#he doesn't really have reason to think he'd get better on the general trading floor; maybe tuk is the friendliest party to him but like

[unproduciblesmackdown]

already pondering "what if there's even less of a boundary b/w tmc & the larger fund at the end of the season" whether via a choice entirely in taylor's hands, entirely out of it, or in between; and also noting things like "specific winston & tuk moment last episode & next episode's production pics ft. winston standing with tuk & ben in a scene in which taylor & rian are present but also standing separately?" like it probably wouldn't happen but considering at this point, along the lines of how at any given point it would make sense for winston to just walk out (he can leave), that Just Winston could just slide over to the general zone vs being in tmc specifically b/c it's both like, as hard as [rian & winston also hang out outside of work by now] indicates some kind of friendship, it's still never even clear cut / a Non Mixed Bag of rian acting like she doesn't consider him a friend in earnest; And you've got taylor interacting seriously nigh exclusively with rian since 5x08 & sure not having a sidebar with winston where he assures them he'll back them (we can probably assume he will like we & they could always assume winston won't just quit on them, but it'd probably only help to act like you care about it / Don't take him entirely for granted) like idk shrug yeah i support you taylor but you seem to have it covered working w/rian & not especially want or claim to need me around soooo probably neither of you should care if i scoot over here, right.....and who knows if they would lol

[border-spam]

Leech Lord : Exes and enemies

Troy

Troy has fallen in love more times than he will ever admit, but none of them proceeded into anything even close to a relationship. None of them hate him, they tell incredibly embarrassing stories about how awkward he was maybe.. but they aren't enemies. Just people he'd rather forget and pretends he has.

Troy's real problems are the people who covet him.

He's made the mistake of very often choosing people to fuck that see that kind of choice - being singled out by their own God - as more of a statement about them than it actually is. To arrogant followers, God King Calypso turning a hungry eye to the curves of your body or sweat beading across your pecs means you're special now. You're better than others... That he cares about you specifically...

He doesn't, he'd be hard-pressed to even remember their names, but it's left him with a notable group of people who not only believe they are far more valuable than they actually are, but can also be viciously aggressive towards others they feel jealousy over him for.

Anyone with common sense could have told him this was a mistake, that he should be choosing outside the fanatics, he should be welcoming people who don't think he's a God into his bed chambers, but he wouldn't listen anyway. Them believing he is Holy is one of the reasons he chooses them in the first place.

The worst are the ones he's made this mistake with more than once. Akash, Bishop Sero, and other high ranking priests who left their old names behind and covered their dusty - blood soaked pasts with heavy robes and delusions of grandeur when they joined the clergy.

They COVET Father Troy, they've convinced each other they are his holy flock, his gilded chosen.. and they are viciously protective of this role they fabricated for themselves.

He can't even really describe their faces if you asked, but he remembers the taste of their skin, and he can recite the praise they dripped from hungry mouths like memorised gospel.

They were very, very stupid mistakes, and it takes him far too long to realise he's made them.

Seifa

Sei's been extremely careful with relationships in general and has so rarely entered into one in the first place, that she doesn't have any exes who'd shed consider as hating her. Not on good terms? Sure. She left them, after all. It was always her who wasn't happy. But hate? Nah. They could converse if needed. If she knew any of them were in trouble and helping out wasn't going to cost her neck? Well. Shhh.

What she does have however, is a trail of people she played far too heavy handed, and one in particular cost her a broken wrist, a split lip, and someone she will avoid for the rest of her life.

Sei, especially before the twins, used flirtation and manipulation often. It was a simple go too for getting what she wanted out of a deal, flattery played right towards someone who wants to fuck you gets you very far in being underestimated. Buttering up a group of competitors then somehow ending up embroiling them in a bar fight while you sit innocently with a cocktail is a valid business strategy... but she got lucky for far too long when it came to choosing marks, till she wasn't.

Archivald had decided she was his before she'd even hit full throttle with the giggling and fawning, and she'd noticed far too late how invested in that decision he'd become, and how quickly. It had started great, free drinks all night, the ear of the number 1 warp core importer planet-side, and his huge arm around her shoulders for half the night, no one else holding his interest for long enough to even bring up their bids.

It had ended terribly, she'd not stopped him from drinking when she should have, hadn't kept control of the act enough to give herself an out, hadn't noticed the jealousy in his glare when she'd started working the long legged blonde with the incredible range of welding-alloy stock later, and she'd paid the price.

He'd only landed one hit after the grab, but the force of his fist had cracked the wrist he seized her by, and the slap that came after split her lip badly enough to knock her out.

He was removed forcefully from the club before she came to, but the damage was done and she launched off station shortly after with a bruised ego and face.

She's toned it down since, sultry rather than vapid when she plays them now. Makes sure they don't forget who's really in control. - 

He's not forgotten, she hears about it on the tradelines still, years later. The things he calls her, the contacts he's turned against her. Not that it matters NOW....

... Wrist still hurts sometimes though.

Tyreen

Having had no relationships in the past and no physical contact with followers, she's avoided the "insane fan / horrifying ex" situation, but is plennnnty hated on a personal level by more than enough people.

Tyreen has absolutely none of her Twin's gift with words when it comes to razor wit. Troy can cut people to the bone without stepping a foot out of line in professional situations, leave them sweating and powerless with just a couple of choice words and a pout of his lips, but Tyreen... she just straight up insults them.

She has no decorum. If she's annoyed with some arrogant suit eying her like something they'd scrape off their boot while still trying to manipulate what they want out of the COV in a meeting? She just tells them what she thinks.

Troy finds this fucking hilarious and is usually standing next to her, arms clasped behind his back as he stares watery eyed at the floor while biting the inside of his cheeks. But the investors? The wanna be sponsors? The people she's aiming her heavy handed spite at? They don't.

There's a reason by mid COV she hands over almost every deal and direct management case with a weapons manufacturer or multi billion dollar trade negotiation to Troy, the majority of upper management in organisations remotely on par with the cult refuse to be in the same room as her, and she's woefully ignorant at how much she's mocked behind closed doors.

Asks are Open!