A/N: My New Year's festivities included several White Russians, watching a dude get detained by horse cops, running at full tilt on ice in four-inch heels to see the ball drop (not the NY one, though, that's a goal for another year), and croquettes, which I learned are essentially deep-fried soup. Never a dull moment when your friends are in town, eh?
This takes place in no specific universe, at some unspecified time. Pick and place and mix and match to your liking.
33. Magic
"Ed, you can talk all you want, I still don't care about alchemy any more than you care about automail."
"That's not fair! I like automail. It's… cool."
"You just like that you can turn your arm into a blade."
"Uh…"
"Don't deny it."
"I-"
"No."
"Ok fine, but I still think you'd-"
"No way, Edward. It looks like magic to me and I'm fine with that."
"Magic? Come on, that's pretty backwoods thinking for a mechanic."
"Backwoods? No, that's what the rest of the world calls normal."
"But it's science! Testable! Repeatable! Law-bound!"
"And it all pales before that gate-thing and that 'truth' guy."
"…no, he- er, it just has a shrewd way of upholding the laws."
"Whatever. Still looks more like magic than science, or maybe that's 'cause you're so flashy about it."
"Huh?"
"Show off."
"Me?"
"No, the other midget alchemist."
"I'm not short!"
"Not where it counts anyway."
"Winry!"
"Come on, I'll show you some real magic."