#roman x jesse

[mickey-vaughan]

@werewolfroman

Sometimes, there were things that just set you off for no good reason. It wasn't anything that could even really be controlled, either. Emotions could be real bastards at the worst of times and there wasn't a damn thing to be done about that. For Jesse, just the sight of Roman triggered him and it'd been like that since he first got into Greywood. There was something about this guy that brought him right back to that nine-year-old kid inside, the one that only wanted his old man's attention and instead, got a whole lot of nothing. Not even a pat on the back.

Nah, Jesse knew exactly what that 'something' was about Roman. He was like a carbon copy of his own father- as much as a grumpy old drunkard of a soul could be, anyway. They seemed to be about the same age and build, too, so that didn't help any.

"Hey, old man," he stressed the word on purpose, hoping to insult whatever ego there was living inside the mechanic, "shouldn't you be home this time of night? Huh?" Jesse hid a scowl behind the glass he lifted to his lips, taking a healthy sip of the clear liquid within. Tonight wasn't a good night-- anyone who knew Jesse would know that simply by what he was drinking. The hard stuff meant he was in no mood for damn near anything... And yet, here he was, intentionally antagonizing some guy that no part in Jesse and his insecurities.

[witchlingcirce]

Thinking about how the blackthorns eyes are a perfect mix of Jesse and Lucies eyes (Blue-green)

And how Ty gets his gray eyes from Tessa 🩷

[ronanlysnch]

a list of my favorite pairings: jess and rory, gilmore girls

“i just wanted to put some notes in the margins for you.”

[hanilecter]

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

watching succession 4.09 “church and state” twice in one night has rendered me so mad with feelios that i am here to bust a common myth: that roman and gerri had no interaction whatsoever in this episode.

also i have visual aids.

when roman sits down, while shiv tells hugo to go get him a water, gerri gets her bag out and is digging through it:

then later, listening to ken’s eulogy, roman has a tissue!

then later, after shiv’s eulogy, gerri is dabbing her eyes with a tissue!

we can therefore infer, from the evidence at hand, that gerri gave roman a tissue.

(i know lots of people bring tissues to funerals, but then why the bag searching as roman was sitting down, huh? WHY??? exactly. there is no other answer.)

[vclvetfleur]

Obedient Chapter 6

roman roy x fem! reader

Summary: You have been spending a lot of time Roman that you finally had time to spend with Jess. You both go out for shopping and invite someone to your dinner plans.

Warnings: veganism, implied addiction problems

Word Count : 4.4K

Notes: So sorry to do this to my meat lovers and dairy lovers, but OC is canonly vegan. It'll be a funny bit later on, but as a vegan I approved it. sorry.

Chapter 6: goodnight texts

You said your goodbyes to Roman for the day, finishing some things off before you left his office. You were just waiting for Jess to finally finish up with Kendall so you could both head out together for the day. You got the text from Jess before heading to the elevator to meet with her. She turned the corner and sped walked over to you, quickly pulling you into an embrace.

“What are you both up to?” Kendall asked in a friendly way. Despite having to deal with Roman being really nasty to him, he was kind of cheery. It could’ve been genuine, but Jess knew that was just the front he put on around everyone to make them think he was stable.

Kendall was anything but stable. He just hid it well enough by being more likable than his siblings and more understanding than his father. He played his cards right and he was strategic. He wanted to gain everyone’s respect and he thought by trying to be the cool guy that he would keep it. He wanted respect, but his need to be liked overpowered his personality entirely.

In reality, Kendall relapsed again a couple weeks ago. After trying to take down Logan and spending hours and hours out of his days to take Logan down, after Shiv’s wedding he completely cowarded to his father again. He was an empty shell of the man he was before.

Worst of all everyone knew he relapsed again. He tried to act as if he had it under control and as if barely anyone knew, but we all saw through it. He was a complete mess. Roman even had to fish him out of trap house after smoking crack with some strangers he found at a bar. Kendall’s addiction turned into a darker turn than it had ever done before. And no one could stop it, no matter how hard they tried. Truth is, Kendall didn’t want to be sober. He just wanted to forget.

He wanted to stop thinking about it.

And being high was the only way to stop it.

But of course, Logan knew and used it to his advantage. It was another play he had on hand to take advantage of his children. He always had some kind of leverage to make them bend at his will. He had a lot, while they had none. It was like playing Monopoly with toddlers for him. Roman’s weird and queer behaviors. His fear of intimacy and the fact the last person he had sex with was the girl who blew Tom, and he couldn’t even manage to even properly do it. And everyone knew. Cause every girlfriend Roman had outted his sexual problems to everyone out of frustration.

Kendall’s intense drug issues and the fact he was too weak to run the company. He couldn’t even properly overthrow his father. Kendall’s whole life was set up for CEO, but Logan wasn’t ever planning to step down, even in death. Kendall was just Logan’s bark dog. He did what he asked in hopes to get the position he’s fought his whole life for. He wanted to be nothing like Logan, but everything like Logan at the same time that he got his weaknesses and strengths. An absent father and backstabbing family member to not just his father, but his siblings too.

And Siobhan. Well, the only thing Logan had against her was she was a woman and a liberal. Two things Logan couldn’t stand. He saw those qualities as weak. Powerless. She was never going to be taken seriously. Cause Logan created an atmosphere in the office that allowed the man at the top to use their power against women. And he gave them the courage to use their manhood to exude that power. Along with his company ATN spewing alt-right propaganda. He knew the company would not take Shiv seriously. They would think she was gonna change too much around there and weren’t going to have ‘creative freedom’, as if Logan wasn’t already feeding them his own agenda.

Reality is he didn’t stand anywhere politically. Just whatever would give him more power and money. Cause whoever got elected did so because of him. He looked for men who were powerful, but also scared of Logan and his power. And he spread an agenda to the American people. Logan knew his influence. And knew none of them could live up to it. Cause they were all too soft, despite fighting to be as aggressive and terrible as him.

Kendall just wanted to be like Logan despite what he said. But also wanted to be liked. He didn’t know which was more important.

Jess felt pity for him. She had seen him go through it. She knew Kendall more than most. He practically treated her like a personal diary.

She just gave him a comforting smile and answered for the both of you. “Well y/n just got her first paycheck and we were gonna go shopping for new office clothes for her. And to get dinner, but don’t be scared to call me if you need me.” She reminded him. He nodded before stepping in the elevator with the two of you. “So-uh-where are you both gonna get dinner?” He asked you both. You looked at Jess, assuming she would know since she was the one that offered. She didn’t think about it though.

Kendall always seemed to be stumbling over his words. It kind of seemed like he over thinks about everything he said. He taught too much about it. “No clue, we were probably gonna grab a table at whatever was near and good enough.” She confessed.  Kendall tried to find of a spot for the two of us before finally coming up with one.

“You both- I think at least- should go to- it’s incredible really, its new- to this place. Uh fuck- what was it called?” he tried to remember. He spent a while before finally remembering the name. He snapped his finger, pointing at us “Boulud Saud!” He seemed so proud of himself for remembering it. He didn’t really remember names of places like that. Just where they were.

“How do you even spell that?” You laughed, pulling it up on your phone. You all left the elevator together, you and Jess heading towards the subways as Kendall seemed to follow.

You unfortunately always had to look up the menu to places. Because you were scared to admit this to Roman, but you were had been vegan for a couple of years now. I know it was truly a crime of humanity and to some people’s culinary experiences, but you were. Kendall tried his best to spell it out before you all just stopped on the street to find it. Unfortunately for you it didn’t work out for you. “I can’t. Sorry.” You apologized to both of them. Jess because you needed to now look for another place and Kendall for wasting his recommendation.

“Uh why?” he asked. He took it as a blow to his personality. As if he messed up already. In his head, you rejected him because you had an issue with him. His fear of being unliked surged up. You took a deep breathe dramatically, putting your wrist over your head, reaching out to Jess. She just giggled, holding back, watching the dramatic scene play out. “Don’t hate me Kendall, but I- I don’t eat meat. Or egg. Or cheese. Or anything with animals. Ugh I’m awful I know.” You whined, hiding your face.

Kendall was just happy enough that you were actually being friendly to him. You didn't dislike him. He really thought you would since you worked with Roman. But you weren’t like everyone in the building. You were like Jess. You weren’t raised with money. You didn’t find a need to pick and play games like everyone. Work was work. And Kendall wasn’t use to it. He was so use to everyone using things against him and using him for their own gain. He just laughed at you. “Wow. I-I-I don’t know if I could forgive something so repulsive” He played along, stuttering over his words as he usually did.

“It’ll be fine Ken, we’ll just go to one of our usual spots.” Jess reassured him. He nodded and figured it was his time to depart from the two of you. A sadness washed over him again. He had to be alone. Alone with whatever he was thinking. With all of his anxieties. Jess saw it. “Unless you don’t mind meeting us for lunch. It’s not really fancy though. It’s just normal people food.” She shrugged. You looked at Jess then Kendall, you weren’t sure why he had to join since you did expect just a day alone with Jess. But you wouldn’t mind it. Just caught off guard.

“No-uh-no-it’s alright, you both just have your-uh-fun girl thing.” He tried to make himself not look pathetic. But he did. That whole family was. It was a tragedy to watch. Almost Shakespearian.

“No come on, is it cause you don’t wanna eat with normal people?” You asked jokingly. He tried to rebuttal, but you caught him off before you could make him more nervous and upset than he was. “We’ll text you the place before we get there. We’ll see you there.” You offered. Jess appreciated how sweet you were being. It was only 40 minutes of your day. You both had the rest of the day to be spend with Jess. You could just end up at Jess’ apartment later.

You waved goodbye to Kendall, locking arms with Jess. You walked your separate ways as you started your day with Jess. You both decided against the subway and walked to Soho instead. It was only a 15 to 20 minute walk, and it was a beautiful day out. A bit chilly, but just chilly enough that it felt nice.

“So you and Roman.” Jess started as if it was going to turn into a talk. “You enjoying the job?” This felt like a trap. Depending on how you answered could cause Jess to have a talk with you and you weren’t sure if you wanted to have one yet.

“Yeah, Roman is actually trying now.” You shrugged. You avoided her looks.

Jess knew you. She knew how to spot certain hints about your life. You spent 2 years together in a dorm room. Jess was 2 years older than you and moved out, but you still hung out after and even spent nights with her after the semester was over. So, you basically lived with her for 3 years, technically, considering all the months you spent with her during your summers and winters off and even after you left college, you spent weeks with her before you got your expenses together. So, if anyone knew you, Jess did.

“I’ve never seen him at work this much. Last time I saw him at work, he came on his window.” She brought up. You stopped, your jaw dropping almost immediately before you slapped your hand over your open mouth. You looked at her, practically screaming WHAT?

“No fucking way!” you hysterically laughed. You needed to make fun of him for that later. Honestly it wasn’t entirely too surprising. You could expect that from him. “I thought that shit would end after leaving minimum wage.” You tried to say your sentence, but you couldn’t stop laughing.

“Nope. Most fucked up, like a month before you got here, Logan pissed in Logans office.” She bit her bottom lip in amusement, trying to keep herself from breaking out laughing on the street.

“SHUT UP! OH M- What the fuck is wrong with this family?” You shook your head. It was the craziest thing you could ever expect. This is like reading stories of what your favorite celebrity used to do when you could get away with terrible shit.

“You don’t even know the beginning of it. It goes so much deeper than that. That was all within a month or two.” She revealed. You practically begged her to tell you more, but she had too much already. If someone were to find out she said anything, she could get in serious trouble. All thanks to the NDA that they were made to sign. You let it go. You didn’t want to press too much.

You and Jess went from luxury store to luxury store to buy you suits and dresses for work. It was so nice to have Jess around. She knew what it was like being like me. She went through the same exact thing when she first got hired. She knew exactly what kind of mistakes to avoid and what to actually buy. Her first mistake was buying something from Zara.

You had been carrying bags throughout each store, not even paying to attention to how much you swiped, cause no matter how much you did swipe, it didn’t decline. How much did you get paid? You decided to check later. Right now, your arms hurt, and you needed to put the bags away. Thankfully Jess’ apartment was only a couple blocks away.

You rushed inside once Jess unlocked the doors and set everything down. “Fucking hell…” You moan, rubbing your wrists. You laid on Jess’ couch before looking at your phone to see texts from Roman. You decided to change his name to Rome. It was better than what he had put in your phone before.

You giggled, immediately texting back since you hadn’t been able to respond the entire time you spent time with Jess. You and Roman were just getting close. It was normal. You both just enjoyed being around each other. That’s all. Jess found you smiling a bit too hard at your phone. You had a certain glow to you. Jess has seen this glow before. Back in college whenever you’d pick your boy of the month. “Ooo who’s that?” She asked, sitting next to you, leaning down to see your phone to only see Roman’s name again. Her face dropped. Someone fucking dig up Jesus Christ or find him immediately cause God is dead.

“Nope. Fuck y/n, this can’t-“ she was way to stunned. You put the phone down and looked up at her.

“Oh calm down, we’re just being friendly.” You reassured her. You sat up, placing your phone face flat. You never did that around her. Only others when you wanted to hide something. But you didn’t do it consciously. It just was a reflex.

“Y/n promise me. You cannot get involved with Roman. I love you way too much for you to go down this path.” Jess held your hands in hers. She noticed the phone. She knew something you didn’t. You thought she was being extremely dramatic. You didn’t have a crush on Roman. He was just nice to be around. Disgusting. But nice. It was fun. You both had fun with each other.

Besides he was your boss. You’re professional. You knew what could happen if you got involved. You already thought about it. You knew a relationship with Roman could never exist unless you wanted to risk your job possibly. You read the contract. It’s not that you’d be terminated, but there were consequences you weren’t willing to take. But it was also about the public scrutiny you weren’t willing to deal with.

“Nothing is gonna happen Jess, he’s Roman. And plus, you know me. I would not ruin a good thing for something so stupid.” You scoffed. “Hey, don’t forget to invite Kendall to dinner.” You reminded. You just needed to find a place that he wasn’t going to be too uncomfortable in. You weren’t sure if he’s eaten anywhere normal before. He probably had $40 appetizers wherever he ate. You both settled on Dirt Candy. It was a restaurant you always wanted to try but couldn’t afford. It was a Michelin star restaurant despite the name and the appearance of the outside of the restaurant. But the fact it had a star was probably enough for Kendall.

You picked your phone back up and continued to respond to Roman, except trying to hide it better. You held back your smiles enough and tried to not stare at it as often. But it didn’t fool Jess, she saw right through your façade.

You were just making stupid jokes and updating each other on what was happening. You told him you had went shopping for clothes earlier.

‘you gonna do a little show for me tomorrow?’

‘can you ever not sexualize everything i do?’

Jess decided to ignore. She trusted your judgement enough, but entirely, but enough.

“Okay he’ll get there by the time we do.” Jess tried to get you organized. You pulled away from the screen and asked her to repeat herself. She sighed and just walked, knowing you’d follow. You grabbed your jacket and followed Jess around as if you were her assistant now. But you had always followed her around realistically. She was like the older sister you wish you had. You admired her. She was the coolest person you knew. There was nothing she could do wrong in your eyes. Except when you argued about mediocre and mundane things. Then she could do a lot wrong.

You got to the restaurant with Jess, waiting for Kendall. You both just got your drinks.

Jess liked spending time with Kendall. Her job was stressful only when Kendall made his life stressful, which he did a lot; especially recently. She felt pity for him. She saw his potential and knew he can make it far if he could just get over his insecurities. He was smart. He knew what he was doing. But his ego was getting in the way of his success. His dad was constantly in his head.

You watched as the tall black haired man walked into the restaurant searching for you both. He noticed the two of you and made his way over. You and Jess got up to greet him was a hug before sitting back down. You waved the waitress down so Kendall could order a drink for himself as well. He got a menu and looked over what to order. But he couldn’t for the life of him settle on anything.

“Uh-hi. So how was your-uhm- what did you guys exactly do?” He asked you both.

“We just went shopping. I needed a wardrobe for work.” You shrugged. You already had your choice set in place. Jess too. You both just waited for Kendall to make a choice. “I’ve honestly been wearing the same button up for the past couple of days. My outside clothes don’t really fit the office.” You shrugged. “I’m shocked you had anything that wasn’t either see through or more than 5 inches of fabric.” Jess overly exaggerated. You mimicked her before flipping her off. “Wow Roman is really rubbing off on you.” She joked.

“How dare you compare me to him?” You let out a gasp. Your lip curled into a smirk, sipping on your drink. “Credit, you knew me before. So, you know for a fact I’ve always acted this way.” You tried to point out, but Jess really wanted to know your feelings for Roman. She tried to see how’d you even react to him being brought up in conversation. But you barely had one. In fact, you tried to even avoid texting him because you wanted to prove it to her. You did not have a crush on Roman Roy.

“Where’d you two meet again?” Kendall interrogated. Everything was usually about him usually. He did love to talk about himself and what he did, but since his life has been crashing down, he had nothing to brag about, nothing to uplift himself.  

“Oh ya, a strip club. Jess was my pimp.” You clearly lied, Jess kicking your foot lightly under the table.

“College.” She corrected you.

“I think Jess is right, Roman is rubbing off on you.” Kendall said with a quickness that apparently the entire Roy family had, as he stood with Jess. You looked at him in shock. “I grew up with him. I should know.” He raised his hands up in defense before bringing the waitress over as he finally settled on something.

“I’m not that bad though. Come on, right?” You asked the two of them as they ignored you to order their food, essentially giving you their answer. They were joking, but they did assume you were acting like Roman purely because of how much times you both spend together. Kendall more so because he didn’t know you before, Jess less because she knew you were always this quick and witty. But she couldn’t help but remind herself of the way you were glued to your phone. She had to see it for herself in person though. How did you act around him? “Oh, screw you both” You huffed, crossing your arms. “You’ve started to act more like Kendall then.” You tried to fire back; your chin raised up. But really Jess hasn’t. She’s just more grown since when you first met.

“How?” Jess asked amused. Kendall leaned in amused as well to hear what you had to say about him.

“Well, you dress nicer now.” You tried to make any point you could. "You're a lot classier." You mocked, flicking your wrist and batting your eyes.

“Yea cause of work.” She corrected you. “Boo try again.”

“Fine uhhhh….” You thought for a while.

“I don’t think she has anything.” Kendall pointed out to Jess. She nodded at him, agreeing as she watched you with amusement as you tried to pull something out of your ass.

“Oh! I know! You’ve been more docile. You’re not a party girl anymore.” You pointed out. But again, you were only pointing out the fact she’s aged and gotten more mature than when you had first met.  “She used to down at least 8 shots a night in college.” You lied to Kendall.

“Kendall parties.” Jess pointed out. Unfortunately for you, you didn’t understand the double meaning.

“Yea at rich people stuff.” You made a point, but you didn’t know Kendall enough to know how he was. I mean just a few weeks ago he was at a club doing coke with his cousin. Well not with. He made his cousin do it. But he had to pretend to be sober in front of everyone, despite everyone knowing that truth.

“No-I don’t- how about one night I’ll show you.” He offered. You raised your eyebrow, wondering if it was really the best idea to do so. “It’ll be a good time. Trust me.” He left the offer on the table for you to take. You looked at Jess, her shrugging at the request.

“Okay. Next time Kendall Roy is going to party, I’ll be there.” You laughed.

Kendall wasn’t as bad as Roman tried to paint him as. You didn’t understand the dynamic they had. You didn’t know where all this resentment came from. Anytime you seen them, they plotted against the other to ruin the other. They seemed to hit a rough patch.

Honestly, the only issue was they had hit was Kendall trying to recruit people to vote Logan out. Roman was supposed to vote for it, with Kendall, but Logan refused to leave the room. It was a sight to be seen. No one had seen Logan so angry before, despite his health not being in the best shape. He threatened to fire whoever voted against him. And he did. He even took Roman to put his hand down before he got the chance to put in his opinions. And Romans eagerness to please his father mixed with fear of his father, he did what he was told.  And Kendall continued to try to ruin the company. He wanted it gone if he couldn’t have it, not even considering his own brother. He said it was because he wanted Logan to step down, but it was only because it wasn’t his. He thought it was his birth right. But after the accident, Kendall was back. But he knew his future with the company was practically nonexistent now that everything transpired. Now Roman was being offered everything he was promised. And the two brothers had no idea, but so was Shiv. Logan was setting them both up as he did with Kendall years ago as a kid.

You just felt sorry for them. They didn’t seem to have a lot of people around them or anyone to fight for them. They were both dealing with their father and decided to turn their issues into a competition rather than seeking refugee within each other.

The Roy family was an American Tragedy.

The three of you spent awhile in the restaurant together, even after eating. When you finished you just ordered dessert and drinks. Jess watched over Kendall though. She did truly worry about him. The three of you actually had a nice time. Kendall was nice. He was a lot more respectful than Roman was. Just not as intense. He had an intensity that was just different from Roman’s. His was more comparable to Logan’s intensity. He was fun, but still very corporate to you. He was always careful of what to say and how to say it. He always wanted to play safe. No wonder Logan set him up for CEO. If you didn’t know any better, you thought Kendall would end up running Waystar one day.

You split up, giving Kendall a hug before leaving him alone. “Don’t forget to invite me to your totally awesome and not uptight rich people party!” You shouted, walking backwards as you cupped your hands around your mouth to amplify the noise. He nodded, putting a thumbs up.

You turned around, walking with Jess. “He’s fun.” You started.

“See, that’s what I’ve been telling you. That’s why I was so upset you’d be Roman’s assistant instead.” She reminded you. If only Jess got to know him, maybe she’d like him better. But there was no changing her mind. She’s seen how Roman has been. Especially to Kendall. Roman was vindictive. He didn’t even feel any sympathy for what Kendall was dealing with, in her eyes. He just did Logans dirty work and pushed him farther down.

You and Jess had just the entire night together before you decided it was time to get home. You were exhausted. You just decided to get an uber, knowing carrying Louis Vuitton and Chanel and other designer bags down your neighborhood at 1 am in the subway wasn’t safe.

You laid on your bed and finally got the courage to look at your bank account. Before you look login to your bank account you saw one last text from Roman.

‘night. see you tomorrow’

You smiled to yourself, powering your phone off for the night.

Note: Sorry about the end of the chapter if it's a little sloppy. I wrote it while half asleep.

Chapter 7

[dombrianoteretto]

Dom: Why do I have to be the one to do this again?

Brian: Because you're the boss man.

Dom: *sighs* 9 tickets for Barbie, please.

The team behind him: YAY!

[boardchairman-blog]

**Shots of the Episode**

Succession (2018)

Season 4, Episode 6: “Living+” (2023) Director: Lorene Scafaria Cinematographer: Katelin Arizmendi

[msviperwrites]

Summary:

Your name is Sonnie Gold, and you have a major, major problem, named Kendall Roy. Desperate to make it in the PR World after graduate school, You applied for an internship working with Jess Jordan and the infamous Kendall. After being hired, Kendall begins to take a liking to you. Before you know it, he has you sucked down his deep, dark, rabbit hole, despite you having a boyfriend that Kendall absolutely loathes. Soon professional lines blur into sexual lines, and Kendall wants you all to himself, doing everything necessary to ensure that you belong to him. The question is...Will you let him take you?

NOTE FROM WRITER:

Hey y'all! First, thank you for reading this. It's my first time posting on Tumblr, but not my first time writing fanfiction. This is a reader insert, but I personally find that POV stories where "you" and "y/n" are used, take me out of the story, so I named you, dear reader, 'Sonnie' and kept the descriptions vague so you can project yourself onto the character!

WARNING: KENDALL IS VERY OBSESSIVE IN THIS. I mean this man is OBSESSED and will do ANYTHING and everything to make you his in the most controlling ways possible. you have been warned ;) If dark romance, drug use, billionaires stalking you, cheating (Spoiler ;) 'You' cheat on your boyfriend Alec with Kendall) and very rough sex makes you uncomfortable, exit now. If not...

Welcome 😈 this is a longggggg story and it's still a work in progress but I have plenty of chapters ( and spice ;) ) to post! Stay tuned...

Chapter 1:

Jess Jordan sat nervously in her boss's ex-wife’s apartment, which was Kendall Roy’s make-shift workspace. This home in the sky was stocked with past relics of his failed relationship with Rava. Jess had been working as his assistant for years now, but advocating for herself still made her feel timid. This time was necessary to do so, more than ever. The pressures of her job were starting to get to her. She desperately needed help and was drowning in the responsibilities she had. And as more scandals began to arise from the Royco family, PR was becoming essential to reign in.

Kendall entered the room, unbuttoning his black sports coat. He sat at his desk and smiled.

“Yes?”

"Kendall, I really think we need to hire an intern to help with our social media and PR," Jess said, trying to sound confident.

Kendall looked between Jess’s eyes, his face stoic. "And why is that, Jess?"

"Well, as you know, your social media presence is crucial to your success. But I'm finding it difficult to keep up with everything on my own. With an intern, we could increase our output and engagement, and ultimately, increase our revenue. And… you need all the help a positive public image can get…respectfully.”

Kendall considered this for a moment. He knew that Jess was an invaluable asset to the company, and if she thought an intern was necessary, then it probably was. "Alright, Jess. You can hire an intern. Maybe make it two. You’ll need to make a convincing argument for the budget." He smiled.

Jess sighed in relief. "Thank you, Kendall. I'll get started right away."

Jess didn't want to tell Kendall yet, but she was considering quitting soon and thought grooming an intern or two would leave room for added support when she was finally ready to depart. So, Jess immediately got to work, sifting through dozens of resumes and cover letters from previous open positions. But as she read through them, one, so far, stood out - Sonnie Gold. She had a great understanding of social media, and her passion for the field shone through in her writing and schooling. Jess knew that she had to interview her.

A few days later, Jess found herself sitting across from Sonnie in a coffee shop near Rava’s apartment. They chatted for a while, and Jess was impressed by Sonnie's knowledge and enthusiasm.

"So, what made you want to apply for this internship?" Jess asked.

"Well, I've always been interested in PR and social media, and I think it's such an important part of a company's success," Sonnie replied. "I'm really excited about the opportunity to learn more and contribute to Kendall’s online presence."

Jess smiled. "That's great to hear. I think you'd be a great fit for the job. Would you like to come in for an interview With Kendall?"

Sonnie's face lit up. "Yes, please! Thank you so much for considering me." They shook hands, and the two departed La Cafe Latte.

Sonnie was excited. She recently had a run-in with a lot of bad luck and was giddy about the opportunity to work for such a huge name in the media industry. She walked in the direction of the subway she needed to take to go home and made her trek to her apartment in Dumbo.

───────────────────────── ♡⋆☆⋆♡ ──────────────────────────

A few days later, Sonnie came in for an interview with Kendall himself at the apartment. Jess was anxious, but she knew that Sonnie was the best person for one of the open positions.

As they sat in Rava’s living room, Sonnie seemed nervous as well.

“Don’t worry,” Jess assured. “You’re going to do great!”

Time seemed to be slugging along as they waited for Kendall to arrive.

Ten minutes passed before he appeared, disheveled. “Oh god…” she muttered under her breath as Sonnie’s leg shook. Admittedly, Sonnie was worried to meet Kendall face to face, but had she paid attention to the news, she would have understood that terror was more appropriate. the Infamous Roy name should have superseded any attempts at ignorance, but alas, Sonnie was hopeful for a chance.

“Sorry for the hold-up,” Kendall muttered as he unbuttoned his sports coat. Dark circles tugged at his sad-looking eyes. A vague smell of stale cologne followed him in. Sonnie eyed her potential new boss as he rummaged through papers on the coffee table before grabbing her resume.

“It’s no problem at all,” she smiled. They made eye contact for the first time and his eyes flickered between her and the papers before settling on her. Jess cleared her throat.

“So tell me—“ Kendall looked back at the paper “—Sonnie, why are you qualified for a PR internship here?”

Sonnie confidently answered his question, impressing him with her knowledge and passion for the subject. The pair chatted about her college experience for awhile, Kendall paying extra attention to the types of extracurriculars Sonnie participated in, such as her Assistantship program in graduate school. This program gave her a lot of good experience in the areas that Kendall needed the most help in. A half hour went by, and his fatigued energy seemed to have dissipated. Kendall grinned and leaned back in his chair, sizing Sonnie up with a gentle smile. “Alright, thank you miss gold. We’ll certainly be in touch.” He stood up from his chair, extending his hand to Sonnie. She stood and grasped it, feeling the heat from his soft palm and gaze all at once. Sonnie thanked the two of them before walking to the elevator and leaving.

Kendall turned to Jess. "I think she's the one. You can hire her."

Jess smiled in relief. "Thank you, Kendall. I know she'll do a great job."

───────────────────────── ♡⋆☆⋆♡ ──────────────────────────

As Sonnie exited Kendall’s outpost, Sonnie walked in a meditative state, contemplating her time at Grad school, which had been brutal. From competitive classmates to downright abusive professors, every day was a struggle.

She was in a highly cutthroat industry, with jobs in her field slowly dying. It was tough launching a career in writing, but Sonnie was hoping, praying, begging a higher power to let this internship work out. She decided if she celebrated tonight, it would manifest the success, and began to call her boyfriend Alec to let him know how well the interview went. He answered immediately. “How’d it go?!”

“I think really, REALLY well.” Sonnie squealed. “Do you want to meet me at that speakeasy near Tribeca to get a celebratory drink?! I’ll tell you more about the interview there!”

“Ugh, I wish babe…I got another long shift at the hospital tonight. But maybe Friday night next week we can do something? I have a lot of studying to do this week with my attending Doctor at the hospital." He waited before blurting "I'm so happy for you!"

Sonnie was bummed. She really wanted to see Alec but was excited at the prospect of seeing him later in the week.

“Thanks, babe! I don’t know if I got it for sure but…I got a good feeling! I think Kendall would be a great boss.” Sonnie shouldered past a group as she continued to make her trek.

“So cool that you’d get to work with the Roy family. My dad’s a big fan of Connor!” Alec exclaimed.

“He’s a con-brain or whatever they call themselves?” Sonnie asked, half giggling.

“Yeah!! My mom is too.”Alec paused before saying, “I’m so proud of you babe.”

Sonnie blushed. “Aw, thank you!”

“Listen, I gotta go but I’ll let you know about Friday, okay?”

“Okay,” Sonnie felt a small twinge of sadness flicker in her heart.

“I’ll talk to you soon, bye beautiful!”

“Bye, Alec.”

Sonnie paused and glanced around her, deciding she did in fact want to drink even though Alec couldn’t join. She searched for her roommate's contact and pressed call, and waited for an answer.

“Sonnie!!!” Ivy sang. “You caught me at a good time I just finished at the bakery. Whatsup?! How’d the interview go?!”

“Amazing Ives! I want to tell you all about it. I was thinking though… are you around? Do you want to do Drinks at Luxe?” She scanned the street sign in front of her and added “ I’m not too far from there!”

“Sonnie, you know I’ll be there ASAP! Let me go back to our place and shower off some of this flour and I’ll meet you in about an hour.” Ivy said.

“Cool! See you there!”

Luxe was a bougie speakeasy tucked away behind a vintage movie theater from 1910. After an almost hour subway ride because of construction issues, Sonnie finally found herself outside Smitherson Cinemas. She made her way into the foyer and began the search for the speakeasy.

It was oddly located. Most speakeasies are, but you had to wiggle your way past the concession stand near the right side of The Theatre to find its door. Worth it though, for an intimate and quaint ambiance. As Sonnie skimmed the soda machine, the door popped, and down the narrow hallway, she went before being greeted by a plush red door. She gently grabbed the handle and tugged it open. A gentle cool breeze of AC and a clean floral smell soon hit Sonnie. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the red-hued lighting in the bar. There was one long U-shaped bar that stretched from one end to the other of the speakeasy and a few high-top tables with seats. Besides the couple sitting at one end of the bar, and a small group of corporate-looking people, the place was quiet.

Sonnie plopped herself in the middle, her back to a group of four.

“…just saying why are we here? Isn’t this like for peasants?” Sonnie’s ear perked up. She swiveled on the stool and noticed a man with dark features and an even darker suit had his back to her while three others crowded onto their side of the table.

“Relax,” said the one with his back to Sonnie. “I wanted to pitch something to you guys in an inconspicuous place.”

The oldest-looking one stifled a laugh. His grey hair was perfectly slicked back in a neat non-pretentious pompadour.

“I thought it was cause you wanted quality time with your siblings... you know, away from REAL people.” He patted the table to excuse himself and made his way to the bar to order a drink. He squeezed next to Sonnie on the left and waited for the bartender to return.

“Hey, Con, get me another bourbon, neat.” The man with dark features tapped his glass as he turned to face ‘Con’

“You got it, Ken” Con said.

“Kendall…?” Sonnie whispered to herself.

Kendall continued to bicker with two other people. Con leaned into Sonnie and asked “Sorry did you say Kendall? You know my brother?”

Sonnie looked into Con’s cool eyes, they had a surprising warmth to them you wouldn’t expect from such round baby blues. Before Sonnie could answer his first question, he asked “What are you drinking?”

“Oh, I was thinking a bee's knees—“

“Bartender!” Con snapped his fingers, his face twisted in annoyance. The bartender appeared at the opposite end of the bar, wiping his hands on a dish towel, and began making his way toward the two.

“I’m Connor—“ he said while extending his hand.

“Sonnie,” she smiled and shook Connor’s rough palm.

“What can I get you?” The bartender asked.

“Two bourbons, neat, and a bee's knees—“

“Alright fuck you guys, I’m done—“ Kendall’s voice rang through. There was a hint of humor, but it was dwindling.

“—for the lady,” Connor continued. He clenched his jaw and blew out hot air between his teeth. The bartender nodded and began to work.

“Sensitive. bitch boy, beta cuck!" sneered another voice.

“Guys,” Connor called the bickering group's attention. Kendall, a smaller man, and a red-headed woman glared at Connor. “Let’s cut the fighting, alright? Maybe pick a more appropriate place for this conversation?”

“Oh fuck you con— hey, wait a second,” Kendall’s eyes met Sonnie’s as the bartender placed the drinks on the counter. She quickly grabbed her cocktail, not breaking eye contact. “I know you! Sonnie, right?” He asked as he got up from his seat and plopped himself on the stool to her right. Connor grasped his whiskey cup, took a sip, and made his way back to the two at the table.

“Gotta say you nailed that interview.”

He reached over Sonnie, his chest barely touching her shoulder, and grabbed his bourbon that was next to her glass. She felt a sudden flush and hoped the red lights of the bar disguised the heat in her cheeks. She took a sip from her drink.

“Thank you, I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with you—“

“Hold that thought, hey guys!” Kendall waved at the group with Connor. “She just said she was grateful to speak with me today.” He said smugly. The red-headed woman scoffed. “Of course she said that, she doesn’t know you!”

“Shiv, that’s cruel. Am I so hard to know?” Kendall asked.

“Kinda,” said the voice who called Kendall a cuck. A squirrely man played with an Olive in his martini glass. “Who is she, your new doe-eyed assistant? I mean fuck she looks like a deer in headlights.” Sonnie looked at him slightly agitated. “I’m Roman, by the way. Roman Roy.” He gave her a half-hearted wave. She couldn’t help but feel like the ‘Roy’ name drop was implying the status he held.

“Actually yeah, this is Sonnie, Jess’s PR intern.”

“Siobhan —“ the redhead interrupted with an introduction, she stood behind Kendall and began kneading his shoulders. “—sister to Kendall. All I gotta say is good fucking luck if this guy is your boss.”

“Whoa, whoa, easy now. Don’t scare the poor girl before she starts!” He held his hands up defensively as Siobhan stopped massaging him and took a seat on another stool.

Sonnie placed her hand on Kendall’s shoulder. He glanced down at her fingers, and then at her eyes. “Wait— sorry to interrupt—“ she removed her hand “Are you saying I got the job?”

Kendall grinned and grabbed his bourbon. He placed the edge of his cup to the bottom of his lip and grinned.” “Sonnie—“ he took a swig “that’s exactly what I’m fucking saying” he clinked her cocktail with his cup and waited for her to grab the stem of the glass.

“Seriously?!” She scrambled for her drink and the two did a proper cheers before drinking.

“Bartender! It’s tequila time, 5 shots of azul ultra Anejo” Roman ordered as he and Connor re-joined at the bar.

“Oh I—“

“What? Don’t want to get drunk with the boss?” Siobhan asked.

“No—“

“Oh let the poor girl unwind, will ya?” Connor sighed with contempt. “Chumming the water…” he gave Sonnie a sympathetic look “But Shiv’s right don’t get drunk with Kendall, unless you want an earful and a mouthful.” He laughed the last part into his drink.

“Con stop. Lawsuit in the making!” Shiv slapped the oldest brother’s arm.

Kendall glared at Connor.

“He’s joking. We’re joking,” Kendall assured. As he watched Sonnie’s face morph into subtle terror. Before Sonnie could say anything, her phone buzzed as the 5 shots were brought out with limes.

It was Ivy:

“Hey, I may not make it at a good time. Damn subway line is closed and I have to walk 10 blocks East to catch the right train. I’ll grab some wine though and we can celebrate later at the apartment?”

Sonnie began to write "I ran into that problem on the opposite way in! No worries girl"

“Who’s that?” Roman asked appearing on Sonnie's shoulder. She gasped and fumbled her phone, which clattered to the tile floor. “Shit—sorry.”

“Fuck Rome!” Kendall growled.

Roman reached down and grabbed it, screen cracked. “Oh fuck- Sonnie, dammit.”

Her mouth gaped slightly. “I just bought this phone a week ago...”

“I’m so sorry. I was just trying to be an ass.”

“Rome— dude— you’re screwing me right now.” Kendall exhaled exasperated.

“Sonnie you come by Monday next week and I’ll write you a check for a brand new phone. I swear.”

She looked at Kendall wishfully. “Really?!”

“Of course.”

“On that note—“ Shiv squeezed over handing out the tequila shots— “breaking glass is supposed to be good luck so let’s take shots and celebrate your internship—“ she stifled a laugh “working with Ken.” All the Roy kids and Sonnie held the glass shots. Sonnie licked the fleshy area between her left thumb and pointer finger and began looking for salt. Kendall watched. Connor laughed.

“Sonnie, what are you doing?”

“It’s a tequila shot, right?”

“This is high-quality stuff. You won’t need salt.” His tone skyrocketed “higher class,” before Kendall raised his shot glass.

“To Sonnie!” Kendall said.

“To Sonnie!” They all said in unison and took the shot. It was smooth and silky with the subtle bite all alcohol has. Sonnie was impressed.

“Ah I gotta take this-“ Connor said as he answered a call and stepped out.

“Sorry again about your phone…” Roman mumbled sheepishly. “I’ll write you the check—“

“No, I will write her the check. I’m her boss.” Kendall stated and ordered another round of shots.

“Woah hey now, Sonnie hasn’t finished her cocktail yet. Sonnie?” Shiv asked.

“Yeah?”

Roman and Shiv looked at each other before clearing space on the bar. They balled their hands into fists and looked at Kendall.

“Guys— don’t peer pressure—“

“Weeeeee like to drink with Sonnie-“Roman and Shiv sang “cause Sonnie is our mate”

“Don’t--” Kendall cautioned half-heartedly,

“And when we drink with Sonnie— she downs it all in eight…seven…” Sonnie looked amused but frantic at Roman and Shiv before understanding what she must do. She grabbed her cocktail and sucked it down fast. The siblings cheered with delight.

“Okay Ken I take it back. she can follow instructions which is good for a little intern.” Roman smiled as sarcasm clung to his words. The second round of shots were placed on the counter and everyone collected their glass, with two remaining.

Another text from Ivy, but this was hard to read because of the cracks in Sonnie’s phone screen. “Are you at the bar?”

“That your boyfriend?” Kendall asked.

“Huh? Oh no, my roommate. She was wondering if I made it to Luxe okay.” Sonnie typed out a fast response.

“Yes. New boss is here, not planned. Socializing and celebrating! Got the job!”

“Okay!” Shiv began drumming the counter with one hand and holding up a shot in the other. “Round two!” 3 sets of eyes were on Sonnie. She hesitantly took her shot glass and grinned “Salute” Sonnie sang as she raised her shot into the air. Everyone tossed their heads back.

“There’s still one shot left…” Roman smiled cheeky. “I think Shiv the Shiv should take it,” Siobhan smiled lethally and began reaching for the shot until Kendall snagged it and swallowed. He grinned and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “… or Kendall I guess.”

“Alright sibs, let’s get Con and head out.” Kendall took out his wallet and flagged the bartender to pay. “Closing out the Roy tab,” “And her bee's knees as well,” he shot Sonnie a glance from the corner of his eye and gave her a furtive smile.

“Thank you, Mr. Roy,”

“Kendall, my friends call me Ken.” He signed the bill And began to make his way towards the door, his siblings following suit. Roman muttered before he passed Sonnie

“We’ll get your phone squared away…” then caught up with his brother and sister.

Kendall paused at the door leaving luxe, and held it open for Roman and Siobhan. The two glanced at each other before beginning the walk down the narrow hall.

“Jess and I’ll see you 8:30 Monday morning, Sonnie”

“Sounds good Mr. R—“He held up his finger. “—Kendall,” she corrected. He nodded approvingly.

“8:30am.” And shut the door.

Ivy again, “When you say boss, do you mean the lady Jess you’ve told me about or?”

Sonnie bit her lower lip “No, Kendall.”

Ivy emphasized her message. “First name basis already?! 😉…be careful though, Sonnie. He’s a powerful man …”

“Noted…”

[tomshivendgame]

succession - getaway car (taylor swift)

kinda late with this one but here’s an edit of the finale i haven’t moved on from until now 🥹

[a-little-nerdy-dude-with-wings]

Chapter 2 of my Roy sibs/Romangerri whumptober fanfic is here!

Kendall, Shiv and Connor finally notice that Roman is nowhere to be seen at Logan's funeral reception

Feel free to check it out and I hope you enjoy!

[rheingoldweg12a]

THEY CUT THAT...THAT!!! I'M SO FURIOUS!!! I'M ACTUALLY MAD WITH GRIEF!!! 🤬🤬🤬

[wonderpommey]

So here are my predictions that no one asked for about the end for Roman! Locked up in a cage, forever unable to confront anyone, let alone himself? Symbolic death in a murder suicide of doom or standing up for someone he loves?

Every season so far has pitted Logan v. Gerri/Sibs for dominance over his heart, it was crazy to imagine that this season, despite Logan’s death, would be any different, it just magnified both sides.

Roman’s arc this season is his desire, born out of misplaced guilt, to be everything he thought Logan wanted him to be in 4x02, but arguably since forever (See my S3 posts); a ruthless alpha toxic fuck who ‘kills’ women, starting with the one he loves.

But that’s just Roman’s paranoid interpretation of Logan’s wishes. It’s what you do when you can only project what you think dad wants and you think it’s most certainly the worst-case scenario, the one that hurts you the most. Logan as God directing Abraham to kill his beloved son Isaac. But preventing it at the last moment, because if God lets you kill that which you love, he’s just another monster. In lieu of an angel, Logan sends Tom (How many times has Roman asked if they should kill Tom this season btw), asking if it’s done already.

Is that what Logan truly wanted? Logan is disgusted by the idea that his son wants an older woman, respecting her competence above his nepo birth right, but he doesn’t really want Roman to fire Gerri to prove something to him. What he wants is for Roman to be able to turn away from ‘love’ and loyalty, if the business requires it. In fact, the pure distraught manic emotion Roman is unleashing, trying to be something he’s not, is the opposite of what Logan wanted.

What I hadn’t necassarily anticipated was that in doing so, Roman doesn’t just deny his true longings, he creates actual hurt and pain for the people he loves and the wider world. As Gerri turns away (and puts her shoes back on, covering the Achilles heel he was for her) as his sibs strike out on their own, his hurt - which he can’t acknowledge as his needs and wants are what he’s always been punished for, they can’t be expressed - grow and create anger. Which he misdirects at everyone but the one person who deserves it, Logan. Roman has only allowed himself one outburst of anger at Logan and has lived to regret it ever since.

The show has always been a blistering indictment of patriarchy and capitalism as it pertains to the essential human need for love (RIP reddit bros who thought this was fictional apprentice). The poison drips through… Repressed longing for love, connection, affection, trust & loyalty creates hurt, which creates anger, which creates evil. And men become so hurt by women’s rejection of them (which they do for their own survival!), that they start hating them.

And symbolically, we’ve had Roman as this murderous messenger to Gerri, but he actually ended up killing his dad, then murdering Gerri again only to pull out the blade because he’s him and he couldn’t actually do that. Then she grabbed his bloody hand and sank the knife back into her heart and brought her red painted nails to his throat (see this is how it’s done Roman, that’s how you kill. Here’s your last chance to learn and survive). As he loses what he intrinsically wants, he discovers that nothing matters and he sets the actual world on fire. If he wants to die now because the cognitive dissonance is too great, there’s no way he won’t want to die by Gerri’s hand, no way he won’t want her eyes on him as his humanity, his last hope for love, leaves his body…

Can Roman break the cycle of anger, serve Gerri’s (or even another woman’s) interest, identify and say something he feels, leave Waystar? I doubt the show will want to say anything so hopeful and will instead focus on Shiv’s pregnancy; minuscule hope, and very likely doomed repetition of the cycle.

And just your friendly reminder that Kieran and Jesse and Mark walked away for 20mn as Kieran had totally misread the meaning behind Roman’s last scene and that Kieran spins his own fanfic about how Roman ends up… so good luck!

[lovetgr76]

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

i think if logan hadn't died, gerri would have hooked up with roman just to mess with him

[flintsdragon]

*To the tune of the atreides chant from DUNE* Argestes! Argestes! Argestes!

This gets overshadowed by some killer episodes at the end of season 2, but if i had to pick a single episode of Succession that’s my favorite, it would probably be this one.

Before getting into the plot and the character moments i wanna say that a major reason i feel compelled to rewatch Argestes is that I’ve always really enjoyed the aesthetics of this episode. I realize its kind of weird because it doesn’t have the flashiest outfits or the most stunning visuals, but the fact that everyone’s basically wearing the same clothes and living on a college campus is really fun to me. it makes it feel like gossip girl or something, where the Roy’s can turn a corner at any moment and be met with an enemy or a bestie (or a disgruntled lover)

No offense to Connor or Willa (whom i love, and are completely absent from this ep), but the strongest element of this episode is that you get a glimpse of nearly every single relationship dynamic on the show: Tom/shiv, Gerri/Roman, Kendall/Stewy, Tom/Greg, etc. and on top of that we see (most of) the Roy siblings interacting in a public way we’ve never seen before. I could rewatch their “condemn and move on” talk a million times and never be bored of it because of the way Kendall and Shiv present these polished, agreeable versions of themselves and Roman essentially appears lifeless, barely contributing and waiting for the whole thing to end. It says a lot about their characters, and the actors all play that scene beautifully.

Of course, there is the scene after the talk which ends with Logan hitting Roman and Kendall and Shiv rushing to his side. Everyone’s behavior indicates that this isn’t by any means the first time this has happened, and Roman downplaying the moment speaks volumes about the abuse he has suffered and the ways he has learned to cope with it.

Speaking of seeing characters in a new light, the end of the episode where Logan is banging on Nan’s car after she fires Rhea and calls off the deal is iconic because you can just tell that he hasn’t felt this powerless in his entire adult life. It’s also striking because as audience members we know he makes his kids feel this way basically every day of their lives.

On a much lighter note, another subplot centers around what Tom and Greg are going to title Tom’s presentation, and the result is my favorite joke of the entire series. They believe that “we’re listening” and “we hear you” could get them in trouble so they decide to call the talk “we here for you”. Iconic, brilliant, perfect nonsense. Five stars no notes