[ When it came to taking jobs, Zack didn't ever think that literally selling pieces of himself might come into play. It takes the whole concept of "hired hand" to a whole new level, except in this case it's hired feathers.

Millie is bright, enthusiastic, and also interested in buying something from Zack that in fact costs him nothing. If it had been a non-Monster eyeing up his feathers like that, he might have taken more issue with it, but as things stand he doesn't see any harm in it. After studying his wings and the feathers in his hair and remarking on how she could make a beautiful chocolate-colored hat with them, he agreed he'd do what he could to help her.

And make a few easy cunes in the process. Win-win, right?

Which is how Zack finds himself sitting at a bench in a courtyard close to the shopping district, his body turned sideways so that his wings aren't crushed up against the back of the bench. For now, though, he's running his hands through his hair, searching for any feathers that are starting to get loose. He gives a small tug, though, and finds that he guessed wrong. This one isn't quite ready to come out yet. The jolt of pain causes him to sit up straight, his tail lashing. ]

... Ow.

[ He might be in need of some help. Or if anyone's concerned over a chimera trying to pull out his own feathers, maybe intervene? ]

[ By this point, Zack has come out to the slums to help the people here, many of them also chimeras, enough times that they recognize him by sight. Quite a few of them even know his name. This is one place in Aefenglom where he can go and his chimera parts actually make it easier to interact, rather than more difficult. Along with a genuine desire to help, that's the other reason that Zack will always take up jobs that bring him here. It's nice to not be eyed with suspicion and uncertainty everywhere he goes.

He's no healer or builder, but that doesn't mean that he can't help, and he finds ways to be of use based on his own skillset. Sometimes, that's as simple as offering support to the people who are administering treatments and casting healing spells, by dropping by with food or water so that they remember to take a break and build up their magical reserves again. Alternatively, he spends a lot of his time carrying supplies around. His enhanced strength is good for more than just fighting, as it turns out, and he'll be found carrying piles of lumber or crates filled with other supplies to the building site for the new hospital. If there is some basic task he can do on the actual construction, he'll do that too, whether it's holding something up to be hammered into place or anything else that might require some extra strength and elbow grease.

And then, of course, there's the obvious. If word comes that there's an infected creature of some sort that's strayed too close to the slums, he'll jump to his feet, ready to play exterminator as the situation demands.

Whether you're someone he's delivering supplies or aid to, or just a pest-control buddy, he'll be ready with a friendly smile and a greeting. You're all in this together, after all. ]

[ Given Zack's less than pleasant experiences with the Evergreen Circle (that is, getting captured and experimented on and purposefully infected with the Cwyld by them), it's likely no one would judge him for no longer wanting to venture out into the Wilde. But after his experiences in the Underground and delving into the depths of the Cwyldheart, he's pretty sure he's faced his fears by this point.

Not that he was really scared in the first place, but the fact remains that the sinking feeling in his stomach is no longer there, as he prepares himself to press deeper into the Wilde.

There's been talk of a nest of Cwyld activity about a mile northeast of the Northern Outpost, and Zack's signed up to go eradicate it. What exactly he'll find there, he's not sure, but he's prepared for a fight. There's really no other way it could go.

Difficult as this work might be, it's important. They need to reclaim as much of this land as they can, and so he won't let any of his own hang-ups hold him back.

He turns to his partner for the job, whether it's someone he planned to do this with or someone he got paired up with once he arrived here. They'll need to have each other's backs for this, and so he wants to start things off on the right foot. ]

You ready for this? Need to grab anything before we head out?

[ For any questions or additional plotting, feel free to reach out at demonology or on discord @ demonology#1725! You can also refer here for a quick listing of all of Zack's monster changes. ]