onepassingnight | 001 || dream a dream of me.

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001 || dream a dream of me.

[Some dreams have some fluidity. They remain constant, with an overlaying theme - much like a storybook of the consciousness. Others can be sporadic, having no meaning, and easily shifting from one thing to the next. They can be serious, or strange. They can be hopeful, or heartbreaking.

Or... they could be Zack's dreams.

As it is, a deep, dark violet night sky floods the area. You might see quite a bit of snow, as if walking up a steep mountain, with the ice wind blowing through your hair. And right at the cliff's edge stands a man wielding a long, sturdy sword, resting safely upon his back. The weight doesn't seem to bother him in the least - if anything, he's accustomed to it by now, both hands on his hips as glowing, bright blue eyes stare off to the distance.

What could be he thinking about?]

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[That's certainly the world she knows. She's never had that simple faith in things just coming together. She'd tried - and even then she always knew it was hopeless, and the hopelessness has been firmly proven right by her very existence, now.

Zack's going to have to look quite deep indeed to find the girl still capable of compassion and giving.]

Working with them will end in you being let down. You understand that, right?

[He nods quietly, almost hesitantly.]

But you know something? I don't care. I'm not assumin' the worst outta anyone - I've seen some pretty hard people soften up in time. And I know, not everyone's all that bad. If I keep the faith, look up instead of assumin' the worst all the time, things work out for the better.

I can't go around bein' wary of everyone.

[She's startled enough to show it. Of all the things someone could say to her, that simple acknowledgment and encouragement is the least expected. She's used to the tedious insistence that the lies are truth; or to people as cold as she's become, as wary of trusting as she is.]

You believe in them even already knowing that?

Yeah. Yeah, I do.

[So what if it was naive? He didn't care. He was different from most other SOLDIERs - he was there to offer *hope*. Someone in the Company needed to give it, especially in this dire time.]

I've seen it happen before. Know someone, actually. It's... hard times right now, for all'a us.

[It's the fact he said he's seen it, earlier and again now, that makes her listen to him about this at all.

It's still so easy to conclude it worked for him. Not for her.]

What you should worry about first, then, is being ready to fight.

There's no need to worry about the rest.

I know how to fight. Just... sometimes maybe I don't know what to fight. [He shrugs a little at that, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.] It gets a little more confusin' than I'd like it to be.

[How many times is he going to surprise her? Once again, they're words she could say herself - only this time, she could say them now, even if only to herself. It's so easy to fight a youma. So much harder to fight a human. And yet, there are times it's necessary; and yet, that nagging voice in the back of her mind never stops wondering if the necessary time is really now.]

So how do you decide that? [She makes it about him, even though it's a question for herself.]

It's... not easy at all, sometimes. Sometimes, I'm not even given a choice.

But I do what I can, because I can. If there's a way to keep the other guy from dyin', I'll take it.

And if he's someone who should die? [Would you save the one responsible for all your hardships, Zack?]

...only if they really, really deserved it.

[Well, at least he makes allowances for that. Because there are people that have to be stopped.

There are even people who are truly innocent who have to die.]

I didn't mean to become so serious. How is your tea? [... That's a rather abrupt change of tone.]

[Ah, good, a break in the conversation. He didn't like getting so personal so soon after... everything. The smile's back as quickly as it left, his posture relaxing as he finally takes a sip of the tea.

Sweet, but not too overbearing. He hasn't had tea - especially this type - in a long while, so it's a little hard to judge.]

Great, thanks. It's a pretty rare occurrence for me, in all honesty. Usually back at ShinRa, we're left with some, ah... pretty questionable stuff.

I think half of it is from the labs.

[And he's woken up the scientist inside the girl.]

That's careless. Your research departments should keep their work clearly separate.

Pft, I think they do it on purpose. I'm pretty sure somethin' on my plate last week used to be a rat.

I think.

[She has very practical advice for this, delivered quite deadpan.]

You should start to pack your own lunch.

Bringin' your own lunch winds up in punishment - an' I've tried so many times to get away with it.

Have you ever spoonfed Palmer?

You don't wanna spoonfeed Palmer.

[She smiles, without mocking or sarcasm. How long has it been since she's smiled like this? But something about his haplessness - even though she knows as a soldier, he's not truly helpless - can't help making her react this way.

She should despise it as weakness, but... He's been nothing but kind. And for good or ill, no matter how many times she's been told it's her flaw and a failing, she can't help wanting kindness.]

Learn illusions. It will taste better. Look better, too.

[In fact, his tea changes to a sort of blueberry taste even as she suggests it.]

--huh?

[He can tell just by the tea's tint that it changed without either of them touching it. He draws a gasp, his eyes widening at the sight, then turns back to his companion in stunned silence.]

...how'd you do that?

Didn't I just say it? Illusions. [She's not nearly the adept with them that some of the shitennou are, but she can do a decent enough job with something simple like this.]

So... it's not really any different?

[Ami gives Zack a sly look.]

That's why it would help for your lunches. Nothing brought in.

I've never even heard of doing any of this without materia. Think you'd be able to show me?

[If not, he could probably harrass Essai for a sandwich or two during this particular mission. In the short time they'd known each other, the kid was good at smuggling things past the higher-ups.]

[When he wakes up, he probably can't take it with him; and she can't teach her command of her element anyway.

But the illusions, those can probably be taught, if he has an aptitude for magic.]

Are you saying you're talented with magic?

You bet! I wouldn't be a First if I didn't know how to handle magic.

A First? It must mean a high rank, but I've never heard it used that way before.

hahahaha it's amazingly... strange. XD

Is it odd I actually didn't want to murder the Sims?

XD Also, I think I love these two as of right now *___*

/BLUSHES SO HARD OHGOSH <3

<33

thank yoooou. <3

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WHAT?! lol XD apologies for the massive tl'dr bit too, btw

LOL me and another Seph-mun theorize all ShinRa lunches are worse than school lunches.;;;

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XD Also, I think I love these two as of right now ___