Zack XVII: Her wish
Zack stepped into the junk shop in Sector 6 as he followed Aerith and looked around full of wonder. He had heard a thing or two about this particular shop, where the owner was constructing a tank from scratch using parts picked up from the junkyards all around the slums. He also produced and repaired simple weapons, vehicles and other small machinery from whatever he was able to acquire from scavengers like Aerith. Zack and Aerith were carrying a small crate between the two, full of metal parts whose functions Zack could only guess.
He suspected that Aerith had at least a vague idea what these pieces could be used for. How else could she know what was worth picking up? The door fell shut behind him and as his eyes got used to the dim light inside the workshop, he noticed a large counter separating the entrance from the working area, where a half-finished contraption was sat in the center of the room, made of metal plates, large wheels fitted with uneven chains, and a large pipe attached to the top, which would possibly serve as a gun when the thing was complete.
Zack, who was used to working with and against top-notch weapons straight from Scarlet's Weapons Development department, had to suppress a laugh as he entered. Was that supposed to be a tank? In the midst of the mess, an old man with a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, a grey cap on his head and an oil-stained shirt was fitting two pieces together, constructing something that vaguely like… a mixer? This man really made everything.
They heaved the crate on the counter as he looked up from his work. Aerith smiled and waved at him. "Oh, Aerith", he greeted her and came over to the counter. "I see y'got s'mthin' for me." His eyes then fell on Zack. "Oh? Dat yer boyfriend?" Aerith pushed the crate closer to him: "He helped me carry this stuff. Wanna take a look?"
"Sure", he said as he reached into the crate and pulled out one thing after another. Muttering things like "nice", "already got ter many a'dese" and "dis one's broken", he sorted the items into three piles. When the crate was empty, he pointed at the "broken" pieces. "Better return dese to the junkyard." As he pointed to the other piles, he said: "I'll take dese. How much?" Aerith contemplated for a moment, rubbing her earlobe. "2000", she finally said. The man let out a bitter laugh. "Better take 'em somewhere else then. I won't give you more than 800."
That hardly seemed fair. Zack had no idea what these pieces would be used for, but a meager 2000 gil seemed far too little for the effort Aerith had put into collecting and carrying the heavy metal parts. He had no idea how to help, but before he could even say anything, Aerith said: "OK, fine" and started putting the items from the second pile back into the crate. "1000 just for these ones and I'll try my luck with the rest somewhere else. "The man raised his eyebrows and quickly interjected: "Now hold on. No so fast, lil missy. Lemme check real quick, mebbe I still have sum space."
She chuckled as he disappeared behind the tank and started rummaging around in his drawers and boxes. Zack regarded her from the side with his arms folded. He had been about to interfere, but was glad not to have done so. Aerith had grown up in the slums and knew the way people did business here. And it was not the first time she was dealing with the junk shop owner. This man tried to push her around to get a better price, but instead of folding, she pushed back and threatened to deny him the loot.
As he returned, he waved his hand around. "I'll take them after all. 1200 for the lot of them." He pointed at the third stack. "These, too." Aerith shook her head. "You can take them, but the metal alone is worth more than that. I want 1700." He groaned and finally gave in. "Fine, 1500, but bring something better next time." Aerith giggle and they shook hands. He reached into a box under the counter and gave her a bunch of coins. No matter how he looked at it, 1700 gil was not enough. Zack's potion budget alone was 3000 gil per mission, and his missions paid a lot more than that.
Aerith picked up the crate from the counter and turned to leave. Zack followed her and took the crate from her hand. "Here, I'll carry that for you". He offered his free arm to her and kissed her on the cheek as she took his arm. "Good job!", he praised her. "Hm", she said as she walked on. "He tries this stuff all the time, so I already know how to deal with him."
Zack looked at the sky above Sector 6. It was getting dark early under the plate as the sun set. "Hey, is there anything you want?", he asked as they walked past the shops in Sector 6. She looked at him and leaned against his arm as they walked. "I'm happy to be able to spend time with you and… oh, I do have a wish." Zack nodded. "Do tell!" – "I want you to be safe on your mission tomorrow and come back to me as soon as you can." Zack smiled. "I'll try."
The lights were turning on one by one as they walked over Wall Market and the denizens of the night awoke from their slumber one after another. "Sector 6 can be a bit scary", Aerith finally broke the silence. "Don't worry, I'm here. Just…", he hesitated for a moment. "Just don't let go of me." Aerith looked at him again and stopped. "Never?" He turned to her and kissed her again. "Never ever".
They walked on a little further until Aerith finally stopped in front of a brightly lit two-story building. "This is the place!" It did not look like anything special, but the smell coming from it was delicious. "Looks nice! What do they sell?" She pulled him on. "All sorts of things. They have all sorts of food you can't get anywhere else. It's kinda expensive, though…" Zack walked on with her. Considering the lengths she went to just to get 1500 gil, he was quite confident that he could afford what she considered as "expensive". "Let's take a look then!", he encouraged her and walked in with her.
Once in, his eyes took a short moment to adjust to the darkness, but once they did, he saw a confusing layout of small partitions separated from each other by wooden half-walls and curtains, hiding most of the guests from view and muffling the sounds of their conversations, so that it was not very noisy despite the considerable size of the room. A serving lady in a short, revealing dress came toward them and said her welcomes. "A table for two, please." The lady mustered them up and down and her gaze lingered a little longer on Aerith, but she did not say anything or betrayed any emotion.
Although Sector 6 was technically part of the slums, people were considerably more well-off. It was a popular location to live in for people who could not afford to live on top of the plate. Since the original plate of Sector 6 had collapsed a long time ago before it had even finished construction, the slums of Sector 6 were under more or less open sky and offered cleaner air and more sunlight compared to the rest of the slums. While Sector 6 did not quite reach the level of the city on top of the plate, Wall Market was a place where even people from up top came to spend their hard-earned cash on a night of less "appropriate" fun. Aerith came from a poorer area of the slums, and her appearance betrayed that. That was what she had meant earlier when she said she had nothing to wear. It did not bother him, but certainly enough, other people noticed.
The serving lady had apparently decided that Zack would be able to pay for the both of them, no matter what Aerith looked like, and led them through the maze of compartments until she stopped at a corner and lifted the curtain to let them in. Inside was a low square table and two large purple cushions with yellow trimmings and tassels. Zack led Aerith in first and then followed, sitting down with crossed legs across from her. He placed the crate on the floor next to him. The space was comfortable and reasonably clean (considering that they were in the slums), but rather small and cramped.
The waitress lit a candle sitting in the center of the table and placed a small board with today's menu written on it on the table. "Drinks?", she asked curtly. Well, the quality of the service probably was not the reason Aerith wanted to come here. Zack did not really know what was typically served in the slums, so he simply ordered a beer, and Aerith wanted the same. The waitress left and dropped the curtain, leaving them all by themselves.
"Well?", Zack began. "How do you like it?" Aerith looked around curiously. "It's… different from what I imagined." She patted the large cushion she was kneeling on. "I only heard that they had food from all over the world here and that it was really good. I had no idea it was that kind of establishment." Zack looked at her in surprise. "That kind? What do you mean?" She looked down at her knees, where her hands were grabbing the edge of her skirt. "T-the one that really offers you privacy." She blushed as she said that and looked at him shyly. "Oh!", he exclaimed in surprise. "Is it?" He looked around. This compartment appeared a little too cramped for that, but he did not feel comfortable enough in this place or at this time to seriously consider it.
He pushed the menu towards her. "Here, take a look! Is there anything you like?" She picked up the wooden board and deciphered the messy chalk writing. After having read out all the items aloud, she flatly stated: "I don't even know what half the things are." Zack rested his elbows on the low table and read over the board again.
He was not surprised that she was not familiar with everything on the menu. Neither was he. "Some of this stuff seems really excotic", he agreed. "I've never considered eating mandragoras. Why would anyone pickle those?" She looked up. "What exactly…?" He scratched his head and explained: "A… very hungry plant with a very strong voice?" She stared at him and then broke out into a laugh. "I'll take that!" Zack was not so certain that it was a good idea to eat things like that, but he smiled as a response. "Just that?", he asked and Aerith nodded. "I think that's enough for me." He looked over the board again. "Hmmm… I'm actually super hungry. I'll order some more." He turned the menu toward her again. "I don't really know what to get. Why don't you pick something for me?"