Who:Neal and Ed What:Ed visit the ranch (brief mention of Riza!) When:Sometime after the attempted robbery of Flower Alchemy Where:Said ranch! Warnings:None. A is for awkward? Status:Complete
Being on the ranch was, Neal had to admit, a pretty amazing sight to behold in the morning. The deep wooded canyon, tall sycamores and oaks, mountain views, maybe even a gold mine somewhere. Everyday he was there early to catch the magnificence of the sunrise, and was outside for it doing dirty work, but today was an extra special day. It was Cowboy Breakfast day, and the kids were practically pissing themselves with joy. They’d rather receive a root canal with no numbing agent than do schoolwork at this hour, or crawl out of bed for something academic, but involve an activity or a chance for cow pie fly? They were raring to go. Probably because of the food - there was something completely perfect about breakfast cooked outdoors on a griddle, the old-fashioned western way, right before your very eyes. Ranch-style eggs, bacon, and the crowning glory - blueberry pancakes.
Neal had enough batter to kill a horse and had just tied the knot on his apron behind him. “Okay, you all better form a line because if you stampede me to death no one’s getting any,” he quipped, and the hellions - chattering eagerly - managed to organize themselves while Neal started cooking, checking the time, keeping an eye on it as well as the breakfast spread. Which would soon begin to smell amazing, the scent of it carrying clear across the way.
Ed had put off visiting this ranch thing for a while until curiosity finally got the better of him. He’d come with Riza, who he was currently using as a shield from actually being seen just yet. He didn’t expect to feel this awkward, even with a scent of something sweet in the air when they finally arrived. He forced himself to step out of her shadow once they approached the festivities. The blond was tense and awkward. This place worried him on several levels.
Riza had managed to convince him though if he was so intrigued he should see it for himself anyway. So he was there. He cautiously stepped forward to observe a line of people waiting for breakfast when he heard Neal’s familiar tone. “Uh, hey.” He greeted Neal with a bit of a wave. Today Ed had the glamor on himself. While Neal was used to his new metal limbs, Ed was not when it came to the public viewing them. And when it came to this crowd he was still feeling them out. He didn’t want to be a statistic. If this was that kind of place, Neal was going to be in for a world of grumpy from the short alchemist.
“Hey!” Neal was glad to see Ed with his aunt, and waved him closer, under the shade of the tent. The griddle was sizzling, and he was in the process of frying eggs - it would be nice and spicy, when it was all said and done. Who didn’t love huevos rancheros, right? And he was damn good at making these, plus pancakes, thank you. “Made it in time for breakfast, I see. You want to help? I think I have an extra apron somewhere.”
He’d get to eat too, of course. It’d be fun. The other kids were simply talking animatedly amongst themselves, astoundingly awake despite the early morning hour - or what was considered early for youngin’s that age. Nothing out of the ordinary.
“Come on, I’ll even introduce you.” Might be good for Ed to meet kids close to his age, ones that didn’t judge him or were in the same school as him.
Ed was not nearly as awake as Neal was, he wasn’t entirely a morning person. In fact he was actually the opposite. Amber eyes looked over the groups of various kids a little nervously, save for school he’d never actually interacted with this many of them outside of it. Timid wasn’t a thing he did, so stiffly he walked a little closer to Neal and the breakfast things. For the first time in his life however he wasn’t overly hungry just mostly nervous instead. He’d never admit though.
He cautiously eyed Neal. “Okay..” Ed was half tempted to go back to hiding behind Riza but he refused to show that fear he was feeling. What the hell was wrong with him? He could fight a demon thing no problem, but get him in front of a group of teenagers and he was scared shitless? This wasn’t a thing he was used to. He mostly avoided crowds, even at schools. “Heh if you want me to.” He was decent at cooking in any case, often had to for Al when he was able to scrounge up food.
Neal, easygoing as usual, just tossed an apron at Ed so he could slip it over and tie it. Wouldn’t want to spill precious batter on his clothes - besides, it’d give him more practice with the currently glamoured metal limb. Making pancakes was the perfect way to work on a little hand-eye coordination, or something similar. “It’s already mixed so just pour it onto the griddle and keep an eye on it. The spatula’s right there,” he nodded to where he had the proper utensils set off to the side.
“Maybe bonus points for awesome shapes,” he added, grinning. “If you give ‘em an inch, they’ll take a mile.” One kid would request the Deathstar and then onward it would domino - usually, Neal was able to come up with some resemblance to what they were looking for, even if he was no pancake artist.
Poking at the eggs he asked, “So how’s it going?”
Ed caught the apron and put it on. The fact that Neal was able to act so normal with all these kids around seemed to be putting him at ease a little more. Neal wasn’t different than the past few times he’d met him, and he wasn’t worrying about being ditched anymore. He thought just maybe that’s what thats was going to turn into, but so far it was just pancakes. Ed wasn’t very good with art, but he could make a good huge pancake or two without ruining them.
He gave him a strained smile at that. “Maybe I can bring Al some day.” If he ever got to see him again, being around kids mainly just reminded him of his own kid brother. He couldn’t help it.
The blonde shrugged at the question as he snuck one of the finished pancakes to eat himself while making others. “We got robbed the other day at Riza’s shop.” Ed hadn’t announced it, but there had been a gunpoint robbery.
“You can definitely bring Al someday. There’s lots to do here.”
And, well, wait. What? A robbery? That was kind of unsettling news. Neal frowned, dishing out enough eggs on the tortillas to spread the love - he kind of wanted to keep it coming so the hungry chilluns wouldn’t ambush him. But the smell of food was enticing and the line began to move, and he reminded one daredevil, “Hey, easy on the hot sauce - “ The kid grinned sheepishly. Yeah, he’d be experiencing volcano shits later if he didn’t watch it.
“So is she alright?” he asked, turning his attention back to the topic at hand while organizing mini cartons of orange juice. “Riza, I mean. Are you alright?”
“Assuming I get to see him again.” He commented off handedly and waved it off like it was smoke and mirrors. He really didn’t want to get into that can of worms.
Ed looked over at Neal and shrugged. “We’re fine. Not even a scratch. Heh, learned a new trick though.” He smirked. “Apparently Lina was right, my automail can turn into stuff. Like a knife sword thing.” It really needed a name, knife sword sounded kinda dumb but it was entirely awesome. Ed watched him with the kids with a scrutinizing eye. He didn’t grea them like crap, nor did any of them seem concerned with being ditched at this place or anything of the sort. Maybe Neal wasn’t just full of shit like every other adult Ed had come to meet until Riza.. Even with his aunt he was still working on the trust thing.
Neal knew all about Ed’s appetite - for his small stature, he was kind of like a bottomless pit - so he set aside a good portion of eggs and a couple more pancakes for the kid, while the others mingled to get theirs too. He was kind of apprehensive about there having been a robbery in the flower shop though - because who the hell would hold a place like that at gunpoint? It just seemed so...wrong.
“Knife sword?” he chuckled roughly. “That’s a new one. Handy, in situations like that, I would think. And I know Riza is tougher than she looks.” The woman had military experience, she was no shrinking violet. “I’m glad you’re fine, kiddo.”
He passed Ed what he’d plated for him, a genuine cowboy breakfast. “Come on, I’ll introduce you if you want.”
He nodded and shrugged. “Scared the shit out of the robber.” Ed wasn’t even phased by the guy, or the gun. Which probably said something about his life, but he’d get to those issues later. He waved it off dismissively. “We’re okay. I think the robber was more scared than either of us.” He commented off handedly as he took the plate finally and picked at the food a little more. He was getting a bit more comfortable with things, but was still a bundle of nerves about interacting with actual kids his age. He really didn’t know how.
“Okay..” Ed was more worried about fitting in with other kids then being robbed at gun point. What did that say?
Hopefully, after settling in a little more, Ed would relax a bit. Neal knew that it was a big step for him to even come down here, since he’d been so anxious about the idea before when it was first brought up - automatically brushing it off, bristling, all those defensive teenage things. So Neal would make sure that everything was comfortable as could be.
The kids were congregating, and there weren’t a ton of them - but most were around Ed’s age, maybe a little younger by a year or two. A couple were a year or two older, on the flip side. Neal was good at kick-starting the conversation, at least, and making everyone feel like they’d known him for years - some of that easygoing aura was helpful in a situation like this. He just let them chat for a little while, as he cleaned up around the griddle and beneath the tent.
Then he asked Ed, “I can take you on a tour too, if you want? Now that the rest of the kiddos have eaten? They’ll burn it off in the gym, probably.” And be hungry in an hour. Ah, the metabolism of an adolescent.
Ed didn’t fit in naturally with the other kids but he did at least try. Nobody seemed to kick him out or send him away from the group, so that was a start anyways. He was just a little awkward around the edges when it came to making any real connections. He could do the surface thing well and good but anything beyond that was going to take quite a bit of time before he was entirely comfortable.
The blonde chatted with a few, basic small talk. His name, where’d he get his trench coat and why he wore it in the summer like heat etc. And then one of the kids dared to touch his short stature, and Ed practically froze. “Who the hell are you calling so small he can barely be seen with a microscope?!” One of the older kids waved a dismissive hand. “...Nobody said that.” And Ed just shifted his eyes when Neal showed up. He breathed a sigh of relief.
“Yeah. It’s pretty huge.” he looked over at Neal once his temper tapered off some. “Do they all live here?”
“Yep, they do.” Neal flashed Ed a crooked smile - maybe it was even a little proud! - when he came back over. “There are dorms, boys and girls, and they have rooms there.” There was also an infirmary, a full-sized gym, a ranch house that was where the actual counselor offices were and things like that, and of course the animals - the cows and horses and other farm creatures, but he wouldn’t bring Ed to those unless specifically asked.
No, he just showed him around the main areas, pointing things out - dorms included - and also showed him where the Danger Room was. It wasn’t a place that all the kids had access to, or even knew about, Neal explained, but it was instead more like a secret training facility - and helpful for people on Valarnet who had extra abilities, and were looking for a place to practice safely. Adults too, not just the younger ones.
“So like I said, you ever want to come by and work on stuff with the metal arm,” he shrugged. Might be a good place to do it, was all. Then they ended up back where they started, outside near where he had the tent set up for this morning’s breakfast. Ta da!
“Hnn.” Ed thought of all the things he’d mentioned, the place was fairly interesting he supposed. “And people can just come out here whenever?” By people maybe he meant him but he wasn’t one hundred percent just yet. He followed Neal around the ranch, Riza had apparently occupied herself with a group of kids. Everyone seemed so comfortable, he felt like he must be standing out like a sore thumb with his discomfort.
The danger room had gotten his attention, it looked almost fun. How could such a ‘dangerous’ room be so appealing? Maybe he did have problems. Ed folded his arms a bit awkwardly as he looked around one last time when they came full circle.
“Well, yeah. Maybe call when you get here?” Neal suggested, with a light laugh. “Or text me. Just something so I can meet you.” It was a big place, obviously, and he was always all over - didn’t really stick to one spot (or a desk) during your average workday. But he wanted Ed to feel welcomed - and the Danger Room was a good place for him to practice those knife-swords, or whatever else he could do with his arm. Considering that the room was equipped with all sorts of training simulations and scenarios - it was some pretty fancy stuff. Personally, he didn’t really use it but heard all about the capabilities from Neena.
“Heh I sorta thought..Nevermind.” He thought Neal was bringing him out here to dump him on someone else, but he was a little relieved that didn’t seem to be the case. At least not yet anyway. He supposed he’d see in the future if he did something wrong what happened. “I’m still hungry you know.” He hoped to change the subject a bit.
Of course the kid was still hungry! “I’d be surprised if you weren’t,” Neal teased, giving Ed one of those fatherly hair ruffles and he couldn’t help it. The gesture was a natural part of his DNA, or something. “Alright, let’s head back to the mess hall and we can see what else we can scrounge up.”
There had to be something to quell the stomach rumbling...for the next fifteen minutes, at least.