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Mostly it was the rain that had appealed to him -- the way it lighted off of every surface and blew up the world in his senses. And so, once he was sure Zyk was following him, Ever didn't hesitate -- didn't linger in the lobby or pause to explore the jobs desk or reception.

Instead he stepped right out into the drizzle, tipping his face up toward the sky so that water plastered fluffy hair flat against his head and soaked the long piece of cloth tied around his eyes. Layers of ill-fitting clothing, out of place in this relatively urban setting, plastered against every protruding shoulder and hip and vertebrae.

Slowly, he sighed out, pleased, and half-turned to flash a wide smile at Zyk, all teeth.

Zyk's pace was comfortably sedate as he followed the layered mess of a stallion down to the lobby, taking his time to let keen eyes sweep over those collectively milling about, reception, and the as of yst empty jobs desk before following him out the doors into the rain drenched street beyond.

"Better?" The wide grin spook volumes.

By contrast to Ever's layers upon layers, Zyk's mostly bare appearance was considerably neater, though not much more modern, not now. He was rain slicked, from the top of his shaved head, to the bare toes that flexed in the puddle he'd come to stand in. It was still odd, how common place the precipitation, in comparison to what they were accustomed to.

"So much better. I like the noise." As he said it he reached out, absently, to brush water off Zyk's nose, over his chest, ignoring the dripping mess of his own hair and his drowned rat appearance. Somehow, it worked for him.

"Do you have time for a walk?" One step back, light, so that his fingertips just barely reached Zyk's chest, lingering there. "It's like going for a swim."

"Mm." It was a noncommital, his attention split with the brush against his nose, though Zyk didn't disagree. The pattering of the rain off the roofs and the sidewalks was a pleasing one. As too was the scent. So often in Famine there was stale heat and decay, but with rain came the smell of new life. Refreshing and crisp. It was a nice novelty, for sure.

His head tipped at the question, and eyes dipped to the fingers resting against his chest. He smirked, chin lifting smugly, before reaching up to circle a fragile wrist. "We could just go swimming, upstairs." But it wasn't a a no, and he'd use that light hold to draw Ever's hand from his chest, thumb brushing bony knuckles. "Where?"

A link rattled at the inside of his wrist, the bracelet around his wrist loose, pushed out of the way by Zyk's hand. He didn't look bothered -- but then, it was hard to read Ever's expression with half of it washed out behind the strip of rain-soaked ivory cloth, only the cut of his nose and the wide flash of his grin still visible beneath it.

"I don't know. Do you need to buy anything? Want to dress up like one of them?" Ever wasn't sure he much cared to haul on the human clothes they'd been offered; they were itchy to his fingertips. He preferred broken-in leathers and linens. "Or we can just go for a run and then come back."

Lips twitches at the rattle of the link, and he'd turn the other stallion's hand in his, slid a finger between pale skin and worn leather. "Some windowshopping, maybe." And there was a distinct mocking edge to it, laying thick the irony, but soft play of fingertips along his hand was a counter to biting words.

"Come on." His pinky hooked the D link, and he'd use it to draw Ever along with him, mossy eyes landing on the window display of the clothing store just outside the tower's doors. "How oddly they dress."

"Tell me about it." It had the same imperious edge to it as his demand in the empty room, as Ever dragged himself close against Zyk's spine, their wet clothing (what little Zyks wore) sticking together. It made him a nuissance, made it hard for the other man to walk, but perhaps that was his little revenge for being held back from a run.

He rested his chin, shap, on Zyk's shoulder, face half-turned toward the windows like he was listening for them to start describing themselves.

It would definitely take a bit of manuvering, feet shifting against the wet pavement to avoid having his heels stepped on by the other stallion, but in the end Ever would indeed find himself pressed in close to Zyk's back. A pale shadow, molded against wet skin. His shoulder moved under the sharp point of his chin, though eventually settled again. He kept ahold of the bracelet, using it like a leash, however unneeded it might have been.

"Would you want any of it? There are some looser items." He was eyeing a grey shirt, not something Ever would want, but for himself, perhaps.

"Do I look out of place?" A yes and a no, probably: the layers weren't the problem so much as the material, sun-warmed ivory, worn thin here and there, cropped ragged and wild. It was nothing like what was shown in the windows, tailored and tidy. Ever strummed fingers, light, against Zyk's stomach.

"Perhaps I should make the change. I just don't want something that prickles my skin."

"No more than I do." Which wasn't exactly an answer, though was truth enough. Bared chest and feet, fine materials wrapped in a layered skirt that hung low on his hips. If didn't look the part of a human, least none that walked these modern days. He hrumphed lightly, though an idle hand rose, petting at the hand that tapped against his stomach.

He turned dark rimmed eyes from the shirt he'd been looking over, instead taking in what he could of the rest of the inventory within. "There are lots of styles. Lots of fabrics. You could try a few to see how you like them."

"While I'm wet?" He sounded almost affonted by the idea -- and then he paused, rethinking his annoyance and offense. For just a moment, he was very still against Zyk's spine, like he couldn't move and think at the same time. Maybe he couldn't. Or maybe he was just thinking exceptionally hard.

"I changed my mind." It halfway exploded over him, as Ever unwrapped himself from Zyk and went to pull away, drawn up short before he could get far by the finger through his bracelet. Instead, he gave Zyk's arm a loos waggle, meaningful, and tugged on it. "We can get dry if we go in there!"

And then, immediately, damp again. He didn't think that far.

Still as he'd gone, it was easy for one of the jewel colored beetles to creep from Zyk's hand, and over Ever's wrist. Tiny feet lost to the rain and shift of the bracelet as the blonde drew away, only to come up short.

Zyk didn't yield, not immediately, but turned a considering eye on the stallion as he tugged and rattled against the alchemist's grip. "Well, dryer than if we remained here." He wondered how far ahead the pale stallion had thought, then gave a huff as he shook his head and relented.

"If it's uncomfortable, I'll probably leave it behind." He dragged Zyk along -- his own hand hanging limply from that grip, twisted down and back behind him with little care for if it put an ache in his shoulder or not. Ever'd live through the pain of it, He'd had worse; had worse as part of fun, even.

His other hand worked loosely, lightly, over the wall to the store, seeking out the edges of the door and digging in to crack it open. Then Ever grinned again, bright and brilliant, like he'd achieved some difficult task. He shouldered the opening wide enough to pull Zyk in, and just pulled a little face at the smell of the place.

It wasn't dry like the desert. It wasn't fresh and clean like the rain. Instead, it smelled like -- like that first room had, but worse. Washed of anything interesting, dry and dead, synthetic.

Except for them, like wet dogs dripping in the entryway.

"It would be pointless to take what you had no intention of using." Which wad just ironic coming from Zyk, but not an irony Ever would appreciate, or likely even notice.

He allowed himself to be drawn along, his grip on the bracelet from but not exactly restricting. Not painful, there was no need for it. As the door opened, Ever grinning his success, Zyk gave a small, amused scoff, walking into the shop as he was pulled, only to be stopped just inside the door. "Ever?"

"Mmm." It came between lips pressed tightly together, unthrilled by the place around him; by the way that sound echoed off of soft clothing, or the high ceilings, or the clean floors under their feet, now drenched in water. He dragged his free hand up to scrap hair back out of his face.

"This place is terrible. You lead." He shook his head sharply, the frown lingering on his lips and a hum in the back of his throat. He pulled on the bracelet again, trying to drag Zyk forward and around him to start picking things out to try.

Brows arched, he watched the other stallion, curious rather than concerned, though he'd give an understanding nod at the explosion. What little of one was given. "Ah."

Drawn ahead, he'd brush his free hand along the small of Ever's back as he passed. Proprietary or confiding, it was difficult to discern.

His eyes now on the racks of clothing, he clicked his tongue as he perused the selection, nudging hangers along one at a time, unhurried. After a moment he'd stop, rub the hem of a shirt between his fingers, then draw Ever's hand up so he could test it himself.

He went easily enough, with his head still turned away to focus on the rest of the shop -- on someone in a far corner, poking through a pile of fancy skirts with about as much understanding of human clothing as the pair of them. Again, he hummed, then pulled the shirt off the hanger without much thought, to drape it over one arm.

Whoever ran this shop probably wasn't going to be pleased about that. Ever didn't notice. Instead, he shook his head just a bit at Zyk. "Do you know how this store works? What do they want in trade?"