Trooper Station - Wednesday

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy was sitting back in his chair in his office, his jacket flung haphazardly over the back. The pile on his desk hadn't diminished one bit, but he was currently ignoring it by keeping it in his blind spot. Instead he seemed focussed on writing things down in a small, black notebook. It might have been girls' names and possibly dates.

((Open! ETA because I never get everything right the first time, his door is open if you want to bug him and a trooper will send you through.))

Comments

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

Alphonse approached and entered the station with an awkward feeling, it being the first time he came in here. It became a little more so when the troopers handwavily allowed him through and pointed him in the right direction. It probably was silly for him to think that way, he figured after a while, as all he had to deliver was news long overdue; it wasn't like he was in trouble.

When he reached the right office, Alphonse peered carefully into the room through the doorway. "Colonel?"

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

It must have been a sign of bad conscience as Roy still startled and snapped his notebook shut. He grinned when he saw it was Alphonse, though, and leaned back in his chair, waving Alphonse through. "I was starting to wonder if you'd forgotten."

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

"Ah, sorry," Alphonse apologized sheepishly as he walked into the room, grabbing a chair in front of his desk. "It is a little late, but, um... I did call Aunt Pinako about the question."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy nodded and put his notebook down on the desk. "Find out anything interesting?"

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

"She told me the same thing you did," Alphonse replied. "That not long after I went to Dublith, you mentioned this place to her."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"Something I wouldn't have done unless I met you here," Roy remarked thoughtfully, but he looked satisfied with the answer. "An interesting paradox, don't you think?"

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

"This place is too weird," Alphonse murmured, rubbing at his forehead.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"It's starting to get undeniable that it is," Roy agreed. "It would have been weirder if we weren't from the same world at all."

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

Alphonse looked at him thoughtfully, mentally agreeing that yes, it would have. If he thought he would've been at least a little used to it, what with his brother being around for a while when he was here, apparently Alphonse was wrong. "Yeah," he said, speaking part of his thoughts aloud. "I guess it would have been." And disappointing, now that he thought of it.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy watched him for a moment, having the feeling there was something left unsaid, but he let it slide. "Having three buildings reduced to rubble in one week was already enough to deal with," he said lightly. "How are things going up at the school?"

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

"Oh," Alphonse grimaced a little when he was reminded of that, but didn't comment any further. "Things seem to be, well, going as normal. I mean, aside from the actual school being gone." He made a slight frown. "It's still hard to believe something like that actually happened."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"If one more building gets blown up, I might have to start believing that they're right and I caused it," Roy remarked more lightly than he actually felt on the subject. "At least it seems like your friend will be able to return to her job again."

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

Alphonse's eyes widened regarding the first part. "I-it's probably some really strange timing," he suggested quickly. "Oh, you mean the Devil's Nest? I noticed it was back up on my way here."

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

Willow came into the trooper station, a container of something in her hands, and looked around.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy had just been looking something up at the front desk when Willow entered. He looked up, glancing curiously at the container for a moment.

"Good day, miss. Can I help you with something?" he greeted.

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Hello!" Willow said. "I came to bring something for the Troopers. For others too, if they want. There's no need for greed or taunting."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

The last time Roy was offered a bribing, a cabin had blown up so Roy looked slightly suspicious at the offer. "That's friendly of you. You're not planning on blowing up a cabin, are you?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

Willow rolled her eyes. "Do I look like my boyfriend? Besides, the only time I was ever involved in a building explosion was for a good cause. Which, admittedly, the cabin thing was in a roundabout way and there is an A for effort with that, but it wouldn't have been my first instinct. Mine was forms."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy wasn't sure what compelled him to ask. "Forms?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

Willow nodded. "If I'd had advance warning I would've made some up and everything. But luckily you can hold a clipboard and look serious and people will answer your questions. Though he did get irritated when I asked him about trees. Guess he's good a wood phobia."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Nope, Roy wasn't following. At all.

"It would leave more paperwork," he remarked, which was bad. He already had enough. "So as you're not planning on blowing anything up... I'm Roy Mustang."

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Willow Rosenberg," she replied with a smile. "So who would you be if I was going to blow something up? Would your name be Kevin? You kind of look like a Kevin."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"I would be Sheriff Mustang," he replied, amused and he relaxed as he recognised the name. "You're Xander Harris' assistent?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Indeed I am!" Willow said. "And if you're Roy Mustang I commend you on your form-filling-outing. Good penmanship, and way to check off the right boxes."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"Keep up the enthusiasm and I might try stealing you away to finish my paperwork," Roy joked. Although, come to think of it, it wasn't that bad a plan.