Zack Fair

Soldier First Class! (Independent Zack Fair, Final Fantasy 7/Crisis Core

[kisenth]

She marvels at each and every stone, holding them up to the artificial sun and relishing in how the light filters through each one just a BIT differently. It's beautiful. Much like his stories of the outside world always are. So different from the place it always is in her fears.

"I guess… We'll just have to visit those places together then, sometime. You know, so you can find similar stones and I can write down where they're from." she says, forcing her voice to sound light and to not betray the stress she always feels at the mention of going outside. But it's like she's always telling herself : it'll surely be alright if it's with Zack.

… Well. When she's ready.

"Are there more things like these, just laying around and about, out there?" she asks, finally tearing her gaze away from the crystal to glance at Zack. Her eyes are sparkling.

[fairlybeloved]

"Yeah!" His expression brightened now that he had a 'beautiful' out for his lack of foresight! "Right! Though, wish I could say I would have thought of that. Man, that would have been a romantic notion." Purposely leaving off the identities... forcing them to go out and about to locate the exact ones in their places of origin! Damn, sounded good~

Even without that nice twist, he thought that now that the idea was planted, it would be near impossible to dislodge. Though, it didn't take the most observant eye to be able to see the brief tension that settled in Aerith's shoulders.

He understood it. He didn't want to press her too hard. Not entirely because it would bring her discomfort [because, at times, there was benefit to discomfort, in pushing boundaries and bravely crossing them], but also because it just... it wasn't his place to do so.

"There's all kinds of treasures this world holds." He confirmed. "In spite of the trauma of it, there's beauty to be had no matter where you look."

[hoshinierabareshimono]

Zack’s compliment elicited a startled laugh from her even as her tears continued to fall.

It was that vibrant spirit of his, his courage to be authentic and vulnerable that had drawn her to him when he had crashed through the roof of her church, that had made it perplexingly easy for her to overlook his connection to ShinRa.

In fact, Zack had been the one to teach her that the place responsible for so much of her personal suffering also harbored people determined to make this world a better place for the young and powerless.

(People like Zack made her dare to hope that with time ShinRa company could be changed from within).

“You look positively dashing yourself, Mr. SOLDIER,” Aerith said, and even if without the affectionate teasing, it’d be an understatement still.

Zack was alive and merely seeing him again in the flesh—breathing, looking at her with those vibrant blue eyes—was enough to sustain her through the bleakest of times.

“So, how did you get here, and how did I get here?” she then blurted out her most pressing questions. “Cloud... do you know him? He said he didn’t- But no! Doesn't matter now. How can we help him?”

Granted, it was but the tip of the iceberg in addressing her gnawing uncertainty, worries upon worries threatening to pull her under.

But every journey started with a tiny first step—a step Aerith was relieved and overjoyed she would be taking with the man she had never stopped loving at her side.

[fairlybeloved]

"Oh, well, you know---" he pushed a hand back through those wildly chaotic locks, possessing their own distinctive order all the same! "-- it's hard work, looking this good!"

He appeared very much like he'd been dragged through the muck and back again - with many bumps and bruises along the way.

He gently ran a thumb across her cheek, catching hold of a renegade tear before it made its journey free. He wanted so desperately to kiss her, to know the unexpected moment was real, to feel her warmth and know that she was there and they were together again.

Somehow.

He didn't, for fear of the opposite happening. Like she might vanish the moment he got too close. The very second he closed that intimate gap between them and greedily took the warmth for himself.

"I... think all that's a really long story. To the point, yes, I know Cloud. He's here and alive but... that's all I can say with any certainty." He frowned. He wished he could provide her with something more satisfactory during a situation already wrought with swirling emotions, but he had to be honest.

"I'll tell you all I know. First, are you hungry? Can I get you anything? Do you... do you want to try to stand? You've been sleeping for a long time." Or so he thought she had been. Even that was all a little bit hazy for him.

[fairlybeloved]

Hello everyone!!!!

I am, in actuality, still alive!!! This year has been ass, as it has been for a lot of people but we endure, don't we?!!

I've been mostly rping on discord, so feel free to give this a like if you'd like to start a thing there!!!

[thealchemyfreak-deactivated2024]

"It's a long story, not many people would actually believe me if I said it." He wondered if this guy would think he was crazy if he told him he wasn't from this world. He had been lost for almost a year living on this side of the gate, but luckily for Edward his alchemy worked since this world had similar things that involved a lot of science and what appeared to be magic. He's still trying to get used to whatever this side of the gate was giving him.

He had hoped the other didn't think he was too insane for not knowing all what this world had to offer. It probably did sound crazy if that caught his attention, though.

"I'm not apart of this world... I came from another universe."

[fairlybeloved]

"Listen, half the shit I encounter is unbelievable. What's one more thing----" He listened, blinking his eyes and absorbing the truth of what the guy had to share.

Okay, so that WAS unbelievable, but also....

As he claimed before, was it any wonder there was yet another unbelievable trait that he had to accept? Zack's world had once been suited for a one track mind. He had goals that he cradled close, dreams---

Disrupting that course had led to things he never would have dreamed were possible.

".... all right. Didn't expect that. So...." He spread his hands. "What are you doing here now?" If it were true.

[simnes]

I’LL SEE YOU, I PROMISE.

[fearlessmonk]

She almost laughed at his comment; it wasn't often people in the slums held a sense of humor like that. She would've never guessed he carried such a lighthearted side from his appearance, but once his mouth opened, any tension or concern she held, dissipated. She offered a smile; giving a nod to his question.

Leaning over the counter, the tinge of familiarity stung again as she listened. Things around the slums were booming lately, business picking up more than usual. Though, this time, it was slow at the bar, allowing her to take her time to spend with him. She placed a finger in the air with an idea. "Let me make you a drink," she offered.

As she curated, she listened to his next comments. With how often he came around, he might as well considered himself a local. "Zack," she quietly repeated to store in her memory. The name didn't ring a bell, but she didn't let that deter her smile she gave when she passed him a drink.

The Cosmo Canyon; what the 7th Heaven had become known for, Tifa's signature drink. "How have the slums been treating you?" She questioned, attempting to continue conversation. "It can be a bit rough here, but it's home."

[fairlybeloved]

"Thanks! I'll pay you back by doing the dishes." He spread his hands. "Though I do think I have a gil or two stashed somewhere to fund this drink of yours." Zack was nothing if not honest. Sometimes it did get him into trouble, believe it or not, but he could do nothing less than the truth. Better to be open than slammed shut, he believed, even if it meant NOW the drink he would be presented would be less than the best.

Still better than nothing, right?

"I like it here." Those unusual blue eyes drifted off to one side, not looking at anything in particular. Those were the moments when he could get in the most trouble. When it seemed he was staring, when all he was doing was becoming trapped in his own quiet introspection. His tough exterior didn't permit many people to believe he could be of the sort. They made assumptions and he paid the consequences of that.

"As odd as it may sound, it's comforting to me. Or maybe it's all the activity." He grinned. "Nefarious or otherwise. People mostly leave me alone. Actually, it's weird. You're one of the first that's actually stopped and spoken to me directly."

[townofcadence]

The guy seemed surprised by his presence, though it was hard to tell in the current action, with these scary-ass turtles bearing down on them, if he was more surprised by the assistance, or by another person being here at all. There was feeling too of something warmer, but he couldn't focus enough to try and tell what else it was. A turtle monster thing tried to swipe at his feet and he barely stumbled back, ducking a snap from the other one's jaws. The two in the back were moving, and his eyes darted quick, trying to track everything at once without losing an arm or something (again).

"R-right--" He could definitely see that-- though he wasn't sure how normal these guys were in a place like this. But four was a lot, and they seemed pretty strong, the sword-wielding guy was right. He wasn't really built for combat as it was; the training with swords was still...a work in progress. And his offensive magic had it's own issues, ones he didn't want to risk right now.

Thankfully, the storm crashed over them. For him, rain and thunder was nothing short of revitalizing, like it brought him to life, the static buzzing through him like a live-wire. The musical swell of the rain was--- new, in a sense. But what really was to expected in a space where there were giant mutant turtles? It was hard to predict where a jump would take him, and sometimes the worlds themselves were-- alien entirely. He could adapt, he always did. But expecting the unexpected, or rolling with it kinda came with the job description.

The rain served twice-over as a blessing too. It seemed to stall and distract the creatures as it sheeted over all of them in a downpour. Two of the beasts stretched their heads to the sky, soaking in the rain, while the other two almost seemed to forget Artair and the swordsman were here at all. The disinterest was something he could be grateful for, when it offered however brief of a respite from the fighting. One they could collect their bearings in.

"Alright!" When he was sure the other guy was on the move, wouldn't be targeted instead, he followed. He kept himself just far back enough that if the creatures decided they weren't keen on them escaping, he was closer, and could keep them from reaching the other guy. It didn't seem they were interested in chasing for the moment at least, and hopefully that wouldn't change. He tore down the beach after the guy, until he saw the cavern.

It made his heart thud in his chest, just seeing the rocky walls, the hollowed opening into darker depths, but he spurred himself not to stop, rushing inside after the other. If this is what they had to do to avoid those things, he could stomach it just long enough to get out of danger.

[fairlybeloved]

There was no shame in escape, finding a place to settle and regroup the thoughts and strategies to unleash a far more advanced [and hopefully more cohesive] strike against the enemy. Soldiers were often discouraged against such a course of action - after all, once the enemy knew a Soldier was on the case, they didn't allow for any regroup or additional to occur.

But the enemies he was currently confronting was of a natural variety. It wasn't launched by any enemy unit with a nefarious plan in mind. Unfortunately, they were 'natural' entities that he would have to fight against if he wanted to get to the actual goal that he'd been sent to achieve.

His ego wasn't so low that he couldn't escape for the time being, especially if there was no obvious danger to the people or innocents. The only one caught up in the mess had been one to ave his ass from being completely detached from his body.

The cavern that he had in mind was not far. He couldn't guarantee that it was UNCLAIMED, but part of life was taking chances. That was the best one they had under the circumstances [being that Wutai was not at all welcome of ShinRa operatives]. Die by turtle or die by Wutai citizen. Either option led to demise. So.... whatever may lay in wait in the cave would be just adding to that sad list.

Zack slid to a halt and collapsed onto his side once he was tucked away in the interior. He breathed, breathed, BREATHED deep gulping breaths, taking a moment to gather his wits about him.

"Ugh, that sucked."

[hacker-codeq]

"So? Rain is good for the plants. Good for me too. I love the rain. It makes me feel free." Q declared happily; not in the mood to worry about what Zack would think about him because... Because he wanted Zack to know and for Zack to still smile at him like he was his friend. Like there was nothing odd about him. So many years of side glances of pity or wariness or even fear were all that greeted Q in the lab. Zack was like a ray of sunshine, he really did understand why the Firsts had spoken so fondly of him even as they had teased Angeal.

"Yes. I would like that. It's fun being with you. And they're nice. But I wouldn't go out with them without you." He paused, a strange worry pulling at him that didn't feel entirely his own at the mention of Nibelheim. His hand came up to gently touch Zack's cheek.

"Be careful... Please?" The words were whispered, so badly not wanting to ruin the mood of the night but it was damn near impossible to control any emotion - good or bad - while the alcohol still buzzed through his system.

[fairlybeloved]

"Really?? Then we won't rush. Maybe we'll stay and soak up every last drop~" Like they too were hungry for it, just like the ground beneath their feet. Flooding wasn't really a thing those days. The ground was too desperate for that sweet moisture, it greedily absorbed every last bit.

Thunder was always a comforting sound for him. The atmosphere warring with something and advertising the struggle to all those down below.

"Once you get to know them, it'll be easier." He would love for Q to have someone else to talk to when he was away for those inevitable extended periods of time. It was only too bad that he hadn't gotten him to agree to the adventure before one of those very missions was already knocking.

It wasn't the first time he'd been gone. But for some reason, Q had been stricken with a very odd sense of foreboding about this one in particular. He didn't want to focus so much on whatever worry had weaseled its way down into his core, instead directing his focus toward the other possibilities.

"Oh! I know! I'll finally take you to Gongaga when I get back! There's a LOT of things there that I think you'll LOVE."

[warofthebeasts]

"Annoyed?" From the confusion in Sephiroth's expression, it was probably a decent assumption that he didn't know words for feelings beyond maybe angry and happy. His education had always been somewhat lacking, at least when it came to things like describing emotions.

Professor Hojo had never wanted to put much effort into that. What use did he have for a a pet that could describe how it felt?

"I'm used to them. I'm used to boring food." It was, after all, what they fed him: boring food intended to meet his needs and little more. Watching Zack, Sephiroth mimicked him, slurping the broth from his bowl.

Then he coughed. He wasn't used to eating that way.

[fairlybeloved]

"I have to say, this meal isn't the most exciting either. But it's satisfying. One day, I'll take you to Gongaga~ Let you try some spicy foods that'll curl your toes~" Only by trying would he be able to truly determine what things he liked best and what things he could leave in the trash bin.

"There's a lot of the world that you're going to find confusing because of what Hojo has prevented you from experiencing. Just let yourself be confused. Let yourself experiment and try new things. Make mistakes and improve from them. I'll be there by your side as long as I can be."

He couldn't promise he'd be there for every tribulation he encountered along the way, but he wanted him to know that his support would be there regardless of whether or not he was physically present every time.

[phoenixfiiire]

The man was asking him questions, going on and on as if there wasn't a giant blood stain currently growing at his side. Joshua did his best to try to listen, but it was distracting - and when the man finally asked whether or not he had gotten turned around all Joshua could do was lift a hand and point.

"You--" His voice came out in the same strained whispered tone that the other man's had take. "You, you're bleeding."

He could feel the flames started to crawl beneath his skin, curling up in the palm of his pointed hand almost like an eager hound waiting for its master's orders. He could burn, yes, but also heal, and while Hojo had never been pleased with the urge to help that blossomed inside of Joshua, he had never been able to really snuff it out either. And right now it was screaming to be allowed to reach out and mend the other's injury.

But that would be... rude? Wrong for sure, though Joshua couldn't say he fully understood it, but people were not happy when he used his powers on them without their permission, even if it was just to help them.

"I, there were people... you're hurt."

[fairlybeloved]

"It's okay."

It wasn't.

He felt himself floundering. Not good. He slid down to sit, lead tipped back against the rocky outcropping, a flimsy barrier between him and immediate capture, but one he'd have to rely on for now. Until... he figured shit out. Which wasn't the most IDEAL situation. But neither was anything that suggested he was running for his life. Wasn't like that sort of scenario would present much in the way of favorable situations he could use to his advantage. More often than not, he was left clawing his way out of the impossible. And if ShinRa believed he wouldn't CONTINUE that affair, they were mistaken.

Failure wasn't an option.

That wasn't to say that each and every challenge he was presented wasn't more trying than the last.

"... J-Josh? That your name?" He filtered through his brain, flimsy though said brain was, trying to dredge up memories. It'd been a long time since he wandered ShinRa halls. And five of those years had been spent---

Well, in whatever state he'd been in.

"Listen, Josh." He grunted. "I don't know how you got away, but you need to keep moving, okay? Don't hang around here." He pointed off in one particular direction. "Go there. I have a friend there, Biggs, he'll take care of you."

[fromthe7thsidelines]

"Okay!" Loz followed promptly after Zack, keeping up with ease and still grinning. Fresh air just felt so good! Feeling it while running was even better.

He didn't feel all that bad about 'causing a racket'. Every last person working for the Don could come after Loz and it could never change his mind, now that he'd met someone else who wanted to help him. He laughed again. "What, is that big sword just for show? I could take anybody who tries to stop us." That stupid chain was gone, this wasn't even the fastest he could go, and he was already used to fighting hungry.

Speaking of hungry, though... Loz's expression turned thoughtful, then earnest once more as he glanced to Zack. "But, if we do get away, we can go eat, right?"

[fairlybeloved]

"That right?" Zack kept pace, taking it up a notch when he noticed the renewed vigor at which his new companion decided to now take the world by storm. "Glad to hear it. You may soon have to put that confidence into practice." He wasn't sure how much wiggle room they'd have, but he reckoned it wasn't going to be much.

"Once we get to a stable enough place to take a breather, sure, we'll have a nice, big bite to celebrate~" Though, he still wasn't sure how much of a celebration it would be. He wasn't sure if he had just made a big mistake, or if it was the right choice to make. Zack wasn't one to consider the consequences of his actions until they were waaaaay past the luxury of considering. He was mostly left to deal with them as they came to him.

Oh well. At least he was consistent.

"So Loz.... are you.... you know, the only one left?"

[hacker-codeq]

"Alright." Q didn't want to argue with the other when Zack was surely struggling enough without having to defend his voices. It was so much easier to allow Marcus to deal with everything but, Q had a feeling, it would be obvious once Zack was a little less groggy that they kept swapping who was in control; that hadn't been an issue before, given their strange alliance had only formed in the efforts of finding the man himself.

"Deep breaths. You can freak out as much as you want once we have a camp for the night. If we're lucky, Hojo will be gone for a few days. Psychopathic fuck." Marcus muttered under his breath as he started walking towards the mountain, glancing over at Zack intermittently to ensure that he wasn't lagging behind.

He walked for as long as he thought was sensible for Zack, and his little blonde friend, to travel on the first day out of their strange confinement. Thankfully, that coincided with the discovery of a crag that had an opening along the bottom that dropped off into a small cave. Certainly, if someone came all the way to the face of the cliff they would be able to see down into the cave... But a scouting party glancing around an idea of using scanners would not see down into the darkness.

"We can't make a fire, it's too close to the town still. We can make more ground tomorrow. Rations for a few days, you'll live. Better than being fueled by pure energy I'm pretty sure." Marcus' eyes settled on Cloud. "He can't eat like that, can he?"

[fairlybeloved]

He wasn't going to take for granted the idea that they had managed to slip by undetected - because he knew it was only a luxury they would grasp for the moment. Once the powers at play became aware that the little pawns for their experimentation were freed of their chains, they would come after them. Their best bet was absolutely putting as much ground behind them as possible. But even that wasn't a fail safe. There was nothing ShinRa wouldn't do to ensure their bottom line was covered. An escaped Soldier and a witness was certainly not their prime directive to let fly without interference.

And Q?

That was a complication he couldn't have predicted, nor did he necessarily know where it would lead. Well, he did. Violence. But it was always going to be violence.

Zack carefully sat Cloud off to one side, propped up as comfortably as possible against the wall. He himself slouched with a messy plop, tipping his head back and blinking bleary eyes. He didn't speak for a while, instead, sleeping? Thinking? Maybe a little bit of both or a little bit of everything mingled into one.

Point was, he was dead for a notable while.

Eventually he seemed to stir, bringing a hand up to his side, feeling the tight skin under his fingertips---

Well, he was still whole somehow.

"Who are you?" Those were the first words to pierce the quiet between them. "... Q. I know. But you aren't Q."

[hoshinierabareshimono]

When Zack gathered her in his strong arms and embraced her, Aerith clung to him in return with as much strength as she could muster in her enfeebled state.

“I thought you were dead!” she blurted out, “I thought I felt it. Heard you take your final breath!”

The rain had carried that sorrowful sound to her, the wind had whispered to her as if to test her devotion to the planet they all came from, the planet they were all fated to come home to.

Her tears had fallen then even before she had noticed, indistinguishable from the raindrops already trailing down her cheeks, and she had lifted her gaze, wondering if the vast, terrifying sky that had taken Zack from her was mocking her for clinging to his sweet promise like a lifeline.

As if that sky she so hated and feared was ever entirely separate from the planet.

“Don’t let go of me again!” she begged, soft tremors coursing through her delicate form. “I missed you, I missed you so much!”

Just as she had that day, Aerith was crying now, sobbing out her heart against his broad chest and drinking in his scent as if it were her last remaining chance to enhance those blissful memories of him that would always be enshrined in her heart.

If this was a dream, then she would savor it up until the very last second before their unforgiving reality tore her from Zack’s soul-soothing embrace.

Smiling through her tears, Aerith whispered the words she had so desperately longed to say to him, “Welcome back, Zack.”

However, if this was real, if they had truly been gifted this miraculous reunion, then Aerith would fight tooth and nail to make it last.

[fairlybeloved]

I was.

Dead.

I felt....

The confusion of the contradictory memories in his mind could have overwhelmed him at any given moment. It had been the necessity of survival, the determination of getting home and returning to Aerith that had guided him past those emotional barriers into the mode of his self that was prime and prepared for the difficult challenges.

Zack was never one fearful of emotion.

He cried, holding Aerith in arms that refused to let her go. He squeezed his eyes closed, a subtle shake of the head to confirm that, whatever it was he’d been up to, didn’t so much matter above that moment.

It was what it was.

Sometimes he left home and returned worse for the wear.

Sometimes he could barely walk. 

Sometimes he didn’t want to speak at all.

There was still a boundary in his heart that could not be crossed. Still a mighty deterrent that separated his ‘true’ self from the darker part of his soul still wholly intact somehow. He wanted to give fully into the warmth of his heart, but there was always something to stop it.

“You look beautiful today, Aerith.” It seemed a comment sorely out of place with the horrid droop of his body and the fragile, healing state of his love, but he appreciated the warmer aspects in life and he sought to acknowledge them when he could.

[emeraldblonde]

Zack Fair in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024) dev. Square Enix

[soulsfractured]

"Does it matter?" Tseng almost looked embarrassed for a moment as Zack grinned, turning his head to the side a little to avoid the other's gaze. A small sigh fell from his lips as the other agreed to it, the emotion fading from his face as he did. No need to point out that it was someone else's comments that had him thinking about it, he was sure the other could figure it out on his own.

He glanced back over, giving a tiny, unsure smile. "I am, yes, but... As I admittedly don't really do very much outside of work hours." At least, nothing that was notable. Going for the occasional drink wasn't really much- and half the time he took the spot of designated driver anyways. "The most I do is frequent a market near my apartment, but that's the most. I hardly think that's a good place for both of us to spend time. So, I suppose I'm leaving it in your hands on what we do." A rather big sign of trust, coming from him. He just hoped Zack wouldn't try and take him somewhere too crowded and noisy right off the bat.

[fairlybeloved]

"Not really, no. Just color me curious. Not often the lot of us are actually ORDERED to go of and have fun." A lot of places were compelled to give time off for the simple sake of 'all work and no play---' or some such thing. It was a saying or something. Or maybe it came from a piece of media? ANYHOW, point was, they all had to have a good time. The fact that it was Tseng reaching out for backup made it all the better~

"You know I'm one of the biggest trouble-makers this side of Midgar---" He eyed Tseng knowingly. "Not sure your trust is well-placed! Tell you what, let's loosen the tongue a little with a nice cold drink at the local tavern, and then we'll THINK about hittin' the town for a little something, something else~" Sometimes a drink helped those that weren't exactly... PRACTICED at the art of relaxing. Might not work that time, but Zack was pretty good at reading the room~

Wasn't like they were locked into anything in particular. They could easily shift to the next spot of trouble in a flash if necessary.

[escortingsecrets]

"I wish I knew what it was, but that I sadly can't tell you." Shivan made a face. "I don't mind helping you look, if you'd like? I can throw a pretty good punch, thanks to a friend teaching me, but monsters... Well, darling, you'd have to handle those."

He didn't have any plans in mind since he'd finished everything he had to do the for the day, so it was easy to offer the help, and he gave a small smile. "I don't have any destinations in mind, so I can head any way- I just needed to get out and about, and the people on the plate are no where near as nice as the people that are down here- and if I walk with you, you'll probably get less attitude from some of them and they might be nicer."

Far nicer was putting it pretty lightly- most of the people on the plate got on his nerves at the best of times, and mentioning that he was originally from the slums was only a way to earn more comments that might end in a fight- not that Shivan would admit that to someone working for Shinra, as nice as Zack was. He knew that, down here, however, Zack would get the same treatment he got up top.

[fairlybeloved]

"Would definitely appreciate the company if nothing else~" Everything was better with two~ Well, MOSTLY everything. "Don't worry about the monsters. You can leave all that bloody stuff to me. Wouldn't be a very good Soldier if I couldn't handle a little unexpected challenge or two." If it came down to it.

He HOPED it wouldn't, though he feared it MIGHT be the end goal. After all, ShinRa didn't typically send Soldier down into the depths [or anywhere] without a little promised bloodshed waiting for them. He was given a vague idea of what to be on the lookout for, but nothing definitive. He had a feeling that it wasn't going to be very pleasant once he found what lay in wait.

"So what kind of work do you do down here in the slums, Shivan? I don't think I ever asked. I mean, besides bumming people out of their money by selling your illustrious secrets." He winked.

[fromthe7thsidelines]

Sector Five - not too far, then. It might feel longer given their urgency and Zack's injury, but Biggs was confident he could muster the patience. He might get restless, sure, but rushing would only make things worse, in more ways than one. They'd just have to hope nobody would get too curious, either to help or to take advantage.

Biggs did stay close, as they set off for the sector he'd once called home, just in case Zack needed extra support. Nodding once, he added, "Just what I was thinking. I've already got a map packed up" - Biggs adjusted the bag he'd pulled the aid kit from on his shoulder - "so we won't be driving blind. Probably have to pay off our rooms with work or somethin', unless you've got more gil stashed away than I thought."

He could handle that part, though, even if it meant working extra to cover any cost of Zack getting patched up. In the meantime, they just had to get to Elmyra's house. One step at a time.

[fairlybeloved]

Remaining inconspicuous was difficult on the BEST of days, let alone the worst. His Soldier identity was pronounced loudly and boldly with one glance of his face, there was little to do about that. People were used to seeing him round those parts. That didn't make them comfortable about it. Most especially knowing his Wanted status.

Maybe they staved off their want of turning him into ShinRa for reasons:

Their hatred of ShinRA in general [and their general amusement that one of ShinRa's own had turned their back so blatantly against them]

Their like of Biggs, a local resident, friend, brother-- defender of the cause [which had long since become a not-so-secret cause].

Frankly, he could make excuses all day or paint various scenarios that would go with their situation. It wouldn't make what lay in wait for them any easier to confront.

"I have some stock from my mercenary work." Zack snorted, choosing a path and following it. That wasn't the first time he was left fighting through unfavorable conditions. Wouldn't be the last either. He did well enough. There would be time for rest later.

"Of course my 'some stock' is inside the house. Not sure if there's any quick way of getting to it."