[PRP] I just have this feeling, brother. (Elrics & Dji)

[Trelweny]

Mental head-slap. Of course Ed would pick up on how this Sloth knew so much about them. Al was soft... having already met others who knew more about him then he told them. Others who were looking for 'him' in a different form. Something he would never have been able to believe or comprehend if he had not seen others being the same but in different species. It really had fried his thoughts on the matter, on top of meeting over a hundred strange creatures that called themselves a family. So much he had let it slide, not bothering his brother about it. Not really thinking about it though he remembered.

Huh? "The last thing I remember?" Not now... probably from when they were in Amestris. His face crinkled, curious even if he didn't tell her. What was the last thing he remembered? It was all kind of cloudy. At least after their big failure. After trying to bring Mom back...

No... further than that. Studying for the State Alchemist tests. Ed making it. Nina...

Sometime after that things became disjointed. Searching for the philosophers stone. The scar-faced man. The homonculi -maybe not even all of them. Alphonse felt severe gaps in his memory. Learning how to kill homonculi -something about their bones. All that while a soul, bound to that cold suit of armor. Unable to feel. Sure it came in handy sometimes, but he had hated it. Wanted this -to be alive again. To feel.

And to get his brother's limbs back. Sorrow filled his brown-gold eyes. He hadn't been able to do that. But what was the last thing he remembered? A sense of being alive, dressed as he was now and searching for Ed... searching for his brother. It was more cloudy than the scattered memories. Misty. Like a dream. Alphonse shook it off, deciding that it was only dream. Slowly, softly he answered -though it was really more to Edward & himself he spoke than the sin-named stranger. "I was still a suit of armor. Not really sure... our travels, Brother. Our search... it's all a jumble."

Even as he said it his ears flattened and his tail flicked. Something about Edward dying. Envy. His armor body the philosopher's stone and giving it to the gate to save Ed then nothing. Quickly Al closed his eyes forcefully to the image. No! No! Ed hadn't died!

But he could still feel the intense pain and grief of losing his brother... and it was clear upon his face though he would say nothing about it.  

[BlackPidgeot]

He didn't trust this person, and Edward just narrowed his eyes at the question. "Why should we tell you?" he snapped, golden eyes glaring. He didn't really believe this mumbo jumbo that some person had brought them here and put them into these... bodies. Not really. But then.. how could those animal parts be explained? He wasn't sure.. but if some being put him here, then why did he still have his automail and Al not be in a suit of armor? Granted he wasn't ungrateful for the fact that his brother was in the flesh.. but it just didn't make sense.

As his brother spoke softly, Edward's brows creased, "Don't tell him anything, Al." And then he looked to Sloth once more, "If you know so much, then why even ask?" He huffed, not buying any of this and making it rather clear. His memories were his own, and he wasn't going to spout out his experiences and life story to someone he didn't really know.  

[Gabe Ragnarok]

"Right. Just so you two can feel a bit more at ease with it, since you're.... missing bits o' yer memory, I'll just say it flat out. When we snagged ye, you'd kicked the bucket."

She shook her head, seemingly out of pity.

"T' be precise, Edward got himself killed. then you traded yerself for him and then he, once awake, kicked homonculous butt, and tried to trade himself for you. Again. And of course it continued, since you, being ALIVE, went looking for him, and, once more, tried to trade yourself for him again. v.v Dude. You really should stop tryin' t' use the gate, it sucks a**."  

[Trelweny]

Al looked back up at his brother's voice. He had nearly forgotten Sloth in remembering. Well he hadn't really said anything, had he? Why this stranger was asking he wondered too.

Then he winced, cringing at this person's words. Alphonse wanted to curl up into himself for he was shivering inside and unable to stop. Picturing the trading... still wanting to do something to get Ed' body back to normal... but this Sloth was right: they needed to stop using the gate. Nothing ever seemed to turn out the way they wanted when they tried to use it... something bad always happened. Equivalent exchange... would they forever be learning the depth of what that meant in Alchemy? Al himself did not use such language but Sloth was right.

But did that make this person right about the rest? As much as Al did not want to believe, it fit with some of his disjointed thoughts. Too well almost. He glanced at Ed, worried and confused & not wanting his brother to tell him not to say something again. "I don't feel dead..."

And yet... Al shook his head. The chilling recount if that's what it was didn't seem to answer his brother's 'why' question, only created more whys to ask. Like why would this lady Dji bring them here, and give them these bodies? Was that why he had been feeling they should come to this tower, to her? "But... why?"  

[BlackPidgeot]

As Sloth spoke... Ed's stubborn look was soon melting away and by the time she was done speaking, he had a rather ashen look on his face. He wasn't going to admit to just how much he remembered, but by his reaction, it seemed that Sloth's words were hitting home. But he wasn't quite willing to believe all this stuff yet. It indeed hadn't answered any of their questions, for it only creatred more.

One dog ear flicked at Al's question. Edward had his own 'why' question, but it wasn't quite the same... and was added onto his brother's own. "Why should be believe anything you say?" His tone still hard and distrusting of this person that called itself Sloth. It could be some sort of ruse.. this person could have learned all this stuff about them.. somewhere. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.  

[Gabe Ragnarok]

"Keh, how th' hell do I know? I only work for her." Sloth pointed out.
"For all I know she just wants some help fixing stuff. I don't ask what th' boss wants or why. My job 's just t' patrol the grounds while my sibs do th' paperwork."

She put her hands behind her head in a boyish manner and eyed the Elrics.

"She's in th' tower, so I s'pose if ye want t' know what she's actually after, you'll have to ask her, then, won't ye?"  

[Trelweny]

Okay... that was kind of spooky. How had this guy known what 'why' to answer? Al glanced at his brother, worried about his ashen skin. He must remember more than me... or more clearly. Does that mean... it really happened like that? How many times can a life be traded before it is no longer an Equivalent Exchange? As much as that worried him, upset him really on oh so many levels, Alphonse was worried right that moment that his brother's temper would lose his temper or something soon. Quietly he interceded hopefully before Ed could get upset bout not having his more precise -and really more pressing- question answered. Without that answer... none of the others really mattered much, did they? If they could not believe them. "Without a reason to believe you... there's no reason to bother asking her,"

Except he had already wanted to, but the younger brother was not saying that.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Alphonse knew his brother very well.. and it was a good thing too. Because of that, he'd prevented many a bad situation before Ed could get himself into them. He tended to act before he thought, letting his mouth get him in trouble. And it looked like Edward was about to say something, before Al seemed to take the words right out of this mouth.

The older brother folded his arms and stared pointedly at Sloth, waiting for her reaction to that. Yeah... what he said! Right.  

[Gabe Ragnarok]

A razor edged smile was their answer as Sloth retrieved snapshots of certain events. The original array for the philosopher's stone. The moment when Al as a suit of armor tried to bring back to life the CLEARLY dead body of his brother, as Ed lay in a pool of blood even as the putrid color of the philosopher's stone shone through the gaps in his armor. Edward, half naked and painted in symbols of the alchemical arrays for the gate, standing in a purple array, all too familiar, starting to glow.

The very last array Al had been working on, to bring his brother back from wherever he may be, drawn there and glowing as he activated it, two homonculi, Wrath and Gluttony fighting in the array.
All stood in that image, symbols drawn on his gloves, eyes filled with determination

Djibril, with a gate of what seemed to be golden light, NOT the gate, seemingly retrieving a pair of bodies that were all too recognizeable. The Elric brother's bodies lying too pale and still and calm on cushioned tables. A young batwinged male, taller than both Elrics, clad in the smock that protected his clothes, long, wavy dark hair tied back, a brilliant contrast to his pale skin, features graceful and striking, blue eyes cool and clinically intent, gloved hands long and slim moving and checking their pulses.

Sloth gave the stubborn pair the images she'd retrieved from the file.

"This enough proof, fellas?"  

[Trelweny]

It barely had time to blink the question in his head of wby this stranger on rounds would be carrying around these pictures. Unless they really were waiting for them waiting for them. Alphonse looked at the snapshots, wanting to look away. That wasn't what he meant... he didn't think that was what his brother meant either, in wanting an answer to why they should believe Sloth. The young alchemist had been thinking more along the lines of trustworthiness; give him reason to believe kind of thing. Not... this.

He finally pulled his gaze away, looking sick. It was certainly proof Sloth knew what he was talking about. Al liked it better when he could tell himself that was a bad dream... a nightmare. When he spoke his voice was very, very young and he was looking at Edward. "Brother?"  

[BlackPidgeot]

That ashen look quickly returned as he saw the images, Edward being speechless for once with a truely horrified expression. But there was only more questions.. Why them? Why here? He didn't understand, but this Sloth said she only worked for this woman that lived in the tower. She would be the one to give them answers.

Edward clenched his teeth, hearing the small voice of his younger brother. He said nothing though, and instead... with a look of quiet fury and determination, made his way towards the structure with purpose in his step. It seems that Edward had been convinced well enough to visit this so called person named Dji.  

[Gabe Ragnarok]

"Geeze, you look like you're heading for a funeral." Sloth sighed, exasperated. "She ain't gonna hurt ye. v.v Stop being so paranoid. " So saying the sneaky evil voice headed back to the tower, easily keeping pace with the pair. She kept a wary eye on them, knowing at this point MAAAAAAYBE she'd pushed them a LITTLE bit too far. v.v Ayayay. These humans, how very odd.

Noticing the look on Edward's face, she felt a bit pressured by that expression of DHOOM to clarify. "You asked for proof of what I said she did." she pointed out mildly. "I gave ye that proof in pictures. Ye're odd. Finding offense in th' strangest things."  

[Trelweny]

Uh-oh. Al quickly stayed with his brother. Feline ears flicked at Sloth spoke. Funeral? That's not what he thought of, watching his brother & trying to keep up. Then he turned an incredulous look. "Why we should believe you isn't the same as asking for proof like that!" His voice bordered on the frantic.  

[Gabe Ragnarok]

Sloth raised an eyebrow in disbelief. The accent grew a bit more pronounced, given she was really starting to get bored. Bored meant sleepy. Sleepy meant she didn't feel like taking long long convos. Being blunt and thinking the way she did, she answered him point blank.

"How ain't it the same? Look's all th' same, t' me.

Y' don't trust what I'm telling you, so there's no point in asking or expecting you to trust me given ye don't KNOW me...An' thus any and all credentials I give ye are s**t.

So, unless I can dump GRAPHIC proof in yer lap that I am telling the truth about what I be tellin' ye, ye'r gonna stay distrustful. 'S the way things are."

A fluid shrug.

"Anyway, I ain't human an' never have been, so pardon me if I don't give in much to what you'd consider tact. >] I ain't gonna coddle ye and go around beating th' bush. Th' truth is, I ain't th' head honcho, I just assist. And THAT means t' know the reasons WHY you are here, ye may as well go talk to th' boss.

Comprende, mi amigo?"  

[BlackPidgeot]

Edward scowled as he moved, listening to Sloth's words and not liking what he heard. Nothing was said to the sin named person, he just moved faster until he came to the entrance of the tower, using both hands to push on the door(s) and if they didn't open... well then he would just let himself in by alchemical means.

Sloth's boss was exactly who he was intending to find and ask.. no.. demand some answers from.