V+V, Cannon: Bishops Ponderings
Title: Bishops Ponderings
Archive: V+V, Cannon
Summary: Masuta on Ed.
Chronology: During Uneven Playing Field
Warnings: No more then usual.
Masuta had always thought there was something off about Edward Elric. Even after all these years and all the adventures there was just something about the genius prodigy that screamed 'I-am-one-short-step-from-going-completely-bat-shit-insane-and-taking-everyone-with-me'.
And usually it was Masuta's job to keep Ed from loosing it completely. Once in Amistres it became everyone's job, although Al and Riza tended to be better at it then Roy. Most of the time.
The problem now was not that Ed had finally lost his incredible, frightening and shiny marbles; but that everyone else was doing so. Winry was shell shocked and walking around like a zombie trying to pull it's pieces together, Scieszka had completely shut down and refused to talk to anyone as she 'reviewed her memories for inconsistencies', Roy was drinking and smoking in the library most of the time trying to prepare some sort of battle plan, Riza was hardly sleeping and keeping a watchful eye on everyone, and Al was trying very carefully to stay out of everyone's way while taking care of everything and worrying like mad.
In fact the only people who seemed nominally normal were Edward himself and Masuta. Masuta because he really wasn't sure what to do and therefore was careful to do nothing, but Edward because...
Because this was Edward. This was something the blond had seen coming, had been prepared for in a way. Edward Elric always expected the worst out of life; he was always waiting for the next ax to fall, the next crisis to arise, the next person to die. This was Ed's familiar territory; on the knifes edge of destruction and terror, where giving up meant loosing and going on meant pain and suffering.
Was it any wonder people looked to him to fix the world?
Masuta had always thought that Edward was a livewire, a human animal almost. Violence and cunning and cold, near arctic logic coupled with bright optimism and a heart of gold to match his eyes. There was something a little terrifying about that brilliance and talent, but as long as someone held on to Ed's sanity for him, the man was fine.
Now Ed was holding everyone else’s sanity, and Masuta wondered, darkly, in the quiet corners of his mind, whether it hadn't been that way all along. One didn't have to be a homunculus to be able to change his face.
Archive: V+V, Cannon
Summary: Masuta on Ed.
Chronology: During Uneven Playing Field
Warnings: No more then usual.
Masuta had always thought there was something off about Edward Elric. Even after all these years and all the adventures there was just something about the genius prodigy that screamed 'I-am-one-short-step-from-going-completely-bat-shit-insane-and-taking-everyone-with-me'.
And usually it was Masuta's job to keep Ed from loosing it completely. Once in Amistres it became everyone's job, although Al and Riza tended to be better at it then Roy. Most of the time.
The problem now was not that Ed had finally lost his incredible, frightening and shiny marbles; but that everyone else was doing so. Winry was shell shocked and walking around like a zombie trying to pull it's pieces together, Scieszka had completely shut down and refused to talk to anyone as she 'reviewed her memories for inconsistencies', Roy was drinking and smoking in the library most of the time trying to prepare some sort of battle plan, Riza was hardly sleeping and keeping a watchful eye on everyone, and Al was trying very carefully to stay out of everyone's way while taking care of everything and worrying like mad.
In fact the only people who seemed nominally normal were Edward himself and Masuta. Masuta because he really wasn't sure what to do and therefore was careful to do nothing, but Edward because...
Because this was Edward. This was something the blond had seen coming, had been prepared for in a way. Edward Elric always expected the worst out of life; he was always waiting for the next ax to fall, the next crisis to arise, the next person to die. This was Ed's familiar territory; on the knifes edge of destruction and terror, where giving up meant loosing and going on meant pain and suffering.
Was it any wonder people looked to him to fix the world?
Masuta had always thought that Edward was a livewire, a human animal almost. Violence and cunning and cold, near arctic logic coupled with bright optimism and a heart of gold to match his eyes. There was something a little terrifying about that brilliance and talent, but as long as someone held on to Ed's sanity for him, the man was fine.
Now Ed was holding everyone else’s sanity, and Masuta wondered, darkly, in the quiet corners of his mind, whether it hadn't been that way all along. One didn't have to be a homunculus to be able to change his face.