(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]

"...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.