Getting Lost

So about that taking over the world thing... Yeah... It really wasn't going to happen anytime soon at this rate. There was one essential thing to do whilst getting lost: ask for directions, however... every time he tried, something went terribly wrong.

The first time was a catastrophe. He stopped a young woman with every intention to ask her nicely where the nearest subway station was, but all he received was a slap in the face. It really made no sense! Was it the way he said it? What a problem this was... What to do now? Well, then he asked a kind-looking old man at a Automail shop on the corner of the street that lead him astray. The old man grumbled something and pulled down the metal garage door with a bang. Celesto was all out of sorts! What could possibly be wrong?

Central was a cruel place.

He ran a pale hand through his platinum waves dampened slightly with sweat. The street was entirely abandoned: the windows all shuts, doors bolted, even the trademark trash wasn't blowing around desolately in the street. How intensely lonely! The renegade alchemist dropped his hand and slipped it into the pocket of his pants. He looked plain enough... He wasn't even dressed flamboyantly today... What with his white jeans and black muscle shirt. Today was just not his day.

Masani had come a long way from Lior. She had been in central now for two months, it was an uncomfortable place to be. Mostly because she was right under the nose of the military's Central HeadQuarters. Her theory was, if she hid in the most obvious place, they might not ever think to look there. Plus Central wasn't a tiny place, she could slink amongst the crowds very easily. She feared that somebody, anybody would recognize her. But she had changed significantly since she was in the military. She was taller, stronger and her hair nearly down to her shoulders now. She told people on the street her name was "Mae". How could she possibly tell them her real name?

She sighed as she relaxed on a bench, that was when someone caught her eye. A man across the street with blonde hair. He looked exasperated, in fact exhausted. She watched with a curious expression. The poor man looked absolutely and hopelessly lost. Compelled by her need to help people, she decided to approach him. She looked both ways before crossing the street. "Excuse me, do you need some help sir?"

Celes almost jumped when he heard a soft feminine voice rise from somewhere to the side of him. He turned from the crumpled piece of paper he was holding and smiled sweetly at the girl. She had long, dark hair completely the opposite of his own. This small observation he found somewhat amusing. A peaceful look entered his blue eyes, though he could only see out of one. Celesto was also grateful that he hadn't worn his eye patch today. What with the situations he had to face today; it would have only complicated matters further.

"I do!" He turned the tattered map and showed it to her. "You see, I'm trying to find a grocery store called Peacock... And it doesn't appear to be on the street that it says it's on..." Where a normal person would be frowning, Celes was smiling brightly despite the terrible news he was conveying. "Would you by chance know where it is?"

Today was a day to relax, something that RARELY happen for Sofia. Well, in all honesty, Sofia wasn't in Central to relax... but rather check out the surroundings for her own personal gain. The rather young looking girl, happily skips down the side walk humming a gentle tune to herself. This of course was all an act, she had to disguise herself whenever she left the Western HQ. No telling who'd she run into along the way... Saftey first! In the rays of light, Sofia seems to be at ease as she went on her quest. As she continues to skip down the pavement, she turns the corner and over hears a young man asking for help with finding 'Peacock'. Luckily for him, she remembers that she had passed that not too long ago! It was such a strange name for a shop, that Sofia couldn't forget it if she wanted too!

"Oh? Peacock?" Sofia interrupts as she approaches the two young looking people. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude- but I just passed that store not too long ago!" Sofia winks playfully with her one working eye. "I could show you if you didn't mind some more company?"

In her mind she was sick of herself, how in the world could women really act this 'happy go lucky' all the time? However, for now she had to keep up the friendly attitude. No telling who these two complete strangers really were...

Softly churning, they appeared before him through the darkness of his blind eye. Cascading against the black, the gears spun faster and faster until Celes' focus waned to a mere trickle of thought. Words were being spoken, but the gears trapped his mind. Spinning out of control, he tried to clutch onto something tangible--something that still remained in the reality happening around him. Something about her..........

Shock hit the Caster Alchemist, his pupils shrinking into dots to drown in the expanse of blue. Closer and closer he came to falling. He felt his hand slip from the hem of the new girl's clothing where he had grasped in hopes of finding reality. It fell listlessly to his side, incapable. He needed to say something--to apologize for his misconduct, but nothing came except silence--filling the void of spinning gears.

Misery encased him--a strange forgotten essence that plagued his entire being. He felt his heart pounding as his arm hung there, his right eye struggling to focus on the dark images around him. All at once, he could see and the gears faded away into the background. Celes hadn't noticed, but his other hand--the one not at his side--was now covering his left eye. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it into a sorrowful smile. Facades were his forte.

The hand fell away from his face and withdrew a fancy eye patch from his pocket. The thankfulness that he wasn't wearing it had long washed away. In a swift movement, he tied it in place, the amber jewels catching the light in which that eye could no longer ever see. Stark, blond hair fell around his feminine face in waves of disheveled natural, now constrained by the brown leather strap. It concealed that which cannot see.

And in the painful world, it seemed he wasn't alone. In all his foolishness, there was another like him. All the while his calm smile did not dwindle. Acting as if nothing had happened, his airy yet smooth voice chilled the distance between them with a strange friendliness. "Iya~ you've caught me off guard~" His single blue eye regarded her kindly, darting to the other female with which he had previously sought help. He looked back to her, replenishing his always-present smile. "I'm blind in this eye." He pointed at his left. "Sometimes I just lose my balance," he lied, giving a reason for why he had reached out and held onto the end of her rather cute outfit. "Waa~ I seem to find myself surrounded by two beautiful ladies." He grinned genuinely. "It would be very helpful if you led me there. I have something I must buy."

"The Peacock isn't too far from here."Masani answered, now she felt nervous, being surrounded by people. Even if it was only a few people, soon they would descend into the crowds that hung around the market place. Masani could already feel the butterflies in her stomach just at the mere thought of being suffocated by a crowd. She observed both of them, neither seemed suspicious but she could never truly know who they were. She had little else to say as she began guiding the man to his destination. She had seen something happen, much more than he was admitting to. But she wouldn't call him on it.

Masani had lost the right to do such a thing. After all, she was a fugitive, running from the military. She couldn't go judging strangers when she herself had a questionable past. So she accepted them as they were, not saying a word about what she had seen, instead she had brushed it off as if it had never taken place at all. "What are you looking for at The Peacock exactly?"she asked curiously.

And here she went again.
Getting lost, like she had been doing recently. Reina had only recently moved to Central from Creta, after meeting up with her brother while she was here.
What was she thinking going out again when knowing only so much Amestrian?
She knew this would happen.
Reina was lost. Again.

This was, what, the fifth time it's happened today? She'd been going around, trying to find a grocery store so she could buy some food to take back to her brother. He was still working, and she wanted to make him something before he came home...
However, she forgot the important detail that she could barely speak, let alone read, Amestrian.
Sighing heavily, she looked around for people she could ask. Finding a group of three people, she calmly made her way to them.
"Excuse me," She gently mentioned, stopping in front of the group. "Do either of you speak Cretan, or Cretarian, by chance? I'm kind of lost and I know only so much Amestrian..."

Another girl seemed to magnet to the blond. He turned to her, now surrounded by three rather beautiful females. How interesting. He blinked intrigued blue eyes at them and then simply smiled. "I don't know if I will be able to help you, but I speak Cretan. It seems I have gotten myself lost as well." He turned to the dark-haired woman and grinned sheepishly. "I'm looking for corn dogs." He scratched the back of his head and let out a nervous laugh to indicate he knew exactly how strange he sounded. Inside, however, he wasn't the slightest bit stunted in his efforts to find said corn dogs. It was an essential thing. Karis had always wanted to go to Central to try one, but...he had never gotten the chance.

Celes was going to find them. And he would try them just to see what Karis had missed out on. His dead twin...regardless of the time of day, plagued his mind eternally. And it seemed the Peacock food store in this side of town carried the delicacies known to the Caster Alchemist as 'corn dogs'. He was determined to accomplish this goal no matter how long it took or how lost he got in the process. Besides, every road led in a great circle.

As Sofia attempts to keep her 'bubbly' disguise, but it grew harder and harder by each second. There was something odd about the blonde fellow, something that completely drew her into his grasp. Part of her soul felt connect with his, unlike anything she has ever felt. The two were connected in a way that no one else would ever imagine. A bonding that only happens when you've seen 'The Truth'. Of course, Sofia does not understand this connection yet, but she can't help but wonder if he has seen the gate just as she has.

"I, I'm terribly sorry I didn't mean to make you jump back there Celesto." It took her a while to finally apologize what had happen when she first met the strangely attractive young man. "I just felt a spark the moment I laid eyes on you..." Sofia breaks eye contact with him for a brief moment, hoping he caught her drift in the matter.

Her attention was soon diverted to the girl who was speaking a language Cretan. Random, but intriguing. Why was a person from Creta currently in Central? "Whatever he can't explain to you, I believe I can help translate fluently." Sofia snickers faintly under her breath.

Masani watched them all with interest, people seemed to be popping up from every corner of Central to help this man. She looked around, he didn't need her help any more. The other two ladies could probably handle it. The longer she stayed here, in this one spot, the more vulnerable she felt. She took a deep breath and then realized what the blond had said to her. "Corn dogs? That's what you're searching for? The Peacock isn't the only place that carries those. In fact, I'm almost certain you passed at least three small vendors that sell them from those little push carts."she put her hands on her hips and continued to watch him and the others with great intrigue. Her dark eyes always calculating, making sure no one made a move to hurt her, or expose her.

She still wondered to herself why she was even speaking to them, with such great risk on her part she usually would have avoided this kind of situation. But deep inside she was just like her father, always helping.

Looks like Reina wasn't the only one that got lost.
After she approached them, she began to think that maybe she should've asked someone else...after all, the group was rather large, and these two other girls were probably already helping the boy. They were probably too busy to help her.
But, everything seemed okay when she asked--no one refused her.
"Thank you. Maybe we're all heading in the same place, anyway, from what I can tell of what you're saying." She referred to the blonde, as she could understand slightly what he said. It may seem weird, but she was still learning Amestrian, even though she lived there now.
She should've focused more on learning Amestrian, rather than alchemy, because she knows she can't perform it, no matter how hard she studies it.
But that didn't mean it was a lost cause to her. She would still study it.
...All she had to do first was learn Amestrian!

"Ne ne you all are so very kind~" Celes beamed like a blinding ray of sunshine and then motioned with his hands onward. "Let's walk and talk I'm sure there are many things we may have in common." His eyes darted fiercely to Sofia through a crack in his facade. "I am so grateful to happen upon both of you and very grateful to be able to help you as well," he looked softly at the Cretan girl and winked his blind blue eye. Hell, if he winked with his left, it didn't make a different in his visual display of the world. It was somewhat convenient in its own way.

"You see, the corn dogs at The Peacock aren't normal corn dogs. They even have them in Lior, where I'm from. But these have a special coating I'm told. There are other reasons though; I wouldn't come all the way out here just for myself..." and that was where he ended it . It would stay like that--a secret--locked away forever to never see the light of day or the darkness of night for that matter. "Hm," he thought aloud, "what are you all doing today? I am in need of a tour guide...seeing as I cannot navigate for the life of me. If any of you care to, maybe we can go enjoy ourselves, ne? I heard in Central there are these things called roller coasters?" Then he thought a moment, pausing. It sounded vaguely as if he were trying to pick them up... no, he sounded like a disillusioned old man. Celes hit himself in the forehead and sighed. It was the gears messing with his mind. "Maybe scratch that..." he attempted, sweating a bit despite the fact that it was freezing out.

With a sweet smile he bent down to meet the Cretan girl's eyes. "So we're going to a grocery store called The Peacock and afterward I was asking if they would show me around. Maybe fun is in store for us, hyu~" He stood back up to his full height, blonde hair tousled in the wind. "Maybe you'll even learn some more Amestrian, ne?"