one chore. JOINT WITH HOHENHEIM. VOICE + ACTION.

[bided]

[ action; locked to hohenheim & trisha ]
[ It was a strange transition from where she had been to where she was. ...At least, it probably had been. Upon waking, Trisha hadn’t felt scared or worried, though she’d been confused. There’d only been the smallest instant of adrenaline, when she’d looked around - but no, there. Hohenheim was there, within sight, so she’d just let out a breath of relief and stood up, looking around once again as she headed over towards him. Nothing in sight, except a book - she picked that up, too, from sheer habit of tidying up - and a great many trees.

No, not true. There...she thought she could see buildings in that direction. Had there been buildings in this place, before? She admittedly hadn’t explored the afterlife much, instead choosing to wait, but...Surely she would have noticed that.

Putting aside that minor confusion, Trisha knelt down beside Hohenheim, touching his shoulder. ] Dear? Dear, wake up.

[ action; open to all ]
[ After having sorted out their new location - or at least having sorted out that they were, in fact, in a new location and were considerably more alive than they had been previously - Hohenheim and Trisha can be found wandering around the village together, exploring just as much as they’re walking aimlessly, enjoying the nice weather and the novelty of being in the same place at the same time. Trisha’s a bit more focused on necessary things such as clothing more substantial than a white dress and the white pants Hohenheim is sporting and some sort of place to stay and things to eat, whereas her counterpart might be more interested in things that look fascinating, such as displays of powers or creatures he’s not familiar with..

They don’t seem particularly upset or worried, for all that they’re clearly new. Instead, the Elric parents seem to be more or less okay with the situation, albeit collectively in the dark about what’s going on. Find them anywhere in the village, from the bakery or seventh heaven getting something to eat, to the fountain, where they might take their lunch together, to the clothing shop, where Trisha sorts through choices with single-minded efficiency, locating clothes in their sizes and handing Hohenheim his. Approach either Trisha or Hohenheim or the two of them together, though they probably won’t wander off too far from one another - or at least Trisha will keep Hohenheim in sight. ]

[ voice post; evening ]
[Once they’ve settled into their new house that evening, Hohenheim devotes some time to giving this journal a proper examination while seated at a desk in what will function as his study. It probably takes him longer than it should to figure out how to get the voice function going. But there’s a light excitement in his voice as he calls Trisha in.]

Hey, Trisha! I think I’ve got it working. So this is how people communicate in this world.

[ There’s the sound of footsteps, and Trisha comes to lean over Hohenheim’s shoulder, drying off her hands with a towel. Dropped into a new world where she was alive, Trisha apparently felt the need to clean. Or rather cleaning was a thing that had to be done, and she was practical like that? One of the two. ] Oh? So it’s some sort of...alchemical book?

[ How do you communicate with a book, dear. ]

[Hohenheim answers with a soft chuckle.]

It seems like something beyond even alchemy, Trisha.

[ Then she’s not going to worry about the details. ] In that case...if you’ve got it working, rather than speaking about it, I suppose we should say hello. This is the part where you introduce yourself, dear.

Hm? Oh, I suppose that I should. [He goes on with a bit of sheepishness.] My name is... well, people call me Hohenheim. ...Greetings.

And I’m Trisha Elric. [ There. Now instead of two random voices on the network, they’re two random voices with names! Improvement. ] ...And I think that’ll do it for now. Why don’t we see if you get anyone to communicate with, then? [ She’ll field calls, too, but...at least he’s clearly excited about this book thing. Replies will come from both Hohenheim and Trisha, probably in separate chains but they may or may not threadjack if needed. ]

Comments

[automailed]

[He almost misses them entirely. He's fixated on the book - it's a good passage, and he's a science nerd, deal with it - and he's used to drowning out the people around him when he's certain neither they nor the topic they're discussing involves him in the slightest. Or hell, even if it does, he usually doesn't care.

It's the voices, ultimately. First the woman's, familiar but only distantly, as if from a very old memory that has recently been stirred from his childhood, and has buried itself again to keep him sane over the past year or so. And the second, more familiar because of how much more recent it is- a man he'd been forced to share a house with, first as a request from someone special, and then out of respect for her memory, and then, eventually, because it had become the normalcy of his life, something he had precious little of.

They'd been here, together, with Al too- a family. For a little while, they'd tried to be normal. But it just wasn't meant to be.

So... so it couldn't be like that again. His life just didn't work out that way.

He resists it for a long moment, his pace slowing, but not stopping altogether. Finally he pauses, stops, lowers his book and looks at his parents.

His parents.

The book drops, and he stares.]

[bided]

Dear, I meant that's exactly what you do when you - [ Trisha cut herself off, sighing, though it was with a little laughter, as well. Teasing Hohenheim was a little hit and miss, and this time it had simply been a miss. Besides, he was locked onto the new train of thought, and Trisha glanced back at the boy curiously as Hohenheim spoke, thinking about it. ]

I would say rather a lot taller, if that were the case. [ After all, she remembers a little boy. That's mildly said, though, as she frowns. The resemblance had been what had caught her attention, but it had been more the manner and the hair than an actual belief it might be...

But then he turns to look at them and the book drops. ] Oh!

[ If she looked closely at the boy - the man, really - staring at them, she could almost see a little boy. Trisha glanced sideways at Hohenheim, trying to gauge if she was right or not about whom they'd just stumbled across, though the name came easily enough. ] Edward?

[philosophized]

[And he gives a deep frown. Now that the face is visible, that's most definitely Edward. He shouldn't be here... This isn't right.]

Edward? What's going on, here? Surely... You can't be dead.

[automailed]

[They're here. They're back.

They can't be here.

It takes Edward a long moment to find his voice; he tries to respond, swallows back the muffled noise of shock that tries to escape, and does nothing but stare until the sight before him really sinks in. He'd resigned himself to the idea of his parents being dead. Again. For real. People come and go so often here, staying can be rare, and with his luck-

And yet, here they are. Alive and breathing and talking to him. And he doesn't know how to feel about this.

What's going on? Hell if he knows.]

I... I'm not... what? Dead?

[Not the most helpful or intelligent thing he could have replied with, but considering his current state of mind, he figures he did pretty well.]

[bided]

[ That's confirmation, then. Hohenheim had been the only one to see thee boys grow up - until now, at least. This is a fully grown Edward, at least. Trisha takes a step forward, but nothing further; she probably shouldn't accost someone who looks so confused, just yet.

Besides, she's half-hoping Hohenheim will suddenly have an ah-hah moment and understand everything.

It's far more likely than her suddenly having one, after all. The remark about being dead gets a frown out of her, too, though. ]

Dear...I thought we'd already decided we're not dead any longer. Or did you really cut yourself for no reason at all? I swear. And if we aren't, I don't see how he could be.

[ Considering that last she checked, of the three of them? Edward was the least dead.

...You know what, the hows and whys don't really concern her all that much, and this feels like a headache. Trisha will just put that aside for the moment to look over her son, the frown fading to a half-smile. ]

You really did get taller, Edward. Though I'd be surprised if that weren't the case, all things considered. [ Actually, he might be taller than her.

...That's quite a change form a little kid. ]

[philosophized]

[He rubs at his hand a bit sheepishly.]

You're right. I was considering being alive again does not necessarily mean that we're back in the world of the living.

[Since this clearly doesn't look like home. Still, he shakes it off as he continues to look over Edward. And focuses on the automail.]

Do you have any idea what's happening here, Edward? Your arm... how could you have lost it again?

[automailed]

[Coherency- he needs it. He's not quite sure if he has it yet. At the mention of his arm, Edward's flesh and blood hand lifts out of reflex to grip the metal tightly, trying to regain some semblance of clarity. Leave it to the old man to be observant enough to notice the metal hand, the only visible part of the automail since he usually keeps it hidden from sight. And here he'd just recklessly forgotten his glove...

There's a hundred questions rushing through his head, and he can't decide what the most important one is. How long have they been here? How much do they know? Apparently not much, if Hohenheim thought they might be dead. What do they know of home? For him to think he had his arm back, then- he's from-

Shit, no wonder-

And his mother, she-]

I didn't... lose it again.

[All he can think to do is answer their questions; it's better than freaking out, getting angry or upset or outright regressing to a stupid, snot-nosed little kid crying and clinging to his mom, which is what a very loud part of his brain wants him to do. He'd honestly thought he would never see her again, and now he can't take his eyes off her.

What does she know-

His hand tightens, clenching, nails bending against unyielding metal.]

...I never got it back.

[bided]

You never got it back...?

[ That's incredibly puzzling, all things considered. Hohenheim's vague summary of all that had happened had included those boys getting their bodies back - in a way he'd never have thought of, though what had mattered to Trisha was the part where they had people there for them, and could smile.

Hohenheim wouldn't have lied to her about that. So there's obviously something going on, though she's not sure what.

That's not the important thing, though. When Ed's hand clenches Trisha finally closes the distance to gently take his hand off of his arm. ] Stop that, dear. You'll hurt yourself.

[philosophized]

[Never got it back? He frowns. And he moves as Trisha does but doesn't come as close - just hovering nearby as he overlooks them.]

Yes, please calm down. [Now he's more confused than anxious really.] What exactly is going on?

[automailed]

[Distantly, he hears Hohenheim's question - again - but calming down just isn't an option as soon as Trisha touches him. That touch, the feel of her hand on his, is a catalyst for the shattering of calm he'd barely been able to build up for himself, and without even thinking about it he twists his hand to cling to her instead- not painfully, but still tight, as desperate as his expression has shifted to become. He feels like a little kid again, she always had the ability to make him feel like this, even the last time she was here.

The last time...

Oh god.]

You're... really here.

[His voice is faint, almost tremulous, eyes lowering to their hands. He can touch her, feel her there. She's real. She's back.

How the hell is he supposed to talk about Luceti when she's back from the dead like this?]

[bided]

[ There isn't any need for prompting. Trisha threads her fingers through Ed's, happy enough that he's not attempting to bend metal any longer, though she's examining him with a great deal more concern than she'd originally started out with.

He looked healthy, but...well, she probably shouldn't be too surprised about the reaction, when she stopped to think about it. Regardless of where "here" was, Trisha hadn't expected to see either of her sons for many years. And she hadn't wanted to, if that would have meant their deaths before their time.

The desperate look wasn't something any mother ever wanted to see, and her voice softened a touch, as she squeezed Ed's hand reassuringly. ]

Yes, we are. [ Although he's not exactly referring to Hohenheim right now, is he? ] Though I'm still not sure where that is, I'm glad to get to see you again.

[ Since they're not dead, because if they were she might have to chide about dying early though really she did it first. ]

[philosophized]

[Hohenheim just watches on as the scene unfolds. Family hugs have never seemed to be the place for him. He's reminded of the last time he saw Ed - when he and Al were surrounded by those kindly Curtises. Their new family.

And now, Hoheheim might have no idea what was going on, but Ed and Trisha were together again. Another family successfully united.

He smiles warmly, and just adds on minimally.]

It's good to see you again.

[automailed]

[It takes him a moment, but he finally manages to steel himself, regain some clarity, though it takes a quick swipe of his automail hand over his eyes, just in case. He's not going to cry about this. He never cries, dammit, and his parents are relying on him to explain this place. He has no reason to be upset; this has happened before, so he can accept that it's happened again. He just... has to deal with it. Right.

He can do this.

Straightening his shoulders, he looks at his mother, then Hohenheim, his expression serious.]

Right... okay, you've got questions. This place is called Luceti, and we're definitely not dead. It's not Amestris, though. We're not even on our own world anymore.

[bided]

[ That was her son, all right. Though Trisha wanted to tell him that it was all right to cry sometimes, she doubted it would go over well in front of his father - and really, they did have questions that could do with answers.

The first answer, however, made her blink. Not even in their own world...? But -

But she'd never thought of life after death in the way it had played out, even at home. And there had always been a great deal she hadn't understood about the workings of their world (because what use did she have for alchemy, really, when she just needed to garden and clean and keep the boys in line?), so adding a little bit more to that, and expanding it to "another world" - that surely wasn't too much of a stretch. ]

I'm glad we're not dead, but...how is that possible? [ That's possibly the most unbelievable part about all of this. ]

[philosophized]

[He assumed his own serious glance towards Edward as he considered what he was saying. It wasn't like anything he had heard of - even more impossible sounding than the Gate.]

Another world? How could this be?

[automailed]

I don't know how- it's not like we did anything to make it happen. Everybody here just gets... pulled, I guess. We're still struggling for answers ourselves.

[He crosses his arms, glancing aside. It's kind of hard to focus on explaining all they need to cover when his dead parents are right in front of him like this. Hopefully with a bit of visual distance between them, he can relax enough to sort it out.]

It's called Luceti. There's people here from a bunch of different worlds, not just ours. Places we've never even heard of. And everybody gets wings when they show up here.

[Have they noticed those yet? Because... yeah. Weirdness.]

[bided]

Ah...we noticed those, at least.

[ Of course, they were sort of impossible to ignore, but... ]

...Why do people get wings here?

[ She has no idea why this should be a thing. ]

[philosophized]

[He has - and given what he knows about chimeras, it's been disturbing Hohneheim more than he lets on. But he listens carefully to Edward's explanation. People from different worlds.]

That's right... You have your own wings as well. [He says as if just noticing. But he nods along with Trisha's question.] Have our biologies been altered? [For Hohenheim, this is the tactful way of asking if they've been made into chimeras. He is skeptical at least - given their bodies seem to be the same aside from the wings.]

[automailed]

[Well, he's grateful for that. The freaking-out part is natural, but that doesn't mean it isn't distracting from the real problem- namely the experiments, kidnapping, alternate-world stuff...]

I don't know about that, but it's likely. The wings are tied to your life now, same as everyone else's. Hurting them hurts you and makes you sick, and... anyone who loses their wings dies instantly.

[Although there is that pesky alive-in-a-week thing to deal with, too.]

[bided]

[ ...Okay, avoid hurting the wings or losing them. Trisha looks over Hohenheim at this part, apparently concerned. He's not going to try to do anything to his wings, is he...? ]

So that's how it is...in that case, you'd better leave them alone, dear.

[ Please. ]

[philosophized]

[He puts a reassuring hand on Trisha's shoulder, and...]

But, Trisha... What if I can figure out a way to safely remove mine? Perhaps, if I apply myself to some kind of solution...

[automailed]

Hey, if you want to get yourself killed with some stupid experiments, be my guest, but don't try and drag Mom down with you!

[Yeah, so some things still aren't forgiven.]

[bided]

[ That awkward moment when...

Trisha looks over at Hohenheim, frowning. ]

Dear, I would really prefer it if you didn't. You're not immortal, you know.

[ Try to remember that! ]

[philosophized]

It was just a thought... [He mutters, kind of ashamed by all the objections.] I certainly wouldn't try something of that sort on you, Trisha. I'll certainly try to gain a better understanding of the solution before making any decisions like that. Is that alright, Edward?

[automailed]

...Tch. [He's not happy about that answer, but as long as he's not going to get Trisha hurt...] Do whatever you want.

[More importantly, though-]

You'll need a place to live, and you should stock up on food and stuff. There's no way to know how long anyone ends up staying here, so it's better to be prepared.