Where is the Horse and the Rider [open]

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

Ed was in the Obs that day, feeling a little melancholy at best as he sat in what he termed his "thinking chair". True it looked like every meaty chair in the ship but this chair had memories of when he first popped.

It was here where he sat, waiting for people to come talk to him, and where he sat without an arm and a leg. He had a feeling Winry had finally been returned to the pods, for he hadn't seen her in ages. But the lingering doubt that she ever existed there wasn't there if GlaDoS had taken her. Still he had no PROOF and right now he wasn't feeling up to the task of finding her.

Not yet anyhow.

He looked up at the lights ensconcing the meaty room as he stared out into the bleed, those eye-like ports displaying the swirling lights outside.

Damn it was just a day to feel melancholy wasn't it?

Comments

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

Zouichi noticed the young man seated in one of the organic chairs, who was staring out at the space beyond the portholes. Curious, he looked outside, watching the lights impassively for a few seconds before deciding there was nothing remarkable to be found there and turning back towards their observer.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

Ed looked up at the new arrival. Someone he hadn't met before but hey, at least it was someone to talk to. "Thinking mostly," said Ed. "About the people who were here previously. Awake."

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"The people who were here previously? Are you talking about someone who has died?"

Zouichi assumed that this young man had been here for quite some time, from the way he mentioned the others. But even if he hadn't, something about that demeanor suggested that he'd experienced quite a bit, and that some of those things had been unpleasant. In any case, he was in stark contrast to the other young humans he'd talked to on the ship.

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

"No, I mean Stacy releasing a bunch of people and then returning them to the pods," said Ed with a shake of his head. "No one actually died on my watch..." Not anyone he KNEW at least "... so it's a moot point."

"They're in the pods again. Asleep."

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I've heard about that phenomenon. They're returned when they become... detached from their souls, correct?

"But if they've only been reconfined to the pods, I'm sure you'll be able to see them again."

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but it's been a long time," admitted Ed. "First the bastard Colonel, then my brother, Fletcher and his brother, Ling, Ran Fan, and Lt. Hawkeye. And by now I'm sure Winry's in there too. She was the one who made my arm and stuff. Man, I'm going to have to find another automail mechanic..."

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"I see... that's quite a few people who have left you behind." Zouichi eyed Edward's arm, considering. "Is there no one else who can repair your... automail? I understand there are quite a few engineers aboard this ship."

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

"Even if there is, it's hard to come close to Winry's construction," said Ed, clasping his metal hand in his real one. "She's got a real knack for it, and I trust her with my life on this."

"It's going to be hard considering everything. She's always griping that I'm going to do something reckless and break the arm. But it's times like this that I do miss her talking to me about that," added Ed. He wasn't sure how long it's been, only that she hadn't been around longer than he could count.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

Zouichi blinked. "It sounds as though you miss her presence more than you miss her ability to repair your arm."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae was pretty eager to see the observation deck. She had made it a point to explore sometime, and today was as good a day as any. The half orc girl walked up it and looked around curiously. It didn't take long to notice him though. "Oh, hiya. Didn't know there was anyone here." She smiled.

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

He looked up. Green. Busty. Pointed ears? Kind of reminded him a little of Chloe. Where WAS she anyhow? Geez. "Ah I came up to think," replied Ed casually, his tone belaying that he really needed someone to talk to right now.

"I'm Ed Elric."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae smiled and bowed respectfully. "Ronnae, Ronnae 'Mash Belore Ryllos. It's a pleasure to meet you Ed Elric." She had a friendly expression and seemed someone you could talk to should you have the need to.

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

"Ah just call me Ed," replied Ed. "I'm not big on tiles anyhow."

"C'mon, sit down a spell. Can't be any worse than standing around all the time, right?"

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She blinked a few times looking at him curiously. Tiles? Spells? Is he a caster of sorts? She thought for a moment and shrugged it off, she sat down and smiled. "You got me there, if there was a tree I could lay under and sleep away, it'd be even better!" She laughed lightly. "So what were ya doin' up here? Errr if I may ask that is!" She added hastily.

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

Tiles. Titles. Goddamnit, Ed was really out of it and so was the mun asdf.

"I'm mostly contemplating on stuff," replied Ed. "About my role on the ship and whatever else comes my way. Mostly though I'm trying to remember the last time I saw anyone from my world. They've all been repodded now, except for me."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae listened to him and couldn't help but frown concerned. "That must be horrible... Specially if you've been here long..." She placed a comforting hand on his and smiled warmly at him. "I'm sure you have an important role, everyone does. We're all surviving and fighting to end the ohm threat and possibly bring our worlds back right? That's more than important I'd think..." She blushed lightly, "Heh even tho I jus' popped recently, I feel like I have a duty here."

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

"Been almost a year," agreed Ed and he chuckled just a little. "That rush'll wear off in time, but yeah. I just feel like I'm a little pointless right now. Not much response for an alchemist at any rate. I'm not good with machinery or any of those other sciences."

"But bringing everything back..." He thought to the people who were on the ship before and he had to smile. "Yeah, it'd be nice to do..."

[makeherblue]

"Great view, but the chairs here are even better."

The Doctor had no need of silly things like personal space. He'd been on his way through the Obs Deck -- he liked to make it a habit to pass through every now and then, see if a planet or anything was visible -- and he'd been a bout to go on his way when he saw a human boy with metal limbs. Well, two out of four. Fifty percent. Yes, looked about right, seeing as he wasn't Curious, he'd done an about face and came right back.

"The Doctor, hello!" He held out his hand after switching the omnicomm to the other, friendly as ever. And maybe just a little pushy. Old force of habit. "Looking rather glum. View not agreeing with you?"

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

That's okay, he's endured HUGHES. At least the Doctor wasn't shoving baby pictures into his face. And despite himself, Ed smiled just a little. Shaking his hand he replied, "Ed Elric. And naw, the view's great. I'm just feeling a bit down cause I haven't seen any of my friends from home. They all got repodded one by one."

[makeherblue]

The Doctor tried in vain to scoot the flesh couch closer to Ed. It stubbornly didn't seem to want to move. Not exactly the scooting sort, is it? Slightly put-out, the Doctor leaned back in his flesh blob chair, defeated (for now). "So what happens is for some reason or another, people get chosen to be put back in stasis. And you don't know why? No, of course you didn't, you probably would've tried to stop it if you knew it was coming."

He looked thoughtful, folding his hands in his lap, glancing at Edward, then that brilliant leg of his. Wonderful stuff there. This repodding? Could that have been what happened to Amy or Rory? His own friends, aside from Jamie McCrimmon, were still missing after all. Odd though. This ship seemed easily big enough for a larger crew than the two hundred to three hundred he supposed were active on board. So it couldn't be a space issue, could it?

"How long is it generally between those podpops, Elric?" he asked.

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

"Be damned if I know," admitted Ed. "Maybe a month, two? It's been kind of long recently and I dunno if there's any schedule for it to be honest."

"Stacy said it's cause of the avia, the soul being in danger of being detached they they're repodded. I guess I'm too stubborn of a bastard to lose my soul like that." Ed shook his head. "If I didn't experience something similar, I'd have dismissed the concept of a soul a long time ago."

[makeherblue]

Or maybe it was no schedule or pattern a human could pick out. He didn't know for sure. But aliens and alien ships could have their own logic to the chaos, the Doctor thought.

"Are there warning signs? Anything specific?" the Doctor asked, curious. So repodding was something more of a survival mechanism, it seemed. Good to know. At least it wasn't punishment of some sort.

[changeddestiny.livejournal.com]

"None that I've ever seen," replied Ed with a shake of his head. "Repodding or popping. Seems like Stacy just does it without warning, and there's no real announcement beyond a ship-wide broadcast that she's releasing people from the pods."

[battorch]

Tim was wandering as himself, then, and without any particular aim or goal. He'd exhausted all the research he could at the library and he'd found a place to lay low (outside of his crew quarters room). He'd set up as well as he could, and it was mostly just thinking that was left. He had no particular projects, other than to gather information where he could, and get a feel for the crew. So maybe that was why he was wandering.

All the same, he ended up on the deck eventually, and saw another boy (maybe around his age, or a bit younger?) there.

"Hey," Tim said, waving slightly. "You okay?"

[tricks-of-trade.livejournal.com]

"Ed."

She had spent the past few weeks in relative solitude, making a large show of feeling sorry for herself. In so doing, she'd almost forgotten that she had managed to make a few friends.

Choline leaned on the back of the squishy chair and peered over the top, down at her short human compatriot.

"You look like I've felt," she said by way of greeting.