#dalton castle imagine

[diskaywrites]

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙁****** 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙮 𝙎𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩 #𝟭𝟭: 𝙎𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝘿𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙭 𝙅𝙤𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙮 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙊𝙛: 𝘿𝙖𝙠𝙤𝙩𝙖 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙮 (𝙊𝘾) 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚: 𝙈𝙖𝙞𝙣

.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽..✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽..✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽..✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽..✽✦✽.◦.✽

It wasn't that Dalton Castle wasn't proud of the man he once called his tag team partner. On the contrary, Dalton had never been prouder. Joe Hendry had taken the world by storm with one little song. It was remarkable how he had exploded onto the public scene, seemingly overnight. To the world, Joe Hendry was destined to be a star.

And yet here Dalton sat, unable to do the one thing he loved since the injury but watching those he loved live that life.

The match with Roderick Strong had left Dalton unable to compete for the rest of the year. It broke his heart, between watching his husband Dakota Heraldry make his return to the ring for the death match scene in the UK and Joe's rise, to see others living the only life he had ever wanted. So, in an effort to find something to do while his husband was in the UK, Dalton had decided that for once he was going to be the annoyance in Joe's life.

The dirt sheets would have a field day if they caught word of Dalton showing up backstage for a company he didn't work for, especially during a major premium live event like No Mercy. He knew he should lay low, dress to blend in, but he was 𝑫𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆. Subtlety had never been his strong suit. The blue sequin jumpsuit was matched with albino peacock feathers, one of the trademarks of his looks, to match the colors that Joe would wear in the main event. Even if the cameras wouldn't be focused on him, it was no reason for Dalton to dress like a slob in his eyes.

His perfectly manicured hand rasped against the door of the locker room that had Joe's name taped to the door, a perk of being in the main event. He gave a warm grin as the door opened, Joe standing before him with a puzzled look, "Dalton?"

Dalton beamed, outstretching his arms to his sides with a wide grin, "Joe!"

"𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆?"

It was Dalton's turn to look confused. The statement hadn't sounded as excited as Dalton had planned it out in his head. In fact, the statement sounded familiar. Joe sounded almost like Dalton did when he...wait...

Joe was 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 annoyed by his presence!

"You don't sound happy to see me, Joe," Dalton huffed, blowing a strand of chestnut brown hair out of his face, "why is that?"

"You didn't tell me ya were comin'," Joe rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, "What am I supposed to sound like?"

"Happy that I graced you with my presence!" Dalton protested, hands on his hips, "Like I w-"

"You're never happy when I just show up!" Joe interrupted, raising a finger to jab into Dalton's chest, "𝐘𝐎𝐔 always sound annoyed to see 𝐌𝐄!"

"Well 𝐘𝐎𝐔 always show up at the wrong time!" Dalton poked Joe in the chest back, "𝐈 show up at the right time!"

The two men stood fuming, watching each other with heaving chests before Joe spoke up, "You're here to watch me become champ?"

Dalton gave a sharp nod, "I'm here to watch you be the champ you've always deserved to be."

Joe moved forward, wrapping his arms around Dalton for a tight hug, "I'm glad to have you here, you absolute annoyance."

"And I'm always glad to be there for the ever constant thorn in my side."

[grizzledyoungimpact]

Bedbound

Whumpuary 2024 January 9-10th, 2024 Can't Move/"Stay. Please."/Kidnapped Dalton Castle/Dakota Heraldry (OC)

"Not again," Dalton Castle whispered to himself as he laid looking up at the ceiling of the hotel room, "please God, not again..."

It had been almost seven years since the match in which Dalton had first injured his back. He didn't blame anyone for this injury, how could he? It was a cumulation of opponents and his own hubris. Had he realized something was wrong early on, maybe he could have stopped it from getting as bad as it had, but he was champion. For the first time in his career, he had been Ring of Honor Champion and no one could take that away from him.

The only person who could ruin it was himself.

His career had not been where he wanted it to be lately. The loss of his chance to be Ring of Honor Television champion at the hands of Johnny ROH or Johnny Honor or whatever he was calling himself at Final Battle had started that downfall. It had broken his heart to know that the one championship he had worked for was stolen from him by someone who simply didn't care. The loss had shaken Dalton to his core.

It was supposed to change the night before at World's End.

Before the actual show, there had been a twenty, or was it nineteen including Luchasaurus, man battle royal. Dalton had entered with the intention on making the prize, a contract for a match for the TNT Championship, his own. There was a hope that he had lost in his eyes once again. There had been that hope up until his husband, his Dakota, had swiftly eliminated him from the match.

The same Dakota who was now coming back into the hotel room as Dalton laid in bed, unable to get up.

"Being a lazy bones today, birdie?" Dakota tried to gently ask as he sat the Starbucks he had brought back for the both of them on the nightstand. When Dalton didn't answer, Dakota pursed his lips and put a hand on his hip, "You're still not talking to me?"

"I can't get up," Dalton's voice was an almost hoarse whisper.

"Can't or won't birdie? C'mon. I got cake pops for breakfast," Dakota jiggled the bad before setting it down alongside the drinks of the nightstand.

"C...can't," Dalton answered, eyes still on the ceiling, "my back spasmed and I..."

Dakota swiftly got into Dalton's bag that sat at the foot of the bed. He produced the Tylenol bottle and fished inside of it for two of the pills. He laid on the bed next to Dalton, giving the gentle command of, "Open."

Dalton opened his mouth, allowing his partner to put the pills in his mouth. It was followed by the straw of his drink, an iced coffee, to swallow down his medication. "Thanks bear," Dalton gave a soft smile before his expression turned back into a scowl, "but I'm still mad at you."

Dalton rolled his eyes, moving to lay his head on Dalton's chest, "You can be mad all you want, birdie. I'm gonna be here anyways."

[calla-celtigar]

creatures of the sea

a dialogue within @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood, a closed starter with @daltongreyjoy-asoiaf-rp

The crab and the kraken. Lady Calla Celtigar did not miss the irony of her meeting in the beauty of the Red Keep’s lush gardens, the season leading to the bloom of intricate red and yellow flowers. Calla had been fond of the gardens since the day she arrived in King’s Landing many years ago. There were few flowers on Claw Isle, more stone and moss than flower and wood. However, King’s Landing tamed beasts in these gardens, both man and animal. Calla Celtigar was curious to see if it would do the same to Lord Greyjoy, the infamous Red Kraken. 

Her small fleet of trading ships had sent word-filled trepidation over the arrival of some of the Greyjoy fleet. Dalton Greyjoy had made an impression across Westeros, even to her Celtigar men who solely traveled the Narrow Sea. She heard the omens of ships with black and gold squids. But Calla did not fear Dalton Greyjoy due to his purpose of travel. The lords of Westeros had come to swear loyalty before to the dragon. Perhaps the kraken could not be tamed, but he could be made to bow.

Calla pondered these thoughts as she winded through the rows of shrubbery and curated flowers, politely nodding to the other ladies of the court who walked past. It had been some time since she had the moment to enjoy the space due to her duties to Princess Rhaenyra, and it was clear that her absence had been noted. However, the ladies kept their distance in the path due to the hunting hound that padded beside her. Her maids had tended to Moddey as best they could, but her old hound preferred her company in such places as this. His grey fur had been soft under her fingertips as she walked, and the dog instinctively leaned on the folds of her velvet dress as she turned a corner. Moddey had always been quiet as a shadow, but he made his presence known by physical touch. She had wondered how Moddey had ever been a trained wolf hound until she looked at the scars that marred his muzzle. Many of the pelts Lord Bartimos displayed in his court Moddey had a part in her grandsire's travels to Crackclaw Point and beyond.

The hound was a predator in the garden and not the only one as Calla set her eyes upon the Lord of the Iron Islands. He looked all the parts of the Greyjoys she had both heard and read about. He was hewn out of dark sea stone, unyielding and weathered. She looked over him, memorizing the details she could only imagine before this encounter.

“Lord Greyjoy.” Calla stepped forward to him with a deep incline of her head, her ringed hands wrung behind her back. There was no smile on her face but neutral respect for one of the realm's most powerful lords. Rarely had a Celtigar interacted with a Greyjoy in history.

“I appreciate the time you have taken to meet with me today.” She waved a hand forward, beckoning him forward as she began to walk down an alternate path, Moddey trailing behind her now with dark eyes. She turned her head to Dalton, pearls swaying in her hair as she did so. Two creatures of the sea, walking on land because of duty.

“I hope the city and the Red Keep are treating you and your family well.” Calla had done her research before preparing this meeting with him, learning the number of his wives and his children. The Red Keep would be crawling with krakens in the coming days. She had already heard the whispers in the halls of the castle. The children were uncouth and illborn, and their father a vicious heathen. Calla was curious about what Lord Greyjoy would do when the words came to his ear. But those were words of the future and in no way the purpose of her arranged meeting.

“Do you enjoy history, Lord Greyjoy?” Calla let the question hang in the air as they walked, the stone clicking under their feet as they slowly moved forward. Perhaps he would appreciate a blunt offer, but she sensed otherwise when treating with the man who paid the Iron Price.

[thedadkraken]

The Consequences of Influence

w.— @thefairheiroffairisle

Pyke didn't have many balconies and the ones they did have were dangerous during storms and ignored on clear days. Dalton's new study on Faircastle had a nice view into the sea, his new balcony wasn't a safety hazard and he could enjoy his time there. He spent a long time looking at the pale walls, the light inside the room felt calmer than anything he had seen at Pyke.

—Have I told you how I met your mother? Not the romance we always say, but the reason I was in Fair Isle to meet her in the first place. —Dalton was young and genuinely thought he could invade the castle by himself, Veron liked to tease him about his failed attack.— Look at the shore, seashell. Look how close we are to them. Just imagine the possibilities.

He left the rest unsaid. « Imagine how many raids we can do from here. We could attack the Crag from both fronts, north and south. » The location couldn't be better. So close to the Rock, there was no need to use provisions unnecessarily before raids. His men could rest and recharge here. Dalton was pleased with everything. But the location was a double edge sword, the were closer; it made it easier to attack, it would make it more difficult to defend. Especially after Dalton destroy most of the castle's defenses.

—You've hidden behind me, on Toron's shadow, under your sisters and uncle's protection. One day the westerlands will remember. Your ships can have Farman sails and Lysa's grace but that won't ever erase the blood. We have their suffering dripping over our hands and you cannot escape my legacy. Even if I wish you could.

Dalton could insult the westerlands all he wanted, but he never truly thought they were stupid. They'd eventually notice. House Farman and Greyjoy were linked forever.

Toron once had told him the Lannister lady must have come as a spy sent to kill Rodrik. Dalton didn't think Jason Lannister stupid enough to make his own daughter do the job, when he was rich enough to hire a killer of his own. But his son's paranoia had a point: the Lannisters would do something, they'd respond, otherwise who would take them seriously as Paramounts?

Lady Johanna gave Jason Lannister cats instead of lions, each daughter weaker than the last, their pride was an illusion and their roars were only whispers. Toron was more capable of becoming an actual lion than any of those blonde fools.

—Your lover is a liar, a hypocritical, but does a Lannister who isn't a hypocrite truly exists? The protector of smallfork, or something like that she said at court. Did she said she cared? We kill hundreds of her dear smallfork every year but has no problem sleeping with their killers. No boy, that woman is hiding something. When Toron decides to continue his foolish plans to take Casterly Rock as inheritance, don't be surprised as her blade cuts your neck.

Perhaps he was being dramatic, too reckless to think. He ran his hand over his neck, the scars were not visible but he could feel them anyways. He wouldn't let his son be hurt if he could stop it.

[forabeatofadrum]

Ever After (17/21)

Notes: Kissy kissy smooch smooch?

AO3 | S&C

–

TIGER

Kurt and Blaine leave with a big spectacle, as expected. Once they’re at their carriage, they change into their other clothes and Blaine lets out a long breath.

“Wow. That was…”

“That was,” Kurt nods.

Now that they’re alone, it’s time to read the note. Blaine unfolds it.

Dear mister Hummel and prince Blaine of Daltonia,

Almost there! I only need one more book from you. Luckily, it’s right in the heart of the kingdom, in Castle Town. What would you say if I tell you I even hid it in the Castle, right under your noses?

“What? The Castle got infiltrated?” Blaine sounds shocked.

I am there too. Not in the Castle, no. But in Castle Town. Once you have all eight books, come and say hello! I am eager to see my dear mister Hummel again. I need to thank you after everything you’ve done. I eagerly await your arrival.

Greetings,

The Sergeant

--

They set up camp in the evening. Kurt connects the external batteries to the sleeping bags and Blaine once again spells a fire.

“Okay, we spent more time in the south than expected, but we’re getting somewhere.”

“Uh-hm,” Blaine hums in agreement.

“I’m… almost going home.”

Blaine looks up. Kurt sounded a bit sad.

“Aren’t you happy to go home?” he asks. That’s why they’re doing all of this, after all!

“I am,” Kurt says quickly, “But damnit, I will miss Daltonia.”

“Daltonia will miss you,” Blaine says back.

“And… I will miss you the most.”

Blaine startles, and the flame rises for a second. The light of the fire shows that Kurt is blushing.

“I will miss you too,” Blaine says, equally red in the face.

Kurt coughs.

“So. Yeah. Uh. Almost home. Assuming that the Sergeant will uphold his promise, but I doubt it.”

“Why?”

Kurt crosses his arms.

“He makes it sound like he needs these books to get me home, Blaine, but he’s the one who hid them in the first place, so he had them!”

Blaine blinks a couple of times, letting the words sink in. Kurt is absolutely right. They’ve already realised that they’re doing some work for this Sergeant, since finding the books has been danger-free and they probably let Kurt out in the first place. But yes, why did he spread the books in the first place?

More reasons not to trust this Sergeant.

“He knew I’d do anything to get home. He knew he would have to dangle that over me, but I don’t trust he will get me home, no matter how much he promises.”

“But you will go home. I promise. We will find another way, if we must!” Blaine tries to cheer Kurt up.

But Kurt has a serious look on his face. He sits down next to Blaine.

“Blaine?”

“Yes?”

“The end of our journey is near.”

“… I know.”

“And I just want to thank you again for everything.”

“Kurt, you don’t-”

“Please, let me,” Kurt puts his hand on Blaine’s arm to shut him up. He has a kind smile on his face. “I want to say this, just in case we don’t have a lot of time left.”

“… Okay.”

“Thank you for showing me Daltonia, the world of my childhood dreams, and also enhancing it. I know you were afraid you meant nothing in The Cooper Chronicles, but you mean everything to me. Being with you has made all of this so much better, and you showed that this world is way bigger than anyone, including B.D. Dalton, could have imagined.”

“You’re welcome,” Blaine’s certain he’s turned even redder.

“And I know this is bad timing, but I don’t think I could ever leave this world without doing this.”

“Doing… what?” Blaine asks.

Kurt cups Blaine’s face and leans closer and Blaine knows what is about to happen. He should put a stop to it. Kurt is leaving Daltonia. Kurt is leaving him. But he can’t stop, because he wants this too. He’s wanted this for a while.

When Kurt kisses him, it’s not unexpected, and Blaine kisses back.

--

The next day, it’s eerily quiet in the carriage. That’s partially because they’re tired. They spent last night kissing till they were exhausted. But also because reality is sinking in. Ideally, they will confront the Sergeant today, and Kurt is going home.

They don’t speak about the kisses. Maybe it’s best if they just move past it. It happened, and Blaine’s glad that it happened, but thinking about how it’ll end only makes it hurt more.

So instead they go over their simple plan and before they know it, they arrive at the gates of Castle Town. They park their carriage in the woods where it all started and walk towards the town. The guards recognise them.

“Welcome home prince Blaine,” they bow three times.

“Glad to be home,” Blaine says flatly, because he isn’t, not really. It only means it’s almost over.

The guards walk Kurt and Blaine back to the Castle, and they meet up with Blaine’s parents in the throne room.

“Your majesties,” Kurt bows three times. Blaine doesn’t, since they’re his parents.

“Blaine, oh, am I glad to see you home!” his mother rushes towards him to hug him.

“You did well in Knight City, my son!” his father joins the hug.

“You heard?” Blaine asks.

“Of course!”

“Dad, what happened to the staff that originally accompanied me and Kurt?” he asks. It’s been on his mind since the first day.

“What? Weren’t they with you in the south?” his mother sounds confused and breaks away from the hug.

“No…” Blaine says and the dread kicks in. His soldiers never made it home. His parents believed that he and Kurt weren’t alone all this time, which is probably why they never came looking for him. Blaine had suspected it for this reason, but still.

He and Kurt quickly recount their journey and the king immediately orders a search party for the missing soldiers.

“Come sit down, both of you!” his mother says, “You’ve had an awful fright.”

“We’re alright, your highness, thank you. But our mission isn’t done yet.”

“We need to find the final book. It’s in the Castle.”

“The Castle?” she sounds as confused and shocked as Blaine.

“Cooper is home. He can help!” his father says, “I suggest you and your… friend go there at an instant.”

Why did his father hesitate on the word friend? They couldn’t have known about what happened last night, right? That would be even more embarrassing than that time with Trent!

“Lead the way, Blaine,” Kurt says.

Blaine nods. He wants to reach for Kurt’s hand, but that is a bit too much giving the circumstances. Instead he starts walking and Kurt trails behind him. They take the elevator to the tiger floor.

“The tiger floor, in the flesh,” Kurt says dreamingly, “Cooper chose this animal because it symbolised strength.”

“I know…”

The elevator ride feels too slow and Blaine wonders if he should break the unbroken rule and talk about it. He can’t stop thinking about it, after all, and he wonders if the same’s for Kurt. Kurt is the one who initiated it!

He spends too much time considering it, because the elevator doors open and he and Kurt open the door to Cooper’s chambers.

They should’ve knocked.

“Oh… my…” Kurt sounds as stunned as Blaine. Blaine can’t even speak.

“What the-” Cooper yells out.

Blaine slaps his hands over his eyes, but he’s seen it. Cooper lying on the sofa, with Mel on top of him. Both not wearing a lot of clothes.

“Blaine, get the- What are- Go!” his brother screams.

“We- We need your help!” Blaine blurts out, still not looking out of respect for Mel, mostly, “Father told me-”

“Go!” Cooper screams again.

“Let’s give them some time,” Kurt says and he grabs Blaine’s free arm and leads him outside. Once Blaine hears the door close behind him, he finally moves his hand from his face.

“… That was real, right?” Blaine asks Kurt.

“I- Yeah. Wow.”

Then it hits Blaine.

“Is this why he told Arasha not to join him in Castle Town? That bastard!”

And Blaine likes Mel, even though he never really got to know her. He respects her. What just happened? Holy shit!

“Can’t believe… I was right,” Kurt mutters and Blaine’s head jerks towards him.

“You knew?” he asks, aghast.

“No, not really!” Kurt quickly says, “But I have been a Mooper truther since day one and even though my fics never included infidelity-”

“I have no clue what that means!” Blaine sounds erratic.

“Doesn’t matter!” Kurt says and he grabs Blaine’s shoulders and angles Blaine’s body towards him. Blaine wants to lean into the touch, but he can’t dwell on that. “We can’t get side-tracked. Give them time to, uh, clean up, and we talk to him. Or them. Mel is very smart.”

“But… Arasha…”

“All Cooper’s narration ever talked about was Arasha’s ‘oriental beauty’, Blaine. He was more kind towards Mel with his thoughts. I don’t think Arasha loses a lot here,” Kurt says.

“But she loves him!”

“Not our business.” Although Kurt does seem pleased to know he was ‘right’. Daltonia truly is a gift that keeps on giving to him.

After what feels like ages, the door opens.

“You needed my help?” Cooper asks.

Blaine nods silently.

“Come in. And not a word about what just happened.”

“But-”

“Blaine!”

“Arasha-”

“Blaine, no.”

“She-”

“I am also not interrogating you about your relations with him, aren’t I?” Cooper nods towards Kurt, “So don’t do the same.”

“How did you…”

Cooper’s eyes widen and he rubs the back of his neck. Kurt looks to the ground. Blaine is turning red, again. This entire ordeal is weird.

“I… took a wild- I didn’t know I was right- I-”

“Okay, brotherly quarrel is over. Let’s talk about the Sergeant, shall we?” Kurt breaks in. He pushes Cooper aside and enters the chambers. Cooper and Blaine have no choice to follow.

Mel is gone, which is maybe for the best for now. Maybe she’s also hiding in the bathroom.

Cooper coughs.

“Tell me everything,” he says.

So they do, except that they leave out the whole thing about The Cooper Chronicles, because it would only fuel his ego even more.

“Father suggests that you help us find the final book. Then Kurt… can go home,” the last words feel heavy. He tries not to look at Kurt.

“To the other world,” Cooper sounds amazed.

Kurt nods.

“Yes.”

“So you’re not a lunatic after all?”

“Cooper!” Blaine bites out.

“Yup. That’s Cooper,” Kurt says.

“What?” Cooper asks, but both ignore him.

“Can you help?” Blaine asks.

“I think I already have,” he says. Cooper gets up, gestures towards them to wait, and then leaves the living room area. He returns with a box.

“You have it?”

“I found it in my room. I have no idea what it is. I tried reading it, but it won’t open for me,” he says, which confuses Blaine. Blaine could read it if he wanted to. He just didn’t want to.

“… Well, this is anticlimactic,” Kurt says.

Cooper hands the box to Kurt. Kurt opens it and Blaine looks in as well. The final book, The Cooper Chronicles: The Timelines Collide is basically a brick. It’s huge.

“Thank you,” Kurt says.

“So, does that mean you’re going to confront the Sergeant now?” Cooper asks.

Kurt nods.

“Yes. It’s time for me to go home.”

-

End notes: #MooperForever!

[r-truth]

love my aew mutuals posting the name of the wrestler they see on tv without context like yeah. i can imagine what *reads posts* christian cage and dalton castle might be doing on tv lets go !!!

[aliandramartell-1]

Negociations, with: @daltongreyjoy-asoiaf-rp

THE GREYJOY FLEET WAS NEVER A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES. The princess of Dorne knew, however, that incredibly this time it didn't mean trouble.

Dorne had stood strong and alone during the reign of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros. Of course, they had been at odds with Westeros.

Multiple times.

Even though her father made sure Aliandra Martell was well versed in history, especially dornish history. Aliandra couldn't recall all the conflicts they had with the Targaryen family.

The Targaryens’ desire for Dorne to join Westeros was almost as strong as the Targaryens to inbreed among themselves.

Dorne would stand alone, however, Aliandra knew that they needed allies.

Strong allies.

The free cities had been less focused on trade and their economic success. Instead had developed some political ambitions. Aliandra couldn't imagine what would happen if Dorne didn't catch up.

So when she received the letter from Dalton Greyjoy, the Lord of the Iron Islands, it was almost like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

When Dalton Greyjoy entered Sunspear. He was alone.

Perhaps a sign of good faith or a sign of foolishness.

Dalton Greyjoy was known for his multiple numbers of wives and children so Aliandra had prepared to host all of them. Her servants had to rush, of course, Dalton Greyjoy didn't even wait for her answer to arrive.

It was probably only arriving now.

Aliandra’s brown eyes analyzed the Lord of the Iron Islands for split seconds, almost trying to avail his character.

The Greyjoys weren't known for their good intentions, they were ruthless.

As were the Martells, afterall “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” was their motto. Her family was just well more versed in politics, the Greyjoys sneaky ways were shown in more violent ways.

“Welcome Lord Greyjoy, I hope our journey was easy. Most westerosi nobles don't come here under their free will. Should we cut to the chase and start our talk?”, Aliandra asked directly as she began to walk towards the inside of the castle.

[wrestlingisfake]

Final Battle preview

Athena vs. Billie Starkz - Athena has held the ROH women's world championship for a little over a year, and this will be her 19th (!) title defense. She's 1-0 against the challenger, having defeated Starkz in a non-title match on June 25.

Shortly afterward, Athena took Billie under her wing--it's been so long that I've completely forgotten when, or why. For weeks ROH aired skits about Starkz being a "minion in training," but always disappointing Athena compared to Lexy Nair (who was also undergoing training for some reason). After Athena proclaimed that Lexy had "graduated" but Billie didn't make the cut, Billie snapped. On the December 14 show (taped last week) Starkz did a run-in on Athena, demonstrating all the viciousness she learned from her former mentor, and Athena suffered a legit broken nose.

Presumably this match will follow the old trope of "I taught you everything you know, but I didn't teach you everything I know." Either Billie has learned from Athena how to beat Athena, or she hasn't. Or maybe she can beat Athena by rejecting Athena's teachings, I don't know. It's safe to say she'll put up more of a fight than she did in June, but I'm not convinced it'll be enough. At the last ROH pay-per-view, they had be thinking Willow Nightingale could unseat the champion, but it didn't happen. And with all due respect to Starkz, she's not at Willow Nightingale's level--not yet anyway.

I'm in favor of seeing a title change. Athena's done all she can do in ROH except kickstart a women's tag team division (and if she was gonna do that, Billie would still be her sidekick). A sympathetic babyface champion would be a nice change of pace--someone who can play the underdog against the likes of Leyla Hirsch, Marina Shafir, or Mercedes Martinez. I would have preferred doing it six months ago with Willow, but much like Athena Willow should be on AEW television at this point. So I'll take Billie as ROH champion, but I'm not at all confident that ROH is going to give it to me.

Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Mark Briscoe & Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler - This is billed as a "fight without honor," which just means the match can't end by disqualification or count-out. The idea is to pay tribute to Mark's brother Jay Briscoe, who was killed in a car accident on January 17, 2023. Jay and Mark began an epic rivalry with FTR (Dax and Cash) at Final Battle 2021, which concluded with Jay's last match at Final Battle 2022.

From what I can tell, the Blackpool Combat Club are heading into this match looking to honor Jay rather than play the heels. But the BCC are particularly good at acting like sadistic assholes even when they're supposed to be good guys. This is Claudio's first ROH match since September. Danielson, an ROH hall-of-famer, hasn't wrestled for the brand since 2009. It's been just as long for Moxley, except his ROH experience was just dark matches--this will be his on-screen debut with the promotion.

Moxley, Danielson, Castagnoli, and Briscoe are all booked in AEW's Continental Classic; in fact, Bryan and Claudio have tournament matches slated for tomorrow, and they'll face each other next week. Moxley has probably clinched a spot in the semfinals, and Briscoe is already mathematically eliminated. I doubt this match will affect the complexion of the tournament, but you can count on the announcers to bring it up a time or two.

I would imagine the goal here is to recreate the bloody chaos from the Briscoe-FTR matches last year. The BCC shouldn't have any difficulty holding up their end of that. I'd normally pick the BCC to win, but given the tribute angle it'd be promotional malpractice to book any finish except a Mark Briscoe victory.

Dalton Castle vs. Komander vs. Kyle Fletcher vs. Lee Johnson vs. Lee Moriarty vs. ??? - This is the final in a "survival of the fittest" tournament; the winner will be awarded the ROH television title, which Samoa Joe vacated on November 8. Each of the participants won a qualifying match to get here, except the mystery sixth entrant. The final is contested under elimination rules, so whenever someone loses a fall they leave and the match continues until only one man remains, who is declared the winner. Note that Komander's AAA cruiserweight title is not at stake in this contest.

I have no idea who the sixth participant could be, but it seems like he has to be a heavy favorite to win the whole thing. I'd be happy to see Bandido, Mark Davis, or PAC return, but I'm not sure any of them really work as a shocking comeback that will upset the balance of this match. A new guy coming in could work. Shelton Benjamin and Dolph Ziggler are free, right? Oh well, just in case the sixth guy isn't cool enough to win, I'll fall back on Castle as my go-to guy.

Keith Lee vs. Shane Taylor - Lee and Taylor were a tag team in ROH years ago, but they split up with Keith jumped to NXT. A year ago Taylor made it known that he resented Lee over this, so they clashed in a two-on-two match, which Lee's team won. Then nothing really happened for a long time, until Taylor suddenly brought it up again and they decided to do run it back one-on-one. I suppose it'd be interesting if Taylor upset Lee, but I don't expect it to happen here.

Wheeler Yuta vs. Tom Lawlor - Yuta is defending the ROH pure title, so this match is under pure rules: You can only use the ropes to break a hold up to three times, and you can only get away with one strike to the face, and so on. Lawlor has been a regular in MLW and NJPW STRONG, but he hasn't gotten many opportunities to appear with AEW/ROH. Yuta likes to bully opponents with his grappling expertise, but Tom has MMA power so that probably won't work here. Yuta will retain, I'm sure, but he'll need every trick in his book.

Ethan Page vs. Tony Nese - This is an "I quit" match, so the only way to win is to compel your opponent to verbally submit by literally saying the words "I quit." Over the past few months, these two have gone 1-1 against each other, and I guess Nese cheated to win the first match and refused to shake Page's hand in the second. I don't know, I don't really care why they're fighting.

An "I quit" match can go one of two ways--either both guys absolutely torture each other for a long time, or one guy chickens out and quits over the threat of something that doesn't seem so bad. I'm not sure which we'll get here. I really hope we don't get some bullshit where the heels trick the referee into thinking Ethan quit. I mean, Rock vs. Mankind was 25 years ago, and I don't think anyone's pulled that shit since then, but I'm still hot over it. Ideally, Nese should quit because of something really dangerous-looking.

El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Black Taurus - Vikingo is defending the AAA mega championship. Taurus is a AAA regular but I mainly associate him with appearing in Impact, so it's a little surprising to see him here. Of course, I never seem to see him win at anything, so this should be an easy win for Vikingo.

Brian Cage & Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun vs. Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita & Bad Dude Tito - Cage's team is putting the ROH trios title on the line. The Gates of Agony (Kaun and Liona) just returned from New Japan's World Tag League tournament, where they went 2-5. One of those five losses came at the hands of Shane Haste and his regular partner Mikey Nicholls. I'm not sure why Nicholls isn't here, but their associates in TMDK are here. The important thing is Haste is the one with the cool hat and the cool music, and Tito is literally named BAD DUDE. Fujita is their young boy, though, and that poor little guy is going to get squashed real real bad. Champs retain.

Ross Von Erich & Marshall Von Erich vs. Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd - This is set for the pre-show. Ross and Marshall are the sons of Kevin Von Erich, who has a movie coming soon about his career wrestling in Dallas. This show is being held just outside Dallas. You do the math. I dig the Outrunners (Magnum and Floyd) but this just ain't their lucky day.

[my-chaos-radio-2010s-list]

C'Mon - Kesha

Cake By The Ocean - DNCE

California Gurls - Katy Perry

Call My Name - Cheryl

Call The Police - G-Girls

Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn

Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol

Calling All Hearts - DJ Cassidy, Robin Thicke, Jessie J

Can’t Stop The Feeling - Justin Timberlake

Canto Del Pilón - Milk & Sugar feat. Maria Marquez

Capital Letters - Hailee Steinfeld, BloodPop

Castles - Freya Ridings

Catch & Release - Matt Simons, Deepend

Chained To The Rhythm - Katy Perry

Cheap Thrills - Sia

Cheyenne - Jason Derulo

Ciao Adios - Anne-Marie

Circles - Post Malone

Classic - MTKO

Classic - The Knox feat. POWERS

Closer - Tegan And Sara

Cloud Raider - Paul Kalkbrenner

Club Can’t Handle Me - Flo Rida, David Guetta

Cold Little Heart - Michael Kiwanuka

Colors - Halsey

Come & Get It - Selena Gomez

Comethru - Jeremy Zucker

Coming Home - Diddy - Dirty Money, Skylar Grey

Coming Home - Sheppard

Commander - Kelly Rowland feat. David Guetta

Concrete Angel - Gareth Emery feat. Christina Novelli

Cool For The Summer - Demi Lovato

Cool Kids - Echo Smith

Cool Me Down - Margaret

Crazy - Kat Dahlia

Crazy - Lost Frequencies, Zonderling

Crazy Kids - Kesha

Criminal - Britney Spears

Criminals - MS MR

Crush - Yuna feat. Usher

Crybaby - Paloma Faith

Crying For No Reason - Katy B

Crystallize - Kylie Minogue

-

Dance Monkey - Tones And I

Dark Horse - Katy Perry

Dear Darlin’ - Olly Murs

Dear Future Husband - Meghan Trainor

Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) - Lloyd, André 3000

Demons - Imagine Dragons

Despacito - Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee

Diamond Heart - Alan Walker, Sophia Somajo

Diamonds - Rihanna

Dirty Talk - Wynter Gordon

distance - Chrisitna Perry feat. Jason Mraz

Dive - Salvatore Ganacci feat. Enya and Alex Aris

DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love - Usher, Pitbull

Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys

Do It Like A Dude - Jessie J

Do Wah Doo - Kate Nash

Domino - Jessie J

Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself - Jess Glynne

Don’t Be So Shy - Imany

Don't Hold Your Breathe - Nicole Scherzinger

Don’t Worry - Madcon feat. Ray Dalton

Don't You Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia, John Martin

Drive By - Train

Dusk Till Dawn - ZAYN feat. Sia

Dynamite - Taio Cruz

[ghostofviperwrites]

Free Spirit

Requested by Anonymous

Pairing:  Dalton Castle/FC

Category:   angst  

Warnings:  None  

6.            “Baby as soon as you meet me, you’ll wish that you never did” -  Alone - Halsey

Dalton Castle frowned as once again his phone call to you went unanswered.   If it wasn’t such a regular occurrence he would be more concerned.   With a sigh he resumed getting ready for his match, his heart heavy.  

Said he tried to phone me

But I never have time

He said that I never listen

But I don’t even try

He knew he shouldn’t have fallen for you.  You had warned him that you were a free spirit, not one to be tied down, but he had persisted.   Dalton insisted that he could handle you and your ways, but now he wasn’t so sure.   He was the one on the road for weeks on end, but you were the one that was never around.    Dalton didn’t think you cheating on him, or anything like that, you just weren’t one to sit around waiting for a phone cal.  

After his match he tried again, this time on your house phone with the same results.   He tried not to get discouraged, but it was hard.  Dalton knew you lived in your own world, alone in your own head, flittering about life without thought to others.   He had persisted knowing all of this and prepared to handle it.  But as the months wore on he was beginning to think he had a made a mistake.  

I know you’re dying to meet me

But I can just tell you this

Baby as soon as you meet me

You’ll wish that you never did

Dalton wished he could say things were different when he was home with you, but it was just more of the same.   You came and went by your own schedule and he never knew when you would turn it.   He didn’t know why he was so drawn to you.  You had to be the most self-absorbed person he had ever met, but you also glowed with an inner peace that was irresistible to him.   He knew you didn’t have a malicious bone in your body, it was just how you were.  

With a smile Dalton declined invitations from his friends to go out for a bite to eat and walked across the street to his hotel room.  He needed to think.  It was time to evaluate his feelings and the state of your relationship.   When it had first started out he was positive he would be happy with you.  It sounded perfect.  With his heavy travel schedule it was hard to find someone tolerant of it outside the business and a girlfriend who really didn’t care when you came or went seemed ideal. But when he couldn’t even get five minutes on the phone with you, couldn’t even get a text acknowledgement it brought him down.  His friends had noticed.  They mentioned his change in personality over the last month or so.  The happy go lucky always smiling Dalton Castle was slowly fading away.  He was angry and brooding much too often.  And he knew exactly where they all placed the blame.  And they weren’t wrong.  Shoulders slumping Dalton sat up in bed and grabbed his phone.   No surprise you didn’t answer.  This time he left a message.

“It’s me.  I can’t do this anymore.  I’m letting you go.”  Dalton said to your voice mail, hanging up with a heavy heart.   He knew deep inside he had done the right thing, but it still hurt.   For the sake of his heart, this time he was the one running away.  

I know I always go missing

And you’re lying awake

But if you ask why I’m distant

Oh, I’m running away

[ambootyos]

Just Another Day (Valentine’s Day Fic)

A/N: Second Valentine’s Day fic of the year!! This one is pure fluff, for my favorite Party Peacock. Enjoy!!

Word Count: 639

Tags: @originalbish98 @theprestigious0ne @thegenericluchadora @dorkyvillain @sheaxdevitt @baybayforlife @reigns420 @bolieve-that @laziestgirlintheworld @wrestlingismyguiltypleasure @i-ship-it-okay @breakfastwiththesun @littlebluespoon @earl-01 @thirstiswet @princesstoniii @lunatic-svillain

I promise you, I’ll never understand this holiday.

Valentine’s Day. Ugh. I hated every part of it. You were expected to put so much thought into one day, and it was never enough, and someone always got their feelings hurt, some how, some way.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry about it. I was single this year, and the only person I was spending today with, was my best friend, Dalton. I knew he’d make today fun, he always did.

I heard a knock on my door, and smiled when I answered it.

“I’m here! You know, to make you forget that you’re single, as you pretend you aren’t a hopeless romantic.” He teased, as he walked in. I rolled my eyes.

“Oh, ha, ha.” I said sarcastically.

He breathed a laugh, and draped his arm around me. “You know I’m kidding.” He said, causing me to chuckle.

“Just shut up, and watch movies with me.” I teased, playfully smacking his chest.

Dalton, didn’t seem focused on the movie. His mind seemed to be elsewhere. I paused the movie, snapped my fingers, and chuckled to get his attention. He smiled at me, and raised his brows awaiting a response.

“Are you okay? You seem distracted.”

He nodded, and cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just..” He trailed off, before taking a deep breath, and biting his lip. “Do you think..maybe you’d enjoy this day better, if maybe you were dating someone, you already enjoyed spending time with?” He asked.

“Like who?” I asked, completely clueless as to what he was getting at. He exhaled sharply, and rolled his eyes as he started to blush.

“Are you really gonna make me spell it out for you?”

“Please do! I’m beyond confused right now!” I exclaimed.

He took a deep breath, and shook his head. “Like...me maybe?”

My eyes widened, and I tried to find a fitting response, but my mind went blank. I didn’t know how to feel about any of this.

“Y-You?” I choked out, sounding more shocked than I meant to. He frowned, and shook his head.

“Uh..nevermind. I shouldn’t have said anything..it was stupid.” He mumbled, refusing to look me in the eye for even a second.

I felt horrible. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings like that. I just, didn’t know how to react. It was all so sudden. I bit my lip, and touched his shoulder.  “Dalton..listen..” I trailed off, but he jerked away.

“I think..I’m just gonna head out. I’m a bit tired. I’ll..call you tomorrow.” He said nervously, before walking out, not even giving me the chance to say anything else.

I went to my room and plopped down on my bed, before screaming into my pillow. I was beyond frustrated with myself. I could’ve handled that so much better!

Obviously I liked Dalton. I just never expected anything to ever happen. So, I guess I didn’t know how to handle it when he actually felt the same. Now, I’d probably ruined everything.

I tried, and failed to get some sleep, before deciding to call him early the next morning.

“H-Hello?” He said nervously.

“Dalton? We need to talk.” I smiled, but he just sighed.

“Before you say anything else, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just dropped that on you. It wasn’t fair. We can just..forget it ever happened.” He explained, a bit of disappointment in his voice.

“What if I don’t wanna forget it?” I spoke up, refusing to let fear get the best of me this time. “What if I like you too?” I breathed a laugh.

“Wait..really?” He chuckled.

“I told you, we need to talk.” I flirted. “Just be here soon.”

“On my way.” He replied, sounding happier than before.

Maybe Valentine’s Day wasn’t so bad after all..

[grizzledyoungimpact]

Febuwhump Day #12: Semi-Conscious

Febuwhump 2024 February 12th, 2024 Semi-Conscious Dalton Castle/Dakota Heraldry (OC) Gladiator AU

Dalton was glad as he fell to his knees in the center of the pit that he was not given a negative pollice verso, the show of the thumb that determined if a man in his position lived or died. It was the only mercy that the emperor could give him, it was the only mercy that the emperor had ever given him. As he fell on his face in the dirt, bleeding from the side, Dalton knew he needed a miracle.

He had not been expecting someone so splendid.

The next time Dalton opened his eyes, the haze of the room brought on by the battle he had gone through had set a blur amongst everything. He had been stripped of his helm and armor, causing Dalton to try and sit up in worry. They were important to him, a tribute to the goddess that he had dedicated himself to as a young man. The armor was emblazed with the image of a peacock, beautiful but fierce in the way it protected. The helm was decorated with the bright plumage of the peacock, again a symbol to the goddess Juno.

What he realized was that he was naked, a bandage around his sides.

"Good, you're awake," came the gentle male voice from the corner of the room. Dalton had expected his friend and a member of his familia gladiatorum, the troop of fellow gladiators who he worked and trained with, but this was not true. The figure, though Dalton could barely see him, was smaller and more handsome. He wore a purple tunic, which signified him as one of the emperor's slaves. "I worried for a moment."

"You...who..." Dalton could recognize his voice was wobbly, uneven. He would not remember this blur, he was certain of that, even if he wasn't sure the vision in front of him was real.

The figure stepped closer with a small tub of water, sitting on the edge of the cot where Dalton laid. "You are very lucky, you know. Most would have been put to death, the emperor is not a forgiving man."

"Who..."

"You may call me Dakota," the man brought the wet rag to Dalton's head, trying to cool skin that Dalton did not know was burning up, "I am no one."

"You are a genius of the pit," Dalton smiled up at his savior, eyes fluttering closed to lead him back into an unconscious state.

[you-tolkien-to-me]

Sooo. I just found out that i have the same birthday as Dalton Castle. I am so happy! He was born  March 4, 1986. And I was born March 4, 2000. We birthday buddies.

[bustcr-moved]

.

[thedadkraken]

» Everyone knows the crimes I do for fun, imagine the ones I do for love.

w.— @rightfvl-lysa

Dalton looked at the map, thoughtful. The last map to sit on his desk like this was broken to pieces by Toron, and the replacement wasn't as intricate as he would like. The new map of the Narrow Sea adorned the walls of his cabin, it serve as a good decoration, but an ornament wasn't a guide. The shores of Fair Island were well known to him, they had traveled and raided every coast on the westerlands. Dalton no longer needed any ink or paper to lead him to Faircastle. The Raven was a recognizable ship for House Farman, his black sails with a red kraken terrorized anyone who learned what they meant. If Garth Farman was smart, he'd have expected their attack a long time ago.

—You know the castle better than I do... ���He smiled, it was difficult to not smile around Lysa. « How many times have we planned this? I lost count. » The drawn lines lost and won meaning over the years. Lysa's frustration grew along side their children. If there was one thing Dalton understood well, it was the confusion over a father's lack of support.— and I can't appreciate our plan enough. It will be done, just wait.

« He had twenty five years to prepare, he better have a good defense. » Dalton made sure to never raid Fair Island before, not because he felt any particular love for his in-laws, but because an enemy who never learn how to defend themselves was easier to defeat. Lysa's brother could practice swordplay as much as he could, but playing would never match fighting or experience.

He looks at the map one last time, before setting his eyes on Lysa and kissing her knuckles. —I told you Faircastle was going to be yours, my dear.— He stepped out of his cabin, his sword resting on his side, the sun shone before his eyes. The white towers grew taller as they came closer. Attacking on broad daylight gave Garth Farman a little advantage; they would see them coming from the distance. —I swear it'll be yours before the sunset. When have I broke a oath to you?

He looked at the castle, even from the distance, Dalton could see their lack of archers. He chuckled, perhaps it would be easy. Suspiciously easy. « What are you hiding? » Lysa was perfectly capable of defending herself, but Dalton would always worry for her. « She won't stay back, so there's no point begging her. » — My dear, I think this counts as my wedding anniversary gift for you. — He signaled his men to disembark.

[fluffyhales]

Why won't people write for Dalton Castle? He's such a precious bean who deserves the world. Talented in the ring, great on the mic. The fact that he just happens to be so hot is a bonus. Strut your stuff peacock baby!