plate_builder | [Open Post]

"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.”

"Yes, and no." He responds as what Reeve says seems to bring something forward to his mind, but doesn't seem to lose that contemplative look. He's not bored because he wants power. If he wanted that, there's nothing stopping him from plotting behind Reeve to make sure he gets it. Surely the man knows this. No, he doesn't really give a damn about all that, however... "I do wonder how I am useful. With my position, it is impossible to see firsthand what is going on, isn't it? It makes those people mere numbers, just like when I was running ShinRa, doesn't it?

"And you see already how just well faceless, numbered people worked out last time."

Really? That’s all? Such a simple thing to fix. Reeve smiles and reaches for his bag. He pulls out a tablet and starts to power it up.

“For now I can show you pictures. I have a presentation. I do for prospective recruits and donors. Photos, videos, audio recordings. And if jay is not enough I could lend you a Cait unit.”

How many Caits does he have to say he'll lend one out? Certainly more than one it seems, which really makes sense considering he's lost at least one, but still...

At least the gesture seems to work some, though, as Rufus leans forward a little. "You're keeping a full visual log?"

“Not a full one. But enough of one. Before and after shots. Interviews. Most done through Cait actually. He is a friendlier face,” Reeve smiles fondly as he thinks of the little robot. “I can bring an interface next time I visit, instruct you in its use. But there are rules. No spying. Violating privacy is a no for him. I won’t have him used for that anymore. But seeing the people you are helping isn’t a bad thing.”

Yes he seems pleased with this idea. Helps that when he was getting tired toward the end of the AVALANCHE ploy, before they knew it was him, he had put in a ‘translation’ subroutine to turn normal talk into more Cait Soth appropriate language.

"I still have Turks." Obviously he means for spying, but he doesn't sound all too serious about it. They still do information collection, but it's different than before; more above board. Either way, he holds out his hand. "Let me see?"

Just looking at it without explanations of who or what or where? Hardly. Reeve rises and goes to collect a nearby chair. This he puts right next to Rufus’s spot and sits down before opening up a file of pictures and offering the tablet.

“These are from the hospital. Not everything I have. We can start with photos. These first are from construction. That smiling man with the hammer is James Olmos. His family lived in the financial district of Sector Two plate. I met him during the evacuation. He lost that eye in the evac, was bed ridden for months. Bad depression too. What purpose does a banker have when everything changed? When I started work on Edge he found me, didn’t know a thing about construction. Now he is a pro.”

He listens, examining what he's being shown, noting any small details that may have been placed by Reeve, before glancing at him.

"How are you going about training for those entering new jobs? Especially with construction, I imagine there's a lot to be careful about."

Really? Rufus, you wanted to learn about these people, see them, have a reason to care, and this is what you are doing now? Reeve shakes his head.

"There were a lot of construction companies in Midgar before the fall. Many of those who do reconstruction work now have apprenticed with the ones I worked with at first. More are being taken in by the construction groups you were paying to do work. It's on the job training with skilled and experienced workers teaching them. Mostly we're forced to work more apprenticeship routes for a lot of things. Now do you want to learn more about these people or do you want to ask questions?"

The shake of head seems to amuse Rufus, if his chuckle is any indication, and although he looks back to the image, he notes something.

"Asking questions is learning. But I'll be quiet if you prefer."

"If that's how you learn, I don't mind having a conversational student," Reeve admits as he flips into the next image, a woman in overalls with a welder's mask. "This is one of my team managers. Rhonica was a welder for Shinra, on reactor maintenance. When we started calling for skilled construction workers for the hospital, she jumped at it. Said her work hurt people, because a well built reactor wouldn't have blown like the one AVALANCHE hit did. She had two kids before Meteor. Her son Ryan works as a medic in one of the smaller clinics in town. Her daughter didn't make it. She's taking less pay and more overtime hours. Not working with machinery then. Just supervising for safety adherence. Her request? She wants something named for her daughter in the hospital. There's now a family waiting room with her name on it."

The stories always break his heart, remembering them as much as telling them. It's very clear from his tone, from how he looks at the picture, that Reeve cares about these people. Deeply too. There are hundreds more like these, and Reeve will happily leave the audio files and video interviews for Rufus to review on his own.

There isn't much Rufus can say, since there's no question to ask around this story, though he does wonder. Reeve had seemed so worried whether he would be able to find help, and here he seems to have found plenty.

There are different kinds of help. And while these people improve the project, they are few and far between.

Not to mention not one of them can help shoulder the burdens Reeve himself has. The closest he could get to that is Rufus, and that is a complication all its own.

For the next half hour Reeve flips through photos and talks about the people there. Stacey who used to be at the Honeybee and now works hard to try and run a soup kitchen, one which was going to go under except for some money Reeve managed to untangle from Rufus. Daniel who helps organize volunteering scavengers in Midgar's ruins. Casey and Samuel and Shane who watch kids while adults are working. Sad stories too. People whose needs were there and couldn't be helped in time. People who inspired Reeve. People who gave money to the projects he ran. After a while of flipping there's an image of an older woman who looks a good bit like Reeve if you're really looking at it. That one Reeve flips past quickly. While he would share her with others, he isn't sure how much he would want to share with Rufus.

After a while, though, he has to get up and walk around a bit. Think him an idiot for it if you want, but he's emotionally invested in these people and these goals. In helping them. He can't be anything less.

"I can leave that for you, for the videos and the like," he says as he starts to pace.

Reeve isn't dumb enough to think Rufus didn't see that photo or how he reacted, but Rufus is also not dumb enough to say anything. He's well aware of the blame he holds for what happened to the woman, and so only watches Reeve pace.

"You'll think this cold, but I'll say it anyway." If Reeve stops to look, he will find that the words remain cold but the reason to them is actual concern. "Find a way to separate yourself from people sometimes. Otherwise, you'll burn yourself out."

"These people are the reason I work so hard," Reeve counters, turning to look at Rufus and frowning harshly at him. "That's the difference between us, Rufus. It's in how we were raised. How we see the world. I see the people, what I can do for them. What I should do for them. But you? Your father saw people as a commodity, chattel even. They were a means to the end of his wealth and power. His dominance. He raised you to seek to profit, not to seek to rule. Rulers look after their people. Care for them. You were raised away from people and don't see them and their needs for what they are. You're numbers and business and..."

He sighs and turns away again, once again pacing. "You should have been raised aware of the people. As one of them. As a leader. Like... like you are for the Turks. And I was raised to care. I can't help that it's deeply. I live for these people, Rufus. And I will give every last drop of myself for them."

"And then what?" He stays calm somehow, watching still closely. Hadn't they had this discussion already? "You are so intent to work yourself to your grave."

"What else is there but this?" Reeve asks with a sigh as he turns to look at Rufus. Yes, they have had this discussion already. "Do not mistake me, Rufus. I intend to live a good long time, but this work is... important. It's bigger than me, bigger than you, bigger than anything. Saving the world doesn't end with stopping Meteor. This is where a different sort of work comes in, and I'm dedicating myself to it. Besides, what else is there to take up my energy?"

There's passion in his every word, an undeniable fire that says Reeve believes this, perhaps like he believes nothing else. This is something he can do for the good for the world, and he's going to do it. And do it well at that. Yet... he gets the need to not burn himself out.

"For that matter, who else is there to share the weight with? I'm alone in leading this. It's my hope that Jasper will help carry some of the weight when he joins me, but this is the sort of work that needs administration, and right now, there's only me on that level. It's part of why I need the WRO up as soon as I can get it. Delegation. Coworkers. People to share this with."

A way not to be alone.

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Edward James Olmos?

His is the only team Edward I'm on.

Haha

Re: Haha

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