Centre of Gravity


17 – Writing on the wall


When Alphonse follows his brother into the military's male toilets, it's not because he has any need to relieve himself, but because it was look weird for him to loiter around the toilets, almost like he was stalking someone. But while his brother sighs and joins the lines, leaning from one foot to the other rather impatiently, Al looks around at the dingy, putrid green walls. It's dark and dank, but Al can see faint traces of writing imprinted in black ink on the slimy tiles. He leans forward, wondering what could be written, but leans back very quickly when he sees Riza's name and a number. Al doesn't like this one bit, partly because he has such great repect for the officer and because of the way she makes him feel when she smiles at him, so he makes it his mission to wash the print off, but he memorises the number too.