[ When Lightning reaches out to take some of the dumpling (and without even asking!), Zack isn't particularly bothered. He'd actually thought of offering some to her because it seemed only fair, seeing how she'd been the one to front the payment for it, but had worried it'd seem strange. This is only their second conversation, after all. From his end, anyway.
Either way, he quirks a smile at her when she nabs a piece, though then tosses the last little bit of dumping into his mouth before wiping his hands off on his pants. It seems he's sated for now, as he isn't on the lookout for any other stalls. ]
Yeah, Cloud was mentioning there's a good amount of part time work or odd jobs to be found around here. I haven't been able to look too closely yet, but it's on the to-do list. Tomorrow, probably.
[ The carnival had derailed his plans a bit, distracting him from looking for work. He's already been offered a place to stay so it's not like he's in any kind of dire straits. Still, he wants to be self-sufficient, so the sooner he can get his hands on some cunes, the better. ]
The dumpling is rather pleasant for street circus vendor food, surprisingly, and Lightning takes a moment to savour the taste and even considers going for seconds. On her, of course. Even if he does owe her two drinks now.]
Well, you ever need someone to take on the tougher jobs with... [She implies herself with a nod, although that's probably not needed.] Don't think I'll be going back anytime soon, and I've been on a few in the past.
[She snorts out loud, remembering one of them.]
Not all of 'em are beat up a monster and get paid, so make sure you read them carefully.
[ It doesn't come as much of a shock when Lightning implies that she's capable of taking on the "tougher jobs." Zack assumes a tough job would be the type that would send them out into the Wilde to come face-to-face with the Shades, or whatever other monsters might exist.
For him, that might as well be a normal day. Maybe Lightning is the same, a mercenary at heart. He doesn't actually know that much about her yet, so he's eager for the chance to learn more. She gives him the perfect opportunity to do so by making mention of some past job gone wrong. ]
Oh, sounds like there's some kind of story there. [ His pace slows slightly as he glances over, his already bright eyes brighter still with curiosity. ] Come on, you have to tell me!
[ Even if it's embarrassing. She mentioned it, so she must have realized he would demand to hear what happened. ]
Walked right into that one... [She sighs out loud, but it comes out more as a laugh than anything else.
She grabbed the shovel and started digging herself, but maybe this will prove to be a valuable lesson for him, and a good reminder for her to always read the jobs carefully. That it isn't just about the money. Best start at the beginning...]
Someone needed people to look into some shady dealings in the city. Gang related or something, they thought. Got paired up with this real flowery guy—showy, kinda pompous, but not a bad person. [Asura, she recalls... She wonders what happened to him. If anyone knows anything about Lightning, it should be that those are not the kinds of people she often gets along with.] Our leads took us to some nightclub in the middle of town.
[Her arms fold, and she remembers now why it was so embarrassing. Her pace quickens just enough that she puts herself a step in front of Zack, but she keeps talking over her shoulder.]
There were a lot of weird people in there. Dancers, loud music, drinks... all the crap I had to deal with as a Guardian Corps. The tackiest kind of party. [And she hates parties!!!] The man we were looking for was a known VIP there... Bet you can't guess who ended up being the bait.
[ While Lightning sounds just a little exasperated at having to relive her past mistake, she doesn't outright refuse to tell the story. If she had, Zack certainly wouldn't have pushed the issue, but it sounds like this is a harmless enough tale.
It's true that looking into gang activity wouldn't necessarily translate into going to a nightclub, and unsurprisingly, that hadn't really been Lightning's scene. To say nothing of the partner she'd ended up with on that job -- the description reminds Zack of Genesis. Before he'd gone completely off the rails, anyway...
It would be possible for Zack to pick up his pace so he was side-by-side with Lighting, but he can sense she's a little embarrassed, so he lets himself fall behind. ]
Bait, huh? So did you have to go in there and put on some kind of act? [ It's hard to imagine Lightning doing any such thing, or holding her tongue if some guy was acting like a total creep toward her. Hopefully it wasn't too bad, though Zack could easily believe that she knocked someone's lights out if it came to that. ] And what's a Guardian Corps?
[ Something from home, probably. Something like SOLDIER? That wouldn't surprise him. ]
[She appreciates him keeping his own steady pace behind her, honestly. It helps when she starts turning pink in the face, because this isn't exactly the kind of story she would have told on her second meeting again with him, but she figured she'd humour him, with only mild regret.]
Yeah. While the other guy kept the bartender busy by sweet-talking him, I went to find the target. He was a bit of a womanizer, so it was just easier for me to get in. [A dismissive hand waves over her shoulder. She's trying to be cool about this. Unaffected. But her shoulders slump in a sigh.] He caught on pretty quick, but I managed to scrounge a couple names out of his ledger. I'm not all that great at... you know.
[Flirting. Anyone who can't even say the word is 100% bad at it. So she turns it around to answer his other question now. Thank god.]
I was a Sergeant in the Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment. It was a sector of Cocoon's military—PSICOM. Peacekeepers, I guess you could call us.
[ It's not that difficult for Zack to fill in the blanks, to add in the details that Lightning has decided to leave out due to embarrassment. He knows the type of person she'd had to deal with and how those sorts of people could get, and is mainly just relieved that it hadn't gone any worse.
Lightning: not the kind of person who's particularly good at going undercover. Zack could have probably guessed at that, but it's good to have it confirmed all the same. It's why some people were pegged for SOLDIER and others were funneled toward the Turks. Everyone had their strengths.
There's a lot of what Lightning describes about this Guardian Corps organization that sounds familiar, and that's the point when Zack speeds up a little to match his stride with hers. ]
Guess we're cut from the same cloth, then! [ That might not be such a shock, to anyone looking at the two of them from the outside. They're both built like soldiers. They both have a certain confidence in their stride that might make it obvious to a careful eye. ] Or close enough, anyway. I was part of a private military unit called SOLDIER. [ Yeah, what a creative name Shinra had picked. ]
[There's something she didn't know about him. Or maybe she did know, and never took the time to bother asking more questions, or to listen. Either way, she realizes again that she really did take people here for granted.
It's not at all surprising though, given the way he's always carried himself. He's chummy, sure, but it's true—a soldier can usually spot another one, simply founded on the way they carry themselves. There's a lot of strength and confidence in that, and neither of them are an exception.]
SOLDIER, huh? [She scoffs.] All the other good names taken?
[Yeah. Shinra's not the most creative.]
[Interestingly enough, that isn't what her mind zeroes in on. Using the past tense is what she'd like to know more about.]
You leave it too? [A beat, and she goes on to explain:] Cocoon's military was made up of a corrupt bunch of monkeys. Couldn't pay me enough to stay.
[ Lightning's remark about the name draws a laugh out of Zack as he lifts his arms briefly and shrugs his shoulders. Her guess is as good as his; he's got no idea who within Shinra's C-suite is responsible for that name. It's not something he had ever questioned that much, his desire to be part of it outweighing any criticisms.
Now he sees that's where he'd messed up. Of course, he'd been a kid when he decided he wanted to join. Having a rose-colored view of it had been inevitable, especially with how Shinra had advertised it to young boys as something to aspire to.
While Lightning's question is, by nature, something of an awkward one, Zack's distracted by her admission that she'd also been working for a corrupt organization. Is this just how it is? He frowns, teeth digging into one side of his bottom lip as he shakes his head to himself.
From the sound of it, Lightning had gotten out before she was chewed up and spit back out. Zack hadn't been quite so lucky. He'd remained loyal for too long, even with all of those warning signs blaring at him. ]
Pretty much, yeah. [ He didn't really have a choice, but... how much should he reveal here? After another few seconds of silence, he shoots Lightning a careful glance. ] Have we talked about this before?
[Lightning returns Zack's cautious glance with one of her own, but it eases up when she laughs, albeit awkwardly.]
We didn't.
[Something tightens in her chest, and her smile fades, replaced with a grimace. Her jaw tightens, and her shoulders square, despite her best efforts to appear as normal as possible. If there's one thing she hasn't forgotten, it was her friendship with him, or lack thereof. His attempts at friendship were relentlessly avoided by her, even when, at the end of the day, she was appreciative of it. She just never had the chance to say as much, and it's only now that the realization dawns on her that maybe it was more superficial than she thought.
It was probably for the best that she never let herself get too close to anyone here.
She sighs.]
Wasn't exactly the best listener back then. Figured you were the soldier type, but that was about it.
[ Not the best listener, huh? Zack's going to assume that means that she'd tried to push him away at every turn. He knows the type, after all, and he has to assume that he'd been just as persistent as ever in trying to take down her walls.
Whether or not he should dump the details of what happened to him is still a hard call. They've only spoken twice from his side of things, and he doesn't know if he wants to burden her with that kind of thing anyway. It's a complicated situation, the sort of long story that probably requires a more private spot to sit down and talk it through.
So he evades that for now, focusing instead on their friendship... or lack thereof. ]
So, what changed?
[ He raises one eyebrow at her as they walk before clarifying. ]
You didn't seem so bad at listening during our talk at the bar. Or now, for that matter.
[ Had he managed to penetrate her armor before, and now she's willing to give him a pass instead of forcing him to go through all that work again? ]
[Lightning smiles to herself, allowing her pace to slow to a stop so that she can turn to face him fully. There were a lot of half-assed comments she made to him back then, and some not so much, but there is a time and a place for that—this is an answer that she doesn't want to half-ass.]
I did.
[Except that turns being a little harder than she thought, and she immediately breaks eye contact with him, arms folding over her chest, but she stays firmly rooted to her spot.
She'd been through a lot between when she left the first time and then returned for a second. Had a lot of revelations and accepted that not only was she doing things the wrong way, but that if she kept doing what she was doing, she'd always be alone, whether they saved Serah or not. That's what changed.
Lightning had friends now. A family who had her back. He is no exception to that.]
I wasn't really up for making friends before. Except you were pretty stubborn about helping me when no one else did. [She shifts on her feet, clicking her tongue.] Don't get too cocky, though.
[Lightning smiles up at him, but only briefly.]
How about we save it for when we get those drinks.
[When she's had some time to prepare herself to tell him all of that in more detail.]
[ It takes a moment for Zack to process what Lightning means. She changed, though how or why is less clear. Again, it's not the right time or place for a conversation that involved, and he doesn't blame her for not wanting to spill her heart out in the moment. He doesn't really feel up to that, either, especially after such a long day.
Though it doesn't surprise him to hear that he'd been persistent in befriending her. Lightning would hardly be the first person Zack's come across who took a little extra effort to make friends with, and at this point one could say that he's practiced at it.
When she smiles at him, he immediately returns it with a wider grin of his own. It might be a little feather in his cap, but he won't rub it in too much, especially since he can't actually remember doing most of that work. ]
Sounds like a plan to me. That'll be a better opportunity to trade stories, I think.
[ The sound of the fireworks and the revelers is dying down as they get further from the fairgrounds, and it leaves them with a natural moment in which to part. ]
Should be heading back anyway, but... thanks again, Lightning.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lightning ⚡️ intro log: july
[ When Lightning reaches out to take some of the dumpling (and without even asking!), Zack isn't particularly bothered. He'd actually thought of offering some to her because it seemed only fair, seeing how she'd been the one to front the payment for it, but had worried it'd seem strange. This is only their second conversation, after all. From his end, anyway.
Either way, he quirks a smile at her when she nabs a piece, though then tosses the last little bit of dumping into his mouth before wiping his hands off on his pants. It seems he's sated for now, as he isn't on the lookout for any other stalls. ]
Yeah, Cloud was mentioning there's a good amount of part time work or odd jobs to be found around here. I haven't been able to look too closely yet, but it's on the to-do list. Tomorrow, probably.
[ The carnival had derailed his plans a bit, distracting him from looking for work. He's already been offered a place to stay so it's not like he's in any kind of dire straits. Still, he wants to be self-sufficient, so the sooner he can get his hands on some cunes, the better. ]
no subject
The dumpling is rather pleasant for street circus vendor food, surprisingly, and Lightning takes a moment to savour the taste and even considers going for seconds. On her, of course. Even if he does owe her two drinks now.]
Well, you ever need someone to take on the tougher jobs with... [She implies herself with a nod, although that's probably not needed.] Don't think I'll be going back anytime soon, and I've been on a few in the past.
[She snorts out loud, remembering one of them.]
Not all of 'em are beat up a monster and get paid, so make sure you read them carefully.
[...]
Don't make the same mistake I did.
no subject
For him, that might as well be a normal day. Maybe Lightning is the same, a mercenary at heart. He doesn't actually know that much about her yet, so he's eager for the chance to learn more. She gives him the perfect opportunity to do so by making mention of some past job gone wrong. ]
Oh, sounds like there's some kind of story there. [ His pace slows slightly as he glances over, his already bright eyes brighter still with curiosity. ] Come on, you have to tell me!
[ Even if it's embarrassing. She mentioned it, so she must have realized he would demand to hear what happened. ]
no subject
Walked right into that one... [She sighs out loud, but it comes out more as a laugh than anything else.
She grabbed the shovel and started digging herself, but maybe this will prove to be a valuable lesson for him, and a good reminder for her to always read the jobs carefully. That it isn't just about the money. Best start at the beginning...]
Someone needed people to look into some shady dealings in the city. Gang related or something, they thought. Got paired up with this real flowery guy—showy, kinda pompous, but not a bad person. [Asura, she recalls... She wonders what happened to him. If anyone knows anything about Lightning, it should be that those are not the kinds of people she often gets along with.] Our leads took us to some nightclub in the middle of town.
[Her arms fold, and she remembers now why it was so embarrassing. Her pace quickens just enough that she puts herself a step in front of Zack, but she keeps talking over her shoulder.]
There were a lot of weird people in there. Dancers, loud music, drinks... all the crap I had to deal with as a Guardian Corps. The tackiest kind of party. [And she hates parties!!!] The man we were looking for was a known VIP there... Bet you can't guess who ended up being the bait.
no subject
It's true that looking into gang activity wouldn't necessarily translate into going to a nightclub, and unsurprisingly, that hadn't really been Lightning's scene. To say nothing of the partner she'd ended up with on that job -- the description reminds Zack of Genesis. Before he'd gone completely off the rails, anyway...
It would be possible for Zack to pick up his pace so he was side-by-side with Lighting, but he can sense she's a little embarrassed, so he lets himself fall behind. ]
Bait, huh? So did you have to go in there and put on some kind of act? [ It's hard to imagine Lightning doing any such thing, or holding her tongue if some guy was acting like a total creep toward her. Hopefully it wasn't too bad, though Zack could easily believe that she knocked someone's lights out if it came to that. ] And what's a Guardian Corps?
[ Something from home, probably. Something like SOLDIER? That wouldn't surprise him. ]
no subject
Yeah. While the other guy kept the bartender busy by sweet-talking him, I went to find the target. He was a bit of a womanizer, so it was just easier for me to get in. [A dismissive hand waves over her shoulder. She's trying to be cool about this. Unaffected. But her shoulders slump in a sigh.] He caught on pretty quick, but I managed to scrounge a couple names out of his ledger. I'm not all that great at... you know.
[Flirting. Anyone who can't even say the word is 100% bad at it. So she turns it around to answer his other question now. Thank god.]
I was a Sergeant in the Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment. It was a sector of Cocoon's military—PSICOM. Peacekeepers, I guess you could call us.
no subject
Lightning: not the kind of person who's particularly good at going undercover. Zack could have probably guessed at that, but it's good to have it confirmed all the same. It's why some people were pegged for SOLDIER and others were funneled toward the Turks. Everyone had their strengths.
There's a lot of what Lightning describes about this Guardian Corps organization that sounds familiar, and that's the point when Zack speeds up a little to match his stride with hers. ]
Guess we're cut from the same cloth, then! [ That might not be such a shock, to anyone looking at the two of them from the outside. They're both built like soldiers. They both have a certain confidence in their stride that might make it obvious to a careful eye. ] Or close enough, anyway. I was part of a private military unit called SOLDIER. [ Yeah, what a creative name Shinra had picked. ]
no subject
It's not at all surprising though, given the way he's always carried himself. He's chummy, sure, but it's true—a soldier can usually spot another one, simply founded on the way they carry themselves. There's a lot of strength and confidence in that, and neither of them are an exception.]
SOLDIER, huh? [She scoffs.] All the other good names taken?
[Yeah. Shinra's not the most creative.]
[Interestingly enough, that isn't what her mind zeroes in on. Using the past tense is what she'd like to know more about.]
You leave it too? [A beat, and she goes on to explain:] Cocoon's military was made up of a corrupt bunch of monkeys. Couldn't pay me enough to stay.
no subject
Now he sees that's where he'd messed up. Of course, he'd been a kid when he decided he wanted to join. Having a rose-colored view of it had been inevitable, especially with how Shinra had advertised it to young boys as something to aspire to.
While Lightning's question is, by nature, something of an awkward one, Zack's distracted by her admission that she'd also been working for a corrupt organization. Is this just how it is? He frowns, teeth digging into one side of his bottom lip as he shakes his head to himself.
From the sound of it, Lightning had gotten out before she was chewed up and spit back out. Zack hadn't been quite so lucky. He'd remained loyal for too long, even with all of those warning signs blaring at him. ]
Pretty much, yeah. [ He didn't really have a choice, but... how much should he reveal here? After another few seconds of silence, he shoots Lightning a careful glance. ] Have we talked about this before?
no subject
We didn't.
[Something tightens in her chest, and her smile fades, replaced with a grimace. Her jaw tightens, and her shoulders square, despite her best efforts to appear as normal as possible. If there's one thing she hasn't forgotten, it was her friendship with him, or lack thereof. His attempts at friendship were relentlessly avoided by her, even when, at the end of the day, she was appreciative of it. She just never had the chance to say as much, and it's only now that the realization dawns on her that maybe it was more superficial than she thought.
It was probably for the best that she never let herself get too close to anyone here.
She sighs.]
Wasn't exactly the best listener back then. Figured you were the soldier type, but that was about it.
no subject
Whether or not he should dump the details of what happened to him is still a hard call. They've only spoken twice from his side of things, and he doesn't know if he wants to burden her with that kind of thing anyway. It's a complicated situation, the sort of long story that probably requires a more private spot to sit down and talk it through.
So he evades that for now, focusing instead on their friendship... or lack thereof. ]
So, what changed?
[ He raises one eyebrow at her as they walk before clarifying. ]
You didn't seem so bad at listening during our talk at the bar. Or now, for that matter.
[ Had he managed to penetrate her armor before, and now she's willing to give him a pass instead of forcing him to go through all that work again? ]
no subject
I did.
[Except that turns being a little harder than she thought, and she immediately breaks eye contact with him, arms folding over her chest, but she stays firmly rooted to her spot.
She'd been through a lot between when she left the first time and then returned for a second. Had a lot of revelations and accepted that not only was she doing things the wrong way, but that if she kept doing what she was doing, she'd always be alone, whether they saved Serah or not. That's what changed.
Lightning had friends now. A family who had her back. He is no exception to that.]
I wasn't really up for making friends before. Except you were pretty stubborn about helping me when no one else did. [She shifts on her feet, clicking her tongue.] Don't get too cocky, though.
[Lightning smiles up at him, but only briefly.]
How about we save it for when we get those drinks.
[When she's had some time to prepare herself to tell him all of that in more detail.]
no subject
Though it doesn't surprise him to hear that he'd been persistent in befriending her. Lightning would hardly be the first person Zack's come across who took a little extra effort to make friends with, and at this point one could say that he's practiced at it.
When she smiles at him, he immediately returns it with a wider grin of his own. It might be a little feather in his cap, but he won't rub it in too much, especially since he can't actually remember doing most of that work. ]
Sounds like a plan to me. That'll be a better opportunity to trade stories, I think.
[ The sound of the fireworks and the revelers is dying down as they get further from the fairgrounds, and it leaves them with a natural moment in which to part. ]
Should be heading back anyway, but... thanks again, Lightning.
[ He lifts one hand in a lazy wave. ]