Fic - Tail Spin
Nov. 29th, 2010 12:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessTitle Tail Spin
Author-![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cornerofmadness
Disclaimer all rights belong to Arakawa sensei
series first anime
Rating PG-13
Characters/Pairing Maes, Roy, vaguely implied Royai
Timeline/Spoilers set early on in the first anime.
Word Count 995
Warning Descriptions of gross stuff
Summary Maes finds Roy spinning out of control after the war
Author’s Note I had three different lyrics and stories I wanted to write for this but this is one I’ve been wanting to do for the longest so it won out. It next to impossible to keep it within the word limits. The lyrics used here are from Three Day’s Grace’s Never Too Late, ‘Even if I say it'll be alright, still I hear you say you want to end your life’ .
XXX
Maes felt his legs shaking but he hoped Roy didn't notice. Granted, in his condition, Roy was probably blind to everything but his own inner agony. Maes had never seen his friend like this. Riza had sent him to double check on Roy because if she were seen going into her commanding officer's home, there would be uncomfortable questions and worse rumors. Gracia had packed up some goodies for Roy and ordered Maes to bring his friend back to their home if need be.
He was going to need to take his wonderful lover up on that. Maes hadn't quite been prepared for what he found in Roy's home, in spite of Riza's warnings. Even she couldn't have predicted this or maybe she could have, given her family history. The place reeked. Buckets of what he hoped and prayed were cow and pig blood from the butchers sat around the room. The floor, the walls, every scrap of paper, bore arrays on them. Maes tried to pretend what he saw was normal, chewing on a sandwich while he dragged the full story out of Roy. He didn't want to alarm his friend by letting his horror show.
Eventually, Maes failed but Roy took that punch as if it were his due. Hell, it was. If Maes understood correctly, the arrays were to bring back the dead but it would cost Roy his own life. Who did he think he was bringing back? Those doctors he had been ordered to kill? The child he had instinctively killed and could barely bring himself to tell Maes about? All the Ishbalans who had died? Roy couldn't die enough to bring them all back.
Maes did the only thing he could. He put his friend in the shower since Roy stank as badly as his quarters. While Roy cleaned up, Maes slipped the pistol off the table into the basket he brought the pie in. He'd have to give it back, but he would convince Roy to take a few days off sick and Maes would hang onto it until he was sure Roy wouldn’t use it on himself. Afterward, he threw out the bastardized remains of animals – failed attempts at bring back the dead? - then dumped out the buckets, rinsed them and filled them with soap and water.
He had started scrubbing the floors clean when Roy reappeared. He hadn't shaved, his eyes red with circles so dark, Maes almost thought his friend had been punched. At least he smelled better. Roy's lips twisted.
“Maes, don't. I need those.” He reached out a hand in protest.
Maes got up off his knees, catching Roy's hand with his soapy one. “Listen to me, Roy. You know this is madness. What good could come of this? Who are you going to bring back? That Ishbalan boy? His parents, if they're even alive for him to go back to, believe their son is with Ishbala. What will they think if you yank him back from that sort of paradise? The doctors...”
“Had a little girl.” Roy mumbled. “I've sent money anonymously for her.”
“And that's a good thing but to give her back her parents, do you really think that would work? Everyone knows they're dead. Do you think people will believe that it was a mistake? Don't you think whoever you bring back will be seen as a monster?”
Roy shuddered. “I have to do something. I can't live with this.”
“You can. You have to. It’ll get better. You have to live and make it so this will never happen again. You have that power. Think about it Roy.”
“That's your plan for me. I'm not...” Roy shook his head. “Don't you see I was doing what I had to.”
“No, I don't. Even if I say it'll be alright, still I hear you say you want to end your life,” Maes wanted to shake Roy again but it didn't help the last time.
“I don't want to die,” Roy whispered. “But if I have to do this...”
“Are you a weak man?” Maes asked.
“I...never thought so.” Roy finally made eye contact with him. “You think this is weak?”
“I think it's a desperate act. There is more you can do, Roy, more than one act that will kill you. Who'll help out that little girl? Can you just let the government who ordered an annihilation of an entire culture stand unchallenged? Can you leave me? Can you really make Riza come here and see you after you die?”
Roy's breath hitched. “She would cry and never forgive me.”
“You're probably right.” Maes went and got a brush out of the bucket. “Help me clean this. Call in sick and spend a few days with Gracia and me. She asked me to bring you home.”
Roy stared at the brush. “Maes, do you really think I could make a difference?”
“Roy, when you get to the top, this country will be so much better and I'm always going to be here to help you get there.”
That got an honest smile out of Roy, the first ray of hope Maes felt since coming here. “You and Riza will have to keep me on the path. I might deviate and with my alchemy that could be dangerous.”
“Roy, you're far too good of a man for that to be a worry. Come on, let's get this mess cleaned up. I'll call Gracia and she'll make us a good dinner. You've lost weight.”
“Yeah...thanks, Maes, for everything.” Roy patted Maes's arm then got on his knees to scrub. He must have been splashing hard as he worked since water ran down his face or that's what he'd surely say if Maes actually let Roy know he noticed the tears. At least Roy wasn't bottling it up any more. Maes counted that a minor victory.
“It'll be okay, Roy. You'll always have me to turn to when things get dark.”
Author-
cornerofmadnessDisclaimer all rights belong to Arakawa sensei
series first anime
Rating PG-13
Characters/Pairing Maes, Roy, vaguely implied Royai
Timeline/Spoilers set early on in the first anime.
Word Count 995
Warning Descriptions of gross stuff
Summary Maes finds Roy spinning out of control after the war
Author’s Note I had three different lyrics and stories I wanted to write for this but this is one I’ve been wanting to do for the longest so it won out. It next to impossible to keep it within the word limits. The lyrics used here are from Three Day’s Grace’s Never Too Late, ‘Even if I say it'll be alright, still I hear you say you want to end your life’ .
XXX
Maes felt his legs shaking but he hoped Roy didn't notice. Granted, in his condition, Roy was probably blind to everything but his own inner agony. Maes had never seen his friend like this. Riza had sent him to double check on Roy because if she were seen going into her commanding officer's home, there would be uncomfortable questions and worse rumors. Gracia had packed up some goodies for Roy and ordered Maes to bring his friend back to their home if need be.
He was going to need to take his wonderful lover up on that. Maes hadn't quite been prepared for what he found in Roy's home, in spite of Riza's warnings. Even she couldn't have predicted this or maybe she could have, given her family history. The place reeked. Buckets of what he hoped and prayed were cow and pig blood from the butchers sat around the room. The floor, the walls, every scrap of paper, bore arrays on them. Maes tried to pretend what he saw was normal, chewing on a sandwich while he dragged the full story out of Roy. He didn't want to alarm his friend by letting his horror show.
Eventually, Maes failed but Roy took that punch as if it were his due. Hell, it was. If Maes understood correctly, the arrays were to bring back the dead but it would cost Roy his own life. Who did he think he was bringing back? Those doctors he had been ordered to kill? The child he had instinctively killed and could barely bring himself to tell Maes about? All the Ishbalans who had died? Roy couldn't die enough to bring them all back.
Maes did the only thing he could. He put his friend in the shower since Roy stank as badly as his quarters. While Roy cleaned up, Maes slipped the pistol off the table into the basket he brought the pie in. He'd have to give it back, but he would convince Roy to take a few days off sick and Maes would hang onto it until he was sure Roy wouldn’t use it on himself. Afterward, he threw out the bastardized remains of animals – failed attempts at bring back the dead? - then dumped out the buckets, rinsed them and filled them with soap and water.
He had started scrubbing the floors clean when Roy reappeared. He hadn't shaved, his eyes red with circles so dark, Maes almost thought his friend had been punched. At least he smelled better. Roy's lips twisted.
“Maes, don't. I need those.” He reached out a hand in protest.
Maes got up off his knees, catching Roy's hand with his soapy one. “Listen to me, Roy. You know this is madness. What good could come of this? Who are you going to bring back? That Ishbalan boy? His parents, if they're even alive for him to go back to, believe their son is with Ishbala. What will they think if you yank him back from that sort of paradise? The doctors...”
“Had a little girl.” Roy mumbled. “I've sent money anonymously for her.”
“And that's a good thing but to give her back her parents, do you really think that would work? Everyone knows they're dead. Do you think people will believe that it was a mistake? Don't you think whoever you bring back will be seen as a monster?”
Roy shuddered. “I have to do something. I can't live with this.”
“You can. You have to. It’ll get better. You have to live and make it so this will never happen again. You have that power. Think about it Roy.”
“That's your plan for me. I'm not...” Roy shook his head. “Don't you see I was doing what I had to.”
“No, I don't. Even if I say it'll be alright, still I hear you say you want to end your life,” Maes wanted to shake Roy again but it didn't help the last time.
“I don't want to die,” Roy whispered. “But if I have to do this...”
“Are you a weak man?” Maes asked.
“I...never thought so.” Roy finally made eye contact with him. “You think this is weak?”
“I think it's a desperate act. There is more you can do, Roy, more than one act that will kill you. Who'll help out that little girl? Can you just let the government who ordered an annihilation of an entire culture stand unchallenged? Can you leave me? Can you really make Riza come here and see you after you die?”
Roy's breath hitched. “She would cry and never forgive me.”
“You're probably right.” Maes went and got a brush out of the bucket. “Help me clean this. Call in sick and spend a few days with Gracia and me. She asked me to bring you home.”
Roy stared at the brush. “Maes, do you really think I could make a difference?”
“Roy, when you get to the top, this country will be so much better and I'm always going to be here to help you get there.”
That got an honest smile out of Roy, the first ray of hope Maes felt since coming here. “You and Riza will have to keep me on the path. I might deviate and with my alchemy that could be dangerous.”
“Roy, you're far too good of a man for that to be a worry. Come on, let's get this mess cleaned up. I'll call Gracia and she'll make us a good dinner. You've lost weight.”
“Yeah...thanks, Maes, for everything.” Roy patted Maes's arm then got on his knees to scrub. He must have been splashing hard as he worked since water ran down his face or that's what he'd surely say if Maes actually let Roy know he noticed the tears. At least Roy wasn't bottling it up any more. Maes counted that a minor victory.
“It'll be okay, Roy. You'll always have me to turn to when things get dark.”
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no subject
Date: 2010-11-29 12:41 pm (UTC)That doesn't take away my enjoyment...er...horror? You know what I mean.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-29 06:52 pm (UTC)thanks
no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 01:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-29 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 03:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 06:48 pm (UTC)Sorry, senior moment. XD
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Date: 2010-11-30 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 08:20 pm (UTC)