Poetry: Untitled #13, appropriately enough ...

[nebroadwe]

Happy Birthday, evil_little_dog! In honor of the day, Edward Elric and I present the following tanka:

"Just here for the food!"
Loitering beside the cake
As the candles burn,

He won't let you blow them out,
The youngest State -- Arsonist?

Ed claims there's an age joke in there, but I think he's just kidding himself ...

Many happy returns of the day!

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I cannot help it and start giggling (whilst fending off Havoc's octopus hands)....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Roy spares a disapproving glance at his lieutenant, then raises an eyebrow at you ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

...which just makes me laugh harder and wave my hands....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Your laughter is infectious: Havoc grins, other guests begin chuckling along, and Roy's offended stance relaxes. "Just eat your cake, then, eh, Fullmetal?" he says, brushing at the liquid on his jacket. "Havoc, get me a napkin, can't you?"

"Coming right up, sir," Havoc replies, giving you a farewell pat on the only part of your anatomy he can reach ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I roll my eyes at Havoc and pat HIM on the backside as he leaves to get a napkin.

"Ed, since you made the mess, you ought to take care of it!" Winry points imperiously at Roy's clothing....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Ed and Roy regard her with oddly similar expressions of alarm and distaste. "That won't be necessary, Miss Rockbell," Roy demurs, while Ed mutters, "He said I should just eat some cake." His gaze latches on to the plates she holds, then sharpens, as if some thought process has come unstuck and is now ticking over at high speed. He grins at Winry, and the sweetness of his smile goes some way toward mitigating the sourness of his tone as he adds, "You owe me one, anyway."

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"You're the one trying to ruin the party." Winry cocks an eyebrow at him but knows her charade is falling apart.

"Just because Ed's...uncouth...Winry," I say, trying to suck back a wicked grin....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Ed ignores you and holds out a hand ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Winry makes a "hmph!" noise and hands him one of her slices of cake....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Ed accepts it, forks off a huge chunk, and waves it at you. "Happy birthday, you old hag!" he says, before stuffing the cake into his mouth.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Winry winces and Al facepalms, moaning, "Brother...."

"Oh, I see how it is." I grin wickedly....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Ed scarfs down the rest of the cake in four bites, wipes his mouth on his sleeve, and glances at the other plate of cake Winry's holding ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"This is my piece, Edward," Winry glares at him, moving the plate out of his reach.

"Oh, let him have it, Winry," I say magnanimously, heading for the pile of gifties....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

As Winry stares at you, dismayed, Al sighs and says, "You can have my piece, Brother. C'mon." He heads for the cake table to cut himself a slice ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I wink over my shoulder at Winry and reach behind the pile of gifts....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Ed watches you suspciously (and a touch enviously: all that stuff ... )

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"Where's Al with that cake of yours, Ed?" I ask, digging around.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"I'm getting it, Miss S.J.," Al replies, also tagging you with a suspicious glance. (Being Al, of course, he's much less blatant about it, but still ... )

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"Oh, look," I say blandly, flipping open a heretofore unseen box, "kittens." And kittens go spilling gently onto the floor in a blanket of stripes, spots and mewling....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Winry squees, dives into the kitten pool, and emerges cradling a black-and-white ball of fluff. "Oh, aren't you cute?" she asks it rhetorically, and then, less so: "Look, Al, isn't she cute?"

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"Yes!" Al picks up a little calico something. "So is this one. Isn't she, Brother?"

Meanwhile, Roy returns from changing his outfit and sees..."Kittens? I didn't know it was Alphonse's birthday, too, Fullmetal...."

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"It's not," Ed replies, backing away from the bundle of joy Winry's waving in his face. "Al, those are her kittens, not yours. You and Winry gotta get back to Liore for the next chapter, remember?"

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Al and Winry exchange looks. "We'll just take the kittens with us," Winry says decisively, backing Ed into a corner and depositing a kitten into his unwilling hands. The kitten immediately hisses and swipes at his nose....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Ed takes the kitten by the scruff of its neck and shoves it back at Winry as it mews unhappily. "They're not our kittens!" he insists. "They're her kittens. That batty friend of hers in Ohio probably dumped them on her and she's trying to pass the cen." He shoots a glare at you; you respond with impenetrable blandness. "Besides, we can't take care of kittens when we've ... " He hesitates, eyes darting around a room which is full of far too many people he doesn't recognize, many of them lurking in dark corners, then continues, "When we've got all this stuff going on ... "

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"Edward, be nice to the kitten." Winry takes the little thing back, soothing it with petting.

"Look, boss, it's a party. Lighten up some, huh?" Havoc suggests, picking up one of the kittens as it scampers across the room....