He's Itchin' for a Fixin' [For Rain]

Edward wandered in between the streets of the quaint town of Rosebury, looking for his new informant/dealer. He was for sure that after Feris had gotten back to Argona, that nobody within her forces would even talk to him, let alone work with him, without trying to kill him. Yet here he was, looking for someone within her forces. While he was in Argona's little puppet force, he had heard about a speed-enhancing drug called Velocity X. The person he was looking for was also his eyes and ears. He could not sneak into any areas of high concentration, as he was easily recognizable. As he ducked behind a building, he finally spotted who he assumed to be his informant. "Ahh, there you are. I was beginning to wonder."

It was cold, much colder than Ava was accustomed to. She had donned many layers to try and keep herself warm, but with the little income she received, they were all layers that needed replacing, for they were thinning in places and she was freezing despite the two sweaters, down coat, woolly leggings, and thick boots. As another shiver went down her spine, she pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket.

A cloud of smoke blew out of her mouth as the lighter ignited the stick. She took a long drag before leaning against the nearest wall, almost appearing like she was in a movie. Her cigarette was almost gone by the time the person she was waiting for appeared. Dropping it on the ground, she crushed it under her toe and turned to the boy, hands shoved in her pockets.

"You were beginning to wonder?" Ava scoffed. "I was startin' to think you'd never show up, kid."

"Kid?" he said, giving a bitter laugh. "That's funny." He didn't like being called a kid, especially since this girl looked no older than 14. He knew she was older than he was, but still. He didn't look that young. "Anyways, you got the VX?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Ava couldn't hold back a smirk at his obvious annoyance with the term. She referred to anyone younger than her as a kid, it just made sense in her mind. Stepping away from the wall, she drew herself up to her full height, still forced to look up to see into his face.

"Straight to the point, huh?" she asked. In her right pocket, she gripped the package she had brought for him, unsure if she wanted to give it to him right away. "You know the dangers of this, right?"

Ed nodded impatiently. "Increased metabolism, possible addiction, etc." he said. "I'm well aware of the risks. I think I can handle it." He looked down at the girl, noticing that he was nearly a foot taller than her. No wonder she looked so young. He noticed the package in her hands and fought not to wrestle it out of her hands. He had no idea what she could do so he resisted.

Noticing the hungry look in Ed's eye, Ava hesitated in handing it to him. She might not care much for emotions or really caring in general, but there was still a sense of responsibility, a sense that he was still technically a minor and she was an adult.

"Alright, but act responsibly," she said, holding the package out to him.

Ed snatched the package from her. "Thanks." he said, handing her about 10 $20 dollar bills. "Pleasure doing business with you. Now, any news from her?

For a minute, Ava was distracted by counting the money to make sure it was all there. Satisfied with the amount, she tucked it in her pocket, keeping her hands buried in the fabric in order to keep them warm. She met Ed's gaze once more and tilted her head, studying his face.

"I haven't heard anything new," she said, choosing her words carefully. She held his gaze evenly.

Ed sighed with frustration. "Are you sure?" he asked. "There's nothing? No new movements, no new dangerous recruits? Nothing?" He was getting more impatient that usual. He'd probably go out and look for people himself if he knew where to look. He was certain that Argona would have moved her forces around that Ed knew about.

With a hiss of irritation, Ava threw her hands up in defense.

"I don't know about anything new," she told him stiffly, her jaw locking. Now that he had what he came for, she thought he would be satisfied and go on his merry way. She fingered the pack of cigarettes in her pocket, wanting something to soothe her nerves, the temptation to give him some sort of hallucination that told him things that weren't true becoming overwhelming.

"Alright, fine. If you don't know, you don't know." he said, resigned. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought it would be. "When will you be back with more? I'm not sure how long this will last me."

Ava's irritation became disbelief. The hand inside her pocket had already removed a cigarette from its box, but she had yet to remove it from the coat.
"Be smart about using that," she said firmly, pointing at what was in his hands. "I can meet you again next week, but I'd really rather not have to bring you more. I'll try to have more information for you."

"I will. Hopefully, you can come back with some useful information." he responded. He noticed the cigarette in her hands. "You really shouldn't smoke. Tears away at your lungs, makes your teeth yellow, and not to mention there's a good chance of cancer."

Scowling, Ava shoved it back in its packaging roughly, deciding to save it for later.
"That's real rich, kid," she snapped. "You worry about your own health, putting that garbage into you."

"There's that word again. Kid." he said through gritted teeth. "I'm not a kid." He didn't know he hated being called a kid until today. But boy did he hate it.