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[vermified]

[Waking up in a patch of grass in the middle of the woods is more of a relief than it might normally have been for Edward, or anyone else for that matter. The last memory he has of himself in his right mind is of the Malnosso, and their strange and terrifying ability to summon Lunar Rain seemingly out of nowhere. After that, he'd...

...He'd done terrible, shameful things, and he had far too much to apologize for. Which he should get right on doing.

Except he's completely lacking the level of courage needed to do that, so for a while he just sits in the grass, legs tucked against his chest, and watches the sun rise through the trees. It's... the east, right? So that means he's...

....

He has no idea where he is. Where's that journal...?]


...I... I'm in need of assistance.


[He finally returns and all he can do is ask for directions? Pathetic.

Though it'll take him some time to get home and then find the courage to do what he knows has to be done, over the course of the day he'll be attempting to visit two spots: the smithy and Winry's house, specifically, if he can't find her in the plaza. If he happens upon anyone he attacked while he was vermified, he's definitely going to apologize, too.]

Comments

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[Sigmund has taken to watching the journals anxiously over the last few days - where was he? He should be back by now, shouldn't he? What's taking so long? - although now that he has what he was waiting for, he... can't seem to find his voice to answer. It's as if the thought alone makes his throat start to close up. After long moments of trying, he finally has to go and gulp down a glass of water before he can make himself speak.]

...Edward.

[voice]

[vermified]

[Speaking of hesitation. Edward lacks a convenient water source to try to properly drown his throat; all he can do is clear it and hope for the best. Though the status of his voice is the least of his problems at this point.

No, the more important foe to face now is a familiar one to him: awkwardness.]

...My lord...

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We will discuss this when you return.

[Sigmund doesn't actually want to discuss this. He wants to hide from it forever. Things aren't going to work out that way, though, and he knows it.]

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[Edward has much the same sentiment, so they might end up with different expectations of each other and talk it out anyway... what a mess.]

Y... yes, my lord.

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Find me then.

[Even though Sigmund has been here the longest out of those still at the house, even though he has the most experience finding his way through the wild, he's not going to go looking for Edward. For once in his life, he is obeying the healers. He shouldn't be walking that far. He'll have to face him soon enough - too soon. For now he's just... going to go back to his room, and vacate Edward's.]

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[And... normally Edward would run off and immediately do so, except that he still has no idea where he is. It'll probably be a few hours before he gets home, and even then it's due to Aya coming to rescue him via smoke signal. Eventually, though, he arrives and...

....

Knocks. Eventually. He might've been standing outside the door for a while beforehand.]

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[It will take Sigmund a while to answer. He's not looking forward to this conversation at all. He also sort of hopes that Edward hasn't gone into his room yet. In his rush to move his armor (even though he shouldn't be lifting heavy things, even though Edward will have to repair it anyway), he sort of forgot to clean Edward's room up. Or change his sheets. Or just plain make his bed and turn the pillows over and lie about any bloodstains left behind.

But he has to go answer the door eventually. ...Actually, no. He's going to stay by the window, back to the door, for just a little longer.] You may enter.

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[Unfortunately Edward had gone to his room first- he'd mistakenly thought it was Sigmund's, and had stood outside knocking for a while before peering in and confusing the hell out of himself. Something was definitely wrong with his head- and with his room, on top of that. Someone had been sleeping there while he was gone? His guess would have been Katie if not for the blood... and it bothers him to think of what that means. He hadn't given himself time to dwell on it though; he'd found Sigmund's real room after, and at the invitation - well, permission, anyway - he steps inside, closing the door behind himself and lingering by it.

...Well. He's in one piece, at least. Aside from that, Edward can't tell.]

My lord... I'm sorry for what happened.

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I am surprised you are apologizing.

[Sigmund killed him, after all. He's not sure what's more distressing; that out of the tens of thousands of deaths he has caused over the years, he can count on his fingers how many truly bothered him, or that this is one of that number. OR maybe it's just the way that Edward - that creature that looked like Edward - behaved.

How does one even begin to face a man one killed? He doesn't know.]

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[Surprised? He was in the wrong here, not Sigmund. It may not have been his choice to change like that, but it's still his fault.]

I'm the only one who should, my lord. I... you did nothing wrong. You killed a monster, not a man. And I'm glad you did it.

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I would do it again. [There's something of an implicit threat in that statement. Stay away. He'll do it again if he has to. And again, and again. And he can't keep killing people he cares about.]

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I know. And I would be glad of it, every time. [Sorry, Sigmund. He's not going anywhere.] But... I would rather this not happen again.

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Then perhaps we should part ways. [Maybe Edward doesn't remember all the things he said; but Sigmund does. He wishes he didn't, but he can't forget them.]

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[...No, he remembers. But that isn't... it's not something he's proud of, nor will he ever be. He has no idea how to explain it all.]

I don't... my lord, I don't want to leave your side. Ever. [He's about as close to pleading as he can get without looking too pathetic.]

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[That's part of what concerns Sigmund, truthfully; especially now that Capell is here. Even so, he can't hold it against Edward. He isn't angry with him... but perhaps it would be better if Edward thought he was. He shifts on his feet, staring steadily out the window.]

If this happens again, you will not have a choice.

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[And Edward just... wilts, because it's not like he can promise it'll never happen again. He'd tried that vow before, and it was obviously not something he could keep. But is he just going to give up?]

If... if it's because you were in so much danger, my lord, I...

[It's not like he's a coward. But vermiforms are terrible creatures to fight, especially one with his level of power. He'd gladly do without if it kept Sigmund safe.]

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Do you want to sit down to a meal every night with the man that killed you?

[Or... other things. Sigmund won't say that it was entirely his fault. He wasn't solely in the wrong. But it happened, no matter how one places the blame, and it is bound to have consequences.]

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With the man who spared me from living as an abomination, my lord, I would do so with thanks and pride. [...Wait, is that what's been bothering him? Really?]

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[Sigmund can see that he's going to get nowhere with this conversation. Whether Edward honestly feels that way, or is just saying it because he's speaking to Lord Sigmund, he may never know. Finally, he turns around and holds his hands out, open and palms up.]

Show me your glyphs.

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[Edward hesitates, but doesn't protest; he steps over and crouches in front of Sigmund, removing his gloves and offers out his hands, the glyphs now in plain sight.]

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[Sigmund takes each of Edward's hands in one of his own. He's not sure what he thinks he'll find. He has no sense for these things like Svala does, no means of feeling out another's state of mind. But... after life as an aristo, a meage, and an unblessed, perhaps he understands the nature of lunaglyphs better than anyone. Not a studied, intellectual knowledge, but a visceral one.]

You brewed a medicine to suppress the moon's power. What became of it?

[He holds Edward's hands while he speaks, staring down at them. He isn't searching for the answer so much as he is waiting for the answer to come.]

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[Edward isn't sure what kind of answer he's going to find, but his understanding of lunaglyphs is paltry at best, so having someone with the sort of knowledge Sigmund must have is definitely beneficial. He doesn't really feel that different, aside from being slightly less stressed in regards to the glyphs themselves. The benefit of vermifying - if such a thing could ever be considered - is that finally releasing all of that energy was like letting all the air out of a pressurized tin or something. He waits patiently while Sigmund examines him, though the question requires a moment of thought.]

I forged it into a pendant, my lord- it was supposed to help prevent this from happening. I'm... not sure where it is now, though. I'll have to look for it- perhaps it broke or came loose. [...During that big fight where he died. Yeah, he's not looking forward to revisiting that scene.]

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[Hm. Sigmund can't really say for certain whether it worked or not without the chance to examine the pendant. It's possible that it didn't work. It's just as likely that it did and Edward simply invested too much hope in it and had unrealistic expectations. ...Not unlike other matters Sigmund could name.]

How much do you remember? [Sigmund concentrates on the glyphs, looking - no, feeling - for any sign that something is abnormal. A pulse of energy, perhaps? Infuriatingly, he thinks he was far more sensitive to the moon's power when he had no glyph at all. It was problematic then, but now that he could use that to his advantage, it's gone. Typical.]

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[...Oh dear. Well, there's no beating around the bush with this one, so he glances away, looking uncomfortable, even as he answers:] ...Everything, my lord.

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[... that's kind of sort of not the answer Sigmund was hoping for. As if things weren't already awkward enough, now they are twice as awkward. And he is still holding Edward's hands. Letting go of those now.]

What was said - did you mean it? [Might as well just charge into this problem headfirst, no?]