Scene #8891: While The Cat's Away...

Owner	Pose
Rufus Shinra	Arriving at Shinra Tower is not done by the closest warpgate, but by a provided helicopter from a nearby town's warpgate, at Rufus's insistence. (Or by whatever other means of vehicular flight you have available.) Arriving by ground is possible, but involves going through a lot more security checkpoints... and also you miss the view. Midgar is a layered cake of civilization in the middle of a wasteland. It's visible even from the moment you step into the world, first as a beacon of light on the horizon, and then as a steel monstrosity poking up through the mountains. On the ground level, there's a sprawl of buildings not more than two stories tall, some areas looking better maintained than others. Above the ground level city is a large platform, miles wide,, on top of which is another city. This looks more urban, more modern - certainly less run down. Richer, if the inference isn't drawn already. These are the haves, and by comparison those below are the have-nots. One particular thing that the underside has not, is sunshine - large lamps underneath the steel platform provide a facsimile of daytime. There's not much time to ponder what else the underside is missing, because the flight path continues on - not towards the sprawl of the underside, or the tight urbanity of the top side, but further up and further in... Rising up in the center and in a ring around the city perimeter is effectively a third layer - one for the military and the industrial. Power plants flare green columns into the sky as they feed the city, and war machines of the ground and sky can be picked out amidst the buildings. This is where the power in the city lives, in both senses of the word - the electrical force and the military force both. This is not where the flight plan is headed either, though. Further up and further in... Towering above all else, at the center of the city, are a handful of large towers, combinations of residential, commercial, and office spaces all in one. If the bottom level are the have-nots and the steel platform dwellers are the haves, then these are the have-mores. These are where the ultra-wealthy live, literally physically separated from the mundane upper class by the military layer. Anyone living here would be well off beyond an ordinary person's wildest dreams. Even so- further up, and further in. The massive central tower, bearing the Shinra Electric Corp. logo. Above even the dizzying heights of the steel plate, it stretches sixty floors in height and entire city blocks in width, with its own offshoot subtowers and dedicated infrastructure. This is not merely the seat of wealth, but also the seat of power - control of the massive city (and beyond!) is concentrated here. And yet, one last time, further up and further in. At the very, very, very top, and very, very, very center, a small tower on top of the largest central tower. The executive offices and the presidential penthouse. This is where the flight plan is taking you, all the way to the highest point, and the helicopter pad at the top. Rufus is there waiting, for whoever arrives. Well, him, and a host of generic assistants who hold open doors for you and carry whatever you've brought with you. (Imagine carrying your own luggage - how pedestrian.)
Angela	Angela of course can only be transported here ''as'' luggage, basically, so she needs at least one Agent to take her if she's going to visit Rufus's home. Did Angela want to? Well, she'd admit to being a little curious (actually she is very curious) but she's actually ordered to go by The Manager so it's not like she ever really had a choice in the matter. Rufus has been getting a taste for City Life so it's appropriate for L Corp to get a taste for Rufus's life--namely, Angela's boss is worried that Rufus is learning a great deal about life at L Corp and they aren't learning enough about him. This is an opportunity. Angela is reasonably concerned Rufus might say something to her that she doesn't want other Agents gossiping about so she picked the Agent to take her that just never talks. Moku is not allowed to take EGO Gear to another business out there for company secret reasons so she's just wearing a Safety Team armband sash and a suit, a straw hat, and a face that looks like it had been washed recently but not for a while before that. Angela tried to ensure she'd be cleaned up for this. She looks out the window of the helicopter (there's a period where she seems startled at the idea of FLYING anywhere and hides her face behind her straw hat until she realizes they aren't going to fall down and die whereupon she appreciates the view, eyes widening faintly. She pokes repeatedly at the glass like she expects it to fly out. Angela, on her pad, says, "Interesting, instead of having your Backstreets like veins interspersed throughout the city, you just have them literally underneath you. Backstreets can come and go so it would be difficult for The City to stratify like this, I imagine, but the Nests and similarly kept strictly apart by checkpoints and barriers." She doesn't seem to find anything unuual about Midgar though she squints a little at the smoke pouring out from those cylinders surrounding Midgar. "You still use smoke?" Angela wonders aloud. "No it must simply have some similarities." The chopper is going straight to the top. Angela wonders a little what it's actually like down below in the other areas but she supposes she can't exactly visit the Backstreets either. This is normal. Moku rubs at her shaggy black hair, looking a different kind of uncomfortable as they get higher and higher right to the tippy top. "..." She doesn't talk, but her expression suggests that she thinks she might be in smoe kind of trouble. She fusses with her hair anxiously. The higher and more tippy top she's going, the more anxious she's becoming--and she's usually fairly stoic. "...Seventy percent." Angela murmurs. "Almost there..." 5Rand with that, Moku--carrying an Angelapad--steps off, holding out Angela like she's holding up a picture of the deceased at a memorial. Noku nearly hands off Angela as luggage-- "No thank you." Angela says, hurriedly. Moku pulls back the pad and otherwise hands off a small carry bag she's been using to carry snacks and what seems to be a bottle of soju wine. Moku takes the soju for herself before handing off her bag. She isn't sure if she'll see it again. "Rufus." Angela says. "I understood you had been 'slumming it' to an extent working with us, but I did not quite expect this."
Rufus Shinra	"... Yeah." Rufus looks uncomfortable at the question. He actually waves off the various assistants before he answers, leaving him, Angela, and Noku alone as Rufus leads them towards the rooftop exit. "That's part of it. You were going to find out eventually. I haven't lied about where I'm from, at least as far as I'm concerned, but I haven't exactly... told the whole story either." "And I'd rather have it all come out at once, and cleanly, instead of trickling out, bit by bit, and not under my control." Rufus leads them downstairs, and then across a stretch of office space... entirely full of executive offices and attached cubicles for their assistants. Nobody's in today, it seems - maybe because it's saturday, but there's a lot of 'out of office' or 'on vacation' placards on doors. In fact, it seems like Rufus and Noku are the only living beings on this floor at the moment? The one Rufus heads to has its own assistant space, but it looks like it hasn't been used in years... and the executive office he unlocks and holds the door open for Moku to come in, looks like it hasn't had anyone in it for months, or been used for more than a few days at a time. It's all generically decorated - or more accurately undecorated, like it's never properly been moved into. "So let me start from the top, and then we'll get to the other explanations, shall we?" Rufus takes a seat behind the office's desk. There's several comfortable charis for Noku to pick from and/or put the Angelapad into. There's a cooler full of drinks in the corner, but they're all well past the expiration date. "I'm Rufus Shinra, Vice President of Shinra Electric Power Company. My family owns the largest standing military, has an electric monopoly on half of the world, and outright owns the other half."
Angela	Angela frowns suspiciously when Rufus seems... uncomfortable. Why would he be uncomfortable? She knows how he thinks about--say--poor people. She supposes it is possible that since he is frankly more akin to a prince than just a ceo's kid that he might be uncomfortable with displays of wealth to a particular extreme but he took everybody over in a helicopter. He just did that! What else could it be? Angela can only guess. Does he think he is playing the role of a guy disguised as a commoner bringing someone lower class over? That is sort of what he is doing but Angela is hardly a backstret denizen herself. ... Right, she is less than that. She is just a servant, a worker designed to expire after doing her job. "You need not worry, Rufus, you could live 50 more towers above this one and my opinion of you as an incorrigible rogue would not change." Moku does seem a little more nervous though. It is a long way down and there's no easy exits. She certainly can't fly a chopper and she is unarmed. She tries to think of this as a sort of business meeting. She follows, still carrying Angela, downsgairs. 'So this is what a normal Wing looks like on the inside. Lots of offices. Cubicles? Angela grimaces at the lack of even simulated privacy. "Is something happening today?" Angela asks. The lack of people is worrying Moku further. "Starting from the top sounds wise." Angela says as they follows Rufus into the executive office. Moku collevts a soda and seems inclined to take all of them but Angela stops her at two saying "Don't be crass." She listens quietly to Rufus describing his true situation though it is mostly the SCOPE that is a surprise to Angela. The whole world. Even the Head doesn't rule a world--just the civilized portion. "...I can see why you wished to work for L Corp, it is in a similar position in some ways. Do you...dislike the company?" It is just a guess but something does feel off.
Rufus Shinra	> "You need not worry, Rufus, you could live 50 more towers above this one and my opinion of you as an incorrigible rogue would not change." "Hey, there we go!" Rufus perks up at that, and seems back to his usual self. "Thanks, Miss Angela." Fingerguns. > "Is something happening today?" "Offsite meetings. Vacations. And it also being Saturday - do they have weekends in The City? I can't say I'd be surprised if they didn't. But I picked today to visit here because nobody's gonna be in besides the assistants." "I don't rreeeeallllly get along with everyone here. The head of Weapons Development is a bitch and a war criminal, science division is a pervert and different sort of war criminal, air and space is a slob who could stand to get a shower and a salad, public safety is a bootlicker who ascended to be the boot, and..." Rufus pauses. He counts on his fingers. "Am I missing someone? There's five offices here, plus mine, so... Eh, whoever it is, probably not important." "And then there's President Shinra, my biological sperm donor. The day someone puts a bullet through his head is the day the world becomes a brighter place. I'd do it myself, if I thought I could get away with it." > "...I can see why you wished to work for L Corp, it is in a similar position in some ways. Do you...dislike the company?" "If you'll pardon the crass language," says Rufus, immediately after finishing talking about how he wants to kill his own father, "I have shit all to do here." "I'm vice president. Vice President of... what? Of nothing. I get an office and a salary and staff and nothing else. I haven't even shown up for..." Rufus counts on his fingers. "... August? No, July. Ten months. Nearly a full year, and nobody's bothered to even send me a message about it." "And so - what else do I have? Earthly pleasures? I've tasted just about everything this city has to offer." Rufus gets up and heads over to the office's window, looking down at the gleaming lights. "Parties. Food and drink. Shows. Games. Women and men. Experiences. Fine art. If you can name it, I've tried it at least once. I went on a year long bender after I turned 18 and I just... burnt myself out, doing that. I think it fried something in my brain." Rufus remains at the window, looking out. "Do you know why I'm telling you all of this, Miss Angela?"
Angela	Angela does not know the people Rufus is denigrating but she has plenty of reason to believe him. She knows how her fathers are and while she doubts many dads are as bad as hers, she is skeptical that someone who owns the entire world can be that great of a guy. Midgar looked interesting but not exactly like a GOOD place to live. Rufus is even able to get a smile out of her when he fingerguns at her--it is brief. Angela's smiles generally are brief. And it is replaced by a frown when he calls the head kf Weapons Development a bitch--not really because she thinks highly of anyone who would have that kind of job right now but rather because it is a sudden shift away from how he was talking before and because of a general hesitancy when it comes to guys calling ladies 'bitch'. She is getting a feel for some of the oddities out of universe. She has no thoughts on salads. She does have thoughts about dadmurder. "Having killed my creator many times, I can understand the appeal but as someone more experienced in this field, I should warn you that the appeal wore off for me after merely twenty times. Petra says it was because he just came back anyway. I am not sure if that is true but it is possible." Her eyes slant towards Moku for a moment. "Would you like us to assassinate him?" Angela asks with what might be frightful serenity and a particularly casual approach to murder. "We have some Agents who specialized in assassination but they'd need training to be capable assassins in this world almost assuredly." She nods slowly. She understands. He wants to have a real life. In this, they do have common ground. The difference is Rufus got to hit the bricks as Netzach would say. But she isn't without any sympathy just because he wasn't abused quite so severely. Rufus reveals he is bisexual and Angela just finds that normal. So are her parents. Normal. Why is he telling her all this? IS IT to kill his dad? He didn't need to share so much. Instead she considers for a moment and then admits, "I do not know, Rufus, why you are sharing this with me." Moku has looked perturbed the whole conversation.
Rufus Shinra	> "Would you like us to assassinate him?" "... We'll speak on that in a moment." "Why am I telling you all this..." "Because I want your trust, Miss Angela." "Right now, you, and your company, are one of the most interesting things going on in the multiverse. I want in." "And I don't want you to think I'm hiding something from you. Because I'm not. I'd like any sort of suspicion to not come between us." "If push comes to shove, if you need to depend on someone to see the final push through to - to whatever's going to happen, I'd like you to know you can depend on me for it." Rufus glances over - and only then notices the soda in Moku's hands. "... I... don't know how long those have been there in that cooler. Let me order you something fresher."
Angela	Angela nods once. ''Because I want your trust, Miss Angela.'' Angela raises her eyebrow. It's not ... too strange for someone to want her trust, but it is unusual for someone like Rufus to want her trust, isn't it? Why would he need her trust? Even if his job is boring, even if his dad never gets a bullet to the head--he will eventually be the most free person in Midgar. He could just gut the company, trade it off to Outsiders, and live with a giant sack of money for the rest of his days doing whatever the hell he wants. When she gets her answer, it is a little disturbing. Lobotomy Corp is ... exceedingly boring for her but she can see why it'd be interesting to an Outsider the first time through. Certainly she can. But it isn't exactly the NICE kind of interesting, is it? Even if this loop has been kinder than previous loops--even if they managed to get past an insurmountable obstacle just yesterday--it's hard to imagine people WANTING to be there. Petra is the only person she can think of and Petra is special. Rufus is, well, she supposes she hasn't met many people like Rufus either. Moku makes a line across her throat, as if to suggest the style of assassination she suggests but Angela shakes her head. "Later, he said." She says. Plus a sword seems uncomfortably close for someone who has access to a sniper rifle that can fire bullets through portals and has a reputation of never missing. She slides over the expired soda to Rufus and then pops open the soju bottle and offers it to Rufus in a clear attempt to be friendly so she doesn't get sent into a dungeon or put into a people mulcher, even if she is calming down a little since nothing bad has happened yet. "Trust," Angela says. "Is something I am careful with because I've been betrayed by people rather close to me in the past," Angela admits. "While I don't intend to judge you based on the wrong foot we got off on, I want you to understand why I am...generally suspicious of others. It is hardly just you, or even primarily you. You're likely in my top ten at the least as far as people I trust." She doesn't actually have a list. "But I understand what you are saying. You want an opportunity to earn it." She holds her hands together. "There will definitely be a time during that final push that I could use help. I do not know who will support me in the end and who will not--well, I know some who absolutely will. It is not time yet--but there will likely be a moment where even those who have been on my side so far will have to decide whether the company's goals are more or less important than my escape. Suffice it to say, I have 'tasted' plenty of Lobotomy Corp. I would prefer newer pastures." This is strangely frank for her, but she is feeling optimistic now that Gebura is no longer tearing up the facility. "I will count on you Rufus. And if I end up counting on you--I will not forget that. Just don't get too comfortable with trust--it is not something one earns once and then has it for life, after all--but I hope you can take some solace in that I do trust you more than most." Considering how few she trusts, this is either not that much of an achievement or a significant one.
Rufus Shinra	Rufus drops the expired soda in the trash, and then turns on the computer on his desk to start ordering. "Let's see - you like that flavor? Some more of that, and maybe some snacks - I'll put in an order to the company cafeteria." "... Oh, thanks." Rufus interprets the offered soju as an offer of hospitality - he pulls out a trio of glasses from under his desk, and pours it, setting one glass in front of Moku and one in front of the Angelapad. "To health." "An opportunity to earn it is fine. I'm not coming in and demanding that the bored rich kid get the keys right away, or anything like that." Rufus sips at the soju. "Ah, a good vintage. I didn't know the City had good vineyards. I hope this didn't set you back too much." Does... he not realize it's basically alcoholic soda and not fancy bubbly champagne? The order arrives, surprisingly quickly, and 'some snacks' turn out to be an entire charcuterie setup, with fancy spreads and crackers and assortments of tree nuts in addition to the meat and cheese, and it's one that's sized for ten people instead of just the two humans and one Angelapad. There's also a fresh soda for Moku, in a glass with a straw and ice. "To earning trust, then."
Angela	Moku grins when Rufus speaks of vineyards but it, like Angela's smile, is also brief but she doesn't have much to say, predictably. "Moku does not talk. Or rather she is unable to talk." Angela explains. "But she seems to be...relaxing?" Being offered snacks is probably happening. You don't give chips to people who are about to get people mulched. Rufus doesn't seem like that kind of sadist. Moku doesn't end up sliding crackers into her pocket like Parker might but her jaw drops open in disbelief. She hasn't seen snacks like this in her life. For ten people?? Two people can eat here but Moku, like a saiyan, will eat for three if she's allowed to. Angela doesn't stop her from piling a cheese and cracker tower on a napkin "...To earning trust.--Moku. Lift the soju glass for me? thank you." Then a little more awkwardly: "And to health." She's never had to worry about health before.