7: Trusting Lady Luck
"Setzer."
Setzer looked up from the examination of the deck of cards in his hand as he waited in the open hallway of Figaro castle. "Locke."
Locke Cole's steel-gray eyes were angry and determined as he strode out of the double doors leading to the throne room. He held a folded paper in his hands and a note carrier for a pigeon in the other.
"The plan?" Setzer asked.
"Don't know yet. I'm just letting Celes know what's going on and having her go to Mobliz to take a look-see." Locke jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Edgar's with her. She's really shook up."
Setzer pushed from the wall and moved to the exit of the castle and the message depot. Locke followed. "Understandably so, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I guess I'm stating the obvious."
Setzer held open the door into the covered hallway that led to the exit and the engine room. "It's all right. It's better than saying nothing."
Locke gave a shrug and continued to make his way to the exit. "I guess. I just wish I knew what the hell was going on. Kidnapping? That hasn't happened in years!"
Setzer followed Locke out into the sunshine and to the left of the castle. "I've a hard time believing it myself. Especially when I didn't think anyone knew Mobliz existed."
Locke gave Setzer a nod and a look that seemed to shout "I know" as he rolled up the note, placed it within the tube, and then laced the tube to the pigeon and sent it on its way. That done, they hurried back to the castle.
Edgar just entered the open hallway. "Setzer, can you give us a few more details?" he requested as the trio met in the center of the open hall. "We've little to go on and can't act unless some positive fact is known."
"The only 'positive fact' I know," Setzer began in an agitated voice, "is that Terra's kids are gone. How in the hell are we to discover who is responsible?" And what if Marée is somehow involved?
Edgar rubbed his chin in thought. Locke tapped the toe of his boot into the ground. "What has Terra told you?" Edgar asked.
"Only that she was alone in her garden when she heard a scream and then yelling. She didn't see anyone or anything."
Edgar absently nodded.
"What about you?" Locke asked suddenly. Setzer focused his gaze on the treasure hunter. "I've been so busy with plans for the wedding and the party I haven't really been anywhere. You have, though. Notice anything odd?"
Setzer thought back, pressing his lips together in exasperation. Odd? Meeting a woman that fascinates me at all is odd enough! Finding out she knows Terra and Relm shouldn't even be possible! But something in his trip to Zozo poked at his attention. "Zozo."
Locke and Edgar's expressions were incredulous. Setzer focused his attention on them. "I was in Zozo on a personal matter when I happened upon a poker game with some particularly high stakes. Never one to pass up a challenge, I bought myself in and proceeded to notice a very odd man indeed."
"An odd man, eh?" Locke asked slowly. "What kind of odd man?"
"What was his name?" Edgar interrupted.
"Ledo." To hell with the man's name! Terra's kids are gone and Marée has disappeared! Let's get the hell out of here and do something!
"What was he doing there?" Locke asked. "Just playing poker?"
Setzer's gaze sparked as he gestured to the two of them. "It doesn't matter. Go get Terra. I'll be on the Falcon."
Locke and Edgar gave a nod before moving away. Setzer turned for the exit, striding outside and onto the Falcon. He slammed aboard and stalked through the main room to his private office. Once in the safe silence surrounded by a memory of Marée's presence, he relaxed.
Setzer took in a deep breath and changed his eyes to her portrait. He stepped forward and took it up, holding it gently between his hands. He had no reason to believe she was in danger. No reason to believe she'd been in Zozo. Dreams rarely came true, and what other than a dream had convinced him she had embroiled herself in a dangerous adventure?
Setzer released another breath as he carefully hung the portrait on the section of wall prepared the previous night. He crossed his arms as he examined the intoxicating intensity of her. I will leave you to your own protection, Marée. Lady Luck will have our paths cross when the time is right. He reached out and caressed her cheek and lips. Our paths will cross again. Then Setzer heard Terra, Edgar, and Locke board the Falcon. He turned to enter the main room, leaving his concern and terror behind him.
» § «
"That's the third hand I've won," Locke stated as he threw down his cards. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "Cut the crap, Setzer. What's the matter with you?"
Setzer took up the cards. "I'm sorry, Locke. I suppose I'm a bit distracted."
"There's an obvious understatement. You haven't made mistakes like these since… Hell. You've never made mistakes like these."
"As I said before: I'm distracted."
Setzer shuffled the cards, but his mind wouldn't focus. He still thought on what Edgar had said. Of revenge and its control. Of rage and its ability to change a person's heart. Of keeping Terra from retaliating against the man who'd taken her children. Would I have been able to remain as firm if it were Marée? Will I remain as honorable if she is in danger? Setzer didn't believe he would. Marée's intoxication of his soul had become a part of his existence, odd as that seemed. If she was harmed in any way, he wouldn't hesitate to kill those responsible.
It was who he was.
"Setzer, why did you go to Zozo?" Locke asked suddenly. "You've no love lost on that place, and I can't believe you need money bad enough to show up just to play cards." Locke began to toy with a boomerang-type weapon called Hawk Eye. "Come on, gambler. What's up?"
"I told you. Personal business."
Locke scoffed. "And what color eyes were they?"
Setzer raised his calm expression from the cards. "My personal business is none of your concern, Cole. I suggest you keep your mind on your cards."
"Me? I've already won 1,100 gil from you. I'd say you're the one needing to pay attention." Locke grumbled. He put his toy away and grabbed the freshly dealt hand. "Geez. I ask a simple question and get my head nearly handed to me." Locke discarded two cards and tossed some gil onto the table. "You and Edgar both need women," he mumbled.
I know, Setzer nearly moaned aloud, sparing a glance to Marée's portrait. His chest tightened with a collision of memories and expectations, worry fanning the flames of their passion. When he saw her face again… Setzer drew his eyes back to his cards, but his mind wouldn't go to the game. He relived her scent, her voice, her walk, and her very presence. When he saw her again, there would be no whisper of 'not yet'.
Locke tossed down his cards again. "If you're not going to play like a man, then I'm not going to take your money. I've got some pride, you know."
Setzer blinked and lowered his cards, pushing back from the table to silently walk to the window behind his desk. He stared out at the passing scenery, hands clenched behind his back. How many days since I saw your face, Marée? Three? Yet it seemed longer. So much longer. He clenched his jaw and briefly itched at his scar.
"Now that is a woman of the sea."
Setzer turned to see Locke examining the picture of Marée.
Locke met Setzer's eyes. "Darryl?"
Setzer shook his head, and he couldn't force himself to speak her name. At least he doesn't also know her.
Locke changed his eyes back to the portrait. "That daring look in her eye reminds me of you," he observed with a smirk. "No wonder you've got her portrait." Locke took a step closer and leaned in. "Hm."
A prickle chased dread down Setzer's spine and back up again. "What is it?"
"The ship."
"What about it?"
"Seems like I've seen it before."
Setzer adjusted his crossed arms and turned his attention back to the scenery outside. "It's a cargo vessel, Locke. Of course you've seen it."
"Yeah, but the name sounds familiar." Locke gave a shrug and turned away from it. "Guess it doesn't matter. So." Locke leaned against Setzer's desk and began fiddling with different items on his desk; a dagger letter opener, a broken magicite shard paper weight, and a collection of dice that Setzer had gathered on their varying adventures. "What's her name?"
Setzer clenched his jaw. "Marée."
"Where'd you meet her?"
"Over a deck of cards." Which wasn't exactly a lie.
Locke chuckled. "Figures."
Setzer could feel Locke's stare on the back of his neck. But Locke kept his other questions to himself, much to Setzer's surprise. Since acquiring his own personal completion, Locke had made it a goal to do the same for his friends. Setzer, who'd never cared for attempting to control his fate, rathered Luck take a hand in his 'love life'.
"Locke, no conniving or plots, if you please," Setzer said in an odd voice. "I prefer Fate to have her own way."
"Suit yourself. Although how she's going to do that when we're busy tracking a snake, I've no idea."
Setzer surrendered to a smirk as he turned from the window and sat in his office chair. "The same way I met her in the first place. The same way you met Celes. The same way she deals the cards to all."
"The same way she dealt with Darryl?"
Setzer's smirk faded to a scowl.
Locke straightened, setting the magicite shard carefully back on the stack of papers. "Sorry, gambler. That was out of line. I'll go sit in the corner."
Setzer grabbed up the dice and clicked them within his hands. Like Darryl. His glare deepened, and his suspicion toward the Fates grew. Especially with how they seemingly liked to tease him.
» § «
Setzer's glance to Terra saw more than what she wanted seen as she and Edgar exited the Falcon. Helplessness gave rise to a hysteria in her eyes and in her very persona. That hysteria fed a desperation that tore at his carefully held peace of mind. He moved his gaze away, clenching his jaw as he performed an absent one-handed shuffle of his cards. It was the third deck he'd gone through since leaving Figaro, wearing the corners and edges down to nothing but tatters and pulp.
"We should start at the auction house," Locke said. "Anyone who wants anything that's worth a gil or two always goes there."
Setzer sent him a glare. "Locke, selling children isn't very widely accepted since the disappearance of the Empire. They wouldn't do anything quite so obvious."
"Yeah? Well I don't hear you giving any bright ideas. What do you want to do? Hold up a sign that says 'will pay for children'?"
Setzer clenched his jaw. "What I want to do is search somewhere that makes more sense than an obvious wild choco-chase. We should ask the man at the inn if any--"
"The inn?" Locke scoffed. "Yeah. There's a bright idea. When was the last time you heard an innkeeper tell the truth about anything without the promise of a few dozen gil rubbing holes in his pocket? Might as well go to the innkeeper in Zozo butt-naked with a tattoo that says 'sucker'."
Setzer balled his fists and took a threatening step forward.
"Gentlemen, calm yourselves," Edgar commanded in a firm, no-nonsense tone.
Setzer and Locke both glared at Edgar, but when Setzer noticed Terra's expression of barely restrained panic, he yanked in his temper as well as his own need to find what he believed he'd lost.
"This constant contention is not helping anyone, and it will only serve to make it more difficult for us to work together when the time comes to face this--" Edgar glanced toward Terra's face and pressed his lips together. "This gentleman," he continued finally, "and believe me when I say I use the term loosely."
"They're not here," Terra said suddenly.
The certainty of Terra's statement made Setzer change his gaze to her. He raised an eyebrow and ceased the shuffling of his cards.
"He hasn't been here," Terra continued, and this time her eyes narrowed.
As Terra continued with her reasoning, Setzer noticed the desperation and hysteria had vanished. Instead, they'd been replaced by self-assurance that didn't seem natural. Not for Terra. She'd been certain and assured during their exploits so many months before, yes, but there had always been a constant presence of… Terra's underlying timidity. As she countered Locke's assertion that the attitude of Jidoor didn't mean the slaver wasn't there, the pure 'Terra' aura seemed changed. Harder. Darker.
Setzer lowered his gaze to his cards and thoughtfully turned the top card. Ace of Spades. Terra passed Setzer and strode to the Falcon. Setzer lifted his gaze from the deck in time to catch Edgar's 'you leave her, you die' look. Then the young king of Figaro followed Locke toward the auction house.
Setzer looked again to the deep black card of relentless power before carefully placing it back into the bulk of the deck. Then he purposefully tucked the cards into the inner pocket of his jacket and turned to make his way back to the Falcon. When he entered, Terra wasn't in the main room, nor in his private office. Setzer heard her movements down in the engine room.
Setzer leaned against the railing and stood watch.
» § «
"Setzer."
Setzer stood from the couch and went to meet Locke and Edgar as they entered the main room. "What has been decided?"
Locke didn't look too happy, and Edgar seemed less than his assured self. "We're going to Zozo," Locke said. "You probably don't want Edgar driving, not since what happened before, so why don't we go up."
Setzer raised an eyebrow, but Edgar asked "Where's Terra?" before Setzer could ask why he was being prodded on deck.
"In my office," Setzer told him, slightly suspicious.
Edgar moved to the office and disappeared inside, closing the door firmly behind him as Locke headed to the stairs leading on deck. Setzer reluctantly followed. Once he'd set himself to one side of Locke who steered the airship toward Zozo, he began a more in-depth examination of Locke's attitudes.
Hmm. Edgar comforting Terra. Locke organizing their seclusion. But the fact that Locke didn't look thrilled with the arrangement made Setzer more than a little curious. Setzer tapped his lips and pulled his deck from his jacket. He shuffled it thoroughly and drew the top card. Jack of Hearts. Jack of Hearts? And the next card he drew, instead of the expected deuce or ten of Hearts, was the Ace of Spades. Setzer raised an eyebrow.
"I don't like it," Locke grumbled with a shake of his head. "I don't like it at all."
The fact Locke played the role of a clucking mother-hen amused Setzer to no end. He smirked and resumed the soothing shuffle of his deck. "Leave them alone, Cole. Life is a lonely mistress. Those two deserve what they're getting." Terra and Edgar have suffered enough of Fate's amusement. They should be exploring the other's touch and what it reveals. As he wanted to do for himself.
"She doesn't know Edgar like I do," Locke said in an annoyed voice. "The last thing she needs is Edgar putting the moves on her and kissing her so she can barely think straight. She's just a kid." And his hands gripped the wheel as a kind of reiteration of his vow to protect her.
Kissing a woman in such a way is what our soul longs for. To experience the intensity of a woman of depth. "Terra is a woman and Edgar is a man," Setzer said simply, and the flash of the promises of that statement made his chest tighten with his own desire to experience a woman.
"Don't remind me."
Setzer reluctantly laughed. "I thought you wanted them to be married, Cole."
Locke scoffed. "He hasn't exactly put a ring on her finger, has he? I don't like putting the cart before the chocobo, okay?"
"Do you truly doubt he will? Edgar is a man of honor, Cole." Setzer lowered his eyes to his cards as an odd tension squeezed his soul. "Don't trifle with that or you're liable to get your head cleaved in two. Besides," and Setzer palmed the Queen of Hearts with a slight smirk, "I don't believe anything but a few passionate embraces are being shared. He respects her too much to rush her into more than that."
Edgar seemed the king of 'not yet' and 'soon'.
"You don't know Edgar."
Setzer frowned. Who truly knows their heart? "Only Edgar knows Edgar," he said as he stood. "Trust your friends and leave it at that. I'm going below."
"If you come back a little pink around the ears, I'll know you were wrong," Locke grumbled.
Setzer's frown lightened, and he released a chuckle as pleasant memories of Marée soothed his soul. "It's nothing I haven't experienced myself," he said as he moved away. "A little amusement would be just what I need right now."
He could only take so many memories of the promises spoken by her lips and eyes. Setzer released a deep breath. He may have been wholly dedicated to the Falcon and the adventure Fate gave him, but Marée was the only woman who could warm his skin and hold the secrets of his soul. She could be the haven that would constantly draw him back, full circle.
