Fallen to the Planet
Chapter 8: Mind Reading
What duties Vincent Valentine had to perform was beyond Reeve's understanding. The man hadn't been heard from since the little Jenova traded into her strait-jacket for some gloves a little over a week ago, let alone a glimpse of him in passing. Reeve tapped his pen in agitated thought about it. Was Vincent avoiding him all together? Did his decision really upset the gunman so much? The image of Vincent experiencing strong emotions was a hard one to fathom.
Reeve twirled about in his chair slowly, glimpsing out the window and the pleasant sky above and the green field below. Just in the distance, he could see the city of Kalm. What were the chances that Vincent was just in that city? Should he call and ask? Reeve decided against it. Vincent made it clear with Yuffie that he didn't want any unnecessary calls to just "chat." Reeve had nothing to bring the gunman to the WRO, and any other discussion could just anger him.
"Where has Mr. Valentine gone, Mr. Tuesti?" Reeve didn't even hear the girl open the door, but there she was, white hair and bright lilac eyes, staring at him from the entrance. A bipedal, black and white cat just catching up and grabbing a hold of her sleeve.
"Aye told ya to knock before entering, lassie! Tha's just bad manners ta not to." Cait gave her a light scolding, drawing her gaze to his feline face and waving a disapproving finger at her.
"Sorry Mr. Cait." She apologized, and made her way into Reeve's office. She walked all the way up to his desk and stood there, her eyes focused on the older man seated before her.
"Why do you care where Mr. Valentine goes, Than?"
"You care where his is, don't you, Mr. Tuesti?"
"Is that the only reason why you care? Because I care?"
Than had taken a sudden interest in her black gloves; wiggling her fingers and pulling at the fabric that clung so closely to her hands, like a second skin.
"Let me see your gloves, Than." Reeve held out his own hands to receive hers, and she slowly did so. He pulled her forward across his desk, so as to better inspect them. The first moment when he let her out of his sight, Than had run off to make chaos (like she was born to do). An hour or so later, his Cait doll had come back to his office, bald patches of fur missing and his ascot in tatters, heaving and telling that he had wrestled with the girl over a pair of scissors she was using to cut the gloves off. Luckily, Vincent had left the WRO by time that incident had happened and passed, so the gloomy man was still under the impression that the little virus was adapting to like the people of this planet.
Luckily, Than also didn't repeat the stunt since then. Her Cait watch-cat was also individualized and could be told apart from the rest since the struggle; he had a big hunk of his right ear missing.
But as Reeve looked over her gloves, he didn't find anything wrong with them. No holes or distinct scratches. He returned her hands back to her. The Commissioner of the WRO made a silent suggestion for the girl to sit, and she did so, the Cait doll taking a seat on the chair next to her. He was a good babysitter.
"So why do you care about what Vincent is up to?" Than had tilted her head in thought.
"He is my first victim on this planet." She was silent for a moment, eyes slightly downcast to remember the event. "I always kill my victims. And my first on a new planet is much like a teacher. I know nothing about how to destroy them until I learn about them." She went silent again. "The customs and language and weaknesses are all revealed thru that one being. And their own memories and joys and life become known to me. I take their life, to become them. A first step in taking over the host planet.
Vincent was my teacher for this planet. I was supposed to become him."
Reeve folded his hands on his desk, laying his head on them while he thought of Than's answer. Her eyes were now staring right into his own again, waiting for his response. She had developed an intense gaze.
So was Than feeling anger over her failure? Did she wish to hunt the gunman down and finish her job? Or was she feeling attached to the only being in the universe who had taught her anything and was still living? Her tone was hard to tell from. How she described her relationship with Vincent was respectful, at the very least.
"I think the same way about you, Mr. Tuesti." Reeve flinched a bit from the sudden input by the girl. "I was supposed to kill you too. But you live, like Mr. Valentine." For a few seconds, the two just watched each other from across the desk in silence. "You are teaching me too; about this planet, about these people." The Commissioner wasn't sure how to respond; did she realize that she was being manipulated? Or was she just acknowledging the fact that she was learning while being contained? Did she approve of this method? Does it anger her? Is she admitting that she is growing to accept the people on this planet? Or is she oblivious?
Perhaps a change in subject is needed.
Reeve straightened up in his chair and cleared his throat. "Your goal is to destroy this plant and these people, isn't it?"
"Yes, Mr. Tuesti." The answer was firm.
"Then, if you don't mind me asking, why are you so formal? So polite? Aren't we lower level beings that deserve to die?" The sirs and the misters were a sign of respect, which didn't fit a killer's feelings about its sufferers.
"But you are a very worthy opponent!" Reeve raised an eyebrow. She wasn't a sore loser, apparently. "You and your people deserve some respect to silence Jenova for song long and so consistently. You prove to be strong defenders, and as such, you have earned a title and immense respect from me, in the very least. I show this, by how I address you. A name or a title is very important to me and others like me." Reeve was interested in her personal customs, nodding to show that he understood. Then a thought occurred to him.
"What is your name?" Than tilted her head and furrowed her brow in confusion.
"You have given me my name, ."
"Did you have one before you came to this planet?"
"No! I have done nothing to deserve a name, ." Than's bright eyes showed her disapproval, along with her pouting mouth. In at least one way, the girl was just like Vincent; they both are very grave.
Suddenly bored with sitting around, the little Jenova stood up and made her way over to Reeve's office windows. She gazed outside at the pleasant scene, of the city in the far distance, of the slow rolling clouds in the sky. She seemed unimpressed with what the natural world had to offer. The inventor figured it was because she had a drive to destroy it, and yet she couldn't; a cruel trick of hanging food just out of a starving man's reaches. He heard her sigh.
"Do you think Mr. Valentine is just sitting around in Lucretcia's Cave? A lot of his memories are about her, Mr. Tuesti." Reeve propped his arm on his desk, supporting his head on it. He supposed that at least half of Vincent's time was spent inside that cavern.
"I suppose he could be there, yes." It was then that an odd realization passed through Reeve's mind; that him and Than were thinking about the same thing. The image of the warrior sitting down in front of a woman trapped in crystal, lost to the world as he contemplated his own thoughts and memories of the past. The more the Commissioner dwelt on the image, the more he became depressed over his friend. The gunman had a hard time letting go.
But did Than see it that way? Reeve supposed not; she doesn't understand what he experienced. ...What anyone has experienced...
The inventor was half tempted to ask what the small killer was thinking, but decided against it. To ask what she was feeling seemed simply stupid.
Having Than around made Reeve feel miserable. He motioned for the Cait cat to go get her, and being intuitive to his creator's subtle hints, knew what he was asked to do. He jumped down from the seat he was resting on, and took a few steps to stand next to the white haired girl. Cait grabbed a hold on her sleeve, and she looked down at him. Perhaps that look was apathy in her eyes, or perhaps it was of a more somber nature.
"Come on dear, Reeve's got things ta do." The cat smiled up at her. Than took a quick glance up at the man in his chair, and let the cat guide her out. She didn't smile back, or nod her head in agreement, but she knew she had no way of successfully staying if she wanted to. Without looking back, she said her piece.
"Good bye, ." The heavy door slammed shut behind girl and cat, and Reeve was left alone with his thoughts. Time stretched out in the silence as the dark haired man decided on what to do. He pushed some papers half-heartedly around, before deciding to take out his cell phone and call a number at the lower end of his contact list.
Sorry that this is a short and uneventful chapter, fellas. Trying to get back into the swing of things. I thought that this was a good start into understanding the type of creature Than is, so perhaps it isn't a total waste? Reviews, comments, favs are all appreciated! Thank you for reading. :)
-halfbreedfox