming down harder now. Even if he did use alchemy some way, he wouldn't be able to alter the weather enough to make it stop snowing... Would an umbrella be enough? Somehow, he doubts it.

Turning back to Ed, he gives another polite bow. ]

Alright... Ed? Or should I say "Sister"? [ The smile takes on just a bit more confidence while still remaining gentle. Typical kind, caring Alphonse. ] I'm not sure I can get home tonight. Home is... a long ways away.

Could you point me to a hotel?

[faith_lost]

Either works... That is what you usually call me. [Explaining that is really weird.

After a pause.] You sure bow a lot. Really, you don't need to be so formal, we are family.

[At the last part she doesn't say anything for a long moment, staring at him as if he'd starting speaking another language.]

There's only one inn around here, Al- and I doubt you want to stay there. Besides, you're already inside so why go back out in this storm?

I can ask Roy if you'd be all aright to spend the night here- [she gestures around the bookstore before shrugging] We have plenty of furniture- maybe tomorrow the snow will have let up some.

[alkahestic]

[ BUT HE DOESN'T REALLY KNOW YOU AND THIS IS WEIRD, plus you are a girl and it's important to be polite to girls. ]

...Roy?

[ Because, yeah, that uh... catches his attention. There's no tone of accusal or anything else in his voice. Just pure curiosity. ]

You mean... you live with the colonel?

1/8

[faithlost]

[JUST ACCEPT IT, AL.]


... [oh right. That might strike someone a little odd.]

2/8

[faithlost]

3/8

[faithlost]

[faith_lost]

[faithlost]

[faithlost]

[faith_lost]

[She actually giggles at that- a light chuckle of amusement, as if she found Al's confusion cute.]

yeah...

done!

[faithlost]

We lived together for a few years, actually... before winding up here.

[alkahestic]

[ Well. This is different. This isn't just "Oh look, my brother is a girl" different. This is "Oh look, my brother is a girl and and living with the colonel whom I'm sure brother wanted to beat up several times..." It's a little bit outside Al's reckoning. ]

....Oh.

[faith_lost]

[Man of few words, huh Al.]

It's not- [she couldn't really say 'what you think' considering she didn't know what he actually thought.


Quietly.] He needs me...

[alkahestic]

[ Need... He can understand that. It's what drove him to search for Ed those two years. It's what drove him to open the Gate and to later go through it, following his brother.

It's still a bit weird to think of the colonel needing Ed, but he recalls the overheard phone calls between Winry and Mustang, when it seemed as if the colonel would never return from his outer post. As if just like him and Winry, the colonel was waiting for someone too. Maybe... it wasn't so far of a stretch.

And here, this Ed has found some kind of place with Mustang. And she seems happy enough, something that Al rarely saw on his brother after they failed to bring back their mother, save for a few short moments.

There's that small bit of jealousy there, of course. That small part of him that wishes it was him instead. Perhaps not with this version of his brother, but his own brother. A thought he quickly shoves aside in favor of giving Ed an understanding smile. ]

And you're happy?

[faith_lost]

[Happy.

Happy was not really something Ed thought about. Al was happy - as happy as he could be - doing something with his future. Roy was happy.

She hadn't thought about it though, hadn't thought about herself. The bond dictated they be together, and she'd wanted it even before then - stupid adolescent crush...

That was the thing she hadn't thought of for herself though. The thing her Al never asked her, so afraid that she was being used and manipulated by a man vulnerable to her whim.

After a moment she smiles, soft almost uncertain she's allowed to.] You know what? I am.

[alkahestic]

[ He can see that slight flicker of uncertainty, her shift in expressions exact to his own brother's and therefore easy to catch. But he makes no note of it. She says she's happy and she's smiling. It's not the kind of fake smile that makes him wonder, makes him worry Ed isn't telling him the whole story. It's different. And it looks good on her. He hopes she'll continue to smile that way. ]

I'm glad. Just make sure the colonel doesn't let you slack off on your work. He's just as bad as you, you know.

1/5

[faithlost]

[--!]

[faithlost]

[faithlost]

[Have some flustered stammering, Al.

No coherent words. Just noises.]

[faith_lost]

[COMPLETELY MORTIFIED, CRIMSON.]

5/5

[faith_lost]

Trust me, Al [Through gritted teeth.]

I get my work done.

[alkahestic]

[ TOTALLY THROWN OFF BY HER BLUSHING what on earth did he say???? Clearing his throat and laughing slightly, he scratches the back of his neck again. ]

Ihi... Are you sure? If you're like Brother, you always slack off when I'm not around.

[faithlost]

[DON'T ASK.]

.... I make sure he gets his work done.

[Although really, Roy was good at doing his work without a problem. Sure, he might put it off to the last second, and without Ed or Riza around to make sure he's doing what he needs there might be a few more late nights than there logically should be.

He got it done though. Here on the other hand... Running a bookstore instead of serving the military. No higher ups to breathe down his neck or promotion to strive for-

Still blushing.]

And he makes sure I get some work done, too.

[alkahestic]

[ There's that blushing again. He's not sure how to respond to it. This is unfamiliar ground again and while he's by no means ignorant (he's got a general idea of what might be going on), he doesn't really understand the cause behind it. Not too much, anyway.

There's also that slight twinge of jealousy, but it's quickly squashed as he reminds himself this isn't his actual brother. This Ed is different. ]

That's good to hear.

[ Another smile and he glances around the bookshop, wandering idly towards a shelf where he trails his fingers across the book spines. ]

Do you just work here, then?

[faith_lost]

We own it. [Together.] I guess the last person that was here just- disappeared one day. That seems pretty normal around this place...

[If her tone was any indication, that thought unsettled her.] So it was pretty cheap, considering... We live here, Roy and I- live here. Upstairs in the apartment.

[His idly moving fingers remind her though, and she perks up once more.]

-but you were looking for a book, right?