Title: "One Wild Night" Part one point one
Series: Lullaby Girls
Author: Treesh Aradia
Disclaimer: Not mine. No suing.
Summary: Previously, Zell becomes privy to Selphie's new job. Now we see how it goes...
One Wild Night 1.1
"So, Irvine, I've been meaning to ask you. What exactly are you two?" Zell shouted, competing with the deafening noise they called music.
"What? Can't hear you!"
"I said what exactly are you and Selphie? Friends, Jedi, chocobo, lovers perhaps?" Zell turned expectantly to Irvine, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but next to Zell. And his curious questioning nature.
What exactly were they? Besides the obvious answer being friends. Somehow, it felt like a lie to say that.If Irvine was honest with himself, he wanted more than that Wanted to be more than just friends Zell deserved better than the obvious answerbut now was not the time for a step-by-step dissection of his and Selphie's relationship. Or lack there of. So the obvious answer it had to be.
"We're friends," he said, without managing to prevent a slight pause in between. A pause Zell obviously caught.
"Hah! You paused. Pausing is a definite sign of hesitation!" Zell pointed accusingly to Irvine. "You like her don't you?"
Irvine shrugged, before replying, "Yeah, don't you?"
"Not like like her. Not like you like her." Irvine frowned a bit, confused at Zell.
"Zell, that sentence had way too many likes for my liking. And unless you are her father, I seriously doubt that it's any of your business." Irvine interjected, already starting to walk away from his overly curious friend.
"Sheesh, can't a guy just ask?" Zell mumbled.
Before either of them could say or do anything else, the atmosphere dimmed. The music was cut off and the usual chatter pattered off into silence. The crowd, most of them uncertain of what was about to happen, was confused. For the usual clubbers, they waited in anticipation as the leveled ground of the dance floor got separated into the two sections. The platforms at the ends were elevated till they were ten feet high.
After a few seconds, the platform burst into flames at its side. A few surprised murmurs from the crowd could be heard, but were quickly drowned by the cheers that had erupted just as suddenly as the miniature explosion.
From the dark arched hallways that were connected from the upper level to the now elevated platform, Glitter-Tech's heat dancers appeared, basking in the spectacular light display- the strobe lights were sweeping across the hall like there was no tomorrow.
Everyone stared; transfixed at the already cavorting bodies of the dancers until suddenly a new, fast dance track came on. The beat caught at their feet as the dancers challenged them, and in the blink of an eye the whole floor was moving to the music.
From across the hall, near the gigantic Centra-Designed' pillars, stood Irvine Kinneas.
Where is she?
It seemed whenever the both of them were at Glitter Tech; Irvine was left to perpetual task of searching for his best friend.
"Zell, I'm going to look around, ask some questions. Look out for her." Irvine turned to leave but was stopped by Zell's comment.
"Already doing that. Boy, who knew huh?" Zell said, nodding his head towards the subject of his statement. "I so did not know Selphie to be this... wild." There was Selphie Tilmitt, the orphanage gang's most childlike member, doing a sensual twirl around the metal bar that made up part of the "disco-decor".
Irvine grimaced as he looked at Selphie, his innocent Selphie in her costume romping about in a compromising way...with her hair twirling and sweat trickling down her gleaming skin...
Without a word, he walked towards the bar.
Up on the platform, Selphie was doing no better in controlling her emotions than Irvine. Learning from Candy that afternoon about how to do her job and how to do it well was fine... but applying it up on the platform was not what she called fine. It was degrading and shameful.
From her viewpoint, she could see Irvine walking to the bar after leaving a grinning Zell Dintch in his wake. He did not seem to notice Selphie as he tried to stare at anything that was not Zell. Or her. Indeed! Did she really dance that badly?!
He had just grinned to the bartender, this time round it was a girl...naturally.
What is he up to now?
He had a vodka cola and was being molested by the girl in front of him. But he did not seem to be noticing. Instead he had leaned forward, bringing himself closer to the girl. He seemed to be having a wonderful time.
Figures. This is going to be one wild night.
"Chrissie," Irvine Kinneas said to the girl serving him his order, all the while still trying to forget the foreplay Selphie was doing up on the platform, "what are you doing here? I never figured you for a bartender."
"Well, what else am I to do? Besides, it does have its perks. I get to talk to good-looking fellas," she said, placing her hand on his, "like yourself." Used to the attention Irvine simply laughed.
"So, anyone new coming in these days?"
"Nah, too many people coming to notice. But, if you must know, there are some new guys coming in here...folks from the Sorceress convention," Chrissie told him, smiling saucily.
"Convention huh?" Irvine drowned out the sounds of all other conversation. Guess I'll be paying the exhibition hall a visit tomorrow.
Seifer Almasy never figured himself for a clubber. Preferring a small suburban pub to the large discothèque. But he had a job to do, and one he would certainly do well in.
From above the platform, he could see a familiar petite figure twirling about the rails. He smiled as he realized how much fun it would be to tease the messenger girl the next time he saw her. And he hoped it would be soon. If everything went as planned tonight he would probably see more of her soon.
Very, very soon.
Stupid Irvine. Did he have to be such a flirt! Selphie fumed from where she was dancing. And no, she was not jealous... Merely angry at his flippant work attitude. Let's hope talking to the girl at the bar had some use!
She was about to do a back flip twirl when she spotted a familiar someone. What was he doing here? She eyed the man in his gray trench coat for longer than she liked before realizing he was heading for the back alley. The same route one of the girls was taking. Recalling why she was actually at the club in the first place, Selphie decided to leave the joint. Earning her a curious stare from Candy.
Taking a short cut from behind the arched hallways into the alley, Selphie was able to see two distinct silhouettes. Hewas unmistakable, the arrogant flare of his trench coat swirling about his knees as he moved in on the slightly hunched form of the woman before him.
She rushed towards them after what she perceived was the start of an argument about to turn violent. "Hold it right there!"
"Well, well, if it isn't Trabia's overactive messenger girl,"Seifer Almasy said snidely, looking at Selphie with a supremely irritating smirk.
Hiding her initial surprise at finding him back in Balamb, she continued fiercely, "Seifer, unhand that girl right now," she hissed, "or you'll find yourself a few fingers short of a whole hand!" She tried glaring at him for a more effective intimidation effect but Seifer being ... Seifer, merely laughed at what he assumed was a non-threat.
Condescension thy name is Seifer. He looked no different than he had those six months ago when the final fight was over and the world was able to let out its collective breath.
"I don't think so Sef. This little girl is my lucky ticket to solving the case."
Selphie raised an eyebrow. "The case...you don't mean the one that involves Seed Specialists. Operative word being Seed."
Seifer merely shrugged. "Makes no difference who solves it, as long as the murders stop. Besides I don't think the team handling it is all that effective. And the operative word is team meaning, you and that Billy the Kid version two-point-oh of yours. Speaking of which, you can tell him to come out from behind that corner."
Selphie turned and sure enough, Irvine was right behind her, already reaching out to place a comforting hand on her shoulderMore confident now, she faced the annoying man again. For as certain as she had been that she could disable Seifer and his grasping fingers, it wouldn't be just Seifer who would get hurt in a fight. She'd probably get a beating too...
"Somehow Seifer, I doubt your reasons are purely altruistic. And we are too effective!" She completed that with the stomping of her right foot. Maybe she shouldn't have stomped her foot on that last line, she thought, as she heard the hint of Seifer's snicker.
"Oh I'm sure. That's why there've already been seven deaths in let's see...less than a week?"
Before Selphie could come up with a response, Irvine, who had managed to restrain his tongue all this while, finally stepped in "Seifer, whether or not your reasons are altruistic or not, let go of her." Irvine jerked his head to the squirming girl.
Feelingher captor's grip loosen, the girl pulled violently away, not caring as she felt fabric tear along the shoulder seam of her favourite pink top.
And before any of the three could blink, the girl was gone, already running off into the dark.
"Great, thanks a lot Beavis and Butthead. That leaves us without any clues!" Seifer raised his arms in a surrender motion.
"Count yourself lucky you aren't on the ground with your face kissing asphalt. Now let's go back to the bar and we can chat about what you have been up to. Alright?" Irvine said before Selphie could respond. He could tell that her nerves were fraying and he didn't want her to lose her temper
Even then, Seifer had to have the last word. "Not before the hilt of my sword meets your skull Cowboy. But I don't mind getting a drink."
With that he left the two very annoyed Seeds in his wake.
"Are you guys coming or what?"
Ok...read and review. If not, DIE. Haha kidding. I'm not that violent usually. Realli.
Trish