Character(s): Zack and Saïx Content: A meeting of emissaries Setting: Ceu de Mouraria Time: Late afternoon Warnings: Potential violence and verbal sparring, at the least.
One of the criticism points always brought up by Angeal was that Zack had the focus span barely rivaling a puppy's. While this was very true while the man had been alive, Wutai and the stint with Hojo's lab had more than flushed it out, sharpening it to a strong focus when it came to things that really mattered.
Getting the kidnapped victims back mattered. Getting Cloud back mattered
( ... )
The meeting itself wasn't intended to be a trap, at the very least. Saïx may have been an amoral shell of a man, but he had no problems with playing at civil, if not nice. There would be no trap here. Simply himself and his temper.
The latter would, of course, be as tightly controlled as he could manage. He would not let this stranger see that weak point. Weak points were far too easily exploited; no doubt a fact this stranger knew well.
"It is as much for anonymity as for recognition," he answered, turning calmly to face Zack. It turned him into little more than a perfect unknown after all, for nothing was visible under the hood save for shadows.
"Yeah, no kidding," Zack drawled in amusement, crossing his arms as he watched the various natives give the both of them a wide berth. It was more than obvious that they recognized the symbolism of the coat and that, coupled with what Sephiroth told him at Cid's shop, told Zack that he was face to hood with an Organization member himself.
Well, what dya know.
He spent a few seconds contemplating the odds of taking this particular person down, of whether he'd be able to wrangle the information of where Cloud and the others were being held out of the cloaked man before he killed him. In the end, Zack's curiosity and Sephiroth's parting words stayed his hands.
As far as Saïx was concerned it should have been fairly obvious that he hadn't been your average citizen even from the first time he'd commented to the message board. Most would have simply screened it from the Organization instead of choosing the route he had. Not to mention the fact that he hadn't denied the charges of kidnapping and torture outright, instead claiming to not have taken part in them (a lie, since he had actually helped in some of the experiments).
"You may call me X."
He was hardly going to give his name to a stranger, much less one on the opposite side. And the 'name' he'd offered should provide some misdirection, unlike using the first letter of his name.
Zack scoffed softly. 'X'? Like men of no literacy or education, of little identity or informed rights? Zack could at least appreciate the irony.
"Then you can call me Why Zee. All right, Ex-Lax. You've got my full and undivided attention. Now what's so important that you had to play double agent man to pull me out here?"
Comments 15
Getting the kidnapped victims back mattered. Getting Cloud back mattered ( ... )
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The latter would, of course, be as tightly controlled as he could manage. He would not let this stranger see that weak point. Weak points were far too easily exploited; no doubt a fact this stranger knew well.
"It is as much for anonymity as for recognition," he answered, turning calmly to face Zack. It turned him into little more than a perfect unknown after all, for nothing was visible under the hood save for shadows.
Fitting, given the circumstances.
Reply
Well, what dya know.
He spent a few seconds contemplating the odds of taking this particular person down, of whether he'd be able to wrangle the information of where Cloud and the others were being held out of the cloaked man before he killed him. In the end, Zack's curiosity and Sephiroth's parting words stayed his hands.
"What's your name, pal?"
Reply
"You may call me X."
He was hardly going to give his name to a stranger, much less one on the opposite side. And the 'name' he'd offered should provide some misdirection, unlike using the first letter of his name.
Reply
"Then you can call me Why Zee. All right, Ex-Lax. You've got my full and undivided attention. Now what's so important that you had to play double agent man to pull me out here?"
Reply
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