There, still wearing his hugely oversized coat but now with the addition of a helmet much too large for him, was Nobby Nobbs. “How did you get there, Nobby?” “My mum says I’m insidious,” said Nobby, grinning. A concertina sleeve rose to the vicinity of Nobby’s head, and Vimes realized that somewhere in there was a salute. “She’s right,” said Vimes. “So, where—” “’M an acting constable now, Sarge,” said Nobby. “Mr. Colon said so. Gave me a spare helmet. ’M carvin’ meself a badge out of, of—what’s that, like, waxy, kind of like candles but you can’t eat it?” “Soap, Nobby. Remember the word.”
[Image description: Genesis Rhapsodos is leaning heavily on a table, arms locked, braced firmly. His expression is burning with fury, his brows sharply drawn and his lips pressed tightly together. In his right hand he is holding his phone, very tightly. On the wall behind him, his shadow does not match his reality. Stretching from his shoulder is the shadow of a vast, multi-jointed wing. He looks like he is ready to tear it all down. The whole world. End image description.]
Genesis rarely texted. It was a soulless, ludicrous, obnoxious way of communicating. Normally he wouldn’t stoop to it outside of emergencies. If someone wanted to talk to him they could call like a normal person. The problem was, recently, they hadn’t.
‘Any luck with Strife?’ He texted Sephiroth.
Sephiroth had come to him. That had been something, yes. But he’d just come to him like… He didn’t know. Like a professional. Clear, concise questions, directly to the point.
Did you take Cloud to see Loveless?
No ‘hello Genesis how are you’ or ‘read any good books lately?’
Not that he could blame him. He’d seen how Sephiroth couldn’t take his eyes off the Trooper. Questionable taste, but he wasn’t one to judge.
It wouldn’t have been a problem. Shouldn’t have been a problem. The Goddess knew Sephrioth needed a life. But with Angeal busy with his puppy, and the puppy busy with his new puppy, and Sephiroth making puppy eyes at Zack’s puppy—
Genesis shook his head. The soft jingle of his earring was grounding. He took a deep breath. Touched the raised platform in the center of the room and let the VR arena come to life around him.
His family library, in which he’d spend so much of his youth, built itself piece by piece. It was the room he’d spent most of his childhood in. The room where he’d first read Loveless. Where he’d written his official proposal for Banora White Juice with his father. Where he’d opened the letter from Shinra, welcoming him to the Soldier program.
