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Greed stared down at the fugitive that was Carmilla's father with a sharp grin, knowing just how disorientating portkeys were from personal experience.
"Welcome to the Devil's Nest, Crimson Lotus Alchemist, Zolf Kimblee. I'm the owner of this bar, name's Greed." the sin greeted, once Kimblee had regained his bearings enough to look around.
The man was dressed in the cloak he'd last seen Isaac in, the Freezing Alchemist's absence not lost on him, and an off grey prison uniform. The man had slight stubble along his chin and his long black hair hanging around his form.
When amber eyes locked with his own wine-red, the homunculus smirked at him, showing off his sharp teeth.
"Owner? Is this where you've been staying?" the Alchemist asked, looking to Carmilla, who nodded, moving to stand off to Greed's left with Martel.
"Yep, Greed took me in three years ago, you recognize Martel," Carmilla gestured to the snake chimera who snorted as she pointed to each of the other three in the room, "the others are Roa, Dolcetto, and Ulchi. The others are in the back, I assume?" she asked, turning her gaze to Greed, seeing the man nod.
"Yeah, they're shy at the moment," the sin grinned, making Kimblee feel like they were in on some kind of joke when he spotted a familiar tattoo on the man's hand, eyes narrowing.
"Now, let's go over some things," Greed said, his grin disappearing in an instant as he turned his gaze to the Alchemist, "I don't really give a damn that you're Carmilla's father, you try to screw us over, you die. You hurt her, you die. I know that you're aware of what homunculi are from that look. I have no affiliation with the others or our creator. Any loyalty you had for them? Drop it."
Kimblee moved to sit in a chair across from the homunculus who sat at the bar.
"I see, don't really have any reason to stay loyal to them, so long as I can keep this," Kimblee paused, pressing his hand to his stomach and opening his mouth to reveal a Philosopher's Stone on his tongue, "and do mostly as I please, I'm yours. As for hurting my daughter, I'll be damned before I harm my own child."
Greed stared at the stone for a moment, as did Carmilla, before answering, "I have no need of a Stone, so sure. That's a neat trick by the way, why reveal you have it?"
Kimblee shrugged his shoulders, there wasn't really a reason he felt to hide the Stone, and he'd have to reveal it eventually.
Greed took his silence as the answer before looking to Carmilla, "If you wish to talk alone, you can use the office."
"Thank you, Greed, that may be wisest," she nodded as she looked to her father, "if you'll follow me?" she motioned, heading to said office before Greed spoke up, "Where's Isaac?"
Carmilla didn't look back at him, her shoulders tensing up, before continuing on her path, "He had a mission to complete, don't expect him to show back up. I told him it was suicide, but it didn't matter."
Greed frowned at the evenness in her tone, knowing that the two had argued multiple times, to the point that Carmilla was yelling at her teacher, about his plans to attack central.
He'd need to check in with her later on it.
Kimblee found the office a comfortable space, a reasonable size with a mahogany desk, two leather couches, and two lounge chairs (also leather) with a table also made of mahogany in the center.
Carmilla walked over to the minibar and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, pouring a glass for her father before filling a glass with ice for herself.
Offering the whiskey to him, she sat in one of the chairs.
"Is there any place you want to start?" she asked, looking to him.
Kimblee sat silently for a few minutes, there were hundreds of places he could begin, but eventually, he decided.
"I think we should begin with what do you expect of me. I'm not going to be the perfect father, I never saw myself as one, but I am willing to be there for you. Nor do I think I'll be a very good one, I'm good at hiding my more hedonistic traits, but it doesn't change that I am not what people consider sane."
He stated matter-of-factly, causing her to nod.
"A good a place as any. I don't expect you to just drop everything and be 'father of the year,' for now, I think it'd be best for us to just ignore our relationship for the moment until we get a feel for the other. I don't trust humans, I'll say that right now. I've been hurt by them too much to just accept that you want to be there for me, whatever your intentions." she said bluntly, making his eyes narrow at the distinction.
"I take it that, in some way, no one downstairs was human then? And I'm fine with that. Just tell me what you feel comfortable with at the moment."
Kimblee assured her with a calm facade, but inside he was feeling the tale-tell signs of rage. It wasn't even the fact that it was his daughter telling him this at the moment, he never agreed with abuse of any kind, particularly child abuse, and she was giving off hallmarks of an abused child in her posture.
Carmilla stared at him for a moment before inclining her head.
"I suppose we should move on to just asking questions then, why did you kill your squad and superiors? I don't necessarily care that you killed them, I just want to know the 'why.'"
She prompted, leaning back in her chair after picking an ice cube out of her glass and started chewing on it.
For his part, he didn't seem too shocked that was her first question and answered in an even tone, "My superiors I killed because they were the only ones who knew about the Stone in my possession and because I knew I would be court marshaled for the deaths of my squad. One could say I killed them because I could. My squad, on the other hand, I killed because they were disrespecting a pair of humanitarian doctors that we were assigned to protect, the Rockbells, though it had been implied by my superiors that an accident with them would be nice. I don't know if I would have done it as they were dead when we arrived, and my squad saw fit to insult them. The husband was clutching the picture of their daughter, the Rockbells were in Ishval by their own choice. They died for their conviction to save as many lives as they could. I hold a deep respect for those that are willing to die for their cause."
Carmilla found herself agreeing with her father's reasoning about his squad.
"I agree, its why I didn't force Teacher to return with us. I wanted to, knowing that he was walking to his death, but we'd argued about it so much that I came to respect his choice. I also respect that type of conviction, after learning that my step-father died for me," Carmilla mumbled, waiting for him to ask his question.
"What is your philosophy in life? I am more of a nihilist as much as a philosopher myself. I tend to be of the 'nothing matters, so why not' kind of man than the 'nothing matters, so why' type." he asked, causing her to smile.
"I live by Survival, for the most part, anything I've ever done has been done to ensure that I survive another day. Now that includes ensuring those I see as mine survive. My father or not, if you become a threat to those who reside here, it won't be Greed who kills you." She warned, narrowing her eyes at him while he smirked.
"A reasonable threat, but like I told Greed, so long as I can mostly do as I please, I don't intend to harm anyone here." He swore, raising his hands toward her, palms out to reveal his transmutation circles tattooed on them.
"I'll take your word on it, for now, you said that you weren't sane? I take it that you're either 1, a sociopath which would mean that you lack a conscience or understand the feelings of others. Though from what I've heard, you don't seem too terribly impulsive, you did say you can hide your less socially acceptable traits. Or, 2, you're psychopath, in which the difference between that and the former is that psychopaths can tend to be more physically violent or put others in danger. With your nihilism that you've mentioned, I'd guess its the former, right?"
She theorized, making him smile at her sharp mind.
"Either term works, but I would also include that I am amoral as well, things that other people find wrong, I don't have a problem with. Martel was right when she said you were 'quick as a whip' I see." he told her, making her smile.
"I wasn't always, but I've had three years without people trying to sabotage me to improve myself." She said sadly, her eyes darkening at the reminder of her so-called friends.
"I see, I hope you'll tell me someday. This world you and your mother are from, does alchemy exist there? And you don't have to refer to me as Father, just call me Zolf." he stated, changing the subject, causing her dual-colored eyes to light up.
"Not quite, or rather, I'm uncertain if alchemy back on Earth is like alchemy here, I rather doubt it, but we do have our own power. Magic, like the portkey and how I blew the cell door off its hinges or how I made the shackles unlock. Alchemy and Magic originate from the same source, the Gate of Truth, but they are in a balance of each other. Alchemy is...ridged I suppose is the best way to put it, it follows strict rules in order for it to work." Carmilla explained making Zolf nod in understanding.
"But magic is more fluid I take it?"
"Yes, it still follows equivalent exchange to a degree, but not to the extent of alchemy. For instance, the unlocking spell, Alohamora, from my research, manipulates the metal or air within the lock to force it open. Bombarda, the spell I used to blast the door, focuses air into concussive force. The water summoning spell, Aguamenti, condenses water from the air. I thought at first it drew water from the earth, but then I realized that it couldn't be all it was doing. The air in the area becomes dryer the longer you use it." She listed, pulling out her wand.
"This is my wand, like an alchemical array, it focuses the energy used to cast spells."
"I see," Zolf muttered, "do you have any books that I could read. And Lilly's letter mentioned that there was a Philosopher's Stone back in your world, do you know if it's different from the Stone here?"
Carmilla shook her head at the question, "I have the books typically used to teach magic in my lab, but I don't know about the Stone of Earth. I came into contact with it when I was eleven, but that's a tale for later. From what I remember of the Stone I used to get here, the one made on Earth was different somehow. It was made by Earth's Nickolas Flammel, who used it to extend the lives of both his wife and himself, but they supposedly destroyed it after it was nearly stolen. Looking back on it I doubt they did, but I never paid attention to things that didn't directly affect me. Or, rather, my attention was diverted by a meddling old man I was willing to cross through the Gate to escape. The Stone may not have been created using humans as the energy source, I couldn't tell you for sure, however,"
Carmilla sighed, rolling her shoulders as she looked to him, "My next question, what do you want from me? We've discussed that I don't expect you to be 'father of the year', but we never covered what you'd like out of this, aside from that you'll try."
"Right now, I want to get to know you, even if our relationship as father and daughter never develops, you have talent as an Alchemist from what Isaac mentioned, I'd like to see where you go. If we decide that we are better off as peers, so be it," Zolf said simply, folding his arms across his chest.
"Thus, you'd like to potentially pass on your alchemical secrets, very well, I can accept that. Next question?"
"I don't expect you to tell me everything right now, we're essentially strangers right now, but I must ask because your behavior implies it," Zolf began as she caught on to what he was about to ask,
"Was I ever abused?" she stated, making him nod as it was his question.
"As you said, we are strangers at the moment so I won't go into detail, but yes I was. I don't trust humans because of it. Maybe I'll trust you enough one day, but not now."
Carmilla watched him carefully, catching the flash of anger in his eyes, but deciding to ignore it until she knew him better.
"What is your opinion of the other homunculi? You seem to be familiar with at least one of them," she inquired as she got up to refill her ice.
"I've really only interacted with one, Envy, but for the most part, I was loyal to them because they gave me the Stone, and didn't care what I did as long as I did my job in Ishval. I met Envy shortly after your mother and I went our separate ways, and Ishval was already brewing."
"So does Envy really look like a palm tree when they aren't disguised?" Carmilla asked just as he took a sip of his whiskey, making the man choke.
"*cough*, palm tree?" he repeated, having never thought of the analogy but realizing it fit the homunculus well.
"Yeah, Greed told me what the other homunculi looked like when I first arrived, and what they could do. The only one he didn't mention was Wrath, saying that when he left that one had yet to be created."
"I've only seen Envy undisguised once I think, but yes, calling them a palm tree fits rather well."
Zolf chuckled, he'd never be able to see Envy again without thinking about palm trees now.
"Is there any other questions you have Carmilla? I can't think of any for the moment," he asked the teen who shook her head.
"No, all I can think of at the moment is showing you to my library,"
"Library?"
"I keep my books and my lab separate, as it'd be a shame for my books to be destroyed since I can't replace them." Carmilla informed him as she stood, "Just keep in mind that aside from Greed, Martel, Roa, Ulchi, and Dolcetto, the rest of the gang can't pass for human,"
"What do you mean?" Zolf asked, following after her.
"To put it bluntly, they're all chimera save for Greed, he rescued them from a military lab several years ago. They got injured in Ishval and were selected for experimentation by the Brass. You'll have to ask them what they were bonded with." Carmilla shrugged as she led him downstairs into the basement, passing Dolcetto on their way.
"Everything good Pup?" the sword wielder asked, glaring at the former State Alchemist, hand resting on his katana.
"Everything's good Dol, just showing him to my library, tell Greed will you?" she smiled to the man who gave a sharp nod, still glaring at the man behind her.
"No problem, need to make a run to Curtis Meats, Ulchi got into the stock again," Dol grunted, Ulchi's carnivorous habits were such a pain at times.
As he passed by he leaned in close to Zolf, whispering in his ear, "Don't you dare fuck up, you hurt her and you will have the slowest death possible, we clear?"
Zolf was beginning to feel like a schoolboy getting scolded with all the threats, amusing as they were since he had no intentions of harming Carmilla, but nodded anyway.
Once they reached Carmilla's library he stared in shock at the towers of books in the room, spanning nearly every subject.
"Sorry about the mess, but the books on magic are in the back left corner." She told him, rubbing the back of her head, she'd forgotten that she'd left the room a massive mess.
"It's fine, the sword wielder," Zolf began, looking to the teen who raised a brow in question, "he's some sort of canine isn't he?"
Carmilla snorted at the question, "What gave it away, the threats or that he called me Pup?"
"Both, he also has the aura of a puppy."
That made her giggle, "You have no idea, he complains about his 'canine sense of loyalty', but everyone knows he was loyal before being combined with I think was either a Shepherd or wolf."
Carmilla joked as she made a path to the area in question.
"Nothing leaves this room, there is a spell on the doors that will prevent my books from leaving the room without my permission. Even then, I have to be the one to remove the book and it will automatically return after 24 hours have passed. With that, knock yourself out," she told him, making her way to the door, glancing over her shoulder to see he was already reading a first year potion book as she left.