005. [Video]

[explosivecombat]

[VIDEO]

[Good evening, Johto!

The room is a bit dim when the video feed flickers on; Kimblee seems to have set the Gear on some piece of furniture in front of him - probably a desk of some sort. The room is nondescript, the walls bare, but it's spacious enough and there's what looks like that long trenchcoat of his draped over the edge of the bed behind him, as well as the edges of those boxes that the care packages came in, almost out-of-frame but just barely visible.

The room is his, after all, he just hasn't bothered decorating the place.

His voice is calm when he speaks, his posture casual - he's leaning back in whatever chair he's sitting in (and either it's a hell of a swivel chair or he's leaning it back on two legs and balancing it like that), and his arms are folded across his chest; despite that, however, there's a definite cocky note to his voice.

Someone's pleased with what he's received for Christmas, holy shit.]

My, my - judging from the feeds today, I'm not the only one who's received gifts from an unknown benefactor. Whether this is a sign that we've been favored by this world, or whether someone simply has a strange and possibly sick sense of humor has yet to be seen.

Perhaps a bit of both.

[And when he unfolds his arms, he's playing with something; it's moving a bit too quickly between his fingers for the camera to really focus on it, but whatever it is, it's small and solid and gleams a bit when it catches the light. A crystal of some sort, perhaps, blood-red in color.

For those from his world who would know a Philsopher's Stone when you see one: yep.

However! Kimblee will just be smiling and it will be a very pleasant expression, actually.]

I should hope that you're all enjoying yourselves; it's been such a lovely season so far.

[End feed.]


[OOC: It's been a lovely season indeed. Some of his CR has received things from him, just for the sake of reference; enjoy it?]

Comments

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

1/2

[ You should've gotten something from Maes too in the mail! Though, probably nothing as exciting as whatever you've got there in your hand. Which, by the way, Maes can't see too well right now.

Not that it matters. He has more important things to discuss with you. ]

Oooh? You've received something strange as well?

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ But don't bother responding to that. Maes isn't going to give you a chance. ]

ISN'T IT AMAZING? I don't know where it came from, but when I woke up this morning, it was in my bag! Something from home~

[ He's shoving something into the camera. ... It's so close to the camera that you can't actually see what it is.

A pause.

Oh wait, he's realized you can't see it. Pulling back now. It's an... album... of some sort... ]

Now I can look at my beautiful girls every day!

[ Maes is... happy...? I bet you can't tell... ]

[explosivecombat]

[...may whatever deity that happens to be listening, if any, save us all.]

Congratulations, I suppose.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ ... maybe if you'd killed less people in the war, the deities would be more willing to save you... ]

Isn't it wonderful~? Look, there are so many pictures from it! How did whoever that left this to me know that this was my favorite album~?

[explosivecombat]

[The fact that he killed so many in the first place is a good sign that said deities don't exist in the first place.]

...that's actually a very good question, I think.

1/2

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Then it just sucks to be you at this moment, doesn't it, Kimblee? ]

Hmm?

[ He's momentarily distracted. Because, yes, he's been wondering where these came from... ]

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ But THERE'S TIME FOR THAT LATER. For now... he's found a nice picture of Gracia holding baby Elicia. And he's shoving it in view for you to see. ]

Aren't they beautiful~?

[explosivecombat]

...rather.

[...was that a mistake in regards to your wife, he still isn't...sure...]

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

1/2; oh god, I'm sorry for all this spam...

[ Was that a flash of a frown somewhere? ]

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Fffff. He's too excited to actually care right now.

But he'll close his album for a moment. Just enough time to ask you, ]

What'd you get?

Don't apologize; never apologize

[explosivecombat]

[...good! Good. Let's just blatantly take advantage of the excitement here.]

Nothing terribly important, Hughes; just a pleasant reminder of things that happened a while back.

Oh, okay. YOU'RE WELCOME, THEN. HAVE ANOTHER 1/2

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Oh, would you rather he go back to talking about his family? 'Cause he could...

Excuse him as he peers into the screen a little. 'Cause you're still moving that little thing really fast and the screen is tiny... ]

I lied... there's more... 2/3

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Wait... a little red stone...? Is that... ]

yeah, done. for realsies this time

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

How far back are we talking?

[explosivecombat]

Almost ten years by now.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ He's doing the math. Your ten years and his ten years probably aren't the same, but give or take a few and... ]

Oh?

[ ... cue things clicking into place in his brain. It's the most glorious sound you'll ever get to hear.

... Or, well, maybe not into place. But he's got a lot of theories. ]

[explosivecombat]

[Well, well! It's quite a lovely sound indeed, though he won't say it's the most glorious; he's already experienced the most glorious. Connected in some ways to the Stones, in fact, though not this particular one.

But that is neither here nor there.]

Do you really need me to elaborate?

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ You do realize what those stones are made of, right?

... Who's he kidding. You're smart, you'd have figured it out even if nobody told you.

Just... just have a frown. ]

You've got your alchemy back?

[explosivecombat]

[Hughes. Hughes. Of course he knows.]

I don't, unfortunately - hence they're serving as a reminder rather than a weapon.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Yeah, that about answers everything for him.

All that clicking into place? It is happening at fast pace now.

Mental note: tell Roy. ... Oh, but he probably already knows. Because everyone always knows everything before he does...

Fffff.... this is frustrating. Have a frustrated looking Maes. But aren't you glad he's quiet for once?

Finally, he's calmed down a bit. ]

I see...

And it just... appeared, then? This morning?

[explosivecombat]

Along with a few other things, yes. Assuming it was all delivered in the same way, I believe you may have received something similar, along with your...particular gift, there.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Blinks. Yes. Why yes, he did receive other things as well this morning.

As did Roy.

But... what are the connections between all of these...? Roy had claimed to have no attachment whatsoever to his gift. And Maes' attachment to his gift was very very different from Kimblee's.

Also, there was the fact that Kimblee had claimed that the stone was pretty much useless here. So why would he get it?

Questions, questions, question... you'll just have to sit tight there Kimblee, while Maes processes everything in his head. ]

[explosivecombat]

Something on your mind, Hughes?

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ he may have just lost a great deal of respect for you... it's one thing to kill to survive. It's a whole other thing to...

... yeah. Here, have a very disgruntled look. ]

Just thinking of reasons why we would receive these gifts.

[ Among other things. ]

[explosivecombat]

Among other things.

[...yeah. He's rather aware that you're displeased with him, but in all bluntness? He doesn't exactly care. This is just the price one pays for trying to see the good in everyone, you see - a lot of disappointment.

A lot of disappointment.]