Returning Home (Open to all)

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck allowed himself to stand at ease, as Edward was clearly not cut from the military cloth, and he saw no need to be so formal with the boy. "Indeed I am. As I said, when I heard of someone who had passed the exam at such a young age, I was intrigued. But I was stationed in the West at the time, and I never had the chance to meet the prodigy." he said, rubbing his chin idly. His scrutinizing gaze was intense indeed. However, he would, as any trained soldier, would, scan the surrounding briefly out of a soldier's nervous habit, and perhaps spot Haley hanging out in the distance. Either way he said nothing of it and returned his focus to the young alchemists.

[Winry Rockbell]

Winry sighed and decided she would go out and look for Tai herself. It has been a long time, and frankly she was beginning to become worried. She poked her head inside the kitchen long enough to tell her grandmother what she was doing, and ran out the door without much else to say.

Pinako walked outside of the kitchen after a few moments. She did have company after all. "What brings you here?" she asked.

[AG]

Ed felt so out of place, all of the other state alchemists were similar to this man. He had no intention to become a cardboard cut out of the military dog, however, he was still amazed as to what the military did to people. "Well, Al and I are on our way back to Central...would you like to go with us?" He asked assuming he wasn't on a mission right now.

Haley noticed the military man glancing at her. She grew a little nervous and knelt behind a bush. When he never seemed to mention her, she calmed down a little. "At least I found Elric..." she whispered out loud to herself. "Now, just to wait out that military freak..." she continued hoping this conversation wouldn't last long.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck had thought he had noticed some brief movement on the hills in the distance. He narrowed his eyes at it, but then turned his attention directly back to Edward. His neutral expression slowly melted into a grin and he chuckled for but a moment before putting his right hand on the back of his neck and rubbed it idly, as if thinking. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt. I had heard that you had been under surveillance, but it seems that routine has been ditched. I don't see why not." he said, removing his hand from his neck and shoving it into his pocket idly, resisting the temptation to place it on the grip of his handgun holstered on that side of his waist. He didn't like being watched. He turned his back to the Elrics and looked up the path leading to the train station. "Don't look now, but I think we have someone following you two. Probably nothing." he murmured as an afterthought before making his way up the dusty trail, assuming they would follow.

[AG]

Someone following them? This was not really an uncommon event, but nevertheless unsettling. Ed looked around nervously. He gritted his teeth ready to attack, completely ignoring the "probably nothing" remark. Underestimating was not something Ed did, he was more of the over exaggerating type of person. "Where?" He demanded.

Haley realized the short one was looking for her. She wasn't sure if she should show herself just yet so she remained as hidden as possible.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck stopped and turned so that his side profile was facing Edward, who was eagerly looking around for the watcher in the background. Alleck blew a sigh and shook his head, closing his eyes at Ed's complete disregard for discretion. "If they were trying to avoid detection, you just alerted them to your knowledge of their existence. But since you must know..." he trailed off. He then pointed to where he had seen hayley duck behind some bushes. "Right there. Allow me, Edward." he said, walking past him and towards the formerly hidden girl. As Alleck took the hill, irregardless of Edward's response, he unbuttoned his holster and drew his .45. "Show yourself, and make no threatening moves, or I will open fire!" he demanded in a concise, gruff command that only a soldier could give.

[AG]

Ed watched Alleck walk towards the bushes and glared in that direction. He barely breathed in anticipation. Who had been watching him? He needed to know, and if it was an enemy, he was ready.

Haley was disappointed, she should have been better than this. She raised her hands and stood. "I mean no harm." She said to the man in military dress. "I was just looking for Elric..." she explained to the three of them.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck had a feeling that a little excessive threat would yield better results. She might have tried to flee without it. He holstered his weapon and grunted at her explanation. "I see. Well you saw him. Why didn't you show yourself and go to see him. There's no need for skulking about in the bushes." he said. he stepped forward towards her with the intent of reaching out to plant his hand on her back and pull her gently along towards Edward, turning as she passed him to escort her down to where the brothers stood.

[AG]

Haley glared at the officer, "I was attempting to avoid you. I am very mistrusting of military personnel." She explained to Alleck. "I was told by a friend to find an Edward Elric so he could help my alchemy." She explained further. She knew the only way to get him to put away the gun was to lay everything out on the table. She didn't want any trouble from this man, and was going to avoid it as much as possible. "I went in search of him no matter his involvement within the military." She finished.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck didn't notice the glare, because he was currently looking at Edward, who seemed to be more than a little confused at the little tagalong that had been looking for him. Alleck shrugged and turned to walk on up the path a few paces so he could let the two talk. He crossed his arms and scanned the horizon to see if he could find any more hidden watchers that might have been there. Force of habit. He wasn't here to be a stick in the mud. And if the both of them despised military 'dogs' then he was fine with it.

[AG]

Ed was indeed confused and almost shocked, but when Alleck began to walk away, "Where are you going? I thought you were coming with us to Central?" He asked.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Glanced over his shoulder at the boy and arched a brow. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just stepping away so the two of you can talk. She's clearly here to see you." he explained, though he didn't really think it needed a whole lot of explaining in the first place.

[AG]

Ed nodded and turned back to Haley, "So, what do you want?" He blurted out rudely.

Haley raised an eyebrow, "Well, my uncle heard of you. He wanted you to teach me more alchemy."

Ed was enraged, "Tell your uncle I don't teach!"

Haley turned away, "I can't...believe me, I don't want this either. But I want to learn more alchemy...you're my only hope."

((talking to myself is fuuuuuuuuuuuun -- sorry this sucked...I am stressed about the drive tomorrow...see you on Friday))

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck didn't say anything while the two discussed their business. Apparently the one wished to learn Alchemy from Edward, but it was simply a silly notion. Edward was a busy man. He had no time to teach kids the art. He turned to look at Hayley. "Excuse me. But there are more than enough teachers out there from which you could learn alchemy. And half of them would be willing to do it for free I would wager." he offered politely.

[AG]

Haley glared at the military dog, "You can stay out of this!" She snapped. She had no intention of listening to someone who would ever become a military drone.

Ed became very irritated at her snap towards his new friend, "Don't talk to him that way! He has done nothing to you!" He snapped right back at her.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck quirked a brow at Hayley and shook his head idly, suppressing a chuckle. He took a step forward and looked down upon the girl. "I can see that you hold some kind of contempt for me. Perhaps it is because I'm from the State? Yes, I do believe I have seen many carrying that air of aversion. Contempt. Indignation. I simply call it fear. You probably aren't afraid of me, but you are afraid of what the State could conveiably do. But let me make something clear. I've worked very hard for 20 years of my life to get to where I am today. I've had to endure things such as only soldiers can, and I've had to kill people for survival. My alchemy is a result of that strife, so I can help put an end to the suffering war causes that much quicker. No one follows orders blindly, unless they have nothing else to live for, and even I can see that there have been egregious errors on the part of high command, but you, a civilian, has no right to speak to me in such a damning way. Logic would dictate that I am 10 times more qualified than Edward here to teach you alchemy, and not taking my advice, or at least considering it is, at its core, prejudice. Tch. Kids these days." he said, turning his back on the two. "I'll wait for you at the station, Fullmetal." he said, not bothering to look back as he began to head that way. Oh yes, he had seen that look from Ishballan children during the war. he had seen it in the civilians in the towns he had helped to keep the peace in. It was a central theme to being a soldier. You put your life on the line, and no one appreciates it.

[Winry Rockbell]

Not knowing where to start she started to run towards other houses asking if they had seen Tai. Not having any luck she decided to go back to the house to grab the auto-mail and other tools she would need to attach them.

Once she got back to the house, she grabbed a suitcase made specially for caring auto-mail. She also changed into her black skirt and white tank-top. As she walked down stairs she put on her black boots and white socks, and grabbed her black jacket. "Hey granny I may be late!" she said rushing out the door for a second time.

Pinako just shook her head. She was also worried about the young boy. She decided to just put some extra aside for Winry when she came back. Knowing her she would be out late. "Becareful!" she yelled back, before Winry ran out the door.

[AG]

Ed nodded at the soldier and looked back at Haley, "I can't help you...and honestly I am not sorry." He turned and walked away from the shocked Haley.

Haley's eyes were wide from Alleck's long explanation. She watched the two walk away from her as she decided to follow them on their way to Central.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck had had enough of that nonsense, and his expression, though placid, still had the edges of annoyance. So he would slow his pace fractionally to allow Ed to catch up at length. "I swear. Kids these days, eh?" he asked the other alchemist, again, with traces of annoyance present. He didn't much care what the girl thought, but it was an argument that he often had, and he despised it. It always put him in a sour mood.

[AG]

Ed rolled his eyes, "I don't know what she wants from me. If she hates the military so much, shouldn't she hate me too?" He asked trying to make sense of this new girl that wouldn't leave them alone. "There's the train station..." he said as he pointed to a building in the distance. He then turned to Alleck, "Off to Central?"