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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."

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."

"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."

Edited 2018-10-26 17:42 (UTC)

"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.

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."

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?"

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?"

"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?"

"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."

"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?"

"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."

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?"

"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."

"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?"

"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."

"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."

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."

He just chuckles lowly, and goes back to controlling the Cait unit, seeming somehow more relaxed now than earlier. "I wouldn't be good dating material I suppose. We'd never know who would catch or receive and would fight about it."

"You would," Reeve assures Rufus. "For someone, when you're ready for that sort of thing. I can't imagine you intend to be the last of your name. Save your attempts to be suave and to woo people for someone you're interested in."

As for the rest, with the growth of things and a lot of things he's dealt with, he finds himself growing less concerned. Barret, yes. The others? Who knows.

He shrugs softly. There are times he wonders about being the last, and letting Shinra fall. Besides that, he would have to adopt, and no one would wish him to raise a child. He truly has no interest in women in such a way, and he wouldn't dream of chaining someone to him merely for an heir; he knows what dismissal and lack of caring is...

Focusing on what he's doing, Rufus only glances up briefly when Rude and Tseng knock and let themselves in quietly to gather up the food. Glancing maybe briefly to make sure there's no trouble brewing between their boss and Reeve.

And here Reeve was assuming that Rufus welcomed attentions in either direction. Still, he senses that he might have said something wrong. He does wait for Tseng and Rude to leave before he speaks again.

"Are you even interested in women?"

Not a question of if Rufus is interested in him. He knows that would be ridiculous.

"No." He doesn't seem offended, just busy trying to pick up various items that might be more difficult than materia, including any papers he's not shooed away from. Those he would be trying to read with the unit, obviously considering it to be a challenge. "Even before... Those incidents, I never had an interest in the girls I met.

"Still, I did try at least once or twice when I was older, thinking maybe my apathy had been due to my father and what had been happening. But I just didn't feel a thing."

Reeve will happily let Rufus pick up just about anything other than architectural sketches, because those need to be kept pristine.

"I never bothered to try. And Scarlet always made it worse," Reeve chuckles, shaking his head. He watches as Rufus reads a supply report. Stays quiet for a while, then he speaks the question he isn't certain is appropriate.

"Are you even the relationship sort, Rufus?"

Perhaps Reeve should poke at Tseng, see if he can't figure out if the man has any leanings in that direction and point him back at Rufus. For Rufus's sake.

"That woman would flirt with anything that had a dick." Vulgar? Yes. Accurate? Completely. She also would sleep with anything that let her, but Reeve would know that.

Setting the report down, Rufus begins to navigate towards what he believes to be a kitchen, considering how to answer. "I don't know. I recall trying once or twice to connect with people more my age, maybe when I was thirteen or fourteen, and was basically told not to. Didn't try after that.

"And I doubt you can call being out with those men as dating."

"You don't have to date men your own age," Reeve dismisses. "Typically I prefer older men, as it is. Tseng I suppose should be considered an exception as he is a bit younger. You don't have to want people from the same age range. And I think you're on your way toward being a good man. You can make some man happy someday."

But no, they weren't dating.

"Someday you'll manage to find someone, and with the kind of man you are, you'll do very well at wooing them. Because you've got that sort of mind," he smiles. "But in the meantime, I'd appreciate if you ceased hitting on me. I am only entertaining serious offers these days. For a relationship."

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Can you tell whose account I am logged into at work

I can tell I hope work is going well

Good. I'm off for the weekend

Score!

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