a monster at heart...

[automailed]

Who: Edward (Pride), Winry, Sokka, Korra, and Aang
What: Playing Homunculus in the Hole
When: Thursday, March 21st (today~)
Where: The plaza
Summary: Winry and Sokka have figured out that there's something seriously wrong with Ed, so they'd like to get him into the tunnels to confirm it. Whether or not Pride, still possessing Ed's body, will cooperate is another thing entirely.
Rating: Pg/13 for violence probably? 8D;


When Winry had said that she wanted to go on an outing with him, Pride had been somewhat surprised and suspicious, but really hadn't thought much of it; things had been strange and a little awkward between them since his outburst during that stupid Valentine's Day experiment, but he'd tried to brush it off once it was over. He hadn't initiated anything... intimate since then, though, either. Considering Fullmetal's rebellion - and how many close calls they'd had since then - it isn't something he has any desire to risk. Not that he's particularly inclined to sleep with her without an experiment's influence, but long-term relationships have certain expectations.

Honestly, he'd seriously considered breaking up with her a few times, but he's also had a hard time coming up with an acceptable reason for it, one that Edward would actually come up with. "Chemistry", maybe- humans like that word. It's simply getting harder to pretend to enjoy her company when he honestly couldn't care less about her.

As they approach the plaza, he gives it more thought. Maybe he should just get it done and over with, before this "date" goes too far. He could slide right into the habit of treating her platonically and his life would become so much simpler...

Comments

[savedtheworld]

"Korra!" he gasped when she was nearly attacked by that particularly sharp-looking shadow. But it almost looked like she was spared. "He's - he's just possessed!" he tried to call out to her as he crossed the distance between them.

And then the flash bomb went off. Aang himself wasn't blinded, and he started trying to use earthbending to sink the ground beneath Ed's feet. But he was still confused by Sokka's order. "What do you mean, bury?"

[prided]

The sudden footsteps from out of nowhere catches his attention, and he barely has a moment to look around for the source before the bomb goes off, and he's suddenly surrounded by a blinding bright light. Hastily he flings his arms up to shield himself, but it can't save his shadows, and they're already dissolving around him. He hears the shout - Sokka, that's definitely Sokka - and as his feet begin to sink into the ground, he snarls and tries to make a break for it, stumbling blindly away to try and escape the crumbling ground. Flash bombs don't last long, and as soon as the light fades he is going to kill them all, dammit...!

"I won't give you the chance!" Like hell he's going to let them trap him underground. Once was bad enough, twice was embarrassing, and he can't allow it to happen here, without Kimblee around to free him.

[precipitous]

Korra doesn't take any further prompting. Once the shadows disappear, she jumps forward and lands with a solid earthbending move to dig earth out from under the blonde's feet. It's a sizable effort that pushes the limits set on her bending by Luceti, and she's hoping he won't be able to keep his footing. She and Aang had to get him buried before the shadows returned, so she didn't think twice about putting her all into it.

[markofthewise]

"You should have waited for someone else, Pride. I've tussled with you before."

Once he saw the shadows forming again, he sent another one flying in the air overhead. The explosion of light epuild hopefully be enough. He only had one more.

"Sang, we need a dome! Just enough to hold him!"

[savedtheworld]

"Okay!"

Aang struggled as well against the limit. But he had the advantage of a year's worth of Luceti training helping him - especially since many of those months' training were with the greatest earthbender in the world. He helps with the sinking effort a little more but, with Sokka's orders, he shifts his focus on making the dome to encapsulate Ed.

1/2

[prided]

"No....!" Pride snarls as the dome closes in around him, still blinking blindly in the light of the flash bomb, feeling his shadows fizzle and crumble into dust. His legs are half-buried by now, his attempt to escape no match for the channeled power of the earth swiftly swallowing his body. Out of desperation he moves to clap his hands together to attempt a destructive transmutation, but before he can connect with the earth it's already swallowed him entirely.

Hand scrambling uselessly for a grasp of the ground before it collapses beneath him, he releases an angry shout as his support finally vanishes, and he finds himself falling, fading...

[automailed]

...And when his back hits the ground, breath escaping his lungs in a pained, startled cry, he's Edward again, stretched out on his back in the dark, with only the sporadic light of the tunnels and the sunlight filtering down from the main entrance, or at least what little is visible around Aang's earthbent dome. He stares blearily at the ceiling for a long moment before grimacing and sitting up, rubbing at the back of his head. It's pounding from more than just the impact, but at least he finally, finally feels like himself again. He can't feel Pride's presence at all.

God, it's been so long. And it feels great, even with his body aching, even with how humiliated and angry he is after being literally trapped in his own mind for a month. Even with how guilty and heartsick he feels for what Pride had done with his body, hurting Winry, fighting and trying to kill his friends.

Even so, he can't remember the last time he felt this relieved.

Though now he owes everybody one hell of an explanation. Rolling over to sit up on his knees, he faces the tunnel entrance, waiting to see what they do next. He doesn't dare go near it and risk Pride regaining control.