#roman cares and no one can tell me otherwise

[shegetsburned]

archeology teacher!kento who’s your first-semester teacher for your anthropology major. he was recommended by one of your friends so you took his archeology class.

archeology teacher!kento who’s considerate and kind towards his students and has an inspiring passion for history although he comes off as stoic and aloof.

archeology teacher!kento who laid his eyes on you the first time when you came after class to his desk to ask questions, leaving a permanent impression on him with your cute demeanour and bright smile. your interest made him question his.

archeology teacher!kento whose athletic build molded by his tight blue shirt attracted your gaze more than once while he explained roman architecture with his back turned toward the class.

archeology teacher!kento whose subtle eye contact makes your heart flutter and your thighs clench together. he’ll always find your gaze whether you’re at the back of the class or on the sides.

archeology teacher!kento who won’t hesitate to take overtime if it means being able to deepen the subject with you and help you in any way he can.

archeology teacher!kento who shifts closer to you while showing you slides of ancient artifacts, occasionally brushing your elbow with his.

archeology teacher!kento who’s normally capable of separating sentimentalism from service, but can’t get you out of his head. thinking of you in ways he shouldn’t be thinking about when it comes to his students.

archeology teacher!kento whose hunger becomes more and more insatiable the more time he spends with you. his focus failing him every time you look into his eyes while he speaks or when you touch his elbow as you get up from your seat at the end of the studying session.

archeology teacher!kento who closes the door behind the last student after a two-hour long class on a friday evening, leaving you two alone. despite his tired figure, he insists that he can still work on some subjects with you.

archeology teacher!kento whose explanations are unusually incomprehensible and languorous. you ask if you should call it a day but his demanding eyes tell you otherwise.

archeology teacher!kento who leans on his desk, inattentively misplacing his stuff and shifting his weight closer to you, his cologne blesses your nostrils when his neck is to your height, forcing you to look up.

archeology teacher!kento whose heavy breath lends on your forehead when his hands grab the sides of your chair, pulling you closer, his thumb just slightly caresses your thighs sending shivers down your spine.

archeology teacher!kento who gives up any kind of restraint and self-control that inevitably comes with the job when he lifts you up on the desk, placing a ravenous kiss upon your lips, his hands tracing your curves up and down.

archeology teacher!kento who hurries his movements, skillfully undressing you with little to no regard for anyone that might enter and watch him fuck his student.

“n-nanami. is it okay?” you ask against his lips, already melting into his touch. you were certainly more concerned than him for the consequences.

but he had watched you for weeks, rubbing yourself against your chair, nervously biting your lips and nibbling at your pen while he taught the class. he had enough of your subtle grins and teasing smiles.

“i don’t care.”

archeology teacher!kento who gets off on your shy moans that echo through the whole amphitheatre. your hesitant whines are blocked by one of your hands until he grabs your wrist, pulling it down against the desk.

“let me hear you, sweetheart. let the whole school hear you.”

archeology teacher!kento who lowers your pants and underwear before unbuckling his belt and steadying himself right in front of your entrance, a grin on his lips when you ask for him by pulling his tie down.

archeology teacher!kento who mercilessly pounds into you, holding your hands down behind you and bending your body so your back arches against the wooden desk.

you wrapped your legs around him, pushing his weight forward, asking for him deeper, but the sheer size of his member was already enough to completely fill you. whenever he moved, it bruised your tight pussy, completely covering him with your seed.

archeology teacher!kento who places gentle kisses upon your ear and neck despite how greedily he fucks you. your nails dig into the desk to maintain yourself, every time he thrusts in.

archeology teacher!kento who easily but patiently leads you to multiple orgasms, keeping you in his class for more than one hour of overtime.

archeology teacher!kento who lets no part of your body undiscovered, leaving no place for the imagination when you end up completely naked as he eats your pulsating cunt just like you expected he would.

archeology teacher!kento who watches you leave his class for the tenth time, but this time satisfied. you left a delicious imprint on his lips and his hands that he’d think about for the whole weekend. he knew he needed to have you all to himself now and promised he’d ask you out for a proper date next time, hoping you wouldn’t say no to a teacher who had taught you so much already.

© shegetsburned 2024 please do not repost/edit/or claim my writing as your own.

[gonzo-rella]

Headcanons: Being Wallace Wells' Trans Boyfriend

MASTERLIST | AO3 | KO-FI

EDIT: Although this fic was written with a more binary trans reader in mind, I'm hoping this fic will also be suitable for AFAB nonbinary people who are masc or male adjacent, which is where I might be at. I'm currently working dating hcs for Wallace with a nonbinary reader (which will be suitable for both AFAB and AMAB readers).

Relationship(s): Wallace Wells x transmasc!reader (romantic)

Warnings/info: Trans typical stuff, like dysphoria, transphobia etc. etc., sexual remarks, he/him pronouns for reader, headcanons were written in one sitting, when I was feeling not great. (Let me know if I need to add any)

(A/N: I've been reading a lot of Succession fics over the last few days. Last night I read a Roman Roy fic and for some reason it gave me this overpowering wave of dysphoria that I still have yet to fully recover from. Annoyingly, I have yet to actually watch Succession so this could have been avoided; I just think Kieran Culkin's hot and very gender so I couldn't resist pretending that someone with his face was my boyfriend. Reading about Roman made me think 'oh shit. Maybe I'm a flawed and pathetic little guy on the inside. But I just look like a woman who likes to kiss women and everyone treats me like a girl and uses my girl name and girl pronouns and that feels super gross and makes me want to live in a hole. Now I'm going to feel bad about that for the next few days.' So, yeah, I'm having another transmasc crisis that I'm using fanfiction to get me through. I figured Kieran Culkin started this, so I might as well write something featuring a character of his that I can actually write for. This is a self-indulgent and self-explorative treat for myself, but I hope that transmasc readers can enjoy this, too. If you'd like more Wallace stuff, trans stuff or Wallace AND trans stuff, feel free to send in a request. I really want to provide more fics for transmasc readers because you guys are super underrepresented (and, y'know, Papa Gonzo-rella wants to explore his gender a little more). Also, I swear that I will get around to watching Succession, and I more than likely will end up writing for it when I do.)

Respectfully, Wallace does not give a shit that you’re trans.

Of course, he doesn’t flat-out ignore it, because it’s part of who you are, but it isn’t an obstacle in your relationship by any means, and it doesn’t bother him in the slightest.

If you’re feeling dysphoric and/or otherwise insecure about yourself, he’ll pinch your cheeks and tell you how handsome and sexy you are.

If you’re feeling especially bad, like ‘not getting out of bed and hiding from the world’ bad, he’ll keep you company and say what he can to reassure you.

Being mushy and sincere truly isn’t his thing, so whatever he says will sound either slightly insensitive (but still pretty sensitive as far as Wallace goes), facetious or like he wants you to get over how you’re feeling so he can fuck you.

But, he genuinely doesn’t want you to feel bad and you can tell he cares, because otherwise he wouldn’t be there for you when you're feeling your worst.

Wallace is very affirming, but in his own Wallace way.

He lovingly refers to you as his lameass boyfriend.

If Scott ever compliments you about anything, Wallace will call him gay.

He will shout ‘gay’, like the Senor Chang meme.

"Hey, man, I like your shirt-"

"Ha, Scott's gay!"

"I-I'm not gay! I just like his shirt."

"What's wrong with being gay, Scott?"

"Nothing! There's nothing wrong with being gay!"

"You really need to work on your internalised homophobia, Scott. To think, my gay lover and I share a bed with a bigot."

If you’re doing anything that he knows will make you dysphoric or exacerbate your dysphoria (for example, scrolling through social media and looking at cis dudes that give you gender envy) he’ll shut it down.

Using the aforementioned example, he’ll snatch your phone off you and close the app, saying: “Nope. Make better decisions.”

And, while you’d initially be annoyed at him for grabbing your phone, you will appreciate it in the long run.

If you have testosterone shots but you’re not a fan of doing them yourself, he’ll begrudgingly help you with them.

He will make a very Wallace comment, though

“Stabbing? I didn’t know you were that kinky.”

If anyone’s a dick to you about being trans, Wallace is always ready to go with a snide remark about the other person, because of all the things you could possibly mock his lameass boyfriend for, being trans is at the bottom of that list.

(He should know, as the person who makes fun of you the most.)

Also, he cares about you very, very much and he doesn't want people being transphobic to his boyfriend.

If you’re cool with it, he will make trans jokes, but nothing ‘attack helicopter’ or ‘attack helicopter’ adjacent, because he’s too clever for that and he can come up with better material that isn’t just derivative, transphobic garbage.

If you get your period and it makes you at all dysphoric, be prepared for this exchange:

“Don’t worry. Scott pissed blood last month and cried about it and he’s still a man.”

“Did-did he go to the doctor?”

“I don’t know. He seems fine now, though.”

If you still have boobs and don’t mind them being touched or otherwise acknowledged, he will use them like a pillow.

If you decide to get top surgery, he will make the following request:

“Well, if you’re not using them, can I have them? I need a pillow that Scott won’t steal. And, he wouldn’t steal your tits, because he knows I’d call him gay for it.”

“Why are you like this, Wallace?”

“Selfish.”

Being trans doesn’t make your relationship much different from any of Wallace’s other relationships.

You’re just, for better or worse, another one of Wallace’s boyfriends.

[luveline]

What about Steve with a cry baby reader? Like she cries at everything and May be Steve is telling her about something hard but also not that deep like a fight with his parents or they r discussing exes and she starts crying bc Steve didn’t deserve heartbreak

thank you for your request! —steve tells you about his relationship with his parents and gets the comfort he deserves a few years late. fem!reader. hurt/comfort ♡ 1.7k CW mentioned child neglect

Steve indulges you every now and then with old movies. You're obsessed with those musical movies from the fifties, soft colours, cool cat leading men and blunt heroines. Your very favourite are the ones with love triangles, though Steve hasn't ever thought you'd like to be entangled in one yourself. 

Entangled in him, absolutely. "That is ridiculous," you say softly, sitting entirely in his lap, an arm around his neck and another his waist. "She loves him." 

"She does." When the heroine of Young At Heart realised one of her love interests didn't have a present for the birthday party they were going to attend together, she bought one for him so he wouldn't feel embarrassed —yet she's planning on marrying the other man. "Poor Frank. He looks shocked." 

"I'd be shocked. Lucky me, you've never sprung a sudden engagement on me," you say, your fingers rubbing mindlessly into his side. Your affection is often thoughtless. You care for him like another must-do, in time and rhythm with your breathing. 

"To another girl, you mean?" he asks warmly. 

You fluster and rub your cheek against the collar of his shirt, rolled and worn from an endless day on the couch together. He should go up and shower soon before bed, only you feel right in his lap, in no way light but a weight he's happy to bear.

You're skewed sideways, your legs laying across the rest of the couch, his legs kicked up on the coffee table. He keeps trying to force himself up for a shower and you keep leaning into his front or scratching your nails from his ribs to his hip, convincing him otherwise.

"If we ever… got engaged," you begin unsurely, eyes on the television to avoid his gaze, he's sure, "would we have a nice party like that?"

"When we get engaged we'll do whatever you want. We can have a party, send out ivory invitations with eleven point four Times New Roman font. All the trimmings." 

"Eleven point four." Your eyes soften with your smile. "What do you know about invitations?" 

"My mom had tons of stupid parties. She didn't always send out invitations, but when she did, she'd have them done right. I got to lick the envelopes." 

"Lucky Stevie." 

You shift backwards so your weight is on the couch rather than Steve, your back to the armrest and your thighs over his legs rather than on top of him. He can see your face better in this new position, and it's fitting: the love interest on TV starts spouting about how beautiful the heroine is, how her face is a tribute to the heavens if there ever were one. Smiling as you are, Steve has to agree. 

"What were they like, the parties?" 

Steve bites the tip of his tongue. "Fine," he says eventually. "They were fine. They'd set up buffet tables covered in hors d'oeuvres and everyone would walk around in their cocktail dresses and tailored suits drinking champagne and whiskey." His tone lightens toward the end, a put upon theatric for you to make it sound less snotty. 

"Did you wear a suit?" you ask. 

"Button down, usually."

"Nice! I bet you looked adorable. Do you have any photos?" 

"Honestly, baby?" Steve squeezes your leg. "I was miserable, then. You don't wanna see any photographs. I was never smiling."

"What?" 

"I hated my life. All my mom cared about was making us look like a perfect family, and all my dad cared about was work. I was happier when they started taking months-long business trips to Missouri."

"What do you mean?" you ask, putting your hand against his face. It's smaller than his but still big, still encompassing as you stroke his cheek and scratchy stubble. "You… what?"

He tells you because he knows you love him. It makes a hard thing easier, being loved. "Nothing, just, things were bad. My parents didn't even really like me, you know? They bounced me between little league and swim team and basketball when I was old enough. Track, cross country running, everything. Killer sun tan every summer." 

Any trace of a smile is gone from your face. "They didn't like you? What are you talking about?" 

"I was an annoying kid," he says. "You know how I was when we first met? Imagine that and worse." 

"There was nothing wrong with you when we first met." Your lip trembles. 

"Baby," he says quickly, on an exhale, the word half love and half apology, "don't be upset. I'm sorry, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. I'm making it sound worse than it was." 

Your eyes turn glassy. It's awful, being so close he can see the tears well, collecting in the corners of your eyes. You stroke his cheek tentatively and ignore them. 

"It was fine, sweetheart, really, I had everything. They'd leave me a fucking credit card when they went away, I never had to ask for anything. They gave me a car for my fifteenth birthday… I think they thought it was my sweet sixteen." 

Your face crumples like a wet paper towel. You try to fight it but you're a heavy crier and you always have been. It shocked Steve when you first met, how quickly you can fall into tears, but it doesn't necessarily mean you're extremely upset. He can maybe fix it before you give yourself a headache if he tries. 

"I'm sorry," he says again, dotting a kiss on the meat of your thumb. "I didn't tell you so you'd feel sorry for me." 

"I do feel sorry. I feel so sorry," you say quietly. 

"Don't cry…" Steve shifts into a better sitting position as the first tear trips over your waterline. Your hand falls to his collar. Your fingertips rub his collarbone. "I was lucky, I had everything I needed." 

"You just told me your parents didn't like you, Stevie, I wouldn't call you lucky. That they went away for months– How old were you?" 

He winces. "Fifteen?" 

"You were still a kid." 

"I was old before my time." 

"No, you weren't." You sniffle. "I didn't know about that, Stevie. I didn't know about any of this, I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry? I never told you." 

You bring both hands up now, placed gently against his chest, talking to him with a tenderness that makes his body ache, "If you think that it didn't matter, I'm really sorry. Imagining you that young, sitting there thinking they didn't like you? That breaks my heart." You're not overly dramatic despite the tears, but you say it with conviction. "You're not supposed to feel that way." 

Steve laughs quietly. "I know that, dummy. Why're you this upset about this? It was years ago." 

"Because it happened to you," you say, pouting at him sympathetically. "I don't know. I guess I figure how heavy that must be carrying around this whole time, thinking they didn't like you and that it was your fault." 

Steve tries to say something, his mouth dry as sand, but he supposes he had said that, in a way. It is what he thought, what he thinks. If he were better, if he were more interesting, more attractive, more talented, they'd stick around. He pushed himself in every sport they'd let him play hoping he'd see his dad standing in the bleachers one day. 

"You're not annoying," you say, wiping your tears. You square your expression into a steadier set. "You're amazing. If they couldn't see it then and if they refuse to see it now, that isn't something you did, Stevie. Maybe they gave you a car and an Amex card, but what you deserved most was–" Your determination to calm down wanes as your voice turns airy and scratchy, like you're trying not to sob. "You deserved to feel cared about. 'N' I'm sorry you didn't, because I love you more than anything."

Steve pulls you in for a hug. Mostly because you need one, but it doesn't hurt to hide his face from you know. His eyes burn, his heart pounding in his throat and between his ears as his arms climb up the length of your back. He focuses on that, the feeling of his hands and his bare forearms against your soft shirt. His chin goes over your shoulder and he presses the side of his head to yours with more force than he intends. 

"Don't wind yourself up over it," he murmurs. "I know it sucks, I promise I get it, and I love that you're sorry, I love you, but it's not worth crying over. They're not worth it." 

You tuck your arms behind his shoulder. Steve indulges in your smell, the warmth of your closeness. Talking about his parents is like poking at a purple scar. It's healed for the most part, but it's far from invisible. He usually ignores it all. 

"Is it weird that I'm kind of vindicated by your, uh, reaction?" he asks under his breath, as though someone might hear him and call him out for it. "I don't want you to cry, but…" 

"I'm in your corner." You pull him impossibly closer. "I'll always be upset for you. Even if you don't think it matters anymore, that's the kind of stuff that stays with you, you know?" You kiss his hair. Twice. A third time. "Sorry, I know I always make stuff about me, crying 'n' all." 

"That's not true," he murmurs, rubbing your back. 

He hates that you're crying, but he's glad, too. Glad all that pain isn't made up. Your reaction is proof he didn't just imagine how much it hurt to always want something he couldn't quite grasp. 

"You didn't deserve that," you say. 

"I know." 

"I love you." 

He knows that too. "I love you. You gotta stop crying, okay? You need your tears for the end of the movie when he crashes his car. How are you gonna bawl your eyes out for Sinatra if you've wasted them all on me?" 

You laugh wetly. "I think I've made a wet patch in your hair." 

Steve relaxes, reassured at the sound of your laugh, precious as spun silver even doused in waterworks. "That's cool. I needed a shower anyway." 

—

thank you for reading!

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

HOLY FUCKING SHIT HAZBIN WAS SO FUCKING GOOD IM GOING INSANE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKENFKCMKWJRKFNSMSMDMSMDN-

Okay. Okay deep breaths. Time for some cool and collected comentary. Okay.

Putting it under the cut so ppl can avoid spoilers :)

HUSK USED TO BE AN OVERLORD!?!?!?!?!? HELLO!?!?!?!?!? FUCKIN PLOTTWIST OF THE CENTURY WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!?!?

Huskerdust my beloved

SIR PENTIOUS MY BELOVED

Vox was great. I love him he's so fucking cool-

If Vox wasn't already a Tumblr sexyman he's definitely gonna be one now. He's so fucking Onceler coded it's insane.

Velvette was amazing too. It's so funny that she's British lmao I was not expecting that

Velvette is also very Anne Boelyne(like from SIX not from Real Life) coded it's wild. Her part in that song with Carmila was giving so much Don't Lose Your Head

I swear I'll stop comparing them to other characters I SWEAR

Okay but me and my brother are working on a Hazbin Hotel swap AU where we swap the main cast with the overlords and in that AU we swapped Husk and Vox. The Husk used to be an overlord reveal is gonna make that AU soooooo much easier lmao

ADAM IS REALLY GOOD I promised I would stop comparing to other characters but he was giving SO MUCH Hades from Disney's Hercules like its insane

I think we should let Alex Brightman sing rocj and roll more often that song was such a fucking BANGER

SPEAKING OF THE SONGS- oh my god I love the soundtrack so fucking much-

Stayed Gone was a lil less hype then I was expecting but thats okay cuz it was still a banger and I loved the visuals

That song battle between Carmilla and Velvette????? Oh my god??????

Carmilla and Vaggie's song was also amazing but I think I know why they didn't have Stephanie Beatriz sing her own song in Elena of Avalor y'know, girl cannot hold a character voice while singing

LOSER WAS SO FUCKING GOOD- I love Huskerdust so much. I love Keith David so much. Blake Roman is such a phenomenal Angel Dust.

SPEAKING OF all the voice actors are amazing. Blake Roman, Brightman as Pentious and Joel Perez were the ones I was the most worried abt but I loved all their preformances so much it was fucking fantastic

Valentino can go die in a fucking hole <3

The other Vees are cool and fun to watch but I hope Valentino fucking dies

Okay to be fair he's also fun to watch when he's not in the same room as Angel Dust but tHAT DOESNT SUPERSEID MY HATRED FUCK 👏 THAT 👏 GUY 👏👏👏👏

Speaking of the Vees tho I do love their dynamic

My favorite episode was probably Radio Killed the Video Star bcuz of mY BOYS PENTIOUS AND VOX!!!!!!!!

And the most painful episode to watch was- no surprise- Masquerade

That episode was a fucking rollercoaster Jesus fucking Christ...

Those scenes with Angel and Valentino where so fucking visceral... like. Who the fuck wrote that. Who are you. Are you okay. Do you need help-

Tho I'm not sure abt how they're handling the ah- more serious bits of Angel's character. It is WAYYYYYY to early to tell and I think Loser wasn't like. Trying to downplay the situation. But the writers better have been careful moving foreward bcuz I can def see a world where Angel's arc goes very wrong very fast-

Also while we're criticizing: wasn't a fan of the pacing. Especially in episode two. Like I can look past it, but the way they breeze past some plot points kinda bugged me

Otherwise it was sooooooo fucking good man oh my god

THE HUMOR WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN PPL MAKE IT OUT TO BEEEEEE PPL NEED TO STOP SHITTING ON THE COMEDY IN THESE SHOWS MAN-

The gag where Niffty just fucking stopped thinking every time the camera turned on was so fucking good

Niffty in general was really fuckin funny

Alastor was a lot less prominent of a character then I thought he would be but tbh I think that's for the best. He's like Discord from My Little Pony, fun in small doses but if you don't set perameters for how often he appears and when he's willing to help it kinda breaks the show

Chaggie is adorable and I love them <3

I think this show does a really good job balancing the focus on the whole cast! These first 4 episodes seem to be pretty Charlie, Angel and kind of Vaggie heavy but everybody still gets their fair share of attention!

THE ANIMATIOJ OH MY GOD- IT WAS FUCKING PHENOMENAL IM LOSING MY M I N D

Im going feral IM GOING FERAL THIS EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS AKFNVKKENFEKFNDN

I love comedy. I love musicals. I love drama. I love silly characters. I LOVE ANIMATION!!!!!!!

It's like the South Park movie but longer and better animated and IVE BEEN WAITING FOUR FUCKING YEARS-

Just. So excited overall. Can't wait to see where it goes. May make more posts abt my thoughts in tbe future.

[kyleoreillylover]

Chapter 2- The Test

Series Summary/Masterlist

word count: 14,522

tag list: @southerngirl41 @venusesworld @jeysbae @reci1996 @tbonesteakwithasideofmashngrav @hope4more @selena-tyler-564 @saintaquarius @whatdoeseverybodywant

warnings: wrestling related violence, manipulation, mentions of cheating.

Chapter Summary: You and Jey are getting a lot closer... and so is your test. You try to focus on making sure everything is going according to plan, but that's hard with Kevin and Sami meddling and having a hard time with being able to let you go, and hurting your loyalty in the process. But Roman and Jey make sure you don't stray too far from the Bloodline, and you make sure that Kevin and Sami know what side you are on.

liked by uceyjucey, sethrollins, y/nfanpage and 500,000 others

wwestan: Y/n spotted at Monday Night Raw Tonight by a fan👀 She hasn't been seen since her lost at Backlash. What do you think she'll have to stir up tonight?

tagged: y/n

view all comments:

user: omg omg mother is back!!

user: face card omg!! ronda tried and failed to stop her face card 😭

user: she looks so good omg??! esp cause apparently Seth and her broke it off 👀 and becky swooped right in 😭

↳user: I mean she said the breakup was mutual and they are still friends🤷‍♀️ but becky getting with Seth so quick is suspicious ngl

↳user: she's way too nice cause if that was me and my friend got with my ex that quick I woulda squared up 😭

user: she better get her lick back from ronda!!

uceyjucey: we missed her ♥️

↳y/n: oh stop it ☺️

↳ uceyjucey: never 😒

↳user: this interaction?? the friendship never knew I needed??

↳user: what's going on here?!!

"Y'know you didn't have to drive me all the way to the arena. I didn't wanna bother you."

"Bother me? How many times I gotta tell you that you can't bother me. You lucky I like you, otherwise the first ten times you apologized for bothering me for nothing I would've stopped picking  you up."

Jey playfully chastised you as he chuckled, flashing a warm grin as you both walked in the hallway, his hand resting lightly on your shoulder. "Besides, it's not a bother at all. I enjoy your company. Plus, I can't let you miss out on my amazing driving skills, right?"

You rolled your eyes playfully at Jey's teasing remark, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Mhm, it's definitely your driving skills I can't miss out on, not the heart-stopping fear that comes with them," you teased back, matching your playful tone.

Jey let out a mock offended gasp, nudging your shoulder gently. "Aye, I ain't complaining. I got to have a pretty girl around to keep me company," he said, his voice warm with affection.

"Besides, it's more fun having you around than driving solo. Ever since Jimmy got injured I been riding with Big Uce, but he is boring and doesn't appreciate good music like you do."

You blushed at the compliment, feeling a warmth spread through you at Jey's words. 

The two of you... have been getting close these past few weeks. Ever since he comforted you a few weeks ago and told you he likes having you around, the two of you have been spending more time together, growing closer with each passing day.

He wasn't as hesitant to open up about his thoughts and feelings, and you found yourself enjoying his company more and more. Jey was funny, charming, and caring beneath his tough exterior. Your kind heart was drawn to his genuine personality, and he appreciated your sweet nature and the companionship you offered.

Sometimes he'd make comments like 'You know, you're the only one who can make me smile like this,' or 'I don't think I've laughed this much in ages,' you could tell they weren't just words. There was a sincerity in his voice that made your heart skip a beat.

But you didn't know if he was flirting with you or if he was simply expressing his sincere feelings. Jey had a habit of mixing playful banter with genuine affection, making it hard to decipher where his friendly teasing ended and his true emotions began. Besides, you didn't wanna end a friendship because of a fluke emotion. 

As you both reached the arena hallway, you felt a comfortable ease settle between you. Jey's arm slid from your shoulder as he stopped, facing you with a soft smile. "You want me to grab you a coffee from catering?"

You sighed and crossed your arms at his question. "Do I really look that nervous?"

"Honest answer or answer you wanna hear?" Jey questioned you, but his eyes told you everything you needed to know.

"I do, don't I?" You groaned and held your face in your hands, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It's just been so long since I've been in the arena, and I don't wanna mess up my return to the scene, you know?"

Tonight was the night you would finally show your face to the WWE Universe after your match with Ronda, and you'd be making your return by confronting Becky in the ring and asking her to include you in the 4 woman chamber match for her Raw Women's Championship.

You and Becky were friends… or at least she thought that.

You've been riding with her to various shows, training together, and even spending time outside the ring like going out for dinners or hitting the gym together. She wasn't suspicious in the least about your intentions or why you forgiven her so fast.

She was too blinded at the thought of your friendship ending and was so relieved that you seemed to have moved past the incident and wanted to rekindle your friendship that she didn't think much of your motives. She had her best friend, and the love of her life with her, why would she question your intentions.

And as for Seth, you broke up and you made him believe that it was a mutual decision and that the cheating was a mere misunderstanding or lack of communication. Seth was Seth and took what you said at face value, and was happy that you seemed to have moved on amicably.

Guess he never really knew you at all.

Jey was honestly your saving grace, without him you would pulled your hair from your head from pretending that you were fine and had everything under control.

With every lie you told, Jey would seek out the truth and comfort you when you were on the verge of breaking down.

When the faking would make your tongue tie in knots, Jey would let you call him and pour out your heart to him, happy to help your heart hurt slightly less.

And when the anger would threaten to consume you and mess up the plan, he would remind you that it wasn't worth losing yourself over them, that they weren't worth the trouble.

Jey observed your nerves with a sympathetic gaze, stepping closer to gently lower your hands from your face. "Hey, this ain't the same person that gave Ronda Rousey the literal beating of her life. You remember that? You were fierce, you were strong, and you showed the whole world what you're made of. This ain't no different. You're walking in there to claim what's rightfully yours. Cause that title is yours, and you gotta show em that by showing out."

You let Jey's words soothe your nerves and make you feel at least a bit better. He was right. You should be on top of the world right now. You were about to make a statement and demand what you deserved. Becky should be the one nervous right now. But the nerves still tugged at your confidence, making you doubt your resolve.

With a deep breath, you straightened up, trying to gather your resolve before your promo. "I'll take that coffee, actually. It'll give me a little boost before I go out there."

Jey's smile widened, pleased to see you regaining some confidence. "Gotcha. You sit tight pretty girl, I'll grab it for you." Jey left before you could even think about the nickname he just used for you. Whether he chose that moment on purpose to call you that so he could slip away or accidentally did so, you didn't know. What you did know was that you had to get your head in the game before you were up there.

Running your lines through your head, a tap on your shoulder jolted you from your thoughts. Expecting it to be Jey, you stopped short, ready to thank him for the coffee, but when you turned around, it was Sami. Your smile dropped as soon as you saw his face.

"Sami." You greeted him with a polite nod, trying to keep your tone neutral despite the discomfort his sudden appearance brought. "What do you want?"

"What, I can't say hi to my best friend I haven't seen in a while?" Sami countered, a sad expression clouding his features. He adjusted his jacket, trying to appear nonchalant, but there was an intensity in his gaze that made you want to run into his arms and find comfort, yet you knew it was too late for that.

"We both know that's not what this is about," you replied, trying to keep your voice steady despite the rush of emotions his presence stirred within you. "I made myself clear, Sami. We can't keep pretending things are the same between us."

"I just miss you, okay? I miss our friendship," Sami admitted, his voice tinged with desperation. "Can't we just talk? I miss talking to you, hanging out like we used to. I just miss you."

Damn Sami and his ability to tug at your emotions, you thought, feeling a pang of guilt and sorrow at his words. You sighed softly, feeling guilt and frustration.

Sami was a good guy, but you needed to focus on your own path right now, and you couldn't do that with someone from your past pulling you in different directions.

You knew with him came Kevin, and unfortunately for Sami, it was something you couldn't afford to get involved in. You took a step back, composing yourself and trying to maintain a sense of firmness in your voice.

"Sami, I've moved on," you stated, your tone gentle but resolute. "I need to focus on my career right now, and things have changed. You know that," you replied, your voice softening slightly despite your resolve. "I can't go back to how things were before."

Sami's expression turned crestfallen, and you could see the hurt in his eyes. "You can't go back to how it was, or you are too scared to?" Sami's voice cracked slightly, his eyes pleading for a different response. "Look, I'm sorry for how that night went. I should've focused on comforting you instead of feeding into what Kevin wanted. But you can't just hold that against me forever."

You sighed, feeling a mix of emotions swirling within you. Sami's words were a reminder of a painful past, but you knew deep down that you couldn't let yourself be swayed by his guilt or the emotions tied to their history.

But it was really hard when he was looking at you like you were the only person who could save him from drowning and was standing so close to you that it felt like all the old memories were rushing back. And some memories were making you feel hot inside.

"It's not about holding things against you forever, Sami," you began, your voice tinged with forced calmness. "It's about moving forward. I can't keep dwelling on what happened. I need to focus on my career, on myself."

Sami looked down for a moment, his hands clasping together in a mix of frustration and resignation. "So, that's it? You're just going to shut me out completely?"

His voice cracked with emotion, and you could see the struggle he was facing to keep his composure. "You think that shutting me out is gonna make me forget about everything we had? You were my best friend, my confidant. You can't just erase that. And I know you. I know that you're hurting too, but pushing me away isn't gonna make it any better."

"I'm not hurting." You retorted, but Sami 's gaze bore into yours, seeing through the facade you tried to maintain. You felt the weight of his words, the echoes of the past pulling at your heartstrings.

"You are, and you know it," Sami rebutted, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I see it in your eyes, in the way you try so hard to act like everything's fine. But it's not fine, and you shutting me out isn't going to change what happened between us. You can't lie to me about your feelings."

He took a step closer, and his body heat was driving you mad as he closed the gap between you, your faces inches apart and  his voice lowering to a pleading whisper. "You know you can't."

The tension between the two of you was so strong that you could barely catch your breath. Sami was staring at you like you were the answer to all his problems, his eyes searching yours for some sign of hope or reconciliation, and you knew that if you let him keep talking to you, that if you kept looking into his baby brown eyes that this conversation would only get more complicated.

You needed to pull away, to distance yourself before everything crumbled around you. But Sami's presence, his proximity, made it nearly impossible to think straight.

"Sami, please..." You whispered, your voice barely audible as you tried to maintain your resolve.

“Don’t lie to me...” He whispered back just as softly, his gaze was unwavering, his eyes pleading and filled with a vulnerability that tore at your heart and made your body heat up…

"Aye, Y/n, I gotcha coffee!"

Before either of you could say another word, Jey's voice interrupted the moment. Jey appeared, holding a cup of coffee, and the smile he had walking up to you dropped and his  expression turned guarded as he assessed the scene before him. His eyes flickered between you and Sami, sensing the tension thick in the air.

"What's going on here?" Jey paused, looking between the two of you, his tone carrying a hint of protectiveness and anger.

You quickly took a step back, trying to regain your composure, feeling flustered by Jey's sudden arrival. "Nothing, Jey. Just catching up, that's all," you replied, trying to sound casual, but the unease lingered in your voice.

Sami cleared his throat, adjusting his jacket once more, attempting to mask the discomfort that had crept into his expression.

"Yeah, just a little chat. But I'll let you guys catch up." He offered a forced smile before nodding curtly at Jey and then turning his gaze back to you. "Think about what I said, okay?

You glared at Sami for the last sentence he uttered, a mix of irritation and vulnerability bubbling up within you. "I will," you replied curtly, your voice tinged with a hint of finality, before turning your attention back to Jey as Sami left the two of you alone. 

Jey's demeanor softened slightly as he handed you the coffee, concern etched in his features. "Everything alright, pretty girl?" he asked, his voice low and filled with a protective edge.

You forced a smile, trying to dispel the tension that lingered in the air. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just catching up with an old friend, you know?" you replied, hoping your attempt at casualness would reassure Jey.

Jey's thoughts flickered between you and Sami once more, his expression unreadable for a moment. “You’d tell me if he was getting in your face, right?”

You nodded, sipping the coffee to compose yourself. "Of course, Jey. You know I would."

“And you would tell me if something serious was up?" Jey persisted, his eyes searching yours for any sign of distress.

You paused for a moment, considering his question before responding. “Of course.”

“Then tell me why he was talking to you like that.” Jey's voice was calm, yet there was an edge to it as he gestured vaguely in Sami's direction.

You hesitated, not wanting to dive into the complexity of the situation. "It's nothing, Jey. Just an old friend wanting to catch up. Sami just wanted to say hi to me. That's all." You attempted to downplay the encounter, hoping to move past the moment swiftly.

But what you failed to realize was that Jey has been reading your body language for the past few weeks and could tell when something was truly bothering you.

His expression remained guarded, and there was a protective undertone in his voice as he probed further. “Then why you looking at me like you're trying to convince yourself it's nothing when it clearly is?"

Jey's keen observation left you momentarily speechless. You glanced down for a moment, collecting your thoughts, before meeting his gaze once more. “He just… was trying to talk to me about the past. You know how it is, sometimes old friends can bring back memories you'd rather leave behind," you explained vaguely, hoping Jey would drop the subject.

Jey's expression softened slightly as he studied you, but the guarded look was replaced with a painful look in his eyes, as if your words were cutting deeper than he'd expected and made him resist memories he'd rather leave behind as well.

"I get that." He responded cryptically before letting out a small sigh. Was there a hint of jealousy in his tone? Or was it just concern and protectiveness for your well-being? 

 It was hard to decipher. "Just... be careful, a'ight? I don't wanna see you getting hurt."

You nodded, feeling a mix of gratitude and discomfort at Jey's protectiveness. "Thanks, Jey. I'll be careful, I promise."

He offered a small, reassuring smile before a techie walked up to the two of you. "Y/N, it's almost time for your segment," the techie interrupted, noticing your presence.

You nodded in acknowledgment and turned to Jey, holding the coffee cup. "I gotta go. Wish me luck?"

Jey's warm smile returned, and he nodded. "You don't need luck, pretty girl. You got this. Go out there and show 'em what you're made of."

You hesitated for a moment before pulling Jey into a quick hug, feeling a surge of gratitude for his support. "Thank you, Jey. For everything," you whispered before pulling back, flashing a quick smile, and heading towards the entrance to the stage.

Jey felt like his head was spinning with a whirlwind of emotions as he watched you walk away. He stood there for a moment, trying to shake off the unease that had settled within him, a feeling he couldn't quite place.

Part of him was happy to finally have a friend that he could trust, but another part of him was grappling with his own emotions, ones he hadn't fully acknowledged or understood, making his thoughts spin wildly in his mind.

Could he really trust you? Could he trust his own feelings for you? The way you and Sami interacted had stirred something within him, something he couldn't quite articulate or comprehend.

"Jey, the Tribal Chief has been looking for you." Paul Heyman's voice cut through his thoughts, interrupting his contemplation. "Are you okay, Jey?" Paul furrowed his eyebrows at Jey's skittish demeanor.

Jey straightened up, refocusing his attention. "Yeah, I'm good, uce. What he want?"

Paul Heyman eyed Jey for a moment, sensing something amiss, but decided not to pry further. "He wanted to discuss the plan. He's waiting in his office."

"Alright, I'm on my way," Jey replied, shaking off the lingering thoughts as he headed towards Roman Reigns' office, trying to push aside the unsettling feelings that had surfaced during his encounter with you and Sami.

Maybe he would test that trust tonight.

“Becky, Becky, Becky.”

Becky looked up from the ring in shock at your voice and music interrupting her. You came out with a confident stride and cryptic smile, a mic in hand and your hair seamlessly cascading over your shoulders.

The arena erupted in cheers, the anticipation palpable as you made your entrance, the spotlight now firmly on you. You were dearly missed by the crowd, and they showed it by cheering for you so loud your ears hurt. 

"Surprise, surprise! Look who's back!" you exclaimed, your voice cutting through the arena with a blend of confidence and determination.

Becky's expression shifted from surprise to a mix of disbelief and a slight tinge of apprehension as she stared at you, mic in hand. She hadn't expected your return tonight, especially not in this manner.

You circled the ring, eyeing Becky with a steely resolve and a sweet smile. “Hi bestie! It's good to see you!" You tilted your head slightly, the sweetness in your voice carrying a hint of underlying tension.

Becky narrowed her eyes, a flicker of suspicion crossing her features as she held the mic up to respond, but was happy to see you nonetheless. "Lass, it's good to see you! Welcome back, we've missed you!" Becky responded with a mixture of surprise and genuine warmth, trying to maintain a composed front despite your unexpected appearance. 

 You chuckled softly, the cryptic smile still playing on your lips as you paced around the ring, taking in the crowd's reaction. "I missed you too. And look at you know. The Raw Women's Champion,  dominating the scene like you always do."

Your words dripped with a mix of admiration and something else, something Becky couldn't quite place. "And don't get me wrong, I'm proud of you! But I've been watching you dominate, watching you stand at the top, and I can't help but wonder… where do I fit in this picture?"

Becky's brow furrowed slightly, a perplexed expression crossing her features as she regarded you with curiosity. "What do you mean, where do you fit? You know you're always welcome here, Y/n."

The crowd buzzed with anticipation, sensing the tension between you and Becky. You walked into the ring, that sweet smile still on your lips. "I know Becky! And as your best friend, I want to stand by your side. I want to be cheering you on, but I also want to prove myself, show everyone what I'm capable of, and prove that I belong in the ring with the best of the best."

Becky's expression shifted from confusion to a mix of skepticism and concern, as she sensed an underlying motive in your words. "I get that, but what are you talking about? You've proven yourself time and time again."

You chuckled softly, the sweetness in your voice never wavering. "I haven't been given the chance to prove myself lately, have I though?" our tone shifted slightly, carrying a hint of determination. "I've been so close to getting to the top, but something always gets in my way. Something always stops me. But you know what Becky? I'm sick of being stopped. And you're my best friend, right You know me better than anyone, right?"

Becky paused for a moment, sensing the shift in your tone and the gravity behind your words. She nodded slowly, happiness and wariness creeping into her expression. Happiness because she finally had her best friend back. Wariness because she could sense an undertone in your words that seemed to hint at something beyond a simple desire to compete. She held the mic closer, ready to respond, but you continued, your voice now carrying a determined edge.

 "So, Becky, I'm asking you now, as your friend and as a competitor... as someone who knows what it's like to get what you wanted for so long and have it taken away from you. Put me in the 4 woman chamber match for the Raw Women's Championship."

Becky's expression shifted from surprise to a mix of apprehension and disbelief at your challenge. You stood across from her with a determined gaze, the crowd cheering at your words. Becky's eyes narrowed slightly, a mix of concern and confusion evident in her expression as she processed your request.

You would never try to sabotage her right? This wasn't you trying to hurt her, this was just you expressing your desire to compete at the highest level, and wanting to not blindside her. You were her best friend, so sweet and caring.

She shook her head. Of course you wouldn't try to sabotage her. This had to be about proving yourself. 

"Y/N, I know you want nothing more than to get to the top. But to do that you have to step to the Man, and if you want to step to the man you have to be prepared to go through hell. You want your shot?" Becky stepped closer to you, her expression serious yet tinged with a hint of concern.

"You got it. But remember, that chamber is unforgiving and so am I." How ironic, considering she was the one that incurred your wrath. "Be prepared for the Chamber, cause it's going to be a battle. You want in? You're in. You wanna prove yourself? Prove it."

You smiled at Becky's response, a mix of gratitude and determination coloring your features. The crowd erupted into cheers, sensing the intensity building between the two of you. You got what you wanted, but you'd get what you needed soon enough.

"Trust me, I'm gonna make sure everyone knows what I'm made of," you replied, your tone carrying a confident edge as you held the mic up. "And I'll prove that I belong in that ring, alongside the best, which is you."

Becky nodded,  a faint smile playing on her lips. "I have no doubt about that, Y/n. See you at the Chamber." Becky held her mic up, signaling the end of the confrontation, and made her exit from the ring, leaving you to bask in the cheers and excitement of the audience.

The camera caught the sly smile on your face as you watched Becky leave, a victorious glint in your eyes that widened when you saw Becky turn around and get blindsided by Shayna Baszler and Natalya, who struck the champion down and initiated a brutal assault on Becky, leaving her lying in the middle of the ring.

You quickly dropped your mic on the ground and went to the aid of Becky, swinging at Natalya and Shayna, attempting to fend them off and help Becky. The ring erupted into chaos as Becky recovered and helped you gain the upper hand.

Shayna tried to lock in the Kirfuda Clutch on Becky, but you threw Natalya into her and super kicked Shayna, creating an opportunity for Becky to hit Shayna with the Manhandle Slam, knocking her out cold. The audience roared in excitement as the chaos unfolded in the ring as officials guided Natalya and Shayna out of the ring. 

You stood tall, breathing heavily but the adrenaline pumping through your veins. Becky was panting as she sat on the canvas, looking on and smirking at Shayna and Natalya who were yelling at the two of you before turning towards you, who was holding her dropped title in your hands with a satisfied smirk.

You sensed her gaze and looked at the title once more- as if claiming it already- before locking eyes with her and handing it over to her with a sweet smile. 

"Champ." You handed her the title with a respectful nod, a glint of determination shining in your eyes. The crowd erupted into cheers at the display of sportsmanship between you and Becky.

You extended your hand to help Becky up, and she took it, getting back to her feet with your support. The two of you shared a brief nod of mutual respect before Becky raised the title high, you standing by her side, sharing a smile with her as the the arena roared with excitement.

This was too easy. 

“You did good.” Roman complimented you from across the table, his arms crossed as he observed you. His gaze was inscrutable, his eyes examining you with a sense of curiosity that made you slightly uncomfortable. Paul stood behind Roman as always, his face stoic yet knowing at the same time.

"Thanks, Roman," you replied, feeling a mix of relief and tension at his compliment. You shifted slightly in your seat, trying to read Roman's expression but finding it difficult to decipher his thoughts.

"You were assertive out there. Got what you wanted," Roman continued, his tone carrying a hint of something you couldn't quite place. “She trusts you. She thinks that you’re just looking to prove yourself and to have a fair shot. She doesn't see what's coming."

Roman leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Paul booked you a match with Becky against Shayna and Natalya, and I want you to be ready to show everyone a glimpse of what you are capable of. You've got the opportunity, now make the most of it."

You nodded, trying to mask the unease that had settled within you at Roman's words. His demeanor was calm, but there was an intensity in his gaze that made you feel like he knew more than he let on. You pushed aside the unease, focusing on the task at hand. "I'll be ready, Roman. I won't disappoint."

Roman  studied you for a moment before nodding approvingly. "Good. Remember, everything you are doing for this family. All the heartache you are experiencing  is  for the grater good, for our legacy, and will be worth it when you are holding up that championship at the end of it all." Roman's words were cryptic yet carried a sense of assurance that made you feel a bit more secure in your actions.

Paul Heyman chimed in, his tone carrying a sense of pride yet wary all the same. "Y/N,  the Bloodline is built on strength and loyalty" Paul moved from behind Roman and leaned forward slightly, emphasizing his words with a knowing look. "Are you loyal to the family?" 

His tone confused you, it seemed like there was more to his question than a simple inquiry about loyalty.

You met Paul's gaze, feeling a slight sense of apprehension at the weight behind his question. "Of course, Paul. I'm loyal to the family." you replied, trying to maintain a composed front despite the uncertainty swirling within you. "I always will be."

"Then why were we informed that you were speaking with a certain individual earlier?" Paul's voice dropped slightly, his eyes narrowing as he watched your reaction carefully. "Do we have a reason to worry about your loyalty?"

Your heart sank at Paul's question, realizing he was referring to the encounter with Sami earlier. Jey must've told him. You quickly tried to gather your thoughts, knowing that the wrong words could create a rift with the Bloodline. "It was nothing, Paul. Just an old friend wanting to catch up. Nothing more," you responded, attempting to downplay the situation.

Roman's expression remained stoic, his gaze unwavering as he assessed your response. "We don't need any distractions, especially not from someone who's not a part of this family." His words were firm, a hint of warning in his tone. "Sami is outside of our circle. He's not someone you need to be associating with."

Your brain and heart were at war with each other, torn between your allegiance to the Bloodline and your personal connections outside of it. You knew Roman's expectations of maintaining loyalty, but your bond with Sami and emotions made it hard to completely sever those ties. Yet, you were also aware of the consequences of going against Roman's wishes.

""I understand, Roman. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," you replied, your voice resolute yet tinged with a sense of conflict. Unlike with Kevin, Sami represented a more complex situation, a friendship you weren't ready to completely let go of. But you knew you needed to appease to Roman in order to maintain your place within the Bloodline. And if Roman said to cut ties with Sami, you had to comply.

Roman regarded you for a moment longer, his gaze holding yours so intensely that it felt like he was seeing right through you. "I know you're new to how we operate, but we do not entertain distractions or associations that could compromise us," Roman stated firmly, his tone carrying a finality that left no room for argument.

"We're a family, and loyalty to the family comes above all else. I already gave you a pass the last time, but this time, there won't be another warning. As of today, no more hanging out in the ladies locker room, you will be in the Bloodline's locker room. No more interacting with outsiders, especially ones that can bring unwanted attention or complications. Jey will be watching over you to make sure you're following through with this. No more rooming with Becky or anyone else outside of the family. Do I make myself clear?"

You swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Roman's words and your heart hurting. You thought Jey trusted you, but it seemed like that was not the case. This was the line in the sand, a directive that required unwavering compliance. "Crystal clear, Roman. I'll make the necessary changes."

You glanced over at Paul Heyman, hoping for some leniency or understanding, but his expression remained impassive, his eyes fixed on you as if waiting for any sign of defiance.

Roman nodded once, his gaze holding yours for a moment longer before he leaned back in his chair, signaling the end of the conversation. "Good. Make sure you follow through. This family doesn't tolerate distractions. Do you want to room with me or Jey? Those are your only options."

You felt a mix of emotions swirling within you - disappointment, confusion, and a tinge of resentment. You knew aligning with the Bloodline came with its rules and expectations, but you didn't think that it would demand cutting off connections completely. But you knew that you had to comply if you wanted to remain within the Bloodline's circle.

"Jey will be fine, thank you," you replied, your voice steady, though there was a hint of sadness behind your words. "I'll make sure to comply with the family's wishes."

Roman nodded, his expression unreadable. "Good. We need everyone focused and aligned." With that, he stood up, signaling the end of the conversation. You rose from your seat, a sense of disappointment weighing heavy on your chest. ou couldn't help but feel torn between your loyalty to the Bloodline and the connections you'd built outside of it.

Jey was waiting outside, a concerned look on his face as he observed you leaving the meeting room. He immediately stepped forward as you approached, his gaze searching yours for any sign of distress. "Aye, you good? You look tense as hell."

You shot him a glare that made him shift slightly, sensing your frustration. "Jey, I'm fine," you replied, your tone curt as you tried to mask your emotions. "Let's just go to the locker room."

Jey's expression softened with concern, but he didn't press further, respecting your need for space. He nodded, falling into step beside you as you headed towards the Bloodline's locker room, a sense of unease and conflict gnawing at him.

"Are you sure you good?" Jey asked when you guys made it to the locker room, as if he wasn't the reason for your anger.

He opened the door for you, but you barely acknowledged his existence as you ducked under his arm and entered the room, getting your gear and walking past him to go to the bathroom, slamming the door shut hard. 

Ouch. 

"Are you sure you good? You actin' real distant." Jey said, his voice concerned as the two of you walked to your hotel room.

The match went well, at least by Jey's standards. Everyone noticed you were more vicious than ever. Your kicks were more violent, your strikes harder, and your demeanor in the ring was more intense than usual. Jey noticed, as did your opponents.  It was clear that you were channeling your frustrations and emotions into your performance.

You got the win on Natalya, making her tap out while Becky hit the manhandle slam on Shayna to help seal the victory. The win was satisfying, and the crowd's reaction was electric, but the tension from earlier still lingered within you.

"I said I'm fine, Jey." You mumbled to yourself, your voice barely audible as you kept walking ahead, your steps quick and determined.

Jey let out a frustrated sigh, trailing behind you, his concern evident in the way he glanced at you every few steps. "Look, I ain't know what Roman said, but you don't gotta take it out on me. I just want to make sure you're okay. You know I got your back, right?"

 "Do you, Jey? Because it sure doesn't feel like it." You walked ahead of him, trying to avoid looking into his eyes. The frustration and hurt within you were like a simmering pot threatening to boil over, and Jey trying to reach out only added to your inner turmoil.

Jey's steps faltered, his brow furrowing in confusion and hurt at your response. He tried to get you to look at him, but you kept your gaze fixed ahead, your jaw clenched tightly. "What's going on, Y/N? Talk to me. I thought we were cool."

You scoffed as you pulled out your keycard, unlocking the door to your shared hotel room and pushing it open, not bothering to wait for Jey. "I thought we were too." You tried to grab your luggage, but Jey beat you to it, swiftly grabbing your bags before you could.

"Talk to me, Y/N," Jey pleaded, his voice tinged with concern and confusion as he followed you into the room. He gently placed the bags down by the bed and turned to face you, his expression a mix of worry and frustration.

"There's nothing to talk about." You couldn't help but feel a tinge of something as you saw Jey as frustrated as ever, still be a gentleman. Why did he have to be so persistent? Your mind screamed. "I said I'm fine, Jey. Just drop it."

Jey's frustration was evident as he ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly in the room. "You clearly ain't alright, and I ain't just gonna stand here watchin' you drown in whatever's goin' on in that head of yours." Jey's voice was tinged with a mix of concern and exasperation, his eyes locked on you as if trying to break through the emotional barrier you'd put up.

"Then you only have yourself to blame that for whatever this is." You shot back, your tone laced with frustration and hurt. The floodgates threatened to burst open, but you fought hard to keep your emotions in check.

Jey's expression softened, his frustration giving way to a genuine concern. "I don't understand what I did, Y/N. I'm just trying to help."

"You seriously thought I wouldn't find out you told Roman about Sami?" You paused, the words hanging in the air, the weight of the accusation heavy between you and Jey. The silence that followed felt suffocating, tension crackling in the air like electricity.

Jey's eyes widened in shock, his mouth slightly agape as he struggled to find the right words. "I... I didn't... Y/N, I didn't mean for it to--"

"Save it, Jey." You cut him off, the hurt in your voice palpable. "I trusted you, and you went and told Roman about Sami, didn't you?"

Jey took a step closer, his hands held up in a placating gesture. "Y/N, I was just--"

"Just what?" You interrupted, your frustration boiling over. "Trying to prove your loyalty to Roman? You threw me under the bus without even talking to me about it!"

"I wasn't tryna prove nothing!" Jey shot back, his tone defensive. "I saw you getting distracted by him, and I couldn't let you get in your head so close to such an important match. I didn't want Roman to think you were goin' against the family."

“Well now he thinks I'm not completely aligned with the family, thanks to you!" You retorted, the anger and betrayl seeping into your voice. “Now I have to have a protector hovering over me at all hours of the day which newsflash- is you! So have fun being my babysitter!"

Jey's expression shifted from shock to regret as he took in the impact of his actions on you. "I was just tryna look out for you, Y/N. I didn't mean to mess things up."

"Well, congratulations, you did." You turned away from Jey, trying to hide the hurt and frustration welling up within you. Jey tried to reach out for you, but you evaded his touch, moving to the other side of the room. You grabbed your night bag, slinging it over your shoulder and making your way to the bathroom. “

“I’m gonna shower, and I expect you to just be quiet and not talk to me when I come out.” 

Jey's shoulders slumped in defeat as he watched you leave the room, his expression a mix of regret and sorrow. He sank down onto the bed, running a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of the rift he had created between the two of you.

He let his stupid jealousy run him to Roman and craete this mess in the first place. God, why did Jey have to be such a hothead? He honestly didn’t have a good reason for his actions. All he knew was that when he saw you and Sami interact, all he felt was red hot jealousy, anger and fear that you might be swayed away from the Bloodline's loyalty. Jey's instinct was to stop anything and anyone from making your alliance sway, even if it meant crossing lines. But now he realized that his impulse reaction was very stupid. 

He sighed again and reached out for his phone to scroll through twitter and distract himself from everything until you came out. He plopped down on the bed again and went scrolling before he sat up in a panic and looked around, realizing what you and him both missed when you walked in the room while you were arguing. 

There was only one bed.

You came out of the bathroom with a fresh face and fresh pajamas, your hair wrapped in a bonnet and towel slung over your shoulder. Your eyes avoided Jey as you made your way to the bed, trying to ignore the tension that hung heavily in the air.

He looked handsome even in his frustration, scrolling through his phone. You were both too stubborn to acknowledge the awkwardness of the situation that you realized when you came out and saw him laying down on only one bed.

You cleared your throat, trying to break the silence. “There’s some food from catering that the staff left in the fridge if you get hungry.” Even if you were mad at him, you couldn't deny the urge to look out for him, especially after a tense confrontation. “Uh, I’ll take the couch, you get comfy there. Good night.”

Jey looked up at that, his eyebrows furrowed at your words. You really thought he’d let you sleep on the couch after everything that had just happened? His heart ached at the thought of you feeling uncomfortable or hurt. "Nah, I’ll take the couch, Y/N. You take the bed. I messed up, and I should be the one to make things right," Jey offered, his voice soft and apologetic.

You shook your head, your resolve unwavering despite the inner turmoil. “I’d rather take the couch, Jey. It’s fine. I need some space anyway.”

Jey glared at you, his tone firm yet pleading. "Stop being so damn stubborn, Y/N. You don't need to take the couch because of me. I’ll sleep on the couch, and that's final."

The tension in the room was palpable, the unresolved emotions lingering between you both. You stood your ground, not wanting to relent despite the ache in your heart. "Jey, I said I'll take the couch. End of discussion."

Jey was just as stubborn, and glared at you again and again. "Y/N, I’m not letting you sleep on a couch because of my stupid mistake. You’re taking the bed."

Your frustration peaked, and you threw your hands up in exasperation. "Why can't you just listen for once? I don't want to argue about this, Jey. Just take the bed and let me have the couch. It's not that big of a deal."

“Y’know what? This bed is big enough for both of us. You gon have to learn how to share.” Jey stood up, determined, and walked towards the bed, pulling back the covers on one side, leaving the other side for you.

You stared at him, caught off guard by his insistence. The conflicting emotions within you raged as you met his gaze. “Jey, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I can just—”

“You not sleeping on the couch. You gon get in these covers, sleep right next to me, and that’s final.” Jey’s assertive voice was firm, and it made you feel even hotter all over when he patted the bed, signaling for you to join him. The air between you crackled with tension, your thoughts racing a mile a minute as your eyes flitted between Jey and the bed. 

The intensity in Jey's gaze made you feel both conflicted and flustered. You took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions within you.

“Fine. But you stay on your side of the bed,” you finally relented, moving towards the bed but keeping a noticeable distance between you and Jey. Slipping under the covers, you positioned yourself as far away from him as possible without falling off the bed, your back facing him.

Jey sighed, feeling a mix of relief and regret. He sighed again when he turned around and saw you grabbing pillows and positioning them as a barrier between the two of you.

“Do you really gotta do that?" Jey's voice was soft, filled with a tinge of disappointment. He shifted slightly closer, his hand reaching out to gently move the pillows away from between you two.

You stiffened at his touch, but didn't resist as he adjusted the pillows. "Yes, I do," you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. The proximity between you and Jey made your heart race, and you found it difficult to relax despite your exhaustion.

Jey's touch lingered for a moment longer before he withdrew his hand, respecting your boundaries. He settled into his side of the bed, leaving a respectable distance between you both. The air was thick with unresolved tension, and the silence felt deafening.

"Goodnight, Y/N," Jey murmured softly, his voice carrying a sense of regret and longing.

"Night, Jey," you responded quietly, the weight of the evening's events weighing heavily on your mind as you closed your eyes, trying to find solace in the darkness of the room. Sleep, however, remained elusive as you grappled with conflicting emotions, the events of the night replaying in your mind.

Jey fell asleep rather quick, but you tossed and turned, unable to shake off the lingering turmoil within you. Despite the exhaustion, sleep seemed to evade you entirely.  You didn’t know how long you were turning, but you yelped when Jey’s arms wrapped around your waist and he pulled you closer to him, nestling his face in the crook of your neck.

"Jey, what are you doing?" you whispered, your heart racing at the sudden intimacy, a mixture of surprise and confusion flooding your mind.

Jey stirred slightly but didn't let go. "Shh, just relax. It’s 2 in the morning, and you still ain’t sleeping. You need to rest." Jey's voice was gentle, his breath warm against your skin as he held you close, his embrace surprisingly comforting despite the initial shock.

You were caught off guard by the unexpected gesture, your mind racing as conflicting emotions surged within you. His touch was warm and soothing, and you found yourself melting into the embrace, despite the inner turmoil. Part of you wanted to push him away, to maintain the boundaries you had set, but another part yearned for the comfort he offered.

"Jey, we can't—" you started, your voice wavering, but he tightened his hold, his breath tickling your neck as he whispered.

"Just for tonight, Y/N. Let yourself rest," Jey murmured, his words laced with a tenderness that touched your heart. His embrace felt safe, and against your better judgment, you allowed yourself to relax in his arms, the weariness finally taking over as you drifted into a much-needed sleep.

 Jey tightened his grip around you protectively, holding you close as both of you eventually drifted off into a peaceful slumber, the weight of the day's events momentarily fading away.

You were the first to wake up in the morning, the sun peeking through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. Disoriented, you blinked a few times, trying to recall the events of the previous night. Memories flooded back, and you felt a pang of guilt mixed with confusion and a lingering sense of comfort from Jey's embrace.

Jey was still asleep, his arm draped over you protectively. His face was serene in slumber, and you couldn't help but notice the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed softly.

 Despite the initial discomfort and the tension between you two, the way he held you close had been surprisingly comforting. 

And you couldn’t deny that he looked good like that, his features softened in sleep, his usually intense gaze replaced by a peaceful expression. His handsome features were more pronounced in the morning light, and you found yourself watching him for a moment, feeling conflicted yet oddly at ease in his presence. You didn’t know if you wanted to stay in his embrace or create some distance.

Jey made that decision for you, tugging you closer in his sleep, nuzzling into your neck with a contented sigh. His hold tightened instinctively, as if he sensed your hesitancy and sought to reassure you even in his slumber.

Despite knowing better- you sighed and relaxed into his arms, his warm weight making you feel surprisingly safe and at peace. You brought your hands to his hair, hesitantly running your fingers through it, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips when he nuzzled closer to you and his arms wrapped around you a bit tighter in response to your touch. 

Just when you got comfortable, your phone buzzed. You tried to ignore it, but the persistent vibration urged you to check the notification. Glancing over Jey's sleeping form, you carefully maneuvered to reach your phone on the bedside table without disturbing him. 

“I know we’re at the same hotel, so delete the excuses I know you are about to give me. Meet me for breakfast in the lobby. I’ll try not to fight this time.”

You sighed, already knowing who it was. You knew you should just ignore what he said and tell him to shove it up his ass, but you couldn't bring yourself to completely cut off the person reaching out to you. Despite what you have said to him, he still held a place in your heart dear to you. 

Before you could respond, Jey started to stir, his eyes fluttering open as he became aware of the warmth beside him. You turned off your phone, and his gaze met yours, and for a fleeting moment, there was a sense of understanding and unspoken emotions exchanged between you.

"Morning," Jey murmured, his voice husky with sleep, his hold on you loosening slightly as he shifted to look at you.

"Morning," you replied softly, a hint of uncertainty in your voice, unsure of how to navigate the newfound intimacy between you two after the events of the previous night.

Jey offered a small, sheepish smile, his gaze lingering on you. "Didn't expect to wake up like this."

You chuckled softly, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Me neither. I guess the bed isn't as big as we thought."

The tension seemed to dissipate gradually as Jey's smile widened. "Guess not." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, his tone more serious. "About last night... I'm sorry, Y/N. I shouldn't have gone to Roman about Sami. I messed up."

You sighed, feeling the weight of his apology. "Yeah, you did. But it's in the past now, Jey.”

Jey shook his head, a hint of regret in his eyes. “Nah, it ain’t in the past, not until you forgive me. I messed up, and I’m sorry, Y/N. I should’ve talked to you first instead of acting on impulse.”

You looked at Jey, his sincerity evident in his eyes. Part of you wanted to hold onto the anger and hurt, but another part understood his actions came from a place of concern, even if it was misguided. “It hurt, Jey. I understand you were trying to look out for me in your own way. But if you do something like that again, it will be the last time. If you feel like something up, then talk to me first, okay?”

Jey nodded earnestly, a sense of relief washing over his features at your words. "I promise, Y/N. I won't make that mistake again. I'll talk to you first, no matter what." He reached out, tentatively placing a hand on your arm, seeking reassurance in your touch.

You glanced down at his hand on your arm, feeling a mix of emotions at the gesture. “Good, othwerise I’ma have to kick you out the bed next time.”  You offered a teasing smile, trying to ease the tension between you two.

Jey chuckled, relieved at the hint of humor in your words. “You weren’t complaining last night when I was the big spoon,” he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

You couldn't help but laugh, the tension dissipating further at Jey's lighthearted comment. "Well, maybe I needed a little extra warmth," you teased back, a playful smirk on your face.

Jey grinned, feeling a sense of relief at the more relaxed atmosphere between you two. "Guess I'll have to keep you warm more often then," he quipped, a smirk playing on his lips.

The banter between you two felt oddly comforting, and you found yourself relaxing further into the conversation. "We'll see about that," you replied, a playful glint in your eye as you bantered back and forth.

Jey smiled, a genuine warmth in his expression as he looked at you. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here, Y/N. I got jealous cause… you so ama zing, and I didn't want anyone else to take you away from the family. I just need to make sure you're safe."

Jey's confession made your heart flutter a little, a hint of vulnerability shining through his words. His soft voice and even softer touch, his apologetic tone, all made your resolve waver. You looked at Jey, seeing a side of him that you hadn't fully acknowledged before.

And it made you like him even more.

“Jey, there’s no reason for you to be jealous. I am here with you because of my own choice. You're part of why I'm here. I get it, you were looking out for me. But it's a two-way street. I need you to trust me too, okay?" You placed your hand on top of his, offering a reassuring squeeze.

Jey looked down at your hand atop his, trying to will away the blush that threatened to creep up on his cheeks. "I trust you, Y/N. I promise, I do," he replied sincerely, his gaze meeting yours with a sense of earnestness.

You smiled softly, feeling heat flutter in your chest at his words. "Good. We're on the same page then." You squeezed his hand again before withdrawing your touch, feeling a sense of warmth and understanding settling between you two.

Jey nodded, a genuine smile spreading across his face as he looked at you. "Yeah, we are."

You smiled back at him just as warmly before glancing at the clock on the bedside table. “Guess its time for breakfast?”

You giggled when Jey groaned and in one swift movement, he pulled you back into his arms, burying his face in your neck again. "Can't we just stay here a little longer?" Jey murmured, his voice tinged with a hint of reluctance.

You chuckled at his reluctance, feeling a sense of comfort in his embrace. "Okay then, how about I go get us breakfast, and you sit your cute ass here and go to sleep till I get back?" you teased, poking fun at Jey's sudden attachment to the bed and to you.

Jey laughed softly, the sound rumbling against your neck. "Deal. But you better bring me something good, pretty girl." he replied playfully, his heart aching at your nickname for him and his arms tightening around you momentarily before he released you.

You slipped out of his embrace, feeling a strange sense of warmth from the shared moment. "I'll see what I can do," you teased back, grabbing your phone and the nearest jacket and heading towards the door.

"Don't forget to get me a coffee too!" Jey called after you, a soft smile on his face as he watched you leave the room, enjoying the playful banter.

"I won't" You shouted back as you shut the door behind you, a smile tugging at your lips as you made your way downstairs to the breakfast area. The morning air felt refreshing as you walked through the hotel lobby, heading towards the restaurant area where breakfast was being served.

Talking things out with Jey had left you feeling lighter, the tension from the previous night slowly dissipating. He was truly an enigma, you thought to yourself. His protective nature and genuine concern, mixed with a fiery temper, made him both frustrating and endearing at the same time. But that's why you liked him.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a variety of breakfast items greeted you as you entered the restaurant. You made your way to the buffet, selecting an array of items, making sure to get something for Jey that he would appreciate.

"Was beginning to think you stood me up."

You didn't bother to look up from loading your plate as you heard the voice behind you.

"I keep my promises, unlike some people." You retorted, putting on a blank face as you turned around to face Kevin, who was leaning against the counter, a knowing smile on his lips.

Kevin ignored your remark, his eyes scanning the food on your plate. "Looks like someone's hungry. Didn't know you were into breakfast dates," Kevin remarked casually, a playful glint in his eyes as he teased you.

You rolled your eyes at his comment, trying to brush off his teasing. "It's not a date, Kevin. Just grabbing some food for a friend," you clarified, picking up a coffee and adding it to your tray before turning to head back to the room.

Kevin fell into step beside you, his smirk widening. "A friend, huh? Didn't know Jey was that close of a friend to get breakfast served to the room," he teased, nudging you playfully as you walked.

You sighed, feeling a little exasperated by Kevin's persistent teasing and a little worried Roman or Paul would see you with Kevin. "Cut the bullshit, Kevin. What do you want?"

Kevin noticed your guarded tone and nervous demeanor and dropped the teasing, adopting a more serious expression. "This! This is what I wanted to you about! You acting like there's some of curfew on you ever since you joined the Bloodline!"

You shot him a glare at his loud accusation, trying to keep your voice low. "Keep your voice down, Kevin! You know I can't be seen chatting with you like this," you hissed, glancing around nervously to ensure no one from the Bloodline was nearby.

Kevin shot his arms out, looking like he was seconds away from exploding because of your words. "Oh my god, Y/N, this is ridiculous! You're tiptoeing around like you're on eggshells all the time. When was the last time you had a normal conversation with someone without looking over your shoulder? Without your Tribal Chief watching your every move?"

Your expression hardened at Kevin's words. "I am not walking on eggshells!"

"Oh really? Because it sure looks like it! You're acting like a robot following orders, not a human being!" Kevin's frustration was evident, his voice carrying a mix of concern and exasperation.

"I'm doing what I have to do to stay where I am!" you shot back, feeling defensive at Kevin's accusations, trying to walk away from prying eyes. "I want to get to the top, and Roman is helping me to get there!"

Kevin shook his head, his expression one of disappointment. "At what cost, Y/N? What's the point of being part of something if you can't be yourself?"

You bristled at Kevin's words, feeling a mix of frustration and internal conflict. "Let's not act like you haven't been through this before, Kevin. You know how it is. This is the business. This is how things work!"

Kevin's expression softened, his voice turning more empathetic. "I get it, Y/N. I've been there, I know how the business works. But you're different."

You glared at him, tired of his line of thinking. Why couldn't he just be happy for you? "Because I'm weak, right?"

"No. Because you're my best friend."

That shut you up. Kevin actually looked heartbroken, actually looked like he cared about you. His eyes were filled with genuine concern that made you stop in your tracks, a look you hadn't seen in a long time.

"Kev…" you started, but before you could finish, footsteps approached, and you quickly glanced around, feeling paranoid about someone overhearing your conversation.

Paul and Roman were making their way towards the breakfast area, engaged in conversation. They hadn't seen you yet, but you couldn't take any chances. Kevin noticed your sudden unease and the change in your expression, quickly grasping the situation.

"I gotta go, Kevin." You pleaded with Kevin, feeling the urgency of the situation and not wanting to draw any more attention. You glanced nervously at Paul and Roman, hoping Kevin would just listen to you for once and finally let you be.

Kevin followed your gaze, face dropping when he spotted Paul and Roman, his face turning back to you with a disappointed expression that made your heart hurt. "Fine, go. But we're not done talking about this, Y/N. I meant what I said. I'm not letting them take you away from me" he said firmly, his eyes conveying both frustration and concern.

You sighed but didn't have time to argue with him, giving him a grateful yet conflicted nod before hurriedly making your way out of the restaurant area, feeling the weight of the conversation with Kevin tugging at your thoughts. Heading back to Jey's room, you tried to shake off the mixture of emotions clouding your mind.

Upon entering, you found Jey sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He looked up as you entered, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Hey pretty girl, you're back! Got the coffee?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, got your coffee and some food," you replied, trying to push away the lingering unease from the encounter with Kevin. You placed the tray on the table and handed him the coffee.

Jey took the coffee with a grateful nod, then glanced at you, his expression shifting slightly. "Everything alright?"

You hesitated for a moment, debating whether to share the encounter with Kevin. But before you could respond, your phone buzzed in your pocket. Checking it quickly, you saw a message from Kevin:

"I meant what I said. And if I have to take out Roman to protect you, I will."

Your heart raced at Kevin's message. Why couldn't he just leave things be? But he wouldn't be Kevin if he wasn't stubborn as hell. You swiftly pocketed your phone, trying to mask the anxiety bubbling within you.

"Yeah, everything's fine," you replied to Jey, forcing a smile. "Just had a small encounter downstairs. Nothing to worry about."

Jey studied you for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Alright. Just know I'm here if you need to talk about anything." He reached out, gently squeezing your hand in a supportive gesture.

You smiled at the gesture, biting your lip at the way Jey was looking at you- all concerned and caring. You squeezed his hand back, your hands fitting together perfectly. "Trust me, you have nothing to worry about."

You could only hope that was true.

"Welcome to Friday Night Smackdown! It is the go-home show before Elimination Chamber! I'm Michael Cole here with Corey Graves, and what a night it's shaping up to be, Corey!"

"Absolutely, Cole! The anticipation is at an all-time high as we lead into Elimination Chambe- Oh my god! We are getting life feed o-of Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch being attacked!"

The camera quickly cut and panned to the hallway where Becky was sprawled onto the floor, a hooded figure beating down on her, grabbing a metal pole and smashing her arm into it. The attacker's face was hidden by the hood, but the assault was relentless. Security personnel rushed to the scene, attempting to intervene and pull the assailant away, but the attacker managed to escape, disappearing into the chaos of the backstage area.

"Becky, are you okay?" The medics tried to assist Becky, helping her sit up as she winced in pain, clutching her injured arm.

"I'm fine." She spat , trying to shake off the pain, her expression a mix of anger and frustration. "Get off me! I'm going to find that son of a…" Becky's words trailed off as she winced again, her arm clearly causing her significant discomfort.

"Becky!" You shouted, running towards Becky, concern etched across your face as you arrived at the chaotic scene, flanked by security and other WWE personnel who were attempting to assess the situation and offer help.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Your voice was filled with worry as you knelt beside Becky, who was visibly in pain, holding her injured arm close to her body.

Becky glanced up, her eyes filled with frustration and anger. "I don't know who it was, but they blindsided me and went after my arm. Son of a… I'll find them myself!"

The medics gently tried to examine Becky's arm, but she shrugged them off, pushing herself up despite the pain. "I'm fine, damn it! Just give me a minute to clear my head."

"She said she's fine!" You barked at one of the medics that tried to examine Becky's arm, your protective instincts kicking in. You gently put a reassuring hand on Becky's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Let's get you some ice and take a look at that arm, Becky. We'll figure out who did this, but your health comes first."

Becky shot you a grateful yet annoyed glance, her frustration evident as she reluctantly allowed the medics to help her. "Fine, do what you need to do. But I'm finding out who did this, and they're going to regret crossing me."

"They will." You pursed your lips and help her stand up, wrapping her good arm around your shoulder and supporting her weight as you guided her to the medics. The cameras caught the tense scene, focusing on your support for Becky as you assisted her before the scene went black. going back to Michael Cole and Corey Graves in the commentary booth.

"An absolutely shocking turn of events here tonight, Corey. The Raw Women's Champion, Becky Lynch, attacked backstage before Elimination Chamber. The question on everyone's mind is, who could be behind this assault?"

"I have no idea Cole, but what I do know is that the rest of the compeitors in the Women's Chamber match just got an easier path to potentially winning the title if Becky's arm injury impedes her performance. What this means for Becky though, well keep you updated with any further developments as they come. We'll have to wait and see how this injury might affect her match at Elimination Chamber."

The screen flickered, transitioning into an ad break, leaving the audience in suspense.

You left medical after helping Becky settle down, ensuring she was receiving proper care for her injured arm. The chaos backstage was palpable, with security and WWE officials scrambling to understand what had just occurred. Everyone was gossiping in hushed tones, on edge and trying to speculate on who might be behind the attack on Becky Lynch.

You felt a knot of concern and apprehension form in your stomach as you walked in the hallway, concerned for Becky's well-being and troubled by the uncertainty and tension lingering backstage.

“I know you did it.” You looked up at the voice making the accusation, coming face to face with the man that broke your heart- Seth Freakin' Rollins.

"Excuse me?" You started, taken aback by Seth's sudden accusation.

"You heard me." Seth's tone was stern, his eyes locking onto yours, filled with accusation and anger. "You attacked Becky, didn't you?"

Your jaw dropped in shock. "What? No! Why would you even think that?" Your voice came out in a mix of disbelief and offense.

"Don't play innocent with me!" Seth's voice rose, drawing the attention of nearby personnel. He stepped closer, his finger pointed accusingly. "You've been acting too nice lately! I know you've had issues with Becky, and now this happens? It's too much of a coincidence!"

Your eyes widened in disbelief. "Seth, you have it all wrong. I would never do something like that! I care about Becky, despite our differences."

Seth scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief, getting in your face. "You might have the rest of the roster fooled with your nice girl act, but I know better."

Your frustration mounted as Seth continued to accuse you. "First of all, you lost the right to talk to me at all when you cheated on me, so stop acting like you know me or my intentions. And secondly, I would never attack someone, even if had issues with them. So get out of my face or else."

Seth's expression softened slightly at your words, a flicker of doubt crossing his features, but his accusatory stance remained, and he moved closer to you, his tall figure towering over you. "Or else what?'

"Or else you and your girl are gonna have matching casts." Roman's gruff voice cut through the tense air, causing both you and Seth to turn your heads to find Roman standing a few feet away, his presence commanding attention.

Seth straightened up, eyeing Roman warily but not backing down entirely. "You have nothing to do with this Roman, so let me handle my business."

Roman's eyes were locked onto Seth, his demeanor radiating a warning. "You come at her again, and you won't just be dealing with her. You'll be dealing with me."

Seth seemed to contemplate his next move, glaring at both of you. "What do you even have to do with Y/N?"

Roman 's gaze didn't waver, his tone firm and unwavering. "She's family. And that's all you need to know."

Seth hesitated, clearly weighing his options. He shot one last piercing look in your direction before stepping back, his eyes still filled with suspicion and anger. "This isn't over," he muttered before turning on his heel and walking away.

You let out a deep breath, feeling the tension slowly dissipate as Seth moved away. Glancing up at Roman, you saw a mixture of concern and reassurance in his eyes.

"He's getting closer." You warned Roman, feeling the weight of Seth's accusation and the looming threat in the air. "He's not as dumb as I thought he was, Roman. He's putting things together."

Roman's expression tightened slightly, his protective instincts evident. "I'll handle it. Don't worry about him."

You looked at him with worry, not entirely convinced. "But if he-"

"I said I'l handle it," Roman interrupted, his voice firm and reassuring. "He won't be a problem after tonight. Trust your Tribal Chief."

You nodded, trusting Roman's assurance, but the unease lingered within you. Roman's voice meant business, and you had to trust him to handle it. You had no other option.

"I do trust you, Chief." You assured Roman. Roman seemed satisfied with your trust in him, giving you a nod, his demeanor still protective. "That's all I need to hear. Just focus on what's ahead. Go to the locker room to calm down. We've got a big night tonight."

You breathed out with a sigh, nodding in agreement with Roman's advice. Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks, Roman." You looked up at him, giving him a grateful smile.

"No problem. And," Roman stopped you from leaving just yet, his voice turning serious "I promised you I would make Jey handle Seth, remember?" You nodded, and Roman continued, "That promise will have to come a little early. It will be cashed in tonight, trust me. Tell Jey it's time."

With that assurance, you nodded again, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude toward Roman. "Thank you, Roman. I appreciate it."

Roman offered a reassuring nod before stepping away, leaving you to gather your thoughts and emotions as you made your way to the Bloodline's locker room, trying to calm your racing thoughts and the tension knotting your muscles.

You opened the door and saw Jey sitting on a bench, lacing up his boots. He looked up as you entered, a curious expression on his face.

"Hey, everything good?" Jey asked, noticing the tense energy you brought into the room.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves before responding. "I need your help."

Jey stopped what he was doing, giving you his full attention. "What happened?" It was rare you would ask him for help, you didn't like bothering people with your issues, but Jey could see the urgency in your eyes and knew it was serious.

"Seth knows." You blurted out, your voice edged with worry.

Jey's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processed the information. "How much does he know?"

You sighed, trying to collect your thoughts. "He knows enough to get suspicious. He yelled at me, and Roman stepped in before things escalated. But he's not stupid, Jey. He's putting the pieces together."

Jey stood up immediately, his demeanor shifting to a more alert and protective stance. "Did he threaten you?"

You shook your head quickly. "No, not exactly. But he's getting closer to figuring things out. He's not letting it go."

Jey let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it. I'll handle it."

You held up a hand, stopping him from rushing off. "No, Jey. That's not what I need. Roman said it's time."

Understanding flashed in Jey's eyes as he comprehended Roman's message. "Got it. I'll handle Seth tonight."

"Please be careful," you pleaded with Jey, worry lacing your tone. The tension in the air was palpable, and you couldn't shake off the feeling of impending conflict.

Jey gave you a reassuring nod. "I got this. You just focus on what you need to do tonight. Focus on your match tomorrow, not this, okay? That's the only thing you need to worry about, you got it?" Jey stood up and cupped your face, gently ilting your chin up to meet his eyes, his expression serious yet comforting.

You nodded, trying to steady your nerves. "Okay. I'll focus on the match."

Jey's hand dropped from your face, but he maintained eye contact, his gaze intense. "I mean it, pretty girl. Leave this to me. Go out there and kill it tomorrow."

You nodded again, feeling a mix of gratitude and anxiety. "I will. Thank you, Jey."

Jey smiled at you reassuringly, bringing you into a hug, his strong arms encircling you in a comforting embrace. "Anytime, Y/N. You got this. Now go get ready for tomorrow. We'll take care of the rest."

You reciprocated the hug briefly before pulling away, a grateful smile on your face. "Thanks, Jey. I appreciate it." You didn't know if you could fully leave the situation in their hands, but for now, you had to trust in Roman and Jey's ability to handle things.

Jey's hand tightening its grip on your cheek brought you out of your reverie. "You're gonna be alright," he assured you once more, his tone soothing. "Just focus on what's ahead. Promise me you won't get caught up in no mess."

You paused, taking a deep breath, feeling the weight of Jey's words. "I promise, Jey. I'll stay focused on my match and won't get caught up in any mess."

Jey nodded in approval, releasing your cheek. "That's my pretty girl. Now go chill out and I'll find you after I'm done with my match, and we can ride to the venue together."

You managed a small smile, feeling reassured by Jey's support. "Alright, I'll see you after your match."

With another hug and smile, Jey left the locker room, leaving with your thoughts, which was never a good thing. You thought of going to see Becky and check on her, but you knew she needed space right now. Maybe you could find a quiet spot backstage to clear your head?

Your phone buzzing made you pause your train of thought, and you checked it to find a message from someone you didn't want to see right now.

Sami: "I heard what happened. Meet me backstage. We need to talk."

You tried to pocket your phone, but another message came through from Sami:

Sami: Fine, you won't come to me than I'll come to you. I'm on my way to the Bloodline's locker room.

Your eyes widened in alarm at Sami's messages. He seemed insistent on meeting you, and the last place you wanted to face him was in the Bloodline's locker room.

You: Do you want to get killed?

Sami: I'm more afraid of losing you then of Roman.

You: And you're not afraid of me?

Sami: I'm coming. You can't avoid me forever.

You quickly made a decision, knowing you couldn't risk any unnecessary confrontations or disruptions, especially with Sami involved. Leaving the Bloodline's locker room swiftly, you navigated through the backstage area, trying to avoid running into Sami. The urgency to get away from the situation was mounting, and you found a secluded spot away from the main areas.

Sami: "Y/N, where are you? I'm looking for you."

You were on edge, your heart racing as you received Sami's message. You tried to stay out of sight, not wanting to engage in any conversation with Sami right now.

Sami: "Answer me! I know you're here somewhere."

Your phone buzzed again with another message from Sami, and then another.

Sami: "I just want to talk. Please."

You hesitated, feeling torn between wanting to avoid the situation altogether and understanding that Sami seemed persistent about speaking with you. But you knew this was the best thing to do, to avoid any more trouble or confrontation.

Taking a deep breath, you quickly tried to type out a response, but Sami beat you to it.

Sami: Fine, you won’t talk to me, then I’ll have to get your attention.

Your heart caught in your throat at Sami's ominous message. He better not do anything stupid and rash, you thought to yourself, trying to quickly think of a way to de-escalate the situation before it got out of hand.

"Shut up, Kev." You reply with a hint of urgency in your voice, hoping to divert Kevin's attention away. But of course Kevin was Kevin and wouldn't listen to you.

"I told you that we would continue our conversation," Kevin persisted, his tone serious despite the playful jab. "Love the red look." Kevin gestured to your newly dyed red hair. "But at the end of the day, we both know you are not blood, and you don't belong with them."

Then where did you belong? With Kevin, who has betrayed you time and time again, or with the Bloodline, where you found a sense of belonging but constantly faced challenges and suspicions? It seemed like no matter where you turned, there was always someone questioning your loyalty or motives. And you wanted that to stop.

You gritted your teeth, trying to maintain your composure despite the rising tension and your underlying worries about Sami's unpredictable behavior. "And why do you say that?" You stood up, glancing around to ensure no one else was within earshot, trying to keep Kevin's attention focused solely on you.

"Because I know you, Y/N," Kevin replied, his voice softening slightly as he met your gaze. "I know you better than you think."

"No, you don't." You glared at him, feeling frustration bubbling within you. "You think you know me, but you don't. You never have."

Kevin seemed taken aback by the intensity of your response, his expression softening into a more concerned look. "I know you are not cut out for this life, Y/N. You've always been different, and that's okay. But being with the Bloodline… it's changing you. It's not who you are."

Your eyes were intense with emotions, a mix of frustration, anger, and uncertainty. "And you know who I am?" It was almost scary how you seemed to waver between conflicting emotions, your voice edged with frustration and vulnerability. "Did you know how I felt when you betrayed me, Kevin? When you left me to fend for myself? You moved closer to Kevin, lowering your voice as you spoke. "Do you know how ost I felt after that?"

Kevin seemed to falter for a moment, his expression showing a flicker of regret. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Y/N. You have to believe me."

But your patience was wearing thin. "Believe you? Like I believed you before? Like I believed in our friendship? Look where that got me, Kevin. And look where I am now." You gestured to yourself, and Kevin could feel the anger rolling off of you, could feel how different you were. Could see the cockiness from your time with the Bloodline seeping into your demeanor.

"I am this close to getting that title, to becoming someone, to finding my place here. And I promise you, that if you stand in my way, that I will not hesitate to make sure you regret it." Your voice was firm, your gaze unwavering as you confronted Kevin, the frustration and determination evident in your words.

Kevin's expression turned solemn, his eyes reflecting a mix of regret and concern. "You're bluffing." He scoffed, not wanting to believe that you'd changed so much. "This isn't you."

You stared at Kevin, your expression hardening as you stood your ground. "Oh really?" You pointed to the TV that was behind the two of you. "Look at the TV, Kevin."

Kevin's eyes flickered to the TV screen as you pointed, and he saw Roman and Jey sending Seth through the commentary table, bruises and scratches evident on Seth's face as Jey grabbed Seth's face, making him face the camera.

"This is what happens when you mess with the family!" Jey growled , his voice echoing through the TV speakers. Roman stood beside him, his expression unreadable but menacing. "This is what happens when you cross the Bloodline!"

Kevin's eyes widened at the sight on the screen, his expression a mix of shock and realization. He turned back to you, searching your face for any signs of regret or hesitation. But all he saw was determination and resolve.

"That's what happens when you cross me, Kevin." You spoke with an eerie calmness that sent a shiver down Kevin's spine. "That's the kind of power I have behind me now. And if you don't stay out of my way, you'll end up just like Seth. So, back off."

Kevin's expression turned serious, a mix of concern and disbelief clouding his features. "You wouldn't do that to me."

You didn't flinch, your demeanor steady and resolute. "Are you sure?" You pointed to the TV again, and Kevin turned to see Sami jumping Roman, fists clenched, trying to land punches before Jey tackled him to the ground. Chaos erupted on the screen as Jey and Roman fought back against Sami's attack, punching him and trying to subdue him.

"See that?" You met Kevin's eyes once more, your voice low but filled with conviction. "I knew Sami was gonna do something rash, and trust me, I tried to stop him. But he wouldn't listen. Just like you're not listening to me now. So I had to get creative."

You knew Sami wouldn't listen to you, wouldn't leave you alone, so you lured him to Roman and Jey, praying he would listen to them. "You're risking getting involved in something you shouldn't, Kevin. And I won't be responsible for what happens next if you don't back off."

Kevin's expression was a mix of shock, concern, and disbelief. He looked at you, seeing a different person from the friend he once knew. The sweet and caring individual he had been friends with had seemingly transformed into someone unrecognizable — and it was all Roman's fault.

"They've changed you," Kevin said softly, almost to himself, the realization sinking in as he looked at you. "And I'm not gonna let them do this to you any longer."

You sighed, feeling a pang of regret but also a sense of determination. "This is my last warning to you, Kevin. I don't want to hurt you. Stay out of it. You can't change what's already happened."

Kevin seemed torn, his expression reflecting a mix of worry and regret. "Y/N, please. Let's talk about this. You don't have to do this."

But you were resolute, your mind made up. "I'm warning you for the last time, Kevin. Stay out of my business."

You moved towards him, your faces inches apart, and the tension between the two of you was thick. "Stay away from Roman, or you'll regret it," you finished firmly, your tone leaving no room for negotiation or argument.

Kevin looked at you, the reality of the situation sinking in as he processed your warning. He took a step back, a mix of concern and disappointment on his face. "I hope you know that I've never listened to your warnings before, and I'm not gonna start now."

You didn't respond, merely holding his gaze for a moment longer before turning away, striding purposefully in the opposite direction, leaving Kevin behind with a whirlwind of emotions swirling within you.

Time was ticking, and the pressure was crushing you, eating at your conscience.

And you've never felt more alive.

a/n: this chapter was so much fun to write, so I hope you guys enjoyed it!! sami and Kevin just can't let go lol. also y/n will be played by savannah lee smith cause she's a literal goddess!! lemme know how you guys liked this chapter in the comments!! elimination chamber and test next chapter, so be prepared for that 👀

[dorims]

What kinks do u think Roman has?

I just know they’re weird (and I’d still be into them)

so if i have to be honest, ive never really thought about roman's kinks 🥲 HOWEVER you know how he shamed tom for swallowing back his cum after tabs sucked him off?? yeah he's definitely into that and you can't tell me otherwise.

and without further ado! a little brainstorm under the cut <3

tags. VERY SUGGESTIVE, MDNI, an overall masochistic vibe, degradation/praise, allusions to cheating, impact play, mentions of roman's low self-esteem

a/n. psa im not familiar with writing smut and if i gotta be honest im pretty vanilla myself so...do with that what you will LMFAO

masochism

hes a masochist, we been knew

its pretty much the central theme of these hcs too

degradation/praise

so definitely degradation bc its roman, cmon. but for some reason i cant help but think that he's really into being praised too?

could be wrong but i feel like he'd only let himself be praised after he's developed a solid bond with his partner, and it'd probably go from being degraded to a mix of degradation and praise to full praise in some occasions.

if theres not a smooth transition i feel like he would panic and shut himself out. like it feels too intimate or smth.

cuckolding (controversial)

i think he would like it bc it hurts. like his partner sleeping with someone else is kind of like a slap to the face

a situation that has him constantly thinking 'I'm not enough' and that kind of hurt i think he gets off on bc masochism <3

but thats only maybe with the condition he somehow gets the chance to prove to himself and to you that he is better than the person you're sleeping with

OR he's into 'pseudo-cuckolding' so he likes the idea that you COULD go and sleep with someone but you dont, kinda like what happened with grace and the server

SO MAYBE IM WRONG and he would actually hate this but you know, im trynna brainstorm

phone sex (is this even a kink?)

only the sound of your voice and his,

kinda like the romangerri situation LMFAO

because think about it, this way you dont have to actually see him. that would comfort him in some way because of his low self-esteem and self-image issues. that way you can picture anything you want and not be disappointed with the real thing, you know?

i also think that phone sex (or bathroom door sex????) would help him open up until he grows comfortable enough in the intimacy the two of you are building

love how this are supposed to be smut hcs yet im making them slightly angsty

impact play

i think this might be a little self-explanatory, but yes, getting hit in a sexual context turns him on

only when he is receiving ofc

dom/sub dynamics

he's a massive sub and no one can tell me otherwise

its literally on the show TT

ANYWAY, he's probably bratty at first but then just gives in to your every demand because he aims to please

still likes to get on your nerves though, like a lot and i think thats because even when he's been an annoying piece of shit in bed you still take care of him and that reinforces, in his head, that, sure he's being unbearable but that doesn't take away the fact that you care for him and love him, ya know?

also, he would probably call you mommy/daddy at first jokingly but the it kinda sticks??

freud would have a field day with roman roy

OOC BUT FUN TO THINK ABOUT: vanilla sex

hear me out, ik roman's character is pretty much the personification of the words 'kinky mf' but idk

i think vanilla sex would suit roman SOO much. i think for roman to reach the point of having sex with ANYONE there needs to be a established foundation of trust and respect and perhaps love too

and i know sex doesn't necessarily mean love, but we are talking about a man who's definition of love is pain - like love HAS to hurt for it to be love - and undoubtedly he would twist his perception of sex to fit that same definition of love because love is a branch of intimacy and so is sex, you feel me?

i just feel like it would show roman another side of intimacy. all gentle and kind and giggly sex and intimacy doesn't necessarily have to hurt for it to feel good.

like imagine just plain vanilla sex and its banter and laughter and quips and help me lol

vanilla sex and aftercare would solve all his problems, i said what i said /hj

[nb-octopus-writes]

once you’re in the hive, the other bees assume you’re supposed to be there

[Masterpost]

Chapter 7: How They Kept Him Very Well

Wordcount: 1.1K

~~~~

“You know, if you keep feeding me like this, I’m going to gain weight,” Virgil says, settling back in his chair with immense satisfaction.

“No offense, but you look like you could use it, Jack Skellington,” Roman tells him.

“Hey!” Virgil protests, though he isn’t actually particularly offended. Roman’s not wrong, for one thing. Virgil certainly doesn’t have the time and energy—or skill, honestly—to make as good food as Patton does. These last couple days have been the most well-fed he’s been since he moved out to be an independent adult.

Roman pushes his chair back and hops up. “Ready for movies?” he asks eagerly, already heading for the doorway.

“Roman Augustus Sanders, do not leave your plate on the table,” Logan says tiredly, but without heat. Roman freezes mid-step, shoulders raising guiltily. Slowly, cartoonishly stiffly, he spins back around.

“Oops.”

“I can’t stay anyway, remember?” Virgil asks. “I gotta get going so I can bike home before it gets dark.”

Roman's eyes go wide. “I. Forgot,” he says with a grimace.

“It is well past sunset,” Logan informs Virgil. “I am afraid that ‘before it gets dark’ is no longer possible tonight.”

“Oh.” Well, fuck. What's he supposed to do now!?

“Sorry,” Roman says. “I did not take the passage of time into consideration. I'll make it up to you. Do you want me to drive you home? I'll drive you home right away. Or you could spend the night again, and I'll take you to work in the morning?”

“I have tomorrow off, actually,” Virgil says, which is the first thing he can think of in response to that extremely generous offer. Roman brightens.

“Oh, perfect!” he says. “That means you can stay the night and then take your bike home tomorrow when it's light out!”

Virgil hesitates, glancing at the others. “Are… you sure that's okay?” he asks.

Logan shrugs. “Unless you have plans for your day off and would prefer to be taken home tonight, that would seem to be the most expedient method,” he says.

“No, I… No, no plans,” Virgil says.

“So you’ll stay?” Roman asks. Virgil hesitates, then nods. Roman whoops, bouncing. “So can we watch Unfortunate Events then?” he asks hopefully.

Virgil can’t help smiling, Roman’s excitement contagious. “Sure, soon as you take care of your dishes,” he says.

Roman sticks his tongue out at him, coming back to gather them up and take them into the kitchen. 

Virgil takes care of his own, and Logan puts the leftovers away tonight. The instant their dishes are rinsed and in the dishwasher, Roman whisks Virgil off to the theater again.

One episode follows another, as they eagerly discuss, theorize, and refuse to stop on cliffhangers. They pause, once, because Roman wants to make popcorn, and once more a few episodes later for a bathroom break, but otherwise they continue watching episodes back to back.

Eventually, Patton interrupts their marathon. He’s wearing his grey cat onesie again, and yawns as he opens the door.

“Are you coming to bed soon?” he asks.

Roman pauses the episode and glances at his wrist, on which he is not wearing a watch. “What time is it?” he asks.

“Midnight-thirty,” Calico says, and yawns again. “Logan’s already asleep.”

Roman catches Virgil’s eyes and makes a wide-eyed whoops expression at him. “Stop after this one?” he suggests, and glances at the screen again. “I think we’re almost done.” He presses a button on the remote and pulls up the time bar thing. “Yeah, ten minutes left,” he says.

“Sounds doable,” Virgil says, glad that he doesn’t have to get up for work tomorrow. It’s going to take him a while to wind down enough to fall asleep, and if it’s already past midnight, he would have had no chance of getting anywhere near enough sleep. Hopefully they won’t mind him sleeping in, because otherwise they're going to have to literally drag him out of bed in the morning, and that might spoil their weirdly good opinions of him. “Probably another cliffhanger though.”

“Probably,” Roman agrees. He sucks in a breath, drawing himself up. “We shall have to be strong and resist the siren’s call of another episode.”

“Ten minutes?” Patton asks.

“Ten minutes, beloved,” Roman promises.

“Okay,” Patton says sleepily, and closes the door again.

Ten minutes later, they are indeed left on a cliffhanger. It takes real effort not to continue despite their promise, but Roman visibly gathers his strength, screws up his face, and points the remote at the tv. “For love and cuddles,” he says, pressing the power button.

“Where should I sleep tonight?” Virgil asks as Roman leads him tiredly up the stairs.

Roman shrugs. “Same room as last time unless you’d rather join us,” he says. “We can share Paddy Bear.”

That’s… that’s a joke, right? Roman didn’t just seriously invite Virgil into his bed, invite him to cuddle with his boyfriend. Right? Virgil chuckles uncertainly. He’s even tireder than he thought, to not catch the jesting tone. Or maybe Roman’s too tired and deadpanned too hard.

Probably a combination of both, Virgil decides. It is late. “I think I’d better not,” he says, trying to match Princey’s levity. “I don’t know if you snore.”

Roman gasps in pretend offense, pressing his hand to his chest. Then he leans forward and relates in a conspiratorial tone, “You didn’t hear this from me, but Logan snores like the most adorable rumbly kitten purr.”

“Does he?” Virgil says, grinning. Roman nods happily.

“He does,” he says. “It is adorable, but it does take some getting used to, so I can’t blame you for wanting your own room.” Roman yawns, then reaches up to pat Virgil’s shoulder. “Night, Spoops,” he says. “See you in… I dunno, prolly not the morning. See you tomorrow. Sleep well.”

“Good night, Princey,” Virgil answers. “Sleep well.”

Roman pats Virgil on the shoulder again, then shuffles off into his bedroom.

The room they had put Virgil in last time is nearly as he left it, except that the pajamas have been moved to the nightstand. Virgil carefully does not touch the bed as he changes, knowing that if he had been unwilling to leave it the first night, the exhaustion he can feel in his bones will make it a veritable black hole of comfort tonight.

Pajama-clad, Virgil turns off the light and climbs into bed. He sinks into the softness, comfort claiming him, and is asleep faster than he knew was humanly possible.

~~~~

Chapter 8: One Could Get Used to This

[royal-wren]

While long overdue on my part by weeks, this post will serve as informative to the worship of Maia. I will try my best to make it cohesive but it might end up being a patchwork.

"I know the Dove best by night blue in the sky she remains diligently guiding us from the heavens so none may be lost even when alone when cared for by the herald of seasons"

-For the Night-Wandering, by me

Maia, daughter of the Titan Atlas, who shifts the heaven's axis, and Titanide sheep-nymph Pleione (Aithrê is her alt. name) who increases in number as a lady of plenty, is one of many stars making up the constellation Taurus. She is the oldest of the seven sisters and the leader of the Pleiades born in Arkadia on Mt. Kyllene where she would take up permanent residence in the caves. She is a sister to the Hyades as well. Maia is known both as a star-nymph (part of the Astrothesiai) and Oread. She has only one natural child, far-famed and widely-loved Hermes who helps her name stay relevant even now when knowledge about her is obscure.

Generally, the word maia means mother but for the goddess means Nursing Mother primarily but also Great Mother, Good Mother, Foster Mother, Female Doctor, or Dame. Her name also can be a way to address older women, grandmothers, and nurses/midwives. Maia's domain mentioned above is her most prominent aspect as a goddess of motherhood along with Leto. It led to her having a part in a myth otherwise separated from her as she became the foster mother of Kallisto's son Arkas, whom she named promptly after Zeus gave him to her.

Maia has many additional complexities with her important role to play noting her position as one of the main factors of all the seasons as the one to tell of the changes between each season (with the Pleiades). Her importance with humanity comes from this as the seven sisters tell when the earth will be renewed with life and when that renewal is at its end. She is a vegetation and earth goddess, from which she is renewal and rebirth to the earth as well as the barrenness of the earth. Maia is a maritime deity as well, without her showing up in the sky navigation by nighttime would become a challenge, something that anyone traveling in the dark would know. Through this connection she has a deep relationship with waters of oceans, springs, and rivers.

Fondly, the Seven Sisters are called Doves (Pigeons) by many writers and are the ones that attend Zeus with ambrosia. With the stars accompanying the moon, the Pleiades are called companions of Artemis. Under the epithets Atlantides, Dodonides, or Nysiades, they are nursemaids and teachers to the infant Bacchus.

The month of May earned its name from her as a 50/50 deal between her and Roman goddess Maia who's also a spring/fertility and earth goddess associated with mountains. While Rome started it first, the Greeks took it up for themselves near the end of the Hellenic era and the start of the Hellenistic era.

*On a more speculative mindset to the knowledge that Maia more than likely is a pre-Greek/older local mother goddess to the area in a similar way that Hermes is confirmed to be pre-Greek/an older local god. The older tradition and connection she has with caves in a similar manner to Hermes could speak to her being liminal and khthonic originally as they are/were seen as the point between the living and the dead and the entrance to the underworld. There is a possibility that she could of the Mycenaean goddess Preswa (dove deity), Manasa, or Diwija with Komawenteja: long-haired goddess as an epithet. Another fun little possibility is the indication that Maia is a bi-gendered deity, more than likely a part of her older iteration that survived on a largely diminished scale.

Epithets: With deep dark eyes  Honored mother The nurturer  She who nurtures   Great (Mighty) nurse  Of the lovely black eyes  Maia Prôtogonê - First-born Maia Kedná - Careful, diligent, trusty cherished, dear good, valued Maia Eratoplocamus - Lovely-haired Maia Euplokamos - Having lovely locks Maia Ioplokos/Ioplokamos - With violet hair / With dark locks Maia Kuanokhaitēs - Dark-haired Maia Hulaios - Belonging to the wood or forest Maia Aitherolampēs - Shining in ether Maia Himeronous - Lovely of soul Maia Earotrephḗs - Flourishing in Spring Maia Drymocharēs - Delighting in the woods Maia Philodendros/Philodendron - Fond of trees / Fond of the wood Maia Peleia - The Dove Maia Dôdônides - Of Dodona Maia Ekprepḗs - Distinguished out of all, pre-eminent, remarkable, surpassing Pôtnia Maia - Queenly Maia Maia Aeiphengēs - Ever-shining Maia Nyktaugḗs - Shining by night Maia Asteroommatos - Star-eyed Maia Kyanôpis- Dark-eyed Atlantis - Daughter of Atlas Atlagenes - Born of Atlas Pleias - Daughter of Pleione Maia Kyllḗnē/Kyllênê - Of Mt. Kyllene Maia Kourotróphos - Nurse of the Young, Good Nursing-Mother Eurysternos - Broad-bossomed Matêr Pantôn - Mother of All Maia Pleiôn - Lady of Plenty Maia Entropḗ - To turn away. In place of most shy (since I can't find those exact words) while also being a play on Hermes' epithet Polytropos: Many-turning. Maia Erēmophílēs - Loving solitude Maia Aidoîos - Modest, bashful, honored, respected, having a claim to regard, reverence Maia Gaia - The conflation of two goddesses tied to the earth and nurses/mothers making Mother Earth Maia Oureias or Maiados Oureias - Mountain Maia Mêtêr Oreiês - Mountain Mother Maia Oreiplanktos - Mountain-roaming Maia Kuanéā - Dark, Dark-Blue, To denote a dark shade of blue merging into black

Sacred Associations: Doves Pigeons Dodona Arkadia Mt. Kyllene Kingfishers Navigation Sailing June Thirteenth Caves Mountains Winnowing-baskets Night time The color Black Light Blue Dark Blue

Festivals: The month of May, Mounichia (Greek: Μουνιχιών) is important to the sisters as the Pleiades rise and it signifies the start of the navigational year and the time the earth can be sown with seeds again/the growing season is in full swing. The end of October or the month of November is also a festival when they set, the navigational year ends and the growing season ends. The cluster's conjunction with the sun in spring and opposition in fall marked the start and end of the summer sailing season in ancient Greece.

*While not mandatory any donations for any posts I do like this would mean the world as this stuff takes literal months to do. Ways to donate outside of Tumblr tipping can be found here

Sources:

terpsikeraunos' tumblr page

Theoi's pages for Maia, the Pleiades, Kyllene, Persephone's epithets and Amphitrite's epithets

University of Penselvania's page on the Pleiades

The exile of Ovid, the Pleiades, Maia, and the secret name of Rome by Felice Vinci

Athenaeus: The Deipnosophists Book 11, Pages 484-496, Translated by C.B. Gulick

A Minoan deity from London Medicine Papyrus by Alexander Akulov

The Pleiades on holladaypaganism./com

Astereoasteroseismology by Gough, D. O.

Hymn 4 to Hermes

Mythology of the Seven Sisters

The Winter Stars are Coming by Dennis Mammana

Phaenomena by Aratus

Maia Goddess of Birth by Despena Dalmaris

[jeannereames]

Do you think alexander considered hephaistion his alter-ego?

"He, too, is Alexander"

Did Alexander think of Hephaistion as his alter-ego? Quite possibly—but not by that term. For one thing, “alter-ego” is Latin, and we find it first used in writing by Cicero, although it may have been (quite possibly was) in common parlance prior.

The concept did appear to exist in Greek, but the tendency to apply it to Alexander and Hephaistion owes chiefly to two attestations. The first is the recorded meeting between Alexander, Hephaistion, and Sisygambus, wherein he supposedly said, of Hephaistion, "He, too, is Alexander." The other concerns a quip attributed to Aristotle, mentioned in Diogenes Laertus that friendship is one soul in two bodies—but this not found Aristotle's surviving works, despite a longish passage on friendship in his Nikomachian Ethics.

Without being unduly cynical, we must always take exact phrasing with a grain of salt. I think there's very little we can be certain Alexander said. Same problem with Aristotle, unless you're reading his actual writings, and even some of those are dubious, such as the infamous Ath Pol, or Constitution of the Athenians. We typically distinguish these as “pseudo-Aristotle.” (So if you see “pseudo-”some-name, that means the work is attributed to that person but almost certainly not actually written by him/her.)

So, as part of my usual ‘Let me ‘splain you why you can’t trust that story/saying…,’ let’s play some dating games here.

First, Cicero is our initial attested use of “alter ego,” in a letter to his friend Atticus, that dates the phrase to somewhere between 68-44, or middle of the first century BCE. Maybe we can push it back a little earlier to the early first century, but I’d be uncomfortable pushing it further without solid evidence. Popular terms change. Anybody call a fashionable (male) person, “That cool cat…” these days—except as a bit of a joke? I didn’t think so. 😉 But “cool” itself is otherwise still in common use. So we have to be careful about when terms are popular.

Now, the story of Alexander before Sysigamgus is best known from Curtius (3.12.16-17), but Diodoros also relates it (17.37.5-6), and so does Arrian (2.12.3-8)—although with a caveat. He says it doesn’t appear in his trusted sources (Aristoboulos or Ptolemy) but he tells it anyway, apparently because he approves of the actions in it.

We don’t know where it comes from. Maybe Kleitarchos? Possibly Kallisthenes? It does not appear in either Plutarch’s bio of Alexander or his Moralia, although normally he loved these sorts of anecdotes. There’s a good reason, however, that Plutarch doesn’t tell it (see below). Justin is just too short. (It also appears in abbreviated form in a couple of later Roman sources, Valerius Maximus and Dio Chrysostom. So it was clearly popular in the rhetorician crowd.)

So, what are the words attributed to Alexander? Diodoros’ Greek is kai gar kai outos Alexandros estin: “and for also this [man] Alexander is” (6). Arrian renders it kai gar ekeinon einai Alexandron: “and for that man is Alexander” (7). Curtius puts it, albeit in Latin, nam et hic Alexander est: “for he also Alexander is” (17). Yes, I rendered those into English pretty exactly, even if it sounds a bit funny. First, it helps show how every translation is an interpretation, but also allows us to watch the parsing itself.

None of them is exactly the same, even if the meaning is the same. That’s a good reminder we don’t have his exact phrasing!

Assuming the event even happened.

Why should we doubt it? Aside from Arrian’s skepticism?

This story feels a LOT like a classic lesson in proper clemency. I’ve talked about the importance of clemency before. The bulk of this tale is meant to show a chivalrous Alexander early in his career, before he fell victim to divine aspirations and the lure of that nasty Oriental Luxury <tm>. See what a good guy he was?! Plutarch, in his take, insists not only did Alexander not rape the royal women, he wouldn’t even look at the women. That’s probably why he doesn’t tell this story, because going to their tent absolutely IS looking at them, donchaknow. It’s even funnier because it’s Plutarch who tells us Statiera died in childbirth well, well after that baby could have been Darius’s. (Consistency? What consistency? Pfff.)

My point here is that the story may very well have been fabricated to make a MORAL point of how to be an honorable victor—whether in the era of the Successors (which grew increasingly bloody and vicious), or in the later Roman period. It would also provide a perfect example for Curtius to contrast with Alexander’s later Asian debauchery.

You may be wondering, But why would they make up an entire story like that? Wouldn’t people know?

Um, to prove my point I give you…Twitter, QAnon, and whatever quote is being attributed (wrongly) to Samuel L. Jackson this week. The more often people hear something, even a lie, the more likely they are to believe it’s true. Arrian’s other stories of after-Issos events has Leonnatos going to talk to the women, not Alexander (and Hephaistion). Of course, it’s entirely possible Leonnatos went the first evening, while Alexander and Hephaistion went the next morning. It even makes a certain amount of sense that he’d visit the royal women. So, the bare-bones of the encounter may be true, but mistaken identities and all those speeches were likely put in people’s mouths later.

Incidentally, there’s a pun in the line, as alex-andros translates to “protector of men.” So Hephaistion is also a protector of men. Romans and Greeks ate up that sort of word-play.

As for the Aristotle titbit…Diogenes Laertus reports a list of “sayings” (aphorisms) attributed to various philosophers. For Aristotle, one is: “To the query, ‘What is a friend?’ his reply was, ‘A single soul dwelling in two bodies’” (5.20). I’ve seen people claim he was referencing Alexander and Hephaistion. There’s absolutely no reason to assume that except romanticism and an Alexander-centric view. In our surviving writings by Aristotle, he barely mentions Alexander.* Shock, I know. 😂 But Alexander wasn’t at the forefront of his mind.

Additionally, as I said above, we have a longish bit on friendship in the Nikomachian Ethics, where that definition doesn’t appear, although nothing he says about true friendship in it contradicts the quote, either. But “Sayings of…” were a popular form of literature in antiquity, and sometimes a clever quip got attributed to more than one person! Maybe Aristotle did say that, but it’s not in actual writings about friendship by Aristotle. Aristotle’s writings on friendship are rather more complex; he lists three types of friendship in Book VIII.

Anyway, this little in-depth study is meant to help folks see how complicated it can be, to get back to what ALEXANDER himself said, thought, or even did.

Yet one thing ALL the sources agree upon: Hephaistion was Alexander’s favorite, not just (or even primarily) as a commander, but as a person. I’ve never read any claim to the contrary, and I have (quite literally) read everything in the ancient sources that concerns Hephaistion (and most everything that concerns Alexander too).

So, while it’s impossible to say that Alexander considered Hephaistion an “alter-ego,” or ever called him “Alexander too,” you can rest assured that every ancient source agrees that Hephaistion was dearer to Alexander than anybody else, maybe even including his own mother.

—————-

* 391a2: his “On the Universe” treatise opens with a reference to “Alexander,” who I think it’s safe to assume is the king. And 1420a5, is “Rhetoric to Alexander”--except that treatise is widely understood (even in the medieval world) to be bogus: e.g., a "pseudo-Aristotle" text. Plus Alexander is mentioned in a couple fragments.

[kritischetheologie]

Trying again… loscar + arranged marriage + bed sharing? 👉👈

[Trope mashup ask game]

I thought about how to make this more mashuppy, and decided on..

1. Logan has been Lord Vowles's ward since his parents died in his youth. Lord Vowles, his dear mother's second cousin (or was it third cousin?) had no heirs, and Logan had no one to care for him. It was a lonely childhood, but no worse than it might have been, had his parents been alive to raise him themselves. And as heir to Lord Vowles's title, he'll be able to make a far better marriage than he otherwise would have.

2. Speaking of marriage: before he can even make his debut, Logan learns that Lord Vowles has arranged his marriage to one Daniel Ricciardo, heir to the Ricciardo fortune and due to inherit McLaren estate, a three-days' drive southeast of Williams House. He learns this three days before Daniel is set to arrive at Williams, accompanied by his loyal manservant Oscar. Logan might have liked the chance to go on the circuit and meet someone whose personality matches his, but he understands the efficiency of making a match this way, the Vowles name for the Ricciardo money.

3. Ricciardo-- Daniel, Logan reminds himself, for they're to be wed-- is not striking in appearance. About Logan's height, but darker and paler, with a wide, broad face that seems perpetually bored. Tall, tousle-headed Oscar, with his Roman nose and his roguish smile and the tattoos lining his arms like a sailor, is the handsome one of the two. But Daniel is quietly funny, needling Logan about his knowledge of the gardens and the husbandry of the estate, while Oscar struts and preens like a peacock, until Logan longs to tell Daniel to dismiss him, his lifelong loyalty to the Ricciardo family be damned.

4. They stay a fortnight at Williams House, then travel southeasterly toward McLaren Estate, where the wedding is set to take place. They stop at an inn the first night, and Daniel books them two rooms. Logan assumes that he'll be in the second, while Daniel and Oscar share, only for Daniel to invite him to share his bed. It's not entirely improper, as they're to be wed within the week, but it still comes as a surprise. The first night, they lie awake talking, and Logan learns that Daniel is not only quietly funny, but also kindhearted, receiving Logan's secrets with solemn awe. The second night--

5. They arrive at McLaren Estate late in the evening of the third day, and Logan is shown to the room where he is to sleep alone, while Oscar glares at him, as if Logan has violated his master's honor rather than the other way around. Logan only discovers the source of his anger the following morning, as the three of them breakfast, when Oscar clears his throat to announce that the wedding is off. "I had hoped to find someone who would love me for my charm and my looks, rather than my riches," he says, running a hand through his curls. "But since you were willing to share the bed of my manservant Oscar, believing the latter to be his, you have clearly proven yourself worthy of none of the three." Logan looks aghast at Daniel-- no, oh Lord, at Oscar-- but the man's face is paler than ever, and he refuses to meet Logan's eye.

[wherevenusholdssomeofficespace]

It sort of irritates me when people act like Doof is such a great dad. When canon explicitly tells us the opposite.

I don't mean to say Doof doesn't care, he does. Very much so. But just caring doesn't make him a good dad. It just makes him a decent person. Vanessa loves him very much. But love isn't the only thing needed to be a good parent.

I see people cite the Mary McGuffin doll, and him spending years tracking it down as proof of him being a good dad. And it does tell us (and Vanessa) he cares, but it also tells us how out of touch he is with Vanessa's actual wants and needs. Vanessa is 16. She doesn't really want the doll anymore. The doll only has meaning to her because of the effort he put into it. Proof he has actually listened to something she was saying even if it was nearly 10 years ago. Doof has set the bar that low that Vanessa feels so attached to this one gift. In Vanessa's own words he is a substandard dad. She is biased, due to the way he embarasses her, but she's not wrong as often he can't even be bothered to actually listen to her.

He took her to Tokyo instead of Paris for his own interests. He tried to erase Vanessa's memory in order to make himself look better to her. He compared her (or rather Candace's) fashion sense to a clown. He set up a little girl's party when she was 16 and didn't even know she considered herself to be punk.

He tries, oh does he try. But without listening to Vanessa he can't actually do anything for her. His few successes are often facillitated by Perry who does. This lack of listening is at the center of the finale, where it almost causes him to lose her completely. When he finally listens he can finally start connecting with her, and not only that he realizes other things about the way he's been living. And this is something Vanessa, his 16 yr old daughter is telling him. Vanessa is being her dad's therapist and that's not necessarily fair to her.

And in Milo Murphy's Law when he moves in with the Murphys he continues to cross boundaries and not listen to people (particularly the household's teenage girl), acting in many ways more like an overgrown child than a parent himself. And in Vanessa's appearance she's still cleaning up after him and playing couple's therapist with him and Perry.

And don't even get me started on how Doof treats Norm, who recognizes Doof as his father only for Doof to constantly belittle him and refuse to treat him like a son. (Not unlike his own parents). Doof does seem to care for Norm, but that doesn't mean the other stuff he does doesn't exist.

This is especially egregious since PnF and MML have lots of great parents. Lawrence knows about and sometimes goes along with his boys shenanigans and often inspires them. He and Candace may not always be on the same page, but he makes and effort to include her, to try and spend time with her. In regards to Mary McGuffin, Lawrence may have not known Candace still cared about her doll, but he gave her more money than he made off of it to try and make it up to her when he realized that she did.

Martin is someone Milo admires, taught him how to deal with Murphy's Law, who left to give Milo his moment in Athledecamathalon and has otherwise offered his full support to Milo and dedicated time to spend with him. We see less of his interactions with Sara, but he's aparently the one who got her into Dr. Zone, and he understands Murphy's Law can be hard on her too and makes efforts to stay away from her when she needs space. He knows when to cheer his kids on and when to step back.

Dave Grant, Beppo Brown, Richard Chase and Roman Carter are all among the many father characters who seem to have a more healthy relationship with their kids than Doof. Not to mention the grandfathers. None of these parents are necessarily perfect but they are good parents.

I love Doof. He's a great character and a loving father. But he's not a great parent and that's part of what makes him a good character. Makes his interactions with his family fun. The functional dysfunction of it all. He's not simply a good or bad parent. But he's certainly not great.

[greater-than-the-sword]

For @rabbits-of-negative-euphoria

The fate of animals after their death is unknown, and not specified by the Bible. My best evidence is this verse in Ecclesiastes 3:20-21: 

All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.  Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?

Obviously this doesn't tell us much. This was before the time when much had been revealed about the afterlife of humans. In the New Testament we learn much more about what awaits humans after death, but the fate of animals is not so revealed.

However, what we can gather from this passage is that an animal has some sort of spirit. It may not be like a human spirit at all, but apparently still qualifies for use of the word. Before you get ahead of me, obviously animals do not have the Imago Dei like humans do, and were not even created on the same order as humans or to have the same spiritual capacities.

In the Bible the word "spirit" is also used as "breath", and we see higher animals described as having this sort of spirit in Genesis:

Genesis 6:17

For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.

and likewise in 7:22.

Now for your claim that it is quite enough for animals to have their short and limited existence, perhaps you can assume that when you are thinking about pets and their nice cushy life, but many animals live a short and quite horrible life, suffering the whole time, and then die brutally. All of this is by no fault of their own since animals don't have the capacity to sin against God.

The Bible makes it clear that animals suffer from the effects of a fallen world brought on by humanity, since we are - as it were - (and i know this imagery will appeal to you as a Presbyterian even more than it does to me) its covenant heads.

With that in mind I fail to see how Romans 8:22 can be referring to anything else.

 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

And before you say, "well, Evelyn, even the plant world suffers from humans' evil, but no one would claim that trees have spirits."

Trees don't think or feel, but animals do. I simply choose to have faith that God didn't lie to us in creating the material world, and when an animal seems to be aware and feeling; it really is to the degree that it appears to be, rather than as a cleverly designed automaton. To say otherwise is a form of faithlessness and even solipsism I might argue.

So what else does Romans 8 say about the creation?

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Clearly then there are other parts of the creation besides man, which are waiting eagerly for God to reveal a new humanity in future glory. Once their covenant heads are redeemed, they get to tag along. And the generations of breathing, bleeding, feeling animals who have suffered since the fall hardly seems the least important among the things that were created. It hardly seems like they would be left out of this. But I don't necessarily hold this view dogmatically. It just gives me hope that God cares about the least of his creatures.

[homosexualmanslaughter]

A Long Post About Where Kendall Is After Episode 2 (with some Shiv analysis, too)

I wanted to make this post because I’ve seen such a wide range of perspectives on Kendall’s behaviour after episode 2, and I agree with almost none of them (lol). Don’t get me wrong, I love to read them, but as a Recognised Kendall Scholar, I wanted to share my own thoughts. As I’ve said before, I know I’m completely biased and blinded by love when it comes to him, but I hope what I have to say still has some relevancy. I’m also very aware that whatever happens on Sunday might make this all obsolete, but it’s fun to write about him regardless!

Okay, so the thing that made me really want to write all of this is because I’ve seen a number of people interpreting Ken’s mention of Connor and Rome’s abuse during the karaoke scene as selfish, cruel, manipulative or sinister. I know very well that he had his own motives and biases during that scene, but maliciousness and cruelty? I just don’t see that.

To me, Kendall is clearly angry on their behalf. And this makes sense to me, because he’s the one of the four of them who the ‘fight’ response to trauma. He is the one who can see how fucked up their lives are, and has been able to from the start - hence his guilt and cognitive dissonance that drives his entire character. Why wouldn’t he get angry knowing that the brothers he loves were hurt?

It’s Connor - as the one whose abuse consisted of being sent away and who, despite his brain telling him otherwise, is desperate to be cordial with Logan - who wants to sweep the abuse under the rug and “keep things nice”. It’s Roman who - heartbreakingly - refuses to accept that it was abuse because he believes he deserves it. Kendall is the one who knows how much they’ve suffered even if they won’t say it. So he is determined to make Logan hear it. He’s clearly still manic right now and probably still using, so he’s in that same confident and reckless state of mind that we saw in Austerlitz - ready to talk his shit to Logan without fear and without much thought.

He is very full of rage, yes, and of course this is the motivation for his rant. He is rightfully fucking angry about what Logan has done to him, to his sister, to his brothers, to his brother’s institutionalised mother. These people he cares about. I don’t think it’s pitying and cruel. I think he’s genuinely angry, for them.

And yes, maybe in an ideal world he would’ve handled it with more tact, been more respectful and sensitive towards Connor and Roman’s privacy. But he is not a trauma therapist. He is not a professional arbiter here. He is an abused person, whose siblings were also abused, and he is in a small room confronting their shared abuser. It’s perfectly plausible and valid that he would be angry and not thinking tactfully.

And, honestly, from a dramatic standpoint it would’ve been really fucking weird, jarring and out of character if Kendall had taken the time to ask Rome and Connor for their consent, and then done an aftercare check in with them afterwards. That’s not what the construction of the scene allows for, and it’s written in a way that heightens the drama and allows us to see these people at (almost) their most vulnerable.

I’ve seen people claim that the karaoke scene demonstrates a lack of empathy from Kendall, but I think the amount of anger he obviously has about how Logan treated that poor woman with mental health issues, and how he responds to Rome’s trauma in particular (“don’t fucking touch him!”) is evidence of how MUCH empathy he has, not how little.

And him ‘talking over’ Con and Rome’s trauma in a way, doesn’t suggest to me that he lacks empathy, just the opposite. As the Fighter, compared to Roman the Fawning and Connor the Fleeing, of COURSE he’s gonna shout and bawl and make his voice heard, because that’s his role. It’s empathy that’s just expressed through anger and protest rather than tenderness and restraint.

Rome screams at Jess - a staff member - to bring him a car, but it’s because he’s anxious to get to his brother’s wedding rehearsal. Ken is lying to his siblings, but it’s because he thinks he can free them and “take them all out of it”. These men contain multitudes. They are both arrogant and narcissistic. They are both damaged and vulnerable. They both have empathy.

Ken loves his siblings more than he loves himself. When he rages on behalf of Roman and Connor instead of bringing up his own abuse, it’s not because he thinks they’re weak or because he believes that his abuse didn’t happen, it’s because he is angry that the people he loves have been hurt. And yes, he’s rightfully angry about his own treatment, but he is surrounded by the people he - as the fighter - has been taught to view as needing defending. And he wants to defend them. I don’t think this means he views them with contempt. It’s love, just expressed in the most tragic way, heavily informed by the roles they’ve been forced into and have internalised since childhood.

And on Shiv, her relative silence in the karaoke scene compared to Ken’s rant is interesting. She’s really living up to her role as ‘freezer’, compared to Ken the fighting, Roman the fawning and Connor the fleeing. But like Kendall - the ‘strong dogs’, the killers - she does have venom of her own to spit. I keep seeing this idea that somehow she and Kendall don’t know that they were also abused, and that ‘abuse’ was something only reserved for the weak dogs, the ones who were sent away: Con and Rome. I don’t think this is true, I think Ken absolutely knows that he was abused, especially post-Chiantishire.

For Shiv it’s a more recent and complicated acknowledgment. She was never hit, she was never sent away, she wasn’t emotionally tortured with the same rigour as Kendall was. But she knows that Logan was cruel to her. For her to consider it abuse? I think that’s new, and I think the divorce lawyer situation has made her realise just how deep her own hurt lies, and she’s not afraid to tell Logan about it. However, I think for her to realise the depth of her own abuse will take time, and she’ll have to confront and reconsider her role as the ‘favourite child’.

I think this concept of Shiv as ‘the favourite’ colours Ken’s perspective, when we’re thinking about his lack of recognition of Shiv’s abuse during his big rant. He knows that Logan is cruel to her, we know he does - “calling your daughter a coward until she cries? Big man.” - but I think it’s also valid to say that he - and all three brothers - don’t appreciate the extent to which she was abused, too. And does misogyny play into this? I think it does, a bit. But for me it comes down to the persisting childhood dynamics of the four of them.

Shiv’s abuse is low down on the list for Ken because Rome and Connor’s traumas are so much more visceral and immediate. They were plain to see. Shiv was ostensibly the favourite, physically unharmed, and maybe all three brothers still feel a degree of envy towards her for this. I can see how people read it with misogynistic undertones: Rome was hit, Connor was sent away, Shiv - to them - had all they could ever want, to be loved, to be prized. They saw her (and maybe still do) as a daddy’s girl, who doesn’t understand what they’ve been through.

But I think as an adult Ken definitely understands her trauma with more empathy than he might have done as a jealous kid. “It’s you now” he says to her, and he knows what that entails. I think that if Connor hadn’t cut him off, and he’d just had endless time to list off his complaints, he would’ve raised Shiv’s trauma too. But in the end he didn’t need to, because she fought her own corner and aired her own grievances, the strong dogs protesting against their treatment, with Shiv giving a ‘fight’ response to Logan rather than a fleeing, fawning or freezing response for possibly the first time.

I’ve also seen people who believe that Kendall should’ve mentioned Logan’s abuse of Iverson as his main complaint, but I think that all these mentions of Iverson misinterpret the situation. This is a conversation between four children and their father. The love they have for each other is different to the love they have for their partners and children. It was Connor’s party. It was very much Sibling Trauma Time. Kendall was sitting in a room with only his siblings and father, knowing that he is the only one (because of drugs or mania or nihilism I don’t know) who is prepared to say the uncomfortable truths. The pain he has on Iverson’s behalf is for another day, another party.

Logan is in that room to ‘apologise’ to the kids. Ken wants to know what he thinks he’s apologising for. As someone who works with scripts for a living, I think to bring up Iverson in that room would’ve broken the promise of the scene. The promise of the scene being that it’s a space for the siblings to air their dirty laundry, to say what they want to say about each other and their father. Iverson, or anyone else, does not factor into that scene. Obviously Con’s mum is the special exception, and I believe it’s mentioned because it creates a connection between her and Kendall - their shared experience being Logan using their mental illness against them.

I think I’m going to write a follow-up post to this, exploring Ken’s new motivations in terms of the buyout, his new relationship with the CEO pipe dream, and what it means for his character going forward. But for now, I hope this was an interesting read!

[calethelettuce]

SaSi Intruality Week 4/7: The Heartbreak Helper

Prompt: Scars

Tags: @intrualityweek

Synopsis: Patton tells Remus a story after he asks about a certain scar. Remus is more understanding than Patton would have ever thought. Wait, is this considered hurt/comfort? Sorry not sorry.

Characters: Patton, Remus

Relationships: Romantic Intruality

TW: Talk of scars and injury, swearing, sad boi hours and talk of self deprication, intrusive thoughts

~

The clock struck midnight as Patton sat idly in bed, staring at the wall.

Remus was beside him, laying flat on his back. The day had been tiring and rough for the both of them.

"Hey Pat?" Remus asked quietly, his groggy and tired voice filling the otherwise quiet room, "Can I ask you a question?"

Patton continued to stare at the wall as he fidgeted with his hands. "Mhm."

Remus sat up just a little, propping himself up on his elbows. "Where did you get that scar on your chest from? The one over your heart?"

Patton had never heard Remus use such a soft, curious voice before. He shifted positions to face the green-clad side with a small, invisible smile. "You want to hear the story, then?" he spoke gently, with a nostalgic yet pained look in his eye.

Remus stared up at him expectantly. "I really do want to hear it! Did you fight off a hoarde of zombies?!"

Patton laughed. "No, no, it's nothing like that."

Remus scooted closer, resting his head on Patton's lap. His legs dangled off the edge of the bed as he kept his questions rolling. "But then what happened? Did the stand mixer explode on you?"

Patton carded a hand through Remus' hair as he replied. "It's not really as cool as that." he paused, taking a breath. "Do you remember Thomas' ex-boyfriend? The one he met before Nico?"

Remus frowned. "Sure do. He was a dick."

Patton let out a breathy laugh. "Well, I wouldn't say that. I'm sure you've heard of heartbreak?"

His frown turned into a look of pure hurt. "Awh, Patty, no.."

Patton smiled wryly. "I got a little sick after that." he took the strap of his tanktop off his shoulder, moving it down low. Right where Patton's heart would be, a scar sat, the once broken skin healed over with occasional bumps and crevices. "It turned into some kind of rash. Which turned into a wound." he avoided Remus' concerned gaze. "I couldn't help but-" he swallowed the lump in his throat, holding back a small sob. "I couldn't help but pick at it and it got worse-"

Remus sat up. "Oh.. I had no idea." He pressed himself against Patton's side, placing an arm protectively around his shoulders. "I think it's a lovely scar. Roman taught me, when we were younger, that scars are just the tale of how you've grown up and changed." his tone was hushed and caring as he sat and let Patton cry for a moment. “Seriously, hon. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Patton rested his head on Remus’ shoulder as tears fell, the droplets soaking into his shirt. “It’s all my fault, Remus,” he mumbled, “We wouldn’t all be in such a terrible state if I had listened to the others the first time.”

Remus only nestled in more, wrapping his other arm around Patton in a hug from the side. “Oh come now,” he whispered, “we all agreed it wasn’t your fault.”

“But-!”

Remus put a finger to Patton’s lips, offering him a smile. “We can all be screwed up together, okay? Nobody hates you for what happened. Like I said, scars just show how much we’ve grown.” He hesitated before continuing. “Thomas is okay now. He has Nico, yeah?”

Patton nodded, grabbing Remus’ hand. “I guess you’re right.” He wiped the lenses of his glasses and his eyes, letting out a pained laugh. “Sometimes I get these… funny thoughts. I’m afraid that makes Thomas a bad person.”

Remus bit his lip. “I know a lot about funny thoughts, Patton. Sometimes, it’s easier to say them out loud. So you know they’re not real.”

“Even if they’re about stabbing things?”

Remus pressed a kiss to Patton’s forehead.“Even if they’re about stabbing things.”

He sat and listened as Patton quietly talked about his thoughts, offering reassurance and guidance as the clock kept ticking on through the night hours.

By the time Patton had calmed down, an hour had passed. “It’s later than I thought,” he said, “maybe we should go to bed now.”

“We should!” Remus agreed, letting out a yawn, “Otherwise Janny might kill us both!”

Patton laughed, pulling a blanket over himself. “Well, that was a silly little endeavor.”

Remus laid down next to him, snuggling underneath the fuzzy blanket. “Sure was!” He wiggled closer, putting a gentle hand over Patton’s heart. “And I don’t love you any less now that I know.”

“Really?” Patton smiled in the dark, letting out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in.

“Really, Pattycake.”

The two fell asleep within minutes, nestled comfortably in each other’s arms.

And if Patton ever needed a place to let out his thoughts and “icky” feelings, his Heartbreak Helper was there for him.

[starlightshadowsworld]

My thoughts on Bsd Chapter 113

Spoilers.

Obviously.

Okay guys we get it Sigma is alive, everyone chill.

I didn't think Sigma was dead, but good to have confirmation regardless.

The true duality of Double Black is that they can take down the most vindictive and smart villians.

And also share one braincell between them.

You'd think the first one or two times Chuuya dropped Sigma he'd think maybe this isn't gonna work.

And of course he dropped him 15 times.

I kinda wish it was 16 purely because Chuuya is wearing the same outfit he had on during the Dragons head incident (which was 6 years ago, when he was 16.)

But this is still funny.

... Hold on I just realised Dazai doesn't know Sigma has an ability.

Otherwise he'd probably know what happened to him, given how similar it works to Ango's.

Chuuya stop saying Fyodor is dead, you've said it twice now and the more you do the less I believe you.

Ohhh hell yeah I love the effect of all the memories looking like pages.

Starting from the bottom of the pile seems like a good idea but man how long is Sigma gonna be out for?

Oh back to this shit... Listen I don't care for Fukuchi but I do love Fukuzawa.

The fact Fukuchi admits there were other ways but this was his decision.... He could've spared Fukuzawa all this pain but chose not too.

Man fuck this guy.

Also the condition that 500 lives could achieve world peace, hated that.

The coin bombs didn't threaten lives he says like it didn't almost kill Tachihara.

Of course it was Fyodor's plan, only he'd come up with such nonsense.

At least we know why Fyodor was in Mersault now.

Back to Sigma.... Why is there a castle?

... Please tell me that's not Fyodor...

IS THAT BRAM?!

... What the fuck am I witnessing?

And not just Bram, Count Bram who's body isn't impaled by the sword.

And it is Fyodor, how old are you?! Love the robe but what?!

Oh and right back to this... I said it before and I'll say it again fuck Fukuchi man.

Having Fukuzawa choose between his life or the Agencies, become the thing he never wanted to be or save his family.

I do wonder if that choice is basically the mystery to get out the book, because this is shill Poe's book.

Or if that was just finding out the mystery of the past, who knows.

God and Fukuchi not needing to give any last words because he has no regrets. Because his best friend is going to kill him and it's everything he wants

Fukuchi wins and it costs Fukuzawa everything.

I do love that Fyodor retains his love for getting captured on purpose.

And flirting with Count Bram apparently, I can already see the fics.

Man when even the Vampire King calls you evil incarnate.

Is Fyodor trying to be a seer? What is this premonition? Or is he just fucking around.

Oh shit yeah reminder that Bram is from Ireland, so that's why the Romans be such an issue rn.

... Jeez how far in the past is this?

Also, is it just me or does Fyodor have a scar on his face he doesn't have in the present?

Yeah Bram I don't think that's gonna kill him.

Oh and Fukuzawa aiming him cut down Fukuchi in the same place he sliced Akutugawa.

AWW AND HE CAN'T DO IT.

My heart, I'm so glad Fukuchi didn't get mad at him for it or I would've flipped the table.

You're really asking a lot.. Like way to much.

Which is when Teruko shows up.

Awh Teruko... And putting the sword in Fukuzawa's hands so he takes the fall as she cries.

I can't...

Fuck man...look at him. His face, his eyes Fukuzawa is never going to emotionally recover from this and neither will I.

Aya hunny I appreciate the enthusiasm but you might wanna read the room.

[thehungergamesbreakdown]

Katniss, Oh Katniss.

Katniss Everdeen is such an iconic heroine. She sparked so many young girls to pick up archery as a sport. However, there are two different Katniss that exist - the book Katniss and the Movie Katniss. In this post, we will be talking about Book Katniss today.

Katniss is our narrator in the books. It is the first point of view, we get her thoughts and everything through her eyes. Katniss is an incredibly blunt narrator - she tells things exactly how she views them with her opinions mixed in. She definitely suffers from C-PTSD (Complex PTSD) from growing up in Panem.

Names are important in "The Hunger Games". Most of the characters have Roman names, like Plutarch and Cinna, and others have plants. Katniss reveals that she is named after the water plant Sagittaria, otherwise known as "Katniss" or "Arrowheads". The plants grow these potato-like tubers that are edible. Her father taught her that "As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve" (Collins, 52). From what we get from her name, Katniss is a born survivor and has a connection with her main weapon - arrows.

Second, we can look at her at Katniss' appearance. This is established on page 8 as Katniss describes her friend, Gale. "He could be my brother. Straight black hair, olive skin, we even have the same gray eyes. But we're not related, at least not closely. Most of the families who work the mines remember one another this way." (Collins, 8). Katniss reveals in the same breath that her mother and Prim do not look like her with their light hair and blue eyes. This is because Katniss's mother is from the merchant class.

While there are no official maps of Panama, Katniss ensures we know exactly where District Twelve is. She said, "District 12 was in a place called Appalachia. Even hundreds of years ago, they mined coal here, which is why our miners have to dig so deep.” (Collins, pg 41). Appalachia is a region of the USA that is set in the Appalachian mountains, it makes up "423 counties across 13 states and spans 206,000 square miles" (Appalachian Regional Commission). Most people argue that District Twelve is either in West Virginia or eastern Kentucky on details about the weather and fauna and flora but Collins left the details muddled.

While this is complete headcanon ("ideas held by fans of series that are not explicitly supported by sanctioned text or other media" Merriam-Webster Dictionary), a lot of readers take the location of District 12 and Katniss's description to believe that she is indigenous or a part of the Melungeon people, a marginalized mixed-race Appalachian community. Regardless of whether you believe in this headcanon or not, Katniss's olive skin and grey eyes are an important distinction in her community that she is from the Seam, the poorest part of District 12.

Katniss in the first book is a rough and traumatized young girl. I feel like a lot of people focus on her bitterness at the world. Katniss doesn't trust anything at face value even if she's not in a stressful situation. She wants her family to be safe and well-fed, no matter what it costs her personally. Poaching is a high offense in District 12 after all and she has been going in the woods since she was 11 to feed her family. What most people forget about Katniss is that she is King. She loves her sister, Prim, more than life itself and she tries again and again to make sure she can have some semblance of a childhood then when she meets Rue in the arena, she cannot help but ally her - mostly because she reminds her of Prim.

"I can almost hear Haymitch groaning as I team up with this wispy child. But I want her. Because she's a survivor, and I trust her, and why not admit it? She reminds me of Prim." (Collins,

In later books, Katniss allows the circle of people she cares about to grow. In "Catching Fire", she comes across two women named Bonnie and Twill, on the run from District Eight to the supposed District Thirteen. Despite the fact it might get her in deep trouble because of the Capitol watching her, Katniss helps them.

"First I give them all the food in my pack, grain and dried beans mostly, but there's enough to hold them for a while if they're careful. Then I take Twill out in the woods and try to explain the basics of hunting. She's got a weapon that if necessary can convert solar energy into deadly rays of power, so that could last indefinitely. When she manages to kill her first squirrel, the poor thing is mostly a charred mess because it took a direct hit to the body. But I show her how to skin and clean it. With some practice, she'll figure it out. I cut a new crutch for Bonnie. Back at the house, I peel off an extra layer of socks for the girl, telling her to stuff them in the toes of her boots to walk, then wear them on her feet at night. Finally I teach them how to build a proper fire." (Collins, pg 68).

Katniss is a fascinating character to study because of her complexities. This is barely scratching the surface of her character. In the next post, I'll be examining the Movie Version of Katniss and how she differs from the Book Katniss. See you then.