it’s a terrible day for 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛. 

                                it’s heavy saturation threatens to 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒍,     he 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠 it. 

         the air’s perfumed with the earthy 𝐰𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡 of 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑡,     freshly turned over.   and,    the saccharine sweetness of lilies.     𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒚.     they mean sympathy.      as if that makes a 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑛𝑒𝑑 lick of difference.  

         his 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎,     his best 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑,     his 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.    this is what’s left.     some 𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 slab of rock.                                                                       what sort of equivalent exchange it this ?

     𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬.         𝘩𝑢𝑔𝘩𝑒𝑠 ,      etched in stone as if it were even plausible to 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑔𝑒𝓉.      major,       𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍,      hughes.      promoted in death.     two whole ranks.     it’s almost 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔,     in a shallow,      gallow-ed form.           he was supposed to be supporting him.      he can’t do that now he’s higher than him now.     𝓯𝓸𝓸𝓵.                        this wasn’t part of their 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛.       damn him.                         that damned 𝒻𝑜𝑜𝓁.

        weary are the eyes that greet the lieutenant.      coming to a side,      as 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔.        a presence even now he appreciates beyond words.

       (         water,   carbon,   ammonia,   lime,   phosphorus,   salt,   saltpeter,   sulfur,  fluorine,   iron,   silicon.        )          in theory,    that’s all he need’s. 

       what more would it take.        he’s seen the 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒍,       he wonders what of 𝘩𝑖𝑚 would it take in penance ?

     ❝     alchemists as a whole.    we really are 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 creatures,   𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛'𝑡 𝑤𝑒 ?     there’s a side of me desperately trying to crack the theories of human transmutation,   right now.    i think i 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 those two boys.   when they tried to --- bring 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 their mother.    ❞

     he thinks of the fragile, broken forms left in the place of two ordinary boy’s.     still he considers it.

 ❝    thinking like that.    knowing the 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠.     does that make me a 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 ?   ❞

                 ❝ LIEUTENANT , WHAT ARE YOU doing here -- ? ❞ he couldn’t help his loud , immediate reaction upon meeting her gaze as he turned the corner . couldn’t he leave the hotel to find somewhere else to eat in peace ? not to mention , he’d had a plan to try luring out the homonculi - don’t tell me someone found out &&. told her to keep an eye on me , damnit -- !

      PERHAPS,       it’s 𝑛𝑎𝑖𝑣𝑒.     𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡 even,    to cling to coat tails of a 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇.              something left over ;  traces of a youth escaped the hands of time,     like the soft roundness of cheeks,   or,              a voice that 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 quakes on its sentences.        left by the ebbing tides of near adulthood,       exchanging one for the other. 

      the madame always schooled him for being such an idealist.     too 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚞𝚕𝚐𝚎𝚍 she said.    blamed sisters for babying too much.    damning him a 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒍.     even so,     why not 𝒕𝒓𝒚 ?        why wave a white flag before the battle had even begun ?       how 𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 can it be,       to wish for something 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 ?         to hold a candle of 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 against prevailing winds ?      if it 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚝 hands,     then,      𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 ?        then at least someone might find light in it’s flickering. 

                 a country,     she 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒔.      jigsawed pieces scattered so far.      ravaged by the war’s,                                   its people left 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏.      left to fester among the rubble.      who would he be to turn a 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 to them ?                                              when he could offer a 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅 instead ? 

      ❝      it is.     i studied 𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐲 so i could 𝘩𝑒𝑙𝑝 people.     so,      these hands could help strengthen the foundations of this country,      and 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 its 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒.     ❞

‘     for the people.     ’     beautifully 𝒊𝒅𝒚𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒄.     to be a true alchemist.     to use a gift for good. 

      ❝       i’ve learnt all i can 𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒.     master hawkeye still hasn’t taught me his secrets.            and,    now.      i doubt he ever will.     this feels like my only chance.     𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓.      to even just 𝑡𝑟𝑦 to achieve those 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶’𝓼 ;      to do something to help people.      this country is always at war.      being torn to 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 constantly.      i want the chance to help 𝑠𝑜𝑤 some of it back together.      ❞

             features colour.      rose tones flood over apples of cheek’s.        fingers toy at a neck.                             he must sound so 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒑𝒊𝒅.