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]

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.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Al, meanwhile, is muttering feverishly under his breath. "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. Granny would never have used those ... things ..."

"Huh," Ed replies absently, still watching Winry and Falman like a bull who's seen a flash of scarlet. "How else do you think she always got a week's work done in three days -- " He breaks off, as the horrifying possibility occurs to him, and shifts all his weight onto his right leg ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I shoot the Elric brothers a patented irritated glare. "Pinako and Winry Rockbell are excellent mechanics. That's how they got the work done. They put in long, hard hours, long past when you boys would go to sleep; up before you dragged out of bed. Besides," and here I dissolve into a sweet mushy smile, "you actually believe Winry would let you go out with less than the best when she feels the way she does about you?"

Falman, meanwhile, is turning an interesting shade of red and stammering - as much as Falman stammers - at Winry's attention.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Al looks embarrassed. Ed's face works, but he sets both feet flat on the floor again ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Winry manages to sweet talk Falman into retrieving the gift for her and saunters back, a wicked gleam in her eyes that fades a little as she notices both Elric brothers acting...a bit weird. "What?" she asks when she's close enough to ask without drawing a lot of attention to herself. "Haven't you ever seen charm at work before?"

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Al regards the Unexpected Summons as if he can still smell and finds it noisome. "You're not really going to use that, are you, Winry?" he asks, his voice quiet but full of feeling.

Winry starts to respond, but Ed cuts her off. "It's the author who uses it, not her," he says and grabs his brother's wrist. "C'mon, let's go -- let's go over there." He heads off toward the opposite end of the room, dragging Al with him ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"Al," I tell Winry, taking the Unexpected Summons from her, "is feeling a little hurt right now. I think I got Ed back on the right course. Go pound both of them with a wrench for a while, they'll probably feel better about it. Besides, you don't really want to be around when I activate this thing, do you?"

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"Granny never let me watch, either," Winry says, but she lingers as you examine the package, her eyes hopeful ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"If anything happens to you, I get the blame from them." I nod at the Elric brothers, watching intently. "Go on. It's really not for mechanic's eyes."

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Winry accepts this with reasonably good grace, only pouting slightly as she turns away. Ed and Al immediately find something else to occupy their attention -- the ceiling and the floor, respectively ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I feel someone at my back and turn to find Roy. "Are you sure you know how to use that?" He nods at the Unexpected Summons in my hand, a little moue of distaste on his face.

"Well...there probably won't be bloodshed if I do. Falling anvils...giant hammers...crossdressing...but no bloodshed." I grin evilly. "Can't you just imagine Kimbley in a dress?"

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Roy ignores this. "I'll warn my men," he says.

At that moment, the DJ comes back off break and cranks up the sound system ...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

"Warning your men is a good idea," I say as Roy's already moving off. I look at the DJ in mild amusement and saunter over toward the music table....

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

As the strains of Abba's "Dancing Queen" fill the air (to the bemusement of your guests), the DJ tosses you a salute. "Any requests, Miz S?"

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I consider, shifting the weight of the Unexpected Summons around in my arms. "I don't suppose you have In The Hall of The Mountain King? If not by Grieg, the E.L.O. version will do just fine."

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

"Ahh, nothing like the classics!" enthuses the DJ as he adjusts his equipment. "Used that at a wedding just the other weekend. You never saw two more surprised moms walking down the aisle in your life."