milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Whatcha planning on doing, writing notes?"

Yes, that is Ed's way of greeting him. The tone might be a bit jeering, but it's contradicted with a smile.

Setting on one way to be, Elric!

Russell looks up from sketching arrays, not surprised to see Ed in the least.

"No, I 've already written those," he says simply with a small grin, "it's arrays this time."

"What kind of arrays?"

Ed looks interested now, and tries to peer over his shoulder.

"We're still trying to find a cure for red water," Russell explains, "it's been...difficult."

Russell doesn't let on how much he's been struggling with it.

"Have you figured out anything new about it?"

Ed's face is more serious, now. Well -- this is important.

Russell shakes his head. "I thought we might be getting somewhere with trying to draw the sickness out of the lungs...but, nothing permamnent yet."

He idly draws a curl to end of one line.

"What happens when you try to do that? Does it just spread back out?"

"I think it's had too much time to take hold, it won't let go so easily. Were trying poultices enhanced with arrays this time..."

Russell looks back up at Ed. "Have you come across any information about red water after since you left Xenotime?"

It seems like so long ago.

"Not much," Ed says, regretfully. If there had been anything - he doesn't remember it very easily.

"There's something that acts kind of like that, where I am. But I think it has a different cause."

Russell eyes get a little bigger, "what does it do? Are the symptoms the same?"

"It's a lot of coughing, yeah. And fevers, an' getting very tired." Ed doesn't know too much about it - he hasn't seen it up close, but people talk about it a lot. He's glad he hasn't had to see it up close, yet.

Russell nods, mentally writing this information down.

"And there's no cure for it either?"

"...not yet." Yeah, maybe that hadn't been something to mention. But it'd just kind of come out! "But if they do, I can tell you! And then you can figure something out."

:D?

Russell gives Ed another tiny grin.

"Maybe the sicknesses are so much alike that it will help. The similarities could be there for a reason."

Ed beams a little at the fact he might have helped him after all. -- Helped to figure out the sicknesses a little. It wasn't about Russell at all, really.

"There are a lot of things that are similiar for a reason. It's kinda weird that way."

Part of Russell wants to actually see this other world for himself, but then he remembers that if Ed can't return, then he wouldn't be able to either.

"Maybe we could work together on this," he says suddenly, wondering why in the world he was even thinking about it. Then again, it could help to have another mind tp help.

Ed pauses at that, looking obviously surprises to hear Russell suggest that.

-- but even if he's surprised, and even if he's supposed to think of this guy as a jerk, that doesn't mean it doesn't sound like a good idea.

"I wouldn't mind that."

If Ed's surprised, Russell is even more so. In fact, it felt like he was betraying Fletcher by even thinking it.

So Russell just nods stiffly, not saying anything, and feeling even more guilty about not telling Fletcher who probably wouldn't believe him about this place anyway.

Russell looks a little nervous now and knows he should say something.

"Do...um. Do they have medicine that they use to try and slow the sickness down?"

"Um. Sometimes they send people to sanitoria - they're like these places in better climates. It's supposed to make your breathing better so the sickness gets better."

Ed thinks.

"Sometimes they sort of collapse the lungs too. They say that helps - but it sounds really creepy to me."

Russell thinks this over. "Sending people to better climates...definitely something to try."

He pauses.

"But...collapsing lungs, that doesn't sound safe."

"I don't think so either. But I don't think people really know what to do. If it gives them hope - they're willing to try a lot."

Ed's voice is quieter, now that they're talking about all of this. It's not really... a happy subject.

Russell wanted to try as much as he could, but was limited because of some people's reluctance, as well his own, to put them in danger.

"There's got to be more information out there than what I've found so far."

That's also part of the reason why Russell wants to be a state alchemist, more information.

"Have you talked to anyone who has it?" Ed asks. "That might help a bit."

"Many of them don't know much more about it than I do. And the people who do know about red water don't seem to want to talk about it."

Russell looks a little angrier now, "especially not to some kids."

"So write 'em letters. Who are they gonna know who's talking? It's for everyone's own good, anyway."

What, deception? Ed? Never.