One thing I will always appreciate Fullmetal Alchemist for is the fact that they let Roy Mustang be complicit in genocide.
Mustang is an Atoner figure. Something that plagues Atoner figures is when writers are too precious about the characters we're meant to like to actually let them be guilty of something serious.
The Atoner might be trying to make amends for their involvement in the Great '87 Hotel Massacre, and then three seasons in you find out what happened. And it's like, "I drove a taxi to the hotel, and the KILLER was in it! I ferried the killer to the hotel! That makes me responsible, and now I must atone for being nearby while the killings took place! And also vanquish the real killer who is the villain for this season."
Or maybe the Atoner did do the killings but they were under mind control the whole time and would never, ever have done it in their right mind.
But FMA said no. Mustang, Hawkeye, Hughes, even Armstrong to an extent though he suffered a breakdown and fled during it. They did that shit. They followed their orders and they did that shit. And it haunts them.
Roy did that shit. And his atonement, his grand ambition, is to see everyone responsible for that shit brought to justice for their crimes. Including himself.
That is how you write an atonement plot.
Here is my art piece for @grunklesintercryptidszine — Stans and Warikunchon(s) from Thailand 🇹🇭 🐘
sorry i started getting emotional thinking about how ford genuinely finds bills dark gross fucked up nonsense humor funny, laughing not like one of bills goons but loud and full and warm.
which got me thinking about how bills in his head. the first time bill really cuts loose with his bad jokes and ford laughs, and bills used to his jokes getting a laugh because the henchmaniacs know better. but hes not used to the way fords neurons light up, how his hormones fire, how his muscles relax and his heart glows and his smiles stays long after the period of being polite has passed.
bill getting to feel ford finding him funny, getting to feel fords fondness.
which led me to the rest. every emotion and every thought ford has for and about bill, hes entrenched in. getting to hear and feel it all as vibrantly as ford does, maybe even more so as fords mind tries to turn away from any feeling he has for his muse that isnt strictly professional adoration.
bill knowing fords in love before ford even recognizes it, bill watching ford try to deny and repress it but seeing and feeling the way his body explodes when their eyes lock.
bill being loved and being trapped within that love. he cant push it away even if he wanted to.
I just woke up with the words: "I am sorry that my fucking SURVIVING got in the way of your BRILLIANT future" and I can't un-hear them.
I need a Stan to yell them at his Ford - maybe his father was particularly heavy-handed or maybe he got abused somewhere else while Ford didn't see/ignored him. Maybe he yells them at Ford moments before Ford 419"3 gets him away to meet his new Ford. Trying to get the last word, to make his twin look at him for once?
Well... safe to say that your dream sparked inspiration in me. Lol.
Part 2
When Watchdog stepped out of the wormhole, Stan was sitting on the Shack’s porch with a familiar duffel bag clutched to his chest, head bowed to blankly stare down at his worn boots. Watchdog hastily closed the distance between them, taking note of the shadow of a head in the small diamond window embedded in the door. It quickly ducked out of sight, but it was clear that they'd been watching over Stan.
I love focs where we get baby Stan and older Ford, yes- of course a baby version of your brother will melt your heart and realise you forgive him and all this anger isnt worth it...
But CONSiDER!!!
Sea grunkles era and Stanley gets turned into a kid. Ford is enamoured by the baby Stanley, its something he will use to tease the man later on when hes back....except the boy absolutely hates his ass.
Stanford is an adult, Stanley hates adults, but most of all he looks like their pa so the boy is this angry scared cat and STANFORD IS NOT POUTING HE ISNT TRYING TO BUY HIS LOVE AT ALL BUT ALSO HE MADE THESE COOL GADGETS JUST FOR YOU STANLEY AND PLEASE STANLEY ITS ME PLEASE LOVE YOUR BROTHER-
Even more hilarious is Stanley likes everyone except Stanford.
Here's another idea that I have had but do not know how to write
Stan hallucinates Ford all the time. Like from the day he was kicked out, Ford has been haunting Stan's narrative. To the point where he won't look at mirrors and has done drugs or something to avoid hallucination Ford at all costs.
It would kind of be funny for the day that Ford's postcard comes Stan goes just in case it's real and then argues with real Ford AND hallucination Ford. Ford doesn't notice until after Stan's branded (not getting outta that. It's a plot point :3) and all the sudden his twin is talking to himself about stuff that's not being said.
Like... how do you respond to that. Hey brother I was going to give a book to and tell you to get lost, who the hell are you talking to?
Does he think Stan's talking to Bill or some other entity? Does Stan use Ford's name in the argument?
I don't know what would happen but it could also be so angsty but I like the humor side more... right now at least.
