ohmyarceus | MAY-JUNE TEST DRIVE MEME

[Video]

[It was just going to be a quick little thing. Really. This wasn't supposed to be a giant project.

Buy a piece of training supplies, pull out the tools, and just crack that bad boy open. No big; that's why there were so many tools scattered around, as though they were tossed around by something that wasn't the young man using them.

Oh, right.

Alfons is sitting among a spread of tools and other pieces of metal, small shards lying in his lap in what seems to be a haphazard fashion. His Skarmory, Ingrid, pecked at a screwdriver in the frame, rolling it around in idle play.

Oddly, this has little to do with why he's calling.]

Is there anyone nearby who would like to have some extra pokepuffs? I realized that I bought a few more than I'd planned, and I'd hate to see them go to waste.

[Said bag is next to him, with a few wrapped treats sticking out of the side.]

[Olivine City]

[Looking at cities like this were almost surreal, considering what he had lived through. The air was clear, free of the industrial smog that he was used to; salt and delicious food mingled and teased his nose in ways he had not thought possible.

After the war, even large cities like Munich were covered in the bodies of the sick, crowded with the suffering and the diseased.

And this...

Well, it was another world. Not the same one Ed had told stories about, over and over again, but most certainly...

Ingrid squawked on Alfons's shoulder, reaching for one of the pieces of cheese in his hand with her beak.]

Oh! Sorry. I forgot about you, didn't I? Here you go, girl.

[With a small laugh, he broke off a piece and handed it to her, letting her gobble it down before he continued his own nibbling.

For some reason, his chest felt heavy, but with the smooth taste of cheese (real cheese, even! And light, delicious coffee!) in his mouth, he still couldn't help but smile, leaning back against his chair and losing himself in the moment.

The little cafe offered a much-needed break from walking, and Alfons wasn't about to squander it.]

[Jack appears a little unsure that he's coming through the feed.]

I do not think that those treats spoil. You could save them for a later time...

They don't?

[But they look so delicate, and they clearly have a creamy center. Sweets, most of all, were perishable in most conditions, requiring careful protection lest they get dry and lose the moistness that they--

--no, stop. No need to get into one of those mental tangents now. Save that for later.]

Then how do they stay fresh for so long? Is there a special preservation process?

[Wouldn't that be...unhealthy? Sure, preservatives were used in all kinds of things where he was from, but that mostly applied to jams, jellies, pickles, and the like. Never in his life had he heard of a soft, processed pastry.]

It is.....quite possible none of the ingredients are natural. I've had far too much experience with those types of foods- their only purpose seems to be to make the consumer as fat as possible.

["Oh, so like British food."

Thankfully, he stopped himself before the words could come out. Also thankfully, he didn't dwell on old world wounds for long, instead flitting to the thought of purely unnatural food.

Not even a little? Even the most low-grade food served to the sickest of the homeless was at least made from something that had once grown on a farm, or had been harvested from a once-breathing animal.]

That seems counterproductive.

[He would probably agree. Robin Hood couldn't cook for beans, man.]

It can be addictive, though. I suppose a business selling such items would make a large amount of money, selling to the right sort of people.

[Yep. Definitely British.]

I can see that. Selling cheap with large bundles, or gaudy introductory packages. Get them hooked early, and the customer would be spending money without any effort.

[Well, that put a bad taste in his mouth, though his voice or expression didn't quite show it. Living in a slum where most people are dying in the middle of the street or lined up at free soup kitchens did that to a person.

Well, that, and there were the predatory peddlers who did exactly that, sucking a person in and then taking everything they owned later.

...Wow, that got dark quick.]

Is there a way to make it by hand, maybe? If I can do that, I can control my output and improve the nutritional value.

Ah, an excellent idea! I suppose it would be best to check the informational device to see what types of things your creature consumes in the wild, and start there, as far as ingredients go.

After that, I'll have find how to cook something like that out here in the wild, but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

[After all, if he can build a device that's designed to go into space, be in the top of his classes, and calculate things like wind resistance and potential thrust like children do multiplication tables, this should pose no problem.

Right?

Maybe he could even change the food's design to more resemble baumkuchen, or something his mother might have made. Bring a little bit of Germany to this strange place.

Yes, this sounds like a great idea! Alfons was feeling motivated already!]

Cooking in the wilderness is a simple enough skill to master. Improvisation is key.

Improvisation, huh...

[That was already giving him a few ideas. Maybe he could use some old junk to put something together? He had to do better than eat from a fire, of all things.]

Like using the environment to your advantage.

Yes! [He grins] Though, it is essential to know what is edible.

[It's actually pure chance that Envy spots Alfons out in front of the little cafe, but it's certainly not chance that he decides to approach.]

[He's still not sure what to think about this...other non-Elric. He was no son of Hohenheim, but he looks so similar that it can't be a total coincidence. The other versions of people that had been here over the years had at least been from an Amestris.]

[This needs more investigating. And what better opportunity, with nobody else around?]

[So Alfons' peaceful time is going to get interrupted by That Guy with the green hair and the crop top, leaning with crossed forearms on the back of the chair opposite him. His shorts leave the bright red ouroboros tattoo clearly visible on his leg. A little purple Skorupi is hitching a ride on his own shoulder, chittering happily.]

Well then, I didn't expect to run into anyone I recognized. The ocean view's nice, isn't it?

[He's not being aggressive, but he doesn't look like he's intending to go anywhere anytime soon.]

[Ahhh, yes, this felt nice. Just lean back in the chair, just a little bit--

...Oh. That was someone talking to him, wasn't it? Yep. That sure was.

No, no, don't fall--

--Oh, good. Made it. Even if the cheese did drop from his hands, landing in Ingrid's greedy beak, and that cry of surprise was, well. Not particularly manly. Still, his hands caught the table before his chair fully tipped over, and he was right-side up. Goes to show what happens when you stop paying attention.]

Huh? Sorry--

[...Was this world's fashion this weird, or was this something unique to him? Before this place, never had Alfons seen someone so outlandishly dressed, nor with such bold markings on their body.

Even now, he didn't know whether to turn away out of politeness, or stare right at him. As it was, he was sitting somewhere in the middle, keeping his composure as his eyes stayed just that little bit off-center.]

--I didn't see you coming. How long have you been standing there?

[Envy snickers, both at the surprise and at the half-staring-half-not. He shrugs with just his shoulders.]

Oh, I just walked over. I haven't been standing here staring at you and your cheese.

You are Alfons, aren't you?

[Unless there's a third, Pokemon world doppelganger of Al wandering around. But Envy's pretty sure this is the guy he's heard about.]

[Alfons wasn't really sure how to take that. Was he teasing him? He wasn't sure whether to awkwardly laugh, shrug, or both.

Chuckle, perhaps.

Yeah. When in doubt, grab six of one and half a dozen of the other, just so you cover your bases.]

I am.

[He paused. He'd seen him once before, but for the life of him, he could not remember his name.]

And you're...

[It began with an E. He knew that. Uhhhhhhhhhhh......It was a one-time meeting and he'd learned the name second-hand. It wasn't like they were formally introduced!

Um...

Edith?

Ellone?

Erich?

Enby?

En--

Oh!]

You're Envy, right?

_{[The warm weight of a dog shoving its head onto one's lap while you're trying to eat is a fairly universal experience.]

[However, usually the dog's head isn't nearly the size of the cute little cafe table you're eating at.]

[This does not stop Truck the Granbull.]

[Enjoy an enormous purple bulldog that seemingly manifested out of thin air, giving you the SADDEST EYES and wiggling its stump of a tail hopefully.]

[SHARING IS CARING ALFONS WON'T YOU PLEASE TAKE PITY ON THIS POOR STARVING BEAST]}

[WELL LITTLE PUPPY YOU MUST KNOW THAT ALFONS LOVES PUPPIES.

He glances down at him, startled, but not surprised. Since coming to this world, the amount of times he's had random dog pokemon just show up and look for food or affection is surprisingly high.

Much higher than it was in Munich, though Alfons admittedly couldn't stop himself from feeding scraps to the dogs there, too. Sometimes sacrificing some of his own meal to make sure one of the poor beasts was fed.]

Oh, hello there.

[Have a pet, pupper.]

Where's your trainer? Shouldn't they be around somewhere?

[We all know you're going to give in to the dog, Alfons. Stop stalling. Instead of giving ear-scratches, feed the poor thing.

Though ear-scratches works, too.]

What's wrong, boy? Are you hungry?

_{[THE PUPPY LOVES YOU TOO ALFONS!! EVEN THOUGH HE JUST MET YOU!!]

[The Granbull's wet black nose wiggles and so does his tail-nubbin. He's definitely after the food, but other types of affection are perfectly acceptable! An enormous pink tongue appears from the beast's jaws to return the favor, giving Alfons' hands a good, thorough slobbering.]

[YES NEW FRIEND HE'S HUNGRY HE'S SO SO HUNGRY WON'T U SPARE A CRUMB]}

MAY-JUNE TEST DRIVE MEME

TEST DRIVE MEME

Alfons Heiderich | Fullmetal Alchemist 2003

Video

Your username is beautiful.

Thank you! :D

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Olivine!

Re: Olivine!

no subject

no subject

Olivine!

DOGS. Alfons's one weakness. Besides Rockets, anyway.

well fortunately there is a Rocket coming Alfons' way, JUST NOT THE TYPE HE MIGHT BE EXPECTING