aterat | (no subject)

Who; Zack Fair, Open
What; Cozy Drink Socializing, Dark Secrets
Where; Market Tavern, Streets near the Residences
When; Late December
Warnings; cw: Possible discussion of human experimentation in Prompt II

I. Energetic Puppy | Open; Market Tavern

Back home apple cider would always have a new meaning for Zack. They were something to make him contemplative, whether they were made of Banora Whites or not. They made him think of Angeal, of Genesis, of Sephiroth. Of how everything fell apart and how one company could make monsters and destroy people so completely.

Maybe that's why he hesitates over the mug of it as he works through his dinner. He's thirsty, he knows he should drink it, he had ordered it. But it could be difficult to bring himself to it. Still...

"It's just a drink," he reminds himself. "You can't even really get drunk. It's fine."

So he takes the cup and lifts it.

"To you, Angeal. And Genesis. You deserved better. We all did."

Ten minutes later and two mugs of cider down there's Zack, jumped up on a table as he cheerfully regales people with the story of these silly little robots that once took over a whole floor of the Shinra Tower to harass executives. And he's animatedly trying to fight an imagined one off with a chair. Honestly, it's got people laughing and cheering for him. And Zack, well, he likes it. He's grinning widely. When he catches sight of someone familiar coming in through the door he grins and waves vigorously.

"You're just in time for the best part!"

II. Secrets In The Night | Open; Back Streets near Residences

Okay, maybe there was some amount of alcohol that could still get to him. His head is aching quite a bit as he stumbles, humming happily to himself, through the street back toward his apartment.

He's too tipsy to even notice the first light going out. And too busy giggling to himself to see the second. But at the third he goes still for a moment. There's something going on here. Takes him a moment to figure it out, but when he does he immediately reaches for the sword on his back. Because trained reactions are still reactions.

"What the fuck?" he says.

Monster, a voice whispers in his ear, and Zack flinches away from it.

"Who said that? Who's there?"

He should be able to see them, even though the lights are out. It was an advantage to being a Soldier with all those enhancements. But somehow, he wasn't seeing anything.

"Damn, where are you?."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Joshua is just so brand new to this place. He was able to get the tiniest run down before being shown to his lodgings which was termed an 'apartment'. He took a look around and tapped on the walls. To his surprise there was a bed with blankets on it, and everything appeared to be so clean.

The kitchen got more than a few doubtful looks as he had no idea what anything did. The cabinets revealed dishes, plates and there was a drawer full of silverware that had him do a few blinks at. And after walking around the place a little more, he decided to go out and let his head clear. Locking up after himself, Joshua headed outside.

A few people were laughing and holding onto each other as he passed them. So that was the direction Joshua headed to. The bright lights got his attention and he found himself smiling at them. Sure he knew something about a 'new world' and vague explanations, but seeing the lights all lit up were a mood lifter that he hadn't realized that he even needed.

Finding that apple cider was being served, Joshua opted to try it. Taking the now steaming mug in his gloved hands, he took a sip, but then immediately heard someone speaking. He then leaned back against the bar and listened to the tale being told. Curiously he canted his head to the side regarding the 'best part'.

And wait, did this man know him?

Okay, maybe the guy wasn't who he had thought it would be. He'd thought it was Kunsel for a moment. Oh well. Zack smiles at the other man.

"Come on over here," he says to the newcomer. "You can't hear the story nearly so well from there!"

Joshua was confused certainly but he decided to do as the man bade him and moved closer. Where the unfamiliar man was perched was somewhere he didn't want to get to. But there was a table and a chair and he plunked himself down there with the cider still in its wooden mug.

And he looked up at the person, waiting to hear the tale to be told.

There he was. Zack smiles at the comer and then turns to his audience.

"Okay, so there I am, low on potions, tired after hours of siege, with my MP support gone. I'm the last thing standing between those horrible creatures and the poor, defenseless chocobos-"

"Ain't never heard of a defenseless chocobo," someone mumbles.

Joshua was drawn into the tale, imagining this man being alone as he was making it sound and then he heard chocobos. So this man knew of them as well? What a coincidence.

He heard the man near him mention a defenseless chocobo and he closed his eyes a moment, recalling the bird that his father attempted to get him on. But then it was murdered very shortly before his own father was.

Making himself breathe a moment, Joshua reopened his eyes and focused on the tall lanky dark haired man.

"And please tell us what happened next." he asked with an encouraging nod at this man who knew of chocobos.

Ah, there it was. Encouragement. Zack smiles.

"Well, I took out my sword of course," he says, pointing to a rather large thing near the door that he'd left there because who brings a big sword into a tavern and all of that. "And I leveled it at the creatures. My job there was to protect the birds and I wasn't going to go down without a fight. And that's when it happened."

His smile, impossible as it might seem, grows even larger at the next beat.

"One of the chocobos strides up beside me, one of the big males. He Kweh'd mightily and BAM! The sky rumbles ominiously and then there's a fiery rock falling out of the sky, pummeling the attacking monster! That's how I learned chocobos have magic, actually."

To hear that this man endeavored to protect a chocobo won Joshua's silent approval as he took his mug back in his hand with a smile in return. "You actually had a job to protect chocobos?" Well that was definitely someone that he wouldn't mind listening to if that was the case. It almost sounded as if this man had his brother's heart. And that was a one in a million chance to find someone as caring as Clive. He wouldn't have dared to hope.

But the rest of the tale was awesome and of course brought Clive's Ambrosia to mind. "Do the chocobos here have that same magic?"

Ah, a question. Zack hops off of the table and accepts a drink from another person before nodding to the stranger.

"Yeah, it was then. See, I was with a military back home, and we had a mission request to deal with it. But now I'm a mercenary, and I work at the ranch when I can. But I don't know that the ones here have magic. It's been pretty sad. Except, you know, there's not a lot of danger to them at the same time?"

Joshua had thought the man tall as he told his tale on the table. But off the table, the man was still of a good height. It would seem that this man was a slight bit taller than his brother.

Sitting back with his cider, Joshua listened to the dark haired man speak and noticed the scar on his left cheek. The news of a ranch here lifted Joshua's spirits though and he nodded. "That's good that they're not hunted here or that there's danger to them."

The slight memory of what happened that night so long ago still irked him. So even if someone offered him chocobo stew, he'd rather eat carrots and that was saying a lot.

"But please tell me, how does one go about procuring a job at the chocobo ranch?"

"I mean, I just showed up. My old mentor, he sorta worked there? And it seemed like something to do when there isn't other work," Zack admits with a shrug. "There are carts going out there on the regular too."

Shouldn't be hard to get there.

"So one should just show up." Joshua replied, reflecting on Zack's words for a moment before nodding. "I will show up and talk to the proprietor then."

"But might I ask, what other work is to be done here?" Because he definitely wanted to help. And the aspects weren't exactly forthcoming with a lot of information.

"Bingo," he says with a smile. "Sounds like the best idea."

Other work? Zack shrugs.

"I mean, basically anything you would see in a normal town I guess."

Joshua nodded politely, grateful to this warrior for both the information and the encouragement of pursuit.

At the other shrugging, he made a note to listen and wondered at it. His brother would probably encourage him as well to go exploring. So he might as well go that route.

"Then I will go discover things here for myself. And I thank you for your assistance."

"You're quite welcome," Zack says brightly. Because could someone like him ever do anything less?