sexyspace | TEST DRIVE MEME #9 (FOURTH WALL EDITION)

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!test drive

TEST DRIVE MEME #9 (FOURTH WALL EDITION)

Introduction

The same siren that had sounded a couple weeks prior to signify the arrival of the portals that ripped through the island fills the air again. While Zenith had seemed to have taken care of these strange space-time anomalies, it appears that they didn't quite contain them all.

"Hello again, volunteers," R.Y.U.O. addresses the public again, thoroughly unimpressed. "It seems we have a second breach to be concerned about. Just as before: mind the edges and you should be fine." He doesn't say much more than that but anyone looking out the nearest window will see what he's referring to.

No matter where volunteers are, the giant triangular portal (approximately 1.75 miles tall and 1 mile wide) that suddenly splits reality off in the jungle faces them. No matter where they walk or what other angles they try to see it from, it faces them. That's only slightly unnerving.

It doesn't take long before the multiversal visitors start to pour through. While current volunteers can't leave, it seems that other people are able to come in through this portal that has converged from multiple access points in the multiverse on this tiny island. Say hello, volunteers, there are quite a few new unexpected faces to greet!

WELCOME TO ZHAUTAS

Professor Quintalian - who the newly displaced might have been informed already is the head of the volunteer program here on Zhautas - is quick to turn this potential PR nightmare into a daydream. People may be spilling through the portal and bringing forth any number of issues without the proper clearance but that's not their fault.

And it isn't Zenith's either, they're quick to say. It's actually because of a deranged space pirate named Hoshiko - here, have a picture for reference! - and you can blame her for your displacement in the multiverse. Please do. Of course, if anyone questions how one person is causing all this trouble Zenith representatives will be quick to say they need to go back to whatever task they had at hand and drop the topic.

Basically, it's not your fault and it's not their fault but you're still here now. So, why not be made to feel at home during your temporary stay? The professor is of the mind that showing these newcomers some good old-fashioned Zenith Corporation hospitality would be more beneficial in the long-term than trying to turn them all away immediately. You can't buy publicity like this! He wouldn't be in charge if he didn't know how to turn things to his corporation's advantage.

TEMPORARY LODGING

It's for this reason that the professor makes the call for the west wing, usually utilized primarily for research, to be turned into temporary lodging for their company. While the makeshift cots laid out aren't as private as the pods of the east wing or bungalows out on the beach, that's alright! It's still a nice, comfortable place to sleep until they figure the best way to get you back home.

They even got everyone who shows up a complementary gift basket. It's filled with cliche "aphrodisiac" foods such as chocolate, strawberries, but thankfully no oysters. They do have those if you're interested, of course, but you'd have to go to the food court for that request. The basket also contains lube (of random, assorted flavors and added effects!) as well as a cheap, plastic bullet vibrator that has the Zenith logo printed on it.

Unfortunately, due to the quality, it's a little finicky. Once you turn it on, you might not be able to turn it off. Don't worry! There's plenty of people around to help. Plenty of people to witness you fumbling with this bouncing, buzzing object and certainly plenty of embarrassment to be had by all. What a good bonding opportunity!

SEXATORIUM

Whatever research that was going on before people started arriving has been suspended for now. One wouldn't know though from how quickly the changed everything around from perhaps what veteran volunteers are used to. One minute there's regular, mundane scribbling onto clipboards and contemplative hums and nods. The next, there's sex on display in no shortage of ways.

The lab spaces have instead been converted to serve a different purpose. The lights are dimmed and tinted a hopefully soothing blue, music plays lightly, and there's the strong scent of sweat and salt permeating the place. The west wing has, for now, been converted into a sexatorium to showcase Zenith's finest attempts at curing this disease and enticing fresh faces to join their cause.

Volunteers and newcomers alike are welcome to peruse this section of the facility until everything gets sorted. Whether it be to watch or demonstrate themselves, Zenith staff is encouraging everyone to take part. They might be a little overly encouraging, honestly. It probably isn't surprising they're under quite a bit of pressure these days from HQ. Show all the multiversal visitors a good time the Zenith way, volunteers!

The glass walls of the research sector have become an exhibitionists' dream. Or perhaps a voyeur's, depending on perspective! Maybe you're taking time to walk through or scurrying to the other side and averting your eyes. If anyone was looking for the head of the program, they can find him here. Of course they can. If you're not into tentacles, that's your loss (according to him), but he's more than happy to talk about the program as well!

They also have plenty of other "experiments" that they'll be running that anyone is free to participate in. They are, but not limited to:

Sex Toy Demonstrations - Ever wondered what state of the art sexual technology is like? Check it out for yourself! If you want it, they likely have it. Not to worry if you don't exactly want to have everything on display, there are rooms that are more private with a black-out option on the glass. It can be toggled on and off or opacity may be changed and filters applied for those who might want the thrill of potentially being seen but not entirely.

Natural Aphrodisiacs - Stepping into one of these rooms will be like taking a step outside. They're full to the brim with plants both familiar and alien as a taste of the larger gardens that Zenith touts. Of note are the coitendrils; they're a pretty touchy-feely species! It's a plant that thrives in warm conditions and grows at an incredibly fast rate to seek out these cozy spots. As it turns out, your body warmth is the highest temperature around and exactly what it's looking for.
Strip Trivia - How much do you know about sex? Maybe less than you think! Especially when you start throwing xenobiology into the mix. These rooms are staged like a game show (that outsiders can also view, if you so choose!) and with each wrong answer, you'll find yourself losing a piece of clothing. It could be as minor as a sock, your bracelet, or something as obvious as your entire shirt. Don't worry, your clothes are held in a containment unit just outside the room and it's all in good fun!
Cultural Exchange - It's no secret that many of the cultures and species on Zhautas are sex-positive. Most recently, volunteers visited the country of Nevrione whose specialty is leather BDSM gear with amazing hand craftsmanship. While there don't appear to be any natives to that country (which people are free to find suspicious) there is a sampling of what they have to offer for use. Also, just look at those cute feathers decorating some of the gear... What a nice touch!

AROUND THE FACILITY

The Gym
There is now a large gym after frequent volunteer requests for one. They've dedicated a lot more room recently to get a good work-out in. One of the best ways to relieve stress is exercise! Not that volunteers have any particular reason to be stressed. Everything is perfectly fine. It has a plethora of machines now rather than just a handful. In fact, it even features a rock wall, pool, and track now to suit almost every need imaginable.

A couple of the machines have an emphasis on vibrations. Not to worry, however, as there are plenty more options available that they're easily avoidable.

If the gym pool isn't your speed, you're always welcome to go for a nice swim out at the beach. The local mermaids have since returned back to their home waters, so there's no immediate threat to your well-being. At least, not anything obvious. Let them know if you find anything!
The Holo-Deck
The holo-deck is now up and fully operational. It's the size of a small gymnasium and quite sturdy! Don't worry if you do break anything, they'll fix it in a jiffy! They like to see the limits of their technology tested, after all.

The holo-deck can simulate basically anything your mind can come up with... if you have an implant. So, better make friends with someone who does if you want to experience this feature! Its main function is a relaxation mode that projects soothing landscapes and scenery. They look, smell, and sound so real you almost wouldn't believe that you aren't hiking through the mountains. And despite its limited size, the holo-deck does manipulate perception to make the space seem a lot larger than it really is.

Additionally, it has a combat mode to help keep the senses sharp of volunteers who might be more battle-inclined. They don't want you to lose your edge, after all, and especially not with Hoshiko still at large with no idea when she'll strike next. It's better to be prepared and it also gives the more restless volunteers a good way to work out all that excess energy.
Arcade
Attached to the holo-deck, there's another large room. This one is dimly lit and comes with the archaic colors and sounds that belong to a retro arcade. While the holo-deck can simulate games, there's nothing quite like the feeling of pinball beneath your fingers. Or maybe you just want to whack some moles in order to vent your frustration.

While you can win tickets here, they can't be exchanged for anything but minor trinkets. Most of the prizes to be gathered are sexual in nature (because of course, they are) like boxes of condoms or fancy flavored lubes. There's also the standard plush toys and inflatable contraptions.
Food Court & Vending Machines
This is a pristine, updated section of the facility that serves only the finest of meals thanks to the new cyborg chef in charge. He's a friendly older guy who uses his mechanical enhancements to make food faster than you can blink and, of course, it tastes incredible to boot.

Additionally, the vending area has been expanded and the machines have been fixed to no longer shoot out drinks at supersonic speeds. Of course, they still can if you so wish. Some people seemed to have fun making a game out of it so the feature is an option but only if someone selects it from the menu.

The Beach
The bungalows for more permanent residents of Zhautas are lined up along the island's south shore. It's only a short walk from the main facility, no more than five or ten minutes. If you'd rather stay out here instead of using the temporary lodging, that's also an option! They have tents available for use. Don't mind the way you may feel -- no, will feel more inclined to snuggle up - or more - with someone. That's just a standard 'light aphro' feature added to help prompt new volunteers to ease into the atmosphere of the facility.

At night, the beach lights up in beautiful blue luminescence where sand meets sea. Unfamiliar stars and constellations dot the sky as far as the eye can see. It's really rather peaceful. Well, it is if you ignore the giant foreboding portal off in the distance.

The Lounge
This is a begrudingly new addition to the main Zenith research facility, volunteers may have noticed supplies being gathered over the last week or heard whispers of the activity before the building popped up seemingly overnight near the outskirts of the jungle. While approved by the head of the program, it certainly doesn't look like anything that Zenith had a hand in constructing. (They didn't.) It sticks out from the sleek, smooth chrome surfaces by seemingly pulling together more natural elements reminiscent of the buildings in Nevrione, built from mostly wood with a stone foundation. The furniture inside is also crafted from wood, leather, and so on to create a... unique atmosphere full of tables, benches, a bar and stools. In fact, some of the decor seems to be decorated and reinforced with dragon scales.

While alcohol is served here, that's only if someone brings something that can be converted into alcohol via alchemy by resident volunteer Edward Elric. The lounge is advertised as being a place to hang out and get a break from the more modern and high tech setting that the facility has to offer, it is requested that sex does not happen within these walls.

While it touts a calm, unassuming front, with entertainment available such as darts, a pool table, card games and other typical bar games, it's quickly becoming an escape from Zenith's prying eyes and ever alert ears. This might be the place to go if you want to speak a little more freely about your suspicions regarding Zenith.

For volunteers that offer to help with construction or around the lounge once it's built - keeping order among others, cleaning, gathering supplies or various other tasks around the building - drinks will be free (unless another agreement is arranged) as means of payment for their time.

(For any questions about the lounge, please contact Remedy. Thanks for this idea goes to Amy, as it was Garrett's brainchild.)

THE UNDERBELLY

For as much as Zenith is pulling out all the stops, there's no denying that there is a faint sense of unrest teeming beneath the surface. While some veteran volunteers are friendly, there is still an undeniable undercurrent of dissatisfaction that Zenith can't quite completely overshadow. For all the fanfare and attentiveness of the staff, it probably won't be long before you run into at least a few people who aren't exactly shy about their dislike of the corporation.

Things that one might overhear and want to investigate are as follows:

Out in the jungle at night, you might have noticed- No, not the portal, everyone's noticed that. There are red eyes that light up the jungle at night. While they aren't exactly menacing, they are extremely unnerving. Ask anyone and they'll tell you those are demons and they're a product of Professor Quintalian's "personal research" apparently approved by Zenith. While they aren't actively aggressive, trying to infringe on their territory is ill-advised.

Being demon-touched is a terrible thing to experience. They're formless, tarry parasitic creatures that try to consume someone. There's even apparently a chance that you might turn into one. Being demon-touched comes with a host of negative side effects such as visual and auditory hallucinations, a desire to be "complete," fever, and more. And unfortunately for you, the process to expel any demon essence from the body is just as terrible.

Unfortunately, demons aren't the only concern you'll have if you traverse the jungle. This tiny island hosts a range of creatures both docile and deadly. It also seems like with the portal opening, even more are making their way and finding a space here at the Zenith Research Facility.
Despite initially volunteering, people's requests to leave are met with vague excuses as to why it isn't possible immediately. But then the professor will turn around and say Zenith sent someone home overnight without a word to anyone. While this appears to be highly suspicious, none of the staff seem to want to expound upon how Zenith operates with regards to terminating volunteer participation and, of course, Quintalian is nowhere to be found for any real serious discussion. Call him though! He'll be glad to talk to you over dinner and a nice bottle of wine.

Maybe talk to a resident volunteer about this since it should be worrying to someone who might want to sign-up.

Despite the way that the helperbot R.O.S.I.E. is described to watch the facility at all times, she's known to get distracted or glitch out from time to time. And with her trying to entertain all these new guests where she can as well as Zenith re-routing efforts to the sexatorium, there's a distinct lack of physical security present. Huh.

Recently, there's been a lot of thumping and bumping up in the ventilation shafts throughout the main facility. If you're foolhardy enough to find the cause, you'll actually be met with one of the resident defensive AIs that goes by the name R.Y.U.O. He's glad you're here, actually. Things were starting to get boring. If you wander too far through the vents into a restricted area (since the barriers in place won't stop those without an implant!), he'll be quick to throw something else to deter your exploration.

This might electric shocks, extreme heat, of even the classic of a swarm of spiders. It's nothing personal, of course, he just has a job to make sure people trying to snoop don't get too far.

EXTRA NOTES

Welcome to the Zhautas fourth wall event! We've added some extra links down below that might be helpful for newcomers.
As a reminder, the timeline is:

Fourth wall begins on Fromb 24th (March 24th).
The portal will close and the event will end on Fromb 39th (April 8th).
The arrival ship will land as scheduled on Fromb 40th (April 9th).
The intro log including this and theft of the arrival ship will be on Fromb 41st (April 10th).
The next OOC Event Announcement for April's event will be on April 15th.

In the case of an unfortunate run-in with R.Y.U.O.'s defense of the air vents, established volunteers, let us know here!
If you have any extra questions about anything in the game, please direct them to the FAQ!
If you have in character questions, those can be directed to R.O.S.I.E. here!

NAVIGATION ♦ FAQ ♦ TAKEN ♦ RESERVES ♦ APPLICATIONS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Having started his search for his counterpart right after his encounter with the homunculus, it wasn't long before he overheard people talk about an Edward at the lounge. Knowing that is was all too likely for Sloth to have heard the same information, he quickly made his way there.

Thankfully, the milotic was also there, and given it's size, all Ed had to do to find it was turn his head in the right direction after he came in through the front door. The young man had his back turned to him, but the long braid trailing down his back was unmistakable. He approached.

"Hey." He raised a brow. Was he...tending the bar? How fast did he acclimate to new worlds?! Whatever. There were more important things to discuss. "I'm glad I found you. I ran into someone you should know about."

Because this was clearly the same Edward he was roommates with in Riverview. Right?

The familiar voice was enough to stop him in his tracks, stilling completely before turning to face the teen. It wasn't as if he didn't know about duplicates, facetwins, multiverse theory and all that. He'd met more versions of Al than he could count, Envy, Greed, Teacher, Lust... One thing he'd yet to have to deal with is a mirror of himself. A much younger one, at that which meant this was probably going to go even worse than it did with Al.

Except the kid doesn't seem all that disturbed by the whole thing, it was like he was familiar with another Ed. Or this was some kind of a joke, really it could go either way at this point and he wouldn't be any less surprised. When the adult looked at him, quirking a brow curiously he abandoned his work to give his full attention, he leaned against the bar.

The most notable difference between this version of Edward and the one he knew back in Riverview was likely how tired and stressed he looked. He had more muscle mass to him but that probably wasn't the most obvious distinction. That version was quiet and depressed, sure but this one carried the expression of someone that had seen hell, not lived a cushy life in a mansion with a job he enjoyed doing and a bunch of pets. He had an intimate relationship with insomnia and near-death experiences, among other things in this place.

"Yeah, who's that?"

He'll just not acknowledge this, that will be far easier to deal with, after all, it wasn't entirely impossible he was just hallucinating again. Thanks Quin.

Edward didn't notice the difference in build at all, but he did notice the extra worn look on his face. It was enough to make him hesitate, but he shrugged it off for now.

Ed dropped his voice a bit. "I didn't get her name, but she was homunculus. She looked just like mom and she was looking for you." He paid close attention to the adult's reaction to this. If she was from his world, he had a few questions to ask.

He wouldn't have to pay too close attention to see the way Ed tensed at those words, teeth clenching and eyes widening before the obvious fear vanished as if it had never been there in the first place. There was an almost cold indifference to his expression as he looked away, seeming to consider that in silence for a moment.

"Sloth..."

The temptation to just outright ask if he was imagining this was overwhelming, but hallucinations don't generally give easy answers. It wasn't as if they were all that common around here, just that after the first time Ed had learned to be ready for anything. That didn't make him even remotely prepared for this. He watched the kid curiously as he spoke, taking in every reaction just as the younger Ed was doing, himself.

"If you don't know who she is you must be from a different universe." That was easy enough to parse, the same universe as Greed, the General and Teacher, maybe? Probably. He recognized that she was a homunculus though. It was easy enough to assume that the teen knew to expect him solely because Sloth had cleared up the existence of the two worlds before he happened to bump into the adult on his own. Ed imagined this conversation would have gone completely different if he hadn't met Sloth first.

That reaction was just about what he expected from the adult now, though Edward still found his ability to rein in those emotions and mask them so quickly to be jarring.

He was expecting some kind of vague non-explanation, but instead got a repeat of what he and the older Ed had already figured out in Riverview. "Yeah, we already know that." He took a closer look at who he was looking at. There was something different about him, and it definitely wasn't just the exhaustion in his eyes. "Did you..." He pointed behind him towards the front door. He was going to ask if he had come through that portal, but remembering the portal in Riverview, that probably wasn't the right question, so he changed it mid-sentence. "How long have you been here?"

Edited 2019-03-26 05:54 (UTC)

When the teen says they already know that, golden eyes narrow in consideration. Something was going on and he couldn't quite piece it together. When the younger indicated the door, Ed glanced over but then he was changing his train of thought mid-sentence. It was weird for him to be the one confused by some weird timeline business, but he was really going to need the kid to start explaining if he was going to follow along at all.

At the question Ed paused, glancing away again as he counted off the time in his head. "Hard to say, the dating system's pretty different here. A few months at least, three months on this island seems to be about the same as six back home... A bit longer than that by now, why?"

He didn't understand what this had to do with the conversation, weren't they talking about Sloth? Whatever, for now, he'd just try to keep up.

"God damn it!" He kicked a bar stool and sent it toppling over. The sudden outburst was bound to have grabbed the attention of anyone nearby, but Ed didn't really care about that.

It wasn't him. Or rather it was and wasn't at the same time. He was from the same universe as Sloth, but either had never been to Riverview or had been taken from Riverview before Edward had arrived there if he hadn't met him.

Edward dragged his hands down his face and groaned. He didn't want to play the 'what the fuck is even going on' game again. "Ok," he started after a deep breath to try to compose himself. "So, I just came from that giant portal in the sky, but I didn't come straight from Amestris. I was in this place called Riverview that was kind of like this place in that it seemed to pull people into it from a bunch of different worlds or whatever. The first person I ran into there was you, or maybe it wasn't you, but he and I weren't from the same Amestris." He paused, giving the adult a chance to let him know if he was following any of this madness.

Edited (typos) 2019-03-26 06:37 (UTC)

"Hey!" What the fuck. If the teen was just here to hang out, Ed would have kicked him out immediately after that. The last thing he needed was a chain reaction of people getting aggressive because one bar stool got kicked. He wasn't though, and the older of the two wanted whatever information he had, so he let it slide this time. The milotic was already watching the teen curiously, though, even if she didn't move.

When the kid started to explain it didn't take long for him to recognize what was going on. He'd been on the other end of this conversation enough times over the last several years to see it coming. The younger Ed was so casual about all of this because he was used to there being two of them already, he'd done this before. That made things worlds easier - or would have, except that it was clearly his turn to be recognized by someone without the memory of ever knowing them. That was not a comfortable feeling.

"I left the Quarantine in November." The delivery of those words was pretty deadpan, it might seem like he was going to argue this was all impossible. "My best friend showed up here and he said I was there until June. More than six months later... Which means there are different timelines, even in the same universe." Infinite timelines. "If you met another version of me, you must be from one of those timelines. So what you're saying is, you know me but I don't know you."

Yeah, he's following.

Of course there could be multiple timelines from the same universe! Otherwise, all of this would be too fucking easy!

It was Ed's turn with the deadpanned expression and voice. "Yeah." Good to know they were both on the same page despite how utterly ridiculous this all was. If he wasn't so fed up with everything, he'd probably be able to appreciate the patience his counterpart had in regards to it all.

"I've only been in the Quarantine for a little while before I wound up here." His expression turned sour again. He really was disgusted by his arrival, but as uncomfortable as he was about the whole thing, the situation with Sloth was the bigger priority. "You explained a bit about what had happened in your universe, but we just kind of glossed over the homunculi." He didn't blame either version of the adult for that, considering. He glanced around. Maybe out in the open wasn't the best place to discuss this.

Years of practice did that to a guy, but it was less patience and more a mix of knowing how all this worked so being unable to find any surprise in it and actual shock that it was happening to him from this angle, for a change. Luckily, the kid didn't seem to piece together that the older Ed wasn't here by accident or at the very least, he wasn't bringing it up. That was an awkward conversation he definitely didn't want to have.

Of course, he glossed over the homunculi, he wouldn't want to talk about that. "From my understanding homunculi from my world and your world are so different it probably didn't seem worth getting into detail about." It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to hide that reality from the teenager, of course not, what do you mean he made a monster with the face of their mother? Just kick that under the rug where it belongs, to hopefully never bring up later.

He noticed the way that the teen glanced around, and although this was the safest place on the island right now in public there was another option. It would require leaving the lounge unattended though, which Ed was hesitant to do.

Edward just came to you after seeing Sloth, and you're going to try to pull that excuse on him? Really? He didn't blame the Ed in Riverview for not bringing this up, and he wouldn't have blame the one he was talking to either. He was going to blame him for what he saw as a terrible attempt to brush the issue under the rug after Edward had learned about this homnuculus from the homunculus herself.

"So you're telling me you're not going to explain why Sloth looked just like mom." It wasn't a question. He was just stating how he expected this whole conversation to go. If the older Ed was fine with talking about this right here, that was fine by the teenager. He crossed his arms and gave the adult an annoyed frown. He wasn't about to let this drop.

Yup, that's totally how this is going to go down. Thanks for playing, kid.

At the question though, his eyebrows rose in apparent disbelief. Okay, sure, pull that. He could recognize the stubborn from a mile away, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see it from another version of himself, obviously.

The thing that surprised him wasn't that, "You mean you managed to get away from Sloth without her telling you?" He just assumed the kid knew, really, it was kind of her opening act to play that manipulation angle to its fullest.

"She told me a bit." Was it the fact that these details played out so differently for them, or the sheer horror of it that made Ed not want to believe what he heard? "She mentioned you leaving her to fend for herself, but there are some things that didn't add up to me, so I don't know how much of it was true."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Before I convinced her that I wasn't the guy she was looking for, she was just taunting me." The amount of effort she had put into trying to fuck with him was very troubling. "I tried to ask what the deal was between you two but she wouldn't say anything." He wasn't expecting the adult to open up about it, but he felt like throwing that out there anyway, just in case.

His face said it all by this point. This was so fucked up.

"We thought she was dead." This did make him wonder what the kid's results were, all things considered, but he couldn't argue how fucked up it was, even if he wanted to. His next response was quieter, "I don't know how your attempt went, but I'm pretty sure Al was more focused on not letting me bleed to death after everything."

The taunting was familiar, that checked out. "Yeah, she tried to use that against us too." He glanced away, trying to push some of those memories aside and focus on the here and now. "Pretending to be her, when she's not."

When the teen mentioned 'what the deal was' between them Ed tensed, but didn't comment. The deal was that she wanted him dead, and the kid had made that connection on his own, he couldn't imagine there was much more about it to explain.

"Al and I kind of put the transmutation on the back-burner after the rebound too." He absentmindedly grabbed the wrist of his automail with his left hand and rubbed it. "The thing I don't get is how the thing you made even stayed alive. The one Al and I ended up with didn't live for more than a few minutes, I think." He wasn't going to mention how Al's soul had apparently ended up in it during that time. That wasn't the focus of this conversation. "After Granny took care of us, she went back to the house to bury it. What happened to yours?"

Edward was glad to get some kind of discomfort out of the adult over Sloth. Sure, he was trying to mask it, but the way he turned away was enough to let some of it show. He should be upset by it. The teenager definitely was and the discomfort has been plastered on his face this whole time.

"I don't get why she hates you so much." The pity was starting to show through in his eyes. "You and Al might have left her in the house, but if you hadn't left you would have just bled to death." A beat. "In my world, the homunculi seem to have a lot of respect for whoever made them. Envy even called him 'Father.' It just doesn't make sense to me that she'd hate the people who gave her life."

That made sense, they were children and not dying was going to be a priority, regardless. "I'm not clear on the details but someone took her in and fed her the red stones needed to survive. Look, I don't know how much you guys covered and I'm sure you don't want to hear about this all over again. Greed told me about homunculi in your world being created by this Father guy, he said he's the one that killed him." Rather than Ed, considering that's the direction that conversation had been going in. "Since homunculi aren't created from a human transmutation where you're from, I don't know what you created or if it even had a chance of surviving in the first place. She shouldn't have survived, it was just... a pile of organs."

That part was delivered with a bit of a wince, but there was only one way to talk about this and it was to brace himself and force through it if he wanted to get anything out at all. "Granny never said anything about looking into it, so I don't know if she did or not."

His expression steeled at the rest of what the teen said, pity was not something he took to very well, but this Ed was obviously more open about his emotions. Something that was just as weird to witness for the adult as the reverse had been for the teen. The idea of respecting or caring about the ones that gave them life was clearly a baffling concept to him, Envy had hated his father, Sloth hated the Elrics, Wrath hated Izumi. It all made sense to him from that context. "That's why."

Edward was certain he'd never forget those words as much as he didn't want to think about it. "She said she should always hate us for creating her, that's why she wanted us dead."

Edward's face twisted in confusion once again. "Greed? I thought Bradley had killed him." Maybe he was mistaken. He never actually saw the fight go down and the whole situation with the Devil's Nest had been pretty suspicious.

The teenager winced with the adult at the description. Yeah, that was pretty much how their attempt had ended up. There was still some guilt there about creating something that only experienced what had to be excruciating pain, but at least for the teenager, there was some comfort in that it hadn't felt it for long. He didn't want to think about what could have happened if it had ended up surviving like Sloth did.

Edward was surprised with how much the adult was talking about this. It had been a chore to get an answer out of him in Riverview, and when he did, he just about always regretted it. He didn't like what he was hearing here either, but they weren't having this conversation to enjoy themselves. He was just glad he could get a straight-forward answer without feeling like he was causing the man more trauma.

It was clear that he still didn't get it, but he wasn't expecting the older Ed to know the inner workings of Sloth, so he left it at that. "So, what do you think we should do about her? It wasn't hard for me to find you."

"Not according to any version I knew. They all said some guy called 'Father' which didn't make any sense to me without context." Not the point, though.

In the Quarantine, Ed learned hard and fast that you suppress that shit because no one else wanted to deal with it. Pretending everything was fine was hardly his strong suit so it wound up causing him to shut down on a much greater scale, even without losing all of his friends and not knowing what had happened with his brother.

Zhautas gave him a purpose, a reason to be more open to communication and although he had no idea why things were tense with Al, he knew that they were. He had memories of the actual tension, which the version of him that the teen knew lacked completely.

Besides, there was so much going on in this hell very little had the power to shake him like that anymore. He wasn't going to pretend nothing bad was happening, he'd learned from experience that things were not what they seemed here and ignoring it wasn't going to help anyone survive this place, being alert and suspicious was.

His gaze snapped up at the question, seemingly oblivious to the crowd in the building when he retorted a little louder than absolutely necessary. "What the hell do you mean we? She isn't after you, this isn't your problem, kid."

Well, that little tidbit of information would give Ed something to think about later. So, Greed wasn't dead then. He had just found out through Ling that the Fuhrer was a homunculus, so maybe he had him captured and covered it up by saying he was dead for some reason. There was still a lot he didn't know about them and their plans.

"I don't care if it's my problem or not! I'm not about to sit around and let her kill you!" The two Eds really should have seen these reactions coming. Ed wanting to keep people out of his problems to keep them from harm? Check. Shouldering guilt in a situation he had no control over and insisting he do something to fix it? Double check.

"You don't have to, I'll take care of it." He knew how to defeat her now, there wasn't going to be any guesswork involved, he just needed to work out a way to keep her still long enough to get that close again.

He had no idea when she was from though, she was clearly still alive if she showed up here, but that wasn't much help. Without the remains to paralyze her, this would be tricky and there was no way to tell if she'd come from after he'd lured her into that transmutation circle or not.

You were going to have try harder than that to shake off Edward Elric. "I'm helping, damnit!"

Which meant that the teenager was going to have try harder to shake off this Edward Elric.

"I never encountered a homunculus from your world before, but I've fought them in mine and they're not something one person can really stand up against!" Both Gluttony and Envy had proven that to him, and he hadn't been there to see what had happened with Lust. There was also the whole thing where Sloth had turned her body to water, and while the adult knew how to handle that, the teenager didn't know he did.

At that argument Ed fixed the kid with the most 'you have no idea what you're even talking about' look he could possibly muster.

"Yeah? I've handled her before." Like it was no big deal, this was child's play, really. He killed Sloth with both Wrath and his own brother trying to stop him. He had no real idea how different they were, but this Ed hadn't killed Greed, which meant their histories diverged before that. It was possible he'd never killed anyone before, and he wasn't about to be the one to get him involved in that business.

The look he got coupled with the confident declaration of having dealt with Sloth before was a lot better at convincing Ed than his last argument had been. It still wasn't quite enough though. Ed was still determined not to leave the adult to deal with this alone.

"How'd you deal with the whole water thing?" There wasn't a single hint of skepticism in his voice. He genuinely wanted to know, mostly because he had faced her, experienced her powers for himself, and had only managed to come up with ways that might have done something to her, but probably only result in slowing her down or nothing at all.

Ed had less than zero reasons to keep what happened from this kid, he has no idea about the passionate level he takes the no death stance to.

So, he has no problem answering as mildly as everything else he'd said so far, "I turned her into ethanol." It had been the only thing that worked so that was his plan this time, too. He wasn't about to waste time experimenting.

"Ethanol?" The wheels were turning. If the older Ed was still looking at the teenager, he'd be able to tell that he got to the right conclusion just by looking at his face.

His eyes widened. He didn't want to accept that. He wouldn't have resorted to that, so that had to mean that the adult wouldn't either, right?

Right?!

The flood of emotions was hard to handle right now. It was a hurricane of horror, anger, and disgust. The worst part of what he had heard was that the older Ed had used the past tense.

"You killed her?!" And he was just going to stroll on out there and do it again?!

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