They've got water, at least. Which is an improvement. The boiler's still intermittent though.
[The rain had solved one problem. The village's water tank levels were looking much healthier thanks to the downpour. But as for heating? Vincent's experience had been ...lukewarm. With abrupt bursts of cold water every 30 seconds. An improvement over that morning's shower, certainly. But still a miserable experience.
He makes his way into the hotel. As he moves up the stairs and past where a few soldiers had congregated, he keeps the conversation light. And when they're in their room, and the door's shut-]
Transport back to Midgar has been arranged for the directors. I took the liberty of rounding up some of the infantry- who will leave with them at first light tomorrow.
[Not the ones that'd been made to be human chairs for the madam director. Instead, he'd assigned the task to those that'd borne the brunt of Heidegger's temper on the side of the mountain. An act of mercy for the soldiers- and perhaps an indication of some form of empathy, as well. An empathy that certainly wasn't a positive trait for one in his line of work.
But a harmless quirk, at least. So far. And he'd been effective enough where it counted for it to not be a problem. So far.
He moves to the window, his eyes fixed on the square beneath them.]
I'll accompany them- to the pickup point at least. That way, you'll be free to escort the President should he wish to try the ascent again early.
[His gaze moves from the window to Veld's face. Partners or not, as head of the department, Veld was still his boss. And so his confirmation was needed.]
He's going to want to try again but with the amount of rain- even if it stopped tonight the road is going to be dangerous.
[Not that it would stop the president from wanting to attempt the ascent again but Veld is hoping that he can get through to him and convince him that no amount of ambition will change the conditions.
Every day he can feel his influence on the president slipping away. With every new 'advancement' that the scientists make he knows that he's losing the man the president used to be in the beginning and is watching him become a creature twisted with greed.
It's a relief to finally peel off his wet coat, tie, and shoes, tossing them on the chair in the room.]
At this point, I'll just take clean water, even if it's lukewarm.
[It's not just the scientists, either. Weapons development had started becoming bigger than its already colossal britches thanks to the advent of materia creation. As Midgar grew and more and more sectors reached completion, the undercity had thus grown in its shadow. Public safety was starting to... become about public control.
Vincent had noticed its tendrils here. Although the soldiers that accompanied them had embraced the hospitality Nibelheim had given them (and returned the favour. A small company of mechanics was working on upgrading the water tower and trying to fix the rusty old truck at the gates in their downtime) they were Public Safety. And Vincent he knew, full well, that they had been instructed to shoot to kill should the reactor be compromised.
The company was changing. Little wonder. With mako, the world itself had changed. The fact that being here was such a shock to the system was a testament to how far humankind had come in such a few short years. Shinra spearheaded this change. So of course, it would change too.
Things were murky. But it had always been murky. Before the switch to energy, Shinra was never a friendly arms manufacturer. Both he and Veld were equipped to wade. And their job was to keep the company's head above water- regardless of how murky it got.
Butyes. Clean water.]
That, they can do. Or could an hour ago, before-
[A curtaintwitch. Yeah. Some of the infantry's engineers are being doused with a sudden leak in said water tower. Yeah, there's yelling. And the water tower being called a 'sonnavabitch'.]
-Well. Better hurry.
[He turns his head to the other man again.]
And pass me your shoes. I've still got the polish out from cleaning mine. You're paying for lunch.
[Veld winces when he hears the crash outside- it's admirable that the soldiers want to help even in the pouring rain but from the sounds of cursing and breaking wood he doesn't have high hopes, not in this storm that seems to be getting worse.
Just their luck.]
Fuck, if you can salvage anything I'll buy you dinner too. I'll even try to save you some water.
[He hands his shoes over to Vincent before handing him his phone as well. He knows eventually he will have to go over to deal with the president's displeasure but he's going to take this brief moment of respite while he can.]
I'll be quick, I just need to get the mud off. Get some rest and something to eat while you can, we're not going anywhere until tomorrow and once the rain stops, we're going to be going back to Midgar.
[Even if the president tried to put his foot down, which Veld knew he would, travel in these conditions in this remote village would be hazardous and going up the mountain would be impossible for a while.
He can't help but feel a bit of petty satisfaction that the scientists aren't going to get their way for once, not that it would stop them in the long run.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[The rain had solved one problem. The village's water tank levels were looking much healthier thanks to the downpour. But as for heating? Vincent's experience had been ...lukewarm. With abrupt bursts of cold water every 30 seconds. An improvement over that morning's shower, certainly. But still a miserable experience.
He makes his way into the hotel. As he moves up the stairs and past where a few soldiers had congregated, he keeps the conversation light. And when they're in their room, and the door's shut-]
Transport back to Midgar has been arranged for the directors. I took the liberty of rounding up some of the infantry- who will leave with them at first light tomorrow.
[Not the ones that'd been made to be human chairs for the madam director. Instead, he'd assigned the task to those that'd borne the brunt of Heidegger's temper on the side of the mountain. An act of mercy for the soldiers- and perhaps an indication of some form of empathy, as well. An empathy that certainly wasn't a positive trait for one in his line of work.
But a harmless quirk, at least. So far. And he'd been effective enough where it counted for it to not be a problem. So far.
He moves to the window, his eyes fixed on the square beneath them.]
I'll accompany them- to the pickup point at least. That way, you'll be free to escort the President should he wish to try the ascent again early.
[His gaze moves from the window to Veld's face. Partners or not, as head of the department, Veld was still his boss. And so his confirmation was needed.]
no subject
He's going to want to try again but with the amount of rain- even if it stopped tonight the road is going to be dangerous.
[Not that it would stop the president from wanting to attempt the ascent again but Veld is hoping that he can get through to him and convince him that no amount of ambition will change the conditions.
Every day he can feel his influence on the president slipping away. With every new 'advancement' that the scientists make he knows that he's losing the man the president used to be in the beginning and is watching him become a creature twisted with greed.
It's a relief to finally peel off his wet coat, tie, and shoes, tossing them on the chair in the room.]
At this point, I'll just take clean water, even if it's lukewarm.
no subject
[It's not just the scientists, either. Weapons development had started becoming bigger than its already colossal britches thanks to the advent of materia creation. As Midgar grew and more and more sectors reached completion, the undercity had thus grown in its shadow. Public safety was starting to... become about public control.
Vincent had noticed its tendrils here. Although the soldiers that accompanied them had embraced the hospitality Nibelheim had given them (and returned the favour. A small company of mechanics was working on upgrading the water tower and trying to fix the rusty old truck at the gates in their downtime) they were Public Safety. And Vincent he knew, full well, that they had been instructed to shoot to kill should the reactor be compromised.
The company was changing. Little wonder. With mako, the world itself had changed. The fact that being here was such a shock to the system was a testament to how far humankind had come in such a few short years. Shinra spearheaded this change. So of course, it would change too.
Things were murky. But it had always been murky. Before the switch to energy, Shinra was never a friendly arms manufacturer. Both he and Veld were equipped to wade. And their job was to keep the company's head above water- regardless of how murky it got.
Butyes. Clean water.]
That, they can do. Or could an hour ago, before-
[A curtaintwitch. Yeah. Some of the infantry's engineers are being doused with a sudden leak in said water tower. Yeah, there's yelling. And the water tower being called a 'sonnavabitch'.]
-Well. Better hurry.
[He turns his head to the other man again.]
And pass me your shoes. I've still got the polish out from cleaning mine. You're paying for lunch.
no subject
Just their luck.]
Fuck, if you can salvage anything I'll buy you dinner too. I'll even try to save you some water.
[He hands his shoes over to Vincent before handing him his phone as well. He knows eventually he will have to go over to deal with the president's displeasure but he's going to take this brief moment of respite while he can.]
I'll be quick, I just need to get the mud off. Get some rest and something to eat while you can, we're not going anywhere until tomorrow and once the rain stops, we're going to be going back to Midgar.
[Even if the president tried to put his foot down, which Veld knew he would, travel in these conditions in this remote village would be hazardous and going up the mountain would be impossible for a while.
He can't help but feel a bit of petty satisfaction that the scientists aren't going to get their way for once, not that it would stop them in the long run.]