[FMA Fic] Like a Radio Drama- Part Two
Feb. 15th, 2011 09:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bay_alexisonContinued from Part One
“Colonel Roy Mustang’s plans on revising the Ishval policies are running smoothly. Recently, Major Miles reported to him that the crops are showing signs of growth there. Also, just recently the Kanda district has been approved for reopening. The Ishvalans that used to live there are welcome to come back. The colonel says more districts are planned to be open as soon as the higher-ups in Central approve them.
“Speaking of the colonel, he’s our special guest for today. Glad you can make room for us in your busy schedule.”
“I’m honored to be here today, Vincent.”
“So tell me, what are you hoping to accomplish with revising the Ishval policies?”
“I’m hoping the Ishvalans will be able to finally live in peace, and that the Ishvalans and Amestrians can get along with one another despite their cultural differences.”
“I see. You think the two cultures can live in harmony?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that. There will be conflicts between them for sure, but hopefully they’ll learn to at least to respect one another.”
“Likewise. Okay, last question. You’re doing this despite being blind. Does that factor alone hinder any progress with your plans?”
“No, it hasn’t. Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I have to quit. I’m too stubborn to make myself give up that easily. If anything, my team and I are making great progress.”
“That’s great to hear. Again, Colonel Mustang, thanks for joining me. I’ve enjoyed this short interview of ours.”
“You’re welcome. This is quite nice for me, too.”
+++
Roy considered him and Riza good actors, the both of them still unable to have their relationship distract their work; there was a time and place for everything. That didn’t stop him from wanting to kiss her when no one was watching, though. Of course, Riza would tell him that patience pays off.
The team continued on with revising the Ishval policies. This time Riza and Fuery were going to the library to get the materials while Breda watched over the colonel. While the two men were waiting, the second lieutenant decided to take the colonel to someone he could have a short chat with.
The headquarters had a rehabilitation center where injured soldiers could come for therapy. Not long after the Promised Day, Jean Havoc decided to come back to the military and get back on his feet one step at a time. Roy and Breda went inside one of the rooms, and they saw him gripping on the railing, his legs shaking violently. He still managed a smug smile.
“Hello there, Colonel. Come to visit me, huh?”
“For a little while. Fuery and Hawkeye are away gathering research.”
“I see. Has to do with redoing the Ishval policies, right?”
“Yes,” Breda said. “This has been keeping us on our feet for a while. No pun intended, Jean.”
Havoc snorted and beamed. “Speaking of feet, I’m slowly getting there. It’s not as bad as I thought.”
“That’s great you’re making progress,” Roy said with a small smile. “Don’t give up.”
“Hey, I have you to thank for motivating me to get my life back together again. If you can be able to do your job without your eyesight, I should definitely be able to do some things while going through therapy.”
The colonel first threw Havoc a blank stare, but then laughed. Only once in a while the other second lieutenant was a generous man.
“I see. Never expected you to out-right say that.”
Havoc made a “heh” sound and shrugged. “Onto other things… I heard you and Hawkeye are an item now.” His mouth twitched into an impish grin. “How many times have you guys, y’know, done it?”
Brenda snickered while Roy’s cheeks burned. This was why he wanted to keep their relationship a secret. Sure, before he would brag about how many women he’d slept with, but right now he wanted the intimate details between him and Riza kept private. Knowing the colonel didn’t want to say anything about it, Havoc laughed.
“Okay, fine, that’s none of my own business. However, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” he said, this time in a serious tone. “You know Rebecca Catalina, right?”
The colonel was puzzled. “Yes…”
“Well, as you know, she’ll be transferring here to Central soon. The both of us have been chatting over the phone for a while, and I’m starting to really like her.”
“Wait, let me guess… You want to take her out on a date, and you’re asking me how to do it without looking like a fool?”
“Yes.” Havoc nodded. “Well, more specifically, how did you manage to ask Hawkeye out? I mean, she doesn’t seem to be the type to want to go out often.”
“Actually, Mustang didn’t ask her out on the first date. Gracia Hughes was the one that suggested they go to a dance,” Breda mentioned.
The colonel slapped himself lightly on his forehead; hearing Havoc laughing uproariously only worsened his embarrassment. It was true he wasn’t able to ask her out the first time around, but the two had fun at the dance and it had made him more comfortable with taking her out once in a while. After shrugging off his initial embarrassment, Roy smiled.
“I may have not gotten the chance to ask Hawkeye out when I had the opportunity, but I’ll say this: Just tell her how you feel and that you want to take her out to a night on the town. I believe you’ll do fine.”
Havoc gave the colonel’s advice some thought before smiling. “Yeah, you’re right. Say it straight out, then.”
+++
Reporters from various newspapers wanted to interview Roy and his team on their progress of the revision of the Ishval policy. They were asking a lot of questions for their report, which gave the colonel a massive headache. After the reporters left, he sighed in relief and rested his head in his arms. The group was at the lounge drinking coffee, the interview overwhelming them.
“I thought they would never stop asking those questions,” Roy grumbled.
“Me too. Reporters do like to get as much information as possible,” Fuery said, laughing.
Riza had a slight smile on her lips. “Expect more interviews from them as you climb higher in the ranks, sir.”
“I know. That’s one of the things I’m not looking forward to when I become Fuhrer.”
Roy could tell the lieutenant was trying to hide her chuckle by covering her mouth with her hand. He shook his head. All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and two people came inside. One was an elderly lady with a cane and an eye-patch on her right eye; the other was a boy helping her. The two had dark skin and red eyes, as bright as blood. The team was slightly shocked by the two’s appearance, while Roy was left wondering who had just entered his office.
“I am Madame Shan, and I have come to talk to you, Colonel Mustang.” She became silent, as if thinking over what she wanted to say to him. “You’re the Flame Alchemist that destroyed my people and my land, correct?” the woman asked, facing the colonel. “The one referred to as the ‘Hero of Ishval’?”
Roy gulped silently to himself. He was pretty sure the person talking to him was an Ishvalan. Hearing that ran chills down his spine.
“Yes, that’s me. Back then, I was ordered to do so, without questions.”
“I see.” The woman became silent, but she leaned her head forward to get a closer look at Roy. He began to feel dizzy; her breath smelled like a desert. “Oh, so it’s true that you’re blind now. I lost my sight in one eye thanks to one of your people. And since I’m getting older, my other eye might not be of much use soon either.”
Everyone looked at Roy worriedly, wondering how their superior would react. The colonel sighed heavily, feeling a jolt of pain flowing deep down in his heart. Here was a woman who wouldn’t be able to see one day due to the Ishval genocide, where she had probably lost many of her family members, while he had lost his sight because he was forced to do something he didn’t want to do. He felt that her story was a hundred times more tragic than his.
“I’m sorry that happened to you.” He paused, lowering his head in shame. “I never forgave myself for what I’ve done to your people, and I hated the title all of Amestris knows me by. I’ll understand if you won’t forgive me either.”
The woman nodded. “You’re right; I would never forgive you for what you have done to my people. Not only you, but for all of Amestris I have a deep hatred. However, it’s very noble of you to slowly bring our land back to us, and I’m grateful.”
Roy was surprised, to say the least. He hadn’t expected her to say that. It made him very happy that someone appreciated his hard work.
“Don’t thank me. It’s a group effort from me and my officers.”
The whole group nodded to the woman and the boy. Madam Shan smiled in return.
“Then I thank all of you for doing this. May this plan be successful.”
Madame Shan gave everyone a nod and she and the boy left the room.
“I know her,” Breda said. “Madam Shan was the leader of a group of Ishvalans hiding in Xeres.”
“Xeres?” Roy responded in a surprised tone. “So it’s true they were staying there, then.”
“Fullmetal told us he’d met some of them, including her. That was back when you had sent him there to meet with Maria Ross.”
“So a little over a year ago,” the colonel mused with a chuckle. “He should tell me more about that visit when he comes to Central.”
Roy was glad that even Madame Shan, an Ishvalan whose life had been destroyed by the war he had been such a big part of, could be grateful for his efforts. Knowing that he had support gave him motivation to keep going with this plan.
+++
That evening the two made love. Ever since they had touched each other the first time, they had done it a few more times. Roy was getting better at pleasuring her, able to memorize her body for the most part. There was protection to deal with as well because the two didn’t want any children for now, so she always had to help him with that.
The both of them lied together afterwards, her back facing him. He was slowly combing her hair with his fingers.
“It’s great that this Ishval revising plan is making excellent progress so far.”
Riza gave him a taunting smile. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about politics in bed.”
“Sorry,” Roy said with a snort. “It’s just that this is turning out better than expected, especially when Madame Shan came today. Hopefully this will keep up.”
“Don’t worry, it will.” She pulled his hand and brought it up to her cheek.
The colonel smiled and began caressing her back. He frowned. There were burn marks scattered all over, rough to the touch. These were the scars that would never heal. The fire alchemy symbol printed on her back was what had helped him to use his talent to the fullest. He burned that formula so that no one else could become him. Playing with fire caused too much destruction.
“I became an alchemist to help people, not hurt them. Being blind has made me see the horrors of what I’ve done more clearly.”
The smell of burning corpses, the cries of the people meeting their end, the loudest of the explosions that he caused, the ash showering on him—all of this still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Riza’s heart ached for him. She sat up and had her lips touched his. She placed her hands on his shoulders while he held her by the waist with one hand and touched the back of her neck with the other. The two kissed for a while and when they had finished, Roy was left breathless.
“I have those dreams sometimes too. But don’t worry; we’ll get through this together.”
Roy gave her a smile and the two locked lips once more.
Yes, he wasn’t alone in this. They had experienced the same war, so they were sharing this burden. They would support one another.
+++
More time passed by, and the leaves on the trees in Central turned brown. It was afternoon and Roy and Riza were heading towards the military headquarters, their shift starting later today. The Flame Alchemist shuddered from the cold breeze.
“Is it supposed to be this cold early in autumn?”
“Rarely, but the weather is unpredictable sometimes.” Riza gave the colonel a slight lighthearted smile.
The alchemist couldn’t help but laugh. He remembered saying that to Knox when the doctor had picked them up from the hospital some time ago.
They continued on walking, Roy wanting to get to the headquarters faster. The both of them walked up the stairs and almost went inside, but the man stopped when he heard two familiar voices.
“Are you sure about this, Brother?”
“Sir, what’s going on?”
Roy shushed her, and the two listened to the two people talking.
“Of course, Al. I wanted to discuss this with Colonel Mustang and have him sign…” the person speaking paused, but then said in a sly fashion, “Oh, hello, Colonel.”
Yes, no mistake that voice belonged to Edward Elric. The colonel was surprised the brothers were here, but at the same time was glad to be able to meet up with them. The last time he had spoken with Ed and Al was when they were well enough to leave the hospital while he and Riza still needed to stay and recover. The brothers had said their thanks to the two for everything they had done for them, and wished them luck on their future plans.
“Hello, Fullmetal,” Roy greeted, smiling. “What brings you here from your hometown?”
“Pretty soon you won’t be able to call me that anymore,” Ed corrected in a smug tone. “I actually need to talk to you about my resignation from the military.”
Roy’s eyebrows narrowed, as he felt this was a prank of some sort. “Resignation?”
“Yep,” the young man grinned. “I can’t use alchemy anymore, so I can’t be a State Alchemist, right?”
“Correct,” the Flame Alchemist confirmed, before chuckling. “Not only that, you and Al found what you needed, so there’s no use sticking around the military anymore unless you want to actually go onto the battlefield. Even then, I don’t think there’ll be any more wars to fight for a very long time.”
“Well, I didn’t want to join any wars when I was enlisted in the military. And yes, no point in staying a solider anymore.”
Roy nodded and turned his head in Riza’s direction. “Lieutenant, how much further until we get those papers to approve the Ishval district of Gunja to be open?”
“We’re almost done with that, sir. There is time to get started on Edward’s resignation.”
“Okay, good. Edward, Alphonse, follow me.”
The two brothers glanced at one another, both grinning, and everyone went inside the building.
+++
The discussion over Edward’s resignation from the military went smoothly. The colonel had him sign a few forms, asked him questions relating to why he wanted to resign, and made Ed give him the silver pocket watch. He reassured the young man that the approval should be mailed to him within a month. Right after the process was over, Riza suggested that the brothers join them for lunch to catch up, which Roy agreed to.
They went to a small restaurant that served different kinds of dishes, and there were many people there during the afternoon. Roy and Riza both ordered steak and mashed potatoes while Ed and Al ate hamburgers and fries.
“How’s Resembol so far, you two?” Riza asked.
“It’s great! It’s nice settling down after traveling for quite some time.”
Roy snickered. “Ed, settling down? I don’t see you as the type that wants to take a break.” He felt Riza kick his leg under the table, causing him to wince.
“I missed home, to be honest,” the former alchemist said with a shrug.
“I see. How about you, Al? Can you still use alchemy?”
“Yes,” Al replied, beaming. “I’ve been practicing a lot lately, and it’s going great.”
Roy drank his water and smiled. “Glad to hear it. I’m sure you’ll make an exceptional alchemist in no time.”
“How about you, Mustang, if you don’t mind me asking? You’ve seemed to have adjusted to being blind.”
Roy lowered his head slightly. He didn’t mind the young man asking him that question; it was just that he hadn’t had the time to reflect on how his life was going so far.
“There are times when I wish I had my sight back, but I’ve managed. Lieutenant Hawkeye is able to help me through all this.”
Edward gave the couple a suggestive look. If Roy was able to see it, he would have glared at the young man; but as it was, he remained unaware.
“Ohhh, I see. Took a while for the two of you to get together, huh?”
All Roy could do was blink. Riza laughed softly.
“Yes, it has. However, it’s worth it,” Riza said.
She had her hand clasped onto Roy’s, the touch very warm. He smiled.
Without anyone knowing, there was someone on the roof of a three story office building across from the restaurant Roy and the group was. He had a rifle, and peered through the scope. There; his target was squeezing a woman’s hand. He smirked. Soon, their intimate moment would be disturbed.
Back at the restaurant, Riza noticed a glint not far from them. Her eyes flew open; she knew that glint too well.
“Everyone, take cover!”
Panic thundered through Roy’s chest. Riza grabbed his arm tightly and made him duck down on the floor with her, Al and Ed taking cover too. As soon as a bullet hit through one of the vases, fully shattering it, everyone in the restaurant screamed and began rushing out the restaurant’s exits.
Roy threw Riza a quizzical look. “What just happened?”
“Someone tried to shoot you from an abandoned building across from here.”
“Are there any people passing by outside?” Roy tried to talk to Riza loudly so that she could hear him. He covered his ears, the screaming irritating him.
“Yes, including the people in this restaurant running away,” she informed.
“That sniper might have run away too,” Al pointed out.
“Best if we go chase him,” Ed said aggressively.
The rest of the group nodded and got up to give chase, the panicked crowd delaying their movements. Roy held onto Riza’s hand so that he wouldn’t lose her in the chaos. As soon as they got outside and further away from the crowd, Al, Ed, and Riza looked up to the roof and saw the sniper looking through his scope again.
“Is he still up there?” the colonel asked, having to rely on either the lieutenant or one of the brothers to tell him where the sniper was.
“Yes. To your left, nine o’ clock!” Riza told him.
The alchemist snapped his fingers, not using his gloves, and a flame exploded where the shooter was. The smoke quickly evaporated and the man dashed off.
“He’s getting away!” Ed said in alarm.
“Should we go inside?” Riza suggested.
Roy nodded and Riza led him to the building, the brothers following behind.
They rushed inside the abandoned building by going through the back door, the wood previously blocking it already taken down. Once they got in, the group walked slowly in case they were able to see the sniper. Roy clenched his teeth, the first floor slightly cold. He could snuff the dust that covered most of the room. For some reason, the quietness made him feel uneasy.
“You think he ran away from this building already?” Al wondered aloud.
The colonel shook his head. “Don’t think so. He’s probably hiding on another floor. Come on, let’s get moving.”
Everyone slowly went upstairs to the second floor. Like the room below, this one was empty too, save for a few desks. The blind alchemist still felt something ominous in this room.
“Still no sight of the man?” Roy asked.
“Not yet. We’ll be keeping an eye out, though,” Ed responded.
They continued walking cautiously. The Flame Alchemist’s heart drummed in anxiety. He had a bad feeling that the man was somewhere in this room.
Click.
Roy’s blood ran cold. Where had that sound come from?
“Behind you!” he heard Riza warn him.
Without hesitation, he snapped his fingers and flames burst out. The man screamed out in pain, but Roy knew he was getting away by listening to his footsteps. Gunshots were being fired from Riza’s pistol.
“You got him?”
“No, he went to the first floor. You managed to burn his arm, so he shouldn’t be far. We better get him quick.”
“Right.”
Everyone quickly went back downstairs. Immediately, Riza and the brothers saw the man.
“He’s getting away!” the lieutenant shouted this time.
Knowing what he could do instead of fire, the colonel slammed his hands on the ground and a huge stone wall blocked the sniper’s only exit. He glared at Roy and the others, one hand holding a pistol.
“Why did you try to assassinate me back at the restaurant?” he asked, frustration and anger lacing his voice.
The man gave a sinister chuckle. “Why? Ha, you’re making a big mistake in revising the Ishval policies! I actually thought I would be able to take advantage of your blindness. ”
Roy heard Riza squeezing the trigger of her pistol. He held his hand up, signaling her not to fire yet.
“What makes you say that?” he asked firmly.
“The Ishvalans are an inferior race. They don’t deserve their land back. Besides, weren’t you two part of the Ishval Extermination?”
Roy and Riza both grimaced, but Roy regained his composure, not going to let the sniper break him.
“Yes, we have, but that was long ago. We may never be rid of our sins, but we want to make up for what we can.”
“I see,” the sniper said and then snorted. “Trying to redeem yourselves, huh? Well, I’m going to make sure that won’t happen.”
Both Al and Ed were screaming, warning the military officers that he was about to kill them. The man gripped the trigger of his gun tighter and a shot was fired. Time slowed for Roy. He wanted to use his flame alchemy on the man once more and burn him, but he wasn’t able to; he couldn’t see where he was.
I’m going to die I’m going to die I’m going to die I’m going die—
There was a thump, but he didn’t fall down. Roy didn’t feel pain anywhere on his body. He had heard a shot, so he was supposed to have died, right? Unless…
“Great shot, Lieutenant Hawkeye!” Ed complimented cheerfully.
Roy gave Riza a surprised look. “He’s dead?”
“I’m certain he is,” she responded. “I got the first shot.”
A smile escaped from the man’s mouth. “Great work, Lieutenant.”
“So, what do we do now?” Al asked.
The colonel sighed. “Well, we have to let headquarters know that I almost got assassinated. The body then has to be taken to the hospital for autopsy. Ed, Al, can you contact the military and have them come here while the lieutenant and I wait here? They’re probably wondering why we haven’t returned from lunch yet.”
Ed and Al nodded. The younger brother used his alchemy to demolish the stone wall and the two of them rushed out. Roy sighed in distress, but was caught off guard when Riza embraced him.
“I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to attack back, so I prayed that I got the first shot,” she whispered.
Roy frowned. He felt he had failed her.
“I’m sorry I didn’t attack. Don’t know what just happened. Maybe it’s because I was afraid I would miss, even with you around to help me.”
“Everyone blanks out, sometimes. I’m just glad you’re all right.”
Roy couldn’t help but smile. He grasped her hand tightly. “Same here.”
The two were silent as they waited.
+++
The Investigations Team from Central Headquarters came to the scene not long after. Fuhrer Grumman came by too. The sniper’s body had been taken away from the hospital for identification. One of the men had interviewed Roy and Riza, jotting down everything they said. Ed and Al were being questioned also, but right after they had to get back to catch the last train back to Resembool, so the brothers said their goodbyes to the two military officers. After the brothers had left, the Fuhrer wanted to speak with them.
“I suspected some would disagree with Ishval’s restoration, but am glad the both of you are fine. I’m especially worried about you, Mustang.”
“Well, if it wasn’t for Hawkeye, I would surely be dead.”
Unnoticed to Fuhrer Grumman, Roy held onto his lieutenant’s hand. The couple smiled.
“You’re very lucky to have her, then,” the Fuhrer said with a chuckle. “Speaking of which, I need to talk to you in private. Just for a moment.”
Roy gave the man a puzzled look, but immediately nodded. The two walked outside, leaving Riza to talk with one of the men from the Investigation Team.
“I want to apologize for the talk we had a few weeks ago. It’s not any of my business forcing you to marry my granddaughter. You two still have a lot of time to decide on that.”
The blind man was speechless at first. He thought that subject wouldn’t be spoken of again. He gave a sad smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I understand that you believe the two of us will be happy together. Riza loves me, but I’m not sure if her feelings are as strong as mine.”
“I would say they are. She stayed with you even though you’re blind, and she saved you out there. That’s her way of showing it.”
Both men were silent for a while. Roy agreed that indeed it was like Riza to show her feelings instead of saying it. That was another thing he loved most about her. His mind then thought about something else.
“How come you weren’t there for Riza after her father died?”
“My daughter stopped speaking with me after she was born. Berthold and I got into a huge argument and the family moved away from East City. I only managed to see Riza a couple of times when she was a baby, so when I found out she was coming to East City Headquarters with you I was shocked to see how much she had grown. I haven’t told her that I’m her grandfather because I don’t want her to think it was my fault that her mother had cut ties with her own family.”
“I’m sure she’ll forgive you for not letting her know that she still has family,” the alchemist said with a comforting smile.
“That’s good to hear. After I heard about this incident, I want to speak to her to tell her the truth of her family. Can you let her know I expect her to meet with me tomorrow?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll let her know.”
“Good.” Fuhrer Grumman was silent for a second, as if trying to think of what else to say. “I guess we should get back to Central now. The both of you need to finalize those plans for Ishval’s independence.”
The two men slowly went back inside the abandoned building. While walking, Roy thought back over what Grumman had said a few weeks ago. Maybe it was time the two settled down. He ended up with her because she loved him. Blind or not, she would be by his side, always.
Roy had already decided what he was going to do; and he would make that happen tonight.
+++
That night, the two were on top of a hill at the city park. There was a pond very close to them, and they were enjoying the scenery. Well, Roy wasn’t actually able to see, but the tiny splashing noises from the water put him at ease. He was leaning against a tree with Riza’s head resting in his lap.
“You were great being my eyes back there, Riza.”
She began caressing his cheek. “No problem.”
Roy gazed at her lovingly, wishing he could see her eyes. It wasn’t long until he remembered the important thing he had wanted to talk to her about.
“You know, there’s something on my mind. We’ve known each other for a while and we’re very happy with our relationship right now, but I was hoping that can be taken to the next step.”
That made Riza lift her head off from his lap and shot him a surprised look. “Are you suggesting…”
“That we get married?” Roy finished it off for her and grinned. “Yes, I’m saying that. There’s no one else I want to be my wife.”
The colonel thought he could hear the woman’s heart pounding in joy and excitement. Without warning, Riza embraced him and they kissed, quick but still deep with feeling.
“I accept.”
Roy considered himself the luckiest man in the world. He would have proposed to her by kneeling down and showing her a ring, but he wasn’t able to go to the jewelry store himself. They would pick a wedding ring for her when they got a chance. But there was one other important business he needed to talk to her about.
“There’s something else I have to tell you.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Remember when you mentioned how you don’t know any another living family members because your parents seemed to have cut ties with them?”
It took a while for the lieutenant to respond, and when she did, she sounded melancholy. “Yes, during my father’s funeral. Why do you ask?”
“Well, would you believe me that I know a relative of yours very well, and he happens to be in the military?”
Riza’s eyes widened. “Hold on, you’re saying someone in my family is still alive and he’s in the military?”
“Yes,” Roy said with a smile. “You’ll think I’m lying, but Fuhrer Grumman is actually your grandfather on your mother’s side.”
“Him? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Before we were transferred to Central, he showed me proof that you’re his granddaughter; he has a copy of your birth certificate. Grumman didn’t want to reveal this to you because he’s afraid you’ll accuse him of making your mother cut ties with the rest of the family.”
“How did it happen, then? Grumman and my mom being separated, I mean.”
“Your father and he had a huge fight… He didn’t want to get into great detail. I think it’s more so of a fight gone wrong than your grandfather being at fault here.” He paused. “He wants to meet with you tomorrow morning to explain more about this to you.”
The two were silent; Roy knew Riza was reflecting on all this. He would understand if she still didn’t believe him—he might’ve been skeptical if he were in her position. Though it wasn’t long until he felt Riza holding him tighter and her head snuggled closer to his chest.
“I’m still amused the same person who hit on Rebecca is my grandfather. However, I’ll take your word on it and I’ll talk with him tomorrow.”
Roy chuckled. “Speaking of Rebecca, she’ll ask why you have a grandfather like that.”
“I’ll just say to her the two of us being related are rumors started by you.” Her finger poked his nose teasingly.
“No fair,” the blind alchemist said, giving Riza a fake glare. She laughed.
As the two became quiet again, Roy thought once more how he was glad to be with Riza. So many ways he could express his gratitude to her, but the words escaped him. Then again, he could just say it in the simplest way possible.
“I’m so lucky to have you right now.”
“Me too.”
The two gave one another a kiss.
Roy contemplated what they had been through after the Promised Day so far was like a radio drama. There were many twists and turns in their relationship, but in the end everything tied up well. Tonight, he couldn’t think of a happier ending for this drama to finish off with.
Author’s Note 2: Quick history trivia: Radio broadcasting didn’t start becoming a regular thing until the early 1920s in the United States, followed by Europe soon after, give or take a couple of years.. However, radio has been a huge presence in FMA (both animes and the manga), so I think it’s all right that commercial radio broadcasting has been around for a while.
As you can tell, I went more with the Brotherhood anime route for this AU piece. I love blind!Roy much better in the anime because he wanted to make up for what he done during the Ishval Extermination even though he’s blind. Manga blind!Roy wanted to retire, bleh. More realistic, yes, but that isn’t Roy’s style, haha. I went with the manga’s route where Havoc goes to rehabilitation, though.
The scene where Roy says he didn’t accept Marcoh’s offer of him using the stone to gain his sight back I thought over. I really feel the doctor wouldn’t run away after the Promised Day stuff is over and instead will want to help out Roy. I actually think it could also be in character for him to not use the stone the same reason Ed and Al didn’t want to use it to regain their bodies back.
Anddddd I think that’s all. Rambly Bay is done. Looking forward to the comments!
“Colonel Roy Mustang’s plans on revising the Ishval policies are running smoothly. Recently, Major Miles reported to him that the crops are showing signs of growth there. Also, just recently the Kanda district has been approved for reopening. The Ishvalans that used to live there are welcome to come back. The colonel says more districts are planned to be open as soon as the higher-ups in Central approve them.
“Speaking of the colonel, he’s our special guest for today. Glad you can make room for us in your busy schedule.”
“I’m honored to be here today, Vincent.”
“So tell me, what are you hoping to accomplish with revising the Ishval policies?”
“I’m hoping the Ishvalans will be able to finally live in peace, and that the Ishvalans and Amestrians can get along with one another despite their cultural differences.”
“I see. You think the two cultures can live in harmony?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that. There will be conflicts between them for sure, but hopefully they’ll learn to at least to respect one another.”
“Likewise. Okay, last question. You’re doing this despite being blind. Does that factor alone hinder any progress with your plans?”
“No, it hasn’t. Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I have to quit. I’m too stubborn to make myself give up that easily. If anything, my team and I are making great progress.”
“That’s great to hear. Again, Colonel Mustang, thanks for joining me. I’ve enjoyed this short interview of ours.”
“You’re welcome. This is quite nice for me, too.”
+++
Roy considered him and Riza good actors, the both of them still unable to have their relationship distract their work; there was a time and place for everything. That didn’t stop him from wanting to kiss her when no one was watching, though. Of course, Riza would tell him that patience pays off.
The team continued on with revising the Ishval policies. This time Riza and Fuery were going to the library to get the materials while Breda watched over the colonel. While the two men were waiting, the second lieutenant decided to take the colonel to someone he could have a short chat with.
The headquarters had a rehabilitation center where injured soldiers could come for therapy. Not long after the Promised Day, Jean Havoc decided to come back to the military and get back on his feet one step at a time. Roy and Breda went inside one of the rooms, and they saw him gripping on the railing, his legs shaking violently. He still managed a smug smile.
“Hello there, Colonel. Come to visit me, huh?”
“For a little while. Fuery and Hawkeye are away gathering research.”
“I see. Has to do with redoing the Ishval policies, right?”
“Yes,” Breda said. “This has been keeping us on our feet for a while. No pun intended, Jean.”
Havoc snorted and beamed. “Speaking of feet, I’m slowly getting there. It’s not as bad as I thought.”
“That’s great you’re making progress,” Roy said with a small smile. “Don’t give up.”
“Hey, I have you to thank for motivating me to get my life back together again. If you can be able to do your job without your eyesight, I should definitely be able to do some things while going through therapy.”
The colonel first threw Havoc a blank stare, but then laughed. Only once in a while the other second lieutenant was a generous man.
“I see. Never expected you to out-right say that.”
Havoc made a “heh” sound and shrugged. “Onto other things… I heard you and Hawkeye are an item now.” His mouth twitched into an impish grin. “How many times have you guys, y’know, done it?”
Brenda snickered while Roy’s cheeks burned. This was why he wanted to keep their relationship a secret. Sure, before he would brag about how many women he’d slept with, but right now he wanted the intimate details between him and Riza kept private. Knowing the colonel didn’t want to say anything about it, Havoc laughed.
“Okay, fine, that’s none of my own business. However, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” he said, this time in a serious tone. “You know Rebecca Catalina, right?”
The colonel was puzzled. “Yes…”
“Well, as you know, she’ll be transferring here to Central soon. The both of us have been chatting over the phone for a while, and I’m starting to really like her.”
“Wait, let me guess… You want to take her out on a date, and you’re asking me how to do it without looking like a fool?”
“Yes.” Havoc nodded. “Well, more specifically, how did you manage to ask Hawkeye out? I mean, she doesn’t seem to be the type to want to go out often.”
“Actually, Mustang didn’t ask her out on the first date. Gracia Hughes was the one that suggested they go to a dance,” Breda mentioned.
The colonel slapped himself lightly on his forehead; hearing Havoc laughing uproariously only worsened his embarrassment. It was true he wasn’t able to ask her out the first time around, but the two had fun at the dance and it had made him more comfortable with taking her out once in a while. After shrugging off his initial embarrassment, Roy smiled.
“I may have not gotten the chance to ask Hawkeye out when I had the opportunity, but I’ll say this: Just tell her how you feel and that you want to take her out to a night on the town. I believe you’ll do fine.”
Havoc gave the colonel’s advice some thought before smiling. “Yeah, you’re right. Say it straight out, then.”
+++
Reporters from various newspapers wanted to interview Roy and his team on their progress of the revision of the Ishval policy. They were asking a lot of questions for their report, which gave the colonel a massive headache. After the reporters left, he sighed in relief and rested his head in his arms. The group was at the lounge drinking coffee, the interview overwhelming them.
“I thought they would never stop asking those questions,” Roy grumbled.
“Me too. Reporters do like to get as much information as possible,” Fuery said, laughing.
Riza had a slight smile on her lips. “Expect more interviews from them as you climb higher in the ranks, sir.”
“I know. That’s one of the things I’m not looking forward to when I become Fuhrer.”
Roy could tell the lieutenant was trying to hide her chuckle by covering her mouth with her hand. He shook his head. All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and two people came inside. One was an elderly lady with a cane and an eye-patch on her right eye; the other was a boy helping her. The two had dark skin and red eyes, as bright as blood. The team was slightly shocked by the two’s appearance, while Roy was left wondering who had just entered his office.
“I am Madame Shan, and I have come to talk to you, Colonel Mustang.” She became silent, as if thinking over what she wanted to say to him. “You’re the Flame Alchemist that destroyed my people and my land, correct?” the woman asked, facing the colonel. “The one referred to as the ‘Hero of Ishval’?”
Roy gulped silently to himself. He was pretty sure the person talking to him was an Ishvalan. Hearing that ran chills down his spine.
“Yes, that’s me. Back then, I was ordered to do so, without questions.”
“I see.” The woman became silent, but she leaned her head forward to get a closer look at Roy. He began to feel dizzy; her breath smelled like a desert. “Oh, so it’s true that you’re blind now. I lost my sight in one eye thanks to one of your people. And since I’m getting older, my other eye might not be of much use soon either.”
Everyone looked at Roy worriedly, wondering how their superior would react. The colonel sighed heavily, feeling a jolt of pain flowing deep down in his heart. Here was a woman who wouldn’t be able to see one day due to the Ishval genocide, where she had probably lost many of her family members, while he had lost his sight because he was forced to do something he didn’t want to do. He felt that her story was a hundred times more tragic than his.
“I’m sorry that happened to you.” He paused, lowering his head in shame. “I never forgave myself for what I’ve done to your people, and I hated the title all of Amestris knows me by. I’ll understand if you won’t forgive me either.”
The woman nodded. “You’re right; I would never forgive you for what you have done to my people. Not only you, but for all of Amestris I have a deep hatred. However, it’s very noble of you to slowly bring our land back to us, and I’m grateful.”
Roy was surprised, to say the least. He hadn’t expected her to say that. It made him very happy that someone appreciated his hard work.
“Don’t thank me. It’s a group effort from me and my officers.”
The whole group nodded to the woman and the boy. Madam Shan smiled in return.
“Then I thank all of you for doing this. May this plan be successful.”
Madame Shan gave everyone a nod and she and the boy left the room.
“I know her,” Breda said. “Madam Shan was the leader of a group of Ishvalans hiding in Xeres.”
“Xeres?” Roy responded in a surprised tone. “So it’s true they were staying there, then.”
“Fullmetal told us he’d met some of them, including her. That was back when you had sent him there to meet with Maria Ross.”
“So a little over a year ago,” the colonel mused with a chuckle. “He should tell me more about that visit when he comes to Central.”
Roy was glad that even Madame Shan, an Ishvalan whose life had been destroyed by the war he had been such a big part of, could be grateful for his efforts. Knowing that he had support gave him motivation to keep going with this plan.
+++
That evening the two made love. Ever since they had touched each other the first time, they had done it a few more times. Roy was getting better at pleasuring her, able to memorize her body for the most part. There was protection to deal with as well because the two didn’t want any children for now, so she always had to help him with that.
The both of them lied together afterwards, her back facing him. He was slowly combing her hair with his fingers.
“It’s great that this Ishval revising plan is making excellent progress so far.”
Riza gave him a taunting smile. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about politics in bed.”
“Sorry,” Roy said with a snort. “It’s just that this is turning out better than expected, especially when Madame Shan came today. Hopefully this will keep up.”
“Don’t worry, it will.” She pulled his hand and brought it up to her cheek.
The colonel smiled and began caressing her back. He frowned. There were burn marks scattered all over, rough to the touch. These were the scars that would never heal. The fire alchemy symbol printed on her back was what had helped him to use his talent to the fullest. He burned that formula so that no one else could become him. Playing with fire caused too much destruction.
“I became an alchemist to help people, not hurt them. Being blind has made me see the horrors of what I’ve done more clearly.”
The smell of burning corpses, the cries of the people meeting their end, the loudest of the explosions that he caused, the ash showering on him—all of this still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Riza’s heart ached for him. She sat up and had her lips touched his. She placed her hands on his shoulders while he held her by the waist with one hand and touched the back of her neck with the other. The two kissed for a while and when they had finished, Roy was left breathless.
“I have those dreams sometimes too. But don’t worry; we’ll get through this together.”
Roy gave her a smile and the two locked lips once more.
Yes, he wasn’t alone in this. They had experienced the same war, so they were sharing this burden. They would support one another.
+++
More time passed by, and the leaves on the trees in Central turned brown. It was afternoon and Roy and Riza were heading towards the military headquarters, their shift starting later today. The Flame Alchemist shuddered from the cold breeze.
“Is it supposed to be this cold early in autumn?”
“Rarely, but the weather is unpredictable sometimes.” Riza gave the colonel a slight lighthearted smile.
The alchemist couldn’t help but laugh. He remembered saying that to Knox when the doctor had picked them up from the hospital some time ago.
They continued on walking, Roy wanting to get to the headquarters faster. The both of them walked up the stairs and almost went inside, but the man stopped when he heard two familiar voices.
“Are you sure about this, Brother?”
“Sir, what’s going on?”
Roy shushed her, and the two listened to the two people talking.
“Of course, Al. I wanted to discuss this with Colonel Mustang and have him sign…” the person speaking paused, but then said in a sly fashion, “Oh, hello, Colonel.”
Yes, no mistake that voice belonged to Edward Elric. The colonel was surprised the brothers were here, but at the same time was glad to be able to meet up with them. The last time he had spoken with Ed and Al was when they were well enough to leave the hospital while he and Riza still needed to stay and recover. The brothers had said their thanks to the two for everything they had done for them, and wished them luck on their future plans.
“Hello, Fullmetal,” Roy greeted, smiling. “What brings you here from your hometown?”
“Pretty soon you won’t be able to call me that anymore,” Ed corrected in a smug tone. “I actually need to talk to you about my resignation from the military.”
Roy’s eyebrows narrowed, as he felt this was a prank of some sort. “Resignation?”
“Yep,” the young man grinned. “I can’t use alchemy anymore, so I can’t be a State Alchemist, right?”
“Correct,” the Flame Alchemist confirmed, before chuckling. “Not only that, you and Al found what you needed, so there’s no use sticking around the military anymore unless you want to actually go onto the battlefield. Even then, I don’t think there’ll be any more wars to fight for a very long time.”
“Well, I didn’t want to join any wars when I was enlisted in the military. And yes, no point in staying a solider anymore.”
Roy nodded and turned his head in Riza’s direction. “Lieutenant, how much further until we get those papers to approve the Ishval district of Gunja to be open?”
“We’re almost done with that, sir. There is time to get started on Edward’s resignation.”
“Okay, good. Edward, Alphonse, follow me.”
The two brothers glanced at one another, both grinning, and everyone went inside the building.
+++
The discussion over Edward’s resignation from the military went smoothly. The colonel had him sign a few forms, asked him questions relating to why he wanted to resign, and made Ed give him the silver pocket watch. He reassured the young man that the approval should be mailed to him within a month. Right after the process was over, Riza suggested that the brothers join them for lunch to catch up, which Roy agreed to.
They went to a small restaurant that served different kinds of dishes, and there were many people there during the afternoon. Roy and Riza both ordered steak and mashed potatoes while Ed and Al ate hamburgers and fries.
“How’s Resembol so far, you two?” Riza asked.
“It’s great! It’s nice settling down after traveling for quite some time.”
Roy snickered. “Ed, settling down? I don’t see you as the type that wants to take a break.” He felt Riza kick his leg under the table, causing him to wince.
“I missed home, to be honest,” the former alchemist said with a shrug.
“I see. How about you, Al? Can you still use alchemy?”
“Yes,” Al replied, beaming. “I’ve been practicing a lot lately, and it’s going great.”
Roy drank his water and smiled. “Glad to hear it. I’m sure you’ll make an exceptional alchemist in no time.”
“How about you, Mustang, if you don’t mind me asking? You’ve seemed to have adjusted to being blind.”
Roy lowered his head slightly. He didn’t mind the young man asking him that question; it was just that he hadn’t had the time to reflect on how his life was going so far.
“There are times when I wish I had my sight back, but I’ve managed. Lieutenant Hawkeye is able to help me through all this.”
Edward gave the couple a suggestive look. If Roy was able to see it, he would have glared at the young man; but as it was, he remained unaware.
“Ohhh, I see. Took a while for the two of you to get together, huh?”
All Roy could do was blink. Riza laughed softly.
“Yes, it has. However, it’s worth it,” Riza said.
She had her hand clasped onto Roy’s, the touch very warm. He smiled.
Without anyone knowing, there was someone on the roof of a three story office building across from the restaurant Roy and the group was. He had a rifle, and peered through the scope. There; his target was squeezing a woman’s hand. He smirked. Soon, their intimate moment would be disturbed.
Back at the restaurant, Riza noticed a glint not far from them. Her eyes flew open; she knew that glint too well.
“Everyone, take cover!”
Panic thundered through Roy’s chest. Riza grabbed his arm tightly and made him duck down on the floor with her, Al and Ed taking cover too. As soon as a bullet hit through one of the vases, fully shattering it, everyone in the restaurant screamed and began rushing out the restaurant’s exits.
Roy threw Riza a quizzical look. “What just happened?”
“Someone tried to shoot you from an abandoned building across from here.”
“Are there any people passing by outside?” Roy tried to talk to Riza loudly so that she could hear him. He covered his ears, the screaming irritating him.
“Yes, including the people in this restaurant running away,” she informed.
“That sniper might have run away too,” Al pointed out.
“Best if we go chase him,” Ed said aggressively.
The rest of the group nodded and got up to give chase, the panicked crowd delaying their movements. Roy held onto Riza’s hand so that he wouldn’t lose her in the chaos. As soon as they got outside and further away from the crowd, Al, Ed, and Riza looked up to the roof and saw the sniper looking through his scope again.
“Is he still up there?” the colonel asked, having to rely on either the lieutenant or one of the brothers to tell him where the sniper was.
“Yes. To your left, nine o’ clock!” Riza told him.
The alchemist snapped his fingers, not using his gloves, and a flame exploded where the shooter was. The smoke quickly evaporated and the man dashed off.
“He’s getting away!” Ed said in alarm.
“Should we go inside?” Riza suggested.
Roy nodded and Riza led him to the building, the brothers following behind.
They rushed inside the abandoned building by going through the back door, the wood previously blocking it already taken down. Once they got in, the group walked slowly in case they were able to see the sniper. Roy clenched his teeth, the first floor slightly cold. He could snuff the dust that covered most of the room. For some reason, the quietness made him feel uneasy.
“You think he ran away from this building already?” Al wondered aloud.
The colonel shook his head. “Don’t think so. He’s probably hiding on another floor. Come on, let’s get moving.”
Everyone slowly went upstairs to the second floor. Like the room below, this one was empty too, save for a few desks. The blind alchemist still felt something ominous in this room.
“Still no sight of the man?” Roy asked.
“Not yet. We’ll be keeping an eye out, though,” Ed responded.
They continued walking cautiously. The Flame Alchemist’s heart drummed in anxiety. He had a bad feeling that the man was somewhere in this room.
Click.
Roy’s blood ran cold. Where had that sound come from?
“Behind you!” he heard Riza warn him.
Without hesitation, he snapped his fingers and flames burst out. The man screamed out in pain, but Roy knew he was getting away by listening to his footsteps. Gunshots were being fired from Riza’s pistol.
“You got him?”
“No, he went to the first floor. You managed to burn his arm, so he shouldn’t be far. We better get him quick.”
“Right.”
Everyone quickly went back downstairs. Immediately, Riza and the brothers saw the man.
“He’s getting away!” the lieutenant shouted this time.
Knowing what he could do instead of fire, the colonel slammed his hands on the ground and a huge stone wall blocked the sniper’s only exit. He glared at Roy and the others, one hand holding a pistol.
“Why did you try to assassinate me back at the restaurant?” he asked, frustration and anger lacing his voice.
The man gave a sinister chuckle. “Why? Ha, you’re making a big mistake in revising the Ishval policies! I actually thought I would be able to take advantage of your blindness. ”
Roy heard Riza squeezing the trigger of her pistol. He held his hand up, signaling her not to fire yet.
“What makes you say that?” he asked firmly.
“The Ishvalans are an inferior race. They don’t deserve their land back. Besides, weren’t you two part of the Ishval Extermination?”
Roy and Riza both grimaced, but Roy regained his composure, not going to let the sniper break him.
“Yes, we have, but that was long ago. We may never be rid of our sins, but we want to make up for what we can.”
“I see,” the sniper said and then snorted. “Trying to redeem yourselves, huh? Well, I’m going to make sure that won’t happen.”
Both Al and Ed were screaming, warning the military officers that he was about to kill them. The man gripped the trigger of his gun tighter and a shot was fired. Time slowed for Roy. He wanted to use his flame alchemy on the man once more and burn him, but he wasn’t able to; he couldn’t see where he was.
I’m going to die I’m going to die I’m going to die I’m going die—
There was a thump, but he didn’t fall down. Roy didn’t feel pain anywhere on his body. He had heard a shot, so he was supposed to have died, right? Unless…
“Great shot, Lieutenant Hawkeye!” Ed complimented cheerfully.
Roy gave Riza a surprised look. “He’s dead?”
“I’m certain he is,” she responded. “I got the first shot.”
A smile escaped from the man’s mouth. “Great work, Lieutenant.”
“So, what do we do now?” Al asked.
The colonel sighed. “Well, we have to let headquarters know that I almost got assassinated. The body then has to be taken to the hospital for autopsy. Ed, Al, can you contact the military and have them come here while the lieutenant and I wait here? They’re probably wondering why we haven’t returned from lunch yet.”
Ed and Al nodded. The younger brother used his alchemy to demolish the stone wall and the two of them rushed out. Roy sighed in distress, but was caught off guard when Riza embraced him.
“I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to attack back, so I prayed that I got the first shot,” she whispered.
Roy frowned. He felt he had failed her.
“I’m sorry I didn’t attack. Don’t know what just happened. Maybe it’s because I was afraid I would miss, even with you around to help me.”
“Everyone blanks out, sometimes. I’m just glad you’re all right.”
Roy couldn’t help but smile. He grasped her hand tightly. “Same here.”
The two were silent as they waited.
+++
The Investigations Team from Central Headquarters came to the scene not long after. Fuhrer Grumman came by too. The sniper’s body had been taken away from the hospital for identification. One of the men had interviewed Roy and Riza, jotting down everything they said. Ed and Al were being questioned also, but right after they had to get back to catch the last train back to Resembool, so the brothers said their goodbyes to the two military officers. After the brothers had left, the Fuhrer wanted to speak with them.
“I suspected some would disagree with Ishval’s restoration, but am glad the both of you are fine. I’m especially worried about you, Mustang.”
“Well, if it wasn’t for Hawkeye, I would surely be dead.”
Unnoticed to Fuhrer Grumman, Roy held onto his lieutenant’s hand. The couple smiled.
“You’re very lucky to have her, then,” the Fuhrer said with a chuckle. “Speaking of which, I need to talk to you in private. Just for a moment.”
Roy gave the man a puzzled look, but immediately nodded. The two walked outside, leaving Riza to talk with one of the men from the Investigation Team.
“I want to apologize for the talk we had a few weeks ago. It’s not any of my business forcing you to marry my granddaughter. You two still have a lot of time to decide on that.”
The blind man was speechless at first. He thought that subject wouldn’t be spoken of again. He gave a sad smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I understand that you believe the two of us will be happy together. Riza loves me, but I’m not sure if her feelings are as strong as mine.”
“I would say they are. She stayed with you even though you’re blind, and she saved you out there. That’s her way of showing it.”
Both men were silent for a while. Roy agreed that indeed it was like Riza to show her feelings instead of saying it. That was another thing he loved most about her. His mind then thought about something else.
“How come you weren’t there for Riza after her father died?”
“My daughter stopped speaking with me after she was born. Berthold and I got into a huge argument and the family moved away from East City. I only managed to see Riza a couple of times when she was a baby, so when I found out she was coming to East City Headquarters with you I was shocked to see how much she had grown. I haven’t told her that I’m her grandfather because I don’t want her to think it was my fault that her mother had cut ties with her own family.”
“I’m sure she’ll forgive you for not letting her know that she still has family,” the alchemist said with a comforting smile.
“That’s good to hear. After I heard about this incident, I want to speak to her to tell her the truth of her family. Can you let her know I expect her to meet with me tomorrow?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll let her know.”
“Good.” Fuhrer Grumman was silent for a second, as if trying to think of what else to say. “I guess we should get back to Central now. The both of you need to finalize those plans for Ishval’s independence.”
The two men slowly went back inside the abandoned building. While walking, Roy thought back over what Grumman had said a few weeks ago. Maybe it was time the two settled down. He ended up with her because she loved him. Blind or not, she would be by his side, always.
Roy had already decided what he was going to do; and he would make that happen tonight.
+++
That night, the two were on top of a hill at the city park. There was a pond very close to them, and they were enjoying the scenery. Well, Roy wasn’t actually able to see, but the tiny splashing noises from the water put him at ease. He was leaning against a tree with Riza’s head resting in his lap.
“You were great being my eyes back there, Riza.”
She began caressing his cheek. “No problem.”
Roy gazed at her lovingly, wishing he could see her eyes. It wasn’t long until he remembered the important thing he had wanted to talk to her about.
“You know, there’s something on my mind. We’ve known each other for a while and we’re very happy with our relationship right now, but I was hoping that can be taken to the next step.”
That made Riza lift her head off from his lap and shot him a surprised look. “Are you suggesting…”
“That we get married?” Roy finished it off for her and grinned. “Yes, I’m saying that. There’s no one else I want to be my wife.”
The colonel thought he could hear the woman’s heart pounding in joy and excitement. Without warning, Riza embraced him and they kissed, quick but still deep with feeling.
“I accept.”
Roy considered himself the luckiest man in the world. He would have proposed to her by kneeling down and showing her a ring, but he wasn’t able to go to the jewelry store himself. They would pick a wedding ring for her when they got a chance. But there was one other important business he needed to talk to her about.
“There’s something else I have to tell you.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Remember when you mentioned how you don’t know any another living family members because your parents seemed to have cut ties with them?”
It took a while for the lieutenant to respond, and when she did, she sounded melancholy. “Yes, during my father’s funeral. Why do you ask?”
“Well, would you believe me that I know a relative of yours very well, and he happens to be in the military?”
Riza’s eyes widened. “Hold on, you’re saying someone in my family is still alive and he’s in the military?”
“Yes,” Roy said with a smile. “You’ll think I’m lying, but Fuhrer Grumman is actually your grandfather on your mother’s side.”
“Him? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Before we were transferred to Central, he showed me proof that you’re his granddaughter; he has a copy of your birth certificate. Grumman didn’t want to reveal this to you because he’s afraid you’ll accuse him of making your mother cut ties with the rest of the family.”
“How did it happen, then? Grumman and my mom being separated, I mean.”
“Your father and he had a huge fight… He didn’t want to get into great detail. I think it’s more so of a fight gone wrong than your grandfather being at fault here.” He paused. “He wants to meet with you tomorrow morning to explain more about this to you.”
The two were silent; Roy knew Riza was reflecting on all this. He would understand if she still didn’t believe him—he might’ve been skeptical if he were in her position. Though it wasn’t long until he felt Riza holding him tighter and her head snuggled closer to his chest.
“I’m still amused the same person who hit on Rebecca is my grandfather. However, I’ll take your word on it and I’ll talk with him tomorrow.”
Roy chuckled. “Speaking of Rebecca, she’ll ask why you have a grandfather like that.”
“I’ll just say to her the two of us being related are rumors started by you.” Her finger poked his nose teasingly.
“No fair,” the blind alchemist said, giving Riza a fake glare. She laughed.
As the two became quiet again, Roy thought once more how he was glad to be with Riza. So many ways he could express his gratitude to her, but the words escaped him. Then again, he could just say it in the simplest way possible.
“I’m so lucky to have you right now.”
“Me too.”
The two gave one another a kiss.
Roy contemplated what they had been through after the Promised Day so far was like a radio drama. There were many twists and turns in their relationship, but in the end everything tied up well. Tonight, he couldn’t think of a happier ending for this drama to finish off with.
Author’s Note 2: Quick history trivia: Radio broadcasting didn’t start becoming a regular thing until the early 1920s in the United States, followed by Europe soon after, give or take a couple of years.. However, radio has been a huge presence in FMA (both animes and the manga), so I think it’s all right that commercial radio broadcasting has been around for a while.
As you can tell, I went more with the Brotherhood anime route for this AU piece. I love blind!Roy much better in the anime because he wanted to make up for what he done during the Ishval Extermination even though he’s blind. Manga blind!Roy wanted to retire, bleh. More realistic, yes, but that isn’t Roy’s style, haha. I went with the manga’s route where Havoc goes to rehabilitation, though.
The scene where Roy says he didn’t accept Marcoh’s offer of him using the stone to gain his sight back I thought over. I really feel the doctor wouldn’t run away after the Promised Day stuff is over and instead will want to help out Roy. I actually think it could also be in character for him to not use the stone the same reason Ed and Al didn’t want to use it to regain their bodies back.
Anddddd I think that’s all. Rambly Bay is done. Looking forward to the comments!
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Date: 2011-02-15 06:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-16 12:13 am (UTC)While it's definitely good that you tried to avoid instances of "seeing," there's a lot more involved in writing a non-ableist fic than not using sighted verbs. What struck me as particularly problematic was the focus on all of the things that Roy could no longer do, with very little attention paid to relearning to function with the handicap. Take, for example, the assertion that Roy will never be able to make his own sandwiches again, or that Riza has to lay out his clothes for him, that he can't figure out a way to go buy an engagement ring, or hat she even has to put a condom on for him.
These things come off as… well, condescending. You bring them up as though to demonstrate the difficulties associated with losing one's sight, but never show us how Roy addresses them and learns how to function around the handicap, such as learning to select his clothes by touch or reorganizing his kitchen to make it easier to navigate or learning to walk with a cane and memorizing layouts so he doesn't have to be led everywhere.
I think part of this revolves around the fact you were covering so much and trying to demonstrate that Roy is still able to participate in pursuing his goals despite being blind. (But even there I'm left wondering: how was he able to navigate all of the paperwork? Did he learn braille at some point? Etc.) So basically there's this strange mix of things he shouldn't be able to do easily but apparently is (work), and things that he should be able to develop independence in but isn't (personal life).
Another way I think you could have improved was in your POV. For the most part, you used 3rd Person POV, limited to Roy. However, occasionally you ventured into omniscience, where you described things happening that there was no possible way Roy could have known about it with his available sense -- or at least it seemed phrased that way.
An example: "Roy could tell the lieutenant was trying to hide her chuckle by covering her mouth with her hand." I think I get where you were going with this -- but it doesn't work, because the description still relies on something he would need to see. "Could tell" doesn't really cut it. How could he tell? From the sound of her voice? The rustle of fabric? Did her elbow bump into his? He's got four other senses - think about how the world would be experienced through those and use THEM to describe things, rather than just handwaving it. I can pull more examples of this if you'd like.
That'd help a lot with regards to my final concern with regards to the blindness, which was that every time it was mentioned it was in context of what Roy had lost. While as someone who was once sighted, he will probably always miss it, the constant focus on what he can't sense as opposed to what he can was a bit belabored, and also a very stereotypically negative view of the disability. This particularly stuck out to me in the romantic bits, where he kept regretting not being able to see Riza instead of utilizing other sensual details that could have been used.
There were some other bits I felt could have been more carefully handled, especially the interactions with the Ishvallans. Also, the bit about Roy's alchemy: he'd still need his gloves to create the spark using clap alchemy - the array that he doesn't need anymore transmuted the air molecules, but the spark cloth was needed to start the fire, and you never mentioned a fire source elsewhere.
Anywho, I should probably stop here. This comment has gone on pretty long already, and I'm sorry if I've completely overwhelmed you with criticism! Please let me know if you would like me to clarify anything I said! I really think the premise of the story is interesting, and I enjoyed thinking about it. It definitely demonstrates how much story is still left to be told, even with a closed canon.
My reply is too long, so it's going to be in two comment posts D:
Date: 2011-02-16 08:39 pm (UTC)Thanks. I’m pretty surprised myself when I decided to take this prompt. Originally it was going to be much shorter, but then as I was writing it I suddenly thought back some things left out in canon I want to explore, even when this story is AU. I know it’s a risk as many people will disagree with my take on the canon, and that’s fine. I actually didn’t get into the fandom until May of last year (although I’m aware of FMA for sometime) while many FMA fans have been there for a couple of years or so. And totally cool that you think I need some improvement on Roy’s blindness. This is my first time doing a story in a blind person’s POV, so it’s good to know what I did okay and what needs work, which I know for sure is A LOT. XD
Damn, that’s the most trouble I have with this story, trying to figure what blind! Roy is able to do and not do. I have never known a blind person before, so I guess that’s part of the problem. And right now I would like to forget some of those scenes you mentioned, LOL.
Indeed, I could have shown some of the stuff that Roy had difficulty doing and some examples you mentioned are good ones. Hm, funny you should mention cane as I’m unsure if all blind people needed one. I know a couple fandoms where blind people didn’t use one. For instance, Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Then again, she uses Earthbending to get through. Another is Terezi in the webcomic Homestuck. Well, she uses a cane sometimes, but other times she’s seen roleplaying as a detective with her plushies without a cane. Also, I think she uses taste and smell a lot whenever she doesn’t use a cane. Sorry if you don’t know those two fandoms, opps.
Well, I did mention one time Riza was reading/summarizing the paperwork for him and the two discussing over some things. You’re right though I could have made Roy more independent and show that there were a few things he wasn’t able to do, workplace wise. As for Roy wanting to pursue his goals and focusing too much on that, I blame my headcanon. I really see him as this ambitious person that wants to make it to the top and won’t let anything get in his way, even when being blind. Haha, if you read my past works of Roy, If You Want to Protect Everyone and Cut Through, yeah demonstrated that. I’m much better writing him like that than him being blind and dealing with that, that’s for sure.
While looking through my story real quick to do the coding yesterday (gawds, hate it when LJ messes the coding up -_-), I did notice there were a few parts here and there that I went with omniscient POV. Yes, I want this to be in Roy’s POV, but at the same time was trying to make this story as if it’s an FMA episode, so the readers might get a glimpse of what’s going on that Roy couldn’t be able to see. Dang me and action shows/ movies, haha. That didn’t go so well though and I shouldn’t have done that.
Yeah, you’re right I have been handwaving the description here and there after looking back some parts and the example you pulled out is a good one. I’m so used to writing mostly mystery, suspense and comedy (for a different fandom not FMA), that I tend to keep forgetting to use all the five senses. This kind of story I should have paid extra attention to the details. I was trying to be careful, but things slipped off from me and I guess I was caught with writing the story to forget to triple check over some things that didn’t make sense.
Reply continued from the first reply, LOL
Date: 2011-02-16 08:40 pm (UTC)Agreed that Roy’s interactions with the Ishvalans could use work. After my beta was able to finish looking over this story, I talked to her how I feel the interactions were just with them coming to see Roy and nothing else. I originally wanted to add another scene with Roy interacting with the Ishvalans and fix the scenes I already did, but then real life and FMA Big Bang caught hold of my attention, so I wasn’t able to have time to do that. As for Roy’s alchemy, I was thinking whether or not to have Roy keep his gloves. I remember reading a one shot where someone was hired to kill Roy, but the colonel was able to defeat him. The assassin then asked him why he still wears his gloves as he didn’t need them anymore, but Roy answered something along the lines of not forgetting his past and such. I was thinking after reading that one shot Roy probably did find a source for the fire, but it wasn’t explained. But ANYWAYS, you’re right that I didn’t explain the source of the fire. D’oh! Thanks for that explanation, though.
Again, totally cool on the constructive criticism. Haha, I can safely say my first try at blind! Roy is an utter failure. XD; However, your comments have me thinking how I’ll try to approach blind! Roy (or any other blind person for that manner) better if I want to try him again. Heck, maybe one day I when I have time I might want to go ahead and totally rewrite this story to make blind! Roy more realistic. Really, thanks for the review. :)
(Wow, my reply is longer than some of my one shots XD)
Re: Reply continued from the first reply, LOL
Date: 2011-02-23 04:01 pm (UTC)I know it’s a risk as many people will disagree with my take on the canon, and that’s fine. I actually didn’t get into the fandom until May of last year (although I’m aware of FMA for sometime) while many FMA fans have been there for a couple of years or so.
Eh, I don't think that's much of an issue! Most people can separate canon from headcanon, and while discussing different takes on the possibilities can be interesting conversation, I don't think it has MAJOR impact on enjoyment. Unless of course someone's just being silly.
Also! I only got into FMA last April, so… lol. Though honestly I don't see any reason why it matters, because "older" fans don't automatically have a better grasp of characters or canon just because they've been around longer!
I have never known a blind person before, so I guess that’s part of the problem.
Well, neither have I, but then again… I've never met an alchemist either. Okay, I'm being a bit glib there, but I'll get to the point: this is the internet! And… there are blind people on the internet! Who have websites and talk about their experiences! And there is also information out there for people who are newly blind or legally blind or what have you. When you're unsure, oftentimes the answer you're looking for is just a google search away. One of the great things about writing is that we get to explore things outside the realm of our experience, but when dealing with things that happen in real life instead of just fantasy, that's when research becomes important -- particularly when it involves issues with lots of harmful stereotypes attached.
Long story short: Research! A lot! Especially when writing about issues with isms attached.
I know a couple fandoms where blind people didn’t use [a cane].
I think what's important to note about both of those characters is that both of them have extra abilities that normal humans do not! (And… I think you noticed that yourself?) Toph's earthbending is what enables her to see, and I'm pretty sure that Terezi's ability to use smell and taste to such an extent to get around stems from the fact she's not human! But also, have you ever tried walking around a familiar place, such as your house, in the dark? Chances are you know where things are from memory! So a blind person may not always need a cane for the same reasons, since they know where things are by memory, but at other times may also use one when in a public or unfamiliar place.
As for Roy wanting to pursue his goals and focusing too much on that, I blame my headcanon. I really see him as this ambitious person that wants to make it to the top and won’t let anything get in his way, even when being blind.
Well, I'm not faulting you for that. It's a valid interpretation of Roy's personality, and I agree that he would have found some way to continue pursuing his goals whether he was permitted to stay in the military or not. (Personally, I think his desire for change that drives him is more important than how it explicitly manifests as pursuing the position of Fuhrer, but that's another conversation entirely.)
Yes, I want this to be in Roy’s POV, but at the same time was trying to make this story as if it’s an FMA episode, so the readers might get a glimpse of what’s going on that Roy couldn’t be able to see.
Makes sense! I think you might have been better served by just switching to another character's limited view entirely to accomplish this. Then you could have done what you needed without that particular issue.
apparently I'm longwinded too
Date: 2011-02-23 04:01 pm (UTC)Oh boy, I’m going to have to agree with you on needing to focus more on what Roy can’t sense.
I… actually meant the opposite? Let me clarify: I don't think it's necessarily bad to bring up him missing things about sighted life, and I also agree that that can easily swerve into unnecessary angst. What I meant was that even when acknowledging those things, there was room for also showing how his other senses adapt. Instead of focusing just on the LACK of one sense, there should be some gradual shifting of perspective wherein Roy would start to primarily experience the world through his other four. Considering how early on in post-Promised Day life this was set, it would be unreasonable to expect this 100%, but some shift in that direction would have been appropriate to avoid negative stereotypes.
I talked to her how I feel the interactions were just with them coming to see Roy and nothing else.
That was something I noticed while reading it, but it goes beyond just how the interactions came about and goes into the content as well.
The issue I had is that these characters who were affected by racial genocide reassuring someone who participated in said genocide of his good doing. While you explicitly acknowledge that they, namely Scar and Mistress Shan, are more commenting on the good he's doing now and not forgiving his past wrongs, their primary role in the story is limited to this sort of reassurance going on. Considered in the context of them being characters aside and Roy being (at least presumably, certain fanons aside) white, there are a looooot of problematic real world implications and stereotypes this steps into.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-27 06:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-01 06:04 am (UTC)Also, glad you thought I did nicely with tying the loose threads together. I always seem to have a thousand ideas and half the time those ideas get connected somewhere. A few of my friends said plot is one of my strong points in writing, so maybe that's why, haha.
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Date: 2011-03-01 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-01 05:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-02 03:08 am (UTC)