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

[installing]

[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.]

Comments

[truemessiah]

[ Serenity watches as the book is slammed shut, and Winry opens the journal to make a quick post. As soon as the young woman completes it, Serenity approaches.

She eyes the book, a brow raised in curiosity. ]

Not a good book?

[installing]

It's... a little unsettling, I guess.

[truemessiah]

You seemed rather far in it--was it unsettling since the beginning?

[installing]

No, actually... it was kind of boring.

[Winry frowns at it yet again. It was unsettling, but... it was so weird that she is a little bit intrigued.]

[truemessiah]

[ She lets out a giggle, though muffles it politely with her hand. ]

So, why have you kept reading it?

[installing]

Well...

Have you ever looked at something that was so bad you couldn't look away?

[truemessiah]

It's like that, then? [ Serenity has seen more than her share of things that were so bad you couldn't quite look away, no matter how much you wanted to. ] Does that mean you're going to finish it?

[installing]

Yeah, I mean... unless it gets too weird or boring.

[truemessiah]

But doesn't that feel as if you're wasting your time? [ If it's boring, or weird, it'd seem better to just move on to something else. ]

[installing]

I've been here a long time. I have enough of it to waste.

[truemessiah]

[ She lets out a breathy laugh. ]

Fair enough.

[installing]

[For a moment she id about to let the conversation be at that, however... she recognizes this face - the hair - the voice. Sure they've met before? No? Winry scoots over, and pats a seat next to her.]

Do you mind if I ask you to talk a little more?

[truemessiah]

[ Serenity hesitates before she smiles, and takes a seat. ]

Not at all, Winry. [ Winry. Winry. Winry. The last name escapes her, an empty space, but she remembered the first. ]

[installing]

You know my nam-
[No. Of course she knows her name. Winry remembers this person. This girl - woman - who was so important to Haruki. This woman who was kind, warm, and always was willing to converse. Winry stands up abruptly. She knows this person! Even if she may know her as-]

Usagi?

[truemessiah]

[ Winry's abrupt stand causes Serenity to let out a quiet, startled gasp, but at the mention of her name, Serenity's expression quickly morphs from shock, to a wide and joyful smile. She nods. ]

Mm! [ There's a distinct sort of joy remembering someone, and being remembered in turn. ] You got it! It's good to see you again.

[installing]

You're back, I- [Winry quickly sits down, and picks up both of the girl's hands in hers.]

I didn't expect to see you again! It's been forever, how are you?

[truemessiah]

[ She laughs brightly as Winry takes her hands, and she offers a small squeeze. ]

It has been quite some time, hasn't it? [ Two years for them. Much longer for her. Sort of. ] I've been fine, just been getting used to this place again. And what of you? How's everything been?

[ She wants to know it all. Even the most minute details. ]

[installing]

[Winry returns the other girl's hands to her lap, but the mechanic will keep on calloused hand on top.]

Well hectic as usual. Drafts, experiments, weird things, bad guys possessing good guys. More of the same, right?

[truemessiah]

That certainly does sound like more of the same from this place. [ Luceti seemed to run in cycles, almost to the point of people being able to predict when something was coming; in a way, it made things just a little easier, if not occasionally dull. ] How about with you, though? Still working at the, uh, smithy?

[installing]

I am, yes! And it might not be much, but I actually have a couple customers here now that I work on. It's nice to be able to focus on prosthetics that are actually attached to people again.