A Proposition, A Meaning

The room smelled like sweat and paper. Like all the rest, the walls were basic reinforced white stone and sparsely decorated in green fabrics with golden seams, an image of a dragon raising two claws and opening its maw present on a few banners that blocked portions of the blank walls.

Roy Mustang, a Lieutenant Colonel in East City under Lieutenant General Grumman, was looking at the assignment he was just given while Grumman himself was introducing the target of interest.

"Yuri Nightingale, fruit magnate, librarian, and potential high-level Alchemist. Before somehow registering with central under this name, this man had absolutely no sign of existence. His 'wives' are included."

Roy cocked a brow that matched his raven black hair while his dark brown eyes glittered with interest, suspicion, and a small amount of male envy. "Since when was polygamy legal in the country, sir?"

"It isn't. None of the people he filed any of his documents with seemed the slightest bit concerned with this detail or his suspicious lack of history, meaning he either loaded their pockets or something else was involved." Grumman rasped from beneath a bushy white mustache as his eyes also glittered with enough suspicion to be visible through his thick round glasses.

"Yuri... that sounds like a Drachman name, sir. Could he be a spy?" Roy postulated a northerly origin and political motives.

{Yuriy Rockbell was believed to have a Drachman father with Pinako due to his name. Thought I would sneak in that detail}

"A spy would make their name less suspicious if they made it this far, though I don't doubt he might be from Drachma. The biggest detail you should look out for is his alchemy."

"Alchemy? What has he studied?" The Flame Alchemist being warned about another unknown's Alchemy, in particular, caught his attention.

"We're not sure. He's been seen fixing all manner of equipment, personal or otherwise, with ease. He pulled a tree back together, tilled a field large enough for his whole operation in seconds, he even happened upon a farm vehicle accident and healed someone's leg from needing amputation to perfectly fine. If someone is closer to the library than a hospital in Resembool when they're sick, they go there. Though he often redirects them to the Rockbell Family Doctors. Suffice to say, the guy is a local legend."

"Why haven't we heard about this sooner, sir?" An Alchemist who could be mistaken for a miracle worker has been in their backyard for seemingly over a year and nobody took the time to investigate?

"Rumors are not enough to send men on a hunting trip, but finding his file is. That was a stroke of luck. You have your orders, Mustang. Go find out what makes the man tick and see if he wants a badge."

"Yes, sir!"

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As much as Lieutenant Colonel Mustang was intrigued by the local legend he was about to meet, he would much rather be defending his nation right now.

A flick of a pistol hammer started a civil war among the part of the Country that East City had jurisdiction over, their very distant backyard. He didn't blame the Ishvalans for the way they reacted, but as the war stretched further and further into Amestrian territory and disrupted civilian lives near to the command he was employed at, thoughts of joining weighed on his mind.

'If only Alchemists were allowed into the fight, the war would end peacefully so much quicker. A firm showing of might is needed to spare more lives.'

As with all inexperienced in the ways of taking a life, he underestimated its gravity. Roy Mustang would get the opportunity he wanted, and hate himself for wanting it.

Roy soon pulled up to the property he was tasked with approaching. The ever-expanding Nightingale Farms stretched around and under a grassy backyard plateau and continued into at least half of his horizon. Business was booming, it seemed.

'So this was the reason the parfaits Chris was making have gotten so good.'

Roy was starting to doubt he could sway the heart of this rich and easy living man to join as a dog of the military. Perhaps investigation was all he could manage, connect a feel and a face-to-face meeting to a suspicious paper trail. He got out of his car and inspected the house, which he expected to have more stories. Only two for this kind of money, this kind of power, was odd. It looked more like a plus-sized family home than a mansion, much wider and longer than it was tall. Maybe they were using the underground space?

Roy stood ramrod straight before the door and knocked with a polite yet firm weight of military confidence before waiting silently. He could hear the distant murmur of several parties, one of them a soothing baritone he couldn't make out. The door opened without delay and he met the mystery man who matched his photo. The picture didn't do it justice, no homo.

Golden eyes that glowed with an obscene yet contained power and glow spun tightly around pupils blacker than night that refused to fall to the light around it anyway. The 2D image he was envious of became a 3D question of his sexuality for a moment before he shook it off. He was about to introduce himself, but lost the initiative.

"Ohoho, so the state has found need to visit me?" Mr. Nightingale cocked an intrigued and friendly smirk, "Come in, come in, we were just having lunch. Care for anything?"

Roy was already on the backfoot. His rank and his State Alchemist badge were plainly visible on the uniform that set a standard of respect in this nation, and the guy seemed unphased and nice enough to invite him in instantly without fearfully questioning his presence. He thought it could be a trap for a moment, but his so-called 'wives' and a couple of kids were visible at the table. He was telling the truth.

Roy was caught in his pace and followed him in after closing the door. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Mustang. I don't need anything, Mr. Nightingale," Roy held his main goal to his chest to keep the conversation longer and capture any details possible. He scanned the room, finding the two most gorgeous women he has ever seen in his life who gave him a quick look and then ignored him.

'They were never on any documents. Damn! He's got it good if the dossier was real. Hm?'

"It seems you know who I am, but you can call me Yuri," Yuri directed Roy to the bar beside the dining table and got the visitor a glass of water anyway, which he scooted to a chair beside him.

Roy's eyes were drawn to the children at the table with the wives, where his eyes landed and stuck to the sleeves on their arms. 'Alchemy symbols. On kids, no less. Two of them I don't even understand fully, and one of them...'

"Do you have a relationship with Major Isaac McDougal, Mr. Nightingale?" Roy sat down at the bar and ignored the water as well as Yuri's request to use his first name.

"I'm not sure of the name. If you're referring to one of the circles, then I must've found a similar result to the same question as he did."

Roy didn't find any fault with this, the circle wasn't a replica. Just pretty damn close, with a few more mysterious elements he wasn't familiar with. As he faced Yuri away from the dining table, about to offer his proposition, the more ethnic wife of Mr. Nightingale walked past him with a sultry gait and landed a hand on her husband's shoulder. She scared the shit out of him, but he kept his poker face despite being snuck up on for the first time in a while.

To his horror, she raised her other hand and showed him his glove. "I'm afraid we don't allow just anyone to walk in here armed, Mr. Mustang," She chided as he reflexively looked down at his hand and found it naked. He didn't even feel it! Pulling out a backup glove might kill him socially or literally here, he had to bluff. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ahaha, sometimes I forget my glove is more than just a glove. Please forgive me, madam. I will wait till I leave to retrieve it." He conceded.

"Hmm," She flipped the glove over and inspected it. "A combustion circle, honey. I've never seen one up close," And she handed the contraband to him gingerly. Yuri let out a light laugh and set the glove on the table between them without concern for its proximity. "I'm sure he meant no harm. Besides, needing an ignition glove is already a disadvantage. What if it gets wet?"

Yuri, who hadn't dropped his welcoming demeanor, snapped his bare fingers and golden lightning flickered between his fingertips. Roy couldn't shut his eyes as his glove was encased in a thin sheet of ice that came from nowhere, and was itching to add more items to his dossier.

Roy's eyes grew just a bit more judgmental, while searching for a reason to change to pity. This man had committed the taboo.

'Wait, what did he lose? Everything seems fine, it must be internal. Could've fooled me. Unless the philosopher's stone was involved? He could've used the moisture in the air, but something is telling me otherwise.'

"...Neat tri-" Roy was interrupted.

"Are you an Alchemist, mister?" By one of the children at the table. Roy looked at him and back to Yuri, who gave the introduction he wanted.

"My nephews, they learn Alchemy from me, among other things. Ed, Al, this is Roy, an Alchemist for the state." Yuri didn't want to air out the brother's dirty laundry by explaining the situation or make them uncomfortable by giving them too close a false identity like sons.

'Gold eyes like him, that checks out. I should check their identities later. Keep tabs on them too if they can really use those circles.' Roy couldn't help but notice how his friendly demeanor cracked to display even more fondness when he looked at them.

Toni took a seat beside Yuri as the brothers were now fixated on the conversation hoping for morsels of enlightenment.

"So? Why has the state taken an interest in me?" Yuri took a glass of water from the bar counter to his lips as he kept eye contact with Roy, who was not confident in his pitch whatsoever.

'State alchemists join for notoriety, wealth, privilege. He has these things and more without the need to be called a Dog of the Military or the duty it burdens with or the need to be away from his family. Unless, I can get him in as a researcher?'

"I came to invite you to take a spot as a full-time State Alchemist. I hope you'll consider it. We have outstanding pay rates among the country and allow certain research freedoms to meritorious Alchemists. You seem like an excellent Alchemy researcher, would you be interested in being paid for your findings? You may be subject to mandatory drafting on occasion if you are deemed battle-ready, but the likelihood is low."

'I knew his pitch but not his angle. Researcher, huh? Well, I've got what I wanted by showing him my circle-free alchemy, no way in hell I'm giving Amestris anything more than I need to at the moment. Though I will certainly like to have the option available to blend in when Central comes into play.'

"I'm a bit, predisposed, at the moment. Perhaps this opportunity would suit me at a later date? How long are you extending this offer for, Mr. Mustang?"

"If you're willing to take a test in Central, I can have it arranged any time you need, Mr. Nightingale." Roy looked a bit surprised he even considered it, and summoned a bit of enthusiasm.

"Then I hope your phone is available when the time comes," Yuri's smile widened, and Roy knew it was time to go. He had learned enough.

"Then I will be waiting for your call, here's my number!"

Roy took the firmest handshake he had ever felt, and then strutted toward the door without delay before he heard a final word from Yuri as he was leaving.

"Don't forget to fill my dossier as thickly as you can and hold it tightly. It might be worth a pretty penny in the future!" Roy stopped in his tracks and looked back awkwardly while Yuri's face didn't change, as if he had merely warned him of rain.

Roy laughed, shook his head, and left the most interesting meeting he had in a while. He had a lot to tell Grumman.

Yuri returned to lunch with his family and fake nephews, who couldn't help but take jabs at him on that account.

"What would you rather have been, nieces?"

"Just say the truth. Orphans!" Ed never had much tact, using his tactlessness as tactically as possible.

"You're not orphans, you have us now. So," Yuri changed the subject. "Have you thought about what the symbol means?"

Ed stretched his hands behind his head and leaned back with a grunt of contentment from the meal. "Well..."

{Cliff! Too tired to finish that train of thought, haha}