Chapter Text
Based on the high pitched shouting alone, Sthal’s next appointment was here. He sighed, running a hand through his hair and rising. His knees popped, and he groaned. Definitely too much time at the desk of late. Hopefully this meeting was a short one. He glanced at the chronometer on the wall—at least the appointment was punctual. Three minutes early, in fact. He made his way across his office, opening the door to pandemonium.
“Sir—you can’t just—sir are you even listening to me?” Emmanellain’s voice was shrill. The youngest scion of the Fortemps family had never done well under pressure. Which was precisely why his father, a patron of Sthal’s mothers, had sent the young man to work for the accountant in the first place.
“Sir.” The Elezen took a deep breath. “I simply need your name, and the time and purpose of your appointment so that I can check you into our scheduling software.”
Sthal leaned against the doorway. Emmanellain really was doing much better. Terrifically so, given that the man in front of him was at least a head taller than him, his height almost comparable to the Roegadyn’s own, and was decidedly ignoring him. Six months ago, Sthal would have been scraping Emmanellain off the walls after he exploded from stress. Sthal glanced at his appointment. Zenos Galvus. Another young man, who was standing mute and staring straight at him, eyes a wicked but dull blue.
“Well?” Sthal asked. “Are you going to check in with my secretary, or are you going to pay me for the leisure of standing here. I do believe you were briefed on our protocols?” He straightened his cuffs nonchalantly. They were crisp, of course, and held neatly with glimmering burgundy cuff links.
Zenos’s eyes did not leave him as he snapped at Emmanellain “Zenos Galvus. COO of Vanguard Incorporated. I have a meeting with Mr. Tofwytasyn. 1:30pm, sharp.” The desk chronometer beeped the half hour.
“Very well, Mr. Galvus. Right this wa-“ The tall man swept past the entry desk, continuing to ignore the Elezen, and coming to stand directly in front of Sthal.
“Arrogant.” was Sthal’s only thought on the matter, as he stood eye level with the operations officer of one of the largest security companies in the region. “Emmanellain, be a dear why don’t you, and go take a long lunch,” he said, turning away from his client.
“But-- I—we—I’ve eaten already?”
Sthal sighed, resisting the urge to pinch his nose. Sometimes the boy was unspeakably obtuse. He pulled a slick card from his money clip. “My treat. Come back in say, an hour?”
The young man took the card, and Sthal saw the lightbulb go off over his head. “Ah. Yes. Thank you sir.”
“And make sure you log out of the computer, Emmanellain.”
Emmanellain flushed to the tips of his ears. “Ah. Right sir. I shall see you in an hour!” He fairly fled from the office.
“Now,” Sthal said, turning back to his appointment. He’d felt the younger man’s eyes on him the entire time. “Please,” he said opening the door, “Step into my office, and tell me what it is that brings you here.”
If he hadn’t been so rude to Emmanellain, Sthal would have considered asking for the name of his tailor. Zenos’s charcoal grey suit was well-fitting across his broad shoulders and down the line of his leg. It wasn’t always easy to find a tailor who could work with larger proportions. Though. His eyes flicked over the fabric, and Sthal doubted he could have afforded the tailor’s fee for materials alone.
“Is it not obvious, Mr. Tofwytasyn?” Zenos asked. His voice was higher than his frame suggested, but had a burr to it, something that caught in the back of his throat.
Sthal made his way around the man in front of him to a side table in the office. “Clearly not. I admit, I am used to speaking with people from finance departments or independent business owners. Operations of large companies, less so. Tea? Coffee?”
“Neither.”
“Suit yourself.” Sthal poured coffee from a gently heated carafe and stepped over to the desk, seating himself. “Please,” he waved a hand at the chairs on the other side of his desk. “Take a seat.”
Zenos chose the larger of the chairs—Sthal kept several in the same style but different sizes, to best suit the needs of his clients. At least one fit, though Zenos reclined in it in a way that made it look far too small for his frame.
“As you are doubtless aware,” the Garlean began, “We will be undergoing audits soon, given some rather large organizational changes between last fiscal year and this one. I would prefer to hire an external agent to check our internal accounting department’s numbers prior to government officials scraping over invoices and requesting signed contracts on specific dates.”
Sthal stirred his coffee, letting the tension build in the silence. “I see. I must ask again why you are meeting with me about this, as opposed to a representative of your finance department?”
“Ah.” The slightest crack of emotion in Zenos’s eyes. This was the first time he’d seemed actually interested. As quickly as it brightened, his expression dulled, leaving Sthal to wonder if he’d imagined it.
“Unfortunately, we are currently in the market for a new CFO. Our prior appointee had a rather terrible accident and is no longer with us. As for why you are dealing with me,” Zenos’s smile grew sharp, and Sthal had the feeling that whatever happened to the CFO was not an accident at all. “Our CEO and I have been splitting duties. Unfortunately, I have no head for and less interest in numbers. I received your name from one of our clients—an alchemist of some repute. He was most pleased with your work.”
At least half of that was a lie. The alchemist though…Cocobusi, perhaps? He would have to ask the Lalafell, it seemed unlike him to be involved with Vanguard. Sthal took a sip of his coffee, muddy green eyes meeting and holding bright blue.
“I was hoping you would be amenable providing your services.”
“It sounds like an awful lot of work. Checking everything all by my lonesome. Why should I?”
He knew well the rumors surrounding the security company. Embezzlement, extortion, camera footage that was corrupted or deleted before it could be reviewed. One of the seedier sources he’d contacted had whispered something about hired killings, before disappearing, terrified down Pearl Lane.
“It will be a most…lucrative contract for you, Mr. Tofwytasyn.” Zenos leaned forward in the chair, resting his hands on his thighs. “In addition to the financial benefit, I would be willing to maintain security of your offices. We have a department that works exclusively with cloud based encryption. Privacy is incredibly important these days.”
“Mhm, mhm,” Sthal took another sip of coffee, breaking the intense gaze. He felt terribly calm and focused, and a smile twitched at the corners of his lips. “Let me see if I have this right. Mr. Galvus. You seem like a man who doesn’t care much for overly complicated games. Perhaps something more straightforward.” Another spark flared in Zeno’s eyes. Sthal’s smile curled higher, but he smoothed it away to a careful neutrality. “You would pay me handsomely, to give you not only a scapegoat for your auditors but also access to my physical premises, and any information stored digitally. I would be a one-person machine, racing against time for the prestige of working for you. You have done your research on my business, I’m assuming?”
The Garlean nodded, eyes fixed on Sthal’s face.
“Then you must understand why I’m declining your oh-so generous offer. I have no desire to give up the little freedom that I have in this world of ours.”
“And what if you have no choice?” Zenos fair purred.
“My dear boy, there is always a choice.”
Zenos straightened, leaning closer to the Roegadyn, hands splayed on the desk between them. They were nearly nose to nose. Sthal leaned back and laughed.
“Oh, Mr. Galvus, are you really trying to physically intimidate me?” There was something dangerous in the accountant’s eyes. “You come in to my office, you disrespect my secretary to the point where the boy is near tears, and now you attempt to threaten me?”
Zenos recoiled at the sound, his tongue darting over his lips.
The Roegadyn rolled his neck, and made direct eye contact. “Get out.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to meet with me, Mr. Galvus, and I’m sorry that we could not come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Now, unfortunately, I must ask you to leave.” Sthal raised an eyebrow at the Garlean still seated at his desk. Zenos was silent, processing, confusion evident in his eyes. He was clearly not a man used to being told no.
Sthal clapped his hands. “Chop chop, you’ve places to go, people to threaten, and I have work to do. Out.”
Dumbfounded, Zenos rose from the chair and mechanically made his way to the front door. He tipped his head in mock obeisance.
“We shall meet again.”
The drama of his exit was interrupted by Emmanellain, back rather earlier than he should’ve been. “Mr. Tofwytasyn, sir, I realized that I never asked if you wanted me to get anything for you, and then I thought I’d ought to ask, but you were in a meeting—Oh, you’re still here.”
Sthal was patient, but even he couldn’t hold by the sigh at the (perfectly understandable) venom. “Mr. Galvus was just leaving, Emmanellain.”
Zenos nodded, his gaze frosty as he pushed past Emmanellain and out into the larger hallway.
“Oh. Was. Was the meeting alright?”
“It was…interesting. Why don’t you just go home for the day. Ah—but do give me my card back, there’s a good lad.”
Sthal waved Emmanellain’s protests away and fairly bundled the boy out the door once he was certain Mr. Galvus had left the premises. The office was finally quiet. Sthal sank into his chair, fingers steepled. This was going to be a problem. Oh, but it was going to be so fun.
He slipped his cell out of his pocket.
Edmont answered on the second ring.
“Sthal, my boy, it’s been ages! What has my fool son gotten himself into this time?”
Sthal couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, the fool is not your son this time, uncle. Though perhaps it would be best if he spent the next few weeks in your company instead of mine. I seem to have become embroiled in some game of politics and I cannot see the whole of it.”
“Hm.” The Count de Fortemps emeritus’s noise was noncommittal, and Sthal waited to see what else he would say. The silence stretched. “Well, are you going to share any more? I cannot help if I don’t know if we’re playing Triple Triad or pinochle.”
Sthal sighed. “Perhaps chess in three dimensions. I was approached by Vanguard Security as an external financial consultant. Their CFO apparently had an accident.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“Well, my boy, that certainly is quite a day you’ve had, I’m delighted to tell you that I will be in Ul’dah on Wednesday. Would it be quite alright if I took Emmanellain off your hands for a few days? Family business, I have to take him shopping prior to Starlight or he won’t be able to find anything for gifts.”
Ah. So Edmont had things to say but he was around other people.
“Of course. Should I make a reservation for dinner, or will you be stealing my secretary like a thief in the night?” Sthal’s voice was warm, amused.
“Oh worry not about reservations, I will take care of it and have someone send you the information! I look forward to seeing you, my dear, it has been entirely too long.”
“Love you Uncle Edmont.”
Edmont’s voice caught on the other end of the line. “I love you too, Sthalgeim.”
The line clicked off, and Sthal slid his phone away.
Well. Nothing left to do but work. He spent the next few hours engrossed in numbers, responding to a few emails, and calling his cooking instructor to let him know he wouldn’t be able to make it to the Wednesday night class.
Around six-thirty, he saved all his files, offloaded them to the cloud, and made two copies on separate password protected hard drives, one of which went in a locked drawer in Emmanellain’s desk, the other of which went in his briefcase. It was Monday night. He had an entire day before dinner with Edmont and Emmanellain.
Humming slightly to himself, he headed out of the office and locked the door, snapping a picture of it on his phone in case he woke in a panic in the middle of the night. This had little to do with Vanguard, and everything to do with Sthal’s own predilection for visual reminders. Thinking of Vanguard however…he shook his head. By all accounts Zenos Galvus was ruthless, but distant, running day to day operations only as a final authority. The turnover at the company was rapid, and Sthal was certain that any positions posted online would be up again within three months of being filled. Darker rumors aside, it did not seem like a pleasant place to work and Sthal had only accepted the meeting after being incessantly pestered by Zenos’s administrative assistant, a young man named Asahi Brutus.
“You are very hard to get ahold of, Mr. Tofwytasyn,” he had said, and there had been something bitter in his tone when Sthal had finally picked up the phone.
“That is intentional Mister--?”
“Brutus. Mr. Asahi Brutus, of Vanguard Security.”
“That is intentional, Mr. Brutus. I can hardly do my work if I’m spending my days chatting on the phone. How can I help you?”
And so, whining and griping and scheduling later Sthal had agreed to meet, briefly, with Zenos Galvus. He shook his head. What was done was done, and now there was just the fallout to worry about. It was time to go home. But first, a visit to Cocobusi.
***
As he’d hoped, Busi’s shop was open and for a mercy it looked fairly empty. His eyes flicked to the storefront window. There, in the bottom corner, was the triangle bracketed diamond of Vanguard security. Oh, Busi, what have you gotten yourself into? The door chimed as he pushed into the shop proper, stooping slightly.
“Oh!” Cocobusi’s voice was high and surprised. “Mr. Tofwytasyn, are you here with the accounts? I wasn’t expecting you until next week! Please, do come in! Why ever didn’t you call?”
“Ah, Cocobusi, I’m not here on official business, and I’ve told you, please, you of all people can call me Sthal.” He had to bend his neck in a way that guaranteed a multitude of chins to meet the Lalafell’s gaze.
“Yes, well, it never feels quite proper, to be so familiar. But please. Tell, me, what brings you in? Looking to try a new focus potion? Or, perhaps, has your aether begun to revert and you need another dose of astral stabilizer?”
Sthal shook his head, looking down at the fellow. “Neither, neither. Actually, I am looking into hiring security for the office, and I was wondering who you used.”
“Oh! Well. That…” Cocobusi looked at his feet, shuffling uncomfortably. “Look I’m sorry, alright! I didn’t realise they’d hound you! It’s just. The fellow was so very large, and well, they’re very good at what they do, I haven’t had any problems, and I just thought that well, maybe, since I know you’ve been trying to work with higher profile clients and all that…”
“Cocobusi.” Sthal’s voice was gentle. “You really need to get better at lying.”
“Huh?” The lalafell was surprised enough to look up.
“I only asked who you used for security for your building.”
“Oh Thal’s balls,” Cocobusi wailed. “You’re always doing that! How are you always doing that?!”
Sthal shrugged. “Either way, you’ve said you had no problems with them? You’re using them of your own free will?”
Cocobusi fell silent. He made his way behind his counter, attempting very much to be a consummate professional, and stepped onto his high stool. Fingers laced in front of him, he looked up at Sthal. “Aye. They’ve been nothing but professional and polite. I know there are…darker rumors about them, but I’ve not seen it. Nor’ve I heard anything from my brothers.”
“And how did my name come into the equation?”
“Thought you said you weren’t here on business?” Cocobusi pouted.
“Official business, dear. Official business.”
“Dunno how this isn’t official, what with you raking me over the coals. Feels like a damn cross examination,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. Mr. Galvus came to inspect the premises. Couldn’t tell you why someone so high up was here but he was. I was talking to a client—a smaller client mind you, about your work and how pleased I was and he stepped into the conversation.”
“Hmm.” Sthal pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Gave him your card, figured it couldn’t hurt, and he looked like a cat that had gotten the cream. Very polite mind you, but something was off about it. Couldn’t very well ask for the card back after that, could I?”
“I suppose not.”
“Are you…are you angry?” Cocobusi looked smaller than small.
Sthal let out an exhale, long and slow. “No, no Cocobusi, I’m not.” He smiled tiredly. “Just a little concerned, is all. But if you say you’re well, then I’ll trust it. Thank you for telling me.” He straightened, as much as he could in the shop. “I’ll come by next week to look over the books, alright?”
Cocobusi nodded. “Well! Yes! Please, thank you! I will see you next week! Are you sure I can’t get you anything? You seem rather tired.”
“Ah, nothing a night’s sleep won’t fix. But thank you.” Sthal shifted and bowed slightly, making his way out of the shop. At least it was of Cocobusi’s own free will. Unlike the implicit threat I received.
He found his way up the winding streets to his apartment building by route, rather than with any intention, and sighed as he let himself into the apartment. The scent of oil soap and paper welcomed him home and he leaned against the door with a deep inhale. He flicked the dimmer on the wall, bringing the planetary chandelier to a warm glow and set his briefcase against the hat stand. The rays of the setting sun spilt onto the floor, leaving patches of it a deep amber. Sthal loosened his tie, set his boots on the shoe rack, padded across the floor to sink deeply into his leather armchair.
He couldn’t say how long he sat like that, or even if he was awake, just that he was chasing thoughts beyond words on whatever currents they took him on. Images kept replaying in his mind, Emmanellain’s shouting, Cocobusi’s shivering, Zenos’s eyes. They were a most curious shade of blue, and Sthal rotated around his mental recreation of the man. Gods, he hoped that saying ‘No, I’m not interested in working with you.’ Would be the end of it. Somehow he felt certain that it wasn’t. Not after the phone calls he’d ignored to avoid even meeting with Vanguard in the first place.
The buzz of his phone startled him from his revery, and he blinked as his stomach rumbled near immediately after. The sun had all but set, leaving him in the glow of artificial light. He groaned when he saw the email preview at the top of his notifications, and adjusted his glasses.
Zenos Galvus [email protected]
Thank you for your time today
Mr. Tofwytasyn,
It was a pleasure to make your acq…
Speak of the damned devil. He exhaled slowly through his nose. The email could wait until after he’d eaten something. Hell, maybe it could wait until tomorrow. His fingers itched with curiosity. He almost threw his phone onto the coffee table and near stormed into the kitchen.
By the time the eggs were fried and the toast buttered, Sthal had managed to calm down. He even forced himself to finish washing and drying the dishes. The evening sky had slipped into blackness, and he drew the shades, running a finger over them. He reminded himself to check with Hollswys about her schedule to see when she could come by to deep clean. She did a sweep of the place once a week, but the dust of Ul’dah ever found its way through the cracks in the floor boards and onto his shelves. In fact…
He picked up his phone to send her an email, and scowled as the notification from Zenos lit brightly on his screen. He swiped past it, and quickly typed his message. There. It wasn’t that he didn’t keep the place clean—he was too particular not to—but the luxury of employing someone to help him balance everything meant there was one less weight on his mind. He sank back into the chair, staring at the preview on his screen which in itself was a weight enough to hold him in place.
Sthal took of his glasses, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. The world dissolved into some impressionistic painting and for a moment he was glad of the lack of clarity. The thought didn’t cross his mind that Zenos’s email could just be a ‘thank you for your time’, the man’s damn near theatrical exit notwithstanding.
“We shall meet again,” Sthal murmured to himself. “Who even says that outside of the pages of some sordid novel?” With a reluctant sigh, the world shifted back into focus as he slid his frames back onto his face and opened the email.
Zenos Galvus [email protected]
Thank you for your time today
Mr. Tofwytasyn,
It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I regret the rather abrupt end to our meeting. While I believe you would be a most valuable asset—Sthal snorted. Asset indeed. –to Vanguard Corporation, I understand your hesitancy to commit to the contract at this time given the intense nature of it when paired with the needs of your current clients. If you would be amenable to renegotiating the terms, that is something that I am willing to accede to, if only to have you on the team.
We believe that your specific expertise would serve us well, but understand if you do not wish to work with us further at this time.
I apologise for any insult I may have caused during our meeting, and should you be so interested would be delighted to meet with you at the Vanguard Headquarters to give you a tour of the premises.
Sincerely,
Zenos Galvus,
COO Vanguard Security
Sthal frowned, reading and re-reading the email, trying to parse how much of it had actually been written by the young man he had met with earlier that day. Something was bothering him, and he didn’t catch it until his third time through—the second paragraph. It was only a sentence, but who was ‘we’? He rubbed his temples. This was clearly an attempt to get back in his good graces, but there was still the why. Why him? He could list at least three large accounting firms who would fight to the death for the contract, and those were just the ones whose head offices were in Ul’dah. He was damn near nobody. Somebody nobody would miss should he need to ‘have an accident’.
He shook his head. That wasn’t true either. A couple deep breaths to loosen the specter that gripped his chest. Ma, Dama, Uncle Edmont, Emmanellain, Artoirel, Yoi, Ms. Atoel, Cocobusi, Hollswys, Rose. He listed their names like a mantra. He wasn’t alone, he wasn’t forgotten. He would be alright.
At some point, he fell asleep in his chair, waking in the middle of the night to drag himself up the stairs to bed proper. Blearily, he hoped his neck wouldn’t hurt in the morning before he slipped into unconsciousness again.