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]

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!"

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"I'm trying to think of a way to do that that won't involve explosions." I raise an eyebrow at Ed.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"You're the writer! Just -- " Ed wiggles his free hand in the air -- "erase him or something."

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"I can't erase him. He's not my character!" I scowl thoughtfully. "Maybe I need a hokey plot device."

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

A gentle throat-clearing turns the attention of everyone in your vicinity toward the pile of presents, where Vato Falman is corralling the remaining loose kittens. His efforts are not as successful as might be, however, for his attention seems distracted by something half-way up the pile ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I squint, having terrible eyesight, even with contacts. "Ed, what is that thing?"

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"How should I know?" Ed asks. "I don't order stuff from Acme." Scorn coats the final word.

"Granny used to," Winry interjects quietly. "I snuck the catalogs out of her sock drawer and read them until she caught me at it. It looks like an Unexpected Summons -- maybe by telephone."

Ed and Al's necks make the same aborted twitch, as they both prevent themselves from staring pop-eyed at their childhood friend and make eye-contact with each other instead. Winry, meanwhile, walks with her kitten over to Falman, her cheeks only a little redder than usual ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"At least one of us has a clue," I mutter, watching Ed out of the corner of my eye, as it appears undue flirtation might happen between poor, oblivious Falman and Winry, especially when she gives him that honey sweet smile and points at the...Unexpected Summons?...stacked amongst the gifts. Falman, unable to resist her charms, starts quantifying the possibilities of wrapping paper and ribbon, as well as gift tags and I'm pretty sure I hear a snorting that reminds me of the Black Angus bull I grew up with coming from Ed.