Chapter 5: Rose II

It was late that evening, after Korben’s scene at the café, that Vincent found himself wandering alone through Temdor—to him, Sector Two. He passed his apartment several times but didn’t go in. Even as the hour progressed and the temperature dropped, he merely turned up the collar of his long coat and continued on. His mind was restless, and in his case active thoughts often led to active behavior. The movement, the passing sights—even the dirty, grated smell of the city—helped him think.

Or, it usually did. Now his thoughts were so turbulent that he would have to run to keep up, and even then find no answers. It would feel good, though, to feel the wind. Being a Turk gave him plenty of exercise, but he rarely had the chance to simply run.

Vincent sighed, attempting to expel these impulses. There’s nothing to be concerned about, he told himself for perhaps the hundredth time. Korben will be fine—you’ve seen him get like this. Raile’s with his wife, happy. Tyser’s probably at the apartment, drinking. Willy is with Gavin, most likely…well, fulfilling Korben’s prediction. He coughed into his hand, not entirely from the cold biting at his lungs.

"But, good for her." He stopped walking, raising his gaze to the cloud canopy resting over Midgar. The sound of his own voice was surprising, as he rarely spoke to himself aloud. He found it an annoying habit; another sigh escaped his lips. "These cards must be bothering me more than I thought," he murmured, moving on. "Or maybe, just…"

Down the street some ways was a small convenience store, and as Vincent approached the door opened with the soft chime of a bell. A woman stepped out carrying two large bags, which apparently blocked her view; she bumped into another man and nearly dropped both. The man steadied her, and Vincent could hear her laughter mingling with an embarrassed apology. He recognized the voice, and the realization prickled the back of his mind sharply. Taking a deep breath, he approached Lucretia for the second time that day.

She didn’t see him at first thanks to her bags, and he could have laughed at the spectacle she made. But presently he was too disturbed by her sudden appearance to indulge in so simple a pleasure. I do believe in fate some voice deep within him whispered. Meeting her like this…when she was my mind’s sole concern…it can’t be a coincidence, can it? Or does fate only apply if I chose to follow it? Does speaking to her bring me that much closer to Chaos?

"Oh, Mr. Valentine, isn’t it?" The woman’s voice pulled him from his musings, and away from his being able to make a choice. "What a coincidence. Do you live around here?"

"Actually, yes." She was smiling brightly at him, and somehow, he didn’t want that to stop. On an impulse he said, "Are you heading home? I could carry one of those for you."

Lucretia heaved a sigh of relief. "Could you? It’d be such a help."

"It’s no problem," he replied smoothly, relieving her of her first burden. "But…I’m glad that I could see you again so quickly."

She glanced at him sideways, her expression pleased. "So am I." They began to walk together. "I have to admit, this morning was fun. I feel like I’ve known you for years—I haven’t told anyone some of the things I told you."

Vincent nodded. "In truth, I feel a bit guilty. I know your life story, but you know nothing of mine."

"Well, now’s our chance." Lucretia shifted her bag to the other arm so that she could see him better. "My apartment is several blocks away. Why don’t we talk a bit?"

"I’d like that," he replied without thought. And suddenly they were talking, sharing stories and laughing like a pair of old friends. Vincent revealed several things he’d kept secret that morning: the two of them had both grown up in Mordrina, and therefore had attended the same high school. They’d probably even shared a class, not realizing. Together they joked about their old teachers and friends. They were so engrossed in each other that Vincent didn’t notice at first that he’d followed her into her building and up to her apartment.

"Can I make you some coffee?" Lucretia asked, retrieving her bag of groceries and heading toward the kitchen. "Can you stay a while?"

"…Yes, that’s fine." Vincent glanced about the small apartment, and found its disorder vaguely annoying. There were boxes and bags everywhere, covering the hardwood floor and dusty furniture. If anything, he should at least help her unpack, as she was alone. "I see you moved in recently," he remarked.

She poked her head out of the kitchen and laughed. "Isn’t it something? Well, Shinra requested that I live in one of their own complexes, so I moved from Mordrina. Rent comes out of my salary—it’s so much easier, not having to worry about bills and paperwork." She disappeared for a moment, then emerged once more with two cups of coffee. "Between here and my office, I’ve got my work cut out for me."

"Maybe I can give you a hand." Though Vincent was glad to do it, his boldness surprised him. He’d never been so calm with women—he simply didn’t know how to deal with them. If living with Willy had taught him anything, it was that women and men were very different in nearly every regard, and he’d never bothered to give the matter another thought. But now, something about this woman intrigued him.

"I’d be eternally grateful." When Lucretia smiled at him, he felt a little warmer inside. "I’m so lucky to have found someone as thoughtful as you, Vincent."

"It’s nothing."

They started with the boxes: Vincent unpacked the dishes and appliances while Lucretia took care of her personal things. They talked the entire time—actually, Lucretia did most of the talking, but Vincent enjoyed listening to her more than sharing his own comments anyway. The hours slipped by like nothing, and before either realized it was late into the night.

The next morning found Vincent and Lucretia in a small Sector Two café, sharing breakfast and coffee—they hadn’t slept all night, and yet neither was tired. Amazingly enough, they hadn’t run out of things to talk about, either. They were still talking when Tyser found and joined them during his own search for breakfast.  "Hey, Jack, you didn’t come back last night."

"Jack?" Lucretia echoed curiously.

"Tyser names his friends after playing cards," Vincent explained. "Let me introduce you: this is Drake Tyser, a fellow Turk. Tyser, this is Lucretia Karlauv."

Tyser shook her hand, then cast Vincent a suggestive look. "So, you’re the one Jack was telling us about yesterday. A pleasure."

"Please to meet you." Lucretia’s gaze flickered to Vincent for a brief moment. "Your friend tells wonderful stories. I feel like I know you already."

Before the man could speak again—as his expression indicated the rising of some potentially obnoxious comment—Vincent intervened. "So, you’re out alone this morning?"

"Yeah." Tyser leaned back in his chair. "Duce came back late and said not to bother him, and King’s still playing family man." He chuckled to himself. "Queenie didn’t come back, though. Guess Ace’s fortune came true after all."

"Fortune?" The woman’s attention was drawn in full. "Your friend Mr. Jay, isn’t that right?"

"Yeah, he tells fortunes, sort of," Tyser replied before Vincent could stop him. "Don’t know how accurate they are, but…."

Lucretia’s face brightened in excitement. "Do…do you think…your friend would read my fortune? I so love old culture—it’s so fascinating. I don’t care if it comes true or not."

The two men exchanged glances. "I don’t know," Vincent began, a strangely unsettling feeling in his stomach. "Our apartment isn’t—"

"I’m sure it’s no worse than mine was yesterday," she insisted, already collecting the money for her bill. "Would he mind terribly? I’d be so grateful."

Vincent wondered vaguely if she always used her gratitude to get what she wanted. He admitted, however, that it was working. "I don’t know if he’ll be up to it," he stated slowly, "but I can take you to meet him."

"Great. Just let me pay—don’t worry, I’ll cover yours, too."

Tyser turned to his friend as she hailed a waiter and paid the tab. "Are you sure this is okay? Or are you just trying to get her into your apartment?"

Vincent shrugged. Truthfully, he didn’t know. All he knew for certain was that he couldn’t say no to her wide, bright brown eyes. He led the two of them out of the restaurant and to their apartment.

Korben was sitting at the short table in the apartment living room, legs crossed, staring at the smooth surface on which his cards were laid. He collected them one by one, shuffled the deck, and flipped the first card.

Chaos.

The occurrence was so common now that he didn’t even flinch. He’d spent the entire night shuffling the cards again and again, and every time he pulled the same card. He’d even wandered the streets, asking anyone who might give a damn if they’d shuffle and turn. After ten he stopped keeping count: they’d all pulled Chaos.

When the trio entered, Korben didn’t even notice at first. It was the short, excited intake of breath that alerted him to the presence of someone other than his friends, and he glanced over his shoulder. He was surprised to see a soft-featured brunette watching him curiously. In her eyes was a look of amazement—the kind of unbridled enthusiasm he’d once held in his own talents. He knew immediately that he could read her fortune. Or, I would have been able to, once.

"This is him," Vincent introduced. "Korben Jay. Korben, this is Lucretia Karlauv."

Korben took careful note of the expression on her face. He understood why Vincent had blushed when speaking of her; she had a very open, sincere look about her—naïve, optimistic. It wasn’t surprising that someone like Vincent would be attracted to such rare characteristics. "Please," he said, "don’t pay attention to the mess. I didn’t expect company."

The living space’s slovenly appearance was clearly the furthest thing from her mind. "Vincent tells me you read fortunes," she said, affirming his previous assumptions of her. "I was hoping you would read mine."

Korben began to shuffle the cards. He had a feeling that it wouldn’t work, or else he’d witness another haunting future, but the possibility of someone who believed was too great for him. He motioned for her to sit across from him. "I make no guarantees, but you look like you believe in this, at least." He handed the deck to her. "Good luck."

"Am I to shuffle them?"

"Yes."

She did so, grinning all the while. She pulled the first card and studied it a moment before placing it on the table. "Your drawings are wonderful."

The card was Mreg and Germ once more, but on this card they weren’t battling. Tyser was the first to comprehend the image. "Hey, are those dragons screwing?"

Vincent coughed into his hand, but Lucretia didn’t appear phased. She waited patiently for an explanation. "The mating dragons represent connection," Korben began, regaining some of his confidence. "You’re about to meet someone very different from the people you know already; someone who connects with you on a spiritual level. Not necessarily romantic, but someone who understands you."

"That’s amazing," she said, the excitement showing in her face. "Vincent and I met yesterday, and we’re already good friends. Isn’t that right?"

"Yes," Vincent replied hesitantly. "That is…odd."

By now Lucretia was completely convinced, and she quickly turned the next three cards all at once. The first was the most visually disturbing thus far; Korben grinned, pleased by their expressions, as he alone understood the symbolism. He was beginning to feel more like himself. He paused for a moment, letting the vision burn into their minds, before explaining. "Melissa is the symbol of passion." The picture was that of a beautiful, dark-haired woman. Her chest had been laid open, exposing her organs in gruesome detail; muscles and flesh were pulled aside to reveal broken, twisted ribs, and a heart that was glowing pure white. "You’re a scientist, aren’t you?" he questioned, and when she nodded, he continued. "Melissa is full of passion greater than life. You’ll devote yourself completely to your work, your mission. It’ll consume you."

"I’ve just been assigned to a new project," the woman whispered, as if frightened of breaking his woven spell. "What about the next one? The vampire."

"The vampire doesn’t represent you," he replied. "You are the woman it’s feeding on. The card is Lamprey: complete sacrifice. You’ll devote everything you deem sacred to some higher power—your project, maybe. Lamprey often follows Melissa. That’s why the woman are the same in both pictures." He paused to take note of Vincent and Tyser, who were watching apprehensively. "The last card is Michael, the Boy in White. He represents birth. Are you married?"

"No."

"Well, you might be. Michael usually represents child birth." He cast a sideways glance at Vincent briefly. "Congratulations."

"But your cards don’t predict time," the older man said hastily. "It could be years from now."

"True." Korben grinned, but when Lucretia—blushing—moved to take the newest card, he suddenly reached out and stopped her. "Let me." He pulled the deck closer to him and turned.

Lifestream.

Vincent seemed to relax somewhat, as if he’d expected something else. Korben then told his subject that her fortune had ended. Quite satisfied with the predictions, Lucretia then thanked him and decided to take her leave. Vincent volunteered to walk her to the train station. Once they were gone, Korben sighed.

Tyser sat down heavily on he sofa. "What’s the matter, Duce? She seems like a nice girl with a good future. Perfect for Jack."

"He doesn’t know what he’s getting into." Korben moved the Lifestream card aside, revealing the demon Chaos; he’d turned two cards at once to avoid showing it in front of her. "Chaos again."

Tyser straightened; even if he didn’t quiet believe in Korben’s "talents," his friends’ predictions were hitting close to the mark, and it was disturbing. "Are you sure about Chaos?" he asked quietly. "I mean, we can’t all be on our way to hell, can we?"

"I’ve read dozens of fortunes since Chaos first appeared. They all pulled Chaos at some point, if not right away. It can’t be a coincidence." He picked up the card and twirled it in his fingers. "I’m not quite as frightened by it anymore. There are two explanations." He collected and shuffled the cards except for Chaos. "First, that whatever this fate is will affect everyone in Midgar itself, like a war."

"And the second?"

He sighed. "That it applies only to me. My own future may be reflecting in the cards. If it’s strong enough, it’s possible."

Tyser considered this for a moment. "Have you tried reading your own fortune?"

"Yes. Chaos, every time." Korben laughed bitterly. "I’m beginning to regret I ever made the damn thing. I think I’ll give them a rest for a while." He reinserted the card in the deck and climbed to his feet. "The general called while you were out. We’ve got an assignment for a senior Turk. Since Raile’s still out on leave, you and Vincent will have to take it. I’m doing street work."

"Sure, sure, whatever. I’ll get my suit."

Tyser moved away, heading for his room to change. Korben, however, paused for a moment. He stared down at the cards in his hands, resisting the temptation to remove Chaos. Staring at the card as he had so many times before would not change anything, and neither would excluding it from the deck. Whatever was to happen to them—to him—he would have to discover for himself. He resolved to keep the cards hidden and in safe keeping until that time arrived.

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