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Post by yasuo on May 6, 2008 14:02:35 GMT
The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the monsters were keeping their distance from the Town today. What else could the people who lived in Rocket Town ask for? The town life was going about its usual business, civilians meeting up in the streets to talk to each other and the children chasing each other around as they used up their seemingly infinite amount of energy. The only thing that was missing however, was the huge rocket that used to sit proudly in the center of town.
The door to a home not far from the shops swung open and a very happy looking young man stepped out from the door, with a huge smile on his face as the sun light hit him and warmed him up. The sound of wood striking against sandpaper erupted from the man's hands which quickly disappeared into the air with the passing wind. The flame from the match lit the end of a cigarette which was quickly popped into the man's mouth, which was followed by a quick intake of breath and a very relaxed sounding sigh.
"Good morning Arddyn! Its a lovely day today!"
A civilian said suddenly as he mysterious appeared walking past Arddyn's home. The young man coughed and nearly swallowed the cigarette as the person passing by scared the willies out of him.
"Y-yes!"
He coughed.
"Its a magnificent day! A great day to build something!"
He followed up as he tapped his fist on his chest to clear out his lungs, coughing a couple more times. Arddyn bend down and picked up his cigarette from the floor, and popped it back into his mouth before working it around with his lips.
The mechanic genius looked at the massive, empty spot in the sky where the Rocket once stood and he sighed slightly, wishing it were still there so the Town could pick up business again and attracted tourists like it did in the past, before Shin-Ra came and ruined everything. Arddyn snorted slightly as the memories of his past came back to haunt him for a second. He blew out a large puff of smoke from the cigarette and then closed the door to his home behind him.
He smiled brightly once more and walked out into the middle of the street and turned around to look at his home. His brother, Cid lived here with him as well, but he hadn't been around for a while. Arddyn had no idea where he was either, but he wasn't worried. He knew his brother was as tough as he was so he'd be able to take care of himself. The young man turned back around and noticed the old man who used to always stare at the rocket, standing in his usual place. Arddyn grinned and nodded his head at him when their eyes connected.
~It would be great to have a rocket back in town again... But I just don't have the time to build one these days... I need to work and earn Gil to survive, and building a rocket would just take too much time...~
He thought to himself as he sighed and walked on, heading towards the Item Shop. As the wind blew through his hair, the young man reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Gil. He counted it carefully, before placing it back into his pocket, which jingled gentle as the coin hit each other.
~Only 150 Gil... I really need to find some work...~
He said to himself in his mind again as he pushed open the door to the Item Shop and stepped inside.
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Post by admin on May 6, 2008 16:54:08 GMT
'Rocket Town... it's been a while,' Tifa thought inwardly as she parked her old-grey pick-up truck outside a nearby item store. She sat at the driver's seat, blankly staring at the rocketless scenery of the town. 'It's changed so much...' Tifa knew this little town had earned its name thanks to the ShinRa astronautic-structure towering above like a jewel for all to behold. It was a magnificent sight then... back then when she was on one of her adventures with...
Cloud...
Tifa frowned at the thought; the one person she wanted to see above all else, yet he was the one person she wanted to stop thinking of -- the chocobo-blonde spiky-haired childhood friend of hers. But after what had happened recently in Nibelheim, Tifa often wondered if he even thought about her. Would she even see him again? She shook her head... perhaps it was best if she just move on. Just keep it in. After all, she was good at that...
Tifa left the vehicle with a sigh and entered the item store, having realized she didn't have any supplies nor the basic neccesities - no gas, no food, not even a place to stay for the night. She browsed along the shop looking for nothing particular in mind. It wasn't the chime of the bell as the store door swung open that caught her attention. Through the corner of her eye she spotted a slightly tall man. Could it be? she thought. Dirty blonde hair. A rather rugged appearence. And was that the smell of cigarette smoke? Though she had not taken a good look at him, there was no denying it...
[glow=blue,2,300]"Cid? Cid, is that you?"[/glow] she called out, attempting to catch the man's attention.
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Post by yasuo on May 6, 2008 17:11:31 GMT
Arddyn's eyes met those of Tifa as he entered the Item Store, but within the same split second that they looked at each other, Cid's younger brother had already looked away and taken a few paces into the store, looking for something to quench his thirst. He wasn't a big fan of tea, unlike his brother. His eyes scanned the items on the shelf that was nailed neatly onto the wall. Potions, Elixers, Ethers... Didn't they sell an ordinary bottle of water?
All of a sudden, Arddyn heard the voice of a young woman call out his brothers name. He turned around, cigarette still in his lips and stared at Tifa for a second, his eyes scanning her up and down, half of him wondering what on earth such a stunning woman was doing in Rocket Town, and the other half wondering what she wanted with Cid.
"You've got the wrong man I'm afraid..."
Arddyn answered her. It was slightly un-nerving since he had almost the same voice as Cid as well as most of his other features. If anything, Arddyn was slightly taller then his big brother. Perhaps slightly politer as well.
"...I'm Arddyn, Cid's brother. How do you do?"
He continued as he took a step towards Tifa with a smile, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and dropping it on the floor, stamping on it gently afterwards. He reached out his hand in a friendly gesture, the smile still on his lips.
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Post by admin on May 6, 2008 17:43:24 GMT
For a fraction of a second, Tifa was left dumbfounded. For a fraction of a second, she could've sworn Cid was standing right before her, smoking that awful cigarette in between his lips. But she knew, he spoke the truth -- this man wasn't the man she knew at all!
Firstly, he was well-mannered. The Cid she knew would never - ever offer a hand in such friendly gesture; that much she was certain. And secondly, he didn't utter a single swear-word in any of his sentences. Ever. And lastly, after having a good glance at the man, she noticed slight differences; this man appeared a little younger than Cid, but a little taller too. So logically, it must be true. This man -- Arradyn -- really was Cid's brother. Either that, or Cid had finally turned over a new leaf, changed his personality and took on the persona of the polar opposite of what Cid initially was; but that was virtually, physically, and just down-right impossible.
[glow=blue,2,300]"I'm fine... just fine." [/glow]Tifa replied as she shook the offered hand, still slightly amused at the major resemblences and differences this man shared with the friend she once knew. [glow=blue,2,300]"I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockhart. Funny... I don't remember Cid ever mentioning a brother..."[/glow]
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Post by yasuo on May 6, 2008 17:58:40 GMT
Arddyn smiled again as she accepted his hand and he gently squeezed her hand as she shook it. His eyes were locked onto hers for a second but he then quickly blinked and released his grip, lowering his hand back to his side. He could tell from the grip she made on his hand when they shook, that she was physically strong, perhaps even used her hands and feet as weapons of some sort. After a second quick scan of her physique, and not noticing any other type of weapon, he nodded to himself upon his conclusion.
"Tifa you say?"
He said as his voice gently echoed through the Item Store. He cupped a hand around his chin and placed his other hand on the firsts elbow, cocking his head slightly and thinking for a moment.
"I'm sure my brother has mentioned you before... Something about going to Midgar for some reason... Ah, I can't remember..."
He finished up with a shrug of his shoulders and he placed his hands into the pockets of his coat.
"Yeah trust Cid not to mention me!"
Arddyn said with a small chuckle as he shook his head slightly, thinking about his brother for a moment. He looked back up at Tifa and smiled once more. A customer came into the shop which caught his attention. As the door swung open, Arddyn noticed Tifa's pick-up truck outside. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped slightly.
"Oh wow!"
He said in excitment as he quickly headed outside, boots clanking on the wooden shop floor as he left the store and began to example the pick-up truck.
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Post by admin on May 6, 2008 18:26:13 GMT
Tifa smirked a little and wondered what sort of things did Cid ever mention about her. 'Better be good things,' she thought. Noticing that his attention was diverted outside, Tifa looked on to face whatever it was that captivated him. But all she saw was her old pick-up truck.
[glow=blue,2,300]"This old thing?"[/glow] Tifa followed Arddyn as he stepped outside to admire the pick-up truck. He glanced at it with an admiration she recognized -- the admiration of a mechanic. So he had more in common with his brother than she thought. Interesting.
[glow=blue,2,300]"Good luck getting it to work,"[/glow] she commented with a half-smile, half-annoyed look, staring at the worn-out vehicle. She was never good at mechanics and never really understood it, but deep down she hated this rusty old bucket. It never really worked whenever it seemed convienient nor was it very helpful other than getting from city to city, town to town, leaving her stranded later on as it breaks down at the most least expected time... [glow=blue,2,300]"I've got no clue what's wrong with it except that it's out of gas!"[/glow]
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Post by yasuo on May 6, 2008 18:37:20 GMT
Arddyn's admiration of a mechanic was spot on, thats for sure! He poured over and around the wrecked vehicle with amazement before walking a full circle around the pick-up truck and ending back up at the bonnet, standing next to Tifa. A massive grin was on his face. He turned his head to face her slightly as she began to talk about the wreck and this fascinated him even more. As she finished speaking, he took a step towards the vehicle and rubbed his hand on the bonnet, clearing off some dust that it had gained from its travels across the plains.
"Out of gas huh? I should have some spare fuel back at my workshop, behind my and Cid's house. I'll go grab some for you later, but I certainly want to take a look under the hood at some point later today!"
Arddyn said with a grin as he turned back to face Tifa.
"What brings you all the way out here to Rocket Town anyway Tifa?"
He asked as he folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head at her slightly. She seemed the adventuring kind of girl, but the young mechanic was able to tell that something else was bothering her, yet he decided to keep it to himself for now as he turned back to face the pick-up truck and scratch the top of his head in awe.
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Post by admin on May 7, 2008 15:20:08 GMT
Tifa couldn't even comprehend what Arddyn found so amusing about the old pick-up. Through her eyes, it was just a worthless piece of junk. On the other hand, that piece of junk was her only ticket back home, so when Arddyn had offered fuel and a little check up to see what was wrong with the vehicle, she nodded in appreciation -- this had been the best news she had heard all day.
When he inquired her reason for ending up all the way in Rocket Town, Tifa responded with a sheepish grin, [glow=blue,2,300]"I just needed some time away from the city life, that's all."[/glow]
It was the truth, but not the whole truth. Ever since Cloud had left, Seventh Heaven began to feel empty. Even while in the company of Fuyuki, Marlene, Barret and friends there was always that emptiness looming over and around her. Lately Tifa just felt compelled to go out into the world once again. Shall she search for Cloud? Should she just look for her old friends like Vincent and Nanaki? Maybe... perhaps...
[glow=blue,2,300]"Where is Cid anyway?"[/glow] Tifa asked out of the blue, tilting her head slightly to the right as she averted her gaze away from the worn-out vehicle to Arddyn. [glow=blue,2,300]"I've been trying to reach him but he hasn't returned any of my calls."[/glow]
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Post by yasuo on May 7, 2008 15:31:07 GMT
Arddyn headed around to the drives side of the pick-up and opened the door, which creaked noisily from lack of oil. He then climbed inside and sat in the drivers seat, getting comfortable. A massive grin was still etched onto his lips as he looked around the inside of the vehicle in awe. He leaned forwards and rubbed at the glass that covered the dials and speed-o-meter. Grinning with delight, he moved his hands around the steering wheel all the way underneath till he found the latch that opened the bonnet/hood. Pulling on it, the front of the hood bounced up slightly, knocking off some of the dust that had settled there.
"City life y'say? So I take it you're from Midgar? This sure is a long way to come to get away from City Life. I'd have stopped at Costa De Sol perhaps."
Arddyn said as he climbed out of the drivers seat and closed the door behind him, that creaked again. He walked around the vehicle back to Tifa again and placed his hands on his hips, looking at her for a moment.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. Last time I saw Cid was about 2 years ago. He said something about going to Midgar, then he just took the Sierra and vanished. Haven't seen him since..."
He trailed off towards the end, hoping his brother is safe and sound.
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Post by admin on May 7, 2008 15:54:18 GMT
[glow=blue,2,300]"Was from Midgar."[/glow] Tifa responded, emphasizing the first word clearly. She frowned a bit at the mention of Midgar -- since then everything changed. She had been there recently, and it was pitiful. A once bustling metropolis reduced to rubble, ruin and chaos in a small number of years. She never wanted to go back, but it was hard not to even think about it. Not after what had happened.
She shook her head and tried to think of something else to rid her of these haunting memories. 'So... Cid hasn't been around for two years?' [glow=blue,2,300]"That's odd... he's usually not one to disappear without a ruckus."[/glow] she mentioned as she looked up at the sky, slightly disappointed that Arddyn didn't know the whereabouts of his brother. Tifa took out her PHS from her right pocket to screen any calls that she might have missed. But alas; No new messages.
'Where the hell was everyone nowadays?' she wondered slightly annoyed with herself. With a sigh Tifa averted her attention back to the one thing she could really worry about at the moment: the old grey pick-up truck.
[glow=blue,2,300]"So you think you can figure out what's wrong with this thing?"[/glow] she asked with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk, as if daring Arddyn to an impossible challenge of 'guess what's wrong with the world's worst hunk of junk!'
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Post by yasuo on May 7, 2008 16:16:00 GMT
Arddyn lifted his hands up from his hips and folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the side of the pick-up slightly, watching her again with curious eyes. He listened to her speak before pushing himself up from the old gray pick-up and walking in front of the hood, reaching his fingers underneath the front, and lifting it up. He then grabbed the latch that laid cross the front of the engine and lifted it up and stuck it in a small hole in the underneath of the hood, which kept the hood from falling down.
"Was from Midgar? I used to live there for a while... Back when I was forced to work for Shin-Ra..."
He said, ending the sentence through gritted teeth, getting his own flood of bad memories flooding into his head. The mechanic smiled and shook his head as he looked over his shoulder and smiled slightly at Tifa.
"Its a long story... I'll tell you it another time perhaps."
He grinned with his eyes closed and he stood returned to look at the engine inside the pick-up. He rubbed his chin for a moment and then he grabbed a cigarette from the open packet that was poking out of his right coat pocket. Arddyn popped the cigarette into his mouth and lit a match, taking a couple of puff to make sure it was lit. Shaking the match to extinguish the flame, the young mechanic leaned over the engine and peered inside, looking around and moving a few wires out the way to see better.
"I'm sure Cid will come back soon. He was never the sort of guy to leave this place alone for a long time. You know him..."
He chuckled as he cast a quick glance over his shoulder at her, before looking back at the engine. He pushed another wire out and way and that something caught his eye. Pushing his finger down into a small gap, he fiddled with something out of view of Tifa and the engine instantly kicked into life, without the need of the key in the ignition.
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Post by admin on May 7, 2008 16:42:30 GMT
Tifa walked over and leaned against the left side of the vehicle, looking to Arddyn every now and then as he did God knows what to repair the truck she had long despised. She listened intently as he spoke, mentioning that he had once worked for the ShinRa. Judging from his tone of voice, Tifa assumed that the ShinRa too held a bad place in his heart. It was strange. It was like the world was split into two during those days... it was either you worked for the mako-sucking corperation, or you didn't. It was as simple as that.
The sound of a matchstick being striked against the rough surface broke Tifa's chain of thought. Looking over her right shoulder she spotted Arddyn taking a quick breather with another ciggarette in between his lips.
[glow=blue,2,300]"Those things are bad for you, y'know?"[/glow] she said without really looking at him, just starting up a conversation that didn't involve any bad memories. She kicked the dirt slightly just to pass the time by, holding onto her PHS as if waiting in vain for a call from Cloud or any of her friends back home.
The sudden roar of the ignition caused Tifa to step away from the truck, only to have her look back at it in awe.[glow=blue,2,300]"You've just brought back the dead!"[/glow] Tifa joked, giggling slightly at the sheer amusement of the pick-up. She had never heard the engine sound that way before... so... alive. Actually functioning the way it was initially designed for. Tifa was lost for words and was unable to tear her gaze away from the vehicle, but she did let out a single sentence. [glow=blue,2,300]"I can't thank you enough."[/glow]
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Post by yasuo on May 7, 2008 18:00:08 GMT
Arddyn lifted up his eyes from the roaring engine and looked at Tifa with a smirk. He worked the cigarette to the other side of his mouth using his lips and then he stood up straight, dusting off his coat and then clapping his hands together. However, the engine started to splutter and cough, making a loud bang and kicking up a large puff of smoke from the exhaust. Arddyn looked over the top of the pick-up and at the large cloud of thick, black smoke.
"Hmm... This thing is litterally on its last legs. Its a good job you drove into Rocket Town when you did, otherwise you could have become stranded in the middle of nowhere!"
The mechanic said as he turned back to face Tifa and noticed her fiddling with her PHS in her hands. Arddyn stayed quiet for a second, watching her before looking back at the once again lifeless engine.
"I'll be able to fix this no problem, just gotta change a few parts and stick a new exhaust on and it'll be as good as new. You won't need a new vehicle for another good 10 years when i'm finished with it!"
He said with a confident grin, sticking his thumb up at Tifa and winking friendly.
"You're welcome to stay at my house for the time being while I work on this truck, if you like?"
He said as he turned slightly and pointed at his home, which was also Cid's house.
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Post by admin on May 7, 2008 19:14:26 GMT
It was as if the truck had a life of its own and hated Tifa. It sprung to life one moment and died the next. She blankly stared at the worn out vehicle somehow wishing she could tear it apart with her own two hands out of pure frustration. But the fact that it was her only means of transportation and of returning safely back to Edge kept her still and avoided taking any drastic action. Tifa bit the insides of her lower lip, feeling a little foolish to have believed this old tin can would've actually worked just by having a quick check up under the hood. She should've realized the damage was a little bit more extreme than that... or in her definition: beyond all hope.
She thought about what Arddyn had said for a moment. She knew she practically had nothing except for the clothes on her back, the gil in her pocket, and a few materias and some of Barret's ammunition in the glove compartment. She could call someone through her PHS, for someone to come pick her up. But who shall she call? Cloud never answered his phone. Barret was too busy spending quality time with his daughter. There was only one option...
[glow=blue,2,300]"Sure. Why not?"[/glow]she replied with a smile, accepting his invitation for staying over until her ride was repaired. She recognized Cid's house from the distance as Arddyn pointed it out, after all, she had been there at least twice nearly two years ago. Tifa took out the pick-up's keys and handed it over to the dirty-blonde haired man. He could do whatever he wanted with it, for all she cared. If only she could work out how she could pay back this kindness...
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Post by yasuo on May 7, 2008 23:36:23 GMT
Arddyn dusted off his hands onces more checked his clothes for any dirt or dust. He took the final drag from the cigarette that rested in his lips and removed the cig from his mouth, blowing the puff of smoke up into the air. The mechanic then cracked his fingers and knelt down, picking up the cig end ad throwing it into a bin that was outside the Item Store.
The young man watched Tifa with an amused smile as he saw her run thoughts and ideas through her head quickly and then smiling brightly as she accepted his offer. He grinned as she passed him the keys to the pick-up truck and he went around to the drivers door and opened it up, which creaked the same as it did last time.
"Ok Tifa, if you could jump in and steer the pick-up truck towards that large shead over there..."
He said as he turned his head to face her, and then pointed his finger towards a large shed, that was his workshop, next to the home where he and Cid lived.
"...and i'll push the truck over there."
He finished up with a grin and then walked around to the back of the pick-up truck, putting the ignition keys into his pocket.
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