♨ 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

[installing]

Oh, I dunno... He'll probably call it a dumb idea and complain the whole time about it being so stiff or whatever. But I did get him to go to that Ball once...

[herotypical]

He doesn't like to spiff up, huh?

[installing]

Not really. And I don't want to pull him out of his comfort zone too much. At this rate I won't get any progress done.

[herotypical]

Progress?

1/2

[installing]

I mean-!

[Private]

[installing]

Th-the thing is that we've been together for a while now, and we haven't advanced our relationship... as much as I have wanted to. I mean I understand he's hesitant, but he said he was okay with-

But everything keeps getting in the way!

[Private]

[herotypical]

...Oh.

[ HMM. ] Everything? Everything like what?

[Private]

[installing]

Experiments. Life.

I dunno. I used to think he was stalling, but even when he said he was ready we can't catch a break.

[Private]

[herotypical]

...You should take a trip. O-or find an empty apartment on one of those top floors. They're all practically deserted.

[Private]

[installing]

I don't know if that'll make him feel more or less comfortable.

[Private]

[herotypical]

Take some time. Decorate the place. Candles and rose petals and Barry White. It's about as much of a vacation as we can muster.

[Private]

[installing]

What's Barry White?

[Private]

[herotypical]

Mood music, Win. Mood music.

[Private]

[installing]

Mood... music. People play music for this kind of thing? I never did.

[Private]

[herotypical]

Oh, I do all the time. Early on. When things are still awkward. [ her sarah maclaughlin album will never be the same again. ] It fills in the silences. It does a lot of good, as long as you have the right tunes.

[Private]

[installing]

I guess... Haruhi and I just used movies. But I have record player stashed somewhere, I think!

[Private]

[herotypical]

Movies work. But take it from me, you don't wanna get caught getting all intimate only to have the next scene be a total turn-off.

Wait -- are you talking about an old fashioned record player? With the needle?

[Private]

[installing]

Well... yes? It's the only thing other than a music box that I have to play music with.

[Private]

[herotypical]

....Do you wanna borrow my stereo, Win? Maybe a few CDs?

[Private]

[installing]

What? No, I couldn't! I don't know how long we'd take to actually-

I don't know if I'd ever get to use it!

[Private]

[herotypical]

[ laughter. ] No, no, no. Hun. You can borrow it to see if you like it. Maybe consider getting one of your own. Though, if the time arises and you need to drop by and call in an electronic favour or two? I wouldn't begrudge you.

[ ... ] It'll happen, Winry. Some day. I guess it's just not something you can rush.

[Private]

[installing]

...All right, fine. I'll try it. And I know I can't rush it, I mean. I was in the same position before with Haruk- Haruh- Suzumiya.

I respect that he might not be ready, or that maybe he is and it just hasn't been the right time, it's just- It's frustrating.

[Private]

[herotypical]

...Been taking quite a few cold showers, huh?

[Private]

[installing]

Figuratively, yes.

[She deals with it other ways, but the idea is the same.]

[Private]

[herotypical]

I know the feeling. [ not so much recently, perhaps. but with angel...

well. ] It'll happen. Don't try and orchestrate it too much. It's best when it happens naturally. And trust me -- it's better to look forward to your first time as a couple than to be mourning your last. It feels that much more...hopeful.