Dual Trigger
-By Chronic Guardian-
Chapter 7: Aria di Mezzo Carattere Part 2
"Signore Vincent?"
"Mmm?" He gave her half a glance before returning his attention to driving. He'd felt very uncomfortable about interacting with her ever since that conversation with Jean. Now he always had to confront the idea of how exactly he viewed her every time she talked like this. Was she the tool of vengeance for his fallen friends, the guardian of his family's future, the punishment for his sins, or just the girl who had always been left behind while everyone else lived? And if she was that last one, what did he do about it now that she was his direct responsibility? Vincent shied away from such thoughts as quickly as possible. Once he got himself thinking on a subject like that it was very difficult to give up until it was thoroughly exhausted. Given his propensity for brooding, it was entirely possible that a single line of thought could occupy him for months on end if not decisively concluded.
"Why don't we ride with Jean and Rico?"
"Because that would draw too much attention. Besides…" He glared at the car in front of him, "Jean's not much for conversation if he can help it."
"Sometimes, you don't like to talk either."
"…" He hated it when people perceived him more accurately than he did.
"It's funny, then. You'd think he would be used to it when he has someone like Rico."
Maybe that's why he doesn't like to. Vincent made absolutely certain the words did not leave his mouth. This girl had kept her thoughts inside too often, he did not want to be the one that perpetuated that.
You give her a different name and hope it all becomes new, right? Jean's words from when Vincent had first transferred echoed back. Forgetting about the past doesn't make the future brighter, it just removes your point of reference.
"Maybe Rico talks because Jean won't." Not a spectacular response but at least it was something less negative.
"I wonder why they chose us…"
Vincent grunted, Because Jean wants to test magitek out on the field under his own observation. "They suspect that something… complicated happened to Lauro and Elsa. Sending in just one fratello might be a redundant mistake."
"Yeah, but why us? Why not Cyan and Terra, or Jose and Henrietta? Doesn't Jean like his brother?"
"Just because you like someone does not mean they're your first choice to work with."
"...Like me?"
He pursed his lips. That had been poor phrasing on his part. "…No." The late response probably wasn't helping, but words to comfort and assure her were slow to formulate. Lucrecia often told him that he needed to get better at that sort of thing; now he believed her.
"Signore Vincent?"
"…Yes?"
"I want you to know that I'll do my best."
He kept his eyes on the road, not daring to look behind again. "Thank you, Aria. So will I."
}§{
"Zio?"
The sun shone brightly on the grassy hillside they were spending the afternoon on. He drifted his gaze from the partially cloudy skies to the little girl that sat with his son between him and Lucrecia. "Yes, Aerith?"
"Daddy got me a story book. He says someone at work wrote it."
"Oh really?"
She nodded vigorously. "Would you read it to me?"
Vincent exchanged a glance with Lucrecia. "I don't know… Aren't you old enough to read it?"
"But your reading voice is so good, Zio!"
"She's right," Sephiroth Valentine, his stoic five year old, intoned coolly.
A nod from his wife assured him that the majority vote was overwhelmingly not in his favor. "Guess I have no choice," he sighed, shrugging his shoulders in mock defeat. "So where is this book?"
"Back in the car. Can Sephy and me go get it?"
"Sephiroth and I, dear," Lucrecia corrected the ten year old girl. "And yes, you may."
Jumping to her feet and giving Vincent a quick squeeze around the neck, Aerith grabbed Sephiroth's hand and skipped down the far side of the hill that led to the vehicle they had arrived in. Vincent would have preferred to walk, seeing as they were only a stone's throw from the Section 2 office that Lucrecia worked at, but his spouse had insisted upon a car. Sephiroth isn't used to hiking, dear, She had argued. Besides, I haven't got any shoes to fit the task.
That second point had not seemed all that valid, seeing as either of them could easily afford a pair of hiking boots given their salary. Lucrecia usually had her reasons for things though, so Vincent had played along and spent what he would have on boots on gas instead.
He studied his wife's face in the late afternoon sun. She was different from that time so long ago when his father had introduced them to each other. Perhaps it was the family propensity for secrecy rubbing off on her, but she had become far more crafty in all she did. It was something he liked about her though, her ability to strategize and plan ahead, to make pleasant surprises in a world filled with so many bad ones.
"Oh, how well she's grown," Lucrecia murmured to him, her gaze remaining with the two children as they dug through the back seat. "To think that she was at death's door three years ago."
"Gast is doing a good job of keeping her out of the Agency's hands so far. You don't suppose he can make it remain that way, do you?"
"Aerith deserves a normal life," she replied, smiling to herself. "Besides, he doesn't have to do it on his own. That's why we're helping him, right?"
He smirked. "I could've sworn there was something in the Bureau's handbook about keeping secrets from the company."
"Now, dear…"
"I know, I know," he chuckled, turning his own eyes to their returning companions as they made the trek up the hill. "The Bureau may hold my living, but never my life."
"Good, don't forget then," she placed her soft hand on his, "when Gast cannot find time for his daughter, we're going to need to help look after her."
"And what about Ifalna?"
Ifalna, Gast Faremis' wife, was a stay at home mother who loved her work. There were times, such as now, that she would go off on her own to attend to an errand or prepare for an upcoming event; but for the most part she devoted her time to her only daughter.
"She needs help every now and then," Lucrecia assured him. "You didn't think we got to have Aerith for the afternoon just because she's fond of you, did you?
"Neither of us have much time off either," he pointed out. "Not to rain on your parade, of course."
She rolled her eyes, "I know that. It's just—"
"We're back!" Aerith announced, triumphantly holding the promised bounty above her head.
He observed the front cover intently. "Il Principe del Regno Della Pasta," he pronounced. It had a nice ring to it, as if it belonged with the classic collection of fairy tales. "You're certain this isn't an Italian folk story?"
"Yes! Papa says Signore Marco wrote it. Do you know Signore Marco?"
"Not really, he's part of Section Two. Section One doesn't tend to see them much." There was no need to explain the idiotic animosities between the divisions of the Public Security Bureau. Complicating Aerith's innocent world was not high up on his priority list.
"Not even you and Auntie?"
Vincent and Lucrecia shared a tired smile. "Yeah… not really. Maybe we should ask them to change the rules," he suggested half-heartedly. If only such simple solutions were possible…
"You should ask them to let you have more breaks, too!" the ten year old continued on, her excitement almost manifesting in leaps before settling for a steady bounce. "I wish you, and Auntie, and papa could all be with me for a whole week!"
"So what would we do if we had a whole week?" Lucrecia queried. "You know, just as long as we're planning it all out."
Aerith paused, thinking it over for a moment. "I think we should all go somewhere nice. Then mama can wear one of her pretty dresses and Auntie can borrow one too. And Zio will drive us in his cool car, and we'll eat good food and listen to classical music."
So that was why Lucrecia had asked him to bring the car…
"You like classical music?"
She nodded. "Opera, specifically. There's something full and wonderful about how they sing with their whole being. Someday, I want to go to a live performance of The Dream Oath."
"The Dream Oath?" Vincent echoed, trying to hide the amusement in his voice. "You do realize that isn't actually a classical work, right?"
"…It's not?"
The falling look on her face made him immediately regret informing her on the matter.
"But it sounds like one," Lucrecia offered, shooting Vincent one of her, I've got this, so hands off, looks. "Even though it was composed in nineteen ninety four, it mimicked the original style quite masterfully."
"Like my book?"
"Sort of." She took the book and turned it over in her hands. It was an excellent binding job, from what Vincent could tell. Gast probably had it specially made just for Aerith. "Every now and then something is created that becomes much older in our minds than it actually is."
"I feel older than I actually am…" Aerith sighed, slumping over to lean on Vincent's shoulder. "Maybe it's because of the magitek?"
"Maybe 'cause you're my older sister." Sephiroth suggested purposefully.
Vincent ruffled his son's hair and smiled. "Yes, that's probably it."
"Aerith will always be a part of the family, no matter what, right?" The youngest member of their party continued on.
Aerith grinned down at the boy, "Yep. No matter what."
}§{
La Stella Spettatore was a higher end restaurant deep in the heart of Rome. With bookings two months in advance and plates running close to €100, one had to have a lot of money, patience, and connections to get in. It was well worth the effort though, so long as one was going with the right company. Then again, Vincent reflected, that could be said for many establishments of much lower standard.
He looked into the troubled eyes of the twelve year old girl across the table who felt so distant these days. Maybe, he pondered, he wasn't the right company for the occasion.
"Aerith?"
"…Yes, Zio?" Her hesitant answer was predictable, but no less unsettling for it.
"Did I choose the wrong location for the evening?"
She blushed, nearly matching the hue of the pink dress she was wearing. "No, Zio. I just… I wish things were different."
As if it weren't already obvious that something was on her mind… He'd have to try another angle.
"Was your linguini not to your liking?" he chose another feint. It was important that she bring up the heart of the matter on her own terms but that didn't mean he was going to act as if it wasn't there. Though, there was not much he could do besides setting the scene for listening. She needed to know he wanted to hear her.
"It was very good, thank you," she assured him firmly. "I just have a lot to think about."
"Maybe you need some fresh air," he suggested, standing and offering her a hand. "It was a pretty heavy dinner, after all, no?"
"Yes, Zio," she complied. She couldn't hide from his experienced eyes that it was more to please him than out of necessity. Of course, that was one of the things that comforted Vincent about her; in his world of clandestine operations and backstabbing cutthroat politics, he would always know this little girl who he would understand and trust.
La Stella Spettatore had an outer balcony that overlooked the sprawling cityscape of modern day Rome. Despite its name meaning star spectator, the vast majority of the lights visible from the vantage point belonged to the metropolis rather than the heavens. To Vincent, it had been a great disappointment on his first time there with Lucrecia, but at least there remained the slight consolation of twin fountains in the archaic style flanked by Cyprus trees. A little something of the old and natural to break up the modern spectacle was just the thing to cater to his interests.
The pair came to the edge of one of these arrangements and sat down on a stone bench more often used for confessions of love than catching one's breath. After all, La Stella Spettatore had a large reputation for romantic potential that Vincent totally overlooked. For him, he just wanted somewhere nice to take Aerith.
Besides, it wasn't like he was intruding on anyone else's use of the facility. Tonight, the balcony was vacant save for the presence of him and Aerith. Considering it was early spring at the time, this was semi-understandable. Most patrons preferred to declare affection at a comfortable temperature. That hadn't deterred him from proposing to his wife in the dead of winter. In retrospect, waiting for a moment like tonight might have been a better idea.
"It's a beautiful night, huh Zio?"
"…I suppose so."
"You miss Lucrecia?"
She phrased it like a question, but they both knew it was more akin to a statement. He shifted his eyes to the side as he smiled ruefully to himself. Aerith had grown rather perceptive in the last few years.
"Yes, this place holds some special memories for us."
The moment seemed to hang in the light saturated air as they took in the cool breeze and watched the endless stream of activity in the city beneath them.
"Vincent?"
"Mmm?"
"I'm glad you're my Zio."
"And why is that?"
"When I'm around you, I'm not afraid to talk."
Bull's-eye. "Is there something you want to talk about?"
"Why is papa always so busy?"
"…" So it was about professor Gast. He would have guessed it to be something about school, or politics, or maybe even himself. The subject of her father was a difficult one for him to approach.
"I mean, he comes home every now and then, but he never seems to want to talk these days."
"Your papa has a very difficult job," he said slowly, choosing his words with the utmost care. "He… He has a lot to think about because the Agency is saying that…" Was she really ready for something like that? Knowing that the Agency was getting ready to shut down the magitek division of its Research and Development Department? He wouldn't put it past her to understand the repercussions this would have. "…that he needs to work harder." That was a nice, vague way of summing it up.
Aerith heaved a sigh, dropping her gaze from the sky to the marble paved balcony. "I wish he didn't need to."
"So do I. But sometimes things can't be as we want them to." Smooth. There was definitely a reason he had gone into the shooting business rather than counseling.
"I know… but I still wish we could be together more. Papa always seems so sad and… I don't know if it's my fault or not."
What a baffling conclusion. "Why would it be your fault?"
"Because when mama and papa talk when they think I'm asleep, it's always about me."
Stunned into silence, he concluded that the best course of action would be to change the subject. "…Aerith?"
"Yes, Zio?"
"Do you remember around two years ago, when you told us you wanted to go to the opera?"
"Yes," she sighed again, "and we still haven't gone."
"What was that opera about, again?"
"It was about two countries who are at war," she began, sitting up a little straighter as she recited the story. "In the country to the west, there's a princess who is in love with the hero of the west. One day, she hears he died and that the war is lost. The prince of the east tries to marry her, but she refuses.
"At that point, the most famous piece of the opera, Aria di Mezzo Carattere, is performed. The princess mourns the loss of her past love, and promises not to forget him. But in the end, she realizes that she has to move forward, because if her love remains in the past she will never meet him in the future. She has to change, even if she holds on to everything she lost."
He felt his eyebrows raise. Even if it was Aerith, it was still impressive that she could comprehend the tale on that level. "So what happens next?"
"I… I don't know," she admitted. "I wanted to see the rest in person."
"A night at the opera, huh?" Like most occasions, he reflected, she would need the right company to make it the experience she was looking for.
}§{
"Look, you've got to spend some time with her," Vincent stated to his colleague, leaning over on the man's desk in the waning hours of the evening. "A twelve year old girl like that needs a good male figure in her life."
Professor Gast grunted in reply and remained poised over stacks of paperwork, "I thought that was what you did these days."
"You're her father, that's not something I can replace."
"So you want me to take time off when the company is recovering from Dr. Marquis leaving and take her to the opera?" Gast's tone was icy. Vincent couldn't blame him, the stress of having to fill in for a superior who suddenly went M.I.A. was probably killer.
That didn't change how he felt about the situation. "Yes, that's exactly what I want, Doctor."
"I appreciate your concern for my family, Vincent," the doctor told him sardonically, not bothering to look him in the eye. "But we'll be fine. Right now, the company needs me."
"Look…" Vincent sighed. "Section One could stand one night without me. I'll fill in for you helping Lucrecia recover the lost documents."
"Thank you, but—"
"You'd rather spend the night cooped up in an office?"
"…No."
He smiled, not something he often did at work. "So then the answer is obvious."
"Are you certain you know what you're getting into?"
"You've got to have a steep learning curve to join the Public Security Bureau," he reminded his associate. "I think I can handle it. Besides, I've got Lucrecia just in case I get lost, right?"
"If you're wrong…"
"Then you can scold me after having the night of your life," Vincent assured him. "For now, just go and enjoy what you've got. The opera shows in one week; make it happen, Doctor."
"Just one question, Vincent."
"Yes, Doctor?"
"Why aren't you fighting to come along?"
"Somebody's gotta do the dirty work," he shrugged. "Besides, after Marquis' escape the Agency has been doubting the efficacy of anyone connected to magitek as watch dogs. I was purposefully excluded from the roster of escorts that will accompany you."
"Escorts…" murmured Gast, leaning back in his chair and stroking his soul patch. "I presume that they are not just for my safety."
Vincent nodded. "Correct, they want to make sure you're not up to anything fishy. They let their guard down with Marquis and are determined not to make the same mistake twice. Section One volunteered four of its members for the task; almost like they expect to get some dirt on Section Two out of it. So please, Doctor," he grinned, "remain on your best behavior."
"Sounds like you've already set things up too far for me to back out now," Gast muttered, rubbing his left temple. The man had become increasingly kinesthetic in the absence of Dr. Marquis. From what Vincent could tell, he would need this vacation.
"Exactly right, so don't get cold feet. You know how much we'd hate to disappoint director Draghi."
One week and a day later, he wished he could take back every word.
}§{
~Author's Note:~
Originally, Vincent and Lucrecia were both going to be called Uncle and Aunt in Italian, but Zio and Zia are too similar and I can't seem to find any affectionate alternatives while using google translate. Hense, Lucrecia is simply Auntie. Sorry for the lack of continuity.
Hopefully the flashbacks were not too disorienting. I apologize if Aerith's summary of The Dream Oath is unsatisfactory, it is by no means an all-inclusive interpretation. Also, I do hope that this chapter does not suffer from Fairy Dusting, i.e. characters and circumstances altered beyond believability just so something nice can happen.
-CG
