UnShaekable (FFXII)

Prologue

I BOUGHT THIS GAME IN NOVEMBER AND I'M CLOSE TO BEATING IT, SO I DID WHAT I ALWAYS DO: USED SOME GOOD OLD GUM AND STICKY TACK TO SLAP AN OC INTO THE STORY LINE. TIME TO MIX THINGS UP A LITTLE, EH? 

~4 months after Dalmascan fall~

"To another success!" Dern cheers, clinking his tankard to mine.

We down the cool, bitter alcohol in our pewter mugs. To my left slouches a burlap sack of golden trinkets, embedded with jewels and decorations of all types. The rich folk out here thought they were safe in Jagd where sky-craft can't fly overhead and drop pirates down. How amusing. 

Dern and I, we're not your typical sky pirates. We know the value of stealth, of darkness, of bribery. Deceit may just be my most prominent talent. For a man his size, Dern takes on the best features of a thief, moving with practiced grace and precision. Perhaps the smartest man I will ever meet. I've yet to see a new victor.

"What say we head for Bhujerba tomorrow?" I suggest. "The fences moved from the Estersand days ago."

"Of course," Dern shrugs, refilling his cup. "I suppose they hitched a ride with another ship. That, or they played the stowaway card." Falling back into his seat across from me, he raises his glass. "But for now... What's that saying? 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry'? Something along those lines." I laugh, shaking my head and leaning back in my seat. I kick my boots up on the rough wooden table, staring up at the ceiling.

The rumble of the Castean reverberates through the clumsy legs of my chair. The signals of her life, which nearly equates with mine. Well, Dern's too, I suppose. It's all we pour our energy into, all we live and breathe for. The bearer of our hope. The carrier of our dreams. The product of our partnership. A product caused by years of betrayal, pain, trial, destruction, but a product that was well worth it all indeed.

"What do we do with this next payment?" Dern asks, his tankard hitting the table with a firm thump. I shrug, rubbing a sore bruise on my bare shoulder.

"What would you like?"

"For you to choose."

I roll my eyes, snatching up the end of my long braid and brushing the tip across my palm. Dern waits patiently, stroking the dark goatee at the end of his square chin as he watches me with lively brown eyes. This is all we ever wanted: our freedom. Now that we have it, we don't know what to do with ourselves. Every day feels like a celebration of how far we've come and how much we've learned. How much we've changed. How much celebration is there before calamity strikes?

"You're contemplating something obscure yet again."

"Hm?" I raise my eyebrows, watching him grin at me.

"The money. We could use it for anything, really. Upgrades, luxuries, savings..." His deep voice trails off and I hum, staring at the smooth white wall.

"Perhaps... Some paint jobs for our little beauty."

"You read my mind," he laughs, placing one hand on my resting ankle. "I'll seek out the fences tomorrow. You head out and pick some colors. Deal?"

"True teamwork," I mutter, shooting him a sly smile and peering up at him through thick, dark lashes. He grins, shaking his head and leaning back in his seat.

"Y'know, we've been through Hell and back, but there's no one else I would've rather escaped with." Dern brushes a hand through his thick hair, pushing several unruly strands back into place. "And yes, I meant escaped. I was suffocating and you breathed the life back into me."

"You make it sound like we're ancient," I scoff, though a smile never leaves my lips. "And you're my best friend, Dern, you know that. I never would've made it this far without you."

"Now there's something worthy of a toast!"

I laugh as he refills our tankards, clicking them together on his own with an excited cheer. You breathed the life back into me. I shake my head, staring into the cup of pitch black liquid. Shrugging, I brush off all notions warning me of my impending drunken state and down whatever it is that Dern keeps in this half-empty cabin. Eat, drink, and be merry...

For tomorrow, we die.