𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙩

the insecurities from his younger years haven’t fully left, even after surviving the grind of the new japan system and the climb to international recognition. aew has given him the room to breathe, to enjoy wrestling alongside his friends, and to be more himself without all the weight of a crown on his shoulders. he’s content, even happy, though he carries a quiet loneliness he rarely lets show, and he sometimes catches himself yearning for the days of youth and discovery back in japan.

𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

@svageking: he was jay’s person. they came up through the dojo side-by-side, sharing space, jokes, routines, friends, and a kind of comfort that felt almost domestic. but jay got tunnel vision. he was terrified of being overlooked and being dismissed as just another babyfaced kid. so he hardened. he pushed away the people who actually mattered, david most of all. now, he’s a little more self-aware and hates the part of himself that thought distance was strength. he doesn’t quite know what their relationship is anymore, but he knows he wants to fix it, even if he’s scared of what that might mean.

@rockhardrobinson: their lives and careers have been tangled up for years now. alongside david, juice has always been one of jay’s closest friends. he admires juice’s oddly level-headed side (the one that some don’t even believe exists) and how open and honest he is with his emotions. juice has a way of pulling out the best in him, even if they tend to get carried away when they’re together. jay feels lighter around him, like he can actually breathe.

@lessastyles: she’s something of a mother figure to him. when he was on excursion in detroit, he lived with her and @alxshelleys, and she ended up teaching him just as much as patrick did. she’s been a constant supporter throughout his entire career. she gets on his nerves sometimes, but only because she reads him better than he reads himself. she understands the version of jay that he doesn’t show anyone else.

@murdermachin3: once close friends through their days as young lions, now have drifted apart. sho is one of the friendships that slipped through jay’s fingers. now he sees the distance, sees how different sho is, and feels the sting of wishing he could rewind the clock.