Chapter Text
Ed watched Jamil look back and forth between herself and Truth in confusion before she clarified. “Trip down trauma lane, here we go.”
Jamil frowned. “I… Don’t really feel comfortable with that-”
“Tough shit, we don’t get a choice.” Ed interrupted. She gestured to the changed scenery around them. “ And you're up to bat first.”
A small Jamil and Kalim were in a hall, baby Kalim holding up a board game to small Jamil with a grin. “Hey, Jamil! Let's play! I'm gonna beat you!”
Small Jamil sighed. “This again, Kalim? You know I'm just going to keep winning. Can we play something else instead?”
Two adults who looked a lot like Jamil, rushed in, one hitting him upside the head. “Jamil! Don't you take that tone with Master Kalim!”
The other bowed to baby Kalim. “Master Kalim, thank you for playing with our foolish son.”
The one who hit little Jamil bowed as well. “You're kind enough to share your company. Truly, you've been brought up well.”
As Baby Jamil was dragged off, grown Jamil scowled. “My very first memory as a child was seeing my family bow before Kalim and his parents. I couldn't stand the sight of it.”
“I- okayyyy??” Ed said in confusion. “I mean I guess that makes sense, so far?”
Jamil rolled his eyes with a huff as the scene changed. “You wouldn’t get it.”
The two adults appeared again, talking to a baby Jamil. “Listen, Jamil. You must always win twice and lose thrice when competing with Kalim. You must never outdo him at anything.”
The other smiled at the kid. “I know you're a smart boy. Surely you understand the position we're in?”
The kid frowned. “...Fine.”
“Kalim's parents were far more important than mine. Therefore… Kalim was more important than me.” Jamil explained as flashes of Kalim surrounded them. “Which meant… Whether in studies, or exercise, or games- I could never do better than Kalim. I had to keep myself beneath him. I had to pretend I was incapable.”
“...Did you?” Ed asked.
“What?” Jamil sputtered.
“I mean, it sounds like neither Kalim nor her parents told you to act stupid. This sounds like this was your parents doing.”
Jamil looked enraged. “Of course it was their doing! Why else would my parents do this!?”
“A logical fallacy,” Truth sighed. “You have no proof that it was the Al Asim family. It’s just as likely that your parents told you that because they wanted to keep their jobs that were never threatened in the first place. Akin to kissing up to a CEO for a promotion. In fact, it would be better if you were smarter than Kalim, so that way Kalim could learn safely.”
Another scene played in the background of Crowley making Kalim housewarden due to the money the Asim family sent, causing Jamil to point at it angrily. “Explain that then!”
Ed shrugged. “Easy. The sky rat is a bastard who wants more money. His plan to get more money was to give Kalim a role, therefore making her family feel like they have to contribute more. I read Kalim's file. It shows the deposits from her family, but there's no note attached from them beyond, ‘To make sure our pride and joy is safe and happy :)’”
Jamil looked like he had gotten shot. “I- they didn’t pay for him to be a housewarden?”
“Nope.” Ed popped the p. “It wouldn't really look good for a family to bribe a school would it?”
Jamil slowly fell to the ground. “Then- this- all of this was for nothing? All my suffering- all those sleepless nights-”
“It could’ve all been solved if you had simply communicated.”
****
Jamil managed to calm himself down using breathing techniques and Ed’s awkward pats on his back. Muttering “There, uh, there?”
“Has anybody told you you're extremely bad at this?” Jamil asked through gasping breaths.
Ed snorted “Oh all the time. I’m bad at comforting people, I only really bring logic to the table. The most I can offer is a talk and awkward physical contact.”
“It works a surprising amount of times actually.” Truth chuckled.
“...Why aren’t we out of here?” Jamil asked.
Ed looked thoroughly done. “Because it’s my turn… Yayyyyyyy.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm as she made a small jazz hands motion.
Jamil looked around the changing scenery, resembling some form of official building.
Jamil didn’t recognize the flags hung on the wall. “...Where are we?”
“Central.” Ed shrugged. “Where I became the dog of the military.”
Jamil nodded before stopping. “Wait. Dog of the military?”
“State alchemists- a branch of the military often referred to as the dogs of the military.” Ed explained, watching a younger version of herself walk into the room. “It’s exactly what’s on the tin- they want you to bark- you bark. They want you to kill someone? You do.”
“Did they draft you?” Jamil frowned.
Truth cackled. “Like anyone could force Eden to do anything. No, she joined willingly.”
“Why?!” Jamil demanded.
“If your governments corrupt, where would they keep information? In the government. I needed the information to help Al, and there is not a single ounce of me I wouldn’t sell for my loved ones.” Ed stared directly into Jamil's eyes, trying to hammer home her point. “Not even my soul is safe. Hell, Truth here is proof of that.”
“So you sold your freedom?!” Jamil yelled. “Just like that?!”
“Yep.” Ed popped the p. “Although, I was a pretty shitty dog of the military. I don’t think I followed a single order!” She laughed.
“No, I don’t think you did Eden.” Truth’s grin grew. “You viewed them more as suggestions than anything else. And you blatantly disrespected your seniors often.”
Ed pointed at her younger self pointing a fucking spear at what Jamil can only assume is the leader of the country. “Started from day one, and I quickly moved to just overthrowing the damn thing.”
Jamil’s mouth had been hanging for the last 30 seconds, and it was going to stay hanging open until he got his answers-
“Oh, looks like we’re waking up. Bye.”