#but methinks i’ll call her a range of names but will use ‘Mother’ mostly

[kismetmoon]

they’re gonna execute the Mother to elevate the Man

[ID: a digital painting of an original stylised Flatland character, referred to as Mother.

Mother is a humanoid character with dark grey skin, clawed blurry disembodied hands and a sharp point on top of her head.

She has a light grey veil-like covering over her face, which also drapes down her back. The veil has a circle marking in the centre. She is wearing a long grey dress with long angel sleeves that end in ruffled cuffs and a skirt that rests on the floor, a dark grey sash around her waist and a dark grey pelerine.

She is facing directly forward, with her arms held out to her sides and her hands splayed open. She is stood in a white arched doorway above a light grey floor with a large dark red circle behind her head, akin to a halo. The light from the doorway is illuminating the surrounding pitch black space. There are two thin trails of blood coming from under the veil that go down her neck and onto her pelerine.

End ID].

additional shots including the initial rough draft and plain line work that i like under the cut <3

[ID: three images that show the same illustration as above, but with as different versions. The first image is the uncoloured line work version, the second is a rougher sketch version with a dark grey background and white star-shaped halo, and the third image is the exact same as above but Mother is farther away. End ID].

[wheremytwinwatches]

[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 32

[Tephi]: Finally.

Last time: Ed set extreme debt repayment terms, Kimblee gave a gift, and Scar dabbled in facelifting. Onwards!

The search for Shao May continues, although all the Elrics have found so far are little black and white pugs, not pandas. Meanwhile their quarry is with the person they’re actually trying to find for lessons, grabbing supplies for the road trip north. Episode 32 - “The Fuhrer’s Son” Ooh! An episode around the Fuhrer’s kid? We’ve seen a him a few times when Bradley’s with his family, I’m down for an episode that explains how this all works. We know that he’s adopted, but not why the Fuhrer’s gone and gotten married as well. All just a cover to pose as human? At the train station once more, Conductor’s sending off an East City train. May runs through the crowds, slowing down by some MPs who are discussing Scar. Meaning she’s distracted and bumps into someone, dropping her groceries and Shao. Whoops. Nothing to see here, officers? ...uh… So we aren’t actually supposed to buy this disguise, right? I mean, I’m fairly certain that’s a dude in a paper-thin disguise as an old lady. Keeping track of the Xing princess? If so, for who?

Wow, for a princess in a faraway land May is really free with her information, saying that she’s transferring to a North-bound train. Then again, she decided Yoki was a person of good repute. Disguised Old Lady notes… whoops. Apparently she actually is a lady, seemed confused at such an odd cat following May. Later that night, down in the sewers, a cloaked figure is supporting another. Wait, Scar is here? Then who was the cloaked figure that May guided onto the train? I’d thought that it was Marcoh still recovering from his Hand of Rearrangement, but for some reason they’re down here in the sewers and not on the outbound train. How do they expect to get to the North, then? Cops are chasing the duo with flashlights and guns, until the duo becomes just Scar pulling a Creepy Clown at them. Rockslide, and escape through the dust. Later, coppers! In Central Kimblee’s going over the case files, noting that the Scar Sightings are trending towards the West. Buddy, I get leaving a false trail, but how far are you going to go before turning right? Kimblee’s on the case now, takes his entourage of Blue Shirts to a large marble building… and passes an old lady with a cane and shawl on the stairs. Once at the train station could be brushed off as odd, but seeing her here now? Old Lady, what are you up to? Kimblee even picks up on it despite this being his first interaction, calls her suspicious but then turns back to pursuing Scar. Methinks you’re going to regret that later. A church bell is ringing on a clear day, we’re UUUUUGH we’re at Maes Hughes’ grave. Stop reminding me of his fridging, show. Roy is paying his respects as YOU. Ok, who is Old Lady? She shambles up and makes small talk with her, do you… … … WHAT GENERAL GRUMMAN?!

Wow, just… wow. Ok, back to serius biznis. I know that it’s difficult, Roy, but keep it together. Dude may be eccentric, but he is a General. You called him for a reason. The Elrics are taking a break from the fruitless panda search to look up Alkahestry in the library. Oop, back to the Colonel and the General. Grumman’s been updated on Central being controlled by the Goths, and his minions scattered/held hostage. Grumman talks about how he himself was asked about his opinions on immortal soldiers, when he dismissed the idea as ridiculous he found himself transferred to the East. On the plus side it means he was free from the Goth’s corruption, but unfortunately it’s left him off to the side cleaning up messes. Even the small successes he’s earned, like pacifying the Liore riots, were undone when Central forces were deployed to replace his own. And here he is, so close to retirement welp he’s dead. Nice knowing you, ya kooky general. Alright, so the General’s in on the plan. But more immediately important to our heroes, he recognises the panda sketch that Roy is carrying. Quick, to the library! No luck for the Elric brothers, in all the library they can’t find anything about Alkahestry. Guess they’ll have to head to Xing- HE RETURNS! ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY ARMSTRONG!

Towering over the bookshelf, he easily pushes them aside to reach the shocked Ed, then shushes him for being loud in a library. Never change, man. Well, I dunno if I’d have send The Mighty Armstrong to ‘quietly’ tell Ed about his target moving North, but you gotta use the tools at hand. Ed’s got a path now, time to- A letter of introduction? For ‘her’? Someone past North Command, at a spooky looking black wall-

-an officer nicknamed “The Northern Wall of Briggs” Major-General… … … … Major-General Armstrong Tank-Lady is Major-General Armstrong … … YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS Move over mid-ep character cards, I no longer care about Mrs. (?) Grumman or even the Fuhrer’s adopted kid Selim Bradley. You think that you can tell me that there is another Armstrong in this setting, who’s basically in charge of the Night’s Watch?! Fudge that, push those nobodies aside and get moving north!

Wait The new Armstrong… how is she related to our current version? She didn’t look old enough to be his mother, and sharing the same name… Tephi. Tephi. So help me, if you knew that we would be getting to a sister of The Mighty Armstrong and didn’t make me watch this show faster- Screw it. Calling it now, I need to see The Powerful Armstrong as soon as possible. I am now updating at least twice a week, Wednesdays for sure and whenever I can fit an episode in elsewhere. I need this character! Ok, freakout is mostly over. Moving on! Scar and Marcoh are still heading the wrong way, although as they’re on a bridge over a bunch of train tracks I think I know their plan now. MPs are catching up Scar and now-obviously Yoki, the two are cornered on the bridge… just as a train whistle blows! Now, as long as the cops just stand there and don’t try to move forward and restrain you, this should work. Oh yeah, smoke from the train! That’ll help, the cops just stand uselessly as the train passes and the two fugitives are obscured, and are shocked to see them gone after the train passes. A+ job fellas, I’m sure your boss will be happy with your performance. Wait, train for West City? Why? Don’t you need to go north?

Poor Al is still pouring over the books for any hint on Alkahestry, remarking May’s use of long-range transmutation. Huh, so Alkahestry differs in being more capable of medical uses and in ranged abilities? I wonder if Alchemy has any advantages over it? Sudden shorts? Ah, it’s you. The kids who I was initially excited to learn more about but now view only as an obstacle from The Powerful Armstrong. Go on, shoo! Ok, fine. I’ll give you points for recognizing Al as the Fullmetal Alchemist’s brother, not Fullmetal himself. But as exciting as it is to meet a Main Character, watch the volume; this is a library after all. Selim/Fuhrer Jr. asks about all the books Al has piled around, Al wishwashes about researching medical techniques when Ed runs up, yelling about heading out of town. Aw, Selim’s a fan of Ed, too! Doesn’t know enough to not call Ed short, though. Ed is angry rrright up until Selim’s Secret Service put guns up to his head. What, you two didn’t know this was the Fuhrer’s kid? Awkward… No, scratch that, this is awkward. Getting invited to the Bradley household for tea? How did that happen? I get that Selim is a fan of the Elric Brothers, but still… smalltalk has turned to Selim talking about learning Alchemy and working with his father. Ouch. They can’t know what Bradley is really up to, of course, but it’s hard reconciling what we know with this little family, a son in awe of his father and a mother wistfully remembering their first date. Um. Papa Bradley’s home. And he is NOT happy to see the Elrics. He’s already been established as their enemy, holding the threat of harming Winry against them. To walk into his own home and see those two sitting across from his wife and kid? Simple cover or something more, he’s clearly taking that as a threat.

The awkwardness increases! Ed struggles to reconcile this peaceful little family with the truth, and Bradley makes a veiled reference to Ed’s own family before heading back to work (Selim pouting at the briefness of the visit), with Riza following behind Eventually Ed and Al make their goodbyes, promising Selim that they’ll visit again later. I wonder, will that be before they at best arrest or at worst kill his adoptive father, or after? Regardless, time to move on. North! Scar and Yoki are still hanging out in their train car, as Kimblee’s goon squad searches others. Kimblee looks over the map, notes the rocky mountains. Train slowing down at curves, with a person who can change the ground for a safer landing? They jumped off way before West City, and Kimblee sees something to the north that makes him grin. North, north, north, everywhere we look people are heading north. Let’s get there already! Post-credits scene! Ed and Al are on the train, looks like Ed’s added some winter padding to his regular red coat outfit. The brothers remark that it might be neat to see some snow, they never got much back home. Weak midwest winter weather, am I right?