plate_builder | [Open Post]

No, Reeve will not be okay with ShinRa returning down the line, and when that day comes he doesn't doubt he will act against the man, especially if he can get the support of anyone else. But the fact of the matter was that, in the mean time, he might be willing to make use of this man and his power. Reeve's dreams could finally be fulfilled by this man.

"Continue what?" Reeve asked, a bit confused. Something was weird here. What was Rufus asking? Watch him? watch him bring the power back of a corrupt company? Or something else?

He wouldn't blame Reeve, or anyone else for that matter, if they tried to stop ShinRa's rebuilding. The company began by his father, taken over by him, had very little in the form of a good reputation, and with good reason. Human experiments, sapping the world of Mako, dropping plates on entire sections of cities, and those were only the most counted ones by those in the know. It wasn't exactly a company one would wish to see flourish again.

But he intended to rebuild it, either way. ShinRa was his home in some ways, and even more, it was the Turks' home. Without it, none of them felt truly secure, or at least he thought this was how they all felt. For all his bravado of the time before, about the Turks' loyalty to him, there was always the little voice inside which doubted they would stay if ShinRa was not rebuilt, if the money were to dry up. After all, what use was he beyond money and power?

Indeed, he knew in many waves that Reeve considered him as such. He'd apologized a moment before, but there was no way his opinion of his former boss would have changed so easily, so it meant that he was using his resources. Something Rufus was fine with. Let the man do what he must, let him use the fallen Shinra; Rufus was fine so long as he could stay near to the closest thing he had to family, so long as he could attempt to actually help in some small way. Let him always doubt.

"Continue discussions for the rebuilding, I mean." He tried to smirk as he focused on Reeve, but it was a hollow gesture, something he didn't really feel. "I'd like to see what else you are thinking of doing."

"This... is all I brought today," Reeve says, blinking at Rufus in shock. Then he tries to recover by composing himself. "You can't seriously tell me that when they invade my home you don't have your Turks taking pictures of my plans."

It would make sense that he did, and they sure didn't respect his privacy before this.

"They came in once, a while ago." Obviously he won't deny it, as he'd certainly had the Turks do some recon the first Reeve was here in Healin, they'd even kept an eye on the man in case he had any trouble, but they had left his place alone since that time. "I want to see what else you've done."

Reeve was not a man who sputtered in incredulity, but right now he looked about ready for it. How did Rufus not get this part? Hadn't he... No, he hadn't been involved in the operation of Shinra long enough to know just how much work went into this stuff. The paperwork. The planning. The PLANS that covered just about every bit of space in his apartment except for his bed and the oven.

"I can't show you, Rufus. I don't have the papers."

Rufus knew enough about it, had kept up with a lot of the going-ons in ShinRa even when he was held by the Turks. Sure, he didn't know everything, only had glimpses of the people who ended up working under him, but he did know how planning worked. Even knew Reeve was a wreck over this whole thing.

What he didn't know is how Reeve's thoughts might have changed as the work proceeded, what other things he might find were needed, or should be subtracted.

And what Reeve didn't know was that Rufus was trying to fight over twenty years of living, almost programming, that kept crying at him to use all the money which was left in ShinRa coffers to rebuild the company, and run it just as before. He'd even promised the Turks he'd erect an object in the middle of the rebuilding to lay ShinRa's claim to the place.

In a way, he still intended to do so, but there was a little more. Things neither the Turks or Reeve knew, things which had occurred, but in his stigma-laced blackouts, haunted him as a nightmare might. Things he was intent on using to change.

Perhaps that is why he smiles at Reeve now, with avosultely nothing hidden in it. "Then bring them, or even mail me your ideas."

"It would be easier to mail you to them," Reeve says, bewildered that Rufus would even ask such things. It almost... it almost felt like the man wants oversight, and no one gets oversight. Not without being a partner in the project. A real partner. And he can't trust Rufus with that just yet.

Bring them? He can't do it right now. But he supposes he can on the next trip. "The next time I call on you I could arrange a minor selection of some of my work. Things that were already completed."

What does Rufus want of him? Reeve really doesn't understand.

"That's fine." He won't push his luck, knows he can learn much with whatever Tuesti will give him. "What else can I do for the time being, since it will take some time for the hospital to be built."

And now Reeve was gaping for real. "I don't... I don't have anything."

All he had prepared was this one need. This one desire. He had prepared a several hour argument and pitch for it. Rufus had really gotten him off guard with the 'okay' coming so quickly.

"I have a number of smaller projects, but little ready to actually, well, present."

Even if he had been unaware of the confusion before, there would be no way to deny it now, which begged the question of how exactly he was to react to Reeve's obvious confusion over the entire situation. He had several different things he could do, including being a complete asshole or just continue to ignore the reaction altogether. The latter really didn't suit him, unfortunately, so even with the fact he wanted Reeve to trust him, he couldn't resist a jab.

"Your mouth is open, Reeve. Shall I get a screwdriver for you to fix the hinge?"

That made the man's mouth snap closed and he looked away, a bit ashamed. Dressed down by a younger man who didn't even understand why his questions were so... confusing. He had assumed that Rufus's desires to help Edge were more a 'throw money at it and take credit later' sort of thing. Not that he'd invest this much care.

"I..." Reeve shook his head. He should try. If the man was going to let himself be used, Reeve owed him something. An idea. A picture. Something to show what he bought with his money. "Do you have paper and a pencil? It won't be much but I think better in pencil."

He could sketch out his plans, in a rough form.

To be truthful, a great tactician would play this angle, just as Reeve would probably question. After all, wasn't it easier to take over without hostility? Pretend to be friendly, and then strike? It was something that logically could be done, but it wasn't Rufus, or ShinRa.

The company had always presented a kind face, but even Reeve had to know about the carpet bombing of villages which had become a risk, the elimination, classed as 'missing persons' or 'killed in action', of people and ShinRa personnel when their purpose was served, or needed to be served where light would not reach. This was the method his father had used, and the method Rufus had used as well.

When he recalled such things, how easy it would be to start it all over, part of him desired to conform to such desires, where another part, an almost conscience, would ask him what did all that get you? and the answer... Well, that was an interesting one.

He shifts on the bed, moving in a way that he can lean over and open the drawer on the dresser beside him, pulling out a notebook with a pen on top, and throwing it to the end of the bed for Reeve. There may be nothing visible on the pad, but it is obvious Rufus has been using it, several pages torn away from the seam.

"I'm afraid I don't have any pencils."

"I'll survive," Reeve assures the man. He does reach out and liberate a piece of paper from his file to Rufus. He preferred a real straight edge, but he needed something, and notebook paper wasn't going to suffice. With practiced motions he folded the printer paper precisely down the middle and sharpened the edge. Then he shifted so he could put the pad comfortably in his lap. Then he set to work.

He was good at his work. Reeve always knew that on an intellectual level. ShinRa would not have hired him over other men if he wasn't good. There was no way he wouldn't have scaled the ranks if he wasn't good. And even if Rufus's father had been an idiot, Reeve never would have led an entire department if he wasn't good. What Reeve didn't know was that in some ways, he was impressive. He drew a nearly perfect circle free hand in the middle of the paper and from memory alone drew a pretty good approximation of the city of Edge as it currently stood, right down to the road level. The folded piece of paper served as his straight edge, and his eye for lengths covered as a passable ruler. At one point he made sure the lines for his buildings and roads were double thick.

"Everything inside this boarder represents the current limits of Edge. Some of the spaces are empty lots, or projects I've got in progress. Others are almost finished. Some are complete."

Around the circle he began with the next progression of the city, a square laid out on a regular grid outside of the city center. Even this seemed to be divided into sections. The areas closer to the ruins of Midgar had larger sections between the clearly planned out roads, perhaps an industrial area. Beside those were some smaller areas that might serve as lower income residential areas. Not everyone would ever be able to get high income housing. There were regions clearly meant for commercial use, others smaller areas for residences and apartments and even condos. His vision was expansive. Once he had the general format of the city he hoped to foster formed, he then changed his paper, angling it. Paths were made, some with a series of dots to symbolize underground transit he intended to have happen. Others were dashed lines above ground, meant to stand for raised car transit, not to mention trucks. After that the labeling started. At a rather predictable pattern he laid down symbols to show approximately where he intended police and fire stations to go. Places he wanted to get set up for health care. Public spaces like parks and the like, spaces for the arts, spaces for everything and anything he could imagine. Not that he was a fool who believed his exact vision would be carried out. But if he could guide it to something even remotely resembling this, he'd be happy.

And he was happy as he worked, Reeve wearing his first genuine smile that he'd had around Rufus. It was almost like he was ignoring Rufus, except he was talking out loud, clearly addressing him. In truth Reeve was used to talking to himself as he worked so it was more the usual for him. Smiles and quips about layouts and his pen scratching lines that a pencil could do. After a long time his smile softened to a look of fondness as he regarded his approximation of his plans, and he handed the full notepad over to Rufus.

"It's a poor imitation of my actual plans, but this, one day, could be Edge."

He couldn't see very much from his angle in bed, and so Rufus instead settles for watching Reeve as he sketches, noting the differences in his attitude and demeanor. The old Rufus would easily be able to abuse the almost mesmerized Reeve, take the man hostage as he had worried, if that had been the plan, and Reeve would not have known until too late. Or at least, that was the way it seemed to Rufus, and in a faint way, he envied Reeve such an ability.

For a man like Rufus, losing yourself in something so completely was dangerous, and so he had never done so. Even as a child, he couldn't remember doing anything but trying to follow in his father's footsteps, trying to gain that man's praise, and always, inevitably, falling short. Hobbies, dreams, friendships... They were useless things for him, dangerous things, and yet so easy for others.

It was why he kept such a grip on the Turks. Reeve may not believe it, but they were more family than his father ever was, and the only people he trusted with his life. He needed them, and if they had asked, he would have done anything in his power to keep them happy. Which leads his mind to a question, even as he takes the page he's handed, looking over the schematic.

"You say you do all this for the people, Reeve, but is there someone particular you want to see your works?"

All the pleasure at his work is immediately gone at the question, instead replaced with the same pained expression as when Reeve talked about his mother. Someone in particular? No. He'd lost the only family he had left, and working for ShinRa never allowed him the time to seek others to... grow fond of?

There was no one left.

"No," he says, trying to make his voice firm and confident though he wasn't sure Rufus stabbing him in the leg with the pen could hurt worse. "I do this for the people who will benefit from it. I help Rufus, and that is its own reward."

The shift is sudden enough to cause Rufus to look up from where he was analyzing the sketch, and although he might potentially ask what just went through the raven-haired man's mind, he doesn't, instead choosing to let him scold. Besides, he has a vague idea, as he's not completely without empathy, and he has been listening both this time and last.

Which means he just keeps quiet, going back to the design, and only speaking again when he is done.

"Is the land suitable for all this, or will you have to build on and around natural features? I don't have any large maps of the area here, and aside from Tseng and Rude, no one can draw maps very well." A pause, and he seems to try to give Reeve a laugh, a playful smirk on his face again. "Reno would probably try and draw something naughty in crayon if I even asked him."

"Still doing surveys and the underground transit would be the most difficult. I have sent to Coo Canyom for a geologist there. Said to be very good at reading how stone will hold up to such pressures. He is due next week, escorted by Nanaki. As for Reno..."

Reeve shook his head at that. There had been one time where Reno had arranged... lewd figurines in Reeve's model of Midgar. It had only vaguely been funny. Most of it wasn't. The stripper figure he put on the tower's landing pad had been hilarious.

Reno was a rather unique creature within the Turks, at least if you asked Rufus. Every ounce of the man screamed immature moron, better suited to act as a jester to a king, while the truth was that, although he could be quite immature, he was also observant, and extremely intelligent. He just also happened to enjoy playing around.

This was in stark contrast to the others. Rude and his stoic determination, and knack for explosives. Tseng and his brilliant mind and calm demeanor in all things. And Elena... Well, she was a little like Reno, but actually kind of dumb. Made up for it in determination and hard work, but still...

Yeah, they were an odd group, and Rufus could understand trying to figure out what to say about Reno, when really, there was so much to say.

"Do you have gear for the geologist? This may not be a hot spot for Mako, and thus the Lifestream, but best not to risk exposure. Also, may I keep this sketch?"

"It isn't good," Reeve says, caught off guard. "I... can have a better one sent along. And yes, I've acquired gear."

Rufus was just... behaving strangely, and Reeve definitely didn't know how to deal with this sort of attention. People just tended to ignore him and in a way he was okay with that. But now here he was, being inspected, studied by someone he hadn't wanted the attention of before everything had happened, and it wasn't much better now. Perhaps the man was just a bit of a puzzle to Reeve. Somehow he just couldn't take the proclaimed reasons for interest at face value and that was on him.

"If you'd prefer." He passes the sheet back to Reeve to do with as he pleased. "And good. The stigma can be selective when it wishes to be."

He then settles back against the headboard of the bed with a slow, exhausted sigh. He wouldn't say he didn't care what Reeve thought, but he's not going to explain every little detail of his change to the man. Actions apoke louder than words... Reeve had said that before, right? Or was it someone else?

Either way, time would show who and what he really was up to.

"I don't want people getting sick," the man admits. He has to figure other things if it goes wrong, but the area wasn't exactly flush with mako. They should be safe.

He hoped.

But now it was clear Rufus didn't need anything more of Reeve, so he stood, carefully straightening his new coat. Time to head home. But now he was going to have to put together new things for Rufus to look at.

"I'm aware. You're too nice for that." He chuckles a little as he says this, giving Reeve a pointed look. "After all, you were concerned for me last time you were here, and you very much still dislike me.

"But it's a good thing in a way. If it wasn't for people who felt like you, I suppose Meteor would have crushed this world. My attempts to do something sure weren't helping anything. Just pissing the planet off even more. Then again," he shrugs a little. "I suppose that's on me for believing ShinRa could really do something to fix the problems it caused, using the exact same methods which caused them... And listening to the fat man and the witch."

"You use... gentle words for them," Reeve says, more bite to his words than he expected. And he didn't even notice that he was stroking his materia through his coat, just for comfort. They couldn't hurt him again. They were dead and gone and he was free from their influence.

And he'd been hurt by them, by both of them. Not that simple, but he could live with it. Was living and they weren't and that was enough for him.

"I could find others, if I weren't so tired." It's said even as he watches Reeve mess with that materia. He knew, from the Turks, about Scarlet and Heiddeger holding the man and causing trouble for him, but didn't really have much in the way of detail. After all, even the Turks were in a bad shape at the time, more focused on other things than Reeve. "You're free to give them additional names. I'm sure I've heard them all."

"You're wrong," Reeve said because he had come up with a few of his own that he'd never shared with anyone. More about Scarlet than anyone else. That women was the worse of the pair. They were suited to each other.

Thinking of her made him sick.

"They were horrible. And that is all I'm going to say."

With that he was silent as he turned his attention to the paper that had been returned to him. After a moment he handed it back and nodded to Rufus. "You're welcome to it. But I'll send a better one."

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