If you had told me a year ago that I'd have my first date with a pig-troll pirate, I would have given you a blank look and then walked away without saying anything. And made a mental note to stay away from you from now on.

And yet here I was in the wintry month of Skyfrost, sitting on a rooftop terrace in Grazton, watching snow fall on the ships at port, with a certain Seeq Viking at my side.

Unusually for someone so self-confident, Qrrog had approached me nervously earlier that day and worked up the guts to ask me out. It came as a surprise, but not an entirely unwelcome one. Since we'd met, I'd assumed that his strange flirting methods were just teasing, but it seemed there was some substance to them, after all.

He took me out to eat at a cozy little restaurant that overlooked the ocean, and it was quite enjoyable despite the stares we kept getting. He regaled me with tales of his adventures on the high seas, and I told him stories of Earth and all of its strangeness.

Now we huddled next to a firepit and sipped cocoa, the only occupants of the terrace as no one else wanted to brave the snow. Granted, my own nose was red and numb, but the view of the glittering port city was worth it.

"So tell me again about these things called 'cars'," Qrrog said.

I swallowed my cocoa, letting the frothy, bittersweet drink warm my innards. "Well, they're vehicles that operate on an internal combustion engine instead of magicite—which, like I said, we don't have any of. They're the main mode of transportation in most developed nations on Earth."

"Internal combustion?" The erstwhile pirate captain wrinkled his snout. "Sounds like some sort o' crazy thing outta Goug."

I laughed. "Yeah, they're definitely more along the lines of Mooglecraft. Oh, and instead of airships, we have planes."

"Planes?"

"The earliest ones were gliders, but nowadays—"

"Pardon us."

I looked up to see two Humes about my age, a man and a woman, sit down at the firepit. They were both dressed stylishly, the woman's hair done in an elaborate weave, and as she sat she pulled out a pocket mirror and primped herself. The man brushed snow off his sleeves and put down the shopping bags he was carrying, brimming with expensive clothes and jewelry.

The woman looked over at us, but her lip curled at Qrrog and she addressed her question to me. "This seat isn't occupied, is it?"

I shook my head silently, although Qrrog and I glanced at each other and shared a grimace. Awkward. We were not going to let this turn into an impromptu double date if we could help it. Glancing into my mug as though my cocoa had run out, I stood up to leave, trying to be discreet.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Please, don't let us interrupt your business meeting." He reached over and began to scratch his date's back as they exchanged sickeningly sappy looks.

I nearly threw up in my mouth a little.

The woman looked up from touching up her makeup and laughed, a horribly grating laugh that made me want to stuff my ears with seaweed. Or stuff her mouth with seaweed. "Oh, honey-dove, that's hilarious! A business meeting!" She waved her jewel-festooned hand at Qrrog and me. "As if a Seeq could be a proper businessman! Clearly he's just a servant."

Qrrog frowned and stood up, towering over them both. "'Scuse me? You wanna insult me, do it to me face!"

The man grimaced, his hand moving to his perfectly coiffed hair as though the mere thought of an altercation would ruin it. "Oh my, I do hope we haven't interrupted any illegal activity, sweetie-lamb. You never know with Seeq, after all."

"Oh, but you do know," Sweetie-Lamb replied, suddenly staring at us as though we were covered in garbage.

I cleared my throat. "He's my date, thanks."

Honey-Dove and Sweetie-Lamb looked at each other and sniggered like I couldn't hear them. The male half of the irritating companionship glanced up at me with a wry smirk. "Ah, so your real date stood you up and sent his heavy in his stead? I do hope your beau is at least worth the cost of keeping if he's going to pull stunts like that."

His date's eyes moved to the plethora of shopping bags at her sides and then looked Qrrog up and down. "Although probably not, anyone respectable would at least hire a Bangaa."

That did it. I clenched my fists. "That is quite enough!" Thin-lipped, I reached over and grabbed Qrrog's hand. "Let's go."

Sweetie-Lamb blinked. "Oh my, I do believe she's serious. What on earth could possess a girl to accept a Seeq's courting?"

Honey-Dove gave me a look like I'd grown an extra head. "Perhaps it's best that you leave," he said. "I'm not sure I want to mingle with riffraff like you."

Qrrog decked him across the jaw. The Hume went flying, sprawling onto the terrace as a few of his date's shopping bags tumbled into the flames.

She let out a shriek and staggered back, aghast. "Oh, no!" Her hands flew to her mouth. "Those were Brint Mea exclusives and you've ruined them!"

"Forget the clothes, woman!" Honey-Dove growled, staggering to his feet as he held his jaw. "Get me to a doctor immediately! I think I've lost a tooth!"

The Viking bared his teeth. "You'll lose a lot more'n that if you keep insultin' my girl! I oughtta find a plank and have you walk off it!"

That was all Sweetie-Lamb needed to turn and run back inside with another shriek, her date hobbling after her as he moaned in pain.

I shook my fist at their retreating forms. "Maybe the doctor will prescribe you an attitude adjustment!" Yeah. That was a good one. I mentally patted myself on the back before deflating a little. "C'mon, Qrrog, I guess we should go back to the Juggernaut." Sure our date would be cut slightly short, but at least we wouldn't have to bear other people's ignorance.

I was met with silence, and I turned around to see him sitting in front of the fire, his broad shoulders slumped as he watched Sweetie-Lamb's finery burn. I walked back to him. "Qrrog?"

The Seeq gave me a sidewise glance and then looked back at the flames. "This ain't workin' out."

My heart fell. "What do you mean? I think it was going great, don't let those idiots ruin our night."

He buried his snout in his hands. "They're right. I'm just a Seeq. You deserve so much better'n this."

I put my arms around his thick neck and rested my face in his shoulder. "Don't say that. You're one of the best friends I've ever had." Even if he did still smell a little like old fish.

"Terra…" Qrrog put a clawed hand on my back. "I just want you to be happy. Yer kind and smart and cute. I can't measure up to that."

I pushed away from him and gave him an indignant frown. "Of course you can! You're really smart, too, even if it's not the same kind of intelligence I have! And, most importantly, you're so kind. You're the nicest Seeq I know, and even if you weren't a Seeq you'd still rank as one of the nicest people I know."

He chuckled. "But I ain't much of a looker, am I, lass?"

"That doesn't matter," I insisted as I sat down beside him. "I would much rather have someone who looked like you and had your kind heart than someone like that—that walking Christmas tree whose jaw you probably broke."

Qrrog's grin faded. He looked up at the clouded sky as though he was searching for answers in it. Then he turned back to me and held my hand in his. "Nobody likes Seeq, Terra. We're bandits and brawlers, we don't got much in the brains department. And when it comes to a conscience, we're lackin'."

I narrowed my eyes. "That's bunk. You're proof that there's at least one good Seeq out there, and I'm happy he's in my clan."

He nestled his head against mine. "Feelin's mutual."

We stayed like that for a while, not saying anything, until Qrrog took in a sharp breath and sat up. "Snow's comin' down harder," he said with a tinge of regret. "We should get back to the ship."

"Right." I nodded and began to stand. As I did so, my hand brushed the Grimoire that remained fastened to my belt, and I stopped. The book's pages were nearly full of illustrations of my adventures with my clan. I had been getting the sinking feeling that when the book was full, my time here would be over.

Qrrog stretched his arms above his head, his long tufted tail waving lazily. "You okay, Brighteyes?"

I lifted the book and stared at the gilded binding. "No."

He looked over at me. "Hm? What's wrong?"

I unlatched the Grimoire from its chain and held it in front of me. "I've been in Ivalice for nearly a year. I've had more good times here than I've ever had in my entire life. And more friends, too. I don't want to leave."

The erstwhile pirate put an arm around my shoulders. "I don't want you to leave either, Brighteyes. If I had any say, I'd keep you by me side fer the rest o' me days. But… that's fate, I guess. No good thing lasts forever."

I frowned. The old me would have thought that. But the new me wasn't about to give up so easily. "This one will." With both hands, I heaved the Grimoire into the firepit.

Qrrog started forward in shock. "What did you—?!"

Narrowing my eyes, I watched as flames began to lick at the leather binding and scorch the edges of the pages. "I'm taking my fate into my own hands. I belong here. With my friends. With my happiness." I reached up and gave the Seeq's hand a squeeze.

He blinked, dazed. "You'll never be able to return to Earth."

"I know." The flames had begun to eat at the binding, melting the metal rings on the cover and adding them to the pile of molten Brint Mea jewelry. "There was nothing for me there. Here, I have everything. I finally belong. I'm not going to let anyone take that away from me. Least of all myself—" My speech was cut off by a sneeze.

Qrrog crouched down and held my cheeks. "Ach! Brighteyes, yer freezin'! Yer gonna catch yer death o' cold in this weather!"

"And my cocoa's not hot any more,"I sniffed.

"Let's get you warmed back up, then." Before I could respond, he picked me up. "I don't want you exertin' yerself in this cold! Give yer pretty li'l face frostbite, you will!"

I looked back one last time to where my ticket back to a drab existence was turning to ashes, and smiled.

I was home.