#something something shiv is tom is greg... something something real people
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these parallels have haunted me forever and splicing up a video was a lot easier than making a gifset
#tomgreg#tomshiv#tom wambsgans#2x2 vaulter#2x3 hunting#something something shiv is tom is greg... something something real people#tom gets to call greg out for being performative and he's RIGHT#not only in the sense of greg only caring on the surface but also in that he's really trying to help greg move up#and he knows better than anyone that loudly being a Good Person doesn't get you anywhere#meanwhile shiv uses her own performative politics like a weapon and silences tom with them even when he tries to call her out#and it's notable that tom is genuinely much less privileged than her imo#he's trying to live and she's just saying words#and urging him into what winds up being a traumatic situation#meanwhile tom is taking greg to the top#ALSO noteworthy that greg is annoyed at worst and CAN take it#but shiv is like wearing tom's spirit thin#video#mine
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a body of impulses
chapter 4: staining the future
lukas matsson x f!roy reader (succession)
★chapter 3★
wc: 8.6k+
warnings: super dysfunctional family, roman roy as his own warning, mention of phone sex, manipulation, praise, no use of y/n
summary: The fall back to the real world after your time spent with Lukas hits you hard. But your family hits you harder, and they hit to kill.
author's note: snow writes a fic without graphic smut?!? insanity. please consider liking, commenting, or reblogging if you enjoyed!
Logan’s birthday is… Logan’s birthday. The day is always celebratory, and always ends in trouble. Chaos tends to be inevitable when your family is together, like two comets on a collision course, helpless to stop the impending crash. Even intimate get-togethers are no exception. You were fully prepared for this, readying your mediating skills and considering any possible issues that could come up at the event. Until, your siblings inform you that they will not be attending. On one hand, it’s a shock. Missing something as important as your father’s birthday because of a fight seems unreasonable, especially when you were so sure you would see them in person again. On the other hand, the lack of their presences could avoid the conflict you were expecting. Either way, your focus shifted from getting ready to stop blow out fights to preparing to answer nosy questions on the whereabouts of your family.
It was nice to talk to your siblings after weeks of no contact. The discussions you had were usually meager, straight and to the point. But all the same, it gave you some sense of normalcy in your vastly changing life. That and the less you spoke to them, the less you had to lie to them about what you were up to. Between Lukas and work, it felt like you could barely get out a sentence without potentially compromising an immense secret. You’d gotten uncomfortably close to disclosing your relationship a couple times, both with Roman, both due to your increasingly frequent trips to Sweden. Luckily, you’d been trained enough in keeping the peace to brush over the details of your life and get him to talk about himself, the suspicion leaving his mind almost instantly.
In addition to rekindling your relationship with your siblings, a strange sort of friendship was beginning to form between yourself and Tom. You were the only two in the immediate family that hadn’t jumped ship yet, well, besides Greg. Since he wasn’t really speaking to Shiv, and Roman and Kendall would rather die than see his face, you were the only one Tom could go to for a genuine conversation. Unless he wanted to talk to Gerri, Karl or Frank, but Tom preferred speaking to someone who wasn’t at least 20 years older than himself. Because of this, the two of you began bonding in a way you hadn’t had the chance to before. When Roman wasn’t making crass jokes over your shoulder, influencing your opinion with his humor, Tom wasn’t actually that bad.
He was more down to Earth than your siblings. He had grown up rich, but not your kind of rich, and it gave him a sort of level headedness that you didn’t see often. His jokes were pretty funny, and his midwest accent gave his speech a natural formality that was strangely captivating. You liked talking to Tom, you even began to see him as a friend during the months after the GoJo deal began. Not only was he sociable, he was actually good at what he did. You’d always thought that he got his position through his relationship with Shiv, though when you began working with him on the GoJo deal you saw that his work ethic had a genuine quality to it. He could be a little brutal at times and looked out for himself before others, but who wasn’t in this business. By the time Logan’s party came up you found yourself honestly enjoying his company.
When you arrive at Logan’s penthouse, the party has already begun. There’s a good crowd of people mingling, mostly executives from Waystar’s corporate world and old business associates of your Dad’s. You’re happy to see Colin, who you greet with a friendly smile, and annoyed to see Kerry, who you give a tight lipped grin. Your dad is at least somewhat happy to see you, giving you the rare hug in welcome.
Buying gifts for a man that has everything is incredibly difficult, and after the watch situation from last year, you were even more terrified of Logan’s reaction to your present. You had settled on purchasing him a Navy medal of honor from WWI to add to his collection and wrapped it weeks in advance, trying to push the worry from your mind for as long as possible. As he opens the present now, his reception is better than you hoped for. Your dad offers you a small thanks and notes that he will add it to one of his display cases later. Internally you doubt that he will, but at least he was kind to you publicly. With another quick hug and a promise to see him again in a bit, you enter the throng of people once more and begin looking for a drink.
It’s really only natural that you gravitate to Tom, joining his side with a glass of champagne as soon as you spot him in the mass of suits. He cracks a few jokes, makes a few comments on work, but mostly you just stand together and look engaged in conversation, successfully deterring any onlookers from bothering you to ask prying questions. You make frequent trips to the bathroom. Not to actually use the toilet, but to answer your messages from Lukas. It was too much of a chance to open his texts around others at the party, since so many of them knew him well. He knows your at Logan’s birthday, he even considered attending himself before getting too busy with work. His goofy texts brighten up the otherwise dull day, giving you something to look forward to and keeping you awake amongst the bland chatting you’re obligated to engage in.
It’s after one of these trips to the bathroom that the first sign of discord begins to creep into the party. It starts with Cousin Greg, who’s chattering incessantly in Tom’s ear as you approach the pair.
“-I’m kidding, I really do like her.” You seamlessly attach yourself to the conversation as you join them, keeping pace as you begin to walk from room to room.
“Like who? The blonde teeny bopper you brought?”
“Yeah!”
“What, did you meet her on Raya or something?” You get a small laugh from Tom at that, the three of you pausing your stroll for a moment.
“She’s used all the display towels in the bathroom and now they’re sopping wet, she’s gabbling about herself and posting on social media.” Greg scoffs a bit at Tom’s critique, looking around to be sure the blonde was nowhere nearby. “She’s asking people personal questions- and she’s wolfing all the canapes like a famished warthog!”
“People are overreacting, okay? She brought a normal kind of handbag!”
“Greg, the massive purse is one thing. Posting pictures of the inside of my father’s house on Instagram is actually incredibly invasive. She’s basically a security risk at this point.”
“You are a laughing stock of polite society.” As Tom chimes in, the unmistakable face of Greg’s date begins to approach you, a look of concern on her face. Tom whispers as he finishes his comment. “You’ll never go to the opera again.”
“Maybe- we should go?” The woman’s voice has a twinge of vocal fry, her hand holding her phone protectively close to her body.
“Oh are you okay? What, uh, what happened?” Greg stoops from his normal towering stance to direct his quiet tone towards his date.
“Nothing! I just asked Logan for a selfie.”
“You asked my dad for a selfie?” You can’t help the small laugh of disbelief that leaves your mouth at her confession.
“Yeah- oh! You’re- uh…” The woman is at least socially conscious enough to realize her mistake in not addressing you, an awkward smile coming to her face as she continues. “I said ‘Congrats on the big deal.’ I was like, ‘Ker-ching, am I right?’ I was being funny!”
“...That is hilarious.”
It’s a little while later when things start to get worse. Logan had disappeared with Colin a couple of hours ago, and was now ignoring calls as his executives tried to contact him. Additionally, Kerry had come to you and asked you to talk to your siblings, to get them to text or call Dad for his birthday. You gave her the same strained response you’d had to repeat so many times in the past few months, “My siblings are capable of making their own decisions.” Despite this, you did text them to let them know of Kerry’s request. They left the message on read. It’s you who’s finally able to get through to Logan, letting him know that there was some trouble with the Pierce deal. He arrived back at the penthouse only a bit after you contacted him, immediately stopping the party and kicking out the crowd.
And so, on a day that was supposed to be calm, work-free, and relaxing, you ended up gathered in Logan’s home office with the tension rising rapidly. It’s concerning how quickly the group is able to find out that it’s your siblings who are the rival bidders. It’s more concerning how upset Logan is when he finds out. He swears. More than usual. He yells at both you and Tom, telling the pair of you to call Shiv and tell her to get her own idea. To your credit, you do call her, but you go straight to voicemail.
You’re helpless in the situation, in a sort of trance of dissociation as chaos unfolds around you. You barely even perk up during Logan’s “roasting” rampage, refusing to cause a spectacle for your dad’s amusement. Unfortunately, Greg doesn’t have the same foresight as you. What snaps you out of the haze is when Tom finally gets through to your sister. The two of you huddle around his iPhone in the corner of the room, trying to maintain some sense of privacy as speakerphone causes your conversation to echo around the office.
“Hey, Shiv” Tom’s is clearly stressed, an unnatural lilt in his voice as he speaks.
“Hi?”
“Hey. Tom!” So Kendall’s with her.
“Fuck you, man mountain!” And the voice of Roman solidifies your siblings' involvement in buying Pierce. An inaudible sigh leaves your mouth as the worst is confirmed.
“Hey, look, so… we were just wondering if we’re not being- uh, played a little here. Since this is all indicative.”
“Okay, well, what did he go up to?” Shiv’s tone is simultaneously annoyed and eager.
“Well, we can’t tell you that.”
“He didn't go to nine, did he?”
“Well, we were just wondering, you know, all things being equal, the asset does have a price. And it would be- it would be crazy to add an emotional… uh, premium here.” Tom is beginning to scramble, his demeanor becoming frantic as he searches for some kind of tactic to convince your siblings. “So, should we be looking for a back door on this?”
“What's Dad's ceiling?” Shiv asks the question like she already knows the answer. You wonder if she really does.
“Well, what's your ceiling?”
“Why don't you go first, Tommy? Build that trust, brah!” Kendall’s tone is surprisingly happy, like he’s high either on coke or on the thrill of bidding.
“Well, his ceiling is-- is... Uh, well, I... Your dad is just–”
“It’s higher than yours, I can guarantee that.” You cut in for the first time, saving Tom from his own bumbling.
“Oh hi baby sister! Decided to join the rebellion yet?” Roman stretches out the nickname, whining in a way he knows you hate, trying to rile you up to their level.
“Do you even have the financing for this? Or are you pooling together all your lunch money just to piss off Dad?” Maybe it’s the fact that you’re over the phone, maybe it’s how stressed out this situation has you, but you find yourself bolder than normal. For once, you’re going head to head with your sibling’s wit without backing down.
“We’re not doing this just to piss off Dad.” Shiv deadpans, interjecting before Roman can get another word in.
“Right because you have such a genuine interest in a left leaning, family based news conglomerate that’s a direct competitor to ATN.” Your normally soft and regulated tone has a sharp edge to it, cutting through your family’s bullshit like butter. “What happened to the media company you were starting, you seemed so excited about that? The hundred, or something?”
“It’s still news and media, it's just- just starting from nothing versus, like, starting from an already established network.” Kendall speaks next, you can hear his chair vaguely creaking as he sits forward to direct his voice into the phone.
“Well it’s not worth it, what you’d gain from buying Pierce is nothing compared to the damage you’d do from fucking this deal. You know that.” You take a breath before finishing your piece, voice softer as you attempt to appeal to your family’s empathy. “Right now, you can still come back from this. Things… aren’t too broken, yet. We can fix them. If you go through with this, I don’t know if that will still be true.”
There’s a long pause before Shiv speaks again. “Our ceiling is 12.”
“Fuck off!” Tom can’t contain his shock at the statement. You tilt your head back, shaking it in disbelief with your eyes on the ceiling. “Yeah, well, our’s too. Okay?”
“Okay!”
There’s a familiar beep as the call ends. You don’t look at anyone’s faces as you reclaim your seat on the couch. You barely speak for the rest of the night. You don’t flinch when your siblings win Pierce, don’t look up when your dad screams at them through the phone, don’t say goodbye to anyone as you leave. Your resolve only crumbles in private.
That night, you call Lukas. He answers on the first ring, smiling into the camera as you greet him on Facetime. You can’t say much about the business that went down today, but he knows you well enough to fill in the blanks. Lukas has listened to you vent about your family so much, and everytime he consoles you like nobody else. He remembers past issues, connects them, brings them up to understand the context better. He frowns when you cry, he tries to make you laugh when you’re mad. He’s single handedly crushing your apprehensions on the relationship one night at a time.
You feel refreshed in the morning, maybe you cried all the angst out of your bloodstream. There’s already a text from your boyfriend making sure you're okay, asking you to text him updates about your day. It’s one of the rare occasions that you won’t be in the office. Instead you’ll be at Connor’s wedding rehearsal, doing just as much work, only with your family instead of the company. Inside, you’re dreading the event. It’s awful, just 24 hours ago you were excited to see your siblings in person. You’d been prepared to hug and smile and laugh. Now, you weren’t sure if they’d even come. And worse, you had no clue how they’d react to your presence if they did attend.
Nevertheless, you persist. You treat the rehearsal like a work event you really don’t want to go to, practicing fake smiles in the mirror as you do your makeup, donning your best cocktail dress, and pushing through the anxiety rushing in your veins. The actual rehearsal is mostly uneventful, your siblings missing from attendance. Of course, it’s incredibly awkward. Willa clearly did not want to be there, tears welling in her eyes every five seconds. Connor absolutely knew this, trying to make up for it with overt public displays of affection. At one point you swear she’s gonna call it off. Instead, she runs off to the bathroom with her bridesmaids for half an hour before returning like nothing was wrong. By the time it’s over and Willa is rushing out the door, you’ve settled into a round table at the restaurant with Connor. You’re expecting to be consoling him for the rest of the night.
It’s just your luck that your family arrives less than five minutes later.
“Finally!” Connor’s sudden interruption in your small talk makes your head whip around, your eyes landing on the trio approaching you. You set down your champagne glass a little too hard, and plaster a polite smile on your face as they near.
“Found him!” Roman is the first to approach his demeanor casual as always, eyes skipping over you to focus on Connor sitting to your right.
“Hey, hey.”
“Hey.”
“Here you are, we missed you.” You keep your voice gentle as you address them, letting Kendall give you a small pat on your shoulder in welcome.
“Hello sir, hugsie?” Rome stoops to plant a semi-authentic hug on Connor, gazing over his shoulder to give you a small look of endearment. A silent show of forgiveness you’ve gotten used to.“We’re so sorry man.”
“Yeah, dad screwed us.” Shiv reaches over you to hug your brother. She gives you a tight lipped smile to acknowledge your presence. “Hey, bro.”
“Oh look at you, the rebel alliance. How is it out in those hills? Supply lines okay? Got enough to eat?” Connor alters his voice a bit, putting on a front of normalcy for his family, even if he knows you can see right through it. Your siblings are still leaning on the table, standing noncommittally as you stay seated with your eldest brother. “This is how it is, huh? Us and Dad on one side, you guys on the other?”
Roman doesn’t answer, disregards his comment in favor of asking a competing question. “You… okay man? We saw Willa on the way in.”
“Yeah, I think it’s all fine.” Connor’s resolve slips as he responds, voice lowering to a level thick with anxiety and gloominess.
“Well…” You give a sideways glance at him before moving your gaze to the rest of your family. “When Willa stood up to do her speech, she said ‘I can’t do this.’ And then she ran to the bathroom and stayed there for forty minutes with her friends.”
There’s a universal cringe that spreads across the table at that information.
“Oh no, no, no. That’s not-” Roman takes a seat, slouches back in his chair as he tries to assure Connor with some rambling. “That’s totally fine, don’t worry about that. Just… toss her another ten grand. -Or a snowmobile and some teeth whitening vouchers.”
“Any luck, Sylvia?” Connor directs his message to a blonde, tanned woman holding a glass of red wine in one hand and her phone in the other. She shakes her head. “That’s Willa’s mom.” He adds under his breath before getting up to go speak with her in the corner.
“It's… fine Con.” Roman’s volume dwindles as your brother walks out of earshot. You scoot back in your chair a bit, craning your neck to look over at Connor while your siblings continue speaking.
“This is so fucking weird.”
“Okay so- do we regroup at my place?” Shiv lowers her voice as she speaks, almost like she’s telling a secret.
“Shiv. He’s, Come on- he’s lookin’ a little rough. Don’t you think?” Rome angles a thumb to your oldest brother. His voice is thick with sympathy, a rare display of emotion from him.
“Well, sure.” Shiv’s still standing, tapping her foot impatiently as her words speed up. “I’m sorry that Dad fucked us, and I’m sorry that we’re late, but we do need to decide fast… so…”
“Wait, decide on what?” Your head turns back to the group at the table, eyes settling on your sister in front of you. “And- you’re leaving? Seriously? You just got here, you can’t spend an hour with your brother? He’s clearly going through a lot!”
“Yeah, we should stay.” Kendall chimes in, giving you a small nod of agreement. “And- I mean, I think we know, right?”
“Do we, though? They made some pretty compelling arguments”
“Sandi’s a greedy little bitch. She’s got her hand up the ass of the carcass of her dad, and Stewy’s just along for the ride. It’s a- fuck it! It’s a packet of horseshit!” Roman’s speech gives you more insight into what it is they’re actually debating. There’s a thousand different reasons your siblings could be talking to Sandi and Stewy, but with your family it’s never just innocent conversation. And with Shiv’s comment about deciding fast… whatever they’re up to, it has to be affecting something in the near future.
“Okay. What if I want to talk it through?” Your sister stresses the word I, like she is the ultimate driving force in this decision. Which, to be fair, she seems to be.
“Talk what through? What’s going on- what are you three up to now?” Your head shakes slightly as you ask the question, already preparing for the worst. There’s a slight pause as your siblings look at each other, which you use to take another sip of champagne.
“Okay, still incommunicado.” Connor’s presence breaks the rising tension, and stops one of your siblings from having to answer you. “I just really hope she’s okay. So, what do you say? A little bit of karaoke?”
“Would it be possible to do anything other than that in the entire universe?”
“No, let’s do it! Come on, just this one time.” You give Connor a little shoulder nudge as he sits back next to you, encouraging his idea with a smile.
“Yeah, she’s partying, I can party.” There’s an air of both hopefulness and desperation around your brother.
“I mean, we can go drink, right? Little bachelor party for POTUS- SCROTUS?” It’s honestly a bit of a shock to you that Roman is so quick to comply. Then again, maybe he just doesn’t want to talk to Shiv about whatever scheme she's involving them in this time.
“Well I mean… we three kind of-” Shiv tries to step in, giving her best impression of someone regretful to decline such a kind invitation.
“Oh sure, everybody’s busy.”
“Come on. Let’s give him a drink, sis.” With Kendall’s agreement, your sister is outvoted. Connor claps in excitement. “Let’s give him a drink.”
“Yeah! But- but not your usual… stupid places. Uh… somewhere fun- and real! Away from the fancy dance.” Connor stands to tower above the table, talking with his hands as he outlines his plan for the night. “A real bar with chicks. And… guys who work with their hands and grease and sweat from their hands, and have blood in their hair.”
“I don’t like these guys. They sound like a medical experiment gone wrong.” Roman’s arms are crossed, his eyes narrowed in fake suspicion as Con takes a long drink of his red wine.
“Yeah… I don’t think we have that kind of place just engraved in our memories. Might have to Google this one.” You stand to join your brother, grabbing your clutch as your other siblings rise with you. Shiv is a bit reluctant, not moving until you all begin leaving the restaurant, then hurrying to catch up with you. So you quickly find yourself on the cold streets of NYC, walking (because Connor insisted) to the nearest dive bar you can find in a three block radius.
The bar is like something out of a movie. Like something from another planet. It’s all wood paneling and dark lighting and sticky counters. There’s old TVs mounted to the walls playing baseball and a glowing red exit sign over the door as you step in. The soundtrack is muted classic rock with the clinking of beer glasses over a constant chatter of patrons.
“Ah! America… I missed you.” Connor is immediately out of his depth, blue suit clashing horribly with the plaid flannels of the other customers.
“This is charming.” You shoot Roman a smile at his attempt of optimism, he brushes you off with an eye roll as you follow your oldest brother to the bar.
“Okay, what’s everybody having?” Ken’s straight to business, you wouldn’t expect anything less out of him. “What do you want?”
“Uh- do you think they know how to make a vodka tonic?”
“They can make a vodka tonic, Rome. You’ll just have to settle for Smirnoff” You give him an eyeroll of your own. It’s moments like these you feel so much more normal than your siblings, despite the fact that you’ve had such similar upbringings.
“House red? Do I dare?” Shiv’s comment gets a genuine laugh out of you, and a string of both ‘yes’s’ and ‘no’s’ from you and Roman. She chuckles before deciding, “That- just a club soda with a sealed lid. Nothing from that… tainted nozzle.”
“Con, what do you want?”
“I’ll just have whatever a regular Joe would have. Uh, Belgian Weissbier? Not Hoegaarden, ideally.” Connor’s distracted by his phone, looking down at it while speaking instead of answering Kendall’s question.
“How do you feel about Miller Light?” You get a small scoff from Shiv at that, but Con’s already too engrossed in his iPhone to pay you any mind. You drift over to Ken as he starts ordering the drinks. The background noise is loud enough that you can’t quite hear as Shiv pulls out her phone and begins speaking to Roman. It’s only a second before he moves away from her, but you catch the vague mentionings of Waystar and Sandi before the conversation is interrupted.
“Hey, can I get a, um- vodka tonic, I’ll have a bitters and soda…” Kendall orders for the group, listing out Shiv and Connor’s orders before turning to you for your drink.
“A Cosmo?” You pitch in, receiving a nod from the bartender in confirmation. You turn back to the trio of your other siblings, catching Con in the middle of a sentence.
“-Anyway I am reassured. She’s definitely not on her way to Cuba. Well, her phone isn’t.” You move closer to peak over his shoulder, seeing a little dot on a map lighting up his phone screen. “Yeah, she stopped movin’. Guess she found a spot she likes.”
“Sure…on another man’s dick.” You, Connor and Kendall look at Rome with the same exasperated expression as he speaks. “On a much bigger, nicer, harder, younger dick is all I’m saying.”
“Rome, that’s not-” Your tone is breathy with annoyance before your brother cuts you off.
“Can we not? Because you know, I’m feeling… I’m having certain anxieties, huh?” Roman mutters a string of disingenuous apologies as Connor talks over him. “I mean, I wanna have a good time!”
“Okay, all right. Let’s have fun. We can monitor her dot together.” Kendall’s nonchalance makes you cover your mouth to mute a giggle that you know would’ve ticked Con off. “Let’s- let’s get it up on the big screen.
“Why so long…” Connor points to his screen with two fingers. He reminds you of Logan trying to figure out new electronics when he doesn’t have an assistant nearby to do it for him. “Her dot is at an aquarium supply retailer. That doesn’t look safe- is that a drug thing?”
“No.” Looking behind Con’s back, you see Roman mouth ‘I love him’ across the way at you. You respond with blowing a little kiss in his direction.
“You sure?”
“I am sure.”
“It is. It’s a drug thing.” Roman moves in, working his magic to aggravate Connor in a way only a younger brother can.
“Now she’s at a dry cleaners?” Connor runs a hand through his hair.
“She’s probably getting her panties clean. Mussed 'em up a bit.” They’re too preoccupied with bickering to notice as Kendall waves to your drinks and departs the bar on a phone call.
You sigh as the two boys continue clashing, moving over to grab your drink from its spot on the bar. The drink is good enough. The vodka’s not very smooth and the orange peel looks like it was cut by a 5th grader, but it’s better than you expected from the shabby chic destination. When you start to hear Roman mention cum, you decide to break into the conversation.
“Hey guys. Drinks. Look.” You speak slowly, making big hand gestures like you’re talking to toddlers. It gets a scoff from Roman, but breaks up the tension enough for Connor to come over and grab his (definitely not Belgian, probably not even wheat based) beer. Shiv joins you too to grab her club soda. “How do we feel about food?”
“I could eat.” Connor is still pretty engrossed in his phone, but looks away for a few moments to sip from his glass. For what it’s worth, he doesn’t complain about the taste.
“Shall we grab some menus?” Rome strolls over to grab his tonic, making his way to the nearest table.
“Here? Isn’t that guaranteeing food poisoning?” Shiv crosses her arms, holding her position at the bar as she glares at your brother.
“Come on Shivvy, we’re being average citizens. Remember?” You bite your lower lip in a smile, following Rome to sit at the table. Con comes with you, not even bothering to look up from his device as he just moves with the crowd. She’s out ruled, once again, and gives in to join you three. It’s only a few seconds later than Kendall joins you again, an indistinguishable look on his face.
“Hey, what’s up? What did I miss?” His tone doesn’t give anything away, the same monotone, muttered pitch that you’re used to.
“We’re… eating! Right here!” Kendall sits in the free chair next to Roman as the younger man points animatedly to the menu in front of him. “Billy Ray Cyrus’s Kentucky Fried Shit Shack.”
“Roman, they’re gonna spit in your food if they hear you say that.” You shake your head, a small smile on your face as you turn your attention to your own laminated menu.
“Well, they seem to have some hearty fare.” Connor follows your lead, looking over the meal options himself.
“What was that shit?” You’re glad Roman asks before you do. The question is on your mind too, but it sounds less suspicious coming from your brother.
“Uh- Stewy…”
“Oh great, what the fuck now? What?”
“Well actually guys, can i- can i show you something?” Ken pulls out his phone, screen illuminating his face in the dark lighting of the bar.
“Yeah…” Shiv leans over to peek at Kendall’s phone while Roman tries to tune out the action happening before him. Instead of giving Ken the attention he’s asking for, Rome’s eyes scan the menu before he begins his interruption.
“Ooo, wings! I wonder from which particular creature they snip these wings.” He shifts the cadence of his voice, making his tone all whimsical and silly. “Perhaps a mammal…”
It’s um… on the comparables. It’s- it’s actually pretty fucking intriguing.” The information Kendall gives leaves a puzzled look on your face.
“Wait… why are you looking at the market comparables for Waystar?” You set down your menu as you make eye contact with Ken, narrowing your gaze slightly. “I thought you three were done with the company, completely into your Pierce-thing now.”
“Well, it just makes you think.” Shiv pitches in, your eyes shifting to her, brows still furrowed in question. “Maybe Dad isn’t on it like he used to be… he’s getting pushed around-”
“Fuck, she’s in the East River.” Connor’s outburst makes you whip around in his direction. You feel like a bobble head trying to even out our attention between your siblings. “She in the fucking- wait, no. She’s on the bridge, she’s headed to uh- Williamsberg.”
“Con, I love you, but there’s other shit going on.” You keep your tone gentle with him, a reassuring but slightly strained smile on your face.
“Not to be dicks but- can we do a little breakout chat? Just the three of us?” Shiv is already moving in her seat by the time the question is out of her mouth. Her eagerness makes you crinkle your nose in agitation. “We won’t be long, like, two minutes max.”
“Hey, fuck it. Why don’t we fold them in?” Rome scratches his nose and raises his shoulders in indifference as he addresses your sister.
“Well, they’re not on the board so…”
“Yeah but they have sizable shares, so if the deal-” Roman makes a cutting sound low in his throat, “-they lose their payouts.”
“Excuse me?” Connor’s focus is finally on the group instead of his phone, his hand now holding the beer glass he’d previously forgotten.
“Oh yeah, so, Shiv wants us to get mixed up in some sort of drug deal that will fuck the vote tomorrow.” And all your suspicions are unfortunately confirmed.
“You wanna fuck the deal?!” You can’t keep the shock from your voice.
“Um, no. A small delay, we all want the deal.”
“And, look- I think I agree.” Kendall’s admission just surprises you more, causing you to shake your head lightly in disbelief.
“Oh, what the fuck now?”
“So, what? You think Waystar’s worth more than what Luk- or, Matsson’s paying, and you want to drive the price up?” Shiv and Ken nod in confirmation. “That’s so fucking stupid, he’ll walk if you try to force him to that!”
“Yeah, you’re gonna force Dad to grovel?” Connor steps in again, his expression mirroring yours. “Oh man, how long will a renegotiation take?”
“It’s a play.” Shiv moves her hands in front of her like she’s trying to smooth the air between you, trying to brush the tension away from the five of you. “More money is more money, and that’s all there is to it.”
“I just- I can’t” You stand from your seat, moving to squeeze behind Connor’s chair. “I need a break, just give me a minute.”
“What, you running to Daddy?” Shiv calls from behind you. You flip her off.
It’s not too difficult to find the bathroom in the restaurant, luckily it’s an individual stall with a lock on the entrance door. As soon as the latch comes down, you take a deep breath and let your back rest against the white tiled wall behind you. A hand comes up to brush hair out of your face, you fold your arms across your chest with a sigh. Reasonably, you should call your Dad. You should tell him about their scheming like a good daughter, let him deal with your traitorous siblings in any way he sees fit. But as you reach for your phone, your fingers end up dialing a different number.
“Have you been talking to my siblings?”
“A few of them, yeah.” Lukas answers your Facetime on the first ring, your phone showing an image of him sitting back in an armchair, donning a white tank top.
“Like, recently?”
“I just called Kendall a few minutes ago.”
“Fucking- I knew it.” Your jaw clenches involuntarily. If you were still a child, you’d be stomping your foot in anger.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Lukas’s face tenses a bit, his eyebrows coming up to form lines on his forehead as he questions you.
“Whatever you said, it’s convinced Kendall to fuck the board vote tomorrow.”
“Oh, really?” Despite the inquiry in his voice, he doesn’t seem surprised at the fact.
“They want more money from you, these market price comparables have influenced at least two of them, probably even more board members” Your filter for business information has been blown to pieces, at this point you’re letting whatever you want fly from your mouth. You’ll probably regret it in the morning.
“I figured.”
“Are you really gonna walk if they try to negotiate for more?” You can’t help the pitiful, almost whiny sound at the end of your question.
“Hey, it’s okay, I have it figured out. The deal will be fine regardless of what happens, I promise you.” Lukas’s tone takes on that nurturing tint he uses when you get flustered around him. You know that if you were there in person, he’d be pulling you into his lap to stroke your hair. “This has got you all worked up, huh?”
“I just- I feel so torn lately.” The sharp edge to your voice begins fading as he starts to coax the anger out of your system. “I just want everything to work out and everyone to be happy. And that’s really fucking hard when the people you love are all at eachother’s throats.”
“I know, you shouldn’t have to go through that. You’re just so caring, sometimes you can’t look out for yourself.”
“I really miss you.” Your voice breaks a bit at the confession, fingers coming up to dab at the few tears that have gathered in your waterline. These moments with Lukas are like nights. Nights where the sky is dark and covered in clouds, and every once in a while the moon will peak through the haze and illuminate the entire world below. Somehow, just a minute with Lukas will brighten your entire demeanor, and will change you for the better.
“I miss you.” There’s a sad sort of smile on his face when he continues. “You have to take care of yourself when I’m not there. Don’t get overly involved with this shit, you know it’s ultimately out of your hands.”
“I- it’s like there’s so much going on I don’t even know about. And I’m just over here worried about how everyone feels.”You wrinkle your nose at the mention of feelings. Lukas gives a small chuckle at that, you wiping your tears with a newfound smile. “You should’ve seen me, I got so pissed when they said they were gonna fuck you over.”
“Aw you defended me?” He makes a little pouty face, putting out his lower lip with his best puppy dog eyes to make you laugh. “I love it when you’re feisty, turns me on.”
“Can I come up?”
“Absolutely, just tell me when. We have our company retreat soon, so before or after that I’ll carve out some time for you.”
“Oh gee thanks, cutting out time from your busy schedule to be with your girlfriend.” Lukas gives a fake frown at that, your smile grows wider in response. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
You hang up the call with a wave before tucking your phone back into your bag. Going to the janky mirror bolted to the wall, you fix any smeared eye makeup after splashing a little cool water on your face to calm down. Your head feels clearer after that conversation, your emotions more regulated and understanding a little deeper of the issue at hand. It’s strange how just a few minutes away from your family can change your mood so severely. Making your way back down the wood paneled wall of the bar, you join the silhouettes of your siblings back at the table.
“-I wanted to get married tomorrow. I wanted to spend tonight with my family and tomorrow with my dad and I wanted to get my fucking money out.” Connor’s arms are crossed as you back down next to him, shooting a concerned look to your other siblings. “If I were you I wouldn’t have fucking come back.” He gives you a shake of his head and a glare from the corner of his eye.
“What even was that about? Were… were you telling Dad?” Kendall raises his eyebrows as he addresses your presence again.
“No, I wasn’t. That’s your own shit, I don’t wanna be involved.” He nods, but still has a look of suspicion in his eyes. “Sometimes you guys just give me migraines. But anyway, can we do anything else, Con?”
“...I would like to sing one fucking song at karaoke, because I’ve see it in the movies, and nobody ever wants to go.” There’s a short pause before Connor speaks, but he seems happy enough to switch the subject. Shiv smiles in the background of your view, Roman puts his head down on the sticky surface of the table. You put an arm around the back of Connor’s chair and smile at him during the lull in conversation.
“You wanna do karaoke?” He nods. “Let’s do it, Mr. Bachelor. You only live once.” His face lights up at your optimism, Kendall looks at your other siblings in apprehension.
“Can we do literally anything else?” Rome’s voice is muffled from its position, and Shiv puts a hand on his back in consolation.
“Come on, one song on the night before his wedding. Toughen up, Rome.” Ken deciding to support the idea makes it 3 to 2, Connor wins.
And so, with a substantial amount of whining from Roman, your party makes its way to a new location. This time, Connor allows you to get chauffeured by his driver, sparing you from the cold New York air. The karaoke bar is all modern white surfaces and bright pink lighting. The partygoers range from business men just getting off work to bachelorette parties dressed in animal prints. Luckily, the venue has a private room available at short notice and the five of you are quickly escorted there by a polite usher.
“So, what happens now?” Connor walks to the center of the room, not waiting for the door to be fully closed before eagerly exploring the new space.
“Uh, well… someone has to humiliate themselves in the shame palace.” Shiv holds up an inflatable saxophone toy with a smirk while your brother joins Con on the couch.
“It’s not humiliation, Siobhan. It’s supposed to be fun, remember?” You move to a wall holding a mounted flatscreen and two wireless microphones, beginning to fiddle with the electronic there.
“Think they have "Desperado" by The Eagles?”
“I would imagine they do. Longest night of my life.” Roman is still looking around with his hands on his hips, surveying the room with a grimace on his face
“Oh, shit. She's gone dark- why has she gone dark?” Connor is once again transfixed on his phone, a panicked expression coming across his features as he rambles. “I mean… is this it? Is she going off with some buck and they're gonna…you know?”
“Hey, take it easy. Kendall moves the thick book of songs that Connor had been flipping through over to himself, trying to calm him with his causal tone. “Maybe-maybe her phone just died.”
“Yeah. Have you ever considered that she might not be right for you? This could be good. Yeah?” Shiv is still perched by the tub of comical accessories, saxophone now abandoned as she leans with her hand placed on the counter. “You'll meet someone else.”
“Connor?” There’s a pause in Kendall’s speech, a soft look in his eyes when he continues. “You're not doing better than Willa.”
“I would agree. Do not let Willa go.”
“Romulus.” Ken’s begun to pour the provided champagne, holding a glass out to his younger brother carefully. When you see the drinks begin flowing, you make your way over to your brothers, leaving your attempt at understanding the karaoke technology begin. A chime on Connor’s phone grabs his attention again, a low sigh leaving his mouth before he speaks.
“So… Dad’s on his way.”
“What?”
“He wants us to meet him down at the car when he gets here.” Connors admission makes even you puzzled, looking around at your siblings in confusion.
“What the fսck?” Shiv opens her arms, clearly in a similar state of discomposure.
“How does he know we're here? How do you know he’s coming?” Kendall’s voice takes on a bit of an angry edge as he looks at you. “Did you tell him? Is that what that little ‘break’ was about earlier?”
“No, I wouldn’t do that!” You’re quick to defend yourself, crossing your arms over your chest as some kind of protection, some kind of armor.
“Fuck, you totally did. You’re lying!” Shiv sounds shrill behind you, her accusatory tone making you draw your eyebrows together in annoyance.
“Well, no. I told him… that it’s the night of a thousand wobbles over here and he needs to talk to you.” Connor finally steps in, taking the heat off you.
“Why the fuck would you do that?” You turn back to your oldest brother, arms coming out in an expression of absolute bafflement.
“My life isn’t filled with secrets like some people. I share things, and I want my father to be at my wedding.” Shiv moves to the back to the couch, leaning over it with two hands bracing herself.
“You mean you want the money?”
“Well no- Siobhan, that was not my primary consideration.”
“I mean, what do we do? Do we- do we leave? I mean…” Roman’s moved a hand to his mouth, chewing at his fingernails in anxiety. It’s always startling to you, how quickly he can turn subservient at the mention of your father. “Will he come in? He’s not coming in, right?”
“I am totally down to leave.” You move closer to Roman’s side in support. “I don't want to be around you-” your finger points at Connor in objection “if you pull insane shit like this!”
“This doesn’t even affect you, why are you so upset?” Shiv’s eyes narrow in a glare at you, still suspicious from your current connection to Logan.
“Because it’s evil and manipulative and- fucking conniving!”
“You know what? Just be water, my friend.” Kendall is surprisingly calm in the situation. You wonder if he’s high.
“‘Just be wat-’ Wow, thanks man.” Roman turns to you. “What happens if I kill a Buddist? Do I get reincarnated as a fucking Buddhist?”
“I hope not.” You sigh, grabbing the champagne from your brother's hand and swallow it in one gulp. “Fuck it, I’m really just gonna leave. I don’t think I can take any more of this shit tonight.”
“Honestly I would too, you don’t need to be a part of this.” Roman runs a hand through his hair as he begins pacing across the room.
“I don’t know whether to be offended or not…” You move to reach across the island table grabbing the mostly full bottle of champagne from its resting place. “I’ll just deal with Dad on my own. I’d rather not experience his wrath in front of other people. And looking at Connor makes me want to vomit right now”
“Fair enough.” Kendall is still calm, leaning back on the couch as he addresses you with an expression so neutral that it makes you want to roll your eyes.
“Do you wanna come with?” You make eye contact with Roman, eyebrows raising in question.
“... I dunno-”
“If you wanna run away you can. Just send him another little text later, ‘Sorry I missed you Daddy, take care!’” Shiv makes her voice all whiny when she quotes your brother. She’s clearly trying to aggravate him, get him to stay even if it’s not the best idea. You silently pray that Roman’s strong enough to resist her.
“Fine, I’ll fuckin- stay. Let Dad strangle all of us together, mass homicide.” But he’s not. He gives in to Shiv too easily, makes you frown in empathy.
“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then. Text me later okay? I worry about you guys.” As you turn to leave, you add one thing over your shoulder with a little grin. “Don’t… don’t let him push you around. As much as I disagree with you, you have to make your own choices. Even if they’re wrong.”
On the way home you finish the bottle, staring out the backseat window of the SUV as the bright lights of NYC whizz past you. When you enter your apartment, you only pause to set down the empty drink and kick off your heels before flopping back onto your bed. Your chest is a little giggly and your brain is a little fuzzy from the alcohol. So of course you decide it’s the perfect time to call your boyfriend.
“Hiii!” You speak as soon as he answers, drawing out the word with a cheeky smile on your face. You’ve rolled onto your stomach by now, supporting yourself with your elbows as you gaze lovingly down at the image of Lukas in your phone.
“Oh, you’re drunk. And sexy.” You laugh at that, it’s always surprising how quickly Lukas can read you. To be fair, you do look really hot. Your cheeks are flushed, your hair is messy, and your mascara is smudged beneath your eyes. It reminds Lukas of how you look after he’s fucked you really well.
“Yeah…I drank a bottle of champagne. By myself.”
“Things went that bad?” His eyebrows furrow a bit as he questions you, clearly worried about your wellbeing.
“Kinda? It was actually Connor’s fault this time though.” You roll onto your back with a sigh, hair splaying out behind you in a halo. You hold your screen above your head, giving Lukas a little peak at the cleavage coming out of your shirt.
“Really? What happened?” His eyes dart to the sliver of your skin, but come back up to your eyes as he awaits your response.
“He, like, went to our dad about the shit Shiv and Rome and Ken are up to. The vote stuff I told you about.”
“And Logan was mad?”
“I assume so? I kinda left before he got there… it was just too much.” Your lips come together in a frown. “I dunno, maybe I shoulda stayed.”
“No, no, you did good. Looking out for yourself like I told you to.” Lukas gives a smile that you can’t help but mirror. He knows how his praise gets you.
“Maybe, we’ll see what happens. With him it’s like night or day. He’ll either love that I didn’t agree with them or hate that I didn’t rat them out to him.”
“Well, I’m proud of you. Regardless of what he says.” His tongue darts out to wet his lower lip, eyes traveling back down to your cleavage.
“Thank you.” You pause for a second just looking at him before you continue. “If I wasn’t so drunk I’d have Facetime sex with you right now.”
“I can tell. Your pupils are so big your eyes look black.” Playfully, you roll your eyes in response. “Call me in the morning, I’ll take care of you then.”
“Okayyy, and I’ll see you soon right? Come up before your retreat thing?”
“Of course. I’ll talk to you in the morning, go get some sleep.”
You do end up getting some sleep that night, following your boyfriend's wishes. But you also energetically masturbate to his past dick pics to tire yourself out. When you tell him that in the morning, he audibly groans at the fact that he missed watching you.
In the end, Logan isn’t mad at you. He’s not pleased either. But, being indifferent is better than you expected. Atleast, that’s what you tell yourself. He invites you with the core executive crew to come to Sweden for a sudden meeting with Matsson, and of course you accept. It means you’ll miss Connor’s wedding, but you honestly don’t want to see him right now anyways. Plus, it means you get to see Lukas sooner than expected. Ken ended up texting you a brief recap of what happened after you left last night. When you read it in the morning it makes you glad that you weren’t there.
It almost feels like yesterday was a dream. Like life is all back to normal now and things will carry on just as they always have. The deal will go through, Logan will be happy leading ATN, your siblings will be happy with Pierce, or whatever they end up working with. And you will live happily ever after with Lukas, ideally on Mars, or in outer space, or some other place that alienates you from all physical contact with your family.
At least some of that ends up happening.
© secondhand-snow 2024
#ao3#fanfic#fanfiction#succession#succession fanfic#alexander skarsgard#lukas matsson#lukas matsson x reader#lukas matsson x you#lukas matsson x oc#lukas matsson x ofc#lukas matsson fic#lukas matsson fanfic#lukas matsson imagine#snow's fics#a body of impulses
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we've learnt for a fact now that tom feels the full range of human emotions towards greg and that he can't let anyone in or he'll die. so how does he express his emotions? the only way he can let himself. he wants to be a specific kind of person, a roy, and how he is feeling and what he wants to do does not fit in with how these people behave. he doesn’t do it because it’s natural. he does it because he has to. he throws insults at it and tries to wrestle it to the ground but it feels weak because his heart isn’t in it.
neither greg or tom are like the roys at their core. they weren’t raised in it. there are moments of real happiness for the two of them when they’re alone and can just be themselves. there's something different in their relationship dynamic here than the relationships the siblings have. it doesn’t feel as bittersweet because they aren’t as fundamentally broken.
tom is more guarded, of course, he’s received some emotional damage from shiv so he always says or does something to keep greg just far enough away. he’s learnt vulnerability is dangerous. every time he tries to show shiv that he loves her she makes him feel like he’s done it wrong. this season he started behaving in a way that would get through to her but that didn’t feel good to him either, didn’t save him from being fired, nothing.
shiv needed the kind of love tom gave her the same way tom needs what greg gives him. but the difference is tom is more capable of accepting love from people he cares about and wouldn’t hurt greg any deeper than a weak insult, even if he could.
tom knows what it’s like to have to beg for someone who is supposed to care about you to do something for you, so when greg asked if he could possibly save him from going to jail he says load me up without a second thought. he cares about greg’s feelings and would sacrifice something of his own for them and it’s this empathy that tom has that the roy family is lacking.
it’s not hard for tom to think to do something for another person for no reason other than it would make that person feel good. no quid pro quo. but even when tom does do something good for greg he 'can’t stand the good feeling he’s engendered' because he feels like he shouldn’t be doing nice things for no reason.
the nero and sporus scene was tom telling greg he cares about him at all and “come with me, sporus?” was the marriage proposal. greg asks what’s in it for him because that’s how greg works and tom has to say “who has ever looked out for you” instead of “i want you with me”. tom cannot let him know the depth of how he feels so he lets greg think he's using him for something and only merely tolerates him, like everyone else does.
and then, because greg still doesn’t get it, or is choosing to ignore it, tom has to yell “not samson! i want you gregging for me!" he still can’t say the real reason why. the only time he’s shown his real emotions to greg is when he’s alone in a room and greg can’t see his face through the phone.
it's not a perfect relationship. it's not supposed to be. that's why it's so compelling. it’s please don't be better than me i can't stand it but i love you. it’s i’m using you to get somewhere in the world but i’ll still look after you even when i don’t need to anymore. (villainfvcker made a great post about this.)
i’m writing this after episode eight, and if they’re going all the way with greg’s transformation into a roy family member and he betrays tom in some way, it will be another case of a succession character destroying the only real connection they have for some kind of power, and regretting it later.
if anything at all, we know tom really does love greg, and that’s a satisfying enough tomgreg endgame for me, personally.
#the show is so ambiguous with people's intentions that it's easy for me to feel validated in this interpretation#tomgreg#tom wambsgans#greg hirsch#i won't be upset if nothing else happens now#my poor stupid babies i love u and am the same as you#i have kind of a neurodivergent read on the both of them so that's where a lot of this behaviour interpretation comes from#they're just trying to fucking fit in dude it's so sad#i had to write all of this down i need it out of my brain so i can think again#succession meta#i love you tom wambsgans
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I don’t think I got this across in my Tom post bc I hadn’t finished rotating it yet but. There’s something I couldn’t quite put my finger on with the fact that he named himself and Greg the “disgusting brothers” and yet he’s so uncomfortable with the label. He’s fucking models now, people who are probably far easier for him to view as not real because of the particular way their looks and bodies are commodified. He cloaks everything in innuendo like “looking around” or “experiment”. He genuinely seems somewhat disgusted by Greg banging this girl he barely knows. I’ve said before that I think Tom needs an emotional connection to feel sexual attraction and I think all of this subtly confirms that. He’s sleeping around because he feels like he should, because that’s part of the “experiment”, but the whole thing is disgusting to him and he can’t avoid it so instead he’s tried to embrace it even though it makes him miserable. And with that in mind Shiv’s monologue becomes extra interesting because she’s angry with him over a lifestyle he doesn’t even enjoy
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seriously i mean this for real, "Just- I haven't seen you smile in like 6 hours" is an underrated line, like. you don't say shit like that to someone you don't at least consider a friend i think?? and i feel like Tom vehemently hated hearing that someone would notice something like that and call him out on it. This, after weeks on end of him repeatedly pleading for Shiv to care he might be going to prison, and never finding out the things she did do to keep him safe, leaving him feel so absurdly unloved.
then Greg notices he hasn't smiled in hours and asks him why.
Tom insists he IS happy but reacts so poorly in the next couple minutes, and yet Greg never stops trying. when Tom brings it up again being like "wow gee Greg you really are happy what the fuck is up with that", Greg is like "Uh. Tom, we can both be happy?" and then Tom insists he can't because Greg ruined it by- what, talking about having a date with a girl? TOM! like. come on.
What does that say other than he's jealous of Greg, and maybe it's just at the idea that Greg might end up in a more functional relationship than his own, if not straight up jealous because he wants Greg romantically. i think, at the very least, he's upset that Greg's attention is being pulled from him.
Yet moments prior Greg just tried to ask how he was he basically tells him to fuck off, like, Tom. my darling? his attention was just on you and you rebuffed him, but you're pissed at him for talking about someone else.
the thing is, I do think Tom does recognize what he has in Greg and his own depth of feelings in return just........ scares the shit of out him. Especially in this scene and "you've ruined [my happiness]" like. Tom's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't when it comes to Greg. Can't see him be with other people, can't have him for himself.
#tomgreg#succession#this and the prove it scene are everything to me. like MY personal nerosporus actually.
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alright i’ve seen a lot of people disgruntled about the recent tomgreg dynamic and i want to put my two cents in. yes, i agree that it is kind of unbelievable that we went from “would you kiss me” + nero and sporus + forehead kiss + deal with the devil + homoerotic dialogue near constantly with them, on top of whatever the fuck they were doing in that first episode of season four, to pretty much nothing lately.
HOWEVER. i do think there’s a reason for it all that still implies tomgreg in some way shape or form. and i’m not trying to be delusional here with some “here’s how tomgreg can still win” bs because at this point i don’t think they can, but. let’s think about where the story’s going, right. how tomshiv has now been taken off the back burner and brought to the forefront of the plot. if we’re going to really say that tomgreg is real or whatever, then it’s only reasonable that a shift in the tomshiv dynamic means a definite shift with tomgreg must also happen, right?
so here’s what i’m getting at: i do not think it’s mere coincidence that in almost every scene where tomshiv have interacted lately, greg has been right at tom’s side. and though it’s been happening again and again and again, it was the moment when tom finds shiv crying in e6 that cemented this little theory for me. we have tomgreg, greg stooped over by tom’s side and a definite unprofessional amount of personal space between them like always as they enter the room. tom sees shiv, while greg becomes visibly awkward and uncomfortable. but it’s the fact that before tomshiv are free to interact, and ultimately kiss for the first time in who knows how long, greg has to very pointedly leave the room—it is a literal, blatant illustration of how greg is a wedge between them, a weird parody of the other woman. and yes, obviously anyone else would have also left in that moment, because shiv was clearly vulnerable, but it wasn’t just anyone else—it was greg, and that’s the point.
greg is still sporus and tom is still nero and i do believe the writers are showing this to us plain as day. the metaphor has continued with a pregnant shiv who literally fell down the stairs in e4, with the behavior between tomgreg in e1, with tom breaking down and seeking comfort not from his legal wife but from his sporus in e3. it’s in the fact that before tom can return to his relationship with shiv, he has to distance himself from her replacement with all of these little dismissals.
so i do think that this sudden drop off in tomgreg is intentional, and still very much implies that there is/was/could be something between them. we’re getting our tomgreg proof by way of divorce. tom left shiv to be wed to sporus, and now before he can return to his first wife, tomgreg has to come to a natural end. and it is definitely an end, because whether you believe they’re a thing or not, tom’s behavior with greg in the season 3 finale compared to the most recent episodes of season 4 is like night and day. so there it is i think. tomgreg won many battles but at the end of the day, tomshiv is winning the war
#tomgreg antis behave in my comments ok i still love and support tomshiv and wish the best for them especially my girl shivy im a multishippe#but yeah really hope this ages horribly and i was wrong and tomgreg goes platinum#succession#tomgreg#tomshiv#tom wambsgans#shiv roy#greg hirsch#succession s4#succession spoilers#succession sunday
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something my partner and i discussed, but will never do anything with, but we have such good and correct opinions i decided to share
succession omegaverse au
logan is an alpha, obviously. an alpha's alpha. his first wife (connor's mom) was an omega, and that ended extremely poorly and he swore off omegas altogether, so his subsequent partners were betas.
partially he doesn't like omegas because he views them as weak and he despises people who won't push back at him, even though he will punish you for pushing back at him. he isn't threatened by other alphas but he likes to appear in total control so he (unofficially, because it's illegal) bans alphas and omegas from being on the board, with a few exceptions; so frank, karl, all of them are betas.
exception one: gerri, an alpha. she's not technically on the board, and she's a woman, so even as an alpha logan sees her as a half-step below him. being the only alpha with years of experience is part of what led to her being interim ceo.
exception two: shiv, an alpha. the only alpha out of all four of logan's kids. she did the sensible thing and married an omega. being the only alpha also contributed to her feeling that she was entitled to waystar royco when she came back; in what world would logan let anyone besides an alpha run his company?
exception three: kendall, an omega.
logan told kendall, age seven, he would inherit the company, based on the assumption he would be an alpha. then he hit puberty, and he has spent his entire life since then trying desperately to make up for his "deficiency" and prove to his father he can still be worthy. rather than being a drug addict, he is addicted to hormone treatments that make him functionally an alpha, but they have terrible side effects on him. his wife didn't know he wasn't a natural alpha until after they were married.
stewie is a beta who takes similar hormone treatments to pass as an alpha--because it's convenient and fun--but he doesn't have a Complex about it like kendall does. he also doesn't have nearly as bad of side effects as kendall does.
roman is a beta, which mostly suited him until he decided to try to get involved with the company. he liked being in the middle, not so powerful anyone had any real expectations for him, not so weak as to be a target. he could slide under the radar and get away with whatever he liked.
connor is also a beta, not strong OR weak enough to merit attention; something he's been trying to make up for his whole life. the presidential run is just another cry for attention, especially since for the most part, only alphas are ever elected to the highest offices. willa is also a beta, so people found it even weirder that he decided to have a real relationship with her instead of finding an omega like a normal person, especially since he has such a complex about power and control.
tom is an omega. good upbringing, good genes, a good sensible match for shiv. logan tolerates him fucking around at the low-mid levels of the company mostly for shiv's sake. tom surprises him by have a little bit of a backbone, but its not nearly enough to make up for what logan sees as his deficiencies. it makes tom coming out on top in the end even funnier; logan is rolling in his fucking grave that an omega is in charge of his company.
greg? greg is an alpha. everyone is always shocked when they learn this, and greg is always like, "what?? why is that surprising?? i'm a normal alpha!!" no greg, you are not.
#succession#omegaverse#taking a story where everyone is already obsessed with power and social standing#and adding a/b/o dynamics#is fucking stellar
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wait imagining if shiv were given amy brookheimer’s plotline and loling. like imagine this:
shiv surprise pregnancy etc but when people find out everyone (including tom) just makes uses it as a vehicle to insult her for being fat/unfuckable/incapable of being a mother. kendall & roman order her to get an abortion, as her bosses. buuut for some reason shiv doesn’t want an abortion, she wants a family with tom now, but tom is too busy sleeping with idk naomi pierce to care. finally shiv has a heart to heart with tom about wanting to keep the kid and what she wants to name her and everything, and tom responds decently, and maybe there’s some hope. so the next day shiv decides to propose to tom and rekindle their love and start a family and when she knocks on tom’s door, he comes out in boxers and brags about being literally in the middle of fucking a 19 year old cater waitress w the same name as shiv wanted to give her baby, then goes back inside to keep fucking her. this makes shiv realize that everyone was right and she could never have a family and she was foolish to dream about it (which, again, she only ever did this season), so she schedules an abortion.
kendall and roman were going to drive shiv to the abortion center but on the morning of, she can’t reach them. soooo she goes to tom’s place bc she needs someone to take her, and she finds kendall and roman naked next to tom in his bed. tom’s like whoops lol slept with your brothers and shiv has to beg him to take her to get the abortion anyways. so tom takes her to the planned parenthood or whatever and starts flirting with her gynecologist. she gets the abortion, but not before getting screamed at by pro-life protestors outside and giving a heavy handed speech about abortion. then the next time shiv sees tom is at logan’s funeral and it turns out tom has brought a fucking date — the fucking gynecologist who performed shiv’s abortion. they’re dating now. he brags to shiv about how happy he is with the gynecologist.
then flash forward twenty years in the future to a frumpy shiv in a loveless marriage with fucking hugo or something, and she’s constantly trying and failing to convince herself she’s happy she’s not a mother (something she never even fucking wanted to be until this season). also shiv works for greg now like he’s her boss and also she’s turned into kellyanne conway. also tom is a tanned rich real estate agent with a 20 year old trophy wife. shiv dies regretting never having children. like can you guys IMAGINE
#the best part? amy’s abortion storyline was framed as EMPOWERING#like do you guys understand why i’m not pressed about shiv pregnancy plotline#you can’t make this shit up#so ya know. if you’re worried about shiv don’t be. she’ll be fine#LMAO#succession#succession spoilers#shiv roy#amy brookheimer#veep#i encourage non-veep watchers to read this. i need you to understand what we went through in s7#long post
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i don't really know how to explain myself properly but i feel like some people are really concerned about Getting A Good Grade In Succession to the point where they've adopted a very cynical view of tg's relationship because being too earnest about them is ~not the point of the show~ or w/e. which is funny because every other relationship in the show is allowed to be nuanced but not theirs i guess? so you have people going "oh their relationship was only ever about them using each other from the start" when that's demonstrably not true and like. i have really mixed feelings about this season so far and i feel like anything could happen with them by virtue of weird writing choices and i hope with all my heart this doesn't end up being the case but even if the finale tries to diminish the depth of their relationship i don't understand the point of Us acting like there was never anything deeper there? but anyway, all this too say that i agree w/ you that the way people are very cynical and dismissive abt tg specifically has rubbed me the wrong way and thank u for your service ❤️
hiii sweet anon!
A GOOD GRADE IN SUCCESSION ASHAKJSA god honestly, i hear you.
i'm getting real tired of this "point of the show" shit bc it's like. just because tg isn't "the point", isn't a main focal plot [which it is, or at least is part of it], isn't integral to character development [which it is too; without tom greg would not be where he is now which is at a point where he actually could be seriously considered as a fucking CEO, without greg tom wouldn't have learned any self respect or self worth/we would never have been able to see him express himself beyond servitude towards shiv], it doesn't mean it can't be explored and considered as a serious part of the show?
media is created for us to enjoy. yes it's there to interpret and discuss but it doesn't always have to be that way? literally you can watch the show just for tomgreg and that is A OKAY. why? because you don't have to justify why you like something! surprise! and yeah i've noticed that too - other relationships get to be seen as nuanced, but not tg i guess. idk why, seeing as its dynamic is something to be studied under a microscope and fun to not only shippers but normies too lmao. clearly there is something more interesting to it than just, oh it's mutual corporate climbing.
exactly! there's even more contexts provided by the scripts, THE SACRED TEXTS lol that provide us with more knowledge and insight into the feelings of these characters, that show us that their relationship goes beyond using each other. there is an element of that of course, but that's not all they are. why reduce them to that when so very clearly on paper we are affirmed of what we thought we could read textually on the screen? it just baffles me.
i'm hoping too anon, like A Lot. from the looks of the trailer i have a. i have a little bit of hope. even if say, tom has to choose between greg and shiv, if he chooses shiv and has visible trouble with it, like it takes him time, it plagues him, it takes effort, it feels like a real decision affecting his life, like. that counts for something you know? that would, to me, not diminish his relationship with greg. obviously it would be heartbreaking after how loyal greg has been to tom, but the very fact that it would be difficult to tom would mean that greg is important to him in some fashion, and the show would be at least acknowledging it by doing that. like, it's that easy. i ain't asking for much. i know what i'd like, but what i would be satisfied/settle with, well i think the bar is reasonable, you know?
i'm glad you understand me! i mean, who knows maybe some of it is people trying to go on the defensive like, "it's the hope that kills you" so they are trying not to have any by lessening it, saying oh there was nothing there, there was no romance, nothing positive, it was all for mutual professional gain and that's it. but like, personally that doesn't work for me. i think you should at least acknowledge its importance otherwise we're regressing right back to the oh it's a mlm ship? never mind then. i'm not about that, i guess.
thanks for the message buddy god speed <3
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Kendall doesn’t love Naomi, Shiv never loved Tom, Tom didn’t love Greg, Greg didn’t love Tom. Tom stopped loving Shiv. Connor doesn’t really love Willa (did he even notice her whole face has changed?), Willa doesn’t love Connor. Logan didn’t love his pew bench and most of his pew bench didn’t love him or didn’t have time to stop.
Roman though.
Roman loves Gerri, Georgia always told us that and when she talks spinoff it’s Colin, Stewey or Roman & Gerri (and yes, RomanGerri wasn’t Jesse’s, it’s Georgia’s and Tony’s and J's and Kieran’s and Mark’s, but that’s enough!)
From reading around, I think the finale brought home the depth of Roman’s feelings from seeing him watch her on film reciting a maybe dirty maybe spiritual limerick and fall to the floor with it. He took from her, thinking he was entitled to ask her jump into bed or on that grenade. This spoilt little puppy prince who had never suffered a consequence. He attempted to climb his Everest, locked up in a cage. But as soon as he steps out of the cage at Logan’s funeral and abandons the poorly worn skin of whomever he was supposed to be for dad, and the reality of his feelings and his guilt and his shame hits, he realises he barely deserved to be at her feet. He’s a bruised, hollow prince who ‘knifed’ the only person who had real adult expectations of him (in every sense of the term - the scripts are part of my canon), for a throne he didn’t even want. How could you not break down at that??
And it morphs into a love that doesn’t need anything to feed the flame. No reciprocity, no touching, no comfort. Nothing transactional. It doesn’t even need to be spoken or told. It simply exists, in those jelly glass eye balls. He hasn’t earned it as it disappears behind screens and glass partitions where the adults are. She’s put her shoes back on and she’s walked out of his glass room.
Consuming that love becomes the only thing he can do to feel its burn, to satisfy the craving. He won’t be able to give her slow pleasure or any of his fluids but he can partake in hers in some way. Smart people know what they are and God forbid he sullies anymore of her with the oozing blood at the seam big bag of bullshit that he is. But you better believe he can find a way to have her on his brain, his heart, his tongue, his bloodstream.
He steps out of the cage and bids farewell to the toxicity of denying his own heart, he goes from a cage where he could just take, in exchange for pretending to be someone - no consequences but the occasional beating son I promise, to a world where he’s himself, needy and broken, nothing of value to give. He breaks out but the realisation of having fucked his relationship with her is the price of admission into the real world of his real feelings.
Oh she’d pick up the phone if he called, she’d meet him at the bar (I think he even knows that) but his superego, despite his hysterical cries about how good he looks and you can’t really see how broken he is and that it should be him, has acknowledged the fact that he doesn’t deserve her and wonders why she would take any interest in him if he was no longer this diamond in the rough? Can’t bear her eyes on him, if he’s just the nothing bullshit who fired her and lashed out at her. Which is ironic really because, being mad at Ken’s for his abuse, protecting Shiv, the clarity on his and all of their worth, staying and being the face of the humiliation, signing the deal. These are signs he’s morphing into something with grit, something worthy.
I think. Who knows. It’s day 1. They’re slow but it only lengthens the - excruciating - pleasure. It wasn’t a healthy, happy love story. It was a star crossed First Love meeting Last Love with all the unmatched expectations and maturity it entails, but only they knew it and a few of the people that watch. And really this was the most beautifully crafted thing I’ve ever seen on TV, the depths are almost out of reach. Romey-o Loves Gerri, it’s a feminist show and yes even the fact that Logan didn’t consider his grandkids his bloodline (and of course Roman would hate to have children and of course Shiv didn’t have time to tell him about her pregnancy). All these things are in the show and barely visible and thank god for that.
And you can wonder why the hell he’s in a bar smiling and crying at his cocktail or you may prefer to read it as being only about his dad or only about his sibs or just the company if you can manage the connective tissue. But to me, yes of course, his last second on screen is him ingesting her in some way. I mean, OBVIOUSLY. It’s not because it wasn’t in your face, that it wasn’t the realest thing, the only true romance this show has indulged.
#roman roy#gerri kellman#succession hbo#roman x gerri#with open eyes#he made it out of the cage#he's learning to accept and process his feelings#and yes#it's not all sunshine and roses#he has no self worth left in him#I do believe in some measure#we won#and we bought that win with our blood and tears thanks very much#so grateful to this show for being so subtle and yet so crystal clear#when I said at the start of the season they needed to exchange fluids I didn't mean that#but I'll take it#it's pretty actually
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one of the most interesting things to me about tom's ladder-climbing is the fact that he was clearly not, in fact, that low to begin with. in a deleted scene from 2x3, he reveals that his dad teaches media studies - and has presumably done so as a career for most if not all of tom's life, given that this information is an argument against the notion of tom being a poor child. whether his mom's status as a Respected Twin Cities Divorce Lawyer was a factor back then too, at the very least his family could afford to recreationally hunt game.
but tom also says himself that he's been thinking his whole life about money. how to get money, how to keep money.
so the thing i have to wonder is, was that ever an issue? the wambsganses don't seem to have ever been anything but upper middle class. but who knows, maybe they've had their low spots. maybe tom had a mostly spoiled childhood but then the economy hit them kinda rough for a time. that would certainly inform tom specifying "how to keep money." maybe he's had to learn the hard way, in his formative years, how abruptly you could lose what had become normal to you if you weren't careful.
clearly tom's parents have been doing well for likely some years before the events of the show. but also not so well that their "contribution" to the wine at tom's wedding doesn't feel like a huge chunk of change to them. they're still at the point that they don't have the decorum not to act like money is a huge deal, which is telling. i have to imagine that, similar to greg, tom has been helping his parents out a bit since his salary has hit 6 figures. who knows how much of the money his parents spent was just tom's money to begin with - maybe none at all. maybe he's only paid off some debts and allowed their own income to pile up, and all they needed was that temporary safety net. it's likely enough that tom's dad's teaching salary has grown exponentially because of his age and experience, and that mom wambsgans has seen a huge boom in clients in recent years.
something else to consider is shiv's description of tom's family as striving -- which, while there is a lot of hostility at play during that whole scene, i believe is essentially true. thinking about that line and then about tom's parents in prenuptials, you get a really vivid image of the way the middle class desperately mimics the upper class. the way that, every once in a while, they can afford to. and then their desperation gives them away.
tom was raised by two very ambitious people, and it's trickled down to him. he was absolutely raised with an overt and vocally repeated message of do well in school, get into a good college, get a high-paying job. maybe they even told him better than ours... even though it seems his parents are to some extent following personal passions. divorce attorney and media studies professor aren't the kind of jobs that anyone does just because it pays well. they're both specializing in their fields, which is evidence enough of a real attachment to those careers even if we didn't also have mom demanding to see tom's prenup, and frankly the fact alone that tom himself went into media. like, if there was ever a sense of passion in tom's career, that was probably the connecting piece. after all, what boy doesn't want to impress his dad?
...and it's for that reason that i do not think tom was specifically told to be a business major. i feel pretty certain that he wouldn't have been discouraged from a career that made him happy unless it was a completely fruitless passion. but i don't know if i should then necessarily figure the opposite: that tom was ever specifically encouraged to find something to be passionate about. i can't imagine a tom any older than 10 trying to declare ambitions that were purely artistic in the first place. i might just be biased but tom seems like the type who has had this intuition from birth: to understand what others wanted from him and do it. i would say that, similarly to greg, simply being loved and approved of is tom's passion. and by god did he do it.
one last thing that stays on my mind is that tom went to an ivy league school, which i believe his own merit is somewhat responsible for. but, in contrast to greg now, i seriously doubt that tom has ever totally lacked a cushion. i think he had some relatively breezy college years. he studied hard, of course, and knowing that he was being supported the whole time likely helped.
(and he spent all that time at school, and another 2-4 years at another school, and still showed up in manhattan yet without a shell.)
obviously there's no telling exactly how much luck tom grew up with. a middle-class family's finances could easily be all over the place in a matter of 18 years. and they really probably were, because why else would keeping money be such a concern? and why would it stick so hard?
it's just interesting to think of how much more privileged tom's childhood must have been compared to so many, greg included, and yet how the roys are just so far up that it makes their situations feel equal.
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I don’t know what to think of Logan and Marcia. Because I get why they’d be in to each other, why they’d marry each other and stay married. Logan has money and Marcia is composed, clever, and conniving and I think Logan would like that (so long as she didn’t attempt to usurp him). I never got the vibe that there were any real feelings involved, which is why I was so surprised that Marcia left Logan after Rhea (controversial opinion, but I don’t think Logan and Rhea were ever a thing, Rhea seems too well-adjusted for that IMO). I can get Marcia’s cattiness with Kerry, and obviously I get Logan fucking around but I never understood why it was with Kerry because she brings nothing to the table the way Marcia, Rhea, and even Caroline do.
I’m also interested in her loyalty to Logan. Part of it was that he had all the power, but Marcia’s very big on betrayal and even used the word “traitors” a few times, which made it seem more personal.
I’m curious about why Shiv dislikes her so much (but Shiv hates everyone, so…) and I’m interested in Marcia’s beef with Willa and her weird kinship with Greg. I think Marcia thinks people see her as an older Willa and resents that bc they’re on different levels but I do not get why anyone but Tom would like Greg lmao.
Logan and Rhea weren't sexually involved
and she was also clearly playing him
but I think it's clear they were still a thing
especially because being romantically involved with someone and playing them is kind of expected in this world at least to Logan, he says it about Marcia
and it's to the point that Logan doesn't know if his judgment is impaired because he's so swept up in her
which also happens with Kerry, he pushes for her to become an anchor
and it's only when he repeatedly sees how people are making fun of her audition tape that he's like OK well kill it
which is actually an interesting aspect of Logan, particularly since he can eventually admit to being worried about not thinking clearly because he's infatuated with a woman
Marcia leaves because Logan isn't discreet, everyone knows that he's infatuated with Rhea and it's even worse than with Sally-Anne, and she has a sense of dignity. It's one thing to have affairs, it's another thing to flaunt them
It's also interesting you never got the vibe that there were real feelings involved with Marcia and Logan when I thought it existed at one point because one of the most, if not the most, vulnerable scenes we see of him when he's alive is with her
yet I don't think loyalty is why she stayed, they negotiated more money and more power in the company for her in season 3 when Logan asks her not to divorce him because of the optics, they had an arrangement
In terms of Kerry, it's interesting because she kind of just shows up one episode and then her screen time grows with each season little by little and we don't have much backstory but when we see her talk to Greg we do see her have the same type of sharpness, no bullshitting attitude
while also being someone who is taking care of him, like Marcia isn't there anymore, he isn't going to rely on his kids, so not only does she sometimes act as an intermediary and a translator to the siblings,
she's doing the things Marcia used to do, like when she knows about his UTI plus she's young and ambitious and probably won't say "awesome" too much.
Shiv's dislike of Marcia comes down to power plays and control and who has more of it. Shiv likes to try and take control of situations and she's repeatedly told to stay in her lane by Logan or by Kendall,
even by Roman (though I'm thinking more of this latest episode)
and that's something she continuously navigates abd pushes back against but she's used to it coming from her brothers and her father and men but then there's Marcia -- and to Shiv, who is Marcia, really? just some other woman -- who plainly tells her that she's not in control
and that's also coupled with the access Marcia has/had to Logan that Shiv couldn't/can't get her own father
like when she wants to go see him after he comes out of the hospital and Marcia won't let her upstairs, Shiv talks to the staff and says "I'm Logan's daughter, I just wanted to thank you for all you do" as a way to establish that she's the authority and they should be taking their cues from her not Marcia
combined with the fact that unlike the old guard who will act sycophantic, Marcia expresses the contempt she has and it's specifically to Shiv about Shiv
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Hey, I wasn't sure if I should say so or not in case it would be upsetting to you, but since you brought up the idea of a survey I thought I'd say that I have lost a parent & like you the current season of Succession has had a cathartic effect on me. I've also seen one person on twt say that's the case for them too, so I'm willing to bet a lot of ppl who've lost a parent feels similarly and like... Regardless of if it's a "good" season or not, I think media that helps me process my grief is a positive thing, it has value, or what have you. Obv it's fine for ppl to dislike the season, & ofc I don't wish others could exp that kind of loss, but like 🤷🏻♀️ sometimes things don't resonate with you until you've experienced smth, & sometimes that happens when you're 0-10, sometimes when you're 50-60
yeah, i started noticing a gap in reactions after connor's wedding between people saying 'that felt far too much like my own experience with a parent/family member dying' and people who acknowledged the skillful execution of the episode but didn't seem to personally connect to it (which generated a couple takes on logan's death and the perceived indignity of it that rubbed me the wrong way, lol). on the one hand my continued posting about the Discourse is because it's aggravating to me, like why is the hot topic of fan discussion 'is the show we're all watching even good?' ??? but on the other, it's genuinely just confusing to me and i'm trying to understand what i'm missing. the minor criticisms that people have cited as the root cause of their dissatisfaction don't add up to me. they feel much more like things that are only noticeable/irritating if you already have some fundamental issue or disconnect with the season.
and i think it really is that this is a season about grief and only about grief, there's no space for anything else. the emotional arcs in other seasons were usually related but distinct - you could focus in on what you liked in particular, whether that was kendall's mental breakdown, roman's freudian mess, shiv's struggle to be taken seriously as a woman, shiv and tom's failmarriage, tom and greg's weirdness, and there'd be enough material for you to chew on and have a good time without worrying all that much about everything else (although i do think being able to understand how all of these connect improves your experience of the show immensely, but i digress).
s4 is about grief. everyone is reacting to logan's death in different ways, but it all comes back to grief. if you're interested in talking about grief, there's so much to explore. if you don't find that engaging, then you're out of luck. it's fine to not find that engaging because you wanted something else out of the season/show, but that doesn't make the season objectively bad or subject to flaws that weren't already present throughout the rest of the show. and yeah, based on my reaction and the reactions of other people i've seen who have that personal experience with death, i think it's a really spectacular depiction of loss and grief that handles all the complex emotions involved with more thought and care than i've seen in other media. it would not be as accurate or impactful a depiction of grief if time and space was spent on something completely unrelated.
i don't think you need to have lost a close family member to connect to the storyline, but i also don't think you can understand what it's like until it happens in your own life. it fucked me up badly when my aunt died in middle school because she had been a major part of my childhood, but the degree to which my dad dying fundamentally altered my life is just incomparable to anything else. you really cannot experience grief as a concept or thought experiment, a person's death is real and permanent in a way nothing else really is. which sounds obvious but it's just true
#mingbox#probably won't be talking much more about this/responding to more asks on the topic bc i feel like i've gotten my thoughts out#some things i could elaborate on but i kind of don't care enough to LOL. i just don't see how the show/season could have gone another way#if i was still a person invested in tg i'd be really disappointed. but i'm not. they were a definite part of the show but not the#center of it. they were cut off. and i am fine with that because i really do not think there was another way. you can't have another season#where logan doesn't die and you can't have logan die and then tom and greg suck and fuck. and jesse armstrong voice tv is just really hard#alsoooo while i do still think greg had the potential to be a significantly more interesting character. i understand why he isn't#and i'm fine with that lol. die white boy
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succession s4 e3 recap: i just called to say are you a cunt? 2/2
part 1
how are we dealing so far? personally, i am not.
tom calls his boyfriend with the news of logan's death, which turns out to be a huge mistake because greg is a dipshit with no poker face and a simp for journalist ass.
guys, i even feel bad for tom. wtf is this episode.
roman is still in denial.
the genius of the writers confirmed: i spent ages wondering if it was real myself, since we never really saw logan and it felt unreal. so thanks for the torture, i guess.
just as the kids receive news they have stopped doing compressions, the ship leaves the dock.
stress level: uncut gems.
hugo is here.
if i saw this man on the worst day of my life i would jump ship.
he informs the sibs that the board is drafting a statement and the reactions are who tf asked.
we see a shift from grief to strategy. new leadership means they need to position themselves.
tom wants people to know he was with logan as he died. karl, gerri and frank need their name on the statement. and although the healthy thing probably would be to grieve in peace, the kids need to stake their claim too.
calling a confrontation in a karaoke bar a family function is controlling the narrative. words are just complicated airflow.
this screenshot is just in here because it has gerri in it.
roman continues his denial tour, this time featuring gerri.
bla bla bla the marked bla bla bla stock prices bla bla shiv casually suggests they leave the plane in the air for a while because of business.
shoot logan into deep space for all i care.
inside you there are two wolves: one who cares about legacy and one that is suicidal.
in this scenario, i would be connor:
actually, i'm shiv, turns out:)))
i'm sure the mommy issues comes as a surprise to no one.
kendall is on the funeral planning commitee.
"funeral off the rack" was the alt title of this week's recap.
and then, just as roman has pointed out they can just be children who have lost their fathers, who need to grieve, rumors of logan's health leak.
fucking greg.
i'm always here for a good sibling huddle.
how "inspirational quote on a boomer facebook group" of them to believe they are actually needed at waystay.
don't stop believing and all that.
i repeat, don't stop believing:
you go, gerri, give him nothing!!!!:(
the way she looked so concerned for them when she entered the room:(( but then he acted like an asshole:((( and now everything is horrible:((((
WE ARE LOSING THE LESBIANS!
DOSE OF FANFIC NEEDED, STAT!
help
help!!!
indeed. how will i ever survive the six days leading up to the next episode?
(it's fanfiction, the answer is fanfiction)
i know that hugo referred to the journos when he said he had briefed "their friendliest" but i like to believe he's talking about shiv.
guys, i'm so drained.
more business. logan is the stock price. anthropomorphic shit that would probably mean something if i cared enough to focus on logan rn.
HUG!!!!!
at this point, it seems impossible that these three will turn on each other, but a lot can happen in seven episodes.
roman's adhd brain needs visual conformation.
this is very important, says woman who forgets the produce if it's at the back of the fridge.
connor wins this episode.
he got his way: statue of liberty, weirdly patriotic band, no cake.
the healthiest relationship in this show is the one that is openly transactional.
speaking of transactional relationships: shiv goes home with tom under the pretense that he has to explain to her the details of what happened on the plane.
what are we thinking? is there hope? (of course not) do we care? (i do, i do a little)
we end on kendall alone and the siblings separated. bad omen.
"i'll be broken when you die"
we await an unpredictable road ahead, friends. buckle up, fuckleheads.
part 1
#succession#succession hbo#succession spoilers#succession recap#succession season 4#tom wambsgans#matthew macfadyen#roman roy#kieran culkin#shiv roy#sarah snook#kendall roy#jeremy strong#gerri kellman#j. smith-cameron#alan ruck#connor roy#justine lupe#willa ferreyra#colin succession#scott nicholson
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I don't know that I want tom and greg to be canon in a cute, happy way. riding off into the sunset without a care.
not... necessarily.
though, i do think it would be plausible for them to get out together. While the real focus, at the finale, becomes the siblings alone because it always has been about them. It's Succession. The three kids are the heart, Tom and Greg are weirdly prominent side characters (i say this as someone who likes them and arguably more than the main plot- I don't want them involved as directly in the main plot, I like them best pushed to the side doing freak stuff)
Thinking of the Siblings, and their connections, this season reaffirms that Rava has been out this whole time, only hanging by a string to Kendall through his children, which he worked against last episode. Kendall has also left behind his friends in Stewy and Nate,using them but not connecting to them. Gerri, Roman's only ever support, has been getting out this season and it maybe has stuck this time- so Tom should probably get out too, because he was propping up Shiv, and she has severely hurt him the past couple episodes so he would be justified.
the weird thing here is Greg. who is not actually a Roy but has been called an "honorary kid" and whose name was on a paper, but mostly has only ever acted as Tom's support (much to his dismay, but still). This season he has been elevated to Solo Player Who Still Likes Tom For Some Reason. Last episode he both pulled a very big move and also relied on Tom and gave him information he didn't need to give, which means it's still dubious whether he's loyal to only himself, or to himself and Tom, sorta, unless the going gets too tough.
and i'm gonna personally be sooo mad if he's, like, the CEO. but he's been so weirdly prominent this season that, I am worried.
I dislike the idea, for many reasons. I don't consider him on the same level of importance or understanding as the kids. Primarily because he's not a Roy, Greg has not had the life the Roys have had. We don't have access to his internal workings by way of his relationship with his fucked up parents the way we have had for Shiv, Kendall, and Roman. I've seen many people say that he's the same breed, and I know I've seen people say one of the theses of the show is that "jesse armstrong believes people can't change who they are", but Greg was the one who had a modicum of morals at the beginning and has a eschewed them, and changed. And, yes, clearly they were not that strong to begin with if he was so easily tempted but... he did change, I believe, anyway. he's one of the only people who actually changed at all.
And maybe that's why he will get it! and maybe my fears will come true. But maybe my fears are unfounded. I am still hoping for Kendall Alone at the end, which means something needs to be done with Greg. god knows what. i wouldn't be pissed if it were riding off with Tom, though, lol.
and maybe. they will go there, give Greg CEO and i will eat my words and like it somehow. it's been known to happen, you never know what you want until you get it!
#succession#long post#succession spoilers#tomgreg#eughgh should i be worried about this one?#idk ive said this all before#if greg goes ceo im killing him with a fucking hammer and i say that as his biggest fan who wants him carnally#greg hirsch
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The Roy Family (Succession)
"The Roys remind me of the Lukases so much. A wealthy family, where the children are raised loveless and in isolation, where the more detached you are from other people the more valued you are within the family. Logan sneers at love, is proud of not needing anyone, and wishes the same for his children. He laughs at the idea of family therapy. Kendall, Shiv, and Roman struggle with this in different levels, but they always end up destroying any real connection they have and being Lonely again (Roman mistreats his situationships until the woman leaves, Kendall won´t see his children, Shiv won´t ever actually support her husband). Connor, the only sibling more separate from his family, DOES manage to love Willa, in his way. And no one in his family is happy for him in his wedding. When other characters become part of the family (Tom, Greg) they cease to have connections outside, to genuinely care about people. This is a family where being Lonely takes you far."
Bojack Horseman (Bojack Horseman)
"A famous actor in his youth, bojack has become severely depressed with the years. He seeks company and comfort whenever and with whomever he can, but it never lasts long. He doesn't suffer alone either, in his search for something meaninful, he drags those he loves and everyone around him down with him. He destroys lives by doing absolutely nothing."
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