After the incident with the Elmer doll, Marta did not want to risk wasting more toys on the pit fighters. Her operating budget was strained as it was; she had switched to using ripped up old shirts to clean up spills around the center because paper towels were an unnecessary expense. Still, she couldn't get the image of the Alphonse cuddling its blanket-friend out of her head. There had to be something she could do. He was doing it again the next morning when she went in to clean, and the way he sleepily spoke to it and stroked its "back" broke her heart all over again. If she only had Ed's Alphonse doll from when he was younger, or preferrably, an Edward-doll that looked like an Edward...
...or smelled like one.
Marta got an idea.
She exited the Alphonse's enclosure and went across to the Edward's, careful to announce her presence and keep her movements slow and exaggerated as she approached. Not all of the pit fighters were as jumpy as Fullmetal, but they were certainly all wary of humans, and she didn't want to spook him.
"Good morning -- shh, it's okay, you don't have to get up yet," she crooned, and extracted a single blanket from his pile. "It's okay, I'll bring you another one," she said to his baleful glare.
She returned to the Alphonse and squatted down low, offering the blanket forward with her arms extended and face safely back. The Alphonse was more awake now and was no longer clinging to his lump of blankets. He was staring at her distrustfully. Then his nose twitched, first slowly and then rapidly, and his sullen expression changed to one of interest. He sat up and scooted a little closer toward the blankets, snuffling, until all of a sudden he lashed out and yanked the thing from her. She let it go readily and was encouraged to see the Alphonse pawing over every inch of the cloth, looking his static and rubbing his cheek against it in places.
"Aw, glad you like it!" she said, pleased. His reaction might just mean he was familiar with this Edward, attached to him, even! Or, she mused ruefully, he could just be an Alphonse of the appropriate age reacting to a single Edward. Still, either way, it was a great sign. He was actively showing interest in the scent and behaving appropriately - no signs of aggression, no signs of fear. And this one had come in kitten-pelted, but he was well overdue to change into more mature colors. He needed a mate.
She thought about doing likewise for the Edward and providing him one of the Alphonse's blankets, then decided against it. Pete would be arriving at 11 to have a pow-wow about future treatments, and until he okayed it she didn't want to expose that Edward to too much excitement. His lungs were doing very well, but he probably didn't need to hyperventilate the way the Alphonse was doing. She smiled and shook her head. The way the Alphonse was going, he might just snuffle at that blanket until he passed out.
"Silly thing," she said affectionately, and, when he did not show any sign of slowing down, carefully confiscated it. He complained instantly and hissed his disapproval at her, but she shook her head.
"Maybe later, when you settle down more," she said firmly, and went to prepare some breakfast.
Icebane 4 - you know you've always wanted this too XD
...or smelled like one.
Marta got an idea.
She exited the Alphonse's enclosure and went across to the Edward's, careful to announce her presence and keep her movements slow and exaggerated as she approached. Not all of the pit fighters were as jumpy as Fullmetal, but they were certainly all wary of humans, and she didn't want to spook him.
"Good morning -- shh, it's okay, you don't have to get up yet," she crooned, and extracted a single blanket from his pile. "It's okay, I'll bring you another one," she said to his baleful glare.
She returned to the Alphonse and squatted down low, offering the blanket forward with her arms extended and face safely back. The Alphonse was more awake now and was no longer clinging to his lump of blankets. He was staring at her distrustfully. Then his nose twitched, first slowly and then rapidly, and his sullen expression changed to one of interest. He sat up and scooted a little closer toward the blankets, snuffling, until all of a sudden he lashed out and yanked the thing from her. She let it go readily and was encouraged to see the Alphonse pawing over every inch of the cloth, looking his static and rubbing his cheek against it in places.
"Aw, glad you like it!" she said, pleased. His reaction might just mean he was familiar with this Edward, attached to him, even! Or, she mused ruefully, he could just be an Alphonse of the appropriate age reacting to a single Edward. Still, either way, it was a great sign. He was actively showing interest in the scent and behaving appropriately - no signs of aggression, no signs of fear. And this one had come in kitten-pelted, but he was well overdue to change into more mature colors. He needed a mate.
She thought about doing likewise for the Edward and providing him one of the Alphonse's blankets, then decided against it. Pete would be arriving at 11 to have a pow-wow about future treatments, and until he okayed it she didn't want to expose that Edward to too much excitement. His lungs were doing very well, but he probably didn't need to hyperventilate the way the Alphonse was doing. She smiled and shook her head. The way the Alphonse was going, he might just snuffle at that blanket until he passed out.
"Silly thing," she said affectionately, and, when he did not show any sign of slowing down, carefully confiscated it. He complained instantly and hissed his disapproval at her, but she shook her head.
"Maybe later, when you settle down more," she said firmly, and went to prepare some breakfast.
**and that's what you get for now** :)