#Roman learned. and seth knows that

[oplishin]

In 2022, seth weaponized his history with Roman against him, and it uh. Didn’t go so hot for him, it ended with Roman murdering him with a steel chair.

In 2024, seth does the same trick again, and Roman’s ready for it! Hits him before he can even really get in the ring. But Seth’s learned in ways Roman hasn’t. He knows now that if Roman has the chance to get him back, to hurt him, he can’t resist (i am thinking about how Roman went back to hit Seth in 2022, even after everything was over). And Seth uses his own self destruction to help Cody.

It’s a fabulous character arc/moment: jn 2022 he selfishly tries to manipulate Roman, in 2024 he unselfishly uses the same strategy because he knows Roman hurting him will save Cody.

Big fan of incredible lack of self preservation and willingness to do himself harm here!!! And the fact that Seth very very literally recreated his initial betrayal as an act of penance. There’s no way he brought that steel chair to the ring thinking he was going to be able to use it.

[damiansgoodgirll]

can you please write a really really sad story where you were dating seth rollins when he was still on shield but the. becky joins and he cheats on you with her please ❤️

i love becky so so so so so much, i’m feeling so guilty for making her the bad guy here :(

seth rollins x reader

tw : angst, cheating

traitor

you knew something was off the moment your boyfriend started skipping your usual movie nights or your friday afternoon training together.

he claimed he was too tired or too busy but you knew he was hiding something, you just couldn’t picture what.

you and seth had been dating for almost a decade, you were there through his in and out of the shield, you were there when he turned his back on seth and roman, you were there when he shared his last hug with roman before he retired to treat his cancer and you were there when seth wasn’t fully understanding the reason his best friend dean ambrose left wwe.

you were there for him, always.

he was the first person you met when you joined wwe, only 18 at the time but with so much energy to learn and be better.

he started training you, teaching you new moves and new tricks and you couldn’t be more grateful. but something bloomed out from that friendship, something that was more than friendship.

he asked you on a date. and one date turned into a second date and a second date turned into movie nights together at his place, falling asleep on his couch, him making love to you, showing you how much he loved you and how grateful he was that you were in his life.

he made you feel safe and protected, and it’s been going on for almost ten years so you couldn’t understand why he was distancing himself from you.

you saw him getting closer to becky lynch, one of your best friend. you simply thought he was training her, the same way he did to you and the same way he did with so many other wrestlers but you saw him spending more and more time with her and completely avoiding you.

“seth…can we talk?” you asked him one night, while you were both laying in bed.

“sure” he turned his face to you.

“is everything okay?”

“of course, what you mean?” he asked. he knew what you meant. he knew you weren’t stupid and he knew you were going to find out.

“i mean…is everything okay? you know if there’s something that’s bothering you, you can always talk to me…i’ve seen you’ve been avoiding me more and more these past days and if i did something to make you mad i’m so sorry…” you apologised and seth felt his heart breaking a little more.

you were apologising for his cheating.

“i promise you love, you didn’t do anything to make you mad” it pained him to lie to you “i’m not mad at you, i promise you…i’ve just been training more these days and i’m always too tired” he laughed “i promise i’ll be more present from now on” he scooped you closer into his embrace and even if his words were supposed to comfort you, you felt something was off, you felt he was lying.

and you were right.

of course you were.

you weren’t supposed to hit the gym that day but the receptionist called you to tell you that a few days prior you forgot some of your clothes in the changing room and that she put them aside for you.

parking in your usual spot you noticed becky’s car was there and your boyfriend’s car was there too. you found it weird seeing seth car there as he told you that he was at finn’s home to help him train.

the moment you stepped into the gym you knew the receptionist didn’t call you only for your clothes, she wanted you to know the truth, she wanted you too see what was going on.

becky’s arms around seth chest as she was kissing his shoulders while he was lifting some weights. he couldn’t stop smiling and you felt so stupid for even believe everything was fine. he saw your reflection in the mirror and before he could say anything you were out of the gym, reaching for your car and driving way too fast for everyone’s liking.

you couldn’t stop the tears falling from your eyes and you knew you couldn’t face seth so instead of going straight home you booked a room in your favorite hotel in town.

he called you but you never answered. he texted you but you left him on read. you were so mad and disappointed you couldn’t even face him.

your friend rhea knew something was wrong the moment you didn’t show up at your girls night together. she tried to contact you but you wouldn’t reply, not even to her. liv called you, shayna texted you so many times your phone was probably going to explode.

seth knew where you were but he knew that if he came to see you it would only ended up with blood on his face so he preferred letting things calm down.

it was the morning after, when you stepped into the wwe headquarters that you saw him. you looked like shit, you were wearing the same clothes of the day before, your eyes all red and you looked tired, almost as if you didn’t sleep at all.

“can we please talk?” seth followed you when you were going into your own office but he stopped you before you could go in.

“i’m not really in the mood…”

“please…” he begged and you turned around “i’m so sorry…i should have told you and…”

“should have told me what? that you were cheating? that my boyfriend, the one i’ve been dating for the past years has been cheating with one of my best friends? that you aren’t even ashamed about it? i really don’t wanna hear it seth…” you said almost screaming, a few heads turning around but you didn’t care.

“i’m so sorry y/n…” he said again.

“i don’t care if you’re sorry! you should have told me! you should have told me that you weren’t in love anymore instead of cheating on me! i deserved to know, i deserved to know the truth…instead you preferred lying…” you kept saying, you didn’t care if you were crying.

“i know…i know i fucked up” he was hurting seeing you like that. you were a good person, you always stayed by his side, you were loyal and caring and you didn’t deserve this, he knew that, but at the same time he couldn’t stop what he was feeling for becky.

“you fucked up? fucking my best friend, cheating behind my back, lying and making me feel like it was my fault and all you have to say is that you fucked up? i want you out of my home seth, i want you out of my life…i want you and becky out of everything, i can’t even look at you without crying…why did you do it?” you asked him.

“i - i don’t have an excuse…i know, i shouldn’t have done it…i should have talked to you” he said wiping his tears away.

“i’ve asked you so many times, i’ve asked you so many times if everything was okay, if everything was good and you kept saying yes, that i shouldn’t worry…for how long?” you asked him, knowing that the actual answer might broke you.

“five months…” he said.

five months.

two months ago was your anniversary. he was already fucking her in the same moment he was fucking you. he was telling her how much he loved her the same moment he was telling it to you.

“oh god…” you whispered, thinking about everything that happened in the past five months. you even brought up the idea of starting a family with him, you were talking about getting married and he was fucking your best friend behind your back.

“i’m so sorry y/n…” he apologised.

“leave…please, leave, i don’t wanna see you ever again…i think i’ll take a break from wrestling, i can’t even stand in the same room as you and becky without wanting to rip your heads off…” you said before turning back and going into your office.

he stood there for a few minutes, watching the plain white door that was in front of him.

before leaving he was met with the angry look on rhea’s face.

“don’t say anything please…” he said.

“you and becky disgust me…” she said before checking up on you.

you let her in and, knowing she heard everything about your and seth’s conversation, you knew you couldn’t lie to her and you spilled everything and she let you cry over her shoulder, helping you calming you down and comforting you, because all you needed in that moment was to feel affection.

[a-random-pillow]

One more time(Forever)

Paring: Cody/Roman

Characters: Roman Regins, Cody Rhodes, Jimmy Uso

Rating: Gen

Tags: hurt no comfort, longing/pinning, canonical injury, minimal editing

No one actually tells Roman that Cody got attacked. He hears it through mutterings and whispers of staff members as he walks backstage with Jimmy. Any good mood had been in from their victory and Jimmy’s return had been destroyed by Dwayne’s return.

He doesn’t know what he wants… probably revenge, and the belt but Roman can’t get rid of the feeling that he’s missing something. Then he hears that Cody got attacked and his mind goes to the worst-case scenario.

His stomach twists into knots as he hears mutterings of indefinite time off, local medical facilities and online records. He looks it up with shaking hands, he has to re-type multiple times but eventually, he gets there.

Roman doesn’t know why he is freaking out, he and Cody are done. It was a fun couple of weeks but the match contract they signed is over. Roman frowns, he shouldn’t care about Cody but as he watches the videos of Kevin attacking him all Roman wants is to race down and save him.

“We’re gonna go find him?” Asks Jimmy, somehow knowing exactly what Roman was thinking.

Roman doesn’t say anything, he has no good reason to help Cody again. Fuck, it would probably be better for Roman if Cody was injured, easier to take back his title. Despite knowing that this wasn’t a good idea Roman nods and he and Jimmy head off towards the parking garage.

“How was it with him?” Asks Jimmy as they walk.

“Hm?”

“Cody Y’know… was it fun? Was he easy to work with? Did you learn anything?”

Roman frowns, he and Cody don’t spend long strategizing. They were both busy and there was always a lot of tension between them… Roman did learn that Cody had a knack for strategy(not as good as Seth, no one was as good as Seth). Cody talked realism, he remembers sitting around an empty locker room and hearing Cody ramble about the match and all the possibilities,

“We won’t have backup, Randy and Kevin hate you so if the Tongans come out we have to deal with them on our own.”

“We haven’t seen much of Fatu in the ring, he’s unpredictable but either of us could beat Solo any day.”

“We both know how to tag, the better question is if we know how to tag with each other.”

In those moments they didn’t feel like reluctant allies, it was like they were actually friends. Like they cared, like they wanted the other to succeed, like they loved each other. When Roman had nothing and no one, he had Cody. It meant a lot to have another person to fill the silence and make the world seem less lonely even if they didn’t like each other.

“He’s got a brain under all that blond” Is all Roman can say, he doesn’t want to lie but he doesn’t know the truth. He doesn’t know how to say all the things he’s thinking and feeling.

Jimmy nods, looking at him differently like Roman had just revealed a secret that changed everything. It was a little off-putting but he could ask Jimmy later.

“He’ll be okay, uce, we got him.”

Roman doesn’t know why but that makes him feel better and makes the anxiety spiral spin a little slower.

They arrive at the parking lot to find a bunch of staff members ushering the yelling fans out but they don’t see Cody or a medical team.

Roman feels his worry spike as he scans the garage for any signs of Cody or Kevin but there’s nothing. Out of pure instinct he ruffly grabs a random crew member demanding.

“Where is Cody?”

The crew member, a young guy looks terrified as he stutters out.

“M-Medical! They're just checking on him sir, they think he fine.”

Roman throws the man away as soon as he hears where Cody is. He doesn’t care, his brain is stuck on one track.

Roman marches over the training room, he doesn’t bother to ask the attendants where Cody is. He just throws open the door to the recovery hall and walks down glancing into every bed to see if it’s Cody.

Drew is sleeping in a bed, a bunch of monitors attached to him and bandages are wrapped around his head. Roman doesn’t care about him.

Dominick is lying in a bed his ankle in a brace and elevated. Liv is sitting on the chair beside his bed, showing Dom something on his phone. Roman doesn’t care about them.

Finn Balor is sitting in a bed, talking to a doctor with a stormy expression on his face. Roman doesn’t care about him.

Finally, he finds Cody, he’s laid up in a bed and he has monitoring equipment attached to him. The beeps are steady, safe and healthy, which makes Roman feel a bit better.

Cody’s expression is blank, he stares ahead but Roman doesn’t think he’s seeing anything. His blue eyes are blank, like ice covered in a thin layer of snow.

“Cody!” Yells Roman, trying to get the other man’s attention.

Cody flinchs turning to look at him, but his expression falls as soon as they make eye contact.

“Why are you here?”

Roman looks over his expression, noticing the tear tracks marking the man’s cheeks.

“I heard you got attacked,” says Roman as he watches Cody, the worry in his gut doesn’t lessen now that he can see Cody. No, it gets worse. Cody is hurting, not just physically from the match and the attack but from the betrayal. He wants to hurt Kevin, but the impulse is sudden and overwhelming.

“I got attacked because of you,” Says Cody his tone is cold but his voice shakes.

Roman doesn’t know what to say, he understands why Kevin hates him but he doesn’t understand why that means Cody needs to be hurt.

“He asked if I was a part of the bloodline. How I could be friends with you. And now here you are checking on me? What the hell is going on? What the hell am I doing?”

Cody’s words speed up, his eyes becoming crazed as he asks or maybe demands.

“Why are you here? Why did you save me?”

Because I love you, because you trusted me, because when I had nothing I had you. Because it killed me to see you hurt.

Roman wants to tell Cody, he wants to let Cody know that Roman wants him but Cody just lost Kevin because of him. It won’t go over well, he won’t get the reaction he wants. So he lies,

“I saved you because you helped me and I came to check on you because I thought Dwayne attacked you”

Cody huffs, deflating a little as he leans into the pillows at his back.

“Just leave me alone”

Roman wants to stay and take care of him and he might have but Jimmy is grabbing his wrist and guiding him out of the room. Deep down he knows it best to leave Cody alone so no matter how much it pains him he follows Jimmy. He leaves Cody alone.

[bijouxcarys]

𝑻𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒊𝒏𝒅 (𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔 𝒙 𝑶𝑪) - 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆

Masterlist

Character Profiles/Face Claims

Playlist

A/N: Sorry this seems to have taken a really long time to get out, I've just been struggling a little with motivation lately. Anyways, I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and some of the characters that make an appearance ;)

CW/TW: suggestive themes, strong language

Tags: @trippinsorrows @empressdede @thetribalqueen @heauxvibez @bigsimperika

@cyberdejos2 @keyaho @headoftheetable @jstarr86 @southerngirl41

@tshepisho @cry1nwhileimcumm1n @maeb99 @thedesireds @dzdndcnfsd

@expert-texpert @niknakbucks92 @sillyteecup @trentybenty @pittieprincess22

(If you want to be tagged in any future Roman fics, just let me know!)

May 25th, 2013

“To the big man. Happy birthday, brother. May you finally learn how to relax.”

The bar was bathed in a soft amber glow, perfect for the intimate group gathering. It was a high-end joint in downtown Orlando, the kind of spot that was a bit too polished to be called a dive, but not quite swanky enough to be pretentious. It was the perfect mix—just how Roman liked it. This night was about unwinding, not making any sort of statement. The kind of place where the drinks were strong, and the vibe was chill.

Roman sat at the centre of the group, a smirk playing on his lips as he nursed a whiskey neat. He leaned back in his chair, shoulders relaxed, but eyes sharp, taking in everything around him. It was his birthday, after all, but it still felt like any other day. Though, his friends had insisted on a night out, and he wasn’t one to turn down a good time. Especially not when it involved Seth and Dean.

“If that’s the case, you’re gonna be waiting a long time, Rollins.”

“Ain’t that the truth? Big man’s got a stick so far up his ass, he can’t even sit down without it poking him,” Dean teased, a crooked grin on his face as he leaned across the table to clink his beer bottle against Roman’s glass. “Man, 28. You’re getting old, dog.” 

Roman rolled his eyes, but the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth betrayed him. “Speak for your damn self, Ambrose, you only a couple years behind.”

Cackling, Dean slung his arm around Renée’s shoulders. She looked up at him with that soft, adoring gaze that only she could manage when it came to Dean. She was the only one who could tame the wild streak in him, and everyone knew it.

“Yeah, but I’ve still got my boyish charm,” Dean shot back, running his hand over each side of his beard, earning a playful slap on the chest from Renée.

“Keep tellin’ yourself that,” Roman quipped, taking a sip of his drink. His eyes shifted to Seth, who was busy whispering something in Leila’s ear, eliciting a giggle from her. “At least we’re not livin’ in la-la land like crazy ass over here…”

Seth glanced up, grinning. “Just keeping my lady entertained, man. You know how it is.”

Leila’s face flushed, her fingers playing with the end of her hair. “You know he’s full of it, right?”

“Absolutely,” Roman agreed. “But hey, if that’s what you into, that’s all that matters.”

Seth’s smile just grew, taking a long swig of his beer. He and Leila had been together for at least six months now, and despite the pure hectic nature of their lives, they seemed solid. For now, at least. He knew his friend had a history of prioritising his work before his personal affairs, and the cynic in Roman was waiting for the moment Leila got tired of being left behind, and inevitably threw a drink in Seth’s face. Metaphorically, and physically. Wouldn’t be the first time. But for now, it was good. Roman respected that.

In fact, he rather enjoyed his tight-knit group of friends. Really, it was DJ who was to thank for that. He was the one who introduced Roman to Seth and Dean in the first place. Renée and Leila came much later, but they both had quickly integrated nicely into the group’s dynamics.

And then there was Maria.

Despite Roman’s line of work, and his family’s dealings, Maria was still the wild card in his life. They had only just started seeing each other casually, even though they’d already known each other for a while now. Whilst he was intrigued by her, there was an undeniable air of… arrogance that seemed to follow her everywhere. She had a way of sliding into his life like she belonged there, but Roman, even at the age of 28, wasn’t blind to the signs. Still, he played along, curious to see where it would lead.

Tonight, she had reluctantly agreed to join Roman for his birthday celebration with his friends, and he was glad that she did. Even though he could only handle the woman in small doses, he still didn’t want to be sat there alone as Seth and Dean both had girls on their arms. Hell no, he wasn’t about to be the only single man at the table on his own damn birthday.

“So, Maria,” Renée started, “How did you and Roman meet? I’m not sure he’s ever mentioned you…”

“Oh, you know,” Maria began to respond, pushing a tight-lipped smile in Renée’s direction, “The usual places. Mutual friends, a couple of parties… Roman here just couldn’t resist me, I guess.”

Roman fought the urge to roll his eyes. “What she means is my mom introduced us at a party a few years back.”

“Three years ago, to be precise,” Maria leaned into his arm, her eyes narrowing a little at Renée. 

“And you’ve been together for how long?” Dean asked, giving his girlfriend a comforting squeeze as he sensed the budding animosity between the two.

“Hmm…” Maria’s face twisted, before she tilted her head upwards to look at Roman. “Mio Dio, quanto tempo é passato, tesoro?”

With a sigh, the Samoan lowered his voice. “Te l’ho detto prima… English. Just when we’re here, va bene?” 

Maria stuck out her bottom lip, and returned the sigh, although hers was far more dramatic. Everything about her was dramatic at this point. She turned back to Dean and shot him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Two months.”

“Woah,” Seth gasped, widening his eyes at Leila. “Two whole months, babe, did ya hear that?”

“A’ight, you don’t need to be a bitch about it, Rollins,” Roman scolded. Maria’s hand found his leg, giving it a small squeeze. He wasn’t sure if it was out of affection, or if she was just feeling particularly handsy tonight. 

“Anyway…” Leila, sensing the atmosphere’s shift, changed the topic. “What do you do, Maria? Y’know, when you’re not charming the pants off the big man?”

For the first time that night, Maria lit up. It was in her eyes, the sea green in them becoming more vibrant at the opportunity to talk about her favourite topic: Maria Larusso. “I work in fashion, mostly. PR and events. It’s all about networking and making the right connections.”

Dean snorted, clearly unimpressed. “Sounds like a lot of schmoozing to me.”

Maria’s expression hardened, but kept her tone light—almost professional. “It’s a skill, Dean. Not everybody can be good at it.” She glanced at Renée. “And not everybody has the natural ability to work in fashion.”

Dean’s eyes shot to Roman, as if to ask if he was just going to sit there and let his tag-along insult his girlfriend—and by default, him—like that. But Roman honestly just wanted to steer the conversation away from the growing tension.

“We’re all good at our own shit, ‘kay?” he said diplomatically. “But tonight ain’t supposed to be about work, let’s just enjoy ourselves for once.”

Seth nodded, raising his glass. “To Roman, the future Head of the Table—whether he wants to admit it or not.”

Everyone clinked glasses, though Roman couldn’t ignore the tightening in his chest at the title his friend had given him. It had been a running joke for the past few months, since Leila asked him what made him initiate the idea of working with Seth and Dean. The family business, The Bloodline, was always going to be there, but he wanted to see what else was out there. Prove to himself that he could do more than just assume a position because he was expected to.

Seth and Dean, and their whole organisation, was supposed to be a way to branch out, to find new opportunities. But now…. Well, it just didn’t pan out that way.

But the inevitable. Taking over as Head of the Table, the shot-caller, the rule-maker of his family… It was a role he knew was coming, one that carried both power and responsibility, but also a weight that he wasn’t sure he was ready to bear.

Maria leaned in closer, her breath warm against his ear as she whispered, “You’ll be great at it, baby. You were born for it.”

He turned to look at her with an unreadable expression. She was right, of course, but her words didn’t necessarily comfort him the way she intended. Instead, they reminded him of everything he was trying to avoid—the pressure, the expectations, the loss of control over his own life. Maybe he was just being stubborn. He knew he’d be the best leader his family had ever known. It was just… the idea of conforming, as unconventional of a job title it was.

But he’d figure it out. He always did. For now, he’d just enjoy this period of his life for everything it had to offer.

When the bar staff began shutting down for the night, the group decided to up and leave, the alcohol consumption softened the rough edges to Maria’s tone, which ultimately made the evening far more pleasurable. Their laughter trailed off as they made their way to the parking lot, Seth joking about how they’d all crash at his place, continue the party there, but the sight of the last man they wanted to see leaning against Seth’s truck brought everything to a halt.

“Shit,” Dean muttered under his breath, his usually playful demeanour replaced with irritation. Seth’s face darkened as he quickened his pace, Roman following suit, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of Hunter Helmsley. The man wasn’t just an annoyance; he was a constant reminder of the grip he and his wife Stephanie had on the trio, and by extension, Roman’s life.

Hunter straightened up as they approached. “Evening, gentleman. Sorry to crash the party, but this is urgent.”

“Doesn’t it always seem to be?” Seth shot back, his tone laced with sarcasm as he unlocked his truck.

The girls sensed the change in the air and exchanged concerned glances. Leila moved closer to Seth, while Renée gave Dean a questioning look. Maria, on the other hand, seemed more put out than worried, her pout growing more pronounced by the second.

Roman glanced at her, reading the frustration in her eyes. She hated being left out of things, hated even more that Hunter’s appearance meant the night wasn’t going to end how she’d hoped. She was acting out, and Roman could feel the tautness growing between them, the unspoken challenge in her gaze.

“I’ll call a cab for you all,” Roman said, pulling out his phone. He exchanged a look with Dean, who nodded, and Seth, who was already on the phone with the cab company.

Leila squeezed Seth’s arm. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

Seth nodded, his expression softening slightly as he reassured her. “Yeah, babe. Just some business we gotta handle. I’ll see you soon.”

Renée gave Dean a quick kiss, muttering something about not doing anything stupid, to which Dean grinned and promised nothing of the sort. But Maria remained stiff beside Roman, her irritation palpable.

“You’re just gonna send me off like that?” Maria’s voice had that high-pitched edge to it, one that Roman had become all too familiar with. It was the tone she used when she was testing him, pushing his buttons to see how far she could go. “I thought this was your night.”

Roman turned to her, glaring down at her. “It is my night. Which means I have to deal with this first. I’ll call you when we’re done here, okay?”

Maria crossed her arms, her frown deepening. “Fine. But you better not keep me waiting all night, Roman.”

His eyes darkened as he closed the space between them, lowering his head to speak directly into her ear, his words meant only for her. “You know I ain’t gon’ do that to you, amore. I said I’ll call, and when I see you, I want you to wear that thing I like… you know which one?”

She felt a shudder down her spine at his words, his low whisper one of her favourite sounds. “Yeah…”

“Bene… So, go back to your place,” he continued, bringing his hand up to trace his thumb over her lower lip. “And I’ll see you later, yeah?”

A flush crept up her neck as she realised he was serious. The edge of brattiness in her demeanour softened, replaced with something more compliant, more submissive. Roman knew she liked the chase, the control he had in these specific moments. It was a dynamic they both enjoyed, even if they wouldn’t admit it openly. 

She nodded, her voice a little breathless now. “Va bene, Papi…”

Roman gave her a final nod, then watched as she and the other girls climbed into the cab Seth had called. As the car pulled away, Maria’s eyes stayed locked on Roman’s until they disappeared into the night.

With the girls gone, the mood shifted entirely. Roman turned back to Hunter, who had been watching the entire exchange with a mildly amused look on his face. Seth and Dean flanked Roman as they approached Hunter, the three of them forming a united front.

“This better be good, Helmsley,” Dean said lowly.

Hunter didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a thin manila folder, handing it over to Roman. “We need eyes on both of them,” he said, all business.

Roman took the folder, his brow furrowing as he opened it and pulled out the sheet of paper inside. The first name on the list was one he recognised immediately—Dimitri Volkov. He’d heard of the man before, a figure in the Russian sector with connections to some dangerous circles. Roman’s family had dealings with the Russians before, but Dimitri was someone they’d kept their distance from. Volkov was known to be unpredictable, ruthless.

But it was the second name that made Roman’s blood run cold. He didn’t need to read the full report to know what this meant. His eyes flicked to the second name, and for a moment, he couldn’t fathom what he was seeing.

“Fuck,” Roman muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

Seth and Dean, noticing the shift in Roman’s demeanour, leaned in to see the name for themselves. Seth’s jaw clenched, and Dean’s features turned to stone.

“Jesus Christ,” Dean breathed, running a hand through his hair. “What the hell are we getting into now?”

Roman handed the folder to Seth, who quickly scanned the details, his face hardening with every word. “This is bad,” he finally said tightly. “Really fucking bad.”

Hunter nodded grimly. “We’re not asking you to take action. Just keep your eyes open. Report anything suspicious. We need to know what they’re planning for shit hits the fan.”

Mind racing, Roman tried to piece together the implications of this new development. Dimitri Volkov was dangerous, but the second name—no, he didn’t see that one coming. And to be associated with Volkov of all people? Damn. 

Seth closed the folder, handing it back to Hunter. “We’ll do it,” he said. “But we’re not your fucking errand boys. Remember that.”

Hunter gave them a curt nod. “I wouldn’t dream of forgetting. Just do your part, and we’ll all get through this.”

With that, Hunter turned and walked away, leaving the three men standing in the parking lot, the weight of their task settling heavy on their shoulders.

“Let’s get back to my place,” Seth finally said, breaking the tense silence. “We need to figure out what the fuck we’re gonna do.”

As the three of them drove away in Seth’s truck, Roman’s thoughts kept drifting back to that second name. So unexpected. A shame, even. But at the end of the day, even Roman knew that anyone who acquires a Volkov as an ally, is one dangerous son of a bitch.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

Nate stood poised, her stance grounded and shoulders relaxed as she squeezed the trigger of her Desert Eagle, sending another round straight into the forehead of the paper target hanging a dozen yards away.

The target bore the smirking visage of Boris, his smug expression now riddled with bullet holes. Nate lowered her gun slightly, exhaling a controlled breath as smoke curled from the barrel. The scent of gunpowder lingered in the cool, crisp air, mingling with the faint aroma of cedar that permeated the indoor range.

She adjusted her provocative earmuffs, momentarily silencing the aggressive beats of Marilyn Manson’s “The Fight Song” blaring through the Bluetooth speaker perched on a nearby shelf. The music reverberated off the concrete walls, matching the intensity simmering beneath her calm exterior.

Nate ejected the empty magazine with a swift motion, her fingers deftly retrieving a fresh clip from the table beside her. As she reloaded, her mind wandered, replaying the events of the past few days with a clarity that was both unsettling and exhilarating.

A month ago, it would have been Roman’s face adorning that target, his dark brown eyes and arrogant smirk serving as motivation for her impeccable aim. She would have taken pleasure in imagining each bullet tearing through his likeness, a symbolic victory over the man who had been a thorn in her family’s side for, apparently, a decade.

But now, as she stared into the paper eyes of Boris, Nate realised with a wry smirk that her animosity had shifted. Boris represented everything she despised—entitlement, arrogance, and the suffocating expectations of her father. Roman, on the other hand… Well, Roman was complicated.

She slammed the magazine into place, the metallic click echoing through the empty range. Complicated was an understatement. The memory of that night in Red Hook flashed through her mind, unbidden and vivid. The adrenaline-fuelled chaos of Bunny’s compound had spilled over into a different kind of frenzy between them—a collision of wills and desires that left her breathless and more than a little conflicted. It had been raw, intense, and utterly unexpected.

But she could vividly remember the way his ridiculously large hand took a hold of her throat, damn near cutting off circulation, and she could still feel the after effects of his size. She didn’t even get to take a look at him like that, but she sure felt it. It was like he was still there, the slight discomfort between her legs forcing her to relive it. But it wasn’t supposed to have happened. Nate shook her head, attempting to dislodge the lingering images that threatened to distract her. She was here to clear her mind, not dwell on questionable decisions made under the influence of hormones and poor judgement.

Still, she couldn’t deny that it had been some of the best sex she’d had in… Well, years. Maybe ever. But perhaps that was just the drought talking. It had been a long time since she’d let anyone get close, let alone someone like Roman.

She raised the gun again, taking aim at Boris’ already decimated face. The weight of the weapon was comforting, grounding her in the present as she focused her breathing. Inhale, exhale. Squeeze.

Another shot rang out, the bullet piercing through the centre of Boris’ forehead, right between his cold, dead eyes. Satisfying.

Nate allowed herself a small, triumphant smile as she lowered the gun once more, rolling her shoulders to release some of the tension coiled there. Her leg throbbed faintly, a reminder of the injury she’d sustained during the ambush. The wound was healing well, thanks to Roman’s impromptu field dressing and a subsequent visit to a discreet family doctor. The stitches itched beneath the bandage, but she welcomed the discomfort—it kept her alert, reminded her of the stakes.

That morning, she’d sent a terse text to Roman on her burner phone, requesting a call later in the afternoon. There was information he needed to know—details about the assailants at Bunny’s compound that hadn’t fully registered 100% in the heat of the moment but had crystalised in her mind over the past couple of days.

As bullets had rained down around them, Nate had caught a glimpse of a distinctive emblem above one of the tail lights of the attackers’ vehicle—a lineup of green, white, and orange. It was a flag most people recognised when faced with it, but to Nate, it ran so much deeper. So deep, in fact, that she began to second guess herself and her intuitions during this whole situation.

And if who she thought was involved was involved, things were about to get a hell of a lot more complicated.

Nate set the gun down on the table, flexing her fingers to release the residual tension. The music shifted to “The Last Day on Earth,” a much darker, slower track with a haunting melody. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the sound wash over her as she pieced together her thoughts.

We are trembling in our crutches,

High and dead, our skin is glass.

Transparency. That’s what she’d demanded from Roman, and that’s what she intended to give in return. As much as it went against her instincts, against years of training to trust no one and reveal nothing, she knew that withholding this information would do more damage than good. 

Her phone vibrated on the table, pulling her from her reverie. She glanced at the screen—just a notification from Lana, sending her updates on some new fashion line she’d invested in. Nate smiled faintly, appreciating the normalcy amidst the chaos. She typed a quick reply before setting the phone back down, her gaze drifting back to the target downrange. Boris’ face was nearly unrecognisable now, the paper shredded and hanging in tatters. 

It was a fitting representation of her feelings toward him. The thought of being forced into marriage with that insufferable prick once again made her want to throw up everywhere.

The aura of the estate since Dimitri had sprung the news on her with the same casual indifference he used when discussing business deals, had taken a nosedive. And now that Boris was moving in, now that she was expected to share a bed with the man…. It was enough to make her consider drastic measures.

But then there was Roman. The memory of how alive he made her feel, his strength, the way he’d looked at her with that infuriating mix of arrogance and desire—it all made her question her own judgement. Getting involved with him was dangerous on so many levels, but at this point, she couldn’t deny the pull. It was like being drawn to a storm—chaotic, unpredictable, and exhilarating.

Nate’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. After the ambush, she’d been on edge a little more than usual. She tensed instinctively, her hand moving toward the gun before recognising the familiar gait of Olga, her father’s secretary.

She entered the range, giving Nate a small nod of acknowledgement. “Practising again, Natalka?” she asked.

Nate offered her a small smile, easing her stance. “Always. Can’t get rusty, now.”

Olga chuckled, her gaze drifting to the obliterated target downrange. “Seems Boris has had a rough day.”

“Just getting started,” Nate’s smile widened.

Olga maintained a sense of professionalism at all times whenever at the estate, purely due to Dimitri’s vice-like grip on all employees, even his own family. But she relaxed a little in Nate’s presence. A little being the operative phrase. Olga was still fully aware of how dangerous Nate could be when pushed wrong, but she was nowhere near as patronising and overpowering as her father.

“Mr. Volkov is looking for you,” she said gently. “He wants to discuss some arrangements.”

Nate’s smile vanished, replaced by a mask of indifference. “Let me guess—more wedding plans?”

Olga’s expression was somewhat sympathetic. “Perhaps. But you know how he is. Best not keep him waiting.”

Nate nodded, suppressing the surge of frustration rising within her. “I’ll be there soon. Thanks, Olga.”

The smaller woman adjusted her blazer and nodded, before turning on her heel and leaving the range, the door closing softly behind her.

Alone once more, Nate exhaled slowly, trying to centre herself. She glanced at her watch—still a couple of hours before she’d expect a call from Roman. Plenty of time to face her father and whatever new demands he had for her.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

Roman sat on the patio of his villa in Pensacola, the warm Florida sun casting a golden glow over the pristine stretch of beach in front of him. The sound of waves gently lapping against the short was a soothing balm after the chaos of New York, and for the first time in days, he felt some of the tension begin to ease from his shoulders. This place was a sanctuary, far removed from the storm brewing in his other life.

But the peace was short-lived.

From inside the villa, the sharp, pointed voice of Maria echoed through the open French doors, cutting through the calm like a knife. Roman sighed, running a hand through his hair, now loose and tousled from the sea breeze. He’d invited her down here as part of his effort to be the father Ava needed, and because Maria had made it abundantly clear that she expected him to be more involved. But he knew better than to think Maria would let him enjoy this trip without a few verbal jabs.

“Roman, are you even listening to me?” Maria appeared in the doorway, her hands on her hips.

He took a deep breath, forcing a calm smile onto his face as he turned to look at her. “Yeah, Maria, I hear you. Just tryin’ to enjoy a minute of peace, is all.”

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Peace? Must be nice to have that luxury. Meanwhile, I’ve been dealing with everything here while you’re off playing gangsters in New York.”

He bit back a retort, reminding himself that Ava was the reason they were all there together, not for them to rehash old arguments. “Look, I came down here and let you stay so I could spend more time with Ava, like you asked. Ain’t that what you wanted?”

Maria’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Oh, so now it’s what I wanted? Don’t act like you’re doing me a favour, Romano. You should have been doing this from that start.”

Roman felt the familiar burn of frustration rising in his chest but kept his expression neutral. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. But I’m here now. That count for somethin’, don’t it?”

Maria’s lips pursed as if she was considering a cutting response, but instead, she just huffed and turned away, retreating back inside. Roman watched her go, shaking his head slightly. This was the dance they always did whenever they saw each other—one step forward, two steps back. No matter what he did, it was never enough for her.

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to focus on the sound of the waves again. But even with his eyes closed, he could hear Maria in the background, talking to Ava in that overly sweet tone she used when she wanted to make a point in front of him.

“Dai, Ava, let’s go inside and get ready for lunch. Daddy’s busy out here.”

Roman’s jaw clenched at the passive-aggressive dig, but he forced himself to relax, letting it all roll off his back. It wasn’t worth it. Not today.

“Daddy, are you coming too?” Ava’s voice broke through his thoughts, soft and hopeful.

He opened his eyes and turned to see his daughter standing in the doorway, her big eyes looking at him expectantly. She was holding a seashell in one hand, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Course I am, princess,” he replied, his tone warm as he stood up and walked over to her. He ruffled her hair gently, earning a giggle from her. “You find somethin’ cool out there?”

Ava nodded eagerly, holding up the seashell for him to see. “Look! It’s got a little hole in it, like a necklace.”

Roman took the shell from her, inspecting it with exaggerated interest. “Wow, that’s somethin’ special, huh? Maybe we can make you a necklace outta it later.”

Ava’s eyes lit up, and she nodded again, more enthusiastically this time. “Yeah! Can we, Daddy?”

He smiled, genuinely this time, and handed the shell back to her. “You bet, kiddo. We’ll make it real nice.”

Maria appeared behind Ava, her arms still crossed, but her expression had softened slightly as she watched the interaction between Roman and their daughter. “Lunch is almost ready,” she said more neutrally. “Don’t keep her waiting too long.”

Roman nodded, placing a hand on Ava’s back to gently guide her inside. “We’ll be right there.”

As they walked inside, Maria lingered by the door, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched Roman with Ava. She didn’t say anything, but he could feel the weight of her gaze on him, the unspoken expectations hanging between them.

Once inside, Ava ran ahead to the dining room, eager to show off her shell to Roman’s chef. Roman paused in the hallway, glancing at Maria, who was still watching him closely.

“Listen, Maria,” he began, lowering his voice. “I know I ain’t been the perfect father. But I’m here now, and I’m tryin’. I want what’s best for Ava, just like you do.”

Although she didn’t let go of her defensive stance, she did chill out a bit with the glaring. “I know you love her, Roman. But she needs more than just a few visits. She needs consistency.”

Roman nodded, understanding her point, even if he didn’t like the way she went about making it. “You’re right. I’m gonna do better. But you gotta meet me halfway, alright? It’s a two person job, whether we like it or not.”

Maria’s eyes searched his for a moment before she sighed, some of the tension leaving her body. “Alright. But don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

He gave her a small, almost weary smile. “I won’t.”

With that, they both headed into the dining room, where Ava was already chattering away with the chef, her excitement infectious. Roman took a seat next to her, listening to her talk with a smile.

But honestly… as guilty as it made him feel, his mind was elsewhere.

That morning, just as he’d settled into the idea of a quiet few days in Florida, a text from Nate had popped up on his phone:

We need to talk. It’s urgent. Call me this afternoon.

The message had been a sucker punch, coming out of nowhere when all he wanted was to disconnect from New York’s bullshit. He’d hoped she’d disappear from his radar for a while, let him regroup, but of course, Nate had to stir the pot just as he was trying to enjoy some rare time with his daughter.

Now it was lunchtime, and he was already calculating how he could sneak away for a call later on. It wasn’t just the logistics that bothered him; it was the gnawing guilt that came with it. He knew Nate wasn’t aware of his situation down here, of the fragile balance he was trying to maintain with Maria and Ava. But that didn’t stop the resentment from bubbling up.

Still, Maria’s eyes were on him, watching like a hawk as he tried to stay focused on Ava’s animated story about the shell she’d found. Her gaze was sharp, unrelenting, as if she could sense the disruption to his peace before he’d even said a word.

“You’re quiet,” Maria commented, her tone deceptively light as she took a sip of wine. “Something on your mind?”

Roman forced a smile, shaking his head. “Just enjoyin’ bein’ here, that’s all.”

Maria wasn’t buying it, he could tell. But before she could press any further, Ava tugged on his sleeve, demanding his attention. “Daddy, can we go to the beach after lunch? To make the necklace?”

He smiled down at her, his hand resting on her small shoulder. “Sure thing, princess. We’ll go right after.”

Maria didn’t say anything, but Roman could feel it. He knew she wasn’t going to let it slide if he disappeared somewhere for a call later. But you know… he’d figure it out. Always did, right? 

After lunch, when Ava had gone to get her bucket and spade, Maria cornered him in the kitchen.

“You’re hiding something,” she said with an accusatory tone. “What’s going on, Roman?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s nothin’ that concerns you, that’s for damn sure. Just some business shit.”

Maria narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Business with who? Who is more important than your daughter right now?”

“Nobody’s more important than Ava, don’t even go there,” Roman slid past Maria, shaking his head. “I ain’t in the mood to talk shop when I’m here tryin’ to spend time with our daughter.”

Maria wasn’t letting up, though. “If you’re gonna be here, be here. Not off in New York in your head.”

He clenched his jaw, knowing she did have a point but entirely unwilling to admit it. “I told you I’m handling it. Just drop it, I’m tired of repeatin’ shit.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but Ava came running back into the room, excitement radiating from the small human’s body. “Daddy, I’m ready!”

Maria threw her hands up, giving him a pointed look. “Fine, fanculo a me, cosa ne so?” she murmured to herself as she left the two alone. But Roman just ignored his ex-wife, crouching down in front of Ava to move some of her hair back to the correct side of her parting.

“Let’s go make that necklace, huh?”

Roman tried to enjoy his time at the beach with his daughter, his only child, but that nagging feeling in the back of his mind kept growing. In particular, the text from Nate was like an itch he couldn’t scratch. It wasn’t just the urgency of the message, though that was most of it; it was something a little more subtle, something he hated admitting even to himself. There was something about hearing Nate’s voice, something that made him feel more alive than he’d felt in a while. It wasn’t that he liked her—God, no. But she woke him up, made his blood hum with that infuriating confidence of hers, the way she wasn’t scared of him at all. That got under his skin in a way he couldn’t quite shake.

The hours slipped by, and Roman knew he’d have to make the call soon. He tried to push it off, focus on Ava as she splashed in the waves, but Maria’s mood swings weren’t helping. She was being her usual insufferable self, nitpicking every little thing. And when she complained about them being out of orange juice, he saw his chance. Finally.

“I’ll go grab some,” he offered, already standing up before Maria could even argue. He didn’t wait for her to say anything else, just headed back to the house to grab his keys, telling Ava he’d be back soon.

As he drove to the store, he kept glancing at his phone, feeling that familiar combination of annoyance and anticipation. By the time he pulled into the parking lot, he was ready to just get it over with. He parked, checked his surroundings, and then dialled Nate’s number on his burner phone.

She answered on the third ring, her voice carrying that familiar edge of confidence. “Reigns.”

“Hey, Princess,” he drawled, the nickname mockingly rolling off his tongue with ease.

There was a brief pause on the other end, and he could almost picture the eye roll and the light grimace on her face. “Look at you calling me when you actually said you would… I’m shocked.”

Roman couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t get used to it. You said it was urgent, so I figured I’d give you the honour of hearin’ my voice.”

“Lucky me,” Nate shot back, very little heat behind her words. If anything, she sounded… amused. “Where are you anyway? Dad said movement’s been quiet.”

“Y’know that doesn’t inspire much trust, knowing that you and your daddy have your eyes on us 24/7, right?”

“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. I’m the Head of the Table, your Tribal Chief,” she deepened her tone, clearly attempting a half-hearted impression of him. “You can’t handle a little bit of surveillance?”

“A’ight…” Roman rolled his eyes. “If you must know, I’m in Florida. Visitin’ some family.” He didn’t really want to give too much away, and didn't feel the need to divulge his personal issues with someone he barely trusted. That was a card he intended to keep close to his chest.

“Family, eh?” Nate’s accent was laced with curiosity. “Everything alright?”

Roman narrowed his brows at the unexpected layer of concern in her voice. “Is this your way of tellin’ me you care?”

Nate’s laugh was sharp, almost bitter. “Not particularly. But anything’s better than listening to Boris go on about exercises for the male genitalia.”

Roman barked out a laugh before he could stop himself. “What, you’re not into that, Princess?”

“Ugh, you’re disgusting,” she retorted, but he could hear that faintest hint of a smile in her voice. It was almost too easy.

“So what’s this urgent thing?” Roman asked, steering the conversation back on track. He didn’t want to linger too long on the banter, not when he was already feeling more affected by Nate than he liked.

She hesitated for a moment before she answered seriously. “It’s about the, uh… ambush,” she breathed. “Now that a few days has passed, things have kind of… pieced together.” She paused. “The car that rushed us. There was a… flag above the tail lights. I think—think—I know who did it.”

That caught Roman’s attention. He straightened in his seat. “Who?”

Nate sighed. “I’m not comfortable saying it over the phone, okay? But I will say this—I don’t think Bunny or any of his guys actually have anything to do with the shipment being stolen, or in taking out Priest.”

“You sure?” Roman asked through a jolt of surprise.

“Pretty sure,” Nate replied firmly. “But I need to explain it in person. It’s… complicated.”

Roman rubbed his jaw, considering her words. If she was right, this had the potential to change… a lot of things. New leads, new locations. “Alright. When I’m back, we’ll meet up. Your place in Tribeca sound good?”

The suggestion hung in the air for a moment, and Roman almost expected Nate to laugh it off. But when she answered, it was calm, resigned. “Yeah. My place.”

He was shocked she agreed so easily, but it made sense. Her penthouse was private, secure. She had control over the security, the way they entered the building. If they were going to have a serious conversation, that was the place to do it.

“Fine, fine… Gives us a chance to go over how we’re gonna tell the others. I’ll be back in a couple days.”

There was a brief silence, and then Nate’s voice softened slightly. “Roman?”

“Yeah?”

“...Be careful, okay?”

Roman frowned, caught off guard. “Why, you worried?”

Nate laughed wistfully. “No. But if you get yourself into trouble, who’s gonna make my life miserable?”

He shook his head, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “I’m sure Boris has that job down,” he snorted. “But I’ll be careful for your ass, anyways, Princess. See you soon.”

Ending the call, he leaned back in his seat and stared out at the parking lot. The conversation had left him feeling… unsettled. He didn’t like how easily he could converse with Nate, how much he… looked forward to their verbal sparring. 

As he got out of the car and headed into the grocery store, he pushed those thoughts aside. He had other things to worry about—like getting the orange juice before Maria threw another fit. But in the back of his mind, Nate’s voice lingered—as it fucking always did—and he just sensed that their next meeting was about to open a whole can of worms.

He just wasn’t prepared for how personal the can of worms would turn out to be.

[void-detective]

I find it interesting and cool that Jacob really is that next in line to the tribal chief angle. If we think about how much cinema and things connecting again we can see a lot of similarities between him and Solo.

-----

"Everything I learned was from him"

Let's start plain and simple with Solo's half of this story with his similarities to Roman Reigns. This all began when his older brothers Jimmy and Jey advertently placed the dangerous idea that Solo deserved to be the Tribal Chief and much to Roman's amusement as I may put it. But that's not the only time because Roman also has placed this dangerous idea into the younger man's mind with his words about how he would be the next tribal heir to step up after him.

Everyone around him placed this idea that he deserved and was the next tribal chief even without realizing what this idea would do to him.

And now that he IS the tribal chief he is either subconsciously or consciously doing a LOT like Roman from mannerisms to talking. A lot of people have mentioned the 'tribal twitches' a nod to those moments of Roman being ticked off or peeved by someone or something. Like a lot of people have been showing he copied a lot of Roman's mannerisms and to me I believe they weren't on purpose as much as just something he picked up from being around Roman.

You know what else he picked up from Roman? How to manipulate.

During his beginning reign as chief he exhibited and showed his clear learned behavior from Roman in terms of how to manipulate and get people to be on your side. This is most prevalent in his actions around Paul and Jimmy with those tiny moments of playing sympathetic and knowing just what to say to fuck with people.

He knows things like that soft spoken tone is more intimidating then if he were to be yelling and showing off a temper. Which is something Roman did a lot towards Jey and Sami, it was a lot more effective to be soft spoken with these times and the how you word yourself to hold that control over those beneath you.

He also knew that by subtly threatening Paul and planting seeds of doubt would cause the Wiseman not to fight back because this wasn't something Roman did a lot. Unlike his relationship to the OTC there wasn't this much of an underlaying fear of getting on the receiving end of his wrath (even though it has happened).

Everything about Solo screams the direct words Seth told Cody about how Roman turned out, it plays right into how Solo ended up. There's always been this play that Solo WANTED the position and he wasn't happy just playing out as Roman's enforcer.

----

"Roman Reigns is to weak"

Towards the road to WrestleMania we see the culmination of Roman's emotional turmoil and his past catch up to him. We know to a T that Roman is a highly emotional and caring person even if it's under the guise of emotional manipulation. The one thing that set apart Solo and Roman was their compassion or lack there of on Solo's part. To Roman his manipulation and control over his family was in a twisted way trying to protect and love them in the only way he believed would keep them with him.

He has hurt and caused trauma to those he loved because of how badly one betrayal had left him. Without friends and with all the hate from the crowd it twisted what was a very compassionate man to a cold jaded man who saw that he could only keep that close connection by drastic means. Even if it meant hurting those he cared about the most.

That's what sets apart Solo and Roman because even if they are sharing those manipulative tendencies, it's all coming from two very different reasons.

Solo has only ever seemed to have a genuine connection to Sami during his time in the Bloodline, not even his own brothers who at most he seemed to tolerate. Any compassion or friendship he may have had died the day Sami left and turned which in my opinion was his own version of Seth's betrayal. He loved Sami in his own way as he was one of the second people in the Bloodline to have been befriended by the Canadian and maybe,,Sami's betrayal was the thing that truly snapped any semblance of trust he had to anyone.

----

"New faces, more family"

Hear me out, I kinda feel like Solo kicking out Jimmy from the Bloodline was a calculated move because he knew that this version of the Bloodline was weak. One made out of Roman's vision which meant it was weak and made it love. Which meant it wouldn't work for Solo.

I believe that bringing in Jacob, Tama, and Tonga was all a calculated move because he had new people he could personally manipulate. They wouldn't notice the tactics he learned and adapted from Roman like Jimmy or Paul would've which made it so much easier create a team that would believe his every word. Plus to him it would further push him knowing that he had learned all he needed to be like Roman.

In the new Bloodline there is none of that familial love even with the Tongans and Jacob being family. This is a team pretending to be like the old Bloodline but lacking any of that structure that made them work.

The only problem within the new Bloodline comes in the form of one man.

-----

"Jacob Fatu, step up"

For the past few months we have been seeing hints and glimpses of a similar situation occuring between Solo and Jacob that has happened before with Solo ans Roman. The whole being ignored and overshadowed has been played for part within the role of enforcer to the Bloodline and this is ever so true for Jacob. Ever since he became part of new Bloodline he has been within the back ever lurking and watching playing that "protective force" for Solo even when we all know those looks mean so much more.

Unlike the Tongans in many ways, Jacob has done and said things that show his role in the future of this storyline will be bigger. He's the only member who vehemently states at every situation (when solo is seemingly suspicious or actively looking) for attention he is the one to shout and express his love for his cousin. He is always going out of his way with his actions and words to push that knowledge that he loves Solo onto him even if it seems like the latter is becoming more and more paranoid by it.

Jacob has been working hard to gain his spot and the trust of the new tribal chief but where does his hard work go? No where. Not only did Solo strip the title off him (just for him to get out the boot not even a week later) he forced him to give it to LOA, he also "promoted" him to an enforcer instead of champion.

Why though?

It's all calculated moves by Solo because even with this new Bloodline and the loyalty of Jacob he is scared of being overlooked and or losing the control over his Bloodline like Roman. He is exercising his control much like Roman did to him so Jacob won't over shadow him, back in the day people WANTED Solo but now they don't.

So when someone much more experienced, intimating, and loved comes into the Bloodline and gets his attention? Oh does it ever so piss him off. Because when he looks at Jacob he sees everything that he isn't and can't be as a tribal chief. He sees someone that is above his level and could at the turn of a dime be exactly what everyone wanted him to be.

To Solo he sees a better version of himself in the Samoan Werewolf.

And that....

...scares him.

[imabillyami]

If you're still taking writing prompts; Roman/Seth and 'Gift'?

Hi anon! I’ve never written these two before, but I had a lot of fun trying! Hope this came out okay!

One day I’ll actually learn to stick to the word/sentence limit, but today is not the day. I got a little carried away again, but well, don't think you'll complain.

I watched a bunch of Christmas movies yesterday (don’t ask 😭), so I was in that headspace already. I imagine this would be set during the Holiday Tour, with them just coming back from a show probably.

Once again: No peeking if you're underage!

With Christmas only a few days away the festive spirit was running high, people in and out of the locker room eager to get home and have a few well-deserved days off.

Roman admittedly was very much in the same boat. He loved his job, he really did, but he couldn’t wait to spend more than a couple of hours at a time with his mom and sisters, even if it meant being away from Seth for the holidays. 

It just meant they’d both been enjoying their time on the Holiday Tour to the fullest. Well, not the tour itself. But definitely the nights that followed the long and exhausting days of travel, shows and fan interaction. And tonight was going to be no different. 

Their second to last night on the road - and they’d make the most out of every single second. 

“I got you something, Ro.” Seth’s voice hitched for only the fragment of a second when Roman walked up behind him and wrapped an arm over his chest to hold him close in the small entryway of their hotel room. 

For some reason Seth had insisted on wearing that stupid bulky floor-length monstrosity of a coat that others apparently called fashionable.

He’d been sporting it the second their show ended and it had proven to be a major pain in Roman’s ass all night whenever he tried to initiate any physical contact between them. He honestly couldn’t wait to get it off, especially with how ridiculous it looked now that they were barefoot (he also couldn’t wait to get Seth off, but that was beside the point - for now).

“Mhh, you shouldn’t have. T’only gift I wanna unwrap is you anyway.” he hummed in a low tone, planting open-mouthed kisses along the column of Seth’s neck, internally cussing whenever he got bits of that stupid fake fur caught in his mouth.

Seth leaned back into him, trusting Roman’s arms to hold him steady, the stupid coat still like a brick wall between their bodies. He couldn’t fucking wait to break it down.

When Seth spoke Roman could practically hear the eye roll in his voice. “Cheesy. Who told you you got game again? Cause it couldn’t have been me.”

“You love it.” his voice was muffled against his lover’s neck, but Seth understood anyway.

“We, uh, really need to work on that ego of yours. S-so you want your gift or not?” He turned his body enough to lean away from Roman, looking at him with a gleam in his eyes.

He was almost a pro at keeping his composure, Roman had to give him that. He looked barely bothered, but the small hitch in his breath and stutter in his voice betrayed him.

Roman unhooked his arm and stepped back impatiently, already missing Seth’s warmth as he put a little distance between them. 

Not knowing what to do with his arms, he brought his hands to his own waist, fully aware that this particular pose of his was a bit of a meme these days. He couldn’t help it. And what the fans couldn’t see… well. 

Seth had made fun of him endlessly when the fans online had coined it his ‘impatient dad pose’, showing him all kinds of ridiculous montages and posts whenever he braved the cesspit that was Twitter.

Roman liked to think of it more as the ‘I’m dealing with fucking brats everywhere pose’ with the biggest brat of them all stood right in front of him, but he'd lost that discussion ages ago.

“Well? Where is it then?” He huffed out the question, eager to get back to their previous activity. His impatience was answered with a saucy grin and a mischievous twinkle in Seth’s eye. And he damn well knew that twinkle like the back of his hand.

That little minx. 

He let out another huff. This time exasperated. “It is you, isn’t it?” 

Never taking his eyes off of him, Seth reached down to undo his coat, revealing nothing but naked skin and smatterings of hair underneath.

Jesus Christ.

“Now who has an ego problem again?” He barely got the words out, his head spinning and his mouth already watering at the prospect of getting his hands and mouth all over the planes of bare skin flushed with arousal.

His lover only rolled his eyes in response. “God’s greatest creation and all. Now shut up and get on with it already! Or do I have to do all the unwrapping by myself? I’m getting impatient over here.”

And just like that he was touching himself, heavy fur coat slipping inch by inch down his firm shoulders, revealing his bulging biceps as one hand wrapped around his leaking cock, with the other busy pinching his nipple. 

Roman’s mouth flooded with saliva. “Well we can’t have that, can we?” 

All he got was another impatient sigh.

“Fucking diva.” He muttered darkly under his breath, quickly closing the distance between them and locking Seth’s wrists in a tight grip that had the smaller man bristle in protest. 

“I heard that!”

“Well good, you were supposed t- mpf” he was cut off by the demanding familiar mouth pressing against his own, the coat falling to the floor with a whoosh.

Looks like he got his gift after all. And he didn’t even have to do any unwrapping.

[mamirhodessxox]

Hey There Delilah (Part 3)

Cody Rhodes x Fem OC!Reader

(Delilah Jones)

Storyline: Delilah was born and raised by the beach in L.A and grew up in a home where her parents expected her to go to Harvard & become a well known woman who marry’s a man who is a lawyer after high school. But that’s not what she wanted, She always wanted to own a boutique/flower shop & she did, once her parents discovered she wouldn’t attend college they left her to fend for herself but allowed her little sister Kinsley to visit or sleep over whenever, Her little sister always had an eye for WWE but Delilah never understood why but little did either of them know one of Delilah’s customers would become well acquainted. (Creds to @alyyaanna for helping me w the storyline)

Contents: Toxic parents, Angst, Fluff, Smut in later chapters, Based in May 2023, Alcohol, Violence, Corruption Kink, Size Kink, ETC.

{~I'm very serious with you guys interacting with my writing!!!! it would make me so happy & excited, the more comments & reposts the more inspiration i have to write :) likes and comments are strongly appreciated so please COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT COMMEENNTTT the more comments the more content <3!!!~}

So far the summer had been going well, Cody introduced the sisters to his well known backstage friends like Jey, Roman, Rhea, Randy & Seth, They would all often come by the store on their own times or all as a group to visit the girls whenever they had time. Rhea was super close with Delilah and even discussed with Cody that she was to kind for her own good especially when it came to mean people.

Today was a very special day because He was leaving tomorrow to spend the week of summer slam in Arizona so he wanted to have a little Cody & Delilah day together, yesterday he spend the day at a water park with her little sister & now it was time for his attention to be with Delilah, He had Rhea & Jey watch over Kinsley for the day while he was with Lilah, she was so over the moon & excited! The held onto his hand giggling about her excitement while they drove around Santa Monica together, & then Cody parked somewhere “C’mon sweetheart let’s switch your gonna learn how to drive.”

Her face dropped a little “Cody I dunno how to drive” he nodded and got out waiting for her to leave the passengers side “I know baby, That’s why i’m teaching you.” She nodded nervously and got out switching over to the drivers side while he had her start off slow, he followed the car for a bit while she would accidentally slam on the breaks “Baby your not even anywhere near something to be breaking yet just keep going.” She nodded & started driving but she ended up speeding up “Wai- Slow down ba- okay..” he stood with his hands on his hips while she breaked but bumped into a light pole just a smidgen.

“How about I just keep driving, How’s that sound angel?” She smiled and threw a thumbs up out the window & got up scampering back over to the passengers side, in which he did take over, They went to go get ice cream but she insisted they shared whatever in his choice since she felt bad he was trying to pay for her cone. They walked around & took turns finishing the sweet treat before he cleared his throat “If there’s an emergency you know who too call right? Seth & Jey are gonna be here instead of summer slam so if anything were to happen you call them & then you call me alright?”

She frowned nodding her head before tearing up a little bit which made him stop “Oh princess I promise it won’t be that long, I’ll be back faster than you know it.” She pouted and flopped her hair on his arm “Cody I don’t want you to go I’ll be so bored when you’re gone.” He chuckled and hugged her tight while kissing her head “Sweetheart I promise every night we’ll call and talk about our days okay?” She sniffled nodding her head while he made her look up at him “It’ll be alright pretty girl, I promise I’ll be back and you can have all of my attention for as long as you need.” She smiled especially when he gave her a kiss & rubbed her back assuringly before spending the day together before his exit into Arizona..

And then he finally left, it had been going smoothly for the first 3 days until 1 specific night, Delilah was shutting down the store after waiting all day for him to text her back, for the last 2 days he had been slacking on texts or calls which caused her to already distance herself a little bit since she assumed she had annoyed him or upset him in someway, so she would distract herself by cleaning up the store & emptying the register while her little sister was already asleep upstairs, Usually Delilah would look on her phone for latest updates on pop culture in general until she saw one specific article where the headliner began with “Cody Rhodes & Nikki Bella rumored to be dating?!” And the poor things heart dropped, Usually at this time Cody would be FaceTiming her and that he did which made her panic more.

Lilah’s heart hurt a lot, she had become way too attached to Cody & ended up feeling a little foolish after seeing the headliner. She didn’t know what to do in this situation so she went completely radio silent, She shoved the phone in her pocket and let it buzz while she made her way upstairs to go to bed, for the next few days Cody would be trying to get ahold of her but he would never get a response which left him in confusion, this gave him more of a reason to stop by the shop when he came back, Jey & Seth would keep him updated as they reported to him that the little angel would seem down in the dumps and would only keep the shop open for half a day which was never ever like her.

Meanwhile Lilah would be a sobbing mess, She cried her little heart out but still kept her kindess towards others feelings first before hers, she would stuff her head in a pilow & whimper about it and just feel utterly awful for becoming so attached to a person she shouldn’t have, She didn’t know exactly when he was coming back but she assumed soon, Today she was in the back planting a few flowers distracting her mind while Kinsley sat in-front of the register coloring & doodling but suddenly the door chimed, “Hey Kins, I haven’t heard from your sister for a bit have you seen her?” The little girl scoffed while Lilah listened in with an intrigued ear “Delilah’s very busy, maybe youu! Can turn around & Leave!” Kinsley glared and threw her star dust figurine at his head, He furrowed his brows at the sudden sass “Well aren’t you just a little ball of joy huh? I’ll be back tomorrow.” He addressed before leaving while Delilah peeked her head out of the backroom “Kins that was a bit mean don’t you think?” She shook her head & continued drawing.

The next day Delilah was standing in the boutique area picking out certain laces for s new dress to make while Kinsley was in her usual spot, Cody saw them from outside of the window & rushed inside “Jesus christ Delilah I was worried sick why haven’t you been answering your phone?” She turned around startled as if she was a deer in head lights “I- Store! I really have to get something from the store!” Kinsley glared at Cody while he crossed his arms “Sweetheart if you’re gonna lie at least make it sound believable.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her off to the back “Now why in the world are you not answering my texts baby? It’s almost as if you’re avoiding me.” She had no idea what to do as she never knew how to properly communicate so as to be expected she was overwhelmed and stumbled on words he couldn’t even make out until he squeezed her hand a bit

“Angel you need to breathe before you give yourself a migraine.” He warned softly and practiced his breaths with her until she randomly started tearing up “Nikki- you! Girlfriend! You have a girlfriend!” She cried out which made him frown a bit but immediately stopped when she made her self start to cry and pick at the ends of her hair “Oh baby no, no, no no” he wrapped her in his arms “While some of it is infact true most of it isn’t, we had a moment for 1 single night and that was it, me & her aren’t dating or anything it was just some dumb hookup, I felt horrible despite us not being together I only want you Lilah, Your the only girl I could ever want in my life.” He assured her "I’m sorry you had to read that baby, you didn’t need to find out in that way" she whimpered nodding her little head while he chuckled "You okay Angel?"

she sniffled rubbing her eyes that were already red from her constant daily sobbing "S-So i'm not annoying?” He shook his head cupping her face “oh baby no, never, you’ll never annoy me angel.” He frowned wiping off her face with his thumb “Baby if you’re upset about something you can’t just shut down & store it all in, you absolutely need to say something.” She nodded very meekly before curling into him “I know ‘m sorry” she mumbled but he gripped her face “I don’t want you apologizing to me one bit baby.” She nodded before pulling away while he cleaned up her face “Let’s just hope your little sister becomes my #1 Hater yeah?” She smiled softly and held onto his hands “and you need to start voicing out and using your big girl words kapeche?”

Sh sniffled nodding her head “Kapeche.” she smiled softly & held onto him while he started to sway them side to side to help calm her down, hopefully this would help her realize she’s the only one that could have his entire heart.

🏷️ list: @ginswife @coolpastelartshoe @greatkoalawizard @cokolin044 @kotoriarlert @alicerosejensen @bunnybot55 @agent-dessis-posts @adollonyourshelf @valkyrurr @alyyaanna @niknakbucks92 @mini-rhodes @southerngirl41

xtripleiiix’s Masterlist

[nicolewoo]

Super Earth Part 12

Pairing: Reader X Roman Reigns

Synopsis: Reader is a space pilot. Dr. Reigns is a scientist. They fell in love heading to TOI-1452 B

The dinner turned into a giant party. The band played as colonists and my ship-mates danced and sang and drank and had a blast.

Finishing a dance with Roman, I wound my way through the crowd to Lt. Coffey’s table. He’d already had a bit of moonshine he’d brought with him, and had I caught him a little later, I was sure he’d be smashed.

The whole table stood as I came to it. “Mr. Coffey, Walk with me.”

The surprised look on his face was great. “Aye Cap.” He awkwardly got up to walk with me.

“You don’t have to call me Captain here.” I said.

He ran his hands through his hair. “Aye Cap, but I don’t want to get out of the habit.”

I nodded. We were now far enough away from people to talk. “You’ve been doing an amazing job, Coffey.” I said, and his face lit up. “Cassidy and I both feel like you have the ability to move up quickly. So, we were wondering if you’d like to learn some of the other jobs in Engineering.”

He was stunned. “I…. uh… Yeah, but what do you have in mind?”

“Ensign Tilly is going to work as a liaison between the colonists and our ship-mates one day a week. If you agree, you’d be taking over some of her duties. Since we’re on the planet, there’s less work to do on our ship.”

“Aye, but I don’t know how to do Tilly’s job.” He leaned against a pear tree.

Orange’s voice came from behind me. “I’ll be right there to teach you what you need to know. Essentially, you’ll be my right-hand man while we’re on the planet. Maybe even when we fly back. It will be great experience and will make you the prime candidate for moving up in rank if you do well.” Coffey nodded. “We’ll spend a few days on the ship shutting it down and securing it for the next few months then we’ll start helping the colonists. Sound good?”

Coffey still looked a little unsure. Maybe he’d had more of that moonshine than I thought. “Uh…. Yeah… Yeah… Whatever you guys need” he finally said.

“Report to the ship tomorrow at 01100.” Orange said and Coffey answered a quick yes, sir. Orange shook Coffey’s hand and I followed after.

“Are you ready to go home?” Roman whispered in my ear as we danced to a romantic song played on an acoustic guitar.

“Yes.” We said our goodbyes to Seth, Becky and a few other colonists on our way out the door.

We walked hand in hand through the empty settlement. Everyone was at the party in the cafeteria having a blast. We must have been some of the first people to leave. A giant gust of wind blew hard enough to almost knock me over, and Roman wrapped his arm around me to keep me steady. “They said the winds were brutal here, but I wasn’t prepared for this.”

I was hoping the wind would ease up before we made it home, but instead we ended up fighting for every step. I was relieved when we came in the door, and I plopped on the couch. Thoughts of the day swirled around me. I had waited my entire life for this day, and it was even better with Roman at my side.

He sat next to me, wrapping an arm over the back of the couch and pulling me into his side. “So, what did Mello give you?” He peeked over at the container of food I had set on the coffee table.

“I don’t know, but I know it’s going to be better than the food in the cafeteria.” I laughed.

He grabbed the container taking off the lid and looking inside. “Lasagna.” He practically sang.

A minute later, he returned with two forks and a warm dish of lasagna. I took a bite quickly. “Ohhhhh yummmmyyyy.” I said as the flavors exploded in my mouth.

“This is amazing!” Roman agreed.

We ate in silence, simply enjoying the flavors of home.

“Babe,” Roman kissed my forehead. “I’m exhausted.” He said. “Can we go to bed?”

I think I was half asleep even as I answered “Yes.”

After changing, I climbed into bed, happy that it was soft with multiple warm blankets on it. Roman stripped down to his boxer briefs, and despite how tired I was, I thoroughly enjoyed watching him move around the small house.

Was this going to be a problem? The two of us in this tiny house?

“Good morning crew and passengers of the Explorer” Seth’s voice chirped out of a computer console. “We have breakfast waiting for you in the cafeteria. There will be a meeting after that. Meeting starts at 9. Be warned the winds are strong today. Be sure to secure everything before leaving your house.” The communication ended.

Roman grumbled as he turned and wrapped his arms around me. “I’m still exhausted.”

I buried myself in his chest. “Yesterday was huge.” I answered.

We stayed there for a minute, snuggling before the craziness of the day started. “You know the shower is going to have that weird smell.” He mused.

“I hadn’t even thought of that.” I sighed. “I’ll breathe through my mouth.” I laughed.

He kissed me. “Let’s get to it.” He climbed out of the bed and headed to the bathroom; turning on the shower to warm up. A minute later, I heard him grunt. “Damn!”

“What’s wrong?” I sat straight up in bed concerned.

Roman’s head popped out of the bathroom. The water heats up fast. No need to warm it up.”

I thought about climbing into the small shower with Roman, but I decided the smell of the strange water would ruin the good time.

“What will you be doing today?” Roman asked as he stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. This man…. I would never get tired of seeing his broad chest, his huge muscles, his tight abs, and that Adonis belt made me melt. If only we had time to go back to bed this morning.

I sighed as I figured out what I wanted to wear today. It was odd to think I’d be working without a NASA approved uniform, but I didn’t have to worry about that for months. “Long range communications with Earth, supervising the rest of the payload offload. I don’t know what else. How about you?”

“I’m hoping to start cloning today.” He answered. 

“Already?” I asked.

He shook his head. “If the plants are stable, I want to start cloning ASAP. If I’m luckily, I’ll be able to get 2 generations before we head back to Earth.” It made sense.

“I was really hoping to help you with cloning.” I lamented.

He pulled a tshirt over his head, covering the chest I loved so much. “I’ll save you one to clone.” He chuckled as he kissed my forehead. “Now, go shower.  I’m hungry.”

———————————

A large man took the stage. Coughing to get attention. “Good morning. I…”

As he continued to speak, all of the colonists who were in the room started to scream excitedly along with him. “I am Keith Lee.” Everyone laughed now. It was obviously some inside joke among the colonists.

“Well, as you may have heard. I am Keith Lee.” There were some low chuckles.  “I am a medical doctor, chief constable and sometimes a school teacher, but today I’m here to give you a thorough introduction to TOI. The first and foremost rule is…” He paused to let everyone answer.

“Leave no trace.” We all repeated.

“Leave no trace.” He nodded. “It sounds easy, but it will take a couple of weeks for you to get used to it. Before you go outside, everything on you, everything you wear, everything you carry…. Everything must be secured. We haven’t had what we consider a big wind gust since you got here, but it will happen soon.  Even though our walls are 20 feet tall, a piece of paper, a feather, even heavier objects can be swept up and over that wall in seconds. There is NO ROOM for failure. We will NOT destroy this planet. Ok?” Everyone in the room answered yes.

“Now,” he continued. “If something does get over the wall, we have to go get it. That means you and a couple of colonists will board a boat, row out to the litter and retrieve it. It’s not an easy task, SO….. for the next few weeks, our colonists will be helping you remember to secure items. Please, don’t take offence. You will find bags near the exit of every building in our colony. Those are there for securing items before you go outside.”

As Keith Lee continued his speech, my crew and passengers listened intently. Introductions to the colonists, how to get food, assignments and activities were all covered. Two movies were played in the cafeteria a week, tables, chairs, even popcorn! Once a week, a football game was held in one of the warehouses by the landing pad. Basketball and baseball were played in the cafeteria. Various craft and art groups met on different nights. But when Dr. Lee mentioned music and dancing nights in the cafeteria, the colonists whooped and whistled. It was obviously their favorite night.

Roman looked at me, squeezing my hand and smiled. Our first dance had been last night, and it had been glorious. We’d moved so well together and talked and laughed. Another night of dancing sounded perfect. Roman leaned in to me and whispered. “Wanna come to the dance tonight?” He smirked. I nodded yes and smiled back at him.

The meeting lasted about 90 minutes. Seth came in the room and got me. “Sorry. I still need you today. NASA has more paperwork for you, and we still have to organize the warehouse. I can’t find anything in there.” I sighed, setting aside my hopes for the day and following Seth to the City Hall next door.

Our long-range communications had reached NASA, and new communications had come in this morning, leaving me with a ton of reports to read and fill out. I was getting hungry and tired by the time we sent the reports back to NASA.

We stopped for lunch before conquering the warehouse thankfully. I was tired of reading and filling out reports. “You ok?” Seth asked as we set our trays down at a table to eat.

“Yeah, I was just hoping to be helping around the colony by now. There’s so much I want to know about the technologies you’re creating here, the planet, this solar system. Dr. Reigns is cloning plants today and I was hoping to help.”

“Ah. Sorry about that. NASA has to have their paperwork. You know how it is.” I nodded. “But hey, before we head to the warehouse, let’s stop by Dr. Reign’s lab…… take a look at his cloning process.” Seth shoved a spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.

“That would be great.”  I thanked him. I tried the mashed potatoes, and they were by far the best thing I’d eaten here, but that wouldn’t take much. I wondered if Mello would be able to sneak me his food throughout our stay and then remembered the ship wouldn’t have any power; which means his kitchen wouldn’t have power; which meant he wouldn’t be able to cook for me. Damn! I knew I had to get used to the odd flavors of this planet’s food, but I wasn’t looking forward to it.

Dr. Lee joined our table now, “Mind if I sit?” We welcomed him.

“How did the meeting go?” Seth asked before shoveling more food in his mouth and motioning for Dr. Lee to sit.

Keith answered. “They all paid attention!” He smiled. Seth started nodding his head and gave Dr. Lee a thumbs up. “Looks like you’ve got a stellar crew, Captain.”

I smiled with pride. “The best. I’m very fortunate.” As I was saying it, Orange Cassidy approached the table. “Can I sit here?”  We all motioned him to join us. “Dr. Lee, this is Commander Cassidy. We call him Orange.”

Lee turned to Orange. “That’s quite a nickname. How did you get it?”

Settling into his seat, Orange smirked a little. “That’s a very long story Dr. Lee. Buy me a drink sometime and I’ll tell you.” He answered.

“Keith, please, call me Keith.” He said to both of us.

“Call me Orange.” Cassidy said.

“And Y/N” I added. It was definitely going to take some time to get used to using first names, but when in Rome…..

“Cap, I’ve got a problem.” Dr. Thorpe said as he approached us.

“What’s up Eddie?” I asked, but it felt weird calling him by his first name.

“Dr. Zayne needs his meds, and they got mixed up with his storage boxes for his lab.” He talked as much to Seth now as to me. “Any chance I can get into the warehouse to retrieve them?”

Seth started nodding now, gesturing with his fork for Thorpe to have a seat while he finished chewing. “We’re actually going there in about an hour. Can Sami wait?”

Dr. Thorpe sat down. “Yeah, he doesn’t need them until tonight, so that is great.”

An awkward silence settled on the table for a second. “Are you all adjusting to the food?” Dr. Lee asked, and I almost burst out laughing. They knew the food tasted weird all along?

“There’s an odd taste.” Dr. Thorpe started.

Seth and Dr. Lee started laughing. “Oh yeah. Takes a couple of weeks to get used to.” Dr. Lee went on to explain that the soil and water had trace levels of chromated copper arsenate. Not enough to make you sick, but enough to make everything taste bad.

“And the shower smells…..” Cassidy started.

Seth laughed again interrupting Cassidy. “That too.”

“So you all know?” I asked.

“Yeah, we all had to get used to it when we first moved here.” Dr. Lee added. “It won’t take long to get used to. Honestly, we don’t think about it anymore except when we get visitors.”

Is it Thursday?” Roman called out from the bedroom.

I finished pouring his cup of coffee and brought it to him. “No, sweetie. It’s Wednesday” I said as I handed it to him. I wrapped both my hands around my mug as I sat on the bed, letting the warmth seep into my hands.

Sure, it was a nice thing to make his coffee, but I had an alterior motive, and as Roman set his mug down, I settled in to admire the view. Roman, fresh out of the shower, wrapped in only a towel. I  watched him grab a second towel to dry his hair. Every move he made was graceful. I watched as a drop of water fell from his hair onto his arm. Snaking its way between two muscles and spreading out as it reached the scar on his arm. His skin was as soft as velvet, and I loved running my hands over it; feeling the rock hard muscles under.

He looked over and found my stare. “Like the view?” He smirked at me.

I took a deep breath and sighed out “oh yeah!”

His smirk took on an evil glint as he slowly unwound the towel, letting it plop on the floor. “And how about now?”

I took a drink of my coffee as I savored the view. “That’s even better.” I admitted as I set my mug down on the dresser.

“Come here.” He grabbed my hand and pulled us both onto the bed; twisting as we fell so that he ended up on top of me.

@mindofasagitarius @lclb13 @serenityfiretrash @lustyromantic @reigns-5sos @bigpsychicbagelauthor @omg-im-such-a-masochist @marlananicole @wickedsunfire @starwithaheart @spookys-girl @pitlissa22 @snowpanda18 @thesamoanqueen @sassginaswanmills

[wrestlersownmyheart]

Closer Than You Think Chapter 2 (Dean Ambrose X OC)

Title: Closer Than You Think Pairing: Dean Ambrose X OC: Shannon Brock Summary: When a serial killer claims a number of victims including NXT wrestler, Shannon Brock's cousin, she vows to find the killer after she is bumped to RAW from NXT. Her cousin's lover, AJ Styles, appoints himself and the Shield—Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns—as her bodyguards.

Dean takes the task very seriously and doesn't let Shannon out of his sight, despite the game of cat and mouse they play with the killer. Can he keep her safe, or will the killer claim his ultimate victim?

Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with WWE. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination. Content/Trigger Warnings: Extreme Violence against women; murder

Chapter Two

Shannon Brock switched her cell phone to her other ear and grabbed a fruit salad out of the hotel room's mini refrigerator while she spoke with her cousin, Larissa Anderson.

The two women were actually more like sisters than cousins. Not only did they share the same physical attributes: long black hair, pale skin and identical gray eyes, they also had grown up living next door to each other, went to school together, spent weekends at each other's houses and watched their beloved wrestling together. They were virtually inseparable. They even planned for their careers to be in the same industry. Larissa wanted to write for World Wrestling Entertainment, while Shannon wanted to wrestle for them.

Then came Shannon's unforgettable eighteenth birthday—the day she'd been waiting for her whole life.

Shannon had applied for entrance to Funking Conservatory Wrestling School a couple weeks prior, and almost as if fate was giving her a birthday present, she received a letter of acceptance that very day. She'd ripped into the envelope with a vengeance and then cried tears of joy when she saw the printed words informing her of her acceptance.

"Mom! Daddy! They accepted me," she'd squealed happily, jumping up and down. "I'm moving to Ocala!"

She was lucky in finding an apartment near her school within the week and was soon on her way to living her dream. Excitement filled her heart, but so did sadness. She had never been away from her family for more than a week. How will I handle being away from them permanently, she wondered. I know I'll be able to visit them, but still… I'm living on my own now. I'm starting my life.

The day came when she left for Ocala. She hugged and kissed her parents goodbye, and then latched onto Larissa. "I'm going to miss you all so much," she cried. "I didn't realize how hard this would be."

"You'll be fine, Shannon," Larissa whispered, hugging her cousin tightly. "In fact, you're going to be amazing! I can't wait to see you on TV," she encouraged.

"You're going to make me cry," Shannon smiled through her tears. "I love you."

"Love you too. Now go get to school and show the veterans how it's done," Larissa teased. "I'll see you at WWE Headquarters in a few years."

Larissa sounded light-hearted for Shannon's benefit, but for a long time, she felt alone. However, she knew Shannon was doing what she loved. And so was Larissa. She had entered college a year before to major in English and minor in Journalism. Three years of very hard work later, she graduated and within a month had secured her dream job. Writing on the creative team for World Wrestling Entertainment.

Four years later, she worked up to both writing and producing—which was how she met her boyfriend, Jim Walker.

"Work is going great." Shannon answered her cousin, as she mentally returned from her reverie of the past. "As you know, I'm sure, I've been NXT Women's Champion for about six months now. Hopefully, I'll get to keep it a while longer. I get afraid every time I get my script that I could learn I'm about to lose the title to someone." She took a bite of pineapple then, "So how is everything with you? How are you and Jim doing?"

"Work is also going great for me. Very busy," Larissa chuckled. "All these storylines and the deadlines that go with them are about to wipe me out, but I'd not have it any other way."

"Well, I'm so glad you are enjoying it. We were both so blessed to get the exact jobs we were wanting," Shannon smiled, genuinely happy for her cousin. "So, how about Jim? Are you still having problems?"

"Not anymore," Larissa answered. "But that is probably because we broke up about two weeks ago. He just became too controlling and jealous for me to deal with."

Shannon felt terrible for her cousin. She knew how crazy about Jim she had once been. "I'm so sorry, Larissa," she said. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Don't worry, Shannon," Larissa told her. "I'm doing much better without him. The ordeal just taught me that being single isn't nearly as bad as being with a jerk."

"That's true," Shannon agreed whole-heartedly. "Well, I really hate to make this a short phone conversation, but I have got to get to bed early so I can work out in the morning and get ready for tomorrow night's show."

"No worries. I understand completely," Larissa told her. "I just wish our schedules would calm down a little so we could get together. Or even if all the brands had a week of being in the same state."

"I know, I miss you so much," Shannon said softly. "I hate that we never get to see each other."

"Maybe soon we can," Larissa said, hope in her voice. "I'll let you get to bed now. Goodnight, Shannon. Love you."

"Goodnight. I love you too."

With that, the two women disconnected the call and got back to the tasks of their everyday lives.

0o0o0

That Night In Philadelphia…

"Dana," Jarold, the night manager of Denny's called out. "Table nine needs more coffee!"

The restaurant was swamped and buzzing with excitement. The building was full of wrestlers and wrestling fans from the live event that had occurred only three blocks away.

"Okay, I'm on it," Dana called back over the dull roar of adoring WWE fans. She grabbed the non-decaffeinated coffee pot and headed to the table that a man was seated at.

"I assume you want regular and not decaf," she flashed him her charming smile, trying to get as good a tip as possible, and brushed her dark ponytail back over her shoulder flirtatiously.

"Yeah, that'll be great," he smiled back at her. "I guess you're staying pretty busy tonight, huh," he conversed as she filled his cup up.

Dana enjoyed the sexy rasp in the handsome man's voice and immediately became nervous. I must look awful after being around this greasy atmosphere all night, she fretted. "Well, I wasn't super busy till about a half hour ago," she chuckled. "But hey, I'm in a large room full of gorgeous wrestlers. So it's worth it," she joked.

"Well, I'm sure you have every male eye in the room locked on you, flashing that smile of yours," the man said, just the slightest hint of disdain entering his demeanor.

Did I imagine that, Dana wondered. Or maybe I'm just really tired and reading too much into his behavior. He seemed friendly enough, but there was some thing dark, sinister in his eyes. Like Dracula, hot and sexy, yet evil and cold-blooded.

He's handsome, I'll give him that, Dana thought. But then again, so was Ted Bundy.

"Well, enjoy your coffee, sir," she said, suddenly growing uncomfortable. "And if you need anything else, just let me know." She smiled kindly this time, with no flirting whatsoever, and headed back to the waitress station.

The young woman stayed busy for the next two hours re-filling coffee, soft drinks, serving desert, collecting dishes and wiping tables. Her only comfort was that she'd made about two hundred dollars in tips, which she'd poked very securely into her waitress apron.

Finally, at about midnight the diner was close to empty so Dana began performing her end-of-shift duties, to prepare for the next waitress' shift. She wiped down all tables and booths, cleaned the coffee machines and soft drink machines, took all dirty dishes to the back to be washed, then prepared to take out the garbage.

Minutes later, she was hauling two large trash bags along with her as she hurried out the backdoor and to the huge dumpsters in the dark alley.

"Why can't these dumpsters be closer to the building," she grumbled under her breath, as she hefted the bags up into one of the large receptacles.

And then suddenly, the hair on her neck stood on end. A cold chill ran down her spine and she visibly shuddered.

"You should have had someone else take the trash out…"

Dana had no time to react, a knife was at her throat instantly.

A hand clamped over her mouth, "Don't scream…" The raspy voice told her, "Or this will hurt more than it has too."

Oh my God, Dana panicked. Please somebody come out here…She prayed silently, Somebody come check on me…

But there was no one nearby. Nobody to hear her whimpering cries. Nobody to see as the serrated edge of the blade viciously tore into her pale throat.

And nobody noticed for a long while that she never re-entered the building…

0o0o0

Shannon reached over to the nightstand and picked up the receiver of the in-room phone which was ringing incessantly. "Hello," she uttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Miss Brock in room 509," came a pleasant female voice.

"Yes, this is she," Shannon said, fighting off a yawn.

"I'm just delivering your 7 A.M. wake up call ma'am. Would you like me to make a follow-up call in five minutes?"

"No, thank you," she replied. "I'm awake enough, so that's not necessary."

"Okay, Miss Brock. Help yourself to a complimentary breakfast in our cafe. Have a nice day."

"Thank you. You have a nice day too." She hung up the phone and stretched with a soft groan. "Ugh…seven o'clock already…."

She stood to her feet then and turned on the television to get the morning news while she prepared for her day. Listening to the weather forecast, she discarded the black satin nightgown she'd slept in and grabbed some workout clothes out of her suitcase. After pulling on a pair of pink yoga pants, a black sports bra, and layered an off-the shoulder black t-shirt over a pink tank top she stepped into a pair of running shoes. Within minutes her teeth were brushed and she began pulling her hair up into a messy bun when the words "brutal murder" shot her attention to the television. Her gaze froze on the TV screen as she listened in.

"…In Philadelphia late last night a brutal murder has the city in turmoil. Live in Philadelphia, Jack Cooper has the story."

"Philadelphia…" Shannon whispered, worriedly. That's where Larissa was last night.

The feed cut to an area at the back of a restaurant taped off with police tape, with Jack Cooper facing the camera.

"The body of thirty year old, Dana Marshall was found outside in this very alley of Denny's restaurant at approximately 12:20 this morning. When the murder was first called in by the late shift's manager, Jarold Carver, the police's first impression was robbery due to the fact that the manager had reported that they'd had a very busy night and that the young woman had made a large amount of money in tips. However, when they arrived at the scene it was a different story. Dana was found lying on her back with her throat and entire body slashed.

A photograph then popped on the television screen of a woman who was apparently Dana Marshall.

"My God…" Shannon whispered.

The woman looked so much like Larissa and herself it was uncanny. The only major difference is that Shannon and Larissa were a few years younger and had longer hair.

Suddenly unnerved, Shannon turned the television off and tried to get herself mentally ready for the day's events. But the images of what she had seen and heard were engraved her mind.

"Denny's…" she thought out loud as she rubbed some tension out of her neck. Grabbing her phone off the night table, she pulled up Google and typed out "Denny's restaurants in Philadelphia", then picked the first link offered. She scanned the page for the street address of the establishment and was distressed to find the address was merely three blocks away from the Thompson Stadium-where SmackDown had been taped.

"Why is this creeping me out so bad," she asked herself. Then shook her head to clear it. "Ugh...I'm just being paranoid. Get a grip, Shannon."

Making sure she had her room's key card in her wallet, she grabbed her gym bag and stuffed a change of clothes into it and then she hurried out the door intent on grabbing some coffee on her way to the gym. And then she was going to work the strange new tension out of her body, even if it killed her.

If you want on my tag list just ask! 🙂

Tagging:

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@donttellnoliebabygirl @keisha-knell

[alpineshift]

find a blorbo!: a tag game for the new NHL season

RULES: Go through the roster of each NHL team and find at least one player that you can root for.

tagged by the legendary @imperatorrrrr ! my knowledge of hockey teams is spotty at best save for my top tier blorbos so just know that players come and go in my mind like ships passing in the night and I am not wearing my glasses as I witness them. If I know them I'll know them. More often than not I will look at a hockey icon and go "who?" 🫣

Anaheim Ducks - Brian Dumolin (Dumo! Former Pens! This is also how I found out he's now with the ducks wtf)

Boston Bruins - Charlie McAvoy

Buffalo Sabres - Jason Zucker

Calgary Flames - Kevin Bahl

Carolina Hurricanes - Seth Jarvis (Harvard shirt with huge arm holes. born 2002 looks like he's 36. Wrote his name with upside down goggles on messily but legibly then went oh hey! that's my normal writing anyway. absolute icon)

Chicago Hockey Team - Connor Bedard

Colorado Avalanche - Gabe Landeskog

Colombus Blue Jackets - Adam Fantilli

Dallas Stars - Wyatt Johnson, Jason Robertson (favourite paper mâché blorbos - two guys with :] smiles and cannot grow playoff facial hair)

Detroit Red Wings - Olli Maatta (fond of him from his Pens days)

Edmonton Oilers - Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Florida Panthers - Aleksander Barkov

Los Angeles Kings - Anze Kopitar

Minnesota Wild - Marc-Andre Fleury 🌸

Montreal Canadiens - Cole Caufield

Nashville Predators - Roman Josi

New Jersey Devils - NICO. NICO HISCHIER. DO YOU KNOW NICO? HISCHIER. NICO HISCHIER. IT'S NICO. NICO. 🦭

New York Islanders - Bo Horvat

New York Rangers - Mika Zibanejad (I learned this summer he's a DJ?? what??)

Ottawa Senators - Tim Stutzle

Philadelphia Flyers - Travis Konecny (tiki bar my fave genre aware fella)

Pittsburgh Penguins - Sidney Crosby (who doubles as the corporate-appropriate "celebrity" crush answer I have on rotation for icebreakers)

San Jose Sharks - Will Smith (I know he just got here but that tiktok of him swinging his bag around was very endearing)

Seattle Kraken - Jamie Oleksiak

St. Louis Blues - Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Mathieu Joseph (joseph bros accidental mutual high sticking moment in front of their parents u will always be famous to me)

Tampa Bay Lightning - Conor Sheary (also largely from his Pens days)

Toronto Maple Leafs - Mitch Marner (thinking of the :) tattoo he got recently :(((( )

Utah Hockey Club - John Marino (Johnnyyyyyyy)

Vancouver Canucks - Quinn Hughes (my most haunted guy)

Vegas Golden Knights - Zach Whitecloud

Winnipeg Jets - Genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, I do not know a single person on this team lmfao not a single guy here the Jets have finally stumped me

Washington Capitals - Nicklas Backstrom, Dylan Strome

[northwest-by-a-train]

Mutual 1: I wish someone could kill me so I could be reincarnated as a saxophone solo in Al Stewart's 1991 song Year of the cat

Mutual 2: Horror keeps piling upon horror and we will live old and wrinkled in this time of horrors. The only cure is to post black and white pictures of men who have problems

Mutual 3: killing baby Caesar does lengthen the lifespan of the roman empire by ~350 years, as it dissolves into some sort of federalist-feudalist structure not unlike the Holy Roman Empire. The main difference is that a sort of loose syncretic pan-imperial polytheism is the dominant religion, leading to Icelandic temples of Isis and Ethiopian temples of Epona. As such, this timeline was spared the drawbacks of a centralized state-enforced organized religion. The main drawback is that being a furry is considered blasphemy by the vast majority of humanity.

Mutual 4: if Pendleton Ward does not make Mr Cupcake a Trotskyist I will set the cartoon network offices on fire

Mutual 5: if Serial Experiments Lain was made today they would make her cis. Well. Not on my watch

Mutual 6: Can we take a minute here and normalize arms trading? Marginalized communities need those 3D-printed untraceable ghost guns with Family Guy muzzles, I need to make a living since I was thrown out of the commune by Hannah-Arendts-Strap (message me for details), Seth MacFarlane needs people to watch season 27. But Academia will talk about Kant's white-ass categorical imperative to argue no one should sell guns. Typical.

Mutual 7: I am in your walls. Why is there lead paint on your radium plumbing my dude. You know that's not aryuvedic.

Mutual 8: I'm sorry but Robespierre was a scapegoat of most of the French revolution's atrocities, and bourgeois reactionary elements have tried to turn him into a proto-totalitarian crazed madman, but the historical record paints a much more complex picture. Which is why I don't believe he would ever whip Danton's ass like you just wrote. He would be the one wearing the ball gag. How can I make you see the truth my brother ?

Mutual 9: Arabic and Eastern European poetry have been superior throughout the late 20th/early 21st century. We also have the best cigarettes. If we keep going we can surround Constantinople in the next decade, and restore the Palaiologos to their rightful place.

Mutual 10: The callout posts are true. Reflecting on it, it was obvious that our attempt to create a secret #LiberateBelize discord channel without British people was chavphobic. We are listening and learning.

Mutual 11: Pinkie Pie could negotiate the Oslo Accords, but Bill Clinton could never bag pony Weird Al

Mutual 12: If I think about Betty Groff for more than two seconds I'll divorce my husband. I got the papers and everything. But I won't. I'm brave like that. #ChristianLove

Mutual 13:

Mutual 14: I was visited by the virgin Mary last night. Again. She told me I can't make my girlfriend pregnant like that. Again. But I know Ron L. Hubbard is with me, and it's all that matters.

Mutual 15: Mustard gas doesn't even taste like mustard. You guys lied to me. My Mac & Cheese is ruined.

Mutual 16: Stop saying my think tank advocates killing orphans. We're pro-harvesting organs in youth correctional facilities for reduced sentences !!! But again we see the pro-carceral bias inherent to Lutherans. Have you guys even read Angela Davis ?

Mutual 17: Here's my solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict: spend a hundred billion dollars for multiversal research, reach the mirror universe. Israelis get the biblical kingdom of Israel borders on this earth, Palestinians get the 1948 borders in the mirror universe. I think this is the fairest deal America can offer at this time.

Mutual 18: I tried to live the life of a restless European adventurer in Macau playing roulette and serving as a mercenary to various conglomerates. Turns out they also charge rent there. And income is taxable too. And I bet everything on Red. And I don't speak Mandarin, Cantonese or Portuguese. Help me pay for my flight home! 6¢/50 000$ collected!

Mutual 19: Yeah the canonization of Bolaño as the latest LatAm literary genius speaks to a sort of general malaise in post-colonial literature due to the collapse of magical realism as a viable tradition for meaningful political messaging. So the literature of unease and obsession and maladjustment itself is canonized, like an oyster canonizing the grain of sand that's tearing it apart. The fact that no other major voice has really appeared on the continent within the past 20 years should tell us this isn't working. Which is why the Brazilian JoJo fandom has a unique opportunity to meaningfully impact the course of world literature. #Multipolarity

Mutual 20: wow guys someone left a tray of perfectly good Mac & Cheese on a windowsill! Yummy!

Mutual 21: Did medieval surgeons pulling teeth get erections? I wouldn't normally ask this of my followers but I'm arguing about Sex Work with the ghost of Andrea Dworkin and I need hard evidence (no pun intended lol)

Mutual 22: Electro-Swing is a Belgian psy-op. I can't prove it, but I know it

Mutual 23: I'm the first neutered catgirl to be tried in a military court. But I know I'm not the last.

Mutual 24: Did you guys know you could eat olives? The thing they make oil from? I ordered three kilos of motors, so I can eat it with my roommate's Mac & Cheese

Mutual 25: Anglicans, amirite ? [Sounds of raucous applause]

[otsukare-katsukare]

So I came across this blog and found it quite interesting. I also agree with a lot of it. I like hearing your opinions on things as well, especially these particular topics. So I was wondering - What do you think?

https://www.tumblr.com/wwerasliin-sideblog

hello to you! very glad you came to my blog and liked my opinions. thats all i can ask for as a tumblr user. your link doesnt go to a specific post but judging from the discussion on your blog im guessing youre asking my opinion on sami's potential involvement in the bloodline story and whether roman should apologise to him or not.

(sorry if this is not at all what you were asking. i ended up writing an essay here im afraid.)

i have my own general opinions on what my ideal face turn for roman would have looked like and it's already quite different in reality, but the general gist is yeah, an apology to sami would be, like, thing one. at this point, however, with kevin's heel turn, i just dont know. the way it's played out till this point my heart just doesnt want sami anywhere near roman, because unlike jey, sami really does not have any good reason to go back based on family ties. and roman should not want him back, either. from roman's POV sami was the first brick to fall in his family falling apart, and he betrayed him when he gave him so much. and as far as sami's concerned, the best friend/soulmate that he literally betrayed roman for is currently at his lowest emotional point because his two other closest friends have sided with a man who was his sworn enemy for three years and terrorised both him and his loved ones. for sami to go to roman now, no matter what the guy says, would just feel so cruelly thoughtless to kevin. but very on brand for wwe.

but there was a world where i was completely on board with the 'sami forgives roman' narrative, if roman had come back after losing the title completely alone and ostracised, for the first time in his life. his bloodline scattered, abandoned by his wiseman, justifiably hated by nearly everybody on the roster, and no gold to make him feel better about everything. if he spent some time as a desperate and pathetic heel, trying to win back his old family members using his old gaslighty tricks that don't work anymore, taking on opponents who he'd been mowing through before with the help of the numbers game, but who now smelled blood in the water and got their vengeance, only getting sparing wins. slowly learning what he'd put everyone else through and starting to feel genuine remorse - in that scenario, i would have actually loved to see sami be the first of roman's victims to see him as a genuinely changed man and accept the olive branch. not joining his bloodline (concept should just not exist at this point) but being his optimistic and forgiving self that sees the best in people. in this scenario, roman asking for sami's forgiveness in the first place would also make more sense, as he would realise that he's no longer entitled to his family just on the basis of blood, and that with sami, the wounds arent as deep, and maybe sami could help him be a better person.

(in this fantasy scenario seth is also involved, and the first person who actually reconnects with roman again. cause the shield bond is binding and what happened at wm40 finally buried the last of the resentment between them. but he cant make roman better the way sami can.)

unfortunately while i think this would be a good character arc and story, it is not a good wrestling story, formally. there's no way that people werent going to cheer vociferously for roman, and that's kind of all that matters at the end of the day with this medium. they just happened to make a story with the bloodline that's a bit too nuanced and genuninely fiction-esque for the wwe formula. ah well. but the way things are now if sami goes back to roman without roman apologising then i'll stand by kevin whatever he decides to do in reponse including but not limited to apron powerbombs.

thanks for asking me my wrestling opinions! if this is in fact what you wanted to hear, if not, then i hope it was of interest anyway.

[tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors]

genuinely how did virgils parents come up with that. they do... magic... to make sure their kids... have no souls??????????????

Seth and Augustine are like mostly politically liberal Christians who nonetheless think something absurd and subtly bigoted like the illuminati.

This kind of person is not necessarily malicious or bigoted themselves, but has heard and internalized a dog whistle without ever having learned what the real meaning is. Many people on the "entry levels" of conspiracy theories, never get deep enough to even know that they're veiled racism or some such

Virgil gets the secondary reaction - raised in this extremely amatonormative household, he internalized that graymarks are bad (and in fact carries extreme anxiety about accidentally "breaking" romans mark) but disagrees on the particulars with his parents

(arguably, virgils stance is the worse prejudice, viewing the people "giving" gray marks as abusive, whereas Seth and Tina find both grays and their soulmates mostly pitiable)

[saturatedsinset]

index card exercises!

here's all 20 of the indexercises i did yesterday :) i'm putting only the transcriptions here, because the pictures all look the same, and i'll include everything i did, including ones i already posted in answers to asks just so i have em all in one place.

stroke

‘stroke’ as in cat, stroke as in pet, stroke as in innuendo, stroke as in medical event, and it could be any or all or none, jack’s knees sore from carpet and stress and work, the gentle pressure of a hand petting, slooowly, stroking - there it is again - his heart aflutter and sometimes he can’t tell whether his stomach churns with butterflies or foreboding or nausea, the room quiet for hours at a time, and they’ve never told him not to speak unless spoken to but there’s a weight in the air that makes him keep his mouth

hypothesis

the scientific method. Laughable. Hypothesis, test, reflect, report. Hubristic to think we must be slaves to empiricism. the world is so much more than the sum of its parts, its processes, the dissection of the worm that keeps moving. my professor once told me: excavation is an act of destruction. to learn about the past we must destroy it. i once told my professor: excavation is an act of destruction. a scientist to a theatre major, all my anger spilling out over this - HOW DARE YOU THINK THIS IS METAPHORICAL? but we are all made of

sorry

it isn’t enough, and it never will be. the chair shot heard round the world, whatever they’re calling it now. the inescapable knowledge that even if he could go back he wouldn’t. seth’s sorry. seth wishes he was sorry. seth wakes up rotten and he still wouldn’t change it. what was it Cena says, sometime in the future? you almost ruined seth rollins, you drove dean ambrose out of the company… but it wasn’t about Roman, except for all the ways that it was. I’m sorry, he says. it’s true and it isn’t. hit me back, he says. he means it

follow

wherever you go, i will follow - he says - quietly - maybe you both know it’s a lie already - maybe he doesn’t want to dishonor truth - so brazenly - i wouldn’t ask that of you - you say - you have more to do - here - so much more - and he smiles - his eyes glitter - maybe tears - maybe laughter - he’s begging you to ask - and you can’t - and you won’t - and you both know it - wherever you go, i will follow - he says - a plea - a lie - a prayer - this is your home - you say - but he - doesn’t agree - he wilts - as he says - you are my home

step

into this, into me, toward life, toward the next step - Emilie Autumn says, one foot in front of the other foot. a step turns into a yard, a yard turns into a mile, and eventually you don’t know whether you’re running toward something or away from it. Full circle, flat circle. it ends up the same. the house is too big, and it swallows you, feet-first. the house knows you want to run away. the house is too small, and it shrinks in on you, suffocates you, inch by agonizing inch. where are you going? the house asks. you’d understand if you could

nostalgia

the moments you miss aren’t the ones you want to go back to. there’s all of the clichés, a cruel mistress, a lie, the feeling of missing home, and they capture something, but not enough. Nostalgia is a ghost. Nostalgia is a haunting. There are the ghosts of the past, our memories; there are the ghosts of the future, of dead futures, of things we’ve given up on or can no longer dream of - nostalgia is somewhere in between. a dead present. nostalgia is a personal kind of prelapsarianism. there is no call to action, just

discuss

“We need to talk,” Dean says, except he doesn’t need to, because they already know. seth already knows. he always thinks he’s being subtle, Dean, and sometimes he is, but mostly he’s the most straightforward guy Seth's ever met. he’s leaving. they know it. why insist on dealing the final blow himself? it’s what Seth would do, of course, but Seth’s always thought Dean’s better than him. known it. (except.) “I’m out,” Dean says, and what can Seth say to that? Dean knows all the reasons he should stay. but he knows all the reasons he

bittersweet

the first thought: Blood. the first sin: blood. there’s chocolate, of course, coffee, there’s the wrench in Adam’s heart whenever she touches the wall of a sleeping stadium. But blood brings power, something tangible, the stickiness of it drying on her face as she tastes it between her teeth. She misses too many people to count. that’s bittersweet too, thorns in the meadows by the creek ready to gouge whoever she brings down next. swerve is down there with her, maybe buried, maybe snoring. she hasn’t been exploring her own head as much lately.

midnight

I shall wear midnight, she says. Tiffany Aching. I never liked her books much, or at least I liked the other Discworld books more. But now the story changes: the shepherd’s crown. the last book he published before he died, more than a decade ago. I’ve still never read it. I can’t bring myself to. the back cover closes a part of my life that I’m not ready to leave yet. I shall wear midnight. It’s partially about death, did you know? there’s a door. if you walk through it, it disappears. But there is a ways back. But there is a way back. But

cylinder

A graduated cylinder is a magic wand, and other such nonsense. science is basically magic. magic is science advanced beyond our understanding. it’s an appealing thought, something beautiful about it, poetic - we are all connected; that which you think is incomprehensible is able to be learned, and that which you think is impossible may one day become possible. maybe it will. irritating little aphorism it is for now, though: you will not cast a spell. you will pu mentos in diet coke, and it will make an explosion, and a poet will call it magic. maybe i’m just a

sunshower

there are shadows. texas death. gritted teeth. the satisfaction that comes with tapping out the untouchable moxley. he doesn’t hate her, she can see that much; there’s a distance, a kind of mourning, in his eyes when he looks at her now. hypocrite, she thinks; he was always telling her she needed to get sharper. now he’s cut himself on her. maybe he should be used to that by now. it’s almost cute, how they all got scared of her once she paid off all her debts. now, adam knows exactly what she’s owed. maybe a decade around the bucks does have its

wait

stories are easy: the wanting, the waiting, and the catharsis. does he get what he wants? maybe. maybe not. but he never stops wanting. does orpheus want eurydice? does he want to sing? is he caught, paralyzed, in a single moment of eternal wait? the chair swings. orpheus turns. and in the split second before impact, a whole universe. the pendulum will always swing. orpheus will always look back. the chair will always bend around a brother’s back. the tragedy is this: we are all waiting, hungry, certain. we all want to hear the chair hit the spine. there is no

city

the city breathes. not in the way you think, millions of bodies inhaling as one - no, the city itself, its towers and chimneys, its thousand windows - the city breathes. the city hungers. the city coughs, and becomes angry. what feeds a city? the city feeds itself, its own kind of vicious cycle, blood spilled on streets, blood hosed down into drains, smoke rising as the city spreads. the city poisons. the city heals. a corner store on every block, a dozen tiny interactions a day, a cat mewing at a street corner. the city does not protect its

fish

“Why’s fish different?” Dean asks, muffled by the crunch of the pretzel stick as he scoops more mashed potatoes onto the bitten end. Roman looks kind of pale, barely poking at his own salmon. (plain salmon, boiled in the bag. Heresy, in Dean’s opinion.) Seth huffs, like this a conversation he’s even fuckin’ involved with. “He’s not even vegetarian, Dean,” Seth whines, annoyingly, like Dean ain’t just exercising his natural curiosity. “Why don’t you ask, like, Bryan?” Dean rolls his eyes, finishing his pretzel stick. Delicious. Creamy and crunchy. “Bryan don’t eat fuckin’ fish 

penitentiary

penitentiary. penitent - there’s something implied in the word, a remorse, a repentance - a prison, in a word, conceived as a place to feel guilt. the prison as an industrial-scale confession booth. protestantism engraved into the fabric of society. is this productive? does it matter? what results is the penitentiary designed to produce? Guilt, fear, ostracism - the prison is a receptacle. the prison is a depository. there is no citation. I see the word itself. penitent. thoughtful. are we to take Declan’s Corrective as instructive? the truth does not reside

diagonal

across the ring, pillar to post, buckle to buckle, you always take the hypotenuse. it feels strange to even think it now, ingrained as it is in matt’s body. there are parts of wrestling he still thinks about, but it’s not often this one. maybe he’s still avoiding thinking about who’s in the other corner, betrayal staining even the one thing he always knows. ibushi, standing where matt should be, where They should be - they’d touched again and suddenly matt was invisible. and here kenny is, pretending to play peacemaker even now. if you really didn’t want to

mustard

“c’mon,” mox jeers, throwing an elbow at the air as a demonstration. “put a little mustard on it, get real nasty.” he punctuates it with a grin - sometimes the kid still looks a little terrified that mox is gonna take a bite outta him for real. nervous like you get around a mean dog. mox guesses he can’t really blame him, on account of the biting he gave him to get here. still, nothin’ wrong with a little reassurance. Bryan’s grinning, ‘cause he’s a pervert and annoying to boot, but his lordship is nodding

elaborate

it all seems a bit elaborate, pages and pages of maps, plans, agreements. all they really need is a wedding, but adam does so love to feel cunning, christian thinks with a fond roll of his eyes. names of guards they can trust. maps of the castle they’ve been visiting every year since the girls were barely eight - a decade, now. “very good,” christian says aloud, indulgent, a little pat to adam’s shoulder so he knows it’s sarcastic. “and the rest of them? the king? i’m sure you’ve hidden a dossier around here somewhere…” adam huffs, only just, christian knows,

nightmare + cody

what nick says is: it’s not good for kenny. cody learned the hard way, not too long ago - he touches his cheek absently - there are things about the bucks he doesn’t know. secret weapons. cody flinches when he thinks about trying to find them. (again.) silence as nick looks at him evenly the ghost of a smile on matt’s lips. cody doesn’t know what they’re not saying. the table between them feels like a chasm. it feels like that locker room. cold. nick’s eyes are cold, too. it’s not good for kenny. why hitch your wagon to kenny? cody thinks

devour

the desert will devour you, if you aren’t careful. Dean knows it by now, and Rome’s known it his whole damn life, but prettyboy still has those big wide eyes that he don’t know how to shade from the sun right. have to find him some shades soon. prettyboy - seth - had been upfront enough about not havin’ a real plan when he’d snuck out. dean isn’t sure why they took him in, sometimes, what they saw in him that let them know he’d make it. But he’d brought the city-desert out here. the underground, those little jump drives of music they can barely manage to get through the speakers

[mamirhodessxox]

More unpublished prompts!!

🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤

I hate you more

“Sooo, are we going to address the massive elephant in the room?” “It was ONE time Mari.”-Marianna & Sasha

“Cody & Sasha just fucked run me my FUCKING MONEY.” “YOU MADE A BET ON MY SISTER?!” “And I got a 100 bucks out of it.”-Rhea & Seth

“I am a god.” “Alright Kanye West pipe down”-Roman & Cody

“Why is she wearing shorts that are halfway up her ass right now?” “It’s getting us money & sales deal with it.”-Cody & Randy

“Can you please for the love of god STOP holding my hand.” “You tried walking into an active street. No.”-Sasha & Cody

“Are you sure it’s mine and not the devils?” “Are you sure your dicks bigger than 6 inches?”-Cody & Sasha

*cody entering the living room* “get out your presence is overstimulating me right now.”-Sasha

“One day I’ll learn how to finger dj the punanni” “and you why Becky won’t stay in a committed relationship with you”-Seth & Sasha

“If you hate me so much why are you literally dating me & getting me knocked up smartass” “I like the adrenaline rush”-Sasha & Cody

“You did a great job at being a mother” “Clearly not since both of them seemed to have burnt out their goddamn brain cells.”-Randy & Barbra

“I’m dating Sasha Ricci, Of course I wear bulletproof vests!” “I’m dating Cody Rhodes, Of course he makes me want to kill him in his sleep.”-Cody & Sasha

“Guys what does it mean if she slaps me and I like it?” “I wish I was aborted after hearing this information.”-Cody & Seth

“I’ve considered abortion” “So why the fuck is Sasha still here” “I thought she was gonna come out smart.”-Barbra & Seth

“I swear I didn’t just lead the FBI towards our house right now after feeding Romans body guard to an alligator” “Not again.”-Marianna & Randy

“Fuck it. Beat the information out of him.” “I volunteer as tribute!” “N-No I don’t think- hey Sasha why don’t we go somewhere?”-Randy, Sasha & Cody

*Randy trying to unmad marianna after grounding her from 1st degree murder* “What’s the matter angel?” “If you call me that one more time I’ll rip your dick off.” “Copy that.”

*Sasha walking in the house dragging a duffel bag on the ground with someones neighbor in it* “Goddamnit Sasha we can’t keep burying random married men in our backyard just because they have hot wife’s” “We can and you will. Grab the fucking shovel.”-Seth & Sasha

*Marianna walking down the stairs after getting ready for date night.* “Cancel dinner we’re gonna build a new family lineage”-Randy

*Sasha & Marianna in the swamp burying someone alive* “I don’t think we’re doing this right..” “ok hold on let me text Randy so he can send us the DIY tutorial again.”-Sasha & Marianna

*Cody & Seth kidnapped tied to chairs* “Where the fuck is Sasha when we need her?” “Sleeping. She’s fucking sleeping.”-Cody & Seth

“Guy’s Cody got me pregnant.” “I thought you didn’t want kids?” “Yeah well Cody doesn’t know how a condom works so.”-Sasha & Marianna

“I can’t believe my first kid is about to be the anti christ” “If you refer our child as the goddamn anti christ one more time I’m giving you a DIY vasectomy.” “I can’t believe my baby mama is the anti christ.”-Cody & Sasha

*Sasha lying on the couch one leg in the air* “what the fuck are you doing.” “Stretching my leg Cody what else does it look like I’m doing.” “..”-Cody & Sasha

🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤

@alyyaanna @claymoresofinfamy23 @mini-rhodes @southerngirl41 @femdisa @kabloswrld @jeysbvck

[stackslip]

details of last night's match that still haunt me

at the very start right after the ring announcements are done and the ref grabs the belt, cody stares at the belt with incredible intensity and fervour while roman has his back to the belt, joking with paul. cody wanted it so bad and roman just took it for granted he'd have it back. he didn't even value it anymore he just considered it his property. really lovely little bit of storytelling

roman started off cocky as he's ever been, and gradually becoming more and more unnerved as the match went on, scratching his head in his nervous tic way and his smile going from a confident smirk to a hollow angered rictus

roman stealing the cross-rhodes and then mocking it as a terrible move that could never finish anybody off, only for cody to finish him off with it

likewise, cody stealing the spear right after was so fucking fun

a lot of repeating of last year's moves but in a twisted parallel way that made it clear both remembered the previous match and had learned from it

jey fucking mustafa'ing jimmy right off the balustrade. goodbye

seth being so badly injured when he shows up at all, and having done the theme/costume because he KNEW it would be irresistible bait to roman. calling himself cody's shield a month ago, and essentially showin up just to be bait for roman. like he wasn't planning on attacking roman, he was planning on roman seeing him in that old costume and seeing the chair, and being unable to resist the urge to get seth. bet won. roman looks back at cody, then seth, and makes his choice with no hesitation

cody doing the exact same three cross-rhodes that almost ended last year's match before it got interrupted by solo, this time uninterrupted.

roman just clinging to him and not moving out of it--he knows it's over. he knew the moment he saw seth that if he hit his ex instead of cody it would be over. he knew and did it anyway.

samantha choking on tears as she announced cody's victory

the ref giving the belt to the rock as roman crawls away pathetically, and the rock grabbing that belt and glaring at roman like he was about to whip him right there and then