First Ring | audio

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

What the hell? I didn't think we would arrive in Xing this quickly, and to just dump me in a room like this? Well I mean I know there are plenty of people that aren't exactly happy about me, to put it lightly, but I thought they'd at least show common courtesy, however forced.

More importantly what is up with this room? Xingese interior decorating sucks. This is the kind of room that Edward would come up with.

[there is the sound of the welcoming video starting and running in the background. Winry becomes silent throughout all of it until finally, and eloquently]

---the hell?

((ooc; hi guys 8D;;; have empress winry arriving in Death City. Anyone can go ahead and tag as if responding to this entry, or in action if they are in the chamber))

Comments

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Breaking the timestream a bit. This is an older Ling yes, he's been in Death City a few years.]

[He stares at this entry for a few minutes before responding via Video!]

....Winry?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[after some fumbling she manages to switch to video]

Ling? What on earth is going on? What is all this about 'Nevada' and a war. I've never heard of such a thing.

1/2

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[It really is her. It's been ...it's been so long and BREW the damnable device had to come and bring her back after everything she'd gone through the first time. He grits his teeth a moment. There's emotion there thats unreadable.]

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

He takes a moment to collect himself. She looks a bit younger but the clothes she's wearing ...]

It's-- It's very complicated Winry. Are you still in the Kishin Chamber? I'll come find you.

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[oh wow, that look is a little unsettling. She's quiet for a moment before she remembers herself] Um. The strange place with the red pillars and strange eyes? Yea, I'm still there.

1/2

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

Stay where you are then.

[Ends the connection.]

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[And this is where he is making his way to the Kishin Chamber as fast as humanly possible.]

[he's not terribly subtle as he comes rushing in to find her. It only takes a moment before he spots her and he heads over to her. She doesn't look too different in age than before, and she's dressed in traditional Xingese clothing. He's a little confused but he'll push that aside for now.

For now he's focusing on the fact that its WINRY and she's HERE and ALIVE.]

[He's not sure what to say.]

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[she waits, a little impatiently. Admittedly when she first came she was just sort of annoyed but after that small exchange with Ling, she is a little worried. Thankfully he doesn't take very long at all and when she arrives she gives him a shy sort of smile. She is still trying to figure out her own feelings after all, and seeing him brings some comfort even if the situation is still tense.

She gives him a typical Xingese greeting, putting her hands together and bowing a little.]

Like...like that right? Uh. [she quickly drops her arms to the side] So could you tell me what is going on?

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[That actually really surprises him. He hasn't seen that done in such a long time. He nods distractedly before shaking his head and trying to focus again on the situation at hand.]

Y-Yes. Let's ...leave the chamber. We can find a classroom to speak in, yes?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[she's a little disappointed, but she can tell from the urgency in his voice there are much more important things at hand. Oh hell, forget his voice, it's pretty blatant from just about everything going on now]

Uh, sure. Classroom? Doesn't seem like a very good school [looks around with a bit of a frown, if it all looks this way] Lead the way.

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

It's- Complicated.

[He'll start to lead her out of the chamber and up into the school area. It looks a bit more normal! He'll head into the nearest empty classroom.]

... First. I want you to read something. [He'll dig out his mirror and bring up the info posts. All of which are probably rly detailed by now. He'll hand it to her.]

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[She looks at Ling, then at the mirror and takes it carefully. It's a lot to read so it takes her a while and her expression just becomes more bewildered by the minute. It changes a lot, to bafflement, to curiosity, to anger, returning to confused. Every now and then she'll glance to Ling, furrowing her brow before returning.

Finally after a while she just holds it back out to him, deathly silent]

...

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Watches her read and is quiet the entire time. When she's done he takes it and takes a deep breath. Time to drop the first bomb.]

I've been in this place for three years.

1/2

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

Three years?! But we were just--!

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[okay okay, Winry. Remember the stuff she just read spoke about different times. Most of it went right over her head. It was so much to digest. Honestly she's still trying to get her head around all that. If it wasn't something so serious, and the impossible circumstances she was in know she might have thought this to be some joke]

Uh. Uh. Okay. Three years. And all this stuff about a war and meisters and weapons are true?

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Nods.]

I know this is a lot of take in but it's important. You might have seen me recently but time works differently here.

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

I understand [sort of. More like she's just accepting the facts and trying not to think about the how just yet]

If you've been here three years, um, does the mean this war isn't going so well?

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

It's -going better now than it was in the beginning.

[Rubs the back of his neck.]

What ...was happening before you were brought here?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

I just got picked up by a carriage at the border of Xing and was heading to you.

[It comes out a oddly phrased because she's beginning to realize that if people can indeed come from different times, this conversation could get awkward very quickly. Oh boy.]

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Blinks.] You were visiting me in ...Xing?

[Ponders for a moment. She's older so this must be several years in the future from when he came.]

[The next question is quiet almost cautious.]

...Am I Emperor?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[well that one is easy enough, she nods, smiling a bit]

You are.

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[...Eyes go a little wide and of course it doesn't take much for him to smile.

And then fall to his knees overwhelmed with happiness and relief.]

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[It's a little surprising, but she understands. She stands from where she is sitting and goes over to him, leaning down and putting a hand on his shoulder. A small gesture.]

The times are still difficult, you have brought many changes after all, but Xing has prospered.

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Takes a moment to pull himself together. He smiles up at her. God its so good to see her again.] I'm ...so very glad to hear that. Winry you have no idea.

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[she grins and holds out a hand to help him up] I can imagine.

So we've got to get you back so you can take your rightful throne.

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Takes her hand and gets back to his feet.] Hopefully it will not be much longer.

We should head to my apartment. Ed and Al are here as well, they will want to see you.

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

They're here too?! Who else is?

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Lists off a few familiar names for her.]

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[oooooi. Hand to head. This has all been a lot of information to take in at once. She's pretty happy just going with the flow for now, at least until she gets the chance to properly digest it all. She fumbles a bit, irritably, with the long sleeves of her clothing before placing her hand on her hips]

Sheesh, but okay. Let's go to these apartments. I'm beat from all that traveling and now this.

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Nods. Sigh. The rest of the city was going to flip. He wondered if he was going to have to keep the rest of the city from telling her about...]

Mm, alright, then. I'll contact my partner, we can have lunch there too.

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

[THIS IS ED BURSTING THROUGH THE DOOR.]

Winry!

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[JESUS she jumps at that and looks at him, she knew he was coming but she didn't realize it'd be so quick. Regardless she smiles at him. After so much talk of war and the dangers here it was nice to see Edward, alive and well]

Ed!

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Oh hey its Ed. He didn't realize he was coming-- though he should have expected it. He's standing behind her so the look he passes to Ed is unseen by her.]

[It's its a small sad smile.]

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

[He sees but doesn't altogether register or react to Ling's smile, because Winry's right here and she looks the same, if a bit older - hell, they're all older now - and he doesn't stop walking till he's pretty close to her.]

Winry, you're -

[...one of these things is not like the others.]

The hell's all that?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[This is beginning to feel odd. There's just something about the way that Ed and Ling have reacted to her that doesn't quite seem to fit---but then she figures. They've been here three years, right? Which means they haven't seen her in any of those three years]

What the hell is...? Oh this? [she looks down at her clothing]

Er. Well you know since I was visiting I thought 'why not?' Kind of pretty, don't you think? [jeez how long can she keep this up?]

[kingofthepeople.livejournal.com]

[Takes the time to actually notice her clothes now. Like, really look at them.

...those are far too formal to just be for a visit. In fact they look ....

but there was no way, was there?]

They are. Ah, perhaps we should move to somewhere more accommodating to finish talking? One of our apartments?

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

[...Okay, you know what. Winry is here, he won't fixate on the weird clothes.]

Yeah. My place should be empty.

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[she smiles glad that was put behind them]

So where to?

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

[...What.

No. No way. It couldn't be - after everything that'd happened, all the ways he'd failed her -

BREW wouldn't dare -

except it would, and he knows that.]

Winry?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[now there is another familiar voice, thankfully Ling gave her a heads up]

Hi, Ed. Yea, it's me.

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

[There's a part of him that knows he should really calm down, but like hell that's happening.]

You're really - wait, what's the last thing you remember?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[seems to be the favorite question around here, but after reading what she did, she supposes she can understand why

but like with Ling, it means this could also get very awkward so she tries to be vague]

I was headed off to Xing

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

[...what.]

Xing? Why?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

[...uh]

Just to learn about some of their medical practices there, and to teach someone how to maintain Ran Fan's automail.

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

[Oh. Okay. That makes sense.]

...So you don't remember this place?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

Of course I don't, I've never been here before--but Ling caught me up on a lot of things.

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

...Right. You're in the Kishin Chamber?

[empressofxing.livejournal.com]

A classroom just down the hall from it.

[seeks-thetruth.livejournal.com]

[This is the feed clicking off as Ed runs over there.]