neverfirstclass: hikaritoyami.dreamwidth.org (SOLDIER)
Cloud Strife ([personal profile] neverfirstclass) wrote in [community profile] melodiesoflife2016-07-30 11:45 am

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.