ᴄʟᴏᴜᴅ sᴛʀɪғᴇ (
notachocobo) wrote in
edgeoflife2016-07-23 09:48 am
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Entry tags:
The Mechanic Life | OTA
Cloud was fairly certain that if it got any hotter, the entire city was just going to start to melt. The lack of power to keep things cool was making Edge a miserable place to be but it was home and while the beach had been a nice break, he couldn't stay away forever. He had work to do.
Work that included making sure his bike--and the one he was preparing for his younger self on the sly--were in tip top condition.
Most of his usual gear abandoned on his work bench thanks to the heat, the blonde was elbow deep in the engine of the bike he was repairing for his younger self, the engine propped up on a few old crates as he attempted to replace the cylinder heads. The thing still fired up, he'd tried it before doing anything, but it didn't sound like it should and the last thing Cloud wanted was for it to break down while anyone was riding it. He frowned softly at the engine block, sweating beading down his face thanks to the heat and he paused to wipe it away with his shoulder. (No easy task when your hands were preoccupied with holding together parts of an engine.)
Finally getting the cylinder head into place, he slipped the bolts back where they needed to go before easing his arms out of the small space. The combination of sweat and grease from the motor was not the most pleasant feeling but this was only a small part of what he needed to do to get his old bike road ready.
Next up, he needed to make sure the timing was right.
Work that included making sure his bike--and the one he was preparing for his younger self on the sly--were in tip top condition.
Most of his usual gear abandoned on his work bench thanks to the heat, the blonde was elbow deep in the engine of the bike he was repairing for his younger self, the engine propped up on a few old crates as he attempted to replace the cylinder heads. The thing still fired up, he'd tried it before doing anything, but it didn't sound like it should and the last thing Cloud wanted was for it to break down while anyone was riding it. He frowned softly at the engine block, sweating beading down his face thanks to the heat and he paused to wipe it away with his shoulder. (No easy task when your hands were preoccupied with holding together parts of an engine.)
Finally getting the cylinder head into place, he slipped the bolts back where they needed to go before easing his arms out of the small space. The combination of sweat and grease from the motor was not the most pleasant feeling but this was only a small part of what he needed to do to get his old bike road ready.
Next up, he needed to make sure the timing was right.
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Glancing down at the glass in his hands that Tifa had handed him, it was obvious why, now. He hadn't actually thought any work would get done on the bike yet, especially not when the heat-wave hit and the power kept being shut off.
"Hi."
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"Hey."
These two are great with words, aren't they?
The older blonde straightened up out of the crouch he'd gotten into to get a better look at the timing chain, using the part of his forearm that was the least dirty to brush some of his sweat soaked bangs out of his face.
"What's up?"
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like picking up huge swords like it's nothing, but words aren't among those things, no.Now that his older self knew he was here, Cloud came closer, crossing the floor slowly and glancing between the bike and the exposed engine. He shook his head at the question and held out the glass when he was close enough.
"... nothing, really," Cloud said, voice soft, "I think this is yours." Well, Tifa's glass, but meant for Cloud, that was.
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"Thank you," he said with a nod as he took the glass. He took a moment to down the entire glass, eyes closed as he just soaked up the nice chill that it sent through him. He hadn't even realized just how hot he was getting until now; probably a good thing lil Cloud had showed up with some water.
A content sigh escapes the older blonde as he lowers the now empty glass, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he focused on the other again.
"...Want to learn how to fix a bike? Since you're here, I mean."
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There was nothing to blame that on other than he'd been looking forward to it... and not just as a distraction for how out of sorts he'd felt since this heat wave started. It wasn't even anything new, though the constant lack of power certainly was. But maybe it was just that there'd been a late heat wave before the mission to Nibelheim...
"... didn't think you'd start yet, with the heat," he said softly, snagging up the empty glass and putting it out of the way to give himself a moment before he came back, crouching down and, despite lingering embarrassment, absolutely ready.
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He gives the other a moment to collect himself, turning back to the engine and taking a knee so he can get a look at the parts he was tweaking. Thankfully the fine tuning was almost done and then it'd just be a matter of putting it back together and fixing the larger parts like the wheels and exhaust--
Glancing at the younger blonde, Cloud shrugs a bit.
"There wasn't much else to do. I was going kind of stir crazy." There hadn't been much work as of late and because of it Cloud had just been lingering around the bar. Way too much. "It's not the ideal weather for it but.." Another shrug before he nods towards a wrench on the bench. "Grab that."
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Coming back, he crouches back down and offers the wrench up silently, eyeing the for-now gutted bike and really hopes that being in control of the vehicle will help. And not just because he's looking forward to it, but with the older blond already having put effort into this, he'd feel guilty if it didn't work out.
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He went slowly even if this was a task he'd done a hundred times over in the past, wanting to make sure the other understood and eventually he moved out of the way, nodding to the now dismantled block.
"Alright, let's see what you remember. Start putting it back together."
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"Okay."
It was kinda funny, really - the words were different, and it was about an engine, but the sentiment was similar to what he'd (they'd) been told to do quite a lot of times... when it came to rifles.
And assembling or disassembling a rifle, while it'd seemed daunting at first, had fewer parts and bolts than this.
Cloud wasn't sure how far he'd gotten when he was starting to hesitate - it didn't feel long, but maybe that was just the nagging sense of failure that kept bubbling up. After a third try, he let out a frustrated sigh, went back to the last thing he was absolutely sure of, and glanced up at the older blond.
"Not... sure what's next," he admitted quietly and telling himself that actually learning something like this in a single go was unreasonable didn't exactly help. But he'd just... keep at it.
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But it's better not to linger on that.
His lips quirk in a gentle smile when the other finally seems to get a bit frustrated and he shifts closer again, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"You're almost there. You're just putting this--" He motions to the bolts in question. "--in the wrong places. One has longer threads than the other to compensate for the size of that part of the block. Try switching those but don't tighten them all the way. It'll back aligning the other side easier."
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"... oh. Right," Cloud nods, frowning a little as he glances down at the collection of bolts and it's obvious now, but he'd been staring himself blind without figuring out what he was doing wrong. "That makes sense."
Another nod, and the frown mostly disappears for a small smile, one which brightens when that does solve the bump he'd hit. Sure, just doing this once doesn't mean he's gotten it completely, he knows that, but it feels pretty good anyway.
And, aside from the snag, that had been... fun. Glancing to the bike the engine belonged to, Cloud tilts his head.
"Where'd it come from, anyway..?" He nods his head in the bike's direction, trying to blow a sweaty bang out of his face and suddenly hoping it wasn't bought just for this.
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It seemed the heat was getting to Cloud as well. He chose to take a moment to pick up water and a towel from the bar. Carefully so he wasn't caught by anyone else.
He felt odd. This wasn't how anyone had seen him in this generation before.
"Cloud." The water was offered with his gauntlet covered hand so he didn't turn and just see a Turk's suit and assume Rufus's lackeys were coming to bother him.
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"..Thanks." Pulling one of his arms free of the motor, Cloud takes the glass and finally looks at the other in full, eyebrow lifting.
Well.
"Not a bad look for you."
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Vincent's hand lifted, as if to pull up the collar of his cloak that was normally there. He realized what he was doing as he did it, hand closing into a fist because it was too late to hide what he was doing.
He was embarrassed and now it was more obvious.
"Its.. fine."
He makes a vague motion at Cloud, head turning away.
"You too."
Any level of smooth mystery he had normally was out the door. It was clearly frustrating for Vincent to be unable to hide behind his layers of various types of fabric and animal skin.
"That's not why I'm here."
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"The 'covered in grease' look?" he mused in between sips, eyebrow up as he set the glass on his workbench for now. He leaned against the bench itself and crossed his arms, head tilting as he looked at the other man.
"So why are you here?"
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"...the normalcy of every day life look."
But never mind that. He wasn't here for any particular conversation. Just.. a favor.
"I.. have a request and I require the utmost discretion. You are the only one I am confident in."
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"Is it really that bad?" He was growing sort of fond of this. Of the normalcy of things--even if the Lifestream had been attempting to turn everything upside down as of late.
An eyebrow goes up at the subject change and Cloud motions for him to continue.
He's curious to know what this is all about.
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The long leather glove underneath was clearly worn, with various points of repair. A single zipper kept it as tight as it was around his arm and he pulls it down. A tug on the fingers of the glove and he pulls his arm free.
It was thinner due to a clear lack of actual skin, the muscles easy to see. They were sinewy with the dark tone of leather, calloused and thick but still mobile. Long, thin fingers ended in bony, wicked looking claws that had clearly filled out the gauntlet fingertips rather easily.
"Could you assist me in trimming these down."
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"Need a hand?" he offered.
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"...You actually know what you're doing or were you planning on making it up as you go?" he asked in a drawl, not being mean necessarily...just giving Reno shit because he can.
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"Shit, I used t' jack these all the time," he admitted, slipping off his jacket. He wouldn't say more than that on the subject, and of course each bike had their own little quirks. But at the most basic level? Reno knew what he was doing -- primarily because he liked to go fast.
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"Grab those wrenches then. You can help me get this thing back in place."
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Reno lay his jacket at the end of Cloud's workbench, rolled up his sleeves, and did as he was told. "Aye, boss," he drawled, twirling one of the wrenches in his hand as he brought them over.
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When she noticed the noises coming from where Cloud was working, she went over and leaned against the door. "Hey," she greeted. "Working on a cycle?"
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"Two, actually."
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"I'm Sunset, I'm trying to build a cycle for myself, but it's slower going with my income being what it's like lately."
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"I'm Cloud." Sunset and Cloud. There was some sort of joke to be made there. The mention of building her own bike has him pausing and glancing at her again, the blonde looking a bit intrigued. "...Looking for work to help you along?"
He had a feeling, based on how she looked--no offense--and what she said that she might be a streamer. And, well, may as well try and help another one out right?
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She nodded at his mention of work and said, "Yeah, I really did. I'm going to check out the WRO, and see if they've got work in their science division. I'm kind of a former magic student and I'd like to expand on that, since I don't have my magic here."
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The mention of magic has him making a thoughtful sound, arms crossing as he leans against the bench now.
"I'm not sure if streamers would be able to utilize it, but we have something called Materia here that's magic in itself," he explained--not the best explanation mind you but it was a start. "They may be able to give you work researching materia and the like."
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"I heard of Materia, at least after I recovered and was given a basic rundown of this place. I'm so used to a magic system that makes no sense compared to my homeworld's magic system, that I'm glad there's a system here that basically makes more sense." Explained Sunset as she circled thoughtfully in place, pacing.
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"You may be able to learn to use it, though I don't know if the Lifestream has made that impossible for you guys or not," he admitted, frowning a bit in thought. "It wouldn't hurt to try it sometime."
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"Although there's only attack and augmentation materia from what I heard, correct?"
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"If you take off more clothes it'll be more of a show." Her tone was light and teasing, clearly not serious. "Miss me?" Yuffie grinned at him.
"I found your double and it was weird. Were you at the beach?"
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"No." To be honest, he kind of did. He missed all of them whenever they all went their separate ways.
But he wasn't going to tell her that outright.
"...He's a good kid," Cloud murmured, looking back at the motor and starting to tighten down the mounts again. "I was. Denzel wanted to go."
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"Only so much time for fun. So what you up too?"
She swung her legs beneath the counter and then used the momentum to lift herself and sit on top of the counter. It was a fluid motion and easy for the lethal ninja. "Oh, yeah. I don't think he likes me so if you see him again talk me up, kay?"
Mostly she teased the crap out of him, as she did with most people. She also stool his things but it's okay because she returned them.
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Cloud glances over at her as she hauls herself up onto the counter, snorting softly at what she says.
"No promises," he drawled, lips quirking as he looks back at his bike. "He's a good judge of character."
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“Yeah, looks like you’re having loads of fun.” She didn’t mean for that to sound so sharp. “Hey.” Her tone lightened considerably as a through slipped to the forefront of her mind. “You think Tif will be at the bar?” Yuffie had a few places that she was planning to hit up while she was around but she wanted to make sure before she began running around like a chocobo with its head cut off.
Her jaw dropped at Cloud’s last comment. She expected it but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be theatrical about it. “What?! Are you saying that I’m not a good character?! That’s so mean! I’ll have you know that I’ve been helping out a lot! Just ask Reeve.” She turned her head sharply to the side.
“This is what I get for coming to see you. You’re such a pain Cloud.” Her tone suggested that she was annoyed but there was a bit of affection beneath that. They really were a strange dysfunctional family.
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Her wanderings and a bit of serendipity took her past the garage where Cloud was working. The newcomer, hearing the sounds of someone working on a bike, peered inside curiously. She was silent however, her footsteps and that itching at the back of one's neck over being watched giving Cloud more warning of her company than any normal greeting.
The black clad woman stood in the doorway, half clinging to it. She wore a leather jacket in spite of the heat, and for some reason a hood as well, the front tugged down to obscure her face in darkness, though there seemed to be a faint glow coming from within.
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"..Can I help you?" he asked, eyebrow going up despite his frown as his grip on the wrench he was holding tightened absently.
What an odd being...
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She walked over, motioning with her arm as if to produce something from her sleeve, but it didn't seem to do what she intended. She paused, and then with the jolt of someone remembering something pulled her phone from her pants pocket instead. Closing the distance she typed something into it and held it up for him to read.
'Sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. Is that your bike?