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(no subject)

WHO: Olivier, Ed, residents of the Residence, whoever Olivier brought along(?)
WHERE: The Residence (De Chima countryside)
WHEN: July, prior to the 20th
WHAT: Ed meeting Olivier for an off-network chat
WARNINGS: None forseen; will edit if necessary

[It's a nice day at the Vorkosigan estate; clear sky, crisp air, cool breeze. The kind of day that urges you to take it easy, maybe even take the day off and have a picnic on the lake's shore or just lay on the grass in the sprawling shade of the manor and enjoy the simple pleasures of being alive.

Or, rather, it was a nice day until Ed invited the most intimidating officer in the Amestrian military over for lunch. Enjoy that forboding chill in the air, everyone.]

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[Olivier does seem to bring chilly weather with her wherever she goes, doesn't she? Including to the front gates of the Vorkosigan estate.

She's in full uniform, her saber hanging from one side of her hip and her sidearm on the other. She gives a withering look to the gates and the estate behind them before checking her watch. Fullmetal should be coming down to welcome her at any minute. She's 5 minutes early, of course. It lets her grumble that he's late, even if he's on time.]

[Ed comes into view heading down the path to greet her a few minutes later. He'd even be a minute early if Olivier hadn't gone out of her way to sabotage the attempt already. He doesn't manage to keep the irritated look off his face when he picks up his pace and unlocks the gate for her.]

I thought I was gonna beat you out here.

I know. You're late. [Technically not true, but later than her.

She steps inside.] What an extravagant estate.

[And from her tone of voice, not a compliment.]

Built for an emperor and his House. [He pauses in the midst of locking the gate to again to frown to himself. What the hell was he doing living in a place like this?

He shrugs the thought off and motions back up the path to the manor.]

Come on, someone's probably made lunch by now.

I wonder how long they'd last at Briggs. [She says casually, but her tone makes her meaning self-evident: She doesn't consider a place like this a place that demonstrates strength. Or is worthy of respect.]

They feed you, then? You don't pay room or board?

[Ed throws an unimpressed stare over his shoulder.] I bet they wonder how long you'd last in space. [Or on their irradiated planets, but he doesn't feel like taking the risk of needing to explain what radiation is.]

Mark wishes we did, but no. It's not any different from living for free in the Americans' housing.

Long enough to get used to it. [She responds curtly.] I think I'd enjoy space combat.

It is different, though. They're under no obligation to provide for you. What do they get in return?

They get me doing research for them.

On what?

Curious that they'd use you for research and not alchemy.

A lot of things. Medicines, gene therapy, nonlethal weaponry and shielding... Right now I'm focusing on developing medicine since it's the easiest place for me to start. I have a lot of catch up research to do before I can consider the rest, and I do use alchemy for that. There's just testing and trials involved with it.

They're going to support my work in researching the memory loss people experience when they leave here too. I want to figure out how to make sure we don't forget any of our time here. It's the same situation with the porter—figuring out how we're brought here and sent home is my next biggest priority.

Hm. [She says, fairly noncommittally. It's a very inscrutable word.] I suppose of all the State Alchemists I know, you would be uniquely suited to understanding the chemistry of the human body. Any progress?

Sort of... I've caught up with the advancements and research they've made in this era, but now I've got to start my own. There's no way to predict how long it'll take me to understand how it works.

So you're saying you want to be some kind of medic? Use your alchemy to heal?

Is that even possible?

Sure it is. That Xingian princess uses a style called alkahestry directly on people to heal them.

Did she teach you the principles or are you just theorizing?

Mostly theory, but I've done something like it before. [He presses his automail hand his side, roughly where he'd been impaled.] I had to heal myself to make it out of Briggs.

But I'm not trying to do exactly that here. I'm trying to work indirectly—developing medicine that regular people can replicate.

Fair enough.

When did you become so interested in medicine?

[He shrugs.]

I don't know. I just can't do any research into how to restore my brother with alchemy here, and I didn't want to do nothing. Medicine just...makes sense? I know a lot about the human body, and I want to help people.

Fair. [She says with a shrug.]

Where's your clean room? [Not in the sense of messiness.]

Oh, that's down in the basement. It's just my lab and Winry's workspace down there.

Take me there. Too many listening ears up here.

[ Here's Miles, seeing her again for the first time since their discussion about Lucifer. He moves to receive her politely, at least, even if he's surprised and rather alarmed by her appearance. ]

Er - hello. I wasn't aware you were going to visit.

I had no intention of doing so before Fullmetal asked me to come.

Where is he?

... He? Oh, you mean Edward? I haven't seen him yet.

Tch... Elric's a brat, but he's usually more dependable than this. Irritating.

What do you want him for?

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