Zack was ten minutes late to the testing.
He was supposed to be monitoring the new potential candidates and assessing their aptitudes during the exam. Part of his duties as a newly minted Second-Class Soldier. Truthfully he was only supposed to be sitting in on the third and final day. To get used to command Lazard said. But he got caught up helping a little old lady cross the street on his way here. She had, like, a dozen grocery bags she was trying to jungle as she walked. He couldn't in good conscience leave her by herself! Once they were on the other side she insisted on treating him to a snack at her bakery shop out of gratitude. And it would be rude of him not to accept such hospitality, his mother wouldn't forgive him if he did.
But now here he was, trying to haul ass across three flights of stairs as he scarfed down his donuts. Those new candidate assessments tend to run overtime, so hopefully the Soldier could at least catch the tail end of it all. It wouldn't be what Angel, his mentor, would have wanted, but it still counted. Right?
He was actually making pretty good time! A few more steps before he ran up to the correct floor. The one he should have been on two hours ago. But oh well. Bursting through the steel doors, he sprinted down the corridor to the training arena. The testing was happening on the far side of the building but at his pace he could make it. He was almost there!
Only to turn to the corner and run into a blonde human-sized roadblock.
The collision nearly sent both of them sprawling on the hallway floor. Well, him almost before his reflexes kicked in. The kid definitely got laid out, even sliding a few feet away. That looked like it hurt! Zack really hoped he didn't just kill a civilian. Genesis liked to joke that the Turks would hide any bodies that came from accidentally using too much of their enhanced strength. After years of still adjusting to his new powers and looking at the prone form, he wasn't sure how much of that was in jest now.
Thankfully the not-cadaver groaned in pain. Thank Titan, he was alive! Crisis averted, the real questions needed to be asked. What was he doing just standing there in the middle of a hallway?!
"My bad, buddy," Zack apologized, pulling out his healing materia and kneeling down to help the kid up. Brushing some imaginary dirt off the fella's clothes and casting a quick Cure, the brunette gave the blonde a once-over. He didn't look outwardly injured, just very dazed from the head bonking he took. But better safe than sorry. "Didn't mean to give you the head trauma, I was trying to make it to the Soldier exams. Or at least make it in to see the last few recruits. Wasn't trying to kill you, honest. And not to blame you or anything but why were you just standing there?"
Blonde seemed to finally blink the stars out of his eyes, because he focused on the older teen.
"Whoa! You're a Soldier!" Blondie exclaimed, apparently not having heard his question. Which was fair. From the slight wobble in his stance, the older teen was lucky that his new acquaintance could even form sentences. Maybe they should go to the infirmary? "The exams are over already, sir. I was the last one to get tested today. But they said they were gonna open the doors again tomorrow for the final day." He supplied promptly.
Tomorrow was the last day?
"Is tomorrow sunday?!" Zack asked this angel in disguise hopefully, grabbing at his shoulders.
If that was true, then today was supposed to be his day off and short-stuff just saved him the embarrassment of bursting into the meeting room. He felt relief flooding into him before icy dread replaced it. It being Saturday was good for him career wise, it meant he wasn't going to get another lecture about his tardiness from Angel. He admired the man but if the First-Class tried to draw imaginary correlations between his honor and lateness again, Zack just might go home to Gongaga.
If it was a day sooner than he thought, that however, was terrible for his social life. The older teen was supposed to have picked up that cute receptionist in the main lobby for a date, right on the dot after her shift was over. The brunette had been working on her for the last three months in order to get her to say yes. Looking through the high-rise windows and seeing the darkening horizon, that might have been an hour ago. On his PHS was four missed calls and three messages.
Well shit.
"Yes, sir! It's August 29 today, sir!" Spikey snapped to attention, caught off guard by the outburst and throwing up a very unpracticed salute. Judging by the smile on the blonde's lips, at least one of them was having a good day.
"Um, thanks buddy. I'm Zack by the way, Zack Fair." The Second-Class belatedly introduced himself. Better late than never, he decided, plus it would be nice to call him something other than blonde, spikey or short-stuff. The taller teen didn't think the other boy would appreciate the descriptors, especially not the last one. "You a new cadet? Didn't think they gave out the results that fast to the newbies. They usually try to make you sweat it out for a couple of days. And please drop the salute, you're gonna give me a hernia."
"Cloud Strife, sir." Cloud said, hesitantly dropping his arm back to his side. He kept that bright smile on his face though, as he lifted the piece of paper he was looking at earlier for Zack to see. "And yeah! The panel gave me the results of my testing before I left. Said I passed with flying colors and wanted to get me started with training right away!"
"Hey! Congrats spikey!" Zack said with full enthusiasm, glancing over the paper. Any new cadet was a cause for celebration. Although seeing how young Cloud was, he couldn't help but feel some remorse at the hard time the newbie was going to experience. Getting in the programme was going to inevitably attract disdain from the older recruits and Soldiers.
The ones who had to wait years to get in. The ones who had to go through the regular army first, before being allowed to retake the test. The ones who made Zack's life in the barracks hell, before he started busting lips in response.
"Thank you, sir!" The blonde beamed in pride, his smile getting even bigger than the country boy thought possible. "It's always been my dream to become a Soldier, just like my hero Sephiroth. Not to brag, but this might be the biggest thing to happen to my village since they built our mako reactor fifty years ago. My ma gonna have a heart attack when she hears!"
The Soldier blinked for a minute at the verbal onslaught. Cloud might not have realized it but he was damn near slurring his words from how fast he was talking. Zack's mind, only understanding some of what was said. Although there were some words that definitely caught his interest.
"Village? Reactor? You a country boy?" Zack asked curiously.
It wasn't often someone from the sticks made their way to Midgar, and actually succeeded in becoming a cadet. The literacy comprehension test that they put you through was tough, washing out at least half of the potentials. The former Gongagian only passed that portion of the exam by answering all C's on the multiple choice. It was like Shinra intentionally used local lingo to make things difficult. And a mental evaluation that put the final nail in the coffin for the rest. It was like the questions made it their life goal to try and be confusing. Seriously, who cares if you should save the scientist or the military officer first? Just help them both.
Zack just wanted to fight and be a hero.
"Yeah, I'm from Nibelheim on the eastern continent." Cloud said proudly, chest puffing up. Zack couldn't help but laugh at that answer. He's never heard of that place. And that was saying something. Especially after Angeal spent the last three months trying to drill every important location on Gaia into his spikey head. At the hurt expression on the younger teen's face, he quickly scrambled to explain himself.
"Sorry, I wasn't making fun of you." The brunette said, trying to placate his new friend. Think before you act stupid. It was a problem that had plagued the teenager growing up in Gongaga. He'd offend the other kids and adults by speaking his mind, but not considering how it sounded out loud. Social etiquette, his mom would try to drill into him. He was still trying to work on it. "It's just… I never heard of Nibelheim before. That's how you know you're really from the country, when no one even knows where your town is!"
"Oh yeah? And where are you from? Midgar?" Cloud asked hotly, trying to hide his anger. Very poorly at that.
Grinning at his new junior, Zack let him in on the joke. "I'm from Gongaga."
"Never heard of it."
"Exactly!" Zack said excitedly. Stomach cramping a little from trying to hold back his laughter, and getting the words out. "It's no-where's ville. A tiny, sleepy village located near the jungles of the western continent. Best known for its mushrooms and nothing else. Also an old reactor town, though ours blew up. And that made me THE country kid in the big city." He continued to chuckle, pointing a finger at Cloud. "Well at least, before you I hope. Please tell me that you only had one general store."
"It did." The cadet said with a grin. Finally understanding the joke, as his shoulders relaxed. "And one clinic, whose doctor I'm pretty sure used to be a forest witch. One school, where all the grades got crammed into a single classroom. One road that cut through the town, for people to get to all the places they actually wanted to be."
Ha! Now he was getting it.
"That's nothing! The one road in my village literally stopped dead in the town square." Zack laughed, enjoying poking fun at the shortcomings of their town. "The only visitors we ever got were tourists checking out the explosion site or lost travelers who took a wrong turn. Otherwise you'd skip past the whole place. Some maps don't even have us marked down as a location."
"That is pretty bad." Cloud said, with a smirk. "You might have to keep your crown as the resident country expert. The undisputed bumpkin king. I might even need to pick your brain on the best ways to chop wood or care for sick farm animals, if this Soldier thing doesn't work out."
"You punk. I open up about the horrors of my childhood and this is what I get!" Zack guffawed, in mock anger. He reached over to put the shorter teen in a headlock, and rub his head. "You're in for it now. Now you gotta stick by me until I come up with a suitable punishment for this insubordination. And it will be harsh! Let's brainstorm. Perhaps I'll have you do about a hundred laps in the training simulator? Eat a dozen hot peppers for one meal? Maybe make you give me the grand tour of Nibelheim, and show me the legendary one store?"
"Cruel and unusual man!" Cloud cracked up, futility fighting his grip.
"But you're in luck. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you a stay of execution." The brunette announced beingly, loosening his hold but keeping an arm around Cloud's neck. "I'll even help you celebrate passing your exams. Are you hungry? What am I saying, of course you're hungry. The panel probably had you jumping through hoops, both literally and figuratively. Let me show you this great seafood place. Authentic Costa Del Sol cuisine, or so they say. Never actually been to the city."
"Yeah, that'd be great!" Cloud agreed excitedly, letting himself get dragged along to the nearest elevator. After a moment, he asked. "Can my girlfriend come with?"
"Girlfriend? How long have you been in the city?" Zack joked heartily, as he hit the button for the lift. The Sea Coral restaurant had become his new favorite lunch spot ever since Kunsel first mentioned it. And wouldn't shut up about it. He finally caved and tried it out. The servings were heaven incarnate. For once, the other man's pickiness with food actually benefited others. Made the teen want to take a vacation to the seaside city sometime in the future. "Temptation hit you fast, brother. Please tell me you haven't been to the chocobo race tracks already."
"It's not like that." Cloud argued, having given up trying to knock the bigger man's arm off his shoulder. "She's from Nibelheim too."
"Whoa, you dragged your hometown sweetheart to the city? All on the off chance you'd make it into Soldier?" Zack asked, looking at him incredulously. They stepped through the sliding doors, punching in the button for the lobby. "Super ballsy of you. I can respect it. Go big or go home, as they say."
"I don't think I really had a choice in the matter." Cloud admitted. He blushed a little at revealing the fact that he didn't wear the pants in the relationship, but pushed forward bravely. "Tifa's very take charge. Knows what she wants and goes for it. And you learn to follow her lead. Which makes sense, since her dad is the mayor of our village. Authority probably just runs in her veins. The moment she found out I wanted to become a Soldier, she started planning our trip to Midgar."
"She kinda sounds like my mom." Zack noted absentmindedly, watching the floor numbers count down. Shit! He completely forgot that his stood up date was on the first floor. She sometimes did overtime, and considering her weekend plan was standing in an elevator, the girl might still be here. Although as he looked down at Cloud, if she was maybe he could salvage this. "And I'm totally cool with her coming. Maybe as we eat, you two can explain to me how you ugly mug got a girlfriend, when I'm still painfully single."
"I'm still trying to figure that out myself." Cloud said, sheepishly. "There were literally a dozen other guys fighting for her attention. And they were not happy when they found pout we were together. I thought one of them might end up murdering me in my sleep."
Ding!
And there his date was, typing furiously away at her keyboard, an angry look maring her face. She was giving an aura that said, voilence was a question and the answer was yes.
"Hey buddy, I know we just met like five minutes ago, but would you mind doing me a favor?" Zack asked seriously, hoping to Titan Cloud said yes, as they stepped out to reception. Seeing the hesitant nod, he took the plunge. "So, I might have accidentally ghosted a girl for a date. Usually I would come crawling on my belly asking for forgiveness, maybe even a second chance. Thing is, that date was supposed to be today." Looking over at the offended party, who hadn't noticed them yet. "And that's her, the one working the check-in desk. Wounds are a little fresh. This is a confrontation I was not ready for."
"What did you need me to do?" Cloud asked slowly.
"Alright, so this is going to be a bit of a complicated plan." Zack said, looking the blonde in the eyes. The gears in his head were already turning, trying to finalize the details of 'Operation: Don't Get Slapped'. "Please hold all questions till the end."
Cloud looked like he was already regretting his decision.
000
Stepping out of the Public Records office, TIfa gave a big stretch, trying to work out all the kinks in her back. Feeling the satisfying pops in her spine, the young teenager was happy to be over and done with this part of her day. Spending the last two hours filing her and Cloud's marriage certificate with all the right authorities nearly made her want to slam her head into a wall. Really, why did she need to triplicate everything? Or send copies to both the Midgardian government offices and the Shinra Domestic office? Weren't they one and the same?
The power company was trying too hard, in all the useless ways possible, at pretending they don't already rule the city. The only saving grace was Tifa being able to cut through some of the red tape by pretending they were already married under Nibelheim law. Total bullshit of course. There was no such thing. But these city folk weren't going to waste their time researching small country village traditions.
And the fact that she knew how to forge her husband's signature, cemented the lie. Earlier, she had Cloud sign his name on a fake document for her reference. It did concern Tifa a little that he signed it without even reading through the fake words she typed on it. Hopefully it was because he trusted her, and wasn't going to repeat that with strangers. Still, that was a conversation or later. The officials hardly batted an eye when she came back twenty minutes later, paperwork all filled out.
But man was it a hassle! Was this what her mama had to deal with when she was running the village for papa in the shadows?
If so, then her father was a lucky man to have such a patient woman in his corner, making life easier.
Taking a look at her newly purchased PHS, Tifa realized she still had some daylight to burn before Cloud's Cadet exams ended. Not even noon yet. A little over an hour to herself, before she congratulated him on a job well done. Maybe the brunette should spend some time actually looking for a place to live? After all, they couldn't spend all their time in a hotel, it'd drain their savings unnecessarily. She had to decide carefully though, it wouldn't just be a place to rest their heads after a long day, but where they'd establish themselves too.
Maybe it was a little greedy of her to want a glamorous life as a Soldier's spouse and personal influence in the city, but she couldn't help it! Unless she got a normal job, there wasn't much to preoccupy her time when Cloud was training. And with the amount of money her blonde was going to bring in, she'd just be spinning her wheels working in an office. But just staying at home and eating snacks all day would drive her crazy. The luxury was already guaranteed but where was the challenge? Something for her to strive towards?
So, a project was needed.
As she watched her mother and father give an unfortunate merchant a dressing down, inspiration struck her like a lightning bolt. Why not follow the long tradition of the women of her family? Influential women pulling the strings in the shadows of their powerful husbands. Ruling over their little slice of the world. In their youth, Thea had almost single handedly won her then fiance the mayorship votes, despite the opposition at the time. Brian Lockhart was a bit of a weirdo in his younger years, and people didn't have a whole lot of faith in him to do well. Now the two of them ruled Nibelheim undisputed.
Well, mainly her mother.
And Tifa could do better. She would do better. Thea Lockhart took a village, Tifa Strife would tske a city. The brunette would bring all of Midgar and Shinra under her and Cloud's thumb. Become the premier power couple in this metal monstousity. If it wasn't so tacky, she could even imagine them wearing crowns. They just needed a place to live first.
But up top or down below?
Tifa's first instinct would be up top. It was cleaner and safer, if more expensive. And where all the authority was. The place where all the real power players in the city gathered to rub shoulders and make deals. Unfortunately that also meant that the new had no place among them to make any moves, being a new arrival. And no leverage to integrate herself to those circles. On paper she was just a country bumpkin with no connections. Being the wife of a Soldier was nothing to turn your nose up at, but Cloud wouldn't be a real Soldier for years. Unless he made exceptional strides on the battlefield or showed high success on missions, that would be the long road.
And Tifa wanted power now.
Everything below the plate was gross, the sights and smell an offense to her senses. And Nibelheim is a farming community, so that was saying something. From what Tifa saw on the trip during their arrival, the people were destitute and barely had the time to spare a thought for anything besides their own problems. They slum people were resilient, otherwise they wouldn't have survived this long, but also just going through the motions to survive. They lacked structure. That told the brunette that there was an opportunity. A power vacuum that her and Cloud could claim, and establish a power base. It wouldn't be the usual method one would take to socially climb in Midgar, but as the path least traveled, they'd have less competition.
But which sector in the slum? Who among them lacked leadership?
This would require research; Tifa needed to know crime statistics, population size, noteable events, etc. Already a plus in the city's favor, they had a thing called a library. Where some of that knowledge would be readily available to the public for perusal. It wouldn't be super accurate, since some it would be heavenly doctored by Shinra to make themselves look better, but it was a start. And way more convenient than having to sneak into her parent's office and trying to find the right documents under the cover of night.
Roughly an hour later, Tifa left Migar Citystate University's public library. Her head abuzz with everything she learned. Both useful and useless. Go fighting Catuars.
Sector 7. Her and Cloud were going to live in sector 7.
As she made her way back to the main Shinra building to meet up with her husband, Tifa was feeling pretty confident in her decision on where they were going to establish their new home. 2 through 5 seemed to have surprisingly strong leadership. They had the biggest populations but the lowest crime. A lot of infrastructure was in place – such as schools, clinics, citizen militias, even an orphanage. By all accounts, they were living in what passed for a model community in the slums. Good for them, not so great for Tifa or her plans.
6 and 8 also had leadership as well but not the good kind. These were the places only the desperate, degenerate, or opportunistic came to. Those territories were variable crime dens, prostitution and gambling being the most lawful activities offered. The worst offered should've gotten them incarcerated for life in a just world. Or summarily executed. And Shinra patrol activity was noticeably absent through it all. Which meant, either they were so bad that even the electric company felt they weren't worth the effort to commit resources…. Or that a deal was struck behind closed doors. Neither options was encouraging. Compiled with everything else she learned, they were struck off as potential homes for the newlyweds.
The less said about sector 1 the better. The place had almost no information about it, like its history was scrubbed squeaky clean. Which spoke volumes. One of the few things she was able to find was a series of missing people reports. Almost a hundred of them in the last year alone. And not a single follow up investigation before a death declaration and a case closed. Yet no bodies were offered to the families. It smelled of conspiracy or heavy handed cover ups. What was actually happening to the poor people caught up in that deathtrap, would surely even give her nightmares. Tifa was already vowing to herself that she and Cloud would never ever go to that sector if they could help it.
7 was a surprisingly nice breath of fresh air compared to the rest. Its crime rate wasn't great but expected for a population of their size. Even better, most of it was just petty thievery or larceny, generally nothing violent. No public buildings, except for one preschool. The closest thing to community leadership was the Neighborhood Watch, which by all accounts, was purely volunteer based. On top of that, public security was known to make the rounds among the people, and even had a small office there. Hopefully, it meant there was no foul play or under the table deals happening. Though, Tifa would need to put in some leg work at some point to establish what was fact or fiction.
But so far, everythings she read was encouraging.
Thinking over what she was going to tell Cloud and his part in her plans, she scanned the outside of the building for her blonde. Tifa spotted him quickly enough, chocobo hair acting as a bright yellow beacon. He was off to the side of the parking lot, arguing with some dark haired man. Or at least her neighbor was arguing, the bigger man was making placating gestures. Who in the crusty mountains was that? As she got closer, dread started to fill her. The brunette had to blinked for a moment, before taking in the details. The mystery person had a big sword strapped to his back, eyes glowing even from this distance, and he wore a Soldier's uniform!
A little afraid that her husband was already making enemies with someone he can't handle, Tifa crept closer. She mentally prepared herself to hit the stranger as a distraction, while Cloud ran for his life.
She was twenty feet away, hidden behind a car. Tifa took a second to pick up a rock and take quick breaths to hype herself up before she rushed in. What a terrible first day in the city! That boy couldn't have waited till after he got his enhancements to start trouble!? But as she stepped around the vehicle, body tense and weapon clenched, the men started laughing. Her mind short circuited before rebooting. What the hell! Cloud caught her eye as she was standing there, waving at her excitedly and gesturing for her to come closer. Hesitantly she started walking over, but hid her stone near the fold of her skirt.
Just in case.
"Tifa! I did it, I passed!" Cloud said excitedly, closing the last distance between them. He hugged her tight, before letting go and shoving a piece of paper under her nose. His enthusiasm was infectious. She'd forgive him this time for almost giving her a paper cut. Using her non-rock hand, she held the paper steady in order to read it. Word after word, her smile grew wider. He did it! But of course, he did. She had helped him every step of the way after all, as a good wife should. Still, it was a relief to have physical proof of his accomplishment.
"Congratulations, sweetie! I knew you could do it." Tifa gushed, leaning in to give him a firm kiss. But not for too long. They were in public, after all. No need for people to think they were deviants. A more appropriate reward was reserved when they had privacy. And a nice soft bed. "Let's go celebrate, and you can tell me all about how the exams went down. My big Soldier! We should call or write to Claudia soon, to tell her the good news."
Cloud was nodding vigorously at her words, before a cough jolted them for their little world.
"Oh, I totally spaced! Tifa, this is my friend Zack." Cloud introduced, gesturing to the big man, who she realized was actually a teenager. Maybe a few years older than them? Was he a new recruit turned Soldier? It was possible. Most men made their initial attempt at the programme in their late teens and early twenties. Or after they spent some time in the regular army. Her husband applying at fourteen and getting in on the first try was rather exceptional. "He's also in Soldier. A fully fledged Second-Class!"
A Second-Class!? Her stone was starting to feel a little flimsy in her hand now. She tried to discreetly drop the useless thing behind her. Hopefully they were too distracted to hear the thunk.
"Zack, this is my girlfriend Tifa." Cloud said proudly, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Girlfriend? Oh, that's right. He doesn't know they're married now. She had been waiting till they got to the city to tell him everything. And she did! Or at least most of it. Some details got postponed, due to them rushing to find a train to the top. Must have slipped her mind to clue him in on that part. Oh, well. The brunette was sure he wouldn't mind. She was Tifa Lockhart, after all! Plus, it was always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
"Nice to meet you, miss! Zack Fair of Gongaga at your service." The Soldier said, with an exaggerated bow before sticking out his right hand.
Tifa was confused. Why did he just reintroduce himself? Cloud had already named them to each other. She glanced over to see what the blonde thought of this. But he didn't seem fazed. Both of them also had stupid grins on their faces as they stared at her. And Gongaga? What kind of hick town name was that? Were they related to Gongaga mushrooms somehow? But that couldn't be possible. There were no towns anywhere near the jungles they reportedly grew from. She would know, she checked the maps.
Still, they kept looking at her in anticipation. She'd play along for now.
"TIfa Lockhart of Nibelheim, Uh …. also at your service." She said politely, shaking the proffered appendage. She almost bowed too, not sure if it might be some weird city greeting. The brunette didn't though, having not seen anybody else do such a thing. The spiky brunette might just be a weirdo, after all. No need to cause a social faux pas. "I'm sorry Zack, I don't think I've ever heard of Gongaga. Don't remember seeing it on a map before either. Where is it located?"
At this simple question, both boys began laughing their heads off.
What the heck was up with these idiots?
000
Usually, Cloud is never very comfortable at social gatherings.
It's typically stifling. He never knows the kids his age well enough to talk to them at these things, and they probably don't want to talk to the weird Strife kid. And forget saying anything to the adults, he was liable to put his foot in his mouth and make everyone uncomfortable. The few he does, are constantly surrounded by other people. In those instances, Tifa or…. his ma. Cloud does want to have those conversations and enjoy himself but, well, it's hard. He clams up or starts thinking of worst case scenarios. This had led to a lot of moments of standing in corners by himself or taking long walks to get rid of his nervous energy. Occasionally eating food to keep himself busy and mix things up a bit.
His ma calls it social anxiety.
But sitting in this fancy city restaurant; eating good food, laughing at a joke Zack just told and arm snug around Tifa's shoulder, the cadet thinks that maybe he's cured. The blonde knows what to say when the conversation is aimed in his direction. His heart isn't trying to beat out of his chest, it actually feels warm and full. His worries are the last thing on his mind, only positive thoughts rattle around his skull. Cloud feels confident, relaxed,... comfortable.
If he knew this was the end result, he would have run away from home years ago.
"So basically you were too chickshit to confront this girl, and you forced poor Cloud to help in your escape." Tifa asked incredulously, even as she grinned hearing their earlier antics. "And I still don't understand your plan. I get Cloud faking a heart attack to distract her, but why didn't you just sneak out when no one was looking? Why did you have to pretend to be a paramedic and save his life?"
"One I wasn't pretending to be anything. And two, because Lockhart, it was a multi-layered plan," Zack explained patiently, as if he didn't make up half the plan on the spot. Cloud knew better. The older teen kept changing the details last minute, even as he was explaining it to the blonde in the lobby. "Layer one was to avoid the conversation, cause I am a gentle soul and didn't want to get slapped. Layer two was to get me in her good graces, to begin the forgiving process. Which would also prevent me from getting slapped. And layer three, was to get her to swoon for my selfless act and score myself a redo date." He finished, stabbing his fork into his fried fish. "Due to my genius, all three layers were accomplished."
"If you were so successful, then why were you two arguing when I arrived?" She challenged, taking a bite out of her own dish. It was the meat of some strange bug creature, with red armor. It kind of looked like a big crayfish, if it was on steroids and ate small animals for breakfast.
"Zack wasn't kidding when he said he's not a paramedic." Cloud jumped in, ready to recount his part of the story. "He had no idea what to do for a person experiencing cardiac arrest. Made a big show of crying over my body and checking for vitals but nothing else. Then, when someone said they were gonna call a doctor, he panicked. So, he tried to resuscitate me instead. Nearly caved my chest in trying to give me palpitations."
"You two didn't kiss, did you?" Tifa asked casually, while playing with her fork. But Cloud could see her hand turning white with how hard she was clutching it. He shot a kick into the older boy's shin.
"No, no! I guarantee your boy is as pure as you left him this morning. I'm no homewrecker." Zack reassured her, raising a hand in solemn oath, even as he grinned. Pointing his utinsel back at Cloud he continued. "And you, stop being such a big baby! That was hours ago and what's a few bruises between friends? I'll have you know I once broke an arm for a complete stranger. Not because I was helping them or anything, but my defense still stands."
"Maybe I could get behind that…. if you didn't also punch me in the chest, screaming 'Live Child!'" The blonde grumbled. He rubbed his chest a little at the memory. It was still sore! ""And it happened thirty minutes ago."
"Well, you lived didn't you?"
"I wasn't dying!"
"Desert?"
All three heads snapped up to look at the nervous waitress giving them a weak smile. How long had she been standing there? Glancing around a bit, Cloud noticed that their rather loud conversation had attracted the attention of the other customers. Their not so secretive audience kept sending them curious side glances. Yikes! He didn't realize their group had been getting so disruptive.
"Absolutely!" Zack said brightley, recovering first. "We'll take three of the house specials, please. And we're ready for the check."
"Coming right up." The waitress confirmed, as they watched her walk away.
"You guys are gonna love this one, they make it right in front of you!" Zack informed them, mining cooking motions. "They set up a grill right by the table and add a little showmanship flare, as they toss the ingredients around."
That actually sounded pretty cool.
Cloud was glad that the spiky brunette had taken charge in ordering for the new arrivals. Tifa hadn't heard of half of these dishes before, and he wasn't sure what some of the words on the menu even meant! Getting to pick and choose your meal was a novel experience for the cadet. At home, he had some choice in what his ma made of course, but it usually revolved around the same tried and true. Here, the sheer variety of options presented had almost sent him into panic. Thankfully Zack seemed to understand their plight and ordered everything at the table for them.
"So, what can Cloud expect once he starts training?" Tifa asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin and settling deeper into his shoulder. "Any tips and tricks you could give us would be most appreciated."
"Mmh, not really much to say." Zack mused, leaning back as he thought over his own experiences. "A whole lot of physical conditioning, so they can set a baseline for before and after enhancement. Getting you used to the different types of weapons we have, mainly swords, but the occasional gun or mecha too. Basic strategies and tactics, so you're not just wandering around the battlefield like a headless chicken. The more advanced stuff is for when you become a Third Class." He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to think of anything else. "And injections. A lot of injections. Mainly mako, but a few other experimental stuff as well."
"And what other stuff are we talking about?" Cloud questioned, not sure how he felt about putting more random stuff in his body besides mako. "How experimental are we talking?"
"That's company secret, you gotta be higher up on the food chain to be in the know." Zack said professionally, before swinging his gaze side to side. Seeing no one paying attention to them, he leaned closer with a grin and lowered his voice to a whisper. They leaned in too. "My mentor told me it's something called G-Cells. Some type of compound that's supposed to help the mako safely mutate you. So you know, only super strength and speed. No tentacles."
"So that's how they do it." Tifa muttered to herself. Cloud could see her mentally filing this information for later. It was scary sometimes how much of a conversation his girlfriend would memorize, only to use that knowledge at the most unexpected times. She still brought the one time he said his back ache, to make him do stretches in the morning.
"If it's supposed to be all hush-hush, won't you get in trouble for telling us?" Cloud asked, a little concerned that arm guards were going to bust through the restaurant doors and arrest them.
"Meh, it's a secret, but an open one in our company." The Third-Class said nonchalantly, interlocking his fingers behind his head and resting fully on the cushion of their booth. "It's even known among some of the rank and file, though it's more of a rumor for people outside our division. I only know the name because of my teacher. Being a cadet, you're gonna hear something about it from the grapevine."
"Well, what about Tifa then?" Cloud wondered out loud. The brunette definitely wasn't a Soldier. Or even an employee! He didn't fancy the idea of her being sent to jail, all because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"That is a problem." Zack said seriously, but noticing their grim expressions, he shook his head grinning. "Kidding! Just kidding. I really meant it when I said it's an open secret. No one's gonna ding you for her knowing, as long as she doesn't go blabbing about it to the general public. It's revealing the details behind the G-Cells that'll get the Turks sent after you. And that's unlikely since only the head scientists and the president even know what's in that stuff."
That was a relief.
Conversation halted as the waitress returned, rolling a portable grill to the side of their booth. Stretching out her fingers a little she went into the backstory of the desert; how it was made and why it was famous. It was all very interesting. Cloud didn't hear a single word being said. His focus was drawn to the delicious smell and wonderful sight of the woman's hands moving. A fresh loaf of sweet bundt cake slices was taken out of a pot, and used as a base. Two scoops of vanilla ice cream on top. A solid square of chocolate was placed next, before it was melted down with sizzling caramel for the hot pan. It was over in an instant, with three bowls before them. Zack handed a little metal rectangle to the waitress as she cleaned up her supplies.
Staring down at the bowl of sweets, Cloud was stuffed but he knew he'd make room in his stomach for this.
They ate in relative silence, savoring each bite. This was his new favorite place to eat. And judging by the look on Tifa's face, she agreed.
"So where are you guys staying?" Zack asked, once they polished off their bowls. He was signing the receipt that their server had given him with a flourish, and tossing a lot of gil on the top once he was done. Why did he do that? That didn't even seem like the right amount from the numbers he saw on the paper. And what was that strange little card he handed the waitress earlier? It made the cadet nervous, hopefully the big brunette wasn't shortchanging the owners. But Tifa wasn't batting an eye, so he kept mum.
They pushed out of their table, making a beeline for the front door.
"Just an inn right now, but we might find a place in sector 7 under the plate." Tifa answered, just clueing Cloud to that plan. His head almost snapped to her in surprise, but before he could say anything, she was shooting him a look that said 'trust me'. That did nothing to relax him. Usually when she gave him that look, they were about to do something he wasn't going to like. I.E break into a building and steal stuff or blackmail some adults. Still she hadn't quite steered him wrong before, at least not in terms of achieving goals. Him sitting in Midgar as a Soldier cadet was proof of that.
"Yeah, thought it might save us a few extra gil." Cloud lied, feeling pretty bad even as the words left his month. It sounded so fake in his ears. Stepping onto the sidewalk, he decided to add a little more "Plus, all the luxury up top is a little overwhelming. We're still simple folk, so we wanted something a little closer to Gaia. Ironic, I know, since we're from the mountains."
He felt Tifa grad his hand and give it a slight squeeze of approval.
"Nah, that makes sense. Even after years of being here, I'm still freaked out by all the stuff the city can offer." Zack said, a bemused expression on his face, as he seemed to reminisce on his city life. "And not all of it good. One could argue a lot of it is useless. Do you know in some stores they sell pre chopped wood? For fireplaces that don't actually heat the home? "For the atmosphere", someone said once when I asked. So bizarre."
That was strange.
"How come you don't live under the plate then?" Cloud aske, genuinely curious. If Zack still felt weirded out by the top plate after all this time, why didn't he go for a change of scenery?
"Because even before Midgar, I was terrible at taking care of myself." Zack laughed, enjoying a joke only her seemed to understand. "I'm such a packrat that I would probably die buried under an avalanche of my own stuff! I pay someone to come by every two weeks to clean up after me. And cook me meals for the week. Might even have to hire an assistant to keep track of my work schedule now that I've been promoted."
"Wow, you're kind of useless."
"Never said otherwise." The brunette grinned, before something seemed to startle him. He pulled out his PHS and muttered something under his breath, too low for Cloud to hear. "Hey, I gotta run but lets exchange contact, and we can meet up another time. I'll give you the grand tour of our facilities."
"I'd love to, but I don't really have a …" Tifa shoved something solid into his chest. He reached up a hand to hold on to it and inspect it. He blinked a few times at the object, then back up to his girlfriend, his thoughts stuttering a bit. "PHS?"
"I got a pair for us when you were at your exam." The brunette said, holding up her own device. A red to his blue. He slowly handed his phone to Zack to dial in his number, as Tifa went on. "I was going to give it to you earlier but it slipped my mind. Still better late than never. We're gonna need these, you especially. Can't be wandering around the city without a way to reach each other, after all. I don't think the mail travels that fast here." She joked.
"And that is why I need a girlfriend, or an assistant." Zack jested, as he handed Cloud his PHS back. "Alright you two, text me later and I'll save the numbers. Maybe send me a pic too? I'm terrible at names and faces. Gotta skedaddle, see ya!"
They watched the older teen jog towards the opposite side of the street, till his silhouette disappeared.
"How many Clouds and Tifas do you think he knows?" Tiffa asked with a grin, amused as she tugged him along by hand towards another side street. "I used to think your name was pretty unique but maybe it was only in Nibelheim? Maybe in the city, it's a dirty common name? But how common, and how many? Hundreds? Thousands? You could all gather in a social group and call yourselves the Cloud army!"
She giggled at her joke, as they strolled along.
"Tifa, why did I just lie to Zack about living in sector 7?" Cloud asked seriously, trying not to let himself get distracted by her pretty laughter. But damn was it hard! Carefree Tifa, was a sight to behold. Right up there with Happy Tifa, Shy Tifa, Excited Tifa…, you know what? There were too many that he liked and it wouldn't be far to be ranking them. "That isn't what we discussed. And please tell me we actually have a place to sleep tonight and that wasn't just you blowing smoke."
"No smoke, where staying at the Rosemary inn, just up the street. And you didn't lie, silly." Tifa said, with a devious smile on her face. Her hand interlocking their fingers, almost as if to make it harder for him to run away. "There's just a change in plans. Now that our immediate concerns are squared away, let me fill you in on a personal pet project of mine. Trust me, you'll love it."
Somehow, he doubted that.