For Reeve

[emovampboy]

When it came to use of his phone, Vincent was very much like Cloud. He left it on, received messages and listened to or read them, but quite rarely responded. The few times he did respond tended to be if he deemed an actual answer to be required, or when from time to time Marlene got hold of Cloud or Tifa's phone and contacted him. Since it was so rare for her to do so, he always took it as a good thing to answer.

Which meant he had answered when she called him a few days after a message from Tifa asking him to come to a party for the girl, which he had ignored; his first mistake. Once answered, the girl had spent several minutes speaking to him, until suddenly springing the question of if he were coming to her party and making it quite impossible for him to really say no without seeming like a total heel, and so he agreed to go; his second mistake. And then he had made his third mistake - actually going.

At first, it really wouldn't have seemed to have been a bad idea. He knew everyone who was invited, how they acted around one another, and that Tifa would keep the whole group from going completely crazy over the course of the night, but he had not expected having to assist in breaking up one of Cloud and Barrett's squabbles when the woman had to leave for a short time to fetch something, and honestly he was glad that Reeve was invited and could help diffuse the situation with; especially when Yuffie and a very unhelpful Cid decided it would be a great idea to bet on who would win if they actually took to fistacuffs over whatever stupid thing it was this time which set them off.

All of this had left him rather done with company, and as soon as Tifa was back to be the adult in the situation, he'd snuck outside for some relative peace and quiet.

Comments

[plate_builder]

In Reeve’s defense, his clothing is far closer to normal than what Vincent wears. Only the coat is notable. But the man moves with Vincent, hands behind his back as he easily keeps stride with the quieter man. For a while he has to consider how to start.

“Where do I even begin? With Edge I suppose. You’ve seen the city I don’t doubt. Perhaps not much. My work with the WRO started here. Planning this city. The earliest areas are just composed of the shanties and the like people put together. We started as a volunteer group working to make use of what we could from the ruins of Midgar to make life here livable. Drilling wells was fun.”

[emovampboy]

His current outfit was at least better than wearing a Turk uniform, or even Cloud keeping a version of the SOLDIER First Class uniform. Still, his ouffit was certainly noticeable.

Not that he pays full attention to the looks he gets, more intent on listening to Reeve talk. There may even be crack a bit of a smile at the obvious sarcasm about wells.

"What's changed?"

[plate_builder]

"Most everything. I've seen to roads, power, plumbing... This right here," Reeve pauses to point toward a nearby clinic. "Took a lot of work to get people to understand that having a clinic to serve this area while we didn't have a hospital was the best idea. Someone wanted a liquor store. Said I didnt' want it there to not compete with Seventh Heaven. As if Tifa doesn't need a supplier. Helped him find a spot for his store just a bit further on."

A lot of planning goes into a city these days. Figuring out how things will fit together. Reeve... owes the people of Midgar this much. Probably even more. No, definitely more, far more. "The WRO will do things like this too, as we spread ourselves out."

[emovampboy]

"That isn't what I meant." Vincent looks at Reeve as he speaks, seeming to be waiting to analyze him as he speaks his next words. "You said it began as a volunteer group. What changed it to more?"

[plate_builder]

Oh. Well, now that he gets it, Reeve looks a touch bashful at having failed to see the obvious before this.

"Me," Reeve answers simply. But he expects Vincent is again inviting him to speak more. So he considers his words carefully.

"I... owe the people of Midgar, of the world quite a debt. The Mako reactors were worse because of me. It's a debt I can never repay. Add to that all of the darkness this world has been through, from Shinra to Meteor to the Wutain war, it's all... The world needs to heal. And it needs protected while it does that. Never has that been more obvious to me. You were there, when we were evacuating Midgar. The people were so afraid, so lost, and yet didn't turn to each other for help. That is what the world needs. Help. I intend to provide that. Stability and rebuilding, protection. To pave the way as a transitional military and organization until the world is ready to rebuild and lead itself. Give the reigns back to the people."

That's what it's about. Belief that there should be more. "Yuffie has already signed on, she's intel gathering, and will be head of Wutain operations when we can expand more. I'm trying to pitch it to Barret, I need help finding better energy sources than coal. In the end that will poison us, even if it doesn't poison the planet. And Cid would definitely help research for improved transportation and air support if we ever need it."

He has many plans.

[emovampboy]

"Hm." His preferred response comes, but it isn't detached, just once more acknowledging. Reeve certainly had a view for the future, or at least the one he wished to create, and was pushing hard to make it real.

Working with the others made sense, they had much they could contribute, which lead to his next question. "Why try to recruit me? I have no substantial use for you in creating a peaceful world."

He was, after all, Chaos incarnate. And a former Turk. And one of the reasons Sephiroth was born...

[plate_builder]

Really? That gets a light chuckle from the man. What purpose would Vincent not serve? How ridiculous to ask such a question?

"You truly underestimate yourself, Vincent. First and foremost, you're a capable fighter. That lends itself not only to protective duties, and I will admit there have been attempts on my life before, a bit back, when Edge was first starting out, but also in training. I've seen you shoot Vincent, don't forget that. I somehow doubt you'd be terrible at training the men and women who volunteer to protect others. You were also with Administrative Research. I know you may hate to be reminded of that, but it means you're uniquely skilled to help with information retrieval. Recruitment as well, because having any member of AVALANCHE can help lend the WRO credibility. Let's throw in the fact that Barret, Cid? They respect you, which means you could help me convince them as well."

So many different skills Vincent has. Recovering assets, because there are some scientists he's been trying to recruit that have been put in bad positions by other cities and countries who could use a hand getting free of it for a purpose. But mainly?

"And you said it yourself. You were looking for a purpose. Add in the whole fact that you seemed to be driven by guilt over your time with Shinra, I thought that maybe you too might look for other ways to redeem yourself."

[emovampboy]

It's quite a torrent of reasons that come from Reeve, more than he expects, honestly. Barrett and Cid respecting him is also news; at least Barrett. That guy didn't trust anybody very well aside from Tifa, at least on the outside. Cid, well... They were sort of the old men of the group, and he supposed that played a part.

It would be easy to shrug the praises off, but he deosn't, instead stopping to give Reeve a dead stare. "I hadn't heard anything about attempts on your life, Reeve."

[plate_builder]

"Few have. I prefer to keep it quiet. Beyond tonight I tend to keep a few trained individuals watching over me at this point. I prefer not to owe my life to the person who last nursed me back to health," Reeve admits with a shrug. Then he pulls up a sleeve to showcase his materia. "There is a reason Cait was so useful for magic. Sure, there was a lot of amplification stuff in the mog but..."

Well, that is beside the point. As it is, though, he is certain that this point that he's effectively safe. Or safe enough. And look, he took care of it without too much AVALANCHE assistance.

"Only Tifa and Barret are aware. Well, I suppose Cloud might have been told."

[emovampboy]

Well, that was interesting. Vincent wondered if Reeve realized he had just talked him up, including saying he could be useful for protection duty, yet hadn't bothered to call him. Or anyone. He sort of wondered if he should feel hurt... no, scratch that, a small part of him was.

Still he catches something else to ask, rather than bringing that up. "Who helped you before?"

[plate_builder]

Be more easily reached then, Vincent. It had been hard enough to convince those he could reach that he was in danger. The scars had helped.

“A financial supporter of mine. Who prefers to keep their affiliation with a former Shinra employee and their potential future military quiet. Strange as it may seem, people do not trust me, Vincent. That is why I need the others so badly. My name still immediately invokes my former title.”

And that seems to pain the man, from how he sighs. “The first time I didn’t expect it. They had sabotaged my car. I was driving back from a meeting with one of the outlying towns that sprang up after the fall of Midgar. One of my first WRO recruitment efforts. I broke down near a den of Kalm Fangs. That probably wasn’t intended. The men and women who came after, when I was drained and my leg badly hurt, that was the bad part. I couldn’t believe people would want me dead. I’ve gotten used to it now.”

[emovampboy]

There was a difference between ignoring general reaching out and an attack, something Reeve would have found if he had called for that incident. Vincent was not as unconcerned with the people he worked
with as he often let on, after all.

He also wasn't sure he liked the response, and less because Reeve wouldn't give a name - he understood that - but the last part.

"Used to it?" His arms folded a little, and if Reeve hated being stared at, it was really too bad; Vincent was staring. "Have there been further attempts on your life?"

[plate_builder]

"As I said, I have a security detail now," Reeve reminds the man. And no, he doesn't hate being stared at. He meets Vincent's eyes easily, clearly not even remotely bothered by the way he's being looked at. The closest thing to being bothered he is happens to be his faint annoyance at having to look up at Vincent. Tall people make it hard to be righteous.

"There are those who believe I am trying to revive the company. How do you think people react? Unlike yours, my name is remembered as associated with ShinRa. I'm not to be trusted. But I will help them, no matter what."

[emovampboy]

That doesn't seem to put Vincent at any more ease, and so he just remains watching Reeve as he speaks, before finally closing his eyes. "What sort of security?"

[plate_builder]

"A three man team, not including my driver because apparently driving myself is a danger. Who knew?" Reeve says, and he crosses his arms over his chest at the question. "All armed at all times. That is in addition to me carrying more offensive materia at all times and learning to shoot myself."

If he had realized Vincent would get this testy over all of it, he might have said something earlier.

"I have it handled. You don't have to be worried about me."

But the fact that someone is actually brings a faint smile to his lips.

[emovampboy]

He doesn't have much response to that, since it sounds as if Reeve has indeed done his work, though he may do a little recon on that security later; no reason to not be cautious, right?

Though he does have a further question. "Where are they tonight?"

[plate_builder]

"Waiting, two blocks away at a meeting point. With my car," Reeve explains. "It was determined that with AVALANCHE I would be safe. And I didn't feel a need to pick them up before walking with you because I doubt you'd intentionally allow me to come to harm. What's more, I doubt you'd have invited me to walk with you had you known."

Vincent is a quiet, private man. Add a few guards to the mix and Reeve would not have been invited. Given his desire for a bit more mature company, and perhaps a bit his fascination with the frequently absent man, he hadn't wished to lose the chance.

[emovampboy]

He doesn't say it, but Vincent's look clearly indicates that he would definitely not allow Reeve to come to harm if he could help it. But not invite him to walk?

"Even had I known, I wouldn't ask you to just hide out."

[plate_builder]

"Well, I thank you for that. Shall we resume that walk, or are you self-conscious now?" Reeve asks, a touch of amusement in his voice. Please, don't hold back on your avoiding people for his sake.

Though Reeve is impressed by how much conversation he had managed to get out of Vincent.

[emovampboy]

Self-conscious? He didn't have a reason to be, since he wasn't saying or doing anything to be self-conscious about. Which means he just turns to continue the walk.

Unfortunately, his questions answered, he also doesn't have a great deal more to say. The usual topics that one might discuss, as well as more personal ones, seem to be out of the way at this point.

Though if he considers long enough, maybe he'll find a conversation? Or Reeve will? Or they'll just walk in silence for a while. It's really all the same to him.

[plate_builder]

Walking in silence works for Reeve right now. He even seems a touch pleased to have the chance. Strangely enough he's found that always been watched over by dedicated guards makes for a life where you just want some space from them. And it turned out that his, let's go with allies, were hardly suited to being company. Still, for all that he doesn't mind the silence, he still can't keep quiet that long. He has so much he wants to know. Apparently he really does need to ask Vincent a question.

"If I had called... what would you have done?"

[emovampboy]

It took him this long to ask? He's rather surprised at that, having expected it much sooner. Yet he's glad it took a moment, as his response is more measured this way.

"Come and offered security for a time."

[plate_builder]

Would he really have done that? Perhaps it would have been that simple.

"I wouldn't have known that," Reeve answers. "You're distant from everyone. I could not imagine to be an exception to that. Even our conversation now continues to catch me off guard."

[emovampboy]

"Not an exception." He corrects this. "I would protect any one of you if you needed it."

[plate_builder]

"No one else would need it," Reeve answers, the words immediate. And even a touch sharp. There Vincent has accidentally hit a nerve. That Reeve is the vulnerable one. Everyone else can fight, save the children. Reeve has to rely entirely on magic. The last member of their 'group' that was true of died to save the world. And he knows he can't compare to her. After a moment he shakes his head.

"Sorry. That shouldn't have been sharp. I've had a number of disagreements regarding the matter. And was laughed at by Barret for needing the assistance before I had to turn to someone else for help lining up a protective detail while the WRO trains up suitable members."