#Ishvalan exile

[byronicherobracket]

Byronic Hero Bracket Round Of 128 Batch B #15

Scar from Fullmetal Alchemist vs. Garrus Vakarian from Mass Effect

Reasons under the cut (spoilers for both)

(All sources from TV Tropes)

Scar:

Scar. Morally neutral? He develops from an Anti-Villain to an Anti-Hero. Largely concerned with personal interests? He's driven only by his feelings and his quest for vengeance, at least for a time. Dark and Troubled Past? He lost his arm, his brother, most of his people, and his country in a brutal genocide. Defined by conflict, inner and outer? He has his moments. Introspective loner? Definitely so. Guilty of horrible crimes? He is responsible for dozens of murders, including Rockbells, who were in no way responsible for the Ishvalan massacre. An exile? He's a wandering Vigilante Man. Cynical and self-destructive? He doesn't even care about his own life

Previously Beaten: Stavrogin

Garrus Vakarian:

[klainelynch]

Summary:

Ishval was still alive.

Wounded, Scar finds some hope among his people

Written by @musing-and-music

Time: 03:27

Listen at AO3

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[Image Description: The background shows an Ishvalan camp. The title, "Exiled, not destroyed" is prominently featured in the middle. Above, in smaller text, is "written by Musing_and_Music" and "read by klainelynch" End ID]

[they-callme-ami]

Y'know what really gets me about Scar's brother in 2003 fma? This scene here

Take into consideration all that's led up to here. He's lost the love of his life. He lost part of his body trying to bring her back. He was exiled from his people for doing so. And in trying to save those same people by making a philosopher's stone--his mind broke. In other words, he nearly lost himself. The war is supposedly through now, and he's watched countless friends and fellow Ishvalans die, and is marked as an outcast. And when Kimblee is about to kill Scar, to take the one last shred of his life away from him, he does the only thing he can. He shields him. Even though he sacrifices his arm and life later in this scene, this one act makes me the saddest.

At this point, all he has left is his own life and body, barely a functioning mind and he's probably terrified of Kimblee. He knows he coule die doing this. It probably won't even stop Kimblee. But he shields his brother. All he could think about in that moment was him. Even his facial expression seems strained, scared, borderline crazy--but he puts it all asside to do what he can for Scar.

His brother is the only thing left for him. So, he either hopes that

A.) He'll somehow save Scar from Kimblee (which he does, but he doesn't know this yet).

Or

B.) He'll die with him in his arms. He'll die before his little brother. He'll look death in the eye before his little brother has to.

He'll loose his entire being before even thinking about loosing his little brother.

[deathleadsarc]

       I’ve got a big ol post about her   ‘alchemy teacher'   I’m trying to work with, the man who tattooed her array when her brother refused to. I just need to settle on their relationship arc before posting the full thing; how she found out about him, why he’s not in Ishval, what happened to him before-during-after the war, and how he came across her and accepting her as his student. I wouldn’t say he  taught  her in the traditional sense. She treated him more like a colleague that she would turn to from time to time, who she eventually pleaded until his ears fell off  ( bullied )  into tattooing her hands for her. 

Because the ‘03 anime took liberties with certain characters I’ve decided to commandeer a one-off character from episodes 30-31: titled  Assault on South Headquarters  and  Sin. There was a part about the Ishvalans in that version of the story that I thought was interesting, I think I’ve mentioned it here before too? That, because the Ishvalan religion forbids the research and practice of alchemy, those who do so are cast out from the fold and marked with the sign of the  "exile"  so that no true practitioner of the Ishvalan faith may associate with them.

The symbol tied into the endgame for Scar’s arm and brother, the philosopher’s stone  and  its creation in that world, but, I wanted to put it into her story too. It was an interesting part of that story and I’d like to dive into it a bit more in the future  (  for threads and headcanons, etc  )

[starlitcrows]

Not sure if anyone asked, but could we get some more info about Kiran's past in the FMA:B universe, please? I would love to hear some backstory from that point of time and place.

i’ve been exposed. someone finally noticed the “fma:b oc” part on the oc page. i am ruined. i am–

alright! gonna put this all under a read more because i don’t think all of my followers are exactly here for me to ramble for hours about the light of my life, so– here ya go. a comprehensive guide to the continuous downward spiral of kiran’s life. i WOULD draw a comic for this but uhh *looks at 5 requests* uhh

another warning: this is going to be really long. and very painful i’m so sorry.

tw: suicide. tw: alcoholism. tw: also abuse. tw: sads :( tw: lots of war mentions. this is ishval after all

warning in advance: doesn’t exactly perfectly follow the rules of that universe, but almost does. i could write the vessel au version of this instead but we’re just gonna go with the original timeline okay cool? cool sweet

ive put this man through so much pain tbh. feat. kiran’s family

kiran k.v.s. ijana is the eldest son (birthday: february 7, 1890) of an ishvalan couple, one of whom is an exiled alchemist in possession of a philosopher’s stone (his mom, yasna asmodeia ijana “prayer of the white rose’s sacrifice”, birthday december 26, ????) and an extremely skilled ex-combat monk (eku ijana “lone sacrifice”, birthday january 27, ????).

mom and dad~ (old art, gotta redraw these two. also for some reason i can’t find the version where yasna had her exile’s mark, so, rip.)

the couple had been living separated and in hiding for a bit before kiran was born, and then continued to live in such conditions for eleven years. during this time, kiran was being trained in combat and water alchemy by both his parents. yasna was slowly going insane due to the curse upon their bloodline, a terminal unknown illness essentially incurable, a strange thing where names are essentially also prophecies, + the voices in the philosopher’s stone (which works a bit differently, as it absorbs souls that die around whoever wears it.) these caused hallucinations, during which she definitely injured her son. kiran’s pain tolerance comes from this for the most part. he loves his mom dearly despite this.

poor boy.

during these eleven years, kiran picked up his nicknames, too. kevala - meaning “lonely”, something he was called by eku due to kiran avoiding other children due to his status as an alchemist’s child and the fact that his eyes were a bit more bloody and blazing than the usual faded. vadhah - meaning “death”, as he was gifted in his skill of combat (as much as he hated it). also vadhah’s name! suha - meaning “beautiful; starlight; forgotten” called by his mother and his little bro.

january 6, 1901 is when kiran’s little brother, rajnikanta ijana (”night’s beloved sacrifice”), was born. yasna died the same year on december 21, the winter solstice, five days before her birthday. she committed suicide, and kiran found her dying body in her room. she also made him swear an oath to pacifism unless it was absolutely necessary to defend, and passed down the necklace (stone). eku was not at the house at the time as this was also the year the war started, and he was being called back into active service as a combat monk.

kiran essentially had to raise rajni alone for about seven years with eku being called back and having to fight. ages 11-13 were when kiran tried to commit suicide himself, also did self harm but sealed the wounds using alkahestry. finally stopped because he wanted to take care of his brother properly. focused on studying alchemy and alkahestry– he used a lot of alkahestry on himself to seal away the scars yasna had given him, and the ones he used himself, which sort of slowed his growth.

around age 16 is when kiran started drinking stolen alcohol, as most of the food he found went to rajni. where kiran’s insane alcohol tolerance comes from. dislikes drinking it, but it helped dull pain and the war sounds.

a few weeks before kiran was summoned, he lost his father to a shooting, and later came home to find the place in flames (thanks mustang). held rajni’s dying body until the other died, earning him his back scar, passed out from the smoke, and put out the flames with “subconscious” alchemy and eventually had to leave. wandered the crumbling country helping to save as many children as he could, guiding them out of ishval.

:( (still old art. seriously gotta redraw this. sads)

his last day in ishval was when he was faced with seven soldiers that were hunting down children. he managed to put them all to sleep. during this he also got shot in the leg and nearly had his arm sliced off. when he nearly passed out from blood loss, his philosopher’s stone necklace took control again and froze the soldiers around him.

he dragged himself into an alleyway, took out the bullet, healed his arm, passed out, and a few hours later found himself in a strange temple.

at his side there was a prince with gray hair and a gold and black mask (yall know who it is).

good god that was really long i’m so sorry for anyone who’s read-more isn’t working

[griseldagimpel]

Six Sentence Sunday

               “You have 10 mol molecules of ma'an. If you deconstruct it with alchemy, what is the mass of oxygen and hydrogen that you have? The atomic mass of oxygen is 15.999 u, and the atomic mass of hydrogen is 1.00784 u.”

               “What does ma’an mean?” one of the students asked.

               “Ma’an is the Ishvalan word for ‘water’,” Scar explained patiently. During Exile, many had been afraid to speak their mother tongue, and some of the children did not know the language of their ancestors. Scar was attempting to correct this. The class was being conducted in Amestrian, but he was adding in Ishvalan vocabulary everywhere he could.

               “Moles aren’t made of water,” Elior argued.

               “It’s Mol, not moles,” Ilan corrected his brother smartly before adding. “Mukh maa fī. Mol’s a language. Mr. Scar, I don’t speak Mol.”  

               “Remember Mr. Mol who Dad used to buy bread from?” Dror asked. “He was such a jerk! Dad said that he overcharged us.”

               Another student – Aliza Mittelman – stuck up her hand. “What’s an atomic?”

- From Chapter 9 of my Crack Epic

I love having Scar interact with children. Elior, Ilan, and Dror are the names I gave to the three children who Yoki plays with in Asbec. Aliza Mittelman is the granddaughter of Batel Mittelman, which is what I named the flower-seller who sells Mustang all of her flowers.

[maaruin]

More Thoughts on Kimblee and Bradley/Wrath

I like well done redemption arcs quite a lot, because to me the question “What would it take for a evil person to stop being evil?” is a most interesting question. For this reason, I often end up thinking about how a redemption arc for the more evil villians in different stories could look like. What would it take for Palpatine to decide to stop being evil? What would it take for the Joker?

Kimblee and Wrath from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood are interesting in that regard because we get a lot of insight into their worldview and thought process. I think there is enough there to speculate under which conditions they could decide to change their ways.

Before I start, though, let’s be clear: They willingly carried out a genocide. Within the world of FMAB they don’t “deserve” redemption, they deserve the noose. And if they had survived the series, the most responsible action for the new leadership of Amestris would likely be to execute them or hand them over to the Ishvalans for trial (and subsequent execution).

But they could have a place in literary purgatory, by which I mean that it is possible to write a redemption arc for them without contradicting their characterization in the series.

Redemption for Kimblee? Convince him of Moral Realism!

This is what we are given:

Kimblee is a sociopath (or psychopath? i’m not entirely sure about the terms). He is incapable of empathy, so appealing to sympathy for the people who suffer under his actions is pointless.

He admires skill, wants to display his own skills and likes seeing other people display theirs.

He want’s people to live up to their standards. He is aware that many people have moral standards and admires them if they act accordingly. It’s just that from his perspective which standards someone has is entirely subjective.

He craves excitement, both in larger developments (will humans or homunculi triumph?) and in his personal life (taking on daring missions with risk of death).

I think some sociopaths end up deciding to live a moral life because of some form of ethical egoism/social contract theory. They see that life would be better for everyone if people lived ethically and that “everyone” includes them, so they decide to live ethically themselves. For Kimblee, that will not be enough because of Number 4. The perspective of a society where everyone lived ethically would be boring to him. (However, he does have enough self-discipline to endure boredom if he considers it necessary.)

But he already likes people (including himself) living up to standards. If he were to be convinced that there actually are objective moral standards, I suspect he would try to live up to them. This one (admittedly difficult) thing is the only thing necessary for him to change his ways.

I am currently not well versed enough in moral philosophy to conclusively proof that good and evil are real on this post. But I do know that the position that there are objective moral standards (Moral Realism) is at least a position that is taken seriously in philosophy and has good arguments behind it.

And because Kimblee is not averse to thinking, just giving him some starting points in moral philosophy might be enough. He might decide to investigate it himself and come to agree with Moral Realism.

(Unfortunately this means anyone who were to write a redemption arc for Kimblee would need solid knowledge of the different positions that exist in moral philosophy themselves.)

Redemption for Bradley? Force him to make his own decisions!

King Bradley’s/Wrath’s life was mostly planned out by his superiors (ultimately Father). He obeys and plays the role they assigned to him.

What is interesting about him, however, is that if his role gives him some freedom, he does enjoy this freedom. He got to pick his own wife and he does indeed love her. And in his final fight with Scar he enjoys the fact that now they are just two men fighting for survival.

In addition, he does have some awareness that he might be evil. He says, in his last moments: “Personally I have never believed in fate or gods. If they exist, perhaps this is their way of divine justice and providence.” That sounds to me that, unlike Kimblee, he does believe in objective moral standards, but that these standards are worth little if there is no one enforcing them.

What Bradley needs most is freedom. I don’t know if with more freedom, he would have been a better person. Would he have ordered the genocide of Ishval if this wasn’t the plan of his superiors? I don’t know and, I suspect, neither does he. He is so subdued in his role that he will do whatever evil he is ordered to do without question. But for the possibility of him having a redemption arc, leaving the role assigned to him would be a necessary first step.

(Sidenote 1: Many people have certainly noted how ironic his titles and first name are. Führer, President, King. In reality he is no leader at all.

Sidenote 2: He is the ultimate example of the “I was just following orders” defense, but this is a defense he would never make. At least he is free enough to take responsibility for his action, even if they were not his decision.)

I can see two was for Bradley to leave his life of obedience.

1. If he had survived the final battle. And if afterwards he wouldn’t be executed or imprisoned. If instead he had either remained leader of the country, or had been forced into retirement or exile. That would put him into a situation where he has to make his own decisions. From what little freedom he had within the confines of his life, we know that he is capable of love. That he prefers a fair fight to one where he is clearly superior. And that he can at least entertain the possibility of what justice would look like. I could see him developing into a more moral person over time.

2. If the people who controlled him had given him the freedom to make a decision, but then took that freedom away again. Think, for example, if father had at some point decided to order him to kill his wife. He would do it, of course. But he would consider not following this order for at least a moment or two. And that means afterwards he would have moments where he regrets his decision to obey. And whenever a new order comes down to him, he wwould now be very aware of the possibility of disobedience. And then, one day, there would be an order he doesn’t follow.

Ah, Bradley. He may embody the sin of wrath, but his own sin is ultimately a form of sloth. He was too lazy to make any decision for himself outside of a few that were specifically in the confines of the life set for him.

[ao3feed-fma]

The Fullmetal Brothers

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3eMp5sT

by yoghurt_boy

Edward and Alphonse are two Ishvalan brothers. Before the civil war, their father, Hohenheim, was exiled. But after their home is destroyed and their mother passes away from sickness, Hohenheim returns. It's short-lived, however, as the Crimson Alchemist destroys their family, leaving the boys to bear their father's cursed arms.

The boys want their mother back. They fail.

Elsewhere, Mustang hears of two Ishvalan boys in Resembool with extraordinary alchemic power. He hopes he can convince them to help his cause, even if it means they become the very thing that tore their country apart.

Hey sorry I'm really terrible at summaries but this is something I thought was a cool idea and had to get it out.

Words: 1188, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Characters: Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Winry Rockbell, Sarah Rockbell, Yuriy Rockbell, Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Von Hohenheim, Zolf J. Kimblee, King Bradley

Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell (as siblings), Edward Elric & Roy Mustang

Additional Tags: Ishbalan | Ishvalan Edward Elric, Ishbalan | Ishvalan Alphonse Elric, Ishbalan | Ishvalan Trisha Elric, Ishval Civil War, No Scar, ishvalan Hohenheim, follows brotherhood storyline, more tags to be added as it's written

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3eMp5sT

[randomrviewer]

What if Rada had run into Stanno sometime between Danika’s birth and Ishval restauration? – a fan-variation on fanfiction by Cap’nHoozits.

 (...)

 Everybody thought the worst of her. One look at her child was enough for them to make up their minds. Danika did not have pure Ishvalan features, and thus could not have come out of a proper Ishvalan marriage. The little girl’s black hair and blue eyes were reason enough for the world to shun her mother. No matter where Rada went, it was always the same. People considered her with pity, contempt, or conceited superiority. So she never stayed anywhere for too long. She feared how much worse it would get if anybody found out what she had done.

 After all, the one person whom she told the truth rejected her in the most cruel way. And he had been the man she loved.

 Nothing had ever hurt her more than the disgust in Stanno’s eyes. Not even the pain inflicted upon her by the State Alchemist could compare with the repulsion painted all over her fiancé's face. All she wanted was for him to embrace her, to tell her it was going to be okay, and he pushed her away. Hit her so hard she fell to the ground. Called her a whore. Said that she threw away her dignity and sold her family out. And left her to her own devices.

 To a woman whose entire family had just been murdered, by the man she personally begged for mercy, this was like a nail to the coffin.

 In the years to come, she’d come to believe Stanno’s assessment of herself. She may not have specifically said yes to that soldier, but she did say she would do anything he wanted. She would have done anything, truly anything to save her family. Alas, her desperate gamble went wrong. And thus her life had ended.

 (...)

 She’d never have expected to come across Stanno again. Yet meet again they did, in an empty storehouse where they both happened to be looking for shelter. The place was practically falling apart, but it was raining and beggars could not be choosers. Stanno’s expression left no doubt that he had no intention of taking back the judgment he passed two years prior. He still considered Rada filthy, a traitor to their race. And Danika, the child in her arms, was even worse piece of trash than she was.

 Rada clung to her daughter, whom she loved despite the circumstances behind her conception, and waited for Stanno to throw them both out, like the garbage he thought they were.

 For moment, the longest moment of Rada’s life, the man she once loved stood over her, seething with anger, while the rain drummed on the miserable roof above their heads and Danika whimpered in her arms.  

 He did not throw them out. He did not say a word. He uttered something that could be interpreted like silent swearing and sat down.

 Apparently, they were not worth his fatigue.

 Temporarily safe, Rada caressed her daughter’s back, seeking to calm herself rather than the child. She was already thinking about where to go next, once the rain has passed.

 When that happened, Stanno told her to come with him.

 She remained speechless for a few moments.

 He said he was leaving, and if she wanted to come along, she should hurry the hell up, cause he would not wait for her.

 Still very much shocked, she trotted after him.

 (...)

 In the years to come, she would often analyze their interactions post genocide. Wonder why Stanno wanted her around, if he had condemned her so easily when they met last. She’d come to convince herself that his initial reaction to her story had been the product of their circumstances overall. That he cared for her, despite everything, but could not bring himself to offer her comfort when his own heart was bleeding. Alternatively, those years in exiled changed his perception somewhat. Perhaps he was still disgusted with Rada, but realized he had nobody else in the world. That, or he fancied keeping around somebody he could treat as inferior with no repercussions. Whatever his reasoning was, he wouldn’t say, and Rada knew better than to bother him. She was not the type to look a gifted horse into the mouth.

 (...)

 They travelled together from then on. Whenever they could, they sought employment. Rada scrubbed floors and did the dishes. Stanno cleaned stables and carried heavy loads from point A to point B. Sometimes they dug through garbage bins, looking for scraps. Sometimes Stanno went as far as to steal. Nothing much – an apple here, a piece of bread there, a doughnut when he was feeling particularly bold. When Rada expressed her concerns about those activities, he told her in a firm tone that he was merely taking back a small portion of what the Amestrians had taken from them. Also, she should be grateful that she had such a resourceful man by her side. Rada swore she appreciated him, and that was why she was worried about him. He told her he would be fine. That was the end of discussion.

 At some point Danika called Stanno “dada”. He eyed her dangerously and insisted she calls him “Zhaarad Stanno”. Rada took the hint and that’s what she taught her daughter to address him as.

 The little girl learned soon enough never to look her mother’s companion in the eye. She dropped her head as soon as she sensed his presence and did her best to remain absolutely still. Yet, even on her best behavior, she could never please the man. Stanno could hardly tolerate her, and did not bother trying to pretend it wasn’t the case. He insisted on cutting Danika’s hair as short as possible, and hiding the rest under a scarf – so she’d appear at least a little bit less suspicious to Rada’s potential employers. Once he went as far as to try and bleach it pigeon droppings.  

 It tore Rada’s heart to see her little girl suffer. Yet, she could not bring herself to hold Stanno’s repulsion with her child against him. Danika was a living proof of what was done to his betrothed. A constant reminder of her dishonor. How could he not hate her?

 Truly, Stanno was as much a victim of the circumstances as Danika was. If it weren’t for the war, he’d still be making beautiful furniture and lavishing Rada with loving attention. He’d still be the man she fell in love with, one she wanted so badly she couldn’t sleep at night. This was the man she pictured when she though of Stanno. Not the grumpy, bitter day laborer, who complained about everybody and everything.

 Kind as she was, Rada decided to treat Stanno like partner in misery, and make his life as bearable as possible. She wanted to believe she could make the difference. That she had the power to make him smile again. It was a chore and a half just to keep him remotely satisfied, but Rada was quite determined. It wasn’t just her future that was on the line, but also Danika’s. The poor child deserved a proper family. If Rada devotes herself to Stanno completely, he may start to see her daughter in a more favorable light. Perhaps he could even be persuaded to let the girl call him “papa”.  

 This possibility gave Rada all the motivation she needed.

 (...)

 When Rada told Stanno about the baby, he was overjoyed. He embraced her and pet her still flat stomach. He searched far and wide for cloth and rugs to provide her with some more comfort. He worked extra hours to obtain quality food for her. When she expressed her concerns for him, she shrugged and said he was stronger than she thought he was. Then he offered to rub her back and feet.

 Those were happy times. Rada shed tears of relief, seeing that her efforts were paying off. Stanno was coming back to her, emerging from the darkness of despair. It was almost as if she was his guiding light. The thought filled her with pride and hope. For the first time in forever, the future did not seem scary.

 There was just one little obstacle yet to overcome – Stanno’s treatment of Danika, which has not improved one bit. Still, Rada remained hopeful. The Great Temple was not built overnight. There will be a breakthrough eventually.

@capnhoozits

[byronicherobracket]

The Byronic Hero Bracket: Qualifying Round Batch D #14

Stavrogin from Demons vs. Scar from Fullmetal Alchemist

Reasons under the cut (spoilers for both)

(All sources from TV Tropes)

Stavrogin:

Stavrogin in Fyodor Dostoevsky's Demons is a particularly nasty deconstruction; it's lampshaded early in the book that this character type was common in Russian literature (and society) at the time.

Scar:

Scar. Morally neutral? He develops from an Anti-Villain to an Anti-Hero. Largely concerned with personal interests? He's driven only by his feelings and his quest for vengeance, at least for a time. Dark and Troubled Past? He lost his arm, his brother, most of his people, and his country in a brutal genocide. Defined by conflict, inner and outer? He has his moments. Introspective loner? Definitely so. Guilty of horrible crimes? He is responsible for dozens of murders, including Rockbells, who were in no way responsible for the Ishvalan massacre. An exile? He's a wandering Vigilante Man. Cynical and self-destructive? He doesn't even care about his own life

[ao3feed-fma]

My Home Is Where You Are

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2OasYOL

by capn_hoozits

Sequel to The Fountain. The story, as told by my OC Dejan Shua, of how he and a group of kids who fell under his care managed to escape the Ishvalan genocide and survive the subsequent exile. Pretty much all OCs, with appearances by at least a few canon characters.

Words: 2414, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 10 of Sons of the Desert

Fandoms: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist), Original Ishbalan Character(s) | Original Ishvalan Chracter(s), Original Characters

Additional Tags: POV First Person

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2OasYOL