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Who: cloud strife & zack fair
When: early september.
Where: the coven!
What: bonding! between monsters! what can go wrong.
Warnings: none.

[What had been agreed, had been agreed hastily, as some form of prevention for a repeat of what happened the month before. What happened the month before, of course, being Zack going feral. Sephiroth, apparently, had been around to prevent things from being as bad as they could've been (Yeah. He still needs to talk to him about that...) but... yeah. here they were.

Except that's not really it. Partially it, sure. But not quite all of it. Not really. He'd agreed to this before Zack showed any signs of his condition overtaking him. Offered it freely. ...Even wanted it, in a larger respect than what he really understood. And they're here.

As Cloud lingers in the doorway of their shared house, made all the bigger, all the more vacant via both a missing housemate and one that couldn't tolerate the sun, he waits for the other man in the porchway, quietly just kind of... appreciating how the sun feels on his face. It'd been a while, after all.

And when Zack comes out of the doorway to join him...]

You good?

[A few steps down from the porch and onto the dirt road.]

You wanna back out, M'not gonna be sore about it.

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[ At this point, the bonding ceremony is long overdue. Zack should have done this a month ago, before things had gotten really bad, and he's already aware that he'll need to find a Witch to bond with as well. Easier said than done given that Aerith isn't here anymore; it means doing this with someone he knows not nearly as well. Zack makes friends more quickly and easily than most, sure, but this is still a big ask. To share his thoughts and feelings with someone else, and to accept theirs in return...

Well, he's glad that he's doing it with Cloud first, so that he can get some idea of what it's like before he makes any further decisions.

Today is the day and it's time to get going. They don't have to travel far, yet he leaves the house with Organics on his back all the same. Call it force of habit. The city hasn't proven to be completely free of threats, given those pixies that had set parts of it on fire just last month. It's better to be prepared.

For just a second, Zack had thought that maybe they could get through this without Cloud trying to offer him some kind of out. He scoffs to himself, shaking his head as he cuffs Cloud on the shoulder. ]

Why would I want to? Listen, if I'm going to do this with anyone, it makes sense that it'd be you. [ Who else was he going to bond with? Sephiroth? Even now, having had so much cleared up and owing Sephiroth a debt for saving him from himself when he went feral, the idea of creating a bond that intimate with him leaves Zack uneasy. He wishes it wasn't like that, but it is.

Letting out a sigh, he continues walking, following the familiar trail toward the city. ]

... Gonna have to find a Witch to bond with too, though. Sooner or later.

Right.

[The cuff's only really enough to send a few of his steps stray, and it's met with a faint roll of the shoulder and a quiet sound. It's something that, with other people, he'd make something of- either with a Look or some retort, but with Zack he doesn't mind it. Of course he doesn't- it's reminiscent of something else, long ago... and honestly, no matter how predisposed to aggression he seemed to be recently, he can't see it as anything but friendly.

Regardless, and as his shoulder bumps against Zack's in some form to retaliation-]

Later, hopefully. Look... Who I'm bonded with, [Sephiroth.] He's got a witch. My guess is that when this thing's done, that magic goes into me, and then into you. [Not ideal. Far from, actually. but better than nothing.] Besides, there's a ton of monster bonds that're fine for a long time before anything happens.

[Of course, it'd played on his mind. Not just because it related to Zack. More like with Aerith gone it applied to him, too. He needed to find a witch, and he doesn't have the fortune to be anything like Zack with getting along with people.

It's a worry.
But himself is a worry for another time.]

So let's see how this goes. We've got time. Alright?

[ The easy push-and-pull between them is something that Zack would never want to lose. The physical side of their friendship, whether it was bumping forearms or Zack slinging an arm around Cloud's shoulder or ruffling his hair -- he wanted to affirm that despite everything they'd been through, things were still the same as far as their friendship went. They might seem like small gestures on their own, but it all added up, and Cloud never seemed that bothered by it.

Zack pauses, taking just a moment to piece together that Cloud must be talking about Sephiroth. It's good to hear that there's some residual energy that travels across bonds, though Zack also knows that he probably shouldn't rely on it. The further that energy had to travel (from this witch, to Sephiroth, to Cloud, and then to Zack) would likely make it less effective.

Or... so he's guessing. It's not like he knows all that much about how any of this works.

Either way, Cloud doesn't seem too worried. Zack knows their bond is going to be a strong one (it already is), so he nods, willing to play things by ear once they've got this taken care of.

He walks in silence for another minute or so before asking a question he can't just hold in. ]

So, who else is he bonded to? Sephiroth.

[ Somehow the conversation always seem to come back to him. ]

[Cloud, outwardly, would never seem all that affected by all of those little gestures. In the past, he'd have smiled. Laughed too, gave so much more of a reaction than what he'd give now. He'd changed, in the years he'd been on his own. In the years he'd not. Irrevocably so.

Whereas in the past, he'd been free with his emotion, even naive with it- now it's tightly wound. He's careful with it. Even around Zack. Even if he knows that above anyone else, Zack can be trusted. There's one thing that hadn't changed though. The fact he clung to each tiny little gesture. Light shoves. Hair ruffles. That stupid bump of their forearms they did so long ago. Everything.

...Whether it was shown or not. They still meant everything.]

No idea.

[A straight answer for a straight question. He looks up from the ground to Zack as he answers, clearly curious as to why it was asked. And to explain...]

I feel it. I don't feel enough to know names, though. Or anything about 'em. Just what they are.

[And, as they walk...]

So... apparently, there's words you gotta say when the bonding spell's cast. [It runs through his mind what he'd said to Aerith. That this time was different. That... ]

...It's just words.

[ It seems odd to Zack that Cloud had never thought to ask Sephiroth about his other bonds, but then again, this is Cloud. He isn't exactly chatty and often isn't up for socializing or making small talk. It's something that Zack's still curious about, though. What sort of people would Sephiroth bond with? His friend circle back home had been limited to other Firsts, pretty much. It's hard to imagine him making strong friendships here.

Well, that's something to file away for later. Better to focus on the task ahead of them.

Cloud is quick to brace him for what's to come, and Zack is silent for a moment, anticipating that they'll be reaching one of the gates to let them into the city proper.

Then, he pins Cloud down with a look, a raised eyebrow and a grin. ]

What do you mean, "apparently"? Haven't you done this a few times before? What was it like then?

[ Zack doesn't specify which time. He suspects Cloud would rather talk about his bond with Aerith than the one he'd made with Sephiroth, but then again, he'd been kind of weird when he'd told Zack about Aerith, so...

Either way, ball's in his court. ]

Hard to say. It's different every time.

[A flash of his eyes to Zack's, and they retreat away almost immediately. Only that's not good enough. He feels like he has to say more. So...]

They'll want us to say stuff to make the spell work. Promises're easier. Aerith... [...Aerith.] Promised her something I thought I could keep. Couldn't. Sephiroth... I don't know if I can or not. There was another one, too.

[Nier. That wasn't something he'd spoken about. Not to Aerith, not to Sephiroth. And why would he? It hadn't even lasted a day.]

...You know, right? About the sharing feelings stuff. Sometimes, two people aren't compatible. The words work, the spell works. But the link's painful. Worse than before. So if this doesn't work, I need to know.

[Another glance to him.]

Promise me.

[ Promises? Zack doesn't mind making those, though he still takes Cloud's implied warnings to heart. Don't make promises you can't keep, and all that. Had Cloud promised Aerith that he'd keep her safe, only for her to be whisked away back to Gaia and the Lifestream? Maybe that's part of the reason that he'd taken her disappearance so hard -- beyond the obvious sense of loss.

It's something they're both still feeling. Zack holds back on a sigh, but rather than focusing on what he's lost, he'd rather appreciate what he still has.

The idea that he and Cloud would somehow be incompatible seems absurd to him, given what the two of them have already been through together. Since they went through hell side-by-side, it's not like there's much to hide. Sometimes it might get overwhelming, but Zack isn't afraid.

He can hear the gravity in Cloud's voice, though, and doesn't want to brush him off. Even though the likelihood of this bond somehow being wrong for them is minuscule in his mind, he doesn't hesitate to set Cloud's worries at ease. ]

I promise. [ Zack's genuine when he speaks the words, his bright blue gaze unblinking and even a little intense. Then he smiles and shakes his head. ] But that's not gonna happen. Man, you don't need to be so tense, you know!

[ Just as quickly, he shifts back to teasing as he leads them toward the city gates. Cloud's got a lot more weight on his shoulders than the Cloud who Zack remembers, but that doesn't deter him in any way. It just means he has to work that much harder to lighten him up. Not a problem for him, really. ]

...Just in case. That's all.

[His eyebrows furrow faintly at the (light!) scolding, and a vaguely dismayed expression comes into his eyes. Just for the faintest half-second anyway. A hand rises (self consciously?) as if to express something, but instead falls- the act aborted.

When he answers, his voice is distant.]

Right. Sorry.
...I still got no idea what the hell to say.

[Zack's welcome to make what he wants of that, but it's not really a lack of feeling that leads to lack of words. More like too much. Far too much to articulate, let alone make neat and tidy.

And as they near the gate, and experience (obligatory) stares from chimeraphobe natives and even the rare stare from a native that doesn't like the idea of any monster all that much...]

I kind of hate the ceremony. It's cheesy as hell.

[ Even for someone like Zack, who doesn't struggle that much with expressing how he feels about his friends by actually using his words, he can understand Cloud's apprehension. Being put on the spot and told to deliver vows to someone, even if that someone is a person you care about -- it's a little awkward. Or, yeah, cheesy.

Zack's slightly distracted by the conversation when he notices the looks he's getting. This is par for the course any time that he enters the city, likely because they think it would be better if he remained at the outskirts, like so many other chimeras do. Zack knows it will only get worse as his monster traits become more obvious, but beyond sighing to himself, he doesn't comment on it. It's not like he'd be pointing out anything that Cloud doesn't already know.

At least monster-to-monster bonds are permitted in this place. With the way some people act, he wouldn't have been surprised if monsters were only allowed to bond to witches. ]

We can keep it brief... or as brief as they'll let it be, anyway. But I also don't mind doing most of the talking.

[ Once they're past the guards at the gates, Zack shifts closer to Cloud and wraps his arm around his shoulders as they walk. ]

Wanna do something after? We're gonna be in town anyway. We could grab a bite to eat or... I dunno, whatever sounds fun.

[That's more or less it, yeah. That, as well as the fact he's learned, by now, that promises, exchanges, vows, don't mean shit. They didn't mean anything when it came to Aerith vanishing. Or Nier. In both their cases, this world, and the life it gave, couldn't reverse death.

...Not that he knows the truth about Zack. It's something assumed, the fact he's alive. But as for what he does know...]

Reminds me of Nibelheim, before the reactor. The way the natives're looking at you. It's kind of like how the townspeople did back then.

[His memory's still spotty. Reduced to snippets of things post-experimentation. A banora white in his hand, nothing in his head. A motorcycle, watching some emotional exchange at a beach. Things that could just as easily be imagined or dreamt, once, just as likely as stemming from anything real. All leading to a giant gaping void, and seeing Tifa that one rainy day at the train station.

...It's fragmented.
But what he's talking about, before the reactor, that's all intact. Including unspoken, quiet concern at the little Zack had shown of his own struggles. Struggles which were perfectly represented in the way that Nibelheim's townspeople had stared at their procession from behind locked doors, windows. How Zack himself had come so close to breaking his facade in that inn room.

At the next round of stares (there were so many people in the city, after all) he stares one group in particular in the eye, his arm raising to Zack's wrist.

One might think that he would be about to shove his arm away, but instead, his hand grasps around his wrist, keeping his arm over his shoulders. His own spare one moves to curl around his back, holding him just as close as they walk.

It causes some whispers. The odd outraged sound. But. He doesn't break his gaze from them.]

Whatever this place is doing to you, you're still you. Just like back then. You're never not gonna be. So screw what they think. Screw what everyone thinks. You're not a monster. Of any kind.

[And. Once past that particular group of bigots, he keeps hold. No reason not to. As for the question... He's not feeling it. He's really not. But, he can't refuse him. Never will. Of all people, Zack's important.]

Yeah. There's some place in the center. May as well get something, and then see what's around.

Edited 2020-09-16 23:35 (UTC)

[ Now that Zack thinks back on it, the vibe is pretty similar to how it had been when they'd walked into Nibelheim. Not that he could really blame any of those folks for viewing representatives of Shinra with disdain, given their track record. Still, it comes down to the same thing: being judged based on a general belief rather than on the substance of your character.

Zack nods and sighs, though before he can say anything, Cloud grabs his wrist and curls his arm around, returning the favor. It's not what Zack would have expected, but as he realizes that they're being glared at yet again, he understands where it comes from. Cloud wants to make it clear to these people that he isn't going to shun him -- and is even going to make a point of the fact that they're in this together.

All done in silence, without outwardly calling these people out, but that's enough. They don't need to make a scene.

And the words Cloud speaks, not to mention the conviction with which he says them -- that touches Zack most of all. They walk a few more steps, and then a warm smile tugs at his lips. ]

You know, after going on about the vows, isn't that pretty much what you just did? [ He winks at Cloud. ] Not so hard after all.

[ As much as they might be gawked at, Zack refuses to just go hide away beyond the city limits. They're just as entitled to go out for a meal on the town as anyone else, and he won't let the people here make him believe anything different.

A pause, and then he clears his throat and adds: ] Thanks, though. It is nice, to hear it. [ Even for someone as geared toward being positive as Zack, all of the prejudiced behavior does wear him down at times. ]

...Ugh.

[Yeah, probably. What he just said does sound similar. On a surface level at least. But beyond that? It's nothing of the sort. Zack not being a monster, is a fact. Vows? Promising to look after someone, telling them it's going to be okay, like he did with Aerith? That's something he can't guarantee. No-one can. This world could decide tomorrow that it's through with either one of them. Regardless of what any of them promised each other. It's just how it is.

...But less about that. It's unspoken, unsaid, even if the look that marks his features is more pensive than ever.

But what is said, as they clear an archway into the coven's courtyard:]

You think the coven know more than what they're letting on? About how people come in here. About how they wind up leaving too. Blaming this planet for it seems...

[Bullshit.]

...I don't get why this planet'd give a damn about any of us. How it'd know us to get us here, or why it'd reverse things. A powerful group of magic-users? Seems more likely.

[ That frustrated grunt from Cloud is all the answer that Zack needs, and while his grin persists for a little longer as a result, he lets the subject drop there. They really don't need words to explain how important they are to each other, it's true, but he'll make sure to dredge some up anyway. Once they're in the midst of the ceremony.

Cloud decides to entirely change the subject, and while Zack could make some remark about how this sort of paranoid talk isn't very romantic, just for the sake of flustering his friend, he refrains. Mainly because he's wondered the same thing. ]

Guess it depends on how much the planet is... well, an entity that can make its own choices. Aerith could talk to the planet back home, right? It had... I dunno, some kind of will.

[ In truth, Zack still doesn't really understand it that well. ]

But you've interacted with the Coven more than I have. Have they done anything to make it seem like they're hiding something? Seems kind of strange that they had all those mirrors set up already, like they were just waiting for us to come through.

[ After being burned so badly by Shinra, Zack isn't willing to take anything at face value. The Coven seems to want to take care of them at least to some extent, but for what reason? Because they stand to gain something from it? ]

[Thanks for not mentioning that Zack, because yes. He would be flustered. Extremely so. But speaking of paranoia, since being flustered was not on the cards, he takes the opportunity, as they near the coven's building, to pause.

He stays away- far away- from any of the groups of mages lingering about the place before he answers.]

Aerith told me she felt something here. She couldn't talk to it though, barely even knew what it was. Something to do with... [...Man. How did Aerith even word things to all of them, back home? Even recounting what she said is hard.] ...She said she was a stranger to this place. That was how she didn't know. She knew there was something. But that's all.

[That over with... his voice lowers all the more to respond to Zack's query about the coven.]

Not really. Doesn't mean that there isn't anything though. I've been here... [....How long?] ...over 6 months. Other than the welcome basket, there's never been any opportunity to talk to anyone about any of it. Sometimes, we get paid for clearing out areas, or working as meatshields for their scientists. They don't say a damn word, either.

[ So there's something about this planet, though Aerith hadn't actually been able to determine much more than that. While it didn't really answer their question, it did mean that there was a chance that this world was responsible for bringing them here, rather than a specific group of people within it. Not that they could be sure either way, and Zack doesn't judge Cloud at all for having questions.

His pace also slows, not wanting to be overheard by anyone who's actually affiliated with the Coven. Zack hasn't had any unpleasant run-ins with Witches and has no reason to assume all of them are bad (that would make him no better than the people of this city who are distrustful of all monsters), but he also knows that this kind of talk probably wouldn't go over very well.

His hands slip into his pockets as he chew over Cloud's words, and then his shoulders slump with a sigh. It all sounds a little too familiar, like they're being kept on a need-to-know basis. And given the mountain of secrets that Shinra had been sitting on, it's possible there's something similar here. ]

Well, maybe we just need to ask them. Set up an audience with that Nessie lady or something. [ He turns his head to eye Cloud with one eyebrow ticked upward. ] Or do you think it's pointless?

[ Chances are one of the other Mirrorbound has already tried this, right? ]

[To the both of them, 'need-to-know' is it's own hell. To Cloud, it's disconcerting just how many of the people that were brought in seem to have taken it in their stride. Does that mean that it's just them that have a problem with all of it? ...Or is it something else?

Who knows.
But that's not the point.]

Tried already.

[He responds, in a manner that could very well be considered quite flat.]

Me and Sephiroth arrived about the same time. Both had the same idea before we even knew each other was here. Both of us got nowhere.

[ Normally, he'd leave that as that (as defeatist as it is.) But, since he's speaking with Zack...]

...Could always try again.

[ What Cloud has to say isn't much of a surprise to Zack. Even the detail about Sephiroth having the same idea doesn't shock him much. He would never go so far to say that Cloud and Sephiroth are anything alike, but soldiers think a certain way, don't they?

At the offer, Zack sighs and waves Cloud off. ]

Doubt it'd lead to anything different. I might have a cute face, but if Sephiroth wasn't able to intimidate them into saying anything, I don't think I'll be able to charm 'em into it.

[ It's a frustrating result, but if they want answers, they'll need to find some other way to get them. Maybe by finding others who are distrustful of the Coven, whether Mirrorbound or not, and questioning them.

A pause, and then Zack shrugs and nods to the building looming ahead of them. ]

So, you gonna stop stalling now?

[ It's time to get platonically married! ]

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