[Video]

[i_love_squats]

[Not at home. He’s not at home, doesn’t really want to be, doesn’t really know what he wants at the moment, other than for these things to stop happening. Seriously, enough is enough

Comments

[voice]

[girl_unlocking]

Zack? I'm sorry. I...

[voice]

[i_love_squats]

It's okay, Dawn. [Which really, it's not, but he doesn't want to say that.] How're you doing?

[voice]

[girl_unlocking]

I'm.

Crappy. But not...

[as crappy as you are. God, I can't say that. Zack, this sucks.]

I thought I was going crazy, too. Right before the fake people started---

---you'll be okay. If I can be okay, you can be okay. I'm not SOLDIER. I'm not...

...you'll be okay.

[voice]

[i_love_squats]

[Sucks Malboro balls, dammit.]

No, but you're special, Dawny. You're really special. Thanks for being here for me.

[ video | private ]

[heartbetween]

Zack?

...I meant to contact you the other day, but--[Things have been a bit hectic as of late. Some of his friends have disappeared too. Angeal died. There's a twinge of guilt there, because the last he'd seen Angeal, he'd known the man expected something to happen to him but been made to promise not to say anything.]

--Mmh. Angeal gave me back the sword I bought him when he first got here. Do you want it?

[ video | private ]

[i_love_squats]

[Oh, man. Zack turns a little on the dock, looking back at the camera, though it's hard to tell if his eyes are red from crying or the light.]

No, man, but thank you. He wanted you to have it. You were his friend; he liked you a lot. It's only fitting, you know?

[ video | private ]

[heartbetween]

[There's a pause, and well...Zack has a point, and he would kind of like to keep it. But.]

...I don't really know how to use a broadsword. [Another pause, and he allows a tired little smile.]

You know, Angeal did owe me a spar--maybe we could, sometime, and you could uss that sword. It wouldn't be the same, but...

[He wants to offer Zack something. Something to help him hold onto the person who was clearly closer to Angeal than he'd ever been.]

[ video | private ]

[i_love_squats]

[The thought's in Zack's head before it's even in yours, my good sir. He smiles a little. Angeal would've wanted it this way.]

[Hell, ZACK wants it this way.]

I've got some time. I might not be as good as Angeal, but I think I can take care of a few debts he left behind.

Voice

[wellsuited]

Zack...

Don't let go.

Voice

[i_love_squats]

[He sighed, a little sad, a little tired.]

If we're going on schedule, you're next to go.

[small smile.]

Good thing you're too stubborn to leave your riches, right?

Voice

[wellsuited]

Fuck riches.

[...]

Oh. I mean...

[Yeah, thank Reno and/or Matt for that one.]

This is our time and our place.

Voice

[i_love_squats]

[He can't help but chuckle at that.] Reno comes in and manners go right out the window. Don't worry; he's a bad influence to all of us.

...Do you ever want to go back, Elena?

Video.

[supercilious]

...Sometimes people return.

[cold comfort, but it's all he's got.]

Video.

[i_love_squats]

Yeah. [And he smiles, albeit small.] You kinda proved that, right?

Video.

[supercilious]

Indeed. And it was... good. To be able to go home. You can hardly begrudge your friends that.

Video | Private

[i_love_squats]

... [Quiet, before...]

Cloud, yeah. Going home, I can't blame him for. Gaia needs a hero.

But...what about if you're going home to be dead? There's nothing positive about that.

[fingersloophole]

If you do anything idiotic, the Turks win.

[Yes this is serious. But he's not going to let it remain so.] Where are you? I have business to attend to with you.

Video

[i_love_squats]

If that was a real rule, you guys would've won when I was a kid and every year since.

[Business? He picked up the Forge and swung it around, down the dock, back towards the city.] Think you can find me? And what business?

Video

[fingersloophole]

Is this a scavenger hunt of some type? [It appears he's walking in the right direction, at least. If the glimpses behind him are anything to go by.]

Debts for you to collect. Things to do with you.

Video

[i_love_squats]

If I make it easy for you, Turks get bored, right? [Or he just has a few more minutes of quiet before you get here.]

Debts? [Blink. Blink.] What things?