Oh shit, it's fic.
Oct. 17th, 2007 11:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maudite_a_deuxOK, I did a little more writing just now. Untitled, unbetaed, unproofed.
When Russell got on the train to Central, he knew exactly where he was going: to ask Colonel Roy Mustang what he knew about the whereabouts of Edward Elric. That thought had sustained him throughout the tedious journey from Xenotime. He was going to walk right into that bastard's office (he didn't actually know if the Colonel was a bastard, but it was how Edward had always described him and Russell had got into the habit of thinking of him that way) and demand to know if the rumors were true, if Edward was really back, and if so, where Edward was. It was a good plan: simple, straightforward, and uncomplicated.
When he got off the train, he realized he had no idea where he was going at all.
***
The kid looked lost. Also vaguely familiar, Lieutenant Havoc thought, but mostly just lost. He was about Ed's age, maybe a little younger, tall and slender where Ed was solid and compact. His hair was too short to reach his shoulders, but long enough to flop inelegantly into his face. As Havoc watched with poorly-disguised interest, he brushed it impatiently out of eyes not quite as blue as the sky, but close enough for military work.
He stood in the doorway with his feet firmly planted and his hands balled into fists, as though poised for combat, but the kid's body language told Havoc otherwise. He was scared. Lost and scared, but very, very determined.
"I'm looking for Colonel Roy Mustang." This announcement had the sort of ragged bravado available only to those of the teenaged persuasion. It reminded Havoc so much of the first time he'd seen Ed that he snorted quietly with laughter, only barely rescuing the unlit cigarette that threatened to fall from his lips.
Major Hawkeye looked up from her paperwork with a practiced, bland expression.
"Do you have an appointment, sir?" she asked mildly.
The kid looked completely thrown.
"Appointment?" he echoed, his shoulders sagging in momentary defeat before he squared them again, eyes narrowing in a way he probably thought looked dangerous. "No, I don't have a damn appointment. Is he here or not?"
The lieutenant dropped his face to his own paperwork to keep from laughing again as Hawkeye coolly raised an eyebrow, the fingers of one hand caressing the butt of her pistol.
"He's not in at the moment," she said evenly. "I believe he'll be available tomorrow afternoon at three, if you'd care to make an appointment."
The boy spluttered with helpless indignation. "But I need to see him now," he protested, all his bravado melting before their eyes into sheer frustration.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Hawkeye told him, with a glint of amusement in her eyes so slight that Havoc would have missed it if he didn't know her so well. She was enjoying torturing the kid. Havoc almost fell sorry for him. "You'll have to come back tomorrow. Might I know what this is regarding?"
"It's regarding the Fullmetal Alchemist!" the boy growled, his feet seeming to plant themselves even more firmly on the ground -- almost as though they were growing out of it. "And I'm not leaving until I see that bastard Colonel!"
Havoc's head jerked up, his cigarette dropping unnoticed to the floor. Hawkeye's eyes narrowed. After a moment's thoughtful regard, she asked abruptly, "And your name is?"
"Russell Tringham."
She nodded briefly as she picked up the phone.
"Colonel Mustang, there's someone here I think you should see."
***
(TBC?)
I could really use a beta/sounding board, y'all.
When Russell got on the train to Central, he knew exactly where he was going: to ask Colonel Roy Mustang what he knew about the whereabouts of Edward Elric. That thought had sustained him throughout the tedious journey from Xenotime. He was going to walk right into that bastard's office (he didn't actually know if the Colonel was a bastard, but it was how Edward had always described him and Russell had got into the habit of thinking of him that way) and demand to know if the rumors were true, if Edward was really back, and if so, where Edward was. It was a good plan: simple, straightforward, and uncomplicated.
When he got off the train, he realized he had no idea where he was going at all.
***
The kid looked lost. Also vaguely familiar, Lieutenant Havoc thought, but mostly just lost. He was about Ed's age, maybe a little younger, tall and slender where Ed was solid and compact. His hair was too short to reach his shoulders, but long enough to flop inelegantly into his face. As Havoc watched with poorly-disguised interest, he brushed it impatiently out of eyes not quite as blue as the sky, but close enough for military work.
He stood in the doorway with his feet firmly planted and his hands balled into fists, as though poised for combat, but the kid's body language told Havoc otherwise. He was scared. Lost and scared, but very, very determined.
"I'm looking for Colonel Roy Mustang." This announcement had the sort of ragged bravado available only to those of the teenaged persuasion. It reminded Havoc so much of the first time he'd seen Ed that he snorted quietly with laughter, only barely rescuing the unlit cigarette that threatened to fall from his lips.
Major Hawkeye looked up from her paperwork with a practiced, bland expression.
"Do you have an appointment, sir?" she asked mildly.
The kid looked completely thrown.
"Appointment?" he echoed, his shoulders sagging in momentary defeat before he squared them again, eyes narrowing in a way he probably thought looked dangerous. "No, I don't have a damn appointment. Is he here or not?"
The lieutenant dropped his face to his own paperwork to keep from laughing again as Hawkeye coolly raised an eyebrow, the fingers of one hand caressing the butt of her pistol.
"He's not in at the moment," she said evenly. "I believe he'll be available tomorrow afternoon at three, if you'd care to make an appointment."
The boy spluttered with helpless indignation. "But I need to see him now," he protested, all his bravado melting before their eyes into sheer frustration.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Hawkeye told him, with a glint of amusement in her eyes so slight that Havoc would have missed it if he didn't know her so well. She was enjoying torturing the kid. Havoc almost fell sorry for him. "You'll have to come back tomorrow. Might I know what this is regarding?"
"It's regarding the Fullmetal Alchemist!" the boy growled, his feet seeming to plant themselves even more firmly on the ground -- almost as though they were growing out of it. "And I'm not leaving until I see that bastard Colonel!"
Havoc's head jerked up, his cigarette dropping unnoticed to the floor. Hawkeye's eyes narrowed. After a moment's thoughtful regard, she asked abruptly, "And your name is?"
"Russell Tringham."
She nodded briefly as she picked up the phone.
"Colonel Mustang, there's someone here I think you should see."
***
(TBC?)
I could really use a beta/sounding board, y'all.
