The Raven King - Chapter Seven
Day: Thursday, September 21st
Time: 8:30 PM EST
He knew things about them he'd never bothered to learn about anyone else in his entire life. Renee's birth name was Natalie; her adoptive mother renamed her when she pulled Renee out of the foster system. Her mother was the reason she and Dan were at Palmetto State. Stephanie Walker was a reporter who'd interviewed Wymack with the ulterior motive of marketing Renee to him. Wymack flew to North Dakota during spring championships to watch Renee's team take on their biggest rivals. Dan happened to be captain of the rival team, and Wymack was impressed by her fierce performance. He signed them both that same weekend.
Dan, aka Hennessey, had gotten a fake ID back in high school so she could work as a stripper in a nearby city. The hours worked well around her classes and Exy schedule, and it made the money she needed. Her aunt was unemployed and stuck at home with a newborn. Dan somehow had to support all three of them. Dan said she stopped talking to her aunt the second she moved out, but she kept in touch with her former coworkers. Supposedly they were all waiting for her to become a hotshot star.
That was how Neil found out Dan didn't want to go professional after college. She wanted to be a coach, and she planned on seizing the FoxholeCourt when Wymack retired down the road. She would maintain Wymack's recruiting standards in his absence. Matt was wholeheartedly in favor of the idea.
Matt was an interesting countermeasure to Dan's scrappy background: the wealthy and well-educated son of a professional boxer and a high-profile plastic surgeon. His parents separated years ago, in large part due to his father's unending infidelity, but weren't officially divorced. Matt grew up with his father, since his mother's career meant a lot of time on the road. Matt minced his words when talking about his father but could go on about his mother at length. She was his idol, and Neil found listening to his stories as interesting as it was painful. When Matt talked about summer breaks spent drag racing in the mountains Neil remembered the sound his mother's corpse made when he tried peeling it off a vinyl seat.
Art used with permission by i-am-weis. Thank you @i-am-weis !
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England NT Fic Recs ♡
never know where to start for a pairing or you're new to england nt rpf? here's a shameless collection of my favourite fics to give you a head start 🫶🏻
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Jack Grealish/Jordan Henderson
melt by inlovewithnight (8k)
soulmate au where you feel everything your soulmate does and can't bear being too far away from each other. they're just so at ease and in love with each other in this. probably my favourite hendolish fic! <3
About as subtle as an earthquake, I know by Lizz_88 (Bluejay00) (68k)
jack's a stripper, jordan's himself. so much more than what it says on the tin! all the characters are super complex and it takes a lot of work for these two to get together (with no shortage of lap dances and smut along the way) <3
Calm Before The Storm by preachingdoll (6k)
post-euro 2020 heartbreak jack needs a bit of help coping. jordan's there to offer a helping hand... the smut and dirty talk is 10/10
best worst behaviour by Bellelaide (25k)
kind of a hendolish classic, jordan puts bratty jack in his place.
♡
John Stones/Jordan Pickford
Sun City AU by Bellelaide (series, 40k)
honestly one of my favourite fics ever, let alone footie-wise. jordan's on a very british all-inclusive holiday at a hotel where john works. the vibes are just immaculate, you can visualise everything so clearly and there's so much depth to their characters!
Ice Melts by Bellelaide (7k)
enemies to lovers kinda? john doesn't think much of jordan before the 2018 wc but the further they get in the tournament, the closer they become. amazing characterisation and banter as always.
Helping Hand by slatkomore (14k)
with john's career ended abruptly by an injury, he turns to coaching instead and soon becomes the england u19s manager where he meets the goalkeeper coach, jordan pickford...
your world cup or mine? by Bellelaide (15k)
john goes to sleep at the 2022 wc and wakes up back in 2018 where he and jordan aren't together and barely friends. such an interesting concept and dynamic!
♡
Jack Grealish/John Stones
The Things We Did and Didn't Do by InTheFicOfIt (series, 104k)
john and jack sleep together in the aftermath of the euros, the following fic explores everything that comes after, including jack moving to man city and their friends finding out. i'm never usually tempted by this pairing but this fic is so damn good! it's written so wonderfully and there's so much of it- i couldn't put it down!
♡
Ben white/Aaron Ramsdale
happy together by foxholecourts (1k)
this fic perfectly encapsulates their vibe for me. the back and forth between the two of them is just delightful and exactly how i imagine them to be together, but it's also as equally sappy! i love these two idiots sm <3
watching you watching me by foxholecourts (2k)
ben likes to be watched... 10/10 benaaron characterisation from this author as always.
sweettalker by Anonymous (5k)
smut with a lot of dirty talk about the other arsenal lads. ben is very complex in this- an interesting take on their relationship!
I’m Not In Love by ceraunophilex (1k)
aaron falls in love immediately, ben slowly warms to him. short and sweet.
♡
Jordan Henderson/Trent Alexander-Arnold
Shake Me Into the Night by orphan_account (17k)
always hits me right in the feels. based around liverpool winning the champions league, the writing is so detailed and amazing!!
♡
Jude Bellingham/Reece James
the sun and the rainfall by ohsusie (series, 6k)
jude asks reece about some of the rumours surrounding him to help him broach a sensitive topic of his own. reece gives him some guidence. they're so sweet in this!
♡
Dele Alli/Eric Dier
In This World Of Ours by dierdele (53k)
the classic deledier best friends to lovers 2018 world cup get-together fic. you can't beat it, literally so cute oml.
♡
Marcus Rashford/Jesse Lingard
both your hands in the holes of my sweater by yvenger (jjjat3am) (3k)
this one is so much fun hehe, the ~2018 man u squad if they were a sunday league team where jesse's very confident and marcus has a huge crush on him. love the inner dialogue so, so much. ending is super cute!!
i can feel that body shake by princessrosberg (3k)
an england nt night out leads to them getting together and their first time! jesse and marcus characterisations are on point, esp the way they talk to each other <3
♡
Harry Kane/Gareth Southgate
All Good Things... by orphan_account (12k)
their established relationship is so cute in this! post-2018 wc and preparing for the euros, england team banter is perfect.
wished by orphan_account (23k)
gareth is harry's p.e teacher at school. listen… no comment... there's a reason it's the most kudos-ed southkane fic
♡
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