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[Open] Back to Calibrations

WHO: Reeve Tuesti, OTA
WHERE: Reeve’s Calibration Room
WHAT: Calibrations Experiences
WHEN: May 9th thru June 10th
WARNINGS: CW: Reeve’s Calibration room may contain references to kidnapping and confinement, including of children

Calibrations Waiting Room

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Calibrations [CW: Referenced (nothing explicitly depicted) kidnapping and confinement, including of children]

It’s not a bedroom, it’s an office. A rather dark one at that, most of the light coming either from the scattering of monitors, some recessed lighting high above, or two lights pointed at the rather oversized Shinra corporate logo behind the desk. The desk itself is cluttered, covered with files and papers and reports. This is clearly the desk of someone far too busy with their life. Someone who isn’t fully organized.

On it there are a few things of notable interest, like architectural reports and diagrams, a few reports on small hinges with one bearing a sticky note of ‘but why would you want them’, and there’s even a box filled with several glowing green, blue, and yellow orbs. Materia like those Reeve has come to carry around Agra-10, but in more colors.

Further along, in a corner, is a framed picture of a couple that look vaguely like Reeve, his parents no doubt, and Reeve as a boy, all of them smiling in front of what looks like a farm house. Next to that was another framed picture, this one of Reeve embracing Poe, though no picture such as that had ever been taken to his knowledge. The computer monitors scroll through a number of images of Midgar in various stages of being built.

Of course most of that only matters if you didn’t sit in the very comfortable office chair. Hope you like boring board meetings. Then again, you could also get your attention caught up in a figure that looks like a smaller, but far more intricately built feline wearing a crown, red cape, boots, and gloves. It looks up upon someone's arrival, waving a greeting.

Reeve himself lounges on one of the couches in the room, looking annoyed. This wasn't his first dog and pony show, to speak, and he didn't seem pleased at the invasion.

"I'd say welcome, but I fear I do not enjoy such intimate sharing of history."

[OOC: The secret to getting out of Reeve's room before the 'time out' point is to watch two memories, or to have a serious conversation with Reeve and then going to the door of the office together.]

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It takes a moment for his optic input to adjust for the darkness. The strange thing is the setting, an office compared to the usual bedrooms of others. York frowns as he walks forward, hands in his jean pockets. Now that he has a better understanding of how this shit works, he doesn't actively go for touching stuff.

Finally, he spots Reeve and goes over to where the older man is lounging on the couch. He spots the feline figurine. Hm. Didn't think Reeve was a figurine kinda guy.

"Yeah, you and me both. These rooms are fucking terrible. I'd rather people ask me about my memories instead of being shoved into my head." He glances around again.

"No Mini in here?"

"Trust me, I know what you mean," Reeve answered, shaking his head. "This isn't my first time. It can be awkward."

Still, the question has him gesture to the feline on the desk, who is kicking his legs back and forth.

"No Mini. He is his own being, his own soul. No, all there is here is a manifestation of his brother, Cait Sith."

The cat figure waves again at that gesture. Clearly it is paying attention to them, but being silent for now.

York looks to Reeve, then to the figurine that's gestured to and leans to look at it. It moves! And a brother to Mini, named Cait Sith? Strange name. He wouldn't outright admit that the doll in the waking world was growing on him.

"Does he have an accent like Mini does?"

He reaches forward, and stops. Looks to Reeve. "What should... I not touch?" York draws his hand back and straightens up.

"Slightly less over the top than Mini's. Cait Sith has had more time to adapt to being heard and understood. Many years, many bodies, and many brothers."

What should he not touch? Everything? Nothing? Life?

"It depends on what you're after."

"For once, I'm after nothing. But I'm realizing that if I don't want people snooping around in my fucking head, I should probably treat others the same." York shrugs and crosses his arms. He looks back to the little Cait Sith doll.

Many bodies, many brothers.

York hates that it makes him think of himself.

"Anything going to happen if I touch him?" He points at the figure, now looking at Reeve again.

"I don't know. But chances are you will," Reeve admits with a shrug. "It is hard to tell. I know the materia and the photo and the screen will show you things."

But other things had changed.

York sort of wants to go around and touch things. All three of the Stark androids had some level of curiosity built into them, a line of learning, and he wanted to know about this man that had helped him with a fire and called Mini a companion. But after experiencing one of Tommy's memories, York restrained himself.

Instead, with one last passing glance to the waving figurine, York sits on the floor below Cait Sith. "So is this… your house or something where you’re from?"

From his spot he can see the colored glow of the materia from this spot, but not the orbs themselves. Reeve had interesting stuff.

"No," Reeve admits with a sigh. "I just... I didn't get out much when I was at the office here. The ShinRa building. I basically lived in my office."

He had basically failed at life then. But he'd doing it all to help those the city should have helped.

"So…workaholic?" His gaze turns to the large logo on the wall, trying to see if he can piece what the company did. What Reeve did. He finally spied the "electric company" part in smaller font.

"What kind of work did you do at an electric company that had you practically living here?" At least if he asked questions, Reeve had the option to deny answers. Touching stuff took away that option. "…You don’t have to answer anything if it’s too personal. Figured you’d rather me ask than fucking touch shut around here."

"There was quite a bit of needs, and not a lot of care int he company for taking care of the people," Reeve admitted. "And don't let the name fool you. Midgar was ShinRa's city. They ran it all. And I was in charge of urban development and planning."

Which was a lot of work. He designed the entire city.

York remembered. "Right, you said you were a builder. Almost forgot we have that in common." The android shifted, as though he was making himself comfortable despite not needing it. "Is Midgar the city you were talking about the day the network fucked up? The one in the sky but is actually supported by pillars?"

It's pretty impressive to York, though he hasn't admitted that out loud. He could, and maybe Reeve wouldn't think anything of it. Maybe just blame any politeness or even niceness on the dream rooms or the waiting room itself.

"Exactly," Reeve answered. "I did a lot of the design work on it. It's my city."

Even if it wasn't his. But it sure felt like it. It was totally the city he had created and supported.

"I miss it. ANd I also don't. Because of how people suffered."

The city might have been his by rights, but by design, it was. York could understand. "I get it. Kinda like how my dad owns what I built, but I built it. I designed it, they're mine even when they don't legally belong to me."

Now he shifts off of the floor and goes to sit on the arm of the couch Reeve is lounging on. "What did the company do? ShinRa you called it?"

"They started as a power company," Reeve says, rising to his feet and moving to a nearby shelf to pull out a book with the history (as he remembered it) of the company. "Coal power. Then they moved to mako energy, and after hiring me, well, I improved the reactor systems. Which was a mess."

He made so many mistakes.

"They own the city. Power, water, anything. A lot of the land. And the company was evil. Quite so."

He doesn't move from where he's seated for a moment, then slides onto the cushions now that it's empty of human architect. He's following along: coal power, then what? Mako energy? Mako was a species of shark, with their named derived from the Māori language, but York had a strong feeling that wasn't what Reeve was referring to.

"So, ShinRa is sort of like... a conglomerate company?" And that just happened to rule over everyone's lives. "Or, there's probably a system of government like that. Totalitarianism maybe? Politics are messy. Easier to build shit."

"IT's not quite totalitarianism, but it's not far off. Eventually Shinra collapsed, and that wasn't a bad thing. People suffered and died and that was the worst thing ever."

How could he say it gently?

"They were evil."

Okay, that worked.

Well York was glad he was in the right ballpark with his guess. Politics weren’t much of a thing for him save his own experience in Detroit and NYC. Nothing of a company owning all the needs of a city.

"Evil huh. Is that what you’re trying to make up for then? Working for them and having a hand in their business that hurt others?“ Mm, maybe a little blunt, but the words were out there now. Even androids couldn’t take their words back once voiced. "Though I think if the company collapsed and you’re still here, maybe that means you’re not evil like them.“

"I try not to be. I've got a lot to make up for. but thank you, for believing for even a moment that I am not the sort to have wanted to harm others."

Even if the other doesn't really know him at all.

York made a face at the words, like 'really?' before getting up and walking to him. He crossed his arms, looked up, and fixed Reeve with his harfest stare he could muster.

"Reeve, when we first met, you had to come between me and Mini before we started a physical fight. You know I’m an asshole despite all this intelligence, and yet you still came to my aid when I fucking started a fire in the factory. Didn’t even really complain that much about it. If you think for a moment that I don’t know you’re a good man, then you’re not as smart as I fucking thought you were." And York fucking meant that. He had horrid experiences with humans before showing up in Temba, but between him and Cal, and even Mini of all people, the android was slowly starting to change his mind about them.

Well that wasn't something Reeve was expecting to hear. He looked at the young appearing android before him.

"Did... you just lecture me?"

Seeing what York thought might be surprised was a little fascinating. "I did." He took another step in, arms still crossed over his chest. "Sometimes you need an outside perspective on yourself. And I'm here to give you just that."

Was this what humans called tough love? Maybe not love persay, but he wouldn't tell this to someone he didn't like. York would probably tell them to go jump in a fucking pit or make out with an electric socket.

"You're not the only one to give me that lecture."

Of course, he isn't going to tell the young man that Tony was the main culprit here. The guy wanted that distance of course.

"Well if at least two people here say it, then there’s truth in it. Truth we can fucking see, Reeve." He lifts a hand to poke up at Reeve’s chest carefully. "Don’t forget it. Last thing you’re gonna need is for the town to find out you’re getting lectured by someone younger than you."

And shorter, but York hated drawing attention to his height. His incorrect height.

"And," he continued. "Sometimes it’ll make shit worse when you’re hard on yourself like that."

"A majority of those present in the town are younger than me, therefore it is easy to find those who are younger to lecture me. But it is rather a recurring thread in my life."

And in the moment he misses Steph and Brigitte, who were both younger than him and who cared about making sure he took care of himself properly. He'd been like an uncle to them and he hadn't minded that at all.

"Yes, perhaps you're right. But the work keeps me from feeling lonely."

"How old are you, Reeve?" Maybe it was a little bit of a too personal question, but what was off limits when you were in someone's head? And if Reeve didn't like said question, he could just ignore it from York.

"It's easy to be at work and surrounded by paperwork when you could be outside being social to make friends with people. Papers aren't going to call you out on bullshit like they would," he points out with a shrug. "But I know that some humans have difficulty making friends I guess. I know I don't have much fucking room to talk."

"I'm nearly forty," Reeve answered. Which of course wasn't too old. He had no shame over his age.

"You presume I had friends," Reeve points out. "And yes, it is a difficulty in my position."

That wasn't old to York. It could be, given that he wasn't even technically physically four years old. "I mean, yeah, I do presume you had one, maybe two."

He glances around at the office, the Cait Sith, then to Reeve again. "I guess this is the part of the lecture where I tell you that should get out more. Even if our crappy city doesn't have a bar. You could hang out with me, but trying to break up me and Mini I bet isn't your idea of a good time."

"Here I do. Back home it's... complicated."

Even the members of Avalanche were sometimes awkward to call 'friends'

"The city does have a bar. Cayde runs it. The Deep End."

He's not touching the fighting with Mini.

"Home is always complicated. Guess I can't fault you for that." He had opened this conversation, but York knew this wasn't his forte. He didn't do well with making friends outside of his android peers, and even then those were few and far between. "Well if this Cayde person runs it, you should try meeting up with people there. Maybe the skills and shit you learn here you can use it whenever you get to go home."

York would maybe learn to be less of an asshole or something.

He went to go flop down on the couch Reeve had been on when he first arrived. York wasn't looking at the man, mouth thinning into a tight line. Like he was trying to figure out if there was something he wanted to say or not.

"I don't know if we're friends or whatever, but I'm... glad you're on my side for whatever it's worth. I know you said you worked for a terrible fucking company, but I don't think that reflects you. I really do think you're a good fucking person, Reeve."

He's been there, he's done that, it doesn't mean he's been able to socialize there very well. And Reeve doesn't know how to convey that part properly. But he smiles at York.

"Thank you. Thank you for thinking I'm a good person. And I thank you for being glad for me. Having faith in me. It seems this space tends to result in that."

York scoffed, like he didn’t believe the other despite just saying all those positive things himself to Reeve. "Yeah well good people help assholes who start electrical fires."

Finally, the android looks over at the human. "Is there anything in here you want me to see? Or should I just keep my hands to myself?"

"The electrical fire could have affected us all," Reeve said, his attention on York. He hasn't even noticed that a door has appeared in the office, a way out.

"You are welcome to look at what you wish, if you wish," he said, tilting his head.

York didn’t think so, but kept it to himself for now. His eyes slide to the side where the door was waiting now. He didn’t want to stay here, but he didn’t want to go back to that fucking awful waiting room. Though maybe if he woke up, Mini would still be with him. Was that this sleep?

The world felt too weird to know when he was awake.

"I won’t, because I don’t want people just touching stuff when they’re in my head, my workshop. Treat people‘s stuff how you want yours to be treated or something like that?" He didn’t move from the couch, but leaned forward to drape arms over his knees. There were a lot of things rumbling about in his mind, things he could say. Maybe should say. But York doesn’t. Finally he gets to his feet.

"The door is open so I should probably go through it, yeah? Give you a fucking break from me until we wake up?"

"It won't open without us both," Reeve answered, rising to his feet. "So let us go."

York noted how Reeve didn’t deny needing a break from the android. Instead of remarking on it, Che simply smirked up at the man and shoved his hands in his hoodie pouch.

As they approach the door, he risks a glance up from the corners of his eyes, trying to keep an indifferent façade. "Not promising anything, but maybe I’ll come by your office in the city to see what you’re planning. And to make sure you’re not working too fucking hard. Only if I’m bored though." He moves to give a small nudge with his elbow.

"Only if you're bored," Reeve agrees, nodding. He can understand that decision of course. Even if it seems impossible to think that someone would come seeking him out at this point.

So he reaches for the door knob and opens it, gesturing for the young man to head out first.

York smirks. Reeve gets it at least. If only there humans like this overworking fucker in his world. Anyone else would have probably given up on him by now. The door opens and he stares at the unknown for a long moment. He turns like he's about to say something again to Reeve, then promptly closes his mouth as York decides against it.

He salutes the man with two fingers from the forehead, then the hand joins its match in his hoodie pocket as he heads through the door.

Reeve nods and follows through with him. And just like that they win their freedom from the dream.

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