automailed | [Video / Action]

[The journal clicks on as it drops to the ground, recording a quiet curse and a dark screen. After a moment it lifts up, revealing a flash view of Edward in a tank top as he tilts his arm, prodding at the metal limb that is apparently not cooperating as well as it should.]

What the hell is wrong with this thing? It's not-

[And his words are quite abruptly cut off as a small explosion sparks between the journal and his shoulder, and there's a flurry of images too smothered by motion blur to really make any sense. The audio, or what can be made out beyond the rush of air, is replaced by a startled yelp, followed by silence... and then, as the journal crashes into the foliage after a few moments, a steady stream of colourful and half-muffled curses.

To illustrate...

Action-wise: Edward is going to be around the town today, though not his usual, unhappily-composed self. No, today he is going to be chasing his arm around the town, since it's apparently decided to malfunction and start going off completely at random! So maybe you see it flying past you. Maybe you see it crash. Maybe it crashes into you. Or maybe, while running, he trips, stumbles, and... rolls on one foot in a mad flail as if on skates or something. Today is just not his day at all.

In other words? Haruhi got her way, as usual...]

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[Edward doesn't answer at first, hastily fishing the automail from the water and holding it out over the fountain, a mixture of dismay and irritation crossing his expression as water drips from every nook and cranny.

And he almost hit someone else, didn't he? Great.]

...Yeah, it is. Sorry about that.

No, it's cool. [He scratches an ear thoughtfully, looking at the waterlogged metal arm in confusion.] Uh, so. Your arm shot off.

[Edward gives the arm a few shakes to get some excess water out of it, then glances over at the other boy.

And stops. ....He has cat ears, what.]

[HEY! Edward starts running and so Beat's taking off after him. He has no idea where he is going, but he picks the direction Ed's going in and starts running full tilt that way.]

[...Uh oh. Now he's being stared at.]

What? Never seen a guy with cat ears before?

[He tries not to sound defensive.]

...Actually, I have. [Cat head, to be more precise, but close enough. He wouldn't call it a bad thing, but it merits a question-] Are you a chimera?

...Do I look like a mythological b-- You know, I'll just say no. [Assuming things again, dammit. A chimera could be a legitimate race in this guy's world.] I just have the ears; wasn't fortunate enough to get the tail.

[Okay, so it's normal for him. Noted. Edward turns and sits down on the edge of the fountain, dragging off his red coat to attempt to dry off the arm. A difficult task to do with one hand, but at least he has experience with that.]

Sorry about the arm. It keeps going off on its own, I don't know how to make it stop.

[Hey, this is pretty invigorating. Awesome. Edward keeps up the pace, trying to stay ahead; he may be shorter, but with the lighter automail, he's not too bad for speed, these days. Though the fact that he's leading the way probably doesn't hurt, either.]

Has it always been that way? [He hasn't seen Winry work on automail before, so he's not yet making the connection with the metal arm.] Or is it something that happened when you arrived?

Ah... Your.....?

[Japan manages to look up and steady himself with Ed's help.

And then realizes that this is Ed.

Edward Elric.

And he just got hit by his fist.

This is awesome.]

....Ah!! O-oh! N-no, don't worry! Please do not worry about it at all! It's an honor!

[Running is good for you, Shorty!

Instead of ducking under or around things, Beat just punches them out of the way which is slowing him down some, but he keeps a good pace all the same.]

Yo! When we get to tha' barrier, we gonna know?

[That earns him a puzzled look, because no stranger has ever said anything like that before.]

An honour? What're you talking about?

[Should he tell him? Should he not? Well, he's famous in his own world, right? So what's the harm? As long as he doesn't say how he knows him, he can just pretend that it's because Ed's awesome and conveniently ignore the rest of the fourth-wall, world/reality-breaking bits. Yes!]

May I have your autograph! I know I have a pen somewhere! Please wait!

[And he turns to frantically searching in his kimono sleeves for a pen and his journal.]

[There's some nosy people around here, aren't they? Edward responds with a disapproving expression, then shrugs.]

It didn't happen here, I've had it for years.

...Wait, you know who I am? Are you from Amestris too? [Gasp! A stranger, but one who knows he's famous?

...And he knows he's the Fullmetal Alchemist!? But that hasn't happened in... ever, actually.]

[SURE, LET'S GO WITH THAT. Japan finds his pen and the journal, whipping them out and opening them to a clear page.]

How could we not know who you are! I have heard of you from others. [lies] You are the Fullmetal Alchemist, aren't you? I am so honored to meet you!

[Dude. Not what he was asking about.]

Rocket arm and all?

I've been there before, I know how far it is! [Ed's a bit of a monkey when it comes to being on the move, so he's jumping, climbing, and dodging around the various obstacles. If he happens to get stuck anywhere he can just blast himself a path with alchemy. Glancing back, he can see that Beat's doing a pretty good job of keeping up, too.]

...That's new. [Which... is definitely why he can't control it at all.]

[Damn...TREES! Beat lets out a frustrated growl and punches a middle-sized tree down, before leaping over it and running forward to catch up.]

Damn park's fulla trees!

[...Mwa. Mwahahahaha. Oh, this is rich. There goes his ego again.

Edward takes the journal and the pen, scrawling out his signature.]

I didn't know I had fans here! What's your name?

You have many fans all over the world! [Amestris! ....Something!

He takes the signature back when Ed is finished and looks it over, smiling to himself. This day officially went from suck to awesome.]

Ah- My name is-- [Right, human name.] Honda Kiku.

[...That's not a very Amestrian name, but okay. Maybe his parents were Xingese or something. He kind of looks it.]

Most people have just heard of me, but can't recognize me. This was a pretty awesome surprise.

[But now that he's done his civic duty (so to speak), he can get around to reattaching his arm. Good thing he writes with his left hand now.]

[Yesss....believe him, Ed. It's better for your vision of reality.]

Yes, that is an unfortunate occurrence. But--

[He stops, watching as Ed starts to put his arm back on.]

...Is it supposed to do that?

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