Embrace Your Dreams

Some days were just... nope days. Even for someone as enthusiastic as Zack. This particular day? This one was possibly more a nope day than most, the anniversary of the incident in Nibelheim. The day another good SOLDIER had turned. The day an entire town had burned to the ground.

The day he'd lost his freedom.

It was an old scar by now, but one that he'd spent years living the aftermath of. Being able to sit and actually observe it was a luxury he'd only had for a short while, now. Freedom was still big and comparatively new and terrifying at times, and it had come at the cost of his entire world.

He sighed, set his sword to the side of him, and flopped backwards on the roof to stare up at the sky.

The price of freedom was steep. Always had been.

Maybe he'd just spend the rest of his day right here.

[OOC: Open, if you have any reason to be up on the rooftops, chatting up a maudlin puppy. Also, listening to 'The Price of Freedom' at work was not a solid life choice.]

Zack yawned, stretched, and smiled up at the ceiling sleepily. He'd slept better last night than he had in a while, thanks in part to the puppy that had come home with him last night. He wasn't planning on keeping the dog, not by any means, but he hadn't been taking to being alone very well, and neither had the puppy, after his siblings had all been adopted out. And, since Ino wasn't home, he hadn't seen any reason not to.

... Except that the puppy had apparently wandered off somewhere. Which wasn't an emergency, really. Zack would just lure him out with breakfast and squeaky toys, and then they could head back to the shelter, where the next person on staff could keep the timid little puppy company. Maybe get him adopted out to a good home. He crouched over to pick up the squeaky pork chop toy he'd brought home for the night, and then froze. And blinked up. And hissed between his teeth. Hadn't he closed Ino's door last night? Maybe he hadn't closed it all they way, and the puppy had nosed it open out of curiosity?

Holding his breath, Zack inched toward the door, nudging it open a little bit more, and made a strangled whining sound in the back of his throat. Yep. The puppy was in there. So was Ino, who he was mostly certain would kill him if she thought he'd brought a dog home to stay without even so much as asking her. And said dog was on her bed. Sleeping beside her. Not even the squeaky pork chop could save them now. Zack grimaced, and then shuffled off, first to get a shirt on, and second to get some dog treats. Maybe he didn't need to use the enticing power of the squeaky toy, if he could just lure the puppy over with snack foods instead. Quietly. Somehow.

He was so dead meat.

[OOC: For Ino! Or calls, if anybody wants, why not?]