Notes From the Grandmaster

A collection of side stories from the Elemental Chess Trilogy

by Lady Norbert

A/N: Well, there you are and here I am... again. Back when I posted the final chapter of the ECT, I semi-promised that I would eventually be writing and posting additional side stories to the series. Recently that semi-promise crossed my mind, and I decided to start doing exactly that. You know, in all my copious amounts of spare time. ;) I make no promises about an update schedule, just tossing out bits of story here and there.

Most, if not all, of the stories in this collection will have originally debuted at the FMA Fic Contest community on LiveJournal. My thanks to the members of that group for their consistent kindness, gentle critique, and encouragement.

Furthermore, additional thanks are extended to that (unnervingly sizeable) chunk of Tumblr who fell in love with these stories. There has been a lot of intense fannish screaming in my general vicinity. You are all terrifying and I love you.

In short, thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed the ECT. I hope you enjoy the rest of the things coming out of my head.

This first piece was originally composed for the prompt "Switch" on the FMA Fic Contest community. It's set during chapter 10 of Brilliancy - the one where Roy tells Winry about giving Riza her silver earrings.

Burgundy

The girl with the wine-colored eyes haunts his dreams.

He is only pretending to sleep.

The truth is that he just can't talk anymore. So he turns over, and cuddles the cool fabric of the pillowcase against his hot cheek, and gradually lets out a little fake snore to persuade Winry that he's more or less passed out. It works; she tucks him in and goes to speak in low tones with her husband and Havoc.

It's nothing against Winry. He's fond of her, and it was sweet of her to let him reminisce like this. The memory doesn't bring Riza back, though, and even with the pillow in his embrace his arms feel empty. Maybe, if he can fall asleep for real, he can at least forget for a while that she's gone and she might not be coming home.

He would give anything if, for an hour, he could switch places with his eighteen-year-old self. No memories of Ishval. No missing wife. No fever. Not even in the military yet - just nearing the end of his studies with a mad genius, and secretly and subtly longing for the man's daughter. It's a bit ironic that he can't, because he's pretty sure that his eighteen-year-old self wouldn't mind the switch too much, if only because then he'd know for certain that he gets her in the end.

He smiles into the pillow, thinking of the last story he told Winry.

Riza was seventeen then, in her final year of school. Roy was her only real friend; at her school, a place where he'd often wanted to go and beat in a few faces, she was sometimes tormented for her shy demeanor, her crazy father, her outdated wardrobe. She was strong enough to ignore the teasing when it happened, but it was Roy who heard about it later, and as hard as it was, even then he loved her enough to respect her wishes and not involve himself.

(He's always loved her. He's fairly convinced of that. He just didn't realize it for the first couple of years.)

But as the winter chill spread over Amestris, she developed a determined spark in her eyes. Roy didn't know what it was about, but he did know that she was asking her father for something. She had to ask him a few times - either he didn't hear her (he had a habit of not hearing her) or he didn't have an answer ready so he'd tell her to come back later. Only once he'd made his decision did Roy find out what was on her mind. He was pretty sure she hadn't intended for him to be involved, but it was a stipulation.

Formal dance. Last one she'd ever have the chance to attend, to show up those schoolmates who made her life difficult. Teacher had finally given her permission to go, but only on the condition that Roy take her; Riza was not allowed to date, her father didn't trust teenage boys, but he knew that Roy at least had enough fear of him to behave honorably. She bit her lip and twisted her fingers together and tried not to look at him when she explained the situation, and he realized with a jolt in his heart that she thought he'd say no.

(Which is funny, he thinks, because he could never say no to her. Not then and not now and not any time in between.)

His consent took her by surprise, but she was so happy that for a brief, hopeful moment he thought she might actually throw her arms around him. And while she devoted extra energy for a few days to going through her mother's old things, to finding the velvet dress that matched her eyes and scrubbing it until it no longer reeked of mothballs, he found a stray moment to sneak into town and buy her a gift. There weren't any flowers to be had, even though he was given to understand that flowers were traditional on such an occasion, so he settled for a pair of silver stud earrings.

(She wore them that night and the next day and she's worn them every day since, as far as he can tell. He hopes she still has them in right now because it's like she has a piece of him with her, and maybe it gives her some comfort wherever she is.)

He was nervous as hell when she came down the stairs, and all he could think was that he hoped she couldn't tell he was shaking. She moved over to him and fixed his tie, and he honestly wasn't sure whether that made him more nervous or more relaxed. It somehow had both effects at the same time.

They danced and he found that he'd been right all along, she did fit into his arms exactly as well as he'd thought she would. He'd even found a good moment - and, more importantly, the courage - to tell her she was beautiful, and he dared to take advantage of her astonishment to press his lips to her cheek. It was not enough, not nearly enough, but he was satisfied all the same.

Judging by the jealous looks of the cruel girls when they saw her, all burgundy velvet and silver accents, arm in arm with a handsome older boy that none of them knew, Riza's carefully selected form of revenge was a success. He did his best to help, ignoring their pathetic attempts to flirt with him; he was there with her and she was the center of his universe and none of them mattered.

Some things don't change. She's still the center of his universe and he misses her so desperately he can't think straight. He opens one eye but the others are still on the far side of the room, talking in hushed voices so he can't hear them. With one arm still wrapped around the pillow, he reaches out with the other until Black Hayate moves to where he can reach. This way, if he keeps his eyes closed and his hand on the dog's head, he can tell himself that she's just stepped out of the room and she'll be back shortly and she'll make him better again.

With the comforting lie securely in place, he finally drifts off. But awake or asleep, the girl with the wine-colored eyes haunts his dreams.