INBOX—

[admonish]

	"You’ve reached Michael, either I’m otherwise engaged or simply missed the call. Leave a message and I will get back to you shortly. Thank you." TEXT • AUDIO • VIDEO • ACTION • OVERFLOW
	CODE CREDIT

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➥ Holidays

[nestingdevil]

[There's nothing at Michael's door. No package, no note. However, out on the balcony is a large, wooden barrel. The top's been sealed shut with a lock of sorts; its chain thick, heavy, and speckled in rust.]

[A note (with a key taped to the back) has been stuck to the side of it and as a light breeze passes by, it flutters along the edge of the lock. The message is a simple one. Something short, sweet, and scratched into a torn-out piece of paper:]

Blue Eyes

[And maybe he's right to keep it short. Inside the barrel are a few things: a blue leather journal, one suspicious looking letter opener, two bottles of brandy, and a wooden duck.]

[Opening the wooden duck will reveal a thinly rolled sheet of paper with a recipe. A single stain stamps along the edge:]

The first drink I made that brother of yours. Something from home. A Last Word in Resembool. Cut it all in half since he's not really the drinking type.

3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce green Chartreuse
3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
Garnish: brandied cherry, skewered

[The journal, though: that contains a bit more. While the first half of the book is empty, in the back there are notes. A crudely drawn map takes up at least one of the pages, and a few lines have been jotted down on the side:]

Amestris, 1914

[A single town has been circled with an arrow pointing off to a corner:]

Dublith.

[And there are other bits. A few words about Xing being far off to the East, past the desert. A quick scribble about Drachma to the north. But where the map ends and the next sheet begins, there's a longer message; its cross-out(s) and scratch marks a clear indication that this? This isn't exactly what he had in mind.]

[Then again, he's never been a creature for regrets.]

If it ever comes

[A couple blobs of ink smear along the page until finally:]

The deal I made with Luce still stands. Doesn't matter where he went. If he runs into trouble, the Shield will take care of it. That's the thing, Blue Eyes. An equivalent exchange. And since I still have mine, he should have his. That's how it works.

But it doesn't matter. Just keep in mind what I've told you. There's a whole world out there. And there's no such thing as no such thing. So, think it's about time you see what it has to offer, don't you?

P.S. Sorry about your neighbor's railing.