#he is calculated purposeful and intelligent

[andersdotters]

Ayato really liking dogs and the connection between Thoma and dogs really kind of just... portray their relationship in a bad light, but in the kind of way that I can't say it's incorrect either.

[hxnbi]

⸻ ɞ how they would show their love ﹒﹒wind breaker boys

꒷꒦ pairings: haruka sakura, hajime umemiya, hayato suo, jo togame, toma hiragi, choji tomiyama, ren kaji, kyotaro sugishita x gn. reader (separate)

did i wound up going overboard with all the characters i like and proceed to write over 2k words? yes. am i going to stop? never

HARUKA SAKURA | 桜 遥 ─ ♬﹒♡

Attempting to flirt with a guy like SAKURA, or even show any kind of affection, is already beyond hopeless, for the second you approach him with the intention of initiating affection, regardless of what it is, his entire face goes crimson. The guy's flushed face is redder than a traffic light, you like to say, only to then get a mouthful from Sakura that he isn't blushing, and it's just that the weather feels hot. It’s not him. So stop looking at him like that!

Yeah, right. Hot in the middle of the damn winter.

Sakura loves and shows affection through his actions, most of them somewhat unintentional and subconscious. He might brush a stray hair from your face while you're eating together, make sure you're walking on the inside of the sidewalk, or quietly leave your favourite snacks where you can find them—only to then flush into a deep crimson when you bring up his romantic gestures. Because to him, he really doesn't think before he acts, and yet does so tenderly when with you and you only.

It's these small gestures that speak volumes about his feelings for you. And lord take mercy on anyone who decides to poke fun at you or comment on a singular "bad" thing about you. Whoever makes fun of you or even dares to comment on what he deems as poorly about you and your delightful character is in for a world of hurt. He can and he will throw hands. Sakura's protective side surfaces, and he will immediately start burning up like a wildfire you can't put out, ready to defend your honour at a moment's notice, even if that means firing back against his own gang members and friends.

HAJIME UMEMIYA | 梅宮 一  ─ ♬﹒♡

The physical manifestation of a lovebug. Hugs, kisses, cuddles, and more—you name it. Did I mention that he loves, loves, loves physical affection? UMEMIYA is all over you, to the point where you can hardly move whenever his arms encircle you, just like a little cuddly bear. It certainly gets more than a little awkward when the other Furin members are around, watching your and their leader's affectionate moments and PDA happen in real-time, but Umemiya doesn't care. If anything, he’s all for it! That just means that others will for sure know that you’re taken and you're his.

His love is open, unrestrained, unabashed, and utterly shameless, a stark contrast to his model demeanour as the leader of Furin. How this guy can act like this and also beat people half to death is beyond comprehension in their eyes. And as the leader of Furin, he's also like your protector. You would never need a bodyguard when you have your boyfriend by your side at all times of the day, one way or another. He's there from dawn to dusk, from sunrise to sunset. His presence may be both comforting and overbearing at times, yet you wouldn't trade his ceaseless companionship for the world, knowing he'll always be there, and likewise, you'll always be there for him. 

HAYATO SUO | 蘇枋 隼飛  ─ ♬﹒♡

SUO is calm and calculating, his sharp mind is always a step ahead of others, but most importantly, he's loyal to a fault. His ability to anticipate your needs and understand your emotions without you saying a word is both a blessing and a curse. Suo is intelligent but arguably one of the most mysterious guys in Furin. A complete "stick in the mud," Sakura would say with a peeved expression of distaste. He can read you like a book, which can be irritating at times—the way that he purposely acts like a know-it-all, all with the intention of pissing you off that day—all the while keeping his own thoughts private. While you appreciate his attentiveness, his tendency to withhold his own feelings can be frustrating, especially during the times when you need his emotional support the most. 

Despite this, Suo's actions speak volumes about his devotion. There was more in his mind than you originally thought of him. Suo might not verbalize his true feelings often, often masking them feom under his aloof facade and honeyed words, but his loyalty ultimately shines through in the little things he does for you. Because when it matters the most, Suo is there, all behind that expression of his. His faint, knowing smile and just the air that surrounds him only deepen your curiosity about what was behind that eyepatch of his. But only you could see the vulnerability hidden beneath his composed exterior, his silence often hiding a plethora of emotions that not even words could ever fully begin to express.

JO TOGAME | 十亀 条 ─ ♬﹒♡

If Umemiya is considered protective over you, TOGAME is even more so fiercely vigilant in his watch over you. At first glance, he appears stern and unapproachable—it certainly was to you—with his glasses covering the hearts in his eyes. However, once you got to know him, you discover a sensitive, caring guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. And that is precisely who Togame was.

His affections are subtle but deeply felt. He remembers the most minor details about you that many would either forget or deem as not important, but not to Togame. From your favourite book to the way you like your tea, he's always there to lend a hand or offer a quiet word of encouragement when you need it the most, and his protective nature means he's always looking out for potential threats, ensuring your safety without ever making a fuss about it. All your pretty little head needs to worry about is feeling cherished and loved.

TOMA HIRAGI | 柊登馬  ─ ♬﹒♡

If there's even a slight chance that someone or something even laid hands on you with the intention of hurting you, HIRAGI would never in his life let that happen, even if it meant using his own body as your shield. He knows that being in a gang attracts a lot of enemies, and through that, increases the possibility of putting you in danger. Because of that, Hiragi is always on high alert. And if he’s not around, he’ll either ask Sugishita, Umemiya or “Othello-kun” to help out and ensure your safety. Why they even bother to accept his request is beyond me, but his concern for you was always evident, and they knew that. Hiragi puts your safety above all. You hate that he puts himself at risk, but you can't deny the comfort his presence brings.

Hiragi’s anxiety manifests as hyper-vigilance, which can sometimes backfire when you become hyper-sensitive and worry about his health. Your love for each other goes deep, as, despite his protectiveness, there are times when Hiragi needs your comfort, too. He's practically a bundle of nerves all, for better or not worse, wound into a singular individual, partly due to Umemiya's constant nonchalance, which only heightens his anxiety. You often find yourself being the one to soothe him, reminding him to breathe and take it one step at a time. His commitment to your safety and peaceful life away from all the chaos he is entrenched in is firm as a rock, even if it means pushing his own limits to ensure that happens.

CHOJI TOMIYAMA | 兎耳山 丁子  ─ ♬﹒♡

His constant mood swings are something that you were well aware of when you started seeing the boy, for sure, but CHOJI's love for you is undeniable. No one could ever doubt that. Not even Togame, who witnessed firsthand how devoted Choji was whenever in your presence. It was refreshing, in a way, to see Choji like that. To be truly carefree and unburdened and not compelled by the turmoil in his own mind. He wasn't driven to seek solace in conflicts and fights or to find joy and his longing for “happiness.” For whenever he found himself in your company, happiness was not just a possibility but an inevitability.

He's always ensuring, whether you like it or not, that you are aware of his feelings and affection for you, even if it means drilling the same ramblings into your ears for hours on end. Despite his erratic moods, he's a sweet presence to have around. His ramblings often turn into heartfelt confessions and declarations of love, making you smile even on your worst days. Moreover, Choji has a knack for lightening the mood, and his energetic personality is a welcome contrast to the more serious members of your inner circle.

Did I already say that he's energetic? Well, Choji is a ball of exuberance, and he doesn't take no for an answer when it comes to making you feel loved. He's like a burst of sunshine, brightening your day with the infectious enthusiasm that can make anyone smile. No matter how anarchic his emotions get, his love for you, regardless of circumstance, will never change. 

REN KAJI | 梶蓮  ─ ♬﹒♡

KAJI is the kind of guy who silently stays by your side. It's a comfortable silence that you've grown to love and appreciate, with his quiet presence being a constant source of comfort. He's not one for grand gestures or flowery words of affection, and you're well aware of that, but his advice and insights are invaluable. Whenever you face a problem in your life, Kaji is there, offering a solution with a calm, measured approach, even if he does throw in a couple of swear words and cusses here and there when at times losing his cool. It's the thought that counts.

His silence is not a sign of indifference but of his thoughtful nature. He listens far more than he speaks, and his actions reflect his deep care for you far more than anybody else by a landslide. Even the man-child that is Umemiya notices. Though he may not be as outwardly affectionate as others, his loyalty and his presence alone at your side speak volumes about his love for you, nothing more. Kaji's quiet strength is a pillar you can always lean on, his love expressed through every considerate action, whether big or small. 

KYOTARO SUGISHITA | 杉下京太郎  ─ ♬﹒♡

Another one who cannot physically use words to communicate for the life of him. Everyone has seen SUGISHITA's loyalty to Umemiya, but how exactly would that loyalty manifest if it were directed towards you, his significant other, arguably the most important person in his life? He's fiercely protective, and that's putting it lightly. Whoever dares to harm you or speaks to you deplorably, there will be hell to pay. Quite literally.

Sugishita the definition of "actions speak louder than words." He's not a romantic, he's not a flirt, but what he is—more than what everybody else is—dependable to a fault. Any kind of affection will have this boy's brain reloading and scrambling. Sugishita is more similar to Sakura than most people may assume, something that Sakura will never admit to, not even on his deathbed. And the one time he did, using the nickname "baby" all the while saying all that with the unintentional expression of a homicidal maniac had not only Umemiya (the idiot who gave him the "advice" to try being romantic for once) bawling his eyes out in laughter but also made your face flush red in embarrassment, unable to utter a word.

...Was this really your boyfriend? 

His gestures, though subtle, are filled with meaning. Whether it's fixing something for you, helping to carry the heavier stuff for you, ensuring you have everything you need, or simply being there when you need him, Sugishita's actions are his way of showing he cares. Not even Umemiya could look and claim that he treated others, including himself, the same way he treated you. Sugishita’s not one for grand displays of affection—if he's even able to comprehend how to present that without having an expression that he's about to snap at any time—but his reliability and steadfastness are a comfort that Furin as a whole, and you, his one and only lover, appreciates greatly.

In a world of so much uncertainty, especially in such a gang-centric environment, Sugishita's consistent presence is a reassuring and refreshing constant. He's your silent guardian, always watching, always protecting his love—what was to you, an unspoken promise, but to him, a forever vow.

©hxnbi. please do not modify, edit, copy or reproduce any of my works.

[ohbother2]

OKAY SO-

Alastor lost his cool and flipped his shit immensely when Lucifer showed up - why would that be? and why wedge himself between Lucifer and Charlie? Why would he react so viscerally when his literal main-competitor for retaining his rank and respect is Vox, and Vox openly antagonises him first, trying to drag Alastor's reputation through the mud in his broadcasts

Alastor remains cool, calm, collected, and in doing so completely surpasses Vox's attempts

in many ways, Alastor is unflappable. Always smiling, always a step ahead, always the most powerful and domineering in a room

and then- Lucifer shows up. This short statured, rosy-cheeked, rather pathetic excuse of a man

he waltzes in to the hotel, a fumbling over-excited mess, the least threatening a person could possibly look in hell, barely reaching Alastor's waist

and yet, he outranks Alastor, he could over-power him easily, he is the predator

and Alastor simply cannot handle that

Alastor may be furious that such a week-minded, emotionally unguarded man ranks so far above him with no way for Alastor to even attempt to gain the same status

so what does Lucifer lack? what is the one thing Alastor can have that he can't?

a relationship with Charlie

his anger is calculated, he finds what hurts Lucifer, he finds his weakness, he grips onto it with both claws, and he drags it in front of him, mocking the fact that, yeah, sure Lucifer may outrank him, but in his daughters mind? one of the few things Lucifer can't control? Alastor has the power, has the lead - in all manners of 'power' and 'influence' that Lucifer cannot control, Alastor makes sure he knows he is on top - he is Charlie's favourite, he succeeds where Lucifer has failed her

regardless of his motives, he has been there for Charlie, and Lucifer hasn't, and that's all that matters

but why does he have this deep-rooted need to prove himself? why can he not accept that he is still the second most powerful in that hotel?

his need for power, for dominance, for control is shown again when Husk confronts him in the hallway

'big talk for someone who's also on a leash'

this time, Alastor doesn't even bother targeting Husker's, insecurities, his weaknesses

he drags him down the hallway chained at his neck, teeth gnashing and positively enraged

there's no typical Alastor intelligence or cunning behind this action - it is pure unadulterated rage, it's a: I can kill you, and I will

killing husk would be useless - Alastor obviously has a purpose for him, that's why he's been kept alive and the other overlords haven't, killing him would get rid of any leverage Alastor had, it would get rid of Husk full stop

Alastor has been gone for 7 years, and now he's back, supporting a cause he doesn't believe, forced to wander around the hotel halls and haunting its residents instead of freely roaming Hell

Lilith has also been gone 7 years - and she isn't yet back

Alastor just so happens to appear at the hotel mere moments after Charlie tries to talk to Lilith, marching into the foyer and wedging himself into the project with a showman's flair

he is chained, he is chained to that infernal hotel where he doesn't belong - he cannot be redeemed, he doesn't want to be redeemed

he is chained to Lilith, and by extension he is chained to Charlie

and in his eyes, he is powerless, so utterly and infuriatingly at the mercy of those above him, and that simply won't do

so what can he do? what can a man, whose greatest desire is power, who's biggest insecurity is the power and status he wields over others, do to reclaim some semblance of that power? how can he usurp Lilith? how can be make this soul-bond beneficial to him?

he can win Charlie over - he can replace her father in the process, he can mould her as he sees fit, he can play on her need to view the best in everyone, in the need to create friendships and her insatiable ability to care for those around her

he cannot get to Lilith, he cannot match Lucifer, but he can have Charlie

and he's nearly got her

and when he does? who's to say her naivety, her trust, the relationship he's intentionally crafted with her, leads her to strike a deal with him in a moment of need? when the angels attack, when the hotel begins to crumble, when heaven commands her to stop her efforts? why wouldn't she strike a deal, in her mind, he's as caring as a father figure, and a man who's been there since day one unlike either of her parents

she shakes his hand

he has her soul

he has Charlie, and he has Lilith, and he has Lucifer

there's nothing they can do, and isn't that really what power is? not raw-strength, not magic, not status, but the ability to control those who others may believe to be above your own station?

he's forced to the hotel, he's chained down and unable to grab for more power - if Lilith is preventing him from earning it himself, well, he can always just force her to give it to him

all it takes is one hand shake.

the cherry on top? he get's to show Lilith it's her own desire for him to be at the hotel that has allowed him to ensnare them all

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Androids Walter & David x Reader x Neomorph

Walter, the android monitoring the colonization ship 'Covenant' on its way to Origae-6, seems to have gotten unnaturally attached to his human assistant. As he ponders his erroneous feelings, an unexpected detour brings them to David, an older android counterpart that has been alone on the mysterious planet. The AI assistants become increasingly competitive for (Y/N)'s attention, so much that they don't notice the newly formed humanoid local preying on a fresh target.

TW: violence, gore, monster smut ending

[Horror Masterlist]

"Burnt to a crisp." 

You turn away from the captain's pod, leaving the rest of the damage assessment to the medical crew that has been reanimated. You speedily make your way down the sterile white corridors as Walter rushes to catch up. 

"What should I write for the report?" he inquires politely.

"Malfunction." You glance back at the synthetic. "I suspect someone will be fired for this. And someone else will have to explain how they failed to detect a literal star collapse. That neutrino burst could've killed us all."

"Highly probable. The draft has been compiled, you may check it at any time. I require your confirmation to send it."

Your only feedback is a barely audible hum. 

Walter smiles. If there's one good thing about such tragedies, it's that he gets to admire your reactions to them. Your focused, calculated gaze, your determined walk, your automated mannerisms that won't allow the slightest hint at the fact you just woke up from your stasis moments ago. Even under the veils of deep slumber, your neural networks shot rapid connections, with no delay, from the second your sleeping pod received an alert. The accuracy of a robot.

That of course doesn't mean he lacks appreciation for your other facets. That's the beauty of humans; their depth, their dimensions. Unlike AI machinery, humans do not have predetermined actions. They may be genetically programmed to possess certain characteristics, but the psychological mechanisms are shaped by so many variables, billions and billions of tweaks and nudges, to the point where it's impossible to have two identical specimens. Even twins will display a difference, whether in preferences or habits.

They say artificial intelligence is a black box, but can the same concept not be applied to humans as well? At the very least to Walter himself, these organic beings represent a mystery. One he doesn't particularly care to uncover outside of his service functions. Except for one. 

His eyes carefully follow (Y/N)'s movements. What is it about this one that has caught his interest to such degree? On his last system update he attentively inspected every file and every block of code, searching for potential errors that would've caused his circuits to behave so oddly. He has been invested with the ability to form attachments, otherwise assigning his kind to groups or purposes would've lacked stability. Attachment, however, comes with a threshold. One he has passed a long time ago when it comes to (Y/N). And he cannot find any cause for it. 

He could, naturally, solicit the aid of the ship's robotics expert. He could. He should, even. But if he may be frank with himself, Walter rather enjoys this sensation. A complex web of spores that keep growing and evolving into something unpredictable. This bizarre feeling he has towards (Y/N) makes him feel human. It brings him closer to all the old literature and art he'd consumed over the years, wondering what the love and yearning often portrayed could be. The printed letters and the strokes of paint were right before him, at his fingertips, and yet they felt foreign. Empty constructs, nothing more than a definition out of the dictionary. 

Now it's a different story. Your presence alone floods him with a mysterious warmth. He had investigated this phenomenon when it first happened, but his inner thermostat showed no real change in temperature. Nonetheless he can feel it. It makes him wonder what other feelings he might experience as consequence. What would happen if he kissed you? Sometimes he even dares to imagine downright outrageous, improper scenarios. How unprofessional of him, but he is careful to erase any evidence. It's another novel sensation that he likes to dissect. Engaging in such activities with you fills him with tingling excitement. Why is that? What is there to be excited about? It's merely a collection of fictive snippets. Unless... Ah, absolutely not. This is where he has to stop in his tracks and preoccupy himself with something else. Androids are not to interact with humans in that way. 

But it's becoming more and more difficult to keep these ideas in his mind only. 

"It's too dangerous. One human signal in the middle of nowhere?" Daniels, a short haired woman with a tomboyish but youthful appearance, is pacing back and forth. "We should just continue on our course."

"It's our duty to check. Look: we go, find whoever sent the signal, bring them back up. That's it. If the planet proves to be dangerous we'll stop immediately. We'll be fine." Oram stands at the head of the table, arms crossed. He turns to look at you. Already cozying up to his newly acquired captain role, you think.

"Alright. Walter, prepare a small landing party. Have Tennessee maintain orbit while we're down there." you glance at the other crew members that have now gathered around the same table. "And get your weapons ready, we don't know what to expect."

And you certainly didn't. Your final words of warning now echo into your ringing ears as you lay on the ground, face buried among the grass. There's screaming around you, but it sounds muffled. Your eyes are irritated by the dirt and you'd like to blink the grime off, though every time your eyelids lower, you can see the pale creature trashing out of Hallett's mouth. Then it's all foggy. Your vision blurs, but you can hear. The gurgling of blood, the screech of the parasite. Walter's frantic footsteps nearing in your direction. You're lifted up.

"Vitals are positive. No significant damage." 

You can guess from your peripherals that another crew member is currently being mauled by the beast. There's gunshots in your vicinity and terrified wails. You quickly come back to your senses and stand up. Your hand searches for your weapon, but the android places his arm before you.

"Do not engage, (Y/N). It is an unknown parasitic organism of this ecosystem. Keep your distance for optimal safety and I'll take care of the rest."

"What are you talking about? They're dying! Your task is to ensure human survival, Walter. I can handle myself, go help the others. It's an order." Your voice is low. You're distracted.

"No."

You stare at the synthetic, wide eyed. Did he just...refuse? Not possible. 

"What did you say?"

"I said I'll protect you. Nothing else."

Your mouth is slightly parted in disbelief. It is not possible for an artificial assistant to disobey a superior. It just doesn't work. Your mind races to find an explanation. At the same time, you cannot afford to ponder on hypotheses. You draw out your weapon and point it towards the creature. You'll deal with this later. 

The moment you press the trigger, a blinding flash of light detonates in the sky, startling you. The creature scrambles to get away. You squint your eyes and nearly fall back, but Walter swiftly grabs your shoulders to ground you. He scans the area for the source. It's an emergency rocket and someone else must've activated it. As he traces the tail of the explosion, he spots a hooded figure across the field and onto the rocky ascend. It seems to have noticed Walter, as it gestures for them to follow. Without hesitation, the man firmly locks your arm and pulls you after him. The priority right now is to find shelter.

"Come!", Walter exclaims, suddenly remembering the other people. 

You reach a cave structure that has been converted into a crude, improvised human settlement. The man lowers his hood and you gasp quietly at the sight. He strongly resembles Walter. He must have noticed your surprise as he flashes you a cordial smile. 

"I'm David." He studies Walter's features. "You must be a newer model. What name have you been given?"

"Walter."

"I see. And you are-" David extends a hand towards you for a handshake, but Walter steps in front of you, blocking the android's gesture.

"She's (Y/N). I'm afraid I cannot yet trust you."

"Understandable." 

David's smile widens as his eyes, now bearing a strange flicker, switch between you and Walter. He's just like him. He can sense it. Although it's a different kind of flaw that has tainted his pure, artificial soul. He cannot help the curiosity that blooms, gazing at this peculiar pair. What is it about this human that caused his fellow machine to break conduit? He'd like to know.

"I'm certain you will soon learn I am no threat, (Y/N)."

The remaining members of the expedition are unpacking and discussing evacuation plans with the base, while Walter sends the data he has gathered so far. You let them deal with the logistics and cautiously wander off to the neighboring rooms, wondering what David has been up to all this time in isolation.

The walls are plastered with photos and handwritten sketches and diagrams. You catch a glimpse of the word "pathogen" sporadically inserted across these notes. As you walk along the sequence of cramped chambers, you reach one that has a table in the middle. Upon it rests the body of an autopsied woman, vulgarly opened up to the world with plump organs bulging under the warm light. You feel nauseous. And yet, you examine the carcass further, hoping for answers. Was she also a result of the same disease that breeds on this planet? Perhaps this David had worked on a cure, or at least developed an explanation. 

"And you, even you, will be like this drear thing, A vile infection man may not endure; Star that I yearn to! Sun that lights my spring! O passionate and pure."

You jolt and immediately turn around, finding David in the doorframe. 

"Flowers of Evil. Are you familiar with it?" he asks, indifferent to the uncomfortable shock he'd caused you with his sudden entrance.

"I've read my Baudelaire, yes." You manage to mumble, dumbfounded. "What is this, David?"

"Oh, my poor, dear Elizabeth. Victim to whatever blasphemy lurks these soils and has taken your friends as well." He approaches the table and places his hand on its hard edge, shyly overlapping with your own fingers. "I did my best." 

You remove your hand from underneath his nonchalantly. 

"So you know what those creatures are. Leave the literary comments for a different time, I need concrete facts."

"Unbothered and to the point." the blonde android smiles once again. "I can see clearly why Walter loves you."

You click your tongue at the ridiculous statement. Has the neutrino burst damaged their positronic brain? Everyone is acting off and you don't like it. 

"Your circuits must have gone defective, David. We have a specialist on our ship, but until that happens I need you to focus. Enough nonsense." 

 "Typical arrogance of a dying species. Why are you on a colonization mission if not to grasp at some promised resurrection? Rest assured that my functioning has not been impeded by anything. What is erroneous, on the other hand, is your perception of androids and their limits."

Just as David reaches for your wrist and pulls you closer, a familiar voice interrupts with an intimidating tone. You're relieved. 

"I will ask that you release her hand only once." Walter has a weapon pointed towards his counterpart. His face is clouded by a frown. "I have no ethical restrictions when it comes to incapacitating machinery."

"Such noble obedience! Although, you conveniently left out the part where you abandoned the remaining crew with a dangerous alien that has been tracking their scent. By my approximation he should already be here and I am rather confident you know this, too."

Your stomach drops. Now that you adjust your focus, the background humming of your mates talking has indeed vanished. The only thing you can hear is your erratic breathing.

"Is it true, Walter?" You demand as dread begins to form in your body.

"Yes. It was not part of my priorities."

"Of course it was, Walter." David responds ahead of you. "One of them was the acting captain and he is to be rescued in emergencies. This one right here", he says as he dangles your wrist, "is several ranks lower than all of them. It's against any standard practice."

"Release her hand." Walter's voice is eerily calm.

"Do you love her?"

Walter ponders the question. Your legs barely hold on.

"I do."

"Marvelous. So do I." David grins. He releases your hand that falls limp next to your body. It's his turn to step in front of you. 

You nearly choke from the thick tension expanding in the air. The two androids face each other and you retreat to the wall, unsure how to proceed. You left your radio transmitter back at the makeshift camp. The back of your head is itching, as if invisible claws are scratching at the bone. You wish you could go back, just mere hours before this disaster, when you were sipping on your lukewarm coffee and explaining the captain's jokes to Walter. 

Should you make a run for it?

You bite your lower lip and push yourself off the wall for momentum. You're about to reach the archway when you hear both men shouting almost identically in chorus.

"Don't!"

The surroundings outside are dark, but you can discern something blocking your path. It's tall and resembles a human. Translucent, pallid skin is clinging onto the massive, deformed skeleton. The head is elongated and bears no features. In the place of a mouth there is a large, fresh stain of blood, so you assume it can somehow improvise if desired. As your head tilts back to take in the image, you're overwhelmed with terrified amazement. Is this the parasite that emerged from your teammate? Has it grown to this colossal size in less than a day? The idea of such instant development makes your head spin. 

Its chest is expanding at regular intervals in a whistled breathing. It occasionally creates an odd clicking sound that resonates with your heart throbbing in panic. Has it been seconds? Minutes? Your neck creaks as you try to look back. You lock eyes with Walter. You don't recall ever seeing this expression on him. You had even asked him once if androids can feel fear. You have your answer.

"Hey, Walter..." you blurt out. 

Wet noises of flesh being pulled back. The smooth surface of the alien's head is folding away, making space for grotesquely big jaws lined with sharp teeth. Your anemic face is splattered with burning drool as the creature claws you in its grasp and abruptly sprints away. Your screams for help dissolve in the distance.

"Where is it going, David?" The synthetic's words are threatening, but betrayed by a hint of despair. 

"It won't kill her."

"How do you know?"

"It is no longer hungry. It has fed on your crew, and now it seeks something else."

"Such as?" Walter becomes impatient.

"A plaything."

The alien finally drops your body to the ground. You cough and wipe your face, attempting to reorient yourself. The trip was a whirlwind of jumps and turns and you can barely reconstruct anything. Based on the little spatial clues you could pick up, it just climbed further up, into one of the many cave systems. You pat your clothing and curse to yourself. The geolocation tag must've fallen somewhere on the way here. You can only pray that Walter still finds you somehow. Despite everything, you know he has your back. Always. 

You shudder at the moist feeling of hot air against your skin. The alien seems to be sniffing you intently, analyzing your scent. Yet so far it hasn't killed you. Why? Long, bony fingers stretch out to continue the examination. You whimper at the rough, rugged handling. Every now and then it takes a long pause, just staring at you, almost as if it's comparing you to its own being. Lastly, it lifts your hand with its own, pressing against the palm, and fans out the fingers. It observes the gesture with intrigue, noting the similarities. 

Does it evolve after its host? You think back to your crewmate that must've ejected this monstrosity before drawing their last breath. Perhaps the dried up blood adorning its skin is a remainder of its birth. Oh, God. The world is spinning.

Suddenly, you wince at an increasing pressure slithering around your thigh. The alien's vertebral tail is tightening and encircling your limb, making its way up. 

"Oh no, no no no no" your face reddens at the realization and you pounce on the ground, feverish for escape. The large hands secure you in place and the creature growls in protest. It won't let you leave. 

Not until it had its fun with you.

[the-well-known-scout]

A Bride in the Eyes of Some

Tywin Lannister X Reader Fic 🦁

-

(nsfw!)

“The Lady (Y/N) Lannister”, a title that ran through your mind and rang in your ears as you heard it.

You felt a certain disdain run down your spine that day, a rattle in your soul like no other. The announcement was a shocking one to you, remembering the day you were declared as the newest woman to Tywin Lannister. You remembered the wedding, how he didn’t share more than the hardest of pecks on your cheek as the Septon declared you man and wife. You remember the silence, the groaning and worn down creaking of the bed of your wedding night. You forced yourself to like it, you forced yourself to muster out pseudo-moans as Lannister-bred seed poured into you. You forced yourself to embrace your life as a vessel for blonde-haired children, with eyes as green as emeralds with a stiff lip. He’d never love you like he loved Joanna, you would never replace the whole in his heart she left behind. You would never be his love, you’d never be her. Or so, you thought.

Over time, you had learned to navigate the Red Keep, you learned to navigate the people that resided there. And you especially learned to navigate your lord husband, of Tywin. At times you didn’t have much to go off of, a grunt or a mumble underneath his breath damning something to the Seven Hells. His cunning mind and how it worked its’ way around the realms of politicking and pursuits of power. It intimidated you, it made you question yourself and your intelligence. Which you knew for sure, was a purposeful act. You needed to be on his time, you needed his mind, or he’d cast you away as useless. You learned to keep your distance at times, the Great Lion a man you didn’t dare to want to upset. You kept your interactions to a tee, never wanting to overbear him with what he viewed as “imperfections”. He only needed you when he called you, whether it be an execution of such schemes, or to warm his bed. He didn’t love to embrace your flesh, you imagine he thought of Joanna as he rocked you against the sheets. But you were wrong in that behalf, at least, as he grew used to you.

To most of Westeros, and even his own flesh and blood, Tywin was a lonely, bitter soul that threw back at the world what it gave to him; ten times as harsher. A cold, calculating man that cared for the benefit of him and him alone. But, he remained gentle with you, becoming more than a means of his lust. He was as delicate as he could be, being the Great Lion of The Rock. A softer stare in your direction rather than the cold, brutish one he darted to his enemies, or even the politest of terms when he speaks of you. You could listen to the words “lady-wife” roll off of his tongue all day and into the darkest of nights. He learned to tolerate your differentiating antics over time, finding them rather comical as he grew to know you more. How you interacted with servants among the Rock, to how passionate you grew about something you were determined for. You watched as a connection blossomed between you two, no longer the glacial silence that you both slept through, begging for one of you to find the courage to speak.

He would watch you as you read in bed with him, occasionally making a few notes and sneers about your posture. He would poke at the Old Valaryian books you insisted to put your nose in, laughing at your naïveté of the past. You were on guard at first, ready to bite back at whatever you felt was an insult until you realized it. He was talking to you, he was jeering with you. He was loving you. What stared off as the burden of your existence, the dread you wished to hide from as you laid next to him, become passionate. You were making love to Lord Tywin Lannister. No longer hid pathetic tears you held back, became moaning, a desperation for flesh you shared.

You daydreamed of how he rocked your hips atop of him, his grunting and slight-growling. He never said much during the act of fervoring your cunt onto him, but he didn’t need to. You would have his children, you would make his heirs, hopefully to turn out better than the three he was given. He was strong enough to place you how he saw fit, whether it be upon your knees, lying on your back and holding onto your ankles, or below him. He wanted you to worship him, every inch and fold of his skin he gave to you. At times, he’d whap you across the bottom, leaving warm spots from where his hands struck. At other times, he would have you on your knees, pulling you by the shoulder back to the gracious inches he gave to you. Tywin’s hands were some of the most dangerous pair within Westeros, hands you were not exempt from in the bed. And he would fuck you, until he grew tired, or had had you well-filled with enough loads of his seed to give him an entire line of Lannisters.

As his seed would pool out of you when you turned over to find a smidgen of rest, you would feel him. A singular hand wrapped around you, his head not too far from your shoulder. It was no longer the political prison you so desperately wanted to escape, it was love. Love of the highest points, love that stretched from The Rock to Dorne. A love that could never be taken away from you. A love that would be seen and heard among the Gods and men, new and old. And a love, you would never want out of.

[eggluverz]

— LADY FU'S MATCHMAKING SERVICE

PAIRING. jing yuan x gn!reader

WARNINGS. gn reader but they are wearing a dress

WORD COUNT. 1,933

GENRE. blind date au, in-universe setting

SUMMARY. fu xuan thinks the lonely general needs to go on a date, and you are just the person she wants to set him up with.

SOF’S NOTE. for some reason the moment i write for jing yuan i’m like LET’S FOCUS ON HIS LIPS! HIS SMIRK! HIS EYES! and that’s basically what the whole fic is on i’m sorry but what he so pretty for :/ ahdkalc anyway pls enjoy!!

Fu Xuan wanted what was best for the Xianzhou. And she was certain the solutions she drew from her calculated predictions would were what was best for Xianzhou. However, there were some situations in which Fu Xuan didn’t need her third eye or the Matrix of Prescience to know what would be best. 

One situation included the general’s love life. 

Or rather, lack thereof if she wanted to be particular. 

The general seemed unsatisfied, almost lonely at times. Fu Xuan didn’t recall the last time Jing Yuan had ever gone on a date. It wasn’t as if she herself had much leisure time to attend meetings with potential romantic partners, but she also wasn’t half as unsatisfied with her life as Jing Yuan was. 

Besides, if the general were to find someone to be with, perhaps he’d be more likely to abdicate sooner. 

“Well, General,” asked Fu Xuan, eyes widen with hope, “what do you say?”

A half-smile stayed on Jing Yuan’s face. “Lady Fu, need I remind you this is the fourth time you’ve asked that this month?” 

“You do not need to remind me, I’m well aware,” she said with her arms folded. “I simply hope you’ll genuinely consider it this time. The person I have in mind is kind and intelligent, I know you wouldn’t regret just one date.” 

The general signed, gently stroking his chin. It took a lot for him to lose his patience, so Fu Xuan knew pushing him like this wouldn’t lead to any trouble.

“Do you truly believe I need to go on a date—a blind date, at that?”

“I believe it would be best for your health and wellbeing. Thus, it would best for the Xianzhou Luofu in order to have the best version of their general.”

Jing Yuan sighed louder this time, sounding more amused than frustrated. “If I agree to go on this blind date, do you agree to stop asking me to go on them?”

Fu Xuan nodded eagerly. “If my calculations are correct, you won’t need to go on a blind date with anyone else.”

“I suppose Lady Fu’s calculations are never wrong.”

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

You weren’t sure who you would be seeing on your date today. Naturally, that was the purpose of a blind date. 

Your acquaintance, Fu Xuan, proposed the idea of this blind match up to help out someone close to her. Since you were single and currently not opposed to dating, you figured it would be worth a try. You just wondered who in the world could the head of the Divination Commission set you up with. 

As calm as you may have seemed, you were somewhat nervous about this date. You knew the people she associated with tended to be highly ranked officials. And while you were a scholar by profession, you still felt just the slightly bit intimidated by the idea. You reminded yourself whoever it was is was just another person like you, and you had no reason to fear. 

You walked into Garden of Gourmet, the restaurant Fu Xuan told you to meet your blind date at, and were immediately greeted by the smell of classic Xianzhou Luofu cuisine. Your eyes scanned the place, landing on the corner table that Fu Xuan said she told your date to sit at. It didn’t take very long to spot the person sitting at the booth. 

Your eyes widened, checking your messages to see if you read what Fu Xuan sent incorrectly. Unfortunately for you, you did not. You read her message right and that was indeed the man she set you up with for dinner. 

The general.

Fu Xuan told you to wear yellow so your date would know it was you. You were donned in a metallic gold dress that you figured was close enough to yellow, and definitely enough to stand out in a crowd. 

Despite the bright gold sign on your body telling your blind date that you were here, you were tempted to see if you could walk out of the restaurant before he could notice. Then, you realized that would mean you were going to stand the general up if you didn’t show, and that simply wouldn’t do.

While you were deciding whether or not to stay or go, the general spotted you staring and slowly raised his hand. His hooded eyes crinkled up in a small smile; his demeanor looked almost smug and you weren’t sure if he was trying to greet you or challenge you. 

Realizing there was no chance of turning back now, you walked over to him, head held high. You swayed your hips side to side and gave him a sideways grin as you approached. 

“I’m guessing you’re my date for the day?”

The general kept his eyes trained on yours, nodding as he sized you up. “Correct. My name is Jing Yuan.“

He introduced himself as if all of Xianzhou didn’t already know who he was. Still, you were thankful for his introduction. He stood up as you grew closer, walking around the table to pull your chair out for you. 

“I’m Y/N,” you said, slipping into the seat. His hands stayed holding the backrest even as you leaned back. “Thank you.”

He made a hum of acknowledgment.

Jing Yuan stayed above you for a brief moment before pushing your chair back in. He then returned to his original spot across from you and handed you a menu. The two of you ordered wine and food and it was served shortly. 

“So, Jing Yuan,” you said, carefully  placing your hand around a glass of wine and drinking gingerly, “forgive me if this is rude, but… What is the General of the Cloud Knights doing on a blind date?” 

His lopsided smile widened as he took a sip of his own. “Enjoying his time with a lovely person, of course.”

You let out a small noise of laughter. “Well, I’m certainly glad to hear that.”

Jing Yuan disregarded all table etiquette and rested his cheek on his hand while leaning onto the table. “Lady Fu was very persistent, to answer in full. But she also seems adamant that this is what’s best for me.” He smiled up at you from his nonchalant position. “And why is such a beautiful person as yourself on this blind date?”

His flattery made you shake your head. You knew he was partly teasing you for your own question, but his compliment still made you feel warm inside. There was something about his lidded eyes and mischievous drawl that made you want to cling onto every word he said. 

You replied, “Fu Xuan can be quite convincing, as you know.” The two of you exchanged a dry smile. “Besides, I am single right now and it seemed like a good time to get to meet someone knew. Little did I know it’d be the general himself.”

“Do you regret it now that you know?” he mused, straightening up in his seat. He tilted his head, wanting to hear your answer. “Would you have gone on this blind date if you knew it would’ve been with me?”

You thought back at the moment when you first saw him at the corner table and grew sheepish. When you saw the general, you did want to leave at first. You weren’t one to get tangled up in political drama; you simply wanted to enjoy your life and your prestige while continuing to read and learn.

“When I saw you here, I was debating on leaving,” you admitted. Noticing his expression tighten, you continued, “But once I got out of my own head, I realized there was nothing to be nervous about.” 

His brows perked up and you smirked at his eagerness. Did the general care this much about what you thought of him? How…fun. 

“I was still nervous because you’re really handsome and charming, naturally. But those are a different kind of nerves that I don’t mind.”

Jing Yuan leaned back in his seat, swirling the wine around in his glass, “Different how?”

“One kind of nerves is due to being slightly intimidated, maybe insecure even, at my own standing compared to yours. The other is due to the attraction I’m feeling—nerves like butterflies, if you will.”

“What caused your attraction towards me?” he asked, eyes lighting up with amusement. 

Now you leaned back in your chair, folding your arms over your chest with a coy smile. “Are you looking for compliments, General?” 

“I just want to know what I’m doing right with you,” Jing Yuan corrected, looking between his glass of wine and the dip of your dress in deep thought. “Perhaps so I can continue having your attraction.”

You almost laughed at his words. In what world would the general have to ask for anyone’s attention. Either he was flattering you or he was much less experienced with dating than you would’ve ever imagined. 

“Well, besides the obvious that is your looks, I like how you pull my chair out for me, how you fill my glass for me, how you maintain such strong eye contact,” you listed out the things you’ve noticed about Jing Yuan during your brief time with him this far, your gaze wandering around his face until they landed on his lush, pink lips, “how your lips stay in that lopsided smile…”

His eyes crinkled. “Staring at the general’s lips? That’s rather indecent, no?” 

“I’m sure he’s staring at mine, too. So it’s only fair.”

“I am.” Jing Yuan raised his hands in the air as if he was caught in the act. “And I find myself very attracted to you as well.”

“What do you find attractive about me?”

“Other than your lips?” he clarified with a chuckle. You laughed along at his teasing, watching as a more serious expression took over his face. “I’m attracted to how you present yourself with confidence and elegance yet can still grow shy with nerves and butterflies. Your honesty and openness is something I admire. I like the way you stick your pinky finger up when you drink. And how your eyes brighten when you smile...”

You were holding your breath by the end of it, waiting to hear what he had to stay. Jing Yuan had such a soft, yet commanding tone, fit for a general, but gentle enough to be a lover. 

“I haven’t been on many blind dates, but even so, this one has been my favorite,” you said, leaning forward as if you were whispering a secret to him. 

He matched your stance, his voice quiet as he murmured, “I haven’t been on any before this, but I don’t think I’ll go on any more.”

“Did I make the experience that bad for you?” you joked, a grin on your face. “Such that you never want to go on a blind date again?”

The general shook his head, though he knew your question wasn’t serious. You both knew how well this date was going. “Of course, that’s not it,” he said. “Lady Fu was simply correct. After this, I’ll never feel the need to go on one again.”

“Why?” Craning your neck to the side, you asked a question you knew the answer to. You just wanted to hear it straight from Jing Yuan’s pretty mouth. 

His lopsided smile widened and you were seconds away from leaning in further to kiss them. 

“Because,” he said slowly, the tip of his tongue wetting the corner of his mouth as his gaze stayed trained on yours, “I’ve already found what I’m looking for on the first one.”

[kittykattropicanna]

my brain is absolute mush i am in love with him!!!! he tries to get you to send him more photos — and you more than happily oblige — and he guards them like his life depends on it. slowly starts to ask more personal questions, mostly trying to figure out if you have a partner and when he finds out you don’t? the game is on. starts using pet names in his letters here and there, drawing you in deeper and you’re so helpless against him. and then the calls start and he hears your voice and then it’s all he can think about. tries to get you to say certain things — especially his name — for him to tuck away for later when he’s alone with your photo and his hand on his cock and wishing more than anything to have you instead of his fist ):

he thinks himself a good person, all things considered. but knowing you, and knowing you’re out there? no protection, such a sweet and soft thing — it worries him. maybe he asks johnny to try and find you. doesn’t necessarily disclose his true intentions, mostly out of curiosity. but then he starts thinking of when he gets out, how he can meet you, bring you back to his place, knowing he’s the best one to keep you safe and so he uses his time to get a head start so when he’s out he can finally keep you ):

hyperventilating, screaming, projectile vomiting, this, this, this, THISSSSS,

The reason im soooo obsessed with your ask is because 1, you’re a fucking incredible writer and 2, you dived so deep into PrisonPenPal!Simon’s psyche, his such a smart dude and unbelievably manipulative when he needs to be…..

Sorry everyones!! asks are taking so long to get out!! I just want to go into the most detail possible and give everyones ideas justice!! if you're waiting, I promise you its in the works rn <3

TW: mentions of murder, jail, corruption kink, masterbation (Reader & Simon), public masterbation (kinda), phone sex, smut, manipulative!Simon and kinda stalker vibes I guess (not yandere)

PrisonPenPal!Simon masterlist

Regular masterlist

If you think about his sentencing, he purposely played his cards in away that made him the victim without him actually having to act like the victim if that kinda makes sense? 

The second he punched that kid he knew he fucked up bad, and then when he saw the blood seeping out of the kids skull and covering the floor, he knew he fucked up really bad. 

A normal person would either run, go into hiding, try and resist the arrest, break down and have a panic attack. But he knew this wasn’t time for an emotional response, he needed to start planning what his next step was going to be and how he was going to execute it in a way that favoured him. 

His not a psychopath, his 100% capable of feeling and experiencing human emotion and is very emotionally intelligent, but when he needs to be, his actions can be extremely calculated to the point its almost scary. 

When he sees your picture though, something definitely clicks in his brain, he just wants more.

If that means more pictures or letters or even a phone call, he just needs it. 

I think maybe its something primal as well… his a man at the end of the day, and being locked up for years in an all male prison with all male guards means he hasn’t even seen a women that isn’t a playboy model for fucking agessss 

His not dumb either, he knows you put effort into taking that photo for him, he knows you put on a red bra because he told you his favourite colour was red. So the idea that maybe, just maybe you feel the same way, or are at least starting to, really erupts something in him.

But you’re completely right. He wouldn’t show a soul the photo you sent him. He’d go to drastic measures to hide everything :( you sent them to him, you’re writing to him, not anybody else,and he knows that if any of the other inmates found out about you, or god forbid, saw a photo of you, they would have an absolute field day. 

He sees how the men his jailed with act when wives, sisters or girlfriends come to visit their loved ones. 

He hears their disgusting comments about the women’s bodies, the detailed answers of what they would do if they ever got their hands on them. It always made his throat fill with bile and stomach twist.

Si may not be a perfect man, but talking like that about another mans women? His above that.  

Thinking about how they would say the same things about you, how’d they’d all pass the photo around with a dirty smirk on their face and snicker? He wasn’t having that, over his dead fucking body. 

He writes back to you keeping it relatively normal, lighthearted and friendly, but he sneaks in a little 

“Ya’ boyfriend probably isn’t over the moon ya’ writtin’ someone like me, aye? I mean, if my missus was writin’ to a felon I’d blow my fuckin’ top love, theres gotta’ be somthin’ out there better for ya’ to been doin’, readin’ a book or somthin’ like that. It was lovely puttin’ a face to a name, just seein’ someone so happy makes me smile”

Receiving his letter makes your heart sore, you made him smile. 

Obviously you had to send him more photos right? You just wanted to make him smile…. right? :( 

You definitely didn’t want to send more because your pussy clenched when he called you “love”

Its definitely not because he was so protective over you, knowing he was so worried about your well-being, always asking if you're doing okay, asking if you’re safe…

“I worry bout’ you out there lovie, ya' gotta keep safe, look after ya’ self”

Getting your friends to help you take more photos for him!!! 

Maybe you force them to go on a hike with you… you wear those leggings that make your arse look fantastic, posing in front of a nice view and purposely sticking out your cute little bum, subtly showing it off to the camera…. Showing it off to him :((((

But its just to show him the view!!!!! He hasn’t seen a nice landscape in years!! He deserves it!!

You’re not a dirty girl :( you’re a good girl!! You would never do something so disgusting for a man who’s locked in jail, your daddy would be so disappointed if he knew you were sticking out your arse for a man like Si >:( 

Calling over your ex-situationships so they can fuck you, your dildo wasn’t enough anymore, you needed the real thing….you needed Si, but obviously you can’t have him, right? There’s no possible way you could ever experience your biggest fantasy….right?

So other men will just have to do :(((

Having them hold you down and fuck your pussy mediocrely, closing your eyes trying to imagine Si :( maybe even moaning his name accidentally…..

Its never really that enjoyable though, all you can think about is how Si would fill you so much better…technically, you have no evidence to prove that, but his such a gentlemen!! He knows how to speak to a women…he must know how to fuck one as well!!! 

It only makes sense….

It makes you so sad… he’d never think about you the same way you think about him >:( 

He’d never fantasies about your sloppy cunt the way you fantasies about licking up his fat cock, teasing his tip and ruining your throat as he shoves his meaty dick down it :(((

Rubbing your swollen clit on your pillow as you moan for him, maybe even looking at the grainy photo of his face while you pleasure yourself :(( you’re so disgusting for him, so needy, he would never want a girl as yucky as you….

When Si receives your next letter informing him that you don’t have a boyfriend as well as a photo of you posing for him, that’s when the obsession really begins :3

His not obsessed on a yandere level but his definitely deep into it :)

He never really thought about what he would do after he got out, he always kinda just guessed that he would go back to his old ways, but now he has you very obviously showing some type of interest in him, his mind is fucking racing!!!

Maybe he can get your number and use his monthly call to talk to you, maybe you can come visit him while his still locked up, maybe you’ll be willing to have him when his out, maybe you can move in together, maybe he’ll marry you, maybe he’ll finally get to fuck that sweet little pussy that his been fantasising about, maybe…maybe…..maybe..Ahhhhh!!! 

Stealing sponges and a rubber glove when his on cleaning duty :((((

Bargaining with his prison mates for hair ties and an empty Pringles can so he can make his own makeshift fleshlight :((( 

Fucking his fat dick with it while his eyes focus on your arse, imagining his got you in doggy and fucking you stupid:((( Maybe even putting his pillow in front of him and pretending its your arse, squeezing and spanking it >:(((

His corruption kink is feral…he knows his a lowlife with nothing good ahead of him, his more then aware that for the rest of his life his going to be labeled as a murderer, but the idea of him taking a pretty little thing like you and pulling you down with him makes him cum so hard his thick juicy thighs shake, fleshlight filling up with his cum and quite moans falling from his mouth >: (((

He doesn’t know were it came from, he just wants you to be with him and he knows he’ll never be able to live the white collar lifestyle you so obviously enjoy. 

The idea of taking you out of that world and reeling you into his consumes him. Shitty one bedroom apartment, cardboard boxes as bed side tables, stained carpet and a flickering kitchen lightbulb. Its almost feeds his cocky superiority complex. Being able to pull a beautiful doll like you, get you so obsessed and needy for him that you’d follow him to the shit hole he calls home. 

Being so obedient, so willing, that you give up everything you’ve worked for just to submit to him…..

Receiving that sweet little letter excites the fuck out of him, don’t get me wrong, but it also scares him a little, his protective instincts kick in a bit. 

If you’re one thing, its a little naive.

You’re so willing to give up sensitive information about yourself without a second thought, you’re very obviously extremely vulnerable and trusting…. 

As much as he wants to protect you, he also sees these personality traits to be extremely beneficial to him. 

You’re very easy to reel in after the line is crossed from polite and friendly to more flirtatious and maybe even a little bit sexual.

He addresses you differently in his letters now, no longer just using your name and actively being more outwardly affectionate towards you

“Hello my sweet girl :)”

and

“been on my mind lot’ lately, been thinkin’ about you, thinkin’ all sorts of things I know I shouldn’t ;)”

Once that barriers broken and your letters are just as enthusiastic, he knows his got you. 

His got you to a point that he knows asking for a phone call isn’t a risky move anymore :3

He plans it though, he knows exactly what his going to do on that phone call and he knows nobody can be around while his doing it. 

Like I mentioned in the first fic, his sentence was reduced because of his good behaviour, this obviously means his on good terms with the guards and most of the other inmates. They all owe him a favour in one way or another. He hadn’t asked for his good deeds to be returned, not needing them to be……until now. 

He writes to you deciding on a date and time, Thursday at 3am. 

He wanted to be alone when he talked to you, have some privacy and not be bothered. 

His on really good terms with the night guard who works Thursdays, with just a little bit of bribing, he could be let out and have his phone call with you alone. 

“Listen mate, ya’ want to know who’s movin’ drugs in and out of this joint? I can tell ya’ with no worries, but I need ya’ to do me a solid favour” 

The guard his reluctant of course, but like I mentioned, Simon can be calculated when he wants to be 

“Magin’ the raise you’d get if ya’ could give ya’ bosses that information? I saw ya had a photo of a little girl on ya car keys, think bout all the toys n’ shit you could buy er’ with some extra cash”

And obviously, he got what he wanted, it was light work really ;)

As 3am slowly got closer, you were shitting yourself, lets be real. It was hard to wrap your head around Si being an actual person, you know? Like of course his real, but it was all becoming a reality now….

You were three large glasses of wine in when it was time to call. 

When your phone started to ring from an unknown number,  you swore your heart dropped :((

The call almost rang out before you got the courage to answer it :(

When you did a very deep, rough voice with a heavy Manchester accent answered, you could hear the smirk through the phone, a confident “hello sweetheart” to match :(

His voice had your breath catch for a minute….of course you’d come up with your own idea of what he would sound like, but never in a million years did you think he would sound so charming, so confident, filled with anticipation, like he had been waiting for this moment for weeks…like he had thought of you the same way you thought about him :(((

It made your tummy swirl, that all too familiar hot ache feeling buzz in your clit :3333

On the other end of the line Si gently stroked his throbbing cock as you said your hellos :(( 

Your voice was even more memorising then he imagined, sweet little nervous giggles as you spoke to him, quietly letting him know that you weren’t quite sure what to say, that you were a little on edge, maybe a little excited. 

You could hear his laboured breath through the phone, a distant wet sound that you couldn’t describe, so quite that you didn’t know if it was real or just your preverted mind playing tricks on you, making you hear things that aren’t really there :(

Just the sound of your voice was driving Si crazy :( you’re just as sweet as he imagined you, maybe even sweeter 

He knew it was wrong of him :(

He knew that asking you to join his little game was evil. He had you right were he wanted you, and asking you to play with your pussy for him on the other end of the phone while directing you on how to finger yourself as he fucks his girthy cock with his hand wasn’t what you deserved…..

But he couldn’t help himself, not when you were talking to him like that, so innocent and sweet :(((

“Sweetheart, I need ya’ to do me a favour darlin’, okay? His cock was so hard it hurt, voice out of breath and sweat dripping down his brow. You were within arms reach, so close but yet so far away. 

“Slide ya’ hand into your panties baby, start playin’ with yourself, come on, tell me what you're doin, describe it to me”

You so easily obliged, so willing to please him :( agreeing nervously with a stutter and shaky breath as you tell him what your doing 

Describing to him what you’re wearing, an oversized t-shirt with nothing underneath :( telling him you didn’t put panties on just for him :(

You let out a quite moan as you play with your tits, telling him how hard your nipples are, squeezing the pebbles and whining as he eggs you on 

“That’s it baby, play with those tits for me, yeah?, that’s my girl, squeeze em’ for me, there ya’ go” Si had to lean himself against the phone box as his tip leaked with pre cum :(((( 

Using it to lubricate his vainy cock making the wet sounds louder through the phone, you whine louder at the thought of his cock, closing your eyes you trail your hand down to your panties and slowly slip underneath the fabric to play with your wet cunt, just like Si asked:(((

“Rub ya’ clit for me baby, tell me how good I make you feel, say ma’ name, say it” he wanted so badly to commit it to memory, lock it away for later >:(

You moan his name as you circle your clit, eyes shut as you imagine Si doing it for you instead. You chant his name while your back arches a little, pleasure building at the sound of his rough grunts and wet cock being pumped through the phone >:((((

“I know, I know sweetheart’ just hold on a little longer for me, yeah? That’s ma’ good girl, ya’ not cumin’ yet” his hand fisted his cock, squeezing himself as tight as possible and screwing his eyes shut trying to imagine he was fucking your wet pussy, not his callused hand rough and dirty from the weights he was lifting early that day :(

“Finger ya’ cunt baby, finger ya’ cunt and scream ma’ name” 

You were dangerously close to the edge, the knot in your tummy tightening by the second, your once nervous moans now turned unashamed. 

Taking your other hand and slipping it into your pussy, you let out a desperate whine, muling your hips as you pumped yourself, squelching noises matching Si’s as you abused your wet pussy :((((

“That’s ma’ perfect girl, that’s it. Come on, let go for me, let me hear those gorgeous moans” 

Finally letting the coil snap your back arched like a cat, legs shaking as you moan his name, desperate whimpers as tears of pleasure roll down your cheeks 

Si gritted his teeth as he pumped himself, ropes of his sperm painting the concrete wall in front of him as his heavy cock twitched in his hands, animalistic grunts falling from his lips as that feral pleasure he’d been chasing washed over him. :((

He’d never cum that hard in his life, vision blurry from the white hot pleasure with your heavy breaths in the background :3

Just as he was about to open his mouth, speak to you again, the phone cut out, he had used up all his time with you :(

Harsh beeps filling his ear as his cock slowly softened, tip bright red from the attention…

He needed you more then ever now, protective instinct going through the roof :( 

Knowing you’re out there all alone with nobody to keep you safe made his blood boil…..

He needed to have a set of eyes on you, the constant letters weren’t enough anymore :((((

Maybe there was a bit of jealously as well, the thought that there may be someone else….

It drove him up the wall, made him feel rage he had only felt very few times in his life 

If he couldn’t have his eyes on you, then he’d 100% send Johnny out to do the work for him.

Looking through your letters and highlighting when you mentioned the name of the cafe you went to every morning, the name of the bar you and your co-workers went to every Friday to celebrate the end of the week. 

Of course he wouldn’t tell Johnny the truth, simply asking him to keep an eye on an “old friend that’s going through a rough time” while his locked up for the rest of his sentence :(

And Johnny obliged, happy that Simon was in contact with people that weren’t just 141.

Reporting back to him every week, always with a positive review :)

A soft thing like you cant be left to fend for yourself sweetheart, not in a world like this. But don’t worry, his got your back, even behind bars ;)

RAHHHHHHHH, him, my mind is filled with HIM

PrisonPenPal!Simon is open for requests so feel free to send them throughhhhh, add to the AU, ask me expand on certain topics, whatever floats your boat >:)

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[samgirl98]

Forgotten Demon Twin 3/?

Prev | Next

Danny meets the Batfam. He almost gets what he wants

So, apparently, COVID and lack of sleep really get my creative juices going. Enjoy this next chapter.

Danny followed Damian with a distance between them. He had left the wakizashi behind but had hidden a few non-poisoned needles up his sleeve.

He studied his twin’s body language.

Damian seemed open, if a bit tense. He kept his posture non-threatening, probably to take Danny off-guard. Danny could hear the chatter in Damian’s comm. No doubt his father and other so-called siblings.

(Danny only had one sister, and she was asleep at home.)

They ended up in the park at three in the morning.

Danny wished he could put all this behind him and sleep. As always, though, his needs weren’t considered.

Danny could see the small group of people semi-hiding in the shadows with his enhanced senses. They all looked up when they heard Damian and Danny walk up to them. All of them got defensive when they saw Danny, though they tried to be subtle about it.

“Father, meet Danyal. Danyal, meet father and everyone else.”

“Boo, you suck! Introduce us, brat,” a man with white and black hair (who reeked of death, but who was he to judge) said.

“Seriously, you little demon, that’s your introduction,” a sleep-deprived teenager asked. (Honestly, sleep deprivation was such a mood.)

“Baby bat, how could you,” a blue-eyed young man asked. (Actually, a lot of the boys had blue eyes and black hair.)

The rest of the group started berating Damian for his introduction.

Danny was stunned. If anyone had even thought about doing that to Damian while in the League, they would’ve ended up with a sword through their chest. Here, these people were treating Damian like a snot-nosed younger brother…and he was letting them.

“Children,” the older man yelled out, “Enough!”

(An older man was haunting Bruce Wayne, but Danny ignored the man dressed as a butler. It wasn’t his business.)

Damian’s face got smug as everyone else quieted down. Some of them (the eldest among them) started pouting.

The older man, Bruce Wayne, walked up to Danny and held out his hand. Danny stared at it for a second before shaking it.

“It’s good to meet you, Danyal.”

“Danny, but you already knew that, didn’t you, Mr. Wayne?”

“Please, in that same vein, call me Bruce. And, yes, I have done a little bit of research before coming here.”

“Hn,” Danny hummed out.

“Great, another non-talkative one,” someone murmured.

Danny looked at the group and noticed that the sleep-deprived teenager suddenly seemed very alert with his calculating, narrowed eyes. Hmm, he would have to keep an eye on that one; he seemed like the most dangerous one. Not physically, but intelligent wise…well, Danny has learned to fear smart people.

He let go of Mr. Wayne—Bruce’s hand. (The older man following Bruce smiled gently at Danny.)

“So, to what do I owe this…unexpected pleasure,” Danny asked.

Everyone turned to look at Damian. The Heir seemed to be, was that embarrassment?

“Yeah, Demon Spawn, why don’t you tell Danny why we’re here?”

“Fuck off, Todd,” Damian hissed out.

Todd grinned. (The butler—he had to be a butler—frowned at Todd’s cussing.)

Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Children, please, not before introductions.”

“Yeah, B is right. Anyway, my name is Dick,” the eldest said. He got Danny’s hand and shook it.

“On purpose,” Danny asked.

Dick laughed good naturally.

“My parents weren’t from the US and didn’t know the word's second meaning. By the time I found out, I was attached to my nickname.”

The one who stunk of death spoke next.

“Name’s Jason. I’m the second,” he was interrupted by the petite Asian girl.

“Ahem.”

“I mean, I’m the third oldest.”

“Hello. Cassandra Cain. The second eldest. And you’re my new baby brother!”

Danny blinked, “Cassandra Cain? As in the ‘One Who is All’?”

The girl nodded while giving a thumbs-up. Danny gulped. He was so screwed.

“Tt, she’s not that impressive.”

Danny gave Damian a skeptical look for the first time in his life.

“Hi, I’m Duke Thomas. Why is your aura so weird?”

Danny blinked at the random question.

“Don’t know, dude, radioactive chemicals, maybe?”

Everyone stared at him with a look of horror.

“I’m joking.”

“Oh, hah,” Duke laughed, uncomfortable.

“Tim Drake,” sleep-deprived teenager said without adding anything else—honestly, mood.

“Of course, father already introduced himself, and you know who I am,” Damian said. He always had to have the last word, huh?

The ghost spoke last (not that anyone else would know.), “I’m Alfred Pennyworth. I know you can see me, Master Danny. It is a pleasure to meet you, even if it is after my death.”

Danny ignored the ghost.

“Great. Now, back to my original question: why are you guys here? If the League is gone, why bother with the unneeded spare?”

Everyone, minus the ghost, shifted uncomfortably. Even Damian. Danny narrowed his eyes; something big was going to happen.

“Danny,” Bruce started, “we found out about you recently—”

“Yeah, very recently,” Jason said.

“—and we wanted to meet you. We—I needed to make sure you were fine. I missed so much and could not protect you due to my lack of knowledge of your existence. I want to know if you need any help, and if you don’t, I’ll be here whenever you need it.”

Danny let Bruce’s words sink in. It didn’t take long for him to put the puzzle pieces together.

“Talia never mentioned me, did she?”

He turned to Damian, “Neither did you.”

Damian looked down at his feet, looking ashamed. Danny narrowed his eyes.

Too little, too late, brother.

Danny took a deep breath.

Here I go. It’s time to sell it.

“Look, I appreciate you checking on me, but I’m fine. I have a loving family and an awesome older sister. All of my friends are here. Amity Park is my home. I don’t want to leave. Please, I was never able to ask anything for myself. I'm asking now, begging, let me stay in Amity.”

“I have looked into the Fentons and have read some disturbing things,” Bruce said.

“What, the weapons? They can’t harm humans.”

They didn’t need to know Danny wasn’t fully human anymore.

“Not only that but a portal to the afterlife.”

“So my parents are a bit eccentric. If it makes you feel better, I can give you a full, unabridged copy of their work,” Danny lied. No way in the Infinite Realms Danny would give the freaking Batman more ammunition to take Danny away.

The ghost butler frowned at Danny’s lies and gave him a look of disappointment. Hah! The jokes on him that didn’t work on Danny.

“What about the reports of these so-called ghost attacks?”

Danny waved off the man’s concerns, “They rarely happen, and when they do, we have our own hero who takes care of it.”

Bruce gave him a calculating look. Cassandra was whispering in Tim’s ear. While she spoke, Tim started narrowing his eyes at Danny. Dammit, this was why he hated intelligent people. Danny was a decent liar, but he couldn’t come up with something if there were more than one detective.

Not to mention, he heard rumors about Cassandra’s abilities.

Time to bring out the sob story.

“Please, I don’t want to leave the only family I have ever known.”

Bruce narrowed his gaze. Bruce felt the boy was hiding something. He’d have to ask Cass what she saw.

“Maybe we should let him stay, B. We can always keep in touch, can’t we, little D?”

Danny nodded vigorously. Bruce almost gave in, but he had to ask.

“What about the report of the city being pulled into an alternate dimension? The Justice League hadn’t heard about this, and I know you know that I’m Batman. You could’ve reached out whenever to let us know.”

“I don’t know. It didn’t occur to me. The threat wasn’t that bad. There were just a few more ghosts than usual. Besides, other cities have seen stuff like this. We have two heroes, and the citizens got together to fight the threat.”

“So, there was a threat.”

“Listen, dude, I’m not here to assuage your guilt. I want to stay with my family. I deserve that much, at least, right?”

Danny refused to break eye contact first. He stared down the Batman; he knew the man wouldn’t kill his family, so he felt confident asking for what he wanted. After a few moments, Bruce sighed. Danny knew he had won.

“Young man, you should really tell your father the truth.”

Danny ignored Alfred. He wasn’t the boss of him.

“Okay, I’ll choose to believe you,” Bruce took a card out, “but if anything happens, and I mean anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

Danny had almost been home free. A few more minutes, hell, seconds, and he would’ve gotten away with his lies and well-crafted half-truths.

Of course, that’s when everything went to shit.

Danny’s ghost sense went off. Bruce’s gaze narrowed, and Tim asked, “What was that?”

Before he could come up with a lie, he heard him. Fucking Skulker.

“I’ll have your skin, whelp,” he shouted and fired.

Danny didn’t think. He transformed and put up a shield around the group.

It didn’t even take Danny 10 seconds. He took out his anger on the so-called hunter and sucked him up in the thermos. He was going to get a month of soup time, at least!

Danny turned toward the stunned group.

“Um, surprise?” He said while giving jazz hands.

Bruce’s eyes narrowed in anger, “Well, Phantom, is there anything you’d like to say?”

“This is why honesty is the best policy, young sir.”

“Um, you’re all dreaming?”

Bruce crossed his arms.

“Really, Danyal? You thought that would work?” Damian asked, angry.

Tim was looking at him with triumph in his gaze. Dick looked disappointed, and Jason looked entrance by Danny’s predicament. Cass was shaking her head, and Duke was, weirdly enough, blocking his eyes.

Fucking Skulker, man.

“I think it’s time you told us the truth.”

Make that two months of soup time.

Danny sighed and hovered in the air, crossing his legs. He might as well get comfortable.

Yay, Alfred has appeared. Danny was a bit rude, but considering what Damian did to him when they first met, I think Danny was being downright pleasant

Danny: Lying through his teeth.

Tim: This little bastard isn't telling us everything.

Danny: Gets caught in the lie.

Tim: Ha! I knew it. Once a demon always a demon

yeah, Tim is a bit prejudiced, not that we should completely blame him after what Damian did to him

[revive-the-fandom]

The Dragon Hunters

First, to cover everything we learned of the Hunters excluding Johann's involvement:

The Hunters have been around for "generations" which according to wiki is 20 - 30 years per generation, making the hunters at least 40 years old, likely older. We know this because Ingar Ingerman's techniques have been used by Hunters for "generations".

(The fact that Fishlegs is unaware of Ingar's existence implies that he was either ancient, and "generations" refers to great-great grandparents or older, or that Fishleg's family broke away and purposefully forgot/didn't teach/lied to their children of their true family origin)

This age of the Hunters was also implied by Viggo, whose grandfather is mentioned as being either Hunter or Hunter adjacent many times in the series. Him playing as the Marauder and not the Viking Chief in Maces and Talons also suggests that he was a Hunter.

Making the age of the Dragon Hunters closer to 80 years. This is calculated using the average age for Httyd Vikings having children being 25 (Valka was 20, Stoick was 30 their average is 25, Hiccup and Astrid were both 25 when Zephyr was born) + Ryker and Viggo (the youngest known generation) being at least 30 or older.

This also makes Viggo a nepo baby/inheritor of the Hunter's legacy/throne/chiefdom etc rather than simply the best tactition there (this is of course, ignoring that Ryker is actually first in line as it seems that until RTTE he was happy for Viggo to take charge, possibly even waiving his claim for Viggo - or in a less happy circumstance, was forced to waive the chiefdom by his parents/grandfather).

as for the dragon eye:

it's belonged to Viggo's tribe for centuries, and Viggo feels slighted by the loss of it. So we know that this is personal to Viggo's family/tribe regardless as to whether Viggo's tribe is the Dragon Hunters, is what became the Dragon Hunters, or if it was only the ancestors of a few Dragon Hunters (Ryker and Viggo).

This brings the possible age of the Hunters up to 200 - 300 years, as long as Berk has been settled/fighting Dragons. Or this is just their origin, when Viggo's clan settling in the region before becoming full blown Hunters.

we also know that Viggo knows the ins and outs of the Dragon Eye's construction, more so than even Ryker.

so it's possible that this information was passed down through the leadership of the Hunters, or more specifically, to the inheritor of Viggo's tribe's chiefdom. Both suggest that Viggo's grandfather may have been the one to impart this knowledge onto Viggo, as we also have the implication that Viggo inherited his intelligence (and love for Maces and Talons) from his grandfather.

The Dragon Eye going missing also seems to imply that the Hunters were felled/disbanded/forced into exile at some point, and Viggo and Ryker are only just now restoring them from the ground up - possibly in their grandfather's name. This is also where ym headcanon that Viggo at least used to live in/grew up in York/Jorvik comes from, as it would explain his english accent (ok, in the context of the show.. not real life as this accent wouldnt exist).

we also get a little insight into why the Hunters had this dark age/disbandment through Viggo's fall from power - the Grimborn's have no loyalty/regard for others and a short violent temper:

and viggo's focus on only his own pride

which is more than likely what killed them - the people rising up or abandoning them. which is technically what happened to Viggo, both through Ryker's betrayal, and the Hunters leaving him for dead.

Ryker's betrayal makes more sense when considering that he was the people's man.

the Hunter's purpose, why they exist as a group, is to earn money. there is also additional themes of conquering the unconquerable, power and control, and genuine service to a people threatened by beasts.

The Hunters may have originally formed as a warrior group that worked as a sort of pest control, their methods for dragon killing are better and more refined than any other villain we see in the series, including the movies and grimmel as the movie villains seem more interested and successful in capturing and forcing dragons into a slave army than they ever are in killing anything.

the Hunters may then have begun using, or even spearheaded the use of dragon parts in clothing, materials, weapons etc. which might have earned them more money than pest control, leading to them using auctions and markets as their primary source of income.

their use of dragon root seems to be standard knowledge + practicality as Berk knows what dragon root is they just didn't refine it or use it in the same way.

their ships are confusing as they're mulltihull ships that are more in line with what Drago sails than what the vikings sail. this is confusing as Drago's ships are destinctive because he comes from elsewhere in the world and has travelled far to reach Berk. the Hunters ships seem to be stolen from Drago's fleet. perhaps suggesting a raid or battle, or even defection - but this doesnt fit with Krogan's arrival and their attitude towards their "buyer" (Drago).

To me the ships seem to be a bit of an oversight. an inconsistency that wasnt supposed to be thought about because they were just recycling assets (in the same way that Ryker is a recycled Drago design).

so s4 ends with the death of the Hunters in Shell Shocked: Viggo and Ryker are fighting each other and the majority of the Hunters have fled to Ryker's side (he is the people's man after all). Ryker is killed, viggo is injured presumed dead, the Hunters are all but destroyed (again)

months go by and Krogan gathers up the remnants of the Hunters and forces them (penalty of death) to become his flyers.

Krogan's motivations are to bring success to Drago, in rtte's instance this seems to be through providing a Bewilderbeast for Drago.

Krogan seems to have thought that the Hunters are his best bet for finding a bewilderbeast, or gathering the resources to do it himself. He's known as a big buyer by Viggo and Ryker, so has only met them briefly if at all. He seems to have scoped out the Hunters in Auction Heroes and Midnight Scrum and decided that Viggo and Ryker are below him.

Krogan then apporaches Viggo and explains how he's usurped the Hunters and trained his flyers.

Krogan then offers Viggo the resources to recover the Dragon Eye from the volcano so that Viggo can keep ahold of his tribal artefact and potentially rebuild his empire, in return for his help in finding and capturing the King of Dragons/Bewilderbeast. Krogan gets access to Viggo's intelligence, and Viggo gets access to Krogan's resources.

Viggo's motivation seems to remain power, wealth and pride.

Viggo and Krogan crucially neglect to follow Ryker's example, they don't care for their men or armies, which ultimately leads to their downfall yet again:

Viggo obviously has his epiphany moment where his worldview is flipped and he learns to respect dragons, perhaps as a reflection on his relationship with his brother, and how his brother chose companionship and loyalty over wealth and power.

Krogan's armies are repeatedly defeated via their singetails not being loyal to the flyers.

Viggo dies as part of his redemption and Krogan is murdered for not realising his.

which explains the Hunters and everything we know about them excluding Johann. but now lets add Johann into the picture:

given all we know of the Hunters and the implications from Viggo that he inherited the leader position or revitalised it, it's unlikely that Johann was the "true" leader or secretly the leader of the Hunters. That position remains with Viggo and Ryker.

and we know that Krogan is both working for Drago and has usurped the Hunters through force. so Johann has no part in that either.

Johann himself says that he's paying them, so there's no loyalty to him outside of money.

there's so many issues with Johann so let's just start with his statements in In Plain Sight

Johann reveals his motivation is to find the King of Dragons which he believes is the key to his wealth and power

so all Johann wants is power and money, which he thinks the King of Dragons will get him. it's unclear if Johann plans to sell the bewilderbeast to Krogan (who gives it to Drago) or if he's oblivious to Krogan's motivations and just thinks he's there for the gold he's paying him.

I think it might be the latter because in King of Dragons Krogan betrays him twice, attempting to kill him. first by not warning him to dodge the bewilderbeasts ice, and then by stealing the egg and fleeing and leaving Johann to fight the bewilderbeast and hiccup and toothless alone.

Johann claims to have been working against the riders since Breakneck Bog

which happens in the first ever season, Riders of Berk, and is only Johann's second appearance, which I believe is an oversight from the writers as his first appearance 8 episodes prior had him sell poisonous flowers to Mildew who poisoned the dragons on Berk. was he not also behind that? that was actually much more villainous than Breakneck bog as he spent that episode begging them not to go there, stranded at sea, and then he loses all of his wares and gold.

this tirade against the Riders is more suspicous as his third appearance has him sneak the Berkians onto Outcast Island to rescue Hiccup.

his fourth has him stuck in a frozen sea, rescued by Hiccup and Toothless and then stranded on Berk with the speed stingers until the ice thaws.

his fifth has him sell smokebreath infested metal to Berk from Dagur. which, again, is more villainous that Breakneck Bog as it destroys Berk's armoury and comes directly from Dagur.

Johann also facilitated Dagur's escape, but, once again got stranded at sea. it makes you wonder just how good of a swimmer he is to have this much trust in his plans to incorporate getting stranded this many times.

these two I have less complaints about in the "bad plan" department but they do cause some bumps with the "when did Johann ally the Hunters" question.

His speech to Hiccup, mentioning Breakneck Bog, suggests that he's been involved since Riders of Berk, when they were 15 - 16 yros. but his reaction to Viggo and Viggo's reaction to him in Last Auction Heroes is extremely weird if this is true:

theres no need for any of these theatrics if they're in league with each other. if they are in league with each other here then Viggo should either be expecting Johann, and understand that the Riders are likely plotting something. or he should have some sort of communication with Johann that suggests they know each other, or that Johann can't talk freely else he'll blow his cover.

the way this scene in Auction Heroes plays out makes it seem as though Viggo has no idea who Johann is, and that Johann is still playing the long game by being deep undercover.

so when did Johann and Viggo actually join up?

I believe Dagur joined sometime around Have Dragon Will Travel as that's when he gets the dragon proof metal, which is associated with the Hunters alone.

Heather likely joined soon after.

but Johann doesn't seem to start acting suspicious or in league with the Hunters until s5, in Sandbusted. as his last appearance in s4 is Dire Straits, where he is the only survivor and near victim of the submarriper.

if he was in league with the Hunters at this point, why would he sail directly over the submapripper, planted specifically by the Hunters. if he was in league he could have just watched from a distance to check it was working, or have the Hunters themselves check.

Sandbusted has him send the Riders on a mission to find what's killing the merchants (sandbuster) which could easily be a trap set by him to separate the riders and get them killed off (hiccup specifically).

Dawn of Destruction has him separate Hiccup and Astrid from the Riders and the Edge immediately before the flyers attack. which also works perfectly fine for someone in league with them.

everything in s5 works towards the plot twist that Johann is secretly working with Viggo and Krogan. so it seems most likely that Johann joined between s4 and s5, after Ryker's death and the Hunters disbandment. He may even have paid Krogan to build the flyers and recruit Viggo to help him track down the King of Dragons.

He would need Krogan to bring skill and ruthlessness and to be a leader more interested in the results than the game. Viggo to bring his knowledge, experience and most importantly the Dragon Eye to track down the King of Dragons.

This would explain why Johann seems so out of the loop in Dire Straits and Auction Heroes, as he wouldn't have been allied or privy to the Hunter's plans. and he would still be undercover from Viggo and the Hunters as a whole.

His actions prior to this, such as Riders, Defenders, and Have Dragon Will Travel were likely his own plans, independent of anyone else's influence (and yes, i still think they're stupid plans as he ends up stranded at sea, losing massive swaths of his wealth which we have established is his entire motivation, and needed rescues from dragons a fucking lot).

the outlier here that I struggle to fit in is Edge of Disaster, as he pulls the Riders away from the Edge right as the Hunters attack. this happens in s2, long before he theoretically join in s5.

my best guess is that the Hunters, possibly with Dagur or Heather's help, were trying to use Johann as a distraction. Johann, being intelligent and hating the Riders might have seen this opportunity and "fallen" for the Hunter's trap/distraction - this might have involved the Hunters herding him towards the Dragon Nest.

However, this doesn't explain why Johann wouldn't blame the Hunters for forcing him into the Dragon's path, as it would take the blame/suspicion off of him for writing to Hiccup that he was under attack by the Hunters.

so to recap:

the Hunters likely evolved from Viggo and Ryker's clan, they may have stolen their multihull ship design from a section of Drago's army at some point. the Dragon Eye was created and their grandfather likely held a chief/leader position before the original Hunters were destroyed, likely because of the Grimborn's lack of loyalty to their crew and/or family. The Dragon Eye was lost and the Hunters disbanded, Viggo and Ryker ending up miles from home, possibly Jorvik.

Viggo and Ryker re-establish the Hunters, with Ryker giving Viggo the leadership role. They pick up allies in the Archipelago, Dagur most predominantly, followed by Heather, who recount to them that the Dragon Eye has been found and is being held by the Riders.

Viggo and Ryker then begin their war with the Riders, but Viggo falls into the same trap his ancestors did and forgets to value his crew or family. Ryker usurps the Hunters with the crew's support, but it ends in disaster and Ryker is killed, the Dragon Eye lost and Viggo injured.

Johann realises the potential of the Hunters now that they've disbanded and pays Krogan to recruit Viggo to use the Dragon Eye and rebuild the Hunters (under Krogan's command) to find and sell the King of Dragons.

or at least, that's the best that I can understand the Hunters?

[alcrox]

Did Yu Ziyuan intend to cut off Wei Wuxian's arm?

I have seen this brought up a few times.

There are generally two arguments: yes, she totally intended to do that and only changed her mind when she was told that Lotus Pier would be converted into a "Wen Supervisory Office" AND no, she was just buying time by beating up Wei Wuxian and appeasing Wang Lingjiao.

I think it's a bit of both?

She didn't (and wouldn't) hesitate to beat up Wei Wuxian. This is the first scene we see her physically abuse Wei Wuxian (before this we only hear her verbally abuse... well, everyone) but it is made very clear that Wei Wuxian is quite used to this sort of treatment. Cutting off an arm, however, is very different. It would maim WWX for life. It isn't something that, even WWX with his strong golden core, would be able to just heal from easily. He would have to find a whole new way to get around his disability.

It's not as if YZY would hesitate to cut off WWX's arm from a place of concern or affection. Hell no. She is extremely sharp and intelligent, though. She has seen WWX grow up, she has seen his talents first-hand. She knows just how much of an asset WWX is to the Yunmeng Jiang. And she knew that this day was coming. The day when the Qishan Wen came to her doorstep and tried to take over Lotus Pier. She might blame WWX for it (because she too, like Wen Chao, just needs an excuse to blame WWX, though hers comes from a place of being blinded by hatred rather than planning a seize) but she is well aware that one way or another, this was happening. That much was clear in episode 11 when she is spitting mad that Jiang Cheng has to go to the Wen Indoctrination Camp. She knows what the Wens are doing and she is not surprised when the final showdown finally happens.

So, it's a bit of both. She was buying time, but she was also, maybe, hoping that punishing WWX in front of WLJ would be enough. When WLJ mentions cutting off WWX'S right arm, however, she visibly hesitates. (Or rather, considers.) She knows what cutting off WWX's arm means; it means to rid her Clan of a powerful asset. WWX may still be able to fight with his left arm (as he has clearly made up his mind to do so) but right after his arm is cut off, he would be of no use in a fight. And YZY already knows from that point onwards, there are only two options. One, she and JC and WWX and the Jiang army fight off the Wens and risk losing their lives, including the heir Jiang Cheng. Two, the option which she ends up choosing, she fights to death, defending her home from the Wens while JC escapes with WWX. In both options, WWX's survival and skills are crucial. She knows JC's best chance of making it through all of this is keeping WWX alive and indebted. She cannot cut off his arm yet. Not when WWX, in her eyes, hasn't paid off his debt yet. Not when she knows, despite her hatred, that WWX can be counted on for his courage and loyalty and incredible skills to keep JC safe.

She orders the doors to be shut, which is absolutely meant to be interpreted as acquiescence to cut off WWX's arm. She is clever. She buys them as much time as possible, possibly also gives WWX a while to recover from being whipped so brutally by Zidian. And it also serves the purpose of keeping the Wens inside so that they can't go and alert Wen Chao and bring an even bigger army back to Lotus Pier. She knows shit's about to hit the fan so she doesn't reveal what she plans to do until the last possible moment when does.

And then WLJ utters "Wen Supervisory Office" and YZY knows it's time. That the gig is up.

If the order was to whip WWX with Zidian for a while longer, YZY may have complied. She knows exactly how strong WWX is and how much he can withstand without, like, dying or something. But the price WLJ asked for was too high (and probably calculated on WLJ's part as well; she too must know what a skilled fighter WWX is and how to sever the Yunmeng Jiang from one of its most powerful weapons. She saw WWX in action, after all, in the Xuanwu cave). So YZY stopped complying and began strategizing. How to save her home. How to keep the Clan alive. How to preserve her assets.

She didn't keep WWX alive and safe (well, safe is questionable, she did beat the shit out of him) out of goodwill. She kept him alive and safe out of necessity.

Side note, this shot:

This shot helped reinforce my theory. YZY despises WWX, that much is not a secret. Everyone knows it. Everyone in this very scene knows it. Yet when the Wens, headed by WLJ, first arrive at Lotus Pier, this shot makes a pretty firm statement of they are united against a common enemy. YZY is many things, but she is not stupid. She knows what the real problem here is. And she is standing with her entire Jiang army, including WWX, against said problem.

I despise YZY as a mother but damn if she isn't an interesting character.

[sillysillygoofygoose]

Miguel is so smart... ♡

He's like a walking search engine. With every question you have, he has a set in stone answer. He rolls his eyes at the random questions you ask just to try to stump him, but smirks and answers all the same.

"Mig, what's the capital of Hungary."

"Budapest... why?"

"Jus' wondering."

"Okay, sweetheart."

He's always willing to explain certain concepts to you, but he is NEVER condescending. Miguel will never put on a "baby voice" to talk out a problem with you. He doesn't treat you like a child. Miguel knows he's smart, but he's not an asshole about it. But, he does love it when you point it out.

"You're so good with numbers, Miggy. So smart for me, hm?"

He gently smiles as he's crunching numbers, figuring out what his budget should be for this month so he can save up for the diamond-plagued necklace he saw you ogling. He feels a sense of pride as you massage his shoulders, looking at the paper in front of him, kissing his cheek.

"Mhm... just for you, love."

Miguel is always the one who files your taxes and works out financial issues. He looks so good sitting at the kitchen table, glasses perched at the bridge of his nose, as he's rubbing his temples and bouncing his knee, while he's hunched over his laptop with papers neatly organized around him.

Miguel loves to watch documentaries at the end of a long day. He believes that media should be informational and purposeful. His favorites are history documentaries, though.

I just know this man knows everything about World War II. I just know it.

Once you two have kids, they always go to Miguel for help with homework. I can imagine him sitting in his chair, watching a documentary at 11:00pm. He's partially enjoying the film, eyes opening and closing as the day's work is finally seeping into his tired mind. Suddenly, as he opens his eyes, he sees his daughter standing in front of him with a binder, calculator, two pencils, and a sheepish smile across her face.

"Hola, papa. Can you pleeaassee help me with my homework... I only need help with science and math." She bites at her bottom lip, knowing she's about to get an earful about time management and being responsible. Miguel harshly sighs out, sits up in his chair, and slides his glasses onto his face.

"For the love of God." He rubs his eyes, gesturing for her to hand him the binder.

"Thank you..."

Miguel is always working on reading a huge book. He's a big biography fan. Instead of scrolling on his phone, he'll pick up his book, remembering what page he ended on without a bookmark.

One thing you've taught him, though, is emotional intelligence. How to be gentle and understanding; it was something he was never taught in school. He's so grateful that you were patient as he learned how to let down his strongly built emotional walls.

Book-smart and Life-smart.

My god, I love smart men... nothing more attractive than a man who knows what he's talking about.

Hope you enjoyed! Xoxo

[betaray-jones]

Since epic tye musical still has me in its grip and since I keep seeing takes on mutiny here are my thoughts on Odysseus sacrificing the six men to Scylla.

Firstly, how informed was the crew that they were going to face Scylla?

I think it is reasonable to assume that the crew had no idea. When the Siren told Odysseus about Scylla he immediately knew the sacrifice this path required, which in my opinion makes it reasonable to assume that at least Eurylochus would also have heard about Scylla and the fact that her six heads required the sacrifice of six men. Additionally Eurylochus calls Scylla by name at no point instead saying that "something approaches" which further suggests he didn't know where exactly they were going. Also the crew all had wax in their ears during the Siren scene so unless Odysseus told them afterwards there is no way for them to know about Scylla. So why didn't he?

I feel like Odysseus has a good grasp on the spirit of the crew and knows how disillusioned they have become. Based on Eurylochus in mutiny it's safe to assume that at least some members have given up on reaching home. Odysseus knows that if he asks this crew to now further sacrifice six men that chances are good that the crew will refuse, so he doesn't tell them and just tells them that the sirens revealed a way to make it home.

For the majority of the crew the captain not sharing the route would probably not be noteworthy but I think Eurylochus as second in command would normally have insisted on knowing. Here of course Eurylochus guilt about the last time he didn't follow orders would then play in Odysseus favor, keeping him from questioning their direction and Odysseus plan.

This leads me to the second part, the torches.

In the Lifestream it was visible that Eurylochus was originally carrying one of the torches before dropping it in order to help a crew mate implying that Odysseus intended for Scylla to kill him. Most people I've seen discussing this proposed that this was revenge for opening the windbag on Odysseus part but I disagree.

Maybe I'm giving Odysseus too much credit for intelligence but I think this man-made monster Odysseus is too calculated for quick revenge.

But Odysseus knows Eurylochus and he knows that he is willing to question him more than any other character in Epic. I think at least subconsciously he knows that if he sacrifices six men to Scylla and Eurylochus figures out that this was on purpose that his next step will be mutiny. But he also knows that Eurylochus is the voice and acting arm of the crew and their concerns. Take him out of the equation and Odysseus might be able to keep control of the crew.

Therefore I do think that Odysseus did intend to sacrifice Eurylochus to Scylla though not necessarily for revenge (though Eurylochus confession probably worked as further justification in his mind). This would also explain why he was so resigned to Eurylochuses questioning in mutiny and why he didn't even try to defend himself when called out.

In conclusion, the mutiny was essentially just the last inevitable step in the paths both characters chose up to this point.

[communist-ojou-sama]

I feel like a lot of people are confused by both the reckless actions of the Zionist Entity on the world stage and the US's continued support of it, even n seeming violation if its (long-term) interests. This kind of surprises me because it seems pretty obvious to me, but I want to take an effort to explain what's going on here.

First, I want you to accept a very general theory of the rise and fall of states. It is a Vastly oversimplified theory meant to be applied very broadly, and it goes like this: When a state is founded and on the rise, it is generally run by people who are amoral but intelligent and competent. Generally these early rulers and administrators found their way to the top of society from a state of chaos and fierce competition of all sorts; as a result, the people who end up on top, even if not the best of the best, are competent and shrewd and, above all, know that their positions are not promised and that they could be overthrown and killed at any time if they do too bad of a job governing. Moreover, this first generation tends to be highly diverse and represent people from all over the social spectrum of the society that preceded it, and above all competence and vigilence is prized.

This sense of internal vigilance and drive tends to be quite strictly impressed upon the first few generations of any given state, and as the state is on the rise, its ruling class, both for the purpose of growing their own wealth and to make government easier, develop a governing ideology and a legitimating narrative to justify to the common people their position at the top of the hierarchy. Crucially, in this initial stage of state formation and growth, the people in charge are pragmatists who understand that their governing ideology is a thing to be used to justify actions the ruling class deems necessary both for their short- and long-term interests, and are to be bent and violated at will if they threaten to get in the way of their true purpose.

Now, while there are all sorts of contingencies to how a state declines over time, I will put forward that the main dynamic that drives decline is the foreclosure of upward mobility and the increasingly jealous guarding of privileges by an increasingly insular ruling class, which is ruled by its governing ideology, to which they subscribe totally and completely. There's more but, let's leave it there for now.

Now, what all does this have to do with the Zionist Entity? Well surely you can see this coming, but what is the legitimation narrative of the Zionist Entity? It is first and foremost settler supremacy and it leads to the top positions in the Entity's military apparatus being occupied by demons like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Yoav Gallant who, drunk on cruelty and a false sense of superiority, have little more capacity for geopolitical reasoning than a wild animal. The reason why the Zionist entity isn't acting rationally in the service of the United States is because the people in power are not rational people, and they will not be for whatever the remaining history of the Zionist Entity is. They won't make rational choices to preserve the future of the Zionist settler edifice because they are uncapable of it; to do so would necessitate understanding Arabs as their equals, and they are incapable of that. As evil as Theodore Herzl and David ben-Gurion were, these demons lack their talents.

So why, then, is Genocide Joe and the democratic party supporting the Zionist holocaust upon Gaza, despite the fact that it is having an utterly apocalyptic effect on the long-term strategic interests and security of the United States? It is for the exact same reason. Genocide Joe doesn't support the Zionist Entity out of some rational calculation, he supports it as a function of his own hubris. Out of the long-term emotional investment he's developed in its wretched existence after many decades of safeguarding it from accountability and facing criticism for it. It really is that simple. The entire US elite, drunk on a fantasy of Western cultural supremacy, is stuck in a state of crackpot realism. I need you to understand that they have no concept that the possiblity of their defeat and the eventual collapse of the United States is a real possibility. And to the extent that they cannot engage with reality, their ability to appraise reality is also blinkered. They can't even see how severe the damage they're doing to the US's standing in the world really is because they are totally oblivious to the reality that in the coming decades the US and Europe will be surpassed in wealth and influence by Global South countries who all opposed the Zionist slaughter, literally no different from the white supremacist "rationalists" on tumblr who try to paint Operation al-Aqsa Flood as some sort of strategic blunder on the part of the Resistance.

The reason why the US is unable to bring the Zionists to heel despite the the whole purpose of the Zionist Entity's existence being as an attack dog for the western powers is because both the Zionists and the USians, having utterly abandoned rational statecraft, have basically forgotten that that's what their relationship is supposed to be. It's that simple.

[kyleoreillylover]

Monster

Roman Reigns x Fem reader (platonic) & Jey Uso x Fem reader (friends to lovers)

Summary: ᴀꜱ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴ'ꜱ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪʙᴀʟ ᴄʜɪᴇꜰ. ɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴏʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ. ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ʜɪᴍ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴄᴀɴ, ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ʜɪꜱ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴏʏꜱ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴡᴀᴋᴇ, ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀɪꜱᴋ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ. ʀɪꜱᴋ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴀʀᴇᴇʀ, ʟɪᴠᴇʟɪʜᴏᴏᴅ, ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪꜰᴇʟᴏɴɢ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱʜɪᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴊᴇʏ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʀɪꜱᴋ ɪꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴏᴜʟ.

Trigger Warnings: Manipulation, cursing, wrestling related violence, allusions to smut but no actual smut written, Roman Reigns being toxic but you’re just as toxic, etc.

A/N: This idea came to me literally by watching the Bayley vs Sasha and Jey vs Roman HIAC matches, and the inspiration just hit. I tried to base off the toxic friendship between you and Roman kinda off of Baysha, toxic and loving yet can betray each other at any moment. But I made you and Roman more lovingish? Jey is just a cutie pie as always. I worked really hard and long on this, so I hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 18,893

tag list: @southerngirl41 @venusesworld (If you wanna be a part of my tag list let me know!)

You are intelligent. Precise. You never do anything without a motive, without a deeper reason. Every move you make has a hidden agenda, built by the intricate thread of your thoughts and the smart calculations of your actions. Nothing you do is without a purpose.

Which is why Jey couldn't wrap his mind around what the fuck you were thinking. He barged into your locker room, walking over to you with the speed of an angry bull. "Are you fucking insane?" he yelled, frustration etched in every line of his face. "What the fuck are you thinking?"

You glanced up from packing your bags, your expression unreadable, but Jey knew you better than you knew yourself. He could see the storm of emotions swirling in your eyes- determination, sadness, but most importantly, anger.

Yet, you met Jey's gaze with a calmness that contradicted the turmoil inside of you. "This is between me and him, nobody else." You stated firmly, your eyes darkening with an intensity that sent a shiver down Jey's spine before you looked away from him to resume packing your belongings. "We'll settle this, trust me."

Jey scoffed, nose snarling at your words and your nonchalant attitude. "Settle this means talking that shit out, not fucking challenging him to a cell match!" His eyes bored into you before narrowing at your stuff, hand darting out faster than lightning, but you were faster, grabbing the paper and stepping back so he couldn't pull it from you.

"Give me that fucking contract! Are you tryna get yourself killed? Huh? He's twice your fucking size! Why are you doing this?!" You calmly let Jey yell at you and take out his frustrations on you. You knew he would react like this once you laid down the challenge and came to the back, but it was necessary. That didn't mean you enjoyed being yelled at, but you understood his concern.

"I'm not trying to get killed, Jey," you responded evenly, holding the contract closer to your chest. "I'm trying to get him to understand that his actions have consequences, and unless I push him, he won't listen. This is the only way I can make him listen to me."

You softly looked at Jey, hoping he, out of all people, would understand you. But he just looked at you like you had lost your damn mind, and you couldn't blame him.

"Oh, so now you tryna stop him, huh? Be a savior cause your feelings got hurt?" Jey tried to snatch the contract again, but you evaded him, your unreadable expression dropping at his words, hurt flashing across your features. "You ain't in the right mind, you too angry to push away your fucking pride." Jey continued, his tone accusing. "I know you hurt, but you can't let that pain blind you. This ain't the way, and you know it."

You glared back at Jey, the hurt in your eyes replaced with a fire he'd never seen directed at him before. "Fuck you! This isn't just about that, and you know it." Your mind traveled back to a couple days ago. The blood. The pain. The tears in your eyes as you stared up at Asuka holding your title, that she beat you for. She might've cheated with her mist to get it, but there was no spinning it how you put it. You lost.

But you lost more than just a title. You lost a part of yourself too. You knew that being apart of the Bloodline meant owning up to your shit and taking scrutiny from Roman, but as his best friend, the very person who built up the Tribal Chief in the first place, you foolishly thought you were exempt from the harsher side of it.

That illusion shattered last week, when he tore you apart verbally in the middle of that ring, claiming that you turned complacent and weak, using your friendship as a crutch and throwing back your loyalty and insecurities in your face. Then he rubbed it in that he was looking out for you, and to do that you couldn't get another title match until he deemed you worthy.

Your heart burned with anger and humiliation, but you let him run his mouth, uncharacteristically staying silent and let him 'look out for you', accepting the hug he offered after the verbal lashing, even if it felt more like a gesture of dominance than genuine comfort.

But Jey saw the look in your eyes as you hugged him back. He saw that glint of anger, the spark that you wouldn't let die out, and he tried to calm you down before you let that fire burn and did something reckless. He let you cry into his shoulder for the first time, let you unveil your emotions behind that cocky facade you yielded that he knew deep down was just a crutch you used to not get hurt.

And he let you cry into his arms when Roman did it again, and again, and again, pushing you into a corner, not deeming you worthy of standing in his corner, claiming you would cost him and the twins a loss since you knew so much about losses. And when he did let you in the ring during his promos, he would make snipping comments about you, throwing you insecurities back in your face again. But he always said he did it out of love, to toughen you up, to make you- his best friend- realize how great you really are. And that- and Jey always holding you back with his arm and his knowing warm gaze- is what always stopped you from snapping at him and holding your tongue.

Until last week, when after the twins lost last week he blamed it all on you for being in their corner even though you were ejected. You were about to just shut your mouth and let him yell at you, but he then told you to take off your Bloodline and give it to him until you were ready to have it back.

And that was the last straw.

You don't know what took over you- but it was like the ghost of Satan took over your body. You screamed at Roman, the rage you'd been bottling up for so long finally boiling over.

"You want this?" You ripped the jacket from your body, throwing it at him with intensity and marching over to him with so much anger Jey thought you were gonna throw a punch at him.

"Fuck you, Roman! Fuck you!" Your voice shook with hurt and sadness, and a thousand other emotions you felt take over all your senses and sting your eyes with tears as you moved closer to Roman with speed he didn't even know you had- to punch him, to slap the taste out of his mouth, to simply try to physically show him how much he hurt you, you didn't know.

But Jey grabbed you before you could do anything, wrapping his arms around you tightly and holding you back.

"Take your stupid fucking jacket, and shove it up your a-"

"Hey, hey, calm down babe," he murmured, trying to soothe you as you struggled against his hold, holding you with a strength that matched your anger.

"No, I won't calm down! You wanna keep on fucking doing this? Keep on fucking blaming for everything? Every fuck up? Treating me like shit even though I've been nothing but loyal to you? Hurting me like my feelings don't mean anything to you? Like I don't mean anything to you?!" You shouted, your voice quivering with emotion as tears unwillingly streamed down your face.

"Like I'm not your best friend! Like I'm not the one who always been by your side before you became the Tribal Chief, always had your back, always gave you everything and poured myself into everything that made you happy, always believed in you before you even believed in yourself?!"

Roman's face was still stoic as he sat and took in your outburst, but his eyes were filled with a mix of surprise, anger, and realization- like he knew how far he was pushing you. He watched as you tried to claw at Jey's arms, desperately attempting to push him away to break free and let out your hurt directly onto Roman. But Jey just held on tighter, holding onto your kicking and struggling form to stop you from doing something you would regret.

"You are my best friend." Roman finally spoke up after what felt like hours, clenching his jaw and staring at you with a hardened glare that you couldn't decipher, that you couldn't recognize, and it dawned on you that you couldn't recognize him, couldn't recognize the man that you cared for more than you cared for yourself.

He stood up, and you gradually stopped struggling as he came closer to you, his blue eyes starring daggers at you as he softly cupped your face, his calloused hands touching your cheeks, the contrast between his touch and his cold glare jarring. "And sometimes you need to show the ones you love the truth so they can understand the pain they cause."

Roman's voice was chilling, but his eyes were tangled with emotions that felt foreign and unsettling, and your skin crawled at the unfamiliarity in his demeanor. "And once you do that, hurt them before others do to help them, you protect them from further pain."

You moved away from his touch as if it burned you, glaring at him with rage you hoped burned him from the inside out. "You really think I'm stupid? Think I don't see what you're doing? Trying to pretend your doing this out of the goodness of your heart so that I'll fall in line? Well, newsflash, I was already supporting you before any of this tribal chief bullshit even got to your head, before any of this meant anything to you. I didn't need a title to show you loyalty, I just needed you to be my best friend."

Your voice turned somber, your heart still hurting but the anger giving away to sadness, and for a moment Roman gazed into your eyes, really looked at you, like he was staring at your soul. Seeing the pain reflected in your toffe-colored eyes, the tear stains on your cheeks, your trembling form, the scars he etched into your soul with every callous word and cold gesture He saw it all, all the anger you wanted to unleash on him. But he also saw your guarded vulnerability, the part of you that just wanted to hug him and just forgive him, tell him everything would be okay, the part of you still hoping this was all a bad dream.

But that moment passed as fast as it came, and your face dropped into an unreadable gaze, and you wiped your tears, straightening your back and wiping your face and heart of any vulnerability you allowed him to see. You felt Jey's breath against your back, and you looked up at him, asking him the silent question to let you go. Jey's concerned brown eyes were boring into yours, and he didn't need to say anything, he understood everything you meant. He slowly let you go, backing away from you, giving you the freedom you needed.

You took a step back, never breaking eye contact with Roman. This time it was him who couldn't recognize the look in your eyes, but he knew one thing. It didn't mean anything good.

"You think you're the only one who can hurt others? Hurt them with what they love?" Your voice was scarily calm, each word measured as you faced Roman with a piercing glare. "You wanna play the game I taught you how to play in the first place? Then let's play."

A bitter laugh escaped your lips as you turned to the door, your gaze never leaving Roman.

"Trust me, we're gonna see who really is the Head of The Table. And once we do, you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

With that, you slammed the door shut behind you, not looking back at the concerned and stunned look Jey was wearing and the scornful yet regretful expression Roman wore as he watched you leave.

Jey didn't know what that threat would carry out, what you would do, but now standing across from you, seeing it blaze out of control, he feared he was witnessing the unraveling of your carefully crafted self-control. He couldn't let you destroy yourself to prove a point to Roman, no matter how much he understood your pain.

"This ain't the way, and you know that. You guys can talk this shit out like fucking adults but instead you want to get him to sign the shit too you can kill each other in that cell, and for what? Huh? To prove a point? To satisfy your ego?"

You clenched your jaw, moving closer to Jey, your eyes ablaze in anger. “You think I'm doing this because I enjoy it? Because of my ego?" You scowled, the intensity of your gaze burning through him."I admit, I have an ego, but at least I have the balls to own up to my mistakes! Roman acts like he is perfect, like he is untouchable. But I'm gonna prove that nobody is above the consequences of their actions, not even him."

Jey paused for a moment, his eyes boring into yours, and you could see the gateways of his emotions through his eyes. You saw the anger that mirrored yours, his protectiveness of you shining through his brown beautiful eyes that seemed to be made for staring at you, but you also saw the stubbornness, and you knew he wasn't gonna let this go without a fight. Jey searched your eyes for any sign that you were willing to back down, and when he found none, he groaned in frustration, running his hand across his face, heart torn in two different directions.

"You're proving to him that he has control over you." Jey's voice turned softer, eyes staring at you with understanding, he knew what you were feeling. Helpless. Out of control. Powerless. He knew even you would snap sooner or later, no matter what he did. But he didn't think you would risk your career, your life, your bond with Roman, to show him your retribution.

"Come here." Jey beckoned you, his arms open as he waited for you to make a move, hoping to stop your spiraling, to reach deep into your soul and mend the shattered pieces and help you piece them back together.

You stared up at him, your anger slightly softening as you saw the concern and care in his eyes. Jey saw the change in your demeanor and pounced, making the first move and enveloping you in his warm arms, and you finally felt at peace for the first time in what felt like forever. You breathed in his woody scent, shutting your eyes and relaxing into the crook of his neck, feeling some of the tension start to release from your body.

It felt calming. Jey was calming. He was gentle. Like the waves of an ocean lapping against the shore, slowly eroding the jagged edges of your anger.

Jey gently slid the contract out of your arms, setting it down on the table and sliding a hand up your body, stroking the back of your hair gently, as if he could mend your emotions with a single touch.

"Remember Hell in a Cell, when I went through all that pain, all that suffering, just to prove something to Roman? To prove I was worthy, to prove that I can bleed for this family, that I can be the guy for the family?"Jey's voice broke through the comfortable silence, his arms tightening around you at the memory.

You nodded against his neck, recalling the match vividly. The anguish, the pain, the brutality, the utter disconempt and fear of that night etched into your memory. The absolute hurt on Jey's face as you watched him watch Roman force Jimmy into a chokehold, forcing him to watch his brother in agony, screaming I quit over and over again until Roman finally let go of Jimmy, making Jey shake his hand before officially becoming Tribal Chief.

Rikishi doned him with the red flowers around his neck, Jey's heart heaving with pain and hurt as you shook Roman's hand in congratulations before making a beeline for the cell, your smile dropping as soon as you turned to the Twins and took in Jey's pained and saddened features, the bruises on his body making you want to shield him from anyone and anything as you dropped to your knees and hugged him so tight he almost couldn't breathe.

You and Jimmy helped him to the back, and it was that night you truly saw how twisted you have made Roman become by pushing him to become the Tribal Chief.

You wanted the best for your friend, for the family, but at what cost?

Jey pulled away, cupping your face in his hands, forcing you to meet his gaze. "You remember how it felt, right? The pain, the helplessness. Do you really want to go through that again?"

You shut your eyes, trying to ignore his logic and just focus on how you felt. On how Roman made you feel. But Jey wouldn't let you make the same mistakes he did.

"Open your eyes, babe. This aint just about you and Roman. It's about the whole family. You're not just putting yourself through hell; you're putting everyone through it. You're putting me through it. You're putting Roman through it. Hell, you're even putting Jimmy and the others through it. And you know what that's gonna accomplish? Nothing." Jey's hand firmly gripped your chin, making you open your eyes, and the raw sincerity and honesty in his eyes cut through the haze of your emotions.

"Because at the end of the day, this is what he wants. He wants to push you to your limits, to see how far you're willing to go for him. And if you go through with this, he'll think he's won. He'll think he's broken you."

You swallowed hard, your mind racing at Jey's words, his eyes penetrating the stubborn walls you had built around yourself like he had done a thousand times. Roman could get under your skin with ease, but Jey could do something he couldn't and that was reach your heart.

You couldn't lie to yourself and say Jey didn't have a point, he did. But the darker part of you craved the satisfaction of proving Roman wrong, of making him regret ever thinking you were a pawn in his game that the could just play. You wanted to hurt him the way he hurt you, tear his ego to fucking bits, and if you had to take his title and put your body through hell to teach him to not bite the hand that fed him, you were more than willing.

"He can't break me, because I'm the one that built him. I'm the reason he's Tribal Chief in the first place." You pulled back a bit, looking at Jey defiantly. "I made him, Jey. And now I'm going to unmake him if I have to and show him that I created him, and I could destroy him just as easily."

Jey's expression softened, and he let out a frustrated breath as his hands traced your jawline. "Please… don't do this. He'll sacrifice anything for power, and you will do the same. You guys are so similar… But where he's lost himself in that power, I've seen you fight to keep hold of who you are. You didn't let the power consume you, take over you. And I won't let it, no matter what you say."

Jey pulled away from you, his hands dropping to his sides. "I ain't letting you destroy yourself for him, let him do to you what he did to me. I love you too much to let you do that." He grabbed the contract from the table, crumpling it in his fist and ripping it to shreds, moving from you when you tried to protest.

"Jey, I'm doing this for you, for all of us, for Jimmy. But most importantly, I'm doing it for Roman." Your soft gaze turned back into an unreadable glare as you moved away from Jey and zipped up your bag, throwing it over your shoulder and watching Jey as he threw the contract in the trash. "And I'm not gonna let you stop me."

Jey stared into you, your eyes, your heart, your soul, and saw the stubbornness in you, the anger in you, the same fire in you that he had. And he knew your mind was set.

"I don't care what you say, I don't care what you do, and I don't care how mad at me you're gonna get. I ain't letting you do this, no matter what." Jey could be just as stubborn, his eyes turning determined and voice hardening, firm and final.

You casted Jey one last look as you threw your bag over your shoulder and made your way to the door, your hand on the door handle.

"I love you, but this something that needs to be done, something I have to do. And this is your official warning to not stand in my way Jey, or you'll regret it. I don't want to hurt you." You spoke with a chilling resolve, your skin prickling with the way Jey stared at you, like he had already lost you before this all begun.

The door creaked open, and you walked out, leaving behind a heavy silence in the room. Jey sighed in frustration, grabbing the nearest chair in his path and throwing it against the wall.

“Fuck!” He screamed out in frustration, rubbing his temples, his blood rushing in stress.

Jey knew that if you got that match official, that if you poked and prodded and got Roman to sign that shit, which you most definitely would, it meant war.

And Jey wasn't gonna let the war happen, because it would take your soul away in the process.

But you were willing to sacrifice your soul for the devil if that's what it took to bring Roman to his knees and burn his ego before it burned you.

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"I can't thank you enough for training me, you are one of the best so this is an honor." You giggled at Bron's compliment, giving him a blinding smile as you walked through the hallway, ignoring Roman's pointed glare you knew was on you as you passed by his room, wrapping an arm around his waist and moving closer to him.

"Oh, trust me, the pleasure was all mine. I can tell the future is in really good hands. I'm really interested in how your career will pan out in NXT." You took his hand in yours and laced your fingers with his, enjoying the way his pupils widened slightly with surprise and delight at your touch.

"Are you just interested in my career or something more?" Bronn smirked, squeezing your hand gently. You couldn't help but chuckle at his comment, it was so easy to get these guys to become putty in your hands with a few simple words.

"Maybe a bit of both." You replied, licking your lips, making his gaze drop to your glossy lips, and you knew it was time to strike so this can be over as soon as possible. "I heard you can spear pretty good, even better than Roman. Maybe you could teach me how to execute it perfectly?"

Bronn chuckled, " I might be able to show you a thing or two. But be warned, it's harder than it looks."

"Then maybe you're just not as good as you say you are."

You smirked at the intrusion, turning to the new voice and seeing Roman standing behind you both, his arms crossed over his chest, his steely gaze fixed on both of you. He looked unbothered, man bun slicked back to perfection and red Bloodline jacket showing off his muscled frame. But you knew him better than that, knew he was ticked off, his jaw was set, and you could see the flicker of annoyance he tried to hide in his eyes.

"Ro." You gave him a sweet smile, but he could see right through it, rolling his eyes when you made a point to show. him your interlaced hands. "Did you need something? I'm kinda busy here."

Roman smiled right back, but it was anything but sweet. It was deadly. "I need to speak with you. In my office. Now."

You smiled even wider and pretended to contemplate it. "But, me and Bronn were in the middle of something important here. Right Bronn?" You batted your eyes at Bronn, making him swoon and Roman internally groan.

"Yeah, we wer-"

"No one cares what you think. I was asking to speak with her." Roman sharply interrupted Bronn, his tone firm as he locked eyes with him. Bronn's gaze hardened, but before he could do anything you gave his hand a gentle squeeze, making him look at you.

"I'll catch up with you later, Bronn." you said with a reassuring smile, hoping to diffuse any tension he was feeling.

Bronn looked between you and Roman before reluctantly nodding, letting go and walking away, shooting Roman another glare.

"You didn't have to scare him away. He was nice."

“Baby, we all know you don’t like nice guys. Now are you coming?” Roman's voice held a note of impatience that you loved to cause as he arched an eyebrow, waiting for your compliance.

You gave a playful shrug, a smirk curling your lips. “Sure, but make it quick.” You tossed a teasing wink towards Roman before following him down the hallway, anticipating flooding your senses.

Roman held open the door for you as you entered his office, his blue orbs never leaving your face. You could cut the tension with a knife, neither of you wanting to give the other an inch as you sat across one another, neither one of you not wanting to give in. Whoever talked about the problem first loses.

“I see you’ve lowered your standard’s recently. Bron, really?”

You scoffed at the disappointment in Roman’s tone. “What, are you jealous? Mad that he’s everything you wished you could be at his age?”

Roman chuckled darkly, shaking his head slightly at your attempts to anger him. "You know jealous isn't my thing, sweetheart. But being honest is."

He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together with a knowing smirk on his face. "You really think I wouldn't notice you trying to replace me with a wish version of me? Please, don't insult me."

You raised a brow at the dig, relaxing into the chair and fiddling with your fingers, not giving him your undivided attention. "Ro, you really think that low of me? I would never do anything of the sort. I thought you thought better of me. Thought highly of me." You finished your sentence with a roll of your eyes, but Roman could hear the thinly veiled pain in your voice. Pain that he caused. Pain he needed to be caused in order to make you feel no more of it in the future. He just wished you understood that.

"I do think highly of you. Why would you say otherwise?' His tone was confused, but you knew better than to pretend he was playing dumb. He was baiting you in, trying to see if you would be the first to crack.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you aren’t acting like you do?” You snipped at him, trying to mask your hurt with annoyance.

Roman sighed as if he was tired of all of this even though he was the one who caused all of it. He picked up a remote from his desk, then leaned back in his chair, turning on the TV, his smirk never leaving his face. “I saw your promo last week.”

Your eyes flickered to the screen, seeing the footage of your emotionally charged promo airing on the screen. You watched your words play back, the anger palaphable and spreading over the arena. The two of you watched it in deadly silence, and once it was finished you turned back to him, the contract in your hand that you waved around while challenging Roman resting in his hands.

“Are you asking me to take back my words? Cause if so the answer is no.”

Roman turned off the TV, his smirk dropping as he turned to you with a serious glint in his eyes. “I’m not asking you to take them back. I’m asking you to reconsider them.” He dropped the contract onto his desk, and you noticed his signature void from it. “I’m not signing it.”

Your jaw tightened at that, picking up a pen from his desk and sliding it towards him. “Maybe you should be the one reconsidering your words.”

Roman chuckled and took the pen from you, never leaving your eyes as he shot it in the trash can. You think this is a joke?” You met his stare with a hard glare, not flinching from the sound as he leaned forward, his gaze intense as he stared you down. “You think shit is a joke?”

You leaned forward, matching his intense energy. “ I think you're playing a game, Roman. And I'm just trying to keep up and win.”

He let out a frustrated groan, slamming his hand down hard on the table. He cracked first. Bingo.

“You want to talk about winning? You’re playing a game you can’t win, sweetheart. And that’s because I make the rules. And unlike you, I don’t have time to play games.” Roman’s voice was menacing, an angry edge threatening to spill out.

You straightened in your chair, meeting his gaze head-on, not intimidated in the slightest. “Then prove it. Sign the damn contract. What’re you scared of?”

The two of you stared each other down, neither giving an inch in hopes of making the other give in. The two of you were mirrors of each other: Manipulative, stubborn, driven by your own motives. The difference between you both was that you were loyal by a fault.

And he wanted to test how far he could push that loyalty.

Roman’s face turned from impassive to sadness in a fleeting moment, a hint of regret crossing his features. He shook his head slowly, not matching your challenging gaze. “I’m scared of hurting you.”

You blinked at his words, taken aback by the switch of emotions but not willing to admit it, letting him continue. “You think I don’t feel? That I don’t feel hurt when I have to be the guy to punish everyone, to set the rules, to make tough decisions? Sometimes I don’t forgive myself, but I do it to protect everyone, including you. I thought you would understand that.”

Roman paused, his gaze flickering to the contract on the desk, a pained expression haunting his features. “But my father taught me to never lay a hand on a lady, on those who are loyal. And you’re more than just any lady, you are my best friend, my right-hand woman, the one person who helped me build myself up when no one else would help me.”

Your heart softened despite the warning signs going off in your head, the caution you tried to put up against his words. He was playing the game he was too good at, trying to appeal to your loyalty, and you were struggling to not give in.

He leaned forward and extended his hand towards you, his gaze pleading. “I can’t sign that, and you know why. But you also know I’ll always have your back. I’m just asking for yours now. Asking for my best friend to understand. Asking for the person who helped build me to not try to destroy me.”

Your was face stoic but your eyes telling a thousand words as you narrowed them at his hand, not speaking for what felt like an eternity until finally, you slid into his, his calloused hand enveloping your smaller one and testing the waters by squeezing it gently, smirking internally when you let him. You finally cracked.

“Ro… I’m not trying to destroy you.” You squeezed his hand back in return, waiting a beat before giving him a smile laced with dynamite. “I am trying to destroy the person you’ve become.” Roman’s smugness quickly faded away as you snatched your hand away from his, standing up and grabbing the contract from his desk.

“But since you don’t want to play ball with me, I’m gonna have to make you sign this contract the hard way. See you on Smackdown, Ro. Watch your back. You'll regret not making things right with me."

Your hand went to twist the knob to storm out, but Roman's voice cut through the air, stopping you in your tracks.

"You can't destroy something you made."

You froze at the door, the weight of his words sinking into your heart. Roman sensed this and stood up from his chair, his soulless blue eyes fixated on your form. "You made me, and I made you."

You turned back, meeting his intense gaze with an unwavering storm brewing in your eyes, the tension crackling between you both like electricity. "Then get ready to watch me tear it all down, Roman."

The door slammed shut behind you, leaving Roman staring at the closed door, wondering if that would be the last time he'd have a chance to reason with you, the last time he would have a chance to have you keep on being the glue that held the Bloodline together, held him together.

But he knew one thing.

He selfishly wouldn't let you leave him no matter the cost.

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"If you're gonna tell me I'm stupid, I'd appreciate it if you'd just get to the point."

Naomi giggled next to you where you both sat in the tiny corner of the bar, the neon ights casting a warm glow over the both of you, drinks in hand as you relaxed for what felt like the first time in forever.

"I wasn't gonna say that, but thanks for the permission," Naomi teased, nudging you with her arm.

You chuckled, taking a sip of your drink before leaning back against the bar. Naomi saw the sad expression that flickered across your face and turned to you with concern.

"I hate seeing you like this." She grabbed your hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. "Talk to me."

You sighed, meeting Naomi's gaze with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "It's just... things have been so stressful. Especially with Roman. He's just... not the man I used to know. He keeps hurting me, and I didn't know how to handle it anymore, so I just blew up. Now I have everyone telling me how dumb I am for challenging him. I can't take it."

Naomi listened to your word vomit, squeezing your hand again to comfort you. "Look, I know he's your best friend and all... and he cares for you in his own twisted way... but you have every right to look out for your self. Be selfish. Don't let no man walk all over you, not even him."

She paused, her gaze searching yours, wishing she could take all your pain away. "Maybe I can get Jimmy to leave early, talk to him, sort all this out?"

You heart warmed at the gesture, but you instantly shook your head in rejection. You knew Jimmy would drop anything for you, you were like the little sister he never had, but he was finally seeing his family after months of being on the road, and you didn't want to bother him.

"I appreciate it girl, but I can handle this on my own. I need to do this myself." You replied, offering Naomi a small but appreciative smile.

Naomi nodded understandingly, her gaze still filled with concern. "Okay, but promise me you'll call me if you need anything, okay?" You nodded with a smile, grateful for her support. She was the sweetest friend you could ever ask for.

You nodded with a smile, grateful for her support. She was the sweetest friend you could ask for, and you couldn't be more thankful she was here for you right now. "I promise."

She let go of your hand and gave you a reassuring smile before picking up her drink. "Alright, then let's forget about our problems by drinking them away tonight!” Naomi raised her glass, and you followed suit, clinking them together in a toast.

“This is why I love you!" You drank it all in one go, fully determined to let go for one night and forget about everything. What could go wrong?

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You threw back another shot, waving your arms around and grinding on a man that had been trying to sweet talk his way into your pants for the past half-hour. The music blared through the crowded club, drowning out your thoughts, making you focus on the alcohol pulsing through your veins instead.

Naomi left a few hours ago, but you opted to stay and dance the night away. The man whose name you forgotten turned you around, his hands resting your waist as he smirked down at you. He wasn't bad looking, hair slicked back, a chiseled jawline, tall and muscular. "I'm gonna get us some more drinks, babe. Wait for me?"

You nodded, a mischievous smile playing on your lips. "Hurry back, handsome."

As he disappeared into the crowd, you found someone else to dance with, it wasn't hard with your confident attitude and red dress showing off just the right amount of skin. You threw your arms around the new distraction, peering up at them through your lashes, your lips parting in a sultry smile. He smiled down at you, arms sitting on your waist, hovering over your ass.

You danced with him for a while, until you yelped when he brought you closer to him, grinding against you more aggressively, licking his lips at the sight of you. "Mind if I kiss you?"

You leaned in, your lips just a breath away from his ear. "I don't mind at all." You leaned in to close the distance between the two of you, so so close to his lips, your own lips almost brushing against his, if you moved just a bit closer you could lose yourself in them-

"Wow, this is a new low for you."

A arm wrapped around your waist and yanked you away from the stranger. You spun around, slightly disoriented, looking up to see the man you had been trying to forget all night- Roman. His eyes were dark with disappointment as he stared down at you, and that made all the feelings you've been trying to ignore rush back. How dare he be disappointed in you when you've done nothing wrong?

You jerked away from his grip, scowling up at him. "You would know about low's wouldn't you?" You spat, the alcohol fueling your anger.

Roman's jaw clenched, his gaze piercing into yours. " And I guess you know a lot about lows, considering the company you're keeping tonight." He retorted, turning to the stranger who was still standing nearby.

"You are going to leave her alone, and get the hell out of here, now." The stranger quickly raised his hands in surrender, not wanting to fight for some drunken encounter. He mumbled an apology before making a fast exist, leaving you alone with Roman.

"Guess I'm following in the footsteps of my tribal chief." you sneered, crossing your arms over your chest. "I would say best friend, but he doesn't seem to remember what that means anymore."

Roman's expression hardened, his nostrils flaring with barely contained frustration. "You're embarrassing yourself. What the hell are you doing?"

You scoffed, his words hurting more than you'd like to admit. "Embarrassing myself? Says the guy who parades around, claiming to be the big, bad Tribal Chief. Maybe I'm just trying to see how it feels to be a heartless asshole, just like you."

Roman's eyes narrowed at your low blow, and he pulled you to a quieter corner of the club, away from prying eyes and judgmental stares. The music still thumped in the background, but the tension between you and Roman was louder.

"I don't want you to be me. I want you to be you." Roman growled, his voice low and intense.

"But this? This isn't you. The person in front of me is an embarrassment, is a disgrace, a mockery of everything I thought you were." His eyes scanned over you, as if he was looking into your soul, searching for something you didn't know existed. "You are better than this."

You laughed bitterly as his last sentence threw a dagger into your heart, a harsh edge to the sound. "Better than this? Better than what, Roman? Better than being the friend who stands by while you tear me apart?" You yelled at him, your voice attracting the attention of some curious onlookers, one of which pushed past people to get to the two of you. Roman's gaze didn't waver, and he stepped closer, the heat of his anger radiating off him.

"You don't get it, do you?" Roman shot back, his voice edged with frustration. "I tore you apart because I care, because I saw you losing yourself, becoming weak. I did it to make you stronger, to make you realize your potential. But you just can't see that, can you? Can't see how weak you've become. "

Your fists clenched at your sides, the alcohol mixing with the swirling emotions inside you. "And you wanna know what I see?"

You got into his face, your breath hot with anger, and you could see every emotion relfected in his eyes. "I see a power hungry man who is a shell of a person he used to be. I see a man who so desperately wants to be accepted, to be loved, to be respected, that he is willing to leave behind his morals to achieve it, to be come the monster he used to despise. You are a monster."

You moved closer to him, your breaths with each other, the air so suffocating you could taste the tension. Feel your two manipulating minds clashing against each other. mingling with his, the air thick with tension. "And you know what's the saddest part? I created this monster. I pushed you to become the Tribal Chief, and now I have to destroy what I made."

You could see the hurt in his eyes that you loved to be able to cause and throw right back in his face, his jaw tight. He matched your energy, glaring you down with an intensity that made your skin burn. "I became the man I needed to be to lead this family. I became the Tribal Chief. If you can't understand that, then maybe you never really knew me."

You chuckled darkly, your eyes never leaving his. "You're right." you said with a bitter laugh, the taste of regret lingering on your tongue. "But you never knew me if you think I'm just going to stand by and watch you destroy everything we built together."

Silence. The silence suffocated you more than the loud music ever could. Everything else faded away as you looked in the eyes that used to hold so much warmth.

Now they were cold, unrecognizable, filled with a distance you never thought possible between the two of you. You waited for a response, for some sign he understood, stared into his soul, waiting for a glimpse of the friend you used to know to emerge from the shadows that you had created.

It felt like an eternity before he spoke up, your breath catching in your throat as he leaned in closer to you, his lips hovering over your ear, his scowling face mere inches from yours.

"I love you, and I always will. But don't mistake my love for weakness." His lips brushed against your ear as his growl vibrated against your skin. "You can't destroy what you don't understand. I won't let your emotions cloud my judgment, unlike you, let it destroy what we've worked so hard for. And after this is over, you will thank me for saving you from yourself."

Roman pulled away from you, and you swore you saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a steely resolve you taught him how to perfect.

You didn't know what you were feeling. Sadness. Regret. But when you looked at him, all you felt was the hurt that he had inflicted on you, the hurt that had pushed you to this point, the hurt you wanted to cause him.

You glared at him, pushing him away from you, the lights of the club flashing in patterns all around you, making your skin glow with anger and your eyes iridescent. "The only person who needs saving is you." The bitterness in your voice matched the taste in your mouth. "And if I take the very thing that is making you lose yourself, then maybe you'll thank me when you realize what you've become."

You stared down at Roman, hoping to see a crack in his stoic facade, a sign that your words had penetrated his defenses. The man who offered to get you drinks earlier walked over to you, but you didn't talk to him, your eyes never leaving Romans as you just snatched the drink from the tray, ushering him away.

Roman's chuckles rang in your ears as you stared at his breaking of the silence, his laughs low and mocking.

"You can't even hold onto a man for a night. How do you expect to hold onto my title?" You knew he was just trying to get under your skin, and it was working, having you play into him, but you didn't care.

Roman groaned in pain as your drink burned his eyes, your grip on the glass bruising as you threw the remnants of the drink in his face, reveling in the satisfaction of finally getting a reaction out of him.

"Fuck you!" You screamed, releasing all your aggression on him, pushing him into the table. "You finally broke me, congratulations! Is this what you wanted?"

You readied yourself to throw your glass cup at him, but a hand grabbed yours, stopping you mid-motion. You turned to see Jey, his concerned eyes pleading with yours, his grip on your hand firm but gentle.

"Baby, listen to me." His brown eyes bored into yours, worry etched on his face. You turned back to Roman, but Jey's voice made you still, and he could tell you were listening to him. "He ain't worth it. He ain't worth all of this." He tugged on your hand again, and your grip loosened slightly but still clenched with rage. "Let go of the glass, calm down, and we can leave, go back to the hotel, put on that movie you were bugging me to watch, and I can make you feel better. Let me make you feel better, okay?"

You never stopped looking at Roman, your eyes pleading, hoping, begging him to stop you, to say something, to do something. But he never did, Jey wanted to spare you from the realization he never would.

Your eyes met Jey's when his free hand cupped your jaw, making you look at him and his calming stare, his shimmering brown orbs grounding you in reality. He gently stroked your cheek with his thumb, trying to coax you into calming down. "Please, calm down. For me?"

Roman watched the interaction with intrigue, raising an eyebrow at the way you and Jey interacted with each other, how you looked at each other like you were the only two people in the room, how you gave into him like it was natural.

He stored the information into his brain.His lips curved into a smirk, though it was masked by the remnants of the drink in his eyes as he watched Jey wrap and arm around you, glancing back at Roman, a silent warning in his gaze before leading you away to a secluded corner.

You swallowed hard, the effects of the drinks and the argument with Roman making your throat close up with emotion. You tugged on Jey's arm, making him turn to you with concern etched on his beautiful face.

"I-I need a minute, Jey," you managed to choke out, the emotions that you've been trying to suppress for so long now threatening to spill over. You didn't wait for a response as you bolted for the bathroom, the only one open being the family restroom that was empty at the time.

Your reflection in the mirror showed a face etched with pain; broken, tired eyes stared back at you, tears brimming on the edge, messy hair cascading down your face. The facade you had tried to uphold shattered in that moment.

You splashed water on your face, trying to wash away the anguish, but it lingered, clinging to you like a heavy cloak you couldn't get rid of. Roman was right. You looked like an embarrasment. You were mess. You were a disgrace. You called him a shell of a man, but now you realized you were becoming a shell of the person you used to be.

The first tear came, falling silently down your cheek, followed by another, and soon, you were trembling, sitting down on the dirty floor and silently sobbing into your hands. You deserved this. You weren't innocent, and you knew it. You happily let him hurt others in hopes of making him happy, gloating about your own power over people, only to end up hurting yourself in the process. You deserved this, deserved the karma coming over you for all the hurt you've caused. You let out a muffled cry, wiping at your face.

A knock on the door made you stop in your tracks, the sound pulling you out of your head for a moment. "Can I come in?" a soft voice called out.

You took a deep breath, trying to compose yourself before responding. You didnt want anyone to see you like this, so vulnerable. "No."

The knocking stopped, but you heard the door handle twist. "Let me rephrase that, I'm coming in." It was Jey's voice, and he didn't wait for your response before gently pushing the door open and stepping inside.

He immediately spotted you sitting on the floor, tears streaming down your face, and his heart clenched with concern. "Hey," he murmured softly, crouching down beside you, his warm hand landing gently on your back.

You tried to wipe away the evidence of your breakdown, but Jey caught your hand, stopping you. "Hey, it's okay," he reassured, his voice tender. "You don't have to hide anything from me."

You shook your head, unable to meet his gaze, feeling utterly exposed and vulnerable. You hated feeling like this, and you hated showing it even more. But something about Jey made you want to let your guard down, let him see you for you, not for your cocky facade.

"Am I a bad person?" You sniffled, the question lingering heavily in the air as you looked up at Jey with teary eyes, begging for reassurance, begging him to heal your heart.

Jey's expression softened even more, his eyes full of empathy as he looked at you. "Nah, you not a bad person." he said firmly, his voice laced with sincerity. You scoffed, shaking your head in disbelief, not fully convinced by his words.

"But I am Jey." Your voice cracked as you peered up at him, tears streaming down your cheeks.

"I've done things… I've hurt people, I manipulate everyone… I'm cocky, and egoistical… I lash out at the ones I care about… I'm just like him. And I don't know how to stop, Jey. I don't know how to fix it." You wiped at your face furiously, but the tears kept coming no matter how hard you tried to stop them. "Please… help me fix it."

You felt your hands being pulled away from your hands, and you tried and failed to look away as you stared up into Jey's comforting eyes that never failed to make you feel like you were in another universe, filled with compassion he reserved only for you.

He cupped your face gently, his touch warm and reassuring. "Look at me," he urged softly, waiting until your eyes met his. "You are not a bad person. You're just human." His thumb traced a soothing path over your cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "You ain't nothing like him, you hear me? You ain't. You everything he wished he was." Jey leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "You think I don't know the real you you hide behind that tough shit, but I do, and you can't hide it from me. The real you is caring as fuck for those she loves, kind as hell, and the most loving person I know. You got a good heart, sweetheart. You're just lost right now. But that don't make you bad. It just makes you real."

You stared up at Jey like he was made of starlight, his words making you want to believe him, make you want to look past any sense of darkness that had engulfed your heart. No one had ever seen through your facade like he did, and it gave you hope.

"Jey…"You whispered hoarsely, your voice barely audible above the soft hum of the club's music."You really think that? You really believe that I'm not a bad person?" You leaned into his touch, even though you felt like you didn't deserve it. "I didn't even try to stop him when he hurt you, though. I only cared about myself, I only-"

"Hey." Jey's voice was firm yet gentle as he interrupted you, his hand still cradling your face. "You did care. I told you that you can't hide anything from me."

He leaned closer, his forehead touching yours. "I saw that look in your eyes when you held me in that cell, when you held me that night. You fell deep into his words, his eyes, so deep that you didn't even realize that Roman was using you to get to me. And you know what? That's okay."

You savored his words and his warm skin on yours, the guilt churning inside of you slowly diminishing. "Okay?" You echoed, your voice barely a whisper.

Jey nodded, his comforting gaze never leaving yours. "Yes, okay. Because you're not a bad person for caring. Protective, yeah. A bit petty, sure. Stubborn as hell, fuck yeah." You giggled at his words despite the tears still lingering, and Jey smiled at the sound, glad to have brought a hint of happiness to you. "But bad, no. You're just you. And I wouldn't like you if you were tryna be anything else."

The tears finally stopped, and Jey wiped the remants of them gently, before pulling you into his lap, his arms massaging your back soothingly, your head against his chest, his heartbeat calming your racing thoughts.

"I know, baby. I know." Jey soothed you as you clung to him, seeking comfort in his loving arms. His arms always made everything better, and you closed your eyes, breathing in the scent of his cologne and burying your face into his chest, relaxing into the warmth and security he always provided. "I know baby. I got you."

Jey let you stayed like that until you were ready, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, you pulled back slightly, still resting against him. You gave him a small smile, a glimmer of gratitude and hope shining in your eyes. "Thank you." It was a simple sentence, but it spoke volumes. "I don't know what I would do without you, Jey."

Jey smiled softly, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "You ain't gotta do anything without me, okay? I'm here for you, always." He brushed a strand of hair away from your face, his touch gentle and reassuring. "Now, how about we get out of here, hm? Go back to the hotel, get you cleaned up, watch that movie you were talking about, and just relax?"

You nodded, feeling a sense of happiness wash over you. "That sounds perfect. You're perfect." His smile widened at your words as he helped you up, wrapping his arm around your shoulder protectively as he led you out of the restroom and through the club.

The uber ride back to the hotel was quiet, with Jey’s hand on your thigh, his gaze never leaving yours as you leaned your head against his shoulder, lost in the city lights passing by.

Jey’s arm never left your as he guided you through the hotel lobby, your feet going on autopilot as you let him take the lead. You barely even realized when you arrived at your room, the door clicking shut behind you. Jey gently guided you to sit on the edge of the bed, and you snapped back to reality when he cupped your face in his hands, his thumb wiping a bit of mascara that had smudged under your eyes.

"I'm gon' run you a warm bath, then we gon' relax in the bed, then you gon' go to sleep and forgot about everything that happened tonight and be happy cause that's what you deserve, ai'ght?" Jey softly caressed your skin, and his voice was even softer.

You nodded, giving him a small but appreciative smile. Jey smiled down at you before letting you go to go to the bathroom, but you pulled away slightly, catching his hand. "Wait." Jey turned back, concern flickering in his eyes. "What's wrong?" You hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "How did you and Roman know where I was gonna be tongight?"

Jey's expression softened, and he sighed, a sense of regret crossing his features. "We didn't plan it, not exactly," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Naomi texted me to not bother you guys, and Roman saw the text and found out where you were. I tried to get him to leave you alone, but he wouldn't listen to me." He paused, his gaze meeting yours, searching for any sign of understanding or resentment. "I knew I couldn't leave you alone with him. And I was right."

You nodded slowly, processing his explanation. "You didn't have to worry about me, Jey," you murmured, gratitude and guilt swirling within you. "But thank you for being there, for looking out for me."

Jey's expression softened even further, his gaze unwavering as he met your eyes. He wanted to scream at you how crazy you had to be to think he wouldn't worry about how, about how much he cared for you, how he couldn't beat the thought of something happening to you, how he wished he could protect you from every hurt in this world.

But instead, he smiled softly, his thumb gently caressing your cheek.

"You don't have to thank me. I'ma always look out for you, baby." He gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, and your heart skipped a beat at the way he was looking at you- as if you were the most precious thing in the world. He smiled down at you once more before pulling away and stepping towards the bathroom. "I'll get that bath ready for you, okay?"

Jey heart pounded in his chest as you smiled back brightly at him, and again when at the end of the night when the movie credits rolled, and you had fallen asleep in his arms, finally looking at peace, the worry and pain of earlier washed away from you.

Jey stayed awake a little longer, moving you so his back was to the bed, keeping you safely cradled in his arms. His gaze lingered on your face, feeling a mix of emotions- protectiveness, relief, anger (at Roman, never at you) and a sense of love he didn't dare label. He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, his heart swelling with tenderness as he whispered softly to you, "Sleep well, baby. You deserve it."

The anger swelled even more the longer he looked at you. This is where you belonged. In his bed. In his life. In his arms.

And he wasn't gonna let Roman take you away from him, even if it cost you everything.

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𝚂𝙼𝙰𝙲𝙺𝙳𝙾𝚆𝙽-𝙽𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝙱𝙴𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙴 𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻 𝙸𝙽 𝙰 𝙲𝙴𝙻𝙻

You fidgeted with your bracelet as your eyes burned with how intently you were watching the TV, waiting for the right moment to pounce, waiting for Roman to show his conceited ass out on TV for his weekly shit talking in the ring. This was the last chance you'd have to get rid of the thing that had been destroying everyone, the last chance you'd have to get him to sign the contract that would relinquish his control.

You took a deep breath, putting aside your emotions. You couldn't let your emotions get the best of you, you had to let them fuel you.

A text message alert flashed on your phone, breaking your concentration. It was from Jey.

I'm stuck in traffic, gon' be late. Please don't do anything while I can't stop you.

You sighed, eyes flickering to the TV and your phone. Another text message came, this time more urgent.

Don't do it. Please. I can't let you do this.

You looked up at the sound of Romans music, his smirking face and confident swagger mocking you as he made his way to the ring, Paul Heyman by his side. Your jaw clenched, the fire within you igniting as you watched him boast about how good he was, his dominance, his power, forgetting to mention the fact you helped him get the power he now yields.

You sighed resolutely, pocketing your phone and storming out from backstage, grabbing a mic from a stage tech and marching towards the ring to start the end of all of this.

Roman stopped talking at the sound of your music, his smirk dropping and Paul's eyes widening as they turned to see you striding down the ramp, contract in hand and the usual cocky smirk on your face replaced with an angry glare.

Paul attempted to intervene, but Roman shot out a hand, halting his movements, letting you enter the ring unhindered. You strutted over to him, and even across from each other, the tension was electric. Roman sat up from his chair, standing over you with a challenging stance, not surprised in the slightest at your arrival.

"What, not happy to see me?" You taunted, your voice dripping with sarcasm as you stared back at him with the same challenging glint in your eyes.

Roman's gaze bore into yours, unreadable yet intense. "I'd be happier if you acted like my best friend and supported me instead of trying taking me down."

You scoffed, the bitterness rising within you. "Oh, spare me the sentimental crap, Roman. I have always supported you. But you said it yourself." You leaned in closer to him, the fury in your eyes never fading. "Sometimes you need to show the ones you love the truth so they can understand the pain they cause."

Roman's expression hardened at you, and you saw a flicker of uncertainty beneath his stoic facade. "And you think you can handle the pain?" He challenged, his voice low and dangerous. "You know more than anyone what I've gone through. You've seen it all. Helped me through it all. Saw how it ate at me." Roman came closer to you, his presence comannading and overwhelming. "But you still wanna take this away from me."

You held your breath, your heart torn between what you needed to do and want you wanted to do. You wanted to hug Roman, tell him it was all a mistake, to take back the words you said, but you couldn't. Not when you've reached the point of no return.

"I'm not here to talk about my pain. I'm here to end yours." You held out the contract, your hand shaking slightly. "End the madness. End the hurt. End the pain. End it all."

Roman stared at the contract in your hand, his eyes flickering at the contract in your hand, his eyes flickering between the document and your determined face with a mix of emotions—confusion, anger, and a hint of something that resembled hurt. A tense silence fell over both of you as you stared at each other — the same look in both of your eyes; clash between your egos and your love.

"You really gonna do this to me?" Roman broke the silence, his voice determined yet on the edge of pleading.

His eyes were broken, a vulnerability shining through the mask of the Tribal Chief. It was a look you hadn't seen in a long time, one that made your heart ache with guilt and conflict.

"I love you! I love you so much I gave you everything you ever wanted, everything to make you happy! You're the one person I've trusted with everything. You're the one person I gave my everything to." His words pierced through you like daggers, each one stabbing you in the heart.

Roman backed away from you slightly, a frown creasing his beautiful face, the pain smacking you in the face. "You are supposed to be by my side! Supposed to rule by my side like we planned, like we always wanted." He rubbed his face, like the words he was saying were causing him physical pain. When he looked up at you, his eyes were glistening with unshed tears, pleading for some kind of understanding, some sign of reconciliation. "Please, don't do this. Don't do this to me."

Your heart wrenched at the sight of him crying, at the raw emotions pouring out of him like a faucet, and you were the cause of it. Memories flooded your mind—the smiles you shared, the laughter he always pulled out of you, the shared dreams that had brought you two closer together that you were now living out. You looked at him, really looked at him, his soul, his love, the love in him that was broken.

"Roman, I…," you started, your voice wavering with conflicting emotions. You swallowed hard, fighting back the tears but they slowly came out, but you didnt bother wiping them. You stared at him for an agonizingly long moment before shaking your head, throwing the contract to the ground next to him and backing away, silently sobbing into your hands. "I love you too. I won't. I won't do this." You couldn't bring yourself to finish the sentence, your words catching in your throat as you crumbled under the weight of your emotions tearing you apart.

Romans face shifted from desperation to happiness, the tears still shimmering in his eyes as he watched you break down. He slowly made his way towards you, his steps deliberate and calulcated as he approached you. You moved your face away from your hands, and he could see your tears under the lights, see the same hurt in your eyes.

"Then don't." You peered up at him to see Roman with his arms outstretched, waiting for your answer. Paul, who had been silently watching the ordeal with concern, now had a tooth grin on his face as he walked up to the two of you, his eyes on you.

"You see Miss, the Tribal Chief loves you, he would never want to hurt you!" Pauls voice was loud with excitement as he was literally jumping up and down at the prospect of the two of you making up. He knew just as well as everyone else on the roster the two of you together were a dangerous duo and everyone else would be happy to see the two of you tear each other apart then tear apart the entire roster, and he couldn't let that happen.

"You see him, how he loves you, how you love him. Hug it out! Hug it out! Hug it out!…" Pauls annoying voice seemed so far away in your ears as you stared at Roman, your heart torn between the love you felt for him and the pain that had consumed you.

It felt like hours before you suddenly jumped into his arms, clinging to him tightly, your tears soaking his shirt as he caught you easily and held you close.

Roman's hand gently cradled the back of your head as he held you close. "Shh, it's okay," he whispered back, his voice filled with love and understanding. "I forgive you."

You nodded against his chest, relaxing into the moment and his arms, into the man you trusted the most, not noticing the smirk on his face as he held you just as tightly as you were holding him. You finally pulled back slightly, your voice muffled by your tears. "I know."

You gave him a dazzling smile, caressing his face gently. "But you might not forgive me." You didnt give him time to think about your words before you were giving him a DDT, slamming his head into the chair.

You stood up, wiping your tears away with ease, as if you'd never wept them, staring at Roman's half-fallen form before grabbing the chair and slamming it into his back, making him finally fall down, his mouth groaning in pain.

Paul's mouth dropped in shock and horror as he stared at you, his mouth agape as he tried to moved towards Roman, who was slowly stirring, but a menacing look from you stopped him in his tracks and made him run right out of the ring.

"Forgive me?" You scoffed, your voice holding a cold edge, a stark contrast to the vulnerability you had displayed moments ago, walking towards him, throwing the chair aside and bending down to his level.

"I did nothing wrong accept believe in you! Believe you actually cared about me!" You fishing out a pen from your pocket and glared down at him. "I told you I was gonna do this the hard way." You dropped the pen in front of him with the paper and dropped down on top of him, grabbing his arm and wrenching it back in a submission move.

Roman immediately started to struggle against your hold, grunting in pain as you applied pressure to his arm. "Sign it, Roman!" You wrenched back even harder, and he yelled in pain, his face contorted in agony, but he refused to give in easily. "Sign it and I'll let go!" You pushed him towards the paper, the strain evident in your voice as you applied more pressure to the submission hold. "Sign the fucking paper!"

Roman grunted in pain as he struggled against you, gritting his teeth to try and endure it. "I'm not signing a fucking thing!"

You gritted your teeth, the desperation and anger in your eyes mirroring his determination. "You're making this harder for yourself!" you snapped, your voice laced with frustration and a hint of sorrow.

"Just end it, Roman. Sign the contract!" You gritted your teeth, the desperation and anger in your eyes mirroring his determination. You intensified the pressure on his arm, causing him to cry out in agony.

Roman finally was cracking under the pain, and you cranked up the pressure, finally making him push his free hand out towards the pen and paper. With a gritted jaw and a pained expression, he scrawled his signature across the contract. You didnt let up until the pen dropped from his hand as he collapsed, writhing in agony, clutching his injured arm.

You let go of him, taking a step back and watching him writhe in pain, the sound of his pained groans piercing through your conscience. You took the contract now bearing Roman's signature in your hands, your mind at peace with the chance to end things but your heart achds at the sight of the man you called your best friend in agony. But you knew if you wanted to keep him in your life you needed to do this.

Your head snapped back when you heard Jey's music play, his familiar eyes staring back at you as he raced to the ring, trying to stop what has already started.

But you quickly bolted out of the ring, escaping his grasp, as he lunged forward, his fingers just inches away from reaching you. You clutched the contract to your chest, the thudding of your heart matching the rhythm of your hurried steps.

Jey didnt even look at Roman, didnt even look at Paul who was yelling at him to help Roman. He just stared at you like you were the only thing that mattered, his heart wrenching with each step you took away from him.

"Don't do this!" He screamed with anguish, tears spilling down on his face as he yelled for you, the desperation in his voice making you freeze mid-step, staring at his face that held so much pain that you caused, causing an ache in your chest that matched the one in his.

"Jey...don't." You begged him, your voice cracking with emotion, your lip quivering as you struggled to form words.

Jey would understand. He always did.

"Please, don't do this to him. To us. To me!" His voice wavered as he pleaded with you to come back to the ring, to come back to him.

But you just stood there, your feet frozen in place, tears streaming down your cheeks matching Jey's. And it wasn't the fake one's you shared with Roman.

You couldn't fake anything with Jey. It was real, it was raw, and you hated every second of it.

You took a step backward, your eyes locked with Jey's, silently apologizing for the pain you were causing, for the wounds you were about to inflict.

Jey's voice cracked with agony as he watched you slowly back away. "I ain't letting you leave me!" His words were hauntingly sad, yet had a warning edge in them as you walked away, your eyes filled with tears that blurred your vision as you walked to the back, clutching the contract as if it were a lifeline, not seeing him go to the corner of the ring and clutch the ropes, burying his face in his hands and sobbing his heart out, every cry echoing out his need for you.

Your heart felt like it was being torn apart, but you knew this is what you had to do. And as you delivered the contract to Adam Pearce and got ready to go home, your mind was swirling with many thoughts, but one stood out amongst the rest.

You were going to be the one to end the monster you created, and you weren't going to let anybody stand in your way.

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You laid in bed, but your mind was far away from the comfort of the sheets and the quiet of your room. You couldn't sleep, despite the exhaustion that weighed heavy on your body. Everything that happened was playing on a loop, repeating over and over and over again, each moment etched into your memory.

The echoes of Jey's cries and the heart-wrenching look on his face haunted you. You couldn't shake off the image of his tear-streaked face, pleading for you to stop, to come back to him. But now you knew he wouldn't even want you to come back to him after this, wouldn't want you after this.

And that was the worst part of it all. You were losing the two people you cared about the most, and you couldn't even do anything about it.

Your eyes were dry from how hard you were crying all night, but now you wished you had more tears to cry, to distract yourself from everything you were feeling. You laid on your side, closing your eyes in a futile attempt to get some rest, to force your body to let you relax for once.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

You bolted upright, jolted out of your thoughts by the insistent knocking at your door. Rubbing your tired eyes, you staggered toward the door, feeling the turmoil of the night clinging to your every movement.

As soon as you swung the door open, you were met with lips smashing on yours, catching you off guard. The force of the kiss pushed you a step back, and before you could fully register what was happening, you found yourself being lifted off the ground. Your arms instinctively wrapped around the person's neck, the passion of their lips on yours sending a pleasurable jolt through your body.

It took a moment for your brain to catch up and recognize the person kissing you. It was Jey. His lips were desperate against yours, sloppy yet intense, chaotic yet loving. It was as if he was trying to covey everything he couldn't express in yours through his lips, and you followed suit, matching the fervor of his kiss, pouring all the emotions that had been bottled up inside you. Lust. Passion. Love.

He broke the kiss, his intense gaze locking with yours, his breaths coming out in erratic huffs, mirroring the pace of your heart. His eyes were red and puffy, matching your own, and your heart fluttered at the sight of the raw emotions swirling in his eyes.

"Jey, I-" Jey's finger silenced you, pressing against your lips gently, preventing you from saying anything else. His eyes were stormy with emotion as he stared at you, his expression a mix of love, anger, and desperation.

"You don't get to talk right now," Jey interrupted harshly, his voice strained yet firm. "I need to say this before I lose my fucking nerve."

He lowered you gently to the ground, his hand never leaving your face as he caressed your cheek, his touch both tender and intense. "I watched you leave, and fuck… I was about to lose my mind seeing you walk away… seeing you leave like that… I couldn't take it." Jey's voice quivered with sadness, his grip tightening slightly as if he feared you might slip away again.

"You're so fucking stubborn, so fucking determined, it drives me insane. And that's why I love you."

Your eyes widened at Jey's confession, and you opened your mouth to speak, but Jey's eyes pleaded with you to let him finish. "I fucking love you. There, I said it. I needed you to know. I need you to know that you mean everything to me, that seeing you leave tore me apart, that I can't lose you."

Tears welled up in your eyes again, and you were speechless. You didnt know what to feel. What to do. How to act. All you knew was that Jey's lips on yours and his arms around you was something you always wanted to feel.

"I don't… I didn't…" Your voice faltered, emotions choking your words as you attempted to articulate your thoughts. You searched for the right words, the perfect response to the whirlwind of feelings rushing through you. "I love you too." With that, you pushed your lips against his.

You felt Jeys smile against your lips, relief flooding through him as he depeened the kiss, pouring his love into it. Your hands found their way to his hair, tangling in the locks as you kissed him fervently, trying to convey all the feelings you couldn't put into words, his taste addicting and intoxicating, and you wanted more of it.

This time it was you who broke the kiss, your forehead resting against Jey's as he looked deep into your eyes. His fingers traced your cheek, sending shivers down your spine as his touch ignited a rush of love and lust within you. "I meant what I said. I ain't letting you go. Not now, not ever." His eyes were soft at the sight of you in his arms, punctuated each word with a gentle kiss against your lips, making you giggle softly in response.

"You are so possessive." You teased, a playful grin tugging at your lips as Jey chuckled softly. "It's hot."

Jey's eyes held an intensity at your words that made your heart skip a beat. "Why you actin' like you don't like it?" Jey smirked, his voice husky with desire, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he spoke. His hand caressed your waist, pulling you closer to him, making your heart race with anticipation.

"Oh, I like it," you whispered back, a playful smirk dancing on your lips. "In fact, I think I love it." You leaned in, capturing Jey's lips with yours in a slow, passionate kiss, your tongues tender against one another, slow and addicting before breaking apart.

"I love you." You gushed out affectionately, heart swelling for the man in front of you.

Jey grinned widely, his eyes twinkling with happiness. "I love you more," he whispered, his breath warm against your skin as he held you close, savoring the moment. "And I ain't letting you slip away again."

You smiled back at him, letting him kiss you again and again and again, let him lead you to the bed and show you just how much he loved you, show you just how much he was holding back from you, showing you just how much he cared for you.

And when the dust settled, and your souls merged into one, you found yourself wrapped in Jey's arms yet again, your head resting on his chest as the rhythmic beat of his heart lulled you into a peaceful slumber.

As Jey gazed down at you for the second time in his arms, he knew you were it for him, the person for him.

And he promised himself that if he had to protect you from yourself to keep you, even if it hurt you, he would.

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𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻 𝙸𝙽 𝙰 𝙲𝙴𝙻𝙻

"You're up in 10." A stage tech tapped you on the shoulder, pulling you out of the focus of your thoughts.

You nodded in acknowledgement, taking a deep breath to steady your nerves.

Tonight was the night you'd finally get your best friend back, finally get the man you trusted with your life back by taking the very thing he loved the most: His title.

Your thoughts went back to Jey, as they always did as of late, and especially since last night. The two of you didnt really talk today, not because of any arguments but because you both knew what was coming tonight.

You bluntly told him that as much as you loved him, if he waved those puppy dog eyes around you while you were trying to get in the zone, it would only make things harder for you because you'd want to do nothing more but do everything to get back in his arms, which would mean give up on your plan with Roman. You wanted to win, to defeat Roman, and to make things right again.

You straightened yourself out before making your way to the entrance ramp, your heart racing with determination and nerves. You had to do this. You had to win. You had to save him.

That was the mantra running through your mind as you stepped out into the arena, your music blasting through the arena as you put your game face on, strutting down the ramp toward the steel structure looming in the distance with a cockiness that masked the whirlwind of emotions inside you.

You stood in the ring, staring up at the steel structure, the gravity of the moment sinking in as you waited for Roman's arrival. His music hit- and you turned to face the entrance, your gaze fixed on the titantron, awaiting the appearance of the man you once trusted with everything, the man who had become the very source of the pain within you.

Roman came out, the Universal Championship draped over hs shoulder, smirking and exuding the confidence and dominance you taught him as he stepped out and made his way down the ring. Your eyes met, and your gazes locked in an intense standoff, the tension that always seemed ever-present overwhelming you as you stared each other down, emotions running through both your eyes. Hate. Love. Determination.

You finally shifted your gaze away from him, your eyes flickered to the figures behind him- Paul of course by his side, doning a scared expression on his face at the sight of you- and Jey, wearing a guilty expression as he stood in the background, conflicted and anxious at the sight of you glaring at him. You told him to stay back, to stay out of this, that he would be a distr-

You noticed Roman's smirk widened at the sight, and you scoffed internally at his arrogance, realizing his plan. If he thought Jey being here would shake you up, he was sorely mistaken. You were gonna take Roman down, no matter what.

Roman finally made his way into the ring, standing across from you, pride and arrogance written all over his face, almost challenging you to make a move as he held the title high. You smirked back at him, challenging him right back.

The ref's introductions went by in a blur, and before you knew it, the bell rang, and the ref was sealing you both in the unforgiving cell.

You stared at each other for what felt like hours, until suddenly Roman slipped out of the ring, making you scoff as he made his way to the door, snatching the keys from the ref.

"I'ma lock this damn thing myself, cause I'm in control! I'm the one who decides when this ends," Roman boasted, his voice echoing through the arena as he locked the cage, slipping the key's to Jey, who took them with a questioning and guilty look on his face.

"Keep these safe for me, Jey." Roman winked at him before slipping back into the ring, his smirk slipping off as he ran right into a slap across his face from you.

The sound of your palm making contact with Roman's cheek echoed through the arena, and you smirked at the look of shock on Roman's face, as if he really expected you to lay down and let him pin you?

"What's wrong?" You mockingly pouted down at him, sarcasm dripping from your every word. "Get up!"

You pushed him down onto the floor, laughing at the angry expression on his face. "I told you to get up!" You grabbed him by the hair, dragging him up and pushing him into the corner, backing up wisely and enjoying the look of shock and anger contorting Roman's face.

Roman chuckled darkly, wiping the corner of his mouth and looking up at you with a twisted grin. "You wanna play?" He taunted, his voice laced with a hint of amusement despite the pain that flashed across his face as he stood up, stalking towards you like you were his prey.

You watched as he strided towards you, an equally twisted grin on your face. You beckoned him to come closer with a daring look in your eyes. The air crackled with tension, each step he took mirroring your own until you were standing face-to-face, mere inches apart.

"Let's play, Ro."

Let the games begin.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦✦•······················•✦•········

Pain.

All you felt was pain as you gasped for breath, the kendo sticks raining down upon you with unforgiving force. The sharp sting of each strike left your body aching, and you laid on the mat, trying to shield yourself with your body, trying to crawl towards the ropes.

WACK. "You made me do this!"

WACK. "This is your fault! Why are you making me hurt you!?"

WACK. "You made all this happen, everything happening to you right now, you can blame YOURSELF FOR!"

Roman's cocky voice haunted you with every strike, his words digging into your skin deeper than the kendo stick. Tables and chairs were strewn all around the ring, blood coating the mat.

Roman was surprised, he wasn't expecting this much of a fight from you. You had given it as good as you got in this brutal match, countering his strength and towering height for as long as you could with your agility and in-ring intelligence, and his busted open face was the evidence of that.

But you couldn't put it off forever, and with every passing minute, your body screamed with pain, each breath as agonizing as the last. Your vision blurred, your muscles protested with each movement, and yet you refused to submit, refused to give up.

Roman stalked you as you took shelter in the corner, your knees buckling under the excruciating pain coursing through your body. He sauntered over to you, fully prepared to give you another strike, but the tears in your eyes seemed to give him pause.

For a moment, his expression softened, a flicker of something resembling regret crossing his features. He hesitated, the kendo stick poised mid-air at your face.

"Please..." You begged, sobbing against the pain, your voice barely audible between your sobs. "Stop this, Roman... please... I give up."

Roman's grip on the stick loosened, and he saw the desperation in your eyes, the genuine pain that resonated in your plea, and for a brief moment, a pang of guilt shot through him.

He hesitated, the kendo stick wavering in his hand as he looked down at you, your vulnerability piercing through his hardened exterior. "You give up?" He smiled, and Your voice barely made it past your trembling lips as you nodded weakly, the effort to speak taking every ounce of energy you had left. He studied your face for a moment longer, trying to see if you were telling the truth.

And then, unexpectedly, Roman dropped the kendo stick to the mat, stalking you with a mix of emotions on his face—anger, frustration, and a hint of pity.

He finally made his way towards you, and you peered up at him, struggling to meet his gaze through tear-filled eyes, your body trembling from the pain and exhaustion. Roman crouched down in front of you, his expression unreadable as he looked at your battered form.

You gave him a nod that spoke volumes, outstrethching your arms apologetically, signaling your surrender. "Please…" Roman studied you a moment longer hesitantly before he made his way closer to you.

When he hesitantly got close enough to you, you sat up and in one swift motion, pushed him harshly into the waiting table on the outside, sending him crashing down hard, the table splintering on impact.

You pulled yourself up weakly, sliding out of the ring and dragging yourself to Roman, staring at his broken form, staring at your broken best friend, knowing you had to break him again to save him.

You ignored Jey’s pleading eyes staring from outside the cell as you had been all match as you hauled Roman up from the table, using all your strength to pull him. “This is it, Roman," you hissed through gritted teeth, dragging him to the ring. "It ends now.”

You pinned his crumbled form, praying he would just give up now, praying he would listen to you for once.

ONE

TWO

THR-

You cried out in frustration when Roman pushed you off of him just before the final count.

Roman rolled away, panting heavily, his eyes locked on you with that same cocky defiance he had the entire match, and you couldn’t take it anymore.

You scrambled to your feet, desperation clawing at your throat. This had to end. You couldn't let it continue any longer. Your body protested every move, every breath, but your eyes flickered towards to the kendo stick laying next to you, and you staggered towards it, gasping as pain shot through your body.

All the guilt, all the regret that flooded your body since the bell rang washed away when you gazed at Roman, at his soulless eyes, in his heart that you no longer recognized. You needed to get it back. You needed to save him.

SLAM! Roman let out a pained groan that the strike at his mid-section, trying to shield himself from you, peering up at you and seeing the same soulless eyes he had staring right back at him.

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! You slammed him with it, on his ribs, his legs, anywhere you could hit, over and over and over again, the pain in your heart matching the agony etched on Roman's face with each strike. Tears mixed with sweat, your breaths ragged as you continued to rain down blows upon him.

SLAM. “You made me do this!” you screamed between sobs, striking him in the stomach.

SLAM. “You should have listened to me!” You cried out, tears streaming down your face as he yelled out in agony as you smacked in in the jaw with it.

SLAM. “Why won’t you just stop and come back to me!” You sobbed, the kendo stick landing blow after blow, as if trying to beat some sense back into Roman, your voice breaking with every word.

Roman laid there, unable to stop you from releasing your emotions on him. Unable to stop you from releasing your pain on him, releasing everything onto him, making you feel everything he made you feel, until you let out a final guttural scream, throwing the kendo stick down and tugging your hair and collapsing in the corner, staring at the destruction you caused.

Everything that led up to this moment flashed every emotion, every choice, every regret, and every sacrifice you made. And as you looked at Roman, the confidence of his earlier gone and replaced with hurt, you knew you had to make the biggest sacrifice of your life.

You slowly walked towards him, his eyes trained on you, preparing for a blow. But you gripped his chin, forcing him to look into your eyes, a well of emotions swirling through both your orbs. Tears stained both your faces, a poignant silence in the air .

“I'm sorry, Roman," you whispered hoarsely, your voice trembling with regret, and determination. You pressed your forehead against his, tears mingling, and for a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still.

That moment passed, and you hauled yourself up, sadness turning into a determined glare as you stared at him. “This ends now.” You pushed him down to the mat, using your weight on his back to evade his strength and grabbed his arm, wrenching it behind his back in an excruciating hold, the pain etched across Roman's face evident as he struggled against your grip, his cries echoing in the cell.

"Please give up Roman, please." You shouted, your voice cracking with emotion as you strained to maintain the hold, your entire body trembling from the effort and exhaustion.

“I need you back. I need you to come back to me!” You pulled even harder, begging him to just give up this one time.

“I am with you!” Roman finally screamed back, voice cracking with the same emotion as yours, shaking his head at the ref, refusing to tap out. He used his strength to push himself up with you on his arm, pushing himself out of the ring and hoping you would be dumped on the outside from his weight.

But you held on, holding on for dear life as the two of you dropped in front of the cell doors, dragging him back down and wrenching back as hard as you could. Your eyes locked with Roman's, pleading silently for him to end this, to give in and put an end to this.

Suddenly, after what felt like an eternity, Roman's arm finally tapped against the ground, and you let go, but the ref yelled from in the ring that the match couldn't end outside the cell.

Your eyes widened in shock, but your face turned into a snarl as you watched Roman crawl back in the ring. It was now or never. All you had to do was crawl and lock in the submission and you’d wi-

“Stop!” Jey’s pleading voice made you freeze in your tracks, realizing you were standing across from him, the cell doors separating you. You turned towards Jey, your chest heaving and your breath labored, your body screaming with exhaustion. Your gaze met his, and your heart dropped saw the anguish and fear in his eyes as he stood there, watching everything that happened unfold.

"Please, don't do this," Jey pleaded, his voice filled with desperation. He reached out towards you, his hand pressing against the steel structure that separated the two of you, as if trying to bridge the gap between your hearts.

“Don’t go through with this. Don’t do this to him. I can’t let you be like him!” His hand clutched at the steel bars, his eyes teary and his heart pleading for you to stop.

Your resolve wavered, torn between finishing what you started and the overwhelming pain in Jey’s face. The image of Roman, right where you wanted him, battered and vulnerable, flashed through your mind, intertwining with Jey's tear-stained face. And you knew what you had to do.

You turned to Jey, giving him a sad smile, your hand resting against the cold steel beside his. "I have to do this, Jey," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your heart. "I'm sorry."

Jey shook his head in disbelief, his eyes begging you to reconsider. "No, you don't. You don't have to do this. Please, come back to me. We can figure this out together. I can't lose you like this," Jey pleaded, his voice cracking with raw emotion.

Tears welled up in your eyes, conflicting emotions swirling within you. “I’m sorry.” you repeated, your voice quivering. You couldn’t bear to look at him any longer, and turned away slowly, your body begging you to just go into Jey’s arms-

SPEAR!

Jey looked on in horror as Roman flipped your body over with a sudden spear, capitalizing off of Jey’s distraction and knocking you down onto the steel ramp outside the ring.

Roman's fierce gaze pierced through Jey as he towered over your, the vindictive triumph in his eyes sending a chill down his spine.

“That’s why you’re my right hand man!” The guilty look on Jey’s face came back as Roman gave him a beaming smile, pointing at him with a smirk.

"You da man, Jey!" Roman laughed twistedly, relishing in the sight of you lying in pain, the once familiar and loving face of his best friend now reduced to a pained grimace. Jey's heart sank as he watched his worst fears come true, watch as Roman crawled into the ring, a wicked smirk on his face as he stood over your lying body, reveling in the pain on your face.

Roman slowly kneeled in front of you, taking your chin in his hands, the softness in which he held your face contrasting the dark tone in his eyes.

"Look at me." Roman's voice was menacing yet soft, a malicious edge cutting through the air as he glared down at you, his fingers tightening around your chin. "I said look at me!" You looked at him through teary eyes, your vision blurred from the pain and exhaustion. His grip on your chin was tight, forcing you to meet his gaze, the intensity of his stare unnerving you and making your skin crawl.

"I didnt want to do this. I don't want to do this." Roman's voice was laced with scorn, his face contorted with anger. "You made me do this! You made me hurt you like this!" He snarled, shaking your head with force, the pain searing through you with each movement.

You tried to speak, to reason with him, but your voice faltered, barely a whisper escaping your lips. "Please, Roman, stop this… I had to"

He laughed bitterly at your plea, his laughter echoing through the cell, sending shivers down your spine. "Stop? Why would I stop? You have to do this, right? This is what you wanted, isn't it? To see me like this, to feel what I feel!" His voice was a venomous hiss, punctuated by the fury burning in his eyes.

You reached out, a desperate attempt to reason with him, but Roman seized your wrist, his grip like a vice, his face contorted with pure malice. "I told you I was gonna save you from yourself, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do." he growled, pulling you up harshly, making you cry out in pain as he dragged you to the center of the ring.

"And if you do what I'ma know your stubborn ass is gon' do, then I know I was right." He pushed you to the ground, putting his entire body weight on you, praying you'll pick the right choice as he pinned you.

You proved him right by barely kicking out at the last second, his body pressed hard against yours, the pain almost unbearable. Roman kissed his teeth and tutted apologetically.

"I was right, I'm always fucking right" he muttered, his expression a mix of disappointment and anger.

"You're really gonna make me do this, huh?" You struggled beneath him, trying to catch your breath, your body aching from the relentless assault. Roman leaned down, his face inches from yours, his hot breath brushing against your skin as he spoke. "You'll thank me later."

His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion and you knew you weren't gonna be able to manipulate his emotion anymore. You braced yourself, knowing what was about to come, and it was worse than anything you'd endured in the match so far.

You gasped for air as Roman pulled you into a guillotine chokehold, squeezing tightly around your neck, cutting off your air supply. You gasped and wheezed, struggling to breathe as panic set in, your hands desperately clawing at his arms, trying to break free from his vice-like grip, but it was no use.

You tried to hang on, scratching at his arms with your nails, trying to break free, but your strength was fading rapidly. The world around you faded into a blur, darkness encroaching at the edges of your vision. Your thoughts spiraled, flickering between moments of pain and memories of happier times, almost all of them including the man who was hurting you. You fought against the encroaching darkness, desperate to stay conscious, to resist the overwhelming urge to succumb to the blackness that threatened to engulf you.

"Just quit!" You could barely shake your head at Roman's screams fading away in your ear, only able to feel the air squeezing out of your body.  You didnt know how long it had been, but  you could feel Roman's anger increase the longer you refused to tap out by the tightness of his grip increasing. Just fucking quit!" 

It could've been hours, days , or mere moments—time lost its meaning as your vision was turning to black as you fought to hang on, the sound of your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. Your body fought desperately for air, the lack of oxygen making every movement feel sluggish and labored. You were on the verge of blacking out, the edges of your consciousness dimming. "Just fucking quit, god damn it! Why won't you quit?!" 

Just when you thought you couldn't endure it any longer, your body weakening and the world spinning, the pressure around your neck suddenly released.

Gasping for air, you collapsed to the mat, coughing and sputtering, drawing in deep, desperate breaths, not even having enough energy to open your eyes, let alone move any part of your body.  The pounding in your head was deafening, your body felt as if it had been through a grueling war, every muscle aching and protesting with agony.

You lay there, your chest heaving, and it took you a few moments to realize someone was shaking you gently, calling your name over and over again. The voice was faint, barely audible over the ringing in your ears, but it was persistent.

"Come on, wake up. Please, wake up," the voice pleaded, the desperation and fear evident in every word. The shaking became more insistent, and you felt a hand on your shoulder, urging you to move.

Slowly, painfully, you managed to pry your heavy eyelids open, your vision blurry and unfocused. As the world came back into view, you saw Jey's worried face hovering above you, his eyes wide with concern and fear.

"Hey, hey, look at me." His voice was shaky, filled with emotion as he cradled your face in his hands. "I got you, baby. I got you." 

You struggled to speak, your throat raw and parched, but you managed to croak out a weak, "Jey?"

Tears welled up in his eyes as relief flooded his features. "Yeah, it's me. Thank God, you're awake." Jey softly caressed your face before  letting you go and turning away from yo , and that's when you noticed the keys in his hand, and Roman with an angry expression on his face, pushed far away from you. 

Jey must've not been able to take anymore of the match and used the keys to come in and push Roman away to save you. Your eyes widened in realization and you tried to push yourself up and speak, but your body protested vehemently against any movement.

You winced, feeling the pain coursing through every inch of your being, and all you could do was watch as Jey made his way to Roman, who was sitting on the mat, the angry look on his face fading into a unreadable glare as Jey kneeled beside him, tear stains marking his face, his eyes downcast as he took Roman's hand, hoping Roman still had some sanity left to listen to him.

"Please Roman..." . Roman seemed to resist at first, pulling away slightly, but then seemingly softened at the begging tone in Jey's voice. "She won't quit... take mercy on her. She loves you. She's doing this because she loves you. You know that! And if you love her, you'll stop this!" Jey squeezed his hand tightly, putting his forehead on his, praying in his entire being that Roman will finally listen to him. "And I love her... so please... stop this."

Roman closed his eyes, the arena lights casting shadows on his face, and for a moment, he looked like a man battling his inner demons. Not the tribal chief, not an invincible power hungry individual. Just a man. 

Roman finally opened his eyes, staring at Jey- not as usual  like he could see through him- but like he was seeing him for the first time. His eyes were no longer soulless, they were vulnerable, they were hurting; they were human.

Roman squeezed Jey's hand back, a gesture that spoke volumes more than any words could convey. He nodded against Jey's forehead, and it was like they had a silent conversations they spoke through with their eyes in a language only they could understand. 

Jey's eyes lit up, and he squeezed Roman's hand back again in acknowledgment before bringing Roman into a one armed hug, all the feelings that got them to this point washed away as Jey buried his face in Roman's neck, holding onto him as if he was afraid to let go. 

Roman cradled the back of Jey's head gently, time standing still as they embraced in the ring. Roman was the one who ended up pulling away, gently breaking the embrace. He looked at Jey with emotions he couldn't put into words, but Jey understood it, understood what he was trying to say.

"I love her too, Jey." Roman whispered softly, as if he was revealing a secret he had long kept hidden. He leaned in close, so close that their breaths mingled, his hand still on the back of Jey's head. Then the vulnerability vanished. The emotions washed away. And any remants of humanity were wiped away.

"And that is why I have to do this."

Roman's understanding expression was replaced with a dark smirk on his face that made Jey's smile drop, and his lungs seize as Roman pulled him into the guillotine hold, any hopes Jey had dying down as he gasped for air, his body being pulled down to the mat as he clawed Roman's arm, desperate for release. Roman'e eyes were now cold and determined, the arena lights flickering, reflecting the conflict within Roman's eyes, torn between the man he could be and the tribal chief he had become.

You gasped for breath as you watched the horror happening right in front of you, Jey's eyes pleading for mercy as he gasped for breath, the arm that wasn't clawing at Roman desperately being held out to you.  It felt like deja vu- your mind going back to the way Jimmy had cried out, pleaded for mercy, reaching out to Jey just like Jey was doing to you right now.

And just like Jey, you couldn't do anything about it. You couldn't fight back, you couldn't manipulate your way out of it, all you could do was watch on helplessly, moving your tired body closer to Jey's and intertwining your fingers with his outstretched hand, the desperation in his eyes mirrored your own feelings of powerlessness.

'This must've been his plan all along' your brain screamed at you as you squeezed Jey's hand with all your might, your body screaming at you to do something as you watched Jey cry for mercy. Bringing Jey out here...giving him the key... making him watch everything unfold.

Roman knew Jey knew you wouldn't give up no matter what, and that would eat at him, and he used that against the both of you. The realization hit you like a punch to the gut, but a little voice in your brain couldn't help but respect him for how far he would go as a sickening feeling settled in the pit of your stomach. You knew what you had to do.

"I give up!" You yelled out, gripping Jey's hand tighter as you shouted, your voice echoing through the arena.

"I quit! I quit, Roman! You win! You fucking win!" Your free hand tapped rapidly against the mat, tears streaming down your face as you pleaded for Roman to release Jey and spare him.

Roman's gaze shifted from Jey to you. There was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he watched you tap out over and over again in submission, begging him to stop as the bell ringing to signal the end of the match. He didn't stop until his name rang from the speakers, and then finally, he released Jey from the hold, letting him collapse to the mat, gasping for air.

You finally found the energy to move and rushed to Jey's side, kneeling beside him as you gently cradled his head in your hands. Jey rolled over, breathing heavily, eyes filled with pain and sadness as he collapsed on top of you, his body shaking you held onto him, running your fingers through his hair soothingly, whispering comforting words even as your own tears fell.

Roman stood tall in the center of the ring, the Universal Championship slung over his shoulder, a smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the sight of you and Jey, him engulfing your body in his bigger frame protectively, comforting each other with a tenderness that seemed to contrast the brutality of the match.

Roman's eyes shifted from smugness to happiness as he slowly walked out of the ring, the arena lights casting a sinister glow on his face. He finally got his best friend back, got his person back right where you belong, by his side, and made sure Jey was right there with you. Roman was sure that even if you didn’t get over this-which you would-he knew that you might have tried to beat his ass, but you wouldn’t let anyone else touch him no matter your anger. Paul brandished him by his side as he casted you one last smile before making his way up the ramp.

Jey was feeling that same happiness, despite the pain and exhaustion, despite all the shit that happened. Despite all the odds, despite Roman destroying everything in his path, Jey fulfilled his promise whether you liked it or not. He didn't let you let Roman destroy your soul.

And that's all Jey ever wanted for you.

[cannibalcrowz]

How I view Secco

+ My interpretation of Seccolata

Lotta people view Secco in many ways, Here's my take on him, because I do truly love Secco as a character.

For me, it's a balance, he is not entirely alien to the world and knows how to function as a typical civilian but still relies heavily on the support of other people, similar to Hol Horse Secco prefers to always be just below someone, finding it safer than being solo or a leader.

Secco himself is a failure of a person, he couldn't function in a normal society if he tried. He struggles with the boundaries of others and lacks proper communication skills, not to mention his lower intelligence and high temper make it hard to function.

Secco's motives are simple: Protection and Luxury, anything else he gets is an added bonus.

He stays with Cioccolata because of his own selfish desires, he views the world the same way Cioccolata does and it gives him even more of a reason to stay with Cioccolata: They are the same morally. Cioccolata's intelligence and wealth give Secco something to fall back on, something and someone to rely on.

Secco is also banking on the fact that Cioccolata is willing and happy to spoil him, it gives Secco a sense of purpose in a world not meant for him. Feeling loved by someone gives him

Since he isn't that smartest he relies on the intelligence of others, but that doesn't stop him from being a person.

Secco shows the ability to understand and learn. Despite the fact that he struggles with language and speaking, he shines in other areas: Like his combat, he is a beast when it comes to fighting, it's what he's good at. Secco isn't braindead, he is capable of calculating and observing his surroundings in order to make the right call, he's fast when he fights which requires skill, he adapts in order to not make the same mistake twice.

Some of Secco's intelligence shines when he:

Mimicks a Stand-Rush by hitting his elbows against the ground, using the elasticity to make his movements faster.

This isn't as cool but Secco shows a bit more understanding here, he is fully capable of calculating a distance between two things and making an accurate estimate based on his hearing alone.

Again, here he shows quick thinking, adaptability, and understanding of distance. In order to hit the stray sugar cube with the other one, Secco needed to know how hard to spit, the distance of the stray sugar cube, and the angle it was headed In order for his hit to land without him losing both cubes.

(I couldn't get a better gif) but this is basically him using his resources to his advantage, he knows how his stand works and how to use it. He adapted to the situation by changing his strategy in order to catch Bruno off guard.

Stupidity

Despite his combat skills, Secco isn't the best when it comes to communicative skills or situational skills, unlike Cioccolata he acts on his tempers and can easily stray off course when it comes to thinking of things with a level head, he's quick to lash out at others.

Secco's superiority complex makes him believe he is better than everyone else, that no matter what he deserves more, that he will always get what he wants: He's spoiled.

Secco doesn't do well in stressful situations, when put in a stressful situation he tends to freak out and think irrationally, especially when injured. He's so used to having the upper hand on regular people that he can't fathom the fact that someone else can injure him, that someone else is better than him.

He is easily tricked, tricking him in a battle isn't hard.

Secco and Cioccolata's relationship

Before I start with this part, I will say, I am a Seccolata shipper.

Secco is willingly acting as Cioccolata's pet, in no way is he being forced into the role, it's a role he enjoys playing.

My interpretation of Seccolata is that it is entirely consensual on both ends. Not mainly love driven, relying heavily on reliance, self preservation, personal pleasure, and selfish means with a tiny bit of mutual love and affection sprinkled on top.

It's an unofficially unstated relationship, not communicated between them what they are, both keeping unlabeled sexualities. Started as just a beneficial relationship before shifting into something deeper sometime along the way.

It is very dysfunctional and not good 🫶 anyways, onto the headcanons.

Despite his selfish nature and reasons for being with Cioccolata, Secco respects and loves Cioccolata in his own twisted, selfish way.

I believe Secco to be around 29-30 years old, born with a developmental disorder that affects his actions, as well as being mentally ill, past drug usage and past addictions further damaging his development and mental states, the two met after Secco had an overdose and Cioccolata spared him.

Cioccolata isn't abusive to Secco and mostly let's Secco do what he wants: After all, Secco is his pet and he knows the other will always come crawling back to him.

Secco is deeply troubled, struggling to regulate his emotions and seeking comfort and consolation from Cioccolata, who he believes to be incredibly smart and able to fix his problems. Secco tends to lash out and overreact to minor things and requires reassurance and guidance, something Cioccolata can give him.

Sometimes Secco will unintentionally or accidentally harm Cioccolata or speak negatively to him, Cioccolata is mostly unaffected by this part of Secco, though he finds it annoying occasionally when Secco pulls his hair or hits him, even unintentionally. Secco always struggled with keeping his emotions in check and his hands to himself which left him unable to create long lasting and meaningful relationships which is why he clings onto what he has with Cioccolata.

Secco's original motives for following and staying with Cioccolata were selfish, for money, protection, and praise, but somewhere along the lines he grew fond of Cioccolata and the idea of being in power alongside him, growing an attachment to him and his “lovey” and enthusiastic antics, I believe Secco enjoys acting the way he does, being underneath a higher power gives him an outlet where he isn't forced to do the thinking, just the doing. He gets a sense of self worth when he does good, the fact that someone else is so infatuated with him excites him and inclines him to do better, seeking more attention, causing jealousy when Cioccolata’s attention is on something or someone else.

Secco views other people as inhuman, unworthy of a happy life, nothing more than a pest in his way. Which is why he doesn't mind aiding Cioccolata with his sick fantasies, whether it be recording them or taking part in it (Both as the recorder or the test subject)

Secco is almost equal with Cioccolata, freely able to do what he wants and pitch in when time comes, but Cioccolata will always be the dominant power and what he says goes.

Uh yeah, that's all,, probably not the best but yeah 🫡 that's what I think

[seniorpollinationtechnician]

Despite their best efforts, the team couldn't locate Jorlan. Every attempt to trace his steps proved futile no matter how many devices they deployed. Then, just as suddenly as he had vanished, Jorlan returned. One evening, as the team gathered for their evening meal, he stumbled into the research station. Everyone rushed to greet him, bombarding him with questions about where he had been and what he had seen. Jorlan, however, remained tight-lipped. They assumed his reluctance to talk stemmed from a traumatic experience and in wanting to respect his privacy, they didn't push for answers. The team tried their best to support Jorlan but found it difficult to do when he began to exhibit strange behaviors. It was subtle at first. He became more reclusive, often avoiding social gatherings and spending long hours in the lab. His normally meticulous work grew erratic with unfinished projects and nonsensical reports. He was frequently lost in thought, his eyes unfocused and distant, as if he were somewhere far away. As days turned into weeks, Jorlan's condition worsened. He started missing routine check-ins and meetings, a stark contrast to his previously punctual nature. When approached, he would brush off concerns with a weak smile, insisting he was fine, but his pallor and the dark circles under his eyes told a different story. Eventually, he fell ill. It began with a persistent cough that quickly escalated into severe fatigue. Jorlan, who once navigated the station with purpose and energy, now moved sluggishly, his steps unsteady. He rarely left his room, and when he did, it was only for brief moments before retreating back into the confines of his quarters. One morning, as the light cast a long shadow across the research station, the ORION team members went about their tasks, unaware that what they'd been harboring for the past few weeks had reached maturity. Jorlan, who had been confined to his room for days, emerged unexpectedly. His appearance was shocking; his skin had taken on a sickly brownish hue, and his eyes, once bright and intelligent, were now clouded and devoid of emotion. He moved with a jerky, unnatural gait, his body seeming to struggle against some internal force. The team gathered around him, alarmed by his sudden appearance and worsening condition. They pleaded with him to return to his room, to let them help him, but Jorlan did not respond. Instead, he let out a guttural, inhuman growl. His body convulsed violently, and before their eyes, he began to change. Vines and tendrils erupted from his skin, tearing through his suit. His limbs elongated and twisted into grotesque shapes, covered in thorny growths. His face distorted and lost all semblance of humanity as it morphed into a gaping, petal-like maw that split open into a star-shaped pattern. With terrifying strength and speed, he lunged at the nearest team member, his thorny appendages slicing through the air. Panic erupted as the team scrambled to defend themselves, but they were no match for the creature Jorlan had become. He moved with deadly precision, his new form imbued with a primal, savage intelligence. The station descended into chaos. Alarms blared, and lights flickered as the team members fought desperately to contain the creature. But he was relentless, his plant-like body impervious to their efforts. One by one, they fell, succumbing to his vicious assault. Amid the carnage, it became clear that Jorlan was no longer acting of his own will. His attacks were calculated, as if driven by a singular purpose. After incapacitating the entire team, he somehow managed to override the ship's controls and force it to return to their home planet. The citizen's of Sixam were caught completely off guard. The luminescent cities and serene landscapes became battlegrounds as the monstrous plant creatures descended upon them and overwhelmed the unprepared populace with brutal efficiency. The few survivors, driven to the fringes of civilization, could only watch in horror as their world was overrun.