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

[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....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Al says nothing, but offers his right forefinger to his calico charmer to be batted at ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Ed glares at me (This is all your fault!)....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

You smile in return (But of course!) ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Ed huffs and folds his arms as Alphonse gathers up the calico kitten.

"You know, Ed," I say, "there's more cake if you want it. And fresh strawberries, too."

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Ed's attention shifts Pavlovianly to the refreshments table, like a cat distracted by a trailing string, and Al, recalling his previous errand, tucks his kitten into the crook of one arm and finishes cutting his brother a slice from the cake. Ed's brows draw down and his lips compress into a line, the universal sign for disagreement in abeyance but by no means resolved. He accepts the new dessert plate from Al, but it's clearly a toss-up whether he's next going to open his mouth to eat or argue (or possibly both) ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Winry, deciding to take matters in her own hands, picks up his fork, cuts of a piece of cake and shoves it in Ed's mouth....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Ed inhales and chokes ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Before Ed can scream, Winry narrows her eyes. "No, I'm not trying to kill you unless you think that you maybe having fun is a death sentence!"

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure he knows better than that, Miss Rockbell," drawls a new and mocking voice, "given everything he's ... seen."

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Ed whips around (nearly smacking Winry in the face with that ponytail).

I turn, a bit more cautiously (having picked up a kitten and letting it play with my hair)....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Zolf J. Kimbley smiles at the assembly and takes a bite out of a strawberry ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"You invited him?!" Ed hisses in my direction.

"Er...no?" I respond, plastering a smile on my face and answering through my gritted teeth.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"No need to worry about the kittens, either," Kimbley continues, looking benignly down at the white one worrying his pant leg. "They're great survivors." He reaches down, detaches the kitten, and holds it cupped in his hands. "Admirable, aren't you?" he croons at it ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Alphonse stares across the room at Kimbley and the kitten, becoming frighteningly still and intent.

"If you're here to provide fireworks, I understand there's a field out back." Roy, at his most urbane, gestures toward the door.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"Not my style, fireworks," Kimbley replies without taking his eyes off the kitten. "Too much flash -- not enough bang." He does look up then, to leer at you. "Still, if the lady of the hour wants to wind things up with a bang, I'm sure I could find a way to oblige."

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"Oh, Zolf," I purr with a wicked grin, "You'd be rode so hard, there wouldn't be enough to put away wet."

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Kimbley drops the kitten from his fingers and his notice to give you a more thorough appraisal. The kitten thumps to the ground with a small, startled mew, then begins picking at Kimbley's shoelaces. Al takes a half-step forward and stops. Ed looks nauseated. Roy begins to catch the eyes of his various subordinates ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"I believe this is supposed to be a friendly gathering." Riza's voice cuts through the tension casually as she walks out of Mustang's group and scoops up the kitten from Kimbley's shoelaces and deposits it back in Alphonse's arms. There's a casual way her hand touches her sidearm that lets everyone know she's not afraid to use it.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Kimbley cocks his head and smiles at Riza, as if he finds her mildly amusing. "I intend to have a blast," he says.

She doesn't flinch or falter. He chuckles and turns away. Picking up a plate, he fills it with strawberries, then heads toward the chocolate fountain ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Ed grinds his teeth, fist clenching. "What is he doing here?" he hisses.

"I didn't invite him," I reply softly through a very fake grin.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"Well, get rid of him!" Ed demands. "It's your party!"