Full Metal Alchemist, "Butterfly 2: Tumbling Down," Belsio/Nash, NC-17

[mistr3ssquickly]

Woo-hoo, new FMA pairing! And you thought I'd done it all ... ha!

I will confess, this fic gave me ENORMOUS amounts of trouble, oh yes it did.

This one is based off of this simply stunning piece by goldphish_bowl, whom I love like Al loves kittens. *cuddles her*

[EDIT]: Holy crap, more art! I swear goldphish_bowl is spoiling me

Comments

[lmd_84]

You really make this work. We know Belsio knew Nash, knew what he planned in Central, so we get enough from canon to at least suggest at the possibility of there being more to their relationship (if...that makes sense). And you take the two of them and write them like this, which is just beautifully bittersweet.

One of the things that kept (keeps) me coming back to your Al/Danny fics is the fact that you have a way of expressing a real, loving relationship even between the most unlikely of characters. Here, we have a new take on why Nash returned, took up Mugwar's offer....and a rather slightly canon-distorting approach to him and Belsio. ;) We've got guilt, motivation, love, and a new side to a pair of characters canon gave little time to. Every thing's there to make a neat little story, and that works however odd a pairing might seem. Good work.

I do so love little canonical loopholes and omissions

[mistr3ssquickly]

Oooh. *picks your review to pieces*

I watched canon (far more times than I care to admit) while writing this, and these two are actually far more canon as lovers than you might guess. The dub is slashier than the sub, admittedly, but it's there in both. We know they grew up together, and that when things started falling apart for Nash, he abandoned his entire family and came to Belsio, lived with him until he went to work with Mugear the evil bastard.

Honestly, I don't think this fic is distorting their relationship at all. It's playing fast and loose with the timeline, but ... meh. We could just claim that Belsio's not telling the story accurately, 'cause he's embarrassed to discuss it with Ed and Al? ^_~

Fangirlish rant aside, I'm thrilled to pieces that you like the fic, hon. I try to keep the relationships I write about as realistic as possible, so it's always good to know that a reader thinks that I've succeeded in that.

Thank you so much for reading, dear! ♥♥♥

~m

[lmd_84]

Huh. Didn't actually mean to say it was 'canon-distorting', so I don't know why I put that bit there, because thinking on it it doesn't make sense to say that's what you're doing here. Fast and loose with the timeline is what it is, and there's nothing wrong with that.

[mistr3ssquickly]

I have a really selfish reason for messing with the timeline ... I hate writing Mugear. He's an ass, and if I'm not getting to kill him DEAD, I don't want to bother with him. ^_~

Thanks for clarifying, hon! You're such a sweetie.

~m

[sailormac]

Wow, that is one *powerful* piece. It's very sad, and not just because of the tragic ending. This is obviously a less tolerant Amestris than the one your "main" Ed and Russell live in, where Nash plays by society's rules even though he's actually in love with a man -- and Belsio trying to hold onto every bit of intimacy he could (like drinking from Nash's cup) is heartbreaking. The sad thing is you can imagine that Nash's wife loves her husband and is unaware of his other love -- so it's just tragic all the way around for everyone. Nicely done.

[mistr3ssquickly]

See, now I'm not too sure about the universes here ... In a way, I could see this experience turning Belsio into a 'phobe, blaming himself for Nash's return to Xenotime, where he died. Possibly, he's telling Russel not to fall in love with a man, simply because he doesn't want to see his lover's son get hurt like he was hurt.

*ponders*

I'm glad you liked the story, hon, sad though it may be. Thanks for reading!

~m

[bouncy_cat]

I have no idea who Belsio and Nash are, but I'm still depressed after that ending. You evil person you, first you make me like them, then you end it like that? ;_;
It was a good story though.

[mistr3ssquickly]

If you've read the manga only, you won't know who they are, but if you've seen the anime, Nash is the father to the fake Elric brothers, and Belsio is the lemon farmer who takes the real Elric brothers in, then adopts the fakes before the real ones leave town. Episodes 11 and 12, "The Other Brothers Elric."

I'm sorry I made you sad! The pairing really is kinda tragic, because it's canon that Nash dies ... but at least in this universe, he was loved while he lived, and after his death.

Thanks for reading! ♥

~m

[bouncy_cat]

Heh, actually I haven't read the manga, and I think I've watched the grand total of 1 episode of the anime. I didn't even check the fandom before reading XD
I just read it because I tend to like what you write XD

[mistr3ssquickly]

*blushes all kinds of crazy* You have no idea just how happy you made me with that, hon. I'm so honored that you like my writing. Thank you so, so much for this.

*big hugs*

~m

[mistr3ssquickly]

*goes all kinds of squee-wibble* I'm so glad you liked this, dear! And that you ship this pair ... 'cause I think that might mean there are four of us shipping them, now. WHICH IS TRAGIC. They should be loved. ;_;

It's interesting you point out that Belsio said that to Ed and Al ... I rewatched those episodes while writing this, and thought "Oh man, he is SO not telling them everything" when I got to that. I don't think I'd be able to put something like that into words, were I in his place, even all those years later. Poor man. ;_;

Thank you so very very much for reading this, dear! I'm so glad you liked it! ♥

~m

PS
There's now a Part One to go along with this story. I think it's going to turn into a full multi-chapter thing. *sigh*

[mistr3ssquickly]

*snort* Some call me "Mistr3ss Quickie," but no, I'm Mistr3ss Quickly. She's a fire-storm of a woman from a Shakespeare play, definitely someone I'd like to be like. That's where the name comes from. ^_^

~m

[pollinia]

Oh good god, woman, you've made me addicted to another Mistress!pairing. O_O

This pairing makes so so much sense and you pull it off so nicely! The sadness, the jealousy, the tenderness...just wonderful. I remain deeply impressed with you as a writer. Please keep doing them, even if it is an evil arc. ;)

*scurries off to read more*

[mistr3ssquickly]

Mmm, this was SUPPOSED to be a one-shot, but the pairing is just addictive. And so canon! *sigh*

I'm so glad you like how I write these gents. They're so very different from my other FMA muses, I was a little worried when I first started with them. But now that it's an arc ... I'll have plenty of opportunity to practice, won't I? ^_~

Thank you so much for reading, hon! I'm glad you liked! ♥

~m