#maxneil a little bit

[theghostbunnie]

How do you see Max and Nikki’s relationship?

As siblings

I know that's like sometimes what ppl say when there's a straight pairing popular ship (makki) vs a gay popular one (maxneil) and they don't really mean it they just mean they have a uncomfortbilty or hatred towards one of the ships, but in my mind they're literally twins/hj

I have AUs where they're twins, half siblings, step siblings. I love them sm..There's even a line in one of the end credit rap songs that goes something like "we may not have the same color skin but imma treat em like my twin" and I'm like ah yes,,, something to feed into my delusions/j

((on a more srs note I feel like more ppl should look into the end credit lyrics alot of it seems specifically written to fit Max and might give people a better insight into his characterization))

But enough of my fannon delusions n self indulgence they're obviously not actually siblings they're best friends BUT they didn't start off that way no matter how sweet the "you now have three little bastards to deal with" line is bc in the first season, earlier episodes he's more of an asshole to her bc they're still getting to know each other.

He broke her instrument, quicker to basically tell her to shut up on multiple occasions, ect.

Back to the first episode, Max operates BIG on first impressions. Off the bat he's touching Neil's shoulder, he's impressed by his disrespect to authority, he wants to hotwire the bus with him. But Nikki? Hardly addressing her. Even says "why would you help us?" Bc despite biting him, she appeared to be just a 'little more violent, mini-David.' THAT was his first impression of her. Nikki didn't have his attention or respect technically until he learned her willingness to seek and cause chaos near the end of the episode. There's times at later points where she's clearly getting on his nerves.

I'm pretty sure I already wrote out a whole in depth thing about how Max has issues getting attached to people and will fight it off and deny it once it happens even at the cost of their feelings (points at camp corp episode) where as Nikki is a social person who has been denied a real friend til she came to camp campbell same as Neil, who is NOT a social person. They both start off clingy towards Max for this but Nikki works past it and makes 2 other friends while Neil doesn't.

So recap: Max builds a team of two other kids he can just share a common goal with at first, is a bit of a jerk to Nikki initially at times, but she grows on him and now he really values her as a friend n cares for her deeply.

But now onto NIKKI'S POV: She'd been bullied before, it was a traumatic experience for her yes but that's also the ONLY information we have on any past relationships she's had with peers, kids her own age. Any other time she's talking about someone she knew it's often just her mom. sometimes her dad (often not painting a good picture of him but through a childhood innocence lense) or an animal she knew.

So when she makes her first friend group in camp campbell her only prior experience with one is in the flower scouts. Nikki picked up bad habits from them bc she's a kid and doesn't have the emotional maturity to analyze her every behavior.

So when Max is being the type of person who was being quick to shut her down, who (in her own words) was micro managing her, and only ever seemed like he was having a good time when they were doing what HE planned to do, ofc she's gonna start harboring some complaints. Nikki isn't gonna sit down and talk about her feelings to him like an adult she's gonna do what the flower scouts taught her and you talk shit about the problem to OTHER friends.

This isn't to say she secretly hates him, no I firmly believe she deeply cares about him too but they're both flawed people so their friendship has flaws too that doesn't make it void of care for one another.

You can't unbiasedly hate on Nikki for that scene she's mocking him if you're not even taking into consideration WHAT her original issue was. Nikki shit talks, Max has control issues.

As episodes progress I think they really seem to work past it and become better people AND I THINK THAT'S RLLY SWEET I LOVE THEIR FRIENDSHIP ❣️❣️

The way they interact with each other throughout the series really shows that their differences might cause some clashing but they have FUN together and I think their differences and problems just make them more interesting characters

[kittykatrattie]

What’s your headcannons or theory on Max’s parents?

Aargh ok so. We're kinda half in the process of developing them a little bit more but rn here's the story

Max is canonically neglected and we pinpoint quite a few of his behaviors/reactions in the show to be some hc proof that he's also abused (flinches away sometimes, only looks genuinely scared when he thinks someone is about to hit/grab him, "everything I do gets punished so why is arson worse than stealing food" attitude etc) so his dad is the abusive one, mom mostly neglects/ignores him (but she hasn't always, more on that later :)

Most of the time he's lucky enough to just avoid them and take care of himself. He's been left home alone frequently since he was about 5 so he can survive without them, really. The abuse comes in when he manages to piss his dad off or if his dad is already in a bad mood (Punching Bag by The Front Bottoms is one of our daddy issues songs for him so that gives an idea,,). Dad is also an alcoholic (Max seemed a little too comfortable with stealing alcohol in the zombie episode)

His mom is an addict. She smokes a lot and does drugs like pills often. She's just kinda... broken and lost, a lot like Max but has been dealing with this for longer and doesn't have much outside support. (Max doesn't think of this until he's an adult; as a kid, fairly enough, he resents her just as much as his dad for letting all this shit happen to him) When Max's parents came to America ofc they both lost a lot of family but that meant mom had less support away from her husband. There is some family that came over later (some of Max's aunts/uncles and cousins), none of whom would approve of what Max's dad does, but it's not easy to reach out for help from an abusive situation

(David and Gwen and Neil and Nikki don't even know Max is abused and not just neglected for several years)

Max goes no contact with both of them when he turns 18. He finds out his dad died (drunk driving) from one of his cousins. He still doesn't reach out to his mom though, but after that she starts recovering. Stops smoking cigarettes, gets clean from drugs, etc. She gets herself better. We're not sure exactly when or how yet, but at some point Max and his mom reconnect... I think when Frankie (maxneil daughter) is around 10 or so (dad died when she was a year old). It's still very strained but they both connect now over both being abuse victims. Max turned to weed and alcohol, after all, as his own coping mechanisms so he kinda gets it. He never fully forgives her, though, bc he knows as a dad now he could never leave his daughter in a situation like that

[forestwater87]

The absurdly-overdue Niekki post

I don’t think I realized it until I answered a Ma//kk//i ask a few days ago, but I fucking love Nikki and Neil as a ship. It’s just really cute and sweet, they make perfect sense together, and if I was a betting nerd I’d call them endgame.

And they’re also the least popular ship in the entire fandom. Including the gross ones.

And it honestly comes as such a surprise to me, because thinking it over, I realized something completely fucking bonkers that I don’t think anyone has paid much attention to:

Neil/Nikki has a stronger canon basis than any other ship in Camp Camp, by miles.

Yes, more than Gwe//nvid. 

That should tell you how dead-fucking-serious I am about this ship.

Season 1, Episode 1: Escape from Camp Campbell

These two spent an entire who-knows-how-long bus ride together, as the only people on that bus (QM doesn’t count as people and you know it), both of them convinced they were going to entirely separate camps.

I want more than anything on this earth to know what that conversation was like. Nikki being such an enthusiastic and chatty little bean, there’s no way she didn’t talk his ear off the entire time and we were robbed of that conversation, Rooster Teeth. 

MAKE IT RIGHT, ROOSTER TEETH.

Season 1, Episode 2: Mascot

They went on a fun little adventure together, without Max! They risked life and limb and found a new mascot and learned about each other and held hands and it was so cute and sweet -- and I failed to take a single screencap of it, because like everyone else I somehow missed that this ship is perfect and everything I ever needed. But I do have a picture of them bonding with David, so:

“Bonding.”

Season 1, Episode 3: Scout’s Dishonor

Not only do I have no pictures from this episode because it doesn’t include David and when I first started watching/screencapping I was a total slut for that good tree boy, but the Camp Camp wiki has no pictures from this episode. WHY DOES NO ONE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW GOOD THIS SHIP IS?!

Anyway, picture-less: Neil explores his gender, is exposed to basically the camp of his dreams, and in the end decides to abandon it because Nikki gives him the sweetest most vulnerable smile --

Man, a picture would sure go down smooth right here, huh? Too bad no one cares about these two or their interactions, my 2016 self apparently included. (My 2019 self is currently doing this during some downtime at work, hence not just pulling up new caps. If I must suffer, y’all must suffer.)

-- and then they fly away together on a bird Nikki summoned! And Neil thinks that’s the coolest shit ever, and the awe in his face and voice when she shows the Flower Scouts Timothy is really good and HOW? HOW DID NO ONE NOTICE?!

They learn about each other and accept one another even though they’re not exactly alike, and it’s one of the more wholesome parts of the entire show. 

  ETA: JUST KIDDING I TOTALLY HAD A POST I FORGOT ABOUT! I’m keeping my comments in because they made me laugh though.

Season 1, Episode 4: Camp Cool Kidz

They’re on opposite sides of this conflict because Neil is on the side of his bro/boyfriend Max, but it doesn’t seem to damage their friendship at all. These two can forgive and forget like nobody’s business. (This also applies to Max and Nikki, yes. Makkiel4lyfe.)

Also she saw him shirtless. Mrow.

Season 1, Episode 5: Journey to Spooky Island

They . . . um . . .

Listen, not every episode is gonna have ironclad evidence, okay? Just look how cute they are and shut up.

Season 1, Episode 6: Reigny Day

Actually, Nikki’s kind of a dick to Neil in this episode. She doesn’t especially care if he’s dead and laughs at him for having a diary. This episode is really all about Max being Neil’s bro and looking for him when he goes missing. 

Like I said, not all gold, but adorable.

Season 1, Episode 7: Romeo & Juliet: Love Resurrected

HE IS SO NERVOUS TO KISS HER OH MY GODDDDDD

And I think that’s all the incisive commentary this episode needs.

Season 1, Episode 8: Into Town

Neil is the first and only person to notice that something is wrong with Nikki; even though they didn’t spend a ton of time together this episode, they do have one of the more powerful emotional beats. He knows her arguably better than Max does, and can therefore more quickly recognize when she’s not herself (though how you miss that says less about Neil and more about what a single-minded revenge-obsessed monster Max is at this point in the show).

This is not the first time he notices that Nikki’s being mistreated and expresses concern, either. He’s much more protective of her than his often-selfish nature would imply.

Season 1, Episode 9: David Gets Hard

They spend the entire episode playing together! Bonding! This is basically what we can assume they’re doing whenever Max is off with David or Dolph or whatever scheme he has going on when he’s not with them, and the fact that they basically spend all their waking hours hanging out and being friends is just really lovely, especially considering how little they have in common and how few the things they’d both enjoy doing are.

It becomes clear that their friendship can survive without Max acting as an anchor, which, as anyone who’s been in a 3-person friendship can attest, is not always the case.

Season 1, Episode 10: Mind Freakers

Neil is such a jerk in this one, and I actually think it makes a really nice contrast. Nikki’s been mean to him in previous episodes, and in a very similar way; in “Reigny Day,” she cares less about his well-being than about having her own fun and exciting adventure. In this episode, Neil’s similarly too self-absorbed to worry about his friend’s personal safety -- albeit with much more disastrous (maybe? Is Nikki magic?) results.

But the way Nikki just trots along beside him down the path to hell and choking on magic scarves is adorable. She more or less always trusts him and does what he tells her to.

This is perhaps not the wisest idea, but Nikki isn’t known for her wisdom.

What’s the opposite of that “get you a man who” meme? Because this is not. Get a man who never does this.

That being said, the look on his face when he’s genuinely scared for her life and about to turn his back on everything he believes? 

I ship it.

Season 1, Episode 11: Camporee

There’s literally nothing. They’re barely in this episode and I don’t think they interact at all. They can’t all be winners, I guess.

That being said, Max and Neil have this really cute moment and it should be appreciated. Anyway.

Season 1, Episode 12: The Order of the Sparrow

Shit, they’re not really in this one either! The closest we get to shipping fodder is Neilxplatypus.

I mean . . . Nikki is basically a wild animal, and apparently Neil is cool with that under very specific circumstances. It’s a stretch, but I still think there’s more than enough -- 

Holy shit.

Wait.

I’ve only done the first season so far! And this is long as balls! Oh my god, there’s no fucking way I’m doing all the episodes in this post. Niekki is getting a multi-post spectacular because they deserve it, damn it.

[vine-camp]

Max: Okay, I’ll meet you guys outside in a sec. oh and hey babe?

Neil and Preston: Yeah?

Max: ....

Max: Nevermind

Neil: You sure babe?

[soudont]

any headcanons in particular that bug you the most?

yall wanna get me trouble huh

no really its just when neil is portrayed as “jerk that is the worst friend ever”, or when hes portrayed as “dumbass that is there to make max look better”, or “neil is just cute little baby who cant help himself without Big Strong Man Lover” (that one is specific for neison and maxneil hcs) that irks me a little bit.

to me neil is a kid genius who’s also a cocky little shit with a god complex, but if you like your own interpretation of him who am i to say you cant?? ur valid for whatever you portray him as, just those troupes are not my cup of tea!

however i REALLLYYY hate and have a huge problem with the “uwu max is baby who can do no wrong” thing?

i just find it upsetting when some hardcore max fans try and justify max’s toxic behavior with his homelife, and then just shit on neil and nikki for their mutual toxicity when they also have troubled homelives

thats abt it lol everything else doesnt really phase me too much

[daily-maxneil]

Autistic!maxneil headcanons, just me self projecting and yelling about how much I love my boys don’t mind me

-both Max and Neil are autistic.

-Max didn’t get diagnosed until he got adopted my David, everyone just assumed max was just like that. (Though they weren’t wrong, it’s nice to have it)

-Neil got his diagnosis much earlier, around when he was a toddler (Curtsey for @genievillain26 for the original headcanon!) which did end up getting more of a better understanding, but ultimately got made fun of much more because of it.

-around the first time they start dating Max might’ve uh- accidentally did the hand flaps(™) and oh.

-max got embarrassed but Neil’s grin was so wIDE

-“HOLY FUCK YOU DO THAT TOO—“ “Uh-“

-poor max but at last rumor came out: both max and Neil does is gay and does is autistic. (Its p gr8)

-Neil’s more prone to meltdowns, Which makes things difficult sometimes but max tries his best. Most of the time things are fine anyway, they get eachother.

-they get to infodump eachother and they can talk for h o u r s. (Or more accurately, neil talks the entire time and Max is just sitting there going- “I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about but I love you, you fucking bitch”)

-at the end of most nights they’re sitting in the dark and hugging/rocking eachother. It’s a good stim, still have a little bit of trouble, but they have eachother.

[son0f-madness]

Yeet Anon here and I am feeling a bit better, so anyway; the au is about Max and his little sister named Mae, (reference to Night In The Woods) Max owns a bar and one day, while working and his sister upstairs, a very familiar group of people come in, but don't recognize Max as he has a full body tattoo and a lot of piercings, plus, his hair is dyed! Now when I manage to release this au, it'll all be explained, plus I think it has Maxneil potential, so, it's angsty, fluffy, and a slow burn! 💕❤

Nice! I look forward to reading it