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Well, that was the thought. It had been several days since he left the city of Midgar and the whole Midgar continent for that matter. He'd had enough of ShinRa and the corporate greed, as well as a whole list of other things. No job, little money, and absolutely no idea what he was going to do now. So he had taken to wandering for a while. He had no map, he had just picked a direction and went that way. Well, that's not true. He had come into Balamb Village, but didn't really want to stay in a town. Towns meant people, and people meant that tempers might rage and conflicts might get started.
He regretted leaving the village.
Especially since he didn't know the area. He should have at least gotten a map or something. He looked around, letting out a heavy sigh. He moved quietly over toward a tree and sat down at the base of it, stabbing his broadsword into the ground next to him. Cloud ran his right hand through his hair, leaning back to rest against the trunk of the tree.
"Ngh...I should have gotten something to eat too..." he mumbled to himself.
Karrl had been sitting in a tree. Over the many years he had been at the Garden, he had found a number of places he like to go to have some alone time. This tree happened to be one of them. The reason behind this was, up in the tree he could see a lot, even the Garden itself. It was in that tree he could find some resemblance of peace, and just think and be his old self again. He missed the days where, if he was not in class he could just hang out with his mates, or, if the occasion called for it, step out of the Garden and be by himself.
However, it seemed is alone time would not be as alone, or as long as he would have liked. He saw a young man with spiky hair and a massive sword come towards the tree he had been sitting in. Karrl was high up, so the likely-hood of the young swordsman spotting him was unlikely. However, Karrl sat there and watched as the young man planted his sword into the ground and took a seat. The words that came out of the young man's mouth made him smile a bit. He reached up and plucked an apple from the tree. Apple in hand he dropped it, so, if the swordsman's reactions were any good the apple might be caught, after it bounced off the young man's head.
Once he had dropped the apple Karrl spoke, "Life and death can be called not only by the sword, but the moral of its user." With that he stood up slightly and jumped out of the tree, landing slightly in front of the young swordsman. Karrl was dressed in his civilian gear, jeans, tank-top, boots, fingerless leather gloves and a trench-coat. The reason behind this was, normally people who saw him in his SeeD uniform, acted differently around him, so, he had chosen to dress normally that day. However, he was still in possession of his Shaung Dao, his twin sabres.
Cloud's eyes were shut, at least at the precise moment where the apple was made to fall onto his head. With a nearly audible thud it bounced off the spiky blond hair and landed right in his lap, but it snapped him out of his pondering. "Hey, what's the big i-" he cut off as he looked around, taking quick note of the apple. He picked it up and blinked, rubbing the top of his head with his free hand (since getting hit with apples hurts) and after a moment took a bite. He did just say he was a bit hungry after all.
The wanderer had not taken notice of Karrl, and didn't notice him until he revealed his presence, speaking from up in the tree. Cloud jumped slightly, and looked up as he followed Karrl's jump to the area in front of him. "Didn't think anyone else was out here..." he mumbled.
What was that he said... 'Life and death can be called not only by the sword, but the moral of its user.' It seemed to be that for a time he spaced, thinking about that. He didn't really respond or pay attention to the other swordsman while he thought. He stood, reaching over with his free hand to grasp the handle of his broadsword for a decent amount of leverage while he took another bite of the apple. He nodded to it and then looked to Karrl.
"Thanks for the apple." He looked down at his sword and then up into the clouds. "The sword's a tool... though if the wielder lets his morals be compromised the wielder becomes no better than a puppet." As he spoke, his eyes narrowed. It was easy to tell he was a bit bitter about something.
Last Edit: Oct 17, 2012 13:48:36 GMT by Cloud Strife
It was a good a day as any to wander off in attempts to stave away boredom. Squall tried his best to lead an active lifestyle, and with his workout set being done for the day and having just eaten, he figured a walk could do him some good. He figured patrolling the countryside was better than sitting around in his dorm room all day, so he went to Balamb Garden's parking garage where it wasn't exactly rare for unused vehicles to be temporarily granted for use to students on or attempting SeeD business. Missions hadn't really been too popular nor common as of late, so he figured he'd take a vehicle and set off to clear his head; lately, a lot of things had been bothering him. One of those things happened to be that girl, Rinoa. He couldn't seem to get that girl off his mind, or her funny little dog Angelo. He normally didn't think about much of anyone but himself, so he needed something to distract him. He set off with Revolver in its case down at his side, walking down to the Garden's central hub and following the markers to the garage. He picked out a small car and signed a few papers, then had the keys in his hand ready to go.
He walked over to the car and opened the door, stuffing the Revolver into the passenger seat and getting in to shut the door and start it before pulling it into reverse, then driving out of Garden and into the countryside. There wasn't much of a populace that had settled near the Garden, and that fact really brought with it a certain level of comfort for him. Were he unlucky, at most, he would wind up having to get out of the car to take out a minor threat or two. For the most part, he was doing this to get away from his thoughts and relax. As he was driving around, he rolled down the window to get some fresh air and looked to his left only to see two men beneath a tree talking. It didn't look that suspicious, but it was part of his job to see what they were up to.
He pulled off of a small dirt road and rolled up about thirty yards from the tree and put the car in park, leaving the window down. He pulled the Revolver out of the car, still in its case, took the keys and shut the door. They just seemed to be relaxing and he hated to intrude (or converse with anyone at all, really) but he nagged himself to approach, looking the two young men up and down. One of them he actually recognized, causing him to drop his guard and release a little tension. He was a member of SeeD as well, though a bit higher ranked than Squall. Offering him a simple salute, he looked to the blonde spiky-headed one that was munching on an apple. He stepped a little closer and looked down to him, then back at Karrl.
''Didn't mean to intrude. Just doing a non-official patrol...I didn't realize you were one of us at first glance.'' He then looked to Cloud. ''If you're out here with him, I don't really to prod you with questions.'' He looked him over a little more; he definitely didn't look like he was from the area. Out of curiosity, he had to ask. ''My name's Squall...where are you from?'' As it turned out, this could be a pretty good opportunity to learn about another region.
Karrl was about to retort to the young, spiky haired guy's own retort when he heard, and saw a car coming. From the looks of thing it was coming from the Garden, which made him sigh slightly. At first he thought it was someone looking for him because he had been needed for some task or another. However, he would act professional, as he always tried to do when it came to other SeeD and the Headmaster.
However, when the driver had stepped out of the car, a first he did not recognize the young man, maybe a recruit. Then, as the young man came closer he believed he knew who it was, a young member of SeeD called Squall, Leonhart. As Squall came closer he saw Karrl and seemed to recognize him, well, that's what it looked like. Then came the salute, and, as professionalism dictated, he returned the salute with his own.
When Squall spoke, tell him what Karrl had suspected he simply nodded. He smiled slightly, as it seemed that the young SeeD was out on a non-official patrol, which made Karrl relax a bit, "It's OK, no harm done." Then Squall turned to the blonde guy and spoke, "Tell you what Squall, why do't you join us, unless your non-official patrol is high priority." He smiled a bit as he looked at Squall. He did not mean that last comment to sound so sarcastic, but, more like a witty joke.
Cloud took a single step back under the shade of the tree as the second person approach, especially since the two he was talking to seemed to know each other. Just great. As the two greeted each other the spiky blond took a bite of the apple with a rather loud crunch, not trying to be rude - he was just hungry. He leaned back, standing with his back against the tree. He shifted his left arm, readjusting the loose sleeve so that it draped properly and wasn’t bunched up. He let out a sigh when he realized that Squall had asked him a question. Didn’t he just say he wasn’t going to prod me with questions… Cloud wondered, silently of course.
“Midgar.” One word was all that Cloud needed to give that answer, and that one word was stated with bitterness and contempt. Just by hearing how he said it, anyone who was listening would know just how much distaste he had for that city. He looked off to the side, but then looked back to the two of them. “I’m Cloud.” He didn’t give a last name, he didn’t need to. Heck he’d only just met the two of them. If they asked he might, but for now his first would do.
He thought about how the two of them had reacted to each other. They must be part of some formal military or something. Just great, more military. Well, his day had been going well. Then again, these two seemed nice enough. They didn’t even wear a uniform. He glanced between the two, eyeing the older one’s twin blades and then noticing the weapon case that Squall carried.
Squall's salute was returned as expected, but one thing did sort of surprise him. The other member of SeeD offered to have him tag along with them, though he wasn't exactly sure what they were doing. Squall gave him a blank look for a moment. ''What exactly are you guys out here for, anyhow?'' He didn't mean to sound rude, but it wasn't often that he found people outside of a town or Balamb Garden due to the random beasts that enjoyed showing up at a moment's notice, especially with the Fire Cavern so close. ''To be honest, I was just making sure there wasn't any overflow from the Fire Cavern...'' That was his way of saying he had nothing else better to do. After their brief exchange he looked to the spiky-haired guy, expecting an answer by now. He studied him carefully before receiving his response.
It only took one word, but the way the word was said caught him off guard. There was a lot of bad blood behind that word; ''Midgar'', by the sounds of it. He wouldn't prod any further, as it already gave enough reason for him to be out in the middle of nowhere. He spoke his name, Cloud, without giving a last name much like Squall had himself. Upon being asked if he was expecting trouble, he gave a simple response, though not one particularly aimed at Cloud. He glanced off in the direction of the plains near the Fire Cavern as he bounced the case of the weapon lightly in his hand, then glanced to Karrl; he knew he'd taken the mission at the Fire Cavern not all that long ago.
''Comes with the territory.''
Now that he decided to be observant, he noticed the guy didn't exactly have many supplies with him. In fact, besides his weapon, that apple seemed to be just about the only thing with him other than the clothes on his back. It made him wonder exactly how far he'd traveled, how he'd managed. He saw a strange familiarity in the young man, some of which he saw in himself. He seemed reserved, closed off even. He eyed the apple in his hands. He couldn't believe what he was about to offer, but he sort of felt sorry for the guy; no vehicle or anything, and that apple was probably the first food he'd really had in a bit.
''You know, the town of Balamb isn't far from here. There's a small diner there, a lot of us go there now and then.'' He wasn't sure what their established plans were at that time, but the car he'd rented was a four-door, after all. He wouldn't mind giving the guy a ride to get some real food; he'd been in his position before, and he didn't want to not do anything about it; he'd wind up blaming himself later if he didn't at least offer. He nodded back to the car and shrugged. He had no real reason to feel threatened from either of them, so he'd probably stash his weapon in the trunk or floorboard of the back seat if they wanted to pay that diner a visit.
Karrl smirked a bit when Squall had asked what they were doing out there. It was true, normally; normal people did not hang about around there since there was a chance of random monster attacks. The truth was Karrl was not afraid of the creature that dwelled around, since, the most powerful ones usually only took him a few strikes to take care of. Well, all the creatures except for the Bomb Summon, but that summon worked for him now. However, he knew it would be impolite to not answer, “Well, I was just relaxing, no missions and all; you know how Garden can get sometimes.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a smoke, quickly lighting it up. As he took a puff Squall explained that he was out there to check on the Fire Cavern and if there were any creatures overflowing from it. He remembered when he did stuff like that. The truth was, it was an important job, but, usually he was too busy to take care of something like that. It just dawned on him, this was actually the first time since he became a member of SeeD that he had any sizeable time to himself, which he found a little funny, and a little sad.
When the man who introduced himself as Cloud said he was from Midgar he looked over his shoulder at him. He had heard of the place before, and what he had heard he did not like. However, from the disdain he had for the place, or so the way Cloud had said the name, Karrl assumed he was not some kind of spy or hitman, well, he assumed at least. He eyed the guy, and for a moment the laidback, and somewhat carefree expression he had on his face was gone, well, until Squall invited him to join them a the local diner in town, and with that, he smiled, “Good idea Squall, I’m getting a bit hungry myself.”
Cloud looked between the two of them with a blank look, letting out a sigh. Missions? The two were starting to sound more and more like part of an army as time went on. Just what he needed while he was trying to get away from one. The spiky blonde picked up his sword and rested it on his shoulder as he finished the apple and tossed the core to the ground next to him. As talk of food continued he wasn’t going to say anything but spoke up, he didn’t want to be a bother to anyone really. He could take care of himself. Though he hadn’t had a decent meal since he left Midgar.
“I couldn’t…” he was about to say something about how he couldn’t impose no matter how much he wanted to though he all of the sudden was caught off guard by a particularly loud rumble from his stomach. He looked down at the ground and scratched the back of his head with a soft smile. “That sounds…nice.”
Cloud paused and stepped a few paces away from the tree. “I’m wandering…that’s pretty much it.” He stopped and looked into the sky. “Trying to figure out what I’m going to do.”
He looked at Squall curiously, it seemed that the two of them were rather similar in personality or at least that’s what it seemed from the rather short exchange. Coming to that conclusion made him wonder why exactly it was that the other man even offered. Was it because he was being polite, or was it because they were similar? He turned and looked at the older one with the paired swords, cocking his head backward with his eyebrow raised. “So what’s your name?” he asked flatly.
Karrl responded somewhat quickly. Apparently, he was just out taking a break from the hectic life of SeeD work, and Squall already knew how difficult it could be. It was a strange place to get away from everything, but at the same time, he couldn't question it; it was pretty much why he was out here too. Squall watched as the senior member of SeeD pulled a cigarette from his person and stuck in his mouth and lit it. That was pretty questionable; you had to be in tip top shape for every mission, so why break down your cardio training with smoking? It was his life and he wasn't going to comment, but it didn't make a whole lot of sense to the young man. He'd only tried smoking once or twice before and hated it. Karrl also seemed to respond to Cloud's one-word comment concerning Midgar, almost as if he knew the place or had been there or heard of it. Squall took note of this and stayed quiet incase they got around to discussing the topic. He finally spoke up and replied to Squall's offer, saying he'd tag along.
He noticed Cloud's sigh just earlier when they were discussing SeeD life. It seemed that this guy wasn't exactly fond of mercenaries or any armed forces, at least not right now. He raised an eyebrow at him curiously. When it sounded like he was going to refuse the offer of food, his stomach let out a loud gurgle; it almost made Squall smile, almost as if his body were rejecting his thoughts. He finally agreed to come along as well. He finally admitted why exactly it was he was out here, too; apparently he was just wandering and trying to find out what to do with himself. Squall would have made the offer to join SeeD, but that wasn't a possibility; he already looked too old to be considered for enrollment, and becoming a SeeD took a large chunk of time from your life; it was primarily why most SeeD were trained since they were children.
As Cloud looked to Karrl, Squall turned on his heel and walked to the rental car, starting the engine. He'd wait for the both of them to be ready to go as he sat silently in the driver's seat.
When Cloud went to refuse the offer Karrl could not help but smile a bit when his stomach had pretty much said don’t you dare Cloud, and in turn Cloud accepted the offer. Karrl had been lucky, he had never gone hungry a day in his life, well, maybe one or two when he was in Spira, but, all things considered, he had almost never had a problem finding food to fill his belly.
Then Cloud stated he was just wandering, trying to figure out what he was going to do, and, in return Karrl nodded before heading over to the vehicle. Karrl was not the type to ask questions, especially when it came to things that did not really concern him. However, there was something about Cloud, that was a little off, and, even though he seemed like a nice enough guy, he would be keeping a close eye on him, just in case he was going to cause any trouble.
As he thought that he stepped into the vehicle, having to bend over slightly to get in. He had taken one of the back seats, behind the passenger seat in the front. As he sat down he adjusted his Shuang Dao so they were resting against, but not pressing into where he was sitting. Once he was sat comfortably he looked out of the window, but made sure his other, highly keen senses, where trained on what was going on in the vehicle.
Cloud stepped forward, hefting his broadsword up to rest on his shoulder. He seemed hesitant even still to move toward the car. The blonde wasn’t even sure that this was a smart idea - even though the two of them (though a bit gruff) had been nothing but kind to him. It took him several minutes, though finally he shook his head.
I’m being stupid he thought to himself, as he walked forward. The incidents that happened with Zack and Sephiroth had really gotten to him, so much so that he hadn’t been able to think straight since he left Midgar. It also caused some trust issues. He wasn’t sure who was or wasn’t on his side, so it was just natural to him to feel that everyone was against him - which obviously wasn’t true - especially considering how Karrl and Squall were treating him.
The fact that he was a stranger didn’t even matter to them. It was a nice change from feeling like everyone was an enemy. He stepped up to the passenger side door of the car, sliding into it as he situated the broadsword in front of him while he sat there. He shut the door and looked over to Squall, nodding to him, before doing the same toward Karrl.
Squall tapped his foot patiently into the floorboard of the car. It seemed like the two had just now met, so they were probably discussing a topic or two. He leaned back in the driver's seat and got comfy. Karrl, the other SeeD, he'd actually seen around before and was decently comfortable being in the proximity of; Cloud, though, the new guy, rubbed him the wrong way. Not in the sense that he didn't like him or he made him cautious, the young man just reminded him a lot of himself, more-so the large facade he put up to keep others out. Cloud seemed the same way, if not more adamant, given his seemingly constant wandering. He looked to the two as Karrl approached.
He stepped in and got into the back with his weapons on him; a good measure of security, though probably not needed. After a few moments wait Cloud followed suit and got into the front passenger seat after situating himself. After all the doors were shut, Squall waited a moment before making a U-turn and heading toward the dirt road he'd originally been on. He checked his mirrors every couple of seconds to make sure he didn't hit-and-run some sort of monster or fiend that wandered out onto the roads they usually strayed from, and it wouldn't be long before Balamb was in view. He turned onto another road heading straight there and pulled up to the gate.
He showed his SeeD pass and stated they were just stopping by for food, giving ample cause for the gate to raise. He pulled the car into a small parking garage and exited, closing the door. He called to memory that the diner was the next street over, so stayed silent and moved along at a decent walking speed. Before long the trio had reached the cafe, and Squall, true to nature, sat himself in the back in a corner somewhat near the actual kitchen. He waited for the other two to sit. ''Balamb's pretty famous for the fish they cook, if you're not sure what to get.'' A waitress approached a moment or two later and passed each of the men a menu, requesting what to bring them to drink.
Karrl sat in silence as the made their way to town. He was thinking about a few things, nothing really important, but, he liked the keep his mind occupied most of the time. However, at the same time as he was thinking he was keeping an eye out, just in case there was any trouble, outside, or inside of the vehicle. If there were fiends causing trouble, he would deal with it, or if the guy he was, well, same thing really.
It did not take them long to reach the restaurant, stopping briefly to state what they were going to do in town. When the vehicle came to a stop he opened the door and stepped out himself. He looked around for a moment or two, before entering. He liked coming to that particular restaurant, since, it served good food and it was relatively cheap. After a few moments he stepped into the restaurant. He did not break step and headed for his usual table, which was, funnily enough the same one Squall had picked.
Sitting down, next to Squall he saw that, even thought it was not the exact seat he normally had, he got a good view of the entire place, just in case anything really happened. He was not paranoid, he knew, when you least expect trouble, that was when it happened. He listened to what Squall had to saw and smiled slightly. It was true, they did do good fish in that place, however, he was more of a fan of red meat, always had been. As he sat there keeping an eye out he waited for the server to come and get their order.
When the waitress approached he smirked, “Hey Lisa, how are you?” When she smiled and blushed a little, it was obvious there was or had been something between Karrl and the waitress. He continued to smile a bit before he said, “I’ll have me usual please.” Lisa nodded and scribbled down something on her pad before turning to the others. Karrl sat there and continued to smile, however, at the same time, he was still keeping his eye out for trouble.
It seemed that not one of the three guys were big talkers. Cloud just watched the scenery go by as they headed toward the town. It wasn’t exactly comfortable with the rather annoying broadsword resting in front of him but hell, it was better than staying back in Midgar. He could breathe comfortably out here without the metal walls of the city around. After several minutes of only the sound of wind rushing past the car, they pulled into the Balamb Village parking garage. Cloud stepped out of the car the same time as the other two had, leaving his blade in the vehicle. He wouldn’t need it while they were inside, besides, if they were going to a restaurant he would have nowhere to put the thing.
He stepped away from the car and shut the door, and proceeded to follow both Squall and Karrl to the diner. As they stepped inside, he thought about suggesting a place toward the back of the place but it seemed he didn’t have to. Both Squall and Karrl picked the table farthest away from the door. The blonde sat down with them. When Squall mentioned about the fish being good Cloud nodded, signaling that he heard him. He turned to the waitress when she approached the table. “Water, please” he told her, after Karrl ordered his meal. This must be somewhere that Karrl came often. Cloud sighed, looking between the two of them and couldn’t help but be grateful.
He and Squall seemed a lot alike, though definitely for different reasons. Karrl seemed nice enough, but Cloud figured that there was probably more to him than he let on. Either way, the blonde smiled and muttered a somewhat quiet “Thanks Squall, Karrl” to the both of them as the waitress was taking their order.
Strangely enough, things seemed to work out for everyone present. He got a strange vibe from both Karrl and Cloud that he'd picked the table they both would have, though it seemed Karrl felt a lot more at home in this place than the young SeeD member and Cloud did. He called the waitress by name and had a bout of small talk with her, even going as far as to request his ''usual''; he must have came here quite a bit. In order to give Cloud a bit of time to decide on something from the menu, Squall decided to go ahead and order after Karrl had finished. ''A glass of water and a fish and chips basket.'' He nodded. It's what he usually got whenever he came here; a few good sized fish pan-fried in a flaky breading with a helping of seasoned fries in a disposable basket, which made it perfect for take-out.
He nodded to Cloud as a non-verbal ''no problem'' before handing over his menu and leaning forward a bit, folding his hands on the table in front of him. It wouldn't be long after they all ordered that they got their drinks, and Squall sipped at his water lightly. He found himself wondering what Rinoa was up to, and it definitely showed with the occupied look on his face. He was also somewhat interested about hearing why Cloud had chosen to travel so far; from what Squall understood, the distance between Midgar and Balamb was nothing to shake a stick at and it didn't seem like the guy brought a vehicle along; at least at the Garden, they could rent cars and bikes though there was a maximum distance they were allowed to take them.
He finally looked over to Karrl as the waitress walked off. ''I take it you're here often?'' Conversation was a difficult thing for Squall to both want and contribute to, but sometimes it was necessary. He would probably wind up continuing to ask him about the Fire Cavern as well, mainly because he'd heard a summon was responsible for a lot of the problems there, and also because he'd really thought about trying to find one himself to partner up with; Guardian Forces were becoming a big thing for SeeDs lately.
When the drinks came Karrl smiled and winked at the waitress before picking up a medium toned brown bottle. It was clear to anyone the bottle contained beer, well, unless that person had not seen a bottled beer before, but, that was highly unlikely. He looked at it for a moment or two before taking a long, hard swig from it. He smiled as he held it lazily in between his thumb and forefinger looking at the bottle. He was more of a whiskey drinker himself, but, since they only served beer at the restaurant, it would have to do. He did not mind it anyways, he was not out to get drunk, he just wanted a couple of beers whilst he ate.
He suddenly remembered the thanks from Cloud. He looked at him for a moment or two. After those moments were up he smiled and raised his beer bottle to him, in a way of say no problem. He then took another swig from it, in the same fashion as he did before. He continued to look at the bottle, which, a quarter of its contents was already gone from the swigs. Karrl found it funny really, he did not know why, but, he had been able to drink like that from a young age and not actually get that drunk, well, until his like twentieth bottle, or something along those lines. He preferred whiskey, because of the strong taste, he had to take it a little slower on it, making the night last that little bit longer.
Then Squall commented on the fact that Karrl came to the restaurant often in the form of a question. He looked at him for a moment before smiling, “You could say that. I use to date that waitress, and I hung around here for a while, and, even though we broke up, on good terms, I came to like it here, so, whenever I’m in town, I stop in here for a bite, to line my stomach on route to the bar.” The funny thing was, even thought Karrl did not realise it, someone might actually mistake the young silver haired mercenary as a borderline alcoholic. True, Karrl liked his booze, but, he did not need to drink as much as he did, he just enjoyed it.
Having just emerged from his home in Balamb after a delicious home cooked meal by his beloved Ma, Zell stretched wide and big after shutting the door to his house. A cheerfully wide smile followed a decent yawn of satisfaction after his quick stretch to the heavens as the young man was now on a mission. He was going to make his daily jog through the town and then make that decent trek back to the Garden to stop by the library to do some reading. Really he was hoping that at least one of the books he wanted to pick up was available this time around as it seemed like his luck with getting his favorite books were as bad as his luck getting a hot dog in the cafeteria.
All in an instant Zell slumped over with his arms dangling as if all the air had been deflated out of his body. Missing out on those delectable treats really made him depressed, but his Ma's cooking definitely made up for it when he could make his way into town. Just as instantaneously as he had lost energy, he regained it back by standing straight up and slapping his cheeks with his gloved hands a few times, invoking a ready smile.
The children that were running about laughed at the youth for being so funny as Zell rubbed the back of his neck and laughed with them, waving as they went along.
"Aaaaaallright!! Let's do this!!!"
Zell shouted up into the air with his fists pointed towards the sky as well in a triumphant matter. An action that quickly got him scolded by his dear Ma who warned him out the window to not be so loud around the neighbors.
"Hehe...sorry there Ma!"
The youth quickly replied with a nod of sincerity before turning around and beginning to loosen himself up more for a quick stretch. Bending and contorting all around in front of his home, Zell began to lightly jump between both his feet to set a good pace for himself to jog at. Once feeling comfortable with the rhythm he set for himself, he quickly fired a few jabs into the air and began to move forward.
Shadow boxing, with mostly Seifer on his mind as a target, as he ran through the town, eventually he made it to the diner that the others were at. Being such a well-known individual within the community, Zell usually got waves from everyone he passed by on his running routine and as he peered through the window he caught a quick glance of not only Karrl but Squall as well as he couldn't stop himself in time.
Taking in a sharp breath of surprise that they had come to his hometown, Zell began to jog backwards in place to just make sure his eyes didn't deceive him. Once he confirmed the two of them were enjoying some lunch along with someone he wasn't familiar with, the martial artist stopped his running and placed his hands on the glass of the diner. With a few quick bangs on the glass to gain his friends' attentions, Zell stepped away from the window and placed his hands around his mouth to yell at them through the glass.
"YOOOO!!!!"
At this point, Zell recognized the staff didn't appreciate his disturbing of the peace, something he had to admittedly work on and apologize for as soon as he walked inside the restaurant eventually. He was just so excited to see people he recognized from the Garden that he couldn't help it.
"What's up Karrl and Squall!? I've been dying to get you guys to come down here for awhile with me but you always tell me you're so busy! Who's the new guy??"
It was obvious to Cloud that both Karrl and Squall were extremely familiar with the area, and it also seemed that the two were nice enough. They went out of their way to make sure he didn’t starve, it also gave him someone to talk to if he decided to shed the mask and actually speak. Cloud’s issue was mostly that he wasn’t confident with himself. He didn’t know what to do, where to go, or who to trust anymore. These two though extended an offer to start building trust and chipped away slightly at the mask of stoicism.
Eating out wasn’t something that he did often. Back in Midgar he kept to himself, never being any sort of exceptional. Sure, he stood out from the other infantry where swordsmanship were concerned, but if the case and weapons that Squall and Karrl carried were a hint this might be a decent place for him to stay for a while. It didn’t really matter right now. As the waitress returned with their drinks, the blonde took his water and ended up ordering the same meal as Squall. Simple and light enough.
His musings about trust were cut short while he was drinking his water - soon after Karrl and Squall finished their exchange of words a rather loud man with spiked blond hair but not nearly spiky as Cloud’s started to yell through the window, but then came inside and approached them. Apparently he knew the two others by name and at first glance was the definition of obnoxious.
“Cloud” he answered for himself, it would be rude to do otherwise.
Karrl wasn't necessarily on duty, so Squall wasn't going to sit there and pick at him about having a beer. At more formal Garden events he'd had a glass of wine or two himself, but never enough to take him off focus; just enough to make him blend with the crowd so nobody would bother him. His eyes slowly moved between the two seated with him. They seemed to be getting along pretty well, but even in the relaxed environment the angsty SeeD didn't have a whole lot to say about much of anything. He slowly took in the environment, noting that the place wasn't incredibly busy right now which was a bit unusual. After Squall had made the comment about Karrl being a possible regular, it seemed the other SeeD felt the need to share the story behind it.
Squall didn't purposely look uninterested, but it was just his usual facial expression. He nodded after Karrl had given the explanation. He was never one for dating as he felt it only brought negatives; it was something to keep your mind occupied when you should be staying focused and alive, not to mention doing your job. It was also something just about out of the question for someone like Squall. The social contact it brought was almost appalling to think about for someone who even had himself convinced friends were a nuisance and a setback. He noted that Karrl mentioned coming to the place to line his stomach before going to the bar, so that's where a lot of his pay must have went. He didn't recall seeing a whole lot of Karrl over the years, just now and then.
All of the sudden, a howling ''Yo'' came from nowhere but Squall already had a pretty good idea who it was. The quiet cafe got even quieter as the few people in there stopped and stared through the window at the spiky-haired Zell, and Squall's palm was already planted firmly into his face as he shook his head lightly. ''Oh great...not this goofball.'' It seemed like whenever Squall managed to forget about the guy, he showed up somewhere louder in both appearance and volume than ever. The fist-fighter trotted in before stopping by their table, where Squall's hands were again folded and resting. He had half a mind not even to answer the question; what else would they be doing in a cafe? Especially this one?
''I met up with these two on patrol. We decided to grab a quick bite to eat.'' Zell by now probably new well enough about how Squall operated in conversation, so the response probably didn't come as any real surprise. He was about to introduce Cloud before the less-spiky of the two did so himself. He wouldn't spare him many more details than that, as Squall knew very well how need-to-know personal information could be. ''He was low on supplies so we brought him here.'' He was actually starting to get pretty hungry by now, which was convenient; being so close to the kitchen, he could actually smell that some of their food was finished cooking already and being kept warm.
He turned his head slightly to look at Zell for the first time since he walked in, and offered a simple response to be polite. ''How about you?''
Karrl’s smile, which seemed to be on most of the time, started to falter when he heard the massive yell, and, he did not need to even look up from taking another massive swig of his beer to know who it was. He sighed and looked over at Squall giving him an exasperated look. The look pretty much stated how he felt about the fact Zell had found them.
When Zell went onto say he had been trying to get the two of them, Squall and Karrl, down there for a bite to eat he held the fact he was a regular and the fact he really did not want to spend that much alone time with the hyper fist fighter. Ok, Karrl was never known for holding back, but, the guy seemed, to Karrl, a little unstable, so, he would rather not fight in the middle of the café.
So, in light of this he did not say a word, he just took another massive swig of his beer and left himself to his own thoughts. He was planning what to do, he had been allowed some away time, and was thinking about where to travel, he was not sure where exactly, but, he needed some time to get his head back in the game. After all, the events in Alexandria really played with his head, and he needed it.
"Aaaaaallright!! Let's do this!!!"
"Hehe...sorry there Ma!"
