driftfleet | Ninth Transmutation [Video]

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Ninth Transmutation [Video]

Who: Alphonse Elric and YOU
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Anywhere
When: August 16th

[When Al begins the broadcast, he's at a set of wooden furniture he made himself at the previous planet he's set up in the Vanquish, making himself a mini workshop of sorts. He smiles shyly before speaking.]

Well, it seems like people in this star system take their factions very seriously... so I thought I'd offer to make clothing for people from my alchemy, in case you decide to ally yourself with one of them. I can make it for any color scheme you want, as long as you can provide me with the raw materials! I'd hate for someone to get in trouble if they don't blend in. ... or be overcharged, like I was when I went to dinner earlier.

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Certainly, whenever you're free I can head over to you for that.

[He's not sure how to take his own measurements, only that it usually involves some deft-fingered lass with a length of tape.]

Now's as good a time as any- I'm on the Vanquish.

On my way.

[Off goes the video and some time later the Vanquish receives a visitor in the hangar bay. Of course, Adalwolfe didn't ask where on the ship Alphonse actually is...]

[Luckily, when Adawolfe comes to visit, he won't have far to look and will find Al playing with the fox Cosmic in the cargo bay, doing tug of war with a chew toy.]

[Adalwolfe finds his fairly easily. A cargo bay makes total sense for transmutation.]

Hey. Oh, is that-- No, wait, she's on a different ship. There's more than one fox?

Yep! We went to an icebound planet a few months ago. These foxes are native to that planet and the tamed ones were being sold as pets, so it didn't take much persuasion for Clay and I to buy one.

Oh, huh. That explains that.

[He gives Alphonse a sort of sidelong look, something appreciative and a bit coy.]

You and Clay, hm? First name basis with your captain?

[He's talked to Clay only once, and that in a crisis, but he seemed an affable young chap. If he and Alphonse are a thing, Adalwolfe could see it.]

Yup... ever since I arrived on this ship, he's treated me like a friend. My crew feels like another family to me sometimes.

[Honestly, having Clay was one of the next best things to having Edward for Al... nobody would replace his brother, but having someone looking out for him was still nice.]

Oh.

[Well. That sailed right over Alphonse's head. Guess it is nothing beyond friendship. The comment about family gets him though and Adalwolfe's smile softens in understanding and recognition.]

I know what you mean. I had a group like that back home. Here I feel the most camaraderie with the people I work with at Malum, but it's still not the same thing.

[Facing the perils of Kirkwall together without wavering is a lot different than facing a dinner rush.]

[Al hasn't had much time in his life to think of romance, alas- and he wanted to see where things led with May, in time.]

Yeah, I can understand that... but it's nice, all the same. My military friends back home are a lot more serious and career-focused, but my friends here are freer to just... be themselves.

You're in the military?

[That was so incredulous it almost sound insulting.]

Sorry, I mean. You're just so friendly.

[...Open mouth, insert foot.]

Not officially- and really, don't feel bad. I get that kind of reaction a lot. My brother wasn't an official soldier- our country's military accepted skilled alchemists and gave them a military rank equivalent to Major in exchange for doing research to benefit humanity. Brother was one of these, they're called State Alchemists, and he was one of the youngest in history. I ended up getting to know all the soldiers he worked with since we traveled together.

But they're not required to? No one forces them to work for the military?

[This seems like something that he's having a hard time understanding.]

No, it's entirely by choice. Some of them were already soldiers to begin with and use their skills in combat, some of them use their rank and resources to research medicine and the like.

And what happened to alchemists that refuse?

They're allowed to go on their way. Not everyone who can use alchemy is skilled enough for the military's needs, anyway- kinda like how everyone can cook, but not everyone is a gourmet chef.

And they're just allowed to go home and use magi-- alchemy like it's nobody's business? There's no special force policing them or anything like that?

That's right.

I'm jealous.

[He gives a rueful smile, wondering just where Thedas went wrong that Alphonse's world went right. If he'd been born there, would he be left alone? Would Anders have been able to have a normal life? Or are there things even Alphonse doesn't know, other alchemists pushed into service. He's too old and too cynical to believe that everything could be just that easy when some people have magic and some don't.]

Anyway, up for some tailoring?

It makes me sad that such things might be feared and not seen as a gift. ... Alchemy can be used for horrible things, but it can be a useful tool, too.

[He sighed, but nodded at the subject change.]

Of course. I'm eager to practice my skills.

Me too, but it's very common.

[He wants to move on from it, but that Alphonse would just out with how sad it is - no, might be - it squeezes his chest a bit. He shakes his head, making a face somewhere between a smile and a grimace.]

I gotta say, there are worlds people say they're from where magic is no big deal. I have a lot of trouble believing it.

Yeah, I can see that. When it's hated and feared like it is for you... but at least here, you're free.

I wouldn't say free since we can't go home as we please, but certainly not hated just for what I am, so that's something.

[He smiles a bit sheepishly, able to see how Alphonse finds his lot in Thedas hard to swallow. He shouldn't have brought it up probably.]

Sorry. Right. Clothes.

Oh, it's no trouble. And I'm glad I met you, for what it's worth. [He then cleared his throat.] Right- did you have a certain team in mind?

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Ninth Transmutation [Video]

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