11: Second Chances Taken and Refused
“You’re doing well, but remember to fight her a little. She’s a strong-headed ship.” Setzer adjusted Relm’s hold on the wheel. “You tell her where to go.”
Relm giggled. “This is so rad!”
Setzer chuckled. “Just don’t tell your grandfather. Strago would skin me alive if he discovered I’ve let you pilot the Falcon on more than one occasion.”
“I’m not scared of that old fuddy-duddy,” she informed Setzer. “He wants to take away all my fun.”
Setzer pulled back on the wheel, guiding the Falcon up into the clouds as Relm squealed with laughter. “Strago seeks your safety, Relm. That is all. You will most likely understand that when you’re older.”
Setzer released his hold on the wheel and allowed Relm to straighten the Falcon’s path and level her off. She had a bit of a fight with it, but eventually got it done. Quite a task for a petite twelve-year-old.
“Well done,” he told her as he tousled her blonde curls.
She waved his hand away. “Stop it, Setzer. Geez. You and Marée. I swear.”
Setzer’s face hardened; the smile eradicated with the single word. “Here. Let me have a turn,” he said with a tight smile her direction.
Relm stepped clear of the wheel, sending him an odd glance before leaning her elbows against the ship and blinking into the wind. “It’s great up here. So far away from everyone and everything.”
Setzer clenched his jaw and slightly altered their heading toward Kohlingen. “Being so far removed has its moments, yes, but nothing compares to family and friends, Relm.”
Relm looked over at him. “But you’re alone.”
“Not completely,” he disagreed, momentarily meeting her gaze. “Though I wander, I know that I have many places to call home. Those of my friends.”
Relm moved her focus to the distant horizon. “But that’s different. You’re welcome to visit, sure, but you can also leave whenever you want. You can visit whenever you want, too. Me? I have to stay in Thamasa because grandpa says so. He won’t let me have adventures. He won’t let me find where I belong. Not like you have.”
Where I belong? In a constant state of wandering? A perpetual search for the next turn of card? The next adventure? What was a ship without a port to rest?
Setzer looked over at her again, and then he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be so eager to leave your roots behind, Relm. Seek out what you can in the time you have. Your adventure of life will come soon enough. Wait for it.”
Relm wrinkled her nose and looked away from his face. “I know. I just hate waiting.”
Setzer chuckled and gave her small shoulder a squeeze. “I understand that, Relm. Waiting most often causes more than its share of disappointments.”
But we mustn’t rush the experiences we have. We must hold the cards until all others have revealed their hand. And though Marée had revealed hers more than once, he’d still resisted; a slave to adventure. Addicted to the gamble. Setzer released a deep breath. Looking back proves nothing. Play your hand, gambler.
“There’s Figaro,” Relm said with a smile in her voice. “Kohlingen will be . . . right . . . there!” She gave a couple hops as she pointed. “Rad! We’re here!”
Setzer took the Falcon down as Relm hurried below to gather the children and prepare them for the visit into a new town, rules and things of that sort. Setzer doubted the little ones would remember the rules once they stepped from the ship, but it was a good experience for Relm. An experience of responsibility that Strago seldom allowed her.
Setzer released a slow breath as he anchored the ship and made his way below. Relm helped the younger ones into their sweaters as the older wrestled with their own. Setzer watched the adventure with a smirk before stepping forward to help.
“Cera, when’d you lose the bottom button?” Relm asked as Setzer finished buttoning Robbie’s jacket.
“I don’t know.”
“Did you put it in your pocket?” Relm checked the girl’s pockets and gave a shake of her head as Setzer moved to Peter. “Oh man. Well, I guess we’ll look for it tomorrow. Do you have your sweater on, Alyxis? Good girl. Everyone ready? Alright. Take each other’s hands so we don’t get lost. Let’s go.”
Setzer led them off the Falcon with Relm bringing up the rear. The children ‘ooh’d and ‘ahh’d at the different sights, pointing at this, that, and the other as the line of littles and bigs made their way through town. Tyrian made a fuss when Relm scolded her for letting go of her hand to pick a flower, but quieted when Relm followed the scold with a promise to do flower-picking after their visit with Terra. Setzer chuckled and, at a groan from the boys, made his own promise of a game of ‘Kefka War’ if they behaved themselves. They cheered and heartily agreed.
The group passed the café, more cheers voiced when told they were going there later for cider and chocolate milk, and dutifully made their way to the alchemist’s home. Once outside the door, Setzer opened it, ushered them inside, and gave Relm the final duty of leading them to the basement. He, on the other hand, would keep Edgar company once he retreated from the reunion, as Setzer knew Edgar would. Relm gave a nod and went on in, Setzer closing the door after her.
Squeals and giggles were heard very few moments later. Setzer chuckled with a slight shake of his head as he moved to lean against the wall directly to the left of the door. He crossed his arms. While Setzer had never thought of himself as ‘family’ material, his few adventures with Terra’s children had begun to smooth and fade that boundary. How lucky I am not to be instantly inheriting ten. Setzer couldn’t help but feel a touch of pity for the young king of Figaro who would so quickly find himself to be both husband and father at the age of 30 . . . or is it 28? Setzer shook his head. How does one adjust to such an extreme role change? It was an intriguing quandary.
More laughter and joy-filled squeals erupted within, followed by a chorus of child voices and a battalion of questions. Edgar would likely do his best to answer, but in the end Terra would need to calm the children down and tell them the story of her adventure as only she could. Edgar would then give her an adoring smile, likely pat one of the children on the head, and then make a timely exit to allow Terra and the children some time to themselves--
The door opened and Edgar exited with a smile and a chuckle before closing the door behind him. “At least they didn’t groan and shudder,” he said in a laughing tone.
“Too true.”
Edgar gave a startled jump as he looked to his right. He saw Setzer and reluctantly smiled. “You gave me a fright, Setzer.”
Setzer chuckled. “Of course. That was the point.”
Edgar smiled wryly. “I reasoned as much.” He motioned ahead. “I don’t suppose you could be persuaded to join me at the café.”
Setzer straightened, pushing away from the wall with a continual smirk. “Only if you play a game of cards.”
“Ah. It’s been ages. Of course I will.” And they made their way to the café. “Thank you for bringing the children, Setzer. I’ve never seen her so happy.”
“It was Relm’s idea. She has quite a knack for things of that sort.”
Edgar nodded. “She and Gau both.”
“Quite an unexpected talent, I would say.”
“Agreed.” Edgar motioned to the door. “After you.”
Setzer entered the café to head for the table to the right. Edgar sat across from him and ordered two ciders.
“I meant to ask before what had come of your interest with Captain Marée,” Edgar commented as Setzer retrieved his cards.
Setzer’s hold on the cards twitched, but his face showed nothing. He shuffled. “Nothing of any great importance, unfortunately. The roll of the dice, I suppose.”
“Stuff and nonsense,” Edgar grumbled. He placed his ante in the center of the table with Setzer’s and accepted the cards dealt. He adjusted his hand. “You need to control your own destiny, Setzer. Lady Luck and the Fates can’t be trusted.”
> “Yet didn’t they play a hand in your own happiness?” Setzer adjusted the cards of his hand with unseeing eyes.
Edgar scoffed. “Indeed. They arranged for Terra to be controlled and abused near death. It was my own choice that kept Terra and myself apart. Just as it was her choice and my own to confess our feelings of love.”
Unfortunately, what Edgar said rang of many truths.
“Lady Luck is a tease, as are her sisters the Fates. They dangle what we want in front of us only to take it away when we want it most.” Edgar requested two cards and adjusted his hand again.
“For a gambler,” Setzer said as he discarded and took one card, “Lady Luck is--“
”Stuff and nonsense,” Edgar interrupted. He tossed a few gil into the pot. “There is a time and place for everything, Setzer, and Lady Luck belongs at the table. Not at the wheel of your life.”
Setzer called the bet and lowered his cards. “Full House. Kings over Aces.” He raised his eyes to meet Edgar’s. “While I appreciate the thought behind what you’ve said, I can’t help but think you wrong. Luck and the Fates have made me who I am, Edgar. Denying their role would be denying myself.”
Edgar regarded Setzer a moment before presenting his hand. “Royal Flush. Hearts.” He gestured to the money. “Keep it as compensation for listening to the advice I’m about to give. The person you’ve become, Setzer, was made possible by the decisions you have made at each crossroad approached. Joining us, you decided to do so. Allowing us to use the Falcon to find our friends and thereby defeat Kefka, you decided to do. Giving Marée a chance to defend herself against the information I’d discovered, again, was your choice. If nothing came of a relationship with her, such is life, but it is your decision where you go from here. Marée’s a closed door, fine. Look, then, for the open window.”
Edgar stood and moved past, pausing long enough to give Setzer’s shoulder a firm grip. Setzer stared at Edgar’s winning hand long after he’d left, absorbing his words while desperately trying to decide which path to follow.