moonsnqil - Tumblr blog

[moonsnqil]

The King's Men - Epilogue

Day: Saturday, April 27th / 28th* Time: 3:10 AM EST

Neil waits off to one side while the others file out, knowing Andrew will be the last to leave. Wymack knows better than to stick around and follows his Foxes down the hall. Andrew brings Neil's duffel to him. Neil takes it but drops it off to one side. Andrew studies it for a moment, then shrugs out of his own bag and puts a hand to the wall near Neil's head. "Your close calls are getting old," Andrew says. "I thought you knew how to run." Neil affects confusion. "I thought you told me to stop running." "Survival tip: no one likes a smart mouth." "Except you," Neil reminds him. A year ago Neil had been a scared nobody, hating himself for signing the Foxes' contract and counting down days until he moved in with Wymack. Tonight he is the starting striker for the first-ranked team in the NCAA. In two years he'll be captain, and in four he'll graduate from Palmetto State. Neil will find a professional team first and then fight tooth and nail to make the cut for Court. Neil can already imagine the weight of an Olympics medal around his neck. He doesn't even care what color it is so long as it is his. Better than that bright future is what he already has: a court that will always be home, a family who'll never give up on him, and Andrew, who for once hasn't wasted their time denying that this thing between them might actually mean something to both of them. Neil didn't even notice the silence at first, too distracted by his dizzying thoughts. Now he can't help but smile and pull Andrew in. This is everything he wanted, everything he needed, and Neil is never letting go.

END OF ALL FOR THE GAME SERIES.

Art commissioned and used with permission by the incredible @hamrikaa!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

[moonsnqil]

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 10:04 PM EST

Neil wishes he could smile, but it takes all his strength just to look at Riko. The Raven captain and Exy King is staring at the scoreboard like he expects it to change. The Foxes are running for each other, still screaming their fool heads off, but the Ravens stand still as stone. It is the first loss in Edgar Allan's history, and they'd fallen to the unlikeliest of opponents. Neil sucks in a deep breath that rips 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." Riko finally drags his gaze away from the board. He stares at Neil, blank-faced and stunned, and then revulsion twists his expression into something terrible. His racquet goes up over his head but it takes Neil a moment to realize Riko really intends to take a swing at him. Dan screams his name from halfway across the court, but there is nothing Neil can do except watch Riko's racquet start down. He barely has the strength to breathe. Dodging is out of the question. Riko's racquet gets close enough that Neil hears wind whistling through the strings, and then a second racquet comes out of nowhere, big and bright and orange. Andrew puts everything he has left behind his swing and catches Riko across his forearm. Bones give a sickening crunch as they shatter. Riko's racquet clatters harmlessly off to one side, and then Riko is the only one screaming. He stumbles a few steps away from them before falling to his knees and holding his arm to his gut. Andrew puts his racquet down in front of Neil like a shield and watches Riko's breakdown with a bored stare.

Art used with permission by Rosiethorns88. Thank you so much @rosiethorns88!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

[moonsnqil]

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 9:04 PM EST

Cameras are waiting by the court door for the Foxes' starting line-up, so Neil follows Kevin over. Kevin stands calm and quiet until a referee opens the door for them. Before he steps on Kevin taps the butt of his racquet against the floor and passes his stick to his other hand. He strides to half-court head high and left-handed, and the crowd goes wild.

Art used with permission by dshr-art. Thank you @dshr-art!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

[moonsnqil]

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 7:56 PM EST

Wymack has a few minutes before starting line-ups are needed on the court, so he pulls his small team close enough that they can hear him. "I suck at this pep talk thing, but Abby threatened me with gruesome death if I didn't make some sort of effort tonight. This is what I've come up with after an hour of hard brainstorming. I haven't rehearsed it yet, so you'll have to pretend it's something polished and encouraging. Deal?" He looks around at them, catching and holding each player's eyes for a moment. "I want you to close your eyes and think about why you're here tonight. Don't tell me 'revenge' because you've already gotten it just by being here tonight. "This isn't about Riko anymore," Wymack says. "This isn't about the Ravens. This is about you. This is about everything it took you to get to this point, everything it cost you, and everyone who laughed when you dared to dream of something big and bright. You're here tonight because you refused to give up and refused to give in. You're here where they all said you'd never be, and no one can say you haven't earned the right to play this game. "All eyes are on you. It's time to show them what you're made of. There's no room for doubt, no room for second guesses, no room for error. This is your night. This is your game. This is your moment. Seize it with everything you've got. Pull out all the stops and lay it all on the line. Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. This king's ruled long enough—it's time to tear his castle down."

Art used with permission by Kurra. Thank you @kurra!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

[moonsnqil]

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 7:05 PM EST

"You two could at least say hello," Wymack says, somewhat aggrieved. "There's no point," Kevin says. "All they are is a distraction." "It's called a support network. Look it up." "Thea is watching from South tonight," Kevin says, looking to the elevated VIP box. It is too far away and too high up for Neil to make out any faces, but there is a small crowd gathered at the windowed walls already. Knowing the Court is here to watch them play sends a chill through Neil's veins. Kevin drags his stare back to Wymack's face and says, "and my father comes to all of my games. That is enough." On Wymack's other side, Abby's gaze softens. Wymack's jaw works for a moment before he can say in an even tone, "Your mother would be proud of you." "Not just of me," Kevin says in a rare bout of humanity.

Art used with permission by Kevinkevinson. Thank you @kevinkevinson!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

[moonsnqil]

Kevin shows off his new tattoo as soon as they've all gotten on the bus. The team's celebration make it hard for Neil to sleep, but he can't begrudge them their excitement. Wymack doesn't react with more than a quick, tight smile, which means he'd known about it before any of them did. Neil thought of the tribal flame tattoos on Wymack's arms and wonders if Wymack recruited his own artist for the job. It would at least explain how Kevin got back into the dorm last night when he could barely walk.

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 10:10 AM EST

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

[moonsnqil]

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 3:32 AM EST

Neil forgets the stench the second he see's the bandage on Kevin's face. It is too much to hope for and too impossible to believe in, but Neil freezes in his tracks and stares. Kevin pushes the door closed and stumbles backward into it. He almost falls, braces himself in the nick of time, and stares blearily at Neil. That is about all Kevin can manage, it seems, so Neil goes to him. Kevin makes a limp gesture near his side. Neil works a corner of the tape up and pulls the gauze off Kevin's face. It feels a bit like falling and a bit like flying; Neil's stomach bottoms out a second before adrenaline floods his veins. Kevin had worn a "2" since his first days in the Moriyamas' cruel care. Riko and Kevin used markers for years, writing over their numbers any time they threatened to fade. As soon as they were old enough they'd switched to a more permanent ink. Now that number is gone, covered up by the jet-black image of a chess piece. Neil's knowledge of chess is hazy at best, but he knows for sure that isn't a king.

Art used with permission by Emry-Stars-Art. Thank you @emry-stars-art!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

[moonsnqil]

you know those people who take kpop idol photocards and make them cutesy with stickers or whatever... if aftg were real some random exy fan would 100% do that with kevin day

[moonsnqil]

The Sunshine Court spoilers

I feel like I haven't seen anyone really talk about this specific scene yet but something about it really gets to me like imagine going through hell and back to be the best only to hear that these other guys are enjoying themselves and have, y'know, basic things like autonomy and somehow managed to be nearly as good. Jean starting to realize maybe everything the Ravens did was for nothing and genuinely wanting to know why he had go through all that but the Trojans didn't and is it unfair? did he just waste 3 years of his life? If everything was rewritten could love have coexisted with being the best?

[moonsnqil]

what i really want to know is how much convincing it took andrew to let neil travel to california alone with his uncle

[moonsnqil]

Hi!!! I really love your cardinal red art!!! I think the idea of Jean being flocked by black, colorless ravens and choosing to reach out to the colorful cardinal is really beautiful 😍 and I really enjoyed your art style as well. Id really like to use that image as my lockscreen-- is there any chance you could release an additional version with a light blue background?

hi!! thank you for the kind words ♡ i made two lockscreen versions, lmk if this works for you

[moonsnqil]

cardinal red

[moonsnqil]

it's been literal years and somehow i still forget exy is an indoor thing

[moonsnqil]

[moonsnqil]

i've had an aftg apocalypse au idea stuck in my head for a week now and it's making me extremely sad actually

[moonsnqil]

1 I think we've all seen it by now but tsc will be out april 13. english ebooks will be avail same places the first three are, paperbacks will be a lil bit later (easier to correct digital than print, so delay is a buffer for any emergency typos) 2 probably won't see the cover until it's out, bc it's not ready yet, but it's not an emoji (woe) or a sun. (unfortunately it cannot be a mascot either on account of me not wanting USC to execute me on sight)

3 still sorting out which pics of LA to post, I've got about 30 set aside to review but I def don't want to upload that many. they'll likely go up the same day the book is out

4 wrt TSC2, one person guessed correctly that TEB is "Two: Electric Boogaloo". TFS is "this fuckin sucks" because tsc2 is being a nightmare. TAF is "these're all fake". Its actual title was decided back in mid Feb but yall will have to wait til later this year for it

[moonsnqil]

first snow