#verse;; tufts of phoenix down

[myristicisms]

Eyes flash near dangerously, the usual subtle glow of the mako staining his irises giving way to the sudden rush into his head and there's a soft laugh that he barks out, head cocking slightly to the side curiously while he mulls over the statement. He could handle everything fine enough, or at least that's what Zack thinks even if it would be fun to hand the reigns over and see what Cloud would do if he allowed the blonde to take over. “ Depends. ” He manages, voice as calculated as possible given the way he has to hold himself still, body growing jittery from excess energy beginning to pool within his limbs. “ If you think you can then go ahead, I wanna see what taking charge looks like to you. ”

@strifesoldier | Cloud Strife

"Do you want me to take charge? "

#muse;; zack fair #strifesoldier | cloud strife #• answered ic! #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #the way Zack's just being vague because he's not sure if he's reading the sentence right is so funny #and by reading i mean understanding #he took it as an innuendo 💀

[immortalbrats]

Manners and Strangers

Part of my It Au (You’ll Float Too verse) with @seeing-our-future, featuring Phoenix, their character Adrian, and a clown.

If you know anything about Phoenix I would be very worried if I were you.

______________

The cops were long since done investigating the sidewalk as a crime scene. It seemed that most of Derry had forgotten already about the child who was presumed to have died in front of the storm drain and his severed arm.

That didn't stop people from steering clear to avoid it however, for whatever reason.

Phoenix Zephirah, the nibling of the snobby Folletes couple, wasn't put off by the stigma surrounding the area. Fae had vague memories of Daniel Battle, sure, and was disturbed by his unusually gruesome death, but since faer cousin Terra was terrified of “haunted” area's it seemed like a good time to get a reprieve from the horrid girl.

There was little to do the sidewalk but Phoenix made do, kicking and throwing rocks, playing with the cheap pocket knife Fae had slipped from the store, and climbing the tree that grew by the road. Fae waved at the old man who lived across the street from the drain (wasn't he the first responder to Danny’s screaming? Even he wouldn't remember by now) but often went ignored.

The child didn't mind however. Fae was quite used to being ignored and thus far saw no danger of it.

This day however, the child lost control while spinning the knife and wound up cutting one of faer fingers and dropping the knife. Cursing, fae ignored the cut and tried to catch the knife only for it fall right into the storm drain.

“Dammit,” far groaned, starting closer to try and see if it hadn't fallen far, but stopped short when faer eyes met eerie yellow ones peering right at them through the opening.

“Hi there little one.”

What the fuck? Is that a clown? Intrigued, fae stepped closer, still far enough that fae didn't have to bend or lay down to see it clearly. Yes, the eyes and lips were surrounded by red makeup, and the nose was covered with a red rubber ball. Fae couldn't see the top, but saw tufts of red hair sticking out if the sides of the clown’s head.

It held up it's hand, showing that it'd caught faer pocket knife. “You dropped this? Here, have it back.”

“How did you get down there?” Fae had a bad feeling, disturbed. The sewers were a forbidden area, filled with waste and garbage and more recently Danny's blood. Fae already hated the basement under faer aunt’s house and how it leaked and was gross and dark and enclosed. The sewers sounded ten times worse.

The clown smiled, making the paint on it's cheeks curl ominously. It appeared like the cat who ate the canary. “The circus in town, don't you know? Can't you smell it?”

Phoenix leaned closer, and it was almost like someone had set off a bomb of circus scents. There was clean hay and popcorn and roasted peanuts and candy floss (that last one especially made faer stomach growl, sweets always were on the child's mind).

But underneath was the scent of sitting water, water and blood, and the spell was broken. Phoenix wanted to get away and vomit, but the clown seemed to have faem entranced.

“... I'm not supposed to talk to strangers, I should be getting home…” The blond tried to convince it weakly.

“My name's Pennywise, Pennywise the dancing clown. Pennywise, Selena, Selena, Pennywise. Now we aren't strangers are we?”

Son of a bitch.

Phoenix forced a smile, nails digging into faer palms. “No, I suppose we aren't.”

It lifted the hand holding the knife again. “Now won't you take this back? I'll go and get you some candy floss too, wouldn't you like that?”

“Mhm,” Phoenix finally inched closer, planning to sock the creep right in it's bright (blue? Green? Wasn't it yellow?) eyes. “I think I'd like that a lot…”

~

Adrian Battle was starting down the street, hands shoved into xyr pockets.

Months. It'd been a few months since xyr brother had died and no one seemed to care.

It was no surprise coming from his parents, xe had never assumed they would be torn up about such a thing. But all the evidence was washed away with the rain that day and the cops simply closed up the case without looking further into it, like a killer who went around ripping kids’ arms off was no problem. It was ridiculous, fucked up, unfair!

But that was Derry apparently.

While xe came down the street, xe noticed a kid laying by the side of the road, looking like they were trying to stick their head down the storm drain. Their head was tilted, hair dragging through the dirt and gravel on the ground, and their face was hidden.

What the hell were they trying to do?

~

“I don't think my arm can reach.”

The clown's eye twitched. “Sure it can, aren't you gonna even give it a shot?”

Fae rolled faer shoulder and shook faer head, holding faer hand up next to it instead. “Hand it to me please? I won't move an inch, I promise.” Phoenix shot the clown faer best puppy dog eyes, and it seemed to relent. It leaned forward, starting to raise it's hand. It even seemed to grin, and it's teeth were… shifting?

Far didn't get a good look. The second it was close enough fae spit, hard, right into it's face.

The roar that erupted from the drain turned faer blood to ice and Phoenix lurched back as a hand (those are fucking claws that is not a fucking hand) slammed into the space faer head was not seconds ago, cracking the asphalt.

Fae tried to scramble back and to faer feet to run away but a second arm shot out of the drain and managed to latch onto faer leg. Phoenix screamed and started kicking madly at it, trying to get the grip to loosen but it only tightened, cutting into faer leg as it started to drag faer down into the sewer.

It hurt and faer hands were slipping through the gravel and Phoenix screamed again.

“Help! Help me!”

Faer left foot slipped into the sewer and fae shoved their right foot to brace against the sidewalk, trying to pull it free. Fae almost jumped out of faer skin when hands latched around faer arm, not knowing who or what it was but feeling like faer arm was gonna be yanked out of it's socket

Phoenix hung on for dear life as the clown and whoever had faer arm had a tug of war match with faer limbs, whoever had caught faer arm shifting their grip to under faer armpits, but then there was a tearing sound and faer leg came free and fae went flying into whoever was behind faem, sending them both sprawling.

Fae scrambled to faer feet, ignoring blood drip and faer missing shoe and sock and yanking the red haired person fae’d fell on up as well while a murderous gaze burned into them both from the sewer grate. “Up, up, we've got to run! It's gonna--!”

The redhead didn't need anymore warning and the second they were on their feet they both took off through the yard of the old man across the street, not daring to slow as the frustrated curses of the clown rang in their ears.

#v; you'll float too #phoenix zephirah #adrian battle #iole writes #blood tw #gore mention

[myristicisms]

@strifesoldier | Cloud Strife sent;;

' You and me. Your body near mine, close. I'm not right when you're not with me. I get the shakes ' oop zack made him codependent...

Vulnerability, no matter how small or largely given, was always a difficult thing to express; Years of forcing himself into the mold of what Zack thought was the ideal hero only further forcing him to push the overwhelming desire to rely upon someone else to the back of his mind. Being relied upon was the closest he'd ever come to sharing a vulnerable moment with anyone and it was something he cherished far more than even his own life. That much so had never been in the question though, only further proven with each moment where he took a beating to protect those he cared for most, often coming as victorious in each battle he'd carelessly chosen for himself.

Perhaps it was the hubris of a man who has lost damn near everything already or maybe it was just the delusion of someone who had grown lonely over the years, someone who felt as though nobody bothered to know who he was outside of his uniform and rank; At least not until after he'd managed to establish a connection with another person for the first time since... ( Nevermind. ) Zack has come to rely upon being needed, feeling helpful and he's long since found that purpose at the side of his blonde companion. While he'd known that Cloud was capable of taking care of himself well enough, he also couldn't scratch the desperate itch to feel helpful, to do more than just stand beside the other man silently like some brooding shadow.

Though that's what he's become, hasn't he? Bitter and violent should he feel it necessary to be so, a trained killer unafraid of ripping and rending through flesh that managed to be snagged within the maws of an enraged beast, many saw the once proud warrior as nothing more than a monster as of late; A creature that thrived on combat and the destruction of the very people that made him into who he was today, but not Cloud, never Cloud apparently. Lips curl into a gentle grin at the idea, he was helpful to someone at the very least, even if he'd grown all too protective throughout their time beside one another and perhaps he cared far more than the average friend should have, but then again; Average friends don't go through the same horrors as the duo had to endure together. That's how Zack justified it, anyways.

A rabid guard dog trapped in an endless loop of biting despite never wanting to bring harm to those unfortunate to cross into Zack's poor graces, a feature of which was far easier done than said given how low his tolerance for anyone daring to cause problems for either Cloud or himself truly had become. That dependency, as it seems to be, is reciprocated. Though that hardly came as much of a surprise, being without the blonde felt off, something so viscerally incorrect that his very being often trembled with wrath when the two were separated for too long and the verbal confirmation he wasn't the only one to experience that... ( Validating, freeing even. )

“ And here I was, stewing about whether I'm being overbearing towards you. ” He huffs out, amusement glimmering within mako stained eyes; An odd calmness kept Zack completely and uncharacteristically still. At times such as this, he'd often be pacing or doing squats, clears his mind and allows the former SOLDIER to focus on his surroundings but instead he simply sat, jaw twitching while his tongue feels at the sharp canines meant for rending through his foes and that familiar emptiness he'd been so prone to slowly seeps in. “ I'm always here though, always nearby until you tell me to go away and mean it, I promise. ”

#muse;; zack fair #strifesoldier | cloud strife #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #• answered ic! #interaction continued? #zack is also in his codependent arc i understand #also so sorry if it's all over the place #he had a lot to say i guess??

[myristicisms]

“ Huh? ” Not that he wasn't paying attention or listening, Zack was always doing both whenever Cloud was around; Force of habit and also because that was his lover, his better half and other side. “ What jungle are we talking about? Do you mean... ” There's a pause, glowing eyes widening and filling with such an unhinged delight before swiftly dying out at yet another realization.

“ If you mean Gongaga, it might not be safe. ” There's a lingering but hidden in his tone, though whether that's a wise choice or not to begin with is something far above the raven haired man's pay grade simply because the idea of going home again warmed his heart terribly so, seeing his parents and the other children he grew up with and even being able to tote Cloud around and introduce him to everyone sounded all the more appealing despite knowing the risks of ShinRa still hanging around his home town. Of course there's also the chance Cloud meant something completely different too, “ If not, then uh... What jungle're we talking? ”

@strifesoldier

"Take me to the jungle? Pleeeeeease?"

#muse;; zack fair #strifesoldier | cloud strife #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #• answered ic! #sometimes he is stupid #like now

[myristicisms]

@strifesoldier | Cloud Strife sent;;

" Wow... Wow. You're so pretty? Wish you'd wear me instead of the coat- I mean! You know. Like. Snuggles, please. "

Winter, while not too terrible back home in Gongaga, was certainly among Zack's least favorite seasons. He was a child of the sun, warmth was a must otherwise the raven haired man would be extra miserable and thus he'd learned to bundle up. It's to that regard that when he hears Cloud's flustered voice that he grew flushed himself, crimson dusting over tawny flesh while the former SOLDIER shrugs his coat off and carefully stretches for a moment. “ Don't stroke my ego too much there Sunshine. ”

Despite the confidence in his tone, Zack's body is tense, eyebrows knit tightly together as he loosens his tie slightly before making his way to the blonde and slowly wrapping his arms around his lover's frame. Plush lips plant cold kisses to Cloud's cheek, lingering down to his jaw before resting his head atop golden spikes with a hum. “ So you think I'm pretty huh? I think maybe that warrants a good while of cuddling up to you, get some warmth back eh? ”

#muse;; zack fair #strifesoldier | cloud strife #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #short and sweet #• answered ic!

[myristicisms]

@strifesoldier || Cloud Strife says;;

" You shouldn't have seen that. "

The 'that' in question isn't even something he can fully wrap his mind around to begin with; Sure Zack knew Cloud and his group of friends were... Eccentric to a degree but there's a line where eccentricity ends and falters to deranged to some degree and that's what his confused brain managed to settle on. He knows he can't make choices for other people, if he could then half the hardships he'd endured in his life would have been nothing more than whispers to the wind known only by whoever the hell decided that perhaps those woes needed to be settled upon Zack. What he can do is try to fight the lingering disappointment that had settled upon his features. “ What? That you're part of AVALANCHE? ” He remarks almost sarcastically.

“ Y'know, the whole point of breaking from the lab was to escape ShinRa, ” He continues, and it's mortifying how he'd seemingly picked up Angeal's habit of lecturing many years past the man's death. “ Which also includes not joining an organization that can't seem to stay the hell out of ShinRa, even if it's for ‘ teaching them a lesson ' or whatever it is they do. ” Even worse a feeling is knowing that the bubbling ire he was feeling had nothing to do with Cloud being in AVALANCHE and everything to do with the ever present fear of their freedom being stripped away from them again, of Cloud being taken back by ShinRa and Hojo.

He'd willingly put his life on the line to prevent that happening once and as is, he'd do it again; Though that doesn't mean he'd be all too appreciative of that fact and that thought only bunches dark eyebrows together in further frustration. He's so selfish, naïve to a fault too and this damned hero complex really is gonna get Zack killed some day. ( Though is that really a bad thing? Yeah, I guess. ) The raven haired man recognizes the fact that Cloud doesn't need a hero, doesn't need Zack of all people to hound him for his choices.

“ Clearly it's none of my business though seeing as I'm not supposed to know anything. ” And that's what hurt the most in this little predicament; Secrets being kept, then again what reason would Cloud have to share that with Zack? As far as the blonde knew, Zack was just a mercenary nowadays but that's even more reason for him to be trustworthy outside of the obvious past the two shared and that's something he can't quite understand either. “ I'll leave you to your eco terrorism, not my problem and I won't make it my problem. ”

#muse;; zack fair #strifesoldier | cloud strife #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #• answered ic! #he's in a mood I'm sorry

[myristicisms]

Ever since his escape there's been a lingering dread within his heart, heavy lead sinking it into the depths of his belly enough to leave his appetite damn near permanently sullied. The wounds have long since healed but the scars still linger, memories clinging to the front of his mind like an ichor that refuses to wash away with the rain. There's blood of hundreds that stain tawny fingers, many that he had once known to some degree, many who had families back home, lovers and friends, and he'd ripped their lives from them without a second thought. The lives of many sacrificed for two escaped subjects, that was the ugly truth of ShinRa, of Zack Fair himself because he'd chosen to fight back, chose to continue forwards instead of laying down belly up and allowing them to sink their blades within his flesh once more.

Sure, for now ShinRa thought him to be dead but for how long? There's no body to return to Hojo and given the man's insatiable lust for knowledge, it would only be inevitable the Turks would be dispatched to find his non existent corpse and then what? Assume he'd been found by some kindly stranger and buried yet not reported as gone? Unlikely, Tseng was smarter than that, smarter and relentless even with their prior friendship many years back and now he's sat here, wasting space and valuable resources in a country he'd helped ravage and biding his time hoping to God that ShinRa won't think to search for a rogue corpse in the foreign country all the while endangering the people who were kind enough to take in a wounded man.

His dedication to helping others never waned, seeing and living among the villagers of Wutai had only strengthened his resolve to see a free Wutai in his lifetime once more and slowly that loyalty once reserved for ShinRa and SOLDIER eased into the resistance, once he'd been able to fight again the former SOLDIER jumped head first into divulging what secrets he could with little hesitation at all. Vengeance maybe or just because he had to make amends, Zack will never know. He's just grateful to be welcomed by those around, happy to have eased his way into some sort of normalcy even if he still got the occasional odd glance, even moreso with how much time he's been spending with Kusakabe, his heart wept for the loss of the other's younger sister but time waited for none no matter how intense the grief was. ( Even if I hardly knew her. )

“ You say that now, ” It's mumbled, soft and near bitter as the beginnings of his woes start to boil over. “ But I've done some pretty shitty things, it's hard not to feel like I'm awful. ” And that's been an ever present feeling lingering within his thoughts even before the mess he'd unintentionally landed himself in. Crimson oozing into the fabric of his pants, curtain bangs having strands stand tall from residual lightning magic blasted at him and a familiar hoarse voice apologizing having been the catalyst, Angeal's death was on his hands even if it was by the older man's will. Killing Genesis hadn't done him any favors either but he'd guess where the guilt really truly began was falling victim to ShinRa's propaganda, killing the warriors of Wutai during the invasion and capture of Fort Tamblin had been weighing heavy upon his mind for years.

“ But since you're the one saying it, I s'pose I gotta take it seriously eh? You're a good man Sonon, wish I could've been more like you. ”

@sleeplesswork | Sonon Kusakabe

“ i don't think you're a bad person. ”

#muse;; zack fair #sleeplesswork | sonon kusakabe #• answered ic! #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #// he got a little too in his feelings #i am so sorry #but also he got mushy so like 🧍🏼//

[myristicisms]

Glimmering canines shine between plush lips, a wide grin tugging taught upon tawny and marred flesh while Zack listens intently, glowing eyes radiating a form of amusement before he barks out a brief laugh. “ Nothing's tougher than being warm in your boyfriend's coat Spikes. ” He cooes playfully, head tilting and ruffling the admittedly out of control raven tufts of his hair. It's cute to think about, something that left an odd mix of adoration and possessiveness nestled deep within his belly, something that he hasn't felt in God knows how long yet not utterly unwelcome.

Then again, Cloud wearing any of his clothes was something that left the former SOLDIER feeling all sorts of odd in the most unhinged of ways, to feel so whole and know his devotion is returned was one thing but for that to be visualized? It's something that makes Zack itch for combat just for the sake of tamping down the heady haze while his mind fights between falling into his imagination or being functional. “ Besides, it'll make you look tough if you take it, like a trophy or something. “

(( @strifesoldier )) "I gotta look tough for appearances, but all I wanna do is snuggle up in your jacket all the time..." Because Cloud really thinks his 5'7" ass looks tough smh

#muse;; zack fair #strifesoldier | cloud strife #• answered ic! #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #zack be normal challenge impossible

[myristicisms]

@defiant-ex-soldiers || Cloud Strife wrote;;

“ You're joking. ”

Turquoise eyes gleam curiously, confusion flickering within a typically calm expression. The same smile had been offered hundreds - thousands of times before, part of Zack's charm he'd guess, or it would be in better circumstances. As it stood, standing in a bar that he's pretty sure he helped name while staring at a few somewhat familiar backs of heads wasn't the former SOLDIER's ideal way to kill time, but if it meant getting well needed socializing in then he'd simply have to swallow the bitter taste within his mouth and cope.

It was much better than focusing on the judgemental gaze he'd received from passers-by anyways, not like Zack could blame them given his eyes were a damn giveaway of prior affiliations; Death on papers be damned he was still technically a work horse for Shinra at some point in his life and the company didn't exactly show much love for any of the residents within the slums. War hero or not, former first or not, the raven haired man understood far too well the apprehension that was thrown towards him, it was the whispers he wished he could ignore.

How he wished he could simply rip the mako that danced within his blood out, cleanse his body of the enhancements and perhaps then some; Unfortunately it was an ichor that forever lurked within his body, going into overdrive and effectively leaving Zack all the more vulnerable to hushed insults, not like they weren't deserved; The worst though was when his ears would occasionally pick up familiar voices, ones he'd yearned to hear once more but never quite being able to find the ones who they belonged to and tonight just had to be one of those nights.

Fighting the urge to whip his face around to where he'd guess the voice came from was always the hardest part, even if it sounded more biting than the one his mind usually conjured up, and much the same as always, Zack lost that fight quickly. Impulses were one hell of a fight for a man that rarely ever bothered to control them, if he'd learned anything it was to simply give up trying to look less insane around others, not like anyone would notice the frantic way his gaze flickered anyways.

“ Holy shit... ” A whisper, body tensing at familiar tufts of blondes and yet he can't help but feel out of place, those blues weren't familiar at all to him, not in the way Zack had hoped anyways, the glare he felt lingering upon his features made him wish so desperately that he didn't keep his hair slicked back, wished he could hide behind the long raven lock that covered just a sliver of his features. Normally he'd be elated, to finally see a familiar face, or at least one of the faces he's been hoping to see anyways.

Now all he feels is dread. He knows the words are spoken towards him, why else would the blonde be looking in his direction, though now he wonders if Cloud even recognized him, remembered him at all. Is he angry that Zack had disappeared after his battle with the platoon? Or maybe he has no clue who Zack is and he's just as apprehensive towards SOLDIERs as the rest of the folks within the bar. So many thoughts run through his mind and that damned lack of impulse control gets the better of him again, forces his legs to walk towards the shorter man and force an easy going smile upon his face.

“ Usually that comes after I say something stupid, ” His throat feels dry, trying to force words out; Wants to test the waters and see if perhaps his assumption was wrong and maybe Cloud was just shocked he'd be there too, but he can't bring himself to get that confirmation, knows the idea that he'd been forgotten despite doing his damned best to take care of the blonde on their run from Shinra would rip whatever was left of his pride from him and that wasn't something Zack wanted to risk. “ You were staring pretty hard - I think - can I help you with anything? ”

#muse;; zack fair #defiant-ex-soldiers | cloud strife #• answered ic! #interaction continued? #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #// i went with the remake verse #// hoping this makes sense!!! zack was very excited for this one

[myristicisms]

@dcyseeker | Aerith Gainsborough sent;;

she just reaches over and gives his ass a squeeze.

Eyes widen the size of dinner plates, large arms tightening around his lover's frame with a soft yelp before ever so slightly tugging his face away to stare down at Aerith with a flustered grin atop his features. Were it anyone else's hands on his ass, they'd be on the ground and Zack would be horrifically embarrassed by the noise he'd made simply because of how undignified it was. Thankfully though, it wasn't just anybody else. “ Hey princess, I think your hands're wandering. ”

It's a gentle mumble, tawny hands trailing down her sides to rest upon Aerith's hips with a thoughtful hum. Clearly Zack didn't mind the gesture much, not with the way he clung to the woman as though he'd crumple up and die without her pressed into his chest. It's got him feeling all sorts of warm, flustered and bothered in ways that apparently only the brunette could get him with just touch alone. “ Don't do that if you're not trying to rile me up. ”

#muse;; zack fair #dcyseeker | aerith gainsborough #“ She's one of a kind. ” Aerith/Zack #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #suggestive #• answered ic! #• interaction cont!

[myristicisms]

@dcyseeker | Aerith wrote;;

“ zack . . .” there’s a pause , the name leaving her quietly at first before it becomes much louder , earning the attention of the people around her . “ zack !”

she doesn’t hesitate to run from the group , pushing through the people there to get to him . her arms are outstretched , bodies colliding with him as she practically leaps on him . it’s been years , too many years .

The sun, it always felt so nice upon his bare arms when the weather permitted it, allowed him to remember his home of Gongaga and reminisce on simpler times, times where he didn't have to hide away, keep his tags stashed beneath the black tank top that shielded so many secrets from those in the small town he'd found himself residing in during the recovery from his injuries just a year or so ago.

The townsfolk were kind enough, took care of him when he'd been on death's door without asking for much of anything in return save for assistance with the occasional odd job, or at least that was until the local mechanic nearby had decided Zack would make for a good student, thought maybe giving the strange man with no last name a job and help get him back on his feet without giving him a handout would be a great idea, and that was enough to satisfy the guilty feeling within his heart.

After all, he needed the money to make it back to Midgar, to get back to Aerith's church and apologize for the last six years of being missing. Once he'd had enough to leave he'd make sure to give thanks as best he could before running back into the arms of his first love, or at least that's what he planned to do. Gods he missed Aerith so much, how he hoped she hadn't moved on without him or at the very least was happy if she did. He gets lost in thoughts of the brunette, what he'd say or do when he saw her again, or at least that's until his enhanced hearing picks up a familiar voice.

He'd been well ensnared in his duty, enough that he'd only caught the tail end of his name, soft as it was there was no mistake of the fact he'd been called and that voice was one he hadn't heard in years yet still remembered so damn vividly. He visibly perks up, turquoise eyes scanning the crowd before seeing a familiar pink bow and brown hair bouncing and he finds his heart soaring with giddiness. Zack can hear her footsteps, can see the green eyed woman that haunted his dreams and memories rushing towards him and he grins like a fool, opens his arms and sweeps her into his embrace the moment she fumbles into his chest, desperately clinging onto Aerith as though she were simply a figment of his mind, a cruel hallucination despite feeling the warmth of her body.

“ I was supposed to make it back to you, not have you randomly bump into me before I could make my grand entrance... ” He whispers, fingers burrowing into the back of her hair as the beginnings of tears sting within his eyes. His heart hurt, truly it ached so terribly to finally have her back in his embrace, to see her once again and know that she hadn't forgotten him. “ I missed you, Gods I missed you so much. ” He whispers, voice quivering with relief mixing into grief, so much time had passed after all.

#MUSE;; Zack Fair #dcyseeker #dcyseeker | aerith gainsborough #“ I wanna bathe you in the fires of my love. ” aerith/zack #• answered ic! #interaction continued? #verse;; tufts of phoenix down

[myristicisms]

Sitting and moping typically wasn't his style, never had been simply because there was always something to do, unfortunately as of late, there's not a whole lot to do without drawing too much attention to himself and even if he did, Fair still felt off. The wounds were healed, that much was definitely true and while Zack hated admitting Sonon was right, it didn't mean he outright refused to accept the fact. Regardless though there was one big reason he didn't like leaving the Kusakabe residence. “ I don't like being alone. ” It's spoken petulantly, though it was the truth. He was fully healed and could do everything almost as well as he used to before being gunned down but that doesn't mean he felt comfortable doing so.

Wutai was still just as hostile of territory to him as Midgar was, just because the village accepted him didn't mean everyone else would and on top of that, Zack hated being left to his own thoughts. He's grown too dependent on Sonon, he realizes and that makes him cringe slightly because of all the people to be ridiculously and anxiously attached to in some degree, it just had to be Kusakabe and not someone nice and pretty. ( Well, Sonon is both of those things when you're about to die, I guess. ) He ignores that thought process the moment it comes to mind because that's something the raven haired man refuses to unpack. “ You gonna enjoy some sun with me or is this your way of kicking me out for some alone time? Be straight with me would'ya? ”

@sleeplesswork | Sonon Kusakabe

❛❛ now that you’re healed, why not spend some time exploring the area ? you shouldn’t sit inside all day ❜❜

#muse;; zack fair #sleeplesswork | sonon kusakabe #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #• answered ic! #short and sweet #// zack when he's being told to touch grass lmao //

[myristicisms]

@sleeplesswork | Sonon Kusakabe sent;;

it had been a while since the last time sonon found himself at his old family home… after melphie died, he hadn’t done much besides rot within its familiar walls, unable to bring himself to do anything, the weight of loneliness sinking further in with each passing day. she’d been all the family sonon had left, and suddenly she was gone. when the teen finally returned to his feet, living in the house they’d been raised in was too much, and so he left. trained to be a shinobi, it wasn’t hard to get jobs, missions that took him out of wutai, and, as of recently, ones that aligned him with a group named avalanche. he’d be leaving for midgar come next month, so the shinobi was more than surprised to find a familiar face lingering around his abandoned residence.

Misery had long since been the default state he's had the displeasure of living through as of late; Everything in his body hurt something fierce with each subtle jostling from merely walking around. ( You've really done it this time Fair. ) He can't help but to find some sort of ironic amusement in the matter, four years since last he'd been in this nice little village, four years since he'd last experienced relief in a sorts and yet there's nothing soothing about the familiar location. It's a miracle that the place isn't crawling with ShinRa, he could take on a few stragglers but certainly not another army; Not until he's at least halfway back to health anyways. Zack needs help, he's more than aware of the fact that his life is quite literally hanging on by a delicate thread that could easily snap with one wrong strike to his still mending body but Midgar isn't safe and he no longer has another body to protect, no longer has Buster upon his back.

Zack isn't even capable of defending himself at the moment. It would be laughable were it not for the dull throbbing in his ribs as flesh and sinew melds itself back together slowly, methodically. It's been like that for the last few days, since he woke up confused and aching but with just enough energy to cast cura on himself and somehow make it onto his feet for travel. Cloud is safe, he has to be, otherwise all of his hard work has been for nothing and that's an idea that makes the raven haired man nearly give up completely. The hope spring runs eternal but he can only travel to said spring so many times before his body and heart completely fails.

He chooses familiarity though, not quite the familiarity of his home town like he'd planned because ShinRa already knew that would be a place of interest, but the familiarity of Wutai in hopes that perhaps Sonon and other familiar faces might see him, give him some guidance for where next to go or at least allow him to check into a hotel without alerting ShinRa. A bed would be nice, the ground was fine but months of sleeping beneath the stars had taken a toll on his back, even moreso with his injuries. He sees recognition flash in the eyes of the villagers, doesn't bother to hassle them too much because he looks like a mess and only manages to stop once he finds himself at a familiar residence. ( Are they still around? )

Even if the siblings were, there's no telling how thrilled either of them would be to see his face darkening their doorstep once again for the fourth time. He's no longer with ShinRa though, in fact he has hell to raise with the company the moment he's fully recovered and gets a replacement sword and with the way things are going now, he'll have that weapon again soon enough. He relaxes further when he sees a familiar face, the shock on his old acquaintance's face as clear as day and a grin slowly tugs upon dirt caked lips, followed by a grimace.

“ Been a while, Kusakabe. You stay outta trouble while I was away? ”

#muse;; zack fair #sleeplesswork | sonon kusakabe #• answered ic! #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #// feeling so bad for sonon #I'd be mad as hell if some half dead guy pulled up on me #especially if that half dead guy was Zack #like go back to the cliffs 😒 #jokes though im excited for whatever this turns into //

[myristicisms]

Eyebrows scrunch together, regarding his boyfriend's remark before tawny fingers point to the ‘ offending ’ body parts with a curious hum. “ They're not boobs. ” He remarks briefly before cracking up a bit because even Zack himself has called his pecs ‘ boobs ’ many times nevermind the sorts of garments he's indulged in quite a few times. “ What about 'em? ”

(( @strifesoldier )) "Boobs." Cloud!!!

#muse;; zack fair #strifesoldier | cloud strife #• answered ic! #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #semi suggestive #Zack refuses to be normal I'm sorry

[myristicisms]

@pulchralilium||Aerith sent;;

"you promised" There is a quiet anger in her voice, seething behind glossy eyes that are brimmed with tears. "You promised me" Repeated, twice as angry and twice as hurt. The tremble in her lip is matched by the radiating anger that shakes her to her core. "And you were reckless. Over and over, and over" She's nearly shouting it, clutched in her own arms. "How could you be so reckless Zack?" Hurt, anger, the terms to describe it barely feel appropriate. Instead, Aerith feels betrayed. Worst of all, she's so relieved that he's okay that the tears are nearly spilling over. She wants to curse at him, swear that if this was how he'd conduct himself she'd leave. Instead, Aerith quietly collapses into herself. Terrified that ShinRa would take away another person from her life. That Zack's career, would be why she'd end up alone. And for a moment, she questions if she can do this. If this pain, this worry, was worth the love they shared. "You promised" And again she felt like the little girl left alone to fend from the world.

Silence. Shame settling hot deep within the pits of his belly as he listens quietly, flinching at each reminder of his failure as both a partner and a SOLDIER, though he hardly considered himself one anymore, the dull throbbing within his still freshly healing body serving as the final reminder of what he hadn't been able to do. Eyebrows furrow, pitifully attempting to find the right words while knowing damn well nothing he has to say will ever validate his poor choices, even if they were all made out of necessity. Cloud needed him, that in of itself was what drove Zack to act so recklessly, it was no longer just his life on the line after all and what happened within the wastelands was his own foolish attempt at taking back some form of control, to finally have his own life within his hands and not at the mercy of the Turks nor Shinra.

“ I did promise. ” He whispers, hoarse and weak from lack of use. “ And I kept my promise, didn't I? That I'd come back to you no matter what… There was a detour but I'm here now and I won't be going anywhere again. ” A pause, dull eyes staring down at Aerith apologetically, he knows he's filthy, knows he has to look as terrible as he felt since he'd barely managed to get himself back up after collapsing after the fact. Perhaps he'd been too foolish, to willingly almost toss his life away in such a matter, he regrets giving Buster away to Cloud before they'd parted completely, not because he didn't care or cherish the blonde enough to pass it down but because now that Zack was alive still, he hated the lack of weight upon his back, hated how vulnerable and terrified he felt and even moreso now that he'd found himself feeling as though he still had to ensure the safety of more than just himself.

“ Cloud needed me, Aerith... I couldn't just leave him behind to deal with... With whatever was being done to us, I wasn't going to just abandon him. ” He continues, finally finding something to say at the very least, an explanation but never an excuse, the former SOLDIER was just as angry at himself as she was. “ Believe me when I say I tried to return without doing something... Something only an idiot would do but Shinra's persistent, I didn't want to be reckless but I had no choice. ” Hesitation lingers within his features, exhaustion clear in his face as he hesitantly opens his arms, moves to wrap the brunette into his damn near desperate embrace to make an attempt at reassuring her that he was there and alive and had no intentions of disappearing again, not for a day and never for another four years.

He hates that he's caused her so much grief, hates that the pain within her features and the rage in her heart is caused by his actions, even if those actions had been forced upon him by Hojo. “ I've a new promise to make you too, one that I'll also never break. ”

#muse;; zack fair #pulchralilium | aerith gainsborough #• answered ic! #interaction continued? #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #“ i wanna bathe you in the fires of my love. ” aerith/zack

[myristicisms]

@unbridledfist | Tifa Lockhart says;;

" It's totally natural you feel this way. "

Living in constant guilt was getting old, Zack had decided. Not that he could control his emotions well enough to get that constant and ever present feeling of dread and self hatred to fade into something manageable but he could sure as hell pretend he had the ability; Not like it was hard to do anyways since nobody outside of his personal relationships knew the raven haired man well enough, assumptions always served as both a blessing and a curse in a way and it's something that for once, Zack was grateful for.

Except no, he wasn't.

There lingered a sadness within glowing turquoise eyes that the former SOLDIER had long grown used to, so much so that he hardly recognized his own smile anymore and he knew damned well people from his past, should he bump into them ( which while unlikely was still possible ) would notice damn near immediately, especially given the fact that his face had changed over the years too; The large scar upon his jaw was faded of course but so too were the numerous small scars littering the rest of his face and those told a mysterious story, once semi sharp canines that often had him compared to a puppy had grown into something more akin to the fangs of a wolf and how he wished he could rip apart those who brought that particular change with the very maws they had gifted him.

These were all things that weighed heavy on Zack's mind, like lead seeping into his heart through the blood pumping within his veins and while he refused to fully indulge the details in a familiar face from his past, ( ironic it's the very girl you couldn't save, Fair. ) he still divulged his feelings, his thoughts, passed off the oddities with his scars and teeth and the way he seemingly sprouted another four inches over the years as just being far too adapted to the mako pumping through his body. Seeing Tifa again had awoken some strange feelings within the raven haired man, relief that she had survived, anguish that he had failed her just as he failed everyone else in his life but especially her when he couldn't defeat Sephiroth on his own to right the demon of Wutai's wrongs, and numbness. Numbness that he'd been falling bitterly into for the worst half of a year and when she tells him " It's totally natural you feel this way. ", he can't help but to laugh softly, bitterly.

“ I don't think it is. I haven't earned the right to grieve what happened. ” He finally manages, tawny fingers gently tousling through raven spikes in thought before he sighs heavily. “ I don't even deserve to be sat here speaking to you as though we're long time friends after what happened in Nibelheim. I should've done more, should've seen what was coming and yet I was so... Blinded by what was in the reactor instead of worrying about what he might've been up to. ”

Then he's silent for a moment, eyes staring at Tifa intently with a soft, sorrowful smile sat atop his lips. “ Enough about me and what I've been up to, ” Not like he shared any of what actually happened, just expressed how he'd been mentally and said he was doing mercenary work, “ what have you been up to for the last... Five years? Give or take? ”

#muse;; zack fair #unbridledfist | tifa lockhart #verse;; tufts of phoenix down #• answered ic! #interaction continued?