#Zack Pendant

[mygirlmm501]

Tags: Hurt OC, trust issues, barbed wire, past abuse, Niel Shader Whump, Original Work, if there are any other tags I need to add let me know.

Also, sorry this is so late!

"Hey, has anyone seen NiNi?" Shane grumbled kind of annoyed.

"I swear, we just got back from a mission and the boy disappears! Would it kill him to spend a little time with the people who saved his life?" Abigail huffed angrily.

"There, there, Abigail. Don't forget: he's only a kid." Connor patted her on the shoulder, but something in his tone suggested he was messing with her, she shrugged his 'comforting' hand off in an irritated gesture.

"Shouldn't we go look for him? He could be in trouble.." Rose fretted, Abigail sighed, clearly giving in.

"You're right. That boy's a magnet for trouble. You boys are coming with us, though. We can't carry him by ourselves." Abigail sighed.

"What??! Why do we have to come?" Shane whined.

"Don't you remember how we first met him??" Abigail snapped back.

"If I remember correctly...he was very light." Connor added in an almost bored tone.

"That's not the point!" Abigail shouted.

"Then what was?" Conner drawled, and, fortunately, before Abigail could snap back, Rose interjected.

"The point is finding him and making sure he's okay!" exclaimed Rose.

"Right, right. Let's go find our runaway, angsty, teenager." Shane sighed, climbing to his feet and ruffling Rose's hair which got a confused little squeak out of her.

"Where do we start?" Abigail asked.

"Did anyone notice him come in?" Conner asked, finally seeming not so bored. There was a silence as everyone thought for a minute, then, without a word, they rushed for the front door, and started hunting around the house, when they finally found him, Connor screamed. High pitched and ear splitting, like a terrified young girl.

"Was that Connor or Rose screaming??" Shane asked, trying hard not to focus on what was in front of him.

"Niel Shader what is happening here??!!" Abigail shrieked, but still somehow semi-holding onto that stern, motherly, demanding, tone.

"I-I-I-" Niel stammered, looking up from where he was seated on the ground, clothes soaked in his own blood. His leg was a mangled mess, tangled up in barbwire. It looked as if he was trying to remove it, but was only making things worse.

"I-It's not as bad as it looks! I'm fine." Niel blurted out.

"Are you sure about that, dude? 'Cause from where I'm standing.....it looks pretty bad." Shane said, stepping forward to try and help him, but,  to his surprise, Niel leaned over it, almost as if trying to..protect it? Despite the fact it was probably putting him in more pain, potentially jostling the wound and possibly having that barbed wire cut in more places.

"I said it's fine." Niel mumbled, which..wasn't very convincing..as you could hear the pain in his voice. And his leg and blood soaked clothes spoke for themselves quite clearly that it was not, indeed, fine.

"NiNi-" Shane started, but Niel cut him off with a firm and angry: "Niel."

Shane sighed, but decided not to provoke him right now.

"Niel, it's okay. Let us help." Shane tried to coax him, realizing now that Niel seemed almost...scared..of them. Which would be ridiculous to think as they had done nothing but try to help him, but Shane had seen a lot in 21 years. Okay, to be fair, not a lot when he was a literal baby, but you know, around 7-8 years old, he was finally able to properly understand what was going on around him, growing up, he'd seen people who had been hurt by others, scared to trust anyone again, scared to get hurt again...Niel was acting exactly like them.

"I don't need your help." Niel mumbled quietly.

"Fine, you may not need it, but it'll sure make your life easier." Shane said, calmly raising his hands in a surrendering gesture hoping that'd work, before quickly dropping them back to his side upon noticing Niel flinch away.

"Well, I guess fortunately for me, I never seem to be able to take the easy route in life. Leave me alone." Niel huffed mirthlessly.

"Niel....please....let us h-help you.." Rose managed to mumble between sobs. Niel seemed at a lost of what to do, and for a moment, Shane thought he might just let them help.

"How'd you even get back here like that??" Connor asked in disbelief.

"How did we not even notice?" Abigail asked, guilt flooding her words.

"Uhh, because he disappeared halfway through the mission. We didn't see him again 'till now. And, Niel, if you didn't disappear on the regular, we might have been able to notice something was up and help you sooner." Shane tried his best to make it clear he wasn't angry or upset with Niel, just.. sad.

"Leave." Niel whispered, the poor boy sounded like he was about to cry, and if his head wasn't ducked down, he could figure out how accurate that assessment was.

"Enough! I'm getting a First-Aid kit! Niel. Stay there." Abigail huffed before storming off back inside, the door slammed behind her and Niel recoiled even further into himself.

"Abigaillll....." Shane groaned into his hands. "Don't worry Niel, she's just worried." Even Shane knew his words must sound hallow.

By the time Abigail got back she seemed to have calmed herself a little.

"Okay, Niel. Let's see what we're dealing with." She said, setting the First-Aid kit down and plopping herself down next to it. But, before she could even try and start to help him, in a swift movement, he pushed back away from her, (somehow) managed to get to his feet, and stumbled/limped/ran back to where the back door was.

"Niel!" Abigail shouted in alarm.

"What on earth just happened?!" Shane barked, taking after the runaway who was surprisingly fast for someone almost toppling over when they tried to stand up. Connor, speechless with disbelief, just took off after Shane.

When they got to the back door area, the door was open, a small trail of blood leading inside.

"Niel? We're not gonna hurt you." Shane called into the house, there was no response.

~~~

Niel could try and argue that he wasn't scared. That he didn't just turn tail and run like an abused puppy. But....he'd probably be lying to himself. Besides, he wasn't even sure how he managed to clamber back into the vents like this, he just knew he did. And now, he was painstakingly trying to untangle the barbed wire from his mangled leg. Though he barely managed to bite back a scream at some points, maybe. Was he almost certain he was going to pass out at other times? Perhaps. Did he manage to get the job done without revealing his position too much? Hopefully. Now the fun part. Niel look forlornly over to the First-Aid kit he kept up here... Time to bandage the wound. With a soft, quiet, groan, he started rifling through it for the gauze.

[FLASHBACK]

"Useless scum! How are you supposed to be helpful if you can't even get through a 'sparring' match without crumpling to the ground." Zack sneered as he punctuated his words with a kick to Shader's most definitely broken ribs. Shader let out a cry of pain and Zack just made a disgusted face. Shader tried to curl further in on himself, only to softly whimper realizing that hurt even more.

"You'll never truly belong here. You're just my dad's plaything. Something to toss aside once it becomes boring. Realize that." Zack finished off with another kick for good measure before stalking off, leaving Shader on the ground.

[END FLASHBACK]

Yeah. Safe to say assassin’s weren’t the most caring people Niel thought dryly as he examined his handiwork, not the cleanest job in the world, but it'd do it's job just fine. He sighed and leaned against the wall of the vent, he was exhausted.

[sapphirothcrescent]

HEAVY SPOILER snippet for next chapter.

Sapphiroth FEELS. Also Sephiroth gets some cookies.

Enjoy pain. All of you knew it was coming.

"Call me as soon as you get there," Sapphire demanded fiercely as she handed him something wrapped in paper.

Sephiroth nodded obediently, partially unwrapping the present to reveal several cookies that she'd baked that morning. He wondered if Sapphire would be offended if he offered one to Zack. It might stave off the younger man's typical complaints.

"Of course."

"Text me every hour," She also commanded. Sapphire had come a long way from barely knowing how to operate a PHS to demanding he text her. She still signed her name on every message. He hoped she never stopped that idiosyncrasy.

"I will try." That promise would be harder to grant but he would at least text her as much as he could in such a remote mountain town. The fact Nibelheim had its own mako reactor meant perhaps they would have better reception than normal.

Sapphire reached up to the gold sun that hung from his neck on a chain and tugged it forcefully. "That's me so don't take it off. Not even when sleeping!"

He returned the gesture, stroking the moon pendant that hung from a black leather choker that matched his own leather attire and hugged her throat.

"It should only be a few days. Don't terrorize Alton or Kunsel too much."

Sapphire nodded and sighed. "No promises. Take care of Zack. He might not pay attention and fall off a cliff or something. I guess I have to say goodbye now. It'd be mean to make it last longer."

"Yes it would be. I love you, Sapphire."

He took her left hand in his. She looked up to meet his gaze, eyes wide. Her response was quick.

"I love you too, Sephiroth."

[wexarethewalkingxdead]

For all of'em?

hc + 🔞

hc + ❓

hc + 💍

Thematic Headcanons. A series of subject-specific headcanons you can ask your favorite blog and muse.

hc + 🌂 for a weather-themed headcanon

Andrea's favorite weather is sunny and around seventy-five.

hc + 💍 for a jewelry-themed headcanon

Andrea doesn't like to wear gaudy jewelry. She prefers a simplistic necklace with a small charm/pendant hanging from it. And if she wears rings, they have to be small and not bring attention to her hands.

hc + 🔞 for a nsfw-headcanon

Andrea loves to be fucked prone bone style but that's the only thing she's embarrassed to ask for.

hc + ❓ for a headcanon of the receiver’s choice

Andrea was on her high school's tennis team.

hc + 🌂 for a weather-themed headcanon

Beth loves afternoon spring showers. She will take her notebook outside and sit where she can hear and smell the rain and write music.

hc + 💍 for a jewelry-themed headcanon

Beth's mama pierced her ears when she was seven years old and begged to get earrings like Maggie had.

hc + 🔞 for a nsfw-headcanon

Beth's first time was with Zack at the prison. He made it special for her by putting candles a nice sheet and a blanket in one of the cells that had been cleared and cleaned but that nobody had moved into yet.

hc + ❓ for a headcanon of the receiver’s choice

Beth won the solo in the school's choir in her freshman year. She was the first freshman to win the solo. It usually went to a senior.

hc + 🌂 for a weather-themed headcanon

Carol has experienced a hurricane, tornado, and an earthquake. All in her twenties.

hc + 💍 for a jewelry-themed headcanon

Carol used to wear a small golden cross until Sophia's death. She pulled it from her neck and never wore it again. Her relationship with God has become shaky ever since.

hc + 🔞 for a nsfw-headcanon

Carol likes reverse cowgirl. And is not afraid to tell her partner as much.

hc + ❓ for a headcanon of the receiver’s choice

Carol was number three in her high school graduating class.

hc + 🌂 for a weather-themed headcanon

Charley's favorite weather is when it's sunny and no higher than 72 degrees. Georgia rarely delivered that kind of weather. It was a rare occasion in Spring and Fall. And they enjoyed it as thoroughly as they could when it did happen.

hc + 💍 for a jewelry-themed headcanon

Charley won't wear anything but sterling silver jewelry.

hc + 🔞 for a nsfw-headcanon

Charley's first time was in high school. It happened in the backseat of a car.

hc + ❓ for a headcanon of the receiver’s choice

Charley is a young adult novel author. He was half-way through the second book of four-part storyline when the Outbreak happened.

hc + 🌂 for a weather-themed headcanon

Daryl's favorite weather is when it's just a little bit cold outside. It's the best weather for deer hunting.

hc + 💍 for a jewelry-themed headcanon

Daryl isn't a fan of jewelry, but when Carol made him a friendship bracelet to match the one he hastily made for her, he never took it off.

hc + 🔞 for a nsfw-headcanon

Daryl likes to fuck his partner from behind. That way he can bite their neck and shoulder.

hc + ❓ for a headcanon of the receiver’s choice

Daryl rarely got C's in school. He mostly got A's and B's. But in his senior year, he had to choose between having a roof over his head and food in his belly or school. He chose the roof and food.

hc + 🌂 for a weather-themed headcanon

Rick loves stormy weather. He likes to hear the thunder rumbling in the distance.

hc + 💍 for a jewelry-themed headcanon

It took Rick a long time to take off his wedding ring that Lori gave him on their wedding day. Even then, he kept it in his pocket. He wants to give it to Carl one day when he finds someone that makes him happy.

hc + 🔞 for a nsfw-headcanon

Rick isn't very vocal in bed, but he is very handsy. He can't seem to help himself.

hc + ❓ for a headcanon of the receiver’s choice

Rick never wanted to be anything else but a police officer. He had no fallback plan. So if he didn't make it the first time, he would have kept trying until he made it.

hc + 🌂 for a weather-themed headcanon

Shane's favorite weather is summertime. He loves swimming and used to volunteer as a lifeguard in the summers when in high school. That's probably where his love of orange swimming trunks stemmed from.

hc + 💍 for a jewelry-themed headcanon

The only jewelry Shane wears is his high school football number pendant and chain.

hc + 🔞 for a nsfw-headcanon

Shane is dominant in the bedroom. He's not into bdsm, but he does like to have complete control.

hc + ❓ for a headcanon of the receiver’s choice

Shane never had a desire to be a police officer. He only followed Rick after his dreams of being a pro football player were crushed in his senior year when he messed up his knee. It turned out that he was a natural at being a cop. He didn't like it in the beginning, but he learned to love it and enjoyed being a cop after a couple of years.

hc + 🌂 for a weather-themed headcanon

Sophia has never cared for storms. It always reminded her of her Daddy and how angry he could get. When it stormed, she would either hide in her closet or under the covers on her bed. That continued well into her teenage years.

hc + 💍 for a jewelry-themed headcanon

Sophia found a charm bracelet when she went on a supply run, and she put it on and hasn't ever taken it off. She's added charms to it from time to time whenever they have time to browse around a jewelry store while on a supply run.

hc + 🔞 for a nsfw-headcanon

Sophia doesn't like it when her partner gets up right after sex. She feels as if she did something wrong. She needs the cuddles and reassurance. At least, in the beginning, she does.

hc + ❓ for a headcanon of the receiver’s choice

Sophia can draw and paint everything but people. She can never seem to get the perspective right.

[patoune-prod]

Here is a Tifa, from my fic Avalanche (still a monster of a fic and still only in french, sorry)

Long story short: Avalanche is an alternate universe of Final Fantasy 5 to 12 (and a tiny sliver of Kingdom Heart ) but mainly around the FF7 cast.

Hojo went rogue A-la-Dr-Moreau twelve years earlier and terrorize Gaia with his techno-magical monsters, including Sephiroth, Sin, the sinspawns, the remnants, the heartless and a bunch lovely undeads called the Blissful. In this story, Avalanche is a very specialized seal team dedicated to protect Midgar and trying their best at finding Hojo and irritating Shinra while shoving their nose in his dark stuff. And Tifa, sadly, died during a mission, killed by Sephiroth while trying to protect Cloud. But for a few months, she was alive, well and ready to pummel Zack into the ground every time he call her Sous-tif (bra in french). No worry, they are childhood friend, it's totally normal from them. Now, Zack's twin brother, Cloud, it's another story. He may have a things for strong woman able to fold him in half with an angelic smile.

---

Voilà Tifa, de ma fic Avalanche (qui est toujours un monstre et en cours!) Je regrette vraiment de l'avoir tuée avant le début hein, j'adore torturer Cloud, mais un peu de finesse dans cette troupe de brutes n'aurait pas fait de mal. (Quoique question brutalité, elle se pose aussi pas mal) Mais pendant quelques mois, elle était vivante, en bonne santé, et toujours prête à incruster Zack dans le sol chaque fois qu'il l’appelait Sous-Tif. Nan mais, en tout amitié, hein? Ca date de leur enfance. Avec Cloud par contre, c'est une autre histoire. Il se pourrait qu’il ait un faible pour les femmes fortes capable de le plier en deux avec un sourire.

[assistantcommanderalisha]

Heya guys! I’m back with another post! But this one is about Fez Perry! If you guys wanna ask Perry and his siblings questions, I’m deciding to make posts about Perry and Sibs so you could get to know them before asking them questions! Finally we have the semi aquatic egg laying mammal of action in fez, the Fez Boi himself, Fez Perry the Fez Platypus aka Agent FezP!

Name: Fez Perry

Gender: Male He/him/his

Age: 12(currently in 2023)

Physical Appearance: Fez Perry is a greenish teal male platypus with yellow tinged tangerine webbing only on his back feet(odd traits that platypuses outside of Danville don’t have) He also has three black hairs on his head, a low long salmon orange beaver tail, deep dark brown eyes in an unnatural walleyed position making him look mindlessly stupid and derpy as a pet, and a duck bill that matches his webbing color. Under his fur, he wears the amulet of Juatchadoon, a siren pendant, and he mainly wears a fez on his head as Agent FezP. FezP also wears a fedora on his head but he wears it on underneath of his fez. Around his arm, he wears a light teal turtle bracelet which is his miraculous in camouflage mode.

Height: 2 feet (60.96 cm)

Nemesis/Enemies: Dr Doofenshimirtz, Rodney, L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N., Dennis the Bunny, and Professor Parenthesis

Friends/Allies: Doof, Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Major Monogram, Carl, Monty Monogram, Lyla Lolliberry, Stacey Hirano, Milo Murphy, Diogee, Balthazar Cavendish, Vinnie Dakota, Melissa Chase, Zack Underwood, Ortan Mahlson, Pinky the Chihuahua, the other agents, Perry, Groucho Perry, Fedora Perry, Female Perry, Bunka da Bunkaquan, Parable the Dragon-pus, Master Perry, Rebel Perry the Rebel-pus, Perry the Platyborg, Sweary the Swan, Perry 2(cousin), Peggy, Ricardo, Penny/Phyllian, Whitney, Mishti, Dairry, Emily, Rose, Amy, Nelson(evil cousin), Pansy(mom), Percy(dad), Kyra(lover and love interest), his backup dancers/dancing trope, and Wayzz(kwami)

Family: Perry(brother), Groucho Perry(brother), Fedora Perry(sister), Female Perry(sister), Kelly(sister), Bunka da Bunkaquan(brother), Parable the Dragon-pus(brother), Master Perry(brother), Rebel Perry the Rebel-pus(brother), Perry the Platyborg(brother), Sweary the Swan(brother), Perry 2(cousin), Peggy(cousin), Ricardo(cousin), Penny/Phyllian(sister), Whitney(sister), Mishti(sister), Dairry(sister), Emily(sister), Rose(sister), Amy(sister), Nelson(evil cousin), Pansy(mom), and Percy(dad)

Nationality/Species: Australian(native to) American(domesticated in) , Male Platypus, half dream demon, and half siren

Born: January 21st 2011

Occupation: Top Secret agent of The OWCA, Household pet, Top watchdog spy of the Hater Empire, Leader of the Watchdog Spies, Lieutenant General of the Hater Empire, and holder of the turtle miraculous

Affiliations: The O.W.C.A.(Organization Without A Cool Acronym), The S.O.K.W.C.A.(Secret Order Of The Knights Without A Cool Acronym) Flynn Fletcher Family, and the Hater Empire

Hometown: Danville

Boss: Major Monogram

Owners: Phineas and Ferb

First Appearance: Phineas and Ferb and The Temple of Juatchadoon

Alinement: Good(in PaF) and Evil(In WOY)

Likes: Being very sassy, showing himself off, wearing a fez, being manipulative, hanging out with my brothers and sisters, making dramatic entrances with his backup dancers, dancing, music, my theme song “Perry in a Fez”, and Favorite Songs: What’s My Name by China Anne McClain and Perry in a Fez

Dislikes: Wearing my fedora under my fez, being questioned about my fez, and why he’s not in Egypt

Miraculous: Turtle Miraculous

Kwami: Wayzz

Hero Persona: CaraFezPerry

Villain Persona: ShellShockFezPerry

Powers/Abilities: Shell-Ter and Protection(as CaraFez), Apportion, Clairvoyance, Cross-Dimension Awareness, Illusion manipulation, Intangibility, Innate Capability, Nigh Omnipotence, Laser Manipulation, Levitation, Molecular Manipulation, Nightmare/Dream Manipulation, Nightmare/Dream Inducement, Possession, Pyrokinesis, Size Shifting, Telekinesis, Telepathy, and Mind Reading(as a half dream demon) enchanted singing voice which allows to manipulate or control others’ actions with its compelling tones. The more of the negative energy he consumes, the stronger his voices becomes, and the farther he could spread his good magic(as half siren but uses it for good)

What his speaking voice sounds like: Very cool, very calm, very collected, and he has a Sassy accent.

Status: Active and immortal

Voiced by/Speaking and Chattering Voice: Dee Bradley Baker

Singing Voice: China Anne McClain

Personality: He can be best defined as “The Sassy Bossy Flirty Dramatic Entertainment" younger brother to Perry. He kinda has same aspects as Perry, but the difference is that he is mostly sassy, bossy, dramatic, and entertainment. This is seen from the fact that he brought backup dancers to a long-lost temple and when he was dancing. He also seems loyal enough to wear a fez even though he wasn't in Egypt. He does have a difficult relationship with Perry but sometimes they get along with the rest of his brothers and sisters. As Agent FezP, he is proud of his abilities as a fez platypus and wants to prove himself to Perry that he can be a good secret agent for the O.W.C.A. As a dream demon, he can be manipulative and he is always sassy in order to get what he wants. When he’s making a deal with someone, his greenish teal hand starts burning with light teal flames. As a siren, he plays with someone’s emotions and he’s ready to show off his singing voice and feeds on the positivity around him.

[blastikmusik]

Most Interesting Mixtapes 2023 - Week 37 - Tape 01/02

Slothrust - Pony RAHEL - Schaffner Zack Zack Zack - Toprak UCHE YARA - www she hot Declan McKenna - Nothing Works Maiiah & the Angels of Libra – Kava Loraine James - I DM U PENDANT - PCM Karen y Los Remedios - Presagio Zack Zack Zack - EV K.Flay - Perfectly Alone Karen y Los Remedios - Te Pido a Ti Karen y Los Remedios - Canario Skinny Pelembe (feat. Beth Orton) - Who By Fire Geese - Jesse

[kimmimaru]

Not sure if anyone remembers that I’ve been writing an FF7 pirate AU fic. It’s still being written, just very slowly. I don’t know why it’s so hard to write, perhaps it’s the number of characters and keeping it feeling piratey but also making sure all the characters are in character. It’s quite a balancing act. Anyway, I wrote this scene a while back and just...really like it. So have a little teaser. Can’t say when it will be up in full, but it won’t be short I can tell you that. The pairings will be: Zack/Cloud, Cloud/Sephiroth, Reno/Tseng and other side pairings. I have so much to write, I don’t know why I do this to myself lol.

XXX

“You ever hear of the Jenova?” One gnarled old man whispered in a low voice, a mug of frothy ale in one hand and the other resting on the bar top. His friend took a deep swig of his own drink, “Everyone’s heard’a the Jenova.” “Hush, keep your voice down, Pat!” The man hissed, glancing around from underneath bushy grey eyebrows. “I’s fairy tales, Joe. Ya’know that.” “No it ain’t.” Joe said, puffing his cheeks out, affronted. “Sure it is. No one’s seen nor ‘eard of it in an age.” “Says you.” Joe drank more of his beer, wiping the foam from his lips with his wrist. He belched and patted his chest, “I know it’s real ‘coz I saw it.” “Yeah right,” “I did. I saw it one night while I was out fishin’. It was a moonless night; I was jus’ drawin’ in the nets an' I look up and there it is! Clear as day! Huge bloody thing plowin’ through the water like it was air. Sails as black as night, bow carved into the shape of a nude woman, tits out an’ everythin’. Her head’s covered by some helmet but she ‘ad long flowin’ hair an’ one wing.” “You’re drunk!” “I ain’t! I swear it! It’s true!” Pat scoffed, shaking his head as the bar maid approached them. She smiled, “You ok here, boys?” “Yeah,” Pat nodded, lifting his mug, “Best damn beer this side’a the ocean ma’am.” “Good.” Tifa laughed, glancing up when she spotted a head of blond hair approach. “Did I hear someone mention the Jenova?” Cloud asked in a low voice, eyes wide and eager. “It ain’t real boy,” Pat shook his head. “I bloody well saw it!” Joe slammed a fist on the bar, frowning. Cloud leaned closer, “Where?” He asked. “A little bit west of here.” Joe settled when he realised Cloud was an eager audience. He lifted his bearded chin, “Was fishin’. Twas dark out but I saw it as clear as I see you now. It sailed right on past me little boat it did! As silent as death. A real ghost ship.” Cloud licked his bottom lip and glanced at Tifa who sighed and shook her head, “I believe you.” Cloud said with a small smile. He lifted a hand to the pendant around his neck. “They say that the cap’in of the Jenova is cursed to forever sail the seas until he finds the one thing he loves above all else.” Joe nodded to himself, finishing his beer with a second belch. He cleared his throat, “Poor bugger’s stuck out there ‘til he finds whoever his lost love is.” “Bah, romantic poppy cock!” Pat scalded. “You’ve got hops for brains, Joe. He’s not searchin’ for any person. He’s lookin’ for his lost jewel!” “A jewel?” Tifa asked, sucked into the discussion despite her disbelief. “Aye,” The man nodded sagely, “It’s all stories made up for children, but I heard it was a jewel he was lookin’ for. They call it the black materia. The stories say twas stolen from a mermaid, part of her horde. The cap’in of the Jenova stole it and the mermaid cursed him afore she died.” “Well, whatever it is he’s looking for I doubt he’ll find it here.” Tifa laughed, wiping down the bar with a rag. Cloud looked away, across the room to the windows that looked out on the dark sea.

[thememory]

↳ @stingslikeabee gifted: It was impossible for Melissa to let Aerith's birthday go unnoticed or uncelebrated - not when the flower girl turned into such a remarkable presence in her life. Not only the younger woman, but also Elmyra; they welcomed the brothel madame into their domestic routines as if she was related by blood; they supplied the human connections that the inn proprietress craved so much.

In reality, they offered Melissa a gift everyday with their affection and allowing the brunette to belong; it was only fair to repay it on Aerith's special day.

For that year, however, the madame tried to be creative - as well as a little bit on the mischievous side. Bringing Aerith jewelry was not a novelty in itself, even if Melissa tended to order her gifts from a particular artisan and get them custom-made, just as her own pieces. But this time, no flower or expected allusion to the girl's beautiful garden... But a small, very familiar feline figure hanging from a delicate gold chain (golden like honey - of course).

"I thought you'd appreciate a little reminder of a mutual friend of yours, even when he's not around," Melissa joked, the pendant an obvious allusion to Cait Sith although it wasn't immediately noticeable to anyone unfamiliar with Reeve's esteemed companion, "Besides, it's going to be so much fun to watch Reeve struggle to remember when he gave you that," the older woman grinned, but proceeded to envelop Aerith in a hug and press a kiss to each of her cheeks, as well as one on her forehead. There was no such thing as too much affection for the madame, after all.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart. I hope you have many happy ones - I'll do my best to shower you with gifts during each and every one of them."

------IT HAD LONG been noted that aerith had a penchant for finding company in the oddest of places. any detailed eye, if they knew where to look, might find that she'd befriended (in some fashion) each of the turks that visited her in their quiet, secret moments. body guards, bar maids, "terrorist" group leaders ... everything in between, painted magnificently in a canvas of friendship that only someone like aerith gainsborough could weave. it should come to no surprise that among those friends lay two influential figureheads ---powerful in their own right, and tied to the cetra in a similar fashion: through love.

reeve tuesti was a surprise of a friend. he was a surprise of a love, too, spawned from innocence and delicate gestures, cherished in dirt-covered palms as if he were precious like a seedling (and he was precious, he was). the turks were one thing - if shinra knew they had been keeping aerith secret for so long, shit would surely hit the fan. but one of their directors? so close? preposterous.

and the proprietress of the honey been inn struck another note. wall-market was cloistered organization of power itself. while the don held the obvious influence it was the madame of the inn that really held power ... secrets, one in the same. it had never been aerith's intention to get in good with melissa for anything other than a friend. more than this ---a sister. the gossip that came therein was a comical bonus, often left by the wayside for genuine affection in the form of time spent. aerith would happily whittle her days away in the company of big sister, learning from her, laughing with her, enjoying the softness that came with each of these aspects.

elmyra so often commented how nice it was to have someone like mel around, too. a good balance of those brutes (the turks, or maybe zack and cloud?)

keepsakes were precious to aerith. the ribbon gifted from a dark-haired SOLDIER so often adorned her hair still (or her wrist, if she didn't wear the twist people so often associated with her). the glimmer of the feline had aerith's eyes widening and the grin that spread to her features was infectious. cait sith was precious to her - someone she toted around the slums as if he were a child and not a creation of that aforementioned shinra director. " oh mel, it's too much! " gold, really ... but she wriggled in her seat while inspecting the charm regardless.

she was quick to clasp the necklace around her neck, then to accept mel's sweeping hug in one of her own. she squeezed her dear friend with all of her little might, a chuckle escaping her thereafter, " please, he'll drive himself insane trying to remember. he's not far off, not with the work hours. " a pause, and aerith lingered holding onto mel's hands, clasped her fingers with melissa's, " stay the night? a sleep over? thank you, melissa. sincerely. "

[buxberg]

Henry Cavill a développé la réputation d'être un acteur qui vole des rôles désirables sous son nez, c'est pourquoi, fin 2005, le magazine Empire l'a nommé en plaisantant le gars le plus malchanceux d'Hollywood

Il a été pratiquement approuvé pour le rôle de Cedric Diggory dans le film Harry Potter et la coupe de feu, mais il a finalement été transféré à Robert Pattinson, comme le rôle d'Edward Cullen dans la sensationnelle saga vampire Twilight, bien que l'auteur de ces romans fantastiques et romantiques, Stephenie Meyer, a insisté sur la candidature d'Henry.  Cependant, les administrateurs le considéraient comme inadapté à son âge.

 Pour une raison similaire, mais au rabais pour la jeunesse, l'acteur a été refusé au casting final du film "Casino Royale", où il a revendiqué l'image de l'agent James Bond et a pu contourner de nombreux candidats, dont Sam Worthington, mais perdu contre Daniel Craig.

 Un autre échec a été le projet Superman Returns, dans lequel l'acteur était déjà confirmé dans le rôle principal, mais après un changement de réalisateur, ils ont décidé de remplacer le casting, y compris Henry Cavill.  Néanmoins, il a tout de même incarné Superman dans Man of Steel de Zack Snyder, tourné pendant plus d'un an et demi et sorti mi-2013.

[pdj-france]

Par Zack Zagranis | Publié il y a 14 secondes Dans les hautes herbes (2019) Ce n'était qu'une question de temps avant que le maestro de l'horreur Stephen King ne fasse équipe avec son fils, Joe Hill, pour produire quelque chose de trop terrifiant pour que l'un ou l'autre naisse seul. Mystère d'horreur étrange Dans les hautes herbes – en streaming en ce moment sur Netflix – est le résultat de cette collaboration cauchemardesque. Quand les effrayants privilégiés du Maine se retrouvent, ils ne plaisantent pas. In the Tall Grass a vu le jour en 2012 sous la forme d'une nouvelle écrite par le duo père et fils. Le réalisateur Vincenzo Natali (Cube) a pris l'effroyable nouvelle de Stephen King et Joe Hill et l'a adaptée pour l'écran en 2018 quand Netflix a acheté les droits cinématographiques de la nouvelle. Le film met en vedette Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) et Laysla De Oliveira, mieux connue pour la série Netflix de Joe Hill, Locke & Key. James Marsden (Sonic the Hedgehog) était en négociation pour jouer le rôle principal mais, à cause de conflits d'horaire, a dû se retirer et laisser Patrick Wilson prendre sa place. Le film tourne autour des frères et sœurs Becky et Cal DeMuth, deux frères et sœurs en route pour San Diego. Sur le chemin, ils entendent un garçon crier à l'aide. Les cris semblent provenir d'un champ plein d'herbes hautes. Le frère et la sœur entrent dans l'herbe pour enquêter et se séparent tout de suite. Laysla De Oliveira dans le rôle de Becky DeMuth Ce qui suit est une balade effrayante et sinueuse impliquant des boucles temporelles, des bébés et de nombreux meurtres. Le réalisateur Vincenzo Natali a été tellement séduit par l'histoire lorsqu'il l'a lue en 2015 qu'il a tout de suite voulu l'adapter au cinéma. Natali a affirmé que seuls Stephen King et Joe Hill pouvaient trouver un moyen de rendre l'herbe effrayante. Natali a engagé l'artiste manga Shintaro Kago pour concevoir l'art conceptuel du film. Au départ, James Marsden (Sonic the Hedgehog) était en négociation pour jouer le rôle principal mais, à cause de conflits d'horaire, a dû se retirer et laisser Patrick Wilson prendre sa place. In the Tall Grass nécessitait l'édification d'une église entière pour certaines scènes, tandis que d'autres scènes se déroulaient à l'extérieur d'un bowling en Ontario. Le film est sorti directement en streaming en octobre 2019, une année qui devrait être dénommée "l'année du roi". Non seulement It: Chapter 2 est sorti le mois avant la première de In the Tall Grass, mais en novembre de la même année, une autre adaptation de Stephen King, Doctor Sleep, est sortie en salles. 2019 a aussi vu un remake abyssal de King's Pet Sematary ainsi qu'une deuxième saison de l'émission centrée sur King Castle Rock. Ce que les critiques et le public ont à dire sur le film In the Tall Grass a reçu des critiques généralement défavorables de la part des critiques, obtenant un maigre 36% sur Rotten Tomatoes. Le consensus critique sur le site se lit comme suit : "Une prémisse potentiellement intrigante est rapidement perdue dans les mauvaises herbes pendant In the Tall Grass qui a du mal à étirer son matériau source mince pour avoir une longueur." Ironique puisque le problème avec beaucoup des précédentes adaptations de films de Stephen King était tout le matériel qui devait être laissé de côté pour intégrer l'histoire dans un seul film. Dans les hautes herbes (2019) Habituellement, un score de critique relativement faible sur Rotten Tomatoes contraste avec un score d'audience beaucoup plus indulgent, mais pas dans ce cas. In the Tall Grass est l'un des rares films sur Rotten Tomatoes à avoir un score d'audience inférieur à son score critique. Seuls 32% du public du film Stephen King 2019 lui ont donné une critique positive. Le film a une meilleure réputation sur IMDb, où les utilisateurs ont attribué à In the Tall Grass une moyenne de 5,5 étoiles sur 10. Pas exactement une recommandation élogieuse, mais c'est mieux que le film sur Rotten Tomatoes.

Les adaptations de Stephen King ont l'habitude d'être partout, avec des classiques comme The Shining et Carrie d'un côté et des puants comme Maximum Overdrive – réalisé par King lui-même dans une stupeur de cocaïne avouée – de l'autre. La nouvelle de Stephen King et Joe Hill a été adaptée en film, et vous pouvez diffuser In the Tall Grass sur Netflix. Curieusement, bien qu'ils soient considérés comme l'une des figures les plus importantes de l'histoire du genre d'horreur, les adaptations cinématographiques les plus réussies de Stephen King n'ont pas du tout été effrayantes. Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption et The Green Mile sont tous considérés comme l'une des meilleures adaptations du travail de King, et aucun d'entre eux ne peut être considéré en tant qu'une horreur, quelle que soit la définition que vous avez utilisée. Si vous n'avez accès à aucun de ces films et que vous êtes vraiment curieux de voir comment les styles de Stephen King et Joe Hill vont de pair, essayez In the Tall Grass. C'est en streaming en ce moment sur Netflix.

[meinewellemeinstrand]

The hoodie was one of the best thing I ever bought. It's comfortable and reversible, so it's like two hoodies! Same goes for the t-shirt, quoting Näd fit it. The pendant looks incredibly cool and I just had to buy the poster (it's huge btw).

I also love the white Zick Zack t-shirt the Blumen short-sleeved shirt but they don't have those for sale anymore. And Näd already put the photo books which are so worth it!

✨️reblog this with your favourite things for sale on the rammstein shop website ✨️ 💳

[imjustagayfish]

Aphverse headcanons(are they Mystreet or Mcd? You’ll never know!)

-Katelyn has a burn mark thing on the side of her face

-Travis’s natural eye color IS green but it’s more of a Viridian green like Enki

-All the shadow knights are dating

-Terry and Derek were actually pretty great friends considering both of their situations are very similar

-Blue hoodie guy who was friendly with Aaron‘s name is Valerian and he ends up being Aaron’s close friend!

-Both Katelyn and Garroth have nearly committed involuntary manslaughter!

-Diana and Jenny date after college

-Betty has a southern accent

-Most of the werewolves are Pacific Islanders

-Hayden and Joh are married.

-Nicole’s natural hair color is brown

-Nanas natural hair color is black

-June and Jenny are siblings

-Alex and Ivy date after they get over there internalized homophobia

-June has a birth mark over her eye

-Both Lucinda and Jenny have vitiligo

-June and Jenny grew up in Canada

-Zack and Elizabeth have most certainly focked, although she is not Eins mom

-Aphmaus bi awakening was Teony

-The Ro’Meave brothers were just told “you can’t have sex before marriage“ and that was their sex education

-Maria had Gene when she was really young, like, she was still in college

-Shadow knights have plants everywhere around their house

-Gene plants flowers, Sasha plants herbs, and Zenix has a collection of cacti

-Aphmau and Travis went to prom together in their senior year

-Aphmau and Travis just simp for everyone on Mystreet, mostly Lucinda, than Aaron and Katelyn, but mainly Lucinda

-Laurence and Cadenza are both 6’6

-All the shadow nights are over 6 feet except Zenix who’s 5’0

-Aphmau looks more like Zack then Sylvana

-This isn’t a headcanon but this is more of a question, does pdh have a Meif’wa class?

-Laurence has green eyes in Mystreet because he never went blind

-Donna is from O’Khasis

-Zane IS Leonas dad, the pendant was just a Werewolf maker

-Travis’s mom had something going on with Rachel and Ein’s mom

-Garroth knows how to play the harp

-Zane knows how to play the violin

-Vylad knows how to play the ocarina

-Travis knows how to play the piano

-Laurence knows how to play the flute

-Zianna used to sing the Ro’Meave brothers lullaby’s and when that stopped they would all play it on their instruments

-Travis is really skilled with making clothing because his mother taught him

-Azura helped Garroth runaway

-Azura is from Nahakra village

[cahmansandiegooo]

Hello ! May I request a redcrackle story in which Carmen and Gray go on a date . Maybe after the crackle goes kiwi caper but Mr. Electricity gets his memories back .

Mr. Electricity . Nice one

The Date

"Carmen I have to know . . . Are you a spy ? Part of some kind of secret service ?” It’s been a few days since the Auckland caper and Gray needed some answers about it . He asked her with a small smile to ensure her that he is not mad at her for lying .

“I do provide a service and it is secret so yeah . . . something like that” Carmen was worried that Gray might get his memories back . She did not want to loose him again . She missed the funny , sweet Gray who gave her that Big brother feeling ... But is it still there though ?

Gray smiled at her .”But we are the good guys right ?” Carmen was so happy to hear this . Gray wanted to be one of the good guys .

“Absolutely ... But you need to forget this ever happened .”

Gray laughed and said ,” No one would believe me anyway” This made Carmen smile . She reached out to her jacket pocket for something but then she noticed that Gray’s expression changed from happy to a little unhappy .

“Are you Blacksheep ?” Carmen’s heart started beating fast . Did he just say Blacksheep ? Dose he remember ? .

“How do you know that name ?”

“It all came back to me that night “ It all came back ? Dose that mean he’s going back to VILE ? Carmen felt like she was going to get a heart attack . She lowered her head a little . 

“Are you ...?”

“No . I’m not going back to VILE. I don’t want to leave you” This made Carmen feel warm inside . She lifted her face and showed her beautiful smile .

“So ... How long are you staying here ?” He scratched his neck . There was something he wanted to tell Carmen . He wanted to tell her this ever since he saw her on that train .

“Another four days I guess ... Why ?”

“Well I was wondering if we could go somewhere and hang out for sometime”

Carmen smiled at how nervous he was when he was asking her that “ Are you asking me out ?”

He was so relieved that she did not take it a bit negatively .”Yes”

She bit her lip and thought about her answer .”I wanna hear you say it”

“Fine” Gray’s eyes drifted to her lips .”Will.you.go.out.with.me ?”

“Okay . I’ll be here at 6 tomorrow″ Carmen got up and walked away .

-=+=-

“EEEEEK CARMEN’S GOING ON A DATE !” Ivy shouted .

“SHUSH ! Zack’s talking with-” before she could finish Zack burst into the room with a phone in his hand .He was in a call with Shadowsan

“Who’s going on a date ?” asked Zack

“CARM’S GOING ON A DATE”

“WHAT !!!???” Shadowsan is really overprotective of Carmen . He did not want her to go on a date with a stranger . But in this case , He is going to freak out .

“YESS WITH GRAY” Oh boy . She spilled the beans . Shadowsan’s face became sooo red . It was almost as if he would just blow up like a volcano .

“Have you forgotten that Crackle tried to kill you in the train” Shadowsan said a little normally to not make Carmen get angry .

“I went to a school of thieves ... I can defend myself if he dose anything” 

“Yeah relax dadowsan . She’ll be fine “said Ivy

Zack left the room leaving Carmen and Ivy alone . Carmen and Ivy started to look for some outfits to wear and they found a perfect one .

-=+=-

It was almost time . Carmen just had a few more minutes till her date with Gray . She wore a dark red high neck shirt and black skirt . She wore a gold necklace with a heart pendant and heart earrings . Her hair was swept into a pretty side bun . She grabbed her black purse and went off .

-=+=-

Gray was waiting at the cafe for Carmen . He wore a light blue shirt and white pant . He was quiet nervous that she might not enjoy this date . He did not have time to think about this so well . He looked around to see if Carmen came and there she was , walking towards him .

Gray couldn’t take his eyes off her . She was so gorgeous . “Hey Gray”

“Hey gorgeous .” He took her hand and pulled her towards him . “Get ready for some fun”

“Already am “ was her response which made Gray chuckle . They both walked to a nearby 5 star hotel . He pulled out a chair for her then sat down . He was sooo starstruck by her . He just couldn’t take his eyes of her . His eyes drifted to her lips and down . Carmen noticed this .

“Gray , eyes up here mister” She said this with a small smile .

“Right uh sorry”

They ordered their food and jumped into a topic . They kept talking and talking about different stuff . Gray just kept say something to make his lady laugh . Soon their dinner was over but their date was still not .

Gray took her to the beach . He got a carpet and spread it on the sand so they can sit down . His hand went to her waist and pulled Carmen closer to him (probably becoz he did not want her leaving). 

During this time , Carmen realized something . Why was she so sad when Gray said he remembered everything ? She did not want him to leave her but why ? Is she in love with Gray ? Carmen’s eyes widened when she realized this . 

She laid her head on Gray’s shoulder . They both spent time near the beach talking with each other and figured things out between them . And at one point , Gray was going to do it .

“Hey did you know that the Oldest Human Sculpture Was Discovered In Morocco ? I just recently -”

Gray did not let her finish . He pulled her closer and pressed his lips on her . Carmen gasped at what he just did . As soon as he heard this , Gray started regretting what he just did . He felt like he messed things up but that thought changed when Carmen started kissing him back . They don’t know how long it was . It could’ve been a 100 years or just a few minutes but they both enjoyed the moment . They slowly pulled back

“I love you” Gray finally admitted it

“I love you too”

[assistantcommanderalisha]

Heya guys! I’m back with another post! But this one is about Perry! If you guys wanna ask Perry and his siblings questions, I’m deciding to make posts about Perry and Sibs so you could get to know them before asking them questions! Let’s start of with the semi aquatic egg laying mammal of action himself, Perry the Platypus aka Agent P!

Name: Perry the Platypus

Gender: Male He/him/his

Age: 17(currently in 2023)

Physical Appearance: Perry is a greenish teal male platypus with yellow tinged tangerine webbing only on his back feet(odd traits that platypuses outside of Danville don’t have) He also has three black hairs on his head, a low long salmon orange beaver tail, deep dark brown eyes in an unnatural walleyed position making him look mindlessly stupid and derpy as a pet, and a duck bill that matches his webbing color. Under his fur, he has a locket, a siren pendant, and he mainly wears a 1940’s fedora on his head as Agent P. Around his finger he wears a greenish teal ring which is his miraculous in camouflage mode.

Height: 2 feet (60.96 cm)

Nemesis/Enemies: Dr Doofenshimirtz(formerly and best friend) Rodney, L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N., Dennis the Bunny, and Professor Parenthesis

Friends/Allies: Doof, Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Major Monogram, Carl, Monty Monogram, Lyla Lolliberry, Stacey Hirano, Milo Murphy, Diogee, Balthazar Cavendish, Vinnie Dakota, Melissa Chase, Zack Underwood, Ortan Mahlson, Pinky the Chihuahua(girlfriend and love interest), the other agents, Groucho Perry, Fedora Perry, Female Perry, Bunka da Bunkaquan, Parable the Dragon-pus, Master Perry, Fez Perry, Rebel Perry the Rebel-pus, Perry the Platyborg, Sweary the Swan, Perry 2(cousin), Peggy, Ricardo, Agent Kelly, Penny/Phyllian, Whitney, Mishti, Dairry, Emily, Rose, Amy, Nelson(evil cousin), Pansy(mom), Percy(dad) and Plagg(kwami)

Family: Groucho Perry(brother), Fedora Perry(sister), Female Perry(sister), Agent Kelly(sister), Bunka da Bunkaquan(brother), Parable the Dragon-pus(brother), Master Perry(brother), Fez Perry(brother), Rebel Perry the Rebel-pus(brother), Perry the Platyborg(brother), Sweary the Swan(brother), Perry 2(cousin), Peggy(cousin), Ricardo(cousin), Penny/Phyllian(sister), Whitney(sister), Mishti(sister), Dairry(sister), Emily(sister), Rose(sister), Amy(sister), Nelson(evil cousin), Pansy(mom), and Percy(dad)

Nationality/Species: Australian(native to) American(domesticated in) , Male Platypus, half dream demon, and half siren

Born: January 27th 2006

Occupation: Top Secret agent of The OWCA, Household pet, Top watchdog spy of the Hater Empire, Leader of the Watchdog Spies, Lieutenant of the Hater Empire, Secret agent secretary of the Hater Empire and holder of the black cat miraculous

Affiliations: The O.W.C.A.(Organization Without A Cool Acronym), Flynn Fletcher Family, and the Hater Empire

Hometown: Danville

Boss: Major Monogram

Owners: Phineas and Ferb

First Appearance: Rollercoaster

Alinement: Good(in PaF) and Evil(In WOY)

Likes: His owners, being an agent, Phineas and Ferb, winning against Doof, love, attention, when Doof’s inator’s are gone by Phineas and Ferb, fighting evil, spending time with my brothers and sisters, hanging out with my owners Phineas and Ferb, horseback riding, long walks on the beach, soap operas, good books, calling FP “M’Lady” and doing cat puns(as PerryCatNoir), and Favorite Song: Perry the Platypus(My Theme Song)

Dislikes: Getting dressed by Candace, being replaced by a different secret agent for Doof to fight, getting my cover blown, getting relocated and leaving my owners, losing to Doof, fellow agents going crazy, seeing my owners Phineas and Ferb in danger and getting hurt, seeing Groucho Perry breaking the 4th wall, worldwide domination(in PaF), Doof’s rival Rodney, and seeing Fez Perry making his dramatic entrances.

Miraculous: Black Cat Miraculous

Kwami: Plagg

Hero Persona: PerryCatNoir

Villain Persona: PerryCatBlanc

Powers /Abilities: Destruction(as PerryCatNoir), Cataclysm(as PerryCatNoir), Baton staff(as PerryCatNoir), Apportion, Clairvoyance, Cross-Dimension Awareness, Illusion manipulation, Intangibility, Innate Capability, Nigh Omnipotence, Laser Manipulation, Levitation, Molecular Manipulation, Nightmare/Dream Manipulation, Nightmare/Dream Inducement, Possession, Pyrokinesis, Size Shifting, Telekinesis, Telepathy, and Mind Reading(as a half dream demon for good) enchanted singing voice which allows to manipulate or control others’ actions with its compelling tones. The more of the positive energy he consumes, the stronger his voices becomes and the farther he could spread his good magic for everyone to enjoy(as half siren but uses it for good)

What his speaking voice sounds like: Very cool, very calm, very collected, and he has an Australian accent which is also commanding, strong, and young cuz he’s 17

Status: Active and immortal

Voiced by/Speaking and Chattering Voice: Dee Bradley Baker

Singing Voice: Caleb Hyles

Personality: While undercover as a pet platypus, Perry can be normally be found with his owners, Phineas and Ferb. As a pet platypus, he lives up to the expectations for a platypus and “doesn’t do much”. Even though Candace would normally describe him as just a mindless smelly animal, Perry still shows signs of intelligence when he’s pretending to be a normal pet, so she may mean insane rather than dumb. He is mostly serious while on duty as a secret agent, even in front of Major Monogram when he’s doing anything silly. Perry appears to be selfless and devoid of vanity. In the episode, The Best Lazy Day Ever, it is only after he turns everything else affected by the Ugly-inator back to normal and he turns himself back to his normal state. He deeply cares about the Flynn-Fletcher Family and is scared to lose them. He will take immediate action whenever they are threatened. He is nice to not only his allies, friends, and his family, but to his nemesis Dr. Doofenshimirtz as well, thought only on some occasions. He gets along with his siblings extremely well and he always brings them on missions right by his side to fight evil. He can get a little bit irritated by his brothers, Groucho Perry and Fez Perry, are both being themselves but he gets along with them well. As a dream demon, he is always serious and ready to make his move. Whenever he’s making a deal with someone, his greenish teal hand starts burning periwinkle flames. As a siren, he’s ready to show off his singing voice and feeds on the positivity around him.

[grieverled-moved]

𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒. Never really had a real reason to celebrate them before. Growing up as he had, it'd been nothing more than another day on the calendar, another day of the year with little time or incentive to actually bother. Or maybe that's just what he told himself to make the sting of it easier to bear. He'd watched as others celebrated theirs, surrounded by family or friends, loved ones that made sure to make it a true celebration of life, treating it as a gifted day where they'd been granted the others presence. It was sweet admittedly.

A reminder that someone was cherished.

Though again . . . as with most things he'd come to leave well out of his hands, he’d accepted it wasn’t meant for someone like him. With little to his name & an even smaller social life outside of those he knew in passing within his workplace, he was content enough to continue on as always without another thought.

It was fine — same as it ever was. Just like always.

So when he opens his eyes this day, he goes about his normal morning routine with little to no expectations of anything different to break that cycle. He finds it a little strange that Tseng hadn't given him a mission or stack of tasks to go through. Usually he was kind enough to give him something to do to distract himself. Gaze thinning, his lips press together, listening to his machine as it idly brewed away at his morning drink. Fatigue still drapes itself well along his frame, in need of something to chase it away if he wanted to function well enough — with nothing on the schedule, nothing to do, he's admittedly lost on what to do for his birthday. He fidgets with his pendant, turning it between his fingers in pensive thought, wondering if he should just hole himself up in his room to avoid anything that'd sour his mood or suck it up & go out, pretend it was a normal day like any other.

Before he can try to think further on his plans, he goes stiff when he hears someone at his door. Part of him says to ignore it, pretend he wasn't home, but before he can pay it any mind, he hears a familiar voice on the other side of the door that unfortunately, lures him to do the opposite. Clicking the locks, they twist, before he cautiously, suspiciously pries the door open a crack, just enough to peek through with thinned eyes that land on bright aurora sights. He looks him over a moment, blinking in confusion when he spots the cake in Zack's hand, pale eyes lifting back again questioningly to that brightly beaming face. Without needing to be prompted further, Zack explains, tone warm, honeyed in something affectionate, openly fond — complete with the use of his nickname of all things. Normally he'd scoff it off, divert attention to something else or reciprocate with something physically affectionate to make up for the fact he never knew just how to express his own cares back out loud.

But the others presence from the way he plants a chaste kiss to the edge of his nose, to the way he delicately handles the home-made cake — something gives, enough for him to duck his head & feel his icy walls melt, light smile teasing along the edges of his lips as he tries & fails to process how to respond & thank the other for being so . . . thoughtful.

Kind . . . gradually he knows Zack presence in his life is beginning to burrow away under his tough skin, that gentle, reassuring warmth of his, making itself right at home like the growing roots of a blooming plant within the hollow of his chest. He cradles it, sheltering it, willingly allowing it to blossom & grow even if it bears the chance of dying & withering away. It's worth allowing some softness, some vulnerability even with the risk of pain when the other man has more then earned it, displaying his own tender heart for Squall to study & hold with such honest trust.

The laugh he lets out is more of a short, quiet bark, shaking his head softly. It's a wet sound, uncertain if he wanted to cry or stubbornly hold it in before he opens the door, stepping through to use an arm to half hug the sunny man in thanks. He gifts a kiss of his own to the space just below his eye, mumbling a hushed thanks before a more genuine smile is given. He's still not the best with words, but he gets the feeling the other understands.

❝ . . . You say it like that's a bad thing. ❞

When he moves to step back into his housing unit, he leaves the swordsman ample room to enter, trying hard not to focus on the irony of him seemingly letting him in in more then one way.

❝ . . . But, really. Thank you, Zack. ❞

How strange it was to be able to spend someone's birthday with them; Sure he'd been able to see Angeal on his, or spend his own birthday with Kunsel and Cissnei, but to be able to greet someone he cares for and actually spend it with them? That was something that left Zack almost overwhelmed with anxiety, especially given his relationship to the birthday boy in question.

They've yet to actually put a label on their relationship but that's how most things within ShinRa worked to begin with, as it stood, Squall had the raven haired man's devotion fully, his heart and loyalty ever longing for the brunette Turk and that's what really pushed Zack into stressing himself damn near sick over what to do, what to get, what to say, anything and everything and slowly he understood why his former mentor always seemed particularly irate around July each year.

Squall doesn't appreciate large and social though, that's a fact that he made sure to keep in mind throughout his planning up until the day he showed up to Squall's residence, small cake that he'd baked in hand with a giant grin sat atop his lips, seeing his lover's confused expression had been worth the worries and stresses of the prior weeks full of careful planning. He's just grateful that Tseng was nice enough to not force the brunette on some stupid mission, birthdays might not have meant anything to ShinRa but they meant a lot to Zack, especially when the day was to celebrate someone he cherished far more than was likely normal.

“ Happy birthday Starlight, ” He begins, voice soft and so full of warmth as he plants a gentle kiss to the tip of Squall's nose, waits to be invited in before continuing onwards. “ Here's to another year yeah? This time you're stuck with me though. ”

a little happy birthday from Zack to Squall | @grieverled !!!!

[gabekidd]

“Blow It Out, Make a Wish”

Prequel 1 of ? to “Take My Hand, Wreck My Plans.” Find the entire series here.

Pairings: Jay White x OFC with some very strong hinting at Zack Sabre Jr. x OFC and El Phantasmo x OFC. Nellie has a complicated personal life.

Word Count: 6k

Warnings: Alcohol use; language; angst.

Synopsis: Nellie’s friends throw her a surprise birthday dinner; but she gets an even bigger surprise in Jay’s long-awaited return to Japan. 

Timeline: Takes place four months prior to the start of the main fic.

Tag Squad: @hdbngsprnva @galacticstat @kingswitchblade @champhangman @bec0m @betsy-bradock @linziland13 @librathepheonix13 @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @meteora-fc @kawaiikels @exe-babymox-exe @rocca09 @thatgirlforever5 @gabbynorth98 @brokenglassslippers @adriii-omega

Thursday, September 17, 2020 Tokyo, Japan

“What time is it?” Nellie gave Zack a harried look as she sat down on the edge of her bed and pulled on a pair of clean white Vans sneakers. He looked at his watch.

“7:13.”

She huffed in frustration. Their reservation was at 7:30, and the restaurant was twenty minutes away at least. She was going to be late for her own birthday dinner.

“It’s fine,” Zack assured her.

Her brow furrowed in surprise. “Really? You hate when I make us late.”

But he just shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe I’ve finally gotten used to it.”

Nellie skeptically pursed her lips; she didn’t buy that for a second. But she let it go and quickly finished tying her shoelaces before she jumped up, grabbed a necklace from her dresser top, and turned to face her large floor mirror that leaned against the wall. They were going to one of the nicer hibachi restaurants in the city, and she wanted to look nice. She figured she couldn’t go wrong with a little black dress; but when she fastened her necklace—a dainty gold Virgo coin pendant—and looked herself over, she wondered if the short hem and figure-hugging fit were too much for just going out to dinner with Zack, Torrance, and Ishimori.

“Is this too much?” She turned to face Zack, smoothing her hands anxiously over her hips. His gaze seemed to linger as he looked her over.

“Not if you’re trying to get laid tonight.”

Nellie’s body flushed hot; she hadn’t expected that response. But she made a quick recovery. “Are you offering?”

“Are you?” he returned.

She breathed a wry laugh and turned back to the mirror. She and Zack had been flirting more and more over the last few months, and she didn’t really know what to make of it. Honestly, she’d tried to brush it off. They were exes for a reason; they were just going stir-crazy after months spent in quarantine and growing nostalgic for the past. But she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that some small part of her wondered if there was more to it than just that.

“But to actually answer your question,” Zack added, “no, it’s not too much. You look great, Nell.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “Thanks.”

He nodded. “But we really should get going.”

She playfully rolled her eyes. “There’s the Zack I know.” She grabbed her leopard print clutch, already filled with everything she needed. “Alright, let’s go,” she said. “I needed a drink twenty minutes ago.”

* * * * * * * * * *

They arrived at the restaurant almost fifteen minutes late; thankfully, Torrance and Ishimori were already there. But when the hostess walked them to their table, Nellie discovered that it wasn’t just Torrance and Ishimori waiting on them—it was Torrance and Ishimori and an entire group of their friends and colleagues from NJPW.

“SURPRISE!” Torrance exclaimed, a giant smile on her face as she animatedly threw her arms into the air. And Nellie was surprised. She’d hadn’t suspected this at all.

“What?” She turned to Zack in shock. “Did you know about this?”

He grinned. “Yeah. It’s why I didn’t care we were late; Torrance told me to stall because not everyone was here yet. Happy birthday, darling.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze, and Nellie’s heart filled with so much gratitude that tears pricked at the back of her eyes. She hadn’t realized how much it meant to her to see so many of her friends gathered in one place until that moment.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Torrance bounded over and practically tackled her with a hug. “Are you surprised?”

“Very,” Nellie said. “How the hell did you pull this off?”

She shrugged her shoulders up to her ears, clearly proud of herself. “I’d say that’s just how amazing I am, but it honestly wasn’t that hard with everyone finally back for the G1. It just worked out that most of the participants also happen to be our friends.”

“I’d use that term loosely,” Zack commented. He dodged away toward the table when Torrance tried to smack him.

“Well, thank you,” Nellie genuinely said. But as happy as she was to see everyone, her heart turned wistful. There was one person missing, all too noticeable in his absence. “It’s too bad Riley isn’t here.”

It had been six months since she’d last seen Riley—since she’d last touched him, felt him—and she didn’t know where they stood. One minute she’d been planning a trip to spend a week with him in Vancouver, and the next the entire world was in lockdown. It was the worst sort of irony; and the longer things dragged on, the less and less she and Riley communicated. At first, she’d taken it with a grain of salt. They were stranded sixteen hours apart from each other, not by choice but by circumstance, out of sight and out of mind. But now, half a year later, sometimes late at night Nellie couldn’t help but wonder if Riley had intentionally let things fizzle out between them. Was he in Vancouver slowly but surely forgetting about her via a string of nameless other women? But who was she to blame him if he was? She’d tried to forget him herself. It hurt less that way.

“I know,” Torrance frowned, breaking into her thoughts. “I wish he was here, too. But don’t think about all that tonight. It’s your birthday, and we’re going to get drunk and have an amazing time.”

Nellie gave a little laugh as Torrance pulled her over to greet everyone. All her teammates from Suzuki-gun were there, as were Juice Robinson and Jeff Cobb, both of whom she’d met wrestling in England prior to ever coming to Japan. Kenta was even there; outside Riley, Ishimori, and Torrance, he was one of the only members of Bullet Club who Nellie actually considered a friend.

But the one person who caught her completely off-guard to see was Jay White.

In a word, Nellie’s acquaintance with Jay had always been a bit cautious. But not because she didn’t like him—because she did. She couldn’t deny that she was attracted to Jay, both physically and mentally; he enticed and intrigued her in a way that no one ever had. But things had been so complicated with Riley that she hadn’t even wanted to think about getting involved with anyone else, let alone one of his teammates. She could only imagine the mess that would create.

But that had been before the last six months. She had Riley hadn’t spoken in weeks. And the way Jay was smirking at her as he walked over to give her a hug had Nellie’s knees weak.

“Hey,” he said. “It’s been a while.”

It was an intimate embrace, his hands spread over her lower back, her arms looped under his. His cologne smelled good—a little too good—woodsy and warm and sensual. He felt good, too.

“Hey. It has been,” she returned, and when they pulled apart, she hoped her cheeks didn’t look as hot as they felt. “Like what… seven months?”

He thought about for it a second before he nodded. “Yeah, the last time I was here was in February. It feels good to be back. Happy birthday, by the way.”

“Oh, thanks,” she smiled and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m surprised to see you here, actually.”

The corners of Jay’s eyes crinkled as he smirked again. “More than everyone else?”

Nellie bit the inside of her lip. “A little bit, yeah,” she admitted. It only made him grin wider.

“Well, I’m happy to be here. You look fantastic, by the way.”

He looked her over. Her cheeks definitely burned then. “Thanks. You do, too.”

He wasn’t wearing anything special—just a plain white t-shirt and slim fit jeans, his dark hair pulled half-up into a bun at the back of his head—but it was unfair how good he made it look. It didn’t help that he was also wearing that chain necklace she liked on him so much, and an expensive-looking watch, and that stupid pinky ring. He was the only guy she knew who could pull one of those off.

“It’s actually not tonight though, right?” he asked. “Your birthday?”

“Oh, no,” she confirmed with a shake of her head. “It’s Saturday. But Torrance wanted to do dinner tonight because I’m leaving for Osaka on Saturday to be there for Zack’s first G1 match on Sunday. At least, that’s the reason she gave me.”

She fidgeted, realizing she’d rambled a bit. But Jay just smirked. “Well, I’ll make sure to win my first match on Saturday for you, then.”

Nellie stiffened and her mouth went bone dry. She needed that drink now. A strong one.

“Nellie!”

She whirled around at the sound of Torrance calling her name. She couldn’t have interrupted at a better moment. “You’re sitting next to me,” she said with a point at a seat in the middle of the hibachi table.

“Well,” Nellie quickly said as she turned back to Jay, “I’m being summoned.”

He nodded. “Of course. We have all night to catch up,” he said with a touch of her arm; and as Nellie left him to take her seat, she could still feel the ghost of his fingers and the goosebumps they’d left on her skin.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Looks like Nellie needs another drink.”

Jeff leaned forward from the other side of Zack and eyed the half-drank cocktail in front of Nellie. She scoffed and picked up the glass to show it to him in protest.

“It’s still half-full!” she exclaimed.

He gave her a pointed look. “It’s half-empty.”

She just rolled her eyes and set the drink back down, a smirk on her lips. Half the table had seemingly made it their personal mission to get her drunk. Juice had ordered her a second drink as soon as she’d finished her first, and Taichi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru had joined her in a shot for good measure. Even the hibachi chef had squirted sake into her mouth from a squeeze bottle as part of the entertainment. Nellie was embarrassed to admit, she already had a decent buzz going, even with all the food she’d eaten. Apparently, her tolerance had taken a nosedive after so many months not going out drinking with Riley, Torrance, and Ishimori all the time. She needed to slow down.

Then again, with the way she and Jay had been catching each other looking from across the table all night, she might want the liquid courage.

“Okay, I’m stopping,” she said as she pushed her plate away. She was officially stuffed.

“What about dessert?” Zack asked.

She shook her head. “I don’t even want to think about dessert right now.”

“Alright, I’ll ask later, then.” He sent her a cheeky wink, and the subtle, double-meaning wasn’t lost on her. Or maybe the alcohol was just causing her to read into it. She wasn’t sure now.

But before she could overthink it, a waitress arrived with a fluffy slice of soufflé cheesecake, a single birthday candle stuck in the middle. Nellie glared at Zack as it was set down in front of her. He held up his palms in defense.

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t have anything to do with it!”

She whipped her head around at Torrance, who quickly shrugged. “I didn’t tell them to bring it,” she said. “But they knew this was a birthday thing.”

Nellie skeptically pursed her lips. “Well, just don’t sing—”

But she was cut off by Juice loudly bursting out with “Happy Birthday.” Nellie curled her lips into her mouth as the rest of the table started to sing; but her embarrassment quickly turned to amusement. Half sang in English while the other half sang in Japanese, and it sounded awful.

“Wow, we suck at this,” Jeff remarked, and everyone laughed.

“Make a wish!” Torrance proclaimed. Nellie’s face flushed again, suddenly all too aware of everyone watching her. But a wish popped into her heart, and she leaned forward and blew out the candle. As she sat back up, her eyes met Jay’s through the curling wisps of smoke. He smirked. She bit the inside of her lip and looked back at Torrance.

“You have to help me eat this,” she said as she nudged the cheesecake toward her.

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Torrance said and eagerly picked up a spoon. “By the way,” she added, “apparently a bunch of people are going out to some club not far from here; sort of like a kick-off party for the G1, I guess. I figured we could head over there if you want.”

Nellie nodded as she dug into the cheesecake. “Sounds good to me,” she agreed; and as she brought her spoon to her lips, she couldn’t help but glance over at Jay again. And again, he was looking, too.

* * * * * * * * * *

Torrance hadn’t been kidding; when they arrived at the club, it was a veritable who’s who in NJPW. Sanada, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, Yoshi-Hashi, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, just from who Nellie had seen thus far; all Los Ingobernables de Japon and CHAOS, she realized—and she’d just walked in with Suzuki-gun and Bullet Club. It was bound to be an interesting night.

But first, she needed a drink. It had only been a few blocks, but the walk from the restaurant in the humid mid-September air had sobered her up quite a bit, and she needed to fix that, stat. But before she could start for the bar, someone slipped their hand onto the small of her back. She looked up. Jay.

He leaned into her ear to be heard above the music. “Can I get you a drink?”

Nellie’s stomach fluttered at the ghost of his lips against her skin. She nodded and turned her head to look up at him. “Sure.”

He smirked that crooked smirk of his again. “Come on.”

His touch fell away from her, and he led her through the crowd, making sure she stayed close. A spot opened up just as they reached the bar, and he guided her into it, his hand on her hip that time. He let it linger there a little while longer before he pulled away, sliding his fingers across her back.

“What’s your poison?” he asked.

Nellie bit her lip in thought, eying him. And then she said, “Surprise me.”

Even in the dark of the club, she could see a mischievous spark in his eye. “I’d say that’s a dangerous choice, but I’m a creature of habit, to be honest.”

He signaled the bartender and ordered them each a Johnnie Walker Gold Label, neat. Nellie arched her eyebrows at him. “That’s kind of expensive to just be buying me a drink, isn’t it?”

But Jay shook his head. “Not at all. It’s your birthday.”

Her body reacted with a bit more than just stomach flutters that time. She tried to ignore it.

“So, you just got back from England, didn’t you?”

Nellie’s eyebrows arched and she nodded, excited that he’d asked. “I did! I was there over last weekend. It was the first show I’d worked for RevPro since March.” She smiled. “It felt so good to be back there again.”

He grinned. “Trust me, I know the feeling. You’re still the RevPro women’s champion, right?”

She nodded proudly. “Seven months as of this past Monday.”

He nodded. “And you’re an Artist of Stardom Champion, as well? Didn’t you win those two pretty close to each other?”

“Exactly one week apart,” she confirmed. She hadn’t realized Jay knew that. It was flattering to know that he did. “I’m hoping to add the SWA Undisputed Championship to my collection next.”

Jay smirked. “I’m surprised you and Torrance haven’t gone after the tag titles.”

“Oh, trust me, we want to,” Nellie said. “We just haven’t had the right opportunity yet. And plus, right now my main focus is finally defending the RevPro title again. I don’t want people to think I’ve only been champion this long because I couldn’t defend it, you know?”

He shook his head. “Anyone who thinks that isn’t worth listening to. Besides, I doubt anyone thinks it, anyway. You’re a great wrestler—you wouldn’t be a double champion if you weren’t.”

Nellie fidgeted at the unexpected praise. That meant a lot coming from Jay. “Thanks,” she shyly returned. “I don’t think I’m half bad myself.”

He grinned again, and she fidgeted some more. Thankfully, the bartender arrived with their drinks.

“Was Phantasmo there?”

Nellie nearly missed her glass as she snapped her eyes back up at the question. She hadn’t expected him to ask that—at all. The suddenness of it gave her whiplash. “At RevPro?” She shook her head. “No. I haven’t seen him since the last time I was there in March. We haven’t really talked in a while, actually.”

She wasn’t sure why she added that last part; it wasn’t necessary. But Jay nodded, almost imperceptibly. Interested to know. “Well, it’s his loss.”

For the second time that night, Nellie’s mouth went dry. It took all of her not to grab her drink and down the Scotch in a single gulp.

Jay reached for his glass and lifted it up. “But here’s to things getting back to normal. And your birthday.”

Nellie eyed him for a second; and then she smirked. “To my birthday,” she said. And she clinked her glass with his and took a sip, their eyes deliberately meeting over the rim.

* * * * * * * * * *

“To my best friend in the whole wide world—besides Taiji, of course. Happy birthday, Nellie!”

Everyone echoed Torrance’s sentiment, and they all kicked back their shots. Nellie grimaced as the liquor burned down her throat, warming her all the way to her belly. Somehow, she’d ended up drinking with Bullet Club. No, not somehow—she knew exactly how. She wanted to hang out with Torrance, and Torrance, of course, was hanging out with Bullet Club. But it was more than just Jay, Ishimori, and Kenta now. Yujiro Takahashi, Evil, and Gedo had showed up, and then Jay had worked his magic and gotten them a VIP booth somehow. And so there Nellie was, sitting right next to him, their thighs touching each other.

It was getting harder and harder for her not to think about touching the rest of him.

“Did you ditch your boys, Nellie?” Kenta asked. “I thought you were in Suzuki-gun.”

Nellie pursed her lips at his smirk. She was used to being teased for keeping company with Bullet Club so often, but she usually heard it from Tama and Chase. She should have figured Kenta would pick up the slack in their absence.

“No, I didn’t ditch them. They went off to harass LIJ, and I wanted to hang out with Torrance.”

“You sure it wasn’t someone else you wanted to hang out with?” Torrance asked with a sly smirk into her drink. Nellie stiffened, caught out; but thankfully, no one else seemed to hear her.

“Just admit you’d rather be in Bullet Club,” Ishimori grinned. He nudged his chin at Jay. “What do you say, Jay?”

Jay waited a beat; and then he said, “I’ll take it under consideration.” He sent Nellie a wink. Her insides turned to mush.

“Alright, let’s get you another drink!”

Suddenly, Torrance grabbed Nellie’s wrist and tried to pull her along. “But I don’t want another drink right now,” she protested.

“Then I have to go to the bathroom,” Torrance amended. “Let’s go!”

Nellie rolled her eyes, but she grabbed her handbag and begrudgingly allowed Torrance to pull her away from the table. She knew damn well that the bathroom was just a bullshit excuse to get away from the guys, and she wasn’t all surprised when they came to a halt off to the side of the bar and Torrance fired, “Okay, what’s going on with you and Switchblade?”  

“Nothing!” Nellie insisted. But Torrance didn’t buy it.

“Oh, bullshit. You two have been eye-fucking each other all night, it’s super obvious.”

Nellie fidgeted again, embarrassed. She hadn’t thought it was that obvious.

But Torrance shrugged. “I say go for it. You deserve some good birthday sex.”

“Torr!” Nellie proclaimed. Her hands flew to the side of her face, horrified at the thought. “Oh my God, I’m not having birthday sex with Jay.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because! It’s way too messy.”

“Why?” Torrance repeated. “Because of Riley?”

“Yes, because of Riley!” Nellie confirmed. “Remember when I said a month ago that things were left completely up in the air between me and him? Well, it’s still like that, and I don’t know what I want to do about it. So the last thing I need to do is sleep with his friend and teammate on a drunken whim and complicate things even further.”

She ran a frustrated hand through her long, dark hair and looked away, surprised at her sudden confession. That was the first time she had ever admitted, either out loud or to herself, that she didn’t know what she wanted. She was confused, torn between the logic of her head and the longing of her heart… and she’d been far too emotionally exhausted to figure out which one was right.

“Okay, maybe I jumped the gun suggesting birthday sex,” Torrance sheepishly admitted. “And I know this whole thing with you and Riley sucks… but Jay’s obviously interested, Nell. So, maybe this is the universe telling you it’s time to figure it out.”

Nellie gave a wry laugh. “The universe introduced a fucking pandemic right when I thought I had figured it out.”

Torrance frowned; but Nellie suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her handbag. She pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was a text from Zack.

Get your arse to the rooftop.

She rolled her eyes. “Zack’s requested my presence,” she announced.

“Tell him you’re too busy being a VIP with your new teammates,” Torrance smirked. Nellie’s eyes widened.

“Yeah, no. I should go up there for a bit.”

Torrance nodded. “Okay. I’ll let you know if anything changes down here; I’m gonna get another drink.”

“Alright,” she agreed, and as Torrance turned toward the bar, Nellie made her way back to the table. She wanted to tell Jay where she was going; after the way they’d been flirting all night, it would be rude to just let Torrance relay the message for her.

He was deep in conversation with Kenta when she arrived, but as she sat back down next to him, he turned toward her and put his hand on her bare thigh, just above her knee. Nellie didn’t know if it was intentional or just reflexive; but either way, the feel of his hand on her body like that lit a fire in her core.

“Everything alright?” he asked into her ear, likely because Torrance hadn’t returned with her. She nodded, stalling to swallow the lump in her throat.

“Yeah. But I’m gonna go up to the rooftop. Suzuki-gun’s up there and I should hang out with them for a bit.”

Jay was surprisingly quick to nod in understanding. “Oh, of course. I didn’t mean to monopolize your time.”

Nellie bit her lip. But do you want to?

“Do you have my number?”

She blinked in surprise as the question cut through her thoughts. “No, I don’t think so.”

He held out his hand. “Here, I’ll put it in your phone.”

Nellie responded by unlocking her phone and opening a new contact card. She handed it to Jay and he input his information, his other hand still on her thigh. It made her question whether she really did want to go up to the rooftop.

“There,” he saved it and handed her phone back to her. She clicked on his number and sent him a text—a single smiley face emoji.

“There; now you have mine, too,” she said.

He smirked. “I’ll text you if we decide to go anywhere else or anything,” he said. She nodded, and he gave her leg a squeeze before he let go so she could stand up and slide back out of the booth. She ruffled Kenta’s hair as she passed by him.

“Bye, Kenta!”

“Hey!” he shooed her hand away. “Watch the hair.”

She just grinned and went on her way. The club was massive, and she was thankful that she’d worn sneakers as she walked up the two flights of stairs to the rooftop. She didn’t realize how stuffy it had been inside until she stepped out into the late-night air, still humid, but not quite as hot as it had been earlier in the evening. Unsurprisingly, the rooftop was just as packed as the rest of the club, and it took her a few minutes to spot Zack in a large area of cushy lounge chairs and couches that were almost exclusively occupied by NJPW wrestlers. She smiled and practically skipped over to where he sat next to Sanada. He gave her a crooked grin when he saw her. It was obvious he was feeling the effects of the drink, too.

“There’s the birthday girl.”

“Did you miss me that much?” she asked—and because there wasn’t anywhere to sit, she helped herself to Zack’s lap. But he certainly didn’t seem to mind. He slipped his hand down her hip toward her thigh, his fingertips just grazing the exposed skin where the hem of her dress rode up. He smirked up at her.

“Yeah, you’re pissed. Who’s been plying you with alcohol?”

“Bullet Club.”

He gave her a flat look. She rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be jealous,” she said, and she couldn’t stop herself from combing her fingers through his hair. She’d always liked his hair.

“I don’t get jealous, darling,” he returned, and the air of cockiness in his tone threw her off-kilter. That time, she knew he’d done it on purpose. He knew it turned her on. Zack knew better than anyone what turned her on.

Thankfully, Sanada diverted her attention. “Happy birthday, Nellie. I’m a little upset I didn’t get an invite to dinner.”

She pouted at him. “Don’t be upset with me! Blame Torrance and Ishimori; I had no idea they were turning it into a surprise party. He knew,” she motioned her head at Zack, her fingers still in his hair. His eyes widened in protest.

“Don’t blame me, either. I had nothing to do with the guest list. I would have invited you,” he said to Sanada. “Not Naito, though; he’s a dickhead.”

Nellie rolled her eyes as she looked back at Sanada. “Has he been bothering you? Because I’ll kick his ass if he has.”

“Please,” Zack scoffed; but Sanada laughed.

“Yes, he has been, just because I’d pay to see that.”

“You’d be wasting your money,” Zack remarked.

“Hey!” Nellie lightly tugged on his hair. “I could take you.”

A wide grin spread over his face. It didn’t take long for her to realize where his mind had gone.

“Oh my God, you’re a fucking pervert,” she said, and she turned his face away from her as she finally pulled her fingers from his hair.

“You’re the one sitting on my lap and pulling my hair out in public,” he returned.

Nellie didn’t have a good comeback for that, so she just pursed her lips in defiance. It only seemed to satisfy Zack more.

“Do you want a drink?” he asked.

She thought about it for a second. “A beer. And water, please.”

“Alright,” He patted her thigh, and she stood so he could get up from the seat. “What kind of beer?”

She shrugged as she sat back down. “You know what I like,” she said; and she didn’t realize the way she’d said it until it was already done. There’d been a little too much suggestion in her tone, in her body language as she’d crossed her legs to get comfortable, and for the dozenth time that night she burned hot with embarrassment. But Zack just smirked, a little too knowing, and turned and disappeared toward the bar.

* * * * * * * * * *

Nellie wasn’t sure how long she’d been up on the rooftop. She’d finished the beer Zack had gotten her some time ago, and she’d switched to nursing the glass of water. The clock had passed midnight—it was officially her birthday. And to people who didn’t know them, it probably looked like she and Zack were together.

Space had opened up on one of the couches, and they’d moved to sit next to each other even though they didn’t have to, her body angled toward him, his arm just grazing the back of her bare shoulders as it rested casually behind her, sending goosebumps over her skin. She was trying to ignore it again. They were exes for a reason; they’d both been drinking; she was just touch-starved because she hadn’t felt anything but her vibrator in half a year.

Zack let out a loud, booming laugh at something Taichi said, and Nellie looked over at him. She studied his jaw, his nose, his lips. He was so handsome it was stupid.

“You don’t stand a chance unless Nellie is out there with you to distract him.”

She snapped out of her reverie when she heard Sanada mention her name. She’d missed half the conversation, but she assumed it was about the G1 Climax.

“Oh, piss off!” Zack returned. “I don’t need Nellie to beat Evil! And what’re you sticking up for him, anyway; have you finally recovered from the knife wound in your back?”

Nellie rolled her eyes in amusement. Zack was good at a lot of things, but he’d always had a special talent for running his mouth.

Sanada’s eyes narrowed. “When’s our match?”

“I don’t bloody know,” Zack scoffed. “But I’ll definitely have Nellie with me then, because she’s all I need to beat you.”

Nellie shot him a look. “Really?”

“What?” he innocently asked. She just smirked and looked away; but while the others laughed and carried on the conversation, Zack kept his gaze on her. She could see him studying her out of the corner of her eye, just like she’d studied him a minute before. And then he asked, “What’s on your mind?”

She looked back up at him. “What makes you think there’s something on my mind?”

“Because you’ve been quiet since you got up here, and you don’t get quiet when you’ve been drinking unless there’s something on your mind,” he pointed out. It made her smile and lean her head back, bumping against his arm. Of course he’d know that; it was obnoxious sometimes how well Zack knew her. So, there was no point deflecting.

“There’s a lot on my mind,” she admitted.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked after a moment. But she lifted her head and looked away again.

“Not really.”

Just then, her phone buzzed next to her on the couch cushion. She snatched it up, eager for a way out of the current conversation, and saw a text from Torrance.

Your potential new man is leaving with the guys to go to some cigar bar. You better come say goodbye.

Nellie frowned at the message. She was more disappointed than she thought she’d be to see that Jay was leaving. But she tried not to let her alcohol-steeped brain take it to heart. He’d only just gotten back to Japan. If he wanted to spend time with her outside of tonight, he’d make the effort.

Alright, I’m coming down, she sent back. She stood up from the couch and looked at Zack as she adjusted the hem of her dress. “I’ll be back,” she told him. He just nodded, and she turned and made her way to the stairwell that led back down into the club. It was narrow and not well-lit, and she held her hair out of her face to look down at the steps as she walked to make sure she didn’t misstep—

“Hey.”

She glanced up. Jay stood a few steps below her, coming up the opposite side.

“I was just coming up here to find you,” he said, and he walked a few steps more until he stood on the stair right below her. Nellie’s stomach fluttered.

“Yeah? I was coming down to find you,” she said. “Torrance said you’re leaving?”

“Oh—yeah. Watch out.” He put his hand on her hip and gently guided her out of the way of a trio of young women coming down the stairs. Once they’d passed, he looked back up at her. “Maybe we should get out of the way.”

“Probably,” she agreed.

He offered her his hand, and she accepted it and let him lead her down the stairs to a landing that offered a little more space and light for them to talk. But they were still close enough that she could smell his cologne. It was lighter than it had been earlier in the night, but it wasn’t any less enticing.  

“So Torrance texted you, I guess?” he figured.

“Yeah. She said you and the guys are going to a cigar bar.”

“Yeah…” he drew the word out and ran a hand over his beard. He seemed dubious; a little annoyed. “It’s Bullet Club stuff. Some people seem to have forgotten who’s in charge over the last seven months. And with the G1, I can’t let that slide, so… I should go with them. Even though I’d honestly rather stay here with you.”

Nellie bit back a grin. Suddenly, she wasn’t quite so disappointed that he was leaving. It was sexy when men handled their business a certain way… and Jay definitely had that way about him. “No, I get it,” she said. “I appreciate you coming up here to tell me.”

“Of course,” he returned. “But you said you’ll be in Osaka Saturday?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Maybe not for the show, but I’ll be there.”

“Alright,” he said. “Well, we should get together then.”

The certainty in his tone made Nellie weak all over again. “I’d like that,” she sincerely answered.

He smiled, wide and genuine. “Well, I’ll see you Saturday, then. Happy birthday, Nellie,” he said, and he pulled her into a hug. She lifted onto her toes and wrapped her arms around him, and they drew their bodies close, much closer than when they’d hugged back at the restaurant. Her hand slipped to the back of his neck; his beard tickled the delicate skin of hers as he hugged her tighter. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. She wondered if he could feel it in her chest.

Jay pulled back first, but not all the way. He kept hold of her hips, and Nellie slid her palms down to his chest as she lowered her heels back to the floor. She looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes; lips parted, breath bated. She could just lift her chin and kiss him. She wanted to. But maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe their first kiss shouldn’t be like this, half-drunk in a dark club stairwell, the bass of the music reverberating through the floor. Jay must have had the same thought, because he finally pulled away, however reluctantly.

“Let me know when you’ve made it back home,” he softly said. “Just so I know you got there alright.”

“I will,” she smiled. “Goodnight, Jay.”

“Goodnight, Nell,” he echoed. And as he turned and disappeared down the stairs, leaving her with her heart still thrumming in her chest, Nellie suddenly thought about Riley; about how she didn’t know what she wanted.

But she did know that she was excited for Saturday—and that was enough for now.