Martha stared up at Al, mouth open, eyes popping wide. Al couldn't say he blamed her. He may have walked a little fast into a short doorway, and knocked his helmet off. Al had hoped he was alone, that no one had seen that. It was late after all, and the building was mostly empty. Unfortunately, Martha was there. She was probably leaving for the night, if the case in her hand was anything to go by, but she was still there, and had still seen.
"Uh . . . Martha I-I can explain. . ." Al started.
Truth be told, he couldn't explain, even a little. All this time being awake, and he hadn't spent any coming up with a plausible excuse, at least, not for having no head. He'd thought about why he was wearing the armor a little more. To be fair, this possibility hadn't seemed to likely.
"Alphonse, this is . . . absolutely wonderful!" Martha explained.
"Wha-huh?"
Martha walked over with a smile on her face, going around Al like she was inspecting him. She probably was, though she was moving a little fast to be doing a good job. At least she couldn't see inside to his blood seal. She was too short.
"I'll admit, I have no idea how you're doing this. Some kind of alchemy I assume."
Something like that.
"But this presents so many possibilities. You know they have a play they've been trying to make a believable ghost for. Oh you'd be great at it. Everyone would think you're a normal person in a suit of armor then whoop, the helmet comes off and your empty."
"Really? You think I should be in a play?" Al asked.
"Well, I was just going to ask if you could do that to one of our actors, but if you prefer. . ."
Well he sure couldn't make anyone else a suit of armor.
"Won't the audience wonder how I did it?" Or freak out? Or already know how he did it? That was worst case scenario there.
Martha waved a hand dismissively. "Theater magic Alphonse. No one knows how we do some things, but they don't want to. It'll ruin the moment."
"Oh."
That was . . . risky. It would give Al something else to do at night, but there was a chance someone could suspect something. Or they could spread the word. Al should refuse. He really shouldn't do it.
"What kind of play are we talking about?" he asked.