If U Think About It, Aaron Being The One To Kill Drake But It Only Being Possible Because Neil Brought

I feel like we as a society don't acknowledge often enough that Neil was convinced and waiting on his death for months and no one around him knew until he told Kevin

Neil was 18 at the time

When he ended his protection pact with Andrew so Andrew wouldn't get caught in the crossfire iirc he was freshly 19

We joke about him ignoring the countdown texts but he knew exactly what they meant and he was so tired of running fighting and collateral he saw no other options

Like do you realize how horrifc that is

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.

thinking about the fact that Neil matched Kevin's and Andrew's freak almost immediately. just straight up figured out how they ticked and walked them like dogs for three books straight. to everyone else, Kevin and Andrew are insane. to Neil, they make perfect sense.

david wymack is such a fierce protector. he loves so deeply and so unconditionally it makes me wanna cry.

like he had just met neil when he said "you need one of us to talk to your parents? are they the ones who hurt you? [...] if your parents are a problem for you, we'll move you to south carolina early."

and he offered him his couch. and then he told him "foxes are foxes for a reason and they know we wouldn't sign you if you didn't qualify. that doesn't mean they know the specifics. it's not my place to ask and I'm sure as hell not going to tell them. did you think I made the team the way it is because I thought it would be a good publicity stunt? it's about second chances, neil. second, third, fourth, whatever, as long as you get at least one more than what anyone else wanted to give you."

he barely knew jean when he told him "your so called master and that bitch of a nephew of his. kevin told us the truth when he transferred so we'd know what we were getting into. I know you think you have to go back to evermore and I know what's waiting for you there. I will burn this house down before I let him touch you again."

and let's not forget about "wymack didn’t care if he had nine foxes or twenty-five. he’d stand behind them until the bitter, bloody end."

and how he usually drives the bus himself because "it was apparently better to be uncomfortable but safe than to trust a stranger with his fractured team."

david wymack dedicated his life to showing kids who were dealt a shit hand in life that they can still play their cards right. I heard somewhere once that sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts and I thought it was a little corny but oh does it apply to someone like david wymack. he gave each of the foxes their own miracles. I know he is a fictional character but he just has the biggest heart and honestly he makes me want to have faith in humanity.

The line ‘He’s not allowed to fight his addiction.’ changed my perception of Andrew Minyard forever

I said this in another post, but it bears repeating:

Neil is to crime what Andrew is to Exy. Supernaturally talented and unstoppable if he wanted, but due to his general lack of interest nerfs himself.

Everyone should be grateful Neil finds crime boring and uninteresting compared to Exy cause he would have been the Kevin Day of crime, surpassing his father and mother. Nora confirmed in the EC that if the Moriyamas had messed with Andrew, Neil would have carefully and competently dismantled their empire and watched all of them burn. He was practically lab created and stress tested his whole life to fight, outlive, and outsmart criminal masterminds.

My headcannon is Ichirou is secretly relieved that Nathaniel just wants to play stick ball.

Neil knows love exists because Andrew is full of it. He sees it when Andrew cooks two different batches of pancakes, one batch being regular and the other chocolate chip, because he knows Neil doesn’t like sweets.

He sees it when Andrew specifically puts sticky notes on the wall next to their front door because he knows Neil is likely to see them and be reminded of things he needs to do that day.

He sees it when he and Andrew drive hours to listen to Aaron give his valedictorian speech at his university graduation.

And he feels it when Andrew cradles his head in the dead of night and reminds him who he is. Saying:

“You are Neil Josten, a nuisance with a smart mouth. And you are home.”

(The Raven King, ch.14)

This one line lives in my head rent-free. Neil may be antagonistic, but he never hated Aaron. He wanted him to be happy from the beginning.

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 doesn't humanise each other. Yes they do pull parts of themselves that others might consider admirable closer to the surface, but to call it humanising someone sounds like you're not considering someone as a person capable of good. Andrew was capable of good regardless of Neil and same goes for Neil. It was just a matter of circumstances.

Neil would've also hated it if this was being said about Andrew who is called 'a monster' by others, rather than just a person/human.

They're not each others answer and they wanted each other just the way they were. Truthful, earnest and themselves, which means that yes they are assholes.