Title -- Sulfur
Author-- cornerofmadness
Disclaimer -- Arakawa owns all
Rating -- teen
Characters/Pairing -- Kimbley, Roy
Word Count -- 493
Warning -- none
Summary -- Kimbley sees a new potential comrade.
Author’s Note -- Written for fmagiftexchange for seta_suzume.

XXX

Kimbley didn’t particularly like the alchemy library at the Academy. It was fairly basic stuff but the military in its infinite wisdom didn’t let the students go the Central Library except with special permission by their instructors. Such permission was rarely given.

To his surprise, he wasn’t alone in the library. The cold weather must have curtailed the first year cadet’s usual activities or maybe the newcomer was actually serious about his studies. Most of the would-be State Alchemists Kimbley met were laughable. This young man had a serious glint to his dark eyes.

Curious Kimbley went over to the reading nook. The dark-haired cadet took note of him and his upper-class blues. He looked like he could be Kimbley’s kid brother, a little Xingese in the mix. He wondered if it was possible they were distant cousins. Half the people in Little Xing were related. Kimbley held out his hand. “Hello, I’m Fourth Year Zolf Kimbley.”

The youth jumped up and shook hands. “First Year Roy Mustang.”

“Nice to meet you.” Kimbley took the seat next to Mustang. “What are you researching?”

Mustang shrugged. “Nothing too exciting. I haven’t read this. Blackwermerte’s Sulfurous Journal, though I’ve seen references to it in several of Master Hawkeye’s journals.”

“Blackwermerte’s?” Kimbley brightened. “You must have an interest in fire or explosions.”

“Fire.” Mustang’s eyes hooded. “I’m still working on it.”

“Very few succeed with fire,” Kimbley said, wondering if this serious-faced teen could do it. This might be a friendship worth cultivating.

“I’ll do it.” There was no doubt in Mustang’s voice. Kimbley liked that. He had no time for people without conviction. “You must know about this too.”

“Explosions.”

Mustang widened his eyes. “Really?”

Kimbley nodded, fishing his tablet out of his pocket. He sketched out his two arrays and displayed them proudly. There was no harm in it. Without the background knowledge, they were useless.

Mustang ran his fingers, long and thin like Kimbley’s own, over the arrays. “Wow, these are so elegant.”

“Thank you. They’re cumbersome to draw. I’ll have to figure out how to weaponize it if I plan to be a State Alchemist. I can’t draw this on the run.”

“Have you seen Armstrong? He’s probably in your year? I’ve only heard about him and his family.”

“I know him.”

“He’s suppose to have his array carved on wrist bracers.”

Kimbley nodded. Armstrong was a side of beef capable of pulling people a part like a harvest goose. He, himself, wasn’t as physical and someone might be able to take his array away. Kimbley wanted something more difficult to strip off of him. “It’s a thought.”

Mustang scowled. “My array hasn’t been perfected yet. Soon. Can I see yours in action?”

Kimbley shook his head. “Not here. When are your breaks? We can go out to the forest.”

“Sounds great.” Mustang rattled off his free periods.

Kimbley knew he was right. This was going to be a very interesting relationship.