Captains, I: The Meeting of the Ifrit and the Shiva (FFVIII)
Captains, I: The Meeting of the Ifrit and the Shiva
Fandom: FFVIII
Characters: Seifer, Quistis, Ensemble (this chapter: Raijin, Fujin, Xu)
"Warnings": THIS IS A PIRATE AU GUYS.
Rating: PG-13, language
Length: ~5000 words? omg.
For shanaqui, AU Meme.
Notes: Well, this was more fun to write than I'd expected. Hence the fact that this is Chapter 01 of XX (where XX probably equals LOTS), since I have to stop myself somewhere. I do have an entire story arc figured out here; they steal ships! They find a treasure map! There are hijinks, and Laguna is the Worst Pirate Ever! Will they save Irvine? Stay tuned to find out! etc. Hopefully I will get around to writing it BUT NOT UNLESS I GET 500 REVIEWS KTHX*.
Anyway. The basic premise here should be easy to pick up on. This may be a Pirate AU, but it will not contain: stereotypical pirate language ("Arrr!") and/or lots of references to PotC ("Savvy?") because I think things like that are a little overdone and also the thought of Quistis Trepe saying "Arrr!" in ANY sort of AU environment just kind of made me giggle at my desk. So think, like, regular pirates crossed with "sky pirates" from XII, only with an added dose of WTF. There is still some sort of shared past between everyone - I've kept that from canon, although I've changed the nature of it and anyway unless I write the next 500 chapters it won't really matter anyway. (Only I would take this prompt and, instead of writing a simple pirate AU, try to make it actually work in AU-FFVIII-verse.)
Anyway, I've toyed a little with personalities because of this, trying to stay IC while still making them goddamn pirates.
The point is, LOW EXPECTATIONS, PEOPLE.
Comments of any kind: appreciated. I have bounced this off of absolutely no one and while I am just having fun with it, I've put more thought into it than is probably healthy.
*this is a joke.
Unbeta-ed. Self-edited and vomited onto your screen. The parrot idea was totally and shamelessly given to me by astrangerenters.
Enjoy and/or don't kill me.
- - -
The night was black and thick with stars, wavering slightly through the haze of hot air rising off the Ifrit. The moon, a thin fingernail of a crescent, hung low in the sky. Captain Almasy took note of its position, marking it under his breath: "The moon's risen through Griever. It's almost in the Sorceress. She's late."
Raijin, the ship's quartermaster, took measure of the moon and constellations himself. "The moon hasn't even broken the Sorceress yet," he said, his voice low. "She's got plenty of time."
Almasy barked a sharp laugh. "I don't think you know One-Eye Trepe," he said, shaking his head. "Trepe is always early." A few of the crew members chuckled.
Raijin wiped sweat from his brow. The Ifrit was hot enough while moving; anchored here, in the back of Deling Cove, the air was sweltering. The crew was as restless as he was, judging from the muttering. "Let me know if you spot anything," he called upwards to where Fujin, the first mate, was watching. She'd purposely taken the lookout post herself - Fujin didn't trust Trepe farther than she could spit.
"Idiot." Fujin's faint reply seemed to float through the thick hot air.
Raijin grinned and turned back to the horizon, idly plotting out their position with reference to north. A curious voice broke through his thoughts: "Why do they call her One-Eye Trepe?"
It was Edge, the captain's new cabin-boy, a young orphan lad of ten or eleven who had hitched a ride away from their last raid. The Captain had taken a liking to the boy's pluck and spirit; after a thorough pummeling in which he'd shown the boy - and crew - his thoughts on stowaways, he'd taken the boy on as a cabin-mate. The past two weeks hadn't done much to break Edge's idealistic and mostly romantic view of the pirate lifestyle, but neither Raijin nor Captain Almasy were complaining - the laundry hadn't been done so well in months.
"Does she really have one eye?" the boy continued, his young voice almost squeaking in obvious excitement.
Raijin chuckled. "Naw, boy, she's got two eyes like the rest of us."
"Oh." Edge sounded surprisingly deflated. "Then why do they call her One-Eye?"
Raijin turned to the boy as the mutterings of the crew faded to silence; they knew, like all sailors, when a good story was coming. "They say ol' Trepe had a pair of spectacles once," he began, his voice duly hushed. "Given to her by an old witch, from Esthar itself. They say the spectacles let Trepe see the truth of any man's heart, just by looking at them." He took a step towards the boy. "Captain Trepe wore those glasses constantly, every single day, and the power in those specs was what helped her get her own crew."
"No way," Edge whispered.
"Aye," someone else whispered back.
"But the glasses broke," Raijin continued, his voice still reverently quiet, "the day Trepe took the Shiva. One lens fell into the ocean, lost for all eternity. The other half Captain Trepe kept, and she still wears it to this very day. They say," and here Raijin bent close to Edge, almost murmuring: "They say her vision never recovered from the shock of losing those spectacles, and that one eye she has left is blind, blind from seeing the truth all those years."
Edge's eyes were wide, his mouth gaping. The men had gathered around him in the steamy dark. "I heard her dead eye could actually see the future," one of the other crew added.
"It can see the day you're gonna die," another one cut in.
"Edge, don't pay attention to this ridiculous nonsense," Captain Almasy said calmly.
The Captain was looking out over the water, his arms crossed. "Captain Trepe is like any of the rest of us," he said. "She's merely nearsighted to boot. Obviously people who don't have enough to do are free to make up ridiculous legends about pirates with bad eyesight."
"Hey, Cap," one of the crewmembers protested, "we've got plenty to do, don't go thinkin'-"
"Here's something to do." Captain Almasy turned around. "Now, One-Eye Trepe's gonna want to board this ship, I guarantee it. So - you two, it's your job to make sure our noisy little secret stays a secret. Got it?"
The two sailors ducked their heads with a grumbly "Aye!" and headed down into the ship.
"Edge." Captain Almasy's eyes landed on his cabin-boy. "Fetch me Squall. Bring him up here; I think Trepe might like to see him."
The boy grinned and took off running.
"Trepe's not going to want to come on board," Raijin said softly, shaking his head. "She won't feel safe."
Captain Almasy smirked. "She'll come on board," he replied, "but she'll take our GF while she's here. It's her way."
"Then what are you so worried about?"
"Oh, it's not her," Almasy said. "She's got enough Trepies on that boat that would risk death to impress their glorious captain. In fact - you two," he ordered, curtly: "Make sure you've tucked away our spoils, yes? We don't really want to get robbed while we're plotting to rob someone else."
"Trepe wouldn't rob you," Raijin said.
Seifer snorted. "Aye, but her first mate might, and One-Eye'd just look the other way." He glanced back out over the water. "You don't know Captain Trepe."
"Don't seem to know her as well as you do, ya know," Raijin said, and the crew snickered behind him.
"QUIET!"
The voice from above effectively silenced every man on the boat. Fujin, the captain's able-bodied and close-mouthed first mate, was pointing off towards a jagged piece of rock jutting out from their corner of Deling Cove.
"Coming," Fujin stated.
There was an odd cracking sound, and Almasy and Raijin both watched as a puff of mist came from behind the stone outcropping. As they watched, a thin layer of ice solidified on the rock, spreading finger-like through the crevices, crackling as it made its way out of the fog and flowed around the lip of rock.
"Show-off," Almasy said under his breath.
The Shiva appeared around the corner.
- - -
The breath of warm air hit her in the face like an unattractive belch, and Captain Trepe's hands tightened on the railing. "Bastards are already here," she murmured as the recognizeable berth of the Ifrit appeared. They'd backed into the rear corner of the Deling Cove, snugly tucked up against the rock for protection.
"We could hit them from here," a voice at her side murmured. "One direct hit, and the ship'd be ours without too much damage."
"Xu." Trepe sighed. "We're here to treat with them, not to blow them up."
"Shame," Xu murmured, shaking her head.
Captain Trepe adjusted her single lens and ignored her first mate, concentrating instead on having Shiva swing her ship inward into the cove while still leaving them a suitable escape path if things went haywire. She wasn't worried about Almasy's ship; Almasy's Junctions had never been as powerful as hers, and she knew he'd never give command over to anyone else, either. If there was a chase, the Shiva would win, hands-down.
Beside her, Xu shifted. "Bloody-Blade Almasy," she muttered. "Stupid name, anyway."
"True, though," Trepe pointed out as she flattened her hands palm-down on the Junction rudder, slowing the ship. Before them, the Ifrit had begun to drift slowly across the water in their general direction. "The Dread Pirate Lion-Heart almost sliced his face in half, and Almasy just kept on fighting." She pursed her lips, feeling the pull of the tide through her connection with Shiva; she tugged, gently, and the boat swung out a bit further. "Uncanny, that one."
"You don't believe that nonsense." Xu crossed her arms. As the ships drew closer, the icy aura surrounding the Shiva hit the warm air eminating from the Ifrit; mist coalesced instantly, and in some places there were small flurries of sparks as the GFs collided. Shiva and Ifrit hadn't gotten along even before they'd been attached to their particular ships; now, it was as if the GFs were channeling the opinions of their particular captains.
Captain Trepe's eyes fluttered shut for a second as she anchored Shiva. "Legends come from somewhere," she said finally, unconsciously adjusting the single lens at her right eye. The other hand stayed poised on the rudder; feeling the GF at her fingertips helped calm her nerves.
The two ships were close to each other; Captain Trepe felt Shiva straining to hold the Shiva in position. They were within shouting distance, at least, and the GFs would help the captains hear each other. She could see, across the way, a tall thin man wearing a long, pale coat lined with extravagant puffy lace. He looked almost the same as he had the last time she'd seen him: full of swagger and smirking. He'd added a belt.
There was a damn parrot sitting on his shoulder. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.
"Captain Bloody-Blade," she greeted him.
"Captain One-Eye," he replied.
Her eyes narrowed at the nickname. "Seifer."
"Quistis."
Quistis pursed her lips. So he hadn't forgotten.
There was a long moment of silence while the two captains sized each other up. Finally, Seifer shrugged and shook his head.
"I know it's been a long time, Trepe, but if you stand there checking me out all night, we'll never get anything done."
Quistis rolled her eyes, and the spell was broken. "I'd almost forgotten what an unfortunate pleasure it is to work with you, Almasy."
"So how are we going to do this?" Captain Almasy leant against the railing nonchalantly. "I'm not exactly dying to spend the entire night yelling over the rail. You can board, if you'd like."
Quistis paused; boarding the Ifrit was basically asking to be captured, if Almasy meant to play her false. At the same time - "I'll board," she said, trying not to smirk. "But I'll have your Junction."
Seifer rolled his eyes. "I'll take yours, then."
"Not while I'm on your boat," Quistis spat icily. Sparks flew from somewhere to her left, and she mentally restrained Shiva again.
"One hit," Xu whispered. "Just one."
Almasy seemed to make up his mind. "Leave your Junction, and you can hold mine while you're on this boat," he said finally. "I'm not afraid of you."
"I'm not afraid of you either, Bloody-Blade." Trepe's eyes narrowed. "Lower the plank, and let's have this parlay over with."
- - -
Once Trepe and that insufferable first-mate of hers had been seated comfortably, Almasy turned his back and perused his wine selection. His tastes had always been a bit finer than Trepe's; she was a little fancy, yes - just look at the gold earrings she wore and those ridiculous ruffles on that peach vest thing - but she was also ridiculously practical. She certainly wasn't the type of person who would understand why any bottle of wine would ever be worth a risky trip through the stormy islands of Centra... whereas Seifer made the trip at least once a month. The bottles he didn't want were easy enough to sell in Esthar, and for a pretty nice profit as well - so what if it was an illegal import? His customers didn't seem to care.
Raijin and Fujin had set themselves left and right of the door. Seifer was slightly grateful for their company - mostly because Trepe and her first mate really got on his nerves. It was nice to have someone watching his back, too.
He chose a nice, dark, dusky red and his two nicest goblets - gold, heavy with stones and wrought with something he'd assumed was a GF sigil but was a little bit too lazy to look up. One-Eye Trepe simply watched him over the table, the eye behind her single lens following his every move. Almasy noted that the other eye was a little hazy - probably just unfocused, he told himself.
"Don't worry, Trepe, I'm not going to poison you."
"Better not." She flashed her teeth in something like a smile. "Unless you want to lose your GF, too."
Seifer slid the goblet across the table and watched as Trepe took an appreciative sniff, followed by a long and decisive swallow. "Ah, Almasy," she said with a sigh. "You always did have an eye for wine. Tell me, now, whose blood is in this vintage?"
"You don't want to know," Seifer said with a quick grin as he sat.
"So," Quistis said, making a stiff gesture with the hand not holding the monstrous goblet, "what's with the parrot?"
"Oh, that." Seifer grinned, more widely. "That's Squall."
Quistis' eyes narrowed as she peered at the bird; as if in response, the parrot squawked, and then shouted hoarsely: "Whatever."
"I taught it myself," Seifer said with a smug smirk.
"Charming," Quistis said, dead-pan and certainly not looking charmed herself.
Seifer lifted the goblet up to where the bird could sniff it. "So what's this all about, Trepe?"
Quistis crossed her arms and cut right to the matter at hand. "You know the Dread Pirate Lion-Heart was taken a week ago."
"Of course." Almasy smirked. "Sent fear into the little heart of every pansy-ass pirate on this ocean. We ignored it." He paused, giving her a calculating look. "Oh, wait a second, One-Eye. This isn't some desperate plea for a rescue mission, is it? To rescue your jilted lover?" He shook his head, violently, causing Squall to ruffle his feathers. "You can count us out, and take the long way back to your damn ship. Get out of here."
"He's not my lover," Quistis spat. "And no, it's not a rescue mission." She leant forward, pressing her palms against the table. "I want his ships."
There was a long pause. Almasy stared at her across the table - and then started to laugh.
"Jilted lover indeed," Seifer said, chuckling. "Alright, Trepe, you've got my attention now."
Trepe took another long sip of the wine. "You know how Squall got caught, right?"
"So it's 'Squall' now?" Seifer leant backwards; the bird's head turned at the sound of its name. "Do tell. I enjoy a good love story."
Quistis ignored him. "Apparently, Leonhart fell in love with some - the daughter of a general, I believe. That's how they caught him, visiting the girl. Anyway, she promised him a pardon as long as he turned in both his ships and took the blue." She paused, letting the words sink in, and then added with relish: "Apparently he took the deal."
She was smirking; apparently the look of disbelief on his face was remarkable.
"Dread Pirate Lion-Heart going blueback," Raijin said, shaking his head. "Can't believe it."
Pirates who were caught by affiliates of the Garden government were given two choices: either a respectful public execution, or a pardon. Pardon-ships flew blue flags, and their captains were sent on the most dangerous of transport routes - those most likely to be lost in bad weather, or attacked by pirates. Ships with blue flags were 'lost causes', and never got rescued if they were in trouble. For a pirate, it was the ultimate insult; blue flags made one a particularly hated target on the high seas.
"We'll all be watching for those blue flags," Xu said, "and Lion-Heart's a dead man; he must know it."
"Girl must be something," Almasy murmured. "No wonder you're so pissed, Trepe - he jilted you for another woman and took the blue for her." He sipped the wine. "Romantic, in a way."
"This isn't about Squall and myself." Trepe slammed her goblet down; wine sloshed over the edge and pooled in red droplets on the table. "This is about those ships. Do you realize what an utter disaster it'll be if the Garden government gets their hands on one of those GFs? Let alone two?"
The smirk instantly fell off Seifer's face. It was true - anybody could be a pirate, but the only ships worth sailing were ships powered with Guardian Force. It was the only way to keep up with Garden's technology these days; the pirates had kept it as their secret since Crazy Odine and the Worst Pirate Laguna had started the whole thing against Galbadia Garden all those years ago, after the Esthar Accident.
Lover Boy Kinneas had almost been hanged last year, rather than give up his GFs to Garden custody. No one'd seen him since his escape - rumour had it that he was in the custody of the Terrible Selphie Redbeard - but the GFs hadn't shown up in Garden's hands.
"If Garden figured out how to use those..." Almasy's voice trailed off as he thought about it. "It would be the end of us." Protecting that last bit of freedom - the last bit of technology Garden didn't own - was the one thing that bonded pirates together in a sort of community. A threat to the GF was a threat to everyone on the seas. "By damnation, Trepe, I think you're right." He smirked. "First time for everything, I guess."
Quistis sighed and sipped from her goblet.
"We can't let it happen," she said finally. "The ships just arrived in Deling Port today. Mysteriously, they had no crew." Trepe tapped her glass, looking at it thoughtfully; Seifer noticed her one eye was still eerily, uncannily unfocused. It gave her the look of a deranged seer, and despite his brave words to Edge on the deck earlier, Seifer felt goosebumps crawling up his back. Damned One-Eye Trepe.
"They haven't done anything?"
"Nothing." Quistis' lips curved in a slow smile. "They're just sitting there. I think Garden's waiting to make sure they're not booby-trapped or something."
"Wouldn't that be hilarious?" Raijin chuckled. "Set the ships to blow up in Garden's face. It'd be brilliant."
"Fat chance," Almasy spat. "Squally-boy's off with his fancy new bride, taking the blue, and she's probably got him sailing safe little laps around the Balamb Bay as his penance years tick off. Maybe he'll finally hit puberty."
Quistis raised an eyebrow. "You really think Lion-Heart's actually going to blueback?" She shook her head. "He'll have his fun with this girl, and then he'll be back to the sea before you can spit. This is just his kind of game - he likes a challenge."
Seifer grinned. "Is that why you and him broke up?"
Her eyes narrowed again, and Seifer couldn't fully suppress the shudder running down his back; she was glaring daggers at him, through that one powerful lens, and some idle part of his brain wondered what she saw. "It's the one chance we'll get at his ships, Almasy," she said slowly, tapping the table with a finger for emphasis. "That's the issue at stake here."
Almasy leaned back in the chair, resting his filthy boots on the edge of the table. "Right, you're right. So the opportunity has presented itself, pretty perfectly. Why me?"
Trepe shrugged. "I need a second ship, and more hands." She leaned across the table, smiling at him. "And you're the first person that came to mind."
"Still thinking about me after all these years?" Seifer grinned. "I guess I have that effect on people."
Quistis rolled her eyes, a gesture which looked comical through the single lens perched precariously on her nose. "Don't flatter yourself," she said sweetly. "It's just that everybody knows about your little spat with Squall." Her eyes flicked to the scar across his forehead with a weight Seifer could almost feel, and then turned to the parrot which had been sitting silently on his shoulder. "Bloody-Blade," she added, almost innocently.
"Whatever!" the bird squawked suddenly.
Seifer ground his teeth. It figured that fucking One-Eye Trepe would be able to tell how much he hated that stupid Dread Pirate Lion-Heart. No one on the seas was supposed to know about that incident. Maybe she really did have god-damn glasses of truth or whatever the hell Raijin had said. He took a sip of his wine, trying to regain his composure, noticing idly how heavy the ornate goblets were and wondering whether they'd break that last remaining lens. "Well," he said finally, "I'm not going to say no to one of Leonhart's ships."
"That's what I thought," Quistis said smugly. "Glad to see we agree."
"Well, how do you propose we divvy this up, then?" Seifer leant forward, poured them both more wine. "Leonhart has two ships. Two GFs."
"Here's my offer." Trepe's lips curved in a cunning smile. "I will take the Quezacotl, of course. This is my plan, and my ship will be taking the bulk of the risk in this particular ...mission." She paused, and then offered him a sly grin. "However, I'm expecting you to agree. I assume you'll be sufficiently pleased to take the Bahamut to be your own personal ship."
Seifer paused in thought for a moment. Quezacotl, the First GF, was a storm god, and as such was a particular force to be reckoned with on the high seas. The Dread Pirate Lion-Heart had gotten the First GF from his father, the Worst Pirate Laguna, as some sort of familial peace-offering. Seifer was unaware of the details, although everyone knew that the gift of GF had been what made Leonhart leave Garden and take to the seas in the first place, whether it was truly to follow his father or not. The Bahamut, on the other hand, was a smaller ship - but it was more strategically powerful than the Quezacotl.
Plus, it had been Leonhart's personal flagship.
"That's a good beginning," Seifer replied slowly. "I'm just not sure whether I can trust you with the First GF at your back."
Quistis gave him an exasperated look over the top of her lens. "Do you trust me more or less than the Dread Pirate Lion-Heart? Personally," she said archly, "I believe I'm more trustworthy."
Seifer paused, still thinking. On his shoulder, Squall began to dance, and let out a soft series of little cooing noises.
"I'll take the Bahamut as long as you swear by GF against it. And the Ifrit," he said finally.
Quistis blinked. "Seifer, if you take me to oath against your ships, it only holds as long as we're allies," she pointed out.
Seifer grinned. "And here I thought this was the beginning to a glorious partnership."
"I work alone," Trepe hissed - but for a moment, she actually appeared to be considering Seifer's offer.
Almasy shrugged. "You need me, Trepe," he said. "I'm being generous, letting you get the larger ship, and the First GF to boot. You owe me. Those are my terms."
"Fine," Quistis spat. "I'll take oath against both your ships. But not until after we've gotten them both."
"Deal." Seifer held out a hand.
Quistis eyed it, and then reached out to firmly set her gloved fingers in his. "Accepted."
- - -
"So do you really think this is going to work?" Raijin idly asked the night sky.
Beside him, Fujin shrugged. "Why not?"
Xu stepped up to the rail, on Fujin's other side. "It has a good chance of success," she said. "Besides, the Captain's right. We'll never get a better chance to take any two ships, let alone those two. All we'll have to do is not shoot each other."
Fujin snorted. "Captain. Trustworthy?"
It was Xu's turn to shrug. "Is yours any more trustworthy?" She gestured at the cabin, where Captains Trepe and Almasy were working out the details of the plan. "They both want these ships, and everybody stands to gain."
"For a pirate, Trepe doesn't really seem to be that big on breaking the rules, ya know." Raijin glanced over once, and then turned back to the stars.
Xu grinned. "Not really," she said. "Captain's more interested in questing - getting her hands on all those dangerous artifacts Garden tells us we're not supposed to touch. Those rules she's more than willing to break, I guarantee it."
"Squall's boats." Fujin turned to scrutinize her through a single remaining eye. "Quest?"
"Kind of." Xu shrugged. "On more than one level."
"Trepe. Lion-Heart?"
Xu nodded. "In the past," she said vaguely. Raijin gave her a somewhat eager look, and Xu barked a quick laugh. "And if you think I'm saying more than that, you're crazy. We may be working together, but it doesn't mean we're friends."
"Then what do you want?" Raijin's glance turned into a hardened glare. "You can go back to your ship, if you'd like."
"Look," Xu said, exasperated. "I just want to talk."
Both faces, dark and light, turned to her. She sighed, crossing her arms in front of her. "I know there's some - history - between the Ifrit and the Shiva. But look. There are two ships at stake. One of them is going to be mine. The other one, it's very likely, is going to belong to one of you - if not you both."
Raijin nodded, slowly. Fujin simply looked annoyed.
"We all stand to benefit," Xu continued. "All we have to do is make sure our Captains don't kill each other."
Fujin huffed. "Likely."
"I know," Xu replied. "But it's directly in our self-interest to keep them working together."
"So," Raijin said finally, "what's your point?"
"Nothing." Xu rolled her eyes upwards to the horizon. "I just wanted to mention it. A little... incentive to keep things ...running smoothly."
Raijin grinned. "We want it to go well too, ya know?"
Fujin didn't seem so convinced. "You." She pointed with one pale, callused finger. "Up to something."
Xu's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"
"Too eager." Fujin smirked. "Traitor?"
"Oh," Xu said coldly, her voice flat. "Let me correct you. There is absolutely no way by heaven or sea that I'd betray the Shiva. That's almost funny. I would never do anything against Captain Trepe."
She took a step forward, so that her lips were a finger's-length away from Fujin's cheek.
"And you'd better not do anything against her, either," Xu whispered.
- - -
Quistis watched Seifer across the table. "Something's on your mind, Almasy," she said finally, and slid her - now empty - goblet across the table.
The bird let out a shrill shriek, flapped its wings, and cried out: "Suck a dick!"
Quistis blinked. Seifer chuckled. "That one's mine," he admitted.
"That is one fantastic bird," Quistis said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Seifer reached for the bottle of wine and slowly refilled Trepe's goblet. "Tell me the truth, Trepe. Is this still a revenge thing for getting your ass dumped by Leonhart?" He gave a hand-gesture vaguely including the whole room. "Because you're teaming up with another 'former flame' to steal both of his ships after he abandons them for some other gal. You've gotta admit, it looks shady."
Quistis pursed her lips, giving Seifer a glare which, magnified through the single lens of her glasses, might have chilled the room by ten degrees had Shiva still been in her brain. "I would be lying," she said slowly, "if I tried to say that there was no... personal satisfaction... in this venture." She paused, and swallowed another large sip of wine. "But I am not lying when I say that there is more to this than... petty revenge."
"There's still the issue of two GFs abandoned to Garden government," she continued, tapping the side of her goblet pointedly. "And if there is - revenge - in this, it's also from the point of view of a fellow pirate who feels... betrayed. By a comrade."
"On more than one level," Seifer pointed out, smirking.
This time, Quistis didn't rise to the bait; she merely lifted her glass to her lips. "I see," she said slowly. "It hurts your precious dignity to be compared to the Dread Pirate Leonhart, doesn't it?"
Seifer scoffed. "Yeah, because comparing two notches on your illustrious bedpost is how I spend my time nowadays."
"Almasy." Trepe looked deadly serious, and the lopsided glare of hers had never been so cold. "If you can't concentrate on this mission, and do what I say, you're probably not going to make it out alive."
"Garden's got nothing on me," Seifer said.
"No," Trepe said coldly, "I will shoot you." She paused, and then added: "And your stupid bird."
"Balls!" the parrot yelled as she glanced upwards at it.
Seifer grinned, proudly. "That one's Fujin's."
A cold silence descended on the room, and Seifer wondered for a second whether Trepe was sitting before him with Shiva in her head - but then he realized it was just her glare. Quistis, obviously trying not to snap, took a stiff drink of her wine and set the goblet down on the table a little too hard.
"Well," she said crisply. "Make sure your ship is in tip-top shape by tomorrow. I'll be inspecting it to be sure that you're up to the ...challenge." The last word was forced a little. "Good night, Captain Bloody-Blade."
She left smoothly, and the temperature in the room seemed to rise instantly; Seifer felt the rush of heat as a very disconcerted and angry Ifrit suddenly returned to his mind, flowing back into the veins of his ship like thick oil. On fire. Seifer felt dizzy; he reached for Trepe's half-empty goblet and downed the entire thing.
"Well," he said to the empty cabin, raising the empty goblet high. "Here's to you, Leonhart. And your gods-be-damned ships."
"Whatever," Squall croaked.
Fandom: FFVIII
Characters: Seifer, Quistis, Ensemble (this chapter: Raijin, Fujin, Xu)
"Warnings": THIS IS A PIRATE AU GUYS.
Rating: PG-13, language
Length: ~5000 words? omg.
For shanaqui, AU Meme.
Notes: Well, this was more fun to write than I'd expected. Hence the fact that this is Chapter 01 of XX (where XX probably equals LOTS), since I have to stop myself somewhere. I do have an entire story arc figured out here; they steal ships! They find a treasure map! There are hijinks, and Laguna is the Worst Pirate Ever! Will they save Irvine? Stay tuned to find out! etc. Hopefully I will get around to writing it BUT NOT UNLESS I GET 500 REVIEWS KTHX*.
Anyway. The basic premise here should be easy to pick up on. This may be a Pirate AU, but it will not contain: stereotypical pirate language ("Arrr!") and/or lots of references to PotC ("Savvy?") because I think things like that are a little overdone and also the thought of Quistis Trepe saying "Arrr!" in ANY sort of AU environment just kind of made me giggle at my desk. So think, like, regular pirates crossed with "sky pirates" from XII, only with an added dose of WTF. There is still some sort of shared past between everyone - I've kept that from canon, although I've changed the nature of it and anyway unless I write the next 500 chapters it won't really matter anyway. (Only I would take this prompt and, instead of writing a simple pirate AU, try to make it actually work in AU-FFVIII-verse.)
Anyway, I've toyed a little with personalities because of this, trying to stay IC while still making them goddamn pirates.
The point is, LOW EXPECTATIONS, PEOPLE.
Comments of any kind: appreciated. I have bounced this off of absolutely no one and while I am just having fun with it, I've put more thought into it than is probably healthy.
*this is a joke.
Unbeta-ed. Self-edited and vomited onto your screen. The parrot idea was totally and shamelessly given to me by astrangerenters.
Enjoy and/or don't kill me.
- - -
The night was black and thick with stars, wavering slightly through the haze of hot air rising off the Ifrit. The moon, a thin fingernail of a crescent, hung low in the sky. Captain Almasy took note of its position, marking it under his breath: "The moon's risen through Griever. It's almost in the Sorceress. She's late."
Raijin, the ship's quartermaster, took measure of the moon and constellations himself. "The moon hasn't even broken the Sorceress yet," he said, his voice low. "She's got plenty of time."
Almasy barked a sharp laugh. "I don't think you know One-Eye Trepe," he said, shaking his head. "Trepe is always early." A few of the crew members chuckled.
Raijin wiped sweat from his brow. The Ifrit was hot enough while moving; anchored here, in the back of Deling Cove, the air was sweltering. The crew was as restless as he was, judging from the muttering. "Let me know if you spot anything," he called upwards to where Fujin, the first mate, was watching. She'd purposely taken the lookout post herself - Fujin didn't trust Trepe farther than she could spit.
"Idiot." Fujin's faint reply seemed to float through the thick hot air.
Raijin grinned and turned back to the horizon, idly plotting out their position with reference to north. A curious voice broke through his thoughts: "Why do they call her One-Eye Trepe?"
It was Edge, the captain's new cabin-boy, a young orphan lad of ten or eleven who had hitched a ride away from their last raid. The Captain had taken a liking to the boy's pluck and spirit; after a thorough pummeling in which he'd shown the boy - and crew - his thoughts on stowaways, he'd taken the boy on as a cabin-mate. The past two weeks hadn't done much to break Edge's idealistic and mostly romantic view of the pirate lifestyle, but neither Raijin nor Captain Almasy were complaining - the laundry hadn't been done so well in months.
"Does she really have one eye?" the boy continued, his young voice almost squeaking in obvious excitement.
Raijin chuckled. "Naw, boy, she's got two eyes like the rest of us."
"Oh." Edge sounded surprisingly deflated. "Then why do they call her One-Eye?"
Raijin turned to the boy as the mutterings of the crew faded to silence; they knew, like all sailors, when a good story was coming. "They say ol' Trepe had a pair of spectacles once," he began, his voice duly hushed. "Given to her by an old witch, from Esthar itself. They say the spectacles let Trepe see the truth of any man's heart, just by looking at them." He took a step towards the boy. "Captain Trepe wore those glasses constantly, every single day, and the power in those specs was what helped her get her own crew."
"No way," Edge whispered.
"Aye," someone else whispered back.
"But the glasses broke," Raijin continued, his voice still reverently quiet, "the day Trepe took the Shiva. One lens fell into the ocean, lost for all eternity. The other half Captain Trepe kept, and she still wears it to this very day. They say," and here Raijin bent close to Edge, almost murmuring: "They say her vision never recovered from the shock of losing those spectacles, and that one eye she has left is blind, blind from seeing the truth all those years."
Edge's eyes were wide, his mouth gaping. The men had gathered around him in the steamy dark. "I heard her dead eye could actually see the future," one of the other crew added.
"It can see the day you're gonna die," another one cut in.
"Edge, don't pay attention to this ridiculous nonsense," Captain Almasy said calmly.
The Captain was looking out over the water, his arms crossed. "Captain Trepe is like any of the rest of us," he said. "She's merely nearsighted to boot. Obviously people who don't have enough to do are free to make up ridiculous legends about pirates with bad eyesight."
"Hey, Cap," one of the crewmembers protested, "we've got plenty to do, don't go thinkin'-"
"Here's something to do." Captain Almasy turned around. "Now, One-Eye Trepe's gonna want to board this ship, I guarantee it. So - you two, it's your job to make sure our noisy little secret stays a secret. Got it?"
The two sailors ducked their heads with a grumbly "Aye!" and headed down into the ship.
"Edge." Captain Almasy's eyes landed on his cabin-boy. "Fetch me Squall. Bring him up here; I think Trepe might like to see him."
The boy grinned and took off running.
"Trepe's not going to want to come on board," Raijin said softly, shaking his head. "She won't feel safe."
Captain Almasy smirked. "She'll come on board," he replied, "but she'll take our GF while she's here. It's her way."
"Then what are you so worried about?"
"Oh, it's not her," Almasy said. "She's got enough Trepies on that boat that would risk death to impress their glorious captain. In fact - you two," he ordered, curtly: "Make sure you've tucked away our spoils, yes? We don't really want to get robbed while we're plotting to rob someone else."
"Trepe wouldn't rob you," Raijin said.
Seifer snorted. "Aye, but her first mate might, and One-Eye'd just look the other way." He glanced back out over the water. "You don't know Captain Trepe."
"Don't seem to know her as well as you do, ya know," Raijin said, and the crew snickered behind him.
"QUIET!"
The voice from above effectively silenced every man on the boat. Fujin, the captain's able-bodied and close-mouthed first mate, was pointing off towards a jagged piece of rock jutting out from their corner of Deling Cove.
"Coming," Fujin stated.
There was an odd cracking sound, and Almasy and Raijin both watched as a puff of mist came from behind the stone outcropping. As they watched, a thin layer of ice solidified on the rock, spreading finger-like through the crevices, crackling as it made its way out of the fog and flowed around the lip of rock.
"Show-off," Almasy said under his breath.
The Shiva appeared around the corner.
- - -
The breath of warm air hit her in the face like an unattractive belch, and Captain Trepe's hands tightened on the railing. "Bastards are already here," she murmured as the recognizeable berth of the Ifrit appeared. They'd backed into the rear corner of the Deling Cove, snugly tucked up against the rock for protection.
"We could hit them from here," a voice at her side murmured. "One direct hit, and the ship'd be ours without too much damage."
"Xu." Trepe sighed. "We're here to treat with them, not to blow them up."
"Shame," Xu murmured, shaking her head.
Captain Trepe adjusted her single lens and ignored her first mate, concentrating instead on having Shiva swing her ship inward into the cove while still leaving them a suitable escape path if things went haywire. She wasn't worried about Almasy's ship; Almasy's Junctions had never been as powerful as hers, and she knew he'd never give command over to anyone else, either. If there was a chase, the Shiva would win, hands-down.
Beside her, Xu shifted. "Bloody-Blade Almasy," she muttered. "Stupid name, anyway."
"True, though," Trepe pointed out as she flattened her hands palm-down on the Junction rudder, slowing the ship. Before them, the Ifrit had begun to drift slowly across the water in their general direction. "The Dread Pirate Lion-Heart almost sliced his face in half, and Almasy just kept on fighting." She pursed her lips, feeling the pull of the tide through her connection with Shiva; she tugged, gently, and the boat swung out a bit further. "Uncanny, that one."
"You don't believe that nonsense." Xu crossed her arms. As the ships drew closer, the icy aura surrounding the Shiva hit the warm air eminating from the Ifrit; mist coalesced instantly, and in some places there were small flurries of sparks as the GFs collided. Shiva and Ifrit hadn't gotten along even before they'd been attached to their particular ships; now, it was as if the GFs were channeling the opinions of their particular captains.
Captain Trepe's eyes fluttered shut for a second as she anchored Shiva. "Legends come from somewhere," she said finally, unconsciously adjusting the single lens at her right eye. The other hand stayed poised on the rudder; feeling the GF at her fingertips helped calm her nerves.
The two ships were close to each other; Captain Trepe felt Shiva straining to hold the Shiva in position. They were within shouting distance, at least, and the GFs would help the captains hear each other. She could see, across the way, a tall thin man wearing a long, pale coat lined with extravagant puffy lace. He looked almost the same as he had the last time she'd seen him: full of swagger and smirking. He'd added a belt.
There was a damn parrot sitting on his shoulder. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.
"Captain Bloody-Blade," she greeted him.
"Captain One-Eye," he replied.
Her eyes narrowed at the nickname. "Seifer."
"Quistis."
Quistis pursed her lips. So he hadn't forgotten.
There was a long moment of silence while the two captains sized each other up. Finally, Seifer shrugged and shook his head.
"I know it's been a long time, Trepe, but if you stand there checking me out all night, we'll never get anything done."
Quistis rolled her eyes, and the spell was broken. "I'd almost forgotten what an unfortunate pleasure it is to work with you, Almasy."
"So how are we going to do this?" Captain Almasy leant against the railing nonchalantly. "I'm not exactly dying to spend the entire night yelling over the rail. You can board, if you'd like."
Quistis paused; boarding the Ifrit was basically asking to be captured, if Almasy meant to play her false. At the same time - "I'll board," she said, trying not to smirk. "But I'll have your Junction."
Seifer rolled his eyes. "I'll take yours, then."
"Not while I'm on your boat," Quistis spat icily. Sparks flew from somewhere to her left, and she mentally restrained Shiva again.
"One hit," Xu whispered. "Just one."
Almasy seemed to make up his mind. "Leave your Junction, and you can hold mine while you're on this boat," he said finally. "I'm not afraid of you."
"I'm not afraid of you either, Bloody-Blade." Trepe's eyes narrowed. "Lower the plank, and let's have this parlay over with."
- - -
Once Trepe and that insufferable first-mate of hers had been seated comfortably, Almasy turned his back and perused his wine selection. His tastes had always been a bit finer than Trepe's; she was a little fancy, yes - just look at the gold earrings she wore and those ridiculous ruffles on that peach vest thing - but she was also ridiculously practical. She certainly wasn't the type of person who would understand why any bottle of wine would ever be worth a risky trip through the stormy islands of Centra... whereas Seifer made the trip at least once a month. The bottles he didn't want were easy enough to sell in Esthar, and for a pretty nice profit as well - so what if it was an illegal import? His customers didn't seem to care.
Raijin and Fujin had set themselves left and right of the door. Seifer was slightly grateful for their company - mostly because Trepe and her first mate really got on his nerves. It was nice to have someone watching his back, too.
He chose a nice, dark, dusky red and his two nicest goblets - gold, heavy with stones and wrought with something he'd assumed was a GF sigil but was a little bit too lazy to look up. One-Eye Trepe simply watched him over the table, the eye behind her single lens following his every move. Almasy noted that the other eye was a little hazy - probably just unfocused, he told himself.
"Don't worry, Trepe, I'm not going to poison you."
"Better not." She flashed her teeth in something like a smile. "Unless you want to lose your GF, too."
Seifer slid the goblet across the table and watched as Trepe took an appreciative sniff, followed by a long and decisive swallow. "Ah, Almasy," she said with a sigh. "You always did have an eye for wine. Tell me, now, whose blood is in this vintage?"
"You don't want to know," Seifer said with a quick grin as he sat.
"So," Quistis said, making a stiff gesture with the hand not holding the monstrous goblet, "what's with the parrot?"
"Oh, that." Seifer grinned, more widely. "That's Squall."
Quistis' eyes narrowed as she peered at the bird; as if in response, the parrot squawked, and then shouted hoarsely: "Whatever."
"I taught it myself," Seifer said with a smug smirk.
"Charming," Quistis said, dead-pan and certainly not looking charmed herself.
Seifer lifted the goblet up to where the bird could sniff it. "So what's this all about, Trepe?"
Quistis crossed her arms and cut right to the matter at hand. "You know the Dread Pirate Lion-Heart was taken a week ago."
"Of course." Almasy smirked. "Sent fear into the little heart of every pansy-ass pirate on this ocean. We ignored it." He paused, giving her a calculating look. "Oh, wait a second, One-Eye. This isn't some desperate plea for a rescue mission, is it? To rescue your jilted lover?" He shook his head, violently, causing Squall to ruffle his feathers. "You can count us out, and take the long way back to your damn ship. Get out of here."
"He's not my lover," Quistis spat. "And no, it's not a rescue mission." She leant forward, pressing her palms against the table. "I want his ships."
There was a long pause. Almasy stared at her across the table - and then started to laugh.
"Jilted lover indeed," Seifer said, chuckling. "Alright, Trepe, you've got my attention now."
Trepe took another long sip of the wine. "You know how Squall got caught, right?"
"So it's 'Squall' now?" Seifer leant backwards; the bird's head turned at the sound of its name. "Do tell. I enjoy a good love story."
Quistis ignored him. "Apparently, Leonhart fell in love with some - the daughter of a general, I believe. That's how they caught him, visiting the girl. Anyway, she promised him a pardon as long as he turned in both his ships and took the blue." She paused, letting the words sink in, and then added with relish: "Apparently he took the deal."
She was smirking; apparently the look of disbelief on his face was remarkable.
"Dread Pirate Lion-Heart going blueback," Raijin said, shaking his head. "Can't believe it."
Pirates who were caught by affiliates of the Garden government were given two choices: either a respectful public execution, or a pardon. Pardon-ships flew blue flags, and their captains were sent on the most dangerous of transport routes - those most likely to be lost in bad weather, or attacked by pirates. Ships with blue flags were 'lost causes', and never got rescued if they were in trouble. For a pirate, it was the ultimate insult; blue flags made one a particularly hated target on the high seas.
"We'll all be watching for those blue flags," Xu said, "and Lion-Heart's a dead man; he must know it."
"Girl must be something," Almasy murmured. "No wonder you're so pissed, Trepe - he jilted you for another woman and took the blue for her." He sipped the wine. "Romantic, in a way."
"This isn't about Squall and myself." Trepe slammed her goblet down; wine sloshed over the edge and pooled in red droplets on the table. "This is about those ships. Do you realize what an utter disaster it'll be if the Garden government gets their hands on one of those GFs? Let alone two?"
The smirk instantly fell off Seifer's face. It was true - anybody could be a pirate, but the only ships worth sailing were ships powered with Guardian Force. It was the only way to keep up with Garden's technology these days; the pirates had kept it as their secret since Crazy Odine and the Worst Pirate Laguna had started the whole thing against Galbadia Garden all those years ago, after the Esthar Accident.
Lover Boy Kinneas had almost been hanged last year, rather than give up his GFs to Garden custody. No one'd seen him since his escape - rumour had it that he was in the custody of the Terrible Selphie Redbeard - but the GFs hadn't shown up in Garden's hands.
"If Garden figured out how to use those..." Almasy's voice trailed off as he thought about it. "It would be the end of us." Protecting that last bit of freedom - the last bit of technology Garden didn't own - was the one thing that bonded pirates together in a sort of community. A threat to the GF was a threat to everyone on the seas. "By damnation, Trepe, I think you're right." He smirked. "First time for everything, I guess."
Quistis sighed and sipped from her goblet.
"We can't let it happen," she said finally. "The ships just arrived in Deling Port today. Mysteriously, they had no crew." Trepe tapped her glass, looking at it thoughtfully; Seifer noticed her one eye was still eerily, uncannily unfocused. It gave her the look of a deranged seer, and despite his brave words to Edge on the deck earlier, Seifer felt goosebumps crawling up his back. Damned One-Eye Trepe.
"They haven't done anything?"
"Nothing." Quistis' lips curved in a slow smile. "They're just sitting there. I think Garden's waiting to make sure they're not booby-trapped or something."
"Wouldn't that be hilarious?" Raijin chuckled. "Set the ships to blow up in Garden's face. It'd be brilliant."
"Fat chance," Almasy spat. "Squally-boy's off with his fancy new bride, taking the blue, and she's probably got him sailing safe little laps around the Balamb Bay as his penance years tick off. Maybe he'll finally hit puberty."
Quistis raised an eyebrow. "You really think Lion-Heart's actually going to blueback?" She shook her head. "He'll have his fun with this girl, and then he'll be back to the sea before you can spit. This is just his kind of game - he likes a challenge."
Seifer grinned. "Is that why you and him broke up?"
Her eyes narrowed again, and Seifer couldn't fully suppress the shudder running down his back; she was glaring daggers at him, through that one powerful lens, and some idle part of his brain wondered what she saw. "It's the one chance we'll get at his ships, Almasy," she said slowly, tapping the table with a finger for emphasis. "That's the issue at stake here."
Almasy leaned back in the chair, resting his filthy boots on the edge of the table. "Right, you're right. So the opportunity has presented itself, pretty perfectly. Why me?"
Trepe shrugged. "I need a second ship, and more hands." She leaned across the table, smiling at him. "And you're the first person that came to mind."
"Still thinking about me after all these years?" Seifer grinned. "I guess I have that effect on people."
Quistis rolled her eyes, a gesture which looked comical through the single lens perched precariously on her nose. "Don't flatter yourself," she said sweetly. "It's just that everybody knows about your little spat with Squall." Her eyes flicked to the scar across his forehead with a weight Seifer could almost feel, and then turned to the parrot which had been sitting silently on his shoulder. "Bloody-Blade," she added, almost innocently.
"Whatever!" the bird squawked suddenly.
Seifer ground his teeth. It figured that fucking One-Eye Trepe would be able to tell how much he hated that stupid Dread Pirate Lion-Heart. No one on the seas was supposed to know about that incident. Maybe she really did have god-damn glasses of truth or whatever the hell Raijin had said. He took a sip of his wine, trying to regain his composure, noticing idly how heavy the ornate goblets were and wondering whether they'd break that last remaining lens. "Well," he said finally, "I'm not going to say no to one of Leonhart's ships."
"That's what I thought," Quistis said smugly. "Glad to see we agree."
"Well, how do you propose we divvy this up, then?" Seifer leant forward, poured them both more wine. "Leonhart has two ships. Two GFs."
"Here's my offer." Trepe's lips curved in a cunning smile. "I will take the Quezacotl, of course. This is my plan, and my ship will be taking the bulk of the risk in this particular ...mission." She paused, and then offered him a sly grin. "However, I'm expecting you to agree. I assume you'll be sufficiently pleased to take the Bahamut to be your own personal ship."
Seifer paused in thought for a moment. Quezacotl, the First GF, was a storm god, and as such was a particular force to be reckoned with on the high seas. The Dread Pirate Lion-Heart had gotten the First GF from his father, the Worst Pirate Laguna, as some sort of familial peace-offering. Seifer was unaware of the details, although everyone knew that the gift of GF had been what made Leonhart leave Garden and take to the seas in the first place, whether it was truly to follow his father or not. The Bahamut, on the other hand, was a smaller ship - but it was more strategically powerful than the Quezacotl.
Plus, it had been Leonhart's personal flagship.
"That's a good beginning," Seifer replied slowly. "I'm just not sure whether I can trust you with the First GF at your back."
Quistis gave him an exasperated look over the top of her lens. "Do you trust me more or less than the Dread Pirate Lion-Heart? Personally," she said archly, "I believe I'm more trustworthy."
Seifer paused, still thinking. On his shoulder, Squall began to dance, and let out a soft series of little cooing noises.
"I'll take the Bahamut as long as you swear by GF against it. And the Ifrit," he said finally.
Quistis blinked. "Seifer, if you take me to oath against your ships, it only holds as long as we're allies," she pointed out.
Seifer grinned. "And here I thought this was the beginning to a glorious partnership."
"I work alone," Trepe hissed - but for a moment, she actually appeared to be considering Seifer's offer.
Almasy shrugged. "You need me, Trepe," he said. "I'm being generous, letting you get the larger ship, and the First GF to boot. You owe me. Those are my terms."
"Fine," Quistis spat. "I'll take oath against both your ships. But not until after we've gotten them both."
"Deal." Seifer held out a hand.
Quistis eyed it, and then reached out to firmly set her gloved fingers in his. "Accepted."
- - -
"So do you really think this is going to work?" Raijin idly asked the night sky.
Beside him, Fujin shrugged. "Why not?"
Xu stepped up to the rail, on Fujin's other side. "It has a good chance of success," she said. "Besides, the Captain's right. We'll never get a better chance to take any two ships, let alone those two. All we'll have to do is not shoot each other."
Fujin snorted. "Captain. Trustworthy?"
It was Xu's turn to shrug. "Is yours any more trustworthy?" She gestured at the cabin, where Captains Trepe and Almasy were working out the details of the plan. "They both want these ships, and everybody stands to gain."
"For a pirate, Trepe doesn't really seem to be that big on breaking the rules, ya know." Raijin glanced over once, and then turned back to the stars.
Xu grinned. "Not really," she said. "Captain's more interested in questing - getting her hands on all those dangerous artifacts Garden tells us we're not supposed to touch. Those rules she's more than willing to break, I guarantee it."
"Squall's boats." Fujin turned to scrutinize her through a single remaining eye. "Quest?"
"Kind of." Xu shrugged. "On more than one level."
"Trepe. Lion-Heart?"
Xu nodded. "In the past," she said vaguely. Raijin gave her a somewhat eager look, and Xu barked a quick laugh. "And if you think I'm saying more than that, you're crazy. We may be working together, but it doesn't mean we're friends."
"Then what do you want?" Raijin's glance turned into a hardened glare. "You can go back to your ship, if you'd like."
"Look," Xu said, exasperated. "I just want to talk."
Both faces, dark and light, turned to her. She sighed, crossing her arms in front of her. "I know there's some - history - between the Ifrit and the Shiva. But look. There are two ships at stake. One of them is going to be mine. The other one, it's very likely, is going to belong to one of you - if not you both."
Raijin nodded, slowly. Fujin simply looked annoyed.
"We all stand to benefit," Xu continued. "All we have to do is make sure our Captains don't kill each other."
Fujin huffed. "Likely."
"I know," Xu replied. "But it's directly in our self-interest to keep them working together."
"So," Raijin said finally, "what's your point?"
"Nothing." Xu rolled her eyes upwards to the horizon. "I just wanted to mention it. A little... incentive to keep things ...running smoothly."
Raijin grinned. "We want it to go well too, ya know?"
Fujin didn't seem so convinced. "You." She pointed with one pale, callused finger. "Up to something."
Xu's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"
"Too eager." Fujin smirked. "Traitor?"
"Oh," Xu said coldly, her voice flat. "Let me correct you. There is absolutely no way by heaven or sea that I'd betray the Shiva. That's almost funny. I would never do anything against Captain Trepe."
She took a step forward, so that her lips were a finger's-length away from Fujin's cheek.
"And you'd better not do anything against her, either," Xu whispered.
- - -
Quistis watched Seifer across the table. "Something's on your mind, Almasy," she said finally, and slid her - now empty - goblet across the table.
The bird let out a shrill shriek, flapped its wings, and cried out: "Suck a dick!"
Quistis blinked. Seifer chuckled. "That one's mine," he admitted.
"That is one fantastic bird," Quistis said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Seifer reached for the bottle of wine and slowly refilled Trepe's goblet. "Tell me the truth, Trepe. Is this still a revenge thing for getting your ass dumped by Leonhart?" He gave a hand-gesture vaguely including the whole room. "Because you're teaming up with another 'former flame' to steal both of his ships after he abandons them for some other gal. You've gotta admit, it looks shady."
Quistis pursed her lips, giving Seifer a glare which, magnified through the single lens of her glasses, might have chilled the room by ten degrees had Shiva still been in her brain. "I would be lying," she said slowly, "if I tried to say that there was no... personal satisfaction... in this venture." She paused, and swallowed another large sip of wine. "But I am not lying when I say that there is more to this than... petty revenge."
"There's still the issue of two GFs abandoned to Garden government," she continued, tapping the side of her goblet pointedly. "And if there is - revenge - in this, it's also from the point of view of a fellow pirate who feels... betrayed. By a comrade."
"On more than one level," Seifer pointed out, smirking.
This time, Quistis didn't rise to the bait; she merely lifted her glass to her lips. "I see," she said slowly. "It hurts your precious dignity to be compared to the Dread Pirate Leonhart, doesn't it?"
Seifer scoffed. "Yeah, because comparing two notches on your illustrious bedpost is how I spend my time nowadays."
"Almasy." Trepe looked deadly serious, and the lopsided glare of hers had never been so cold. "If you can't concentrate on this mission, and do what I say, you're probably not going to make it out alive."
"Garden's got nothing on me," Seifer said.
"No," Trepe said coldly, "I will shoot you." She paused, and then added: "And your stupid bird."
"Balls!" the parrot yelled as she glanced upwards at it.
Seifer grinned, proudly. "That one's Fujin's."
A cold silence descended on the room, and Seifer wondered for a second whether Trepe was sitting before him with Shiva in her head - but then he realized it was just her glare. Quistis, obviously trying not to snap, took a stiff drink of her wine and set the goblet down on the table a little too hard.
"Well," she said crisply. "Make sure your ship is in tip-top shape by tomorrow. I'll be inspecting it to be sure that you're up to the ...challenge." The last word was forced a little. "Good night, Captain Bloody-Blade."
She left smoothly, and the temperature in the room seemed to rise instantly; Seifer felt the rush of heat as a very disconcerted and angry Ifrit suddenly returned to his mind, flowing back into the veins of his ship like thick oil. On fire. Seifer felt dizzy; he reached for Trepe's half-empty goblet and downed the entire thing.
"Well," he said to the empty cabin, raising the empty goblet high. "Here's to you, Leonhart. And your gods-be-damned ships."
"Whatever," Squall croaked.