Drabble Post - Fun Times (FMA)
Oct. 2nd, 2025 10:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kristenskIt's almost October 3rd again, and here's one of those ideas I started but couldn't get to work last year. It finally came together.
Fun Times
The sky was the crisp blue of a fall morning when the train pulled into East City. Ed barely glanced at it, instead staring at his pocket watch.
“Making us come all the way here,” he muttered, finally pocketing the watch and standing. “The Colonel had better have a good lead.”
“Our last one down near Alsfeld didn’t pan out anyway,” Al pointed out practically.
Ed grunted in reply.
As he followed Ed down the aisle, Al knew what his brother was thinking. It was October 3rd. A year to the day since they’d left home to find a way to restore their bodies. They had learned a lot about what wouldn’t work. With few hints as to what might.
They navigated an especially busy train station and were soon heading down the wide main street.
“What’s with all the peop—?” Ed started.
He broke off as they crested a low hill. The street before them had been transformed. It was filled with people, a riot of colorful stalls, the smoke of cooking food, and the wild motion of several steam-powered rides.
“Oh,” Al’s helmet swung from one sight to another as they drew closer. “It’s a funfair.”
“Great,” Ed muttered, annoyed at the delay. He turned resolutely down a side street to cut around the fair and get to Eastern Command faster.
Unfortunately, that didn’t make their visit shorter like he’d hoped.
“What do you mean you don’t have a lead ready yet?” Ed bellowed, gloved hands planted on Colonel Mustang’s desk. “You sent us the message a week ago!”
“And, it took you so long to show I have to find it again,” Mustang answered, scrawling his signature across a form. “Some of us have more paperwork than those creative writing assignments you call your after action reports.” His desk was buried under an impressive pile of forms. “I should have it ready by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Ed shouted. “What are we supposed to do until then?”
Mustang waved a dismissive hand. “Get some rest. Eat. If you’re bored, there’s a fair in town.”
Ed growled but stopped as Al’s gauntleted hand came down gently on his shoulder.
“The fair looked like fun, Brother,” he said softly.
Everyone present knew that was the end of it. Even if Ed did snarl a few more complaints before stomping out the door.
Hawkeye looked after the pair before turning back to the colonel. “Didn’t you spend yesterday gathering materials for the Elric brothers?”
“I did.” Mustang leaned back in his chair and looked up at her. “But, if I give them to Fullmetal now, he’ll be on the next train out of town without stopping to rest. He’s no use to anyone if he exhausts himself.”
Hawkeye returned a small, knowing smile. A smile that grew when the brothers returned the next day, Al chattering happily about everything he had seen and the rides he’d ridden and Ed completely unrepentant about the riot he’d caused uncovering every shady carnival game.
Fun Times
The sky was the crisp blue of a fall morning when the train pulled into East City. Ed barely glanced at it, instead staring at his pocket watch.
“Making us come all the way here,” he muttered, finally pocketing the watch and standing. “The Colonel had better have a good lead.”
“Our last one down near Alsfeld didn’t pan out anyway,” Al pointed out practically.
Ed grunted in reply.
As he followed Ed down the aisle, Al knew what his brother was thinking. It was October 3rd. A year to the day since they’d left home to find a way to restore their bodies. They had learned a lot about what wouldn’t work. With few hints as to what might.
They navigated an especially busy train station and were soon heading down the wide main street.
“What’s with all the peop—?” Ed started.
He broke off as they crested a low hill. The street before them had been transformed. It was filled with people, a riot of colorful stalls, the smoke of cooking food, and the wild motion of several steam-powered rides.
“Oh,” Al’s helmet swung from one sight to another as they drew closer. “It’s a funfair.”
“Great,” Ed muttered, annoyed at the delay. He turned resolutely down a side street to cut around the fair and get to Eastern Command faster.
Unfortunately, that didn’t make their visit shorter like he’d hoped.
“What do you mean you don’t have a lead ready yet?” Ed bellowed, gloved hands planted on Colonel Mustang’s desk. “You sent us the message a week ago!”
“And, it took you so long to show I have to find it again,” Mustang answered, scrawling his signature across a form. “Some of us have more paperwork than those creative writing assignments you call your after action reports.” His desk was buried under an impressive pile of forms. “I should have it ready by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Ed shouted. “What are we supposed to do until then?”
Mustang waved a dismissive hand. “Get some rest. Eat. If you’re bored, there’s a fair in town.”
Ed growled but stopped as Al’s gauntleted hand came down gently on his shoulder.
“The fair looked like fun, Brother,” he said softly.
Everyone present knew that was the end of it. Even if Ed did snarl a few more complaints before stomping out the door.
Hawkeye looked after the pair before turning back to the colonel. “Didn’t you spend yesterday gathering materials for the Elric brothers?”
“I did.” Mustang leaned back in his chair and looked up at her. “But, if I give them to Fullmetal now, he’ll be on the next train out of town without stopping to rest. He’s no use to anyone if he exhausts himself.”
Hawkeye returned a small, knowing smile. A smile that grew when the brothers returned the next day, Al chattering happily about everything he had seen and the rides he’d ridden and Ed completely unrepentant about the riot he’d caused uncovering every shady carnival game.
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Date: 2025-10-05 11:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-10-09 06:12 pm (UTC)