I thought about Andrew, who falls asleep on Neil on the couch or in a bag chair, and Neil is completely immobilized for several hours, he even has to skip training
Maybe half the time Andrew just lies with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep (and enjoying the feel of Neil's body underneath him)
Jean is not a delicate little butterfly that’s been trampled into the mud. He’s a chained dragon that’s been trampled into the mud, and the chains are off now. No one else could survive what he went through for as long as he did, certainly not with any trace of spirit or heart still intact. No wonder Jean feels so unseen. Not because people can’t see his pain… but because that’s ALL they’re seeing. How frustrating to prove yourself unbreakable only to be always seen as something broken. He’s faced the darkest fires of hell and survived, but everyone’s focussed on his still-smoking wounds instead of his still-beating heart. This man is a warrior. It’s his enemies they should feel sorry for.
disagree with me if u want but I think it would be so hilarious if, after Jeremy becomes one of the first and only people that Neil immediately decides he likes, Jeremy just LOATHES Neil. Because in tsc we learn that Neil Josten just gives scary vibes. He’s harsh, he’s unpredictable, and he has that manic smile he shows more and more that’s just unsettling. And WE know that he can actually be very caring and empathetic when he likes someone, but Jeremy has barely ever interacted with him. Neil’s perception of Jeremy that we see in tkm is that he’s just this really chill, nice guy who’s great at exy and is just someone Neil really appreciates. But Jeremy only knows Neil through a) his not so flattering public reputation, and b) his pretty complicated relationship with Jean. Jeremy’s most significant memory of Neil is that one day, Neil just randomly shows up in California and Jean just looks terrified, they disappear for five hours and when Jean gets back he has a huge breakdown and looks like he’s going to cry. Wouldn’t it be so hilarious if this just taints any perception that Jeremy has of Neil? and so when they actually meet up, captain sunshine—the most accepting and kind man alive who is just friends with anyone—thinks that Neil is just an absolute asshole.
Bonus if Neil is completely oblivious to this. They start talking after a game and Jeremy is being super cold to him, to the point that even the foxes notice how awkward the conversation is, and then later that night Neil’s just like: “Jeremy’s the best, one of the only exy captains I actually have respect for.” And the other foxes are like ???
Andreil !!
Neil josten and Andrew minyard, my beloveds 🤍
andrew's first pro game in the city aaron lives. he doesn't send tickets or ask aaron to come and he doesn't even tell aaron his team is coming to town. if aaron wants to come he will. andrew can't make him do anything.
between quarters, the jumbo tron is showing a "look-a-like" game on the screen where the camera operators find people in the crowd who look like different celebrities or animated characters. andrew's not paying any attention to it when the crowd goes wild. a teammate nudges him to look up and lo and behold, wearing a Minyard jersey is andrew minyard's look-a-like, aaron minyard himself.
he rolls his eyes when the camera focuses back on him for the side-by-side shot and but aaron can see that andrew is actually very pleased.
How Nora wrote Jean and Jeremy puts into startling perspective how fucked up Neil's stay at Evermore was.
He would not and COULD NOT think about those eighteen days. It was so bad he can't even remember most of it.
I imagine that he only gets small flashbacks when something specific triggers him even later into his pro career.
bee tapping the table so andrew would stop hurting himself 😭 bee not being able to contain her joy when she finds out about andrew and neil 😭 bee getting all the milk and chocolate cuz she knows that andrew has a sweet tooth 😭 bee knowing andrew so well and caring so much about him she doesn't fear him, to the point he said they spent so much time together she became reckless with her questions 😭 bee hoping wymack would take care of her "most precious charge" 😭 bee being so, so proud of andrew for what he overcame 😭 bee not sending wymack away bc she doesn't want to make andrew feel unsafe 😭 bee being such a gentle being every one knows how much andrew appreciates her even if they don't understand it😭 bee watching a musical with andrew and wymack to distract andrew from what happened 😭 bee messaging andrew after the session™ saying she was happy for him 😭 bee and andrew texting each other regularly 😭 just mama bee
jean moreau and neil josten parallels might be death of me. how they were meant to have each other's numbers. misplaced forever partners. neil was jean's unfulfilled promise. how jean was always there to pick neil back up again during his stay in evermore. how jean and neil were the same in the eyes of the moriyamas. how one was scarred and burned with fire and the other was abused and conditioned with water. how fierce and gentle neil is with jean despite knowing him for a couple of weeks max. how they understand each other on a level that maybe no one else can. jeanneil you are SO real to me.
neil accidentally sits closer to andrew than he meant to. he tries to move to create some distance again, respecting his personal space, but as soon as he does, andrew subtly shifts his body over and presses their legs against each other. andrew isn’t looking at him, he keeps his bored stare on the t.v, and responds a simple “cold.”
neil didn’t leave that spot for hours.
Rarely see it, but I enjoy fics where Agent Browning becomes an unwilling Pseudo Uncle beside Stuart as Neil's Actual Uncle. Like, Neil wants to do something that'll put the FBI on his case? Calls Agent Browning first, provides a heads up. Gonna marry Andrew? Gotta call Agent Browning so he can hyphenate his last name "for his Starbucks order". Allison wants to dye his hair? Gotta call Agent Browning first hold up
what the fuck do you mean there are people out there liking jean's and thea's "friendship" ??? "she was like a sister to him" ????? the girl that asked him if he was back to his “old tricks” when she saw him in THAT state?? his old tricks being him getting fucked by older guys when he was 15/16 years old?? "riko made her believe he was willing" he was a kid??? "she is a victim too" i don't care let her heal far away from jean??? i hate u