[000] Open Log: Month 2

[ironysoul]

[Al is growing stronger and more alert. He is awake for long periods of time and can receive more visitors.

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[material_guy]

Work kept him busy... or, that is, he worked to keep himself busy. The only times he couldn't keep himself busy were times when everybody else was busy. Coincidentally, he could order his crew to become unbusy, or more busy with tending to him, but a Nice Guy at least recognized the need for sleep in other beings. It was that or consider the potential that he was boring company when they constantly yawned or started nodding off.

His company and crews tended to be awake until two or three. Between two and four, the computer could keep him entertained. By Four thirty, he was doomed to be bored.

By five in the morning, he was in Al's room. Much as he may have appreciated others needs for sleep, that really only applied to those whose full time jobs were for his benefit. Alphonse Elric slept or laid around most of the time, being an invalid. He, Greed was certain, was naturally at the mercy of Greed's whims.

The Homunculus declared Al's sleep time over by plopping a magazine in black shrink wrap on top of his sleeping face."Morning

[ironysoul]

Obviously, Greed didn't understand over-sensitivity at all. Al woke up screaming, partially in terror, partially from the shock of being hit with anything. His entire body seized up, his fingers digging into the mattress as he thrashed against the covers, crying out with shock and pain.

[material_guy]

"Geh!"

The man who did not understand over-sensitivity did understand that when someone screamed like that, it tended to draw attention. He stepped away with both hands raised to show his innocence; he had genuinely not even touched him! Only once the screams died down to a respectable level did he half lower his hands, taking another step back just in case.

"Save you from a bad nightmare?"

[ironysoul]

Al managed to turn over, the magazine sliding from his face. He only quieted because he curled up into a ball, sobbing quietly. Whether he'd touched him or not, that had hurt and he still couldn't fully process what had been done to him.

"Mr. Greed! W-why did you hit me?"

[material_guy]

Not a hand on anyone, or even ten words out of his mouth and already he had someone curled up in a fetal position sobbing. That had to be some kind of new record, even for him. Reaching over the bed as if afraid of disturbing a crime scene, he plucked the magazine from where it slid onto the pillow, relocating it to the bedside table: with that, all immediate proof of his assault was cleared. Now to use his silver tongue to get out of this: "I didn't hit anything!"

Hardly the most eloquent declaration of innocence, and it sounded more defensive than convincing, but his history of honesty had to be worth something. He hadn't hit anything. He really hadn't. Gravity was more the culprit than he was. So, there.

With another glance to the shrink wrapped magazine, he found himself wondering what kind of bonuses were in there. It felt like the normal weight, but...

[ironysoul]

Slowly, Al calmed himself done, his breathing still rushed and unsteady as he peered up at Al. Poor Greed... obviously no one had really briefed him on Al's condition... no surprise, since he showed up in the middle of the night.

"My nerves are overstimulated. Things touching me hurts."

[material_guy]

Poor Al. His visitor was both an idiot and an asshole. Greed's immediate response was to eye the blanket and the bed, all touching him, then to extent one finger and poke him. Lightly, sure, but it was never the less a poke.

[ironysoul]

Because it was a light poke, Al didn't scream that way again. He just cried out softly, an uncontrollable sob that built in him and released with a hard shudder. The sheets scraped over his skin, drawing out whimpers. "Greed, don't!!"

[truthinfortune]

And it was at that moment that the cavalry arrived. Late, as usual. Naoto shoved the door opened, panting, her hat falling askew over one eye.

"Al! Are you all ri--" As she pushed her hat back on her head, her attention immediately focused on Greed. The petite detective marched toward the greedy Homunculus, making as if to pull him back by the shoulder. "What in the world are you doing to him?"

[material_guy]

For the way Naoto burst in, he'd expected her to announce that there was a real attack on someone somewhere that he would need to go and handle. Once aware that he was the villain in this scenario, his shoulders slumped, looking between the two incredulously, his finger still extended from the poke, as if holding his hand in such a position would stand as proof, if only to himself, that he hadn't done more than poke.

"Oi, oi, wait a second here, I'm not..."

[ironysoul]

Al was working on some pain management, but give him a second. After a long moment he took a deep breath in and forced a twisted attempt at a smile.

"It's okay, Naoto. He didn't know. He won't do it again."

Al half-glared, half pleaded at the homonculus with his eyes. "What time is it, anyway? Why are you waking us all up?" No mention of the fact that he hadn't been able to fall asleep until late, because there were just no distractions from the pain, and then he'd woke up screaming earlier, too.

[truthinfortune]

Naoto fixed the Homunculus with a piercing look. That pointing finger was damnable proof if ever there was any...

"Please refrain from 'manhandling' Al in the future," she said while brushing Greed's arm aside. "His condition is quite delicate. He can't bear sustained physical contact for very long."

The petite detective sighed. "It's a little after five in the morning. The sun has barely even risen and--" She paused, her eyes widening as a sudden realization dawned on her. She shot a questioning look at Greed. "Wait... How did you get here, anyway?"

It should be noted--and the greedy Homunculus most certainly would note--that Naoto had not bound her breasts, given the fact that she'd barely had time to throw on a dress shirt and pants before racing into Al's room. Of course, that would mean that she wasn't wearing any undergarments beneath her shirt, either...

[material_guy]

That was a fair question, and one he was even willing to answer. He was sure that the words explaining the finer details had come from his mouth, for they went through his head with great effort even as distraction assaulted him until the end of that unspoken sentence. Contrary to his assumptions of what he had done, however, in reality, he stood there. His hands slipped into his pockets casually, as if thinking time had stopped for him to admire the scenery.

And then he blinked. The spell broken, he looked up to her face, then over to Al, then to both of them.

Oh. Right. He'd hurt the kid on accident. And disturbed her sleep. And caused a well deserved panic over a very delicate invalid whose life was always hanging by a mere thread.

Greed treated the situation with the gravity he was certain it deserved: "Sorry. What?"

[ironysoul]

Al groaned and shifted, causing the magazines Greed had dropped on him to slide off the side of the bed.

"Forget it," he muttered to the homonculus. "I'm sorry for waking you up, Naoto."

Because even exhausted and still strung out with the sudden pain, Al couldn't not apologize for the ruckus. Even if it hadn't really been his fault.

He looked over to Greed warily, a frown crossing his face. "Mr. Homonculus, what were those?"

[truthinfortune]

Greed was staring at her. Well, not her exactly, as she suddenly realized that the Homunculus's glazed eyes were focused on not her face, but on some other part of her anatomy. She gave an indignant squeak and sought to cross her arms over her chest, a heated blush rising to her cheeks.

"W-Would you please stop... ogling me and answer my question already? What are you doing here at such an ungodly hour?" She turned toward Al, her expression softening. "And there's no need for you to apologize. If anything, I think you deserve an apology from a certain greedy Homunculus..." Her attention then returned to Greed, her eyes narrowing once more in suspicion.