[BBS] & [Action] 2nd Transmission

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[In the morning there is a BBS Post:]

Hey Not-A-Robot.

Got parts.

Meet me in the cafeteria round 4 (or 1600, whatever).

Know we have Tactics together, but I have another class right after.

Wouldn't have time to fix anything.

-Jack Spicer

[In Tactics 101, Jack arrives, all harried-looking, just before the instructor. The class starts before anyone can talk to him. After class he leaves in a hurry, clearly preoccupied with something.]

[Later Jack's sitting at a table in the cafeteria with an array of metal bits in front of him. He's currently trying to make a tower with them, but the smaller pieces keep falling. He keeps replacing them, despite it apparently being pointless. He seems very intent.]

Comments

2/2

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[At the last comment, Jack is becomes more amused than he was a moment ago. Who cares about his scientific cred? This reaction is delicious. He smirks.] Kinda makes it scary you just let me work on your arm, doesn't it?

[rewritethis]

[Ed neither understands nor particularly gives a crap about Jack's examples, but magic? Please. It's either an elaborate dressing-up of alchemy (as he believes this world's magic is), a hoax, or both.

On the other hand, he does understand taunts, particularly those that pick on the gaps in his own logic. And he rises to them magnificently.]

Quit jerking me around! Unless you want to see exactly how well my arm is working!

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[Jack continues to smirk. He's dealt with scarier people than Ed. He's intentionally picked fights with people scarier than Ed. He's pretty sure he can handle himself--or, if push comes to shove, escape easily.]

Sure, go ahead, prove my point. Of course, I'm pretty sure the Garden wouldn't approve of a cadet attacking another, particularly unprovoked...

[rewritethis]

What the hell was your point, anyway?!

[At this point, wiping the smirk off this bastard's face almost seems worth expulsion. Almost. Ugh, just another reason to hurry up and figure out some way to get back through that Gate... but first, maybe he can drop by that Training Centre he heard about and pretend that one of the monsters there is Jack for a few minutes. It counts as resting if it's therapeutic violence, doesn't it?]

Forget it, I don't need to know. Thanks for the fix. Take your screws with you when you're done. [In a final attempt at retaliation before he grabs his coat and stomps off, he tries to kick the pole in Jack's general direction, but it's pretty much made of foil and just folds up from the impact. Dammit. Maybe he'll make that half an hour.]

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[Operation: Troll Complete Stranger For No Reason is a success! Jack is thrilled. And he didn't even have to run away screaming! He watches the tower collapse with slight curiosity.]

[Of course, no one ever gets the last word on Jack Spicer. He calls after Ed:] It was that you can't use logic!

[rewritethis]

[Some people can get the last word on Edward Elric, but he's not about to roll over and add another one to the list. From halfway across the cafeteria, without turning back round:] At least I can use my eyes!

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[And the maturity continues:] Shame you can't use your brain!

[rewritethis]

Don't be jealous just 'cause you don't have one!

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Protip: don't use "comebacks" that make you look more ridiculous, Mr. "My Arm Must've Fixed Itself"!

[rewritethis]

If you don't like it then you'd better trade in that favour now, Mr. Parents' Basement!!

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[Jack narrows his eyes.] Oh noooo, that's saved for something important. I'd never waste it on asking you not to make yourself look stupid.

[rewritethis]

[Worth a shot. Ed isn't surrendering - ohhh no, let that bastard walk over here and he'll see how much Ed doesn't surrender - but he does have absolutely no patience left to squander on this crap. Jack can gloat over managing to insult a guy probably half his age if he really wants to; Ed will just have to make that a whole hour in the Training Centre, and he'll be fine. No, let's say three.

Still, he can't resist turning back just before leaving the cafeteria and sticking his tongue out.]

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[Jack, who is practically 30, returns the gesture.]