#forget the moriyamas

[multistanninglifestyle]

You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs

I’m not a hallucination

You’re a pipe dream

- The king’s men

So as a direct consequence of Nora Sakavic’s return and announcement of a spin off on Jean, I have once again been thrown into the depths of the never ending spiral of re-reading aftg. And it’s lovely, as always. Rip my grades tho💀.

#who needs grades anyways? #andreil #I am seriously concerned for their respiratory helth #forget the moriyamas #they will die of lung cancer #I love them too much I might go insane #who am I kidding I already am #aftg fanart #aftg #the kings men #the foxhole court #my art #all for the game

[cultpastorkevin]

Cult Tips for AFTG writers

notes from the resident ex-cult pastor

If you’re in the cult, there is nothing bizarre abt what’s happening and in fact the normal stuff that happens outside of it is what’s bizarre to you. Target? Weird. McDonald’s? Even weirder. I can like guarantee Jean and Kevin never had McDonald’s until they left the Nest.

When you leave, you’re gonna be paranoid as fuck. All the time. Ngl at least for weeks but sometimes for years. Nightmares and insomnia 24/7. Hallucinations too lmao Riko is in every corner of empty rooms and you can hear his voice echo in the confines of the lockers.

I see a lot of Jean wanting to go back to the Nest, but not a lot of Kevin wanting to go back. He definitely struggled, 100%. In fact when he was in the pits of agony from his broken hand, was when he probably wanted to go back the most. Cult is home, cult is safe. Four walls you’ve always known and while it’s a cage at least it’s dependable. They hurt you but by god it always works out and the reward of pushing through this tragic incident is greater than the terror it caused in the first place. It’s a gift, actually. A gift from Riko. He saved Kevin. Cults save you. Cults make you wanna return to them like damn homing pigeons bruh. Give me more shattered hand Kevin screaming at Wymack to let him go back home and having a breakdown when he’s denied fics thanks

Piggybacking off the last one: cults are saviors; you’re nothing without them and they make sure you truly believe that; that everything that is done to you is for you and you’re blessed for it to be happening. You’re lucky even, to be allowed in it. Everything is as it’s supposed to be and order must never be challenged, because it works, and you’re the Edgar Allan Ravens, and this is the most honorable place you could be. All the pain you go through is you earning the right to be saved and to prove your worth every day on court. Only the worthy are honored.

You justify everything that happened and you will start fights and get angry with people who try to correct you and tell you it was wrong what went on.

On the other hand, you blame yourself for everything ever that happened there whether you were at fault or not. Hurting others, hurting yourself, gaslighting the fuck out of yourself over things maybe you could’ve prevented and over things you never could’ve stopped. The guilt is crippling and it eats you alive and haunts you.

There’s a lot of shame too. I see more guilt written than shame but shame is a huge portion of emotions that cult survivors have. Shits embarassing dude like “god how did I end up thinking this wack ass shit was normal” 😐 Shame comes later in the healing process usually, it’s after you have come to terms with shit that’s happened and you understand it. Looking back, you go “Jesus fucking Christ that was a red flag what the hell. Should’ve left then, or then, or then, or then” and then you’re just plain fuckin embarrassed.

Please look up how hive minds and brainwashing are created and work; also Stockholm Syndrome; understanding these would be incredibly helpful tbfh.

Diets are big; everyone eats the same thing; food is used as a reward and a punishment.

Hype hype hype. They whip up a frenzy of one singular emotion and use that to push you into a blind hysteria because you’re more suspectible to their influence when you’re out of your mind.

Drugs. Depends on the cult. But yeah these little bitches can be a huge factor for shit and can help with the brainwashing and hysteria and stockholm. Sometimes you don’t even know you’re being drugged or poisoned until you leave.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT. Dehumanization and then being treated like a person again can be traumatic as fuck yall!! Holy shit! Sometimes it feels worse than being dehumanized!

EDIT AGAIN: you don’t know what mental illness is !! Cults don’t fucking tell you these things lmao. if you show symptoms it’s your fault. Kevin being depressed his mom died was gonna get blamed on him and he was never going to be told grief is normal and it’s okay to be insanely sad. Jean also never got told his anger was correct or his trauma responses to being raped were realistic! They just got blamed for any reactions ever that weren’t neurotypical !! that is all; do with that what you will.

Idk if I think of anything else I’ll write another one but that’s all for now; I haven’t slept much lmao 🫡

#aftg #all for the game #edgar allan ravens #jean moreau #kevin day #riko moriyama #riko was a cult victim too yall #smh keep seeing people forget this #tetsuji moriyama #cult stuff #psycho analysis of aftg #kinda #it’s close enough #castle evermore #aftg fanfic #cultpastorkevin

[sunriseabram]

Here is your reminder that Riko spat in Neil's mouth. You're welcome.

#i wish i could forget this happened #i hate it #so much #fucking riko bitchyama #aftg #all for the game #neil josten #riko moriyama #fuck riko moriyama #if i have to remember you do as well

[ninyard]

Just had a sick thought that if Jean knew who Drake was and what he did to Andrew, that means that Riko must have told him everything. Thinking about Riko’s sick, psychopathic face, how excited he would’ve been to have found Andrew’s childhood rapist, how enthusiastic he would’ve been about Proust.

And Jean just had to sit there and listen to it. He had to agree to what he had to agree to, he had to tell Riko what he wanted to hear, just to keep the peace, to avoid another beating. Jean knew Riko was orchestrating Andrew’s assault. He knew what Riko wanted Proust to do to Andrew. He knew Riko was planning to break Andrew, the unwavering force that he is, and Jean couldn’t do a single solitary thing to stop it

#I wonder if he thinks of that when he sees Andrew #knowing he was the only one who could’ve stopped it or warned someone #yet he probably lives with the weight of Andrew’s retraumatization on his shoulders #AND if we go by EC let’s not forget that proust recording himself abusing Andrew #let’s not forget Riko probably got so much joy watching Jean squirm #as he forced him to see what he’d allowed to happen #ugh #this is worded so badly but #Jean Jean Jean you KNEWWWS #Jean Moreau #Riko Moriyama #Andrew minyard #tsc #the sunshine court #aftg #tfc #all for the game #do you think when Grayson shows up #and Jean compared him to drake #that he feels like it’s karma for allowing drake to find Andrew again

[very-small-flower]

“

“He was very spirited the last time we met," Riko said. "Perhaps that was just a show for the crowd? Hello, I am

speaking to you. Are you really going to ignore me?"

Nicky dug his fingers into Neil's thigh under the table, a silent and desperate reminder to keep his mouth shut. Neil left half-moon marks on the back of Nicky's hand with his fingernails and counted to ten. He only made it to four before Riko opened his mouth again.

"What a coward," Riko said with exaggerated disappointment. "Just like his mother."

Neil stopped counting.

"You know, I get it," Neil said. "Being

raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you're worth a damn off the court—yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy

issues all the time."

"Neil," Kevin said, low and frantic.

Neil ignored him. "I know it's not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you're physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don't think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. Pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. So please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone."

Jaws dropped up and down the line; Raven

symmetry shattered as they stared at Neil in stupefied disbelief. Riko's expression could have frozen hell, but Neil was too upset to be afraid. He'd have a nervous breakdown later. Right now he leaned forward and looked down the table at Dan, who sat with her face

buried in her hands.

“Dan, I said please. I tried to be nice."

"Matt," Dan said, almost choking on his name. "Matt, Coach. Get Coach. Oh my god.”

“

Excerpt From

The Raven King (93)

Nora Sakavic

#I feel like when ever people reference the Riko roast they stop after the first line #it’s easy to forget how magnificent this full scene really is #riko rost #riko moriyama #neil josten #aftg #all for the game #quote #this is mostly for myself #so I can have the full scene easily on hand

[littleolfandomblog]

sometimes i remember that kevin was a nepo baby

#nepotism #nepo baby #kevin day #like we all knew that riko is the epitome of nepotism #but i forget the kevin is too #like his mom is the inventor of the sport he plays #his dad coaches his team #all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #riko moriyama

[rinseveryday]

Cooking's the most fun when you do it as a group!

#dewishus!! #tinyrins #mangacap #rin okumura #shiemi moriyama #yukio okumura #renzou shima #ryuuji suguro #izumo kamiki #ig theyre in it lmao #shura kirigakure #i totally did not forget to push this to the top of my queue >.>

[leedee013]

I need me some Needle - @jtl-fics

prev

Jean winced at the thought of what had transgressed on his way home. Renee took up his hand tenderly, examining the line work with great curiosity as Jean worked over how to explain everything to her.

"How much do you know about Riko Moriyama?" he finally asked.

Renee ran her fingers over the back of Jean's hand as her lips thinned into a tight smile. "He was on the same football team as me and Kevin back in high school," she began. "Why?"

"He showed up at the parlor yesterday. Then he was right outside of Andrew's studio when I left tonight and followed me all the way back," he said.

Renee sighed. "Come. Kevin and I made dinner, and you should eat. We can talk about this once you've had a plate and once Kevin is back from his run."

MASTERPOST

#aftg #all for the game #wip wednesday #ww013 11.10.2023 #lee's writing shenanigans #needle au #needle au 23 #jtl-fics #thank you aasshhhh <3333 #jean moreau #renee walker #kevin day #andrew minyard #riko moriyama #aftg jean #aftg riko #aftg renee #aftg au #what tags did I inevitably forget #we'll find out ig

[awildtei]

I know this is not new information, but I've seen a fresh wave of people confused about what the fuck Andrew planned to do as a 5'0 man with a knife against the literal mafia, so.

I think the fact that neither Neil nor Kevin lost their faith in Andrew’s ability to protect them after he was attacked by Drake (unable to stand his ground against a single man with a bottle, let alone the Yakuza/Nathan with their guns) is the best proof we have that the deal was never about physical protection. This is confirmed by the way Neil never expects Andrew to save him from his father, in fact cuts him loose before Baltimore as soon as danger is truly near.

Andrew is a pretty self-aware character, and he wouldn't make promises he knows he can't possibly see through, so I think he knows what Kevin and Neil also know: what they need from him, and thus what he promises, is not physical protection.

To Kevin, he promises safety from the Moriyamas, and the way we see him enact that safety (at Kathy's show, at the banquet) shows exactly what it's about: when Riko starts getting into your head, when he makes you doubt yourself, makes you think maybe you should go back to Evermore, I won't let you. I will get you away from him, I will treat him like he's just some dude to remind you that you can face him without kneeling. I will be your spine until you find your own, I will stand my ground for you until you can do it yourself.

That's why the scene when Kevin gets to the dorm with his tattoo and Andrew's eyes show so much feeling is huge not just for Kevin but for Andrew: because that was the whole point of their deal, Kevin has found his spine, Andrew bought him the space and time to do it.

To Neil, he promises safety from the people hunting him down, and that means: I will give you something to build a life around (keys, drives to nightly exy practices, someone to lean on, someone who will listen without flinching). When you feel like running, I will be someone you can call to come pick you up. When you forget, I will remind you who you are: Neil Abram Josten.

Andrew stands between Kevin and Riko and between Neil and his father not as an impenetrable wall but as an obstacle in their vision: not shield but focal point.

(Makes me think of that scene in The Haunting of Hill House, Hugh holding Steven's neck to keep him from looking at the ghosts, saying, Look at me, just look at me, keep your eyes on me. That's what Andrew’s constantly doing --even literally, when Kevin is spiralling after Wymack tells the team about the district change and Andrew makes him look away from his broken hand and up at him).

#aftg #all for the game #andrew minyard #neil josten #kevin day #andreil #many thoughts head full #tei's

[lucky-slice]

Do you understand how much kevin respects neil? And i don't mean when it comes to exy, like sure there's a whole lot of you're not good enough followed by you will make court bluh bluh bluh, i mean fundamentally as a human.

Kevin and Neil's conversation after the truth of Neil's father is revealed drives me absolutely insane because I think it highlights a lot about how Kevin views Neil.

so indulge me for a bit....

I think a lot of people forget, in light of Andrew choking Kevin for not telling him the truth, that Kevin's initial reaction was to tell Neil to run.

*sorry for the quality - these are all screenshots off my phone

Kevin's instinct is to tell Neil to save himself, despite what that would mean for the team's success and for Kevin himself. This is significant to me for two reasons.

It highlights that Kevin genuinely cares about Neil outside of his exy potential. For most people, this would be a pretty obvious response to finding out your teammate has a guaranteed death sentence if they stick around, so it might not seem all that meaningful, but Kevin was raised in such an environment were you continued to play no matter what - even at the risk of death. Kevin is unflinchingly callous when it comes to exy and his teammates (*see his reaction to Seth's death), but he is frantic in his concern for Neil in contrast to his fairly passive response to basically anyone else's wellbeing outside of exy. Neil's death will have no real impact on Kevin. If Neil dies or goes to the ravens, nothing changes for Kevin. He is not at a greater risk of being hurt by Riko or the Moriyama's nor will his exy career be effected. That's not to say he would tell Neil to stay if he cared about him any less, but there is a desperation that implies a depth beyond just that of a teammate.

The fact that Kevin is frantic and desperate for Neil to leave, gives weight to his decision to keep teaching Neil in the aftermath of the revelation.

Neil doesn't want to run - he wants to be Neil Josten until the end. He gave Kevin his game and now he's asking him to keep it and Kevin obliges.

This is essentially Kevin promising that he will keep Neil's secret. He will allow Neil to wear his mask and continue teaching him despite the fact that Neil is essentially a dead man walking. This, to me, is Kevin ultimately respecting Neil and his choice. At any moment, Kevin has the ability to got to Wymack or Andrew and give Neil the chance at surviving, but that would mean betraying Neil.

Some people (certainly the foxes) would view refusing Neil's request as the proper and morally correct thing to do. But I think Kevin's immediate acceptance of Neil's decision is both immensely meaningful to Neil and also a signifier of a shared understanding between to two.

Imagine how impactful it must be for Neil, who has never had autonomy over his own life and has been marked for death basically since he was born, to be told that not only will his decisions and his autonomy be respected, but there is someone who will stand by his side on the court, knowing the whole truth, until the very end.

Kevin doesn't have much to offer Neil at this point. He can not give him a future - he'll be long dead before he can ever make court, and Kevin is a coward - he is not andrew, he can't stand up against the Moriyama's or Riko or Neil's father. Kevin can not protect Neil in a way that matters. All he can do is promise to keep Neil's secret and offer him a few more months of being Neil Josten.

I'm not including this to disparage Andrew or to suggest that he does not respect Neil, but this highlights that Kevin knows the decision to keep Neil's secret is one only Kevin would make. Andrew without a doubt would immediately try to get Neil to leave or attempt to get him into protection. I'm not passing a judgement of morality on what would've been the right thing to do, but I do think Kevin's reaction is indicative of the fact that Neil and Kevin understand each other in a way that no one else really will.

Neil and Kevin are a parallel's in a number of ways. Kevin lived the life that Neil was supposed to have and they are two parts of one story.

To them exy is not a game, but it's not really about exy either. It's about deciding to stay just to play for a couple more months even though you'll wind up dead because playing means you finally get to live after years of being a ghost. It's about playing to be the best no matter what, even though the consequences are having your hand smashed and the life you know completely demolished. It's about playing even though you're shaking with fear and anxiety because you need proof that your life, whether it be running to survive or living under an abusive hand, was not a waste.

Kevin agrees to keep Neil's secret because if the roles were reversed, Kevin would like to believe that he'd be strong enough to ask Neil for the same thing. This is obviously conjecture and a heavy heavy reading between the lines, but I'd like to think there's some truth there.

Finishing up with this line because it makes me a little emotional.

Kevin starts the conversation by calling Neil "Nathaniel" and ends it by calling him Neil again. Its right there in the text, "it was a promise". Kevin is offering Neil a life that is fully his - not his father's, not Riko's, but Neil's to do with what he would like, even if its only for a couple more months. If that's not respect, than I don't know what is.

#kevin day #neil josten #gnat be quiet #aftg #screaming and smashing bottles and shouting do you get it at the top of my lungs #do you get it? #this is what kevin does #he believes in people until the very end because that's only thing he can offer #I think there's a lot to delve in here about choices and freedom and growing up without either #and about what it means to live for yourself #even when that means dying for yourself too #maybe kevin doesn't know how to be brave but he knows how to give other people the chance to be

[otdiaftg]

The King's Men - Chapter Seventeen (19)

Day: Friday, April 26th / 27th* Time: 3:32 AM EST

Neil forgets the stench the second he see's the bandage on Kevin's face. It is too much to hope for and too impossible to believe in, but Neil freezes in his tracks and stares. Kevin pushes the door closed and stumbles backward into it. He almost falls, braces himself in the nick of time, and stares blearily at Neil. That is about all Kevin can manage, it seems, so Neil goes to him. Kevin makes a limp gesture near his side. Neil works a corner of the tape up and pulls the gauze off Kevin's face. It feels a bit like falling and a bit like flying; Neil's stomach bottoms out a second before adrenaline floods his veins. Kevin had worn a "2" since his first days in the Moriyamas' cruel care. Riko and Kevin used markers for years, writing over their numbers any time they threatened to fade. As soon as they were old enough they'd switched to a more permanent ink. Now that number is gone, covered up by the jet-black image of a chess piece. Neil's knowledge of chess is hazy at best, but he knows for sure that isn't a king.

Art used with permission by Emry-Stars-Art. Thank you @emry-stars-art!

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

#aftg #all for the game #neil josten #tkm #the kings men #the foxhole court #andrew minyard #palmetto state university #psu foxes #andreil #on this day in aftg #otdiaftg #palmetto state foxes #otdi all for the game #nora sakavic #the foxes #on this day in all for the game #kevin day #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #coach wymack #betsy dobson #abby winfield #matt boyd #dan wilds #renee walker #allison reynolds #artists #emry-stars-art

[jtl-fics]

I wonder what happened to the Wesninski house in Baltimore. It was definitely roped off as a crime scene for a long time but eventually it had to go somewhere and Neil’s the only beneficiary it could really go to.

Do you think it enters his custody and there are plenty of people who want to buy it, either because it’s a nice house or because ‘it’s the BUTCHER’S house’ and they want to turn it into a tourist attraction. Neil’s getting bombarded with real estate, city planning, victims advocacy, etc.

Maybe it’s only Neil’s 3rd year that he gets possession of it and he’s already stressed because it’s his 1st year as a captain and he needs to show the Moriyamas and the professional teams that he is worth investing in.

Maybe Andrew sees all of this and reaches out. Maybe all of the OG Foxes brave Baltimore one more time and maybe they spend all of Spring Break destroying every single nice thing that house ever had. For the Foxes it’s just fun to break shit, for Neil it’s destroying and rejecting his father’s legacy, he’s desecrating his father’s grave, it’s the most cathartic thing he’s ever done in his entire life and that includes telling Riko off his freshman year. They shatter chandeliers, furniture, appliances (the gas is well and truly turned off), watches, jewelry, clothes, plates, glasses, and anything they can find and destroy.

Allison has a running tab on who has done the most in property damage. The one who wins is Matt because he brought his own sledgehammer to the party.

Maybe the Foxes help Neil destroy his father’s legacy but also...maybe Dan grabs pictures of Nathaniel smiling at the camera with a missing tooth.

Maybe Nicky finds a recipe book hand written from Nathaniel’s maternal grandmother hoping her grandson will like them and it is set aside to be saved.

Maybe Matt finds a hidden corner where Nathaniel had drawn on the wall in crayon and he cuts out that chunk of drywall.

Maybe Aaron finds some letters Mary wrote to Stuart about what a good boy Nathaniel is and he pockets them.

Maybe Renee finds a stuffed animal with a missing eye and carries it to safety.

Maybe Kevin finds a set of child Exy equipment that goes into the Maserati.

Maybe Allison finds children’s clothes that have been sewn back together because the person who wore them loved them so much so she puts them in her purse.

Maybe Andrew finds a tiny bloody hand print in the basement and Andrew’s hand eclipses the hand of the bleeding child who left it and Andrew doesn’t forget things but the thought is easier when Neil’s hands engulf his when they hold them later that night.

Maybe the Foxes go and save every piece of Nathaniel they can from that house. Nathan can rot there, Neil is having the house demolished in a week and then he’ll sell the land to the Baltimore parks department.

But maybe Nathaniel’s grave is somewhere else. Maybe they let him rest somewhere other than Baltimore. Maybe Neil can’t take anything they had saved from that house yet so Nathaniel’s memories rest with them until Neil can take it.

#If you have ever read my 'Beware' fic you know I'm weird about Nathaniel #I think he deserves a softer end than being buried in Baltimore #But that's besides the point #I might elaborate on this idea in 'Beware' #Nathaniel Wesninski #Neil Josten #AFTG #AFTG Fics #Andreil #The Palmetto State Foxes #My fics #Nathan Wesninski #All for the Game #In a Masterpost

[xxxbabyinatrenchcoatxxx]

I love Andrew Minyard as a criminal justice major. Just imagine the possibilities that could happen!! He'd 100% write a paper about nature vs nurture that is about himself and Neil (only if you read between the lines can you tell that tho)

Oh man!! An idea is coming into my head as I think about this!!

Okay, okay, so imagine the following.

Andrew is in his The Serial Killer's Psyche class when he learns about the more recent recent killers, including The Baltimore Butcher.

He lowkey becomes fascinated with the whole thing.

(It's the knives)

And goes down a rabbit hole looking into anything and everything regarding the Wesninski family.

He learns that Nathan was married and had a son, Nathaniel, with a member of another known mafia family from across the Atlantic, Mary.

The son would be the perfect killing machine for these two.

But then he learns that Mary and Nathaniel died tragically in an unknown form.

"The family wants to keep their privacy in these hard times." The press says.

Despite Andrew researching for days (he even went to the library once!) He can't find any record of how they died, but their death certificates have the same time stamp on them so at least he knows they died at the same time.

After finding out as much as he can about the family, he is (and he would never admit this to anyone at all ever) solely on the side of the cops in believing that Nathan Wesninski is The Baltimore Butcher despite there not being enough evidence, etc etc.

Having learned all he could, he all but forgets about the Wesninski family.

Fast forward to the next semester when Kevin tells him they are going to Arizona because he found them a new striker.

As Neil is trying to catch his breath from Andrew hitting him, Andrew is suddenly excepiencing a new phenomenon to him "familiarity"

For some reason, this flight risk reminds him of someone, but he can't quite remember who.

This is new.

Not remembering something.

Is his memory failing him for the first time ever?

He blames it on his meds and moves on

Everytime he sees Neil after he moves to Palmetto, he has the same feeling.

Ever. Single. Time.

It is increasingly aggravating and intirely too intresting.

After weeks spent trying to remember who Neil reminded him of, filing through every person he's ever encountered, and Neil's skitish behavior, he decided that Neil must be a threat.

Why else would his instincts tell him not to trust Neil?

Why didn't he react to the Moriyamas coming south that fall?

Why couldn't he fucking remember where he knew Neil from???

His shell cracked a little bit and he decided on impulse that Neil was going to Eden's with them

Andrew was practically vibrating with rage by the end of that night.

"Who are you?" Andrew asked.

"Wha- I don't understand? I'm Neil?"

"No. I know you, but I've never seen you before." Andrew watched as Neil tensed, wondering what was running through the runners head.

"We don't know each other." Neil made as if to walk away, but he didn't make it far before he had to grab the wall to stabilize himself.

"I know you." Andrew said, grabbing his shoulder.

"No, you don't." Neil shoved him.

"Do you work for the Moriyamas?"

"You think I'm a mole?" Neil scoffed, but it was more slurred with the drugs in his system.

"You're something. And I know how to properly dispose of a body." Andrew said lowly, threatingly, putting both hands on either side of Neil, caging him him.

"So do I." Neil's voice was steady, and he shoved Andrew back as far as he could before taking off.

Neil feeds Andrew half-truths the next day at Wymacks, saying that he must have seen him on the street somewhere. He honestly had no idea why Andrew recognized him.

Andrew doesn't believe that, but he believes Neil's half-truths about his family and lets him go.

Eventually, the familiar feeling is exchanged with actual recognition, and the books continue on as normal

UNTIL

Andrew gets out of Easthaven and sees Neil with his blue eyes and Aubrun hair and brused face, and Andrew freezes for only a moment.

But for that moment, it's like a Christmas tree lighting up in Andrew's head.

Neurons firing and connecting dots he didn't know went to together.

Nathaniel Wesninski stood next to his family

Nathaniel Wesninski protected his family while he was in rehab

Nathaniel Wesninski has been alone with Kevin every night for the past 4 months

Nathaniel Wesninksi was a runaway

Nathaniel Wesninski was alive

Nathaniel Wesninski

Andrew doesn't know what to do with this information yet, so he does nothing

He goes about his decided itinerary for the day

He still doesn't know what to do until "I never understood why he liked knives."

Everyone else was thinking Riko, but Andrew was thinking Nathan.

He decides then and there that he's not going to say anything until Neil tells him.

Neil's "I'm Nathaniel" hits Andrew like a gut punch.

He already knew it but now it's confirmed.

When Neil goes missing, Andrew was the first to tell coach about Nathan's release from prison.

He persuades Coach (read: stares down repeating "Baltimore") to take them to Baltimore because that's where Neil is.

Books go on as normal

Life seemingly goes back to normal after summer break.

They start the new semester with significantly fewer worries, and Neil is figuring out his newfound freedom.

Andrew is in his Advanced Psychology class when Nathan Wesninski is brought up again.

The professor - fortunately for her sake - doesn't mention Neil or Nathaniel at all but assigned them an imaginative assignment

They are to pick a serial killer and study what is known about their at home life and write a paper about what it might be like to grow up in that kind of enviroment

Andrew was going to ignore this assignment, but Neil found out and thought the whole thing was hilarious.

Neil finds out that Andrew was entirely too fascinated by the Wesninski family.

"You liked me before you even met me."

Eventually, they decided that Andrew didn't have to write the paper.

"Mr. Minyard. It is your turn to present."

Andrew and Neil walk to the front.

"This was a single person assignment, Mr. Minyard."

"I think a first-hand account is better than anything I could have come up with. Don't you think?"

"First hand?"

"Hello Andrew's classmates. I'm Nathaniel Wesninski, but please call me Neil. Fair warning. If you ever call me Nathaniel, I will kill you."

They spend the rest of the class basically ragging on Nathan the entire time

#aftg #all for the game #andrew minyard #neil josten #the foxes #aftg neil #the foxhole court #andriel #the raven king #the kings men #aftg au #criminal justice major Andrew Minyard

[tara-the-star]

elodie and jean moreau thoughts

when jean left home, he never got to say goodbye to her, he left thinking elodie would hate him for no longer protecting her from their parents' abuse. she was ten at the time and jean was convinced he was leaving her to face hell alone.

jean tried to fight against riko and tetsuji's abuse, perhaps clinging on to the hope that one day, one day he might just get to see elodie again. but of course, he could hold on to that distant memory for only so long. so he put his head down, he gave up any hope he had and accepted whatever the nest had in store for him. he buried all his memories of marseille, concluding that they should remain in that past, whether good or bad. It wasn't like ravens were allowed to have families anymore.

except

jean left the nest. his memories stayed buried after years of repression, but for how long? eventually when he did start remembering him, he could feel those memories tainted by the mental scars of his mothers abuse, though the physical marks had long since faded under the remnants of his time at the nest.

it had been so long since jean even saw elodie, he doubted that she was the same girl he had unwillingly left under the questionable care of his father's violent business and mother's unpredictable temper. so jean didn't dare think of reaching out to elodie, fearing that she would hate him for abandoning her.

but that didnt mean he stopped caring for her. when stuart mentioned that his family was going to take the hit in the moriyama's stead, jean only wanted to know what would happen to his sister. and then he found out that she faced the same fate as him, and in his words, that moment felt worse than anything riko had ever inflicted upon him.

and then, just like that, the only person he loved, who loved him back uncondtionally was dead.

his baby sister, a mere child, was dead because jean was unable to protect her from their parents' wrath. at the end of the day, his love couldn't shield her from them because they were moreaus. born to serve. it was written in their fate to exist solely for others. and if they lost their lives in the process, there was nothing they could do about it.

and thats why elodie moreau would never cross the age of twelve, ten in jean's memories, to which her existence was limited to. but the mind is a fickle thing. jean would eventually forget the exact hue of her eyes, the exact sound of her voice, the way she smelled curled up next to him, her favourite colour, and finally, inevitably, her.

#sorry for the long post #elodie is taking up my entire mind #if its incomprehensible its because its 2 am here and im just rambling #tsc spoilers #jean moreau #nora sakavic #the sunshine court #aftg #elodie moreau #all for the game #tsc #the sunshine court spoilers

[troyenrenard]

Was going to draw my future headcanon of the surviving perfect court (they get chess pieces tattoos while drunk during their olympic years, fact they are deeply mortified at) and i just realized.

How the fuck did Riko think Jean was going to be part of his perfect court when he's not american. He's french. He would not be able to play for america in the olympics, because he's not from the country. did riko moriyama genuinely forget jean was from france and no one corrected him. Did people genuinely forget jean was french because he spoke that little. How.

#all for the game #aftg #the sunshine court #tsc #jean moreau #perfect court #troyen babbles

[kazoo-the-demjin]

i know that the "you know, i get it" speech is the definition of savage but the fandom should definitely not forget when Neil Josten: the person no one knew before this night had the balls to say those words to Riko Moriyama on live television

#this is like #one of the best of neil #almost The Best #neil josten #kevin day #riko moriyama #kathy ferdinand #all for the game #aftg #the foxhole court #tfc #tay shit #tay.aftg #fav