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Random brainstorming
FMA has officially eaten my brain. *offers it some ketchup*
I have a longish fic idea now - nowhere near the same scale as Blood of the Planet, god no, I won't be that masochistic again anytime soon XD - that I'd really like to write, but I keep running into logistics problems. Can't get all the pegs to fit in the holes.
Basically, the idea I have is a "Al gets restored! Let's see what happens next!" plotbunny. I know pretty much what'll happen after - because I like symbolic reflections and stuff, I want to get Al restored, but missing his left arm and right leg and thus needing automail. (Opposite of Ed's missing limbs, see. I'm a loser. XD)
The problem is GETTING there - I've got no idea how to get Al restored. The problems I've been having:
- My original thought was that Ed might try to transmute just a body for Al, and then transfer his soul from the armor to the body. On further thought, however, I realized that it's not in Ed's character to do this. That's pretty much just making a homunculus, and Ed wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole. Especially considering this is his little brother. Even if he did, there's too many ways that could go wrong, and Ed would know that.
- My second thought was that he'd quietly design a set of arrays, then sneak off with Al somewhere remote (so nobody would see the gigantic transmutation in progress) to take a brute-force approach to the restoration, by using multiple circles for better control. Problem: Ed might not necessarily try something like that if he weren't pushed up to the wire. If he still has room to move and work and plan, he'd probably want to go with a sure thing after his previous experience with human transmutation. He'd have no way of being sure that adding a bunch of extra circles would actually work. Again, this is his brother's life at stake, he wouldn't risk it if he could still try and find a surer way.
Which basically leaves me with two options: deus ex machina in a Philosopher's Stone, or bullshit for great justice.
The Philosopher's Stone would be relatively easy, I'd just have to come up with some explanation as to how and where they found it. The first half-ish of the fic could be buildup to them stumbling across it.
Problem - I am, as stated, a loser. Some inner whiny part of me is going "Nooo! Everyone else does that, and they do it way better than me! I wanna think of a different way!" XD
Maybe I can bullshit something about ley lines. Like, maybe... Ed inadvertently picks up some book about mysticism or something, realizes his mistake after scanning a couple pages, and is about to put it away when he catches a reference to amplification... looks further, finds a few more passing references that lead him to believe the writer of the book just misunderstood alchemy, and gets the idea to track down a junction of ley lines or something and try getting Al's body back there because the area would naturally amplify his alchemy...
...Yeah, I dunno. That sounds a lot lamer than it did in my head. XD;;
If all else fails, I'll gag the whiny voice and use the Philosopher's Stone.
Any helpful suggestions would be deeply appreciated. XD
I have a longish fic idea now - nowhere near the same scale as Blood of the Planet, god no, I won't be that masochistic again anytime soon XD - that I'd really like to write, but I keep running into logistics problems. Can't get all the pegs to fit in the holes.
Basically, the idea I have is a "Al gets restored! Let's see what happens next!" plotbunny. I know pretty much what'll happen after - because I like symbolic reflections and stuff, I want to get Al restored, but missing his left arm and right leg and thus needing automail. (Opposite of Ed's missing limbs, see. I'm a loser. XD)
The problem is GETTING there - I've got no idea how to get Al restored. The problems I've been having:
- My original thought was that Ed might try to transmute just a body for Al, and then transfer his soul from the armor to the body. On further thought, however, I realized that it's not in Ed's character to do this. That's pretty much just making a homunculus, and Ed wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole. Especially considering this is his little brother. Even if he did, there's too many ways that could go wrong, and Ed would know that.
- My second thought was that he'd quietly design a set of arrays, then sneak off with Al somewhere remote (so nobody would see the gigantic transmutation in progress) to take a brute-force approach to the restoration, by using multiple circles for better control. Problem: Ed might not necessarily try something like that if he weren't pushed up to the wire. If he still has room to move and work and plan, he'd probably want to go with a sure thing after his previous experience with human transmutation. He'd have no way of being sure that adding a bunch of extra circles would actually work. Again, this is his brother's life at stake, he wouldn't risk it if he could still try and find a surer way.
Which basically leaves me with two options: deus ex machina in a Philosopher's Stone, or bullshit for great justice.
The Philosopher's Stone would be relatively easy, I'd just have to come up with some explanation as to how and where they found it. The first half-ish of the fic could be buildup to them stumbling across it.
Problem - I am, as stated, a loser. Some inner whiny part of me is going "Nooo! Everyone else does that, and they do it way better than me! I wanna think of a different way!" XD
Maybe I can bullshit something about ley lines. Like, maybe... Ed inadvertently picks up some book about mysticism or something, realizes his mistake after scanning a couple pages, and is about to put it away when he catches a reference to amplification... looks further, finds a few more passing references that lead him to believe the writer of the book just misunderstood alchemy, and gets the idea to track down a junction of ley lines or something and try getting Al's body back there because the area would naturally amplify his alchemy...
...Yeah, I dunno. That sounds a lot lamer than it did in my head. XD;;
If all else fails, I'll gag the whiny voice and use the Philosopher's Stone.
Any helpful suggestions would be deeply appreciated. XD
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Damn me, though, I've gotten all attached to the leyline idea, even though I knew I shouldn't have. I am loser.
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(I guess what I'm hoping is that somebody will look at my leyline idea, consider it, and then tell me if it's good or if I fail at fanfiction. XD)
I am awfully attached to this idea, though...
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(Anonymous) 2005-08-25 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)"Aiko... what's a 'panty?'"
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(All the same, w00t. XD We should really, like... do something with Aiko and Dallen again sometime.)
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(Anonymous) 2005-08-26 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)Yeah, we should, but... WHAT? =dramaticgasp=