Cloud was done.

He was tired, no, exhausted.

This whole mission was grating on his nerves. No, wait, that isn't quite right. The entirety of this DAY was grating on him. It's almost like the universe suddenly decided that it hates him!

What had started off as a relatively innocuous day had quickly taken a turn for the worse in the mid-morning. Two cadets as gotten into a fight over who knows what and Cloud had the misfortune of being not liked very much by them and in the same room. Long story short, he had managed to land punishment while the others got off scot-free. They weren't even in the same bunker as him! Why the hell should he get latrine duty just for being in the vicinity of a couple of idiots!?

That's not even the end of it, if you can believe.

No, in fact, next was the load of crap during the post-lunch weapons training. Apparently, he had 'acted out' (he coughed, thank you.) enough to warrant being taken down a peg or two by his supposed peers. And by being taken down a peg or two, he of course means getting his ass beaten under the guise of training. The walks to-and-from the infirmary involved a lot of grumbling under his breath.

Especially when his best friend Zack, bless his heart, found him on the way back. If there was one thing to be grateful for on this godforsaken day, Cloud mused, it's that Zack hadn't found him before he got healed up. His friend could be such a mother hen sometimes, and it'd be forever before he left him alone. At any rate, after listening to Cloud recount the day and complain about the unfairness of the universe, Zack had offered to take him along on a mission to give him some time away from all the others.

Cloud could at least appreciate the thought behind it. However, what had seemed like a pleasant enough suggestion at first, - after all, it was just a monster hunt through the slums, and as a cadet Cloud could really use the experience, - had soon enough turned into yet another nuisance.

Case and point, their current conversation.

"-So, I looked through the Silver Elite pages, and I actually managed to find what shampoo Seph uses!" Zack rambled on, not even looking back to make sure Cloud was paying attention. He was trying not to. "Anyway, I kinda wanna try to see if I can find where they sell it, and see if anyone notices if I start using it. Whaddya think, Spikey?"

"Do whatever, Zack. I don't really think anyone would, and even if they did, I don't think they'd care." Cloud replied half-heartedly. He didn't really think we was supposed to egg Zack on with any of his so-called pranks, even if they seemed rather pointless. Especially if they have anything to do with Sephiroth. Masamune wasn't so pointless.

"Hey, you are seriously underestimating a SOLDIER's nose, okay? Enhanced senses mean all senses." Zack said, and gestured with his hands for emphasis. "And, okay, most probably wouldn't care. I'll give you that. But! You know who would possibly maybe care?" He turned back to Cloud expectantly.

"Commander Rhapsodos?"

"Yup!" Zack nodded and turned back forward, not noticing Cloud's sigh. "If anyone would notice and make a fuss about it, it would have to be Gen. And his reactions to everything are priceless!"

Cloud shook his head as his friend continued talking, and tuned out of the conversation as soon as he started trying to do impressions of the Commander in question. Cloud loved his friend - really, he did! Zack was the first, and so far only, person to bother to talk to him outside of the degrading comments and insults the other cadets sometimes threw his way. Zack was the one who took the time to get to know him, and even offered to train him some when they had the free time. Cloud couldn't possibly ask for a better friend. That said, however, his friend did require a certain amount of patience in order to be around.

Patience that had already been worn rather thin earlier that day.

"Zack, aren't we supposed to be looking for something?" Cloud cut his friend off in the middle of a sentence that had long since been classified as senseless chatter at that point. Zack looked back at him and rubbed his neck.

"Heh, day still rubbing ya wrong, buddy? Sorry." He grinned sheepishly and Cloud tried not to feel guilty that he'd snapped at him. It didn't work.

"It's fine, just. . . Can we get this mission done with? I'm pretty tired." Cloud rubbed the side of his face. Zack looked at him oddly for a moment, thinking. Then he nodded as if coming to a decision.

"Right! Let's get this done quick. And then," He drew the word out, "I want to take you to meet someone. I think you might need it. That okay with you?" He tilted his head to the side, waiting for Cloud's input.

Cloud blinked and looked at his friend's expectant face. He had originally planned to grab a quick dinner in the mess and immediately sleep the world away in his bunk, ready to get this day over and done with. However, Zack was really pulling out the puppy dog eyes on him. Whoever this person was, Zack really, really wanted them to meet. And, hey, Cloud thought, if it encouraged Zack to get this done quicker. . .

Cloud sighed, resigned. "Alright. As long as we're done in time for dinner." Zack pumped his fist in the air, then turned back and shot him a huge grin.

"Trust me Spikey, you won't regret it! Alright, c'mon! Our targets should be around Sector 6." With that, Zack walked off and waved a hand for Cloud to follow.

Cloud laughed quietly to himself. If letting Zack introduce him to all his other friends encouraged him to be more efficient, then Cloud would've let him done so a lot sooner. Well, maybe not. Zack had some weird friends.

Which only led Cloud to wonder who Zack wanted to show him. He seemed to really want them and Cloud to meet, almost desperately. And Zack tended to make friends rather easily, to Cloud could only guess what this one must be like. He hoped they were at least a little bit normal. Hopefully not like that Reno guy. Ignoring the fact that the guy's a Turk, Reno's pretty. . . eccentric, for lack of a better term. Cloud had only met him a handful of times, and for all his slouching, he had a pretty dangerous vibe around him. Cloud hoped this other person wasn't anything like him. Then again, Zack's personality seemed to get along eerily well with one like Reno's.

Cloud gulped. Was it too late to back out?

He shook his head. He was being stupid, he decided, and needlessly paranoid. Zack knew that Reno made him kind of uncomfortable, so surely he wouldn't take Cloud to meet a guy like that. Especially when he'd already been having such a crummy day. For as clueless as Zack seemed, he wasn't a Second Class SOLDIER for nothing, and he tended to have an excellent judge of character. So, really, Cloud had nothing to worry about. He had no reason to distrust Zack, if anything, it was a bit of an insult to his friend to worry like he did. This person would be pretty nice, and the meeting would go fine.

And even if it didn't, at least the mission would be done early.

That in mind, Cloud set off to catch up to his friend where he'd fallen behind.