(Untitled)

[omgwtfwrench]

Characters: Winry, Mifune, Dimo, Cloud, Anthy, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MEET THEIR FIRST MATE. Or really not even just meet, anyone who wants to interact with Winry :3
Content: Winry takes it upon herself to go around and bug get to know some of the 'newer' members of the 4423
Setting: All around the 4423
Time: Throughout the entire day

Comments

[seventh_hero]

It was fortunate for Winry that Cloud, never one to rest on his laurels so easily, had decided that it wasn't time for a rest just yet. Despite the wear and tear on his body from working such long hours, he had hopped out of the hammock after only a moment or two, only to begin working his way into an exercise routine.

Winry's soft knock on the door was enough to push it open a tad more; it had never been fully closed, and inside was Cloud, on the floor, performing push-ups in a steady, marching rhythm with only one finger pressed against the floor. He made no noise, save for a soft, exerting grunt as he rose up. His upper body, exposed, revealed soft, fair skin coating a very slim, lean shape. He wasn't overtly muscular, but his conditioning and vitality was still perfectly evident.

Cloud didn't notice Winry at first, but after a moment, he suddenly paused in mid-'up', holding himself steady, and looked towards the doorway.

He blinked once, wide-eyed, then immediately shot up off of the floor and out of sight behind the doorway. "Oh, geez, she saw me looking like this..." came a very hushed fit of muttering, clearly embarassed.

The doorway swung open more fully, and Cloud stood there looking much more presentable. As quickly as he could, he had wiped the grime and grease from his face, then threw on a more 'formal'-looking shirt, a navy-blue knit with a tall collar.

"Sorry...about that..." he said, looking off to the side. "I didn't think the door was open."

[omgwtfwrench]

Winry was just as much surprised when the door gave in so easily, she had thought it had been closed. She was going to stay where she was and just call his name, but before her mouth opened she saw him doing his exercises. Her voice was lost to her for a moment, first due to being quite impressed. Push ups on a finger? Damn this guy was packing quite a bit of power.

The second thing that hit her was--well she wasn't entirely sure. Being someone who dealt with mana crystals on a regular basis, and someone who was a good magician (despite her reservations about magic) she could feel there was something strange in this room, but she couldn't pin it to Cloud. She figured he probably just had some crystals somewhere around.

The third thing, and the one that stuck most was his clothing. Or rather, the lack there of.

Oh Jeez.

When they made eye contact she flushed and stepped back. Part of her wanted to leave but that would probably just make things more awkward in the future. In her line of work Winry saw a fair amount of naked people--but that was different. That was a professional setting. Sure, there were also some of the other men who went shirtless up on deck or while doing working, but still wasn't quite the same. This had been in his room, and she felt she had encroached upon his privacy.

By the time he came back out she had gained a calm exterior, though she really was still embarrassed. She waved his apology off "My fault--sorry. I was just...looking for you to properly meet you. I'm Winry." she explained, holding out a hand.

[seventh_hero]

Raising up his head, Cloud looked down at Winry with a gentle, yet icy stare, a look caused entirely by the stunningly blue shade to his eyes. He stood only slightly taller than her, likely due to age, and his agreed physique made him loom that much more over her, but his expressions showed no signs of overconfidence or superiority. They were humble instead, even evasive, a shy and quiet smile that said so much while truly saying nothing at all.

"Winry..." he finally said, juggling the name about out loud as he shook her hand. "Oh! You're the first mate." He'd never met Winry before, but he at least had the courtesy to recognize her name as a superior rank on the ship. "Would you like to...come in?"

She didn't have to accept the invitation, but Cloud hoped that she would, rather than stand awkwardly out in the hallway. Before she answered, he retreated back into the workshop - an area that was, against most conceptions, incredibly clean and tidy - and placed a chair near the center of the room for her, then another for himself. Even more surprisingly, there was no lingering, musty scent in the air, like most male quarters; the only odor to be found was a faint trace of heated metal, giving the air a sharp distinction.

The room, to someone with Winry's senses, also reeked of mana. The very air was ripe with it. If Cloud was hiding any crystals inside, there were quite a lot, scattered in every imaginable direction.

[omgwtfwrench]

The embarrassment began to ease out of her and she gave a nod to affirm his conclusion. It had been a simple mistake, and he didn't seem all that bothered by it so no point in agonizing over it, right?

"Thank you." she entered after him, looking around curiously and had to bite her lip to keep from smiling too big. This room was pretty much the exact opposite of her's. Where Cloud's was well kept and organized, her's always looked like it had been terrorized or ransacked by someone. Papers, blueprints, tools, inventions, loot, personal possessions were always scattered everywhere.

There was one thing it seemed to have in common though, and that was the distinct sense of mana hanging in the air. Winry had felt it even outside the room and had assumed mana crystals, as was the case for her's. It was so much more potent here though--in fact...

She kept the smile, but an uncertain feeling settled within her. With how strong it was there should be some visible. Odd..

"I just thought it was about time I got to meet some of the crew members I had yet to talk face to face to; how as the 4423 been treating you so far, Cloud?" she asked, deciding not to let herself be distracted by the mystery. At least not for now.

[seventh_hero]

Cloud took his place in the chair he had set out, comfortably sliding into the strange, curved design. In fact, he had crafted and sculpted both chairs himself, using a softened metal surface that he had tempered into a shape not unlike a hollowed half-sphere. Beyond engineering, Cloud was incredibly skilled in metal-working; the greatest evidence of this was currently sitting down in the hangar.

As he sat down, he took on a strange posture, straightened and formal, yet slightly cocked off at a relaxed angle, his legs bowed lightly apart. He was a soldier at ease, if anything at all.

Cloud smiled a little as Winry began. It was encouraging that, even on a pirate ship, warmth could still be extended from the leadership. "Ah, that's pretty nice..." he said, raising his head back. Her question, however, did not inspire the same sort of reaction. Cloud immediately took his smile and twisted it into an uncertain shape.

"...well, I can't say it's been all positive," he said, sighing lightly. "I'm pretty good at working hard, but in trying to patch up this ship, I'm absolutely exhausted. What's worse, th-..."

It was there that Cloud cut himself off. He was about to bring up his conversation with the captain, and how she had essentially cast the blame back on him for not being more careful. Still, should he really speak ill of the captain, he wondered, especially in front of her first mate?

"...no, never mind. It's nothing," he finally decided, shaking his head.

[omgwtfwrench]

Winry at last took a seat as well. They were different from any of the ones they had on board; he must have bought them, or made them himself. If it was the latter she was rather impressed, he really had gone out of his way to make them comfortable.

She wasn't overly surprised that he hadn't entirely enjoyed his time. It went without saying that a pirate ship wasn't always the most welcoming of places. Even with a crew like this one, which was kinder than many she had seen, people weren't quick to trust. Especially after the recent betrayal they had, it was merely a safety precaution on their part.

When he cut himself off though she tilted her head to the side slightly, frowning a bit. "What is it? You can be assured that anything you ever say to me remains confidential, if you so wish it to be."

If there was something wrong it was her duty to right it. Not her duty as First Mate, but her duty as a human being. Perhaps it was silly, especially considering that more than half the crew was older than her, and she didn't really know a number of them personally, but she always felt a bit protective of them all.

[seventh_hero]

Should he, or shouldn't he?

Cloud did hesistate for a moment. Truth be told, Winry's gesture to come and meet him personally had already been surprising enough, but she was also willing now to let him voice complaints? What kind of pirate ship was this? The thought had caught him so badly off guard that he even opened his mouth for a moment to speak.

Then he stopped, not even uttering a single syllable. Or rather, something stopped him. Something he couldn't quite resist, let alone explain, a sense of propriety that forbid him from speaking any further out of turn. Whatever this feeling was, it practically had its grasp wrapped around his neck, effectively choking out anything he may have wanted to say. Cloud literally had to convince himself before speaking that he was not about to say anything about the captain before his throat actually opened up again.

"No, it's nothing..." he finally said, inexplicably swallowing rather hard. "...really."

Cloud leaned back in his chair then, letting his arms drape over the polished crome sides. His eyes were quietly cast down at the floor, and his posture closed up slightly.

"...but...thank you," he added, trying to keep a window open. "I really do appreciate you taking the time to come by. Aren't you pretty busy, keeping this crew together?"

[omgwtfwrench]

Winry wasn't convinced in the slightest, but she decided to let it slide. She didn't know Cloud, so she couldn't figure out just yet if he was the kind to let things fester or not. Most people on the ship preferred to deal with their problems on their own, and were better and happier when others weren't involved. Hell, to a large degree that's how Winry was. There were a couple people who sometimes needed some prodding to get themselves off their feet, or accept needed help. Until she figured out where Cloud fell, however, she would mind her own business.

"Hey, it's not a problem. All part of my job."

She pulled her leg up so her ankle was resting on her knee and leaned back a bit as she folded her arms. "Yea. It is pretty tough, particularly with some of our rougher members, but I manage. A good deal of the crew are content with their place, and for a pirate ship people have remained for a while so I guess you can sort of say a natural kinship has grown." Typically people only stayed for as long as they got their share of any treasure before leaving.

And of course there were the deaths.

For all that had happened, though, they'd kept alive and together. That was definitely something.

[seventh_hero]

"...kinship, huh?"

Cloud echoed the word with a soft, unassuming tone, even sounding as if it were even a little refreshing to hear, but deeply layered beneath his words was the element of skepticism. Kinship among pirates just sounded like the phrase 'honor among thieves'; did it really exist? Many of the crew he had met only sounded interested in reaping a profit from their efforts and protecting the interest of that same pursuit.

He nodded, then sat forward in his seat. "I understand. Everyone does seem to have their own little niche on board, so it only makes sense that they're comfortable."

"So, you're a bit of a gearheard too, aren't you?" he said, starting into a new line of conversation. He knew a thing or two about the people guiding this ship through the clouds, apparently; either he was an astute learner, or just preferred to know enough about his superiors to stay on their good side. "I'm sure I've seen some of your work around the ship while I've been working. If you'd like, I can show you some of my own stuff. You might be interested in what I brought on board, too."

[omgwtfwrench]

Winry nodded. The ship could be a really harsh place sometime--after all it was a pirate ship, but there were many people here she would trust with her life. Hell, half of them probably wouldn't be alive if they didn't come together like they did. They certainly wouldn't have survived the fight with the Victoria if they hadn't worked so well.

At the word 'gearhead' Winry visibly perked up and forgot all thoughts about the rest of the crew and what kind of people they were. She grinned widely. Now how could she say no to something like that?

"I'd love to see what you have!" It wasn't often that Winry got to meet people who were as passionate as she was about technology. Before coming on this ship the only person she had known was her grandmother. Then Souji had joined the ship, then later Heihachi, and now Cloud! The girl knew when to count her blessings, especially considering a lot of her life had been spent listening to Edward making snide remarks about her obsession.

[seventh_hero]

As soft a smile that could ever be seen formed on Cloud's lips. He'd hoped that his offer would appeal to her. If only the captain was as easy to please as she was.

"I'm pretty proud of it, actually..." he continued, looking rather fondly reminiscent. "I've been traveling around on it before I came aboard; it's a vehicle."

Rising out of his chair, his lean frame spreading out as he stood up, Cloud walked over to a small deposit of files he had stored in one of a set of drawers. He rifled around for a moment or two, accompanied the sound of papers rustling and sliding against each other, then walked back over to Winry and offered her a long, rolled-up page.

She would have no trouble reading the details behind the mechanics and how each piece interacted, but it was unlikely she had ever seen them all come together like this. A smooth metal frame encased a series of steam-carrying pipes, fueling an engine with the pressure that moved a system of cables to spin a duo of wheels, one directly in front of the other on a pair of axels. It looked as if a single person (or perhaps a second, smaller passenger as well) could ride upon the seat design and guide the turning axel to change directions while the rear wheel propelled the craft.

"I'm not really sure what to call it, though...it's sort of a steam-powered valve-exhaust motorized bicycle."

[omgwtfwrench]

Winry took the blueprint gingerly, almost reverently. It had been a long time since she had ever been able to see someone else's idea, or even just share potential inventions. The last time she had ever discussed project at length had been way back when her Grandmother was still alive. They would spend hours, sometimes deep into the night considering this or that, arguing when it would have to be done this way and not that way. Pinako had been a genius, so amazing. Her teachers and even some figures from the military had been hoping that Winry would live up to her name, but...

No. No point in wallowing in self-pity.

Winry focus on the design, pulling herself away from the past and begin to study Cloud's sketches and notes. She was silent and thoughtful as she did so, but the more she saw the more obvious it was that her excitement was increasing by the second till her eyes almost seemed to gleam with absolute hearts. It was definitely something new, and the idea itself made her want to dance for joy. A motorized bike would be an incredible asset (not to mention it would just be a beauty to look at!).

"This is amazing! What gave you the idea to try this out?"

[seventh_hero]

Quietly satisfied, Cloud began to point out some of the "motor-cycle"'s finer points on the design's faintly-wrinkled pages, including (but not limited to) the vehicle's potential thrust output, wind and drag distribution, and its zero-point turn radius.

"Well...I wanted to feel the wind in my hair," he answered softly. "...without having to leave the ground."

The bike had been perfect for him, a solitary mode of transportation that carried him across the landscape at tremendous speeds. While it wasn't quite as fast as air travel, it cut out a lot of hassles; docking, for one, not to mention all the work involved in reloading and refueling a large ship. He could traverse the countryside at will, carrying with him all the necessary supplies of food and water, as well as a few provisions for camping out under the stars when the mood struck him (and it often did).

Once Winry was finished studying the pages over - or if she ever was - Cloud rolled them back up and stashed them among a few others in a satchel hanging on the wall. "If you want to see it, it's down in the hangar, under a tarp...I hope nobody's messed with it, though..."

[omgwtfwrench]

Winry could understand his sentiment perfectly. Many of her own inventions had been spurned on, simply by a desire to cater to some unfound desire. There were those that were simply out of practicality, like her boots, and those to help, like her magitech limbs but sometimes...

Sometimes you just wanted to experience something a little out of the ordinary.

Cloud certainly had a bit to wait before she handed them over, but she eventually remembered her manners and did.

"Of course I do!" He didn't even need to ask. If he was willing to share she was most certainly willing to see. She only hoped she wouldn't get too excited and make a fool out of herself.