#Andrew to Neil later: His Family was the issue.

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 06

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Andrew is dragging FF across campus towards where he parked his car and he is kinda of concerned that FF is just like fully letting himself be dragged across campus. I’m talking full on Andrew has a grip on the back of his hoodie, FF is just staring up at the sky, FF’s feet don’t even attempt to stop Andrew from pulling him where he wants to go, and when Andrew looks back FF’s face is just :I

Which even Andrew can admit is kind of weird.

Meanwhile FF is just like ‘The ground hasn’t really gotten cold yet so I’m sure Captain Neil and Andrew could really go to town on the hole they’re going to bury me in. I wonder what gave me away? It was probably the fucking Russian Literature book. I didn’t even like the plot twist in that one anyways. Can’t BELIEVE I’m gonna die due to my love of trashy literature. Thanks Grandma. Wait I’m sorry grandma, I didn’t mean to be rude-“

“Hey Granny Smith! I’ve been looking for you!” A most loathed nickname coming from a most loathed voice. Andrew doesn’t stop towing FF because why the hell would he? FF has never been so grateful to be dragged to his death! Now if only Andrew would break his long standing and well-known absolute refusal to do anything more than walk at a brisk pace.

He sees his step-brother jogging up to him and FF almost turns to Andrew to ask if he could just kill him HERE so he doesn’t have to deal with his step-brother and THEN get stabbed to death in the forest? He can accept that he should have told Andrew and Captain Neil that he knows Russian and the death sentence that rightfully comes with that but like C’MON having to deal with his Step-brother is just cruel and unusual punishment!

His step brother catches up and in a way maybe all the mental torture he’s gone through since coming to Palmetto is a good thing! He really was a novice at the poker face before and now he’s a grand master champion of staring at something that’s gonna SUCK and pretending like he has no idea that it is.

“Whoa there Granny.” His Step brother grabs his arm and tugs him out of Andrew’s grasp. Andrew really had not been paying attention to whatever jack off had been yelling something about apples. So FF getting yanked out of his hand was actually his first indication since FF didn’t say or react at all before. “You’ve been dodging all of Dad’s calls y’know. You still haven’t sent anything that we asked you for, got any excuse for that?!” His step brother demands.

FF looks heavenward because this is, like, so embarrassing. He can feel people stopping and staring at them.

(They were staring before his Step-brother showed up because he was getting visibly dragged through campus by ANDREW MINYARD. Some of his friends who had seen it were already planning a memorial service and candle vigil)

“Nope.” Because he has nothing to say about whatever the hell his step brother is talking about.

“Mom’s heartbroken you know! You haven’t reached out to her once!” he says. 

“I’ll get on that.”

“Are you going to get the stuff we asked you for?! We are family aren’t we? We’re not asking for a lot. Just for you to get tickets to your games for Dad’s colleagues, some autographs from your teammates, and a good word to that bleeding heart coach that we all should get the free ride you’re getting. That’s not too much right?!”

Andrew hasn’t intervened yet but now Andrew is under the impression that FF stopped hanging out because the kid’s family has been harassing him with calls and maybe this isn’t the first time they’ve come in person to campus. That’s why FF has been fading into the background. Andrew’s now under the impression that FF’s family has wanted him to use the Foxes (tickets, autographs, scholarships for his step brothers) and FF had just been pulling away so his asshole family wouldn’t bother the rest of them. That FF may not have been able to cut off contact completely because of a grandparent he was close to.

These are, in fact, the WRONG impressions of the situation at hand. The truth of the matter is that Wymack helped him get a new phone and phone number within 24 hours of getting to Palmetto, it was the one extra that he asked for in his contract and Palmetto is paying his phone bill now. The phone with the number his ‘family’ had just sits charging in a drawer on silent in Wymack’s desk because Wymack is INFINITELY petty when it comes to the things his Foxes are running from.

The other truth of the situation at hand is that Fluent Freshman’s grandma is the only member of his family he talks to regularly and he talks to her almost every single day of his life, she is the only person he can be completely honest with because she knows what a wimp he is and loves him regardless. 

His Grandma is just an EXCELLENT actress. So when his ‘family’ comes over for answers she’ll sigh, stare longingly at a framed photo of FF, and look out the window with a single pre-staged tear in her eye. She wouldn’t give them his new number no matter what.

He loves his grandma even if it was her teaching him Polish, her native tongue, that lead to him getting interested in the other slavic languages that lead him down the deadly path to Russian.

ANYWAYS.

Andrew is under some very wrong impressions but he is also under one very correct impression and it’s the impression that’s the most important anyways.

Fluent Freshman’s family is what made him a Fox and Fluent Freshman’s family are therefore the enemy.

Except FF doesn’t give Andrew the time to pull out his knife, “No, I don’t wanna do that. Bye Greg.” He says, pulls out his student ID, slaps it on a nearby scanner for a STUDENT ONLY building and power walks inside leaving Andrew and his Step Brother alone.

The door shuts behind FF with a distinctive lock and Greg looks at Andrew his face purpling from anger, “You’re going to let me in there and-“

Andrew now has plenty of time to pull out his knife. “You’re going to what?”

Greg swallows and in a show of excellent survival instincts runs the fuck away.

Andrew watches him run before he turns back to the STUDENT ONLY building and heads in himself. He finds FF just inside the doors and he looks tired sitting there against the wall. FF doesn’t say anything to Andrew, doesn’t even acknowledge that he’s there. Andrew takes a spot on the wall across from him. People give them weird looks but Andrew is fine with waiting.

He doesn’t mind just sitting in silence with FF again even if the circumstances aren’t what they usually are. So they sit.

FF has blue-screened. The stress of his impending death, of his step brother showing up and saying crazy shit, he blacked out a bit from the stress of being between Andrew and Greg and has no memory of what he said before he walked into this building and then there’s the fact that he just WALKED INTO SOME RANDOM CAMPUS BUILDING (oh god he’s probably not supposed to be in here but Greg is definitely still loitering outside maybe security will be gentle if he just sits right by the exit so they don’t have to go far to kick him out? Maybe he should move near a Different exit so Greg doesn’t see him get tossed like yesterday’s trash? Well he already sat down so now it’s embarrassing if he gets up to just go SIT AT SOME OTHER EXIT.)

So he’s taking a moment to reboot.

Unfortunately his ability to have internal conversations and recognize that someone is there with him is one of the last things that loads.

“It’s fine. I’ve always been the leftover kid. I don’t care that they don’t care. I don’t care either.” He says and it’s a mantra he’s repeated for almost a decade now.

It is definitely not something he thought he was saying out loud in the presence of Andrew Minyard and it is also definitely not something he was SAYING to Andrew Minyard but how the hell would ANDREW MINYARD KNOW THAT WHEN FF IS STARING STRAIGHT AT HIM WHEN HE SAYS IT.

So Andrew thinks it’s the explanation FF is offering about his step brother / family. If there’s one thing Andrew knows the feeling of it is being the ‘leftover’ kid.

The one-sided kinship grows while FF is working on rebooting his vision and getting his heart rate down to a BPM that wouldn’t have medical doctors concerned.

Finally, FF blinks his vision has returned back to him, sees Andrew Minyard across the hall from him, and, by the grace of GOD considering his fried nerves, FF does not flinch.

Andrew doesn’t make any move to grab him and FF decides to take this momentary reprieve that his executor is granting him to shoot off a text to his grandma. “I am so grateful for all the love you have given me throughout my life. I think I’m going to see Dad in the next few hours so please let me know if there’s anything you want me to say to him.” Is what he sends.

(This grandma has gotten almost this exact same text when he had an oral presentation last week. Her grandson is a wimp but she loves him.)

“Are we still going on that drive?” He asks his affairs settled. It’s nice that Andrew let him have a breakdown here and even let him text his grandma his final thoughts. He was willing to use his blood to write out the message but where would he get the paper?

“Yeah, we can go on that drive.” Andrew gets up and offers his hand to FF who looks at it for a long moment KNIVES. THOSE ARE KNIVES. HE USUALLY CONCEALS THEM BETTER? IS THIS HIS WAY OF SAYING HE’S GOING TO BE REALLY MESSY WITH MY DEATH? OH GOD HE’S NOT READY.

(Andrew didn’t really take the time to put his knives back in his arm bands properly because he figured he needed to catch FF before the kid disappeared again. He didn’t think he’d find him just inside the door.)

FF pushes himself up onto his feet.

They get to the Maserati and FF was AWARE that Andrew had a nice car but he hadn’t pieced it together that he’d be doing his last ride in such a nice car. He briefly pauses by the trunk wondering if he should just save Andrew the trouble and climb in himself?

Andrew sees FF pause at the car and figures he’s just being polite not touching Andrew’s stuff without Andrew’s permission. FF is just that kind of guy.

“The passenger seat is available.” Andrew says and alright cool Andrew wants to threaten him first that makes sense.

Except Andrew doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t drive them to a remote location. He’s just driving around Palmetto and FF does not think that Andrew is planning on crashing the car to kill him (He has unfortunately heard Aaron and Andrew have a fight in German when he was waiting for his own appointment with Betsy so he also Is aware what happened to their mom no matter HOW HARD he tries to forget that he knows.)

It’s just actually kind of a nice drive?

“He called you Granny Smith.” Andrew states. (Wondering if THAT is the elusive first name)

“I’m close with my Grandma. My last name is Smith. They’re not that creative.”

“Hm.” (Dammit)

Andrew watches as FF’s shoulders eventually relax until he’s almost falling asleep in the Mas and decides that the drive has done it’s job.

Eventually Andrew parks in front of the tower, tells him to respond to his texts from at least him and Neil, and he is released feeling very much like one of those animals that were released back into the wild after being tagged.

He texts his grandma later “NVM it wasn’t that bad.”

NEXT

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27

#Fluent Freshman AU #Andrew to Neil later: His Family was the issue. #Neil: So it's not something we did? #Andrew: No. He wanted to take a ride with me #Neil: Oh that's great. #Nicky sitting back watching this unfold: It's like a Daytime Soap Opera except I get to be one of the characters. #AFTG #AFTG AU #Andreil #AFTG OC #AFTG fic #My Fics #FF - Pt. 06

[peachycloudsworld]

Kevin and Oakley pt. 1

Looking back, Kevin really doesn´t know how he´s still alive. College has been a total shitshow; Kevin can see that now, almost seven years after graduating. Some of the stuff Neil pulled definitely should've gotten them killed. But hey, Kevin is not one to complain, he´s not sure where he would´ve been without the Foxes. Feeling sentimental, Kevin drops his phone on the counter and turns towards his cup of coffee. Every now and then he misses college - not the classes or the campus life, but the quiet evenings he spent with Neil and Andrew on the couch or the shopping trips with Matt, Allison and Nicky.

Now, all of the foxes are spread out in the world: Nicky is in Germany with Erik and their son, Aaron and Katelyn are both hard at work saving people, Dan and Matt are back in Palmetto, raising their kids while Dan has taken over a little leagues team, Renee is with the peace corps and Allison is somewhere in New York. Andrew and Neil live in and play for Michigan, they´ve just bought a house a few years ago and are living the successful-partners dream. And then there´s Kevin.

At 30 years old he´s still living alone. He has nothing besides Exy and the cream coloured hunk of a cat currently laying ontop of his fridge. She's been given as a present from Neil and Andrew who had blatantly lied when telling Kevin that the little kitten probably wouldn't get that big. Now, two years later she´s outgrown most cat beds he bought and prefers sleeping on his spare pillow on his bed. That doesn´t change the fact that Kevin, despite everything, loves her to pieces.

“Get down there, lady, you´ve already had breakfast.”

Lady just blinks at him, meows and lazily takes a swing in his general direction, missing by miles. With a sigh, Kevin puts his cup away and raises his arms towards her, quietly asking her to get down from the fridge. She in return reaches for his hand and starts nibbling on his finger. Defeated, Kevin accepts his fate and stays where he is standing, hand raised and with his coffee just out of reach. Instead, he lets his eyes wander, taking in the boxes of tupperware and kitchen utensils still unpacked and waiting in a corner of the room.

Kevin moved almost a year ago but for some reason he doesn´t dare to fully unpack. The breakup with Thea happened just shortly after he had graduated, just three months after he had moved in with her. It´s been a sudden, painful event; Thea had ripped the bandaid off but didn´t think of Kevin´s attachment issues. Moving back in with his father and Abby at 25 definitely was not something Kevin expected to happen.

Lady´s sharp teeth digging into the palm of his hand finally rips Kevin out of his thoughts for long enough to get moving. Scolding his cat gently, he pulls his hand away, offering once more to get her down. When she doesn´t react, he leaves her in favor of finishing his coffee and getting ready to leave his home-not-hom.

Reaching for the electric razor sitting on the little ledge beneath the mirror, Kevin shaves off the shadow of stubbles covering his cheeks. He's pretty sure he could grow a decent beard if David´s beard is anything to go by, but it´d be a change he´s not ready for yet. Changes in general are not something Kevin likes to go through, especially alone. Back in college it has been easier because there´s always been someone to catch him in one way or the other but now he's alone and away from his family so changes in any shape or form are something he turns away from.

His hair has gotten longer again - it´s time for a haircut - but the strands of dark hair framing his face take some of the attention from the tattoo beneath his eye so he might just leave it. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Kevin deems himself presentable enough for practice. Today´s gym day anyways and the rest of the team doesn´t pay him too much attention so he doesn´t bother putting his hair back in something neater than a low ponytail before getting dressed in sweatpants and the blue and grey jersey of the Chicago Scorpions. His gym back is already packed and waiting in the hallway. Lady apparently considers this a pillow worthy enough for her majesty to lay on because she´s curled up inside the bag, tail hanging over the edge and large head resting on her crossed front paws.

“I can´t take you with me, you know that. I´ll be back in the afternoon, promise.” Lady just purrs and rubs her head against the towel she´s laying on, making Kevin soft enough to kneel down and rub her ear. The low rumble coming from her chest instantly make Kevin´s shoulders lose the unnoticed tension holding them up.

“I know sweetheart.” Kevin would die on the spot if anyone heard him right now. “I´ll be back before you know it.”

Kevin knows that once he´s out of the door, Lady almost instantly curls up somewhere and just sleeps until he´s back, but leaving his silky soft sweetheart behind, even if just for a few hours, leaves him feeling restless and on edge. With an aching heart he scoops Lady up in his arms, lightly rubs his cheek against her head before letting her back down on the ground. Before she can slip back into his gym bag, he zips it closed and lifts it up over one shoulder.

“Behave, you know the rules.”

Lady meows an answer, rubs around his legs while he slips in to his shoes and sits next to the door until it closes in front of her.

The drive over to the gym is a relatively quick one, traffic is bad but Kevin knows to leave a bit earlier just to get through it. Once he enters the gym through the court entrance, he´s immediately greated by warm, sticky air, laughter and Dalton´s obnoxiously loud music. The urge to turn around and just call in sick is quickly suffocated at it´s root when Dalton notices Kevin, drops the ropes he´s been holding and comes over. He´s already sweaty and gross, grinning while out of breath, and wraps an arm around Kevin´s shoulder, pulling him in close to squish their cheeks together.

“Kevin, light of my life. Oh how I´ve missed you, my-”

“Shut the fuck up,” grumbles Kevin, rolling his eyes while slapping Dalton´s hand away. “You stink.”

“And you´re late,” Dalton notices.

“I´m perfectly on time. It´s not my problem you´re addicted to lifting weights.”

“You can just admit your jealousy, Day.”

“Jealous of what? Your inability to buy normal shirts? I don´t think so.”

Snorting, Dalton shrugs and pats Kevin´s shoulder.

“Go get changed so you can spot me.”

Shaking his head, Kevin wanders off into the locker rooms to change into his gym clothes. While he´s warming up, the rest of the team slowly sneaks in, all holding varying phases of sleepiness in their slumped shoulders and sleep-swollen eyes. Their coach doesn´t usually join their gym sessions, trusting Isaac Wilson - team captain and kind of a jerk - to take attendance and take care of the rest. Wilson, of course, is nowhere to be seen. If he joins them at all, he´ll be late and most likely take the list of attendance he forced Nellie Jakobsen to check off.

Nellie is too new - and too kind - to be able to say no to Wilson and Wilson is too much of a dickhead to not take advantage of that. Speaking of the devil, Nellie steps up on the mat next to Kevin, reaches for a couple of weights and starts her exercises. Kevin continues his sit-ups, trying to not pay the young woman shooting him glance after glance any mind. It's not that easy though, when you're looking at the same mirror. At one point, Nellie must ́ve worked up the courage to say whatever there is to say because she turns, takes a little step towards Kevin and clears her throat.

“Uh…hi,” she smiles, her already rosy cheeks only deepening in colour.

“Hey,” replies Kevin, coming to a pause in his movements. “What´s up?”

“Uh…Chase and my sister and I wanted to go to the history museum later today and Dalton mentioned that you like history so we - I uh, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to join us?"

Blinking, Kevin tried to organize her nervous mumbling into understandable sentences in his head. Chase is Nellie's cousin and he's never met her sister in his life. He doesn't like meeting new people, he doesn't like going to places he's not been to before, not without planning and at least two days of overthinking it.

But then again, if Dalton knows about Nellie's plan, he'll annoy Kevin once he hears that Kevin said no. The fact that Kevin's social life is pretty much non-existent is already one of the biggest topic of Dalton's teasing, he doesn't need to pour gasoline into the fire.

Get out there Kevin. If it's no fun you can leave and if you're having a good time you can be even prouder of yourself to going through with it.

Of course Abby is the voice of reason in his head. Just because he can't say no to her.

"Uh...sure….yeah, sounds good."

#the foxhole court #aftg fandom #kevin day #Oakley Augustine Kauffmann #oc #exy #kevins partner #they're in love your honor #post canon #my sweet boys #history nerds in love #palmetto state foxes

[obsessing-over-fictionn]

pt. four(and final) of things i gathered from reading nora's extra content :

parts one, two, three

[tws: guns, shooting]

- if kevin were ever to make out with any of the foxes, it would be allison because a) she's gorgeous and b) there would be no strings attached

- "(I was super proud of myself for making Kevin like pineapples because I am not a fan of them and I was like YES NORA THINK OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE)" - nora about kevin liking pineapples

- kevin's best memory that isn't exy related is finding kayleigh's letter and discovering who his father is

- seth could sing! he was a tenor

- seth doesn't hit woman unless it's on the court

- aaron has the second-best grades on the team after kevin

- nicky never reconciles with his family after drake

- and rightfully so luther can die

- neil was matt's best man at his wedding :')

- thea and kevin got married and had a child who got along well with 'grandpa wymack'

- as cute as that is, ew bc imo kev and thea are not it

- but anyway

- jean and renee attempted long distance dating but it didn't work out

- definitely because jean and jeremy are meant to be(this is my opinion tho so)

- renee is the only one of the foxes to marry without the other foxes in attendance, but only because she met someone who worked with her and they couldn't take enough time off of their job to have a wedding and the place that they were didn't take well to visitors

- jean was originally going to commit suicide to alert and bring attention to the abuse faced in the nest but it was changed in the last draft

- neil only ever places one bet the entirety of his time at palmetto state

- aaron proposes to katelyn before starting his fifth year, and they marry soon after graduation

- after graduation allison becomes a fashion designer

- allison had two kids, one son and one trans daughter ! she was fiercely supportive and god i love her

- allison's son develops a crush on kevin's kid💀

- matt proposed to dan on the morning of his graduation ceremony

- later on in the pros, andrew would punch their coach after they let an injured neil onto the court for a sub

- between andrew and neil, andrew is better with babies

- the only reason why robin cross, the freshman goalie that is recruited andrew's senior year, was approached was because andrew specifically asked for her

- if you want to know more about robin(her story is actually pretty messed up), here's the link

- when robin is incepted into the cousin's family, she moves into their dorm

- but because there are only four beds, andrew gives her his and shares with neil

- andrew gives robin his and renee's knives when he graduates

- originally, kevin and riko were dating but they broke up because riko cheated on him with jean, though riko and jean went by different names

- in that draft jean actually broke kevin's hand instead

- riko had capital i Issues

- like we already knew that but still

- "Did you know that from day 1 of All for the Game, when it was a shoddy little comic taking place in a Japanese high school, up until the second-to-last draft, they were lovers? The main drama in the first comic was that Riko had cheated on Kevin with Jean, and Kevin stormed off in a heartbroken fit, and Riko was trying to win him back before Kevin & Neil fell in love together." - nora about kevin and riko

- riko broke kevin's hand by stomping on it

- there was a draft where riko shot both neil and kevin, though neil was the only one to survive

- after jean moves to the trojans, kevin tells jeremy that jean can't go anywhere alone due to being so used too the raven's way of living and functioning

- i take this as confirmation that jeremy and jean get really close and they bond and fall in love and-

- when kayleigh and wymack were a thing, they were in an open relationship because kayleigh didn't have time for monogamy

- it's also helped to disguise kevin's parentage

- "Wymack was definitely sweeter on her than she was on him, and it killed him a little that he couldn’t win her over, but he respected her wishes and never pushed her for more than what she wanted to give him. He did a lot of drinking on the nights she was out with her other lovers, though. His head understood why it was better this way–she had dreams, and he had dreams, and they would spend most of their lives apart because of the paths they needed to walk even if they were each other’s one & only–but it took his heart a couple years to catch on." - nora about wymack and kayleigh's relationship

- half of the canon drafts of tfc ended with kevin dying

- nora says that kevin's straight but no he isn't

- nora's aro-ace !!

- say kandreil(kev, neil, and andrew) had still been a thing. if kevin had died, andrew and neil would have had a massive falling out and the resulting events would result in neil leaving abruptly, taking his money and contacts with him and leaving without warning

- the loss of both neil and kevin so close together sent andrew further into a spiral of self-destruction. he was on the edge when neil finally returned, but it took a long, long time for their relationship to be eveb halfway mended

- nora sakavic is actually a pseudonym !

- tfc was born from the most epic of thoughts: 'i want to write a comic about gay athletes'

- abby and wymack never get married but they do move in together during neil's fifth year

- they grow old and are eventually buried together

#lys rereads aftg #that's the end of this :') #if you want to read the extra content yourself it's on a blog.called korakos !! #all for the game #aftg #neil josten #andrew minyard #andreil #kevin day #aaron minyard #twinyards #allison reynolds #renison #renee walker #seth gordon #dan wilds #matt boyd #wymack #david wymack #jean moreau #jerejean #jeremy knox #riko moriyama #betsy dobson #kayleigh day #robin cross #tfc #the foxhole court #trk #the raven king

[darlingbudsofrae]

Neil Josten Appreciation Post

Foxes Appreciation Series : 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 ||

Alright, let’s just start this by addressing the big elephant in the room: everyone loves Neil Josten. EVERYONE.

If you don’t, you’re lying. 

Okay, first up- I’m glad this is getting addressed more on AFTG tumblr but Neil is literally so much smarter than the fandom gives him credit for.

Like yes, he’s a little dumdum on the social aspect of things (you could argue he kind of has a low EQ but also not really, I would argue that later)

but that doesn’t dismiss that he is smart af and that he can kill you and make it look natural if he wants.

For example, he literally outrun and hid from the mafia for years. Like, that in itself is an obvious point but we often forget that he did this at a very young age.

Like, he was presumably what? 16?? (when Mary kicked the bucket?) And kid was already playing hide and seek pretty well with a freaking mafia.

He does not get enough credit for this.

The survival skills it takes- the mental strength to survive as a runaway and technically he’s also homeless- at freaking 16, that’s just insane.

Also, let’s not mention the fact that it takes skills to forge official papers and all that.

We also do not talk enough about Neil and how he freaking have to relearn an entirely new position just to play exy.

I don’t think most remember that he’s actually a backliner, but have to play as a striker because it was the only available position in that local high school he attended in Millport, and that was how Kevin saw him so he was recruited as a striker.

We also additionally do not talk enough about how Kevin “literal and figurative Son of Exy” Day found potential for court in Neil “I’m a backliner but I’m playing striker because it’s the only thing available and I’m an exy junkie” Josten who only played it for like a year or less. 

Like yeah, Kevin said he needs more training but it’s not even Neil’s official position. 

The talent on this man- I cannot, he is such an icon. 

Aside from his great survival skills and being literally great at picking things up- he’s also like freaking academically smart.

Like that also doesn’t get enough credit- I mean, he does math for fun.

Frankly, I think if you did Kumon or if you had an awesome teacher you could also do math for fun (I know I did) but this should be noted with the fact that he didn’t have proper schooling.

He went on a run at a really young age so there is no way he received formal education.

Which means he is naturally like really smart.

He’s also a polyglot. And the languages he has under his belt are all freaking difficult to learn- like, no kidding: French, German, and he can assumingly speak intermediate Spanish, and we don’t even have an idea if this is all the languages he can speak.

Also, he and Andrew learns how to speak Russian, right? Like, that’s crazy.

The brain on this man and the power that he has- my son, I am so proud.

I mean, for all we know- there’s more than that and the fact that he’s like 18 at TFC screams supremacy.

This is where I argue about his EQ but Neil is crazy perceptive.

It took him like freaking 3 seconds to figure out the team dynamics the foxes have, and how to work against it.

He later figured out how to make it all mesh together.

Like the way he do things isn’t conventional but reading him analyze his team despite his lack of empathy really makes me shudder.

Like, this kid is so freaking smart. I remember reading his thought process for the very first time and being like, okay- I definitely did not think about that.

The main problem with his EQ though is that he doesn’t know how to process positive stuff when he’s involved, but when he’s the outsider- his perspective is so amazing.

Like again, he kind of lacks empathy but the way he understands things and is just so sharp is just noteworthy.

I’d argue he doesn’t understand social cues and “modern teen things” but he isn’t so completely clueless on the social aspect in general as to not manipulate an entire team of misfits with issues to work together.

He’s literally the key to unity in AFTG. Even Dan says so.

Also, the way he puts things into play- like he’s a master manipulator, and I love that for him.

We do not talk enough about manipulative Neil, like I just really love manipulative characters in general so much- especially if they’re just owning it. 

I mean, he freaking manipulated Andrew and Aaron into therapy. Kind of evil but also wow. (just a sidenote, please don’t force people into therapy lol)

Going completely dark for a second, Neil also has a freaking high pain tolerance.

The amount of horrible things he went through in the books were just so sad and the fact that he just kind of moves on from it? That’s just completely oh my gods.

My poor summer child, even if you can kill me at any given time, let me just hug you for a second with consent.

Everyone also gives shit about Neil’s fashion choices and granted it is said he kind of bags the homeless looks but the fact that he values utility above all else-

Yes, we stan a resourceful king. 

Lowkey though, am I the only one who appreciate Neil’s average style?

Speaking of style- I love the way Neil narrates. Like, the way he doesn’t give much attention to how the character looks- it’s just so realistic?

Because if I’m talking to a person in real life, there is no way I am noting how his blue polo makes him kind of casual but clean-cut and how his brown eyes is as warm as my morning coffee. Like, who even does that?

The thing with Neil’s narration is that it’s just so authentic- like it easily engages the readers and the way he gives importance to every thing the same way, it really makes it easier for the reader to discern things objectively, y’know what I mean?

He just has that quality in a main character and narrator- he’s laidback and sarcastic but not trying too hard, and he’s just really easy to love.

Like, I normally don’t like narrators/main characters in books because I favor a side character more or just because they’re annoying, but Neil Josten is legit lovable. 

At the same time, he’s also a really well-written character. Like, for all the technicalities I point out in AFTG, Neil is an asshole. He’s not perfect and I don’t 100% love everything that he does and I love that.

He’s a flawed character but he gives you something to root for- and I just really want to appreciate his characterization for a second. Most books make their characters’ flaws not even their fault to put a check to the flawed character but at the same time still have that perfect character. Eeww, no- give me real flaws to work with.

He’s one of the realest protagonists I ever read.

Like people give him shit for wanting to hide but also choosing to play a nationwide-discerned sport on an infamous collegiate team but for me it’s kind of realistic.

Because I think we, as human beings, also do things we love too much regardless of logic. I don’t know, like it’s kind of funny the way Neil is written but I honestly didn’t see him joining Palmetto as a loophole.

Like, just think of all those successful people who hid their identities via pseudonym or other necessary means to do things they weren’t expected to do or weren’t allowed to do.

For me, his character was really just looking for excuses to play his favorite sport a second longer and if anything, that’s just kind of sad.

But also, his dedication and love to exy is really admirable- like I never understood it but the way he literally does everything to stay on the court for a second longer just makes me want to root for him.

On a random note, Neil may not have an eidetic memory like Andrew’s but the way he memorize most phone numbers by heart? 

Bruh, I don’t even have my phone number memorized and I freaking have it for two years now. 

He also memorizes every twists and turns at every trip, every exits at a room he enters, and most people’s tics upon the first meeting, and other things and that’s just crazy perceptive but also really crazy on another level.

Also, we don’t get much ace/demi representation and out of the few I’ve consumed, demi Neil Josten validates me. He’s legit my favorite character that belongs in the ace spec in books.

I just really love Neil’s character so much- he’s just so amazing.

One thing I always appreciate about Neil Josten is that while he’s not a total angel (sadly), the way he loves the foxes- like he legit tried to mend the team and make sure everyone is going to be okay before walking straight to his death- like I’m with Andrew on this one, what a fucking martyr. Why are you like this and why am I crying?

Neil Josten is by all means not soft, that much is established, but the way he’s just still as precious and must be protected at all costs-

"You know, I get it," Neil said. "Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you're worth a damn off the court—yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time."

I love him, your honor- where can I file this adoption papers and do I have anything else to sign?

#neil is legit my favorite character in the entire series and i love him so much #he's my second favorite character of all time #i just think he deserves the entire universe #all for the game #all for the gay #all for the angst #all for my son #aftg #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #the king's men #nora sakavic #neil josten #aftg neil #I freaking love Neil Josten like who doesn't? #Neil Josten supremacy #aftg appreciation hours #aftg appreciation post #raeraegoaway

[the-palmetto-king]

In Neil's Sophomore year, Katelyn (5'3, blue eyed, slender build, auburn haired Katelyn) has a friend with cancer and decides to cut her hair very, very short (ahem like Neil's). CUE THE DRAMATICS

listen this took very long i've been insanely busy. so um sorry. but also this ended up really long. so. enjoy.

---------------------

"I'm thinking about cutting my hair," Katelyn said in the car, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Okay. I mean you don't need my permission, and I think you should do it if you want to, but why?" Aaron asked.

"I mean with Emma and everything, I mean I feel like it's the least I could do," she replied. A few weeks ago, one of the vixens had been diagnosed with cancer and it had been hard on all of them. A few of them had decided to band together and cut their hair in a show of support.

Aaron loved how caring she was, caring about everyone from her found family with the vixens to fucking Josten sometimes. He could never, and probably will never, understand how those two came to be friends.

When he picked Katelyn up from her hair stylist's place Aaron's first thought was that she looked amazing.

His second thought was that she looked like Josten. God. His girlfriend, of all people looking like the Palmetto striker who happened to be fucking his brother.

Auburn hair atop a thin face with bright blue eyes flashing in the sunshine.

"Do you like it?" she asked warily.

"Do you?"

"Yeah, I really like the feel and the look," Katelyn responded.

"Then yes, I do," Aaron smiled. He pushed all thoughts about his twin brother and his boyfriend out of his head.

His girlfriend was amazing and lovely, and nothing like Josten. He kissed her and pulled out of his parking spot.

When he pulled up to practice later, he saw Josten standing next to Andrew and it nearly gave him a heart attack. When he couldn't see Josten's obnoxious face, his first thought was that it was Katelyn. God. He loved Katelyn more than he loved himself, but he had to figure something out if he thought of Neil fucking Josten every time he looked at her and vice versa.

The more he thought about it, the more he didn't like it. Katelyn was kind, forgiving, and the woman he loved. Neil was ruthless, hotheaded, and the boy who was going after his brother.

Maybe they did look a little similar though. He could admit that. Maybe admit it, but not deal with it. If he ignored it long enough, maybe it would go away.

Sitting in front of Bee a week later, it did not. Clearly. When he was sleep-deprived, for example, he nearly called Neil Katelyn, and he couldn't stop thinking about she looked like Neil when he was kissing Katelyn yesterday. It was seriously fucking him up.

Andrew was running late for their joint session, and he would never talk about it with Andrew. They have enough problems as is. Bee could just tell something was wrong. He could see why Andrew liked her. Maybe "liked" wasn't the word; more like "she appealed to him." He would never understand their relationship and he's given up on trying to.

So when she asked him what was bothering him, he said fuck it and told her. Legally, she couldn't tell anyone.

"So does it bother you that Katelyn and Neil look similar, or that it's Neil she looks similar to?"

Turns out Neil, speaking of the devil, was sick and Andrew decided to skip and take care of him. Aaron had no idea how that made him feel, or whatever it was that Betsy asked because he didn't care. Andrew could skip their session with a fake excuse that he was taking care of his multiple-night stand. He was okay to skip his weekly torture, but Betsy asked him to stay.

Which is how he wound up talking about his current issue.

"I mean- they're so different, and Katelyn and I care about each other, and she could never be like him."

"So it's the fact that she looks like Neil that's bothering you," Bee replied.

"I didn't say that," Aaron protested, "I just hate that they are nothing alike but look so similar."

"And how exactly are they different?"

"Well Katelyn's amazing and I love her, and Neil's well- just Andrew's boyfriend and they don't actually care about each other; Neil's ruthless and rude, and everything Katelyn isn't."

"So is this about you and Andrew then?"

"I did not say that."

"But you meant it," Bee quirked an eyebrow. "And I think you might be upset that you and Andrew aren't as different as you may believe."

"Are you going to give me a solution to stop thinking of my brother's- whatever Neil is to him- or are you just going to sit there and psychoanalyze me?"

"You are welcome to leave if you don't want to get to the root of the problem," Bee replied, completely straight-faced.

"I don't want to get to the root of the problem, I just want it fixed."

When Katelyn picked him up, he tried to push everything relating to Andrew and Neil out of his head.

It was small talk before a genuine question about how therapy went before making out in her car and thinking that this was everything compared to his brother and Neil.

But it wasn't that he didn't care about Andrew, because he did and he was learning to; it was that he could never see how Andrew could look at Neil like he saw Katelyn.

Ignoring it worked for a little while, and he watched the sunlight streaming through her hair as she carefully drove her car back to the dorms. Completely unlike Neil's reckless driving, swerving between lanes like he was still on the run.

They said goodbye in the hallway with a kiss as Aaron opened his door. He trudged through his mountain of homework before waiting outside the Maserati for practice.

Neil and Andrew approached the car and hopped in the front seats of the car. Fuckers.

He rolled his eyes and hopped in the back. He looked at Neil leaning back in his seat and watched as his hair caught fire. Just like Katelyn's did. Fuck. God.

When they finally pulled up to the stadium Aaron jumped out of the car as quickly as he could and slammed the door. Neil looked at him weirdly, but Aaron didn't need anything from the source of his problem at the moment.

They had the same hair and the same eyes. They weren't anything like each other, right? Other than red hair and blue eyes. A fairly rare genetic combination doubling up in Palmetto to torture him. Figures, knowing his luck around anything concerning his brother.

The longer he zoned out staring at Neil, Aaron sort of started to see exactly what was bothering him.

It wasn't just that they were different, and that Neil annoyed him whilst Katelyn did anything but. Maybe it was the fact that Andrew had someone that wasn't him.

He remembered the nights on the bus where Neil comforted Andrew and the time Katelyn punched a guy who catcalled her. As much as he hated to admit it, both he and his brother had found people. Similar people, to say the least.

And whether or not they looked similar, well. It was funny that short auburn hair was what caused Aaron's entire predicament in the first place.

Andrew had Neil. Whether it was an actual relationship or just whatever they did, they were happy and Aaron was okay with that. And Aaron had Katelyn with that, and Andrew was coming to be okay with that.

God, admitting to himself that he and his brother were even somewhat similar was uncomfortable. Not in a bad way, more like it was something he was going to have to get used to.

A week later, he was sitting in front of Bee and he made eye contact and muttered a quick

"You were right."

She smiled and offered him hot cocoa. Andrew didn't say anything or even ask, and he silently thanked his brother for his apathetic attitude.

When Andrew left, Aaron stayed behind.

"I think it was more that it was Andrew's person or whatever," he said.

"Was this about Neil or Andrew?" Bee asked.

"Both, I think," he hesitated, "Maybe that Andrew and I had found people, and maybe even that they were similar." What had Josten even done to him. He wasn't exactly complaining about his mending relationship with Andrew, but now he was talking about his problems.

"Well, Aaron, I think that is a good explanation and that you have made good progress, especially with your brother." He nodded at her and got up from his chair.

In the car, Andrew raised an eyebrow, one of his only tells of emotions, and said, "If you're waiting for me to ask about whatever the fuck is going on with you I'm not going to."

"I wasn't waiting for you to do anything, asshole. And nothing's going on with me," Aaron replied through gritted teeth.

Just because he accepted whatever Josten was to Andrew does not mean he had to play nice with his asshole brother or his boyfriend. But for now, he was okay with his asshole brother and his even worse boyfriend.

#PLEASE ignore the hot garbage pile that is this #pk.txt #aftg #aaron minyard #andrew minyard #neil josten #does katelyn have a last name?? #aaron minyard & andrew minyard #twinyards #andreil #all for the game #im giving up on tags and then I'm gonna be disappointed that this doesn't have any notes :)

[strawberryshortpace]

Okay I keep reading fanfics about the foxes having kids so here

Most people say Dan and Matt are the first foxes to have kids

But I personally think it’s going to be Nicky and Erik adopting

While Matt and Dan would definitely have kids fairly quickly they both think it’s important for them to have a couple years for just them (and their careers)

While Nicky spends is Germany after graduation and immediately feels sad cause of his empty nest

So he brings up the thought of fostering/adopting to Erik and since they know it’ll be a long process they decide to start it immediately

Soon enough Nicky is settled in at his job along with Erik who has already been their forever and they’re finally allowed to start fostering a kid

Both of them are aware that unless there are serious issues between them and the kid, they’re gonna be adopting them

Their little family of 2 becomes a family of 3 when they adopt a 4 year old girl

Nicky and Erik immediately fall in love with her and after a couple months she is in love with them as well but they wait to actually adopt her until she’s a little older and can fully say that she wants them to adopt her

(Mini Addition is That she calls Erik vater and Nicky dad)

Okay next is the obvious Matt and Dan

After graduating they take a couple years for the 2 of them to live and travel together but eventually they start talking about kids

Dan is actually the one to bring it up and they both agree that they would love to have a couple children

After the conversation Dan pulls out a pregnancy test and shows Matt that she’s already pregnant

So their first child was unplanned but completely wanted

Matt completely freaks out when he sees the positive test and immediately starts telling Dan how much he loves her (and their kid)

He keeps kissing her and her stomach cause he’s so amazed that they’re gonna be parents

Then he gets so excited being like ‘I need to tell Neil he’s going to be a big brother’ which just makes Dan laugh

So the two of them call Neil (Andrew is still on a different team so he isn’t in on the call)

Neil isn’t quite sure how to react but he’s extremely happy for them and agrees not to tell anyone else (he also finds it concerning that they keep saying he’s gonna be a big brother)

Obviously after hanging up with him Matt and Dan decide to call Wymack and Abby (who moved in together during neils senior year)

Dan is the one to do most of the talking this time and informs Wymack that he’s going to have a grandchild (yes she does phrase it like that cause he is practically her dad)

He just sits there in shock before mumbling ‘about damn time’ because he knows how much they love kids and how great of parents they’ll make (he tell Dan this and she tears up)

They wait a bit to tell the other foxes

They arrange a big Skype call for all the original foxes to tell them

Everyone offers up their congratulations because they’re so excited

But soon enough the jokes start up

So many jokes about Kevin being an uncle

But there were even more about Neil being a big brother (seriously he’s getting concerned here)

He gets even more concerned when Matt texts him to not sign off when everyone else does (well him and Andrew because they’re currently visiting each other and are logged in together)

Eventually everyone has to go which leave Matt Dan Neil and Andrew

They catch up on more personal things before Andrews like ‘so why couldn’t you do this before with the other foxes’

And that’s when Neil and Andrew are asked to be The Godfather’s of baby fox

Neil absolutely freaks out cause he knows nothing about kids

But he realizes that he would absolutely drop everything if this kid needed it and that’s what they’d need if something happened to Matt and Dan

So they accept and Neil thanks them for asking him

Months later Matt and Dan have a beautiful girl and ask Neil if he wants to hold his goddaughter

Neil is absolutely terrified so Andrew stands next to him and talks him through how to properly hold her

Neil thought he couldn’t love Andrew any more than he already did but he was proven wrong

She grows up being spoiled by the foxes but none of them go as far as Andrew

Who is her absolute favorite person in the world

(She may or may not call him uncle Drew and many people have been glared at for laughing at the nickname)

Okay so this has gotten pretty long so I’ll make a second part

#andreil #andriel #andrew minyard #neil josten #matt boyd #Dan wilds #renee walker #alison reynolds #renison #aaron minyard #Kevin day #jean moreau #jeremy knox #jerjean

[paradoxolotl]

Are there any quotes or moments from any of your fics that you've had to leave out of the final product? Like, deleted scenes. If so, do you feel like sharing?...(Particularly Inked Truths because I'm obsessed with it. I fell in love with BoM, read it multiple times. When I found out you were doing a prequel I was very excited and have not been disappointed since.) (I also love TftR but it makes sad.)...Absolutely no pressure. If you don't want to answer please just ignore this, I'll understand.

Truths for the Roof didn’t lose anything but Inked lost a bit. Really, it was just redone to flow better and fit the characterization better, or moved somewhere later on in the series. I’m more likely to add then take away. It’s pretty rare I scrap something completely, and usually find somewhere else to put it, even if it’s a different fic. But originally BOM was very different. Andrew was medicated and Aaron knew Neil Josten from class.

Here’s a scene that was reworked in Ink Blotted Memories ~

Aaron did his best to avoid Andrew after that. He made himself busy at work, hauling dishes back and forth and hanging out with the bouncers on his breaks. When they were home Andrew was usually shut up in his room or outside smoking which made avoiding him all the easier, giving Aaron space to dick around on the TV or be in his room. Nicky still tried to involve both of them in stupid bonding activities like family dinners and movie nights. When they did happen, it was tense and uncomfortable, mostly filled with Nicky’s inane chatter. Aaron purposely did not look at his brother on these nights. He was torn between wanting Andrew’s acknowledgment and wishing he had never found out about him.

He marked his days with video games and his nights with alcohol and cracker dust, counting the days until he could once again use school as a distraction.

And the entire original Brother of Mine, which I rewrote most of when I got partway through ~

Aaron could still remember lying in his bed in his mother’s house, body bruised and hurting, wishing to have someone who could help him. Someone to make things better. To stand with him and hold him up when he was so close to crumbling. Learning about a long-lost twin felt like something out of a movie. An answered prayer. Finally, Aaron would have someone, a brother, who he could talk to. He imagined late night talks and secrets shared between them. They would have a bond so strong that nothing could come between them.

Andrew’s response of ‘fuck off’ had felt like a back-hand across his face.

Still, he held out hope. He was told to try again in the Spring, and that was what he planned on doing. Even when Andrew was sent to juvie, Aaron held onto his hope of a brother who would care about him. They were twins after all, how hard could it be?

The first time he had met Andrew face to face, Uncle Luther beside him and a metal table separating them, Aaron’s idea of what their relationship would be went up in smoke. His face was looking back at him, but there was no expression, no emotion at all. A blankness that revealed nothing of what he was thinking. It was hard to make eye contact with Andrew, his eyes sharp enough to be cut on. Andrew didn’t speak to Aaron at all that first visit; he just stared at him with a flat glare the entire time.

And yet he still came to South Carolina to live with Aaron. Aaron desperately wanted for Andrew to open up to him when they lived together. He thought he had to, now that they shared a room. He also hoped that home would get better, now that Andrew was home. Maybe mom would get better, would stop being so stressed. So angry.

It only took one incident for Aaron to believe Andrew was untouchable. They were in the backyard so Andrew could smoke, both sipping from a bottle of vodka Andrew had acquired. He had only moved in a week ago, and so far, things had been quiet. Aaron had no new bruises, but Andrew’s blank stare made him warry. The slam of the front door had made Aaron flinch, Andrew’s cold eyes tracking the movement. Aaron could hear their mother calling for him, her words tight with anger. Remembering the pills he had swiped earlier in the day, he swallowed back the lump in his throat and went inside.

He remembers her screaming. He remembers the pain of a hand across his cheek. Then there was Andrew, her wrist gripped in his hand, twisted far enough to make her bend at an awkward angle. It was then that Aaron saw the first expression on his twin’s face, and it terrified him. His lips had curled back in a snarl, his eyes bright with an anger Aaron had never seen before.

It was that night that Andrew had offered Aaron a deal. They would stick together, just the two of them, and Andrew would protect him. Aaron believed this was the answer to what he had been asking for. Finally, he wouldn’t be alone. He made his promise to Andrew.

Months passed, and Aaron was still collecting bruises. It was almost worse now, to have a witness to his suffering. Someone who had promised him protection but couldn’t stop everything.

Then, the accident where Aaron was left with only Andrew. Just the two of them.

The funeral where Andrew’s arm was in a sling, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, and a strange gleam in his eye as the dirt was poured on their mother’s grave.

Nicky coming back from Germany, taking them in.

Moving into a new house and Andrew installing a lock on his door.

The agony of being locked in that bathroom, withdrawal clawing his body to shreds.

The slow isolation at school, Andrew refusing to let anyone close.

Nicky’s assault and the mandated therapy.

That awful laughter and empty smile.

And Aaron had to wonder if instead of his prayers being answered, he had been cursed.

~~~

Things began changing the spring of their freshman year of college.

When they first joined the Foxes, there was a clear divide between Aaron’s family and the others immediately. Any interactions ended in spitting insults at best and violence more than not. The others feared Andrew and his knives, circling their group like alley cats. Not that the three of them were much better. Nicky constantly antagonized the others, and the twins’ general lack of effort to get along definitely rubbed a few people the wrong way. The Columbia trips solidified their isolation from the others. Honestly, Aaron couldn’t care less about getting along with his teammates. He would leave them alone as long as they did the same. He was here for a degree, not friends.

Now, they had officially been knocked out of the championships. Not that Aaron could bring himself to care, but games days usually also meant Columbia, and Aaron desperately wanted to get off campus. Between the upperclassmen, Day’s bitching over the season and Nicky’s whining, Aaron was looking forward to drinks, crackers, and music loud enough to lose yourself in.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t go without Andrew. His twin was currently perched on his desk by the window, smoking and staring out at the campus, fingers rapidly tapping. Normally they would already be packed up and gone by now, but they hadn’t gone once in over a month. At first Aaron thought it was because of exy, but then Andrew would disappear from the dorms for hours at a time, much to Day’s frustration. The only reason Aaron even noticed this as odd was because his brother rarely left Day alone. He never told them why they stopped going, or where he disappeared to, and any complaints fell on deaf ears.

“Come on Andrew!” Nicky whined, “We never go to Columbia anymore!”

Andrew’s laughter made Aaron’s jaw tick. “Oh, poor Nicky, don’t you know that no means no?”

“But why not?” Nicky was still going.

Aaron didn’t know why Nicky thought he could reason with Andrew. Unless you were Renee the best result from interacting with him would be victim to a cutting insult or dismissal. Worst case you’d need stitches.

His phone buzzing in his hand distracted him from the conversation happening. Looking at the screen, he felt a wave of relief wash over him, soothing the tension in his shoulders.

Katelyn

You played great today! It’s too bad the season is over

Katelyn was an instant balm to Aaron’s anger. It was still new, this thing between them. They had met in their intro biology class and had spent many late hours at the library studying. She had been the first person at Palmetto who had bothered to get to know Aaron for him, not just as ‘Andrew’s twin’. At first, he was a sullen asshole, but her endless patience and positivity snuck past his defenses and made a place for her in Aaron’s very bones. The only issue was they had to sneak around; Aaron couldn’t risk Andrew finding out about her.

Glancing up to make sure Andrew was still distracted with Nicky, Aaron settled further into his beanbag.

Aaron

Whatever it’s just stickball

Katelyn

Still, I’ll miss watching you ;)

Aaron had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the smile off his face.

Katelyn

How’s Columbia?

Aaron

Wouldn’t know we’re still in the Tower

Katelyn

Think you could sneak out for a bit?

We’re in that bar with the turtle

Nicky’s yelp brought Aaron’s attention back to the room in front of him. Andrew was still on the desk, but Aaron caught the glint of metal as a knife was put back in one of his armbands. His eyes followed Nicky as he retreated to the bedroom, face split in his usual grin. When the door closed behind Nicky, Andrew’s eyes snapped to Aaron, pinning him to his spot. Aaron glared back, daring Andrew to say something to him. To say anything.

Instead, Andrew flicked his cigarette out the window, slammed in shut, and left the dorm completely. Aaron wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or not.

He sat there for a moment, fingers tapping on his phone. If this was going to be following his typical pattern over the past few weeks, Andrew would be gone for hours, and wouldn’t notice if Aaron left. He would just need to be back before Andrew. Really, it wasn’t that hard of a decision.

Aaron

Be there in twenty.

Katelyn

<3

Grabbing his jacket, Aaron hurried out of the dorm, eager to get away. Even if it wasn’t Columbia, even if it was with the Vixens, any time with Katelyn was worth it.

Aaron didn’t look up as he left the Tower. If he did, he might have seen a heavy stare and two lit cigarettes.

~~~

Summer came, and somehow Betsy had convinced the courts to change Andrew’s medication. Something about an incorrect diagnosis or dosage. Aaron wasn’t sure how they thought an Andrew off the pills would be any better, but no one asked him for his opinion.

The upside was that Aaron had weeks free of his oppressive twin, and he could spend as much time with Katelyn as he wanted. It was the first time in years Aaron felt like there was no weight pulling him down, like he could finally breathe.

It was in those few perfect weeks that Aaron came to a decision.

He couldn’t lose this.

~~~

Andrew had come back from Easthaven reverted back to the emptiness of when Aaron had first met him. He had barely said a word to anyone since he came back, simply leveling that bored glare at them whenever someone tried to speak to him. Whenever Aaron saw him, he was fiddling on that damn flip phone, barely acknowledging his surroundings. Even the upperclassmen had noticed his attachment to the device.

It was during a meeting before the first game of the new season that someone finally snapped.

“Damn it, Andrew, what are you doing?” When Kevin got really angry, his face flushed. Right now, he was approaching tomato.

Andrew snapped his phone shut, “Nothing.”

“Bullshit, you need to focus. Our first game is tomorrow, and we are nowhere near ready.”

“Maybe,” Andrew drawled, “instead of worrying about me, you should focus on what you’ll do when you see Riko again.”

It was a low blow, but effective. Kevin immediately fell silent, his skin changing from red to white so quickly Aaron was surprised he didn’t faint. Edgar Allen had joined their district after Kevin announced that he would be joining the Fox line-up. Last year Kevin had showed up, hand bloody and broken, looking for sanctuary. Apparently, Riko had broken his hand in a fit of rage. Kevin had tried to sue, but with the connections and money behind the Moriyama name, it was ruled as an accident. The public backlash of that along with Kevin’s transfer to the Foxes had caused several headaches last year.

“Jesus, Andrew,” Nicky whispered.

Andrew opened his phone again. No one else tried to speak to him for the rest of the meeting.

~~~

It was a new bet among the Foxes: what Andrew was doing on his phone. Everyone agreed that it was pretty clear he was texting someone, but the question was who. Some believed it was a secret girlfriend, while others were still convinced Renee and Andrew were together. Others thought it had to be something illegal.

Aaron knew what he thought, and he silently watched and cataloged information away.

~~~

The season was going terribly. They were winning games by the skin of their teeth and they were more divided than ever. Seth and Kevin couldn’t stop fighting, their newest striker was a nervous wreck, and Andrew didn’t give a shit.

Their last game was against the Ravens, and they had been destroyed. Now, Wymack and Dan were looking for a win.

They were in the locker room getting ready for the game when Andrew’s phone began to ring. Aaron didn’t recognize the song Andrew used, but he knew he normally used the default setting for his ringtone. Andrew picked up before Aaron could think too much on it.

“What?”

At this point everyone was staring at him, not even trying to act like they weren’t eavesdropping.

Andrew scoffed, “Junkie,” he said before snapping his phone shut, tossing it into his locker, and slamming it door closed. A moment later he was stalking out of the locker room.

Silence was left behind in his wake until Nicky broke it, “So it isn’t a girlfriend?”

When the team was gathered again (...missing...)

~~~

(...missing...)Today though, Aaron needed to talk to him.

The chances of Andrew brushing off any attempt Aaron made to speak to him were high, so Aaron waited until Andrew would have to acknowledge him. On Wednesday, when Andrew walked into Reddin, Aaron was waiting for him.

~~~

“Fuck off,” Aaron growled.

Josten had that stupid smirk on his face, his finger tapping on his test score. It wasn’t even that Aaron did bad. It was that Josten did better. He always did better in this stupid class. Aaron hated statistics, but apparently Josten was a math major and took every opportunity to show him up.

From day one Aaron had disliked him. He had plopped down beside Aaron, ratty clothes and shaggy hair, and called him ‘the second Minyard’. Not only was he a complete ass, but he was completely unnerving. His eyes were a blue so pale they were almost glacial, and his face and arms were covered in slashes and burn scars.

Once, Aaron had overheard someone call him ‘Scarface’, and Josten had just asked, with a terrifying grin, if they were looking for some to match.

And Aaron was stuck in a room with him twice a week.

Josten tsked at him, still tapping at his score. “What? Still second?”

“Fuck off,” Aaron really wasn’t in the mood.

He just hummed, pulling his phone out, a god damn flip phone, and spent the next few minutes ignoring the review happening. Aaron could barely focus as Josten texted away; each click grating on Aaron’s already frayed nerves.

Aaron wasn’t even sure how Josten did so well; he spent most of the class doodling in his notebook.

#aftg #all for the game #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #aftg fanfiction #para's fics #ask para

[doodlingstuff]

Here's the dumbest hc ever and I don't care. But first, you need to imagine the books happened like 8-10 years later. Now that we are on the right timeline:

What if the Monsters were nicknamed that way because they were Lady Gaga fans???

Hear me out. This idea has been growing out of control for the whole week:

•It started with Nicky •He liked her music among many others, but coming to terms with his sexuality above the love he had for his family made him like it more •Taking care of the Twinyards only helped grow his love •Whenever things were difficult (yow know, like, the whole time) he would blast the songs of her album •He was an ocean across from the love of his life, taking care of his troubled cousins, and banned from his parents' house •Listening to Gaga was pretty much the only thing he could find comfort in •Poker Face and Just Dance were played over and over at Eden's (and everywhere) so he found there the joy he needed to keep going •Because he would listen to her aLl thE TiMe, the twins started to give up on turning it off •They had many issues, but both care in their own way about Nicky, so they granted him that tiny pleasure to cope with them 

•After a while, Aaron found out some songs weren't that hideous •Andrew memorized the lyrics since the first time he heard them, but it took him months to find meaning in them •The only time the twins bond was to get the new album for Nicky's birthday •It went straight to the stereo to be replayed on an eternal loop •Andrew will never tell, but Born This Way was becoming his anthem, and Aaron would be humming the songs all-day •And then they got recruited by Wymack •By that time, the three of them liked Lady Gaga, so they went everywhere blasting the albums at insane volumes across campus •Of course there were some knives for anyone who asked them to turn down the volume •And more than deadly glares for anyone stupid enough to mock them •They were already Gaga's Monsters, and their behavior just fitted the nickname perfectly •So that stuck •The Monsters that heard Lady Gaga everywhere •Then, Kevin crashed the party •Andrew agreed to turn down the volume a bit in order to avoid Kevin's bitching •That failed, so the volume was up again •Kevin could walk to the stadium if he didn't like it, right? •He did a couple of times •And then, Millport happened •Andrew wouldn't, shouldn't, mustn't care what a liar from head to toe thought of him •He did •Offering to ride Neil from the airport was also an excuse to get rid of the albums before Neil caught glimpse of them •It's only at the end of Neil's first year when they are packing to stay at Columbia for the summer when Nicky finds their albums again •He goes straight to confront Andrew about it •The twin had denied seeing the albums all that time and blamed it on Aaron and Kevin •Especially Kevin, since he complained the most •Neil is with the upperclassmen, so Andrew tells Nicky the truth •That trip to Columbia goes drowned by all their favorite songs •Andrew may or may not have sung along some of them •By the end of the summer, Neil has become a Monster for real •Andrew may or may not had changed their ringtones •With Neil on board, the upperclassmen took things the good way •They go together to one of her concerts •And that's how the fame of the Monsters of Palmetto was born

#aftg headcanon #twinyards #monsters of palmetto #the monsters #andrew minyard #aaron minyard #nicky hemmick #cousins #kevin day #neil josten #andrew x neil #andreil #aftg #aftg hc #aftg fic #aftg fanfic #aftg fandom #all for the game #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #tfc #trk #tkm #writer #my writing #fanfic writing #writers on tumblr

[i-did]

wait id love to hear your rant about how fanon deals with the race in tfc fics/fanon's of everyone else’s race :0

I would like to start this response with the fact that I do not believe anyone is being intentionally harmful in their race head cannons, simply that people tend to follow Fanon blindly and I believe people should not do that, and remember Fanon is only Fanon and we should make our own ideas and stray from the pack more often.

Okay, my thoughts on common race headcanons for the foxes and how they are often accidentally racist:

I know @bloodydamnit has spoken up about this before, but people specifically portraying Seth as black falls into a lot of unhealthy anti-black stereotypes of black men, especially the lack of development people tend to give him. She has written him and deconstructed these issues from her perspective and me a non-black person don’t think I could ever achieve such a thing and therefore do not headcanon him or will write him as black.

I personally headcanon him as hard Vietnamese and half white and made a long post about him before, I love Seth.

Matt and Dan are also often written as black, this isn’t inherently problematic necessarily, but it does often overlook the issue that people see this likely because of Matt’s history with drugs and Dan’s sex work playing into anti-black stereotypes without a tally going into race theory or redlining or any of the following issues in a way that gives them any development.

I like to headcanon Matt as Filipino, his straight hair is perfect for spiking, and dan as 75% black and 25% Oceti Sakowin (commonly known as Sioux), I want to write about how her leaving the reservation was a big deal for her, especially at the 25% mark which means if she is with anyone who isn’t of the same tribe her kids would not be considered a part of the tribe since the US minimum to register is 25% and this was part of her hesitance to be with Matt as well as other pressures. I like to think the baby her aunt had in the EC she ends up adopting from the foster system and that baby is 75% Oceti Sakowin and Matt is super excited to learn about their traditions and bring in both indigenous Filipino culture that he got disconnected with as well as Oceti Sakowin culture that she got disconnected with into their lives with their unexpected kid.

Renee is often headcanoned as Asian, but typically just generally Asian without nuance or explanation and also this plays into the passivity stereotype of Asian women. I headcanon her has African American, with very dark skin and Stephanie Walker was the first black foster mom she had and they hit it off really well, also Renees hair is a wig, no one can bleach their hair to white that’s just… it melts before it does that usually.

Again I’m not saying Renee can’t be Asian, It can be done right and written well, but overall I think it’s important for people to remember why they headcanon things and not accept Fanon blindly. Fanon often plays into harmful ideas. While people of color don’t have to have a reason for being people of color, I think it’s important to notice why you think charters who aren’t described at all are whatever race you headcanon and think critically. Our cultures and races make us experience the world in a certain way that contributes to who we are outside of blanket diversity, and it is important to think about that.

I often see people saying they headcanon Womack as Native American to make him having the tribal tattoos “unracist”, and to make Nora not racist, but Nora wasn’t being racist by saying Womack has tribal tattoos, Womack having shitty Tates in tattoos, which faux tribal was a huge cultural staple despite how cringe it is from the 90’s to mid 2000’s in America. It’s important also to not just say Native American but to do research on specific groups because each culture is unique and different.

That being said, I bounce back between Wymack just being some 70’s looking dad with cut off shorts to Maori where the swirl tattoos are very significant, and Kevin is white-passing but discovered he’s not white like he thought he was, and becomes an AOA history major (Africa, Oceana, Americas, aka indigenous history major).

Also considering Neil and Allison are supposed to be significantly attractive I don’t like them being white because of that, so I headcanon Allison as half middle eastern, (or maybe Indian I have more research to do before I decide), she was told she was adopted as a kid and often her mom would buy her whitening cremes like fair and lovely as a kid, but later found some papers when she was older finding out her dad actually got a woman pregnant and to keep her quiet took Allison and pretended he was such a good philanthropist and adopted a brown kid. She has a lot of problems with this, and bleaches her hair blond to try and fit in with her family without even realizing it. She never finds out who her birth mom is

I am a bit annoyed at white fans constantly calling Nora racist, while also using the lightest skinned headcanons every time for black characters playing into colorism and Spanish Nickys instead of darker toned people. Also, I think people should really try to critically think about their own ideas before calling out someone else. Do I think Nora is perfectly woke? No, no one is, but Fanon is just as bad but in a different way. There is a lot of colorism I see in both headcanon photos people use for the foxes as well as people tending to draw looser curls and thinner noses for characters they headcanon as black. Not every black person is half white and darker-skinned rep is very important. I’ve also seen people use Reece king as a Nicky face claim before and I wasn’t even surprised.

I've also seen people almost always have Erik be “Aryan” some even using the word to describe him unironically, and as a Jewish person this obviously doesn’t sit right with me. I would like to see less straight passing blond haired blue eyed taller than Nicky Erik sometimes.

Again I’m not calling anyone racist, I just think that people should go outside Fanon and think of their own ideas on who they want the characters to be in their headcanons and why. I'm tiers of the same 4 Instagram model photos being used for every Aftg edit, the same light-skinned Dan’s, Matt’s, and Nicky’s. Also while I’m at it, add some body diversity, they’re athletes all playing different positions, I think all the defense players are at least chubby if not plus size. Aaron, Andrew, and Renee are all fat and proud, Nicky and Matt are bulkier with their bodies good for blocking, while Seth is an awkward string bean, an offensive striker who can slip through people quickly despite his height.

Again I know discussions about race can be tense, I am not trying to sound like I am attacking anybody, and I'm not calling out anyone in particular, I didn't even touch on how nicky is written in fanon or canon and how it can often be both racist and homophobic coming from my prospective as a gay latino.

Okay I'm tired sorry this took me so long to respond lol

#aftg #all for the game #fandom politics #tfc #the foxhole court #ask #mailob

[neilmfjosten]

aftg quotes that make me go absolutely feral

“You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs.” “I’m not a hallucination,” Neil said, nonplussed. “You are a pipe dream,” Andrew said.”

Thank you," he finally said. He couldn't say he meant thanks for all of it: the keys, the trust, the honesty and the kisses. Hopefully Andrew would figure it out eventually. "You were amazing.”

“Who said 'please' that made you hate the word so much?"Andrew gazed at him in silence for a minute. "I did.”

This,” Neil flicked his finger to indicate the two of them, “isn’t worthless.” “There is no ‘this’. This is nothing.” “And I am nothing,” Neil prompted. When Andrew gestured confirmation, Neil said, “And as you’ve always said, you want nothing.”

“I didn't think I was a personal problem. You hate me, remember?" "Every inch of you," Andrew said. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you." The world tilted a little bit sideways. Neil dug his shoes harder into the floor so he wouldn't fall over. "You like me." "I hate you," Andrew corrected him, but Neil barely heard him.”

“Andrew kissed him like this was a fight with their lives on the line, like his world stopped and started with Neil’s mouth.”

“You know, I get it. Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you’re worth a damn off the court— yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time. I know it’s not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you’re physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don’t think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. Pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. So please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone.”

“Yes or no?" "It's always yes with you." "Except when it's no." "If you have to keep asking because—I'll answer it as many times as you ask. But this is always going to be yes.”

“Better luck next time, Neil," he said. "I warned you once already, didn't I? I don't feel anything." “Anymore," Neil said, barely a whisper.”

“Ninety percent of the time the very sight of you makes me want to commit murder. I think about carving the skin from your body and hanging it out as a warning to every other fool who thinks he can stand in my way." “What about the other ten?”

“If it means losing you, then no.”

“Truth is irrefutable and untainted by bias. Sunrise, Abram, death: these are truths.”

“Don't look at me like that. I am not your answer, and you sure as fuck aren’t mine.”

“Andrew flicked his pack of cigarettes at Neil. "Give me one good reason to not push you off the side." Neil shook a stick out and lit it. "I'd drag you with me. It's a long way down.”

“Let Riko be King," Kevin said, with the exaggerated enunciation of the thoroughly sloshed. "Most coveted, most protected. He'll sacrifice every piece he has to protect his throne. Whatever. Me?" Kevin gestured again, meaning to indicate himself but too drunk to get his hand higher than his waist. "I'm going to be the deadliest piece on the board."

“It's always been 'go'. It's always been 'lie' and 'hide' and 'disappear'. I've never belonged anywhere or had the right to call anything my own. But Coach gave me keys to the court, and you told me to stay. You gave me a key and called it home.”

“"No, but really," Nicky said, looking wide-eyed at Neil. "What happened?" "Neil hit Riko," Matt said. "It was beautiful.”

“Kevin was silent for an endless minute, then said, "You should be Court." It was barely a whisper, but it cut Neil to the bone. It was a resentful goodbye to the bright future Kevin had wanted for Neil. Kevin recruited Neil because he believed in Neil's potential. He brought him to the Foxes intending to make a star athlete out of him. Despite his condescending attitude and his dismissals of Neil's best efforts Kevin honestly expected Neil to make the national team after graduation. Now Kevin knew it was all for naught; Neil would be dead by May. "Will you still teach me?" Neil asked. Kevin was quiet again, but not for long this time. "Every night.”

“You never explained the change of heart." “Maybe I got tired of seeing Kevin bend. Or maybe it was the zombies. A few weeks back you and Renee argued contingency plans for a zombie apocalypse. She said she'd focus on survivors. You said you'd go back for some of us. Five of us. You weren't counting Abby or Coach. Since you trust Renee to handle the rest of the team, I'm guessing the last spot is for Dobson. I didn't say anything then because I knew I'd look out for only me when the world went to hell. I don't want to be that person anymore. I want to go back for you.”

“Is your learning curve a horizontal line?”

“I won't be like them. I won't let you let me be.”

“I will ask you only once to tone down that animosity." "I can't," Neil said. "I have a bit of an attitude problem."

“My name is Nathaniel Wesninski," he said, "and my father is dead." It wasn't at all funny, but a second later he was laughing. It sounded hysterical but he couldn't stop.”

“You couldn't at least use an Exy idiom? I hate baseball.”

“Neil sucked in a deep breath that ripped him open on its way down. "I'd ask you how it feels, but I guess you've always known what it's like to be second, you worthless piece of shit.”

“This was everything he wanted, everything he needed, and Neil was never letting go.”

#all for the game #aftg #neil josten #andrew minyard #tfc #trk #tkm #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #nicky hemmick #matt boyd #dan wilds #kevin day #aaron minyard #allison reynolds #renee walker #seth gordon #riko moriyama #coach wymack #andreil #all for the gay #all for the memes #andrew and neil

[palmett-hoes]

i so agree on the thea/kevin thing. i do think they end up together though - not because i particularly think they're good for each other but because sometimes people end up in relationships they settle for and maybe they change and maybe they don't but sometimes life is just like that. thats kind of why i particularly like how nora makes it clear that allison doesn't end up with a man because she tends to seek out the anger issues + doesn't want to help themselves type of man. it b liek dat smt

hmm okay. i think first i want to address what i mean when i answer asks, especially one like the kevin and thea ask you're mentioning. just because i'm writing it doesn't necessarily mean i'm committing to the idea 100% and it doesn't mean it's what i believe 100% will happen. it's a possibility and more than that it's an idea i'm exploring for the moment

that was an analysis of how i view their dynamic, with some predictions based on that specific interpretation, and the end part was a best-case scenario if everything worked out perfectly. but you're right, a best-case scenario doesn't always happen. people's lives don't always play out perfectly and they don't always find the perfect right person that they're with forever. and sometimes they settle for something that's stable or familiar and that's not even necessarily a bad thing

what's really great about transformative work like fandom is that i don't have to stick to just one idea. i can entertain the idea of a perfect world for kevin and thea where they break up but stay friends and help each other overcome the trauma and conditioning of the nest, and at the same time i can also entertain the world where they fall a little flat of that, and still end up together and sometimes kevin sits up at night and looks at his wife and asks himself "do i love her? am i happy?" and knows that the answer isn't a resounding yes, but that she's still his partner and they have a daughter together who he wouldn't trade for anything. analytically, you can make an argument for either of those pathways, or even one where kevin and thea get marriage counseling and end up the happiest most in-love couple in the world, or a million others

you can create a post-canon where anything happens. one where kevin meets the love of his life, one where kevin never meets anyone, one where kevin suffers a career ending injury at 26 that this time he truly never recovers from. as a creator i can explore each and every one of these options for him and think of them all as equally real and equally possible, even if i'm thinking about two completely different ones at the exact same time

it's a story. it all comes down to what i'm feeling at that moment, what I'm looking to explore. do i need a pick-me-up? do i want catharsis? am i angry? sad? cruel? do i want to deconstruct the notion of the cold war nuclear family? do i just want a good time? you get out what you bring in

whatever i end up typing is a reflection of what i'm thinking and feeling in that moment. i may want to look at it completely differently in another moment

but i do agree that i like to keep a little reality regardless, and i also like that nora did too. she didn't give everyone a perfect happy ending with a marriage and kids and i think that's right for the statement she was making with the series

and sometimes i like that, sometimes i want a world that's a little softer around the edges for a bit. that's for me to decide

but if you want my strictest, most true-to-life, mirror of reality take on what happens in post-canon, okay

---

i still don't think that kevin and thea end up together, because there's at least two more years on kevin's college contract and no guarantee he'll go onto thea's pro team from there, and i don't think either of them will really be trying to stay in touch. long-distance is hard. long-distance when you're not even trying is impossible. i don't even think they explicitly break up it's just they realize they haven't spoken in months and don't even have each others' current addresses so they avoid eye contact if they ever happen to be in the same room and eventually one of them has a 30-second news spot about dating someone new and that puts the final shred of uncertainty between them to rest

kevin never really finds someone. he's too committed to exy, as a pro-player and as whatever he does after, and he's never going to tell anyone that his life is technically owned by the mafia. maybe he has a convenient marriage or two with some other celebrity that ends in divorce. he's not really particularly concerned with it and when he's old he doesn't regret it. maybe he never wanted a partner in the first place

it's aaron and katelyn that i think are the most likely to end up the way you described kevin and thea. they get married and they stay married but really they're married to their jobs as doctors. and as the years go on they sometimes wonder why they're still together but it's too much of a pain to sort through their shared finances and they're not unhappy, so they stay together. maybe one or both has an affair that they hide, but even if the other knew it probably wouldn't change anything. their house is really expensive and in a really nice location, it's not worth the divorce

dan and matt also probably get married, but i don't think it stays. matt seems like the type to want kids, and dan seems like the type to hate the idea. irrevocable difference. eventually they have to split. matt definitely remarries and has his kids. dan may remarry, she may not, her job is her primary concern. they stay amicable, but it's tense for a few years. they really rocks the foxes, because it's the only internal breakup between two of them

andrew and neil are both the most stable and the most happy of the foxes, because they know how to communicate and they know how to fight for each other. but also because neither of them has any grand notions of romance or true love. they didn't build their relationship on passion, they built it on understanding and cooperation. to them, a person to wake up to in the morning or sit by a window with IS a miracle. it shocks a lot of the foxes who all either subconsciously or not thought that their own relationships were better or healthier or more destined to last than andrew and neil's. over the years all the other foxes have come to them at least once, in private, looking for advice. they'd be lying if the irony of so many years of being given unasked for relationship advice coming full circle didn't make them just a but smug

nicky and erik are the other long-term success of the foxes. if nicky can stay with the twins at their worst he can shelter through normal relationship drama. still the hardest part for him is when the relationship ultimately becomes familiar, as they all do. he's always buying relationship books and planning dates and setting up relationship retreats because he's honestly so afraid of being alone if he likes the flame die. sometimes it's honestly the biggest strain on his relationship, all the frantic effort he puts in, but they get through it

renee never marries or really has any significant relationships. she says she's married to jesus and her job but she's still always a little bit haunted by her past in a way that holds her back from truly opening up to a partner. she adopts several kids though, somewhat later in life, because she believes that she can pass on the chances that stephanie gave her, and that's more important than romance

allison has a string of wild marriages and even wilder divorces that are usually the highlight of fox get-togethers. she has a child by accident and she isn't a wonderful mother. dan and renee are both very involved with her kid, for many years more than she is. when the kid is nearly an adult allison finally pulls her head out of her ass to see that she missed so much of the only relationship she can't annul. at that point she quits relationships and focuses on fixing things. it's a slow, painful process, but they manage to be close later in life

---

so, do i necessarily WANT all of these things to happen? no, many of them are quite sad. but all of them are good stories, and all of them are realistic in the sense that they are reflective of what happens in real people's lives

this is one version of how i think post-canon plays out. of course, i may change my mind later, or fiddle with the details, or want to play with an entirely different idea for one or more or all of the characters

#txt #kevin day #thea muldani #dan wilds #matt boyd #aaron minyard #katelyn #andrew minyard #neil josten #nicky hemmick #erik klose #renee walker #allison reynolds #my posts #im talkin #ask #anon #anonymous

[andrewminyardamiright]

So I was thinking something crazy. what if Rico had a son. Hear me out. Tesuji just froze his sperm before he died. And they force this girl who would have been a great athlete (Track) to have this kid. So ichirou finds out and sends the kid to the system. (what is he’s half japanese half jamacian). Later down the line ichirou tells kevin about the kid. Kevin adopts the kid. Who has issues like BPS or ADHD/ADD. Neil and Andrew help him. (Name: Nikoshi Doe) Everyone calla him Niko.

Hmm 🤔 yeah this could be interesting. The kid could also be a by product of Rico hooking up with another player too and she had planned on giving birth with the hope becoming part of the Moriyama family but after Rico’s death she was like ‘nope fuck this, I’m out’ and places the kid up for adoption.

And then like you said, Kevin finding out later and adopting him and Andreil stepping in to help.. it has the possibility of being so healing for all of them!

Kevin would get a glimpse of who Rico could have been if he’d been raised differently, who they both could have been. The little boy, nikoshi, would begin to replace the negative memories with good ones. Kevin would stop waking up at night from nightmares fueled by Rico’s piercing glare, instead he’d see little nikoshi’s eyes instead, so similar but filled with the hope and sweetness of childhood.

And I think helping with any kid would be a good experience for Andrew and Neil, especially one that had been in foster care. Andrew would get to protect and be the savior that he’d always wished for for himself when he was small, alone and broken. And Neil would get to see a part of himself he didn’t know existed. He’d always held a silent fear of kids, afraid that he’d treat them like his own father had treated him but he slowly comes to realize that isn’t the case and hes capable of loving and caring for a child, of being the type of man he’d always longed for his father to be...

So yeah, this is great anon! The healing especially is 👌👌👌Thank you for sending it to me 🧡🧡🧡

#andrew minyard #kevin day #neil josten #andreil #aftg #tfc #au #kid #adoption au #rico moriyama #rico #the ravens #tetsuji moriyama #asks #anon

[luvbug724]

hiii ive been thinking abt neil running post-tkm whatre ur thoughts on that 🤨 i feel its not Too common but it comes up often enough in fandom and is always triggered in neil by something so he runs and either comes back or doesnt but i cant rlly see that happening? also similarly do u think neil would have some troubles w accepting permanence in his life? i was thinking hed def have some habits he wouldnt need anymore but w main threats gone + a life he wants to keep it wldnt be a huge issue..

WAIT my last ask when i say like permanence ex: neil panicking abt captaincy in tkm do u think hed have similar experiences later on w similar aspects of living in one place? (and this maybe triggering the need to run in turn)

holy cow first of all i got so excited when i got this ask you don’t even know. this has definitely been something that’s been sitting in the back of my mind but it was never something that bothered me enough to share online. SECOND of all, i mean absolutely no disrespect to anybody who might disagree with me on this or has written neil in this scenario-- it’s all fiction we’re all having fun here and my characterization may differ from yours and that’s fine! even if i might not be a fan of the concept i still read and support fics that include it if i like the writing :) this got very long and some people probably won’t be interested in reading it, so my response is under the cut :’)

but as for your question, anon, i completely agree with you. when i got this notification the first scene my mind went to was chapter nine of tkm right after wymack offers neil the vice captaincy. this was, probably, one of the worst sequences of events that could have possibly happened to neil: some of his most fundamental lies are exposed to his team, he’s confronted with his past, he has to reveal some truths that he never planned on saying, and now here’s his coach insisting on a future he so desperately wants but doesn’t think he’ll live long enough to have. neil should have already had a new name in a new country three months ago and instead he’s at palmetto state in the public eye right for the moriyamas and wesninskis to watch. 

and what does he do?

He didn't remember pulling it from his pocket or making the decision to dial out. He lowered it and tapped a button, thinking maybe he'd imagined things, but Andrew's name was on his display and the timer put the call at almost a minute already.

Neil put the phone back to his ear, but he couldn't find the words for the wretched feeling that was tearing away at him. In three months championships would be over. In four months he'd be dead. In five months the Foxes would be right back here for summer practices with six new faces. Neil could count his life on one hand now. On the other hand was the future he couldn't have: vice-captain, captain, Court. Neil had no right to mourn these missed chances. He'd gotten more than he deserved this year; it was selfish to ask for more.

He should be grateful for what he had, and gladder still that his death would mean something. He was going to drag his father and the Moriyamas down with him when he went, and they'd never recover from the things he said. It was justice when he'd never thought he'd get any and revenge for his mother's death. He thought he'd come to terms with it but that hollow ache was back in his chest where it had no right to be. Neil felt like he was drowning.

Neil found his voice at last, but the best he had was, "Come and get me from the stadium.”

andrew grounds him, comes for him, and makes sure that neil can’t run. but this was just one very extreme situation, so here’s how i think his future may play out: no matter how much neil wants to go, he needs to stay even more. and, unlike the above situation, neil now has explicit permission (a command, even) to stay with the foxes, to stay with his family. i think he will be fine for a long while until there comes a moment where he realizes that he’s here to stay and he has a home and he has the foxes and he has andrew and it’s honestly a toss up as to how he would react. the first option would be that it’s overwhelming in a very, very good way and nothing much changes. the second option (which seems way more in character for neil) is instead: he panics, and he needs something to keep him tethered to psu. he might seek out andrew like he did in canon or he might try to hide it to not worry him, but i’d place my bets on somewhere in the middle where he makes sure andrew knows whats going on but tries to downplay its importance. 

anyways, i wrote all this before i even checked with nora’s ec to see if she’s said anything in a similar context and she DID and and it was pretty much compliant with my ideas which i am very happy about:

“He’s more likely to walk away or tell Neil to get over it or look right past whatever existential/psychological crisis Neil is having. Neil’s grumpiness after a loss are brushed aside unimportant, and his aggravation over uncooperative teammates is nothing to pity him for. 

But once in a long while Neil will hit a ledge he has to be pulled back from, and that’s what Andrew does. Like in Baltimore, when Neil is trying to say Do you want me to go, and Andrew catches hold and tells him Stay. This is how Andrew comforts: by being a stabilizing force, an anchor to keep Neil at home, a place to rest his weight and his secrets. Honestly, that’s what Neil needs.” (Andrew comforting Neil)

“Impatience kind of worked in Baltimore, but I guess it’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of ordeal. Forced eye contact and Look at me and a ruder calm down right now. ((Thanks Andrew, really sympathetic of you)) Andrew gives Neil the weight to connect him to the real world: a hand on the back of his neck or fingers hooked in the collar of his shirt to drag Neil home to him.” (Andrew re: Neil’s panic attacks)

now, as for neil adjusting to just a plain stationary life, i think he’d adjust relatively easily. his entire life was fitting in which i don’t think he’d have a big problem with, but the new element of how he’s not pretending anymore, he’s just neil josten, might throw him off a little bit. there’s likely going to be some habits he picked up that he can’t shake and some associations (alcohol isn’t for fun, it’s an anesthetic is one that comes to mind) that he never quite gets rid of but despite how much might get thrown at him, after everything he survived freshman year it’d take a fucking lot to push him to his breaking point.

#is this coherant? who knows! #but tysm for the ask i love sharing my opinions its very fun #aftg #aftg meta #neil josten

[shemetan]

rapper hc part 1

hi guys!!! so i’ve had this idea in my head forever and just didn’t have anyone to share it with but i told hedy about it yesterday and she scammed me into creating tumblr acc and sharing it here lol but when i went to write it down i  realized that i have a lot more to share so it’s gonna be just the 1st part for now, which was the only thing i had in my mind originally but now i’m working on expanding it.

i have a lot of ideas from the songs and this is no exception. this time the inspiration was NF - an amazing rapper and song writer. his songs uncover so much trauma and the things he raps and sings about are so real for a lot of us that you can’t help relating to them. NF’s real name is Nathan which also played part in this idea. lyrics of the songs are what the hc is based on so please listen to the songs i mention and pay attention to the lyrics.

ok i don’t wanna waste more of your time bc the hc is big as it is so without further ado let’s dive into it. p.s. it’s the first time i do a thing like that so im sorry in advance for any inconsistencies or the general drama:)))

TW!! (everything is just mentioned, nothing too graphic) physical abuse, verbal/emotional abuse, alcohol, drinking, drug addiction, overdose, death from overdose, kidnapping, torture (beating, skin burning, cuts – all of it not descriptive), violence, breaking one’s own bones, putting bastards to prison. also NF’s lyrics got a lot of triggers and cover very serious issues so if you decide to listen to some more of his music be careful with that. some of the things mentioned in the songs i’ve used here: depression, grave digging, guns, blood (in a non-violent way).

neil’s story: he grew up in an abusive family. his father was drinking a lot and abused him physically and verbally saying that he was nothing and nobody and would not amount to anything in his life. he despised neil’s love for music and laughed at him. he also hit him more when he noticed anything related to neil’s passion (neil humming some melody or listening to music in his headphones or trying to create smth). his mother tried to protect him but she couldn’t do much bc of her drug addiction. she overdosed during his last year in hs and surprisingly left him some money. when Nathan found out about that he was enraged and beat the shit out of neil so he would give him that money. to run away from his father neil goes to university to study his passion – music. he’s always had some kind of knack for creating music and rapping and now he could explore it more and not be afraid of nathan. he tries to overcome his trauma and even makes some friends (the foxes).

during the freshman year andrew and neil spend a lot of time together. they find the reflections of their hurt in each other and they find understanding. they share some of their past and their traumas; their view of the world and their dreams. andrew feels like he is falling because he’s never met anyone like neil. slowly there are soft touches and furtive glances but neither is ready yet to cross that line.

neil seemingly gets better even though there are a lot of hard moments on the way. however at the end of his freshman year nathan finds him and he and his cronies kidnap and beat neil up for Mary’s money keeping him in the basement for several days. this money is all neil’s got to survive and build his life so he doesn’t say anything and thinks of the ways to run. im not good with making up torture techniques and nathan is not so imaginative here but they still leave neil with scars on his face, his torso and hands (mostly burns from cigarettes, iron, cuts from glass bottles). by the end of the third day neil is physically and morally exhausted so he gives up and transfers all the money to them (he’s got a little of it left on his other acc) and they drunk on their win leave him in the basement. he breaks his fingers to get out of the handcuffs and gets out through the small basement window and runs outside. not long after that he collapses from all the exhaustion and blood loss and someone notices him. they call the cops and the ambulance. after that nathan and his cronies are put into prison and neil is left with almost no money. he leaves the state and a year later with a lot of effort, practicing and self-advertising he successfully signs with a music label under the name N/A.

andrew’s story: tilda didn’t give him up but was a shitty mother (obv) with drug addiction. andrew and aaron’s parents were divorced and their father didn’t live with them but tried to be there when he could. andrew started creating music as an outlet bc tilda’s boyfriends were physically abusing him and he tried to protect aaron from that. he and aaron were close bc they only had each other but andrew still didn’t share his trauma with aaron trying to protect him from that hell. of course he was only a child and couldn’t always take aaron’s place in beating but most of it lay on him. while at hs they became a band with the help of nicky and performed with their songs were they could and tried to self-advertise and wymack (he’s the head of the music dep at uni and also one of the profs) noticed them and offered them partial scholarships. they had some money left after tilda’s overdose (they lived for some time with their father after her death) so they went to get actual education on music production (at this point I don’t care how plausible it sounds, just don’t think too much about it ok lol)

the story:

ok so nathaniel once went to uni with the foxes (is there such a major as music production and singing or smth?) but at the end of his freshman year he disappeared. he was not very sociable so no one really cared where’d he go except for the foxes with whom he became somewhat friends. 1-2 years later he pops up as a new young and very talented rapper named N/A and he’s got burn scars all over his face and hands which he doesn’t hide so very intriguing right??? nobody knows much about him and that his name stands for Neil Abram so they take it literally as ‘no data available’ or smth (hedy also proposed “not applicable”!). foxes are like WTF we know that guy!! and wymack is also like isn’t that nathaniel??

Andrew’s become a huge fan of neil’s music. only renee knows that andrew’s been listening to neil’s songs non stop bc he can relate so hard to them and they just hit him right where it hurts. at the end of their last year they have like a huge final concert or smth and wymack organizes it to be held in one of the palmetto clubs. at the same time neil is coming back to Palmetto bc he is nostalgic of the time he spent in the uni with the foxes and he wants to escape his real life for a moment. he wants to visit the city and reminisce and he believes that none of the foxes really remembers him bc he was a nobody. I know the plot is getting ridiculous but bear with me

so it’s the evening of the gig and the students perform their music (songs, instrumentals, as solos/duets/bands etc). andrew majorly produces rap songs at this point and he performs in duet with renee with their song (NF’s “Can you hold me”). everyone is like shit it was so good but then andrew performs his solo song (NF’s “How could you leave us”). aaron is standing there and is a fucking mess bc he never knew andrew was that affected by their past and their mother’s death bc he never showed it and didn’t ever want to talk about his issues. (be warned this is a heart-wrenching song and it fits fucking perfectly). after that andrew almost runs outside for a smoke, trying to light a cigarette with his shaking fingers and thats when he sees a strange all covered up figure in a black hoodie entering the club but also cautiously looking over their shoulder like they don’t want to be caught. andrew ever the protective one follows him but loses in the crowd of the low lit club. 10 mins later there is quiet and the figure goes on stage – obv its neil. “Intro III” starts playing.

andrew is in awe and he’s never heard this song before so it must be new. he also never saw neil perform live so he cant really move bc the performance is so powerful and magnetic. *neils sitting on one of the disconnected amplifiers in the dark and the music starts building up. At 2:00 of the song after the words “I mean, what are you, outta your mind? 'Cause both of us will be, come on, let's go outside!” he pulls off his hood, his movements are fierce and aggressive and he’s almost screaming in the mic. at words “You had me scared for a second, I thought we were diggin' my grave” theres his fathers smile, vicious, crazy and cruel – thats how he remembered it spending 3 days in that basement. (fyi in the song NF’s talking to his fear and they go back and forth).* 

andrew is mesmerized, the foxes are in shock, the whole crowd does not understand who that is but they watch with open mouths. the song ends and the crowd goes wild. that’s when neil starts talking.

“hello palmetto. this is a great concert you got and some of you guys are fucking talented. my name is neil and I used to go to PSU a long time ago so you prolly don’t know me but professor wymack out there let me come here on this stage and sing a couple of my songs for you. one of them is my old song, and another is new but they both tell my story and I hope you like’em”. 

people cheer and applaud and after a moment another song starts playing. its the one andrew knows (it’s Paralyzed). the atmosphere gets way calmer but everyone is just as hypnotized. during the chorus neil is standing under the dim lights, head turned up facing the ceiling, eyes closed, his scars are illuminated. he looks almost peaceful but there’s pain and apathy showing on his face and in his posture. the song ends and neil leaves the stage. andrew cant make his legs move but he has to meet neil (he just realized that neil’s shared his name with them and it wasn’t “nathaniel” and andrew’s got so many questions).

he forces himself to move and almost runs backstage. neil is already leaving but andrew stops him by grabbing him by his arm. they stand there looking at each other, andrew panting, his body shaking a little, neil wide-eyed.

“Andrew…” he whispers obviously surprised by seeing Andrew here.

“Nath- Neil.” suddenly Andrew cant ask a single question. he’s got so many that it feels like a waste of time to ask them one by one. Neil looks down at where Andrew is still grabbing his arm and Andrew lets go off him like its burnt him. “You are here” he lets out on the exhale like he still can’t believe it.

Neil averts his eyes and puts the hood of his sweater on his head so that the shadows obscure half of his face. “Yeah” he replies and after a few seconds follows with hesitant “How are you?” It is a stupid question, Andrew thinks but he answers nonetheless with simple fine. Neil holds his head low, and Andrew can’t help but wonder if Neil doesn’t wanna look him in the eyes after his disappearance so many years ago or if he simply doesn’t want to see Andrew’s face. Both options hurt him but he doesn’t have the heart to ask.

the end of part 1. come yell at me on twt or here hihi

#aftg #aftg headcanon #NF #akathemusicgod #rapper!neil #rapper!andrew #hcs #rapper au #rapper hc #andreil

[tabloidtoc]

National Examiner, January 18

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: 25 Rich and Famous Folks Who Caught Coronavirus

Page 2: Secrets behind Bridget Jones’s Diary

Page 4: Tom Hanks’ movie roles

Page 6: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos who first met on the set of All My Children are producing a spinoff called Pine Valley

Page 7: Amazing Pyramid unlocks your psychic powers

Page 8: Joan Collins says she’s had a tough time all her life during her 70-year film career and was only taken seriously when she started to lose her looks

Page 9: Nostradamus predicted it -- Star of Bethlehem shines again 800 years later

Page 10: A service dog who went missing for three years is finally back with her joyous family

Page 11: Your Health -- when hearing goes on the blink -- listen to your body for warning signs

Page 12: Betty White, 99 -- birthday scrapbook and her biggest regret

Page 14: Dear Tony, America’s Top Psychic Healer -- work to achieve your karma, fighting it makes no sense -- Tony predicts so many people will be ripped off money wise in 2021

Page 15: Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney is jumping on the coronavirus vaccine band wagon and says he’s eager to be among the first to receive the jab -- Ian McKellen already got the vaccine 

Page 16: Cover Story -- lucky winners and tragic losers -- 25 celebs who battled COVID -- Charley Pride, Lesley Stahl, Antonio Banderas, Tom Seaver, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson

Page 17: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Prine, Kanye West, Donald and Melania Trump, Ellen DeGeneres

Page 18: People are more likely to return a lost wallet if there is money inside

Page 20: Coronavirus (continued) -- Roy Horn, Neil Patrick Harris, Andrea Bocelli, Tony Shaloub, Pink, French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla

Page 21: Prince William, Joe Diffie, Andy Cohen, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Alyssa Milano

Page 22: Cher admits it wasn’t easy when her son Chaz Bono transitioned from female to male

Page 24: A town in Virginia turned out to give their UPS driver a hero’s salute after he delivered more than 200 packages a day during the pandemic and holiday season along with cheerful waves and kind smiles

Page 25: Nurses at a hospital in Arizona went above and beyond the call of duty when they set up a dream wedding for a young mom with bone cancer in just three days

Page 26: Veteran broadcaster Larry King says he’s trying to stay positive after a year filled with private trauma

Page 27: Julianne Moore just celebrated her 60th birthday and couldn’t be happier about it

Page 28: When Julie Andrews sang about the hills being alive in 1965′s The Sound of Music in one of the most famous openings in movie history it looked like she couldn’t be happier or more carefree but the truth is that scene was a struggle that nearly froze the cast and crew, made them go hungry, forced them to use the bathroom facilities behind a bush in the forest and knocked the star off her feet

* Elvis Presley’s ex-girlfriend Linda Thompson recently shared some details she’s kept to herself for 45 years including what The King’s bedroom looks like

Page 30: What your walk says about your health

Page 32: Now listen to this -- hearing problems can affect almost anyone -- Whoopi Goldberg, Rob Lowe, Stephen Colbert, President Bill Clinton, Jane Lynch, Robert Redford, Halle Berry, Chris Martin, Jodie Foster, Lou Ferrigno, Holly Hunter, William Shatner

Page 40: A restaurant owner known for feeding anyone who’s hungry nearly lost his business until the community stepped in and saved it

* A California senior who miraculously survived a nightmare battle with COVID-19 made a whopping 800 delicious tamales for the doctors and nurses who saved her life

Page 42: UFO sightings of the stars -- Jackie Gleason, Russell Crowe, Olivia Newton-John, Shirley MacLaine, Cliff Robertson, Fran Drescher, David Bowie, John F. Kennedy, Mick Jagger

Page 44: Eyes on the Stars -- Tiger Woods hits the links with son Charlie for the PNC Championship Golf Tournament in Orlando (picture), Jennifer Garner dons a garishly goofy sweater in L.A. (picture), Mark Hamill says his appearance as Luke Skywalker in season two if The Mandalorian was kept under wraps for over a year, Jeremy Bulloch who played Boba Fett in the early Star Wars films died from Parkinson’s disease complications

Page 45: Elle Macpherson (picture), Harrison Ford could use some pointers about wearing a mask (picture), Emma Slater and Sasha Farber in L.A. (picture), Regina King in Malibu at an event for her new film One Night in Miami (picture), a reboot of Little House on the Prairie is in the works, Maren Morris is playing it safe during the pandemic and has called off her RSVP tour but she is in the midst of working on her third record, Richie Sambora says he has no regrets about his decision to leave Bon Jovi in 2013 to care for his daughter Ava, Amelia Hamlin drew criticism online when she was spotted spending time with Scott Disick, Pink can’t catch a break -- she recovered from a bout with COVID-19 and needed stitches in her thumb after a run-in with a wineglass and recently fractured her ankle rushing down a flight of stairs

Page 46: A 93-year-old veteran in Ohio is whittling walking sticks to raise money for his local food pantry

#tabloid #tabloid toc #tabloidtoc #coronavirus #bridget jones's diary #tom hanks #kelly ripa #mark consuelos #pine valley #joan collins #nostradamus #star of bethlehem #betty white #paul mccartney #ian mckellen #cher #chaz bono #larry king #julianne moore #julie andrews #the sound of music #elvis #elvis presley #linda thompson #tiger woods #jennifer garner #elle macpherson #harrison ford #emma slater #sasha farber

[i-did]

I love your hc about kevin being bisexual aromantic and the part about his relationship with thea! I like hows it not just a "they lived happily ever after" situation, it feels more realistic. You also mentioned how you have some ideas for seth? I'd love to hear them!

Yeah! I'm not super into happily ever afters, I men to an extent sure, but for me they're so unrealistic that it pulls me out. I like how in aftg the happily ever after is that neil gets to live and hes with andrew and just has to pay a shit ton of money but we know that doesnt matter to him. Outside of context that doesn't seem very happily ever after, and I like it. It seems achievable and realistic while still romantic.

I think Kevin loves thea and thea loves Kevin, but out of habit and as partners with shared truama more than anything to do with the person themselves. Thea might not even love kevin romantically and he doesn't love her romantically but they don't really know that. And you don't need to know that because you don't need it. They fight and everything and have struggles but don't ever split up imo.

Okay seth ideas:

I have a lot of ideas for seth, I headcanon his mom was Vietnamese and his dad was white. He grew up with a racist dad who instilled toxic masculinity into him especially as an Asian man and then his dad dipped leaving him with insecurity of not being manly enough as well as abandonment issues. His mom worked a lot a lot a lot a lot to keep them afloat, he had a lot of brothers and the hierarchy was enforced with rough housing, the 2 oldest brothers suddenly parents. None of the kids ever got Vietnamese names legally because the dad wouldn't want them to have "funny sounding names" but the mom occasionally called them pet names, seth was hoping after the dad dipped at least their mom would finally be able to teach them more Vietnamese to close the barrier between them, her finally being able to speak in the language she was most comfortable in, but she was too busy and communication was always simple and shallow.

The whole EC deal with seth, the same family who left him giving him bigger abandonment issues etc etc

What seth looks like in my mind:

Obviosly he looks half Vietnamese half white, but he's a skinny lanky guy with a tooth gap he used to stick dumdum lolipop stick in between when he was little, he's got ashy medium brown hair, its dark when grown out but lightens a bit in the sun, he is one of those people with a lot of moles and freckles he got from his father. He used to be the guy who wore fake tapers and skate shoes, basket ball shorts, and a monster energy drink snap back. He starts to just wear tee shirts and jeans and takes out the fake tapers. He's got nobby knees and elbows he bangs on things and he swears everytime.

If Seth Lived:

Him and allison would have broken up a few more times until one really explosive fight and she says "I can't do this anymore" and he says "I know" and she says "I'm not going to leave you" and he says nothing.

She realizes staying friends with your ex was a promise she couldn't quite keep as much as she wanted to. They drift apart. He relapses but this time Kevin finds him. He's out the rest of the season for rehab, getting his degree online and Wymack pleads with them to let him keep scholarship. They cut him off. Wymack pays for what he can before seth can say no, and just drops off a bunch of applications for scholarships and says "I'm not letting you quit." And someone doesn't leave him.

He becomes a social worker. He actually really loves it. He reconnects with 2 out of his ~7 brothers. One of them died and he didn't even know, and he wishes for a second it was him instead, before remembering that they haven't talked in at least 10 years.

He becomes less homophobic but will still say anything to make someone hurt if he hates them, but he becomes less explosive and more worn out. The second hand trauma from being a social worker weighs on him and kne of his coworkers opens up about talking to someone. Their job doesn't cover therapy. He goes to AA and NA meetings. He's not relapsing, but its free therapy and he knows if he feels tempted he could get a sponsor.

He beats the shit out of someone outside one of the meetings who was trying to sell to the people coming out (he runs away and doesn't get caught,)

He goes on a dating website half assed at around 40 years old.

He meets a woman who is also on there half assed. She's very blunt and it reminds him of allison, but she's no frills and they come from the same type of world. He can relate to her and they don't have screaming matches that start with him refusing to take a gift of a 1200 dollar dress shirt when his from Ross is just fine.

5th date in he tells her he's sober and she says "why don't you think we've never gone to a bar?" And he realizes she's sober too.

10th date she says "i know this was fun, but I have a son and I can't be casual anymore. You have to be in or out."

And he thinks about it. And they talk about it. And he says he's in.

Its years of dating until the mom decides its steady enough to meet the son. He's 12 and says "you're not my new dad" and seth laughs, and the kid is confused, because he was trying to say something that would hurt.

His girlfriend becomes his fiance after she gets pregnant, not just because of the baby but because they've been dating for 6 years now and its been serious. Its a miscarriage and its hard, but they get though it.

Seth gets really close with the son even if he came in later into his life, he recognizes a lot of himself in the kid. He's never like a father to the kid, and seth isn't sure he knows what it means to love someone like a son, but he knows its pretty close and he tries to be the opposite of his dad.

They stay lower middle class their whole lives, her working her way up from grocery self stocker job she had at 16 to store manager just over time, him a social worker, in a cheaper town with not a lot to do, but they have a book shelf were they watch movies.

He turns on a game sometimes and quietly thinks to himself "what the fuck" about the one year of college exy he was benched the most possible drama happens. He'll say "I went to college with that kid" and she'll say "who? Scar face? Isn't he like famous or something?" And he'll say "yeah. He is"

She doesn't tell him he has to do anything he doesnt want to do, but she finds out he's been invited to multiple fox reunions where some of the attendees are rich as fuck athletes and says "i want them to pay for my meal" and so they go. They go in their Walmart dress clothes and they don't feel bad, they think rich people are stupid to spend so much when 20$ is enough for a shirt. Their son is in high school and can watch the house by himself.

Seth sticks to Matt, and then remembers that Dan was always more down to earth and his wife loves dan. Doesn't like the others so much besides Wymack and Matt a bit.

Its the only one they go to, but it reminds him to keep up with the man who had helped him out so much and he stays in contact with Wymack. He feels bad for drifting off but they talk. About once every few months, but its more than before.

Okay I'm ending it about here lol

#aftg #all for the game #the foxhole court #tfc #ask #seth gordon #mailob #fig writes