Seems like they should all decamp that way, then.

Akira and Bellona seem to agree, though September apparently doesn't think this conversation is interesting enough to stop playing.

"So - gossip to pass on?"

"Yup. One big thing: a couple people recognized your family name. It's not actually proper gossip, but if I was you I'd be ready for questions about your family, especially your brothers, during the psych eval. You might not be able to wiggle out of that without distancing yourself from them."

"State Alchemy pays well. I don't have particularly much in the way of ambitions, so I'd been satisfied as I was, but after my daughter's accident, I discovered my finances wouldn't cover automail. As long as the government's paying me - they point, I shoot," she says, blandly.

"You know, I have no idea if that was true or not. It'll pass muster, though, and they'll be willing to overlook a lot of small black marks for medical alchemy."

"Would it help to see my prostheses?"

"You wouldn't be in the interview room, and they don't tend to do much fact-checking of answers. They think they can just tell if someone's lying to them. Still, it might help to get the prostheses documented, either by whoever installed them or by a doctor here. Even if it only ends up used for insurance."

Nod.

"Do you have anything else for me?"

"Most of it's more friendly. Which of the brass you're looking to impress, who's got a chip on their shoulder, who likes or dislikes or loathes your sponsor - not a lot of people have neutral opinions about him - plus, I know just about every State Alchemist in this city if you've got more social questions."

" - What about that talking chimera Tucker made?" Bellona asks - something like that, if perfected, might be a viable way to get her a body that can feel, at least temporarily...

He glances over to where September's wandered off with Alexander - but is possibly still in earshot.

She doesn't recall hearing about a talking chimera.

"September mentioned it - I was talking to her about what you can do with alchemy. She said her dad's military friends were really proud of him... But she doesn't know much because her dad doesn't like talking about his work."

"That was how he got his State license, two years ago. It was the talk of the whole East City command. You'd have to be a State Alchemist to get a hold of the actual files, and I wouldn't know what to do with the actual alchemy anyways."

"That sounds very impressive."

"There's birds that can mimic human speech. Repeat words they hear. Hard to source, but if you're careful to keep the bird's brain and voice it could work."

"It didn't repeat words, according to gossip. Just said 'I want to die,' then starved itself."

"That sounds very disturbing."

"Some people thought so, but the military considered it to have scientific merit."

"I guess..."

"I'm skeptical of the military's definition of 'scientific merit' but I should possibly learn to keep that opinion to myself."

"You and me both. Still, once you pass your test, you'll be able to look at the notes Tucker submitted. A copy of local alchemists' work is kept at command's library - it's no Central Library, but it's not nothing."

"I might follow up on that, then."

Wonder if the suicidality was result of the methods or the ingredients or inevitable...