LAPIS PHILOSOPHORUM // PRIVATE, HUGHES

[Roy Mustang]

These past few days have been quiet, real quiet. Roy hasn't spoken much to anyone, not even Hughes. Without a doubt, a gap has severed between the two temporarily. Roy was angry beyond belief at Hughes, but in the same time he felt concern rising in his chest. He was upset that Hughes dared to attempt the taboo, and it was just a miracle Roy managed to walk in time to stop it. But while he was upset, the concerning feeling he had in his chest only grew. As it grows, the concern became heavy on his chest, to a point where he can no longer stand it. He can't help it but wonder, wonder, and wonder why Hughes drew out that array and almost committed the taboo. What was possibly going through Hughes mind? He kept wondering why, and decided that he can no longer sit here and do nothing about it. It was time for him to fill that gap and approach his friend.

It didn't take the melanistic bobcat very long to find the Labrador. One advantage that came with this body was his sense of smell, it was far more enhanced compared to his human sense of smell. If he had been human right now, he wouldn't have been able to track his friend down. He followed the scent carefully, eventually being lead to the room where Hughes drew up the array. As he approached the door, his heart raced in his chest for a moment, one single thought running through his mind. He isn't trying it again, now is he? He thought as he padded in, to see Hughes sitting there by himself. His heart rate calmed down when he noticed there was no chalk by his best friend, and the array that Roy washed away wasn't replaced by a new one. It looked like Hughes was deep in thought, the bobcat padding his way over.

"Tell me Hughes, why did you do it?" Roy's chilling, serious voice broke the silence, ears drawing back to his skull. Compared to the last time Roy was in here with Maes, Roy's demeanor was quite calm. He wasn't yelling his head off or pouncing at his best friend like he did the last time. This time around, he was standing behind the lab with calculating eyes, awaiting for an answer. "What the hell were you trying to accomplish with it?" He questioned, stressing it as human transmutation. His gaze locked on Hughes, awaiting for the lab to face him and give answers.

[ [member=462]MAES HUGHES[/member] ]

[guts]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 550px; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; color: black; padding: 20px"]Of course, Maes felt bad for what he had done--or what he tried to do. He had limited knowledge on alchemy, and even less on the taboo of human transmutation, but he also didn't want to sit around and do nothing. He had to at least try. So, he had tried it, and got caught before he had a chance. Not to mention the one to find him had been the last person he wanted to be caught by. The anger in Roy's eyes were expected, but the lab was still surprised, especially since it was aimed at him.

He had seen him angry before. Many times, really. But this was the first time such rage had been directed at him. During his time isolating himself after the incident, it was all he could think about, his glare that had an undertone of worry. The small glint of concern was what bothered him, even more-so than the anger. He worried for himself enough, he didn't need to worry Roy, too.

Lately he could only see himself as a fool who was wallowing in self-pity, and that wasn't what he wanted to be. He wanted to be strong, to get through all this as easily as his friend was. He should have been more composed, kept himself together better. There was a lot of 'should have's. But all he could do was wish these were the things he was.

The male lifts his head at the sound of someone approaching, his heart dropping into his stomach at the sight of who it was. Suddenly the air was tense as he spoke, the cold tone like daggers in his skin. He winces somewhat at the sound, his eyes drifting down towards his paws again. Really, he didn't have an answer--not one he would find satisfactory, at least. "I hate sitting back, knowing that there's awful things going on back in Amestris," he starts off slowly. He tests his words before he says them, not wanting to pull a nerve. He wasn't too eager to make the bobcat angry again. "I just want to go back. I know the consequences, but since we're technically dead, I just figured...,"

He stops then, heaving a long sigh. This definitely isn't helping his case, but he asked, and he doubted he could get away with not answering.