Seaside Getaway?

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

Characters: Cissnei, Zack
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Cissnei drops by and visits Zack because she's a little worried about him
Location: Luca
Date: January 10, 1805
Warnings: Fluff, more than likely.

This place was so strange to Cissnei. She liked the beach, no doubt, but this... even in civilian clothing (a chunky knit black sweater over a white tank top, skinny jeans and combat boots) she stuck out from the crowd, something she wasn't exactly used to.She noticed the women were rather gratuitous in showing skin and had more than enough laces and ribbons criss-crossing their chests and the sides of their legs. In her messenger back was trusty Rekka, leftovers from the food she bought from Wutai and something that maybe Zack would be vaguely interested in.

She flipped open her Sky Phone and dialed Zack. He shouldn't be very hard to spot, but she'd like to know where exactly he was.

Comments

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

He stood outside his house, phone in hand, and waited for Cissnei to show up. Truthfully, he was glad she was coming to visit. It got too lonely in the house sometimes and now with Sephiroth around...

Zack needed somebody, even if they would just be present with him. Seeing his face again was a shock and one Zack had never wanted to go through again. But it was as it was and he could only move forward.

So when he got the call, he answered. "Hello?"

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"Sweetheart, I really do hope you did tend your bed," she began, "because that would be in poor taste. Where are you?"

She did have a map handy, true enough. She would go to wherever he was, or maybe meet him midway. However he wanted, she didn't really care.

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

Zack chuckled lightly at that. How they had gotten into the joking mother-son role, he wasn't quite sure, but it was strangely comforting. Maybe he missed his real mom, which he did, or maybe it was just good to be a little silly. "I fluffed the pillow, is that good enough?"

He walked a little ways into the road in front of his house, looking to see if she was close by. Ah, that bright, curly hair gave her away quickly. "I'm the tall guy in the road with a crow's nest for hair, behind you." He raised his free hand to add to his height. Not that he needed to.

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"Yes, Zack dear, but you'll need to try harder next time." Wait... behind her? She spun on one foot, almost like a dancer, and spotted him in probably record time. It really wasn't necessary for him to wave at her, he stood out even more than she did, which made her feel just a little better. Not that he was ever concerned with hiding and sneaking around like she always was. She quickly made her way towards him and smiled. "Hey, stranger."

Cissnei was overwhelmed with relief to see that he looked generally the same but, as usual, didn't express it. She hadn't been sure of what to expect since he had been in self-imposed exile for such a long time.

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, yeah." He hung up the phone when she saw him and slipped it into a pocket, hooking his thumbs in his pockets right after. "It has been a while, hasn't it? I hope you guys haven't been picking on other big monsters to fight."

Zack jerked his head back toward his house and started walking there, opening the door open for Cissnei. "Home, sweet home and all that. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable."

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"Depends on what you consider a big monster," she said flatly. "But thanks." Cissnei walked in, slightly uncomfortable with being invited inside a house. When was the last time she had been invited? She's been in homes, but not exactly with anyone's permission.

Cissnei set her messenger down on and rummaged through her bag. "Got something... well a few things for you. Might be interested." First, she took out the leftovers because Shiva only knows if he's been eating actual food. Then, she took out a thin hardback book, bound along the spine in leather and etched in gold leaf. "Book of magic, or so they say. Guess you'll find out if it works or not." She threw the book at him with little force.

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

"Something that wants to eat you, for one." He closed the door behind them and was about to offer if she wanted to snack on something when she brought out food. Well. That worked out.

The book she threw was caught easily. "I'll have to try it out. Some walking suit of armor told me it wasn't possible for someone of my class to learn it, though. Tifa said the same." When he looked back to Cissnei, however, he threw her a smile. "Thanks, though. Maybe I can prove 'em wrong."

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't expect otherwise from you," she said with a grin. "What's the plan with the magic? Just because?" Which made no sense to her but she wasn't going to stop him. Though she wouldn't mind calling down on lightning over Sephiroth's head... Cissnei involuntarily clenched her jaw slightly, but realized it almost immediately and relaxed.

"I'm going to assume that this isn't your handiwork," she commented about the interior decorating.

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

"I like covering my bases, just in case." Which was true. Even though he often fought alone, and asked for trouble that way, he still had reserves of magic in case something went wrong and he had to bail himself out of trouble. "You never know when you might be alone and in trouble."

The decoration comment made him chuckle as he pointed to the corner of the living room. It was obviously fixed up from something and didn't match the rest of the house. "That, apparently, was Cloud's doing. Then the kid ran off before he could fix it, so I got left with the home improvement."

There were flowers everywhere, mostly in vases on tables, windowsills, anywhere that a spot could use a little more life. "The flowers were from Aerith." Of course, with her gone now, they were in varying stages of decay.

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"You should clean the flowers out, give more space to yourself." Cissnei approached the thing Cloud was working on and bent down, gingerly lifting it up and inspecting it. "What's it supposed to do?" Art for art's sake was something Cissnei had difficulty grasping. If it has no purpose, why buy it or make it?

"So, what's this place like? Luca, I mean."

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

He had thought about that. Aerith wouldn't want him to dwell on her, but Zack didn't want to just cut ties and let go completely, either. "...Maybe." As for what Cloud did... "Hey! Don't mess with it. Cloud nearly blew the house up when he couldn't get in, so I had to fix the giant hole."

That sounded kind of harsh, though, so he muttered a quiet apology and ran a hand through his hair. "Luca's nice. It's warm, lively, just a nice place to relax."

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

Let's not touch that again, she thought as she set the thing back down as lightly as she had picked it up. Though she heard the apology, she for the most part ignored it except for a simple nod. Cissnei pursed her lips and crossed her arms. She felt so out of place and it was uncomfortable. Things were too... what was it... nice? No, but it was somewhere along those lines.

"Relax, huh," she repeated. "Know of a place with something sweet?"

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

Zack had never really been the host in a situation, usually he was the one barging in on other people's lives, but he tried to make her feel welcome, though...maybe there was something he was missing. He would have to think about that.

"What kind of sweet? There's all kinds of shops around, mostly for visitors to the Blitzball stadium, I'd guess, but that's not a bad thing."

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"Heard of him, never heard of Blitzball. Wait, you live here and you've never asked what it is?" That was a surprise in itself. She ignored the brief smell of chocolate. It wasn't going to control her emotions again.

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

Zack sighed quietly. "I know it's a sport, I've just never seen it." He's been busy, Cissnei. Killing monsters for you guys, taking care of people, working in the flower shop (don't laugh). That sort of thing. "Tidus wants me to try out, though, I think."

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

She crossed her arms and cocked her head, still looking at the stadium. "Sounds mildly intriguing just from the name of the sport." Considering the word "blitz" was in it, it had to be at least half interesting. Cissnei began to walk further down the road slowly, curiously observing people around her. "If I could, I'd come here more often."

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

Zack walked behind her, this time, just enjoying the stroll. "Tidus says it takes a lot of talent and training to be good at it. Lots of hard work." And really, Zack should look into it, at least once. When he wasn't doing anything, he got antsy and an antsy Zack was bad news.

He smiled a little bit. "You always know how to get in touch if you ever get a chance."

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"You're more than capable enough, probably." She continued in silence, wondering if she should leave later or stay the night. No, probably later. Duty above all else. Such was life.

Cissnei looked over her shoulder and answered, "We'll see what happens. We've got too much on our plate and we can't really ignore it.."

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

"I wonder if he'd consider the enhancements cheating..." he mused, mostly to himself, but he spoke loud enough in case Cissnei wanted to get a jab in. Or anything. "Such is our lives, huh? The job first, then our personal lives third. And whatever else in between."

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, tell me about it. Don't forget to breathe somewhere down the line too. But, he doesn't have to know about the enhancements," Cissnei answered. She was used to whipping out half-truths anyway.

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

"Oh right, that's a good thing to do, too." Her sneaky little comment made him smirk, though. "You're tellin' me that innocent little you doesn't always support total honesty? That's a shock."

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

She turned on her heel dramatically and made a very exaggerated look of shock. "Me? No, of course not! You don't know me at all."

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

And up went an eyebrow, finding her melodrama quite entertaining. "Well, that's a shame. I must be a terrible person." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning up against a wall.

[shurikenfemale.livejournal.com]

"Extremely terrible," she said with a grin. Melodrama and joking aside, it was nice not talking business for once. "And who are you trying to impress with that pose?"

[fairesthero.livejournal.com]

"Whatever shall you do with me?" He was glad he knew Cissnei could take his teasing tone. It really was great being able to kid around for once. "Oh, y'know, some pretty little thing might walk by and see what they're missing."

But that, that was designed to get a real reaction out of the redhead.