Public Area - The Quad

Zack Fair: spiky black hair and tanned skin with stunning Mako-blue eyes ~ like the sky ~ dressed in SOLDIER First Charcoals. He carries the standard-issue SOLDIER blade and walks with a bounce in his step.

Zack sauntered into the courtyard, lazily stretching and glancing around. Hm, nice place, he thought, approvingly, a pleasant, warm breeze wafting through and stirring his hair. He hadn't been here before, which meant that this, especially in its current unoccupied state, was the perfect location to catch a break from Angeal and his grueling training. Not that he was trying to necessarily avoid the training - far from it - it was just that today was so beautiful, and it was a shame to waste it cooped up inside!

Strolling off the path and onto the lawn, Zack located a shady tree and settled down beneath it. Resting against the trunk, arms crossed behind his head, he let his eyes drift shut and listened to the chirping of the birds and the gentle rustle of the leaves. A faint, relaxed smile touched his lips.

Zest Grangeitz: Tall man with shaggy brown hair and amber eyes. He has on his SOLDIER First uniform and brown trench coat. He carries a spear and a standard-Issue SOLDIER sword. If he's not teaching classes then he is drawing.

Zest was currently drawing his surroundings since he was ordered to give the third class a break, he didn't understand why though. Back when he was a third he was yelled at for how he walked to even how he ate. If they thought that his training sessions were tough, they haven't seen nothing yet. Besides best way for them to learn is through simulated battles. Of course, Lazard told him not to beat them up too much, if not he'll have more reports to write.

Zest didn't thought anyone would be in this area until he heard soft breaths close by. He closed his sketchbook and looked around until he saw a SOLDIER First, it took a second to realize that the guy was Zack Fair. Seeing nothing wrong with it, he decided to draw a quick sketch of him. At least it was something new to draw in this place.

"I wonder if he's skipping out on training with Angeal?" he asked to himself before he took out a new charcoal pencil and began on his new model.

Reno: Tall, lanky with a distinctive laziness to his walk. Red spiked hair with a waist length rat tail, messy two sizes too big Turk uniform undone. Bright Aquamarine eyes and EMR always present.

"DUDE WATCH OUT YO!"

A black figure with spiky red hair lept over Zest head, tucking his body in landing in a roll directly in front of the 1st class before launching back onto his feet and racing off across the grass. Spying the puppy sitting up against the tree he raced over ducking behind him. "Puppy hide me!"

Zest ducked to let the owner of that voice jump over him and not on him. Zest looked at his unfinished sketch, he finished drawing Zack's face and most of his torso but he knew that it was all over with Reno in the Rec Center. By the sound of his voice, Zest figured he must have done something or pissed off someone. He looked at Reno hiding behind the tree where Zack was resting, he almost wanted to slap Reno upside the head for interrupting his "artist" time, as Genesis would put it. Yet he was curious of how was this going to turn out.

He might as well watch a little while longer before doing anything. Zest let his body lay against the soft grass.

Zack jerked awake with a start, the loud yell having interrupted the snooze he'd dropped into. He immediately dropped into something resembling half a fighting stance ... if throwing up an arm to block and reaching for his sword hilt while blinking owlishly could be counted as such.

"Huh, what!?" Glancing around, he spied the red-headed Turk cowering beside him. "... Reno, what the heck?" Slapping his own face, Zack rubbed his eyes to remove some of the lingering grogginess, releasing his sword. If Reno was hiding from something, that sounded like his cue to get outta here.

"Puppy you gotta protect me, only SOLDIER boys like you can keep him from killing me!"

Reno kept hunkered down behind Zack, surprisingly strong fingers gripping into his uniform sweater and holding on for dear life. If Zack was going to leave he was taking the Turk with him, whether he wanted to or not.

Hearing quick foot steps moving from the direction he had come from Reno ducked down behind Zack trying to use his massive frame as a hiding spot. "I'm not here yo, you didn't see me." He whispered out occasionally looking under Zack's arm.

(FYI: Zack isn't all that massive - he's only 16 here.)

Zack's first attempt at standing was arrested by Reno's unexpectedly strong grip, and he plunked back down into the grass.

"From who?" he asked, in mild irritation. All he'd really wanted was a nice nap ... "Did you tick off Tseng? Again?"

Tseng: Tall for a Wutai, long black hair and dark steel toned eyes. Calm most the time has a very warped sense of humor and very big practical joker. Often seen in his pressed Turk uniform, an air of you will obey him or so help Leviathan if you don't is always around him at work.

Tseng stalks into the quad, eyes shinning a brilliant blue with both mako and murder. He KNEW Reno was here somewhere, while his Lieutenant was fast.. he wasn't that fast. Growling darkly, mako fueled blue eyes swept the grounds landing in turn on Zest before moving on. Long black hair that had once been down to his hips was now sitting only slightly below the top of his shoulders and looked to have been slashed off.

"Renton Sinclair... I KNOW you are out here.. come out.. so we can talk like Turks...I promise.. I won't kill you..." /yet.../

Reno made a small 'eep' noise and ducked down even farther behind Zack, he didn't care if the boy wasn't as big as Angeal yet, he would make a damn good meat shield against his very pissed off boss.

He made sure to keep completely quiet once Tseng got into sight range, the man had very very good hearing and even his breathing would give him away.

Watching Zest and hearing his words a very feral, dark smile crossed Tseng's lips, fingers shoving the now butchered hair back over his shoulder and slowly started to stalk towards where Zackary and Zest were in the Quad. He knew that Reno was hiding behind them, there was no other explanation and the fact he had said Turk and Reno was the only one he didn't know where he was at this time. Well... He might just have to thank Zest for pointing out his Lieutenant.

"So... I see you have discovered my missing Lieutenant....Thank you.."

A whimper left Reno's throat seeing he had been given up but glared darkly at Zest. "Thanks a lot jackass.. He's going to kill me now yo!"

Reno slunked down even more behind Zack watching as his boss got closer and closer, that look of pure murder in his eyes setting him on edge instantly. Oh yeah.. he was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dead.

Zack blinked at Zest in surprise, momentarily dumbfounded at the other's tone.

"I ... um ... what? I can be here if I want! I'm a First, like you," he accused, growing rather indignant at being talked down to. "I'm just taking a short break!" Attention distracted by Reno's movement, he hissed at the Turk, "Reno, let go! He's already blown your cover!" and attempted to pry his fingers loose.

Moves up to the group, feral smile turning into a sweet very deceptive innocent smile as he stops directly in front of Zack. "Good morning Zack, how you are this lovely day..."

Zest looked at the turk, unaffected by his glare which was mixed with fear. He looked at the two before him before looking at the dark and almost sadistic smile that Tseng had. The kid was going to die, that much was certain.

"I meant that right now you are supposed to be with Commander Hewley, I was surprised to find you here." Zest rolled his eyes. "So what did you do to land in hot water, Reno?"

He almost felt bad for the kid... almost. As for Zack, he really could help how he acted in instructor mode.

"Oh hey, Tseng ... I'm good ..." Zack glanced from Tseng to Reno and back. "... Whatever he did ... I was not part of it! Just making sure you knew that."

Zack sighed and rolled his eyes at Zest. He was a First! He wasn't supposed to necessarily be anywhere ... besides, he had some time before his mentor actually started looking for him. He hadn't exactly specified their schedule for the day, after all ...

Looks up smiling very faintly but it was that oh $#$ i'm about to die smile. "Bossman, i swear it was a joke.. Cissnei is the one that ran up and pushed down on the scissors.. you were asleep.. and your hair was falling out of it's pony tail and it was just a joke! we were just gonna take a picture like we were going to cut it of...."

He swallowed hard at the dark glare from his boss. "I swear we weren't going to actually cut it!"

At Reno's words, Zack peered more closely at Tseng. ... Sure enough, the man's hair was fully half as long as it used to be. His eyes widened, and his lips began to quirk up in a grin.

"He cut your hair??" A small giggle escaped. "Actually, it doesn't look too bad ... if a tad uneven ..."

Now that Reno mentioned it Tseng's hair was shorter than he remembered. it took all of his will to not break into laughter, so he swallowed thickly to keep the chuckle down. There was one thing to say in this situation.

"Dead man walking..." Zest muttered.

Growls darkly at Reno's words and Zack's. "Zackary, you do realize it is considered a great dishonor for an Imperial Assassin to have their hair cut.. It is used as a form of punishment and scorn.." He hadn't had his hair cut once since he was five years old, thankfully it naturally stopped growing at his hips so he didn't look like Sephiroth.. but still.

"Oh really?" Zack tried to stifle his grin, but was failing more than he was succeeding. "Oh, well ... new times, new customs? I hear shoulder-length hair is all the rage ..."

Zest looked at Reno then at Tseng, there was no helping the guy now. But it didn't hurt to try at least once.

"Now Tseng," he tried. "I'm sure he didn't mean it. So why don't you go easy on him this time?"

Can see a tic in the side of his jaw showing he was clenching his teeth, his eyes shinned brighter as he now had two targets to kill.. a fox.. and a puppy were going to be on the menu tonight.

Zack spied the murderous look in the Turk's eyes, and held up his hands defensively.

"Whoa, hey, I'm just trying to make you feel better! I mean, short of getting a wig or something, there's not much you can do about the hair, except let it grow out! On the bright side ... the new look makes you look younger!" He offered a bright grin in the hope that Tseng's rage might migrate to a different target.