Time to play~ [Open]

[zack_thefairest]

Characters: Zack and anyone who'd like play with the puppy. [hopefully some of the characters who showed up on my call for CR would like to meet Zack here?]
Content: Zack is wandering all around town, finding the best bars, buying little things here and there, generally being friendly.
Setting: All around the makeshift town they're in.
Time: All day

Comments

[seventh_hero]

"Zack! Zack! Wait up!"

Hurtling up from behind, Cloud jogged up quickly and called out to Zack; his friend had a big head-start on him, and it seemed at first that Cloud wouldn't be able to catch up. Has he always been this eager to get where he wants to go? he wondered.

Putting on a little extra speed, he managed to gain ground until his voice could reach Zack from up ahead.

[zack_thefairest]

It was a good thing Cloud found him before he got any further into the crowd or else they'd never be able to meet up. Zack was just about to disappear into one of the side streets when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

Turning his head back, Zack's face lit up in bright grin when he saw it was Cloud that calling his name.

"Hey Cloud!" He shouted back cheerfully, waving one hand manically over his head in his friend's direction.

[seventh_hero]

Whew! Having just managed to cut off Zack before he could escape, Cloud could be seen smiling thankfully as he grew a little closer. Surprisingly, he actually looked a little bit tired from the run, his features pleased but beleaguered, but considering the speed he had pushed himself through to catch up, it was hardly surprising. At one point, Cloud had even been forced to leap from the streets in order to avoid the choking mass of people crowding each and every turn and instead jump from rooftop to rooftop

[zack_thefairest]

Zack waited semi-impatiently as Cloud caught up, bouncing a little from one feet to another. He knew it'd take a while for Cloud to make his way through to him with mass of people moving through this section of the makeshift town. And when Cloud finally stopped in front of him, Zack wasn't surprised to see Cloud panting a little. It was a hot day after all and the crowds just made it feel even hotter.

Reaching out with one arm, Zack pulled Cloud into a loose half hug, and began tugging him into the direction of the shops again. "Not at all! I'd never say no to spending more buddy time with you." He had missed Cloud. It was surprising that even working together on the same ship, they didn't spend as much time together as Zack wanted to. They were both busy of course with their own duties, but now he wanted to make up for that lost time.

"Anything in particular you're looking for?"

[seventh_hero]

"Looking for...?"

The question actually managed to catch the man off-guard, despite how simple it was. In reality, Cloud had left the ship behind and simply started wandering, no real destination in mind from the start. He'd gone down a couple of roads, through a small section of the markets, and even grabbed a small snack along the way, but at no point did he feel like he needed or wanted to be anywhere.

Honestly, it was a very nice feeling to have. Working on a ship, especially one so demanding as the 4423 in terms of need, was different than his past free-wheeling travels had been.

When he caught sight of Zack, though, he suddenly found something more concrete to do. "No, I guess not," he replied sheepishly. He kept smiling, but looked almost embarassed over his lack of direction, as if he were supposed to have one. "I think I just wanted to stretch my legs for a little while."

[zack_thefairest]

Zack chortled at the look on his friend's face. The expression on Cloud's face told him that this aspect of his old friend hasn't changed despite all that they've both gone through.

"Well great then! There's some stuff I'm looking for, but that can wait. We can have a couple beers, hang out for a bit then." He declared happily as he continued to pull them both through crowd.

"Oh! You left your sword behind on the ship?" The buster sword was on Zack's back, as always.

[seventh_hero]

Gladly playing along with Zack's general amusement, Cloud couldn't help but laugh as well at his own atypical behavior. He also seemed only too happy to let Zack guide him along, and managed to keep pace with the excitable one with relative ease, despite the thickness of the crowd, countless souls all going about the daily business of their lives.

He knew full well that he had left his weapon behind, but when Zack mentioned it, Cloud strangely turned his head and peered over his own shoulder. "Oh, right. I was just thinking maybe I don't always 'need' it...plus, it makes me stand out a little too much sometimes..." he said.

[zack_thefairest]

"Up to you." Zack replied, smiling. "I'm so used to carrying this around I just put it on without thinking about it." He jabbed a thumb back the sword on his back. The weight of the Buster Sword was pretty much nothing to him now, and Zack had never minded being stared at.

"In fact, it'd feel pretty odd if I wasn't lugging it around." He continued thoughtfully. "Like I'm lighter than I'm supposed to be I guess."

He finally spotted a likely looking beer stall tucked away in one of the smaller roads and pulled them in that direction.

[seventh_hero]

Still allowing himself to be tugged along, Zack acting as the excited puppy pulling Cloud along by his leash, the blonde tried to take in as much of the city as he could despite their quick pace. He was not always so much focused on where Zack was leading them as much as he was stealing glances down other streets, through alleys, and around corners they passed by. Into the crowds he watched intently, gazing at the people living in the city; so many different souls, Cloud marveled, leading so many different lives. They all had families, friends, jobs, lives. Being isolated for so long had made him all the more sensitive to these things, as absence had truly made the heart grow fonder.

When he snapped back to reality, though, and out of his own imagination, he caught a glimpse of where they were headed. "Z-Zack, eh, where are we going?" he asked, chuckling. "I thought you were going shopping for something."

[zack_thefairest]

In the meantime, Zack was chattering away. His topics ranged from everything under the sun from what he had for dinner yesterday to an interesting conversation he'd overheard months ago before he joined the 4223. He didn't mind that Cloud didn't talk much back and was too busy looking around; Zack was just happy that Cloud was there.

Zack just liked to talk.

Cloud's question brought him out of his current conversation though.

"Hmm? Shopping? Oh yeah. Later. I want a drink first." All that talking made him thirsty. And with that, he propelled them both into the beer stall he'd seen earlier.

[seventh_hero]

"Alright, alright!" Cloud responded, barely even able to finish his short sentence through spurts of laughter.

He couldn't say that it wasn't a little embarassing being pulled around through the public, but trying to explain that to Zack likely would've been futile. Untroubled, though, he need to complain never arose, and so in they went, with Cloud approaching the venue with his usual reserved curiosity, his stiff posture slowly softening as he became more familiar with his surroundings.

Cloud smiled softly at the man behind the counter, bearded and round-faced, he opened his mouth to speak, but half-expected Zack to jump in immediately and order something for the both of them. "I'll have..."

[zack_thefairest]

As Cloud expected, Zack interrupted to order for them both. "Two beers, and a couple plates of snacks if you have them. Oh, the tab for us both is on me."

With that, he tugged Cloud off to sit in a nice quite corner of the bar, taking off his sword to lean it against the table.

Now that they were going to be properly watered and fed, they could really talk. "So, what have you been up to?"