Crisis Core: The Novel

Chapter 43 - Visions of Hope and Despair [Part 2]

Long live the weekend! Angeal and Genesis wanted to go paint the town red, but Sephiroth only owned his SOLDIER blues.

"Oh Angeal would you just give him some civvies so we can go to the club!" Genesis groaned.

"My closet is your oyster!" Angeal threw his doors wide.

Angeal's closet was like a girl's bedroom, enough clothes to fill a department store. With every designer label and knock-off brand halfway hung on racks and halfway scattered on the floor, Sephiroth came out in a black shirt with black jeans over his black boots and a black belt.

Genesis rolled his eyes.

"Your life is a withered rose."

Angeal sported his navy blazer with Stunner Glasses (at night), while Genesis rocked skin-leather leggings that cut off circulation with a way-too-thin V-neck sheer top. They hit Loveless Avenue on their way to the club, Genesis freaking out the entire way.

"He's going to get carded!"

"No he's not! Play it Bogart. Here we go..."

They strolled up the steps, right past the bouncer, home free, until...

"Hey you! Girl with the hair!" the bouncer called out and Sephiroth turned around. "Not you. The red-head, Anne of Green Gables. ID!"

"WHAT!" Genesis flipped around in a tirade. "I come here all the time! You know me! You do this to me every time! It's because I'm—"

"ID or no-go..."

Genesis groaned and flashed his ID. The bouncer checked it long enough for the whole line to get a look at him, and let them go.

Inside, a raving colloquium of neural-noise slammed Sephiroth in sheer-static. Flashing lights, flaying hands, the energy of a human ocean. Electropop audio-synths blared in Sephiroth's implant like a detuned buzz-saw.

BRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZRRRRRRRSSCCCHHHHHHHHHH

Sephiroth turned his implant off, whirling in an uptight miasma of psychotechnic slamdancing. Angeal ditched them in all of five minutes, dancing with twenty girls and if he had his way he'd be going home with all of them tonight. But Genesis pulled Sephiroth over to the bar and got them two mixes.

"Do you know how to do this?" he asked Sephiroth, who said nothing. "Okay, you drop the shot into the glass, then chug it all in one hit. One hit. You ready? One, two..."

Genesis downed his while Sephiroth choked halfway.

"Hah! Close enough! That just means we'll have to try again later!"

He pulled them toward the dance floor but Sephiroth froze. Genesis took him mind-whirling by the shoulders, getting right up in his field of view so he could read his lips.

"Do you want me to sing you this song?"

Sephiroth stopped. You'd do that for me?

Singing a song in sign language is like singing a song out-loud, it's not easy. A certain timing and eloquence is required...a talent. Genesis signed in beautiful flowing movements like a dance in front of Sephiroth's eyes.

Sephiroth was enamored. Behind his stoic outer shell he was smiling from ear to ear. Genesis pulled him into the fray and they danced amid the roaring masses. Though he couldn't hear the auric ascending vocals, he could feel the rhythm of the pounding vibrations from the speakers. Seventeen was the best year of Sephiroth's life.