[Voice]

[automailed]

[...One year already. The thought occurs to Edward rather suddenly, as he browses through the private journal he's kept on him since his arrival, cataloguing significant changes, arrivals and departures, important dates... height chart. (Shut up, he's allowed to be shallow about that.) It's easy to recognize the rises and falls of his moods- when people were kidnapped or sent back, when the home he'd lived in had experienced some sort of turmoil and he'd felt it via association. When he and Al had reached roadblocks and breakthroughs. When Mom had come.

There hadn't been any notes made when she and Al had left. He hadn't had the heart, and he'd never forget those dates anyway.

One year, though- one year, and he's made an astonishing amount of progress. He's gotten new automail, he's trained more, his alchemy is better than ever. He's learned some alkahestry. ...Sort of. He's sometimes even talked to his father like a human being instead of a bundle of hate and resentment all the time. And, more importantly, he's gone home and survived the Promised Day. He's achieved everything he'd set out to do after he and Al had failed to transmute their mother. And he's happy about it, obviously- ecstatic, overjoyed, victorious.

On the other hand... he's unsure. Because it raises a lot of questions about what the future will hold for him, what he wants to do with the rest of his life. And if he were to be completely honest about it, this is the first time in his life since he was five that he hasn't had a clear goal he wanted to accomplish.

That kind of freedom is almost terrifying.]

...Hey. If you couldn't do what you're doing right now - for a job, career, whatever - what would you want to do with your life instead?

Comments

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

If I can't be the Avatar, I'd like to just be a monk. ...But if I can't be any of the things I am right now, then... hmmm. Maybe make jewelry?

[Voice]

[automailed]

So you'd work with your hands?

[Probably a good alternative, if... you have any kind of skill like that. Sadly that's one of his grand failings.]

What's the Avatar?

voice;

[oftheyin]

Why would you want to change it?

voice;

[automailed]

It's not a matter of want. It's if you couldn't do what you're doing now. It's-

[.... -Oh, right. Telling her about the loss of his alchemy means telling her he knows about Fu. He'd... really rather avoid that.]

...It's hypothetical.

[voice]

[mydearapple]

I can't say I've ever wanted to be anything else. But I guess if I had to pick something... [He pauses to consider it.

...

...okay, this is actually kind of hard. Hmm.] I guess I could be a teacher. Or maybe a historian. I don't know if I'd be happy about it, though.

[voice]

[automailed]

You don't like teaching?

[Or maybe he doesn't like kids. He can totally see the reasoning behind that one.]

[herotypical]

I...think I could go the social worker route. Y'know, if I managed to get the qualifications and the schooling and the training and the -- huh. Perhaps it's for the best that I've got some other calling.

[automailed]

Social worker? You need a lot of training for a job like that? [The term is pretty much unfamiliar to him. Just sounds like a teacher of socializing or something.]

voice;

[dragoneer]

[Oh, hey, bro. It's sort of...been awhile. And the last time they'd talked had been kinda...strange. To say the least.

Well, he can't help but be worried. It's a Hiccup thing.]

Well, there aren't a whole lot of career choices for vikings. But if I couldn't work with dragons, I'd stick with the whole inventions thing.

voice;

[automailed]

Hey, Hiccup! Long time no see.

[SERIOUSLY HE DOESN'T EVEN GET A HELLO- oh whatever. Questions are important.]

Inventions really seem to be your calling. How'd you get into that stuff, anyway?

[Filter]

[godbent]

[...] I've always wanted something more than what I've got. I've thought "there has to be someone out there living an interesting live, so why can't I be one of those people?"

[Filter]

[automailed]

[...ha ha ha wow she's actually talking to him? He. Did not expect that. At all.

Let's tread carefully here.]

What would you consider to be an interesting life?

voice;

[menial]

Are we really even doing anything right now?

voice;

[automailed]

...Well, I meant more like- back on your world, if you had a career or some kind of career goal. Something like that.

voice

[asobouyo]

I'd be a superhero!!

[Yeah, that's her answer. For this day, anyway. Who knows what tomorrow would have been.]

Maybe I'd be a superhero with my own bakery, too! That way I can protect people and make them happy by making yummy sweets.

voice

[automailed]

Why not skip the middle ground and be a super baker?

[Which is just plain silly, but he likes to think he's getting better at the whole talking-to-kids thing.]

[avaricious]

I'd be the Fuhrer of Amestris.

[Y U P.]

[automailed]

Should've seen that one coming, huh.

[Voice]

[wise_maiden]

That's an interesting question. Is there any reason that it came to mind?

[Because she's certain he wasn't around during that 'job switching' experiment.]

[Voice]

[automailed]

Just trying to think ahead. Sort of like a failsafe.

[Voice]

[fierybluebird]

My career's not exactly something you can quit. Once you have it, you're pretty much branded for life. I guess I wouldn't mind exploring, but I can already do that with my "job."

[Voice]

[automailed]

Why can't you quit?

[Voice]

[ledbythewind]

Hmm, that is an interesting question. I think I would like to travel-- get the chance to see the rest of the world for myself.

[Voice]

[automailed]

[...Actually.

That is a damn good idea.]

Sounds like a plan. I'm a big fan of traveling, myself.

[Voice]

[so_shik]

[Currently, Shiki has a tiny grudge against Ed since she's strictly Team Haruhi when it comes to Winry, but she still thinks this is a good question.]

Well, I mean I don't think I've ever wanted to be anything else but a designer in my whole life. But if I really had to pick? ...I don't know, maybe I would want to do something to help more people. Like...I don't know, like psychology or something. Something that helps people get their lives on track.

[Voice]

[automailed]

[wow r u d e he didn't even do anything D|]

...A... social worker? That was the term, right?

[Unless her world's different from Buffy's.]