ace-ephalopod

[ace-ephalopod]

he's so silly I can't omg

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

neil overhears matt saying something about “blowing his load” and incorrectly assumes matt is talking about shooting a gun. then proceeds a comical series of misunderstandings where neil is trying to subtly give him prep and cleaning advice while matt delightfully thinks that neil finally trusts him enough to open up about his sex life. neil is slightly concerned about the glee in matt’s eyes whenever they talk about murder, but he isn’t one to judge his friend and assumes his friend has his reasons for killing people since matt seems to be a reasonable guy. he also is grateful that matt trusts him enough to tell neil about all the murders he commits. they proceed to have this strange and cryptic bonding experience for an entire semester before they realize something isn’t adding up

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

i sometimes forget that this is everyone’s first time on earth too. like. this is my first time seeing a butterfly this color. but its that little girl’s first time seeing any butterfly, ever. and i accidentally left a bag of groceries at the store after paying and now i’m cursing under my breath and it’s like. there a thousand other people out there who did that today too. and a thousand more from yesterday. and. like. we’re not actually alone. and we’re not actually failing. at least not in a way that a few billion people haven’t before you

[ace-ephalopod]

Saw this post about straight dudes feeling emasculated at the thought of taking their wife’s last name, and it gave me a sudden craving for fantasy media where some dude is called Leopold THE DESTROYER or some shit and there are all these rumors going around about how he got his moniker, all these made up stories about how he must have razed a village to the ground or slayed 12 dragons or some shit and it turns out he just took his wife’s last name.

[ace-ephalopod]

So we agree that our boys are the embodiment of the 3 classic responses to trauma.

Fight: Andrew

Flight: Neil

Freeze: Kevin

Now, may I present you:

Fawn: Jean-Yves Moreau

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

Punching Glass

It’s not a bad strategy, keeping Neil to distract Kevin. Because when Kevin’s attention is on Neil, he’s less focused on Edgar Allen and the Moriyamas. And if Neil is Kevin’s new Exy project, then Kevin isn’t as likely to harass Andrew over his wasted potential.

It’d be a great strategy, really, if those were Andrew’s only reasons.

Unfortunately…

Neil is interesting. He’s a problem. He’s a lost cause who wants to run from everything except Exy. And if Andrew lets Neil run, he’ll never solve him. Andrew said he would, didn’t he? He keeps his word.

“You’re lying,” Neil said at last, because he needed that to be the truth. “Kevin hates me.” “Or you hate him,” Andrew said. “I can’t decide. Your loose ends aren’t adding up.” “I’m not a math problem.” “But I’ll still solve you.”

He can’t let Neil run, or he’ll never know why Neil isn’t afraid of him. He’ll never know how Neil is able to see through him. Or what Neil finds of worth in him…in Neil’s jealousy over Andrew’s protection of Kevin…in his belief that Andrew could be something.

Of all things, why does the soul crushing conviction that you are nothing have to be one of the things they have in common? Why does that knowledge carry greater meaning than a value he can plug in for ‘x’ in understanding Neil?

And then Andrew really gets himself in trouble…

“We were just talking about you,” Riko said. “With your fists, it seems,” Andrew said. “Don’t touch my things, Riko. I don’t share.” He reached back without looking and pushed at Neil’s shoulder. Neil took the hint and skirted around Andrew and Riko.

He claims Neil as one of his, even if Neil doesn’t understand what that means yet. 

Andrew knows Neil won’t survive if he runs. With bloody knuckles and shattered glass, Andrew doesn’t know if he’ll survive if Neil stays.

He knows better than this. But there are cracks in his apathy.

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

Jeremy and Jean are living inside my head and I don't care that they don't pay rent (working on some redesigns for these two)

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

jeremy’s the type of guy to talk about the epic highs and lows of high school exy

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

the Andreil scraps nora fed us were 🤌🏻✨ Andreil are canon protective boyfriends cos what do you mean Neil crosses the court to retaliate for someone fouling Andrew?? What do you mean Andrew throws himself out of his goal like "all hell was at his heels" to protect Neil??? What do you mean they look for each other in lingering looks and matching armbands and cigarette smoke "whenever one fell out of orbit for too long"???? Are you trying to kill me?????? 😭😭😭

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

rereading aftg and realising just how oblivious neil was is truly hilarious

just a few pages ago renee told neil andrew is gay and neil literally had to lie down to process it, now he's admitting he watches andrew at the gym and is impressed by how much he lifts??? dude. you are down SO bad

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

was going through an old wip this morning and somehow totally forgot about this??

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

Happy Pride, monsterfuckers.

[ace-ephalopod]

Happy birthday Neil!

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

Medicated Andrew from the upperclassmen’s perspective

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

fear is hungry

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

Something about these two…

#aftg

[ace-ephalopod]

wet cat

#aftg