#this is how it can happen to matt. and allison. and renee

[dayurno]

i just saw what you reposted about kevin being the problem child of doomed homoerotic relationships and nora saying that’s something kevin would do we already have solid proof of jean and basically all of aftg to prove he’s a siren to troubled men do u have any hc about how that happened? especially with kandrew i love them sm they’re truly one of my favorite aftg pairs but like in the question i always assumed it was andrew but now ik it’s kevin it almost makes it better idk?!? like a desperately devoted andrew plus being hopelessly in love with kevin and he obviously was doing it to andrew and neil but imagine if on a smaller scale it was also the rest of the foxes?? but also i can’t tell if he truly was the problem child or just extremely sheltered from and didn’t know how to interact with people so when he’s direct and earnest they fall in love on the spot  

I REALLY DONT KNOW AT ALL................... i think part of it is kevin being earnest and open about it in a way someone who hasnt been raised in a cult Wouldn't be but it's just really also. the kind of people he's doing it to.... i mean jean at the point he met kevin he'd been homeschooled with violent parents his only friend was his sister and then again jean was literally raising her on his 13 year old shoulders. and then kevin looks at him, and smiles at him, and asks to learn french, and says "i don't want to lose you". has anyone told jean that before???????? has there been anyone, ever, to say you are something worth keeping? you are something i can't lose? YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND. it's not just that kevin is a problem child it's that he chooses to say these things when you have literally no way to defend yourself

and the same for andrew are you crazy........ you're worth it. DO YOU UNDERSTAND...... has anyone ever told andrew that before? you're worth the trouble? i won't give up? i'll stay right here even if you fumble and kick and scream and refuse to play with me? I MEAN IT'S SERIOUSLY SICK. it's sick. it's horrible. he's so earnest. why is he like this. no wonder andrew was fighting wars and pulling knives this is the first time someone looked him in the eye and said no matter what you do i'm Not going to give up on you. and then he didn't even when andrew was a real fucking cunt about it. should we all just explode.

[waestlandbaby]

Something that stood out to me in my aftg reread was how unhinged the upperclassmen actually are.

Matt fucking Boyd and his willingness to absolutely go at anyone, anywhere, any time. There's a scene where Kevin tells him to foul another player on the opposing team and Neil specifically points out the unrepentant grin he has on his face as he waltzes off court after it happens. He also is described as the best player on the foxes line up multiple times by Neil and his play style is aggressive, he uses his height and build to his advantage and he doesn't hold back.

Allison and Andrew have the exact same style of serving cunt, in that if you don't interest them they will not even acknowledge your existence. A player from another team attempted to score on the goal and both Allison and Andrew stood still and watched them miss with such bitchy indifference it probably gave that player ptsd. They also both have a habit of cutting through bullshit and demanding truth ESPECIALLY regarding topics other people would shy away from. Badass blonde bombshells.

Dan Wilds is just as rabid about Exy as Kevin and her every first thought goes to the game first just like Kevin. She's just better at making her second thought go to something else. She literally knew the second Seth was out of the picture that there was an opportunity there and she didn't even really hesitate to talk to Matt about it. She looked at Neil and whatever fucked up little thing he had going on with Andrew (as it would have looked to an outsider, let's remember that they all knew Andrew took him to Columbia and drugged him) and was like, how can we use this to make the team stronger. Like Nicky used Neil to manipulate Andrew but Dan did it better and with much more calculation.

Renee I don't even really need to talk about because Neil was always wary of her but there is one scene where Neil let's slip about his father's penchant for knives and Renee's reaction and understanding gave me chills. Renee uses that part of her to protect and that's really great because she would be terrifying otherwise.

[dvrcos]

Aaron may not have an eidetic memory like Andrew does but he has a damn good one and he can remember anything he puts even the smallest amount of effort into remembering.

After everything that happened in Baltimore Aaron starts to note every small possibly important (and unimportant) medical fact about the foxes. And he’s not even totally conscious he’s doing it.

He consciously remembers Andrew and Nicky’s blood types. He knows Nicky’s allergic to penicillin and he knows Andrew doesn’t react well to doctors so it’s best for everyone if he can be administered some kind of sedative right away.

And then he thinks he should probably know this stuff for Kevin, and begrudgingly Neil, because they’re part of his strange little family that Andrew’s created. So he quickly and easily finds this information on them (because he’s a Minyard and he just knows how to find the things he needs to know). So he knows their blood types and he knows Kevin still feels residual pain in his left hand but doesn’t show it and try’s to ignore it. He knows Neil heals annoyingly quick from his all too common injuries but he also knows he aggravates those injuries easily by pushing himself too soon.

But it doesn’t stop there, there’s a small itch in the back of his head driving him to find out the important medical facts about the rest of the foxes. So he allows himself to remember their blood types and allergens and tells himself he needs to know incase of an emergency.

But he also notices that Matt has a high tolerance to pain medication whenever he’s being treated by Abby for an injury during practice or a game. And he notes the one type that works for him and keeps multiple bottles on him and in their room. (It’s also the only type that works for Kevin and works best for Neil so he stocks their room with it too)

And he notices that Allison is a slight germaphobe and applies hand sanitizer anytime she has to touch a public door handle or they go out to eat. So he opens as many doors for her as he can despite the confused look he gives her every time and he just glares right back at her. He keeps an extra mini bottle of hand sanitizer in his backpack for her as well and silently passes it to her when she’s forgotten hers.

He notices Dans chronic knee and lower back pain that Abby is constantly treating and how there’s always a rotating rainbow of colorful KT Tape on her. So he keeps an eye on Abby’s stock of tape and when a color is running low he casually mentions it to her to order more and then walks away.

He notices how Renee always picks at the scabs on her knuckles that result from her sparring with Andrew. He figures the wraps she has are getting old and silently leaves a new pair on the counter the next time he’s in the girls dorm, along with a box of bandaids and a tube of antiseptic ointment. He leaves a matching set of supplies in Andrew’s dorm as well just to be safe.

He doesn’t consciously realize that what he’s doing is protecting and taking care of the Foxes. But the others catch on and smile fondly at him because he’s letting himself care for them and become part of their family.

And the one time Dan mentions what he’s doing for them he looks at her like she’s crazy. He tells himself, and her, that that’s not what he’s doing, he’s just a future doctor and someone needs to take care of these injury prone idiot athletes and no one else besides him and Abby are going to do it right.

Aaron would definitely be so observant and acutely aware of the Foxes physical well beings despite him insisting he doesn’t care and hates them all. But he basically becomes Abby’s right hand man and teams second nurse because it’s good practice for his future and he knows them.

[wilhelminyard]

part 3 of the foxes being brutally honest and insulting people to their faces because they are SAVAGES

NEIL :

"I figured he was an egocentric maniac who was so desperate for his own glory he refused to see the potential in anyone else"

"tell me you're not that stupid"

"I might have been a little more considerate if I'd known how stupid you are"

"you being an asshole at heart means I was right about your chances. you do understand by now that your cowardice is what's keeping you and andrew apart, right?"

"you're a spineless asshole. you let the world happen to you and don't bother to fight back. you let other people dictate how you can live your life and who you can spend your time with. remind me why you put up with your mother's abuse for so long. did you actually love her despite her madness, or were you just too afraid to walk away?"

"what do you think?" "I think fuck you"

"your false bravado helps no one" "neither does your cowardice"

"you already walked away from him once knowing what riko would do to him in your absence. don't do it again. if you don't protect him now, his death is on you"

"die free or die a failure. the choice is yours."

"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"

ANDREW :

"is your learning curve a horizontal line?"

"a privileged child like you has never seen the real world"

"I've had enough of your stupidity to last me a week"

"I'm volunteering my opinion" "don't. children should be seen and not heard"

"you're stupider than even I gave you credit for"

"you have a problem wherein you only invest your time and energy into worthless pursuits"

"you're a different kind of suicidal. didn't you figure that out in december? you're bait. you're the martyr no one asked for or wanted"

"I hope you two are miserable together"

WYMACK :

"anyone have ideas on how to make neil look a bit less like a battered wife?"

"I can't tell if you're being obtuse to fuck with me or if you're really that dumb."

"I need you to derail that one-track fucking mind of yours for two seconds"

"great. kevin's turning into another you. that's just what I needed."

"get washed up before your stench kills me"

KEVIN :

"we need you on the court but not if you're going to drag us down with you. in the shape you're in right now you'd be a complete waste of our time."

"even if you'd stepped it up when I told you to a year ago, you would have no chance of beating them. there is nothing at all you can do this late in the year. they are better than we are and they always will be"

"stop acting like a spoiled child"

"you've got a thing for controversial teams, I think, but I like this one much better than the last one" "they're mediocre at best but they're easier to get along with"

NICKY :

"do you get off on being such a debbie downer?"

AARON :

"it wasn't the drugs that made him crazy"

"I'm walking away and pretending I don't know you"

"I want to drink and pretend I don't know any of you"

MATT :

"good to see you're still fuck-all crazy"

"one of these days you have to let me hit kevin."

ALLISON :

"you are on messed-up child. you come by that naturally or did your parents do that to you?"

"seriously you guys? it's like you don't know us" "we try not to"

RENEE :

"I tried taking you off his hands at one point. andrew refused on the grounds he wouldn't wish you on anyone except a mortician"

[andrewsleftarmband]

Foxes Walk Out Songs

Ive seen this done a couple times and wanted to do it myself!! Slight modern au cuz I’m too lazy to find period accurate songs.

Dan Wilds

The Greatest by Sia

I think she’d choose this one to sort of hype herself up, and hype her team.

The pre chorus repeat of “I won’t give up” is just so Dan to me and I think she’d agree.

Matt Boyd

My guy Matt is definitely charging into the court to the raucous melody of

Turn Down For What by DJ Snake and Lil Jon

My guy is picking the hypest song he can think of and he’s gonna get that crowd GOING

Renee Walker

Sunday Best by Surfaces

Idk I think Renee would want something upbeat and happy

This song is so Renee coded like “feeling blessed, never stressed” is definitely a sticker she’d have on her water bottle

Allison Reynolds

Allison is 100% picking a hot girl bop and a half

And that song is On My Mama by Victoria Monet

I think she’d pick this song obviously for the hot girl vibes but also as another fuck you to her parents. “They say she get it from her mama, imma say you fucking right”

Nicky Hemmick

Now Nicky is picking an iconic gay anthem to strut out to in the most flamboyant way he can

And that song is I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross

I think he’d find the literal interpretation funny, but also he’s definitely the type to shout from the rooftops that he’s gay and this is a way to do that

Aaron 100% rolled his eyes when nicky picked this one

Aaron Minyard

Okay here’s how this went (I read a fic where something similar happened I’m just changing the circumstances lol)

I think Aaron would just avoid choosing something for lack of caring

And I think Nicky would decide to choose for him

But when Nicky suggests Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson, he almost immediately shuts the idea down

But then he sees a little quirk of andrews eyebrow betraying a hint of amusement

And he chooses Man in the Mirror

One could laugh at it, but one could also get depressed by looking too closely at “I’m asking him to change his ways”

But I’m choosing to laugh

Neil Josten

This one was hard, I went through a couple options before landing on what I think would be funniest while being something he might actually pick

I don’t think Neil would know what to pick so I think Andrew would just show him a bunch of songs until he picked one

And I think he would eventually land on Centuries by Fall Out Boy

For one thing Andrew def listens to the emo trinity

For another I think the song has Neil’s fuck you im going to win energy that he brings to the court

One could look more closely at Neil “I’m finally a real person” Josten picking a song saying “you will remember me”

I love it

Andrew Minyard

This was actually the hardest

Because I don’t think Andrew would actually care enough to participate

But I can also see him using it as an opportunity to be a little shit

So I think he’d look wymack directly in the eye and choose Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne

Just to watch him sigh and put a hand to his forehead in exasperation

And I think the rest of the team would find it funny

Anyways, lmk what you think or if I’m like way off the mark here.

[thefoxholecast]

The Original Foxhole Court Extra Content (Archived from Nora Sakavic’s Tumblr)

We copied the following text directly from the pre-2024 version of the Foxhole Court Extra Content page on Nora Sakavic’s Tumblr blog (korakos.tumblr.com/fox). In March 2024, she did “some spring cleaning” by shortening the list of links and deleting/hiding old posts. The links in this copy lead to archived snapshots of the old posts on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

Some of the links are broken. If you have copies of these posts, please let us know so we can fill in missing content!

Because Tumblr only allows up to 100 links per post, we're unable to replicate the full list here. View the full list of links on our blog here: thefoxholecast.tumblr.com/FoxArchive

The Foxhole Court

ETA 2023: most of the posts here are from 2013-2015. Some of them overlap with older drafts. Some answers have evolved over time, even if they haven’t been updated here. Most I haven’t changed my mind on, for better or worse. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, and good luck making sense of ‘em around all the drunk rambling and detours. One day if I have the energy I’ll just sort it into a coherent reference.

~~

Two sections here: the questions submitted by tumblr users, and a miscellaneous collection of stories & factoids pulled from the oft-neglected blog. The questions aren’t in any particular order, though I did try to organize them by subject matter. Ish. Once the dust is settled a bit I’ll try to find a better sorting system. Also, the tumblr tag I use for questions is http://korakos.tumblr.com/tagged/foxhole-court-questions-and-spoilers

Lots of spoilers for The Foxhole Court ahead!

Preface: Why are Asks disabled in 2016?

COURTING MADNESS

—Exy Rules & Regulations

—Exy: A History of the Sport

—Palmetto State University

—The original “What Happens After King’s Men” post

—SON NEFES, the cousins’ freshman year through Renee’s eyes

——One . Two . Three . Four . Five

—Nicky Hemmick

—Seth Gordon

—Aaron Minyard

—Matt Boyd

—Kevin & Andrew

—David Wymack & the Monsters

—Wymack & Andrew re: Neil

—Dan Wilds is recruited to the Foxes *

—Allison through Dan & Renee’s eyes *

——pulled from an abandoned, unfinished book about the Foxes’ women

TUMBLR

NEIL

—Neil’s life on the run

—Do they ever celebrate Neil’s birthday?

—What if Neil told the truth earlier?

—Neil through the Foxes’ eyes

—Neil through Ichirou’s eyes

—Neil’s looks post-book and relationship with his reflection

—Does Neil ever talk to Bee?

—Neil’s millions

—Neil’s fight training

—Who’s Neil closest to beside Andrew

—Neil’s fashion style

—Cellphone ringtone

—Christmas/birthday presents for Foxes

—Does Neil ever cry?

—Neil’s lonely fifth year

—When Neil’s overwhelmed

—Does Neil crush on his teammates?

—Neil & Ichirou’s intimidation

ANDREW

—Andrew’s sober look at his teammates & Neil

—How did Andrew react to Cass’s letter?

—Andrew’s medication and the follow-up

—Has Abby seen Andrew’s scars?

—Andrew & Mama Bee

—Andrew & Roland

—How far has Andrew willingly gone?

—What animal figurine did Andrew buy Betsy?

—Andrew’s eye color

—Andrew’s opinion of the cats

—What’d Andrew say to Nicky in TKM?

—Andrew’s honest opinion of Exy

—Andrew’s thoughts on Neil’s binder

—Andrew and his sexuality

—If Andrew had met Neil’s mother

—Andrew’s thoughts on Neil’s sexuality

—Andrew’s fondest memory of Neil

—Andrew’s aforementioned withdrawal

—Do you think Andrew is really really really awesome?

—Proust and Andrew

—What happens to Proust?

—Andrew’s reaction to Neil’s bday blood

—Andrew on Neil eventually changing out

—Does Andrew get grumpy?

—Does Andrew get less dead inside?

—Does Andrew call Neil by his name?

—Why give the Foxes crackers?

—Andrew’s first choices in winning a fight

—Who liked knives?

—What got chopped from Drake’s arc?

—Does Andrew get off thinking about Neil?

—Post Andrew & Bee’s side story?

—When did Andrew start thinking Neil was interesting?

—Any other words he can’t stand?

—What does he think about nicknames?

—Explain Andrew’s fatal disease in the comic version

—Andrew’s canon mental state

—How did Andrew not know about Tilda’s abuse?

—Why punch Neil for “Sorry”, and when Andrew is sick

—What’s with Andrew and promises

—Andrew’s thoughts on Roland’s premature confession

—Andrew’s arrest

—Wanting nothing vs not wanting anything

—Why was Andrew laughing after Drake?

—If Neil had chosen Dan & Matt over Andrew

NEIL & ANDREW

—The other 10%

—Which teammate caught on first?

—Do Andrew & Neil go on dates?

—When did they first hold hands?

—When did Andrew clue in?

—Exites self-censure

—Betsy’s & Aaron’s reactions to the news

—Roland’s opinion of things

—The breaking point

—Who tops?

—On tying people up

—Their domestic life aka Sir Fat Cat

—I love you

—Andrew and the bed issue

—Nightmares

—Do they learn to talk to each other?

—Blaming Neil for Drake

—Andrew comforting Neil?

—Neil’s fondest memory of Andrew

—Neil getting Andrew off for the first time

—Neil seeing Andrew naked

—Neil & the sex how-to

—How was the first time

—Where’d it happen?

—When was their first hug?

—“I won’t let you let me be”

—Their roadtrips

—Neil waking Andrew up

—Andrew’s real smile

—How does Andrew show appreciation for Neil

—Their happiest moments

—Does Neil ever make Andrew laugh?

—Does Andrew take comfort in Neil

—Does Andrew get protective/possessive?

—Doesn’t Neil crave affection?

—Andrew re: Neil’s panic attacks

—Media reaction to Andrew/Neil

—Further reaction to Andrew/Neil

—On “accidentally” sitting in laps

—What if Andrew died?

—What if Neil died?

—Reaction to getting hit on by others

—Do they celebrate anniversaries?

—The first time Neil pushes Andrew down

FOXES

—How tall are the Foxes?

—Why is everyone so short?

—Where did their names come from?

—What were their majors?

—What do the Foxes look like?

—What are their Hogwarts houses?

—Reaction to the kidnapping

—Do Neil & Renee become friends?

—What did Allison do with Seth’s urn?

—Nicky’s evolution over the drafts

—Do the Foxes get their skiing trip?

—Does Andrew know Nicky kissed Neil?

—When did Aaron & Katelyn fall for each other?

—How did Andrew and Wymack end up handcuffed together?

—Kevin’s favorite things

—Kevin and Andrew’s on-court kerfuffle

—Dan’s haircut

—Dan & Matt’s relationship

—Dan & Matt’s first kiss

—Matt bouncing back from Columbia

—Matt rooming with the monsters

—The other what-if OT3 aka D/M/N and the dynamic

—Do Allison and Renee have the hots for each other?

—Matt forgiving his father

—Any mistletoe shenanigans?

—Thanksgiving and the Foxes

—Kevin’s best friend

—Janie Smalls

—How did Kevin and Thea meet?

—Foxes’ favorite ice cream flavors

—Kevin & Andrew’s on-court argument

—Foxes’ taste in music

—Kevin’s middle name & drink of choice

—Do Kevin & Neil want to kiss?

—Which Fox would Kevin kiss, then?

—Kevin’s best non-Exy memory

—Allison’s three bets

—Why is Allison’s middle name Jamaica

—Kevin, Andrew, and Neil staying friends

—“Joan of Exy”?

—Can the Foxes sing?

—Some of the Foxes’ previous bets

—Do Nicky & Allison become friends?

—Are Foxes based on RL people?

—Nicky when Neil asks about friendship

—Dan & the monsters in Columbia

—What if Kevin was killed?

—Renee and her near-death experiences

—More background available on Renee?

—Why doesn’t Aaron let the Foxes in?

—Team’s reaction to Drake, Andrew’s reaction to being outed

—Andrew & Aaron’s time with Tilda

—Does Aaron reconcile with Andrew over Tilda?

—Nicky & his parents after Drake

—Foxes thoughts in Baltimore

FOXES POST-TKM

—The Pro Teams

—The Weddings

—Neil as the Best Man?

—Kevin after TKM —Thea, Jean, Foxes, and Riko

—How does Kevin & Wymack’s relationship evolve?

—Renee after TKM

—Nicky after TKM

—Aaron after TKM

—Allison after TKM

—Dan & Matt after TKM

—Dan and the US Court

—Any pro-period scandals?

—Andrew & Neil’s relationship with their team

—Would Neil hold Matt’s children?

—Neil & babysitting the Foxes’ kids

—Which Fox’s child would curse first

THE FUTURE FOXES

—Who is Robin Cross?

—Neil and Jack

—Andrew’s reaction to Neil punching Jack

—Foxes’ reaction to Neil punching

—Kevin and Jack

—Neil’s new recruit

—Andrew and Jack

RIVALS

—Who is Riko Moriyama?

—Riko & Kevin’s evolving relationship

—More about Riko & Kevin’s past

—How did Riko break Kevin’s hand

—Riko’s brutality toward Jean

—Any draft where Riko wasn’t killed?

—Were Riko, Kevin, and Jean involved sexually?

—Does the Fox-Trojan rematch happen? Also how do the Trojans & Jean get along?

—Do Alvarez & Laila (Trojans) have backstories?

—Thea’s number & thoughts on Raven brutality

THE “ADULTS”

—Kayleigh Day & David Wymack

—Abby Winfield & David Wymack

—Wymack’s parents

—Did Wymack cry during the trilogy?

—Did Kayleigh know about the Moriyamas?

.

.

.

.

Nora & the Foxes

—Fancast and Andrew

—Changing opinion of Foxes over the years

—Bits of the scrapped K/N/A threesome here and here

—The KxAxN AU where Kevin died

—Will there be a sequel?

—What inspired you to develop Exy?

—Fox fanfictions, collected by coldsaturn

—Why a pseudonym?

—What came first, characters or story?

—Were you the artist of the comic version?

—What did the comic-Foxes look like?

—What do you do when you’re not writing?

[ok555ficideas]

If Andriel ever got married, this would be the Foxes speeches in my opinion:

Aaron 

“When I met Neil I hated his guts. He was arrogant, he had an attitude problem, he lacked any kind of authenticity,”

“Is there a compliment there somewhere, Minyard?”

“Shut it, Josten. I’m trying to say something.” 

“Actually, it’s Josten-Minyard now, thank you very much.” 

“So, I think you all know what I mean. Self absorbed, egoistic asshole. Unfortunately he makes my brother happy and I think we all know that making Andrew happy is one of the hardest jobs there is. For the longest time I had no idea what all of you saw in that idiot. He waltzed into our lives and immediately settled himself in all of your hearts. I have no idea when and how it happened and I’m a little tipsy and will refuse the implications of saying any of this tomorrow, but somehow that bastard managed to get to me too. Neil, you are an asshole and I’m so thankful to have you as my brother in law. If it wasn’t for you I would probably have zero contact with my brother in the first place and I’m glad that you stumbled into our lives. I wish you both nothing but the best.” 

Kevin

“When I first made a deal with Andrew I knew that I would have a hard time keeping my end of it. For those of you who don’t know, I promised Andrew to find him something to live for. Back then I thought it was going to be Exy. I know, I know it's very predictable of me, but come on how can you not love Exy? Okay, okay, don’t boo me Andrew I'm getting to the point, jesus. Tough crowd. As we all know Andrew doesn’t care about Exy to this day. He would be a much better player if he did- Auch! Did you just throw a fork at me? What are you? An Animal? I found you a husband and all I get is hate. Neil was the way I kept my end of the deal. I admit, I wasn’t frilled at first about their relationship. It derailed Neil’s focus from Exy, but at the end of the day it helped two of the most important people in my life be happy, so I’m happy. To Andrew and Neil!”

Renee

“As the maid of honor, I have to fulfill my duty and embarrass the groom a little bit. When Neil first joined the foxes Andrew was gone for him from the start. Don’t make that face, Andrew. You know it’s true. I had to hear over and over again about “that stupid idiot”. When they finally got together I was over the moon. I couldn’t think of two other people who fit together so well, apart from me and my wife, of course. You two had to walk through literal hell to get to this point and I’m so proud of you. I hope that God won’t throw any more hardships your way, but even if they do I know that you will be able to survive them, together.” 

Matt

“My best friend got hitched!!! Yes, people. Come on, a sound of applause to the newlyweds! Oh, Neil. The day I found out about you two was a day filled with so much new information yet this was what shocked me the most. At first I was scared for your life and sanity, but you both proved time and time again that you are perfect for each other. Andrew, I’m so sorry for ever doubting you. There is no one out there better for Neil and I’m so glad he has you. Cheers!” 

Dan

“Neil, the day you joined the foxes was the day that everything finally clicked into place. You were the last missing piece of the puzzle and I will be forever grateful to you for changing the whole dynamic of the team. You are like a little brother to me and I never wish for any harm to come your way ever again. Andrew, thank you so much for protecting him. For protecting all of us, even if we didn’t always know that that's what you were doing. We had our differences, but I’m so happy that you are a part of my family.” 

Allison

“I was kind of mad, when I found out you two weren’t eloping after all. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to be here, but I had a lot of money riding on it and you all know how much I hate losing bets. Neil, what you see in that guy I will never understand, but I can see that he makes you happy. Your face looks like you are holding a banana and it is a little embarrassing. No, don't show me pictures from my wedding, Neil. This is photoshop, I did not look that ridiculous. Anyway, I can see that Andrew is good for you so you two have my blessing. Andrew, you have found a gem, don’t you dare take him for granted.” 

Nicky

“Hello everyone, are you having fun? Glad to hear it. I just wanted to point out that if the grooms have organized any of this it would be fucking terrible. Did you seriously bring a knife to your own wedding, Andrew? You can wave that thing at me all day long, I know you are just a bark with no bite. Love made you softer. This is the most important wedding I have ever attended. Sorry, my love. My other cousin had deprived me of my God given right to attend his and,” 

“For fucks sake, Nicky. Will you let it go if I let you plan a party for us?” 

“Yes! You heard that people. You can expect another awesome party like this coming soon. Neil, you have entered our little family and I knew that you would shake things up from the get go. I had never imagined that we would end up like this, but I’m so glad we did. I love you and I’m so happy that you are now legally binded to us even though there was no need for a piece of paper to prove that we are where you belong. Andrew, I’m so glad that you found someone who makes your whole face light up. All I ever wanted for you was to be happy and I’m so glad you found it with Neil. I love you both so much.” 

Wymack

“Why all of you didn’t know that these two knuckleheads were bound to end up together from the beginning I will never understand. It was so fucking obvious and you are all bunch of idiots. That’s it, that’s the speech. To the newlyweds!”

[karmacharmeleon18]

https://www.tumblr.com/karmacharmeleon18/783804827926937600?source=share

Why didn't he fall in love with neil then?

I can turn the question on you with: why didn't Neil fall in love with Kevin? Or Jean? Or Matt? Neil is demisexual and he needs a strong bond with someone in order to feel physical and romantic attraction, so why not him? Why not any of them? Why not Dan or Allison (or even Renee)? Why not any of the people that Neil has bonded with?

And the answer is simple: Neil doesn't want Kevin, or Matt, or anyone else. He wants Andrew.

🤷🏾‍♀️

Ok, so, you linked my theory that Jean was never "in love" with Kevin. Attracted to him? Yes. Trauma bonded to him? Yes. But in love? No.

He was a terrified 14yo kid who just clung to the first person that was nice to him, and once in the Nest, had Thea been nicer, less Thea, he would've had a crush on her as well

(and even if it had been love, how much can it matter now? He was a kid back then, he is a man now, people really think a childhood "love" can survive so many years, so many horrors, so many betrayals?)

Jean was a terrified 14yo who was sold by his family, trafficked into a foreign country, abused his whole life

So of course he developed a crush, maybe even hero worship (like for Thea? almost?) for the only person that treated him decently, that was nice to him

(and despite all that... he still looked at Jeremy's pictures, when Kevin was right there...👀)

So why did he not fall for Neil?

First of all, because Jean is different now

The Nest changed him

At 14 years old he was still fighting back, still clinging to hope, still defying the rules...

Then the Master beat that out of him, Riko bled that out of him

Now the rules are rules and must be respected

(we are 2 books into his healing journey and he's still clinging to those rules, he's just begun contemplating that they don't matter anymore)

Had Neil been kind to him, Jean simply would not have let himself fall for him imo

Jean is not a fool

In the Nest:

For those few weeks (that felt like years) they were both trapped, so what even was the point?

Besides, Neil was never "nice" with him

Neil was in survival mode, in a situation far too similar to Jean's, and Jean actually begged him to behave so they wouldn't get punished more

By that point Jean had already been betrayed by Kevin, there's no chance he was going to trust someone that much again just like that

And I honestly don't think anyone can "fall in love" in the Nest, there's just too much trauma, too much suffering, the only certainty is the Exy court and that's all you should (can) focus on

(Nora confirmed this, both in canon and in the extra content; in the Nest relationships are forbidden, and if they start, they either remain shallow enough not to draw the attention of the Master and Riko - KevThea -, or become obsessively codependent, to the point that one's suicide leads to the other attempting as well; Nora said that right now Thea is the closest person Kevin has to a "friend", but even then, it will take them years, well into their pro careers and living together, to form an actual loving, more conventional relationship; right now they care about each other but still, their main focus is Exy, that's what they love)

Even if Neil had given Jean something to cling to, Jean would not have let himself

Out of the Nest:

Again, Neil is not exactly nice, let alone kind

Neil is antagonistic, petulant, bitchy (I love him, he's probably one of my favorite characters ever)

And Jean has no reason to get attached to him because he is constantly surrounded by kind people that give him positive attention

The need to trauma bond with someone who happens to be bitchy and acerbic (Neil, Kevin) is not there anymore

Because now he knows what it's like to receive actual kind attention (Renee, Cat, Laila, Cody, Xavier, Rhemann and Adi, Jeremy)

And I don't think he was in love with Renee, either

Renee represented hope, a point of reference outside of the Nest, but still, too much trauma is attached to her. Jean sees her and sees the Nest, just like he sees Kevin and sees the Nest, sees Neil and sees his misplaced partner, and Riko's blades, and his own hands holding Neil down as Riko tortured him, back to a time when he was filled in equal parts with relief because it's not me and guilt because it's not me...

Jean definitely saw the potential, he knew he could fall in love with Renee, if he would only let himself

But at that point Jean cannot let himself, not even in Palmetto

He's just not ready

He doesn't know how

(again, 2 books into his healing journey and he barely feels ready to look at Jeremy)

Right people, wrong time

So if not even kind Renee can push Jean to try, how the hell could Neil? The abominable cockroach?

I think we all fell in love with Neil again during his stint in California, yes?

Ordering a hit on a rapist, and ACAB, and so was Elodie

But is that enough to make Jean fall in love with him?

Jean that now knows what kindness, respect, affection, trust feel like?

Jean who is constantly surrounded by sunshine?

Jean who doesn't need to cling to someone else in a bid to survive?

Jean who now can choose, and want freely for the first time?

It's not

(obviously, as it's not canon lol)

Wrong people, and the time doesn't matter because it would never happen anyway

(same as Kevin)

Jean is not in love with Neil, never was, and never will be

In the future:

Jean-Neil is actually one of the very few Trojan-Foxes relationships I can see developing into an actual friendship

(though not in the "bestieee! twiiins!", almost ridiculously conventional and "normal" way most fanfics portray it 🙄)

Nora said it'll take Kevin years to make actual friends, possibly he'll have to wait until he's retired, that any relationship he's in "will have to account for his narcissism", that not even Neil and Andrew are his friends right now, so I'm not sold on the Kevin-Jeremy friendship; Jeremy is friendly with him and cordial like he is with everybody, and probably considers Kevin a "friend" because that's just the way Jeremy is, but in canon they barely text and only speak at games + the interview plot

(but still, Jeremy heard Kevin dismiss the fact that Jean was raped several times, heard the way Kevin kind of? actually? victim-blamed Jean, saw Kevin get physically aggressive with Jean... it'll take him a while to see Kevin in the same light again, let alone become real friends with him... something something never meet your heroes...)

And the headcanons of other Trojan-Foxes friendships are fun, but I still don't take them too seriously because the Foxes are just so fundamentally different from the Trojans, have so little in common, so little overlap, I just can't see it, you know?

With a few exceptions: I can see Matt and Jeremy becoming friends for example, even though Matt's time in the national team and Exy in general is very short as he'll always prioritize his family life with Dan

But realistically, there is a point in time when they are on the same team and they have enough in common that they could become friends

(while none of the other Foxes besides Neil, Andrew, Kevin and Matt go pro, so I can't see where and how they would become bffs with Cat, Laila, Jeremy and Jean)

And in the same way I can see the potential in Neil and Jean (possibly even Andrew)

It will take time, and Jean getting over a lot of trauma and guilt, but I can see it

Especially if both make Court, I can see them spending time together outside of games/training once they're on the same team (still Exy-centric tho, like Exy games marathons or buying equipment... and gods, can you imagine all the snide comments they'd make about their rivals? and about Kevin? LMAO)

I see Jean and Neil as almost brothers in a way, and not like Kevin and the Moriyamas understand brotherhood

They're the same age but Neil has huge bratty little brother vibes and Jean that ever-suffering bitchy big brother aura

(Jean is a big brother, after all...)

In a way, they're too similar to ever be in love

But friends?

I can see them being civil with each other, not super close, texting a few times a year if they're on different teams, more frequenly when they're Court, and mostly about Exy, but still, I have your back and I'll order a hit on your tormentor and you don't even have to ask and I'll vanquish any threat that comes your way, on the court and off of it

I can see that

It's not a conventional friendship/brotherhood, but Neil and Jean are not conventional people

So it works

In conclusion:

Jean is not a fool

He might be starved for affection, clinging to any ounce in kindness, but he's not some pathetic puppy imprinting on the first person that pets him instead of kick him

(Again, think of it like Neil's demisexuality: does he fall in love with everyone he forms a bond with? No. Does Jean fall in love with everyone who's kind to him? No.)

Evermore Jean was a caged child

Nest Jean was an object

Trojan Jean is a free man

He's not gonna fall in love with just anybody that shows him an ounce of respect and decency

That's not how it works.

Love is hard work, it's constant confrontation, honesty, support, difficult conversations, reassuring hands and kind eyes that meet yours anytime you enter a room

Love is like gardening, you need to put in the work, the attention, the time to take care of it, or nothing will grow

And only now, for the first time ever, Jean has the chance to do all that

And he wants to do it with Laila, Cat and above all Jeremy

Love is a choice that you make constantly, every day

Jean has made his choice, and he will always choose them.

Right people, right time.

[sincerelystuggling]

Andriel and the team's kids

Miss Nora had posted that Matt hands his and Dan's newborn to Neil and Neil tries very hard to not have that happen, he doesn't know the first thing about babies. "((tbh Andrew handles it a lot better))"

I imagine it goes something like this: Matt is assuring Neil he's fine, here you hold the head up first and foremost, support, after that just hold them to you, that's it, okay see you're going to be just fine. To which as Miss Nora says Dan all but calls him a little bitch and hold their baby when previously he'd not blinked at mafia murder and torture. Neil takes the baby, that's okay, he's okay, he can do this, okay, the baby isn't moving too much, this is nice actually, oh no never mind the baby is screaming, oh god Matt, Matt take your baby. Matt. Take. Your. Baby.

Dan if anything is telling Matt to leave the baby in Neil's arms, the kid is in no danger there and they are going to have years of this, have Neil hold the baby for just a minute. Matt had full faith in him no stop anyway, he's hovering, like a sweet new dad would, but otherwise makes no move to take the baby. Neil, however, looks to Andrew, who is there uninvited officially but by implicit extension to Neil and as a Fox. Andrew, who has spent notable years in foster homes with many a foster sibling young and old, knows how to hold a baby. Dan and Matt are preoccupied watching Neil and their baby to notice Andrew silently walk over to Neil until he is actively taking the baby out of Neil's arms.

For reasons they think are reasonable, this concerns them. Andrew isn't as bad as they thought before Neil but is also in many ways exactly the same or other ways worse. Except Neil, carefully, but practically pours their newborn into Andrew's arms. To which their baby quiets until they go utterly silent. If they weren't concerned before the new parents are about to lose their minds. Dan nearly vaults out of the hospital bed; Matt is about to throw Neil out of his way, his buddy be damned. Right up until Neil reaches for the baby's face with one hand and Andrew's with another and they're fucking floored.

Their baby is silent, and perfectly well, in Andrew Minyard's arms. Their newborn baby is if anything, fully content, and almost drowsy, being ever so minutely rocked by The Monster of the monsters Andrew Joseph Minyard.

This ends up not being a one off, Andrew knows how to handle babies. He ends up being favorite uncle pretty much always. Andrew speaks to kids in ways no one else does and the foxes sans Neil and Renee cannot understand. These kids grow up with his eccentricities and know how to speak in deals and listen to their uncle Andrew. He listens to them in return, nonsense and all, and takes them seriously. Does not matter if two-year-old Amalia says no shoes. Kevin, she's not wearing shoes today. She said yes to being carried, you or someone else will carry her if you're so worried about it. She said no. This is a lesson all the kids learn, and some may try to take advantage of, but Andrew has played this game and balances it well.

Someone had said that Allison may have gone to Dan and Renee when her newly stated daughter comes out to her, but that little girl had already called Andrew to ask if it was okay, if she could be herself, if mom would accept her even if she knew logically, she would, because Uncle Andrew does not lie. I am inclined to agree. He is not soft or comforting, but he is dependable, and how could these kids feel afraid of anything when words scariest 5'1 1/2 average uncles are there for them at a single call.

[wesawbears]

My @aftgexchange fic for @beladreens (I'm sorry- it won't let me tag you, but I'm also going to gift this on A03).

You asked for unconventional omegaverse and crack treated seriously, and my brain said "have I ever read a beta/beta fic?" So, here's Beta Neil and Beta Andrew, with humor and a side of angst.

Thank you to @pretttydemonboy for helping me plot lol

--

It starts, as most things do on this team that God forgot, with Kevin.

Neil's halfway to the dorm, ready to grab his bag for night practice when his phone blared, a discordant sound Andrew had installed on Neil's phone to ensure he would answer. He'd said it was a fox yelling— it certainly got the attention of everyone in the hallway.

Neil ignores the glances his way and flips his phone open:

Andrew: no night practice. roof

He furrows his brow, turning to follow his instructions. Night practice was ritual— in the last few years, barring life threatening injury, neither Kevin or Neil had been willing to give it up. Was it Andrew? If it was a bad day, he usually just stayed quiet, but it never kept him from driving.

He takes the steps to the roof two at a time, not sure what he would find when he reached the top. Once he does, though, he just sees Andrew, casually sitting behind the railing.

Neil joins him, sitting just close enough that the tips of their shoes brushed in greeting. "What happened?"

"Kevin can't make it," he says simply, and from his tone, Neil can't see anything he's not saying.

There goes his theory. His mind flips from concern toward Andrew to flummoxed anger. The idea of Andrew canceling night practice was unfortunate but possible— for Kevin to do so was unthinkable. Kevin had come to practice grief-stricken, drunk, sick, and everything in between. Was he not the one who'd said "If I am breathing, I can play?" What could pull him away from the court?

"He's in heat."

Neil takes a beat. "…are you fucking kidding me?"

Andrew shrugs as if to say "take it or leave it" and Neil leans back on his hands to look up at the sky for answers as Andrew explains.

"Bad batch of heat suppressants in the student athletics office."

Neil's never been more grateful to be a beta. He's pretty sure even if he hadn't been, his mother would have found a way. There were drugs powerful enough to clamp down on someone's nature, make it so whatever instincts you'd had became undetectable. It was just too dangerous to be on the run and have to worry about situations like Kevin was in now.

Neil sighs. "Heats take, what, three days? Four? How long will he be out?"

Andrew shrugs. "It is Kevin, so he will push back as soon as he can. You won't have to wait too long."

Neil hopes not. True, it was only September, but they couldn't afford to fall behind this early in the season, and Kevin knew that better than anyone.

"Is he still in the dorm?"

Andrew shakes his head. "Nicky and Aaron got him. They'll camp out with him. Matt and Dan will bunk with Renee and Allison."

"Any chance of us running away to Columbia to ride it out?"

Andrew tilts his head and the fond derision he finds there makes Neil's stomach curl pleasantly. "Didn't think you'd voluntarily move that far from a court."

"Don't confuse me with Kevin. I've left the court plenty of times."

"For extenuating circumstances."

"I'd call these circumstances extenuating."

Andrew tugs at his sleeve, a question in his eyes and Neil lets himself sway into him, hums at the curl of his hand around his jaw.

It wasn't night practice, but Neil feels his energy settle anyway.

—

If that had been that, Neil would have been content enough. A one-night diversion.

But now, the athlete's dorm has been quarantined, practices were shut down for the week, and Neil was left wishing he and Andrew had taken off for the week anyway.

It was a small comfort that as betas, he and Andrew were at least allowed to quarantine alone with each other, but the boredom aches in his bones. How one bad batch of medication could wreak this much havoc was a mystery to Neil.

He bounces his leg, sitting on the lower bunk. "I don't understand why I can't just go to the court on my own. It's not like anyone's pheromones would affect me."

Andrew pauses where he's sat on a beanbag tossing an empty can in the air and catching it. "Two days ago he was practically begging to go to Columbia. Now he comes crawling back."

Neil fixes him with a look and sits in the adjoining beanbag, turning to face him. "A week, Andrew."

"Somehow you will survive this Herculean trial."

Neil knows, distantly, that it could be worse. The idea of being betrayed by your own body, held captive by your own desires, sends a deep shudder down his spine. There isn't a single piece of his life that wouldn't have been made worse by having a designation. The road, and the Nest alike weren't kind to omegas or alphas.

"Do you ever regret it?"

Neil had never asked Andrew what he was, before. It wasn't relevant, and he wouldn't invade his privacy for an answer that ultimately had no bearing on how Neil saw him. But it can't have been a decision that he made lightly, and Neil knew that sacrifices like that didn't cost nothing.

For Neil, he couldn't conceptualize something he'd never had. But what would it feel like to know what it was to have something and suddenly feel its absence?

Andrew's face doesn't move, but his fingers curl around the can he's still holding. "You know I don't."

Neil nods. It's the answer he expected, and he knows in Andrew's shoes it would be his answer as well.

He reaches out carefully, peeling Andrew's hand off the can, letting him intertwine the fingers of that hand with Neil's. With his free hand, he guides Andrew's hand over the familiar contours of his scars, until Andrew moves his hand on his own to rest over the iron mark, tracing it with his thumb.

When people talked about beta/beta matches, they always lamented the lack of marks. When an omega or alpha matched with a beta, there was inevitably talk of how sad it was that one member would be longing for more, something their partner couldn't give them.

But Andrew and Neil knew that marking someone didn't mean you loved them. They'd been marked irrevocably, by others, by themselves, too deeply to want to scar each other.

Neil felt Andrew's mark in the way he kept his hand curled over his heart, in how he always ran his fingers over the key in his pocket when he felt like running to remind himself why he'd stayed.

They stay like that, curled in close, and no words need to be said to understand how they'd gained more than they'd lost.

[avp23]

assigning marauders era characters a PSU Fox to hang out with

james: matt boyd. you'll have a great time at the gym and gushing about how beautiful your friends are. compare hair routines. im sure matt would love to meet harry!

sirius: kevin. hit on him. freak him out. try some exy. dont let kevin get under your skin, get under his right back! itll be fun i promise. youre no match for each other you tenacious, traumatized, beautiful bastards

remus: wymack. yes what a treat, both of you are sane wymack will make him talk to abby about his hip what who said that? also, both are tired dads, please rest. maybe join lily and andrew?

peter: seth because he will sympathize with the feelings that lead up to the betrayal. "His life is not more important than mine just because he's more talented."??? pete would eat that up! then seth would find out what he did and probably crash out

lily: andrew. you are smart enough to earn his respect methinks and there's no chance of you crossing his boundaries. yall will quickly be sipping hot coca and gossiping, i can see it now.

regulus: renee walkerrr learn how to fight with some knives i bet you'll dig it. i promise youll get along splendidly, she's basically pandora and dorcas in one person

mary: allison, go off and be girls' girls who are repressing feelings for their best friends with each other. maybe you can help each other see the rainbow

marlene: dan! teach each other your sports! and then talk about how great women are and dan yes you may brag about how matt is the exception as long as marlene can brag about her gorgeous gorgeous girlfriend

barty: aaron. honestly im not sure what would happen but your both smart-asses who dont blink twice at violence, at least on the surface. ravenclaw kiiiiings

evan: neil! ace-spectrum baddies. id love for you to talk about how hot your boyfriends are but i also know obviously you wont do that. maybe evan can show neil one of his freaky science experiments? really bring out the cold-hearted-martian in neil

**grant chapman (atyd): nicky. please go have a good gay time together and talk about love and family and how difficult it is when your loved ones make questionable decisions and how they don't always choose you but you lovelovelove them anway <3

this is inspired by a post by @the-sun-is-also-a-star which also has me cooking on how these characters meeting would actually go. ill probably reblog their post with an idea soon

[minyard-05]

imagine Andrew's reaction if Aaron died

i have been staring at this ask for a month now and i can't get over it cause literally. what if aaron fucking died

longer answer:

i cant decide whether aaron dying post-college after andrew has gone pro is worse than him dying in their last year at palmetto but it's an accident either way. he's driving home at night, safe as anything, and a drunk driver just swerves. he couldn't've gotten out of the way in time. it's a freak accident, nothing more. their deal was over. it wasn't andrew's job to protect aaron anymore, he couldn't've possibly been there. he couldn't've possibly stopped it. but katelyn calls him. andrew hangs up the second she tells him what hospital they're at and he leaves.

he's there when they call the time of death, he's there to listen to the doctors talk katelyn through the life insurance processes, he's there as nurses hold her hand and bring her cups of water, and he's there when neil shows up and says kate called him. andrew still doesn't speak, but silently allows neil to sit next to him on the bench. they stay there for hours.

andrew sits by the window and listens to neil call nicky and erik in germany, then wymack, abby, and kevin, then matt, dan, renee, and allison. he listens to half of a muffled phone conversation, listen as neil tries to be as gentle as possible as he explains what happened. he hears his name again and again, hears them asking after him, but he tunes the rest of the conversations out after that.

andrew's initial reaction is numbness before anger. confusion because they had a deal. 'we had a promise and you made me break it.' it doesn't sink in right away, it doesn't hit. and everybody won't stop offering comfort and condolences and nobody will shut up about how kind he was, how hardworking, how resilient and strong he was. nobody will shut up and leave his brother alone and he has to be pulled away from snapping the neck of the fifth person to apologise for his loss.

he stops playing exy. altogether. whether they were still in palmetto at the time or had gone pro by then, andrew would stop. he might do one more practice but wouldn't cooperate with the backliners, so he walks off the court and burns his jersey. he won't play a single game with aaron's name on his back. neil and kevin don't try to talk him back into it (neil made kevin promise not to) so they just let him be, but andrew disconnects from it completely. he goes to neil's games because he always would but he's not in the stands, he stays in the foyer to meet neil afterwards but he won't watch, never talks about it, never says anything about it again. cuts it out completely like a drug

andrew doesn't go to aaron's funeral but neil does. the discussion about it is static, one-sided, but neil gets the message. he gets some half-questions from attendees about andrew's absence, but together nicky and neil manage to divert conversation. in attendance are the foxes, abby, wymack, betsy, katelyn and her family, and some of their friends from med school. it's small. quiet. andrew hasn't moved from the window when neil gets back four hours later. there's two empty packs of cigarettes beside him though, so he can figure out the rest. neither of them speak for the rest of the night. the next day andrew's asleep on the windowsill. he sleeps the rest of the day.

more days and nights will pass and andrew won't speak. answers will come in nods or shrugs, and questions are asked through silent, slight changes in expression, which would be difficult if it was anybody other than neil. andrew speaks again approximately four days after aaron is buried.

its two weeks before he agrees to go to the graveyard, and he doesn't stay long. he goes alone and in the evening, and all he really does is sit on the ground beside the headstone with his brother's name on it. traces the letters. wipes raindrops off of the marble. its virtually as close as they got their first year at palmetto

three weeks later he sees betsy again for the first time. she does most of the talking, as usual, but the hour session is the longest conversation andrew's had since he was still a twin. he goes back twice that week, and keeps going. he'll begin talking to neil about aaron a year later. it'll start with a recount of the first time they met, and then eventually, with some help from betsy and nicky, andrew's able to talk about his brother without shutting down entirely.

this wound won't heal for a long time. possibly not at all. but it can be cared for.

[ninyard]

hello for the “give me a character” I wanna hear your thoughts on Allison <3 @millportisntreal

How I feel about this character

ALLY babygirl mother mommy cuntess Allison. I love her i hate her i'd die for her. I feel like she's misunderstood and misrepresented sometimes (which i've probably been guilty of tbh) but Allison Reynolds is my princess and i would kiss the ground she walks on.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Seth, really. Ichirou I can get behind.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

you already KNOW it's kevallison. they are THE friends with benefits they are the moment they're best friends and they love each other but NOT like that. they'll go down in history books with the healthiest and longest lasting no-strings-attached fuck buddy situationship in the world. i just feel, as two bitches, two DIVAS, that they're made for each other.

My unpopular opinion about this character

(not unpopular but allison DOES go pro. she has to)

she was relieved when Andrew told her that Seth hadn't killed himself. because she KNEW it was true. she knew in her heart and soul that he hadn't overdosed and done this to himself. i feel like she might've really viewed Andrew in a different light after that because his reassurance to her by saying that meant a thousand times more than any other condolences or well wishes.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

i wish we knew more about her backstory. i know it wouldn't really add to the plot much but we found out more about Dan bc of the banquet. Matt bc of the incident with Andrew. Nicky bc he spoke to Neil, Renee bc she spoke to Neil. We know like EVERYONES life story apart from her, properly, in canon. i want to know her motivation and why she did the things she did. I want to know her relationship with her family. I wish we could've seen more into who Allison is besides being pretty, bratty and rich. (all fantastic traits that i adore btw)

[acourtofteasandfoxes]

I just... I love the idea that the Foxes join Renee at church on occasion. All for different reasons, at different times.

Wymack is the first, obviously. He loves all of his Foxes, knows them deeply. Wymack is there with her every Sunday for nearly two months before she settles on a church and finds her place. He still shows on occasion, especially on weeks Renee has been particularly quiet.

Dan goes to squash their high school rivalry. They need to be a team and team members support each other. Dan is also the reason Matt goes for the first time. The girls use it as a test. They wanna see how whipped Matt is for Dan, but also if he'll be respectful. Dan says yes to a date when he asks later that night.

Betsy goes because Renee asks. It was brought up in therapy and Betsy goes without question. Abby joins them. They don't go again, but Betsy doesn't hesitate to discuss religion with Renee and Abby ducks her head anytime Renee prays.

Allison goes after Seth. She had been meaning to go, truly, Renee is her friend and she had been invited. But it doesn't happen until Seth dies. Allison Reynolds is searching for answers, and she wants so badly to find them in church pews and worship songs. Allison would only step foot in that church one more time, and it will be for Renee, not for answers.

Seth never goes before he dies. Renee did invite him, just as she did all the Foxes, but he laughed at the thought.

Nicky was raised religious. Arguably it makes the most sense for him to join Renee when she asks him. Nicholas Hemmick has never said no so fast in his life. The jokes he throws around about bursting into flames when he walks through the doors aren't all jokes. Nicholas Hemmick is scared of the God he once loved. It's not until Drake, and Christmas, and Balitmore, that he cracks. He catches Renee right before she walks in and she holds his hand, in the back pew, as he cries during the sermon. They sit there for an hour after everyone else has left. Renee is the only one who understands the way Nicky feels both healed and broken.

Aaron goes because Katelyn goes. Her and Renee talk about it, she asks Aaron to take her, and really? Dude is so whipped he wouldn't say no. Aaron will never admit it, but he actually really liked the choir. When he gets back to the dorm he looks up a few worship songs to listen to before games.

Andrew doesn't go to an actual Sunday service. He does, however, help Renee volunteer for the church ice cream social. They were short handed and she promised him unlimited ice cream scoops. The adults are scared of him. The children love him and it's absolutely not, could never be, because he is giving all of them double scoops of sprinkles. Much like Wymack, however, he joins on occasion if Renee's vibe feels off. He just never goes inside, choosing instead to smoke in the car as he waits for her.

Kevin is the one to ask Renee if he can join her. They're talking about religion in one of his history classes, it overlaps with Renee's religious studies class, and he's interested. He ends up going every Sunday that summer, gathering information for a project, interviewing people, including Renee. He gets an A on his project and gets invited to all the church's events after that. The little old ladies loved him.

Neil is the last to join. He respects Renee, enjoys her company, but church and large crowds? Sitting still for an hour? Being preached at about something he doesn't believe is real? He has exy, and Andrew, and better things to do with his time. It's his idea, however, when he finally does go.

Because Renee has graduated. She's graduated, is heading into the Peace Corps, and she's leaving the church. Leaving Palmetto. Kevin gets the invite, but it's Neil's idea. Off handed remarks that turn into a Thing. Because the Foxes don't do small.

When Renee is asked to stand, when she is asked to lead the church in prayer one last time, she looks out into the crowd and has to take a moment. Because there, in the back, is an entire pew dressed in Palmetto orange. Every single one of them is wearing her number.

Renee knows, in that moment, that God truly does exist.

[otdiaftg]

"Important?" Matt echoes. "Are we going to talk about the fact that Andrew killed their mother? I thought she died in a car accident. That's what everyone's always said." "She did die in a car wreck," Neil says. "I said accident," Matt says, with emphasis. Neil gazes calmly back and says nothing else, so Matt asks, "How did you find out?" "Nicky told me months ago," Neil said. "Just like that," Matt said dubiously. "You've always known what he's capable of, but you said he's never given you a real reason to be afraid of him. What the hell are your parents into, if you can glide past murder like it's no big deal and get in Riko's face all the time?"

Neil shook his head and was saved by Renee's gentle, "Perhaps Neil trusts Andrew's reasons. Andrew admitted to murder, yes, but he also said he did it for his brother's sake." "It was premeditated," Dan said. "That isn't defense. He could have called the police or social services or gotten Nicky's parents involved." "People with our backgrounds are not inclined to trust the police," Renee said. "It probably never occurred to Andrew that they were a viable option." "And look at what happened last November," Neil added. "Andrew's always known Luther wouldn't protect Aaron." Dan looked between them, disbelieving. "You condone this?" Renee spread her hands and gave her friend a reassuring smile. "We cannot understand the situation entirely, Dan. We will never know Andrew's frame of mind at the time or how bad life with her was for them. All we can do is make a choice: believe that he was protecting Aaron or condemn him for taking the most extreme path. I would rather go with the former. Wouldn't you? It is encouraging and comforting to think he wasn't acting out of malice." "Next you'll say it's sweet," Allison mocked her. "Please don't," Dan said, with a small grimace. "My stomach's weak enough as it is right now."

Day: Friday, January 19th Time: 10:53 PM EST

[cubbyyyy]

A post about my favorite aftg relationships/friendships because why not?

1. Andreil. Of course. I think I actually don’t need to explain more but yea, they were my favorite part in aftg. they quickly became one of my favorite shippings and in my humble opinion love isn’t even enough of a term for them. No one will ever understand another the way they understand each other. They showed me what perfect compatibility looks like because in tiktok term - no one matches each others freak the way they match each others freak. I can’t imagine a neil without an andrew. they are different enough to make the other improve and similar enough to make the other feel validated. they aren’t afraid to show their dark sides bc the other matches the dark sides.

2. Andrew and Aaron. Twinyards. After Andreil their relationship intrigued me the most. The way they seem so indifferent towards each other but caring so much anyways is just so bittersweet. I live for their improvements. The way they legitimately killed for each other is just everything. Neil making Aaron understand that Andrew did everything for him and that he did the same is just so dear to me. Yea they misunderstand each other, but the brotherly love they have for one another could burn cities.

3. Neil and Matt. I love how matt just adopted neil. Neil may be a little crazy but Matt just goes along with it. So when Neil punches a guy, Matt hypes it up. Matt caring for Neil from the start was precious to me since I still wasn’t sure about the “monsters” in the foxhole court. like they seemed honestly pretty much demanding as fuck and I just wanted Neil to have a save, rest space while figuring them out and that’s what Matt gave him. (I especially like the trio of Matt/Dan/Neil). Matt is just the definition of a best friend and I’m glad Neil has his bestie outside of the monsters.

4. Nicky and Neil. Okay hear me out - when I think about Nicky and Neil I just pretend the eden incident didn’t exist bc I can excuse a lot, especially in fiction, but sexual assault is never on the list. So I made the choice to pretend it didn’t happen (i mean the books also pretend it didn’t happen lmao). And when you see them outside of the incident, they were pretty nice. I think Nickys cheerful personality helped to loosen the tension in the team (and monsters group). I loved when Nicky flooded Neils notifications so Neil wouldn’t flinch about them anymore. I also feel like Nicky played a big role in Neils growth. Like telling him to think about more stuff besides exy. Making Neil realize he has friends now. All that stuff.

5. Andrew and Renee. I just love how they’re sparring partners and understand each other so well, that they were the jogging team where they talk about possible zombie outbreaks.

6. Kevin and Jean. They didn’t have much screen time in the aftg series and I haven’t read the tsc yet, but their relationship intrigued me. This one I could possibly even ship romantically since they are so bittersweet that I just wish to save their ending. they formed a bond so deep but yet so scarred that it’s unexplainable.

7. Allison and Renee. I love them. I love how after Seth died, Renee took care of Allison. They just seem so fitting and I’m still shook they weren’t an official thing in the books.

8. Aaron, Nicky and Andrew. The fact that Nicky took care of the twins when he was barely an adult himself is just very precious.

9. Wymack and Neil. Honestly I could put him higher, I just forgot till now to mention wymack so he’s here. The scene at the end of the kings men where Neil asks for wymacks help is just stuck with me for life.

10. Kevin and Wymack. The fact that Wymack is Kevins father surprised me at first but then it made sense? When Kevin said that his father watches all his games I was ready to shed a tear.