"--Genesis."
"Mm?" Genesis purred and glanced back to Angeal as he thumbed through the stack of bills again. "Yes?"
"Zack--my trainee. Have you seen him?"
"Zack? No, I'm afraid I don't know any of those."
Angeal narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Genesis, Zachary Fair." his stern tone certainly meant business, though the red-headed soldier was just a sure he could weather any amount of it.
Genesis blinked. "Fair?" he asked again.
"The puppy".
"OH!" Genesis chuckled and turned his attention back to his stack of bills. "--The puppy. Mm, yes... I've seen him."
"Where?" Angeal's patience was worn thin. He was a busy man today and Genesis was playing the wrench in the machine.
Genesis had tuned the other out again, already up on the back legs of the chair, with feet propped up on the desk ahead of him. It wasn't his office, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to exploit it to its fullest. "Where? I'm not sure."
"Genesis..."
"I'm sorry, were you saying--?"
Switch gears. "Where did you get all that money?"
"Do you want some? I'm sure some could be rightly considered yours."
That could not be a good sign. "Genesis--where did you--"
"It was a payment."
Angeal tapped his toe against the floor. "For?" This could not be good.
Genesis shrugged, a wide smile upon his lips. "Goods."
Dread. That was definitely dread settling deep in Angeal's stomach. "Genesis, you didn't sell Za--"
"You were late." Genesis replied.
Angeal glared. "I've been very busy and--"
"You were late. I kindly stepped in to act as his instructor." The wad of bills sounded like a flipbook-in-motion in Genesis's hands as he thumbed over the edge again. "Your little boy wasn't performing up to par and--"
"And--?"
Genesis laughed. "I've seen more intelligence in the stalls of a chocobo farm!"
"Genesis!" Angeal's arms went to his sides, fists clenched
Unperturbed, Genesis continued. "Let's just say that Fair fetched a pretty penny at Market. He's at a very... sweet place now... practically buzzing with commerce."
"Oh...Gaia."
Elsewhere in Midgar, it was an airmans' night out with the engineers and pilots of Shinra's air division out in full force. Students celebrated the end of exams, Officers celebrated new promotions, and a young a severely trashed Cid Highwind celebrated Shinra's decision to make him the first man into space.
"Have fun, Highwind! We paid your way all-night!"
"Say 'Hi' to the honeybees for us!"
Said drunken pilot laughed and stumbled as his friends shoved him forward into the Honeybee Inn. Tonight couldn't get any better, he was sure of it.
Then he was shown to his room.
"Who the hell are you?" Practically asked in unison (spare for the detail that Cid had said 'fuck', not 'hell', but that was a detail easily overlooked), a certain dark-haired SOLDIER stared the scruffy pilot down and visa versa.
"Look buddy--" Zack put his hands up and stepped back, careful not to back himself into a corner, or worse yet--up against the bed. Zack was a smart enough boy to know the worries of having drunken friends. There was nothing quiet like sharing barracks with horny SOLDIER boys--especially when drunk. So he knew full well the trouble he was in (especially considering the locked door behind his new friend). "I don't know what's going on here, but--"
"Look'ere--" The drunken pilot slurred. "We--I--my buddies paid good money fer' this here room and--"
Zack whined. It was going to be just one of those days.