.005 Resolutions

[snacklist]

[A: Phone (Open to All)]

[It's pretty late at night and Al is at the end of his rope. Ed has been avoiding him, he utterly failed to protect anyone he cared about when the town went to hell, and he was once more trapped in this stupid armour body. His voice is high pitched in a mix of distress and determination, coming all in a rush down the phones.]

I've had enough!

I'm not going to let this town hurt anyone I care about any more, and I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt. I know... I know I can't protect everybody, but I can help teach people who don't know how to protect themselves.

So... come to the park in the morning if you want to learn, and together we can help make sure that we can give this place a really good fight!

[B: Park (Open to All)]

[Sure enough, mid morning finds one Alphonse Elric in the park, ready to teach anyone who shows up. He knows a lot of people here are competent already, and that some wouldn't want his lessons. But if he can help even one person get better at defending themselves, then he's done a good job.]

[C: 1649 Albright Lane (Locked to Ed)]

[He has had more than enough of Ed avoiding him. He knew from others what had happened to Brother during the carnival, and he is furious that Ed hadn't come to find him as soon as it was all over. He has been around himself a few times since, but he always seems to mysteriously miss his big brother.

Not today.

He's hammering on the door loudly, big metal fist making a furious pounding that shakes the door.]

BROTHER! BROTHER, OPEN THE DOOR!

Comments

[snacklist]

[He's relieved he didn't wake her with his outburst, which is seeming sillier and more embarrassing by the moment.]

Is it Brother's automail?

[handsforhealing]

No, something for- [ She pauses. Now that she thinks about it, it has been an usually long time since Ed destroyed his arm or leg. And it would explain why she hasn't heard from him... ] He didn't break it, did he?

[snacklist]

No.

[There's a pause, he doesn't want to make her cry, but she's Winry. He can't hide something of this magnitude from her.]

He... died, when that carnival was here, and he he's been avoiding me since.

[handsforhealing]

[ Yes, it's Winry. The healer. Who, when she hears something like that, can't get her mind to wrap around it. She knows Mayfield can do that... killing and reviving, but it hasn't hit this close to home since she got here. ]


He what?

[snacklist]

[He knows.

He can still barely believe it himself, but he had been told by someone he trusted and there was no other reason why Ed would avoid him.

He can't cry in this body, but his voice leaves no question that he would be if he could.]

...Winry.

[handsforhealing]

[ Sniffles heard from Winry's end probably prove that she's started crying for him. Poor Al, unable to cry even in situations where tears are so necessary... She dabs her eyes and takes a deep, shaky breath in. ]

You'll go see him, right?

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I tried... but he won't let me in.

[His stupid brother seems to think this will go away if he just avoids Al for long enough.]

[handsforhealing]

Then you just march up to his front door and break it down! Alchemy it or whatever!

[ Her voice is firmer now, as she thinks Al might be considering this option himself. If so, he needs to hear that it's a good idea. ]

Your brother is an idiot, Al. He needs his smart younger brother to knock some sense into him!

[snacklist]

M-Mm.

[He has been considering going and not leaving until he got an answer. But he hadn't wanted to force that confrontation.]

I guess you haven't seen him at all either, huh Winry?

[handsforhealing]

Do, I haven't.

[ She tries to act unbothered by it, but her voice is strained. It hurts that she's gone so long without knowing. ]

But you need to be the first, understand? You have a harder punch anyway!

[snacklist]

[That cinches it. Ed hasn't just hurt him, he's hurt other people they care about too.]

Right! I won't wait any more, I promise!

[handsforhealing]

Mm. Yeah, you get to it. He's waiting, even if he doesn't realize it.

[ Winry already feels a bit better knowing Al will go. She's not the one that Ed needs right now, as much as she wishes that she was. ]

[snacklist]

...Thanks, Winry.

[She will never get just how much she means to them both, she was too blind to her own worth. Hesitating just a moment more, he hangs up to go and prepare himself for giving Ed the punch of a lifetime.]