5th Transmutation | FIRST INAUGURAL FOURTH WALL

[armoredsoul]

[The flash of light was...weird, to say the least. Alphonse had been warned and he knew this thing was coming, but somehow he expected it to be different. More...impressive? But instead it's as if nothing had happened at all. Well, not quite--he can feel the tingling flow of alchemical energy again, something he hadn't ever been without until he'd crossed through the Gate with Edward.]

[His brother...]

[Al sighed and flopped down on the bed, staring at the floor. Would they be here, somewhere? People supposedly came and went with much greater ease during these events...it couldn't hurt to look. And some fresh air would probably do him some good, anyway.]

[He got up and was about to head out when he paused and looked back at the sheets on the bed. After a moment, he clapped his hands and a crackle of energy went over the fabric--]

[When Al steps out onto the street, it's with a jacket that some might find rather familiar over his shoulders, pulled closed against the chill.]

Comments

TOGETHER ON THE QUEST TO FIND THEIR DUMB BIG BROTHERS!!

[armoredsoul]

[Al looks over, a little confused before he settles his expression into a faint smile. Been a while since someone mistook him like that, but then what else should he expect?]

Ah, I'm okay. I was just...looking for Brother, actually. He and Winry disappeared earlier in the week, and with all the weirdness today, I hoped they might show up again.

Hope you don't mind!

[in_praetego]

They're gone?

[ He knows this feeling, recalls the initial nervousness when Rin disappeared but for Al's sake, he's going to try and not look worried-and-or-nervous. ]

Have you checked your messages? He might have left you something.

Of course not!

[armoredsoul]

[Al shrugs and manages a small smile.] Well, they sort of did...I found some of their Pokemon in my PC they day they left.

XD; thanks. I went on hiatus suddenly.

[in_praetego]

So did I.

[ There's a pause though as he adjusts his scarf. ]

I was hoping your brother wasn't really gone but... if his pokemon are in other people's PCs... still... guess it wouldn't hurt looking around.

[armoredsoul]

[Al nods, a faint smile playing on his lips.] Yeah. There's always the chance, and I'd feel bad if I didn't at least try to find them again.

[in_praetego]

I understand. I was the same way when Rin disappeared suddenly.

[ He'll just motion with his head a bit. ]

Do you know if there's anywhere he'd go in the city?

[armoredsoul]

[Al frowns for a moment, thinking.] I can't think of any particular place...there was one restaurant we both liked to go to, though. Could be worth it to check there.

[in_praetego]

[ Yeah, that sounds like a decent plan. ]

That's probably as good a place as any to start.

[ A pause though. Idea! ]

Do you have anything of his, by the way? There's something I'd like to try. It might help.

[armoredsoul]

Ah...well, I do have one of his Pokemon with me. Do you think that would work?

[in_praetego]

I was thinking of trying to get Shiva to see if he can pick up a scent... No telling how effective trying to get it off another pokemon will be.

[ Another idea! ]

Wait... if you have one of his pokemon, we could probably assume it's in the same pokeball Ed caught it in, right?

[armoredsoul]

[Al nods, frowning a little, but perks up when Yukio mentions the Pokeball.]

Yeah, it should! Here, it's this one--

[He pulls a ball off of his belt and embiggens it before handing it over to Yukio.]

[in_praetego]

That should probably work.

[ Give him a second to pull out one of his own Pokeballs, tossing it out and releasing a Houndoom. ]

Shiva, do you think you could pull Ed's scent off this pokeball?

[ And he'll offer the pokeball Al's handed him to the houndoom who stares at it quizzically and then at his trainer as if to ask "Really? This is what you called me out for?" before sniffing it a few times and turning his nose up to the air. If anything, the houndoom seems to frown slightly before looking back up at the two trainers. It's weird. It's like he can sniff him but he can't. ]

...I think he's confused.

[armoredsoul]

[Al sighs a little, shrugging and taking the ball back.]

Well, it was worth a shot. Thanks for trying, at least.

[He offers a hand out for the Houndoom to sniff with a small smile, though--hey, just because he prefers cats doesn't mean he hates dogs!]

[in_praetego]

[ Well, it was worth a shot. He's an awkward thing though and moments like this are a little difficult for him. Should he hug Al? Should he reach out? Should he make contact? What should he say? But as Shiva gives Alphonse's hand a little headbutt, Yukio just sighs and reaches out to pat his shoulder a couple of times. ]

If he's gone home... maybe he'll be back someday. Who knows?

[ That awkward smile doesn't help. He's trying, at least. But what good does a smile do? He knows how that feels, how he was internally going mad when Rin first disappeared. But then again, he took that time to resume training so maybe there was always an opportunity. ]

My dad always said when God shuts one door, he opens another. Maybe there's a reason why your brother was sent back without you.

[armoredsoul]

[Al blinks and looks up from giving Shiva's head a good rub, then smiles back.]

Yeah...I guess. I know I'll see him again eventually.

[He chuckles at the second part, though. Ed wouldn't like that sort of thing being said in regards to him!] Probably so he could go home with Winry. She'd been here for years, and seen us come and go so often.

[in_praetego]

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

[ It feels weird to be saying things his father would but then he always did find comfort in them. The Lord always has a purpose... that's why bad things happen. The Lord is testing your faith. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Sometimes he doubted them too but there were things like this to fall back on in times of strife after all.

There's a pause as he shakes his head though, being pulled out of his thoughts when Shiva bumps his hand. ]

Listen... if... you ever need company... or somewhere to crash, my brother and I are usually around.

[armoredsoul]

[Al doesn't put a terrible amount of faith in the divine these days. He doesn't deny any existence like that--he'd be stupid to after all the things he's seen--but he doesn't think it would care much for the dealings of mortals. Or if it did, only because they were stepping into places they did not belong. But he takes the words for the emotion behind them and nods.]

[He then blinks in surprise at Yukio's offer, and after a moment smiles gratefully. He hadn't expected an offer like that, and it's really rather touching.]

Thanks, I really appreciate that. I'll definitely stop by sometime.

[in_praetego]

[ There's a small smile back. Al's smile is a bit of a relief to him. After all, he knows how it feels... and that's probably the last thing he'd ever want to go through again. That and he does owe Ed for helping him evolve his Happiny. Making sure Al was okay was one way to pay him back for that big deal, after all.

He does nod back though. ]

You can reach me through my Gear if ever you need to, okay?