#i was reading a great fic where neil was kind of friends with aaron and Andrew tried to scare him away and neil just gets petty

[toolazytodecide]

Someone send me recs for good andreil fics

[fallingin-like]

november 20

back to the start by @fuzzballsheltiepants​ [requested by @nikothespoonklepto]

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post!

containing an injured!andrew who loses all of his recent memories, this fic is has heartbreak and healing. this fic has great pacing and flow, you don’t even notice that you’ve read 30k words until you’re done.

this is an absolutely amazing fic. you did such a great job writing the characters in a way that was in depth and stays really true to them. it was funny, serious, angsty, and fluffy in a way that tied everything together and made it really easy to read. i loved having the opportunity to see andrew fall in love with neil again and see neil really fight to protect andrew.

parts that i especially liked:

”andrew and neil had watched kevin’s interview the night before on exy night in america from andrew’s apartment. neil had spent the ten minutes grinning at kevin’s well-practiced persona while andrew drily commented what they both knew kevin was really thinking” this is so cute! there’s really nothing that brings people together more than making fun of kevin

EXCUSE ME HOW DARE YOU INJURE ANDREW IN THAT WAY

andrew waking up so disoriented and confused and afraid is so heartbreaking. to be brought back to that terrible night, surrounded by strangers, in so much pain. i really cannot handle it, he’s already suffered so much in his life ;-;

ohmygoodness andrew sort of recognizing kevin? is this based on andrew having seen kevin before the club incident or because he’s actually recognizing kevin?

”’did they kill him?’ he asked dully.” ahhh i can feel andrew closing himself off, resigning himself for bad news

”he didn’t know why he was talking, he was revealing too much, he needed to stop but not as  much as he needed to know” i hate seeing andrew so distressed, to the point where he can’t contain himself

”he almost laughed, it was such a ridiculous idea that andrew’s perfect memory could be compromised, but dr. kupra’s face was serious.” oh no, what a terrible and ironic injury, for andrew to lose the memories that he likely actually wanted to keep

what in the world kevin, why would you not call nicky to get him to talk to andrew??

”that voice… it tickled something in his chest” AHH even without his memories, something within andrew recognizes neil, so soft

”and you need to understand that you can’t just start touching him when  he’s asleep” it’s so comforting to know that neil is around to protect andrew while he is extremely vulnerable.

it’s really not surprising that andrew has a panic attack, to learn that you’ve lost seven years of your life? i can’t even imagine how upsetting and scary it would be

ah yes, of course neil forgets to charge his phone

”like i’m worth something, like i matter” oh no i totally forgot that since andrew is back to his 17 year old self it means his mental health is probably a lot worse. oh my goodness 17 is so young! 

”it’s amazing how many words they can say to avoid telling you they don’t know” oh my goodness neil

ANDREW REMEMBERS SOME THINGS, I HAVE HOPE. and it seems like now neil does too!

to hear that they’ve had conversations with andrew that he can’t remember, that they’ve explained the situation to him multiple times already, it sounds hard for anyone, but andrew who is used to his eidetic memory? oof

”this felt more like he had read it in a book, like if he turned the page he would already know what was on the next one, but he couldn’t manage to turn the page. and the next page was important, of that he was sure” wow this description is so so good.

OH NO ANDREW THINKING NEIL AND KEVIN ARE TOGETHER and then “it didn’t seem such an unreasonable question to andrew… the alternative didn’t make sense. the alternative was impossible” ahhh this is so painful, at least neil is not around to hear this.

”that didn’t really surprise neil; he had suspected that andrew had been interested in kevin at some point” ooo i like this

neil talking to andrew’s coach oh my goodness he really can’t help himself. but also it’s his way of caring too, protecting andrew from everyone

ahh i love andrew falling for neil again. “aggression of an eight-pound terrier” THIS IS SO TRUE. picking fights, but too small to actually fight them

”neil was reading on his phone and andrew watched him through his lashes until he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore” this is so so sweet, i love being able to see things from andrew’s perspective, he hides so much from the outside that i am always interested in what he’s thinking

”he wouldn’t be the first who thought andrew could be ‘healed,’ whatever that meant.” the thing i like about their relationship is that i think that neil doesn’t think andrew ‘could be healed’. i think neil thinks that andrew doesn’t need healing. that bad things happened to andrew and yes, these things changed him, they shaped him to be the person he is now, but they don’t mean he is broken. uhh i don’t know how to say the words i am thinking. BASICALLY, NEIL DOESN’T THINK ANDREW NEEDS TO CHANGE. HE LIKES (LOVES) HIM AS HE IS

”... but he could still taste his old grief and guilt and fury” ANDREW FEELING GUILT SO MUCH GROWTH

”nicky had been there; he could call nicky, and find out what - who - had broken neil so badly” ahhhhhh i love this!!!

ohmygoodness, all the things that neil is remembering. i love it so much

ugh i want neil to go off on all the people trying to pin down andrew, but at the same time, i guess they had a somewhat reasonable reason for doing what did. BUT STILL THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. andrew has been through so much!!!!

i love these moments of andrew finding out what happened to neil. we get to see his genuine reactions, even what he’s feeling, not just what he’s emoting (which i’m sure is not much). it’s a little different, because although he still feels this emotional connection to neil, he doesn’t understand why, but his reactions are so pure and unfiltered. i love it

”it’s who i am, it’s not something i can forget” I LOVE THIS LINE and i love love love nicky’s reaction. 

ugh, neil fighting to protect andrew is just *clenches fist* so good

okay i love neil, but woah. when he thinks of how lucky he is to have andrew and the first thing that comes up is andREW BREAKING RIKO’S ARM. LOL what a legend

ohmygoodness i forgot that neil is still in school. i really cannot believe that he is able to balance everything, like it’s just so wild to me.

i’m so glad that neil has matt. he has andrew yes, but matt is just a good friend, something that neil has never really had. someone that is openly affectionate and talkative enough to balance neil’s anti-social personality. someone he can go through during these tough times when andrew is not around

NEIL JOSTEN CERTIFIED HOTTIE HAHAH

oh, hearing andrew’s perspective of millport is so good, so interesting

ANDREW ASKING WHICH SCARS ARE FROM HIM ACTUALLY BREAKS MY HEART. nonononono

NEIL ROASTING THE REPORTER IS WHAT I LIVE FOR. but also i’m pretty mad that this guy was able to get into the hospital and approach neil like this. people are so rude and have no sense of privacy somethings UGH

”neil was a trouble magnet. andrew didn’t remember too many specifics, but he knew it with a bone deep certainty” hah

oh, the way that you wrote andrew regaining his memories about riko and drake and maybe easthaven. it’s so impactful seeing it from neil’s perspective. “he watched as that bomb hit, the slow motion ripple effect it had as memories resurface and deductions were made.” your descriptions are so good

the contrast between the texts from the foxes and neil trying to deal with andrew remembering is amazing

it’s so interesting to me the way that the sense of distance between neil and andrew are for different reasons. neil is being so careful not to cross andrew’s boundaries because he doesn’t know what andrew’s okay with, etc. and andrew is still learning about the relationship that he previously shared with neil and doesn’t know where they were at with that, doesn’t know what past him did

oo i love twinyard moments, the bonding. “i didn’t forget you” AHHH i like that they’re so civil now, aaron is probably less stressed (now that he’s not trying to balance school, exy, and the MAFIA) and has matured, he doesn’t repress as much of his emotions maybe. he cares about andrew and both lets himself care about him and allows himself to show it, even if it’s in small ways

so much growth/development to see that neil turns to betsy and actually calls her!! she knows so much about their history, i’d be interested in what kind of relationship neil had with her after their first year

”didn’t know how to tell him that he remembered other things - remembered bits and pieces of meals and drives and games and shared cigarettes on the roof, the weight of neil’s mouth on his own and the feel of his skin, the sound of his hitches of breath. because none of that felt real” THIS IS SO GOOD BUT ALSO HURTS. NEIL IS A PIPE DREAM BUT ANDREW DOESN’T KNOW THAT HE’S ALSO A REALITY TOO

”then neil came out of the bathroom and andrew decided maybe he didn’t hate the girlfriend after all. not if she’d picked out those clothes.” ohmygoodness andrew

”four years. four years since andrew had been nearly torn apart by terror. four years since he had felt that anguished need that seemed so fresh in his memory. and yet neil was still here” THIS IS SO GOOD AHHH

EXCUSE ME HOW DARE YOU BREAK MY HEART LIKE THAT BY SAYING NEIL CAN’T HELP DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS TO NEIL ALSO “everyone but andrew, whose glam intensified” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AND THEN NEIL SAYING “do you think if andrew cared he wouldn’t let them kick me out in the first place?” AHHHH

oh okay you have redeemed yourself by having aaron and andrew BOTH agree with neil. “look, i might have head trauma but i’m not an idiot” LOL

”andrew wasn’t sure why his stomach clenched, why his fingers dug into the blanket” HHHH HURTS

AARON YELLING WRONG MINYARD YES

oh! so cute to have bonding between andrew, neil, katelyn, and aaron!!

oHH no i forgot that people might hold andrew’s sexuality against him and that makes me so mad

”aaron said mildly ‘out of all the men in this world, why did you have to end up with one who’s too stupid to feed himself?’” LOL

”it would only be a week tomorrow, but it felt like he had always been here, that the rest of his life had been something he’d seen in a movie or read in a book. like this was the only part that was real” oh oh oh. this is so sad, but also it makes so much sense. “it was always like that, though” OH. this, and the rest of the paragraph is so interesting. i love the way that you explain it. and the end of this chapter is so good. it really sets us up for the last chapter and leaves me aching for resolution. for andrew to realise he can and does have this. that it’s real and won’t be taken away from him

i’m a little bit confused about the whole discussion about sexuality and mental illness. why did katelyn misunderstand and what was she thinking? i think i’m just missing something here LOL

”the way andrew hesitated before he nodded meant no, but neil wasn’t going to push him” ugh it’s so good to know that neil can read andrew so well, can tell what he’s not saying, but knows when to push and when to back off.

NO SELF-CONSCIOUS NEIL IS SO SAD

”aaron refusing to sign anything, turning it all over to andrew and neil” aaron is such a complicated character, we don’t get to see him fully explored in the books and i love the way that you used this fic as an opportunity to do so. he cares, but in his own way. even though they have disagreements, at the end of the day, he wants what is best for andrew and i really liked how you portrayed him and throughout this fic.

WHY IS ANDREW SINGING WITHOUT KNOWING

ANDREW KISSING NEIL AND THEN GIVING THE PAPARAZZI THE MIDDLE FINGER IS THE BEST THING

i love that you have parts of this fic from andrew’s perspective. it’s so so interesting to see his honest reactions to memories and people and to experience his introspection. and it’s not super obvious, but i love that with perspective shifts, we also see your writing style adjust to reflect that. you handled this whole fic so well, there was a great balance between humour, softness, and angst that made me really enjoy reading this. 

you did such a good job with the characterization, it was so wonderful seeing andrew rebuild his relationships and fall for neil again, the interactions between everyone (including your OCs). i appreciate that, although andrew and neil have kind of re-established their relationship (they both know that they like each other and are comfortable with each other), there’s still some sort of distance. things are still a little bit off and they still have work to do to continue to learn each other. it keeps things realistic and, for some reason, brings me closure. this is such a significant event for both of them and things are different because of that and i’m glad you didn’t ignore that aspect of it. this was just such a wonderful fic, thank you so much for writing it!!

[knox-knocks]

home alone au

i was going write an entire fic for this but then i ran out of time so have this instead! also this got kind of long so i put it under a keep reading

neil lives with matt and dan his sophomore year of college

this is a couple years after his father was executed by his uncle, so neil is free to be neil josten without having to worry about his father finding him

matt and dan are going to paris with allison and renee

they offered for neil to go, but neil declined and decided to stay home

alone

after making sure he’s really really going to be okay by himself for two weeks, matt, dan, allison, and renee go off to the airport 

neil’s okay

really

maybe a bit lonely

but he did survive on the run for eight years so he’ll be fine

insert andrew

or “the monster” as matt and dan call him

andrew lives alone a few houses down from neil, matt, dan

rumor has it he killed his parents and his twin brother out of cold blood and buried their bodies in the yard

too bad there just wasn’t enough evidence to convict

so andrew minyard walks free 

now neil is NOT scared of andrew

he’s short, he’s grumpy, and he’s an asshole

but he’s not scary. not to neil

so he just kind of leaves andrew alone and andrew leaves neil alone

a couple days into neil being alone, he’s watching tv in the living room when he hears voices outside the house

neil freezes and goes to investigate

he nearly books a plane ticket to argentina when he sees who’s lurking outside

riko moryiama and romero malcolm

neil thinks they found me they found me they’re going to kill me

he quickly flicks on the light and runs upstairs to the find a weapon before he hides 

but they don’t follow him

they thought the house was empty and good to rob, but when the light turned on they got spooked and left

they actually had no idea neil was there

the next day, neil is walking back from the grocery store

a bit spooked after seeing andrew, but andrew didn’t pay him any mind

neil isn’t paying attention to where he’s walking and is nearly hit by a van

driven by romero with riko in the passenger seat

neil immediately recognizes them of course

but they don’t seem to know who he his

he goes home, confused and more than a little freaked out

when romero and riko return to the house that night, neil quickly finds out that they turned to thievery after falling on hard times after the moriyama/wesninski empire was dismantled 

and this is just some horrible horrible coincidence 

once the mobsters-turned-bandits are gone, neil goes to the nearby court 

it’s the middle of the night so he doesn’t expect anyone there, which is what he wants

he never played exy again after he and mary ran

but sometimes he’ll sneak into a court when he feels bad to hit some exy balls around with a borrowed racquet 

it’s not the same but it’s something

except the court isn’t empty

and that’s when neil has his second heart attack in a week

kevin day is on the court, firing balls into an empty goal and going through several intense drills by himself

everyone knows that kevin’s career was ruined when he broke his left hand in a skiing accident. he tried to play a season with the palmetto state foxes, but he was never the same and he stopped playing after the foxes’ failure

neil never thought he’d see kevin pick up an exy racquet ever again. but now that he has, neil is in awe

kevin doesn’t see neil, he’s too absorbed in his game

but the person in the bleachers does

andrew minyard is watching him from his spot a couple rows up

when neil sits to watch kevin practice, andrew hops down the last couple rows and settles a couple feet away

neil tenses, but andrew doesn’t say anything. they just sit in silence until kevin is done and neil leaves before kevin can spot him

neil returns every night after that, and eventually they do start to talk

andrew drops kevin off at his house but he finds neil again and joins him on a walk

they start to talk

neil asks andrew if he really murdered his family

andrew confesses his mother died in a car accident, but she deserved it because she was beating aaron and andrew promised to protect him. but he never met his dad and andrew hadn’t talked to aaron or his cousin nicky since he graduated highschool

neil understands killing in defense, so he doesn’t hold it against andrew. if anything, it helps him understand andrew better

in return, neil tells andrew about how he got his scars after andrew asks about them. he tells him the basic gist of who is father was and being on the run with his mom

he tells andrew about mary’s death and the burning car. the kidnapping and the dashboard lighter. the execution and neil’s freedom

they learn to trust each other, even though it hasn’t even been that long since they officially met

a couple days later, three days before christmas, riko and romero return

neil just barely fends them off by making the house seem full, using mannequins allison left over and the life-size cut out of jeremy knox tied to a roomba

he hears romero say that they’ll come back on christmas eve, giving neil two days to prepare

that night, neil doesn’t tell andrew about riko and romero. instead he lets andrew talk about his family, and how he adamantly refuses to admit that he misses them

neil feels a pang at that. his mother wasn’t good, but sometime he still misses the good parts of her. and he misses matt and dan so much, even though they’ve only been gone for a week and a half

neil tells andrew that he should contact his brother, but andrew refuses

aaron has katelyn now, and nicky has erik. they don’t need andrew anymore

and andrew promised to protect kevin, no matter what. nothing will come in the way of his promises

the next day, neil begins to set up a bunch of traps

he ices the steps to the door, and puts an iron on the doorknob to make it super hot. he sets up a glue-and-feather trap in the living room and tar and nails along the basement stairs

when riko and romero show up on christmas eve, they don’t stand a chance

they both quickly figure out who neil is, and they really, really want to kill him

neil doesn’t call the cops of course. he doesn’t trust the police, not after those two cops that were paid off when neil was sent to his death by his father’s hands

so he lets riko and romero go through his traps

and, if he’s being completely honest with himself, it’s really funny to watch romero get hit in the face with a flying paint can and the outline of an iron on riko’s stupid face is hysterical 

plus he shoots them with a bb gun, so that’s pretty great too

but neil’s fun ends pretty quickly when romero and riko catch him in the neighbors house

neil knows it’s the end for him

he’s trapped and romero has a gun. riko has two wicked-looking knives 

neil squeezes his eyes shut, silently apologizes to matt and dan, and waits for death

except it doesn’t come

neil opens his eyes to see andrew with a blade against riko’s throat

neil takes his chance and dives for romero

the gun goes off and hits riko in the leg, causing him to drop his knives

neil snatches it before riko can and drives it through romero’s palm before he can shoot andrew

the cops come, and romero and riko are arrested for all the robberies 

luckily, the cops know exactly which houses they hit, since they left the water running in all of them

neil and andrew go home to neil’s house, completely safe 

that’s when andrew kisses neil

and neil thinks that this is definitely something he could get used to

the next morning, neil wakes up alone

well 

with andrew borrowing the couch in the next room

neil goes downstairs. everything is quiet, and it’s snowing outside. it’s really peaceful

then he turns around and sees matt

and matt runs to him and gives neil such a massive bear hug that it takes neil off of his feet

matt tells neil that he didn’t want neil to spend christmas alone so he decided to come back to be with him. he tells him that he had to catch three different planes and had to get a ride with two other guys and it was crazy!

neil laughs and he really is grateful that matt is here

then a man with tanned skin and dark curls walks in with ... andrew?

no not andrew

his twin. aaron

matt introduces them as the guys he got a ride with, nicky and aaron

and that’s the moment andrew decides to come downstairs

matt stops because w t f why is the monster in his house and why does neil not look alarmed

he is even more confused when nicky immediately runs to andrew and stops just before he goes to hug him. andrew nods once and nicky pulls his cousin into a simple hug and doesn’t let go until andrew basically shoves him away

behind them, aaron and andrew nod at each other in acknowledgement 

and THEN

dan, allison, and renee pop up behind them

they caught the morning flight and made it back just in time

neil, matt, dan, allison, renee, nicky, andrew, and aaron all decide to have christmas dinner and exchange presents

andrew calls kevin and bee and they come over with kevin’s dad, wymack, and his step-mom, abby

neil doesn’t think he could ever be happier than he is in that moment, surrounded by friends and family

for the years to come, they all get together and have christmas dinner with each other

and it’s perfect

[niniadepapa]

Nini! Since we seem to have the same tastes in tv shows, i was wondering what are your favorite books???

uoHHHHHH BOIIIIII where do i even start?!?!?!?! take a seat my friend because this is gonna be a LONG ride…

the classics i’ve loved since forever:

the famous five series by enid blyton - i read them ALL and reread them dozens of times

the little prince by antoine de saint-exupéry. nothing else to say,

literary any play by federico garcía lorca, but ‘la casa de bernarda alba’ still makes me !!!!!! it’s so good jfc 

ella enchanted by gail carson levine like i’m sorry i know the movie has anne hathaway and hugh dancy but still i feel robbed of the wonderful perfect book i’ve reread 937562937456923 bazillion times. i deserve a proper ella enchanted movie/show, yall. 

 the last cato by matilde asensi. i legit made all my friends AND their moms read it when we were 17.

the perks of being a wallflower by stephen chobsky. it pretty much changed my life.

atonement by ian mcewan. wow. just wow. 

gone girl, by gillian flynn because we all need to read amy dunne’s cool girl speech 

it’s difficult to even type never let me go by kazuo ishiguro without shedding tears.

the perfume by patrick suskind traumatized me but also enchanted me?? idek man, it’s a very special book.

i read the entire the physician series by noah gordon when i was a teenager and i still love it sooooo much!!!!!!

peter pan by j.m. barrie bcs lbr everybody should learn that peter was a fucking asshole

the harry potter series by jk rowling. that abomination of a fanfic slash play that came out last summer obviously isn’t included here. 

the percy jackson and the heroes of the olympus series by rick riordan - my savage demigod son, i’ll always heart u

don’t judge me but the mortal instruments, the dark artifices, the infernal devices - all of the motherfucking shadowhunter books to ever be, i’ll read, no matter how much i hate cc. i hate her for the hold she has over me.

i did enjoy the hunger games back in the day lbr

stardust by neil gaiman ksjbdfakdfjalsdfjbaglsjdfblkas literary my most favorite i love it so much it hurts me

and now as of things i’ve read in the past years that i can rec w a hand over my heart staring into your eyes and claiming they’re Good Shit:

across the universe series by beth revis was pretty fun for sci-fi even tho there was a twist that i wasn’t very happy with

under the never sky by veronica rossi was actually very cool i really enjoyed it

i REALLY loved the shatter me series by tahereh mafi like oh my god a heroine that truly learns how to accept and love herself!!!!!! fuckbois get rekt!!!!! incredible character arcs!!!! i’m pumped for the next book tahereh announced lbr

the lynburn legacy series by sarah rees brennan was suuuuper fun because magic?? family drama??? actual woc main character?? bisexuals??? i was living while reading them tbh

vicious by v.e. schwab was really fun because it was nothing like i’d ever read before, i’m really looking forward to reading her other series 

i’ll only rec leigh bardugo’s six of crows duology because i refuse to acknowledge the fucking mess that was the grisha trilogy, jfc. six of crows, excluding some stuff, is super fun, has great characters, good ships, and teenagers that pull cool stunts to get $$$. incredible.

the fixer series by jennifer lynn barnes are !!!!!!!!!!!!! i wish she wrote more of them i would legit beg her and throw money in her face for more. teens swept off by washington/politics drama/conspiracies… my jam ladies and gents

the study series by maria snyder. are. so. good.

i’ve only read two of melina marchetta’s books and both of them broke me. i’m onto her.

big little lies by liane moriarty - if you haven’t watched the show, do it. if you haven’t read the book, do it.

i loooooved the first two books in the falconer series by elizabeth may and still have to read the third but i haven’t seen good reviews about it so i’m kind of… waiting a bit…

i’m not gonna talk much about sarah j maas here because even if there are things in her books that i really enjoy -specially some ships and the worldbuilding- the inherently whiteness, straightness and the unbelievably high number of times she writes the words ‘male’ and ‘female’ makes me want to punch her repeteadly in the face. 

simon vs the homo sapiens agenda by becky albertalli is so funny and heartwarming dkzfjbzdjfkblz

uprooted by naomi novik had lowkey w/w but also an incredible het ship that was dkjfbksdjfs also living evil woods and strange shit that was amazing

what we saw by aaron hartzler is very rough to read, especially considering it’s based on a real life case (Steubenville High School rape case) but holy shit do i think it’s important to read and know. 

in that same line i put one of my favorite books i read last year: the female of the species, by mindy mcginnis. that book broke me on so many levels, every time i think about it i burst into tears. it’s so raw and real and just… ugh. i swear it’s gonna stay with me until my last day, it’s /that/ kind of book.

i still haven’t forgiven my best friend for making me read the mistborn series by brandon sanderson. that’s al i’m gonna say about it.

cruel beauty by rosamund hodge is so unique and i just loooooove the characters so much because they do acknowledge their flaws and that they’re not perfect?? and just??? recognize that in each other??? which is a+++ in my book u do u. also super beautiful writing!

the anna and the french kiss series by stephenie perkins will always have a special place in my heart bcs they’re so fun and light-hearted and witty and i really love them 

AND NOW, TOP FIVE:

the daughter of smoke and bone series by laini taylor IS INCREDIBLE. WHY IS EVERYBODY SLEEPING ON THIS BOOKS. ANGELS AND MONSTERS. ANGELS ARE ACTUALLY BAD, MONSTERS ARE GOOD. ANGST. IT’S SO GOOD.

the raven cycle by maggie stiefvater, even if i still have hashtag problems w things in it (more girls. why aren’t there more girls. NOAH.) i just… i love my stupid kids so much. 

the wrath and the dawn by renee ahdieh is fucking INCREDIBLE it’s so good i get so mad bcs it’s legit unknown pls do urselves a favor and read this masterpiece it’s based on a 1001 nights and the main ship and characters are!!!! just!!!!! a++++!

the song of achilles by madeline miller is probably one of the books that i have most enjoyed and suffered with in my entire life. the true illyad i deserved. the most heartbreaking thing ever.

the winner’s trilogy by marie rutkoski is literary the best series i’ve read these past years and i’ll forever be in cee’s debt for making me read them. the most savage slytherins in love with the angstiest motherfucking relationship ever, a super clever look into colonialism and discrimination, the most beautifully haunting writing, IT’S JUST SO FUCKING GOOD I’LL NEVER READ ANYTHING AS GOOD AS TWT WHY AREN’T THERE 398465923846 FICS ABOUT IT JFC *sobs*

this got LONG lmao i’m sorry i get really excited talking about books in case u were wondering!!!!!!! i’m more than happy to talk about literary any of them, and welcome recs and will pretty much spew shit about anything i know ig u wanna holler @ me. i just really love books and i’ve been in an anxious-reading mode for the past three years so yEAH thanks for the ask anon it made me super happy!!!!!!

[aftgficrec]

Hey!! So I recently read 'Identity Theft' by likearecord and it was wonderful! I really love the concept, so I was wondering if you knew any similar fics? They don't have to be Aaron trying to impersonate Andrew (but ones like that would be great), they can also just be ones where Neil can always tell it's Andrew, preferably if everyone else is hella confused, or emphasising how he's only attracted to Andrew. Thanks for all you do, you guys are awesome!!! ❤❤

OMG, I can’t decide if having an identical twin would be the best thing ever or a complete nightmare! We’ve recc’d ‘Identity Theft’ here, and I’ve got that twinyard confusion you’re looking for! - A

Previous recs with twins mistaken identity (Neil is fooled in a very few)

‘Would you rescue me’ here

‘Two of a kind’ here

‘Masquerade’ here

‘the glow in our mouths’ and ‘The Morning AUs Chapter 52’ here

‘Andrew takes Aaron's place’ and ‘They who made you...’  here

‘Jekyll & Hyde’ (Matt/Aaron) here

‘bare: a fox opera’ here

‘all I want is what I can't have’ here

‘nerve’ here

‘can i get a kiss (can you make it last forever)’ here

‘I will play my ace (just in time and in the right place)’ here

‘we're just strangers’ here

‘Twinyard Confusion’ here

‘If I Tried’ here

‘Fluke’ here

‘Minyard & Doe’ here

‘Forming a Family; Forging a Future’ here

‘Freckles’ (Neil/Aaron) here

AFTG Bingo 2k18: The Twinyard Card by exactly13percent [Rated T, Collection, Complete, 2018] 

Chapter 2: Pretend

College is difficult enough to navigate without Andrew playing games with Aaron's best friend.

So it’s a casual Saturday night by @forursmiles [Tumblr, 2016]

So it’s a casual Saturday night and the foxes are socializing and of course they are getting drunk so Nicky comes up with this incredible idea that Neil should be blindfolded and has to differentiate between Aaron and Andrew just by touching certain body parts 

tw: alcohol

Glimpse of Love by conniptionns [Rated T, 1679 Words, Complete, 2018]

@forursmiles has the CUTEST head canon in the world and I begged and pleaded, and she let me write it!

tw: alcohol

Glimpse of Love (The Double or Nothing Remix) by ApprenticedMagician [Rated T, 1591 Words, Complete, AFTG Remix 2018]

It happens like this: a night of celebration, inebriation of the rare and impressive variety, a change of pace from their regular drinking games, and a bet.

And afterwards, an argument.

tw: alcohol, tw: implied/referenced drug use, tw: blood

Was maintaining the exact same appearance part of the twins’ deal? meta by @drewjosten [Tumblr, 2020]

Art 

Wrong Minyard art by @chioink

it must’ve happened sometime comic by @garneeric

“So, Andrew…” comic by @berry-muffin

[fallingin-like]

november 22

fox sleep by @annawrites [requested by @allforthebee]

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post!

this is an amazing fic that features shapeshifter!neil who arrives at the foxhole coven in the form of a fox. it is such a sweet, playful, and comforting fic with a wonderful tinge of magic, i cannot recommend this fic enough. 

shapeshifter fics are always among my favourite, so i cannot explain exactly how excited i was when i first saw this posted. this was 10k words of softness, but at the same time it felt entertaining and i didn’t want it to end. i love the world that you created, it feels like it really does exist.

some of the parts i especially enjoyed:

”it’s like a gong being struck inside andrew’s head, and it hurts right down to his fingertips” there is something so andrew about having the wards tied to to himself in a way that it physically pains him when they’re breached. that he allows himself to endure this pain to protect the ones he cares about. i wonder, is this how all wards are? or just how andrew’s are

”trust-such a foolish, fickle thing; and yet.” ooh i love this sentence. andrew is so reluctant to let people in, it’s so wonderful to see that andrew has allowed himself to trust some of the foxes and it really shows the bond that has formed between him and the other foxes

”the morning is sharp and cold, a blade buried under snow” oh, what beautiful imagery

”nothing should have been able to break through so easily” this makes me so excited! i love powerful characters, although i know that this means that andrew will immediately be that much more wary and suspicious of neil

”andrew grinds his teeth. he must have done it a lot in his sleep last night because pain shoots through his jaw at the renewed pressure” lol this is really relatable

if there’s anything i love more than shapeshifter fics, it’s shapeshifter fics where the shapeshifter is injured… sounds mean but i just love angst!!

”his energy is a carefully rationed good; he’s stopped wasting it on arguing with a stubborn bunch of bleeding hearts who don’t listen to him anyway.” although i know that andrew is, for the most part, fond of the foxes, there’s something so heartbreaking about this. i don’t know exactly what andrew’s backstory is in this au, but i assume it’s similar to in the books, where andrew learns at a young age to not speak his opinion because it doesn’t change things

”sunlight warms his back through the window as he pokes the wards in his mind one by one, plucking at them like strings and listening to their familiar hum” ahh magic is so so cool, i’m always super interested in how it works. do you think that renee experiences her wards in a similar way? i always find myself leaning towards the idea that andrew experiences the world, and as a part of that, magic, in a way that so unique to only himself and that’s why he has so much control over his emotions, actions, and powers

”he doesn’t miss his jacket until he’s back outside and the biting wind sticks its icy fingers under his shirt.” ugh i am such a big fan of your descriptions

”the lapping stops. the fox’s head swivels over and his eyes unerringly find andrew’s across the room” woah i got shivers reading this!!

”the fox hastily retreats into his blanket nest-andrew can see his jacket poking out of the mess and tamps down a brief flash of irritation” i love nesting!! i wonder what neil was thinking when he added it to his pile, was he drawn to the scent of andrew?

”andrew remembers the burned patch on his face, now hidden under healing salve, and puts the lighter away. for now” !!! this is good

”then he reaches out to tap the box twice for yes, somehow succeeding in making the movement look sarcastic” neil josten i love you

”he looks a little bit chastened, but andrew catches him scratching at a scab again the minute abby’s back is turned” this is a great example of how flawlessly you are able to show neil’s personality even though he’s a fox. this reminds me of when wymack was like ‘make sure you have your phone with you and on all the time’ and neil was like ‘okay coach’ and immediately turned it off (was that canon? i think it was but not sure when it happened)

”everyone turns to the fox, who is busy sneaking persimmon slices from renee’s bowl while renee graciously pretends not to notice. his face immediately morphs into a picture of innocence, which matt takes as agreement” this is adorable! neil is so sneaky, but in a cute way. reminds me of a kid version of himself, although he definitely acts this way in the series as well, taking advantage of how fond the foxes are of him (and because of that, how blind they are to how dark and capable he actually is). when neil’s a fox version of himself, is his mind the same as when he’s a human? or is he more… fox-like?

the chickens!!!hen solo? amelia egghart? genius

SCRABBLE THIS IS THE BEST IDEA IN THE WORLD

neil is really showing off his personality here, with the ‘ouch’ and ‘nunya’ (that one made me laugh)

”the words sublimate in front of his mouth, from sound straight to steam. andrew can almost see the scrabble grid in the air” woah, what an amazing couple of sentences

hmm “how long he’s been in his fox form” and “the risks of staying in any one form for too long” hints at the idea that shapeshifters can shift into multiple animal forms? is there a limit? is it based on skill? how many animals can neil shift into?

”it is less them settling into a routine than the routine settling over them, like snow piling up overnight. one morning, andrew wakes up and finds himself neck-deep in it” what in the world, this is so so good

”andrew can’t tell if neil and jean are friends or enemies or a bit of both, but they squabble over everything-the best napping spot in the common room, the juiciest bites at dinner, the shiniest cat toys, the plumpest berries” i love this little insight on what things are like. we don’t see a lot of interaction between neil and jean in the series

andrew carrying around fruit for neil is super cute!

oo i like how you handle neil’s response to not shifting. “neil huffs and pushes a few letter tiles around aimlessly” and “he yawns demonstratively and curls up in his nest” yeah that’s neil

andrew in an ugly sweater knitted by bee that is super warm is the most adorable thing ever

THE BOOZY HOT CHOCOLATE SCENE IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES. IT FEELS SOFT AND KIND OF BLURRY ALONG THE EDGES. ANDREW TRUSTS NEIL ENOUGH TO BE DRUNK AROUND HIM AND I LOVE THAT. thank you for listening to my psa.

wait okay so the edges of the newspaper start to smoke, what is the extent of andrew’s powers?

ohymgoodness i didn’t know there was something that could be as cute as andrew giving neil a bath!!

the scene with andrew showing neil the newspaper is so good. how you describe neil breaks my heart, and i love the mention of andrew feeling neil’s scars

”he seems asleep every time andrew checks on him, but somehow he still follows the progress of the lights across the room, ending up squashed in a corner with the last ruddy-golden wisp of it before it disappears altogether” this is a wonderful detail and i love that you included it

NEIL SHIFTING BACK INTO HUMAN FORM AND ANDREW FREAKING OUT AND THEN NEIL GOING BACK TO A FOX oh. it’s good. again and again. i love the way that you treat it.

i bet the thing that neil missed the most about not being in human form was being able to talk. he probably only survived as a fox because then he couldn’t insult people

”and neil promptly conks out mid-sentence on the couch with his feet in andrew’s lap” ahh this is so cute

”was anyone going to tell me that he’s this handsome or was i just supposed to find that out myself” OH MY GOODNESS YOU REALLY DID THAT

ANDREW AS A FURRY UHHHH

the porcupines!!

okay so dan has a dog, renee has an owl (love that idea, so serene, all-knowing, but ready to strike and attack at a moment’s notice), seth has a rottweiler, aaron has a ferret (that is hilarious to me, HAH), bee has a cat. are there any others that i missed/weren’t mentioned? how did you come up with these matches and do you have backstories behind how they came together?

this fic was so so wonderful to read. as a really conflict-averse person, i loved the sense of comfort i had while i read this, i knew that they were all safe and protected and i felt so warm and cozy. i loved your characterization and the way that you were able to show neil’s personality so well in his fox form. this fic was fluffy, funny, and contained such beautiful descriptions and sentences. i know that when i read a fic that’s written from you, it will be good, and this one was no different. it was so easy to read and i loved witnessing the bond form between andrew and neil. i enjoyed this so so much. thank you for writing it!!

[fallingin-like]

november 19

tenuous by undertow

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post!

this is one of my favourite fics in the fandom. it has DID!neil and features a really great relationship between him and aaron, and him and andrew. i love their style of writing. please read this fic

I want to start and just say that this is one of my favourite fics, and by far one of my most-reread fics. i love so many parts of it, but most of all i love the tone of this fic. it shapes all the sentences and gives it something that makes it so special. it makes me feel something and i love this glimpse of a softer neil who really is trying his best.

parts that stood out to me:

”he considers this. this week has been full of nightmares… and it’s making the lines blur, part of him terrified and the other parts struggling to control it. ‘neil,’ he decides. he’s too anxious to be anyone else.” i really like this because it does a great job of introducing the idea of neil’s different identities, but, more importantly i think, how similar they are. because really, they all originated from the same person and likely share traits and emotions. the idea of the transition between identities being blurry and motivated by his fear and trying to protect himself is well explained. you also are able to establish some of the main characteristics of neil.

”he keeps waiting for her to sound like she doesn’t believe him, for her to tell him that he’s lying for attention, but she hasn’t yet” i think this is really interesting because we really don’t see much interaction between betsy and neil in the series. i like that, even though you imply they have an ongoing relationship (aka that this isn’t one of the first few meetings) you still communicate neil’s underlying wariness of her, of his tendency to always expect the worst of people

”last time she saw him was two weeks ago; last week it had been nate sitting in the chair, sullen and mostly silent” this does a good job in showing that while these are both still ‘neil’ (as in, his body), they are still considered to be two different people. it’s always interesting for me to see how DID is portrayed in different stories, and i like that neil has an understanding of what happened while nate was ‘in charge’ (for lack of a better word)

”she has a cup of hot chocolate in front of her, probably from her previous session” anDREW??

”his skin crawls at the admission. he’s trying to get better at telling the trust, but it makes him feel-exposed, like he’s offering his head on the chopping block.” i love the way that you describe this. it gives me a great look into neil’s perspective and also i am immediately so interesting in learning about what his childhood was like, how similar it was to canon, how ingrained lying is in compared to in the books. 

”that’s why his uncle is forcing him to go to therapy, he guesses” woohoo! for some reason i really enjoy fics where stuart takes care of neil

”’he lives with his brother,’ he says, slowly, trying to pick out how he feels. ‘i haven’t-i haven’t interacted with him much. so i’m nervous about that.” okay so i don’t know why, but i like this sentence. something about the wording that you use feels so right, i can so clearly hear the way that neil is saying this. i like the way that you break up what he says. that, and the short sentences changes how i read this dialogue in a good way

neil recognizing right away that andrew is not aaron? amazing! what were andrew’s thoughts when this happened? it seems that he is at least interested enough to not immediately scare neil away (although i’m not sure if neil can be scared away)

”he shrugs, a bare twitch of his shoulders. he doesn’t know when he stopped tapping his thigh, but he starts up again, still looking at the figurines. ‘i just. don’t know what to expect.’” and also the bit on neil’s reaction to betsy suggesting that he ask aaron what to expect. i really like these lines because they feel so real. the dialogue feels so natural

”betsy’s voice remains gentle as she persists; she has learned that although he appreciates firmness in his friends, his therapist is an entirely different matter” ooh this is great. i like that neil has so much self-awareness in this fic

”the bee on the shelf is nearly translucent; he can see through it into the dark stain of the wood.  he splays his hands across his thighs, hard, the curves of his fingers lifting off his jeans. ‘yeah,’ he whispers. he becomes aware of a creeping heat around his jaw and ears, a weakness around his upper arms.” okay so this is one of the paragraphs that is really memorable to me. i think it’s because i really understand how neil is feeling. the focus on the bee, the awareness of heat and what his hands are doing, the fact that he whispers in response.

”he likes that she knows when to stop pushing. he likes that she remains patient with him, although he rarely stays stays for the entire session and talks tiltedly about his past. he sinks into his chair and nods.” i think this is probably the reason that he has been able to continue going to therapy (other than stuart forcing him) because on some level, he knows that betsy will be respectful of him and that he can trust her.

”he lets out a breath and glances away; he had been hoping that he would be able to leave without speaking up agian. ‘uh,’ he says, and stops. it takes him a moment to remember what she had been talking about.” oh. this is something that happens to me so often

”[andrew] flicks his fingers at neil as he passes by, carefully skirting around him. it might be a shoo. it might be a hello.” ahh!! this is really cute. although neil might not realise it, i think it’s telling that andrew even acknowledges neil outside of their usual cafeteria interaction

”he represses the urge with a shudder, unsure of the reason for the impulse” woah i really like this.

okay i don’t want to copy down all of it, but this interaction between andrew and neil in the cafeteria is so amazing. it’s in all the little things, neil grabbing a fork instead of a spoon, andrew cutting his pizza, “‘granola bars,’ andrew repeats flatly”, neil’s memory of the tacos. but most of all i love the part about the brownies, and how the intentionality of them changes everything, how it feels like a shift in their relationship. these boys are so interesting because they’re so intentional with everything that they do, to other people this gift would not be quite as significant. i love the way that you write andrew and his mannerisms. “that makes andrew pause; the scraping of his knife stops, then begins again”, “andrew says slowly, each word deliberate”, 

”he chews another strawberry and licks at the bit of yogurt that had smeared across his lip, kisses it off his thumb” ahh this little detail is one of many that really adds to the fic. it’s not necessary, not really, but it changes something. makes it better. i am able to picture the scene so much more clearly when i see these little things that are happening during this conversation.

”he’s good at picking up languages, finds school-taught spanish to be challenging but not impossible, not after learning two languages through immersion and terror” ah i love this, i think a lot of fics write neil as just having a natural affinity for languages, and while that may be true, i think that a lot of it is due to the immense amount of pressure he must have been under to become fluent.

this scene is great because it’s our first real glance into seeing neil and aaron together (and katelyn and marissa). you do an amazing job at establishing the easy relationship that they have, complaining about homework together, and helping each other out. the familiarity of them is shown through the coffee orders, the way that they all just invite themselves over to neil’s place and he lets them

”’andrew drinks whiskey?’ neil asks. it’s the only thing that catches his attention. whiskey, from what he remembers, smells like rubbing alcohol and burns like ice on its way down” okay first, so so cute to hear about neil’s interest in andrew and how he associates him with smoke and chocolate. second, neil, you walking tragedy, i bet you only have had whiskey as a way to dull pain and clean wounds

”aaron flicks his gaze toward him, a little surprised by the interest” i like that you used flicks! no idea why, but i like it!

LOL AARON TALKING TO NEIL IN BAD SPANISH BECAUSE HE WANTS TO TALK WITHOUT ANDREW LISTENING IN. i love that we really get to see Neil Oblivious Josten at full force here. ahh i like so many sentences in this scene, i just can’t explain why. your writing is just so easy and wonderful to read.

boo! so precious, i love her so much. 

andrew! picking up food for neil! ahhh it’s so cute and it’s really in tune with the way that andrew shows his care

”’yeah,’ he echoes, swallowing the taste. ‘no syrup’” woah this is so lovely

”(he still glances up when andrew crosses into the living room again, and if his gaze lingers because andrew is eating one of the marbled brownies-well. neither of the twins are looking at him, anyway.)” i really really appreciate the use of parentheses here and the tone that it helps create

”neil doesn’t feel up to shrugging, yet, so he looks at andrew for a moment longer before closing his eyes and tilting his head against the back of the couch.” ahh okay this, and the parts before just on neil’s kind of dissociation is really familiar to me. you do a great job of describing it, putting words to something i have only ever felt before

”the sink turns on; water smacks against the bottom of its metallic basin. it feels-well. it just feels” OKAY THIS IS MY FAVOURITE PART OF THE WHOLE FIC. which. i know is kind of weird, but i think of these sentences so so often. the last two sentences resonates with me so much, the description of the water is so vivid, i can hear it so clearly in my mind.

”aaron curls two fingers around the back of neil’s shin and pulls it forward, and neil follows the movement, stretching his legs into aaron’s lap. aaron keeps his hand on neil’s ankle, below the rolled-up hem of his sweatpants” ahh it’s so nice to see these casual displays of affection between aaron and neil, it really shows how close they are, especially given both their childhoods

“the bed-sharing is something that makes neil feel safe because it reminds him of his mother, who had spent sixteen years trying to keep him alive, and nate is-well, he is not entirely his father’s son, but he is very much not his mother’s” you do a really good job of explaining the differences between neil and nate and why they exist and i’m curious as to what nathaniel is like. ruthless, i would guess, and cruel.

”andrew huffs in what could be a laugh or what could be derision. ‘and you calling aaron the street is meant to be you asking nicely?’ ‘yes,’ neil says, unperturbed. ‘it’s all in the tone.’” the dynamic that you have between andrew and neil is so well established

ANDREW AND NEIL AND THE CIGARETTE honestly it kills me each time i read this part, everything that andrew does is so deliberate and well thought out, at least on the outside. i’d love to see what he’s thinking

”he is no longer thinking about his mother. he is thinking about andrew” AHHHH

”another two cars pass through the street in the time that it takes for the cigarette to burn down to his fingertips. one of the cars is from this house” there’s this sense of detachment that fits the tone of the writing and the way you write the characters so well. it matches the kind of 

”what’s up with you and my brother? aaron had asked two days ago in his kitchen, and neil realizes, with a kind of dizzy swoop in his stomach, that if aaron asks him again, he might have a different answer” oh my goodness what a wonderful way to end this fic.

i love the idea of aaron and neil having a friendship like this, the easy relationship that they have. i wonder, how much does neil know about tilda and how much does aaron know about mary? they’re so similar in certain ways and i love that you explore how this brings them together, instead of breaking them apart. and andrew in the middle of this all. it’s always interesting when aaron does the protecting. we know he’s capable of it in canon, with drake and everything, but this feels different. softer.

i’m always interested in neil with DID, it seems like exactly the kind of coping mechanism that he could have fallen upon, because we all know that Neil I’m Fine Josten is really the expert in repression. i’d love to see more of this, especially a scene where andrew has a chance to meet nate. i’d be curious what his reaction to that would be, without thinking too much, i would say he would be suspicious or feel threatened?, but when i think about it more, i’m unsure. they’ve shared so many lunches together, andrew knows that neil would never hurt aaron. but i guess, nate is not neil.

oh and i love your aro/ace neil. this representation is so important, and it always makes me feel good when it’s included.

the way that you write is so immersive, i feel like i’m actually there with the characters, and everything else kind of fades away. your characterization is wonderful and i love the way you describe everything. i would love to see another part to this series, if you are still working on it. i keep coming back to this fic and each time i do, i fall in love with it, over and over and over. thank you so much for writing this!!

[fallingin-like]

november 8

i just had a growth spurt (took so long, my tippy toes hurt) by @tallsinspace [requested by @gluupor]

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post!

maybe i’m biased because i like kid!fics but i loved this fic so so much. i love the way that andrew and aaron interact, both with each other and the other characters. the characterization on this was amazing and it’s such a hilarious and fun read!

i just want to start and say that i love this fic so so much. your writing style is so fluid and easy to read. there are a lot of writers where their fics are good, but something is missing and you can’t tell what it is. they don’t have weird plots or bad dialogue or anything, it’s just not the same. your writing is not like this. instead there is a sense of ease. i’m just carried along for the ride and i know it’s going to be good and it feels so comforting to know i’ll be taken care of. you inject subtle humour through tiny mannerisms of the characters and by slight word choices that don’t seem to make a difference, but just add this extra little something to your fic. and you have not as subtle humour so basically you’re just really good at writing a funny fic. i mean, even your summary is great. 

bits that i really enjoyed (although i just want to insert the whole fic):

“andrew says right over aaron’s body, voice ominous. aaron yelps, sliding up against his headboard in fright.” right off the bat this is such a great intro! it really sets the tone for the fic and tells us some info. it’s funny and i like that

”’i just told you,’ andrew says, impatient at having to repeat himself. ‘nicky is planning things, and we need to counter-plan.’” this is an early example of the great characterization you have. this mini-version of andrew still has traits that canon-andrew carries, but scaled to something that makes sense for a child. the impatience, thinking ahead to prevent nicky from doing the thing, so good.

astronaut lamp! it’s a cute touch that tells us more info about what kind of child aaron is, but also what kind of guardian nicky is.

”aaron remembers. nicky invited matthew boyd from aaron’s class over and andrew gave him so much halloween candy that he had a sugar crash and threw up in the bathroom. he cried. his mom had to come get him. it was really bad.” something about this story i find so great. i like the kids version of the columbia trip, it sounds exactly like something kid!andrew would do. also the last sentence does so much to add to aaron’s voice and also seems like something a child would include in their retelling of a story. i love the short sentences.

”andrew says his teacher, mr. wymack, is also really annoying, but he gets angry at aaron whenever aaron says it too, so andrew probably likes him.” cute!! what a classic kid thing to do (and also a classic andrew thing to do)

-the whole bit that’s also included in the summary is so perfect. the overreaction to a playday. how dramatic the twins are.

”’but we’re brothers in real life,’ aaron says to the empty room.” oh my goodness i love this so much. it’s so telling of the rocky parts of their relationship that they still have to work out and it feels so sad

”she’s really smart, but whenever aaron tries to ask for help, she always goes red and starts chewing on her hair, and the conversation dies there.” CUTE!!

”he hears a squeak and then a thump as katelyn collapses on the ground” DOUBLE CUTE!! these kids are so adorable!! oh my goodness. and so dramatic i love the way you write them

i really like the idea of aaron constantly asking for passes to go to abby and andrew asking to see bee. it must be so comforting to them to have a safe place that they can retreat to during school after being alone for so long.

”unfortunately, nicky thinks mr. wymack is ‘kinda cute in a dad way’ so andrew can’t say he’s friends with kevin, or there’ll be a playdate again, and everything will go very badly for everyone” THIS IS THE BEST SENTENCE. nicky is hilarious as always and it is so funny to see the twins have such a deep understanding of everything to be fully in control. i can just imagine them, writing out baby causal loop diagrams to try and see how one action will affect other things.

andrew and aaron switching places in class with only neil and katelyn being able to tell? amazing

”he’s in my class because he hates you and wanted to get away from you. are you happy?” MY HEART BREAKS A LITTLE BIT AARON NO also i can totally imagine him saying this in his little kid voice, all pouty and annoyed.

the dilemma bit is soo cute oh my goodness

”you can copy my answers even though you’re mean and terrible and you tried to lie to me about andrew” I LOVE YOUR VERSION OF KID NEIL SO MUCH he is still the sassy boy that we all know him as and so wonderful

”besides aaron had been the real victim, because that was his candy he was saving for later” aaron is so melodramatic this is the best thing ever

ANDREW READING WIKIPEDIA ARTICLES IN THE DARK ON NICKY’S LAPTOP AS A KID IS NOW CANON I REFUSE TO BELIEVE ANYTHING ELSE (yes i know nicky and andrew didn’t know each other as children but sTILL)

”last time they came, he had found a massive picture book of outer space, and he and andrew had claimed entire galaxies for themselves, named stars after each other” this is the most precious thing i have ever read. bonding moments between the twins that are this soft are rare in the fandom but underrated because it’s so good. also i love how this matches the astronaut lamp

ANDREW RECITING SHAKESPEARE TO AARON bless these boys

”aaron had yelled his own name across the library, as stupid as that sounds now, and andrew for whatever reason, had called his own name back, to the outrage of every librarian in the main room” excuse me but this is the only way the twins can meet again, sorry i don’t make the rules. i think this is my favourite twin discovery i have read ahhHH you’re so good

”andrew doesn’t lie, but if you don’t believe him, he doesn’t talk either. nicky’s comment has guaranteed an evening’s worth of silence from andrew, which isn’t the worst thing in the world, but is counter-productive” wow this is such an andrew thing to do. he must have been taught through his life in terrible terrible homes that no matter what he says people wouldn’t believe him. it must have been so exhausting constantly being told you’re lying even if you’re not. it’s always so heartbreaking to read about these coping mechanisms he must have developed at such a young age to try and protect himself

”’he’s good at math,’ andrew finally says. ‘and he’s the fastest runner in the grade.’” ANDREW YOU’RE HAVE A CRUSH THIS IS SO CUTE

”’i was the weird kid for a while and i’m excellent.’ nobody responds to that.” NICKY OH MY GOODNESS

nicky buying andrew any lock he wanted no questions asked is the softest thing ever :”) what a perfect thing as the foundation of their relationship

andrew reciting either stories or horrible facts about pirates oh my goodness your characterization is spot on i cannot get enough of it

”andrew doesn’t smile but he does a happy kind of bounce when he sees the chocolate chips have been arranged into a frowny face” this is such an iconic line. you’re actually a legend

exCUSE ME AARON BEING THE MOST POPULAR BOY IN CLASS AND ANDREW THE MOST ATHLETIC my brain just exploded what a wonderful way to end the school year!! and then andrew saying he would rather hang out with aaron,,, i- have no words

”he thinks i need friends badly because he’s afraid i’m developmentally stunted thanks to my terrible parents” nicky’s response is perfect for this but this is the most neil thing eveR. he’s also so mature. what a kid.

wow finishing the fic with the twins making a deal that allows them to hang out/form relationships with other kids and yet means that they will reconvene at the end of the day and stick together?? amazing. i just. this is so so good.

i really like that you did this through aaron’s perspective. it adds something to the story-telling that i think is nice. i’m generally indifferent to aaron, but this fic really endeared me to him. i also appreciate that this is a fic where their relationship is as good as a relationship between twin boys can be (a little bit rough, but overall they have an understanding of each other and will work together to accomplish something).

this whole fic was fun and lighthearted, but clearly really well thought out. i think it takes a lot of talent, skill, and time to have it read in such an easy way. you paid homage to canon events/details but molded it so that it fit so perfectly into this au. this was really cute, i’m always attracted to kid!fics, i’d love to see more from this au! i think you did a good job fitting the characters into the kid version of themselves. i liked that they weren’t dumb little kids with no personalities, because kids are so hilarious and full of attitude. and, it’s really interesting to see nicky in this caregiver role (although he is also like this a little bit in canon, we just don’t get to see it work because the twins are less receptive), i like that he’s doing his best and it’s actually working. for once, the twins have a safe and welcoming home where they can be supported to be who they are and have someone who will protect them.

this was such a delightful read, i loved it when i first read it, and i loved it again while i was rereading to write this. you did such a good job with the characters, the dialogue, the humour. i really can’t describe how much i enjoyed this. thank you so much!!!