Around Town then at the Beach, Wednesday Evening

[intraspective]

"This doesn't," Ino informed him, probably unnecessarily, "count as that date you asked for."

Him showing up at the end of her shift with the express purpose of them hanging out together was not, in any way, a date, after all. Friends did that all the time.

And really, so what if they'd kissed in the clinic? (Twice now, if you included the mistletoe.) It wasn't like that really meant anything. Not for just a walk.

... Ino was possibly over-thinking this, why yes.

That didn't stop her from grinning winsomely up at him. She had studying to do, of course. But somehow studying took a backseat to... hanging out with Zack.

[For the modded with permission puppy!]

Comments

[puppy_fair]

"It doesn't, huh?" Zack cast a sideways look at her, grinning lopsidedly as he kicked a loose pebble that had been near his feet on the street. "Well, then I suppose that means I'm going to have to get creative and come up with something that is like a date, huh?"

Such a hardship. Really.

[intraspective]

Ino was not going to blush at that, nuh huh. Absolutely not.

"As long as creative doesn't end up with us stranded on a monster infested island..." she teased, then added, "but oh wait, that'd be a lot of fun."

What? It would be. It just depended on the monsters.

"But I guess I'll just have to wait and see!"

What? You thought she was going to be helpful? Ha!

[puppy_fair]

... Well, see, now Zack had nefarious schemes percolating in that noggin of his. And it was possible that those nefarious schemes involved monster infested islands.

Maybe not so much with the being stranded, though. They'd want to come back, sooner or later. Probably when food ran out. Maybe.

"I wont disappoint," Zack announced, winding up and punting the pebble again once they'd caught up to it. There was a pause, and then he grinned her way again. "So, I got a message from ShinRa today."

[intraspective]

The fact that it was a 'maybe' probably said a fair bit about them, didn't it?

She watched the pebble as it landed a distance away before glancing sideways at him. "Oooh? Do I get three guesses 'bout what they contacted you for?"

[puppy_fair]

That earned a laugh and a shrug.

"You can go ahead and guess, but I wouldn't be able to tell you if you ever actually got it right," Zack admitted. "All I know is that Director Lazard wants me to report for duty on the SOLDIER floor bright and early tomorrow."

[intraspective]

"Probably a job, huh?" she asked, frowning slightly. "I mean--that's pretty much my guess, at least."

Ino knew better than to ask if she could come along but that didn't stop her from sighing just a bit before smiling again.

"If you wind up some place interesting you've totally got to tell me 'bout the place, if you can."

If you can because some stuff was confidential.

[puppy_fair]

"How about I give you a phone call from wherever I am as soon as I can?" He grinned and reached for her hand. "I'm liable to take a few side missions if I get any downtime, you know?"

[intraspective]

"Oh sure," she laughed, grinning down at their clasped hands. "And then you'll just make me wish I was as lucky as you."

[puppy_fair]

Zack pursed his lips, seriously considering that statement. He wouldn't want to leave her feeling like she was being left out of something huge and awesome and fun and so on, after all.

"I could totally bring you back a souvenir," he decided. "From... wherever I end up. There's always really neat materia to find all over, you know?"

[intraspective]

"Zaaack... I wasn't hinting for you to get me anything."

She really hadn't been.

[puppy_fair]

Yeah, but did she realize who she was talking to?

"Well, if anything interesting turns up, then," Zack bargained. Because it would totally be doing him a favor, letting him get stuff for her. "And if not, then I'll just keep an eye on areas you might be interested in visiting later. How does that sound?"

There were already a few places that Zack had pretty firmly scratched off of his list of places to visit with Ino. Banora. Wutai. Hopefully that list wouldn't grow.

[intraspective]

"I like the areas I might want to see later bit," she answered, grinning. "But seriously, you don't got to buy me anything so don't waste a lot of time lookin' or nothing if you've the downtime."

[puppy_fair]

"Welllll..." Hey, they'd caught up with his pebble again! Zack gave it a good punt, and it flew up and away, well out of view. He kind of frowned after it. So much for that. "I could probably smuggle a monster back here for you to fight, if I can find enough rope. But I don't think that it'd pass 'customs' if I come back through Portalocity."

Also, it was a horrible idea. But that fact alone had never been enough to stop Zack, so Portalocity it would have to be.

[intraspective]

"What you'd need to do is find a baby monster," she said thoughtfully, "and claim it as a pet before..."

Ino paused.

"Well, that's a bit morbid, really. I don't need a monster on the island that much."

[puppy_fair]

... And now Ino had Zack wanting a pet monster.

"Why can't I get a pet monster?" A pause. "Even if then I wouldn't kill it, and all. Because it would be a pet."

... Because monsters ate people, Zack. No, not allowed.

[intraspective]

"'Cause most of 'em are too big and violent for the dorms," she said promptly, tugging on his hand. Ino wanted to turn this-a-way here, down this street.

[puppy_fair]

And Zack was happy to follow! They didn't even need a leash for these walkies!

"Well, if I got one young, I could probably train it to be tamer," Zack reasoned. "And then it's a matter of catching something small, right? Like... Uh... A Razor Weed."

Those were small. They were also blades of razor-sharp grass with feet. Try again, puppy.

[intraspective]

Ino resisted the urge to point out that he had a murderous gerbil for a pet and most people managed to deal with a gerbil just fine.

She resisted that urge.

"Would you really want to lug not one but two pets around everywhere? What if you wound up on a mission with... your pet Razor Weed and you wound up having to kill Razor Weeds? Don't you think that'd be a bad thing?"

... was she seriously saying he shouldn't get one because it'd be traumatic for any pet monster of his to see him kill other monsters? Um. Yes, yes she was.

[puppy_fair]

Hey, Mr. Winkles was a saint! The patron saint of murderous gerbils!

"I don't think he'd mind all that much," Zack reasoned. "I mean, I have to go out and fight people all the time." A pause. "Maybe a Jumping, instead? Or a Cuahl? Cuahl don't attack unless you attack them first, after all."

... They were also about the same size as a cheetah. No, Zack. You can't have a large kitty. Or a killer bunny rabbit, for that matter.

[intraspective]

"How 'bout no monsters?" she said mildly. "Mr. Winkles would wind up with hurt feelings if you did that. And you're going to have to tell me what a Cuahl and a Jumping look like."

[puppy_fair]

Awww, well, if it meant that he wouldn't be hurting Mr. Winkles' feelings...

"A Cuahl is kind of like a cat with these crazy-long whiskers. They're yellow, with black spots," Zack explained. "And a Jumping is... a white bunny."

The horror. The horror.

[intraspective]

Her lips twitched.

"A killer bunny, I'm guessing?"

[puppy_fair]

Zack's own lips twitched a little as the beach started to come into view.

"Well, they're not that killer. But it might be a bit of work for me to take one down."

... Yes. Zack Fair would have to expect extra effort, taking out a bunny rabbit.

[intraspective]

Ino laughed and poked him in the side with her free hand. "You'd have to work at it 'cause you'd be distracted by the cute!"

[puppy_fair]

"They hop!"

Which was why they were called 'Jumping,' yes. Go figure.