2 Alphabet Drabbles (Mustang/Hughes, friendship) W and X
Title: W is for Weapon
Author: SeaweedOtter
Characters: Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes
Rating: PG-13 for gory, bloody imagry.
Disclaimer: Angst-ridden
Author's note: I got this idea from clinicly8insane who got the idea from h_mania. So I want to thank both of them.
Weapon.
Snap.
Just one snap and it was all over.
One snap and there was no body to clean up, just a mess of bones and sticky, greasy fat that bubbled and boiled long after the flame had dissipated.
Such was the way of the human weapon, the Flame Alchemist.
Even after the war was over, and he was back in Central with a hot shower, clean clothes, food that actually tasted like it was something that was meant to be eaten- a normal life- he still couldn’t escape the life of a dog of the military.
The life of an alchemic weapon.
He tried to explain it to Maes- over many glasses of whiskey, or looking down at the barrel of a gun. Maes hadn’t been in that desert hell hole, and he wasn’t an alchemist. He couldn’t understand the horror of having a simple snap of the fingers, *your fingers* turn a living, breathing human being into a smoldering, charred mound of fat and bone.
His best friend tried to understand. He was a solider. He had taken the life of a fellow human being before, and he knew the horrors and nightmares that came with the life of the Amestrian military, but not in the vast scope that the alchemists of Ishbal had witnessed.
All Maes could do was to keep the man from killing himself, and listen to the stories that he told- even though just hearing them often kept Maes up late at night, clutching his pillow with white knuckles and pale, clammy skin.
He did everything that he could to keep Roy safe, and sane- and when it got bad, bad enough that he wasn’t sure if the alchemist was going to be able to go on, he reminded Roy of the promise that they had made what seemed like so long ago. Roy was going to become Fuhrer, and Maes would be there every step of the way, helping his best friend to reach the top.
And so Roy continued on with his life, determined to do what he could until he accomplished his goal, and the time that he would never again have to be a human weapon.
Title: X is for Xing
Author: SeaweedOtter
Characters: Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Mostly silly
Xing.
As soon as the buildings of the Amestrian Military Academy came into view, Roy hoped that the days of being teased for the way that he looked was over. He knew that the kids in grade school and high school could be emotionally immature and quick to jump onto any trait that would single a person out for ridicule. But he figured that by the time they were entering the military, the maturity level would grow, and he would leave the name calling behind.
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
“Go back to Xing, you thin-eyed freak!” Or some variation of that was what he heard while he was lugging the few boxes of belongings that he had brought with him towards the freshmen dorm, and up the stairs.
“Of course, I would be on the top floor.” He groused, stopping at the top of each flight of stairs to wipe away the sweat that was quickly forming on his brow. It was a sweltering summer day, the hottest so far this season, and it was painfully obvious that he wasn’t going to get any one to help lug the boxes to his room.
When he finally got to the last flight of stairs, he noticed that a tall, dark haired man was walking down the hallway. The man spotted him immediately, and started to walk faster towards him.
Roy quickly looked down at his boxes, then backwards at the stairwell behind him. He figured that he didn’t have enough time to grab his boxes and run, but he could abandon his boxes and retreat down the stairwell. But he had so few important possessions that he loathed the thought of abandoning what he had brought. Even though the books inside were in his own personal code, he didn’t want the secrets of the flame alchemy that he was attempting to learn to fall into the wrong hands. His teacher would roast him alive if he found out.
By the time he looked back from the stairwell to the hallway, it was too late. The man was only a couple of steps away, with a serious look on his face.
“That’s a lot of stuff there.” He said, plainly, looking over the boxes. He adjusted the rectangular glasses that perched precariously on the top of his long nose. He was easily half a foot taller than Roy, with black hair as well, though it wasn’t as dark. And he had the oddest shade of gold-green eyes that Roy had ever seen. He was wearing a loud, ugly purple button up shirt that he hadn’t bothered to tuck in, and black slacks over a pair of black loafers.
Even though it only took a moment for Roy’s quick assessment of the man, by the time he looked back up, the other man looked bored and a little annoyed. “Um, yeah.” Was all that Roy could reply. “I’m looking for room…” He stopped for a moment to take a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, open it up, and read it. “…Room 714. Do you know where that is?”
Finally, a smile broke the plane of the man’s long mouth. “I better know where that is!” He said with a chuckle. “That’s my room!” He clapped Roy on the back, a seemingly impossibly big grin covering the man’s face. “Maes Hughes. It’s nice to meet you.” He extended his hand.
Roy took the hand tentatively and shook it. “Roy Mustang.”
“Let’s get this stuff to the room. You don’t want it cluttering up the hallway.” He picked up a box, straining a bit. “Man! You got rocks in here or something?”
“They’re alchemy books.” Roy immediately regretted saying it, after it left his mouth. Looking different was one thing, but being labeled as a “freak” alchemist was even worse.
“Ah. Alchemy, huh? Never had the patience for it myself.” The smile never faded from his roommate’s face.
‘Maybe he doesn’t hate alchemists like everyone else seems to.’ Roy thought to himself. ‘I can only hope that’s the case. I’m gonna be living with him for 4 years.’
Maes got to the room first and skillfully balanced the box he was holding on his side while he used his free hand to unlock the door. He shifted the box back and walked in, putting it on the ground. Roy followed behind, closing the door behind him.
“Here ya go, home sweet home.” Maes said, spreading his arms out in the middle of the small room. “So you’re an alchemist huh? You don’t look like you’re from around here, although I don’t hear any accent in your voice. I heard the people of Xing, far over to the east, study alchemy as well. But it’s a different kind of alchemy, more medicinal. Is that your specialty? I know that every alchemist has an area of expertise.”
Roy looked confused for a moment. Once again he had been accused of being Xingian, but this time it wasn’t in an insulting way. It was more of a curious question, and that threw him off.
“Um… no, actually.” Roy replied, still unsure of the man’s intentions. “I’m not from Xing. I get that a lot. People see my eyes and hair, or find out that I’m an alchemist, and I get called every name in the book. I was hoping that coming here would alleviate that, but so far, it hasn’t.”
Maes looked crestfallen. “Oh. I’m sorry if I insulted you. I didn’t mean to. Personally, I don’t care where you’re from, or what you do, as long as you don’t get me in trouble! And if anyone gives you a hard time, I’ll beat ‘em up for you. How’s that?” The same huge grin from the hallway filled his face.
Roy shook his head and smiled. He still wasn’t sure what to think about his new roommate, but he had a feeling that this was going to be the start of some very, very interesting times.
Author: SeaweedOtter
Characters: Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes
Rating: PG-13 for gory, bloody imagry.
Disclaimer: Angst-ridden
Author's note: I got this idea from clinicly8insane who got the idea from h_mania. So I want to thank both of them.
Weapon.
Snap.
Just one snap and it was all over.
One snap and there was no body to clean up, just a mess of bones and sticky, greasy fat that bubbled and boiled long after the flame had dissipated.
Such was the way of the human weapon, the Flame Alchemist.
Even after the war was over, and he was back in Central with a hot shower, clean clothes, food that actually tasted like it was something that was meant to be eaten- a normal life- he still couldn’t escape the life of a dog of the military.
The life of an alchemic weapon.
He tried to explain it to Maes- over many glasses of whiskey, or looking down at the barrel of a gun. Maes hadn’t been in that desert hell hole, and he wasn’t an alchemist. He couldn’t understand the horror of having a simple snap of the fingers, *your fingers* turn a living, breathing human being into a smoldering, charred mound of fat and bone.
His best friend tried to understand. He was a solider. He had taken the life of a fellow human being before, and he knew the horrors and nightmares that came with the life of the Amestrian military, but not in the vast scope that the alchemists of Ishbal had witnessed.
All Maes could do was to keep the man from killing himself, and listen to the stories that he told- even though just hearing them often kept Maes up late at night, clutching his pillow with white knuckles and pale, clammy skin.
He did everything that he could to keep Roy safe, and sane- and when it got bad, bad enough that he wasn’t sure if the alchemist was going to be able to go on, he reminded Roy of the promise that they had made what seemed like so long ago. Roy was going to become Fuhrer, and Maes would be there every step of the way, helping his best friend to reach the top.
And so Roy continued on with his life, determined to do what he could until he accomplished his goal, and the time that he would never again have to be a human weapon.
Title: X is for Xing
Author: SeaweedOtter
Characters: Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Mostly silly
Xing.
As soon as the buildings of the Amestrian Military Academy came into view, Roy hoped that the days of being teased for the way that he looked was over. He knew that the kids in grade school and high school could be emotionally immature and quick to jump onto any trait that would single a person out for ridicule. But he figured that by the time they were entering the military, the maturity level would grow, and he would leave the name calling behind.
Unfortunately, he was wrong.
“Go back to Xing, you thin-eyed freak!” Or some variation of that was what he heard while he was lugging the few boxes of belongings that he had brought with him towards the freshmen dorm, and up the stairs.
“Of course, I would be on the top floor.” He groused, stopping at the top of each flight of stairs to wipe away the sweat that was quickly forming on his brow. It was a sweltering summer day, the hottest so far this season, and it was painfully obvious that he wasn’t going to get any one to help lug the boxes to his room.
When he finally got to the last flight of stairs, he noticed that a tall, dark haired man was walking down the hallway. The man spotted him immediately, and started to walk faster towards him.
Roy quickly looked down at his boxes, then backwards at the stairwell behind him. He figured that he didn’t have enough time to grab his boxes and run, but he could abandon his boxes and retreat down the stairwell. But he had so few important possessions that he loathed the thought of abandoning what he had brought. Even though the books inside were in his own personal code, he didn’t want the secrets of the flame alchemy that he was attempting to learn to fall into the wrong hands. His teacher would roast him alive if he found out.
By the time he looked back from the stairwell to the hallway, it was too late. The man was only a couple of steps away, with a serious look on his face.
“That’s a lot of stuff there.” He said, plainly, looking over the boxes. He adjusted the rectangular glasses that perched precariously on the top of his long nose. He was easily half a foot taller than Roy, with black hair as well, though it wasn’t as dark. And he had the oddest shade of gold-green eyes that Roy had ever seen. He was wearing a loud, ugly purple button up shirt that he hadn’t bothered to tuck in, and black slacks over a pair of black loafers.
Even though it only took a moment for Roy’s quick assessment of the man, by the time he looked back up, the other man looked bored and a little annoyed. “Um, yeah.” Was all that Roy could reply. “I’m looking for room…” He stopped for a moment to take a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, open it up, and read it. “…Room 714. Do you know where that is?”
Finally, a smile broke the plane of the man’s long mouth. “I better know where that is!” He said with a chuckle. “That’s my room!” He clapped Roy on the back, a seemingly impossibly big grin covering the man’s face. “Maes Hughes. It’s nice to meet you.” He extended his hand.
Roy took the hand tentatively and shook it. “Roy Mustang.”
“Let’s get this stuff to the room. You don’t want it cluttering up the hallway.” He picked up a box, straining a bit. “Man! You got rocks in here or something?”
“They’re alchemy books.” Roy immediately regretted saying it, after it left his mouth. Looking different was one thing, but being labeled as a “freak” alchemist was even worse.
“Ah. Alchemy, huh? Never had the patience for it myself.” The smile never faded from his roommate’s face.
‘Maybe he doesn’t hate alchemists like everyone else seems to.’ Roy thought to himself. ‘I can only hope that’s the case. I’m gonna be living with him for 4 years.’
Maes got to the room first and skillfully balanced the box he was holding on his side while he used his free hand to unlock the door. He shifted the box back and walked in, putting it on the ground. Roy followed behind, closing the door behind him.
“Here ya go, home sweet home.” Maes said, spreading his arms out in the middle of the small room. “So you’re an alchemist huh? You don’t look like you’re from around here, although I don’t hear any accent in your voice. I heard the people of Xing, far over to the east, study alchemy as well. But it’s a different kind of alchemy, more medicinal. Is that your specialty? I know that every alchemist has an area of expertise.”
Roy looked confused for a moment. Once again he had been accused of being Xingian, but this time it wasn’t in an insulting way. It was more of a curious question, and that threw him off.
“Um… no, actually.” Roy replied, still unsure of the man’s intentions. “I’m not from Xing. I get that a lot. People see my eyes and hair, or find out that I’m an alchemist, and I get called every name in the book. I was hoping that coming here would alleviate that, but so far, it hasn’t.”
Maes looked crestfallen. “Oh. I’m sorry if I insulted you. I didn’t mean to. Personally, I don’t care where you’re from, or what you do, as long as you don’t get me in trouble! And if anyone gives you a hard time, I’ll beat ‘em up for you. How’s that?” The same huge grin from the hallway filled his face.
Roy shook his head and smiled. He still wasn’t sure what to think about his new roommate, but he had a feeling that this was going to be the start of some very, very interesting times.