(no subject)
WHO: Amelia and Al.
WHERE: By the docks.
WHEN: Backdated to last Wednesday before all the blood and singing.
WARNINGS: Kittens.
SUMMARY: Amelia wants a pet and Al pretty much has radar for these things. What better way to replace a missing Ling than getting a few million cats?
FORMAT: Paragraph, I guess.
Tonight's venture had been a long time coming.
Bringing cats home was one of Al's most common hobbies, but thus far, various factors had kept him from acting on the urge here. The seemingly endless onslaught of "villains" and disasters had occupied much of his time, but the biggest obstacle had been his own stubborn refusal to accept the reality of his situation.
At first he'd expected to find a means of getting home right away, but after nearly six months in The City, Al couldn't deny that life here had settled into some degree of permanence. His determination to return to Amestris hadn't faltered--and wouldn't, no matter how long he was stuck in this world--but until that day came, Al didn't see any harm in putting their apartment to good use by caring for a few pets.
With that Black Mask lunatic raving about killing cats, now seemed like a prime opportunity to finally pick some up. Amelia wanted a kitten too, so it was only natural that she was accompanying Al on the long walk to the docks. (Cats tended to frequent such places, but the recent ship attacks meant this particular area was no longer safe.)
Though grateful for her presence, Al was quiet throughout the trip, remaining almost uncharacteristically withdrawn. The knowledge that Ling had been returned home weighed heavily on his mind, making it difficult to muster up much good cheer.
They'd been allies back in Amestris, of course, but despite their common goals, Al and Ling had never been particularly close. All the time they'd spent together here had begun to change that, though; being trapped in a strange world with only each other to rely on had caused Ling's friendship with the Elrics to slowly shift into something more genuine. But now he was gone; their trio divided before Al had even gotten the chance to truly appreciate how well they worked together.
That seemed to be the way it usually went with Ling. Shortly after he'd finally wormed his way into being more than just a freeloading tag-along he'd lost himself to Greed for the first time--the same fate he was once again condemned to now. Even though it wasn't directly Al's fault that Ling had been ported out, he couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility. If only he'd done something different; if he'd been faster at finding a way to leave under their own power...
Al sighed quietly, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets and glancing over at Amelia. He hoped he wasn't upsetting her by acting distant, but not even the prospect of kittens could completely break Al out of the mood he was in.
"How are your friends settling into the new apartment?" he asked, an admittedly half-hearted attempt at smalltalk.
WHERE: By the docks.
WHEN: Backdated to last Wednesday before all the blood and singing.
WARNINGS: Kittens.
SUMMARY: Amelia wants a pet and Al pretty much has radar for these things. What better way to replace a missing Ling than getting a few million cats?
FORMAT: Paragraph, I guess.
Tonight's venture had been a long time coming.
Bringing cats home was one of Al's most common hobbies, but thus far, various factors had kept him from acting on the urge here. The seemingly endless onslaught of "villains" and disasters had occupied much of his time, but the biggest obstacle had been his own stubborn refusal to accept the reality of his situation.
At first he'd expected to find a means of getting home right away, but after nearly six months in The City, Al couldn't deny that life here had settled into some degree of permanence. His determination to return to Amestris hadn't faltered--and wouldn't, no matter how long he was stuck in this world--but until that day came, Al didn't see any harm in putting their apartment to good use by caring for a few pets.
With that Black Mask lunatic raving about killing cats, now seemed like a prime opportunity to finally pick some up. Amelia wanted a kitten too, so it was only natural that she was accompanying Al on the long walk to the docks. (Cats tended to frequent such places, but the recent ship attacks meant this particular area was no longer safe.)
Though grateful for her presence, Al was quiet throughout the trip, remaining almost uncharacteristically withdrawn. The knowledge that Ling had been returned home weighed heavily on his mind, making it difficult to muster up much good cheer.
They'd been allies back in Amestris, of course, but despite their common goals, Al and Ling had never been particularly close. All the time they'd spent together here had begun to change that, though; being trapped in a strange world with only each other to rely on had caused Ling's friendship with the Elrics to slowly shift into something more genuine. But now he was gone; their trio divided before Al had even gotten the chance to truly appreciate how well they worked together.
That seemed to be the way it usually went with Ling. Shortly after he'd finally wormed his way into being more than just a freeloading tag-along he'd lost himself to Greed for the first time--the same fate he was once again condemned to now. Even though it wasn't directly Al's fault that Ling had been ported out, he couldn't shake the feeling of responsibility. If only he'd done something different; if he'd been faster at finding a way to leave under their own power...
Al sighed quietly, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets and glancing over at Amelia. He hoped he wasn't upsetting her by acting distant, but not even the prospect of kittens could completely break Al out of the mood he was in.
"How are your friends settling into the new apartment?" he asked, an admittedly half-hearted attempt at smalltalk.