[Open Post]

[plate_builder]

Does it need to be said? You can find this poor civil engineer in any sort of situation you want. Put up a starter and let it run free. No Scarlets welcome, though. He can't stand them.

Comments

Reeve's going to be pitying you soon Rufus

[plate_builder]

"I'm a poor shot with a shotgun," Reeve dismisses. "But I have taken pleasure before with a high level materia blast when he annoys me. Gongaga was a true pleasure."

But the statement makes Reeve shake his head. "The way you carried yourself at Shinra, Rufus, I highly doubt that. Add in your admitted time as a 'guest' of the Turks... well, unless you got it all with then, I will consider myself incredulous."

Haha... once his jaw comes off the floor

[afterlaborday]

"I have a handgun now. Easier to conceal." He leans on the table with his arm again, cradling his head in it, and seems to be contemplating something. Watching Reeve while he does, and seeming as if he may not speak, just stare, before finally closing his eyes.

"You can ask Veld on this, as I'm sure he suspected or knew..." Slowly, that horrible smirk of his crawls to Rufus' lips, his eyes opening with a look that says he can't be joking in the least; a deadly, twistedly amused look. "As you know, I'm twenty-six now, Reeve. If you subtract seventeen years from that, you'll have my age for the first time I was with a man."

Oh there is no jaw on the floor. There is rampaging behemoth levels of rage instead

[plate_builder]

Sevent...

There is immediately a look of fury flashing over Reeve's face. How could there not be. That math is instant, and the connotation of it has him on his feet, his chair fallen behind him. There is fire in his eyes, disgust twisting his mouth, and his fists leaning against the table are clenched so tight that there is a distinct possibility that his nails are cutting into his palms.

"A man?" Reeve asks, and there is such cold disgust in his voice, nothing like Reeve normally sounds like. The man normally keeps himself so composed. Except, apparently, around Rufus. "There is no one that would qualify for such a term when a child is involved. That isn't being 'with' someone, that is rape, pure and simple. I may ask him, just so I know where Veld disposed of the vile slug so I can desecrate the grave."

Whoops ... and yay, tag before work

[afterlaborday]

He's honestly a little surprised at Reeve and his motions. Had expected start, maybe a little anger, but not this burst of rage. The man was, despite some of their meetings, generally laid back. Even the times he had become angry were a far cry in appearance from this.

The surprise is probably why Rufus doesn't consider his next words very well.

"You had best be prepared to look up several graves, as I doubt even the Turks know about it all, and most of those men died during the Meteor incident."

[plate_builder]

There is a sparkle of light at Reeve's wrists at that revelation, his anger so deep that for half a second he considers tapping into his materia to set fire to something. But he calms himself at least enough to prevent that. He steps away from the table, still furious, still disgusted.

Most. Most, not all.

"Rufus, I need the names of those not likely to have passed."

Because he needs to make sure that people are safe in Edge. There are so many children without caretakers, without homes. They're too likely to be victims of such... scum.

[afterlaborday]

Reeve has a larger temper than Rufus knew of, and he is close to saying something about not worrying, when he pauses as Reeve's way of thinking clicks in his head. And he knows from the Turks and his own experiences about the kids, about all of the displaced, and he nods softly.

"Only if you promise not to go after them yourself." He sighs a little. "And not to tell the Turks here with me."

[plate_builder]

A far larger and hotter temper, and one Reeve had been rather disconnected from for years. By the time Rufus had known Reeve as part of the company, he had truly evened out. Perhaps not mellowed, but definitely had grown more adept at controlling his emotions. Even now it can sometimes be a bit of a pain to try and allow himself emotional reactions rather than just channeling it into his work.

"I will not tell the Turks here with you," Reeve promises. "And I do not use magic against people except in self-defense."

There is no such promise about giving information to a certain retired Turk who is still keyed into a network of other exiled Turks.

"I find myself even happier that Sephiroth ran your father through," he finds himself continuing as he paces, one hand stroking the materia set into the bangle on the other wrist. He's still quite worked up at the idea that someone might facilitate such a thing with a child. And he has absolutely no doubt what led to such encounters. No one would dare risk crossing the late President Shinra like that. Not with all the resources at his beck and call.

[afterlaborday]

Blue eyes watch the man pace, the touch to the bangle - a comforting move, like Shinra's smirks - and agrees on the statement regarding Sephiroth. The ,an had ridden him of a great deal of trouble, although by the time he had, it wasn't as if hu s father would even dare to risk such deals; putting aside the fact Rufus had already tried to off his old man, the Turks would not have stood for it. After all, even in their "recruitment drives" for the company, children had been well and truly off limits.

And although Rufus wants to say something, that it's done with or that he's learned more of Reeve than Reeve has of him, he knows better. Even if it's easier on him to be flippant, he could already see the angered response he'd get for doing so. So he remains quiet, letting Reeve choose when next to speak.

[plate_builder]

Reeve ends up pacing all the way to the couch where he sits down quietly for a moment. Then he looks up at Rufus, a pained look on his face.

"I don't know if you know it, but I wasn't born in Midgar. I didn't end up there until I was nine. My mother up and moved us after an... incident in the village we were from. There was a girl there, she... was found after being missing for a few months. Buried near a hunting lodge owned by the mayor."

Surely there is implication enough there, along with Reeve's reaction, to fill in enough blanks for what happened to her. Perhaps Rufus needs to know why Reeve reacted with a touch more than just disgust.

"She was my best friend. And she was just gone. My mother never told me exactly how the man was punished, just that he was."

[afterlaborday]

This time, he doesn't apologize, just remains silent. It's one thing to apologize when things don't go the way one expects, entirely different when you're hearing such a story. And he knows better than to say the things he usually would.

Lifting the water and drinking from it, buying time to consider for a moment, Rufus finally shrugs gently. "Anything I might say now would be inappropriate. Though honestly, I didn't expect this reaction. Expected to be called a liar instead.

"Which is probably why you're the first person not related to it I've told. Although I wonder why and if it was such a good idea."

[plate_builder]

"Why would I disbelieve you?" Reeve asks quite seriously. Why would anyone lie about that? The look he gives Rufus is a very serious one. "Given your father it's an entirely believable thing. No one... No sane person would lie about something like that, Rufus. Not one. And if I've learned anything about you since learning you're alive, it's that you are painfully sane. Yes, I wonder why you told me as well, and I can't begin to unpack whatever reason you have."

It definitely had the effect of humanizing Rufus to Reeve, which he supposes was the point of this whole thing. And it was far more personal than Reeve ever expected to get from the man. And now that the fury is dying down a bit, he feels sick.

"There was an attempt on your father's life. I don't know if you recall it, but it happened when you were about sixteen. It was only a week after I joined the company, at a formal welcoming of new top level employees. I was already pegged as a man with a future in the company, if I could fall in line, which I clearly learned to do. There was this attempt on his life and afterward, in all the shock and confusion, a few people were hurt fleeing in fear. Had three bones in my foot broken because of getting trampled. And at the time the only thing I could think of was how you judge a man by the caliber of his enemies. And if people wanted him dead, maybe Shinra was doing something right."

He looks up at Rufus, his head tilted just a bit. "I wish I had known better then. I learned. And I admit after a few years I started to hope for the day that you'd take over. Because you'd be better than your father. You would have grown up around all this stuff, you would be a good leader rather than someone who just fell into it by chance. Except by then he's already hurt you deeper and far more personally than he had just about anyone I had ever known. You deserved a better father. A better life."

Can you tell whose account I am logged into at work

[afterlaborday]

"I recall. It was the first time I realized the Turks could be distracted if enough was going on." Which he had used to his advantage just a few years later, thankfully failing a little less spectacularly than the man Reeve is speaking of. That man had panicked and somehow ran right to a dead end in an under construction part of the building. The basic soldiers had caught up with him, followed by Turks and his father's death.

As for pain, Rufus shrugs again gently, this time allowing a bit of dismissal. "It's behind this time. I rarely think on it, and it has had its advantages in the end.

"As to telling you, I'd like to say it was to one up you, but that would be in very bad taste. Honestly, it's probably because I wanted you to understand me, and if you had dismissed me, well... It wouldn't be so bad as if others did."

Even as he speaks the last, he gives Reeve an apologetic look.

I can tell I hope work is going well

[plate_builder]

No, he would not accept it being dismissed. Reeve never would have done that. He gives Rufus a sad smile.

"So you know, I will think nothing less of you for this, or differently. You're still an asshole. But you're definitely more human."

Somehow it seemed like Rufus kept getting a lot of short ends of straws. But more than that, maybe he respects the man a bit more. But it gives him a moment of realization. He really had been unfair to Rufus. This isn't about his father or his name. This is about him doing something good for the world. And Reeve smiles then.

"The WRO could use a supporter like you, helping to make the world better. In the next months I'm going to be phasing out my direct involvement with the projects in Edge. Jasper will be good to take that over. What I will need, though, is an external consultant on the WRO. I was not involved with the wider politics of the company. I can only cash in so far on working with AVALANCHE. I need to know the people to reach out to, the points to apply leverage against. The WRO is going to be across the world, and having a man with a political mind to help me learn the strings will help."

Good. I'm off for the weekend

[afterlaborday]

He laughs a little at Reeve's calling him an asshole, but nods his head a little. "I think you rather enjoy my being an asshole, Reeve. Gives you a sparring partner for that mouth of yours."

He then decides to finish his water off before speaking to Reeve again, smiling a little. "What is it you wish to learn? What not to do?"

Score!

[plate_builder]

Well that's an amusing point, and Reeve nods. "Yes, there is a bit of pleasure in the verbal spar. And you are well equipped there."

But really, the comment makes Reeve shake his head. "You have a wealth of experience, to a degree only Godo might have, and Godo will hardly share. Are you not amused by this plan? Or is your attention only on Edge?"

[afterlaborday]

"I'd make a remark, but it would be in bad taste." Yet he shakes his head a little. "Not just on Edge. Yet I know that no one, yourself included, fully trusts me. So do you really want advice from me?"

[plate_builder]

"You manage bad taste very well," Reeve chuckles. He should know that. But with the question he nods. Yes, he knows what he's doing.

"I may not take all of it. But I want it."

[afterlaborday]

"Very well. I'll help where I can." Rufus indicates the food. "Whatever is left, think it can go to the Turks? Or do you need it for Edge?"

[plate_builder]

"They're welcome to it," Reeve admits. "I hope you'll understand that I'm not exactly hungry at this point."

Rufus definitely made the meal a bit of a problem for him. But now that the charged emotions are out of the way he smiles sadly to himself. "Well, Rufus, I suppose you want to get back to the Cait unit. I brought some paperwork to go through so I can stay out of your way while your men eat."

[afterlaborday]

He had already figured Reeve's appetite was gone, since he knew his was, which was why he asked. And he knew the Turks would enjoy something different than what they had been eating for the last long while.

"I suppose you should finish showing me, yes." Slowly, be stands, drawing out his phone to text the Turks to come get what remains of the food. "How long can you remain here?"

[plate_builder]

"As much time as they need to eat and be ready to transport me," Reeve says thoughtfully. But he isn't too sure Rufus needs his hovering at this point. This is more about motor skills than anything else, right? But he smiles at Rufus.

"IF you need my assistance, I can provide it."

[afterlaborday]

"You're welcome to stay if it gets too late." He puts the phone away, and moves to sit down after getting the equipment for the Cait unit. "I suppose I should just follow your tasks?"

[plate_builder]

"Your couch is nice, but it's not the greatest on my neck," Reeve counters, but he does get up and moves to sit by Rufus's side again. "That or you can make a game for yourself. Really, it's a suggested list of things for you to work on when I'm not around. I thought you would need practice. I'm not willing to let you take Cait out the apartment until you're more familiar with it."

He pauses before he sits and then thinks. "Should I tell them there is good? I don't think it should get too cold."

[afterlaborday]

"I've already let them know. Someone will come to bring it down shortly." As he puts the headset on again, Rufus smirks at Reeve, and his words seem to imply that despite what has been said he is still going to play games. "And you could always share my bed if you stayed. Teach me something."

[plate_builder]

Oh, well, Reeve is impressed at that. Truth told, though, he wasn't intending to play games, he was making an active note. He shakes his head and chuckles at the jab.

"Rufus, I don't have casual sex anymore," Reeve reminds him. "Too dangerous, and on top of that, I'm looking for a relationship even if there's no good way to look for it."