Kimblee's Crash Pad

[Zolf J Kimblee]

[This is the starting point for getting Barry's body back]

[velinda]

Roze followed everyone else into the apartment, after everyone else had entered themselves. Once inside, she looked around, taking in how messy it was. She didn't know he had a place like this, from his actions, and had figured he was in a place that was sort of a dump as a whole, and not because he himself trashed it. That's when she heard a soft Mew come from somewhere, and she walked off, regardless of what was going on. She found a kitten, who started to mew a little more, but not as loudly. Roze bent down and extended her hand slowly, to which the kitten came up and sniffed. Slowly, she bent her hand around and petted the kitten, who started to purr. She reached out her other hand slowly, and gently picked it up and placed it near her face. She could hear the kitten purring now, and placed it near her shoulder like a baby, so it could rest its paws on her shoulder. She continued to stroke the kitten's back and back of the head, and swayed gently. Roze seemed so peaceful at that point, and she was smiling sincerely. It seemed that she had a thing for animals, or at least kittens.

[amouri]

Barry squeezed through the door chuckling happily.
"Still looks like an elephant had fun here." He commented absentmindedly to Kimblee, taking in the effect of the mess.
He was still at awe that Kimblee really was taking this whole body-business seriously. Any person with the slightest common sense would have somehow slipped out of it, but Kimblee had seemed even willing to help him.
Barry still didn't know how to voice his gratitude.

He glanced up as he saw Roze patter away, and heard the kitten.
"Aw, I had completely forgotten that lil fella was here." He chuckled, ambling up to Roze and stroking the kitten's forehead with one massive thumb.

[Zolf J Kimblee]

Riza slipped in after Barry, glancing around the Crimson Alchemist's apartment. She was somehow not surprised, but all the same it was a mess. Certainly not something Roze should be subjected to.

"Honestly sir," she started in, "When was the last time you gave this place a good cleaning?"

"What are you talking about? I cleaned up before I started the last mission!" he said, defensively.

"Tell her Barry.. tell her what a shit hole it was before I cleaned it!" he asked, fishing for an ally.

He blushed as he glanced at Roze, thinking how grossed out she must be. Sure, he'd cleaned the empty food trays, beer cans and spoiled stuff. And he'd tossed all the dirty clothes in his room and emptied ash trays. But still.

All the same, all this was forgotten the moment he saw Crimmy in her arms. And she was smiling. He'd been extremely concerned over her depression at the Nest and a bit panicked as well.

He walked up to them and scratched his cat behind the ears, smiling at Roze. "His name's Crimmy." he said. "Spoiled rottenest monster to stalk Central."

He planned on diving straight into making the house go from barely tolerable to presentable and acceptable for her. He really wanted her to... stay. And be his. He rested his head against hers and slipped an arm around her. "I love you Roze." he whispered, simply, plainly and without ceremony.

[amouri]

Barry chuckled at Kimblee's desperation.
"Yeah, it looked much worse before." He decided not to bring up the cockroaches. Now was probably not the time.

Barry automatically backed off when Kimblee approaced Roze with the kitten, sidling backwards to watch in silence.
It was only just then that he realized how much Kimblee really cared for Roze. He hoped that she felt the same way, Zolf needed that kind of affection.

"Daw, ain't that fine now Missy?" He laughed, sweeping her off her feet with a devilish glint in his eye.

((...I have writers block. How unusual. DO NOT WANT.))

[velinda]

Roze hugged the kitten closer, and smiled. "It's cute..." she said quietly, and then felt him wrap his arm around her. She heard his words, and blushed deeply. "U-uh... I-i know..." she stumbled. She knew he had, after he had taken her out to eat. (even if the bar was a pigsty) But all the same, hearing it makes it seem more... real. "I-i... don't.. uh... know if I-i'm... ready yet..." she said, still fumbling over her words. It seemed those simple words had a profound effect on her, along with seeing the house, as if it drove it all home...

[Zolf J Kimblee]

Riza

Her eyes flew open in startled surprise when Barry swept her off her feet. She let out a surprised squeal and giggled. The sound felt foreign coming out of her mouth. Her squealing? Unheard of! She sat on Barry's large metal arm, with her own propped on his skull as she turned to quietly observe the young couple.

"Yes.." she answered him, deep in thought. The Crimson Alchemist was apparently falling quite hard for the Liorian native, and she hoped it would work out for them both. The thought of Kimblee having his heart broken was even more troubling than the thought of Roze having hers broken. On the one hand, Roze would shed tears and feel pain...on the other hand, Kimblee would do the same. But God forbid if anyone crossed his path under such circumstances. He'd never been one to kill in the past except as part of a duty, however dubious. But under the right (or wrong!) circumstances anyone would could be bomb ingredients if the mood took him.

Kimblee

"Oh.." he said simply. "Well..that's okay. We can take things slow."

"And don't worry about the apartment," he added quickly, "I plan on givin the place a thorough working over. I mean... I don't expect no woman of mine to..you know...wait on me hand and foot..." he trailed off awkwardly.

He shrugged, blushing slightly and scratching his head awkwardly. "Anyhow... 'mi casa, su casa' " he chuckled weakly, "make yourself at home." He turned to Barry and Riza. "That goes for you guys too. I don't think I got much in the way of food around here. Guess I can order a pizza from the bar and restaurant downstairs."

He phoned the bartender downstairs to let him know he was back from his mission. He placed his order and thanked him for watching Crimmy while he was gone. He hung up and asked everyone to have a seat and take a load off.

[amouri]

Barry chuckled with delight, as his head was squished crooked by the weight of her elbow in his eye.

He glanced at Zolf.
"Don't mind if I do, mate."
He balanced Hawkeye carefully on his arm and shoulder, whilst pulling out a chair from the nearby table with his foot.
He sat down on the chair, causing it to creak in agony.

[Zolf J Kimblee]

Riza

Riza shifted her elbow so she's wasn't poking the poor man in the eye. Her stomach rumbled in hunger and she blushed slightly. "I didn't realize I was so hungry." she explained. She hoped the food that Kimblee ordered was good; she was starved and wanted something didn't come in a can, like the army rations they'd had stowed in the army jeep.

She hoped for Barry's sake that Kimblee could do what he'd promised. It made her feel uncomfortable every time she put a bite of food in her mouth. He must miss things like the taste of a hot meal.. or the gentle touch of a womans hand. She blushed at the thought.

Kimblee

A familiar rap on the door announced the food from downstairs. He opened it and paid the bartender-and his landlord-before closing the door. It was an obscenely large pizza with everything under the sun, except anchovies, on it. There were two six packs of soda and a six pack of beer, one of which he opened and gulped half of. "Yesss!" he said, letting out a hearty belch. He shot Roze a devilish and playful grin. "Nothin like the comforts of home." he sighed in contentment and loaded three plates of pizza on the paper plates the barkeep brought up with the food. "Eat up while it's hot."

Crimmy yowled and paced around the table, hoping for a morsel so fall to the floor. Kimblee pulled a long string of cheese from his slice and fed it to Crimmy, who immediately reared up on his hind legs to grab it with his forepaws.

"And that's all you get, you rotten little monster." he said in tone of fond firmness, "Anymore than that, and you'll get the scoots." The cat ignored him in favor of devouring the cheese. "Yeah, that's right..just ignore me like you always do."

He took his pizza and beer to the couch and settled down with a deep sigh and ate.

[velinda]

Roze nodded to Kimblee, thankful that he could understand why she wanted it to go a little slower. "Thanks, Kimblee..." She watched him leave, and turned to the armour and Riza. "That man isn't so bad once you get to know him, is he...?" She sighed, and he came back from the phone. She started petting the cat again, and rose once the doorbell rang. When it did, she saw the beer and the pizza. She heard him belch, but merely sighed. Men and their manners... However, it wasn't very condenscending, and she set the cat down again, who got a piece of cheese from the man, and she merely sat back from the group, and took a pack out from her pack she had on her back that she carried with. It had a salad in it, and she started to eat that instead. It wasn't she despised pizza; she wasn't just very hungry for it right now... She hoped the man would understand.

[Zolf J Kimblee]

At this point he was beside himself in concern and anxiety. This seemed farm more than needing to take things slow. The girl was downright depressed and now she was isolating.

Perhaps the time she'd spent here with Barry and Riza while he'd been on the mission with Envy and the Nest crew outside the sphere of his influence had given her pause to think. Time to think about the grave crime against humanity he'd commited. He couldn't even stand behind the excuse of military orders being orders this time. He'd acted of his own free will to carry out a personal enterprise.

He suddenly felt overcome by a feeling of despondency and his appetite fled. His beer didn't even taste good. He swished the can thoughtfully in his fingers and setting it down, he got to his feet.

"Well folks, I'm turnin' in. I'm beat and too pooped to poop." He got plenty of blankets and pillows for the two ladies and brought them out. "Barry, I know you don't need these things, but I feel so weird not offering." he shrugged. "Riza, you and Roze can share my bed if you got no problem with that kind of thing. It's a full size. I'll sleep on the couch. Just come and kick my ass out of it when you're ready to crash out."

In his room, he slid under the covers after taking off his shoes. Women folk were lucky, he mused. They could do things like sharing a bed without it offending their sense of sexual identity. If it were two guys, the rumors would fly and the heads would roll. After a few moments, his exhaustion caught up with him and he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Riza

She hadn't realized just how starved she was. But seeing Barry unable to eat upset her in a way seeing Alphonse unable to eat hadn't. This must be how Edward felt every time he ate a meal in the same room with Al.

She ate her meal more slowly than she felt, considering how hungry she was, but eating with gusto would make her feel guilty, like it would be a slap in the face to the armored sweetheart.

She could feel the tense and stressed vibes Kimblee was putting off and suddenly the room felt unbearably suffocating. She was relieved when he announced that he was turning in. "Don't worry," she replied, all business, "I fully intend to toss you out as soon as I get tired."

During the mans absence, she and Roze had simply rotated nights, taking turns for the bed while poor Barry shut down in the chair or the corner.

[velinda]

(You're an awesome Riza. XD)

Roze glanced at the people eating. It seemed that only two were eating, and two were not, although one was by choice, and one was not. She sighed, and looked to Kimblee. He seemed to be quite saddened. "Nothing against you, Kimblee... it's just I don't like everything on the pizza... At least, not all together like this..." she tried to explain, but he stood up and announced he was going to bed. He said that they could kick him out if they needed the bed. She felt bad about the man, for he thought that she hadn't liked him. It wasn't exactly true, although she did get some time to think about what had happened in Lior. Even so, she knew he hadn't a choice in some regards, because he was trying to take down some people, and to get Envy on their side, he had to make a stone. She sighed, and looked to a dark corner of the room. "I'm not feeling good..." Roze muttered, and pulled half of the blankets and pillows to the corner she was going to sleep in. "I'm... going to sleep here..." she said, and curled up into a ball, covering herself with the blankets until only her head was seeable, and it layed upon a pillow comfortably. In some regards, you could say she looked like a cocoon or a mermaid right there... But she wasn't lying- she really hadn't felt too good. In minutes of her eyes closing, she was asleep herself.

[amouri]

Barry noticed how subdued Riza was while eating.
"What this?" He exclaimed indignantly.
"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, you can stop that on the dot!"
With a low grumble he loaded another massive piece of pizza onto her plate.
"Eat. Its enough that one of us is technically dead, I don't want you perishing of hunger."

[velinda]

(OoC: She's sleeping already, Barry. XD)

[Zolf J Kimblee]

Riza

"You're absolutely right, Barry." she said, taking a bite out of the fresh, warm slice. "I apologize for being patronizing. It must get annoying... when people act like that I mean. Does it?" she asked, blinking up at him with questioning eyes.

As the evening wore on, she grew tired. Should she wake Roze and talk her into sharing the bed? She had every intention of kicking the man out of it and onto the couch as he'd promised. She leaned over and put her arms around the big lug of armor and kissed the cheek of his skulled face.

Walking into Kimblee's room, she kicked the side of the bed, jostling him to sitting wakefulness.

Kimblee

He rubbed his eyes and blinked up at her. "Oh....oh yeah.." he said as he climbed out in his boxer shorts. He shuffled to the livingroom, scratching his head with a yawn and sighed when he saw Roze curled up on the floor. He shook his head and went to her, gently and carefully cradling her into his arms. He carried her to the couch and lay her on it, covering her up with the blankets she'd been curled up in and tucking the pillow under her head. Crimmy jumped on her and curled up on her stomach, wrapping his tail around himself, purring.

"There's a chair next to my bed if you want to guard your fair damsel, Barry." he said to his buddy with a chuckle.

He grabbed the other spare blanket and pillow and made a bed next to the couch, on the floor. He shut off the lamp and retired, pulling the blankets up to his chin.

[amouri]

He glanced at the pizza to make sure she was eating it before answering.
"At times."

~~~

As she got up with a weary sigh, he reckoned it probably was getting late.
He laughed quietly as she kissed him, squeezing her gently.

He heard the grunt of surprise from Kimblee, and chuckled quietly as the alchemist came out.
"You got a hang of summit thar."
As he passed Zolf he patted him on the shoulder.
"G'night pal. Sweet dreams."

He slipped into the darkened room quietly, letting himself gently into the chair.
He gazed at the resting silhouette in silence.
He would need no shut-downs tonight.

[velinda]

OoC: Sorry, I just noticed that.

Roze kept sleeping, although somewhat fitfully. She didn't toss and turn, but her eyes wavered, as if she was about to wake, but wasn't waking. She didn't wake when Kimblee picked her up, but she did cling to him as he moved her into the air. "Don't... please..." she whispered scaredly. It seemed that she was having quite a dream, and even some sweat would be visible on her. It would take some prying to get her off of Kimblee, but when he did and set her on the bed, she still didn't move. She failed to notice Crimmy on her stomach, and once again, she said, "Leave them alone... they didn't do anything..."

Once the night had passed, she kept sleeping until well past daybreak unless someone shook her awake. When she finally did wake, she bolted upright in a scream. She shook her head wildly left and right, and her eyes were wide. Her heart thumped, and it took a few minutes to realize where she was... That... was a dream... right...? she thought, once she calmed down enough...

[Zolf J Kimblee]

He woke several times in the night at the sound of her voice. He was unused to another person sleeping in the same room, although he'd passed out drunk on his own floor many times.

He thought it would be better to not wake her from her dreams; disturbed sleep would only make her more tired the next day. He simply sat up and caressed her arm, or stroked her hair till she settled back into quiet sleep. Of course Crimmy had to get in on it. He wasn't too sure if he liked the man he owned petting this other person, so he nudged him with headbutts. Once he got his own fair share of pets and scratches, he lay back down on Roze's belly.

The sound of her screaming almost didn't wake him. It came in the middle of his own dreams of Ishval when there'd been plenty of screaming he'd learned to desensitize himself to. He didn't recall the sound of cat's meowing and nudging him though, so he woke up disoriented and bleary eyed.

"Roze!...Roze...it's a dream, sweetheart." he murmured, taking her hand and squeezing it softly. He sat on the edge of the couch and pulled her into his embrace, resting his head on hers and stroking her hair.

Riza

She lay awake for quite some time and it seemed each time she would drift, soft cries would come from the other room. Her nurturing nature wanted her up and out of bed to look in on her, but her sensible nature told her to mind her business, and let Kimblee take care of her as he clearly was from the low sound of his voice.

The sounds made her distressed and there was something lonely about the sound of someone elses bad dreams. They made her feel helpless and she didn't like that. She rolled over on her other side to see the sweet lug of armor sitting watch. He must have shut down sometime because there was only the dimmest of glow in the eyes.

"Barry...Barry." he whispered, and finally tapped his armor, making a 'ping, ping' sound with her fingernail. When he looked at her, she only blinked at him for a few moments wondering why, exactly she'd woken him. What could he do? She was being a silly goose. All the same, after a few seconds of awkward silence, she lifted the covers to invite him in with her. "I...I'm lonely." was her only explanation.

[OoC: What a giant mush-fest! xD See? This is why I made this thread separate... so people could skip it if they don't want to see the likes of Kimblee and Barry turned into puddles of mush :- P~~ Yaayy Mush!!]

[amouri]

((MUSHY FEELINGS FTW!))

He roused himself the second she uttered his name, gazing at her in silence.
He chuckled quietly, slowly sliding off his chair and onto the bed.
"I understand." He said.
He wrapped his arms gently around her, nuzzling his nose against hers.
"Things can get kinda...Empty at night, when you can't sleep."

[Zolf J Kimblee]

[OOC: I'll post for Kimblee when Roze replies]

Riza

She lay in the embrace of Barry's cold armor. It felt strange. Eventually her own body heat lent warmth to the areas their bodies met. She tucked her head under his chin and wrapped her fingers in the fur of his toga. Strange. Strange how the presence of a metal body didn't take away from her ability to sense and feel his conscious soul... and it was enough.

She drifted back into a light sleep until the break of day roused her along with Rozes cries. She sat up quickly, ready to go to the other room, but Zolf once again comforted her, so she lay back down to bask in early morning laziness, something she never afforded herself of.