plate_builder | [Open Post]

A healthy respect? Reeve just looks at him, a look that clearly says 'I don't understand why.' The ShinRa were never good for returning kindness for betrayal. No, he can't quite get what Rufus respects him for. But he ends up coming to his own conclusion for that. Simple: Rufus respects what he can use Reeve for, which is gaining power over Edge in time and respect for the company he intends to rebuild. Anything else. doesn't seem too sensible to Reeve. There will be time to learn to trust Rufus a bit more. For now he accepts what he has here. A reason to start believing.

"I suppose I should give you time to arrange things with Tseng. Which is reasonable. I'll need some time to put a few more spells into my leg."

It always amused Rufus, in the wrong way, how much people believed he was identical to his Father in certain areas. No, he didn't take betrayal much better than his old man did, expected it just as that fool had, but he could respect what Reeve had done. He could even respect AVALANCHE and its members. After all, they were guided by a certain will he realized he had been lacking, and maybe still was?

ShinRa had messed up the planet. Knew they were messing it up, but continued their path for the sake of money and power. Even when it became obvious that their damage would end the world, it was still more important to retain that power than fix anything. To die on top, he supposed, if it came to that. Above the people they considered fools and sheep.

Even after his father had been killed, when Rufus could have truly changed things, he kept on the path that had been programmed in him. Rule, retain an iron fist, do not let anyone be better than you. A rule he had followed to the point of trying to prove that the company could clean up the mess it had made, and which had almost ended his life when Weapon attacked.

Ever and always, he did things for his sake, for the sake of being above. It wasn't until after things occurred with the building and his abduction that Rufus let himself honestly realize something he'd been adept at fighting back; true strength wasn't about money, or how many people you controlled, but about how you held yourself and what you did. True power was being able to sometimes look past yourself onto something else.

Reeve? Avalanche? They had always understood this, and so he respected them. Reeve had betrayed Shinra, but he had not betrayed himself or the things around him. A year or so ago, Rufus would have made remarks about this, but now...

He shrugs a little, not ready to divulge all this. "Let me get Elena to scrape together a few more Potions. You'll need to conserve your materia just in case."

"I'll be fine," Reeve assures Rufus with a smile. "I've got quite a reserve of magical energy, believe it or not. Your Turks may need the potions more and can't acquire them as easily if you're trying to keep a low profile. In this much, Rufus, you can trust me to handle myself. But I thank you for your hospitality."

Whether he had a right to expect it or not from Rufus, he had benefited and it was worthwhile to keep a positive relationship here. "Would you like me to keep you appraised about my recovery?"

Potions weren't the hard part to get without discovery, but Rufus isn't going to remark on that, and so he just takes the offer as it is offered; kindly. He also nods a little to Reeve at his question. "At least, let me know if anything gets worse. Can't have both of us useless."

"I intend to be useful until the day I die," Reeve lets him know. He does, though, turn his attention fully back to his meal. It would be rude not to finish this. "I suppose this would be a good time to arrange our next meeting date?"

He chuckles at the remark, so tempted to say something, but nods instead. "Probably should give it a few weeks for you to heal and get secuirty set up."

If only he spoke up. But probably best that Rufus be professional.

“I will agree on the security,” Reeve agrees. “Not that they will escort me all the way here. For the sake of your privacy I believe from now on my appointments should be escorted by one of your team.”

What he had in mind to say was far more old Rufus than anything, and although it might have made Reeve happy to kn ow he hadn't changed so much, he simply thought it best to keep it to himself for now.

"Then we should probably decide on a mid point that's safe for one of the Turks to pick you up from your security.*

"My home isn't midpoint enough?" Reeve asks. But he shakes his head. He gets that it isn't. Thanks. "We can arrange it over the phone. I'm holding you back from Elena, correct? I'm sorry to have prevented you from doing so."

Work. He's looking forward to getting back to work. And seeing if anyone missed him. Doubts it, in fact some of his hired construction teams should be glad he was gone for so long. But he'll get things straightened out soon enough anyway.

"You want Turks at your front porch?" It's a bored threat, more space filler than anything. "And Elena can wait on tending to me a bit longer if need be. Still," he stands to move towards the door. "I should go speak with Tseng. One of us will be back shortly."

"If it's one like Tseng then at the very least my neighbors will compliment me on my taste,* Reeve chuckles to himself. "The little old lady downstairs thinks I'm alone too much and it would spare me her attempts to set me up with her nice grand daughter."

But he waves Rufus off and returns to his cold meal. Better to finish it and argue that it's good for energy.

"So, send Reno and see how quickly she worries instead, right?" Yeah, he likes getting in the last word, still. Some things never change, after all.

Yet he's good to his word, and after a time Tseng will find his way up to escort Reeve home, all while giving the man any information he might need for hiring protection for himself. He'll even do a cursory check of Reeve's place before heading back to the lodge.

Rufus may even be nice enough to send him and not the Marx Brothers when it's finally time to meet again.

There is definitely a touch of gratitude at the more reasonable man being sent to keep him safe while he goes, no doubt there. He'll even thank Tseng quietly for the escort after the man has made himself certain that Reeve's home is safe. While there he does take advantage of the Turk's presence to hand over a few documents he had been intending to send to Rufus. Better now than later.

By several hours later, Reeve almost wonders if he shouldn't have left. At least Rufus had been concerned about him, to whatever end he had. Reeve had quickly found upon checking in with a number of contacts that he hadn't been missed. Sure, he had expected it, but that didn't make it better. And, of course, by the end of the night he had rededicated himself to his work, falling even deeper into it. There is, after all, some comfort to be taken in work for work's sake. At least, though, his kitten missed him. Mittens doesn't even seem annoyed over the food situation.

It's well over a week and a half later before Reeve reaches out to Rufus again. Just a comment saying he would be ready to speak to Rufus at his convenience.

And by that point he might even accept the Marx Brothers.

Tseng was always through, so Rufus is quite content to send him along with his business partner. Let Reeve believe it was because Rufus didn't want to lose his investment into the man and his ideas, ignoring what the truthful reason actually is.

When the message arrives that Reeve is alright enough to speak with him again, Rufus even sends Tseng to the meeting spot to collect him and drive him back to the lodge.

Another day, another meeting. The healing is mostly completed by this time, enough so that Reeve doesn't bother with the cane the physician he had met with had given him. Better not to appear weak. Then Rufus might believe he was right about the whole thing. He does arrive with a whole sheathe of papers, a bottle of wine as a way of thank you for the Turks, and a choice Gongaga coffee blend from his personal collection for Rufus.

Unless, of course, he wants to take a bit of the wine.

"Good afternoon," he greets when he's brought into Rufus's presence. "Thank you for allowing one of your men to escort me. How are you doing?"

He intends to keep this meeting professional. The last had gotten a bit too personal for his taste.

Considering their last meeting featured Rufus getting angry enough to dump water all over Reeve, maybe professional would be for the best. Or as professional as it can get when Reno, who had been inside tending to the President, got a hint of presents being brought.

Not that he and Reeve aren't used to that.

"How's your pain? Any left?"

"No," Reeve lies easily. He's been telling that lie for days now. He's gotten very good at that particular lie. With that he holds the wine out toward Reno. Should help dismiss the man. And when he's eventually gone Reeve moves to take up a seat and start sorting through his papers. "I can personally verify the quality of Doctor Ramsey who you suggested. I've brought my latest development plans and suggestions. I'm working with locals to set up a school. We've been arranging teachers and they're running out of a few houses for now. I've already started plans for that, but schools aren't actually a specialty of mine."

Truth is he's more a public works sort of man. But he'll figure it out as he has everything else.

Wine and Reno work well together if you want him gone and he has somewhere else to drink it, meaning it is certainly an effective way to dismiss him at the moment; though Rufus suspects they'll hear Tseng telling Reno to save it and finish his shift.

Thankfully for Reeve, however, Rufus can focus on the person in front of him without looking distracted, as he does now. He even seems to be listening intently as he offers a suggestion.

"Ask your teachers about the school. Once you know what they need you should be able to plan it."

"True enough," Reeve agrees. "And for now a functional location should be enough. I can expand as needed in the future."

Then he looks up at Rufus with a bit of a smile. The faintest of smiles.

"I'm not left to do all of the work now either. An old friend of mine from Junon will be coming to Edge at my prompting. He ended up working for Shinra as a secondary designer on updates to the city there. Perhaps he knows something of schools."

"Perhaps." He won't ask who, since it would probably , make Reeve a little uncomfortable. After all, Shinra asking after former employees might be considered a bad thing. "If I were you, however, I would keep focus on supplies for your home based schools until you get other things situated."

"Of course," Reeve says, rolling his eyes. He knows how to handle some of this stuff at least. "Supplies is a bit easier. A bit of the community is happy to provide that stuff. I'm also going to be getting in contact with some people I met in Kalm for more help there. I just wanted to keep you appraised of things and that you'll be seeing work by more than just myself soon."

Probably best Rufus doesn't ask who, though for other reasons. He'd probably lecture Reeve on trusting an old friend just because of shared history if it came to it. But it will be nice to have someone around he can trust with issues when he's too tired or busy. Or to handle him when he is tired, make sure he goes to bed, eats, all those sorts of things. It will be nice to have a right hand in all of this.

Roll his eyes all he wanted, Rufus already knew that Reeve sometimes overlooked the small things for the bigger ones, and a gentle reminder was never in error.

Yet he wouldn't have said anything about the old acquaintance since he would hope that Reeve had found security competent enough to keep an eye on anyone close to the man. Himself included. Enemies did come from all sides and at different times, after all.

"And preperations for the colder seasons? Have they been made? With so many still without a residence it would be at the top of your list to make sure they have somewhere to go, correct?"

"I've already worked at making use of the areas we have. In addition there's a crew coming in from Cosmo Canyon, care of Nanaki. Some of his people wished to help in the effort, and they will be arriving next week with building supplies, blankets and the like for warmth, and things along those lines. They are one of the cities less affected by the post-Meteor crises. I've also got an agreement from the major partners in the Golden Saucer for providing extra linens and the like. They have to trade over linens frequently due to wear from guests at the hotel, even now. I used Cait to talk them in to donations. Dio's fondness for Cloud may have helped as well. Finally I've gotten more scavenging teams into the slums area of Sectors Two and Three. They had less infrastructure damage from Meteor there and are more secure to go through for building materials."

His hope is, come the spring, he can go in himself to evaluate structural damage on the Shinra building. If it's secure enough, he'll lead teams to start pulling useful materials out of the ruins there as well.

He listens and nods. Everything was going as smoothly as it could with all that had happened. It was likely the best either could hope for.

"Seems you have everything handled then." He settles back into his chair. "Is there anything more you need of me at this time?"

Dismissed so quickly? Reeve actually chuckles at that.

"What, not happy to see me on my feet, Rufus? If you don't wish to hear where else your money is going at this time, I can go. Could even keep this to phone contact from this point forward if you believe."

Granted there is a nice thick folder at his side that he hasn't even started into, and he intends to broach the subject of as soon as he can. As Edge grows so does his need to better organize and manage what he has. It's time to officially move his operations up a step. The attempt on his life will not stop his plans for the WRO. It needs to be formed, and that means it needs donors, a central location, and staff. And for Rufus's financial support to be managed in another method. Reeve is going to need accountants too, to better consider the money. Which means needing Rufus to understand that the nature of this partnership is going to have to change. Very soon. Better he be prepared for that.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject