Consignment - Alphonse Elric

[alchemicallybonded]

PLAYER INFO.
✖ Handle: Xae
✖ Contact: Tsukeru | trucidoindignus@gmail.com
✖ Are You Over 16: Y
✖ Other Characters Played in Consignment: None

CHARACTER INFO.
✖ Character Name: Elric, Alphonse
✖ Canon: Fullmetal Alchemist | Chapter 102: Before the Gate - After turning down the opportunity to return to his body.
✖ Character Appearance: Armor | Soul | Body (nudity) | Healthy (human)
✖ Character Age: 15
✖ Pick A Number: 189 and 680

✖ Canon Setting:

The country of Amestris is the main location of the Fullmetal Alchemist series. It was officially founded over three hundred and sixty years ago by the man known as the Philosopher of the East. He provided them with the knowledge of alchemy, which spread throughout Amestris. This opened the door to the expansion of the country. They’ve had many wars over the following years which resulted in taking over the surrounding countries. During the events of the series, it greatly resembles the way our own world was back in the 1900s. Automobiles, trains, telephones and even some of the buildings mimic this time period. There are still some who travel by horse-and-buggy, but this is only in the more remote regions of the country. Even gas lamps and coal are being replaced by electricity (once again, it’s more popular in the bigger cities). Firearms are the most common weaponry that range from pistols to machine guns. A recent development has been the tank which was built by the researchers in the Northern area known as Briggs. There is one area where the people of Amestris are quite advanced and in this in the field of prosthetics known as ‘automail’. While basic prosthetics do still exist, automail is an automotive, armored substitute which gives the amputee more control and versatility. They are tough to break and may not even resemble the missing limb. Some replace their appendages with large weapons instead of a replica, while others may have secret compartments that hide blades or other weaponry. Every day there are advancements in automail to make it better or unique. Automail links directly to the nervous system; this allows the user direct control over the limb much like they would control their own appendage. However, automail is not for the weak. The surgery and attachment of the new limb hurt a great deal, and there are some who wouldn’t go through the trouble. It requires years to recover from the surgery alone and rehabilitation. Only one person has successfully managed to shorten that recovery time from three years down to one. (Another attempted to do it in six months but it wasn’t quite as successful.) Automail is not just for humans either. These pieces of work can be attached to animals as well, but this isn’t shown much the series. In the last few centuries, the science of alchemy has progressed as well. There are hardly any corners left in the country that doesn’t know the word (though to many they may consider it to be magic or miracles). Alchemy is the act of manipulating and altering matter from one form to another. This is called transmutation. There are three steps to completing a transmutation. Comprehension, which involves understanding the molecular makeup of the material. Destruction, which involves using energy to break down the material so that it becomes more malleable for the last phase. And reconstruction, which is the continuation of that energy flow to reform the particles into a new shape. Due to this complex process, one can’t simply jump into alchemy and expect to be able to transmute something right away. Most people have to study the elements before they’re ready for the first process. And even then, they have to have just the right knack to get it right. Nearly all alchemists have to map out circles in order to transmute. There are a very small number of individuals who are capable of using alchemy by using their own bodies as the circle. No matter what the case, all alchemists must adhere to the law of Equivalent Exchange: "In order to obtain or create something, something of equal value must be lost or destroyed." It isn’t possible to make something out of nothing, they must have the materials. The Philosopher’s Stone appears to be the only exception to this rule. However, while it may seem as though the stone lets an alchemist bypass the laws, it holds a terrible secret. Inside those stones are thousands of human souls. While it may appear that an alchemist is producing something out of nothing, these souls are being converted into raw energy and used. If an alchemist doesn’t have sufficient materials it can result in a rebound. The alchemical forces are thrown out of balance and in the process of trying to stabilize themselves can result in horrific consequences. This rebound attacks the alchemist often causing a mutation, serious injury and even death. Even if a Philosopher’s Stone is used, a rebound can happen if there are no more souls inside the stone. This is why both the law of Equivalent Exchange and the first phase of transmutation are so important to alchemy. There are two laws set by the government that all alchemists must obey no matter what. They cannot transmute gold (as it would throw the economy out of balance) and they cannot perform human transmutation. Unfortunately, mankind is a curious by nature; several individuals in the series have broken both of these laws - the Amestrian government is one of the biggest culprits. Not only where they responsible for the creation of several Philosopher’s Stones but they’ve dabbled in other human experimentation. Creating chimeras is one of the more popular experiments the government involves itself in. These creatures are a mix of two creatures (humans included), bound together by alchemy. Other experiments involve bonding human souls to inanimate objects or animal souls to human bodies. Al falls into this category (though he was hardly an experiment). The circumstance of his situation was brought about by trying to revive the dead, a transmutation that will always end in failure. As a deceased soul cannot be returned to the world, reviving the dead is the one that alchemy can’t accomplish. Simply trying is a price that man can’t afford to pay. For Ed and Al, it took Ed’s leg and Al’s entire body. Just binding Al’s soul to a suit of armor cost his brother his arm. When an alchemist does attempt human transmutation, they will find themselves standing before a large Gate -- in “God’s” domain. This is a metaphysical dimension where a being known as Truth resides alongside the Gate of Truth. An alchemist is forcibly given knowledge in exchange for parts of their body and their body becomes the formula needed in transmutation circles. Thus they can perform alchemy without the need of drawing out the circles simply by forming the circle with their body. While the dead can’t be revived, human-like creatures can be artificially created with alchemy. These creatures are known at homunculus and play important roles throughout the series. All eight beings were once part of the Philosopher of the West and do his bidding. They lurk in the shadows of Amestris, often to help “Father” with his goal of creating another powerful Philosopher’s Stone. One of them even holds the highest seat in the government in order to manipulate the people of the country. All of the homunculus carry their own Philosopher’s Stone that gives them longevity and regenerative abilities, along with one unique ability. Due to the military law against human transmutation there are only a very small percentage of people who know of the homunculus’ existence. Alchemy isn’t the only important change in this particular world. Across the desert is a country known as Xing where they practice alkahestry. It was brought to the people by the Philosopher of the West. While alchemy claims to have roots in the tetonic shifts of the earth and is geared towards scientific practice, alkahestry draws from the life energy of the very planet – nourishing as it goes and is used for medicinal purposes. Alkahestry does still require a circle but by using the flowing energy, they can also project their transmutations over a long distance. This is something that the alchemists of Amestris can’t possibly do. Due to the differences, alchemists like Al and Ed would have a slightly difficult time grasping the concept of using the earth’s ‘chi’ in a short amount of time. Given enough time, both could be mastered as alchemy and alkahestry came from the same concept hundreds of years ago. The origins of alchemy and Amestris are deeply intertwined. Even the government appears to have been created for the sake of alchemy. Wars have been fought and blood has been shed in order to create a transmutation circle out of the entire country. If one were to look at a map, Amestris is very nearly a perfect circle. All of this has been done for the sole purpose of offering up all fifty million souls for transmutation. The military has been nothing more than a pawn in this plan; many of the higher ups were led to believe that they would gain immortality for their part in it. It wasn’t that long ago when no one would have questioned what the military has done for the country. Even today most of the citizens live in ignorance of a greater plan. Life in Amestris can be a relatively easy one so long as they don’t know what lurks in the shadows.

✖ Character History:

"On the day we left, we burnt down the family home, and all the familiar things inside... because some memories aren't meant to leave traces."

✖ Character Personality:

Al is likely to be one of the kindest, gentlest and most caring individuals a person could ever meet. It isn’t difficult to see that about him. He’s the sort who would go out of his way in order to help someone with their problems. It’s even easy for him to set aside his own troubles and wants in order to help those around him. It doesn’t stop at just being nice to regular people – he’s also nice to his enemies. On one occasion, Al attempted to warn some men about shooting him because the bullets would ricochet off of his armor and hurt them instead. Unfortunately, his kindness is what prevents him from killing. While Al will hurt bad people or use his appearance to intimidate if necessary, he just can’t bring himself to take their life. Even though he refuses to kill, it doesn’t mean that Al will be able to forgive them for the things they’ve done. He’d rather see them locked up than dead. This moral code doesn’t end at just him; Al sometimes reaches out to stop his brother from killing too. It will also be very difficult for him to stand back and watch others kill right in front of him. He may step in to stop the conflict and will use force if he has to. Much to Ed’s dismay, Al often picks up stray cats. On rare occasions, he may even pick up people. He has this natural instinct to take care of helpless animals; he just can't abandon a living creature in need. This is how he came across several people who later became some of their good friends and allies. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear that Al has a soft spot for children. As someone who knows what it feels like to lose almost everything, Al is especially weak towards those who have suffered or are sad. He’ll attempt to cheer them up or make them feel better, even if it’s just for a moment. When he interacts with them, it’s clear to see that Al is still a kid underneath that armor. Generally, Al is gentle when dealing with the world around him. It’s rare for him to raise his voice towards other people, preferring quieter and more rational ways of dealing with every situation. He’ll step in between two people fighting and try to defuse the anger. Because his brother is such a naturally explosive force, it has become Al’s job to take up the role of the voice of reason. When someone calls his brother ‘short’, he has to resort to physically holding him back while calming him down or distracting him. He isn’t only gentle emotionally but also physically. The phrase “gentle giant” can definitely be applied in Al’s case. He's very aware that with his size and strength, he can hurt someone from the even the most simple of actions. As hurting someone is the last thing he wants to do, Al takes care to be conscious of every move that he makes. This is what makes him so good with animals. Despite the fact that they can be the most vicious of things, Al often accepts whatever they do to him. In comparison to a lot of people, Al is a polite and respectful individual. His manner of speak is one way this shows and it’s in the form of using proper titles or certain phrases. While Ed might barge in without so much as a ‘hello’ or ‘excuse me’, Al would never do such a thing. He treats most people he meets with respect and generally continues to, especially if they’re respectful back towards him. If others start to get friendlier with him, Al will reciprocate but the respectful disposition does not waver. Being friendly toward him actually encourages him to ease up over time. This is an excellent way for someone to get Al to not be so formal with them rather than trying to tell him that it’s okay. While Al is usually courteous, there can be incidences where someone does something to lose his respect. With this particular kid, it's not exactly an easy thing to accomplish. They'll have to do something downright awful to sullen his opinion of them to that extent. Hurting a person he cares about and being unrepentant about it is one example of a way to fall out of Al's favor. Unless the other person completely destroys the relationship that they have, however, Al's respect can be re-earned. Another thing people will notice almost immediately (especially when standing next to his brother) is that he’s very calm. When a situation turns bad, he’s likely to keep his head and he certainly doesn’t have Ed or even Winry’s tempers. That’s not to say that Al doesn’t have a temper but the fuse is pretty long and by the time he can’t hold it in anymore, someone else has already gotten mad for him. So the calmness he has already only seems to be more than it really is because of them (not that he isn’t grateful that they’re constantly sticking up for him). There are several instances when he gets downright angry and the chance to express it. Once at his brother who tried to sacrifice himself in order to save him and another time it was directed at a couple of chimeras who had given up becoming human again. Even if he does get the chance to be mad, Al is never too violent with people. That’s usually reserved for when his brother is being especially stupid. Of course, there are some situations that not even Al can contain his calm. He is prone to panicking if something is extreme enough, such as when he wondered what his body looked like on the other side of the Gate or the very idea of facing an angry Teacher. To be quite honest, Izumi Curtis is one individual who Al both respects and fears at the same time. She’s an accomplished alchemist who has the capability of kicking his ass – literally. It doesn’t matter that Al dwarfs her in size or is even better at fighting than his brother; she’s the one who taught them everything. Not to mention that she won’t hesitate to throw sharp pointy objects straight at them for real. Al may also panic when an emergency he has no experience dealing with surfaces. One example would be that one time he encountered a woman who was going into labor. Medical attention was unattainable at that time, and that stressed Al out a lot. A lot of the time, his panicky overreactions are more for comedic effect than anything. However, on the rarer occasions that his distress manifests itself as silence, that's when it's easy to tell that the situation is truly frightening. When Barry the Chopper implanted the idea that Al might not be real, it festered inside of him for a long time. It was made worse by something Ed had said to him earlier. While he might not be carrying that around with him anymore, he does have something just as terrible hanging over him at the moment. Al’s constantly worried that his armor body has started to reject his soul. He's even more worried about the fact that there's nothing he - or anyone can do - about it. It’s something he hasn’t been able to talk about with his brother due to the circumstances and this worry has had months to only grow worse. Between the brothers, Al is the more patient one. He’s usually not in a rush to do things unless it involves getting their bodies back or saving someone. Then again, Al has a lot more free time to fill so whatever he doesn’t finish in the daylight hours, he can do at night. While Ed doesn’t like to sit still whenever he’s awake, Al can stay in one place and not move for hours. Once he sat there long enough for a bird to use him as a perch. The only time when this is reversed is when Ed is completely engrossed in his alchemy studies. Al is the one more likely to wander away first because his brother is so deeply focused that he doesn’t pay attention to his surroundings. Getting Ed away from his alchemy studies can be a bit difficult but Al knows just how to do it. He doesn’t have that restless energy that other people do in his current state. Despite his seemingly endless patience, his mind is always working. Just because Al doesn’t need to fill every moment of his day with movement it doesn’t mean he can turn off his thoughts. He’s had quite a bit more time to think about the things that have happened in their life and what the future might hold. There’s the simple fact that he might not be completely ready for a romantic relationship but he is the one who has considered it first. When he was younger, he approached Winry about having a crush on her even if she turned him down. He knows that with his current body, having a girlfriend isn’t going to be normal and if he can’t even have a pet then having a girlfriend wouldn’t be easy either. Just because Al has thought about these things more than Ed, he may be completely oblivious to someone who has feelings for him. He can see the emotions of another pair of people but not always the ones directed towards him. When Al discovered that the ingredients to make a Philosopher’s Stone were human lives he refused to go anywhere near it. It didn’t matter if it was their best bet to get their bodies back, Al simply refused. He won’t sacrifice someone else for his own selfish reasons. Recently, Al has used a Philosopher's Stone in battle. That was only because someone had told him to let the poor souls inside help him fight the people responsible for taking their lives. The reasoning was agreeable with Al, and he made that incident the only circumstance he would ever sacrifice a human being. To him, the fact that he’s stuck in a suit of armor is nobody’s fault but his and Ed’s and they’re the ones who have to fix it. While he may accept outside help on a solution, he doesn't enjoy the idea of others getting hurt or worse because of him. This was made apparent when Hughes died while investigating a lead for the Elrics. The brothers actually considered giving up on their goal because of it but some words of encouragement from Mrs. Hughes prevented that from happening. Ever since he was young, Al has been fascinated with alchemy. It started out as idle curiosity but the praise they received from their mom turned it into a real passion for him. After she died, the idea of bringing her back with alchemy consumed their life so much that they lost interest in their schoolwork and found themselves an alchemy teacher. Bringing Trisha Elric back to life seemed like such an easy thing to two grieving children. They could buy every item they needed on a child's allowance. By the time they realized something had gone horribly wrong with the transmutation, it was too late. Al’s life was saved only because of the sacrifice his brother made on his behalf. Emotionally and physically damaged, they could do nothing but live with their failure. Despite their losses, the boys continued on practicing alchemy. While their main focus is getting their bodies back, they do generally enjoy studying. In their future, both of them leave Amestris to learn how the science of alchemy developed in other countries. Al is a very friendly individual. Children and animals like him, but he also seem to get along with most adults. It's perhaps both his politeness and his eagerness to make friends that make him more approachable to most. He might not be as out-going as his brother but it never stops him from getting to know someone. The brothers do have this tendency to stick together in a way that any friends they make are friends of them both. That doesn't mean Al has any trouble making friends on his own, however. In some cases, it’s actually easier this way. Not everyone understands his brother’s personality right away. With Al, it’s a bit easier to get along with from the beginning. It’s also a fairly big deal that Ed is part of the military. While it opens doors they wouldn’t normally be able to get through, it also has a tendency to close them. When people harbor displeased feelings for those in the military, Al is happily welcomed instead. Not to mention that Al can get lost in the background of things due to his brother being loud and flashy. Recently, he had the opportunity to return to his body for good. However, it didn’t take him long to reject it. Al knew that his skinny and weak human body wouldn’t be any good in the fight to come. Getting his body back has been something he’s wanted for years and years, yet he sacrificed the chance when it was presented to him. He couldn’t take it back knowing that other people could suffer for his choice. There was simply no way that Al could let his friends fight alone. Al knows that it may be his only chance to get his body back and he turned it down. This kind of self-sacrifice is just part of who Al is and he can’t change it. While he won’t stand for any injustice towards others, he will pay almost any price for the sake of someone else. Even though his body accepted his choice and praised it, it also knew that what waited for him could be more pain and suffering. Essentially, this is story of Al’s life and he knows it. He still takes the chance that his choices could have terrible consequences for him. Al is protective towards both those he cares for and those he’s just met. To him, time isn’t a factor when it comes to saving their life. For that, Al would do anything. Throughout the series, he’s shown protecting and defending all kinds of people. There were even a couple times when he hid them inside his armor in order to achieve this. Despite the fact that someone once died this way and it was a traumatic experience for Al, it doesn’t prevent him from doing it again in the future. (On a more comical note, this is often how Al tries to keep his stray animals hidden from his brother. Their meowing tends to give them away.) To be quite honest, Al would do anything to protect people he hasn’t even met yet. He intended to take on Father so that he couldn’t use all of the people of Amestris in his transmutation even though he hardly knows all fifty million of them. If Al will go to these lengths to protect people he doesn’t know, it speaks loudly about those he does care about. He isn’t above hitting them out of worry and disappointment when they do something to endanger themselves. If he has the opportunity, Al will become a shield in order to protect them from harm. To Al, loyalty and trust are important. It’s important for him to have it for others and for them to have it for him. His relationship with his brother is so tight-knit that it would be hard to shake his faith in Ed. There aren’t many who reach this particular level but it isn’t that hard to gain his trust in the first place. Al can usually tell when someone is deserving of his trust thanks to his good sense of judgment. While it won’t be instant, he will at least stick around for them to earn his loyalty. Once they’ve earned it, his loyalty is fairly unshakable and Al will stand up for them. On the other hand, Al is a pretty good judge of character. There’s actually a moment in the series where a bunch of strange thugs try to get him to come along with them and Al turns them down in a rather sassy way. In the end, they have to resort to kidnapping him and let’s not forget the fact that he went after getting a suspicious note in the first place. So while he has pretty good judgment, it’s far from perfect. If his loyalty is a force to be reckoned with then it pales in comparison to his determination. It’s a trait that runs his family; so really, it’s not surprising that he has such a strong conviction. While Al may not make a loud scene like his brother, no one can say that he’d lose in this aspect. Pit him against his brother and neither of them will win or lose in an argument. Usually they don’t have a problem since they’re both working towards the same thing. It was their determination that convinced their teacher to take them on as students and the thing that saved them when they had to survive a month on their own. One example of his determination would be in his dealings with the Philosopher’s Stone. When he learned what it was made of, he was downtrodden. But he didn’t give up; he simply swore to find another way. If Al doesn’t like the options given to him, he’ll try to find another way to accomplish what he wants to do. The part of him that puts his brother first is a little driven by self-guilt. For years, he thought that he was the one responsible for their failure. Al believed that it was his fault that Ed lost two of his limbs and that their mom didn’t come back to life. While he was willing to accept his punishment, he could only feel guilty for what happened to his brother. Even if it wasn’t either of their faults, Al definitely blamed himself for the loss of Ed’s arm as it was the price for his soul. Funny thing is that Ed blamed himself for what happened and never said anything to him for years. When they realized that it was truly impossible to bring someone back from the dead, some of that guilt eased up. Al actually thanked his brother for discovering that and admitted that he thought he killed their mom for a second time. Not everything about Al is sunshine and rainbows thanks to the tragic incident. Due to the fact that Al can’t sleep or feel the sensation of physical touch he often feels cut off from other people. He’s often left alone with his thoughts while most of the world sleeps. This is how Al has spent almost three years of his life and while he doesn’t regret the fact that he’s alive or that alchemy saved his life, there are several downsides to living like this. Being alone at night is a very lonely thing for Al, so much that it’s hard to take at times. There is no escaping the horrors he’s witnessed by possibly having a peaceful dream and he has to deal with his issues in other ways. Yet he also isn’t plagued by the nightmares that his brother has either. Al can’t even cry when he needs to. Part of him is also afraid of the very real fact that his armor body has started to reject his soul. It isn’t something he can put a stop to and he knows that he’s running out of time. Rather than stress himself out about it, he tries to use what time he does have to help his friends. Despite that, Al tries to be an optimist most of the time. He tries to look on the brighter side of things because otherwise they could really drown in the horrible life they’ve lived. To help him deal with his lack of body, Al keeps a list of foods he’d like to eat when he gets his body back. On that top of that list is Winry’s apple pie. Logically, he knows that the emaciated body waiting for him won’t be able to actually eat it but he still likes to think about it. Of course, he’s also looking forward to feeling things again too. When his optimism falters, all Al has to do is look towards his brother. It’s hard to be a pessimist when he’s got a crazy sibling to look up to. Ed is pretty much his steady rock. Sometimes the things Al gets depressed over are small things, such as when people point out his size. Yes, he’s fifteen and huge. For a guy who’s nothing more than a suit of armor, Al is fairly expressive. He may not be able to smile or look angry but he’s learned to compensate for that with his body language. With an excessive amount of time on his hands, he knows just how to move to intimidate someone or make himself appear relatively harmless. It’s hard to miss his full-body reactions to things. Still, Al has the best poker face in Amestris. Even if it might be hard to tell what his mood is by looking at him, there’s no hiding all of the emotion in his voice. This is often the part of him that clues people in to the fact that he might not be as old as he looks and not because it doesn’t sound like an adult’s voice. He’s gotten very good at making him seem older than he actually is by putting more force into the words he chooses to speak. There are times when he unconsciously seems smaller and younger because of it too. Then there’s the fact that Al makes noises that he physically isn’t capable of like sighing, coughing and sneezing. This is because he’s pretending to be a guy in a suit of armor and not just the armor. All throughout this app there have been comparisons of Al’s personality to his brother’s but it wouldn’t be complete without talking about their relationship directly. Just after when Al was born, they didn’t get along if anyone would believe that. Ed used to pick on him because it seemed like their mother liked Al better. This involved pushing him or slapping him which would make Al cry. After some stellar parenting from their father, Ed started to treat his brother better and it was the start of the relationship seen today. By the time their dad left a couple years later, his big brother was taking him to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Despite being one family member short, they grew up to be fairly happy thanks to their loving member. Everything changed when she died. Suddenly, the only family they had was each other. The possibility of losing his sibling for good isn’t something Al is prepared to handle even though he’s very capable of sacrificing himself for Ed’s sake. While they both tend to act as if they’ve completely grown up, they haven’t and sometimes need to be reminded of that fact. They have a very co-dependant relationship at times. Opening up about their problems to outsiders isn’t something they do a lot and instead depend on each other. Being the younger brother, Al’s always been the one tagging along after Ed. Despite that, there are times when he’s the mature one in their relationship. Ed doesn’t always take care of himself as well as he should - and this isn’t only about the fact that he gets into a lot of fights. Sometimes his brother will forget the simple things like eating or taking precautions from getting sick like not having a blanket when he sleeps. These are the instances where Al might as well be a mother instead of a younger brother. Still, he enjoys looking after his brother and doesn’t do it with too much complaint. Due to the fact that they’ve been around each other most of their lives, there are times when they don’t have to say anything to have to understand their sibling. They don’t say things like “I love you” because it doesn’t need to be said, they know how much they mean to each other. Chances are good that one of them is upset, the other is too. This is part of the reason they work so well together in a fight. Communicating doesn’t become an issue and they support each other equally. Part of this is due to the fact that they both learned to fight at the same time from the same teacher. Ed has the tendency to be unpredictable but doesn’t matter because Al is there to cover his back. Despite their co-dependency, they’re capable of acting independently. Recent events have forced them to spilt up and make decisions on their own. Sometimes they don’t always quite do what the other expects but their faith in each other is unshaken. Another of his significant relationships is with ‘the girl next door’, Winry Rockbell. The Elric brothers have been friends with her practically their whole lives and she was even the girl they both had a crush on. After being rejected, he bears no ill will towards her. Instead, he’s settled into the role of being her best friend. Al has accepted that his brother and Winry have feelings for each other and is waiting for the day when she becomes his sister-in-law for real. Even though Al might keep things from Winry to spare her feelings, he knows that if he has a problem that he can always go to her. Winry is the person who worries about the most about them. She cries because Al can’t and Ed won’t, she helps Al oil his armor and yells at Ed when he breaks his automail. But she’s also someone who encourages them too. Another prominent figure in his life is Pinako, Winry’s grandma. After Trisha died it was Pinako who took the Elric brothers in and cared for them. Pinako isn’t just their caretaker though; she’s practically their grandma too. Al’s relationship with her is a good one. He respects her a great deal considering she raised not just her own granddaughter but also two neighbor kids. Whenever he goes to the Rockbell’s house, Al considers himself to be home but the reason its home is because of the people waiting for them.

✖ Character Powers & Skills:

☽ Alchemy (power) The science of manipulating and transforming matter into another shape. An individual needs an understanding of alchemy and chemistry to even begin. And Alphonse started studying at a young age. He and Ed started going through their father's books after he left and their mother encouraged them both. They started off small, manipulating floorboard materials to take the shape of wooden animals. It was something they did for fun and because it made their mother smile. When she died and they made the decision to bring her back with alchemy, it became an obsession. Math and science at school became boring for them because they were learning things beyond their years through alchemy. Eventually they needed a teacher and found one of the best in the country. Izumi taught them almost everything she knew in a span of six months and they soaked it up like a pair of sponges. The boys went from making cute animals to fixing entire buildings with alchemy. Despite the fact that human transmutation was forbidden among alchemists, the boys still attempted to bring back their mother. It failed. Technically they had everything they needed to perform it successfully...except Trisha's soul. In theory it could have worked but there is no price that can equal a human soul so while they animated something it certainly wasn't their mother. Al will never attempt human transmutation again because of this event though he is technically capable of it. The sheer shock of losing his entire body affected his memories of what happened after. So while Ed was able to perform transmutations by simply clapping, Al wasn't. It wasn't until some time later when someone died inside of his armor that he remembered. He hasn't had as much practice at "clapping" alchemy as his brother but is capable of it now. Like in all studies of science, Al must follow the laws and steps of alchemy. Comprehension, destruction, and reconstruction is the pattern most alchemists follow when performing alchemy though both Scar and Ed can stop at the destruction stage. He must also be conscious of the law of Equivalent Exchange. Al can't create something out of nothing, he has to have the materials to make something and an idea of what he's actually making. There's also a chance of weakening/degrading a structure if he uses materials from them so he has to be careful. In comparison to his brother, Al's creations are normal - just look at that. There are no added horns or weird faces or gothic details that make most people slightly horrified or appalled. So if you want something NORMAL-LOOKING or simply fixed, come to Alphonse. ☽ Armored Soul (power) Maybe not quite a power though some might view it this way because it's certainly not a skill. A couple of years ago he and his brother attempted human transmutation and because of it, Al lost his entire body. Ed sacrificed his right arm in order to bring Al's soul back into the world and with alchemy, bonded it to a suit of armor in their father's study. Now that's basically all Al is - a soul stuck to a hunk of metal while his real body waits at the Gate for them to figure out a way to bring it back. Without the help of a Philosopher's Stone, Al can't fix himself and has to rely on Ed (once Father fixed him). They would need as much of the original material as they can possibly get or else the rest of his armor would have to be thinned down to replace missing parts. Due to being a soul bonded to a suit of armor through alchemy, there are a lot of abilities he has that normal humans don't. Some of them Al sees them as a downside to the way he lives while on occasion they're rather helpful. Al can't feel, this means no pain or aches and he can lose a limb or get stabbed and keep going like it never happened. Of course losing a limb can hinder him and it means that Ed has to fix him up but it seems small when compared to other people being amputated or hurt. He won't die from blood loss and any damage he does get can be fixed up in the blink of an eye. Dying is still a possibility though if someone so much as scratches the bloodseal on the inside of his armor. On the other side of that, he can't feel anything good. He's lost the ability to feel the warmth of someone hugging him or a nice pat on the head. Sure he can see it happening but that's completely different from feeling it. Due to the fact that he can't feel anything, this also means that he can't feel hot or cold temperatures. This means he can survive easily enough in desert settings or even in a blizzard without needing any type of covering. Though he can fill up with sand or snow and sink into it, therefore effectively getting stuck. Al will need help getting out of those situations. There is some kind of sensation otherwise he wouldn't be able to move that hunk of metal but it's not something that's easy to describe. Once a piece of him has been detached from the main torso, Al can't operate that part anymore. It will need be reattached for him to use it again. This means he doesn't actually need a head to see or hear. Al doesn't need to sleep or eat, though it's more like he can't. His non-living body has no need for those kinds of things which means any food he gets can go to someone who does need it. This is something Al misses a great deal, to the point where he even keeps a list of foods he wants to eat. Not to mention that he makes a good bodyguard for when people are sleeping. While they rest, he can make sure that nothing attacks and keep watch for signs of trouble. Nights are probably the worst part of the way Al's life is right now. Generally he's the only one awake and spending two years like that is rather lonely. Another part of being a suit of armor means that he has no lungs or any other organs. This means he has no need to breath and can survive in places with little to no oxygen even without a suit. Not having any organs means that they won't ever have to operate on Al if one of them goes wacky. No artificial hearts or appendicitis for this kid, that also means they can't be damaged. Al is actually completely hollow inside, which means that someone could easily get inside and has. He can become protection by sheltering someone (or something) inside of his body. There is also no way for Al to cry in order to express how sad he feels. Nor any eyelids to close so he would have to turn away in order for him to not witness something terrible. Being a suit of armor means that he won't ever change physically like normal people. He won't grow (why would he want to be bigger?) or put on a few pounds (unless he's got something inside). One might think him immortal thanks to this body but its far from it. A soul can reject the body its attached to and while the first two years of Al's life like this were uneventful, it hasn't been recently. In the last few months his soul has left this armor body behind and gone to visit his real body in the metaphysical place it resides. It's become more frequent and for longer periods of time. This leaves his metal body vulnerable to attack and someone could easily destroy the bloodseal that draws his soul back to the physical world while he's like this. His friends were even able to dismantle him and carry him in pieces while Al was away. After his soul returns to this body, Al is actually very disoriented. Taking control of a hunk of metal with nothing but his soul is a pretty amazing feat to start with so coming back is sort of difficult. He has no control over when or where this happens and one day his soul may not come back at all. ☽ Fighting (skill) Several years ago, Al and his older brother were trained not just in alchemy but also in fighting. This was mostly hand-to-hand combat which they both tend to rely on the most and Al usually tends to win in spars against his brother. However, he can fight with weapons if he wants to. More importantly Al has learned to combined his fighting with alchemy. Until recently he couldn't perform alchemy as simply as his brother but now that he can, Al has adapted to include it in his fights. ☽ Intellect (skill) Al is fairly intelligent for a kid his age. While he's not the genius that Ed is he can understand complicated things that full-grown adults might not grasp. This is especially true when it comes to chemistry and alchemy. As a kid he started reading his father's alchemy books and could comprehend what was in them. Together with Ed, they were able to decipher Dr. Marcoh's code. Due to Ed's explosive nature he often takes the backseat in most fights and provides support but he can be ingeniously creative when given the opportunity. It was his idea on how they could trap Pride. ☽ Hunting/Survival (skill) Spending a month on an island with nothing but his brother and a knife (and a crazy wild man) gave Al a good set of survival skills. Especially considering they weren't allowed to use alchemy. There Al learned how to build shelters and fires by hand while also learning how to hunt and fish. He made traps to catch the animals on land and spears to go fishing with. It took him a little while to be able to kill the animals but Al's gotten used to that at least.

CHARACTER SAMPLES.
✖ First Person POV: 01 | 02 | 03

✖ Third Person POV:

There’s always a warning before it happens - a flash of blinding white followed by the slow loss of sensation. He feels weak and it becomes more difficult to move the gloved hands or metal feet. It creeps up the limbs like one of Pride’s shadows until his legs can no longer full support his full weight and his hands can’t even hold on to anything. That’s how it starts - slowly as if the sole intent is to cause panic and it does its job far too well. He tries to fight it but it’s impossible to fight against something that has no physical form. Then it blinks out like a light. He exists and yet doesn’t at the same time. All around is a sea of endless white only broken up by the darkness of a huge Gate. At the foot of that Gate someone is waiting. They’ve been waiting there for a very long time and he always tries to get close to them. He tries to reach them but he’s never able to shrink the distance between then before everything goes dark. Sensation comes back to his body at a crawling pace and he’s lost more time than he thought. Sometimes it’s only a few minutes but these trips to nowhere have been getting longer. He has to get used to being in this body all over again and it terrifies him more than words can express. Soon it will be the last time he comes back to the world of the living. This time was different. He reached them -- touched them, talked to them. Right before he ran away from everything he’d been wanting for years. They were nothing more than skin and bones; too fragile to do what needed to be done and so he left it behind with nothing more than a promise to return for good. Going through the Gate should have meant going back to the world where things exist and live. He went straight towards the large red eye staring out at him, into the black tendrils that welcomed him like an old friend. It should have meant waking up but instead there’s nothing but blackness all around him. There’s something solid beneath his feet but no where to run in the dark. All of this reminds of that time when someone else controlled his body. “Hello?” The single words echoes in the nothing. “Hello,” an unfamiliar feminine voice answers him. “Who are you?” He asks curiously. None of this is right, it shouldn’t be happening like this and it makes him wary. Her voice seems to be right next to him when she speaks next, which causes him to turn towards it but there’s no one here except for him. “Who I am doesn’t matter.” “Of course it matters. You shouldn’t be here but you are.” Even he doesn’t know how he got stopped here. The longer he’s here, the more worried he gets. Almost everything about this time has been different and he’s starting to think that maybe he won’t be able to leave if he stays much longer. It’s silly for someone his but he’s afraid of being left in the dark without even a single sliver of light. There’s no moonlight shining in through the window or stars glittering against the night sky or even light streaking across the floor from where it enters under the door. All of the small comforts of the night he used to depend on aren’t here to soothe him. No one is breathing deeply in the bed nearby, or songs of nocturnal animals reach him here. There’s not even a single speck of color in this place except for his armor. It’s almost like not existing and all he has is the bodiless voice for company. Bodiless voices mean that there’s no one to fight. Yet without it he’s truly all alone. Not a comforting thought. “What matters is who you are, Alphonse Elric.” This time the voice is behind him and he spins around even though it’s pointless. “And what I can do for you.” Al can’t frown or look confused at the fact that this non-entity knows who he is but he’s on the defensive now. This woman has to be powerful as well as knowledgeable to be here with him – to catch him as he left that place. Even if his expression doesn’t change all of his emotions can be heard clearly in his voice -- mistrust, curiosity, with a hint of confusion. “What can you do for me?” “I can offer you the chance to save your world,” she replies in a light tone. A chance to save his world. Waiting for him outside in the world of light and color is a battle to save his entire country. The man called Father is waiting for the perfect moment to turn fifty million souls into a Philosopher’s Stone for selfish reasons. All of the people he cares about which has been his entire world for the last fifteen years are living in this country. Winry and Pinako, the familiar faces of his hometown, all of the people he’s met along his journey live in Amestris and he isn’t doing it just for them. He turned his back his human body to save everyone by fighting by his friend’s side. Al believes that they can do it. They can stop the transmutation and keep all of those people from becoming trapped. Yet somehow he doesn’t think she’s just talking about one country. If she knows Al at all then she’ll also know that he has so much faith in his friends and brother. None of them will give up until Amestris is safe. “Save it from what exactly?” She might be trying to trick him. Actually he’s sure that she is but the question is how. “Demolition,” is the simple answer. The single word repeats through his thoughts over and over until he thinks it might be stuck there. It doesn’t make sense. Demolition is usually reserved for abandoned or structurally unsound buildings – not entire planets with so much life. “What do you mean ‘demolition’? You can just destroy a planet!” His anger is flaring and there’s no one here to get mad first this time. Al rises to his feet so fast that it would have knocked anyone over if they had been standing close to him. The only sound is his leather gloves creaking as both fists tighten at his side. All he gets in return is a cryptic answer. “It’s on the schedule.” Silence surrounds him and everything is completely still – even Alphonse. He could stand there like this forever; not breathing, blinking or movement of any kind. Could she stay here like this too? It wouldn’t do any good probably. Maybe he does stand there forever because she speaks up again as if she’s grown impatient. “You can save it. All you have to do is do something for me in return. Will you come?” Al says nothing to her. Too many questions of his own have formed in his mind about her words. One phrase in particular is screaming at him. Equivalent Exchange. A lot of things in the world revolve around that idea, not just alchemy. There were millions of lives in Amestris alone and he had no clue how many more across the world. The price to save all of them is more than he can pay, he’s sure of that. He’s trying so hard to not think about what he’ll have to do to save them all but whatever it is, it won’t be good or pleasant. Both of his hands cover his eyes but it doesn’t change anything. Instead he tries to think of something else. There are things to be done here still - a country to save from destruction. So many people are depending on it but he trusts his brother and friends to handle it. Even if he wants to fight beside everyone and protect them from whatever happens, Al has to save them from this disaster too. No one else knows about it and they all have to focus on the fight with Father. And maybe without him it will difficult to find another sacrifice this close to the event. Right now they only have four people who performed the forbidden transmutation. If Al throws a wrench this big at the last minute, it’s bound to do damage to their plan. He has no idea how many people they have their eye on for the potential to be the sacrifice. Meanwhile he can go and save all of them from being destroyed by someone or something else. After a long moment, Al lets his arms rest at his side once again and lifts his helmet to look into the nothing. “Yes, I’ll come.” He has little choice but to agree to this deal but he doesn’t sound happy about it. Not that it matters to the woman manipulating the strings. “Excellent,” there’s clear satisfaction in her voice.

CHARACTER ITEMS.
✖ Pick a Team:
Given the two choices available at the moment, I'd lean towards green for Alphonse. To be quite honest, he's a metal suit of armor that stands at 6 feet and 7 inches so he can't really do covert. Not only does he stick out for his sheer size and appearance but being quiet is something he'd have a hard time doing. On the other side of that, there are several things that give him an advantage on the Green team. Al has been trained in hand-to-hand combat, can use melee weapons and has alchemy on his side. What he lacks in stealth, he makes up with brute strength. Not only that but he's used to working with someone (usually his brother) and takes orders very well. While Al might be a pacifist and would prefer to see conflict resolved with words, he's also not afraid to jump to the aid of someone else should they need it or protect those around him. Another bonus is that Al doesn't sleep, eat or feel pain - he can keep going when other people need breaks and he won't get hurt as easily other people. While he might not feel the pain, losing a leg or even an arm is possible which would make it difficult for him to continue fighting. In canon, he lost a huge chunk of his torso that not only threatened to collapse his entire mid-section but also the bloodseal that bonds his soul to the armor so moving wasn't really an option.

Blue is also a really good option for Al too. He's smart for his age and did help pull together the plan to stop Father from killing everyone in Amestris and stopping Pride. There's a lot he'd have to learn since he's never coordinated a large group like this much in the past but he's willing to learn. He's a good team player and would want to make sure that everyone gets their fair share of supplies even if things get tough, hunting is a skill Al learned to do at a young age too should the need arise. Rescues are something he's pretty good at too because he's always willing to help someone out when they need it. Learning about people is just what happens as part of his friendly nature. As a pacifist, solving problems with words rather than fights is what he'd rather do and living alongside his brother - Al has learned how to calm people down when they're angry.

✖ Reason for Joining the CDC:
Al is a bleeding heart, they could easily get away with telling him that his assistance is needed in order to protect his world. Even with his current situation of having the Promised Day threatening all of Amestris, Al would agree to go. Because what's the point of saving one country if their entire planet is doomed? He would have no idea that in order to save it, he'll have to destroy other planets. Though he will be suspicious of the company and what they want in return.

✖ Mission Freebie:
Assorted oils to maintain his armor, because he's already worried about what the cost is to save his planet and asking for something important (like one of Ed's limbs) might up that cost. So he's going for something simple.

✖ Personal Item or Weapon:
His journal that contains all of his various lists (ex. foods he wants to eat, things he wants to do/feel when he's human again).

✖ Character Inventory:

« x1 loincloth (clothing)
« x1 journal
« Several pages of Scar's brother's journal (confiscated)