Morning! (Oh, joy, Cheryl has to have someone else shove food down her throat! XD)

Boy was my face red, now the humiliating re-lacing of my shoes. "Well the military gave me some free time to pursue my interests so I've been doing a lot of traveling." My eyes wandered a bit while I talked. The shop looks pretty nice for being old. "And actually I'm looking for the Rockbell family."

"Military? What, are you an Alchemist?" Sam asked, coming into the room and glancing back at Colonel Mustang, wondering if the two knew each other.

"That's us." Phinny said, looking at Sam and then at Dove.

Dove nervously tugged at her hat, pulling it down more.

Phinny frowned.
"It's warm in here, are you sure you don't want to remove that stuff?"

"Y-yes. Quite sure." Dove glanced at the boy with long red hair in a pony tail.

Sam leaned against the wall, thinking that things were getting interesting. Why was the military coming to Risembool?

"Yes I'm an Alchemist but, at the moment, am not under any orders to be here." Smiling I added, "I'm here on a personal errand.". Relaxing somewhat I rested my hands in my pocket. "The Rockbell's I'm told are very close with another family called the Elrics." I know at the mention that particular family name that a shiver snaked through the room, especially since I just noticed the Colonel here. "I was hoping to talk with them."

"Heh. Well... we sort of... are them. We go by both last names, you see." Phinny explained.
"My husband left on a trip, so I'm in charge here. There's more of the family in Rush Valley, but this is where the big part of the family lives."

Family. Sam thought, looking at the armless girl in the kitchen for a second, then back at the Alchemist. He wanted to ask what it was like to be a State Alchemist, but something held him back.

Dove merely sat in the chair, relaxing and listening to conversations she had nothing to do with. Oh, well. That's what a spy had to do all day. Stick their nose into things that had nothing to do with them.

(XD You think Mustang's half asleep? Look at you. You spelled half wrong. XD Sorry, have to point out the mistakes. X3)

Cheryl looked up. "Why are you looking for the Elrics? Or the Rockbells?"she asked, narrowing her golden eyes. She was a comrade to this Garret guy. But something about him seemed strange.

The armless girl leaned back in her chair, hesitant. I know Colonel said he'd think up something to tell the rest of the military, but this is making is making me nervous. He seems... Too inquisitive. He'd surely ask where she got such a gruesome wound. One that left her without arms.

Her silver pocketwatch gleamed faintly, only the chain showing, as it was shoved into her pocket before all the confusion. And why is he looking for us?

(Ohhh hellooooooooooo, False Heart, where aaaaaaaaaare yoooooou? X3)

I let out a dissatisfied sigh and rubbed the back of my neck. "Well I've got this little project I'm working on but I hit a small snag. You see, I'm in need of some specific research notes to get back on track." Is it just me or am I feeling a little hostility from that Cheryl? Shifting my eyes I scanned the faces. I've never been any good at reading people. "My history is a tad shabby but I have come to understand that some of your late family may have the materials I require."

"Do you know where I can find the research of Edward and Alphonse Elric?"


(ooc: Sorry if my writing is abit choppy. I've just gotta find my groove and it'll get better lol)

Sam tensed up and stood straight, coming off from against the wall.
No! Not the research notes! Sam thought. I can't let him have them, I need those! One could almost feel the electricity he was giving off. He knew he sucked at lying.
"R-research notes?" Sam said, trying to divert the Alchemist.

"Research notes?" Phinny said as well.
"Well... my father and uncle did leave their notes with us, but I can't guarante (sp .______.) that they're all there. Those two alway kept their secrets."

Samuel could have sworn he was going to die right there, but relief flooded over him when he realized that Phinny didn't know that he had taken the notes. However, he knew he would have to deal with her later, if she found out, which she usually did when he was hiding something.

"Come this way. They were allowed a study in the back here, if you'll just follow me down to the end of this hall here..." Phinny said as she bustled down the hall, heading for a large door at the end of it.

(Don't worry, we all have our museless days.)

(No, Sam didn't follow.)
Sam jumped at the colonel's voice.
What, am I a scaredy cat now? He sneered to himself. He walked into the kitchen, glad to be away from Phinny and the Alchemist.
"The blue stone? Right... Yea?" Sam replied, sitting down in a chair.

Dove's ears drooped in an annoyance as everyone left the room.
"Oh, yea, forget the little eleven-year old." She muttered. Blue stone? She wondered as she heard it in the next room. She pricked her ears under her hat, glad that no one knew of her ability. Even if they closed the door, she would be able to listen in on her conversation. She was a good little spy, wasn't she?

Sam's eyes widened.
More power than 100 Philospher's stones? His mind went haywire. He looked toward Cheryl. If he healed her with the stone.. would it be possible to make the stone reproduce the cells and tissues to make her arms come back? He wondered. He looked at the little slip. He turned his head to stare at the kid in the chair. She looked grumpy, and she was so.. casual. How did the colonel know? Samuel turned to the colonel again, wondering if he should be a State Alchemist or not...
"Colonel.. I can't not search for the stone. There are bad people out there, and they're already starting to find out that this stone is real. You see, we need to find the stones before they do... Plus, I have a theory about Cheryl's ams..." Sam spoke in a hushed tone. He was still worried bout the little spy out there. "What are we going to do about..."

Dove's blue eyes went wide. A stone more powerful than the Philosopher's stone! Dove was so excited, that she didn't hear Sam's last words.

Cheryl looked over at the Colonel as he passed. "Woof woof,"she said dryly, lurching forwards in the chair to stand up. "Uh woah!"she yelped, leaning forwards and back to try and stop herself from falling flat on her face.

She noticed the little girl-Dove, was it?- peering around the corner of the door. She hobbled towards her, holding her breath so that it wouldn't off-balance her, and leaned in the doorway, panting harshly. Dammit! I'm so weak...she thought, scolding herself mentally.

Dove suddnly reaized that she was staring straight into the kitchen of the house. She jumped when she saw a girl with no arms come toward her. No arms? Now, how in the world had that happened? Dove's blue eyes went wide and her pupils turned to slits. Had they found out that she had been evesdropping?

"Geez, Cheryl. It's only day two. Stop trying to walk!" Sam exclaimed, walking toward his cousin, ready to help her.

Cheryl smiled weakly. "I'm fine. The worst part's over with." For now.she added silently. Sam shouldn't worry about her... Nobody should. "I don't need any hel- Oh!" She nearly fell as she tried to lean upwards and walk to her room. "This is my fault. I'll take the consequences,"she muttered, wincing.

"Teh." Sam muttered as he walked nexk to Cheryl.
"It's still not gonna do you any good if you fall and no one's there to help." Sam pointed out, excourting her no matter if she wanted him to or not.

Dove sighed with relief as the two walked past her. Apparently, no one had noticed her evesdropping. Or so she thought...

She smiled, hobbling along next to her cousin. What if he joins the State Alchemists? He won't be like this any more. "I'm fine! Seriously!" On a spare though Cheryl looked up slightly. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Her cousin, who was fourteen was almost as tall as she was! Not fair!

(COUGH14COUGH)

Samuel saw the look Cheryl was giing him.
"Er.. why are you looking at me funny?" Sam said nervously, twitching. He looked behind him absently and then bac at Cheryl's door, which they had now reached.

"Nothing." She stumbled through the door over to the bed, plopping down. "Dang. If I'd thought that getting up would make me this tired I wouldn't have."she joked, sighing.

"Well... I've got no reason to hang 'round. Bye." Sam said quickly, and departed. He was very excited, for when he had walked down tha hall with Cheryl, he knew that he would journey. To help her or himself, however?
Both, he decided.
Then he went up to his room and fetched his bag, the one he used when going to buy food for his family, and then walked over to is book shelf. He had triple checked that his room was locked and that his window was well covered. He leaned down to clear some books from the bottom off the shelf. Behind was... well... a wall. He grinned, took some chalk from his pocket, and drew a transmuation circle. He then placed his hands upon it, causing the energy to circulate and caused the wall to open. Inside the hole was a dark place where he had hidden his uncle and grandfather's research notes. It had taken him a while to stuff all the notes into his bag, but he finally sealed up the hole with alchemy. Sighing, he unlocked his door and unblocked the window, and sat on his bed.