melodiesoflife | Preparing for Battle

Who: Cloud and OPEN
Where: Cloud's back yard at A-13 and around Aqures Ixen
When: Over time during the festival and leading up to August 3rd
What: Cloud makes his preparations, does some training, and could use a hand painting his new magitek armor
Warnings: None

[A letter goes out to all the Heroes of Aqures Ixen, carefully addressed so that it hopefully will not reach nefarious hands that have been known to intercept the mail before.]

Everyone,

I’m looking for an engineer to help me out with something. I don’t need anything made but I finally got a magitek armor of my own and I could use a hand with preparing it for when Palitutu arrives. I also have a motorcycle that was left to me by Graham and I want to make sure I know how to take care of it properly if it needs work. Any help at all is appreciated. Anyone else who wants to come lend a hand or just drop by is welcome too.

Cloud

Preparation - At the House

[Anyone coming up to house A-13 and knocking on the door won’t get a reply, but there are a few clues of where to go. The engine sounds of a motorcycle or a magitek armor can be heard from around the back of the house, depending on which Cloud is working on at the moment. A toolbox is laid open and the blonde Hero can be found poring over his two vehicular mounts, gently poking at a few things but avoiding anything major. The motorcycle looks like a custom job, built from parts available into a solid looking piece of equipment, as opposed to the models stolen from the empire. Likewise, the magitek armor looks similar but different, a bit bigger, a bit scarier looking, and white rather than the normal dark metal tones.

Zack leans over Cloud’s shoulder, the chocobo peering at the mechanics before him but it’s hard to tell if he comprehends what he’s seeing. For anyone who hasn’t seen the bird lately, his now black plumage has a lovely healthy shine from the sunlight coming down. A few feet from them are some cans of paint, none of them open just yet.

Mako, for his part, sits off to the side, thumbing through one of his usual books and lets Cloud know whenever someone joins them in the back yard. Cloud isn’t so wrapped up in everything that he’s missing all else going on around him, but between his focus and the noises close to him having a lookout helps.]

Training - In the back yard or at one of the many training spots in Aqures Ixen

[Days. Days are what they have. Time just seems to slip away and tumble and there’s never enough time to get ready when it counts. But Cloud is resolved to make every moment count. He remembers to eat and sleep and do his work, and he even takes some time to spend at the festival, but he pours his remaining moments into his training. It’s not out of desperation or fear, but a solid focus and wish to protect those around him. He doesn’t think they’ll win everything here and now, but that doesn’t make this upcoming battle count any less.

Several training dummies are left battered and broken in his wake, victims of his diligence. He practices with a variety of weapons, those he’s not using at a moment laid out waiting for use or maintenance. The Buster Sword, Zack’s sword, it sits there calmly waiting even though he’s unsure if he wants to use it. His shotgun style gunblade, it’s served him well as a Magitek Knight, he may need it again. The Fusion Swords, the six swords of his future self that could be combined and taken apart as needed. He’s been practicing with the individual ones more than the completed set, but he’s getting a handle on each. A greataxe, black mage staff and a shortspear all sit out on the table as well, alongside a shield that seems simple by comparison to some of his other equipment. Now and then, between rounds of training he looks it over, wondering if there’s something he can do with it.

He murmurs to himself as he inspects his equipment.] I can do this...I can make my own style. I can be my own Hero.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Vincent's sudden arrival is surprising, but at least the soft tones of his voice keep him from surprising Cloud too badly. The blonde turns around and offers him a nod and a brief smile before looking back to his weapons.]

Maybe. I can use all of these, but I've gotten used to using this shield as well. If we had more time maybe I could have something special made.

[Ideas are starting to rise in his mind, mixing the different skills he's learned. But for this upcoming engagement with Palitutu he'll only have what he has at the ready.]

Mounted combat and shields can go together, but these weapons are too heavy for me to use all three...for now.

If we had more time, any number of options would open up to us.

[Albel might find a way to make bullets for Vincent's Death Penalty. Vincent might figure out how to wield the strange weapon he'd been left for Christmas--also called Death Penalty. Others might master more jobs, Palitutu might get sick...running the list of potentials down would be madness.]

From all that I can tell, you are your own person. A different person still, than the person I am used to--but you have his strengths.

[It's not a bad thing at all.]

I know. And I'm not worried about being compared to the other me anymore. I know it'll keep happening, but I can deal with it now. It's just something I've had to deal with in my own time.

[Turning around, he shoulders his shield on one arm while swinging the gunblade in the other.]

I'll be using the new armor in the upcoming fight...Levi's too, but I also mean the magitek armor I got. And I was thinking maybe if we make it through this I can find a way to make a shield that works like those swords. Something that I can change depending what I need.

[That brought a hint of amusement and warmth to Vincent's eyes and voice. Cloud already was becoming his own Hero, at least to Vincent's mind, with that thinking.]

If it helps, I have tried to view you as yourself ever since we first talked here.

[Cloud paused briefly. Emotion wasn't something he was used to from Vincent, and seeing it now was a little surprising. It had been a bit hard to tell what was on Vincent's mind up to this point, especially with how rarely their paths tended to cross. It wasn't Vincent's fault but there were times where Cloud wondered if the other man was avoiding him, even if there was nothing to it.

Instead, here and now he gives Vincent a firm nod before testing his balance between the shield and gunblade. He plants his feet as he imagines the recoil of the weapon and how to compensate for it.

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[It's not that Vincent is emotionless--simply aloof and 'cool' as Cloud himself had accused him of, though not this time. He's stoic, and doesn't express his emotions openly often, or very obviously. Even if this was not the Cloud the darker gunslinger knew, he still valued him as ally and 'friend', thus being willing to let the emotion be seen occasionally.

As it is, Vincent does not respond to the thanks verbally. Only a bare head-shake of negation as Cloud doesn't need to thank him. Then he's moving, pacing closer and studying Cloud's stance and posture. Gunblades are unfamiliar to him, but he knows firearms, and he knows hand-to-hand while dealing with firearms too.]

Likely the best way to prepare is to spar.

[Which does bring with it risks, but he trusts you Cloud, if you trust him. He is willing to be partner.]

[Cloud thinks the suggestion over briefly before nodding.]

That's probably true. Would you mind helping me out? I can swap out the ammo in the gunblade for rubber rounds. They'll hurt but they won't be lethal.

[Of course, because of the way they worked it would make the handling of the blade a little bit harder as they didn't clear the barrel as quickly, but in the end he figures that can be a bit of a good thing, right? At least he could train with his stances and the recoil. When it came to live combat it would then be a matter of picking up the speed.]

[If Vincent minded, he wouldn't have said anything at all. Rubber rounds huh? Been a long time since Vincent had dealt with a training partner that used them. Any pain they brought wouldn't bother him, compared to some things he had been through.]

If you want. It makes no difference to me on the type of round.

[It really didn't--Vincent was fairly confident in his own skills. He also was well aware of how to heal and take care of injuries. He also trusted Cloud.]

[Cloud balks for a moment at the comment. Vincent may be reckless with his well being but Cloud isn't about to place a friend and worldmate on the line for his own training.

He only hesitates a moment before cycling out the rounds in his blade and then steps to the middle of the floor. He crouches into the ready, his sword and shield raised for combat.]

You start us off.

Preparing for Battle

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