plate_builder | [Open Post]

"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.

He really could say something inappropriate about Reeve on his feet, but he doesn't. He had had more than enough time to deal with Reno for the day, and just wasn't feeling it. Doesn't stop him from chuckling himself, however.

"No. I figured you wished me to stay mostly out of your way when you had things handled. That's all."

"And here I had assumed that during my visit the last time, we had come to a better understanding that this was more of a partnership. I may be handling this, but investors should understand what they are working toward," Reeve counters.

Still, he will leave it up to Rufus as to whether or not he will continue on with this discussion. But the response does leave Reeve looking very seriously at Rufus for a long moment, as if measuring the man once more. And perhaps finding him wanting.

"We can either discuss what else I have outlined, or I could take myself, my coffee, and my wine at that, and I can head back to town. I do have to prepare to see Jasper again. It's been a while since I saw him, and there is a lot to prepare, including the fact that I promised him dinner when he gets to town. Which means starting to piece together what I need to cook. Wonder if I still have mother's cookbook around..."

Yes, he will happily walk out of here and busy himself with the work of rebuilding the world and reconnecting with an old flame instead of being cooped up here with his former boss.

As Reeve analyzes him, Rufus just watches quietly. He supposed he could see why he caused offense with his words, they were rather dismissive, but somehow he doesn't really care. Why? He's not angry or tired, and he's been interested until now in hearing more, yet right now he just feels sort of... bored? Disconnected? Curious feeling to have suddenly.

Yet he's not worried that Reeve will really leave just yet, and so continues to watch him silently, processing whatever is going on to the best of his ability.

At last Reeve thinks he’s come up with an answer. An explanation for Rufus’s behavior. And he shakes his head.

“This is more interesting for you when you feel like you’re the higher power, swooping in to solve problems I couldn’t. Me having all of this managed makes the whole process boring for you. It isn’t the problems that you are invested in. Or these people. It’s how you can feel useful. How you can show you still have power.”

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