'Tis the season of giving (with other people's money). [Pre-Christmas RLs with Naoto]

[material_guy]

People can not gain anything without sacrificing something else.
In order to gain something, something of equal value is necessary.
That is what is known in alchemy as the principle of Equivalent Exchange.

Comments

[truthinfortune]

Naoto did not exactly appreciate having someone setting their shoes on a piece of antique Edwardian furniture. Especially when said piece of furniture also housed her laptop and a small tea service. And Greed was the foot tapping sort of person, so that was a bad combination.

Reaching over, Naoto pulled the laptop onto her lap, having enabled the safe search feature beforehand, just so that nothing "interesting" would pop up that would give the greedy Homunculus any ideas...

"All right, name everyone you're buying Christmas presents for. I want to keep a list so I can keep track of who is getting what."

[truthinfortune]

She slapped her palm against her face, groaning.

"That's... not what I meant..." She heaved another sigh, lowering her hands. "While it is a good present, I'm afraid you're asking a bit much of me." The petite detective paused, her eyes focused on the computer screen as she started thinking about the chemistry involved in a mirror's creation. Alchemy relied on basic chemistry, after all.

Turning toward Greed, she extended one finger and pointed upward, as if indicating the proverbial light bulb shining above her head. "Say, why don't you just get an alchemist in your world to make one? It'd be much faster and easier that way, don't you think?"

[material_guy]

Greed still couldn't quite grasp how, after creating Tiffany, she couldn't make a mirror. Tiffany was beyond even the greatest Alchemist he'd ever known's creations, on a few levels. To say that a run of the mill alchemist could really do it more easily was something hard to swallow, but... Well, lie or not, it wouldn't do to sulk, and she hadn't really given him much reason to doubt her. When without doubt, take things at face value; it's simpler. It was a decent motto to life by.

"Ou!" He reached out and mused her cap, going for the lap top again. "Atta girl! Leave it to the detective for a good idea!"

His next task would be entering Travis Touchdown to see what he could pull up.

"Naa. Touchdown says he's from a Video Game. I don't really get it, but he should get somethin' related to that. There's a hot chick in his world. They oughtta have porn of her or somethin' if it's a story everyone can see..."

[truthinfortune]

She squinted her eyes closed and hunched her shoulders as Greed's hand crushed her cap. As she was taking it off in order to smooth out the wrinkles, Greed had snatched her laptop yet again. Placing her cap back on her head, she glowering at the greedy Homunculus, though the look was probably lost on him, as he was staring at the computer screen.

At the mention of video games, Naoto's eyes widened in shock. She had learned a while ago that she and all her friends were actually fictional characters in a video game in some worlds. Including Matt's. In fact, Mello had known about this for quite some time...

"Erm... Th-That's not really important!" she said, waving the comment off. "Anyway, I don't think it's a good idea to be searching for... those sort of images... even if she is from a video game..."

[material_guy]

"You're right!" Greed was agreeable today, and oblivious to her discontent as always. "We should go for somethin' better than an image! He can use this internet thing for an IMAGE any time he wants! Let's get him a copy of his own game! Or maybe some kinda figure!"

[truthinfortune]

Naoto had also contemplated playing the game in which she and her friends were featured. And after many long weeks of internal debate, decided against it. After all, it was just so weird! And she didn't exactly relish the idea that her life might actually be made a mockery as a cheap form of entertainment; she got that enough from the community itself...

"Not the game... Definitely not the game..." The petite detective's complexion had actually gone a bit pale as she said this. "Figure? Maybe. I guess..."

[material_guy]

From the corner of his eye, he noticed her color drain. The corner of his mouth fell for only an instant, sliding back into his role and pretending to think nothing of it. Being as energetic as ever was an easy enough distraction; asking people what was wrong just meant lingering on it.

[truthinfortune]

And thus the next hour passed in much the same way as the first: Naoto vehemently arguing every step of the way against Greed's taste in gifts, while the Homunculus defended each of his choices with his own special brand of Greed logic. The only way for him to get what he wanted was to browbeat the detective into accepting his point of view.

Tired, and feeling a bit of a headache coming on, Naoto reached for the cup of tea which had gone cold long ago, and took a sip. She pulled a face. Great, another annoyance to add to her growing headache...

"So, are we finished now, or what?" she said, carefully setting the tea cup back on its saucer. "You've decided what gifts you're getting for everyone. Now it's just a matter of acquiring them."