#kendal hurting roman and attacking him like he probably had when they were kids fucking hit like a train

[blood-ology]

The way that their dad made them feel like they were nothing without him, nothing without the company by raising them almost exclusively within it from a young age, the way that he treated them like absolute dirt- like they were scum on his shoe inconveniencing him, the way he played with their hopes and their emotions constantly as if they weren’t people- as if they weren’t anything at all let alone anything that mattered in any way… they literally don’t know what to do without the company, without the backstabbing and anger and violence and insults and pure self interest… it’s what’s been ingrained into them by all those years being around him, having that done to them, and being expected to do it to others to gain his respect.

the way that children are almost moulded in the parent’s image to be the perfect carrier and repetition of the cycle, the way they know no other way to exist and are made to need to continue it

something something you either die of/with your trauma or live long enough to inflict it on others?? (not universal, just thinking out loud)

[motions1ckness]

“Don’t Call me Kid.”

Summary: Roman get’s a bit too drunk at Kendall’s birthday. (03x07)

Content: established relationship, f!reader, angst, age gap, degradation, insecurity, verbal abuse(?), humiliation, mention of Logan Roy

{This is my first fic so i hope you enjoy!)

*Update:pt 2 “SweetHeart” is up rn!!

Roman had you on edge the whole night. You had never seen him this snide or aggressive before. You blame the immense amount of alcohol he consumed, mixed with him talking to Mattson. So, when you caught Shiv getting more agitated with Roman, you knew he was spewing bullshit.

Though you didn’t feel the most compassion for Kendall, you had spent the night with Shiv and Roman and you couldn’t help but pity the man. It was his birthday and his siblings showed up for Mattson, not him. Time had passed from your arrival, and you stood at a distance from them, far enough that you weren’t in the conversation but you could still see what was happening. Roman sat while Shiv stood in front of him. You could tell he was getting under her skin but thought it was best to stay out of it. In doing so, you had to act like you were listening to this brainless celebrity talk to you about god knows what.

You get snapped out of your head when you hear Shiv call for you, wanting Roman's power trip to end.

“Can you get over here and deal with your mess?” You walked over to them and noticed they had also roped Kendall in this mess.

You took a second to study Roman’s face. He was refusing eye contact with you. Probably out of shame and not wanting to face the consequences. His eyes appeared dark, and his demeanor was unfamiliar. He’s just drunk. He’s just drunk. You tell yourself, hoping you didn’t just find out who you were really dating.

“Oh great. Are you trying to get me in timeout or something?” Roman joked, his eyes flicker over you for a moment. “Whatever, you know Kendall, I already talked to Mattson, who hates you by the way,” He laughs at his own demeaning remark. Everyone is uncomfortable. Kendall turns to Niaomi, who's trying to comfort him by holding his arm and rubbing his hand between hers. You couldn’t stand the way Roman was acting. Sure, he makes quippy remarks all the time, but this time he was just being an asshole.

You clear your throat slightly, uncomfortable with the situation, “Roman, I think you should stop.”

Your eyes lingered on him the whole time, hoping adding yourself into the conversation would defuse the situation and you two could forget about this.

When Roman heard your voice, he finally met your eyes. Turning to face you and sneered “Oh I’m sorry sweetheart, did I hurt your feelings?” You knew Roman was in defense mode but you couldn’t figure out why. No one was attacking him.

The heat from your face felt more apparent. “I’m just saying, I think you’ve had enough tonight and we should head back.” You hoped this offer would be enough and you'll deal with this in the morning. Roman rolled his eyes and leaned back further in his chair. “No, 'cause you know what, I’m having fun at this depressing shitfest. Why don’t you and Shiv talk about what lipstick has the cuter packaging or whatever.” He said with a shrill mocking tone attempting to dismiss you from the conversation.

Shiv scoffed, beating you to a response, “What the fuck Roman? If you’re going to take anything away from this pathetic conversation, listen to y/n," Shiv looked at you with her best attempt at a comforting grin.

Roman glared at her “Oh fuck off Shiv. You’re such a fucking cunt.”

The conversation wasn’t de-escalating and you felt your blood boiling. You were sure everyone could see how much you were seething. “Rome enough. You’ve had your fun. Now let’s go before you embarrass yourself anymore,” You weren't sure if your response was too harsh, but you remained patient with him long enough.

Roman snorted, now full attention on you because you fell into his game, “That’s fucking rich coming from you. You’re always so goddamn sensitive about everything.” He kept a cruel smirk on his face, waiting for your retaliation. Roman knows you hate arguing, but he wanted to push you tonight. Wanting to pull a reaction out of you, lose your composure. Shiv, Kendall, and Niaomi are still present, just speechless. You and Roman had been arguing more since Logan started stringing him along. The three of them felt stepping in would only worsen the situation and decided to stay quiet, not wanting to escalate it anymore.

You fought the urge to reveal any weakness. “I’m not being sensitive Rome, you’re being a dick, Let’s go.” You were biting the inside of your cheek, trying to abstain from your anger. You tried to grab the glass out of his hand before he quickly yanked it toward him.

His grip on the glass tightened as he swirled the last bit of champagne. “Yeah, right, perfect fucking y/n. Trying to control everything.” The tension was evident. Roman wasn’t backing down, not caring if you were the only person that loved or understood him. He just wanted to inflict damage on you at that moment.

Your body was stiff, arms crossed against your chest, hiding your tightened fists. You tasted how the inside of your cheek was bloody, trying to suppress the growing anger, taking a shallow breath from your nose. Trying your best to remind yourself, He’s just drunk. He’s just drunk. “I’m not controlling anyone. Please Rome, you’re drunk and acting insane-”

His eyes narrowed as he took a sip from his glass, muttering under his breath, cutting you off, “Well, maybe if you weren’t so young-”

“Excuse me?” Stumbling over your words a bit, trying to comprehend what Roman just said. Kendall tried to step in, but Niaomi and Shiv decided it was better to leave you two.

He put down his glass, adjusting his view, maintaining intense eye contact, “I’m just saying, maybe this would all make sense to you if you knew how the world works. But you don’t.” His lips curled into a slight smirk like he was proud of what was said.

You felt your breath quicken. Yes, you were younger than Roman and the rest of the company, but you had repeatedly proven you were qualified for your position. You weren't aware Roman acknowledged your age gap enough to bring it up in an argument. “My age has nothing to do with this.” You couldn’t think of anything witty to say in retaliation. You felt so betrayed.

Roman leaned closer to you, the alcohol taking full effect. He didn't understand he was jeopardizing your guy’s relationship with this. He pressed on, “Sure kid. Keep telling yourself that.” Maintaining that pretentious smirk on his face.

All you could do was shake your head and mutter, “You know I hate when you call me that.” Tears had been prickling in your eyes at this point. You refused to cry fuck, fuck, fuck.

Roman rolled his eyes “Welcome to the real world sweetheart. I’m not going to change who I am, so don’t fucking expect me to. I'm not getting any better. Get over whatever savior complex you have that makes you think you can fix me. It’s not going to work.” With that, you felt a new layer added to this betrayal. And Roman felt it too.

You had no control over emotions anymore. Your heartbeat was already beating furiously and irregularly. Your limbs had lost feeling, and you knew your lip was quivering. All you could feel was the stab in the heart Roman left and tears pooling in your eyes and down your cheek. “Fuck you, Roman.” You didn’t need to say anything more. You wanted to, but you knew you still loved him. You made a straight path to the nearest exit. You didn’t give the staff your phone, so you texted your driver you’ll be out in 5.

All you could hear over the horrid music calling from behind you was “See you around, kid.”

[sigurdjarlson]

what we get about marianne, I guess, is that she runs up debt (possible hoarder?) partied with the roys once upon a time, or at least connor, (possible addict, like kendall and roman?) she's *seems* estranged from logan and ewan. she's divorced and again, like, doesn't *seem* to have any relationship with greg's dad, and greg never mentions him, and they haven't had any scenes interacting, so that makes me think she raised him alone, or that he flat out died. they haven't talked since season 1, and that could be an accident or done on purpose to show that she's cut him off like ewan did, and I think there's a scene where greg mentions that he had to cancel her cards. which gave me the impression that he was used to...idk how to put this, taking care of things for her. it made me wonder when that started because she's too young for her adult son to be handling her finances. that's senior citizen stuff, if it has to happen at all. all that and nic's comments about her make me go, "huh." like I don't know if I'm reading too much into it all, or if I'm just reading

Essay and speculation. incoming

Dude [gender neutral] I feel you I’m constantly latching into every little scrap of info I can get about Greg’s life prior to the show and his relationship with his mom, grandpa and absentee dad. I never know if I’m reading too much into these scraps or they’re there on purpose?

The hints (if they are) we do have point to a pretty sad story honestly.

I do remember Nic saying Greg comes from a “broken family” and saying “his dad isn’t around, his grandpa is distant and his mom feels far away” and that fuels his attachment to the Roys because he wants to be a part of something. He wants a family.

Either Jesse or Nic also said Greg was raised by his mom so I always assumed his dad bailed? Maybe after his affairs were found out? But of course that doesn’t mean he had to cut contact with Greg so there’s something even sadder than just a divorce there. Like either Marianne made sure he didn’t see his father or his father chose not to see him and both options are..heartbreaking :(

And the only mention of his dad in the show we get is Caroline saying he was a gay slut but Greg’s reaction always catches my eye

Someone said maybe it’s the first time he’s heard his dad is gay but I am almost positive that’s not the case. That’s not surprise on his face it’s resignation and discomfort. It’s a why did you have to bring that up face?

Which presuming his dad bailed than of course it hurts to have that thrown in his face as a funny joke (because it isn’t funny to Greg I’m sure, it ruined his family)

And we don’t know when his dad bailed. If his dad ever tried/tries to contact him? (Presumably he doesn’t from the interview where Nbraun says he’s not around)

we don’t know if it was a messy divorce (I feel it in my bones that it was) and we don’t know how it affected his mother (particularly if she already was rather unstable) and Greg himself as a child and even now as an adult.

I can’t imagine having that hanging over your head when you’re working for some homophobic conservative company with your homophobia enthusiast uncle. (This becomes downright sad if Greg is gay too)

The sad thing seems like it’s something people know about. Caroline mentions it casually at the CCD in front of Shiv (who wasn’t really listening but still).

I’m actually surprised (but Not because I’m not sure they’ve thought about it) none of the Roy kids rag on him for it. (Or have in the past) Shiv and Connor probably wouldn’t. Roman definitely would and honestly I could see Ken doing it too. Maybe in a less homophobic manner because he sometimes tries to posture but Ken can be a dick too

The only reason I can think of is that they don’t think about it or notice Greg’s presence so that’s not even on their radar.

The Roys fling insults and verbal attacks around like it’s nothing. It’s practically family fucking bonding for them lmao. Sometimes it’s as jokes and sometimes as genuine attempts to hurt so I would not be surprised if they turned haha your dead is gay and took off on you into a joke (I mostly can see Roman doing it honestly)

I could however absolutely see Logan throwing it at Greg if he got really fucking pissed at him (manifesting this for s4 because I’m horrible and like angst) “What are you a fucking faggot like your father, Greg? Is that it? Are you queer?”

And I could see that severely upsetting Greg. It’s cruel, it’s embarrassing if said in front of other people, and it hurts. (Especially if it’s true)

Whether he’d bite back I don’t know. We’ve seen him yell back at Logan twice but also he’s really skittish with him otherwise so I guess it depends on context.

(I went through a ton of interviews with Nbraun one night hoping for Greg scraps I do not have the links tho. You can find em if you Google Nicholas Braun succession interviews lmao)

He mentions he thinks Marianne sheltered Greg to some degree and never pushed him to get out there before the show (I get the impression this is like her last resort because Greg keeps fucking up)

And with Nic’s “this is a guy who’s never felt compelled to do anything in his life until now.” And then goes on to talk about how Greg has this strong streak of ambition because it’s his chance to be someone for once in his life and be like the side of the family he always wanted to be a part of. (And he did say that last part. Greg has always been envious of them to some degree)

(He did say he thinks Greg might have sold weed in school which showed a little entrepreneurial spirit he supposes)

Ewan seems absolutely incapable of forming any sort of emotional connection with his grandson. We’ve never see him interact with Marianne so we can’t say what the relationship is like there.

Nic stresses that Greg wants a relationship and connection with his grandfather but there just isn’t one. Ewan is incapable of giving Greg that.

You’re right it is weird Greg is handling her finances. I’m not sure if it’s just that one card or he’s dealing with her debt in general. When Caroline asks how his mom is he replies “debt free” and that’s before Ewan cuts her off and she panic buys nutribullets. (Lmao)

So it seems to be a reoccurring problem for her? Like one that might even be known to the family at large if he’s blurting it out to Caroline who just nodded like ah yeah that sounds right.

Nic and Jesse discuss that Ewan was stingy with his money and Greg and Marianne had to sort of ration out what he gave them. So, that implies he might have been financially supporting them at least a little? But not as much as he could have been for whatever reason.

And If they were already trying to manage what small amount they were given and she is bad at handling money..

But yeah she seemed to be in contact with the Roys at some point. I kind of headcanon there was a big fallout with Ewan and Logan that ended with them completely estranged. But before that they saw them maybe every once in a while.

Caroline mentions seeing baby Greg which I’m not sure if that’s in person or if she meant in photos?

Shiv knows his name when Logan doesn’t lmao

“Greg the Egg” is a nickname so they are vaguely aware of his existence lmao

But Marianne also did have Marcia’s number or claimed she did, she said she was going to call to tell them Greg was coming (Marcia however was trying to get Logan to reconcile with Ewan so it wouldn’t surprise me if she reached out to them)

Connor mentions knowing her “Your mom is funny, I remember she sat on Gore Vidal’s lap.” “Who’s..Gore Vidal?”

I think..if I had to guess based on the information given, both Greg and Marianne probably feel a fair bit of resentment towards Ewan for not giving them the life they see Logan give his kids when Ewan absolutely has the means to do so. And that makes sense. They’re probably left wondering why do they deserve it and I don’t? Why am I not worthy of it, I’m a Roy too? (Even if not in name anymore)

So I think things would be very different if Ewan simply didn’t have the money to give. There wouldn’t be that deep resentment of “why do they deserve it but not me?” I think that probably factors in a fair bit with both Greg and Marianne’s behavior.

Marianne doesn’t seem to have any emotional attachment to that side of the family either so I could see her being quite bitter about it all and the hand she was dealt. (The Roys aren’t exactly easy to love though)

She doesn’t seem even a little concerned about Logan and while Greg barely knows him so it makes sense he’s not particularly affected by it, she probably saw her uncle growing up more than Greg ever did. Then again Logan is a generally horrible person so they could also be why lmao.

She encourages Greg to strategize, to choose who’s more important [Roman or Shiv] and if that isn’t Roy behavior I don’t know what is.

And this might just be me, maybe I’m too soft but I thought her refusing to give Greg any more money was…harsh? Like I get the impression this definitely isn’t the first time Greg has called her asking for money but he literally had no where to stay or food to eat? Dude had to sleep on a church pew and then stay in that horrible little youth hostel. (And take food in dog poop baggies from work)

Like Shiv stole his last $20 while he was on the phone with his mom lmao.

So, that was kind of an asshole move in my opinion.

However there is also the chance that she doesn’t actually have money to give him and that’s a different case entirely then.

Running up her son’s credit cards is an absolutely shitty move regardless of circumstances though.

She does however apparently tell Ewan that Greg has no money and tells him or feed him when he’s in town. Ewan says exactly that when he comes before the vote of no confidence.

I think it’s interesting she hasn’t tried to visit him in person though? Like wouldn’t she want to be more involved in that side of the family from what we know about her? Why doesn’t Greg ask? It might very well be because the Roys simply never invite her tho. There must be a reason but we don’t know what it is.

So she does care about Greg even if she seems rather harsh and distant with him. Greg seems perpetually frustrated with her but he clearly does love his mother.

As for Ewan and Marianne. We know after the whole inheritance business Ewan cut her off too for some reason? I can only think it’s (1) he’s mad she sent Greg there in the first place (2) he’s punishing Greg by punishing his mother and both options are quite horrible.

He’s taking care of her money shit and I know we can’t really count deleted scenes as canon but I am STILL emotional about the deleted scene of Greg panicking during the “shooting” and saying he needs to call his mom :( I think he does try to call her in it.

(There’s also a scene after that where Tom mocks him for it but Nic said he couldn’t get through the scene without breaking character.

I think he says something about “it was Tom making fun of him after this genuinely vulnerable moment where he’s terrified he’s going to die and he just wanted his mother” I believe Tom says something like “What? Are you going to call your mommy?” And..oof)

There’s just these hints of tragedy and dysfunction in that side of the family too that haven’t been fully explored and I desperately hope they will be in future seasons.

I mean I know I stress this a lot but it’s so painful and important to me. Greg turned down a guaranteed quarter of a billion dollars because Logan said he likes him.

Likes.

Not even “love” just “like” my dude is desperate for even the bare minimum of affection so I can only assume he never got it at home

I can’t stress how genuinely heartbreaking that is? A quarter of a billion just because Logan said he liked him and this is after boar on the floor too!!!

And that’s the thing isn’t it? He doesn’t even get that bare minimum of “I like you” from his own grandfather. Greg offers Ewan affection and while he does come off as a suck up to get shit sometimes I think it is genuine too. Ewan doesn’t react or blatantly rejects physical affection.

He doesn’t even say “I love you too:” back to Greg says it. He would rather sit in silence for 12 fucking hours in the car than talk to Greg. He acts like he’s a general annoyance and disappointment at all times.

And then of course the inheritance business which is blatant manipulation:

The most we got from Ewan on Greg was “I have tried to show you as much love and compassion as I’m able” and that’s as he cuts ties with him. (“As I’m able” at least he’s somewhat self aware I guess? Because he’s not capable of it like..at all)

Greg was going to leave Waystar until Logan said that. (Logan knew what he was doing)

Tom also plays on Greg’s desire to be a family in a rather cruel way in s1. When he’s telling Greg about the death pit and telling him to look at the papers, Greg initially doesn’t want to look because obviously he doesn’t want to be implicated.

He only looks when Tom looks him in the eyes and says “You’re family.” And Greg literally thanks him for saying that and looks in the folder. (Tom knew what he was doing there too)

Greg has become less easy to manipulate with this I think as the seasons go by. After Greg Sprinkles he seems very skeptical of Logan’s claims they’re concerned about him and he does not fall for that alone this time. He turns it into a negotiation. He’s learning..for better or worse.

(For his own emotional well-being it’s better he not rely on affection from the Roys tho)

Oh Nic also does mention a big factor in why Greg went with Ken is because of “Greg Sprinkles”, it hit Greg that these people don’t actually care about him, he isn’t worth shit to them. :(

Tom cements that in the s3 finale, “who’s ever looked after you in this fucking family?” And the answer is obvious. Greg knows it.

(I think he could still be manipulated with it again if someone really put a least some effort into it though)

Ah sorry for rambling It’s fascinating to me and Greg is my favorite so of course I want to know more. Greg hasn’t really been explored as a character in his own right that much and I think it’s a damn shame. He’s got a lot of potential.