What Really Matters [Arlette, Alastair]

Perhaps this meeting had been a longer time coming than it should have been, but Arlette could blame that on no one but herself. She'd been spending far more time than could be called practical trying to reconnect with her sisters, working with architects and engineers to assure that her home could operate as nothing short of a super-maximum security prison for what was, ultimately, a collection of four highly dangerous individuals. She could have certainly separated herself from that group, but it would have only been dishonest.

Rough, scarred fingers idly tapped against the wooden table she was currently seated at, eyes watching the ocean with a faint interest. This little cafe on the edge of the city was quiet, rarely occupied by many people, so it had become something of a preferred place to come and think, or to work if she wanted something besides her office at home. That kind of personal preference was, in itself, alien to Arlette. It was an interest in something beyond practicality that she'd rarely experienced in her life, and that, in a way, made her feel uneasy.

It made her even more inclined than she already was to believe that her sisters, too, could change. That was why she'd decided to invite Alastair here, rather than simply going to his office. She wasn't interested in making this some sort of business-minded decision. No, Arlette wanted to convey her points as simply a woman who lived in the City of Lights. As, she wanted to believe, his friend.

Try as he might, Alastair was hardly the type to enjoy working himself to the bone every night. He did it anyway, of course, and he would never have voiced such concerns to a soul, but it made it all the easier to accept Arlette's invitation when it found its way to his desk. One could say that they had been avoiding each other of late, in the aftermath of the fateful Duvalier Gala, but it was certainly not intentional. They had both simply become quite invested in their own projects and, as they were wont to do, that investment had come at the expense of what some might consider a social life.

That was not to say that he had not been paying attention to what Arlette had been up to of late. Her renovation efforts had certainly garnered his interest, and so a meeting such as this was perhaps only a matter of time. The informality was a refreshing change of pace though, and the walk along the outskirts of the city gave him time enough to muse upon the oft-overlooked beauty of this island paradise. He was dressed plainly, a far cry from his usual Vandenreich attire and yet still a far cry from casual. Anything less might have been considered quite uncouth, and he did have something of a reputation to uphold.

"It is good to see you, Ms Arlette." He spoke once he had entered the cafe and spotted the former Ovide already awaiting his arrival, approaching at a brisk pace though pausing for a moment to await her acknowledgement before he took a seat. "I hope you are doing well."

Alastair's arrival certainly caused Arlette to perk up ever so slightly, her attention shifting from her work to one of the few people she felt she could trust. A faint smile crossed her lips, even if it was hardly what most people even could have considered a smile at all, and she spoke in her usual low, even tone.

"Doing better, at least. I'm probably close to how I used to be, and that's all I think I'd want."

She didn't have any greater ambitions as to her physical capabilities, and she had no intention of returning to the field any time soon. Running her shipping business was just fine with her, and she even had her Fruits. There was only one more thing Arlette really wanted out of life.

"Well, I'm not really good at small talk, so I'll try and get to it. I've been securing my house and looking into any other measures I can take. I'd like to have my sisters moved from their cells to my home."

Arlette seemed to have nothing else to say on that matter, waiting for Alastair to respond, though after a few moments she did speak up again, almost awkward for a woman so typically composed.

"Please."

Her narrow smile was met with a similar one in turn from Alastair, and yet both understood this to be a notably warm reception. Neither of them was especially charismatic, as rough around the edges as they were, but perhaps that was what had drawn them together in the first place. Not that he put much thought into it than that as he sat down across from her and placed an order for a coffee. Black, three sugars.

"That is most welcome news, more so if it pleases you."

Alastair knew that her bid for freedom had taken a great cost on both her physical and spiritual well-being, she who was once a living weapon was now far more delicate and yet he was quite elated to see her in higher spirits about her health. His brow did unmistakably furrow as she mentioned her sisters, hardly turning into a sour frown but there was still a slight wrinkle. The pang from her pleasantries cut him just a little deeper, but he was not the type to waver.

"There are more hoops to jump through than a simple request, though. I believe that both their actions were motivated by loyalty to Lady Duvalier and crimes of passion, but I will not waver on how I uphold the law. Ms Antonetta's case may be more lax than Ms Wolfina's, but both still carry hefty sentences. Their cooperation in matters regarding the seizure of former Duvalier Group assets has been conveyed to the proper judicial offices, and I will do everything in my power to give them chances as long as they are open to the opportunity, but this could be viewed as drops in the ocean. But.."

Raising his hands defensively, he tried to stall a response for a moment as those words settled in. He doubted that his feelings on the matter were a surprise to her, Eliane had tried to move him too and it had only steeled his resolve. This had to be done by the book, else there was no point in holding any illusions of being just, but it was a book he had now studied quite well.

"But. Were I to make the case that this was not a parole but rather a transfer to a specialised Vandenreich holding facility then I believe it may be possible to fulfil your request. There will be constraints and restrictions, the property will have to be thoroughly inspected and reviewed, but it is something to aim for at least."

That answer was already, perhaps, more than Arlette had been willing to hope for, even with the trust that she had in Alastair. Such a serious woman didn't let much emotion show on her face, but there was an undeniable light behind her eyes as she listened to him speak. She was quiet, for a few moments, and when she spoke again, it was in a tone less harsh than was typical for the hardened woman.

"I understand. I'll gladly comply with any standards the Vandenreich needs for a holding facility."

Well. In the depths of her heart, Arlette knew that wasn't entirely true. There were things she still wanted for her sisters. There were freedoms that she couldn't possibly ask them to give up. But she was willing to argue for those.

"I know Claudia's death is harder on them than on Eliane and I. She positioned herself as a mother to them in a way she never did for us. I don't agree with her framing us all like some happy family just to manipulate them, but they still looked up to us as older sisters. I know that I've failed them in that role, so being able to give them a real home is the very least I can do."

"Do not go singing my praises quite yet, this is only an offer to begin this process. If I were to consider one immediate concern that the justice department might have, it would be that this facility is intended to be owned and chiefly operated by a person outside of the main Vandenreich umbrella."

He had not wished to seem heavy-handed about it, but there was only one way he was ever going to present it. Arlette had suffered enough that he would not belittle her by attempting to beat around the bush. Even still, he stopped and let that settle in for a moment before leaning forward in his chair.

"It is possible that this can be overcome with enough concessions and politics, but it ties into another matter that I wanted to bring to you for your consideration." Much like her, Alastair's usually stoic visage cracked ever so slightly. "There are vacancies within the Vandenreich that I would like to see filled. I know that you are capable, both in matters of administration and organisation or further afield, and you have my trust so consider this an open offer. Should it be of no interest to you then I will speak no more of it, but I would be a poor Grandmaster if I did not at least hold the door open for you now, after all that you have done for me."

Sliding backwards again, both to give her a little more space to think about his proposition and to mull on his own thoughts, Alastair took the hot cup of coffee out of the waitress's hands and took an initial sip. Though clearly scalding hot, there was barely a hint of reaction from his tongue now and he could not help but miss that natural response.

"Lady Duvalier did a lot wrong. She made many mistakes that I may well spend the next decade of my life trying to put to bed, but we owe it to the Antonetta and Wolfinas of the world to turn those terrible things into something actually good for them. We will always be in that fight together, as long as you wish to be there."

"I don't exactly know if I'm the sort of person you might want in this organization. I'm not necessarily opposed to joining. I respect what you're doing here, and you know I'm happy to help you however you want. But I'm not someone with much of a grasp on right or wrong."

Arlette's gaze shifted from Alastair to the sea again, her finger tracing slowly over the rim of her coffee cup as she thought about this particular topic. She didn't really like bringing it up with anyone, least of all him. After all, it felt counterproductive to what she wanted out of life.

"I'm trying to fix that, but I was conditioned to be utilitarian, you know. I go for results. Right now, the things I want, the things I'm trying to do, are good things, where the best way to achieve them is by being an upstanding person. It isn't that I'm unwilling to work with you, or even uninterested. But as much as I'm loathe to admit it, I think even Eliane would be a better fit than I am."

She shrugged, then, letting out a small sigh as she returned her attention more fully to Alastair.

"Still. If you have a position where you think I could thrive, then I'll look at it. I want to be a good role model for my sisters."

"I believe that the fact alone that you are trying is more than enough to suffice. In my experience, the right path is a winding road that can cause even the most diligent mind to stray. But it is those who strive to return to the path and keep walking it, knowing they have faltered, who are the purest of souls."

Alastair's focus did not leave Arlette as she cast a wayward glance at their surroundings. When he spoke then it was without a hint of doubt, as pretentious and naive as his words might seem there was an unshakable strength behind them. He did not want Arlette to join the Vandenreich as some foolish act of nepotism, it was because he truly believed that she could do good there.

"In the near future, there will be a broad restructuring of departments and divisions. I dare say that the Vandenreich itself may look a little different. Internal security is one area that I believe has lacked particular oversight, with several events certainly showcasing our inexperience in this field. The recent tragic incident involving a Soldat who had been pushed beyond that breaking point does stick in my mind, leaving me to wonder if there was more that could have been done to keep them safe from themself."

He paused to let that settle, an attempt to gauge whether she felt any desire for the position or interest in the field. It was certainly one that had likely been under her portfolio with the Duvalier Group, but this was a different time and she was quite welcome to decline him.

"I have also considered extending a similar offer to Eliane, but I am not quite as much of a fool as some might believe. She may be free of Lady Duvalier's influence as much as yourself but I cannot yet say I know what her heart wants. I doubt that I ever will."

"With all due respect, I don't think most of my intentions are because what I'm doing is right. They're because I want what's best for me, and my sisters. If I work with you, then I'll work for the good of the Vandenreich, like I already have been with SPLI. It's about doing my job, getting results. There aren't many lives I think would mean anything to me if they were lost. My sisters, Bauher, you. Anyone else... I don't know. It's just a statistic."

She was an honest woman, perhaps because lying just wasn't productive in a circumstance like this. There wasn't any benefit for Arlette to pretend she was something she wasn't. If anything, she might have felt a little bit guilty being dishonest about it just for the sake of feeling useful, or being close to him.

"It would be awkward to incorporate the company into the Vandenreich. Frankly, I'm not entirely sure it would be prudent. They're involved with the organization's logistics and shipping, sure, but we have a lot of civilian enterprises that I don't think would accomplish much. I don't want to seem selfish, but I don't want to give up FRUITS again. If I can work for you and continue my independent ventures, then I'm not opposed."

A small smile crossed her lips, willing to concede that it was silly for her to be so attached to something like that.

"As for Eliane... She and I understand each other, even if I don't like to admit that. I think, if you want to talk to someone who's striving to have a good heart, then you should talk to her. She was given the worst nature out of all of us, and she knows that better than anyone."

Alastair had made his pitch, it had not landed quite as well as he might have desired but he would not devolve into picking apart her counters for argument's sake. He could well have continued, hammered in the point and strongarmed her as he had done for several other recruits that might have benefited from his fervour, but Arlette was free to make her own choices. This was not the end of their path or anything drastic like that, and there was little to gain by souring the mood and pressing her on something that he wanted her to believe in. So, instead, he nodded his head in agreement.

"This is not a take-it-or-lose-it situation, and I can fully appreciate that you have much to consider, so we can put a pin in that opportunity for now. There would certainly need to be an understanding regarding other interests, as I too would not want to force you to set aside your other projects nor force them into the Vandenreich like ill-fitting building blocks."

Her circle had already expanded beyond just her sisters, and there would likely be more in time, so all he really had to do was wait and see. She tended to judge herself most harshly, something that he was all too guilty of doing as well, but it was those attachments that he had first found endearing about her. Something that made her feel more genuine, whilst her sister had tried to smother him with a quite different form of endearment.

"If you think that extending Eliane a similar offer might be mutually beneficial then I will heed your advice, after all, you are my resident expert on the matter. I do wonder if she would find the idea of redemption cathartic or entirely laughable, but I have seen that she is trying all the same."