Home Sweet Run Down Home (Raichi)

[Catrina Wood]

It was a quiet night in Central City. All was silent along the road lined with abandoned buildings. The only sounds were the occasional dog bark and the distant sound of drunk laughter from the pubs along the battle ways. With the only light coming from the moon hanging high in the sky and the flickering beckon at the entrance to a run down hotel. There was nothing particularly special about the hotel. It was just a tall abandoned building with few working lights within it. From the outside it looked pretty beat up from the wear and tear of weather among other things. It was sturdy, like most buildings in the city, but it no longer provided shelter for lots travelers that come to visit Central. Instead, it houses a single human being, an interesting one at that. This being is none other than Catrina Wood, the run away fighter from the North.

Catrina made her way slowly down the sidewalk, ushering two beat up boys. The two boys had red eyes and were from a distinct ethnicity, but that didn't matter in Catrina's mind. Just that they were the subject of two notorious thugs' beatings instead of her. It was her fault they were hurt, and she would help them because of that. The trio approached the flickering light, and Catrina nudged the two with her hands up the single step that led to the door. From a hidden pocket, Catrina produced a ring filed with keys that opened various locks. The key she picked seemed to be just a random one, bu it turned out to open the door to the hotel. She quickly got the boys inside, and she locked the door behind them.

Through this entire process she neither spoke nor seemed to breathe. With the door locked, she took a deep breathe and let it out. She leaned against the door and slid to the floor. Her fingers raked through her hair, and her hand began to rub the back of her neck. All was calm now. No one had tailed them, they were safe from thugs for the night. "So you two alright?" Catrina asked looking up to them. "Do you think you could make it up some stairs?" She quietly examined the two boys' beat up bodies. They had bruises all over, there was dried blood from the cuts that had continued to bleed after she had wiped them. The duo looked extremely exhausted. They didn't look like they could take another step from her perspective. The only problem with that was all her first aid supplies were in her room which was on the second floor.

((Ack! It's so short! x.x Sorry, I have no muse. I hope this is enough for you. You can create the inside of the lobby if you'd like. It shouldn't be too pretty though. ^.^))

[Raichi]

"No problem, right Shayem?" Isha answered Catrina's question whether they could still make it up the stairs to the second floor. Shayem put up an insecure smile while turning himself and his friend around to view the stairs, while on the inside he was bothered about Isha acting tougher then he actually is. The carpeting that ran up the stairs used to be a dark-red color, but by now the color had faded rather to brown then red. Catrina, having examined the boys stayed right behind the them as they walked towards the stairs. Almost as if she didn’t believe they would manage to make it. With trembling legs on each step the boys managed to make it halfway the stairs, Isha supporting onto his friend and the rail and Shayem in the left middle of the stairs. Though taking one more step, Isha, who was leaning on Shayem with one half of his body, collapsed. Shayem who wasn't expecting this, was surprised by the big enhance in weight of his friend’s body leaning against him, causing him to go out of balance and fall.

(ooc: sorry for the post being short after such a long wait, I couldn’t resist this happening and I had to stop here because I can’t say how your character would respond. And you really need to stop apologizing, what i wrote is a short post, if it's longer then what i just wrote, no apologizing.)

[Catrina Wood]

Catrina sighed at Isha's confident response. Despite what he said, Catrina tended to trust actions and looks better than words, even if spoke confidently. The smile Shayem put up just reassured her doubt. Nevertheless, they headed together to the old carpeted stairs. Shaking her head, Catrina made her way over to the stairs behind the boys to support them. She had a feeling they would collapse, either on the stairs or at the top landing. The boys' legs trembled with each step they stepped up. With each step their legs trembled more violently. They won't make it up, she thought. Quickly, she moved so she was directly behind Shayem and Isha, almost touching their backs. Then, halfway to the top, it happened.

It happened all at once. Isha's legs gave out, all strength deprived from them. His body collapsed, putting dead weight onto Shayem whose strength seemed to wavering as well. They both began to fall backwards, all strength gone from their bodies. Catrina didn't have much time to think about what to do, so she relied on her instinct for this situation. With her left foot she forcefully pushed Isha's body up the stairs. Her right arm acted like a bar to stop Shayem from falling. Before he fell to the ground, she grabbed him and held him while she regained her balance. Once she herself was steady, she set Shayem down on the steps. She looked from Isha to Shayem and back again. "I don't know why you feel the need to act so strong now, but you need to learn your limits. A really strong person will know their limits and stay within them, not try to prove they are stronger than they really are," Catrina told both of them.

She sighed and climbed up to well she had pushed Isha. Kneeling down, she picked Isha's beaten body up in her arms. Catrina looked over her shoulder at Shayem. "Can you make it up or do you need some support?" she asked him. "Tell me what you really feel you can handle. There's no need for acting in this place." She climbed back down to where Shayem was and waited to see if he needed her support. From there she would lead them up the stairs, down the hall to the right, and into room number 222. I'm going to have to teach these boys some things, she thought. Or else they are going to get themselves into some trouble they can't get out of.

[Raichi]

Isha's body had lost complete consciousness upon collapsing, his fall broken by a foot that pushed him onto the stairs. He made a frontal un-pretty landing upon the stairs, his feet facing downwards. Shayem felt his body fall backwards, a shock going through his body. He closed his eyes and pulled his arms close to his body with bolded fists in fear, but before he could even think of praying for help or screaming Catrina's arm pulled him against her slender figure and then placed him back onto the steps. The boy opened his eyes, still processing what had just happened when Catrina talked. It was as if sound and reality drowned away, Catrina's words not reaching him nor his unconscious friend. In an almost unconscious state he watched Catrina walk to Isha and pick him up. Shayem got back to earth when Catrina looked at him from up the stairs and asked whether or not he could make it up the stairs by himself.

While she walked towards him he noticed Isha was unconscious in her arms. Shayem knew better then anyone to play it safe, and he wasn't one to overestimate himself nor act tough. But this time he had done so without even realizing it. His friendship moved him to share his friends weight walking up the stairs, but unable to see that he should of prepared himself for the possibility of Isha collapsing even though he knew his friend was pushing himself to his limits. Realizing this Shayem tried to take another step. It was a fairly smooth step, no shaking of his legs either. It was a big weight off his body not to walk the stairs with half his body weight more to carry. It was decided, he looked up at Catrina "I can make it, I promise"

Shayem was still shocked about being so thoughtless. Normally he would plan out what to do in any situation, but it seemed he had a bit too many blows to his head to function optimally. His physical condition was well enough to walk up the stairs and further, but for safety measures he held on to the railing. Step by step Shayem walked up the stairs, the fact that Catrina was behind him reassuring him a bit because he felt so worn out. All he could think about was almost being there, every step bringing him closer to arriving at a room where he could lay on a comfortable bed and fall asleep. Once up the stairs Catrina guided him down a hallway to the right, it was wide enough for two people to walk next to each other, but the high hight of the sealing made the hallway seem smaller. The walls were decorated with landscape paintings and lamps, some of them ripped or broken. Catrina told him their destination was room number 222, which was a sign that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally arrived he opened the door hoping to see a bed for him to lay on, the first thing he would do would be slipping out of his brown slippers, climb onto the bed and close his eyes.

[Catrina Wood]

Shayem looked up at Catrina and confirm that he was able to walk up alone. She nodded to him but watched him in case his legs decided it was too much to handle. His legs, although, didn't seem to shake as much as before. With Isha's body weight released from Shayem, he seemed to be able to climb just fine. Confident in the young one, she took the lead at the top of the steps and left Shayem to follow in her footsteps. She walked slowly, though, because even though Shayem's legs weren't shaking anymore, he could still be over whelmed with exhaustion any moment. With this slower pace, Catrina looked around her in the seemingly small hallway. Pictures and paintings hung on the wall at odd angles, some not even on the wall any longer. Beneath her feet was the worn down brown carpet that she had walked over so many times and hadn't noticed. In some areas it was worn down to the floor boards.

They finally arrived at room number 222. Catrina set Isha down softly on the wall beside the door so she could unlock it. Taking out her ring of keys, she picked another seemingly random one and unlocked the door. Picking up Isha again, she opened the door and carried him inside the room. The room seemed to be in a little better shape than the hallway. The carpet wasn't as torn up, and everything seemed to have been cleaned recently. In the room there was one bed and another separate mattress against the wall that seemed to act as a couch. The paint had been peeling in the hallway, but in the room, the walls had been almost completely stripped of their paint. In the corner there was a table with two radios and a bunch of newspapers strewn across the top of it. From the closet opening, some wires trailed out along with some bits of cloth. Despite the regular messy signs of a seventeen old girl, the room was very clean.

Catrina walked over to her makeshift couch and lay Isha upon it. Turning to Shayem, she nodded to the couch, silently asking him to sit there. She shuffled to the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit she kept under the sink, a towel, and a bowl of water. Back by the boys, she knelt in front of the and opened the box that held her medical items. She took the towel, dipped it in the bowl of water and began to wipe off the dirt, grime, sweat, and blood off of Shayem and Isha, one after the other. No word escaped from her mouth in during this process. She applied ointment to their wounds and proceeded to put bandages over them. With them all cleaned up, she let out a huge sigh as if she had been holding her breath the entire time. She looked from one beaten boy to the other; from the unconscious one, to the conscious one. She smiled weakly at them. "So how are you feeling?" she asked them, even though she could tell by the look on Shayem's face that he was exhausted to the point of just falling asleep right there.

[Raichi]

The room they entered seemed more neatly then the hallway, the first thing Shayem's eye spotted being the bed. In excitement he started to run over to the bed, but his body disagreed causing him to trip onto his knees and hands. It wasn't extremely painful, but it did make his knees and lower legs feel sore, and his hands feel tingly as if minuscule needles were repeatedly pricked in. He stumbled over to the bed and climbed upon it, laying on his side hoping the pain would soon go away. Finally though, his body could relax in a place where neither of them had to keep watch, a place where he was safe.

After putting Isha down Catrina left the room for a little while, though within that time Shayem had already fallen asleep. She first thoroughly cleaned Isha, then attended his wounds with ointment and bandage. For a mere second it seemed as if Isha started regaining consciousness, his eyes opening for a little peek. Though as soon as they opened slightly they closed again, almost as if the reassuring sight of being inside a house on a comfortable mattress "couch" comforted him to sleep in. When it was Shayem's turn the touch of the liquid cleansing him caused him to wake again, sitting up to give her better access, though part of him was still sleeping. When she was finished cleaning him the bowl of water had gone dirty from cleaning both of them. After applying the last bit of ointment and bandage Catrina let a huge sigh escape her mouth. Knowing she was finished Shayem got comfortable on his side again. Looking at Isha and back to Shayem, Catrina asked how he was feeling.

Being only slightly awake Shayem mumbled "thank you" before giving in to his need to sleep.
From the moment Isha lost his consciousness he entered a dream. He was falling, falling into the darkness. All of a sudden something pushing his back causing him to fall even faster, the feeling of speed becoming more and more frightful to his body making him close his eyes. When he opened them he was at the market, early in the morning, tons of people passing him by. He heard people yelling "Vegetables! Get your delicious vegetables!" "Fish! Freshly caught fish!!" Isha looked around, but Shayem was nowhere to be found. Like a fish swimming in the sea he tried making a way through the market crowd, screaming his friend's name in the hopes of finding him. From one moment to the other he was inside a room, as if he had teleported. The walls were purple and decorated with fascinating objects. In the middle of the room was a woman dressed in various patterned cloth, she was sitting at a table, before her a shining glass bowl on a small standard. She seemed to be Lioran. "Have a seat" she spoke, and so he did. She looked at the bowl, twirling her hands around it and spoke up "You're looking for your friend.." The woman was right, Isha nodded. "Look into the bowl and tell me what you see"

Bending forward Isha looked closely into the glass bowl. He saw his own reflection liquefy and reconstruct into a different scenery. Once sharp he saw it was Catrina holding a bandage. Suddenly he heard Shayem's voice "Isha?" Isha looked away from the bowl, up at where the woman was sitting. A shock went through his body seeing Shayem was sitting where the woman was before. "Isha, we miss you.. Come back to us.." Shayem spoke with a small smile yet despair in his eyes, reaching out for him with his hand. "Shayem? Wha-what's going on?"
Shayem sitting on the chair started sinking away, as if the ground below his chair had become quicksand. Instinctively Isha grabbed for his friend's hand, though as soon as he did it was the lady that was sitting there again and the chair was sinking no more. As if Catrina in the bowl and Shayem in the chair had been but an illusion.

He immediately let go of the lady and sat back in the chair. The lady frowned while nodding her head left to right. "Your friend is in danger.." Isha felt terrible "What? Where is he? Where can I find him" but the lady smiled and reached out a flat hand "Pay, and I shall tell you more." When Isha wanted to get senz*1 out of his pockets he came to realize he was completely naked, looking back up at the woman he saw she was again shaking her head. "My service isn't free young boy. Get me three customers to pay your debt." Isha nodded and rushed out of the tent, not even realizing it was a house when he first got there, eager to get answers. Though as soon as he exited he found himself in front of his old house in Ishval, it was midnight.

Staring at his house he reached for his pockets again, he wasn't naked anymore. In fact, he was wearing his father's cloths, and from his pockets he got the keys of his house. When he opened the door he was surprised by a hug from none other then a slightly younger version of himself "Daddy! Look! I can do it!!" Isha followed his younger self through the small hallway into the living room, "Look!! Look!!" looking down he saw Isha activate the freshly made transmutation circle, fixing the broken mirror within. When he picked up the mirror and looked into it he noticed he was inside the body of his father. Confused he fell to his knees, realizing that this had to be a dream "Father?" Isha spoke. The real Isha tried to think back to what happened, the memory of his train-ride with Shayem, celebrating their arrival at Central City "Shayem..." Isha looked up "Who's shayem? Daddy I just fixed the mirror? Daddy" Suddenly it all came back to him, being attacked by drunk men, getting robbed, getting saved.

As if his body were given an electric shock, his chest moving upwards Isha finally awakened from his dream. He sat up and looked at his body "It was a dream.. only a dream.." The last time Isha was having frightful dreams was when his father had been murdered, but seeing the recent events he wasn't that surprised. He looked at Shayem, who was sleeping on a bed and remembered them walking towards Catrina's house. Curious to the time he got up from the 'couch' and opened the curtain that was blocking a window, allowing daylight to fill the room. The sun was already over its peek, it was afternoon already.

*1 Cenz; Amestris Currency, supposedly same value as Yen.
(sorry for the humongous post)

[Catrina Wood]

Both Isha and Shayem seemed utterly exhausted. Her observation was affirmed when Shayem drifted off with only a 'thank you' for an answer to her question. With both boys off to a deep sleep, Catrina began her work. The boys were so tired, that Catrina had no fear of the possibility of them waking up. They both went out like a candle being blown out. She had a feeling they wouldn't re-light their energy until much, much later the next day. With that in mind, she scurried around the room like a mad rabbit. She cleaned up the first aid materials first cleaning out the blood filled water bowl, washing her own hands, and storing the kit back under the sink. Finished with that, she went on to get blankets from her closet that was filled with illegal radio equipment she had gathered up. She retrieved the blankets from the top shelf and laid them over the boys, careful to avoid their bigger wounds and bruises.

Catrina stood back and looked at the boys huddled in their blankets. She was satisfied now that they we safely asleep and covered. That work done, she realized that Isha and Shayem had taken her only two sleeping options in the room. She smiled and sighed. I guess I'll have to make a makeshift bed, she thought. For about an hour, she ran about the hotel, finding any decent cushions, blankets, and pillows that she would be able to sleep on. With her collection of soft items, she piled them up by the side of the bed between the bed and the wall that stood about two feet away. The final result was a mountain of cushions, pillows, and blankets stacked as high and as long as the bed itself. Satisfied with her work, she grabbed her own pillow from the bed and placed it at the head of her mountain. Her bed was complete, but she wasn't about to sneak under the covers yet.

Almost done for the night, she sneaked into her closet and left only a crack open for some light. Taking a pair of headphones from the floor, she slipped them on and turned on the multi-buttoned and knobbed device. For a while she just messed around, searching for something interesting and clear to listen to. Once again, it was a pretty boring night. There were no big robberies or what not. Most of those interesting things were caused by none other than the 'Cat', but once in a while someone else would attempt something interesting. Bored with her toy, she crawled out of the closet and into the bathroom where she undressed and showered. Finally feeling clean, Catrina slipped on some night clothes, now she could rest.

~--~--~--~--~--~

Only five hours later, Catrina awoke. It was still pretty dark outside, but the sun was beginning to come up over the rooftops. She stretched and reluctantly rose out of her soft bed. Careful not to wake the boys, for it was too early to get them up, she scooted off the bed and walked over to her closet. She took a set of day time clothes out of the closet and got dressed in the bath room. Her attire consisted of her usual cloak, a blouse and a pair of dark pants. The boys will be hungry when they wake up, she thought, I'll have to get some food. Her plans set, she headed out to the market.

Upon her return, she found the boys still sleeping and it was nearly mid-day. Catrina smiled and set her groceries down on the table with newspapers and the two radios on it. Suddenly, some foul smell came to her nose. She looked around to find the source of the foulness. Down at her feet, she found her pants and nice blouse she had worn the night before. She scowled at the dirty, sweaty clothes, upset that she had to fight in her special day clothes. What was done was done, there was nothing she could do to change that. Instead of pouting, she picked them up and headed to the laundry room.

Once she had cleaned her clothes downstairs, she returned upstairs to hang them up. By the time she had returned upstairs, it was past noon. I wonder if the boys are still sleeping, she thought. With this in mind, she opened the door to her room. The first thing she noticed was that it was brighter in the room than before. The second thing registered was that Isha was awake. Catrina smiled and closed the door behind her. "So how did you sleep Isha?" she asked. "Do you feel any better now?" Catrina calmly walked over to the closet and entered it to hang up her clothes. "You've slept for quite a while, almost half a day. The same goes for Shayem," she added. Closing the closet doors, she walked over to her 'couch' and fell onto it. "If you're hungry I bought some food." She pointed with her thumb to the bag on the table.

((No worries! I like long posts. They give me a lot to work off of, plus mine is really long too.))

[Raichi]

Staring out the window to the worn out buildings and clear blue sky had a relaxing effect on Isha, not to mention last nights sleep did wonders to his mental and physical condition. Except his eyes, those were pretty swollen, not to mention blue. Not that he minded, being sore wasn't new to him. He stretched and turned around to look at Shayem, approaching him and taking a seat on the floor right next to the bed. He looked up at his friend and noticed a bandage pasted onto his right cheekbone in the corner of the lightly bruised eye, it made half of his eye seem pink/purple, but before Isha could feel sorry about it the door opened. He turned his head to the door-opening and noticed Catrina, he stood up on sight. "So how did you sleep Isha?" she asked. "Do you feel any better now?"

"Much better, thank you" he said politely watching her hang up her clothes in the closet. She then informed him about how long he and Shayem had slept, dropped down onto the 'couch' and pointed her thumb to a bag on the table. "If you're hungry I bought some food." Isha wasn't particularly used to people using their thumbs to point out things, but the word food triggered him to turn around and look for it, immediately spotting the bag on the table. One by one he started emptying the items in the bag onto the table "Am I?! Oh boy! Thanks!" he smiled looking at the items inside. At the orphanage he was forced to eat porridge for breakfast every day, and overall the orphanage food was cheap and nothing compared to his father's cooking. He got out two slices of bread and put pre-sliced chicken breast in between.

Shayem slowly woke up because of the smell and chit chat, not to mention he felt rested enough. He yawned and stretched, happy to see Isha was already back on his feet and eating. Feeling warm and comfortable under the sheets he decided to sit up with the entire blanket wrapped around his body, only his head sticking out. "Good morning" he said with a mild smile and halfly opened eyes, looking from Catrina to Isha to the blankets wrapped around himself. He wasn't tired anymore, but he was still drowsy. Isha now having eaten half of his sandwich suddenly realized Shayem must be hungry too. He stepped over to the bed and stretched his arm towards Isha, offering the half-eaten sandwich in his hand. Shayem looked at Isha's serious face and laughed a little, taking the sandwich from his hand. "Thanks Isha" he then looked at Catrina "Thanks.." remembering being told to avoid calling her Cat he looked away with a small blush on his cheeks "I don't know your name.." quickly taking a bite as displacement activity.

In the meantime Isha had made himself a new sandwich with chicken breast and walked over to Catrina. Sitting down next to her on the 'couch' he opened his mouth "Can you help us find the library? I need to find some books on alchemy and heard Central City's got the biggest stacks of Amestrian Alchemy books ever!" as if it was custom to ask for an entire hand when offered a finger. Shayem felt uneasy, this woman had already done so much for them and now Isha dared asking for even more. They hadn't done a thing to help her, and she didn't even know who they were and why they were here. Not to mention how uneasy Shayem felt to just leave each time after having received help. Though perhaps they could stay with Catrina, they wouldn't have anywhere else to go now that they had reached their destination.

[Catrina Wood]

Some sounds of the city could be heard from outside of the room through the window. The sound of cars rolling down the streets, people walking around the streets, and just the normal sounds of the city. Catrina let herself be taken by these sounds as she sat on her makeshift couch absorbing the warmth from the sun. Isha seemed much more energetic now that he had gotten some rest. He sounded much better to her as well. With the mention of food, he basically jumped over to the table and took out some of the contents. She watched quietly while Isha enjoyed his sandwich.

From the bed, Catrina heard some sheets rustling. She looked over and saw Shayem sitting up on the bed with his sheet wrapped around him as if he were a caterpillar making himself a cocoon. "Good morning," he greeted. Catrina smiled and laughed slightly to herself. The kid looked so funny wrapped up in the sheet. She watched as Isha offered the rest of his sandwich to Shayem. Even though Isha's gesture was very kind and thoughtful, there was really enough food to last them for a few days if they ate it wisely. She was about to bring this up, but she held her tongue thinking that it might offend them. Their culture was strange to her. "Thanks Isha. Thanks...," Shayem was looking at her with an embarrassed look on his face along with two flushed cheeks. "I don't know your name." He had quickly taken a bit of the sandwich to stop the awkward moment.

Catrina then realized that this was true. She still had not told them her name. All they knew was to not avoid calling her by criminal nickname. She laughed to herself at her forgetfulness. "Sorry about that," she apologized to them, "I guess I really haven't told you my name yet. Well, I'm Catrina Wood. I just couldn't tell you at night because there would be no telling who could over hear us. No one in my night life can know who I really am, else I'll be in big trouble." Isha came over and sat down next to her after he had made himself a new sandwich. "Can you help us find the library? I need to find some books on alchemy, and I heard Central City's got the biggest stacks of Amestrian Alchemy books ever!" Isha asked her. She chuckled. This boy just would not rest.

"I know where the library is, but that doesn't mean I'll show you just this instant. You both are still recovering. What would the people think when they saw two beat up little boys walking happily around Central as if they didn't have any wounds?" she told them both. She gave Isha a quick sniff. "Plus, you both stink as if you haven't washed for at least a month. You can't just go out there stinking like that wearing clothes with blood and sweat stains on them." Catrina gave them a quick smile. "Before you go out, you'll going to have to look and smell like two Central city children, not two ragged boys just off a train." A mischievous smile came across Catrina's face. "I'm going to give you two a full Central City makeover."

((Make over time! x3))

[Raichi]

Shayem let the information Catrina told him run through his mind, especially her name, it was important to remember so that he wouldn't have to ask again. The importance of her name remaining in secrecy got him to wonder why, but whatever it was, he had a feeling it wasn't pretty. Having finished the half sandwich, he got out of the sheets to prepare himself a new one. He had imagined it would be cold without the sheets, but was surprised to find out it wasn't cold at all.

In the meantime Isha had walked over to the makeshift couch, sat down and asked Catrina about the Library. She however made him realize that in order to not make a scene he and Shayem would have to fit in with all of the other civilians of Central City. Right now they were obviously not only foreigners, but also bruised. Realizing this Isha looked down in disappointment, Shayem took a seat on the bed again where he could eat his sandwich while watching the two. He couldn't help but laugh when Catrina sniffed Isha and told them they were stinky, quickly swallowing the bite in his mouth because laughing with food in his mouth made his cheeks cramp. It wasn't helping either that Isha sniffed his own armpits when she mentioned he was stinky, the smell causing him to have a sour look on his face.

"I'm going to give you two a full Central City makeover." Catrina said. Shayem coughing a bit from the previous laughing with food in his mouth, he quickly run to the table and opened a plastic bottle of juice, travel size, drinking half of it in one go. He turned around to Catrina and tilted his head to the side with a smile "Thank you!" Isha then stood up and shamelessly took off his shirt, surprisingly enough revealing fair muscles for a child. "Better get washed then.." leaving the shirt on the floor he started walking to the door, to then turn around to look at Catrina and Shayem "are you two coming or what?"

Shayem couldn't believe Isha's manners, sure the boy meant no harm and kept a friendly face with whatever he said, but leaving his shirt on the floor and using every facility as if it were his own wasn't very polite. Remembering Mr Lewis as a polite man Shayem couldn't believe his friend's behavior at times like these. Nonetheless he stood up. And yet again Isha walked off to a place of which he didn't know the directions. He wondered though, was Isha planning on bathing together? Not that it was odd, Shayem bathed with his little brothers all the time, but this was Isha. And did he plan on Catrina somehow joining in? Shayem felt a little embarrassed if he would have to reveal himself naked in front of a female, but since he was a guest he would comply in such case and pretend to be okay with it. However, Isha's words were often simple, shameless, and not to be taken so seriously or pondered over so much. The boy had good intentions.

One thing was for sure though, Catrina assured they would learn the ways of Central City, firstly making sure the boys are clean and dressed right.

[Catrina Wood]

Shayem, who had been coughing, chugged down half of a bottle of juice. Isha, meanwhile, had taken off his shirt and left it on the ground, not far from her feet. Catrina cleared her throat, intending for it to be a sign to Isha that he should not leave his clothing on the floor of a guest's house. He didn't exactly catch on. Instead, he ask if she was going to join him in the bathroom. It started as a small sputtering; her chuckle then transformed into a full blown laugh. The laugh echoed because it was so loud. Catrina honestly thought that Isha was joking around with her when he implied for her to come into the bathroom. As her laugh fell in volume again, she realized that the boy may not be joking. "Well, um," she sputtered, trying to obtain composure, "You two go ahead and get cleaned up on your own. I already took my shower. The soap is in plain sight on the side of the tub." She cleared her throat to finally suppress her laugh. "I'll just wait here for you two to finish. There are some towels under the sink, and be sure to use the big ones."


~--~--~--~--~--~


After cleaning themselves up, Isha and Shayem came out smelling much better from Catrina's view. Getting to her feet, she rubbed her hands together as she thought of what to do first. "Alrighty," she started, "let's see what I have for you here." Moving over to her closet, she opened it up and began to move her radio equipment out of the way. Piece by piece, she removed the bulky boxes out of the way. Behind where the military radio had been set, there were two cardboard boxes filled with clothes, and covered with black cloth. With little effort, she removed them from the back of the closet and placed them in an open space by her makeshift couch. She removed the black covers to reveal boy and men's clothes inside the cardboard boxes.

A distinct scent floated up from the white shirt on the top of one of the boxes. Catrina wrinkled her nose at the scent of the smell. "I thought I had thrown all of his stuff," she muttered to herself. She grabbed the shirt, which looked almost brand new, and threw it into a pile of trash under the table. Forgetting about the shirt, she began to shift through the box closest to her and removed two pairs of trousers that look as if they would fit the boys. "Here," she told them, throwing the trousers at their faces, "put these on and don't forget about underwear. I still wear those every once in a while." She smiled at them and began to sift through the boxes again, searching for some shirts that would fit the two boys.

((Sorry for taking so long to reply. My post isn't really good either... Agh! School has been infiltrating my brain! >.<))

[Raichi]

Shayem picked up the shirt Isha had left on the floor and followed his friend. After checking a few doors the boys finally discovered the bathroom and entered, Isha immediately heading for the tub to fill it with water. "Isha" Shayem looked away, not really knowing how to put it "It's rude to just.. throw your clothes on the floor." He then walked over to the laundry basket and threw Isha's shirt in.

Having mixed the hot and cold water to a nice temperature he turned to Shayem "Right.. sorry. I don't know why I did that" he spoke scratching his head and then started taking off the rest of his cloths, putting it in the laundry basket beside his friend. Isha filled the tub with soap, mixing it around with his arms in all his naked glory before going in. He really is shameless... Shayem thought. A bit insecure he got undressed and entered the tub, only to discover it wasn't that shameful at all.

After washing themselves and their hair they got dried and wrapped their towel around their waist. "let's go" Isha said upon exiting the bathroom and turned to the left. "Um.. Isha? You're going the wrong way"

Isha stopped and turned around, quickly walking the right way "I knew that!" trying to hide himself behind a smile. I really need to get myself together.. This way I'm only getting us into trouble.. he thought. Shayem kept silent and walked beside him until they arrived at the bedroom again. As they walked in Catrina stood up and rubbed her hands "Alrighty, let's see what I have for you here." She then emptied out the closet until she got to the cardboard boxes that contained boy and men's clothes. The boys watched a white shirt fly across the room and were then surprised by a pair of trousers thrown in their face each. "Here, put these on and don't forget about underwear. I still wear those every once in a while."

The boys looked at the trousers in their hands and at each other; the only underwear they knew was their own which was in the laundry basket in the bathroom at the moment. "Do you have underwear for us too?" Isha asked.

Black long trousers was a good start though, in Ishvala people wore short and often desert colored clothing. Never black, it was simply too hot.