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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2014 15:08:08 GMT -5
The brunette hadn’t travelled to her original world yet and her feet hadn’t touched Gaia’s soil in who knows how long. However the Planet called for her in strange ways and while these were all that she predicted from it, she just couldn’t do it...at least not by herself. So she wandered Radiant Garden and kept herself busy, knowing one day she would journey there, just not when she wasn’t ready. Aerith wondered how her friends were doing and whether they’d travelled over, she knew Tseng had journeyed to Radiant Garden and had taken up a place to stay with her help but hadn’t heard of anyone that had actually gone back.
“I think too much.” Her voice left her lips quietly, she didn’t like being alone because she always lived inside her own head, either hearing voices or listening to an internal monologue. This had only really gotten worse from the moment she found out that her Planet was reborn...or at least rejoined them. Thoughts wandered onto her friends, she wondered whether Yuffie was up to any schemes, Leon was helping the others and Cloud had finally settled things.
As she walked out of their headquarters into the town square, Aerith wondered about her own decision to help Tseng and the others. She knew that Tseng was a Turk and that meant that he worked for Rufus but what their plans were for this world was unknown to her. Aerith had been used by Shinra before, kidnapped and used for her knowledge as a Cetra but they wanted the Promised Land back then. Did they still want that power now? Aerith couldn’t speak for them, she didn’t know nor could she ask outright either, or could she?
Tseng was perhaps someone she could put some trust in, it was just difficult to let old wounds heal but still she didn’t want to assume that was the case. This sort of thing was more her style, she wasn’t a fighter or at least a physical one...Aerith liked to just do things her way even if that meant meddling a bit.
That’s why she’d set off towards their headquarters, or home; to see if they’d...settled in.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2014 12:37:31 GMT -5
R u f u s S h i n r a firemasterofcheyenne
Rufus bumbled about the small, villa that acted as a makeshift off-Gaia headquarters for the Shinra Electric Company. It was not anything fancy, as Rufus was a man of simplicity. The villa stood to be one empty and abandoned homes located in the Boroughs. Learning of the trouble often caused by the Heartless in the parts of town like this. One could not understand how, what appeared to be a mostly abandoned borough, Heartless would appear. Was it perhaps the memories that lingered here?
It was hard For the company head to ignore opportunity when it presented itself so clearly. It seemed that the town, as a whole, was protected by an automated defense system. It was considerably a more advanced technology than on Gaia. This system somehow recognized the threat of smaller Heartless and sought to eradicate them on the spot using forceful explosions of perhaps magic. On Gaia there were often robots used for an intruder in the old Midgar Headquarters and soldiers, but both were a waste of resources. A system like this reduced wastefulness and seemed to react more efficiently than humans and more accurately than robots. The system had its advantages, but it had its downsides as well.
But it was not as powerful as either, previously named, defenses. It also likely suffered from rolling blackouts, at least the executive hoped to soon be the cause of. For now he settled on merely asserting his presence on the field. A big electric company holding interest in a place like Radiant Gardens was not always a happy ending. The villa was small, but had the basic enmities. They had hot water for food and bathing as well as warm rooms for sleeping, though said rooms were cramped and did not offer much space nor privacy for the residing parties. But, as Rufus claimed once to them: it was a place of work, sleep is only for those capable of passing over the diligence of their work. Of course such a Hong did not hold true for most of them, especially Rufus. Sleep was sleep.
But it seemed its size encouraged others to pile up small messes that infuriated the executive to no end. Dark Nation could do not but watch from his only safe perch from Rufus' mumbling and grumbling. Papers, ties and a sparing few crushed cans of what he could only assume were beer (the stale smell gave it away). He could only curse Reno for the disaster left in his wake, as he was the most likely of the company to try and hide his messes in such a matter, or perhaps strategically place the around in spots that irritated the Shinra greatly. He was not sure if the acts were accidental or not, bit it annoyed the Shinra enough for him to take action. Regardless of what was left behind or appropriately put away: Dark Nation sat perched upon the bay window of the villa, watching and whining as Rufus rampaged over the disorder of the abode. After tidying the last bit he would move to open the front doors to be rid of the stale air. Dark let out a deep woof as his curves blade-tail stump wagged excitedly. The hound stared from the window with those beady, yellow eyes. Rufus always paid mind to Dark's reactions to the surrounding environment. It was a matter, sometimes, of life and death for the executive.
What his blue eyes came upon was a vision of loveliness. A young woman who held a faint existence in his memories. Someone from Gaia, or one of these many background faces present in the Gardens he has come across? Tseng had likely reported to him, but the woman was not someone he held chance to meet face to face with at length. He was, of course, not his father. He did not take the time to mingle when it was unnecessary. The man was in his usual suit, but had discarded the white coat to clean. This left him in his slacks, white shirt and black vest overtop. On his hip sat his shotgun's holster, always loads and ready for a draw.
Dark Nation padded up to his side and looked to the approaching woman in question. "Well, well. Who do we have here? May I help you?" He questioned as he stood at the entrance of the makeshift headquarters, which were likely temporary.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2014 16:17:49 GMT -5
Like the name the weather in Radiant Garden was warm and welcoming, although thinking more on it, this is how Aerith had always remembered things here. It was the complete opposite to Midgar and so she enjoyed the change...especially with there being no concrete plate covering the sky. However things she once saw as special, things like the flowers blooming were all too common here for it to be as special as the church in the slums, no matter how much she appreciated the beauty here. Still, it was a habit of hers to touch things now, it was something she had missed whilst being part of the Lifestream and although she had been back for years she couldn’t stop herself. Radiant Garden was somewhere she could do this freely without being bothered too much because it was always so...quiet.
Well to her maybe, the town was beginning to bustle again and the security system had come in rather handy with the heartless. However, not everyone trusted the machine to keep them safe and Aerith could understand that to a point. Even though she’d never admit that to Cid himself, doing so would give her the longest lecture of her life. Aerith wrinkled her nose as she thought about it and continued on her way, she’d already made him a swear jar which she had hoped would curve his swearing. It did not.
A loud bark made the brunette come to, emerald eyes looked over the building she’d found for the Turks, she was here at last...and it seemed as though she had a welcome committee. Rufus wasn’t exactly who she expected to see first, it was usually one of the Turks that stood guard or roamed outside. Though here he was, walking out of the building as if to greet her...and on closer inspection she noticed the shotgun at his side, of course, he needed some leverage of sorts. Rufus looked just as she remembered but without the geostigma, luckily for him Aerith was able to heal everyone right after Sephiroth’s demise.
Envisioning the ex-President Shinra right next to him, Aerith wondered how they were related; though they shared the same coloured hair Rufus was slim unlike his father. It wasn’t as though she’d spent a lot of time with that man; he had visited her once or twice when in Hojo’s custody when she was a child. Yet, she remembered how he looked and the fact he held himself with a sort of arrogant power-hungry persona. These thoughts were perhaps best kept in her head, although Aerith did have a tendency to spill them without properly thinking.
Aerith watched the ebony hound follow Rufus as he walked, it seemed well trained and loyal to him which she expected of a dog such as that. A gentle smile spread across her face, unsure if it were genuine or not until the blonde spoke to her. She wasn’t sure what she expected entirely but she was taken back when he asked who she was. The smile stayed and thoughts quickly ran across her mind as she clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head. Did he not remember her? No...he was just playing perhaps.
“Hmm~” Aerith pondered and brought her hands back, one crossed over her body and the other towards her chin, trying to look innocent as always. “Well! I was looking for Tseng but I suppose he’s not here.” She didn’t need to look around; if he’d seen her out here or Rufus by himself for that matter he’d be standing right here with him. Trying to ignore the fact he possibly couldn’t remember her, Aerith tried to change the subject, she quite enjoyed it.
“I guess you know him? If you are here after all.” Aerith smiled and then pointed at him, “Oh! You weren’t breaking in were you?” she had a habit for talking too much...and making things up on the spot. A gentle laugh left her lips as she knelt down to the dog’s level, “And who is this?” She spoke again, holding her hand out into a fist to see if it wanted to come closer, “Here...your trusty companion?”
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2014 9:59:26 GMT -5
R u f u s S h i n r a firemasterofcheyenne
Rufus was not the most considerate person. Lifestream forbid he remembers someone’s day off or birthday. It oft sent the office into a tizzy. They always debated if the man was unwell or stressed when he happened to recall something they mentioned outside of work. Even a man of his stature grew bored with repetitive report and let distracted mind latch onto anything else interesting. Aerith, was not one he clearly could recall. Of all the people he has met and parted with in life, the young Cetra had been the least important in his life. Maybe for Tseng and his father, and to a SOLDIER she had meant something. Why even an Ex-Soldier had taken fancy with her! But the young executive’s time was spent building his own pedestal of power under his father’s feet, hoping one good shove knocked him down. Those who held a strong presence in his life did not go unforgotten. Even his the late Shinra's illegitimate son, Rufus' half-brother had been given a questionable proportion of attention by the infamously uncaring exec. Rufus could not afford providing everyone he met with individual attention, especially if it did not accomplish anything for him. But what good would come of helping an estranged brother? It helped him more than anyone understood. Dark Nation on the other hand, knew the girl’s scent. He remembered clearly seeing her on that day that Rufus arrived at the Shinra Headquarters where his father lay in a pool of still-warm blood.
Rufus crossed his arms behind him as he stared at this woman. A strange feeling from her alerted him of something in her nature that was peculiar. It was just like the SOLDIERs. Though they looked like normal Soldiers there was something about them that stood out. Not only did the makou glow of their eyes give away to the foul nature of their origin but they aura they gave off was powerful. Perhaps the makou that flowed through their veins gave a distinct sensation that was only ever felt with a current of Lifestream came to the surface of the Planet. It was a haunting sensation, eerie. He did not like that feeling as it caused the scar over his brow to throb. The Planet had made sure to punish him and the physical scar that lay hidden beneath his bangs of blonde hair, which plainly hung over his youthful, vivid features, guarded roaming eyes from an alternative source of conversation. If not for the fact that such a style of hair was not normal for him, it would have crossed even greater suspicion from curious eyes. In a subconscious motion the man would reach up and thread his fingers through his bangs to keep sure they remained in place and never revealed the shame of his injuries.
“I’m sorry to disappoint.” His lip quirked up in a smirk at her words. He was no Tseng, but neither did he know where the man was. Rufus had been frustratingly busy for the past few hours trying to sort reports and paperwork, only to barely overcome his earlier coffee spill which nearly took out his PHS in the process. Coming downstairs he would find a mess so set about tidying up. He was a meticulous man who kept not only himself clean and presentable, but his surroundings as well. His papers were always neatly piled, which gave Tseng a much easier time sorting for ones he needed, and he was impeccable when it came to his work ethics, but the loss of his coffee and the disaster of the living space had caused the man to lose his usual pace. Placing his hands on his hip he continued to struggle at placing the girl’s face with a name or even an event! If she knew Tseng did that mean he was one of her many projects?
Oh Tseng much enjoyed assisting the public and keeping order in his own way, even if Rufus did not particularly care for the overuse of effort and the risk of such things blowing up in your face, but it was why he kept Tseng on payroll. That man got things done. Dark Nation was certainly not trying to eat her face, so that was a sign she was not a problematic individuals. After all: suspect everyone~ Anyone was capable of anything if they really strove to. The human spirit was a difficult thing to break, which was why his father and the majority of his executives failed to survive the shift in power. Forcing people to bend to your way of thinking without an engaging and motivating ultimatum was certain death. Humans needn’t electricity to survive, so you had to make it so they thought they needed electricity, so they fight for it, believing it was what allowed them to survive. Controlling humans with fear was much easier…
“Do I look like a burglar?” He was not dressed as one, so such an accusation was beyond unbelievable, but the woman was likely jabbing in jest. It frustrated him a little. “Who are you? You are a bit familiar…” But from where?
Dark Nation wagged his stubby, bladed tail and pushed to pad forward, though not straying far from Rufus’ side. The Tentacle Hound lowered his head to sniff toward Aerith. She smelled like Planet! A deep woof escaped his muzzle as he padded back, body weaving in an amusing fashion. The sound, and action, was not in aggression or fear. Who knows what the Hound was saying. Animals thought on a very different level to humans, but for those that could see the heart of a beast: he was interested and excited to smell a being whose spirit was as old as the Planet. He did not know his master’s thoughts on the matter, but Dark was assured the woman had helped master once before!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2014 17:09:37 GMT -5
The man in white was cool and confident, just as she remembered, unfortunately this tended to be Aerith’s type and she had to remind herself who she was standing in front of. It was perhaps the ideals that separated her and him, she understood the Planet more than he had seemed to, and at the very least they used this information in different ways. Aerith could tell that she was perhaps a little too free spirited for his patience and playing these games was just going to grate on him. However it was a little too difficult to stop, perhaps she was feeling confident as they were not quite on his turf right now, despite the fact the Villa was technically now his.
Aerith’s hand lingered when Dark Nation smelt her, she didn’t retract it straight away and wasn’t afraid of him neither. He was strong and she knew he was capable of hurting her but she wasn’t worried about that, he had no reason to fear her of course. The ex-flower girl listened as he spoke to her, she was familiar to him and Aerith could tell he was trying to place her. She remembered only a few times they had met, if only really the time at Shinra Inc, but she had heard a lot of rumours about him back then.
“I've heard that no one's ever seen him bleed or cry.”
“He’s strong and loyal isn’t he?” It wasn’t really a question she expected an answer from, she knew it just from the way he stood against Rufus, and even in his excitement he wouldn’t leave his side. Her delicate fingers traced themselves over Dark Nations head and rubbed his neck as she stood up to face his master once more. In fact thinking about what she’d heard, she had actually seen him in pain and she had also healed him from his Geostigma. If he knew that she was the one who had done this, it would rouse a lot of suspicion...especially as he hadn’t seen her before. On the other hand if she lied about who she was it would get her into even more trouble, Aerith didn’t exactly blend into the crowd, in fact she stood out like a sore thumb in the slums. They weren’t in the slums however, yet she still wasn’t quiet enough to be forgotten easily.
The brunette locks fluttered about as she shook her head at his question, “No...you don’t.” she answered calmly with a smile, “You don’t look inconspicuous enough.” Aerith grinned and glanced at the shotgun before returning her gaze to him once more. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t made an excuse and left right now, it was perhaps the fact she wanted to know his purpose for being here or partly to keep playing the game.
“Oh, you wanted my name.” Her voice was soft and innocent, perhaps hinting to be a little naive, “Well, my name is Aerith, I was a flower girl in the slums in Midgar. That’s when I knew Tseng; perhaps you bought a flower from me?” It was difficult to answer without either telling the truth or downright lying. She did know Tseng back then, but it wasn’t how they’d met. It wasn’t how she and Rufus had met either though.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2014 12:28:07 GMT -5
R u f u s S h i n r a firemasterofcheyenne
“Yes, he is. About the only one that can be trusted around these parts.” All the Heartless really were a bother, but there seemed very few here in comparison to Traverse Town.
Though Dark Nation could not understand what was being spoken to him, the positive energy in the air was enough to make the Hound stand up straighter beside his master. Rufus, who had resigned himself to puzzle over the woman’s face watched her with mild interest. Her words, her movements. Everything about her, to the man, was deceptive. He had never come to trust men or women in his life as the son of the eccentric, Late Shinra. His peculiar tastes and frequent visits to the Honey Bee Inn were no secret, no matter how much the other executives tried to hide it by taking those particular schedules off record. The Late Shinra’s boisterous nature always did well to reveal that the King had returned to his Manor. Even in play his father was an egomaniac. Rufus was not excluded from these strange desires. Wall market certainly exposed that men of strange habits could still profit. Dio and Big Bro being prime examples of these peculiarities becoming success. A woman could be as willful and cunning as a man who sought power. He did not trust that this woman was being upfront with him, but he did not think she was after his money. He was well aware that the shotgun at his side proved as a deterrent if Dark Nation was not enough to strike fear into the hearts of fools. Every movement he made, every word he spoke was with calculated purpose. He did not waste a moment.
Though certain fetishes had passed down to Rufus the executive still felt that fear controlled people far better than money. Money was transient and changed with every generation. It’s meaning could be skewed and its use or lack of use could ruin a nation. Fear was forever. It passed down through generations through oral traditions, through history. Fear eventually becomes part of culture and sticks to man by being made into laws. The fear of death forbids the killing of another man, where his father had slain countless just to find the Promised Land. The fear of losing control has lead generals to using their soldiers as test animals to gain the perfect soldier. The fear of not knowing has led a single scientist to madness in his trials to learn everything about the world and control that knowledge. Fear could be used to over power both the weak and strong. Money could be easily ignored by the values or morals another person had. There were many in this world that turned away from blood money and even more that would not act upon the need for the coin. Fear was something all living things were hardwired to respond to. Selfish, self-preservation.
All in all Rufus had not changed his ideals on fear, but merely shifted the way it was used. Being the source of the fear brought the hatred onto you. But if someone else was the source of the fear and you were the only one who had the resources to protect the population from it, why not use it? Developing technology and finding means to make life easier was the crux of the Shinra name. Without their innovative technologies or forward thinking they would have never reached the level of power they had now. Hundreds of years, generations of studious thinkers and brilliant minds was pushed down the patriarchal lines of the family. If you could not think or act, you were abandoned. It was the only reason Lazard had a place in the company, it was the only reason Rufus had no reason to remove Evan from the current world. So long as the power of the Shinra continued, so would innovation. Changing a product that already existed took skill, but creating something out of nothing took genius.
“No, I do believe I am quite inconspicuous.” Though that may have been a sarcastic quip considering his usual uniform was a white suit.
He often found himself short with others and this woman was no exception. But he kept a calm and cool facade that was fitting for the heir of the Shinra name. Rufus reached up to scratch at his chin, Dark Nation looking up at his motions. At her mention of knowing Tseng again and saying she was a member of the slums he knew now he could not have possibly known her. Though his office had overlooked Wall Market and the slums of Midgar he had never really visited them. He hated staying in Midgar and Junon when there was business to be had. Knowing that there were places that people could not see the sky bothered him, in a sense. Perhaps it was the knowledge that the high structures of the Shinra HQ and Junon Base only called for the attention of their enemies. If you had enemies the tallest structures were always the best targets. He was a little less than surprised when he heard about the attack on the Mako Reactor in Midgar. After all it was an incident at the Corel Reactor that sparked it all…
He folded his arms behind his back. “I have never been to the slums.” He assured. “So perhaps you are not someone I have seen.” But it chewed at the back of his mind.
So many things had happened after his father’s death, so fast. He had no time to celebrate the old fart’s passing and had to get right into business. He remembers greeting a few troublemakers at the Headquarters, Cloud and his friends, believing they were the one’s to have encouraged the chaos that allowed for his father’s death. Without their interference Sephiroth perhaps would have never had the opportunity to break in. Things had developed too quickly for him to concern himself with passing faces. But Cloud had become a regretful thorn in the side of his plans, so he had assumed. But in truth his father’s empire was set to collapse of his own actions long before Rufus was even born. He had come to accept this.
Subconsciously brushing at his bangs, to ensure his scar remained hidden, the executive smirked a bit. “I must say though, selling flowers in the slums must have been quite the lucrative business.” After all flowers shouldn't be able to grow in the slums thanks to the lack of sunlight and Makou pollution in the soils. “But how did you get so far from home?” He was still struggling to understand how individuals had become scattered, some against their will.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2014 16:20:20 GMT -5
The ex-flower girl still hadn’t moved, instead she nodded in his reply about the hound; he had a point about trusting others...especially animals. The dog was loyal; that she could tell and Rufus was right to trust him, Aerith wasn’t sure it was within her senses to know this, to her it seemed obvious. Although a lot of things she felt were obvious weren’t so much to others around her, feeling and listening to the Planet was natural to her, it was built within her, she couldn’t imagine not being able to do this. She wanted to ask the dog’s name but her attention waned and her eyes landed on Rufus again...was he teasing?
Feeling almost surprised at Rufus’ reply, Aerith grinned and said nothing, she wasn’t sure if he was playing or losing patience with her, it was keeping her on her toes. Was she nervous? No, it wasn’t that but she wasn’t as at ease with him as she was a moment ago. Mentally, Aerith shook herself off, she still stood as confident as before, perhaps the fact she hadn’t retorted quickly threw her off but instead she hummed playfully and tapped her lip in thought. Was she safe to keep playing the game? They were in public so it’d be difficult to hurt her; then again Rufus wasn’t typically the one to get his hands dirty, no...Aerith felt safe here, she felt confident, perhaps too much so considering her past.
“Hmm~ I see...so...does your side-kick have a name?” Aerith’s hand left her lip and gestured to the hound, she had purposely not asked Rufus for his, she already knew it and didn’t need to ask again. The brunette wondered if he’d noticed this but perhaps she’d sucked him in to her little game and caught him off guard, she was able to do it with a lot of people, Rufus she wasn’t sure about. This was what she enjoyed about it though, she had no idea what his reply would be and she also had no idea of how much information he really knew about her truly. She would give him the answer he hadn’t realise he’d missed...just not yet.
Aerith tilted her head at his comments about never having been to the Slums, of course he hadn’t, he was the President’s son and wouldn’t ever have a reason to go there. Well, perhaps never was a strong word, there were rumours that the President travelled down on occasion, although Aerith didn’t want to really delve into those reasons. Instead she shrugged and clasped her hands in front of her once more, “Well, maybe it’s not important enough to remember. Or maybe you’ll remember when you least expect it.” Aerith didn’t believe he would, she was probably barely on his radar. The Promised Land however was another thing. “I didn’t have the red carpet laid out for me up to the ShinRa headquarters either...”
Now she was pushing it, he may not have known it but Aerith couldn’t help it, she didn’t have many fond memories of the place. She could draw the Cell she stayed in and the Lab almost from memory however. Her emerald eyes followed his hand as he once again touched his scar which Aerith knew was hidden behind his fringe. It didn’t surprise her, in fact it wasn’t on her radar but she could not ignore him constantly touching it, it was difficult not to bring it up...perhaps she would.
Flowers...they were rare in the Slums at that time and he was right, she did make some money out of it, not a lot but enough to get by. Aerith turned so her back was to him and she swung her arms behind her whilst humming once again, “Well~...” Her slim body moved to the side and paced up slightly towards the house, careful not to overstep the mark and wander right into the building, her eyes however traced themselves over it and back to him again. “Someone I knew thought it would be a good idea and I actually enjoyed it. I found a place where the light allowed them to grow...I’m not really very good at the business side of things though.” It was true, Zack had given her the idea and helped her set it up too, Aerith would always remember him for that...at the very least.
“As for how I got here...that’s a very complicated and long story, you wouldn’t want to hear it.” And she didn’t want to tell it, “What about you?”
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2014 0:10:26 GMT -5
R u f u s S h i n r a firemasterofcheyenne
He was an observant individual. Due to the nature of Rufus, not so much the nature of a Shinra, he had the capacity to be a rather introverted person. To way his mind worked was complex and because of this overcompensation for intelligence he lost a skill elsewhere. Rufus lacked any sort of empathy. This ability to know and understand emotions, be it of yourself or others, was hardly surprising for those that worked closely with Rufus. He smirked at inappropriate times or made jokes that were less than solidly considered when facing a person with great despair. The majority of his social responses did not come from the cues offered up by other people, he had a tendency to either ignore them or have a complete inability to recognize them, but instead it came from practice. He was the son of the late Shinra and was raised to become an heir. He was taught how to speak, when to laugh and how much to sympathize. Nothing he did was without purpose. He did not laugh for the simple benefit of making another person feel good, or because of his own enjoyment. He laughed because he understood that it was a demonstration of sociability, thus placed him in an amiable light. But, he was not without apathy. The way he expressed his interest in things bordered on sociopathic or obsessive thanks, in part, to the Shinra nature. He was not without an interest for the tenacious youth of children, nor was he unaware of the near divine strength that one man could hold when everything he held dear was at stake. Though he was a strong non-believer in the love and affection could bode well for progress, he was not one to deny the power of the human spirit to derail it were it against his He was a complex man with many faces, but you could always trust a Shinra to do anything he could to obtain progress.
When Aerith asked of his companion’s name, Rufus could not hold back the smirk that drew itself on his features. The hand that had been playing with his hair had moved down to brush against his chin. He wore fingerless gloves over his hands. He hated touching his palms against dirt and dust. His pristine habits formed during youth. Neatly combed hair, a pressed outfit. These were not habits of a body bathed in privilege, but instead a child that was driven to fear everything from sickness to the way men looked down on you for wearing a wrinkled tie (which could also stand to reason why Rufus never wore ties). This fear had become a desire to stand above others in all their expectations. It was a well molded psychosis that made him both aloof yet approachable. Wiping his hands, brushing his hair straight, adjusting his suit. These motions often appeared to be ticks of a man who had to take care of his appearance at all costs, but it was the general disgust of weakness, giving someone a chance to look down at you for the way you dressed or the way you acted. Rufus was trapped in a neverending play that did well to put a great deal of stress on the executive in his daily life. Stomach issues were but a part of the larger scope of health problems that came with a critically unhealthy obsession with one’s hygiene. Rufus often struggled with chronic headaches and fits of anger drawn out from being forced to be an extrovert in an introvert's body.
“Dark Nation.” He stated, arms lowering to tug into his pants pockets. “He is not a side-kick.” A side kick was a subordinate, a partner.
But Nation was far more than that to him. He was a dream he had so richly sought to achieve to control. It was his father’s empire.The strong representation of the dominion over a feral beast and ruling over when it ate, slept or moved. Dark Nation was the only one who carried the true ideal of his dream, even if Rufus himself was consciously unaware of it. Dark Nation twitched his long cropped ears, the pointed ears a natural-born, imposing feature, on the Hounds. Hearing his name caused the Hound to tense as if he was waiting for a command. The beast was well trained and there was no question in the fierce loyalty such an animal had, but animals were not people. It was perhaps why Rufus got along with him best. The only other living being that was ever allowed in a bed with Rufus throughout the entirety of a night was none other than Dark Nation. The beast’s leathery snot twitched and twisted as he sniffed toward Rufus, the signals coming from the man’s body showed a tense amusement, which the hound translated as apprehension. Turning his glaring, yellow eyes toward Aeirth the beast stared, as if waiting for her to do wrong, but she did nothing. She did not move, she did not stand. The mixed signals were strange and caused the beast to whine, huff out and sit on his rump.
“I see…” Was all that escaped Rufus’ lips mentioning she was never warmly welcomed in the Headquarters. “Neither was I.” Amusingly enough, so much so that he chuckled. “I could say there were very few that even stood capable of quietly enduring my presence. I was not quite on the same path of ruin as my father and many could not fathom why I would ever want to see him out of power.” Certainly the two Shinra did not get along, but the late Shinra always had so much pride and love for Rufus, a pride and love that only endured because the man would see the boy growing up to share his ideals and help him in creating the Neo-Midgar he always dreamed of.
How ironic was it now? How ironic was it than? How ironic is it still?
Her words were well woven and moved from one place to another without ever giving more information than was necessary. It was enough to make a point and answer his queries, but it was still sparsely decorated to provide a dull, uninteresting atmosphere. But such things drove Rufus mad. She was hiding something, but he could not discern just what it was she was inferring of her past, or lack-there-of. She had made a clear indication she was unwelcomed to the Shinra HQ, but that would meant she somehow got above the plate to get there. Only those with security access could ride the train up the pillar toward the main plate. But she said she was a slum girl. Rufus tried to tie the pieces together but there was something missing, something rather large. It painted a hole in his memories that he could not fill. There were so many faces during that time, but he could only remember that silver blade that rose like a flagpole out of his father’s body. He was so -- happy. Someone had finally done what he was unable to do with all the Turks in the world… and perhaps that terrified him on some level as well.
Someone was able to do what he could not with all the Turks in the world.
Someone could defeat that monster of a man, WEAPONs, with their own hands, where his weapons had failed.
He had such little control that he could now see why his methods had to be abandoned and remade. He could not continue on the same destructive path as his father. He did not want to end up on that table, facing the man not even all the Turks in the world could not stop.
It was all truly ironic, how his dreams and nightmares were all rolled into one.
But he would persevere.
He would also ignore how painful the throbbing in his head had become. The memories pulled up, of that time, had caused the ache to escalate from a quiet hum to a drumming beat. The scar was a reminder that he had almost died because of that very fear he believed in. Planet had been afraid for her life and the life upon her that she summoned WEAPONs even greater than anything man could invent. It was something to be wary of, something to respect.
“Me? I was brought here.” He responded quickly, a little too quickly.
His thoughts had been interrupted by Dark Nation’s bark. The man’s anxiety had started to push him back into that small mental box that often led to people being shot out of paranoia, out of fear they had too much power. Nation knew though. Nation knew that his master could not submit to such a state with such a woman. It would do neither any good. Rufus reached down his hand, seeking that contact to allow his mind to anchor. Dark Nation raised his hand, the hand moving to firmly rub at the thin, velvety fur of the lean built fiend.
Rufus smirked as he focused back into his necessary demeanor. It was a well built farce that had become a truthful mirror of what people needed to see to feel comfort. It was a casual smile, showing clean, well aligned teeth. This was a natural act that often calmed humans. It was a deep, primal indication that he was in good spirits, even if inside he was not.
“I can understand that sometimes making a life is difficult, but that is why we have started anew.” He would state. “Because it is hard, we can move forward and change the future. In that future we can be at ease knowing our bodies have come together, aged, and strained to carve a place out in the world.” Even if it was destroyed over and over again, he was determined to prevail where his father had failed. “It is why I am here now… to learn for the sake of Planet’s future.” He blinked his glimmering, blue eyes at Aerith. “Since you have been here, have you come to learn of a group called the Restoration Committee?” He asked, nonplussed by her games, but still willing to play and push forward.
It was human nature after all.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2014 15:12:11 GMT -5
From his smirk to his posture, Rufus seemed to be enjoying her company, well it was that or he was hiding it very well. Aerith smiled as his comment about the hound not being a side kick and left it at that, pushing him too much wasn’t going to help really. Though was she pushing him? Perhaps it could be compared more to poking and prodding annoyingly, whatever it was, the brunette didn’t really care; it wasn’t as though she was being directly rude. Her lips parted and she whispered the name out loud, “Dark Nation.” It was a fleeting thought as she considered it for a moment; it was name that fit Rufus quite well for a companion, it was strong and hinted at power.
The dog’s whine made her attention focus back on him; he seemed restless but still fairly calm and so it didn’t bother her; however it was difficult to ignore him standing next to his master. Aerith couldn’t help but glance back up to Rufus as he mentioned that he wasn’t especially welcomed at the headquarters, though he did have some sense of humour about it and she appreciated that. His presence did exude power and just being with him now Aerith could tell this was what made him respected, not the title but the way he was and how he spoke. He was intelligent and cunning, that was her idea of him, if no one had ever seen him bleed or cry then she would believe them...well, the latter at least. In fact to hear him chuckle made him seem more real, not this important figure but an actual human.
“That’s a shame...for the President I’d expect nothing less.” Aerith teased and carried on, “Ah well, I suppose it is just natural that you would take over from your father.” It wasn’t a question and she wasn’t sure how sensitive he was about his father and all of that but from what she remembered he didn’t shed a tear from him. On top of the building that night he flew over in his helicopter and addressed the group, minus Cid, Yuffie and Vincent. He didn’t seem upset over the death and it was natural for her to be curious as to why but this wasn’t the time to get him to open up, if there ever was one.
He mentioned he was brought here, ah of course, helping Tseng would have meant he would have to bring the boss, although she wondered why. From what she had remembered they still hadn’t cleared up their mess on Gaia, why would they want to begin anew on Radiant Garden? “Did Tseng bring you along?” It perhaps wasn’t the most elegant way to put it, Rufus was hardly brought along, but still she asked without thinking. Her eyes briefly widened from the bark and she watched Rufus settle him by placing a hand on his head. It seemed like this man had found his best friend.
“Hmm...” Aerith debated his words, he did like his speeches, that’s why she liked Cloud...and back then Zack, they tended to get straight to the point with things. That and they weren’t exactly like Rufus who planned things to a T, or at least it seemed like it. “Oh I see...” with his comments about the Planet’s future, Aerith knew that she was a piece in the puzzle that could help him, however she needed to know his true motives. Having a world controlled by ShinRa again wasn’t something she was interested in seeing again, especially if they were turning the world into the polluted hell that was the Slums.
“So how would you like to help the Planet?” Aerith began, her hand rested against her chin as she thought about this, “Do you have a better plan than using Mako energy?” She wasn’t sure if he would answer her truthfully, but she had to try, her eyes glanced to the Villa they still stood in front/ He hadn’t invited her in, perhaps that was because he didn’t trust her enough and although she knew better than to walk into his home, the curious side of her always won. It was never safety first and after all he wasn’t going to kill her, she was more use to him alive if he knew her heritage.
“Yes that’s right! The Restoration Committee, well, Cid leads it. I’m a member, was there something I could help you with?”
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2014 13:51:14 GMT -5
R u f u s S h i n r a firemasterofcheyenne
Rufus did not consider himself an ambitious man. He was the sort that got things that was necessary, done. If it was a waste of time he would rather come to avoid that. Why travel all the way back to Planet when he had an opportunity to learn about things here? He had learned that the committee were the ones in charge of helping rebuild Radiant Gardens, and they had been the ones to build the security systems. He had been here long enough to learn, but it was not enough to know, with assurance, of their influence here. When Aerith asked of Tseng had brought him along, his smirk dropped from his face. His brow quirked at the accusation. Tseng? No. Rufus did not like being led around like some dog. Not even Dark Nation had a collar or leash. If he was unwilling to follow the hound always had right to head back into the wastes of the Midgar Plains. If a man could not walk forward of his own accord, than he was no better than a stray dog sniffing at the heels of opportunity. But the woman did not ask to try and degrade him. It was the simple curiosity born of human nature. Even if the Cetra were so far separated from man, they were still once the same people.
Once, a time lost to history.
The executive offered up a nonchalant shrug at the question. “Reno, actually.” He admitted.
Which was a troubling experience in and of itself. Reno was good at his job and what he did, but babysitting was never quite his forte. He could be a bit of a blabbermouth and sometimes blurt unnecessary things out. Luckily it was never important, just a bit irritating. He supposed it was just Reno’s way. He had to show himself more properly and behave toward others in a cordial manner, no matter who they were. Yes Reno was scolded occasionally for his childish behavior, but the man did his job when it was called for. After a moment he would withdraw his hand from the top of Dark Nation’s head. The hound stood tall and cocked his head toward Rufus. The male settled his arms behind his back, cupping one hand into the other. His blue eyes drifted off a moment before he looked back toward Aerith. He always tries to keep a calm, neutral expression and typically did manage. He was well-trained in forging a pleasant appearance.
"My plans for Planet? Why they have already begun." He stated in a matter-of-factly sort of way.
He had donated a generous portion of that rotting pile of blood money his father had squeezed from Planet's veins to fund Tuseti's forward march in gathering the willing to rebuild Planet. Rufus was not on for the side of good or evil, his politics were far simpler in terms of achievement. He did not want to rule the world or the Promised land, he merely wanted control of its resources for the Company to succeed. It was how a monopoly played out. Buy out all the best resources and leave your competitors with nothing. Rufus strove towards progress and since Tuesti was capable of bringing forth sign of progress, so be it.
When Aerith too claim to another from Planet being part of the committee, as well as herself, he pressed his fingers to his chin, his soft smile never changing. His face showed no intense interest nor disinterest. He was calm and neutral. He gave a soft shrug, as if brushing off a thought.
"Well now I do wonder." He hummed out. "If it was possible, and you are inhabitants of Planet, I doubt you would withhold something so integral to her restoration." He remarked. "You see finding alternative means of energy that do not harm Planet can be difficult with the dependency my father had designed into the machines." Of course the reactors had been a Shinra invention perfected in Corel.
It was rather ironic, or perhaps planned in such a way, that such a predominant mining town, the main supplier of the next greatest supplier of an energy resource besides hydroelectricity and solar energy. Both were in their primitive stages of development, but coal was easy to burn... as was a town full of it. Now with Corel once again standing up as rivals to Shinra's role in supplying energy, Rufus had to step up his game.
"You see, we were hoping to increase to power produced for Edge." Solar energy was inefficient for a plains darkened the majority of its days by cloud cover that washed in from the mountains or the shade cast by the peaks themselves
The coast was much too far to provide suitable hydro currents to power plants. The distance they had to be built from Edge left them vulnerable and there was simply not enough manpower to spare just yet. Rufus hoped to design stronger wires that could better carry a current without losing a great deal of it during surges or overheating due to the old, reused wiring from the ruins of Midgar. The man had thought of many ways to repair Edge's current state so he could provide it even for further off regions such as Costa del Sol and the Junon Military Base.
"The city already funds 100% Makou free, but it is not without its vices." He admitted. "We need a way to better automate the system and materials to provide safe, efficient energy for those in need. After all Edge sits under the cloudy skies of Midgar, free of that hideous plate of steel my father baked himself on." Never a rude or undermining word escaped the man's mouth.
He was professional and a bit amusing with his dry humor, which was often difficult to relate with.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2014 9:34:12 GMT -5
“Ah Reno is here too then.”
Perhaps it would seem odd of her to know so many of the Turks but Aerith wasn’t thinking about her cover, it seemed as though the whole group were setting up shop here. Reno was someone who let things slip fairly often and without thinking, especially after a few drinks and it came to Aerith that perhaps this was the easiest way to find out their true intentions. Tifa would perhaps help her, knowingly or unknowingly, Aerith hadn’t decided whether she needed to involve anyone else as of yet. She wondered where Tifa was, it had been a while since she went looking for Cloud.
If Rufus wasn’t honest with her right now and Reno spilled everything later then she knew not to trust him, although she hadn’t began to anyway. Rufus didn’t seem to be a liar but he was clever and he knew when to hide things and how to do so. Perhaps this was just too difficult for her to get to the bottom of, perhaps he truly was being honest right now. He admitted though that there was indeed a plan and whatever it was had already begun. Aerith raised an eyebrow as he said it and thought even deeper but if it were not the use of the Lifestream then what? What was there on Radiant Garden that could help ShinRa?
“Well no of course I wouldn’t,” Aerith replied, it was her original Planet but with the world’s paths closed from each other it wasn’t even an option to go back, “I want the Planet to recover, I just want to make sure it is done the right way.” She wasn’t specific to Midgar, Edge, Kalm or any other place around Gaia, Aerith was a Cetra and she protected the Planet and its people as a whole, they came hand in hand. The brunette pondered on his comments, if he knew she was already a member of the restoration committee then he might consider her a use to their operation. And if Aerith was involved closely with whatever they were planning then she could oversee any problems that may harm the Planet.
“I see how that would be an obstacle to your endeavours.” Aerith replied, the conversation had turned serious now and the Cetra wasn’t sure where it was headed, she hated being out of control. “So this is why you came here? Well, Radiant Garden used to be a wasteland that was infested with Heartless and we - the restoration committee - have rebuilt things here.” Aerith lifted her arms to draw attention to her surroundings, and let them fall to her side again gently. “Cid deals with all the technology though. Hmm~ perhaps he could help you?” Aerith paused and shook her head, “Oh…actually he’s a little busy at the moment and well...probably not willing to help ShinRa considering what happened back on Gaia. And Leon well…he isn’t from Gaia, I’m not sure how much help he could be either unless you need an extra bodyguard.”
Aerith paused as she appeared to think a little more, she turned her back to him and paced a little forwards and then turned back humming to herself. “No, it looks like you’re stuck with me!” Aerith smiled brightly and put her hands to her hips, “You could always show me some of your plans for your new energy source, I may not be able to engineer big machines but I studied a lot about the Planet back then.” She crossed an arm over her body and with the other tapped her lip as she glanced to the sky, “Yes…a Midgar without the Plate, that’d be something to see.”
After a moment Aerith looked to the Villa and pointed, “Is this where you all work too? Could I have a look?” Without waiting for an answer, she began walking to the Villa pretending not to hear any protests…unless it endangered her life that was.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2014 0:02:03 GMT -5
R u f u s S h i n r a firemasterofcheyenne
Rufus shifted his weight so his left hand came to rest on his left hip. The male listened to Aerith as she began to explain her will for Planet to recover. There were very few that did not want Planet to heal. Those that did not were the individuals who pressed for the continuance of the old regime and did everything in their power to ensure the world did not change. They wanted to keep their high rise buildings and entertainment centers. Well, just as assured as it was for the day to become night, the world would change. At her mention of the possibility of Cid refusing to be cooperative in the endeavors working toward Planet’s health, it did not surprise him. He scoffed softly and sunk his hands into his pants pocket. His shirt was neatly tucked in and hips easily holding up his fitted pants without the help of a belt. His holster jostled a bit at the action while Dark Nation turned his nose up to Rufus. Though the man did not personally know Highwind, he did know the man had been an integral part of the space program for a time. It was a bit shady with details, as with anything in that company was, in due to Palmer’s interference. The roly poly bug had one job: and it was to commandeer one of the pilot’s vehicles for exploration work, but it seemed his father had instilled many a foul habits in hsi executives. Palmer had been so gung-ho in winning Rufus’ approval, likely at the hopes of a bonus or budgets to the Space Program, that he had tried to steal the vehicle at all cost. It cost that sack of lard several broken bones and a trip to the hospital. The executive was unsure of he ever recovered, nor did he care. Palmer’s stupidity had cost him precious time, so he found another way.
He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, those fellows in that division always looked to the skies more so than the ground…” Perhaps it had not changed after all these years?
Men like that, who wanted to explore new places, never looked back. In a way Cid was much like his father in his passion for discovery. It was not to say that Shinra were dispassionate men, but sometimes that passion drove them to lengths that could end up ruining the family name. And it had so happened to be his father, of all people. Now Rufus had to spend his precious time cleaning up that storm of arrogance that tore through Planet like -- well like a WEAPON. It really was bothersome. He could not help but ruefully express his annoyance, because had he kept it bottled in he was sure to express his anger in a less civil manner at another time.He allowed his gaze to shift toward the ground and away, brows quirking beneath his bangs. It was a quiet day, much unlike some of the nights in the makeshift Headquarters. He would almost miss their company at times like this, but work had to get done at some time.
“It is a shame that people cannot look to me as my own person.” He sneered a bit, but it quickly drew into a smile. “Even though he is dead, I am riding on the winds of his coattails.” It was a bit sad, really.
The man had a legacy to build and he had to clear the way before he could. All the actions he had taken when his father died were set in motion to burn the past and reap the rewards of the nutrient rich grounds. But Rufus would find that, instead, his father had built a self-destructing empire that would collapse under the feet of anyone who tried to stand upon it. He was not Rufus Shinra. He was simply “a Shinra”, as many liked to put it. It did not bother him in the least. He was a Shinra, from birth until death, but he was not his father and nothing enraged him more than being compared to that narrow minded, slovenly sow of a father. He threw money at every problem he had, even Rufus. Rufus had saved his gil and used it to fund his own pet projects, all in an attempt to ruin his father. In the end it was his father’s own men, own endeavors, that did away with the fascist pig. An Autarky was destined to fail in a changing world. Rufus had spat into his father’s face, but all he got as punishment was being sent to a resort town under house arrest, under the ruse of a vacation.It was sickening really. But it was not a hindrance either.
“I wouldn't mind being stuck with such a lovely individual if it meant getting things done.” He would much rather Aerith’s quieter presence.
Cid’s boisterous nature was well known in Shinra, most engineers were loudmouths really. Tuetsi was a prime example of this, even his robots were irritating. Aerith was a bit -- difficult to read, but she was not unpleasant, to look at or to listen to. Her voice was soothing. Women should be soft spoken like this, he felt. The whores of Wall Market and the whiny, high-pitched shrills of the banshees atop the plate in the HQ were just unbearable sometimes.
“But if she could also, perhaps, get schematics of the mechanisms, I could certainly read them over and get them applied correctly. It is about time we become dependent on a different life. Makou was a poisonous path of ruin, but if we want to survive, all of us, we need a more fitting means to drive power and help better the lives of all people. Slums are just proof you failed in your job as a company that provides for its customers basic needs.” In the end Rufus was the leader of a company.
Companies could not survive without its consumers.
Before he could speak further Aerith strolled right passed him. He got the distinct vision of Reno in a dress at this point. In one ear and out the other in seconds flat. Dark Nation turned his head to Rufus in confusion. Should she just… walk in like that? Rufus sighed softly and moved to follow the woman in, Dark Nation close behind. The decor of the headquarters was base, simple. Rufus was a true minimalist. If it was not necessary he would not have it. A lamp here or there, a place to sit and work and a single painting that took the place of the much lacking windows in the building. It made the place seem brighter, at the very least, and kept heavy lids from falling under the pressure of sleep. The first floor was tidied up by Rufus so papers sat atop of a desk off to the side in a much more orderly manner than he found it. The refuse was full of the emptied and crushed cans of beer and old, empty cups, of coffee. Dark Nation padded passed Rufus and Aerith, the canine quite authoritative toward Rufus’ space. Even if Rufus was in charge, the hound was always the first in a room to make sure it was safe. After sniffing along the ground the black hound dropped onto the round rug, which was specifically placed for him. The stone floor was rather cold against a hound’s naked belly.
Rufus stared at Aerith, his mind ticking away. A soft smirk drew itself on his features as his hand slipped from his pocket. Reaching back his fingertips would graze against the door, forcing it close with a click! The sounds of the outdoors was quickly muted as the executive briskly stepped forward and came to a stop by the desk, to make sure she did not snoop too much. The papers had a few reports on the jobs they needed to do regarding the dismantling of Makou Reactors and installing solar panels, creating more efficient wires that did not set fire thanks to the conductivity of electricity. It was much different than compressing Makou vapors, to be sure.
“It would be a great help if you could get those papers for me. I really rather not be here longer than I need to. Leaving Planet to its own devices is risky given its current state.” There were still many factions pro-Makou, even if the company seemed to be running a “environmentalist scheme” to get votes from the Eastern Continent.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2014 12:42:21 GMT -5
The atmosphere wasn’t as tense as she thought it would be, in a way she felt like Rufus was a boy, still naïve to some things in the world and always protected by his family. But Aerith needed to remember that he had been through a fair bit the last few years and had done a lot to protect the Planet from Sephiroth’s return. If he hadn’t she still may have healed his Geostigma…maybe, it was difficult to decide between right and wrong and if there was a grey area she would usually just leave things up to fate. Still, Rufus had had a privileged life and there were things that couldn’t be taught through mere lessons, which of course was also the same for Aerith. Thinking about things this way, it would seem that Aerith had also been through a lot as a child, it was just something that was laid to rest in the past now, she didn’t like to dwell on these things.
When Rufus spoke kindly of her, the flower girl did indeed smile in gratitude…despite the fact she wasn’t expecting him to respond that way. Wait, was he teasing her now? “Ahh careful~” Aerith teased playfully, “I am still a stranger, you know, I may not be as lovely as I appear.” She giggled in jest until he continued, he wanted her to get some papers for her…and she wasn’t sure she could. Although Rufus was proving himself to be looking for a new power source that didn’t damage the Planet there were still things that ShinRa had done in the past that she couldn’t forget. It was difficult to trust them still and to get the papers…Aerith would need to think about this a little longer.
As she walked into the building Aerith made a note of how pristine it looked, not in the clean sense, although it wasn’t incredibly dirty, just the modern simplicity of it all. It reminded her of…the ShinRa Headquarters, of course…not everything would change. Her feet guided her to one of the desks, she of course had control, however her curiosity naturally lead her places first before either assessing the area or taking mind of others. Without thinking, she turned back to Rufus, “You still have the same taste as your father though, it reminds me of the ShinRa Headquarters. Different…but still similar.” Her eyes hadn’t reached his yet, her arms had crossed and she was looking around the room as though she were now assessing it, looking at every nook and cranny. This wasn’t out of worry that he was hiding something or someone, it was the curiosity of what she’d lead them to.
Aerith thought back to what he had said before about Cid, though indirectly, and looking to the skies. It may be true but Cid had made an enormous difference here with the security system, of course with their help but he still played a major part. But before she could make a comment, insignificant as it may be, Aerith was distracted by the sound of the door closing. Her emerald eyes landed upon his hand where it rested on the door and traced themselves back to his face, Rufus then quickly moved over to his desk. It was now so…quiet.
“Hmm…well, I’ll have to think a little more before I start handing things over to you. I hope you understand that, I mean you surely wouldn’t do the same for me…otherwise you wouldn’t be here making sure I don’t see anything you don’t want me to.”
She offered him a cheeky grin, her last sentence was spoken in a less serious tone than before, some men liked strong women…but not those that couldn’t compromise every now and then. At least that was the impression she got for now, her attention was now drawn more to the last thing he said “The Planet in its current state”…she hadn’t thought about it when he first said it…
“Wait…the Planet…what do you mean ‘in its current state’?” Did Tseng tell her about that? She knew that they were looking for a new power source…but nothing else on the Planet’s state. The weapons had been destroyed, perhaps that was what she meant but until he told her she wouldn’t know. For a Cetra it was strange, she felt the pull of the Planet, that she needed to go back but she couldn’t hear it here…she didn’t understand…and if the Planet was really in danger than she would need to go back. Finally.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2014 3:13:23 GMT -5
R u f u s S h i n r a firemasterofcheyenne
At the mention of his father’s tastes he felt a bit annoyed. His father was a gross pig that fancied fetishes the male would never understand nor relinquish as necessary. The old man had habit to take frequent trips to the Honey Bee Inn. It was never a secret when he went, taking an entourage of guards and with as much bluster and boasting that would fill his ego before his debut in the Underworld. He hated that man and everything he represented. But, he neither could not deny her words. It was one’s nature to learn from those around you. Rufus was always a very clean child and his father had a life of steel. The clean, glimmering metal hardly needed decorating because it, in itself was a proof of power. And though his habits were similar, his ideas behind it were completely different. Where his father saw it as power, Rufus saw it as safety. The more your life was cluttered, so were the advantages of your enemies. The more you owned, the more they had to use against you. Priceless paintings, the Last Ancient, the Great General…. Rufus also felt that if your living space was cluttered it put you at risk, giving someone a place to hide and lurk. More so it was a simple distraction.
He chuckled softly at Aerith’s words. “It leads me to wonder who is being judgmental. Highwind … or you.” He would infer his feelings on the matter.
The man moved to straighten the folders. He hated his things being moved and touched, but most of all he hated when people could not look to the future. Chasing dreams or chasing the past was just another path to a swift, brutal death. It was as she said, she is a stranger and his habits were much similar to his father, but he was still Rufus. He seemed quiet for a short while as he worked on his response, building the tension of his words with the silence that now stood between them. Convincing her would be no easy task, but it could perhaps be more expeditious than it’s current route. The Hound twitched his ears, a woof escaping his muzzle at Rufus’ slip of irritation. Sometimes his irritation could lead to him responding in ways that could seem cold or dishonest. It was why he had his Turks around. They were his mental support, a trump card in tactical persuasion to reduce his usual responses of heartless evisceration of the person present. His fingers wrapped around the folders before lying them onto a pile, a good distance away from Aerith.
“It is as you say: you are a stranger. My father had many men close to him that he trusted without thought. those men acted without his consent, creating triggers that would fall an Empire he spent a lifetime building.” The man raised his blue eyes, peering into the distance before he stood straight and fully turned to Aerith. “I cannot be so quick to trust. Many men wish the old ways remain and fail to grasp change. I know not if you are truly given to helping Planet or merely speak as so.” He was honestly trying to change a method that was less hurtful to Planet.
But he was an executive to a multi-million gil company. He could not afford the disapproving percentages of ratings. It was what the majority wanted so it was what he would deliver. He had to live on Planet to and he rather her alive and not summoning murderous WEAPONs on everyone on a habit. Feeling that his master had calmed the dark-furred hound padded toward the bay window and hopped up. Circling once he would clamber down on the pillows laid out for him, covered in his fur (and bits of familiar, red locks as well).
“While people sit around saying ‘You are a Shinra,’ or ‘We don’t want that again,’ Try to understand there were many more faces to the company than what my father allowed to show. My company provides jobs for people in need, we also provide the energy necessary to fuel machines that help in the production of medicines and vehicles.” The company was much more than a totalitarian pig factory his father ran. “I am Rufus Shinra, and my priority is to provide for the people.” Even if he could, personally care less on how people viewed him.
He gave off the sense that he was offended by her discriminatory reactions. He also seemed earnestly willing to do anything it took to rebuilt the company and maintain Planet. He looked to Aerith at her question. Looking down at his files he fingered through the papers before retrieving a file in particular, handing it to Aerith. It was common enough knowledge on Planet that it was unnecessary to hide it. The report described the aftermath of Omega’s Wrath. Places with the Lifestream flowing nearby, such as Mideel and Mount Nibel, have become dangerous. The levels, which had been dropping, began to raise again. No one was sure why, but many had begun to speculate it to do with the light in the sky that night. It looked, to many, like a volcanic plume of Lifestream. It had terrified many who had seen it, but those up close knew it had been the WEAPON ejecting itself from the belly of Midgar and into space. It mattered little what the public didn’t know, but what they knew. He had been looking up these rumors and trying to resolve the problems, but it seemed everything just got in the way….
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Apr 19, 2024 13:34:14 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2014 14:11:01 GMT -5
There was no quick reply to his comment about her being judgemental, instead she smiled apologetically and shook her head. It was never her intention to be - or come across as – judgemental, however when you are as naturally curious as Aerith was it was easy to pick up on things. Be it their quirks, annoyances or general attitude to things, Aerith was sussing Rufus out, what made him tick and what he was really like. In her own little way of course, she wasn’t usually thrown out of someone’s house for being nosey, usually as there was a purpose for her being there…which was usually to help them. The Ancient still wasn’t sure what to do, it would take time for her to trust the ShinRa again.
“...I know not if you are truly given to helping Planet or merely speak as so.”
Aerith gently laughed aloud when he spoke these words, it wasn’t meant to slip out but she found it highly ironic that he could say this to a Cetra and after what she had done too. It wasn’t a laugh caused out of spite but the situation tickled her, he didn’t know and she should tell him, but when would the right time be? Was there one…was it relevant? It always seemed to be, from her birth it was a label that she couldn’t shake and it was something that had participated in the ultimate death of both her parents separately. Perhaps even her own. It was something she’d never be able to shake, and if she were to have children they would be landed with this same responsibility.
But she still wouldn’t deny it, Aerith would never wish to not be who she was and would treasure the gift now even when times were bad.
“Of course you don’t know, you only have my word.” Finally she spoke after taking in his words, “But I shall save you any surprises. Even though I tease you, you should trust me I’m a valuable ally in this case!” Her emerald eyes glanced over to the window, “The proof is out there, Midgar has never looked like this place, has it?”
Aerith listened to the last of his speech, she took no notice of his tone, just his words, that was enough for her at the moment. It was perhaps preference that she’d pick and choose what she’d listen to and it was always only what she needed. As she took the folder, Aerith flicked through the pages, skim reading here and there and looking into the details of the report on the Lifestream. She felt a personal responsibility when it mentioned the Lifestream, the Cetra once felt it was home for a while after she passed. Her hand hovered over the desk she stood next to and as her hand felt its surface, she slowly declined into the swivel chair, her eyes locked onto the page. What was she supposed to do now?
“Maybe…” Aerith dropped the file onto her lap and looked back at Rufus, “I think I’m needed back on Gaia then. This…this is something that you’ll need me for.” Her eyes dropped down to the folder which was clasped between her fingers.
“Ancients, that’s what they used to call us but I prefer Cetra…makes me sound a little less old.” She said with a humorous grin, she honestly didn’t mind what they called her…to a point. “Is there a way to get back to Gaia? I need to go to the Forgotten Capital.”
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