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moseyin posting in

[It happens in the middle of nowhere.

Just another nondescript hole Zack's found to curl them up into. Sometimes they're lucky enough to get a bed in the slums somewhere, the outskirts of some crappy little village or the deep, dank alleyways of a larger city. Most of the time they have a tent, if they're lucky, if Zack manages and money allows, and sometimes they're not lucky and they forfeit shelter for food, for potions for when Zack gets a wound that grit and gumption can't close.

Well- Zack does all of these things. They're a 'they' in bodycount only.

It's Zack dragging himself and Cloud across the countryside, it's Zack finding them shelter, finding them food, tearing into monsters to scrape together enough gil to keep them alive. It's Zack looking after the few wounds Cloud acquires during their journey, it's Zack who talks to him, who feeds him, who carries him on his god damn back for days and days and days on end. Weeks. Months.

Cloud isn't often awake, but sometimes he is. Things are hazy like a dream, sloppy like slumber, slips and strips of memory, of experiences that barely thread together to make something patchwork. And that's how it is when it happens too, because it was only a couple times, fighting to break the surface of a pool of tar. He emerges not with a gasp but an awareness, only for a few moments before he's pulled under. Each time Zack was gone, or asleep, clutching Cloud to his chest for protection but too exhausted to hear his breathless whispers of Zack, Zack as Cloud tries desperately to rouse him, if only to reassure him of I'm here, I hear you, I see you, you're not alone until the mako curls around and into him and pulls him back under.

And then, that middle of nowhere.

Cloud wakes to the sun on his face; weak morning sun, wobbly, not yet hot. They'd slept outside. Zack is already awake, humming to himself, murmuring something, fiddling with a fire. He's going to make a hot breakfast for them. A luxury.

Cloud waits those few minutes, tense and unnerved, waiting for the coils of mako to pull him back under. His limbs still feel weak but something is...different this time. Things feel sharper. He can hear things more than Zack this time, more than the beat of his heart and the hush of his breath; he can hear the crackle of the fire, the chirp of far off birdsong. Cloud can feel the humidity clinging to his skin, sticking his clothes to his chest and back. He can smell the outdoors around them.

He is present. At last, he is.

Zack's turning around towards him, probably to collect him and bring him closer to the fire, to feed him again and once Zack reaches for him, once Cloud is sure he'll see he reaches, just barely, and closes a hand around Zack's wrist.] Zack.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

moseyin

Shit, [Cloud grouses, and passes the binoculars back over to Zack.

They're both lying belly-down on a muddy outcrop, buried in obnoxiously thick undergrowth and sharing a pair of binoculars between them in an effort to see through the late afternoon drizzle only to spot-] You're totally right. Looks like Turk detail.

[Turks rarely travel with infantry, but sure enough there are two troopers guarding the nearest pathway into the jungle surrounding Gongaga, flare guns slung on their belts. They're not there to stop anybody, just to alert the Turks if their quarry is spotted.

And he and Zack had discussed it, too. We're not doing it if the Turks are there. Too risky.

But now they're here and Cloud can feel the anger and frustration that's all too near the surface these days starting to bubble up. They're so close. They're so close to giving Zack's parents a piece of mind, to getting a decent weapon for Cloud. And to just turn around and leave would be a waste of nearly a week's worth of travel.

Cloud glances at Zack out of the corner of his eye.]

From:

zacrifice

[Zack's body language is tense, his fingers tight around the binoculars- enough to make the metal creak, but not quite enough to break, and the warning gets him to put them down when he's satisfied with his first look. He huffs a frustrated breath and ducks down again, keeping carefully out of sight.]

Okay... that rules out going in there guns blazing. [So to speak, anyway. That was never really in the cards.] I know a couple ways we could sneak in, but it's risky. We get caught when you're still unarmed, we could be screwed.

[They could still leave, find the next destination and hope for better options. That carries its own risk, too. And this had kind of been their best shot.]

From:

moseyin

[Cloud scowls as he chews on this thumbnail, though the edges are already all bitten down. Zack is still by far the better strategist; he knows how to examine the risks, examine the payoff and how to determine if something is worth going for. If Zack says it's risky, then it's GOD damned risky.

Cloud- well, he's got little more than mako blood and a metric ton of stubbornness.]

So...then what if we split up?

[Cloud points over around the south end of the jungle.] I'll cause a ruckus over there and you can sneak in, see your folks, grab a blade and get back out.

If they get close to finding me, the pond is right there. I can hold my breath really long now. [They both can, thanks to the tanks; a kind of macabre game they'd play when they were shoved back in, before Cloud lost himself. Who can hold his breath the longest? Taking the mako back into their lungs was just as bad as when that had to expel it, after all.]

From:

zacrifice

[There's no hiding the immediate grimace that suggestion nets him from Zack.]

They can still shoot through water, Spike. Turks might want to take us back alive, but it doesn't have to be in one piece. And what if they circle around you somehow? Without a weapon you'd be screwed.

[Nothing against Cloud- he's durable and a spitfire, he'd gone head to head with Sephiroth and lived to tell the tale, that counts for a lot. With the mako enhancements, for better or worse, he's even stronger now. But if Zack's worried about taking the Turks on solo, no way is Cloud ready for it. Especially not while he lacks a decent sword.]

If we go, we should go together.

From:

moseyin

[Cloud opens his mouth angrily to argue -that Zack can't afford to worry about him, that Zack deserves to see his family, that they can't play it safe forever-

When something occurs to him. And a contemplative (and slightly giddy) look crosses his face.]

Zack, remember...remember when we were talking about our homes, and you were trying to convince me that 'Touch Me's were real?

From:

zacrifice

[Zack pauses, as his brain follows the through-line from one topic to another.]

...Uh-huh. Bet the Turks don't think they're real, either.

From:

moseyin

They will literally never see us coming. [Shoves binoculars into their bag and starts scooting backwards out of the brush. They will go together, as frogs. Perfect.]

From:

zacrifice

I love this plan. Genius on all levels. Downside: you realize now I gotta teach you how to catch a Touch Me?

[Which means they are absolutely going to become frogs at least three times today before they plan to, because those things are assholes.]

From:

moseyin

[unslings the bag from his shoulder once they're out of the brush to search for a place to stash it] What's there to teach? It's just a frog so you grab it, right? [oh buddy]

From:

zacrifice

[OH BUDDY

Zack does his best to mask his expression, tightening his boots and adjusting his gloves. Hopefully it'll be enough to just avoid skin-to-skin contact, but you really never know with those asshole frogs.]

Sure, why don't you try that?

[He would really like to watch you try that.]

From:

moseyin

[It does not go as planned.]

God damn frogs-! [Cloud whisper-screams when he's bitchslapped back to human form just after being a frog for the third time. Getting the bastards to turn him into a frog isn't the issue, but staying that way is a feat when the stupid little things call their buddies over and smack him around repeatedly.

And despite the abject danger they are undoubtedly in, Zack doubling over in a effort to stifle his guffaws at Cloud's irritation just makes his face burn. How hard could it be, really. He just had to ask.]

Get that smug look off your face, Fair, help me catch one of these little shits!

Edited Date: 2020-02-13 06:28 am (UTC)

From:

zacrifice

[Zack, who has lived through this so many times that he knows to heft his ass up a tree where the frogs can't reach, is losing his shit, trying not fall out. (Again.)]

Nah, nah, you're doing great...! Oh man. [He's crying a little. It hurts, laughing this much.] You almost had it that time.

From:

moseyin

[Through the strength of what is undoubtedly pure rage at being laughed at -by Zack! One of the only 2 people on this mudball whose opinions Cloud cares about!!!!- Cloud manages to finish off his enemy while a frog.

He hopes over to the tree Zack is in, croaks his froggy fury up at Zack, kicks the bark with a little webbed foot before turning and hopping angrily into the brush towards Gongaga like he's gonna go take care of this his own goddamn self, thank you]

From:

zacrifice

[Haaaaa hahaha that's hilarious. Look at him go.

....

Shit look at him go-]

Ah- Cloud, hang on...!

[Zack jumps out of the tree, scrambling after him. He'd been having such a laugh riot watching Cloud experience the frogs for the first time he forgot what they were trying to do.]

I'm still a person over here, dammit! At least smack me first before we go in!

[It's been so long he actually doesn't recall if it works like that, but it's worth a shot if Cloud's this impatient.]

From:

moseyin

[It doesn't work, but that doesn't stop Cloud from slapping Zack across the face with his uncomfortably damp little frog flippers a couple more times. Y'know to check.

Zack predictably has a lot better luck, froggified in a fraction of the time and putting down his opponent at the same time. Whether by magic or divine providence, they can understand each other's croaks as speech so they don't at least have to resort to cobbled together sign language to coordinate.

The monsters leave them well enough alone up to the edge of the village, where there is, predictably, a red-haired Turk camping one of the dirt paths marked by a dingy sign as the south entrance to Gongaga. Cloud glowers at the Turk; he's never seen her before but lately he's finding reason to hate everything Shinra so it doesn't take much to get on his bad side. This is one of the people who have been chasing Zack for almost a year while he's been trying desperately to keep them alive. Assholes.

Cloud croaks in displeasure but turns to Zack anyway, jerking his head toward the Turk.] Think we could just hop past and she wouldn't know the difference?

From:

zacrifice

Ribbit.

[Wow, that. That was stunning tactical advice. Zack lifts a webbed h...and? to his mouth and clears his froggy throat.]

I think the tiny Buster on your back might give us away, but we could try it out. I think we should circle around and get into the shop instead, though- grab ourselves a couple of Maiden's Kisses. We won't be able to carry a full-sized sword out like this.

[Gongaga thankfully has always had enough of a Touch Me problem that the town has a perpetual supply of cures on hand, or at least that had been the case when he was a kid. Considering his time away hadn't decreased the number of frogs in the area, he seriously doubts the kiss situation would have changed. He'd also opted to let Cloud hang on to the Buster while they head in since he has more unarmed training, but it feels weird as ever to not have it; they'd better have a decent blade in town, as he's eager to get it back ASAP.]

From:

moseyin

-wait, then how are we gonna get back out with a whole sword without anybody noticing? [Does this mean he'll get to cause a distraction after all? He definitely doesn't want to die, and he even more definitely doesn't want Zack to die, and the idea of just being captured and sent back to the labs is unthinkable-

But honestly Cloud is so ready for a fight. All he's done is get into scuffles with monsters, Zack watching over him to make sure he can handle himself, but he'd put the things down easily enough. If he's going to be useful, he needs to test himself against opponents who are actually worth their salt.]

From:

zacrifice

...Okay, so.

[Cue a froggy arm going up around froggy shoulders. Cloud. Hey, hey Cloud. Lean in.]

Two of us, with one sword? Turks would ruin our day. Lotta guns in those ranks. These guns can't-

[He tries to flex, and- goddammit, frogs have no biceps. Joke ruined.]

-What I'm saying is, once we've got two swords, I'll feel a lot better about getting out than getting in.

From:

moseyin

[Leans in, froggily, his own amphibious limb coming up to circle Zack's spotted back conspiratorially.]

Of course. Rbbt. We just needed more sword. Lesson one of SOLDIER class: get a sword, and then get another, bigger one.

From:

zacrifice

[Hey, you know what this calls for? A froggy high-five.]

Now you're talkin' my language. [That language is frog + violence.] So there we go. Goal one, steal those sweet kisses. Goal two, steal some steel. Goal three, liberate Gongaga from the Turks by liberating Turks from their heads.

[Or they could just beat them senseless, but if they want to win this, they can't be too gentle about it. And he wants to go home.]

From:

moseyin

[Good thing Cloud's going to take that last part literally!

As Zack suspected, a couple of frogs hopping around the backside of town are given a wide berth. A couple people spot the one with the sword on its back and shake their heads; a couple of dumb mercs who got frogged, obviously. Nobody ever listens.

After finding a couple of loose slats in the siding that helps them squirm into the storage room of the item shop, pocket a few maiden's kisses, and wiggle back out, Cloud and Zack find an overgrown alley dripping in vines and ferns that shield's them pretty clearly from view to divvy up the goods and go over their plan.]

We should make sure everybody knows to stay indoors, [Cloud insists, poking his green snout around a large elephant ear leaf as another foot patrol stomps down the main pathway in town...pretty much the only pathway, actually. Gongaga really is in the boondocks.] And you gotta go check on your parents. Let me keep using the Buster for now; if I go out there swinging it around, the Turks will think something happened to you and I just took it off you or somethin'. They probably know good as the rest of us that you wouldn't let this thing go for anything.

From:

zacrifice

[Zack grimaces, as much as a frog can. The thought of going home leaves him feeling torn; of course he wants to see them, but...]

I don't know if that's such a good plan. I mean- most of it, yeah. But my parents? They know who we are, so the house is gonna be crawling with Turks. If I show up, even if you've got a distraction going, my folks could get caught in the crossfire.

[No point in being grim about it. Even if he can't see them, at least he knows they're still alive- he can see the smoke coming from the chimney, and the telltale signs of familiar decor on the property, even at this distance.

He crosses his arms thoughtfully, opting for a more lighthearted route.]

...Plus, you don't know what my mom's hugs are like. Even a SOLDIER couldn't escape that hold. I'd never get out to back you up!

From:

moseyin

Zack- no way, you've gotta see your folks. That's the biggest reason we even came here. [There is no future in this timeline or any other where Cloud doesn't figure out a way for Zack to see his family. Even if they weren't crazy close, even if Zack insists it's okay, it's not.

What if something happens? What if this is his only chance? What if this is the one good thing Zack gets to have, to keep him going? Zack deserves that comfort, gods damn it.]

Ribbt... [Cloud folds his froggy arms and crouches on his haunches, big frog mouth making his thinking scowl look even more severe. -wait a minute.] D'you think you could convince your parents it's you even if you don't change back? If you go see them like this? [They're Gongagan, after all.]

From:

zacrifice

[Cue froggy eyes going very wide.]

Oh, shit. Spike you are a genius! Hell yeah we can do that- we can sneak in and out, I can let them know I'm alive, and then once we're somewhere safe I can write them a letter or something to give 'em more details.

[Well, some details. He's not going to share the gruesome story of Nibelheim or their time in the labs, that's for sure. Either way, he's... actually letting himself get a bit excited, now. He might actually see his parents again, after so long! He'd practically given up on that happening for several more years, depending on how long they ended up on the run.]

It's perfect! We just need to make sure that when they see us, we're between them and where Dad stores the shotgun.