teach me how to FIGHT, i'll show you how to w i n

written by k. | multi-fandom, multi-ship | tracking: scxrletandgxld | 25+ // [blog under construction...]

[guerrillatech]

[ejirobakugo]

[START ID // a tweet by Amelia - lesbianics major sodmetr... (@autogynamelia) reading: “haha straight girls be like ‘MY PARTNER’ and the whole time it’s their boyfri-” YES! THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT! IF EVERYONE SAYS “PARTNER” THEN THAT NORMALIZES IT! OTHERWISE SAYING “PARTNER” IS JUST A BRIGHT NEON SIGN THAT READS “I’M QUEER”! HOW IS THIS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND?! // END ID]

[iamnoonewhoareyou]

Also, can I just say:

Sometimes calling someone your “boyfriend” feels a bit juvenile if you’ve been together for a long time but aren’t engaged/married (which is still totally valid).

Partner is a great label.

[scxrletandgxld]

ooc; i really don’t wanna be me right now so HEY. LET’S DO SOME RP-LIKE THINGS. 

[mwagneto]

reaction pics everyone will still understand even with the text removed

[mwagneto]

more

[sherlock-is-ace]

If I might add…

[damn-shawty]

may i add

[palenoface]

[hurleyquinnzel]

[bluestone-alley]

[korrashaircut]

modern hieroglyphics

[cookiethewriter]

– BOLD ANY FEARS WHICH APPLY. ITALICIZE UNCOMFORTABLE.

the dark ⋆ fire ⋆ open water ⋆ deep water ⋆ being alone ⋆ crowded spaces ⋆ confined spaces ⋆ change ⋆ failure ⋆ war ⋆ loss of control ⋆ powerlessness ⋆ prison ⋆ blood ⋆ drowning ⋆ suffocation ⋆ public speaking ⋆ natural animals ⋆ the supernatural ⋆ heights ⋆ death ⋆ dying ⋆intimacy ⋆ rejection ⋆ abandonment ⋆ loss ⋆ the unknown ⋆ the future ⋆ not being good enough ⋆ scary stories ⋆ speaking to new people ⋆ poverty ⋆ loud noises ⋆ being touched* ⋆ forgetting ⋆ remembering ⋆ loving ⋆ disappearing

*by people she doesn’t know (doesn’t count in the way of a handshake or platonic manner)

tagged by: @virtusdemonte (thanks, darlin’!)

tagging: whoever the hell wants to do it!! tell me about your oc’s!! (and while you’re at it, follow my rp account @scxrletandgxld to learn about mine c: )

[scxrletandgxld]

ooc: hey look what i did on my main for kat.

[evermore-fashion]

Gemy Maalouf Èdition Spring 2020 Haute Couture Collection [x]

[pteronura-in-love]

@scxrletandgxld I got Grace vibes with some of these

[scxrletandgxld]

          ( BOLD ALL THAT APPLY to your muse. Italicize leaning or former. )

[ WEALTH ] $ Financial : wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty ✚ Medical : fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / non applicable ✪ Class or Caste : upper / middle / working / servant / street trash / slave / unsure ✔ Education : qualified / unqualified / studying / other ✖ Criminal Record : yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes* / no / has committed crimes, but has not been caught yet

(*she was able to get her tiny record expunged before she re-opened her mother’s clinic)

[ FAMILY ] ◒ Children : has a child or children / has no children / wants children / verse dependent ◑ Relationship with Family : close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings/ sibling(s) is deceased ◔ Affiliation : orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parent(s) / not applicable

[ TRAITS + TENDENCIES ] ♦ extroverted / introverted / in between ♦ disorganized / organized / in between ♦ close-minded / open-minded / in between ♦ calm / anxious / in between ♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between ♦ cautious / reckless / in between ♦ patient / impatient / in between ♦ outspoken / reserved / in between ♦ leader / follower / in between ♦ empathetic / unempathetic / in between ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between ♦ traditional / modern / in between ♦ hard-working / lazy / in between ♦ cultured / uncultured / in between ♦ loyal / disloyal / in between ♦ faithful / unfaithful / in between

[ BELIEFS ] ★ Faith : monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic / it’s complicated ☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ✮ Belief in an Afterlife : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ✯ Belief in Reincarnation : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ❃ Belief in Aliens : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ❀ Philosophical : yes / no

[ SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ] ❤ Sexuality : heterosexual / homosexual  / bisexual / asexual / pansexual / demisexual ❥ Sex : sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless / Just not interested ♥ Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naive and clueless ❣ Sexually : adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious / inhibited ⚧ Potential Sexual Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all ⚧ Potential Romantic Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all

[ ABILITIES ] ☠ Combat Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ≡ Literacy Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✍ Artistic Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✂ Technical Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

[ HABITS ] ☕ Drinking Alcohol : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess ☁ Smoking : trying to quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / to excess ✿ Other Narcotics : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess ✌ Medicinal Drugs : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess ☻ Indulgent Food : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess $ Splurge Spending : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess ♣ Gambling : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess

tagged by: @virtusdemonte (THANK YOU I LOVE YOU MWAH)

tagging: @renegademustelid (again, you don’t have to do it, but enjoy reading up on kitkat!), @whatgodgaveme, and whoever else has a character they want me to learn about!!

[scxrletandgxld]

*   CHARACTER STUDY CHART

𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐂𝐇

# 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙺𝙴𝙽 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴𝚂:   1    /    2    /   3 + 𝚃𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚅𝙾𝙸𝙲𝙴:     high    /    average    /   deep 𝙰𝙲𝙲𝙴𝙽𝚃:   yes  /     soft   /    no 𝙳𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙰𝙽𝙾𝚁:   confident   /    shy    /   approachable   /    hostile    /   other 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴:   slumped    /   straight  /   stiff   /   relaxed 𝙷𝙰𝙱𝙸𝚃𝚂:     head tilting /    swaying    /    fidgeting   /    stuttering    /    gesturing  /   arm crossing   /    strokes chin    /   er, um, or other interjections    /   plays with hair   /   clothing    /    hands at hips    /   inconsistent eye contact    /   maintains eye contact    /    frequent pausing   /  stands close    /   stands at distance  /  hands in pockets

𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐓𝐘

𝚅𝙾𝙲𝙰𝙱𝚄𝙻𝙰𝚁𝚈:     ◼◼◼◻◻ 𝙴𝙼𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽:     ◼◼◼◼◻

𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝚁𝚄𝙲𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴:     ◼◼◼◻◻

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘

𝙵𝚁𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙴𝙽𝙲𝚈:     ◼◼◼◼◻ 𝙲𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙸𝚃𝚈:     ◼◼◻◻◻

𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐘.    arse.   ass.   asshole.   bastard.    bitch.    bloody.   bugger.    bollocks.    chicken shit.   crap.    cunt.    dick.    frick.   fuck.    horseshit.   motherfucker.    piss.    prick.    screw.    shit.   shitass.    son of a bitch.   twat.    wanker.    pussy.

𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓.     christ on a bike.   christ on a cracker.   damn.    goddamn. godsdamn.   hell.    holy shit.   jesus.    jesus christ.   jesus h christ.   jesus h.    roosevelt christ.    lord sithis have mercy.   jesus, mary and joseph.   sweet jesus.  seven hells.

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓?     contractions or enunciation ?    straightforward or cryptic ?   jargon or toned ?    complexity or simplicity ?   finding the right word or using the first word that comes to mind ?   masculinity, neutrality, or femininity ?    formalities or abrasiveness ?   praise or equivocation ?    frankness or lies ?   excessive or minimal hand gestures ?   name-calling or magnanimity ?   friendly or blunt nicknames ?

𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

𝙳𝙾 𝙿𝙴𝙾𝙿𝙻𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝙰 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙳 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 𝚄𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙾𝚁 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 ? almost always    /    frequently  /    sometimes    /    rarely    /    never

𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁’𝚂 𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙴 𝙰𝙲𝚁𝙾𝚂𝚂 𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙸𝙻𝚈 𝚆𝙷𝙴𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙺 ? almost always    /    frequently    /    sometimes    /    rarely    /    never

𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 ?   almost always   /   frequently   /   sometimes    /    rarely    /    never

𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙱𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝚃𝙾 𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 ? almost always    /   frequently    /    sometimes    /    rarely    /    never

𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚄𝚂𝙴 ‘𝚆𝙷𝙾𝙼’ 𝙸𝙽 𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 ? yes    /   no    /   only ironically

𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚆𝙰𝙽𝚃𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙴 𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃. 𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳 𝙳𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝚄𝚂𝙴 ? but    /    though    /   although   /   however  /    perhaps   /    mayhaps

𝙷𝙾𝚆 𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 ? walk away    /    ask if that’s everything    /    say that that’s everything    /   give a proper goodbye   /   tell their company they’re done here    /    remain quiet   /    they don’t

𝙷𝙾𝚆 𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙰𝙳𝙳𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚂 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂 ? titles    /   first names   /   surnames  /    full names    /    nicknames

𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚂𝙾𝙲𝙸𝙰𝙻 𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂 𝚆𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝙰𝚂𝚂𝚄𝙼𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙱𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙶𝚂 𝚃𝙾, 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙼 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙺 ? upper    /    middle    /    working  /    lower

𝙸𝙽 𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙰𝚈 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙺 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂 ? accent    /    vocabulary    /    tone    /    level    /    politeness   /   brusqueness    /    it doesn’t

stolen from: (more like tagged by) @virtusdemonte tagging: @renegademustelid (you don’t have to do this! but you can look at kat’s anyway), @whatgodgaveme, and anyone else with a character who wants to do it! (just tag me so i can see!)

[scxrletandgxld]

[cookiethewriter]

F I V E   T H I N G S . fill in the categories with 5 things that your character can be identified by. repost, do not reblog !

i. emotions/feelings

1. cautious  //  2. loyal  //  3. short-tempered  //  4. pessimist  //  5. antsy

ii. greetings

1. firm handshake  //  2. eye contact  //  3. tight hugs, like you could disappear //  4. (at work) nods  //  5. (if family or partner) loud, popping kisses to the cheek

iii. colors

1. scarlet red  //  2. gunmetal blue   //  3. forest green  *** //  4.  golden yellow //  5. rust orange

iv. scents

1. antibacterial soap  //  2. leather  //  3. coffee  //  4. citrus & sage //  5. lavender & vanilla

v. clothing

1. leather jacket  //  2. black work boots  //  3. open doctor’s coat //  4. patchworked jeans  //  5. loose-fitting fabric

vi. objects

1. ear cuff, right ear  //  2. notepad //  3. her 1979 ford f250, named bertha //  4. doctor bag  //  5. needle and thread

vii. vices/bad habits

1. workaholic  //  2. isolation  //  3. drinking relapse  //  4. over-extending herself for the sake of others  //  5. explosive anger when afraid

viii. body language

1. (cautious) arms crossed, firm stare //  2. (upset) body curled tight, face hidden   //  3. (angry) fists clenched, snarled mouth //  4. (happy) soft expression, still  //  5. (drunk) languid movements, tries to take shirt off (she gets very warm)

ix. aesthetics

1. ruffled clothes and messy hair  //  2. roiling fog over an empty field    //  3. sparkling light through thick branches   //  4. medical supplies splayed over a mobile cart  //  5. dry knuckles dusted with blood and bruises

x. songs

1. anastacia - in your eyes //  2. casey lee williams - i may fall  //  3. maria mena - it took me by surprise  //  4. mother mother - family   //  5. gabbie hanna - honestly/honestly (encore) tagged by: @virtusdemonte (bby, thank you, and you shouldn’t be surprised i went with kat lmao)

tagging: @pteronura-in-love, @whatgodgaveme (you are, or were, an rp blog right? or maybe writing blog, oh wait, i forget lmao - but if you want you can totally do this!), and ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS AN OC, I WANNA LEARN ABOUT THEM, PLEASE–

[scxrletandgxld]

@virtusdemonte

[scxrletandgxld]

ooc; if anyone wants to start a thread/start discussing rp stuff, lemme know!

[scxrletandgxld]

Hey Kat, Hana wants to know if you would like to meet Argo?

{ ^ } … At the sound of someone speaking to her, Kat straightens her posture, her eyes flicking up and down to take in the newcomer. At the question, she crosses her arms in front of her. “…and, who is Argo?”

[pteronura-in-love]

It was Roman who spoke. He gives Kat a sly half-smile before stepping aside and physically moving a much shorter woman in front of him. “Kat, this is Hana. Hana, Kat.” He gestures down toward Hana’s left side where there is a large shepherd mix dog before he peels off to go get ready for his match.

(h) “Uh…Hi,” Hana says, unsure. “This is Argo,” she explains, as she pets the top of the large brown fuzzy head near her thigh. “I tried to tell Roman we would never get away with bringing a dog to the arena, but we just walked on in through security after him. He said no one would tell him he couldn’t bring a dog, so…here we are.”

[scxrletandgxld]

When she sees Roman, Kat seems to lighten up a bit, a grin on her otherwise pensive face that echoes his own smile, until she sees him put a strange young woman between them. Apparently, her name was Hana. And apparently, he was able to sneak a dog in, too. Of course he did.

“He’s a strange one, that Roman, but he could smuggle anything in here.” Sticking her tongue out at the Big Dog, Kat leans her hands on her knees, keeping distance between herself and Argo just in case; most animals tend not to like her, since she’s almost always usually stressed out. Such is the life of a medical staffer of the WWE. “I’m Kat Sarcelle, though. Nice to meet you… uh, both.”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana doesn’t miss the grin that Kat had on her face at the sight of Roman. She files that away for questions to bug her friend with later. She also didn’t miss that the grin disappeared when Roman shoved her between them. Hana tries her best to appear relaxed and smiling slightly, but inside she’s fretting. Ugh, she hates me already. She’s important to Roman and Dean and can I ever just make a good impression for once. Why am I like this!?

“He is. He could,” Hana agrees, smiling a little wider, feeling more awkward. No turning back. “Hana Reed. Pleasure to meet you as well. I just got hired on as a yoga instructor. I…uh…I’ve heard a lot about you.” C’mon Argo, please, do your thing…

Of course he can’t read her mind, but Argo, ever the intuitive helper sidles on over to Kat, because she seems stressed. Her posture doesn’t worry him in the slightest. He leans against her legs and gazes softly over his own shoulder up at her with large brown eyes. He makes a friendly quiet huffing noise. It’s the same noise Argo makes when he gets in Dean’s face, sensing when he could use the comfort. 

I hope she likes dogs…

[scxrletandgxld]

Perhaps to Hana’s complete amusement, Kat would absolutely deny that the grin meant anything special, and she’d say that she gave the same to Dean when he passed through, and it wasn’t a total lie. They had their own ritual that was mostly Dean trapping her in a headlock and her managing to throw her weight around to get him in a mockery of his Dirty Deeds before she’d let him go – she was rather buff, worked out a ton when she could travel with the guys – and he never ceased to be surprised. 

With Roman, it had always been different, stolen looks on car rides or lingering grins backstage, but there were people all over the roster and in the big office who wouldn’t take kindly to any of that. Her job and his might come under scrutiny from everybody, and more for his sake than hers, she can’t risk that. 

But as far as Hana Reed and Argo are concerned, her look of pensiveness turns to something more like relief when she looks down at the latter who’s now leaning against her and waiting patiently for what she can only assume is head pats. Huh, she muses. Blinking back up at Hana, though, she lets her hand absently rub at Argo’s ear. “Whatever you heard is either a lie, embellished, or completely true. You can do with that as you see fit. Other than that, welcome aboard, newbie.” 

It would be nice to have another woman on her side of things, considering Roman and Dean both have had to pull her away from stuffy men in white coats who thought they could do her job better, despite her proving many times that she was the most competent doctor backstage.

[pteronura-in-love]

It’s all Hana can do to not double over in relief. Anxiety is a bitch. She keeps the smile plastered on her face, though it slowly turns to a real one as Kat looks up from patting Argo. Thank you, you big lovable dope. You always have my back. She thinks the same of Roman, and makes a mental note to thank him again later for helping her find someone who could be a potential ally. She’s already thanked him for telling her the job was open in the first place. It’s been years since she’s been around him or Dean regularly and she’s not sure what to make of this entire experience. 

“Well, whatever I’ve heard has thus far only come from Dean and Roman, so I guess your reputation depends on how much I should trust either of them.” Hana laughs a bit, finally starting to relax. “Or, however much you trust them. And, thanks. This is all a bit intimidating but when the job came up Roman called me, and then Dean kept bugging me to apply. Don’t ever let him try to convince you he can’t text. Really I think he just wants Argo around again.”

She can’t help but wonder briefly if Dean had wanted her around again. As fast as the thought comes into her head she shoves it away somewhere deep and forbidding. She brings her attention back to Kat. “I’ll keep an eye out for doctor’s notes on who can do what. I can easily tailor programs.” At that moment Argo chooses to return to Hana’s side, maybe sensing that she was about to excuse herself. He stretches his front legs luxuriously down and forward, his long back sloping up toward his tail. Hana gestures toward Argo and says, “He’s an expert model for downward dog.”

Oh god, I’m so awkward. Why…? “Well, see you around!” Hana grins, quickly turning and slinking off before she can embarrass herself further. Argo trots easily at her heels.

[scxrletandgxld]

A grin makes her mouth go lopsided, not showing one way or the other whether or not they can be trusted. But, she does trust them - they’re about the only people she does around here, but granted, that’s only because they stuck her with them! When she’d gotten to know them on such a level when Seth had left them high and dry, it had become a different story than just ‘travel partners’. She doesn’t quite give away who should trust who, just gives that lopsided grin, before she watches Hana’s back as she retreats in the opposite direction. 

Well. It gives her a chance to get her shit together. Though she does manage to text Roman to get Hana’s number, which he gives to her after a while, once she’s well-settled in the trainer’s room. She will be the one to take care of whoever comes in the trainer’s room on the show, even if they won’t show her on camera - a personal preference - so she’s got to make sure it looks TV-medical ready. 

Eventually, she gets bored of puttering around the tiny room and she heads out, roaming the halls, and she pulls out her phone to shoot out a text to Hana. 

[text -> hana r.] I made Roman give me your number. Hope that’s okay.

[text -> hana r.] It’s Kat, btw. 

…then, she sent one off to Roman.

[text -> rome] Thanks for introducing Hana and me, big dog. : ]

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana knows Roman and Dean are to be trusted. She learned that years ago. They made sure she had a safe home. She takes Kat’s grin as permission to think whatever she wants, which honestly she finds completely badass. Of course, they know the same two guys, so she would know they told her nothing except how awesome their friend is. Even as she’s scurrying off she’s sure she wants to know more about Kat.

She sets off to find Roman again, since technically she’s his guest. She may work for WWE, (who would have thought they travel with a yoga instructor?) but backstage isn’t exactly her domain. She also isn’t sure how long she can get away with Argo following her around before someone kicks them out without their escort. Heading back toward the locker room area, she rounds a corner quickly and nearly runs into somebody.

That somebody briefly looks Hana over before dropping to his knees as Argo collides with his chest. The man ruffles the fur on either side of the large dog’s neck while trying to avoid licks to his face. He’s murmuring nonsense to the excited beast, “Mutt,” and “It’s been a long time, man,” slipping from his lips before he uses them to plant a kiss on the top of the furry head. Hana shifts from foot to foot for a minute before blue eyes finally look up to meet her face.

“Mutt looks great,” Dean comments. “Not lookin’ so bad yerself,” he adds with a wink at Hana.

“Dean, hi,” Hana manages to squeak out awkwardly. What a freakin’ day this is. “We, uh, just got in. Looking for Ro. He got us both in here, actually.”

At that moment Hana’s phone buzzes in her pocket. She takes it out, unlocking the screen, wondering if Roman was looking for them. She doesn’t recognize the number and just as she opens the message a security guard approaches. He’s not pleased that Argo is in the building and Hana is about to apologize, about to ask where they might be allowed to wait until the show is over, but Dean just scowls at the guard and takes Hana by the elbow. He whistles lowly for Argo to follow, which he does, as he leads Hana down a hall before depositing them in his and Roman’s empty locker room, promising to be back soon.

Hana is still trying to process the last few minutes when she remembers the text and checks her phone again.

I made Roman give me your number. Hope that’s okay. It’s Kat, btw.

Hana immediately saves the phone number as a new contact before replying.

[text -> Kat]  It’s fine. I’m glad he did ;)

[text -> Kat] Looks like we’re trapped in the locker room for a bit. Security finally decided to have something to say about Argo being here

Hana’s not really sure why she sends the second text. Maybe Kat doesn’t give a shit where they get stuck but she’s tired of being alone all the time. She looks down as Argo leans firmly against her knee. Well, she’s finally tired of not having humans around. Maybe.

[scxrletandgxld]

A lot of the people backstage like her enough, most of the talent giving her polite smiles in greeting or the occasional ‘What’s up, doc?’ in often terrible Bugs Bunny impressions. She’ll never tell them she actually likes them, because while there are some who think she’s a decent-enough person, there are some who don’t like her attitude, don’t like that she isn’t kissing up to the higher-ups like she should be. 

She’s not sure what she’s doing, exactly, or who she’s looking for, but she doesn’t stray far from the trainer’s office. The segment is a post-show angle, though she doesn’t know who the angle is with, which doesn’t surprise her. When she sees a camera, she knows it’s time to turn it on. 

Then, her phone pings, and she pulls it out of her pocket, opens the text.

…Looks like we’re trapped in the locker room for a bit. Security finally decided to have something to say about Argo being here

Huffing slightly, knowing she doesn’t have enough standing with people who aren’t some of the talent or Hunter - he’s the one who hired her, put her with the Shield, and told her to make sure Dean and Roman don’t fall apart - and that she won’t be able to do anything to help in that regard. But if she was taken to the locker room, she can only assume someone found her, and she hopes on her mother’s name that that someone was Dean, and she was in their locker room. It wasn’t that far from where she was. 

Before she turns in that direction, she looks around and grabs the shirt sleeve of a backstage producer. “Hey, can you get me in like, 15-minutes from Ambrose and Reigns’ locker room?”

That earns her a dirty look, because of course it does, but the guy nods his head and looks back down at whatever he was doing before. With that, she takes off toward the locker room.

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana looks around the locker room. She’s been on her feet for a while. Sitting sounds like a good idea. Argo throws himself on the floor near where she’s standing, almost as if he read her mind. As she is looking around, Hana is noticing things - things that belong to Dean and to Roman. It’s all so familiar, yet, foreign. There’s a hoodie draped over the back of a small couch and she can’t stop herself. Crossing the room, followed by Argo’s ever watchful gaze, she lifts the hoodie from it’s resting place over the back of the couch. It’s emblazoned with Roman’s logo, but it smells undeniably like Dean. Sitting down on one cushion she holds the hoodie in her hands, feeling like she’s invading their personal space and also knowing she used to belong there. Not in this locker room. She never belonged in this locker room, but she belonged with the two of them.

The idea that for the past few years she has been missing out on the little family they once had hits her in the chest like a freight train. She doesn’t even care that they could find her when she pulls the now rumpled hoodie to her chest and buries her face in it briefly. Dean. She needs to take a few deep breathes before the anxiety gets any worse. I’m safe. I’m fine. Everything is going to be ok. Good things? What are the good things? Argo shimmies across the floor and rolls onto Hana’s feet. She thinks about how he belongs there, at her feet, at her side…

Hana’s mind gets dragged back to how comfortable it was to just let Dean take her by the arm and deposit her in his locker room. That she just went with him no questions asked; that neither had to ask any questions to begin with.

She considers that Roman made sure they both got in that night, so Argo didn’t have to wait in the hotel room. 

Also, how lucky she was to have met some great people. Hana practically rips her phone from her pocket. She unlocks the screen and pulls up Kat’s name. She’s about to compose another text when she hears the locker room handle click.

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat knows the way to their - her boys, and now, Hana’s boys - locker room by heart, having had to hide there a million times the first few weeks she started working here; they’d wanted to put her on TV, give her a huge speaking role with someone else, someone bigger and meaner. That’s when she met The Shield boys. That’s when she met Roman and Dean. And that room, once it had been The Shield’s private room, before … everything went down.

It’s not like she hadn’t made nice with Rollins while they were together, but she could tell he didn’t trust her when she started riding with them. And the feeling was mutual. It took a long time for her to let them - Roman - in, but it helped that Dean always dragged them to the best bars in whatever town they were in that day. The bonding started there, but eventually she didn’t need drink to care about them. 

The familiar door comes in view and she grips the handle, looking over her shoulder on instinct alone. She knows the implications of her going into their room. People weren’t subtle with all their heat and their rumors around here. Dean and Roman were big-enough guys that they meant something around here, and while she had the mouth and the attitude, she wasn’t quite so indispensable. And she needed this job to work out. 

…well, wanted it to. 

She jiggles the handle to check if it’s locked, and when she sees it’s unlocked, she opens it, the door giving way with a click and she steps inside. She sees Hana, Argo at her feet, with her head buried in a sweatshirt with Roman’s logo emblazoned on it. Looking back at the door as if in confirmation, she regards her with a softer look. 

“Hey, you two good?”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana freezes when the door opens, phone in hand, and the hoodie clutched to her chest. Argo’s head whips up at the noise. A wave of relief washes over Hana as Kat walks into the room. She puts her phone down on a table near her and Argo lays his head back down. Clearly he’s concerned only with keeping Hana’s feet warm.

“We’re, uh, fine. Just waiting I guess.” Hana sits up a bit and shakes out the hoodie. She places it on the back of the couch again, trying too hard to keep her face neutral. She should be embarrassed to be found clutching an item of clothing that doesn’t belong to her, but somehow she’s not. At least not when the person who found her is Kat. Maybe she won’t have to explain herself. She probably wouldn’t have to explain anyway, but if either of the boys had found her she likely would have heard one comment or other. Why don’t the two of you just talk about all this. Distance isn’t that big a deal. Or, Been years since ya offered t’ fold my laundry, sweetheart. Well, she doesn’t have to worry about that right now. Right?

“Probably not ‘supposed’ to be in here either,” Hana says, laughing a bit. “Dean just sort of dropped us off. I’ve been here for all of one day and already I’m in trouble.” Hana chances a grin at Kat, feeling uncharacteristically trustful when they only just met. “So, here we will stay. Keep a low profile until someone comes back for us. They gonna miss you the trainer’s room?”

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat knows a thing or two about pining. Moreso, she knows a thing about complicated relationships with herself and with love. So she knows what Hana’s doing, understands how she’s feeling, which means she’s not going to say a single thing about what she walked into. Of course, her brain isn’t helpful, so when she had recognized the logo, she had completely no idea that it was most likely Dean’s and not Roman’s. 

That hurt a little bit. They weren’t together, she and Roman, but she … well, it didn’t matter now.

(So, really, she’d have no room to talk about making things difficult on herself over a guy.)

“If Dean brought you here, I’d say that’s clearance. Since I’m not really a face that put on TV often, Roman usually lets me come back here until it’s an actual emergency and they need extra hands.” Puffing her breath out so it moves her bangs from her eyes, she puts a hand on her hip. “I’ll probably get going soon, since I doubt the producer I asked to won’t come get me. Just wanted to make sure you both were okay.”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana does eventually find the remote stuffed down between the cushions of the couch. Typical.

At least it’s in one piece. She turns the tv on and only half watches the show, because she’s also relieved Kat seems to want her company, but a little confused why she wouldn’t be “feeling with rooming with them.” That statement makes it seem like Kat usually does. Hana’s attention is only brought fully back to the tv when Roman and Dean make their entrance for the main event. 

Well, truth be told it’s Dean’s entrance music that fully snaps her attention back. Hana watches him swagger down the ramp, her stomach in knots. Why? Just why? I am an idiot, and this was a terrible idea. She sits forward a bit as she watches Dean roll into the ring and spring up, jumping around trying to release some energy while saving plenty for the match. He looks damn good she admits to herself, though she never forgot in the first place. Maybe this wasn’t the worst idea? Argo grumbles softly at her feet when she can’t sit still through the match, but settles again when the match is over and Hana leans back against the couch.

“Dammit,” shes says out loud just before Argo shoots to his feet. Seconds later Roman leads Dean through the dressing room door. Argo rushes to greet them, and playfully grab at the small towel in one of Roman’s hands. 

“Hey,” Roman directs to Hana, “I see you found your way out of trouble. Sorry for leaving you hanging earlier.”

Dean huffs at Roman. “Yeah, some host you are. Left our girl in the hallway getting harassed by some asshole with a quarter machine security badge.”

Roman looks over at Hana, concerned. “Who was it?”

“I…I’m fine. Really. Dean, uh, got us here, and no one has bothered us. Kat stopped by to check on us, but otherwise it’s been quiet,” Hana placates him. She’s not sure how she even answered because her brain has latched onto and is replaying Dean’s “our girl” over and over. She wants to scream…for the 80th time today. 

“Ok, if you say you’re alright. We’re gonna hit the showers then get out of here,” Roman tells Hana. “I’ll bring you and Argo to the hotel. You can drop your stuff off and settle him in, then go out with us if you want.” He then starts unbuckling his vest and heads toward the shower. 

As Dean passes Hana to follow Roman he nonchalantly rips his tank off over his head and gives her a friendly wink. She watches him as he leaves the room, and as soon as he is out of view she sinks in her seat, smacking both hands over her face. OH MY GOD she screams internally, not for the first time tonight.

Also not for the first time that night, Hana takes her phone out and brings up Kat’s contact info, not really sure if Kat will care or why she feels like she’s the right person to turn to. 

[text -> Kat] I’m gonna DIE if I don’t get out of here soon!

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat has a lot of personality flaws. One of them is that she has a hair-trigger temper that can seem to manifest out of nowhere if the right (or wrong) people push the wrong (or right) buttons, but one of her biggest is her inability to cope with things that aren’t actually things. In other words, she can’t get the image of Roman’s sweatshirt in Hana’s hands out of her head.

And it’s nothing against Hana. And really, it’s nothing against Roman, either. Everything she’s feeling is a direct attack on herself, because she’s like that, because that’s the only way she knows how to cope with anything is self-sabotage. Why wouldn’t someone as great as Hana be interested in someone as amazing as Roman? After traveling so much with him, she knew firsthand, and she enjoyed hanging out with him as much she enjoyed working in medicine (which sounds like not very much, but really, medicine and healing is her lifeblood) but tonight she just … the sound of hanging out with someone she ahem LIKED so much who might not be as available as she thought sounded not very appealing. She’d hang out with Hana, though, if she wanted to - otherwise, she’d get herself a room and settle for the peace and quiet of solitude. 

Her spot was quick tonight, and thankfully, she wasn’t on screen very long. She’s only really seen administering an ice pack to someone in the phony trainer’s room - a heel, who rips it out of her hands and she has to fight back the urge to scowl at them and appear mousy about it - and when she’s done, she goes immediately to fetch her things. Her phone chimes, signalling a text had just come in, and when she gets the phone out and clicks on the awaiting message, she grins to herself. Saved by the Hana. 

I’m gonna DIE if I don’t get out of here soon!

This drags a laugh out of her, kicking and screaming. She types back:

[text -> hana r.] sounds like you’re having an interesting time. ;) find some friends of ours, didya?

That hits her weird. It sounds wrong in her head. She sends another text as a stubborn way of ignoring it. 

[text -> hana r.] I can drive you to the hotel we’re all staying at. I brought my own rental, unless you already have a ride?

[pteronura-in-love]

She’s suffocating. Yes, definitely suffocating. She can’t breathe. Hana tells herself it’s from the steam drifting into the dressing room from the shower. No doubt the boys are in there with the water cranked up hot as hell. The only problem with her logic is Argo. Sensing her anxiety, he gets up from where he is laying and shoves his giant noggin up under her elbow. He lets out one diminutive whine for such a large beast, letting Hana know - he knows. He knows better than she does. Space to breathe, fresh air, fuck…her brain is spiraling. This hasn’t happened in a long time.

It’s absolutely the steam from the showers making it hard to breathe. Absolutely. This has nothing to do with Dean, nothing at all. It has nothing to do with his hand gently taking her arm, the way he and Argo had all but melted into one another after literal years, the sound of his voice, that wink. No. No, it wasn’t about any of that at all. 

She’s the worst liar. She always had been. If her tone didn’t give her away her facial expressions did. As a child her grandmother never had to ask twice if she had done something. She could never quite bring herself to pull off “the dog ate my homework”. She was never able to hide anything from Roman, he could always tell, usually before an excuse was even all the way out of her mouth. 

And the way she feels right now has nothing to do with Dean.

Hana’s phone emits an alert and she snatches it up from the table in front of her where she’d placed it after sending her last text to Kat. Seeing Kat’s name on the screen with a reply feels like a lifeline.  

sounds like you’re having an interesting time. ;) find some friends of ours, didya?

I can drive you to the hotel we’re all staying at. I brought my own rental, unless you already have a ride?

Hana sighs out dramatically. Some of the tension leaves her body. It’s a way out. She’s not sure if she would survive being in a car with Dean and then the subsequent outing. What if there’s someone waiting…

[text → Kat] You could say that. Don’t know if I’m up to going out.

Hana’s definitely not with her brain all wound up the way it is. 

[text → Kat] I would appreciate a ride. At least the dog hair is the rental company’s problem :)  I have double beds in my room, wouldn’t mind sharing if your original plan is not working out. Meet you in the parking lot.

Hana stands up and grabs Argo’s leash. She clips it to his collar before walking across the dressing room to the shower area. She barely pokes her head in and calls out, “Guys, I’m catching a ride with Kat. I’ll, uh, text you later.” Roman sticks his head out of the shower, the rest of him still hidden behind the curtain, and sets his eyes on Hana’s face. The smile she gives him is phony as anything. She knows it, he knows it, but it’s all she has at that moment. 

Roman’s still eyeing Hana when Dean calls out, “Promise?” Her whole expression must change from I’m not sure about this but I’m going to do it to oh shit, I gotta go! if the way Roman just rolls his eyes exasperatedly in Dean’s general direction is any indicator. Before he can say anything Hana slips out of view.

She situates Argo’s leash in her left hand and he comes to her side. Hana adjusts the soft jacket she’s wearing over her shoulders and stands up tall. The two of them exit the dressing room together, one appearing deceptively confident, the other ever confident in his fur. They march with all the purpose in the world right through the backstage area to the parking lot before Hana is aware of breathing again.

[scxrletandgxld]

The moment she gets Hana’s second text, she’s already made it out to the parking lot, her fingers in the front pocket of her drawstring bag to get the keys. She’s dressed down in a pair of baseball shorts and a tank top, a nondescript dark blue hoodie covering up her top half. When she finds the keys and her vehicle, she unlocks it with a blip! and throws her things in the back seat. 

[text -> hana r.] rental is a white 4-door

As she sends that off - because let’s be honest, she doesn’t remember brands of cars and models and all that, not when she’s been in so many rental cars - she sticks the keys in the ignition and gets herself pulled out of her spot. The second she turns on the lights and before she even has a chance to scan for Hana, she sees her and Argo waiting by the exit of the building and she thanks whatever gods are watching that she didn’t have to circle around and around to find her and risk running into her idiot wrestlefriends first.

Speaking of.

She doesn’t put her phone away just yet, opening up her most recent text to Roman (asking what hotel she should get a room at after the show) and typed a quick thing to him: Taking Hana to hotel, don’t wait up, gonna room with her. See you in morn.

It’s too-brief to broadcast that she wasn’t upset about something, but she knew he wouldn’t push her. She’d be lucky if he responded, but that was the last thing she was going to do that had to do with him tonight. She swears it. (While she’s sober.) 

She thinks for a moment about creeping up in the car real slowly, like she’s being an actual creep, but she decides against it. That would be funny if it was someone who might play along, someone like Mojo or Dean in a good mood, but considering they only just met and Kat hasn’t been able to read into what kind of things she can get away with when it comes to her. So she doesn’t drive up like a weirdo pervert and rolls down the passenger’s side window, unlocking the door as she does. 

“Your chariot awaits, Miss Reed and Mr. Argo.”

It was kind of silly to say, but they both were feeling it tonight, whatever ‘it’ was, and she was just really looking forward to take-out, cheap beer, and being away from her two idiot friends for a night.

[bakwaaas]

[scxrletandgxld]

Hey Kat, Hana wants to know if you would like to meet Argo?

{ ^ } … At the sound of someone speaking to her, Kat straightens her posture, her eyes flicking up and down to take in the newcomer. At the question, she crosses her arms in front of her. “…and, who is Argo?”

[pteronura-in-love]

It was Roman who spoke. He gives Kat a sly half-smile before stepping aside and physically moving a much shorter woman in front of him. “Kat, this is Hana. Hana, Kat.” He gestures down toward Hana’s left side where there is a large shepherd mix dog before he peels off to go get ready for his match.

(h) “Uh…Hi,” Hana says, unsure. “This is Argo,” she explains, as she pets the top of the large brown fuzzy head near her thigh. “I tried to tell Roman we would never get away with bringing a dog to the arena, but we just walked on in through security after him. He said no one would tell him he couldn’t bring a dog, so…here we are.”

[scxrletandgxld]

When she sees Roman, Kat seems to lighten up a bit, a grin on her otherwise pensive face that echoes his own smile, until she sees him put a strange young woman between them. Apparently, her name was Hana. And apparently, he was able to sneak a dog in, too. Of course he did.

“He’s a strange one, that Roman, but he could smuggle anything in here.” Sticking her tongue out at the Big Dog, Kat leans her hands on her knees, keeping distance between herself and Argo just in case; most animals tend not to like her, since she’s almost always usually stressed out. Such is the life of a medical staffer of the WWE. “I’m Kat Sarcelle, though. Nice to meet you… uh, both.”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana doesn’t miss the grin that Kat had on her face at the sight of Roman. She files that away for questions to bug her friend with later. She also didn’t miss that the grin disappeared when Roman shoved her between them. Hana tries her best to appear relaxed and smiling slightly, but inside she’s fretting. Ugh, she hates me already. She’s important to Roman and Dean and can I ever just make a good impression for once. Why am I like this!?

“He is. He could,” Hana agrees, smiling a little wider, feeling more awkward. No turning back. “Hana Reed. Pleasure to meet you as well. I just got hired on as a yoga instructor. I…uh…I’ve heard a lot about you.” C’mon Argo, please, do your thing…

Of course he can’t read her mind, but Argo, ever the intuitive helper sidles on over to Kat, because she seems stressed. Her posture doesn’t worry him in the slightest. He leans against her legs and gazes softly over his own shoulder up at her with large brown eyes. He makes a friendly quiet huffing noise. It’s the same noise Argo makes when he gets in Dean’s face, sensing when he could use the comfort. 

I hope she likes dogs…

[scxrletandgxld]

Perhaps to Hana’s complete amusement, Kat would absolutely deny that the grin meant anything special, and she’d say that she gave the same to Dean when he passed through, and it wasn’t a total lie. They had their own ritual that was mostly Dean trapping her in a headlock and her managing to throw her weight around to get him in a mockery of his Dirty Deeds before she’d let him go – she was rather buff, worked out a ton when she could travel with the guys – and he never ceased to be surprised. 

With Roman, it had always been different, stolen looks on car rides or lingering grins backstage, but there were people all over the roster and in the big office who wouldn’t take kindly to any of that. Her job and his might come under scrutiny from everybody, and more for his sake than hers, she can’t risk that. 

But as far as Hana Reed and Argo are concerned, her look of pensiveness turns to something more like relief when she looks down at the latter who’s now leaning against her and waiting patiently for what she can only assume is head pats. Huh, she muses. Blinking back up at Hana, though, she lets her hand absently rub at Argo’s ear. “Whatever you heard is either a lie, embellished, or completely true. You can do with that as you see fit. Other than that, welcome aboard, newbie.” 

It would be nice to have another woman on her side of things, considering Roman and Dean both have had to pull her away from stuffy men in white coats who thought they could do her job better, despite her proving many times that she was the most competent doctor backstage.

[pteronura-in-love]

It’s all Hana can do to not double over in relief. Anxiety is a bitch. She keeps the smile plastered on her face, though it slowly turns to a real one as Kat looks up from patting Argo. Thank you, you big lovable dope. You always have my back. She thinks the same of Roman, and makes a mental note to thank him again later for helping her find someone who could be a potential ally. She’s already thanked him for telling her the job was open in the first place. It’s been years since she’s been around him or Dean regularly and she’s not sure what to make of this entire experience. 

“Well, whatever I’ve heard has thus far only come from Dean and Roman, so I guess your reputation depends on how much I should trust either of them.” Hana laughs a bit, finally starting to relax. “Or, however much you trust them. And, thanks. This is all a bit intimidating but when the job came up Roman called me, and then Dean kept bugging me to apply. Don’t ever let him try to convince you he can’t text. Really I think he just wants Argo around again.”

She can’t help but wonder briefly if Dean had wanted her around again. As fast as the thought comes into her head she shoves it away somewhere deep and forbidding. She brings her attention back to Kat. “I’ll keep an eye out for doctor’s notes on who can do what. I can easily tailor programs.” At that moment Argo chooses to return to Hana’s side, maybe sensing that she was about to excuse herself. He stretches his front legs luxuriously down and forward, his long back sloping up toward his tail. Hana gestures toward Argo and says, “He’s an expert model for downward dog.”

Oh god, I’m so awkward. Why…? “Well, see you around!” Hana grins, quickly turning and slinking off before she can embarrass herself further. Argo trots easily at her heels.

[scxrletandgxld]

A grin makes her mouth go lopsided, not showing one way or the other whether or not they can be trusted. But, she does trust them - they’re about the only people she does around here, but granted, that’s only because they stuck her with them! When she’d gotten to know them on such a level when Seth had left them high and dry, it had become a different story than just ‘travel partners’. She doesn’t quite give away who should trust who, just gives that lopsided grin, before she watches Hana’s back as she retreats in the opposite direction. 

Well. It gives her a chance to get her shit together. Though she does manage to text Roman to get Hana’s number, which he gives to her after a while, once she’s well-settled in the trainer’s room. She will be the one to take care of whoever comes in the trainer’s room on the show, even if they won’t show her on camera - a personal preference - so she’s got to make sure it looks TV-medical ready. 

Eventually, she gets bored of puttering around the tiny room and she heads out, roaming the halls, and she pulls out her phone to shoot out a text to Hana. 

[text -> hana r.] I made Roman give me your number. Hope that’s okay.

[text -> hana r.] It’s Kat, btw. 

…then, she sent one off to Roman.

[text -> rome] Thanks for introducing Hana and me, big dog. : ]

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana knows Roman and Dean are to be trusted. She learned that years ago. They made sure she had a safe home. She takes Kat’s grin as permission to think whatever she wants, which honestly she finds completely badass. Of course, they know the same two guys, so she would know they told her nothing except how awesome their friend is. Even as she’s scurrying off she’s sure she wants to know more about Kat.

She sets off to find Roman again, since technically she’s his guest. She may work for WWE, (who would have thought they travel with a yoga instructor?) but backstage isn’t exactly her domain. She also isn’t sure how long she can get away with Argo following her around before someone kicks them out without their escort. Heading back toward the locker room area, she rounds a corner quickly and nearly runs into somebody.

That somebody briefly looks Hana over before dropping to his knees as Argo collides with his chest. The man ruffles the fur on either side of the large dog’s neck while trying to avoid licks to his face. He’s murmuring nonsense to the excited beast, “Mutt,” and “It’s been a long time, man,” slipping from his lips before he uses them to plant a kiss on the top of the furry head. Hana shifts from foot to foot for a minute before blue eyes finally look up to meet her face.

“Mutt looks great,” Dean comments. “Not lookin’ so bad yerself,” he adds with a wink at Hana.

“Dean, hi,” Hana manages to squeak out awkwardly. What a freakin’ day this is. “We, uh, just got in. Looking for Ro. He got us both in here, actually.”

At that moment Hana’s phone buzzes in her pocket. She takes it out, unlocking the screen, wondering if Roman was looking for them. She doesn’t recognize the number and just as she opens the message a security guard approaches. He’s not pleased that Argo is in the building and Hana is about to apologize, about to ask where they might be allowed to wait until the show is over, but Dean just scowls at the guard and takes Hana by the elbow. He whistles lowly for Argo to follow, which he does, as he leads Hana down a hall before depositing them in his and Roman’s empty locker room, promising to be back soon.

Hana is still trying to process the last few minutes when she remembers the text and checks her phone again.

I made Roman give me your number. Hope that’s okay. It’s Kat, btw.

Hana immediately saves the phone number as a new contact before replying.

[text -> Kat]  It’s fine. I’m glad he did ;)

[text -> Kat] Looks like we’re trapped in the locker room for a bit. Security finally decided to have something to say about Argo being here

Hana’s not really sure why she sends the second text. Maybe Kat doesn’t give a shit where they get stuck but she’s tired of being alone all the time. She looks down as Argo leans firmly against her knee. Well, she’s finally tired of not having humans around. Maybe.

[scxrletandgxld]

A lot of the people backstage like her enough, most of the talent giving her polite smiles in greeting or the occasional ‘What’s up, doc?’ in often terrible Bugs Bunny impressions. She’ll never tell them she actually likes them, because while there are some who think she’s a decent-enough person, there are some who don’t like her attitude, don’t like that she isn’t kissing up to the higher-ups like she should be. 

She’s not sure what she’s doing, exactly, or who she’s looking for, but she doesn’t stray far from the trainer’s office. The segment is a post-show angle, though she doesn’t know who the angle is with, which doesn’t surprise her. When she sees a camera, she knows it’s time to turn it on. 

Then, her phone pings, and she pulls it out of her pocket, opens the text.

…Looks like we’re trapped in the locker room for a bit. Security finally decided to have something to say about Argo being here

Huffing slightly, knowing she doesn’t have enough standing with people who aren’t some of the talent or Hunter - he’s the one who hired her, put her with the Shield, and told her to make sure Dean and Roman don’t fall apart - and that she won’t be able to do anything to help in that regard. But if she was taken to the locker room, she can only assume someone found her, and she hopes on her mother’s name that that someone was Dean, and she was in their locker room. It wasn’t that far from where she was. 

Before she turns in that direction, she looks around and grabs the shirt sleeve of a backstage producer. “Hey, can you get me in like, 15-minutes from Ambrose and Reigns’ locker room?”

That earns her a dirty look, because of course it does, but the guy nods his head and looks back down at whatever he was doing before. With that, she takes off toward the locker room.

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana looks around the locker room. She’s been on her feet for a while. Sitting sounds like a good idea. Argo throws himself on the floor near where she’s standing, almost as if he read her mind. As she is looking around, Hana is noticing things - things that belong to Dean and to Roman. It’s all so familiar, yet, foreign. There’s a hoodie draped over the back of a small couch and she can’t stop herself. Crossing the room, followed by Argo’s ever watchful gaze, she lifts the hoodie from it’s resting place over the back of the couch. It’s emblazoned with Roman’s logo, but it smells undeniably like Dean. Sitting down on one cushion she holds the hoodie in her hands, feeling like she’s invading their personal space and also knowing she used to belong there. Not in this locker room. She never belonged in this locker room, but she belonged with the two of them.

The idea that for the past few years she has been missing out on the little family they once had hits her in the chest like a freight train. She doesn’t even care that they could find her when she pulls the now rumpled hoodie to her chest and buries her face in it briefly. Dean. She needs to take a few deep breathes before the anxiety gets any worse. I’m safe. I’m fine. Everything is going to be ok. Good things? What are the good things? Argo shimmies across the floor and rolls onto Hana’s feet. She thinks about how he belongs there, at her feet, at her side…

Hana’s mind gets dragged back to how comfortable it was to just let Dean take her by the arm and deposit her in his locker room. That she just went with him no questions asked; that neither had to ask any questions to begin with.

She considers that Roman made sure they both got in that night, so Argo didn’t have to wait in the hotel room. 

Also, how lucky she was to have met some great people. Hana practically rips her phone from her pocket. She unlocks the screen and pulls up Kat’s name. She’s about to compose another text when she hears the locker room handle click.

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat knows the way to their - her boys, and now, Hana’s boys - locker room by heart, having had to hide there a million times the first few weeks she started working here; they’d wanted to put her on TV, give her a huge speaking role with someone else, someone bigger and meaner. That’s when she met The Shield boys. That’s when she met Roman and Dean. And that room, once it had been The Shield’s private room, before … everything went down.

It’s not like she hadn’t made nice with Rollins while they were together, but she could tell he didn’t trust her when she started riding with them. And the feeling was mutual. It took a long time for her to let them - Roman - in, but it helped that Dean always dragged them to the best bars in whatever town they were in that day. The bonding started there, but eventually she didn’t need drink to care about them. 

The familiar door comes in view and she grips the handle, looking over her shoulder on instinct alone. She knows the implications of her going into their room. People weren’t subtle with all their heat and their rumors around here. Dean and Roman were big-enough guys that they meant something around here, and while she had the mouth and the attitude, she wasn’t quite so indispensable. And she needed this job to work out. 

…well, wanted it to. 

She jiggles the handle to check if it’s locked, and when she sees it’s unlocked, she opens it, the door giving way with a click and she steps inside. She sees Hana, Argo at her feet, with her head buried in a sweatshirt with Roman’s logo emblazoned on it. Looking back at the door as if in confirmation, she regards her with a softer look. 

“Hey, you two good?”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana freezes when the door opens, phone in hand, and the hoodie clutched to her chest. Argo’s head whips up at the noise. A wave of relief washes over Hana as Kat walks into the room. She puts her phone down on a table near her and Argo lays his head back down. Clearly he’s concerned only with keeping Hana’s feet warm.

“We’re, uh, fine. Just waiting I guess.” Hana sits up a bit and shakes out the hoodie. She places it on the back of the couch again, trying too hard to keep her face neutral. She should be embarrassed to be found clutching an item of clothing that doesn’t belong to her, but somehow she’s not. At least not when the person who found her is Kat. Maybe she won’t have to explain herself. She probably wouldn’t have to explain anyway, but if either of the boys had found her she likely would have heard one comment or other. Why don’t the two of you just talk about all this. Distance isn’t that big a deal. Or, Been years since ya offered t’ fold my laundry, sweetheart. Well, she doesn’t have to worry about that right now. Right?

“Probably not ‘supposed’ to be in here either,” Hana says, laughing a bit. “Dean just sort of dropped us off. I’ve been here for all of one day and already I’m in trouble.” Hana chances a grin at Kat, feeling uncharacteristically trustful when they only just met. “So, here we will stay. Keep a low profile until someone comes back for us. They gonna miss you the trainer’s room?”

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat knows a thing or two about pining. Moreso, she knows a thing about complicated relationships with herself and with love. So she knows what Hana’s doing, understands how she’s feeling, which means she’s not going to say a single thing about what she walked into. Of course, her brain isn’t helpful, so when she had recognized the logo, she had completely no idea that it was most likely Dean’s and not Roman’s. 

That hurt a little bit. They weren’t together, she and Roman, but she … well, it didn’t matter now.

(So, really, she’d have no room to talk about making things difficult on herself over a guy.)

“If Dean brought you here, I’d say that’s clearance. Since I’m not really a face that put on TV often, Roman usually lets me come back here until it’s an actual emergency and they need extra hands.” Puffing her breath out so it moves her bangs from her eyes, she puts a hand on her hip. “I’ll probably get going soon, since I doubt the producer I asked to won’t come get me. Just wanted to make sure you both were okay.”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana does eventually find the remote stuffed down between the cushions of the couch. Typical.

At least it’s in one piece. She turns the tv on and only half watches the show, because she’s also relieved Kat seems to want her company, but a little confused why she wouldn’t be “feeling with rooming with them.” That statement makes it seem like Kat usually does. Hana’s attention is only brought fully back to the tv when Roman and Dean make their entrance for the main event. 

Well, truth be told it’s Dean’s entrance music that fully snaps her attention back. Hana watches him swagger down the ramp, her stomach in knots. Why? Just why? I am an idiot, and this was a terrible idea. She sits forward a bit as she watches Dean roll into the ring and spring up, jumping around trying to release some energy while saving plenty for the match. He looks damn good she admits to herself, though she never forgot in the first place. Maybe this wasn’t the worst idea? Argo grumbles softly at her feet when she can’t sit still through the match, but settles again when the match is over and Hana leans back against the couch.

“Dammit,” shes says out loud just before Argo shoots to his feet. Seconds later Roman leads Dean through the dressing room door. Argo rushes to greet them, and playfully grab at the small towel in one of Roman’s hands. 

“Hey,” Roman directs to Hana, “I see you found your way out of trouble. Sorry for leaving you hanging earlier.”

Dean huffs at Roman. “Yeah, some host you are. Left our girl in the hallway getting harassed by some asshole with a quarter machine security badge.”

Roman looks over at Hana, concerned. “Who was it?”

“I…I’m fine. Really. Dean, uh, got us here, and no one has bothered us. Kat stopped by to check on us, but otherwise it’s been quiet,” Hana placates him. She’s not sure how she even answered because her brain has latched onto and is replaying Dean’s “our girl” over and over. She wants to scream…for the 80th time today. 

“Ok, if you say you’re alright. We’re gonna hit the showers then get out of here,” Roman tells Hana. “I’ll bring you and Argo to the hotel. You can drop your stuff off and settle him in, then go out with us if you want.” He then starts unbuckling his vest and heads toward the shower. 

As Dean passes Hana to follow Roman he nonchalantly rips his tank off over his head and gives her a friendly wink. She watches him as he leaves the room, and as soon as he is out of view she sinks in her seat, smacking both hands over her face. OH MY GOD she screams internally, not for the first time tonight.

Also not for the first time that night, Hana takes her phone out and brings up Kat’s contact info, not really sure if Kat will care or why she feels like she’s the right person to turn to. 

[text -> Kat] I’m gonna DIE if I don’t get out of here soon!

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat has a lot of personality flaws. One of them is that she has a hair-trigger temper that can seem to manifest out of nowhere if the right (or wrong) people push the wrong (or right) buttons, but one of her biggest is her inability to cope with things that aren’t actually things. In other words, she can’t get the image of Roman’s sweatshirt in Hana’s hands out of her head.

And it’s nothing against Hana. And really, it’s nothing against Roman, either. Everything she’s feeling is a direct attack on herself, because she’s like that, because that’s the only way she knows how to cope with anything is self-sabotage. Why wouldn’t someone as great as Hana be interested in someone as amazing as Roman? After traveling so much with him, she knew firsthand, and she enjoyed hanging out with him as much she enjoyed working in medicine (which sounds like not very much, but really, medicine and healing is her lifeblood) but tonight she just ... the sound of hanging out with someone she ahem LIKED so much who might not be as available as she thought sounded not very appealing. She’d hang out with Hana, though, if she wanted to - otherwise, she’d get herself a room and settle for the peace and quiet of solitude. 

Her spot was quick tonight, and thankfully, she wasn’t on screen very long. She’s only really seen administering an ice pack to someone in the phony trainer’s room - a heel, who rips it out of her hands and she has to fight back the urge to scowl at them and appear mousy about it - and when she’s done, she goes immediately to fetch her things. Her phone chimes, signalling a text had just come in, and when she gets the phone out and clicks on the awaiting message, she grins to herself. Saved by the Hana. 

I’m gonna DIE if I don’t get out of here soon!

This drags a laugh out of her, kicking and screaming. She types back:

[text -> hana r.] sounds like you’re having an interesting time. ;) find some friends of ours, didya?

That hits her weird. It sounds wrong in her head. She sends another text as a stubborn way of ignoring it. 

[text -> hana r.] I can drive you to the hotel we’re all staying at. I brought my own rental, unless you already have a ride?

[scxrletandgxld]

Hey Kat, Hana wants to know if you would like to meet Argo?

{ ^ } … At the sound of someone speaking to her, Kat straightens her posture, her eyes flicking up and down to take in the newcomer. At the question, she crosses her arms in front of her. “…and, who is Argo?”

[pteronura-in-love]

It was Roman who spoke. He gives Kat a sly half-smile before stepping aside and physically moving a much shorter woman in front of him. “Kat, this is Hana. Hana, Kat.” He gestures down toward Hana’s left side where there is a large shepherd mix dog before he peels off to go get ready for his match.

(h) “Uh…Hi,” Hana says, unsure. “This is Argo,” she explains, as she pets the top of the large brown fuzzy head near her thigh. “I tried to tell Roman we would never get away with bringing a dog to the arena, but we just walked on in through security after him. He said no one would tell him he couldn’t bring a dog, so…here we are.”

[scxrletandgxld]

When she sees Roman, Kat seems to lighten up a bit, a grin on her otherwise pensive face that echoes his own smile, until she sees him put a strange young woman between them. Apparently, her name was Hana. And apparently, he was able to sneak a dog in, too. Of course he did.

“He’s a strange one, that Roman, but he could smuggle anything in here.” Sticking her tongue out at the Big Dog, Kat leans her hands on her knees, keeping distance between herself and Argo just in case; most animals tend not to like her, since she’s almost always usually stressed out. Such is the life of a medical staffer of the WWE. “I’m Kat Sarcelle, though. Nice to meet you… uh, both.”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana doesn’t miss the grin that Kat had on her face at the sight of Roman. She files that away for questions to bug her friend with later. She also didn’t miss that the grin disappeared when Roman shoved her between them. Hana tries her best to appear relaxed and smiling slightly, but inside she’s fretting. Ugh, she hates me already. She’s important to Roman and Dean and can I ever just make a good impression for once. Why am I like this!?

“He is. He could,” Hana agrees, smiling a little wider, feeling more awkward. No turning back. “Hana Reed. Pleasure to meet you as well. I just got hired on as a yoga instructor. I…uh…I’ve heard a lot about you.” C’mon Argo, please, do your thing…

Of course he can’t read her mind, but Argo, ever the intuitive helper sidles on over to Kat, because she seems stressed. Her posture doesn’t worry him in the slightest. He leans against her legs and gazes softly over his own shoulder up at her with large brown eyes. He makes a friendly quiet huffing noise. It’s the same noise Argo makes when he gets in Dean’s face, sensing when he could use the comfort. 

I hope she likes dogs…

[scxrletandgxld]

Perhaps to Hana’s complete amusement, Kat would absolutely deny that the grin meant anything special, and she’d say that she gave the same to Dean when he passed through, and it wasn’t a total lie. They had their own ritual that was mostly Dean trapping her in a headlock and her managing to throw her weight around to get him in a mockery of his Dirty Deeds before she’d let him go – she was rather buff, worked out a ton when she could travel with the guys – and he never ceased to be surprised. 

With Roman, it had always been different, stolen looks on car rides or lingering grins backstage, but there were people all over the roster and in the big office who wouldn’t take kindly to any of that. Her job and his might come under scrutiny from everybody, and more for his sake than hers, she can’t risk that. 

But as far as Hana Reed and Argo are concerned, her look of pensiveness turns to something more like relief when she looks down at the latter who’s now leaning against her and waiting patiently for what she can only assume is head pats. Huh, she muses. Blinking back up at Hana, though, she lets her hand absently rub at Argo’s ear. “Whatever you heard is either a lie, embellished, or completely true. You can do with that as you see fit. Other than that, welcome aboard, newbie.” 

It would be nice to have another woman on her side of things, considering Roman and Dean both have had to pull her away from stuffy men in white coats who thought they could do her job better, despite her proving many times that she was the most competent doctor backstage.

[pteronura-in-love]

It’s all Hana can do to not double over in relief. Anxiety is a bitch. She keeps the smile plastered on her face, though it slowly turns to a real one as Kat looks up from patting Argo. Thank you, you big lovable dope. You always have my back. She thinks the same of Roman, and makes a mental note to thank him again later for helping her find someone who could be a potential ally. She’s already thanked him for telling her the job was open in the first place. It’s been years since she’s been around him or Dean regularly and she’s not sure what to make of this entire experience. 

“Well, whatever I’ve heard has thus far only come from Dean and Roman, so I guess your reputation depends on how much I should trust either of them.” Hana laughs a bit, finally starting to relax. “Or, however much you trust them. And, thanks. This is all a bit intimidating but when the job came up Roman called me, and then Dean kept bugging me to apply. Don’t ever let him try to convince you he can’t text. Really I think he just wants Argo around again.”

She can’t help but wonder briefly if Dean had wanted her around again. As fast as the thought comes into her head she shoves it away somewhere deep and forbidding. She brings her attention back to Kat. “I’ll keep an eye out for doctor’s notes on who can do what. I can easily tailor programs.” At that moment Argo chooses to return to Hana’s side, maybe sensing that she was about to excuse herself. He stretches his front legs luxuriously down and forward, his long back sloping up toward his tail. Hana gestures toward Argo and says, “He’s an expert model for downward dog.”

Oh god, I’m so awkward. Why…? “Well, see you around!” Hana grins, quickly turning and slinking off before she can embarrass herself further. Argo trots easily at her heels.

[scxrletandgxld]

A grin makes her mouth go lopsided, not showing one way or the other whether or not they can be trusted. But, she does trust them - they’re about the only people she does around here, but granted, that’s only because they stuck her with them! When she’d gotten to know them on such a level when Seth had left them high and dry, it had become a different story than just ‘travel partners’. She doesn’t quite give away who should trust who, just gives that lopsided grin, before she watches Hana’s back as she retreats in the opposite direction. 

Well. It gives her a chance to get her shit together. Though she does manage to text Roman to get Hana’s number, which he gives to her after a while, once she’s well-settled in the trainer’s room. She will be the one to take care of whoever comes in the trainer’s room on the show, even if they won’t show her on camera - a personal preference - so she’s got to make sure it looks TV-medical ready. 

Eventually, she gets bored of puttering around the tiny room and she heads out, roaming the halls, and she pulls out her phone to shoot out a text to Hana. 

[text -> hana r.] I made Roman give me your number. Hope that’s okay.

[text -> hana r.] It’s Kat, btw. 

…then, she sent one off to Roman.

[text -> rome] Thanks for introducing Hana and me, big dog. : ]

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana knows Roman and Dean are to be trusted. She learned that years ago. They made sure she had a safe home. She takes Kat’s grin as permission to think whatever she wants, which honestly she finds completely badass. Of course, they know the same two guys, so she would know they told her nothing except how awesome their friend is. Even as she’s scurrying off she’s sure she wants to know more about Kat.

She sets off to find Roman again, since technically she’s his guest. She may work for WWE, (who would have thought they travel with a yoga instructor?) but backstage isn’t exactly her domain. She also isn’t sure how long she can get away with Argo following her around before someone kicks them out without their escort. Heading back toward the locker room area, she rounds a corner quickly and nearly runs into somebody.

That somebody briefly looks Hana over before dropping to his knees as Argo collides with his chest. The man ruffles the fur on either side of the large dog’s neck while trying to avoid licks to his face. He’s murmuring nonsense to the excited beast, “Mutt,” and “It’s been a long time, man,” slipping from his lips before he uses them to plant a kiss on the top of the furry head. Hana shifts from foot to foot for a minute before blue eyes finally look up to meet her face.

“Mutt looks great,” Dean comments. “Not lookin’ so bad yerself,” he adds with a wink at Hana.

“Dean, hi,” Hana manages to squeak out awkwardly. What a freakin’ day this is. “We, uh, just got in. Looking for Ro. He got us both in here, actually.”

At that moment Hana’s phone buzzes in her pocket. She takes it out, unlocking the screen, wondering if Roman was looking for them. She doesn’t recognize the number and just as she opens the message a security guard approaches. He’s not pleased that Argo is in the building and Hana is about to apologize, about to ask where they might be allowed to wait until the show is over, but Dean just scowls at the guard and takes Hana by the elbow. He whistles lowly for Argo to follow, which he does, as he leads Hana down a hall before depositing them in his and Roman’s empty locker room, promising to be back soon.

Hana is still trying to process the last few minutes when she remembers the text and checks her phone again.

I made Roman give me your number. Hope that’s okay. It’s Kat, btw.

Hana immediately saves the phone number as a new contact before replying.

[text -> Kat]  It’s fine. I’m glad he did ;)

[text -> Kat] Looks like we’re trapped in the locker room for a bit. Security finally decided to have something to say about Argo being here

Hana’s not really sure why she sends the second text. Maybe Kat doesn’t give a shit where they get stuck but she’s tired of being alone all the time. She looks down as Argo leans firmly against her knee. Well, she’s finally tired of not having humans around. Maybe.

[scxrletandgxld]

A lot of the people backstage like her enough, most of the talent giving her polite smiles in greeting or the occasional ‘What’s up, doc?’ in often terrible Bugs Bunny impressions. She’ll never tell them she actually likes them, because while there are some who think she’s a decent-enough person, there are some who don’t like her attitude, don’t like that she isn’t kissing up to the higher-ups like she should be. 

She’s not sure what she’s doing, exactly, or who she’s looking for, but she doesn’t stray far from the trainer’s office. The segment is a post-show angle, though she doesn’t know who the angle is with, which doesn’t surprise her. When she sees a camera, she knows it’s time to turn it on. 

Then, her phone pings, and she pulls it out of her pocket, opens the text.

…Looks like we’re trapped in the locker room for a bit. Security finally decided to have something to say about Argo being here

Huffing slightly, knowing she doesn’t have enough standing with people who aren’t some of the talent or Hunter - he’s the one who hired her, put her with the Shield, and told her to make sure Dean and Roman don’t fall apart - and that she won’t be able to do anything to help in that regard. But if she was taken to the locker room, she can only assume someone found her, and she hopes on her mother’s name that that someone was Dean, and she was in their locker room. It wasn’t that far from where she was. 

Before she turns in that direction, she looks around and grabs the shirt sleeve of a backstage producer. “Hey, can you get me in like, 15-minutes from Ambrose and Reigns’ locker room?”

That earns her a dirty look, because of course it does, but the guy nods his head and looks back down at whatever he was doing before. With that, she takes off toward the locker room.

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana looks around the locker room. She’s been on her feet for a while. Sitting sounds like a good idea. Argo throws himself on the floor near where she’s standing, almost as if he read her mind. As she is looking around, Hana is noticing things - things that belong to Dean and to Roman. It’s all so familiar, yet, foreign. There’s a hoodie draped over the back of a small couch and she can’t stop herself. Crossing the room, followed by Argo’s ever watchful gaze, she lifts the hoodie from it’s resting place over the back of the couch. It’s emblazoned with Roman’s logo, but it smells undeniably like Dean. Sitting down on one cushion she holds the hoodie in her hands, feeling like she’s invading their personal space and also knowing she used to belong there. Not in this locker room. She never belonged in this locker room, but she belonged with the two of them.

The idea that for the past few years she has been missing out on the little family they once had hits her in the chest like a freight train. She doesn’t even care that they could find her when she pulls the now rumpled hoodie to her chest and buries her face in it briefly. Dean. She needs to take a few deep breathes before the anxiety gets any worse. I’m safe. I’m fine. Everything is going to be ok. Good things? What are the good things? Argo shimmies across the floor and rolls onto Hana’s feet. She thinks about how he belongs there, at her feet, at her side…

Hana’s mind gets dragged back to how comfortable it was to just let Dean take her by the arm and deposit her in his locker room. That she just went with him no questions asked; that neither had to ask any questions to begin with.

She considers that Roman made sure they both got in that night, so Argo didn’t have to wait in the hotel room. 

Also, how lucky she was to have met some great people. Hana practically rips her phone from her pocket. She unlocks the screen and pulls up Kat’s name. She’s about to compose another text when she hears the locker room handle click.

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat knows the way to their - her boys, and now, Hana’s boys - locker room by heart, having had to hide there a million times the first few weeks she started working here; they’d wanted to put her on TV, give her a huge speaking role with someone else, someone bigger and meaner. That’s when she met The Shield boys. That’s when she met Roman and Dean. And that room, once it had been The Shield’s private room, before … everything went down.

It’s not like she hadn’t made nice with Rollins while they were together, but she could tell he didn’t trust her when she started riding with them. And the feeling was mutual. It took a long time for her to let them - Roman - in, but it helped that Dean always dragged them to the best bars in whatever town they were in that day. The bonding started there, but eventually she didn’t need drink to care about them. 

The familiar door comes in view and she grips the handle, looking over her shoulder on instinct alone. She knows the implications of her going into their room. People weren’t subtle with all their heat and their rumors around here. Dean and Roman were big-enough guys that they meant something around here, and while she had the mouth and the attitude, she wasn’t quite so indispensable. And she needed this job to work out. 

…well, wanted it to. 

She jiggles the handle to check if it’s locked, and when she sees it’s unlocked, she opens it, the door giving way with a click and she steps inside. She sees Hana, Argo at her feet, with her head buried in a sweatshirt with Roman’s logo emblazoned on it. Looking back at the door as if in confirmation, she regards her with a softer look. 

“Hey, you two good?”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana freezes when the door opens, phone in hand, and the hoodie clutched to her chest. Argo’s head whips up at the noise. A wave of relief washes over Hana as Kat walks into the room. She puts her phone down on a table near her and Argo lays his head back down. Clearly he’s concerned only with keeping Hana’s feet warm.

“We’re, uh, fine. Just waiting I guess.” Hana sits up a bit and shakes out the hoodie. She places it on the back of the couch again, trying too hard to keep her face neutral. She should be embarrassed to be found clutching an item of clothing that doesn’t belong to her, but somehow she’s not. At least not when the person who found her is Kat. Maybe she won’t have to explain herself. She probably wouldn’t have to explain anyway, but if either of the boys had found her she likely would have heard one comment or other. Why don’t the two of you just talk about all this. Distance isn’t that big a deal. Or, Been years since ya offered t’ fold my laundry, sweetheart. Well, she doesn’t have to worry about that right now. Right?

“Probably not ‘supposed’ to be in here either,” Hana says, laughing a bit. “Dean just sort of dropped us off. I’ve been here for all of one day and already I’m in trouble.” Hana chances a grin at Kat, feeling uncharacteristically trustful when they only just met. “So, here we will stay. Keep a low profile until someone comes back for us. They gonna miss you the trainer’s room?”

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat knows a thing or two about pining. Moreso, she knows a thing about complicated relationships with herself and with love. So she knows what Hana’s doing, understands how she’s feeling, which means she’s not going to say a single thing about what she walked into. Of course, her brain isn’t helpful, so when she had recognized the logo, she had completely no idea that it was most likely Dean’s and not Roman’s. 

That hurt a little bit. They weren’t together, she and Roman, but she … well, it didn’t matter now.

(So, really, she’d have no room to talk about making things difficult on herself over a guy.)

“If Dean brought you here, I’d say that’s clearance. Since I’m not really a face that put on TV often, Roman usually lets me come back here until it’s an actual emergency and they need extra hands.” Puffing her breath out so it moves her bangs from her eyes, she puts a hand on her hip. “I’ll probably get going soon, since I doubt the producer I asked to won’t come get me. Just wanted to make sure you both were okay.”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana’s grateful Kat doesn’t mention the hoodie, and she’s relieved she doesn’t have to explain herself. She’s so tired of explaining herself. Hana scrunches up her face at Kat mentioning the producer. “What a dick,” she says, without really thinking first. Just like always, speak first and think later. Well, almost always. Hana does her best to stifle an awkward giggle, ultimately fails, and continues, “We’ll be fine. Apparently, we have clearance. Guess we’ll just lay low for the rest of the show. Don’t want to get caught again,” Hana rattles off not really making eye contact with Kat. “If I can find the remote for the tv I’ll watch your spot. I haven’t really seen the guys perform in a while either. Don’t let me keep you. You can’t get in trouble on my behalf.” 

Internally Hana’s slapping herself repeatedly, and screaming at the top of her lungs, because she knows that her rambling awkwardness almost sounded dismissive. Her cheeks start to burn bright red as she hopes Kat didn’t take her being the weirdest fucking human on Earth personally. 

Hana finally finds the courage to look at Kat, and she wants to speak but only a tiny squeak comes out. She looks down and coughs before looking back up, more composed. “I don’t suppose you know if anything good is going down after the show?” And really, Hana is just internally screaming again.

[scxrletandgxld]

At Hana’s outburst - because really, yes, the producer would literally do it because she was a she who asked him to do something, she was sure of that - Kat nods, none-bothered by her crass language. Hell, that would be like the pot calling the kettle and all that noise. The point was, her mouth was just as bad, though her mood determined just how bad it could be, workplace or no. 

“That sounds good to me. I can come back and hang with you again when my shit’s over with. If this is the start of them putting me on TV I swear--” she wasn’t great at talking when a microphone was put in her hand, though she wouldn’t call herself nervous or shy. She was quite the contrary, albeit reserved. When Hana mentioned finding the remote, she can’t help but grin at her. “If Dean was the last one with the remote, you’ll never see it again. Rest in fuckin’ pieces.”

Before she’s about to leave, she hears Hana make a small noise, and she regards her with a curious look before she peeks at the clock on the wall that had totally been there the whole time. “If you mean with the guys, they usually room together and go out drinking. I might figure something else out, though. Not feeling rooming with them--” aka, Roman “--tonight. Shit- I-I’ll text you later, okay?”

She might end up sleeping in her rental, for all she cared. Sure beat having to confront this right now. Looking at them once more over her shoulder, she runs out, back toward the trainer’s room. 

[cookiethewriter]

fuck trying, have a scribbled katbaby

[scxrletandgxld]

ooc; a kat for your viewing pleasure ft. ARMS and apparently symmetrical eyes

[scxrletandgxld]

Hey Kat, Hana wants to know if you would like to meet Argo?

{ ^ } … At the sound of someone speaking to her, Kat straightens her posture, her eyes flicking up and down to take in the newcomer. At the question, she crosses her arms in front of her. “…and, who is Argo?”

[pteronura-in-love]

It was Roman who spoke. He gives Kat a sly half-smile before stepping aside and physically moving a much shorter woman in front of him. “Kat, this is Hana. Hana, Kat.” He gestures down toward Hana’s left side where there is a large shepherd mix dog before he peels off to go get ready for his match.

(h) “Uh…Hi,” Hana says, unsure. “This is Argo,” she explains, as she pets the top of the large brown fuzzy head near her thigh. “I tried to tell Roman we would never get away with bringing a dog to the arena, but we just walked on in through security after him. He said no one would tell him he couldn’t bring a dog, so…here we are.”

[scxrletandgxld]

When she sees Roman, Kat seems to lighten up a bit, a grin on her otherwise pensive face that echoes his own smile, until she sees him put a strange young woman between them. Apparently, her name was Hana. And apparently, he was able to sneak a dog in, too. Of course he did.

“He’s a strange one, that Roman, but he could smuggle anything in here.” Sticking her tongue out at the Big Dog, Kat leans her hands on her knees, keeping distance between herself and Argo just in case; most animals tend not to like her, since she’s almost always usually stressed out. Such is the life of a medical staffer of the WWE. “I’m Kat Sarcelle, though. Nice to meet you… uh, both.”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana doesn’t miss the grin that Kat had on her face at the sight of Roman. She files that away for questions to bug her friend with later. She also didn’t miss that the grin disappeared when Roman shoved her between them. Hana tries her best to appear relaxed and smiling slightly, but inside she’s fretting. Ugh, she hates me already. She’s important to Roman and Dean and can I ever just make a good impression for once. Why am I like this!?

“He is. He could,” Hana agrees, smiling a little wider, feeling more awkward. No turning back. “Hana Reed. Pleasure to meet you as well. I just got hired on as a yoga instructor. I…uh…I’ve heard a lot about you.” C’mon Argo, please, do your thing…

Of course he can’t read her mind, but Argo, ever the intuitive helper sidles on over to Kat, because she seems stressed. Her posture doesn’t worry him in the slightest. He leans against her legs and gazes softly over his own shoulder up at her with large brown eyes. He makes a friendly quiet huffing noise. It’s the same noise Argo makes when he gets in Dean’s face, sensing when he could use the comfort. 

I hope she likes dogs…

[scxrletandgxld]

Perhaps to Hana’s complete amusement, Kat would absolutely deny that the grin meant anything special, and she’d say that she gave the same to Dean when he passed through, and it wasn’t a total lie. They had their own ritual that was mostly Dean trapping her in a headlock and her managing to throw her weight around to get him in a mockery of his Dirty Deeds before she’d let him go – she was rather buff, worked out a ton when she could travel with the guys – and he never ceased to be surprised. 

With Roman, it had always been different, stolen looks on car rides or lingering grins backstage, but there were people all over the roster and in the big office who wouldn’t take kindly to any of that. Her job and his might come under scrutiny from everybody, and more for his sake than hers, she can’t risk that. 

But as far as Hana Reed and Argo are concerned, her look of pensiveness turns to something more like relief when she looks down at the latter who’s now leaning against her and waiting patiently for what she can only assume is head pats. Huh, she muses. Blinking back up at Hana, though, she lets her hand absently rub at Argo’s ear. “Whatever you heard is either a lie, embellished, or completely true. You can do with that as you see fit. Other than that, welcome aboard, newbie.” 

It would be nice to have another woman on her side of things, considering Roman and Dean both have had to pull her away from stuffy men in white coats who thought they could do her job better, despite her proving many times that she was the most competent doctor backstage.

[pteronura-in-love]

It’s all Hana can do to not double over in relief. Anxiety is a bitch. She keeps the smile plastered on her face, though it slowly turns to a real one as Kat looks up from patting Argo. Thank you, you big lovable dope. You always have my back. She thinks the same of Roman, and makes a mental note to thank him again later for helping her find someone who could be a potential ally. She’s already thanked him for telling her the job was open in the first place. It’s been years since she’s been around him or Dean regularly and she’s not sure what to make of this entire experience. 

“Well, whatever I’ve heard has thus far only come from Dean and Roman, so I guess your reputation depends on how much I should trust either of them.” Hana laughs a bit, finally starting to relax. “Or, however much you trust them. And, thanks. This is all a bit intimidating but when the job came up Roman called me, and then Dean kept bugging me to apply. Don’t ever let him try to convince you he can’t text. Really I think he just wants Argo around again.”

She can’t help but wonder briefly if Dean had wanted her around again. As fast as the thought comes into her head she shoves it away somewhere deep and forbidding. She brings her attention back to Kat. “I’ll keep an eye out for doctor’s notes on who can do what. I can easily tailor programs.” At that moment Argo chooses to return to Hana’s side, maybe sensing that she was about to excuse herself. He stretches his front legs luxuriously down and forward, his long back sloping up toward his tail. Hana gestures toward Argo and says, “He’s an expert model for downward dog.”

Oh god, I’m so awkward. Why…? “Well, see you around!” Hana grins, quickly turning and slinking off before she can embarrass herself further. Argo trots easily at her heels.

[scxrletandgxld]

A grin makes her mouth go lopsided, not showing one way or the other whether or not they can be trusted. But, she does trust them - they’re about the only people she does around here, but granted, that’s only because they stuck her with them! When she’d gotten to know them on such a level when Seth had left them high and dry, it had become a different story than just ‘travel partners’. She doesn’t quite give away who should trust who, just gives that lopsided grin, before she watches Hana’s back as she retreats in the opposite direction. 

Well. It gives her a chance to get her shit together. Though she does manage to text Roman to get Hana’s number, which he gives to her after a while, once she’s well-settled in the trainer’s room. She will be the one to take care of whoever comes in the trainer’s room on the show, even if they won’t show her on camera - a personal preference - so she’s got to make sure it looks TV-medical ready. 

Eventually, she gets bored of puttering around the tiny room and she heads out, roaming the halls, and she pulls out her phone to shoot out a text to Hana. 

[text -> hana r.] I made Roman give me your number. Hope that’s okay.

[text -> hana r.] It’s Kat, btw. 

…then, she sent one off to Roman.

[text -> rome] Thanks for introducing Hana and me, big dog. : ]

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana knows Roman and Dean are to be trusted. She learned that years ago. They made sure she had a safe home. She takes Kat’s grin as permission to think whatever she wants, which honestly she finds completely badass. Of course, they know the same two guys, so she would know they told her nothing except how awesome their friend is. Even as she’s scurrying off she’s sure she wants to know more about Kat.

She sets off to find Roman again, since technically she’s his guest. She may work for WWE, (who would have thought they travel with a yoga instructor?) but backstage isn’t exactly her domain. She also isn’t sure how long she can get away with Argo following her around before someone kicks them out without their escort. Heading back toward the locker room area, she rounds a corner quickly and nearly runs into somebody.

That somebody briefly looks Hana over before dropping to his knees as Argo collides with his chest. The man ruffles the fur on either side of the large dog’s neck while trying to avoid licks to his face. He’s murmuring nonsense to the excited beast, “Mutt,” and “It’s been a long time, man,” slipping from his lips before he uses them to plant a kiss on the top of the furry head. Hana shifts from foot to foot for a minute before blue eyes finally look up to meet her face.

“Mutt looks great,” Dean comments. “Not lookin’ so bad yerself,” he adds with a wink at Hana.

“Dean, hi,” Hana manages to squeak out awkwardly. What a freakin’ day this is. “We, uh, just got in. Looking for Ro. He got us both in here, actually.”

At that moment Hana’s phone buzzes in her pocket. She takes it out, unlocking the screen, wondering if Roman was looking for them. She doesn’t recognize the number and just as she opens the message a security guard approaches. He’s not pleased that Argo is in the building and Hana is about to apologize, about to ask where they might be allowed to wait until the show is over, but Dean just scowls at the guard and takes Hana by the elbow. He whistles lowly for Argo to follow, which he does, as he leads Hana down a hall before depositing them in his and Roman’s empty locker room, promising to be back soon.

Hana is still trying to process the last few minutes when she remembers the text and checks her phone again.

I made Roman give me your number. Hope that’s okay. It’s Kat, btw.

Hana immediately saves the phone number as a new contact before replying.

[text -> Kat]  It’s fine. I’m glad he did ;)

[text -> Kat] Looks like we’re trapped in the locker room for a bit. Security finally decided to have something to say about Argo being here

Hana’s not really sure why she sends the second text. Maybe Kat doesn’t give a shit where they get stuck but she’s tired of being alone all the time. She looks down as Argo leans firmly against her knee. Well, she’s finally tired of not having humans around. Maybe.

[scxrletandgxld]

A lot of the people backstage like her enough, most of the talent giving her polite smiles in greeting or the occasional ‘What’s up, doc?’ in often terrible Bugs Bunny impressions. She’ll never tell them she actually likes them, because while there are some who think she’s a decent-enough person, there are some who don’t like her attitude, don’t like that she isn’t kissing up to the higher-ups like she should be. 

She’s not sure what she’s doing, exactly, or who she’s looking for, but she doesn’t stray far from the trainer’s office. The segment is a post-show angle, though she doesn’t know who the angle is with, which doesn’t surprise her. When she sees a camera, she knows it’s time to turn it on. 

Then, her phone pings, and she pulls it out of her pocket, opens the text.

…Looks like we’re trapped in the locker room for a bit. Security finally decided to have something to say about Argo being here

Huffing slightly, knowing she doesn’t have enough standing with people who aren’t some of the talent or Hunter - he’s the one who hired her, put her with the Shield, and told her to make sure Dean and Roman don’t fall apart - and that she won’t be able to do anything to help in that regard. But if she was taken to the locker room, she can only assume someone found her, and she hopes on her mother’s name that that someone was Dean, and she was in their locker room. It wasn’t that far from where she was. 

Before she turns in that direction, she looks around and grabs the shirt sleeve of a backstage producer. “Hey, can you get me in like, 15-minutes from Ambrose and Reigns’ locker room?”

That earns her a dirty look, because of course it does, but the guy nods his head and looks back down at whatever he was doing before. With that, she takes off toward the locker room.

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana looks around the locker room. She’s been on her feet for a while. Sitting sounds like a good idea. Argo throws himself on the floor near where she’s standing, almost as if he read her mind. As she is looking around, Hana is noticing things - things that belong to Dean and to Roman. It’s all so familiar, yet, foreign. There’s a hoodie draped over the back of a small couch and she can’t stop herself. Crossing the room, followed by Argo’s ever watchful gaze, she lifts the hoodie from it’s resting place over the back of the couch. It’s emblazoned with Roman’s logo, but it smells undeniably like Dean. Sitting down on one cushion she holds the hoodie in her hands, feeling like she’s invading their personal space and also knowing she used to belong there. Not in this locker room. She never belonged in this locker room, but she belonged with the two of them.

The idea that for the past few years she has been missing out on the little family they once had hits her in the chest like a freight train. She doesn’t even care that they could find her when she pulls the now rumpled hoodie to her chest and buries her face in it briefly. Dean. She needs to take a few deep breathes before the anxiety gets any worse. I’m safe. I’m fine. Everything is going to be ok. Good things? What are the good things? Argo shimmies across the floor and rolls onto Hana’s feet. She thinks about how he belongs there, at her feet, at her side…

Hana’s mind gets dragged back to how comfortable it was to just let Dean take her by the arm and deposit her in his locker room. That she just went with him no questions asked; that neither had to ask any questions to begin with.

She considers that Roman made sure they both got in that night, so Argo didn’t have to wait in the hotel room. 

Also, how lucky she was to have met some great people. Hana practically rips her phone from her pocket. She unlocks the screen and pulls up Kat’s name. She’s about to compose another text when she hears the locker room handle click.

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat knows the way to their - her boys, and now, Hana’s boys - locker room by heart, having had to hide there a million times the first few weeks she started working here; they’d wanted to put her on TV, give her a huge speaking role with someone else, someone bigger and meaner. That’s when she met The Shield boys. That’s when she met Roman and Dean. And that room, once it had been The Shield’s private room, before … everything went down.

It’s not like she hadn’t made nice with Rollins while they were together, but she could tell he didn’t trust her when she started riding with them. And the feeling was mutual. It took a long time for her to let them - Roman - in, but it helped that Dean always dragged them to the best bars in whatever town they were in that day. The bonding started there, but eventually she didn’t need drink to care about them. 

The familiar door comes in view and she grips the handle, looking over her shoulder on instinct alone. She knows the implications of her going into their room. People weren’t subtle with all their heat and their rumors around here. Dean and Roman were big-enough guys that they meant something around here, and while she had the mouth and the attitude, she wasn’t quite so indispensable. And she needed this job to work out. 

…well, wanted it to. 

She jiggles the handle to check if it’s locked, and when she sees it’s unlocked, she opens it, the door giving way with a click and she steps inside. She sees Hana, Argo at her feet, with her head buried in a sweatshirt with Roman’s logo emblazoned on it. Looking back at the door as if in confirmation, she regards her with a softer look. 

“Hey, you two good?”

[pteronura-in-love]

Hana freezes when the door opens, phone in hand, and the hoodie clutched to her chest. Argo’s head whips up at the noise. A wave of relief washes over Hana as Kat walks into the room. She puts her phone down on a table near her and Argo lays his head back down. Clearly he’s concerned only with keeping Hana’s feet warm.

“We’re, uh, fine. Just waiting I guess.” Hana sits up a bit and shakes out the hoodie. She places it on the back of the couch again, trying too hard to keep her face neutral. She should be embarrassed to be found clutching an item of clothing that doesn’t belong to her, but somehow she’s not. At least not when the person who found her is Kat. Maybe she won’t have to explain herself. She probably wouldn’t have to explain anyway, but if either of the boys had found her she likely would have heard one comment or other. Why don’t the two of you just talk about all this. Distance isn’t that big a deal. Or, Been years since ya offered t’ fold my laundry, sweetheart. Well, she doesn’t have to worry about that right now. Right?

“Probably not ‘supposed’ to be in here either,” Hana says, laughing a bit. “Dean just sort of dropped us off. I’ve been here for all of one day and already I’m in trouble.” Hana chances a grin at Kat, feeling uncharacteristically trustful when they only just met. “So, here we will stay. Keep a low profile until someone comes back for us. They gonna miss you the trainer’s room?”

[scxrletandgxld]

Kat knows a thing or two about pining. Moreso, she knows a thing about complicated relationships with herself and with love. So she knows what Hana’s doing, understands how she’s feeling, which means she’s not going to say a single thing about what she walked into. Of course, her brain isn’t helpful, so when she had recognized the logo, she had completely no idea that it was most likely Dean’s and not Roman’s. 

That hurt a little bit. They weren’t together, she and Roman, but she ... well, it didn’t matter now.

(So, really, she’d have no room to talk about making things difficult on herself over a guy.)

“If Dean brought you here, I’d say that’s clearance. Since I’m not really a face that put on TV often, Roman usually lets me come back here until it’s an actual emergency and they need extra hands.” Puffing her breath out so it moves her bangs from her eyes, she puts a hand on her hip. “I’ll probably get going soon, since I doubt the producer I asked to won’t come get me. Just wanted to make sure you both were okay.”

[scxrletandgxld]

"Kat, you might need to come over later - Vin's got a cold and keeps whining for his 'Red-Haired Angel.' Ron Weasely isn't available, so I had to go for the next best thing."

(oof i forgot about this, that’s a Yikes From Me For Me. also i’m not sure if you want them married or not so i chose not, but you can choose whether or not they’re together in general. c: )

-

{ ^ } -- Kat works her mouth into a line as she looks over Teresa, rolling her eyes and running her fingers through her hair in order to pull her hair up into a messy bun. “Oh, har har. Very funny. Have him come by the clinic as soon as possible - I have work to catch up on, so I won’t be able to make a house call this time.”