Unpredictable

[Al fan]

Stormy, that was the best way to describe the night, pitch black save for the sickeningly luminescent glow of the street lamps and the occasional flash of lightning that streaked across the sky in a violet fork of potential destruction. It was funny how things in nature itself could be so dangerous even the weather had the potential to be lethal, a flood here, a hurricane there, of course, floods were far more common than hurricanes but still, it proved once again, that nature was an unpredictable thing. It had been raining all day, and it had only seemed to get heavier as the day had drawn on into night, only now there was the thunderstorm to add to it, making the evening much more dismal than the afternoon had been at least for some.

Huddled beneath a shop awning Alphonse Elric shivered slightly, a bright streak of lightning dancing across the sky, it wasn’t that he was afraid of it...well, perhaps he was a little afraid, after all, the sound was loud and quite frankly the thunder that followed did not make for a calming effect as it resounded in the air with an ear shattering roar. Perhaps it would have been wise to stay at home instead of venturing out once more in the rain, he had already received a soaking twice today, and frankly he had been somewhat reluctant to gain a third, but he had left his apartment regardless, waiting until Rina had fallen asleep before leaving. With a sharp exhale of breath the younger Elric moved out into the rain once more, flinching slightly at the coldness of it as it hammered onto his skin causing an icy numbness to spread through him, yes, this was perhaps one of his worst ideas, but still, there was motive to the madness.

Alphonse wiped his sodden fringe out of his eyes, blinking rapidly as droplets of rain ran down his forehead from his hair, information, that was why he was here, that was why he had ventured out into the night like this. Rina needed information about her sister, and whilst she had told him that she would go out in the morning to see what she could find out around Central, he had taken it upon himself to try and help however he could. One thing that could be said about the younger Elric was that he was persistent, and he had a charm to him that others found endearing, and somehow, even though he was young, he had a knack for making people talk, even if they didn’t wish to at first, he could usually win them over with his kindness and perseverance, and it never hurt to appeal to people’s vanity on occasion especially if it got you what you wanted, though it was a trick that he rarely used.

[Robert Luis Mustang]

The night was a beautiful thing so subtle so elegant... so, well so Robert really, the storm didn't bother the major any in fact it was an enlightening experience the cold droplets splash rhythmically on his skin, 'such beautiful weather I don't know why i even bothered to bring my umbrella, such a waste of energy really.' The unpredictability of the weather recently was certainly interesting but nothing compared to what he truly wanted to get to grips with. He wanted to be back in the labs he wanted to further his research, his alchemy was very new but Roy wanted him on a leash so thats exactly where he was doing his bloody chores!

As he strolled down toward the main apartment complex he say a small huddled figure shivering in the rain, he didn't recognize the figure but he was not one to pass a man in need so he strolled over.
"Rough night?," Robert asked opening his umbrella covering the rest of the shivering boy, "I know I haven't had such a bad day thanks, but i guess yours has been quite the opposite sitting out in the rain like that!"

Robert slid his drenched black hair back and smiled this. Boy was a mess he was almost as wet as him for heavens sake and that was saying something Robert was well and truly drenched from head to toe, a person may have compared him to a rat of sorts, not for his attitude or his choice of colors but he was simply soaking wet. The figure he was sheltering however was like a tabby cat, drenched and lonely or at least thats how it seemed either lonely or disheartened.
"so?"

[Al fan]

Every time the thunder sounded the younger Elric jumped slightly, he had never been particularly afraid of storms before, when he was younger, he would have watched the storm on the hills over Resembool with Edward from their bedroom window, it had been fascinating then....but there was a difference between watching a storm and walking around in it. Alphonse wrapped his arms around himself in a comforting manner as another fork of lightning streaked across the night sky, followed by the roar of the thunder, to which he closed his eyes. There was a purpose to being out her, it was something he repeated to himself as the rain continued to hammer down upon him, making him shiver as the cold drew up his body, he had to try and talk to someone, anyone, who could have possible information about Rina’s sister, that was what was important, storm or not storm....he was determined to at least gain something.

Alphonse was perhaps as stubborn as his brother in some ways, if he had something he deemed important to do, then he would do it at all costs, of course, unlike Edward he tended to think things through a little more, though in this case he had let his heart run away with his head, leading him to make the somewhat foolish decision to venture out in this weather. The young boy had been so caught up in his thoughts, his mind somewhat scattered between fear and trying to figure out what his next move should be when he felt something....or rather the lack of something. Grey eyes trailed upwards as he realised that for some reason the rain was no longer falling on his body and it took him a full minute to come to the further realisation that someone had placed an umbrella over his head. The younger Elric blinked a couple of times, staring up at the man that stood before him with wide eyed confusion before he sighed lightly, feeling at least somewhat better for the sudden shelter.

For a moment Alphonse was silent, enjoying the lack of rain upon his skin as the man spoke to him, he was kind, Alphonse had figured that much out already, but still, it was somewhat strange to have a complete stranger walk up to him merely to give him shelter, not that he did not appreciate the gesture. “Uh.....yeah....I guess you could say that” he said quietly lowering his eyes to the floor for a moment. Rough hardly began to describe it, terrible perhaps, unbearable, but rough....that was perhaps an understatement. “I-I wasn’t sitting out in the rain....I was looking for something”. In his mind, considering he knew nothing of this man, it was better to say he was looking for something, rather than someone, although Alphonse was not the suspicious type, it was still better to be wary of people, especially at times like this.

[Robert Luis Mustang]

Robert watched the boy intently as he looked up at him his piercing grey eyes looking up in bewilderment; Robert was certainly the impulsive type always going off on a whim and trying to help those in need, its how he was brought up ‘be thou for the people’ right? The rain continued to beat on his head and the lightning in the background only added to the feeling of instability, as if one false mood may scare away this little cat and send him scampering off into the complex winding alleys of central city. Robert lowered his hand and smiled warmly. He was by nature a complex man, a man totally encompassed within himself a true mustang. Right now he was showing his deep seeded compassion, and his undying need to help someone in a time of need.

“Come on then little cat, lets get looking for whatever you have lost.” There was a kindness in Roberts voice a deep sincerity that resonated in his gesture. This is how he differed from his older brother; he showed his kindness in a more direct fashion, his brother was a very cryptic person but he had a heart at least for everyone else it seems, but not for Robert, for all his strengths and fortitudes Robert was still neglected by the man he in actuality respected most, he felt almost as lonely as the little tabby cat like boy that sat before him.

[Al fan]

Did he really look that helpless? Or perhaps he merely looked somewhat pathetic like a half drowned cat, frankly he had already been half ‘drowned’ by the rain, and he wasn’t all too eager to suffer more of it, but he had a job to do didn’t he, he had promised her he would help any way possible, a little rain shouldn’t be something to hold him back. Alphonse swallowed a little uncomfortably as he met Robert’s gaze again before looking back at the floor, what must he have looked like to him? Perhaps his age didn’t help matters much, after all, Alphonse was barely into his teens at fourteen, and perhaps that had been the clincher in this man wanting to shelter him, and yet he knew that perhaps there was more to it than that, this man seemed genuine enough with the smile he had cast at him, but he knew from experience that appearances could be deceiving, but he wasn’t about to let his past, interfere with the here and now.

As his hand was held out Alphonse raised his head again staring at it with that same bewildered look.....he was offering to help him up? The smile, it was definitely heartfelt and genuine in itself, he could see that, but still....perhaps it was the weather that brought out a mild wariness in Alphonse, and for a moment he contemplated what he should do before his better side, the logical one, won out and he took the mans hand willingly, offering a smile of his own in return. Sometimes it was hard to forget that this was Amestris, that he was really back in his home, some things reminded him too much of the other world, more often than not in point of fact, in that world, people didn’t seem to give a second thought to a stranger on the street, whether it was raining or not, but here, here at least, people actually paid attention to what was going on around them, had the time to stop and think, to help others...why couldn’t it have been the same in that world?

Alphonse cocked his head to the side somewhat frowning ever so slightly as the man spoke, he was offering him further assistance? Again the younger Elric was somewhat dumbfounded but he regained his smile, if only a little, what threw him the most was that he had actually called him a cat, that in itself was somewhat confusing, but he imagined that perhaps he did look like some sort of stray cat, bedraggled and shivering in the rain, after all, cats hated water, and Alphonse was beginning to understand why. “T-thank you.....” he said quietly, his voice somewhat shaky as he breathed out sharply, a fog of white leaving his mouth as his warm breath touched the icy-ness around them. What if he asked him exactly what he was looking for? Should he tell him? It wasn’t exactly something that he needed to keep secretive, no, and perhaps this man would have some form of information? It never hurt to try after all, he was ever the optimist about that, but for now, he was content in keeping up the pretense that he was looking for something and not someone.