#☯ | ( hc ) – ❝ 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒅.

[loyaltyforged]

NOTE: Specific to my portrayal. Not all headcanons apply to the canon timeline!

LAN FAN’S FAMILY AND CHILDHOOD.

canon divergent au / headcanon concept. open to roy mustang rpers. original concept with @vrheilen pulled from my previous blog, @her-loyalty.

       Lan Fan and Roy Mustang are half-siblings, born of the same mother, but with separate fathers. HERE’S HOW:

       Fu’s daughter was ordered to marry a man that him and his wife had chosen for her. She would undergo training to become ‘a perfect housewife’ as was customary of women in Xing during that time; cooking, cleaning, sewing, embroidery, and bearing children were among her duties and in exchange, her would-be husband would put food on the table and provide their household with money. Unfortunately, she did not desire to marry a man she was unfamiliar with and did not love, so she fled home and crossed the desert into Amestris to avoid her fate.

       In this foreign country, she met a kind Amestrian man that offered to hide her. He fed and clothed her, provided her with a safe haven and kept her off the streets. Eventually, they fall in love and decide to wed. Due to the woman being of Xingese descent and in the country illegally, their wedding was extremely private, the marriage certificate vague, and a single picture of them at the alter had been taken. A copy of the picture is given to Madame Christmas.

       Later on, Roy Mustang is born. When he is quite young, the Military Police are tipped off about his mother being an illegal immigrant and take action. The couple is forced to give Roy up and his father convinces his mother to return home to Xing before she is caught. His father takes the fall and is executed. Roy falls into the custody of his aunt, Chris Mustang (Madame Christmas).

       Meanwhile, his mother is reunited with her family in Xing, only to find out that HER mother has passed. Her Amestrian marriage is kept from Fu for a long time until she finally confesses. Fu attempts to understand her situation, but still begs her to find a Xingese man that will take care of her for the rest of her life as he cannot due to his occupation as a secret soldier.

       Years pass before she meets a man that falls in love with her and promises to care for her; his feelings are not reciprocated, but as she does care for him and desires to put her father’s mind to rest, she accepts his proposal and they marry. Almost fifteen years after she has Roy with her late Amestrian husband, she gives birth to a little girl whom they name Lan Fan.

       Soon after Lan Fan’s birth, her mother dies of illness and her father falls into a depressive state. At age 3, she is sent to live with her grandfather in the mountains. She receives occasional visits from her father until she turns 6 when he is killed in a clash between their family and another. 

       During her childhood, Fu raises her properly, teaching her obedience and various languages among other things. When she turns 7, Lan Fan begins her training under their Clan’s secret soldier program. She is a quick learner and is easily discriminated against as she is the youngest and only female being trained among a group of older boys and men. She struggles through unfair treatment, but the desire to become the best and prove that she is capable of being strong keeps her going. 

       When she meets the twelfth prince, Ling Yao, at the age of 10, his encouragement furthers her determination. Lan Fan works hard and becomes the top of her class, graduating when she is 13. She is soon assigned as Ling Yao’s second bodyguard alongside her grandfather.

Lan Fan does not recall anything about her mother and very little about her father. Fu is the main family member in her life, serving as both her grandfather and father figure.

HOW ROY AND LAN FAN FIND OUT THEY ARE RELATED:

       During the events of Brotherhood/the manga, there is a period of approximately 6 or 7 months where Lan Fan and Fu are in search of an Automail engineer to acquire a replacement for the loss of her left arm. After having the steel appendage installed, Fu and Lan Fan hide out in Central and she trains herself to adjust to the new hardware. 

       While she is busy with that, Fu meets with Roy Mustang for the first time and notices a resemblance between him and his late daughter as well as his granddaughter. Both suspicious and curious, Fu searches the library archives for a possible marriage certificate, but with the vagueness of it, ultimately finds out nothing. He meets with Roy a second time, striking up a casual conversation about family. Not much is revealed because of Roy’s lack of knowledge regarding his parents and his tendency to be secretive, but he does mention Madame Christmas.

       Fu’s next mission is to have a chat with Madame Christmas. He ends up asking for a photo of Roy’s parents and is presented with the picture taken on their wedding day. It is immediately confirmed that the woman in the photo, Roy’s mother, is also his late daughter. He gives this information along to Madame Christmas and they vow to keep it a secret until after the events of the Promised Day have passed.

       Of course, Madame Christmas’ tavern is blown to smithereens and she leaves town to take a vacation along with the girls that work under her. Fu dies in a battle with Fuhrer Bradley and is later taken back to Xing by Ling and Lan Fan to be buried.

       When Madame Christmas returns to Central, Roy buys her a new tavern, as promised, and she becomes occupied with getting her business up and running again. Roy is busy with restoring Ishval and cleaning up the mess created on the Promised Day; during any meeting they have, Madame Christmas struggles to find the appropriate time to mention Roy’s parents and his relation to Fu. Eventually, she finds out about Fu’s death and confesses that he is in fact Roy’s grandfather. Roy, wanting to know more about this newfound relative, keeps in mind to ask Ling–the new Emperor of Xing–about Fu the next time they have a meeting.

       The foreign affairs meeting comes around and Ling comes to town along with his only remaining bodyguard. Roy brings up the subject of Fu, asking the Emperor what kind of person he was, what he was like, etc., and evokes Ling’s curiosity. Upon being questioned as to why he was so interested in Fu, Roy reveals that he recently found out that the old man is his grandfather. This leaves Lan Fan and Ling shocked and Roy clueless. Ling is the first to bring up that Lan Fan is Fu’s granddaughter, shocking Mustang as well.

       Basically, a bunch of denial and awkward moments between Lan Fan and Roy ensue as they slowly try to get to know one another and treat each other like family. The distance and their occupations serves to be quite the hurdle, but Ling allows Lan Fan to visit on occasion and the two become used to the idea of having and being a sibling.

[loyaltyforged]

ooc. sleep hcs for lan fan i got rolling around my brain and will add to the ‘habits’ hc post on my blog later today.

lan fan is a very light sleeper, rarely sleeping through the night even though she already has a short time to sleep anyway. If she happens to wake up in the middle of her resting hours, she’s likely to take a walk or meditate in her room.

she is usually a restless sleeper, its hard for her to remain stationary and comfortable for long periods of time since she is used to being incredibly active. her bedhead is awful because of this. however, since the installation of her automail, she has had to force herself to settle at night, first meditating in order to rest herself, then transitioning into actual sleep.

with a partner she trusts, it’s much easier for her to fall asleep and stay asleep. she’s much less restless because she is more comfortable and they ease her mind of incessant worries. cuddling in their arms makes her feel safe and secure, like she doesn’t have anything to be anxious about.

[loyaltyforged]

NOTE: Specific to my portrayal. Not all headcanons apply to the canon timeline!

AUTOMAIL

CREATOR

       Dominic of Rush Valley is the designer and creator of Lan’s first and original prosthetic. However, he initially refused because he didn’t want to be responsible for her injuries and future problems should she cause herself more harm than good by being fitted with Automail three times sooner than recommended. But after relentless pleading and the refusal of any other referred mechanics, the determination to have the best engineer make her an arm came through. Unfortunately, he outright banned them from his house soon afterwards and would not perform maintenance or upgrades from then on out.        By Ling’s coronation, Lan Fan is in desperate need of a new prosthetic and is able to make a trip to Resembool after the ceremony. There, Winry Rockbell designs a new arm for her.        This upgrade is of lighter weight and has a higher percentage of carbon so she can last through cold winters. It is slimmer as well and not as heavily armed to make it easier to conceal and more similar to the build of her right arm; the Xingese style plating has been removed and replaced with something akin to Edward’s Automail design. The compartment holding the retractable katana blade is not as wide the blade itself can now be removed completely.

MEDICAL

       Lan has both nerve and deep tissue damage from losing her arm and exerting it too much too soon after her amputation. An immense amount of stress was placed on the still-healing wound and this is the reason we see her Automail become unresponsive in the series.        After the exertion she put forth on the Promised Day, her prosthetic became increasingly unresponsive and, upon returning, Lan Fan desperately needed physical therapy. Ling was the one to convince her to see a doctor and for several weeks, she attended therapy sessions. Midway through the verse “the emperor’s shadow”, her stump and the nerves had healed well enough and her Automail no longer seized up as often as it had prior. Problems such as this only occur when too much stress is put on her prosthetic and steel port via weight or mechanical malfunction (i.e. rust, missing or broken parts, lack of oil, etc.)       A drop barometric pressure, precipitation, and rapid changes in temperature all cause her shoulder to ache. When the weather grows bad, the pain comes over her in a wave and she experiences symptoms such as nausea, headaches, mild discomfort, irritation, and sometimes even phantom limb spells. Fortunately, she’s learned to manage it and can usually suppress it enough to do her duty, but does have a stash of pain remedies on hand just in case.

SCARS & CONCEALMENT

       She doesn’t like looking at the scars etching her skin where the prosthetic is attached and she doesn’t like anyone else seeing it either, Ling in particular. She is aware to how much the prince blames himself for her sacrifice and not only does it make her feel ashamed of the guilt she brings him, but unpleasant memories tend to flash through her mind’s eye without warning.        As such, Lan Fan keeps it covered by wearing loose, long-sleeved shirts and a full glove on her left hand when not donning her uniform. The main reason for concealing it in public is because, for Xingese warriors like herself, it is shameful to lose a limb in battle. It is a sign of weakness and a loss of pride, so in order to retain her dignity and keep the respect of her fellow soldiers, it is kept hidden.

HER OPINION

       Over time, her opinion of her Automail has slowly changed. Lan Fan rejected it at first–not initially as a part of herself, but did not see it as an advantage over others and rather as a weakness and a loss of her pride as a skilled warrior–though as time passed, she began to have more neutral feelings.       Nowadays, she has learned to use it to her advantage and has ceased most counterproductive thoughts, instead thinking of it in a better light (i.e. if someone attacks her and is unaware of her prosthetic, it would be easy to catch them off guard; if it were to be destroyed, it can be rebuilt unlike an appendage she was born with, etc.). She is less prone to being sensitive whenever questioned about the care of it and less insecure when under the gaze of a friend or familiar.        Under scrutiny, however, she can become quite uncomfortable and offended, but will generally keep it to herself.

MAINTENANCE

Lan is very meticulous in the up keep of her Automail as any complications with it could hinder her daily routine and the completion of her duty. As a responsible adult with a prosthetic, she understands that keeping up with maintenance is of the upmost importance. She oils it daily and when needed and dries it completely with a towel after a shower or whenever it becomes wet. Thanks to occasional visits to and from Winry or the Elrics, check ups are easy and upgrades and repairs are made whenever needed.

[loyaltyforged]

NOTE: Specific to my portrayal. Not all headcanons apply to the canon timeline!

TRAINING / ABILITIES

ACUTE SENSES

In her training, one of the abilities she worked on was heightening her sense of smell, sight, and sound. Along with the assistance of the Dragon’s Pulse, she is able to detect the presence of others–not just Homunculi or inhuman beings–from a long distance by picking up on their aura and the sounds they make (breathing, heartbeat, footsteps, etc.) This also makes tracking targets easier.

THE AMESTRIAN LANGUAGE

She is able to speak and read Amestrian fluently, but has trouble when it comes to spelling and writing. If she needs to write in Amestrian, she will take her time on writing the letters clearly and concisely, though she’ll make a few spelling mistakes along the way unless, of course, she asks for help.

SWIMMING

Before being fitted with her automail, Lan Fan was a decent swimmer. Now, it tends to weight her down and she isn’t able to stay afloat for very long due to exhaustion, so it is likely she would end up drowning in a large body of water.

WEAPON ABILITY

During her training, she was taught to use a variety of weapons. Knives/daggers, swords, bow & arrow, spears, and staves among them. Her weapon of choice is kunai and it is the one she feels most comfortable using. Additionally, she can make most of these weapons in a pinch as she can do with various types of explosives. In terms of melee combat, she knows Xingese martial and secret arts, pressure points, boxing/kick boxing, and wrestling.

PAIN TOLERANCE

She handles various levels of pain very well and is able to conceal it without much trouble. The worst pain she’s ever felt was when she lobbed her arm off and received surgery later on.

ASSASSINATIONS / KILLS

     Lan Fan has never been sent out on an assassination mission, but has taken down those sent to kill Ling while he and his siblings fought for the rights to the throne pre-canon. He prefers to keep them alive ( if possible ) for imprisonment–as does she–but after the first few attempts, she quickly realized that the assassins will refuse to give up until their mission is fulfilled, later leading her to kill them without hesitation or chance of redemption. She is not proud of taking lives, but she doesn’t regret it as it protected Ling from harm. It is her duty, after all.

FERTILITY

Upon completion of her training and just before being assigned as Ling Yao’s official bodyguard, Lan Fan was sterilized and she cannot have children.

FLEXIBILITY

Lan Fan has incredible dexterity thanks to, again, training and her exercise regime over the course of her entire life.

[loyaltyforged]

NOTE: Specific to my portrayal. Not all headcanons apply to the canon timeline!

QUIRKS!

Lan Fan is doesn’t like revealing her emotions and was trained to remain professional at all times. When her mask is off, she feels emotionally naked and will often cover her mouth with the folds of her hood out of habit. She also does this when nervous, amused, and embarrassed. Unfortunately, her eyes are more expressive than she would prefer and they show what’s she’s feeling anyway.

TICKLE SPOTS

She isn’t all that ticklish to begin with and will often treat attempts with a stoic, unamused expression, but if you hit the right spot on her waist, you’re bound to get a more verbal and/or physical reaction.

GRACE

Lan Fan has very fluid movements in just about everything she does, unless, of course, it is something she is unaccustomed to or has experienced for the first time. Her gracefulness is especially fluid in the way she walks and fights.

PERFUME

Immediately following a shower, Lan Fan’s hair and skin usually smell like orchids. After she dries and tends to her Automail, however, the scent of oil accompanies it. And, of course, during and after training, she faintly smells of sweat.

TIDINESS

     Lan Fan is a generally tidy individual and prefers keeping her personal space nice and neat. That means the bed is made, the floor is absent of trash and clothes, laundry is folded and put away or hung on coat hangers, etc. Everything has a place and everything will be put where it belongs after use.

LAUGHING

Lan Fan’s laugh is usually very quiet, if not silent. She has a habit of covering her mouth with her hand or the front of her hood when she laughs. Rarely, when her guard is down because she is around someone she is comfortable with, a laugh sneaks up on her and she falls into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

[loyaltyforged]

NOTE: Specific to my portrayal. Not all headcanons will apply to the canon timeline!

HABITS!

PERSONAL HYGIENE

She doesn’t like taking baths and prefers showering instead and does so every day, every other day, or, if traveling, when available.

PRE- & POST-CANON: Water temperature is typically irrelevant, but she likes taking brief, cool showers after training or when she’s drowsy in the mornings and warmer showers when she has time to spare and relax.

Stick deodorant is her preference over spray.

PRE- & POST-CANON: She doesn’t use any fancy, unnecessary products like facial wipes and toners, perfume, etc., but does use a basic cleanser and moisturizer frequently when at home and when available while traveling.

In terms of body hair, it’s not abundant, is slow growing, and not dark in color, so she only shaves when absolutely necessary.

SLEEPING HABITS

Lan Fan is capable of sleeping just about anywhere no matter the size, surface, or position, but she does have preferences.

POST-CANON: She does like soft mattresses or cushioned chairs/couches and usually sleeps on her back or right side. She finds that sleeping on her left side is uncomfortable because of her Automail and would much rather keep it free of any stress.

POST-CANON: Freezing and hot temperatures make it difficult for her to sleep.

Lan Fan doesn’t need a pillow or a blanket in order to fall asleep.

POST-CANON: In the verses “the emperor’s shadow”, Lan Fan rises at the first break of dawn over the horizon and prepares for bed just after midnight.

POST-CANON: Before she heads off to bed, she checks up on everyone in the palace, usually checking to see if Ling has retired to bed yet.

She will not go to sleep if she is feeling unsettled or if someone needs her to stay awake.

POST-CANON: Cuddles make Lan Fan sleepy and, depending on the person, also help her feel safe or relaxed. Usually she won’t do or say anything if she wants to be cuddled, but will rarely deny an offer if it comes her way.