[Cloud usually found someone else to ride pillion when he took his motorcycle out for a long ride to test out a new modification. It was a good policy, but sometimes it was tempting to dispense with the "just in case" measures. It was only a new catalytic converter design, after all. Even if that system failed completely, Cloud wouldn't be stuck out in the middle of nowhere by himself. Fenrir would still run. Besides, it was just after six in the morning when Cloud finished installing it. On a Saturday. Cloud would have had to wait several extra hours for a travel buddy. He could get away with going by himself, just this once.
It turned out that the catalytic converter worked perfectly, just as Cloud knew it would. What he didn't count on was going around a curve in the road at full speed and find himself headed straight for a car that was broken down right in the middle of his lane. Out of other options, Cloud jerked the motorcycle sharply toward the shoulder of the road, slammed on the breaks, and laid it down. Yeah, he'd end up with road rash and the side of his bike would be torn up by gravel too, but it was still a hell of a lot better than slamming into the car or running down any stranded passengers who might be milling around.
His body came to a stop well before Fenrir did. Grateful yet again for the full leather riding outfit he'd sprung for last year, he sat up on the gravel slope and tugged off his scratched-up helmet. Cloud was fine, but someone else might be hurt. A car doesn't stop dead in the middle of the highway for no good reason. He was on his feet a moment later, heading quickly back up to the stopped car.]
Hello? Is there anybody here?
__________________
II. Winter Sports in Magatus
[Growing up in an isolated valley high up on frozen Mt. Nibel, snow and boredom had been Cloud's constant companions from birth. Maybe snowboarding wasn't his true passion but he had gotten pretty good at it. He wasn't homesick, not really, but Cloud did miss the fun of zipping down the side of an icy mountain, conquering the elements with nothing but a little agility and a slab of fiberglass.
The high jump he attempted should have worked. It did work. The only problem was that the snow on this unmarked side of the mountain wasn't packed down as well as Cloud assumed it would be. Instead of slamming back down to the ground and continuing to slide, the impact was hard enough that Cloud punched right through the surface and a good five feet into the powdery layer beneath.
Great. Now he was going to have to dig himself up out of the snow AND find his way back onto a path. At least no one was around to see it, right?]
__________________
III. Prop Workshop for Villainous
Yeah, I know it will look really stupid up close, but you're going to need a much bigger light bulb if you want the top of the staff to glow bright enough for the whole audience to see it.
[One of the kids had brought a cleap plastic wizard staff from home for the big baddie to use as a prop. The cheap little LED in the plastic globe on the end was just fine for waving it around your own bedroom in the dark, but there was no way it would be visible in a stage performance. They would also need some much bigger batteries.]
But then you'll be able to bring it home afterward and use it as a flashlight? It would be great for a Halloween costume, too. Right?
__________________
IV. Fugitive From Festivities
[The green beer was fine. Cloud had no problem with Irish food. The Mayor parading around on a chocobo was amusing too, even if it was probably just an excuse to go riding around the city. Cloud would have been happy enough to leave the fake coins for other people, too, until he saw that one side was stamped with a chocobo. When he picked it up, he had a sudden irresistible urge to pinch... himself? That was weird enough, but then he realized he was a prime pinch-target for everyone around him. After about the hundredth ambush attack, Cloud finally turned to face someone who seemed way too amused by his plight.]
What's going on, and how do I get it to stop?
__________________
Bonus. But Who’s the Newbie?
What sort of strange text message was that? And why was it sent to him? Cloud had been living here for a few months now, he sort of knew his way around. Why would someone think he needed help?
I guess somebody named Zee Carlisle thinks we need to talk?
Cloud Strife | Final Fantasy 7 Compilation
[Cloud usually found someone else to ride pillion when he took his motorcycle out for a long ride to test out a new modification. It was a good policy, but sometimes it was tempting to dispense with the "just in case" measures. It was only a new catalytic converter design, after all. Even if that system failed completely, Cloud wouldn't be stuck out in the middle of nowhere by himself. Fenrir would still run. Besides, it was just after six in the morning when Cloud finished installing it. On a Saturday. Cloud would have had to wait several extra hours for a travel buddy. He could get away with going by himself, just this once.
It turned out that the catalytic converter worked perfectly, just as Cloud knew it would. What he didn't count on was going around a curve in the road at full speed and find himself headed straight for a car that was broken down right in the middle of his lane. Out of other options, Cloud jerked the motorcycle sharply toward the shoulder of the road, slammed on the breaks, and laid it down. Yeah, he'd end up with road rash and the side of his bike would be torn up by gravel too, but it was still a hell of a lot better than slamming into the car or running down any stranded passengers who might be milling around.
His body came to a stop well before Fenrir did. Grateful yet again for the full leather riding outfit he'd sprung for last year, he sat up on the gravel slope and tugged off his scratched-up helmet. Cloud was fine, but someone else might be hurt. A car doesn't stop dead in the middle of the highway for no good reason. He was on his feet a moment later, heading quickly back up to the stopped car.]
Hello? Is there anybody here?
__________________
II. Winter Sports in Magatus
[Growing up in an isolated valley high up on frozen Mt. Nibel, snow and boredom had been Cloud's constant companions from birth. Maybe snowboarding wasn't his true passion but he had gotten pretty good at it. He wasn't homesick, not really, but Cloud did miss the fun of zipping down the side of an icy mountain, conquering the elements with nothing but a little agility and a slab of fiberglass.
The high jump he attempted should have worked. It did work. The only problem was that the snow on this unmarked side of the mountain wasn't packed down as well as Cloud assumed it would be. Instead of slamming back down to the ground and continuing to slide, the impact was hard enough that Cloud punched right through the surface and a good five feet into the powdery layer beneath.
Great. Now he was going to have to dig himself up out of the snow AND find his way back onto a path. At least no one was around to see it, right?]
__________________
III. Prop Workshop for Villainous
Yeah, I know it will look really stupid up close, but you're going to need a much bigger light bulb if you want the top of the staff to glow bright enough for the whole audience to see it.
[One of the kids had brought a cleap plastic wizard staff from home for the big baddie to use as a prop. The cheap little LED in the plastic globe on the end was just fine for waving it around your own bedroom in the dark, but there was no way it would be visible in a stage performance. They would also need some much bigger batteries.]
But then you'll be able to bring it home afterward and use it as a flashlight? It would be great for a Halloween costume, too. Right?
__________________
IV. Fugitive From Festivities
[The green beer was fine. Cloud had no problem with Irish food. The Mayor parading around on a chocobo was amusing too, even if it was probably just an excuse to go riding around the city. Cloud would have been happy enough to leave the fake coins for other people, too, until he saw that one side was stamped with a chocobo. When he picked it up, he had a sudden irresistible urge to pinch... himself? That was weird enough, but then he realized he was a prime pinch-target for everyone around him. After about the hundredth ambush attack, Cloud finally turned to face someone who seemed way too amused by his plight.]
What's going on, and how do I get it to stop?
__________________
Bonus. But Who’s the Newbie?
What sort of strange text message was that? And why was it sent to him? Cloud had been living here for a few months now, he sort of knew his way around. Why would someone think he needed help?
I guess somebody named Zee Carlisle thinks we need to talk?