equivalences | CONSIGNMENT: IC INBOX

FROM: michaelis.sebastian@cdc.org

Hello, Mr. Elric— Do pardon the random message, but I have been looking into a matter of curiosity, and the older recruits seemed the best people to ask.

FROM: michaelis.sebastian@cdc.org

If you are free, would you mind meeting in person? I would be happy to prepare you afternoon tea for the inconvenience.

FROM: elric.edward@cdc.org

Kinda jealous you still have tea. Almost everything I owned got washed away in the attacks.

FROM: elric.edward@cdc.org

Yeah, I could come over.

FROM: michaelis.sebastian@cdc.org

Well! Admittedly, I had quite the stock, since it is a favorite of my master's... But this does mean that it gives me plenty to share, at least.

FROM: michaelis.sebastian@cdc.org

I am free today, so if you could stop by rover eighteen whenever you are available, it would be appreciated.

[ He's unsure about Sebby's company but he will come for the tea. Because he's bullshit anime German-British and likes tea, clearly. ]

FROM: elric.edward@cdc.org

I have some time now. I'll be on my way. [ Sebastian may get a knock at his rover door in a few minutes. ]

[ everyone in vaguely european-land loves tea... it's just a fact of fiction ]

[ The knock at the rover is answered promptly, and for the occasion of a meeting, Sebastian is back to wearing his formal tailcoat rather than the CDC uniform. It's still rather odd and out of place, but after donning this uniform for a few years now, he's honestly just more comfortable in it... Nerd. But true to appearance, he first gives a brief, shallow bow, then steps aside to allow Ed inside.

Welcome, Mr. Elric. Ah, though I should ask, do you prefer that or simply Edward?

[ Politeness (almost) always comes first for Sebastian, which is why he had defaulted back to the "mister" once Alphonse wasn't around. ]

[ As for the inside of the rover, it's incredibly, almost uncomfortably clean, as if no one lived here. But really, it's just that half of the rover is new, and the other half is Sebastian and Shinobu, who are both very clean and particular people. The inside is spartan, with not a thing out of place or even personal, save for the shiny black Haroomba that's dutifully vacuuming. Don't ask about it, though. The kettle is already starting to steam, and there's even a warm smell of baked goods. Apparently Sebastian takes the promise of afternoon tea quite seriously. ]

[ He doesn't see much need for the formalities, especially since Sebastian's previous designation as a butler is moot in the CDC. Still, he was free to act as he pleased. The bow isn't returned, because Ed just isn't the polite Elric brother.

The inside is ... quite impressively managed. Back when Ed had a rover, he and his rovermates were quite a mismatched bunch. They would leave their things around the place and casually invade each other's privacy. It was nothing like the spic and span of Sebastian's rover. ]

Ed's fine. [ He doesn't require or appreciate formalities.

There's a smell lingering in the air and it peaks his interest. Ed lights up almost immediately at the promise of some food. ] Are you ... baking something?

[ Sebastian nods in understanding at the lessened formality, which he will follow, though it still feels a little strange sometimes... Ciel has trained him well to be the perfect butler, which is sad.

Not that he has to dwell on that, since as Ed catches the smell of Sebastian's work, he brightens as well, and he starts to walk towards the kitchenette as he laughs softly. ]

Well, reheating is a better term, since I tend to cook in batches, but it was baked, yes.

[ And on cue, as if Sebastian had planned this, the microwave dings, and he pulls out something that is way too fancy for CDC, but Ciel is a picky shit that demands such fancy food, cake included. ]

I hope a chocolate gateau is to your liking? It should pair very well with the tea, as feeble as the blend is.

[ At the sight of the delectable cake, Ed is practically gawking. He doesn't ... He doesn't even remember the last time he's seen a cake that looks quite that good!!

-- Sometimes he does miss being a rich asshole who could hop from restaurant to restaurant as he pleased. ]

Whoaaaa! You're kidding me -- You made this? How did you find the ingredients? [ And he may be salivating a bit because goddamn. Good food. Does it even exist anymore??? ]

[ It's the sort of sight he always enjoys, and CDC has been especially satisfying for the looks people give him when he produces his excellent food. He simply laughs at first, setting the cake at the small table with a fork, motioning for Ed to sit. While he starts to prepare the tea, he explains very casually, but it's also the sort of thing he shouldn't be so casual about... ]

Oh, I simply made the ingredients I did not already have. It is not difficult, and creating the ingredients from scratch, I tend to at least hide some of the problems with taste...

[ Which is an odd way to put it, but that's because the truth is that Sebastian can create whatever he wants from thin air, though the CDC had limited it to food. He find that a bit unfortunate, since food was his weakness in this area, for he had little context but to guess at the correct taste, since his sense of taste was completely different. Still, it's the sort of difference that truly is hidden once everything is made by hand, which is why he prefers to create the ingredients rather than the finished dish.

He pours the hot water over the tea leaves, steeping it carefully, but the mug is set down shortly afterwards, which smells delicious for just being rationed tea too. He's a cheater in every sense. ]

I hope it is to your liking.

[ Ed pulls out the chair, settling down with one leg crossed over the other. He watches Sebastian as he works, waiting patiently for the tea to be prepared and served to him. He could dig into the cake right now, but he decides to let Sebastian complete his ensemble because he's suddenly remembering his vague-European tea-time etiquette.

The steam that billows from the mug enchants his sense of smell. It's been quite a long time since he's had anything that could be considered a luxury, and he certainly didn't expect to be treated at any point of his time in Grey. He still has his misgivings about Sebastian, but this is nice.

Ed picks up the fork. The way he holds it implies that he does have some ... culture in him, despite his crass demeanor. He's about to dig in when that mention of 'taste issues' hampers his confidence in the meal. ]

Wait a minute, what do you mean by that? This isn't going to taste weird, is it? [ It looks and smells amazing, but now he's uncertain. The fact that he made the ingredients somehow is both unbelievable and impressive. Ed is now wondering if it's all too good to be true after all. ]

It should not, since this is a dish that I am quite used to making, at least.

[ Because it's Ciel's favorite. In fact, this was a slice of a cake he had prepared earlier, but as long as there was always cake available, then Sebastian didn't get in trouble for giving it away. Ciel is a greedy brat... ]

My sense of taste is quite different from a human's, so when I create the base ingredients, there is an element of guessing as to the correct taste... Though with certain things, I am reasonably confident with the final product, since I have never recieved a comment to suggest it was unacceptable. Though still, should there be anything amiss, please inform me and I will do my utmost to improve.

[ It's spoken like a true butler with the sort of rigid formality that nearly anyone would find uncomfortable in the first place, and simply odd to come from a demon. He's incredibly servile and humble, at least in this setting. ]

[ ciel is a fatty

Ed didn't quite expect such a ... lengthy and diplomatic response. Sebastian pretty much covered all his bases with that responses, even added a little note where he was open for feedback. There really isn't much that Ed can say in response. ]

I didn't know demons had a different sense of taste ...

[ If he's never received a complaint, maybe it is as good as it looks. The expression on Ed's face shifts from suspicion to neutrality (though he somehow manages to look sullen even when he's neutral), and he slices off a chip of the cake, putting it into his mouth. ]

This -- This is good! [ The taste is perhaps amplified by the fact that he hasn't had a good meal in actual months.. There's astonishment in his expression now, as he continues to dig in. ]

[ Sebastian at least looks on expectantly, if politely as Ed takes a bite, but once he starts to eat the offered cake with vigor, Sebastian nods. It's very clear from his expression that he's pleased with himself, or maybe that he just really likes being praised...

(It's the latter. Ciel never praises him at all.) ]

Ah, wonderful. I am glad that it is passable.

[ Since that was how Ciel had described it, naturally. In lieu of anything else, Ciel had to suffer with this four star cake instead of five star cake. His life is truly suffering and despair. ]

Though that aside... There is a matter I wished to ask you about. May I?

[ He motions to the opposite seat, even though this is his rover, since it's not proper for a servant to sit by who they are serving without permission. Naturally. ]

[ Ed is halfway through sticking more cake into his mouth when the request comes, and honestly, it's baffling. He was wondering why Sebastian chose to stand at the side when there was a chair right there. Was he waiting for permission after all? ]

It is your rover. Why are you asking me? [ Maybe it's some odd butler code-of-conduct. Ed himself has never had anything like a servant, so consider him baffled. He's especially baffled because Sebastian isn't even in his service. Weirdo. ]

Sure, go ahead. And ask what you want, too.

Ah, manners, really...

[ He takes the seat with a small laugh, and he takes his time to explain that first, since the latter topic is an area he can't predict Ed's reaction to, and so he's at least allowing him to enjoy the cake before moving onto a heavier topic. ]

I am a servant, and so these sorts of manners are very difficult habits to break. It is a butler's aesthetic to always be mindful and considerate of those he serves, even when rank does not matter as it does at my home, admittedly.

[ He folds his hands neatly in front of him, and then with another overly polite nod, he gets to the topic that he had really wanted to get to. ]

But for the matter at hand, I noticed something that should not be possible, and so I am doing my best to investigate the matter. I have heard of people returning from the dead.

[ So basically a butler-nerd.

But Sebastian's passion earned him some delicious cake and tea, so Ed isn't ungrateful enough to insult him. He only stares at Sebastian as he prattles on, fork hanging out of his mouth and looking more ... incredulous than impressed.

And now they're getting to the meat of his meeting. ] You heard correct. I know a few people who came back. What did you want to ask?

Simply if you knew anything of it. I thought that asking those recruits who have been here longer than I would be better to ask.

[ Though there's still politeness in every word in gesture, there's a subtle shift as they get into this topic. There's an ease and eloquence with which he speaks that shows intelligence, but it's something about the way he smiles as he speaks that serves as a reminder of what Sebastian is. This is no longer the conversation suited to the butler, but rather to the demon. ]

The process is what I am especially interested in, for that is something that should not be possible.

[ Ed does notice the shift. It certainly sounds like this topic is something Sebastian has a personal stake in, and being a soul-eating demon, Ed can kind of make out why. ]

The biggest thing that I've learned during my time here is that nothing works the way you used to think it did. [ Ed had only just proven that bringing a person was impossible back home. It's almost a joke at his expense that people were coming back with little to no consequences. But he's also thankful, because he has friends among the revived. ]

This isn't the first time the CDC has defied the natural laws. They sometimes employ recruits who have long passed away. [ He takes another bite of that cake. ] But it is the first time I've seen them do it at such a scale.

'[ Sebastian's gaze turns down thoughtfully as he brings a hand to his chin, and for a few moments, he's deep in thought on the subject, though it's mostly to collect his thoughts on how to speak about this. It's a subject he can't speak freely about, since it's the sort of thing that comes with the price to be expected of a Faustian demon.

It gives Ed a few moments to enjoy his delicious cake, at least, but once Sebastian looks up, the smile is gone, since it's something he does take seriously. ]

It is something I do not understand, for even practically, it makes no sense. To revive recruits at all should come at a great cost, and as such, it would be logical to pick new recruits instead. And by the same token, not all are revived...

[ He trails off with a shake of his head, since that topic isn't one he cares about as much. ]

Had you heard of the mission that the Blue team had undergone quite a while ago?

It's like you're trying to say that new recruits are worth more ... [ Squinting so hard with a fork hanging off his mouth. If not for the chat he had with Mom, Ed would be agreeing on the part about it coming at a great cost, however. It's a cost he paid himself. But being in the CDC has opened his mind a bit. It's much more naive to cling onto your own skepticism here than it is to simply accept what's going on. He's learned that in some other worlds, Equivalent Exchange simply didn't apply. There were people who could raise the dead at little cost at all.

Ed lets the topic change. He knows the person behind the revivals, but he's pondering over whether it's knowledge he wants to share.

and oh yeah ... the blue team mission. ]

Yeah, I heard of it. [ It slipped his mind there for a moment. This definitely isn't the first time they've revived a ton of people at a time then. ] They were just messing with Blue team, with that shitty mission.

Ah, pardon me for that, then. That was not what I had meant at all.

[ He gestures across the table, but it's not a gesture that means anything. Sebastian simply talks with his hands, and the gesture forward is as if brushing away the misunderstanding. ]

Rather, I mean that I anticipate some sort of repercussion to reviving the dead, whether we feel its effects now or in centuries' time. In the later case, I would say there is cause where revival is more efficient, but still, it does not sit well with me. That aside, I meant that instead, if you were to look at the issue in terms of cost and benefit, it would seem to be an odd imbalance. To revive one recruit as compared to simply gathering multiple new ones to replace them... It is simple tactics. I would understand if we were considered irreplaceable, but that is not my impression at all.

[ Sebastian had been very slightly leaning forward as he explained, so he sits back once more and folds his hands neatly in his lap, though his expression is still lightly puzzled. It's an odd thing to him, but it's also the sort of thing he may never understand, depending on where the choice of revivals came from. If it was compassion, he would always be at odds with it, for he could only view the action in terms of a tactician's view. ]

...Though I do at least understand the purpose as an exercise. It is bizarre, but the meaning there is easy enough to discern.

CONSIGNMENT: IC INBOX

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