((Locked to random_xtras and dantespet.))

[haganenomore]

Ed's doing a walk-about in the Nexus, avoiding most of the populated areas due to not being in the mood for company. Well, not much company. Maes is riding his shoulder and getting the occassional head-scritch as required although he may retreat to the apartment or demand to be let down the front of Ed's jacket soon as it was cold out.

Comments

[random_xtras]

"#@$%@&#$ cold," notes a tall, dark haired man with a scarred face as he falls into step with Ed.

[haganenomore]

"Yeah," Ed agrees; not particularly surprised at the other's appearance as the wind was blowing the right way for him to pick up his scent. "Probably should have stayed inside but I didn't feel like dealing with my brother bugging me about stuff."

Maes gives the newcomer a curious look and a mild chirp of inquiry; eyes whirling calmly.

[random_xtras]

There's something different about that scent. Something undefined but distinct, and full of living strength. Whatever it is is cloaked right now.

He looks at the little lizard and grins with his eyes, mentally saying hello to it. He seems totally unaffected by the weather.

Then he looks at Ed. "There isn't really anything out this way."

[haganenomore]

Ed's staying quiet about what he's picked up for now. By now, he's gotten used to the fact that more beings than just humans, chimera, and homunculi exist.

Maes chirps back at Atin some more before making a complaining noise at Ed about the cold.

"Okay, fine," he grouses, unzipping the top part of the thick jacket he was wearing to let the firelizard climb into the front, resulting in an odd looking bulge moving around before Maes finally satisfied himself with the arrangements and popped his head back out the top.

While that was going on, Ed looked at the other person. "Oh?"

[random_xtras]

The other man frowns a little. "Is it bothering you?"

[haganenomore]

"Not exactly. Just a bit of... overload I guess." Ed pauses and adds "Not the bad kind like if some ass decided to randomly dump me in a sewer."

[random_xtras]

"No." He goes back to watching Blackout as she lets a much smaller robot that looks like a scorpion scramble around and pull bits off the wall she's leaning against. "That's death. This is life."

[haganenomore]

"Well, I was thinking more in terms of 'oh dear god that smells bad' for the sewer end of things rather than life and death," Ed notes wryly.

He also watches the robots. Maes, however, has no interest and just pulls his head fully down so he was entirely covered by Ed's jacket and starts napping.

[random_xtras]

He looks at the younger man's body language and shakes his head. "I'm not here to try and take you anywhere. Just to offer life given willingly instead of taken without consent."

[haganenomore]

Ed tries to force himself to calm down and become less tense so as to avoid waking up his firelizard. "O-okay. It's just that I'm in the Nexus to avoid some people who I'm sure have been sent all over the place back home to find me..."

[random_xtras]

Atin nods and looks away so as to be less threatening, his eyes going toward where Blackout had left. "I've got a price on my head too. Because of who and what I was before I was changed."

[haganenomore]

"Oh." Ed swallows and makes himself calm down some more. "Should I ask..?"

[random_xtras]

And then that smell increases, and Atin's frowning slightly and thinking that that felt weird as he looks down at a small spark of light in his hand.

He lifts his eyes to Ed. "You're going to have to move the dragon."

[haganenomore]

"Firelizard, actually," Ed corrects absently as he stares at the spark thing while unzipping the front of his jacket.

He makes himself stop looking to look down at Maes as he gently starts prying him out of his clothes. "Come on, time to wake up and get out of there for a little while."

Maes made sleepy sounding protests even as he lets go of the front of Ed's shirt and climbs up onto his shoulder; giving Atin a sleepy glare as if he held him responsible for the current state of things.

[random_xtras]

-You can go back soon,- Atin tells the little creature wordlessly as he sets the spark to Ed's chest. It absorbs instantly, a tingling sensation spreading out from the spot.

[haganenomore]

Ed's eyes lose their focus and he starts trembling.

"Wha..?" he slurs, reaching out to grasp Atin's arm to help support himself and keep himself from falling as he mentally follows the tingling's path.

Maes immediately wakes up more as he picks up on the confused state of Ed's thoughts and starts rubbing his head against his cheek, crooning encouragement.

[random_xtras]

"Let us in," says Atin. "It's cold."

[dantespet]

Al moves to one side so they could get in.

[haganenomore]

Maes swoops in first, landing on Alphonse's shoulder, sharing his memories of what happened in the process.

"Is he being a tattletale?" Ed asks vaguely.

[random_xtras]

"Yup," says Atin, bringing him in and heading toward the apartment without asking for directions.