Your Tax Dollars At Work

[plate_builder]

WHO: Reeve Tuesti, Open
WHERE: Temba
WHAT: Road Work
WHEN: All of April
WARNINGS: N/A

For those who hate the noise of roadwork, well, they will have Reeve's pity and apology later. For now there is work to be done. And the form of that work involves a very large machine that makes a bit too much noise and hot scents. There is nothing to be done for that part.

Though anyone who wants to complain can probably talk to the man and cat standing beside it, wearing hard hats (where did Reeve get one in Mini's size), discussing plans and a map.

Or perhaps one might find them when the machine is still and quieter, where Reeve stands securely on the edge of one of the holes in the road, lowering a rope into it at a slow pace. Clearly he's intent on the work, playing out the line with a constant level of caution.

And then there's the end of the day, as the sun is growing low, and Reeve is shutting down the machine while going about and checking material levels in it. Behind it a new stretch of road cures. Every now and then Reeve looks over toward it with clear pride. Another sign of Temba being restored to something like order. It's what he's here for.

Comments

[mrsklover]

Okay, this sucks. The noise is bad enough but the real crime is far more egregious. It's still early in the morning and Richie is still waking up, but he has a job to do. He comes walking over with a coffee in hand and a grumpy look on his face.

"Alright, we're having our first fight," he announces, handing the mug over to Reeve. "Where the fuck is my hard hat?"

[plate_builder]

"We are?" Reeve says as he takes the mug, looking shocked and confused. But the question earns a bright laugh. Okay, that one is fair.

"I had not expected you out so bright and early for this. I got one for York in case he wants to help, but I don't think it would fit your head..."

[mrsklover]

"Our son got one and I didn't? Damn, I am just left out of this family. Mini, did you know I was forgotten? Abandoned? And now here with no protection for my fragile head?"

Richie smirks and leans in to stop the teasing and to press a kiss to Reeve's cheek. "I promised you coffee. I deliver coffee."

[plate_builder]

Reeve has to bite his lip to keep from chuckling. Now that they're exploring a new facet of their relationship, the 'our' before son was more giddymaking.

"It's in tha supply room," Mini says with a sigh. Because clearly he's not as amused by their jokes because there is work to be done. And he's willing to be focused now that the idiots have solved their idiocy.

Or maybe he's just rebelling over how distracted and pleased Reeve is.

"You do," Reeve responds fondly, ignoring Mini altogether. "I fear I must insist on heard hats and visibility vests when in a construction area. There are fines, Richie."

[mrsklover]

"Oh no... How on Earth am I going to pay?" Richie grins wickedly and wraps his arms around Reeve's waist to pull him in closer. He affects a Voice that's half bad Southern Belle and half Transatlantic as he continues.

"I don't have any money, sir. But I'm just sure we can come to some sort of arrangement..."

He gives Reeve a wink, amused for as long as this lasts before Mini or Reeve kick him out.

[plate_builder]

Southern Belle really is the strangest accent Reeve's ever heard, so definitely continue with that.

"Arrangement, was it? I admit I am fond of negotiating..."

So he could be talked into it.

[mrsklover]

Ohoho... Reeve is full of surprises.

Richie lowers his voice and nuzzles in closer to Reeve's ear. "What are we talkin' about here, sweetheart? What's the going rate for OSHA complaints in Temba? Hmm? I have a feeling that if you're fond of negotiating, I am gonna be real fond of racking up those fines."

[plate_builder]

"What's OSHA?"

Fines can definitely be applied in the most amusing ways. Reeve hasn't really gotten into the... more free side of potential of course. But it's possible to do in the future.

[mrsklover]

"Earth thing. Office for Stopping Hilarious Accidents. Or, something like that. They keep workers safe back home. Lob fines if you break the rules. Not important."

Richie kisses the side of Reeve's jaw, an arm looping around his waist.

"What is important is how on Earth I am gonna make up for the lack of helmet and vest... Maybe we should talk about it someplace quiet..." There is no chance of Reeve leaving work right now, but Richie can be a tempter.

[crystalmaster]

"This is amazing!" Radley exclaims at the end of one day's work. "It's way past time we had decent roads here!"

He still has his dream of a Harley. Now he could actually ride one safely.

[plate_builder]

"We're lucky this machine was available," Reeve agrees with a nod and a smile. "I'm very grateful to Wesker for helping me acquire it."

[crystalmaster]

"He did, huh?" Radley says in a bit of surprise. But he supposes it's not too surprising Wesker would want decent roads too. Radley still thinks he's a government agent back home. "That's great."

[plate_builder]

Maybe he was. To Reeve the man looked a bit like it, not like a doctor.

"I'm just really happy that we can do this for a change."

[crystalmaster]

"Me too," Radley says. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help, like clearing junk out of the way so the road can be put down."

[plate_builder]

Oh Radley, did you just volunteer? Reeve's smiling.

"Oh, I have a few things that I could ask for."

[crystalmaster]

Radley is eager to push this project forward!

"Sure, like what?"

[plate_builder]

"Well, there is helping us move the chunks of the road out of the way that have come up. And helping me make sure there isn't other rubble blocking it."

And he'd like to make sure that the machine doesn't get broken quickly.

[tyrants_son]

It's a wonder what sort of machinery can be created, but then the Exos are testament to the ingenuity of an aspiring species. For a while Felwinter is content to watch Reeve and his new contraption at work. The man really does seem quite happy repairing a road.

When the machine comes to rest for a time, the warlord drifts down, landing lightly beside it to study it more closely before he looks over at Reeve.

"It looks to be going well," he observes as the man works with the rope.

[plate_builder]

Of course he's happy repairing the road. Building a city, homes, safety, they were all things that pleased Reeve. This was him living up to his self-chosen purpose in life.

He is shocked when the Exo settles next to the machine though. Doesn't yelp. It's a near thing.

"Felwinter, good day. Yes, it is going well for the moment," Reeve says, halting his playing out of the rope. "Actually, might I have another minute here? I'm lowering Mini to calculate what information we need for the hole-filler, and I don't want to drop him."

[tyrants_son]

Whoops. By then Felwinter more or less expects that sort of response around him, so he takes it in stride rather than figure he should apologize.

"Ah yes. Of course," he nods, having wondered where the smaller of the duo was. It's a bit concerning to think that the holes have gotten so deep, but then he recalls having to get a human out of one particularly deep one during the winter frost.

[plate_builder]

Reeve focuses on the line again, lowering it for another little bit before he stops.

"Alright. He's doing the measuring now. I'm glad he retained my knowledge of higher order mathematics. Makes him a wonderful helper in this situation."

[tyrants_son]

"Interesting," Felwinter muses. And perhaps not terribly unlike that bond between Ghost and Risen. He can practically picture Felspring bristling at being compared to a stuffed cat.

"Have there been many like this?"

[plate_builder]

Come now. The cat is not completely stuffed. It is partially a nice metal infrastructure under the fur and stuffing.

"More than I would like. The earthquake did a number on the roads. Which I suppose makes sense. They were already destabilized from the length of time since things were used regularly here. I did fall into one not long after my first arrival here."

[tyrants_son]

Still more plush than an Exo!

It's true, the roads had been in quite a state of disrepair even before the volcanic activity. "Do they open up into the city's water systems?"

[plate_builder]

Yes, that is absolutely true. Mini is more plush than most people around.

"I've taken very extensive charts of the water systems and can honesty say no, they do not seem to intersect with them at all, except in the region of what was formerly the flood plain. And that was only one hole. I might divert the road around it and turn it into a pond. I don't know."

IT's almost maddening how carefully placed these things are. Reeve's frustrated by that.

"This place makes no sense to me, Felwinter."