installing | ♨ 1 Apple Pie + Nineteen Apples and Cinnamon

[Today Winry has a busy day! Despite things in her neck of the woods slowly turning normal(ish), she has a lot to do. Feel free to bump into her at any time/place!

[Late Morning: The Library]
With Ed in the tunnels Winry has been running books back and forth. Sokka has done this too, but she's taking this chance to also pick something up herself. A romance novel with a monochrome book cover catches her eye. She'll flip through the first couple chapters in the library before taking off.

The book reads:
I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror. Damn my hair – it just won’t behave, and damn Katherine Kavanagh for being ill and subjecting me to this ordeal. I should be studying for my final exams, which are next week, yet here I am trying to brush my hair into submission. I must not sleep with it wet. I must not sleep with it wet. Reciting this mantra several times, I attempt, once more, to bring it under control with the brush.

[Early Afternoon: The Smithy]
Work as usual - not. Off and on Winry tends to small chores and cleaning up prototypes, but nothing extremely productive. She might end up slacking off and reading again on the couch.

The book reads:
Portland disappears in front of us as we head into US Airspace, though my stomach remains firmly in Oregon. Whoa! All the bright all the bright lights shrink until they are twinkling sweetly below us. It's like looking from inside a fishbowl.

[Late afternoon: The Square]
Winry sits herself on a bench. The book she checked out was very boring so far. The writing wasn't even that good. She reads much further, but at some point she frowns. The mechanic's expression looks like one of disgust as her calloused hands slam the smooth book shut. Quickly Winry sets aside the book to open up her journal:]

Hey, would you trust anybody that made you sign a contract if you were going to keep being with them?

[She glares at the book beside her. Should she finish it? Honestly it's making her very uncomfortable. Maybe she should have picked up a medical text instead.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think we might need to reshape a plate for you, but I definitely have the wiring. Follow me.

[She'll lead him to the back where she keeps her work bench, and the furnace.]

Mm, thanks, it's appreciated.

[He follows right behind her, admiring everything that apparently is now all locked up on the walls.]

Don't remember you guys having a policy on keeping weapons behind bars.

[She waves a dismissive hand.]

That's only Sokka's stuff. He feels the need to barter with people now.

Ummm, didn't he get the memo of this being the land of free stuff?

[It seemed like a pretty good system. That one kid, whoever he was who told him about this place at one point said it kept people from getting greedy.]

He didn't seem to care until recently. I don't know what has gotten into him.

Hmmm that's kinda weird. Well, could be one of Malnosso's experiments, right? Maybe it won't last long.

An... experiment?

[Yeah, maybe. What happened with Ed recently, well... It wasn't out of the question. They make it to her workbench, and Winry pulls out a box with extra arm plates. They'll definitely have to reshape one, but it's at least a start.]

Mhm, the Molasses abduct people and do weird stuff to 'em, don't they? So if that's case should only be a matter of time 'til he's normal.

[However, when they get to the work bench....he just stares at those plates.

Those plates man. They're something only an artist could forge. Forgive him for just staring at them longingly.]

They're so preeeeeetty....

Malnosso. [She immediately corrects him. However if it's anything like Ed's problem then they'll have to intervene before it gets worse.]

I think this one will fit. Why don't you measure it to see how much it needs to be altered?

They don't get their proper name.

[Looking at the plate, Cross nods to Winry before he picks up a measuring tape. He takes a few minutes, taking in the length and the width.]

Hmm....it's gonna need to be at least 2 centimeters wider and an centimeter longer. Other than that this should do.

No, no. If it's too small it's better to get a larger one and cut it down. We don't want to spread the metal thin.

Suppose that's true. I just didn't want to go denting up your nice large ones.

No need to dent. We have some decent saws here. Really it's much better than trying to spread thin a smaller piece.

Really? Okay, I can do that. Is it cool if I use one of your work benches than to fix the plate I need?

Yeah, go ahead. I'm... [She looks over her shoulder back to the couch area.]

I think I'm going to read again. Call if you need anything, okay?

I will, thanks, Winry.

[And he takes a seat at one of the benches with one of the metal plates he'd chosen. Grabbing at one of the metal saws, he looks over to Winry.]

Let me know if there's anymore weird passages like that in that book. I'm kind of curious.

I... think I might keep it to myself.

[As she slips back into the front room.]

♨ 1 Apple Pie + Nineteen Apples and Cinnamon | Action/Voice ♨

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Re: Smithy/action; sorry for the late tag, bats. I had exams and stuff.

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