[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

... I'm going to quote "The Turks should put this guy back in his chair" randomly

[afterlaborday]

Neither Reno or Rude would come in, even had Reeve called. They'd been ordered to remain outside unless absolutely needed, and even if he was in a great deal of pain, Rufus still retained enough strength - or perhaps stubbornness - that he would be fully able to get back to his chair.

Not that he wanted to at this moment, as it would defeat the point and make this all look like a stunt. Not that he didn't doubt such an idea would cross Reeve's mind, but anyone who knew Rufus one bit would quickly realize he bowed to no one, let alone a man who had been several ranks below him. And especially not for any length of time.

[plate_builder]

Seriously, was he going to just be quiet? That wasn't creepy, at all.

"Get up," Reeve says, pushing to his feet and moving to haul Rufus to his. "Geez, if your Turks were to come in I think they might just shoot me because they assumed I hurt you. Get back in your chair."

[afterlaborday]

"They'd know better." He manages to laugh out, despite wincing at having to get off the floor, using Reeve momentarily for support as he struggles with balance. "They're too well trained, after all. And they know me."

He's careful, shifting aside his coat slowly to reveal he's carrying a gun, before letting it drop down again to hide the metallic weapon. "I'm not fool enough to go around without protection. I'm well aware what others think of me, Reeve.

"Besides, if I wanted you dead or hurt, I wouldn't have brought you here with me in this shape."

[plate_builder]

"I know that," Reeve sighed. He ignored the gun, he had been the first to make sure the other knew he was armed. "Have you found a physician?"

If anyone could throw the money into fighting this illness, it was this man. Not that Reeve cared if he lived. Just that he hoped other people would benefit. "Because someone should be looking after all of this."

[afterlaborday]

"I've had a few look me over," Carefully, he seats himself in the chair again, letting out a relieved sigh as soon as he's settled, before continuing. "But there isn't a great deal that can be done. I'm sure you know, but this isn't an ordinary disease. It's more parasitical in nature.

"Honestly, it's a surprise I'm alive at this point in time, but I suppose I'm just too much of an asshole to die."

[plate_builder]

"Hits the old harder," Reeve says, his voice barely a whisper. His mother had died almost immediately from it. It... Hurt.

More than hurt. She didn't deserve that. But no one deserved that death exactly.

[afterlaborday]

There's no response to that, if Rufus even heard it, though it is highly unlikely he didn't. Just as it's unlikely he doesn't know of Reeve's mother. After all, he still had his Turks, and they still knew exactly what they were doing. He just didn't think Reeve wanted any sympathy he might offer.

Rufus instead gives it a moment, not wanting to interrupt the other man's thoughts, and focuses on shifting himself to a far more comfortable position.

"I'll talk to the men I have, tell them to listen to your orders so far as Edge goes. You can continue to distrust me."

[plate_builder]

"Time builds trust. When people aren't screwed over," Reeve noted. He stands and looks around. "Do you have any pain medication? Looks like you need it?"

People in pain make him uncomfortable. Reeve was always a helper. At least he knows for right now that he's going to have more power to design and work this.

[afterlaborday]

"I know." The tone is somehow both frustrated and relieved. Even such a small agreement is enough for now, and he cranes his head slightly to indicate a different door than the one Reeve entered. "On the dresser by the bed. There's probably a partial bottle of water there too."

[plate_builder]

This isn't something he should do, but... It won't take any time or harm for him to do this for Rufus. Reeve is back on his feet and he rushes toward the bedroom. He is through the door and scoops up the bottle and the water. Looks around to see if there was anything else that should be taken. And once he's certain there isn't, he turns around toward the door. But he pauses. Looks around and sees the construction of the room. It's all meant to allow someone with a wheelchair to get around easily.

That chair wasn't a prop.

With a sigh Reeve moves back to Rufus, handing over the water as he works to open the pill bottle himself. "How many?"

[afterlaborday]

Rufus says nothing as Reeve disappears into the room, not even caring if he takes his time to search it. He'd find nothing, anyway, aside from reports put together by the Turks about the status of the planet, the towns, Geostigma. No indication of anything aside from the truth in the words being given him.

He doesn't even bother to hide himself when Reeve emerges from the room, head propped in his hand and an exhausted look on his face. This was more movement than he had been used to for a while, and so he only takes the bottle from Reeve with a nod of his head. "Just one. Although if you wish to rid me from this world, give me a few more. They're pretty powerful."

So he can't help it, that little tendency of his, the smirk that crawls to his face as he makes light of the situation; though the same can't be said for it reaching his eyes.

[plate_builder]

"When did you become so fatalistic?"

No, he doesn't really want to know. He instead focuses on fishing out a single pill. Which he passes over before setting the bottle aside. "So, why did you have me brought here? Just to keep me from sending others to find you?"

[afterlaborday]

The question earns another small smirk, even as Rufus takes the offered pill to swallow, washing it down with some of the water before responding with the raise of a brow. "Haven't I already said? I wish to work with you."

[plate_builder]

"Why?"

It doesn't make sense. Last time they did work together, it really wasn't cooperative. "No, don't answer. I just don't understand. There were other people you could ask."

Makes no sense to him. But he'll take the chance to help people.

[afterlaborday]

"Who? Cloud and his group? They dislike me even more actively than you do." His look is incredulous, as if the question is foolish and the answer entirely too clear. "The answer is the same for anyone else I might have asked, as well.

"Logically, knowing Shinra as you do, you were the best choice to ask. If I'm lying, it's easy to call those from AVALANCHE to get rid of me, but if I'm not, they might listen to you at least a little more than they would me."

[plate_builder]

"Only Vincent considers listening to me."

But Reeve isn't going into that. No reason to get his own insecurities involved here. But, perhaps he can try listening for right now.

"Honestly, if using you and your resources helps people, I won't hesitate to do it, Rufus."

[afterlaborday]

He has a response to that, too, but knows when to be quiet on a matter. Right now happens to be one of those times, and he only nods again at Reeve. "That's fine. I'll give you a few numbers to call. One for the contractors I have in Edge, another to reach me, and one more for Tseng in case I don't answer. Acceptable?"

[plate_builder]

The name of the lead Turks does make Reeve scowl briefly. He's not a fan of them or their work. But he supposes it's better than Reno. Who, back when he had been with the company, pulled a number of pranks on Reeve. Including ink in his coffee.

[afterlaborday]

The scowl only brings amusement to Rufus' face, and gently he tilts his head to the side. "I would offer one of the others, but - well - Tseng is probably the one you'll spend less time on the phone with, if only because he's succinct and to the point. The other three, you already know."

He'd had his own time dealing with calls from all four members of the elite squad. Reno was great if you wanted to make someone hang up quickly, Rude could make them quite uncomfortable and Elena was very good when you had a tough guy on the phone, but for business matters, Tseng was the best option, and this was business in its own way. Still, if Reeve isn't anxious to speak with the Turks...

"You may also come here and speak with me personally. I have no intention of disappearing."

[plate_builder]

"I have no intention of returning," he notes.

That water bottle is looking rather... empty. Reeve stands and moves to the kitchenette looking area and pulls down a glass. Tells himself that it's just because he doesn't like people suffering. Any people. Even this man.

"Here," he says as he hands it over. "I'll talk to Tseng if I must."

[afterlaborday]

He again keeps his mouth shut regarding what Reeve says, what he does, moving to tuck the bottle gently between his leg and the arm of the wheelchair so he can easily take the glass from Reeve when it's offered. "I'll give you the numbers when you're ready, then. I imagine you are anxious to be out of this place."

[plate_builder]

"You did sort of have me abducted. So yes, I'm a touch anxious."

That didn't mean he had to go just yet. Probably better that they get it out now. Whatever else needs done. What other questions are needed.

"Why do they stay if you don't pay them?" he wonders aloud.

[afterlaborday]

"I told them to invite you politely." It should sound good, saying that, but considering who it is coming from, such a thing probably seems unbelievable. More unbelievable is Reno and Rude politely inviting anyone anywhere, unless it's some hot girl; even then, the politeness part depends on who is doing the asking.

Of course, Reeve then has to say something out loud, and Rufus pauses in a motion of drinking the water he was brought to give the man yet another look of amusement. "If I answered that last, you would make a face at me, so I do hope it was a rhetorical question I wasn't supposed to hear."

[plate_builder]

"They didn't and I want to know," Reeve admits after a moment. He wants to know. These are killers. Murderers. What made them loyal to someone or something?

tl;dr mode, go! You asked, Reeve

[afterlaborday]

"I'll have to teach them some manners later, then." Reeve will recognize the tone as one which means Rufus won't do squat about his operatives' invitations, even as he then falls silent for a moment.

How much should he tell the man? After all, there was much which was never spoken of regarding the past and his actions. Things he had been loathe to admit in the past, and of which his father surely wished never to speak of. But here and now, with his father gone, as well as basically everyone but the Turks who would recall that incident... If Reeve believed the story, he wouldn't tell anyone, and Rufus badly wanted Reeve's help.

"A long while back, about the time I took my 'extended vacation,' I was causing a great deal of trouble. I wanted my father dead, and took great lengths to attempt to make that happen, even going so far as to support an Anti-Shinra group called AVALANCHE, with the hopes they'd get close enough to take my old man out.

"Sadly, I underestimated the Turks and their sense of work ethic, and every attempt failed. They really didn't have much love for my father, so far as I know, but they were loyal to their commander at the time, Veld, and he'd instilled in them that the company and the President were important... If even just to help the people."

Here, Rufus pauses to give Reeve a vague smile, one that asks if Reeve will disbelieve the truth, before continuing, a look which Reeve has probably never seen crossing his face; an honest amusement brought about by memories slowly turned cherished.

"Eventually, I found what AVALANCHE was doing to be a little much, and went to try and speak with them at Corel. Naturally, my movements didn't go unnoticed by the Turks who were following AVALANCHE, and they found me. I tried to get AVALANCHE to take the Turks out, but instead they turned on me. Those guys, they still protected me, despite the trouble I had been causing. In part because of my father, but still - they could have said they arrived too late, or something along those lines, and let me deal with my own consequences.

"After that, I became a permanent resident at the Turk compound. Father's idea of house arrest. And a Turk windfall, as with me in hand, they had a bit of leverage over my father. Glossing over the more boring details, though, Veld had sort of defected and my father wanted him dead. I warned the Turks Scarlet had a line on him, and they went to do their thing. But failed.

"Veld was caught, and Scarlet and my father decided he should be executed... Really, that woman's solution to everything was execution. It's no wonder she ended up dead..."

And thank god for that. he muses internally, a cold smile playing on his lips. He never liked that hag of a woman. At all.

"But I digress. I gave the Turks the information they needed on Veld's whereabouts, and they broke him out. Of course, I'd made a small deal beforehand, but nothing terrible; basically just asked them to keep me abreast of things, kind of act like a secondary information source considering I was still their guest, things of that sort.

"Veld 'died,' at least according to official reports, by Tseng's hands. Although offered a pardon if they killed their leader by my father, Scarlet decided the Turks should be eliminated for their insubordination in protecting Veld in the first place, among other things. I spared them, by convincing my father they were still useful.

"Of course I say all that, but..." He looks a faint bit tired, drinking what's left of his water with a sigh. "I was with the Turks for several years. I got to know them, and them me. I'm no Boy Scout, but the group of us became a sort of dysfunctional family. So they stay. And I'm glad to have them with me."