Title: Part of the Game

Author: S J Smith

Rating: K+

Summary: Kimbley and his daemon have a talk, after ordering Ed to carve a crest in Briggs/Drachma.

Disclaimer: Just playing paper dolls, here.

Notes: Fusion fic. Written for a prompt from the LJ Community, Comment_Fic.

"Don't you realize that was really, really stupid?" Kimbley raised his eyebrows, offering his hand to his daemon, Gloriosis. The blond ferret didn't climb on, just sat back on her haunches, staring at him. "You tell him, 'Your orders are to carve a bloody crest', then you let him tell the Rockbell girl that she's a hostage? Were you even thinking?" She jutted her head forward, asking, Well?"

"Well," he said, with a shrug, "Something will definitely happen out of it, won't it?"

Gloriosis laced her ears back. "They're smarter than they look," she reminded.

"Yes," Kimbley told her, "that's what I'm counting on. Those brothers, and the girl, there's something between them. There is a reason why I requested Miss Rockbell come to Briggs. Any threat to her will be taken seriously by those two young men."

"But if anything actually happens to her, you know Fullmetal will kill you?" Gloriosis had been the one facing Fullmetal's daemon, currently in the shape of a wolverine, and very protective of Miss Rockbell's lynx daemon, and Gloriosis had been forced to back away far earlier than she would have preferred.

"That's all part of the game, Gloriosis." Kimbley smiled as she ran up his arm, perching on his shoulder in her second favorite place – her favorite being tucked into a pocket, where she could look out and observe everything but not be seen. "Envy and the others are counting on us – and whatever Fullmetal's decision in attacking Drachma, in the long run, it won't really affect anything. The Promised Day will come, regardless, and we'll still be there to watch it happen."

Gloriosis snorted in his ear, a very indelicate sound. "As long as you don't get us killed, I'll follow your lead, Zolf."

He picked up his hat, settling it on his head. "And that's all I ever ask, Gloriosis."

- end -