wingenvy | [Action]

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[Action]

[Okay, so. He'd been en route to Midgar with Cloud. With a motorcycle, it had been awesome. And they'd been making good progress! Sure, he wasn't all that certain about directions, but being underground for so long can screw with a guy a little. There's no helping it. He'd been in a pretty good mood, though.

So if things had been going well for the first time in ages, why did he wake up this morning and find himself in the woods, alone and unarmed, in a fresh pair of white pants that didn't belong to him? It meant he hadn't been captured, since he wasn't in the lab, so... what? Seriously, what?

More importantly, where is Cloud!?

There's a sense of panic he hasn't felt since the troopers in Nibelheim had first started dragging Cloud away from him, so he wastes no time getting up and heading off to get a look around. If the military isn't responsible for this, maybe Cloud just wandered off (somehow) after whoever it was had taken Zack out. Man, so much for life getting easier...

tl;dr Zack will be ducking around the village early-ish in the morning, trying to make the most of the late November sunrise by doing his best ninja impression. He's trying not to be seen, but how effective he is at doing so? Really depends. SOLDIERs are sadly not ninjas.]

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Oh, wow. That's kind of... [Convenient, but weird. Why take it if they're just going to give it back >:|]

I don't get it either. You should probably just go "okay that works" for about half the stuff I'm gonna tell you about this place; if you try to figure out the why you'll drive yourself nuts.

[Cloud is clearly unimpressed with how this operation works.]

Works for me, I guess. I probably wouldn't understand even if I tried.

[...oh geez. There it is. That awkward pause that comes from not knowing someone very well. It happened when everyone in AVALANCHE first met each other; that distant way you handled someone else, the uncomfortable silences, etcetera.

Cloud shifts his weight as Zack locates his clothes, folding his arms tightly over his chest. Oh Holy. What does he say now? He can't just blurt out an apology and go "I'M SORRY FOR FORGETTING YOU," he could at least lead up to it.]

[Zack's actually kind of comfortable with a quiet Cloud; after travelling with the comatose Cloud for months and rambling on to him in the pods for god-knows how long has made it ridiculously easy to ramble on about anything and everything while he gets his regular SOLDIER outfit on. Thus:]

So what's with the wings, anyway? Do they have any point to them? I mean, it's not like I haven't seen people with wings before, but... it's weird how common it is here. What about yours? I haven't seen 'em yet.

[Kind of hard to, with that big sword in the way. Speaking of which-] Oh, and that sword! It's even bigger than mine, where'd you get it?

[That's way too many questions, Zack. Cloud will go for the least complicated answer first.]

I got it from...a fight, I guess. [He shrugs a shoulder to jiggle it a little.] A huge monster.

[He likes chatting, Cloud. Better get used to it.]

Whoa, when did that happen? I mean, after Nibelheim you were kind of... [Seriously messed up. And if it's only been a day...]

[After Nibelheim? -OH right. God, he has like four or five "after Nibelheim"s to remember now.]

I've been awake for a while already. It's-

It's part of the explanation for this place. The really, really long explanation.

That explanation I'm gonna have to wait for, huh. [Figures. Ah well, no point in getting all emo about it.] I can get my sword next though, right? Where is it?

This a'way. [Fall in, SOLDIER.]

[Aye sir. And- is that a smile? Sort of? God, did Zack ever miss that! He falls into step beside Cloud immediately, grinning.]

So am I allowed to ask what you do remember, or do I have to wait for that too?

Like I said, not a lot.

[Pause.] I...barely remember anything from after I joined Shinra. Almost nothing at all.

...Man, seriously? That's... a long time, Cloud. [He doesn't know exactly how long, but...

...stupid Hojo. It was the lab, wasn't it? And the mako poisoning...]

Yeah, I know. [Cloud's reluctant to speculate or anything about it; that part of his head is still a jumbled mess and he'd like to stay far, far away from it thank you.

Luckily their destination isn't that far from the clothing shop and he leads Zack inside, already searching for the Buster.]

It should be in here somewhere...

[Zack's not about to blather about it if Cloud isn't interested; truth be told, he's glad. If he were Cloud, he wouldn't want to have the memories of the lab back, either. It's a shame about losing the rest of it, though.

Well, whatever. He digs around to try and find the Buster, and after a few minutes- SUCCESS! And here it is.]

Oh man, you were right! Looks like it's still in the same shape, too. Good thing.

[...huh. That's strange. It should at least be a little dirty; he'd put it in that clifftop a few weeks ago.]

Any materia in it?

[Zack blinks, then checks, and-] Whaaaat? My materia! I had some really expensive ones in there, too! Damn...

Yeah, mine's gone too. [Which Cloud is also pissed about. His stuff was expensive too, IT TOOK FOREVER TO GET THOSE MASTERED.

...of course, he's about out of stalling techniques.]

Zack, um... [Holy. He doesn't even remember his last name.]

[Stupid Malnosso. Zack glances over at his name, lifting a brow.]

Huh? What is it, Cloud?

[ACK. Oh geez.

Cloud looks away.]

I-...I'm sorry I don't remember anything.

[Zack pauses at that, then rests the Buster sword against the wall, freeing his hand to clap it onto Cloud's shoulder.]

You don't have to apologize for that, you know. I'm just glad you're okay.

[...Zack must not know.

Yeah, Cloud is never, ever telling him.]

Actually, uh...what's your last name again? I remember you're from Gongaga, but for some reason I don't remember... [Pretty much ANYTHING ELSE.]

[Huh, what a weird thing to forget.]

Zack Fair. [He pauses, and then offers out a hand.] It's nice to meet you, Cloud.

[That's kind of strange. But...sure, yeah, Cloud can work with this. He takes Zack's hand and shakes it firmly.]

Yup. Good t'meet you too.

[Awesome, they're at least on the right track. It's not exactly how Zack saw things going for them, but he's not about to complain when Cloud's right here in front of him, walking and talking and... okay. So Zack's happy.]

So, food? And hey, do you have a place to crash? I mean, until we figure a way out of here, anyway.

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