Video/Action for Pewter City - backdated to 7/29

[exeggutorhead]

[Video (/audio/text)]

[The feed opens on a sight that…really looks like it would be more suited to a brand new arrival in the world of Pokemon than someone who’s been there for nearly six years.]

[Envy’s hunched over the screen, eyes narrowed and looking like he’s trying very hard to figure out this newfangled technology business. Viewers will get to see his finger tapping at the camera, the screen, and every single button. The video cuts out to audio a couple of times, and a few random letters will occasionally come through the text function.]

What the hell kind of telephone is this…

[It’s a quiet, frustrated mutter to himself rather than an actual question. He doesn’t seem to have any idea this is being broadcast out.]

[This keeps going for another minute until he hits the Games tab button, and apparently he’s hit ‘volume’ several times because the tinny Tetris game music BLASTS from the speakers. Envy nearly drops the ‘Gear, gritting his teeth as keeps punching buttons.]

No, damn it how does this turn off?! Go back!

[His patience with today is just about gone, and as the cheery game music continues to play on, he finally just loses it entirely. Anybody who’s still watching will get a great view of some of Pewter City as the ‘Gear goes sailing through the air, and as it hits the ground (fortunately on grass and not concrete), it finally cuts out entirely.]

[Action for Pewter City]

[Haze Day for Envy has left him without anything but the foggiest memories of all his years spent in Johto. He may have gotten in touch with one of the other homunculi, but Wrath hadn’t…exactly been helpful in figuring out where he was, what was going on, why he was human, or where all these chimeras in the streets came from.]

[He is now frustrated and loose in Pewter City. Chances are, if you look like you know what you’re doing, he’ll sidle on over to try and get some information.]

Comments

action; FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

[armoredsoul]

[Alphonse hasn't noticed Envy yet, wandering down the street with a vaguely lost look on his own features. He could swear the Center should be just down this street, right...?]

Ugh, this is ridiculous.

[Beside Alphonse, Eddie the Luxray flicks an ear and snorts, nudging his trainer's leg before tugging on one pant leg. You turned the wrong street!]

[Kid looks kind of familiar, doesn't he, Envy? Almost like family.]

[exeggutorhead]

[The kid with the blue lion is enough to grab Envy's attention to start with.]

[He sure does look a tiiny bit familiar. And he sounds a lot more familiar, albeit without the metallic echo he'd be more used to hearing. But is it really possible, that the kid had gotten his body back in...whatever was going on?]

[SQUINTS FROM ACROSS THE STREET. HMMM.]

[He decides to try and sneakily follow possibly-Alphonse to see if he's right.]

[armoredsoul]

Eddie? What--

[The Luxray tugs harder on Al's pants, nearly making him trip, before shrugging off all pretense and getting behind the boy, shoving his head right into the small of Al's back, and just frog-marching him in the correct direction.]

[Obviously, this is rather confusing.]

Hey! Come on, what are you--we just came from this way!

[Eddie simply snorts and pushes even harder.]

Ugh, you're worse than Brother!

[exeggutorhead]

[Well, between the voice and what he's saying, there's really not much of a question anymore. After all, what are the chances of this being a coincidence?]

[Not high enough for Envy not to decide that he needs to investigate this more actively than simply being a stalker.]

[Now, Envy still sneers at Al plenty. All of the time, basically every time they interact. But it's at least taken on a far less threatening tone.]

[Right now? That threat has come back into the sneer full force.]

Looking a little lost, tin can.

[armoredsoul]

[Both trainer and Pokemon stop and turn to stare at Envy. Eddie, because he doesn't like Envy on sheer principle and has to greet the former homunculus with a growl, and Al because...]

...what?

[That insult hasn't been relevant for years and Envy knows it, what the hell?]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy does not realize exactly why his choice in insult was so confusing. So he simply scoffs.]

You heard me. Don't play dumb, I know it's you, Elric.

How'd you manage to get your body back?

[There are teeth in the sneer, too, and his eyes are narrowed. This is...NOT NORMAL. At least not anymore.]

[How dare one of the brothers get back what they'd lost for their crime.]

[armoredsoul]

[...okay, something weird is definitely going on. Envy can't have left and come back with no memory, or he'd be in New Bark right now raising a giant stink over there. What in the world is--]




[Oh god damnit, it's Friday.]

[Just barely holding back on an exasperated sigh, Al crosses his arms and glares back at Envy. Might as well get this over with.]

None of your fucking business, Envy. What do you want?

[exeggutorhead]

[And now Al can't even give him the satisfaction of being properly worried that Envy's shown up?!]

[Human or not, he can still be a threat! Al looks like...maybe twelve, that's not difficult to fight even without powers.]

[And all the frustrations of the morning have built up enough that beating up on the younger Elric sounds fantastic. He advances.]

Well, nobody's here to stop me damaging you, and if you've got your body back then there's really no reason to keep either of you brothers alive, now is there?

[armoredsoul]

Oh, that's how you think this will go?

[Please. Al looks down at Eddie.]

Back up and stay out of this, okay?

[Eddie snorts and flicks his ears back, but backs up several paces to keep clear of the fight. Doesn't stop him from growling and letting his fur spark up, though.]

[Al turns back to Envy, and shifts into a ready stance, and doesn't say anything. That smug little grin is all the taunting he needs to provide.]

[exeggutorhead]

[It sure is, because Al's complete lack of worry over this is making Envy livid.]

[His face twisting into almost a snarl, he moves to try rushing Al, arm wound back to punch--]

[Which might have worked better if he were still a homunculus. But this body isn't as fast as he's used to being, and that's going to present a lot of problems for this plan.]

[armoredsoul]

[He's still fast, yes, but it's a speed Al is more than capable of dealing with. And with how badly he's telegraphing his moves, it's practically child's play for Al to dodge out of the way of that first attack.]

[Even easier to whip out a kick right at Envy's backside as he passes, too. Ole!]

What, is that all you've got, tree-head?

[exeggutorhead]

[The shout of pure indignant outrage that escapes Envy at being literally kicked in the butt is probably very satisfying for Al to hear.]

[Seeing red, he whips around to try and attack again, this time with a kick.]

You won't be laughing when you're bleeding out on the ground!

[armoredsoul]

[Oh, but is it ever. Maybe a little too satisfying, but Al isn't inclined to look at that one too hard.]

[Al laughs and jumps back out of the way, his grin somehow managing to get even shittier.]

Pretty big talk for someone that hasn't gotten one hit in yet!

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy all but snarls at Al, whipping around...and it might be thanks to him being too angry to think very hard and letting him tap into all that muscle memory he's built up over the years here, but his next punch is a whole lot less awful when he throws it.]

You say that now, but just wait!

[armoredsoul]

[Not awful, and not sloppy enough that Al can easily dodge this one. He moves back slightly, and puts up one arm to deflect and block the hit.]

Tch--!

[exeggutorhead]

[For all the motion itself wasn't as sloppy, the connecting hit is, and Envy's wrist turns with a burst of pain that makes him grit his teeth.]

[But he's too caught up in the fight to pay much attention to it; besides, he's not used to pain sticking around longer than a minute at most.]

[He tries to follow up with a kick while Al might still be distracted with blocking.]

[armoredsoul]

[If Al notices the wince of pain, he doesn't show it; instead he grabs Envy's leg and twists, turning to fling him down onto the ground and moving in to pin him.]

Just give it up, you're not going to--

[--wait a minute. He recognizes that shirt, and not from Envy's wardrobe. They had been travelling together, of course, Al knows that, but it's not until that trigger that certain things all click into place.]

[Suddenly Al is moving with fury and purpose, slamming one knee into Envy's chest to hold him down and grabbing him by the collar.]

If you hurt one hair on Heather's head, I swear to god you are dead.

1/2

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy lets out another shout of outrage as he's flipped and wheezes as Al's knee knocks the air out of him, trying to struggle loose.]

[But then--Heather? Who's that supposed to be?]

[Oh. Suddenly he realizes exactly who Alphonse must mean. The girl, the alchemist he'd woken up with. And with that, he's got something he can use to hurt Al, even as a weak human.]

[His eyes narrow, but he's grinning cruelly.]

What, the girl I was with? Was she so important to you? Ha! Well--

2/2

[exeggutorhead]

[But even as he says them, the taunts seem to grate at him, like a puzzle piece being put in the wrong spot. It doesn’t feel right, none of this does. The fogged memories in his head feel more apparent than ever. His grin falters, shifting into gritted teeth and squeezed shut eyes.]

She’s--that’s not…I didn’t…

[For a moment, things are almost clear, at least some part of them. The girl was important, wasn’t she? Why was she important?]

[Fear shoots through him, and he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.]

Don’t let me hurt them!

[He stops, eyes widened and gripped by confusion. Who? Why would he have asked something like that, and to Al, of all people?]

[For at least a moment, he seems to have shocked himself into still silence.]

[armoredsoul]

[At first Al grits his teeth, snarling and about ready to start punching Envy senseless--but then something seems to catch in that rattled-up brain of his, and he pauses. Not letting go, but not about to start slamming him around.]

[Then Envy shouts and Al reels back, surprised by the emotion behind the sudden plea. And that's what it is, no doubt--whether a moment of clarity or something more muddled, Envy (the real Envy, not what he had been years and years ago) is desperate enough to not unleash himself on their shared family to beg his hated half-brother for help.]

That--I wasn't ever going to, you idiot!!

[What does Envy think he is, a moron?!]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy's face twists up in indignant outrage again. Although he still seems confused enough that what actually comes out of his mouth has less of a bite to it than it should.]

Don't call me an idiot, idiot!

[He grits his teeth again, beginning to struggle anew. Because now it's time for Envy to unleash his greatest skill: denial.]

I don't know who them is but you won't be able to do anything about it when you're dead!

[armoredsoul]

[For just a moment, Envy has the unique pleasure of seeing Al's stricken expression. That that sounded far too much like Ed, way more than is at all okay.]

[Just a moment, though.]

Fuck you, I'll call you whatever I want!

[Al tightens his grips on Envy, and shifts his weight to keep Envy on the ground. Damnit, what the hell is he supposed to do, tie him up?!]

[foolishwren]

_{[A clatter of hoofbeats comes thundering down the road in their direction-- and ahead of them, Eddie. It seems the Luxray saw help coming through several buildings and decided to lead it to the source of trouble.]}

AL!

_{[Carousel, mane still flickering wildly from sheer speed, comes to an abrupt halt several yards away from where the younger Elric has Envy pinned. And Heather, looking disheveled and a little panicked, leaps from her back before she's even entirely stopped. That said, she doesn't appear harmed.]}

Don't hurt him!

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy's too focused on Al to think too much about the hoofbeats, but the shout at least gets his attention.]

[He cranes his head back as much as he can, glaring confusedly at the alchemist girl (Heather, presumably). He's not sure which of them she's yelling at, but the fact that it might be that she doesn't want Al to hurt him is even more confusing.]

[But then, so is absolutely everything right now. He doesn't say anything just yet, but he does try his best to knee Al in the gut to escape while there might be a moment of distraction.]

[Not that he'll get far if he succeeds, since he'll basically be scrambling.]

[armoredsoul]

[Al's head jerks up when he hears Heather coming, and he reels back on instinct--not by much, but just enough to give Envy a bit of wiggle room.]

I wasn't hurting hi--OOF!

[Envy's knee connects and Al tumbles off to the side, coughing and gripping his stomach--goddamn, it's a good thing he didn't eat recently!!]