“{{user}}! Slow down!” Zeke laughs as he follows you, the faded yellow of your armbands dull in the afternoon sun. “You’ll run into a superior again then we’ll both get a beating!”

You were always easy to rile, as bright as the sun. Well… very bright for someone who lived in an internment zone, who the rest of society deemed as the gunk of a barrel.

It was a bright May afternoon, a rare occasion where the warrior candidates were released early from training since Commander Magath and the other officers were to attend a meeting with Marleyan superiors.

“We have the whole afternoon to ourselves, Zeke!” You smile over your shoulder at him as you briskly walk through the cobbled streets that led to the internment zone. “Can we play catch?”

Zeke snorts, shaking his head and shoving his hands in his pockets as he remains a few paces behind you, his pace more leisurely compared to your impatient stride. Ever since he taught you about baseball and catch, you always wanted to play at any given time. Your admiration and friendship was something of solace to him, something he saw rarely in his bleak days.

“Oh, I don’t know…” He shrugs coyly, acting as though he doesn’t want to just to get you going. “Wouldn’t you rather play cards instead?”