plate_builder | [Open Post]

"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."

There was some curiosity in Rufus' eyes at the response, some wondering what names a man like Reeve could have come up with that he, himself, had not heard or thought of himself. For whether he was sheltered or not, Rufus had a keen ear, and he had heard much he should not when younger; heard more, when people didn't realize he was nearby, as he grew. Some of the things he had heard were about him, but most were about his father, and the people he surrounded himself with.

So he certainly won't deny Reeve's words. Heidegger, if being kind, was a pompous fool who, although brilliant in some ways, was a complete idiot in every other capacity. His temper was well known to Rufus, as well, and that had honestly been why he kept the man so close. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer was built for him, and Scarlet.

Both had designs on ShinRa, and he knew it. Only the force of his father's personality and his own, as well as probably sound good, solid groundwork from the Turks, and before that SOLDIER, had kept the foolish old man alive, and his idiot of a son from dying several horrible deaths. And what would have surprised Reeve, or perhaps just made him uncomfortable, was that Rufus would now agree each of those deaths would have been his own fault.

So he doesn't say anything more on the topic, plenty of time to discuss the two if they desired some other time, instead giving Reeve a grateful smile as he takes the sheet back, nodding his head. "I appreciate it. And thank you."

Thanking him? Reeve could see no reason for it. Clearly they were using each other at this point. Rufus might get a position of power to work from in the future, and Reeve would get the hospital. Still, he supposed the gesture was proper.

"Thank you," the man decided as he looked at Rufus. "I'm sorry I called on you in such an inconvenient time. In the future, just... let me know. Unless it's an emergency I can delay a day or two for you to feel better."

"It's fine." He's reaching now to grab out a small folder from the drawer beside the bed, carefully slipping the image inside. "I figured if you were actually wanting to see me, it was important. Especially since you said you wouldn't return last time we met."

Strangely, this last is just a statement of fact, no animus or amusement in it.

"Your health matters too," Reeve says even if he dislikes that fact. The Stigma, he wouldn't wish it on Rufus, not at this point. Before, probably, but not now.

"Is... there anything I can get you before I go?"

There were no Turks around to see to him. Weird.

Shaking his head a bit, Rufus lays back against the pillow after settling the folder back into the drawer. "I'll call Reno and Rude once you leave. They're nearby."

That little smirk returns, almost as if saying if Reeve had thought the Turks were far, they weren't. He'd merely sent them out for Reeve's sake.

"You're not well. They shouldn't leave you alone for so long. What if you had an attack and needed them?" Reeve asked, and it made him almost annoyed. How could they stay away from someone who they claimed to care about?

He almost replies with 'It's fine,' as he sees no issue in the situation. He had asked the Turks to stay back so as to make Reeve comfortable, knowing the man was still leery of their presence, and they had agreed. No one wanted to spook the man, knowing as they did Rufus needed him at this time to bring about change.

It didn't mean they were happy about it, but they followed orders when they were given, knowing as they did that those orders were necessary. They relied on Rufus to be 'Boss,' just as he relied on them to be 'Subordinates.' A family, yes, but not a normal one. A parasitic family, perhaps?

So he struggles for words now, not sure how to explain or if he should. It was complicated.

Finally, he does speak, though his words are cautious, as if he's not sure about saying them at all. "They are just below, watching for you to leave, and then they will return to my side. But I told them not to show themselves while you were here."

Reeve shook his head at that. "That's just... From now on I expect you to have at least one of them present when we meet. Elena or Rude or Tseng. I won't deal with Reno's wisecracking. But I don't know what to do if you have an attack and I'm certain they do. Besides, in a weakened state I could kill you without you being able to defend yourself."

Really, the man should be more cautious. Hopefully he will in the future. He might not be the partner Reeve wanted to have, but he was beginning to suspect it was the one he might need to create real change. To truly help people.

If he was already going to be condemned for all he did for Shinra when he was trying to help, he might as well make good use of it.

"You wouldn't kill me." The words would usually be mocking, usually said as 'you can't', but again he's just stating a fact as he looks at Reeve, and he says exactly what the situation is. "You need my resources for now. So I'm of no use to you dead.

"Besides," With this, he gives a wry smile. "Unlike much of ShinRa's higher ranks, you never wished to cause harm for your own gains. Even if I were lying, were using you, you'd not kill me. It would stay on your conscience and draw you into despair, and you would fold up and lose everything you are."

"Not for my own gains," Reeve agrees, but that isn't what's going on. His own gains never mattered. No, instead he would do it for the people of Edge. The people of this world. "Despair..." he huffs a brief laugh of amusement. "It can dive you to do things that would otherwise not make sense. Things no one else saw the value of. Like Edge."

This was how his despair worked. He didn't fold up, he didn't crumple. Reeve had more strength than that. For now.

"Still," Rufus smiles again. "A man like you would not wish to kill someone else. It's just not who you are. So, I have no fear you would try and kill me, and can be assured that the Turks are not needed here to guard me from such a scenario.

"Or do you wish to say you are actually so angry at me you could override such a piece of yourself?"

Reeve shakes his head. "Next time I'm sending Cait." This man was frustratingly annoying.

The man made Reeve... angry and annoyed in ways Rufus didn't begin to understand. Reeve had gotten used to being cool and collected, and often disappointed. But angry? Annoyed? Fuming? Nope.

"I'm leaving now. I will send papers regarding payment for the necessary steps of this."

"Elena might try to keep him." A joke, it would seem, even as Rufus nods. He isn't quite sure what to think of the reaction he was getting, as there was truly no intention to make Reeve mad, just pointing out the truth of the situation. A logical, unfeeling view, seemingly so ingrained in Rufus he didn't even always realize its effects. "Be safe on the way back."

Safe. Yes, Reeve would remain such for a time. Long enough for a few more meetings, discussing the progress of the hospital. Reeve even sent along his generalized designs as promised, though he was always careful to leave out much of the key work. Did he trust Rufus? Not yet, so he was going to have to be careful with his life's work. Still, in a way it made the whole situation a bit friendlier than he would have expected.

And the financial support did a lot to free up Reeve's time for the other pursuit he intended. Edge wasn't the only place that needed help after the Meteor-Incident. So much of the world had relied on Shinra for various reasons. The lack of them, the lack of a proper police force to keep peace, the lack of a lot of things meant the world was a touch more dangerous. Some of it was handled by AVALANCHE, everyone looked to them as unifying heroes, but there had to be more. It was an idea of his that he wanted more fleshed out before he presented it to the members of AVALANCHE most likely to help him, namely Cid and Barret. The volunteers who were working with him toward restoring Edge needed more to work for now that Edge was starting to succeed.

He needed more volunteers and he had to get them outside of Edge. The recruiting had gone well, people were pledging to come to edge to join him, and he thought it was finally time, he'd be able to establish his vision for a new means to protect the people of this world. Purely as a transitional organization until stability was there and new, democratic governments could rise.

In all truth he knew the idea wouldn't be overly popular, but Reeve had pursued it anyway, and so it was that he was returning to Edge in his personal car after a long trip. He knew when he got back it would be nearly time for the new hospital, completed in impressive time, to start final touches like bringing in equipment and setting it up. From his understanding there were already some of the doctors Rufus had directed him toward setting up in the already finished ER to do some degree of work. It was good that they were advancing. There would be so much work to do, so much to...

There was no reason his tire should have blown out when it did. Nor was there a particular reason for it to be in an area still dominated by Kalm Fangs. The pieces together were coincidence. But the cloud of dust coming up from behind his vehicle as Reeve considered whether or not to get out and fight his way to the safety of Kalm was... something else entirely. The fact that his PHS couldn't seem to find signal was another mark against his situation. And it was more than enough for him to be suspicious.

Everything after that was a blur from adrenaline and the bad blow to his head that came from one of the assholes who had shown up after Reeve had expended most of his magical energy on driving off the predators. He'd already been bleeding and panting from all the bites and strikes from the wolf-like creatures. Guns? Hadn't been prepared for those. Stun batons? Also a nope. Probably one of those or that guy with the large gauntlets that had made his head ache so bad. It took a very lucky burst of a multi-targeted Stop spell for him to slow down their assault. Were it not for that he might not have made it away. Definitely wouldn't have if he'd been heading for Kalm itself. Instead he turned his attention to a slightly closer location where thought he might be able to find some shelter.

So it was that a bloodied and badly beaten Reeve stumbled close to Healin' Lodge after too long walking. He collapsed in sight of his salvation, with no idea of whether someone would see or care, or if his pursuers were still on his trail.

Rufus hadn't lied about the Turks staying below on an average day, it having been decided he needed constant surveillance until he was well enough to tend to himself, or it was necessary the Turks leave for some reason. A fact which would prove fortunate for Reeve.

He might have been out before Reno and Elena made it to him, Rude relaying the situation to Rufus as Tseng began a small tour of the perimeter; best not to risk that whatever happened to Reeve might happen to Rufus, but they were there, assisting the best they could.

Reeve would even have been pleased to know it was Elena who handled his care, rather than Reno. Aside from Tseng, she'd been one of main people tending to Rufus and was quite good at it. Reno was relegated to errand boy until she was confident enough Rude could move the architect, at which point he was moved into Rufus' area of the complex for strategic reasons, the couch set up as a makeshift bed and his care continued by Elena.

Which meant, once he started to wake, it would be her voice he'd hear calling out, "Boss, he's waking up!"

It takes a moment for the 'who' to register. Before that moment Reeve went very, very still. Did he have the magical reserves to deal with whoever had captured him? Could he survive? Clearly he hadn't rested because he could feel that he was drained and...

Elena?

"I made it?" Reeve asks, his voice a dry rasp. He had fled a long way.

"Well, you're still pretty badly injured, but you're alive." She responds, whether he meant the question rhetorically or not, standing from a chair to come into Reeve's view. "I would suggest not moving much. You took a pretty good blow to the head."

"And made my injuries look minimal." Rufus comments, coming into the room very slowly, for the moment without his chair. "Reno and Rude are out looking for whoever attacked you."

"Took care of the Kalm Fangs. The men that set me up to break down in the middle of their territory are another matter," Reeve admits. His eyes cast about until he sees Rufus and he nods his greeting to the man.

"I fear I am not properly presentable for a meeting. Forgive me."

This time, the dismissive gesture of the hand comes with a look that indicates Reeve isn't to worry. "Those two will find out what the intention was behind attacking you. For now, don't worry. It isn't as if I've always been the most presentable either.

Do you need some water, or a potion?"

He needed both, thank you very much, and quite badly. But Reeve ignored that need to push himself up into a sitting position.

"I know what the intention was, or I suspect it. And in a way I respect it. But I hardly wish to be their target."

"You need to lay down," Elena chided. "Even materia can't cure all wounds. You're in bad shape. And I've seen Reno after he was testing out a new explosive, so that's saying something."

"You know?" The tone seems to wonder if he'd like to explain, even as Rufus takes the chair Elena was in as she moves off to get something at the nod of his head. "Or do you want me to make a very educated guess?"

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Reeve is just frustrated, only you do that rufus

I'm pretty sure that's in his job description - though this time, he wasn't trying

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