.005 Resolutions

[snacklist]

[A: Phone (Open to All)]

[It's pretty late at night and Al is at the end of his rope. Ed has been avoiding him, he utterly failed to protect anyone he cared about when the town went to hell, and he was once more trapped in this stupid armour body. His voice is high pitched in a mix of distress and determination, coming all in a rush down the phones.]

I've had enough!

I'm not going to let this town hurt anyone I care about any more, and I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt. I know... I know I can't protect everybody, but I can help teach people who don't know how to protect themselves.

So... come to the park in the morning if you want to learn, and together we can help make sure that we can give this place a really good fight!

[B: Park (Open to All)]

[Sure enough, mid morning finds one Alphonse Elric in the park, ready to teach anyone who shows up. He knows a lot of people here are competent already, and that some wouldn't want his lessons. But if he can help even one person get better at defending themselves, then he's done a good job.]

[C: 1649 Albright Lane (Locked to Ed)]

[He has had more than enough of Ed avoiding him. He knew from others what had happened to Brother during the carnival, and he is furious that Ed hadn't come to find him as soon as it was all over. He has been around himself a few times since, but he always seems to mysteriously miss his big brother.

Not today.

He's hammering on the door loudly, big metal fist making a furious pounding that shakes the door.]

BROTHER! BROTHER, OPEN THE DOOR!

Comments

[snacklist]

Then come to the park in the morning, I'll get him to be there!

[Or he'll just be there himself in all his eight foot armoured glory.]

[noluckduck]

[She snickers.] Yeah, sure.

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I'll see you there!

[Hmph! And he slams the phone down... but he will be there in the park come morning.]

and then SUDDENLY ACTION

[noluckduck]

[So will Clover, buddy. So will Clover.

The next morning, she's pretty much expecting to see a little kid with his dumb big bro.]

OMG THAT WAS UNEXPECTED!

[snacklist]

[He hasn't managed to drag out Ed yet, but there is a giant suit of armour stood in the middle of the grass... that speaks with the kid voice.]

Good morning.

[noluckduck]

[Oh what the hell.

Clover looks pretty stunned at first, but she quickly wises up to what is CLEARLY going on here.] Get outta that costume, ya brat.

[snacklist]

[Oh no, this is going badly already, and there's a moment of panicked silence.]

C-Costume?

[noluckduck]

Yeah, the freakin'... robot suit or whatever that is!

[snacklist]

It's... armour, for the training session!

[Sob.]

[noluckduck]

What're ya scared of, gettin' a rocket launcher all up in your face?

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N-No, it's like strength training, so I have something heavy to lift while I'm fighting.

[He flexes his arm with a high-pitched laugh.]

[noluckduck]

... Take the helmet off.

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...Do I have to?

[noluckduck]

What, are ya scared of me? I don't make a habit outta punchin' little kids. Promise.

[snacklist]

[There's a brief hesitation, he doesn't really want to do this, but he doesn't want to be thought of as a lying little kid either.

Slowly, he takes off the helmet and reveals the completely hollow armoured body.]

[noluckduck]

[... Wh-- Wait, what--

She'll be trying to stand on the tips of her toes and peer into the armour now, because what the hell.

(Except she's just a little too short, so she will be trying to pull Al down to her eye level too. Without applying any significant amount of strength, of course, or things would just get awkward.)]

[snacklist]

[He lets her pull him down, an awkward sort of half chuckle echoing from somewhere inside the hollow metal.]

A-Ah... can I put my head back on now?

[noluckduck]

[What... what the SHIT.]

... Y'know what? Sure, just do whatever the hell ya want.

[snacklist]

[He puts his helmet back on and sighs, leaning his hands on his knees.]

I didn't mean to scare you.

[noluckduck]

Well, ya could've said somethin'!

[snacklist]

I wouldn't have had to if you'd not called me a liar in the first place!

[noluckduck]

Ya sound like you're five years old! [Getting younger and younger...]

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I told you, I'm SIXTEEN!

[noluckduck]

Yeah, yeah, I believe ya now!

[snacklist]

It's not my fault I sound this way.

[He sighs, shoulders slumping a bit.]